Year: 2012

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Pirate Cup Cakes

I spotted this lovely box in Sainsburys (I think).  I had to buy it, and my eldest decided to don his cheffing apron and make a batch of cakes with them for Halloween.

I know it’s a bit past Halloween now, but these are great cup cakes for birthday parties.

How many little boys could bypass some delightful cakes with tasty icing for a special occasion?

The box contained enough cup cake cases and flag toppers to make up to 24 cakes.  I think he did a pretty good job of the icing and decoration for his first attempt from start to finish at making cakes, with absolutely no help from mum (well ok, just a bit).

He is rightly chuffed to bits with the outcome.

Here is the recipe that he used to make his cakes.

Pirate Cup Cakes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Bakery
Servings 24

Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz Caster Sugar
  • 8 oz Butter Melted
  • 4 Medium Eggs
  • 8 oz Self Raising Flour
  • Packet Coloured Icing We used green and red, ready made sugarcraft icing.
  • Sprinkles or Topping For on top of your cakes.

Instructions
 

  • Add melted butter and sugar into a bowl, or mixer and mix until smooth.

  • Add the four eggs and continue to mix until thoroughly mixed.

  • Finally, add sifted flour and mix until the desired consistency is reached. I sometimes add an extra ounce or two of flour if I don't like the look of the mix.

  • Place into the cupcake cases and bake for 15 - 18 minutes at 180 degrees. Makes your oven is pre-heated.

  • When your cakes are cooked, take them out of the oven and let them cool before adding sugarcraft icing, sprinkles and the flags.

 

 

 

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Are Fizzy Drinks Bad For Us?

I love carbonated drinks.  I have a soda stream, so my fizz of choice tends to be simply diluting juice with added sparkle.  The question I really have to ask, is should I really be drinking any fizz at all?

We all know the sugary fizzy drinks, otherwise known as soda, pop, or ale depending on where in the country we live in, are really bad for us, and I keep reading that the diet versions are horrendous too.

I used to be addicted to Diet Irn Bru.  I say addicted as it was all I drank.  I’d get through at least 2 x 2 litre bottles in a day.  Weaning myself off the drink took nearly two weeks and lots of headaches, but I can now happily take a coffee, Diet Irn Bru or Diet Coke without getting a caffeine headache, although caffeine does give me acid reflux.

My concern exists as I prefer my drinks sparkly to still, and people keep telling me that all carbonated water is bad.  I thought I’d have a look to see what I could find on it.

So, Is Carbonated Water Bad for You?

With a quick Internet search, we could be forgiven for thinking that we are going to pop our clogs if we don’t stop drinking fizz, as our bones will deteriorate into a mess of osteoporosis, with rotten teeth, smelly breath, stomach pain, excess wind and possibly even cancer.  All of those things really are food for thought.

The Truth About Calcium

I found no evidence that drinking fizzy water with added juice would do anything at all to my bones or my teeth.  There is the possibility that the only reason people have calcium deficiency could really be just because they take in less calcium in their diet as a result of possibly only drinking fizzy drinks.

In 2005, the British Journal of Nutrition published the results of a small clinical trial comparing healthy postmenopausal women who drank about one quart of non carbonated mineral water daily with those who drank the same amount of carbonated mineral water. After eight weeks, blood and urine tests for bone turnover showed no difference between the two groups.

So, if drinking carbonated water doesn’t add to osteoporosis or teeth decay, what does?

Some studies report caffeine as the culprit, and as someone who was once addicted to caffeine, I can relate to the problem.  There are suggestions that caffeine hinders the absorption of calcium in our bodies, even if we have ingested enough to be healthy.

Water Contents

All water, tap, mineral and spring contains small amounts of calcium and other minerals.

Heart Benefits

The Journal of Nutrition study, discussed by Dr Briffa, found that drinking of sparkling mineral water did not lead to an increase in blood pressure and may actually be beneficial for our bodies.  I’m happy to live with that as fizz is a big part of my life.

What about flavours?

This is where we can easily fall down.  Cola can strip a penny back to the shiny new piece of metal it once was.   It will have caffeine, either sugar or sweetner, and possibly a whole raft of colourings, additives and flavourings.   It seems a good idea to make sure that if we use flavourings, we look at what is actually on the label, and decide if that is what we really want to drink.

Will I keep drinking fizzy drinks?

After reading article upon article, I think I have enough of a handle on what it does and doesn’t do, so I can give an appropriate answer to the next person who tells me that my fizzy water is the root of all evil.  I will also enjoy the fact that I have a better chance for lower cholesterol, and relish the knowledge that I am not harming my teeth and bones after all.

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Simpson’s Restaurant Review – A Meal for Two

I had a lovely invite from Simpson’s Hotel and Restaurant in Queens Road, Aberdeen.  The request was to review a three course meal for two at an evening sitting.  It’s been a long time since the man and I have been out together, so we decided to accept and happily trotted down to the hotel last week for our meal.

The restaurant is big and airy, and boasts an impressive entrance hall from above, with a decorative set of stairs to walk down to the dining area.

There is a side entrance that would suit anyone who needs wheelchair access. The side entrance is also pleasantly done, and not simply an after thought to meet legislation.

We were sat up at the back in a quiet corner, and I have to hold my hand up to burning the menu.  It was a very large single sheet menu and I laid it down on the table while I got my phone out of my bag.

Mr Scottish smelled the burning first, and whipped the menu up off the tealight before it went on fire.  I didn’t trust myself after that and I put the candle on a table beside us.

Bread and drinks were quickly offered, but we declined the bottle of white and settled on some soft drinks and a couple of pints for Mr Scottish during the evening.

Staff were very attentive and we were looked after for most of the night by the Restaurant Manager on duty, Elliot Virdee.

We were there to try the à la carte menu and we were spoiled for choice.  I’m not a heavy shellfish fan, so I chose the soup of the day which was Asparagus and Chestnut.  I am a bit of a soup fanatic as I make many varieties, so the combination was intriguing and surprisingly creamy.

There were exotics like Tempura Salt and Pepper Squid, Marinated Orkney Salmon, Shellfish Cocktail and Lobster.   Mr Scottish opted for the 4 Creel caught Langoustines, Grilled with Garlic & Lime Butter, but it was a hard decision to make between that and the Lobster.  He has decided he is going back, just to try it.

Meals are made to order, and the wait is gratefully received to let each course go down.

I almost played it safe to order the Classic Chicken Caesar Salad which sounded lovely, with Bacon, Anchovies and Quails Eggs, although I would have omitted the Anchovies.

The Caesar Salad is one of the dishes that can be ordered as both a main dish or a starter, so on a future visit, I’d be tempted to try it.

I decided to be a little more adventurous and order the Roast Corn Fed Chicken, with Pancetta, Cranberries, Fondant Potato, Sprout Leaves and Roasting Juice.  I was thoroughly pleased with my choice as it was delicious.  I hadn’t counted on the sweet taste of the Cranberries complementing the Chicken so well.

Mr Scottish had the 400g Aberdeen Angus T-Bone Steak which is served with Watercress, Shallot Onion Rings and Matchstick Fries.   He chose the Wild Mushroom sauce to go with his steak but he could have also picked from Peppercorn or Béarnaise.

After our main courses, we were both quite full.    Some fries and green salad made up the whole meal.

Contrary to our previous à la carte experiences, the portion sizes were very good.

Historically, I have always related à la carte to mean tiny portions for a fortune, but that is certainly not what Simpson’s hotel provides.  The portion sizes were just right and we had to debate whether we were going to manage a Dessert at all.

Elliot arrived with the Dessert menu just as Mr Scottish mentioned that he fancied something caramelised.  The first Dessert on the menu was Caramelised Lemontart with Blackberries, Caramelised Pumpkin Seeds and Blackberry Sorbet, so that’s what he had.

I tried a piece of the Lemontart and can’t help wishing I’d ordered that for myself.

I’d spotted the Hot Chocolate Fondant with Chocolate Sauce and Sour Cherry Ice Cream.

The menu said it takes 20 minutes to prepare, so I had to try it for the factor of simply being unusual.   It was lovely and the Sour Cherry Ice Cream was gorgeous.

I couldn’t finish it as it was a bit too much chocolate for me with the fondant and the sauce, but the ice cream was quickly eaten.

We had a lovely evening.  The staff were attentive and pleasant, without being obtrusive.

Most of the evening clientele when we were in was situated around hotel occupants, and I would imagine mostly oil industry related people.

I can’t help thinking Aberdeen and our diverse population is missing a trick here.

Midweek couples would do well to have a meal in nice surroundings, be treated well AND have fabulous food at the same time as being able to park easily in a good area of town.

I found prices on the menu very reasonable for the surroundings, service and quality.

For a starter, my gorgeous soup was £5, while Mr Scottish had the Langoustines at £12.

For main meals, options start at £12 with good priced salads and vegetarian choices, with the most expensive at £42 for an Aberdeen Angus Rib on the Bone to share.

Within 10 minutes of being home, Mr Scottish was on the phone to a friend to say his meal was “outstanding” and that he’d be back.  That’s a result for my usually very fussy Mr.

Thank you Simpsons for the lovely meal.

We look forward to seeing you again soon.

If you want to treat that someone special in your life, try out Simpson’s for yourself and make a reservation Online, by Telephone, (0)1224 327777, or Email: reservations@simpsonshotel.co.uk.

 

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Warner Bros. Halloween Box for 2012, including Ultraviolet

Alas, our Halloween box for 2012 was a little late, so I couldn’t do a lovely thank you on the 31st October to Warner Bros.   It didn’t matter for the kids as they were still highly delighted with the box of goodies.  I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it that kids never get too old for things like Scooby Doo and Ben 10, even if they pretend they are.

We have a birthday boy on Guy Fawkes night, so the boys are saving their bottles of bubbles for then.  Thank you Warner Bros. for remembering I have three boys and for sending three bottles of bubble maker.

The movies that my boys are going to enjoy for middlers birthday are:

  • Lego Hero Factory – Savage Planet
  • Tom and Jerry – Trick & Treats
  • Ben 10 – Destroy All Aliens
  • Big Top Scooby Doo – Original Movie

The boys have decided the cat mask was a little too girly, so it is being donated to our local special needs school, along with the Lego Hero Factory movie after my boys have watched it.

That means something for the girls, and something for the boys.  I’m sure they will absolutely love a wee gift.

Our box was missing the stickers so we couldn’t make any Halloween cards, but the boys didn’t know the stickers were meant to be there, so they’re still chuffed to bits with movies, sweets and bubbles.

A couple of the movies have Ultraviolet, which is new to me.  Ultraviolet says that the movie can be instantly streamed and downloaded with instant access to the movies on computers, tablets and smartphones.   It can also be shared with up to 5 friends or family members.  I signed up by using Facebook to join Flixter and then was able to download the movie.

Adding a movie to a new account was pretty simple, and it means that I can play it on my iPhone, iPad, Android devices, and store it in the cloud.    There are apps on iTunes and Android markets to get to our movies, so it seems a much easier way that actually taking up loads of space on our devices to keep them there.

Playback looks easy enough, so it seems a great way to keep movies to hand to watch over 3G or wifi.  I had no idea this even existed, and I can imagine I will look out for it in future.

Thank you again to Warner Bros.  Your packages always make for a lovely surprise arriving at our door.   If anyone is interested in buying any of the movies, they are all available on Amazon, at really good prices.

 

 

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The Gallery – Frightfully Over

(Sadly I had to remove the image from this blog post as it was being hotlinked to from a Chinese website where the man said they were his kids).

I’m actually quite sad that my kids are not really wanting to do much of the Halloween type things this year.  I can probably safely say that they won’t go Trick or Treating – or Guising as we call it up here for too much longer.

Yes, eldest and littler might go their own ways, and yes, middler is probably going to want to do it until he’s 25, but other people wouldn’t understand a big kid knocking on their door and enthusiastically reciting a joke like:

Q. Why did the chicken cross the road?
A. Because it’s Christmas next week.

Eldests costume had middler in tears for about half an hour before we ventured out, and there were very few people going from door to door.   A few doors asked us to take as many sweets as they could carry as they’d not seen any guisers.

It was absolutely freezing, so I can totally understand why.

Needless to say, we didn’t stay out long, and only managed two streets before littlest and I put our feet down and made the other two join us in heading home.  Entrepreneurial eldest and middler were all for cashing in on the lack of door knockers and would have stayed out much much longer…..

Here they are, my Frightful Kids.

 

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How I Cooked the Aberdeen Gordonian Best Steak as a Roast

We took home a lovely piece of meat from Andrew Gordon Butchery and Fine Foods and had a lovely and luxurious meal fit for a King and Queen.

Questions that people often ask are around how to roast a joint of meat, or how to cook roast beef properly so I thought I’d write it down.

This piece of meat is a new steak that is sweeping the meat-eating population of Aberdeen off their feet.  Tempted to try it, I went a bit further and had a whole roast for our Sunday dinner last week.

This picture shows the Gordonian Best Steak Roast in all it’s glory.  It is actually upside down as there’s a layer of fat on the other side that allows the roast to drip juices and keep it moist as it cooks.  My pictures are upside down to show the effect of the quality of the rich colour in the beef.

As a tender piece of meat, the roasting time can be slightly shorter and at a slightly higher temperature than a cheaper, or less tender roast of beef.

It’s a truly gorgeous piece of meat that anyone would be proud to have on their table for a cracking and filling meal.

The best way to roast a tender piece of meat is going to be in the oven, and after searing all sides in a pan first.

Tender cuts of meat always do well roasted.

The purpose of the roasting is only to use the fat to cook the roast, simply and with the occasional baste (spooning juices over the top) to help it along.

To seal the roast in, the easiest thing is to use a frying or sauté pan to help seal in the juices and help along the crusty and full of flavour outside of the roast.

While you are preparing and sealing your roast, make sure your oven is on to pre-heat. You want the oven nice and hot before it goes in to be finished.

Make sure your roasting pan is big enough to hold your roast, but not as large as the juices all escape and leave you nothing to baste your roast with as it cooks.  You really want enough juices left over to make awesome gravy as a trimming.

Cook a roast in the oven to finish off the process at around 180 – 200 C, or Gas Mark 6 for approximately the following times per pound of meat.

– Rare (15 – 20 minutes)
– Medium (20 – 25 minutes)
– Well Done (25 – 30 minutes)

I cooked my roast for the kids, which needed an extra 20 minutes on top of the cooking time to ensure there was absolutely no pink at all in the meat.  I know that isn’t the ideal way to cook, nor the way that butchers or chefs would recommend, but any redness at all and my kids won’t eat it.

For fabulous roasts, they really do need to rest after they’ve been cooked.   Once it’s cooked, just put it to the side for about 15 – 30 minutes and cover  it very loosely with some tin foil to help keep the heat in.   Resting lets the meat reach a more consistent texture and helps the meat to be consistently juicy.

Use the juices left over from roasting to make wickedly tasty gravy and serve with veg, and sides.  I have to apologise for the lack of plate pictures on this post, as I took a couple of hurried pictures as the family were so hungry, and neither of them came out.

The meat was fabulous.  The roast only had a teensy bit left over at the end of the meal, as the man and kids both had seconds.

I had hoped to have enough to make Gordonian Best Steak Roast luxurious stovies the next day, but alas, my boys cleared too much of it at the first sitting.

 

 

 

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The Gallery – Books

I thought I’d join in the Gallery Blog Link Up this week.  It’s been a long week and a half off school with the kids, and they’re going a bit stir crazy as they’re grounded.  One thing that can always help to diffuse things with the special needs middler is to sit and read a book to him, but not the bread makers bible, obviously.  That’s me putting a book out of sight in a hurry I’d guess.  I can’ really remember.

It’s all his own choice.  Sometimes he’ll let you, and other times he won’t.   Our books are more than dog-eared, they’re often trashed and ripped.   I grew up to respect and revere books as something special, so accepting damage to books is something I have had to learn to live with.

My kids books don’t get packed away, or sent onto anyone else after my kids are finished with them.  They are so well used here, that they end up in the bin if they last.  This book has an awful lot to answer for with pre-teen behaviour, I can tell ya.

I think the one advantage of an 11-year-old who can’t read is that the books are read again and again and again and again, and then some more.

I always have a stack of books, even when my Kindle is still full.  My mum has a pile of mine that I am waiting to get back, and this is the stack that I am planning on reading next.  I’ve managed to have the house bookcase full of work things so now books have nowhere to go. They are in cupboards, drawers and in the bottoms of wardrobes.  I am much better at giving my books away and my neighbour always has a stack of ones I’ve not read.

I love my kindle apps, but there are times I just want a good old-fashioned paper book to read.

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Misery, Pain and Trauma in the News

Reading the news can be a troublesome event.  Before I even open the app, or the newspaper, or even switch on the radio, we’re faced with mostly the stories of the darkest deprivation and the most miserable things that can happen by the worst sorts of people on our planet.

J#m#y S#v#le

This week, the news has spent a lot of time focussing on him and the goings on of abuse at the BBC over the centuries.  I did watch the Panorama programme on Monday, and it horrified me.  I was by no way reassured that they thought investigating themselves using Panorama would make them look better.  I came away disgusted and appalled by the BBC and by many celebrities in our midst, past and present.  The fact that it was common knowledge that he was what he was is pretty much sickening.

I’m also astounded at the amount of direct accusations with absolutely no doubt that he did it all.  If they are all so sure, why on earth didn’t they step up to the plate years ago?

And the argument of culture doesn’t really add up as it hasn’t ever been acceptable in my lifetime to abuse children in your trust, and I was born in the sixties.

Everywhere is talking about it as if it’s a done deal and yes I find it sickening and vile to have happened at all, but what I am even more disgusted with is what looks like the extent of the enablers.

Those who knew he liked really young girls and didn’t push it.  Those who didn’t want to risk their own precious careers to take on the mighty icon of British good that he was seen as.   Those who didn’t do background checks (if there were any back then) before giving him unrestricted access to children.

The enablers should all be lined up and answer for the consequences too.

April Jones

I still look every day to see if she has been found.  A little girl who did nothing wrong, and was outside her home playing with friends when she was cruelly snatched away.  How the families cope I don’t know.  Every moment must be a nightmare.

Ben Needham

Back in the news.  Police digging up the land where they stayed when he went missing.  Will it bring up an answer to the double decade old question.  For the family’s sake, I hope so.

Daniel Rigby

The 2-year-old boy whose life was cut short with 91 separate injuries to his body.  There are no words.

Dog Fighting

The SSPCA launched an appeal today after a dog was found in Aberdeen with injuries that were likely as a result of illegal dog fights.  I listened to the story on Northsound on the way home in the car today with the kids, and I pulled over to hear it all.   The poor girl with old injuries, and fresh ones had obviously been either kicked out or managed to escape wherever she was.  On one hand I was pleased she is away from wherever she was, but on the other hand, so sad to listen to what her life must have been like.

She had multiple scars to her face and body.  About 2 – 3 years old, so still young and living a life of trauma.  I was in Huntly a few weeks ago and was advised never to leave my dog alone, even in a garden as there were dog nappers going around.  They didn’t know I didn’t live in Huntly, but still.  It looks like it is going on everywhere.

People

I do have to remind myself that people who do these things deliberately are in the minority and that people are on the whole, very good.

Has it been a very bad news few weeks, or is it just that the news are reporting more and more of the worst of the worst?

Or are people really getting worse and more selfish and abusive due to our culture?

Who knows, but it certainly is depressing reading.

 

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Kids Make Chicken Fillets Decorative

I decided to let the kids get creative with their supper.   They were not liking how it looked on the plate when they got a plateful of Costco Chicken Fillets with some stir fried veg for supper.  This is how dads plate looked when it was dished up.

While not impressed, they decided to take presentation into their own hands so I could put it on the blog.  So here goes the version of chicken fillets, with stir fried veg, à la Scottish Mum kids.

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Infographic: The Story Book World of Sleep

This Infographic by Wooden-Beds.com gives tips on getting to sleep and staying in land of nod.  It talks about what sleep is, and how we can get better sleep.

It even mentioned the little used word, somniphobia.  If you don’t know what that is, just read on to find out more.  It’s a bit like an insomniacs guide to better sleep.

Provided by www.wooden-beds.com

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Guest Tutorial: Make a Colourful Autumn Tree Decoration

How to make an Autumn / Winter  tree decoration

Unfortunately summer has gone, now it is time to celebrate Autumn and the coming of winter.

Bring some colour to those grey days with this beautiful fun tree decoration craft activity tutorial by Stacey for Cutfoam, which the kids will love making.   The tree shape can be a bit tricky to cut out so children may need some help but they can join in sticking on the leaves.

You will need:

Foam sheets of different colours

  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Pencil and paper

Step 1

Draw  a tree shape on to a piece of paper  approximately 20cm x 20cm.  Then cut out.

Step 2

Draw around the paper template on dark brown foam.

Step 3

Cut out the tree shape and cut a 3cm slit in the bottom.

Step 4

Using the base of your tree as a guide cut out the shape shown. Make a cut in the top so that it will slot in to the bottom of your tree.

Step 5

Cut leaf shapes from green, red, orange, yellow and light brown foam.

Step 6

Glue the leaves to the tree branches.

Step 7

Slot your tree in to the base piece so it stands up.

If your tree does not stand on its own then glue another strip of foam to the back of the trunk and double the thickness of the base piece.   This tree would make a lovely centrepiece for any dining table or mantle piece which the kids can show off to the rest of the family.

This tutorial was brought to you by Cutfoam, the cushion foam specialists.

If you would like a fun tutorial for your blog please contact Stacey.lowe13 (at) yahoo dot co dot uk