One gadget which I keep hearing about more and more and seeing more of in friends kitchens is the Food Mincer. One such item sat proudly on my grandmothers kitchen table always; it was used for allsorts including grinding coffee beans for morning coffee.

It seems this gadget is enjoying a comeback and a return to our kitchens, as we cook more and more homemade. This can be for many reasons, whether your looking to take control of your nutrition and watch what you eat avoiding additives, allergens and colourants etc, or you could be looking at ways of saving money by cooking and preparing foods yourself but using the highest quality ingredients.

By this you could use a mincer for example to, mince a cut of beef from your local butcher in order to make burgers, whether for the kids so you know what ingredients are in them or for that homemade appeal for a barbecue with friends.

Another great use for these is I make christmas cakes, mincemeat and christmas puddings, (yes I know its that dreaded word none of us wish to discuss), but I make these for relatives and the elderly do appreciate their fruit minced slightly, as do children.

This kitchen craft cast iron mincer for example looks fantastic and being cast iron will last you through all of your kitchen recipes. This Kitchen Craft cast iron mincer from John Lewis has three different sized mincing discs and even a sausage making attachment. This mincer is easy to set-up and securly clamps to the worktop which is less than 1¼” thick with a plastic guard supplied to protect the worktop surface too.

So why not join in the trend today, and try making your own burgers and sausages for example. Its easy, try different meats with added vegetables like tomato, onion and leek for example, or even apple and add you favourite spices and herbs to create your own brand of sausage. Imagion your next barbecue when you annouce the chefs special!!

See my blog its just minced beef, and man sized burger to satisfy and lots more recipes for all occassions and meals in many more of my blogs.

Great picnics start here, I have had (and aim to have many more too!) some fabulous times over the years attending Royal Ascot week. Let me tell you if you have never been the atmosphere is electric. Its one of those calendar events many of us wait for. Some of us spend months planning our outfits espically if your attending on Ladies Day which can be a right eye opener let me tell you. Everyone gets into the spirit with all the guys in full morning dress and every lady with her best hat addorned, its a day when fashion has no boundaries and that includes the picnic.

This picnic has a silk tablecloth and table, candles, even full barbecues, waiters and enough bubbly to sink the titanic. But it dosen’t stop with the highlights of the days horse racing and meeting the celebraties and royal family in the flesh as afterwards the picnics start, the music turned up and the partying truely begins.

I remember one year when we had been having alot of rain and the buses park a distance from the race course, they placed straw down for all of us to walk on and provided shoe cleaners to clean our shoes when we arrived at the race track, how funny to see people tottering around in shoes worth more than a family holiday in mud, dolled up to the eye balls, not forgetting the hat. The things we do hey!!

Tell me about your trips to ascot and the food you enjoyed, we took everything. Bubbly, crab, salmon, trifles no luxury was spared.  Check out my previous picnic blogs like greatfood, great style and don’t forget the wine Take a look at the great picnic items available including blankets and hampers, I love this Spey De Luxe Hamper it has everything ready for you to go just grab this and your bubbly and food and your away. This spacious and quality hamper (shown right) for four. With plates, cutlery, condiment set and wine glasses and integral bottle compartment for three bottles. The ‘wash’ willow hamper has twin opening flaps cream tones for cutlery, plate and wine glass straps and clasp and hinges to add to the style presentation. Also included is a cream tablecloth and matching cream napkins for the perfect picnic!

Some great pinic ideas include:

Salmon - Mix Salmon (fresh or tinned) with cannellini beans, chopped tomato, diced shallot, chopped black or green olives, chopped parsley and basil. Dress with olive oil and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Serve with bread or salad of your choice.

Trout - Combine a bunch of watercress or rocket with thinly sliced radishes and red onion; add flaked smoked trout. Dress at the last minute with olive oil, sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper (which you pop in your picnic hamper!)

Local Lamb - One of my favourite is Local Lamb thinly sliced, then toss with cherry tomatoes, olive oil, mint, feta and chopped red onion, serve with a rustic bread and a beautiful  rich red wine (Yummy!)

Come on ladies whats your picnic going to have, tell me all about it!!

Well the sun has been shining again, and looking at the group of friends in my back garden this evening a little too much sun has been had from all the red sunburn patches I can see. ‘Oh that is definitely going to hurt later!’.

I have prepared some tasty delights which will suit all of my guests, as some are vegetarian. The bbq has been on for hours now and sizzling away on top now are some homemade lamb & mint burgers I have made. The jacket pototoes which were wrapped in foil in the coals have come out now and are keeping warm while my mexican delight is finishing in the oven.

While the weathers hot and the wine is flowing, my friends love their spicy flavours to come across in their food. With a large salad freshly prepared I have some homebaked baps, which I have to say are a little on the large side. But I am not going to hear the fella’s complaining and has it happens they have turned out to be the perfect size for my homemade lamb & mint burgers. In these baps I have chopped cucumber, sweet baby plum tomatoes, watercress and cubed feta, on top of which I shall place the lamb & mint burgers which I am serving with a mint & yogurt dip I made earlier.

And for my dear veggy friends mexican potatoes, with a crop of new potatoes fresh out of my garden. I have taken these around a pound in weight and sliced them, added around 5 floz of homemade chicken stock, 1 tin 14oz of kidney beans, 1 tsp of marjoram, 1 - 7oz tin of red pimientos (these make the dish), 1/2 - 1lb of rich smoked bacon from my local butcher & parsley to garnish. Place all this in a casserole dish & cover place in the oven at gas 3/ 160 c / 325 f for about an hour and this is delicious served with salad and a chunk of homemade bread.  (For your homemade bread try my blog loafing around in the morning, about bread machines with recipes for making your own bread as this will go down a storm at your bbq’s)

Although the tequilla should be served after you have eatten, but someone forgot to tell Aidy that one!!

Check out  my previous blog bar-b-q funtime for a great bbq with every practical part to make bbq safe and easy, so if your looking for a bbq to add to your household cooking appliances make sure you read this first, as everyone voted this BBQ a Winner!!. With fathers day just around the corner why not check out my apron blog for a great idea for that special man in your life.  Another blog you may want to visit from a while ago is my man size burger blog your fella will love you for it!

Why not send in your bbq ideas and what your friends and family enjoy at your bbq’s??