Foodie Prints from Desenio

I have mentioned before how we are having building work done at the moment. We are nearing completion of the first outhouse room so that means in a couple of weeks I will have my own office area! To be honest I do not know what I am most excited about, finally having room for a tumble drier or having my own work space. A space that I can make my own.

So when Desenio asked me if I would like to take a look at their wall art I saw it as the perfect opportunity to get some prints for my new study. Being the foodie blogger that I am I wanted something that represented the passion for what I do. Desenio have a wide variety of themes for prints so you can be guaranteed that you will find just what you are looking for. 

Take a look at what is going to be adorning my walls...

All About the Drinks! Christmas with Aldi

This weeks is a fun week! Today I am going to tell you my top drinks and bargains from Aldi. In true Aldi fashion they have great, top quality drinks at a price we have come to expect from Aldi.

Today I thought that I would showcase a bit of all sorts. I have got some wines, gins, liqueurs, beers and even champagne. They really do have something for everyone and to suit all budgets! 

But you do not need to take my word for it. In a recent study by Which? Aldi champagne, malbec and even their turkey has been voted by the experts at Which? as their best buys!

#CookBlogShare - Week 47 Perfect Party Pieces

Welcome to #CookBlogShare week 47's round-up. Last week the linky was hosted here on Hijacked By Twins. There were so many delicious recipes shared. It is fantastic to see so many of you joining in each week, along with new blogs. I have said it before, and I will say it again, this has become a lovely little foodie community and this is a post which I always look forward to writing. Thank you! As we are almost in December it is fantastic to see more and more Christmas recipes coming through. The way that the year has gone so far, Christmas will be here before we know it!

For this weeks round-up I have chosen four recipes that would make perfect party pieces. Over the coming weeks I am sure many of us will be thinking about entertaining and preparing buffets. The four recipes that I have selected will keep your guests returning for more!

Here are my four favourite recipes from week 47 of #CookBlogShare...

Weekly Meal Plan - Week Commencing 28th November 2016

Last weeks meal plan was a success. You my remember that we started the week with a five bird roast. Oh wow it was so good! We all thoroughly enjoyed the rich flavours from the goose, duck and pheasant with the cranberry stuffing, turkey and chicken. It also made a lovely soup the following day.

Last week was a funny old week. The twins were full of cold so all week I have been up with one of them or the other. This has left me exhausted. The school runs have been done in the car so my steps for the week have been so low compared to usual. This did have an effect on my weigh in results this week. This week I only lost half a pound. But that half a pound meant I got this...

Carrot Cake Porridge

Since starting Slimming World six weeks ago breakfasts have become a meal that I look forward to. In the past I have, more often than not, skipped breakfast. This often leads to snacking. Breakfast is often known as the most important meal of the day as it gets your metabolism going and sets you up for the day.

Breakfasts do not need to be boring they can be easily transformed into something quite special. My favourite breakfast food has to be porridge oats. They are such a versatile ingredient that can be revamped into so many different flavours and accompanied with endless additional ingredients.

I recently shared my Fruit Layered Porridge Breakfast Bowl which has been a favourite of mine. That was until I tried today's porridge. While I was at my Slimming World group last week someone mentioned a carrot cake porridge bake. This certainly got my attention as carrot cake has to be my favourite cake. So when I got home I looked at my favourite carrot cake recipe, noted the ingredients and got planning as to how I could transfer the flavours into a porridge.

This is what I did..

Roast Chicken River Cottage Style

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of visiting River Cottage based in Axminster, Devon. While we were there, before we dined on an outstanding meal, Senior Sous Chef Andy Tyrrell gave us a talk and demonstration on brining and curing meats. We were told how to transform pork into ham at home, how to cure beef into bresaola and even how to brine a turkey!

As Andy went through each process I sat scribbling away as I knew that I would want to try as many of the recipes as possible. So far I have only brined a chicken but I am planning to make a bresaola ready for Christmas! Today I thought that I would share with you how I brined the chicken as I was so happy with the results.

This is what I did...