I haven't posted since August
I've had a horrible 2011. 
It all started in January with my brother Bryan, he had flu over Christmas 2010, was admitted into hospital on the Sunday 2nd and I got the call on Tuesday to say that he wasn't expected to make it, he passed away on the Thursday of that same week. 
In the same month my Mum admitted her mobility was such she could no longer manage on her own, she moved to a new flat closer to me and in the April it was decided that it would be best all round if I gave up my Pampered Chef business to care for her full time. This turned out to be a good decision as I went on to be admitted into hospital for two separate health issues myself!!
In August Mum's health became a real worry, she got a cough that she couldn't shift... on the 5th October she was admitted into hospital and the following 24 days were the worse ever... sadly she died of lung cancer just 2 days after her 80th Birthday


I'm not sure when I'm going to post here again but I post recipes on my Facebook page daily if you'd like to follow me...
Tulip's Kitchen Facebook Page 


For all my IPD followers (and there's LOADS of you) come on over and join in, lots of the recipes can be adapted for the pink path

A Raucous Garden Party

I'm hosting my own 'Put Pork on your Fork'  event. I've invited friends and family to bring some drink and hang out in my garden on Saturday 30th July and sample some of the fab recipes I'm going to try.

First up will be...

• Perfect pork scratchings
• stuffed trotters
• Rillettes of Pork with melba toast
• Souvlaki

Friends have been asked to bring their own tipple and if they bring children they have to be well behaved otherwise I will BBQ them... do you think that's too harsh?

If you know me personally and you're not recieved your invite on facebook, get in touch and I'll count you in!

Marie takes me to Jimmy's Farm

What a week I've had!
A whirlwind would be one way to describe it!
I arrived home from holiday on Saturday and with a quick change of clothes and a repacked suitcase I headed to Marie's, my good foodie friends house. She had been invited to attend a food bloggers day at Jimmy's Farm to promote the 'Put Pork on your Fork' campaign. It was to be held in Ipswich which meant traveling to London by train, a quick nip on the underground and catching another train out to Ipswich, all part of the fun I'd say but Marie was unsure, she has a few mobility issues and mentioned in passing that she didn't think she could go.... WHAT... ARE YOU MAD WOMEN??? This is right up your street, you know you'd love it...go go go go... get back and tell us how fabulous it was!
She still wasn't sure so I offered to assist her, I'd come up to Chester and travel with her, carry her case and help where needed, she would be silly to miss something she would get so much pleasure out of... all her friends agreed!  The offer was there and after a few emails to those kind people at Finn Communications it was agreed that I could go too....

Now I'm not new to blogging, I've been going since 2007, but my blog it's flash, it doesn't have 'give aways', and I don't do that many reviews! It's just a place to keep all my family recipes, to share the love of cooking and to record the things that are special to me. All my regular readers know I'm an avid fan of low carb food, (being wheat intolerant and all)  I'm also a HUGE Pampered Chef fan... and have promoted the products that I love along the way. How would this fit in with my recipe based food blog? Could I come home and give it a good write up....after all 10 of the top food bloggers in the UK had been invited to this event... would I be able to do it justice?

The invite said the day would promote 'One Pig Weekend', 'Put Pork on your Fork' and support the Great British Pig Farmer.... well I'm a huge fan of the British Farmer, I always buy British when I can... so that bit would be easy. Put Pork on my fork?  As a kid I didn't eat much pork, the occasional rolled shoulder of pork on a Sunday but Mum's attempts to cook pork always ended up with a dry piece of white meat with a large chunk of white fat running down the side...blurgh!! The memory of it crushing any desire to cook pork in later life  (sorry Mum!)  So I would be very keen to learn more.... I then visited the  'One Pig Weekend' page.... OK... I'm inspired, you got me!!!  It said I could host my own event, a raucous garden party using their pork recipes... NOW THIS IS MORE LIKE IT.... if they can show me some great ways to cook British pork that I could cook for my friends and promote British meat.... COUNT ME IN... (I'm never one to miss a chance to throw a party!!!) 

We travelled down on the Sunday, talked food and recipes all the way, had a bite to eat and headed to our hotel, had a sleepover and were like a couple of kids sitting up in bed chatting (me taking notes... well you can never miss a chance of getting one of Marie's recipes down!!!)  Breakfast the next morning then off to the farm.... where we were met by Chris.

Marie with Chris (a fellow northerner, so he gets my vote straight away!)

I'm not new to the PR ways of the Food blogger... but let me tell you, these guys were fab! The day was organised to a T, nothing was too much trouble and the content was designed perfectly to make us more knowledgeable about their product and leave feeling passionate and inspired. 

Jimmy is so passionate about his farm!

Jimmy gave us a tour of the farm, now... my first thoughts were, it's going to be a bit smelly, he said he had over 600 pigs on the farm... I had my peg at the ready, but you know, good pig husbandry = happy pigs with no smelly sty's! He is so passionate about pig farming, his rare breed collection and is so knowledgeable that we were all truly interested. There are British farmers up and down the country who are just as passionate, just as knowledgeable and work just as hard to keep our meat British, we are really doing an injustice by buying imported meat.  I am asking you all.... is your meat British, if not why not?

Joe Collier & Jimmy

After the tour we had a butchery masterclass with Joe Collier. Now Joe's shop is a bit too far to travel for most of us but if you  have a butcher on your high street, pop in and see him, chances are his meat is British, if you don't and have to buy your meat in a supermarket, make sure it's British - you will taste the difference, the carbon footprint will be smaller and you will be supporting your farmer and your country...oooh I am a bit passionate about all these issue too.... but I digress...
These two together were a minefield of information. They went through the different cuts of meat, while Joe butchered a whole side of pork Jimmy explained how to cook and serve each one. Did you know the cheaper cuts of meat are usually the tastiest, and with a long slow cooking time you will end up with a dish that beats the more expensive cuts like the loin? I'm going to start asking for the Chump from now on, its so versatile and at £8.95kg much cheaper that the £16.95kg they ask for a top side of pork!  I'm not going to say too much about the other cuts and recipes choices as in the next few posts I'm going to be showing you the recipes I have made since getting home. We were all sent away with a packet of meat and the instructions to come up with a recipe... me and Marie shared ours so they'll be one than one recipe from both of us.... they were all delicious! (see tomorrows post...)

Then... it was time for lunch in the newly converted barn.

Click here for a pork burger recipe

We all opted for the pork burger.  I wanted to see how they should really be cooked, pork burgers can be dry (probably just mine!), this was anything but, moist and cooked to perfection! The onion chutney, pickled gherkin and fresh salad set it off beautifully. The chips, cooked in pork fat were a very tasty accompaniment. While some of us couldn't tell the difference between pork and beef me and Marie agreed, this was definitely one tasty pork burger!!!

I could ramble on all day about the merits of what I have learnt, how nice everyone was and how passionate Jimmy was about his pigs, but I'm going to leave it at that for now and follow it up with a few posts on the other things we tasted and all those lovely pork recipes I made during the week.
I have also got to sort out my 'One Pig Weekend Event'  I'm thinking festival style, tents in the garden, wellies and umbrellas, pork roast and pimms...ooooh, who to invite...

The Annual Camping Trip to Polzeath

 The view from our tent on the first day!

 ...and the view on the second day...oh dear!

...and the day after...phew, thank goodness for that!

 Jo prefers to eat out when on holiday, I love the challenge of cooking in the tent!

 Although I do insist on lunch in Padstow at least one in the week!

 With the doom bar closed, we had trouble keeping Jo out of the Oystercatcher!

 Half way up pentire before breakfast - the views were spectacular!

 Jo's ultimate breakfast

 Oh, she's going to hate me for this,

BUT I love her 'I've just beat Dad at pool again' face!

 The view from our tent at night.

 Paul's favourite Polzeath breakfast - the bacon & mushroom baguette

 The Oystercatcher starter of chilli nachos

with three dips (sour cream, salsa & guacamole)

IT WAS SO BIG we couldn't manage a main course!

I think we could do with a bigger car! (Jo was in there somewhere too!)

What a fabulous space.....

Swancar Farm Country House belongs to a very good friend of mine. I've known her for longer than I will care to admit, for then I would have to admit to my true age and I am never honest about that!!!

I am honest about this though.... absolutely fantastic place! I so want to use this space, but with no impending wedding plans, my business meetings all being held in the South West and the next family party having to be set in Gloucestershire it doesn't really look like I'm going to get to use it in the near future.  You could though... 

The elegant 16th century renovated country house which is set within 250 acres of beautiful countryside has got everything that I want. The barn, the private dining room & lounge, the catering kitchen. The Swancar Farm Country House would be the perfect place to celebrate Paul's 50th birthday in September. It would be ideal... do you think I could get all his family and friends to travel the 2+ hours? 

Not sure he'd be happy going all the way to Nottingham for his birthday though, he's already played Robinhood to my Maid Marion once and saved me from the fat fryer... not sure he'd do it again... he's hung up his tights, his outlaw days are over! 

If anyone can recommend somewhere as beautiful as this but closer to home I'd appreciate it.  Anyone close to this amazing place and with an event coming up, I'd go take a look, Tracy & Steve will make you very welcome!

Day 26 - Mothers Day

Not the way I usually spend Mothers day but when your middle daughter decides its time to stretch her wings there's no stopping her!!  This is why when I should have been enjoying breakfast in bed, I was hurtling down the M5 towards Birmingham International Airport.

I'd had ham and eggs for breakfast before I left and I make no secret about my phobia of airports so had a coffee and nothing more while I was there. Dad and girls on the other hand tucked into Burger King milkshakes and chocolate!!

Lunch didn't happen - tummy too nervous!

Dinner - A scrummy lamb curry where I'd toasted and ground my own spices and cooked it for ever! Served it like a stew with no accompaniments and it was comforting and moreish. I'll serve the  leftovers with cauliflower rice.

Kolhapuri Mutton (Madhur Jaffery's)

Ingredients

2lb/900g boned lamb from the shoulder, cut into 1½ in/4cm cubes

For the marinade
4 tbs/60ml plain yoghurt
2 tsp/10ml very finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp/5ml finely crushed garlic
¼ tsp turmeric

For the sauce

½ tsp/2.5ml vegetable oil
2-4 dried, hot, red chillies
1½ in/4cm cinnamon stick
10 whole cloves
10 whole cardamom pods
2 tbs/30ml whole coriander seeds
10oz/350g, 3 medium sized onions, peeled
6 tbs/90ml vegetable oil
2 tsp/10ml finely crushed garlic
1 tsp/5ml very finely grated peeled fresh ginger
3 small tomatoes, very finely chopped
1¼ tsp/6ml salt

Method
Put the meat in a bowl. Add all the marinating seasonings and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight if you prefer.

Lightly grease a small cast-iron frying pan with the ½ tsp/2.5ml of vegetable oil and heat it over a medium-low flame. When it is hot, put in the dried hot red chillies and the cinnamon stick. Stir these around until the red chillies darken. Remove the spices and put them in a plate. Put the cloves, cardamom pods and coriander seeds into the same frying pan. Stir and roast the seeds until they darken a few shades. You will be able to smell the roasted coriander seeds. Put these spices into the same place as the chillies and cinnamon.

Put all the roasted spices from the plate into the container of a clean coffee grinder or other spice grinder. Grind as finely as possible.

Cut all the onions in half, lengthwise. Now slice half of these sections crosswise into very fine half rings. Chop up the other half as finely as you can.

When the meat has finished marinating, heat the 6 tbs/90 ml/½ cup of oil in a wide, heavy pan over a medium-high flame. When hot, put in just the sliced onions. Stir and fry them until they are reddish-brown in colour.

Now put in the very finely chopped onions and stir them for 1 minute. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Put in the 2 tsp/10 ml of garlic and 1 tsp/5 ml of ginger. Stir for a few seconds. Put in the ground spices from the coffee grinder and stir once. Now add 4 fl oz/125 ml/½ cup of water. Continue to stir and cook on a medium-low flame, stirring as you do so for 3-4 minutes. You will begin to see the oil as it separates from the spice mixture.

Now put in the marinated meat. Turn up the heat to medium-high. Stir and fry the meat with the spice paste for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and salt. Continue to stir and cook for another 5 minutes. Now add about 8 fl oz/250 ml/1 cup of water and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour or until the meat is tender.

Just before serving, you can spoon the fat off the top if you so desire.

I finished the evening listening to my new CD's (thanks girls) and swigging a double Vodka and Tonic in celebration of Mothers Day and the news that said daughter had arrived safely. She was having fun but was having phone problems, so a quick phone call to Orange and a PUK code obtained and all was sorted! (good ole Mam!)

First text message read: People nice, food good but loads of it. I think I ate a whole barnyard!!!
Straight to the important stuff... the food... a chip of the old block dont' ya think?

Sunday

A quick recap from Saturday...

I probably didn't eat enough on Saturday, after such a late big breakfast I didn't need to eat again until about 4pm where I had the leftover smoked mackerel salad with the mustard and oil dressing from Friday. I had a show that night so didn't eat again. Lots of water though so I don't feel too bad!

Sunday started with me starving so I had a small portion of porridge made with water and a teaspoon of honey on. Not P1 but I knew I wasn't going to eat until later in the afternoon and it was sooo good!

Trying to get a decent photo of all of them is pretty hard

I need that windows cloud programme me thinks!!!

Today we had a family lunch planned as our middle daughter is off to Italy next weekend to work for the summer. Grandparents gathered and meat was roasted. It was Beccy's choice to have chicken and beef and it was lovely, beef cooked rare and the chicken was melt in the mouth perfect.  I didn't have any alcohol even though the family supped sherries and wine but I did have a couple of roast potatoes AND... this is where I really fell off the wagon... a portion of apricot cobbler!!!  I've had lots of water and don't feel too guilty, I've been great for the last 18 days and not missed desserts at all but our Sunday's are precious, especially this one!

Next time I will make sure the dessert is wheat free so I lessen the  'cheat'!

Monday Morning - Day 13

Well, I start this week feeling much better than I did the last. I have had one cheat in the whole 13 days and I seriously regret that. The pudding yesterday was lovely but its still killing me, I didn't sleep too well last night because of it and have no desire for breakfast this morning. Not a good feeling. I did however cycle to and from the supermarket on Saturday and the excerise made me feel good. My work trousers are no longer tight and I have bags more energy so I will continue with no more slip ups

No breakfast as yet!

Edited to update you. I've had breakfast now, I had to be up for 3 hours before I felt ready to eat, but that will be the wheat I had yesterday!

Fried egg, bacon and sausage medley with a couple of sundried tomatoes thrown in the pan for good measure. Very tasty!

Snacks - Can't think of any I fancy but Paul went of to work with the last two kabanos, so I won't be having them!

Lunch - Cauliflower & Stilton Soup made fresh last night and will reheat at lunch time.

Dinner - Butter Chicken or Lamb Curry - you decide - There's a poll at the top of this blog, choose what I eat tonight!

The Butter Chicken Won!!!

The recipe is in the pink book (pge 145  - I think!)  or on the forum if you don't have the book!

Chicken, onions, tomatoe and a selection of Indian spices and double cream! 

Dee-lish---us -

Well voted guys!!!

 

...to click on the links to get to the recipes. If there's a broken link or you can't find it, email me or leave me a comment and I'll get straight back to you.

This struck a cord, thanks Marie!

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.

Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.

Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.

Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.

Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway.

-this version is credited to Mother Teresa......but I first read it on Marie's blog and it struck a cord.

Now me and Marie go back a long way, we have been friends for years, we're on the same journey but we just choose to sit on different buses. Not that we've ever let that get in the way of our foodie friendship! She's a pleasure and a delight to be with and with things like this for me to read on her blog every day, she gives me food for thought too... thank you Marie, you a very special lady x

Another special thing this week is this....

Tia Maria Cheesecake

I've never made a baked cheesecake before, no idea why I've put it off for so long, it was very simple to do, and the outcome was fab!!!  I found the recipe in a little booklet that came free with my Good Food magazine this month and while drooling over it, I figured I had Tia Marie left over from Christmas and all the other stuff was sat in the kitchen just waiting for me to bake it.... how could I refuse?!! The original recipe had it topped with continental chocolates, that was a step too far for us, we just wanted the hit of cheesecake... so here goes.... I baked it in the Pampered Chef Springform Pan used my batter bowl to mix the filling, it was so easy, in fact chilling it in the fridge took the longest time and it was pretty hard to wait, so we didn't!!!

Looking a little bit slumped!!!

It was rather sickly eating it warm and it didn't look the bees knees either but it was worth it, warm chocolate boozy goodness... delish!

Chilled and looking lovely!

Thankfully it is all gone and we can now start our 40 days without such temptation in the fridge.

A Birthday Tribute

God saw you getting tired,


When a cure was not to be.


So He wrapped his arms around you,

and whispered, "come to me."

You didn't deserve what you went through,

So He gave you rest.


God's garden must be beautiful,


He only takes the best

And when I saw you sleeping,


So peaceful and free from pain

I could not wish you back

To suffer that again.

I think of you in silence

I always speak your name

I have so many lovely memories

And your picture in a frame

I do not need a special day to bring you to my mind

Since days I do not think of you are impossible to find

I think of you with love today

and send you birthday wishes

You are now my guardian angel
watching me from above

Heaven must be a beautiful place for He only takes the best

God please look after Bryan and don't let him be sad,

let him walk side by side with our beloved Dad

...until we meet again!

I am donating all my cake baking money for the rest of the year to The Bryan Stephen Harris Isaac Breath of Life Fund, if you would like me to make you a cake, or would like to make a donation, it will be much appreciated. The link above will take you to his fundraising page.

Do you think he was listening? Nawh neither do we...lol

Today I'm going to bake this in his honour and to help sweeten a sad day!

Tia Maria Cheesecake - click the link to be taken to the BBC Good Food website

The day I went to see the Pope...

 A camera shy Jo before boarding the bus!

 Waiting for Pope Benedict XVI to arrive at Hyde Park

 Not the best photograph in the world,

but this was the cookies we baked to take with us as part of our picnic

 Part of base camp for Our Lady's Parish, it was so nice getting to spend time with other parishioners from Our Lady's. Thanks for sharing it with me!

It was a truly amazing day. The atmosphere was wonderful and I feel really blessed that I was able to go.  I loved every minute of it! 
A HUGE thank you has to go to our parish priest, Fr. Kevin for making it possible  for us to be part of such a fabulous day - YOU'RE THE BEST - 57 people, one coach, 4 tube trains a walking bus and two wheelchairs all the way to Hyde park without any mishaps or lost persons.... AMAZING... me thinks he's done it before!!! ;-)