Cranberry and Sunflower Seed Cookies Recipe - Lurpak #GameOnCooks

As a nation we are obsessed with watching, reading about and hash tagging food! Over 10 million of us tune in to GBBO every week. We take to social media to post photos of meals on Instagram and we love celebrity chefs, eagerly buying their latest recipe books. In fact, according to a survey by Lurpak, we spend over 5 hours a week devouring food culture. Yet, when it comes to actually getting our hands dirty in the kitchen, we spend on average just 4 hours cooking! Our interest in all things foodie, seems to be more virtual than physical, but nothing beats a home cooked meal or some good old fashioned baking.

Lurpak's 'Game On, Cooks' campaign is stirring up a cooking revolution, encouraging Brits to turn their screens off and their ovens on. They are challenging us to create something tasty using Lurpak, to share our creations and to inspire others to get into the kitchen themselves. Because, however many recipes you pour over; TV cookery shows you watch or food apps you have downloaded on your phone, you have to get cooking to be a cook! You have to feel the dough in your hands as you work it; smell the glorious scent of fresh baking and hear the sizzle of mushrooms frying in a pan.

Lurpak is a great ingredient for both sweet and savoury recipes. You can mix, fry, drizzle and bake it into all kinds of culinary creations....or you can simply spread it on fresh baked bread or scones.

Here is a really simple recipe using Lurpak butter that is a real family favourite; Cranberry and Sunflower Seed Cookies. It's a great recipe that creates some wholesome treats that the family will love. Easy to make, perfect for sharing! The crumbly, oaty, buttery biscuit is complemented perfectly by the sweet, fruity cranberries and crunchy sunflower seeds.

Cranberry and Sunflower Seed Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

4 oz Lurpak butter

3 oz soft brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

3 oz dried cranberries

1 1/2 oz sunflower seeds

2 oz plain flour

3 oz oats

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method

Cream together butter and sugar.

Stir in rest of the ingredients and combine.

Shape into walnut size balls and press down slightly using a fork onto a prepared baking tray.

Bake at 180 degrees for 15 minutes.

If you want to help correct this Great British cooking paradox, remember "screen off, oven on"! Get into the kitchen and share your creations with @Lurpak using the hashtag #GameOnCooks.

Baking with Kids - Bigjigs Young Chef's Baking Set

Bigjigs have sent Freddy a Young Chef's Set so he can have some fun cooking up a storm in the kitchen making some tasty treats.  Freddy really enjoys cooking with me, so he was excited to have his very own set of cookery items including a cake tray, loaf tin, shape cutters, rolling pin, whisk, cake cases, measuring spoons and oven glove. Everything is just the right size for little budding chefs to use easily, it's fully functional and good quality.

The set comes in a net bag and is suitable for ages three and up. Everything is made using responsibly sourced materials and conforms to EU safety standards.  It encourages interactive and creative play sessions with parents in the kitchen, as children learn a whole host of important skills.  It can also be used for imaginative role play.

Cooking in itself is an important life skill.  My three eldest children are now all self-sufficient adults who thankfully know their way around a kitchen!  Teaching basic cookery to children and letting them help you in the kitchen is a great first step towards helping them become competent and confident adults who know how to cook for themselves.

Cooking also helps develop a wide range of other important skills too.  Using a recipe allows little ones to practice their reading and teaches them how to follow instructions. They can learn vocabulary and find out about different ingredients and their uses.

Measuring, weighing and counting are all important maths skills that are used when cooking. The science of mixing things, heating things and exploring the textures and consistencies of ingredients gets children thinking scientifically.

We decided to make Fairy Cakes, which is a nice, quick and simple thing to make with kids, giving a delicious end result to reward them for their hard work.

Fine motor skills are put to the test with all the different techniques needed when baking a cake. Freddy is a dab hand at cracking eggs and stirring with a wooden spoon!

Children need to use logic and problem solving when it comes to working out how to divide the mixture out between the cake cases (while leaving a little cake mix so you can lick the bowl afterwards!)

Kitchen safety is also an important lesson as children understand the dangers of hot ovens and other potentially risky things such as electricity and sharp knives.

Putting the cakes in the oven is a chance to brush up on telling the time and thinking about how many minutes they will take to cook.

Exercising patience while the cakes cook and cool can be quite tricky, but with a little help from big sister Kezia to decorate them with frosting and fudge pieces, the end result was well worth waiting for!

We all enjoyed Freddy's cakes and he had a great time in the kitchen, having lots of fun while learning lots of new skills.

The Bigjigs Little Chef's Set is £11.99 and can be found at : http://www.bigjigstoys.co.uk/p/young-chefs-baking-set

Playing Shops with Bigjigs Groceries

When you are a 4 year old, playing make believe games is a big part of what you do!  One minute you can be a superhero fighting crime, next a train driver en route to the seaside.  Role play games can be inspired by using props, which help bring to life the games that are born from a child's imagination.  

Bigjigs sent Freddy a box of wooden groceries featuring solid wooden blocks, beautifully painted to represent a range of familiar food tins and packets.  Each one has the product name and an image on them, and make perfect creative stimuli for role play games involving shopping, cooking or kitchens.  From budding chefs to little shopkeepers to busy mums and dads, the scope for pretend play is as big as the child's imagination itself.

Freddy arranged his groceries to create his very own grocery store.  He loved 'selling' the cans and packets to his sisters, his dad and to me and shouted out "Come buy your food here!" like a seasoned market trader.  We enjoyed going to Freddy's shop and we paid for our shopping in his currency of choice... chocolate coins!!  Playing shopping games is a great introduction to understanding money, although Freddy's prices were super inflated...£101 for a cornflakes, tomato sauce, cookies and orange juice!  I know prices in the shops are expensive, but thankfully they aren't this bad yet!

For children, playing games based on the things they see grown-ups doing, helps them to make sense of the world around them, encourages empathy and teaches important social skills.  Role play exercises children's minds, allowing them to grow and develop while having fun.  

             


Role play is just one of the ways that the Bigjigs Groceries can be enjoyed.  Little ones can practice colours, counting, 3D and 2D shape names,  letter recognition and reading the 'food' related words.  Freddy also loved stacking the similarly shaped blocks into towers and organising them by shape and size.  

Bigjigs range of role play toys includes a wonderful range of gender neutral products including kitchens, market stalls and village shops along with a host of food accessories, fruit, vegetables, bakeware, scales, tills,  shopping baskets, kitchen appliances and cookware, all beautifully crafted in wood.

Taking an interest in food through role play provides an opportunity for parents to talk about healthy eating with their little ones and lets future budding chefs cook up a (mess free) storm in the playroom!

Find out more about role play toys on the Bigjigs website.

Just Add...Making Cooking Easier!

I enjoy home cooking, creating, healthy vegetarian dishes for my family.  Sometimes though, cooking from scratch can prove to be a bit labour intensive, so any way to cut down the preparation time is a good thing in my book.  Just Add is a great way of trimming the time and effort without compromising on the taste.  The range of quality ingredients such as garlic, basil, chilli, coriander and ginger, come ready chopped and ready to add to your meals - no waste, no fuss! They keep for a month in the fridge after opening.  You just squeeze them to add that something special to what you are cooking.

Having a selection of Just Add to try out has made things in the kitchen much easier.  For example, for an ultra quick meal try this recipe for a pasta sauce made in seconds.  Just heat and serve over freshly cooked pasta.  So easy but so tasty!

Super Quick Pasta Sauce

1 carton of chopped tomatoes

1 teaspoon of Just Add Garlic

1 teaspoon of Just Add Basil

Heat the tomatoes in a small pan.

Stir through Just Add Garlic and Basil.

Serve hot over freshly cooked pasta.

I've added Just add Coriander and Garlic to my Mexican dishes such as Five Bean Chilli and Quorn Enchiladas.  I love the fresh taste it gives.  

A delicious wrap filling can be made with Quorn chicken pieces, chopped chilli, pinto beans, onions, broccoli, mushrooms, Just Add Garlic and Just Add Coriander. 

The wraps can be topped with Mexicana Cheese and baked for a delicious family feast.

I've added Just Add Garlic to pasta sauces, curries, stews and stir fries.  The Just Add Basil is perfect in Italian food such as lasagne and bolognese along with the Just Add Garlic.

It's definitely a good idea to keep a few tubes of Just Add in the cupboard.  You can always add a little something into whatever you are cooking and it is just so convenient.

Asda and Ocado stock the Just Add squeezy Tubes.  At £1 each they are good value too!

Find out more at the Just Add website.

Kid Friendly Recipes from The Kids Only Cookbook

We were sent the Kids Only Cookbook by Sue Quinn to try out.  The book is a large size hardback designed to encourage kids into the kitchen.  The unique cartoon style presentation of the book is filled with over 300 full colour photos which will appeal to children.  Little chefs Ruby and Ben demonstrate the recipes and make the ideas really accessible to children.  The recipes are a lot of fun and each one teaches a culinary technique.  Adult Alerts appear throughout the book at potentially dangerous steps to ensure the kids stay safe, but mostly the kids can work independently. Captions and speech bubbles make the recipes really engaging to kids.  Top Tips and Epic Fail warnings are also included to add to the kid appeal.  The design of the book is really quite in-your-face and full on, making cooking look exciting and fresh.

Unfortunately for us, a lot of the recipes involve meat and fish, so it is not the best choice for vegetarian kids. Saying that, there are some good veggie friendly recipes within the pages and other recipes can be adapted to make them suitable.  So we were able to find some good ideas for things to bake in the book.

Many of the recipes are really unique and imaginative.  The Sticky Toffee Pudding in a Jar and the Kick and Roll Tin Can Ice Cream are truly amazing.  Here is a video of one of the recipes being demonstrated by the little chefs.  They make Chocolate Meringue Kisses - and the way they separate the egg is genius!!

                       

We were challenged to do our own video using my own little chefs, Ella, Kizzy and Freddy to demonstrate how to make something from the book.  Kizzy made No-Recipe Pancakes and Freddy made Fairy Bread, helped by his big sister Ella.  The recipes we chose were really easy to do and the children liked the way the recipes were presented in the book.

Here are our videos!

                        

                         

You can buy The Kids Only Cookbook from Amazon currently priced at £9.09 (RRP £12.99)

My Vegetarian Celebration Pie Recipe

Leek, Artichoke, Mushroom and Chestnut Pie

Ingredients

1 can artichoke hearts chopped

4 leeks sliced

8 oz chestnut mushroom sliced

8oz cooked and peeled chestnuts chopped

oil/butter to fry

4oz cream cheese

1 slice wholemeal bread crumbed

teaspoon of thyme

ground pepper

tablespoon of milk blended with 1 teaspoon of marmite

ready rolled puff pastry sheet

Method

Heat oil and butter and fry leeks and mushrooms until soft and liquid is boiled away .

Add artichoke and chestnuts.  Cook through.

When softened, stir through cream cheese.

Add breadcrumbs and seasoning.

Put filling into centre of pastry sheet.

Fold over and seal edges.

Glaze with the milk/marmite mixture.

Bake at GM6 for approx. 30 minutes until golden brown.

Flora Cuisine...Let's Get Cooking

Flora Cuisine have just launched their Let's Get Cooking recipe book, created by mums for mums.  Featuring 30 recipes chosen by Jean-Christophe Novelli, the cookbook includes ideas for everyday recipes and includes a kid-friendly section for baking with the kids.

I have been sent a copy of the cookbook and the ingredients so I can  try out one of the recipes: Apple Cakes.  I'll be baking these soon and featuring the recipe right here on the blog.

Flora have also launched a weekly competition to win the cookbook and a week’s worth of delicious dinners for a family of four, until Monday 19^th November 2012.  Anyone can enter in one of two ways.

Simply take a look at the recipes on the Flora website where you can download a FREE COPY of the cook book and then either:

• Follow @OfficialFloraUK on Twitter and tweet a bite-size review with a link to the original recipe using the hashtag #CookbookComp
• Or, simply find the recipe you want to review on the website and login with your Facebook details to leave a comment. You will then need to send your details (name, address and contact number) to flora@tmw.co.uk so you can be contacted you if you are one of the lucky winners.

Take A Box Of Eggs

When I was a child, I remember my mum getting the Dairy Diary every year from the milkman.  It was a much trusted and regularly used book filled with recipes for dishes that my mum would make.  I have fond memories of pouring through the pages and I'm sure that was the basis for my love of cookbooks that I have now.  I love the glossy pages, the images of delicious food, the culinary inspiration and the promise of great meals!

Take a Box of Eggs is the latest in the Dairy Cookbook series and contains 100 triple-tested egg recipes of varying degrees of difficulty – from classic boiled eggs through to Spanish omelettes, creme caramel and soufflés.  As a vegetarian, free-range eggs are an important part of our diet, so I was pleased to see so many interesting ideas for using eggs!

The book features lovely colour photography of every appetising dish and all recipes have a QR code linking to an ingredients shopping list. The book includes colour coded sections including a dedicated Vegetarian section and a lovely, tempting Bakes section.  The wire ring binding, which keeps the pages open, is a godsend when following a recipe and the red, ribbon page marker makes it easy to mark your favourite page.

The book is £9.99 including P&P but there is a special offer where you can buy it for £7.49 during October at www.britisheggweek.com.  The website also includes a selection of the recipes including my favourite Eggs Au Gratin, a wholesome, hearty dish!  Plus there is a competition to win one of 100 of the Take A Box of Eggs cookbooks...but hurry it closes on October 31st 2012.

Show Me, Show Me - The Recipe Book Edition

This week Carolin wants to see our favourite recipe books.  Mine is the first completely vegetarian recipe book that I ever bought myself on becoming a fully fledged veggie, imaginatively entitled Vegetarian.  It's a big, glossy, fully illustrated book which has over 300 recipes.  It has a reference section at the front and I remember pouring over the facts and figures to be sure I wasn't in some way going to starve my family by deciding to go completely vegetarian.  It has had such a positive influence on my vegetarianism.  It made everything look so easy and so appetising.  It gave me a lot of confidence at a time when being a veggie was not so mainstream...back in the pre-Quorn days!  It inspired me to use different ingredients and get experimental in the kitchen, whilst at the same time holding my hand and guiding me through the transition into vegetarianism!

I love recipe books that have lots of  photos and I can sit and flick through the pages for ages just looking at the pictures of the food and salivating slightly. (There are no calories in looking!)

My most used recipes are for the easily adaptable, to use up whatever veggies are left in the fridge, Veggie Hot Pot with Cheese Triangles (a version of which I made for Valentine's Day with heart shapes on top!) ...

...and the Spicy Bean and Lentil Loaf, which is fabulous and so easy.  It's nice to find good, simple, hearty veggie recipes, so beautifully illustrated and so easy to follow.

I'm linking up at Show Me, Show Me on Mummy Alarm's Blog!

Silent Sunday

Tefal Actifry...Healthy Low Fat Chips

When I was sent a Tefal Actifry to test Inside the Wendy House I was very excited!  I love real chips but deep frying is not the healthiest method of cooking.  Oven chips are OK, but just not the same.  The Actifry seemed to have the perfect solution to my chippy dilemma.  The Actifry can cook 1kg of chips using just 1 tablespoon of oil!!  Amazing!  This is 100 times less than with traditional deep frying methods.  So not only is this healthier, it's also safer, odour free and more economical.

We tried out the Actifry by making some home made chips.  Here is our video demonstration.

We were very impressed by the Actifry.  It was really simple to use and delivered on its promise of making tastier healthier chips. The large steam free viewing window allows you to see exactly what's going on during the cooking process. The digital timer and audible warning alarm makes it foolproof to use.  It is easy to clean with the parts being easily removable and dishwasher safe.  It isn't messy or smelly and I felt totally confident leaving it to do its thing (unlike with a deep fat fryer which I'd constantly worry about!)  The only slightly negative point is that it is a bit noisy, but that said, I didn't feel the need to watch over it and so I got on with what I needed to do, while it did it's thing in the kitchen.  No problem.

The Actifry does far more than just cook chips.  We've used it for Quorn nuggets, which are cooked with no added fat and come out crisp and delicious.  We also made sweet potato slices which were gorgeous.  You can use any oil you like in the Actifry to vary the taste and diversify your diet.  You can add herbs and spices too.  The Actifry comes with a recipe booklet with ideas for crispy fried vegetables and sausage cassoulet (which I'm keen to try with Quorn sausages).  It also fries onions and mushrooms...perfect for topping a veggie burger!  I look forward to experimenting with it!

You can purchase the Actifry at good electrical retailers and online at Amazon.  

CLOSED: Jamie at Home DVDs for FREE!

Jamie Oliver is without doubt one of the most recognisable celebrity chefs in the UK today.  With his cheeky, no nonsense manner, his passion for good food and his quirky catchphrases, he has become a firm favourite in many households!

The Sun Newspaper and The Sun Buzz Magazine have an exciting offer coming up for fans of Jamie and keen cooks alike.  They are running a promotion between the 5th and the 11th of February, whereby everyday you can collect a token that is instantly redeemable in Tesco, which gives you a free cardboard sleeved DVD of two complete episodes of Jamie at Home.  Token one is in Buzz magazine, the rest will be in the newspaper.  There are six DVDs in all which gives you the entire twelve episodes of the Jamie at Home Series to enjoy.

I've been given a full set of the DVDs to review and a second set to giveaway on my blog (further details below!)

Jamie at Home is a beautifully filmed and inspirational series.  It shows Jamie in his garden throughout the year, enthusing about his home grown produce. The wonderful array of fruit and vegetables, from Summer salads to Winter vegetables, are transformed into delicious, seasonal, no-nonsense recipes.  There are hints and tips on the practicalities of gardening and he makes it look so appealing.  He cooks indoors and out and produces some wonderful food... stews, soups, pot roasts, pizzas, preserves, pies and salads.  My favourite recipe was a unique take on coleslaw using winter vegetables in a yogurt and mustard dressing.  There is something for everyone in this entertaining series.

The DVDs are approximately 50 minutes long and cover the following subjects:

Furred Game and Pastry
Leeks and Winter Veg
Eggs and Lamb
Asparagus and Peas and Beans
Strawberries and Summer Brassica
Summer Salad and Rhubarb

I am a vegetarian, but even I found plenty of ideas and inspiration, and many of the recipes can be adapted.  He makes an amazing bubble and squeak with sausages and caramelised onions...easy to make a veggie version!  And his apple pie...well, simply delicious!

I have been given a complete set of the Jamie at Home DVDs to give away to one of my readers.  To win simply leave me a comment below saying you'd like to be entered.  (Facebook followers can leave me a comment on my Facebook page if they want to be entered).
Tweet for a second entry (please tell me you've done it in a comment!)  "I've entered to win Jamie at Home DVDs from @wendymcd83 at http://tinyurl.com/66slgtu"
Make sure you leave me a way of contacting you. UK only please.  Giveaway will be drawn on the 9th February.  Good luck!

Check out @TheSun_Buzz on Twitter for celebrity gossip, TV news and fun!

My Tip for a Frugal New Year!

I have recently been lucky enough to win £100 of Argos vouchers in a competition by submitting a tip that would help you cope with the onslaught of January's bills. I am quite proud of my idea, so I thought I'd share it on my blog....


"To tighten my belt in January, I have my annual "food audit"! My family laugh...but I go through the cupboards and freezer and plan menus around what we've got lurking there! It means nothing gets wasted, we only have to buy perishables for a few weeks which cuts our shopping costs and the kitchen gets a good sort out!! We also discover a few new ideas for dinners as we have to get creative and google new recipes to use up all the rogue tins and packets bought then ignored over the previous year!!!"




Time to get creative in the kitchen!