Love Tarts !!!!!!

These are the most simple, easy, yummy treats for your loved one, or in my case the kids.
I did manage to save a dinky one until my lovely hubby came home but the majority of them were scoffed down in two or three bites.

Why are these so easy, well let me tell you.

Use ready made sweet pastry and a Greens Egg custard mix.
1 hour later delicious tarts for all.

Take fresh pastry and roll out on a floured surface.
Line all your flan/tart dishes with the pastry. Fill with ceramic baking beads and blind bake for around 12-15 minutes until golden.

Whilst your tart cases are baking, follow the instructions on the packet of the egg custard mix.

Take out cases and pour in the custard mix.
Place in a refridgerator for 1-2 hours until set.
Dust the top with Nutmeg.

Devour mini tarts in one bite and let the kids gobble the rest.
Love Natty xxxxx

Bruised Apples to Beautiful Cake.......

My kids love fruit.
Bananas being the fruit of choice for the baby twins or "AnnAnnas" as they call them.
The big twins and Poppy love apples. Jasmine, well not so much but we try.
Any how, today I discovered that the baby twins have made up a new game.
It's called throw the fruit as far as you can.
Yes, you guessed it.
Fruit disaster. After much squealing and joyous laughter from two naughty little rascals, I tried to rescue the half dozen apples that had been launched down the stairs and hallway, oh and did I mention that they even attempted to post them through the letter box?

Well you can only imagine that the apples by this point were in a very sorry state.

I decided, frugal as I am, not to waste them but to quickly grate what was left of them and make them into a delicious Apple and Cinnamon Ring.

Here is how to use up bruised apples, if like me you have mischievous little monsters.

Recipe:

4-6 apples (bruised or not depending on your children's habits)
6 oz Self Raising flour
6 oz Golden Caster Sugar
6 oz Butter
3 medium eggs.
Cinnamon to your own tasting.
Icing sugar (optional)

Throw the Butter and Sugar in a mixer and cream together until soft and fluffy.
Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk till combined. Then add to butter and sugar and mix for 30 seconds or so.
Sift the flour in to the mixture one cup at a time.
Continue to combine until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.

Grate the apple (or what is left of them) and add to cake mix.
Once you have folded in the grated apple, add your cinnamon to taste.
We are cinnamon lovers here in our house so we use about 2 dessert spoon fulls.

Once the cinnamon is in, pour into a ready greased ring.
I used a silicon ring, but I still always grease it first to ensure it comes out clean.

Pop in a preheated oven at around 180 degrees for between 20-25 minutes. Check with a skewer to see if done, if not pop it back in for 5 minute intervals.

Allow to cool slightly before turning out.

Drizzle over glace icing or sift with icing sugar.

Enjoy with custard, cream or on its own and feel happy with yourself for not wasting those apples.

Love is in the air !

Well, as we are fast approaching Valentines Day, I thought I would share with you today a Dessert Design I did a while back but never got round to putting on.
The design brief was Red, Black, White and Hearts.

Sweet treats included:

Red Velvet Two tier cake with heart decorations.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red Velvet and Marshmallow Woopie pies

White chocolate Cake Pops

Liquorice fudge

Sherbet Shots (Always go down a treat)

Decorated sugar Cookies

A selection of candy and sweets.

Love Natty xxxx

Christmas, a distant memory.

Well, it has actually been just over two weeks since the festive season officially came to a close.
I am feeling a bit fed up as I know the cold months are creeping up on me just so they can chill me right down to my bones.
I find I struggle to get motivated in January. It always seems a bit strange to me really why January is supposed to be the start of all things new, diets, resolutions, kicking old habits.
 We are all spent out from Christmas, we are probably carrying a few extra pounds, which lets face it makes it even more difficult to get off our butts and do something with our selves.
The return to NORMAL life seems like such an up hill struggle that just getting out of bed in the morning seems like a mammoth task.

For me January is slow. I would rather bake a banana cake, cover it in custard, get under the duvet and read a book.

However today I have forced myself back into action.

I am hoping this year turns out to be a good year for my dream business.
I have hopes of it really taking off. Allowing me to set in motion my plan to take over the world one party, wedding, christening at a time.

In the mean time, I thought I would share a few of my favourite photos from Christmas. I must have been one good girl last year as Santa slipped a brand new Canon Eos under the tree for me.
Oh let the joys of photography begin.

Happy New Year Everyone

Love

Natty xxxx

Happy Hogwarts Birthday

Oh dear.....I know it has been so very very long since I last posted and for that I apologies.
We have had poorly children it seems for the past two months and I had a serious bout of Flu too.
On the mend now and four of the six are back in school and the normal routine is starting to emerge from the depths of some hidden abyss.

I thought I would finally share the Harry Potter Party we hosted for the Big Twins birthday back in September. The party was actually held the first weekend in October, it was a clear day and the rain stayed off, so we felt very lucky indeed.
Here is my little narative about the party.

"As we have Boy/Girl twins they normally always argue about what style of party we are going to have for them.
However this year they told me right from the start that it was to be a Harry Potter Party.

I made each child a home made Wizards robe with the different house badges on. Everyone wore them on the day accept for my fashion conscious daughter who wore a  hermione dress (purchased from ebay).
I even got my mother in law to knit my baby twins and my husband Griffindor Quidditch jumpers and scarves, they looked super cute).

The party was held in my front yard. 
I had handmade a Platform 9 3/4 sign that hung above the entry way. We had a fake wall which was a  made out of a vinyl brick patterned backdrop, the children loved running through this to enter the party.
 
We had different activities to entertain the children through out the day. We had Potion class, Herbology, Quidditch practice and Harrys Dress up box.

In quidditch the children threw a golden snitch through home made quidditch rings.

Potion class was really fun. Each child was given their own beaker in which they made magical potions. They had an edible potion first and then they had an exploding potion which made them squeal with delight.

In herbology the children planted Screaming Mandrake Seedlings (daffodil bulbs) in their own little plant pots. They got to take them home at the end of the day.

Harrys Dressing up box was full of various different potter clothing, all the children took turns to get dressed up and have their photo taken to take home with them.


The children all visited Hagrids Hotdog hut for their savoury food and then they all got to enter the Griffindor common room (my living room) for the dessert table and treats.

The Dessert table was done in the colours of Griffindor ,Gold and Maroon.

The sweet treats where all named after Harry Potter characters and houses.
we had.
Lunas Lemon Drops
Professors Pumpkins
Ravenclaw Raisin treats
Golden snitches (orange coconut mallow balls)
Gringots gold
Snakes Skulls
Hermiones Honeycomb
Hufflepuffs honey Pops
Wizard Wands

For the twins birthday cakes they wanted the cake that Hagrid made for Harry in the first Potter movie. I did two of these cakes one for each twin.

The whole day was a big success, all the children had an amazing time and the twins were delighted with their party.

For favours to take home, I made custom printables.
They were Rons Rainbow cookies, Bertie botts every flavour beans, chocolate frogs and glass vials filled with poisonous dust (sherbet).

The children loved their favour bags and all the kids in school are still talking about the twins Harry Potter party. It was definitely worth all of the hard work."

Here are the photos courtesy of Abi booth Photography

Happy Birthday Willow and Lucas xxxx