We’re currently counting down until Little Sis’ first birthday. I’m not sure where the year has gone, it’s been fun but not without it’s difficulties. Her cheeky little smile seems to have got me through the worst of the sleepless nights and days of screaming. Yes, my child is not perfect and has only just started sleeping through without waking! So far, the handmade birthday card has been sent in to CBeebies, 6 weeks early as requested. We’ve had a dry run with making Peppa Pig biscuits. The final version were flooded with pink icing but I forgot to photograph…
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I’ve always wanted a slow cooker, which is lucky, because I was offered the new Morphy Richards Sear and Stew Slow Cooker to review as part of my role as a Morphy Richards Innovator. Initially I turned to Twitter for help and was inundated with recipe suggestions. So far we’ve tried pulled pork and rice pudding and I’ve ordered some Slow Cooking recipe books for inspiration. The Slow Cooker is incredibly easy to use, light and goes in the dish washer – what more could you ask for?! The Sear and Stew Slow Cooker allows searing and slow cooking in the…
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I was invited to take part in Good Natured’s Winter Warmer recipe challenge. Good Natured produce a range of pesticide-residue fruit and vegetables, including the wholesome Splendid Spuds. I was sent a bag of freshly picked Splended Spuds and have hopefully created a ‘winter-warmer’ potato recipe you will enjoy. It’s a family favourite in our household and a great variation (I think!) of a British classic with a modern twist. Here is my recipe for Indian Shepherd’s Pie (Shepherd’s Pie with an Indian twist!) You will need: Oil 1 medium onion, diced 2 tbsp garlic puree 2 tsp ground ginger…
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There are so many Christmas crafts I want to make this year. For the first time in my adult life I have decided we’re having a colour theme so hopefully the house will look co-ordinated for once. The theme is very simple – red and white, with a vintage vibe. Vintage letter cards banner I’m ashamed to say we already have our advent candles up on the mantle piece, which I de-cluttered specially. They look lovely and I’m wondering if I’ll want to light them when the time comes. We’re trying to keep the house tidy and clean as we’re…
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We thought we would try something a bit different. Our garden is beginning to look very bare, the leaves have fallen from the bushes and trees and what is left is looking very brown. There’s nothing to attract birds so we made some handmade bird feeders using cookie cutters. What you need: bird seed raisins pack of suet string scissors cookie cutters This is a really easy activity and there is plenty of scope for little fingers to get involved. Empty the pack of suet into a bowl and add the bird feed and raisins. Mix with your hands so…
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I spent yesterday afternoon baking my first apple cake. The recipe was suggested by Sian Hallewell, and was handpicked by Jean Christophe Novelli to appear in the new cookery book Let’s Get Cooking! by Flora Cuisine. Let’s Get Cooking! contains 30 everyday recipes, from simple suppers to great cakes, by mums and dads from across the UK. It was created after they ran a recipe competition on their Facebook page earlier in the year. Flora Cuisine is a healthy cooking oil which is great for frying, roasting and baking. It has 45% less saturated fat than olive oil which means…
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When Whitworths challenged me to use their lovely new sugars I wondered what I could make. Fortunately they have a handy section on their website which you can search by category or sugar type. It’s probably no surprise I have a bit of a sweet tooth. I love honeycomb so was excited to see a recipe for it on Whitworth’s website. I found it difficult to get the right consistency so I had a few attempts. Fortunatley you really don’t need many ingredients and it literally takes 5 minutes to heat and transfer to a tray to cool. Using Whitworths…
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I felt a bit emotional yesterday. My 11 month old is growing up in leaps and bounds and I can’t help but feel happy and sad at the same time. She’s been giving us loads of problems lately – first it was off her milk completely, then off her food, then waking constantly in the night. However, in the last week or two (fingers crossed) things have improved. I’ve made a huge effort to give her more finger food as she prefers feeding herself to being fed, she’s drinking milk and water from a cup herself and she’s sleeping better.…
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Over the past few evenings I’ve been busy making 12 festive decorations from Cath Kidston’s latest book – Make Your Own Christmas Decorations. Featuring 12 projects the book includes the patterns as well as the felt, thread, pompoms and cord so all you’ll need is a basic sewing kit and some toy stuffing! There are patterns for a Christmas Robin, Father Christmas, Striped Stocking, Gift-Wrapped Present, Christmas Tree, Frosty Snowman, Winter Reindeer, Holly & Berries, Christmas pudding, Snowy Cottage, Festive Stanley and Christmas Angel. Make your own Christmas decorations! Each project is well laid out and includes a large colour…
