Well ok they may not be the traditional dippy egg but way more fun not to have eggshell ruining your yolk.  To start with you need to pick up some Mabel Pearman’s Burford Brown Hen Eggs.  They are simply the best and the only eggs we keep in our fridge. Crack the shell and I swear you won’t find a more yellowy yolk.  Next dust off your poach pods, mine are from the supermarket but you can also pick some up at Lakeland.  Now before this reads like an idiot’s guide to poaching an egg I thought it was worth typing out so at least my hubby can check for reference when on brekkie duty!

• Put an inch of water in a saucepan on to boil
• Grease your poach pods with a bit of oil and crack an egg into each one
• When your water is bubbling nicely pop the pods in so they float on the surface and then put lid on
• Set timer for 4 mins

In the meantime toast your Warbie’s seeded batch and prepare dippy soldiers.

Once the timer has pinged simply pop your poach pods onto plate with soldiers and let your little one dip away!  Delish.

Hope & Greenwood Cake Tins, at John Lewis £25
Hope & Greenwood Keepsake Egg, at John Lewis £7

Hope you all had a lovely Mother’s Day.  I was truly spoilt with a lie-in on both Saturday and Sunday which was certainly the best present I could have wished for!  Daddyo did the weekend food shop and as I made my way downstairs I was greeted by a welcoming waft of cinnamon on Sunday morning.  Yep with hubby behind the shopping trolley wheels, the kitchen cupboards have been replenished with a few yummy treats and items not on the usual list.  Warburton’s raisin loaf has been one such purchase which Little A loves.  Perfect for a weekend brekkie or a toasted slice post-nap to ward of the hunger til tea, the loaf comes pre sliced and crammed full of raisins.  When you are next perusing the aisles make sure you pick one up.

Princess’s Winter Sunshine Soup

This sweet potato and garlic soup is one my favourites and its punchy yellow appearance brightens up any dull January day.  Good to start that health kick too.

Recipe

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C.  Pull the garlic bulb apart and put in the a small roasting tin.  Roast in the oven for 20 mins or until soft.  Remove and leave to cool before squeezing out the soft insides. Reserve.

Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and sweet potato and cook, stirring constantly for 5 mins. Add the stock and bring to the boil.  Cover with a lid, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 mins.  Add the french beans, roasted garlic flesh and continue to simmer for 10 mins or until the potatoes are tender.  Remove and leave to cool slightly.

Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cooked french beans and pass the rest through a blender. Return to pan with the reserved beans and heat through.

Serve soup with a swirl of yogurt and season.

Taken from my Easy Healthy recipe book from Marks & Spencer

Stained Glass Window Cookies – edible tree decorations

This one is straight out of Annabel Karmel’s book Princess Party Cookbook.  Great for a rainy day and to get your little ones involved in the kitchen.

I seem to always be reaching for a packet of raisins for Little A and whilst perusing the aisles last week I was thrilled to discover BEAR Fruits for a bit more variety.  Made with no added sugar, no preservatives, and in their words ‘no nonsense’, their nibbles are sulphite and gumming agent free.  Little A likes the mango and pineapple nibbles and the strawberry Yo Yos.

You can buy at Waitrose or click here to buy a box direct

Up this month we are making mini crustless quiches for Little A’s lunch and and a one pot risotto that goes in the oven.

For Little A…

These are essentially little quiches without the pastry.  Once you have mastered one batch you will find that you will swap the ingredients for all manner of things.  Little A likes peas and ham in place of the spinach and onions.
Kit required – mini muffin mould (I have a silicone one which makes it very easy to pop them out).

HELEN’S EGG PARCELS

1 tbsp olive oil
a bunch of spring onions, sliced
a couple of handfuls of spinach
4 eggs, lightly beaten
a splash (1-2 tbsp) whole milk or cream
a small knob of unsalted butter, melted
a few scraps of cooked, flaked fish, or cooked, chopped ham or bacon
50g grated cheddar or other hard cheese
freshly ground black pepper and sea salt (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200C. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the spring onions and cook gently for a few minutes until soft. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until it has wilted. Leave to cool, then chop the mixture roughly.

Lightly beat the eggs, milk or cream and melted butter in a jug or bowl to combine. Add some seasoning if you like. Pour the egg mixture into the cups of a 12-hole mini-muffin mould – each one should be about two-thirds full. Add a little of the spinach mix to each, then a little cooked fish, ham or bacon. Finish with the grated cheese. Bake for 12-15 minutes until puffed and golden.

Leave the parcels to cool a little (they will sink a bit, but don’t worry), then pop out of the muffin mould. Serve warm or cold – on their own, as a snack, or with potatoes and a tomato or cucumber salad.

Makes 12.

From River Cottage Baby and Toddler Cookbook

For Princess…

Perfect served with a rocket salad.

OVEN BAKED BACON AND CHERRY TOMATO RISOTTO

250g pack smoked bacon , chopped into small pieces
1 onion, chopped
25g butter
300g risotto rice
half a glass of white wine (optional)
150g pack cherry tomatoes, halved
700ml hot chicken stock (from a cube is fine)
50g Parmesan grated

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Fry the bacon pieces in an ovenproof pan or casserole dish for 3-5 mins until golden and crisp. Stir in the onion and butter and cook for 3-4 mins until soft. Tip in the rice and mix well until coated. Pour over the wine if using and cook for 2 mins until absorbed.

Add the cherry tomatoes and the hot stock, then give the rice a quick stir. Cover with a tightly fitting lid and bake for 18 mins until just cooked. Stir through most of the Parmesan and serve sprinkled with the remainder.

Makes enough for 3 hungry people.

From BBC Good Food Magazine 2005

*Princess Top Tip – I often swap the bacon for pancetta and add a dollop of tomato puree.

The parties I used to go to as a child usually ended with children heading home wired on a lethal concoction of party rings, cheesy wotsits and jelly tots, all washed down with some E number fuelled squash.  Times change and the bar has certainly been raised. The children’s party market is now a competitive jungle of high expectations and parent one-upmanship but luckily it has also meant that the food front has dramatically improved in terms of health and creativity.  The best party food caterers on the London scene are the wonderful ladies behind Hats & Bells.  Honest home baking is at the forefront of their offering and they provide a fresh update on party food classics whilst not forgetting to include some naughty treats.  We heart the giant flowerpot cookies.

Hats and Bells also cater for Christenings, Hen Parties, Baby Showers, Sweet 16 parties and picnics.

Now the winter nights are drawing in I thought I would add monthly recipes to my blog. There will be scrumptious delights for Little Ones and super easy ones for tired mummies.  Yes the ingredient quantities might be a bit rusty on the homemade recipe front but give them a go as I promise they are deeeliishh.

For Little A…

TASTY BROWN RICE

I always make a vat of this and freeze it into ice cube trays so we always have some on standby.  The brown rice makes it nice and filling and if you want a non vegetarian option you can always add mince.

50g/2 oz brown rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
75g/3 oz carrots, peeled and grated
75g/3oz tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and chopped
40g/1.5 oz cheddar cheese, grated

Cook the rice in water according to the packet instructions until quite soft (about 30 mins). Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan, add the carrots and sauté for 3 mins.  Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes. Drain the rice and mix with the carrot and tomatoes. Stir in the grated cheese and cook over a gentle heat for 1 minute until melted.

From Annabel Karmel’s New Complete Baby and Toddler Planner

For Princess…

MRS GREEN’S CHEESY MUSTARD CHICKEN

For casual weeknight suppers I often serve this with some greens and jacket potatoes.

4 chicken breasts
strong cheddar cheese (large block grated)
2.5 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
4 bunches of cherry tomatoes on the vine
Slug of milk

Halve the chicken breasts and lay in an ovenproof dish.  In a separate bowl mix the cheddar cheese, mustard with a slosh of milk to bind everything together.  Then spread sauce around and on top of the chicken breasts.  Add your vine toms in clusters on the top. Cook in oven (180-200) for about 35 mins or until the chicken has cooked and the sauce is bubbling nicely.

From my dear friend Mrs Green’s recipe book – you know who you are!

If you are lunching out and about then this mini thermos is perfect to picnic with. Keeps food warm for 5 hours or cool for 7.