Saturday Recipe Swap: Microwave Cheese Sauce

Back after the summer break its time to dig out your favourite microwave recipes to share! What little tricks do you have to save time and make yummy food at the same time?


For my contribution I give you Microwave Cheese Sauce. My children would eat "cheesy pasta" every night if I let them so I needed a way to make it quick and fool proof. Having tried out a few versions I found via Google this is the one that works for me!

1. In a big jug put 1/2 pint milk (semi or skimmed depending on who I'm making it for)
2. For a coating sauce I add 1 oz of plain flour (use 1/2 oz for pouring sauce) and whisk out any lumps
3. Put in microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes
4. Whisk
5. Return to microwave and keep whisking every 30 seconds (or if rises too high) and cook for total 3 1/2-4 minutes
6. Once thickened to required consistency add grated cheese to taste:

Stir into pre-cooked, drained pasta and serve to the starving masses!

Please link your recipes and then grab the code. Grab code for yourself: get the InLinkz code

Saturday Recipe Swap: Pasta Salad

Another week another recipe swap! This week's theme is summer recipes for BBQs and picnics - let's think positive and believe we're going to be eating outdoors lots over the next few weeks...


This is my recipe for pasta salad which my daughter used to eat by the bowlful when she was bit younger. It's nice and simple and you can adjust it to make vegetarian if required.

• choose a nice colourful and interesting shaped pasta such as fusilli tricolore and cook the required amount as per the packet instructions (approx. 50 g per person)
• drain and allow to cool
• chop some ham into bite size chunks (omit for vegetarians)
• chop up some apple and pear (unpeeled for more colour)
• chop up some cheese into cubes
• chop up some different colour peppers into cubes
• toss all the ingredients into a large salad bowl and mix in mayonaise to make it stick together
• serve and enjoy

Sorry no picture to go with this as didn't have all the ingredients in!

Please add your recipes old and new to the blog hop and don't forget to grab the code and put it on your post!

Saturday Recipe Swap: Easy Peasy Fairy Cakes

On week 2 of this recipe blog hop I am after your easy baking recipes that you do with your children. Please post your link and then add the blog hop code to your post. Can be a new post or one from your archives! Look forward to trying some out :-)


Easy Peasy Fairy Cakes


This is something I regularly do with and without my kids and it is so easy that my 7 year old can do it herself (except putting in oven obviously!).

1. Heat oven to 190 C (fan 175 C)
2. Pop papercases into a 12 hole cake baking tray
3. Get a large mixing bowl
4. Sift in 4 oz of self raising flour
5. Add 4 oz caster sugar
6. Add 4 oz margarine or butter
7. Add 2 medium eggs
8. Add pinch bicarbonate of soda
9. Add few drops vanilla essence
10. Mix together until mix drops off a spoon
11. Share between the 12 cases
12. Bake for 15 minutes in the oven
13. Once cooled decorate

For variations:

• substitute 1 oz self raising flour for cocoa powder and instead of vanilla essence add a teaspoon strong coffee
• Add 2 oz of chocolate chips or dried fruit

Please come and join in the blog hop. I loved trying out last week's recipes!