Children are funny creatures…

Children are funny creatures…

When I was a child you didn’t get a choice for dinner, I think that’s why I didn’t eat much lol. So I now try and get my own kids to eat well and enjoy their food. Preferably without it dictating every meal.

My son has a few food issues associated with his Aspergers, but on the whole both my kids are pretty good eaters. Saying that there are certain meals that should be easy, that get stupidly complicated.

I have worked out the roast dinner….We have meat and if they eat it they can also have a piece of sausage..This is mainly for my son, as my daughter will happily eat anything if it has gravy on it. J however will not have gravy on his plate, but will now tolerate baked beans. Veg there is always a choice. They pick which two spoons to have. We all love mash, yet they don’t like the taste of baked potato!!!

On steak night, we have chips and salad…J s steak goes straight into the food processor for an instant burger, it is getting chunkier each week, but lets keep that a secret.

Pizza…well pizza night is simple …or so you would think.

I personally tend to prefer homemade pizza, if I cant get to @doughboysleeds but when I am lazy or as a treat for the kids. They get a shop bought stuffed crust one. And garlic bread. Also my Friday rule comes into play…we are naughty and don’t have to have veg, although pepper and cucumber slices are encouraged 🙂

Now the problem with the pizza is my daughter loves the crust…and only the crust, and I am not a lover of her leftovers. So today’s challenge is…can I make her just crust. Jeez.

I have the bread maker on to cheat with my dough; I am going to have to experiment with the cheeses. I refuse to use cheese strings, which was her suggestion lol. I want stretch, but no leakage. I have a feeling there might be quite a few good recipes created tonight, and a very messy kitchen. I like that on a Friday…No worries about getting to bed on time, no uniforms to iron, homework can wait another day (or two).

So roll on home time…When we can lock the door, put on some tunes, kick off our shoes (and put my cooking shoes on J) Who knows I might even open a beer…. but most of all we will open up Mammas kitchen, where cooking is fun…and even if the food doesn’t turn out well there is love and ice-cream…what more do we need??

Happy Friday my lovelies…

Sky @ http://www.thesideplate.com

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An afternoon fruit and cheese plate…

An afternoon fruit and cheese plate…

I am trying to improve my eating habits and get more organised. (Obviously not enough to take a photo lol) So today when we came home from school, and after I had been out all afternoon I decide to head off our tired and hungry melodramas with a grab and go food plate.

We eat the token fruit and veg, I get the kids to eat their 5 a day..But I am trying to form new habits….

So my new little ritual is to prepare some fruit and a few chunks of cheese (and some sneaky chocolate buttons to motivate us). A dish of bread sticks and dip.

It went down well…they still wanted crisps…but they had some fruit first…. baby steps.

It was good for me…and I am now making dinner, there are no frantic requests for snacks…we are just chilling, I am making dinner but there is no rush. I might even get them bathed before we eat…a nice slow evening with the minimum of moaning. I can worry less about arguing over how many peas they eat at dinner. I can worry less over how many peas I eat at dinner 🙂 .

It may all go downhill later. But for now we are happy, we can try new foods without a battle, they are just there to try. If they are hungry they will try or they can wait until dinner, it is their choice

I feel less pressure to make an effort at dinner lol. We are having chicken, sausage, green beans and mash. I made cookies for supper.

Somehow it all feels easier. I love the new sharing plate J

Happy eating, thanks for reading

Sky @ http://www.thesideplate.com

Gather every chair you have..and then some…

The best meals involve gathering every chair you have and then some….

Life has been a little rocky, for lots of reasons. And surely the best antidote to this is a feast?

It wasn’t grand. Hard-boiled eggs, bowls of crisps, cheese, salad, a fresh baked loaf, hot sausages, cold roast chicken, olives and dips…. a little wine, some fizzy pop..Scones and jam and cream….and most importantly…5 people I love.

A meal is not just about the food, the company is just as important. It seems the surrounding don matter either.

Being squashed around a noisy table with friends and family..Surely that is the best recipe you are ever going to get?

The chairs might not match. The napkins were kitchen roll….there was a bit of competitive pickled onion eating with the boys’ lol. It was wonderful….

If you are ever passing, pull up a chair…there is always room for one more.

Kindest regards

Sky and family @ http://www.thesideplate.com

It’s not you…it’s me…

Its not you…its me

I have tried my best to be faithful to our relationship, the one where I cook and write, and hopefully you read and send me your comments.

But today I feel I have failed you.

Today I have been unfaithful, (with a shop bought pizza and some oven chips)

I know, you thought you knew me, that you could count on my daily provision of dry wit and moist cooking. The only explanation I can give is that I was caught up in the moment. One look at its deep topping and golden stuffed crust, well it stirred a hunger deep inside me. I was weak, it was in the trolley before I had chance to think of the consequences.

I guess no one is perfect.

If you can forgive me I promise I shall try harder tomorrow. I shall fill the freezer with delicious offerings that I’ve pre-made, so that I shall not be turned again.

Will you forgive me? I bought you flours. :S

Love from Sky @ thesideplate.com

Little things mean a lot…

Little things mean a lot…

Coffee with cream
Parmesan with spaghetti
Pate with cranberry sauce…I love all the little extra things in life.

As they say “everyday is a gift…that’s why we call it the present”. And this I believe to be true. Maybe I am greedy; maybe I just enjoy the little things more than the big things.

A present is always wonderful but if it comes wrapped in sparkly paper with ribbons and bows…well that to me means just as much as what is inside.

So 2014 will be my year to “up pleasure” the things I enjoy. I will have salt on my chips, proper butter on my toast, cream in my coffee and add onion rings onto of my burger.

Food and life can be good…or they can be amazing. I think this year we all deserve a little bit of amazing.

Enjoy your day and thanks for reading.

Sky @ thesideplate.com

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No more boring cheese on toast at www.thesideplate.com

It has been a delicious but heavy week at the side plate office. I have eaten well, very well. So I decided to have something quick and simple for lunch today.

Cheese on toast. Ah, but I couldn’t just make cheese on toast could I, it would have been a bit of an anticlimax after the foodie food I have eaten this week. And there happened to be a box of curry powder by the grill, a bit of mango chutney in the fridge, and it had been quiet a good week for the hens this week, so we had a bowl of fresh eggs too….

 

So my simple slice of white and two cheese slices were transformed into something magical.

And it took 5 minutes.

The recipe is below, try it out and let me know.

Thanks for reading, Sky x

www.thesideplate.com

1 Slice of soft white bread

2 slices of jarlesburg cheese…or whatever you have in

A splash of olive oil

A pinch of mild curry powder

Couple of drops of water, cider or beer

A big dollop of mango chutney

A free-range egg.

 

 

Heat the grill and toast one side of the bread.

Turn the bread over and top the untoasted side with the two slices of cheese so that the bread is covered. Grill until it just starts to bubble.

Remove from grill and add small dollops of your mango chutney. Place back under grill until cooked how you like it. Remove from grill.

 

Heat a small frying pan and place the oil and curry powder into it. Give it a good stir and leave for about 30 seconds, then add a splash of water. Stir and give it about another 30 seconds.

 

Crack your egg into the pan and cook.

I cook mine on one side until the bottom is set then flip it over and cook the other side…. but that’s just the way I do it.

 

Liberate the egg from the pan and introduce it to its new home on top of the toast.

Enjoy.

 

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christmas chutney sort of

I shall be honest I don’t know the technical definition of chutney. In my head it is something that can be eaten with fresh crusty bread, a piece of cheese or leftover roast, at my mothers it was only called pickle.

I have not made a keeper here I have simply used what was in my kitchen to spice up a bit of gammon. Its not exact but if you feel like a bit of alchemy in the fruit department…please let me know how it went.

A large onion, roughly chopped

A splash of olive oil

2 tsp vinegar

7 plums, stoned and chopped, each one into about eight pieces,

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

45g of fresh cranberries

200ml red wine

100g sugar

couple of twists of black pepper.

 

Put in a pan and stir

Bring to a slow bubble, stirring every now and then,

Don’t be alarmed when the cranberries pop.

After an hour it should be ready…if you are going to eat in the next few days, put it in a dish in the fridge, if you want to keep it you are going to have start sterilising jars.

 

Enjoy…. and let me know 😀