Quick Risotto

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I love making risotto for the girls and it's fairly easy to do whilst they are having their nap. I do enough so we can have some in the evening as well.

Ingredients:

2 cups of rice (Risotto or basmati)

I litre of vegetable stock

Frozen veg of your choice (This time I used sweetcorn, mushroom and red onion)

Put the vegetable and rice in a wok or similar, add about 200mls of the stock and cook on a low heat. Gradually add the rest of the stock and stir regularly. It normally takes about thirty minutes and I can get the washing up done between stirs.I then grate cheese over the top for the girls.

For the adults, I added pancetta. The salt content is on the high side hence why the girls don't get this version, but an easy way to make a meal for the whole family in one pan.

Taste Testing: Cow & Gate's Chicken Pasta with Tomato and Pasta

I'm no supermum. Well, I am, but I can only be organised to an extent, so not every meal the girls have is cooked from scratch. When we are out and about, it's great to have something that requires little preparation when we get home. Recently, we tried Cow & Gate's Little Steamed Meals Chicken Pasta with Tomato and Mushroom.

The meal only takes thirty seconds in the microwave, so perfect if you have two hungry girls waiting to be fed. It comes in a handy plastic container that can easily be reused for freezing your own meals later. The portion size is generous and was enough for both of the twins. It's worth noting that if you wanted to use this as two meals, you would have to halve it before microwaving as obviously it can't be reheated. The sauce is mostly tomato-based, with small amounts of chicken and mushroom.

Amber's verdict:

Amber loves pasta and wolfed it down. She used the spoon herself hence why she's covered. Overall, I'd say she was a big fan.

Eden's verdict:

Eden doesn't have the same love of pasta that her sister does, but she happily ate this and enjoyed the meal.

Overall verdict:

Amount eaten: 90%

Effort: Easy

Mess factor: High 

Rating: 8/10

Recipe Test: Ready, Steady, Go Scones

Recipe Review: Ready, Steady, Go Scones

The Big Baking Book is a bright, bold and fun for adults and children alike. It features a good selection of recipes and I've tried out a few of them. The other day I attempted the Ready, Steady, Go Scones:

I used frozen peppers so estimated the amount needed and may have added a little too much. They didn't rise as much as I thought they would so were a little on the flat side. 

The girls enjoyed trying them, but they were a bit on the crumbly side so they fell apart rather easily. I would do this recipe again, but would be tempted to add cheese. 

Overall verdict:

Amount eaten: 50-60%

Effort: Medium

Mess factor: Average 

Recipe Rating: 6/10

Cookbook Rating: 9/10

Introducing... Kitchen A&E

In 2013, we went from being a couple to a family-of-four when we welcomed our twins into the world. No, above is not a family portrait. It's the cake I made for the girls 1st Birthday, using a recipe from Ella's kitchen baking cookbook. The decoration is based on the TV show, Small Potatoes. 

As a couple we loved cooking and one of the first things my husband purchased when I was pregnant was a weaning cookbook. The girls have inherited a love for food, and as I spend a fair amount of time working out what I'm going feed them, we've decided to blog about it. 

For the most part I'll be featuring good food in a hurry. It will include recipe/cookbook reviews, products we've tried, good places to eat out and guest blogs from my husband. It's something we enjoy, so hopefully you will as well.

All for now,

C,D,A & E x