French Macaroons

As a recipe to add to my gluten free ones today’s is macaroons! I adore macaroons! Beautiful pastels shades all lined up waiting to be devoured! I know they aren’t strictly classed as gluten free but these are and gosh they taste gorgeous! I use the Martha Stewart recipe so here it is below!

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups plus 1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup (4 ounces) finely ground sliced, blanched almonds
• 6 tablespoons fresh egg whites (from about 3 extra-large eggs)
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• Macaroon Filling – cream dairy or jam or buttercream

Directions

1. To make the macaroons: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar and ground almonds. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites with salt on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to high and gradually add granulated sugar. Continue to whip until stiff glossy peaks form. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the confectioners' sugar mixture until completely incorporated.
2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Fit a pastry bag with a 3/8-inch #4 round tip, and fill with batter. Pipe 1-inch disks onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. The batter will spread a little. Let stand at room temperature until dry, and a soft skin forms on the tops of the macaroons and the shiny surface turns dull, about 15 minutes.
3. Bake, with the door of the oven slightly ajar, until the surface of the macaroons is completely dry, about 15 minutes. Remove baking sheet to a wire rack and let the macaroons cool completely on the baking sheet. Gently peel off the parchment. Their tops are easily crushed, so take care when removing the macaroons from the parchment. Use immediately or store in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
4. To fill the macaroons: Fill a pastry bag with the filling. Turn macaroons so their flat bottoms face up. On half of them, pipe about 1 teaspoon filling. Sandwich these with the remaining macaroons, flat-side down, pressing slightly to spread the filling to the edges. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
5. Variations:
   To make coffee-flavored macaroons: In step 1, add 2 drops brown food coloring to the egg whites after they are whipped. In step 4, blend 1/2 cup macaroon filling with 1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder dissolved in 1/2 teaspoon warm water for the filling.
   To make cassis-flavored macaroons: In step 1, add 2 drops purple food coloring to the egg whites after they are whipped. In step 4, use 1/3 cup good-quality cassis jam for the filling.
   To make pistachio-flavored macaroons: In step 1, add 2 drops green food coloring to the egg whites after they are whipped. In step 4, combine 1/2 cup macaroon filling with 1 tablespoon pistachio paste for the filling.

Ketchup on your Cornflakes?

 My eldest is coming up to four and has never been interested in books except as something to chew on. I have tried him with nearly every form books take but recently he was sent “Ketchup on your cornflakes?” by Nick Sharratt. While not a fiction book it has drawn his attention in a way no other book has. It’s a lovely split book with plasticised pages so they don’t tear with fun bright pictures with which you can make the most amazing food concoctions! It had him laughing for nearly 30 mins in a car journey the other day and held his attention far more than any toy he has! Whether it’s because he is most definitely a boys boy and adores mud pies and worms and therefore cornflakes with ketchup on some way appeal to his very boyish off beat taste or he just likes the thought of toothpaste on pizza I’m not too sure but he has now discovered through this book the joys that other books can hold. We now have a fair few favourite books and we have to check out the book shops now whenever we go anywhere (a fact I love!) so if you have a little one who is supremely uninterested by books and prefers the great outdoors I do suggest trying this book out!  

SANDS & Raffle

Personally we have been indescribably lucky and have never had to deal with the loss of a child unfortunately we have friends who aren’t so lucky.  So when I read about Claire Willis who’s holding a pretty spectacular raffle on her page in aids of SANDS I decided to make my readers aware.  Most of us who are parents are aware of SANDS (stillbirth & neonatal death charity) however for those who aren’t a quick break down is that they support parents and anybody affected by the death of a baby and continuously promotes research to reduce the risk of loss of lives. Personally we have been lucky enough

Sands rely completely on donations with NO government funding! They have three aims

1, Supporting anyone affected by the death of a baby

2, Work with health professionals to improve care and services bereaved families receive

3, To continuously promote research and changes in practise that could aid the reduction of loss of babies lives.

So please take a look at Claire’s page SANDS Raffle for the amazing list of prizes you could win and from where you can purchase tickets or donate to this cause. £5 will purchase 5 tickets and you have the chance to win some amazing prizes from 2 night stay at Hillthwaite House Hotel in Windermere or One month’s membership of the “Weekly Cake Club” to even a £49 gift voucher for Red Letter Days.

Healthy Chocolate Cake

As you all know I’m a big fan of fairly healthy eating and here combines my two favourites things – vegetables & chocolate! This dish is absolutely scrummy i promise! You cant taste the vegetable but it does go towards one of your 1 a days! Harry Eastwood is a fantastic chef and here is her heartbreak chocolate! The only heartbreak it gives us is it disappears so quickly!

SERVES 14

2 small whole aubergines (weighing roughly 400g)

300g best dark chocolate you can find (minimum 70% cocoa solids essential), broken into squares

50g good-quality cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting

60g ground almonds

3 medium free-range eggs

200g clear honey

2 tsp baking powder

1⁄4 tsp salt (or some tears, if you have them in the kitchen)

1 tbsp brandy (for moral support)

YOU WILL NEED

a 23cm-diameter x 7cm-deep loose bottomed tin

a skewer

a microwave

a blender

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Line the tin with baking parchment and lightly brush the base and sides with a little oil.
2 Cook the aubergines by puncturing their skins erratically here and there with a skewer, then placing them in a bowl covered with cling film. Microwave on high for 8 minutes until the vegetables are cooked and limp. Discard any water at the bottom. Leave the aubergines to stand in the bowl until they are cool enough to handle.
3 Next, skin (I find that the tip of a knife does the job) and purée the aubergines in the blender. Once the warm aubergine is puréed and smooth, add the chocolate, which will mingle and melt slowly. Set aside, covered once again in cling film, until all the chocolate has melted.
4 In a large bowl, whisk up all the other ingredients for a minute until well introduced to each other and slightly tipsy (bubbly). Fold the melted chocolate and aubergine mixture into the bowl with all the other ingredients. Don’t be afraid of being a little brutal with the spatula – they will get on and fuse.
5 Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and place it in the bottom of the oven for 30 minutes, by which time your kitchen will just sing with the smell of hot chocolate.
6 Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in its tin for 15 minutes before turning it out on to a wire rack and peeling off the parchment. Quickly turn it the right way up again and sit it on a plate to avoid any scars from the rack.
7 Sieve a little cocoa powder over the top of the cake before cutting yourself a slice and letting the medicine work its magic.

10 Things to do in the car

We’re off on holiday in a couple of weeks and I’ve just realised that we have about 12 hours of driving ahead of us. Not great with two little ones who start to complaining after approx 30 second of being confined in the car seat. So I thought for this month’s top ten I would have a list of things to do with kids in the car or on the train etc etc any where really where they can’t run around! Most of the list applies to kids who can talk – if you have babies – best of luck!!! ;)

1, Have a personal rucksack or a box for each child.

For the smaller kids like mine I would suggest some crayons, colouring book (even scrapes of paper to scribble on! ) party size playdough, bubbles, some snacks and little drinks – if like me you’d me a bit worried that the food is eaten by the time you’re out of the drive way I suggest you label each bit ie you can have the red labels until we’re on the motorway or if they can read write the name of the town on. Some wet wipes are invaluable to pop in! A little box on which they can collect things at the stops is always good. We have toll road tickets or ferry tickets in ours. Older kids tend to know what they want in their rucksacks – nintendos etc!

2, Alphabet game.

I can remember this from my childhood. I don’t think it would work with my baby but my eldest – just about to turn four has a long enough attention spam to start at least. To start the first person thinks of a object being with “a” and starts “I went to the shops and I brought an apple” the second person starts with b and carry’s on the list ie “ I went to the shops and I brought an apple and a bongo” and so on.....

3, Bingo

You can tailor this to the appropriate age. My eldest can cope with looking out for 5 red cards, small trees or landmarks – Castle, railway, Give them each a list and the first person to get all their list wins! About 5 jelly babies and the next choice of cd in our car!

4, Peek a boo!

A little cloth you can drape over the car seat or hold up in front of your face works a treat!

5, Surprises

While nothing expensive try wrapping up say 5 small toys – paper dolls in one set, packs of cards, toy car, homemade cd etc and have a new one to unwrap at certain points along the way.

6, Books on cd.

In our day we had them on tape but nowadays you can get almost anything on cd. Even the baby loves listening to Kipper! But for older kids you have Harry Potter among others! Even the twilight saga I believe!

7, Movies

It goes without saying after books on CD’s but films on dvds! If you can’t afford a travel dvd player and you can get them for under £50 these days and you have a laptop, charge it up before you go and you should be able to get a film or two hours of programmes on this!

8, I Spy & I Spy Books

I spy is obviously the oldest game around and for a quick refresher – First person – “I spy something being with....” every one else guesses! The I spy books are pretty great to. Along the same lines as the car bingo they have list of things to tick off – railways, numberplates etc etc

9, Songs

Obviously we know the good old ones like 10 green bottles etc but we all have a good old sing along to such delights as Robin Hood, Tie me kangaroo down sport, the grand old duke of York. Incorporate ones with hand signals etc like head shoulders knees and toes, one finger one thumb or even little peter rabbit. Google it! Lists and lists come up!

10, The Name Game

Start with the name of a celebrity, (or literary figure, cartoon character, etc) that would be commonly known to at least two of the participants, whose first name begins with the first letter of the previous person's last name.

An example game would run as follows;

1. Fireman Sam
2. Snow white
3. Wow wow wubbzy

The Crafty ThINKer

Today is my youngest 1^st birthday today and our lovely friend and neighbour Amy handmade this rather gorgeous card! She has a crafty blog over at The Crafty ThINKer and she teaches you on this site how to make her rather wonderful cards. Even if you already make your own cards this site in invaluable for ideas and tips. And for all of you getting married soon do give her a call as she can craft your wedding from invites through to wedding favours!

National Honey Week

Since its National Honey Week this week I thought I’d share with you some rather fine delights of honey. We all know it taste great on toast or drizzled over fruits or porridge but how about a homemade face mask or what about putting round a cut or graze. But just be warned DO NOT give honey babies UNDER 1 YR! It can cause botulism!
Honey has been used in beauty for hundreds of years - Queen Anne of England used a honey and oil concoction to keep her long hair lustrous, thick and shiny. So here below is some treats for to make at home....

Moisturizing Honey and Egg Mask

This recipe is recommended for dry skin.

1 tablespoon powdered milk
1 stiffly beaten egg white
1 egg yolk
1-teaspoon honey

Mix together and apply to your face. Leave on for 10-15 min. Rinse thoroughly
Honey of a Peach Mask

There is nothing more revitalizing than a peach and honey mask, which will leave your skin feeling soft and silky.

1 large peach or nectarine, skinned
3 teaspoons honey
Lecithin powder or 2 tablespoons yogurt

Mash the peach (or nectarine) and honey and apply to your face. Leave on 10-15 min. Rinse.
Quick Face lift
Use 2 heaped tsp gram flour (chick pea flour) and ½ tsp honey with 2 tsp of water. Apply it all over the face and neck and leave it on for 15 minutes. When removing it remember to dampen a cotton wool ball or face cloth, and wash it off. Not only does it have a tightening effect on the skin it is deep cleansing and exfoliating. Then moisturise

Vanilla Honey and Oatmeal Soap

Melt two pounds of clear or white soap base in a large bowl. Consider cutting the soap base into small chunks to reduce melting time. Stir in one-quarter cup of honey and three-quarter cups of ground oatmeal. Add a tablespoon of vanilla oil and a few drops of your favorite fragrance or essential oil to the mixture. Pour the liquid soap into a loaf pan or soap mold and allow it to sit until hardened.

Spiced Milk and Honey Soap

Make your own soap from scratch with moisturizing milk and soothing honey. Follow any recipe for making a basic white soap, and then add evaporated milk, honey, cinnamon oil and clove oil. Mold the soap in a loaf pan or soap mold. Sprinkle the top of the soap with ground cinnamon as it hardens to add decoration and abrasiveness.

First Aid – once again DO NOT USE ON UNDER 1 YR OLD!

Honey is a mild antiseptic and can help to keep external wounds, such as cuts and minor burns, clean and free from infection. By absorbing the moisture around the wound, honey can help to prevent the growth of bacteria.

Honey for Burns - apply freely over burns. It cools, removes pain and aids fast healing without scarring. Besides being a salve and antibiotic, bacteria cannot live in honey.

Bed Wetting - a teaspoon of honey before bed, aids water retention and calms fears in children.

Sleeplessness - a dessert spoon of honey in a mug of hot milk aids sleep and works wonders!

Hyperactivity - Honey is a mild sedative with minerals, vitamins, amino acids etc. Replace all white sugar with honey. White sugar is highly stimulating with no food qualities!

Nasal Congestion - place a dessertspoon of honey in a basin of hot water and inhale fumes after covering your head with a towel over the basin. Very effective.

Fatigue - dissolve one part of honey in 3 parts of water and keep in the fridge. Honey is primarily fructose and glucose and so it is quickly absorbed by the digestive system. (Honey is a unique natural stabilizer - ancient Greek athletes took honey for stamina before competing and as a reviver after competition).

Poor Digestion - mix honey with apple cider vinegar approx. 50/50 and dilute to taste with water - aids digestion. (Also reputed to be wonderful for the joints).

Hair Conditioner - mix honey with equal quantity of Olive Oil and rub into hair. Cover head with a warm towel for half and hour then shampoo off. Feeds hair and scalp. Hair will never look or feel better!

Sore Throats - let a teaspoon of honey melt in the back of the mouth and trickle down the throat. Eases inflamed raw tissues.

Stress - honey in water is a stabilizer - calms highs and raises lows (true). Use approx. 25 percent honey to water.

Food Preservative - cakes with honey replacing sugar stay fresher longer due to natural antibiotics. Reduce liquids by approx. one-fifth to allow for moisture in honey.

Energy Levels

Honey is a rich source of carbohydrates, providing 17 grams at just 64 calories per tablespoon. Combining honey with fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains and other healthful foods can add to your total nutrition and give you a great natural energy boost. Staying hydrated is one of the most important tools for an athlete. Simply add honey to your bottle of water for an energy boost during your next workout.

Thanks to the National Honey Board & some lovely friends on twitter for ideas!

What I'm reading this month....

Julia over at Curtains for the windows has got her lovely linky up and so while I have a quick break I thought I'd share mine with you.....

By far one of my all time favourites! I even chose it as my paper for literature. If you've never discovered Daphne Du Maurier I'd recommend starting with one. Haunting and wonderfully written!

Chris Stewart up and moved his wife to a shack in the Andalucia hills. No electricity or running water but they are supremily happy!

On a recent trip to Cornwall I had read all the books I had brought with me and was in need of something new and stumbled across this delightful tale of two brother refuges sent to Cornwall. Have been brought up with stories from the war by my grandparents (my papa was based in cornwall) I found this enchanting.

Do I really need to say anything?

I'm not to sure if you know but up until this year I made cakes and a large amount were novelty and with my youngest 1st birthday coming up I thought I'd refresh my ideas. These books are great for first timers through to seasoned makers!

Again another holiday purchase but I got so hooked I started following her on twitter and reading her blog!