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1. I should learn to drive but lack confidence to do so. It would give me so much freedom I am sure and relieve various family pressures too.
2. I would like a date night with Him Indoors at least once a month instead of the current random from one to four nights per year.
3. I would like to see my newly found old schoolfriend at least every month to six weeks to build up the friendship
4. I would like to write a heartfelt and brilliant novel
5. I would like to continue with my reviewing of products and services on Mum's Arcade.
6. I would like to use my websites and blogs to help others so get in touch if you have any ideas of how I can do that
7. I would like to become a much better mother
8. I would like to become a better partner and to have that reciprocated too
9. I would like to develop a totally new interest and make some new friends
10. I would like to learn to be less at the mercy of my emotions and to engage in less negative thinking at times of pressure.
How many are possible do you think? Will be interesting to review this list this time next year!
Happy New Year to all readers of my blog and Twitter and Facebook friends
Friday, 31 December 2010
Thursday, 30 December 2010
2010 - things I did not expect to happen
Well, here we are almost at the end of 2010.
My aim this year was to write a novel and to move on from the raw stages of grief following my Mum's death in 2009.
I did not complete the novel getting waylaid by blogging and reviewing. However, on a positive note, I write most days and am living and learning along the way.
I have moved on from the crushing grief and can laugh out loud and integrate memories of Mum into my life now without the pain. Time really does heal - it's a cliche but like most of them does have a lot of truth in it.
Here are some things I did not expect to happen this year
1. To find out that quality is more important than quantity when it comes to friends and acquaintances. Farewell Stanningley wives!
2. To move to a small-holding complete with chicken, cat and extra dog
3. To renew contact with a very special friend from school days
4. To see my husband walk out on me
5. To live with my elderly Dad
6. To be fired from my job
7. To be valued in cyberspace by acquaintances from college days
8. To be invited to meet up with my half-sister who I have never seen
9. To revise my opinion of one of my step-daughters
10. To finally decide that some relationships are not worth the effort but that some others are great and growing positively day by day
I am really looking forward to 2011 partly to see what happens as 2010 has brought so many surprises and most of them good ones too.
Which is not to say that I have not faced depression, ranted, raved, drank too much, questioned myself and others and all my usual stuff. But as my step-daughter told me a few days ago I a moody and stroppy cow who likes it to be all about me sometimes but she also did mention that I am special to her. I guess we can all have our bad moments and I am learning to see that I am no better but more importantly, worse than anyone else.
Happy New Year blog readers and Twitter friends. You add so much to my little world.
My aim this year was to write a novel and to move on from the raw stages of grief following my Mum's death in 2009.
I did not complete the novel getting waylaid by blogging and reviewing. However, on a positive note, I write most days and am living and learning along the way.
I have moved on from the crushing grief and can laugh out loud and integrate memories of Mum into my life now without the pain. Time really does heal - it's a cliche but like most of them does have a lot of truth in it.
Here are some things I did not expect to happen this year
1. To find out that quality is more important than quantity when it comes to friends and acquaintances. Farewell Stanningley wives!
2. To move to a small-holding complete with chicken, cat and extra dog
3. To renew contact with a very special friend from school days
4. To see my husband walk out on me
5. To live with my elderly Dad
6. To be fired from my job
7. To be valued in cyberspace by acquaintances from college days
8. To be invited to meet up with my half-sister who I have never seen
9. To revise my opinion of one of my step-daughters
10. To finally decide that some relationships are not worth the effort but that some others are great and growing positively day by day
I am really looking forward to 2011 partly to see what happens as 2010 has brought so many surprises and most of them good ones too.
Which is not to say that I have not faced depression, ranted, raved, drank too much, questioned myself and others and all my usual stuff. But as my step-daughter told me a few days ago I a moody and stroppy cow who likes it to be all about me sometimes but she also did mention that I am special to her. I guess we can all have our bad moments and I am learning to see that I am no better but more importantly, worse than anyone else.
Happy New Year blog readers and Twitter friends. You add so much to my little world.
Wednesday, 22 December 2010
Today - little things achieved and coped with
1. I managed to be pleasant as Him Indoors set off to work
2. I dealt with a wet pant incident (not mine in case you wondered)
3. I put cream on a little boy's injury
4. I gave up my computer to the children way too often
5. I got up at a time I did not want to because son number three was hungry as usual
6. I liaised with 3 family members about our heating crisis all with different opinions and taking no real notice of mine
7. I organised for a faulty heater to be swapped
8. I put up Christmas cards in fancy patterns
9. I added decorations to the Christmas tree
10. I looked after a poorly cat
11. I stopped one dog from savaging the heater delivery man
12. I stopped two more dogs from leaving with the heater delivery man
13. I acquired stamps and posted late Christmas cards including other peoples!
14. I made cups of tea for comedian builders
15. I liaised with the landlord about house repairs
16. I went under the sofas and found all manner of things
17. I hoovered with my wonderful GTech Power Sweeper
18. I negotiated 4 people's different television viewing requests
19. I dealt with a very upset little boy and gave him a cuddle
20. I made meals, responded to requests and got through the day intact (so far)
But guess what, I am "only a woman" and "just a housewife" and I won't be getting a Christmas Party this year.
Smiling through it all thanks to lovely children, a trying husband (in every sense) and some fantastic female buddies online
2. I dealt with a wet pant incident (not mine in case you wondered)
3. I put cream on a little boy's injury
4. I gave up my computer to the children way too often
5. I got up at a time I did not want to because son number three was hungry as usual
6. I liaised with 3 family members about our heating crisis all with different opinions and taking no real notice of mine
7. I organised for a faulty heater to be swapped
8. I put up Christmas cards in fancy patterns
9. I added decorations to the Christmas tree
10. I looked after a poorly cat
11. I stopped one dog from savaging the heater delivery man
12. I stopped two more dogs from leaving with the heater delivery man
13. I acquired stamps and posted late Christmas cards including other peoples!
14. I made cups of tea for comedian builders
15. I liaised with the landlord about house repairs
16. I went under the sofas and found all manner of things
17. I hoovered with my wonderful GTech Power Sweeper
18. I negotiated 4 people's different television viewing requests
19. I dealt with a very upset little boy and gave him a cuddle
20. I made meals, responded to requests and got through the day intact (so far)
But guess what, I am "only a woman" and "just a housewife" and I won't be getting a Christmas Party this year.
Smiling through it all thanks to lovely children, a trying husband (in every sense) and some fantastic female buddies online
Have yourself a stress-free Christmas with love from me to you
I have had a stressful few days. Please see the post for part of the saga and more will follow if only for my sanity's sake. However, I wanted to share some tips I recently received on how to reduce the stress around Christmas. Since I can guess that many of us, especially mums, will be heading towards fever pitch, here they are as an early Christmas gift from me to you. I like number 7, 9 and 10 in particular!
Every year we say that this time it will be different. No more hunting the shops at 4pm on Christmas Eve looking for this year's 'must have' toy. No more rows over the relatives. No more horrific credit card bills in January. Here are 10 tips for a stress-free Christmas by coach Joyce Campbell (www.joycampbell.co.uk) Joyce is also the author of How To Get Off Your Basckside And Live Your Life!
1. Let go of perfectionism! You don't need to handcraft all your own decorations, make your own Christmas pudding and have the entire family looking angelic on Christmas morning. Accept that fantasies are just that, and enjoy what does happen, without trying to impose an image of perfection that no one can live up to.
2. Manage expectations: if a toy is hard to find, explain that Father Christmas may not have enough to go round, and they should choose an alternative gift in case he can't supply their first choice. Set a date in your mind when you will stop looking for the first choice present, and buy the second choice. With older children, be clear about your budget for gifts.
3. Be proactive and set boundaries in advance. If you are inviting relatives to stay for the holidays, be clear about when you expect them to leave. If you find this hard, you can try saying something like "We'll be really pleased to pick you up from the train on Xmas Eve, and then we can run you back to the station on the 27th, before we go to Sara's for the night". Likewise, if you are going somewhere, be clear in advance about when you will be leaving. It upsets everyone to have Grandma crying on boxing day because she thought you would stay till New Year.
4. Lay in a small stock of quirky and gender neutral gifts for adults and kids, and wrap them in festive paper in advance. That way you won't feel embarrassed if you have unexpected visitors or gifts.
5. Avoid over-committing yourself. Christmas seems to last about a month nowadays, and it's easy to accept too many invitations. If you find yourself in that situation, be honest, and say you will need to cancel.
6. Be assertive - don't put up with bad behaviour from warring relatives over the Christmas dinner. If necessary, have a firm word with people in the kitchen, and say that while you love them, their behaviour is upsetting everyone, and they need to stop.
7. Prioritise those things that give you pleasure. Let go of the 'shoulds' and 'musts'. If what you really want to do is snuggle on the sofa with your partner and watch a Christmas weepie then plan a way to get this. It's your holiday as well!
8. Don't be a martyr. When people offer help, accept it. If they ask what they can bring, tell them. Christmas dinner will be much easier if the work is shared.
9. Get everyone out of the house for some fresh air every day - life will be much more manageable if everyone has some breathing space.
10. Remember that no matter what your beliefs, this is a holiday, it's not selfish to have some me time. In fact, it's essential - there is a long winter still to come, so get some fun and relaxation!
Every year we say that this time it will be different. No more hunting the shops at 4pm on Christmas Eve looking for this year's 'must have' toy. No more rows over the relatives. No more horrific credit card bills in January. Here are 10 tips for a stress-free Christmas by coach Joyce Campbell (www.joycampbell.co.uk) Joyce is also the author of How To Get Off Your Basckside And Live Your Life!
1. Let go of perfectionism! You don't need to handcraft all your own decorations, make your own Christmas pudding and have the entire family looking angelic on Christmas morning. Accept that fantasies are just that, and enjoy what does happen, without trying to impose an image of perfection that no one can live up to.
2. Manage expectations: if a toy is hard to find, explain that Father Christmas may not have enough to go round, and they should choose an alternative gift in case he can't supply their first choice. Set a date in your mind when you will stop looking for the first choice present, and buy the second choice. With older children, be clear about your budget for gifts.
3. Be proactive and set boundaries in advance. If you are inviting relatives to stay for the holidays, be clear about when you expect them to leave. If you find this hard, you can try saying something like "We'll be really pleased to pick you up from the train on Xmas Eve, and then we can run you back to the station on the 27th, before we go to Sara's for the night". Likewise, if you are going somewhere, be clear in advance about when you will be leaving. It upsets everyone to have Grandma crying on boxing day because she thought you would stay till New Year.
4. Lay in a small stock of quirky and gender neutral gifts for adults and kids, and wrap them in festive paper in advance. That way you won't feel embarrassed if you have unexpected visitors or gifts.
5. Avoid over-committing yourself. Christmas seems to last about a month nowadays, and it's easy to accept too many invitations. If you find yourself in that situation, be honest, and say you will need to cancel.
6. Be assertive - don't put up with bad behaviour from warring relatives over the Christmas dinner. If necessary, have a firm word with people in the kitchen, and say that while you love them, their behaviour is upsetting everyone, and they need to stop.
7. Prioritise those things that give you pleasure. Let go of the 'shoulds' and 'musts'. If what you really want to do is snuggle on the sofa with your partner and watch a Christmas weepie then plan a way to get this. It's your holiday as well!
8. Don't be a martyr. When people offer help, accept it. If they ask what they can bring, tell them. Christmas dinner will be much easier if the work is shared.
9. Get everyone out of the house for some fresh air every day - life will be much more manageable if everyone has some breathing space.
10. Remember that no matter what your beliefs, this is a holiday, it's not selfish to have some me time. In fact, it's essential - there is a long winter still to come, so get some fun and relaxation!
A bad couple of days
We ran out of heating oil a couple of weeks ago. We did not really notice at first as the indicator on the container is out of sync so we thought we were OK. Then the Big Freeze hit and did we know we had run out of oil?!
I went on the internet and found a company called Go Local Fuel which appeared to be a broker finding the best price for oil locally. Through them we ordered hundreds and hundreds of pounds of heating oil. My brother paid for it on his card and we sat and waited and waited. No oil arrived.
Look North saw my tweets about my oil situation and got in touch. This led to me doing a bit of internet research on sites like MoneySavingExpert and finding out that Go Local Fuel is a scam. They take your money but you don't get any oil.
I emailed my brother to let him know but even now having looked at the sites because there is a nice man on the phone (scammers tend to be charming, right?), he is doing nothing about getting his money back. He still believes he is going to get the oil in the end and that is my dears about as likely as Santa rewarding me for being a good girl all year.
Apparently my opinion and research counts for nothing. My Dad always agrees with whatever my brother says so keeps looking at me as if I have made the whole scam thing up.
I blasted Go Local Fuel and threatened them with media and legal action to the extent that they said they would refund the money paid. But then my gay brother talks to a "lovely man" on the phone at Go Local and reinstates the order and tells him to forget about the refund.
We did all agree that we need heating oil urgently though so all the men researched things and could only come up with deliveries in late January. Due to the wonders of Twitter, I had an offer of early January and probably before within minutes!
Meanwhile, my brother had found a company miles away that sells portable heaters. Dad thought this was a good idea. Of course he would - it was my brother's. I went on internet and found a company just down the road who would deliver a portable heater free of charge. It came last night and the family slowly thawed!
Finally, after much persuausion and going to other oil companies for quotes, the men of the house decided my lead via Twitter for heating oil was worth trying. My husband phoned them and they said they could deliver in early January at the very latest and could also supply us with barrels of oil to keep us going till then.
I told Dad who said it all sounded "quite an expense" and the barrel idea was a bad one. I emailed my husband to report on that and to say that as soon as my brother said it was a good idea, Dad would go with the barrel idea. Lo and Behold, my brother telephoned my Dad and the barrels turned into pure gold as far as an idea is concerned. Dad was practically leaping into the car to go and collect them when I pointed out that perhaps it would be an idea for my husband to go with him what with Dad being well into his eighties!
Now is it me or has the world gone mad? Or maybe just men?
Wouldn't it be nice is someone would say
Thank you for identifying the scam and we belive you not the scammers
Thank you for locating a company who would provide portable heater and free delivery
Thank you for finding an early oil supplier
A girl can dream!
There is lots more for me to rant about but going to have a cuppa
You have being warned - I will be back!
Finally, here's to some marvellous women on Twitter, Facebook and email who stopped me throwing myself of a cliff!
I went on the internet and found a company called Go Local Fuel which appeared to be a broker finding the best price for oil locally. Through them we ordered hundreds and hundreds of pounds of heating oil. My brother paid for it on his card and we sat and waited and waited. No oil arrived.
Look North saw my tweets about my oil situation and got in touch. This led to me doing a bit of internet research on sites like MoneySavingExpert and finding out that Go Local Fuel is a scam. They take your money but you don't get any oil.
I emailed my brother to let him know but even now having looked at the sites because there is a nice man on the phone (scammers tend to be charming, right?), he is doing nothing about getting his money back. He still believes he is going to get the oil in the end and that is my dears about as likely as Santa rewarding me for being a good girl all year.
Apparently my opinion and research counts for nothing. My Dad always agrees with whatever my brother says so keeps looking at me as if I have made the whole scam thing up.
I blasted Go Local Fuel and threatened them with media and legal action to the extent that they said they would refund the money paid. But then my gay brother talks to a "lovely man" on the phone at Go Local and reinstates the order and tells him to forget about the refund.
We did all agree that we need heating oil urgently though so all the men researched things and could only come up with deliveries in late January. Due to the wonders of Twitter, I had an offer of early January and probably before within minutes!
Meanwhile, my brother had found a company miles away that sells portable heaters. Dad thought this was a good idea. Of course he would - it was my brother's. I went on internet and found a company just down the road who would deliver a portable heater free of charge. It came last night and the family slowly thawed!
Finally, after much persuausion and going to other oil companies for quotes, the men of the house decided my lead via Twitter for heating oil was worth trying. My husband phoned them and they said they could deliver in early January at the very latest and could also supply us with barrels of oil to keep us going till then.
I told Dad who said it all sounded "quite an expense" and the barrel idea was a bad one. I emailed my husband to report on that and to say that as soon as my brother said it was a good idea, Dad would go with the barrel idea. Lo and Behold, my brother telephoned my Dad and the barrels turned into pure gold as far as an idea is concerned. Dad was practically leaping into the car to go and collect them when I pointed out that perhaps it would be an idea for my husband to go with him what with Dad being well into his eighties!
Now is it me or has the world gone mad? Or maybe just men?
Wouldn't it be nice is someone would say
Thank you for identifying the scam and we belive you not the scammers
Thank you for locating a company who would provide portable heater and free delivery
Thank you for finding an early oil supplier
A girl can dream!
There is lots more for me to rant about but going to have a cuppa
You have being warned - I will be back!
Finally, here's to some marvellous women on Twitter, Facebook and email who stopped me throwing myself of a cliff!
Friday, 17 December 2010
Mad Beauty products for ladies - inspired by the boudoir
Brit Balms – British themed lip balms designed with the British flag available in three scented flavours, strawberry, cherry and apple. RRP: £4.99
A Present For Your Lips – A gorgeous lip balm in a cute bow tie gift box, just open the bottom lid, apply to your lips and away you go. Available in four fun fragrances including strawberry, cherry, vanilla and blueberry, the lip glosses are infused with Vitamin E and Jojoba Oil which will leave your lips moisturised, conditioned and silky smooth. RRP: £3.99
Rosey Bath Confetti – Relaxing, fragranced bath confetti, drop one or two roses in the bath to relax and unwind after all that Christmas turkey! RRP: £3.99
Cocktail Shaker Hand and Body Lotion - Infused with Vitamin E and Shea Butter the 300ml Cocktail Shaker design from MAD Beauty will make a great gift any time of the year and look stunning on any dressing table. Available in three different flavours including Apple Martini, Cranberry Cosmopolitan and Strawberry Daiquiri. RRP: £8.99
Rosey Slippers and Body Lotion set – Snuggle up in a pair of gorgeous pair of warm slippers covered in rose petals and get smooth and silky skin with the scented rosey body lotion. Slippers available in S/M and M/L. RRP: 9.99
A Present For Your Lips – A gorgeous lip balm in a cute bow tie gift box, just open the bottom lid, apply to your lips and away you go. Available in four fun fragrances including strawberry, cherry, vanilla and blueberry, the lip glosses are infused with Vitamin E and Jojoba Oil which will leave your lips moisturised, conditioned and silky smooth. RRP: £3.99
Rosey Bath Confetti – Relaxing, fragranced bath confetti, drop one or two roses in the bath to relax and unwind after all that Christmas turkey! RRP: £3.99
Cocktail Shaker Hand and Body Lotion - Infused with Vitamin E and Shea Butter the 300ml Cocktail Shaker design from MAD Beauty will make a great gift any time of the year and look stunning on any dressing table. Available in three different flavours including Apple Martini, Cranberry Cosmopolitan and Strawberry Daiquiri. RRP: £8.99
Rosey Slippers and Body Lotion set – Snuggle up in a pair of gorgeous pair of warm slippers covered in rose petals and get smooth and silky skin with the scented rosey body lotion. Slippers available in S/M and M/L. RRP: 9.99
Magnetic Me - a book for children and adults alike
Magnetic Me! has been written for anyone aged 6 upwards, to create awareness of how our own thoughts and actions affect our outcomes. Essentially it is a wake up call for children and adults alike to move away from this destructive blame culture which is prevalent in society today. We all need to take responsibility for our own stuff ‘good or bad’ . It is accessible to children as they are more likely to benefit from the wisdom as they have less emotional baggage and tend not to be set in their thought patterns.
Check out http://magneticme.com
Check out http://magneticme.com
Get saucy and enjoy cooking and raising money for Comic Relief
Feel Seriously Good this winter with new recipes from Gordon Ramsay for Comic Relief. Cook up one of these simple dishes for a tasty midweek treat and raise money for a Seriously Good cause at the same time.
With at least ten pence from the sale of every jar of Seriously Good sauce going to Comic Relief you can help make a difference every time you make one of these delicious meals. The money raised goes towards transforming the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the UK and some of the poorest countries in the world (and Gordon doesn’t get a penny).
The Seriously Good range consists of five great sauces including Spicy Red Pepper & Spianata Sausage; Bolognese & Red Wine; Tomato, Black Olive & Mixed Herb; Wild Mushrooms & Mascarpone; and Cherry Tomato & Balsamic - so pick your favourite and create one of the delicious recipes below to feel Seriously Good this winter.
Chickpea, pancetta and butternut squash
Serves 4
1 jar Seriously Good Spicy Red Pepper & Spianata Sausage sauce
200g pancetta (sliced into bite size pieces)
1 tbsp olive oil
½ butternut squash, peeled and small dice 1 to 2 cm
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 red pepper, deseeded and finely sliced
2 x 400g tin of chickpeas
400ml water
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of half a lemon, or to taste
Small bunch of flat leaf parsley, leaves chopped
Place the pancetta in a large pan, and cook for a few minutes until the pieces begin to colour and release their oils.
Remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside. Place the butternut squash, the garlic, red onion and red pepper into the pan with the olive oil. Fry for 6-8 minutes until the onion and butternut squash are golden and soft. Tip the pancetta back into the pan and add the Seriously Good Spicy Red Pepper & Spianata Sausage sauce, chickpeas and water. Season with salt and pepper, bring to the boil and then leave to simmer for 20 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
Scatter with chopped parsley and serve in warm bowls with some crusty bread or steamed white rice on the side.
Venison and pumpkin meatballs
Serves 4
1 jar Seriously Good Wild Mushrooms & Mascarpone Sauce
280g venison mince
100g pumpkin (1cm dice)
4 tbsp fine breadcrumbs
Milk, enough to cover breadcrumbs
4 tbsp flat leaf parsley (chopped)
2 tbsp grated parmesan (plus another few tbsp for garnish)
2 cloves garlic (peeled and finely chopped)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 tbsp plain flour, to coat
Vegetable or olive oil, for frying
First, pan fry the pumpkin until soft in a little oil.
To make the meatballs, soak the breadcrumbs in the milk in a large bowl for about 5 minutes. Add the minced venison to the bowl along with 2 tbsp of the chopped parsley, 2 tbsp of the grated parmesan, the cooked pumpkin and garlic. Add a generous pinch of seasoning and mix well, preferably with your hands.
With damp hands, shape the mixture into walnut sized balls, trying not to squeeze them too hard to get a light texture. Place them onto a flat tray until you have no mixture left. Lightly coat the meatballs in the flour.
Heat a thin layer of oil in a wide pan. Fry the meatballs until golden brown all over. Pour in the Seriously Good Wild Mushrooms & Mascarpone sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for another 10 minutes or until cooked through. Add the remaining chopped parsley and take the pan off the heat. Serve with spaghetti or boiled basmati rice garnished with a sprinkling of parmesan.
Autumnal addition: Try adding a few handfuls of spinach in the last few minutes of cooking for a fresh, seasonal taste.
Baked haddock with tomato and balsamic sauce
Serves 4
1 jar Seriously Good Cherry Tomato & Balsamic sauce
4 haddock fillets (approx 500g in total)
Olive oil, to drizzle
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Handful of mixed herbs (such as basil, tarragon and chervil), roughly chopped
Preheat the oven to 220ºC/Fan 200ºC/Gas 7.
Rub the fillets with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Spoon a thin layer of the Seriously Good Cherry Tomato & Balsamic sauce over the base of a roasting tray. Arrange the haddock fillets on top, leaving a bit of space between each one. Spoon over the remaining sauce and scatter over the chopped herbs.
Bake for 10-12 minutes in the hot oven until the fish is firm and just cooked through. It should flake easily when prodded with a fork.
Using a fish slice or large spoon, gently lift the haddock onto a large plate and dress with the warm sauce. Serve with sautéed potatoes and steamed green beans.
Autumnal addition: For a more autumnal dish, serve with mashed sweet potato and curly kale.
Mediterranean tomato soup
Serves 4
1 jar Seriously Good Tomato, Black Olive & Mixed Herb sauce
500g cherry tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
Small bunch of basil, leaves picked and stalks chopped (and kept separate to the leaves)
1 tsp sugar
4 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
30g capers, rinsed and drained
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan, add the sliced garlic, basil, sugar, salt and pepper, and half of the finely chopped onion. Sweat down until golden brown then add the cherry tomatoes and mix well until soft and an attractive glazed colour is achieved.
In another large pan, heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the other half of the onion and basil stalks and fry for 4-5 minutes until the onion has softened. Pour the Seriously Good Tomato, Black Olive & Mixed Herb sauce into the pan, then fill the jar with water and add this to the pan also. Stir well, bring to the boil and then leave to simmer for 15 minutes.
Mix the contents of both pans together. Blend the soup until smooth and season to taste.
For an extra special finish heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan, add the drained capers and fry for 2-3 minute until crisp. Scatter the capers over the soup along with a drizzle of olive oil just before serving.
Autumnal addition: For added taste try dicing 1 large aubergine and 2 courgettes and adding them to the pan when you sweat down the garlic and basil.
Mushroom lasagne
Serves 4–6
1 jar Seriously Good Bolognese & Red Wine Sauce
400g mixed mushrooms (such as ceps, girolles, chestnut mushrooms), cleaned
4 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely crushed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Splash of Marsala or dry white wine
Small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Small handful of chives, chopped
Leaves from a few sprigs of thyme
8 sheets of dried lasagne
250g fresh buffalo mozzarella, thinly sliced
2-3 tbsp grated parmesan
Trim off the hard ends of the mushrooms and chop any large ones into smaller pieces. Heat a wide frying pan with the oil and add the onion and garlic. Sweat over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes until the onions are soft. Add the mushrooms and season well with salt and pepper. Fry over a high heat until any liquid released from the mushrooms has cooked off and they are lightly browned. Add a splash of Marsala or dry white wine and let it simmer for about 5 minutes until it has almost all evaporated. Remove the pan from the heat, mix in the Seriously Good Bolognese & Red Wine sauce and stir in the chopped herbs.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Fan 160ºC/Gas 4. Spread about a third of the mushroom and sauce mixture over the base of a lightly greased ovenproof dish. Cover with a layer of lasagne sheets, followed by the mushroom mixture, and then add a layer of mozzarella. Repeat layering process twice, finishing with a layer of sauce. Top with any remaining cheese, and sprinkle over the grated parmesan.
Cover the dish with a piece of foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and return to the oven for another 10 minutes or until the topping is golden-brown and bubbling. Let the lasagne stand for a few minutes before slicing and serving with a green salad.
With at least ten pence from the sale of every jar of Seriously Good sauce going to Comic Relief you can help make a difference every time you make one of these delicious meals. The money raised goes towards transforming the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the UK and some of the poorest countries in the world (and Gordon doesn’t get a penny).
The Seriously Good range consists of five great sauces including Spicy Red Pepper & Spianata Sausage; Bolognese & Red Wine; Tomato, Black Olive & Mixed Herb; Wild Mushrooms & Mascarpone; and Cherry Tomato & Balsamic - so pick your favourite and create one of the delicious recipes below to feel Seriously Good this winter.
Chickpea, pancetta and butternut squash
Serves 4
1 jar Seriously Good Spicy Red Pepper & Spianata Sausage sauce
200g pancetta (sliced into bite size pieces)
1 tbsp olive oil
½ butternut squash, peeled and small dice 1 to 2 cm
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 red pepper, deseeded and finely sliced
2 x 400g tin of chickpeas
400ml water
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of half a lemon, or to taste
Small bunch of flat leaf parsley, leaves chopped
Place the pancetta in a large pan, and cook for a few minutes until the pieces begin to colour and release their oils.
Remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside. Place the butternut squash, the garlic, red onion and red pepper into the pan with the olive oil. Fry for 6-8 minutes until the onion and butternut squash are golden and soft. Tip the pancetta back into the pan and add the Seriously Good Spicy Red Pepper & Spianata Sausage sauce, chickpeas and water. Season with salt and pepper, bring to the boil and then leave to simmer for 20 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
Scatter with chopped parsley and serve in warm bowls with some crusty bread or steamed white rice on the side.
Venison and pumpkin meatballs
Serves 4
1 jar Seriously Good Wild Mushrooms & Mascarpone Sauce
280g venison mince
100g pumpkin (1cm dice)
4 tbsp fine breadcrumbs
Milk, enough to cover breadcrumbs
4 tbsp flat leaf parsley (chopped)
2 tbsp grated parmesan (plus another few tbsp for garnish)
2 cloves garlic (peeled and finely chopped)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 tbsp plain flour, to coat
Vegetable or olive oil, for frying
First, pan fry the pumpkin until soft in a little oil.
To make the meatballs, soak the breadcrumbs in the milk in a large bowl for about 5 minutes. Add the minced venison to the bowl along with 2 tbsp of the chopped parsley, 2 tbsp of the grated parmesan, the cooked pumpkin and garlic. Add a generous pinch of seasoning and mix well, preferably with your hands.
With damp hands, shape the mixture into walnut sized balls, trying not to squeeze them too hard to get a light texture. Place them onto a flat tray until you have no mixture left. Lightly coat the meatballs in the flour.
Heat a thin layer of oil in a wide pan. Fry the meatballs until golden brown all over. Pour in the Seriously Good Wild Mushrooms & Mascarpone sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for another 10 minutes or until cooked through. Add the remaining chopped parsley and take the pan off the heat. Serve with spaghetti or boiled basmati rice garnished with a sprinkling of parmesan.
Autumnal addition: Try adding a few handfuls of spinach in the last few minutes of cooking for a fresh, seasonal taste.
Baked haddock with tomato and balsamic sauce
Serves 4
1 jar Seriously Good Cherry Tomato & Balsamic sauce
4 haddock fillets (approx 500g in total)
Olive oil, to drizzle
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Handful of mixed herbs (such as basil, tarragon and chervil), roughly chopped
Preheat the oven to 220ºC/Fan 200ºC/Gas 7.
Rub the fillets with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Spoon a thin layer of the Seriously Good Cherry Tomato & Balsamic sauce over the base of a roasting tray. Arrange the haddock fillets on top, leaving a bit of space between each one. Spoon over the remaining sauce and scatter over the chopped herbs.
Bake for 10-12 minutes in the hot oven until the fish is firm and just cooked through. It should flake easily when prodded with a fork.
Using a fish slice or large spoon, gently lift the haddock onto a large plate and dress with the warm sauce. Serve with sautéed potatoes and steamed green beans.
Autumnal addition: For a more autumnal dish, serve with mashed sweet potato and curly kale.
Mediterranean tomato soup
Serves 4
1 jar Seriously Good Tomato, Black Olive & Mixed Herb sauce
500g cherry tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
Small bunch of basil, leaves picked and stalks chopped (and kept separate to the leaves)
1 tsp sugar
4 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
30g capers, rinsed and drained
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan, add the sliced garlic, basil, sugar, salt and pepper, and half of the finely chopped onion. Sweat down until golden brown then add the cherry tomatoes and mix well until soft and an attractive glazed colour is achieved.
In another large pan, heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the other half of the onion and basil stalks and fry for 4-5 minutes until the onion has softened. Pour the Seriously Good Tomato, Black Olive & Mixed Herb sauce into the pan, then fill the jar with water and add this to the pan also. Stir well, bring to the boil and then leave to simmer for 15 minutes.
Mix the contents of both pans together. Blend the soup until smooth and season to taste.
For an extra special finish heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan, add the drained capers and fry for 2-3 minute until crisp. Scatter the capers over the soup along with a drizzle of olive oil just before serving.
Autumnal addition: For added taste try dicing 1 large aubergine and 2 courgettes and adding them to the pan when you sweat down the garlic and basil.
Mushroom lasagne
Serves 4–6
1 jar Seriously Good Bolognese & Red Wine Sauce
400g mixed mushrooms (such as ceps, girolles, chestnut mushrooms), cleaned
4 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely crushed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Splash of Marsala or dry white wine
Small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Small handful of chives, chopped
Leaves from a few sprigs of thyme
8 sheets of dried lasagne
250g fresh buffalo mozzarella, thinly sliced
2-3 tbsp grated parmesan
Trim off the hard ends of the mushrooms and chop any large ones into smaller pieces. Heat a wide frying pan with the oil and add the onion and garlic. Sweat over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes until the onions are soft. Add the mushrooms and season well with salt and pepper. Fry over a high heat until any liquid released from the mushrooms has cooked off and they are lightly browned. Add a splash of Marsala or dry white wine and let it simmer for about 5 minutes until it has almost all evaporated. Remove the pan from the heat, mix in the Seriously Good Bolognese & Red Wine sauce and stir in the chopped herbs.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Fan 160ºC/Gas 4. Spread about a third of the mushroom and sauce mixture over the base of a lightly greased ovenproof dish. Cover with a layer of lasagne sheets, followed by the mushroom mixture, and then add a layer of mozzarella. Repeat layering process twice, finishing with a layer of sauce. Top with any remaining cheese, and sprinkle over the grated parmesan.
Cover the dish with a piece of foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and return to the oven for another 10 minutes or until the topping is golden-brown and bubbling. Let the lasagne stand for a few minutes before slicing and serving with a green salad.
Our fave stocking filler for girls this Christmas - beeswax crayons
Honey Sticks Beeswax Crayons
- Made from Beeswax
- Non-Toxic ingredients
- Safe for children
- Environmentally friendly
- Hand made
- Unique durable and ergonomic shape.
The beeswax to create Honey Sticks is a natural by-product of honey production. The sustainable process causes minimal impact on the environment and gives the crayons a wonderful scent of honey.
The unique chubby shape of Honey Sticks makes them easier for small hands to hold but much more difficult for small hands to break! Honey Sticks co-founder Kylie Potton, has “tested these at preschool and the kids tried to break them but they just can’t, and they love the smell!”
Honey Sticks co-founder Kylie Potton also operates a preschool / nursery, and it was her difficulties finding suitable non-toxic products for these children that led to the creation of Honey Sticks using beeswax and non-toxic pigments for these crayons. They have been well tested in a nursery environment.
New packets of crayons of often brought because the existing ones have broken rather than being all used up. The durable nature and design of Honey Sticks enable them to last longer.
This is a very new product - only just launching in the UK now, initially from The New Zealand Honey Shop - www.newzealandhoneyshop.co.uk
Cost £8.95 for a packet of 12 crayons (12 different colours).
- Made from Beeswax
- Non-Toxic ingredients
- Safe for children
- Environmentally friendly
- Hand made
- Unique durable and ergonomic shape.
The beeswax to create Honey Sticks is a natural by-product of honey production. The sustainable process causes minimal impact on the environment and gives the crayons a wonderful scent of honey.
The unique chubby shape of Honey Sticks makes them easier for small hands to hold but much more difficult for small hands to break! Honey Sticks co-founder Kylie Potton, has “tested these at preschool and the kids tried to break them but they just can’t, and they love the smell!”
Honey Sticks co-founder Kylie Potton also operates a preschool / nursery, and it was her difficulties finding suitable non-toxic products for these children that led to the creation of Honey Sticks using beeswax and non-toxic pigments for these crayons. They have been well tested in a nursery environment.
New packets of crayons of often brought because the existing ones have broken rather than being all used up. The durable nature and design of Honey Sticks enable them to last longer.
This is a very new product - only just launching in the UK now, initially from The New Zealand Honey Shop - www.newzealandhoneyshop.co.uk
Cost £8.95 for a packet of 12 crayons (12 different colours).
How to photograph children this Christmas - Tips from Toni Ward
Ten Top Tips to Photograph Children
1. One of the first and best pieces of advice I can give for photographing children is to remember that they are children! This may sound obvious but so many people get frustrated that children won’t take their direction, hold still or pose for photographs. As soon as you say, ‘stand up straight’, or ‘smile’ children become very wooden and at best you will get a version of what I call the ‘school photo expression’
2. If something you have planned is not working, like descending down a slide, don’t persist but change to something else quickly, ‘What about we go under the slide or on the swing’. Some of my favorite images come from an idea I had that then changed because it was not working with that child
3. Try not to use your flash; natural daylight is your best friend so use it wherever possible. Using your flash on the top of your camera gives off a very harsh result, natural light is much softer and perfect for photographing children
4. It’s all about the eyes, anyone looking at my website www.toniwardphotography.co.uk -will notice one thing in particular, the main focus of the images is the eyes, this is essential in any kind of portraiture so build your image around that and wait for the right moment.
5. Watch your backgrounds. While you may not be able to control what your subject is doing, you can make sure that there is nothing in the background that looks messy or distracting.
6. Don’t take your photos with light behind your subject, as you will get a silhouette and you won’t be able to see their faces.
7. Don’t take photos in direct sunlight. While photography is all about light, shooting images in direct sunlight produces harsh shadows and squinting eyes. Try to direct your subject under a tree of other shaded area for a more even image and you will see the expression in the eyes.
8. Shoot from above - this is a great angle for children as you will get more of their faces in the shot.
9. Make it fun! This is so important with children. You want to see this in your images as it will show their personality, so entertain them while you are taking photos. Usually the more silly you are the better.
10. Don’t be afraid to try something new. These days with digital technology we can afford to keep shooting away without the worry of processing costs, so if you have an idea try it out. if it doesn’t work you will have still learned something and it is the best way to becoming a better photographer.
So happy shooting!
_____
About Toni Ward Photography
Toni Ward is a professional London-based photographer specialising in pregnancy, baby, children and family photography. With a relaxed natural style, Toni captures moments of tenderness with parents and their child.
As a family photographer Toni appreciates the restraints of family life and will work with families to orchestrate the perfect setting - whether it be at home or on location.
Toni offers a range of photography packages. Vouchers are particularly popular at this time of year to purchase for that special gift at Christmas. Vouchers start from £90 for a weekday shoot. Visit www.toniwardphotography.co.uk for more information on the various packages available.
Right now, Toni is also offering £50 off the ‘Bump to Baby’ Package (worth £490 usually), for the first 5 bookings made. The package includes all photography sessions, and a stunning 24” by 13” Story Board Frame to capture your child’s journey through the early stages of life. Mention ‘Mum’s Arcade’ when booking.
For Toni, making beautiful images that will last a lifetime is what it's all about! Call her directly on 01932 569 109 to discuss your photography requirements or make a booking without any obligation. Toni’s portfolio can be viewed at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=97bifnUL8qw.
1. One of the first and best pieces of advice I can give for photographing children is to remember that they are children! This may sound obvious but so many people get frustrated that children won’t take their direction, hold still or pose for photographs. As soon as you say, ‘stand up straight’, or ‘smile’ children become very wooden and at best you will get a version of what I call the ‘school photo expression’
2. If something you have planned is not working, like descending down a slide, don’t persist but change to something else quickly, ‘What about we go under the slide or on the swing’. Some of my favorite images come from an idea I had that then changed because it was not working with that child
3. Try not to use your flash; natural daylight is your best friend so use it wherever possible. Using your flash on the top of your camera gives off a very harsh result, natural light is much softer and perfect for photographing children
4. It’s all about the eyes, anyone looking at my website www.toniwardphotography.co.uk -will notice one thing in particular, the main focus of the images is the eyes, this is essential in any kind of portraiture so build your image around that and wait for the right moment.
5. Watch your backgrounds. While you may not be able to control what your subject is doing, you can make sure that there is nothing in the background that looks messy or distracting.
6. Don’t take your photos with light behind your subject, as you will get a silhouette and you won’t be able to see their faces.
7. Don’t take photos in direct sunlight. While photography is all about light, shooting images in direct sunlight produces harsh shadows and squinting eyes. Try to direct your subject under a tree of other shaded area for a more even image and you will see the expression in the eyes.
8. Shoot from above - this is a great angle for children as you will get more of their faces in the shot.
9. Make it fun! This is so important with children. You want to see this in your images as it will show their personality, so entertain them while you are taking photos. Usually the more silly you are the better.
10. Don’t be afraid to try something new. These days with digital technology we can afford to keep shooting away without the worry of processing costs, so if you have an idea try it out. if it doesn’t work you will have still learned something and it is the best way to becoming a better photographer.
So happy shooting!
_____
About Toni Ward Photography
Toni Ward is a professional London-based photographer specialising in pregnancy, baby, children and family photography. With a relaxed natural style, Toni captures moments of tenderness with parents and their child.
As a family photographer Toni appreciates the restraints of family life and will work with families to orchestrate the perfect setting - whether it be at home or on location.
Toni offers a range of photography packages. Vouchers are particularly popular at this time of year to purchase for that special gift at Christmas. Vouchers start from £90 for a weekday shoot. Visit www.toniwardphotography.co.uk for more information on the various packages available.
Right now, Toni is also offering £50 off the ‘Bump to Baby’ Package (worth £490 usually), for the first 5 bookings made. The package includes all photography sessions, and a stunning 24” by 13” Story Board Frame to capture your child’s journey through the early stages of life. Mention ‘Mum’s Arcade’ when booking.
For Toni, making beautiful images that will last a lifetime is what it's all about! Call her directly on 01932 569 109 to discuss your photography requirements or make a booking without any obligation. Toni’s portfolio can be viewed at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=97bifnUL8qw.
Winter Warmer Recipe - Linguine with Duck Ragu
Delectable pasta dish of roasted duck breast ripped into a sensational rich tomato sauce which is stirred through linguine and finished with oregano
Serves 4
2 duck breast fillets
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
400g can Cirio Chopped Tomatoes
275g/10oz linguine
1 tbsp fresh oregano, torn
First trim the duck breast and season well on both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place in a non-stick pan, over high heat skin side down and cook until fat is released and skin is golden. Turn over and cook other side crisp. Remove from oven and leave to rest.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat oil in a pan and fry onion, celery and garlic over low heat until soft, but not brown. Add Cirio Chopped Tomatoes and stir well. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook gently to reduce slightly.
Cook linguine in plenty of boiling salted water until just tender (al dente). Drain. Transfer to sauce and stir through. Slice or shred duck breast and add this with chopped oregano to pasta mix. Toss again. Serve immediately.
Serves 4
2 duck breast fillets
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
400g can Cirio Chopped Tomatoes
275g/10oz linguine
1 tbsp fresh oregano, torn
First trim the duck breast and season well on both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place in a non-stick pan, over high heat skin side down and cook until fat is released and skin is golden. Turn over and cook other side crisp. Remove from oven and leave to rest.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat oil in a pan and fry onion, celery and garlic over low heat until soft, but not brown. Add Cirio Chopped Tomatoes and stir well. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook gently to reduce slightly.
Cook linguine in plenty of boiling salted water until just tender (al dente). Drain. Transfer to sauce and stir through. Slice or shred duck breast and add this with chopped oregano to pasta mix. Toss again. Serve immediately.
Personalised Children's Books for Christmas
Your child can now be the star in their bedtime stories with a delightful new range of personalised books from French company Unique Editions, now available for the first time in English.
The books, suitable for children aged 0 – 10, allow parents, godparents or family members to insert the names and photographs of the child and themselves into various adventures that fire the imagination while teaching children about the world around them.
There are three titles for children aged five and under, all of which can be adapted to suit boys or girls, with siblings or without. The Little World Of... lets children see themselves in everyday settings alongside their family – like going to the park, taking a bath and playing in a sandpit. The Enchanted Garden encourages the child to imagine themselves as various garden creatures, like bunnies and butterflies. My First Moments shows the touching story of how the child’s parents fell in love, had a baby and what the first days at home were like.
There are three titles for older children aged four to ten: The Amazing Family, which turns the child’s family into superheroes including bulging muscles and capes (mums will LOVE the body they get!) as they fight villains; Travel the World, which places the child in various locations around the world while teaching them facts about the different countries; and The Magical Journey of... transforms little girls into princesses and mermaids, and boys into pirates and knights as they go on an adventure with a genie.
Unlike other personalised books currently available on the market, the Unique Editions range combines modern yet artistic illustrations and uses professional digital and off-set printing with the highest quality materials, all with well-written stories.
The books are available from www.unique-editions.co.uk and cost €29.50 (approximately £25). Contact : contact@unique-editions.com.
The books, suitable for children aged 0 – 10, allow parents, godparents or family members to insert the names and photographs of the child and themselves into various adventures that fire the imagination while teaching children about the world around them.
There are three titles for children aged five and under, all of which can be adapted to suit boys or girls, with siblings or without. The Little World Of... lets children see themselves in everyday settings alongside their family – like going to the park, taking a bath and playing in a sandpit. The Enchanted Garden encourages the child to imagine themselves as various garden creatures, like bunnies and butterflies. My First Moments shows the touching story of how the child’s parents fell in love, had a baby and what the first days at home were like.
There are three titles for older children aged four to ten: The Amazing Family, which turns the child’s family into superheroes including bulging muscles and capes (mums will LOVE the body they get!) as they fight villains; Travel the World, which places the child in various locations around the world while teaching them facts about the different countries; and The Magical Journey of... transforms little girls into princesses and mermaids, and boys into pirates and knights as they go on an adventure with a genie.
Unlike other personalised books currently available on the market, the Unique Editions range combines modern yet artistic illustrations and uses professional digital and off-set printing with the highest quality materials, all with well-written stories.
The books are available from www.unique-editions.co.uk and cost €29.50 (approximately £25). Contact : contact@unique-editions.com.
Thursday, 16 December 2010
Christmas book ideas for children from Harper Collins
Harper Collins has just launched 14 new titles in their award winning reading series Collins Big Cat.
These books not only encourage and stimulate children to learn and enjoy reading but they equip teachers and parents with the skills to support them. With 20% of the adult population functionally illiterate, it is imperative children are given the best resources possible.
Some of the UK’s best loved children’s authors including the former children’s laureate, Michael Rosen as well as critically acclaimed poets, illustrators and numerous authors have all written and helped to compile the new series of Collins Big Cat books.
The 14 new releases are:
Going For a Drive, Wendy Cope
Twinkle, Twinkle, Firefly, John Agard and Grace Nichols. Illustrations by Satoshi Kitamura
Bugs, Sam McBratney
Too Hot to Stop! Steve Webb
Cinderella, David Wood
The Monster Under the Bed, Kevin Dyer
Buried Treasure, Juliet Kerrigan
Inside the Puppet Theatre, Claire Llewellyn
I’ve Just Had a Bright Idea! Scoular Anderson
A Day in India, Jonathan and Angela Scott (Of Award winning The Big Cat Diaries)
What’s That Building, Richard Platt
Blood, Martin Bolod
Fossils, Dr Andrew Ross
Escape From the Island, Michael Butt and Philippe Dupasquier
These books not only encourage and stimulate children to learn and enjoy reading but they equip teachers and parents with the skills to support them. With 20% of the adult population functionally illiterate, it is imperative children are given the best resources possible.
Some of the UK’s best loved children’s authors including the former children’s laureate, Michael Rosen as well as critically acclaimed poets, illustrators and numerous authors have all written and helped to compile the new series of Collins Big Cat books.
The 14 new releases are:
Going For a Drive, Wendy Cope
Twinkle, Twinkle, Firefly, John Agard and Grace Nichols. Illustrations by Satoshi Kitamura
Bugs, Sam McBratney
Too Hot to Stop! Steve Webb
Cinderella, David Wood
The Monster Under the Bed, Kevin Dyer
Buried Treasure, Juliet Kerrigan
Inside the Puppet Theatre, Claire Llewellyn
I’ve Just Had a Bright Idea! Scoular Anderson
A Day in India, Jonathan and Angela Scott (Of Award winning The Big Cat Diaries)
What’s That Building, Richard Platt
Blood, Martin Bolod
Fossils, Dr Andrew Ross
Escape From the Island, Michael Butt and Philippe Dupasquier
Give a little to charity this Christmas
Christmas is an expensive time of year.
This year, why not consider making a donation to charity? It is the season of goodwill after all and perhaps time to reach out to those in our society who need a bit of help. If you don't even consider doing so, are you really any better than Scrooge?
It does not have to be a large amount. There are high profile campaigns such as the ITV This Morning one for Clic Sargent (http://clicsargent.org.uk) for children affected by cancer and their families. These have lots of well-thought out easy ways for you to donate and emphasize that every little really does help.
There are the new charities like the Blue Lamp Foudation where someone who has experienced hardship turns it to something positive. The Blue Lamp Foundation was established by PC David Rathband in the aftermath of the Raoul Moat saga. http://bluelamp-foundation.org
There are small local charities who would appreciate help too. Do you even know what good causes exist in your area?
One simple way of helping charities is to buy charity Christmas cards or to buy gifts that see all net profits or a percentage going to charity.
Why not check out the http://allforeve.co.uk website to see how buying beauty products can help the fight against women's cancers.
We will feature various charities on this blog.
If your products help good causes, do get in touch and we will happily promote them here and at http://mumsarcade.wordpress.com
If you really cannot afford to donate a penny this Christmas, do think about volunteering your time. Those who do so often report benefitting as much from the experience as those whom they help.
Here's to our diverse and wonderful voluntary and community sector. Let's do what we can to support it in making people and animals lives that bit better.
This year, why not consider making a donation to charity? It is the season of goodwill after all and perhaps time to reach out to those in our society who need a bit of help. If you don't even consider doing so, are you really any better than Scrooge?
It does not have to be a large amount. There are high profile campaigns such as the ITV This Morning one for Clic Sargent (http://clicsargent.org.uk) for children affected by cancer and their families. These have lots of well-thought out easy ways for you to donate and emphasize that every little really does help.
There are the new charities like the Blue Lamp Foudation where someone who has experienced hardship turns it to something positive. The Blue Lamp Foundation was established by PC David Rathband in the aftermath of the Raoul Moat saga. http://bluelamp-foundation.org
There are small local charities who would appreciate help too. Do you even know what good causes exist in your area?
One simple way of helping charities is to buy charity Christmas cards or to buy gifts that see all net profits or a percentage going to charity.
Why not check out the http://allforeve.co.uk website to see how buying beauty products can help the fight against women's cancers.
We will feature various charities on this blog.
If your products help good causes, do get in touch and we will happily promote them here and at http://mumsarcade.wordpress.com
If you really cannot afford to donate a penny this Christmas, do think about volunteering your time. Those who do so often report benefitting as much from the experience as those whom they help.
Here's to our diverse and wonderful voluntary and community sector. Let's do what we can to support it in making people and animals lives that bit better.
Lovely and affordable jewellery this Christmas
Combine precious metals with texting culture and you discover a fun and fabulous range of pendants from http://jewellerypersonalised.co.uk.
The range combines the symbolic language of texting with a high standard of engraving to create jewellery with a hidden message.
Fantastic for anyone who wants to express their feelings and superb for those who find it hard to say “I love you” or to express themselves in words.
The pendants are available in silver and 9ct gold with the silver ones costing just £29.
Birthstones can also be added and you could add the pendant as a charm to a bracelet.
With party season in full swing, add one of these pendants to your glad rags.
Order before 21st December and get a 5% special festive discount.
The range combines the symbolic language of texting with a high standard of engraving to create jewellery with a hidden message.
Fantastic for anyone who wants to express their feelings and superb for those who find it hard to say “I love you” or to express themselves in words.
The pendants are available in silver and 9ct gold with the silver ones costing just £29.
Birthstones can also be added and you could add the pendant as a charm to a bracelet.
With party season in full swing, add one of these pendants to your glad rags.
Order before 21st December and get a 5% special festive discount.
Stocking Fillers for Mum - our top ten recommendations
1. Red Nail Polish and Swarovski crystal Nail File – www.allforeve.co.uk
2. Pink Filofax Mini Organiser – www.penshop.co.uk
3. PhoneShield and Wi-fi Shield – www.phoneshield.co.uk
4. Fisher Space Pen in pink – www.spacepen.com
5. No Nonsense Face Cream – www.nononsensebodycare.com
6. Lacura Lip Gloss – www.aldi.com
7. Therapeutic Fruity Milk Chocolate – www.thechocolatetherapist.co.uk
8. Smiley Pendant – www.jewellerypersonalised.co.uk
9. Lacura Volume Mascara – www.aldi.com
10. Festive Red Lipstick - http://allforeve.co.uk
2. Pink Filofax Mini Organiser – www.penshop.co.uk
3. PhoneShield and Wi-fi Shield – www.phoneshield.co.uk
4. Fisher Space Pen in pink – www.spacepen.com
5. No Nonsense Face Cream – www.nononsensebodycare.com
6. Lacura Lip Gloss – www.aldi.com
7. Therapeutic Fruity Milk Chocolate – www.thechocolatetherapist.co.uk
8. Smiley Pendant – www.jewellerypersonalised.co.uk
9. Lacura Volume Mascara – www.aldi.com
10. Festive Red Lipstick - http://allforeve.co.uk
Starter Idea for Christmas - Winter Warmer Recipe
TOMATO TARTS MARGHERITA
Delicious, crisp tarts with puff pastry bases, topped with a rich tomato sauce, mozzarella and salami and baked until risen and bubbling, served scattered with oregano
Makes 4
For the sauce:
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1/2 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
400g can Cirio Chopped Tomatoes
2 tsp sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g pack ready rolled puff pastry
225g/8oz mozzarella, sliced
4 slices salami
1 egg beaten
fresh oregano, ripped
watercress for decoration
First make the tomato sauce. Heat oil in a pan and fry onion and garlic over gentle heat until softened but not brown. Pour over Cirio Chopped Tomatoes and sugar. Bring to bubbling and reduce slightly. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cool.
Place pastry on a worktop and unroll flat. Using a saucer as a template, cut out 4 circles. Discard extra pastry. Spread over the cooled tomato sauce, leaving a rim of 1cm/1/2 in. Top with mozzarella and finish with a slice of salami. Brush egg wash over the exposed edge of the pastry.
Bake in a pre-heated oven Gas 6 400F 200C for around 10 minutes, or until pastry is crisp, airy and golden. Serve warm scattered with ripped oregano leaves.
Delicious, crisp tarts with puff pastry bases, topped with a rich tomato sauce, mozzarella and salami and baked until risen and bubbling, served scattered with oregano
Makes 4
For the sauce:
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1/2 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
400g can Cirio Chopped Tomatoes
2 tsp sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g pack ready rolled puff pastry
225g/8oz mozzarella, sliced
4 slices salami
1 egg beaten
fresh oregano, ripped
watercress for decoration
First make the tomato sauce. Heat oil in a pan and fry onion and garlic over gentle heat until softened but not brown. Pour over Cirio Chopped Tomatoes and sugar. Bring to bubbling and reduce slightly. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cool.
Place pastry on a worktop and unroll flat. Using a saucer as a template, cut out 4 circles. Discard extra pastry. Spread over the cooled tomato sauce, leaving a rim of 1cm/1/2 in. Top with mozzarella and finish with a slice of salami. Brush egg wash over the exposed edge of the pastry.
Bake in a pre-heated oven Gas 6 400F 200C for around 10 minutes, or until pastry is crisp, airy and golden. Serve warm scattered with ripped oregano leaves.
Children's Christmas Book ideas from Scholastic
Phenomenal fiction:
A WEB OF AIR by Philip Reeve
Paperback £6.99 November 2010 Ages 10+
In a faraway corner of a ruined world, a mysterious boy is building a flying machine. Birds help him, and so does a beautiful, brilliant, half-human engineer called Fever Crumb. But powerful enemies stalk them - either to possess their revolutionary invention, or to destroy the secrets of flight forever. The breathtaking new story from the awesome world of Mortal Engines. Award-winning writer Philip Reeve creates an extraordinary new city of moving buildings and human birds in a classic novel that continues the story of Fever Crumb,shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal.
“The Mortal Engines series is one of the most inventive and ambitious
children’s novel sequences of recent years” Nicolette Jones
MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins
Paperback £6.99 August 2010 Ages 13+
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is
safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12...
“The Hunger Games is amazing” Stephenie Meyer
“Constant suspense… I couldn’t stop reading” Stephen King
THE LAST SUMMER OF THE DEATH WARRIORS by Francisco X. Stork
Hardback £10.99 June 2010 Ages 14+
When Pancho arrives at St. Anthony's Home, he knows his time there will be short. If his plans succeed, he'll soon be arrested for the murder of his sister's killer. But then he's assigned to help DQ, whose brain cancer has slowed neither his spirit nor his mouth. As Pancho tracks down his sister's murderer, he finds himself
falling under the influence of DQ, and beginning to understand that there's more to life than revenge. This is the staggering UK debut from an exceptional new talent and the New York Times best-selling author of
Marcelo in the Real World.
“[A] novel of lonely quests and unlikely friendship. Stork’s latest marks him as one of the most promising young adult authors of the new decade; it features unforgettable characters confronting the big philosophical questions in life that will resonate with readers long after book’s end”
Horn Book, starred review
THE CLOCKWORK THREE by Matthew Kirby
Hardback £6.99 October 2010 Ages 9+
When Giuseppe finds a green violin washed up in New York docks, somehow he KNOWS it will change his life. But how? The very same day, Hannah, a maid at a local hotel, gets a strange new mistress. Why are Madame X and her mysterious Russian minder living in a hotel? What are they hiding from? Across the square, Frederick, a clockmaker's apprentice, hides his dark terrors, and an amazing gift. There is nothing to link these three children, except the green violin and a chance encounter on the street. But soon they are swept away in an epic adventure. A mesmerizing story of chance, friendship, and courage.
LINGER by Maggie Stiefvater
Paperback £7.99 July 2010 Ages 13+
In Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping dangerous secrets. For Sam, it means grappling with his werewolf past ... and figuring out a way to survive the future. But just when they manage to find happiness, Grace finds
herself changing in ways she could never have expected...
“If you are a fan of Twilight then you will LOVE Shiver” WBQ
THE ADVENTURES OF OOK AND GLUK, KUNG-FU CAVEMEN FROM THE FUTURE by Dav Pilkey
Paperback £8.99 August 2010 Ages 7+
George Beard and Harold Hutchins present the sensational saga of two silly caveboys named Ook and Gluk.
Ook and Gluk have a pretty awesome life growing up together in Caveland, Ohio, in 500,001 BC - even though they're always getting in trouble with their nasty leader, Big Chief Goppernopper. But Ook and Gluk's idyllic life takes a turn for the terrible when an evil corporation from the future invades their quiet town...
THE BABYSITTERS CLUB: THE SUMMER BEFORE by Ann M. Martin
Paperback £5.99 June 2010 Ages 9+
Welcome back, Babysitters! Don’t miss the brand new prequel to the globally successful Babysitters Club series. Roll back the years to 1986 when life was simple, summer went on for ever, and schoolgirls everywhere were going crazy for a must have series called The Babysitters Club. Discover how the girls became friends and how that friendship grew into a very special club.
Over 176 million copies of The Babysitters Club books have been sold worldwide!
SPARKS by Ally Kennen
Paperback £6.99 April 2010 Ages 8+
Coffin-stealing, boat-burning, telling lies - Carla's crazy plan includes them all. To make Grandpa's secret dream come true, she's going to break the law and every rule she's ever known. But he'll get his dying wish - a real Viking funeral. A brilliantly original and funny novel for younger readers from the prize-winning Ally
Kennen. Longlisted for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize 2010
NO SUCH THING AS DRAGONS by Philip Reeve
Paperback £5.99 September 2010 Ages 9+
Philip Reeve is an extraordinary children’s author. He won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize with his Mortal Engines series and the prestigious 2008 CILIP Carnegie Medal with Here Lies Arthur. No Such Thing As Dragons is a tale that will transport you to bleak, snow-covered mountains veiled in folklore. In characteristic style, Philip Reeve has broken boundaries with this
book and approaches the legend of dragons from a unique, and very contemporary, perspective.
‘Conjured from legend and delivered via the capable hands of the award-winning Reeve, No Such
Thing as Dragons is sure to set you shivering with a cosy fear’ Waterstone’s Books Quarterly
MAN OF THE MATCH by Dan Freedman
Paperback £5.99 July 2010 Ages 9+
Jamie Johnson is at the top of his game. After a traumatic accident a year ago, he didn’t know if he’d ever play football again and now he’s the star player for his beloved Hawkestone United, he’s the highest paid teenage footballer in the country, not to mention the highest scorer in the Premier League. But when a new footballer, Bertorelli, is bought by Hawkestone United things start to go wrong. His dreams are shatteringaround him and his love of the beautiful game is being tested to its limits.
“Jamie Johnson is my type of footballer” Ryan Giggs
“Pure Joy” The Times on Golden Goal
Fun-packed and fact-packed:
FIND CHAFFY by Jamie Smart
Paperback £5.99 August 2010 Ages 6+
A number of Chaffies have wandered off into the great wide world. They are friendly, trusting, but not very worldly, so volunteers are needed to help them find their way home. Some of the more adventurous Chaffies have trekked as far as the North Pole, while others are haunting a remote graveyard. They are white and
round, with a smiling face. They only have one and a half ears.
THE HORRIBLE HISTORY OF BRITAIN AND IRELAND by Terry Deary,
illustrated by Martin Brown
Hardback £12.99 October 2010 Ages 8+
At last, Terry Deary turns his hand to the blood-curdling history of Britain! All the foul facts from the murky pasts of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales revealed in full colour. It's an adventure packed with romance, war, murder and gore that begins around 300,000 BC and ends circa now. Taking in such horrible
highlights as the Black Death, the Battle of Culloden, and the London of Jack the Ripper. Comes with a dreadful door poster on the reverse of the jacket.
HOW TO MAKE A UNIVERSE WITH 92 INGREDIENTS by Adrian Dingle
Hardback £12.99 October 2010 Ages 8+
How to Make a Universe from 92 Ingredients takes on the impossible and triumphs - it makes chemistry FUN! A unique and imaginative take on chemistry for children, with 'experiments' that show how all things are made from just 92 chemical elements - from trees to mobile phones, to humans and the Sun - kids will love this fascinating and entertaining approach to the periodic table. With periodic table poster!
BOOK-O-RAMA: DINOSAURS by Jill Sawyer
Hardback £9.99 October 2010 Ages 4+
Kids can now learn how to tell their Diplodocuses from their Stegosaurus in a way that is brand new and completely unique. Book-o-rama meshes bold colourartwork with simple facts in a concertina boardbook. Opening up Book-o-rama is like opening the gates to Jurassic Park. Kids can literally surround themselves within a world of Dinosaur fun and fact. And that's just half the story. Flip the pages over and you can play the amazing Dinosaur Trail Game.
DANGER ISLAND: A PERILOUS POP-UP WORLD by Graham Howells
Hardback £14.99 September 2011 Ages 6+
Your plane has crashed... you're on you own... and this island is DANGEROUS! There are dinosaurs, pirates - even aliens! How will you ever make it off the island alive? Luckily you've got a SURVIVAL PACK which contains everything you need to complete SIX IMPORTANT MISSIONS...
Find the pirates' treasure; make a catapult; search for poisonous beasties; rig up a zip-line for the trolls; find the dinosaur's missing eggs and make a raft for the aliens. Only then can you make your getaway vehicle and ESCAPE!
THE BLUEBERRY WOOD PLAYBOOK by Dawn Apperley
Hardback £14.99 September 2011 Ages 4+
Poppy the rabbit is getting ready for her picnic party in Blueberry Wood. Can you help her? Set the weather gauge, design the invitations, bake the cakes and make the paper chains. You can even choose which party dress Poppy will wear. With flaps to lift, tabs to pull, things to make and a foldout,stand-up play scene, this interactive novelty book will keep children happily entertained for hours.
BUILD-A-STORY: THE MAGICAL FARM by Dawn Apperley
Hardback £14.99 September 2010 Ages 3+
When a mysterious old lady gives Joe and Lucy magic buttons instead of money, they accidentally cast a spell that turns their lives on Babblebrook Farm upside-down! Join them as they eat their way through toffee apples, chocolate eggs and peppermint grass, in the next title in the hugely successful Build-a-Story range.
BUILD-A-STORY: THE MAGICAL WIZARD SCHOOL by Dawn Apperley
Hardback £14.99 October 2010 Ages 3+
Jack is very excited about his first day at Wiggleswick School for Witches and Wizards. But when he tries to cast his very first spell, he needs a little bit of help from his new friends... Children can create their own amazing wizard school, with this next title in the hugely successful Build-a-Story range.
Perfect gifts for little hands:
ZOG by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler
Hardback £10.99 September 2010 Ages 2+
A magnificent new picture book from the creators of The Gruffalo! Zog is the keenest dragon in school. He's also the most accident-prone, flying into trees and even setting his own wing on fire! Luckily, a mysterious little girl always comes by and patches up his bumps and bruises. But will she be able to help Zog with his toughest test yet: capturing a princess? Full of rollicking rhymes and glorious colour pictures, this is the latest adorable rhyming treat from the king and
queen of the picture book world!
STICK MAN by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler
Book and CD £7.99 June 2010 Ages 2+
Stick Man Jigsaw £10.99 October 2010
Paperback £6.99 September 2009
"Stick Man lives in the family tree With his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three." But it's dangerous being a Stick Man. A dog wants to play with him, a swan builds her nest with him. He even ends up on a fire! Will he ever get back to the family tree?
“You'll read this book again and again - but by choice... The award-winning Gruffalo pair create another classic with this touching story... Sing-song rhyme, funny pictures and a tender ending –ahh” Daily Mail
THE NIGHT ICEBERG by Helen Stephens
Hardback £12.99 June 2010 Ages 2+
Paperback £6.99
It's hard when you have to share everything with your baby brother. Tofta doesn't want to at all. So when an iceberg drifts past her window, she decides that it's her iceberg and she's not going to share it with anyone. But when five hundred playful penguins turn up, Tofta finds that sharing can be great fun, too.
ONE FLUFFY BAA LAMB, TEN HAIRY CATERPILLARS by Nick Sharratt
Hardback £10.99 August 2010 Ages 2+
Count from one to ten and back with Nick Sharratt's irresistible parade of batty baa-lambs and crazy caterpillars. Lift the flaps, open the gatefold pages, and discover Wear-a-Bra-Lambs, Bobble-Hatterpillars, Draculaargh-Lambs, Acrobatterpillars and many more. Pure genius.
NIGHT, LIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT by Janet Bingham, illustrated by Rosalind
Beardshaw
Hardback £12.99 September 2010 Ages 2+
Paperback £6.99
Jack the duck is afraid of the dark. And Olivia the Owl is afraid of the light! But when Jack shows Olivia the beautiful colours of the day, and Olivia shows Jack the sparkling stars of the night, they overcome their fears and form an unlikely friendship. A gentle bedtime story with a strong messageabout friendship and learning to understand different perspectives.
THE LOON ON THE MOON by Chae Strathie, illustrated by Emily
Golden
Hardback £12.99 July 2010 Ages 2+
Paperback £6.99
This is the Loon who lives on the moon. Every night he collects children's dreams to make the moon glow. But then one night the light of the moon goes out, and the Loon must go in search of new dreams... Full of whimsy and wonder, this beautiful picture book is a celebration of the power of stories and the magic of dreams - perfect for sharing at bedtime.
Chae Strathie is a major new picture book talent.
DOGS GO SHOPPING by Sharon Rentta
Hardback £12.99 April 2010 Ages 2+
Paperback £6.99
There's something for every dog at this special doggy department store, but it's still tricky finding the perfect present for Daddy's birthday. Mummy wants to buy him flea powder. Max wants to buy him toys. Hardly surprising whose present Daddy likes best! Going shopping with Mummy has never been so much fun, with loads of daft doggy details to find on the way.
SIDNEY GOES TO SCHOOL by Sharon Rentta
Hardback £12.99 August 2010 Ages 2+
Paperback £6.99
There's a new classmate at school. Everyone loves Alfie the Chimpanzee - well, everyone except Sidney. Alfie's just so good at everything. Sidney thinks he's a show-off. But when Sidney does a Very Naughty Thing and gets in trouble, it's Alfie who cheers him up. It seems that Sidney and Alfie do have one thing in common after all - they're both great at being friends!
YOU CAN’T EAT A PRINCESS by Gillian Rogerson, illustrated by Sarah
McIntyre
Hardback £12.99 March 2010 Ages 2+
Paperback £6.99
When King Cupcake is kidnapped by hungry aliens, it's up to his feisty daughter, Princess Spaghetti, to save him from becoming their dinner. She blasts off into space to show those naughty aliens who's boss - and introduces them to a delicious alternative to people: chocolate! This hilarious romp will delight chocolate-lovers everywhere!
Christmas Crackers:
SERIOUSLY SILLY ACTIVITIES: CHRISTMAS by Nikalas Catlow
Paperback £9.99 September 2010 Ages 5+
At last! Holiday boredom will be beaten into submission by these hilarious new activity books. Seriously Silly Activities: Christmas is an awesome festive adventure packed with daring doodle ideas and puzzling madness. There are mazes, word searches, comic strips, dot-to-dots,crosswords, sudoku, seriously silly stories and much more besides. This book guarantees hours of interactive fun.
BE A LITTLE ANGEL by Sue Barraclough, illustrated by Caroline Jayne-
Church
Hardback £9.99 August 2009 Ages 3+
The essential kit for the little angel - right down to the cut-out halo. Filled with dressing up ideas,things to colour and make, recipes for angel treats and angelic jokes to giggle at. Plus angel songs to sing, a spot the difference and an angel labyrinth. Be a Little Angel guarantees hours of heavenly fun.
HORRIBLE CHRISTMAS by Terry Deary, illustrated by Martin Brown
Paperback £10.99 November 2010 Ages 3+
Horrible Christmas supplies all the festive facts every Horrible Histories reader wanted to know, but were too stuffed full of mince pies to ask! Includes foul but festive food, cruel yule disasters and seasonal stories to send a shiver down every reader's spine. From the dark days when the Puritans tried to abolish Christmas, to christmas in the trenches when the British and Germans traded bullets for footballs. Taking it the first crackers, Christmas trees and a recipe for Umble pie along the way.
A WEB OF AIR by Philip Reeve
Paperback £6.99 November 2010 Ages 10+
In a faraway corner of a ruined world, a mysterious boy is building a flying machine. Birds help him, and so does a beautiful, brilliant, half-human engineer called Fever Crumb. But powerful enemies stalk them - either to possess their revolutionary invention, or to destroy the secrets of flight forever. The breathtaking new story from the awesome world of Mortal Engines. Award-winning writer Philip Reeve creates an extraordinary new city of moving buildings and human birds in a classic novel that continues the story of Fever Crumb,shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal.
“The Mortal Engines series is one of the most inventive and ambitious
children’s novel sequences of recent years” Nicolette Jones
MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins
Paperback £6.99 August 2010 Ages 13+
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is
safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12...
“The Hunger Games is amazing” Stephenie Meyer
“Constant suspense… I couldn’t stop reading” Stephen King
THE LAST SUMMER OF THE DEATH WARRIORS by Francisco X. Stork
Hardback £10.99 June 2010 Ages 14+
When Pancho arrives at St. Anthony's Home, he knows his time there will be short. If his plans succeed, he'll soon be arrested for the murder of his sister's killer. But then he's assigned to help DQ, whose brain cancer has slowed neither his spirit nor his mouth. As Pancho tracks down his sister's murderer, he finds himself
falling under the influence of DQ, and beginning to understand that there's more to life than revenge. This is the staggering UK debut from an exceptional new talent and the New York Times best-selling author of
Marcelo in the Real World.
“[A] novel of lonely quests and unlikely friendship. Stork’s latest marks him as one of the most promising young adult authors of the new decade; it features unforgettable characters confronting the big philosophical questions in life that will resonate with readers long after book’s end”
Horn Book, starred review
THE CLOCKWORK THREE by Matthew Kirby
Hardback £6.99 October 2010 Ages 9+
When Giuseppe finds a green violin washed up in New York docks, somehow he KNOWS it will change his life. But how? The very same day, Hannah, a maid at a local hotel, gets a strange new mistress. Why are Madame X and her mysterious Russian minder living in a hotel? What are they hiding from? Across the square, Frederick, a clockmaker's apprentice, hides his dark terrors, and an amazing gift. There is nothing to link these three children, except the green violin and a chance encounter on the street. But soon they are swept away in an epic adventure. A mesmerizing story of chance, friendship, and courage.
LINGER by Maggie Stiefvater
Paperback £7.99 July 2010 Ages 13+
In Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping dangerous secrets. For Sam, it means grappling with his werewolf past ... and figuring out a way to survive the future. But just when they manage to find happiness, Grace finds
herself changing in ways she could never have expected...
“If you are a fan of Twilight then you will LOVE Shiver” WBQ
THE ADVENTURES OF OOK AND GLUK, KUNG-FU CAVEMEN FROM THE FUTURE by Dav Pilkey
Paperback £8.99 August 2010 Ages 7+
George Beard and Harold Hutchins present the sensational saga of two silly caveboys named Ook and Gluk.
Ook and Gluk have a pretty awesome life growing up together in Caveland, Ohio, in 500,001 BC - even though they're always getting in trouble with their nasty leader, Big Chief Goppernopper. But Ook and Gluk's idyllic life takes a turn for the terrible when an evil corporation from the future invades their quiet town...
THE BABYSITTERS CLUB: THE SUMMER BEFORE by Ann M. Martin
Paperback £5.99 June 2010 Ages 9+
Welcome back, Babysitters! Don’t miss the brand new prequel to the globally successful Babysitters Club series. Roll back the years to 1986 when life was simple, summer went on for ever, and schoolgirls everywhere were going crazy for a must have series called The Babysitters Club. Discover how the girls became friends and how that friendship grew into a very special club.
Over 176 million copies of The Babysitters Club books have been sold worldwide!
SPARKS by Ally Kennen
Paperback £6.99 April 2010 Ages 8+
Coffin-stealing, boat-burning, telling lies - Carla's crazy plan includes them all. To make Grandpa's secret dream come true, she's going to break the law and every rule she's ever known. But he'll get his dying wish - a real Viking funeral. A brilliantly original and funny novel for younger readers from the prize-winning Ally
Kennen. Longlisted for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize 2010
NO SUCH THING AS DRAGONS by Philip Reeve
Paperback £5.99 September 2010 Ages 9+
Philip Reeve is an extraordinary children’s author. He won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize with his Mortal Engines series and the prestigious 2008 CILIP Carnegie Medal with Here Lies Arthur. No Such Thing As Dragons is a tale that will transport you to bleak, snow-covered mountains veiled in folklore. In characteristic style, Philip Reeve has broken boundaries with this
book and approaches the legend of dragons from a unique, and very contemporary, perspective.
‘Conjured from legend and delivered via the capable hands of the award-winning Reeve, No Such
Thing as Dragons is sure to set you shivering with a cosy fear’ Waterstone’s Books Quarterly
MAN OF THE MATCH by Dan Freedman
Paperback £5.99 July 2010 Ages 9+
Jamie Johnson is at the top of his game. After a traumatic accident a year ago, he didn’t know if he’d ever play football again and now he’s the star player for his beloved Hawkestone United, he’s the highest paid teenage footballer in the country, not to mention the highest scorer in the Premier League. But when a new footballer, Bertorelli, is bought by Hawkestone United things start to go wrong. His dreams are shatteringaround him and his love of the beautiful game is being tested to its limits.
“Jamie Johnson is my type of footballer” Ryan Giggs
“Pure Joy” The Times on Golden Goal
Fun-packed and fact-packed:
FIND CHAFFY by Jamie Smart
Paperback £5.99 August 2010 Ages 6+
A number of Chaffies have wandered off into the great wide world. They are friendly, trusting, but not very worldly, so volunteers are needed to help them find their way home. Some of the more adventurous Chaffies have trekked as far as the North Pole, while others are haunting a remote graveyard. They are white and
round, with a smiling face. They only have one and a half ears.
THE HORRIBLE HISTORY OF BRITAIN AND IRELAND by Terry Deary,
illustrated by Martin Brown
Hardback £12.99 October 2010 Ages 8+
At last, Terry Deary turns his hand to the blood-curdling history of Britain! All the foul facts from the murky pasts of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales revealed in full colour. It's an adventure packed with romance, war, murder and gore that begins around 300,000 BC and ends circa now. Taking in such horrible
highlights as the Black Death, the Battle of Culloden, and the London of Jack the Ripper. Comes with a dreadful door poster on the reverse of the jacket.
HOW TO MAKE A UNIVERSE WITH 92 INGREDIENTS by Adrian Dingle
Hardback £12.99 October 2010 Ages 8+
How to Make a Universe from 92 Ingredients takes on the impossible and triumphs - it makes chemistry FUN! A unique and imaginative take on chemistry for children, with 'experiments' that show how all things are made from just 92 chemical elements - from trees to mobile phones, to humans and the Sun - kids will love this fascinating and entertaining approach to the periodic table. With periodic table poster!
BOOK-O-RAMA: DINOSAURS by Jill Sawyer
Hardback £9.99 October 2010 Ages 4+
Kids can now learn how to tell their Diplodocuses from their Stegosaurus in a way that is brand new and completely unique. Book-o-rama meshes bold colourartwork with simple facts in a concertina boardbook. Opening up Book-o-rama is like opening the gates to Jurassic Park. Kids can literally surround themselves within a world of Dinosaur fun and fact. And that's just half the story. Flip the pages over and you can play the amazing Dinosaur Trail Game.
DANGER ISLAND: A PERILOUS POP-UP WORLD by Graham Howells
Hardback £14.99 September 2011 Ages 6+
Your plane has crashed... you're on you own... and this island is DANGEROUS! There are dinosaurs, pirates - even aliens! How will you ever make it off the island alive? Luckily you've got a SURVIVAL PACK which contains everything you need to complete SIX IMPORTANT MISSIONS...
Find the pirates' treasure; make a catapult; search for poisonous beasties; rig up a zip-line for the trolls; find the dinosaur's missing eggs and make a raft for the aliens. Only then can you make your getaway vehicle and ESCAPE!
THE BLUEBERRY WOOD PLAYBOOK by Dawn Apperley
Hardback £14.99 September 2011 Ages 4+
Poppy the rabbit is getting ready for her picnic party in Blueberry Wood. Can you help her? Set the weather gauge, design the invitations, bake the cakes and make the paper chains. You can even choose which party dress Poppy will wear. With flaps to lift, tabs to pull, things to make and a foldout,stand-up play scene, this interactive novelty book will keep children happily entertained for hours.
BUILD-A-STORY: THE MAGICAL FARM by Dawn Apperley
Hardback £14.99 September 2010 Ages 3+
When a mysterious old lady gives Joe and Lucy magic buttons instead of money, they accidentally cast a spell that turns their lives on Babblebrook Farm upside-down! Join them as they eat their way through toffee apples, chocolate eggs and peppermint grass, in the next title in the hugely successful Build-a-Story range.
BUILD-A-STORY: THE MAGICAL WIZARD SCHOOL by Dawn Apperley
Hardback £14.99 October 2010 Ages 3+
Jack is very excited about his first day at Wiggleswick School for Witches and Wizards. But when he tries to cast his very first spell, he needs a little bit of help from his new friends... Children can create their own amazing wizard school, with this next title in the hugely successful Build-a-Story range.
Perfect gifts for little hands:
ZOG by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler
Hardback £10.99 September 2010 Ages 2+
A magnificent new picture book from the creators of The Gruffalo! Zog is the keenest dragon in school. He's also the most accident-prone, flying into trees and even setting his own wing on fire! Luckily, a mysterious little girl always comes by and patches up his bumps and bruises. But will she be able to help Zog with his toughest test yet: capturing a princess? Full of rollicking rhymes and glorious colour pictures, this is the latest adorable rhyming treat from the king and
queen of the picture book world!
STICK MAN by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler
Book and CD £7.99 June 2010 Ages 2+
Stick Man Jigsaw £10.99 October 2010
Paperback £6.99 September 2009
"Stick Man lives in the family tree With his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three." But it's dangerous being a Stick Man. A dog wants to play with him, a swan builds her nest with him. He even ends up on a fire! Will he ever get back to the family tree?
“You'll read this book again and again - but by choice... The award-winning Gruffalo pair create another classic with this touching story... Sing-song rhyme, funny pictures and a tender ending –ahh” Daily Mail
THE NIGHT ICEBERG by Helen Stephens
Hardback £12.99 June 2010 Ages 2+
Paperback £6.99
It's hard when you have to share everything with your baby brother. Tofta doesn't want to at all. So when an iceberg drifts past her window, she decides that it's her iceberg and she's not going to share it with anyone. But when five hundred playful penguins turn up, Tofta finds that sharing can be great fun, too.
ONE FLUFFY BAA LAMB, TEN HAIRY CATERPILLARS by Nick Sharratt
Hardback £10.99 August 2010 Ages 2+
Count from one to ten and back with Nick Sharratt's irresistible parade of batty baa-lambs and crazy caterpillars. Lift the flaps, open the gatefold pages, and discover Wear-a-Bra-Lambs, Bobble-Hatterpillars, Draculaargh-Lambs, Acrobatterpillars and many more. Pure genius.
NIGHT, LIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT by Janet Bingham, illustrated by Rosalind
Beardshaw
Hardback £12.99 September 2010 Ages 2+
Paperback £6.99
Jack the duck is afraid of the dark. And Olivia the Owl is afraid of the light! But when Jack shows Olivia the beautiful colours of the day, and Olivia shows Jack the sparkling stars of the night, they overcome their fears and form an unlikely friendship. A gentle bedtime story with a strong messageabout friendship and learning to understand different perspectives.
THE LOON ON THE MOON by Chae Strathie, illustrated by Emily
Golden
Hardback £12.99 July 2010 Ages 2+
Paperback £6.99
This is the Loon who lives on the moon. Every night he collects children's dreams to make the moon glow. But then one night the light of the moon goes out, and the Loon must go in search of new dreams... Full of whimsy and wonder, this beautiful picture book is a celebration of the power of stories and the magic of dreams - perfect for sharing at bedtime.
Chae Strathie is a major new picture book talent.
DOGS GO SHOPPING by Sharon Rentta
Hardback £12.99 April 2010 Ages 2+
Paperback £6.99
There's something for every dog at this special doggy department store, but it's still tricky finding the perfect present for Daddy's birthday. Mummy wants to buy him flea powder. Max wants to buy him toys. Hardly surprising whose present Daddy likes best! Going shopping with Mummy has never been so much fun, with loads of daft doggy details to find on the way.
SIDNEY GOES TO SCHOOL by Sharon Rentta
Hardback £12.99 August 2010 Ages 2+
Paperback £6.99
There's a new classmate at school. Everyone loves Alfie the Chimpanzee - well, everyone except Sidney. Alfie's just so good at everything. Sidney thinks he's a show-off. But when Sidney does a Very Naughty Thing and gets in trouble, it's Alfie who cheers him up. It seems that Sidney and Alfie do have one thing in common after all - they're both great at being friends!
YOU CAN’T EAT A PRINCESS by Gillian Rogerson, illustrated by Sarah
McIntyre
Hardback £12.99 March 2010 Ages 2+
Paperback £6.99
When King Cupcake is kidnapped by hungry aliens, it's up to his feisty daughter, Princess Spaghetti, to save him from becoming their dinner. She blasts off into space to show those naughty aliens who's boss - and introduces them to a delicious alternative to people: chocolate! This hilarious romp will delight chocolate-lovers everywhere!
Christmas Crackers:
SERIOUSLY SILLY ACTIVITIES: CHRISTMAS by Nikalas Catlow
Paperback £9.99 September 2010 Ages 5+
At last! Holiday boredom will be beaten into submission by these hilarious new activity books. Seriously Silly Activities: Christmas is an awesome festive adventure packed with daring doodle ideas and puzzling madness. There are mazes, word searches, comic strips, dot-to-dots,crosswords, sudoku, seriously silly stories and much more besides. This book guarantees hours of interactive fun.
BE A LITTLE ANGEL by Sue Barraclough, illustrated by Caroline Jayne-
Church
Hardback £9.99 August 2009 Ages 3+
The essential kit for the little angel - right down to the cut-out halo. Filled with dressing up ideas,things to colour and make, recipes for angel treats and angelic jokes to giggle at. Plus angel songs to sing, a spot the difference and an angel labyrinth. Be a Little Angel guarantees hours of heavenly fun.
HORRIBLE CHRISTMAS by Terry Deary, illustrated by Martin Brown
Paperback £10.99 November 2010 Ages 3+
Horrible Christmas supplies all the festive facts every Horrible Histories reader wanted to know, but were too stuffed full of mince pies to ask! Includes foul but festive food, cruel yule disasters and seasonal stories to send a shiver down every reader's spine. From the dark days when the Puritans tried to abolish Christmas, to christmas in the trenches when the British and Germans traded bullets for footballs. Taking it the first crackers, Christmas trees and a recipe for Umble pie along the way.
Extra Strength Propolis Oral Spray
Comvita's Extra Strength Propolis Oral Spray is a multipurpose product providing a boost to sore and dry throats, as well as taking care of your oral hygiene - great to have in your purse while you're on the go and need a natural instant breath freshener.
Combining propolis and UMF10+ manuka honey, it is flavoured with peppermint, aniseed myrrh and menthol.
Comes in a handy 20ml spray bottle that fits easily into a purse or office desk drawer.
Propolis is a natural substance that comes from the resin produced by trees as part of their defence system. Honeybees collect the sap, mix in beeswax and enzymes and use it to sterilise, seal and protect their hive. Propolis is a source of naturally occuring antioxidants.
Beekeepers have long known to use a lump of propolis to suck on to sooth their sore throats and coughs.
Comvita Extra Strength Propolis Oral Spray also helps to freshen the breath. It is a special blend of propolis, UMF10+ manuka honey and essential oils formulated for oral health and hygiene.
Cost £11.95 - available from The New Zealand Honey Shop - phone 0208 8751303 - www.newzealandhoneyshop.co.uk
Combining propolis and UMF10+ manuka honey, it is flavoured with peppermint, aniseed myrrh and menthol.
Comes in a handy 20ml spray bottle that fits easily into a purse or office desk drawer.
Propolis is a natural substance that comes from the resin produced by trees as part of their defence system. Honeybees collect the sap, mix in beeswax and enzymes and use it to sterilise, seal and protect their hive. Propolis is a source of naturally occuring antioxidants.
Beekeepers have long known to use a lump of propolis to suck on to sooth their sore throats and coughs.
Comvita Extra Strength Propolis Oral Spray also helps to freshen the breath. It is a special blend of propolis, UMF10+ manuka honey and essential oils formulated for oral health and hygiene.
Cost £11.95 - available from The New Zealand Honey Shop - phone 0208 8751303 - www.newzealandhoneyshop.co.uk
Salter Kids in the Kitchen Baking Set
It is one of the loveliest parts of being a parent to bake with your children. Salter have some fabulous sets which would make fabulous presents for children aged 6 years plus.
We tried out the Salter Baking Set. It came in a sturdy and attractive box. My little girl was very excited to see what was inside. She was jumping around on the spot desperate to open up the box. Inside she found:
A 2.5 l plastic mixing bowl with level marker
The bowl has internal level markings for measuring liquids and a handy pouring spout. It is colourful and easy to clean.
A large double-handed sieve
This keeps the sieve steady and fits over the whole bowl so far less mess!
Rolling Pin
This is weighted for easier rolling. It is colourful and attractive too.
3 cookie cutters
These are fun with a star, diamond and smiley face. Again, they are colourful and attractive to children.
You could see that my daughter felt really important having her own equipment. She had a sense of independence and knew she could make something that he would enjoy eating later such as the Vanilla Cookies for which there is a recipe in the instruction booklet.
Doing things together, having a giggle and assisting with her numeracy and literacy. Fabulous!
The instruction booklet came with several recipes for cookies and essential safety advice.
This kit will come out again and again unlike many Christmas gifts where the initial buzz will disappear within hours or days Perfect for rainy days or when the children say they are bored.. Value for money with a RRP £19.99
We tried out the Salter Baking Set. It came in a sturdy and attractive box. My little girl was very excited to see what was inside. She was jumping around on the spot desperate to open up the box. Inside she found:
A 2.5 l plastic mixing bowl with level marker
The bowl has internal level markings for measuring liquids and a handy pouring spout. It is colourful and easy to clean.
A large double-handed sieve
This keeps the sieve steady and fits over the whole bowl so far less mess!
Rolling Pin
This is weighted for easier rolling. It is colourful and attractive too.
3 cookie cutters
These are fun with a star, diamond and smiley face. Again, they are colourful and attractive to children.
You could see that my daughter felt really important having her own equipment. She had a sense of independence and knew she could make something that he would enjoy eating later such as the Vanilla Cookies for which there is a recipe in the instruction booklet.
Doing things together, having a giggle and assisting with her numeracy and literacy. Fabulous!
The instruction booklet came with several recipes for cookies and essential safety advice.
This kit will come out again and again unlike many Christmas gifts where the initial buzz will disappear within hours or days Perfect for rainy days or when the children say they are bored.. Value for money with a RRP £19.99
Buy a football, help African children
This Christmas buy someone an African-made Fairtrade football and you will automatically gift another ball to an underprivileged African child who has never had the chance to play with a proper football.
The handmade Alive & Kicking footballs cost £32.50 and arrive hand-wrapped in a gift box with a card marking your donation.
The footballs are made out of locally sourced materials in Kenya and Zambia and are professionally stitched by local adults who are given essential employment at a fair wage by the UK charity Alive & Kicking (http://www.aliveandkicking.org.uk).
For £80 you can choose to donate five balls to children in Africa and the recipient of the gift in the UK will receive a gold gift card detailing the donation. Or you can donate 10 balls for £140, or 50 balls for £600. For each of these gifts, the recipient in the UK can receive regular updates from the children who have received the balls.
Alive & Kicking director Will Prochaska says, “These footballs are the perfect Christmas present for any football fan. By purchasing one you’re helping someone in Kenya and Zambia stay in employment, and you’re also giving an underprivileged African child the opportunity to play with a proper football – often for the very first time.”
The handmade Alive & Kicking footballs cost £32.50 and arrive hand-wrapped in a gift box with a card marking your donation.
The footballs are made out of locally sourced materials in Kenya and Zambia and are professionally stitched by local adults who are given essential employment at a fair wage by the UK charity Alive & Kicking (http://www.aliveandkicking.org.uk).
For £80 you can choose to donate five balls to children in Africa and the recipient of the gift in the UK will receive a gold gift card detailing the donation. Or you can donate 10 balls for £140, or 50 balls for £600. For each of these gifts, the recipient in the UK can receive regular updates from the children who have received the balls.
Alive & Kicking director Will Prochaska says, “These footballs are the perfect Christmas present for any football fan. By purchasing one you’re helping someone in Kenya and Zambia stay in employment, and you’re also giving an underprivileged African child the opportunity to play with a proper football – often for the very first time.”
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
Affordable fruity wine for Christmas
McGuigan Wines Semillon Blanc 2010, Australia, RRP £6.99, Tesco
A new offering from McGuigan Wines, The Semillon Blanc, is a completely new style of Semillon, with lifted aromatics, texture, elegance and length. This fresh, crisp white wine is brimming with tropical fruit flavours – ideal for when friends and family stop by unexpectedly in the run up to Christmas.
A new offering from McGuigan Wines, The Semillon Blanc, is a completely new style of Semillon, with lifted aromatics, texture, elegance and length. This fresh, crisp white wine is brimming with tropical fruit flavours – ideal for when friends and family stop by unexpectedly in the run up to Christmas.
All for Eve - take a look at these stocking fillers where all profits go to a great cause
‘all for eve’ is a stand-alone beauty and lifestyle brand and by working together with some of the leading brands in the beauty and lifestyle industry will donate its net profits to The Eve Appeal, a charity that supports women’s cancers.
Following the untimely death of his sister-in-law, Nadia to Ovarian Cancer in 2008, George Hammer (chairman of The Urban Retreat Group at Harrods) wanted to do something that would honour her memory whilst raising funds and awareness into the research of gynaecological cancers, and so ‘all for eve’ was born.
The initial capsule collection launched this spring and is made up of luxury bath and body products created by Urban Retreat, including a bath and shower gel (£4.95), a body lotion (£7.95), a body butter (£9.95), scrub (£6.95) and hand cream (£6.95). A fabulous colour collection comprising of an eve red lipstick (£10.00) created by make-up artist Daniel Sandler; an eve red nail polish (£10.00) by the leading nail technician Sophy Robson and a Swarovski crystal nail file (£12.95.)
These products were designed to be refreshing and uplifting, whilst creating a feeling of courage and poise and so celebrating women’s strength.
The official product launch took place on 26th April 2010, and the product range has subsequently gone on sale in store at Harrods, Fenwick, Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nichols, Debenhams and John Lewis and selected Boots stores. ‘all for eve’ can also be purchased online through www.allforeve.co.uk, HQhair, Look Fantastic and Liberty online.
Following the untimely death of his sister-in-law, Nadia to Ovarian Cancer in 2008, George Hammer (chairman of The Urban Retreat Group at Harrods) wanted to do something that would honour her memory whilst raising funds and awareness into the research of gynaecological cancers, and so ‘all for eve’ was born.
The initial capsule collection launched this spring and is made up of luxury bath and body products created by Urban Retreat, including a bath and shower gel (£4.95), a body lotion (£7.95), a body butter (£9.95), scrub (£6.95) and hand cream (£6.95). A fabulous colour collection comprising of an eve red lipstick (£10.00) created by make-up artist Daniel Sandler; an eve red nail polish (£10.00) by the leading nail technician Sophy Robson and a Swarovski crystal nail file (£12.95.)
These products were designed to be refreshing and uplifting, whilst creating a feeling of courage and poise and so celebrating women’s strength.
The official product launch took place on 26th April 2010, and the product range has subsequently gone on sale in store at Harrods, Fenwick, Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nichols, Debenhams and John Lewis and selected Boots stores. ‘all for eve’ can also be purchased online through www.allforeve.co.uk, HQhair, Look Fantastic and Liberty online.
Affordable gifts and stocking fillers for all the family from Aldi
We know that we get into the habit of going to the same supermarket.
Christmas is an expensive time of year so please try Aldi and their range of gift ideas for all the family.
Examples of stocking fillers for the ladies and gifts for children include:
Lacura Concealer Pen - £3.59 each, 2.8ml
The light reflecting particles in this concealer pen are perfect for covering and concealing fine lines and dark shadows under the eyes - instantly reducing signs of fatigue and tiredness. It can be applied under or over make-up or on bare skin. The pen has an easy applicator push button and is fragrance free.
Lacura Lip Gloss - £1.99 each, 8ml
Add instant gloss and shine with this lip gloss, day or night, available in a variety of colours ranging from natural gloss to rosy pink.
Lacura Mascara - £2.59 each, 8ml
This lash lengthening and thickening mascara adds a finishing touch to your eye make-up. Available in both volumising and waterproof.
Marvin’s Amazing Magic Tricks - £9.99, each
With more than 200 ideas, this magic set ensures budding magicians have plenty of tricks up their sleeve and will have the whole family captivated all Christmas day long.
Model Cars - £1.99, each
Take Christmas presents up a gear and let children start their first car collection with these die-cast, model cars with a pull back motion.
Give Aldi a try and whilst there check out their festive fare too.
Christmas is an expensive time of year so please try Aldi and their range of gift ideas for all the family.
Examples of stocking fillers for the ladies and gifts for children include:
Lacura Concealer Pen - £3.59 each, 2.8ml
The light reflecting particles in this concealer pen are perfect for covering and concealing fine lines and dark shadows under the eyes - instantly reducing signs of fatigue and tiredness. It can be applied under or over make-up or on bare skin. The pen has an easy applicator push button and is fragrance free.
Lacura Lip Gloss - £1.99 each, 8ml
Add instant gloss and shine with this lip gloss, day or night, available in a variety of colours ranging from natural gloss to rosy pink.
Lacura Mascara - £2.59 each, 8ml
This lash lengthening and thickening mascara adds a finishing touch to your eye make-up. Available in both volumising and waterproof.
Marvin’s Amazing Magic Tricks - £9.99, each
With more than 200 ideas, this magic set ensures budding magicians have plenty of tricks up their sleeve and will have the whole family captivated all Christmas day long.
Model Cars - £1.99, each
Take Christmas presents up a gear and let children start their first car collection with these die-cast, model cars with a pull back motion.
Give Aldi a try and whilst there check out their festive fare too.
Topps Match Attax - our top boy's stocking filler idea and more
Our Top Recommendation for a Boy Stocking Filler
Match Attax packets make the perfect stocking filler for even the tightest of budgets at just 50p per pack. Each pack contains six cards and the excitement begins the moment the packet is opened as children wait to see which players they get as they look to complete their collection or strengthen their starting XI. With a new Barclays Premier League season comes new look Match Attax and the 2010/2011 packets could include some of the latest additions to the Match Attax family such as the new showboat, limited edition, referee or even the 101 Wayne Rooney card!
For Beginners and Families
Starter Pack
A Starter Pack is the perfect gift for all football fanatics who have yet to experience the world of Match Attax. Inside you’ll find a collection binder, a pitch to battle opponents, 25 trading cards as well as a special Limited Edition card! This fun filled pack is only £4.99 and allows collectors and game players to kick off their Match Attax career in style, including everything needed to get straight into a competitive game on opening.
For real fans or just because it is lovely gift
Match Attax Collectors Tin
As the starter pack is the perfect gift for all Match Attax beginners, the collectors tin provides the perfect present for those experienced collectors and players. Ideal for players on the go, you can keep all your top cards and those all important swaps in this decorative collectors tin. This is the only official Match Attax 2010/11 season collectors tin and comes with 60 cards including a Limited Edition. The Match Attax collector tin is available from Toys ‘R’ Us, Argos and Entertainer stores for just £10.
Why we love Topps Match Attax
1. Topps Match Attax is something that appeals to both cards and football fans
2. The whole family can play Topps Match Attax
3. There is a budget for everyone with Topps Match Attax
Match Attax packets make the perfect stocking filler for even the tightest of budgets at just 50p per pack. Each pack contains six cards and the excitement begins the moment the packet is opened as children wait to see which players they get as they look to complete their collection or strengthen their starting XI. With a new Barclays Premier League season comes new look Match Attax and the 2010/2011 packets could include some of the latest additions to the Match Attax family such as the new showboat, limited edition, referee or even the 101 Wayne Rooney card!
For Beginners and Families
Starter Pack
A Starter Pack is the perfect gift for all football fanatics who have yet to experience the world of Match Attax. Inside you’ll find a collection binder, a pitch to battle opponents, 25 trading cards as well as a special Limited Edition card! This fun filled pack is only £4.99 and allows collectors and game players to kick off their Match Attax career in style, including everything needed to get straight into a competitive game on opening.
For real fans or just because it is lovely gift
Match Attax Collectors Tin
As the starter pack is the perfect gift for all Match Attax beginners, the collectors tin provides the perfect present for those experienced collectors and players. Ideal for players on the go, you can keep all your top cards and those all important swaps in this decorative collectors tin. This is the only official Match Attax 2010/11 season collectors tin and comes with 60 cards including a Limited Edition. The Match Attax collector tin is available from Toys ‘R’ Us, Argos and Entertainer stores for just £10.
Why we love Topps Match Attax
1. Topps Match Attax is something that appeals to both cards and football fans
2. The whole family can play Topps Match Attax
3. There is a budget for everyone with Topps Match Attax
Easy Mince Pie Recipe from Jus-Rol
Jus-Rol Christmas Mince Pies Recipe
Preparation Time: 20 minutes or under
Makes 16 mince pies
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
500g Jus-Ro all-butter shortcrust pastry thawed
200g mincemeat
Caster Sugar for sprinkling
Method
Preheat oven to 200 degrees centigrade (180 for fan-assisted), 400 degrees Farenheit or Gas Mark 6.
Have ready a mini muffin tin – you will need to use more than once as recipe makes 16 pies.
Roll out the pastry and cut out 16 x 7.5cm or 3 inch discs. Use the trimmings to cut out 16 pastry star shapes.
Use discs to line the mini muffin tin. Place 1 teaspoon of mincemeat on each disc and top with a star shape having moistened the base with a little water.
Brush star shape with a little water and sprinkle with caster sugar.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
Enjoy!
Preparation Time: 20 minutes or under
Makes 16 mince pies
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
500g Jus-Ro all-butter shortcrust pastry thawed
200g mincemeat
Caster Sugar for sprinkling
Method
Preheat oven to 200 degrees centigrade (180 for fan-assisted), 400 degrees Farenheit or Gas Mark 6.
Have ready a mini muffin tin – you will need to use more than once as recipe makes 16 pies.
Roll out the pastry and cut out 16 x 7.5cm or 3 inch discs. Use the trimmings to cut out 16 pastry star shapes.
Use discs to line the mini muffin tin. Place 1 teaspoon of mincemeat on each disc and top with a star shape having moistened the base with a little water.
Brush star shape with a little water and sprinkle with caster sugar.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
Enjoy!
Winter Warmer recipe - roast veg to add to your roast, chops and stews
ROASTED VEGETABLES WITH HERBS
Colourful and appetising dish of vegetables roasted with olive oil and whole garlic cloves - which smells headily fragrant as good as it looks. Cirio Peeled Plum Tomatoes are added just before the end of roasting time for extra juiciness and flavour. An excellent accompaniment to roast meats, chop and stews, and meatballs.
Serves 4
1 butternut squash, seeded and in chunks
8 medium new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
2 red onions, peeled and in wedges
1 medium aubergine, in chunks
1 each green and yellow peppers, seeded and in chunks
8 whole garlic cloves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 bay leaves
few sprigs rosemary and thyme
4 tbsp olive oil
400g can Cirio Peeled Plum Tomatoes
Place vegetables in a roasting tin and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Scatter over bay leaves, rosemary sprigs and thyme.
Drizzle generously with olive oil and toss vegetables around with the hands to coat. Place in a pre-heated oven Gas 6 400F 200C for around 20 minutes, until browning around the edges and almost cooked. Remove from oven and tuck Cirio Peeled Plum Tomatoes in between vegetables. Return to oven for another 10 minutes - or until potatoes and squash are tender.
Colourful and appetising dish of vegetables roasted with olive oil and whole garlic cloves - which smells headily fragrant as good as it looks. Cirio Peeled Plum Tomatoes are added just before the end of roasting time for extra juiciness and flavour. An excellent accompaniment to roast meats, chop and stews, and meatballs.
Serves 4
1 butternut squash, seeded and in chunks
8 medium new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
2 red onions, peeled and in wedges
1 medium aubergine, in chunks
1 each green and yellow peppers, seeded and in chunks
8 whole garlic cloves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 bay leaves
few sprigs rosemary and thyme
4 tbsp olive oil
400g can Cirio Peeled Plum Tomatoes
Place vegetables in a roasting tin and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Scatter over bay leaves, rosemary sprigs and thyme.
Drizzle generously with olive oil and toss vegetables around with the hands to coat. Place in a pre-heated oven Gas 6 400F 200C for around 20 minutes, until browning around the edges and almost cooked. Remove from oven and tuck Cirio Peeled Plum Tomatoes in between vegetables. Return to oven for another 10 minutes - or until potatoes and squash are tender.
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
Winter Warmer Recipe - Italian Sausage and Bean Stew
CHICKEN WRAPPED IN PARMA HAM WITH PIZZAIOLA SAUCE
Plump chicken breast fillets are wrapped in parma ham, then sautéed to crisp and cook through, then served with a rich tomato sauce with garlic, black olives and capers
Serves 4
4 skinless medium chicken breast fillets
salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 small sage leaves
8 slices Parma ham
2 tbsp sunflower oil
For the sauce:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
400g can Cirio Cherry Tomatoes
I tbsp SuperCirio Tomato Puree
8 black olives, pitted and sliced
1 tbsp capers
sage leaves for decoration
Trim chicken breast fillets and lay on a board or worktop. Remove inner fillets and reserve. Season all pieces with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lay sage leaves along the length of large fillets. Replace inner fillets to enclose sage.
Wrap each fillet neatly with Parma ham. Heat sunflower oil in a pan and fry wrapped chicken breasts over medium heat all over to brown ham and cook chicken through - about 5 minutes - depending on size of fillets.
Meanwhile make the sauce. Heat remaining oil in a pan and fry onion and garlic over gentle heat to soften but not brown. Add Cirio Cherry Tomatoes and SuperCirio Tomato Puree and bring to bubbling. Cook 2-3 minutes to reduced slightly. Stir in black olives and capers and season.
Serve fillets whole, or halved, with sauce poured around. Decorate with sage leaves.
COUNTRY ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND BEAN STEW
Classic, flavour-packed stew of Italian sausages cooked with beans, celery, onions and Cirio Chopped Tomatoes for a rich and satisfying lunch or dinner
Serves 4
2 tbsp sunflower oil
8 Italian sausages
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
400g can Cirio Chopped Tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 sage leaves, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
2 x 400g cans cannellini beans, drained
Heat oil in a pan and fry sausages to brown lightly all over. Turn down heat and add onion, celery and garlic over gentle heat to soften but not brown. Pour over Cirio Chopped Tomatoes and bring to bubbling. Season, then turn down to simmer for 10 minutes. Add sage and bay leaves. Spoon in cannellini beans and stir. Season again and cook for another 5 minutes to heat beans.
ROASTED VEGETABLES WITH HERBS
Colourful and appetising dish of vegetables roasted with olive oil and whole garlic cloves - which smells headily fragrant as good as it looks. Cirio Peeled Plum Tomatoes are added just before the end of roasting time for extra juiciness and flavour. An excellent accompaniment to roast meats, chop and stews, and meatballs.
Serves 4
1 butternut squash, seeded and in chunks
8 medium new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
2 red onions, peeled and in wedges
1 medium aubergine, in chunks
1 each green and yellow peppers, seeded and in chunks
8 whole garlic cloves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 bay leaves
few sprigs rosemary and thyme
4 tbsp olive oil
400g can Cirio Peeled Plum Tomatoes
Place vegetables in a roasting tin and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Scatter over bay leaves, rosemary sprigs and thyme.
Drizzle generously with olive oil and toss vegetables around with the hands to coat. Place in a pre-heated oven Gas 6 400F 200C for around 20 minutes, until browning around the edges and almost cooked. Remove from oven and tuck Cirio Peeled Plum Tomatoes in between vegetables. Return to oven for another 10 minutes - or until potatoes and squash are tender.
TOMATO TARTS MARGHERITA
Delicious, crisp tarts with puff pastry bases, topped with a rich tomato sauce, mozzarella and salami and baked until risen and bubbling, served scattered with oregano
Makes 4
For the sauce:
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1/2 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
400g can Cirio Chopped Tomatoes
2 tsp sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g pack ready rolled puff pastry
225g/8oz mozzarella, sliced
4 slices salami
1 egg beaten
fresh oregano, ripped
watercress for decoration
First make the tomato sauce. Heat oil in a pan and fry onion and garlic over gentle heat until softened but not brown. Pour over Cirio Chopped Tomatoes and sugar. Bring to bubbling and reduce slightly. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cool.
Place pastry on a worktop and unroll flat. Using a saucer as a template, cut out 4 circles. Discard extra pastry. Spread over the cooled tomato sauce, leaving a rim of 1cm/1/2 in. Top with mozzarella and finish with a slice of salami. Brush egg wash over the exposed edge of the pastry.
Bake in a pre-heated oven Gas 6 400F 200C for around 10 minutes, or until pastry is crisp, airy and golden. Serve warm scattered with ripped oregano leaves.
TOMATO TARTS VALENTINO
Delicious, heart-shaped crisp tarts with a puff pastry bases, topped with a rich tomato sauce, mozzarella and salami and baked until risen and bubbling, served scattered with oregano. The perfect treat for a special person on Valentine’s Day
Makes 4
For the sauce:
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1/2 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
400g can Cirio Chopped Tomatoes
2 tsp sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g pack ready rolled puff pastry
225g/8oz mozzarella, sliced
4 slices salami
1 egg beaten
fresh oregano, ripped
watercress for decoration
First make the tomato sauce. Heat oil in a pan and fry onion and garlic over gentle heat until softened but not brown. Pour over Cirio Chopped Tomatoes and sugar. Bring to bubbling and reduce slightly. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cool.
Place pastry on a work top and unroll flat. Cut out four heart shapes about 10cm/4in across. Discard extra pastry. Spread over the cooled tomato sauce, leaving a rim of 1cm/1/2 in. Top with mozzarella and finish with a slice of salami. Brush egg wash over the exposed edge of the pastry.
Bake in a pre-heated oven Gas 6 400F 200C for around 10 minutes, or until pastry is crisp, airy and golden. Serve warm scattered with ripped oregano leaves. Decorate with watercress.
LINGUINE WITH DUCK RAGU
Delectable pasta dish of roasted duck breast ripped into a sensational rich tomato sauce which is stirred through linguine and finished with oregano
Serves 4
2 duck breast fillets
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
400g can Cirio Chopped Tomatoes
275g/10oz linguine
1 tbsp fresh oregano, torn
First trim the duck breast and season well on both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place in a non-stick pan, over high heat skin side down and cook until fat is released and skin is golden. Turn over and cook other side crisp. Remove from oven and leave to rest.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat oil in a pan and fry onion, celery and garlic over low heat until soft, but not brown. Add Cirio Chopped Tomatoes and stir well. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook gently to reduce slightly.
Cook linguine in plenty of boiling salted water until just tender (al dente). Drain. Transfer to sauce and stir through. Slice or shred duck breast and add this with chopped oregano to pasta mix. Toss again. Serve immediately.
TOMATO SORBET
Mindblowingly blissful savoury sorbet made with Cirio Chopped Tomatoes, a suspicion of orange zest, and a dash of Tabasco for a blush of heat. Needless to say, a splash of vodka makes this even more appealing
Serves 4
75g/3oz caster sugar
water to cover
400g can Cirio Chopped Tomatoes
Finely grated zest of half an orange
6 drops Tabasco
15ml vodka
2 egg whites, whisked stiff
basil leaves for decoration
First make the syrup. Place sugar in and pan and cover with water. Dissolve sugar over gentle heat, then bring to bubbling for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to cool.
Place Cirio Chopped Tomatoes in a processor and whizz smooth. Sieve, and press through all the flesh and juice. Discard seeds. Transfer pulp to a bowl and add syrup and orange zest. Splash in Tabasco and Vodka. Whisk egg whites stiff and fold into mix. Stir well and transfer to a freezer container to freeze. Halfway through freezing while still slushy, remove from freezer and whisk. Return to freezer.
Chill serving glasses - or shot glasses. Remove sorbet from fridge to soften slightly, then spoon, or scoop into glasses. Decorate with basil leaves.
HOT TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA BRUSCHETTA
Crusty ciabatta, toasted and rubbed with olive oil and garlic, then topped with Cirio Cherry Tomatoes and sliced mozzarella then grilled to unctuous meltingness
Makes 4
1 large ciabatta
2 cut cloves garlic
olive oil for drizzling
400g can Cirio Cherry Tomatoes
2 mozzarella balls, sliced
8 pitted black olives, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
basil sprigs for decoration
Slice ciabatta in half, then cut each piece horizontally to give four flat pieces. Toast ciabbatta on both sides. Rub cut sides with a cut clove of garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Top with Cirio Cherry Tomatoes. Place sliced mozzarella on top then dot with black olive pieces. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Return to grill until cheese has melted. Serve immediately decorated with basil sprigs.
RISOTTO AL MARE
Wonderful seafood risotto packed with mussels, squid, prawns, and scallops flavoured and enriched with Cirio Passata. This is a great seafood experience and the Passata gives it a special edge of tastiness.
Serves 4
450g/1lb mussels
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 wineglass dry white wine
1 tbsp roughly chopped flat parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 small squids
8 scallops (without corals)
Cirio Passata – checking quantity…
For the risotto:
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
275g/10oz risotto rice
1 wineglass dry white wine
700ml/1 /1/4pt fish or chicken stock
1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
First cook the mussels. Pick them over and discard any which are not closed or which do not close when tapped with the back of a knife. Heat oil in a pan and fry onion and garlic over gentle heat to soften. Add white wine and bring to bubbling. Tip in mussels all at once and add parsley. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover with a lid and cook for no more than 2 minutes (mussels will shrivel if over cooked). Remove from heat and drain juice into a jug. Discard any mussels that remain closed. When cooled remove meats from half the mussels and leave the rest in their shells. Reserve.
Slit squids along the length and cut into chunks. Reserve with trimmed tentacles. Slice scallops horizontally. For the risotto, heat oil in a pan and fry onion and garlic over gentle heat to soften but not brown. Add rice and stir to coat in oniony mix. Pour over wine and simmer until wine almost disappears.
Over medium heat, gradually add stock by the ladleful stirring all the time until it is absorbed before adding more. Use the reserved mussel stock here as well. Stir in Cirio Passata. Continue adding stocks until rice is just tender (you may not need it all so keep testing the rice). Season. Stir squid, squid tentacles and scallop slices into hot rice. Continue stirring to cook these just a couple of minutes. Add prawns, and mussels (both shelled, and in their shells) and scatter with parsley. Cook a few minutes more to heat through, then serve immediately.
CLASSIC TOMATO SAUCES
CHUNKY
This is a great chunky, very easy Cirio Chopped Tomato Sauce for long pasta, or to go with grilled meats, sausages, or fish
Serves 4
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 sticks celery, trimmed and finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
400g can Cirio Chopped Tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
Heat oil in a pan and fry onion, celery and garlic and over gentle heat to soften, but not brown. Pour over Cirio Chopped Tomatoes and bring to bubbling. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in parsley, then use immediately. This sauce can also be stored, covered in the fridge for 3 days.
SMOOTH
Fabulous, richly flavoured, velvety smooth Cirio Sauce for fine pasta like vermicelli, or tagliarini, or poured over poached chicken breast fillet for simple elegance
Serves 4
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
400g can Cirio Chopped Tomatoes
3 fresh basil leaves, torn
25g/1oz unsalted butter
sea salt and white pepper
Heat oil in a pan and fry onion and garlic over gentle heat to soften, but not brown. Add Cirio Chopped Tomatoes and bring to bubbling. Simmer 3 minutes. Add basil leaves then whizz smooth. Strain through a nylon sieve. Return to pan and add butter. Season with sea salt and white pepper.
Plump chicken breast fillets are wrapped in parma ham, then sautéed to crisp and cook through, then served with a rich tomato sauce with garlic, black olives and capers
Serves 4
4 skinless medium chicken breast fillets
salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 small sage leaves
8 slices Parma ham
2 tbsp sunflower oil
For the sauce:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
400g can Cirio Cherry Tomatoes
I tbsp SuperCirio Tomato Puree
8 black olives, pitted and sliced
1 tbsp capers
sage leaves for decoration
Trim chicken breast fillets and lay on a board or worktop. Remove inner fillets and reserve. Season all pieces with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lay sage leaves along the length of large fillets. Replace inner fillets to enclose sage.
Wrap each fillet neatly with Parma ham. Heat sunflower oil in a pan and fry wrapped chicken breasts over medium heat all over to brown ham and cook chicken through - about 5 minutes - depending on size of fillets.
Meanwhile make the sauce. Heat remaining oil in a pan and fry onion and garlic over gentle heat to soften but not brown. Add Cirio Cherry Tomatoes and SuperCirio Tomato Puree and bring to bubbling. Cook 2-3 minutes to reduced slightly. Stir in black olives and capers and season.
Serve fillets whole, or halved, with sauce poured around. Decorate with sage leaves.
COUNTRY ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND BEAN STEW
Classic, flavour-packed stew of Italian sausages cooked with beans, celery, onions and Cirio Chopped Tomatoes for a rich and satisfying lunch or dinner
Serves 4
2 tbsp sunflower oil
8 Italian sausages
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
400g can Cirio Chopped Tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 sage leaves, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
2 x 400g cans cannellini beans, drained
Heat oil in a pan and fry sausages to brown lightly all over. Turn down heat and add onion, celery and garlic over gentle heat to soften but not brown. Pour over Cirio Chopped Tomatoes and bring to bubbling. Season, then turn down to simmer for 10 minutes. Add sage and bay leaves. Spoon in cannellini beans and stir. Season again and cook for another 5 minutes to heat beans.
ROASTED VEGETABLES WITH HERBS
Colourful and appetising dish of vegetables roasted with olive oil and whole garlic cloves - which smells headily fragrant as good as it looks. Cirio Peeled Plum Tomatoes are added just before the end of roasting time for extra juiciness and flavour. An excellent accompaniment to roast meats, chop and stews, and meatballs.
Serves 4
1 butternut squash, seeded and in chunks
8 medium new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
2 red onions, peeled and in wedges
1 medium aubergine, in chunks
1 each green and yellow peppers, seeded and in chunks
8 whole garlic cloves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 bay leaves
few sprigs rosemary and thyme
4 tbsp olive oil
400g can Cirio Peeled Plum Tomatoes
Place vegetables in a roasting tin and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Scatter over bay leaves, rosemary sprigs and thyme.
Drizzle generously with olive oil and toss vegetables around with the hands to coat. Place in a pre-heated oven Gas 6 400F 200C for around 20 minutes, until browning around the edges and almost cooked. Remove from oven and tuck Cirio Peeled Plum Tomatoes in between vegetables. Return to oven for another 10 minutes - or until potatoes and squash are tender.
TOMATO TARTS MARGHERITA
Delicious, crisp tarts with puff pastry bases, topped with a rich tomato sauce, mozzarella and salami and baked until risen and bubbling, served scattered with oregano
Makes 4
For the sauce:
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1/2 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
400g can Cirio Chopped Tomatoes
2 tsp sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g pack ready rolled puff pastry
225g/8oz mozzarella, sliced
4 slices salami
1 egg beaten
fresh oregano, ripped
watercress for decoration
First make the tomato sauce. Heat oil in a pan and fry onion and garlic over gentle heat until softened but not brown. Pour over Cirio Chopped Tomatoes and sugar. Bring to bubbling and reduce slightly. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cool.
Place pastry on a worktop and unroll flat. Using a saucer as a template, cut out 4 circles. Discard extra pastry. Spread over the cooled tomato sauce, leaving a rim of 1cm/1/2 in. Top with mozzarella and finish with a slice of salami. Brush egg wash over the exposed edge of the pastry.
Bake in a pre-heated oven Gas 6 400F 200C for around 10 minutes, or until pastry is crisp, airy and golden. Serve warm scattered with ripped oregano leaves.
TOMATO TARTS VALENTINO
Delicious, heart-shaped crisp tarts with a puff pastry bases, topped with a rich tomato sauce, mozzarella and salami and baked until risen and bubbling, served scattered with oregano. The perfect treat for a special person on Valentine’s Day
Makes 4
For the sauce:
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1/2 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
400g can Cirio Chopped Tomatoes
2 tsp sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g pack ready rolled puff pastry
225g/8oz mozzarella, sliced
4 slices salami
1 egg beaten
fresh oregano, ripped
watercress for decoration
First make the tomato sauce. Heat oil in a pan and fry onion and garlic over gentle heat until softened but not brown. Pour over Cirio Chopped Tomatoes and sugar. Bring to bubbling and reduce slightly. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cool.
Place pastry on a work top and unroll flat. Cut out four heart shapes about 10cm/4in across. Discard extra pastry. Spread over the cooled tomato sauce, leaving a rim of 1cm/1/2 in. Top with mozzarella and finish with a slice of salami. Brush egg wash over the exposed edge of the pastry.
Bake in a pre-heated oven Gas 6 400F 200C for around 10 minutes, or until pastry is crisp, airy and golden. Serve warm scattered with ripped oregano leaves. Decorate with watercress.
LINGUINE WITH DUCK RAGU
Delectable pasta dish of roasted duck breast ripped into a sensational rich tomato sauce which is stirred through linguine and finished with oregano
Serves 4
2 duck breast fillets
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
400g can Cirio Chopped Tomatoes
275g/10oz linguine
1 tbsp fresh oregano, torn
First trim the duck breast and season well on both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place in a non-stick pan, over high heat skin side down and cook until fat is released and skin is golden. Turn over and cook other side crisp. Remove from oven and leave to rest.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat oil in a pan and fry onion, celery and garlic over low heat until soft, but not brown. Add Cirio Chopped Tomatoes and stir well. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook gently to reduce slightly.
Cook linguine in plenty of boiling salted water until just tender (al dente). Drain. Transfer to sauce and stir through. Slice or shred duck breast and add this with chopped oregano to pasta mix. Toss again. Serve immediately.
TOMATO SORBET
Mindblowingly blissful savoury sorbet made with Cirio Chopped Tomatoes, a suspicion of orange zest, and a dash of Tabasco for a blush of heat. Needless to say, a splash of vodka makes this even more appealing
Serves 4
75g/3oz caster sugar
water to cover
400g can Cirio Chopped Tomatoes
Finely grated zest of half an orange
6 drops Tabasco
15ml vodka
2 egg whites, whisked stiff
basil leaves for decoration
First make the syrup. Place sugar in and pan and cover with water. Dissolve sugar over gentle heat, then bring to bubbling for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to cool.
Place Cirio Chopped Tomatoes in a processor and whizz smooth. Sieve, and press through all the flesh and juice. Discard seeds. Transfer pulp to a bowl and add syrup and orange zest. Splash in Tabasco and Vodka. Whisk egg whites stiff and fold into mix. Stir well and transfer to a freezer container to freeze. Halfway through freezing while still slushy, remove from freezer and whisk. Return to freezer.
Chill serving glasses - or shot glasses. Remove sorbet from fridge to soften slightly, then spoon, or scoop into glasses. Decorate with basil leaves.
HOT TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA BRUSCHETTA
Crusty ciabatta, toasted and rubbed with olive oil and garlic, then topped with Cirio Cherry Tomatoes and sliced mozzarella then grilled to unctuous meltingness
Makes 4
1 large ciabatta
2 cut cloves garlic
olive oil for drizzling
400g can Cirio Cherry Tomatoes
2 mozzarella balls, sliced
8 pitted black olives, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
basil sprigs for decoration
Slice ciabatta in half, then cut each piece horizontally to give four flat pieces. Toast ciabbatta on both sides. Rub cut sides with a cut clove of garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Top with Cirio Cherry Tomatoes. Place sliced mozzarella on top then dot with black olive pieces. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Return to grill until cheese has melted. Serve immediately decorated with basil sprigs.
RISOTTO AL MARE
Wonderful seafood risotto packed with mussels, squid, prawns, and scallops flavoured and enriched with Cirio Passata. This is a great seafood experience and the Passata gives it a special edge of tastiness.
Serves 4
450g/1lb mussels
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 wineglass dry white wine
1 tbsp roughly chopped flat parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 small squids
8 scallops (without corals)
Cirio Passata – checking quantity…
For the risotto:
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
275g/10oz risotto rice
1 wineglass dry white wine
700ml/1 /1/4pt fish or chicken stock
1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
First cook the mussels. Pick them over and discard any which are not closed or which do not close when tapped with the back of a knife. Heat oil in a pan and fry onion and garlic over gentle heat to soften. Add white wine and bring to bubbling. Tip in mussels all at once and add parsley. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover with a lid and cook for no more than 2 minutes (mussels will shrivel if over cooked). Remove from heat and drain juice into a jug. Discard any mussels that remain closed. When cooled remove meats from half the mussels and leave the rest in their shells. Reserve.
Slit squids along the length and cut into chunks. Reserve with trimmed tentacles. Slice scallops horizontally. For the risotto, heat oil in a pan and fry onion and garlic over gentle heat to soften but not brown. Add rice and stir to coat in oniony mix. Pour over wine and simmer until wine almost disappears.
Over medium heat, gradually add stock by the ladleful stirring all the time until it is absorbed before adding more. Use the reserved mussel stock here as well. Stir in Cirio Passata. Continue adding stocks until rice is just tender (you may not need it all so keep testing the rice). Season. Stir squid, squid tentacles and scallop slices into hot rice. Continue stirring to cook these just a couple of minutes. Add prawns, and mussels (both shelled, and in their shells) and scatter with parsley. Cook a few minutes more to heat through, then serve immediately.
CLASSIC TOMATO SAUCES
CHUNKY
This is a great chunky, very easy Cirio Chopped Tomato Sauce for long pasta, or to go with grilled meats, sausages, or fish
Serves 4
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 sticks celery, trimmed and finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
400g can Cirio Chopped Tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
Heat oil in a pan and fry onion, celery and garlic and over gentle heat to soften, but not brown. Pour over Cirio Chopped Tomatoes and bring to bubbling. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in parsley, then use immediately. This sauce can also be stored, covered in the fridge for 3 days.
SMOOTH
Fabulous, richly flavoured, velvety smooth Cirio Sauce for fine pasta like vermicelli, or tagliarini, or poured over poached chicken breast fillet for simple elegance
Serves 4
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
400g can Cirio Chopped Tomatoes
3 fresh basil leaves, torn
25g/1oz unsalted butter
sea salt and white pepper
Heat oil in a pan and fry onion and garlic over gentle heat to soften, but not brown. Add Cirio Chopped Tomatoes and bring to bubbling. Simmer 3 minutes. Add basil leaves then whizz smooth. Strain through a nylon sieve. Return to pan and add butter. Season with sea salt and white pepper.
Monday, 13 December 2010
CBeebies Song Time - Double CD Pack
Our children were so excited to see the CBeebies word on the front of the CD Pack. They started jigging about even before we took off the plastic packaging.
We had such a fun afternoon as they danced around to music from their favourite telly programmes.
The 2CD album features 50 tracks from the BBC Children’s Channel.
My 5 year old is currently obsessed with Postman Pat so he was happily singing along. My 6 year old particularly enjoyed hearing more from Big Barn Farm. Even my teenager in training could not help himself and liked being reminded of how much he enjoyed Bob the Builder and the Tweenies.
This album is ideal for playing anytime but especially when it is raining outside or the children tell you they are bored. Also perfect for playing at parties and using for games such as Pass the Parcel.
We love CBeebies and we sing along with Song Time.
We had such a fun afternoon as they danced around to music from their favourite telly programmes.
The 2CD album features 50 tracks from the BBC Children’s Channel.
My 5 year old is currently obsessed with Postman Pat so he was happily singing along. My 6 year old particularly enjoyed hearing more from Big Barn Farm. Even my teenager in training could not help himself and liked being reminded of how much he enjoyed Bob the Builder and the Tweenies.
This album is ideal for playing anytime but especially when it is raining outside or the children tell you they are bored. Also perfect for playing at parties and using for games such as Pass the Parcel.
We love CBeebies and we sing along with Song Time.
Puzzler World 2011 for Nintendo DS
Puzzler World 2011 for Nintendo DS provides a compilation of quality puzzles that will entertain people from age 3 to 103!
There are traditional, visual and filler puzzles with varying levels of difficulty so suitable for all the family from toddlers to grandparents.
You won’t get bored with this game as it has 1200 puzzles including 3 new types and a new game mode. Perfect at family gatherings or when travelling over the festive period.
We tested the game and were very impressed with how it appealed to family members from age 5 to 83. It is probably the first time that the children have managed to attract any real interest from Grandad in their DS games consoles.
We thought the all new save mode was really good too as it allows you to start a puzzle, save it and return to it later to complete it. Very convenient at busy times like Christmas.
Whether you like crosswords, Sudoku or wordsearch, you will like this game. However, there are many more things to try so this is a game that has real staying power.
Visit www.puzzler.com for further information
There are traditional, visual and filler puzzles with varying levels of difficulty so suitable for all the family from toddlers to grandparents.
You won’t get bored with this game as it has 1200 puzzles including 3 new types and a new game mode. Perfect at family gatherings or when travelling over the festive period.
We tested the game and were very impressed with how it appealed to family members from age 5 to 83. It is probably the first time that the children have managed to attract any real interest from Grandad in their DS games consoles.
We thought the all new save mode was really good too as it allows you to start a puzzle, save it and return to it later to complete it. Very convenient at busy times like Christmas.
Whether you like crosswords, Sudoku or wordsearch, you will like this game. However, there are many more things to try so this is a game that has real staying power.
Visit www.puzzler.com for further information
Bushbaby Minipack Safety Product for Kids Giveaway
The Bushbaby Minipack has just been awarded the Mother & Baby Magazine Gold Award Best Safety Product 2010.
The mini-packs can be filled with a child’s essentials for nursery or trips out, they provide them with a sense of independence, however they aren’t totally free: the minipack’s detachable reins allow full parental control.
The pack can accommodate a drink, snacks and teddy. Well thought out, these packs feature a waist strap so that the child is secure and stable should the parent need to rein them in. The leash is detachable too via an easy-to-use clip .
Other features include two pockets, soother attachment points, large grab handle and safety reflector.
Colours: Red, pink, apple green and blue with a fun sheep and pig detail, SRP £15.00 - £17.00.
Bushbaby Minipack is available from leading nursery and outdoor retailers nationwide, or direct from Bushbaby. For stockist information visit www.bush-baby.com or call 0161 474 7097.
The generous people at Bushbaby have offered us 4 of these lovely packs to giveaway to visitors to our site. To be in with a chance of winning one, please http://bush-baby.com/minipack_comp.html and then email mums-the-word@live.com with the answer to the following question “What is the storage capacity for the minipack?” and your name. This competition ends at 23.59 on 14th January 2011. The winners will be selected by using http://random.org
The mini-packs can be filled with a child’s essentials for nursery or trips out, they provide them with a sense of independence, however they aren’t totally free: the minipack’s detachable reins allow full parental control.
The pack can accommodate a drink, snacks and teddy. Well thought out, these packs feature a waist strap so that the child is secure and stable should the parent need to rein them in. The leash is detachable too via an easy-to-use clip .
Other features include two pockets, soother attachment points, large grab handle and safety reflector.
Colours: Red, pink, apple green and blue with a fun sheep and pig detail, SRP £15.00 - £17.00.
Bushbaby Minipack is available from leading nursery and outdoor retailers nationwide, or direct from Bushbaby. For stockist information visit www.bush-baby.com or call 0161 474 7097.
The generous people at Bushbaby have offered us 4 of these lovely packs to giveaway to visitors to our site. To be in with a chance of winning one, please http://bush-baby.com/minipack_comp.html and then email mums-the-word@live.com with the answer to the following question “What is the storage capacity for the minipack?” and your name. This competition ends at 23.59 on 14th January 2011. The winners will be selected by using http://random.org
Birthday Girl
It is my birthday today.
Happy Birthday Kate!
42 years of life, love, laughter, learning, loss, lust and lozenges. Sorry, just had a blank in thinking of another relevant word beginning with l.
I started my day continuing a nice bottle of red with my Dad and chatting away until 3am.
I then did the usual school run chaos.
I have written a lot which is my joy and passion and something I now do every day.
I have indulged in a strawberries and cream tart courtesy of my lovely Dad who brought it back from town for me,
This afternoon, there will be a tea party with the children with sausage rolls, jelly and ice cream and a big cake with candles.
Tonight, I will settle down with Him Indoors and raise a glass or two.
It's not a bad life is it?
Happy Birthday Kate!
42 years of life, love, laughter, learning, loss, lust and lozenges. Sorry, just had a blank in thinking of another relevant word beginning with l.
I started my day continuing a nice bottle of red with my Dad and chatting away until 3am.
I then did the usual school run chaos.
I have written a lot which is my joy and passion and something I now do every day.
I have indulged in a strawberries and cream tart courtesy of my lovely Dad who brought it back from town for me,
This afternoon, there will be a tea party with the children with sausage rolls, jelly and ice cream and a big cake with candles.
Tonight, I will settle down with Him Indoors and raise a glass or two.
It's not a bad life is it?
Chocolates to make you over the moon
Stock up your loved one’s stocking this Christmas with a luxury box of chocolates from The Chocolate Moon.
The online confectioner, which is renowned for beautiful chocolates exquisitely presented in a stylish gift box, has launched its new chocolate range in time for Christmas, complementing the company’s tempting selection of goodies which can be found at www.thechocolatemoon.co.uk.
“We’ve spiced things up a bit this winter with our new truffles, which include the spiced biscuit truffle and the chilli truffle,” says The Chocolate Moon’s managing director Susannah Pack.
“Our chocolates make a very luxurious gift. The ingredients are of the highest quality but what’s also important to us is presentation and our gift boxes make a statement that lets the recipient know there’s a really special gift inside.”
If spice is not your thing then other festive favourites such as the dark orangettes or the chocolate cherries will warm your winter nights, along with the new Chocolate Bites range or the new Chocolate Blocks with a selection of toppings.
Ordering from The Chocolate Moon is easy, payment is secure and delivery is quick, the toughest thing you’ve got to do is choose which chocolates, but it’s the season to be jolly so why not try a few as postal charges are discounted for customers ordering three boxes or more.
Prices start from £5.95.
For further information visit www.thechocolatemoon.co.uk or email info@thechocolatemoon.co.uk.
The online confectioner, which is renowned for beautiful chocolates exquisitely presented in a stylish gift box, has launched its new chocolate range in time for Christmas, complementing the company’s tempting selection of goodies which can be found at www.thechocolatemoon.co.uk.
“We’ve spiced things up a bit this winter with our new truffles, which include the spiced biscuit truffle and the chilli truffle,” says The Chocolate Moon’s managing director Susannah Pack.
“Our chocolates make a very luxurious gift. The ingredients are of the highest quality but what’s also important to us is presentation and our gift boxes make a statement that lets the recipient know there’s a really special gift inside.”
If spice is not your thing then other festive favourites such as the dark orangettes or the chocolate cherries will warm your winter nights, along with the new Chocolate Bites range or the new Chocolate Blocks with a selection of toppings.
Ordering from The Chocolate Moon is easy, payment is secure and delivery is quick, the toughest thing you’ve got to do is choose which chocolates, but it’s the season to be jolly so why not try a few as postal charges are discounted for customers ordering three boxes or more.
Prices start from £5.95.
For further information visit www.thechocolatemoon.co.uk or email info@thechocolatemoon.co.uk.
Hippychick Wheelybugs - the world's best ride-on
We loved the Hippychick Wheelybugs,. They are bright and funky and they provide proper ride-on fun.
The beautifully handcrafted bugs available in a striking ladybird, bee, cow or mouse designs and are made from the highest quality materials . You really can see them lasting and being handed down as the toy heirlooms of the future.
The Wheelybug is designed to give toddlers aged 1-5 ultimate to explore their newly developing motor and spatial awareness skills.
What we particularly liked was the due to the Wheelybug’s unique castors, the ride on can go in all sorts of directions – forwards, backwards, sideways and round in circles.
An easy to grip handle means the toy can be used as a pushalong for babies and tots as they take those first faltering steps.
A great buy for those who care about the environment, the Wheelybug is totally PVC free while its sturdy wooden frame is made from renewable timber lumber.
The ride remains comfy as the seat has a sponge layer. The padding is covered with a tough wipe clean polyurethane layer so the Wheelybug stays looking good for years.
Our little boy loved riding on the Wheelybug and our little girl totally adored her ladybird friend. As parents, we felt the toy was value for money due to its robust and sturdy nature.
The Wheelybug is a really special ride-on and so much better in every way than those plastic alternatives.
The Wheelybugs cost £55 for a small size and £65 for a large size. They are available from http://hippychick.com
The beautifully handcrafted bugs available in a striking ladybird, bee, cow or mouse designs and are made from the highest quality materials . You really can see them lasting and being handed down as the toy heirlooms of the future.
The Wheelybug is designed to give toddlers aged 1-5 ultimate to explore their newly developing motor and spatial awareness skills.
What we particularly liked was the due to the Wheelybug’s unique castors, the ride on can go in all sorts of directions – forwards, backwards, sideways and round in circles.
An easy to grip handle means the toy can be used as a pushalong for babies and tots as they take those first faltering steps.
A great buy for those who care about the environment, the Wheelybug is totally PVC free while its sturdy wooden frame is made from renewable timber lumber.
The ride remains comfy as the seat has a sponge layer. The padding is covered with a tough wipe clean polyurethane layer so the Wheelybug stays looking good for years.
Our little boy loved riding on the Wheelybug and our little girl totally adored her ladybird friend. As parents, we felt the toy was value for money due to its robust and sturdy nature.
The Wheelybug is a really special ride-on and so much better in every way than those plastic alternatives.
The Wheelybugs cost £55 for a small size and £65 for a large size. They are available from http://hippychick.com
Get your message across with smiley and other text pendants
Combine precious metals with texting culture and you discover a fun and fabulous range of pendants from http://jewellerypersonalised.co.uk.
The range combines the symbolic language of texting with a high standard of engraving to create jewellery with a hidden message.
Fantastic for anyone who wants to express their feelings and superb for those who find it hard to say “I love you” or to express themselves in words.
The pendants are available in silver and 9ct gold with the silver ones costing just £29.
Birthstones can also be added and you could add the pendant as a charm to a bracelet.
With party season in full swing, add one of these pendants to your glad rags.
Order before 21st December and get a 5% special festive discount.
The range combines the symbolic language of texting with a high standard of engraving to create jewellery with a hidden message.
Fantastic for anyone who wants to express their feelings and superb for those who find it hard to say “I love you” or to express themselves in words.
The pendants are available in silver and 9ct gold with the silver ones costing just £29.
Birthstones can also be added and you could add the pendant as a charm to a bracelet.
With party season in full swing, add one of these pendants to your glad rags.
Order before 21st December and get a 5% special festive discount.
Today's Winter Warmer Recipe from Cirio
CHICKEN WRAPPED IN PARMA HAM WITH PIZZAIOLA SAUCE
Plump chicken breast fillets are wrapped in parma ham, then sautéed to crisp and cook through, then served with a rich tomato sauce with garlic, black olives and capers
Serves 4
4 skinless medium chicken breast fillets
salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 small sage leaves
8 slices Parma ham
2 tbsp sunflower oil
For the sauce:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
400g can Cirio Cherry Tomatoes
I tbsp SuperCirio Tomato Puree
8 black olives, pitted and sliced
1 tbsp capers
sage leaves for decoration
Trim chicken breast fillets and lay on a board or worktop. Remove inner fillets and reserve. Season all pieces with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lay sage leaves along the length of large fillets. Replace inner fillets to enclose sage.
Wrap each fillet neatly with Parma ham. Heat sunflower oil in a pan and fry wrapped chicken breasts over medium heat all over to brown ham and cook chicken through - about 5 minutes - depending on size of fillets.
Meanwhile make the sauce. Heat remaining oil in a pan and fry onion and garlic over gentle heat to soften but not brown. Add Cirio Cherry Tomatoes and SuperCirio Tomato Puree and bring to bubbling. Cook 2-3 minutes to reduced slightly. Stir in black olives and capers and season.
Serve fillets whole, or halved, with sauce poured around. Decorate with sage leaves.
Plump chicken breast fillets are wrapped in parma ham, then sautéed to crisp and cook through, then served with a rich tomato sauce with garlic, black olives and capers
Serves 4
4 skinless medium chicken breast fillets
salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 small sage leaves
8 slices Parma ham
2 tbsp sunflower oil
For the sauce:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
400g can Cirio Cherry Tomatoes
I tbsp SuperCirio Tomato Puree
8 black olives, pitted and sliced
1 tbsp capers
sage leaves for decoration
Trim chicken breast fillets and lay on a board or worktop. Remove inner fillets and reserve. Season all pieces with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lay sage leaves along the length of large fillets. Replace inner fillets to enclose sage.
Wrap each fillet neatly with Parma ham. Heat sunflower oil in a pan and fry wrapped chicken breasts over medium heat all over to brown ham and cook chicken through - about 5 minutes - depending on size of fillets.
Meanwhile make the sauce. Heat remaining oil in a pan and fry onion and garlic over gentle heat to soften but not brown. Add Cirio Cherry Tomatoes and SuperCirio Tomato Puree and bring to bubbling. Cook 2-3 minutes to reduced slightly. Stir in black olives and capers and season.
Serve fillets whole, or halved, with sauce poured around. Decorate with sage leaves.
Avent Toddler Feeding Set
We thought the Philips Avent Toddler Feeding Set was lovely. It has everything you need for mealtimes and all for just £16. It is suitable from the age of 6 months just as you are weaning your little one.
There is a big plate with lovely pictures and numbers on it so great for learning as well as eating. You can even put different food types in different sections of the plates. A good way to check that your toddler is getting what they should be in terms of healthy eating. It comes with a non-slip base too so stays where you put it.
There is a large bowl and a smaller one together with a spoon and fork. There is even a recipe booklet to make the set complete.
All the items have pictures on that will stimulate your child’s imagination and your story-telling abilities.
The set was developed by a leading child psychiatrist and paediatric nutritionist.
It is good to know that the items are also available individually.
You can put the items safely in the microwave or the dishwasher so they really do make busy mums lives that bit easier.
The full range is BPA free.
There is a big plate with lovely pictures and numbers on it so great for learning as well as eating. You can even put different food types in different sections of the plates. A good way to check that your toddler is getting what they should be in terms of healthy eating. It comes with a non-slip base too so stays where you put it.
There is a large bowl and a smaller one together with a spoon and fork. There is even a recipe booklet to make the set complete.
All the items have pictures on that will stimulate your child’s imagination and your story-telling abilities.
The set was developed by a leading child psychiatrist and paediatric nutritionist.
It is good to know that the items are also available individually.
You can put the items safely in the microwave or the dishwasher so they really do make busy mums lives that bit easier.
The full range is BPA free.
Walltastic murals bring a new world into your child's room
Walltastic provide a classic range of designer wallpaper murals for children.
These unique, colourful and highly detailed murals are loved by children of all ages and will give any wall the wow factor.
Be that little bit different this Christmas and instead of a toy that will be forgotten about in hours or days, transform you child’s bedroom with a mural linked to their particular interests.
Fantasy lands come alive whether your little girl loves princesses or your darling boy has a passion for football. There are murals designs that will be preferred by tots and also ones for the teen market.
Escape into an underwater treasure hunt, go walking with dinosaurs, chat with magical fairies or go travelling in space. The murals stimulate the imagination and are lovely to wake up to.
My little girl has had an obsession with horses since she was tiny. She adores her Horse and Pony stables mural. Lots of pink, lots of fields, horse and ponies of different shapes and sizes. Perfect!
The product is affordable at £34.99 and covers a space up to 8 foot by ten foot.
You do not have to be a DIY genius either as the mural comes in twelve strips that are really easy to apply.
So what are you waiting for? A room makeover is just a Walltastic Mural away.
These unique, colourful and highly detailed murals are loved by children of all ages and will give any wall the wow factor.
Be that little bit different this Christmas and instead of a toy that will be forgotten about in hours or days, transform you child’s bedroom with a mural linked to their particular interests.
Fantasy lands come alive whether your little girl loves princesses or your darling boy has a passion for football. There are murals designs that will be preferred by tots and also ones for the teen market.
Escape into an underwater treasure hunt, go walking with dinosaurs, chat with magical fairies or go travelling in space. The murals stimulate the imagination and are lovely to wake up to.
My little girl has had an obsession with horses since she was tiny. She adores her Horse and Pony stables mural. Lots of pink, lots of fields, horse and ponies of different shapes and sizes. Perfect!
The product is affordable at £34.99 and covers a space up to 8 foot by ten foot.
You do not have to be a DIY genius either as the mural comes in twelve strips that are really easy to apply.
So what are you waiting for? A room makeover is just a Walltastic Mural away.
Lovely gifts at the Pen Shop
You will be spoilt for choice this year with a fine selection of gifts suitable for teens available from the Pen Shop. From luxury pens to glamorous organisers to dazzling accessories and funky gadgets, the Pen Shop can solve many of your Christmas present buying dilemmas.
I loved the pink lacquered bullet space pen. It came in an attractive pink box ideal for trinkets. It has a sleek design. It can write in freezing cold of minus 20 degrees centigrade which was useful this week with the snowy conditions! I am waiting for the blazing heat to come to test it out in that but am reassured that it works just fine. It works upside down, underwater, over grease and even in space! The perfect gift for a teenage girl or for mum at £24.50. Great stocking filler too.
Next on my Christmas wish list is the Metropol mini Organiser again in pink. A diary, a business card holder and an address book all in one and in a small design so ideal for the handbag. Lots of useful information in there too including conversion charts for both clothes and shoes. £19 so affordable too.
We adored the Bombay Duck keyrings. These add a bit of bling to your keys in bright colours and designs. A fantastic gift for any female and at £9.95 worth adding to her stocking as a little extra pressie.
The Pen Shop has 32 stores across the UK or you can buy online from http://penshop.co.uk
I loved the pink lacquered bullet space pen. It came in an attractive pink box ideal for trinkets. It has a sleek design. It can write in freezing cold of minus 20 degrees centigrade which was useful this week with the snowy conditions! I am waiting for the blazing heat to come to test it out in that but am reassured that it works just fine. It works upside down, underwater, over grease and even in space! The perfect gift for a teenage girl or for mum at £24.50. Great stocking filler too.
Next on my Christmas wish list is the Metropol mini Organiser again in pink. A diary, a business card holder and an address book all in one and in a small design so ideal for the handbag. Lots of useful information in there too including conversion charts for both clothes and shoes. £19 so affordable too.
We adored the Bombay Duck keyrings. These add a bit of bling to your keys in bright colours and designs. A fantastic gift for any female and at £9.95 worth adding to her stocking as a little extra pressie.
The Pen Shop has 32 stores across the UK or you can buy online from http://penshop.co.uk
Save Our Friends Cuddly Toys and Charity Campaign
Cuddle Up this Christmas and help save endangered wildlife too
If you are looking for a plush large and loveable cuddly toy this Christmas, look no further than the ethical range available from Save Our Friends.
Not only will the recipient of one of these lovelies be so appreciative of such a special gift, but you will also know you are helping to support a charity for endangered wildlife.
There are twenty toys to choose from covering four environments – African, Ocean, Polar and Rainforest. I loved the Panda, the Penguin and the Dolphin best but they are all adorable.
Born Free Foundation, Marine Conservation Society and World Land Trust are the charities that receive a donation when you purchase from the range.
Each cuddly toy comes in recycled packaging and comes complete with 5 colourful postcards of endangered animals.
What I liked about the toys is that they really give off a sense of luxury with lovely fur and yet at an affordable price especially considering how large they are. Prices start at just £23.95 and I think they represent real value for money as they are really good quality.
I loved how the packaging helps to get educational messages across to children about the conservation status of the animal, the charity and relevant statistics.
They are easy to purchase by visiting http://saveourfriends.co.uk and come with a 21 days no quibble money back guarantee.
If you are looking for a plush large and loveable cuddly toy this Christmas, look no further than the ethical range available from Save Our Friends.
Not only will the recipient of one of these lovelies be so appreciative of such a special gift, but you will also know you are helping to support a charity for endangered wildlife.
There are twenty toys to choose from covering four environments – African, Ocean, Polar and Rainforest. I loved the Panda, the Penguin and the Dolphin best but they are all adorable.
Born Free Foundation, Marine Conservation Society and World Land Trust are the charities that receive a donation when you purchase from the range.
Each cuddly toy comes in recycled packaging and comes complete with 5 colourful postcards of endangered animals.
What I liked about the toys is that they really give off a sense of luxury with lovely fur and yet at an affordable price especially considering how large they are. Prices start at just £23.95 and I think they represent real value for money as they are really good quality.
I loved how the packaging helps to get educational messages across to children about the conservation status of the animal, the charity and relevant statistics.
They are easy to purchase by visiting http://saveourfriends.co.uk and come with a 21 days no quibble money back guarantee.
Penn State Festive Party Pretzels
Penn State Festive Pretzels
We love Penn State’s Christmas-themed pretzels as they are both tasty and fun to look at. They come in generous sized bags and are great for quiet nights in, party snacks or as pre-dinner nibbles. As daft as it sounds, these snacks really did help adults and children alike get in the Christmas spirit.
Cheddar Cheese Festive Pretzel Mix £1.49 for 250g
Enjoy a limited edition generous-sized bag of seasonal shapes. With a tangy taste of Cheddar cheese, these are bursting with flavour and fun too. Trees, star and bells to nibble on.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper Pretzel Stars £1.29 for 175g
Add a touch of sophistication to your festive snacks with pretzels shaped as stars. Made to an authentic American pretzel recipe and seasoned with sea salt and a spiky hit of black pepper.
There are also Giant Pretzels available and the classic range including Sour Cream and Chive flavour and Sweet and Spicy Salsa Flavour.
Available from all major supermarkets across the UK and you can find out more at http://pennstate.co.uk
We love Penn State’s Christmas-themed pretzels as they are both tasty and fun to look at. They come in generous sized bags and are great for quiet nights in, party snacks or as pre-dinner nibbles. As daft as it sounds, these snacks really did help adults and children alike get in the Christmas spirit.
Cheddar Cheese Festive Pretzel Mix £1.49 for 250g
Enjoy a limited edition generous-sized bag of seasonal shapes. With a tangy taste of Cheddar cheese, these are bursting with flavour and fun too. Trees, star and bells to nibble on.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper Pretzel Stars £1.29 for 175g
Add a touch of sophistication to your festive snacks with pretzels shaped as stars. Made to an authentic American pretzel recipe and seasoned with sea salt and a spiky hit of black pepper.
There are also Giant Pretzels available and the classic range including Sour Cream and Chive flavour and Sweet and Spicy Salsa Flavour.
Available from all major supermarkets across the UK and you can find out more at http://pennstate.co.uk
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