My Allotment

It has always been a dream of mine to have an allotment and so when one came available I jumped at the chance to give it a go.  I have had it for almost a year now and have not been recording much, but rather absorbing everything and learning a lot from the experience in the process.  It has been fun and hard work.  The allotment is 200m2 and has a greenhouse and a water ton.

Here are some of the first pictures

South African Malva Pudding

This is turning into a cooking blog.  I have to add this recipe because this is the most delicious and easy to make pudding that I know.  It's a little bit like sticky toffee pudding or so I am told. 

We annually have a pie night with three families and we each take a pie and a pudding so here is a picture of the malva pudding including a pie waiting to go in the oven...in case you were wondering.

Malva Pudding:
2 cups flour
1 & 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp bicarb of soda
1 tin of fruit cocktail (240g)
3 eggs

Mix the above ingredients together in a bowl and bake at 180 degrees celcius for 45 minutes to 1 hour (I found 45 minutes to be perfect in my oven)

Sauce:
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 jar coffee milk (180ml)
125g margarine OR butter
1 cup sugar
Boil gently. When the cake emerges from oven, prick holes all over and pour sauce over.

Tulips in May

We have been to Keukenhof a few times to see the tulip show in previous years.  This year we decided to rather drive and just look at tulips from the road.  We also visited a Tulip Farm called De Tulperij, which was beautiful and well worth a visit.  They have freshly baked stroopwafels and a small tea room, which is very colourful and quaint.  It was very happy making.

It all ended with a car picnic of bread and cheese freshly bought from the shop.

Cooking with Kids - Thai Fried Rice

Cooking with kids is so much fun.  Not only are you keeping them busy/happy, but you are teaching them a life skill that you can benefit from in the future.

My two are very enthusiastic about cooking at the moment.  I have to help them of course and am the chef assistant who they command to finely chop onion or garlic and I always put heavy dishes in hot ovens or carry hot pots or heavy pots for them. 

Firstly, they choose a recipe that they fancy making/eating, they make a list of the ingredients that we need, we check what we have and then make a trip to the grocery store to buy the rest.  They love shopping for ingredients for their very own meal. 

Tiger was the first to do a meal some time ago ...he chose Thai Fried Rice because he loves thai food and we have a small thai cookbook.  It was so delicious.  Here is the recipe.

Thai Fried Rice

1 cup basmati rice (recipe used Jasmine rice)
1 red pepper
350g chopped chicken breast
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 Tbsp mild thai curry paste (we used green curry paste) (2 Tbsp is a bit more spicy but tastier)
1/2 tsp paprika powder
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 Tbsp Thai fish sauce
2 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper
deep fried basil leaves, to garnish

(Serves 4)

Cook the basmati rice (1/3 rice and 2/3 water) till water is gone and the rice is fluffy.

Deep fry basil leaves in oil until crispy.

Cut the red pepper.  Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a wok and fry the onion and red pepper for 1 minute.

Add the chicken, garlic, curry paste and spices and stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until chicken has lost all pink.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the cooked rice, fish sauce and salt and pepper.  Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

Make a well in the centre of the rice, add 1 Tbsp of oil and when it is hot, add the eggs.  Leave to cook for 2 mins until eggs are lightly set and then stir into rice mixture.

Scatter over the basil leaves and serve straight from the wok.

Buttercream Icing Recipe

What a difference a really good buttercream recipe makes.  I used to just mix a bit of butter and milk to icing sugar and it tasted okay, but after following this recipe, I won't go back to winging it.  People commented on how good it was the first time I used it/

Buttercream Icing Recipe

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 cups icing sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vanilla Essence
up to 4 Tb milk

Mix together all ingredients except the milk.  Start adding the milk a bit at a time until you have the desired thickness/stiffness you want.

Het Zand in Alphen

We often go for a walk around the lake at Het Zand in Alphen.  It is probably about 2km so not too long for kids.  What I love the most is the change in the seasons.  Here are some photos of a misty freezing walk where the ice was thick on the lake - children had lots of fun throwing stickes and stones on the ice.

In Spring it is beautiful with wild flowers.

Wildflowers were collected...

 Some sort of hideous "tea" was made with the flowers

A few tadpoles were collected...

Of course in summer it is great for swimming and playing in the sand.  If it is a hot day it is completely packed - not ideal in my book.  A few weeks ago it was 20 degrees, but the sun was shining and so we went with friends for a cake picnic and swimming - the water was quite fresh and full of tadpoles.  A super afternoon was had by all.

Vanilla Cake for kids parties

Vanilla Cake Recipe

I have used this Vanilla Cake Recipe for YEARS and don't need to ever look for a better recipe...it is fabulous and so easy to make.

Ingredients:

2 cups of sugar
4 eggs
2 and 1/2 cups flour
1 cup milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 and 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence

Heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Beat the sugar and eggs together until thick and creamy...about two minutes if not longer.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Bake for 30 - 40 mins in two baking tins or in one large tin for longer.  Times will change per overn. Just keep checking until your knife comes out clean.

If I use this recipe for cupcakes then I put the tray in for about 22 minutes.

I am not one to make elaborate kids' party cakes...my favourite modus operandi is to get a edible frosted picture and once iced with butter cream icing, I just place the picture on top.  Parties have never been easier and the kids are always delighted.

Here are photos of the last batch of cupcakes I did.