There is one thing I love about Christmas and that is having lots of nibbles. These cheese and marmite nibbles are quick and simple to make with rest made puff pastry. If you aren't a marmite fan, you can leave it out and just make cheese straws, but you will be missing out!
Take a pack of pre rolled puff pastry cover with grated cheese. Fold in half and half again and roll flat. Repeat twice.
Cut into a rectangle and add a layer of marmite and roll the pastry.
Travelling more is something my husband and I have agreed we would like to do. I often wonder if I missed out by not having a gap year, but I certainly wasn't mature enough at 18 to head off around the world. Having children adds another element into the mix, especially when trips need arranging around the school holidays. However, you only get one chance at life and if you put off travelling until the kids have grown up, there is always the chance that you could have left it too late. We have come to the conclusion that there will always be someone too young or not wanting to try an activity and if we based our decisions on what the boys wanted we wouldn't venture further than Butlin's.
We have therefore decided that next year we will be doing some travelling. Nothing is confirmed as yet. We had been looking at Malaysia, but our current thoughts have turned to Costa Rica as we think it may be better suited to the children. What I hadn't really thought about was having to prepare for travelling in advance. Luckily there is a great pre trip checklist over on the Benenden site to help me out. I hadn't even considered needing vaccinations in advance. We have now had the boys covered for hepatitis which should be all they need wherever we decide to go. They just need a booster in 6 months time. I have to say I was extremely proud of middle man who took his injection in his stride and didn't lash out at the nurse like he had previously done when having an injection.
Our passports are up to date so that is one less thing to worry about. It is easier than you think to let your passport run out. I have a friend that realised a day before her planned journey, so I am now forever checking ours.
I am pleased to say I am not too worried about the long flights. This year when we visited Dubai, I found the mid haul flight much easier than the short haul to Lanzarote. There was more space and films on tap. Much better than a cramped plane with our tablets being drained. The only problem for me is my fear of flying. I know it is a control thing. I can't fly a plane. Haven't a clue how to. So it worries me. I really found a pilots view camera helpful on our trip to Dubai. Seeing what they could see did put me at ease. I was also reading a piece about conquering fear of flying and really liked the quote "the brave die but the cautious never live.” I literally nearly got run over at a car park the other week so really it is important for me to put things in perspective.
And with that I am going to flick through my travel guide and dream of a much warmer climate and the fun we can have.
Have you travelled much with your children? Where would you like to go? Have you got any other things I need to add to my pre holiday checklist?
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias
I know it is not quite December, but who cares I am getting all festive with these ginger flavour cupcakes. I popped to my local Sainsbury's and was really impressed with their Christmas cake decorating range. There were foiled cupcake cases, ready made frosting and beautiful sugar decorations that allow you to make stunning looking cupcakes in a small amount of time.
There are lots of different gingerbread style cupcake recipes around which all seem quite complicated. I decided I would devise a simple recipe and I am pleased to say it worked really well. I just used my usual cupcake mixture but substituted the caster sugar for light brown sugar and added a couple of tablespoons of ginger powder to give them a lovely festive warmth.
Mix all the cake ingredients together. I put the butter in the microwave for 20s to make this a little easier. Divide the mixture into the cupcake cases. I use an ice cream scoop to measure this out.
Cook the cake for 10-12 minutes and remove when a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool.
Use a piping bag to swirl the frosting onto the cupcake. (Don't worry if you don't have your own icing bag set, they sell disposable ones in Sainsbury's too!)
Finish the cupcakes with a gingerbread man decoration and a few golden stars.
The cupcakes have a lovely warmth thanks to the ginger and are perfect for a Christmas party. What quick and easy recipes do you have for Christmas?
On Saturday we were guests of Lapland UK to review this years experience. It is set in a Whitmore Forest in Bracknell, Berkshire. This was our third visit to Lapland UK and I was initially concerned that the boys wouldn't be excited.
However, children enjoy repetition and I was wrong. The excitement when they found their invites was at fever pitch. Thankfully they received them a day in advance as middle man must have asked at least 50 times whether it was time to see Father Christmas yet.
On arriving at Lapland UK you check in and are given a team that you follow for the tour. Returning guests also receive an extra surprise. Children are given elf passports which allow them to enter the magical world of Lapland UK. There were two elves in the waiting area keeping the children amused.
Elves greet each other with a special wave.
You then walk through a woodland scene where you meet two woodland elves who talk you through some magical explanations. This year they had new outfits and were more interactive.
The door to Lapland UK is opened and a reindeer herder takes you onto the next step of your journey.
The elf toy factory.
The elves this year were fantastic. The toy factory had more detail than ever before. The first toy to make was a reindeer which was also made in last years experience. This is quite tricky for little hands to stuff but does look cute.
Next was a wooden horse. This was much easier to make and the elves demonstrated how elf magic (applied to the children's toys later) would make them walk. I was impressed!
A big thank you from the elves and stamp in the elf passport and you are in your way to Mother Christmas' kitchen. Here gingerbread houses are iced and a story is read to the children. Again more detail and extra thought had gone into this years kitchen. The children are read a story here and another stamp is gained in their passport.
You are then lead to the elf village and told when to meet for your journey to Father Christmas.
The elf village did seem quieter this year. Probably because it was November, late and freezing cold. You could stroke Huskies, go ice skating, visit the post office, sweet shop, or elf emporium. On sale in the elf emporium are toys similar to those that your children have helped make.
You have around an hour and a half in the elf village. I really think it is necessary to eat when you are there as it is a long wait otherwise. The Mother Christmas' Pie is lovely, the kids meals aren't the best. Drinks are expensive at a minimum of £2 each. Our food came to £48. You can pay in elf jingles (if you have pre purchased these) or using card.
The ice skating rink has lots of penguins and "small folk" can use double blade skates that attach to their shoes. There are elves on hand to help you if you fall.
This year a new system was put into place to take you up to see Father Christmas. I think there were a few teething issues as it was opening weekend. In previous years we have never had to queue but this year we did. I am sure that the elves will be working on this to make it a smoother journey for future guests.
This elf did the most amazing job of keeping our boys entertained.
On the walk up the hill you see the reindeer and sleigh. When in the waiting area it is worth noting that just one adult needs to check in, without any small folk around.
An elf then calls your children by name and takes you on a trail to Father Christmas. The silly elf infront of us was taking a different family on the long route whilst we took a short cut!
The meeting with Father Christmas was very good. He knew lots about each child and even found their names on his good list which he showed them. At the end they were given a golden bell sticker for their passports meaning they are honorary elves. You aren't allowed to take photos in Father Christmas' house, but don't fear there is an elf doing that. There were a number of magical moment (unstaged) shots and then staged family ones as well. You can then decide how many you want in reality depending on how much you want to pay. We went for the cheapest option of £15 for one photograph of all the family. This year you also get the digital copy too for that price.
A printer issue meant the elves in the shop were having a difficult time and the queue was incredibly long to pay for this. They did their best to sort the issue out as soon as possible, but it would put be off purchasing tickets on the opening day again. I should note that when we visited in 2013, we went on the second day and everything was fine.
So what did we think of our third visit to Lapland UK? Despite a couple of teething issues, it was a fantastic experience. This year there was more detail than ever before. The interaction between the elves and children was superb and had stepped up a knotch from last year (which was already good!) Ticket prices are expensive, but it reflects the type of experience it is. I have compiled a short You Tube video which will give you a taster of what is in store.
I believe that the best age to take a child to this experience is between the age of 4 and 6. You should also be aware that the experience lasts around 3 1/2 to 4 hrs from the time you check in. You also can't visit Father Christmas early. The only time this would be an issue is if it is really bad weather. We had a lovely time at Lapland UK and would like to thank them for yet another amazing experience. If you have any questions about the experience, please leave a comment below and I will do my best to answer it.
We received press passes to review Lapland UK but all purchases inside were our own. We have previously purchased tickets to the event. You can read our 2013 and 2014 reviews as well as frequently Googled questions.
My baby is 4! How did that happen. I remember his birth well. A planned section. Relief, when he was fine. It showed me that no matter how many medical paper you read (trust me I read a lot!) there is always hope. My littlest bundle of joy burst into the world without knowing the worry he had caused the past 8 months.
And now my little man is my little cheeky monkey.
Eager to grow up fast.
To be like his brothers.
Full of happiness.
We celebrated early with a "Halloween Birthday Party" so shall be spending the day as a family. I would love to say that I enjoy organising children's parties, but I don't. I worry from the moment the invites go out until the last party bag is given out. This way I can make sure that we celebrate little man's special day and enjoy it.
So little man, what can I tell you about yourself at the age of 3?
Well I am pleased to report that you seem to be coming through the threenager years. You had tantrums galore in the summer as you wouldn't give in to a nap. You clearly aren't following after your Mother! You love to make friends and do it so easily. Seeing you so confident makes me happy.
You have decided to take on big man's football team of Chelsea. I think even big man is having second thoughts about supporting them now that they are having a bad year!
You still love Octonauts and Jake and the Neverland Pirates. You are great with Lego and are my new cooking buddy. You are a pro at cracking eggs.
You have a million acorns in your pockets as you seem to want to grow a forest. You have to bring a stick home whenever possible but thankfully you agree to leave them at the front door.
You are a pro at the 2p machines at the bowling alley. You always seem to win the complete tat that has caught your eye!
You want to be a big boy so much, but just enjoy being 4 for now. I love you to the moon and back.
I am rather excited to announce that over the next 6 months I will be a Glorious Soup Ambassador. What does this mean? It means I get to try out a number of their rather delicious fresh soups, report back to my readers what they taste like and come up with some recipes suggestions too. This month I tried out the autumnal New England Butternut Squash Soup from the SkinnyLisious range. It was silky smooth and the cumin added made it have a lovely warmth. It has been some time since I visited New England. We visited Stowe in Vermont and it really was exactly how you would imagine Christmas in a US movie. Every house had twinkling fairy lights and fresh white snow. The Butternut Squash soup would have been a lovely warming lunch to come back to whilst we were skiing out there.
Glorious! are currently running an exciting competition where you could win a trip for 2 to Mumbai by sharing your travel memories sparked by your favourite soup in the range. To find out more head over to the Foodies 100 website.
I don't know about you, but I love some nice fresh bread to dip in my soup and decided to make a simple and quick soda bread to accompany the Glorious Butternut Squash soup.
This recipe serves 2 people and it matched nicely with the Glorious New England Butternut Squash soup.
250g plain flour
2tsp baking powder
5g salt
50g grated cheddar
150ml milk or buttermilk
1 red chilli deseeded and chopped finely
A handful of pumpkin seeds
Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and milk together to make a dough. Add the chilli and most of the cheddar. (Keep a little back for the top of the bread.) Make into a ball and flatten. Place on some greased proof paper and add the remaining cheese and pumpkin seeds on top. Score the bread and then bake at 180C for around 25 minutes.
Serve with a little butter and dip into the Glorious New England Butternut Squash Soup.
Have you tried the Glorious range yet? What is your favourite flavour?
This is a question I never thought I would ask myself. Do I have a child genius? We have long thought that middle man would go far as he seems to have a photographic memory. (Ok most of the information he recalls is from children's TV but it is a start!) But to be honest as long as my children work hard and are happy, that is the most important thing to me. However, today I am wondering about little man. Could he be a genius? The basis of my theory? Someone once told me that lying is a sign of intelligence. If that is the case then step aside Einstein, little man is super intelligent.
I can't even begin to tell you how naughty he has been this week. His response to every interrogation is a Shaggy style "It wasn't me!"
Infact he has cried wolf so many times recently, that when he told us that he had been sick the other day we didn't even believe him. (Later that day he did confirm he was telling the truth by running to the toilet in-front of us.) I know that we will get there and teach him right from wrong but in the meantime he needs to understand he is in being naughty.That it is wrong to lie. Of course the fact remains that whilst he may or may not be showing some signs of intelligence by lying though his teeth to us, he is no genius. A genius would hide the sweet wrappers and not leave them for his Mum to find. After all, that's what I did!
How have you coped with your children telling lies?
My latest recipe book to review is Sally's Candy Addiction. The American Food Blogger's book is filled with loads of ideas that will make anyone with a sweet tooth happy. Most of the ideas are really simple which means it is a good book to give you ideas of things to make with the children. There isn't anything healthy about this book. It has recipes such as crisps dipped in chocolate and sprinkes added. That said it is great if you want some simple ideas for parties. There is a rather tasty looking deep dish cookie which I think I am going to have to have a go at soon for one of the boys birthdays.
As it is an American book, measurements are in cups and there are one or two ingredients that would be hard to find this side of the pond. That said, I use recipe books as a guide and often substitute ingredients anyway.
You can purchase Sally's Candy Addiction from Amazon and there is also a chance for one of my readers to win a copy at the end of this post.
This is such a simple idea, but tastes great and would make a perfect homemade Christmas gift. It is so easy you could get the children involved too.
1 large bar of white chocolate (150-200g)
1 large bar of dark chocolate (150-200g)
Peppermint essence
Vegetable Oil
3 Candy canes.
Break up the white chocolate and melt in the microwave with half a teaspoon of vegetable oil and a drop of peppermint essence.
Pour this onto some greaseproof paper and allow to nearly set.
Next melt the dark chocolate, half a teaspoon of vegetable oil and a drop of peppermint essence. Pour this onto of the white chocolate.
Smash the candy canes in a plastic bag with a rolling pin and then sprinkle these on top.
Set in the fridge, before breaking into pieces.
If you like the sound of this recipe, then you will like the ideas in Sally's Candy Addiction. For your chance to win a copy please complete the rafflecopter below. Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Free competitions at ThePrizeFinder - See more at: http://www.theprizefinder.com/content/sallys-candy-addiction-recipe-book#sthash.zycVUWxN.dpuf
You will all know the song Happy by Pharrell Willimas. Well now it is a book too. I have to say I was intrigued as to what it would be like. So we threw a little happy party to celebrate it's release!
I don't know why, but I was shocked when the words were that of the song. The pictures are of children dressed up and being happy in lots of different ways. Personally it made me burst into song!
It wasn't a massive hit with my boys, but I think that is because they are a bit too old for it. When little man was around 2 loved looking at books which had photographs of children in. So I think it is probably more suited to a child of that age.
You can purchase Happy! from Amazon.
A sprinkle cake is really simple cake to make and is sure to brighten up someone's day and make them happy. I made a small one using a 13cm diameter spring form tin.
Start by making the cake by mixing the butter, flour, sugar and eggs together. Cook at 180C until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool. Then sandwich the cakes together using jam and frosting. Leave in the fridge to get cold as this will make the next step easier.
Once the cake is cold, spread frosting on the outside and roll in the sprinkles. Then add frosting to the top and press into the sprinkles.
And that is it. One happy sprinkle cake that is easy to make.
The most "Googled" posts on my blog since September have been about Lapland UK. I'm not really surprised, as when I was looking to go for the first time 2 years ago there were hardly any reviews on the internet. Everyone is looking for a magical Christmas experience, but we have all heard about the bad ones. With prices starting at £45 a ticket, people want to know all about Lapland UK before parting with their hard earned cash. I have gone through my keyword searches and picked out some of the most asked search terms in a hope to answer some of your questions.
Is Lapland UK any good? How good is Lapland UK? Lapland UK or not? In my opinion it is fantastic. I have been in 2013, 2014 and we are going again this year. It is a theatrical production taking you through the elves toy factory and gingerbread with Mother Christmas. You then have some free time to go ice skating before making your visit to Father Christmas. People can and do pick fault in it. Yes the snow isn't real (it's magical snow!) Yes the toy factory isn't that busy. It is a production. Maybe as adults our perception is sometimes too high. Lapland UK is a theatrical production aimed at children and I think it is an extremely good one.
Best time to go to Lapland UK? Lapland UK Morning or Evening?
In my opinion this depends on the age our your children. Younger ones are better going early and older ones can go later. It looks magical in day and night. Photographs are much easier to take in the light though. In 2013 we went at 9am and 2014 we went at 4pm. This year we are going at 3.30pm. When it comes to age, I think the best age is between 3 and 6. Younger children will not find it easy to take part in the activities or remember it.
Do I need Elf Jingles Lapland UK?
Elf jingles are the currency in Lapland UK. You can pre buy them to create "extra magic." Do you need them? I don't think so, it is totally up to you. I just took my credit card. They don't take sterling cash at Lapland UK. I guess it is your call on whether you want to purchase Elf Jingles or not, but after paying so much to get in and for food and a photo, I didn't feel the need for my boys to buy any more toys. If I had given them money to spend in the shop then I would probably have purchased Elf Jingles for them to pay with. We have been twice without Elf Jingles and the boys didn't even notice.
Lapland UK worth the money? Cost of Lapland UK?
This is such a personal question. For me, there is only a small window of time that Christmas is magical, that I wanted to make the most of it. We have been to a number of Santa experiences and this has been head and shoulders above the rest. We have the added advantage of living close by so there are no travel costs or hotel fees on top. When we purchased our tickets last year we also took out the cancellation insurance as my boys are always ill around Christmas. You also need to factor in the cost of extras. There is quite a long wait after your tour before you see Father Christmas. We have had food there on both occasions and depending on the time you visit, you would at least want to buy a drink and snack. You are likely to want to buy a photograph with Father Christmas too - this was £15 last year.
Lapland UK Staff Reviews Only one person has Googled this and I am not sure what they were looking for. I can tell you that all the staff that we met at Lapland UK were extremely helpful. I was also very interested when Father Christmas himself commented on my blog post and added some really insightful information that I thought would be good to share again. He pointed out that you can't go and see Father Christmas early. The reason for this, is that if you have booked and the weather is dreadful, you still have to wait your turn. Although you wouldn't be affected by the weather in the Toy factory or kitchen, you would when it comes to the ice skating. As it is set in a wood, it can get very muddy as well. Little man fell over in the car park last year and was covered in mud. Father Christmas also asked that parents don't take photos when he is talking to your child. This is because it is extremely hard for him spark up a relationship when the flash is constantly going. You are asked not to take any photos in Father Christmas' hut, but I guess as always people ignore this.
So I hope that if you have Googled and ended up here, that this post has been useful. (Don't forget to check out my previous reviews.) We will be adding a review as guests of Lapland UK this year too. If you have any other questions, feel free to add them in the comments and I will try and answer them. Please remember that these are my opinions only, and not those of Lapland UK.
Full details of booking can be found on the Lapland UK website.
You would think that I would have learnt by now, not to ask the boys what kind of Birthday cake they want. Or one step better - just go and buy one from a shop. But no. I haven't. I felt guilty as I made little man have a small party at home and therefore asked him what cake he would like for his Halloween Birthday Party. I was hoping for a bat or spider. He wanted a happy pumpkin!
I started by making 4 square sponges and 1 small round sponge.
I did this by splitting a simple cake mixture: lb butter, lb caster sugar, lb self raising flour and 8 eggs.
I then sandwiched these together using vanilla frosting.
To make the cake easier to cut, I popped it into the freezer. I then cut it to shape and used some frosting crumb (frosting plus cake crumbs from the off cuts) to make it into a smoother shape. I fully coated the cake in frosting and popped it back into the freezer.
I then covered in orange icing.
To neaten the edges I put orange balls around the edge and I scored some lines to give it some texture.
I prepared some green icing with CMC to use for the top and once they had dried I used edible glue to stick them on.
All that was left was to cut out a happy face with black icing. According to little man I failed at this as he felt it was a bit angry! Luckily the excitement of his Birthday party meant he was OK with an angry faced pumpkin!
Everyone seems to be expecting at the moment. It's at times like these I worry about feeling broody. Will I want another little bundle of joy? I am pleased to say that I have now come to a point where I am able to say I'm done. I love my boys, I wouldn't have it any other way. In hindsight I possibly should have waited slightly longer to make the decision about having little man. I thought I was pretty good at this parenting lark, and then I had 3! Anyway I digress. I am not in one little bit broody. Little man, however, is a different case. He is besotted with babies. He can't walk past a pram without cooing. I don't know why, but some mothers of newborns don't really want a 3 year old sticking their heads into their pram to poke their baby who they have just spent the last half an hour rocking to sleep! He also has a renewed interest in his baby toys. He is at the stage where he won't leave the house without something of his and at the moment he is taking a Lazame toy with him each time. He then goes up to any baby he can in the park and shows them his toy. He pats them and he has even, with the permission of the Grandma of the baby, kissed one! Infact if I am not holding his hand he will often wander off to look at a baby. Why couldn't middle man have been like this? He has never liked babies and only shown an interest in his own little brother when he could boss him around. So little man is broody. He will not be becoming a big brother. Maybe he needs a pet to love? But for now, I am eagerly awaiting some friends new arrivals so that he can have some baby cuddles. Feeling broody is something I expected me to feel, not my 3 year old son.
When did you realise that your family was complete? Did your children feel the same?
from Amazon.
