Baby Blip, Flipper and Me

It’s been way too long since I have updated my blog and there are many reasons as to why. No, l didn’t just get tired off writing my blog. Unfortunately, life just took over and I got overwhelmed. The last thing on my mind was to write any posts. However, I have missed it and knew that it was time that I started again.

So you may be wondering what happened. We sold our house, however, the whole sale went messy and even though we had buyers to buy it, it took 6 months for the sale to get through. .However, this meant that we lost the deal on the house we where going to buy. Instead, for 4 months we lived in Air BnBs… believe me it was hard as we moved around a lot… Now.. we are finally renting a place until we find out if we are going to buy a place or not.

Also, Baby Flipper became a toddler, he is now 18-month-old. And Toddler Blip is no longer a toddler but a clever school boy. He started in reception in August and, touch wood, he is doing really well…

As to me, well I have finally decided that it would be too much for me to work, and instead I will for the time being be a stay at home mum to my two boys. Hopefully this means I’ll have plenty of time to focus on cooking delicious food for my two boys…

With all the confusion that has been surrounding my little family one of the things that has been constant is mine and our love of food. Yesterday when “Blip” came home from school, we made one of my favourite dinners. One Pot Chicken. It’s what I would call comfort food and food for the soul… (another reason I love this dish though is because it all can be made in one pot and therefore it saves on the washing up).

Blip and Flipper both ate the food, only refusing the tomatoes. Strangely enough, neither of my boys likes tomatoes very much. I used chicken drumsticks, however, you could easily use thighs instead, preferable with the bone in. I’m quite lucky that I have often found chicken drumsticks reduced in my local Co-op I got nine trays yesterday for 65p each. My friend got some off them. Its brilliant when you got friends you can share your bargains with.

Now some people may say that 2 drumsticks per person isn’t enough, for our family its enough. However, you could serve it with salad and garlic bread on the side.

One Pot Chicken
– Serves 4

Ingredients:

8 Chicken drumsticks
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 Rasher streaky bacon, chopped
400 ml Chicken stock
500g small potatoes, halved if big
100g Full fat soft cheese
200g peas
200g Sweet corn
200g Cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp finely chopped dill (optional)

Method:

Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and the all-purpose seasoning, then dust with the flour.
Heat the oil in a large lidded pan and brown off the chicken, this may need to be done in batches. When Brown set aside on a plate.
Without cleaning the pan, fry the chopped bacon in the pan until crisp. Then return the chicken into the pan and add the chicken stock, cover and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the potatoes and cook for a further 20 minutes or until the potatoes and chicken is cooked through.
Now stir in the cheese, and add the corn and tomatoes and let it simmer without the lid for a further 3 minutes. Then add the peas and cook for about a minute so the peas are just cooked through. Now turn off the heath and add the dill, season further if needed.

Bon appetite – as my granddad would have said

Costings:

These has been based on Tesco’s prices and the basic products where possible (Correct as per February 2019).

Ingredients:
Drumsticks £1.24
Flour (0.45p/1500g)x20g = 1p
All-purpose seasoning (0.95/100g)x10g =10p
Oil (£5/5000ml)x15ml= 2p
Streaky Bacon = (£1.25/12)x4=42p
Chicken stock (0.50/10)x1= 5p
Potatoes (0.77/1000g)x500g= 40p
Full fat soft cheese (0.49/200g)x100g= 25p
Peas (0.62p/900g)x200g=14p
Sweet corn (0.79p/907g)x200g =18p
Cherry tomatoes (0.85/330g)x 200g=52p
Dill (0.70p/30g)x15g = 35p

Total cost £3.68 – Per portion £3.68/4 = 92p

New Recipes, vegetarien

Easy and Delicious Aubergine Bake – 95p per portion

June 19, 2018June 18, 2018 BusyMetti

I absolutely love aubergines. When I see that deep purple almost black colour of the skin, it makes me so happy. It’s strange because I know that aubergines weren’t used a lot back home in Denmark, however, I clearly remember my mum buying them (occasionally) and we must have eaten them as well… I have no recollection of eating them in Denmark!

Since I arrived in the UK Aubergines are still one of the vegetables that I love to cook with. I have tried many different recipes. Aubergines aren’t technically a vegetable but a fruit from the same category as the tomato! Luckily the husband also enjoys aubergines, for Baby Blip, the jury is still out on Aubergines.

Baby “Flipper” is almost 10 months and is still only happy having breast milk (mummy is getting very tired). However, he has lately at least started to put some food in his mouth… a bit of pizza today! HURRAH!!!!! Hopefully, by the time he is 18 he will be happy eating normal food… He was happy to squeeze and play with the Aubergine bake I made today… however, none of it touched his lips. But hey, one day!

I have tried purees and all the tricks under the sun, however, he is stubborn like his mummy and know what he wants.

The dish I made today is really simple, this year I am growing thyme and oregano outside so using fresh herbs. however, you could just substitute it for dried herbs instead.

I added frozen spinach to the dish which was lovely. However, next time I would love to try and layer it with potatoes, this would help give the dish a bit of texture. I often buy Aubergines from my local market, they normally do two for a pound. However, they are widely available from super markets as well. This dish is meat free, however, you could add some bacon to it or even some sausage meat between the layers. I like to make my own bread crumbs with the ends of bread. It’s cheap and easy.

I served the dish with garlic bread.

This recipe serves 4 people, I made it in foil trays, so we could freeze one portion.

Aubergine Bake

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 medium aubergines

2 tbsp oil

1 medium onion finely chopped

½ large leek – white part (optional)

2 clove garlic finely chopped

400g tinned chopped tomatoes

100g cream cheese

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp thyme

75g fresh spinach

3 tbsp bread crumbs

3 tbsp grated mature cheddar

Salt and pepper

Method:

Cut the aubergines into 1 cm long slices, lengthwise. Lay them in one layer on a baking tray (or a grill pan) and lightly brush with oil and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Now cook them until slightly browned, then turn them over and season again and cook until tender.
Meanwhile, clean and chop up the leek finely.
Put the remaining oil in a pan and on medium heat add the garlic, leek and onion and cook until translucent.
Pour in the chopped tomato, the thyme and oregano and let it simmer for about 5 minutes, the consistency should be rather thick.
Assemble the dish by, adding half the aubergines to the bottom of an oven proof dish, then spread the cream cheese on top of it. Then add a layer of tomato sauce (1/3 of the tomato sauce) a layer of spinach and top with the remaining aubergines. Now add the remaining tomato sauce on top and finish off with the breadcrumbs and grated cheese.
Cook at 200C in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.

Serve with garlic bread and salad

Bon appetite – as my granddad would have said

Costings:

These has been based on Tesco’s prices and the basic products where possible (Correct as per June 2018).

Aubergines £1.40

Oil 1p

Onion 10p

Leek 25p

Garlic 6p

Tin Tomatoes 30p

Cream cheese 55p

1 tbsp oregano 5p

1 tbsp thyme 5p

Spinach 30p

Bread Crumbs 20p

Cheddar (£2.50/500g)x100g = 50p

Salt and pepper 2p

Total amount = £3.79

Per portion = 95p

cheap, vegetarien

Vegetarian Chickpea Curry! (60p per person)

May 31, 2018May 31, 2018 BusyMetti

It has been a while since I have written a recipe or even updated my blog. But so much has happened in the last year. Baby Flipper is getting big, 10 months now, but he refuses to eat anything except my milk. I so enjoy breastfeeding, but it is draining that he never wants anything else. However, I’m sure that before he turns 18 he will have learned to eat proper food (I’m not breastfeeding that long!!!). However, Baby Flipper is growing really well, he is gaining weight and so content.

His big brother “Blip” is almost 4 years old and becoming a fantastic little boy. He can count to 10 in Danish and English and almost to 20 in English. He understands all Danish but still prefer replying in English. He no longer uses a dummy!! JUBIIII and is still so in love with his little brother. He can’t stop giving him kisses and hugs. They are the two most amazing things that ever happened to me. Continue reading “Vegetarian Chickpea Curry! (60p per person)” →

Every day life posts, New Recipes

Sophie goes on holiday

March 29, 2018March 29, 2018 BusyMetti

Sometimes with a busy family life it’s easy to forget to appreciate the small things in life. It’s so easy to forget to appreciate the small moments in life. In the autumn, just a few months after I gave birth to Baby “Flipper”, the husband was working from home one Saturday. This meant that Toddler “Blip”, Me and Baby “Flipper” had to try and not disturb daddy. With a toddler and a baby in tow this is much easier said than done. Blip isn’t big enough to fully understand what works means and constantly tries and disturb daddy.

The sun was shining but it was freezing cold outside, however, as I was getting more and more irritated inside trying to not disturb daddy, I decided to take both the kids out for a walk. In Denmark we say, there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes. Blip wanted a picnic I packed him a sandwich and juice and of for a walk and picnic we went.

Flipper was wrapped up nice and warm in his pram and Blip in a warm jacket. Off we went for a walk, Blip had his bellowed elephant Sophie with him.

We walked through this wooden kind of forest and over a bridge, to a playground. Blip was exploring the nature, flowers, stones everything you can find in the forest. When we got to the big bridge he was fascinated seeing all the cars driving underneath. We spend a whilst just looking at it. Then finally we got to the playground and had our picnic. I had brought a small towel with me to sit on, just so you had the feeling of picnic.

Blip was so excited and had such a good time, I joined in and we played “We are going on a bear hunt” I climbed with Blip op on all the playground features and we had a giggle. Flipper was sleeping and nice and cosy in his pram, finally it was time to get home.

When we got home I realised that Blip had lost his blue nosed elephant Sophie on the trip. I left him with daddy and re-traced our trip. But Sophie was nowhere to be found… I looked everywhere. That evening Blip couldn’t sleep as he was so sad that Sophie was gone. In the end I told him that Sophie had gone on holiday and we talked about what she would be experiencing on her journey.

Next morning Blip told me that he was waiting for his postcards from Sophie and that she soon we come home to him.

I ended up buying a replacement (4 in the end as they all where the wrong sizes except the last one) on eBay. I was lucky that the lovely members of The Hygge Nook (a group on Facebook) were so kind and offered to send Blip lots of postcards, as if they were from Sophie.

Within a few days we started to receive postcards, we got from America, Canada, Different places in the UK, and Australia. Every morning Blip would run to the door and check if there was news from Sophie. We also received a baby brother to Sophie – a tiny elephant. And a card from Millie the cat that Sophie visited in Scotland.

I also posted on our local pages if anyone had found her, 3 weeks later (I still hadn’t received the correct replacement) I got a message on Facebook that she had been found in a charity shop and a lovely man had bought her and she was delivered back to us. – It amazing what kind people are around, normally we only hear the bad stories

Finally, we got Sophie home again, however, she was rather dirty. I gave her a wash and ensured she was ready for when Blip returned from pre-school. She was standing inside the door with a tiny suitcase… Never have I seen him so happy being reunited with his elephant.

It’s now about 4 months since this happened and he still talks about her journeys, we still got all the postcards. The other day he said to me… Can she go on holiday again (my answer) NOOOO!

However, creating the picnic and when she was lost coming up with the story about her on the holiday and getting her returned with the small suitcase was amazing. It will always be surrounded by a mystery and a bit of hygge connected with it.

Blip still sleeps with his Sophie every evening. I want to say a big THANK YOU to all the members of the Hygge Nook… You guys are amazing.

In the end it all turned out lovely, and it is so lovely to be a part of your children’s life and try and create the best childhood you can for them. It’s about remembering that the best times doesn’t need to cost money and you can experience hygge if you have an open mind and look for it.

Cakes, Cooking with a toddler, Desert

Delicious Orange Shortbreads (12p a piece)- What is Hygge?

November 23, 2017November 22, 2017 BusyMetti

What is Hygge? Is it baking Orange Shortbreads with Toddler “Blip”?

It’s funny to see how the Danish expression Hygge has become so popular all over the world.

In lots of magazines, and big furniture stores or even in super markets you will see different items or articles about hygge. This includes how to experience proper Danish hygge or creative the feeling of hygge.

Strangely enough a lot of it seems to turn its focus on tea candles and creating the right atmosphere in your house.

Sometimes when I read articles like this I feel exhausted by just looking at it, as it sounds like experiencing takes quite an effort, or does it?

It is true that you can create a lovely cosy atmosphere with blankets, candles and lots of lovely things, but this in itself does not mean you will have a lovely hyggelig time.

Continue reading “Delicious Orange Shortbreads (12p a piece)- What is Hygge?” →

Chicken, Meats

Chicken, Leek and Mushroom “Leftover” Pie (£1.45 per portion)

November 18, 2017November 18, 2017 BusyMetti

Now the other day me and Toddler “Blip” had the Lemony chicken pasta, well he just had the plain pasta as he wasn’t feeling too well. His chest sounded really wheezy, luckily,after a good night sleep he seemed better. I decided to keep him home from nursery though.

I know for a fact that I don’t like going to work, if I’m not 100% and therefore I don’t believe he would like to go to nursery before he is feeling well again. Luckily, he loves being home with me and Baby “Flipper”. I love to see them together and how much love they got for each other. Toddler “Blip” adores his little brother and can’t stop giving him cuddles and kisses.

It was Halloween not long ago and Toddler “Blip” was absolutely obsessed with it, therefore, the pie we ended up making was “Halloween” inspired. Saying that, it was the wrong pastry to use if wanting to decorate it (which I knew), but he had fun, which was the most important part.

What was even more impressive is that he was willing to try the pie after, and he ate quite a bit of it

This recipe can be made either from the leftovers, just add the nutmeg, mushrooms and bacon, and add the pie lid, alternatively make it from scratch following the steps below.

Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Pie

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

4 large closed cup mushrooms
3 streaky bacon rashers
Puff pastry
2 Onions, sliced
2 Leeks, sliced
2 Courgettes, chopped
4 Garlic cloves, Chopped
Thyme, 20 sprigs (or 2 tsp dried)
2 Chicken breasts
200 ml Chicken Stock
100 ml Crème Fraiche
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vegetable oil
½ – 1 Lemon depending on taste
Zest of one Lemon

Method:

Start by thinly slicing the onions and put in a bowl. Then clean and slice the leeks into fine slices and cut the courgettes into 1 cm strips and add to the bowl and set aside.

Grate the garlic cloves and have it ready. Also Pick the thyme leaves and set aside for later in the cook.

Cut the mushrooms into slices.

Now, in a frying pan, fry the bacon until cooked but not crispy, take the bacon aside and fry the mushrooms in the fat from the bacon. Cut the bacon into 1 cm strips. Whilst mushrooms are cooking cut the chicken into 2 cm pieces.

When the mushrooms are cooked put aside together with the bacon. In the same frying pan add 1 tbsp of oil and cook the chicken for about 6 minutes or until brown all over. Then remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Turn the heat to a medium heat on the frying pan and add the onions, leeks and courgettes to the pan you cooked the chicken in. Cook the vegetables until they begin to soften, then add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Then return the chicken to your pan with the vegetables, the mushrooms and bacon, and add 200 ml of chicken stock to the pan together with 1 tsp of nutmeg, stir it and bring it to the boil. When boiling reduce the heat to low, add a lid and let it simmer for around 5 minutes with the lid then remove the lid and let it simmer for another 5 minutes or until reduced to half (and the chicken is cooked through).

When the chicken is done, spoon in the crème fraiche and warm it through. Then add the thyme, lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, if the mixture is too thick add a bit of water to it and mix well.

Then add the pie mixture to the a pie dish and roll out the puff pastry and place on top. Make a hole in the pastry to let out the steam. Cook in a 200C oven until the pastry is done.

I like to serve it with some vegetables on the side..