NEW Cath Kidston Set of 4 Provence Rose Espresso Cups £24

Online exclusive offer from the lovely Cath Kidston. Play at-home barista with the new and beautiful espresso set. Available exclusively online at http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/p-15469-cath-kidston-set-of-4-provence-rose-espresso-cups.aspx 
These Provence rose patterned delights will be hitting the shops in October but get online now if like me, you cannot wait!

My Beautiful Table

You know your life is getting sad when you start declaring your love for inanimate objects. However, this is no ordinary table. A little known furniture wonderland in the middle of the Yorkshire countryside is the setting for this story. 

Scartop is set back in acres of beautiful woodland, this lovingly restored shooting lodge is simply stunning! Luxurious Victorian balcony tea rooms, stunning views of the Haworth moors, stone flagged piggery, original timber beams and raging log fire make Scartop Haworth so appealing. 

Discoveries are around every corner of this beautiful building. 

Scartop Haworth boasts extensive, intricately detailed showrooms constructed by an “in house” stylist. At Scartop, you will receive a professional, courteous personal service. The

 choice is endless, they have everything you need for the home and more! 

After spending 3 hours looking in every nook and cranny, there she was..... my table..... it was love at first sight! Solid Oak table with 6 chairs with beautiful wicker seats and distressly painted white finish. Dinner's are now a joy and no more a non sociable TV watching event, friends ooh and ahh over her homely finish. 

Although I visited the Haworth store, I am sure that all other stores give the same excellent customer service and product quality. http://www.scartop.com/pinefurniture/

Easy No Bake Chilled Cheesecake

If you find you have no time to whip up a fabulous dessert look no further than this ridiculously easy no bake cheesecake. The preparation time alone is less than half an hour and the longest part of the recipe is the chilling time in the fridge. 

Firstly, in the microwave put the jelly and a splash of fresh orange in the microwave until the jelly has melted into the juice. Set aside to cool, but do not let it set. Meanwhile in a food processor blitz the biscuits and butter until crumbs and press into a baking tin, put in the fridge to chill. In a separate bowl, whisk the double cream until just slightly thickened. Add the cream cheese and the jelly and juice mixture and mix thoroughly. Pour onto the biscuit base and chill in the fridge for 2 hours until set.

I make this with Lemon but you can really choose any flavour you like. The secret is in the flavoured jelly you use. Once the cheesecake has chilled you can even use a cookie cutter to make mini cheesecake, a fabulous wow factor when taking to book clubs and cheese and wine parties. 

Ingredients: 250g cream cheese (full fat) 600ml double cream, block of Jelly, Fresh Orange, 10/12 Digestive Biscuits, 100g Butter

Job Jar

Those idea boffins at Martha Stewart have been working overtime again, this time with an ingenious way to get the kids involved in doing the chores over the summer holidays without you getting a headache. Behold, the Job Jar. 

Type or write up your to do list and on bright coloured paper and have your little darlings chose their fate. To make tasks less tedious for everyone, print them on strips of paper, color-coding to distinguish "grown-up jobs" from "kid jobs." On chore day, have everyone draw and complete a job.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Job Jar and more fun kids' crafts, projects, activities, and family-friendly meal ideas on marthastewart.com 

Envelope Funnels

Ever had the problem of runaway rice or pasta when transferring to glass jars? Check out this ingenious idea from Martha Stewart. When transferring dry ingredients to glass jars, use an envelope if you don't have a small funnel nearby. Cut a generous triangle from one end of the envelope, then snip tip off corner, and open into a cone. 

Genius!

Lemsip V Hot Toddy?

We all get stressed and run down every once in a while and when our defences our down, especially in the cold dreary winter months, most of us will fall at the mercy of the dreaded cold! Hot Toddys have faithfully provided the needed remedy for aching bones and those melancholy moments. Not to mention they taste delicious. Whilst there are many Hot Toddy formulas out, there this is the one that has always worked for my family.
Find the largest Mug you have in your cupboard and add a gigantic spoonful of the best drizzly honey you can buy. Add a splash of lemon juice and a very large shot of either Brandy or Whiskey (personally I love the warming hug Brandy gives) top up with boiling hot water and stir in the honey. Take in the wonderful aroma (this will really clear your blocked nose) and drink slowly. Trust me, you are guaranteed a good nights sleep....

Chocolate Chip Cookies

There are a gazillion cookie recipes, believe me, I've tried most of them, this recipe is by far the best most easiest foolproof recipe ever! I make up batches of this recipe and put in the freezer, brilliant  for appeasing  guests. 

First of all, it doesn't have to be chocolate chip it can be any type of cookie you like, the basic blueprint is the same for all varieties. Why not try Rolo's, smarties, white chocolate and raspberries, fruit and nut chocolate pieces, the list is endless...

A food processor works best for this recipe. For a basic cookie mixture...

4oz brown sugar

4oz unsalted butter

8oz self raising flour

Splash of vanilla extract/almond extract

1 large egg

Chocolate of choice smashed into little pieces (have different sized pieces here it adds to the homemade look)

Blend butter and sugar together followed by the egg and let the processor beat for a good 3 minutes add the extract and the flour and mix until a dough forms, the dough should be not sticky to hold and have the consistency of bread dough. Empty chocolate pieces onto your work surface and using your hands knead the chocolate pieces gently into the cookie dough. Again using your hands, roll into a sausage shape and wrap in cling film and place in refrigerator for 1/2 hour (you can at this stage put into the deep freeze for later use) Remove from refrigerator and out of the cling film and slice into 1cm rounds. Place on baking sheet and into a preheated oven at 180o until golden brown. Leave to cool on a baking rack. Enjoy the delicious smell that will envelope your home. 

Vegetable Crumble Pie

This Vegetable Crumble Bake really does send your senses into culinary heaven also evoking feelings of heartiness and comfort like only a baked dish could. Its easy peasy to make (and you feel a triumphant sense of achievement knowing your family is eating good wholesome food!) Feel free to adapt the recipe to suit vegetables you actually enjoy eating. 

Root vegetables work best with this recipe so things like parsnips, carrots, swede, leeks. Also broccoli, onion, garlic (fresh no jars!) mushrooms, sweetcorn chickpea, broad beans, pulses and for extra bulk, chopped sweet potato, although a regular potato is fine! Pop all ingredients into a large pot and bring to boil with a tin of chopped tomatoes, a dollop of tomato puree, a splash of red wine, a sprinkle of ground cumin and some good quality beef/vegetable stock (the liquids should cover the vegetables), sprinkle rosemary, sage and any other mixed herbs you fancy and simmer for 20-25 minutes until thickened. Transfer to a Casserole dish and make the crumble topping. For this savoury crumble, its as you would make a sweet crumble without the sugar so rub together butter and whole wheat flour and spoon the crumble over the vegetables. Bake for 20-25 mins until golden brown and bubbling at the sides.

Would love to hear how you get on..... Enjoy!