Smoked haddock with spicy tomato peppers

Today’s healthy concoction!

Relatively quick meal tonight…

Smoked Haddock with spicy tomato and peppers.

Serves 2.

Two smoked haddock skinless fillets
1 onion
Tin chopped tomatoes with basil
2 peppers. I used a green and orange one
Handful of fresh baby plum tomatoes
Sprinkle of cayenne pepper
Sprinkle of flat leaf parsley
Squeeze of garlic puree
Season to taste.

Method.

Chop all onions and peppers and sauté with olive oil slowly until quite soft.

Add tin of tomatoes, spices and garlic. Cover and simmer for around 8-10 minutes until it’s reduced down a little.

Add the haddock and a little boiled water if needed, cover and simmer for around 6-8 minutes until fish is cooked.

Meanwhile as a cheat I heated a packet of Jamie Olivers tomato and olive quinoa in microwave!

We served ours with a portion of the quinoa and some pea sprouts. Think we’ll try rice next time and perhaps some green veg. There was quite a bit of the tomato and peppers left after serving, so my eldest blitzed it and made a soup!! Delicious and healthy. Would definitely make this again.

Avocado Blueberry Kiwi Salad

I’m on a health kick as I’ve been a little under the weather, so I’ll be documenting little snippets of our recipes and general day to day things when I have time! Been a while since I’ve blogged!

Today we did a huge food shop and I was hungry when we came back so I knocked together a lovely little salad.

Avocado Kiwi & Blueberry salad.

Salad leaves. I used a bag of pea shoots but you could use any salad leaves you like.
1 ripe avocado
Handful of baby cherry tomatoes
Handful of washed blueberries
1 kiwi fruit
Wedge of lemon

Drizzle the lemon over the avocado and a little over the rest of the salad.
I ate mine with a couple of rough oatcakes. I think it would be delicious with a simply piece of steamed salmon and some brown rice too. Might try this soon!

Carries you can do with a size 2 wrap

It's Not Spaghetti

I love short wraps! (Yes, we know this already )  But here’s something new… I’ve been putting together pictures and links for all the different wrap carries I can do with a size 2 (about 2.5-2.9m) wrap, and so here they are.  I’ll be adding more carries to this post whenever I find a new one!

Edit: I also posted this on the Natural Mamas forum and others have added their own links and photos in response here: What can I do with a 2.6?

To use as a no-sew ring sling:

I often keep sling rings in my pocket/bottom of my bag and wear a short wrap as a scarf so that I always have it easily available for quick easy carries . You can also do this with a shorter size 1 wrap (from about 2.2m long).

Tips and a videos of how to do these are here:

View original post 1,015 more words

What is ‘Gentle Parenting’ and how is it different to ‘Mainstream Parenting’?

Wholemeal Spiced Cherry & Wheatgerm Muffins

In a muffin mood today.. So I thought I would concoct some using some frozen cherries I had remaining and they turned out well! I wanted to pack in some extra fibre, so added wheatgerm too. Once again, I did not do ‘real’ measuring, just used my large Cath Kidson mug and hoped for the best!

I had a little assistance today from my two year old boy too & he did a great job mixing and tipping and sprinkling!

Ingredients

Dry
1 & 1/2 mugs wholemeal self raising flour
1/2 mug wheatgerm
1/2 mug light brown muscovado sugar
1 tsp mixed spice
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Wet
1 mug milk (I used semi-skimmed)
1/4 mug rapeseed oil (or equivalent)
1 large egg
1/2 tsp almond essence

Other
3/4 defrosted frozen dark cherries

Topping
Mix a small handful of porridge oats, golden demerara sugar and cinnamon together.

Method

Preheat oven to 180° fan. Prepare muffin tin with paper cases.

Sieve dry ingredients together in large mixing bowl. Mix.

Whisk wet ingredients in another bowl.

Gently add wet ingredients to dry in the large mixing bowl and combine until all mixed. If it’s a little stodgy, add a drop more milk.

Add cherries and stir in.

Spoon mixture into cases 3/4 way up case.

Sprinkle some of the topping on each muffin (or get a small helper to do this!)

Whack in oven for around 20 minutes until deliciously risen and golden.  Try gently sticking a wooden cocktail stick in the centre of a muffin and if comes out clean, it’s done!

Leave to cool on wire rack for a few minutes before trying one with a large cuppa tea!

They were obviously a hit with my children as I came back to the kitchen and someone had eaten ALL the muffins! Hmm.

Sewing & Sunshine

1) Blog readers – Went to my local Sewing Shop yesterday with my mum & ended up choosing some Riley Blake Ladybug Garden fabric & bits ‘n’ bobs to make a small quilt. Sandra was really helpful & whilst paying we got chatting about my crocheting & blog,  turns out she’s been stalking my blog & called me the “muffin queen”!  Nice to know people do read it, so *waves* to you if you are reading!
So excited (& nervous!) to start my first quilt too!

2) 20 weeks – Sylvie hit the 20 week mark yesterday! She’s a really lovely baby, and I’m enjoying every moment of life with her!

3) Sunshine & eating al fresco – weather has been glorious this weekend so we’ve all spent a lot of time in the garden. Today, we had yummy burgers complete with salad & fries in the garden, & I even got the sewing machine out to play!

4) Cushion – whilst sat outside with my sewing machine near the apple tree, I managed to make a cushion cover! Really chuffed as I’ve not sewn for yonks!

5) Days off – My chap has no work tomorrow as it’s bank holiday & boys are on half term! Yippee! No usual Sunday evening blues…

Sign your name

1) Writing– Albie has taught himself to write his name. I’m really chuffed!

Nearly got the letters the right way round!

2) It’s Thursday. – Which means tomorrow is Friday and my eldest will be home from his week away. I’ve really really missed him.

3) Playing – had a little toy sort out and the little boys had a good time playing with octons and fuzzy felt.

4) Keeping on top!  – did two & a bit bags for laundry today. I hate this job.

5) Bed – I’m off to bed, to snuggle! Night!

Bedsharing & SIDS – Why We Have it All Wrong

Eton Mess cake

Feeling a little out of sorts today after my eldest went off on his first school trip away, so decided to try bake my sadness away!

I wanted to make Eton Mess cakes for a while, but decided to Google to see if such a thing existed. I went with a traybake on Good Food here.

I didn’t have enough meringue or strawberries for the top, couldn’t find my nice vanilla essence or icing sugar (until later!) so I subbed the vanilla for almond & made do with one measly meringue to crumble!

Fresh out of the oven.. It definitely needs more sliced strawberries & meringue on top!

We found icing sugar in the back of the cupboard and gave it a sprinkle! Think it looks more Eton Messy now!

It’s very yummy, & one to make again. I would like to try making one with various other fruits or berries, and using vanilla essence too.

Tip runs & Saucy Squirrels

Five for today

1)  Declutter – filled up back of car with piles of household rubbish & went to tip. Feels good to be making a little progress.

2) A good find – whilst at tip I spotted a pile of books someone had thrown into the skip that as destined for incineration, why they weren’t donated to charity I have no idea. I saw old Ladybird books which made me feel sad as they are quite sought after but they’d been squashed down by other rubbish. However, on the top I saw this pristine book & asked if I could take it.

It’s by Woodrow Wyatt – The Exploits of Mr Saucy Squirrel and I think it’s a first edition from 1976! (as old as me!)

3) Homemade bolognese – My chap makes a wicked bolognese from  scratch & that’s what we had tonight! Yum! Beats any stuff from a jar!

4) Growing – Sylvie had to have her seat belt adjusted as she’s moved up a notch! Bittersweet as I love having a little baby, but excited as she’s growing strong & it’s all because of my milk! I still find it amazing how it all works!

5) The Voice – I don’t watch soaps or much TV really, but I love watching this!  I look forward to it all week & I’m excited to watch the second part of battles tonight! Plus I do love Sir Tom Jones twinkly eyes! 😉