Feeling Good

I am feeling pretty good right now.

January's credit card bill has been paid off in full without too much of a struggle.

I have set my running targets for next month which focus on building up distance and went for a lovely four mile run with my husband to make sure I wasn't being unrealistic about what I could achieve.

My daughter has been home from boarding school for the weekend and I continue to be amazed at the huge leaps in confidence and maturity that are evident in everything she does. It was an absolute privilege to see her perform two songs at her school's Senior Vocal Concert. It wasn't so much a 'proud mummy moment' as totally in awe of her.

My January resolution to make more pamper time for myself and make use of my collection of gorgeous lotions and potions that have remained unopened for long enough, has been enhanced greatly by my husband finally getting round to fixing the spa feature on my bath. I had a wonderfully relaxing jacuzzi bath yesterday evening which felt so good on post-run muscles.

I have some ideas for small changes for the better I can make over the coming months (my version of New Year's Resolutions for 2014)  and am making plans to enter some running events that will really challenge me. I am definitely feeling very positive about the year ahead.

Phones for Teens

Yesterday, my five year old daughter proudly told me that Harry Morley (names changed to protect the innocent!) put a chocolate love heart in her lunch box. Our babies grow up so fast. Before I know it my little angel will be deeply immersed in the world of boyfriends and demanding the latest mobile phone to manage her social life. Parenting can feel like walking a perilous tightrope, giving your children enough freedom to grow and develop in a rapidly changing (sometimes quite alien) world whilst keeping them safe and protected.

It has made me wonder, what is the right age to give your child a mobile phone? There are plenty of polls and studies that reveal many seven year olds (and some as young as five!) are given mobile phones by their parents 'for safety reasons'. I can appreciate the advantage of your children being contactable but it does seem a bit extreme.

When I do feel that my daughter would benefit from having a phone of her own, probably not until her early teens, I would want to make sure that I chose the right one.

Recently, I was sent a Samsung Galaxy Fame Pay as You Go mobile phone on the Three network to review. It is a lovely little phone - neat and compact, easy start up, all the features I'd expect from a smartphone and some I have yet to fathom! It is, I believe, a phone aimed at a teen market and I can see no reason why it wouldn't be perfect for the job. I was especially impressed by the 5-megapixel camera - a teen essential for the ubiquitous 'selfie'.

The important part for me, as a parent, is the fact that the Pay As You Go option allows some flexibility over the contract option, gives control over cost and all PAYG phones from Three are automatically locked in regards to adult content.

It is not difficult for me to imagine my little Addy as a teen (she is one of those five going on fifteen sort of girls). If I were buying her a phone now, the Samsung Galaxy Fame PAYG would be a great choice. Thankfully, she is only five and I'm happy to say that a piece of cardboard with some numbers drawn on it will currently suffice!

Apple Cake made with Golden Syrup Sugar

For the last few months of 2013, I found myself having to economise in a way that I hadn't had to for many years. One of the changes I made in my weekly shopping basket was to avoid buying any fancy sugar - nothing but the cheapest white granulated. I used it in all my home baking and although the results were perfectly OK, I did miss the subtle flavour enhancing tastes imparted by the slightly more expensive unrefined sugars -  especially in my crumble toppings (I was making a lot of crumbles thanks to a glut of cooking apples from the tree in the garden).

Now that the purse strings have been loosened a little, I definitely think it is worth spending the extra to experiment with the whole range of sugars available. 

I was quite excited to see that Tate and Lyle had brought out a new, British inspired Golden Syrup Sugar - and even more excited to be offered a sample to try. 

As I still have apples in my larder, I decided to make an apple cake from a recipe that I have already adapted several times with good results. It is a lovely, comforting winter pud, great served hot or cold with cream, ice cream or custard. This is the recipe as I made it last night:

Apple Cake

200g SR flour ( I used the Savers budget range from Morrisons)

2tsp ground ginger

100g margarine

100g Golden Syrup Sugar

1 large egg (from my lovely hens)

8tbsp milk

1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and diced.

Extra Golden Syrup Sugar for sprinkling on top

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC

2. Mix flour and ginger together ( I didn't bother sieving)

3. Rub in the marg

4. Stir in the Golden Syrup Sugar (taking time to enjoy the smell!)

5. Add egg and milk and beat to a thick smooth batter

6. Stir in diced apple

7. Transfer to tin (I used a non stick 8" round one with removable bottom)

8. Sprinkle top with Golden Syrup Sugar (tricky because it has the consistency of wet sand) 

9. Cook until firm and golden, approx 35 mins

I was pleased with how it came out but as the saying goes - the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

I served it with cream and asked my husband for his verdict. He agreed with me that it was good but I pushed him further to see if he could identify a mystery ingredient. He took another mouthful, contemplated a while then said it tasted a bit like.... Golden Syrup!

10/10 for my husband's tastebuds and a big thumbs up for the new member of the Tate & Lyle family.

For information about the Tate & Lyle range, recipe ideas and more, visit http://www.tasteandsmile.co.uk/