Hello!

Been wondering where we are? we are still here! we have just changed to a different site.

We are now Desiresofthefoodaholics.com

All our recipes including all these old ones are over there with snazzy new pictures.. See you over there!!

Lemon Drizzle Shortbread

This shortbread is incredibly short, crumbly and melts in your mouth with each bite you take. You could easily omit the lemon zest and juice for a decadent shortbread, but the freshness of the lemon really gives it that unique taste.

Ingredients 

For the shortbread:

250g Butter

125g Caster Sugar

250g Plain Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

150g Chocolate Chips (this isn't needed, but chocolate is a MUST for me)

1 Lemon zested

For the drizzle:

4 teaspoons of icing sugar

1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice


Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 190C.
2. Combine the butter and sugar, until it lightens in colour slightly.
3. Add the flour, baking powder, chocolate chips, lemon zest.
4. Grease a cookie sheet and spoon on the dough. 
5. Cook for 12-15 minutes.
6. Allow to cool.  Mix together the icing sugar lemon juice and drizzle over the cookies.
7. Enjoy!

How to grow your own vegetables

Part 2

Tomatoes need sunshine, so choose an open, warm site. They do fantastically well in a greenhouse but you can gain very good results outside in a container against a warm wall. They need a well drained, fertile soil, that doesn't dry out too quickly.

If growing in containers, use a specially formulated grow bag or good quality potting compost.

• Plant out tomato plants using a stake for support.
• Cut out any side shoots, as they appear to keep to a central stem.
• Water and feed regularly  with a liquid tomato.
• Pick the fruit as soon as they ripen.
• If frost is forecast, harvest the tomatoes green and allow to ripen in doors.
• Tomatoes are definitely best picked fresh but, if do need to store a glut, perhaps consider cooking, pulping and freeze for a burst of summer in the winter months.

We have lots of recipes using this base tomato sauce!

Fantastic Detox Juice

Watermelon, Apple, Strawberry, Pear and Ginger Juice

This drink is full of juicy watermelon, which to me is so refreshing and acceptable on any occasion. It's pairing with succulent apple, pear and strawberries really gives you a taste of summer. The twist of ginger give you a strong punch at the end, which for me is a necessity is any juice.

I use my 'OMEGA VSJ843 Slow Juicer' as I like juicing to be a quick process with little clearing up involved.  Of course you could use any juicer you have at home.  Alternatively you could use a blender and simply use a sieve after blending but this does take much more patience!

I know many people dislike using juicers due to the horrible pulp that it leaves behind, but i have a fantastic recipe to use up your left over pulp into muffins… You won't waste a thing!

'Detox Summer Watermelon Juice'                                                                       

Serving Size : 900ml of juice

Ingredients

1/4 of a Large Watermelon, cut into small chunks 

10 Large Strawberries, hulled 

2 Red Apples, quartered 

1 Pear, quartered

Thumb sized piece of Ginger

Instructions

1.  Chop all the fruit into small enough pieces so it will fit into the juicer without any force.  If you are doing this is in a blender just roughly chop out the fruit to bite size pieces.

2. Begin to feed the fruit through the juicer until it has all gone.  If using a blender, i would recommend using some apple juice as the blender could find it difficult to blend them smoothly.

3. One the juice is all done, but the container which has the juice inside, into the fridge for roughly 30 minutes.  If using a blender, pass the thick pulp juice through a fine sieve into a jug while pressing a spatula as this helps squeeze the juice out.  Add a tablespoon of water or even your joyce of choice, if the pulp is a little thick.  Place this into the fridge also.

4. This juice is best served cold, I personally like it with frozen watermelon, which act as ice but don't allow you to loose the flavour. 

5. Pour the juice into small glasses, with a strawberry on the side of the glass, and a straw.  Enjoy!!