kitchen | Mum In The Madhouse

2026 Colouring Calendar!

Subscribe and receive our 2026 Kids Colouring Calendar for Free
Get the 13 Page Calendar by subscribing below.

kitchen

7 Safety Parameters to Evaluate Before Installing High-Capacity Hot Water Urns

Efficiency is important, but you also need to have equipment that is safe for your staff and customers when running a busy kitchen. The large-capacity hot water urns you see in cafes and food service establishments do pose risks if they are not properly installed and maintained. With these seven safety parameters, you can count

7 Safety Parameters to Evaluate Before Installing High-Capacity Hot Water Urns Read More »

Oreo Dirt Desserts or Chocolate Mint Puddings – Delicious and Fun Treats

This shop and recipe for Oreo dirt desserts or chocolate mint puddings has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias We have been busy planting in the garden and to celebrate this I decided to make some Oreo dirt desserts or chocolate mint puddings.  We have made dirt desserts

Oreo Dirt Desserts or Chocolate Mint Puddings – Delicious and Fun Treats Read More »

Tefal Optigrill – A Review

As I am a Tefal Innovator, I was sent the brand new Tefal Optigrill to test. This is a revolutionary new grill that can detect how thick your meat is and tells you when it is cooked to rare, medium or well done.
steak

We like:

It does what is says it will – We had three different cuts of meat all cooked to different specifications and it was delicious.
It takes the guesswork out of cooking – I love that it has an audible beep as well as a visual identification when your meat gets to a certain specification
The cooking plates are removable and dishwasher safe. _ no mess, no stress and no burning your fingers cleaning it.
Large drip pan – We tried burgers on the Tefal Optigrill today and they were either fatty, but the drip tray more than coped and it fits snuggly to the machine
It is versatile with settings for fish, sausages, burgers, bacon, chicken and a manual setting for vegetables. My mushroom today was divine
We weren’t keen:

At £130 is isn’t a cheep bit of kit, however, I have had three of the competitors grills in over two years. So if this lasts then it will be much better value for money than its competitor
It has a large footprint. I know that this is something we will use regularly, so didn’t want to put it in a cupboard, but it takes up two thirds of the top of my microwave where it now lives!
Overview:

The Optigrill has such a familiar look and feel to me. My mum had a tefal grill with removable interchangeable hot plates for over 30 years. She used it a lot and I am hoping that I get just as much use out of this as she did. The grill plate is a great size and could easily cook six burgers on it and is perfect for a family of four. I am looking forward to trying out tuna steaks on it and fish next week.

Don’t just take my word for it, see what my fellow panelists think of the Optigrill

Tefal Optigrill – A Review Read More »

Updating the Kitchen – Moodboard

As I have said I have a love of mid century and Orla Kiely has a great interpretation of it. I love her tins and fell hard for her melamine range. The tray is a great size and the handles makes it perfect for the boys to carry. The containers are going to get a lot of use from storing baking to summer picnics.

I adore Camila Prada’s designs, they are clearly the love children of Tove Jansson and Orla Kiely. We use a Koko storage jar as a sugar dish and it makes me smile everytime I use it. I love functional peices that look good and work for us and rather than having the same things as everyone else I am happy to save up for the item I want or ask for it for Christmas!

Most of you will know by know that I am a tea monster too and when Not on the High Street offered me a gift I decided to get a Linda Bloomfield tea pot. I choose the handmade 2 cup size and it is reassuringly heavy and pours beautifully. It is a delight to use and makes drinking tea even more enjoyable. MadDad things is looks rather breast like and it is delightfully tactile

After losing yet another lamp shade and cup to a ball in the house, we decided we needed some family rules and Find me a gift were happy to help and sent me a personalised family rules print. My rules are: no balls in the house, try new things, use kind words, mind your manners, do your best, laugh out loud, be happy, share, enjoy the little things and keep your promises. What would yours be?

I am planning a video of my updated kitchen as soon as a few last things are finished and in place.

Updating the Kitchen – Moodboard Read More »