Website for Ijays’s Cakes

http://www.ijayscakes.co.uk

Click on the link above to see what I’ve been up to. 🙂

❤

One Chunky Birthday Cake (and it 100% Vegan)

Someone ordered this for a birthday party today and I’ve got pics!

Enjoy mes amis.

❤

Pictured Thursday (featuring luscious Vegan cakes…yep, Vegan!)

Almond and Blackcurrant Drizzle Cake

Another day, another cake? Mais oui!!

Yesterday a friend of mine came for a slice of cake and brought with her a punnet of blackcurrants that had arrived in her fruift and veg delivery box. “Ijay, these came in my box, I thought you’ll know something nice to do with them”. I had a little taste and thought, “wowww that’s tangy” and when in doubt? Bake a cake, bien sûr!

So these are her blackcurrants and they are now sitting in a rather delicious cake. You know sometimes you bake a cake and you’re like, “Ohh that nice” but this, now that’s what I call REALLY REALLY nice. If you’ve got blackcurants, oh may I introduce you to this luscious number. Bake it!

Enjoy.

❤

For black currant syrup:

Almond ‘n’ Banana Pudding Cake with Blackberry studs (Vegan)

Still in the bid to use up ingredients in my kitchen and make simple cakes, today we have a pudding cake from the bananas in the fridge.

So moreish on the inside it deserves a generous amount of cream to go with it. The best bit are these tart blackberries atop the cake that help to cut through the sweetness of the bananas. What’s not to love?

Remember if you live close by and wanna take some home with you, hit me up on Facebook and I’ll save a slice (or more) for you. A girl can only eat soo many cakes!

Thank you all.

❤

Recipe? You’ll need

SPLL Soup

Pack lunch for the hubby..Ooo yah

Beautiful rainy day, still in your jammies, cozy inside, some’in to warm your cockles? Try a bowl- full of this yumminess, it’s worth getting out of the sofa for.

❤

Oh my, what does SPLL stand for? 😉

You’ll need:

Smokey AuberDip

All you’ll need

We had Aubergine in our delivery box last week so I had to use it to do something when the week was running out. End of the week, feeling a little knackered to cook anything for dinner but want something yummy all the same? Grab these ingredients and you’ve got yourself a super smokey, super easy, super yummy and super duper dip.

I got the inspiration from the sweet Abel and Cole’s cookbook but have changed it as there isn’t any garlic, tahini, lemon but thought to add the onion and tomato instead. Et voilà, just these few ingredients and you’re good to go.

Enjoy dipping.

For this, you’ll need:

• A whole Aubergine
• A whole tomato, cut in half
• Half an Onion
• 1/4 tsp of smoked Paprika
• Glugs of Olive oil
• Salt to taste

To make:

Lovely christmas mouthfuls (all dairy free)…quick! you still have time to bake bake bake

baking while the little goddess sleeps…quick! quick!

My yoga teacher invited us round for a night of satsang in honour of the great master Master Jesus with singing and dancing thrown in for good measure. These were offered on the night and I wanted to share the recipes with you. They’re all classic recipes made dairy-free with inspirations from Nigella for the Christmas cupcakes, Micheal Roux for the mince pies, and Sally’s baking addiction for the mini banana cupcakes.
All have been modified expecially with reduced amount of sugar added and also made dairy-free because I wanted to be able to eat them all……muahahahaha ☺ 😛
Initially wanted to put them all in one post but thought to separate it so it’ll be easier for you to find whatchu need instead of plunking them in all in one. So here they are.. enjoy!

Seeded Bread (gluten and dairy free)

Next up, homemade gluten and dairy-free seeded bread. Why? We’ll because, I just have to have bread …..plus it’s soo much fun and easy to make it yourself, you’ll see ;-).

For the bread, you’ll need:

We’re in

Sorry for not being in touch for a while my dears but I have been busy searching and searching for flats and alas, we’re in. We now have a flat in Southampton, UK 🙂 with up and running internet connection, that is quiet, cozy, warm and just perfect and with a fan-assisted oven!!!!…..for me, this was the highlight of everything 🙂

The house was an empty unfurnished cozy space (except for white goods) when we moved in but we’ve been so lucky that things have been flowing towards us from my very large heart family here in Southampton. The lounge went from an empty space to a furnished Moroccan themed lounge in a matter of days and is now completely furnished with love without us having to buy hardly anything. The bedroom has no bed but one is coming to us at the end of the month from a friend and I am just over the moon. The universe is being ever so generous and gracious towards us that I am just speechless, in awe and soooo humbled. Thank you universe, thank you God :-).

So now, i’m back, again. Relaxed, 18 weeks pregnant, energised, happy, surrounded by awesomeness and ready to rock and roll!!. So many food related plans going through my head at the moment but lets start with a bit o’ sunshine shall we?…..Sunshine salad.

Beautiful Blogger and Reader Appreciation Award Nomination!

Hola chiquitas y chiquitos, two award nominations (Beautiful blogger award and Reader Appreciation award) landed on me last week and I have finally made is out of my sick bed to acknowledge the beautiful souls at Beach House Kitchen for nominating me for these two awards. Muchas gracias!!.

Beautiful Blogger Award

Reader Appreciation Award

SHE is here

Alors friends, family and lovers, this foodie has been feeling like a sick zombie for the past few weeks so hasn’t been able to write anything. But I got up today to have a wee peak at the blog and was just amazed by the amount of people that have come by to have a look. This has touched my heart so much and now here I am, still in bed but ready to tell you all about the holidays and continue on the food path, of course.

We travelled from Paris – Bordeaux – Pessac (grandma’s place) – Bordeaux – La Rochelle – Ile de Ré – La Rochelle – Paris – London – Milton Keynes (sister’s place) – London (friends birthday) – Milton Keynes – London and then back to Paris…phewww. And what a journey it was.

that morning on the train and ready for the journey

Going from Paris to Bordeaux was so exciting for me. It was my first time and I guess I just couldn’t wait to get to Pessac to see Ben’s grandma. When we arrived the weather was mild and breezy, so we decided to do a bit of gardening for grandma and  trim some overgrown shrubs. I was like totally in on it with the shovel, hoe, shears and all but then as the days passed and the temperature got hotter, I started to see the white light at the end of the tunnel and told Ben to carry on, ” I’ll meet you on the other side my love, so so hot, darkness closing in on me, reaching for the white light, sooo cold, can’t breathe….bye bye earth” as I slumped to the ground.

Pictures, food, sharing…..holiday?

As promised guys, here are the picture from our yogic love get-together from last weekend.

Black ‘n’ White chocolate choux…..recipe to come later

Food on display

Mandala making….ohhh ’twas sooo much fun!!

Ever-changing Flow

Hii all, sorry it has been quiet here at FreeFlowFoodie. I just came back from my sister’s on Tuesday and yet again, my life is changing inside out. Starting with the fact that we will be moving away from Paris very soon so the days have been spent talking about what we are going to do with our lives, not coming up with any answer and being asked yet again by the universe if we can trust this “seeminingly” directionless flow to wherever it is going to lead us.

I must admit there is great doubt in my mind about everything but I occasionally find myself in that space of full trust, immense joy, and full-on gratitude at the way life is “polishing” us, polishing me and I know in deep in my heart that all will be well. But this is sometimes quickly replaced by all my mind stuff and worries and this ‘n’ that and…..there I go again.

Fruit? Veggie? or what?

Ohh my my my, I just came back from the market and look at what I found (below). I just love to going Parisian markets. It’s like a whole different culture and a whole new world. Meeting farmers and hearing them sell (well some shout) their fresh wares in their stalls. Recognising customers by name and talking about the family amongst other things (while others in the queue just wait patiently). It’s just all soo french and whenever I am there, i feel very much french and part of this old parisian culture.

Perhaps it’s just me but i had never seen these before in my life. Are you the same as me? Do you know what they are? Go on have a guess

Ps: gonna be thinking of what to make with them….hmmmmmmm

Freedom in creativity

When people walk into a house they usually present the bedroom as “where the magic happens”. For me , number 2 “where the magic happens” is our kitchen. This is where I let myself go with total abandon and it’s all about fun. This is my magic. This is my place of complete free flow of creativity.

Firstly I was born in a family of seven in Nigeria and we all had to take care of ourselves because my mom did NOT encourage being spoilt by nannies. So I found my sanctuary in the kitchen at a very young age and since then, I have LOVED loved loved cooking for people. This is my calling in this life.