The Gallery - A Bun In The Oven!

This weeks theme from Tara over at Sticky Fingers is FOOD.

I have decided to share my news with you via The Gallery this week and show you what I am growing inside me! May I present to you my 'bun in the oven' which will be cooked and ready to serve on 9th April, 2011

Tomato Soup

So it's week three of Chez Chelle and this weeks key ingredient is TOMATO

I have to be honest, I am not a fan of tomato in it's raw or fresh state, but I do love them used in cooking for pasta sauces, rice dishes and soup and so on. I have decided to use a recipe for tomato soup which is perfect for colder weather, for using up riper tomatoes and it's healthy and satisfying!

TOMATO SOUP

Ingredients:

1-1.25kg ripe tomatoes
1 medium onion
2 small carrots
2 tbsp olive oil
2 squirts of tomato purée (about 2 tsp)
a good pinch of sugar
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 pints vegetable or chicken stock (I use 2 stock cubes)
Black pepper
Salt if required

Method:

Remove stalks from the tomatoes and cut each one into quarters. Remove any hard cores.
Peel the onion and carrot and chop them into small pieces.
Spoon the oil into a large heavy-based pan and heat it over a low heat and add the onion and carrot and mix them together with a wooden spoon. Still with the heat low, cook the veg until they're soft and faintly coloured (takes about 10 minutes) and you should stir them two or three times so they cook evenly and don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
Then add about about 2 tsp of tomato purée and then stir so it turns the vegetables red.
Add the tomatoes and sprinkle in a good pinch of sugar and grind in a little black pepper. Add the bay leaves. Stir to mix everything together, put the lid on the pan and let the tomatoes stew over a low heat for approx 10 minutes until they shrink down in the pan and their juices are freed. Give the pan a good stir every now and then
Add the stock and stir the vegetables mix. Turn up the heat as high as it will go and wait until everything is bubbling, then reduce the heat down to low again and put the lid back on the pan. Cook gently for 25 minutes, stirring a couple of times. At the end of cooking the tomatoes will have broken down and be very slushy looking.
Remove the pan from the heat, and remove the bay leaves.
Blend the soup until smooth. Season to taste and add more sugar if required. Then serve and enjoy!
(You can stir in some cream if you want to)






Ps
I can't take credit for the photo!! I borrowed it! But this is the colour and consistency of this soup and I have made it several times and it really is yummy :) I just didn't have enough tomatoes or time today to make this! *hangs head in shame*

NIP + FAB give away & launch details

**GIVE AWAY IS NOW CLOSED THANK YOU**

From Monday 27th September, 2010, beauty addicts everywhere will be eagerly making their way to Boots stores nationwide for the launch of a brand new beauty and skincare range. NIP + FAB is the new collection founded by Maria Hatzistefanis, the beauty expert and celebrated creator of the global bestselling brand, Rodial.

NIP + FAB is tipped to be the hottest launch of 2010. It already has a growing list of celebrity fans including Kimberly Walsh, Ellie Goulding, Alexandra Burke and Denise Van Outen!

Maria was approached by Boots to create a collection of mass market skin care products that had premium credentials for those customers who demand measurable results but at prices that don't break the bank. As Maria explains :

"When Boots approached me to create a new skincare range I jumped at the chance. We both saw a gap in the market for a serious, mass market range to help women and men achieve results in double quick time, with minimum fuss and without the expense. Breakthrough, clinically tested natural ingredients that deliver results form the basis of NIP + FAB and I hope customers will be as excited as I am about my new range."

NIP + FAB has been dermatologically and clinically tested for the face and body. This exciting new range delivers 11 targeted treatments from eye brightening and skin plumping to cellulite and nipple smoothing, and is crammed with breakthrough natural and technologically advanced skin smoothing, boosting and firming ingredients.

Each hardworking, no nonsense product "does exactly what it says it on the front" and will deliver exceptional ‘targeted results and instant fixes.’ With innovative product names like Tummy Fix, Lip + Nip Fix, Bust Fix and Eye Fix, and housed in fresh, stylish packaging this ‘must-have’ range already has a growing waiting list of people eager to get their hands on these savvy must have purchases.





GIVE AWAY!

To celebrate the launch of this fabulous new collection in Boots, 10 lucky Mummy Mishaps readers can win a NIP + FAB Eye Fixes, worth £14.95!!





This amazing 2-in-1 eye cream + concealer gives the skin around your eyes a softer, fresher, more radiant appearance. Enriched with hydrating, plumping hyaluronic acid, softening glycerin and cucumber extract to reduce the appearance of puffiness, this clever eye boosting cream will instantly hide imperfections and dark circles with light reflecting particles to leave you looking younger, bright eyed and ready to face the day. Ideal for us Mum's!!

So do YOU fancy laying your hands on this must have skin care product? You do? Great here is what you need to do:

1). Become a fan of the NIP + FAB facebook page and please quote 'MummyMishaps' on it's wall - quoting my blog is very important!!
( http://en-gb.facebook.com/pages/NipandFab/146381435374791 )

2). If you could RT this give away on Twitter that would be lovely! Thank you :)

3). Leave your name and let me know you have done the above steps in the comment box below, to keep track of who has entered.

The 10 lucky winners will be picked at random and contacted by NIP + FAB via Facebook.

That's it! So good luck and thanks for entering.

Sea-Band Review & Giveaway

The lovely people at Sea-Band have very kindly given me some samples of their products in both adult and children sizes to give away - yes that's right GIVE AWAY - on my blog. Yay! So before I get to the give away part let me tell you about what Sea-Bands are and how they work.

WHAT ARE SEA-BANDS?


Sea-Band acupressure wristbands have been providing nausea relief to millions of people for more than 20 years. They are sold nationwide and help relieve all forms of nausea including morning sickness and travel sickness. The wristbands are very comfortable to wear and are made from an acrylic, nylon and elastane mix and are machine washable.

HOW DO SEA-BANDS WORK?

Using the ancient chinese principles of Acupressure each Sea-Band wristband contains a plastic stud which exert a small continuous pressure on the P6 acupressure point on your wrist. They are clinically proven to be effective and can be worn many times.

WHAT SYMPTOMS DO SEA-BANDS RELIEVE?

Sea-Bands are a drug free way for you to relieve your nausea, whether it be morning sickness/pregnancy nausea and vomiting, or motion sickness. They are safe for you and your children to wear - great if your child suffers with travel sickness as instead of having to take a tablet they just have to wear a wristband!





HOW SEA-BANDS ASSIST WITH MOTION SICKNESS

Don't let motion sickness ruin your journeys, whether they are by land, sea or air! If you or your children experience motion sickness while travelling Sea-Bands may help to reduce your nausea letting you enjoy your journey again. Sea-Bands can be worn prior to travel, or at the onset of nausea, and unlike most drugs or tablets, Sea-Bands can start working very quickly and have no side effects. There is no limit to the length or number of times Sea-Bands can be used

Ray Quinn used Sea-Bands when he was competing on ITV's Dancing on Ice to combat the extreme motion sickness he experienced whilst performing!

HOW SEA-BANDS CAN ASSIST WITH MORNING SICKNESS SYMPTOMS


Clinical trials have also proven that Sea-Band provides natural relief for the symptoms of morning sickness and because it is drug free there are no side effects or harm caused to you or your unborn baby. For many pregnant women, morning sickness is not just a problem in the morning. In some cases ‘morning sickness’ can last all day, and can range from feeling nauseaous to actually vomiting many times a day. In many countries, up to 80% of women will suffer from ‘morning sickness’ or pregnancy sickness and Sea-Bands may help to reduce both feelings of nausea, and may reduce vomiting as well. Some women wear their Sea-Bands only when they feel nauseous during their pregnancy, whilst others are known to start wearing them as soon as they know they are pregnant.

I trialled these myself for my morning sickness and I do believe they relieved my feelings of nausea, which I suffer with badly some days! They were very comfortable to wear and I would use them again.

Many celebrities have been spotted wearing Sea-Bands for their morning sickness: Gail Porter, Ulrika Johnson, Fiona Phillips, Kirsty Gallacher and most recently Gwen Stefani have all been seen wearing Sea-Bands whilst pregnant!


WHO STOCKS SEA-BANDS?

In the UK Sea-Bands can be bought in pharmacists and retail for just £7.99 per pair. They come in variety of colours:

Child friendly colours are available in pink, blue and green camouflage patterns.
Adult sizes come in grey black and pink.

Sea-Bands are available in the following stores:

Lloydspharmacy
Rowlands Pharmacy
Co-Operative Pharmacy
Tesco Pharmacy
Sainsbury Pharmacy
Waitrose Pharmacy
Boots (Travel Bands)
And all good independent pharmacies nationally.



SEA-BAND GIVE AWAY

So here is your chance to win for FREE a pair of Sea-Bands. I have the following pairs available to win:

1 adult size in pink
1 adult size in black
1 chidrens size in pink
1 childrens size in camouflage

All you need to do is tell me one of the symptoms Sea-Bands are proven to assist with (HINT: ANSWER IS FEATURED IN POST!) together with your name and what size and colour you would prefer and leave your answer in the comments box please.

Closing date is Saturday 2nd October, 2010 so good luck!

The Gallery - A Smile :)

This weeks theme set by Tara over at Sticky Fingers is 'A Smile' in celebration of the 'Mona Lisa Million Project'.

So many gorgeous smiles to choose from for this week so it's been so hard to choose a favourite. So I have used a few to demonstrate his different smiles.


Here is one of Burton's earliest smiles (aged approx 6 wks)








Here he is during his poking his tongue out when he smiled phase (7 months)









Here is his open mouth wide phase (10 months)









And nowadays he crinkles his nose up when he smiles (12 months)








Add some food to the mix and you get the messy smile look! (13 1/2 months)









The best thing about Burton smiling is it makes me smile too!

Chez Chelle - Spinach

This weeks key ingredient for week 2 of Chez Chelle over at 'Chelle's Place' is SPINACH! Now being a very strong flavoured vegetable it has an acquired taste but it is so good for,you that I do try and use it in some recipes. This one I have only made once but it is absolutely delicious! Unfortunately, despite having the ingredients to make this today when I opened the fish it did not smell right so I have no photo of my own to use. However, I will use the photo that accompanies the recipe from the website that I discovered it (the BBC Good Food Magazine such a great recipe bible!)

So here is my spinach recipe for this week:

Smoked Haddock & Spinach Rarebit




Ingredients

FOR THE RAREBIT SAUCE

50g butter
50g plain flour
a dash of Worcestershire sauce
600ml milk
100g mature cheddar grated
2 tbsp mustard

FOR THE FISH

50g unsalted butter
1 garlic clove , crushed
550g cherry tomatoes , halved
700g prepared spinach washed if necessary
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
550g undyed smoked haddock fillets ( you could use unsmoked haddock or cod) skinned and checked for bones
50g cheddar grated

Method

Preheat the oven to fan 170C/ conventional 190C/gas 5.

To make the rarebit sauce, melt the butter in a heavybased saucepan and stir in the flour and Worcestershire sauce. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly whisk in the milk until combined. Return to the heat and slowly bring to the boil, stirring or whisking constantly. Simmer for 2 minutes then mix in the grated cheese and mustard, season well with salt and pepper and set aside.

For the fish, melt a third of the butter in a large non-stick frying pan, add the garlic and cook until just coloured. Then add the tomatoes and mix them with the garlic butter, cooking just enough to heat through. Tip the mixture into the base of a shallow baking dish and spread in an even layer. Melt half the remaining butter in the frying pan and add some of the spinach, cook over a high heat until wilted then tip into a colander. Repeat with the remaining butter and spinach, then press the spinach to drain off any excess liquid, season with salt, pepper and the nutmeg and arrange to cover the tomato layer. Then place the fish fillets on top.

Heat the rarebit sauce and spoon evenly over the fish, spreading it with the back of a spoon so the fish is completely covered, then scatter the grated cheese over the top.

Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until brown and bubbling and the fish is cooked through.

I like to serve this with warm crusty bread.

Exmoor Zoo

I have been pestering the OH to take Burton to a zoo for some time now. The best zoo's in our area are in South Devon really, and I hope we will take him to one of them very soon. However, here in North Devon we have Exmoor Zoo which is only 10 miles from where we live, so it is as good as place as any to introduce him to one!

It is quite reasonably priced to get in compared to some tourist attractions in our area ( 2 adults cost £18 ) which makes a change! Although it is missing some of the bigger animals that a larger zoo would have, it had enough for Burton to look at for his first zoo experience.

As i have mentioned previously on my blog, Burton loves the water and his favourite cuddly toy is his Penguin, so imagine his face when we found the lake which inhabited, among other birds, penguins!!














"Let me in there!"

So for a reasonably priced day out I guess it was SIMPLES!!!? Lol

The Gallery - A Celebration

This weeks theme over at The Gallery hosted by Sticky Fingers is A Celebration.

Throughout my life there have been many times I have had something to celebrate from birthdays to passing my driving test, to passing my exams to weddings and parties I have attended. Also more recently becoming a mummy, but I have used plenty of photos to celebrate this wonderful time in my life so I want to use a different subject! I don't have access to all of my photos from years gone by, so I am choosing my graduation photograph as my celebratory entry.

Between 1993 and 1996 I studied a joint honours degree in English & Media Studies at DeMontfort University in Leicester. I loved those 3 years I really had such a good time and enjoyed it immensely. I made a great bunch of friends (although now we have lost touch bar the odd facebook comment!) and was very sad when it all came to an end. Despite lots of drunk nights and leaving essays and my dissertation until the last minute, I did get my degree with honours and here is the proof - proof that once I had a brain and it wasn't just a baby brain like now!!

Apple & Berry Crumble Cake

My recipe for Apple & Berry Crumble Cake

It's a great way to use up any fruit you have and to encourage your family to eat some!

Ingredients
250g self-raising flour
175g butter
175g light muscovado sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 rounded tbsp demerara sugar
1 small eating apple , such as Cox's (not cored or peeled)
1 small sweet pear (not cored or peeled)
2 large eggs , beaten
1 orange , finely grated zest
1 tsp baking powder
225g berries of your choice eg, blackberries, raspberries etc..

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C. Butter and line the bottom of a 1.7 litre loaf tin (see tip below).

In a large bowl, rub the flour, butter and muscovado sugar together with your fingers to make fine crumbs. Measure out 5 level tbsp of this mixture into a small bowl for the topping, and mix in to it 1/2 tsp of the cinnamon and demerara sugar. Set aside.

Coarsely grate the apple and pear down to the core and mix in with the eggs and the zest. Stir the baking powder and the remaining cinnamon into the rubbed-in mixture in the large bowl, then quickly and lightly stir in the egg mixture until it drops lightly from the spoon. Don't overmix.

Gently fold in three quarters of the berries with a metal spoon, trying not to break them up.

Spoon into the tin and level. Scatter the rest of the berries on top.
Sprinkle over the topping
and bake for 1¼ -1 hour 20 minutes. Check after 50 minutes and cover loosely with foil if it is browning too much. When done the cake will feel firm, but test with a skewer.

Leave in the tin for 30 minutes before turning out, then cool on a wire rack. Peel off the paper before cutting. Will keep wrapped in foil or in a tin for up to 3 days.

The Gallery - Back To Skool

To co-incide with the return to school this week for many kids this week, Tara over at Sticky Fingers has decided to use the prompt 'Back To School' for this weeks The Gallery prompt.

I do not have a child of school age yet and was unable to find any photos of myself at school, as I think all those photos are at my Mum's! So I have opted for my own take on the prompt, which is to use a couple of photos taken on a hen night I went on about 6 years ago where we had to dress in school uniforms (kind of!)

So here I am going Back To Skool for one night only!!











(Sorry about this one - couldn't work out how to rotate it on here!! Quick I need to go back to school to learn lol)