Potato Cakes

These were an improvisation after cooking an extra jacket potato in the oven thinking "I'll use that later" and then thinking "What do I use that for???"  Sorry the measurements are imprecise but trust me when I say it doesn't matter, this is an idea really rather than a recipe.  As long as the mix holds together enough to make into cakes you're fine.


This isn't a million miles away from the fishcake recipe, however easier as no frying is involved.


Probably best to use some greaseproof or baking paper with these as they might stick because of the cheese content even to an oiled tray.  The photo is of some made without spinach but he was served plenty of veg with them.  Have a go at mixing up your own recipe, finely chopped ham might be a nice addition but keep an eye on salt content; perhaps cut back a bit on the cheese.

Potato Cakes - 6 months plus if accepting finger foods (or baby led weaners) - 1 portion for my hungry horace!

Ingredients

1 cold jacket potato (cooked)
A handful of the cheese of your choice, grated
1dsp chopped frozen spinach, defrosted and drained (optional).
Herbs of your choice (optional) chives or garlic chives would be good
Oil

Method

Scoop out the flesh of the potato and mash or pass through a potato ricer.  (I love potato ricers, I'm rubbish at mashed potato but they make it almost foolproof.)  Mix with the other ingredients apart from the oil.

Put some greaseproof or baking paper on a try and brush the greaseproof paper with the oil.  Form the mix into small cakes (and I mean small, think a 10p piece in diameter and about 1 cm thick).  Put on the tray and brush lightly with oil.

Store in the fridge until ready to cook.  Bake at 200 degrees C in a preheated oven for 15-20 mins (18 was perfect in my oven.)  Take out and allow to cool till at a safe temperature before serving.

Like this recipe?  Why not try Salmon and Spinach Fishcakes!

Sorry about the lack of posts

Ah the danger of nurseries.  My son had a nursery trial a week ago on Tuesday and came down with a minor stomach bug afterwards around about on Thursday but it was mild and he was better by Sunday, probably because he's still breastfed.  I then caught it, getting steadily more ill from Monday onwards.  On Tuesday I was having such bad stomach cramps I was wondering if I'd got a cyst, then the hideous upset stomach started.  I will spare you the details.  Suffice it to say I've been a bit out of action and I feel awful.  It's now Friday and, hopefully I'm on the mend.

So cooking has been a bit thin on the ground but I thought I'd let you know the info behind having a stomach bug and breastfeeding as it's not fun, it's not great for your recovery but it's great for your baby.  There's a good resource on it on Kellymom.  As the link I've posted says, if your baby didn't give you the illness in the first place, there's no point stopping breastfeeding when you're ill to avoid exposing the baby to the illness because inevitably you will have already done so and the breastfeeding may help prevent your child getting ill or at least limit the illness.

The thing I do find frustrating is the conflicting information about what is and isn't safe to take in terms of medicine.  Far to many OTC remedies seem to cover their ***es by stating you should 'contact your GP' before using their medicine which is impractical, especially on bank holiday weekends (NHS direct in my experience are very reluctant to advise anything about babies or breastfeeding).  It's that kind of thing which makes breastfeeding a pain in the bottom (if you will forgive the term in the circumstances).  The only medication I've taken in the last two years has been paracetamol.  Think about that next time you're popping an ibuprofen, immodium, even a strepsil!

No Added Sugar Banana Muffins

This is a recipe I put together today.  Based on some I found online.  On reflection I'd probably increase the banana or maybe tone back the bicarb and sub some more baking powder; I find the saltiness from bicarb a little overpowering.  I also think a touch of acidity might help the flavour and the raising agent and perhaps a touch of vanilla wouldn't go amiss, maybe some dried fruit.  That said, my son and my husband were positive about them so it's definitely a starting point, although not as truly fantastic as the date loaf recipe.

I realised part way through that I'd only got 9 cake cases left.  D'oh!  I don't have any fancy silicone cupcake tins but I tried greasing my bog standard steel ones and it worked a treat.

No Added Sugar Banana Mini Muffins (makes approx 16)

Ingredients

3 Ripe Bananas - note, if you have some ripe bananas but don't feel like cooking, you can peel and freeze them and use them next time you're in the mood.

1tsp Cinnamon

1 Egg

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda

175g Wholemeal Plain Flour

80g Melted Unsalted Butter

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Put the bananas, butter and egg into a food processor and puree.  Pour into a bowl.  Add the dry ingredients and mix quickly; don't overmix, apparently that's the secret with muffins.  Line a cupcake tin with cases or butter with extra melted unsalted butter.  Put a generous dsp into each case.  Bake for around 14-16 mins.

Sexism once you have a child

I'm feeling conflicted.  Less than 2 weeks till I go back to work and there is part of me that is excited to be getting back into the workplace and using my brain but the other half is concerned that other people will be looking after my little man.

I think this is a conflict that every woman faces.  It does make me wonder with the changes to parental leave legislation whether men will start to face this conflict too.  It's made me realise that at the heart of sexism and pay differentials in the workplace, there is partly a choice; partly imposed upon women as the main carers of children.  It annoys me intensely that current flexible working legislation means it's very easy for an employer to say "no" to someone asking for flexible working simply because they manage people.  This means as women are the main child carers, that many women decide to change jobs rather than return full time.  So do women decide to get paid less?  Yes, in a way.  Does that make it right?  No.

Another thing which has been on my mind is that I found out a former job was advertised (before I took it) at between £5000 and £10,000 p.a. more than I was paid.  I'm a bad negotiator but I do wonder whether I'm not the only woman who is.