Regrowing lettuce from a stem: is it worth it?

I often grow spring onions from onion bulbs on the kitchen window sill. When I was a kid, seeing these bright green spikes on the window, in the middle of winter, when everything outside was buried under a thick layer of snow, seemed like a mini miracle.
During the recent lettuce-gate, when lettuces and courgettes seemed to be in short supply in many supermarkets, I thought: why don't I try to re-grow lettuce from the stem, as I have seen online before. My point of reference was a blog post How to regrow romaine lettuce on Getty Stewart's blog.
It will be an interesting experiment. Just how difficult might it be and is it really worth it?

I go through phases, of when I crave fresh lettuce, and will happily eat it for lunch every day for a couple of weeks, then I lose any enthusiasm for it until the next time I fancy it again. Munching trough a small head of lettuce every day, I had plenty of material to play with, both cos and gem lettuce varieties.

The instructions seem to be pretty simple:
Take a fresh lettuce (cos, romaine or gem), and cut off the bottom part/stem at about 3-4cm high.
Place the cut off part into a shallow dish or cup, filled with water. Water must reach at about half way up the stem.
Place the dishes on the window sill, where there will be a bit of sunlight.
You will need to change water every couple of days.
In the first couple of days nothing is happening, but then you will notice new tiny shoots appearing in the middle of the stem.
Wait for about two weeks for some leaves to develop "properly". Don't expect a lot of salad.

This is the result of re-growing lettuce for 15 days or so. I have waited for another week to see if it is going to grow more, but the difference was minimal.
Enough to add to a bowl of salad with lots of other ingredients, or in a sandwich, though not for a whole family.
It was a fun experiment, and you might like to do it with children. This is also a lesson on patience.

Is it worth it? perhaps not, though you get some food for nothing.

Have you tried re-growing lettuce from a stem?

Casdon Little Cooks Morphy Richards Kitchen Set

Judging by Eddie's vivacious classmates, role play with kitchen sets is very popular. They have several huge boxes in the classroom filled with kitchen utensils and food products, and I like the idea that both girls and boys enjoy these toys. Eddie likes to help me in the kitchen, but I don't let him use the coffee machine or a tea kettle for obvious reasons. Imagine his delight when he got his very own kitchen appliances to play with - a Casdon Little Cooks Morphy Richards Kitchen Set.

He couldn't wait to unwrap all the kitchen gadgets, and was enthusiastically showing me each one as it was taken out of the box. This bright and cheerful kitchen set includes replicas of Morphy Richards kitchen appliances like a coffee machine, a toaster and a kettle, plus two cups and saucers, two plates, cutlery and some food items - a sausage, an egg and bacon and two slices of toast.

All the replica appliances are bright in colour and made of plastic. The design is contemporary and minimalist. It is wonderfully true to life, right down to the last detail.
For example, the coffee machine could be filled with water, and it allows the water to pour into the coffee pot. "How cool is that", as appraised by my mini-tester. He loved opening all the lids, pouring a pretend tea and coffee for me.
The toaster has a realistic lever which allows you to put the toast in and push it down, just like in the real thing, and after a few seconds the toast pops up. I also love the fact that it doesn't require any batteries.
It's a lovely set for pretend imaginative play.
I particularly love the kettle, and just wish I had an original in my kitchen.

The only suggestion I could make to Cadson is to expand the range of foods that comes with this set. There is only 1 egg, 1 sausage and 1 slice of bacon, so when we both "wanted" let's say a sausage, we had to decide who had it first. Maybe a couple of each food item would be better. It would definitely help to avoid any food battle if there are two kids playing.

This set will make a lovely gift for any mini-chef. I also see it as a useful tool for pretend play for the nurseries and Reception age school.

Disclosure: we received the play set for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are Eddie's and mine.

Ceramic Heart Dip Set

Mother's day is almost upon us... Are you still looking for the perfect gift? Special Mums deserve special gifts. Whatever you decide to do, a personalised gift will surely make it a special occasion. As a foodie, I'm happy to receive any kitchen or food and drink-related gifts. As you might know, I love pretty china, both patterned and plain, classic or fancy-shaped, and was thrilled with a personalised Ceramic Heart Dip Set from Treat Republic.

This stylish set comes in a sturdy box, and consists of 3 heart-shaped dip server bowls and a solid base made of bamboo. Not only that, it is personalised.
My guys and I love dips and what my men call "snacky things": hummus, guacamole, salsa, soured cream and herbs, olives of all sizes and kinds, sun-dried tomatoes etc etc. And though I have a nice little selection of bowls for dips, none of them are heart-shaped.

It's a perfect set for dips or nibbles. The board is sturdy and smooth, and of course bamboo is an environmentally friendly material. The board has carved grooves for the bowls (I've been singing all day "Groove is in the heart...").

Ceramic dishes are deep and durable. Just imagine how good they will look when you are entertaining. And the personalised message is just the icing on the cake. Needless to say, I love it.

For other gift ideas for Mother's day or any other occasion, have a good browse at Treat Republic.

And if you for one reason or another cannot afford a purchased gift, don't worry. Us Mums are easily pleased with a big hug from our loved ones, a cup of tea in the morning, a homemade card and a mini posie of flowers picked in the garden


Disclosure: I received a dip set for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are mine.

Ragged Rose Aprons Giveaway (E: 27 March 2015)

I love my aprons, and have quite an extensive collection, mostly branded aprons which I have won through the years or received as freebies at the food shows. Some are pretty, some less so but they are functional and protect me from the mess. I am a messy cook, with the flour flying like a cloud, sauces spilling and crumbs getting everywhere. Plus there is a big stash of mixing bowls and pans after each baking session, but then I am the one who cleans the mess, so nobody can complain really. If you want to look pretty in the kitchen, Ragged Rose is a home and gift brand of dazzling colours and fetching designs. Think vintage look, stylish, retro floral prints and plains textiles.
This range has been created by Dawn Rose in 2010, who was inspired by her garden summer house and all the vibrant colours of summer flowers and blooms.
If like me, you enjoy wearing aprons while cooking, you have a chance of winning a set of two 50s inspired retro aprons from Ragged Rose - one child's and one adult's aprons.
The winner will be able to choose aprons which they prefer.

Image credit: Ragged Rose
The image is for illustration purposes only, as the winner will have a choice of aprons

Image credit: Ragged Rose

To be in with a chance of winning, please enter a Rafflecopter gadget.
T&Cs:

Only the first step is mandatory: all you need is answer the question by leaving a comment (if you login as Anonymous, please leave you Twitter name or Facebook name, so that I could identify you, I do not suggest leaving the email address in the comment)

All the other steps are optional, you don't have to do them all. All it takes to win is just one entry. 
Only one entry per person is allowed (however, you can tweet daily to increase your chances). 
The giveaway is open to the UK residents only. Once the Rafflecopter picks the winner, I will check if they have done what was requested. I will contact the winner, if they do not reply within 28 days, the prize will be allocated to another person. 

I will pass on the winner's details to Ragged Rose PR who will dispatch the prize.

The giveaway ends on 8 March 2015 (midnight).

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Photo mug giveaway (c/d 2 September 2014)

If like me you love mugs and cannot pass by the china isle in the shops and supermarkets without stopping and admiring the pretty things, you might be interested in entering a giveaway for a stylish modern-looking Photo Mug which I recently reviewed (see my review Photo Mug).

This super-duper mug is available from Mustard (if you can't wait to get hold of it, order your Photo Mug online).

To be in with a chance of winning this lovely prize, all you need to do is enter, using a Rafflecopter form below. As usual, you have a choice of options to enter: by leaving a comment (this is the only mandatory step), following the brand on Twitter or Facebook etc.

T&Cs:
Only the first step is mandatory: all you need to do is answer my question by leaving a comment 
(if you login as Anonymous, please leave you Twitter name or FB name, so that I could identify you, I do not suggest leaving the email address in the comment)

All the other steps are optional, you don't have to do them all. All it takes to win is just one entry.
Only one entry per person is allowed (however, you can tweet daily to increase your chances).
The giveaway is open to the UK residents only.
Once the Rafflecopter picks the winner, I will check if the winner has done what was requested. I will contact the winner, if they do not reply within 28 days, the prize will be allocated to another person.

The giveaway will close on 2 September 2014 (at midnight, the night from the 1st to the 2nd).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Photo Mug

I love mugs and sometimes have to restrain myself from buying more mugs or cups & saucers for my china collection. Most of my mugs are of a more traditional design, both classic and modern. I hardly have any so called novelty designs, but I recently became a proud owner of a Photo Mug (Mustard Collection).

IWOOT is well known for its quirky amusing and unusual gifts and home and kitchen accessories, and while looking at their cups, mugs and glasses, I have spotted quite a few that I would gladly add to my collection, like stylish and classy Mondrian-inspired mugs or cute Stress mug in a tin.

I am an amateur photographer, with a rather basic camera, I am not good at choosing the right settings at all, but let's say, I am very enthusiastic about taking photos. I also love tea. For me, a Photo Mug is a combination of my two passions: tea and photography.

This sturdy square mug is made of durable ceramic. Its walls are quite thick and will keep your tea hot for longer. Its printed camera design has oodles of appeal to any photo enthusiast of any level.

It comes in a sturdy box, and will make a lovely gift to anyone who enjoys hot drinks or dabbles in photography. It could also make a lovely vase for a posy.

Disclosure: I received a Photo Mug for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are mine.

My kitchen story

For many families around the world the kitchen is the most important place in the house, where family meals are cooked, councils take place, important decisions are made around the table and even revolutions are being hatched. When I was growing up, I remember we all preferred to eat in the kitchen, next to the cooker and a low-humming fridge which produced an occasional hiccup sound. My Dad used to work in the kitchen as well, creating the most beautiful pieces of jewellery and listening to the radio non-stop. I have very fond memories of my friends' kitchens as well.
Yet the kitchen we have now is not exactly a family space. We eat in the dining room. Our kitchen is a later addition to the house, a narrow long room, cluttered and in great need of re-decoration. Our boiler is so vintage, they don't do them like that any more. There is no space for a table and chairs. It has a potential, and I dream of re-doing it one day.
It is a place where I cook all our meals and take a lot of photos for my blog. It has shelves and shelves of teas and my pretty vintage china.

There are lots of things which probably reveal my likes and hobbies, and make it a personal space. It is very colourful and a complete design disaster. I could imagine the likes of Kirstie Allsopp would faint or condemn me for the lack of integrity in the design department.

Could I also sneak in a picture of my favourite kitchen in Cogges Manor Farm? This is my dream kitchen, but one which sadly I will never have.

I might not have the space of the Cogges kitchen, or their historical background, but my own kitchen faces our lovely garden, with the beautiful roses, lilac, rhododendron, potted herbs.

When I was the dishes in the sink, I watch the black birds frolicking in the garden, listen to their tweeting.
The other thing I share with Cogges is that neither of us has a dishwasher.

Why am I talking about my kitchen?
BritMums have recently teamed up with Fairy Platinum and asked the bloggers to talk about their kitchens, saying "the kitchen, it's the heart of the home. We eat, socialise and sped time as a family there... we work at making it a place that reflects our family's style".

When Fairy Platinum sample has arrived, I clutched my head. For some reason I expected it to be a Fairy Platinum washing up liquid, not the dishwasher tablets. Oh my, I'm in a pickle, I don't even have a dishwasher. Thankfully, my friend Liz came to the rescue, she invited me to her kitchen to test the Fairy Platinum in her dishwasher.

I checked the BritMums appeal again in my Inbox, and No, it only mentioned the Fairy Platinum, so it was a genuine mistake on my part.
I gave the dishwasher tablets to my friend.
And this is what my friend Liz said:

"We would normally wash our loads in a 50 degree 2 hour wash but decided we would try your tablets on a 30 degree quick wash lasting 35 minutes.

I was very impressed. Even with oily pots and pans from our cooking everything was spotless and shiny so I didn't even bother testing it on the hotter wash. The only thing I didn't like as much as those we use at the moment is the fragrance as I did notice quite a strong sweet smell, although this doesn't seem to transfer to the crockery so possibly just a general cleaner to the dishwasher"

And here are some photos Before, After and a very shiny plate!

I confess I am impressed with the results, and even mentioned it to my dear husband that perhaps we should consider getting a dishwasher.

This post is an entry for the “My Kitchen Story” Linky Challenge, sponsored by Fairy Platinum” 

If you enjoyed reading My kitchen story, you might like to read Tales from the Kitchen Sink written by Cheryl from Madhouse Family Reviews.

How to get rid of cooking smells (review of Palmolive Anti Odour Kitchen Handwash)

Apparently today is a Global Handwashing day. Now that you've learnt this piece of trivia, you might be asking yourself: just who is making these things up? Shouldn't a Global handwashing day be a daily occurrence?

Nevertheless, it could be a good starting point to discuss a topic of cooking smells and how to get rid of them.

Some foods leave a long lingering smell on your hands, even after you washed them afterwards.
Take garlic: it has a rather potent smell. You can use the garlic press of course, but then the garlic press itself needs to be handled, and you hands end up smelly. And there are many dishes when you need to chop garlic in a certain way, so the garlic press is not suitable for all occasions.

There are old-fashioned ways of getting rid  of the garlic smell from your hands, of course. Grannies advised you to simply rub your hands with a stainless steel spoon or any other stainless steel utensil.
If you don't have any stainless steel utensils, then rubbing a bit of salt or baking soda could do the trick.

More tips: after handling fish, cut a slice a lemon and rub it over your hands well, then rinse.

However, there is a special product on the market to help you in the kitchen and have smell-free hands. It is Palmolive Kitchen handwash.

Palmolive Anti Odour Kitchen Handwash contains a lime extract and a natural antibacterial agent, it promises to remove unpleasant cooking odours from your hands, and it is effective against fish, garlic and onion odours.

What Palmolive says : "Some chefs' essential ingredients include garlic, onions, fish and spices, which, while adding flavour and deliciousness to food, can taint your hands with an unpleasant smell. Palmolive's Kitchen Hand Wash is enriched with lime extract and a natural antibacterial agent, helping to banish odour-causing germs from your hands, leaving them feeling extra fresh, clean, protected and garlic free !"

What Palmolive delivers: the handwash works as it says. I used it after handling the fish, chopping garlic and onion, and my hands were smelling nice and fresh after I used the product.

It might look like any other handwash, but it is potent enough to banish bad smells including the unpleasant smell after changing your baby's nappy (and the usual handwash would just mask the smell rather than get rid of it). For that I am giving Palmolive Anti Odour Kitchen Handwash top marks.

I received this product for reviewing, but once the bottle is empty, I will be definitely buying it for my kitchen. Now my hands don't have to smell as if I have been battling the vampires.