The Great British Bake Off Final!

So last night saw the final of this years Great British Bake Off. If you’ve not been watching this series, you’ve missed a treat! To summarise 12 amateur home bakers take part in a bake-off to test all of their baking skills as they challenge each other to be win the title of the Great British Bake Off’s best amateur baker, they cook anything from classic Victoria sponges to pastries, to bread. I’ve loved every minute of this programme it’s been even better than the first series!

Big Congratulations to Joanne Wheatley who won the title last night but congratulations also has to go to Mary-Anne Boermans and Holly Bell the runners up. Personally I thought Holly was the winner but it was a close call.

Recipes from the contestants on the series can be found on the website http://www.thegreatbritishbakeoff.com/recipes/

You can view Joanne Wheatley’s blog, Jo’s blue AGA, at http://josblueaga.blogspot.com/.
You can follow Joanne Wheatley on Twitter: @joannewheatley

You can view Holly Bell’s blog, Recipes from a Normal Mum, at http://recipesfromanormalmum.blogspot.com.
There you can view her latest postings, beautiful celebration cakes, recipes and reviews.
You can also follow Holly on twitter: @HollyBellMummy

You can view Mary-Anne Boerman’s blog, Time to Cook Online, at http://timetocookonline.com/.
Follow Mary-Anne on twitter: @wotchers

There is also an Official Book to accompany the series

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1849902682/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegreatbri00-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1849902682

It’s definitely on our shopping list!!

All the Best!

Happy Baking!!

Claire
Xx

Twitter:
@CropredyChicken
@Honestlyitseasy
@steelsyrockitup

TV Cookery Shows ....

Hello!!!

This blog s all about whats on the tv at the moment because I don’t know about anyone else but I am pleased as punch that ‘The Great British Bake Off’ is back on BBC 2. For those who didn’t see the last series the new series can be summarised as follows; twelve of the country's best amateur bakers take part in the second series of The Great British Bake Off, hosted by Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins.

In this weeks episode the contestants make cupcakes, tiered cakes and Battenberg cake (Mary Berry’s recipe). Ever since watching the first episode last night I have been craving coffee and walnut Battenberg cake! You can view the episode here;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b013pqxw/The_Great_British_Bake_Off_Series_2_Episode_1/

In Mel and Sue you also have the perfect presenters – I can’t imagine any other paring doing such a great job!

Via the official website www.bbc.co.uk/food/campaigns/get-baking they are also encouraging people to get baking “its a great way to raise money for BBC Children in Need, so put on your apron for Pudsey and find out how you can help make a difference. Mary Berry answers your baking questions and you can download posters and bunting for a bake sale.”

The other BBC programme I have loved (unfortunately it’s finished now) is Rick Stein’s Spain, fortunately for all those who missed this absolutely wonderful series all of the programmes can be seen via the BBC iplayer

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b012m958/Rick_Steins_Spain_Episode_1/

I was lucky enough to be taken to Rick Steins restaurant in Padstow for my 30th Birthday this year and have to say I think he’s a bit of a legend!

I also caught Mexican Food Made Simple last night, again this is a new series Thomasina Miers presents on Channel 5, some great recipe ideas and the filming is very well executed.

So what shows are everyone else watching and loving?

Claire
Xx

Twitter:
@CropredyChicken
@Honestlyitseasy
@steelsyrockitup

Kill It, Cut It, Use It!

Last night I caught the 3rd episode in this series on BBC3;

Julia Bradbury and a group of young consumers discover how the humble pig can provide everything from shoes and hairbrushes to sweets and vital medical parts. You can watch it again on the BBC IPlayer, just follow the link below;


http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0126jm8/Kill_It_Cut_It_Use_It_Pig/

I have to say the two people Prince Cassius and Sade, who were part of this programme were the most annoying people I’ve seen on tv in a long time. I know that people who have always lived in the city may not necessarily know how some animals smell, how big they are etc, but please they really had no idea at all.

Maybe I may seem a bit harsh, not everyone wants to know, or has any interest in knowing where their products have come from and what they are made from. But personally I think it’s very important for people to understand whether what they are wearing or eating came from an animal or wherever.

If you haven’t seen any of this series it is well worth a watch, the previous two episodes are about Cows and Sheep, all available on the wonderful Iplayer (what did we do before things like the iplayer!?)

Cow
1.Julia Bradbury and young consumers discover how the inedible parts of a cow can be turned into everything from car seats and tennis rackets to fastenings and posh plates.

Sheep
2. Julia Bradbury and a group of young consumers discover how the inedible parts of a sheep can be turned into everything from comfy boots to cosmetics and even condoms.

Julia Bradbury we salute you, think your absolutely fabulous!

Keep up the amazing work!

All the Best!

Claire
Xx

Twitter:
@CropredyChicken
@Honestlyitseasy
@steelsyrockitup

BBC Gardeners World Live & The Good Food Show!

Firstly I need to apologise for the delay in this post, Gardeners World Live was last weekend and I just haven't had the time to blog about it!

I have to admit I was really impressed with the show which also tied in The Good Food Show Summer. There was so many fab things to see, lots of freebies and best of all LOADS of inspiration and ideas!

The New meaning to "The Flower Bed"!!

Showing you that anything can be used in the garden to make a "Bug" hotel. They use an old shopping trolley and literally stuff it full of stuff (!!), like old bricks, bamboo, chimney stacks etc etc. It actually looked really good and I can imagine that this would by 5 stars to the bug world!

Loved this exhibit with the bonsai trees, they just don't look real! This one is over 100yrs old! We decided to purchase two baby trees and see if we could create our own little bonsai's! I've always thought they were hard to look after, but apparently not (according to the exhibitors) so we will see if they live or die in our care!

The Alliums, member of the garlic family! I absolutely love these flowers, they make such a statement in a garden, their huge ball heads and vibrant colours, they attract the bees and basically just look damn cool!!!
I will definately be adding many of these to my flower garden, which will be planned and planted next year.

The RSPCA exhibit! Just had to show you how neat this HUGE dog sofa was!

The Cacti exhibit - I love Cacti, they come in every size, shape and colour, are super easy to look after and pretty much hard to kill!
I have a few cacti at home, which I have had for yrs. One actually flowered this yr for the first time!!! I think if anyone wants a house plant that just looks after itself, can stand being forgotten about for a couple of months, and still survive then a cacti is for you!!!

Paul Rankin! Yep I met Paul Rankin this time round, very nice chap who even signed my Rankin selection bread - Irish Barmbrack! Lush!
http://rankinselection.com/ Check out his other receipes!!


Well that was the show in a snap shot! I have LOADS more photos but this blog would be way too long!
We came home very satisfied, lots of free goodies and even bought a few bits! My boys especially love the Venus Fly Traps we bought them. They love feeding them flies and watching them snap shut! Quality!

FYI - The Good Food Show is back in November for its Winter edition which I always find has alot more to offer as Summer edition is usually alot smaller due to sharing with Gardeners World!!
Also Gardeners World will be back next year in June so make sure you pop it in the diary!!
(Tip - I get my tickets through Tesco online with my vouchers!)

Hope you're enjoying this glorious sun!

Mel
@Tikobear
@honestlyitseasy

P.S. The garden is still coming along, the veg are going nuts, the sunflowers are growing rapidly and we're enjoying tons of fresh grown produce! Yum!

Oh and last but not least, I am running the Race For Life this yr on 30th July. If you would like to sponsor me, please do so on my sponsor page:
http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/melaniemcpherson
Thank you!!!

This weekend is going to be a scorcher!

Apparently this weekend is going to be the hottest yet! Yippee!! After working very hard over the last couple of weeks I have decided Saturday is my day off! I’m going to be pottering around my garden all day long if I get my way!

There are lots of jobs that have been slipping due to the busyness of everyday life. The grass needs cutting, the hedges need trimming, the beans need tying up against the poles, some seedlings need planting out, you get the idea I wont bore you with all the details!!

We are also going to organise our chicken area a little better. So plenty to be getting on with – not sure if one day will be enough!! I'll be properly updating my side of the blog after the weekend and will make sure I get some pictures up as well!

We’ve also been catching a few episodes of spring watch, tonight’s was particularly good, there was a fab piece about making a bee hotel, here is the link!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/natureuk/2011/05/wildlife-gardening-ideas-helpi.shtml

Whatever you get up to this weekend, enjoy the weather, enjoy your garden and the wildlife in your garden, make the most of it – in this country you can never be too sure how long its going to last!!

All the Best!
Claire
Xx

Twitter:
@CropredyChicken
@Honestlyitseasy
@steelsyrockitup

Multicoloured macaroons recipe

So last night Spen and I made some macaroons! The recipe is below but here’s a quick summary on our first go;

Never made these before but I’ve wanted to for a while ever since I saw them being made on Lorraine Pascale ‘ s BBC show a short while ago.

Supermodel turned patisserie chef Lorraine Pascale is the BBC's new home baking heroine. In this gorgeous new cookbook to accompany the series, Lorraine shares her expertise, passion and her all time favourite sweet and savoury recipes.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Baking-Made-Easy-Lorraine-Pascale/dp/0007275943/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304838035&sr=8-1

So we made the mixtre and unfortunately we discovered that I don’t own a piping bag. SO we tried to ‘bodge’ it and try using a sandwich bag with the end cut off – as you can see from the pictures below – they didn’t really work!

Although after they were cooked and filled with chocolate butter icing they definitely tasted great!! Now that we’ve made them once I will definitely be making them again – after I’ve purchased a piping bag! lol!

http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/multicoloured-macaroons

Multicoloured macaroons recipe

By Lizzie Kamenetzky

• Makes 20 |
• Takes 45 minutes to make, 15 minutes to cook, plus cooling

Macaroons are coming back into fashion in a big way.Carefully follow the recipe for perfect macaroons that will wow your guests.

Ingredients
1. 175g icing sugar
2. 125g ground almonds
3. 3 large free-range egg whites
4. 75g caster sugar

For the filling
1. 150g butter, softened
2. 75g icing sugar

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan140°C/gas 3. Whizz the icing sugar and ground almonds in a food processor to a very fine mixture, then sift into a bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt to soft peaks, then gradually whisk in the caster sugar until thick and glossy. (At this point you can stir in flavour extract, such as peppermint or lemon, and corresponding colouring such as blue or yellow, to your meringue mixture, depending on what kind of macaroons you want – see chef's tip. Or divide the meringue among different bowls if you want to make more than one colour.)

3. Fold half the almond and icing sugar mixture into the meringue and mix well. Add the remaining half, making sure you use a spatula to cut and fold the mixture until it is shiny and has a thick, ribbon-like consistency as it falls from the spatula. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle.

4. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Pipe small rounds of the macaroon mixture, about 3cm across, onto the baking sheets. Give the baking sheets a sharp tap on the work surface to ensure a good ‘foot’. Leave to stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to form a slight skin. This is important – you should be able to touch them lightly without any mixture sticking to your finger. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.

5. Meanwhile, make the filling/s (unless making chocolate macaroons – see chef's tip). In a bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy, then beat in the icing sugar. (You can now add flavouring or nuts, and colour – see chef's tip.) Use to sandwich pairs of macaroons together.

Nutritional info

Per macaroon: 160kcals, 9.7g fat (4.2g saturated), 1.8g protein, 17.5g carbs, 16.4g sugar, 0.2g salt

Chef's tip

Macaroons taste wonderful plain, but why not add flavouring and colouring? Flavour extracts – such as raspberry, lemon and peppermint – and colourings are available in supermarkets and cake shops. Try squires-shop.com to buy online. To flavour and colour your macaroons, in step 2, add around ½ tsp flavour extract, then add the appropriate colouring, a drop at a time, until you reach the desired intensity. Flavour and colour the buttercream in the same way. For chocolate macaroons, replace a quarter of the icing sugar with cocoa powder and use Nutella as the filling. For pistachio macaroons, replace half the ground almonds with ground pistachios (whizz in a blender or finely chop by hand), and use green food colouring to achieve a pastel green. Fold chopped pistachios through the filling, if you like.