Wedding Season

Having been to two weddings already this year I have started taking an interest in all things matrimonial from this year's 'in colours' to all the little details that make the day individual to the couple. Vintage was a big deal lately but it seems that phase is slowly coming to an end but there are still remnants of it in the new trends. It may sound ridiculous to some but I have only just discovered the joys of Pinterest! Yes, I'm a bit slow when it comes to these things! Despite not even planning a wedding, I could spend ages looking through all the endless images of gorgeous dresses, decor and hairstyles. There's so much more on there too but I'm slowly (again) working my way through the thirty plus categories. It was at a recent wedding that Pinterest was actually thanked in the Best Man's speech so I felt I had to have a look after hearing how helpful it'd had been in the planning of these friends' wedding.

buzzfeed.com

World Cup Fever

It's World Cup time again and this week has seen great weather to go along with it so what better combination than football, sun and BBQs?  I came across a very tasty recipe that we will definitely be trying out at the DWS annual summer BBQ, courtesy of Asda Magazine.

Sweet Potatoes with Chilli Dressing

4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, washed and pricked

Ingredients

300ml Asda Fresh Soured Cream

Zest of 1 lime

1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped, plus extra to serve

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped, plus extra to serve

4 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

How to make it

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Bake the sweet potatoes for about 1 hour or until cooked through – they should be soft when pierced with a skewer. Larger potatoes will take a little longer to cook.

Combine the soured cream, zest, green and red chillies, and 3 tbsp of the coriander. Season well and set to one side.

Split open the potatoes and serve topped with a dollop of chilli cream. Scatter with the remaining coriander leaves and slices of chilli.

On the move!

Back in September we introduced baby DWS to our Blog readers and said baby is already over five months old! The time has flown in and it won't be long before she's really on the move. Not just rolling all over the place but roaming! It got us to thinking here at DWS about the importance of safety in the kitchen. Hygiene is an important factor for parents when they have toddlers scooting about on the kitchen floor and of course when preparing meals for little mouths.

Firstly the Apollo Quartz kitchen worktop range on the DWS website, with it's man made polymers, is the ideal choice for hygiene. The polymers make the natural quartz non porous therefore avoiding the problem of trapped dirt and grease. This makes these quartz worktops extremely easy to keep clean while giving you peace of mind in the kitchen.

Silestone quartz has the added benefit of Bacteriostatic Protection. This protection is "based on the use of the latest generation silver ions to prevent the propagation of bacterias" from the Silestone website. 

Corian is another very popular, non porous worktop. Corian is so hygienic that it is the material of choice for dentist surgeries and hospitals.


Aside from the hygiene of kitchen worktops, having read a selection of the popular parenting websites, I am reminded that closer to the floor, it's important to keep curious hands out of cupboards with safety catches and locks. The best way of keeping children safe in the kitchen though is supervision and even better....a safety gate to keep them out altogether! At least they won't be under your feet then while you're enjoying cooking on your clean, non-porous worktops! ;-)

Shrove Tuesday 2014

Shrove Tuesday (also known as Pancake Day) is the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. The date of Pancake Day is determined by Easter; its date changes annually. The reason behind making pancakes on Shrove Tuesday is to use up all the 'fatty foods' in the house before the season of fasting for Lent. 

I've posted a recipe for pancakes below. I know the DWS team will be enjoying some this Tuesday!

Classic Pancake Recipe

Ingredients

• 125g plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 2 large free-range eggs
• 350ml semi-skimmed milk
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
• Caster sugar and lemons, to serve
• Method

1. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a hole in the centre. Break the eggs into the hole and add 75ml of the milk and the oil. Whisk the eggs, milk and oil using a wire whisk. Gradually draw in the flour, whisking all the time until you have a thick, smooth batter.
2. Gradually add the rest of the milk, whisking gently, until you have a smooth batter.
3. Crumple up a piece of kitchen paper and soak the end in oil. Use this to grease a small nonstick frying pan. Heat the pan, then pour in just enough batter to thinly coat the base of the pan, swirling it around to completely cover it.
4. Cook for about 30 seconds. Flip the pancake using a fish slice and cook the other side until golden. Slide onto a plate.
5. Repeat until all of the batter is used up, greasing the pan a little when needed.
6. Serve immediately with lemon juice and caster sugar.



sugar & lemon pancakes

7. 
   

classic pancakes with chocolate & banana

Happy Valentine's Worktops!

It is that time of year again when supermarket 'seasonal' aisles and shop windows get a pink and red makeover for the approaching St Valentines's Day. Traditionally a day for sending romantic letters and greetings cards ('valentines') to our loved ones. It occurred to me that in many magazines and newspapers around this time there are products advertised to give gift inspiration for the 14th February. There are the usual flowers, chocolates, cards, anything heart-shaped and it seems anything red! I was amused to see a red hairdryer being suggested as the perfect gift for 'your valentine' in one publication.  Therefore, I thought DWS should jump on the bandwagon and take this opportunity to show you what red delights we would suggest for Valentine's Day this year.......red worktops of course!

image from telegraph.co.uk

Red is not a very popular colour choice for kitchen worktops but used in the right interior it can be very striking and look stunning. Particularly the quartz variety with the sparkles. DWS supply red quartz and Corian worktops for those looking for a more daring option in their kitchen. Why not treat your Valentine or yourself to a gorgeous red worktop this St Valentines's Day?

image from telegraph.co.uk

If red worktops are a step too far for you then you could always revamp your kitchen with some red kitchen accessories like the ones shown below.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

The Striped Elephant

Today I am writing about "The Striped Elephant". This delightful, small cottage industry specialises in personalising children's clothes with pretty handmade motifs. The Striped Elephant moniker comes from the creator's signature design of yes...you guessed it, the lovely striped elephant (seen below on the babygro). However the range encompasses many designs that any little boy or girl would love to sport on their t-shirt, jeans, skirt or dress. A popular request is the first initial of the wearer's name, which can be done in a capital or lower case letter. The clothes are all extremely reasonably priced and unique. Below is a selection of photographs from Rosalind's portfolio of creations, but there is also a Facebook page for The Striped Elephant at the following link

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Striped-Elephant/503831699675155

Rocket T-Shirt

Girls Letter/Initial T-Shirts

Boys Star T-Shirt

The Striped Elephant Signature Logo Babygro

Letter/Initial T-Shirts

Sail Boat T-Shirts

Girls Animal T-Shirts

Various Babygro Motifs

Girls Star T-Shirt

Burns Supper

On the 25th January, Scotland will be remembering it's celebrated poet Robert Burns (1759-1796). This evening, on his birthday, involves the reciting of poems, piping in the haggis and of course the traditional Scottish fare of 'Haggis Neeps & Tatties' and a wee dram of whisky.

A popular poem for this occasion was written by Burns to celebrate his appreciation of the Haggis. As a result Burns and Haggis have been forever linked. This particular poem is always the first item on the program of Burn's suppers. The haggis is generally carried in on a silver salver at the start of the proceedings.
As it is brought to the table a piper plays a suitable, rousing accompaniment. One of the invited artistes then recites the poem before the theatrical cutting of the haggis with the ceremonial knife.

Address to a Haggis

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face, 

Great chieftain o the puddin'-race!

Aboon them a' ye tak your place,

Painch, tripe, or thairm:

Weel are ye worthy o' a grace

As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,

Your hurdies like a distant hill,

Your pin wad help to mend a mill

In time o need,

While thro your pores the dews distil

Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,

An cut you up wi ready slight,

Trenching your gushing entrails bright,

Like onie ditch;

And then, O what a glorious sight,

Warm-reekin, rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an strive:

Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,

Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve

Are bent like drums;

The auld Guidman, maist like to rive,

'Bethankit' hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout,

Or olio that wad staw a sow,

Or fricassee wad mak her spew

Wi perfect scunner,

Looks down wi sneering, scornfu view

On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,

As feckless as a wither'd rash,

His spindle shank a guid whip-lash,

His nieve a nit;

Thro bloody flood or field to dash,

O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,

The trembling earth resounds his tread,

Clap in his walie nieve a blade,

He'll make it whissle;

An legs an arms, an heads will sned,

Like taps o thrissle.

Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care,

And dish them out their bill o fare,

Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware

That jaups in luggies:

But, if ye wish her gratefu prayer,

Gie her a Haggis