I have tried some recipes for mocha Affogato but they havent been the best. can anyone recommend a really great one to try before i give up and go back to buying the $$$ dessert.

Take a look at this website for a basic guide to composting. It's
really worth a try as it's great for the environment.http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/composting-101

I use the carrot cake recipe on the BBC website and my family love it. Grating the carrots is a bit of a pain if you don't have a processor but it's worth it in the end.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4425/carrot-cake

Try this one; http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/easy_chocolate_cake_31070
I find the BBC recipes are really easy to follow when you have kids 'helping' you in the kitchen. Or you could try this one-bowl recipe; http://planningwithkids.com/2011/04/03/easy-chocolate-cake-recipe/

I think it's a great idea to make your own ketchup. We do it sometimes and the adults definitely prefer the taste of it to the shop bought stuff. The kids are taking a bit longer to enjoy the flavor but I wont' give up.

Here's a link to a recipe on the Farmers' Almanac site. They have recipes for several condiments including ketchup;

http://www.farmersalmanac.com/food/2011/06/06/make-your-own-ketchup-mustard-mayo/

Try this video. It gives a really simple instruction guide to making you own marinara sauce.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pI3eW7VkoU

You can definitely try making your own gluten free pasta. Try this recipe from the no gluten, no problem website. They usually have good stuff.

http://noglutennoproblem.blogspot.co.il/2008/11/recipe-homemade-pasta.html

Try this recipe from the bbc good food site that is really simple but looks very tasty.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2345/frankie-pasta-bake

You can't really go wrong with pasta bakes as you can just throw in whatever you have in your fridge and shove it in the oven. Enjoy your niece's visit.

I use a recipe I found a while ago on allrecipes.com. My whole family really likes it and it is quite easy to make. Enjoy!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/beer-batter/

Here aresome great recipes for blenders from the Betty Crocker site - Enjoy! http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/preparation/blender-recipes

There are some great and really easy recipes available for free on the internet for slow cookers. See this link for some good 'family friendly' ideas: http://www.netmums.com/family-food/recipes/food-recipes-slow-cooking