Sweet and sour aubergine ragu with oyster mushrooms

November is being hailed as a World Vegan Month. While no-one in our family is a vegan, I cook lots of vegetable dishes that just happen to be vegan-friendly.
Aubergines and potatoes are my most favourite vegetables, I am happy to eat them as often as possible.
A few years ago I tried to grow my own aubergines, but there was one plague after another - slugs, caterpillars, some kind of mould etc, so I've not succeeded. After that gardening disaster I just buy them in the shops.
I rarely peel the aubergines (unless the recipe asks for that specifically). The modern varieties are not bitter, and I don't pre-salt them either to remove bitterness.
Sweet and sour aubergine ragu with oyster mushrooms is a tasty comfort food.

Sweet and sour aubergine ragu with oyster mushrooms
Ingredients:
1 red onion
5+tbsp olive oil
2 medium carrots, grated
2 medium aubergines
1 sweet pepper
1-2 clove of garlic
2 big tomatoes
3-4tbsp fresh lemon juice
2tbsp Clarks maple syrup
a punnet of oyster mushrooms
fresh dill (optional)

The sweet pepper is listed in the ingredients list, but is missing in the photo, as I added it after I took the photo

Start by frying a finely chopped red onion in 2 tbsp olive oil, keep stirring for 3-4 minutes, then add grated carrots, and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Cube the aubergines and slice a pepper, add to the onion and carrot mix, with more of olive oil.
Aubergines tend to absorb quite a lot of oil, so if you're counting calories, add a dash of water, and cook stirring frequently.
Add a finely chopped clove of garlic, chopped tomatoes, lemon juice and maple syrup. You might need a big glug of water. Cover the pan with the lid, and cook simmering, on low heat, for half an hour or so, until the aubergines are soft.
Add the mushrooms in the last five minutes of cooking.
Serve with rice, or as a side dish to a meat course. Sprinkle with fresh herbs, like dill or parsley.
If you don't like oyster mushrooms, they can be easily swapped for chestnut mushrooms.
I served the ragu with the arancini (rice balls).

In this recipe I used Clarks Original maple syrup, which was one of the products in the latest Degustabox food box. It's a natural blend of Pure Canadian maple syrup and carob fruit syrup. It's suitable for both vegetarians and vegans.

If you enjoy cooking with aubergines, check out the following recipes:

Aubergine curry (Indian recipe)

Aubergine ikra (Russian recipe)

Caponata (Sicilian recipe)

Pasta 'ncasiata (Sicilian recipe)

Freekeh with aubergines and cashews

What are your favourite aubergine-based recipes?

Photo diary: week 44, project 365

Didn't I moan about the miserable weather just a week ago?! Well, it hasn't changed much since then. We did have a few sunny spells, but it's been raining most days. I think I'm becoming a true Brit, being obsessed with weather, asking Siri each morning what's the weather for the day.
Sometimes "he" gets it right.

Last Sunday spoilt us with a beautiful sunny break in the afternoon, only to turn drizzly later.
This glorious red bush in our garden is a restaurant for small birds.

I'm forever looking up at the clouds, and they never cease to amaze me by their shapes. This one looked like big feathery wings.

I know it looks sunny again in the photo, so why was I moaning about the bad weather. It's just we were trying to catch any break from rain to get outdoors. But it was definitely raining before and after that day.

The day before Halloween I carved a pumpkin with Hiccup and Toothless. I always carve a pumpkin, based on our favourite film and book characters.
In the last years we had a Gruffalo, Meg and Mog, Funnybones, dragon from Games of Thrones, dragon from Merlin and more.

We don't do trick-or-treating as a rule. Having a child with autism who is very sensitive to noise and any break from routine, trick-or-treaters are not welcome here. I pull the curtains tight.
We were walking home from town in the late afternoon, when Eddie spotted a lighted pumpkin at the neighbour's door. He asked me if he could go trick-or-treating, just to the neighbour.
He got dressed up as Harry Potter.
Our local computer repairs shop makes a big Halloween display in the window every year. They have three cackling witches who spook the passerbys.

Rainy day: Eddie stayed at home with my Mum, while I accompanied Sash and his father in town. They visited a Huffkins café. I stayed briefly with them, and then rushed to do a bit of grocery shopping.

As soon as the Halloween is over, there are Christmas decorations in town. We've already spotted Christmas light in a shape of tree on one of the doors in the neighbourhood.
And Costa is serving Gingerbread latte and mince pies.
This was my first mince pie of the season, and very nice it was too.

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Race with Ryan (game review)

October ended on a minor chord of a miserable drizzle, and November started with a torrential rain. On a rainy day like today, what will you opt to do - read, bake, sketch or play games?
Race with Ryan launched yesterday (1 November 2019), to the sounds of accolade. This new racing game is available on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PC.

If you are a parent of a primary school child, you might well be aware of the Ryan's World brand, a family-based production company. I confess I had to google who Ryan is, but it would appear I'm in the minority, and cheeky smiley chap Ryan is a world-wide phenomenon and one of the biggest names on Youtube.

My younger son is a gamer. He is happy to play Minecraft, Hello Neighbour and other games on his Xbox One. When we were offered a code to try a new game before its launch, he was thrilled to have an opportunity to trial it.

"Worldwide family entertainment publisher Outright Games™ in partnership with digital-first, kids entertainment studio pocket.watch's™ gaming division P.W.Games™ and Sunlight Entertainment, the family-run production company and creator of the "Ryan's World™" brand, announced the release of "Race with Ryan"™ the first-ever console game based on the massively popular global kids' brand "Ryan's World"™.

You can play on your own, or together as a family, racing to victory across multiple, magical worlds as Ryan and his friends - Moe, Gus, Alpha, Lexa and others.
The game features a four-player-split-screen to race with friends in multiplayer mode.

Race with Ryan is available on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PC.
Exclusively at Smyth's Toy Store in the UK for £29.99 and many retailers in the US including Target, Amazon and Gamestop for $39.99 with a version of the game which includes a limited edition race with Ryan collectible die cast vehicle exclusively available at Walmart in the USA and Big W in Australia.
"Race with Ryan" can also be downloaded from the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live, Nintendo eShop and Steam.

If you enjoy racing games, Race with Ryan is a colourful fun fast adventure. You pick a racer, then head to one of six magical locations, and off you go. Show your friends and family who is the fastest racer.
My son enjoyed playing this game, he said it is a great fun. He played on his own, but can't wait for his friend to come over after school next week so that they can race together.

The controls are easy, once you learn how to use them. There is an optional auto-acceleration and a tutorial which shows you how to play.

The game is aimed at children 3-6 years old, but at 9, my son had fun playing this game, so it might well be enjoyed by older kids.

"We had so much fun as a family when helping to create this game", said Ryan's father, Shion Kaji. "Players will see and hear Ryan and the beloved characters from Ryan's World as they experience the exciting race gameplay in different magical lands."

As one of the top kid content creators on YouTube, Ryan's channels received over 41 billion views to date, and amassed over 31 million subscribers, and growing (and my jaw truly hit the floor in amazement).

Image credits: Outright Games

Disclosure: we received a free code for the game for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are our own.

Photo diary: week 43, project 365

The clocks are going back this Sunday, the weather keeps being abysmal, the skies are dreary and the days are so dark. Sounds pretty bleak.
Last week was a bit of a trial. Eddie's been off school for several days. It looks like the stomach bug makes rounds, as Sasha's school was closed on Friday due to a mass sickness.

The Cat that walks by himself...

On Monday Eddie's been so unwell, that I didn't take a single picture. He was sick through the night, and we were both exhausted from the lack of sleep.
A bit more cheerful the next day, he spent most of it in bed.

Our favourite "ghost house" in the neighbourhood, with the creepers in autumnal colours.

A window of the jeweller's shop on the way into town, with a shadow of a branch.

On Thursday Sash had his final respite stay of the month. Typically we have a pizza and a movie night with Eddie or go out, but he was still not well enough. He had some plain boring food to settle his stomach, and we watched Avengers: Endgame again.

On Friday Eddie went back to school. He must have being starving after several days of sickness, because he told me later that he had fish and chips, and then had seconds too, bless him.

Mum has picked a couple of roses in the garden and put them in a little vase in the kitchen.

Weather-wise, it's a totally miserable day today, it's been raining non-stop, in torrents. Yesterday I started reading a book, which I received for reviewing - The Iron Chariot by Stein Riverton. It's been voted the greatest Norwegian crime novel of all times. It's marvellously atmospheric.

Harry Potter gifts at Paladone

There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words.

Gifts inspired by JK Rowling's world of magic are selling like hot cakes. Wander around any gift shop, and you'll spot some merchandise based on the much-loved book and movie series.
Oxford, for example, boasts not one but three Harry Potter-themed shops. But if you cannot visit any shops dedicated to the wizard boy in person, do not despair.

Paladone, the UK's leading company for gift supplies, has a section devoted to the fans of Harry Potter - Harry Potter Merch - which is filled with truly magical gifts.

If you are looking for Christmas (or birthday) gifts for a Harry Potter and Wizarding World fan, Paladone offers a wide selection of gifts, from iconic mugs to gadget decals, from stationery sets to night lights.
The only problem you will encounter is deciding what to pick.

We were offered a £30 credit to choose anything from the Harry Potter range for the purposes of reviewing, and we found it quite a difficult task, as there were so many tempting goodies.

If you follow my blog, you might know that my younger son is a big Harry Potter fan. We have already bought lots of the Wizarding world gifts, like a Harry Potter costume, several wands, soft toys, LEGO sets, hats and scarves, pyjamas etc.

Eddie was thrilled to be able to add to his HP collection. We looked at six pages very carefully, comparing the merits of each gift, and finally, decided to order a Hogwarts backpack and a Hogwarts stationery set - both of which my son can take to school.

Ordering online is easy and straightforward. You will get a free delivery with any order of £30 and over.

Let's have a closer look at our choices.

Take magic with you anywhere you go with a Hogwarts backpack (£19.99). Carry your school books and pencil cases to your own "Hogwarts".
This nylon backpack is made in the Hogwarts colours and features an embroidered Hogwarts crest.
It has a PVC backing, metal zip pulls and is approximately 42cm in height. This spacious backpack is an officially licensed Harry Potter product.

Eddie loves his new backpack. He can store all his school things inside.
It is instantly recognisable as a Harry Potter-themed product, and will make an excellent gift to fans of all ages.
Our only request to the makers of the backpack would be to make an external pocket for a bottle. There is a pocket on the back, but it is not shaped to hold a drinks bottle. Carrying a bottle inside the bag could be hazardous for any papers or books, in case a bottle is not leak-proof. Most of the school backpacks have a specially assigned outside pocket for a bottle.

Hogwarts Stationery Set (£9.99, currently on offer at £3.99) will delight any Harry Potter aficionado. It comes in an elegant and stylish case with a transparent lid.

It includes a mini notebook, with a portrait of Dumbledore on the cover, three pencils with spells, an Obliviate eraser and a set of three giant sorting hat paperclips.

This set is perfect to use at school, or at home, and will make a lovely gift for any occasion.

Eddie was much taken by the pencils, as he enjoys sketching and is learning the basics of calligraphy. Sorting hat paperclips are my personal favourites.

When we browsed Paladone's Harry Potter section, we also loved the sight of Hedwig mini bell light jar, Hogwarts toiletries bag, gadget decals.

Last year I wrote a post Christmas gifts for Harry Potter & Fantastic Beasts fans, and two of the gifts featured in the gift guide - Harry Potter mini bell light jar and Harry Potter egg and cup set - could be also found at Paladone.

What would you choose?

Disclosure: As mentioned above, we received a £30 credit to spend on Harry Potter merch for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are our own.

Photo diary: week 42, project 365

And one more week has whooshed by, a bit more cheerful than the last one. My Mum arrived on Tuesday, and it's wonderful to see her. Hallowe'en decorations (and Christmas gifts) seem to dominate the shops.
The weather has been pretty abysmal though, it's been raining most days, and we were watching the levels of the river Windrush with a bit of anxiety, as it's prone to flooding.

Last Sunday was no different - rain, rain, rain, with a few sunny rays in between, when I managed to snap these wet cyclamens in the garden.

This is one of a few hazelnuts I managed to rescue before the greedy squirrel got to them. She is a total thug, biting off the hazelnuts and just throwing them on the ground, rather than taking what she needs to hide for winter.

Tuesday was a super busy day. My Mum was arriving later in the evening.
Thankfully, Sash was given an extra respite day this month, so I didn't have to worry about him. My husband was also arriving from Italy in the evening, so Eddie and I were going to Heathrow to meet my Mum.
By a very lucky coincidence, a friend was taking his cousin to the airport, and offered to take us there as well. We had to leave a bit earlier.
My Mum had a good flight.
Eddie took his backpack with him, with some snacks and a Marvel comics issue.

Of course, the first thing my Mum did the next day was to go in the garden and start pruning and chopping. Her strange reasoning is that since we pay for the green waste removal, we need to fill in the bin. I stopped arguing with her, she just does her own thing, and I let her be.

Eddie enjoys reading the Beast/Sea Quest series by Adam Blade. I've taken a photo of the stash he has in collection to use as a reminder on my iPhone what he's got already, in case I spot one of the books in the charity shops.

I love reading the #FolkloreThursday tweets. Every week there's a new theme, and last Thursday it was the theme of the underground/underworld.
I took a photo of my Mum's artwork. This is an illustration to the Russian folk tale The Mistress of the Copper Hill. She lives in the caves under ground, and lures the craftsmen with the precious rocks. While in her kingdom, they gain a great knowledge of rocks, but forget all about the world they left behind. This is a legend from my part of Russia - the Urals, and has been told by the writer Pavel Bazhov.
My Mum is an artist who works with the hot enamel. The paints she uses are the same as in porcelain. Each work goes in a special kiln to be treated by fire at 800C+.

Rain has affected the water levels in the river. There was hardly any gap left under the bridge, as the water has risen.

Yesterday Eddie and I were meeting friends at the playground, and walked past St Mary's Church, with its beautiful windows.

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Family Sharing & Home Cooking Degustabox

Have you noticed how suddenly the evenings are so dark and the mornings are much more chilly. October is a month for home cooking and comfort food - apple pies, stews, risottos, hearty pasta.

Family Sharing & Home Cooking is the theme of the current Degustabox.

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 the Family Sharing & Home Cooking Degustabox? Let's have a look.

Riso Gallo (£2.29) is our favourite brand of risotto rice. I'd say I always have a pack or two of Riso Gallo in our pantry. Perfect for making a creamy risotto for dinner, with whatever ingredients you fancy.
Riso Gallo brings you the best Italian risotto rice from the best rice fields in Italy. It has a plump stubby grain a high starch content, which helps to produce a creamy risotto, which still keeps a perfect bite.

I cooked a risotto with asparagus and rocket, and it was very tasty.

If you enjoy authentic world flavours, pesto is a must in the kitchen supplies.
Epicure has a range of pesto inspired by the world cuisine.
You will receive one of Chermoula pesto/Zhoug pesto/Mojo Verde pesto/Chimichurri pesto (£2.99) in the box.
Pesto is not just for pasta. Try it spread over the garlic bread, make a marinade, or mix into cream cheese to make a tasty dip. The possibilities are endless.

We received a Zhoug pesto, which is a spicy sauce with coriander and green chilli.

If you're preparing a quick meal and need a burst of flavour, but no time for all the peeling and chopping malarkey, Very Lazy Garlic Paste (£1.85) will give you an instant garlic boost. Just squeeze the garlic paste in the dish you're cooking. Very convenient. It will keep up to 4 weeks in the fridge, once opened.

As always, there is a selection of snacks and treats.

Boka Cereal Bars (£0.79 per bar or £2 for a multipack of 4) are unique in having 4 green traffic lights - they are low in sugar, fat, salt and are under 100kcal. Great as a healthy snack in a lunch box or after sports. We received a Choco Mallow and Caramel cereal bars (96 and 89kcal).

Alpen Protein Bars Berries & Yogurt/Chocolate (£2.69 for a multipack of 5 bars) taste lovely, and are very convenient. You can eat them on the go, if you're in a hurry and don't have to stay at home for breakfast, or if you're feeling peckish when out and about.
Protein bars will keep you fuller for longer, and give the energy to get through the day.

CHUM Fruit Bites Berry/Peach (£0.79) are slowly baked to retain the vitamins, proteins and fibre. As they say, "100% wild, no fake stuff!". They contain no added sugar, are non-GMO, kosher, vegan, gluten free and provide 1 of 5 a day. No gumming agents were used to quicken the process, not dilute dilute sugar claims.
15% profits are donated to @wildaid.org to help save wild animals.

Appy Kids Co Yummy Bakes (£1) are a lovely snack for kids' breakfast or lunch box. Made with real fruit, fortified with fibre and baked with wheat and oats.
No artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, free from palm oil, these baked are sustainable for the planet.
Available from TJ Morris.

Milkybar Buttons 30g (£0.55) are a popular choice with kids and adults alike. These tasty white chocolate buttons contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
You can scan the QR code on the pack to explore 80 Awesome Things to Do for inspiration and fun activities for the whole family.
My boys love Milkybar buttons, and conveniently there were two small bags for them.

Hartley's is another brand, which my kids enjoy. Hartley's 3 Strawberry jelly pots (£0.55 per single pot) make a lovely little pudding at the end of a meal.

And moving onto drinks: there were two Lucozade Zero 1L bottles in Orange/Pink Lemonade flavours (£1.99).

Lucozade Zero Sugar is a sparkling sugar free juice drink with sweeteners.

Nutritional info: 9kcal and 1g sugar per 250ml.

And finally - Eisberg Alcohol Free Sparkling Rose (£4, available at Morrisons and Ocado) is a ripe and juicy sparkling rose with fruity notes of red cherry and strawberry. It is quite crisp.
At 33kcal per 125ml glass, it makes a lovely dinner drink for those who avoid alcohol for whatever reason.

Disclosure: We receive a monthly food box for the purposes of reviewing.