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	<title>overacuppa.co.uk</title>
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	<link>http://overacuppa.co.uk</link>
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		<title>Mountains, hills and Amsterdam</title>
		<link>http://overacuppa.co.uk/mountains-hills-and-amsterdam/</link>
		<comments>http://overacuppa.co.uk/mountains-hills-and-amsterdam/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 25 May 2013 08:29:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ali</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[feelings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[low moods]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://overacuppa.co.uk/?p=11846</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Every so often I think yes we are back on level ground then boom, I find myself at the bottom of a huge steep mountain. It feels like a tiny bit of our lives are walking in Amsterdam then just as we get used to that pace it gets taken away.
Life itself has taught me that really very few get to walk Amsterdam all the time. Some get to climb mountains most of the time, though I have never worked out why climbing mountains is meaning you are struggling. Then you get to the top and you go down hill is in fact a negative term. Perhaps whilst you&#8217;re climbing the mountain it is in fact a positive thing.
Visually I like Mountains and once you get to the top you have the most fantastic view. It is long while since I climbed any real mountains. We used to but I ...</p><p>The post <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/mountains-hills-and-amsterdam/">Mountains, hills and Amsterdam</a> appeared first on <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk">overacuppa.co.uk</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_11851" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 261px;  border: 1px solid #dddddd; background-color: #f3f3f3; padding-top: 4px; margin: 10px; text-align:center; float: right;"><img class="size-full wp-image-11851" alt="Image credit" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mountains.jpg" width="251" height="201" />
<p style=' padding: 0 4px 5px; margin: 0;'  class="wp-caption-text">Image credit</p>
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<p>Every so often I think yes we are back on level ground then boom, I find myself at the bottom of a huge steep mountain. It feels like a tiny bit of our lives are walking in Amsterdam then just as we get used to that pace it gets taken away.</p>
<p>Life itself has taught me that really very few get to walk Amsterdam all the time. Some get to climb mountains most of the time, though I have never worked out why climbing mountains is meaning you are struggling. Then you get to the top and you go down hill is in fact a negative term. Perhaps whilst you&#8217;re climbing the mountain it is in fact a positive thing.</p>
<p>Visually I like Mountains and once you get to the top you have the most fantastic view. It is long while since I climbed any real mountains. We used to but I guess they weren&#8217;t that big as we were just children holidaying in Wales or Scotland. I remember how fantastic it was when you looked over and then between the small mountains were small lakes sparkling in the sun.</p>
<p>Today is a gorgeous sunny bank holiday weekend. As I type the birds are singing with joy for a bit of warmth in the sun and we have the half term ahead of us which a break from school and pack lunches etc etc is always welcome.</p>
<p>Today though I woke up feeling sick with stress. Feeling unsettled and a little mad that our Amsterdam had only lasted a few miles. Thinking I am going to need Kendal mint cake for extra energy, not actually really in the mood for climbing mountains. Perhaps we could swap them for some Devon rolling hills instead. Swap the maps, chose a different road. Everyone&#8217;s mountains are different, everyone has them, everyone deals with them differently.</p>
<p>But I am getting a bit sick of them now. I want some Amsterdam and at the very least a gentle hill.</p>
<p>Now that is out the way&#8230;. deep breath and kettle on. Tea, me and a seat in the garden have a date.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/mountains-hills-and-amsterdam/">Mountains, hills and Amsterdam</a> appeared first on <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk">overacuppa.co.uk</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Blinds perfect for your windows</title>
		<link>http://overacuppa.co.uk/blinds/</link>
		<comments>http://overacuppa.co.uk/blinds/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 May 2013 09:53:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ali</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blinds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ventian blinds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[window dressing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://overacuppa.co.uk/?p=11811</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>When we moved into our house there was all curtains. Most of them were the heavy type you get,which really wasn&#8217;t me. I have always been more of blinds person and since a teenager have chosen blinds over curtains. I like the fact they seem to take up less space. Roll them up and the windows are clear, rather than with curtains they always seem to block some of the window. Even if you do have those tying bits to make them look prettier!
We have one big curtain over our french doors and it one of the ones we have not got around to changing. As you know we are selling our house so I took the curtain down to be wash, and I couldn&#8217;t believe how much lighter the room was without it. This got me thinking that in our next house if we do have French doors then ...</p><p>The post <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/blinds/">Blinds perfect for your windows</a> appeared first on <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk">overacuppa.co.uk</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When we moved into our house there was all curtains. Most of them were the heavy type you get,which really wasn&#8217;t me. I have always been more of blinds person and since a teenager have chosen blinds over curtains. I like the fact they seem to take up less space. Roll them up and the windows are clear, rather than with curtains they always seem to block some of the window. Even if you do have those tying bits to make them look prettier!</p>
<p>We have one big curtain over our french doors and it one of the ones we have not got around to changing. As you know we are selling our house so I took the curtain down to be wash, and I couldn&#8217;t believe how much lighter the room was without it. This got me thinking that in our next house if we do have French doors then it will be blinds.</p>
<p>As I type now at the kitchen table, next to said French door (french door always sounds so fancy doesn&#8217;t it? Sorry random comment!!!) The sun in about 10 minutes will be hitting my laptop screen. This will mean I will have to shut the curtain and the sun out completely, which is a shame. But if I was wiser or indeed not moving (positive thinking and all that jazz!) I would invest in a blind. Liking the natural look I would choose something natural looking and I have found the perfect blinds at Web-Blinds even the perfect colour in Urban Grey. It has got a driftwood feel to it, which I kind of like that beachy look. To solve the problem of the sun I think choosing wooden venetian blinds is a wise move. That way I could use those clever slats to my advantage and stop the sun hitting my laptop screen without blocking out the sun completely.</p>
<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-11824" style="border: 0px none;;  float: right; padding: 4px; margin: 0 0 2px 7px;" alt="Woodweave blind 2" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Woodweave-blind-2-300x267.jpg" width="300" height="267" />We have a blind in our sitting room, we have a wooden weave blind in there. Rather like these ones at <a href=" http://www.web-blinds.com/blinds/made-to-measure/woodweave-blinds  " target="_blank">Web-blinds </a>they are not only good value but are perfect for the sitting room. Back again to the sunshine again, in the evening the sun has moved around to the side of the house. My latest problem is the sun stops the sensor to change television channel. It was so sunny last night that I had to keep asking Oscar (I was tired!) to stand in front of the television to make a shadow so I could change the channel. Yes that really happened, though I did notice he cunningly stood in front of the choice of &#8216;Come dine with me&#8217;!!! In the end I did pull down the blind, but as it is slatted it meant some of the light from the sun could still be seen so I didn&#8217;t feel I had to shut out the beautiful sunshine completely.</p>
<p>I know where ever we move next, I may well have to again make my home office in a corner of a room. I love this article <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/home-office/carve-out-space-home-office-10000001091433/index.html" target="_blank">Carve out space for a home office </a>and that window would definitely  need a  venetian blind.</p>
<p>Blinds for me just work, I like the fact you can maximise the window and your natural light, use the venetian style blinds to vary light and privacy.  As I sometimes do with our kitchen window blind,  you can have the blind half way up when the sun is that position that it catches in your eyes when washing up!!!</p>
<p>So are you a blind or a curtain person?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11380" style="border: 0px none;;  display: block; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto;" alt="blog" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/commission-post1.png" width="191" height="54" /></p>
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<p>The post <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/blinds/">Blinds perfect for your windows</a> appeared first on <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk">overacuppa.co.uk</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Hallmark RCOK – Rochelle &amp; Marvin Humes</title>
		<link>http://overacuppa.co.uk/hallmark-rcok-rochelle-marvin-humes/</link>
		<comments>http://overacuppa.co.uk/hallmark-rcok-rochelle-marvin-humes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2013 18:26:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ali</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://overacuppa.co.uk/?p=11791</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>
JLS may be no more, but the real work has just begun for Marvin Humes, as he and his wife Rochelle have just welcomed their first baby to the world! To celebrate this wonderful occasion and congratulate the very happy couple, the greetings cards specialist Hallmark has created this special card. As Marvin and Rochelle, singer of The Saturdays are both so musically talented, we can’t wait to see if their baby will be too!

</p><p>The post <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/hallmark-rcok-rochelle-marvin-humes/">Hallmark RCOK – Rochelle &#038; Marvin Humes</a> appeared first on <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk">overacuppa.co.uk</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img style=' display: block; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto;'  src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/marvin-rochelle-RCOK-_Final-300x200.jpg" alt="greeting cards" width="300" height="200" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-11794" /><br />
JLS may be no more, but the real work has just begun for Marvin Humes, as he and his wife Rochelle have just welcomed their first baby to the world! To celebrate this wonderful occasion and congratulate the very happy couple, the <a href="http://www.hallmark.co.uk/" title="greetings cards">greetings cards specialist Hallmark has created this special card</a>. As Marvin and Rochelle, singer of The Saturdays are both so musically talented, we can’t wait to see if their baby will be too!<br />
<img style=' display: block; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto;'  src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/guest-post-21.png" alt="blog" width="200" height="63" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11055" /></p>
<p>The post <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/hallmark-rcok-rochelle-marvin-humes/">Hallmark RCOK – Rochelle &#038; Marvin Humes</a> appeared first on <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk">overacuppa.co.uk</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Spring &#8216;Green&#8217; soup recipe</title>
		<link>http://overacuppa.co.uk/spring-green-soup-recipe/</link>
		<comments>http://overacuppa.co.uk/spring-green-soup-recipe/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2013 12:46:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ali</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[easy soup to make]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recipe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spring greens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spring soup recipe]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://overacuppa.co.uk/?p=11771</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>I am trying to have soup once a week to help keep the food budget down. It is also a good excuse to come up with different soup recipes. With Spring here and the lovely spring greens in the shop I thought I would mix them with other goodies and fresh herbs to make a rather lovely fresh tasting Spring soup recipe.
As with all soups this is the basic recipe. Nice swaps or additions would be leeks, asparagus, celery and spinach. The spinach would need just to go in at the end for a few minutes.
So here my Spring green soup recipe
You will need:
2 onions chopped
1 courgette chopped
1 spring green plant thinly sliced  (usually there are 2-3 plants in a pack, we used one left over from the roast on Sunday)
4 medium-sized potatoes peeled and chopped
1 cup of frozen pea&#8217;s
2-3 garlic cloves crushed
A generous handful of parsley
a few sprigs of ...</p><p>The post <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/spring-green-soup-recipe/">Spring &#8216;Green&#8217; soup recipe</a> appeared first on <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk">overacuppa.co.uk</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I am trying to have soup once a week to help keep the food budget down. It is also a good excuse to come up with different soup recipes. With Spring here and the lovely spring greens in the shop I thought I would mix them with other goodies and fresh herbs to make a rather lovely fresh tasting Spring soup recipe.</p>
<p>As with all soups this is the basic recipe. Nice swaps or additions would be leeks, asparagus, celery and spinach. The spinach would need just to go in at the end for a few minutes.</p>
<p><strong>So here my Spring green soup recipe</strong></p>
<p><strong>You will need:</strong></p>
<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-11777" style="border: 0px none;;  float: right; padding: 4px; margin: 0 0 2px 7px;" alt="spring green soup recipe" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Easy-spring-green-soup-ingredients-300x225.jpg" width="300" height="225" />2 onions chopped</p>
<p>1 courgette chopped</p>
<p>1 spring green plant thinly sliced  (usually there are 2-3 plants in a pack, we used one left over from the roast on Sunday)</p>
<p>4 medium-sized potatoes peeled and chopped</p>
<p>1 cup of frozen pea&#8217;s</p>
<p>2-3 garlic cloves crushed</p>
<p>A generous handful of parsley</p>
<p>a few sprigs of fresh mint</p>
<p>Zest of 1 lemon</p>
<p>1 1/2 pints of water</p>
<p>1 tbls of oil</p>
<p>salt and black pepper</p>
<p><strong>To make my Spring green soup recipe you need to:</strong></p>
<p>Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onions and potatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Stirring frequently.</p>
<p>Add courgettes and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the potatoes and onions have just started to softened.</p>
<p>Add the Spring greens and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and give a good stir.</p>
<p>Now add the water and bring just up to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the frozen pea&#8217;s, lemon zest and half of the fresh herbs. Cook for a further 5 minutes until the pea&#8217;s and potatoes are cooked through.</p>
<p>Taste to see if you need a little more seasoning. As we are using water and not stock or stock cubes you may want a bit more salt.</p>
<p>Add the rest of the herbs then take 1 third of the soup and blend until smooth. Return to the pan. Heat for another minutes and it is ready to serve.</p>
<p>Sprinkle with grated if you would like. Serve with some nice bread.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-11778" style="border: 0px none;;  display: block; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto;" alt="Spring green soup recipe" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Spring-green-soup-recipe-300x225.jpg" width="300" height="225" /></p>
<p>Nice extra additions to make it even more filling would be a drained and rinsed can of cannellini or butter beans.</p>
<p>If like you can add a little bit of milk at the end. For the leftover soup the next day for lunch I added a little milk so there was enough and it tasted really nice.</p>
<p>A knob of butter added to soup can give it a really nice smooth flavour and texture so you could do this. As it is on the above recipe, it is very low in fat so perfect if you are on a diet.</p>
<p>You may also like my <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/easy-peasy-pea-and-mint-soup/" target="_blank">Easy peasy pea and mint soup recipe</a> or why not try my &#8216;<a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/use-it-up-vegetable-soup/" target="_blank">Use it up vegetable soup recipe&#8217;</a></p>
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<p>The post <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/spring-green-soup-recipe/">Spring &#8216;Green&#8217; soup recipe</a> appeared first on <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk">overacuppa.co.uk</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>De-cluttering, moving and self storage</title>
		<link>http://overacuppa.co.uk/self-storage/</link>
		<comments>http://overacuppa.co.uk/self-storage/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 May 2013 10:31:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ali</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://overacuppa.co.uk/?p=11676</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>

De-cluttering, moving and self storage
As you have probably read before, I have had a big de-clutter lately. Things have been sorted, some to charity, some sold on Ebay and some *coughs* stored in our (luckily) rather roomy roof space and garage.
But what if you don&#8217;t have enough space at home and you need to clear some things but just haven&#8217;t got the heart to completely say good-bye to them? Well, self storage could be the answer.
Self storage is used quite a lot for people like me who are selling their house. To prepare my home, I&#8217;ve followed the most common selling tip of clearing away personal clutter. This makes it easier for viewings because there is less stuff to tidy, dust and organise and also it makes the rooms look bigger and feel much nicer. So much so in fact, I&#8217;m not sure I want to return some of the ...</p><p>The post <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/self-storage/">De-cluttering, moving and self storage</a> appeared first on <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk">overacuppa.co.uk</a>.</p>]]></description>
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<p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">De-cluttering, moving and self storage</b></p>
<p>As you have probably read before, I have had a big de-clutter lately. Things have been sorted, some to charity, some sold on Ebay and some *coughs* stored in our (luckily) rather roomy roof space and garage.</p>
<p>But what if you don&#8217;t have enough space at home and you need to clear some things but just haven&#8217;t got the heart to completely say good-bye to them? Well, self storage could be the answer.</p>
<p>Self storage is used quite a lot for people like me who are selling their house. To prepare my home, I&#8217;ve followed the most common selling tip of clearing away personal clutter. This makes it easier for viewings because there is less stuff to tidy, dust and organise and also it makes the rooms look bigger and feel much nicer. So much so in fact, I&#8217;m not sure I want to return some of the things &#8211; but that&#8217;s another story.</p>
<p>The benefit of moving things out of your home to de-personalise it means future buyers can imagine living in your house. What a scary thought for them!!! Of course you have to live in your house and enjoy it while you&#8217;re trying to sell – so my secret weapon is to keep baskets which magazines and general life clutter can get thrown into to keep out of view.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-11765" style="border: 0px none;;  display: block; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto;" alt="self storage baskets" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Baskets-300x225.jpg" width="300" height="225" /></p>
<p>Over the years bookshelves get over loaded and so we now have several with a doubled layered book-look. The bookshelves had to be sorted and the extras had to be boxed up and stored away. Another great place for excess is wardrobes. We cram all our clothes into one space and even though I try to sort out Winter&#8217;s from Summer&#8217;s, my wardrobe still contains Summer stuff as well as woolly scarf&#8217;s!!! Mind you with the weather as it is at the moment this is just as well.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">With less things in the house it flows more easily (yes how about a bit of Feng Shui, I know I am obsessed!) so if you are selling this has got to be a good thing. Less clutter in our home actually means for me less clutter in my head which is really nice!!!<br />
<img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-11766" style="border: 0px none;;  display: block; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto;" alt="e-clutter house for selling" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Sitting-room-300x225.jpg" width="300" height="225" /></p>
<p>But self storage isn&#8217;t just for people who are selling houses. I have already thought about using it myself when we finally move. This depends on where we are going and what we buy, but for me if there isn&#8217;t the obvious water tight garage, it&#8217;s a real consideration. Moving is stressful, add two kids plus two dogs and to me I am looking for ways to make it easier. I want to move in, unpack what I need, and collapse with a cup of tea &#8211; or glass of wine more to the point.</p>
<p>A friend of mine uses self storage to keep the things she really doesn&#8217;t want to say goodbye to but hasn&#8217;t got room for. Lots of us have a sentimental connection to things and I know when we sort out our roof space there are going to be some tough decisions (and probably a few tears which is why storing some of the things I can live without for a few months seems like a wise investment). Get them stored before the moving day so when the <a href="https://www.bigyellow.co.uk/removals" target="_blank">removal</a> company arrives a good bit of the work has already been done and you can unpack at your leisure at a later date.</p>
<p>Of course, if you are using self storage it&#8217;s a good idea to make sure everything is packed up properly so it&#8217;s worth look at a <a href="https://www.bigyellow.co.uk/freeguides" target="_blank">packing guide</a> so you know that your processions are safe ready and waiting for you when you need them.</p>
<p>With all this talk of packing and unpacking, I&#8217;m hoping the phone will ring today for a viewing, please&#8230;&#8230;</p>
<p><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Big Yellow Self Storage provides secure storage rooms and wardrobe sized storage lockers for as long or as short a time as you need.</i><br />
<img style=' display: block; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto;'  class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11380" alt="blog" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/commission-post1.png" width="191" height="54" /></p>
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<p>The post <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/self-storage/">De-cluttering, moving and self storage</a> appeared first on <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk">overacuppa.co.uk</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Little me successes of the week</title>
		<link>http://overacuppa.co.uk/little-me-successes-of-the-week/</link>
		<comments>http://overacuppa.co.uk/little-me-successes-of-the-week/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2013 06:41:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ali</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://overacuppa.co.uk/?p=11738</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>I am typing this early on a Sunday morning, I guess I should have waited till tonight and the week was up. But anyway here are my little successes of the week. The liitle things I am hoping to focus on to drive me forward instead of treading water that I have been.
So here is my list:
I found the happier, cheekier flirtier me in me. The one that seemed to have been gone for a while, it decided to pop back so I would remember that it is part of me. This is part of the biggest similar personality of my sister and I. The part she once before helped me find and one of the reason in the last year I lost it. It was nice to have that back and though as I type it is hiding a little, at least I know it is still there.
I was ...</p><p>The post <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/little-me-successes-of-the-week/">Little me successes of the week</a> appeared first on <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk">overacuppa.co.uk</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-11753" style="border: 0px none;;  float: right; padding: 4px; margin: 0 0 2px 7px;" alt="Lundy bay" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Lundy-Bay-Cornwall-225x300.jpg" width="225" height="300" />I am typing this early on a Sunday morning, I guess I should have waited till tonight and the week was up. But anyway here are my little successes of the week. The liitle things I am hoping to focus on to drive me forward instead of treading water that I have been.</p>
<p><strong>So here is my list:</strong></p>
<p>I found the happier, cheekier flirtier me in me. The one that seemed to have been gone for a while, it decided to pop back so I would remember that it is part of me. This is part of the biggest similar personality of my sister and I. The part she once before helped me find and one of the reason in the last year I lost it. It was nice to have that back and though as I type it is hiding a little, at least I know it is still there.</p>
<p>I was pleased with work I had done and idea&#8217;s that I had for the future. When your down on yourself it is hard to feel good about things you have achieved let alone have idea&#8217;s. I am not good at future planning because life itself has taught me that anything can happen. But my brain is wired in the way that is don&#8217;t plan for anything good or something bad may happen. It isn&#8217;t a good wiring system and one that really needs re-doing.</p>
<p>Which brings me onto what I am reading at the moment. Here I get sort of laughed at by some of the stuff that I read. I actually love stuff about people and how we work. But apparently I am reading a lot of &#8216;Self Help&#8217; books at the moment. Which say&#8217;s nearly 14-year-old is weird. This week I have been loving reading which was free on Kindle when I got it  &#8216;The saboteur within&#8217; ebook by Matt Hudson. It is only now 77p and to me it hits so many buttons and it has helped me start re-wiring my brain mis-functions as I read literally. So one I highly recommend. I am only just half way through and I am reading about different fears which I know have without a doubt affected the way I have lived my life.</p>
<p>I dreamt I had been out partying all night, two hours sleep and woke up looking wonderful. I did in real life wake up and looked okay, dam!!! I also dreamt another night that we had moved and I felt really good. Both I still have the sense of the strong feelings I felt in the dreams. I am not a dream interpreter I haven&#8217;t read those books yet!!! Why is this a success, it left me feeling happy. Though I could have felt sad about the first dream and well I must have been young, actually I was left with a good feeling inside.</p>
<p>I baked and until last Sunday I hadn&#8217;t baked for about 10 days. I had truly forgotten how great baking is for happy therapy. I also love coming up with different recipes which made for really easy bakes. I love even more people tweeting  and messaging me that they are going to make them.</p>
<p><img class=" wp-image-11524 alignright" style="border: 0px none;;  float: right; padding: 4px; margin: 0 0 2px 7px;" alt="blueberry and lemon cake" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Blueberry-and-lemon-drizzle-loaf-300x225.jpg" width="210" height="158" /></p>
<p>I took 10 minutes out to truly relax. The sun was out yesterday, we all had tea in the garden. Cam said some mouth in his foot comment to Bex, Bex reacted to such comment as a nearly 14-year-old daughter would to such comment from her Dad. Dad&#8217;s and teenager daughters please note a nightmare sometimes! We drifted apart I sat on steps in garden, they were warm. I led on steps in garden , they are wide but hard. I shielded my eyes from the sun and looking as Oscar said later &#8216;weird&#8217; lying on the steps I relaxed a beautiful relax for 10 minutes before facing the moods within the house. The step, the sun felt wonderful!!!</p>
<p>So those are my little successes of the week, have you got any?</p>
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<p>The post <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/little-me-successes-of-the-week/">Little me successes of the week</a> appeared first on <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk">overacuppa.co.uk</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Banoffee loaf recipe &#8211; Banana &amp; toffee cake</title>
		<link>http://overacuppa.co.uk/banoffee-loaf-recipe-banana-toffee-cake/</link>
		<comments>http://overacuppa.co.uk/banoffee-loaf-recipe-banana-toffee-cake/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 May 2013 12:29:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ali</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[banana cake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[banana loaf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cake recipe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ripe banana recipe]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://overacuppa.co.uk/?p=11713</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>I am in a cake mood this week and seem to be swaying towards loaves for a change. With a couple of large ripe bananas talking to me I decided to come up with this banoffee loaf.
Firstly 3 out of 4 of us love banana bread. It is not really bread is it but calling it bread does mean you can have a slice for breakfast and not feel guilty. See I think of these things!!!
Bex is not a fan so how to convert her? Well bring on a can of carnation caramel. This stuff is totally gorgeous and it is only the second time I used it. The last time was for this cake for my husbands birthday. Yes it was delicious, I will have to re-create and add the recipe too.

So for my &#8216;Banoffee loaf&#8217; I have mixed using more of my muffin type mix with oil instead ...</p><p>The post <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/banoffee-loaf-recipe-banana-toffee-cake/">Banoffee loaf recipe &#8211; Banana &#038; toffee cake</a> appeared first on <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk">overacuppa.co.uk</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I am in a cake mood this week and seem to be swaying towards loaves for a change. With a couple of large ripe bananas talking to me I decided to come up with this banoffee loaf.</p>
<p>Firstly 3 out of 4 of us love banana bread. It is not really bread is it but calling it bread does mean you can have a slice for breakfast and not feel guilty. See I think of these things!!!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Bex is not a fan so how to convert her? Well bring on a can of carnation caramel. This stuff is totally gorgeous and it is only the second time I used it. The last time was for this cake for my husbands birthday. Yes it was delicious, I will have to re-create and add the recipe too.<br />
<img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-11721" style="border: 0px none;;  display: block; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto;" alt="caramel and chocolate cake" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Caramel-and-chocolate-cake-300x225.jpg" width="300" height="225" /></p>
<p>So for my &#8216;Banoffee loaf&#8217; I have mixed using more of my muffin type mix with oil instead of butter and a little yoghurt to make it lighter. The tin of caramel replaced any sugar though I thought it was sweet enough you could add 50g of brown sugar if you liked.</p>
<p>Though I do have to confess I did eat 3 teaspoons of the caramel straight from the tin so there was that much less, shhhh!!!</p>
<p>I have only made this the once, it is made gluten-free but I am confident with the basic mix so happy to share the recipe in the knowledge it won&#8217;t let you down.</p>
<p>Half the enjoyment of baking is to give it a go and usually you get something delicious at the end of it.</p>
<p><em><strong>So no more waffle here is the easy recipe for Banoffee loaf</strong></em></p>
<div id="attachment_11724" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px;  border: 1px solid #dddddd; background-color: #f3f3f3; padding-top: 4px; margin: 10px; text-align:center; float: right;"><img class="size-medium wp-image-11724" alt="Banoffee cake" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/banana-loaf-300x199.jpg" width="300" height="199" />
<p style=' padding: 0 4px 5px; margin: 0;'  class="wp-caption-text">Excuse dodgy cutting!!! As you can see we already ate quite a bit <img src='http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':-)' class='wp-smiley' /></p>
</div>
<p>230g of plain flour (I used gluten-free) sifted</p>
<p>2 tsp of baking power (1 extra teaspoon for gluten-free) sifted with the flour</p>
<p>2 eggs</p>
<p>100ml sunflower or rapeseed oil</p>
<p>1 397g tin of Carnation caramel</p>
<p>2 tbls natural yoghurt</p>
<p>2 large ripe bananas</p>
<p>A little oil to grease the loaf tin and a little extra plain flour to dust it.</p>
<p><strong>To make your banoffee loaf you need to:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Preheat the oven to 180ºC and grease a 2lb loaf tin and then dust it with the extra plain flour and tip out the excess.</li>
<li>Whisk the egg, oil, yoghurt and caramel in a large bowl until throughly mix together.</li>
<li>Mash your bananas</li>
<li>Then fold in your sieved flour gently but do not over mix.</li>
<li>Fold in the mashed bananas</li>
<li>Pour into the prepared tin and bake in the middle of the oven  for 50-60 minutes or until springy to touch and when you put a skewer in it comes out clean.</li>
<li>Leave in the tin to cool a little for 10 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>This makes a 2lb loaf</strong></p>
<p>Nice additions I think would be some chopped walnuts or pecan nuts. Or a little naughtier how about some dark chocolate chopped into pieces. Yum next time for me that idea!!!</p>
<p><strong><em>This is delicious warm but equally cold with a cup of tea.</em></strong></p>
<p><em><strong>I think tonight we will have it as a pudding, warmed with slices of banana and maybe a scoop of ice-cream</strong></em>.</p>
<p>This is a really easy recipe and I prepared it and put it in the oven before our supper went in.</p>
<p>It will freeze well in slices or whole. Just wrap in baking or greasproof paper than pop in a freezer bag or freezable container.</p>
<p>You may also like my <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/blueberry-and-lemon-drizzle-cake/" target="_blank">&#8216;Blueberry and lemon drizzle&#8217;</a> loaf or perhaps you may fancy trying making my <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/blackberry-apple-muffin-cake/" target="_blank">&#8216;Blackberry and apple muffin cake&#8217; </a>which you could switch the blackberries for blueberries or how about swapping them with some cooked rhubarb. May have to do that myself now!!!</p>
<p>P.S The added caramel swung Bex to liking it <img src='http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
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<p>The post <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/banoffee-loaf-recipe-banana-toffee-cake/">Banoffee loaf recipe &#8211; Banana &#038; toffee cake</a> appeared first on <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk">overacuppa.co.uk</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>New things tried &amp; tasted review</title>
		<link>http://overacuppa.co.uk/new-things-tried-and-tested-review/</link>
		<comments>http://overacuppa.co.uk/new-things-tried-and-tested-review/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 May 2013 12:59:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ali</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tried and tested]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://overacuppa.co.uk/?p=11539</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Here we like to find and  try new things so last month we have been lucky enough to review a few new goodies and here is what we thought.
New York Bagels Red onion and chive.

We already love New York bagels here and they are often found in our bread bin or freezer. So it was great to try one their new flavours. It was no surprise that they were really loved. Oscar particularly is a big New York bagel fan and he also loves savoury flavours so this new flavour was a huge hit with him. Bex and Cam really enjoyed them too. Me being gluten-free just got to watch them eat them and of course make them up for them as well.
Red onion and chive are one of New York bagels latest flavours.
New York bagels are available in most supermarkets.
New at Morrisons
Morrisons have recently launched a selection of fruit ...</p><p>The post <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/new-things-tried-and-tested-review/">New things tried &#038; tasted review</a> appeared first on <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk">overacuppa.co.uk</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Here we like to find and  try new things so last month we have been lucky enough to review a few new goodies and here is what we thought.</p>
<h4><strong>New York Bagels Red onion and chive.</strong></h4>
<p><img class="alignright  wp-image-11614" style="border: 0px none;;  float: right; padding: 4px; margin: 0 0 2px 7px;" alt="NYB Red Onion and Chive Bagel" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/NYB-Red-Onion-and-Chive-Bagel-239x300.jpg" width="134" height="168" /><br />
We already love New York bagels here and they are often found in our bread bin or freezer. So it was great to try one their new flavours. It was no surprise that they were really loved. Oscar particularly is a big New York bagel fan and he also loves savoury flavours so this new flavour was a huge hit with him. Bex and Cam really enjoyed them too. Me being gluten-free just got to watch them eat them and of course make them up for them as well.</p>
<p>Red onion and chive are one of New York bagels latest flavours.</p>
<p>New York bagels are available in most supermarkets.</p>
<h4><strong>New at Morrisons</strong></h4>
<p>Morrisons have recently launched a selection of fruit and herb tea&#8217;s and two new ground coffee&#8217;s.</p>
<p>Their fruit and herb tea&#8217;s which bring their tea selection to a big 40 are excellent value at just 75p for 20 bags. We tried Tropical fruit twist which was really fruity as the name suggests. Lemon and Ginger zing which did have a zing to it and was really refreshing especially after a meal. Their Berry Burst which is pure green tea with a berry bite has turned into my second cup of tea in the mornings (shines healthy halo!). Red berry blush has a great berry flavour and the taste of strawberry comes through first with an after taste of cranberries and raspberries which I really loved.</p>
<p>For 75p for the 20 bags I thought they were really good and I really couldn&#8217;t taste to much difference between them and the more expensive brands. I really like to swap some of my caffeine drinks for herb and fruit tea&#8217;s so these are perfect to have in the cupboard. When the weather finally warms up they would also be good made up then chilled for a refreshing drink.<br />
<img class="size-full wp-image-11621 aligncenter" style="border: 0px none;;  display: block; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto;" alt="Morrison fruit and herb tea" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Morrison-Fruit-and-herb-tea.jpg" width="300" height="168" />Also available is Hint of mint, Pure peppermint and In the Pink with pear and vanilla which sounds delicious and Berry blizt with echinaenca.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11624" style="border: 0px none;;  display: block; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto;" alt="Morrisons signature coffee" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Morrison-Signature-coffee.jpg" width="300" height="168" /></p>
<p>Enjoyed also were Morrisons signature ground coffee&#8217;s.  We tried the &#8216;Rich, sweet ground Colombian&#8217;  which is a medium strength. This was really delicious and both my husband and I work from home so we have been really enjoying a morning cafeteria of this. For me it was just the right strength and apparently it has chocolatey notes. I can&#8217;t say I tasted the chocolate flavours but I can tell you it really does have a smooth a very enjoyable flavour.</p>
<p>We also tried the &#8216;Intense, rich ground Guatemalan, this is strength 4 so for me heading a bit strong. But Cam being a more hardened coffee drinker greatly enjoyed it. This won the great taste gold award 2012 which shows that I don&#8217;t know anything about coffee myself!</p>
<p>Both are £3.29 for 227g which I think is good value. They also comes with resealable bags to keep them fresh. They have clever a little bit that once you roll down the tops you can seal really easily. Not explained well but put it like this they are not those silly reseal things that don&#8217;t work these ones actually do!!!</p>
<p><em><strong>All of these can be found at Morrisons.</strong></em></p>
<h4><strong>Fruit Bowl</strong></h4>
<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-11611" style="border: 0px none;;  float: right; padding: 4px; margin: 0 0 2px 7px;" alt="Fruit Bowl" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DSCF1725-300x225.jpg" width="300" height="225" />I rather like Fruit bowl products and their School bars regularly appear in my cupboards and now they have added to it Fruit Bowl Peelers which I think are their best yet. The Peelers are very yummy fruit strips that you as the name suggests peel off of each other. They are made up of 100% fruit and nothing artificial added.</p>
<p>Each bar equals 1 of your 5 a day and is only 68 calories which is very good. If you have tried the School Bars then these are a lot softer than them and even though I love the School Bars these were really nice. Oscar and Bex both really enjoyed them too. I think I should mention that as they are aimed at children of course!!!</p>
<p>We also tried the Apple School Bars which were lovely too again these count as 1 of your 5 a day.</p>
<p>Fruit Bowl also do fruit flakes and yoghurt fruit flakes or raisins.</p>
<p>What I like about Fruit Bowl is all of their products contain real fruit, have no added sugar and are gluten-free. They are also suitable for vegetarians.</p>
<p>Here they get popped into pack lunch boxes regularly, eaten as a bit of a boost, popped in my handbag when I am going out and the likely hood is there won&#8217;t be anything gluten-free around or occasionally as a rushed breakfast.</p>
<p>They get the big thumbs up from me and the kids <img src='http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><strong>The Fruit Bowl range prices are as follows:</strong></p>
<p>Fruit Peelers RRP £1.59 for a pack of 3 20g bars</p>
<p>School Bars RRP £1.59 for a box of 5 20g bars</p>
<p>Fruit flakes RRP £2.00 for 5 x 20g packs</p>
<p>Yoghurt fruit flakes RRP £2.00 for 5 x 25g packs</p>
<p>Yoghurt raisins RR) £2.00 for 5 x 30g packs</p>
<p><em><strong>You can find Fruit Bowl at most Supermarkets.</strong></em></p>
<h4><strong>Welch&#8217;s Grape juice</strong></h4>
<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-11619" style="border: 0px none;;  float: right; padding: 4px; margin: 0 0 2px 7px;" alt="Welch's rose grape light" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Welchs-rose-grape-light-200x300.jpg" width="200" height="300" />I used to drink Grape juice a lot but just have not recently so it was lovely to refresh my memory of why I used to love it so much and try out Welch&#8217;s grape juice. Made with 100% Concord grapes that gives the juice it vibrant colour. Welch&#8217;s grape juice is packed full of antioxidants which as we all know are really good for you.</p>
<p>Being 100% grape juice it leaves no room at all for any unwanted extra&#8217;s  which means there are no colours, no added flavourings and no added sugars either.</p>
<p>We tried Welch&#8217;s white grape and raspberry and Rose? grape light which the light contains half of the natural sugar that is in the regular one. Taste wise I didn&#8217;t notice the difference which has to be a good thing, right?!</p>
<p>We drunk out as it was but Welch&#8217;s have come up with some lovely cocktail recipes which you can find on their <a href="http://www.welchsjuice.co.uk/" target="_blank">website</a> here.</p>
<p>RRP is £2.59 and is available at most supermarkets.</p>
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<p><em><strong>and our final new try was</strong></em></p>
<h4><strong>Branham &amp; Murray Good Seed</strong></h4>
<p>Now if you are not a seed lover don&#8217;t run away quite yet because although these are seeds they are super soft and tasty and I think you may like them!!! Now I am a seed fan, I know how good they are for you and I like the taste. On the other hand my husband really doesn&#8217;t like what he calls bird food. So I was really surprised not only did he like them he kept going back for more. Which Oscar and myself were a bit miffed about to be honest meaning there was less for us.</p>
<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-11660" style="border: 0px none;;  float: right; padding: 4px; margin: 0 0 2px 7px;" alt="Good seed " src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/good-hemp-selection-278x300.jpg" width="278" height="300" />We tried the Good Seed Asian spice first, they are fantastic sprinkled on salads, soups, savoury muffins, cheese on toast and as we also liked them straight from the tub. The flavour has a nice spicy kick that isn&#8217;t too hot. As well as sweet chilli it also contains oregano, smoked paprika and garlic powder. Equalling what I must say is a really moreish snack and even if you don&#8217;t usually like seeds.</p>
<p>We also tried sweet cinnamon again this was delicious straight from the tub but it regularly got sprinkled on natural yoghurt and banana breakfasts. Got added to these oat cookies.  The sweet cinnamon is just a mix of cinnamon and a little sugar with the hulled hemp seeds.</p>
<p>Both these tasty pots are fantastically good for you. They are naturally rich in omega 3 and protein and also are free of GMO. Being gluten-free, nut free and soya free is great plus points and are suitable vegetarians and vegans.</p>
<p>My only downside to these were the lids of the pots are tricky to put on properly. Oscar thought they he had but hadn&#8217;t so we had a 1/3 of a tub lost <img src='http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_sad.gif' alt=':-(' class='wp-smiley' />  as it really looked like the lid was put on properly. We all did notice that the lids didn&#8217;t seal easily without a bit of a double or triple try.</p>
<p>Other than that would we buy them again? Yes we would and watch this space as I like to add a recipe idea or two using them</p>
<p>170g pots cost £3.89 other varieties are Italian herb and non flavoured shelled hemp. They keep in the fridge for 6 weeks.</p>
<p>These gorgeous pots of goodness are available online at <a href="http://www.goodhempnutrition.com/8-good-hemp-food" target="_blank">Good Hemp Food </a>and are produced just up the road from me in the next county of North Devon. The hemp is also grown here in the U.K.</p>
<p>You can find them on facebook as<a href="https://www.facebook.com/goodoil" target="_blank"> Good Oil</a> and follow them on twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/good_oil" target="_blank">@good_oil</a></p>
<p><strong>You will also find some other hemp goodies including oil and hemp milk.</strong></p>
<p><strong>I hope you have enjoyed my round-up of tried and tested and I have tempted you to give some of these great things a try.</strong></p>
<p><strong>We have been sent the above goodies to review. We have reviewed them following my strict Over a Cuppa policy of giving praise only when due.</strong></p>
<p><em><strong>I would like to thank Helen for sending the packet of bagels, Rebecca for sending us the Welch&#8217;s juice and Fruit Bowl goodies, Jamie for sending the lovely tea&#8217;s and coffee and Michael for sending us the seeds.</strong></em></p>
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<p>The post <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/new-things-tried-and-tested-review/">New things tried &#038; tasted review</a> appeared first on <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk">overacuppa.co.uk</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>My dream cooker would be a range cooker</title>
		<link>http://overacuppa.co.uk/my-dream-cooker-would-be-a-range-cooker/</link>
		<comments>http://overacuppa.co.uk/my-dream-cooker-would-be-a-range-cooker/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 May 2013 06:30:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ali</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cookers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family sized ovens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hobs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[range cookers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://overacuppa.co.uk/?p=11502</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>As you may know we are selling our house, or put it another way trying to. But of course like anyone who is selling you can&#8217;t help but look at your next move possibilities online.
The joys of the internet means I have rather a lot of properties saved to tease and tempt me, and wish even more that our house would sell a bit quicker! One of my biggest shudders is a house I like with a good kitchen which you could not  justify changing but with a single oven and electric hob. This to me would be my idea of a nightmare. I have since my very first home at the tender age of 20 always had a double oven and a gas hob. Well not when I first moved in, my first house was the sort of thing Sarah Beeny would take on. A risky investment which paid ...</p><p>The post <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/my-dream-cooker-would-be-a-range-cooker/">My dream cooker would be a range cooker</a> appeared first on <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk">overacuppa.co.uk</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As you may know we are selling our house, or put it another way trying to. But of course like anyone who is selling you can&#8217;t help but look at your next move possibilities online.</p>
<p>The joys of the internet means I have rather a lot of properties saved to tease and tempt me, and wish even more that our house would sell a bit quicker! One of my biggest shudders is a house I like with a good kitchen which you could not  justify changing but with a single oven and electric hob. This to me would be my idea of a nightmare. I have since my very first home at the tender age of 20 always had a double oven and a gas hob. Well not when I first moved in, my first house was the sort of thing Sarah Beeny would take on. A risky investment which paid off and one that thankfully got me on the property ladder at what now would be a very young age.</p>
<p>But back to now and loving cooking and baking even more, I confess my ideal dream cooker would be a <a href="http://www.rangecookers.co.uk/" target="_blank">range cooker</a> it would have to be gas hob. I love the quick response that gas offers and I guess that is what I have always cooked on so it what you get used to. Actually I have already spotted the one I really like. I am not greedy and although there are many of them that could set you back an investment of thousands of pounds I am not sure I could spend that much.</p>
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-11509" style="border: 0px none;;  float: right; padding: 4px; margin: 0 0 2px 7px;" alt="Range cooker" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Range-cooker.jpg" width="281" height="179" />My choice of range cooker will have 5 gas rings and includes a wok burner. This means when you are cooking Chinese you don&#8217;t problem of juggling the pans about. My current hob has war scars from an Indian meal Bex and I cooked up. There just wasn&#8217;t enough space on the hob for all the dishes we were making, hence now the slightly (I am trying to sell my house so shhhh!!!) melted hob knobs not the biscuit by the way!!!</p>
<p>My dream range cooker has two ovens which I again sometimes curse even our double oven for not enough space. Two ovens also means I can have a mega cook up and freeze day. Though I need a new freezer too but well that could come later. It also comes with a slow cooking facility which would be perfect for a slow roasted joint left for a while when you enjoy some Sunday time out. It also has a storage bit which would be perfect to store some of my bake ware collection. Plus a lid so you can shut it away if you like.</p>
<p>Of course it goes without saying it also looks good to, I think I will opt for the cream. What do you think? Well, that is my cooker dream now I just need to find a buyer for our house, find a house that I can have one of these and persuade my husband. Easy right?!!!!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/commission-post1.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-11019 aligncenter" style="border: 0px none;;  display: block; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto;" alt="blog" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/commission-post1.png" width="191" height="54" /></a></p>
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		<title>Blueberry and lemon drizzle cake</title>
		<link>http://overacuppa.co.uk/blueberry-and-lemon-drizzle-cake/</link>
		<comments>http://overacuppa.co.uk/blueberry-and-lemon-drizzle-cake/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2013 10:58:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ali</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blueberry and lemon cake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blueberry and lemon loaf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recipe]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p>Lemon drizzle cake and blueberry muffins are both things that go down very well here. With lemon and blueberry being perfect partners I thought the mix of the two would be perfect and dare I say it, it was!
This makes a good-sized loaf using a 2lb tin but it also freezes nicely so you can cut into slices and wrap in greaseproof paper then store either in a freezer bag or my preferred option in a freezable container.
I have used sunflower oil and yoghurt which not only makes it a really light cake also means it is lower in fat. Mine is gluten-free so I swapped the plain flour for gluten-free self-raising flour and 1 extra teaspoon of baking powder.
This is delicious served as it is with a cup of tea but would also be perfect served as suggested by one of my lovely Facebook fans with clotted cream and ...</p><p>The post <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/blueberry-and-lemon-drizzle-cake/">Blueberry and lemon drizzle cake</a> appeared first on <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk">overacuppa.co.uk</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-11524" style="border: 0px none;;  float: right; padding: 4px; margin: 0 0 2px 7px;" alt="blueberry and lemon cake" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Blueberry-and-lemon-drizzle-loaf-300x225.jpg" width="300" height="225" />Lemon drizzle cake and blueberry muffins are both things that go down very well here. With lemon and blueberry being perfect partners I thought the mix of the two would be perfect and dare I say it, it was!</p>
<p>This makes a good-sized loaf using a 2lb tin but it also freezes nicely so you can cut into slices and wrap in greaseproof paper then store either in a freezer bag or my preferred option in a freezable container.</p>
<p>I have used sunflower oil and yoghurt which not only makes it a really light cake also means it is lower in fat. Mine is gluten-free so I swapped the plain flour for<em><strong> gluten-free self-raising flour and 1 extra teaspoon of baking powder.</strong></em></p>
<p>This is delicious served as it is with a cup of tea but would also be perfect served as suggested by one of my lovely Facebook fans with clotted cream and maybe warmed as a pudding.</p>
<p>I also tossed the blueberries in flour before adding it to the cake batter this stopped them from all sinking to the bottom, which especially with gluten-free can be a problem.</p>
<p><strong>So to make this very easy Blueberry and lemon drizzle cake you need:</strong></p>
<p>190g of plain flour</p>
<p>2 tsp of baking powder</p>
<p>1/2 tsp of salt</p>
<p>190g castor sugar</p>
<p>3 eggs</p>
<p>125ml of oil sunflower or rapeseed are good</p>
<p>250ml natural yoghurt</p>
<p>finely grated zest of two lemons</p>
<p>150g blueberries</p>
<p>1 tble of plain flour to dust blueberries</p>
<p>A little oil to grease the tin and a little flour to dust it</p>
<p><strong>For the drizzle:</strong></p>
<p>75ml of lemon juice</p>
<p>40g sugar</p>
<p><strong>To make the blueberry and lemon drizzle cake you need to:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Preheat the oven to 180ºC and prepare a 2lb loaf tin by lightly greasing it with oil then tip a little flour to completely dust all the sides. Tip any excess flour out.</li>
<li>Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl and mix with the salt and sugar</li>
<li>In another bowl simply mix the eggs, oil, yoghurt and lemon zest until completely mixed together.</li>
<li>Dust the blueberry in a bowl with the tablespoon of flour.</li>
<li>Add the blueberries into the wet mix and stir.</li>
<li>Add the dry mix into the wet mix and fold in gently until just mixed but do not over mix. It may be lumpy this is fine.</li>
<li>Pour the mix into the prepared tin and bake for 50-55 minutes until it is springy to touch and a knife or skewer comes put clean.</li>
<li>Leave in the tin for 10 minutes to cool. Then turn out onto a cooling rack.</li>
<li>Whilst it was cooling in the tin gently heat the lemon juice and sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved reduce the heat and cook for a further 3 minutes. Keep stirring as it will burn if you don&#8217;t watch it.</li>
<li>Now using a cocktail stick make holes in the top and sides of the cake then brush with the lemon syrup.<br />
<img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-11527" style="border: 0px none;;  display: block; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto;" alt="blueberry and lemon" src="http://overacuppa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Blueberry-and-lemon-drizzle-300x225.jpg" width="300" height="225" /></li>
</ul>
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<p>And that is it ready to serve.</p>
<p>Very easy and very delicious.</p>
<p>You may also like my <a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/blueberry-oat-and-vanilla-muffins/" target="_blank">Blueberry, oat and vanilla muffin recipe</a> or perhaps I could tempt you with my<a href="http://overacuppa.co.uk/lemon-curd-muffins/" target="_blank"> Lemon curd muffins</a></p>
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