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Scrummy Roasted Veg Pasta Sauce
This recipe goes down really well in our house, when I say recipe as usual with this sort of meal quantities etc can be changed to suit. I usually make double the amount as it freezes really well. The quantities I use here make enough for 4 plus enough to freeze for another day. Value peppers are great for this recipe, so this time of year when the other ingredients are a good price it’s a … Read entire article »
Filed under: Recipes
Sodastream – get busy with the fizzy!
When Hazel asked me if I would like to review a Sodastream, the first thing that came into my mind was the famous ‘get busy with the fizzy’ tune. The first time around for Sodastream we as a family were lucky enough to have one. I must have been 10ish so yes boo hoo nearly 30 years ago. I can remember the great excitement about having it and even more exciting using it and then drinking the fizz. So what has changed? Well the excitement from my two children remained the same as my excitement at their age. Considering all the fab things children have today this is a great sign. Other than that, they look a lot more modern. The one I tried was the Pure which is a rather sleek stainless steel … Read entire article »
Filed under: Reviews
My Sunday is going to be……
We have woken up to a sunny Sunday, so my Sunday is mostly going to be…… Walking the dogs. Here is Murphy posing, it’s sunny today but a little windy so Murphy is looking a little windswept!!! Planting herbs. I have been dearly neglecting my other herbs and they are looking a bit sad, so I have treated myself to a few new ones. Which no matter how busy I am I must remember to water. Enjoying the garden. This no doubt won’t involve sitting in the garden with a cup of tea or something stronger. Once the lawn is cut it will no doubt involve a game of something with Bex and Oscar. Burying the rabbit. No picture here, no I won’t be doing it. Dead animals and me don’t go. At over 7 she did well for … Read entire article »
Filed under: Life
Fantastic chop and change rice salad recipe
As my sister blew my trumpet for me being a good cook, I thought I would follow on with my popular rice salad recipe. Which is a brilliant bring a plate recipe too, which Heather mentions and I am a big fan of a bring a plate party. This is a recipe which you can alter quantities and ingredients to your hearts content. So basically the key ingredients are: Rice use quantity for the amount of people you are hoping to feed. By the fact I had run out of long grain rice a few months ago I had to use basmati rice which actually works even better, but you choose. I love brown rice too, but not all love it. Key flavours are: The zest and juice of 1-2 lemons Chopped herbs, my favourite for this are … Read entire article »
Filed under: Recipes
Picnics NZ style!
I read Ali’s picnic past, present and future with a tear in my eye. Happy memories are made on a picnic blanket! Moving to New Zealand I had to learn a whole new language (Yes they do speak English!) however “morning tea” “bring a plate” “burn it” were all new expressions to me. Toby was 3 when we moved here and being at home with him I was always happy to meet at the beach, at playground or park but “bring morning tea” had me stumped! Afternoon tea I can do – delicate sandwiches, dainty pastries and cakes. Morning tea in NZ for kids means muffins, pikelets and fruit; for my husband who has morning tea meetings at work it means pies (steak pie, cheese pie or sausage rolls with a token … Read entire article »
Filed under: Love from New Zealand
Mumsnet Rules Book
Mumsnet has brought out a new book written by Natasha Joffe and Justine Roberts and priced at £12.99 (Hardback). The Mumsnet Rules is drawn from the message board of the Mumsnet site and knowing how useful advice is from other parents. This is a book of do’s and don’ts and a book to make you laugh and realise parenting can be a real minefield. So should we use rules when parenting. We all need rules including us parents and rules make us all feel safe to a certain extent. I think rules really need to fit you and your family and not what someone else tells you. Interesting enough co-author Natasha Joffe mentions in her foreword that when her baby was six weeks old and she found herself still having very little sleep. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Life
Picnics past, present & future
My plan for National Picnic week went a bit, well wrong, my recipes never happened and my great places to picnic list never well got typed. That is the way it goes sometimes and enough hours in the day, we all know if only more. So my Sunday waffle is going to be some of my favourite picnic’s etc. Who remembers picnic’s when they were younger, I always think picnic’s do really create happy memories. Whether you go away from the house (not always though) you have nice things to eat or they just taste nicer as your on a picnic. Simple picnics on summer holidays, weren’t the summer holidays always sunny when you were younger. Henrietta park in Bath, next to the climbing tree. Perfect, my Mum taking us, that is my sister … Read entire article »
Filed under: Life
Yummy and easy eats for picnic’s
Click here to read my easy picnic food review Who will admit to in the past putting off going for a picnic because it is too much hassle. Hand waving madly in air here !!! Who again will admit to waking up to a sunny day, not wanting to go to the shops but not having much in to take on a picnic ? Again hand waving madly here. So now I make sure I have rolls in the freezer, easy to take drinks, something to make a into a gluten free meal for me (gluten free bread makes rubbish sandwiches) and well I nearly always have fruit and salad in the house. To be honest, picnic food the simpler it is the better, and despite in my romantic mind the idea of having … Read entire article »
Filed under: Reviews
National Picnic Week
Click here to review some picnic essentials. It is national picnic week this week and being a rather picnic fan thought I would celebrate it. In true British fashion so far we only have had one nice sunny day, which was my original idea for a review post how we can just think yep it is a nice day lets go for a picnic. At the age of about 8 I had a lovely picnic basket although made of plastic it contained all the plates and cups you needed for a child sized picnic. I really loved this and can clearly remember how brilliant it was to have a basket full of food and drink. We used to have regular picnic’s, not having a very big garden and living sandwiched between two parks it … Read entire article »
Filed under: Reviews
My Baby is 12 years old today
Sorry but where did those 12 years go? I mean really it cannot be, I can clearly remember the midwife, Rachel her name was, laughing and saying it was more like my husband who was going to have the baby rather than me. As I stride around a rather nice room, keeping on the move as I truly thought this would ease the pain. It is a funny old thing giving birth really, not knowing what to expect. I would never say I was the most relaxed but giving birth never really worried me. So with just gas and air (yes I am showing off!) and rather a long time in labour and with a bit to many people now in the room. Yes Bex was being a little bit stubborn in the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Life
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