Fruit foraging

Every year I like to try and make my own Christmas presents, this usually takes a lot of preparation way before christmas. This year I have decided to make different jams. On my way into town I found lots of blackberries which is great as they make fantastic jam and even better their free! so came back with Tupperware boxes which I filled full of blackberries. I haven't got time this week to make the jam and may not have quite enough so I am going to freeze them to use later.

Football cake

My lovely friend Jackie asked if I could make a football cake for her husbands birthday. He supports Ipswich town so thought I would incorporate blue and white (Ipswich town colours) into the cake buy making the lettering blue and white and adding a blue and white scarf on top of the cake. 

To make the inside of the cake stripey I made 2 sponges, one blue, one normal sponge and cut them in half and sandwiched the alternate colours together with white chocolate buttercream 

Barbecue pulled pork

I got this recipie from my friend Chantels husband. It's perfect for having friends over in the evening as it's cooked in a slow cooker so you can just put it on first thing in the morning and pretty much forget about it most of the day. It's really easy too and tastes fantastic! 

Ingredients: 

1 tbsp of dark brown sugar 

1 tbsp of salt 

1 tbsp of chilly powder 

1/2 tsp of cumin 

1/4 tsp of cinamon 

2kg pork shoulder 

1 onion 

4 garlic cloves 

1/2 chicken stock cube 

1 jar of bbq cooking sauce 

3 tbsp bbq sauce 

Method: 

24 hours before pat pork dry and rub the sugar, salt, cumin, cinamon and chilly powder into the pork. Place in a covered dish in the fridge. 

Finely chop onions and garlic and place in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add a cup of chicken stock and place the pork on top. Put the lid on and set the temperature to high.

After around 4 hours the fat from the pork can be peeled off. 

After another 2 hours shred the pork with forks and add the bbq sauces. 

Cook for a further 2 hours or untill cooked and not too sloppy 😃

Chocolate and raspberry pavlova

I made this chocolate pavlova for a BBQ last night it was so easy and tasted incredible!! I did slightly tweak the recipie, I used raspberries instead of strawberries and added vanilla extract to the cream and drizzled melted white chocolate over the top layer. YUM! chocolate pavlova

DIY mosaic garden table

My glass garden table unfortunately died a horrible death after we left the parasol up over a windy night waking up to the glass top being completely smashed all over the patio. Instead of binning the table we decided to make a new top. My husband created the wooden base and my parents had recently changed their bathroom so had the previous bathroom tiles to smash up for the mosaic. I had never done a mosaic before, it was quite time consuming and the grouting was difficult as the tile levels were not all the same but I am pleased with the result and it's nice to know I have a one of a kind table that no one else will have. 

Goats cheese and caramelised onion tart

Today I had my gorgeous friends coming for lunch and they requested my homemade goats cheese and caramelised onion tart. It's really easy to make and goes down a treat!

Ingredients:

3 large red onions 

1 tsp of Tyme 

3 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp of brown sugar

175g of plain flour 

75g of butter or margarine 

Pinch of salt

2 eggs 

50ml of milk 

150g of goats cheese

Method:

I made the onion filling the day before -Chop onions and cook in a pan with a lid on for 20 mins. Then add balsamic vinagar, sugar and Tyme and cook for 15-20 minutes with the lid off untill the onions are soft and all the liquid has gone. 

For the pastry - rub the flour and butter and salt together with your hands untill like bread crumbs. Then add water a little at a time untill the mixture comes together in a ball. Place in fridge for 30 mins. Greese a tart tin then Roll out pastry onto a floured surface and place into the tin ensuring there are no holes. Cut of the excess pastry. Cover the pastry with baking paper and fill it with baking beans. Place in the oven at 190 degrees for 20 mins then remove baking beans and paper and put back in the oven for 5 mins. Then put the onion mixture straight into the case. Mix the eggs with the milk in a jug and season with salt and pepper. Crumble the goats cheese evenly over the onions then pour on the egg mixture. Bake in the oven for 30-45 mins. 

Banana Loaf cake

I have friends coming for tea tomorrow so thought I would bake a cake for them and had some VERY ripe bananas to use up so thought perfect banana loaf cake it is 😊 

Ingredients:

140g of butter 

140g of caster sugar 

140g of self raising flour 

1 tsp of baking powder 

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

2 mashed bananas 

3 medium eggs 

Icing sugar 

Dried banana or sliced fresh banana 

Method:

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees and greese and line a loaf tin. 

Cream together the butter and sugar, add the eggs one at a time, then add all the dry ingredients and last but not least mix in the bananas. Pour mixture into tin and put in the oven for 30-40 mins. Once cooked turn cake out onto a cooling rack. Once completely cooled mix some icing sugar in a bowel with some water then drizzle over the cake. I topped my cake with slices of banana that I baked in the oven for 20 mins alternatively you could put already dried banana chips on top.