Feature chimney breast

I admit, when I opened this from Josh on Christmas Day I wasn't exactly sure what it was...the only thing I knew was that he'd been hiding himself away in the loft making it for hours.

All became clear when I laid it out on the floor...

I'd wanted a big map to pin favourite holidays and plan adventures on, but I never imagined that he'd make me one from cork floor tiles!

The boards had a backing, which peeled off to reveal a sticky back, like double sided sticky tape

He pinned the boards to the wall and projected an image on to them so that it could be drawn straight on to the boards. Taking a stanley knife, the image was cut out carefully, and this was the result.

When I realised what it was I was so excited :) I couldn't wait to go home and put it up. The sticky backing made it really simple to put on the wall too.

Try it yourself, or maybe try something slightly different; how about a big map of the UK and plan  adventures closer to home? Oh, and don't forget to share your creations!

Sunday (sewing) Treats - Wrap Dress

I don't know about you guys, but today was the first time I didn't feel like my fingers and toes were going to fall off the moment I even thought about the outside. The sun was out - and I almost felt warm for a while.

This MUST mean SPRING IS HERE (I don't want to hear any 20th March rubbish). Prime time to whip out the wrap dress I made last year.

Wrap dresses are really quite simple to make once you know your way around a sewing machine. Once you've had a go at a couple of simple cotton dresses, give a wrap dress a try. Only a few different pattern pieces are used and you don't have to be too exact with your cutting and sewing; the nature of the dress and material is quite forgiving.

For someone who has a couple of sewing projects under their belt, I would say this type of dress would take you about 6 hours, so a perfect 'Sunday Treat' activity or 2 evening's work. Pretty efficient I'd say!

TIP: I have since made this dress for a friend as a birthday present - why don't you give it a go; a lovely handmade present :) I knew her rough dress size, but didn't worry too much about sizing, as you wouldn't notice if it was a slight bit too big or small. Perfect! Maybe she'll be willing to put a picture of her wearing it up here...hint hint ;)

I have recently been bought some lovely blue jersey fabric which i'm going to make another wrap dress out of. This time i'll make a short sleeve version, perhaps experimenting with lace trim. I'll post some pictures up here when I've finished. Wish me luck!

TIP: Try experimenting with lightweight and heavyweight jersey materials. This one is a very lightweight jersey, with only a little stretch in it. I recommend starting with a jersey with only a small amount of stretch if you're new to the sewing world.

Some good Wrap Dress patterns are listed below (I've listed their original source, but have a search on the internet for British suppliers of the patterns. There's plenty out there - just type in the pattern code into a your search bar):
- Vogue V8379
- McCall M5974
- Butterick B5206
- StyleARC - Kate Dress
- I can't recommend highly enough Lisa Comfort's 'Sew Over It' Ultimate Wrap Dress course. You'll come away with a wrap dress pattern, one completed wrap dress and a whole heap of new knowledge and skills. The teachers will help you at every stage, and are so welcoming - all you need to do is choose your fabric and book a place on the course. Plus you get cake and tea whilst you sew, what more could you ask for? I love it there!

Send me some pictures of your completed wrap dresses and feel free to ask any questions. Sunday Love x x x

Venturing into the world of home smoked foods

Smoked bacon is my boyfriend's (Josh) favourite thing in the whole world (I'm pretty sure it comes above all friends and family). So after weeks of agonising over what to get him for Christmas, I suddenly had a revelation in the form of a smoker, so that he could make his own.

"Cold or Hot smoker?" I hear you ask... I didn't know there was a difference either :s

Simply, hot smoking cooks whatever you put inside, and cold smoking doesn't. Hot smoking uses wood chips, and cold smoking uses wood dust. Smoked salmon and bacon (as you would see in the shops) is cold smoked, and other fish, ham and ribs etc would be hot smoked.

I decided to go for a cold smoker, as bacon was the key driver to this smokey present plan. I researched several cold smokers, but found that this one, from "Hot Smokers" called the "ProQ Eco Smoker", seemed to tick all the boxes.

Smoking requires the wood dust to burn very slowly, so Hot Smokers sell an ingenius product, which allows the dust to burn in a long line, in a maze type fashion. Well done ProQ!!

TIP: You could very easily fashion one of these smoke generators out of some wire mesh, or even a flatish sieve, then fold some tinfoil into long strips (around 3 sheets thickness) and make a circular pattern. This would form a swirl which you can light at one end. Then all you need is a tall, sealable cardboard or metal box which will fit your smoke generator and a shelf in


I bought the ProQ smoker box set and a selection of different wood dusts. Plus the shipping is FREE, amazing! www.hotsmoked.co.uk

Starter Bacon Curing & Smoking Kit

Wood Dust Collection

TIP: Make sure the dust is well dried out, if it is a little moist and your struggling to keep it alight, try putting it in a warm oven for an hour or so



A present has never been so well received; everything you can think of has been smoked (garlic, cheese, pork, salmon, nuts...the list goes on), but the bacon is incredible, Josh's new weekend regime always starts with a trip to the butchers and then curing begins!

TIP: It's probably a good idea not to put your smoker inside your house as it does smell pretty smokey; a shed would be best, or outside when it's a little warmer

Here's a quick peak at the first lot of bacon that was made. This was made as per the the "Hot Smokers" instructions that came with the set, with a 1kg loin of pork. However we've since tried it using several different techniques, which i'll post full instructions for soon! YUM!!

TIP: We've found that smoking when it's freezing outside doesn't work as well as when it's around 10degrees. If it is freezing when you're trying to smoke, then try putting a heat mat down underneath the box

Our next project will definitely be making a hot smoker out of an old metal box! I'm so excited to see the results, and will share pictures when it's up and running.

This is a bacon lover's dream, try it, or buy it as a present. I can't recommend it enough; it's brought so much excitement to our house, and amazing meals with it.

Winter Vegetable Curry

Lets keep warm and cosy this winter with a seasonal veg curry. I always try to make the most of each season's vegetables, and try to minimise the amount of food that gets shipped from millions of miles away. So lets make the most of what Britain has to offer!

Efficiency: Not only is this recipe great on a frosty evening, but is also so simple, and you can leave the pan simmering away whilst you get on with all the other things that you have to get done that evening

(This is one of the meals I included in my vegetarian friend's birthday hamper)

Ingredients:
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
500g potatoes
1.5pints vegetable stock
2tbsp of curry paste (flavour of your choice, or make your own - TIP: make lots at one time, freeze in small containers and use later for a quick, healthy curry
150g red lentils
few sprigs of thyme, and one more for decoration
any other seasonal vegetables you wish, however I like to use:
    - 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
    - 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
    - half a butternut squash, peeled and chopped
low fat yogurt or crème fraîche for a finishing touch

Serving: 4. Time Saver: Why not try doubling up and putting portions in the freezer for when you want a nice quick cosy dinner by the fire

Method:
1) Put a good glug of oil in a large heavy based pan

2) Fry onions and garlic on a low heat until golden (around 4minutes)

3) Put all raw the raw vegetables in the pan, and fry on a medium-high heat for around 7 minutes - the veg should brown, but not burn

4) Stir in the curry paste, making sure to cover all the vegetables. Then season, add the stock and bring to the boil

5) Add lentils and thyme. Leave to simmer for 20minutes, until lentils have swelled and sauce has thickened. Stir occasionally and enjoy the gorgeous aromas that will now be filling your kitchen

6) Don't forget to keep tasting as you go and season as you require. You could even add a little chilli if you felt like it needed more spice

7) Serve with yogurt and fresh thyme, maybe even some poppadoms or naan bread if you have some. Enjoy :)

Spicy Szechuan Tofu

This is quite spicy, so tone down the spices if you're not so keen on the 'mouth on fire' feeling. Alternatively, use a spice bag and put chile, peppercorns etc inside and remove after cooking process. If your dish does turn out too spicy, add dairy products i.e. milk/yogurt, or oil does the trick.

You could substitute the tofu for chicken if you prefer

Ingredients
300g plain firm tofu, rainforest friendly please folks
1 fresh red chilli, take out the seeds if you want it to be less spicy. Finely chop (or leave whole if using spice bag)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp oil of your choice
2 tbsp oyster sauce, or hoisin sauce
1 inch fresh ginger root finely chopped (it's easier to freeze it an grate when frozen)
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
400ml water
1 tsp ground pepper (or peppercorns if using spice bag)
400g chopped tomatoes
5 spring onions, chopped into 1cm lengths
1 heaped tbsp black beans, soaked in boiling water if dried.

Serving: 2 large or 3 portions served with rice

Method
1) Put the 2tbsp oil in a heavy saucepan or wok and heat gently (this may seem like a lot but you'll be thankful for it later)
2) Chop tofu in to 1inch chunks and place in pan with garlic and ginger. Stir for 5 minutes, until well coated
3) Place chilli, spring onions and ground pepper in to pan and leave for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
4) Add oyster sauce, sweet chilli sauce and chopped tomatoes. Stir, and leave for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
5) Add water, stir and leave uncovered on a medium, low heat to simmer for around 40 minutes. Stir if it starts to stick
6) Rinse the beans and add to saucepan. Cook for around 10 minutes
7) Serve with rice, flour tortilla, poppadoms, or whatever you like really. Freeze the leftovers. Oh this is making me hungry, I love it!!! And it's so easy!!!

Olive and Rosemary Stromboli

This recipe is good to do whilst you have other jobs to do, as there is a fair amount of waiting around for the bread to rise etc, whilst the actual making of it is quite simple :)

Ingredients:
1tsp Caster sugar
800g Strong white bread flour plus extra for dusting
1tbsp fast action dried yeast
740ml warm water
1tbsp salt
Olive oil for drizzling
Large handful rosemary
Black olives, halved, about 20
Mozzarella, 1 ball
300g Red peppers, sweet or normal

Serving: 2 large loaves

Method:
I prefer to knead the dough by hand (stress relief), but you could make the dough in a bread maker.

1) Combine the yeast, water and sugar in a large mixing bowl and leave for 10 minutes (it starts to ferment, and magic dimples appear).
2) Add half the flour to the bowl and mix with wooden spoon, leave for 15 minutes in a warm place. (Atop the boiler in our house, or you could put in an airing cupboard or in the top oven after the lower oven has been on)
3) Add the rest of the flour and salt to the bread mixture, mix first with the spoon until stiff and then with your hands; combining all the ingredients until smooth.
4) Lightly flour your work surface, and lift the dough on to the surface, and start kneading. The dough mixture will be quite sticky, but this all adds to the bouncy and light finished product. If it really is too wet, you have my permission to add a little more flour when kneading. Knead for at least 10 minutes (children love doing this, so if you have things to do, get them involved).
5) Lightly oil a bowl and place dough inside, cover with a damp tea towel, and then leave in a warm place again for an hour or so. It will double in size. Magic.
6) Whilst the dough is growing, slice the peppers into 1cm wide lengths.
7) Place peppers on a baking tray, lightly drizzle with oil and grill until edges are starting to brown, about 10 minutes, but keep an eye on them. (You can always chop the burnt bits off, don't worry). Set aside.
8) Another good step for stress relief. Punch the dough back to remove the air pockets.
9) Place half on a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch into a rectangle (20 x 30cm ish)
10) Scatter half of the mozzarella, rosemary, olives and peppers on to the loaf. Preheat oven to 200 degC (180 degC for a fan oven).

11) Begin to roll carefully from long edge
12) Once rolled into a loaf, repeat with other half of the dough

12) Cover the loaf with a damp tea towel for about 15 minutes
13) Drizzle with olive oil and scatter sea salt over the top, and place in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes
14) Cool for a few minutes, serve and enjoy. YUM!!!

Once cooked, I froze one loaf for the birthday girl and left a message on it telling her to leave out covered for a couple of hours to defrost and then bake for around 20minutes at 170 degC.

Birthday Present Idea - Vegetarian

Sometimes buying someone a birthday present can be pretty stressful, especially when it's a close friend. We've all been there. So here's a present idea for someone who isn't fond of cooking/doesn't really know how.....YET!

Why not, make them some nice meals which they can freeze, and include the recipe so that they can make them again and again?!?

These recipe ideas are also vegetarian, as I know some vegetarians get caught in the trap of just eating a meat based meal, without the meat. i.e. vegetables and carbs. So I wanted to bring a little excitement to the birthday girl's plate, without needing to spend money on a meal out.

Time saving element: I made all of these meals for my own dinner, or whoever I was eating with at the time and just made double portions and froze half for the birthday girl. It takes no more effort or time to cook double portions, but makes a really personal present, as long as you have their tastes in mind. Trying it yourself also means you know that it's good enough to give as a present and hopefully, fingers crossed, they'll like it!

I added cooking instructions, and the recipe to each meal.

Meals I made (recipes to follow) for the birthday girl: Olive and Rosemary Stromboli, Spicy Szechuan Tofu, Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi, Bean Burgers & Winter Veg Curry.

Enjoy :)