Apple and Strawberry Ice Lollies

With the weather finally heating up over the weekend I had the opportunity to try out the ice lolly moulds I recently bought. Rob went off to the farm shop for berries and came back with a selection in varying shades of red - strawberries, redcurrants and raspberries.

I chose the strawberries for my first experiment and blended a punnet-full. Into the puree went a tablespoon of caster sugar then, after a tasting, another spoonful. It tasted good, but needed another flavour so I added a peeled, cored and chopped apple to blend in. The resulting puree was quite thick so I watered it down with half a litre of water then poured it into the moulds. Well that was the fun bit but then I had to wait. And wait. As I’d started the lolly-making in the evening I had to wait until the next day (today) before they were frozen and I could try them.

Now, I don’t know if it was these particular moulds that I’d bought or if they’re all sent to try us, but the fight I had trying to get the bloody lolly out of the mould was ridiculous. I certainly needed cooling off once I did eventually get it out! It was all worth the effort though; it tasted great and, despite the sugar, was a healthier and fresher alternative to any ice lolly you can buy in the shops. If I were to be critical I’d say the apple was a little overpowering so I’d be careful to balance out the flavours next time by using less of it, although I guess how much would be needed for flavour would depend on the type of apple. I’d also like to try it without the water, as there was some crystallisation of the ice. And finally I must remember to sieve the pips out next time!!

Summer’s Back...For Now at Least

After endless heavy rain and flooding I think the British public had just about given up all hope of any sunshine this summer. Shorts have been swapped for trousers, flip flops for trainers, vest tops for jumpers. All in all it’s been pretty miserable here in the UK.

Now let me be clear - I love rain. I love walking in it under a huge colourful umbrella; seeing it bounce up high as it hits the ground with force; hearing it drum on the windows as I curl up with a book, warm and dry inside. I even love summer rain, refreshing and welcoming after long, hot, dry days; feeling the raindrops on my skin, awaking my senses. But I don’t love it every damn day in the height of the summer; the rain clouds forming a permanent covering under which we must miserably go about our days wondering where all this freak weather has come from and if we’ll ever see sunshine again. I don’t love it when it causes the devastation the UK has seen in recent weeks; the homes wrecked, the lives lost.

Thankfully over the past few days we have seen a dramatic change with blazing hot sunshine. The weather seems to have realised it’s got the wrong time of year and the sun has chased the rain clouds away. For how long though, remains to be seen. If the weather forecasts are to be believed perhaps it will be a short-lived break. But for now I’m making the most of the sunshine while it's here.

In the Bag: Cooking the Month of July - The Round Up

We went vegetarian for this month's ‘In the Bag’ event with sunny Aubergines, Peppers and Basil.

Fred and Ginger from Dinner Diary created these mouth-watering Aubergine, Pepper and Halloumi Stacks



Valli from More than Burnt Toast cooked up this creamy Roasted Eggplant Soup with Mozzarella Croutons I'm dying to try:



This colourful creation, Courgettes stuffed with aubergine and red pepper ratatouille, came Antonia from Food, Glorious Food:



Last but by no means least, our very own Cherry from Cherry's English Kitchen gave us her work-in-progress Cherry's Green Curry:



Thank you all so much for your entries!

"In The Bag" is a monthly food event run by Julia from Cherry from A Slice of Cherry Pie, Cherry's English Kitchen, Scott at Real Epicurean

Smokin’

For sticky, smoky, lip-smacking ribs, chicken, steak - whatever you want - Marks & Spencer’s Sticky Barbeque Marinade is the business. Rob and I love it and I just had to share it with you. Of course it’s great for barbeques, but also for no-effort, quick and tasty mid-week meals. All you need to do when you come home is heat the oven, open the jar, pour the marinade over meat, leave it for 5 minutes or more and slap it in oven. Open a bag of salad leaves to serve it with and dinner is ready. Fantastic.