After a lovely weekend it is time to get back to the writing and do some serious work. Today is all about the new recipe book as I only have one more recipe to bake for the book so that I can take an up to date photo of it. Once this is done I think it will be complete and ready for publication. At some point I am going to have to go in the kitchen and start the baking. I won’t only be baking for the recipe book though as I need to make something for the children again. I have had a weekend off from the kitchen and it has been a much needed break. I am quite looking forward to baking today as I have my Mother’s Day gift from my children to sing along to –[amazon_textlink asin=’B01MY72DNS’ text=’ Ed Sheeran “Divide” CD’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’wwwlovetobake-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’6b4ddfea-12d1-11e7-a752-15df55c05dcd’].
I have some vegetables to use up today so I am going to make some soup and a Vegetable Bake for the children to have for tea. They can have some crusty bread with this bake, for a change. My vegetable bake consists of a variety of vegetables which are fried in oil before flour is added, followed by stock. Then I transfer the bake to [amazon_textlink asin=’B00N3TYF1K’ text=’a large ceramic crockpot ‘ template=’ProductLink’ store=’wwwlovetobake-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’b3e3f5d5-12d3-11e7-a8d5-5db48503cf6c’]place it in the oven and allow it to bake. Near the end of the baking time grated cheese is added along with breadcrumbs and it is finished off in the oven. This forms a crispy, cheesy crust which is a nice alternative to the cooked bake. I season the bake with mustard powder, black pepper and paprika. No salt is added to the vegetable when they are cooking as the stock contains a stock cube which already has salt in it.
For dessert, they can have the Flowerpot Cake which I made as a spare for my mother, in case the first one didn’t work. I am sure the children will make quick work of this cake and not leave any for my husband. I have an idea going around in my head of what else I can bake to make the cake go further but as this is related to what else I am baking for the new recipe book I am not telling yet. All will be revealed later. 🙂 What a tease !!
At the weekend, I had some leftover spaghetti and pasta sauce to use up. For supper for my husband and myself, I dry fried some mushrooms , added a shallot, covered it with the spaghetti and sauce and cooked it through in a frying pan before smothering it in cheese and grilling it. I served it with some crusty bread and it was perfect. Just the right amount for two people (especially when one wants to eat smaller portions- this is me btw). I keep forgetting to take a photo of the savoury meals which I do.
I seem to have a list a mile long at the moment. Not only jobs to be done on the website, blog, recipe book etc., but things to be done in the house. Sometimes it is not worth stressing about it as everything will get done eventually. I am finding I am more often in the mindset of “things can wait” and “life is too short” now which, a few years ago, I would not have been of this opinion. I would have been racing around trying to get everything done so that at the end of the week I could be in the kitchen baking and decorating, packing and labelling, the baked products for my stall at the market. Now I have so much less hassle in this area that I am more laid back. I still have deadlines to reach but I have to be more organised and strict with myself to get things done. However, the best thing about my time now is that I have more time for me so I spend time exercising, reading and doing what I want to do as well as being more available for my family, which they love.