This easy lemon layer cake, sandwiched with lemon buttercream, leans into the naked cakes trend and can be whipped up in no time at all. Updated 2026 · Originally commissioned by Great British Chefs for Cath Kidston Bare or “naked” cakes have been a growing trend for weddings in the past year. Letting the golden […]
Overnight dill cucumber pickles
When I published the picture of these overnight dill cucumber pickles on Instagram I had a great reaction with people saying how pretty they were. This is barely a recipe, it’s just chopping and leaving ingredients overnight in white wine vinegar. I think what makes them pretty is how the pink pigment bleeds out of […]
8 Summer Salad Recipes
Thank you to Katie for hosting last month’s Speedy Suppers with quickie salad suggestions. We had an incredible range of sophisticated salads way beyond the humble cucumber / lettuce / tomato of my youth! It’s my turn to pick up the baton and round up these recipes – I’m also hosting this month’s Speedy Suppers […]
24 thrifty summer recipe ideas: Credit Crunch Munch
Throughout July it was my turn to host Credit Crunch Munch for Helen and Camilla and I’m pleased to report the humid weather didn’t keep you out of your kitchens. We had 24 fantastic entries showcasing thrifty summer recipe ideas. From making the most of summer seasonal ingredients such as Swiss chard, peaches and raspberries […]
Lemon Sunflower Cake
Make this easy Lemon Sunflower Cake for a lazy summer’s day, it’s a lemon flavoured sponge cake with easy decoration to look like a sunflower. The perfect centrepiece for a summer party table! Updated 2026 · Now with printable recipe sheet – originally featured on BabyCentre A quick and easy cake to ease me back […]
Win £500 Canvas Holidays Vouchers
With £500 Canvas Holidays vouchers you could be nearer to Disneyland Paris than you think. I badly wanted to visit Disneyland when I was a child. Disney was the magical treat served up on miserable bank holidays as “Disney Time” clips. Every Easter, May Day and August I craved to see the dancing mushrooms from […]
Naked Wedding Cakes with Lily Vanilli
Unveiling the “naked” wedding cake. Suddenly sugarpaste seems such an old maid. The home spun, home crafted craze is reaching its zenith. I have just attended a day’s Christmas in July media launches and clearly home made is hotter than well, July. Since the credit crunch forced us to make do and mend, our inner […]
Basa Fillets with Bacon and Spinach
These frozen white fish fillets of basa, cooked with strips of bacon and wilted spinach are a budget friendly and healthy home-made meal to feed the family. Updated 2026 · Now with printable recipe, a similar version aimed at families with young children was originally featured on Babycentre Those sum-umm-er ni-iiiiiiiights. Tell me more. I […]
Kids Pizza Express Party
Children love decorating pizzas. Kids’ Pizza Express parties make the perfect birthday party experience that’s easy for parents too. I looked into booking a Pizza Express party for Ted’s birthday last year but instead did my own cupcake decorating party under a wet gazebo. Although the food decorating part was very successful with the children, […]
Sooty Birthday Cake
Sooty, Sweep and Soo were the stars of Ted’s Sooty birthday cake this year.
Vitamix Raspberry Ice Cream
This Vitamix Raspberry Ice Cream can be made in under 3 minutes using fresh raspberries, frozen bananas and a powder blender. Updated 2026 · Now with printable recipe Dessert doesn’t come much dead easier than this and after a month’s hiatus Dead Easy Desserts is back. A round up of the last edition’s entries, hosted […]
Linguine, ham and olives
String style pastas, whether they be linguine, spaghetti or tagliatelle make the ultimate fast kid friendly meals that can be freshly cooked in single portions. It’s Sunday night and I like something easy. I need to cook up something in a hurry and various permutations of spaghetti with sauce are my go-to speedy supper. Pasta […]
