Rhubarb Ripple Ice Cream with Hazelnut Oat Clusters
Springtime means rhubarb! When those little tender ruby stalks force themselves out of the cold winter earth you know the weather has finally turned and Spring has arrived.


Springtime means rhubarb! When those little tender ruby stalks force themselves out of the cold winter earth you know the weather has finally turned and Spring has arrived.

Chocolate and black pepper work marvellously well together.

Some time ago a fellow food blogger wrote about using avocado in chocolate frosting instead of butter. I like avocado, but I was sceptical – wouldn’t you be able to taste the avocado? HHrrmmm.. I dunno. I filed the idea away in my brain as something to try at a later date.

The OH is one of those skinny people: an ectomorph. You know, one of those people who can eat and eat and eat and not put on a single ounce.

Our eldest turned thirteen the other day. I am officially the mother of a teenager – how did that happen? I’m not old enough to have a teenage child!

The first time I’ve ever tasted a traditional fruity tea loaf was, surprisingly, just last month at the National Theatre of Scotland Ignition finale.

I am a terrible mother, I am. I have three children, one of them nearly a teenager and I have never, ever attempted to make an Easter nest before.

I was fortunate enough to have been gifted a brand new swish Panasonic bread machine for Christmas (thank you Bestemor!) and I’ve been trying out some of the recipes in the booklet that came with it. One of the recipes is for a chocolate brioche.

This chocolate pudding cake is, I do believe, the first chocolate dessert I ever made as a child growing up in Canada.

To celebrate the birthday of a friend I thought I would surprise her with a homemade cake.

It’s hard to believe that our youngest has turned four. How the time has flown by!

This month sees the 25th instalment of Dom from Belleau Kitchen’s fantastic Random Recipes food bloggers round up.

There’s nothing better than a proper, old-fashioned oatmeal raisin cookie. I’ve been making this recipe for years, ever since my Canadian grandmother posted me a copy of the 2001 Robin Hood Baking Festival recipe booklet.

Sunday mornings are our family outdoor walk days. It’s cold in Shetland on a January morning, so I thought I’d whip up something with a bit of kick to help warm us from the inside when we’re out.

This recipe is the first vegan baking recipe I ever developed. I remember making it around 15 years ago for a vegan restaurant-owning friend of mine, much to his delight.

Last night I was in the mood for chocolate. We’re talking serious chocolate indulgence here. I had a rummage around the cupboard and found a bar of sugar free Plamil chocolate I’d bought back in November 2012 when I was on a sugar-free kick

In a bid to save pennies I am very lovingly preparing packed lunches for the OH to take to work.

This month I am hosting Turquoise Lemons’ No Waste Food Challenge, where each month we’re asked to share recipes which use up leftovers in a bid to reduce food waste. I chose mashed potatoes, as I always make far too much.

It’s January, with the New Year bringing in new possibilities and opportunities. In Shetland it also means Up Helly Aa! Shetland is the home to Europe’s largest fire festival – the annual Up Helly Aa is held in Lerwick on the last Tuesday of January.

It was yet another cold, dark, dreary day here in Shetland on this, the last day of 2012. It was pouring down with rain and the children are on their school holidays and were desperately needing entertained. What to do?
