Great British Bake Off excitement

Oh my word I've just found out the most exciting news I've heard ever! (well, not really but you get the idea) The Great British Bake Off is having an allergy week! Check out the details here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0698ghb

Fingers crossed I'll be able to make one of the recipes without having to change it! Watch this space!

My Own Great British Bake-Off Challenge Pt 3

Well, this week was bread. There was some amazing creations, this lion was by far the most impressive.


One of the challenges was quick bread. So this is the one that I attempted. I tried a Sun dried Tomato and Black Olive soda bread. Not the easiest thing when you are baking allergy free as all the recipes have buttermilk in (que sad face) but I added a little oil and used soya milk and this was the result.

Some of the recipes I found suggested that you could use vinegar, and if I'd have had some then I would have given that a go and if I try this again I'll make sure I get some.

Book Review: Settling, Rachel Michael Arends

"What if the real you was the one person your husband couldn't ever meet?"

This was a book I was lucky enough to read before it was released. It tells the story of one woman, Jane, and the past she hasn't told her husband. She does everything she can to keep her past behind her and move on with her life, but somethings are too big to run away from.

I really enjoyed this book. It was engaging and exciting. It kept me coming back for more, so much so that I often stayed up past my bedtime to read it haha
An easy read that doesn't ask too much from the reader, but one that is fast paced with characters that you feel like to get to know. The main character is someone who you can relate to. She throws herself into her work, to hide from the emotions and connections of the past. In many aspects she is a scared little girl, who never got over the death of her father, but it's only by finally being open can she begin to live her life, with family and friends around her.
I'd recommend this book and will be looking for more of the authors work.

edit;
p.s. much thanks to Netgalley for this copy

My Own Great British Bake Off Challenge, PT 2

So, last week The Great British Bake Off set a challenge for the contestants  to make Arlette biscuits. puff pastry rounds, filled with cinnamon and sugar. The contestants made the puff pastry before rolling it out, filling it, and rolling it up. For an allergy household this was by far the easiest recipe to adapt, avoiding eggs and butter, and so it was this one that I made for my own bake off challenge this week. The result is below, and they were pretty tasty. But I admit I didn't make the pastry myself, as making a butter free puff pastry would be a challenge too far. For, did you know, the justrol puff pastry is dairy free! In fact, most of their products are! And If you aren't sure what I'm talking about, I'll also post a link to their website. If you look into it you'll be amazed at the things that don't have milk in, but you'll also be amazed at the things that do.

https://www.jusrol.co.uk/

My Own Great British Bake-Off Challenge

So with the Great British Bake Off back on TV I thought I'd challenge myself to make one item each week that was made on the show. I'm sure lots of people are doing the same but what is different about me is that i'm making the items allergy friendly. My little one is allergic to dairy, eggs, peanuts, chickpea and lupin, so I'm sure you can appreciate how hard it is for her to enjoy some of the more popular treats you can get. 

Week one saw the contestants making Madeira Cake. So here is a picture of my version. Now anyone who knows the recipe for this will know that it has eggs in. I substituted the eggs for lemonade, and this was the result. Didn't  taste too bad, even if I do say so myself haha 

Book Review: The Silent Sister, Dianne Chamberlain

I'd been recommended this book by my book club, the month they'd read this I'd been reading something else and hadn't got around to trading it.
This is one of those books that is hard to put down. I'm normally a one book a month kind of person. This book took me about a week to read. It's a fast paced book, that is very easy to read.
It's the story of a girl who learns more about her family's history than she bargained for after her father passes away. She learns more about the sister she never knew and the events that tore her family apart.
I'd call it a chick lit book and I won't be recommending that the other half reads it but I'll be recommending that my girly friends read it.

Parent Post: A Full Nights Sleep

So L slept last night. This was a welcome relief as we've had a few nights recently where she has come into our bed and even though I can sleep with her there it's not a restful sleep. As I'm sure all parents can testify,  you do everything you can to make sure your little one sleeps, even if it's at the detriment to your own sleep.

What's your night time routine with a 19month old? We've always had the same one since birth and for the most part it's worked well, now however we are beginning to wonder if it's a time for change. After dinner we have a bath. this is a necessity as L usually ends up covered in food. next we have some play time, this is then followed by teeth brushing. climbing into mummy and daddy's bed, having milk, and going to sleep. It used to be that she'd fall asleep on the boob. Now however once she has finished her milk she seems to think it's play time again. Last night it took about an hour for her to fall asleep. This is when we move her into her cot in her room. That's worked great, but now I'd like to encourage her to fall asleep in her room. Any tips? We are taking a week off work soon so fingers crossed we can use that time for a new routine. wish us luck haha I'll let you know how we get on.

Book review: Cooking Allergy-Free: Simple Inspired Meals for Everyone - Jenna Short

This book is written by an author that has done a lot of research into different allergies, not just the ones she suffers with and as such, there is a lot of useful information available at the beginning. Saying that all the information is easily absorbed and digested and written in an easy to understand way with helpful bullet points.

Bright and exciting photographs throughout.

Lots of variations included to suit your own allergies.

Easy to follow instructions.

Handy icons next to each recipe so  you can easily find a dish to suit your needs.

Overall a lovely book and one I plan on keeping close to hand.

you can buy the book on amazon here.

Catching up

So,
I've found my old blog.
Interested? go here

Book Review: Bride without a Groom, Amy Lynch

So, one thing I want to use this blog for is to keep a record of the books i read, and what I thought of them. Starting with one I recently finished: Bride Without a Groom.

On Amazon here

Currently available for 99p this is a lovely, quick read. The writer has a style that draws you in and one that makes you turn the page. While the main character is quite a selfish character you get into her head and understand her (or at least I did) and completely sympathise with her. (maybe that says more about me though than about the book haha)

While it had a predictable ending you couldn't help but finish the book and feel a little disappointed when it came to an end. I'm going to be looking out for the next book.

So Today I joined NetGalley

So, I'm Me andif you are here it's because you are interested in what I want to say. I'm going to use this blog to talk about the important things in life, the things I find interested, and the downright silly. stick around and who knows, you might find something interesting to read. Well, I hope you will anyway.

What is NetGalley you ask?

Well, it's a website designed to generate buzz and attention for books, before they are released. Members get to read books, which they then review, for free. And who knows, those reviews may even be picked for the cover of the book when it's published. haha