Easter Deviled Eggs - Rainbow hard boiled eggs

Thursday 29 March 2018
Post in collaboration with Juliettes Interiors

Unicorn eggs - the ideal dish for an Easter brunch. Celebrate the arrival of Spring with all the multicoloured shades of the rainbow in this pretty pastel retro-tastic canape which is perfect for parties or picnics. Take your devilled eggs to a whole new level of sophistication by colouring them and serving with smoked salmon and caviar. 






What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a Chaise Longue? For me it's luxury, decadence, quaffing champagne, Art Deco and The Great Gatsby! It's a piece of furniture that I would absolutely love to own and I can totally imagine myself luxuriating on one wearing a silk dressing gown and being waited on hand and foot. Surely the height of glamour and sophistication? When I was invited to take part in a creative challenge and create a lunchtime menu inspired by my favourite Chaise Longue from the collection at Juliettes Interiors I didn't have to be asked twice. But which one to choose? I pondered over Neoclassical, Contemporary or Baroque, Leather, Velvet or Linen and Mahogany, Walnut or Gold Lacquer but in the end had to go with my initial gut instinct and the absolutely stunning Button Upholstered Italian Designer Turquoise Velvet Chaise Longue. Isn't she just gorgeous?



7

Going Nuts for Hungry Squirrel Nut Butters

Monday 26 March 2018
Meet the Aberdeenshire producer. Going nuts with Susan Yule and Hazel Farquhar of Hungry Squirrel Nut Butters. Completely natural products, vegan friendly with no refined sugars, palm oil or artificial flavourings. Their delicious and nutritious Nut Butters bring all the Squirrels to the yard.


In my biog I state that I'm partial to Cheese, Gin, Peanut Butter and Rhubarb and that I'm permanently looking for the recipe that can successfully combine them all. (The hunt continues...)  Peanut Butter is something that I have loved for as long as I can remember. As a child it always seemed rather exotic and exciting - particularly in relation to the US of A and PB&J sandwiches! I actually know when my first taste of another nut butter was as I wrote about back in April 2013 on a visit to the Scottish Crannog Centre. Turns out that in Iron Age Scotland they may well have been eating Hazelnut Butter so the whole nut butter craze of recent years has actually been around for much longer that the hipsters would have us believe. I was very excited when I first heard via a mutual friend last year that there was a producer in Deeside who had started making a range of nut butters. I was even more excited when they gave me one of their Hungry Squirrel taster packs to try out. Alas I have failed to convert my daughter from Nutella to Hazelnut & Cacao but myself and my son are both particularly big fans of Crunchy ABC Mix and Cookie Dough. 

0

Classic Custard Creams Biscuits

Thursday 22 March 2018
Custard Creams frequently top polls of the nation’s favourite biscuit. This classic homemade version is way better than shop bought with a crumbly melt in the mouth texture and a generous vanilla buttercream filling.

Classic Traditional Homemade Custard Creams Biscuits


Every Tuesday afternoon for the last four years I've headed to the STAR Community Flat in Seaton where I am 'The Cooking Wifie' for a small community cookery class. We work to a £10 a week budget in a very basic kitchen with a rather temperamental cooker. There is a lot of enthusiasm and a great deal of fun. Last week there was a request to make Custard Creams. This was something that I hadn't made for a long time so I dug out my childhood 'Recipes, Cuttings and Notes' book and unearthed what was my cousin's recipe. The quantities were in ounces and also seemed rather small so I instantly doubled the amount of ingredients and converted to grams. I also swapped margarine out for butter and added some vanilla bean paste to pimp up the buttercream.

8

Tunnocks Teacake Easter Bunny Bums

Monday 12 March 2018
Another of my quirky Scottish recipes using the iconic Tunnock's Teacake. The perfect no bake chocolate treat for Easter. A quick and easy assembly job using Tunnock's Teacake along with chocolate buttons and marshmallow tails to make oh so cute Easter Bunny Bums. 



Scottish Tunnock's Teacake Easter Bunny Bums



It's beginning to look a lot like Easter! I feel I can finally say that now that Mother's Day has passed. I was going to update to my Easter logo last week but held on with the Bitten Heart for a little bit longer to celebrate International Women's Day and Mothering Sunday. I was rather spoiled by my favourite teenage humans with breakfast in bed, flowers, fizz and vouchers. Following this we headed for a walk in Dunnottar Woods with Pippa from BorrowMyDoggy and Ice Cream at Aunty Betty's. A late lunch at The Creel Inn was delicious whilst the day rounded off the the final episode of Call The Midwife and a Bubble Bath. Much love to all those who found the day difficult for whatever reason. 



11

Quick & Easy Mother's Day Breakfast & Brunch Ideas

Thursday 8 March 2018
Breakfast in Bed for Mother's Day just got creative with a selection of quick and easy ideas that can be made by kids of all ages, with perhaps a little help from Dad for the younger ones. Say good morning to Egg in Toast, Bacon and Sausage Croissant Rolls and Bacon and Bagel 'Mum'.





Sunday 11th March 2018 is Mother's Day or Mothering Sunday. I hope you are remembering?! My two better had be! 

Traditionally children and young people who were "in service" (i.e.household servants) were given a day off on the forth Sunday of lent so they could visit their families (or return to their "mother" church). The children would pick wild flowers along the way to place in the church or give to their mothers. Eventually, the religious tradition evolved into the secular Mother's Day gift giving as we know it.

15

Edible Scottish Adventures - February 2018

Tuesday 6 March 2018


Pinch Punch Slap Kick - we're in March! The saying goes that if March comes in like a lion it will go out like a lamb. I'm putting all my faith in this following the 'Beast From The East' roaring in to kick off the month! Meantime lets take a quick look back at what you might have missed in February across my social media and on the blog. The algorithms of Instagram, Twitter and Facebook don't always want to let my followers see everything I post so this retrospective monthly roundup is my way of attempting to beat the system. Expect pancakes, avo cuddles, last Rolos, UV lights, coffee and dogs!


0

SPAM® Mac and Cheese

Sunday 4 March 2018
Post in collaboration with SPAM® Chopped Pork and Ham


Celebrate the one true and original SPAM® Chopped Pork and Ham with a quick family friendly Mac 'n' Cheese recipe that everyone will love. Leeks and SPAM® stirred through the Mac, plus a crispy golden cheese and SPAM® topping makes the most perfect comfort food.



SPAM®  Mac and Cheese



SPAM. SPAM. SPAM. No, not the annoying stuff clogging up your inbox but the iconic meat in a tin. SPAM® Chopped Pork and Ham. What does it mean to you? Monty Python? School Dinners? Guilty Pleasure?! Over the years it has been maligned, celebrated and musicalised. SPAM Fritters were one of my absolute favourite school dinners back in the 80's accompanied by the obligatory ice cream scoops of mash and spaghetti in tomato sauce. Those were the days! 



179
Foodie Quine. Design by Mimi Hammill. Powered by Blogger.