Formula 1 Foods - Austria round-up and the next challenge: UK

I went to Austria last year and made a few of the local dishes after I came back, so this round of Formula 1 Foods was quite easy for me. The idea is to make something inspired by the country that is hosting each race and last time it was Austria. Apple strudel is said to originate from Vienna and when I was there I saw a demonstration and got to try some freshly-baked strudel; I was given a recipe to take away which I made at home. The trick...

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Meal Planning Monday 2015 - Week 27

Finally a week that should be a lot quieter - but I will probably jinx it by saying that! Lately I've been out a lot and had to work late a bit and we've been away or busy at the weekends. This week I've just got my cake decorating class; no social events planned (which sounds depressing but is actually lovely to have a solid run of nights in at home!) and also no plans for the weekend. Other than the million and one things that need doing...

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Alphabakes Round-up 2015: O

As we continue our journey through the alphabet this month we were baking with the letter O. Oranges made a few appearances but there were plenty of other ingredients beginning with O which showed up in your sweet and savoury recipes this month. I got one of my own entries in first: these mini rose-shaped cakes are favoured with orange and also vegan. I love the Nordicware tin that I used to make them! My mum Jacqueline also used a pretty...

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Formula 1 Foods Austria Round-up and the next challenge: UK

I went to Austria last year and made a few of the local dishes after I came back, so this round of Formula 1 Foods was quite easy for me. The idea is to make something inspired by the country that is hosting each race and last time it was Austria. Apple strudel is said to originate from Vienna and when I was there I saw a demonstration and got to try some freshly-baked strudel; I was given a recipe to take away which I made at home. The trick...

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Rocking New Baby Girl Card

  Every year my boyfriend goes to the Goodwood Festival of Speed with his dad, and every year I use that time to indulge my love of card making. I tend to turn the craft room (aka spare bedroom number 2, which has a desk and cupboard full of craft stuff) into a complete mess making at least half a dozen cards in the morning, and then tidy it up in the afternoon before he gets home! I've only recently realised that there are blog challenges...

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Nigella Lawson's Cappucino Pavlova

Meringues are the bane of my life. It’s not so much about making the perfect macaron as getting a simple meringue to not stick to the paper. After many failures I decided to sign up for a course at Cakes 4 Fun in Putney, which was brilliant; you can read about what I did here. After the course, I made a pavlova from a Nigella Lawson recipe at home, and it turned out perfectly. Fully of confidence, I asked for the Meringue Girls book for my birthday,...

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Bulgur wheat, apricot and chickpea salad

  I always say that I don’t like salads, but what I really mean is that I don’t like lettuce – unless I’m in absolutely the right mood for it which usually means a sunny day! When I was a child salads were “lettuce, tomato, cucumber” – the words almost run into each other. But it’s not the 1980s any more and you can put pretty much anything in a salad – and it doesn’t even have to have lettuce as a base.   I was going through some recipe...

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Strawberry Ice Cream Cupcakes in an Ice Cream Van

When we had a barbecue last weekend I made these cupcakes purely so I could show off my new cake stand!   It’s from a company called Talking Tables and looks like an ice cream van, complete with ice cream cones and a sign where you can make your own slogan. It costs £16.50 on their website, though I got it for slightly less as I bought it at a cake show about 18 months ago. This is actually the first time I have been able to use it,...

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Meal Planning Monday 2015 - Week 26

Monday Lunch: BBQ leftovers  Dinner: sandwich as I’m at a cake decorating class Tuesday Lunch: out with a colleague who is in town today Dinner: out with a friend (didn't intentionally plan these to be the same day!) Wednesday Lunch: sandwich – will be stuck at a desk Dinner: probably working late so something my boyfriend can easily cook Thursday Lunch: sandwich or salad Dinner: butternut squash and feta cheese pasta for me, pasta carbonara...

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