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Super simple Banoffee pies

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I wasn’t intending to blog about this as well it’s so easy I can hardly call it a recipe but so many people loved them (either those who ate them or saw my Instagram pics) that I felt it was only fair to share 😉

A few weeks back I bought quite a few boxes of sweet pastry shells as they were short date ( B.B end of Sept) and therefore ridiculously cheap without really any idea of what I was going to do with them – today inspiration hit at the supermarket when I saw bananas at a bargain price and I decided to make mini Banoffee pies for my daughters tea party.

If you were to have a dinner party and serve these up for dessert I assure you they would go down well. My sister declared them as the best cake/pies she’s ever eaten. You could easily make the shortcrust pastry or even do a type of cheesecake biscuit base which I’m sure I will try next time I make them. I won’t give exact quantities here as I just kinda threw it all together.

You will need:

Pastry shells (or shortcrust pastry tarts blind baked and cooled)
1 tin of carnation caramel
Double/whipping cream
1tbsp of icing sugar
Cadburys flake ( broken up into teeny pieces)
Bananas sliced thinly

Whip your cream with the icing sugar until thick.

Spoon caramel into each case/shell then top with sliced bananas, a dollop of cream and bits of flake

Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.

Tada.

Told you it was easy peasy.

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A big girl now …

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No longer my baby

A big girl now

Today you are two

Your age will now forever be counted in years

No longer months

I can no longer buy your clothes in the baby aisle

You eat what we eat

You can count to ten

You say the funniest things

You are so independent

Already

But you love your mam and dad

If one of us isn’t there you are always asking where we are

You greet us with huge smiles and glee

You sleep all night (mostly)

You love apples

And peas

You are so very daring

And so very tall

But at night all curled up

You still seem ever so small

A big girl you may be

But you will always always be my baby

Even when your sister arrives

You will still be you

The twinkle in my eye

I worry about missing our special one on one time

But life is about to become so very exciting

And I know that one day you will be so thankful for a sister

Today is the last birthday just you

Next year you will have a little sibling too

Sharing your toys

Stealing your cake

Kissing and squabbling

What memories you will make

But for just a short time now it’s just us

And I will remember it. Always.

The smile that you bring to my face so easily

The hurt I feel when you hurt

I can’t wait for another year with you.

Happy birthday my wonderful girl.

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Comfort in pregnancy? Surely not. Theraline maternity pillow review

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About 4 months ago I was given the opportunity to review a maternity pillow from Theraline – I am so thankful! It’s rare that I get to review a product which has been so useful on a daily basis and this truly has. In fact you have probably seen me tweeting or instagramming pics most weeks now. I LOVE IT.

Ok so firstly my personal opinions aside here is what you need to know about this pillow:

*It provides stable support during your pregnancy
*A massive relief for legs, belly and a stressed back
*Makes it a lot easier to change sleeping positions
*Offering real comfort for baby feeding
*Safely moulds to baby’s body
*Amazing back support for mum

I have used it EVERY day apart from one silly night when I was admitted to hospital and forgot to take it with me. On my second overnight stay I was more prepared. I took it to Camp Bestival which I actually think is the only way I managed to sleep there.
I’ve used it to read, watch films and rest. It has eased my cramps, pelvic pressure and back pain. It supports my entire body in a squishy, moulded to my body type of way.

I won’t ever be getting pregnant again. That much I am sure of but if I ever did I would most certainly want this pillow on the journey. It is without a doubt the best pregnancy purchase you can make.

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Within 2 months my baby will be here and I cannot wait to be able to use this as a breast feeding support. I’m sure it will be the spot of many hours of bonding with my newborn and I think I will use it beyond feeding as a comfy pillow for reading.

All in all one of the easiest reviews I’ve ever written. 5 stars from me.

For more information visit the Theraline website

*As stated I was provided with this product free of charge in exchange for a review.

Curious Cravings

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I’m 31 weeks pregnant this week. WOOP.

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So yup the baby is about the size of 4 navel oranges which is strange as all I want to eat are apples.

The cravings have properly kicked in this week and there are 5 things I really want .. All day. Every day.

*Steak – oh steak how I love you. I have never been a huge red meat fan. I like steak but its always been an occasional treat. Now I really want it. A lot. BUT it has to be good steak.. Ideally from the butcher or M&S which obviously gets a bit expensive so I am trying to limit it. But ah I want it. Even now at 10.30pm.

*Apples – I like apples but mostly in crumbles and pies. I normally prefer strawberries or mangoes but this past week I am all about the apples. I’m limiting myself to 2 a day.

*Carrots – now this is the oddest of all. I don’t like carrots, I eat them as they are good for me but I’ve never enjoyed them so normally I eat them raw or in stews etc as less offensive to me. I have tried for years to make myself enjoy them with various recipes but um no. Now however I just want carrots all the time..cooked or raw. I actually made the most beautiful carrot side dish earlier today using brown sugar and butter..dreamy.

*Ice – still loving ice but try not have too much as I don’t want to hurt my teeth. It’s all in the crunch of the ice and the size of the cube. I’m such a weirdo.

*Brushing my teeth – this has been an obsession for over a month now. I brush my teeth about 5 times a day. My dentist will be pleased.

What odd cravings have you had? I’m glad that mine are reasonably healthy and not too mad like petrol or coal.

Making a list..checking it twice.

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This may sound crazy to you.. it does even to me actually. I’ve pretty much completed my Christmas shopping. I am so disorganised normally that I generally still feel panicky on Christmas Eve but this year I knew that with a relatively small newborn ish baby at that time I needed to be prepared. Baby 2 is due on Nov 15th..so if I go overdue ( which currently seems VERY unlikely) she could be just a few weeks old on Christmas day.

So I began planning..and shopping a few months back. I have a LOT of people to buy for. Aside from my little family ( OH, Iz and new baby) I have a lot of siblings and their partners..12 nieces and nephews, my OH’s family and extended family and friends. Arrrrggh.

I decided to make things easier on myself.

For 8 of my nieces and nephews I have bought cinema vouchers. They take up a teeny amount of space in my Christmas chest and I know they can all go together one day and have a fun day out.

For the younger remaining ones I have small gifts which I’ve picked up on sale and the older one I have some cool smellies.

For inlaws and extended family I’ve stocked up at the local Bookers on booze and picked up special food items at Food festivals earlier in the year. I had every intention of making hampers again but I can’t see it happening.

Iz gets a lot of presents from extended family so I’m taking advantage of the fact that she is too young to nag for a big present and giving her lots of little things such a sticker books and fun crafty things to keep her occupied when I’m feeding baby 2. I also had lots of cool things from Britmums goodie bags which I’ve hoarded way. We do plan to buy her a bike/trike in the January sales.

Baby 2 has some snuggly toy items and that’s about it.

Friends and my older siblings will have wine/chocs and be grateful for it.

My younger siblings have some cool fat face stuff which I got on sale..agessss ago and the older ones have some fab cocktail mixes etc which I bought when reduced a while back.

My OH has yet to choose his gift so he will either have money or things I can buy online. Simple.

I’ve even started stocking up on Christmas snacks and chocs.. Unfortunately unlike the wine I can eat these now so the stock is depleting but Asda/Morrisons will always be around.

Have you done all your shopping?

Thrifty Homemade Christmas Gifts – Part 1

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Last year I made a lot of the gifts that I gave to friends and family. It saved me a fortune and everyone seemed to like them. This year the intention was to make all my gifts. It’s not going to happen. I would however like to share over the next few weeks things I made last year so you can try them out for your Christmas presents. Some of these ideas are mine, others I have blatantly stolen from Nigella, Jamie and co or from images I’ve spotted on Pinterest.

This week I want to tell you about flavoured sugars and shortbread.

First up Vanilla Sugar.

This is so easy peasy that you don’t really need an explanation but here it goes.

You will need large jars, golden caster sugar and vanilla pods.

The quantities you use don’t matter, you want to layer caster sugar and vanilla pods cut in half in large jars. Seal for a minimum of a month or for up to a year. If you are gifting these try using pretty jars such as Kilner jars, making your own labels and tying with pretty festive ribbon.

As well as for gifts you should have a jar of this at home in your store cupboard at all times, use it in place of standard caster sugar in all recipes for extra flavour, as you use it simply top up with more sugar and pods.

I buy my vanilla pods from food sellers on eBay as far cheaper and in bulk.

This idea is from the Nigella Christmas book. Which is awesome by the way.

You will use the vanilla sugar in my next gift idea:

Superb Simple Shortbread

You will need:

125g Plain Flour
90g salted butter
40g Vanilla sugar plus extra for dusting

Blend your flour and sugar together before rubbing in your butter until completely combined and forming a dough. Roll into a rectangular piece of dough and cut into 8 lengths. Using a fork prick them several times and bake in a preheated oven on a greased tray for 20-25 minutes. Immediately on removing from the oven sprinkle with vanilla sugar and leave to cool on a a wire rack.

Most recipes ask for unsalted butter but I like the salty/sweet shortbread taste you get when using salted butter.

Gift in a pretty box. These are best made the night before giving as a gift. These quantities are the perfect amount for a gift for one person/or couple.

I made these today with my (almost) 2 year old and we had lots of fun making and eating them!

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Coming up next week:

Jamie’s epic hot chocolate and peppermint creams.

Spicy Sausage Slow Cooker Stew

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I must be the only person I know who has really been looking forward to the autumnal weather. Normally I am such a sunshine girl but pregnancy and the heat we have had this summer don’t really mix very well so now that the temperature is dropping I couldn’t be more thrilled!

Warm socks, candles, crumbles and stews feature on my to do/wear list this week and I’m pretty excited about it.

I use my slow cooker LOADS more when its cold. I love casseroles, stews, soups and slow cooked joints of meat served with hunks of homemade bread or creamy mash. My meals are cheaper as I throw all my last bits of vegetable into everything, I use cheaper cuts of meat and it saves me a lot of time too. Lately I haven’t had the same energy and enthusiasm for cooking as I’ve been so worn out and slow cooking is ideal for when I feel this way.

You really can throw meat, veg and some stock into the pot..leave it untouched for 5 hours and somehow arrive home to a tasty meal. It’s magic I tell you.

Sometimes a (very) little bit more of an effort is required and can make a really special meal.

Today I decided to fiddle about with some spicy sausages, leftover veg and some tinned bits n bobs and woweee it worked well.

Spicy Sausage and Lentil Stew

You will need:

6 spicy sausages ( min 70% meat) I used Asda chorizo style sausages
1/2 red onion (diced)
1/2 red pepper (diced)
1/2 green pepper (diced)
3 inch chunk of courgette (diced)
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tin of new potatoes ( drained and chopped)
3 tbsp red lentils
1 tsp of sweet smoked paprika
1tsp of season all (Schwartz) seasoning or salt/pepper/herbs
1 pint of stock

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Brown your sausages and onions over a moderate heat in a dry frying pan before placing in slow cooker with the rest of your ingredients and stir well. Place lid on top and turn on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8.

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I served mine with herby parmentier potatoes.. You can find the method to make these here simply replace the fajita seasoning with garlic and dried or fresh herbs as well as olive oil. I also served homemade flatbreads which were perfect for mopping up the sauce.

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You could easily just serve this with crusty bread and it would still be a substantial meal.

How to spend less

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Last Winter I wrote 6 blog posts on how to spend less, they were really popular and have recently started receiving a lot of views again. I guess we are all trying to be more thrifty these days.

Coming up to Christmas we could all do with some extra pennies so here are the links to the 6 posts ..some maybe useful..some not so much but they definitely helped me and just re reading them today has inspired me to start being more frugal again.

How to spend less. Part 1

How to spend less. Part 2

How to spend less. Part 3

How to spend less. Part 4

How to spend less. Part 5

How to spend less. Part 6

Vanilla Cheesecake – Ministry of Food. Pass it on.

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Time for my favourite dessert from the Jamie Oliver Ministry of Food book. The vanilla cheesecake. So good it almost makes me say nom. But I hate that word so no.

It’s a recipe which has never failed for me although the description calling it a “vanilla” cheesecake is a little deceptive as the citrus flavours in the cheesecake burst through with every mouthful. In his book Jamie adds a raspberry coulis topping – I never have. I’ve never felt it needed it.

So without further ado you will need:

150g butter, plus an extra knob for greasing the tin
200g Digestive biscuits
100g rolled oats
1 vanilla pod
600g cream cheese
150g caster sugar
1 lemon
1 orange
300ml double cream

Grease a 23cm springform cake tin with butter and set aside. Wrap your digestives in a clean tea towel and then, using a rolling pin, bash them up until you have fine crumbs or you could whizz them up in a food processor for less mess.

Put a pan over a low heat, add the oats and toast them gently until they turn darker in colour. Cut the butter into cubes and add it to the pan along with your biscuit crumbs. Gently stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture combines. Remove from heat and spoon into your cake tin, smoothing it out evenly.

Gently push down on the biscuit base using the back of a metal spoon, or your hands – you want it to be flat and even. Put the base in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour.

Cut your vanilla pod in half lengthways and gently drag the edge of your knife along the insides of the pod to scrape out the seeds.
Put all the cream cheese into a mixing bowl, and add the vanilla seeds, caster sugar, lemon and orange zest and the juice from the lemon. Give it all a good stir until nice and smooth.
In another bowl, whisk your cream until it gives you soft peaks. Add half of it to your cream cheese mixture and fold it in. Then fold the remaining cream in. Once everything is blended, spoon the mixture over the biscuit base and smooth it out.

Place your cheesecake in the fridge for at least an hour.

If you wanted to add a fruit topping or coulis then do so after the final chill just prior to serving.

This makes a huge chunk of cheesecake and its very rich so you don’t want to serve massive slices. Once you have made this once I am sure it will become your go to cheesecake recipe!

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Look out.. Huge hormonal pregnant lady coming through.

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After all the crap this pregnancy has thrown at me the last thing in the world I thought I would be concerned by was a flyaway comment made by a hairdresser about the size of my bump. But concerned, offended, emotional I am. Stupid huh?

Actually it’s really stupid. I’m not fat I’m growing a HUMAN being. Do you realise how astounding that is? I’m actually growing an entire new person in my belly.. A space which used to get too crowded after a large takeaway now has the task of growing my child. If my stomach looks big that’s because there is someONE in it. Not a few extra cakes or a case of beer but SOMEONE.

Yes I know the baby is in my uterus, not my stomach. My uterus which is now approximately 1000 times the size it was pre pregnancy and sitting just under my boobs.

It amazes me that other women especially other mums can be so tactless. When has a woman ever liked her weight gain being discussed? I hate that at least 3 of my friends have discussed post pregnancy weight loss with me and my child hasn’t arrived yet. I hate that I started googling belly bands after hearing that Kim K is using one to aid her weight loss. I hate that I am seriously wondering how soon after baby arrives will I be able to start the 30 day shred?

I know that when my baby arrives I will forget most of this. My days will be taken up with her and Izzy and an exercise routine will be the least of my worries but I hate that it has come to this at all.

One comment. That’s all.

Next time you make a comment about someone’s weight..whether they are pregnant or not. Think to yourself do they need to hear this? Tell them they look wonderful or glowing. Not that their bump is too big or even too small.

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