Yesterday was a day where cake was required! So I had a look in the cupboards and made these beauties. Carrot and walnut cupcakes with a maple cream cheese glaze. My boys loved them as much as I did!



To make 12 cupcakes

3 large carrots grated (or whizzed up in your blender)
75g butter or margarine (I used the latter as I hadn't got any butter in)
70g walnuts whizzed up in the blender
75g Maple Syrup  - I used Clarks Maple Syrup
100g soft brown sugar
2 eggs
150g self raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2tsp cinammon
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Pre heat the oven to 180C.

Mix all the ingredients above together. Divide the mixture between 12 cupcake cases. I will warn you, it is not the prettiest mixture to look at uncooked but it tastes great when it is. Cook the cupcakes for around 20minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool.

In the meantime make the maple cream cheese glaze.

You will need:

50g soft cheese (I used Philidelphia light)
100g icing sugar
30g maple syrup

Mix the above ingredients together and when cool place onto your cupcakes and decorate with some crushed walnuts.

Enjoy!

Today is Yakult's 20th Birthday and they have commissioned research into what advice us Brit's would give our younger selves. It got me thinking. What would my advice be?

Twenty years ago I was a carefree Chemistry student who should have probably been socialising less and studying more.

I would tell my younger self to trust my instincts and not listen to others so much. I had a number of jobs I hated, but was talked into. I knew I wanted to teach, but everyone told me not to.

"The money is rubbish."

"Teenagers are horrible why would you want to teach 30?"

Both statements I regularly heard when I said I was thinking of teacher training.  I got there eventually but I could have saved myself a lot of time and rubbish jobs if I had just trusted my instincts.

I would tell myself to worry less about money and travel more. There are so many places I haven't seen, and now I have three kids in tow it is harder and much more expensive to see the world. But don't worry, I am not going to let that stop me.

I would tell myself not to fear childbirth. That you don't need half the things that are marketed for babies and most of all I would tell myself not to buy a cream shaggy rug when I had just had a baby. What was I thinking!?!


But does the rest of the nation agree with me according to Yakult's findings? Well there are certainly some similarities.

1. Save money  from a young age (53.25%)
2. Have more self-belief (48.10%)
3. Do more exercise (38.35%)
4. Travel more – there’s a whole world to explore (34.55%)
5. Don’t smoke (32.10%)

This weekend I have been trying to embrace the outdoors. I am not really the kind of Mum that enjoys getting muddy. I don't mind going for a nice country walk and stopping off in a nice pub for lunch. But when it comes to going out in the cold and damp I am afraid to say that I am like my name.

Fairweather.

But I have 3 boys.

They have a lot of energy.

They seem to like mud so much that they end up getting covered head to toe in it.

So on Saturday we went to the local forest. I was excited to find a Stick Man. Little man was too.


But along the lines of the book....

A stick cries the boy, a wonderful stick

Just the thing I need to poke things with

He prods and he pokes at things on the ground

And bashes some trees really hard up and down

Before he knows it the arm of the stick

Is no longer there from something he's hit.


Not quite the same charm as Julia Donaldson's story is it?

Anyway, continuing our weekend of embracing the outdoors we headed to Alice Holt on Sunday and did their Stick Man Trail. For £3 you get a map to tick off things you will see on the route. There are a couple of pipe cleaners to help you make your own Stick Man by securing sticks together and a crayon so you can do some tree rubbings.

Spotting things on the way helps to encourage the boys to go on a walk.

We also spotted the Gruffalo's Child and Gruffalo on the way.


At the end of the trail is stick man. I have to say he is much larger than I would have imagined! On the tree next to stick man you are encouraged to leave your stick man on the family tree. Was I allowed to do this?

No.



So did our Stick man find his stick lady love and stick children three?

No.

He is in a pile by the front door with many other sticks that are required from every walk we take.

Again, I prefer Julia's ending!

Last weekend we were invited to Rush UK to see the new Trampoline Park that opened late last year. For those of you that know High Wycombe it isn't too far from the out of town John Lewis and Next. There is ample free parking and it is best to pre book as there are limited numbers of jumpers on each session.

An open jump session lasts 1hr and costs £10. In addition to this you need a pair of jump socks at a cost of £2. These can be reused in subsequent visits to the park. We booked the 3pm slot on Sunday and knew it was going to be pretty busy. We checked in and paid for our socks and then went up to the cafe. I have to say that I really liked this. Big man is already getting to the old end of soft play and a trampoline park is the next step. Having somewhere that I can sit and have a coffee whilst still being able to see the boys, really appeals to me.

We then went and watched a safety video. If you have been to a trampoline park before you will know the drill. No double bouncing, two feet to jump etc. However, the video is a good reminder to all.You are then able to go onto the courts at the correct time slot. You are given a colour band at check in so that this is monitored.

Not all of the park is up and running yet. There are climbing sticks and a ninja challenge (think TV style ninja warrior course) that are due to open soon. However, there is still plenty to do.

My particular favourite was the battle beam.


There are also foam pits, dodgeball and hoops as well as the many trampolines. If you are over 10 there is another area that can be used. It looked quite scary to me so I was pleased my boys were too little!

As you can see there was lots of fun to be had.



One downside was that there were certain parts reserved purely for parties. Two of the three tumble tracks and the dodgeball courts. If I was having my child's party there I would be pleased with this. If I had just spent £60 for us as a family to go for an hour I would have been annoyed by this. I was a bit annoyed and I had only spent £10. I am pleased to say that the management are looking into addressing this issue.

When the park is busy an hour is just the right amount of time to go bouncing.

We really enjoyed our jump session and I will consider taking our boys back. It isn't our nearest trampoline park, but it does offer some different activities to tempt you driving a little further. We also have some friends who live that way so it may be a good meeting place. I am not sure I could always justify the cost of myself jumping with the boys though.

Apart from the open jump sessions there are lots more activities offered. I was talking to a lady and her 24 year old daughter who had been to a trial exercise class there in the week and had come back to try the rest of it out. So it really is for all ages. You can find more details out by visiting the Rush UK  website.

This month's Degustabox arrived last week and I had tried most of it in a day! I get really excited about the new products and this month's box was a good one. So what was in this month's box?

Hip Pops: Low in calories but high in taste, these are a winning snack for me. Made from soya and potato, these are something I will be looking out for.

Betavivo: Although on the pricey side, if you need to lower your cholesterol then this may be for you. A crunchy cereal which is tasty once you get used to the crunch.

Nothing But: I love freeze dried fruit and the only thing that was disappointing about these was the small amount of fruit in a rather big packet. It is expensive, but it is one of your five a day and I would consider buying it as an on the go snack.

Fabulous Bakers: I wasn't sure of these mango and pineapple bars at first, but after a couple of bites they are pretty addictive. An unusal tropical flavour which brightened up my winters day.

Barilla: A lovely pasta sauce and wholewheat pasta. I was pleased that my boys didn't even question that they were eating wholewheat pasta.

KoKo: This was in February's box last year and tastes great in Banana and Pecan Milk"free"shakes.

Crabbies Light: I am just not a fan of ginger beer. Never have been and never will.

Red Square Toffee Mini: Perfect for cocktails, I really enjoyed this toffee vodka.

TreeVitalise: Birch water which is packed with micro nutrients. Doesn't really taste of anything so nothing to dislike.

Complete Energy: I don't eat energy bars and would rather my coffee in a cup. I am not a fan of these products and wont be buying them.

Drink Me Chai: I really enjoyed this new skinny chai latte and it made a refreshing change to a strong coffee!

If you would like to try Degustabox you can use the code BLDEG15 to get £6 off your first box!

For this month's recipe I have taken a Hugh Fernley Whittingstall approach of using up what is in the fridge. I have also been trying to get some more vegetables and fibre into the boys and I am pleased to say that this meal worked really well.

Winter is here and all I want to do is eat comfort food. Luckily Glorious! Soups have made this easy for me as they have a fantastic SkinnyLicious range. Personally I gave up on diets years ago, but I am trying my best to pick healthier foods to eat. The SkinnyLicious soups I have tried have been packed full of flavour and it is great to know that they are less than 150 calories. (Great if you follow the 5:2 eating plan.)

This month I chose the limited edition Vietnamese Supergreen. I was pleased that I could tick off one of my 5 a day. The soup was warming, comforting and I liked the smoothness combined with the lentils.

This month I decided to opt for a salad to go with my soup. I love making bread, but once I start eating it it is hard to stop! I find that mixing salads up a bit helps me enjoy them more. This had a mixture of lambs lettuce, red grapes, passion fruit, tomato, cucumber and a dash of sweet balsamic vinegar.


There are lots of different flavours in the Skinnylicious range. We have tried the New England Butternut Squash and Bangalore Lentil Daal. Both are packed full of flavour rather than calories.


Have you tried Glorious! Soups yet? What is your favourite flavour? What tips do you have for healthy eating?

What would you like to be when you grow up?

To be honest I am still asking myself that now. I might have 3 boys of my own, but I hardly feel like a grown up. When I was little I wanted to be a librarian for a short time. Mainly as I wanted to stamp books. Then I wanted to be a teacher so I could mark books. Ironically, when my dream came true, marking books was one of the worst parts of the job! So although I have no idea what I am going to be if I ever grow up, I do like to ask my children every now and then.

I think we can say my boys lack ambition.

Last week I got big man's school record book out. After having a laugh at his drawing of a seed and his best friend being so young looking 3 years ago I went on to read his ambition.

Clearly a seed growing!

Apparently he wanted to be a doctor. So I asked him what he wanted to be now.

"Ummmm, I don't know, just write down doctor again" he replied. Having taught a handful of doctors in the past I am pretty sure that none of them had this lackadaisical attitude towards their chosen career path, even at the age of 8. So I left it blank.

Next up we have little man.

What are his hopes and dreams for the future? Well he made it quite clear at the breakfast table the other day.

He would like to be a dwarf.

The conversation went something like this, after his Daddy had told him that milk would help him grow big and strong.

"Me no drink hot milk!"

"Why, you normally like it?"

"Me no want to grow. Me wont fit in me Gruffalo dressing gown no more."

I am thinking that little man is going to be disappointed very soon as at the grand age of 4, he isn't really fitting in his 2-3 year old dressing gown as it is.

And last but not least is middle man. He shared his dream with me on the walk to school the other day. Remember he is the child that we are pinning our hopes on of being a genius. Would he actually like to be a doctor unlike his half hearted brother? Maybe a Barrister? Or Prime Minister? I won't lie I was slightly taken back with his response.

"Mummy, when I grow up I'm going to be ......


....a reckless driver."


And with that came a long lecture about road safety and the thought that I really must vet what he is watching on the TV.

Less is more.

I have decided that this is going to be my new mantra.

I need to apply it to most areas of my life. It most definitely applies to material things. I am on a mission to declutter the house and feel so much happier when the surfaces are clean and tidy. It is by no means an easy job. Especially as I am in reality doing it for 5. Even when it comes to the children's toys, I think a case of toy rotation is necessary. They have so many toys they can no longer see them. If you get out a select few they will play.

I often find myself feeling like I am failing at this whole parenting lark. Facebook is the main reason for this. I have written about my love hate relationship with it before. I will be on there less. I need it for work so can't ditch it completely. But whilst it may look as though I am there, I am probably just logged in on my page. If you are my friend and want me to see something, it will be best to tag me. Please don't get offended if I don't like your photos or status'.  I probably haven't seen them as I am not really there.

It applies to food and drink. I want to start buying better quality meat, but maybe have it less. After a fantastic evening wine tasting I have learnt that it is certainly better for my head to drink less, of a high quality, more expensive wine.

In regards to work, it applies as well. I have never really understood people who blog for the sake of it. Worries about only having posted 5 times in a week. Posts that are so badly written and dull that you really wished you hadn't clicked on it in a linky. I don't see the point. I would rather write less. I want to write more personal posts than I did last year as I enjoy them. I like cooking so there will be recipes too. But saying no to PR's who want a lot of work for little reward is one step in the right direction.

Generally we (by that I mean my little family) need to take a slower approach to life. We mustn't try and cram too much in at weekends. There is nothing fun about days out with tired kids. We may be doing less but hopefully it will result in more happiness.

What do you think? Is less more?

Note: Apparently the less is more approach doesn't apply to the number of Skylanders you own as apparently they have different powers which are important in progressing through the levels.

When I saw this recipe in the Olive It! recipe book I just had to make it. Olives, sundried tomatoes and cheese are some of my favourite foods so this promised to be a tasty snack and I am pleased to say it was. To make this you will need:

200g black Olives
250g sundried tomatoes
1 garlic clove
a pinch of red chillies
100g manchego cheese
I block of ready rolled puff pastry.

To make the tapenade, you just need to blend the olives, sundried tomatoes, glarlic and chillis together. However, I decided that I would like a rougher texture in these whirls and chopped them myself. I spread this on the puff pastry and added the grated cheese. I then rolled the pastry up and cut into slices.

I then backed the whirls at 200C for 15 minutes. Really tasty and a great alternative to my cheese and marmite pinwheels.



For more great Olive recipes, don't forget to enter my giveaway to win 1 of 20 Olive It! recipe books.

If you have read my New Years resolutions you will know that I need to spend more time on me. Go to the gym and buy some new clothes. I have worn glasses for as long as I can remember, I have contact lenses but I feel much more comfortable in glasses. I often chose Specsavers to purchase glasses as they are local to me and offer some great 2 for 1 offers, What I am not good at doing is choosing something different. I have had the same style of glasses for years. So when Specsavers asked if I would like to review a pair of their Aurora glasses, I thought it would be a good chance to try something out of my comfort zone.

Their Aurora range is designed by fashion icon Twiggy and the latest frames in the collection contain crystals. Even better is that they come in a 2 for £125 offer.



I have to say the staff at my local store were excellent. I quickly shortlisted my frames to the Aurora Sapphire and Aurora Amethyst. They were subtly different and after a lot of umming and arrhhing and some pictures taken on an ipad to compare I finally chose the Aurora Amethyst. I paid slightly extra to get an anti-glare coasting on my lenses and the glasses were ready in a few days.



I am really pleased with them and I like the fact that I now have 2 pairs of glasses to choose from. It is silly we don't think twice about having a wardrobe full of clothes, but we don't often think about having different glasses depending on what we are wearing.

The lady that helped me choose the glasses was really helpful in saying that these go best with darker outfits and I think she is right. Whilst the frames are pretty dark, the fact that they are blue makes them slightly less harsh and I really like the crystals on the arms. This picture shows how a change in glasses can really change your look and I will now start wearing different glasses with different outfits.


You can check out the latest range of Aurora glasses on the Specsavers website.