My Dream Kitchen - Electrolux Appliances

 Since I spend most of my life cooking, I'd love a bigger kitchen as ours is so small. Electrolux have a vast range of beautiful, stylish yet practical kitchenware, everything for a dream kitchen.

 Picture from Electrolux website.

If Money didn't Matter!
Sometimes I imagine that if money wasn’t any problem what kind of house and kitchen I’d have.  It would have to be one of those huge, swish, top notch kitchens with everything in its place and I’d have every kitchen gadget going.....Okay, I’m near that part as I do have ‘almost’ every kitchen gadget going, but sadly not the space to put it all in!
 

Cooking:

 My dream kitchen would have to have loads of work space.  

An Electrolux CombiSteam oven would be fantastic with a fancy extractor cooker hood, and I'd also have an induction hob.  A combination microwave is handy to have and I'd have a huge fridge, a separate freezer and one of those wine coolers too.  I’ve always wanted a warming drawer so plates nicely heated at dinner parties.

 Eating and Relaxing:

I'd have space for a big kitchen table so friends could come round to eat, drink and have a good chat.  Dining rooms are great for more formal occasions, but for everyday use, the kitchen is the place for me.

 Another kitchen essential is a TV, not that I'm addicted to television, but I do love to catch up on cookery programmes whilst cooking!

Cleaning:

In the kitchen or utility room, these days almost every household has a washing machine.  The house we're in at the moment doesn't have the luxury of a utility room and so my washing machine is also in the kitchen.

Oh and before I forget, a dishwasher would also have to be included.

What would your Dream Kitchen include?

Brief History of Electrolux:

 Electrolux is a global leader in home appliances and appliances for professional use.  But it all started with a single vacuum cleaner.

Back in 1908, Axel Wenner-Gren was strolling the streets of Vienna when he caught glimpse of a bulky vacuum cleaner.  Although the machine was costly and heavy (around 20 kilograms!), he was inspired: in his mind, the machine became smaller, lighter and less expensive.  And so the Electrolux story started.

This is a sponsored post.

  

Save Money and Help Charities with My Favourite Voucher Codes

In this day and age money is tight for so many of us so it's always good to be able to actually save some money on the things you need to buy. My Favourite Voucher Codes shows you all the offers from hundreds and hundreds of online retailers allowing you to save money when you shop online with promo codes. 

 Everything is covered from the weekly food shop, clothing and footwear,   babies and toddlers to things you might need for your home and garden. 

Keeping Safe in and Around the Kitchen

Keeping safe at all times is of course important, but when cooking in the kitchen you need to take extra care.  One silly mistake can so very easily turn into a disaster.  A recent incident in my kitchen made me realise we should all have some sort of fire blanket and extinguisher to hand.  
 Afterwards, looking on the net I came across this really handy to know about site called Pure Safety.

 Let me share with you my very near disaster that happened in my own kitchen:

Anyone that follows me on FaceBook will have heard my story on the day it happened. I know it was really very stupid of me but I needed to melt some butter.  I was brushing sheets of filo pastry with the butter, and as you're probably aware, you have to be quick about it as filo pastry dries out so fast and is ruined.   

I'd already melted my butter in the microwave (not recommended) but because it had started to cool, I popped it back in for just 10 seconds more.  Suddenly, the butter exploded and completely covered the inside of the microwave.  Seriously, every nook and cranny was totally covered in almost 100g of butter!  So the cleaning up began and it took an age.   

Desperate to know if my fancy all singing all dancing convection, grill microwave still worked.  My husband Paul was with me and he said just put the grill on for a few seconds.  Yes it will smoke, but its got to burn off any remaining butter that I couldn’t get to.  So on went the grill, and yes it smoked.  We left the door open and then put it on for another few seconds.  After repeating this we decided that a minute might sort it out.

This turned out to be a HUGE mistake as it actually caught fire.

You will not know how frightening it was.  I moved quicker than I ever have in my life and un-plugged it from the power.  I threw a damp tea towel over the top to cover the air vents and with the oven door shut, the fire went out.

I shook with fright:

 Suddenly you realise just how the fire might not have gone out so quickly.  It was actually just the butter that had caught fire and not the actual grill or workings of the oven.  

However, it could have been really serious as even Paul wouldn’t have been able to pick the microwave up and get it outside quick enough if it had still been on fire.

Pure Safety have thousands of safety and health products to browse through.

Please take time to stay safe in the kitchen and do NOT melt butter in the microwave.

 Oh, and after all that my filo pastry was well and truly fit for the bin!

Do you have any safety products near to hand in your kitchen?  

Please take time to leave a comment.

This is a sponsored post. 

Walkers - Only Use Home-Grown British Ingredients

Did you know that Walkers only use British ingredients in their crisps?

Yes real homegrown ingredients are now being used - which is fantastic news.

Walkers believe that Home Grown Food Tastes Best, and it has to be said using British grown ingredients is not only great news for the Country, but it also reduces the carbon footprint too, which can only be a good thing.  

In this video, Gary Lineker travels around (with his Dad) to tell us more!

 

 Just to recap - Walkers Crisps Facts:

Walkers only use 100% Great British Potatoes from Hampshire.

The flavouring for their Tomato Ketchup crisps is actually made from Real Tomatoes from the Vale of Evesham.  The same tomatoes are also used for for Prawn Cocktail flavour crisps too.

Cheese used is Cheddar Cheese from Somerset, which is matured and ends up on their crisps as flavouring. 

Even Walkers Salt and Vinegar Crisps contain Real British Vinegar.

Smoky Bacon Crisps use Real Pork from Norfolk and Roast Chicken Crisps contain Free Range Chicken from Devon.

Of course the Worcester Sauce is blended in Britain too!

This is a sponsored post.

Sponsored Video – Blacksticks Blue Cheese

Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses based in Inglewhite, Lancashire have been making a range of hard, blue and soft cheese since 1932.  Their Blacksticks Blue (love the name) has a lovely ‘amber hue’ made its first appearance in 2003 the cheese has a huge following of fans including celebrity chef Simon Rimmer who describes it as “The Daddy of all Blue Cheeses”.

Using milk that’s delivered fresh everyday by their tanker driver Dougie who picks up from farmers just a down the road.  When the creamy milk has been lovingly transformed into cheese, it is then matured until it hits its perfect age and,as we all know, a good cheese takes time.   Once the cheese has passed Butlers experienced grader Bill’s stamp of approval, it is then ready to be released for sale across the country.  

Blacksticks Blue is milder and creamier than Stilton yet still has a tangy taste. The lovely amber colour looks great on any cheeseboard.  Available in all good supermarkets but can also be found in miniature whole truckles in Sainsbury’s and Booths this Christmas.  Marks & Spencer’s are selling a mouth-watering mini truckle with a fig glaze and dried fruits. 

The ideal cheeseboard really only needs to consist of three types of cheese: One hard, one soft and one blue.   Blacksticks Blue makes a nice change to the Christmas cheeseboard from the usual Stilton.

Butler’s have launched this fun animated video, have a look I think you’ll like it:

For more information on Butlers cheeses including their online shop and recipes, have a look at their website.

You can Like Butlers on Facebook and follow them on Twitter

This post is sponsored by Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses.

Make your Table Sparkle this Christmas with a Chocolate Wreath

At Christmas, the way the dining table looks is almost as important as the festive feast spread out upon it.  Whether you show it with a snowy white tablecloth and the best silver, with scattered pine cones, gold and silver glitter, candles, crackers or all of the above, Christmas dinner is a once a year occasion and deserves to look really special.  Little dishes of treats like sugared almonds, mixed nuts or chocolate ginger add to the effect.

For a combination of the traditional and the original, and for an addition to the table that everyone will welcome, it would be hard to beat a Hotel Chocolat wreath.  Made from solid milk or dark chocolate and studded with goodies, they are both decorative and delicious.

The classic Festive Wreath is made from Hotel Chocolat's 50% milk chocolate, with swirls of sweet caramel.  Its more sophisticated cousin, the Purist Festive Wreath, appeals to the refined palate with its indulgent 70% dark chocolate, made from pure Ecuadorian cocoa grown by a farmers’ cooperative in the unspoiled province of Napo.

Fruit, nuts and chocolate are all favourite nibbles at this time of year. Hotel Chocolat's Festive Wreaths presents all of the above in a combination as handy as it is tasty.  The milk chocolate Festive Wreath is a veritable biscuit barrel, covered with chunks of cookie and pieces of florentine, that festive confection of caramel, nuts and candied fruit.  The Purist Wreath's dark chocolate with its vanilla undertones is complimented by tender, golden raisins and two kinds of nut.  There are hazelnuts from Italy's Piedmont region, famed for their cultivation, and Marcona almonds, a small, sweet variety prized for their delicate flavour.

The wreaths are moulded to evoke the elements of a Christmas wreath in the traditional style. Under the delicious topping, the chocolate ring is shaped into holly leaves, bows, baubles and pine cones.

The Festive Wreath is suitable for vegetarians.  The Purist Festive Wreath is made without dairy products, making it vegan friendly too. Both wreaths come in a clear plastic box, adorned with a white ribbon for the Festive Wreath and a snazzy black ribbon befitting the dark Purist version, but we think you will prefer to display them on a suitably festive plate, to allow easier access. Nutcrackers not required!

The Festive Wreaths are available in two sizes.  The smaller 100g wreath is perfect for an after dinner nibble, while the large version, at 450g, serves eight and should last you well into an evening of party games or seasonal television watching.  The milk chocolate Festive Wreath costs £7 for the smaller edition or £20 for the large size, while the dark chocolate Purist wreath retails at £9 for the 100g version and £25 for the 450g model.

Whichever you choose, a Hotel Chocolat wreath is sure to make a centrepiece which will be remembered long after the chocolate itself has been consumed. You could even buy both and give your guests a choice. What could be more festive than that?

Win a Cookery Lesson with a Professional Gourmet Chef

The Ideas Kitchen is running a fantastic competition - they are offering 4 Lucky Winners the chance to win a cookery lesson with Daniel Galmiche, head chef of The Vineyard at Stockcross, Berkshire.

 The Prize:
On Saturday 3rd November the lucky winners will be greeted with Champagne and canapés.  They will then get a tour of The Vineyard’s impressive wine cellars and kitchen, followed by a Personal Cooking Lesson with the man himself!
The day will then be topped off with a delicious Five Course Tasting Lunch at The Vineyard.

 Easy to Enter:
To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is answer the following question......

Sponsored Video – Method Cleaning Products

After cooking almost any kind of meal you end up with washing up or some sort of cleaning that just has to be done.  Also, we all have to either wash, bath or shower every day.  Keeping our homes (and ourselves) clean makes for a better living environment, and that in turn makes us feel good too. 

  First of all, what is Method? 
Method is a brand of non-toxic cleaning products - for people who simply want a better way to clean with ingredients that come from plants.

Cruelty-Free
Method is certified by PETA as a Cruelty-Free and Vegan Company – none of their products are ever tested on animals.
Safe
Method products do not contain any hazardous ingredients, making them safe to use around children.

Sponsored Video - Rekorderlig Cider

Rekorderlig is a Swedish cider made from pear and apple wine and the purest of spring water.  It was first made in 1999 in Vimmerby and it is still brewed there today. 

   With eight exciting flavours to choose from, I love the sound of Winter Cider!
  I wonder which flavour you would choose.
Apple Cider
Pear
    Wild Berries  
Mango and Raspberry
Strawberry and Lime
Orange and Ginger
Apple and Blackcurrant
Winter Cider with Apple, Cinnamon and Vanilla

Of course cider can be used in many recipes and works especially well with pork, or how about a Refreshing Pear Cider Sorbet?

Rekorderlig Pear Cider Sorbet Recipe:
 Pour a 500ml bottle of Rekorderlig Pear cider into a jug and add a tablespoon or so of caster sugar along with a good squeeze of lemon juice.  Stir well to dissolve the sugar.
  Now, you can either pour the mixture into an ice-cream maker or freeze by hand.
If you going to freeze by hand, pour the mixture into a freezer box and freeze for about 3 hours or so until ice crystals are forming around the edge.  You will now have to beat the crystals into the liquid centre until you have a sort of lemon slush, then freeze again for a couple of hours.  Then, once again, beat the mixture and pop back into the freezer.
Beating will stop the sorbet freezing into a solid block, though the texture won’t be as good as a sorbet made in a machine.
Once it is frozen, leave it to soften slightly before serving.

Rekorderlig believes that everyone has got a Swedish side to them and here, in this short video, Olof will show you how you can find yours!

  You can find out more about Rekorderlig over at their website

Follow Rekorderlig on Twitter

Discover the Swedish way of life on FaceBook

Folllow Rekorderlig on YouTube

Article sponsored by Rekorderlig Cider.