The Crazy Kitchen: April 2013

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Tuesday 30 April 2013

Chocolate Soreen Ice Cream

We're rapidly running out of Chocolate Soreen as the kids love it - especially warmed up as it goes really gooey in centre. With our second to last loaf I decided to make something a little bit different.....

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Chocolate Soreen Ice Cream

1 loaf of Chocolate Soreen Malt Loaf
397g Condensed milk
600ml double cream
150g dark chocolate - I used Dr Oetker Fine Cooks chocolate*
25g Cocoa Powder
25g Dark soft brown sugar
3 tbsp boiling water


  • Bake the malt loaf in a 180C oven for approx 10 minutes and then allow to cool
  • Meanwhile melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water, or in the microwave on short bursts, then allow to cool for a few minutes
  • Mix the cocoa powder, sugar & boiling water together until you get a smooth sauce
  • Whisk the condensed milk, double cream, chocolate & cocoa powder sauce together until you reach soft peaks
  • Cut the malt loaf into small pieces (I used scissors for ease)
  • Stir the malt loaf into the ice cream mixture
  • Pour into a freezable lidded container for around 4 hours
You will end up with a rich chocolate ice cream with chewy crispy chunks of delicious malt loaf.

Make sure you get the Chocolate Soreen soon as its limited edition and won't be around forever. It should currently be available in Asda, although unfortunately not in our local one. If you tweet @SoreenHQ they should be able to tell you where your nearest stockist is.




I have been paid to spread the word about new Chocolate Soreen. All words and recipes are my own.



Thank you to everyone that nominated The Crazy Kitchen in the Britmums Brilliance in Blogging awards. Thanks to you I have been shortlisted in the Food category and would now appreciate a vote.....pretty please!

You can vote here : Bibs shortlist



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*I was sent the Dr Oetker Cooks chocolate to use in my recipes

Saturday 27 April 2013

Lemon curd ice cream

This is another very easy ice cream recipe, using the same basic ingredients as previously used (Nigella Lawson's genius idea) here, here and here. It's a great one for the Summer (when it finally arrives), and is lovely with fresh strawberries and meringue.

Lemon curd ice cream
600ml double cream
397g condensed milk
275g lemon curd

Whisk the cream, condensed milk & 125g lemon curd until it forms stiff peaks
Spoon into a freezable container
Stir through the remaining lemon curd, to leave ripples rather than combining it
Freeze for at least 4 hours 


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Thank you to everyone that nominated The Crazy Kitchen in the Britmums Brilliance in Blogging awards. Thanks to you I have been shortlisted in the Food category and would now appreciate a vote.....pretty please!

You can vote here : Bibs shortlist



NOMINATE ME BiB 2013 FOOD

Friday 26 April 2013

5:2 Diet Low Calorie Ideas

On a fast day I like to try and make my paltry 500 calories stretch as far as possible, giving me as much food as possible. I'd prefer to have five 100 calorie snacks in a day than one big 500 calorie meal, although most days I have 3 small meals.

It's no good eating biscuits as a 75 calorie digestive is not going to fill much of  a gap and will probably leave you craving the rest of the packet. Instead here are a few ideas that I eat on a regular basis that help me to get through the day, especially when I haven't got much time to prepare something.


Bowl of sweets - 52 calories
well, frozen Morello cherries to be precise. Perfect for sweet lovers craving a fix - if you close your eyes & suck real hard they remind you of sour Haribo's.......sort of


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Cheese on toast - 80 calories

I discovered Laughing Cow blue cheese triangles and then forgot about them. At only 25 calories each they give you a little bit of cheese without being packed full of calories. Spread one on a slice of toasted Nimble & top with a few slices of cucumber for a very light lunch.


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Frothy Cappuccino - 16 calories
If you like a cappuccino but want to cut down on the calories then use unsweetend almond milk. Blue Diamond almond milk only contains 14 calories per 100ml, which is plenty for a coffee. I warm the milk up in the microwave and then add a shot of freshly brewed espresso, and top with a sprinkling of cinnamon - perfect for a cappuccino fix

Mushrooms on toast - 84 calories
1 slice of toasted Nimble with 200g of mushrooms (that's a lot of mushrooms) dry fried. I love this to start my day, along with a cappuccino

Continental breakfast - 144 calories
Another of my breakfast or mid morning favourites is a cappuccino along with 2 crackerbread with a slither of peanut butter (6g) and half a medium banana, and a sprinkling of cinnamon on the top. This feels like a real treat!


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Coffee & Cake - 111 calories
Soreen lunchbox loaf really, at 95 calories and individually wrapped it's perfect for a fast day. Do not make the mistake of opening a loaf of chocolate Soreen on a fast day though - it might also be 95 calories per serving but have you ever tried cutting a malt loaf into 8 pieces and not shoving the squidged piece in your mouth.....I rest my case.

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Thank you to everyone that nominated The Crazy Kitchen in the Britmums Brilliance in Blogging awards. Thanks to you I have been shortlisted in the Food category and would now appreciate a vote.....pretty please!




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Thursday 25 April 2013

Gooey Malted Chocolate Slices

Today we took delivery of some squidgy deliciousness that is the new Chocolate Soreen. There was much excitement in the Crazy Kitchen household, but on the promise of being able to try it later the kids were packed off to school with a Soreen lunchbox loaf.


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Soreen have been around for 75 years did you know, creating malt loaf with the same unique recipe ever since. To celebrate this achievement they've decided to give their customers a little treat, and create a chocolate malt loaf - still all the squidginess of the original loaves but with the added luxury of chocolate chips.

I handed a few out at the school gate, and took some into preschool for the staff to share. A couple of the comments were 'so wrong, yet so right!' and 'it's not cake, it's not bread....it's just so lovely'.

I then came home, rummaged in the cupboards and made dessert that was gooey and squidgy and malty and chocolatey and.....bloody lovely!

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Gooey Malted Chocolate Slices - serves 4 (ish)
1 loaf of Chocolate Soreen
8 slices of banana
8 Rolo's 
2 tbsp Nutella

  • Slice the Soreen into 8 pieces
  • Lay 4 slices into a small buttered ovenproof dish
  • Lay the banana slices on top, and the Rolo's on top of those
  • Lay the remaining 4 slices of Soreen on top of the Rolo's and press down with the back of a fork
  • Spread the Nutella over the top
  • Cover with foil and bake in a 180 C oven for approx 20 minutes until the bananas have softened

This would be great served with ice cream but that will have to be next time as we had none. The Soreen was all gooey in the centre but crispy on the outside, a very similar texture to brownies.

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Limited Edition Chocolate Soreen is available in Asda from today (25th April) for 6 weeks, and in Morrisons from 20th May for 3 weeks and Sainsbury's from 23rd May for 3 weeks - get them whilst you can!


I have been paid to spread the word about new Chocolate Soreen. All words and recipes are my own.


Thank you to everyone that nominated The Crazy Kitchen in the Britmums Brilliance in Blogging awards. Thanks to you I have been shortlisted in the Food category and would now appreciate a vote.....pretty please!

You can vote here : Bibs shortlist



NOMINATE ME BiB 2013 FOOD

Wednesday 24 April 2013

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

When you get asked if you want to try out some new chocolate it's a no brainer really, especially if it's connoisseur chocolate from Elizabeth Shaw. I could've kept the chocolate to myself but being the kind and generous Mum that I am I decided to make some cookies with one of the bars - dark chocolate Blackberry & Ginger. I didn't add any other flavour to the cookies to see how much the flavour of the chocolate would come through. You could definitely taste a fruitiness of the blackberries in the cookie, backed up with a mild ginger flavour, and the kids loved them!


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Chocolate Chunk Cookies

100g Butter, softened
125g Caster sugar
1 Egg
150g SR Flour
100g Elizabeth Shaw Blackberry & Ginger chocolate (ok maybe it was less than 100g as it's the cooks prerogative to try a little first), chopped
  • Beat the butter & sugar together until creamy
  • Beat the egg & add to the butter & sugar
  • Mix in the flour and the chopped chocolate
  • Take spoonfuls of the mix and place on a greased baking sheet, approx 5cm apart
  • Bake in a preheated 170 C oven for approx 8-10 minutes
  • Cool on a wire rack

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I was sent some Elizabeth Shaw chocolate but wasn't obliged to write about it


Thank you to everyone that nominated The Crazy Kitchen in the Britmums Brilliance in Blogging awards. Thanks to you I have been shortlisted in the Food category and would now appreciate a vote.....pretty please!

You can vote here : Bibs shortlist



NOMINATE ME BiB 2013 FOOD

Tuesday 23 April 2013

Red Thai Turkey Pizza

Once again I've had the pleasure of being asked by Lean on Turkey to come up with a creative turkey recipe to prove that turkey most definitely is not just for Christmas. This time the challenge is to come up with a pizza or pasta recipe using fresh turkey. The first recipe that sprang to mind was spaghetti bolognaise using turkey mince but it didn't seem very adventurous so I decided to go down the pizza route. Instead of scattering cooked turkey breast on the top, which would seem the obvious choice, I used it instead of the tomato base, spicing it up slightly with a Thai paste.

It's a very quick meal to cook, especially as the base doesn't contain yeast so needs no proving time - only about 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.


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Red Thai Turkey Pizza - serves 4

1 tbsp Olive oil
225g Turkey thigh mince
50g Red Thai paste
150g SR flour
1 tbsp Olive oil
100ml milk
150g grated Mozzarella cheese
1/2 small red pepper, sliced
2 mushrooms, sliced
4 mini corns, sliced
few slices of fresh red chilli


  • Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan
  • Add the turkey mince and thai paste and cook on a medium heat until the turkey is cooked through, stirring regularly
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  • Make the pizza base by mixing the flour, olive oil and milk together to form the dough - you may not need all of the milk so keep a little back until the dough is almost mixed and add it if it seems too dry
  • Roll the dough out onto a floured surface to fit your baking tray or pizza stone - mine was 30cm in diameter
  • Flour the baking tray and lay the rolled out dough on top
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  • Spread the turkey mince over the base
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  • Top with the mozzarella, then the pepper, mushrooms, corn and chilli
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  • Bake in a preheated 180 C oven for approx 18-20 minutes until browned on top

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A family meal enjoyed with chips and salad....

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This is a sponsored post, however the recipe is my own


This post is an entry for BritMums’ Summer Turkey Recipe Challenge with Lean on Turkey

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Thursday 18 April 2013

Oven Baked Tortilla

We get through a lot of eggs in this house, used in a variety of ways. I use most in baking but when the husband is on cooking duty (which isn't very often) he can be known to use a box of eggs or more cooking up one of his specialities of either 'egg on beans on cheese on ham on toast' or 'Dad's omelette', which are apparently better than 'Mum's omelette's'. I must admit, my omelettes aren't great and usually stick to the pan and fall apart before they get to the plate, which is why I'm more of a Tortilla (Spanish Omelette) kind of person. Oven baked ones are the best as it's easier to get them cooked evenly all the way through without burning the bottom and ending up with an uncooked top.

This is one of my favourite dishes to cook up when on holiday as it's really easy to prepare, and the kids love it. You can either use an oven proof frying pan or a large shallow cake tin, as I have here.

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Oven Baked Tortilla - serves 4/5

500g (approx) sausages, cut into bite sized pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 Small onion, chopped
1 tsp Dried mixed herbs
1/2 red Pepper, chopped
1/2 Courgette, chopped
4 Mushrooms, sliced
100g sweetcorn
6 Eggs
200ml semi skimmed Milk
175g mature cheddar cheese, grated
1 tomato, thinly sliced

  • Oven bake the sausages in the cake tin for approx 20 min at 180 C
  • Heat the oil in a pan
  • Add the garlic & onion & soften for 2-3 minutes
  • Add the dried herbs, peppers, courgette, mushrooms & sweetcorn & cook for a further 10 minutes until softened
  • Drain any excess oil from the sausages, making sure there is enough oil left to lightly coat the sides & base of the pan
  • Add the vegetables to the sausages & mix
  • Beat the eggs & milk & add half of the cheese
  • Pour into the pan over the sausages & vegetables
  • Cover with the remaining grated cheese & tomato slices
  • Return to the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown & firm in the centre



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Serve hot or cold with salad...or baked beans!


I'm entering this into April's Swallows Charity Recipes for life challenge as it includes the 3 ingredients of pork, sweetcorn & tomatoes. You can find out more about the challenge here.



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I'm also entering the recipe into the BritMums #eggmainsinminutes competition.

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Tuesday 16 April 2013

Sausage Pesto Pasta

I often get near tea time and realise that I haven't given what we're going to eat a single thought. This is one of those fail safe recipes that I often fall back on at times like that. It can be whipped up in no time and everyone loves it. I've even been known to cook it for friends after a few drinks in the pub instead of getting a takeaway, as it's quicker, especially if you have sausages already cooked.

It can be made with whatever cooked meat you have really, leftover bbq pork chops or chicken are a favourite, along with roasted peppers, mushrooms and olives. It's a great dish for a family meal or with friends as it can be placed in the centre of the table and everyone can help themselves - I love an excuse to use my lovely big bowl!

This time I used pork & sweet chilli sausages and added fresh tomatoes and baby sweetcorn, because those are the 3 ingredients in the Swallow's Recipes for Life challenge this month. You can read more about the challenge on their website here (where you will see that little ol' me gets a mention) and on Bangers & Mash, who's hosting the challenge.


Sausage Pesto Pasta - serves 4-5


375g dried pasta - I used tricolour fusili
454g Sausages - I used pork & sweet chilli
150g Baby corn, each cut into 3
150g Baby plum toms, halved
75g Red pesto 
Grana Padano or Parmesan to serve


  • Cook the sausages in the oven, grill or even barbecue them - I use a cast iron griddle pan - until they're cooked through & browned on the outside
  • Boil the pasta as per the directions on the pack, adding the corn 1 minute from the end. I usually cook pasta for around 1-2 minutes less than stated otherwise the it can fall apart.
  • Drain the pasta & corn & stir the pesto through it
  • Add the tomatoes & sausage & serve with grated Grana Padano or Parmesan



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Sunday 14 April 2013

Bacon and Three Cheese Scones

One food that I love is cheese. I only usually buy Cheddar and a block of Grana Padano unless it's Christmas as it's all too tempting if it's there in the fridge. As this month the One Ingredient challenge on Franglais Kitchen is cheese I thought it would be only right to treat myself to some nice cheese, and picked up some Dolcelatte. Dolcelatte, which translates as 'sweet milk' is a soft and creamy veined cows milk cheese, is lovely spread onto crusty bread. 


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I decided to use it, along with my 2 usual cheeses and make some scones. I saved a little crispy bacon from breakfast and added this too, to make a really cheesy savoury scone

Bacon and Three Cheese Scones - makes 10-12

350g SR Flour
1 tsp baking powder
85g Butter
100g mature cheddar cheese, grated
50g dolcelatte, crumbled
50g Grana Padano, grated
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp Dijon mustard
110-120ml milk
2 rashers of cooked crispy bacon, cut into small pieces


  • Mix the baking powder into the flour
  • Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs and stir in the cayenne & mustard
  • Stir in half of the cheddar along with all of the dolcelatte, grana padano & the bacon pieces
  • Stir in the milk gradually until you've added enough to bring the mixture together (you may not need all of the milk)
  • Roll out onto a floured surface to approx 1 1/2 - 2cm thick
  • Using a round cutter cut out scones and lay onto a greased baking tray, re rolling and cutting any remaining dough
  • Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with the reserved cheddar
  • Bake in 1 preheated 180C oven for 12-14 minutes until crispy & golden


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The One Ingredient Challenge is hosted alternately by Nazima at Franglais Kitchen and Laura from How to Cook Good Food, and they have a different ingredient for each month.

Friday 12 April 2013

5:2 Diet & Family Friendly Vegetable Curry

It's been a long old week (on Tuesday I thought it was Thursday) and it feels like the kids have been off school forever. Two weeks of Easter holidays plus a week beforehand where they took it in turns to be ill adds up to a Mum whose eardrums are about to burst. We've not done a lot this week, husband has been off work with a bad knee, Jack has Impetigo and Hanna has had a routine hospital appointment so trips out have involved sitting in NHS waiting rooms.

Today there wasn't anything exciting in the fridge for dinner and I didn't fancy one of my usual fast day stir frys, and instead wanted something hearty and warming, but not soup. I decided to chop up the veg that was left and throw it in the slow cooker for a curry that we could all eat as I couldn't be bothered with making two different meals. I weighed all the vegetables as I added them into the pot and calculated the calories. The total calories of all the ingredients added up to around 472 (I wasn't too sure about the spices) so if you wanted to you could cook up a batch of this and munch your way through it the whole day if you're doing the 5:2 diet. Alternatively you could add a big spoonful of peanut butter, for a whopping additional 272 calories, and share it with the family. The peanut butter not only adds extra flavour but it also thickens the sauce - I often add the odd teaspoonful to a stir fry (not the 5:2 ones though).

If you're doing Weight Watchers I'm pretty sure that if you leave the peanut butter out it would be a no point curry.


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5:2 Diet & Family Friendly Vegetable Curry - serves 4

1 onion (94g) - 36 cals
1 1/2 courgettes (269g) - 48 cals
mushrooms (161g) - 26 cals
1/2 small Butternut squash (226g) - 101 cals
2 Green peppers (208g) - 62 cals
Carrots (226g) - 77 cals
1 can chopped tomatoes (400g) - 90cals
1 tsp Garam Masala - 5 cals
1 tsp ground coriander - 5 cals
1 tsp ground cumin - 5 cals
1/2 tsp turmeric - 3 cals
1/2 tsp chilli powder - 3 cals
1/2 tsp paprika - 3 cals
1 tsp garlic paste - 4 cals
1 tsp ginger paste - 4 cals
1 heaped tbsp of smooth peanut butter (44g) - 272 cals

Total : 744 cals / 186 per portion (1/4)


  • Chop all the veg into small pieces
  • Add all the spices along with the ginger & garlic paste to a small bowl & mix to a paste with a little hot water
  • Add everything to the slow cooker with 1/4 empty can of boiling water and give it a good mix
  • Cook on high for a few hours until everything is cooked to your liking
  • Stir in the peanut butter before serving
I had mine with cauliflower rice, whilst everyone else enjoyed it with Basmati rice and home-made Naan bread...

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and this little man couldn't get enough of it, and ate the lot, including thirds of naan bread!

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Tuesday 9 April 2013

Aubergine and Rocket Salad [5:2 diet recipe}

When shopping at the weekend I noticed some lovely plump and shiny Aubergines that were only 50p each so I couldn't resist buying one, thinking that I might make some ratatouille for a fast day. I then spotted a recipe for an asparagus and courgette salad in this month's Good Food magazine and thought I'd make something similar and 5:2 friendly. 20g of Feta cheese doesn't seem much, and it's not, but crumbled into small pieces & scattered through the salad it just adds an extra flavour, but if you want to save a few calories it could be left out or replaced with some cottage cheese.

Absolutely delicious as a light lunch or add some extra vegetables or some lean chicken or fish for a more substantial dinner.






Aubergine and Rocket Salad - serves 1

144g Aubergine - 24cals
Tsp olive oil - 40 cals
20g Rocket - 5 cals
Zest & juice of 1/2 a lemon - 5 cals
20g Feta cheese - 58 cals
a few chilli flakes & salt & pepper to taste

Total : 132 cals

  • Slice the aubergine lengthways and brush both sides with the olive oil
  • Mix any leftover oil with the lemon juice
  • Cook the aubergine on a griddle pan (or bbq) until charred & softened
  • Toss the aubergine and rocket in the lemon juice/oil, season & serve with the crumbled Feta




Monday 8 April 2013

Tomato & Basil Soup {5:2 diet recipe}

The 5:2 diet is still going well. Another 2lbs lost despite a weekend away and a day out in London consuming pastries. Easter Monday was a bit of a challenge as I decided to fast on the journey home from Devon. It was a mammoth journey involving the M5 with only celery and crispbreads to take my mind off the kids eating cheese sandwiches and Easter eggs in the back. I suppose I didn't help myself by watching back to back episodes of The Great British Bake off and Paul Hollywood's 'Bread' in the iPlayer. We then stopped off at the Brother in Law's where I turned down crusty baguettes and fairy cakes. It was certainly a test of my willpower anyway.

On fast days I still generally eat 2 very small meals and then a larger dinner, mostly made up of lots of veggies and the odd marmite on crackerbread thrown in. I fancied a bit of a change for lunch on one of the days last week and decided to make a quick soup. It was full of flavour and after my 10 year old daughter tried some she asked for me to make double next time so that she can have a bowlful too. She was so surprised when she saw the finished soup and exclaimed "it looks like real tomato and basil soup". 


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Tomato & Basil Soup  - serves 1

1 clove of garlic - 4 cals
1 small red onion (64g) - 25 cals
400g can of chopped Tomatoes - 68 cals
handful of Fresh basil (15g) - 4 cals
salt & pepper to taste

total : 101 cals

  • Heat a small amount of water in a pan and sweat the garlic and onion off for 2 minutes
  • Add the can of tomatoes and bring to the boil
  • Tear the basil up and add to the pan & remove from the heat
  • Blend until smooth with a stick blender
  • Add salt & pepper to taste and serve


If you want to add a few more calories to the meal you could add some croutons or cooked pasta, or serve with a slice of bread.

Sunday 7 April 2013

Peanut Butter & Nutella Cheesecake

I love peanut butter and it has to be one of the very few foods that I would find hard to live without. During pregnancy it was so difficult and I craved peanut butter on toast, despite trying all the nut butters on the market they just wouldn't match up to the real stuff. When I saw Sian's lovely cake I immediately wanted to make something with peanut butter in (I'm waiting until my birthday to make the cake), and so, after a rummage in the cupboards and fridge, I rustled up a cheesecake. 

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The family was divided on the result. Sam, who loves peanut butter on toast, didn't like the cheesecake and said that he sees peanut butter as being more of a savoury thing - he usually has one slice of peanut butter on toast and one slice of marmite on toast and alternates which he takes a bite off. He would happily eat all my Reese's peanut butter cups though! Hanna on the other hand is much like me, she just likes peanut butter, whether it be a pb & j sandwich, a peanut butter cup, on toast or crackers, or with slices of apple. She loved the cheesecake. The husband, who says he absolutely hates peanut butter, does like Snickers bars and never notices the odd spoonful of peanut butter added to a stir fry or curry. He loved the cheesecake and had the odd very small slice as a treat, due to his diabetes. On the whole the cheesecake doesn't have much added sugar in though and I'm wondering whether it could be very almost diabetic friendly due to the low GI of peanut butter. (I am of course no expert though!)
Jack, of course, refused to try it!


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Peanut Butter & Nutella Cheesecake

220g Digestive biscuits
50g butter, melted
250g Ricotta
300g Full Fat Philadelphia Cream cheese
40g Caster sugar
75g Peanut Butter
85g Nutella
Cocoa Powder for dusting


  • Crush the digestives in a food processor, or place them in a sealed plastic bag & bash with a rolling pin
  • Stir in the melted butter and mix well
  • Press into the bottom of a loose bottomed or springform cake pan - I find it easiest to put a sandwish bag over my hand and press down firmly with my fingers
  • Place the base in the fridge or freezer whilst you make the filling
  • Whisk the cream cheese with the Philadelphia and sugar until light and fluffy
  • Divide the mixture into approximately half
  • Whisk the peanut butter into one half and the Nutella into the other
  • Pour the peanut butter filling onto the base and smooth over
  • Then pour the Nutella filling into the pan and smooth over
  • Return to the fridge for an hour or two to firm up
  • Just before serving remove the cheesecake from the pan and sift cocoa powder over the top
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Saturday 6 April 2013

How to Make a Nappy Cake with Boots {#cbias}

On Saturday mornings I take my 10 year old Hanna to swimming club for 7am, meaning that we need to leave the house around 6.30. This week it was -3 degrees when we got in the car and cleared the windscreen of frost. I dropped her at swimming before going to the nearby supermarket to do the weekly shop, and then back to the leisure centre to watch the last half an hour of swimming.


We then headed off to Boots so I could carry out my Shoppertunity™ for Social Fabric. I was firstly required to browse for products that I wanted to buy using the Boots.com mobile site before going in store to shop. If you have a QR reader it's simple to access the mobile site by scanning the QR code displayed on the laptop/pc screen, alternatively the mobile site can be accessed directly by entering boots.com into your mobile phone browser, without having to download an app beforehand. 

I browsed using my mobile phone the previous evening and located the items that I needed to make a Nappy Cake for the arrival of my stepdaughter's baby, due next month. Two of the items that I needed were out of stock online so I had my fingers crossed that they would be available in store. I wasn't too impressed by the advertising banner at the bottom of the screen as it was easily clicked by mistake as I scrolled down the page. Apart from that, it was easy to navigate around the various departments or search for specific items using the search box.


As it was still early on Saturday morning I used the mobile site to check the store opening times before we arrived. Thankfully it opened at 8.30 and we arrived shortly afterwards, around 8.45am. By this time the weather had warmed up a few degrees, the sun was shining and the sky was the bluest I have seen it in a long time.

You can see how we got on with our shop by visiting my Boots Shopping Experience Google+ Album

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How to make a Nappy Cake

you will need from Boots :

1 pack of 25 Newborn (size 1) Nappies
3 Muslin squares
1 300ml Bottle of baby wash
3 pairs of baby socks

In addition you will need :

Elastic bands
Ribbon
Cake board (optional)
Cellophane wrap


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Roll each nappy loosely and secure with an elastic band

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Position 6 rolled nappies around a bottle of baby wash and secure with a larger elastic band 

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Position 12 more rolled nappies around the first 6 and secure with a larger elastic band, or ribbon or string, and stand on a cake board if you're using one

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For the second layer secure the remaining 7 nappies in the same way that you did with the first 6, around the bottle and then remove the nappies carefully

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Open one of the muslin squares out and refold it lengthways to fit around the outside of the bottom layer of nappies, tucking it underneath and folding over the top

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Loosely roll a second muslin square around the top of the bottle

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Sit the second layer of nappies on the first and wrap the third muslin square around in the same way as you did with the first

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Roll each sock up individually, with the roll over top on the outside and position around the rolled up muslin

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Secure each layer with ribbon and a strip of tape

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Finish off by wrapping in cellophane - you can find out how to make a cellophane gift bag in a previous post of mine here.


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