Canvas Review: Bags Of Love

Bags of LoveMy aim for the dining room is eclectic. I want somewhere that is fun, has lots of interesting things to look at and is a good place to eat and hang out with my family. So far I have a painting of Santorini, a bongo drum (also from Santorini) and a couple of plaques with uplifting messages.

What we’re lacking at the moment is family photos. My new canvas from Bags of Love has gone some way to sort that.

I rooted through my archive of pictures on Flickr and went right back to when Erin was a baby. I picked all my favourites and uploaded them to their easy to use system and hey presto, a beautiful canvas with lots of family memories.

The quality of the canvas is really good, the canvas material is more material like and less glossy than others I’ve seen which gives it a nice textured look.

Photo montage canvasses start from just £29.00 which I think is really good value for something you’ll treasure forever.

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Hazelnut and Dark Chocolate Parfait

DessertIt’s hard to believe that just five ingredients can create something so delicious. Parfait has certainly been added to my somewhat limited dessert repertoire. I adapted this recipe from one in the Guardian Cook magazine., it went down very well with the family.

This little lot will make you about eight generous portions.

Ingredients

200g hazelnuts
75g dark chocolate
4 eggs
300ml whipping cream
90g caster sugar

1. Toast your hazelnuts on a baking tray at 200 for 5 mins.

Toasted Hazelnuts

2. Grind half the hazelnuts in a pestle and mortar. Roughly chop the other half.

Chopped Hazelnuts

3. Seperate 4 eggs, yolks in one bowl, whites in another.

4. Whip the cream until thick.

5. Add the sugar to the yolks and beat with a whisk until fluffy.

6. Beat the whites until stiff.

7. Fold all the hazelnuts and the cream into the egg yolk mix. Fold in half the whites first, and then the other half.

8. Pour the mix into a loaf tin and freeze.

Parfait

Serve with dark chocolate shavings

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The Most Romantic Destinations in Edinburgh

Its cobbled, winding streets and ancient buildings steeped in stories give Edinburgh an air of mystery and romance. This makes it the perfect city to visit with your partner, whether you’re long-term or still in the early stages of a relationship. Here are some special date ideas for a couple in Edinburgh.

Enjoy the views

You can soak up the breathtaking views from a few spots in the city such as Edinburgh Castle and the Scott Monument. One which is popular for its views, and because it’s easy to climb, is Arthur’s Seat – the main peak of a group of hills situated in the centre of the city. From here you can enjoy spectacular panoramic views.

Scotland

Take a walk

Edinburgh was built for walking – its twisty, cobbled, winding streets make it particularly fun to navigate. Why not walk hand in hand and just soak up the atmosphere – and the architecture?

If you’re up for a ghost story or two, or even just for hearing about some of the history of the area, there are also many walking tours done at night when the streets are dark and spooky.

One particularly interesting tour shows you around Mary King’s Close, which was sealed during a plague outbreak in the 1600s. Beware, though, this is many feet below the city’s modern roads and it’s dark and cold, meaning you’ll need to cling to each other for warmth, as well as comfort.

Love literature?

If you’re book lovers, you’ve come to the right place. Edinburgh is the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature. It’s a city full of literature and of literary activity, with brilliant libraries, bookshops, authors and places of literary significance. Why not pay a visit to The Writer’s Museum to see the exhibitions on Burns, Scott and Stevenson, three of Scotland’s great literary figures?

Scotland

Visit the castle

A visit to Edinburgh is not complete until you see its castle. The majestic Edinburgh Castle stands prominently on top of volcanic Castle Rock, in the centre of the city, and beckons you to take a look.

Steeped in a fascinating history, it’s recognised as an important historic monument both for Edinburgh and Scotland itself. Once you’ve finished your tour of the castle, there is plenty of surrounding forest which would be perfect for a leisurely walk or picnic.

Enjoying these historic and romantic parts of Edinburgh with your partner will make you feel you have shared something really special together. If you would like even more date ideas, click here to find out what other dating couples in Scotland are getting up to via eHarmony UK.

This post is in association with eHarmony

Photos by flickr users phault and dclay

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Stuffed Chicken Breasts Wrapped in Parma Ham

This is a nice alternative to a roast, especially if you have people for dinner. Serve with fresh vegetables and roast or boiled potatoes.
Chicken Recipe
Ingredients (serves 6)

6 chicken breasts
150g of Boursin cheese with herbs and garlic
3tbsp panko breadcrumbs
6 slices of parma ham
100mls white wine
100mls chicken stock
Rosemary
Cocktail sticks

1. Preheat oven to 180. Make a slice through the thickest part of the chicken breasts, wiggle the knife gently to create a pocket. Mix the cheese with bread crumbs and stuff each of the breasts.

2. Wrap each breast in parma ham ensuring the bit that overlap are to the bottom (gotta consider the presentation of the dish!). Secure with a cocktail stick.
Chicken Recipe
3. Place the breasts presentation side up in a ovenproof dish. Pour over the wine and stock, add a sprig of rosemary and pop in the oven for 30 mins or until cooked through.
Chicken Recipe
4. Place the breasts on a serving dish and reduce the stock and season to create a thin sauce for the chicken.

To take a class and learn how to make dishes like this see Edinburgh New Town Cookery School

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Paella

Making healthy choices can sometimes be expensive. You make a vow to exercise more and end up spending a lot of money on workout apparel. Promise to eat healthier and your food budget goes through the roof.

You can offset some of the fitness costs with discounts and coupons. Different sites, like NerdWallet’s coupon listings, offer Athleta coupon discounts for other retailers as well. If you want to get healthy, get yourself motivated by doing it in style!

You can manage your food budget with coupons, and by making recipes that are healthy, but use affordable ingredients. Paella, a Spanish rice dish, is one such recipe.

What you need:

1 Small bowl
2 large bowls
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken tenders cut into cubes
1 lb. large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
1 whole lemon
A large skillet with deep side
1 lb. low-fat kielbasa or smoked sausage
1 tbsp. olive oil
½ cup fresh or frozen diced onion
½ cup fresh or frozen diced bell pepper
3 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1.5 cups medium or short grain rice
½ tsp. saffron (optional)
Salt
Pepper

Mix the paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper together in a small bowl.

Put the chicken and shrimp into two separate bowls. Sprinkle approximately half the spice mixture over the chicken, and half over the shrimp.

Splash ¼ cup of dry vermouth and the juice of ½ a lemon over the chicken. Sprinkle the other ¼ cup of vermouth and remaining lemon juice over the shrimp. Mix both bowls to ensure that the chicken and shrimp are evenly coated. Cover the owls with plastic wrap, and set them aside.

Brown the smoked sausage in the skillet, set to medium.

Add the olive oil and let it warm, onion and peppers to the skillet. Stir and sauté until the onion and peppers are slightly browned.

Add the chicken to the skillet. Stir and sauté the chicken for 2 minutes or until the pieces are no longer pink on all sides.

Add all of the chicken broth to the skillet, and add the saffron threads to the broth. Stir the broth until it starts bubbling.

Ladle approximately 1 cup of the broth into a heat-safe bowl.

Stir in the frozen peas and carrots into the skillet. Turn the heat to high and stir the skillet until the broth comes to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cover the skillet.

Let the rice cook about 10 -15 minutes, or until about half the liquid is absorbed. Do not stir the rice.

Add the shrimp to the skillet. Do not stir it in; let it sit on top of the rice. Spread the shrimp around so that it’s one even layer.

Pour the rest of the broth over the shrimp, cover the skillet and let it cook on medium-low for another 10-15 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid.

Let the skillet cool and serve the paella directly from the skillet and accompany it with salad and nice crusty bread, or cheese garlic biscuits.

If at all possible, use a skillet with a clear top so you can see the rice without removing the cover — the rice will cook better and faster. If you must remove the cover, only remove it once or twice, and replace it as quickly as possible.

You might have a layer of crispy, browned rice on the bottom and sides of the skillet. That crunchy part is called soccarat, and it’s the hallmark of well-made paella.

You can save prep time by using pre-cut vegetables from the fresh or frozen produce section, and buying the shrimp pre-peeled and deveined.

The saffron is the most expensive item in this recipe, and it is also difficult to find. You can omit this ingredient and the recipe will still work fine without it.

Consideration was received for the editing and publishing of this article

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Normandy Pork Recipe

Normandy pork was the second dish I cooked at the Edinburgh New Town Cookery School. It’s quite similar to the pork in creamy leek sauce that I blogged a while back except a bit richer.
Pork Recipe
Ingredients (serves 4)

500g pork tenderloin
Seasoned flour
45g butter
2 shallots
150mls cider
85mls double cream
1 eating apple
1tsp caster sugar

1. Slice the loin into discs, cover with cling film and flatten out. Dip each slice into seasoned flour and shake off excess.
Pork Medallions
2. Heat two thirds of the butter in a pan until foaming and fry the pork until brown and cooked through. Pop them into an ovenproof dish in the oven on a low heat to keep warm.

Pork Recipe

3. Dice your shallots and add to the pan to soften. Pour in the cider and boil until it has been reduced by half. Add the cream and bring to the boil. Season to taste and then pour over the pork.

4. Melt the remaining butter in a frying pan and add the sugar. Slice your apple and fry until caramelised. Serve the pork dish with a few slices of apple laid across the top.

You can find more cookery classes at the Edinburgh New Town Cookery School here.

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Choccywoccydoodah, London

Did someone say chocolate? The #RoyalMums were reunited this week to discuss more exciting cruise plans. The destination for these important discussions was Choccywoccydoodah on uber cool Carnaby Street.

I was up so early for the train to London that the only wildlife on the Edinburgh streets was the foxes (the drunken lads and lassies had already dispersed for bed).

After a brief look around the choccy shop and some quick snaps (look at those cakes!), we were led up to The Secret Room to discuss secret #RoyalMum business, all will be revealed soon!

Chocolate shop

Chocolate lady rabbit thing in bath

Choccywoccydoodah

Circus themed cake with monkeys

Choccywoccydoodah

The Greatest Show on Earth

Choccywoccydoodah

Chocolate cake to buy at choccywoccydoodah

Choccywoccydoodah

The Secret Room in Choccywoccydoodah

The Secret Room

Becky and Tara eating The Secret Room.

Choccywoccydoodah

Jodie the waitress in the Alice in Wonderland chair

Choccywoccydoodah

The Secret Room Menu

Choccywoccydoodah

Sicilian lemon cake with raspberry coulis

London

My first time on Carnaby Street

London

Becky and I sitting in the sun having a late lunch on Carnaby Street

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Scottish Beef Stew

I love an unctious beef stew served with a big dollop of mashed potatoe and some of Alex’s homemade yorkshire puddings. It’s the simple things in life…

What makes it Scottish? Scottish beef of course!
Beef Recipe
Ingredients (serves 4)

900g SCOTTISH stewing beef
Oil
2 onions
2 carrot
1 garlic clove
1tsp paprika
3tsp flour
100ml red wine
1pint beef stock
1tbsp tomato puree
3 bay leaf
1tbsp fresh thyme
1tbsp fresh parsley

1. Pop your oven onto 160.

2. Dice your carrots and slice your onions. Crush your garlic clove or make into a fine paste using some salt and the back of a knife.

Diced Vegetables

3. Add a small amount of oil to a pan and brown the beef. Once browned set aside into a casserole dish.

Browning Beef

4. Saute your carrot, onion and garlic. Once softened add the paprika and flour. Cook out the flour then add the tomato paste. Add the mixture to your casserole dish

5. Pour the wine into your pan and scrape up all the sediment (the sticky bits on the pan), boil the wine until the alcohol has burnt out. Add the stock and your chopped herbs.

chopped herbs

6. Pour the stock and wine over your meat in the casserole dish and pop it into the oven for approximately two hours. It’s ready when the meat falls apart.

This was one of the recipes featured in the 10am-2pm course at the Edinburgh New Town Cookery School.

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21212, Edinburgh

We’ve been to 21212 once before, we enjoyed our meal so much we decided that we had to go back and make sure it wasn’t a fluke.
Edinburgh Michelin Restaurant
Once again we went for a three course set lunch (£28.50). The menu consists of; two starters, one soup, two main, one cheese board, and two desserts, hence the ’21212′. The whole five courses at lunch time will set you back £48.50.

The dining room is beautifully decorated and while the service is professional and efficient it remains friendly. Although it’s michelin star you can safely order an appletise without being laughed out the door, I can’t bear drinking water just because I don’t drink wine.
21212 Dining Room
We started our lunch with a small selection of pickles and olives and some paprika and cheese bread which had been freshly baked.

My starter of barley risotto was delicious. The dish was garnished with, amongst other things, asparagus, courgette foam, mushroom sauce, mushroom wafer and a cucumber crisp. All of Paul Kitchin’s dishes are embellished with a number of different wafers, foams, crisps and sauces. The genius like balancing of ingredients makes a meal at 21212 a real experience, and it’s no doubt the reason he holds a prestigious michelin star.
Barley Risotto
Onto the main and the options were a fish dish (I don’t eat much fish) or venison. I’ve only had venison the once and it was nice enough served classicly with juniper berry. Paul’s version was quite different. I’m pretty sure the venison had been sous vide making it very tender and the flavour more delicate than if it had been roasted. The venison was accompanied by babycorn and pimento peppers.
Venison
It was always going to be hard to beat the creme brulee and turkish delight dish I had last time at 21212 (best dessert I’ve ever had in my life), but the floating strawberry meringue and mango lassi gave it a good run for its money. The sweet soft meringue was perfect in texture and contrasted well with the strawberry compote. The mango lassi was fresh and sweet.

Meringue
Once again a lovely meal at 21212.

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Harumika Review

Harumika ToyI like Harumika, there’s something fairly wholesome in a toy that encourages kids to create new outfits from stickers and pieces of cloth. It’s a useful kind of toy, kids can develop the inner fashion designer.

Erin was thrilled to receive her set which included two mannequins, some cloth and a range of bits and bobs to fashion accessories with.
Harumika Toy
She created dresses and skirts and then embellished them with badges and belts. It would have been great to have a few more pieces of cloth in the set, but I guess it would be easy enough to pick up some scraps from a haberdashery.

All in all we liked it, it made a nice change to the usual craft kits.

You can buy Harumika kits here.

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Edinburgh New Town Cookery School

Cookery School EdinburghThe opportunity arose this week to take a cookery class at the Edinburgh New Town Cookery School.

The cookery school is in the heart of Edinburgh, located on Queen Street. I attended a beginner to intermediate class in meat. The class was 10am-2pm, perfect for mums who need to do the school drop offs and pick ups.

The day began with coffee and cake, a promising start. There were just four of us in our class which was taken by Victoria who made us feel immediately relaxed, not at all like the home economic teachers of my youth.

We made four dishes over the course of the afternoon; chargrilled steak with salsa verde, beef stew, normandy pork and stuffed chicken breast with parma ham (recipes and pictures to follow!).
Recipes

We began cooking straight away. The kitchen is beautifully clean and well organised. As the sun beamed through the large windows we all settled down to chopping, dicing and pan frying. We practised our knife skills and Victoria offered support and instruction without being too intrusive. The beginner/intermediate level was well within my comfort zone, which was good as I was also trying to take photos and notes simultaneously. If you watch a lot of cookery programmes and cook homemade meals for your family on a daily basis I would recommend going for an intermediate to advanced class.
Cooking in Edinburgh
After two dishes we stopped briefly for a coffee and some delicious ginger cake.

We continued with our other two dishes. The class moves on at a decent pace and is entirely practical cookery, wear comfortable shoes as you’ll be on your feet for the full four hours.
Refreshments
By 2pm we had washed up and had a selection of four lovely meals to take home.

I thoroughly enjoyed the class and it has certainly made me want to develop my cookery skills.

The 10am-2pm course(beginner/intermediate) runs over four tuesdays covering, pastry and eggs, meat, fish, and bakery.

Adult courses at the Edinburgh New Town Cookery School start from £150, this includes full instruction, ingredients and refreshments. You can view currently available courses here – Edinburgh New Town Cookery School Courses

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The Gallery: Self Portrait

This is me how I like to see myself. It was taken earlier this year in Jamaica as I climbed Dunn’s falls. The picture encapsulates everything I want to be; healthy, active, with friends, challenging myself, laughing, relaxed.

This is who I’d like to be every day, at the moment it’s not possible. Some days I have to be the other version. The one that’s tired and in pain. The one where crohns dominates daily life. The one that is frightened of the future and is trying desperately not to dwell on worst case scenarios.

This picture is why for the next year I will give into the other Erica, because only by doing so will I have the chance to go back to Dunn’s falls and climb it with my family and I’ll be the happy, healthy, laughing Erica again.

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Basic Chicken Pho

After the news regarding my state of health, I’ve been looking to my food for a bit of comfort. There’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of chicken soup. Not that nasty gloopy tinned stuff, I’m more your chinese chicken and sweetcorn soup kinda gal. This basic version of chicken pho hit the spot nicely.

Ingredients

Whole chicken
3 garlic cloves
1 tbsp dark soy
2tbsp honey
4 star anise
1tbsp lime juice
Half teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1 litre of good chicken stock
Packet of ready made rice noodles.

1. Mix the honey and soy and baste your chicken. Pop the garlic cloves in beside the chicken and roast according to the instructions. Your chicken is cooked if you prick the skin on the inside of the leg and it runs clear.

2. While your roasted chicken rests, bring your stock, star anise, lime and chilli flakes to the boil. Season to taste.

3. Place some of the rice noodles in a bowl. Slice your roasted chicken and place on top (use the rest of the chicken to make a chinese chicken fried rice). Pour your pho broth over the top.

Optional extra: add some finely sliced spring onion over the top.

Chicken soup for the soul.

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