It's National Baking Week

17^th October 2012

The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice. Peggy O' Mara

Did you know this week is National Baking Week, yep apparently it is, so I’m going to dabble in making some more muffins this week, maybe a savoury version or the carrot cake muffin recipe I’ve just found on the Weight Watchers website. 

However my friend mentioned a really bad Malteser cake recipe someone had told her about the other day which reminded me of the very easy to make recipe I had for ‘Banana & Malteser cakes’, so I’ve just searched it out and ProPointed it up and here it is, no thinking involved at all as it uses a packet mix which is 22p in Sainsbury’s, so this recipes costs approximately a pound to make 16 cakes, not bad at all.  With it being half term next week you could even get the kids having a dabble!

Banana & Malteser cakes Serves 16 – 2 pt each
210g packet of Sainsbury’s basic sponge mix (or similar)

made with 1 egg & water (23 points)

1 small banana mashed
2x37g packets of Maltesers, crushed (10 points)

Heat oven to gas mark 6.

Make sponge mix up as the pack.
Mix in banana and Maltesers.
Put mixture into 16 cake cases and bake in oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

How simples is that!  From memory they are quite tasty too.

And can I say if you haven’t made those ‘wake up’ muffins from last weeks blog yet – you’re crazy because they are delicious, I microwave mine for 30 seconds and have a warm muffin for brekkie, nice.

Oh yesterday food wise was a huge disaster, I’d been looking forward to eating this tin of Westlers Hamburgers in onion gravy that I’d found in one of the cheap shops, I remember them from years ago so I had them with some instant flavoured mash from Morrisons and I have to say they were vile, my taste buds have seriously changed and I’m so glad I learnt to cook over the last few years, that is one thing I will thank Weight Watchers for – their cook books are fantastic.  I started with them and then bought others such as Jamie and Nigella, but because of what I’d picked up from the Weight Watcher ones I was able to adapt their recipes and make them less ProPoints.

I bought the Hairy Bikers book at the weekend, I have to say I’m not overly impressed with what’s inside it, bearing in mind I already have a fabulous selection of cookbooks theirs isn’t adding a great deal to my collection.  They have about 4 or 5 recipes I would try, the rest have far too many ingredients in for my liking and I’ve got the same meal in different books cooked a lot simpler and with about the same ProPoints.  Having said that there is a cheese and leek pasty that looks promising so once I have tried it, I will share the recipes!

Now someone last night recommended Nigella’s chilli con carne with chocolate – different!  I’ve never been a chilli fan to be honest, I think it’s the kidney beans but I will search out the recipe and test it out maybe. Just found it out Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9v8RD-tpjU

I haven’t got time to ProPoint that this morning, but it looks a little dangerous ;0)

Typical of me I actually haven’t felt like cooking at all this week whether its national baking week or not, luckily I have a freezer full of meals I’ve premade in the past few weeks, that’s the bonus of recipes for 4 when there’s only two of you, you get to freeze them.  So I’ve just took something out that’s 12pp, not sure what it is, but it’ll be a surprise at lunchtime, I can see a carrot sticking to the side of the tub, I think it’s a casserole of some sort.

I’m also thinking curried beans on toast, nice warming meal in this weather.  I need to shop for vegetables so I can make up a batch of stew but I’m trying to stay away from the supermarket for as long as possible to save my pennies, my plan is to last until Friday with what’s in the freezer.

It’s definitely one pot meal time of year though that’s for sure!

Right I’m off, its cold, wet and windy out there, I’m thinking Alfie may not get his walk this morning, so paperwork out the way it is!