Pepparkakor (Swedish Gingerbread)

What better way to get into the festive spirit than to fill your kitchen with cinnamon, ginger and cloves?

I'm a big fan of Swedish foods and flavours but to be honest with you, I've not made enough of an effort to actually make anything remotely Scandinavian.  With Christmas just around the corner I thought these traditional biscuits would be a good start!

Foodie Gift Ideas

Sometimes I get really stumped when buying presents, don't you?!  It can be especially hard if you're buying for a "foodie" - they probably have all of the things they need in the kitchen so I've been doing some online window shopping to see what's out there that would make a great gift from the very small to a few more special things..

Photo a Day: November

"Remember, remember the fifth of November 

Gunpowder, treason and plot. 

I see no reason, why gunpowder treason 

Should ever be forgot." 

Guy Fawkes' night was a bit confusing this year - some people set off their fireworks the weekend before which was also when a lot of little ghosts and ghouls were out trick or treating, some people stuck to the actual day and some people chose the weekend after.  Some people just didn't care and set off fireworks whenever they felt like it!

A Wedding at Westonbirt

Wow - what a weekend!  Last weekend we were lucky enough to attend one of the best weddings I've ever been to.  A combination of beautiful locations, wonderful people, amazing food and being there to share a special moment where two people and two families come together made it a weekend not to be forgotten!

We set off on a dreary and drizzly Saturday morning, down the M25, off along the M4 then down an "A" road lined with very old looking walls made from the cotswold stone you see everywhere in the area.  All of a sudden we came upon our hotel, Bodkin House Hotel, but weren't sure if it was the right place or not.  We pulled into the car park and both went for our phones to look it up online but alas - no reception!  The no reception thing was a solid theme throughout the weekend and after a few hours I just stopped checking my phone and actually quite enjoyed it!

Beetroots

I want to talk to you about beetroots.  They can be a bit scary, I know, I only ventured as far as pickled ones up until this year…they look a bit funny with their sprouty bits and roots, their skin doesn't look too appealing and if you get past this, the insides make your chopping board look like a crime scene because the colour is so intense!  You know what though?  They're really not scary.  I've grown to love them massively over the past few months and not a week goes by without me eating them in some shape or form.

Zero Juice & Sushi, Berkhamsted

There are times (read: most of the time) when I get excited about food - you might have noticed this if you've seen any of my other posts…

A couple of weeks ago I got REALLY excited about food because I found out that something new was coming to town - Zero , a sushi and fresh juice shop.  Sushi!  A five minute walk from my house!

Berkhamsted caters for pretty much every type of food but the one thing it's been lacking is sushi and from the moment I heard about Zero I knew it would go down a treat

Photo a Day: October

We just did the second to last "pinch, punch, first of the month" because it's now November!  Where has the year gone?!

October is one of my favourite months - summer is well and truly over, the temperature is lowering (although not that much so far!), leaves are various shades of red and gold, the air is scented with wood smoked from neighbour's fireplaces and it's the best time of year to get the blankets and scarves out!

Today's Dinner = Leftover Lunch

Happy Sunday!  If you're like me you'll be slowly winding the weekend down and thoughts will start to drift towards the working week…one of the things I don't mind so much is planning what I'll be having for lunch…

I'll be completely honest - the canteen at work is not one of my favourite places to eat for many reasons but mainly because there's aren't many healthy options and at around £3 per meal it can get a little expensive.  Luckily we have "kitchen" areas dotted around the office.  Don't get excited, it's just an area with a fridge, microwave, kettle and sink but having a microwave makes it really easy to bring in something tasty (and healthy and cheap) so you can have a delicious lunch.  There's also a little competition between me and the guy I sit next to - who's got the best looking and smelling lunch?

Baked Meatballs

Autumn is definitely here - coats have been dusted off, the heating has been turned on and it's now dark when I wake up each morning.  I really don't mind though because it's the start of the comfort food season (which seems to last until about April…).

What's better when you get home after a long day than getting cozy, drawing the curtains to shut out the miserable weather and sitting down to a big bowl or plate full of something to warm you from the inside?  There are so many dishes that tick that box but one of my favourites, and a recipe I've used for probably about 10 years, is baked meatballs.

Happy "Bee-day", Burt's Bees!

Burt's Bees were celebrating their 30th birthday and posted a competition on Facebook - all you had to do was leave a "bee-day" greeting.  So, I thought I'd try my luck!  Not long after entering, I got a message saying that I'd won something from their Heritage Collection.  You wouldn't believe how excited I was!  I LOVE Burt's Bees!  I've been using their lip balm for decades so the chance to try out more of their products made me happy beyond belief.

Here's the message I left them (excuse the typo)…

Pretzel Dogs

Ever since making my first batch of soft and chewy pretzels and realising how easy they are to make, I've wanted to try out a few other things that can be done with the dough.  Ok, so the first attempt at turning a pizza inside out to make stuffed pizza pretzel rolls was a pretty bad fail but things have been going swimmingly since!

First came the pizza pretzel knot…

…and now the pretzel dog!

There's something really great about Halloween - you can pretend to be someone totally different with the right costume, decorate your house inside and out to create a haunted house, snuggle up under a blanket and scare yourself silly with a scary film or get creative with food and turn everything into a pumpkin!

I have to admit that without having any children, Halloween tends to get a little overlooked in our house except for the scary film bit but there are so many great ideas out there that I couldn't help but share a few of my favourites plus some good films to watch to get into the spooky spirit!

Photo a Day: September

Hasn't this year flown by?! I can't believe we are a couple of months until Christmas is upon us!  I do like this time of year - leaves turning beautiful colours, the smell of fireplaces starting to be lit around the town, shorter days (I hate being woken up too early on summer mornings with the sun trying to get through the blind!) and the need for warming comfort food and a soft blanket.

Spiced Duck with Chilli Cabbage and Miso Noodles

A while ago I discovered Simply Cook, a sort of recipe subscription where you receive cute little pots with all of the herbs, spices, seasonings or stock that you need to create a really tasty recipe.  I've used quite a few of them and am still impressed with how easy it is to make something quick and delicious.  It's also a fantastic way to try a recipe that you might never try and you don't have to splash out on buying entire jars of a spice that you might never use again.

I have to add that most of their recipes take less than half an hour to cook!

Pizza Pretzel Knots

Hi!  Remember me?!

It's been a while…I don't know why but I've just not been inspired to make anything new.  Maybe it's the change in seasons, maybe it's being busy at work, maybe I just needed a little break.  I don't know.  Aaaaaaanyway, I spent some much needed time in the kitchen this weekend.  Unfortunately it wasn't all successful but d'you know what?  A recipe failure made me even more determined to make it work because I'm stubborn like that.

With autumn firmly here I wanted to make something really comforting.  Pizza's comforting.  Fresh-out-of-the-oven soft pretzels are really comforting.  What the heck - why not combine the two?!

Why I Blog

I've not posted anything for a while and started to feel guilty but also started to think about why I spend time blogging…

I don't make any money from it.  I don't get sponsored.  I've not been to any blogger events.  I don't even know if anyone is interested in what I've made for dinner or where I've been out to eat.

I got really motivated to create a new recipe to post and it completely fell apart.  Literally.  Stuffed pretzel sticks were on my agenda so got to work making the dough…it turned into a beast and actually started to take over the kitchen…

Photo a Day: August

August - the eighth month of the year, the month my mum celebrates her birthday and also when the Edinburgh Festival takes place.  Did anyone manage to go?  I've always thought it would be fun to not only visit that part of Scotland but to also flit from venue to venue in search of laughs at the Fringe shows.

August saw National Burger Day (27th) and burgers were the topic of the very first #fdbloggers chat that I hosted.  I can't think of anything better than talking about everything "burger" for a whole hour and getting to discuss food with some brilliant bloggers - it was so much fun!

Look up…see that burger?  We went for a rare dinner out to Relish in St Albans and have to say the iPhone photo doesn't do it justice - it was probably one of the best burgers I've ever had…brioche bun though!  Why?!  I'm not a fan of brioche for burger buns…

Beetroot & Red Pepper Soup

My bestie, Loops, spent a couple of years in South Korea and as we both love making and eating food we talked about getting in the kitchen together when she came back.  I'm happy to say that yesterday we finally did it and it was lots of fun (even if I hogged the kitchen…I'm not used to having kitchen guests!) AND we made something using my new favourite ingredient AND it was inspired by a recipe my other bestie, L, sent me from a Swedish newspaper.

This weekend being a typical English bank holiday weekend (rain), this was the perfect recipe to get into that autumn feeling - it's healthy and simple but is really comforting and filling.  This recipe is for about 4 servings so is great to make for dinner and then have enough for lunch the next day or add to your freezer stockpile!

Red Rice

Another "ingredients" post, this time having a look at red rice.  It's not something that I'd come across until recently when I visited an Asian supermarket in Exeter.  I thought it looked interesting so picked up a bag and it's now the only rice I use!

Besides the red husk, the rice looks pretty much like the white long grain rice you can easily buy in the supermarket and is cooked in exactly the same way.  So what's the big deal with red rice, you ask?

Blackberries

I spend a lot of time making and eating food but thought it was about time that I also paid tribute to the ingredients and produce that make my (our) recipes a success!  I rarely think about where everything comes from, any health benefits, interesting facts or stories, anything behind what goes in my belly...

So my first exploration into food is...

Blackberries - to me they symbolise the start of the end of summer.  These hedgerow fruit are at their finest from now (mid-August) until when the trees start turning golden and we start to add a cardigan to our shoulders to keep off the evening chill.

Chicken and Avocado Causa

This recipe really takes me back to when I first really started blogging.  It all started when I was in London with my mum and sister for mum's 50th birthday.  We found a lovely restaurant tucked away overlooking the Paddington Basin and I had my long time favourite agedashi tofu followed by my first bento box.  I made a comment about how I wish I could make it myself so I could eat it all my time and my sister simply said...

"why don't you?'

...3 little words which were like a wake up call to me.  Why should I only eat my favourite foods when I find a restaurant that makes them?  I'm a perfectly capable and intelligent girl so what's stopping me from making food I love rather than just making average meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner?

Rosemary Roasted Roots with a Balsamic & Maple Drizzle

Ok, I'll admit now that I've not really got into the summer thing this year.  I know it's a great time to eat salads and fresh tasting foods, the perfect season for cool cocktails - all to be enjoyed on your patio/balcony/local park.

Summer has been weird here in England.  It got off to a rocky start and with intermittent showers between the sun so it's been hard to get into the swing of the season.  Of course it doesn't help that I'm not much of a summer girl to begin with!

I'm one of those lucky people who can wander around a supermarket with an empty tummy without grabbing everything in sight - I like to have a good think about what I actually want to eat so can easily spend a lot of time perusing the aisles until something catches my eye and triggers that "yes!  That is my dinner!" moment...which is what happened today when I spotted some beetroot.  It can be a summer-y veg if you use it in coleslaw but has that lovely earthy flavour you want to team with parsnips and carrots and eat all Autumn long.

London with L, Pt 2 - Shoreditch, Barbican & Soho

So after a morning of thrifting and with bellies full of a delicious Peruvian lunch we headed down the Shoreditch High Street towards Calvert Avenue.  When we found it we were completely underwhelmed as L had found it online and it sounded like a "buzzy" destination full of stylish little shops.  Well, it is but not the second you turn the corner so keep walking!

With it being a weekday it was less "buzzy" as it might be on the weekend but it gave us a chance to browse the gallery and shops without crowds.

London with L, Part 1 - Whitechapel & Shoreditch

I met L when I started sophomore year at Cleveland Heights High School after moving from Colorado Springs.  Fast forward 19 years, various house moves and life events and here we are again!  I'm ashamed to say that the last time we saw each other was in January, 2004 but when I met her at Heathrow it was is no time had passed at all - I always say that the sign of a good friendship is when you just pick up where you left off!

The plan for day 1 was to go into London.  As I live just down the train tracks from Euston, most visitors want to do the tourist-y things - Big Ben, Hyde Park, Oxford Street...I've seen them so many times!  I was pretty impressed when L sent me a small list of things she wanted to do, none of which were remotely tourist-y!

Ping Pong Dim Sum, Soho

If you hadn't noticed I am partial to Asian food and dim sum is pretty much my favourite so when my good friend of 20 years came to visit and she suggested a couple of places to visit for dinner there was no question in my mind that Ping Pong would be where we would have to go!

There are 8 locations around London to choose from however as Ping Pong was our last stop of the day it made sense to head to the flagship Soho restaurant which was quite central.

Photo a Day: July

When I started this "Photo a Day" project at the beginning of the year, did I really think I'd make it all the way to July without skipping a day?  Nope!  Definitely not!  But I did and even though it's such a small thing, I'm pleased I've stuck with it!  It's made me look for memorable things in every single day and it's a great way to quickly look back over the year.  I have a terrible memory but having a small snapshot of something from each day makes it easy to trigger my memory about what I've done each day.

Beet, Cabbage & Carrot 'Slaw

Sometimes the best recipes are the simple ones, don't you think?  Simple recipes are also perfect for this time of year where, if you're at all like me and can't even think straight when it gets hot outside, the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven or stand near the hob.

This recipe for a simple but tasty coleslaw - it isn't the mayo laden coleslaw that a lot of people make or buy and works really well with those lamb skewers you might have on the BBQ this time of year.  There's also no oil or dairy so is pretty healthy!  Best of all is the amazing colour from the beetroot that really adds colour to your plate.

Berkhamsted Farmer's Market

It's been a ridiculously long time since I visited the Farmer's Market here in Berkhamsted.  So long it's embarrassing as I live a 2 minute walk away from the High Street so shame on me!

I was a little worried about what the weather would be like today as over the past few days we've had everything from the hottest temperatures so far this year to epic thunderstorms and torrential downpours.  Luckily the weather gods were in favour of me taking a stroll into town - overcast but still warm - perfect for buying some local produce!

"Green Slime"

Excuse the bad phone photos but I had to post this!

Avocado and banana mashed together used to be a favourite of mine...fast forward 23 years...

 My skin has been really dry for the last few days.  I've been drinking lots of water and tried a face mask last night but still no good.  I remember seeing online (probably Pinterest) that avocado is great to use as a face mask for dry skin.  Ok, hands up, I'm more into face masks out of a packet and prefer my avocado as part of Sunday brunch but my face so felt tight  and itchy that I was willing to try anything!

I mashed up half of the avocado (the rest can be for lunch!) and all of the banana then added a small squeeze of lemon juice.  

While I was mashing I suddenly had a flashback! "Hang on a minute! This looks mighty familiar!"

REunion & Gillyflower

I'd been chatting to REunion and Gillyflower online for a little while so was delighted to end my week off work with a visit to REunion's open house last Friday.

I wandered down Church Street and could see the tables and chairs set outside the shop.  I could hear laughter before I even got close so knew I was in for a good evening!

To me it's not weird for a shop to have a "gathering" outside their shop and I think it's a great way to meet people...is this an American thing?  Do other places in the UK do this?
  

I introduced myself, grabbed a glass of wine and had a nosey around...

Tofu Pockets with a Red Rice Filling

I'm not a vegetarian but have really come to love cooking with tofu.  Not only is it high in protein, amino acids, iron and calcium, it's so versatile!  There are lots of different types of tofu - silken, firm, dried, fried...there's a great post at Just Hungry which has so much information about different tofu!

One of my favourite forms of tofu is the tofu "pocket".  I didn't know the correct name as the type I buy has no English translation but from what I have looked at it's called inari or yubuchobap - whatever the name, it's delicious!

Summery Gazpacho

I had a really great time down south in Devon and ate a LOT of tasty treats - a scone with clotted cream, fish and chips, ice cream - you know, the usual summer holiday things!  I'm not complaining one bit but am really craving super healthy food and lots of veggies now to make up for all of the fat and calories consumed...

Darts Farm, Topsham

If you're into food and cooking as much as I am there is no doubt you will have visited a farm shop of some sort.

Hold your breath, folks, and be prepared to want to get on the next plane, train or automobile and get to Darts Farm as soon as humanly possible!

I mentioned in my last post that there are places I love going back to again and again - this is another.  Yes, it's just a shop but it takes "farm shop" to the next level!  From the moment you walk in you can tell it's something just a little bit special from the mounds of fresh veg, the quiches and pies at the deli counter and the millions of jams, chutneys and sauces (ok, maybe not millions but certainly rather a lot!)

Sidmouth

Do you have a place that you are always happy to re-visit?  Is there a particular place that you always visit when you go and see relatives or friends?

Sidmouth is one of those places for me.  Situated on the south coast of England in Dorset it is a mere 16 miles from where my granddad lives but couldn't feel further away.

After driving down the winding country lanes for half an hour you are suddenly in a world that looks like it came straight from an episode of Jeeves & Wooster with tall white houses, bright Victorian hotels with bowling greens and a promenade made up of all styles and colours of buildings.

Every time I visit Devon, Sidmouth is firmly on the "to do" list - I need my paddle in the sea, a play with the many types of seaweed (especially since I've added seaweed to my diet!), a wander down the winding roads with little gems of shops round every corner and last but not least, fish and chips followed by an ice cream ("99 with a flake and red stuff").

Photo a Day: June

Bye bye June!  I was expecting to have a month full of sun but summer has yet to properly emerge.  Luckily the sun was shining at full force for Mr Jones' birthday barbecue and later in the month when I headed down to Exeter.

June is the month for all kinds of tasty fruits and veg - strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are at their peak, lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes are ready to make a delicious, light salad.

Exeter Street Food

When normal people go on holiday they plan trips to the seaside, a visit to local historical sites of interest or maybe a spa.  I always look up anything food related in the area.  And maybe a trip to the seaside for a paddle...

I was planning a trip down to Exeter for a few days to visit my granddad so had a bit of a browse online for local happenings and events and the first thing that popped out of the screen at me was, of course, Exeter Street Food.  There are a few stalls at the Berkhamsted markets but nothing devoted entirely to food (hint hint, Berkhamsted!) so was pretty excited to meet some people cooking out in the open.

Mr Jones & the Birthday BBQ

Having worried about whether we would have sun, clouds or rain on Saturday for Mr Jones' birthday BBQ I needn't have been concerned as we woke up on Saturday morning to clear blue skies.  Yay!  Bring on the barbecue!

Berkhamsted, Meet Mario's!

Remember back in April I made a visit to Scoops?  You know, the one where I tried ALL of the gelato?  Mrs Scoops hinted that they would have a bit of a facelift so when I drove past a few weeks ago and saw the windows white-d out so the moment I got home I sent a tweet...

Little did I know at the time that some "TLC" actually meant a complete re-branding!

So without any idea what Scoops would become I wandered down the night before they opened for a sneak peek.

Other Father's Day

This post is about fathers but I'm not going to talk about my own because it's a long story and he's never been part of my life.  Don't get me wrong, I had a great childhood thanks to my mum, the men I mention below and the rest of my family!

I want to talk openly about those men who might get overlooked on Father's Day but totally deserve the acknowledgement!

Photo a Day: May

Can you believe we're halfway through the year already?!

May is one of my favourite months - the April showers tend to have subsided, the flowers are out, the sun is shining and everyone dusts off their BBQs.  Oh, and it's also the month my birthday falls in!

Simple Sunday Brunch

It's Sunday morning, the sun is shining after a day full of rain yesterday and it's time for one of my favourite meals of the week - brunch!

A Great Day Out

Summery months mean a lot of things to people - beer gardens, BBQs, gardening, working on a tan...let's not forget car boot sales though!  I lived in the States for 10 years so only recently (last 5 years or so) became familiar with what seems to be a pretty British pastime.  Sure I've been to yard sales and thrift stores but the UK is the place where you get a load of people driving into a field in an organised manner and then laying their "wares" out on blankets, foldable tables and in our case, an improvised table made from our patio chairs and a long piece of wood covered in a sheet.

PG Tips Fruit & Herbal Tea

I know, I know...on the hottest day of the year so far why do I have the kettle boiling and why am I drinking hot drinks?  Well...I received a rather delicious package this morning from BzzAgent and couldn't wait to get stuck in to some serious tea tasting!  BzzAgent is a brilliant site that sends products out for people to try and then review and share with their friends.  Isn't that a great idea?!  I love trying new products so am happy to share my honest thoughts and opinions with people across the internet!

My package today contained 5 boxes of PG Tips fruit and herbal teas - delicate refreshing peppermint, juicy red berries, smooth red bush and vanilla, delicate camomile and aromatic spices and mint.  The teabags are a nifty pyramid shape which PG Tips say are designed like that to act as mini teapots to give the tea space to brew.  You can see from some of my pictures how the water is running quickly through the bag to make the perfect cuppa!

Quorn Samosas

I'm not a vegetarian but love using Quorn in my meals because it's a healthier option and really quick to prepare!

The mince is perfect for tacos and chilli - you don't have to worry about defrosting it like you would with beef mince, just throw it into the frying pan with the other ingredients.

Want a quick weeknight stir fry?  Try the "chicken" pieces!  Just take out the quantity you need from the freezer and again, pop it in the pan with your favourite veggies.

Sticky Ribs with Ginger, Garlic, Honey and Soy Glaze

Sometimes you want something quick and easy to eat.  Sometimes you want ribs.  If you want a quick snack then this post is not for you (but keep reading because it's a really tasty recipe!).

This is all about "slow and low" to make sure you get the tastiest and most tender ribs ever!  Pork ribs have some tough qualities (connective tissue) and the best way to make sure you aren't chewing on those pesky bits is to cook the ribs at a low temperature for a long time.  Believe me, it's worth it!

Recipe Books

With the internet full of resources for every recipe you could imagine, who needs cook books these days?

Me!  I am an avid reader of fiction with the odd splash of non-fiction (usually food or history or both!) but cook books really have a place in my heart.

With the internet so full of new, imaginative and sometimes amazing recipes it's hard to go back to the hard copies and print.  I admit that I get a lot of inspiration from on-line,  but occasionally I like to go back in time...

Lime & Ginger Marinated Chicken

I am now officially closer to 40 than I was yesterday was my 35th birthday.  I'm not sure how I feel about that yet but considering I got asked for ID when I bought wine on Saturday (legal drink age in England - 18) I guess I shouldn't feel too bad about it!  I certainly don't feel like I'm closer to 40 as mentally I still feel sub-20.  I mean what "closer to 40-er" watches "Adventure Time" with utter delight?  And I still wear glitter nail varnish...

Birthday Inspiration

It's my birthday!  I will at some point muster up the motivation to head to the kitchen for a birthday recipe post but until then...

I've been looking at all the beautiful birthday-y ideas around the web and thought I'd round them all up into a little post.  I can't believe how much effort some people put into celebrating - maybe for my 40th...?

Photo a Day: April

I can't believe we're almost halfway through 2014 already!  I also can't believe that I have completed yet another month of my photo a day challenge and hope that if you made a resolution you've been able to stick to it as well.

April showers bring May flowers - most of April was beautiful but the back end has just been rubbish!  If April showers bring May flowers I'm looking forward to some amazing blooms!

April also brings Easter, eggs galore and April Fools' Day.  Did you see any of the pranks across the internet?   My favourites had to be the Google Chromecast squirrel entertainment (having worked on the UK launch of it at work sans squirrels!) and the YouTube upcoming viral trends for 2014.

Grilled Artichoke with Lemon, Garlic & Ginger

If you've seen my Twitter feed over the last couple of days you will have seen that I have been having a bit of a fling with artichokes.

I've had artichoke hearts in the past but they've never really been on my food radar...until I bought a pizza.  Waitrose do a "Four Seasons" pizza which I bought a couple of months aso.  It triggered some crazy artichoke button in my brain.  Although not easy to find I've been surviving on canned artichoke hearts alone (that's a lie, I eat other things too..) and have been on a mission to find an actual artichoke that I could take home and get to know better.

I scoured the veg aisles of the supermarkets including a huge branch of Tesco but alas, no artichokes.  It was only when I stopped at my local Waitrose that I found my much desired veg.  They actually had about 10 of them!