Apple and raisin cake

Early autumn is a beautiful time of the year. Apple trees in our garden are groaning under the weight of apples. I try to add apples to as many dishes as possible in autumn, plus make jellies and chutneys.
Many of our neighbours have their own fruit in the garden, and you often pass by a big crate of apples or pears (or quinces if you're lucky) outside someone's door, offering free fruit.

Last Sunday when my husband and Eddie went to the church service, I took Sasha out to his favourite cafe and later book shop. While he was browsing the local guides' section, I was looking at the GBBO-themed display of books including a book of Mary Berry's bakes.
The seventh season of GBBO is full on melodrama and tears. I can't say I'm the biggest fan. Last year I haven't watched it at all. Mr Hollywood grates on my nerves. He might be a gift to some women, but I find him unpleasantly arrogant and self-satisfied. And also bloody rude.
I browsed Mary Berry's recipes, when I came across an interesting-sounding bake - an apple cake with cocoa. I have adapted it a bit, and added eggs.

Apple and raisin cake
Ingredients:
1 large cooking apple, peeled and sliced thinly
1tsp butter
1tsp bicarb of soda + a squeeze of lemon juice
100g dark muscovado sugar
100g butter, melted and cooled
175g self-raising flour
a pinch of nutmeg
1tsp cinnamon, ground
1tsp cocoa powder
50g raisins, chopped
2 medium eggs
icing sugar for dusting

Start by peeling and slicing a big cooking apple. I used a rather tart variety. Melt 1tsp of butter in a small frying pan, add the sliced apple, and cook stirring with a dash of water until tender. Remove from the heat and let it cool a bit.
In a big bowl mix together cooked apple with the bicarbonate of soda and a good squeeze of lemon juice. I find that lemon juice cuts the sharp metallic taste of soda, mellows it and makes the bake taste better. Whenever the recipe asks for a bicarb of soda, I add lemon juice over it, until it all goes fizzy-fluffy. I can always taste soda in other people's bakes. Even a small amount is quite distinct.
Add the sugar and melted butter to the apples, then flour, spices, cocoa and chopped raisins (if they're small, don't chop them).
Australian apple and raisin cake is made without eggs, but the cake dough looked so dense that I added two just in case.
Ladle the cake batter into the well oiled cake tin, and put in the oven preheated to 180C. Bake for about 40+ minutes. Check readiness with a wooden toothpick.
Take the cake out of the tin, and dust with the icing sugar before cutting and serving.
It is lovely warm, and also the next day.
I was right about the eggs. I'm sure I sound as arrogant as Paul H, if I think I can improve a Mary Berry's recipe. Actually I was not trying to "improve" it, I just think for my taste it would have been too flat and dense otherwise. Sorry, Mary.
It would also benefit from more apples. One apple is not enough, you could hardly find the pieces in the cake. Next time I bake it, I'll use two apples. But the combination of apples and cocoa was really tasty.

Adding this recipe to #KitchenClearout linky run by lovely Cheryl from Madhouse Family Reviews.

I'm also joining with We Should Cocoa linky run by one and only Choclette at Tin and Thyme.

My First Bananagrams

We're going bananas for My First Bananagrams. This new game aimed at children aged 4+ is a variation of Bananagrams, so it's perfect for primary school children, from Reception onwards, who start to develop their reading and writing skills.
The original Bananagrams game comes in a yellow, i.e. ripe pouch. My First Bananagrams' case is green - to underline the young age of its target audience.

The actual set is a mixture of brightly coloured plastic letter tiles including 80 single letters and 13 combo-letter tiles. The tiles are small and light, and are easy to handle.

Last year, when Eddie was in Year 1, they were beginning to study digraphs. This game will be a handy tool
for new learners of word families.

Pre-schoolers may start with very easy tasks of spelling their names or putting the ABCs in an alphabetic order.
The goal for a preschooler is to recognise letters.
An early reader is encouraged to build words.

An (advanced) reader is expected to intersect words with other words to make simple grids.
The instructions leaflet which comes in the pouch gives ideas  and instructions on how to play.
The setup is easy - you need 1 to 4 players. Place all 80 single letter tiles face down on the playing surface. Each player takes 15 tiles.
Your object is to use all the letters in a connected word grid without making spelling mistakes. You are not supposed to make proper nouns either, but we have relaxed the rule.

When you have used all the letters in a connected grid, call Bananas! The first player who completes the grid without mistakes is declared a Top Banana.
Once you have mastered the art of single tiles, you move onto an advanced level and combo-letters.

There are 10 different mini games based on the curriculum. They are educational and entertaining. Children will enjoy the game without realising they are learning. It's a fun way to reinforce early reading skills without getting bored.
It's amazing just how many school books for young readers are excruciatingly boring written by talentless writers and illustrated by artists who are not very good at what they are doing. I volunteer once a week at school and help with the reading programme, so have seen my share of rather dull reading material in the last couple of years. You can see why some kids are not enthusiastic. I'd be bored to tears if I had to read some of those books on a daily basis.
Games like My First Bananagrams could encourage young readers and teach them that spelling and word games could be great fun.


Disclosure: I received a set of My First Bananagrams for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine. None of my links are affiliate.

5 tips for a happier morning

Back to school today. Deep sigh. Where did the summer go?! I know many parents couldn't wait for their children to go back to school, but I am sooo not looking forward to early mornings and the hectic school run.
My younger son was quite pleased to go to school, I wonder how long his enthusiasm will last?!

Are you all geared up for the new academic year? I passed by the Clarks yesterday, and saw through the open doors that there was a big commotion inside, I could have never guessed so many people could fit in in such a small space. I'm not being critical that they left it so late to buy new shoes. I bought Eddie's plimsolls for PE just today.
Does the start of the new school term feel like doom to you or quite the opposite - a fresh start for new plans and ideas?

Rachel's Organic - the leading brand of premium quality yogurts - has teamed up with Nutribullet, which took the world of foodies by storm, asking bloggers to share their tips for a perfect morning. When they asked me to take part in the challenge, I confess my first thought was: are they sure they got in touch with the right person?
Perfect mornings? Do they even exist? Our mornings, especially during the school term, are a very hectic affair.
Yet there are some tips and hacks we all might use for a less stressful morning routine.
They are carved in stone of course, but they work for us. And please keep in mind, I'm not the most organised person.
So, what do I do to make our mornings a little bit less stressful?
I imagine most parents prepare their children's uniforms and sports' kits on the eve. I also prepare the lunchbox in the evening and keep it in the fridge overnight.

My five top tips for a happier morning:
1. Set up your alarm clock for 10 minutes earlier, so that you don't have to jump out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off. You will have some time to yourself to stretch in bed a bit and postpone the inevitable just for a little bit.

2. I feel rather sorry for my kids, when it's time to wake them up. I remember how much I hated getting up for school when I was a child. When it's time to wake up my younger one, I gently scoop him out of bed and kiss him, he sits on my lap for a few minutes with his eyes still closed, and I hug and gently rock him. Then he's ready to open his eyes and face the world. These are our moments of togetherness.
That's my second tip - don't forget the cuddles.

3. Music. Get an energy vibe from music. When I'm preparing our quick breakfast in the morning, I switch on the radio. Classic FM is my favourite radio channel. A beautiful piece of music gives me so much pleasure and joy. Sometimes I even dance to the music, especially if noone's around to see me.

4. Don't skip your breakfast. If there is no time to cook, grab a couple of cereal biscuits or a small pot of yogurt. I make the biggest cup of tea for myself, as I always wake up feeling thirsty.
Recently Rachel's Organic has launched a new Limited Edition Organic Low Fat Caramel Latte yogurt as well as a range of Rachel's Greek Style Breakfast Pots.

Breakfast pots are convenient to us: they are a combination of creamy smooth yogurt with a crunchy granola. These new flavours are an optimum breakfast meal in a hurry and a great way to start your day.

5. While you're eating your breakfast, read the latest post or two from your favourite blog(s).

Limited Edition Organic Low Fat Caramel Latte yogurt has been inspired by the culture of coffehouses. This is a smooth lush yogurt made with the real coffee. All you coffee lovers will find it utterly irresistible.

It is lovely on its own, but also works beautifully in recipes. Just the other day I baked a batch of yogurt cupcakes with the new yogurt, and they were delicious.

If you fancy trying these cupcakes, here is the recipe:

Yogurt cupcakes (makes 10)
Ingredients:
3 medium eggs
150g caster sugar
150g yogurt (e.g. Rachel's Caramel Latte yogurt)
175g self-raising flour
2tbsp ground almonds, heaped
115g butter, melted and cooled a bit
for the frosting:
butter and icing sugar in equal proportions (about 300g each) with a drop of vanilla

In a deep mixing bowl beat the eggs with the sugar, add yogurt, flour, ground almonds and melted and slightly cooled butter. Mix well. Pour the cake batter into paper muffin cases inserted into a muffin baking tray. Cook at 180C for about 20 minutes until golden.
Let them cool completely before decorating with the buttercream frosting. I used a mix of icing sugar and softened butter, beaten with a little bit of vanilla essence for flavour.

These are tasty cupcakes, with a hint of caramel latte. Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea, any time of the day, even breakfast, if you fancy a sweet treat for breakfast.

Disclosure: I received several vouchers to buy new flavours of yogurt for the purposes of testing and reviewing.

August Degustabox

The last week of the month means we're in for a treat, as a new Degustabox is on its way.
We are always looking forward to our Degustabox delivery, which arrives every month and is full of foodie surprises. This monthly food and drink subscription box is an excellent way to discover products which have only just appeared in the shops or those which might have been around for while, but you haven't had a chance to try them yet.

Thanks to Degustabox, I have found new favourites to add to our shopping list, including some products which I probably wouldn't have tried otherwise.

Each time the box arrives, it's a total surprise, as you don't know what you might find there. You get a good selection of foods and drinks.

If you haven't tried Degustabox subscription box yet and would like to have a go, I have a whopping £7 off discount from your first box (and you can unsubscribe any time) - just use a code BLDEG15 when you place an order.

What did we receive in an August box? Let's have a peek:

My guys love popcorn, so Willy Chase's Fit Corn was the first product we have tried. There are four flavours in the range, we have tasted a Salted Honey variety, and it disappeared very fast. We love the combination of sweet and salty, and this combination of sweet fragrant honey with sea salt was a real winner.

NutriPot Aromatic Thai Noodles is high in protein to keep you fuller longer.
Pros: There are no artificial colours, preservatives, added sugar or MSG. Very easy to use - just add the hot boiling water, and it's ready in 3 minutes. It;s a good source if fibre, low in saturated fats and soya is from non-GM source.
Cons: I didn't like the flavour and texture. I think they could still work on it, as the noodles were soggy while the dried bits were still too chewy and not re-hydrated enough.
I'm also not a big fan of added vitamins to any food, but as a lot of young people survive on pot noodles and don't eat any live vitamins, then I suppose it is an extra bonus.

NutriPot Moroccan Couscous is a convenient meal in a pot, very handy to take to work as a lunch option. You just need to add the boiling hot water, wait for a few minutes and fluff it with a fork.

I used this couscous as a stuffing for sweet peppers. Slice the peppers in half, slightly oil on both sides, and stuff with the couscous mixed with a handful of sultanas and 1tbsp of dried barberries. Cook in the oven at 180C for about 25 minutes. Sprinkle a bit of grated Cheddar on top in the last couple of minutes of cooking.

I have seen little pouches of Oloves in the shops, but haven't tried them before. Juicy Oloves are seasoned with chilli, garlic and oregano. They are low in calories (50kcal per pouch), contain no stones. A small sized pouch will make a tasty snack for any olive lover.

Capsicana Chilli & Coconut Brazilian Cook Sauce is made with tomato paste, coconut milk, white wine vinegar, ginger puree, onion puree, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, spices - more pepper like black pepper and frutescens chilli etc. It says "hot", and oh my, it certainly delivers.

I've just eaten a bit of chicken cooked in this sauce, and my lips and mouth still burn. If you are a fire-eater, you'll enjoy this flavourful sauce. For wimps like me, it's way too hot.

Tabasco Sweet & Sticky Barbecue Sauce & Marinade is a mild BBQ sauce, enhanced by the rich and smoky flavours of Tabasco Chipotle Sauce. We always have a bottle or two of the original Tabasco, which I like to add to tomato juice, and which usually lasts me for ages. The new addition to the range is not as hot, and makes a tasty marinade for meat.

I used it to cook chicken thighs - about 2tbsp mixed with 1tbsp lime juice, poured over chicken, which I roasted in the oven at 180C for about half an hour.

We are fans of Dorset Cereals, and I buy cereals from their wide range quite often. Their impressive range has been expanded recently with an addition of Dorset Cereals Bircher Muesli. Originally from Switzerland, this type of muesli is made by soaking oats overnight in juice or yogurt. Dorset Cereals have simplified the method, using finely milled oats and dried fruit, which could be ready in just half an hour.
I am yet to try this muesli, as I recently bought a different brand of Bircher muesli and wasn't impressed.
I guess I'm not a bircher muesli type. Most likely I will use the oats as an ingredient for baking muffins or biscuits.

Geeta's Curry Pastes are created according to Geeta's own recipes. These are special blends of exotic spices, which are very easy to use. These handy pouches help you create a meal with a minimum of hassle, yet a lot of flavour.

I have cooked Tikka Masala with coconut milk and tinned tomatoes (Rogan Josh will have to wait until my husband comes back from his trip). It was a flavourful curry, not too hot.

Geeta's Premium Mango Chutney brings you the authentic flavours of India. Perfect as a condiment to a roast meat, it also helps you create the most scrumptious cheese sandwich - try it with a ripe brie, pure bliss. Or add a generous spoonful to a jacket potato.

Rakusen's Snackers - Plain and Gluten Free are less than 1% fat and contain only 7 calories per cracker. Lovely with cheese, they could also be enjoyed on their own. I remember when I was pregnant, I used to survive on plain crackers similar to these ones, to stave off the so called morning sickness.
They could also be eaten with all kinds of dips, like hummus or guacamole.

Moving onto drinks -
Mahou Cinco Estrellas is a premium Spanish lager, which boasts 126 years of history. My husband enjoyed it for dinner. This lager is produced, using the finest varieties of hops and yeast, and is known for its golden colour and distinct mild taste.

Get More Vitamin Drink is a refreshing fizzy drink. It is made with spring water, natural flavours and no added sugar. There are 6 varieties in the range. A very pleasant drink.

Fentiman's Sparkling Lime and Jasmine is a refreshing fizzy drink. My husband enjoyed it, I had a sip to taste this new flavour, but this is not my favourite Fentiman's drink. This premium light floral drink will  make a lovely alternative to an alcoholic drink, and will look sophisticated in a tall glass with ice.

Clipper Tea is one of the brands I buy regularly. I have quite a stash of different kinds of green tea from Clipper, as I try to drink at least one cup of green tea every day. I'm not overly keen on plain green tea, thankfully Clipper has a selection of flavoured green teas to choose from. Clipper Green Tea with Lime & Ginger makes a refreshing brew, with a mild gingery taste.

Follow Degustabox on Twitter -  @degustaboxUK  or Instagram @degustabox_uk

Disclosure: I received the latest Degustabox for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine.

Stave off the munchies with Forest Feast and Acti-Snack

Summer holidays are rapidly coming to an end. I am sooo not looking forward to early hectic school mornings. I usually prepare children's lunchboxes in the evening to save those precious morning minutes. Sasha takes a lunchbox with him to school every day, Eddie once a week, as I want him to eat the school lunches. He is such a fussy eater, but is more inclined to try new foods when his friends are happily eating them. He refuses to eat any roast, so Wednesdays are his lunchbox days.
Parents sometimes struggle with the contents of their children's lunchboxes. On one hand, they have to be healthy, on the other, not too boring. There are perfect families of course, where children will happily eat kale crisps baked with pink Himalayan salt, broccoli quinoa hemp milk smoothie with spirulina and frogspawn aka chia pudding for dessert. Alas, mine would run a mile if I have offered any of the above superfoods.
Thankfully, they love dried seeds, nuts and fruit as well as freeze dried berries. For us, it's usually a mid-afternoon snack.
If your children enjoy seeds and nuts, then you might consider adding small bags of seeds, dried fruit and nuts to school lunchboxes. Forest Feast is a range of delicious, premium quality dried fruit and snacks, which are perfect for kid-friendly lunchboxes.
Their products include Snack Pot Berries & Raisins, Exotic Dried Mango, Whole Yogurt Cranberries. These products are available online and from most leading supermarkets including Waitrose, Tesco and Asda.
Forest Feast, the premium quality dried fruit and nut snack company is encouraging parents to fill their children's lunchboxes with healthier kid-friendly snacks this school term.

My younger son always takes an apple with him for a mid-morning snack, but on the days when I volunteer at school I have noticed a variety of foods children have at snack time - all kinds of fruit, whole or cut into slices, boxes of raisins and other dried fruit.
Last year we were asked not to send anything with nuts to school, as one of the children had a severe nut allergy. But after this child left school, the prohibition was lifted.
Snack time at school is an important chance for young minds to refuel for the rest of the day, at least until lunch time.
"Snacks can play a significant role in the diet of children as, due to their small size, they may only be able to eat a small amount of food at a time. However, it is important to choose the right snacks so that children are getting the nutrients they need to keep them going through the busy school day right through to their afterschool activities", said Ann Woods, Product Development Manager of Kestrel Foods Ltd, owners of the Forest Feast brand.
"Parents want to pack snacks for their children that are both nutritious and energising but also delicious enough that kids will eat it. Forest Feast has created a premium range of dried fruit and nut snacks that are made to enjoy on-the-go so our products are the perfect healthier snack option for busy parents".

We like individual packets of snacks, as they are handy to carry in a bag, whenever we're out and about. While I am not a strict dictator when it comes to eating, or rather not eating, sweets, I do prefer when Eddie eats healthy snacks like raisins or nuts.

Forest Feast Yogurt Cranberries are whole cranberries with a yogurt flavoured coating. They are juicy and quite sweet. Both my younger son and I liked the flavour of tangy cranberries in the creamy yogurt coating.

Calorie-wise, a 60g bag of cranberries comes at 281kcal or 469kcal per 100g. It's probably quite all right for an active kid, but if you're a grown-up and counting calories, an apple at an average 95kcal might be a better snack option.

A few other stats for comparison (I'm just looking at the bags of products which my older son likes in his lunchbox - not altogether, I hasten to add) - a 30g of Kettle Chips Cheddar flavour is 152kcal, Mini Cheddars is 128kcal, Original Hula hoops is 122kcal, Walkers Crisps Bacon Flavour is 130kcal.

Forest Feast Exotic Dried Mango is a PREDA Fairtrade product. It is naturally fat-free, free from any artificial additives and preservatives. Sweet pieces of dried mango are a delicious way of sneaking one of five-a-day into children's lunchboxes. They are available in five single portions at £2.99 per box or in a 130g share pack at £2.75.

Let's look at the calories: typical values are 332kcal per 100g. One single pouch is 25g, so comes at a very reasonable 83kcal per small bag.
Mango slices in a share pack are bigger dried cheeks of mango, while mango in Singles packs are of a chopped variety.

Mango is sourced from the Philippines through the Fair Trade partners.

Preda Fair Trade assists small scale farmers to improve production, encourages organic and chemical free farming, opposes genetic manipulation and guarantees a better deal for the farmers.
I'm very fond of dried mango, and this product didn't disappoint - the mango pieces were chewy soft, sweet and flavourful.

Acti-Snack is another brand which might be a contender as a lunchbox material. It was designed to meet a variety of sports nutrition requirements. They have developed five unique mixes - Sweet & Sour Mango, Fruit, Nut & Seed, Fruit & Nut, Nut & Soya and Nut Mix, all of which are gluten free, free from artificial additives and preservatives.
Products are available in slim-line, impulse pack - ideal for running belts or saddle packs - as well as re-sealable multiple serving packs. Single portion packs might be easily added to the lunchbox contents.

Acti-Snack Sweet & Sour Mango is an exotic dried mango with tender green mango slices. These delicious sweet snacks are gluten free, additive free, fat free and are a good source of vitamin C & fibre.
Vitamin C contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

I used one of the single pouches to add to the muffins I baked the other day - pear multiseed muffins.

Acti-Snack Fruit, Nut & Goji Berry is a mix of nuts and dried fruit. You will find whole almonds and pieces of walnuts here as well as dried sultanas and goji berries. It is gluten and additive free, high in Vitamin E which contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress, Biotin (good for normal energy-yielding metabolism) and Copper which contributes to maintenance of normal connective tissues.
It is a tasty mix, though perhaps more suitable for grown-ups' tastes. Eddie loves sultanas, but dislikes goji berries, and is not over keen on almonds either. It's all a matter of personal preference, of course.

He was more enthusiastic about Acti-Snack Fruit, Nut & Seed which contains dried apple juice infused cranberries and cherries with raisins and oven roasted hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds and cashew nuts.

Acti-Snack Fruit, Nut & Soya is a healthy mix of almonds, pumpkin seeds and soya beans with dried apple juice infused cranberries. I wasn't sure what dried soya (edamame) beans would taste like, but they are pleasantly crunchy. I probably would have preferred them to be salted, but then it would make them less healthy.

This mix is gluten & additive free, high in protein & fibre, vitamin E and biotin, there is no added sugar either.
25g or one small handful equates to a single portion.
For a supercharged breakfast add a handful as a topping to cereals or porridge.

What do you put into your children's lunchboxes?

Disclosure: We received a selection of healthy snacks for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are ours.