Friday 31 May 2019

Book review : The Snowman - Jo Nesbo


I'm a huge crime fiction fan so I've heard a lot about Scandi-writer Jo Nesbo over the past few years. He's been labelled as one of the classic authors in the genre - in fact, this actually put me off reading him because quite often, the hype seems over-rated. However, when I spotted a copy of The Snowman in the clearout section at WH Smiths for the bargain basement price of £1, I couldn't resist !

The book is the seventh title in the Harry Hole series, but it can be enjoyed perfectly well on its own. Harry is the classic imperfect detective with a multitude of personal faults and past failures but an even longer list of professional triumphs. He reminded me very much of other similar characters, but I've just checked and this is indeed the first Jo Nesbo title that I've read. I ended up with nothing but a vague idea of who Harry Hole is - there are no real details of physical description, motivation, strengths and weaknesses - but I guess that by book 7, this has already been covered.

The opening chapter is set in 1980 and shows a mum leaving her son in the car while she pops off for a final rendez vous with her lover. Fast forward twenty five years and Harry Hole is called in to investigate the case of a mother who has gone missing. There are no witnesses - just a snowman in the garden wearing her scarf.

As Harry starts dipping into past cases, he discovers that a large number of wives and mothers have disappeared over recent years. Could he be looking for Norway's first ever serial killer? Old cases are dug up, new victims are discovered and Harry and his team uncover a number of suspects. Unfortunately they are all red herrings though and the pressure mounts at work. Finally, Harry manages to fit all the clues together and discovers that nothing is as it first seemed. He is determined to follow this case through to the end, whatever the cost.

It's an interesting and tense read, which skillfully takes you down numerous wrong turns in the investigation. I was convinced that Harry had found the murderer on several occasions and didn't see where it was actually going until the final chapters. 

There were a few things that I would have liked to follow up a bit more, such as Harry's relationships with his wife and step-son, but I'm sure everything is explained in the previous books. I'm intrigued to see how things carry on too, as there are various tensions that are left unresolved, particularly in matters of the heart.

I really enjoyed it and will definitely be looking out for further books from the series.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £7.99

  • Paperback: 576 pages
  • Publisher: Vintage; Film Tie-In edition (5 Oct. 2017)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 9781784704759
  • ISBN-13: 978-1784704759
  • ASIN: 178470475X
  • Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 3.4 x 19.8 cm

Thursday 30 May 2019

The May Degustabox review : Afternoon Tea & Brunch


Another month is drawing to a close, which means that it was time for the postie to deliver a brand new Degustabox. This month's box has a theme that instantly appealed to us all - Afternoon Tea & Brunch. Ooh that definitely has potential ! This month's box had a lot of different glass products so there were various combinations sent out in subscriber boxes. As a blogger, I was lucky enough to receive extras, to show you all the different products available.


As soon as we started unpacking, we could tell that this is a great box, with loads of things that the Madhouse kids couldn't wait to try. Yummmm !


The kids immediately pounced on the bags of Nestlé Milkybar Mix Ups (RRP 2 x 65p), which are a mixture of white chocolate buttons with a cocoa filling and milk chocolate buttons with a milky filling. They're all delicious so, as Michael Jackson once sang, " if you're thinkin' of being my baby, it don't matter if you're black or white" !

Splenda Sucralose Sweet Mini's (RRP £1.50) are perfect if you're looking for a way to reduce calories. Each Sweet Mini has the same sweetness as a teaspoon of sugar but with zero calories. Perfect for popping into hot drinks.


Shore Seaweed Puffs (RRP £1.19) from The Scottish Seaweed Co. had us dipping dubitatively into the bag, but they're actually nicer than they sound ! We sampled the Sea Salt & Balsamic option, which I think works well with the "seaside" flavour from the seaweed, but I don't know how it combines with the other flavours. Seaweed is supposed to be super healthy so it's a good way of getting some hidden nutrients into your diet. Each bag comes in at under 100 calories too.


Daelmans Stroopwafels (RRP £1.29) are a delicious snack, with a cup of tea, coffee or just on their own. You get a tasty, crunchy waffle filled with a subtle caramel filling that is just perfect for when you need a little bit of indulgent me-time !

Oteas Black Tea & Apricot (RRP £3.75) is this month's Product of the Month. Infused with sweet and nutty apricots, this can be used to create a refreshing hot or cold drink. It uses high quality black tea, responsibly sourced apricot pieces and a fully biodegradable bag.


Free From Fellows Vegan Midget Gems (RRP £1.99) are another product that the kids pounced on ! The bag promises some "super delicious yumminess" and we were very impressed by the flavours. Looking closer at the pack, they are gelatine free, dairy free and gluten free, with no artificial colours or flavours, and also no egg, soy, GMO and nuts. Oh, and they're also sugar free. Quick, pass the bag over again so I can have another one !


On to a treat for the grown-ups : a mini bottle of La Gioiosa Prosecco Brut DOC Treviso. Savour the constant stream of fine bubbles tickling your tongue ... the clean,crisp taste of apples and pears, with a delicate hint of lemons and almonds. Delicious ! Prosecco can be enjoyed on its own or paired with fish or seafood. Otherwise, serve with some deliciously sweet summer strawberries and pretend you're at Wimbledon !

Hellmann's Vegan Mayo (RRP £2.15) was a pleasant surprise. Now, I have absolutely nothing against vegans, but I'm not one, and I did have a pre-conceived idea that vegan mayonnaise would be ... well, basically, horrible ! I dipped a spoon into the jar for a little taste, tried it, then went back for another ! It's thick and creamy and, if I hadn't seen the jar, I would never have realised it was vegan.


Fruity Beauties (RRP £1.50) are organic and fairtrade snack bars, on a mission to provide a fun and nutritious burst of life. High in fibre, they count towards your five-a-day and are also traceable from farm to fork (or fingers !). They taste lovely and they appealed equally to kids and adults.


Koko Dairy Free Super Milk (RRP £1.99) is a coconut-based milk, enriched with 9 key vitamins and minerals, to offer special boosted nutrition to everyone from toddlers to seniors. It provides more nutrients than any regular plant or dairy milk. It has a creamy, full-bodied taste and can be used as a full-fat milk replacement.

Firefly Lemon, Lime and Ginger (RRP £1.55) is one that I hid away to enjoy all by myself ! Firefly use still water, fruit juice and active botanicals to craft revitalising botanical drinks that are great for a relaxing moment of me-time in a busy day. They use nothing nasty - just naturally occurring sugars and no colours or preservatives - to create big flavours that are bound to put a smile on your face !


Everyone seems to have gone absolutely crazy about gin for the last year or so and Kuhne have jumped on the bandwagon with their Gin Cornichons and Whiskey Cornichons (RRP £2.59). The cute little extra-fine gherkins are refined with alcohol to give them some extra punch and it really works well. The gin provides fresh, citrussy top notes and the whiskey adds the honey vanilla notes of American Bourbon Whiskey. Both are lovely added to salads and sandwiches and will be perfect for accompanying barbecues and picnics this summer.


Indie Bay Snacks Spelt Pretzel Bites with Rock Salt (RRP £1) are a deliciously crispy, crunchy snack that the kids wolfed down in minutes ! The little balls are a great source of protein and fibre and each pack contains just under 100 calories. Perfect for keeping in your bag over the summer for snacks on the go as they won't melt !


And finally, Real Good Smokey BBQ Ketchup is another summer essential, perfect for putting on the table at barbecues. It contains 80% less salt and, as it is made without sugar, it is also suitable for diabetics. Its special flavour comes from naturally smoked Hickory and Oak water from Tennessee. Perfect in marinades and dips or just on the side of the plate !

This month's box was packed with money-off vouchers and recipes. Take your pick from Vegan BLT Sandwich, Cinnamon Latte, Rockie Road Bites, Breakfast Cookies, Turmeric Latte (Golden Milk), Real Good Sweet Potato Hash, Iced Oteas, ...

 A subscription to Degustabox costs £12.99 per month including delivery, with each box having a value of much more than that, but the great news is, I have a discount coupon code for you which means you'll get the first box for just £7.99 - enter code PKUFE at the checkout.

for more information :

Also now on Instagram @DegustaboxUK

Disclosure : We received the box in order to write an honest review. As a Degustabox blogger, I receive all of the products that go into the monthly boxes, but subscribers may not get exactly the same selection.

Tuesday 28 May 2019

Double the fun with Pop Pop Snotz ! (review)


Pierre and Juliette were both very intrigued by a big green box that arrived at The Madhouse for them to review. On the top, it mysteriously declared "Are you ready to pop?"


They excitedly pulled on the "pull to pop" tab and started peeling open the box.


Inside, they discovered some little bubbles of green slime, some of which have a secret collectable hiding inside. The only way to find out which ones you will discover is to get popping !


I started off by having a good look at the information sheet that came in the box with them. There are currently 60 Pop Pop Snotz to collect, but as this is series 1, I'm sure this is just the beginning ! 


The Madhouse kids were busy unpacking and sharing out all the slime bubbles. We had packs of 6 and packs of 12, as well as two review samples of 15 pods.


The packs include a collector's sheet with details of all the different creatures that you can hope to collect. Only some of the pods contain Snotz characters - in the six packs, you get two, for example - but you still get the slime to squeeze out.


Time to get popping ! Each pod is made of soft plastic, backed with a plastic sheet. They reminded me vaguely of laundry pods, so make sure your kids know the difference ! This seems like an awful lot of wasted plastic, so it would be great to find an eco-friendly alternative.


Pressing on the pods will make the slime splurge out. The kids found this great fun and there were squeals of laughter as they got their fingers covered in goo !


The kids have played with all sorts of slime here at the Madhouse, even trying out some edible slime recipes which were good for a laugh, and I have to say, we all loved the texture of the Pop Pop Snotz slime.


It's fabulously oozy, gooey and slimy and Pierre loved dunking his little creatures in it ! Once you've finished playing with it, pour it all into an airproof tub so that it stays in tip-top condition.


Here's one of the little creatures that we discovered, but I won't spoil the surprise by showing them all. Keep your eyes open and you may be lucky enough to find the limited edition glow in the dark Snotz !


We discovered the green/yellow Pop Pop Snotz, which works for both boys and girls, but you can also buy pink/purple Pop Pop Pets, which offer a less "gross" option.



Disclosure : We received the product in order to write an honest review.

Monday 27 May 2019

What's Cooking at The Madhouse? menu plan 2019 week #22


Last week's menu plan didn't really go to plan, as both Pierre and I were ill and ended up taking Thursday and Friday off. I did get to make (and blog about) Mashed Potato Pie, if you want to check out that recipe. Hopefully, this week we'll all be back on form, but it's a short week anyway (just Monday and Tuesday at school for us - woohoo !). I have an annoying cough that I'm hoping won't last very long, so fingers crossed. With the weather picking up, we've all been feeling like salads lately, which is great news, as far as I'm concerned ! Page references are from Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely, which I'm currently delving into.

Monday 

dinner - late home tonight so something quick - spaghetti bolognese sounds ideal

Tuesday 

dinner - second late meeting so something from the freezer - frozen pizzas or flammenkueche sounds good to me

Wednesday 

lunch - BBQ beef skewers (p207) with couscous and salad

dinner - Chicken Fajita Orzo (p172) - basically chicken, pasta, veggies, spices .... (one from last week that didn't get made)

Thursday 

lunch - Spicy Pork with Pineapple & Avocado Salsa (p211) & rice

dinner - Restaurant Style Chinese Chicken (p203)  with noodles & green beans

Friday  

lunch - probably loads of leftovers to use up by now

 dinner - beef casserole with mash & peas

Saturday


lunch - McDonald's or similar

dinner - sandwiches, salad or fridge clearout

Sunday

lunch - spicy chicken breasts with Ebly & veg or salad

dinner - sandwiches, salads or leftovers

***Click on my Menu Plans tag to see all my other weekly menu plan blogposts.***

Katykicker

Saturday 25 May 2019

Fab freebies of the week 25/5


Wow, I've just looked at the date and realised that this time next week, we're into June - where on earth is the time going?! Roll on summer ! To help pass the time a bit quicker, here's a new freebies roundup for you ! Have a great weekend :)

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Quiiiick ! Grab a free sample of Giorgio Armani Code Absolu Perfume from Sopost

Get over to Smyths Toys this morning for a Toy Story party - We’re having a Toy Story party at your local Smyths Toys Superstore on Saturday 25th May from 9am, while stocks last. Join the party with FREE face-painting, DJs and FREE Toy Story 4 mini, stickers and posters to give away. You'll be in with the chance to win a £50 voucher on the hour, every hour from 9am to 1pm!

Say no to sad sandwiches with a free sample from PrepCo (I went for Mediterranean Couscous, to give you an idea)

Enter Foster Grant's giveaway for a chance to win one of 90 pairs of sunglasses, or maybe even a trip to NYC !

We are giving away 500 Lviv t-shirts to celebrate the launch of our site

In an effort to get people more interested in skin care we would like to offer you a sample size of Thayers Witch Hazel With Aloe - Rose Petal Toner. Fill out this quick form to have your free sample shipped to your door at no cost to you.


Get a free RSPCA tote bag - they'll phone to ask if you want to make a donation but it is optional


One for the genealogists (like me !) : To honor Memorial Day, we're proud to offer free access to everything on Fold3 — now through Tuesday.

Win 1 of 4 picnic hampers, worth £60, or 1 of 100 limited edition California Raisins tea-towels

Get involved in Red Bull's AWOL campaign and hopefully get a voucher for a free can

Win 1 of 50 sensational cookery sets worth over £100 each from Gressingham Duck.

3500 entrants (picked at random) will receive: 1 x full size Aurelia Revitalise & Brighten Eye Dew (10ml), worth £42

HAYFEVER! POLLEN! PETS! 🤧 You're just one Sneeze away from dealing with your itchy stuffy Nose. 100% Natural, drug free first aid for hayfever. Powered by Natural antihistamines. Tap through  for your free sample

If you'd like to receive a FREE sample of Keenum Organic Tea enter your contact details in the form below and we will post a sample to your address.

You can see previous weeks' freebie roundups by clicking here but be warned, many of the offers are only valid for a short time. Let me know if any have expired and I'll remove them from the roundup.

You may also like to enter my current giveaways :

coming soon !

Thursday 23 May 2019

Madhouse recipe : Cheesy Waffle-Topped "Cottage Pie"


When I wrote up this week's menu plan, I included a mention of Mashed Potato Pie, a recipe that I had found in Leanne Ely's cookery book, Saving Dinner. This kid-friendly recipe seemed to appeal to a lot of you, so here it is, as promised. We liked it but didn't love it, so I think next time, I'd add a jar of pasta sauce or just a tin of tomatoes to the meaty base, to add extra flavour and moisture. The original recipe used frozen hash browns but I had a pack of potato waffles in the freezer, which worked just fine. You could also use mashed potato, but that sounded too much like regular cottage pie to us !

Cheesy Waffle-Topped "Cottage Pie"

ingredients :

750g mince
1 onion, finely chopped
2 grated carrots
salt, pepper, garlic salt, Italian seasoning
1 cup (I just added without measuring) breadcrumbs
1 egg
(optional : 1 can of chopped tomatoes or 1 jar of pasta sauce)
8 potato waffles/hash browns
a couple of handfuls of grated cheese


Preheat the oven to 180°. Put the mince in an ovenproof dish - I used a roasting tin - and use a fork to squish it out nice and flat.


Add the other ingredients : onion, grated carrots, salt, pepper, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, breadcrumbs, egg (and, if using, chopped tomatoes or pasta sauce).


Use your hands or a fork to mix it all together. Then press it all out to fully cover the base and sides of the tin, like a pie crust. (Mine shrank during cooking so it was a bit of a waste of time, but never mind !) Depending on the cooking time of your waffles/hash browns, you may want to put them in straight away (see below).


The potato waffles only needed ten minutes to cook, so I put the meat part in the oven for about 20 minutes until it looked pretty much cooked through, then added the waffles on top for the last ten minutes. (I poured off all the excess fat at this point, but the final dish was a bit dry, so that may not be a good idea.)


Sprinkle over the grated cheese (I used a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella) then pop back in the oven to cook the waffles.


Where did all the cheese go?! Well, it's still there, but it all melted and poured through the holes in the waffles ! Next time, I think I'd put the cheese underneath.


Serve with salad and tomatoes, or maybe baked beans if your kids don't like the green stuff !

It's a great, quick and simple dish for a busy night when you've just got in from work and are too tired to cook something complicated. I also think it's one that kids could make on their own, or at least help with the mixing stage !

Tuesday 21 May 2019

Book review : The Last Widow - Karin Slaughter


When the latest email popped into my inbox from the LoveReading Reader Review Panel, I browsed through the titles on offer and one caught my eye instantly - The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter. I don't think I've ever read any of her books, which actually surprised me, but as a huge crime fiction fan, I knew that she was very popular and couldn't wait to find out more. When the book arrived in the post, I was impressed by the size - a whopping 446 pages - but I ended up racing through the whole thing within five days !

The book begins with a mum shopping with her daughter, before a van pulls up in the car park. The woman is terrified that her daughter is about to be kidnapped, but it turns out that she is the victim. (I actually felt that this story was underplayed, as I was looking forward to seeing how her daughter and partner would try to come to terms with her abduction.)

A few weeks later, on a sleepy Sunday afternoon, medical examiner Sara Linton is at her parents' Georgia home, awaiting a family lunch and getting grilled by her mother on her relationship with Will Trent, who works at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Will, who isn't flavour of the month, is busying himself in the garden. The peaceful day is brought to a dramatic end by a car crash just down the road. Both Will and Sara rush to help, but soon discover that things aren't as simple as they seem. Sara is taken prisoner and Will is consequently forced to go undercover, desperate to find out where she has been taken and why. 

I enjoyed discovering the characters of Will and Sara, who are both very different but seem to complement each other. Sara's mother, on the other hand, seems very hostile and critical of her daughter's boyfriend and I couldn't really find any redeeming features in her personality. This seemed strange, as her character is nothing but a bit part in the story, but I have since found out that this book is part of a series - the ninth Will Trent book in fact - so I'm sure a lot of water has passed under the bridge in the past. There was no mention of the other books on the cover, but I did have a preview copy so this may change on the official design - I definitely want to go back and read the others now though, to get all the background to the characters. That said, it works absolutely fine as a stand-alone novel and I really enjoyed it.

If you're looking for a book to stash in your suitcase to read on your summer holiday, this is absolutely perfect !

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £20

ISBN: 9780008303389
Publication date: 13th June 2019
Author: Karin Slaughter
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Format: Hardback
Pagination: 464 pages
Genres: Crime / Mystery, Thriller / Suspense,



Disclosure : I received from  the book from LoveReading, where I participate in the LoveReading Reader Review Panel.

Monday 20 May 2019

What's Cooking at The Madhouse? menu plan 2019 week #21


So here we go, with another plan for what we're eating in the coming week. Last week's plan worked well, so I'll try for the same mix of old favourites and new dishes to try out. I think I'll change the way I cook a little bit. Up to now, I've been making enough for leftovers for the next day's lunch for Juliette, who eats home alone, but she tends to ignore whatever's in the fridge and eat something else anyway. We'll see how it works ! I'm going to try out some more recipes from Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely this week too.

Monday 

dinner - Mashed Potato Pie (p171) - think cottage pie, topped with hash browns & cheese instead of mash, with a side serving of carrots (or I might just shove them in the base layer) - hmmm I'm licking my lips here already !

Tuesday 

dinner - Chicken Fajita Orzo (p172) - basically chicken, pasta, veggies, spices ....

Wednesday 

lunch - leftovers or baked potatoes with cheese & beans

dinner - Hungarian hamburgers steaks (p198) (in buns, if I remembered to buy some !) with coleslaw & pan fried potatoes

Thursday 

dinner - Cashew Chicken (p178) (or I may substitute pork as there's some in the freezer) with rice or noodles

Friday  

 dinner - veal in a creamy sauce with pasta

Saturday

lunch - McDonald's or similar

dinner - sandwiches, salad or fridge clearout

Sunday

lunch - Lemon Roast Chicken (p208) with roast potatoes & veg

dinner - sandwiches, salads or leftovers

***Click on my Menu Plans tag to see all my other weekly menu plan blogposts.***

Katykicker

Saturday 18 May 2019

Fab freebies of the week 18/5


Well, another week has been and gone - I can't keep up at the moment ! I'm flat out at work with all the end of year exams, marking and report filling and Sophie's final exams are on the way in the next few weeks - eeek ! On the plus side, it means the holidays aren't that far away ! While we wait, here's another week of fab freebies to keep you going :)

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Just enter your details below for a chance to WIN 1 of 50 power banks and our bouns competition to win 1 year free gas and electricity up to the value of £2000. Competition for the power banks is open until the 30th of June and bouns competition is open until 1st of June. Winners will be chosen at random. Good luck!


Shopmium have free offers for Milkybar® Mix Ups, a Dalston’s Craft Soda Can (ends tonight), Arla Skyr Fruit & Oats Yogurt and Piccolo Mighty Squeeze at the  - check through the offers for 50% off deals too.

You can take your pick of the freebies on CheckoutSmart too : they currently have Peperami Chicken Bites and Peperami Pastry Bites at ASDA, Ugly Sparkling Water at Sainsbury's, FAGE Total Greek Yogurt, Aloe Vera Water with Pulp,

Over on Talkhealth : To be in with a chance of winning a sample of Eucerin Urea Repair Face Cream and Eucerin Aquaphor Soothing Skin Balm click below to enter. 120 lucky people will be chosen at random after the closing date to receive one of each product.

To claim your FREE Cetraben Ointment 120g, simply fill out the form below and tell us if you would like to hear more from us. There are 500 to give away. Available while stocks last.

Now available on Send Me a Sample - Clarins Men Super Moisture. Just say to your Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant “Ask Send Me a Sample for ClarinsMen”. Get yours now!

From CanvasChimp : Get a free 16" x 12" photo canvas (£85.74 value) for only £0.00*No Coupon code required at checkout. Pay £0.00, plus shipping

Win 1 of 30 Wilkinson Sword Hydro 5 Razors. Don't miss out - enter now!

Have you claimed your Organic Baby Soap? Visit any Neal’s Yard Remedies store in the UK and quote “ROYAL BABY” to claim a FREE Organic Baby Soap*

Collect your free 10-day Clinique Foundation sample** Even Better™ Makeup SPF 15 - download your voucher now

From Bobbi Brown : TRY IT, LOVE IT, FREE 7-DAY FOUNDATION SAMPLE
Visit us in store to get shade matched and take home a FREE 7-day supply of the perfect foundation for you. Offer includes NEW Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation SPF 15.


Take part in Bacardi's 'Sun's Out Rum's Out' promotion and score yourself a delicious rum cocktail for FREE.

You do need to buy a bottle to enter this one. Summer’s nearly here and to celebrate, we’re giving you and a lucky friend the chance to win Wimbledon VIP experiences every week! We’ve also got 1000 exclusive Robinsons Wimbledon branded towels to give away. (Answer Angelique Kerber )

See which hair trends make the cut. Subscribe to Trend Watch by Sebastian Professional and get a free sample

Answer 6 questions and get our Foot Peel Mask free.

You can see previous weeks' freebie roundups by clicking here but be warned, many of the offers are only valid for a short time. Let me know if any have expired and I'll remove them from the roundup.

You may also like to enter my current giveaways :


Wednesday 15 May 2019

Madhouse recipe : Caramel apple pie


The other day, I looked in the fruit bowl and discovered several apples that were on their last legs. Hmmmm what could I make to use them up? In the end, Pierre wanted to help with the preparation so I just went for a very quick apple pie, using up various odds and ends from the kitchen cupboard and the fridge. It was a rush job but came out absolutely delicious - definitely one to make again ! As I wasn't planning on blogging about it, I didn't complain when Pierre put the pastry in off-centred, so apologies for the weird shape !

Caramel apple pie

ingredients :

a sheet of puff pastry
4-5 apples
half a jar of crème de caramel (salted caramel spread)
a little icing sugar


Lay the sheet of puff pastry in a baking tin. We left the greaseproof paper in the bottom for an easier clean up. As you can see, ours didn't go in very straight !


I popped it in the oven to pre-cook while the oven was warming up. Rummaging through the cupboards, I found a jar of salted caramel spread, which had been brought back from Brittany then abandoned in the cupboard.


Spoon about a quarter to half a jar of sauce into the bottom of the pie crust. It was runnier than I expected but good enough.


Peel and slice the apples and lay them in a spiral design on top of the caramel.


Bake for about half an hour, until the pastry has gone golden brown and crusty and the apple slices are soft when stabbed with a knife. Sprinkle over a little icing sugar, once it has cooled down. Tuck in, with extra whipped cream or ice cream, if you're feeling particularly decadent. The caramel sauce goes runny and the saltiness totally complements the sweetness of the apples. Hmmmm !


This was a great way of clearing out odds and ends from the kitchen so I'll add it to the next #KitchenClearout linky (when I actually get around to publishing it !)

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