Abel & Cole (box IV)

Another exciting box from Abel & Cole arrived yesterday. Eddie and I opened it with trepidation, what are the mysterious contents (well, I knew in advance what to expect, but Eddie was very curious to find out)?!
Ella's Kitchen recently launched a veggie song download on their site. Their aim is to make children more interested in vegetables and fruit. While I applaud their efforts, I do think that the main teaching tool is actually cooking with children and handling all the veg and fruit, let them be tactile and explore the textures, tastes and flavours.

Eddie and I have been growing tomatoes in the greenhouse all the summer, and used to go on a daily basis to pick up a tomato or two and would eat it right there, in the greenhouse, with the sweet juice dribbling on our chins. Bliss! We also picked lovely little Alpine strawberries and big crispy apples.
Now with the winter quickly approaching, we will definitely miss our daily trips to the garden.

If you are curious to find out what the odd dish above is, have a look at my Russian salad recipe here.

Shiitake mushrooms and a red pepper made their entry in the chicken and noodles stir fry.

I'll be adding photos and recipes during the week.

Zuppa di farro (a Tuscan soup with spelt grain)

There are many versions of this lovely soup, which is perfect for a cold miserable grey day like this. We tried it first when we visited Tuscany years ago.

You will need
about 150g of whole spelt grain/farro
100 g of pancetta, chopped or cubed
2 shallots
1 garlic clove
herbs: fresh basil, parsley and thyme
2 cans of plum tomatoes
1 big tomato, skinned and chopped
olive oil
chicken or vegetable stock, about a litre
1 porcini stock cube (I Dadi/Star)
pecorino cheese, grated, to serve

Typically you would need to soak farro really well and repeatedely. I use an Italian farro from Pedon which does not need soaking. It is available from the independent health food shops (sadly, Holland & Barrett did not oblige, they only have the spelt flour).
Fry the cubed/chopped pancetta in a frying pan with a tablespoon of the olive oil, once the fatty bits go transparent and start melting, add the chopped onion and garlic. The smell is just fantabulous, totally mouthwatering. Add the chopped thyme if using (you can use dry thyme as well).

Once the onion becomes transparent and softened, add two cans of tomatoes and the skinned and chopped tomato (I like the combination of the two, as it gives slightly different textures), add salt and black pepper and chopped basil.
Add the chicken stock to the mixture. Add the porcini stock cube as well. At this point transfer all the contents of the frying pan to the big pan or pot.
Cook for about an hour, stirring occasionally and adding liquid if your soup gets too thick, as farro absorbs the liquid with all the flavours.
Serve with the grated pecorino cheese on top and a nice chunk of bread, or Italian style bread rolls.

I had this soup for lunch today, and I think it is even better the next day, as the farro acquires the silky texture. A nice combination of robust tomatoey flavours and strong cheese works well with the soft farro. There was enough for 5 generous helpings (yesterday's dinner, my own lunch today and two portions that went in the freezer).

Silent Sunday

Whoever coined the phrase Silent Sunday for bloggers, was obviously obliviously unaware of our household. There is nothing silent about our Sundays, if anything, they are triple noisy.
Even when Eddie is asleep, Sasha is gloriousy vocal and loud. For a person who is very sensitive to any noise produced by the others, he has a great capacity of being extra-loud.
Anyway, a moment of quiet is always a treasured memory.

Easy-peasy apple sponge cake

There are many version of Sharlotka, a Russian apple cake, I give you one I think is the easiest and never failing to work. The word Sharlotka is a bastardised version of Charlotte, but it has nothing to do with the Charlotte Russe. Maybe the original cake was made by a French cook called Charlotte (I am just fantasising aloud).

You will need
2 medium apples, preferably not too sweet
2 medium eggs
One cup of granulated sugar (170g)
One cup of plain flour (170g)
1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
A squeeze of lemon, just enough to make all soda go in airy bubbles
1 heaped tbsp of sour cream
1 tbsp of softened butter, unsalted, plus more for greasing the spring form
Cinnamon
Vanilla essence (optional)

I should probably specify that by cup I don't mean an American measurement, as a kid, I used a mug to measure sugar and flour for this cake. If you prefer the exact amount, it is 170g.

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F/Gas 4.
2. Place the sugar and eggs into a bowl and whisk together. Add the bicarbonate of soda (squeeze the lemon juice on top of it while still in the spoon, once it all goes bubbly, then it is ready to be added to the eggs). Add flour, cinnamon, butter, sour cream and vanilla essence, and beat it all together with the blender.
3. Chop apples into small sized pieces. Add to the cake mix and stir well with the spoon.
4. Grease the spring form and pour the cake mix with apples into it.
5.  Bake for about 30 minutes until all golden. To check if the sponge is ready, insert a skewer into the top of the sponge, if it comes out sticky, return to the oven to cook for another five minutes.
6. Decorate with the icing sugar if you like.

Simply Food is celebrating apples this month, and I submit this recipe to their Desserts with Apples event. event runs from November 1st – 30th November.
Raven from CookEatDelicious.com is the founder of this event.

Sixteen

Eddie is sixteen months old today. Sixteen months going on 16 years, according to him, as he starts to show his stubborn personality. A very determined young man. An unstoppable climber with a cheeky smile.

Beetroot and prune salad

Modest beets are the unsung heroes of the veggie world. Often overlooked and abused by the overuse of the vinegar, they tend to be despised and avoided, both by the kids and the adults. Beets are a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains. Betanin and vulgaxanthin have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support.
This is a very simple recipe that enhances the taste of the beet without overpowering it.

1 beetroot (230g), cooked and grated
5 prunes, chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
2-3 walnuts, chopped
2 tbsp of sour cream
salt (optional)

serves 2
It is a very easy salad for a quick lunch. I usually cook a beetroot in advance. Peel the skin and grate the beetroot, add chopped prunes and garlic (chop it or use the garlic press), walnuts and sour cream. The best option is to have 1 tbsp of sour cream and 1 tbsp of mayo, but I don't usually have a mayo in the fridge. I find it that if I buy a jar of mayo, I hardly ever use it all, it would be sitting in the fridge forever, sulking and unloved.

Mix all the ingredients together, decorate with more walnuts if you want, or chopped flat parsley. If you want, add a bit of salt, or skip it altogether.
A very healthy salad. Nice served with the baby potatoes.

Baby Sing Christmas CD

 Eddie loves opening boxes and envelopes, and when we opened a padded envelope last

Saturday and found this CD, he looked at the smiley chubby face on the cover, then at me and grinned.

At almost 16 months, Eddie loves looking at the photos and videos of babies his age.

And who could resist smiling after seeing those squeezable cheeks?

A fab photo for an album for babies.

Amazingly enough, the music is not exactly what one would expect. The songs have a jazzy feeling about them. I can easily imagine this music as a background for our Christmas lunch.

We listened to the music together, we danced a bit to the sound of the catchy tunes.

This will be Eddie's second Christmas, and we are going to have fun together.

Album: BABY SING CHRISTMAS

Release Date: Out Now

Baby Sing Christmas is a fantastic new Christmas album, perfect to create that special atmosphere for baby’s first Christmas. Born from a love of real music with the aim to create an album that is not overproduced with synthetic sounds but with real vocals and instruments enabling baby and the whole family to enjoy at this traditional time of year.

It is charmingly arranged for guitar and voice evoking that warm, intimate, cosy, yet magical feel that embodies Christmas.  The performances are exquisite, making this is an album of the caliber that every baby deserves – and there are even a few extra bonus tracks with additional vocals at the end.

Get in the Christmas spirit and sing along to classics such as ‘Let It Snow’ to ‘Away in a Manger’ as well as much loved favourites like Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer’

About Music For Baby

Music For Baby is a small independent record label, run by a husband and wife team. MFB specialise in music designed to support development and different activities from pre-natal through to toddler and beyond.  Their philosophy is to create an ideal musical environment in which all aspects of life will be enhanced.  MFB believe that the influence music has on our lives begins when you are in the womb, and that it spans across every aspect of life having a positive impact on concentration, sleep, movement, memory, learning and emotional development.  They also believe that music is a whole lot of fun!

TRACK LISTING

Let it Snow – It’s the Most Wonderful Time Of The Year – Away In A Manger – Winter Wonderland – Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – All I Want For Christmas Is You – Silent Night – Here Comes Santa Claus – O Christmas Tree – Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer – Jingle Bells – Frosty The Snowman – We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Bonus Tracks (remixes with additional vocals)

Here Comes Santa Claus – All I Want For Christmas Is You – Silent Night – Jingle Bells – We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Available to buy from: www.musicforbaby.co.uk

For further information please contact Louise@rockandrollbabyworld.co.uk


Here is Eddie smiling happily, listening to the new CD.

Vinegret (a cold Russian salad)

In the good old days of the Soviet regime (meant ironically) there were three salads that routinely appeared on the Russian tables whenever there was a cause for celebration - a New Year's eve, the International Women's Day, a birthday or any other occasion - an Olivie salad (it is known in the West as the Russian salad, but is actually much nicer), a "seledka pod shuboi" (lit. a herring in the fur coat) and a Vinegret.
There are numerous versions of this cold salad, and purists would probably swear at me for "ruining" a classic recipe, but I prepare it the way I was taught, and I discussed with my Mum all the particulars, trying to refresh it in my memory.

Vinegret
Ingredients:
1 big beetroot
2-3 medium carrots (I used the purple carrots, but the standard salad would use orange-coloured ones)
2 medium potatoes
200g sauerkraut
1-2 pickled cucumbers
1 shallot
1 medium apple (like Gala, quite sweet)
3 tbsp of peas (either cooked from fresh or tinned)
sunflower oil (the best for this recipe, do not use the olive oil)
salt
spring onions (optional)

1. Cook a beetroot either in a pan of boiling water until done, or bake in the oven wrapped in foil (there is a lot of arguments going on on the Russian forums as to which way is the "authentic" one, choose one that works for you)
2. Cook carrots and potatoes.
3. Chop the beets, and place in a bowl. Chop the carrots and potatoes. Place all the ingredients in separate bowls.
4. Finely chop the shallot, apple, cucumber. Chop the sauerkraut too.
5.You can add all the ingredients in one big bowl, but beware that the beetroot will colour everything else in the same-ish colour). If you add the oil to each ingredient before mixing them all together, then you will have a multi-coloured salad or at least different hue of pink from pale to dark ruby colour.
6. Once you mixed all the ingredients, taste your salad and add salt if wanted.

You can experiment and add a bit of chopped dill, or half a teaspoon of mustard, 1 teaspoon of sugar. Some cooks add a dash of red wine vinegar. Or a bit of black pepper.

As I was talking to my Mum on the phone about this recipe, she told me that when she was in the boarding school (early 1950s), they used to celebrate all pupils' birthdays four times a year, one big celebration per season. Whenever a birthday feast was planned, their Jewish chef asked the children if they wanted a Russian vinegret or a Jewish one. Most of the times, his own recipe won. He would start making the salad by soaking white beans (haricot or navy) in cold water in a big bowl. Beans were then cooked and added to the salad ingredients. He also added the finely chopped salted herring to his Vinegret, and everyone loved it.

This salad is at its best the next day after you prepare it.
The purists claim you have to eat it with a shot of vodka. As I don't drink vodka, don't take my word for it, try yourselves.
Talking of vodka and totally digressing, there was a salesman doing the rounds in the neighbourhood, selling the kitchenware. I took pity on him and paid five pounds for the oven mitt (and I could find better quality in the pound shop). He asked me where I am from. I said: from Russia. To which he replied: You must be drinking lots of vodka.
Well, thank you, do I look like Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer? I just bought something from you and you insult me in my own home. Needless to say, I was not amused. Perhaps amused a bit. Just.

Homage to Filippov

I love my Panasonic bread maker. I bought it two years ago, and it was a very good investment. I regularly bake bread (loaf and rolls) for my family. Sasha's favourite bread is the sunflower seeds and honey cob, he cannot wait for a slice of bread, when I cut it, all hot out of the bread maker.

Yesterday was another day of baking, this time I was trying a Francine brioche mix. The machine made the dough, all I had to do is roll the buns, let them rise and bake.

You may ask, what does it have to do with Filippov, and who he is.
He was running the most famous bakery in Moscow in the days before the October revolution.
Vladimir Gilyarovsky wrote very eloquently about him in his book "Moscow and Muscovites".

The little story about the rolls with raisins that I quote comes from the recollections about the famous bakery and its owner (read the full article on Gilyarovsky at Legendary reporter/Voice of Russia 20/09/2011, apologies I had to remove the link as it was flagged as broken link) by Lyubov Tsarevskaya, it is a really interesting piece):

"And then a novelty was created, which customers pounced on – saiki buns with raisins…

“How did you think of them?”

“It was very simple,” the old man answered. And indeed, it transpired most effortlessly. Governor General Zakrevsky at that stage was the omnipotent dictator in Moscow, who instilled fear in everyone. Every morning, hot Filippov saiki (bread rolls) were served with his tea.

“What is this disgusting thing? Bring baker Filippov here at once!” Zakrevsky roared one morning.

His servants, unsure of what was happening, dragged the discombobulated Filippov to their boss.

“What is this? A cockroach?” He demanded and pushed forth a saika with a cockroach inside. “What is this? Well?”

“It’s very simple, your honour,” the old man said, turning the saika in his hands. “It is a raisin!” he said and gobbled up the piece with the roach.

“You’re lying, you rascal. There are no saiki with raisins! Get out!”

Filippov ran into the bakery, grabbed a sieve with raisins and dumped it into the saiki dough, to the dismay of the bakers.

An hour later, Filippov was treating Zakrevsky to saiki with raisins and a day later, customers couldn’t get enough of them.

“So very simple! It all happens on its own, you just need to catch it,” Filippov said when raisin saiki were brought up"

I love this story. And hence my homage to the old rascal - brioche rolls with raisins (some were baked plain and some have raisins).

To read more about the famous Filippov's bakery in Moscow, go here.
And if you want to have a good chuckle and find out why you should never rely on BabelFish or any other automatic translator engine, have a look here. (links removed as broken)

Baby pasta (Pastina Stars with butter and milk)

 This recipe comes from "Italian Comfort Book" by Julia Della Croce.

Serves 4 kids or 2 adults

"Nothing is more emblematic of an Italian childhood than pastina (literally "little pasta") with butter and milk", - as Julia Della Croce is waxing lyrical about this dish. I did ask my husband (who is un Italiano vero, born and bred) if he remembers eating this dish as a child, and he replied that he never had it. Thus the myths are shattered. Anyway, I wanted to try this dish for my little man. I used the star pasta from Heinz and cooked just enough for one hungry toddler (I used much less pasta and milk and butter than the recipe below).

For best results, save some of the cooking water after draining and add it as needed after stirring in the butter and milk to keep the pastina moist and fluid.

150g little stars pastina or other tiny pastina shapes

3 tbsp unsalted butter

125 ml warm milk

and

3 tsp salt (now surely this is a mistake, first of all, I would not add any salt to the baby food, second, 3 tsp seems like a huge amount of salt for a small amount of pasta)

sugar (optional, I added half a tsp of sugar)

1. Bring water to the boil. Stir in the pastina and salt (if adding). Cook according to the packet instructions. Drain and transfer to the bowl.

2. While still piping hot, add butter to the pasta, burying it in the pasta to melt. Stir in warm milk and serve at once. Add a little more warm milk for a looser texture if desired.

Serve immediately to prevent the pastina from drying out and clumping (and again, my little note: wait until it is at a reasonable temperature, you don't want your baby to burn his tongue).

It might look not very appetizing to you, but keep in mind, it is a food for a little person.

Eddie loved it.

Here is the chef in training, eating his pasta with two spoons. Why is he dressed up as Santa in mid-November? I have been trying to take photos for the Christmas photo cards, but alas, he would not smile to me or sit still for a second. Eddie's Italian Nonna calls him biricchino (cheeky & cute), and the Russian babushka calls him "yula" (i.e. a whirligig).

More adventures with Abel & Cole (box III)

As soon as I saw the description of the contents of this week's gourmet box, I knew I wanted it. I asked the nice guys at Abel & Cole if I could have a delivery a week earlier than planned (my original plan was to have a box every two weeks and I have already blogged about the boxes I and II, here and here).
I love the sight of the purple carrots. They are just beautiful.
These lovely bunched carrots are from Pollybell farm on the Isle of Axholme in Lincolnshire. The Isle of Axholme is an ancient agricultural site, surrounded by the three rivers Don, Trent and Idle.
I also found it endearing that they are grown by the river Don, as there is of course the Don river in the south of Russia where my grandparents used to live. I just talked to my Mum on the phone, and she told me that the purple carrots grow wild in the Don river area. How's that for a coincidence?
I did not know that the purple carrots were "actually the norm before the orange ones came into fashion. These are the Purple Haze variety, and taste as stunning as they look – cut into them to see the orange colour inside". I love the idea that you can read about each product on the site and find lots of interesting information.

Just read how they describe the Romanesco - "Romanseco is the Rolls Royce of cauliflowers. It’s a touch nutty and a bit less creamy than your average white cauli... These stunning romanesco cauliflowers are grown by Matthew Murton at Arrow Organics in Pembridge, Herefordshire. The farm, The Leen, is a real bit of British history - it's noted in the Doomsday Book and there's even evidence that it's a few centuries older than that!"
Eddie is very interested in the contents of the box. He picked up the mushrooms and veg to inspect them carefully. Here is Eddie exploring the veg box.

Now what do we cook first? Choices, choices? I also ordered some persimmons aka Sharon fruit aka kaki (which sounds very funny in Russian, as it basically means poo. That's what we tell to young babies when they pick up something from the floor "Foo, kaka". Doesn't take much to amuse me, does it?) And kind people at Abel & Cole sent a free bottle of milk too. That's our milkshakes sorted.

Watch this space, I will be adding photos and recipes to this post.
The meaty Portobello mushrooms were asking to be be stuffed and baked. I had some cranberry bread going stale, so I grated 4 tbsps of crumbs. One small shallot was chopped and fried quickly with the olive oil and one clove of garlic, finely chopped. We always have a parmesan in the fridge, so I grated it and added to the crumbs & onion-garlic mixture. That was my stuffing for the mushrooms. Slightly drizzle the olive oil over the mushrooms, add salt if you like and stuffing on the top. It takes about 20 minutes to cook in the oven at 180C.
"Pink Fir Apple potatoes are a very special breed. “In Victorian times they were considered an aphrodisiac,” says Andrew Dennis, who grows them for us in the Lincolnshire fens. This heritage variety is unique in many ways. For one, it has an exceptionally delicious nutty taste. “They also have a really funny, knobbly shape,” says Andrew. “Because of this, they must be picked by hand.”" 
Don't know about the Victorians, they must have been a very easily excitable species, if they got randy at the sight (taste) of the knobbly bits. Once I hit the bed, I fell into slumber at once (being sleep-deprived for years with my both guys, you get more excited by the prospect of sleep than whatever any aphrodisiacs might promise).
Here are the sexy potatoes if you don't have a clue what I am talking about.

I parboiled the potatoes, cut into chunks, then drizzled olive oil over them and roasted. They were very nice, as nutty as promised.
The final result: mini chipolatas in the onion gravy, stuffed mushrooms and roast potatoes.

Update on 17/11/11

Trofie with the purple carrots and pork meatballs

The other day our local Waitrose had a lot of reduced price food in the meat counter, and I snapped some pork burgers with the wild mushrooms and also Italian style sausages. Don't we all like a bargain?! They went in the freezer, as I did not plan to cook them immediately. Yesterday the two burgers were defrosted and mixed with a grated purple carrot to add an extra favour and texture to the meat. I rolled the smal size meatballs. First they went in the frying pan for a light browning, then they were transferred into a small ceramic dish and baked in the oven for 20 minutes at 180C.

Another purple carrot was chopped and put into the pan with the boiling water together with the chopped potato. I cooked them separately from the pasta, as the carrot colours water in a very distinctive bright hue.

The trofie pasta was cooked in a big pan of salted water. Once drained, it was mixed with the cooked potato and carrot and 3 heaped tablespoons of pesto.

Serve with the grated parmesan on top.

Add several meatballs to the dish.

A beetroot of a fabulous deep claret colour and purple carrots inspired me to go back to my roots and make a classic Russian salad called Vinegret (a bastardised version of the word Vinaigrette), which is a very healthy salad. It is best served with some chopped salted herring (not the marinated horror that you find in the most delis) and a shot of vodka (not that I would know, as I do not drink vodka).

I will do a separate post for Vinegret, as it truly deserves a place of its own.

The green pepper, stuffed with risotto and sausagemeat.

Pear, Chocolate and Praline cake from Sponge (review)

When you read the blurb "Vanilla Sponge, moistened and sweetened by juicy pear pieces and with a smattering of chunky dark chocolate. The praline ‘nutty-cream’ is the smooth operator responsible for marrying the lightest of Sponges together and the toasted hazelnuts sit like jewels in this crowning glory!", don't you feel immediately tempted?

I have been ogling the cakes at Sponge for quite a while, but finally taken the plunge and ordered a cake for my husband's birthday last Saturday.
The photo and the description were the feast for eyes. You can read more about this cake here.

I was also swayed by the clever marketing.
"The ever popular Give One Get One Free offer is available to all new Sponge family members! Order a delicious 7" Sponge in any flavour and send to a friend or family member and we'll send you another 7" Sponge absolutely free". I knew just the person who would enjoy a cake.

But as we all know, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Was it worth £16.99 (£11.99 plus postage)?

The birthday boy loved it. The guests loved it.

My friend who received her cake was happy with the choice.

Even Sasha who is very particular about what he agrees to eat, decided he liked it. He ate it in his usual way, disposing of the buttercream and eating the sponge only, by crumbling it and playing with it by nimbly squeezing and squashing the pieces before putting them in his mouth. I was amazed that he tried a new product. In my books this was a full success.

Personally I would like a thinner layer of buttercream (or would swap it for a cream which is not based on butter, but that's just me, I prefer a lighter cream).

The sponge itself was fabulously moist. It has the lovely texture, and the balance between the juicy pears and chocolate is just right.

Will I place an order with the company again? I probably will, as I am rather curious to try their other flavours. Why did I use the word "probably"? There was an issue with the delivery. The courier left the cake with the neighbours bur never bothered to leave any card or note to let me know he did so. As I am not psychic, I did not know. It took a couple of phone calls to sort it out.

Justin Fletcher's new single

I haven't been so excited by the release of a new single since my teens. Justin Fletcher is a big part of our lives. Even now, as I write, Eddie is watching Justin Fletcher's Let's Sing Nursery Rhymes. We first discovered Justin aka Mr Tumble a few years ago.
Sasha loves watching Mr Tumble DVDs and playing Mr Tumble matching games on CBeebies.
Something Special and Mr Tumble were created as a programme for special needs children, and it is indeed a very special programme that caters for children with special needs as well as the mainstream children. It is caring, educational and both inspired and inspirational. A Triple Hurrah for Mr Tumble!

Now the most lovable cheeky Justin is going to release a new single "Hands Up" on 20 November.

Justin has a brand new album out on 26th March 2012. The album features 20 classic children’s songs along with a few brand new songs – covering everything from The Teddy Bear’s Picnic, The Laughing Policeman to the brand new single Hands Up.

You can preview the video on Youtube.
http://youtu.be/gtlxZiRprtY

(Shhh, don't tell anyone but Mummy thinks he is a hottie)

A great video that Eddie and I just watched together and were dancing to the rhythm.

You can follow Justin Fletcher on Facebook and Twitter.

For further information please contact Louise@rockandrollbabyworld.co.uk

All the colours of Ella's Kitchen Rainbow

From an "omnivore" Eddie is slowly turning into someone who appreciates the finer points of food. To my amazement he learnt now to say No to some foods I offer to him, showing his independent spirit and his own judgement.
Ella's Kitchen has been with us from the start of the weaning process, offering new tastes and flavours to our little man. All Smoothie Fruits continue to be his firm favourites.
And I appreciate the fact that those little snacks are 100% organic.

"Our 100% organic fruit snacks are perfect to pop in lunchboxes, or to enjoy as a fun snack on the go. Kids love to shake, squeeze and slurp our yummy flavours. And they're a great way for kids to enjoy at least 1 of the 5 lovely pieces of recommended fruit + veg each day.

Inside me you'll f

• NO added sugar, salt or water
• NO additives or thickeners
• NO E numbers or GM
• NO gluten, wheat, dairy or lactose
• NO lumps or bits and nothing artificial
• JUST squished organic fruit for kids
• Contains naturally occurring sugars"

We slurp it on the go. We master the technique of eating it without holding it, as the master Eddie showing it below, you need to lower yourself to the pouch which is standing on the table. Just keep your mouth wide open.

We love the Yellow One. We love the Orange One.

We love The Purple One.

And The Red One. And The Green One...

May we claim the official title of the no.1 fan of Ella's Kitchen smoothies?!

Now could we also suggest The Blue One (blueberry, blackberry and vanilla) and The Pink One (raspberry, strawberry and cream)?

Eddie's favourite Milk Shake-a-latte

An evening treat - a milkshake made with the Plum fromage frais - is always greeted with pleasure.
We have tried most of the branded baby fromage frais on the market, and Plum produces the best one. It is creamy, smooth and appeals to both babies and adults.
For two big glasses you will need a glass and one third of milk, a small tub of Plum fromage frais, a handful of blueberries, one small banana, a scoop of vanilla ice cream (Haagen Dazs is the best, but we also love the Cornish style ice cream). Put all the ingredients in the blender and whizz well. Serve at once.

Just look at our milky foamy moustache!