On the move!

Back in September we introduced baby DWS to our Blog readers and said baby is already over five months old! The time has flown in and it won't be long before she's really on the move. Not just rolling all over the place but roaming! It got us to thinking here at DWS about the importance of safety in the kitchen. Hygiene is an important factor for parents when they have toddlers scooting about on the kitchen floor and of course when preparing meals for little mouths.

Firstly the Apollo Quartz kitchen worktop range on the DWS website, with it's man made polymers, is the ideal choice for hygiene. The polymers make the natural quartz non porous therefore avoiding the problem of trapped dirt and grease. This makes these quartz worktops extremely easy to keep clean while giving you peace of mind in the kitchen.

Silestone quartz has the added benefit of Bacteriostatic Protection. This protection is "based on the use of the latest generation silver ions to prevent the propagation of bacterias" from the Silestone website. 

Corian is another very popular, non porous worktop. Corian is so hygienic that it is the material of choice for dentist surgeries and hospitals.


Aside from the hygiene of kitchen worktops, having read a selection of the popular parenting websites, I am reminded that closer to the floor, it's important to keep curious hands out of cupboards with safety catches and locks. The best way of keeping children safe in the kitchen though is supervision and even better....a safety gate to keep them out altogether! At least they won't be under your feet then while you're enjoying cooking on your clean, non-porous worktops! ;-)

Shrove Tuesday 2014

Shrove Tuesday (also known as Pancake Day) is the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. The date of Pancake Day is determined by Easter; its date changes annually. The reason behind making pancakes on Shrove Tuesday is to use up all the 'fatty foods' in the house before the season of fasting for Lent. 

I've posted a recipe for pancakes below. I know the DWS team will be enjoying some this Tuesday!

Classic Pancake Recipe

Ingredients

• 125g plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 2 large free-range eggs
• 350ml semi-skimmed milk
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
• Caster sugar and lemons, to serve
• Method

1. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a hole in the centre. Break the eggs into the hole and add 75ml of the milk and the oil. Whisk the eggs, milk and oil using a wire whisk. Gradually draw in the flour, whisking all the time until you have a thick, smooth batter.
2. Gradually add the rest of the milk, whisking gently, until you have a smooth batter.
3. Crumple up a piece of kitchen paper and soak the end in oil. Use this to grease a small nonstick frying pan. Heat the pan, then pour in just enough batter to thinly coat the base of the pan, swirling it around to completely cover it.
4. Cook for about 30 seconds. Flip the pancake using a fish slice and cook the other side until golden. Slide onto a plate.
5. Repeat until all of the batter is used up, greasing the pan a little when needed.
6. Serve immediately with lemon juice and caster sugar.



sugar & lemon pancakes

7. 
   

classic pancakes with chocolate & banana