Did you know that it is National Doughnut Week? No? Well now you do! A favourite with the team here at TMC (I mean check out @mamatowildings’ post below!), doughnuts have a special place in our hearts. We hear that they’re also a favourite in many of our workplaces. With all this being said, we’ve searched high and low to bring you the best doughnut recipes on the world wide web.
What else does one do when you wake up early, it’s raining outside and you’re craving freshly baked muffins for breakfast…? Answer, get up at 6am and bake some delicious pear & pecan gluten free muffins!
I’ve worked on this recipe a few times now, previously I’d found that the recipe was quite dry (probably because I’d tried to make them more nutritious decreasing sugar and adding protein powder…). This morning, after looking through the cupboard, I found that I had pecans left over from my forgotten cookies.
I love the combination of the nuts and the sweet pear, it makes for a lovely breakfast treat!
If what they say is true, that the way to a love’s heart is through their belly, maybe these will be a hit? They are a HUGE favourite among my friends, family and colleagues. I’ve made these maple bacon cupcakes a few times over the years, including a huge batch (over 300 maple bacon cupcakes) for a fund raiser.
Also, these cupcakes work great with gluten free flour, and can be made completely dairy free by using butter alternatives (this is actually how I bake them – making them gluten/wheat and dairy free).
When it comes to valentine’s treats, is there anything better than taking a family favourite and injecting some love?! We adore this pink krispie hearts recipe and dreamy photo submitted by Kirstie Crafts.
Looking for more valentine’s day ideas? Why not browse the links below:
VALENTINEāS ACTIVITIES FOR EVERYONE
VEGAN FRIENDLY VALENTINES COOKIES
AT HOME DATE IDEAS FOR EVERYONE
Enjoy these valentine’s day treats! – TMC team
Ad | this post contains affiliate links, view our disclaimerĀ here.
Please give this banana bread recipe a go & tag us if you do! Don’t forget to check out the wonderful Claire’s website where she shares so many delicious recipes that are perfect for the whole family.
Nothing screams Christmas quite like the smell of a freshly bakedĀ minceĀ pie. Why not wow your guests this Christmas and out this super simple shortcrustĀ minceĀ pieĀ recipe!
We at TMC love a recipe to do with the kids, why not make some gingerbread men to decorate together or gingerbread stars to hand from the Christmas tree? This easy gingerbread recipe is unbelievably easy and so forgiving if itās overworked, so perfect for getting the kids involved in.
– 100g salted butter
– 3 tablespoons golden syrup
– 100g of dark muscovado sugar
– 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
– 1 tablespoon ground ginger
– 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
– 225g plain flour
Step one:
On a low heat, melt together the butter, sugar and golden syrup. Stir occasionally and leave to one side to cook slightly.
Step two:
Mix together the flour, bicarb, cinnamon and ginger in a separate bowl before adding in your buttery mixture. Stir to combine, then use your hands to bring it all together into a dough. The dough will be really soft and mouldable at this point, but it will firm up in the fridge.
Step 3:
Put the dough on a sheet of baking paper and shape with your hands into a rectangle. Lay another sheet of baking paper over the top and roll it out to about 1/2 cm thickness. Transfer the lot onto a baking tray to keep it nice and flat, then pop it in the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
Step 4:
Heat the oven to 190C/ 170C fan/ gas 5. Remove the dough from the fridge and start cutting your shapes! We made stars and men of different sizes and used a leaf cutter for the remaining bits of dough. If you want to hang them up, donāt forget to poke out a little hole for your ribbon to go through!
Step 5:
Place the biscuit shapes together on a baking paper lined tray, giving each one a little room, and bake for 9-12 minutes depending on the size of your biscuits. Once done, leave them to cool completely on the baking tray.
Step 6:
Time to decorate! Once cooled, you can use icing sugar in a piping bag (or store brought tubes) and any other edible decorations to make your gingerbread extra fancy. of course, you can always skip this step and devour them right away!
As much as we love a lovely refreshing cocktail in the summer months, Christmas is the perfect time to get creative and make some delicious festive cocktails. We are sharing our top 10 Christmas cocktail recipes that you need to try, and there is something for everyone! Whether you prefer something more subtle or full on Christmas in a glass.
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You’ll also need a large preserving jar or bottle; sterilised bottle(s)
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Stir all the ingredients together in a medium-size container. Pop a lid on the container or wrap it in plastic wrap and leave in the freezer overnight to set.
Use an ice cream scoop to scrape out enough cranberry vodka slush to fill the glass Ā¾ of the way full. Pour Sprite/7UP over the slush until it fills the glass.
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CHICKEN HASH WITH EGGS
A nutritious and satisfying breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner from @feedingtheirfutures.This hash is made with the leftovers from a roast chicken dinner, so itās perfect for cheering up a dreary Monday morning.This dish is absolutely packed with protein, veg & healthy fats, with a fraction of the salt that normally comes in traditional savoury breakfasts, because youāre using roast chicken instead of something processed such as bacon or sausages.Itās largely made with leftovers from a roast chicken dinner, so it’s great one to have on a Monday morning. Itās a good idea to make a little extra mash & cabbage to use for this dish the next day.INGREDIENTS-
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 a red onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- A handful of cooked potato – you could use mash, squashed roasties, or jacket potato
- A handful of shredded, cooked chicken
- 1-2 eggs per person
- Any leftover greens youāve got – cabbage works best
METHOD-
- Melt the butter in the oil in a large non-stick pan
- Add the onion and green pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened. Then add the crushed garlic and stir.
- Add the potato and chicken, and flatten the mixture with a spatula into a patty.
- Cook over a high heat until crusty on the bottom (about 5 minutes).
- Turn the mixture over and reform into a patty. Cook until browned on the other side (about 3-5 minutes).
- Using the back of a spoon, make some dents in the hash and then crack the eggs into the dents.
- Cover with the lid and cook over medium heat until the egg whites are just set but the yolks are still runny.
- You can top this with grated cheese if you like, and if you want a bit of extra spice – add some jalapenos.
1ļøā£ Melt a spoonful of coconut oil in a large, non-stick pan.
2ļøā£ Fry the onion over a medium heat for about 10 mins.
3ļøā£ Stir in the garlic, ginger, spices and cardamom seeds and a knob of butter & cook for 1 min.
4ļøā£ Add the tomatoes and stir for a few mins.
5ļøā£ Add the coconut milk and green beans. Bring to a bubble then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 mins.
6ļøā£ Add the fish, stir gently, and cook for another 5 mins, until the fish is cooked through. Donāt stir it too much as the fish will fall apart.
7ļøā£ If adding chilli, spoon out the kidsā portions first then add the chopped chilli to the rest, season well and stir gently.
8ļøā£ Serve with basmati rice, sprinkled with fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime.
If you make this please tag us on Instagram so we can see and share!
This delicious, nutritiousĀ immune-boosting soup from @feedingtheirfutures is packed with ingredients to help strengthen your family’s defence systems during the winter flu season.Whilst you can never fully control whether or not you get poorly, with daily positive actions you can strengthen your immune system, reducing your susceptibility to illness and better preparing your body for fighting off bugs.Some great habits to practice include:
- Eat mostly unprocessed whole foods
- Get enough protein, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables
- Consume an appropriate number of calories (to avoid gaining or lose excess body fat)
- Move regularly and get out in the fresh air daily
- Reduce smoking and excessive alcohol consumption
- Get plenty of sleep
- Manage stress with mindfulness exercises
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- Ground spices: 1 tsp each of cinnamon and turmeric
- 1 litre chicken broth (ideally make your own for extra nutrients, by boiling the bones and carcass of a roast chicken for 3 hours, then straining off the liquid through a sieve)
METHOD
- Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees
- Cut the butternut squash in half lengthways and remove the seeds. Cut the sweet potato in half lengthways and place both face up on a baking tray. Roast for 30-40 months, until the flesh is soft.
- Meanwhile, fry the onion in olive oil in the base of a large pot until translucent.
- Add the garlic, apple and spices and fry for a few minutes.
- Once the sweet potato and squash have cooled, scoop out the soft flesh and add to the pot.
- Pour over the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and let it bubble for 10-15 minutes then turn off the heat and allow to cool.
- Blend until smooth with a stick blender or by transferring the mixture to a jug blender.
- Toast some seeds in a dry frying pan for topping (cut them small or grind them into sprinkles for smaller babies).
- Reheat the soup to serve, topped with Greek yoghurt and toasted seeds.
These Blueberry Coconut Oat Bars (or porridge fingers) from @feedingtheirfutures make a great healthy, on-the-go breakfast or snack.Theyāre packed with immune-boosting ingredients, perfect for this time of year when the bugs are flying round at school and nursery!
- Blueberries – berries are rich in antioxidants, particularly blueberries and raspberries.
- Oatmeal – oats contain beta-glucan, which is an antimicrobial fiber and antioxidant.
- Coconut – coconut milk, coconut water or coconut oil are rich in lauric acid, which is converted to monolaurin in your body – a compound that strengthens immunity.
- Eggs – packed with amino acids and antioxidants.
- Live Greek yoghurt (on the side) – contains probiotics, the healthy bacteria your intestine needs to keep your digestive system healthy.
INGREDIENTS-
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 2 eggs
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup blueberries, frozen or fresh (half them for babies)
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
METHOD-
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and grease an 8×8 baking dish.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs then add the coconut milk, oats, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and shredded coconut, then stir well and combine.
- Add the blueberries and stir again.
- Spread the mixture in the baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is a light toasty brown.
- Cut the squares and serve warm with a dollop of natural yoghurt or enjoy cold later as a snack or easy-grab breakfast.
If you make these blueberry coconut oat bars, please tag us on Instagram so we can see!
One thing that I always find is at this time of the year us bigger kids forget to treat ourselves alongside the kids so thatās where my Spiced Apple Punch recipe comes in to play because it can be tailored for the little monster or bigger ones.Ā
Ā If your walking around trick or treating with the kids and fancy something to warm you up then this is your go to beverage this autumn/winter.Ā
This recipe takes approximately 5 mins to prep & 30 mins to cook up – 100% worth it!Ā
If the bigger kids fancy a tipple simply add Apple Cider instead of Apple juice for your parents only potion – Go on, treat yourself!!
Place all ingredients into a large black cauldron (or pot if your cauldron is in the dishwasher) over a roaring fire (or on a hob if your house has one) Bring the potion to a boil and then simmer down low for 20 minutes to allow the magical spices to infuse.Ā
Strain the punch to a clear liquid & use a magic wand (or ladle) to pour into heatproof flasks or mugs. You can even garnish with an extra cinnamon stick if your feeling fancy.Ā
Drink up & Enjoy!Ā
As soon as Autumn hits, the countdown to Christmas is officially on. Sorry, but actually not sorry in the slightest. Perfect timing for us to start donning our Santa hats as the Marks & Spencer Christmas food has just been released and you can get your orders in now! We have collected our top picks for starters, mains & desserts. Ohhh the desserts… drool worthy!
Marks & Spencer is one of our absolute favourite places to order our yummy Christmas food from, it’s always feels a little bit more special as they really go above & beyond with their creations. There’s something unique every year and especially great if you are entertaining guests.
It is super easy to order, you simply book a collection slot, choose your dream Christmas menu, pay only a deposit and collect in store between 22nd-24th December.
Ricotta Stacks (Serves 2) – Ā£7
Spanish Meats & Manchego Cheese Selection Platter (Serves 8) – Ā£15
The Perfect Turkey Joint (Serves 8-10) – Ā£45
Plant Kitchen Vegan Beef Wellington (Serves 4) – Ā£15
Sticky Toffee Pudding Crown (Serves 12) – Ā£20
Golden Blond Chocolate Star Christmas Pudding (Serves 8) – Ā£12
Triple Choc-a-Block Churros (Serves 6) – Ā£10
We hope this has given you some ideas of food you’d like to see on your Christmas table! We’ve just placed our order….
Click here to pre-order your Christmas food direct from the Marks & Spencer website.
If you don’t have leftovers, you’ll just need to boil and mash some potatoes before making this. The green veg can be fried at the time of making it.
There are loads of substitution options too:
Try different veg, such as spinach, green beans or broccoli
Try mashed carrots, parsnips, squash or sweet potato instead of the regular mash
If you don’t like eggs, you could top it with smoky bacon and/or grated cheese
Preheat oven to 180
Put all dry ingredients into a bowl and mix well
Melt the coconut oil and butter in a saucepan, then add the honey or maple syrup. Stir to combine
Pour the mixture into a bowl, add the mashed banana and mix well
Press the mixture into the base of a greased, 8×8 inch baking tin. Really push it down to help it to bind, then bake for 25 minutes
Cut into bars and serve with a dollop of Greek yoghurt for breakfast or enjoy as a snack on the go.
There you have it, super easy & nutritious granola bars recipe that the whole family can tuck into! Will you be trying these?
One of my favourite things about Summer is smoothies! Usually, in the colder months, smoothies arenāt number one. But this is where they shine, and theyāre super healthy! So if youāre trying to cut back on sugar but are craving something sweet, this is for you. Not only are they nutritious and sweet, but theyāre also filling and customizable. Drink these for breakfast, before your workout, an evening snack, midnight snack, etc. Smoothies are an all-day thing, and with these summer smoothie recipes, theyāre about to become your favourite thing.
(Protein powders are optional in all of these)
The instructions for all these are pretty much the same, add the ingredients into a blender. And blend. Then serve, you can add ice if you want a colder and smoother taste. Or you can freeze the milk into ice cubes if you donāt want to add water.
This smoothie is really creamy, and is a healthier version of a chocolate milkshake! Most of these recipes have 4 main ingredients with additional add-ons.Ā
This is the smoothie version of mango lassi. Which is a blend of yogurt, water/milk, spices, and mango.
If you want more than one fruit in your smoothie, then try this apple and banana smoothie.Ā
Plus, if you want to add more servings of the fruit, go ahead! This is your smoothie.
One of my favourite things about the mixed berry smoothie is that it needs the least work. If youāre in a rush you donāt need to peel/chop up fruits and can just use frozen berries.Ā
Another smoothie tip is to freeze the fruit ahead of time, so if youāre in a rush you can make it quicker.
Ever wanted a healthier smoothie? This is the one for you, with your favourite veggies you can make a veg smoothie for the trip.Ā
You can also use beetroot, carrots, celery, etc for other vegetables.
Those are 6 smoothie recipes, perfect for breakfast or just a cool evening drink. If you want to replace a meal with it, try adding protein powder so youāre more fuelled for the day.Ā
One of the best things about smoothies is that if youāre trying to eat healthier, you donāt have to be stuck with bitter, boring food you donāt like! Smoothies can be sweeter with honey and riper/sweeter fruit, plus thicker if you add nuts or more yogurt.Ā
Thereās no one size fits all, so experiment with your smoothies! I own a NutriBullet blender, and Iāve had it for about 2 years now, and itās great! But any blender you have will do, so enjoy your smoothie and let me know if you have any favourite recipes.
I love expanding my smoothie list and would love to hear what you think about these smoothies. Thanks for reading!
And thank you That Mama Club for letting me guest post on their blog!
About the blogger: Hey there, Iām Sejal! Iām a blogger that helps people on their journey to become the best versions of themselves. You can find me sharing guides, tips, sarcastic remarks, and more on my blog, The Lazy Gal. Everyone is welcome in that little corner of the internet, read more about me here.
You can find Sejal on her socials here.
I am a sucker for a cocktail, especially in the warmer months! They are so refreshing and I love how creative they can be! I have my firm favourites but recently I have definitely been branching out – I recently had a Watermelon Daquiri when out with my best friend and it was DELICIOUS! We are sharing 10 Summer cocktail & mocktail recipes. When I was pregnant with the boys I never wanted to feel like I was missing out so opted for non-alcoholic alternatives!
These cocktail recipes are for those who enjoy a lovely summer tipple – we have something for everyone! From gin lovers to you vodka fiends.
PINK GIN SPRITZ – RECIPE CREDIT TO CRAFT GIN CLUB
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Pour all the ingredients into a wine glass filled with ice and give it a quick stir to combine. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit and serve.
STRAWBERRY MOSCOW MULE – RECIPE CREDIT TO MY FOOD STORY
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VODKA STRAWBERRY LEMONADE – RECIPE CREDIT TO HEATHER CHRISTO
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FOR STRAWBERRY PUREE
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PEACH ROSE SANGRIA – RECIPE CREDIT TO RECIPE RUNNER
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PASSIONFRUIT MARTINI – RECIPE CREDIT TO SUPER GOLDEN BAKES
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We are fully aware that alcohol isn’t for everyone so we are also sharing five amazing mocktail recipes!
SUMMER BERRY HIGHBALL – RECIPE CREDIT TO CRAFT GIN CLUB
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Add the raspberries and strawberry to a shaker and gently muddle them.Ā Add the gin, elderflower syrup, lime juice, apple juice with ice and shake well. Strain into a Highball glass over ice and top with soda. Garnish with raspberries and mint.
GRAPEFRUIT AND GINĀ SPRITZER – RECIPE CREDIT TO LAUREN CARIS COOKS
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NON-ALCOHOLIC SANGRIA – RECIPE CREDIT TO BBC GOOD FOOD
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WATERMELON & LIME MOCKTAIL – RECIPE CREDIT TO TESCO
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