Who remembers whoopie pies? They were all the rage five or six years ago; a friend gave me a whoopie pie baking tin and recipe book and I made walnut whip and chocolate ones decorated to look like Christmas puddings.
I loved the taste and texture, somewhere between cake and a soft cookie, so when I went down to see my family one weekend in August I decided to make some to take with me. I wanted to cater for a dad who doesn't eat chocolate...
Friday, September 30, 2016
Thursday, September 29, 2016
While I was sorting out my craft cupboard I came across some sheets of A4 paper that I'd printed from a website with free printables, to be used as backing paper. I had several sheets left of different designs, and decided to use one with pink shoes and the words 'happy birthday' as the basis for a card. The shoes in the middle are small die cuts from a packet I bought containing shoes and handbags. I mounted these on a square of pink paper and...
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
This recipe makes a nice side dish but is also something you could have as a main course. It's a Slimming World recipe that is syn free; it is quite starchy from the potatoes but not as bland as you might think, thanks to the addition of tomatoes, cheese, herbs and spices. You can find the recipe here.
To serve 4, you need:
for the base:
700g potatoes, peeled and grated
pinch of salt
2 egg whites
1 onion, grated
low-calorie cooking spray
for the...
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
I usually – by which I mean always, unless I’m meeting a friend or out really late the night before – bring my own lunch to work. I’ve taken to eating salads and like making my own as I can put in exactly what I want. But I’d heard colleagues at work raving about a new place they bought lunch that did the most amazing and filling salads, so one day I decided to go along with them.
Barraka describes itself as serving Mediterranean street food....
Monday, September 26, 2016
Sugar Free September was going pretty well - I'd lost almost 6 pounds - but then a friend who is a healthcare professional took a look at a food diary I'd done for her, and told me I wasn't eating enough. She said my body would only break down rather than store fat if it knew it was getting fuelled regularly - by skipping breakfast and going a long time between meals, my body would hang on to its fat reserves as it didn't know when the next meal...
Sunday, September 25, 2016
There’s something special about handmade gifts as you know that extra attention has gone into them – all the more so if it was handmade by the person giving the gift.
Several years ago I made a scrabble name picture for my now-husband’s brother and his family. I think it’s a lovely thing to have, and when it was my friend’s birthday this summer and I was struggling to think of a gift, I remembered this and thought she would like it....
Saturday, September 24, 2016
The name of the South Place Chop House alone suggests that they know their meat - but also that it might be something of an old-fashioned, stuffy establishment. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
Chop houses in Britain have been around for hundred of years and were places businessmen met to strike deals over hearty meals. The South Place Chop House is in a hotel in the heart of the City, and is probably frequented by bankers...
Friday, September 23, 2016
Children and teenagers often like brand-name characters on birthday cards - not just Disney (though I think Frozen and Avengers birthday cards are very popular!) but other things like Forever Friends and the Me to You teddies. When I was younger, Purple Ronnie cards were all the rage, along with a family of hedgehogs that I can't remember the name of.
I bought a pack of die-cut stickers showing Bang on the Door characters ages ago and wasn't...
Thursday, September 22, 2016
My Tuscan Chianti Chicken Cacciatora
There's something about the idea of spending a week in a villa in Tuscany that really appeals to me. The landscape looks beautiful, from rolling Italian countryside to the sandy beaches, the small medieval towns to the cities of Pisa and Florence, where I'd love to go sightseeing some day.
Having a villa would mean getting away from it all - I imagine a rustic farmhouse overlooking vineyards, sitting...
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
If you're doing Sugar-Free September or even just cutting out/back on sugar generally you might be missing sweet treats. To follow Sugar-Free September really strictly, you wouldn't even be eating fruit because of the natural sugars. I haven't had a lot of fruit this month but I have had some as I think it's important to get your five-a-day - mainly through veg but the occasional piece of fruit is good as well.
But sometimes instead of fruit what...
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
I recently took out subscriptions to three card making magazines – Papercraft Inspirations, Cardmaking and Papercrafts and Quick Cards Made Easy – there was a great offer to get three issues for £3, which I was going to take out with one magazine but got persuaded to take all three! Each magazine comes with some great free gifts – usually rubber stamps and backing papers or similar, which are probably worth £5-£8 alone – pretty good given...
Monday, September 19, 2016
Sugar-Free September is going pretty well; by the 15th (time of writing) I had lost 4 pounds. A friend who is a health professional has convinced me that I do need to eat breakfast and have a couple of small, healthy snacks each day to keep my metabolism working well - for the last few months I have been skipping breakfast and not snacking, so eating nothing most days apart from lunch and dinner, which...
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Having a photo booth at your wedding has become quite popular, and I can vouch for the fact that they are great fun!
I got the idea from a friend's wedding as I thought a photo booth would be a fun thing for guest to do in the evening other than drink and dance. I'm not talking about when you get your passport photos done - these photo booths are creative, fun and personalised. You can choose your background and a style for...
Saturday, September 17, 2016
I am a mad cat lady- I only have one cat, but she's the love of my life (along with my husband of course). I feel bad sometimes that I don't have more time to spoil her but she does seem to be quite happy.
Not long ago I decided I would treat her to a home-cooked meal - and I don't mean giving her some leftover chicken off our plates (which does happen). I've actually got a little cookery book called Cat Treats - and it's all about cooking for...
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