Royal British Legion #KissForVEDay Campaign

As you can't have failed to notice, the 8th May 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), the end of World War II in Europe. When the Allies accepted Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender, Sir Winston Churchill announced a public holiday. (In fact, in France, the 8th May is still a public holiday every year to mark the occasion.) Thousands of people gathered in London and spontaneous street parties took place across the country. ‘The kiss’ of a loved one (or even a stranger) became very symbolic to VE Day celebrations.

‘I always say that I was kissed more that night (VE Day) than I had ever been kissed in my life before’ (Marguerite Patten)

This year, The Royal British Legion, in its role as the National Custodian of Remembrance, will lead the nation in celebrating a unique generation who gave us so much, while raising awareness for the critical work it does today for serving personnel, veterans and their families from all conflicts. As part of this campaign, the Legion will encourage people to remember the past while looking to the future through a UK-wide celebration called #KissForVEDay. 

They are asking you to share a photograph of yourself kissing a partner, friend or family member on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram using the #KissforVEDay hashtag and encourage your followers to do the same. The kiss can be on the hand, cheek or even the lips (or perhaps you wish to blow a kiss to your followers!) 

You can also show your support on their Thunderclap campaign by clicking here: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/25806-kissforveday (It won't cost you a penny, it's all about spreading the word on social media !)

So pucker up and show your support. Here's my #KissForVEDay !

for more information : http://www.veday.org.uk/kiss-for-ve-day/

Globecooking recipe : Chocolate & Chestnut Truffle Hearts (France) #happyeggtastemakers

The Happy Egg Co made me into a Happy (Easter) Bunny this year by sending me a fabulous cookbook : Totally Chocolate by Eric Lanlard. The book promises 60 deliciously seductive recipes and after having a quick flick through, all I can say is wow, they're weren't kidding !

It is even signed by the lovely chef himself which is rather cool.

They sent through a lovely recipe for Peanut Butter & Chocolate Egg Cups that Eric Lanlard aka Cake Boy has created exclusively for The Happy Egg Co. I had every intention of making this over Easter using up the leftover Easter eggs but ... well, that's just the problem. Leftover Easter eggs? Is that even a thing ?! As I flicked through the book, I came across this recipe for Chocolate & Chestnut Truffle Hearts which leapt out at me because it uses chestnut puree.

I happen to have had a tin of chestnut purée - or crème de marrons - cluttering up the cupboard for months and had no idea what to do with it. Problem solved.

I opened it up and had a tentative taste - it's extremely sweet and has a very slight nutty flavour. Should be interesting with chocolate. Here's the recipe if you fancy giving it a go :

Eric Lanlard's Chocolate & Chestnut Truffle Hearts

ingredients :

125g dark chocolate

125g butter

30g sweetened chestnut paste

1tsp vanilla extract

2tbsp chestnut flour (I didn't have any so used plain flour)

4 Happy Egg Co eggs, separated

optional : chopped glacé chestnuts, to decorate

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Break the chocolate into pieces in a bowl .

Add the butter and melt over hot water or in the microwave.

Mix in the chestnut paste and vanilla then add the (chestnut) flour. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time.

In a perfectly clean bowl, whisk up the egg whites to soft peaks and fold into the chocolate/chestnut mixture.

Divide the mixture between silicon muffin cases.

Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until a knife comes out clean.

They're quite dense but very moist and they have a pleasant chocolatey flavour with a slightly nutty undercurrent coming through. Delicious - and absolutely perfect for using up my tin of chestnut puree !

Eric Lanlard isn't the only person that The Happy Egg Co have been working with. They have also partnered up with food stylist and photographer Marte Marie Forsberg to share her top tips for making your food look as good as it tastes.

Her top tips to consider are : Light, Composition, Styling, Colour and Food. I put this into practice and took my cakes outside to make the most of the soft evening light, as well as the vibrant pink flowers on the patio.

I also had a go at composition, putting the cakes next to the recipe book and also the tin of chestnut paste.

I have to admit though, my favourite photo of the cakes is this candid one of Pierre, cheekily tucking into one behind my back while I was setting up the photos !

Disclosure : This is my entry into the #happyeggtastemakers food photography blogger challenge. I received a voucher for some Happy Eggs.

As this used up a tin of chestnut puree that has been lurking in my cupboard for ages, I'll link it up to the #KitchenClearout challenge. Fancy having a rummage in your kitchen cupboards, fridge, freezer or spice rack to see what needs using up? See what you can make with it then come and share on the #KitchenClearout linkie :)

I'm adding this to the Bloggers Around The World challenge focusing on French recipes

Kenco Millicano Dark Roast - dark but fair ! (review)

Madhouse Daddy loves his coffee. I don't think he could function in the morning without a cup of the dark stuff actually (he's French so he drinks it black and very strong). He usually makes a cup with our Dolce Gusto machine but he was gutted to find that it was clogged up with limescale last week and needed descaling before it would work. Kenco to the rescue - they'd sent us through a tin of their newest creation to try out : Kenco Millicano Dark Roast, along with a rather lovely mug.

Madhouse Daddy's first reaction was to turn his nose up, thinking that instant coffee wouldn't be able to rival his freshly brewed cup, but Kenco Millicano Dark Roast is designed to give you a richer coffee experience, promising a distinctive dark roasted taste and a full-bodied flavour. It contains finely milled whole beans giving the premium taste reminiscent of roast and ground coffee. First giving it a tentative (but approving) sniff in the tin, Madhouse Daddy made a cup and had to agree that it wasn't bad at all - it tastes almost as good as his usual cup made with the coffee machine and is a lot less hassle, particularly first thing in the morning. He also likes the fact that he could make several cups of decent tasting coffee after a meal when we have friends over, rather than making them one at a time with the Dolce Gusto, which is pretty laborious.

So, full marks for taste and convenience, but you may be wondering about the "dark but fair" bit of the title. Well, Kenco have launched a project called ‘Coffee vs. Gangs’ which aims to give young people in Honduras an alternative to gang life and the opportunity to choose a more positive future by training as coffee farmers and learning entrepreneurial skills. The sale of Kenco products supports this initiative.

I received a voucher by email for £1 off Kenco Millicano Dark Roast - I'm not sure if it will work for everyone or if it's personalised but feel free to give it a go ! Kenco are also pledging to donate £1 to Coffee vs. Gangs participants when the voucher is used.

I couldn't help but smile this morning. The Dolce Gusto has been unclogged and is in full working order again but I noticed Madhouse Daddy reaching for the Kenco before heading off to work - "well, it tastes almost the same and it's quicker", he said. High praise indeed from a French coffee-snob !!

RRP : £4.39 for 95g

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

#KitchenClearout recipe : Hairy Bikers' Cheese Pie & Deep South Brown Sugar Steak

If there's one thing the Hairy Bikers know how to do, it's fuss-free, family-friendly comfort food, so when I saw their recipe for Cheese Pie, I knew it would be a winner. It also reminds me of the Cheese & Potato Pie that I made in home economics when I was at school and proudly brought home for the family to eat for dinner !

It's very simple to make. Boil some potatoes and when they are soft, mash them with lashings of milk and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Put half in an oven proof dish and sprinkle generously with grated cheese. 

Add a second layer of potato and top with toasted breadcrumbs and more grated cheese - don't hold back, it needs to be really cheesy ! Put in the oven at 180° for 30-40 minutes.

As I was on a #KitchenClearout mission, I decided to use up these two forlorn-looking tomatoes from the veg box in the fridge. I chopped off the bashed bits then thickly sliced them and put a line down the middle of the potato for the last 20 minutes of cooking time.

So what to serve with it? I had some steak that I'd defrosted and thought it would be nice with a marinade - a quick rummage in my tin of seasoning sachets revealed this Schwartz Grill Mates Deep South Brown Sugar Marinade Mix.

I have used this before and just sprinkled it over meat with olive oil drizzled on top, but this time I followed the istructions on the back of the pack, mixing in orange juice, white wine vinegar and olive oil.

I left it to marinade for half an hour while the Cheese Pie was in the oven then fried it. It was lovely - sweet and smoky with just the right amount of subtle chilli kick. (I didn't put any on the kids steak, which was just as well - they thought it was too spicy !)

And there you have it - Hairy Bikers' Cheese Pie & Deep South Brown Sugar Steak. Result : full tummies and not-so-full kitchen cupboard/fridge !

Fancy having a rummage in your kitchen cupboards, fridge, freezer or spice rack to see what needs using up? See what you can make with it then come and share on the #KitchenClearout linkie :)

Celebrating life on TV tonight

It's been an emotional rollercoaster on TV tonight. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been laughing out loud but also wiping away a surreptitious tear as I watch The C Word - it's a fantastic drama, made all the more poignant for knowing the real-life blogger, the wonderfully sassy, honest and hilarious Lisa Lynch. Sheridan Smith is amazing in her portrayal of Lisa but you should also check out the original Alright Tit blog if you haven't read it before. Don't forget your tissues though !

On a happier note, you might have also seen Pampers' gorgeous new ad, celebrating the birth of the royal princess but also #EveryBaby. If you missed it you can see it below.

That brought back some happy memories of the births of the three Madhouse kids and it's a wonderful keepsake for the mums who gave birth on the same day as Kate Middleton !

If there's one thing tonight's TV has reminded me, it is how precious life is, so make every second count !

Globecooking recipe : Empanadas & Pebre Chileno (Chile)

As soon I saw the recipe for Empanadas in my Chile-themed Kitchen Trotter box, my mouth watered - I made some fantastic Baked Cheese Empanadas a while ago that were as tasty as they were simple to put together.

This recipe used two ingredients from the box - a mysterious exclusive-recipe empanadas filling mix and some more of the ubiquitous Chilean seasoning, Mapuche Spice (also known as Merken).

The empanadas filling mix contains dehydrated onions, raisins, dehydrated black olives, cumin and chilli.

The first thing to do is rehydrate it in water - its smell reminded me of French onion soup from a packet, so you could either substitute that and add in the extras, or make your own with fried onions and spices, mixing in some black olives and raisins at the last minute.

Empanadas & Pebre Chileno

ingredients :

1 pack ready-made shortcrust pastry (or make your own with 250 g flour, 70g softened butter, 1 egg,1tsp salt, 1/2tsp sugar, 3-4tbsp warm water) 

250g steak

1 packet empanadas filling (or make your own with onions, raisins black olives, cumin and chilli)

1 clove garlic

1tbsp sugar

1tsp Mapuche spice (Merken) or use chilli powder

175ml wine

2tsp oregano

4 eggs (optional)

salt, pepper

drizzle of olive oil

Pebre Chileno

2 tomatoes

1 onion

1 clove garlic

fresh coriander

1tbsp olive oil

2tbsp lemon juice

salt, pepper

Fry up a clove of garlic (finely chopped) in a little olive oil. (Looking at these photos, I really need to get some new pans !)

Add in the rehydrated onion mixture (or finely chopped onions) and gently fry for a couple of minutes. Chop the steak into 1cm squares and add to the pan, as well was the herbs and spices. Cook until the meat is browned then add the wine and leave to simmer for 20 minutes until the wine is absorbed. (I actually veered away from the recipe here - I had some leftover cooked steak from the day before so I left out the wine altogether and just drizzled over some lime juice and pomegranate molasses. This gave it a lovely zesty, tart flavour.) I also left out the eggs because I already had too much filling, but if you are using them, you need to hardboil them and chop them then add them to the mixture. Taste and adjust the seasoning (salt, pepper, Mapuche spice, lime juice, pomegranate molasses).

Use a large cookie cutter to cut rounds out of the pastry and put a spoonful of filling in each one. Fold over, press down the edges to seal and brush with a little milk.

Pop them on a greased baking tray and put them in the oven at 180° for 20 minutes until nice and golden.

While they are cooking, make the pebre by finely dicing the tomatoes and onions, adding the chopped coriander and a pinch of Mapuche spice and mixing. I had some of empanadas filling left over so I just mixed that in with the finely chopped tomato. Add a drizzle of olive oil and chill in the fridge until the empanadas are cooked.

These were suggested as a starter but I served them as a main meal with rice and the pebre. I cooked up some chicken nuggets for the kids because I wasn't sure they'd approve but they wolfed down the lot (and the chicken nuggets !!).

*** Don't miss my country-by-country globecooking recipe index ! ***

Ella's Kitchen - not just for babies ! (review)

A few weeks ago, you may have noticed that we reviewed the new range of bath-time products from Paddy's Bathroom. As they are from the same founder as Ella's Kitchen (Ella and Paddy are his real life children !), I received an email asking if we'd like to review some of Ella's Kitchen's snacks too. I replied that the Madhouse kids are probably a bit too old now but the lovely PR lady replied that she still munched on them herself (which made me smile !) so she'd send us through some of the older toddler snacks to try out. 

Soon after, this lovely selection arrived. The kids got all excited at the idea of munching through loads of crisps and cookies and I secretly smiled, knowing that these were from Ella's Kitchen so they were healthier versions with no hidden nasties.

They unpacked everything, oohing and aahing at the Grab Me Melty Puffs, the Pick Me Melty Hoops, the Crunchy Rings, Wheels and Sticks and the Grip Me Baby Biscuits.

As Madhouse Daddy wasn't coming home for lunch, the kids begged to have an indoor picnic. It's a semi-regular event where I put out loads of nibbles (mini sandwiches, chopped up pizza, carrot sticks, olives, chopped up fruit, chorizo slices, cherry tomatoes ...). I agreed that we'd include a selection of the Ella's Kitchen sacks and Pierre was already having a sneaky nibble before half of the food was out !

Juliette loved the cheese and leeks flavour of the Crunchy Wheels and the fun shape.

Pierre prefered the softness of the Melty Puffs. Here he is trying out the tomatoes and leeks flavour but we were also very surprised to discover that we loved the strawberries and bananas flavour ones too. Fruity-flavoured crisps, who'd have thought it ?! I think these actually ended up being the ultimate favourites.

The parsnips and poppy seeds savoury biscuits weren't quite as popular because they were deemed a bit too hard, but as they are targetting babies and toddlers, experimenting with different textures is an important part of weaning. I nibbled on one and found it quite bland but that's presumably because they aren't packed with salt and sugar, unlike most grown-up snacks.

The tubs of Melty Hoops and the Baby Biscuits are more portable (the biscuits are individually wrapped) so they were put in out bag along with balls, skipping ropes and jumpers for a trip to the park. They were devoured amidst many appreciative hmmms, with the apple and ginger baby biscuits being a particular hit. I've put the rest in my handbag for snacks-on-the-go, safe in the knowledge that the individual wrappers will avoid getting crumbs everywhere.

I mentioned that the Melty Hoop tubs would be great for making into maracas with some rice, beans or pasta in them so when I came to recycle the box that the snacks had come in, I was pleased to see that I'm not the only with crafty ideas !

Ella's Kitchen's motto is "Good in every sense" so it's lovely to find a healthier alternative to fat, salt and additive-packed crisps and nibbles that the kids actually liked. I was surprised actually - while I loved the products when the Madhouse kids were toddlers, I thought that their taste buds would have been too corrupted by processed foods to enjoy them now, but I was proved wrong !

for more information : http://www.ellaskitchen.co.uk/

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