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Cream Cheese Pancakes – Low Carb & Gluten Free

Who said pancakes need to have flour in them?  Oh yes, not me!!  Looking for low sugar and low carb alternatives for foods isn’t the easiest thing to do, but if you play around with different ingredients, it’s surprising what you can make.

For this, I used Quark, but you could use any old cream cheese, including mascapone, and possibly even Philadelphia.  These also happen to be gluten free, which is also a boost, if that’s what you’re looking for.

I mixed this in a wee jug with a hand whisk.  No fancy high tech gadgets around here for these.

Cream Cheese Pancakes 3

Cream Cheese Pancakes - Low Carb & Gluten Free

Lesley Smith
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 16 minutes
Course Low Carb
Servings 8
Calories 35 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 110 g Cream Cheese or Quark Tesco Quark: 75 Calories, 4g Carb
  • 3 Medium Eggs 180 Cals, 0g Carb
  • 2 Level Teaspoons Stevia 4 Calories, 2g Carb
  • Butter or Oil to Grease Pan - I used One Cal Spray. 20 Sprays: 20 Cals, 0g Carb
  • Optional Teaspoon of Cinnamon or Nutmeg - (If you use this, count the carbs if you are keeping track)

Instructions
 

  • Put all the ingredients into a bowl or jug.

  • Mix or whisk until well combined into a good batter.

  • Heat frying pan on medium heat, then turn the heat down.

  • Cook on each side for 1-2 minutes, or until they resemble a pancake.

  • Serve with fresh berries.

 

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Giveaway: Win a £100 JoJo Maman Bébé Gift Voucher (CLOSED)

JoJo Maman Bébé, has recently opened a new store in my home town, in Aberdeen.

To celebrate the opening, I’m carrying a UK wide giveaway, for a £100 voucher.  In total, they have around 70 stores around the country, and also have an online shop.

I don’t think there are many of us mums around who haven’t heard of JoJo Maman Bébé, and it’s nice to see how they’ve grown in recent years, building on the ranges of maternity clothes, baby clothes and nursery goods.

JoJo Maman Bebe Toddler BedIf you’re lucky enough to win the giveaway, you could buy a gorgeous Country Junior Bed, or a selection of clothes, or actually, any one of a multitude of baby and parent goodies they have to offer on their website, and in-store.

Jojo Maman Bebe BootiesThere is a good maternity range, and some fabulously cute and stylish outfits for both boys and girls.   These Baby Beach and Swim Booties are adorable in either blue or pink, for only £8, and they’re machine washable, anti-slip soles.

When my boys were little, we found it difficult to find shoes that were suitable for wearing on hot sand, and to protect their feet from sand scratches and cuttlefish shells.  I suspect these would have been perfect.

New Aberdeen Store

The new store can be found at

JoJo Maman Bebe
Unit 14
Bon-Accord Centre
Aberdeen
AB25-1HZ

Opening hours are Mon-Fri 9.30am – 5.30pm and Sunday 11am – 5pm.  If you’re looking for gift ideas, pop down to your local shop, or pick up a gift voucher.

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Rules

  • Open to UK Mainland Entrants only.
  •  **1 Winner will win one £100 JoJo Maman Bébé voucher for the value of £100.
  • The voucher will be sent directly from JoJo Maman Bébé to the winner.
  • The Scottish Mum Blog is not responsible for your prize and cannot be held liable in any way for non delivery or non receipt at your end.
  • Winners will be notified within 3 days of giveaway end. If the winner does not respond within 3 days, a new winner will be drawn.
  • The winners will be chosen by Rafflecopter random generator.
  • Scottish Mum Blog and JoJo Maman Bébé reserve the right to amend, add or withdraw this giveaway at any time.
  • Each entry method entitles you to one entry into the draw.
  • Closes 31st August 2015 at midnight.**
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Strawberry Flapjacks Recipe

We’ve had loads of lovely strawberries from the plot this year, and more than we could simply eat as strawberries on their own.

I’ve made two batches of strawberry jam, and this flapjacks recipe was to keep the kids happy with some sweet munchies, and also save a few pennies from shopping for a few days, as I had all the ingredients already.

It’s very indulgent and uber tasty, and oh so easy to eat lots of it.

Enjoy.

Strawberry Flapjack

Strawberry Flapjack Recipe

Lesley Smith
This is an enormous recipe, that I used for kids friends coming over. Most people will only need around half these quantities for Flapjack making.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Dessert / Snack
Cuisine Dessert
Servings 20 - 40 pieces

Ingredients
  

  • 750 g Porridge Oats or Large Oats
  • 400 g Butter
  • 300 g Strawberries washed, dried and finely sliced.
  • 200 g Golden sugar.
  • 4 Tablespoons Honey

Instructions
 

  • Switch on the oven, to around 120/140C.

  • Melt the butter in a pan, or in the microwave, until fluid.

  • In a bowl, mix the oats, golden sugar and honey together with the strawberries. Tip in the melted butter and give it a good mix, until the oats resemble a sticky mix, as per the image above.

  • Line a baking tray with baking paper and tip the mixture out.

  • Use the back of a spoon to press the mix down firmly. If you don't do this, your flapjack will fall apart when you try to cut it.

  • Bake for around 40 minutes. If the top begins to brown, your oven is up too high, so turn it down.

Strawberry Flapjack 3

 

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Teriyaki Chicken Kebabs

Ok, this is the cheats way to do it.  I never said I was mega original, did I?  Anyway, these taste lush, and have just the right amount of stickiness, but it does mean changing the recommended use of a standard Maggi, Teriyaki Chicken mix.

The Maggi pack, says that it’s made with natural herbs and spices and given that I managed to get 8 large kebab sticks from it, the added seasoning is only 22 calories and 5 carbs per kebab.  That’s pretty good when you consider that it makes chicken taste so much better than just salt and pepper, or some added spices.

I’m not sure this is really a recipe, but here you go.

Chicken Kebabs with Baked Camembert

Teriyaki Chicken Kebabs

Lesley Smith
I did not have vegetables available for adding to the kebab stick for this recipe. The fridge needed filling, so we had ours with a little lettuce on the side.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Chicken
Cuisine Mains
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 6 Chicken Breasts
  • 1 Pack Maggi So Sticky Teriyaki Chicken
  • Boiling Water
  • Required: Kebab Sticks or Forks
  • Baked Camembert

Instructions
 

  • Simply cut each chicken breast into kebab sized chunks. I had large chicken breasts and got several good sized pieces for each kebab stick.

  • Put your Maggi mix into a good sized bowl and add some boiling water. Not too much, but enough to give you a mixture for coating the kebabs. Stir until the mix is dissolved.

  • Dip the chicken and roll it around in the Teriyaki mix, then pop it in the fridge for half an hour to marinate.

  • Slip your chicken onto the kebab sticks, and lay on foil prepared flat baking trays.

  • Cook at 160C for 20 minutes, or until your chicken is thoroughly cooked. Add your Camembert to the oven at the same time, following the instructions it comes with.

 

 

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Review: Trespass Zachariah Jacket – Limone

One of my boys has been looking for a yellow jacket for quite some time now. He’s used a high vis vest in the past when he’s on his bike in winter, but he has wanted a nice bright jacket that’s both windproof and waterproof.  One that isn’t too bulky, and means he can wear layers underneath.

Trespass offered me the chance to pick an item from their outdoor clothing, footwear and equipment website.  When I spotted this jacket, I knew immediately, that it was the one I wanted.

I chose the Limone coloured, Zachariah Trespass Jacket.

My kids are all outdoor fanatics, so good jackets are actually quite high on my list of priorities, to keep the wind and the rain out, especially in the cold weather.  The beauty of the Zachariah Jacket, is that it will do for both summer and winter.

Image Courtesy of Tresspass.com
Image Courtesy of Tresspass.com

My oldest son would have loved the navy version, but it was too tempting to tick the bright yellow jacket box for my middle boy.

Trespass Zachariah 3

It has something called the tres-tex membrane, which allows the jacket to be Waterproof, Windproof and has a Water Repellant Zip. Taped Seams stop the water from coming in, yet, it’s also breathable.

The jacket is part of the technical performance range, and has some extras that my cyclist will be pretty chuffed with.

  • Adjustable Zip Off Hood
  • Venting
  • Snow Seal System
  • Zipped Pockets
  • Glasses Pocket
  • Phone Pocket
  • Adjustable Cuffs

The jacket is for one of my teens who is growing like a weed, but as it’s going to be part of his birthday present, one of my other boys stepped in to model it for him.

Trespass Zachariah 2

In fact, I actually think my other two boys were more than just a little bit envious of the nice bright colour, and the fabulous quality of the jacket.  Even the man was suitably impressed, wondering if he should get one for himself, but in navy.

Zachariah 4 Glare

My model for the day, was highly amused by the opening side vents, that allow air to circulate freely.  It’s the first time he’s seen anything like that, and the phone pocket is on the sleeve, beside the cuff, which makes it easy for access too.

I ordered the extra small (xs) from the Men’s range, which will fit my middle child perfectly, who is thirteen and quite slender.  It’s a tad long in the sleeves for my model, but as his brother has longer arms, it’ll be fine.

I can see this getting much love and attention from my boy when he gets his hands on it.

He already has a pair of bright yellow salopettes, which he adores, so this will complete his outfit for when it snows.

Salopettes for the legs, and a thinner jacket on top, one that can be layered, is perfect for sledging in the winter months.

I’m going to enjoy seeing his face when he opens this parcel….

Thank you Trespass.

 

 

 

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Making Burgers & the Quarter Pounder Burger Press

If you know where your mince has come from, then you can be sure that it isn’t full of additives or processed foods.  As a low-carb person these days, I also want to know exactly what is in my food, so that I can count it.

Burgers 1

Lakeland Quarter Pounder Burger Press.  Ref-10481-£8.99.
Lakeland Quarter Pounder Burger Press. Ref-10481-£8.99.

I’d been tempted by the Lakeland Burger Press for a while, but to be honest, I hadn’t got round to it before now.

In the past, I tended to simply make a ball with my hands and then flatten it, but the burgers were usually pretty misshapen, and thinner at the ends than in the middle, so I thought it was worth a go.

While I was online for an order, I had to pop this beauty into my shopping basket.  It’s simple, yes, but also brilliant at getting regular shapes.

Burgers & Fillers

For my mince, I chose the food from my local butcher, Andrew Gordon, of the The Lean Butcher, who has recently rebranded (previously known as the Fresh Food Guru, online).  He has a lean steak mince deal which is perfect for 3KG of mince.

There are 153 calories per 100g and less than 0.1g of carbohydrate.  Perfect in my book.

To make my burgers, I simply chopped up some onion, then added a chunk of garlic from our plot.  It’s the first time I’ve tried our own garlic, and it beat the shop version hands down.

Onion and Garlic Burgers

Lesley Smith
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Burgers, Mains
Cuisine Main Meal
Servings 5

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 kg Mince.
  • 150 g Onion chopped how you like it.
  • 1 Clover Garlic finely chopped.
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste.

Instructions
 

  • This is actually really simple. I did not add breadcrumbs, as I wanted a burger without the added carbs. I put my mince and onions in a bowl, along with the chopped up garlic. Don't be scared to get your hands into the bowl, and really work the onions into the mince. I like large chunks of onions, but everyone is different.
  • Stir in salt and pepper. We all know how much we prefer, so I just add a level teaspoon of both and mix that in too. You might prefer to do without, or add more.
  • I split my mix into six even sized portions, ie rolling into a ball, then pressed each one into my burger press and push it down with a spoon, to make it firm.
  • I've heard people worrying about getting their burgers out of the burger press, but I find it quite simple. When I push the top to release the burger from the base, I simply slide a long and narrow bladed knife into the place where the burger press and the burger meets. I've never had a failure yet, even though I don't use additional binders.
  • Cook any way you like. I bake mine in a moderate heat for twenty minutes as my children like their meat well done, but you could flash fry or grill.