Earlier this year we reviewed Kids Cook French and really enjoyed it so I was more than happy to have a look at the Let's Cook Italian book which is in the same series. It follows the same layout in that on the right hand side of the page is the recipe in English and on the left it is written in Italian.

There are a range of recipes stretching from one of our family favourites; spaghetti carbonara to desserts such as heavenly cake and piedmontese chocolate pudding. The recipes highlight parts which are easy for children to take part in so that you can get them involved in cooking.



I decided to make the snack apple fritters with my apple loving middle man and I am pleased to say they went well.



You will need:

2 apples, peeled cored and sliced.
Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 1/4 cups of flour (it didn't say what type so I guessed at plain and it seemed to work fine.)
6 1/2 tbsp milk
2 eggs separated
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
15ml olive oil
pinch of salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1tbsp cinnamon

Start by slicing the apple and covering in lemon juice.

Mix the flour and milk. Add the egg yolks, 1tbsp icing sugar, vanilla and oil.

Whisk the egg whites with the salt and remaining icing sugar until it forms stiff peaks. Fold into the batter.



Heat some oil in a frying pan. Dip the apple into the batter and fry.

Coat the fritters in sugar mixed with cinnamon.

It tastes lovely with some vanilla ice cream.




I love the idea of cooking with my boys and so I find books like this really helpful. The only downside is that there are no photographs. Whilst the illustrations are nice, I am a visual person and when it came to making the apple fritters it would have been nice to have seen a photograph so that I knew which way to slice them. (Personally if I had an apple corer, I think doughnut shaped ones would look best.) Having said that, there are a variety of recipes from starters to desserts than can easily be made with the involvement of your children. The book can be purchased from Amazon with an RRP of £12.99

I am excited to tell you that I have an extra copy to giveaway to one of my readers. Just complete the Rafflecopter entry below. Good Luck!

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I have to admit that until some quinona arrived on my doorstep, I had never tried it. However, I really enjoyed it and it was easy to cook too. I figured that it would be nice to use a mix of all three, as it would look pretty. The red and black also give it a bit of a crunch.

According to the leaflet in my package, quinoa is the original superfood from Peru. And here's an interesting fact for you: NASA feeds its astronauts quinoa saying "oi single foodstuff can supply all the essential nutrients necessary for life, but quinoa is the closest to any food in the vegetable or animal kingdom."



To cook two you will need:

2 pieces of Salmon
1 cup of quinoa (I used a mix of the the three I was given.)
2 spring onions
green pesto
100ml creme fraiche
1 clove garlic finely chopped

I started by steaming the Salmon in the oven by wrapping it in foil and placing at 180C for about 15 minutes.

I then cooked the quinoa. I placed 1/2 cup of the white and 1/4 cup of the red and black in a pan. I then added 2 cups of water and bought to the boil. I turned the heat down and placed the lid on the pan and left it cooking for 20 minutes.

To make the sauce I fried 3 spring onions, 1 clove of garlic and 100g spinach. I then added 2 tsp of pesto and 100ml of creme fraiche.

Place the quinoa on the plate and top with sauce and salmon.

Have you tried quinoa? What recipes would you recommend?

I then used buttercream to stick the squares inside each other and then on top of each other. It sounds harder than it is! The key thing is to make sure that if its brown you have a green next to it.


I then coated this in buttercream (with a little cocoa added) and put it back in the fridge.

I then used 3 packets of green icing to cover the cake.

I added extra squares around the cake, and piped green buttercream around the edges just to make it look neater.


When you cut inside the cake you get a checkerboard effect that should put a smile on a little Minecraft fan's face.

So it's less than a week until the big day. If you have small children like mine then you are probably worried that they may just explode by Christmas Eve. I have been watching A Muppets Christmas Carol and reminiscing about days gone by. Here are some of my pearls of wisdom that I have learnt from Christmas' past.

1. No matter how much planning you do, the kids will throw you a curve ball near the date. They may have been asking 5 months solid for a pirate ship, however, as the day draws near they will have completely changed their mind and be requesting a water pistol. When this happens just remind them they have a Birthday. If they have just had a birthday just tell them that the years go faster as they get older and they will get a water pistol before they know it.

2. When your 4 year old asks for a toy cucumber for his play kitchen, don't type it into Google. There are some perverted people out there!

3. Don't let your husband put away the Christmas food shop. We are still looking for the broccoli and Paxo that disappeared 5 years ago. 

4. It is perfectly ok for everyone to live off chocolate on Christmas Day. Infact it is a bonus when your Christmas dinner is delayed down to lack of broccoli and stuffing. (See point 3.)

5. Dried mint is not a substitute for fresh mint in a Mojito.

6. Young children should be reminded that Santa delivers their present downstairs and not in the Stocking. Big man was distraught at 7am on Christmas morning when he was 3 as Father Christmas had put a sodding satsuma in his stocking instead of a camera. Middle man on the other hand is more excited over fruit in his stocking than any other present he receives.

7. If when cleaning on 23rd Dec you find your husband has unexpectedly bought you an expensive gift. Fear not, garden centre's are open and who wouldn't want a bug house and some pickles for Christmas?

8. You've made it through Christmas Day - well done. Now whatever you do, don't think it's a good idea to watch the Mickey Flanagan DVD that your sister brought your parents for Christmas. No matter what. No matter how funny she has told you it is. There is nothing funny about a sketch about tea bagging when you are watching it with your parents. It is even less funny when they are laughing.

Now go forth and have a Merry Christmas. And if all else fails drink wine. Lots of it. Especially if you haven't headed my warning on point 8.

Thanks for reading this year! 

I have never much been a fan of visiting the doctors. I always feel that I am probably wasting their time. Now I have children I am even less of a fan. Having 3 boys means that sometimes you feel that you should have some kind of privilege card the amount of time you can spend in there. 

A few weeks ago we had to take little man. I very nearly booked myself an appointment for stress after it.

It all started badly when the only appointment available was 8.30am. Cue panic and shouts of "get your shoes on" as I attempted to get 3 boys out of the door, to the doctors and then onto school all before my coffee had had time to get into my system. 

The waiting room was deadly quiet. 

Was quiet. Past tense.

Our surgery has a rocking horse which is a nice idea if there are no other children in the surgery. Little man is not impressed another child is on the horse and promptly goes over and tries to get the child removed by his mother.

The board beeped and flashed. 

"Is it us?" middle man shouts. "No it's that lady over there who is getting up""Well who is she? What is her name?" He roared.

Next middle man thinks he can act as a triage nurse. 

"That man has a cough" he exclaimed in a confident manner. He  beamed from ear to ear feeling he had diagnosed the man's problem and off he could trot with a packet of cough sweets. I think he was disappointed when the man accompanied his wife to her appointment.

The board beeped again and thankfully it was our turn. We piled into the doctors room and I apologised for our existence before I sat down. The excitement of the room beat a theme park hands down. There was a curtain around the examination bed that middle man couldn't stop playing with. Running up and down the room. Big man was jumping on the scales trying to change his weight. I was now apologising every other sentence whilst trying to explain little man's problem.

Little man had to lie down to be examined. Before I (or the doctor) knew it, middle man poked his head under the doctors arm to have a closer look and give his two pennies worth.


I headed off with a prescription, a 5 year old who is now confident he could be a GP and the need to spend an hour in a quiet room with a large strong coffee!

To make a Toblerone fondue you will need:

200g Toberlerone
3tbsp Golden Syrup
3tbsp milk

A selction of dipping food. Marshmallows, cake, strawberries, pineapple and banana all work well.

Break up the Toblerone and put it in the microwave for 1 min 30s to melt. Stir in the golden syrup and milk and you are ready to go!


This recipe served 4 adults and 3 children comfortably. I couldn't quite believe it was the first chocolate fondue my Uncle had tasted. He seemed to enjoy it so I don't think it will be his last. What is your favourite thing to dip into a chocolate fondue?

Olives are a favourite of mine. Large green ones, black ones, green ones stuffed with garlic. I could eat far more than is good for me in one sitting.  However, I have to confess I don't do a lot with them. I mainly eat them as they are, with a cocktail stick. If I am feeling adventurous, I may put them on a rocket pizza or have them in a Greek salad. I have just been sent an Olive It! Recipe book so that will all change. Infact as soon as I have finished typing this I am ordering some Manchego cheese so I can make the red-hot manchego whirls that sound delisious. Other recipes included in the book that have tickled my taste buds are black olive tapenade and goat's cheese croustades as well as black olives with watermelon, pistachios and halloumi.



The book includes a short history of the olive as well as some mouth watering recipes from Omar Allibhoy, Jose Pizarro and Sue Ashworth. If you love olives, or know someone that does, you will be pleased to know that I have 20 copies of the book to giveaway to my readers. Just complete the rafflecopter entry below. Good Luck! Please check the terms and conditions below. UK entry only.

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Open to UK residents over the age of 18 only Entries will be moderated, so please make sure that you comment if necessary. There are 20 prizes of an Olive It! Recipe book.  No cash alternative. No bulk or automated entries. If you have already won the prize on a separate blog giveaway with the same promoter they reserve the right to redraw a new winner.  The winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will be notified by email (make sure you leave your contact details) The winners e mail addresses will be passed directly to the PR company who will make contact and arrange delivery of the prize Competition closes on 8th Jan 12.00am. 

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I wont lie, I had never tried a Spanish persimon before these lovlies arrived on my doorstep last week. The persimon is sweet and the entire fruit can be eaten. It also looks particularly beautiful when it is sliced!


Having tasted the persimon I decided it would be perfect for a salad. This would make a fantastic starter this party season.

All you need is:

Spanish Persimon
Mozzarella
Baby leaf salad
Balsamic vinegar - I used Due Vittorie as it is sweet and viscous. You may wish to add a drop of olive oil as well depending on the type of vinegar you use.

I simply cut the persimon into slices and layered it in-between mozzarella slices.This was placed on a bed of baby leaf salad leaves and then drizzled with balsamic vinegar. It was a lovely alternative to using tomato and I shall definitely be trying it again.



You can follow Spanish Persimon on Facebook and Twitter.

This morning I have been reminiscing about when little man really was little. There is something special about having a newborn.  Everyone wants a cuddle, strangers coo over your little bundle of joy. People stop to talk to you in the shops. Make faces at the baby in the queue at the supermarket to make them smile. The innocence of a baby can't help but bring out the best in people.

photo credit Pampers UK

photo credit Pampers UK

Earlier this month I was invited to The Royal Horseguards Hotel for a wine tasting event. The Royal Horseguards Hotel is where my husband chose for us to stay when we visited London for our 10th Wedding Anniversary earlier this year. He chose it due to it's fantastic location and we were both impressed by the service we received. You can read my full review of our room at The Royal Horseguards here.

What was really nice about this event, was that I was able to learn a bit of history about the hotel which really does make it special and I wish I had known some of this history when we had stayed there.

The reception area was beautifully decorated for Christmas. The luxurious surroundings made me even more excited about tasting the wine as it wasn't going to be a special offer from the supermarket kind of wine.



The Royal Horseguards Hotel is the home of the National Liberal Club. Only members are allowed behind this door and it is no smoking too! Gladstone and Churchill are two of it's most famous members. Knowing I wasn't allowed in, just made me want to go in there more.



This amazing marble staircase was rebuilt after the war with a small part remaining from the original.


The secret service MI6 was founded on the 8th floor of the hotel. Sir Mansfield Cumming, the founder, wrote in green ink and signed his correspondence with a C.

The hotels restaurant is called One Twenty-One Two which is the famous telephone number of Scotland Yard. We also got to see the Division Bell. When it is rung, members of the House of Commons or Lords have eight minutes to go and vote.

So after a brief history tour we headed to the wine cellar. It is rummoured that this wall used to be a secret passage way to the house of commons.


The evening was hosted by the fantastic Kelly from Tastour. I have been to wine tasting events before and whilst I have enjoyed the wine, I haven't learnt a thing. I often switch off when there is talk of different types of grapes and sulphites. Kelly on the other hand was extremely engaging and entertaining.


I don't want to giveaway all her secrets, but I learnt that the further away you can smell white wine, the more you should pay. She also advised that in an establishment as prestigious as The Royal Horseguards, you are putting your trust in them and the house wine should be a good one. Another good tip was that if you can buy the wine by the glass, you should be able to ask for a taster first to make sure you like it.


We sampled a variety of wine all of which I would most happily drink again. I found that my drink of choice was Tattinger, so apologies to my husband for my new expensive tastes. I also proved that I can drink red wine without getting a headache so it really is down to the quality of the wine.

All in all it as a fascinating evening in the most beautiful venue with some lovely bloggers. I will raise a glass to that!

photo credit Joe Bloggers

This is a rather belated Birthday post. You see, around his Birthday I wasn't feeling the love so much. Well that is a lie. I love him to bits, but he is getting bigger, and with that comes independence and difference of opinion. He had found one of his Birthday presents early which upset me. He shouldn't have been snooping in my room in the first place. I missed seeing his face when he saw it. It is that, which upset me. You see he is getting all grown up. Soon the excitement will disappear to grunts. I am painfully aware of this. I shouldn't have got annoyed but I did. He voiced that maybe I had hidden some of his presents downstairs (which I had done a previous year.) I hadn't. I was a grumpy Mum on his Birthday.



I need to give him some slack. He is a boy who is 8. He does silly things, he make a mess, he is just a child still. He looks after his brothers and is obsessed with Minecraft and Match Attax. More than anything he is kind. Always has been and I hope always will. He rushed home excited about Operation Christmas Child. Packing a shoebox full of treats for someone less fortunate. And then this week he made me so happy. I had left the boys Christmas shopping with their Dad on Saturday. There was a food collection outside the shop and I told my husband to remember to get some food for it. With the fun of looking after 3 boys in a supermarket he forgot. But big man was upset. He was worried about others going hungry. So I promised him we would go shopping and buy some food for the foodbank. So this weekend we popped to Tesco to pick up some extra bits. It is really handy as they have a collection box, tell you what they need and will top up your donation by 30%. He picked his favourite pasta sauces, milk, biscuits, and tins.



Following the kindness of big man, I am posting this as part of Blog it Forward. Wayfair will donate £50 for each blog post written to Habitat for Humanity this December so I felt I should take on big man's attitude too. If you have a blog why not join in too.

The boys were really excited by their cocktails, and loved eating the orange too!


Robinsons have some great ideas for drinking more water. Maybe you prefer a warm drink in the winter months? The why not warn up some orange squash with some orange segments, cloves and a pinch of ginger. A lovely alternative to a mulled wine at a Christmas party for drivers too!