Washing powder

This is really my Mum's recommendation not mine but I follow it, believe it and so it's in.

Don't use so much washing powder!

When you wash your hair you use a certain amount of shampoo right? If you use more your hair doesn't get any cleaner. Now apply that to washing powder.

If you're like me your clothes really aren't that dirty when you wash them - I usually just need them freshened up. Obviously if you are doing the football team's kit that week then go mad with it but if you are just doing some tops for work then you probably can use much less.

I use tablets and the manufacturers always tell you to use two. What incentive might they have for recommending more than you need? I use one unless it is a full load and particularly dirty.

* Picture credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elmo/19079859/

Baking with Nigella

I've loved baking for a long time. Mum baked pies but I never got into that. But Dad did the fun cooking with us. Simple stuff like chocolate cornflake cakes and Angel Delight (not so much cooking as enhancement with a crushed up Flake on the top).

Anyway when we got a microwave it came with a recipe book (because microwave cooking was going to change everything you know) and in that book was the recipe for queen cakes. I remember it to this day:

50g caster sugar
50g butter
75g self raising flour
50g sultanas/ raisins
a bit of milk

I can't remember the cooking instructions mind. I'd credit the recipe book too but I have no idea what it was.

So when I grew up and got a place of my own I was keen to start baking my own cakes. And that is when I discovered Nigella. And "How to be a Domestic Goddess". My absolute favourite and the page that the book with open to is the Madeira cake.

So I can happily recommend "How to be a Domestic Goddess" because even if I am not baking from it there are lots of lovely photos of things I'd like to bake...