Monday 30 November 2015

ROASTED CHESTNUTS

Let me tell you about the first time I roasted chestnuts. Back in 2001 I was studying in Germany. You know Germany - notorious for their Christmas markets which run for at least a month in the running up to the biggest winter holiday. On these markets you can

Friday 27 November 2015

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND BACON QUICHE

Yes, me again making a quiche.
I simply cannot resist them. Besides it has been at least 10 days since I last baked one. It is the season of the squash after all so I always seem to have one in the kitchen. Since my baking disaster the other day I fancied using some Bulgarian white cheese too. My original aim was to make a simple roasted squash and cheese quiche. Whilst the squash was roasting I suddenly remembered I had some bacon that had to be used. Urgently. I did not have enough eggs to make quiche Lorraine so I wondered

Wednesday 25 November 2015

BULGARIAN CHEESY BREAD

Dear all,


it has been one of those days. You know what I mean - one of those days when nothing goes your way. In the morning I decided that I would work on another post instead of making cookies with khaki fruit (I will tell you all about this another time). 2 hours later I had achieved absolutely nothing. My review of a night cream I recently received as a birthday gift was simply not going anywhere. A cup of coffee and light lunch later I all of sudden remembered I had bought some fresh yeast a couple of days ago which had to be either used or thrown away. I am against waste so I thought I would make a Bulgarian cheesy bread. I used to love it as a child. I admit is full of calories but boy does it taste good! It is a doughy savoury dish which can be eaten as a breakfast or at snack times. It was very popular last time I made it (about an year ago) so it seemed like a good time to make it again. My usual recipe bothered me somewhat - I kept reading it over and over again and something just did not feel right. So I googled more recipes of a similar nature and found one from a popular Bulgarian food and recipe site. And this turned out to be one of my baking disasters in ages! (Keep reading, you know you want to find out what went wrong!)

Tuesday 24 November 2015

MADEIRA CAKE - SIMPLE BUT GORGEOUS

Dear all,

last week I went to my local shop to buy a few things. I am not sure what I was thinking (or where my head was exactly) but all of a sudden I thought I needed eggs. Loads of them. 15 minutes and 12 large eggs later I was home to find out that I already had 5 eggs in my egg basket. Sigh.

In search of a good way to use them up I decided to bake a cake as an afternoon treat for my kids. Somewhere in my mind was the notion that Madeira cake uses loads of eggs

Monday 23 November 2015

YANKEE CANDLES - WHY I LOVED THEM SO MUCH

Dear all,

Let me tell you a short story.
19 years ago a 16 year old girl was offered the opportunity of a life-time : go to the USA as an exchange student for a year. And what an opportunity it was. The girl got to live with 3 different families to experience the various lifestyles of this vast country. She went to High School as a senior (although she should've been a junior) so she could go to Prom and all the other balls throughout the year. She got to travel. A lot. Disneyworld for a week? Yes please. A 3 week trip

Thursday 19 November 2015

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME - PAVLOVA TO SAY 'THANK YOU' TO HUBBY

Dear all,
I have recently turned 35. I know, I am officially old! Or so my kids tell me ;)

I had one of the best birthday surprises ever, thanks to my gorgeous husband. For the last year I have been talking about getting a free standing mixer. I only had a hand-held one and having had it for about 10 years it had begun to make noises and the whisk had stopped working. However, somehow I could not justify spending around £400 on a Kitchen Aid or K Mix (the only two that I was considering at the time). After doing loads of research I've decided that the K Mix was the better one for me and my family situation. Yet somehow I could not bring myself to ask hubby to get me one. The cost seemed too high.
On the morning of my birthday

Monday 16 November 2015

YELLOW PEPPER AND COURGETTES QUICHE

Shortcrust pastry. These words used to terrify me. A LOT. No, I am NOT kidding. Until about a year ago I had never even attempted to make a shortcrust pastry. Then something happened. I took the kids to see their grandparents for the afternoon and my father in law was watching Rachel Allen making a quiche Lorraine. I found it fascinating. Rachel was phenomenal, she made it look so simple and easy. I was inspired. I went out and bought a quiche tin the very next day. You see, I had to buy it because then I had to make the quiche. Of course I was worried I will get the dreaded 'soggy' bottom. Of course I was worried it would end up falling apart as you try to take it out of the tin. But I had a go nonetheless. The effect was spectacular. Crisp crust

Friday 13 November 2015

BOBBI BROWN'S SKIN FOUNDATION SPF 15

Dear all,

Those of you who know me know that I am a sucker for good quality make up brands. For years I have been looking for the perfect foundation for me. Powder, liquid, cream - there is loads of choice. Brands - again, loads of choice. Do you go for the premium ones or stick to the high street brands? How do you choose the perfect foundation?


Wednesday 11 November 2015

CIME DI RAPA LASAGNE

'What?!' I hear you my friends, loud and clear. You see I haven't heard of cime di rapa either until exactly 6 days ago.

Referred to as rapini or broccoli rabe these greens are favourited by Italians for their sweet albeit slightly bitter taste. I receive of fruit and veg basket every week from a local organic company, courtesy of my mother in law. Luckily these leaves came with a handy note which said that you can steam, boil or fry them and both stalks and leaves can be eaten. They could be used in any dish which calls for kale or spinach. Because of their short shelf life (only about a day or 2 in the fridge) I had to cook them pretty much straight away.
It was delicious. Simply and utterly heavenly.

Sunday 8 November 2015

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND KALE QUICHE WITH FETA CHEESE

Dear all,

earlier in the week I made a quiche. Again. You see once I overcame my fear of making my own short crust pasty I discovered that quiche is something that tastes delicious, allows you to experiment and is a great way for using leftover meat and veg. It is easy to do and can be eaten hot or cold. Because it travels well in a Tupperware box it makes great lunch for those who work. (in our case - my husband).
I only have one quiche tin, 7'' (18cm). I find this to be the perfect size for 4 people. I always accompany my quiches with a light salad if they are designed for supper.

So my latest creation was

Wednesday 4 November 2015

APRICOT ALMOND CAKE WITH ROSEWATER AND CARDAMOM

Dear all,

it has been a long time since I last wrote/published something. When I first started this blog I felt obliged to do so. You see there are so many people I know who do it so I thought I can too. The time however, was not right for me.
So here I am about an year later, giving blogging another go. And what better occasion than a scrumptious apricot and cardamom cake? I watched Simply Nigella on BBC2 a couple of nights ago and I was inspired. This cake looked so lush

Sunday 1 November 2015

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