Monday surprise...

It's time to reveal the winner of the latest giveaway - the prize is a selection of beautiful Somerset Suds soaps made by my friend Sue. 
 Her soaps are just lovely and I have decided that this time, I'd like even more people to enjoy these, so...wait for this...we have THREE winners! 

Congratulations Kim, Jolouise and Aska Lodge - you will all get a set of soaps! 

Just bear with me whilst I order some more from Sue to send on to you - in the meantime, please email me your address (my email is on my profile page), so I can send your prize on its way to you as soon as possible.  Thank you so much for taking part and for reading my blog!

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On of my favourite things to do at the weekend is to get The Guardian newspaper on a Saturday and - armed with a mug of coffee - sit on the sofa and read.  I always read it the same way:  first, the general news bit, then travel , followed by the family section (usually, there is something in that one that will make me shed a couple of tears like articles about bereavement, illness etc) and last but certainly not least the recipe section and magazine.  It's my little tradition and I always do it the same way.  Do you have a weekend tradition?

A couple of weeks ago I found a breakfast cake recipe in the newspaper that I had to give a go.  It looked delicious on paper but also healthy with oats and fresh raspberries  Perfect for sharing here on the blog or at least so I thought...the result was pretty terrible!  I double-checked I hadn't made any mistakes - no, it was just really really bland with a strange spongy texture.  Not pleasant at all and definitely not for sharing.  Luckily, I had made only half the amount - the only way to eat this "healthy" cake was to slather it in jam.  So, as you can see, things don't always go according to plan in the kitchen at The Happy Larder :-)  Saying that, we have had a beautiful fish dish made by Mr Happy Larder which he will write about in a guest post over the next couple of days and there will be lots more recipes to come...

Have a great start to your week!

Happy Weekend Giveaway...

It's Friday and after slightly traumatising  Keith the dog with a visit to the vets first thing this morning, we are settling down a bit.  The little chap is having a sleep now after all the excitement.

Talking of excitement, I really love doing giveaways here on The Happy Larder blog.  I have only once in my life won anything and that was years ago as a child but I still remember the feeling.  I was soooo excited - maybe someone else will feel the same way when their name is drawn out of the hat at this month's prize draw :-)

Somerset Suds products...the prize...

A couple of months ago I did a giveaway with beautiful soap products made by my very talented friend Sue of  Somerset Suds.  And because her products are just too nice for words, I am giving away another batch this month. 

If you would like to be in with a chance of winning, simply comment on today's post and I will draw the winning name on Monday, 6th May.  Good luck! :-)

As for me, I will get back into the kitchen and try and find some more tasty recipes to share next week.

Have a lovely weekend!

Of giveaways and new recipes...

Gosh - how did it get to be May already?  It's a new month, so that surely must mean giveaway time, don't you think?  Well, here we go - the next giveaway will be this Friday, 3rd May.  As before, simply add a comment on that day to be in with a chance to win a fab little prize which I hope will put a smile on the winner's face.  Have a look on Friday to see what it is...:-)  I will draw the winner on Monday to give everyone a chance to take part over the weekend.

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Since we got back I couldn't wait to get into the kitchen and try some new recipes.  And what better place to start than with a recipe request from my friend Sue.  A little while ago she had asked if I knew a good recipe for a red onion marmalade.  I started looking around and found a great one that I think will hit the spot nicely - I made a batch yesterday and had some on my cheese sandwich for lunch today.  For me, it has the perfect balance of tangy and sweet without loosing the taste of the red onions and even Mr Happy Larder - who normally isn't too fond of sweet savoury things - loved it.  Usually I find that chutneys and the like get better as they mature but you can have this one immediately and it is still very, very tasty.  Simple ingredients, easy method and quick preparation with a yummy result - what's not to like? :-) 

The Great Easter Giveaway

It's Monday, 1st April and this is no joke:  here is the Great Easter Giveaway! 

The prize: a copy of the wonderful River Cottage Handbook Bread! 

I love this book and I hope the winner will too!  It definitely has become my bread bible and so far, every recipe I have tried has come out really well.  It is so well written and the recipes so easy to follow that even as a novice bread baker, I have found these recipes straightforward.

The rules:  as per the previous giveaway, simply leave a comment on today's post and I will draw the winning name out of a hat.  Given the time difference to some countries, I will draw the winner on Wednesday, 3rd April at 8am UK time, so as long as you have commented by then, you will be in with a chance to win.

Good luck and thank you for taking part!

Rabbit-proof fence...and the giveaway prize...

I promised to share my cake with you today.  It's taken me a little longer because I had run out of KitKats (other chocolate fingers are also available ;-)) and Mr Happy Larder had to dash to the shops to get some more.  So, finally, here it is:

I hope it tastes good - fingers crossed!  I saw the KitKat fence idea a little while ago online and thought that would make the ideal decoration.  Unfortunately, I can't remember where I saw it but if I do, I will let you know.  The cake itself is just a simple chocolate sponge with a layer of chocolate ganache in the middle and on the outside.  Ganache is something I had never made before but it is very easy - it's basically just heated double cream with melted chocolate.  Once cooled you can use it to create a wonderful even glaze on a cake or leave it a little longer and it becomes pipeable and spreadable for cake decoration.  The little carrots in the picture are shop-bought, the rabbits (recognise Karl?) are made out of marzipan and the lawn is just a bit of green icing, rolled out thinly.  The ribbon came from one of my birthday presents - I knew it would come in handy one day :-).  So, all in all not a difficult cake at all but I am very pleased with the result and hope my niece and sister-in-law will be too.

I had also promised you some more details about the next giveaway.  Please remember to stop by on Monday, leave a comment and you are in with a chance to win a copy of the River Cottage Handbook BREAD.  It is an absolute gem of a book and got me into making my own bread, so I hope the winner will enjoy it as much as I do.  Also, there is a US version available, so I can get that one for the winner if preferred.

Right, time to lay the table for coffee and cake now...

Have a very happy Easter!

PS:  recipes for the chocolate sponge & ganache to follow shortly...

Almost Easter...and another give-away

Hot Cross Buns...

We have just finished our dinner (fish pie - yummy!), the dog is asleep and I can finally get round to writing my blog post.  It's been a busy day - with Easter fast approaching, I am getting a few things ready for our visitors.  I am hoping the sun will come out, so we can go for walks etc - an Easter egg hunt outside might be pushing it a bit.


I have baked a batch of hot cross buns (they are a traditional Easter bread here) - I have popped these in the freezer...they will taste freshly made once defrosted and toasted.  They will be fab for our Easter breakfast :-)

Karl...

I have also made some of the decorations for our Easter cake. This is the first one, made out of marzipan (the little carrot is shop-bought & made out of chocolate).  I have named the little fellow Karl but now I am not sure I will be able to eat him.

Note to self:  never name your cake decorations if you are planning on eating them! :-)

Before I forget, I am planning another give-away to take place on Monday, 1st April (no April fools joke!).  So, if you missed out last time, please remember to visit the blog next week Monday, leave a comment on the day and I will draw the winner from all entries.  The prize is a great one which I hope you will enjoy...more details soon!

Have a great start to your week!

And the winner is...

Ta-dah!  It's Monday morning and as promised, I have drawn the winner of the Fragrant Freebie giveaway under the watchful eyes of Mr Happy Larder and Keith the dog. So, without further ado, the winner is: JANE!  Congratulations!  Your name came out of the hat - Keith was very excited about all the little bits of paper and wanted to help, so he ate the winning ticket as soon as I had taken it out :-) Could you please email me with your details (my address is in my profile), so I can send your prize to you as soon as possible.
 
Thank you to everyone for taking part and a big thank you also to Sue at Somerset Suds for providing the goodies!  There will be more giveaways coming up soon, so watch this space!!!

And after all that excitement, here is today's recipe...

Roti..busy puffing up...

I'll let you into a secret: I love eating with my hands! I don't get to do it very often but it is strangely liberating when I do.  We went on a camping safari in Africa last year and standing around the fire, grilling tortilla bread and sausages for breakfast is one of my fondest food memories. So simple, so basic, so delicious!  But whilst you might not want to throw away your cutlery just yet, how about making some bread to help scoop up that curry, stew,...?  Meet roti, the little flatbreads popular in India and Nepal and for good reason: these are so easy and quick to make, it's unbelievable!  I made some to have with our chicken curry last night and they were delicious!  So, next time you cannot be bothered to cook rice, have a go at making these and be prepared to be amazed.

It's Friday...It's Fragrant Freebie giveaway day...

A little while ago my lovely friend Sue quit her job and decided to start out on her own, making fabulous soaps, body butters etc.  Her company - Somerset Suds - is a great little venture, fully EU certified and her products are simply divine!  And what better way to let you sample some of her goodies than to organise the...

... Fragrant Freebie giveaway!

The prize...natural soaps made by Somerset Suds

Here is the deal - simply add a comment to this post and your name will go into the draw to win a set of beautiful bath products (see picture on the right).  Don't they look amazing? 


Entry is open to anyone, so please share this with your friends, other bloggers etc - the more, the merrier!  I will draw the winner at 8am on Monday, 4th March (UK time), so you have all weekend to post a comment and be in with a chance.  Looking forward to hearing from you and good luck! :-)

And if you would like to find out more about these and all the other of Sue's fabulous products at Somerset Suds, please have a look at https://www.facebook.com/SomersetSudsLtd or send an email to somersetsuds@live.co.uk

Back with more recipes next week...

Have a lovely weekend!

Nearly there...it's crunch time

YAY - only one more day to the Fragrant Freebie Giveaway!  Don't forget to visit The Happy Larder tomorrow to take part in the giveaway!  Nearly there...

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Just a short post today as I've been gallivanting, visiting a very good friend overnight.  We hadn't seen each other for ages and it was just lovely to catch up in person.  Plenty of cups of tea were consumed and we had our fair share of biscuits too whilst chatting.  Which brings me to today's recipe: gingernut biscuits.  I do love anything with ginger in it and biscuits with tea are one of my favourite indulgences.  These are crunchy and have a bit of spice to them - delicious!

What's your favourite biscuit?

Counting Down...

Only one more week until 1st March and the Fragrant Freebie Giveaway...don't forget to mark your diaries and let your blogger friends know...entry will be open to all and I have some really lovely goodies for the winners!

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Cinnamon Rock Cakes...

Since it's almost the weekend, I think we need a little treat, don't you?  Picture this:  slightly warm cinnamon rock cakes, a hot mug of tea or coffee and the Sunday newspapers.  Ok, maybe you won't have time for the papers but these little fellas on the right will only take half an hour from start to finish. And I hope that the smell of cinnamon and freshly baked goodies will put a smile on your face even after the busiest of weeks.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Fragrant Freebie Giveaway and an award...

Maybe you need cheering up?  Maybe you have never won anything in a raffle?  Then you might just love what The Happy Larder has in store for you:  the Fragrant Freebie Giveaway!  On Friday, 1st March I will be starting what will hopefully be a regular feature on this blog: a giveaway of goodies.  I don't want to let slip too many details now, so please mark the date in your diaries, visit the Happy Larder and be ready to win!

The other thing I wanted to mention is that the lovely Jan at Softiesplace has nominated The Happy Larder for an award :-)  Thank you Jan!  Softiesplace is a lovely blog that is beautifully written from the heart - I hope you will go and check it out.

“The Liebster Award is for bloggers with under 300 followers and the rules of the award is that the nominee must link back to whoever awarded them, write 11 random facts about themselves, answer the 11 questions from the award giver, and then nominate another 11 bloggers and make up 11 questions for them to answer. It’s a great way for new and undiscovered bloggers to meet new people, get more followers and find some blogs that they want to follow.”



So, here are the 11 random facts about me:

1. I have now lived longer in the UK than in Germany, the country I was born.
2. I only have one kidney.
3. My favourite food is mango (or maybe avocado).
4. I hate wearing long-sleeved shirts under a suit jacket (luckily, no longer required since I quit my office job).
5. I am one of five siblings.
6. I don't know how to drive a car (never took lessons or a driving test).
7. Eating cold sausages gives me the hiccups.
8. I first came to the UK as an aupair & looked after three children.
9. I cry when somebody wins something, especially in sports (happy tears).
10. I ran two marathons (one in London, one in Paris).
11. Our house was built in 1962 and is full of original furniture which luckily has now become fashionable again.

1.Where would you travel to for your dream vacation?  

Makuleke in the north of Kruger National Park in South Africa.  It is a place of stunning natural beauty, peace and wilderness.

2. What is your favorite dessert?  

Mango sorbet...yummy!

3. Do you prefer mountain views or ocean views?  

I was brought up by the sea and live close to it now, so I guess it would have to be the ocean.

4. In how many different places have you lived?  

11 (most of which were in different parts of London though).

5. Which do you prefer a wedding band or wedding set?

Wedding set.

6. Did you have any input in choosing your wedding ring or was it a surprise?  

We chose it together but my engagement ring was a surprise and it was perfect.

7. Saver or spender?  

Oh, difficult one...I'd say saver as I hate shopping.

8. What is your favorite film or movie?

Oh, another difficult one...I love "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" but it depends on my mood really (I could watch "Hitch" any day).

9. Vintage or Modern? 

Vintage (see random fact #11)

10. Do you have a favorite quote?  

Not as such but I love the poem "Lost" by David Wagoner

11. What made you laugh or smile the most this week?  

Keith the dog - he always does the funniest things and puts a smile on my face every day of the week.

I would like to nominate the following blogs - some I have been reading for a while, some I am new to but enjoy what I have read so far...:

Hillwards
At My September Cottage
Rock Cottage Year
Welsh Hills Again
Cabbage Tree Farm
Dreaming of a Simpler Life
Anglesey Allsorts
Mrs Dishpanhands 
Eco Footprint South Africa
Sincerely, Emily 
Suburban Digs 

Apologies if you have already received a nomination for this from another blogger or if you have more than the 300 followers - if you have time, it would be lovely if you took part (but no one will be offended if you can't or don't want to).  So, here are my questions for the nominees:

1. Why do you blog?
2. What makes you happy?
3. Marmite - love it or hate it (or don't know it)?
4. What was your first pet?
5. Starter or dessert?
6. If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
7. Red wine or white wine?
8. Running or cycling?
9. Are you left-handed or right-handed?
10. Would you describe yourself as an optimist or pessimist (and why)? 
11. What is your favourite fruit?