Pea & Ham Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 kg frozen (or fresh) green peas

2 tpsns low fat margarine

3 medium onions (diced small)

2 leeks (diced)

3 pints chicken stock

1 ham joint (slightly salted)

pepper to taste

Method

1 Melt margarine slowy on medium heat and add chopped onions and cook until softened (stir regularly)

2 Add chicken stock and turn up heat slightly until liquid begins to bubble

3 Add the remaining ingredients

4 Cook for 20 minutes (stirring regularly) before turning heat down slightly

5 Continue to stir every 5-10 minutes

6 Cook until ham joint is cooked thoroughly

7 Remove ham joint and blend soup liquid with hand or soup blender

8 Add pepper to taste

9 Serve hot with warm crusty bread and enjoy!

Green Split Pea & Parsnip Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients



• 1 cup split green peas
• Desert spoon low calorie margarine 
• 3 large onions chopped fairly small
• 4 large parsnips chopped and diced
• 3 pints chicken stock
• salt & pepper to taste

​

Method

1. melt margarine in a large soup pot on medium heat and add onions and cook until soft
2. remove onions from soup pot and add chopped parsnips and cook slowly until softened on medium heat
3. combine onions and parsnips together and stir for one minute
4. add all the other ingredients and turn up heat slightly for 20 minutes, stirring regularly
5. turn down to medium heat again and cook until the green split peas are really soft 
6. blend with a hand blender (or add to food blender) until ingredients are completely mixed
7. Add salt and pepper if desired to taste

8. serve hot with warm, crusty bread and enjoy!​

Biscuit cutter tip!

Yes!  I signed up to Cake Decorating... Issue 1 arrived earlier in the week 

with some freebies (in picture below) - 1 biscuit cutter, 1 icing cutter, cardboard cake stand

and cake glitter - all pink!  I'm not into the colour pink but I do kind of like these :D

TIP: Use different shaped biscuit cutters and cut shapes in toast or bread -

kids will love such, especially with 'egg soldiers' or spaghetti, etc!

Mmm!  Healthy porridge and strawberries for breakfast

(if strawberries aren't sweet, add a little sprinkling sugar)

Supper: Creamy pork and mushroom

Simmering away slowly

Time to eat!

This photo was taken just a short while ago... what a fab sunset!

What's cookin'?

Won't be venturing outdoors today - it's horrible out there!  Yesterday was such a lovely, sunny day by comparison.

A Day out in Aberdeenshire...

We headed off to Royal Deeside yesterday afternoon and stopped off at the Mains of Drum Garden Centre en route...

Mains of Drum Garden Centre

Hubby bought me a cute cake stand from the shop ( pictured below), but we didn't buy any plants 'cos they were far too expensive.  It was nice to browse around though.  

I love browsing... not necessarily buying stuff - just browsing and looking at all the lovely pictures, pens, and other gifts, etc.  I love colourful things - can you tell?

{Alford Bistro Logo}

Later on, we stopped at Alford and went for a bite to eat at the Alford Bistro...

The meal was lovely, and the service was really good too.  Would definitely go back again if I was in the area... Now how's about what's cooking in the Cupcake Kitchen... it may not be quite up to the Alford Bistro Menu, but it's still going to be tasty!

Cupcake Kitchen Menu for today

               

Mince with peas (left) & Stew for a steak pie (right)

Love, love, love these gadgets and would hate to be without them.  I just leave them to work away whilst I get on with other things; they're great 'cos I don't have to run back and forward checking and stirring.

Just wish someone would invent a gadget which does the housework LOL! 

Hope the weather's better where you are and you're having a great day.  

P.S. If you like chocolate cake but are watching your figure... why not visit the Chatty Crone - she has an interesting chocolate cake recipe which you may wish to check out on her post dated 30th April.