Quick Whole Wheat Bred

preheat oven 200 degrees gas 6

2lb 4oz wholewheat flour
4 teaspoons brown sugar
3 teaspoons salt
2 pkts yeast (or 12g fast action dried yeast)
1 and a half pints hot water (not boiling, tap hot is fine)

1. Mix flour, sugar, salt in a large bowl
2. Add yeast and water and mix well. If the mixture is dry and a little more water it should feel sticky to touch.
3. Put into greased tins and place in a warm place until well risen - about 30mins.
4. Bake for aprox 1 hour.

If for any reason your bread dosen't rise, you can still cook it and then slice 'thinly'!!!

Apricot Suprise Cookies

makes aprox 36 preheat oven to 180 degrees

200g / 8oz butter
200g / 8oz cream cheese
200g / 8oz caster sugar
150g / 6oz plain flour
100g /4oz chopped dried apricots
100g / 4oz white chocolate chips

1. Cream together the butter, cream cheese
2. Add sugar and beat till fluffy
3. Add in the flour and mix
4. Stir in the apricots and chocolate
5. Drop heaped tablespoons of the mixture onto prepared baking trays
6. Bake for 15mins
7. Cool slightly before transfering to wire rack

These are lovely hot or cold you can even keep them in the fridge and they still taste great!

Peanut Butter Cookies

makes approx 60. Preheat oven to 180 degrees

I have to warn you, I've given these cookies to many who don't like peanut butter and they totally loved them!

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups self raising flour

2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

extra sugar to roll cookies in

a chocolate drop for each cookie

1. Cream together butter, both sugars, eggs, peanut butter and vanilla.
2. Stir in rest of ingredients and mix well
3. Shape into one and half inch balls then roll in the sugar
4. Place onto baking tray and flatten with the back of a fork
5. bake for 8 - 10 minutes until golden brown.
6. Whilst still warm place a chocolate drop in the middle of each cookie.

Oat Meat Loaf

makes 4-6 servings Preheat oven to 180 degrees

Mix together: 2lbs ground beef
1 cup tomato ketchup or salsa
3/4 cup oats
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
6 bacon rashes (optional)

1. Once you've mushed all the ingredients together, line a loaf tin with the bacon strips
2. fill the tin with the mixture and fold excess bacon over on top of the mixture
3. bake for 1 hour
4. drain off fat and serve.

Make sure your meat loaf is cooked in the middle NO PINK BITS if you do have pink meat just place the slices of loaf back in the oven and keep checking every couple of minutes.

Chewy Chocolate No Bakes

makes approx 3 dozen

1 cup chocolate chips
5 tablespoons butter
16 large marshmallows
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups oats
1 cup (any combination of:) raisins, diced dried fruit, coconut, mini marshmallows, chopped nuts

1. In a large saucepan melt over a low heat: chocolate chips, butter and marshmallows
2. stir the mixture until smooth then remove form heat and cool slightly
3. Stir in vanilla and any extras
4. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased paper
5. Cover and refridgerate for 2-3 hours
6. Let stand at room temp. about 15 mins before serving
7. Store tightly covered in the fridge.

Snickerdoodles

makes approx 5 dozen. Set oven to 180 degrees

1 cup margarine
1 and a half cups of sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 and 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup self raising flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons cream of tarter
half a teaspoon salt

1. Cream together the margarine, sugar and vanilla
2. Beat in the eggs
3. sift the remaining ingredients and mix in well to the mixture.
4. Roll into balls the size of a walnut and roll in: 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 or 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
5. Place on a tray lined with grease proof paper and flatten slightly with the back of a fork
6. Bake for 10 minutes

Once cooled these make a perfect ice-cream sandwich!

Taco Soup

makes 6 servings
In a large saucepan put in the following ingredients:
4 cups beef stock (1 beef oxo cube per cup)
1 onion finely chopped
3/4 cup barley
2 sticks of celery sliced
2 sticks of carrots cubed
2 tins of tomato soup
a shake of garlic powder
1 tin butter beans drained
1 tin Red kidney beans drained
2 medium potatoes peeled and cubed

1. Bring everything to the boil
2. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1-2 hours.

DON'T LET THE PAN BOIL DRY. You may need to add up to another 2 cups of water while cooking.

thanks Jeni for this recipe!

Best Ever Chili

makes 6 generous servings

In a large saucepan brown 600g of lean minced beef
Add: 1 onion finely chopped
2 Red bell peppers finely chopped
500g grated carrots
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons Worcester sauce
1/4 pint of vegetable stock
2 cloves of garlic crushed
225g mushrooms thinly sliced
1 teaspoon oregano
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cinnamon (I often put in 2!)
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 can red kidney beans
salt and pepper
If the chili seems a little dry top up with water.

Simmer everything for 30-40 minutes and serve.

Thanks Hazel for this recipe!

Banana Bread

makes approx 1 tin. Set oven to 180 degrees.
3 ripe bananas
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter
2 cups self raising flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1. Grease a large loaf tin or two small ones
2. Mash the bananas and set aside.
3. Cream the sugar and butter, until pale in colour
4. Add the eggs and mashed banana and mix
5. Sift the flour and soda into the mixture and mix together well
6. Pour mixture into the tins and put into the oven for 25minutes
7. Reduce the oven temperature down to 160 degrees and bake for a further 25 minutes
8. Carefully remove from the tin and leave to cool.

Brownies

makes approx 12. Pre heat oven to 180 degrees

Melt in a pan: 9oz butter, 1lb 2oz sugar, 3 and a half oz cocoa powder

Cool the mixture, then beat in 4 eggs, 3 and a half oz Self Raising Flour

Pour into a greased 9" tin and bake for 35mins.

While still warm spread with 8oz of melted milk chocolate.

Once completely cooled cut into squares.

Welcome

Hey welcome to my new blog spot.

I get so many people asking me for this recipe or that, and my mind is getting extremely forgetful these days, so while thinking on what to do for dinner tonight, a thought came into my mind to do a kitchen blog!!! so here it is.

Now be patient with me, it'll take some time updating everything and eventually...hopefully pictures too!!! Anyhow, I hope it's a place you can come and reminisce and grab hold of any recipes you enjoyed and fell free to leave a comment if you didn't!

Have Fun.