Borscht

 Yum! I made some delicious, hearty, healthy and very earthy Russian Borscht soup yesterday.

Borscht

Here is my simple and quick recipe:

Ingredients

2 or 3 fresh beetroots, washed and peeled and chopped into small cubes

2 or 3 potatoes, sliced into cubes

1 red onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, grated
2 of fingers of celery, diced

½ head of cabbage, thinly sliced

1 can kidney beans including the juice

2 bay leaves

1 litre of beef stock

Large squirt of tomato sauce

One squirt of lemon juice

Pinch of ground pepper

Now to make the soup:

1. Fill a large soup pot with 500ml of boiling water and a pinch of salt.  Add the chopped beetroots and simmer for 15 minutes or until par cooked. Add the chopped potatoes and sliced cabbage and continue to cook for another 5 - 10 minutes.
2. In the meantime, add a large dash of cooking oil to a frying pan and saute the grated carrots, chopped onion and diced celery until they are soft, approximately 10 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce towards the end of the cooking time.
3. Add the beef stock, lemon juice, pepper, bay leaves and can of kidney beans to the soup pot.
4. Add sauteed carrots, onion and celery mix.
5. Simmer for a further 5 - 10 minutes, until kidney beans and cabbage have softened.
6. Serve with a large dollop of sour cream and warm,crusty bread.

Optional extras or things to try - I always think it is nice to try new things with a standard recipe especially if you make it a lot and want to try a new twist!

• A warm boiled egg, quartered and added to the top of the borscht.
• A splash of cider vinegar and half a teaspoon of honey at the end of the cooking process for a sweet and sour flavour
• Use chicken stock instead of beef stock for a more mellow flavour
• Blend the soup for a smooth texture and a more child friendly version.
• Add dill to the soup - this is a traditional addition in Poland.

New Home

My boyfriend (Tom) and I have been in our new home for almost one year now and I have lots of DIY tips and cool ideas for decorating on a budget!

For this first post, I will just mention a few little items I've bought to make our flat look a bit more unusual and quirky. I love looking on sites such as Etsy and Folksy for cute additions but I also love going to the weekend market at the Tynemouth metro station.

First thing I bought was a really cute knitted cover for our kitchen clock which can be bought from Baban Cat on Etsy. It didn't cost much but it really adds a cosy feel to this cheap clock.

Knitted Clock Cover

Another really affordable item which is ideal for new home owners is the Vittsjo shelving unit from Ikea.  Here is ours, which was a present from Tom's parents, in our living room.

Vittsjo from Ikea

I have filled the shelf with cute little jars from John Lewis and Orla Kiely, a Ben de Lisi fruit bowl, Ikea boxes, Ikea vases, books and plants!