@feekempton

My husbands blog – the crazy thing has taken 32 students to Washington and new York

Barra brith – made for my friend with a 3 day old baby

Went to see ‘The Muppets’ yesterday… One word …. Awesome!

Am I Muppety Mum or Mummyish Muppet??!

In all their gorgeousness!

Admittedly if you have not seen the new Muppet film this will mean nothing to you… and all I can say is that if you haven’t been… what are you waiting for – most uplifting and truly family orientated film I have seen in years. We both went with Abs and all came out loving it. Too many times recently have I accompanied my daughter to a film which she has loved and I have put up with! I refer particularly to ‘Hop!’…. where I felt that I had wasted precious moments of my life! This film is different – there are truly belly laughs and now I will never think of ‘Smells like Teen Spirit’ in the same way again! SEE IT! Below is our little tribute…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJC6tTFWJ00&feature=youtu.be

We then went on to try ‘Baby Buddha’ in Norwich which loads of friends had raved about. It is a Dim Sum joint which also serves fantastic Chinese food. We always like Abbie to try new things and this was a mixed success – trying of everything occurred, but she was only keen on a few bits – most got rejected. Still… you’ve gotta try!

Dim Sum at Baby Buddha

We feasted on char-sui pork buns (really great for beginners), pork, peanuts and turnip dumplings (tasty and crunchy), veg spring rolls (thought they’d be a winner, but were rejected) and the things which Abbie loved; choi sum in garlic and the gelatinous rice rolls with shitake and chicken – these were a winner with us all, although incredibly filling.

Baby Buddha is a terrific restaurant and it is so great to have a good dim sum restaurant in Norwich – the place becomes more cosmopolitan by the day! Jon and I will definitely be back. When taking Abbie out though, we may stick to sushi and bento boxes… sure fire winners!

My first success with marmalade – thank you snow and Waitrose.com!

I have had a disasterous time with marmalade in the past – never sets properly, over sweet, end up using it for pancake syrup and for crepes suzette.
So I had to post about this year’s actual success!! I have now 10 jars of really great whisky marmalade sitting on my table! Hooray! Admittedly I was helped by the snow as we were housebound this afternoon (you have to put in the hours to make it) but the real help was a recipe I found from Waitrose.

So I must share the link with you….

http://www.waitrose.com/home/recipes/recipe_directory/s/seville_orange_marmalade.html

Here are a few photos from the afternoon… various stages in the process! I’ll upload a toast photo when I open it in a few weeks (once our shop bought has all been eaten) x

The finished product! I'm really chuffed...

My juicer definietly earned its keep today and made me think it was worth the purchase - just look at all those oranges!!

Top tip - tie the muslin bag to the handle, before you drop it in the pan!

Mine needed 25 mins boiling, not 15 like the recipe said

The wrinkle test - frozen plate - my marmalade changed dramatically between here (20mins) and the finished product (25mins)

Ottolenghi quesadillas from Plenty

All i can say is Yum! These were great for the whole family…. Jon’s rugby team had just beaten the team who are currently top of the league, so this was perfect to welcome him home with (of course) an accompanying beer!

spread with black bean paste and top with salsa, sour cream, avacado, jalapenos, corriander and grated cheese

Abbie loved them too although they were much more filling than the ones we normally make so she could only manage half of one.

@feekempton

Love this recipe! Am going to try it this weekend x

Jam in Japan?  Loaves in Laos?  Well, yes, actually, it’s not all noodles and rice.  Western travellers can enjoy the delights of local cuisine the world over, but sooner or later, the comfort of home comes calling.

You can thank the French for bringing their beautiful bread to Laos.  After jungle treks, boat rides and back packs, believe me, you will.  In Vietnam, street snacks often take the form of small baguettes smothered in  La vache qui rit. I can almost smell the freshly baked, crispy baguettes!

It’s a very personal thing, so I guess that everyone will have their own image of that go-to comfort food.  For my wife, no matter where we go and what we eat, eventually, that yearning for something familiar comes calling.  When it does, there’s nothing I can do to dissuade her; only spaghetti in a rich tomato sauce will do.  Try ordering that in…

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My new fave cookbook – Plenty!

Yum! The most complete and delicious vegetarian meal i have ever had. Yottam Ottolenghi – Plenty P116
You’ve got to try it… Even had my husband convinced and he usually asks for a slice of ham with veggie food!

Quick egg fried rice

Ok… a quick for Abbie after coming back from shopping. Boil some rice and drain and poor cold water over it in the sieve. Then whisk up an egg and fry like a pancake – I use stir fry oil for this. Then remove to a chopping board and cut into strips. I cook small florets of broccoli, edamame, peas and corn in the microwave and then fry them in the pan, adding in the rice and then the strips of egg.

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…. and a pudding to share! Gorgeous!

Rocky road sundae! Perfect for the whole family to share!