Make it Monday - Pastry Tarts

On a Saturday afternoon we sometimes like to go to Dobbies Garden Centre for a wee wander around the lovely shop followed by a stop for some hot chocolate and juice in the coffee shop.

 

We hadn't done this since before the summer holidays began and so everyone was keen to go this Saturday past. Actually, despite it being a garden centre we visit it a lot more in the autumn/winter than we do in the summer! Proving the point that we go there for the shop and coffee shop far more than we do for the garden centre!

 

As soon as we walked in the doors we were confronted with all their beautiful Christmas displays.

 

They did have a sign up explaining that the reason they had their Christmas display up so early is that the store is being used to showcase the Dobbies Christmas range. Whatever their reason, we didn't mind. The boys (and me!) had a lovely time looking through their range.

 

Once we had been round all the Christmas stuff we enjoyed some tea and cream scones, courtesy of a voucher I received from their gardening club since it's my birthday this week...

 

But where is the making in this post you ask?

 

Well, the cream scones were just for me and my hubs. The other boys had an assortment of other goodies - one thing I like about Dobbies coffee shop is that they have a decent range of free from sweet things so Calum & Alasdair don't have to miss out. James (14) was tucking into a huge strawberry tart and casually asked, 'do you think you could make one of these mam?'

 

On our way out we bought a tube of strawberry tart sauce (yes there is such a thing) from the food hall.

 

Then back home I made up a batch of sweet pastry, cut it into small sizes, baked them blind, cooled them, whipped up some cream with a little icing sugar added, spooned some onto each pastry case, added a strawberry on top and finished with the strawberry tart sauce.

 

 

 

And just so that the free from boys didn't miss out, I used some ready made Genius Gluten & Dairy Free Shortcrust pastry to make them a batch of wee jam tarts.

 

 

 

The verdict on the tarts?

 

I asked the 14 year old, since his stomach is the one that constantly needs filled, and he said that the pastry and cream in my ones was nicer than the one in the shop but he preferred the extra large size of the shop one!

 

Tweet

Bake it like Berry - A few summer bakes

Firstly, thank you for all your comments and messages about where you are from. David is delighted to find such a wide range of places coming up. He is even excited to look up where those of you closer to us here are too. I'll post his map with the pins on it next week.

Moving on for now though.

Bake it like Berry took another bit of a backseat over the summer. That's not to say that there wasn't any baking from the Baking Bible going on, just not many new recipes.

Starting with the most recent bakes, here are the latest new recipes from the book that I have tried out.

Banana & Chocolate Chip Oat Slice.

This is the first time I've been less than happy with a Mary Berry recipe. I know, I can hardly believe I just said that! The recipe asks you to rub the margarine into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs but the ratio of margarine to flour is such that there is no way that it will ever resemble breadcrumbs. More like a dough texture! Perhaps it was a typo though, and with an extra 3 oz of flour it looked more like it should.

I adapted this to make it dairy & wheat free, and Calum loves it. Next time I might actually put the choc chips in the middle layer with the banana though, as they tend to fall off the top.

Traditional Apple Pie

I made this a couple of weeks ago with our freshly picked apples. Normally when I make apple pie I have a pastry layer at the bottom but in this recipe there is only pastry on the top. that's one way of avoiding a soggy bottom I suppose! The next recipe in the book after this one is for a slightly different apple pie, and that one does use a pastry base.

Chocolate Crispie Cakes

These are in the chapter for baking with children and so Alasdair (5) tried them out. After I had melted his dairy free chocolate for him, and helped him weigh out the ingredients he managed to make the rest by himself. He was rather pleased with the results!

Lemon Drizzle Traybake

There are a few different Lemon cake recipes in the Baking Bible and so far each one I have tried has been equally good! 

Malt Fruit Loaf

This was the first time I had made a cake using malt extract. It made a slightly sticky cake that was full of flavour. David (8) really loved this cake and has been asking when I will be making it again!

Tweet

Family Dinners - Carrot & Courgette Soup

Now I realise you might be thinking that soup isn't a particularly filling meal for dinner. That it's perhaps more of a lunchtime meal rather than a dinner time one. But we do sometimes have soup for dinner, and whenever we do I also serve it with plenty bread, oatcakes and cold meats. We also always have a nice cake for pudding if we have soup for our dinner. So no one feels hungry!

This recipe is an old one of my mum's and is perfect for this time of year when you might, like I do, have a rather fruitful courgette plant in your garden. It's also a good way to sneak some greens into someone who might be a little less inclined to eat them normally - I had fed this to Calum quite a few times before he found out there was green stuff in it!

Measurements aren't exact, as long as you have around equal quantities of the carrots & courgettes.

Oh, and courgettes are the same as Zucchinis.

You will need

1lb courgettes, sliced

1lb carrots, chopped

2 bay leaves

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp tomato puree

2 pints boiling water 

~ Put a little oil in your pan, add the carrots & courgettes and then soften for about 5 minutes.

~Add the rest of the ingredients and boil for around 30 minutes.

~Remove from the heat and blend until smooth.

~Season with salt and pepper to taste.

~Serve with warm bread and oatcakes.

~Following with cake is optional!

Tweet

Where are you from?

 

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time you will know that we are Gaelic speakers and that the boys attend a Gaelic school, where their education is all in Gaelic. They do learn how to read and write in English, but not until their third year of Primary school.

 

Despite attending a Gaelic school, the fact that they speak Gaelic at home puts them in the minority there. Some parents have chosen to send their children there because they themselves had a parent or grandparent who were Gaelic speakers and they want to bring back the language in their families.

 

Don't forget that a few generations back it was considered uneducated to speak Gaelic. English was the language of schools and to get ahead in life you were expected to speak English. Because of this belief there were many families who didn't pass the language on to their own children. I have a few friends who have Gaelic speaking parents who didn't speak it to them. These friends now wish that they had been given the chance to learn the language when they were young, as it's a difficult language to learn when you are older.

 

My parents both spoke Gaelic to us as our first language, and when I started school I had more Gaelic than English. My husband isn't a native speaker, although he knows a little of the language, and it always seemed natural that we would bring our boys up bilingual. I speak to them in Gaelic, he speaks to them in English. From a very early age they know the difference in sounds between the two languages and will naturally speak the correct one to any adult speaking to them.

 

Anyway, I seem to be digressing from my original point here!

 

As well as the families at the school who have a Gaelic heritage in previous generations of their families, there are also plenty parents who have chosen to send their children there because they believe in the benefits of a bilingual education. Many of these families also speak more than one language at home. One of the boys in Alasdair's class has an Italian father and a Spanish mother. They both speak to him in their own language and he learns in Gaelic at school!

 

This week all the children in the school are learning about the different countries that families within the school come from. Would you believe that there are actually 24 different nationalities represented in the school?!

 

Each class is learning about the countries that some of their classmates' families come from.

 

David's class of 8 year olds are learning about the United States as the mum of one of the girls in his class (the one pictured with him in the old photo of their first day at school I shared a couple of weeks ago, and who plans to marry him one day) is from the US.

 

He has been loving learning about the country. Today he told me that France and Germany could fit into Texas. I didn't know this, is it really true?! They have been learning all about baseball and have been playing it in the park beside the school. He has been singing the baseball song, 'Take me out to the ball game' over and over and over!

 

We have a jigsaw of all the states in the US that my husband bought on a trip there when David was a baby and he has been trying to memorise where all the states are.

 

He knows a few people from the US, other than his friend's mum, and I told him that some of the people reading my blog were from there. He knows of our friends in Washington State and his friend's mum is from Tenessee. Oh, that's another thing he learned - how to spell Mississippi really fast! But he would really like to know where any other readers are from. And not just those of you reading in the US.

 

I told him we wouldn't have a list of 24 different countries like there are at his school but he would really love to see where everyone is from.

 

So, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, how about we help him out and let him know where you are from with a little comment?

 

Near or far, he's curious as to how far across the globe people are reading about his multi national Gaelic speaking school!

 

Thank you!

 

Tweet

Make it Monday - Crochet Scottie Dog & Sharpie Tiles

 

Last week I was working on another Christmas project but I also wanted to try out one of these little cuties.

 

 

I still need to put a little ribbon around his neck, and I'm thinking of turning him into a key ring.

 

The pattern is available for free here.

 

 

Moving on to a project the boys did in the summer holidays.

 

We had some old white bathroom tiles lying around so the boys used some Sharpies to turn them into pot stands. We baked them for about 20 minutes at 180C to set the pens but they do still rub off if they are rubbed hard. I think next time we will get some porcelain pens to be sure the picture stays on. Especially if we make some as gifts.

 

James (14) made this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

David (8) did this one.

 

 

 

 

 

And Calum (11) drew one of his favourite vehicles.

 

 

 

Tweet

Family Dinners - Slow Cooked Pork in apple, honey & mustard sauce

One of the most common questions I get asked when people hear about the boys' food allergies is, 'What do you all eat then? It must be so hard!'

 

I reply that we eat very well. Good old fashioned meals, cooked from scratch, and it's not very hard at all.

 

That got me thinking that it would be good to share some of our favourite dinners. Simple family dinners that don't need fancy ingredients or hours of preparation in the kitchen. They are dairy free, wheat free, egg free and nut free.

 

But certainly not taste free.

 

So let's get going with the first one.

 

The slow cooking of this makes the meat so soft and tender.

 

Although it takes over four hours to cook, for most of those 4 hours you aren't actually doing anything. If you don't have a slow cooker you could also make this in a casserole dish in a low oven for around the same length of time.

 

One thing to watch out for if you are gluten free is the mustard you use. Some types will have gluten in them so do double check the ingredients. I use Dijon mustard as it tends to be fine. You could use a whole grain mustard if you aren't concerned about food allergies but they do often have gluten in them. Like I said, and you probably always do if dealing with allergies anyway, just double check ingredients lists!

 

Serves 4-6

 

You will need:

8 pork loin steaks

1ltr carton of apple juice (cheap &cheerful is absolutely fine)

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, well chopped

2 tbsp cornflour

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

3 - 4 tablespoons honey

 

- Put your pork loins, sliced onion & chopped garlic in the slow cooker (or your casserole dish, if you don't have one).

- Pour over all of the apple juice then cook on HIGH for around 4 hours, or on LOW for about 6-8 hours.

- Once the cooking time is almost up, ladle out about 1 pint of the cooking liquid, put it into a small pan and heat it up until nearly boiling.

- Mix the cornflour with enough cold water to dissolve it and make a loose paste.

- Add the cornflour paste to the heated up liquid and mix in. It should thicken up nicely. If you think it's too thick then take a little more of the liquid from the slow cooker.

- Add the mustard and the honey to the sauce and mix in well.

- Serve the pork covered in the sweet appley sauce and put out the extra sauce in a gravy jug on the table.

 

If you want you can serve it with some fresh apple sauce as well as some potatoes and veg of your choice.

 

 

Tweet

Garden Pretties

On the way to hang out the washing I walk past our dwarf sunflowers.

 

Today I noticed a little visitor on one of them.

 

 

 

The boys and I plant sunflowers every year as they are so reliable to grow, and so cheerful when they open up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I feel as though I have done very little in the garden this year, although I have done so much more than I did last summer when I was expecting Fraser. That pregnancy sickness didn't make me feel like doing much in the garden!

 

I don't mind not having done much this year either, I'd far rather look back and remember the time spent cuddling my little man!

 

I think that it is because I have done so little that it is so satisfying to see the things I have done growing well.

 

 

As well as my veg boxes and our sunflowers, I also planted some marigold seeds in the spring time. I hadn't tried growing them from seed before but here they are, growing thickly and flowering!

 

 

 

We also have lots of taller sunflowers as well as the dwarf ones.

 

 

 

 

 

The far corner of the garden remains neglected while we decide what to do with it. Calum (11) has built a tiny wildlife pond there using an old washing up basin and James (14) started building a road out of old bricks for Alasdair (5) to play with his cars on but it's not finished at all.

 

I have raspberries and red currants in that corner too.

 

When I hang the washing out, Fraser sits on the ground beside me and loves to play in the peg tub.

(The mess around Peter Rabbit is blood from some eczema on his chin that he scratched that day)

 

 

Sometimes, though, he decides to go off for a wee explore around the garden.

 

 

 

 

It's funny to watch him as he sits stroking the grass between his fingers. Or concentrating for ages as he tries to pick something up from the ground.

 

Off he goes.

 

 

 

 

He's heading for that football over by the back fence.

 

But he doesn't stay far away from me for long and is soon crawling back to me at high speed!

 

 

 

We're trying to make the most of the late summer warmth and enjoy the garden before the autumn chill puts a stop to us.

 

My only complaint though?

 

Wasps!

 

Tweet

Makings - Meet Meep!

As promised last week, here is the completed little alien.

 

Alongside his snoozing buddy.

 

 

 

I didn't plan it, but he goes rather well with the colours in Fraser's blanket!

 

Since completing Meep I have nearly finished another project but that one needs to remain secret for now as it's a present for someone who might be reading this.

 

A Christmas present actually.

 

I know it's only August but I'm trying to get way ahead with my handmade gifts this year because by the time November comes round life becomes a whirlwind of festive activities.

 

I'm planning on giving as many handmade presents as possible this year. If not handmade by me, then handmade by other crafters.

 

I also hope to share some ideas that I come across on here, in case anyone else is planning a handmade Christmas too. Although, as with this weeks make, a few will just need to wait until the new year before I can share them!

 

Tweet

Weekend fun

Our weekend kicked off with a first for all of us.

 

An evening at the Speedway!

 

Alasdair (5) was a bit scared of the mascot and so wouldn't go in this photo!

 

My husband recently got in touch with an old school friend who happens to be a huge speedway fan and he invited us all along to the local Speedway.

 

When we arrived at the track he took us along to the pits so the boys could see all the bikes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we took our seats for the races.

 

 

 

 

 

The boys really got into the races.

 

Everybody fills in their own programme with the results of each race and the regulars were really friendly, helping James (14) understand how the scoring worked. He soon caught on with how to fill it in.

 

 

 

 

Calum (11) & David (8) were soon learning who the riders were and were cheering on the Edinburgh Monarchs riders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to admit to not being sure what to expect but it was a really enjoyable evening. Even Fraser enjoyed it and was a little star.

 

 

On Saturday morning it was a return to shinty training.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then on Saturday afternoon we were invited to a barbecue at friends near Stirling.

 

There were a few other couples and families there too. The boys started out by playing frisbee with some of the other boys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fraser enjoyed showing off how well he can pull himself up on anything and walk around it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After we had all been well fed by our generous hosts there was a piñata for the children.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fraser was quite interested in it once it had been bashed open.

 

 

 

David enjoyed the tree swing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We all took part in a treasure hunt around their garden, which finished up in the walled garden where they have fruit trees.

 

 

 

 

 

The trees are so plenteous that before we left we were given out bags and told to help ourselves.

 

 

 

 

As a result of our pickings, on Sunday afternoon we enjoyed the autumnal taste of homemade apple & cinnamon pie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I still have plenty apples left over so am planning a while spent in the kitchen this week turning them into some lovely chutney, as well as a few other appley bakes.

 

A good weekend all round!

 

Tweet