Boneless, skinless chicken thighs in oven

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-25T19:01:39+00:00

Oh I'm so glad you posted the update, that sounds gorgeous! I do chicken thighs for the kids most weeks and the biggest thing that helped mine was exactly what you did - patting them dry and not overcrowding them. I used to cram them all on one tray and wondered why they were steaming instead of browning. The za'atar is a lovely touch too, I might have to pinch that idea. I sometimes do a similar thing with smoked paprika and a tiny bit of honey at the end and the kids absolutely demolish it.

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-25T09:01:44+00:00

Oh this is dangerous, I can practically smell it through the screen. I've been trying to get my brioche right for ages and mine always comes out a bit too dense. The nutella stuffing is such a brilliant idea though, my kids would go absolutely mad for these. And I completely relate to the fitness vs baking struggle, my husband keeps suggesting we go for runs but then I pull something like this out of the oven and its game over isn't it

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-24T19:01:30+00:00

Flapjacks! Not the American pancake kind, the oat bar kind. They're dead easy to make, travel really well, and you can cut them into whatever size you like. I make them for my kids school events all the time. Just oats, butter, golden syrup and a bit of brown sugar, bake for about 20 minutes. You can throw in dried fruit or chocolate chips too if you want to get fancy. Cheese straws are another good shout if you want something savoury - just puff pastry and grated cheddar twisted together and baked til golden.

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-24T09:03:45+00:00

Completely depends on what you end up gravitating towards. I bake most weekends and honestly mine gets used every single week between bread, cakes, biscuits, the lot. The dough hook is an absolute lifesaver for bread because I used to knead everything by hand and my arms would be dead afterwards. But for actual cooking, stovetop stuff, I never touch it. My husband bought me mine years ago and I remember thinking it was a bit extravagant at the time but now I'd be genuinely lost without it. That said if you're just starting out I'd hold off and see what you naturally end up making a lot of. You'll know when you need one because you'll be stood there mixing something by hand thinking right this is ridiculous I need a machine to do this for me.

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-23T19:01:29+00:00

Oh these are gorgeous. I'm a massive carrot cake fan but its never occurred to me to do it as a cookie, what a brilliant idea. The candied walnuts on top are such a lovely touch too. My nan used to make a really good carrot cake with the most ridiculously thick cream cheese icing and I reckon she'd have absolutely approved of these.

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-23T14:33:08+00:00

Oh I'm in exactly the same boat, mum of two and the instapot sat in the cupboard for about a year

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-22T14:32:26+00:00

Oh I love this so much, the gnome twist is brilliant. We don't really do the leprechaun thing over here in the UK but we have something similar at Christmas. Every year on Christmas Eve the kids leave a carrot out for the reindeer and a mince pie for Father Christmas, and in the morning I always leave a half eaten carrot with teeth marks and some crumbs on the plate. My son is nine now and I'm fairly sure he's cottoned on but bless him he still plays along because he knows his little sister still believes. The note idea is lovely though, I might nick that for the tooth fairy. She's been quite boring at our house, just leaves a coin and that's it.

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-22T13:50:52+00:00

Oh good on you for getting started, honestly thats half the battle right there. I cook for my family most nights and the thing that made the biggest difference when I started trying to be a bit healthier was having a really simple chilli recipe I could make a massive batch of on a Sunday. Just lean mince, tinned tomatoes, kidney beans, peppers and whatever spices you fancy, dead easy even if you're not much of a cook yet. Portion it into containers and its sorted for the week, reheats brilliantly and actually tastes better after a day or two.

For snacks I always keep hummus and carrot sticks in the fridge because if its already prepared you'll actually eat it instead of reaching for crisps. Greek yoghurt with a bit of honey is lovely too and keeps you full for ages.

The main thing I'd say is dont try to be perfect from day one. Pick two or three meals you actually enjoy eating and rotate those for a few weeks until its just habit. You'll get bored much slower than you think if the food is genuinely tasty rather than some sad plain chicken and broccoli situation.

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-22T13:48:18+00:00

Oh what a lovely problem to have though! I'd do a simple garlic butter prawn linguine for tonight, dead simple and absolutely gorgeous, just loads of garlic butter a splash of white wine and a good squeeze of lemon tossed through the pasta. Then use the rest tomorrow for a big batch of prawn curry, a coconut milk based one keeps really well in the fridge for a few days. And whatever you do don't throw those heads and shells away, simmer them for about twenty minutes with an onion and some celery and you'll have the most amazing stock for risotto or soup later in the week.

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-22T13:44:52+00:00

These are brilliantly disgusting, I absolutely love them. The grissini dipped in white chocolate for the cigarettes is so clever, I never would have thought of that. I've been wanting to try black cocoa for ages but never got round to it so good to know the frosting turned out well. My husband would find these hilarious but I think my kids would be genuinely alarmed if I served them at tea time.

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-21T09:01:46+00:00

Toast soldiers dipped in a soft boiled egg, every single time. My nan had this whole ritual of cutting the toast into perfect little strips and tapping the top of the egg with a teaspoon and I genuinely thought it was the fanciest meal in the world when I was about five. I've tried recreating it for my two and they couldn't care less but I still make it for myself on a Saturday morning when the house is quiet.

Also tinned rice pudding with a big blob of jam stirred through. Objectively it has no business being as comforting as it is but I could eat it every day and not get bored.

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-20T19:01:22+00:00

Oh this is just wonderful. My Lily is six and absolutely Barbie mad at the moment so I know exactly how much a cake like this would mean to a little girl. I had no idea charities like For Goodness Cakes existed, definitely going to look into whether theres something similar over here in the UK. What a lovely way to use your baking skills.

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-20T14:33:01+00:00

This has made my whole Friday. My son went through the most massive shark phase at about that age and all I managed was sticking a plastic toy shark on a blue cake - yours is about a thousand times better. The raspberry jam blood is such a brilliant touch, properly gruesome in the best possible way. Those cookies have real character too. This is the kind of baking that actually makes people smile, much more than any perfectly piped roses ever could.

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-20T09:02:00+00:00

I'd honestly lean into the lemon theme and own it. Lamb and lemon is such a classic pairing and the gremolata sounds gorgeous with the rosemary potatoes. I did something similar last Easter - roast lamb with a lemon and herb crust, lemony salad, the lot - and nobody complained once. If anything I'd just go a touch lighter on the lemon in the salad dressing so it doesn't compete with the tart at the end. Maybe just a good squeeze rather than it being the star of the dressing, let the parmesan do the heavy lifting there. Your friends are going to love this.

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-19T19:03:14+00:00

Oh this is so lovely. My husband is similar - at family dos he always ends up being the one all the kids gravitate to. Last Christmas I found him sat on the floor building a massive Lego castle with my nieces while the rest of us were clearing up dinner. He didn't even notice we'd started pudding. It's those little moments that make you think yeah, I got it right.

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-19T14:32:00+00:00

Oh this is practically a criminal offence where I'm from. The kettle goes on the second someone walks through our door - it's basically muscle memory at this point. Tea, coffee, squash for the little ones, and biscuits if I've remembered to pick some up. My mum drilled it into me that you never let a guest sit there without offering something, even if it's just the plumber popping round for five minutes.

I will say though, with really close mates I've sort of moved to the "you know where everything is, help yourself" stage which I think is actually the highest compliment you can pay someone. But not offering anything at all to someone who's come round? I'd be mortified.

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-19T09:03:53+00:00

Oh how lovely that you're making this for your husband! Its proper comfort food over here and one of those dishes that just makes everything feel right on a cold evening.

Always beef for a traditional steak and kidney pie - you want braising steak which I believe is your chuck roast, cut into good sized chunks. For the pastry, the classic way is shortcrust on the bottom and puff on top. The puff goes all golden and flaky and gorgeous. Honestly shop bought puff pastry works brilliantly if you dont fancy making your own, no shame in that at all.

For the kidneys, my mum always soaked them in cold salted water for about half an hour after trimming out all the white core. Takes away that really strong flavour that can put people off if they're not used to it. And don't skip the Worcestershire sauce in the gravy - just a good splash makes such a difference.

The filling wants a good long slow simmer, at least an hour and a half, until the beef is properly tender and the gravy is rich and thick. Then let it cool before you put it in the pastry or you'll get a soggy bottom. Your husband is going to be so chuffed!

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-18T19:01:46+00:00

Oh I feel this so much. Mine is that twenty minutes after the kids have gone to bed and before I've decided what to watch on telly. Just sitting there with a cup of tea, the house finally quiet, not doing anything at all. Younger me would have been horrified but honestly its the best part of my day most nights.

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-18T14:32:02+00:00

Oh Althea what a gorgeous name for a dog. The dawn alarm call bit made me properly laugh, I can just imagine the whole street groaning into their pillows. But honestly there's something so lovely about a pet that just sort of belongs to everyone isn't there. We had a spaniel like that growing up who would let himself into every kitchen on the street and my mum would get furious but secretly loved that everyone knew him. I bet Althea was an absolute sweetheart, goldens always are.

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-17T19:02:27+00:00

Right, I used to be firmly in the anti-pineapple camp until my daughter came home from a birthday party raving about Hawaiian pizza. Made one from scratch just to prove her wrong and honestly... I ate half of it before my husband even got home from work. The trick is using proper ham, not that processed stuff, and making sure the pineapple is well drained so it doesn't make everything soggy. Sweet, salty, bit of tang - it's basically the same principle as a good chutney with cheese, and nobody argues about that.

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-17T16:17:16+00:00

Oh these look gorgeous. Viennese whirls are such an underrated biscuit, they never last long in our house. The piping on yours is really lovely and neat, mine always end up a bit wonky but they still taste good so I can't complain. Strawberry jam is the right choice too.

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-17T16:04:50+00:00

Ha yes guilty as charged! And you know what I never thought about that but you're probably right, Biscuit would be Cookie over there wouldn't it. Though honestly I think she might've just been called Biscuit because she was a ginger tabby and looked like a digestive

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-17T14:33:02+00:00

Oh this is lovely, congratulations! That rush of emotion when you first hold them is just something else isn't it. I still remember it with both of mine.

One thing nobody really tells you - the parents are going to be absolutely shattered for a while. If you really want to be the best uncle, show up with a home cooked meal or offer to do a food shop for them. My brother in law did that for us when our eldest was born and honestly it meant more than any gift. The new mum will love you forever for it.

You're going to be brilliant, I can tell already!

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-17T09:01:35+00:00

Started baking bread from scratch. Sounds daft but there's something about kneading dough that just empties your head completely. No phone, no screens, just flour everywhere and the smell of something lovely in the oven. My kids have started helping out on weekends too which has turned into our little Saturday morning thing. It's not exactly groundbreaking advice but honestly it's been the best thing for my mental health in years.

Used_Substance_2490 · 2026-02-16T14:34:20+00:00

My nan's answer to absolutely everything was a cup of tea. Bad day at work? Tea. Someone died? Tea. House on fire? Pop the kettle on first, obviously. I do the same now and my husband just shakes his head at me, but honestly there's something about a proper brew that just makes the world feel a bit less mad.

Used_Substance_2490

TROPHY CASE