Apple Sharlotka

My Mum comes to stay with us every summer, for a month, and I'm always looking forward to seeing her. We talk on the phone every day, but that's not the same. We live so far away from each other, and I miss her company.
She was planning to arrive by the end of August, and I was counting days until I could hug and squeeze her. Then a few days before she was supposed to travel I had an email from a friend who told me that Mum was in the hospital. She was so poorly, she needed a blood transfusion. The trip was cancelled, and postponed until Mum is well enough, and her doctors tell her she can travel.

Until the school started three days ago, my sons kept me on my tiptoes. And today, while they were at school, I felt so miserable and sad really. Who knows, if Mum and I would be able to see each other this year.
Feeling rather lonely on my own at home and slightly sorry for myself, I decided to bake an apple cake Sharlotka, which is a total blast from the past.
I think this is probably the first cake I've learnt to bake, and most Russian teenagers can make it even in their sleep. Or at least they used to, when I was young, cannot say about the new generations, for all I know they go for something more modern and jazzy like quinoa chia seed energy balls with goji berries and hemp.

As this cake uses the most basic ingredients, which you might have at home at any given time, you can bake it whenever you fancy a cup of tea with a slice of warm cake.
You can eat it warm or cold.

You will need tart cooking apples. If using dessert apples, reduce the amount of sugar.
I just went in the garden and brought a few apples in (photo taken on a sunny day).

In the past I would just measure a mug of sugar and a mug of flour, but as mugs vary, I post here a recipe with weighed ingredients.

I don't know who the original Sharlotta (Charlotte) was, after whom this cake is named.

You will need
2-3 big tart apples, peeled and sliced
a squeeze of lemon
3 medium eggs
180g caster sugar
200g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
1tsp ground cinnamon
2tbsp soured cream
butter, for the tin

Peel and core apples, and cut into thin slices. Drizzle a bit of lemon juice over apple slices.
In a big mixing bowl beat the eggs with the sugar. Sift in the flour, baking powder and cinnamon, mix together, add a bit of soured cream (or plain yogurt) and mix well. The cake batter has quite a thick consistency. Add the sliced apples and mix again.
Butter the spring cake tin, and the circle of parchment paper at the bottom of the tin.
Place the tin in the oven preheated to 180C. Bake for 45+ minutes. Check with a wooden toothpick if the cake is ready.
Dust some icing sugar over the warm cake.

Chilli Chocolate lovers giveaway (E: 30 September 2017)

The weather is miserable today, and to cheer myself up I am running a little foodie giveaway.

If you pop into my blog even occasionally, you will know that I love chocolate.

I have offered chocolate prizes in the past and they usually tend to be popular. This foodie giveaway has a little twist. All the chocolate bars in the prize are chilli-flavoured. I hope you'll think it's a fun idea. I certainly enjoyed sourcing out the chocolate bars.

One lucky winner will receive:
- Thorntons Chilli 70& dark chocolate
- M&S 52% dark chocolate with chilli
- Lindt Excellence Chilli dark chocolate
- Montezuma Dark Chocolate Chilli
- Montezuma Milk Chocolate Chilli & Lime
- Waitrose Cooks IngredientsWhole Dried Hot Ancho Chillies
and Chilli Banana/ Authentic Thai Cooking from May's Kitchen cook book


To be in with a chance of winning, please enter via Rafflecopter form.

T&Cs:
The giveaway is open to the UK residents only.
Once the Rafflecopter picks the winner, I will contact them regarding address details, if they do not reply within 28 day, the prize will be allocated to another person.
Please don't forget to leave a comment, as it is the only mandatory step, I will make sure the winner selected by Rafflecopter has complied with T&Cs.
The prize is provided by me, and I will post the prize to the winner.
Giveaway ends on 30 September 2017 (midnight).

Good luck!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Cornish Guest House by Emma Burstall

Give me a book set in Cornwall, with a cover showing a quaint cottage and a seaview, and I will buy it.
The Cornish Guest House by Emma Burstall was one of those impulse purchases before our trip to Cornwall, to take with me for a rainy day entertainment.
We had rainy days aplenty, I finished one of my paperbacks and then started reading this one.
On arrival home, I left it in the suitcase and couldn't find enthusiasm to continue with it.
The first third of the book is uneventful and over-populated. I don't mind books with lots of characters, but I don't expect to meet every single person who lives in the village. And what they are wearing.

Several finished books later, I decided to get back to the Cornish Guest House, simply because I dislike not finishing books.

The genre is a mix of chick lit and mystery (no murders, but fraud). There is a mysterious couple arriving to the small fishing village to open their guest house. They look glamorous, sophisticated and rather alien among the villagers.
While Luke is a charmer and a bit of a backslapper, his wife Tabitha appears rude, aloof and distant, and manages to alienate about almost everyone in the village.
They both sound quite unpleasant, though the yokels are much taken by Luke's bonhomie.
There is a gay couple, an ageing local Lothario, a wise old woman... There is always a wise old woman whom you cannot deceive, isn't there?!

You meet Liz and her daughter Rosie, who appear in the first book of the series. She is happily married now, and is helping all the old biddies in the village and also her husband's wayward niece Loveday who is flattered by attentions of the older man. She appears as very immature and rather stupid, also pretty unlikeable.

And the mystery evolves around the money scams, with the old people being fleeced of their life savings.

There are lots of villagers, who you lost count of and don't actually care anything about. They lose dogs, they do swims in the cold sea, organise church events etc.
The most excitement of the season is the local art show, where someone displayed a picture of his elderly girlfriend's private parts, slightly disguised as flower petals. Which sounds very much like a Georgia O'Keefe's plagiarism.

The plot is rather predictable, you know who the villain is going to be very early in the book.
Without going into detail, for all the close-knit-community spirit, I found it hard to believe that the villagers would be so easily duped and would turn against one of their own, trusting the word of the newcomer who seems to be like Figaro - Figaro qua, Figaro là, Fiagaro su, Figaro giù - here, there, up and down.

I didn't realise that this was book no.2 in the series when I bought it. It didn't matter, as it reads as a standalone.
I've seen mixed reviews online, where many readers mentioned that the first book was better. I can't really say if that's true, as I haven't read it, and most likely won't read.

Pu Erh Hazelberry from Adagio Teas

Pu Erh tea is renowned for its health benefits and distinct off-putting smell. The range of olfactory descriptions varies from fishy to smelly socks to armpits' whiff. This strong smell is a result of the fermentation process.
I remember trying a pure unflavoured Pu Erh tea for the first time and thinking, Just who would willingly want to drink that?! But with so many health benefits - it is a great aid to digestive system, it is high in antioxidants, has lots of vitamin C and E etc - could I overcome my olfactory aversion and continue drinking it?

Pu Erh tea benefits from an added flavour which would disguise its fishy smell.

Adagio Teas has several Pu Erh tea varieties in its range.

Pu Erh Hazelberry is a blend of Pu Erh tea, strawberries, cocoa nibs, creme and hazelnut flavours. There's still a bit of an earthy fermented undertone to it, but overall the fishiness is pretty much disguised. Yay! I can drink that.

Cream and strawberries add mellow creamy notes to it, and hazelnuts brings in sweetness.
It is an inspired combination.

The colour of the brew is dark amber, with shades of ruby.

It is quite sweet, thanks to strawberries, hazelnuts and creme. Drink it neat, or with a dash of milk.

Have you tried any of Adagio Teas? Which flavour is your favourite?

Disclosure: I received a selection of Adagio Teas for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are my own.

Degustabox Back to School Box (August)

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. 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 8EVI8 when you place an order.

What did we receive in August Degustabox? Let's have a look.

Whenever I open the latest Degustabox, my guys peek inside, expecting some treats.
They were not disappointed this time.

Refreshers Softies are a new twist on a retro confectionery. They have the same fizz, they are soft, squishy and chewy. I only managed one of them, but the pack was emptied very quickly by my sons.

At least I managed to take a photo of Softies. No such luck with Cadbury Dairy Milk Big Taste Toffee Whole Nut. Though I told my kids to wait until the next day, so that I could take photos with better morning light, the chocolate bar was suspiciously missing from the parcel. I later found an empty wrapper in the bin.
I can only presume it was tasty.

Cadbury Curlywurly Squirlies are bitesize chewy caramel pieces, covered in Cadbury milk chocolate. Squirlies look like wriggly chocolate worms.
This is a shareable, bigger bag.

Bahlsen PICK UP! Black 'N White is a delicious white chocolate bar sandwiched between two chocolate biscuits. They come individually wrapped to keep them fresh for longer.
Great to have in a hand bag as a snack on the go, and for school lunchboxes (if your child's school does not forbid chocolate treats, as I know some schools are very restrictive in what they allow children to have in lunchboxes. Quite ridiculous as the school lunches often feature very stodgy desserts, with jelly and custard, on a daily basis).

JellySqueeze is a child-friendly jelly in a pouch. You can eat it on the go, and add to your lunchbox. They are easy to open and squeeze. Gluten and lactose free, suitable for vegans and vegetarians, and schools compliant, these fruity jelly pouches could be another option for a school lunch dessert.
It has no artificial colours or preservatives, no added sugar or artificial sweeteners. Made with real fruit juice, it comes at 76kcal per pouch, though quite a bit of sugar (18g), so it's pretty sweet.

From sweet to savoury:
Seabrook Crisps are the original crinkle cut crisps. The variety pack includes three most popular flavours - Sea Salted, Sea Salt & Vinegar and Cheese & Onion.

Light Bites Popped Chips are healthier snacks. Popped chips are less than 100kcal per bag, they are low in saturated fat, high in protein, veggie friendly, high in fibre and gluten free.
There are no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, no GM or MSG.
They are part of LighterLife Fast range of foods which is available exclusively in Superdrug.
We love Popchips, and Light Bites are created as the same concept.
Sweet and Smoky Chipotle soya and chickpea popped chips are well-seasoned and spicy, woith flavours of chipotle, paprika, garlic, cayenne pepper, cumin, oregano, chilli and onions.

Another flavour to consider is Pesto and Sundried Tomato.
They would appeal to people who want to skip potatoes from their diet (but personally I prefer potato-based chips and crisps).

Maggi Fusian Noodles in two flavours - Sticky Hoisin Duck and Fiery Sweet Chilli Noodles.
Sticky Hoisin Duck Noodles are made with rich sweet soy, oriental spice and hints of roasted duck with infused oil and vegetables. It takes minutes to make a bowl of hot spicy noodles.

Fiery Sweet Chilli Noodles include spicy chilli and ginger flavours with onion oil and vegetables.
Taste-wise, the flavours are OK, but I am not keen on dried carrot pieces, they have a funny texture.

Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise is made using 100% free range eggs and sustainably sourced oils for a rich creamy taste. Typically I go for reduced fat mayonnaise. My favourite way to use mayo is to make devilled eggs, with paprika and other spices.
Great in sandwiches and burgers, or as an ingredient in salads for a quick and easy meal.

Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce is made from mild green jalapeño peppers with vinegar and salt. I always have a bottle of Original Tabasco in the kitchen, which I love to add to a glass of tomato juice, or when making guacamole. It is the mildest sauce from the Tabasco family.
I used it recently to cook roasted cabbage in soured cream and Tabasco sauce.

Moving onto drinks:

Orangina Limited Edition Summer bottles make a lovely summer refresher. With its unmistakable orange flavour, sparkle and real citrus pulp, they come in amusing hipster bottles.
Drink them on their own, straight from the fridge, with ice or without, or use as a base for cocktails and mocktails.

And the last item is Twisted Halo - Coconut Water, Ginger & Vodka.
Twisted Halo contains only natural ingredients and no added sugar or sweeteners.
At 90kcal per 275ml bottle it is a light ready-to-serve drink. Enjoy chilled straight from the fridge or over ice with a slice of lime.
(Not quite sure how it works as a Back to School product, I guess it is for parents who will sigh with relief once the school begins again).

Disclosure: We received Degustabox every month for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are our own.

Red velvet almond biscotti

It felt like an Indian summer yesterday, it was sunny and warm, almost hot, a perfect September day. Our apple trees in the garden are groaning under the weight of fruit. I still have some pre-blanched apples in the freezer left from last year.
And as many gardens in the neighbourhood have their own apple trees, nobody wants free apples. Such a shame.
Today we woke up to an incessant drizzle and grey skies, such a difference with yesterday's mild weather. Today I feel like wrapping myself in a fleece blanket and having lots of hot drinks.

I was expecting friends for a late morning coffee, and realised that we've run out of all homebaked cookies and cakes. I rummaged in the kitchen shelves and found a box red velvet cake mix.
I didn't fancy baking a cake, but remembered seeing photos of red velvet biscotti on Pinterest.

Technically these are not proper Italian biscotti. I don't think I've ever seen red velvet biscotti anywhere in Italy.
This recipe, in many variations, appears mostly on American sites and blogs. But these biscotti are pretty good with a cup of coffee or tea. They are also very easy to make, and don't take much time either.

Red velvet biscotti
Ingredients:
1 pack of red velvet cake mix
2 medium eggs
125g butter, melted
125+g plain flour
50g almonds, chopped

In  a big mixing bowl mix together contents of 1 pack of red velvet cake mix and 2 medium eggs. Add melted butter, flour and chopped almonds (bigger pieces not crumbs).
Divide the cake dough into 2 parts.
Shape the cake dough into 2 flattened loafs on the baking sheet.
Place it in the oven preheated to 180C. Bake for 20 minutes.

Take the tray out and carefully transfer each baked rectangle on the cutting board.
Slice into separate biscotti with a bread knife. The dough inside is still quite uncooked and soft.

Place all the biscotti back on to the baking sheet, and back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

They are crispy and crunchy, and lovely to dip into coffee.
Typically I cannot stand dunking biscuits into tea or coffee. Biscotti is the only type of biscuit I would ever dunk.
Are you a biscuit dunker?

Ben 10 toys range and our #Ben10Toys Twitter party

Have you taken part in #Ben10Toys Twitter party last Thursday?
The event was hosted by UKMumstv. There were lots of competitions with super prizes on offer. We had our own party to host and explore the latest range of Ben 10 toys from Flair.
If you have primary school children, you are most likely well acquainted with Ben 10 and know what an Omnitrix is.
He is the ultimate kid superhero.

Eddie was super excited about the party. He was thrilled with the contents of the big box which arrived before the party, for us to explore the new range and share with our friends.

The new Ben 10 range is available in most good toy stores now.

This is the imaginatively called Four Arms

There are 13 basic figures to collect - Ben & Grey Matter, Heatblast, Diamondhead, XLR8, Four Arms, Upgrade, Overflow, Cannonbolt, Wildvine, Stinkfly, Hex, Steam Smythe and Dr Animo.

Four Arms

These collectable figures are made of plastic, have moving limbs and removable parts.
This range is suitable for children aged 4+, due to small parts.

Diamondhead

Collect them all.

Ben 10 Deluxe Omnitrix was the biggest hit among our party.
It requires 2 AAA batteries, thankfully included. Just like the figures, it is not suitable for children under 3 years (small parts).

You need to press button to activate it. Turn the dial & press to select alien.
You can transform into one of 10 aliens. The screen magically lights up and reveals one of the aliens.
The Omnitrix fit easily on a child's wrist with two Velcro straps.
It has a wide range of alien voices and 100+ phrases.

There is also a basic version of Omnitrix with 40+ prhases.

And if the collectable figures and Omnitrix were not enough, there are two Transform-n-Battle masks and hand "extensions".  We got a Heatblast outfit to try on, but there is also a Diamondhead one.

Ben10 Transform-n-Battle Heatblast has a red plastic mask (it is a bit on the small side) and an extending fireball glove to launch fire blasts to make the bad guys feel the heat.
It is supposed to shoot out when you press an internal button, but we didn't manage to make it work. You can pull it out manually, but then it's not much fun.
It is most likely that we got a faulty toy set, but it's something to keep in mind.

During the party we had several different activities planned for children to take part. After the free play with some of the action figures, Omnitrix and role play item, we had a Treasure Hunt with Ben 10 Cards.

As the day happened to be wet and miserable, I had to re-think the plan for the hunt. My original plan was to put some of the cards in the garden and summerhouse.
Once hidden, the cards had to be found, following the clues.

After running up and down the stairs, looking for clues, our gang was ready to have a down time, with snacks and drinks.
We had striking Ben 10 biscuits for guests, and I also cooked a big tray of oat white chocolate cookies.

Who doesn't love a bit of colouring and find the differences games?!

We also had a dial cardboard game Which Ben 10 Monster are you?
Apparently I am Four Arms, which sounds just about right. I only wish I had four arms, that would make life much easier for multi-tasking Mums.

We had a great time, children enjoyed exploring the new toys.
Our guests left happy, with toys and sweets.

Disclosure: We received a selection of Ben 10 toys for the purposes of testing and reviewing, and for hosting a Twitter party. All opinions are our own.