Tasty Homemade Valentines Gifts.

Here are a few ideas for Homemade Valentines gifts.

Shortbread Hearts

125g Butter
55g Caster Sugar
180g Plain Flour

1. Pre-heat oven to 185c - 175 for fan assisted
2. Beat butter and sugar together until pale
3. Stir in flour until you make a dough
4. Roll out 1cm thick, cut out your shapes.
5. Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with caster sugar.
6. Chill in fridge for 20 mins
7. Bake for 12-15 mins 
8. Enjoy

You can also add choc chips or lemon rind for something a bit different

Clotted Cream Truffles

I was sent some Rodda’s Clotted Cream to test out this recipe.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Makes about 25
 
1x 227g tub Rodda’s clotted cream
200g 70% cocoa solids chocolate
50g good quality cocoa powder

Melt the chocolate either in a bain-marie or in the microwave.
 
Stir the clotted cream into the chocolate until the mixture is silky smooth. Chill for 2-3 hours. 
 
Have a plate ready with the cocoa powder. Then use a melon baller dipped in hot water to shape the truffles by running it through the truffle mix. Drop into the cocoa. You will need to dip the melon baller into the hot water after each truffle.

Alternatively you can use 2 teaspoons.
 
After making 5 or 6 truffles, roll them in the cocoa and then set aside. Continue rolling and dusting until you have finished all the mixture. If you want a more uniform finish dust the truffles, roll in your hand to form a smooth ball, and then dust again in cocoa. 
  
Chill overnight if you can or for at least 4 hours. 

They turned out really well, I didn’t use cocoa power I went with icing sugar for dusting mixed with some edible glitter!

NM X

Image: 9nong / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Guest post from team The New Ice Age

Favouring Frozen Freezes Cost for British Families!

It’s theNewIceAge.com team here! Thanks to New Mummy’s Tips for letting us guest post. TheNewIceAge.com is an informative and entertaining showcase for frozen foods. We aim to demonstrate just how convenient, beneficial and healthy the frozen food option can be for you and your family.

We have just commissioned a study titled Cost, Waste and Taste Comparison of Frozen Food versus Fresh Food in a Consumer Market that was carried out independently by Manchester Food Research Centre (MFRC). The study reveals that cooking frozen food creates considerably less wastage, is better value for money than cooking from fresh food without compromising on taste.

How it worked

Over a period of 2 weeks, nine families, who normally cooked from fresh, were asked to try the frozen equivalent of their choice (week 1 – cooked fresh food and week 2 – cooked from frozen). * The UK wastes nearly a million tonnes a year on uneaten or uncooked food (which roughly equates to £500 a year per household), clearly suggesting that British families need an alternative.

The results

Costs: The study revealed that cooking from frozen was 33.12% less expensive than from fresh for main meal of the week for all families. Each family that took part achieved savings ranging from 12.73% to as much as 56.95% when cooking meals from frozen. The fresh food average actual cost per week for the main meal of the week, for a family of 2 adults and 1 to 2 children, was £41.29 whereas for frozen food it was £27.60.

Waste: When it came to wastage, research found when cooking with fresh food there was 36.77% more waste than when cooking from frozen. The amount of waste for the fresh food ranged from 25grams per week, per family to 1290 grams. In contrast, the amount of wastage with frozen ranged from zero to 920 grams, with 2 families showing zero waste. On average waste for fresh food for a family of 2 adults and 1-2 children was 519 grams, whereas with frozen it was only 328 grams.

Taste: Whilst study results on taste could not be evaluated quantitatively, there were many dishes that families liked and some equalled or were considered to be tastier than fresh. The families were pleasantly surprised at just how tasty the frozen options were. Evidence from both the completed diaries and from the focus group showed very clearly that families will in future incorporate more frozen meals into their weekly diet.

Chef Aldo Zilli and TheNewIceAge.com

Celebrity Chef and a very busy father of 2 young children Aldo Zilli has teamed up with theNewIceAge.com. He hosted a delicious 4-course lunch at his restaurant Zilli Fish on the 13^th of May incorporating frozen into the meal. An avid supporter of healthy eating, he says “cooking with frozen does not mean lowering ones standards on freshness or nutritional value. On the contrary, frozen can often be fresher, especially when dealing with seafood and fish. The British consumer is very financially mindful and environmentally conscious - frozen food allows consumers certain luxuries without compromising on taste, lowering wastage and ensuring great value for money.”

For more information and recipe ideas please visit us on www.thenewiceage.com. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter @theNewIceAge

See you there!

TheNewIceAge.com Team