Perfect eggs!

Running a B&B means that we are self-confessed experts at cooking eggs.... of all types! We're lucky that we have a super-duper hot plate to fry our eggs on but not everyone has that luxury!

Lark and Larks have put together this great guide to cooking the perfect egg... what do you think?

What's your favourite way to cook eggs? For me, it's poached all the way!

The most important meal of the day! #changeonething

Update 3: always, ALWAYS have breakfast!

Image via http://bit.ly/1dkqu6l

Skipping breakfast to save calories is counter-productive! You'll reach a point mid-morning where you'll reach for the nearest thing and eat it! And I can guarantee, it won't be something healthy!

Be Food Smart - Change4Life

Change4Life is a government initiative that helps families and individuals to eat healthier and keep fit.  Their latest leaflet publication helps us to “Be Food Smart”.

We all like food to be cheap, easy and tasty and so often reach for the ready-made foods, snacks and take-aways, but it’s often cheaper (not to mention tastier!) to make your own!

The five principles of the Change4Life Be Food Smart campaign are:

1. 5 a day – aim for a variety of 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day.  Remember, they don’t all have to be fresh.  Frozen, juiced, dried or canned – they all count.
2. Sugar swaps – swap sugary drinks for no added sugar drinks like water or skimmed/1% fat milk.  Switch sweet snacks for fruit or unsalted popcorn.  And why not replace your sugary puddings with plain low-fat yoghurts and fruit?
3. Watch the salt – most us don’t realise that there’s hidden salt in every day products that don’t even taste salty – bread, cereals, pizza and some sauces.  So, go easy with ketchup, mayo and soy sauce and skip adding salt next time you tuck into a meal. 
4. Cut back on fat – we all know that too much fat is bad for us but often we don’t realise that fat is hidden in many of the foods we eat.  It’s easy to be food smart about fat; choose lower fat spreads, lower fat dairy products and leaner cuts of meat to make a good start! 
5.  Be calorie smart – calories are a clue to what you should be eating each day and area really handy for planning how much to eat and when.  Try to aim for 400 calories for breakfast, 600 for lunch and 600 for your evening meal.  That leaves a few calories for any healthy snacks.  And remember, we don’t all need to eat the same amounts.  Women don’t need as many calories as men and kids need even less – so get into the habit of “me-sized” meals!

Here’s the link to the Meal Mixer app from the Change4Life website.  So when you are stuck for inspiration, because it happens to everyone(!) - have a browse through their recipes and your creatuve cokoing juices will be flowing once again!

And lastly, there are many ways to be food smart all day.

Being food smart at breakfast means you’ll be less tempted to reach for a mid-morning snack:

• Pick cereals with no added sugar – you  can always sweeten it up with a bit of chopped fruit. 
•  Swap white toast for wholegrain toast to release energy throughout the morning to keep you on the go.

Perk up a packed lunch with these tips:

• It’s fun to dunk – cucumber, pepper and carrot sticks are delicious with a low fat dip. 
•  Low fat yoghurts always go down well – they’re a good source of calcium too.

For a quick and simple snack after school:

• Swap crisps for plain rice cakes dunked in low fat cream cheese. 
•  For a sweet tooth, forget the cakes and biscuits – fresh fruit is great for munching on the go.

For more meal ideas and food smart tips, search online for Change4Life.

The Big Breaktask in conjunction with Warburtons

Mornings, you either love them or hate them!  Overall, I would say that my mornings are pretty OK.... but is that due to the planning that takes place the night before?  Or would everything fall nicely in to place regardless of the planning that takes place!

Did you know that Mums have to juggle twice as many tasks as business owners, directors and decision makers during the breakfast rush, according to new research by Warburtons. Between 7.17am and 8.30am each weekday morning, busy mums face a constant series of domestic tasks and chores – these often include tactical strategies, coercion and juggling children, partners and dogs (in my case, anyway!).

Warburtons are compiling a collection of useful tips, ideas and recipes in a handy book to make the weekday breakfast routine as smooth and enjoyable as possible, as well as providing inspiration for the more relaxed weekend breakfast.

Considering we (me and hubby) run a bed and breakfast serving breakfast to our guests from 8.30am to 9.30am and have to get the children (aged 5 and 8) to school at 9am – sometimes I think we deserve a medalfor what we manage to achieve!  But, at the end of the day, it’s our choice to be self-employed and we love it!

So how do we manage? This is often a question asked of us by our guests and so the answer is ready to give.... BE ORGANISED!

Our local primary school runs a breakfast club where the children can go to school at 8.15am and have a healthy breakfast (cereal, toast and fruit juice) followed by an outdoor activity – weather permitting, of course!  So, during the summer school term when we often have more guests than at this time of year, the breakfast club is truly a god send!  I get the children dressed and ready for school, whilst hubby does the prep for the breakfast service.  I take the children to school - only 5 minutes walk away – and then back in time for the guests to arrive in the dining room and eat.

At quieter times of the year, we take the children to school for the normal time of 9am – but we still prepare in advance what we can.  Organising the uniforms, PE kits, dinner money, fruit, etc... the night before is a must, as well as making sure we have both the left and right shoe of a matching pair of school shoes!

I must confess that once I nearly (only nearly!) took my son to school with odd shoes on!   Luckily, we noticed when we were at the endof my garden path! 

And then the questions of what to eat in a morning?  My daughter is perfectly happy with a drink of milk and a bowl of cereal or toast, but my son, given the choice, would love scrambled eggs, bacon and tomatoes for his breakfast with a glass of apple juice on the side!  During the week, this just does not happen(!) so he is happy with cereal and toast.  But at the weekends he can have his cooked breakfast, no problem!

The only thing we leave until the morning is the sandwiches part of the packed lunch for my daughter.  We put everything else in her box in the fridge – but I can’t stand soggy sandwiches and so always make them fresh in the morning!  It only takes 5 minutes and what can go wrong with a ham sandwich!

I also like to get up about 30 minutes before everyone else.... just to get myself ready and check my emails in peace!

So, to sum up, here are my top tips for juggling the family Breakfast Rush Hour:

• Plan ahead - do what you can the night before.
• Make sure all parts of the school uniform (including shoes) are ready to put on.
• Don't give your children too much choice with breakfast items.
• Wash up later on - just put all the dishes in the sink/dishwasher and deal with them when you return from the school drop-off.
• And most importantly, don't get stressed!  Children are very sensitive to your mood and to try and ensure a great start to the day, keep a smile on your face and breathe! 

So, if any of you Mum’s and Dad’s out there have any top tips, advice and recipes for juggling the family Breakfast Rush Hour, you can submit them through the Warburtons Facebook page here.

Dorset Cereals Granola & Porridge Review

This week we were sent some lovely cereals from Dorset Cereals.  And yes, they really come from Dorset!  We received a box of Cherry & Almond Granola, Strawberry & Redcurrant Granola and Proper Raspberry Porridge.

The packaging on all of the Dorset Cereals products is bright and vibrant and really stands out on the supermarket shelves... the cute annotations also make good reading at breakfast time too!

We used the cereals in their "traditional" uses, i.e. for breakfast(!) but we also tried each one in different recipes as an alternative use.

The Cherry & Almond Granola made a lovely granola flapjack.... the Bakewell Tart flavour was loved by all the family.  Here's how we made it:

1. Melt 200g of unsalted butter in a pan with 200g of demerara sugar and 200g of honey (or 100g golden syrup and 100g honey).  Stir occassionally until the butter had melted and the sugar has dissolved.
2.  Add 450g of granola to the pan and stir well.
3. Transfer to a 20cm x 30cm greased baking tray and spread to about 2cm thick.  Place in a preheated oven (180C/Gas 4) for 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden around the edge - the middle will be more soft.
4. Leave to cool in the tin and then cut into squares and serve.  This flapjack will keep for about a week in an airtight container.

We also used both granolas as a base for a quick and easy cheesecake... we topped them with a ready made vanilla dessert mousse, or you could top with yoghurt or mascarpone cheese mixed with lemon juice and icing sugar to taste, if you don't like it too tart!

The third recipe we tried was using the Proper Raspberry Porridge as part of the topping for Apple Crumble... here's the recipe...

•  Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.
• Wipe 1kg of apples and cut into quarters.  Remove the cores and slice each piece into 2.  Put into a pan, add a sprinkling of sugar and a tablespoon of apple juice (or water).  Cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until the apples begin to soften.
• Transfer the apples to an ovenproof dish.
• Blend 100g of plain flour and 75g butter in a food processor for a few seconds, until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.  You can use the "rubbing-in-method" to do this by hand if you don't have a food processor.
• Stir in 50g of Proper Raspberry Porridge oats and 100g demerara sugar and sprinkle over the cooked apples in the dish.
• Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until crisp and golden-brown on top.
• Serve warm with lots of custard!

Unfortunately, I did not get a photograph of this as it was devoured VERY quickly!

So, we had great fun reviewing and experimenting with the great flavours!  As a breakfast cereal (as intended!) the flavours work really well together.  The Cherry & Almond Granola really does smell and taste like Bakewell Tart.... but the tip on the box is right, make sure you give the box a shake as all the good bits can sink to the bottom!

The Strawberry & Redcurrant Granola is full of the flavour's of summer... Dorset Cereals do not scrimp on berries!  This one also tasted lovely sprinkled over the top of vanilla ice cream or mixed with natural yoghurt as a tasty healthy snack.

And last but not least, the Proper Raspberry Porridge tasted lovely!  My son asked why it is "Proper" porridge... so we tried it and he decided that it was really "Proper" porridge!  Hubby wasn't fussed on the addition of pumpkin seeds but I think they added a nice to crunch to it!

The porridge comes in handy sachets - a bonus for 2 reasons.... they are easily portioned to take to work and you can measure the milk in the pouch.... and the good bits don't sink to the bottom of the pack so everyone gets there equal share of goodies!

Keep your eye on the Dorset Cereals Facebook page here and the website here.  On the website there's loads of interesting info, competitions and an online shop for those of you who aren't lucky enough to have a shop nearby thats stocks these fantabulous cereals!  With loads of flavours to choose from - single packs and big boxes means that there will definitely be someting to suit your family size and taste buds!

So pop over and have a look... you'll be spoilt for choice!

Preview Review of Nestle Chocolately Cheerios

I was lucky enough to receive a box of the Nestle Chocolately Cheerios before they hit the supermarket shelves next month... my children were delighted at the thought of being important enough to be able to try a new breakfast cereal before anyone else in the world (or so they thought!).

They spotted the box after school one day but I managed to hold them off until the morning when we could all sit together and eat breakfast as a family.  They were well-liked by both of my children and also got the thumbs-up from the parents, i.e. me & hubby!  My daughter quoted, "super magic awesome" with my son having 2 bowls!

 

 

The new cereals have been taked about and promoted on the Cheerios UK Facebook page and some people were saying, "not another chocolate-based cereal!" and seemed of the opinion that their children would be forced to live on chocolate cereals!  But, as parents, we can all make the choice when purchasing cereals for our families. 

In my household, we do buy chocolate cereals for our children but they also enjoy porridge, Weetabix and bran flakes/cornflakes... all without adding sugar!  As part of a healthy diet and lifestyle chocolate cereals are OK in my opinion; Chocolately Cheerios are a source of calcium and have the Wholegrain Guarantee carried by Nestle cereals.  They are also lower in calories and higher in fibre than another "chocolate hoop" cereal... not naming names, but you can guess the brand I mean! 

The Chocolatey Cheerios are slightly smaller than the "other" ones - more "Cheerio-shaped and sized" and also they keep their "crunch" - one of my pet hates is soggy cereal (I actually shouted at a midwife when I was in labour as she was trying to make me eat crisped rice cereal that had had milk put on it for about an hour... not nice!).

Overall, I think these cereals will be a hit with families and will be appearing on breakfast tables all over the country really soon.  As an ex-uni student, I can also see them as a store cupboard essential for those times in need of a (healthy!) energy boost!

Pop over to the Cheerios UK Facebook page and say, "hello" - watch out for their next giveaway of new and/or existing products :)

Nestle Honey Cheerios Review

At the end of last week we were sent some Nestle Honey Cheerios to review.  Now, I know you all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day - begin with a good healthy meal inside you and your day will be off to a great start! 

I'm quite lucky as my son is a great eater but often it is "hit and miss" as to what my daughter wants to eat for breakfast in the morning... until we tried the Honey Cheerios that is.  They were loved by both of my children and from a parent's perspective they are great as a healthy breakfast with out having to add any sugar.  The sweetness is there from the honey; but they are not too sweet as the flavour of the honey really comes through.

A 30g serving with milk contains over a quarter of the recommended intake of the main vitamins and minerals and, at over 63% wholegrain, makes a very healthy breakfast indeed!

With just an 11 o'clock fruit snack- my children weren't hungry again until lunchtime which shows how filling and satisfying the cereals are.  I would highly recomend the cereals for not just families, but also households without children.  They also double up as a great midnight supper snack... who said midnight feasts are just for kids?!?!  Sometimes I just love a bowl of cereal before bed - my husband's wisecrack everytime... "are you eating your cereal now in case you get up late in the morning?!"

An extra bonus is to collect the Box Tops for Books vouchers to enable your local school to get free DK books; another great addition to your children's day at school - healthy breakfast and free books!

Pop over to the Cheerios Facebook page here and say "hello" to the Cheerios Team!

Anyway, off to see what delights are in store for me this evening.... speak soon!

What time is dinner?

This question is probably asked in most homes every day - definitely in mine on a weekend as my son's tummy starts to rumble around midday!

However, that's not the question I'm actually asking... what I want to know is what time is it when you eat your meal known as dinner?  Still confused???

This question always divides comunities or groups, especially ones where there is an amalgamation of different family roots.

What do you call the meal you eat at midday?  And then what about the meal you eat in the evening?

In our house, we eat breakfast, dinner and tea.... and then supper before bed (if you have eaten all of your tea!).

Looking back in history to the 1700's and early 1800's, working families ate breakfast, dinner, tea and supper - so I'm right, or living in the dark ages!  It was only when lifestyles changed and in the Victorian era, afternoon tea at 3pm became popular with the explosion of tea rooms serving tea & scones.  High tea followed afternoon tea at about 6pm and then supper at about 9pm.  The morning meals were breakfast and then luncheon at midday.

Maybe the Victorian's had the right idea though... eating little and often is actually better for you than eating three large meals a day - with the working lives that we have in our culture now, this is more the norm.

Personally, I think the Spanish have the right idea - a siesta in the afternoon is much more tempting than an extra meal!

So, is there a North/South divide regarding the names of mealtimes?  Let me know below with the area you are from and see what we find out!  PS... there's always time for cake!

Favourite Italian dish - Spag Carb!

Whenever I eat out at an Italian restaurant, I always choose the same meal for my main couse - Spaghetti Carbonara.  This is my all-time favourite Italian dish; even second to a good tiramisu!

The abbreviated form of Spaghetti Carbonara comes from a past job working for a blue-chip company who produced a large range of ready meals for the supermarket sector.  Hence, Spaghetti Carbonara becomes Spag Carb, Ham & Mushroom Tagliatelle become Ham Mush Tag and Beef Lasagne becomes Meat Las.  And of course, the old favourite which everyone knows Spag Bol!

Living where I do, there's not much choice for eating out - but whenever we go to a "big town" we can never decide where or what to eat becuase there's too much choice!

Whilst doing my weekly shop, I spotted a Colman's Carbonara Pasta Recipe Mix.  I have used Colman's sauce mixes before but never tried this one - so tonight I did!  I have tried to make a carbonara at home before with various other sauce mixes and also from scratch but I have never got it quite right.  This one however, was very easy to follow and is the best tasting that I have tried from the sauce mix ranges that are out there in the consumer world.  The fresh ingredients are all things that most of us would have in our cupboards anyway and so this really is a quick and easy tea.

My son loved it and asked for seconds; which the pack generously allowed.  It serves 4 and quite rightly it served 2 adults and 2 children with a bit left over for anyone who is extra hungry!

To add a cake to the menu today, I made some banana muffins - super simple to make and quick to cook.  They are best eaten warm as a breakfast muffin but I think they fit into any part of your day when you need a quick energy boost with a healthy(ish) cake!

You can find the recipe here - it's a recipe from "BBC Saturday Kitchen" which I love to watch whenever I have a spare Saturday morning!  It's a really simple recipe - mix all the wet ingredients together in one bowl, sift all the dry ingredients into another bowl; add the wet ingredients to a well in the centre of the "dry" bowl.  Mix gently and bake in muffin cases for about 20-25 mins at Gas Mark 5.  Job done!  The only comment to add is that I got 12 muffins instead of the stated 10 muffins - but this can only be a good thing!  My neighbour thought so anyway as she had the spare 2 to sample!

Anyway, here's a picture for you - they don't look very spectacular but taste lovely!