The Best Cheese on Toast in the World Ever!

I can read your minds, you know.

"Oh Sandy, why are you telling us how to make cheese on toast? We know how to make cheese on toast."

Of course you do.

We can all make cheese on toast, but this is no ordinary cheese on toast. Oh no, this is the best cheese on toast in the world EVER!

Ingredients
Bread
Butter
Marmite
Salad cream
Sliced tomatoes
Dried mixed herbs
Salt and white pepper (optional)
Sliced or grated cheddar cheese (compulsory)

Method
Toast the bread fully on one side and a tiny bit on the other side to stop it going soggy
Spread with butter, then marmite, then salad cream

Add a layer of tomatoes, a sprinkling of dried mixed herbs, and season

Finally add the cheese and put under the grill

EAT!

You're welcome.



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The Best Cheese on Toast in the World Ever!

Handy Bendy Sandy

I've always been pretty flexible - hence the nickname. I first took a yoga class ten years ago. It changed my life. I knew instantly this was the exercise/hobby/lifestyle choice for me and I practised every day, for years. I last took a yoga class the day before I went into labour with Presley. That was four years and five months ago. Since then I've practised progressively less and less. I'm stiff, I'm off balance and I'm tense. Last night, finally, I found a new class.

I unrolled my yoga mat, relieved that there were no cobwebs or moths inside. I stepped onto it, feet bare. I felt connected to the mat, to the floor, to the studio, to the earth, to me. I slowly and gingerly laid down. I began to relax and lengthen. There was a little more space between each vertebrae with each out breath. I could feel the curves of my spine on and off the mat.

As I made each movement my muscles remembered, the cat, the cow, and the downward dog. My shoulders were tight and mostly unyielding, but with each twist I unwound. I remembered how to breathe and when. Finally, becoming a corpse, all stress oozed away. With tears in my eyes I knew I was in my spiritual home.

Namaste.


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Handy Bendy Sandy

1 2 3 4 5

1 Husband
2 Children
3 House moves
4 Homes
5 Years married

Happy Anniversary, Andy.

I love you more each day.

1 2 3 4 5

Why I'm Glad I Always Carry my Swiss Card

I wasn't a boy scout, but boy am I always prepared.

I'm the woman with the bulging handbag. I've always got a pen, paper, parking money, tissues, water, painkillers, plasters, a mirror, a hair clip, chewing gum, lip balm and hand wipes.

I also always carry my Victorinox Swiss Card. I think I must use one of the attachments every day. If the light is good I'll whip the tweezers out and tidy my eyebrows (apologies to anyone watching me in the nursery car park). If I notice a rough nail, out comes the nail file. I use the scissors for crafting, the blade as a screwdriver - why oh why can't you just change batteries any more? And I'm always finding a use for the pointy thing, most recently freeing a toy strawberry from a toy cup.

My Swiss Card came into its own today. I had to cut myself free from a toilet. Yes, that's right, I was tied to a toilet.

Warning: Only read the next bit if your stomach is strong and you don't mind TMI!

As if having to go for a poo at the supermarket wasn't bad enough, I realised  - while I was sat there - that the ties from my shirt were dangling in the toilet bowl. I tried to gently lift them out and clean them with toilet paper, but they were sodden. Then I remembered I had a pair of scissors on my Swiss Card. I carefully unhooked my handbag from the toilet door and cut the ties from the shirt. I then wrapped them in toilet paper and put them in the bin. I was free!

It was kind of like having to gnaw your own arm off to get free, but not quite so painful.




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Why I'm Glad I Always Carry my Swiss Card

Roasted Veg Recipes

I adore roasted veg, although I have to admit it's a little tedious chopping these

into this

When I roast veg I usually use both my roasting tins and make loads and loads and loads.

Did I mention that I adore roasted veg? Aside from the fact that it tastes amazing, it is also good for you. It's vegetables. Depending on your portion size, I'm guessing you could get your five-a-day on your plate quite easily.

My choice of vegetables (chopped into 1cm cubes):

Butternut squash (peeled)
Sweet potato (peeled)
Courgette
Aubergine
Red pepper (deseeded)
Yellow pepper (deseeded)
Green pepper (deseeded)
Onion (peeled)

I season with salt and pepper and add fresh or dried basil.

I then drizzle generously with olive oil and mix well.

I always add a whole bulb of garlic to each tin, as individual, unpeeled cloves. These roast along with the veg and give the most amazing flavour. Roasted garlic tastes different from normal cooked garlic.

I roast my veg at 200 degrees for 40 minutes to an hour, until it's soft.

When the veg is cooked take out the garlic cloves. It is helpful to count them in and out again. Squeeze the soft roasted garlic out of each clove and either simply serve with your roasted veg or use in a sauce.

Here are a few recipe ideas that make the most of all that lovely roasted veg.


Roasted Veg and Pinenut Lasagne

Ingredients:
Roasted veg (as above)
Roasted garlic (as above, mashed)
45g Pinenuts
Lasagne sheets
400g Passata
250g Mascarpone cheese
50g Cheddar cheese (grated)
50g Italian hard cheese (grated)
125g Mozzarella (sliced)

Method:
Heat the mascarpone, stirring until it becomes liquid. Stir in the roasted garlic and the passata

Layer the lasagne in a dish. Start with 1/3 of the roasted veg, sprinkle this with 1/3 of the pinenuts, followed by 1/3 of the lasagne sheets, then 1/3 of the tomato and mascarpone sauce. Repeat this process two more times.

Top with the grated and sliced cheeses

Place in the oven (pre-heated to 200 degrees) for 40 minutes

Serve with salad

Pasta Bake

This uses the same ingredients as the lasagne, but with pasta shapes instead of lasagne sheets.

Method:

Make the tomato and mascarpone sauce (as above)

Stir in cooked pasta (75g per person - dried weight) and the roasted veg

Pour into an oven-proof dish

Top with the grated and sliced cheeses

Place in the oven (pre-heated to 200 degrees) for 30 minutes

In this version the roasted veg will break up as you stir it into the sauce. Perfect for any veg-shy children!

Roasted Veg, Halloumi and Minted Couscous

50g Couscous per person (dried weight)

Chopped fresh mint or a tablespoon of prepared mint sauce

Large knob of butter

Roasted veg

Roasted garlic

75g Halloumi per person

Method:

Prepare the couscous as instructed, then stir in the butter and the mint

Top with hot roasted veg, roasted garlic and roasted Halloumi (chop into 1cm cubes and add to the tin of roasted veg for the last 5 minutes of cooking)

Puff Pastry Tarts

Roll out ready-made puff pastry. Cut into 4 squares (to serve 4). Top with roasted veg, pinenuts and cheese, leaving a 2cm border around the edge. Cook in the oven as per the pastry instructions.

Filo Parcels

Prepare large squares of ready-made filo pastry (a couple of layers should be enough). Fill with roasted veg and cubed feta cheese. Gather up the edges of the pastry and scrunch at the top to seal. Cook in the oven as per the pastry instructions.

Wraps

Roasted veg works really well in wraps. You can also add left-over roast chicken or cheese or couscous or all of the above.

With Salmon and Rice

Bake salmon fillets in the oven for 30 minutes in a tin foil parcel containing lemons, olive oil, butter, a little white wine or water, seasoning and basil.  Serve with rice and roasted veg. This works best with peppers, onion, courgette and aubergine.

Roasted Veg Recipes