Happy New Year!

The above quote sums up my attitude to New Year perfectly.  I love waking up on the 1st January with the feeling that anything is possible.  I don't usually bother with New Year's Resolutions, mainly because when I used to, they were the same every year (exercise more, eat less chocolate) and only lasted for a couple of weeks but there is something very appealing about using this time of year to start afresh and set new goals.

My goals for 2013:

Go vegan two days a week

Confession: I tried this last year and I did stick to it...for a few weeks.  I'm a strict vegetarian and was vegan for a short time in my teens but have never managed to go back to it since.  Two days a week seems easily manageable, especially given some of my favourite meals are vegan (spinach, sweet potato and butternut squash curry and satay tofu stirfry, noms) but it's tea that really causes me problems.  I drink several cups of Yorkshire Tea with organic skimmed milk every day and it's just not the same with soya milk!  But I'm nothing if not a trier, and I'm going to go vegan at least two days every week in 2013.   

Warm Edamame Salad

Learn a language

I've recently started learning Italian and I want to be at a decent conversational level by the end of 2013.  As a complete beginner, this seems a long way off but I really enjoy languages so am hoping this will be achievable! Buona fortuna...

Make more time for friends

A self-explanatory one, but nothing lifts your spirits like a few hours crying with laughter with friends!  When everyone's busy with careers/partners/children and spread out around the globe, it can be difficult to get people together as often as you'd like so I'm going to make an extra effort for 2013.  Even when I can't physically be with my friends, I'm going to make sure I always find the time to drop them an e-mail, give them a call or send them a card.

Try a new recipe every week

I really made an effort in 2012 to cook with seasonal (and, where possible, local) ingredients but I know I could have done a lot more.  I have a pile of gorgeous cook books in my kitchen which only get an outing on special occasions so I want this to be the year I re-discover my love of cooking and step away from the pasta!  

Get back to nature

I'm lucky enough to live on the coast but also within 20 or so minutes of amazing countryside and mountains.   2012 was so busy that I couldn't spend as much time outdoors as I'd like so this year, I want my boyfriend and I to spend more time in places like this:  

Snowdonia

Write, write and write

All I wanted to be when I was little was a writer but, for some reason, this has been way down at the bottom of my list of priorities for the past few years.  I've recently started writing again and it's been like finding myself!  I've now got together a small portfolio of my freelance writing and my goal for 2013 is to build on this and to earn at least a small part of my income this way.

Complete all my un-finished projects...

There really should be a crafty goal in here and I'd love to say 'I want to learn a new craft' but in the spirit of trying to be more organised, I think I'd better aim to finish all the abandoned cushions/scarves/throws/embroideries I have lying around.  First item on the agenda, assembling these little pink crocheted hearts into bunting for my niece's bedroom:

So, there you have it.  My goals for 2013, and not a 'I will exercise 7 times a week' in sight!  

Here's hoping your hopes and dreams for the new year come true and that 2013 is happy, healthy and prosperous for all :-)

Jenny

 x

Strawberry Cupcakes

I have a terrible habit of enthusiastically offering to do all sorts of things well ahead of time and then finding myself flapping around at the last minute because I've got too much to do.  I promised to make cupcakes for a family party the other day but then had a hectic week in work, lots of orders for Bluefinch Boutique and a hundred and one other things cropping up so had a last minute dash to the supermarket the morning of the party looking for inspiration.  I wanted something quick, easy, light and summery so when I spotted some lovely, Scottish strawberries, my dilemma was solved.

These strawberry cupcakes are super quick and easy to make.  They're lovely and light and although the frosting is sweet, it's not too heavy as you whip it to a fluffy consistency.  You could substitute pureed fresh strawberries for the jam in the frosting but I like to use seedless jam so it's nice and smooth.  I just use a basic cake mix with a touch of vanilla which goes perfectly with the strawberry frosting.  

Recipe (makes 12)

250g butter
250g caster sugar
250g self-raising flour
Pinch of salt

2 medium free range eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting

200g butter

500g icing sugar

90g seedless strawberry jam 

Fresh strawberries 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/Gas Mark 5. 

2. Beat the butter in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add the sugar, flour, salt, eggs and milk and whisk until the mixture is smooth. 

3. Place the cake cases into a muffin tin and divide the mixture evenly into the cases.

4. Bake for approx 20 minutes or until cakes are a light golden brown colour.  Remove cakes from the tin and transfer to a wire cooling rack.

For the frosting:

1. Whisk the butter and jam together until smooth and well combined. 

2. Add the icing sugar gradually, whisking to combine each time before adding the next lot.

3. Pipe or spread onto cakes, top with a fresh strawberry and enjoy!

They are best kept in the fridge until a few minutes before serving.

Jenny

 x

Greek Feta & Spinach Pie

Following on from my Raspberry Cheesecake the other week, made with delicious, in-season raspberries, I thought I'd have a go at baking something else using seasonal produce. 

I often add frozen spinach to curries and things but as spinach is only in season for a few more weeks in the UK, I decided to find a recipe calling for it in its fresh form.  I found this recipe for a Feta and Spinach Greek Pie and gave it a go.  This dish is similar to traditional Spanakopita which, as a veggie, has been a staple dish for me on many Greek island holidays over the years!

It's really easy and the results far exceed the amount of effort put in.  I don't know about you, but that is the perfect kind of baking as far as I'm concerned!  I followed the original recipe fairly closely but adapted it a bit according to the quantities of the ingredients I had in.  

Recipe (serves 4)

200g bag fresh spinach leaves

Half a 270g jar of sundried tomatoes in oil*

100g feta cheese, crumbled

2 medium free-range eggs

Approx. 135g filo pastry sheets

*I used 80g sundried tomatoes (drained weight) but you can add more if you prefer

Loose-bottom cake or flan tin, anything from 20-24cm diameter will work fine

Pre-heat oven to 160C/Gas Mark 4.

1. Put the spinach into a large pan with a couple of tablespoons of water, then cook over a low heat until just wilted. Drain well in a sieve, squeezing excess water out with kitchen towel. Drain the sundried tomatoes, retaining the oil, and roughly chop.  Mix the tomatoes, spinach, eggs and feta together in a bowl. 

2. Carefully unroll the filo pastry. Take a sheet of pastry and brush with one teaspoonful of the sundried tomato oil. Drape oil-side down in the cake tin so that some of the pastry hangs over the sides of the tin. Brush another teaspoonful of oil on another piece of pastry and place in the tin, just a little further round. Keep placing the pastry pieces in the tin until you have roughly three layers.  

3. Pour the filling into the centre, then spread out to ensure an even filling.  Pull the sides of pastry over the filling, scrunch up and make sure the filling is covered. Brush with a little more of the tomato oil if needed.

4. Cook for approx 30 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden brown. 

It turned out much better than I expected, so I think I will stick to the same quantities next time.  I was worried you wouldn't be able to taste the cheese as it didn't look much going into the mixture but considering there's only 25g of feta per serving, it tastes really rich.   All in all, the perfect quick summer meal when served warm with a baby leaf salad!

It would be really easy to adapt to your personal taste and to include whatever you happened to have in.  It's pretty low on calories and fat too, not that you'd know from eating it as it's very tasty and substantial.  I've still got half a pack of pastry in and half the sundried tomatoes so I think I'll be making it again before the end of the week!

Jenny

  x