There are some things I do not like one of them is Mayonaise. However, I still make it from fresh following my families recipes to the ‘T’, so to speak as this must be one of very few I wouldn’t taste to check as I make or season.

My children , family and friends love this mayonaise I make for our garden parties and get togethers but its one I can’t speak for myself as I would prefer a chutney, relish or salsa with mine.

For a mouthwatering creamy Mayonaise, my Emma’s words not mine try my Garlic Mayonaise:

If you like garlic and use it alot in your cooking check out my previous blog great handy kitchen gadget and if you into whicking and blending and love ice cream read my blog dark,delicious chocolate… for a great recipe and many more.

You will need:2 large egg yolks, pinch of dried mustard, 300ml mild olive oil, 1-2tblsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar, 2-4 garlic cloves & sea salt and ground black pepper to season.

Place the yolks in a bowl with the mustard and a pinch of salt and whisk, (make sure you eggs are at room temperature). Gradually whisk in the oil one drop at a time and when almost half of the oil is fully incorporated start to add the rest of the oil in a stream whisking continually with the otherhand. As the mayonaise starts to thicken thin it down with a few drops of lemon juice or white wine vinegar. When the mayonaise reached soft butter consistency stop adding oil then season to taste and add more lemon juice or white wine vinegar as required to your taste. Crush your garlic with the blade of a knife and stir into the mayonaise. For a milder flavour you can blanch the garlic then puree the cloves before beating into the myaonaise. You can also use roasted garlic puree or pureed smoked garlic to create different flavours so experiment even beat in 15g of fresh herbs of your choice like tarragon for example.

For a great hand whisk which you will use over and over again and takes effort out of hand whisking is this great balloon whisk from  the Jamie Oliver range. You will always need one of these in the kitchen utensil draw to make your recipe collections as sometime blending machines and food processors are not the best way to get a great end result.

What variety of mayonaise is your favourite? got a recipe you want to share of kitchen tip tell me about it I read and respond to all your comments!

With a local fete, carnival or charity event nearly every weekend at the minute, an essential item on any cake stall has to be the Victoria Sandwich Cake.

Although I have played with this recipe with family members with food intolerances using gluten free and wheat free flours and egg substitutes which work well I have to say although these ingredients do mean you have to adjust the liquid quanities in your recipes I have found. There is absolutely nothing to beat this traditional cake. Whether its a birthday cake or for a stall you cannot go wrong with this favourite of cakes and once the recipe is mastered you can add different flavours, fruits etc its endless to this timeless classic.

For my classic victoria sponge cake you are going to need: 100g butter (cut into peices), 100g caster sugar, 2 eggs (beaten lightly), 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 100g self raising flour, pinch of salt, 1 tblsp milk, 3-4 tblsp homemade strawberry or raspberry jam, 120ml double or whipping cream and caster sugar to sprinkle on top for finishing.

First position your oven shelves towards the middle of your oven and preheat your oven to 180 c/350 f/gas 4. Lightly grease 2 X 18cm sandwich tins with oil or butter and line the bases with circles of greaseproof baking paper which should then be oiled or buttered. Start your sponge by creaming together the butter and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl. You can do this using a wooden spoon or a hand-held mixer (or even a food processor), until light and fluffy. Then gradually beat in the eggs a bit at a time being careful not to let it curdle. You can add a little flour with the egg to stop this if needed. Stir in the vanilla extract and sift the flour and salt into a bowl then using a large metal spoon fold the flour and salt into the cake mix gently, before gently adding the milk. Be gentle to keep the air bubble in the mixture which you have took the time to add which cause the cake to rise.

Then divide the mixture between the prepared tins and level the surface. Place in your preheated oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. The cake is cooked when the surface is golden brown, and when lightly touched it springs back. Cool the cakes in their tins on a wire rack for a few minutes. The remove the cakes from their tins and cool on the wire rack and then remove the lining paper.

When completely cooled sandwich the cake together with the jam and whipped cream before sprinkling the top with caster sugar and placing a sliced strawberry to decorate before serving.

Tips - remember to keep your cake in a airtight tin and in the fridge if it lasts more than one meal sitting that is (mine never make it that far, its always eatten in full!)  Also make sure you use the right cake tin size for the recipe else as my daughter Emma found you could end up with a biscuit. If your using 20cm cake tins you need to have 175g butter, caster sugar, self raising flour and 3 eggs for instance to get the same light and fluffy sponge. Also if you haven’t got a wire rack to cool your cake on use the rack from you grill pan and improvise!

Why not tell me about your cake greats and dissastors too, and we can put them together with my own collection for a future fun blog for us all!

Check out my previous blogs perfect raspberry jam recipe for your toast and cakes, irresistable eggless cake and quick homemade teatime treats just to name, but a few of blogs containing delicious cake recipes for you to try!

I am sure many of us stop to think what can we do to make someone specials birthday that extra special. Well one very special person in my life like many of this is my Mum, like me Grandma she too believes in wholesome local and seasonal food as we were both taught to cook by her.

Wanting to make her birthday extra special we were looking to serve her a great birthday breakfast as a real treat.

Other breakfast recipes can be found in my previous blog ‘yogurt recipe depends on milk used’. You could also look at my previous blog ‘perfect omelettes’ too.

I knew exactly the breakfast Mum loves and headed for Red Hill Farm for fresh farm eggs straight from the field from their free range hens. Heading back Ed had already started to put together a tray fit for a queen together with a vase of flowers from the garden.

What were we preparing for this very special lady well one of her favourites scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. While Ed set about preparing his grandmother a cup of the best earl grey I got together the ingredients.

You will need: 4 Large free range eggs, pinch of cayenne pepper, 2 tsp butter, 2 small bunches of cherry tomatoes on the vine, 2 thick slices of homebaked bread, 50g fresh smoked scottish salmon cut into strips and fresh dill.

Start by preheating your grill and line your grill pan with foil. Place your beaten eggs, cayenne pepper and butter in a nonstick pan and cook on a low heat. Make sure you stir gently and constantly with a wooden spoon for about 10 minutes until the egg is softly set. While cooking your eggs, grill your vine cherry tomatoes for about 5 minutes until softened and they are starting to split. Toast your bread, butter and cut in half (like triangles).  Placing 2 triangles of toast on a plate, then top with scrambled egg, pile on the smoked scottish salmon strips and snip some fresh dill over the top using scissors. Serve with you extra toast triangles and grilled tomatoes.

Putting together our tray complete with tea, toast, flowers & birthday breakfast, not forgetting the birthday cards we headed for the bedroom with a chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’. To say she was delighted and enjoyed her breakfast was a understatement she loved it.

What would you serve that special someone for breakfast in bed, why not send in your recipes for a tasty special breakfast!

If your planning a birthday party check out my previous blog ‘The Big Dipper’.

For a great toaster with great functions for full use in your kitchen try this Morphy Richards accents polished stainless steel pause and check toaster. With its great function to Pause and Check your toast without interrupting the toasting cycle for perfect toast and removable crumb tray to keep your toaster clean and tidy, the crumb tray can be removed to clean. This toaster also has a hi lift facility to remove smaller items from your toaster such as crumpets etc. you can use this lift on the lever to safety remove these; along with a variable browning control allows you to set the browning of your toast so you can have your toast just the way you like it. One of the best functions is the deep vari-width toasting chamber - thick doorsteps or thin wafers, whatever your choice of bread the variable bread width function can cater for your needs, so you can toast homemade bread too, which some toasters just cannot accomodate.