Playing with my processor

So today I have been experimenting with my new food processor.

I did before hand however decided that cleaning the new blades would be a good idea because they'd been in a box and almost amputated the top of my middle finger - ouch (or a more deserving expletive)

I decided I usually use the basic recipe for a sponge of 225g flour, 225g butter, 225g sugar and 3 eggs. So today I decided I would try a new recipe as I find this usually ends up a bit flat and pathetic looking. So today I turned to my trusty Maw Broons Cookbook that my Mother In Law Sandy brought me for my birthday a few years back. Its fab.

This is Maw Broon;s Cookbook. Inside as you can see it looks like a well used family cookbook and the way it is written makes me laugh if you can decypher it well enough but having a half scottish family I think its the best thing Ive read with old style scottish recipes. Id definitely recommend it. Anyway I went for the basic recipe in this book. 100g butter, 125g sugar, 4 eggs and 200g flour. 

Below is the finished split cake. I need to work on my halving skills but the recipe made a very dense dry Old Style cake. It was tasty but proper old style! 

This is whats left after I added the cream! 

Should also say the British Double Cream I had from work, I again did the waste last night and my boss let me bring a whole carrier bag of mini Gem lettuces home for my rabbits. 3 tubs of 600ml double cream and 2 French sticks.....all for free. So today I have put them to good use.

Right off to meal plan a bit

x Sammy x

My newest ~ experimental ~ challenge!

As most of you know by now I work for a well known supermarket branch.

But I have become absolutely mortified lately at the stuff my shop has been getting rid of - the piles of waste is just simply ridiculous!

We had 38 multipack bags (6 bags in a bag) of Walkers crisps wasted a few weeks ago because they were a week over their sell by date. So we opened one packet, sampled them and offered customers one to taste - explained that they were slightly out of date and gave 20 of them away rather than bin them so I am setting myself a challenge.

I am going to ATTEMPT until my next pay (bar bread/milk/babys stuff - ie nappies/milk and juice) live off the shops reduced sections and my cupboards - now I havent done a big shop this month so have a few basics in like tins and pasta but my fridge and freezer are almost empty bar a few straddling bits and pieces.

So as far as I'm concerned the reduced section will cover me for meat and vegetables basically with the rest being baked or used up form my cupboards/stock ~ which by the way isn't a great deal and my next pay day isn't until the 19th May.

I mean for obvious reasons I wont scrimp on Holly's things as she's only 9 months old but instead of jars she will be getting things home-made now and Benjamin gets a very upset stomach from the cheaper juice so for that I will stick to Mr T's brand one but everything else will be reduced section items.

I'm hoping in theory this will

a) help me to get back in the kitchen and make meals as I've been severely slacking recently

b) help me with meal experimenting and trying new recipes

c)help me save money

d)help me get back in shape as I have to walk at least half hour to get to Mr T

Also if you fancy a similiar challenge or any help with food waste then please visit this site

http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

I will make a list of cupboard / freezer / fridge contents and post them and I'll see how I manage for this next month!