Caramel Crispy Cakes

It's no big secret that I love cake. I really, really love cake and I'm not terribly fussy as to what kind either. Tray bakes, multi-tier, refrigerator and roll...I'm not cake-ist.

This, as you can imagine, can be both costly and fattening but I'm a total sweets addict. I HAVE to have a 'pudding' after my evening meal, even if it's cereal or a yogurt...I need something sweet or I don't feel like my meal has ended. With Christmas approaching and an expensive couple of months with parties, events, hosting family and friends, concerts, a very short city break (squeal) and the big day itself looming, I have GOT to stop buying cake and chocolate every other day. And why am I buying it anyway? I can bake. I made a princess castle for my daughter's birthday for crying out loud, I can handle a dozen muffins.

So, here is a very quick, very easy recipe that requires no baking, a few ingredients and a very sweet tooth; caramel crispy cakes.

You'll need...

3x Mars bars

200g Milk chocolate

75g Unsalted butter

3x Cups of Rice Crispies

Obviously, in the interest of money, get as much as you can own or value branded. Most supermarkets do their own version of all the big name chocolate bars which might work out cheaper, as well as the cereal. Alternatively buy the Mars doubles if you can't get a multipack, it'll save you about 20% on buying them individually.

Start by cutting up your butter and Mars bars, popping them all together in a heat-proof dish. Place that on top of a saucepan of boiling water, stirring as they melt together. Once melted, take off the heat and slowly add the cereal. You might find you need a little more to absorb the buttery, chocolatey goodness, if you do, it's not a big deal. If the liquid isn't absorbed enough, you will end up with a buttery/caramelly residue on the bottom of your cakes which is basically sweetened fat. Not revolting to taste but certainly not a gastronomic delight, that's for sure!

Once you've got your mixture sorted, tip it into a square baking tin (I've found a spring-loaded tin best but a normal tin lined with baking paper will do just as well). Pat down your mixture so that it makes a 'base', using the back of a spoon or a spatula. Make the crispies as flat as possible before chilling in the fridge for about an hour.

Next, melt your chocolate using the same method as you used to melt the butter and mars. Remove your crispies from the fridge and pour over the chocolate, smoothing it out once again with the back of a spoon. It will look very thin on top but don't be fooled, there is more than enough on top of those bad boys as you will see when cut. Chill once more for a further hour (two if you're good at being patient) before removing from tin and cutting into squares to serve.

Voila! Cheap. Cheerful. Scrummy. Quick. Easy. What more can you ask for on an autumnal afternoon? Get the kiddiewinks involved too (don't hog all the spoon licking to yourself)!

Tweet me up your pictures if you have a go!

Clare

Quick and Easy Pizza

Everyone in my house loves pizza, my husband and Moo especially. I'm quite ashamed to admit how much of our entertainment budget goes onto take-away pizza but with me not being so mobile recently, it has been a bit more than usual (oh, the shame).

For a couple of years now, I've been making them from scratch from home as a quick and easy dinner, especially for Moo. Here's my recipe for pizza base and sauce! Oh great, now I'm hungry...

Base.

- One and a half cups of self-raising flour (plain doesn't affect it much, it's just flatter).

- Dash of salt.

- One cup of water.

I've used the measurement of 'cups' because that's literally what I use; a cup. It's small and plastic and the perfect size to make one pizza base. A small beaker like mine or small mug, is ideal. Pop your flour and salt in before adding the water a little at a time, mixing as you go until you form a dough. You probably won't need the whole cup of water, if the dough is too wet then add more flour.

Place your ball of dough onto a floured work top and knead to ensure that it's got no sticky spots before rolling out to your desired thickness and size. To shorten the cooking time, you can quickly fry your base for a couple of minutes to help it along and stop it from absorbing the moisture from the sauce.

Sauce.

- Tin of chopped tomatoes.

- Drop of Oil.

- Dash of salt.

- Three cloves of garlic.

- Two teaspoons tomato purée (optional).

Chuck the lot into a blender and whizz together. The tomato purée helps to thicken the sauce but we often make it without and it works fine though can make the dough a little soggy (I secretly like it that way...shhh...). Once you've got our sauce how you like, simply spread it over your base.

Toppings.

We generally use whatever we have kicking around the fridge before popping on top some grated mild cheddar and sliced mozzarella. Putting the cheese on top stops the toppings from burning in the oven.

Pop your pizza into the oven at about 180c (gas mark 4...?), it should take 10-15 minutes to cook.

Voila!

Quick and easy pizza lushness!

Clare

Graze Goody Box

All in all Moo really enjoyed the food in her Graze box, it was nice to see her have a good go at the raisins as she's very hit and miss with this particular fruit and it was nice for her to try some unique textures that she doesn't get from fresh fruit. Here are my pros and cons...

I was recently offered a code to receive a free Graze box. I've had Graze before, in fact a couple of years ago I had a subscription for a weekly box that I took to my job running a charity shop so that I could have a daily and healthy snack. I still ate lots of biscuits and gained a dress size or two...

I cancelled that subscription because it became too costly for me to maintain on our small income, however when I heard that they were now offering a service aimed a children, I knew we had to give it a go. Moo eats everything (except avocado and cauliflower) and so this could be an interesting way to add further variety to her tastes and diet that she can share with her friends, things that I couldn't necessarily provide myself for whatever reason. It's important to note here that the Graze Goody Boxes are not meant for children below three years old and Moo is a couple months off of three (bad parenting or just lack of patience, not sure which), however the food was suitable and safe so long as supervision was exercised.

It arrived on our mat and Moo was very excited. Unfortunately they had but my name on the box and not hers, which was a bit unfortunate, had she been older and able to read, she probably would've been disheartened. I told her it was for her and she didn't seem to mind as I opened it up for her to have a look at it's contents. Moo was thrilled with what she got!

Golden Flapjack.

Moreish, buttery mini flapjack bites that I enjoyed far more than Moo did, I don't think they were sweet enough for her and ended up in crumbs everywhere.

Jam Dunk.

Dried apple pieces served with raspberry compote. Moo absolutely adored these and once all the apple was gone, she proceeded to use her fingers to ensure no 'jam' was left behind.

Very Berry Blast.

Cranberries, cherry raisins, yogurt-covered strawberries and raspberry laces that were yummed up very similar to the action of a vacuum cleaner.

Fruit Tumble.

Pineapple, strawberry and lime raisins that weren't as popular as Very Berry Blast but still welcomed.

Pros.

- Great and exciting way to encourage children to try new and healthy things.

- Contains 'no nasties'.

- Lovely for your child to receive exciting post.

- Very tasty recipes that you certainly won't mind finishing if left behind.

- Convenient and can be customised to your preferences.

- Fun games included within the box to promote healthy eating.

Cons.

- The temptation was perhaps a little overwhelming and she wanted to eat each snack one after the other with unrelenting pleading.

- At £3.89 a box (whether weekly or fortnightly), it is not the most cost effective way of feeding your child snacks, especially if they're gone as fast as ours were.

- I really hate it when companies refer to children as 'kids' and I find it very off-putting.

Like the main Graze boxes, they are a very neat and unique way of trying new things and for having some fun with your children, on this occasion though I feel that Moo isn't quite ready to have something like this as she has no restraint when it comes to restraint and portioning (and patience) so as soon as it arrives, she wants to eat the lot. She doesn't understand that hounding my every step is frustrating for me which in turns frustrates her. Short of hiding it from her (which if you have a toddler, you'll know is pretty impossible) I don't know how I could get around this step. I also think that hiding it from her ruins the magic of the concept.

I also think that given our current budget, it is a little pricey to be investing in when it's not 100% appreciated.

If you'd like to give Graze or their Goody Box a try, here's a code for a freebie to try 22C7MV5 and be sure to let me know what you think!

Clare

Please note, I received the free code from another blogger and was not compensated for this post.

Quick and Easy Veggie Wraps

I'm not a vegetarian, in fact I regularly describe myself as a 'hardcore carnivore', it's not often you see me without meat at a meal.

That said, I do enjoy vegetables and a light lunch is just what is needed in these horrific temperatures, so here's my super quick and easy veggie lunch wrap...

To make four wraps, you'll need the following:
- Half an onion, sliced.
- Half a courgette, sliced.
- Handful of mushrooms, sliced.
- One red (or any colour) pepper, sliced.
- Houmous.
- Four tortilla wraps.
- Some oil or alternative.

I prefer to roast my veggies but for the meal pictured I actually fried them because I was baking at the same time. If you're roasting, I normally do it around 180c (gas mark 4?) for fifteen-twenty minutes. Pre-heat the oven and sprinkle your roasting pan with your oil (or I use that liquid Flora stuff) and toss in all of your sliced veggies. Slide your vegetables around a bit to make sure they've had a good coating, add more on top if you think it needs it. If I'm cooking for adults, I'll add some salt and pepper but if my toddler is eating, I just sprinkle some pepper lightly.

Once they're all cooked, take them off the heat and warm our tortillas as per your usual method or the instructions on the packet. Spread your houmous onto the middle of each wrap before adding your mixed veg on top. Now it's time to fold!! There's lots of ways you can fold a tortilla wrap, when making this dish I typically make four folds so that I end up with a rectangular parcel-type wrap. To finish it off, I pop it under the George Foreman grill for a minute to help keep it together before cutting. You could use a griddle pan as an alternative.

And that's it...really simple and basic but oh so tasty!!

Do you have any quick, go-to lunch choices?

Clare

Five Things - Bananas

Moo and I LOVE bananas...I know they're not for everyone (one of my best friends is literally terrified of them...not sure why, I'd understand if they moved independently...) but I think they're oh so tasty.

Unfortunately Moo has a bit of a love/love-less relationship with them and some weeks I end up with a couple of extras. Now, my husband is the sort of person that thinks nothing of tossing a couple of brown bananas away. He hates them and they're only a few pence, get them out of the kitchen before the new grocery shop arrives. Nooooooo!! Don't do that! I can ALWAYS find a use for an over-ripe banana and here are my top five...

1. Banana Cake.

My personal favourite. Because in case you hadn't noticed...I love cake. Here's my go-to recipe for a tasty banana cake with cream cheese frosting. It makes a great loaf or single-tier cake, or twelve lovely cupcakes! You'll need...

-125g unsealed butter/margarine.

-125g light brown sugar.

-150g self-raising flour.

-1tsp baking powder.

-2 eggs

-1 banana mashed until smooth (if it's chunkier it's not a big deal but it will make the cake more moist).

Pre-heat your oven to 180c/gas mark 4 before mixing together your butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, flour and eggs. Yes, just whack it all in there!! Mix it all thoroughly until nicely combined and then add your banana, mixing in until its nicely combined. Now's the time to pop the mixture into your greased tin or your cupcake cases. Bake for about 20 minutes (varies slightly depending on what you're cooking) until its golden brown and firm to the touch. Bingo! Banana cake!! It's not the most earth-shattering recipe, it won't win any awards but I love it. The flavours aren't so complex that younger children will be put off also. If you wanted a more complex favour, you could try adding ground almonds and/ground mixed spice.

For the yummy cream cheese icing you'll need...

-80g unsealed butter.

-40g cream cheese.

-200g icing sugar, sifted.

-1tsp vanilla extract (or flavouring ;))

Cream the butter and cream cheese together before gradually adding the sifted icing sugar until it's 'light and fluffy'. Add the vanilla and mix in before chilling for at least 30 mins. This will make quite a bit of icing, keep it refrigerated if you have excess (and make carrot cake the next day).

2. Smoothie.

Strawberry and banana smoothie? In this weather? Yes. Please!! Toss your banana with a handful of strawberries and a splash of apple juice into your blender and whizz it up. If it's too thick, add a bit more juice. Lush and refreshing, one is never enough!

3. Shampoo.

I have been doing this for literally years. I was a Brownie when I first made it so that really should date it for you.

Mash up your banana (do it really, really well...use a blender if possible as trust me, you do not want to spend hours combing chunks of banana out of your wet hair). Add to the banana mash a desert spoon of vinegar and the yolk of one egg. Mix it up and slather it on your hair. I normally leave it on for fifteen minutes or so before combing it through and washing it out in the shower. I follow it up with a nice conditioner just in case of any lingering vinegar smell. It is a very nice treat for the hair.

4. Milkshake.

Yes, I know...similar to the smoothie but not the same so we're going to roll with it!

Plonk your banana into the blender with three-quarters of a glass of milk (or soya if you're intolerant to dairy like me) with a couple of cubes of ice and whizz to make a nice cold milkshake. You could substitute the ice cubes for ice cream if you fancy something creamier.

5. Exfoliator.

Add mashed banana (it doesn't have to be as smooth as for shampoo or cake) and add some brown sugar as an abrasive to make a handy exfoliator that's good for fake tan, dry skin, rough lips, hard feet and peeling sun burn. If you or your children are sensitive to chemicals in toiletries then this is a great shout as it contains only two natural ingredients. It's super cheap, too!!

Yes. I do really do all of those things on a reasonably regular basis. I hate waste.

Do you have any go-to uses for an over-ripe (or even a rotten) banana?

Clare

Oh...his banana hatred didn't stop him from eating my last slice of banana cake on Sunday night while he was up late for the wrestling.

Doughnut.

French Toast Recipe

Mmmm...French toast (or eggy bread if you're not a bit of a plum like me)...

There is nothing better or quicker, whether you have it sweet or savoury, I've never met anyone that doesn't like it in some manner. My personal favourite is unsweetened with salt and pepper, my daughter prefers it sweetened a little but plain.

Here's my super-easy recipe for a quick and easy lunch for little ones one year and over...

You will need;
- Bread. One egg will normally do two slices of bread, more if you're using shapes.
- An egg. Whisked.
- Milk. Just a splash.
- Sugar and/or vanilla. To sweeten. A pinch of sugar/dash of vanilla.
- Oil/butter. Whatever you use in your frying pan.

Start by cutting your bread. If I'm feeling lazy or rushed I will simply cut a slice into fours diagonally (triangles) and do it that way but normally I will use a cookie cutter to make it into fun shapes. More often than not, a heart shape. For really young children try cutting off the crusts and flattening the bread using a rolling pin. This'll make it easier for little fingers to pick up and and pop in little mouths.

Now it's time to make your eggy mixture. Whisk your egg with the splash of milk so that it's less milky than you would make scrambled egg, then add your chosen sweetener, making sure it is well mixed.

Simply dip your bread pieces into the mixture whilst you heat a frying pan with your butter or oil. Fry on a low to medium heat until all of the egg is thoroughly cooked. Leave to cool to a suitable temperature for your child and voila! French toast! I usually serve Moo's with a but of salad and maybe some cold, cooked meat like ham or turkey.

If you have any variations on this, please let me know!

Clare