Apple Bacon Cheese Burger with Sautéed Onions & Apple Sauce

Is it the wrong season for burgers, because if it is my cravings have no clue what time of year it is. I’ve been calling this an autumn burger, to begin with I hadn’t really named it, I know it turned out to be a very innovative name, but when I had named it, apple bacon cheese burger just seemed too long to say in passing and there’s apple sauce, do I need any more of a reason? I’ve been talking about making this since last month and being the expert procrastinator even through my excitement of making it I didn’t get round to it for a good three weeks. The entire time I was making this I felt like I was running around like a headless chicken, I’ll just say now it’s not hard or messy or challenging it’s actually a pretty simple recipe, so don’t let this put you off. I’d had a long day, the kitchen was a massive tip, I was balancing things on chairs and stacks of magazines there were things everywhere. Partly because when I started my day the kitchen wasn’t all that tidy to begin with and I got a bit too busy to the point where I stopped tidying up in-between finishing one thing and starting another. I was trying to get dinner made by a certain time so I was running around and ended up with a beetroot red face by the time it was done and shot and I finally got round to eating this. I’m surprised something didn’t end up on the floor but it was definitely worth the headless chicken running. If I didn’t put you off too much happy non-headless chicken burger making!

Apple, Yogurt & Sweet Breadcrumb Layered Dessert

Can we take a second to appreciate those layers, I feel like a child that went to the isle of wight or somewhere and came back with one of those multicoloured sand layer thingies, can you still make those? I made way too many breadcrumbs when I was making the salmon macaroni cheese, enter this glorious dessert. I’ve been meaning to make this for a while so this is kind of the perfect opportunity. Growing up we weren’t really a dessert after dinner kind of family unless it was a special occasion and on apple day, I’m not even entirely sure when that is or how my mum always knew when it was, this is what we had for dessert. It’s ridiculously simple, healthy and so easy to make but do not underestimate it, I haven’t eaten this in years but now I’ve rediscovered it I could eat this every day.

Macaroni Cheese with Salmon & Cheesy Breadcrumb Topping

Do you want to play spot the difference? Because one of these is made with almond milk. I think my distaste for cow’s milk severely impeded my ability to enjoy macaroni cheese while growing up. A couple of months ago while a friend was staying over she persuaded me to have mac and cheese for dinner, we’d made cheese sauce with almond milk for lasagne before but never for just macaroni cheese. We spent about 20 minutes adding this and that and trying it over and over but I’d say it was a hit because we ended up making it twice in three days. A couple of months later and I think I’ve perfected the art of almond milk mac and cheese and it’s all about the seasoning, do not skip the mustard powder. Okay, you can use any milk for this recipe, it’s not just a recipe for almond milk cheese sauce, I’ve made it for my parents with cow’s milk and I imagine it would work just as well with soy, hazelnut, rice, or whatever other milk you’re into. I would just say that if your milk is sweet you may have to add a little more salt. Salmon macaroni cheese was something my mum made for us as kids and it’s kind of the only time I specifically remember enjoying it at a young age so although this was sort of an excuse for me to eat it, it’s definitely share worthy. So when my macaroni-cheese-obsessed-salmon-hating friend decides to get her butt back in the country I will convert her.

Spiced Pumpkin Seed & Pecan Muesli with Blackberries

I have this very idealistic view of breakfast, early mornings, frost covered grass, sipping coffee, reading a book with a bowl of cereal. I think I just always like the idea of being a morning person and I honestly am, I love getting up early and pottering about, having time to relax and drink coffee before I do anything, although if I’m in a good mood I usually start what I’m supposed to be doing before I’ve even finished breakfast but having the option is nice. Problem is I’m only a morning person when I can actually get up...does that mean I’m not a morning person? Because I like getting up early and getting stuff done and I’m usually sleepier if I get up late, I just don’t like the getting up part. I also like to go to bed at 3 in the morning and unfortunately I can’t really have it both ways. One of the best things about muesli is that its healthy and really quick to make, okay, so it’s not quite as quick as pouring a bowl of cereal but I mean its close. Muesli used to be my favourite thing to have for breakfast specifically this version, but I've been making that for years so I figured it was time to spice things up a little...literally, because who doesn't love seasonal breakfast.

Black Bottom Pumpkin Spice Crumb Topped Muffins

This time of year is just not complete without pumpkin muffins. Maybe this will become an annual thing for me, last year it was pumpkin doughnut muffins dipped in chocolate and the year before it was pumpkin pudding muffins which I frequently still mentally drool over and sweet potato cupcakes now they’re crumb topped! YES I did say crumb topped, if I could add a crumble topping to everything I honestly think I would. I called these black bottomed because I’m not really sure how else to describe these in less than a really long sentence, I realise black bottom cupcakes are something entirely different and these don’t involve cream cheese of any kind, actually they’re completely dairy free but these do technically have black bottoms. If you were misled am I forgiven? Because instead you get a layer of chocolaty goodness at the bottom of your seasonal crumb topped muffins and I don’t know how you could be upset at me for that, I’m ticking every box in the “perfect muffins chart” – that should be a thing. Have I talked these muffins up enough yet? Because really all that’s left is us drooling over them and actually making them, although obviously I’ve already made them, I get to eat them while you drool over them. Happy muffin making!

Broccoli & Chorizo Stir Fry with Grilled Halloumi

If any vegetable could solve all my problems I imagine it would be broccoli...or peas, I do love a good bowls of peas, frozen or fresh, straight out the pod (although I'm usually too lazy for that). That makes it sounds like I like peas more than broccoli which is not true, I'd say they were on an even playing field but we're not actually here to talk about peas. But lack of sleep...broccoli can fix that right? I guess I'll let you know after I've devoured this. I vaguely and I mean vaguely got this idea for this from a sprout dish my mum makes for Christmas, I mean, the only ingredient that's actually the same is onions but it was still the spark. The longer I spent thinking about this the more things I added to it, although it's still pretty simple and has only a few ingredients so when you’re too tired or busy you can just throw it in the pan and have a healthy meal at the end of it which is definitely what I was in need of last week. I guess it’s debatable whether chorizo is healthy but broccoli is a super food so that pretty much doubles itself in health points so it kind of evens itself out. The halloumi was the last edition and only from this meal have I actually reveled in the joy that is grilled halloumi. My mum gave it to me years ago and all I could say was it was squeaky and I did not enjoy the squeakyness. I normally eat it straight out the packet but my love for halloumi has just grown to the point where I just don't care about the squeakyness anymore. Cheese is worth a little squeakyness.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Last week was pretty tiring, pretty much every waking minute I was cooking, baking or packing photos. We’ll skip over the fact that I actually spend a large portion of my time dancing while in the kitchen and I was also re-watching supernatural while I was packing photos but it was still a lot of late nights and it shows, it looks like I’ve been punched in both eyes with a fat lot of no sleep. I managed to spend a lot of time starting things and not having time to finish them, my mid week bake was a flop and just fell apart, literally, some ended up on the floor...and then I accidently trod in it, yes it was one of those kinds of weeks. I mean it tastes bloody fantastic, although we might be eating it for about a week, it just didn’t withstand gravity or the test of time, I’ll explain what actually happened when I brave re-making it and get it right but I was not all too pleased that my day of slaving in the kitchen was a waste. Thankfully all the orders are finished; printed, packed and given back to the schools, apart from the last few straggler orders but I’m just ready to curl up with a coffee, copious amounts of cookies and watch action films for about a week, if only I had the time to do that.