Easy Soda Bread Without Buttermilk

Nothing quite like the smell of fresh baked bread is there? With this easy soda bread without buttermilk recipe you can get just that without all the kneading, proving and above all, without the waiting!

Most recipes for soda bread include the traditional buttermilk. I couldn’t get hold of it so used another home method of converting your milk into buttermilk. As with everything to do with this recipe, I did it the easy way. Put one table spoon of fresh or bottled lemon juice into your jug of milk. Within 5 minutes it’s doing its thing and turning into buttermilk.

4 from 1 vote

Easy Soda Bread Without Buttermilk

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

45 mins

If you cant find buttermilk then this is great for you, if you can then use it and don't add the lemon.

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 tbsp Lemon juice
300 ml Whole milk
450 grammes Plain flour
1 tspn Bicarbonate of soda
1 tspn Salt

Instructions

Pour the milk into a jug and add the lemon juice.
Leave to stand for 5 minutes for it to turn into buttermilk
While this is happening weigh out your other ingredients
Put the flour, bicarbonate of soda and the salt in a large mixing bowl
Pour in the buttermilk and combine together into a large ball
Don't overwork but just form into the ball
Place on a lined and floured baking tray
Cook for 35-40 minutes on 180oc for a fan oven
Test by putting in a wooden cocktail stick and if it comes out clear then it's done. Also tap on the bottom of the loaf and if it sounds hollow then that is a great sign

You’ll be so delighted with this bread, it has the look and taste of a deep tasty farmhouse style loaf.

I enjoy mine with lots of butter and cheese while my boys tend to go for black currant jam generously spread right up to the edges.

Have a go and let me know how it turns out, I always love to hear.

If you are in the mood for some quick recipes while this is in the oven then try my One Step No Churn Ice Cream or Easy Lemon Curd.

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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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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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4 Ways to Propose in Public

4 Ways To Propose In Public

Public proposals may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but when they’re planned well, they can be simply sensational. It’s like watching a real-time romantic comedy unfold. In fact, get it right and you could pull off the perfect balance between romantic and fun-loving, if that’s what you and your partner like. Add a few elements of your first date and special memories and your public proposal is sure to be a hit.

You can find in Sydney engagement rings that will be perfect for your beloved. Before you go looking for the perfect piece, though, here are our top tips for pulling of the perfect public proposal.

Plan, Keep Planning And Plan Some More

If you’re quite ready to put your heart on the line for everyone to see, make sure you have a solid plan in place. A public proposal, or any proposal, is definitely not the time to wing it. Whether you’re planning a choreographed flash mob to your favourite song in the middle of town or a singing quarter under her bedroom window, you need to pay attention to every detail. If everyone knows their part, and knows it well, they’re sure to be confident enough to help ensure your proposal is flawless and unforgettable.

Think About Her Response

Hopefully if you’ve gotten to this point in your relationship, you’re completely confident that she will say yes. But there’s a little more you need to consider if you’re going to propose in public. You want to be sure that after an incredible public proposal that her reaction will be fitting. For instance, if you think she will be excited but a little shy around strangers staring at her, it’s going to make for an awkward moment for everyone. So, consider her response carefully. You’re not going to want to plan a high energy proposal in public only for her to feel embarrassed.

Image Source: Unsplash

Yet, if she absolutely comes to life in the spotlight and is animated and outgoing, she’s sure to adore a public show of your love.

Don’t Make It Cheesy

There is a very fine line between cheesy and romantic. One of the best ways to counteract cheesiness is to make sure your proposal is highly personal. Play the guitar to your song, include something about how you first met or your first kiss, and take her back to that dazzling first moments. Making your public proposal special makes you super amazing.

In fact, if you need help, hire a proposal planner or designer friend who can help you avoid a cheesy proposal. For instance, proposals with style or themes can be done really wrong or perfectly. Make sure you have the right people helping you.

Choose The Right Spot

Finally, if your idea is a semi-public proposal, decide where you’re going to pop the question and who else you want there, such as friends, family and strangers. In fact, a semi-public proposal is the perfect way to incorporate all those personal details while making her feel like the star that she is.

Image Source: Unsplash

If you’d prefer a great big declaration of your love, though, follow the points we’ve laid out above and you’re sure to pull it off with class!

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Once you’ve got the proposal sorted out you may love this engagement ring post right up your street. To find out more about the differences between a wedding ring and an engagement ring then I also have that for you to read by clicking on the link. Enjoy!

Truffle Trivia Competition Giveaway

Spring has sprung and it’s time for me to launch some more giveaways. How long has it been? It seems like forever that I have not had a giveaway on my site. Well I can start putting that right here and now:)

This Truffle Trivia Quiz Box is so much fun. It looks just like a box of scrummy chocolates, ideal to take to a dinner party. Surprise surprise it is a quiz box set perfect to give the hosts and have some after dinner fun!

Without further ado, you can enter now and be in with a chance to win this fab prize.

Enter the giveaway here…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck! Open to worldwide entries.

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We are one

We are one.

I’m so thankful for the life that I have got. I can sit here on my computer enjoying writing on my blog knowing that my boys are tucked up in bed, my OH is downstairs relaxing and watching a movie. I have a lovely life and I’m so pleased. There was a time when it was a little more bumpy, I was on my own and things were tough. This poem shows the journey I took from then until now……

It’s hard to bear these nights alone

I chat and play, tapping my phone

For far too long this inner fight

to stay awake, to shorten the night.

I hope one day the path will clear

I’ll rid myself of the doubt, the fear

The rising sun will warm this heart

Give my ‘self’ the will to start.

It’s all within reach but it won’t be pushed

It surges down that stream, it won’t be shushed

It’s bashed me about, it’s taken its toll

Fate, life, the predefined goal.

And then came the light…..

my two young seeds

My partner in crime

They are all I need.

I nurture them now

Show them ‘what’ and ‘how’

Take them forth in their youth

Let them seek the truth.

With my man by my side

I think it can be done

We are a family

We are one