These rose petal biscuits are perfect for tea on Valentines Day.  Ingredients call for 12 fresh rose petals, rose essence, butter, icing sugar, self raising flour, caster sugar and salt. A teaspoon of ground cardamom is added for spiciness. The mixture can be made in advance and baked as required. It will keep for a week in an airtight container in the fridge. Alternatively, it can be stored in the freezer for up to a month.

Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make 20 rose petal biscuits: 200 grams of soft butter (not melted), 100 grams of icing sugar, 300 grams of self-raising flour, 1 teaspoon of freshly ground cardamom and 12 organic rose petals. You will also require a pinch of salt,  some rose essence to taste and caster sugar to sprinkle over the baked biscuits.

Preparation

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the butter, rose essence and a pinch of salt. Whisk the ingredients together until the mixture becomes fluffy and light. Sift the flour into the bowl and add the ground cardamom. Mix the ingredients together and add the rose petals. Knead the mixture gently until the ingredients are combined.

Roll the dough into a sausage shape approximately 4cm thick. Wrap the dough sausage with cling wrap and store it in the fridge overnight.

Bake

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius and grease a baking tray.

Remove the dough from the fridge and use a sharp knife to slice the biscuits so that each one is about 1cm thick. Position the slices onto a baking sheet and bake for a quarter of an hour. When the biscuits are golden-coloured, remove them from the oven and sprinkle caster sugar over them. Allow the rose petal biscuits to cool on a wire rack.

Once the biscuits have cooled down, place them on a pretty platter and decorate with some fresh natural, unsprayed rose petals. Serve with herbal tea or traditional English tea — or good coffee.

Tip: For an extra-special touch on Valentines day, use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the biscuits.

Not so long ago, simple freestanding gas or electric white enamel cookers were the order of the day. But with the evolution of technology and the resurgence of cooking as a leisure activity off the back of several popular food shoes, one now has a multitude of different cookers to choose from. From generously sized double ovens with extra large hobs and full width grills to smaller all-in-one microwave ovens with hobs and grills, there’s something to suit every taste and budget.

Modern demands

More and more, kitchens are being designed to accommodate modern lifestyles. Larger hobs make extra burners possible and give easier access to pots and pans. Increased capacity ovens give extra shelf space while knob-less appliances allow for uncluttered and streamlined kitchens.

Modern technology enables faster start up times, which saves on energy and overall cooking time, too. Induction hobs, for example, are not only safe and clean but they are environmentally friendly too.

Form and function, simple and sophisticated

Design and function can complement each other, which is important for open-plan living and entertaining. Depending on the cooker’s finish, it can add dramatic appeal to a kitchen or it can blend into the kitchen design.

Passionate cooks especially should consider a cooker that allows for the exploration of a variety of culinary options. Interesting cooker possibilities include char grilling and steaming, for instance. Fear not about the mess though, with self-cleaning ovens making cleanup a breeze.

For those who prefer ‘self-think’ technology, automated cooking is entirely possible wherein the weight of a meal determines the cooking mode, time and temperature. Pre-set recipes also make for effortless cooking, and some cookers can even be programmed to start and finish cooking at a given time. This allows one to come home to a ready cooked meal.

Other notable contemporary cookers feature moisture-plus technology that combines moisture with fan functioning in order to improve bakes like bread and cakes. This technology also allows dishes like meat to remain tender while allowing for a glistening finish. A drier environment is also possible, making it possible to create crispier meals.

Basically, gone are the days where buying a cooker was a painless decision. Nowadays, given your needs, your budget, and your routine, cookers can be highly specified.

This potato and lentil shepherd’s pie dish can be enjoyed by meat eaters as well as vegetarians, and the lentils can be substituted with kidney beans, if your prefer. Being a hearty dish, it is well suited to cold weather. Serve it with caramelised onions and whatever vegetables are in season for a well-rounded meal.

Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients for eight generous servings of potato and lentil shepherd’s pie: 500 grams of brown lentils (soak), 1 kg of potatoes (cut into cubes), 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, 1 teaspoon of worcestershire sauce, 1 large onion (chopped), 2 garlic cloves (finely cut or minced), 1 tablespoon of ginger (grated), 3 medium sized carrots (chopped), 1 large ripe tomato (chopped), 1 pepper (chopped), 1 tablespoon of butter and 1/2 cup of cream (or milk).

As for the herbs you will require 1 teaspoon each of thyme, marjoram, as well as 1/4 cup of parsley (chopped).

Prepare the lentils and potatoes

Once the lentils have soaked, they can be boiled for ten minutes in a covered pot. Reduce the temperature and allow them to simmer until they are soft, adding more water if necessary. Drain the cooked lentils.

Cook the potatoes in some lightly salted water until they are cooked through. Drain them and then mash them together with the butter, cream and chopped parsley. The mash should be smooth (otherwise pass the potato through a sieve). Season to taste.

Prepare the other vegetables

Cook the onion in some oil for four minutes before adding the garlic. Stir in the ginger, pepper, tomato and remaining herbs. Cook for another five minutes until such time as the onion is transparent.

Spoon the lentils into the pan and stir. Simmer the mixture for 20 minutes and add a little water if necessary. Season to taste and then stir in the worcestershire sauce.

Bake

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Spoon the lentil mix into an ovenproof dish and then spread it evenly across the bottom. Place spoonfuls of mashed potato onto the lentil mix and then use a fork to spread it evenly over the base mixture. Use a fork to decorate the potato and then pop the dish into the oven.

Bake for 25 minutes to half an hour until the potato is golden brown in colour. Serve with steamed vegetables and caramelised onions in cold weather or a fresh colourful salad in warmer weather.

Note: Check that the worcestershire sauce you’re using does not contain fish extracts if you’re serving vegetarians. Otherwise purchase vegetarian worcestershire sauce to be sure.

Stress levels rise and fall during an average day. Stress is an inevitability when one is faced with uncertain events, uncommon situations or social interactions. When you’re doing something familiar, or involved with something you enjoy, your stress levels will typically fall again. Signs of situational stress include trembling, a racing heart, sweating, a dry mouth, dizziness, feeling faint, feeling paralysed and unable to function or feelings of needing to run away or act aggressively. These are signs of fear, anger or anxiety.

Good and bad stress

Constant situational stress can result in feelings of anxiety and fear. This can leave you feeling de-energised and possibly even paralysed. Frustration, nervousness and anger can lead to occasional adrenalin rushes that inevitably energise you for a short period only to have you feeling exhausted again later.

Not all stress is bad stress. Good fear creates energy through excitement. Sometimes it’s important to face situations you don’t want to face. This can be beneficial for you as it helps you step beyond your self-imposed limitations. If you never challenge yourself, you may end up feeling bored and stagnating.

Accept the situation

Bearing in mind that situation stress occurs when events are beyond your control, one should not take what happens personally. Ask yourself if what has happened will matter in a couple of weeks time. Try to accept the situation. Ask yourself if there is anything you can do and then do it.

If there is nothing that you can do, try to make the most of the situation. Begin by breathing deeply and trying to relax your body. When your body is relaxed, your mind will be able to relax. Think about how you could possibly avoid or prevent such a situation in the future.

You may have to change your lifestyle if your days are filled with constant stress, since long term stress, whatever it may be, invariably affects your health. This is why vacations, holidays, and down time is so important – it affords your body some recovery time.

Be realistic, say no or prepare

If you constantly create your own stress because you’re afraid to say no or you have a fear of failure, you may have to change your tactics. If you carry on along the same path, you may end up exhausting yourself in the process. Try to look at things in a realistic light. Learn to say no and ask somebody else to deal with the situation if needs be.

If you can’t get out of a situation try to get lots of sleep and rest before you act. Prepare well ahead of time and hopefully you’ll feel ready to manage the challenge.

Do you suffer from painful muscle knots in your back? These so called Trigger Points are nodules inside the muscle that one can feel under the skin. They’re often sore to the touch and can cause pain and headaches. Paula Moore has been working as a chiropractor for 20 years. She shares a nifty tennis ball trick on her site that helps to ‘melt’ these tense areas — so you don’t have to spend a fortune on massage therapy.

The tennis ball trick

Muscles knots are caused by a build up of lactic acid. This comes from over working the muscle and can be caused by back problems or sports. If you don’t have time or the money to see a chiropractor or massage therapist, you can apply pressure to your lower back knots with your thumb but a tennis ball makes the job much easier.

Melt those muscle knots away

What’s great about the tennis ball trick is that you can ease your tense muscle knots at any time since a tennis ball is easy to travel around with. Start off with a yoga mat or a towel on an even floor surface and lie down on your back.

Paula explains: ‘When you are lying on your back you are going to be placing a tennis ball on either side of the spine in the low back area just down from the lower ribs.  In particular, there is a sweet spot where you get on a muscle called your quadratus lumborum.’

The key is to keep find a tender point and then to keep the ball on that spot until the pain or discomfort disappears completely. ‘If you come off the ball before they have faded you can actually switch the points on and cause aggravation,’ adds Paula.

Working the knots and getting up

Paula says not to worry if you feel the tenderness travel down your leg as this is normal for some people. It will take anywhere between 20 seconds and three minutes for the pain to subside.

Once the pain has disappeared Paula says to ‘slowly roll off the tennis ball and move the tennis ball to another tender point. Find two or three tender points each side and remember to stay on them until they fade completely.’

When you have finished, be careful how you come off the ball. Roll your knees away to the side and then come up on all your hands and knees rather than sit straight up.

Frequency

The tennis ball trick can be applied every day although it is best to do it later in the day when your body has warmed up. You could also work away your muscle knots after a warm bath or some exercise.

If you bruise a muscle by pressing too hard, apply some arnica lotion to the tender area. Watch Paula’s video here if you’d like to try the tennis ball trick yourself.

Macarons are shiny, delicate treats with moist centres. Also known as macaroons, they are made with icing sugar, ground almonds, egg whites and sugar. They can be flavoured with vanilla, raspberry or cocoa powder — although the options are seemingly endless. This recipe makes about 35 petits fours. You will require an electric mixer, a piping bag, a plain 1cm nozzle, four baking sheets, greaseproof paper and a wire rack. Preparation time is 15 minutes and cooking time is 10 minutes.

Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make 35 petits fours: 225 grams of icing sugar (sifted), 125 grams of very finely ground almonds, 4 egg whites and 25 grams of caster sugar. You will also need 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence or the equivalent of vanilla extract.

Measure out 20 grams of cocoa powder (sifted) to make chocolate macarons. You will require whipped cream, chocolate spread or jam for the centres. Alternatively, use any other filling of your choice.

Prepare the petits fours

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. Sift the icing sugar again onto some greaseproof paper, together with the ground almonds. Sift in the cocoa powder if you are making chocolate macarons.

Beat the egg whites until they are half-risen. Add the sugar and continue to beat the whites until they are stiff. Add the vanilla essence or extract and beat for another minute on high. Stop beating when the mixture is firm.

Sprinkle the almond and icing sugar mixture over the firm egg whites. Use a spatula to gently fold the ingredients into the whites — until the mixture is smooth. Pipe the mix into rounds that are approximately 2cm in diameter. Stagger the rows, allowing for a 2.5cm spacing between the macaroons.

Bake

Leave the macaroons at room temperature for a quarter of an hour. Once a light crust has formed, place a baking sheet under the macaron’s sheet to prevent the bottoms from burning. Pipe some of the mixture under the paper to stop it from moving on the baking sheet.

Bake the macarons for ten minutes — leave the oven door slightly ajar so that steam can escape (2.5 cm will do). When the macarons are cooked, run some cold water between the baking sheet and the greaseproof paper. This will make it easier to detach the macarons after two to three minutes.

Lift the macarons with your fingers and smear on a little filling before sticking two together. Allow the macarons to cool on a wire rack. You can then pack them into an airtight container, should you wish to freeze them.

Alternative baking option

If you own two ovens, you can consider using this alternative baking method: Preheat the first oven to 225 degrees celsius. Bake the macaroons for two to three minutes immediately after piping them. Transfer to another oven that’s been pre-heated to 180 degrees celsius. Bake for six minutes with the door ajar (a wooden spoon will help).

It’s that time of year again: a time to create a new list of New Year’s resolutions. Unfortunately, the eagerness to change often dissapears within a matter of weeks and before long, we’re stuck in the same old rut. Resolutions often fail because they are either too vague or because we take on too many new challenges at once. Sometimes we force ourselves to do things that don’t come naturally to us — and then of course, life has a way of getting in the way.

Take it slowly and have fun

Leo Babauta, creator of Zen Habits, suggests overcoming the problems of New Year resolutions by focusing on one habit change at a time so that one’s ‘focus and energies aren’t spread thinly.’ Changes are implemented gradually and the start is made easy so as to allow for a less intimidating experience. Instead of focusing on discipline, Babauta encourages one to choose enjoyable activities.

Choose one new habit

Leo Babauta’s 6 Changes Method starts with picking six new habits for the New Year. Next, choose one of the habits to start with and commit to creating the new habit within two months. You can do this by breaking the habit into eight steps. Each step should be ‘ridiculously easy’.

Choose a trigger and take baby steps

Babauta advises to choose a trigger for the new habit — ’something already in your routine that will immediately precede the habit. Examples: eating breakfast, brushing your teeth, showering, waking up, arriving at the office, leaving the office, getting home in the evening.’

If you want to start a running habit, for instance, the first step might be to put on your running shoes after your coffee every morning. Commit to doing the first easy baby step for one week, right after the trigger. This could be as simple as walking to the garden gate and back.

Commit for eight weeks

Move on to a slightly harder step every week but refrain from going faster as much as you may want to. Babauta advises, ‘you’ll want to progress faster, but don’t. You’re building a new habit. Repeat this until you’ve done 8 weeks.’

After eight weeks you should have a new habit. You can then take on your second goal and repeat the same process.

Making each goal public and reporting on your progress is a foundation of The 6 Changes Method.

An example

Taking up the New Year’s resolution of running, one would publicly commit to forming the new habit in two months. One would also publicly commit to each week’s change.

Week one might involve lacing up one’s running shoes (after the trigger of morning coffee) and heading to the garden gate and back. Week two might involve lacing up one’s running shoes and walking for five minutes. The time or mileage would slowly build up over the following few weeks until you are able to run your chosen distance by week eight.

In case you’re thinking that chocolate curls are too difficult to bother with, think again. James Martin puts it like this: ‘There is no real art to this other than using a scraper and waiting for the chocolate to set just right.’ The chocolate’s temperature is what’s important for curls. ‘Too warm and nothing will happen; too cool and you will need a chisel rather than a scraper. If you’re keen to give chocolate curls a bash, read on for James’ tips.

Preparing to make chocolate curls

Begin by melting 300 grams of dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Use 70 per cent chocolate or thereabouts and break it into squares to allow for easier melting. Set the bowl over some slowly boiling water in such a way that the water doesn’t touch the base of your bowl.

Once the chocolate has melted, pour it directly onto a clean and smooth work surface. You could use a tray or a marble kitchen top, for example. Aim for a thickness of 5 mm or so as you proceed to smooth the chocolate out over the flat surface. A stepped palette knife will help make your job easier.

Once you’ve smoothed it out, you can leave the chocolate to set. James advises that ‘what you want is for the chocolate to be set hard enough so that if you press the surface it doesn’t leave an indentation.’

Creating the curls

James advises to use a wallpaper or pastry scraper to create the curls. However, a knife will also do the trick if you hold the blade with both hands. Whatever tool you decide to use, James says to ‘pull it along the chocolate towards you and it should curl up (or work away from you if it’s easier).’

Don’t worry if it doesn’t work first time as you’ll need to get some practice in before you can expect to make perfect curls. Store the curls (or the ‘failed shavings’ which will work wonderfully anyway) in an airtight plastic container in the fridge until you need them.

James Martin’s tips

James uses a warm, clean oven tray in order to spread the melted chocolate. ‘The tray can be warmed in the oven or with a cook’s blowtorch. If the tray has a lip around, it’s easier to use it upside down.’

As far as the melting and cooling of the chocolate is concerned, whatever you do, avoid trying to speed up the cooling process by popping the chocolate into the fridge. What you’ll end up with is cracked chocolate when you begin rolling out the curls.

If you’re keen to decorate a cake with chocolate curls, use this as a guide: 300 grams of chocolate will give you enough curls to decorate a 20 cm cake. James adds that the curls look good dusted with cocoa powder.

Tip: Click here to see how to make chocolate porcupine quills. Surround a cake with these curls to create a spectacular effect.

This chocolate cake recipe is melt-in-your mouth, besides being simple and reliable. It’s not too rich but that doesn’t stop it from offering a wonderfully indulgent taste experience. It isn’t difficult to make and requires the following ingredients: plain cake flour, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cocoa, butter, eggs, vanilla extract and sour cream. The icing requires 70 per cent cocoa solid chocolate, icing sugar, golden syrup and additional vanilla extract, butter and sour cream.

Prepare the chocolate cake

Grease two 20 cm sandwich tins with removable bases and preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Place the following ingredients into your food processor: 200 grams plain cake flour (sifted), 200 grams of fine caster sugar, 1 level teaspoon of fresh baking powder (always check the expiry date before using baking powder), ½ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and 180 grams of butter (at room temperature).

Add 2 eggs (large and at room temperature), 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 150 ml of sour cream (at room temperature) and 40 grams of cocoa powder. Process all the ingredients together until such time as you have a thick and smooth consistency. Pour the batter into the tins and bake for 25 minutes. Use a skewer to check for readiness ‑ you may have to bake for a further 10 minutes.

Prepare the icing

While the cakes are cooling in their tins on a wire rack, measure out the following ingredients for the icing: 75 grams of butter, 180 grams of dark chocolate (chopped into pieces), 300 grams of sifted icing sugar, 1 tablespoon of golden syrup, 130 grams of sour cream and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Turn the cakes out of their tins and prepare the icing my melting the butter and chocolate in short bursts in the microwave. Be careful not to burn the mixture. Let the mixture cool a little before stirring in the syrup, vanilla and sour cream. Whisk in the icing sugar.

The icing should be able to coat a wooden spoon without running. Adjust the consistency if necessary by adding a little more icing sugar or a teaspoon of boiling water.

Sandwich and ice the cake

Place one of the cool cakes onto a cake stand so that the domed top faces downwards (cut it slightly if it’s too domed). Spread a generous even layer of icing over the top so that you have about two thirds of the icing left in the bowl.

Place the second cake on top of the icing and spread icing around the sides. Finally, spread all the remaining icing onto the top of the cake. You could smooth it out or create a textured finish, depending on your inclination.

Leave the cake to set for several minutes before decorating it with hundreds and thousands, chocolate splinters, Maltese chocolates or chocolate chips. For an elegant looking cake, sprinkle with gold sprinkles or freshly cut flowers. Alternatively, simply sift cocoa over the chocolate cake.

Making your own pasta takes time but you’ve got to try it at least once in your life! We share a simple recipe here which requires nothing more than egg yolks, whole eggs, flour, olive oil and a pinch of salt. The Napolitana sauce is a rich tomato based sauce which will suit meat-eaters and vegetarians alike. Ingredients include olive oil, garlic, ripe plum tomatoes, red wine, fresh parsley, salt and freshly ground pepper. Read on for the recipes.

Pasta dough

Measure out the following ingredients to make your own pasta dough: 6 egg yolks, 4 whole eggs, 550 grams of flour, 5 ml of olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Sift the flour onto your work surface and make a well in the centre so that the flour forms a ring. Place the eggs into the hollow area and then add the oil and the salt and use a fork to slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Work the rest of the flour into the dough and knead it for about 10 minutes until it is smooth. Wrap your pasta dough in cling film and refrigerate for an hour before turning it through a pasta machine.

Napolitana sauce

You’ll need the following ingredients for the Napolitana sauce: 50 ml of olive oil, 2 finely chopped onions, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 850 grams of chopped plum tomatoes (they should be ripe), 65 ml of red wine, 15 ml of finely chopped fresh parsley and 2 ml of salt. You’ll also need some freshly ground pepper to taste.

Place the olive oil in a pan on a medium heat. Add the onion and cook it until it is transparent and soft (it shouldn’t be allowed to brown at all). Add half of the garlic and combine with the onions. Stir for a minute before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Bring the sauce to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes until it reduces and thickens. A rich sauce will require simmering the mixture on a low heat for up to two hours. Season to taste, adding a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes are very acidic.

Tip: Click here to find out how to make pasta without a machine.