Border Collies and Bacon #SatCap

This little poochie loves his food. When I'm making the breakfast he will lay on the floor between my toes and the cabinets hoping I drop something which he can scoff up. When we are eating dinner he will try and sneak into the dining area and sit under the table even though he knows he isn't allowed to. When having a snack on the sofa he will sit on the floor while resting his head on the seat so he can watch you.

He is such a cheeky one but with his puppy eyes, quite literally, it's often hard to say no and I usually save him something tasty!

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Valentine's Day Menu: Easy Peasy Carbonara

Although France is generally seen as the country of love, I adore Italian food. Some of my fondest memories with the Mr took place at our favourite restaurants; Papa Cino's, Prezzo and Pizza Express.

This quick and easy carbonara is a great idea for a Valentine's Day meal and although it won't guarantee romance this February, or a Lady and the Tramp meatball sharing moment, it is definitely a delicious pasta dish to dive into.

Ingredients 

(Serves 2. Approx 520 calories per portion)

Silent Sunday

Chocolate Brownie Christmas Trees

With so much festive food in the stores ready for Christmas it's a pretty good time to indulge; you can always think about the calories in the New Year!

The Mini Mes have their end of term parties this week before they break up for the holiday so we have been making some treats of our own too. I'd normally pop to the shop and purchase some fruit, crisps and a few other nibbles for all of the children at school quickly but thanks to shopping online with PayPal this year I seem to be really organised. I have a lot more spare time to do some baking, something that I really enjoy and the Mini Mes do too, snuggle up to watch some Christmas movies and do some Christmas crafts. 

Chocolate Filled Christmas Pudding Cake

When it come to festive desserts I don't like Christmas Cake, mince pies or even custard so it can be a bit of a struggle to satisfy my sweet tooth at the dinner table!

I therefore decided to create a cake based upon a Christmas Pudding but with a completely different taste. This is a chocolate sponge filled with chocolate frosting and topped with icing - a lovely alternative to the classic.

Silent Sunday

Eyeball Cake Pops

31st October is all about the treats and these cake pops will certainly hit the spot. With a soft sponge centre combined with delicious frosting and a white chocolate coating they are frightfully delightful. 

We were sent some of the ingredients and a recipe from Rangemaster for National Chocolate Week but as they arrived a little later we transformed a standard cake pop into something suitable for the next big event on our calendar; Halloween!

Broken Glass Cupcakes

Halloween is just on the horizon and to celebrate there will be plenty of tricks and treats being made and eaten across the country, including a frightening feast of our own. These broken glass cupcakes are quite deceiving as they are completely edible! They are really effective for your buffet table and more importantly they are delicious.

Chocolate Brioche Bread and Butter Pudding

Our first Degustabox arrived a few days ago and buried within bubble wrap and pretty tissue paper were many delectable products including some croissants and brioche from Pasquier, a brand we often purchase ourselves. I decided to use the latter in a recipe, something I hadn't made in a while, and with its squishy centre and sweet crisp top, this bread and butter pudding was a simple success.

Ingredients

5 Pasquier brioche

Butter

Discovering the Best Super Foods for Your Pet and You

Many people have favourite pet food brands and they will argue that their choice is the best. The discussion about which pet foods are healthiest can be as detailed as what the best fence for dogs is and whether the pet stop invisible fence is at the top of the list. It sounds silly to non-pet people, but those of us who believe our pets are family members are passionate about finding the safest, healthiest products for them.

While the proper containment for your pet is definitely important, even more so is what you feed them. Even buying pet food that is labelled organic or natural may not be the best choice, as government regulations are not that strict about what can be in pet foods that are labelled organic. The only way to be sure your pet is getting the safe, healthy food they deserve is to make it yourself. With the following list of super foods, it will be a snap for you!

My Sunday Photo

Cookie Cups Recipe

We received some lovey Nigella Lawson Measuring Cups from Red Candy and what better way to test them is there than with a recipe from Nigella's website? These chocolate chip cookies are simply delicious, possibly the best I've ever made.

 We decided to make a batch to transform into cookie cups which can hold a scoop of ice cream perfectly. It is the summer holiday after all so it's a good excuse to indulge and double the treat! 

Cookie Cups

Ingredients

1/2 cup of butter (4oz)

1/2 cup caster sugar (3.5oz)

1/2 cup brown sugar (3.5oz)

Sag Aloo - A Commonwealth Dish

Indian is currently my favourite cuisine. I love the rich flavours, plenty of spices and the fact that a lot of the dishes are created for sharing with loved ones. It's food that really brings people together. 

With the Commonwealth Games running from 23rd July until 3rd August, and bringing together 71 countries, India included, I though it was about time that I attempted to make some of my own side dishes to accompany our slow cooked curry. We can watch our favourite events (gymnastics and track) hosted by Glasgow as a family, while eating some delicious food.

Sag Aloo (Spinach Potatoes)

Delicious Barbequed Meals for the UK Summer

So it’s June and you can jump for joy knowing you’ve survived winter and that the weather will steadily warm up until the short-lived but delicious English summer is upon us!! While the BBQ is an Aussie/American institution, more and more Brits are honing their skills on not only learning how to ‘throw another shrimp on the barbie’, but how to cook it to absolute perfection. Here are some meals to try this summer that are sure to please the troops.

Starters

‘Summer-fy’ your bread by chucking it on the barbie, not only is it ridiculously quick, but you’ll add

Crispy Spinach and Feta Pie

We recently returned from a family break in Kefalonia and although most of our holiday highlights involve sunsets on the beach and trips to some beautiful attractions, we certainly can't forget the amazing food we consumed.  While in Fiskardo, a beautiful harbour village on the Northern tip of the island, we stopped off at a bakery and The Mr picked up a pastry. For the remainder of our week away he mentioned went on and on about how delicious it was, so I decided to recreate the same at home. 

Roaring Rocky Road Recipe (Plus Outtakes) #Bahlsen Bake Off

Nothing beats a huge box of sweet treats arriving on your doorstep, so we were more than happy to accept a hamper from Bahlsen to enjoy. The idea was to create one of the recipes using the biscuits and books provided and to video it, so we had a browse at the recipes and because there were so many that appealed we just selected one by opening the book on a random page.
We ended up choosing Roaring Rocky Road filled with marshmallows and covered in chocolate!

Not only was it fun to make with the Mini Mes while filming, but we had some delicious food to indulge with at the end - a win win situation!

You can see the video we made here,

I think Minxy is a natural in front of the camera, even if she didn't let Jamster get a word in...

They both did a fantastic job (and the rocky road was lovely) but there were a few moments when

Summer Fruit Cheesecake

Raspberries, blackcurrants, cherries and other seasonal fruit are just starting to make an appearance in supermarkets again but if you can't wait until summer to indulge, and don't fancy the frozen variety, you may wish to try the tinned version. 

We were sent some fruit fillings from Princes and I decided to create a delicious, and very simple, no-bake cheesecake - perfect for garden parties and to accompany late lunches in the sun.

Individual cheesecake

Kleeneze Easter Eggs

We have had great fun decorating eggs, making bunny cards and bonnets with Easter approaching and we have now had the pleasure of creating our very own Easter eggs with Kleeneze Egg Moulds!

You can buy online for £5.99 and have them delivered directly to your door, which is ideal for busy mums and dads that don't fancy a trip to town, or you can always order from your local representative too. The great thing about them being silicone is that they can be used year after year and removing the eggs once set is seriously easy - you don't need to worry that they will get stuck as they are flexible and non-stick!

How To Make Your Own Easter Eggs

• Melt your chosen chocolate (200g approx) in a bowl above a pan of hot water stirring

Cooking with McCain - Pesto Chicken

When you don't have the time to spend hours in the kitchen but you need a carb kick for energy, McCain Ready Baked Potatoes are a convenient option. They only take a few minutes in the microwave and provide a just baked taste for your favourite toppings to be piled on top. Delicious!

I'm a huge fan of potatoes in general so I was keen to see if these lived up to my expectations. We were sent a box to try along with the ingredients to make McCains recipe for Pesto Chicken too. The recipe is very quick which saved a lot of time and hassle - it's ideal for after a long day at work or a session at the gym, to fit in around school clubs and activities or as a healthy alternative to a takeaway.

Pesto Chicken

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Spring Bird Cake Pops - Cooking with Kids

With the Daffodils and sunshine making an appearance more regularly we decided to make some Spring Bird Cake Pops.

These were inspired by an Easter recipe I discovered on Baking Mad, although ours look a bit more like a cross between owls and chicks, so we just settled with a bird theme in general!

The Mini Mes enjoyed making them and they taste delicious so that's all that really matters, right?!