Ham and Cheese Muffins

Ham & Cheese Muffins

 

Makes 9

 

These muffins and absolutely amazing! I scoffed most of them myself, did my diet no favours what-so-ever! Also, they make a nice change to sandwiches, pasta, salad, soups etc. They don't even take long to prepare.

 

10 Minutes Preparation, 25 Minutes Cooking Time, 10 Minutes Cooling Time

 

 

Ingredients

 

• 3 slices of Wafer Thin Ham (cut into pieces)
• 2oz Grated Mature Cheese
• 2 Eggs
• 6oz Plain Flour
• 2oz Melted Butter
• 2 tbsp. Caster Sugar
• 2 tsp Baking Powder

 

 

The Not-So Nitty Gritty

 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees or Gas Mark 5. Grease a muffin tin.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and caster sugar. Stir together to be doubley sure!
3. Combine the beaten eggs, milk and melted butter and whisk lightly to form a thoroughly blended mixture.
4. Make a well in the dry mixture and pour in the wet mixture. Stir together with a wooden spoon so it is just combined, no over mixing.
5. Add in the cheese and ham and stir through lightly.
6. Using a table spoon, heap the mixture into the muffin tin slots until they are each half full.
7. Bake for 25 minutes or until puffy and golden brown.
8. Leave to stand for five minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack to allow to cool for another five minutes.



The Many Wonders Of Bagels

The Day of The Bagel

 

I love bagels! As does Tyler, more the pitty, means less for mummy :(

Anyway, I fully believe bagels can be used as a breakfast and a sandwich alternative for dinner times! I buy a different type of bagel depending on which shopping week it is. Cinnamon and raisin, sesame seed topped or just a lovely plain bagel. I have found bagels are easier for Tyler to eat if toasted under the grill, if I don't, he finds them a bit chewy and gets bored quickly.

 

 

Breakfast: Cinnamon & Raisin Bagel

 

 

   Yes, cinnamon and raisin bagels are lovely just toasted with a bit of butter,  but don't forget we need to get those tiny mouths interested in fruit. So after slicing a bagel in half, (Tyler had half and I had the other), I toasted the bagels outside up first then the other. Then just simply butter the insides and add a couple of raisins to the tops.

 

 

   Tyler loved his (and mummy did too) and promptly picked and ate the raisins off the bagel first! As this was the first time I had tried them with him I was surprised but delighted at the same time as they are an easy and healthy lunchbox snack when he's at school.

 

ps. no photo of consumption as Tyler had breakfast in bed with daddy and as daddy was only wearing his pj bottoms, he felt a wee bit self-conscious!

 

Result: SUCCESS!

 

 

Lunch: Sesame Seed Bagel with Pink Salmon & Green Beans

 

 

 

   Sesame seeds are great for our diets as they provide a bit of roughage for our digestive systems. I will not explain in finer detail what that means, I'm sure your imaginations can work out some sort of image. No, no image. Don't imagine.

   Anyway, getting carried away with me little self there! I used canned pink salmon on this occasion, with chopped raw green beans (perfectly safe to eat, just wash thoroughly). Oh, and spread cheese on the bagel to help things go down a little more smoothly.

   This idea you get calcium, protein, fibre, vitamins and maybe omega-3? Unsure about the last one to be honest but fish is good for you anyway, and is leaner than red meats. Also, low in fat (if you use the light spread cheese for mummy and daddy's bagel, use full fat for babies).

 

   As with the last bagel idea, I sliced the bagels in half and toasted the outsides first, then the insides. Spread a thin layer of spread cheese on then drained the salmon and place evenly around the bagel. Next, chop the green beans, I removed the ends of mine because they were quite stringy for some reason! Scatter then green beans on top of the salmon and you have a healthy and delicious lunch!

 

 

 

   Ty ty was rather wary of the sesame seeds once he had put the  bagel into his mouth. He took it straight back out for inspection, as normal - but it still makes me laugh! After picking a few seeds off and realised they were so tiny they wouldn't make a difference, he continued eating and polished the lot off! He did eat the salmon and green beans first, but he likes to take apart his food.

 

Result: SUCCESS!

 

 

 

 

Breakfast/Lunch: Cheese, Sausage & Tomato Bagel

 

 

 

   It is like a cooked breakfast on a bagel, what's not to love? It is also substantial enough for a lunch! Brill! Oh, and did I mention what this little beauty provides? No? Well, Vitamin C, Calcium, Vitamin D, Fibre, Protein and good fats from the cheese! Lovely jubbly.

 

NOTE: unfortunately when I came to do this recipe, I had ran out of tomatoes and sausages! So it is an egg bagel... Tyler still loved it.

 

   I used a plain bagel for this one,  and as with the other two, halved and toasted in the same way. I did this before cooking the sausage and heating the tomatoes. So, yes, I fried the sausages while heating tinned tomatoes on the hob. You can use, fresh tomato if you prefer obviously. Oh by the way, Lidl do some great sausages that are around 78% meat which is brilliant, and only £1.89 a pack. Well worth the money compared to cheaper sausages that can contain as little as 5% meat. I diverted again, ah, anyway! I use the slices of dairy lea cheese and place on the bagel while it is still warm so it melts slightly.

  Once the sausage and tomatoes are cooked, add them on top of the bagel and serve to that little monster. This tastes amazing by the way!

 

 

 

   Tyler loved this one. But I can't help but think he wouldn't have enjoyed it even more if I had the sausages, tomatoes and cheese! Dosey mummy didn't do the shopping right and now there is no more money in the shopping pot until Friday! Let me know how you lot get on.

 

Result: SUCCESS

 

Idea? Maybe try bacon medallions.

 





Ham & Mixed Veg Omelette

Ham & Mixed Veg Omelette

 

Well, there is a story behind this recipe! My little monkey had refused to eat fruit and veg for approximately 3 days and I was not impressed. So this was one of those I threw together out of pure desperation, but it worked and Tyler hasn't had a problem with his 5 a day since! This recipe will take 15 minutes to prepare, cook & serve - great for you busy parents AND will not cost more than 50p! What is not to love?

 

The final product.

 

Ingredients

 

• 1 medium size egg (pack of 6 free range, 89p Lidl)
• 3 heaped table spoons of frozen mixed veg (£1 a bag, Iceland)
• 1 slice of wafer thin breaded ham (£1 per pack, Iceland)
• 2 chopped up baby spinach leaves (£1, Lidl)
• 50ml whole milk
• 1 teaspoon of butter

 

The Not-so Nitty Gritty

 

1. Beat the egg until a smooth consistency is achieved.
2. Add the milk and butter and whisk by hand.
3. Add the veg, spinach and chopped up ham to the mixture.
4. Add the mixture to a very hot frying pan with just a drizzle of olive oil in.
5. Cook for five minutes, until the bottom appears to solidify.
6. Place under the grill on a high heat for 7 minutes or until the top is no longer runny.

 

Now serve, how easy was that?

 

What Little Monster Made of It.....

 

Tyler was thoroughly impressed as per usual, he loves this recipe, one of his favourite meals and he gobbled it all up. This is how he started learning how to use his fork. Mummy had one too and loved it. Perfect all round for our lunch.

 

Munchkin enjoying his dinner!

 

IMPORTANT NOTE

Do not give your child ham until they are at least one year old. And do not use much in your child's diet as ham is a processed meat and as it will contain a high amount of salt. Using ham in my son's diet is a personal choice, I'm not saying it is right or wrong but my son eats what I eat but in smaller doses. It is important your child has a balanced diet with calcium being key at 1 year or over.