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Shake off that winter chill with an electric blanket! 35% off the whole range

By Tom Craik | 14.02.2012 | Posted in Heated Blankets

So it’s Valentine’s Day and it’s freezing outside – what better way to spend the evening than curled up under a blanket with the one you love?

Rather than wasting all that money and energy turning up the heating in your house this February, why not get yourself a cosy electric blanket so you can get comfy on the sofa to watch a romantic film while you tuck into your box of chocolates!

The freezing temperatures don’t seem like they’re going away any time soon either, so it’s a great time to make the investment.

There are almost 20 types of blanket in our range, so you’re bound to find one which suits your needs, whether it be a fleece heated underblanket or a luxury quilted mattress topper.

No one wants to spend more money than they need to, so it’s definitely worth looking for ways to cut down on your energy usage so you’re not hit with a huge bill at the end of winter.

According to the Electric Blanket Institute, you will definitely save money by having an electric blanket. It costs far less to heat one bed than it does the entire house, so you’ll be able to turn down the thermostat when you go to sleep at night.

According to them, you can save 1% of your household heating bill for each degree you turn down your thermostat during an eight-hour period, so it’s well worth trying to do it!

Our electric blankets cost from as little as 2p per night to run, in comparison to the 70p it costs to heat the whole of your home.

35% off Morphy Richards electric blankets in February

We want to do all we can to help you stay warm this February, so we’re giving you a chance to save 35% on our entire range of electric blankets.

To take advantage, just use the following voucher code at the checkout stage of our website – BLK35SM.

Here’s to many warm and cosy nights ahead!

No Comments | Make a comment | Tags: 35% off electric blankets, electric blanket code, electric blanket offer, electric blankets, heated blankets, heated throws, Morphy Richards

Exclusive offer – Cut ironing time with the Morphy Richards Shirtmaster Ironing Board

By Janelle Hardacre | 09.02.2012 | Posted in Garment Care

Ironing is one of those household chores that we all have to do at some point. Whether it’s giving a work shirt a quick once over or a whole pile of bedding and school uniforms, wouldn’t it be great if we could spend less time stood behind the ironing board?

The good news is, we have the perfect answer to speed up the whole process with the uniquely designed Shirtmaster ironing board. With Shirtmaster, larger garments such as shirts and blouses fit around the ergonomically designed wide contours of the ironing board perfectly. So when you are working through your weekly ironing basket, you’ll find it quicker and easier than ever before. The cleverly designed Shirtmaster is longer than a standard board, which makes pressing trousers easier. Its narrow end is useful for hard-to reach areas, while the extra wide end fits the contours or a shirt perfectly. This makes it simpler to iron large items, such as bedding.

The even better news is that you grab yourself a Shirtmaster ironing board for half price if you purchase it with a Morphy Richards Comfigrip iron, saving £30! All you need to do is visit morphyrichards.com/shirtmasterironingboard and enter T05450 at checkout. But you’ll need to act fast as the offer ends this Sunday 12 February.

Check out the Shirtmaster in action here.

No Comments | Make a comment | Tags: how to iron, Ironing, ironing board, ironing board discount, ironing tips, morphy richards shirtmaster, Offers, voucher code

Home Made Cook of the Year final…on video

By Tom Craik | 07.02.2012 | Posted in Home Made Cook of the Year, Kitchen

For those that missed our musings on last year’s Home Made Cook of the Year final at Denman College, we’ve captured it on video.

Below you can watch each of the three finalists explain the inspiration behind their dishes.

Why not give them a try yourself?

Yvonne Baily tells us about her dish, Pork with Orange and Ginger

Maria Kuehn fills us in on her dish, Chicken and Coriander Meatballs with Saffron and Courgette Rice.

Sue Wynn explains the thinking behind her winning dish, Andalucian Chicken.

No Comments | Make a comment | Tags: Andalucian Chicken, Brian Turner, Chicken and Coriander Meatballs, cooking competition, final, home cooking competition, Home Made Cook of the Year, Morphy Richards

Wake up to breakfast bright and early and celebrate Farmhouse Breakfast Week

By Janelle Hardacre | 27.01.2012 | Posted in Morphy Richards, kettle

Returning for it’s 13th year, this week is all about the importance of enjoying a healthy and fulfilling breakfast to energise your day. You can find out all about the campaign here

There’s no denying that life can be hectic and our mornings can often feel stretched even on the best of days. Tearing ourselves away from our beds in winter is an accomplishment, so here’s a few tips for motivation!

Breakfast eaters tend to be slimmer than those who regularly skip
Eating breakfast can lower cholesterol levels
Eating breakfast gives people a more positive outlook with reductions in stress and a more positive outlook on the day overall!
Plus it can improve concentration and performance at work

So what does this year’s theme ‘shake up your wake up’ mean? Simply making little changes in your morning routine to allow time for an exciting and varied breakfast will set you up for a better day. There’s nothing wrong with jam on toast but allow yourself an extra couple of minutes and treat yourself to some creative toast toppers, special smoothies or even a healthy fry up. Do you usually set your alarm for 7:30? Set it for 7:20 and look forward to breakfast every morning.

If your senses need energising even further, then check out the UKs most popular kettle and toaster sets from Morphy Richards’ new Colour Boutique range. The sets are available in twelve vibrant and stylish colours which are sure to help brighten your eyes in the morning whilst providing taste to the kitchen as well as helping you prepare your creative and tasty breakfasts! Check out page 923 of the brand new Argos catalogue to see the full range of fab colours.

No Comments | Make a comment | Tags: Breakfast, healthy breakfast, Kettle, kettle and toaster, Morphy Richards, Morphy Richards Colour Boutique, Toaster

Win With Morphy – Have you got more than a great appliance?

By Chris Bennett | 25.01.2012 | Posted in Kitchen

Have you bought a Morphy cooking appliance recently? Are you thinking about buying something from the range in the near future? If so, don’t throw away the packaging until you’ve found out what super prize you have won – we are giving away £100,000 worth of prizes as a thank you for purchasing one of our products!

Our ‘Home Made Heroes’ campaign, which is hosted at winwithmorphy.co.uk, guarantees an instant win for everyone who buys one of our products – simply type in your unique code and details on the website to find out what you’ve won. There are unique codes on our entire worktop cooking range, which includes breadmakers, slow cookers and fryers.

We have linked up with a number of our existing partners to offer prizes including Schwartz Slow Cooker Mixes, Roberts Radios, Stoves Mini Range cookers and Women’s Institute Cooking courses as well as Morphy Richards products and discount codes.

Good luck and don’t forget to let us know what you win!!

No Comments | Make a comment | Tags: Home of the House Proud, Morphy On-Pack Promotion, Morphy Richards Home Made Heros, Morphy Worktop Cooking Productc, roberts radio, schwartz, Stoves, Unique Voucher Code, WI Denamn College, Win Morphy Prizes, Win Prizes, Win with Morphy, Win with Morphy Richards

Morphy ‘Innovators’ Review – Not Supermum, Daily Loaf Breadmaker

By Tom Craik | 18.01.2012 | Posted in Kitchen, Morphy 'Innovators', Product Reviews

We recently launched a brand new range of appliances to make everyday tasks easier for the elderly and raise vital funds for Age UK (click here to check out the range).

Naturally, instead of asking our Innovators to test them out, we gave them the task of enlisting the help of an older relative to try out their product of choice and give us valuable feedback.

Not Supermum‘s ex-in laws were keen to review the Daily Loaf Breadmaker, wich bakes the perfect amount for fresh bread every day. You can read her thoughts below…

Morphy Richards products for Age UK ~ Daily Loaf breadmaker

This month there’s a change to my regular Houseproud Innovator review – someone else is reviewing this month’s product.

Morphy Richards is supporting the Age UK charity by designing and selling products that might make everyday tasks a little easier for older people. Each of the items in the range of products come with up to a two year guarantee and a proportion of the sales (3%) go to Age UK, providing a vital source of income to help older people across the country. I love this idea!

So when I was asked if I knew an older person who might review one of the products, I immediately thought of my ex-mother-in-law who is in her 70s. As strange as it might sound, we get on very well and I thought she’d enjoy the chance to choose and review something from Morphy Richards.

She chose the daily loaf bread maker which is very compact and would sit neatly on a work surface without taking up a lot of space. It makes a 1lb loaf which is just the right amount for a small household, and the instructions were easy to follow. There are 5 programmes, including ‘fast bake’ and a there’s a handy viewing window so you can monitor the baking.

My ex-MIL was happy with the bread maker and produced two perfectly baked loaves. However, due to her severely arthritic fingers, she found the buttons difficult to use. I think perhaps one of the other bread makers might have been more suitable for her limited dexterity, and I would recommend having a good look at the different models if you are considering buying one for an older person.

Well done to Morphy Richards for coming up with this innovative range of products and for supporting such a fantastic charity.

No Comments | Make a comment | Tags: Age UK, appliances for older people, appliances for the elderly, Morphy Innovators Review, Morphy Richards, Morphy Richards Age UK Range, Morphy Richards Innovators, morphy richards supports age uk, not supermum, not supermum review

Morphy Richards Never Loses Suction (NLS) Vacuum Cleaner Reviewed by The Independent

By Chris Bennett | 18.01.2012 | Posted in Floor Care, Household Cleaning, Product Reviews

When we opened the newspapers at Morphy HQ, we got a wonderful surprise yesterday, our Never Loses Suction (NLS) Vacuum Cleaner was in first place in The Independent’s ’10 Best… Vacuum Cleaners’ feature. Here’s what the paper said about the machine:

“The Morphy Richards Never Loses Suction lift away bagless upright vacuum cleaner does what it says on the tin – so much so that it’s almost embarrassing to see how much it collects from a few sweeps of the carpet. It’s easy to assemble and use and has great attachments.”

The Independent - 10 Best Vacuum Cleaners

About the Morphy Richards Never Loses Suction

Never Loses Suction* Cyclone Technology

The Never Loses Suction* cyclone technology ensures constant pick-up performance across all floors throughout your home, and for added peace of mind we include up to a 5 year guarantee**

* In accordance with independent laboratory testing to IEC standard 60312-1: 2010. Machine must be maintained as instructed in the user guide.

** 2 year guarantee as standard, 5 year upon registration with Morphy Richards

Lift Away Detachable Canister

The Lift Away canister gives you the flexibility to clean anywhere. Simply release the handle, unclip the canister, add your attachment and away you go – powerful, portable cleaning in three easy steps! It’s perfect for awkward areas, like stairs and upholstery.

Washable HEPA 13 Filtration

HEPA 13 filtration means that 99.95% of all dust and dirt molecules are trapped in the filter making it ideal for allergy sufferers.

One Touch Bin Empty

By the simple press of a button the base of the canister is released and all the dust, hair and dirt falls out and can be easily dispensed of. Great for allergy sufferers.

Swivel Steering

The pivoting floorhead makes it really easy to manoeuvre the upright vacuum cleaner around the contours of your home. It’s the fastest way to get the deepest clean – even around corners and under furniture.

Full Height Stair Cleaning

In the Lift Away mode it is possible to vacuum from the bottom to the top of a standard set of stairs without the need to change plugs.

Clarity Floorhead

The window in the floorhead allows the user to view the brush bar turning and detect blockages. There is also a light on the model that will change colour if a blockage occurs in the floorhead.

Suitable for all floor types

This vacuum cleaner allows you to move from carpet to hard floor at the touch of a switch.

For more information about the Morphy Richards Never Loses Suction vacuum cleaner, visit the Morphy website.

No Comments | Make a comment | Tags: Cleaning, Houswork, Media product review, Morphy Never Loses Suction, Morphy NLS, Morphy Richards Never Loses Suction, Morphy Richards NLS, never loses suction, NLS, The best Vacuum cleaner, The Independent, Vacumming, vacuum review

‘Innovator’ blog post – Morphy Richards Slow Cooker Cook Book, A Mother’s Ramblings

By Janelle Hardacre | 12.01.2012 | Posted in Age UK, Product Reviews, Recipes, slow cookers

Read here about why the lovely Pippa of A Mother’s Ramblings loves to flick through cook books. Here she tests out a recipe from Morphy Richards’ Ultimate Slow Cooker Cook Book. Check out the original post here.

A Menu For A Dinner Party I Am Never Going To Have

Reading cooking books is great fun and I do it quite a lot. Recently Daddy suggested that when I was clearing out a lot of books from the book shelf I might consider clearing out some of my cooking books. The evil stare I gave him made him realise I was not parting with them for anybody! When I read cookbooks I come up with Menus for dinner parties I am never going to have and it is a bit of fun to work out what the main course is and to work out how I would make the meal, who I would invite and if it was Come Dine With Me what the sarcastic voice over would say about me.

The lovely people at Morphy Richards saw my post on how much I love my slow cooker(and how I had discovered that you can make Jacket Potatoes in a slow cookera revelation of epic proportions in this house) and so they sent me out The Ultimate Slow Cooker Cookbook. Which was handy as out of all the cook books I own, I don’t have a slow cooker cookbook! I took the book to bed with me and read all the different recipes and was starting to come up with some great plans for a dinner party that I would never host when I saw the Beef with Black Peppers in Black Bean Sauce recipe. I love this dish and that I was going to make it.

Chinese Beef and Green Peppers in Black Bean Sauce done in my Slower Cooker.

I teamed it with rice noodles (we can’t eat egg noodles seeing as how Daddy is now allergic to egg as well as being a Coeliac) and some home fried Prawn Crackers and it was delicious. So if anyone wants to come round for an imaginary dinner party now you know what your main course is going to be.

I was sent a cookbook by Morphy Richards, I didn’t ask for it and they hoped I would like it. I did.

No Comments | Make a comment | Tags: dinner party, dinner party recipes, innovator review, Morphy Richards, Morphy Richards Slow Cooker, mummy blog, recipe book review, Slow Cooker Recipe Book, slow cooker recipe book review, Slow Cooker Recipes, Slow Cooking

House Proud ‘Innovator’ Review – Mummy from the Heart, Age UK Flavour Savour Slow Cooker

By Janelle Hardacre | 11.01.2012 | Posted in Age UK, Morphy Richards, Product Reviews

This month we’ve asked our Innovators to call on their mums, dads, grandparents and friends to test out products from our new Age UK range. Here, Michelle from Mummy from the Heart tells us what her mum thought of the Morphy Richards Flavour Savour slow cooker. Click here to see the original post.

Morphy Richards made my Mum a very happy lady just before Christmas as they sent her a 4.5 litre Flavour Savour digital slow cooker to try out and report back on. Mum is not much of a writer so she has asked me to write up her thoughts and I was also lucky enough to get a go with the slow cooker and to try a couple of meals cooked in it.

For ages both my Mum and I have wanted a slow cooker, so this was the perfect opportunity for us to try out a few recipes. The Flavour Savour is a really nice model as it has 3 functions: quick brown to seal your meat, fast stew to cook for between 1 hour 30 mins and 1 hour 45 mins and traditional slow cooking for between 4 hours and 11 hours.

Firstly Mum used the fast stew function to make a spicy sausage casserole. Firstly she used the brown function to brown off the sausages and drained off any excess fat. Then all the other food got put into the same pot and the fluid put into the cooker as well and it was then left to cook for 1 hour 45 minutes. Once cooking finishes the cooker automatically goes into keep warm mode and holds the food at a constant temperature for up to 2 hours.

Browning the sausages

At the start of the cooking process

Sadly she forgot to take a photo of the finished meal but it was very good I am told!

Plus Points for the Flavour Savour Slow Cooker

Large steel cooking pan which is lightweight and easy to carry due to the handles. It can also be used on a gas or electric cooker hob.

Stay cool handles on the pan and lid. The lid is also glass so you can see how your meal is cooking.

Simple digital display settings.

Cord storage in the base for smart storage. You can also store the base in the cooking pan if you wish.

It has stylish exterior and does not look out of place left out on the work surface.

Versatile that it can be used for fast or slow cooking.

Excellent browning function for meat and onions, keeping down mess and minimising the pans used.

Dish and lid are dishwashable and came clean very easily.

Easy to understand and follow instructions

I asked Mum the question we all want to know, what could be better or where was the flavour savour slow cooker not up to scratch and I have to be honest she could not fault it and could give me no reason why it was not an excellent buy. The only comment she had was to shop around and find a good price as that would make it even better!

Then when I was down at Mum and Dads just after Christmas we tried out the slow cooker function and had a beef and tomato casserole A few more pictures for you:

Yet again we forgot to take a photo when the stew was finished and we had to take a photo of the last dregs once we had all eaten. Do you get the feeling that we all like our food?

I have to say that the flavour savour makes a superb meal and with the very minimum of fuss. I was really pleased, as was Mum who give it a 5/5.

The 4.5 litre Flavour savour retails for £89.99 and the larger 6.5 litre model is £99.99. I have to say that the 4.5 litre easily made enough food for 6 adults to eat a good portion. You can check out the full specification on the Morphy Richards website or head over to their blog Home of the Houseproud for some super recipe ideas and great deals.

Morphy Richards have teamed up with Age UK to put together a portfolio of products that are suited to the older generation. Making it easier for them to perform everyday functions that younger people take for granted. Whilst my Mum is officially an OAP she is in fact a very fit and active woman. However I am pretty sure that if my Nan, at 84 tried to use the flavour savour she might find the pan too large and too heavy for just her living alone. The super thing about this range is that Morphy Richards are making a donation to Age UK for every item sold. I can heartily recommend the Accents One Cup water boiler that I trialed a few months back and then gave to my Nan. I saw her just after Christmas and she told me it was a godsend at 4am when she can not sleep and wants a quick cuppa!

Many thanks to Janelle, who has been a superb contact over the last year whilst I have been aMorphy Richards House Proud Innovator. I am enjoying working with such a great brand.

Disclosure: This is a review post.

No Comments | Make a comment | Tags: Age UK, Morphy Richards, Morphy Richards Age UK Range, Morphy Richards Flavour Savour, Morphy Richards Flavour Savour Review, Morphy Richards Slow Cooker, Morphy Richards Slow Cooker Review, mummy blogger review, Mummy from the Heart, Slow Cooker Review

Win a Morphy Richards Accents Kettle with Yorkshire Tea!

By Chris Bennett | 11.01.2012 | Posted in Kitchen

Here at Morphy Richards, we’re very proud that our Accents kettle and toaster range is the bestselling set in the UK and we regularly receive great reviews and comments from our wonderful customers!

As a company that was born and bred in Yorkshire, we’re delighted to bring you news that we’ve teamed up with the guys at Yorkshire Tea to giveaway 50 Morphy Richards Accents kettles in red on their Facebook page between now and 8^th February 2011.

The competition is to promote their tea bags that have been made specifically for people living in hard water areas – hard water doesn’t just affect the kettle, it also affects the taste of the tea! Each of the winners will each receive a year’s supply of the tea bags with 100 runners-up bagging themselves an Oust sachet pack to help them combat limescale build up in their kettles (the runners up will also get a year’s supply of tea).

For a chance of winning one of these great prizes, simply upload a picture of yourself with your kettle on the Yorkshire Tea Facebook page – all winners will be selected at random.

Good luck!

21 Comments | Make a comment | Tags: Accents, Facebook, Hard Water, Hard Water and Tea, Hard Water Tea, Hardwater Tea, Limescale, Limescale prevention competition, Making tea with hard water, Morphy Competition, Morphy Richards Accents, Morphy Richards Competition, Oust, Yorkshire Tea, Yorkshire Tea competition, Yorkshire Tea Hard Water Tea Bags

House Proud ‘Innovator’ Review – Who’s The Mummy, Age UK Heated Reversible Throw

By Janelle Hardacre | 10.01.2012 | Posted in Age UK, Heated Blankets, Uncategorized

Top mummy blogger Sally Whittle of Who’s The Mummy has drafted in some tough critics to test out the Morphy Richards Age UK Heated Reversible Throw. See what her Mum and Dad thought of the electric blanket and how to win one of your own. Click here to see the original post.

Over the past few months, I’ve tested a few new products from Morphy Richards, and just before Christmas I got another email from their PR agency. Would my parents like to test a new product?

Apparently, Morphy Richards has put together a range of new and existing products designed to make life more comfortable and easier for older people. For example, the One Cup dispenser is great for people with arthritis as it’s possible to make a hot drink without lifting a kettle.

There’s also a luxury reversible heated throw (£89.99) – a soft, reversible throw with 6 separate heat settings – perfect for people who feel the cold, or who don’t want to turn the heating on too often. My Dad is in his late 60s and really feels the cold – he has circulation problems in his legs that mean he tends to use blankets to keep his legs warm while he’s watching TV. This means my poor Mum is usually sweltering for the evening while listening to her other half grumbling about some imagined draught.

So a heated throw was dispatched to my parents for testing. After a couple of weeks, the results are in.

My parents love the throw. My Mum turns it on for my Dad at about 7pm and by 7.30pm, without fail, he’s dozed off. The blanket has a safety trip and does turn itself off so Dad doesn’t roast himself alive, but it’s safe to say he’s kept nice and cosy under there and Mum’s free to do her knitting in comfort. It can be machine washed and tumble dried, and it’s reversible so you can choose which colour you prefer (brown or cream).

You can’t over-state the importance of being warm, can you? So I know you won’t blame me, or judge me too harshly when I tell you, reader, I stole the blanket.

Seriously, I live in a Victorian house with more draughts than a hay barn, and those original sash windows laugh in the face of my archaic boiler, which is clinging on to life by its rusty fingernails. My need is greater than a couple of old people. They have double glazing, after all. And I’ll probably give it back if it snows. I’m not THAT evil.

Anyway, I’ve a feeling you’d love the reversible throw just as much as me, which is why I asked the nice people at Morphy Richards if I could have another heated throw to give away. So, if you’d like to win a luxury reversible heated throw, then all you have to do is leave a blog comment telling me the normal body temperature of a human being. And for a second, optional entry, you can like my Facebook page (just leave your Facebook user name in your blog comment and let me know you’ve liked).

Terms

The competition is open to any UK resident leaving a comment below before 5pm on January 21st 2012.

A winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries received before the closing date

If you are having problems leaving a comment, please email me

Prizes will be dispatched by Morphy Richards UK. No cash alternative available

Winner will be notified by email. In the event the winner cannot be reached, after 7 days, another winner will be selected

1 Comment | Make a comment | Tags: Age UK, electric balnket, Morphy Richards electric blanket review, Morphy Richards heated reversible throw, Morphy Richards Review, mummy blogger review

Home Made Cook of the Year winner: Sue Wynn

By Tom Craik | 24.12.2011 | Posted in Home Made Cook of the Year, Kitchen

In the final of our series of posts about the Home Made Cook of the Year finalists, we profile the proud winner of the competition, Sue Wynn.

Sue Wynn with Brian Turner at the final

Sue Wynne, who lives in Glasson Dock in Lancaster, entered Home Made Cook of the Year with a fabulous recipe for Andalucian Chicken. A tasty combination of tender chicken thighs, legs and a Spanish olive sauce, the dish was inspired by the food that Sue and her family have enjoyed holidaying in the Adalucian region.

Sue concentrating hard as she prepares her dish

Although it was a tough decision, Brian Turner and Helen Best-Shaw both deemed Sue’s dish to be the best on taste, texture and value for money.

Sue's winning dish

As well as the coveted crown, Sue walked away with a host of foodie prizes including a complete kitchen makeover and cooking course for her and a friend.

This is what Sue said:

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be crowned Home Made Cook of the year. The standard of the other two dishes was absolutely phenomenal, so I was genuinely surprised when my name was announced on the day.

“It was amazing to meet Brian Turner, Helen and the other two finalists and enjoy such a spectacular venue. I’d like to thank Denman College and Morphy Richards for putting on such a fantastic day.”

If you fancy trying out Sue’s winning recipe, check it out below:

Andalucian Chicken

Cost: £6.20

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 red pepper, de-seeded and sliced
1 kilo skinless chicken thighs & legs
25g plain flour, seasoned with a little salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon paprika 300ml chicken stock
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Grated zest & juice of 1 orange
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
100g chorizo, chopped
75g mixed black and green olives
150g button mushrooms, halved
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large heavy pan, then add the onions and garlic and sauté for 8 minutes.
Add the sliced pepper and sauté for a further 2 minutes until the onions are lightly browned and soft. Transfer all of the contents of the pan to a plate.
Toss the chicken in the flour seasoned with the salt, pepper and paprika.
Heat the remaining oil in the pan, then add the chicken and fry until evenly browned, remove chicken from pan.
Add any of the flour mixture left to the juices in the pan and then add the chicken stock and deglaze the pan.
Add the onion mixture and their juices, orange juice and zest, sherry and Worcestershire sauce, chorizo and chicken.
Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 25 – 30 minutes until the chicken is tender.
Stir in the mushrooms and olives and cook for 5 minutes.
Taste and season with salt and black pepper if necessary.
Just before serving, sprinkle over the chopped parsley and serve with boiled rice, potatoes or noodles.

No Comments | Make a comment | Tags: Brian Turner, cooking competition, Denman College, Helen Best-Shaw, home cooking competition, Home Made Cook of the Year, Morphy Richards, wi denman college, women's institute

Home Made Cook of the Year finalists: Maria Kuehn

By Tom Craik | 23.12.2011 | Posted in Home Made Cook of the Year, Kitchen

Here’s the second in our series of blog posts about the Home Made Cook of the Year. This time we profile yet another talented home cook, Maria Kuehn.

Maria Kuehn with Brian Turner

Maria, who lives on Greenhill Road in London, entered Home Made Cook of the Year with a recipe for Chicken and coriander meatballs with saffron and courgette rice and impressed the panel of judges so much that she was picked as one of the final three.

Maria enjoying the cook-off

A keen cook, Maria had the good fortune of being a winner at the The Observer Food Awards this year, bagging the award for best readers’ recipe.

Th dish as presented to the judges

Maria was also pipped to the post at the final hurdle after cooking for Brian Turner and Helen Best-Shaw, but walked away with her head held high for making it that far.

Brian Turner enjoying Maria's dish

If Maria’s recipe makes your mouth water, check it out below and give it a try.

Chicken and Coriander Meatballs with Saffron and Courgette Rice

Ingredients

500gr boneless and skinless chicken thighs (halal if possible)
1 medium onion
4 large cloves of garlic, crushed
1tbs mashed potato
2tbs white breadcrumbs
a handful of coriander leaves
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tsp white sugar
250gr basmati rice
1/2 flat tsp turmeric
1 large courgette finely chopped
1 litre of veg stock
1 tbs vegetable oil

Method

In a food processor place the chicken, potato, half an onion, half the coriander leaves, two cloves of garlic and the breadcrumbs. Add a small sprinkling of salt. Blend for about a minute till thoroughly combined
Wet your hands and form the chicken mixture into 12 meatballs. Bring the vegetable stock to a boil, add the meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, chop the other half of the onion, fry in a tbs of vegetable oil for two minutes. Add the garlic, fry for about thirty seconds and throw in the tomatoes. Add a sprinkling of salt and a good grinding of pepper and the sugar. Cook for about five minutes. Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce with 2 tbs of cooking liquid
Turn down and simmer for a further five minutes.
Wash the rice thoroughly in cold running water till the water runs clear. Place the rice in a pan and cover with salted water, about two centimeters above the rice and add the turmeric. Bring to the boil and cook the rice for about eight minutes. To make it extra fluffy, empty into a sieve and pour over a kettle full of boiling water
Fry the courgette till golden in a tsp of vegetable oil and add the rice to the pan. Mix thoroughly. Place the chicken and sauce in the middle of a serving dish, surround by the rice and sprinkle over the rest of the finely chopped coriander

No Comments | Make a comment | Tags: Brian Turner, Denman College, home cooking competition, Home Made Cook of the Year, Maria Kuehn, Morphy Richards

Home Made Cook of the Year finalists: Yvonne Bailey

By Tom Craik | 22.12.2011 | Posted in Home Made Cook of the Year, Kitchen

Following our hugely successful Home Made Cook of the Year competition, we thought it would be nice to profile each of the finalists on the blog. Here’s Yvonne Bailey’s story…

Yvonne’s recipe for Pork with Orange and Ginger impressed our panel of judges, beating off hundreds of entries to reach the final of the competition, held at the WI’s Denman College.

Yvonne Bailey with Brian Turner

A tasty combination of boneless shoulder chops and a sweet orange sauce, Yvonne perfected the recipe over 30 years ago when she was in her first job as a cook.

She decided the recipe would be a perfect entry to the competition as it combines taste with value for money, using cheaper cuts of meat while mainstaining a delicious flavour.

Yvonne hard at work preparing her dish

Yvonne narrowly missed out on the top prize following a tense cook off judged by celeb chef Brian Turner and top food blogger Helen Best-Shaw, but was delighted to be part of the experience.

How the dish was presented to the judges

Brian Turner tasting Yvonne's dish

If you’re interested in trying out Yvonne’s recipe, you can check it out below.

Yvonne Bailey – Pork with Orange and Ginger

Cost: £7.20

Ingredients:

4 Pork Boneless Shoulder Chops
1/2 ounce of butter
3 tbspns of white wine vinegar
2 oz soft brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Salt and Pepper
1 small orange
1/4 pint of orange juice
2 tbspns cornflower

Method:

Fry chops in butter until browned on each side
Put in oven proof dish
Mix sugar, vinegar, ginger and some salt and pepper and pour over the chops
Slice the orange thinly into 4 slices and place a slice onto each chop
Squeeze over any extra juice from the ends of the oranges and the remaining orange juice
Cover with either a lid or foil and bake in an oven at 180 degrees for approximately 30-40 mins.
Remove from the oven and pour off the juice, returning the chops to the oven to brown a bit more and thicken the liquid with the cornflower mixed with a little water.
Stir until thickened and pour over the chops
Serve with new potatoes and vegetables

No Comments | Make a comment | Tags: Brian Turner, denman college helen best-shaw, home cooking competition, Home Made Cook of the Year, kitchen, Morphy Richards, Yvonne Bailey

Helen Best-Shaw Judges ‘Home Made Cook of the Year 2011′

By Chris Bennett | 21.12.2011 | Posted in Home Made Cook of the Year, Kitchen

Earlier this month, we held the final of our ‘Home Made Cook of the Year’ competition at the WI’s Denman College in Oxfordshire. Along with celebrity chef Brian Turner, we invited our ‘House Proud Innovator’ Helen Best-Shaw (Fuss Free Flavours) to join the judging panel. Helen has since blogged about her time spent at Denman and her role as one of our judges. To read the original post, click here.

Judging Morphy Richard’s Home Made Cook of the Year

As well as being a Morphy Richards Innovator, I was recently asked to help judge their Home Made Cook of the year alongside Brian Turner. The aim was to find Britain’s best homemade dish, that was also bank account friendly costing no more than £7.50 for 4. I am a huge fan of good – and fuss free and affordable – home cooking so I was delighted to be asked.

Denman College

The event was held at the really rather beautiful Denman College, the home of the WI training college, where they run excellent, but eye wateringly expensive training courses. Apparently the college was bought many years ago by the WI, a shrewd investment I am told for a mere £60K.

Having met the finalists and Brian, I embarrassingly managed to fall over my own feet, and ended up in an inelegant sprawled heap on the floor – all this in front of a room full of WI members who were waiting for Brian’s Christmas demonstrations! Having suitably established my credentials for being a judge, the finalists and I departed to the cookery school for them to cook up their dishes.

Yvonne, Sue, Brian and Maria

The finalists were Sue Wynn with a holiday inspired Andalusian Chicken, Yvonne Bailey with Pork in orange and ginger, and Maria Keuhn with Chicken and Coriander Meatballs with Saffron and Courgette Rice.

With lots of time to cook during Brian’s demonstration there was little pressure and lots of time to chat, amazingly I discovered that Yvonne’s Grandfather lived in the house that is now Foodie Bugle HQ, and home to Silvana. It is a very small world indeed.

With all the lovely smells in the kitchen, I was starving when it came for the winning dishes to be presented to Brian and tasted. All were fantastic and it was a very hard choice, but in the end Sue’s Andalusian chicken won, packed with chicken, olives, onion, chorizo and olives. Delicious a perfect winter warmer and crowd pleaser. Definitely one for the Fuss Free kitchen.

Click to download the finalist’s recipes:

Sue’s Andalusian chicken

Yvonne’s Pork with Orange and Ginger

Maria’s Chicken and Coriander Meatballs

Many thanks to Morphy Richards, Brian, Sue, Maria and Yvonne for a fantastic day, and a huge well done to all three finalists!

For another account read here.

No Comments | Make a comment | Tags: Brian Turner, Cookery Competition, cooking competition, Denman College, Fuss Free Flavours, Helen Best-Shaw, Home Made Cook of the Year, Home of the House Proud, WI

House Proud ‘Innovator’ Review – The English Kitchen, Age UK Heated Reversible Throw

By Chris Bennett | 21.12.2011 | Posted in Age UK, Floor Care, Garment Care, Household Cleaning, Ironing, Kitchen, charity partnerships

Last month we brought you news of our Age UK collection – a range of Morphy products designed in partnership with Age UK to help make everyday household tasks easier for the older generations. Over the last month, many of our ‘House Proud Innovators‘ have been working with an older friend or relative to test one of the items from the range. In our latest blog post (below), Marie Rayner at ‘The English Kitchen‘ blogs about her friend’s (Doreen) experience with the Heated Reversible Throw.

Morphy Innovators for December and some Scrummy Whipped Shortbread Cookies

As you know I am a member of the Morphy Richards House Proud Innovators. All year I have been treated to the priviledge of getting to test different Morphy Richards Appliances and it’s been great. I am a big fan of the Morphy Richards products and have enjoyed every single one.

In October Morphy Richards teamed up with Age UK and unveiled a brand new range of stylish kitchen and household products specifically designed to help make daily household tasks that little bit easier for the elderly.

A dedicated team of British designers developed the range especially with people in later life in mind and a portion of the proceeds from all sales will also be donated to provide vital funds to Age UK to help older people.

Age UK is a brilliant organization over here in the UK which works to improve later life for everyone by providing life-enhancing services and vital support.

I think it’s a brilliant combination!

As a member of the Innovators and to help promote their alliance with Age UK, I was offered the chance in December to receive a product from this fantastic range to give to an elderly friend/ family member or neighbour. I was very pleased to do so.

Doreen has always been like a second mom to me. I’ve known her since I first moved over here to the UK and I just love her to bits. She’s quite elderly now at 83 and has not enjoyed very good health over these past few years. She got the shingles several winters ago and has not really been the same since. She’s always in a lot of pain and her mobility has been severely compromised. When I was asked to think of someone I could do this for, Doreen immediately came to mind.

Doreen spends a lot of time sitting in her chair now and I know that she gets very cold in the winter and so I chose for her to receive the Morphy Richards Luxury Heated Throw. It would have been no good to get her a kettle or hoover, because, well . . . she just doesn’t use those things and her carers would have felt the benefit of having those type of things far more than she would have done. I thought this heated throw would be just the ticket.

The Luxury Heated Reversible Throw is ideal for draping over a bed, or for snuggling into on the sofa, or for a lap cover whilst sitting in a chair. With its reversible cream and brown colour in a soft fleece material it offers flexibility and comfort. It feels just like a warm teddy bear. (Doreen loves teddy bears!) It has ultra thin nano wires created specifically to ensure a good night’s rest. When we get older our skin thins and becomes so much more sensitive to things like wires and such. There are 6 heat levels which enables whomever is using it to be able to choose just the right temperature for themselves.

It is also completely machine washable so that it’s very easy to keep it fresh and clean. The electric attachment removes very easily so that you can put it into the wash. (Elderly people often struggle with things like this, so that is a big bonus.) It’s also BEAB approved which means that a person is able to enjoy their heated throw with complete piece of mind, it has been comprehensively tested for all known safety situations. You can relax in the knowledge it conforms to the highest European safety standards. It also has a built in protection system which automatically shut off the power if it reaches a temperature that is higher than considered comfortable. It will also shut off if an unsafe situation should arise. Another bonus!

It arrived last week and I was so happy to be able to bring it over to Doreen, just as happy as she was to receive it. We spoke a few days later and she was really enjoying it, especially as we have gone into a cold snap over here. She is ever so grateful to Morphy Richards and the AgeUK people for this lovely gift. I also feel very grateful as I know that Doreen will be as snug as a bug in a rug this winter! Many thanks to Morphy Richards and AgeUK , and Chris from Finn PR for this most generous gift, and for making my friend Doreen a little bit more comfortable this winter!!! You are all stars! (This is the spirit of Christmas and Giving in action!)

Of course you just know that when I visited her the other night, I also brought her over some Christmas treats . . . I always bring her a goodie or two when I visit and this time I brought her a box of my whipped shortbreads, which are something that I make every Christmas.

I have been making these lovely Christmas Cookies for years. It’s an old recipe from my Big Blue Binder and one that I got from my old friend Leona, a very long time ago. I just love them, and for more than a few reasons!

One, they are very easy to make and we all know I can be rather lazy from time to time. A short bread cookie that can be made without the hassle of chilling and rolling is a big bonus to me!

Two, they turn out perfect every time . . . no fails . . . ever. You can dress them up or down with a variety of sugar sprinkles, or candied cherries or even icing drizzles.

Short and buttery, they are perfect in every way. Everyone always loves them.

Trust me on this.

*Whipped Shortbreads*
Makes about 2 dozen
Printable Recipe

All the yumminess of shortbread cookies without any of the hassle of having to roll them out, etc.

8 ounces of butter (1 cup) room temperature
210g of plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
70g icing sugar (1/2 cup)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line several baking sheets with baking parchment. Set aside.

Place all of the ingredients into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 10 minutes until light and fluffy. Drop by the teaspoon onto the baking sheets. (Leave about 2 inches of space in between each to allow for spreading.) Sprinkle the tops with a varieity or sprinkles or coloured sugars, or chopped green and red cherries.

Bake for about 17 minutes until the bottoms are coloured light brown. Allow to cool on the baking sheets. Store in an airtight container.

And over in The Cottage today, some delicious White Chocolate Dipped Gingernuts!

No Comments | Make a comment | Tags: Age UK, Ederly in the Home, Home of the House Proud, House Proud Innovator, Innovator, Marie Rayner, Morphy Innovator, Morphy Richards Age UK Range, Morphy Richards Charity, morphy richards innovator, Products for the Older Generations, The English Kitchen

Meet the Morphys: Rebecca Holland

By Chris Bennett | 21.12.2011 | Posted in Meet the Morphys

Hey, I’m Becks and I am the new Assistant Category Consumer Manager across the Breakfast Occasions and Work Top Cooking categories at Morphy Richards… so basically working on all things in the kitchen.

My role within the team is to ensure that all our products meet our customers’ expectations in both performance and desirability, so this involves researching consumer insights, having an input on product development and then planning and delivering a marketing plan.

Currently I am getting to grips with all of our products in the range and new up coming product ranges with the help of a great team, I am not much of a culinary expert so I am looking forward to taking lots of Morphy Richards products home to challenge my self (and I will no doubt be expected to provide the boys with their lunch).

I love marketing and my new job is keeping me very busy but once the weekend comes you can’t beat a few cocktails with the girls and a chilled out day with lots of films. I occasionally frequent the gym and dance class, but this tends to results in a gossiping session with one of the girls … so it’s safe to say I don’t often break a sweat!

Once I have settled in I will report back with an update!

To meet more of the wonderful folk at Morphy HQ, click here.

No Comments | Make a comment | Tags: Meet the Morphys, Morphy Richards, Morphy Richards Employees, Morphy Richards Staff, Rebecca Hollands

Bag a Christmas Bargain from Morphy Richards!

By Chris Bennett | 14.12.2011 | Posted in Kitchen

If you’re still on the lookout for the perfect Christmas gift for a loved one, relative or friend then you may have just come to the right place. Because we get excited about the festive season here at Morphy HQ, we want to share that excitement with our customers and fans and give you the chance to grab a bargain, but be quick, the last time to guarantee Christmas delivery is Monday 19th December!

Between now and 31st December 2011 we’ve got a fantastic offer on our Flavour Savour Slow Cooker (4.5L), Elipta Espresso and Filter Coffee Maker and a Premium Breadmaker:

Save 35% on the Morphy Richards Flavour Savour (4.5L)

Flavour Savour has 3 in 1 cooking functions, meaning you can seal, fast stew and slow cook in one product. The pan heats to around 200 degrees giving you the sealing functionality.

To take advantage of this great offer, simply quote the voucher code: SC8435SM on the Morphy Richards website

Our ‘House Proud Innovators’ have recently been putting the Flavour Savour through its paces, check out a couple of the reviews – Mum in the Madhouse, NotSupermum and Rosie Scribble

Save 55% on the Morphy Richards Premium Manual Breadmaker

Ergonomically designed breadmaker with easy-view front angled display and easy to use button controls. With 17 different settings this breadmaker provides simplicity with functionality.

To take advantage of this great offer, simply quote the voucher code: BM2350SM on the Morphy Richards website

Save £100 on the Morphy Richards Elipta Espresso and Filter Combination Coffee Maker

This premium brushed stainless steel coffee machine delivers great tasting espresso and filter coffee. The Espresso function maintains 19 bar pressure, is compatible with both ground coffee and E.S.E. pods and has a cup warming feature.

To take advantage of this great offer, simply quote the voucher code: CM60100SM on the Morphy Richards website

No Comments | Make a comment | Tags: Cheap Espresso Machine, Cheap Kitchen Appliances, Cheap Morphy, Cheap Morphy Richards, Christmas Gift Discount, Christmas Gifts, Flavour Savour, Gift, Gift for the Kitchen, Great Christmas Present, Home of the House Proud, January Sale, January Sales, Morphy, Morphy Christmas, Morphy Richards, Morphy Richards Christmas, Morphy Richards Reduced, Morphy Richards Sale, Present, Present for the Kitchen, Reduced Breadmaker, Reduced Coffee Maker, Reduced Slow Cooker

Morphy ‘Innovators’ Review – Mum in the Madhouse, Flavour Savour slow cooker

By Tom Craik | 12.12.2011 | Posted in Kitchen, Morphy 'Innovators'

Veteran slow cooker Jen Walshaw from Mum in the Madhouse was given the task of reviewing our Flavour Savour this month. The question on her lips though, was what could our model bring to the kitchen that her existing one couldn’t? Jen was sceptical, but pleasantly suprised.

Get the lowdown below or click here to read the post on her own blog. And if you’re interesting in reading what other bloggers had to say, click here, here and here.

Flavor Savour – the best slow cooker in the world ever

Now I do not say the above lightly. I have had a slow cooker for at least 17 years and use one at least a couple of times a week, so when Morphy Richards said they were going to send me a Flavour Savor as part of their Innovators scheme I have to admit I thought, oh no, not another slow cooker, but I couldnt have been more wrong.

The Flavor Savor is unique in a couple of ways, firstly it allows you to brown and seal your meat or veg in the pan on the base unit. This is not only quick, but very effective too. I have used it to seal sausages, beef and pork and also to brown onions too. It saves you using a separate pan, but also from even putting the hob on to heat it up.

Another key difference to a standard slow cooker is the fact that the Flavour Savor also has a quick cook function. So that if like me, who forgot to put the slow cooker on yesterday you can make sure your meal is cooked in less than an hour and a half!

Other points which make this a premium product in my opinion:

Glass Lid to make viewing of the food easy

The shape, the 4.5 litre Flavor Saver has a round dish and base which means that it takes up much less space than my old slow cooker.

The dish can go on the hob or in the oven (perfect if you want to crisp up your dumplings)

The handles on the dish are silicone coated, which mean they are cool to touch.

The dish which is stainless steel is lighter than my old one, so again easy to carry and looks perfect on the dinning table.

It has a keep warm function, so no overcooked mush, it automatically reduces the heat and keeps your food warm.

Top tip. A slow cooker is a perfect place to cook and warm up your Christmas pudding. You do not have to worry about topping up the water and the pan boiling dry.

The 4.5 litre Flavor Savour usually retails at £89.99, but us currently under £60 on Amazon.

No Comments | Make a comment | Tags: Flavour Savour, Flavour Savour Review, flavour savour slow cooker, Morphy Richards, Morphy Richards Slow Cooker, mum in the madhouse, mum in the madhouse review, Slow Cooker Review, Slow Cooking

Home Made Cook of the Year: the runners up

By Tom Craik | 09.12.2011 | Posted in Home Made Cook of the Year

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the talented cooks that entered Home Made Cook of the Year. It was great to see that creative, cost effective home cooking is alive and well in the UK.

It’s been a tough judging process but we’ve managed to make a decision on nine runners up, which we’ve announced below.

Each of the runners up have won a Morphy Richards product of their choice up to a recommended retail price of £150, a Roberts DAB Radio and a one day Women’s Institute cooking course for them and a friend