Get Christmas sorted with The Organised Mum!

Hello my lovelies,

Right now, we are all about the Christmas at Chez Robertson and I’m getting myself organised (well trying!) for the silly season.  Usually it’s an enjoyable slog but this year I have the help of Britain’s treasure, The Organised Mum!  If you do not know about The Organised Mum Method, head on over to her website for the best way to keep your home ship shape in only 30 minutes a day.

Not only is Gemma a wizz at helping you get your home sorted and saving your sanity she now has a Christmas plan that will save your festive sanity and get you finally enjoying the silly season rather than dreading it!

Starting this week, you can check out her Facebook page every week for a small list of tasks to complete spread the organisational madness of the festive season to ensure that everything is done in time, ensuring you have the Best Christmas Yet!

Week one is ready for your on The Organised Mum Facebook page – time to feel smug while your colleagues scramble around in the Christmas madness while you sip your mulled wine!

Also be sure to check out The Organised Mum Youtube Channel and website

Check it out ASAP and get your Ho! Ho! Ho! sorted!

Bright blessings,

Mrs R

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Simple dairy-free sausage rolls

Hello my lovelies,

Tonight we are going to the Luna Open Air Cinema to watch The Greatest Showman. And it’s a sing along! I can’ t wait!

It’s been a run around of a day. We’ve seen two sets of friends at two different parks, made Elderflower cupcakes that don’t actually taste much like Elderflower but look good never-the-less.

But the real show stopper for tonight are our home made, dairy-free sausage rolls.

These are just too good not to share and so easy to make!

You will need:

4 good quality pork sausages (We used Porky Whites)

1 package Jus- Rol ready rolled puff pastry sheet

Dairy free spread to grease the baking tray

Set your oven to preheat to 200 degrees if it’s a fan assisted or 220 if it’s not a fan assisted oven.

Unroll the pastry and cut in half width ways.  Slit the skins of the sausages and remove from the skin.  Place two sausages on each piece of pastry.   Fold the pastry over and roll over the edge making sure the sausages are nice and snug inside the pastry.

Next crimp the edges with a fork

Cut each sausage roll into 8 even slices and place on a tray.  Brush with beaten egg.

Bake until risen up and golden brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool before devouring!

Bright blessings,

Mrs R

x

Elderflower Cordial

Hello my lovelies,

We’ve lived in this house for 4 years this year and every year I’ve told myself I’d make elderflower cordial.  Of course, I’ve never done it.  So this year, before I could talk myself out of it, I picked these gorgeously fragrant flowers.

You’ll need twenty heads of these beauties.

To make this ridiculously easy cordial you will need:

1 litre of water

20 heads of elderflower

2 kilograms of white sugar

2 lemons, skin peeled off with a potato peeler and then sliced into discs

75g citric acid (you can buy food grade citric acid from Ebay for a couple of quid)

In a pan, bring the water and lemon peel to the boil.

Meanwhile, shake the elderflower bunches over the sink to shake off any bugs.  Rinse lightly.

Once the water is boiled, remove from the heat and add the sugar.  Stir until the sugar dissolves completely.

Add the lemon slices and elderflower then cover for 12 hours and allow to infuse.

Strain well through a fine seive and some muslin cloth (we used a clean cotton handkerchief) into a bowl.  Pour into sterilized jars, seal and label.

Use your cordial to make up a refreshing drink mixing 1/5 parts cordial and top up with water.  Fizzy water can also be used.

Or, mix 1/5 parts cordial with some prosecco and enjoy on the terrace :0)

Bright blessings,

Mrs R

x

Dairy-free choc banana bites

Hello my lovelies,

Sometimes it’s difficult to get kids to eat their fruit and veggies.  Right now, Missy is loving veggies but doesn’t seem too interested in fruit.  I know, right!  Crazy!  For most kids, it’s the other way around.  Trust Missy to be different.

I had a couple of bananas that were starting to get black spots on the skin and knew Missy would pass them over because of this.  I figured  the only way I could get her to eat them was to smother them in something desirable. And this is what I came up with.

I must add that this is (besides the microwaving part) a very child friendly bit of food prep and the kids will love getting involved.

These couldn’t be easier to make.   First, peel and chop up two bananas into chunks and skewer them.

Next, melt some dairy free chocolate in the microwave.  We used Moo Free chocolate.  Melt only 30 seconds at a time and stir well between microwave time.  Chocolate burns very quickly so watch it carefully.

 

Next, dip the banana into the melted chocolate using a spoon to help to coat the underside of the banana chunks.  Be careful  as the banana tends to want to slip off the skewer.

Next sprinkle the chocolate covered banana with sprinkles of your choice (being careful to ensure that the sprinkles are dairy free) and set onto a plate to cool.

**After trying to eat these, we found that putting them on a plate to set was not the best idea!  They stick terribly!  Rather, place them on a tray covered in waxed paper to cool. Then they will come off easily. Not that Missy didn’t have tremendous fun prising the bananas of the plate 🙂 **

Set in the fridge for a few hours before digging in!

Bright blessings,

Mrs R

x

DIY all natural lip scrub recipe

Hello my lovelies,

It’s half term here in the UK and it’s raining. Of course it’s raining. It’s half term and I have a seven year old to entertain.  Of course, it’s bloody raining!

Anyhoo!

I found some cute little clear butterfly pots at The Works a couple of weeks ago and thought they would be perfect to make some lip balm with.  But it’s that time of year when my lips are always dry and rough from the change in the season.  I’ve seen lip scrubs in some high end stores and figured, it couldn’t be that difficult to make one.  So Missy and I gave it a go.

The ingredients, are probably those that you already have in your pantry.  You will need:

1t coconut oil

1t honey – we used some lavender flower honey we got in Germany last year

2 1/2 of white sugar or brown if you prefer

1/4 t vanilla bean extract (optional)

Measure all ingredients into a bowl and combine well.  Try not to eat it!  It smells and tastes fabulous!

Spoon carefully into the little pots and there you have it!

Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

Bright blessings,

Mrs R

x

Making gratitude a daily habit

Dairy-free banana bread recipe

 

With a daughter who has a dairy and apple intolerance, it can be difficult to find shop bought dairy free items that not only taste good but aren’t filled with undesirable ingredients. I constantly adapt recipes to so my daughter can enjoy the same foods as everyone else. During the school holidays, when you’re out and about, a coffee and a piece of cake can easily cost you £5.50 each. That’s if you can find anything dairy free that is. It’s so easy to make your own and cost effective too. This recipe is based on a recipe by Tessa Kiros. I’ve adapted it to make it dairy free and made a few other small changes to taste. Dairy free banana bread recipe 125g dairy free spread 180g sugar 1 rounded tablespoon treacle 4 ripe bananas, mashed 2 free range eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon cinnamon 250g plain flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ¾ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 3 tablespoons almond milk (or you could use oat or rice milk if you can’t have nuts) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade. Grease a loaf tin with dairy free spread. Cream the dairy free spread with the sugar and treacle. Add the eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and banana and mix well. Add the flour and baking powder and mix until smooth. In a cup, mix the warm milk and bicarb until no lumps remain. Add to the banana mixture and combine well. Pour the banana mixture into the greased loaf tin and bake for between 50 – 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Turn out onto a metal rack and allow to cool. Serve warm with dairy free spread.

I hope you enjoy my video and for more dairy free and other recipes, be sure to give this video a thumbs up!

Bright blessings,

 

Mrs R