blogging Archives - myrealfairy.com

Red Cherry Pepper Dip

This dip is packed full of punch and is equally good on burgers as it is on the buffet table ready for breadsticks and crunchy carrots to be dipped in generously.

These little cherry peppers have a heat to them which isn’t overpowering on the palate, it’s more of a warm sweet taste which doesn’t leave you reaching for gulps of water.

My other half came home from our local shops the other day with a huge great big tub of these little gems. After seeing them in the fridge for about a week I knew that I would have to do something with them as they didn’t seem to be disappearing no matter how many we ate! There’s only so many times that you can put them on the side of the plate as an accompaniment so I set to work on a recipe. I played around with the different types of flavours I wanted to have and as I wanted to make the most of the sweet taste these peppers had to offer.

In this recipe you can alter the quantities of red peppers to shallots as takes your fancy and you can use standard flaky salt instead of the fancy Himalayan pink salt I wanted to try out.

What is fabulous about this recipe is that it’s very easy to make, very quick and leaves you with 2 jars of this delicious cherry pepper dip.

4.63 from 8 votes

Cherry Pepper Dip

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

20 mins

Course: Side Dish

Servings: 8

Author: mainy - myrealfairy

Ingredients

25 Cherry Peppers pre cooked. Do this by baking in a covered dish in the oven for 20 mins on a medium heat.
3 small Shallots
1 large Garlic Clove
4 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Sugar

Instructions

Place the olive oil and shallots in a deep saucepan and cook gently for 5 minutes.
Crush the garlic and add this along with the salt to the shallots.
Cook for 2 minutes.
Add vinegar, sugar and tomato paste and stir well.
Add cherry peppers and stir.
Leave to cool for 5 mins.
Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.

This dip makes a great gift too. Who can resist something that tastes so good and they can actually make use of. Place the mixture into nice looking pots which are sterilised and will produce an air tight seal when closed. Yummy!

If this has made you feel in the cooking mood then have a look at this Easy Soda Bread recipe which is a wonderful partner to this Red Cherry Pepper Dip.

If you like this recipe then please rate it using the stars index in the comments section. I’d love to hear your views too. Enjoy!

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Tasty Tomato Chutney

I wanted to make full use of all the beautiful tomatoes we have grown in the garden this year so I have developed this Tasty Tomato Chutney. It’s been our best year so far with our tomatoes and I am pleased as punch with how it has turned out.

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We set about with our raised beds this spring at the end of our garden. It’s been a learning experience which is still playing out due to it not being the end of the season yet for root vegetables. I’ll let you know how we get on soon. However, our tomatoes are coming on fantastically and growing up and around our patio pallet garden which is brilliant.

The tomatoes which we have used are a combination of tiger tomatoes which are striped hence the name I guess and standard red tomatoes which my youngest and I grew from the seeds of a fresh tomato which was bought from the supermarket at the start of the year. We were preparing our lunch one day and he asked if we could plant the seeds and we did. I honestly didn’t think much would come of it but low and behold it did and the plants are strong and producing lots of fruit.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and see how easy it is to make fresh chutney with a few ingredients.

Use a really sharp knife to cut a cross in the skin before pouring the boiling water over. This way after 5 minutes you can push the tomatoes out of their skin which isn’t needed in the recipe.

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The chutney is ideal as a little accompaniment to most other supper or lunch dishes and can even be added to vegetarian or meat stews for added richness.

Tasty Tomato Chutney

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Cooling time

10 mins

Total Time

55 mins

A super easy Tomato Chutney packed with flavour

Course: Side Dish

Servings: 8

Author: mainy - myrealfairy

Ingredients

500 g Tomato
250 g Onions
100 g Brown sugar
1 clove Garlic
75 ml Red or White wine vinegar
Half tspn Paprika Optional

Instructions

Cut a cross in the skins of the tomatoes and pour over boiling water in a bowl.
Leave to stand for 5 mins and then carefully remove the skins which should peel off easily now.
Chop the onions roughly and then mince the garlic. Place in a large heavy bottomed saucepan.
Place all the other ingredients on top and bring gently to the boil stirring all the time.
Simmer gently, stirring frequently for approx 45mins
You are looking and feeling for a soft jam like consistency.
After about 30 mins, spoon out a small amount, set aside to cool. Then try it for personal taste.
When you are happy, continue for the full amount of time.
Leave to cool slightly then place in your sterilised jars and leave to fully cool.

Recipe Notes

Enjoy with cold meats or cheese. Also try out my Soda Bread recipe as these goes amazing well together.

Have Fun! Mainy

Let me know how you get on if you make yours. Also rate the recipe please.

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Seriously Tasty Cheese Scone Recipe

Cheese Scones

When I was a young girl and staying with my nan on the weekends she would often bake with me. I remember the feel of the oversized apron tied around my waist, folded in the middle so that it wouldn’t trip me up.

One of the staple things we would bake together was scones; plain, fruit or cheese, all these would be made with her big hands over my little ones.

So, when I was looking for a tasty bake to make with my boys then cheese scones were a favourite choice.

The recipe and method are straightforward and ideas for moulding together quickly for a warm and wholesome savory treat.

4 from 1 vote

Seriously Tasty Cheese Scones Recipe

As the title says, these are seriously tasty and what's more is that they can be made in the blink of an eye!

Ingredients

200 g Plain Flour
3 tsp Baking Powder
Half tsp Salt
50 g Butter
100 g Cheddar Cheese
20 g Parmesan Cheese optional
60 ml Cold Water
60 ml Milk
1 Egg used for glazing

Instructions

Pre heat oven to 200 ºC (185 ºC if using a fan oven)
Measure and put the Flour, Baking Powder and Salt into a mixing bowl
Combine well
Add the Butter and rub together with the tips of your fingers until it looks and feels like wet sand
Grate the Cheese and mix through with a large spoon
Add the Water and Milk
Work together with your hands but don’t hand longer than necessary
Put out onto a lightly floured surface
Press down to a thickness of 2cm and cut out in rounds approximately 5cm wide
Put onto a baking tray and cook for 15mins until golden
Allow to cool a little on a wire rack.

If you fancy another easy comfort food dish that you can make while you’ve got the oven on then try my Easy Toad in the Hole recipe

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Thank you nan, this ones for you.

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Perfect Pineapple Cake Recipe

Perfect Pineapple Cake Recipe for lockdown in easy picture guide steps…..

This is moist, sweet and a delight to the taste buds. My Step by step picture guide makes it super easy to make. You can also Jump to Recipe

I love a good cake and my family loves baking day too! Who doesn’t love the smell of baking coming from the kitchen and knowing that soon there will be the delicious offerings available to taste.

This cake is made very moist by the addition of the syrup from the canned pineapple. You can use fresh pineapple of course, just make sure if you do that you rescue every bit of juice that you create so that you can add it.

4.8 from 10 votes

Perfect Pineapple Cake

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Soft, sweet and perfectly baked. This easy pineapple cake will be a treat for everyone.

Course: Dessert

Keyword: cake

Servings: 12

Ingredients

3 Eggs
150 g Caster Sugar
565 g Can of Pineapple chunks in syrup
300 g Self Raising Flour
1 tspn Baking Powder

Instructions

Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk with a hand or electric whisk.
Whisk the sugar into the eggs.
Put the whole can of pineapple chunks and syrup into the mixture.
Add Flour and Baking Powder. Mix well.
180 degrees for 35-40 minutes
Check if it's cooked using a cocktail stick. Put in the centre of the cake and if it is clear when you remove it then it's done.

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If you like the look of this recipe then why not try some of these too:

Easy Soda Bread Without Buttermilk

Easy No Churn Ice Cream With Salted Caramel Baileys

Easy Lemon Curd

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One Step No Churn Ice Cream with Salted Caramel Baileys

Honestly this ice cream recipe is so easy that it barely makes a full post, I just need to shout it from the rooftops so that everyone can hear.

You don’t need an ice cream maker, you don’t need to stir it part way through the freezing process, it really is One Step No Churn Ice Cream. My other half loves his Baileys or Irish cream liqueur. Just to be clear, this post is not sponsored or endorsed and I haven’t been paid mega bucks *I wish!* to endorse any brand. It’s purely his treat and this salted caramel version was screaming out to be poured into this creamy ice cream.

The quantities I have included in the recipe below make enough for 4 tubs of this gorgeous ice cream. If you want to make for fewer people then it’s still perfect if you half the quantities and make less.

The addition of the alcohol does make it a bit smoother and easier to scoop. Can you make it without the alcohol?…Sure, there are so many varieties to choose from. Salted Caramel syrup without the liquer part will be just as tasty.

One Step No Churn Ice Cream with Salted Caramel Baileys

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5 from 4 votes

One Step No Churn Ice Cream with Salted Caramel Baileys

Prep Time

5 mins

freezing time

5 hrs

Probably the easiest ice cream you will ever make. The most delicious too! This will make 4 medium tubs similar to the luxury brand ones from your local supermarket.

Course: Dessert

Servings: 16

Author: mainy - myrealfairy

Ingredients

600 ml Double Cream
390 g Condensed Milk Sold in cans
3 tbsp Salted Caramel Baileys Irish Liqueur Or supermarkets own brand

Instructions

This is a one step recipe....
Place all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl, whisk until soft peaks are formed.
Pour into a suitable freezable container with a tight fitting lid. Place in the freezer for 5hrs or more.

Recipe Notes

Ready to eat after 5hrs of freezing. Lots of different flavours to choose from. Experiment and enjoy!

Mainy

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Halloween Pumpkin Carving

It’s that time of year again to go wild with the face paint and walk the streets in search of sweets and mischief. One of the best traditions in our house has been the halloween pumpkin carving. This is totally the domain of my OH. I’m so proud of him I couldn’t resist the urge to showcase our previous years offerings. We are set to try and beat these beauties this year but we haven’t even bought the pumpkins yet! Everything has been so busy and even though I have seen them in the shops they are yet to make their way to our house. Stay tuned and they will be on show soon! So, back to last years carvings.

The evening started with the humble pumpkin…

A couple of years ago we brought a pack with all the carving tools in it. It was obviously the OH setting the scene for him to get serious!

The preparation has started and all of the insides are taken out. Sounds gruesome but it’s definitely in the Halloween theme. He uses the stencil for the main shape and marks out the outline.

Before we know it, the unveiling is upon us and look….

Oh yeah, not just one, but two! the Prince of Darkness is joined by the Spooky Spider.

I love them and the kids think they are fab! They will sit outside our house on Halloween with candles in them and let people know that we are joining in the fun.

How is your Halloween going so far? Do you love to get into the spirit of it, if so how do you celebrate?

If you have any links to your carvings, please share in the comments section.

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Once you have had fun with the carving you could try my delicious savoury halloween special 4 Steps to a Camembert Funny Mummy

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5 Tips to help the school run go smoother! It’s all in the planning!

So, it’s morning, even though it feels like the middle of the night because surely you have only had a nano second of sleep and the bloomin alarm is shrieking at the top of its voice that you should wake up. If you are anything like me then now is the time that the skill of juggling really comes into its own. Breakfast for the family, just a cuppa for me, after all it’s still the middle of the night in my head *note to self to be a good role model and eat well* it’s on my to-do list!

So before I get side tracked then – here are my top 5 things to help the school run go better!!

The key is, to start from the beginning……

1. Change the ring-tone of your alarm! For years I had the cutest sound of my boys saying for me to wake up, I couldn’t bear to take it off for ages but as the years wore on it was so loud and high-pitched that it wasn’t waking me up the right way. So I’ve saved it to be used for other things and now gone onto a lovely gently undulating tone that lets me wake up in a more gentle way as opposed to heart thumping shock to the system! Try it, even if it’s just for a week.

2. Breakfast, aside from the fact that I am a hypocrite and can’t stomach breakfast in the morning, make sure that the kids have it and digest it properly. In our house that would mean, trying to control their urges to practice dance, gym, football, karate moves while spooning in shreddies to their mouths, jumpers, hamsters and the floor.

3. Teeth! You might have got this one sorted. I have 50% success here, one boy is glued to the bathroom doing his hair, pearly white smile and generally grooming to perfection his appearance while the other one is, well lets just say…not quite there yet. You would have seen from one of my previous posts about motherhood that I have a little trick up my sleeve for how we are currently making sure his teeth are getting cleaned.

4. Everything has been lined up the night before, so we have; uniform, school bag, shoes, coat, drink and whichever activity they have (that they’ve told you about!) The 5 P’s are in operation here; Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. I’ll leave the 6th one out, after all it’s a family blog:0

5. Then it’s in the car with a double and triple check, a final grilling of have they got everything and off to school we go. 9 times out of ten this can work, on the odd occasion for us then this will be the point that one of them tells me that it’s World Book, Children in Need, day of the peach, environment, woman, man or child day! It’s at those times when I have to whistle a happy tune, turn the radio up and think happy thoughts!

How do your days go first thing in the morning? Have you got it sussed? Have you got any tips to share?

Let see if we are alone in the dreaded prep for the school run. Tweet to share.Click To Tweet

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Thank You Christmas

Christmas – come on then we are here!

We’ve been waiting 12 whole months for you to re-appear

To shower us with festive cheer

To bring those from afar to near.

So how about it dear old Christmas

Can you make us all get on

Make the little ones giggle with the fun

I bet you can you bearded one.

Thank you christmas for visiting us

For giving reason for all this fuss

It brings us close for it’s you we discuss

Whether you come by sleigh, star or bus.

Thank you Christmas for making me think

To appreciate my loves with a wink

You really are more than just a day

You’re a hug, a boost and to you I say Hooray!

If you enjoyed this poem for you, tweet to share for a view or two xxxClick To Tweet

If you like christmas, pop along to my christmas message and see what I think too!

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Linking with Christmas Corner

Go Ape for Christmas!

The myrealfairy Christmas countdown continues here with an adventure for all the family.

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Your ticket to adventure – Why gift things when you can gift memories?

With vouchers from just £10 if you’re looking for a unique secret Santa present to impress employees or a thrill-seeker package for all the family, Go Ape has got it covered. Go on. They’ll love you for it.

Go Ape are firm believers that outdoor experiences make people happy. Whether it’s zipping through the tree tops, whizzing along the forest floor, or bouncing on our super springy bounce nets – at Go Ape there’s an adventure for everyone.

With 33 locations to choose from in the UK, your loved ones are in for one memorable experience.

The locations are so impressive, our local Go Ape is deep in the forest. When we have been on walks in the local area we have all looked up in awe at the tree top obstacles swaying above us. Being able to gift this experience at christmas is great and I can’t wait to see the look on my boys faces.

If you are wondering where your nearest Go Ape location is you can quickly find the nearest or furthest (if you are really looking to maximise the adventure!) one for you is right here.

Have fun with your tribe and have one more Christmas pressie wrapped up and ready to knock the socks off your chosen one.

Let me know how it goes and also if you have been to Go Ape before, share your experience in the comments section.

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Christmas Gift Guide Part 2 – Work Wonderland with Giveaway

Continuing on my Christmas countdown where I am looking at new and unusual gifts for you to try I am so pleased to bring you this gift idea.

Running around after my family and juggling the normal demands of being a mum means that sometimes it feels that there are never enough hours in the day. Well here you have an inspiring way in which to buy that ideal present without any worry. I’m sure that you know people or indeed are the person who wants to get out of what they are doing with their day-to-day job but have no idea on how to make the change. We all need guidance on how to focus on what steps we need to take and Alison has found a way to help people make a clear plan with her unique way of supporting people towards their ideal goal.

Work Wonderland

Why not gift someone, or yourself, a new career direction?

Work Wonderland is an online coaching course and web application that helps you identify your ideal career in the context of your ideal life and develop a plan to achieve it.

It’s proven to work for people of any age seeking a career change or
second career, return-to-work mums, graduates who want to identify a
career path, and students choosing course options.

Why not gift someone, or yourself, a new career direction?

The course has 14 simple exercises to complete and at the end, you’ll have a clear picture of the right direction and some concrete steps to make it happen. What better way to help someone on their way to making their dream become real and supporting their aim to have a fulfilling career.

I’m delighted to tell you that we also have a full course for you to win today. This prize is amazing and is a real treat to be able to share with you. You can see how to enter further along in the post.

Work Wonderland comes in a branded presentation gift box that includes:

A welcome card personally signed by Alison explaining what Work Wonderland is and how it works.
A beautiful gift card encased in velvet covered foam.
The gift card holds a unique serial number and information on how to receive Work Wonderland joining instructions

You can keep updated and see more of Alison on Twitter: @LiveTrueCoach and Instagram: livetruecoach

The Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Full t&c’s for my giveaways on my contact page.

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Testimonials for Work Wonderland

Over the past year, Alison has helped me to challenge and overcome the real and perceived barriers to my career development. Her practical and personalised advice has been pivotal in helping me to get on the right track and secure a new opportunity to further my career. I continue to find Alison’s support really valuable and thoroughly recommend her to anyone looking to develop or change their career. Chris White

For anyone who is a little lost in life, get ready because you are about to realise what makes you happy and I say this with zero exaggeration – your life is about to get infinitely better.

I was at a complete loss with my career path, doubted my own abilities and even doubted my capability to make a decision that would be right for me. Alison helped me realise that I had my own unique strengths and values that until now, I hadn’t even really acknowledged on a conscious level. Uncovering these really helped bring them to the forefront of my mind. I found that I could make decisions with more confidence.

Work Wonderland

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