2 Years Of Blogging.

2 years of blogging? Wow. Happy Birthday Little Blog.

Seems fitting then on a blog to celebrate my children's journeys into food that I will celebrate by posting some pics of their harvests from the garden this year.

Rufus wanted to grow tomatoes so we have three huge cherry tomato plants in the house and we have had a constant supply of wee tomatoes for the last month and it looks set to keep going going for a good while longer.  How lovely that the boys are almost constantly stealing a wee tomato on their way past.  What could be better for them?

Adam wanted to plant carrots.  We have been harvesting baby carrots as we thin them out for the last month or so too and as the summer goes on, the carrots we harvest are getting bigger and bigger.

A couple of big pots of salad leaves have also kept us going in salad for the past several months.

Our strawberries were very poor this year - we only got three or four.  Our peas and beans also got attacked by the birds so we only got a handful of pods.

We haven't harvested any courgettes yet but they are ready now and looks like we have a fair crop of those.

Nice haul this year for just a few pots.

One of the forests near us has had a plentiful supply of wild raspberries so we have been absolutely stuffing our faces when out walking. We also decided to collect some blaeberries while out one morning to take home to make blaeberry pancakes.  They were delicious.  Blaeberries are smaller and sharper than blueberries and are perfect in pancakes with a little drizzle of honey over the top.

And to add to our bounty, Little Macaroon brought us a huge bag full of foraged chanterelles.  They were beautiful.  We sauteed them lightly in garlic butter and had them with pasta.  Amazing.

Time to plan what we're going to do with the courgettes. And start wondering what we'll grow next year?  Love it.


Edit - Funnily enough, Little Macaroon just posted the recipe for these wee pancakes if anyone wants it.  You can obviously add any fruit or extras as you see fit.  Bananas are good too. 

Random Recipes 19 - Chicken Satay Skewers and Noodles.

So I have put the above photo up to show you what it is supposed to look like.  This Jamie Oliver book certainly has lots of lovely, stylish photos in it.  I just still can't seem to organise myself to be able to do anything other than take a very rushed photo of a meal in among all the mess of cooking it so that we can dig in while it's still hot and before we get "hangry" (- a friend's description of her husband when he needs to be fed!).

I'm looking for tips people.  All you out there with impossibly stylish food blogs.  Do you cook something to be photographed at a time when noone is hungry, there are no children running about causing mayhem, you have a maid cleaning up after you as you go along? Do you have an area in front of a window all set up ready to accept pretty food for photographing? Do you have endless stores of pretty china for any occasion and beautiful linens? Is it is just that I am the worst housewife going?  

Here are my photos anyway of the meal I made for the 19th Random Recipe Challenge. I randomly selected Jamie's 30 Minute Meals.  I have never cooked anything from this at all.  My Auntie won it in a raffle a few months back and donated it to me.  I have been trying not to acquire any more cookbooks but I have heard good things about this one so I gladly accepted.  

The page I chose randomly was titled Chicken Skewers, Amazing Satay Sauce, Fiery Noodle Salad and Fruit and Mint Sugar.  I omitted the dessert due to a lack of time and the fact we have loads of cakes and chocolate and fruit and yogurts and all sorts of nonsense needing used up already.

I enjoyed making this.  Fairly low faff.  Bung everything in a food processor kind of stuff.  All quick and easy to make.  The end result was yummy. I would certainly make this again but it has also made me feel very positive about using this book again for easy teas for the kids.