A Strong Coffee

Over Easter we visited my Father in Law and took the boys to Suffolk Owl Sanctuary. It is situated in Stonham Barns a short drive from Bury St Edmunds.

On arrival the childern were given little maps to stamp on their way round. We decided to go and visit the meerkats first as there was feeding and a short talk.


We then waited for the birds of prey show. Fours birds in total were on display for about 10 minutes each.

The owl had a hard time flying in a straight line as it was a very windy day!

The talk was interesting but possibly slightly on the long side for younger visitors.

We then left to have lunch, There is not a cafe on the site so you have to leave to go to the one on the complex. We then returned do they boys could stamp their booklets. It was a cold and miserable day and there was a notice saying they were in the process of updating some of the enclosures.

There was a little playground to keep them entertained.


It doesn't take more than a couple of hours to do everything, but the boys seemed to enjoy it. At the end they were given the choice of a mask or notepad for getting their stamps. They all went for the notepad and were really happy as they were only expecting a sticker.

Last week we visited my parents in Lincolnshire and headed to Tatershall Farm Park for the afternoon. We had visited a couple of years ago and they have made a number of improvements. As well as the farm animals there is a soft play barn, some outside play equipment including a bouncy castle, reptile room and meet and greet with the animals. It made a lovely relaxing afternoon and all the boys enjoyed themselves.

You can purchase food to feed the animals on the way in and the four legged animal feed is definitely the best to go for as there are a number of sheep and goats that were eager to eat this.


The soft play had a section for younger children as well as older. There were also some ride ons to play with. There is also a barn with haystacks and tyres to swing on in addition to the outside play area.

The boys really enjoyed the meet and greet with the animals that the boys really enjoyed. We got to see some reptiles up close. Maybe a little too close for middle man! This little beauty is a corn snake.


We also saw a giant white rabbit and big man couldn't resist a little cuddle of a guinea pig. Little man loved the little squeaks he made when he held him.


The staff were friendly and we had a lovely relaxed afternoon. There is a cafe on site and you can also bring in a picnic. If you have young children and are in the Sleaford area it is a good way to spend a few hours.

Every time I make this tomato tart, I think I should make it more often, It is really simple and very tasty

Ingredients (serves 2):

1/2 packet of jus roll puff pastry. (Here I used the ready rolled light version.)/
1 punnet of plum or cherry tomatoes
1 chopped red onion.
2 dessert spoons of sundried tomato paste (I used Sacla)
Half a tube of tomato puree.

An egg wash is optional.

For the sauce.

3 tbsp half fat creme fraiche
1 tbsp Sacla sundried tomato pesto

Pre heat the oven to 200C

Fry the chopped onion and when cooked add the tomatoes, sundried tomato paste and tomato puree. make sure the tomatoes are coated in the paste and then place this in the middle the puff pastry.

Add egg wash to the pastry and cook for around 20 mins.

To make the sauce, mix the creme fraiche and pesto.

Really simple and really tasty, I think this is the only meal without meat that my husband will happily eat without complaining!

Can you believe it? I have been babbling along to myself (or anyone else in the world that wants to read it) for 4 years. In truth I never really knew what blogging would bring. It seemed like a good idea. Something to keep my brain active whilst looking after the boys. Other people to chat to in the evenings when my husband was working away. In that way not much has changed. Being a stay at home Mum can be lonely and blogging makes you realise you are not alone. Whilst I have had some concerns about the negative side to blogging recently, I want to look for the positives. Because there are so many, when you aren't getting caught up in the stats and shouting malarky.

I have learnt that I like blogging for me. Partly for my sanity as a SAHM, whose husband works away too much, and partly as a record of our life as a family. By far my favourite posts are the ones I write for me. Tales of my boys. I still chuckle at whether middle man is a cat or dog. It is a way for me to document memories. Stories I can look back on fondly. This is the first and foremost reason that I blog.

I have also learnt that not everyone on the internet is a crazy weirdo, contrary to popular belief. Obviously there are some but overall I have met some fantastic people through blogging.

Suzanne from 3 children and It was one of the first bloggers I met. She had recognised my gym in a photo and it turns out we live a mile apart. I still remember my husband asking me if it was safe for me to meet her in a pub. After all she could be an axe murderer. I am pleased to say that I survived the evening without any injury or sight of axes. The boys are always happy to look after her geko. Hell I am. He gets more instagram likes than my boys do.

There is a blog that everyone can identify with. For crafts Jennifer has it covered, cakes I head to Jenny's. Jess started her blog at the same time as me and I love her family photos and tales of their travels.  Afra and Swazi are two people that make you feel as though you have known them for years. As an introvert at a huge blogging event, it is great to have such lovely people around you. I could go on and on. I read blogs where I can and I have given up on trying to comment on every post.

I have learnt that stats are not everything and that getting too focused on them is bad. As with many jobs, hard work pays off in the long term and it is often the case of it is not what you know but who you know. Nothing is free.

I have learnt that it is fine just being me. That I shouldn't be embarrassed that I blog and if people want to judge then they aren't worth the time.

I have learnt that I like my little space on the internet.

So here's to another 4 years and everything it brings.

What have you learnt from blogging?

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This is a question that I have been dwelling on for some time. There has been a shift in the parenting blogging world over the last couple of years and I'm not sure that I like it. Of course there are still many blogs that are keeping it real, but they are on the decline.

When I started blogging, it was purely a hobby. A way to document the ups and downs of parenthood. As time has past I am guilty of focusing on the good parts of life. There are things I would like to put to paper but don't because of fear of upset to others. I have always kicked myself for not having an anonymous blog where I can blog freely. Free therapy if nothing else! I try and focus on the positives and try to use nice pictures where everyone looks happy. So yes sometimes it is a bit fake.


It could of course be that I have been naive in the past. 

I guess a lot of the fakeness is due to monetisation. I am not having a go about this. I use my blog to make my living. I think it is fantastic that we have this opportunity. But there is a shift to it becoming like the Truman show. Oh we had a lovely walk in the woods at the weekend *disclaimer we were provided welly boots by xxxx. But then I flick through a magazine and it is the same. Pages of adverts. Many extremely subtle. And who am I to talk. I am guilty as charged. However, I have made an effort this year to pick my review items carefully, with brands I already like. 

Then there is the linky. A way of sharing your posts with like minded people. Which it can be. However, it can also be a place where people link dump and just comment on the hosts post. Just to increase their number of comments.

There are comment swaps, Facebook likes, Instagram likes and comments. the lists go on and on. I honestly didn't realise how many of these groups existed and how many people take part. They do have their positives. I joined an Instagram like thread. It was fine when you could like a photo of your choosing. It made me see the photos of accounts that I  already followed but had missed in the timeline. But every now and then there was an account where I needed to like a photo. But do you know what? I didn't like any of their photos. They weren't someone I followed and there wasn't one photo I felt worthy of a like. Yet just because they were in a load of "like" groups they had a silly number of likes. It is just wrong. Cheating. Skewing the stats. I just can't be bothered with it all. Ok some PR's may well be fooled into thinking that these bloggers are doing great as 127 people liked their blurry photo of a child eating chocolate. But I am hoping that if their Instagram photos were rubbish then their blog was pretty mediocre too.  

I am fed up of bloggers shouting look at me! Aren't I the best!?! All. The. Time. The only time I know the Tots rankings have changed is when someone puts their best ever score on instagram. I don't want to dislike that. I know what a buzz it is. But it does get my back up. I just don't have the energy to shout. So where does it leave me? I could be a sheep and join a million groups spending every waking minute liking and sharing posts that I don't actually like or haven't even read. What is the point in that? Quite frankly if that is what is needed to be a "top" blogger then I am not that kind of material.

Maybe I need a break. Blogging is time consuming and draining. Or maybe I just go back to my own little world of writing what I want and reading the blogs I like. I can't see things changing anytime soon. I just see a sea of similar blogs saying the same thing. All looking the same. Lack of personality. Being fake.

What do you think? 

Regular readers will know that I like baking. A lot. However, I tend to make cupcakes. Firstly they are pretty easy and secondly I can make as many or as few as I want. When House of Fraser asked if I would like to review something from their baking department I had a good look around. To be honest, I generally associate them with stylish clothes and high end make up rather than baking accessories.

I am pleased to say I was pleasantly surprised. The hard thing was making a decision! I finally settled on this rather beautiful cake stand.


It is perfectly sized to display a 5 inch cake, meaning I can bake smaller cakes. Which is slightly better on my waistband. The Old Country Roses design, just screams English tea party and afternoon tea and is perfect for anyone who loves baking and entertaining.

As Easter is nearly upon us, I decided to bake a cake that my Mum used to make us. Packed with cherries and almonds with a marzipan centre, this cake is perfect for an Easter celebration.

With Easter around the corner, Equestria Girls/My Little Pony fans will be excited to know that the Rainbow Rocks and Friendship Games Movie Boxset is out on DVD on 21st March.

The DVD contains two feature length episodes of the animation set at Canterlot High and featuring the friends, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie pie and more.
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Little man's request this week was to do some baking with me. He wanted to make cookies and with Easter around the corner we opted for some mini egg cookies. This recipe is perfect if you are soon to have copious amounts of chocolate Easter eggs in the house and want to use some in some baking. Whilst it will help use up the chocolate. it will not make it any healthier. Infact it will make them much more unhealthy. However, once you taste these mini egg cookies, you will think they are well worth the treat!

You will need:

125g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
90g unsalted butter
75g soft brown sugar
75g caster sugar
40g demerara sugar
A couple of drops of vanilla extract
1 egg
100g chocolate eggs (smashed in half with a rolling pin)
50g white chocolate chunks.

Preheat the oven to 180C

Mix the above ingredients together (keep half of the mini eggs aside.)

Melt the butter to make it easier to stir in.

Roll into a cylinder and cut into cookie slices.

Place well spread out on a baking tray covered in baking parchment. Add 3 pieces of mini egg to the top of each one.

Bake for around 10 minutes and allow to cool.

Lovely and chewy and a perfect way to use up some of that left over Easter chocolate.


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One of the things I found most strange when we expanded our family from one child was that the boys weren't all the same. Why I thought they would be I am not sure. I am nothing like my sister. My husband is very different to his brother. Yet I seemed thought that middle man and little man would be clones of their big brother.

This month's Bostik Blogger challenge was to theme a craft around dragons. After reading Zog for some inspiration we decided to make a dragon finger puppet. If you fancy making one too, here is what you will need:


Bostik White Glu
A cardboard cone
2 colours of foam for the wings
pom poms
googley eyes
a selection of ribbons, tissue paper and material
Bostik glitter clue
Green paint (or whatever colour you would like your dragon to be.)

Start my chopping the end off the cone so that you can fit a finger in there and then paint in your chosen colour.

Cut a wing shape out of foam and stick on two inner pieces.

Glue googly eyes onto too medium sized pom poms.



When the cone is dry, glue lengths if ribbon, material and tissue paper to the inside of the mouth.

Then add the wings, nostrils and eyes.

Finish by adding some glitter glue to make your dragon sparkle.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you will know that I like baking. A lot. Lots of sweet treats. I am a bit rubbish at eating fruit. Infact the best way to get it into me is to drink it. Smoothies are so simple to make and are great for using up fruit that is past it's best. I basically decided to make this smoothie as I had some yoghurt that needed eating and a banana that was past it's best. Whilst I am quite partial to the sharp flavour of red berries, my boys aren't so keen. I therefore added carob syrup to sweeten it slightly. Fruits are high in sugar anyway so I didn't really want to add more. I have also used Natvia in the past that has worked well.

This will make 4 smoothies:

200ml natural yoghurt
200ml milk
1 ripe banana
200ml volume of frozen red berries (I just used the same measuring jug to put the frozen fruit in)
2 dessert spoons of carob syrup (or alternative sweetener)

Blitz in a food processor and enjoy!

What are your favourite smoothie recipes? Fancy sneaking in some veg? You could try this super berry smoothie recipe.

Our adventure through food continues this month with the Texan Four Bean Chilli soup from Glorious! Full of flavour this soup really packs a punch. You can pick this soup up from Asda.

This year saw my first Thanksgiving meal. More food than we could possibly eat in one sitting and new flavours for us to try. Horseradish carrots were a particular favourite. My sister in law is from Michigan rather than Texas, but it was my first experience of the feast and the first time I tasted cornbread. When tasting this soup I felt that the sweet cornbread would really compliment the powerful flavours of the soup.


I used this cornbread recipe, but cut down the sugar a little. It is pretty easy to do and as I had a block of polenta I just put it in my blender to make it into more of a powder.

Ingredients:

120g polenta
375ml milk (split into 125ml to mix with the polenta and 250ml to mix with the egg)
100g butter
75g caster sugar
175g plain flour
2tbsp cornflour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1tsp salt
1 egg

Start by pre heating the oven to 180C.

Grease an 8inch square tin.

If you have a block of polenta, put it into a blender and blend with 125ml milk,

Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt.

Stir the egg with 250ml milk,

Cream the butter and sugar together.

Stir in the flour mixture into the butter and then add the egg mixture and polenta mixture.

Pour into the baking tin. Don't worry that it is a very runny mixture.

Bake for 40-45minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Cut into square and enjoy it dipped into the Texan Bean Chilli soup.



Have you tried Glorious! Soups yet? Which is your favourite? Do you have a favourite American dish?


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This was my first go at making macaroons and it wont be the last. Little man declared that I must make more soon as they are "super super yummy!" Whilst they may not look 100% perfect as I used a pretty nozzle to pipe them, he is right! I was also shocked at how easy they were to make.

This recipe will make around 20 depending on how big you make them.

Ingredients:

180g icing sugar
100g ground almonds
10g cocoa powder
40g caster sugar
3 eggs whites

For the filling:

Nutella


Start by pre heating the oven to 160C.

Sieve the icing sugar, cocoa powder and ground almonds into a bowl.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff and whisk in the caster sugar.

Fold in the icing sugar, cocoa powder and ground almonds.

Put into an icing bag (you are meant to use a 1cm plain nozzle) and pipe 40 circles that are about 3cm diameter on some baking paper. Make sure they are well spread out.

Cook for 7 minutes, then take out of the oven and allow them to cool before taking off the baking paper.

Sandwich them together with Nutella.



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Other ideas from the book that I am looking forward to doing with the children are making lavender bags and making a miniature garden.

You can purchase The Children's Garden from Amazon.
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