Housewife Chic

World Cup Fever - The Menu

2010-06-23T15:48:00.005+01:00

I wasn't even going to bother with posting about the England match today, but as Defoe just scored I will join the hundreds of sweaty fans who are suddenly forgetting their criticism of the ball, the pitch, the humidity, the vuvuzelas and the managerof just a few moments ago and instead cheering and singing - We did it once (albeit 50 years ago!) and we can do it again... and with just 60 mins left to play we'll see who is singing at the end of the match.

I made this little garland during the first match - I am not one for emblazoning my allegiances across my car, face and home normally (and to be honest my allegiances very rarely lie in British soil anyway) - I thought I better share it now because I am not sure it will still be hanging this afternoon.

I'm thinking of replacing it with a Wimbledon themed one - I haven't picked my favourites this year so I can't get disheartened just yet - or maybe a red white and blue one for Fourth of July?

(on a side note we will be celebrating independence day at The Papered Parlour)

Anyway, back to football, or more importantly, food.

Ahh Slovenia, here is what Wikipedia unappetisingly said about your nations cuisine:

'A typical dish is "Aleluja" (Halleluyah), soup made from turnip peels and a well-known dish during fasting'

Sounds delish, no?

I checked back with Food Network who suggested lurid pink Summer Borscht, which quite frankly looks like what you throw up after one too many alcopops and is scarily unappealing. Ditt cabbage rolls.

The other offering is chilled cucumber soup which not only sounds right up my street but also refreshingly appropriate for today's sweltering heat. Happily I click away on the link, to be met with the following:

"Hmm, the page you're looking for can't be found." - I went looking for a website offering delicious Slovenian cuisine and apparently this page does not exist. The error message also mentions:

"It may have been eaten by our server." - well at least someone will get to taste some Sloven food today!

Wimbledon Fever

2010-06-21T21:10:00.002+01:00

via

Good lord the World Cup is boring! Everyone seems to be playing mediocre-ly. D reckons it's something to do with the altitude, but that doesn't account for every single team being crap. Apparently it's the ball, the Brazilian goal-keeper described it as a ball you would buy from the grovery store (incidentally Vin has a lovely sponge ball purchased from Sainsburys and he has shown a promising left foot whilst practising with it). Whatever, excusees, I'm watching Wimbledon.

And while tennis doesn't lend itself to culinary exploration the way that international footbal does, what could be more iconic than Strawberries and Cream and Robinsons fruit squash?

We will be attacking Wimbledon from all angles:

I will be wearing this outfit

Strawberries and cream gets an update here

Quintessential Summer - Pimms cocktails

England in the Summertime? You'll be needing one of these

and Wii Tennis for those rained off moments

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Father's Day Part Deux

2010-06-19T22:37:00.012+01:00

I read over the previous post I can't help but wonder what kind of family portrait I am painting for my readers - the whole tone seems somewhat negative and the truth is, I love my weird family - we put the 'fun' in 'dysfunctional' - and I love corporate-sponsored gratuitous ift giving occassions.

So this is a second attempt at a Father's Day post - with cupcakes and all.

All dads like Guinness. In fact I'd go so far as to say that noone but dads like Guinness. Like James May and Saturday afternoons spent 'pottering', Guinness is a daddio pre-req. Both of my dads like Guinness and all my grandads too. David is also a fan - though he drank it long before he was a dada - and come to think of it little V is quite fond of licking the froth of the top of a pint too - remember that Boddington's advert with Melanie Sykes?

I had bookmarked some Guinness baking recipes for St Patricks Day but what with moving house I forgot all about it. So Guinness cake for Father's Day was born. Only a whole cake just doesn't seem right, cupcakes are much more... festive.

This is a Nigella recipe, from 'Feast' I think, only I was a bit nervous about jigging round with it to make a cupcake version (since reading Delia's 'How to Cook' I am religiously following recipes with much better results than ever before) - enter Patent and the Pantry a delicious eye-candy food blog that reminds me a lot of the domestic goddess herself - something about the scarlet peeptoes in the masthead pushes all my buttons.

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes

250 ml Guinness

110g unsalted butter, cut into chunks

170g unsweetened cocoa powder

450g granulated sugar

175 ml sour cream

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 tbsp vanilla extract

200g all-purpose flour

2½tsp baking soda

Icing:

250 g cream cheese

100g icing sugar

2 tbsp whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners.

Pour the Guinness into a large saucepan, add butter and heat at medium-low until melted. Whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar, then remove from heat. In a small bowl, beat together the sour cream, eggs and vanilla.

Pour into the slightly cooled Guinness-butter mixture. Whisk in the flour and baking soda.

Spoon batter into cupcake pan, so each liner is about three-quarters full. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Let cool in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Once completely cooled, make the icing.

Beat cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth. Add the whipping cream and beat again until it is thoroughly mixed and spreadable. Add more cream if you want a thinner icing. Spread onto cooled cupcakes.

(my picture is a bit blurry and dark due to my black kitchen and the fact that I do all my baking at 10pm when Vin is sleeping... for better pics check out Patent and the Pantry)

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Happy Day for Daddies

2010-06-19T08:56:00.006+01:00

I have to admit something, though I'm usually a fan of the handmade, I have completely cheated this father's day - I bought cards and instead of the delicious brunch in bed of with homemade granola and fruit juice cocktails that Vin's dada no doubt deserves I bought him tickets to the Taste of London Festival tomorrow.

Buying cards was actually trickier than making them, not least because as well as a card for Vin to give to his daddy, I had to find suitable cards for my dads too. And between sappy sentiments and inaccurate platitudes every year I decide that the following year I am not only going to make my own cards, I am going to release a whole range of cards for modern families - "Best Dad in the World" just doesn't quite cut it for the father who I haven't spoken to in three months, while "Daddy's Girl" seems wholly inappropriate on a number of levels.

I wonder if there is a market for "To my Sperm Donor" cards? I definitely know that my bespoke line of "Just because you're married to my mom doesn't mean you're my dad, but I have been told to get you a card anyway" father's day card would be a surefire hit with the non-nuclear family of the 21st century.

For years I have been wondering why someone can't just make cards saying "You're like a dad to me" or something similar - this covers a multitude of familial situations; grandfathers, step-dads, uncles etc - and not a cutesy bunny in sight.

Here's some Father's Day inspiration from around the web, just incase you don't want one of my custom cards:

Try some napkin origami with this how-to from How About Orange - entirely useless, but maybe that's an appropriate sentiment for certain daddies?

Side-note: it seems that Father's Day crafts are dominated with the shirt and tie combos of white collar professionals - wonder what Little V is supposed to craft for his dada who wears a fishnet tanktop and jazz shoes to work?

Food gifts seem to be popular, and can be personalised like these labels from Martha Stewart. Blonde Designs showed a quick but stylish junk-food gift and I like the idea of gifting this homemade barbecue sauce - but maybe not for my lifelong vegetarian papi.

And while D has banned me from buying him novelty items from Etsy (since a silkscreened octopus tie ended up in the charity bag), I can't resist this Mr Mustache Shaving Bag - I am tempted to use it as a make-up bag:

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World Cup Fever - The Menu

2010-06-18T20:11:00.002+01:00

The World Cup Fever is still aflame, although somewhat dimmer than our last meeting - what with a draw in England's last match and the inability to watch an entire game due to those irritating horns the crowd toot on ceaselessly (btw they have a wicked name, zoomzummers or something similar - but this does not make them any less headache inducing).

Today at the library Vin and I read a South African fable about a turtle because I felt it was my motherly duty to educate him about the host nation - he was very impressed to and only ate two of the books pages.

Tonight I was stumped for an Algerian inspired supper - so poor is my geographical knowledge I had to Google to find out where it was, but that led to finding the Food Network website where I fell in love with their World Cuisine pages. They have recipe suggestions from all the competing nations. And that is how tonight's supper of sweet cous cous came about.

photo via

Sweet Couscous with Dried Fruit

In a saucepan mix 580ml water, 100g caster sugar, 40g dried cranberries, 60g dried apricots (chopped), 40g dried cherries (chopped) and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Take off heat, stir in 500g couscous and cover for 5-7 minutes (or until the couscous has absorbed all the liquid)

Fluff up the couscous with a fork and stir in 60g toasted slivered almonds, drizzle with Olive Oil and serve

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Entirely perfect, plus you can get it done in extra time for a half-time snack.

I'm not a meat-eater but I'm sure it wouldn't be entirely inappropriate to serve this with a lamb tagine, I ate it straight from the bowl as a dessert style supper

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2010-06-18T19:50:00.001+01:00

My last post about documenting our family life reminded me of this height chart from Fawn & Forest

While I love the old-school pencil lines on a wall or door frame, we move house too often for this to be a lasting record, instead you write the child's name date and age on the parcel tags and use a safety pin to pin it on the ribbon at the right height. Et voila - a permanent record that one day will make a lovely keepsake.

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The times they are a'changing

2010-06-18T19:39:00.003+01:00

How amazing is this 'family portrait' taken over 30 years:

(it seems to be doing the rounds of the blogosphere but the earliest source I can find is here)

I am a bit obsessed with documenting time passing at the moment. Facing Vinny's first birthday I am left with a blurry fleeting memory of the last nine months, like the landscape that flicks before your eyes from a train window... but without a single full night of sleep.

I wish I had started taking monthly photos of Vin like this mama and this mama. That's why I think these Baby Month Cards from Blonde Designs are a great idea. I would have taken bump pics using them too, had I had the forethought.

I am putting together a photo-collage table display for one of the tables at Vin's birthday party, I plan to find pics from each month and line them up in frames or pegged up using one of these Ikea curtain wires

And because I am hoping Vincent will live up to his namesake and be a little artist when he's older, I could use it to display his artwork like this mama does:

So cute huh?

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p.s.

2010-06-17T22:19:00.001+01:00

While we were in London on Sunday we went exploring the Sunday Upmarket where we stopped by Jewellery by Vanya's beautifully designed stall. Check out her online shop here and hurry over to her blog where she is giving away one of her lovely handmade necklaces

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Brick Lane Baby

2010-06-17T22:10:00.001+01:00

I have been a terrible blogger lately. With like a million post ideas rattling around in my (newly shorn) head - yep that's right, I cut my hair mega short(!) - all I find myself doing is procrastinating.

Last weekend I got over my fear of travelling the city with Vin and we headed into the East End.

It is weird to think back on all the time I spent in London previously, I never enjoyed it. The crowds, the facelessness, the height and the speed (even the elevators move quicker) - it all made me feel very small.

I guess it shows how much those eyes and that mind have changed and grown, I recognised the shops and the streets but I drank it all in. The art and music and food - there was everything I love about Dam Square, the Champs Elysees and La Ramblas, but on my doorstep.

London has always held a mystical romance for me, I guess in the same way that Americans think of it - quaint and Victorian. But the London I am experiencing now is that and so much more. A vibrant and pulsing collection of mini cities, each with their own background, in-crowd and soundtrack, connected by a multicoloured spaghetti mess of electric trains hidden deep under the ground.

We're going again this weekend, to see David in Westend Live on Saturday, and then to Taste of London on Sunday for D's Father's day gift!

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World Cup Fever - The Menu

2010-06-12T20:40:00.002+01:00

Hello friends, don't come too near. I am afraid to tell you that this house has been struck by World Cup Fever. Right now I am crafting a George cross garland, and I am off hunting tomorrow for Panini stickers to play with.

I wish wish wish V was older and we could learn about the countries England are playing, we would colour flags and learn new words and dress-up. I wish wish wish D didn't have to work tonight then we could invite friends round to enjoy the game. I would serve an American banquet with pecan pie and hotdogs and milkshakes and cupcakes like this one from Martha Stewart found via Amy Atlas

Instead I enjoyed an American inspired supper of corn chowder and mini cheeseburger croutons:

with Budweiser and California rose to wash it down:

and oh my it was nice.

The mini cheeseburgers were regular burgers that I trimmed using 1.5" cookie cutter, in mini buns (shop bought, but easy to make by rolling balls of bread dough and baking for a couple of minutes - Vin loves them!) with sweet gem lettuce, tiny squares of cheese and half a cherry tomato on top.

Tip: probably best to cut the burgers once defrosted and before cooking, mine looked somewhat butchered (ironic considering they were veggie-burgers)

Sweetcorn chowder:

In a food processor blitz together 1kg sweetcorn, 7 spring onions, 2 cloves garlic, 50g semolina to a speckled mush - I under did mine somewhat because I lovlovelove sweetcorn and like them whole

Scoop into pan and pour over 1.5 litres of stock, bring to boil and simmer 10 minutes - I poured off a lot of my stock afterwards, it seemed awfully runny

Meanwhile place a handful of nachos on a baking tray and scatter with grated cheese - pop in the oven or under the grill until the cheese is melted and top steaming bowls of soup - garnish with finely chopped red chilli and maybe the greens of some of the spring onions

I was hoping to make mini apple pies for dessert - I seem to have a little thing for food en miniature at the moment - but am frantically looking for recipes for Englands next two fixtures: Algeria and Slovenia(!) of all the countries I could be enjoying cuisine from: Japan, Mexico, France, Brazil...

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We are back... again

2010-06-12T09:08:00.002+01:00

My gosh it has been a long time little blog friend. Let me update. My laptop got damaged - badly damaged and I have been sans communication for the past two and half months. It has finally been repaired and they did a mighty good job, albeit by replacing the hardrive. I know that this would happen, especially since I have been meaning to backup my photos and research since the last time my computer crashed - that time I managed to get some dodgy bloke on a market stall to recover my photos, so at least little V's birth pics and stuff are safe. But I must have doubled my photo files since then, and the second half has been lost. Well, maybe not lost, the Tech Guys did return my damaged hardrive. So now I just need to find a dodgy bloke on a market stall (of which I am sure there are plenty in South London) and see if they can salvage anything - dear lord I hope so.

In the time we have been absent so much has happened. Little V is crawling now, and his mafia name would be Vinny Two-Teeth. He has also managed to navigate the step up (and sometimes down) into the kitchen which means there is no area of my home that is sacred. Oh and he has learnt to pull himself to standing, bypassing the pull to sitting stage and giving my a heart attack the morning I watched him pull himself up in his previously un-lowered cot - cue mama sitting on the floor, cot upturned, using a skateboard tool (damn Ikea allen keys - we have about twenty but not a single one fitted!) to adjust the cot base.

D is on stage nearly every night, this week he is playing the prosecutor, so a slightly bigger part than he was doing. I haven't been able to see the show yet, as we have noone we trust enough to watch V, plus I am trying to introduce a bottle/ cup of formula so he is not reliant on me and my boobs being ever-present, but as yet, he is resisting valiantly. D had a tooth pulled this week, so I have been playing nursemaid to two sore-teeth boys.

We have made plenty of friends in our area, V has many girlfriends, most of whom are younger than him, and it is amazing to think that they will all be in the same class at school, yet so different developmentally. It is V's birthday in 13 weeks and 6 days, so I am planning his party already. We are having a picnic in the park, with a sort of carnival/circus motif (I am not going all out with a theme, though I have seen some amazing ones online) cue plenty of bunting, balloons and alfresco food. Hopefully this September will be as warm as it was last year, if it rains we will be de-camping to our tiny flat, which backs onto the park, and will be overrun with babies and family. I want to invite the world to celebrate the most special day, and I will be going all-out party planner mode.

While we have been away my writing has suffered and no progress has been made on my book. It is ironic that blogs are such a procrastination and a distraction from writing, yet they provide such fuel and inspiration. I have however, been reading a lot. I have exhausted the cookery section of my local library, and have read all of Nigella's books. I am currently reading Delia's 'How to Cook' which is so interesting. I'm sure most people would skip the chapters on how to boil an egg but actually there are a lot of good tips (like how to test the freshness of an egg by submerging it in a glass of cold water). I'm sure the basis of good cooking lies in the simple advice, the kind that a mother or grandmother would have traditionally passed on.

I have also had a re-think about this little space here. I am going to re-do the layout and have a whole makeover. Plus I am going to streamline the posting, I have trouble defining what this space here is 'about' and that is probably because it is a mishmash of ramblings, inspiration, recipes and photos of Vinny. Keep watching and I will love you always.

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Being Childish

2010-04-22T20:24:00.002+01:00

Today's 'get happy project' task is Being Childish. Very easy if you have kid of your own - but then you are probably quite accomplished in finding small pleasures and have days full of heart bursting moments when your little one smiles - but if you're shy borrow a child. Seriously, I'll lend you mine.

Feed the ducks, colouring in, dressing up, make a collage, dance around, run down a hill while yelling (even better - roll down it!), create a perfume by mixing all the smelly things in your bathroom, build a lego house...

The rules are it has to be simple and it has to instill a sense of nostalgia.

p.s. sorry this post is short and pic-less - I have bad cramps but will try to edit tomorrow. Loves x

Things to Smile By

2010-04-21T20:20:00.001+01:00

Yesterday I had a long conversation with my best friend. She is suffering with depression and anxiety and it is getting worse everytime we speak. She is seeking therapy and has been on a concotion of medication for years. It hurts to see her like this, and I know how low she is because, at times, I have struggled with mental illness and crippling anxiety too. I like to think I have overcome a lot of my demons, and have learnt to control those that will never leave. Being with David has helped me grow and having a child has given me perspective, strength I never knew I had and an abundance of joy. Leaving Birmingham has been so good for my soul and all the travelling, counselling, bottles of wine and soul-searching I have done in my life have contributed to the person I can call 'happy'. My friend sees this change in me, we have known each other for nearly ten years, she has been there in my darkest times and now I regale her with stories of love and kindness and inspiration. I think this may be why when she calls me she asks for answers, she wants to know my secret.

I know I don't have the answers, but there are tools that I use to help me see the bigger picture, help me smile and ease out my shoulders. Every day this week I am setting her an assignment - and you readers, please participate too.

This morning I sent a message asking her to make note of at least five things that make her smile throughout today. I told her to reply at the end of the day with her list, and I sent her my list from yesterday for inspiration.

1. Vinny laughing hyterically while I jump around trying to swat a wasp

2. Roast potatoes for dinner

3. Painting my toenails

4. Buying plants at the garden centre

5. Having a two hour conversation with my best friend

The beauty of this exercise is recognising little moments of happiness and instead of letting them slip by, actively noticing them and holding onto them. You can either start the day by promising to do this, which is great because it will increase your happiness levels throughout the day, or look back before your sleep and find some joy in even the crappiest of days.

la mer

2010-04-15T18:14:00.002+01:00

I just love the sea and I love photographing it. No matter how crap you are at photography (and most of the time I am) the twinkling waters or crashing waves always make a good shot.

Here are some pics I snapped on our trip to Eastbourne over Easter. I played around with the contrast and saturation a bit so sometimes the sky looks a bit blue and sometimes it's more dark and stormy - it was mainly grey the whole time, but I think these pics accurately sum up the changeable nature of an English Summer - right?

what we done when we was away

2010-04-15T17:17:00.001+01:00

went for afternoon tea here...

which looked like this...

and this...

2010-04-15T14:23:00.000+01:00

Sometimes I forget that I’m not Bakerella, which is how my cup-cookies/ cookie cakes/ muffin biscuits came about.

It started with this post from Bakerella. I made these cookie mix jars for my sister and my friend as part of the Handmade Christmas project. But then I didn’t see my friend over Xmas. And by the time we did go out to dinner, it was embarrassingly late to produce my gift. So I shoved the jar to the back of the cupboard where I forgot about it until last week when I was clearing out the cupboards ready for the move.

p.s. does anyone have any ideas who to stop the sugar from mashing into the M&Ms like that? Bakerella's look a lot neater than mine did!

In what I thought was a baking inspired brain wave I decided to use up all my ingredients before moving. I made bread, cake, lemonade (600g of sugar- hell yeah) and decided I might as well use up the cookie mix too. Only I couldn’t remember how much butter to use. So I guessed. Which led to Very Runny Cookie Dough. I couldn’t mould the balls with my hands. So I poured it into muffin cases instead.

And they looked something like this.

They were the perfect consistency for cookies, still soft in the middle, but crunchy on the outside. Just a bit umm… weird. Being that they were cake-shaped and all. But hey, if it’s good enough for Bakerella.

2010-04-15T14:20:00.000+01:00

When I was writing the February chapter of the book I scribbled down a couple of Orient inspired recipes for quirky twists on Chinese New Year celebrations. I wanted to try Fortune Cookies, but they looked too fiddly and I got lazy. So I decided to make a cake instead. Green Tea Cake. Yes, that’s right, green tea. In a cake. Well you like coffee cake don’t you?

All the recipes I’d read using green tea specified something called Matcha Powder, which I’d never heard of before. Matcha is powdered tea, about the consistency of dust, or for a more appetising analogy, icing sugar. Having never heard of Matcha I had to improvise. We buy Clipper loose leaf tea, which I crushed in a mortar and pestle (you could also try breaking open a green tea-bag), then pushed it through a mini-sieve. I couldn’t get exactly the right texture, so instead of a gentle green coloured mixture I got a sponge with tiny black fleckles, which I didn’t mind so much. When I mixed the icing however, it looked like a bizarre salad dressing, but it tasted just right.

The tea added a lovely subtle flavour, almost refreshing with a the cream-cheese frosting I used below, but it was rich and thick and luscious with a chocolate ganache too.

p.s. I used a pound cake recipe as I was worried about the cake being too dry - but I have seen green tea used in shortbread, cupcakes and sponge sandwhiches too. The recipe is an American poundcake one I found on recipes.com and I haven't got my scales here to covert the measurements (sorry British folk!)

INGREDIENTS:
2 large eggs
1 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tbsp Matcha (green tea powder)
1/2 tsp baking powder

Cream butter and sugar - I use my food processor for this but one day I will have a Kitchen Aid - in fact I'm considering pushing the wedding forward so I can put one on my gift register!
Gradually add beaten eggs
Sift flour, baking powder, and green tea powder together and add to the mixture
Pour into buttered pan (the recipe I read specified loaf pan, but I used a round one).
Bake at 200 for about 30-40 minutes.
I have to say this was the best sponge I think I've ever made - I used 00 flour which Nigella uses in all her recipes using plain flour - I'm not sure if it helped but it was good!

ICING:
Blend a tub of cream cheese with a ouple of tablespoons of the green tea powder - add icing sugar to taste - I used a LOT of icing sugar to make up for the weirdness of the whole cake - it was lovely

p.s. cake + chopsticks = crumbs all over the floor and very little cake in your tummy!

a return to scheduled programming

2010-04-15T10:49:00.002+01:00

Hello lovely readers who have kept coming back despite my complete lack of posting during The Big Move.

Finally I am back online after several cross words with a certain media giant Internet provider. I have to say my little blog break was actually quite enjoyable, in that it coincided with the lovely sunshine here in South London and many picnics were had and ducks were fed and photos were snapped.

I also got quite a bit of writing done for the book - but as I am an old-fashioned kinda gal I am handwriting in a little turquoise notebook with pink pages - longhand and full paragraphs too - because nothing gets me madder than poorly constructed sentences - actually that is a lie, there are plenty of things that get me mad these days. But as I was saying, writing longhand is both a pleasure and an inconvenience - you see, after writing in my little book I have to come home at the end of the day and type the same words into my lappytop thing here. This is good for my writing in that I get to re-draft and edit but bad in that it sucks up my precious writing time - and with a seven month old who is cutting his first tooth(!) time is very precious indeed.

But yesterday I saw the most amazing gadget on daytime TV - a pen that writes in ink on a normal pad, but then you plug it into the USB port on your keyboard and it transfers your writing onto the screen like a mini-scanner - this in itself was awesome but then the guy formatted the handwritten message into a word processer and it translated the text into ordinary type which could then be added to and edited! How amazing is this discovery! Why oh why did I not write down the name of this wonderous creation - because I am stupid that's why. If you watched 'This Morning' yesterday or you know what I'm wittering on about, please let me know. I want this pen!

The gap from blogging also had a really negative effect on my creativity - I get a lot of inspiration from the blogs I read and your lovely pictures. In fact there are several sub-chapters in the book that would not have any content if it wasn't for the inspiring crafts, cooking and cleverness of my favourite ladies - St Patricks Day for example was something I'd scrawled across the top of my 'March' inspiration page but then ignored because - I thought- what can you possibly do on St Patricks Day? Well a little blogosphere wandering came up with so many ideas - Guiness Cupcakes, shamrock twizzle sticks, so many many green foods, garlands and decorations. I am such a bad blogger, because I do this terrible thing where I save photos to my 'inspiration file' on my pc and never make a note of where those pictures were born. The file has been particularly useful whilsts sans 'net - but I don't want to post anything without crediting.

So this was a really long-winded return to this space of mine - I will be returning throughout the day (i.e. when Little V is sleeping) to update you with all the loveliness we have been getting up to in our little corner of the big smoke.

Blue Skies

2010-04-06T16:38:00.000+01:00

Well, we made it to London folks, but not without a great deal of effort - pretty much everything that could have gone wrong in a cross-country move went wrong on the same day - but we are here. Crystal Palace, London, is my new home - for the next twelve months at least. And reader, I am in love. Any preconceptions I had about this area have been blown away by the refreshing and creative community I have found myself surrounded by. In just a tiny patch of land that makes up Crystal Palace triangle there is so much inspiration, delicious restaurants, vintage dress stores, gift shops and gallery space. The surrounding neighbourhood is green green green - with plants and squirrels galore. Our house backs onto a huge lake and it’s grounds and the street where we live is lined with trees.

Needless to say I am inspired muchly. I am sans Internet until some unforeseen reconnection date, which is irksome, but I have to say, the time spent reading and writing is lovely (though much of it is spent caring for Little V who is still so sick). I have spent just three days here and I have found a new project, profiling the wonderful shops and businesses I have found - with a view to creating a mini guide book of the area. Also, after a visit to the local library this morning I came home laden with baking literature which I have no doubt will yield some glowing reviews. I have been snap snap snapping my way round the town in proper tourist style - we are so very high up here, it offers such great views of London city. Moving itself creates opportunity for creativity, I am working on some ‘Change of Address’ cards to let people know our new details and making new friends has inspired me to put together a little biz card with a not so subtle plug for this here blog space of mine. And of course, I have been working on the book, still buzzing with ideas and a million photographs to be staged to grace it’s cover and pages.

So in short friends, the move went off but not without a hitch. Inspiration greets me at my new front door. Beauty will follow shortly.

Adieu lovely, but not for so long I pray

Cherry Cake & Ginger Beer

2010-04-06T16:33:00.002+01:00

“Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer” - Jane Brocket

This book is pure love and nostalgia threaded with long-lost treats, baking recipes and childhood literature. Jane Brocket has had the envious task of re-reading kid-lit classics such as ‘The Famous Five‘, ‘What Katy Did’, ‘The Borrowers’, ‘The Secret Garden‘, and ‘Anne of Green Gables’ - scouring them for the culinary treats they hold in their pages. Treats like the kind mother would lovingly prepare, wrapped in a handkerchief, to be enjoyed on a cliff-top after discovering buried treasure. Treats like Paddington Bears Marmalade Rolls and Milly-Molly-Mandy‘s Little Patty-Pan Sultana Cakes. The book is spotted with delightful illustrations straight from the pages of your childhood. Books and food are the perfect combination, add some nostalgic charm and a longing for the simplicity of youth and you have this ‘golden treasury of classic treats’.

Recipe For Hunger

INGREDIENTS:

Beach/ hills/ garden/ park/ field/ woods/ secret island

Outdoor shoes and clothes

Swimming costume and towel

Trampoline

Bicycle

Roller skates, skipping rope, balls

Trees for climbing

Map and compass

Binoculars

Flower/ tree/ bird reference books

METHOD:

1. In large space, mix adults and children with fresh air

2. Add outdoor equipment as required and according to season

3. Allow the ingredients to blend for several hours

4. When blended, remove from outdoors and bring inside

5. Bake or make a treat or two

6. Feed well, and leave to read good books

I will definitely be re-creating ‘A Funny and Delightful Supper’ inspired by ‘The Railway Children’ and this sugar-coma inducing chocolate fest.

Brue Bogtrotter’s Heroic Chocolate Cake (from Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda’)

INGREDIENTS:

350g soft brown sugar

350g soft butter

6 eggs

270g self-raising flour

80g good quality cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

2-3 tablespoons milk

Chocolate buttons to decorate

FILLING AND ICING:

350g icing sugar

115g cocoa powder

150g soft butter

3-4 tablespoons milk

26cm round cake tin, greased and lined

1. Pre-heat oven to 180

2. In a large bowl cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy

3. Add the eggs into the mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition

4. Measure out flour, cocoa and baking powder into a bowl, then sift into large bowl. Fold in gently with a metal spoon, adding enough milk to make the mixture smooth but not runny

5. Spoon into the tin and level the surface

6. Bake for 50-55 minutes until a metal skewer comes out clean. Check the cake after 30 minutes and if necessary place a sheet of foil on the top to prevent burning

7. Leave the cake in its tin on a wire rack to cool completely, then turn out

8. To make the filling and topping, sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a large bowl and add butter and two tablespoons of the milk. Mix well with a round-ended knife or electric whisk, adding more milk if necessary to make the icing soft and easy to spread. Taste, and adjust the flavour with more icing sugar or cocoa if necessary

9. Carefully cut the cake into two layers. Spread a good quantity of butter icing on the bottom layer, replace the top layer and cover the whole cake with the remaining icing. Arrange chocolate buttons on the topping.

* recipes via “Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer” - Jane Brocket

p.s. read author, Jane Brocket's blog here

2010-03-30T14:05:00.000+01:00

Oh little blog, I am so bad for neglecting you! Please know, my Internet will be connected in 10 days, I have pre-typed some posts ready for uploading and I have been snapping pics left right and centre. London is a big place to explore and while I'm sad not to be sharing my new loves with you, I am also enjoying the peace of free-time (I'm sorry, bloggy).

Once upon the time before Little V, there were only two men in my life:

2010-03-20T20:15:00.001Z

I was 15 when Little Chris was born and spent a great deal of time with him when I lived at home. We shared a bedroom and often a bed, I mixed his bottles and changed his nappy and we went on adventures together. It was more than a brother/sister relationship - for years he called me his best friend. I was knocked off the top spot when D came along, and both David and I love Christopher like he is our own. Leaving him is the hardest part of leaving Birmingham, and tomorrow I have to say goodbye to him.

I didn't think he would be that bothered, but last time I saw him he mentioned how the thing he would miss the most is being able to talk to us whenever he wants. I was inspired by this mom's xmas present for her daughter and these keeping in touch rolls I put together a little package for Little Chris:

There's some blank postcards and envelopes printed with our new address, plus a cardboard phone with both of our phone numbers and a cardboard laptop with the login instructions for his very own e-mail address. David and I both wrote him little notes, which made me cry, and I have included a photo of the three of us.

"If I knew you were coming I'da baked a cake"

2010-03-17T22:33:00.003Z

Today sees us celebrating little V's half birthday! Six months has passed, which is a scary thought and ceertainly makes this mama feel like time is fleeting.

And while we're on the subject of birthdays this year I have promised to handmake all my gifts and presents, I started with the handmade Christmas project which was a success (albeit skin of the teeth success). To save hassle of coming up with ideas for handcrafting gifts for everyone that will be well received I have decided to utilise my oven and cookbooks and bake for glory.

I have blogged about my nan's cooking before - she is a homegrown traditional kind of cook and of course, cakes are one of her specialities. When I was little I would lay my legs across her lap and get her to mime baking a cake on them. I'm sure there must have been one time I heard her singing "If I knew you were coming..." because it always makes me think of her.

So when it was time to celebrate a year of my nan passing around the sun I made her favourite - Coffee & Walnut cake. I'd never even heard of this combination before she mentioned it - am I a baking heathen or what? - but it is probably the best cake I've baked for a while. I don't have any photos unfortunately, this post is three months late, and when I tried to recreate the recipe using a muffin pan to make cupcakes the self-raising flour went insane and I literally lost my pan under a pool of exploded cake!

Coffee and Walnut Cake:

125g butter

125g caster sugar

2 eggs

125g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 heaped tbsp coffee , dissolved in 100ml water

100g chopped walnuts plus a few whole ones for decoration

1. Beat the butter and sugar together with electric beaters and then beat in the eggs, flour and baking powder.

2. Pour in 1 tablespoon of the coffee mixture and then add up to another tbsp until the mixture drops easily off a spoon. Put the remaining coffee to one side for the icing.

3.Stir in the walnuts then spoon into a greased tin, and bake at 170c for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out cleanly. Leave to cool before icing

4. To make the icing, beat 200g butter until soft and add 200g icing sugar followed by the remaining coffee mixture. Stop when you have a depth of colour and flavour that you like.

5. Smear liberally over the top of your cooled sponge and decorate with the whole walnuts.

- Perfect for a Sunday brunch or teamed with hot chocolate after a brisk afternoon walk - or for a beloved grandparent's birthday!

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2010-03-14T22:35:00.005Z

This post is inspired by a gift I received from a dear friend after V's birth.

Amidst one hundred outfits I doubt he wore more than once and more flowers than I had vases to house them in I was given a tiny ring binder - opening it up I find it is filled with hand-written recipes. There were some of my favourites as well as some of my benefactors family favourites and at the end of each section were the blank pages that I am slowly filling with our family faves and new creations.

The passing down of recipes is the kind of tradition that I think should be celebrated, contributed to and kept thriving. When I run out of pages I will keep adding more, this file will grow organically, representing our friendship, growing families and creating a new identity as mother & one who provides. Maybe when V leaves home, gets married or has a child of his own, I will pass on my file - a nostalgic memoir of childhood mealtimes - after committing the recipes contained within it's folds to memory having whisked, creamed and baked them all a hundred times at the request of my starving brood.

via

Creating a file for yourself or for a gift is as easy or as complex as you choose, they can be as personal as a photo album or diary or simply a scrap-book of recipes torn from magazines. The content will depend on why you are making the file, an occasion such as leaving home will call for one-pot recipes and homecooked specialities for homesick moments while a wedding or new baby will call for family orientated dishes such as a roast dinner.

via

Skim through your favourite cookbooks and blogs - any cook would be tickled to their toes to know you felt their creation worthy of 'passing on'.

Add your quirks and deviations on traditional recipes - maybe you add peaches to salsa or chilli to tomato soup? I don't think there is a single recipe I have ever attempted without twisting it slightly - leaving something a little longer, adding an extra teaspoon-full etc and it is these twists on convention that turn the latest celebrity chef offering into a signature dish.

For the file itself think practical - a ring binder will stand up and additional pages easy to contribute, while a notebook style will be harder to flick through with messy hands. While we're talking about mess - picture your lovingly crafted gift splodged with spaghetti sauce and consider office-style plastic wallets or a slip-in photo album with index cards.

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My file was hand-written which added a lovely personal element (not to mention a lot of thought and effort) but you could try a cut and paste style using cookbook photocopies, go for a sleek typewritten look or mix things up. A family file will contain contributions in different handwriting and writing styles, while a busy mom might just have time to tear out a few magazine pages and slip them inside.

Tip - up the 'personal' factor by adding photos or notes on each recipe such as where you first discovered it or why you have chosen to include it - this works if the file is for your own use too - reading it will be like looking through an old diary.

Tip - this would make a great gift at a bridal shower - get all the guests to contribute a recipe - you'll get a great mix of cooking styles and different handwriting as well as variety in the dishes.

Make sure to include blank pages to be added to in the future - remember the file is supposed to
grow organically - you might have started a new tradition for your family or someone elses!

- an extract from my book in progress

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Please share your ideas on organising recipes - I love reading your comments and getting inspired!

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2010-03-14T20:56:00.003Z

The Mother's Day card I made myself at Vin's playgroup on Friday...

...could not raise even half the joy that waking up to this little smile...

...and this little pile did...

Little V has inherited some of mama's passion for handmade...

...and his daddy's talent for words...

...and he got lots of these...

...till his face looked like this...

...and my first Mother's Day was lovely!

2010-03-14T20:15:00.002Z

Celebrate Your Mother...

I did, and my grandmother too (because she has looked after me for so many years, and now treats D like her son too).

I made a promise this year to be more creative. I started with the handmade Xmas, and every birthday this year will be celebrated with some homebaked loveliness. Of course, being skint and the daffodils not flowering due to the late Spring has nothing to do with my handmade Mothers Day gifts...

Inside those tea-bag boxes are hand-rolled chocolate truffles. And yes, I wrapped them in newspaper - because being mid-move I de-cluttered my paper stash and had nothing nice to wrap them in. In future I would dismantle the boxes, re-assemble them inside out (so the writing is on the inside) and wrap them in delicate tissue paper - you wouldn't see the writing inside because I lined them with greaseproof paper.

In comparison to my shoddy wrapping and lame attempt to beautify them by decorating them with flowers I nicked from the neighbours front garden, the chocolates were really easy and satisfying (lets face it, the end result of any handmade gift is satisfying).

Homemade chocolate coffee truffles:

Melt 200g dark chocolate in a bowl placed in a pan of simmering water

Gently pour in your content (6 tbsp espresso, 6 tbsp champagne, Baileys - room temperature) and stir slowly with a spatula - the chocolate will get hard and thick straight away

EITHER: stir in 180ml single cream OR for a low fat version add up to 2 tbsp clear honey slowly until chocolate is glossy again

Chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours until the mixture has returned to nearly solid form

Spoon out a tsp of mixture at al time - roll with the palms of your hands and then roll through cocoa powder - be quick as it gets messy

Tip - Wash your hands in very cold water before rolling to delay melty fingers

Pop them into the fridge to store and wrap and gift at the last minute

Tip - instead of coffee or champagne you could use rosemary, chilli, vanilla, saffron or even basil - bruise the herb first, then add to 150ml boiling water

Let the herbs infuse for 15 minutes or so and add to the mixture instead of coffee

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2010-03-13T11:14:00.009Z

Earlier this week we went on a picnic with some friends from our baby groups.

I made guacamole and salsa to eat with crisps (I tried making them too but it did not go well - think compost bin in a roasting pan) and then I got stuck. Not being a tupperware queen, I could think of loads of food to make but no way to make it picnic friendly. For an immediate solution I am investing in some foil trays like you get from a takeout - that I can fill with cold noodles and salads. Long-term these reusable sandwich bags, travelling tea-cups... oh and this awesome DIY picnic pack from Design Sponge.

(I also came across this twine headband - a must-have for any day in the park, don't you agree?)

Now on to the jellies - which I guess you would assume are not a travelling friendly option, right? Well yes, you're right. But I am stupid and I wanted an excuse to make them. I bought some plastic cups (which did no good for my green credentials) and stacked them in the only tupperware container I have. I couldn't fit the lid on it so I placed it on top, then wrapped it in a carrier bag and delicately placed it on the top of my picnic hamper (where I worried about it falling when I ran for the bus!)

INGREDIENTS

1 bottle good fruity Chardonnay

300g raspberries (I used Summer Fruit berry mix-raspberries, redcurrants, blueberries and blackcurrants)

1 vanilla pod, split lengthways

5 gelatine leaves

250g caster sugar

1. Place the wine and berries in a bowl and allow to steep for half an hour. Strain the wine into a saucepan and keep the raspberries to one side. Heat the wine with the vanilla pod until nearly boiling and leave to steep on one side for 15 minutes.

2. Soak the gelatine leaves – which you can find in the supermarket these days – in cold water for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, after removing the vanilla pod, reheat the wine and stir in the sugar until it dissolves; allow to boil if you want to lose the alcohol (as much as I love food that gets you drunk, knowing that several toddlers and breastfeeding mamas would be sampling my wares, I boiled the heck out of it!)

3. Add a third of the hot wine to the wrung-out gelatine leaves in a measuring jug and stir to dissolve, then add this mixture back into the rest of the wine and stir well. Strain into a large jug.

4. Place the raspberries, equally, into six flattish, clear glass serving bowls, and pour the strained wine over the top.

5. Allow to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours, though a day would be fine if you want to make this well ahead, and take out of the fridge 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe by Nigella

In conclusion - jelly is not a good choice for a picnic. But it is lovely for dessert and v. impressive served at dinner parties with double cream.

Since we have been promised a hot Summer I am planning a million and one days in the park with a blanket, so I need some outside friendly food - please people, help a mama out.

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Today:

2010-03-13T10:47:00.006Z

This week we went on a picnic at The Botanical Gardens.

We had to run through the greenhouses as they were packed with kids and the steamy temperatures that are perfect for exotic plants are not nice for little babes.

We went looking for the peacock and saw some parrots instead.

The big kids played in the adventure playground while mama and I sat on the swings.

We walked around the Memorial Garden and mommy read the messages on the benches.

We had to eat in the cafe because it was too cold outside. We ate crisps and salsa (I watched longingly). Everyone loved mama's berries in jelly (she is trying to kick me off the laptop so she can share the recipe).

I am crossing my little fingers that the sun comes back soon so I can enjoy my first real picnic - outdoors of course!

By Vincent Taylor-Page

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Some images from our day

2010-03-13T10:32:00.002Z

I love these flowers - I think they're gardenia (please correct me) -

they are pink in Spring, then purple and melt into blue as the year passes -

but Wintertime brings the faded glamour of a 1920s dressing room

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Some images from our day

2010-03-13T10:25:00.005Z

I want to be the person who lives in a house with a red door and has fake flowers hanging outside

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2010-03-11T09:32:00.009Z

A Day for a Mama

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Technically this post should be for dad's eyes only - afterall, he is the one responsible for organising your mother's day treat while the only 'work' you should be doing is ordering a massive bunch of flowers to be delivered to your own mum.

Alas, this is not a perfect world, and despite reminders in stores before Valentines Day has passed (plus a few select hints whispered from your own sweet tongues) maybe organising your own Mother's Day is the only way to ensure you will get one?

Get together with a group of mummy-friends and throw yourselves a party to celebrate your fabulousness. Invite the kids and ask everyone to bring some crafts supplies - then set up a kid friendly area to make cards for mommies. Keep decorations and food to a minimum to reduce tidy-up time for yourself later and rope in some dads to supervise the production line while the girls put their feet up and drink tea.

via

- an extract from my book in progress

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2010-03-08T20:27:00.006Z

Achk! I just wrote a reallly long post with like a hundred and ten html tags, which then somehow disappeared seconds before blogger did it's auto-save thing and promptly saved a blank page!

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Since reading this post on blogging jealousy I have been thinking about how I am guilty of feeling jealous when I read certain blogs. I am jealous of the lovely lives, great photography and their 100+ comments at the end of the page. It is not a *nasty* kind of jealousy, please understand, more an aspirational kind of jealousy. The blogs I read and the 'perfect lives' documented within them inspire me. They help me shape my own blog, they give me courage and ideas for my own life. Sometimes after reading a couple of pages I my whole outlook is changed for a whole day, or sometimes forever. I often read posts I am still thinking about days later, for this I don't say thankyou often enough.

As it is International Women's Day today I would like to celebrate some of my favourite blogs, those blogs that inspire me as a mother, an artist, a writer, wife, photographer, blogger, entrepreneur.

Dear Baby - I think of this blog like a slice of sunshine. Melissa's lovely pictures and stories of her adventures with a new baby have made me fall in love with San Francisco, the colour yellow and life in general. I always smile when reading.

Raising Foodies - this will be me in a few years. Kid friendly recipes and the *cutest* little cooks, this is so much more than just another foodie blog and that's why I love it.

Hip Hostess - there are some uber-blogs out there that I almost feel no point in commenting on, not so with Hip Hostess. I fear I may be cyber-stalking this blog, I want to leave comments on every single post.

Bakerella - I'm pretty sure that everyone around the blogosphere has seen Bakerella's cuteness on a stick designs but the reason I am including it here is that although I bookmark at least ten recipes a day I have actually attempted some from this site (Mama's Pecan Pies, Cowboy Cookie Mix and Oreo Truffles).

Eat Drink Chic - there are a million and one blogs out there posting fashion, recipes and design, but none of them consistently post things I love as much as Eat Drink Chic does.

I Do it Yourself - for the princess in me that dreams of my wedding day and the punk in me that will craft the favours, invites and decorations myself - iDiY is full of resources and inspiration, whether you're getting married or just dreaming of it.

I Still Love You - I am slowly making my way through the archives of this blog, there is so much I love about it. There are maybe 50 pictures in my inspiration file that I have saved from this site - you might love it too.

So there you go friends, maybe you'll find some new loves for your RSS feeder - please share some love and point me in the direction of some favourites from your blogroll - or plug your own page, we won't judge.

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2010-03-05T20:43:00.006Z

I have a whole list of WiPs (Work in Progresses) - as well as baby-raising, house moving, bathroom cleaning, bread baking and so on... they clutter up my mind and fill me full of regrets when I realise I will never accomplish them all.

But if there is one thing I have promised myself I will complete this year, it is writing a book.

My working title is 'A Year of Housewife Chic' or 'Housewife Chic all Year Round' - I can't decide but I'm sure you get the jist. It will be a month by month collection of crafts, recipes and inspiration focussing on twisting traditions, creating beauty and all of the lovely things that I believe being a housewife encompasses. I am experimenting with a more poetic and visual writing style than I am used to, and hope that I will be able to include glimpses of my life in with the practical things.

This is the introduction to the book - I am posting it here because I feel it sums up exactly what I'm trying to achieve with the book - before I had written it I kept wavering all over the place with style and content - so now I have some focus.

The Evolution of the Housewife

As a feminist and child of the 21st century I have never warmed to the notion of the housewife. The word housewife comes with it the dreary image of domestic drudgery, preening, polishing and pastel twinsets. Doilies and aprons and other trivialities. A non-profession that has no relevance in this day and age of the career and money dichotomy.

But it is through turning away from the need/greed unhappiness of this era, in searching for sustainability, and avoiding consumerism and social branding that I have been drawn to the art of housewifery. As a nation I believe that we are sensing a need for humbleness, a return to simplicity and craving a slower pace. Through my own transformations into mother, wife and provider I was drawn to the old-fashioned romanticism, nostalgia and traditionalism that I believe the Housewife encapsulates. Add in the selling points of the 21st Century - communication, technology and an awareness of the bigger picture - and you can see how the modern Housewife thrives - creating, cultivating and collecting beauty.

The chic housewife does not judge her self-worth by the cleanliness of her floors, she is not defined by her skill with a souffle, and would never be described as just a wife or mother. She might not be a mother, or a wife for that matter. She might live in a high-rise or in a basement. She might be a he.

The chic housewife takes pride in herself, her family and her home - her aim is to use her skills, whatever they may be, to make things a little better. She might not change the world (but she could) and I'm sure this book won't. But if we were to start a revolution, you and I, I'm sure we can make the world an inspiring, beautiful and comforting place to be.

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A tweed find

2010-03-04T22:10:00.004Z

I was v.v. inspired by the clothes in Coco Before Chanel - the men's suiting was astounding but of course, Audrey Tatou's costume were breathtaking. She looked perfect in the part and you could have watched it with the sound off and still *got* the storyline from her outfits and how they compared with the other female characters. I was lusting after a tweed jacket with slightly cropped sleeves - gamine yet sexy. So yesterday afternoon we decided to go thrifting and keep an eye out for one. There are a couple of vintage shops around Birmingham - there used to be more but they all seemed to disappear - the ones that are left are often pricey and quite cliquey. We decided to head into Kings Heath first, which is the new cool place to be in Birmingham - and by cool I mean it has one trendy pub, one clothes shop and two organic cafes (in amongst the charity shops, smash 'n' grab and McDonalds that is).

The one clothes shop is Top Banana and while D has had some luck finding hidden gems in there, I have only ever bought a pair of sneakers. We weren't feeling hopeful when we went in, so imagine how excited we were to find this:

A genuine Aquascutum tweed jacket in perfect condition - £25 - loving it loving it!

It's a bit too big, but D goes to a great tailors so cropped sleeves and perfectly fitted gamine style on the way.
Check out the detailing on the buttons: To die for huh?

Right, feeling suitably smug I am off to do some baking - yep 10pm is the perfect time for baking - I am off to a coffee morning with Vv's friends tomorrow and can't show up empty handed!

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Today:

2010-03-03T20:31:00.005Z

We went to the petshop:

I saw a dragon:

Everyone thought I was cuter than the bunnies:

I made a friend:

Me & Mama played with my Baby Gym:

And best of all, I got to chill with my dad:

By Vincent Taylor-Page

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2010-03-03T13:06:00.002Z

Dear Husband,

Since I popped a sprog a couple of months ago I offically qualify for Mother's Day this year and since our child is not yet six months old this year Mother's Day falls under your remit. To make things easy for you I have made a little list of things I love:

Wonderous magical flower flavoured chocolates
- the English Fancies selection contains flavours such as violet, rose and geranium creams - but a day at their chocolate school would be greatfully recieved too - you know how you love it when I bake lots - imagine that but with chocolate!

A lovely cup of tea
- when I was little my mom would always say that this was all she wanted for Mother's Day - the Earl Grey with Lavender and Lemon Cream are delish!

Baking accessories from Nigella
- this cake stand is gorgella and would be espesh thoughtful coupled with a copy of "How to be a Domestic Goddess" (because frantically scribbling the recipes from a copy in Waterstones is just not the done thing)

Of course, in a couple of years Vv will come home from school with a dried pasta and glitter glue card - I will be delighted because I love everything that boy does, and you, husby, will be let off the hook, but until then... remember that it is Father's Day in June and it will be your turn!

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2010-03-03T12:54:00.009Z

"I just keep cutting it and eatin' it"

- this is what David said after devouring two loaves of homemade bread in less than 24 hours.

I have recently discovered a love for baking - cookies, biscuits, cakes... and now Bread!

I don't know why I have never thought of baking my own bread - I think I didn't really know what was involved and assumed I'd be kneading for hours. Just the fact that you buy a machine to do the hard work for you implies more hard work than I care for.

Just after Christmas I found a bread recipe on Bright and Blithe, thought it looked good, bookmarked it and promptly forgot about it. Then last week while searching for gelatine leaves in the stupid mini-markets of my local village (I did *not* find gelatine leaves here and was tres annoyed) I noticed an inconspicuous box right at the bottom of the shelf - active yeast. Which reminded me about that recipe. So in my basket it went and into my cupboard where it sat for a week until I remembered about it again. I think baking bread was something I had to get out of my system. I was sure that once I had tried and failed I would be able to forget it for good...

I have used the recipe from Bright and Blithe but converted the measurements:

One teaspoon active yeast

One teaspoon sugar

8 fluid ounces of lukewarm water

450g unbleached all purpose flour

Two teaspoons salt

Sprinkle yeast and sugar over the warm water and leave for 5 minutes

Stir in half the flour, add salt and stir the reamining flour

Note: I used my hands for this bit but it is majorly sticky - I do all my cooking with Vin strapped to my front (he likes to put his hands on my arms and join in) and got real stuck with webbed flour fingers and a niggly child

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface (I used a hell of a lot of extra flour due to stickiness - I read some other recipes that said to use minimal extra flour but it didn't hurt the outcome) for 8-10 minutes - all the recipes said until the dough was smooth and stretchy - it is amazing how much it transforms

Note: I have never kneaded before, or even seen someone knead dough - in hindsight I could have Youtubed it but I just pounded, mashed and pulled it around a lot

Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a tea-towel and leave to rise in a warm draft-free spot - I know, I was thinking it too - draft-free? what the? I don't understand it either, but I put it in the bottom of the boiler cupboard

Leave to rise for at least 90 minutes - I bathed V and put him to bed so it was more like 2 hours - it is amazing but the dough will literally double in size

Pre-heat oven to 200c/ 400f

Remove dough and punch down - I got a bit carried away with the kneading again here and somehow the doubled-dough shrank again! Gina's recipe suggest a long baguette shape, I split the dough into two and made rugby ball shaped loaves with it

Place diagonally (to ensure even cooking) on a parchment covered baking sheet - I didn't have any baking paper so I greased the sheets with a little olive oil - the loaves were lovely and brown on the bottom but D complained that the smell of burning oil gave him a headache

Leave the dough for another 20 minutes

Using a knife make some diagonal slashes in the top of your dough - I don't know why you should do this - maybe it explodes like a microwaved potato if you don't prick it?

Rub top of loaf with a small amount of water to moisten - I just realised I didn't do this bit - it didn't hurt it though

Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes - until golden brown

Note: I think my oven was probably too hot when I put the loaves in - I left it for exactly 30 minutes, and while the outside was a lovely colour the inside was slightly moist - it didn't bother D but I am a bit of a perfectionist. When I try it again I will cook for longer on a slightly lower temperature (my oven is OTT with the burning)

Eat lots of lovely bread safe in the knowledge that it contains just five ingredients and a lot of love - we ate our first lot dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar and I planned to make soup this afternoon but D had already started attacking it

Note to self: improve on food photography skills - it was a lot tastier than this picture implies!

After finishing off the last of the bread David remarked "this is just like Jesus bread" - upon questioning I worked out he meant like the loaves and fishes from the parable and not like the transubstantiation of the Last Supper and Holy Communion - good to know

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2010-03-02T19:57:00.005Z

After reading this post at 'I Still Love You' I was inspired to post this pic of my awesome tea and coffee jars. Would you believe I found them in separate charity shops within two weeks of each other. We are de-cluttering ready for the move but these babies will always have pride of place in my kitchen!

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2010-02-28T20:48:00.007Z

The Sunday Roast

In this house we are not really meal-planners, we don't have any 'Friday night supper' traditions and we prefer a bit of spontaneity in our cooking. But Sunday mornings are for brunch and papers and Sunday lunshtimes are for roast dinners. Right now as I write, D is reading the paper and we are listening to the free opera CD that came with it. Later on I will strap V up in his carrier and we will be peeling, chopping, boiling, steaming and roasting a delicious dinner.

The Sunday roast is such a British classic that I almost don't want to participate and fall into the stereotype - but this is becoming a family tradition and since D and I grew up without any it's one we will keep. My nan cooks a roast dinner, every week. Every Sunday morning she can be found in the kitchen - later my grandad will be carving whatever meat they have and together they will seat and eat. When they were younger my grandad would go for a drink before lunch and often would tell everyone how wonderful his wife's cooking was and how she always cooks more food than they need - at least once a month he would bring one of his fellow drinkers home with him. I can imagine my nan's face as she opens the door to her half-sozzled husband and a random dinner guest.

Our roast dinner is adapted slightly to suit our needs - I don't eat meat and so often substitute with an unholy offering from the Quorn range, we steam all of our veg and have cheese sauce instead of gravy. One thing not to be compromised on though, is the roast potatoes.

I am in the process of perfecting my technique, they can be a bit hit and miss but the hit rate is steadily improving.

I prefer smaller potatoes, especially Charlottes (of course) but they are harder to peel. I am not meticulous about the peeling, I like to leave tiny specks of skin on - maybe for aesthetic reasons, maybe for laziness - I'm sure my nan would disapprove.

The smaller potatoes only need to be chopped in half, they cook quicker and go crispier sooner, but if I can only get those big dinosaur egg style tatties I chop them a couple of times. Ideally you want all the chunks to be the same size so they will cook evenly, but if you are cooking for a big audience (maybe the wrong word - does your dinner count as a show?) different sizes might be more appreciated as some will like their roasts small and crispy while others will like them a bit fluffier.

I par-boil in heavily salted water - this is the only time I use salt on my veg and is a habit I will have to drop when V is eating them too - for around 10 minutes. You want them to be slightly breaking up at the edges, but not so well that you could mash them.

Drain the water into another saucepan and keep the water for veggies later or making gravy. Shake the colander a little to 'fluff' up the potatoes and then leave until you are ready to roast - I leave them to go cold if I have the time. The great thing about them is that you can do the prep way before you need them, even freezing them at this point - which would make cooking Christmas dinner easier.

I put the oven on medium-high (I don't use specific temperatures in any of my cooking - cos I'm a rebel like that) and in a large roasting pan (one with deep sides) put a massive knob of whatever 'fat' I am using.

Note: I know people claim that goose fat yields the best roasts, but I would never try it and can't comment. I have used, sunflower, olive and vegetable oil, margarine and real butter in my experiments - and eventually asked my nan what she uses. The secret is Flora White - which I think is just solidified veg oil - and available at pretty much any supermarket (I use it in baking too, it is especially good for greasing baking pans and trays as it doesn't leave a buttery taste around the edges of your cookies or cakes).

Let the fat get to melting point, then watch closely as it heats. You want to wait until it is all liquified and turning clear - that's the key moment to drop your potatoes in - if they sizzle when they go in even better (but watch for spitting). Make sure that they are all covered with greasy loveliness - either by spooning it over or whooshing them around the pan and turning them over - I use the whooshing method because in my head it makes them less fattening - the more fat they absorb the heavier the calories. I grind coarse salt liberally over them and add a little to the oil too.

Arrange them in the pan so that the smaller potatoes are in the middle and the larger ones are around the outside - I know this doesn't make sense, but they cook quicker around the edge (I think maybe because the heat of the pan sides?).

Then sit back and let the roasting begin. And sit and watch and sit and watch - this goes on for a long time. Every now and then open the oven door, peer in (giving yourself a micro-dermabrasion as you blast your face with the heat), give them a shake and occassionally turn them over. When the bottoms are browning it's time to turn them.

Usually roasting takes between 40-minutes and an hour. Like I said before I am not precise with timings etc - plus it depends on the oven, type of pan, type and size of potatoes etc. With about 20 minutes to go I add pre-boiled parsnips, again making sure they are covered in 'fat' or brushed with a honey and olive oil mixutre if I'm feeling fancy - and a couple of cloves of garlic still in their pink skins. These smell amazing when they are cooking and - providing you get the timing right - turn into buttery melted delicious ooze (I know that's not the most appropriate word for a food-stuff but it works here) ready to pop out of the skin and into your waiting mouth.

Note: Parsnips cook quickly, I cut them into halves or quarters lengthways so the fat tops stay squishy while the thinner tails get crunchy - they are rank if you over cook them, I would rather eat them underdone than over.

Roasts have to be served steaming hot - preferably onto warmed plates - I don't bother but I know my nan would not hear of it any other way - so get them out after you have carved and dished up the veg.

Enjoy every Sunday for at least the next 40 years of marriage.

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2010-02-26T22:34:00.009Z

I'm having a foodie blog evening, I have decided, it shall be so.

I just read this lovely post on Apartment Therapy about family mealtimes and traditions. D and I both recall spending childhood mealtimes eating off our laps, in front of the TV, often alone & eating different things to the rest of our families. We were thrilled when we moved to our new flat and had enough space for a dining table - we bought a 60's melamine round table from Luna - a wicked little vintage store in Nottingham.

We eat at this table every meal of every day. I read somewhere that the family that eats together stays together, about how quality time and sharing stories from your day unites and strengthens the family bonds. D and I both look forward to our mealtimes, one of us cooks, the other sets the table. I love to set the table - with brown leather style placemats and retro patterned coasters or cork squares from Habitat and purple wine glasses and teal and olive tumblers - oh I get giddy just thinking about table-settings and beautiful dishware. Seriously. I have major crushes on them. I cut out pictures from magazines and make collages for future inspiration. You think I'm mental don't you?

(edit: I just found this picture below in one of my random photo files - it is dated last September - yes that's right, I set my table just to take photos of it then keep them for months)

Vin would always pick dinner-time to freak out, that is until I lift him up on to my lap, where he is happy to be part of the action. This week we bought him a high chair (The Antilop from Ikea if you're in the market) and now he can sit up at the table with us. I can't wait for all the lovely family dinners we will have together - roasts on a Sunday; porridge and fresh juices in the mornings and all the happy family traditions we will create. I hope that one day he will look back on those times and have fond memories, I know I will (even if it is just because of the placemat porn).

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2010-02-26T20:33:00.007Z

Cooking for Mama

I don't remember my mother cooking much when we were little (edit: I remember she would make spaghetti bolognaise, but being a lifelong vegetarian I never tasted it). She would make meals, put them together and heat them up - but I have a nostalgic yearning to have acquired culinary skill watching my mama, helping measure out ingredients, getting under her feet, watching a creation rise in the oven and enjoying the fruits (or pies, cakes and desserts) of our labour together round the table.

Every recipe I have ever attempted has been since I left home, so when my mama comes for tea I wanted to present her with a table laden with homecooked goodness.

I cooked a simple chilli - frying onions, garlic, button mushrooms, red pepper, chopped tomatoes and kidney beans - with just the right ratio of spice to juice - I even cooked V his own version, with just a pinch of cumin, and was rewarded with big smiles.

One of my favourite meals ever is chilli with a slow-baked potato (crispy skins and not a microwave in sight) but I thought I'd try something a little different.

I am reading Nigella Lawson's 'Forever Summer' at the moment - I know you're not supposed to read a cookbook, especially not as bedtime reading, but I found the introduction to '...Domestic Goddess' such a good influence on my work in progress writing project.

Somewhere between roast and baked these Swedish potatoes style just looked so... lovely and golden, I had to try them.

Instructions:

1. If you’re using the larger potatoes, preheat the oven to 210°C/gas mark 7; for roasting new potatoes, preheat to 200°C/gas mark 6. Put each potato, in turn, in the bowl of a wooden spoon, like you would carry an egg in an egg-and-spoon race, and cut across at about 3mm intervals. When you’ve cut them all, put the baking tin on the hob with the butter and oil and heat up till sizzling. Turn the potatoes well, putting them in upside down (ie, cut side down) first, then the right side up, and spoon the fat over them.

2. Sprinkle each potato well with salt and put in the oven: cook the large potatoes for about an hour and 10 minutes, testing to see whether the flesh is soft (you may need another 10 minutes for this); 40 minutes should be fine for the new potatoes. Transfer to a warmed plate, and serve.

Recipe & Pic via Nigella Lawson

I'm not usually one to question authority (of course, that is a lie, but not when it comes to Nigella) but I would cook the potatoes for longer - much longer - like an hour at least. Or next time I might par-boil them for a couple of minutes first. The edges were lovely, but as you get to the inner folds they were a little underdone. I couldn't wait any longer, but if I had I know that these would not have lasted even half the time they did.

I served the chilli straight from the pot, (somewhat undercooked) potatoes, fat bowls of salad, rice, and extra mature cheddar.

Oh, and homemade guacamole (which in our house we call guac-a-mock - because we are mentally disturbed):

Mild chillies

Coriander

Garlic

Salt

Lemon Juice

3 Avocadoes

- pulse in blender and store in an airtight container - simples

I love to serve food in individual bowls and let people help themselves - something about ladling thick chilli and mounds of steaming rice (or any other food for that matter) feels so hearty, warming and simply family.

p.s. leftover chilli is so good I have had it twice today!

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Introduction to The Housewife

2010-02-26T19:48:00.003Z

Hello friends,

my name is Charlotte, I look like this:

- and the little baldy is my 6 month old, Vincent Zane. Thirteen months ago I found out I was carrying him, and that is where my journey began. Throughout those months I have undergone several transformations, into mother, homemaker, provider, carer and nurturer.

I grew a life, a child, a family and a home and this blog is my exploration into a new role, smashing stereotypes and recreating myself.

I am committed to making the world a nicer place, I hope you'll stick around to see what comes out of it.

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