Drinking a glass of milk before you go to bed to help you sleep is not just a house wifes tale! Milk in all its forms from low-fat to full-fat contains an essential amino acid which acts on the brain to promote relaxation and sleep. So if your wound up or like me have a house full of nervous students sitting exams or just can’t get to sleep then reach for the Bottle!! Milk that is!

Almost all the milk we buy is heat treated to ensure it is bacterially safe. This process also extends its storage times. Over 90% of milk we buy is pasteurised. This is a mild heat treatment that kills off any potentially dangerous bugs in ‘raw’ milk without noticeably affecting the taste or nutritional content.  Homogenisation is when the fat globules have been reduced to a size small emough to ensure even distribution hence you will see a cream line on the pasteurised whole milk but not homogenised.  UHT milk is rapidly heated to a very high temperature making it virtually sterile. It if then packaged and heat sealed under sterile conditions. This means it can be kept for months without refridgeration.

Finally Sterilised Milk is treated to ensure it is totally sterilised. It has a distinctive creamy colour and caramelised flavour but also has some vitamin loss in the process. There is a very small amount of non-heat treated milk sold but this cannot be sold by shops or catering establishments or schools because of food standard laws in place.  We have alot of different milks on the market today to cater for different diets aswell with lactose free milk, soya milks etc and not forgetting organic milk too. Our favourite milk pudding has to be grandma’s rice pudding the kids loved this when they were small and still love it now as a warm dessert through the colder months and then served cold with fruit in the summer a great versatile dessert. So lets get cooking!

For a great Rice Pudding just like grandma use to make, you will need: 110g pudding rice, 570ml whole milk, 40g caster sugar, 410g evaporated milk, 25g butter and 1 whole nutmeg.

Lightly butter a ovenproof dish, and place the rice and sugar in this. Mix the whole milk and evaporated milk together in a jug and then pour this over the rice in your pudding bowl. Grate the whole of the nutmeg over this and finish by dotting with peices of the butter.

Bake in a gas 2/ 300f / 150c on a centre shelve for 30 minutes after which you need to stir around and then bake for a further 30 minutes before stirring again. After this bake for about 1 hour until the rice has swelled and a skin has formed. Serve with homemade jam just as my grandma would of, or some people like fruit compote or even maple or golden syrup with theirs if they have a real sweet tooth.

Check out this great pudding Pyrex set which will come in really useful in the kitchen, Pyrex great puddings set In this offer set which is everything you need to cook a great British Pud from Pyrex included inside is a 2 litre bowl, a cake dish with handles and a 0.5 Litre measuring jug all in glass plus a free inside booklet containing great British recipes, this set is oven, freezer, microwave and dishwasher safe. 10 year guarantee so make sure your get yours now while available now from Pricegrabber.co.uk

Have you got a favourite milk dessert, why not tell us about it?

Isn’t it funny how much we all love the smell of cooking bacon, and no matter what, even if your vegetarian the one thing you miss most (and I speak from experience) is a bacon sandwich.

Well the smell of cooking bacon always brings sleepy heads down from their beds to breakfast in our house and my mother is no exception to this.

Shes loves cooking something simple for herself but hates all the hassel of using the big oven and all the  pots & pans etc, when she is only cooking for herself. We have recently made some exceptional purchases for mum, to assist her when she is at home and not staying with us. One item is a compact but versatile microwave which has touch buttons to assist with her arthritous.  I cook the meals, label & freeze them, then mum mircrowaves them as and when she needs them. Simple and no waste.  The other is a mini oven, we went for the De’Longhi EO1200W Mini Oven with Pizza Bulge, 1.4kW  for all of its features and again compactness as we did the microwave.

This De’Longhi Mini Oven gave my mum the chance to have a oven at the right height (on her worktop) and less expensive to run then switching on her full oven, to just cook for herself.  It also allows her choice to be able to still bake and cook as if she was using her full oven. With features like a large Internal Capacity of 12.5 litres (equivalent to a 6lb Turkey), 3 Cooking Functions: Convection, Grill and Lower Heating Element for Gentle Cooking , Adjustable Thermostat 60º to 230ºC  and a 120 Minute Electronic Timer with Automatic Shut Off and Bell. This I personally think is so useful for mum, as it is so easy for her to get a phone call or to be watching a film and to simply forget about what is cooking in the oven. This allows a fail safe for her and a auditable bell to remind her too. It also has a Aluminium Interior  and a Unique Pizza Bulge Shape. So I shall be getting one of these for my son (who loves pizza’s), while he is at university studying, as with this feature he can fit a pizza in this oven, as with other ovens you may have to cut it in half etc to get it in the oven. On top of all this it has a removable Crumb Tray for Easy Cleaning it is so versatile and has so many applications. As I said my mum have found this invaluable, we have peace of mind no more burnt cooking or alarm calls, as it switches itself off or rings a bell  when its finished cooking, as does the microwave for her.  Above all else they are cheap to run but allow my mum the choice of still being able to cook or bake if she wants too. Also ideal for students studying away from home with its features and compactness and I can see a use for this in holiday homes, even camping if you have electrics.

Items like this are invaluable for keeping someone cooking for themselves without costing a fortune! Do you own a mini oven? what do you cook in yours?

Has I walked through to the dining table with vase in hand, which was displaying the beautiful bright yellow chrysanthemums which had been brought for me, the aroma of garlic was filtering through the house, followed by that lovely roast smell which makes your tummy rumble.

The flowers looked beautiful in the middle of my huge farmhouse table, which I have had for many years. We have had many a family meeting and made some big decisions at this table over the years, along with some great family occassions and meals too.  This table holds some great family memories for all of us and I like my table to always look set.  With an array of table clothes and table runners I use, upon which I have the biggest of pot fruit bowls, (which I found while searching at a antiques fair with mum and I fell in love with it), which is always full of many a type of fruit in the centre of my dining table.

I love this great table runner set with its classic design and neutral slate & cream shades, this table runner and matching napkins are perfect additions to any table setting and at a great price. Traditional, elegant, a ideal gift for someone and a beautiful centre piece for your table.

At either end of the runner are two very large wooden and very unusual Elephant candle sticks with church candles in them. Again these were searched out while on my travels visiting a craft barn after spending hours watching a very talented gentlemen on a wood lathe, turn wood into some beautiful works of art.  I have always dressed my table and I complete my table with a vase of fresh flowers or a seasonal display such as holly from the garden.

Without ever asking, whether my daughter is down stopping over or not, whoever is here they know as the cooking smells build its time to set the table, and always my son or daughter or even their friends now would set about setting my table without me ever needing to ask.  Something I love about cooking, its all part of creating a home ! well thats what I think anyway!

Whats your favourite type of dining table I have tried various types over the years from, modern, even glass but my farmhouse table always prevails. Do you dress your table or even use your table as a great majority of us eat in front of the tv or upon trays on our laps, or do you call the family to the dining table? Let me know your thoughts?

We are all feeling the credit crunch and alot of us have changed our shopping habits due to this. Recent surveys portray an array of trends from a increase in frozen food purchases, farmers markets, farm shops and home deliveries.

Looking at any of these options, we are all simply looking at ways to save money but without compromise in quality. Many of us are returning to cooking for ourselves from fresh, instead of going out to eat in a restaurant or pub, or getting a takeaway. To do this we are revisiting shopping back to how our grandparents would of food shopped.

We are shopping locally in farm shops,  markets, delicatessens, local butchers, green grocers, bakeries and specialist shops. Looking for fresh quality locally sourced ingredients, which we are comfortable with, as we know where it has come. Plus we have the added benefit of giving back to our local communitites by supporting local producers and maintaining local businesses and jobs.

We are also saving petrol, even though it has gone down in price your turn your back and next week its up again. Shopping in these ways we can walk to these shopping locations or drive small distances, rather than driving to a large supermarkets miles away. We are also looking to home delivery, this again saves on petrol costs and of course our time. Time is of a premium to all of us in the very busy lifes we all lead.  If we can order online or from a local shop, we have more time to do the things we want too, be this more time with the family or just me time.

The term Frugal cookery is becoming more popular. This is where we use basic ingredients and some ready prepapared ingredients together to produce a given recipe dish saving on cost and time. There are some great frugel cook books out there at the moment too.

I personally love shopping at farmers markets and so do my family. It gives them a great opportunity to try different foods and ingredients, and for me to find out if they like something before I take it home to cook or to use within a recipe. Its important to me to know where my meat etc has come from. I want to eat British meat etc and I want to  know that the animals have all been reared to certain standards and with care for their well being.

A good example of this happened only this week when my friend told me, she now realised what I had meant by ‘tasting and seeing the difference by buying fresh free range eggs and the difference etc. She explained how she really had not appreciated what I had meant, that was until recently when she moved into a new home in a small village. While out exploring with her 6 year old son, they had stopped at a small hamlet within the village, as her son Jack was fascinated by the free roaming chickens. Has they watched the chickens running around the lady who owned the property came out and started to speak to Jack. In the end she invited Jack into her garden where he had so much fun looking under bushes etc as he set about to search for the hens freshly laid eggs. My friend said how much fun Jack had that afternoon. In the finish their short tour of their new little village actually turned into a 2 hour epic. They returned home with a supply of fresh eggs from their newly found neighbour and they enjoyed a wonderful poached egg super that evening. In conclusion my friend and her husband said that ‘they were the best eggs they had ever tasted ‘, and ever since then they have popped in, not only for some fun for Jack to search for the eggs but to obtain some fantastic quality fresh free range eggs which taste and look completely different to the eggs they had been buying before.

How has your shopping changed? Send in your tips to help your fellow foodies out there through these tough times and keep on reading! 

The Japenease excell in the farming and drying of a wide variety of seaweeds, all of which are loaded with nutrients, fragrance and flavour. Such varieties as Nori, Arame, Wakame and Kelp. Its worth experimenting with seaweed they all require soaking. Once a pack of dried seaweed is opened it should be stored in a cool, dark, air tight container in a dry place and used as soon as possible.

However the crispy-fried seaweed you get in Chinese restaurants is not seaweed at all but finely shredded dark green cabbage. Alot of people make the mistake of thinking it is real seaweed and it is so easy to make too:

You will need:225g spring greens, olive oil, 1 tblsp sesame seeds, salt and a few drops of soy sauce

Simply wash the spring greens and dry in a clean tea towel. Remove the midribs and lay the prepared leaves on top of each other, roll up tightly like a cigar and shred carefully crosswise with a sharp knofe in very thin strands. Separate the strands then heat the oil in a wok, standing back (the shredded leaves spit violently as they hit the oil so take care do not add too much at once if you do they will steam and not fry quickly) from the wok add a small handful of the cabbage and fry for about 1 minute until foam subsides and cabbage has shrunk, being dark and translucent. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper spreading it out so any excess is absorbed. Carry on cooking the cabbage in small batches then arrange on a dish, season, scatter with sesame seeds add a few drops of soy sauce and enjoy your seaweed. Why not serve you crispy seaweed topped with a mix of chinese finger foods from chicken wings, spring rolls to spare ribs.

Have you used actual dried seaweed before? if so how did you get on with it and did you enjoy it?

With Chinese New Year Fast approaching, when on 26th January we start the year of the OX, as the year of the RAT comes to an end.

People born in the chinese year of the OX are said to be dependable, patient, methodical and calm, hardworking, materialistic as well as being an ambitious character. You are an Ox if you were born in the following years, 1901, 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997 and now 2009 followed by 2021 (according to the 12 year chinese new year cycle of the 12 animals).

Main traits in an OX’s character are: Leadership qualities, dependable, great organizers, loyal, patient as well as strong and responsible. They have a creative side and strong work ethics.  Ox’s can also be narrow minded & stubborn.

So lets welcome in the new year!

For your Chinese cookery your going to need a Wok in order to get the best results. I think this Ken Hom easy store 32cm wok is superb (as shown above). This stainless steel wok has a folding handle for easy storage and a glass lid that stores upside diwn for easy stacking. The handle is spring loaded and has an audible click so that you can be confident it’s locked in place. It also has a nonstick interior. Suitable for all hob types including induction.

Here is a great Chinese Recipe Beef & Noodles, (you can use pork or chicken instead of beef if you prefer).

You will need - 225g dried egg noodles, 300g lean beef steak, 1 tblsp light soy sauce, 1 tblsp oyster sauce, 2 tblsp chinese rice wine, 2 tsp rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp sunflower oil, 5cm piece fresh ginger cut into matchsticks, 4 small heads of pak choi cut into wide strips, bunch of spring onions cut into diagonal slices, 100g beansprouts and 1 tsp sesame oil.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the noodles cooking for 4 minutes until just tender then drain and set on one side. Cut your steak into thin slices and season. In a bowl place soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine and vinegar and mix together.

Heat the oil in your wok over a high heat. Add your steak and stir fry for 1 minute until just cooked lifting out with a slotted spoon put in a dish on one side. Add your ginger, pak choi, spring onions and beansprouts to your wok and stir fry for 1 minute. Return your beef to the wok and your noodles, soy & oyster sauce mix and toasted sesame oil and toss together until all heated through. Serve immediately in warmed chinese bowls with chop sticks. Happy Chinese New Year!

Have you a favourite Chinese Dish?

To freeze a dish after cooking, reduce the cooking time slightly to prevent it from overcooking on reheating. Make sure you cool to room temperature, then place in the fridge. Once you have wrapped your dish make sure you date each item and keep this only for the recommended period which is usually no longer than 3 months.

Freeze in individual portions to make thawing easier. The flavour of spicy, garlicky dishes actually intensifies when frozen.

Use strong freezer bags, plastic containers or freezer foil.

Lock & Lock stackable storage containers are microwave, dishwasher and freezer safe and have patent locking hinges which make them completely air and liquid tight.

If you are using bags, press the bag around the food to remove air pockets and tie securely. Layer individual items (like homemade burgers for instance) between baking parchment so you can separate them quickly for thawing.

Many delicate or fragile foods benefit from being open frozen first and then being wrapped when solid. When freezing individual items lay them out on a tray and opne freeze them in your freezer until solid, then place them in your freezer bags. By doing this the food will thaw quicker and retain its texture. This could be small picnic quiches, party foods or even somthing like stuffing balls or small homemade yorkshire puddings.

Make sure you leave your frozen dishes to thaw completely in the fridge before cooking. Either reheat thoroughly or eat as soon as possible after thawing if eatting cold. You can heat some cooked foods straight from frozen like soups and sauces for instance.

So when you have the urge to make some extra baking or items for a party or to help for sunday dinners, just follow the tips. You could not only save some precious time when needed in the kitchen, but make great use of your freezer and create less waste by freezing those left overs for another day, its great for your budgeting! So give it a go and send me your tips or best frozen meal which works for you!

Did you know that the first photo driving licence cards were actually issued in July 1998 but did you also realise that these licences are only valid for a 10 year period? No, neither did I?

Apparently in 1998 16,136 of us were issued with the new photocard driving licences the bad news apparently 4,570 of us have failed to realise our licences have ran out of date and not renewed them. This actually means that thousands of motorists are risking being fined up to £1000.00 for driving without a valid driving licence.

So if like me you moved house in that year and sent in your license to change your address or if you passed your test that year take a good look at your licence. The confusion is that there are a number of dates shown on the photocard licence. The date shown on the table showing the date for how long the driver is valid to hold a licence which is usually until their 70th birthday. However, this is no the ‘licence valid too date’ which is the date next to the ‘4b’ which shows a date 10 years after you obtained the photocard licence and the date you need to of renewed your photocard licence for.

Potentially about 300,000 are due to expire in 2009 so be warned and take a look NOW!

It costs £17.50p to renew the card license for further information see here

Check out my next bloggs for more delicious recipes and great ideas for your kitchen!

Hows your kitchen organised? Are you one of those cooks who has everything to hand, or is everything away within flush fitted kitchen units, for you to bring out as and when you need to use them.

I have always loved the country kitchen appeal and atmosphere. Perhaps as I was brought up in one and learnt to cook in one too.  Although I would be lost without my modern appliances, I have always had my kitchens made bespoke to my own design using reclaimed wood.

As I love to cook and so do my family, I have always used hanging storage to keep my saucepans, colanders and utensils to hand. Plus there great to hang your garlic and a string of onions and herbs from. Something my Grandmother and Mother did, and I continue to do too. Whats more, they are great to dry out lavender and other flowers on, not only giving a colourful display but a delightful fragrance too.

In our house the kitchen is the heart of the house. Despite any efforts we will all undoubtedly end up in our kitchen or dining room rather than the lounge. Its always where we feel at home! Its always warm and inviting, and there is always a smell of something cooking be it from bread, cakes, through to the dinner cooking. Just like my grandmother, the coffee pot is always on.  ‘Be ready to expect anyone, anytime, and always make sure there is a cuppa and something to feed them’, my grandmother would say. I was taught by the best, and still follow her teaching’s and ethics, which is probably why we always end up at my house. Always a house full to the brim with friends and family always popping in, it’s good hospitality!

I love my ceiling racks. I like to have my cookware to hand. So by my range is my ceiling rack full of my pans and utensils etc, with herbs, garlic and onions hanging on there too.  It would drive me mad to keep going up and down, and in and out of cupboards, all the while, as you are trying to cook. But I understand that we are all different and some people like to either have their pots put away and out of site or even display their sauce pans on a stand.

My Favourite would have to be the beautifully made, sturdy and strong, this Hahn ceiling rack is perfect for showing off your pots and pans – even herbs or vegetables. It’s made from 18/10 stainless steel, the highest quality grade, and given a shiny chromed finish. All the fixings are included, along with 6x swivel hooks, 6x pan hooks, 12x ‘S’ hooks, 32x hanging links and 4x ceiling hooks, so there’s plenty of space for your saucepans. Why not hang salami, onions, paprika or bunches of herbs from it as well – for added colour?

There are many different types of ceiling racks to match any kitchen be them modern or country etc. You can choose from all chrome to chrome and wood for instance so there is one to match everyones taste.

Which do you prefer, do you use a rack, saucepan stand or is your kitchen squeaky clean and all put away?

There are alot of jobs in various recipes where having a piping bag to hand, if you haven’t already got one, gives great results.  Alot of cooks, you will see come up very quickly with a greasedproof paper piping bag.  Which I do on alot of occassions.

By simple rolling a piece of greasedproof paper around your hand to make a funnel shape (as shown on the right) and filling this with the mixture at hand you wish to pipe, fold over the top of the paper once full and then simply snip off the bottom of the funnel and pipe away.

A brilliant and quick way ‘if your good at origami!’, I can hear my friend Claire say. ‘But my piping bag always turns out like a square flat purse and when I snip off the end, its everywhere literally’. We always have a laugh at this. But sometimes we take for granted, what is easy to one person is not so simple to someone else. So make sure you have a piping bag and nozzles to hand which you can use over and over again for all tasks and piping designs to create some terrific effects.

I use both, and tend to use the greaseproof paper when writing icing on cakes & desserts for instance, along with decorating the top of my bakewell tarts, when I want a specific detail. All I do is to cut the smallest of tips off my homemade piping bag, which is where alot of people go wrong by snipping off an enormous portion.

So a piping kit, Kaiser bakeware patisserie piping bag set with nozzles containing 3 shaped nozzles, 1 adapter and 1 piping bag for £12.70 is an essential piece of baking kit.   This reusable plastic-coated cotton piping bag can be washed over and over again and with its sturdy plastic nozzles which are all dishwasher safe too.

You can use these to do many piping jobs like: pipe mash onto a cottage pie, decorate a celebration cake, pipe different shape biscuits, make icing flowers to decorate baking, pipe butter icing etc on the baking, pipe cream onto the top of your trifle, pipe cream into buns of various types, pipe choux buns etc, the list is endless. So make sure you have one handy in your kitchen.

Why not send us some of your piping tips?