SW - Slow cooked Bolognaise sauce

This one is for Alan to make while I'm at work. It's 3 and a half syns for the whole pot so less than a syn a portion.

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
500g lean beef mince (or turkey. For other types you'll need to count the syns)
200g mushrooms, chopped
400g passatta (1 carton)
125ml dry cider
1 beef stock cube
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 or 2 carrots, chopped (optional)
1 or 2 sticks of celery, chopped (optional)
1 tbsp mushroom ketchup
Dash of Worcester Sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Throw all of the above ingredients into the slow cooker. Cook on high for half an hour and then turn to low. Leave for several hours. About an hour before serving check how thick the sauce is. If it's too runny turn the heat back up again and leave the lid off. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't boil dry.

Serve with lots of pasta and a green salad.

SW - Back to work chicken

I'm going back to work on Monday and leaving Alan on his own with both girls for the first time. This recipe is for him to cook in the slow cooker one day next week. I'm making it up as I write so I'll have to let you know how it tastes later in the week.

The whole pan full is 6 syns. I recon it should feed at least 3 adults so 2 syns a portion.

1 medium onion chopped
500g diced turkey
200g chopped mushrooms
125ml cider
125ml boiling water
1 chicken stock cube
1tsp lemon juice
1 bay leaf
1tbsp cornflour
Salt and pepper to taste

Put all of the ingredients but the cornflour in the slow cooker and cook on high for 30 mins. Turn the slow cooker to low and leave for at least a couple of hours (loads more won't hurt). 30 mins before you want to serve mix the cornflour with a couple of tablespoons of cold water and add to the slow cooker. It would also be good to check the seasoning at this point. Stir well and leave for the final 30 mins (this should thicken the sauce for serving)

Serve with mashed potato and crisp green vegetables (for you 1/3 superfree)

Cloth nappies - are they really cheaper?

We've been using cloth nappies on Ivy since a couple of days after she was born and I love them. They are soft, they contain the smell better than disposables and they look pretty. But my main reasons for choosing to use them are environmental (less nappies in landfill) and cost.

Someone was asking the other day if they really are cheaper so I ran some numbers and I thought I'd share them here.

First of all the day to day running costs. Worst case we are doing a nappy wash every other day (though in reality it's nearer every third day) so that's 182 and a half washes per year. Nappies need to be washed at 60 degrees and according to the manufacturers website this uses 0.95kWh per wash. At the rate we are currently paying for electricity this means we are paying somewhere between £19.06 and £41.28. We aren't tumble drying so we don't need to factor that in. Washing powder for that number of washes (based on Ariel Bio powder in large packets from Tesco and half the recommended amount of powder per wash) is £36. Water costs come in at £25.41 Which means our running costs per year are a maximum of £102.69

What about start up costs? Well this is what I've got and what I paid:

• 20 newborn nappies: £100 mainly from Tesco
• TotsBots accessories kit: £24.17 from Tesco
• 30 other nappies: £180 from all over
• 13 boosters: £16.06 from BabyBots
• 20 fleece liners: £10.16 from BabyBots
• 2 wet bags: £7.58 from BabyBots
• 8 Vest Extenders: £5.09 from Amazon
• Reusable wipes: £ 30 (But I didn't spend this as I had them left from my eldest daughter)

That gives me start up costs of: £343.06. However, my start up costs were particularly high as I expected to have a smaller baby and therefore need newborn nappies. Also it doesn't take into account the preloved nappies have value and can be sold on once you have finished with them to recoup some of your outlay.

So how does that compare with disposables?

Lets assume an average of 6 nappies are needed in 24 hours that means that you will need 2190. We used nature babycare nappies with our eldest as we wanted an eco nappy so I'll calculate based on them.  Lets take the size 4 nappy as an example (this is the middle size and has a good average cost). The cheapest that I can find them is 13p a nappy from Amazon. That means that a years supply of nappies will cost you £284.70 . Assuming you use 2 packs of wipes a week wipes will cost you £247.52 (Based on nature babycare wipes from Amazon). You'll also need nappy sacks which I've costed at £87.56. So in total we'd have spent £619.78 in a year on nappies and other consumeables.

Which means that if I don't spend any more on nappies I'm expecting to break even on my nappy use when Ivy is just over 8 months old. In actual fact I'll probably spend a bit more, even though I don't really need to, so it'll be sometime in month 9 that I break even.

If you remember that most children these days potty train at two and a half you can see why I expect to save £1000 by using cloth nappies.

Of course I've compared against expensive disposables here but as these are the ones that we would be using if Ivy weren't in cloth it is a fair comparison for us, I've also spent quite alot more on nappies than I really needed to so my start up costs are significantly higher than they need be.

All of that and I won't be sending over two thousand nappies to landfill. Being kind to the environment can be kind to your pocket too.

How expensive is an organic chicken really?

The other day when I got my Riverford delivery Alan commented on how expensive the whole chicken was that I'd ordered. I'll admit that it wasn't cheap but was it really that expensive when you consider how far it went?

This is what I did with it and how many people it fed:

• Meal 1: Roast chicken with all the trimmings for 2 adults and a toddler
• Meal 2: Coronation chicken for 2 adults
• Meal 3: Chicken pie for 5 adults and a toddler
• Meal 4: Chicken and root vegetable soup (3 large portions)

So without the soup that one chicken fed 9 adults and 2 toddlers good hearty meals. And I have to say if we hadn't had the relatively expensive and high meat roast dinner at the start of that the number would have been nearer 12 adults and 3 toddlers. 

So can you forgive me for buying an expensive chicken that was ethically and organically reared rather than a supermarket cage reared one? I know that I'd rather have one expensive joint that I need to make go a long way. If nothing else I love the challenge.

I've already posted a recipe for leftovers pie. I'll post the other recipes later this week and you can see what I've been cooking and how so little meat can serve so many people.

When did I become a hippy mum?

So when did I become a hippy Mum?

Ivy, who is currently 10 weeks old, is breastfed on demand, cloth bummed, carried in a sling and was born in water at home. And when she's 6 months old we'll be weaning her using baby led weaning.

I'm not exactly your typical earth mother. I'm a technologist in a high tech job. I can't live without internet access. Each of the decisions that led to the things listed above were taken in isolation. It's not a  case of one thing leading to another. Instead I did my research and I chose what was best for me, my daughter, the rest of our family and the world in general.

• I breastfeed because it's best for Ivy and it's best for me not to mention considerably cheaper
• She's cloth bummed because it's cheaper and better for the environment
• She's carried in a sling because it's more convenient than trying to get a pram in and out of the car
• She was born at home because nearly 30% of births at my local hospital ended in a ceasarian last year
• She was born in water because even NICE admit that the only painkiller that's better is an epidural
• We'll be using baby led weaning because it just seems more normal and natural and better for Ivy

Each decision on its own was simple and easy, it's only when you put them all together that it seems like I've turned into the image of a hippy earth mother. I have to say I'm happier for it.

SW - Syn free onion marmalade

I love my pickles and chutneys but I resent having to spend syns on them. This recipe makes a lovely chutney that goes particularly well with cheese or sausages.

Onion marmalade

Makes 3 jars

1kg red onions
500ml vinegar (I used half red wine half balsamic but any will do)
1tsp chilli flakes
1tsp sugar
3tbsp sweetener (I used Splenda)

Chop up the onions into small pieces
Add all the ingredients to a heavy bottomed pan
Bring to a simmer and leave for an hour, stirring regularly.
If it's done most of the liquid will have dissolved and it will have a slightly sticky texture. Depending on the water content of the onions you may need to let it simmer for a while longer.
Decant into sterilised jars immediately.

SW - Chinese Noodle Soup

This is a really hearty warming soup for a cold winter's day. It's an adaptation of a couple of recipes from Chinese Food Made Easy. It isn't really an authentic recipe any more but we think it tastes nice!

Chinese Style Noodle Soup
Serves 3-4 (depending on how hungry they are)
0.5 Syns per portion

200g lean beef or chicken
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp ground black pepper
0.5 tsp sea salt
200g mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 ltr chicken stock (from cubes will do)
100g pak choi (or any cabbage)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp dry sherry (1 Syn)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
200g dry noodles cooked according to the instructions on the packet
Fry Light

1. First prepare the meat by hammering it flat (I use my rolling pin for this) and slice into wafer thin slices.
2. Add the meat to a bowl containing the cumin, chilli, pepper and salt . Make sure that the meat is completely coated in the spice mix. If you have the time leaving the meat to absorb the flavours for 20mins will help.
3. Add the stock to a pan and bring it to the boil
4. Once it is boiling add the pak choi
5. Meanwhile liberally spray a wok with fry light and stir fry the meat and the mushrooms until cooked to your liking
6. Once the soup has been boiling for 1 minute stir in the soy sauce, sherry and vinegar and then add the noodles. Bring it back to the boil.
7. Add the meat and the mushrooms to the soup. 
8. Serve immediately

SW - American style pancakes

These are great, they feel and taste real but they only have half a syn. I've had them with fruit and yogurt and bacon and maple syrup. Both of which were delicious.

American Style pancakes

Makes 4 pancakes (serves one at breakfast)
1 syn on all plans if you count the ready brek as a healthy extra B choice. Otherwise 7 syns.

1 170g tub Total 0% fat Greek yogurt
0.5 tsp vanilla extract
2 meduim eggs
30g ready brek
0.5 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp sweetener 
0.25 tsp salt
Fry Light

1. Mix the yogurt, vanilla extract and eggs together in a bowl.
2. Add the dry ingredients and mix well
3. Put a frying pan over a medium heat and spray well with fry light
4. Put a heaped tbsp of the pancake mixture in the pan and spread it out a little with the back of the spoon 
5. After a couple of minutes when there are bubbles bursting on the top of the pancake turn it over
6. Cook the other side for a further two to three minutes
7. Repeat until there is no mixture left

The pancakes can be served with a range of toppings. American style with bacon and maple syrup (2.5 Syns per tablespoon) works well as does fruit with fat free yogurt or fromage frais (Syn free on all plans).

Slimming World - Beef in Oyster Sauce

Having lost weight while I was pregnant with Ivy I'm back on Slimming World to keep the momentum going. I'd like to get down to 10 stone (2lb lost, two and a half stone to go...). Because of this I'm looking at my existing recipes and tweaking them where necessary to be Slimming World friendly. This is the first of them:

Beef in Oyster Sauce

Makes 2 portions. 2 Syns on Extra Easy or Original

200g Steak, all visible fat removed
3 tbsp Oyster Sauce
2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
0.5 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Dried Chili Flakes
200g Leafy Green Vegetables (I like Pak Choi or Pointed Cabbage) 
Fry Light

 Boiled jasmine rice to serve

1. Hammer the beef flat (I do this by putting it under some cling film and hammering it with my rolling pin) and then cut into ribbons.
2. Put the beef in a bowl with two tablespoons of the oyster sauce, the soy sauce, sugar and chili flakes to marinade. About 20 minutes is enough 
3. Chop the green veg into ribbons.
4. When the beef is marinaded spray a non stick wok with fry light and turn the heat right up. Add the beef and it's marinade and stir fry until it's cooked to your liking.
5. Take the beef from the wok and put to one side for a few minutes
6. Put the green vegetables into the wok with the remaining tablespoon of oyster sauce and stir fry until cooked to your liking. You may need to add another spritz of fry light before adding the green vegetables to stop them sticking.
7. Add the beef to the green vegetables and combine
8. Serve immediately with boiled rice.

This can be made in several variations. So far I've tried it with chicken or duck instead of the beef both of which work well.

Leftovers Pie

For dinner tonight I made a pie with the Christmas leftovers. And very nice it was too.

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Serves 6

1 leek (or a medium onion)
1 large carrot
1 tin sweetcorn
About 300g leftover meat (I used a mixture of goose and ham as that's what I had left over)
1 tub mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
1 glass wine (what ever you have open)
1 large mug stock (from a cube if you want)
1 tbsp cornflour
1 sheet pre-rolled puff pastry

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 7
2. Slice the leek and dice the carrots and the mushrooms
3. In a large heavy bottomed pan saute the leeks, carrots and sweetcorn in the olive oil over a low heat
4. Add the meat and the mushrooms and stir regularly until the mushrooms are cooked. If you have any stuffing left you could add this too.
5. Add the wine and the stock. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by half.
6. Put the cornflour in a mug of water and add a couple of tablespoons of water. Stir this well
7. Stir the cornflour mix into the pan. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens
8. Put the pie filling into a large oven proof dish (a lasagna dish is perfect)
9. Cover the pie filling with the puff pastry sheet
10. Put the pie in the oven for 20 mins
11. Serve with mashed potatoes and veg

Johnson Beharry VC

Perhaps once in a generation there comes a man whose story is so extraordinary that people who hear it find it hard to comprehend.

I've just been rereading "Barefoot Soilder" the autobiography of Lance Corporal Johnston Beharry, the first living recipient of the Victoria Cross in over 40 years. He is just such a man.

For those of you who don't know the Victoria Cross is the highest military award in Britain and it is only awarded for extreme valour. Only 13 have been awarded since the end of the Second World War, the majority of the posthumously

What makes Beharry's story so extraordinary is the simple down to earth way in which it is told. He speaks of his actions in the theatre of war as if he did only what he had to do, only what anyone would have done. And yet there is nothing simple or ordinary about his actions. I find it hard to believe that there are many 'anyone's out there who would have acted as he did.

It is a truly amazing story. I highly recommend it.

'Barefoot Soldier' on Amazon

Beef in Oyster Sauce

This is another in the series of quick and easy recipes I've been writing down for my husband to cook when I'm away with work. The quantity below feeds the two of us and our little girl.

8oz steak
4 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cabbage
1 tsp chilli flakes (or to taste)
Oil for frying

Hammer the steak flat (I find the best way to do this is to put it in a plastic bag and batter it with a rolling pin) and then cut it into bite-size strips.

Put the strips into a bowl with 3 tablespoons of the oyster sauce, the soy sauce and the sugar. Give everything a good stir so that the steak is evenly coated and leave it to marinade while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Shred the cabbage and give it a good wash. I find that a white cabbage is best for this dish but any cabbage will do. The recipe which was the inspiration for this one used Bok Choi but most of the time that's too expensive for me to use when cabbage works so well.

Add the oil to a wok and turn the heat up as high as it will go. Because you are going to be using such high heat you need an oil with a high burning point. Groundnut oil or sunflower oil work best. Avoid olive oil or butter as they will burn.

When the oil is smoking hot add the beef. Keep it moving in the pan until it is cooked through. Remove the beef to a plate for a minute and put the wok back on the heat. Add the shredded cabbage and the chilli flakes. Toss these until the cakage starts to wilt at the edges the add the remaining oyster sauce. When the sauce is well mixed in return the beef to the pan for a couple of tosses. Make sure everything is piping hot.

Serve immediately with some rice. We like Vee Tee Jasmine rice. One pot serves us all and it only takes 2 minutes in the microwave making this a very fast meal. I can get it to the table in less than 15 minutes which is great at the end of a busy day.

Lotte's new scarf

Every year my Mum and I go to the knitting and stitching fair at Alexandra Palace. This year's was last weekend. At every show I buy myself some wool and some needles and knit myself a 'show scarf'. This year instead of knitting a scarf for myself I knit one for my little girl (She's 20 months old). I used the remnants to knit a matching scarf for her favourite teddy.

The finished articles look like this:

They were knitted using two balls of Sirdar Funky Fur Magic wool on five millimeter needles.

For the child's scarf cast on 30 stitches and knit in garter stitch until it's the length required. In this case I knitted 15 stripes with a couple of additional rows on either end.

For Lotte's scarf I cast on 10 stitches and also knit in garter stitch. Basically I just kept on going until it was long enough to tie around her neck.

The only took a couple of evenings to knit and I found the wool easy to knit with. I'm not sure that I'd like to work a more complicated pattern with it though as it was hard to count how many stitches you had on the needles due to the fur sticking out everywhere.

Easy Tandoori Style Chicken

Alan has asked me to write down some easy recipes that he can make while I'm away during the week. So here's the first.

2 skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 medium onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 inch of ginger (optional)
2 tablespoons yogurt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika

This is a double marinaded chicken dish. The first marinade is the lemon juice and salt. Sprinkle the salt liberally on both sides of the chicken breast. Then place it in an oven proof dish and sprinkle the lemon juice over it. Then put this to one side while you work on the second marinade.


The base of the second marinade is grated onion. Since I can't face the idea of grating onion I put it, the garlic and the ginger in a chopper (or a blender) and let it do all the work. Then add it and the rest of the ingredients to a bowl and give it a good stir. Once they are well combined spread the marinade on both sides of the chicken breasts and return them to their oven proof dish. This should be covered in cling film and put in the fridge for at least an hour, over night works better.

When you are ready to cook the chicken preheat the oven to 200C (Gas Mark 8). Place the chicken at the top of the oven and leave for 20 minutes. At the end of this time take the chicken out and check that it's cooked right through. If not pop it back in the oven for another 5 minutes just to be sure.

I like to serve it with rice and a salad.


This method of marinating will work equally well with other cuts of chicken or with lamb chops or steaks. It's important that there is no skin between the marinade and the meat so make sure that you pick skinless chicken. If you use lamb chops then you could also cook them under the grill.

Plum ketchup

One of the (dis)advantages of Mum and Dad's new house is the fact that the garden used to be an orchard and this summer they've produced a quantity of fruit that, even with Mum, Claire and I going at full speed, we've not been able to process fast enough. Mum's been palming them off to anyone and everyone who would take them of her hands...

So I found myself with a very large quantity of plums a few weeks ago. And since my husband doesn't like them I couldn't stew them and freeze them for use later as Mum has been. Last summer I tried Delia's plum ketchup recipe and it was a big hit and since each batch uses 8lb of plums it could the perfect way of dealing with a glut.

Plum ketchup is an old English recipe from the days when we rule the world in sauce making. It's a deep glossy savoury fruit sauce and though slightly unusual we've found that it works really well where you'd use Branston pickle or occasionally even brown sauce. It's been a real hit and several people have asked me if I was going to be making it again this year. Delia's recipe can be found here: Victoria Plum or Damson Ketchup. Or if you prefer the book it can be found here: Delia's Complete Cookery Course - Classic Edition: Vol 1-3 in 1v




It looks like this years is going to be at least as good as last years. And it gives me even greater satisfaction knowing that it's made using 16lbs of my Mum's plums. (And also knowing that I've got a bunch of christmas presents sorted already!)

In Our Time - first in an occasional series on podcasts

I expect that this will be the first in an occasional series on the podcasts I listen to regularly. I keep talking to people about what podcasts they listen to and it'd be great to have a place to send them for links etc.

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So perhaps my favourite podcast at the moment is In Our Time hosted by Sir Melvyn Bragg.

In Our Time is a programme from Radio 4's conversation strand. It is a weekly discussion programme who's web page claims that it's about the history of ideas. It covers the widest range of topics imaginable.

The format is pretty simple every week Melvyn sits down with a group of three academics and they discuss their specialist subjects for three quarters of an hour. Sir Melvyn acts as an intelligent lay person. Steering the conversation, asking for more information or for an idea to be explained more clearly. What makes it so great is the range of subjects that are covered and the quality of the experts who are called in to discuss that subject. Just this season they have covered the history of Antarctica, the Central Asian scientist and historian al-Biruni, the English King Athelstan and the evolution and characteristics of the Neanderthals. And that in the space of just 4 shows. And in each case those discussing the subject were articulate, easy to listen to and yet obviously extremely knowledgeable.

The shows that I've particularly enjoyed in the past have had topics as wide ranging as number theory, Arthurian literature, the infant brain and roman satire.

I don't know of any show of it's kind being broadcast any where else in the world and I can't think of another radio station in the world that would broadcast it. Just this one show confirms my love of Radio 4 and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

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The show can be accessed via it's website. Unfortunately only the most recent episode is available as a podcast. But the whole back catalogue is streamable. There are so many interesting topics. Don't blame me if it keeps you occupied for a good long while...

Oat and Maple Cookies

I've been making these cookies for a few months and they are a big favourite. The only downside to them is that they disappear almost as soon as they've been made.

As with the last post a picture will follow...


Makes 24

7oz butter
4 tbsp light brown sugar
4 tbsp maple syrup
8oz porridge oats
2 oz self raising flour

1. Pre heat the oven gas mark six
   
2. Cream the butter and the sugar together until the butter goes pale
3. Mix in the maple syrup
4. Add the oats and the flour and mix well
5. Put balls of the mixture onto a well greased baking tray (I use baking parchment so I know they won't stick) and flatten them out a bit with a fork (unlike other cookies these ones won't spread out as they cook so they need to be flattened and they are going to come out of the oven more or less the same size as they went in)
6. Put them in the oven for 15 mins or until the oats on the outside are starting to turn golden
7. Allow to cool a bit before you eat them
8. If you have any left over they should keep for a week in an air tight container
   

Mini Cheesecake Recipe

I'm not sure what I'm going to actually put in this blog but for now I've got a couple of recipes that I need to put in a safe place. They may even be of use to someone other than me!

This recipe is my adaption of one in Annabel Karmel's "New Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner". They're a very grown up dessert to have come from a children's cookbook and I'm going to make them next time I do a buffet.




Makes 12
8 digestive biscuits
75g butter
250g marscapone cheese
1/2 jar lime curd (lemon curd works too)
Juice of half a lime (Or a lemon)
125ml double cream
12 raspberries (optional)

You also need a mince pie tin and 12 paper cases

1. Crush the digestive biscuits to a fine crumb (I put them in a bag and bash them with a rolling pin)
2. Melt the butter (30 seconds in the microwave does the trick) and mix it into the biscuit crumbs.
3. Put the paper cases into the mince pie tin and divide the crumbs evenly between them. Press down firmly with the back of a spoon.
4. Put the cheesecake bases into the fridge to chill
5. Put the marscapone, lime curd and the lime juice into a bowl and mix thoroughly
6. Whisk the cream to the soft peak stage and then fold the cream into the cheese mixture
7. Divide the mixture evenly between the cheesecakes and top each one with a raspberry
8. Leave the cheesecakes in the fridge for at least an hour to set. Overnight works best.