Homemade Nibbles and News #1

Welcome to my new ‘newsletter’ style post.  As the name suggests it’s full of ‘bite-sized’ chunks of ‘homemade’ news, mini product reviews or anything that I’m particularly excited to tell you about!!  Enjoy…

NEWS

World’s Biggest Coffee Morning

On the 28th of September this year the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning is going to be taking place. This is a fantastic one day fundraising event hosted by Macmillan Cancer Support to raise money for people with lives affected by cancer.
Silver Spoon, the official sugar sponsor for the event,  have decided to launch a fantastic competition to help promote the coffee morning.

Silver Spoon and Macmillan are launching Silver Spoons Little Local Hero Awards. They are scouring the country for local heroes under the age of 18 who have done something truly special. Your local little hero could have looked after their little sister when they were ill, gone to great lengths to make Mother’s Day very special, or done something fantastic to raise money for charity.
If you know someone under 18 in your local area who you think would be a worthy winner, just follow this link and explain in less than 100 words who you are nominating, why, and what you would bake them to say thank you.

Then, Master Pâtissier Eric Lanlard, star of Channel 4’s Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard, (that I took part in) will choose a Silver Spoon National Little Hero and to celebrate he will bake them a special cake of their choice! 10 runners up will also receive a Silver Spoon Baking Hamper packed full of exciting treats.

There are sure to be some amazing stories from local little heroes all over the country, but in the meantime don’t forget to register to hold your own coffee morning on the 28th September, just follow this link and you can help to raise money for people with lives affected by cancer. http://coffeeregister.macmillan.org.uk/2012/register.asp

I’m looking forward to the Macmillan coffee morning I will be going to where I will get to meet some of the mums in my daughter’s new class.

The Great South Run

Another great charity event is the Great South Run on the 28th October, and this year I am going to be taking part, eeekk!  I will be running in memory of my dad and in aid of the British Heart Foundation as my father died suddenly of a heart attack nearly 2 years ago.  This run is my way of doing something positive, especially as running does not come easily to me. 10 miles will certainly be a challenge but training is going well and I can just about say that I enjoyed my run this morning…think the sunshine really helped!

I have a just giving page set up for sponsorship if anyone felt they would like to donate.  I’m just £60 off my £500 target!  But equally, any messages of support a bit nearer the time will be just as gratefully received x.

Cake and Bake Show

The previously sold out Cake and Bake Show taking place on the 22nd and 23rd September at Earls Court London has now got a limited supply of evening tickets for sale to attend on the 22nd September from 5pm-9pm.  They go on sale tomorrow (Monday) morning at £10 each.

Nibbles

Nielsen-Massey Extracts

I’m always on the look out for exciting new baking ranges/products to try, and just recently I’ve been experimenting with the Nielsen-Massey range of extracts.  My family have been very willing testers and have enjoyed the flavours of rose, orange blossom, coffee, and orange in my baking.

My current favorite though is their new chocolate extract.  I made some chocolate buttercream last weekend when I was making cupcakes with my 4 year old to enter into the village junior baking competition.  I added a tsp of the chocolate extract and I’ve got to say, it was delicious.  It really added something special to the buttercream, and the judges must have thought so too as my daughter’s cupcakes came 3rd out of everyone entering, (picture below).

Sainsbury’s Speciality Ingredients

Finally, but by no means least,  Sainsbury’s have launched an interesting new range of products called Speciality Ingredients.  It’s an innovative collection of products which I think have plenty of potential for encouraging people to be a bit more adventurous in the kitchen.

This is exactly why I was drawn to the Tom Yum paste.  I love Tom Yum soup but the list of ingredients if making from scratch is enough to put anyone off making it.  But with a paste it is so easy.  Just stock, mushrooms, prawns and paste. Very quick and really tasty.  It was lovely to get that hot and sour combination in something that I had prepared at home.  The other products in the range look tasty too.  Got my eye on the tempura batter mix to try next.

Tom yum paste, best for:

• Quick and easy lunch
• Impressing friends
• Adding to stir frys as well as thai curries to add a bit of something special

Look out for for Homemade Nibbles and News soon.

Thank you to Sainsbury’s and Nielsen-Massey for sending me samples to try.

 

 

 

 

 

Tagged British Heart Foundation, Cake and Bake Show, chocolate extract, Great South Run, Macmillan Cancer Support, mini cupcakes, Nibbles and News, Nielsen-Massey, Sainsbury's Speciality Ingredients, Silver Spoon, tom yum paste, world's biggest coffee morning