Yorkshire Pudding Secrets

Yorkshire puddings are a favorite treat in our home, no sooner do they come out of the oven they're being snatched up before they can even make it to a serving dish! Now I sometimes cheat when I make mine and use a mix, but if you don't have a British food store close by then here's the recipe to make your own!

Ingredients

•100g / 4oz plain flour
•2 eggs
•200ml milk
•50ml water
•1/2 teaspoon salt

How to make it

The most important thing when making Yorkshire pudding is to get your oven VERY hot or they won't rise properly - 230 degrees celcius/450 degrees fahrenheit.

Add a little oil to each compartment of a muffin pan & place in the oven, you want the oil to get so hot that it sings to you when you open the door!

Whilst that's in there, mix together your flour, salt and eggs and then bit by bit add in the milk beating it into a creamy smooth mixture and then let it sit out for a few minutes whilst the oil gets to it's sizzling best.

Once the oil is hot enough carefully take out the pan and pour in the batter dividing it between the 12 sections. The oil should sizzle as you pour it in, this will give you more confirmation that it is hot enough but watch out as it does tend to spit!

Put immediately back into the oven for approximately 15-30 minutes depending on the size of the puddings. You'll know they're ready when they rise up nice and big and become a nice golden brown.

Serve with a roast dinner and gravy, or alternatively as a desert with sugar and lemon.

For another variation on this fabulous treat you can make toad in the hole by using a larger single bakedish and adding sausages and then pouring the yorkshire pudding mix on top, it used to be my kids absolute favorite when they were little.

Enjoy!

Step Into Spring Giveaway

It's officially Springtime and time for a brand new giveaway!!

The giveaway is for a fabulous box of ducky crystal barley hard candy lollipops just in time for Easter and valued at over $10!!

Entry is easy, just visit my Sweet Lollipop Shop Etsy shop then come back here and post telling me which flavor or sweet treat you like the best.

*Want more entries?*
-Post this giveaway on Twitter/Facebook.
-Follow me on TWITTER
-Become a fan on facebook Sweet Lollipop Facebook Page
-Refer a friend to become a Facebook Fan and if they post they were referred by you & they win the giveaway I'll send YOU a matching prize too for referring them!
-Blog about this giveaway and leave a post that you did and where.(2 EXTRA ENTRIES!!)
-Add my button to your blog
-Subscribe to and/or follow my blog (Make sure you activate your subscription!)

Each of these can give you another entry! Please leave a separate comment for each one and what it is for!


Rules: In order to win, you must provide a valid email. I will be notifying the winner by email. The winner will have 24 hours to respond to me with their name and address. If this information is not received within 24 hours a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is opened to everyone, everywhere.

The winner will be drawn on Easter Sunday and receive a fabulous package of ducky crystal barley hard candy lollipops!

Giveaway Ends: Sunday 4th April 2010 @ 10am EST

My Christmas Top Ten Foodie Favorites

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

With that comes the tastiest time with the most delicious food choices imaginable and being a Brit living in the US our Christmas always tends to be a mixture of flavors and fun. So here's our families top ten yummy must haves for the holiday season.

1. Yorkshire puddings!
These are a total must have with Christmas dinner, made from a batter similar to pancake batter, they are cooked at high heat in the oven and rise into delectable puffy goodness which not only taste fabulous with dinner, but are to die for warmed up with some lemon and sugar for desert!

2. Roast potatoes
Cooked in the meat juices, continuously basted and fabulously crispy, my mum showed me how to make the perfect roastie and they're a huge favorite in our house.

3. Paxo Sage & Onion stuffing
This is one of our British must haves. In fact if I didn't buy this my oldest daughter Lauren would be very upset. It's very different to American stuffing and it's totally yummy.

4. Chocolate Tree Decorations
A family tradition, has to be by the British Cadburys company and the kids try every year to hide them within the branches of the tree to fool me!

5. Bisto Gravy
Yes it's granules out of a container but it's our favorite gravy and it's darn easy to make which makes it a perfect choice from back home in the UK.

6. Selection boxes
Another British tradition, something my children have grown up with every year and I still buy at least 2 each for them every year.

7. Mashed potatoes
An odd choice you may think, but I barely eat potatoes the rest of the year and I love to indulge at Christmas on copious amounts of the fluffy stuff made with obscene quantities of butter before being joined by at least 3 veggies and a sea of gravy. It is mandatory to make at least enough to last 3 days!

8. Baby Brussel sprouts
Only my older daughter and I love these, so it's about the only time of the year that we add them to the menu - great to go with the leftovers!

9. Mince Pies
A huge favorite of my oldest daughter Lauren, made with a sweet mixture of mincemeat and another British tradition

10. Birds custard
Personally I'm not a fan but all of my kids love this hot creamy desert topping, Lauren loves it over her mince pies whereas her baby sister loves to eat it alone straight from the jug!

Do you have any Christmas favorite foods or must have items you enjoy every year? Share them with me, I'd love to hear about your traditions!

Team EEAT Silent Auction!!

Team Eeat Silent Auction!!

The Team Eeat Silent Auction has began!! There have been so many awesome donations! We would like to thank each and everyone of you that have donated! You have made this auction possible! All of us espiring culinary artist are very grateful for your support in our on going quest to acheive our individual goals in the culianry field.

The Auction Info:

Starts: Midnight EST, Sunday Nov. 8th
Ends: Midnight EST, Saturday Nov. 14th
Auction Link: http://www.32auctions.com/view_auction?id=TeamEeat&pwd=teameeat
Auction ID: TeamEeat
Auction Password: teameeat

Go check it out and support the small foodie business owner!

The H1N1 Curry Cure

When you're a mom and you're little one is sick you feel helpless, your heart aches in a way that you really can't describe and you'd gladly be sick for them if it makes them feel better again.

After 2 days of a high fever whilst suffering with the flu, Caitys appetite had all but disappeared. She'd lost 4lbs in a few days and she's already a petite 62lbs for her 10 years, I was desperate to find some way, any way, to find something she could enjoy and keep down. First with the aid of some tylenol I was able to get her fever down but she was still barely managing the odd spoonful of ice cream.

Her dad and I had assumed jello, ice cream and ginger ale would be her hearts greatest desires whilst she felt icky but apparently we were wrong, so I offered her anything she wanted, didn't matter how crazy, how complicated, I would get it for her if it would help her feel better.

I was thinking chicken noodle soup or another comfort type food ...

Oh No!

She chose homemade curry with mushrooms and white rice!

Yes you heard right, a 10 yr old wanting mushrooms - the same 10 year old that HATES them normally wanted me to cook a curry with them for her!

What's even more amazing is that not only did she eat a full dish of it, she kept it down, had one more bedtime dose of tylenol and woke up this morning with NO fever!

Did my curry cure the flu? I doubt it - but this mom will happily take some credit for helping her lil bear feel better.

Do you have any foods that make you or a loved one feel better when they're sick? Maybe you have a funny food story? I'd love to hear about it!

Just Another Manic Monday

Can you believe it's only a matter of weeks until Christmas? It seems like this year has flown by faster than ever before and that summer sprang into winter without giving fall a second thought!

It's also been a busy year and with that in mind what's a crazy Brit to do when it comes to cooking something delicious, nutritious, yet quick and easy? The following is a simple recipe requiring very few ingredients and minimal preparation, yet it tastes fantastic and combined with a favorite vegetable even my fussy husband love its!

Creamy Chicken Bake

Ingredients:
3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 1/4 cups of regular long grain white rice (I like to use Uncle Ben's)
1 can Campbell's condensed 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
Fresh oregano (dried if no fresh available)
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Basil
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
2 cups of water

How To Make It

Place your rice, soup, water and half of your paprika, basil, oregano and black pepper into a good sized Pyrex lidded baking dish and mix together. Once mixed together, lay the chicken breasts on top of the mixture and sprinkle the remaining paprika, basil, oregano and black pepper over the top. Cover and place in a hot oven at 375F degrees and bake for approximately 45-50 minutes.

Serve with your favorite vegetable, personally I love fresh steamed broccoli made in those fabulous steam bags you can now buy at the grocery stores!

Enjoy!!