Sarah Flower - My blog

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+ Halogen Dinner - slow baked tomato and tuna bake (24/01/2012 - 09:38:41)

+ windswept... (22/01/2012 - 15:47:22)

+ Icy Start (13/01/2012 - 10:59:42)

⇒ Post history

Halogen Dinner - slow baked tomato and tuna bake

I love the halogen oven and use it most days - here is the recipe for lasts nights, dinner, I hope you enjoy it

Slow Baked Tomato and Tuna Bake

Serves 4

Olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 red onion, finely chopped

4-6 ripe tomatoes, quartered

Sprinkle of salt

Sprinkle of sugar

1 dessertspoonful of balsamic vinegar

Handful of chopped fresh basil

300g dried pasta twirls

300g Tuna, crumbled

50g mozzarella

Preheat your Halogen Oven using your preheat setting or turn the temperature to 170˚c
Place the oil, garlic, onions, tomatoes an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with sea salt, sugar and balsamic vinegar. Add half of the fresh basil. Season to taste
Place on the low rack and cook for another 20-30 minutes. While this is cooking, cook your pasta, following the instructions on the packet.
Drain the pasta. Remove the ovenproof dish once cooked. Add the cooked pasta and crumbled tuna. Combine well. Finish with crumbled mozzarella, a drizzle of olive oil and season with black pepper.
Bake on the low rack for 10 minutes at 190˚c, before serving immediately.

windswept...

Decided to blow away the cobwebs and take my son to cycle along the canal - it seemed a good idea at the time, but the wind was blowing I ended up being terrified he would get blown in. Back home we lit the woodburner and decided a wholesome casserole was the way to go - now bubbling away on the Rayburn while we play Mario kart - (I am so rubbish at that, it makes me wonder how I passed my driving test!).

Chicken Bacon and Bean Casserole

A very wholesome dish – perfect to fill a gap, especially on a winters evening. The beans and give you an extra protein boost, helping to bulk out the casserole and keep you fuller for longer.

Serves 4-6

olive oil spray

1 red onion, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

1 pepper, diced

400g lean, skinless chicken pieces (thigh gives more flavour)

4-5 rashers of lean back bacon – remove all fat

8 new potatoes, halved or quartered

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

2 carrots, diced

2 sticks of celery, diced

1 tin of chopped tomatoes,

900ml chicken stock

75g red lentils

1 tin Borlotti beans (or can use chickpeas)

2 tsp paprika

1 bay leaf

Black pepper

1 tsp dried tarragon

In a sauté pan, add a spray of oil and add the onion, garlic and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add the chicken and cook until it turns white before adding the bacon
Add all remaining ingredients. Place on a low heat and cook for 1 ¼ hours
This is quite substantial so you don’t need to serve it with anything else

NB: You can cook this in the slow cooker by adding all the ingredients and cooking for 4-6 hours.

Icy Start

Scrapping off ice from my car this morning did nothing to help my already low mood. I need to pop on some loud music and some baking - that should help cheer me.

If like me you love desserts but watch your weight, why not try some of my new recipes - here is a sneak preview from my next book The Healthy Lifestyle Diet Cookbook - available to preorder on amazon.

Healthy Summer Pudding

This summer pudding has been given a healthy twist - supplementing sugar for xylitol or stevia reduces the raise blood sugar. Swapping white bread for gluten free is also a healthier choice. I have tried this using wholemeal bread but gluten free white bread gives better results - far more like the original recipe we all adore.

Serves 4

800g mixed berries (can use fresh or frozen)

75g xylitol or stevia

4-6 slices of gluten free white bread

Place the berries in a saucepan and heat gently for 3-4 minutes.
Line a basin with clingfilm (this helps you remove the pudding without too many problems - make sure the clingfilm overlaps the bowl).
Line the bowl with the bread slices, overlapping them to prevent leakage.
Once lined, place the berries in the basin. Top with slices of bread and bring the excess clingfilm over the top to secure.
Press down gently. If the basin is not overfill, you can weigh it down by placing a plate that fits inside the top of the basin and add some cans for weight.
Leave in the fridge overnight or for at least 4-5 hours.
To serve, carefully peel back the clingfilm. Place a serving place on the top of the basin - serving side down, then carefully flip - allowing the pudding to drop onto the place.
You can add more berries before serving or sprinkle with a little icing sugar.

Berry Cream Meringues

Serves 4-6

2 egg whites

115g xylitol

½ tsp white wine vinegar

½ tsp cornflour

150ml fat free Greek yoghurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

200g mixed berries

Icing sugar to dust (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200˚c
Place the egg whites in a clean bowl and whisk until glossy and forming soft peaks.
Add the xylitol a little at a time and beat until it forms firm peaks
Mix in the cornflour and vinegar.
Line a baking tray with baking parchment (you can stick this to the tray using a small dollop of the egg white mixture)
Pipe or spoon mixture to form 4-8 small rounds of meringue
Place in the oven and immediately turn down to 150˚c
Cook for 1 hour and turn the oven off, leaving the meringues inside to cool. Store in an airtight container until needed.
In a bowl mix the yoghurt with the vanilla extract.
Place a meringue on a serving plate, add a dollop of the yoghurt mixture and cover with berries.
Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.

Chocolate Popcorn

This is a big favourite in our house - the kids can get involved in making it. Remember the chocolate and syrup does add to the calorific value, so if you want a healthier snack, try it just plain - perfect if you are trying to give up crisps and wants something to munch.

Serves 2-3

75g popping corn

35g dark chocolate (must be at least 70% cocoa solids)

1 heaped tbsp sweet freedom syrup

Place the popcorn into your saucepan and add the lid. Place on the hob at high heat and allow to pop for at least 5 minutes. The noise will eventually stop indicating that all the popcorn has popped.
Remove from the heat and add the grated chocolate and the syrup. Combined well
Serve immediately.

That sunday feeling

Sundays are a great day to get in the kitchen and enjoy some home baking. One of my favourite recipes is this raspberry and chocolate cake. go on, you know you want to....

Fatless Chocolate & Raspberry Sponge

225g sugar (ideally caster sugar)

75ml warm water

150g Self raising flour

75g good quality cocoa

4 eggs, separated

200g low fat fromage frais

100g raspberries

Preheat oven to 180°c. Grease 2 deep sponge tins with butter. Sprinkle on a little flour and ensure the butter is coated. This forms a perfect non-stick base.

Mix the egg yolks and sugar together, adding the warm water a little at a time. If using a mixer, this takes a good five minutes, or by hand at least 10 minutes to ensure a light and fluffy texture.

Sift the flour and cocoa and gently add a little at a time into the egg/sugar mix – DON’T WHISK!

Whisk the egg whites until firm, and then very gently fold into the cake mixture.

Divide the mixture into the two greased, deep sponge tins. Bake for 15-20 minutes until firm.

Place on cooling rack to cool.

Once cool, combine fromage frais with the raspberries and sandwich between the sponge base. Sprinkle with icing sugar to garnish.

I blame the weather

Things have been a bit slow on the work front today. I should be completing my healthy eating cookbook but I keep getting distracted by household chores.

The colder weather has meant lighting the woodburner - lovely but now I have an extra job to do everyday, cleaning the dust and mess, chopping the wood and keeping it topped up. The cats love it but they have taken to jumping on the sofa with wet, muddy paws and it is driving me insane. The cold weather seems to have increased my sons appetite so I have a list of demands every morning - cakes, biscuits and today it was home-made bread. Does he not realise I work? Actually, he you asked him he would tell you I work in a pub as I have helped out in my local a few times. The fact I am an author seems to have escaped his attention!

so, the end result is yet another evening in front of the computer trying to catch up with what I should have done today...

A Hug in a mug...Perfect to mend broken hearts or ease the stresses of the day

There are times when you really need a hug and this recipe works well. Remember, if you are using a slow cooker to make this, your mugs will need to be heavy and ovenproof.

Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate Orange Brownie Mugs

It really is a hug in a mug.

110g Self Raising flour

100g brown sugar

75g cocoa

150ml Orange Juice

Few drops of orange essence (optional)

100ml vegetable Oil

25g dark chocolate chips

Spray Olive oil

4-6 ovenproof mugs

To prepare the brownie mix, add all the dry ingredients into your food mixer. Measure the oil and orange juice and mix together with the orange and orange essence.
Pour this into the dried mix and beat well until thoroughly mixed.
Stir in by hand the chocolate chips, ensuring they are evenly distributed.
Carefully spray with oil the insides of the mugs (you can rub with butter, then sprinkle on flour to form a non-stick base)
Fill the mugs half-full with the mixture.
Turn the slow cooker to high. Carefully place the mugs in the slow cooker. These should be fine in your stoneware pot as long as your mugs are dishwasher and microwave proof - normally the chunkier mugs are suitable - not fine bone china!
fill the area around the mugs with water so it comes up half way up the mugs.
Cook for 1 1/2 -2 hours - or until the brownies have risen and firm to touch.
Very carefully remove the mugs from the slow cooker - use oven gloves for this. Carefully hold the mugs at the top and run the handles under cold water - this will cool them enough for you to be able to hold them.
You can decorate with cream or creme fraiche before serving.

Get the Halloween Vibe with Pumpkin Soup

I love this recipe, perfect for when the shops are bulging with pumpkins.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Delicious treat for Halloween or you can use other squash for all year treat

Olive Oil

1 small pumpkin

1 onion

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 - 2 carrots, chopped

1 medium sweet potato

2 sticks of celery

4 Tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 teaspoons of tomato puree (optional)

1 teaspoon grated root ginger

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Half teaspoon ground coriander

300 - 425ml water or stock

15ml Lemon juice

Seasoning to taste

Cut pumpkin into wedges, coat with a light brush of oil and place in oven on low heat (160°c) for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the vegetables. Cook onion, garlic and spices together in saucepan until soft and onions are translucent.

Take flesh from pumpkin wedges and place with spices. Add all other ingredients.

Place on low and cook slowly for 30-45 minutes.

Cool slightly. Use electric hand blender to puree and return to pan until ready to serve.

Season as required. For impressive presentation, use hollowed pumpkins as serving dishes.

Sweet Potato & Butternut Squash Soup - todays lunch

Sweet Potato & Butternut Squash Soup

I love sweet potatoes – such a vibrant colour and packed full of goodness

Olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 – 2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 – 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

1 stick of celery, diced

Half a small butternut squash, peeled and cubed

2 sweet potatoes

1 small carrot, diced

1 litre water or vegetable stock

Seasoning of black pepper

Cook onion, garlic and coriander seeds together in saucepan until soft and onions are translucent. Add grated ginger and cook for a further minute.

Add potatoes, celery, carrot and squash and a little of the water/stock and cook for another 5 minutes to help soften.

Add all remaining water/stock. Place on low heat and cook slowly for 35-45 minutes. If using slow cooker, cook for 4-6 hours. Add more liquid if necessary.

Cool slightly. Use electric hand blender to puree and return to pan until ready to serve.

Season to taste before serving.

Add a swirl of chilli oil or sweet chilli sauce for an extra hit.

Dispel the Myth - Healthy eating is not expensive!

Its raining and wintery outside but I am tucked up at home recuperating from an operation and trying to finish my next book, The Healthy Lifestyle Diet Cookbook. I received an interesting press release today from All About Weight.

Lord Lawson – Nigel Lawson in Thatcher’s regime – slimmed down from 238 pounds to 168 pounds after leaving government and wrote the Nigel Lawson Cookbook.
Ex-Chancellor Lawson has thrown his lack of weight behind Health Secretary Andrew Lansley’s announcement that he will not be introducing legislation to attempt to stem Britain’s ballooning obesity crisis.

"Indeed, may I suggest it is not something the government can do at all.”
Speaking about obesity in the House of Lords he said: "As someone who has been there and done that and, indeed, written a book about it, may I say that you are absolutely right that this is not something the government can do on its own.
Earlier this week, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley announced that he hopes that Britain’s would trim five billion calories from the national diet but he would not be resorting to legislation.
His appeal was dismissed as ’a waste of time’ by All About Weight – the UK’s fastest growing weight-loss specialists.
“The overall impression we get is that the government is trying to pass the buck of obesity onto consumers, and may have bowed to pressure from the food organisations who have fought hard to resist any restrictive legislation,” said Alison Wetton, CEO and founder of All About Weight.
TV chef and food campaigner Jamie Oliver branded the government’s shake up of the national obesity strategy as ‘worthless, regurgitated and patronising rubbish’.
Doctors and health campaigners have accused Mr Lansley of shying away from confrontation with the powerful junk food industry and refusing to force manufacturers to cut back on fat, sugar and salt levels.
There will also be no improvements on food labeling like mandatory calorie counts.
Britain already suffers from one of the worst obesity rates in Europe and 60 per cent of adults and twenty-five per cent of primary school children are overweight or obese.
The obese are at far greater risk from diabetes, some forms of cancer and heart problems later in life.
Professor Sally Davies, the chief medical officer said that combating obesity was about: "… about what we eat, how we cook it and about portion size."
“All About Weight does agree with the chief medical officer and we recognise that we are all ultimately responsible for what we eat and how active we are,” said Alison Wetton.
“However, we live in obesogenic society where the healthy choices, if they are available at all, are more expensive and less convenient than the unhealthy options.

Whilst I totally agree that the government is passing the buck on obesity issues, I disagree with the final comment by Alison Wetton. I spend my life trying to educate people that healthy food does not have to mean expensive and here is a diet company perpetuating the belief that a healthy lifestyle is only for those with money. My book, Eat Well, Spend Less was trying to dispel this myth. Recipes start from just 17p a portion and can be made without an expert cooking knowledge. At this time of year nothing is simpler or cheaper than making your own soups or casseroles. Buy basic vegetables such as carrots, onions, celery, leeks and sweet potatoes. Grab yourself a slow cooker, chuck in the vegetables, a handful of red lentils, stock and maybe some chopped chicken breast and leave it to cook for 6-8 hours. A nutritious, wholesome meal with very little effort - in fact, if you can chop, you can use a slow cooker.

Healthy food does not mean going to specialist shops and spending lots of money on strange ingredients. It means home-cooked, fresh, real food - just like our grandmothers used to make.

The government no longer spend money on teaching children and new parents how to cook or general housekeeping knowledge - such as budgeting, using your leftovers and all the things our grandparents did without thinking. During the 2nd world war the government spent time to teach housewives all about food - including cartoon characters to show children why they needed to eat certain vegetables. We have lost this basic knowledge. People choose junk and processed foods because they don't know how to do anything else. Until we educate them, they will continue to make these choices. It is the most unhealthy choice and also the most expensive choice.

Apple and Almond Cake - what a combination!

I am on deadline for my book but I just had to experiment today with a Apple & Almond Cake. The photo does not do it justice, it really does look and smell amazing!

It was very simple to make,

Apple & Almond Cake

preheat oven to 160˚c (150˚c for fan assisted)
cream the sugar 170g and butter 120g, add 2 eggs and beat well.
Peel and chop two bramley apples into chunks and add to the mixture, along with 1 teaspoon almond essence.
Fold in 225g self raising flour. Pour half the mixture into your lined springform tin.
Peel half a bramley apple and cut into slices, place the slices over the mixture.
Top with the remaining cake mix and finish with a few random apple slices and sprinkle of flaked almonds and brown sugar.
Pop in the centre of the oven and cook for 40-50 minutes. Test the cake by placing a skewer or cake tester into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean the cake is done.
Cool on a rack before devouring!

Gluten free

For a few months I have noticed that wheat can often cause my stomach to bloat and for me to feel uncomfortable. While I try to cut out wheat as much as I can, it is not always so easy, especially when I am tasting new recipes! I also love cakes so I decided to experiment more with gluten and wheat free recipes. The results have been fantastic, so much so that my tasters (friends and family) are now asking me for the gluten free versions rather than their old favourites. The biggest hits have been the lemon drizzle cake, victoria sponge and a boiled fruit cake, which was light as a feather and really moist. I am trying to recreate the old favourites so people can still get the taste they love without the pain or suffering afterwards! I will pop the recipes online soon so you can have a go yourself.

For those who would rather someone else do the hard work, I'm thinking of starting up a mail order service for all cakes including gluten free, vegan and diabetic. If you are interested in learning more, drop me a message.

where's my green fingers

I have had to concede - I don't have green fingers! my lettuces have sprouted as I have not picked them quickly enough, my rhubarb has died from dehydration and what I thought was weeds turns out to be courgettes. Only my herbs and onions seem to be doing well. My mum very kindly advised that I should turf over the veggie patch, diplomatically suggesting it is due to my lack of time and not my ability - bless.

Today was a difficult day - I felt tired and struggled to get on with the important jobs. Even baking did not lift my spirits. Hopefully tomorrow will be better and brighter. My eldest will be home from Uni tomorrow, so I have bought a bulk container of washing detergent ready for the mammoth loads and stocked up the food cupboards. Over 6ft and skinny as a rack, he eats for England, so we have to be prepared.

Almost finished my next book, plus now signed off the new cover of the one after that. Things go round so fast.

thank goodness for filo

I have been so frantic today switching from writing, to cleaning, to gardening and back again, I quite forgot the time and what to prepare for dinner. Thankfully a roll of filo pastry was lurking in the back of the fridge so tonight it is roasted red onion, tomato and pepper tarts with goats cheese, accompanied by new potatoes and lettuce from the garden and some salad bits found in my fridge. At least now I don't have to whizz to the supermarket until tomorrow. I might even treat myself to a glass of wine whilst admiring my freshly mowed garden... don't you just love summer evenings.

where does all the time go?

I don't know where the days go - it does not seem that long since I last blogged but apparently I am pretty useless at keeping up with things.

As always life has been frantic. Spent an interesting evening with the team from Yakult a week or so ago. I was really impressed with their research, and it was great to hear about the positive health benefits from probiotics.

Almost finished my next book but no time to waste as I am straight onto the next! I am lucky to have had such positive feedback from my Halogen books - thanks so all those who have posted great reviews.

New Potato Homity Pie

New Potato Homity Pie

It is an exciting time when the fresh vegetables are starting to show in the garden. I am a sucker for freshly dug new potatoes, cooked with some traditional garden mint and tossed in english butter. With this in mind, I thought I would share one of my meals this week - Homity Pie. Traditionally english, this is perfect for alfresco dining, lunchboxes or a cosy supper. It is also a fabulous way of using up any left-over new potatoes.

This recipe should serve 4 hungry adults. I use a 10 inch flan dish.

150g Plain Flour (I use seeded bread flour as I like the nutty texture)

75g cold butter

Water

400-500g new potatoes, quartered

2 onions, chopped

300ml full fat milk

3-6 cloves of garlic, crushed (depending on your own taste)

2 eggs, beaten

Black pepper

Small handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped

100-150g mature cheddar, grated

Prepare you pastry first as it then allows some time for the pastry to chill. If you are in a hurry, you could consider preparing the pastry the night before and leaving it in the fridge in a freezer bag.
I use a food processor, adding the flour and butter, pulsing until the flour resembles breadcrumbs, then adding a little water at a time until it forms in to a dough. If you are doing this in a bowl, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Using a knife, stir in a little ice cold water at a time, again until this forms a dough.
Place the dough in a freezer bag and leave the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 180˚c
When the pastry is ready, roll out and line your pastry dish. Prick with a fork before lining with baking parchment and filling with baking beans (you can use dried chickpeas or dried rice if you don’t have baking beans). Place in your oven and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment and cook for another 5 minutes before removing from the oven.
Meanwhile, steam your potatoes until they are just cooked - you don’t want them soggy!
Place the cooked potato evenly in your pastry dish. Add the chopped onion and half the cheese, again, making sure it is evenly spread.
In a jug, add the milk, egg, garlic and parsley and season with black pepper (you should not need salt as the cheese will contain adequate salt). Combine well before pouring over the potato.
Finish with the remainder of the cheese.
Place back into the oven and cook for another 20 minutes until golden.
Serve hot or cold with a lovely seasonal salad.

The Music is on!

Feeling so much better! Yay! The music is on and I am having a spring clean whilst singing off key to Adele, Sade and Angus & Julia. The sun is shinning and I am feeling good.

I have also managed to sort out my recipe files ready for the new books, which is a massive step in the right direction!

Tomorrow I am off to see a personal shopper. Never done anything like that before but having reached the big 4-0, I seem to have lost a little confidence on the best thing to wear. A friend mentioned seeing a shopper and she looked fabulous so here's hoping, though no doubt I will still end up in jeans most of the time!

My son and I are going to bake blackberry and apple upside down cake later - I know it is not in season but yesterday after swimming lessons (sons, not mine!) we ventured into Tesco's and bought 4 punnets of blackberries reduced to 50p each - bargain! I have frozen most but kept one for tonight.

Radio Star??!!

Friday was a bit of a hectic day. Drove from Devon to Oxford to appear as the regular food/cookery expert for BBC Radio Oxford. Mum & Dad came over at the crack of dawn to get my son ready for school so I could leave early enough for a quick meeting with Chris, who deals with the web and marketing and PR lovely, Katie from the publishers team.

I am working alongside Beverley Glock, who runs Splat Cookery School - we soon hit if off sharing our frustrations with food issues! The show involved callers discussing their gardening/cookery tips which was nice - though maybe I am way out of touch with Oxford regulars as one caller said his favourite family meal was Mussels - umm, not sure my budget or kids would opt for that one!

After the show it was back to the publishers for a grand discussion on forthcoming books. While I was there, the lovely Joanne, gave me some sneak peaks to future Spring Hill books. I am really excited to see two really fab looking books (though wish they were mine!). Prepped by Vanessa Kimbell looks amazing and will certainly be a best seller. The other book which definitely got me salivating was Make your own organic ice-cream by Ben Vear. Amazing book with some fantastic recipes and tips.

This weekend has been really overshadowed by me feeling underpar. Not sure if it is just my body moaning about doing too much or if I have a virus but headaches, sore throat and generally feeling yucky has meant very little other than some essential housework has been done. I did manage to make some soup in my slow cooker, some bread (cheated by using the bread maker) and some comforting rice pudding earlier this morning, so I can now relax with comfort food and a good DVD. Hopefully will feel more human tomorrow.

Bread saves the day...

Yesterday was one of those days when I could easily have stayed in bed and ignored the world. Not sure why I felt low, but I decided to face the day and battle on. One thing always guaranteed to make me feel better is baking, so I decided to literally put all my energy into pounding away at some bread. It certainly worked and I am not going to disclose who I was thinking of when punching the dough! A few hours later I had four gorgeous seeded loaves - a bit too many for myself and my son, so I then found good homes for them.

Here is the recipe if you too feel like bashing away your demons

500g Seeded bread flour

1 sachet of dried yeast (approx 7g)

pinch of salt

sprinkle of sugar

small handful of linseeds

small handful of poppy seeds

small handful of sunflour seeds

small handful of pumpkin seeds

200ml milk

110ml recently boiled water

15g butter

Combine all the dried ingredients.
Mix the milk, water and butter together. Make a hole in the middle of the flour and pour in the liquid.
combine well until it forms a dough. Once you have a solid dough, tip into a floured worktop and knead for a good 10 minutes. Pound away until your arms ache but you have banished any lurking demons.
place back in your bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm spot to rise. This could take up to an hour, but you want it to double in size.
once doubled, tip again onto a floured surface. It will shrink back but don't panic. Knead away again and form into your shape, or place in your loaf tin. Leave again to rise for another 15-20 minutes.
preheat your oven to approximately 190c. Brush the bread with a little milk.
place your bread in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes. The bread should be golden all over, and when removed from the tin, the bottom should sound a little like a drum when tapped.
when cooked place on a wire rack and resist the temptation to slice until cooled!

where has the time gone?

wow, can't believe it has been so long since my last entry - I must try harder to blog more regularly. I have spent today baking and catching up on my writing, along with doing a little much needed housework!

Lots been happening. Been frantic with baking with my mum for local farmers market. We spent 14 hours baking on Friday ready for the market, which has been going well. lovely to meet people and to hear some nice comments about our baking. I have been cooking for a lady who is sadly unwell. It has been inspiring to meet her and I look forward to our daily chats when I take down her meals. Her garden is amazing - a proper cottage garden with the most fragrant plants. I am in awe!

Workwise I am really excited to have been asked to be a regular experts discussing Feeding the Family for BBC Radio Oxford. I will be working with Beverley Glock who runs Splat Cooking. Anyone who helps promote kids in the kitchen certainly gets my vote so I am really looking forward to meeting her. The first show is on Friday so fingers crossed it goes well. I am a little nervous but excited about a new venture. We will be discussing all aspects of family cooking, budgets, healthy eating, kids and even the latest news, views and projects, so it should be a great show.

I have spent today proofing the final manuscript for my next book, Cooking for Two with your Halogen Oven. I am almost finished writing The Everyday Family Cookbook for the Halogen, and looking forward to starting a new project. Finally, getting to write a whole book on healthy eating, so back to my nutritional routes. Very excited about this as I would like to incorporate tips on diets for long-term health and weight loss.

will try not to leave my blog so long - also have some yummy recipes to post so watch this space!

And Finally...We are in the new house!

And Finally...We are in the new house! It is all looking wonderful and I am so excited. I will post some photos up soon. The cats are finally allowed out (though Charlie keeps running back from the garden to use the litter tray so I have had to hide it!). I have spent the last week almost non-stop cooking and baking as I have a new Rayburn, a very effective oven and my halogen - the choice!

Things are pretty tight financially, as with everyone. Book sales are doing well but unless you are a Jamie Oliver or a JK Rowling, you don't necessarily get rich on selling books, plus waiting to be paid once a year is a bit of a bind! Meanwhile I am trying to get extra work by freelancing with my journalist work, but also thinking about venturing into cooking and catering, as well as teaching people to cook. I am keen to provide, amongst other things, gluten free and other special diet cakes and goodies people really struggle in this area, plus spending time teaching families how to cook healthy food on a budget.

I also love making crafts, so in my spare time I am busy making bits and pieces to sell. Mum is coming on board and we have just named ourselves The Crafty Pantry (www.thecraftypantry.com). It is all quite exciting and keep watching as I will start to photograph our products and post on here. Anyone interested in buying is welcome to contact me.

Next week is going to be frantic as I am venturing into the farmers market, selling home-made cakes, treats, crafts, chutneys and sauces. I am looking forward to it but given the amount I have had to spend out to make things look pretty, I think it will take a few sales before I can turn a profit!

Last weekend I made a lovely large, deep apple pie for the local pub. Stupidly I decided to reinvent a sweet pastry recipe and then panicked wondering if the pastry would be soggy on the bottom. The result was a huge success - crisp pastry filled to the brim with apple and a touch of cinnamon. Thank goodness! My youngest however was not pleased. After spending the morning watching me create his favourite pudding, he was horrified to see me give it away and he did not even get a slice. Not sure he has quite forgiven me yet.

It is all happening - deadline for my next two books is fast approaching so need to focus and not get too side-tracked. Easier said than done! Bye for now x

Chocolate Mania...

Just returned from cookery club - 14 kids aged 5-10 all gagging to get baking which is great fun, if a little hectic! Today we made chocolate truffles. It was touch and go whether they would manage this without decorating the whole room in chocolate handprints or each other, but we managed it quite well in the end. They really enjoyed making them and they were so yummy - 140 truffles, made, decorated and boxed, all within the hour.

Here is the recipe - excuse the quantities or lack of - I am a bit of a chuck it in and see person!

Crumbled up christmas pudding

orange juice

chocolate chips

melted dark chocolate

cocoa pops (optional but gives crunch which kids love)

Mash the christmas pudding as best you can before adding around 100-150ml of orange juice (for adults, I use a few splashes of orange rum - delicious!). Add the chocolate chips (approx 100-150g) and a few handfuls of cocoa pops, before stirring in the melted chocolate. combine well.

Roll into tiny balls, and pop into little cases. If you want to be flash you could roll in cocoa, coconut, 100's and thousands or icing sugar. For extra decadence you could coat in yet more chocolate.

Exhausted...

what a week, I am ashamed to say that my diet and cooking has taken rather a back seat this week partly because most of my kitchen and pantry is now in boxes, (even my slow cooker has been packed by a kind hearted volunteer, but sadly is now lost in a sea of boxes). After writing all day, sorting out my son and finally thinking about dinner, we have been grabbing the easiest and nearest choice - thank goodness for baked beans! My son thinks this is all very exciting and is now pushing the boundaries by suggesting all sorts of unhealthy food, hoping he has got me at a vulnerable time and I might somehow agree to whatever nasty he is currently craving.

I have been here before. Feeling like the mother from hell, I have on occasion given in to such whims only to find the coveted food, half eaten and abandoned, with him declaring it tastes funny.

I look like something the cat has dragged in and kind-hearted mums waiting at the school gates have enquired about my health - a sure sign I am looking far from my best. They say moving is one of the most stressful things - add on a few book and magazine deadlines, 2 children (1 with man/boy flu) and 3 emotionally charged cats, and you might begin to understand why I look like a pale version of myself. I keep looking at the mountain of boxes and have to walk away quickly for fear of screaming and throwing them all out to the dustman. Its at times like these when I do actually begin to regret my passion for shabby chic; my desire for 5 food mixers and my love of books (currently approaching 40 boxes!). Maybe I should embrace minimalism but the boot sales will start soon and how can I resist?

The books are struggling along at a slower pace than normal. I am looking forward to next week when I will once again be able to embrace my kitchen and create some inspiring dishes. Until then, it seems I have joined the 'make do and quickly' school of cooking, ...well, at least it is only for a few more days.

Calm before the Storm...

Finally been given a completion date on the new house, so looks like the move will be within the next week. Very excited as fed up with living in a house full of cardboard boxes. Can't wait to get all my lovely kitchen items back on display. The kitchen is going to be the hub of the home, with a lovely oil-fired range and of course my halogen oven taking pride of place. My publishers are keen to take some photos of my and the family cooking and eating together, which should be lovely. I am also keen to take photos of new recipes and post them here.

My passion for vintage, shabby chic has gone into overdrive and I have been shamelessly purchasing lots of goodies from ebay and local junk emporiums. I have a lovely set of 25cm high letters, all done in vintage fabrics, spelling out COOK, to go on my wall above the range. I am saving up to purchase a KitchenAid mixer - as much as I adore my 1960's orange kenwood (which only cost me £10 at the bootsale), my white 1970's Kenwood and my pair of sunbeam 1950 food mixers (one in chrome, one in cream), I would really adore a Kitchenaid machine. (oh dear, writing this has made me realise I might have a food mixer obsession!).

I met my parents, brother and girlfriend today for a wonderful meal at The Mill on the Exe, Exeter. I am always keen to see new ideas, and after ordering a potato, spinach and goats cheese layer, I was amazed to see what came out. It was a large, tall, pastry shell, which was crisp all over (wonderfully done to perfection - nothing like soggy pastry to turn you off!), filled with layers of spinach, mushroom, potato and topped with a thick chunk of melted goats cheese, served with a delicious salad. They must have cooked the pastry cases separately and filled them before being sent out. My dad had a steak and ale pie and his was also served in these delicious cases. Defiantly an idea I shall pinch, and would solve the problem of pastry cases being cooked in the halogen (as the bottoms tend to undercook compared to the top).

Well, back to packing...x

Time is flying...

had great plans for today - cracking on with more of my Cooking for Two book as the deadline is almost upon me, and finishing a couple of articles, but so far, and it is 6.15pm already, I have managed none of this. Instead the day has been spent packing, painting and dumping clutter. I am moving in less than two weeks so it does need to be done but it is causing havoc with my working life. I think I have a problem with cook books and might be an addict - I have already filled 8 boxes and only about half way through packing them all. I can't bear to throw any away - some are really old (circ 1880-1920) and are very special. I also have lots of notebooks I have found over the years from family, friends and even bootsales. There is something amazing about hand-written recipes, especially those written years ago, often with ink pen and the most amazing handwriting. My favourite books at the moment are my 1960's and 70's Good Housekeeping, Hamlyn and Marguerite Patterns. I bought a great book last month called A Slice of Cherry Pie by Julie Parsons. A lovely book to inspire you to get in the kitchen and spread the love of food. Here blog is also fabulous - visit asliceofcherrypie.com

Wow, it has been far too long since I blogged! Things have been a bit hectic in my personal life - moved into a new cottage and things not worked out, but thankfully completing on a lovely house in a few weeks so finally we will be settled - the first time since July. On the work side, my books have been doing well, especially Everyday Halogen Oven Cookbook, which has been in the top 100 of Amazon sales for weeks, and in the top 20 of food and drink since its release last Autumn.

I am thrilled that people are discovering how amazing Halogen ovens really are. I use mine every day and would really struggle without it in my kitchen. I think it is the only gadget I have bought for my kitchen which has really become invaluable. Many other new items (ice-cream maker, panini machine and my retro inspired soda stream) have all been relegated to the cupboard under the stairs, where they will gather dust until I decide to part with them, yet my Halogen presides over my kitchen, giving off a lovely warm glow every evening when in use. Is it so strange that I find this extremely comforting and homely?

Today has been a hectic day. Woke with a sore throat, headache and that horrible shivery feeling. Had to do the school run but the car was covered in frost, so 15 minutes of moaning and frostbitten fingers, I eventually was able to drive to school. When I got back, I ignored the appeal of curling up on the sofa and feeling sorry for myself, but instead, cracked on with some packing in between hourly bursts of writing. I had a visit from my publishers so quickly threw together some delicious scones (buttermilk is the way to get light and fluffy scones), and some lemon muffins. They were so thrilled they went away clutching with a box of cakes to take home.

I really love baking. I can be in a terrible mood or feeling blue, yet as soon as I start to bake, I feel relaxed. I really should run my own teashop - I would be in heaven.

Tomorrow I need to crack on with my next two halogen books (Cooking for Two and a sequel to Everyday Halogen). I am quite excited about these, especially the Cooking for Two. I have had many letters and emails from people asking about recipes for 1 or 2 people and I hope this will help. Well must log off - the cats are begging for attention and I have a mountain of ironing to tackle before I can settle down this evening.

It has been an exhausting week. My eldest has flown the nest and is now enjoying freshers week at university. Sunday was a very emotional day, delivering him and then having to leave and make the 400 mile journey home alone.

Back to reality now. Busy with my columns - just starting a new ethical money saving column in Kindred Spirit, which will be exciting (though you won't see it in the shops until the new year). Book wise, I have started a healthy eating book, so hopefully i can shift some of the unwanted pounds I put on when creating the baking book this summer!

My Every Day Halogen Oven Cookbook seems to be doing well. Fingers crossed it continues. Initial sales figures look very promising and reviews seem to be favourable. It is a great feeling to know that people like what you have produced. Would love to do some workshops in the future.

what started as a gloomy day finished in sunshine. I was finally able to start on my next book. It has been so hard to get organised in my new home. Until my eldest moves to Uni in two weeks, I am without office space, so working in a confined space without the comfort of my books, favourite chair or normal paraphernalia I have just discovered is so vital.

I am quite excited to get back to the health writing. I love baking, cooking and creating tasty dishes, but my real passion is helping people with their health problems. If I can show people they can cook lovely food whilst following a health regime, and sticking to a budget, I am a happy bunny.

That really was what 'Eat Well, Spend Less' was all about. So many families struggle financially and have the most terrible diets. The book wanted to highlight how you can eat a healthy diet and save money - with recipes from 17p a portion, it definitely proved that point. To make it easier, each recipe has price per portion and price per recipe, plus menu plans with full weekly shopping lists (family of four from £35 a week). What I would love to do now is to hold healthy eating workshops to teach these families just how easy it is to cook healthy meals.

On Friday, the weekend looked long and gloomy. Bad news made me cancel my plans of visiting friends and spend the weekend at home licking my wounds. The ironic thing is the weekend turned out to be just what I needed. Yesterday was spent relaxing, watching trash TV and catching up on some long-awaited reading. Today, much more of the same followed by a nice baking afternoon and a real family Sunday. Just when you thought the world was against you, you find all that matters is family, friends and a slice of lemon drizzle sponge.

225g Butter

225g Sugar

4 eggs

zest of two lemons

225g plain flour, sifted

1 dessertspoon baking powder, sifted

25g butter

30g cream cheese

icing sugar

lemon curd

beat the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy - don't over beat
add the beaten eggs gradually - if it looks like it will start to curdle, add a spoonful of the sifted flour.
add the lemon zest before adding the sifted flour and baking powder. combine well.
place in two lined sponge tins and bake in preheat oven 190c
once cooked (they need to spring back when touched), place on a cooling rack.
meanwhile, beat the butter and cream cheese together and gradually add icing sugar until it combines. keep adding until you have a nice thick butter icing - taste as you go.
spread the base of one sponge with the butter icing. spread the other sponge with lemon curd - sandwich together and finish with a dusting of icing sugar.
delicious!

School holidays nearly over and a change of routine for us all. My youngest off to school tomorrow and my eldest planning the start of his university life. I have been busy this summer completing my Perfect Baking in your Halogen Oven Cookbook. It has been wonderful to relive the many memories of my childhood through baking. The book is as far removed as it can be from anything nutritional, but baking has always been a huge passion of mine and I like to indulge. I am a firm believer in home cooking. This will hit the shops in December.

My mum recently celebrated her birthday and I had the pleasure of baking all the food. Lots of cupcakes, cakes, iced buns and savouries for everyone to enjoy. I would love to open a tea room or even try to start a little business making home-cooked foods for people that may be too busy to bother. I will try to post some pictures when I can.

My next challenge is a book for those suffering from ill health, so definitely back on the nutritional and healthy eating route. I am also lucky enough to continue my money saving column with My Weekly, which I adore, and Kindred Spirit, later in the year will move into an ethical money saving column rather than the natural health. Very exciting times. In the meantime, I am still looking for more writing work and challenges.

Well, off to do the ironing and get things ready for the school run in the morning. Nite all xx

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