The Skinny French Kitchen...

To me a good cookery book is one where you could quite happily cook 80% of the recipes and are likely to use at least 50% more than once. Some people have said that’s strict criteria some not strict enough but it works for me! And there are some chefs I find where you buy two of the books to find the recipes duplicated. Then there are the chefs who books never leave my work top and are continuously open. Harry Eastwood is one of these!

I have raved continuously about her amazing book Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache (100% gluten free and inc low fat recipes) and at long last I now have her new(ish) book The Skinny French Kitchen. I do adore French food but have found some recipe books a bit dubious but this is amazing! From the first recipe for freezeable Emmental Gougeres (cheese puffs) to the final section on desserts its just outstanding and a big big plus I find is her recipes actually work all the time!!

Try this one out and see if it doesn’t tempt you to buy it!

Chocolate Souffle

100g Dark Chocolate

10g Melted Butter (for greasing)

2 Eggs (separated)

100g Sugar

4 extra egg whites

A pinch of salt

A little cocoa for dusting

Pop the over on to 210c

Melt the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. HE places the bowl over a pan of bowling water making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Once completely melted removed from the heat

Using the butter brush around the inside of 6 large ramekins.  HE’s measures 9.5cm x 6cm high (she thinks of everything in the details)

Using an electric whisk, whip up the eggs yolks with 50g of the sugar until cream coloured and very thick. Pour the melted chocolate over stirring as you add it.

Clean the beaters and whisk the egg whites with the remaining 50g sugar and a pinch of salt until stiff peak stage. Roughly beat 1/3^rd of the stiff egg white in to the warm chocolate mixture. Gently fold in the rest of the egg white. Don’t forget to reach down to incorporate the mixture at the bottom of the bowl.

Spoon the soufflé mixture into the prepared ramekins, filling them three quarters of the way up the sides and place on a baking sheet.

Cook in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes until puffed up and risen. Remove from the over, dust with cocoa and serve immediately!

PS You can make this ahead of time. Freeze before cooking and pop in for 12 mins....

Wooden Toy Benefits?

Have you ever wondered the benefits of a wooden toy? They don’t have the flashy lights or the 50 tunes a plastic toy has but a wooden toy will provide your child with something else – Imagination!

A wooden toy allows your child to develop their skills and personality. Is there anything better for a developing toddler than building up wooden blocks and see what can be used to knock them down again? Or developing hand and eye coordination with wooden jigsaws?  Motor skills & hand and eye coordination by bead threading? Or watching two four year olds mentally sail the seas with a wooden pirate ship? By far these wooden toys great for developing imagination and also they are a lot safer for your child.

 While plastic toys are mainly made abroad and created cheaply to be massed produced a wooden toy will created tougher and stronger. No being broken into shards within a week. No recalls within a month after dangerous chemicals in the colour.   A young child’s sensory development will also be increased by wooden toys. Smooth edges which are simple and smooth edged are great for chewing on relate to a young child’s understanding of the world. Similarly as their brain develops the wooden toy will be used in many different ways. Looking around the world today because of these reason wooden toys are starting to make the come back and success they had the in the pre 50’s.

Happiness Meme....

There’s a lovely meme going round asking us to post the 5 things which make us happy and I was tagged  by the ever lovely Fiona at Coombe Mill so…..

I think I’m a fairly happy person in general but things which are pretty much guaranteed to always bring a smile to my face are……

1, My boys.

Every morning I’m greeted with a cheery good morning and kiss from them both and it’s the best way to start the day hands down!!

2, Being at water with my family, be it on the beach, on a boat, or just wading the little river down the road.

3, Puddle jumping. So many people complaining  when it starts to rain but I adore it. Bundle up chuck on your wellies and have fun! The hot choc and cake afterwards help of course!!

4, Book shops or maybe just books? If you remember Breakfast at Tiffanys when Holly talks about Tiffanys? “Calms me down right away. The quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there” That’s pretty much my view of book shops!

My local bookstore (sells coffee to!)

5,Lastly I think would have to be the countryside in summer. Freshly mowed grass or the smell you get of warm soil?

Yes there you go 5 things which will make me smile!

Slightly Different Cheese Straws

Fancy a quick and easy treat for snacks tonight? Or do you just want something different in your lunch box?? Try these out!!

Ingredients

• 1 x 375g/13oz packet ready rolled puff pastry
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped flat leaf parsley
• 55g/2oz freshly grated cheese
• 2 tbsp sun dried tomato paste
• 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp water

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 210C/425F/Gas7.
2. Place the pastry on a floured work surface and then cut the pastry in half. (pizza cut works best!)
3. Fold the bottom half of each piece over the top half and gently press down. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle over the remaining cheese
4. With a large sharp knife or pizza cutter cut the pastry, lengthways, into 1cm/½in strips. Hold the ends between your fingers and carefully stretch and twist the strips in opposite directions. Place the twisted strips onto lightly oiled baking sheets, spacing them evenly apart. Place in the oven and bake for 10 -12 minutes or until crisp and golden.
5. Remove the cheese straws from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for five minutes to firm up. Using a palette knife carefully transfer the cheese straws to a wire rack or serving plate.

1. On the first pastry half, sprinkle over the chopped parsley and a quarter of the grated cheese. Spread the other piece of pastry with the sun-dried tomato paste and sprinkle with a quarter of the grated cheese.

Country Kids: Slides

For our Country Kids Linky with Coombe Mill this week we headed to Wellington Country Park which is huge and has hundereds (well 10) little playgrounds sent around the park. In each were loads of slides ranging from cable slides to huge tin ones. Its a tough choice which was any of our favourites!

Braving the cable (daddys hands were just out of reach i promise!)

Bit more slippery then we thought!



How big is that one??



 

Heading home at the end of a days play

What Am I Reading

Since today is World Book Day I couldnt not post my What Am I Reading. So heres a selection this month of what I'll be attempting!

The first of my world book night titles but I think its allowed as I'm a giver

 this year and it is a truly amazing book! Do try! If the first sentance doesnt

capture you it'll be a miracle!

There seem to be loads of baking or cookin books out at the moment all

offering the same style of dishes so I thought it might be nice to try

some of the old fashioned ways!

 Second of my world book night titles is Good Omens and a truly oustanding novel.

If you've ever thought the m25 was designed by the devil this is the book for you!

My french needs brushing up and while I could easily order a room with bathroom I am in need of practising my conversational french so a friend recommend getting a book you know very well but in a different language and try reading that so wish me luck!!

 I have to confess this is for me! But since I'm the one reading it out to them and it was my choice I though i'd better include it. One for all ages though!

A little bit of light fiction and a bit of heart ache as I would throw

it all in as well to live in Cornwall in a heart beat!

A classic! if you havent read or seen the film do either or both!

Karen Wheelers new book . She gave it all up to move to france!