Halos N Horns Little Book of Holiday Fun

Halo and Horns recently conducted a survey of 500 mums with children under 5 years old.
There results show that

• 75% of mums say that they prefer to spend their time on holiday playing with the kids.
• 60% of mums also said they plan their activities before they head off.
• but 68% of mums agreed that its doing something spontaneous that gives the best fun all round.

You can download or request your free copy of the book by post here.
As an added bonus to help make bath time good clean fun, there’s a 50p off Halos N Horns coupon inside - you can use it for Halos N Horns gorgeous fruity-smelling Zingy Orange Hair & Body Wash, Mango Melon Shampoo & Conditioner and Berry Burst Shampoo and Detangler.

The new and updated edition of The Little Book of Holiday Fun contains some lovely playful games and activities to keep you and your little ones entertained, from water-based outdoor fun, to bath time fun at home and away, and creative ideas for making things together.  

Plus, there are great tips on surviving the car journey, which i'm sure every mum will admit are always helpful; activities for the beach; fun games when swimming and splashing about; the perfect family picnic; making the most of being outdoors and inspirational ideas for rainy days.

In the Halos N Horns holiday fun survey 76% of mums say doing something fun with their child is what makes them happiest, and i am definately agree with those mums. As a family we are always doing fun things, baking, painting, messy fun, the park and more.

I can't wait to make the "sheepy hand" out of the book.

When asked what toddlers have most fun playing at a whopping 73% said it was playing with water. Again i hugely agree with this as i had a 1 year old that seems to be drawn to water, no matter where we are, and a 3 year old that just loves jumping in puddles.

Wherever you are and whatever you’ve done your mucky little monsters will probably need a bath to round off the day. 

Your kids will love the fruity-smells and bright colours of Halos N Horns shampoos and body washes.

You’ll love them too because many of the ingredients that might irritate your little ones’ skin have been removed, (such as SLS and parabens) making them really kind and gentle for delicate skin. It’s no more bath time battles, just good, clean fun!  The Halos N Horns range includes:

·         Halos N Horns Baby Bath: a safe and gentle all-over hair and body wash, ideal for angelic little souls (after the first month) and pregnant mums.

·         Baby Moisturising Lotion: a gentle, hypo-allergenic non greasy lotion made with naturally derived moisturisers, ideal for baby’s delicate skin.

·         Zingy Orange Hair & Body Wash: an all-rounder to encourage kids into the bath and ready for bed, with a fruity smell inspired by freshly squeezed, juicy oranges. 

·         Mango-Melon Mayhem Shampoo & Conditioner: the fruity, tropical fragrance and the green gooey gel will appeal to kids; whilst parents will love the simple, speedier 2-in-1 formula. Designed to cleanse and condition the hair and leave it silky smooth.

·         Berry Burst Shampoo & Detangler: with natural plant-derived conditioners this easy to dispense formula leaves hair clean, shiny and tangle free.  Great for little girls with long hair, it’s an end to combing nightmares! The fresh fruity smell is even more appealing.

·         Toothy Fruity Toothpaste: a strawberry flavoured toothpaste for children, with added fluoride to help reduce tooth decay, and free of SLS. 

So why not get your free copy Of the Little Book of Holiday Fun today 

 http://www.halosnhorns.co.uk/holiday_fun_games.html 

Loren x

Do you have a budding photographer? Yes? Then this is for you

Get snap happy with the kids this weekend to win some amazing prizes!

No matter whether there’s rain or ‘shine, if you’ve got a digital camera there’s plenty of fun to be had during the remainder of the summer holidays.

VTech are calling on budding David Baileys’ to send in their best summer snaps for a chance of winning one of 25 new Kidizoom Twist cameras worth £49.99 each and the chance to become a VTech toy tester with a year’s supply of toys and their very own page on the VTech website where their reviews will be posted!

VTech have teamed up with popular children’s show Milkshake so kids can enter their ‘family fun’ photographs (before the 16^th September) on the Milkshake website.  Whether you’re having a day out at the park, having fun on the swings and the slides, a visit to the zoo or even making cakes at home capture it on camera to be in with a chance of winning. The more colourful, exciting and fun the better!

 

About Kidizoom Twist

VTech Kidizoom Twist is the latest addition to the multi award winning Kidizoom range. This ultra-cool camera comes complete with a rotating ‘self-portrait’ lens, so kids can now put their favourite subject - themselves - in the frame. 

As well as allowing children to view their own self-portraits on the LCD screen as they take them, the 2 mega pixel all-in-one super gadget also doubles as a video camera so mini movie makers can capture all their adventures on film. And for budding Spielberg’s there is also a built in editing function, so little ones can perfect their masterpieces by adding wacky effects such as fun stamps and photo frames. The Kidizoom Twist has a voice recording option with five different voice changing effects, so kids can pitch up, pitch down, slow, robot and echo their voice recordings as well as five great games to play with.

RRP: £49.99

Age: 3 years+

For more information visit www.vtechuk.com

To enter the competition visit www.milkshake.channel5.com/competitions/vtech

Loren x

Gloop fun

What you need
Cornflour
Water

Method
Cover everything!!!If your doing it up to table a waterproof table cloth is a good idea, likewise if your doing it on the floor cover everything. Aprons are also a good idea.

Slowly mix together water with cornflour.
It will seem really hard to mix, but once you start playing with it it will go from hard as your pick it up, to completely runny and pouring out your hands.

We started with ours in a bowl, but it ended up on the highchair tray.

Jack didn't like it at all, which i think was the texture, but me and Eva got stuck in and Eva loved playing with it, and watching as she picked it up and it was hard, then it turning runny and her dripping it everywhere.

This is messy, but its great fun. If youve got a toy tea set or plastic cups you can have great fun picking up and dripping the gloop into the cups.

Definately worth getting some cornflour in for a rainy day. Or do it in the garden on a sunny day :-D

Loren xx

Roast Chicken with honey butter and chorizo stuffing-Tea tonight

Roast chicken with honey butter chorizo stuffing:

Serves 4-6

Rachel’s quote: ‘Chorizo and honey are two powerful flavours that are carefully balanced in this stuffing, they both work wonderfully with the supremely versatile chicken.  I have used Kerrygold Honey Spread as a convenient cheat for adding both honey and butter.’

Ingredients:

·   40g (1 ½ oz) Kerrygold Honey Spread

·   110g (4oz) chorizo, finely chopped

·   100g (3 ½ oz)  white breadcrumbs

·   1 chicken (1.5 – 2.25kg or 3lb 5oz – 5lb)

·   2 tbsp thyme, chopped

·   1 tbsp olive oil

·   1 onion, peeled and chopped

·   1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

·   Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1.       Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°f/Gas mark 4.

2.       First make the stuffing, melt 25g of the Kerrygold Honey Spread in a saucepan with the olive oil, then add the onion, garlic and chorizo, cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 8-10 minutes or until the onions are soft but not browned. 

3.       Take off the heat, then stir in the thyme and breadcrumbs.  Season to taste with salt and pepper then allow to cool.

4.       Spoon the cooled stuffing into the chicken cavity and place the chicken in a roasting tin.  Smear the remaining Kerrygold Honey Spread over the skin of the chicken and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. 

5.       Place in the oven and roast for about 1 hour and 30-45 minutes (allowing about 20 minutes per 450g/1 lb), until cooked, basting occasionally.  If it begins to look quite dark while cooking, cover with some foil. 

6.       To check whether the chicken is fully cooked, stick a skewer into the thigh with a spoon placed underneath to catch the juices, the juices should run clear.  Also, the legs should feel quite loose on the bird. 

7.       When cooked, transfer the chicken to a serving plate and leave to rest, covered with foil and in the oven at the lowest temperature.  This will keep the chicken warm while you make the gravy or sauce.

8.       Spoon the stuffing out of the chicken into a serving bowl or onto a plate.  Carve the chicken and serve.

Our Verdict

I am cooking this for tea tonight, so will update what we think later, but it looks yummy. I just need to decide what to serve it with.

Loren xx

Rachel Allen has teamed up with Kerrygold to produce The Kerrygold Community Recip-e-book, available for free download in October. For more information on Kerrygold, the Recip-e-book and some delicious recipes visit www.facebook.com/KerrygoldUK

Chocolate Dipped Orange Shortbread Biscuits

Chocolate dipped orange shortbread biscuits:

Makes 15–20 biscuits

Rachel’s quote: ‘These shortbread biscuits are incredibly easy to make and you can cut them in to whatever shapes you’d like.  I’ve taken the small extra step of dipping them in melted chocolate, they look lovely when set and the chocolate of course goes really well with the orange zest. Recipes with so few ingredients demand the very best quality produce and that’s why I use Kerrygold butter.’

Ingredients:

·   100g (3 ½ oz) Kerrygold butter, softened and diced, plus extra for greasing

·   150g (5oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting

·   50g (2oz) caster sugar

·   75g (2½ oz) dark chocolate, broken in to pieces

·   The grated zest of one orange

Method:

1.       Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°f/Gas mark 4.

2.       Grease a baking sheet with a little Kerrygold butter.

3.       Sift the flour into a large bowl and, using your fingertips, rub in the Kerrygold butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and orange zest and bring the whole mixture together to form a stiff dough. (Don’t be tempted to add any water.) Alternatively, briefly mix the ingredients in a food processor until they come together.

4.       Transfer the dough to a lightly dusted worktop and roll out to about 5mm (1/4inch) thick. Cut into rounds, fingers, squares or dinosaurs, then lift carefully on to the prepared baking sheet with a palette knife, spacing the biscuits evenly apart.

5.       Bake for 6–10 minutes or until pale golden, then remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for a minute or so before transferring to a wire rack to cool down completely.

6.       Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.  When the chocolate has melted, dip the shortbread in about half way in to the chocolate, then allow any excess to drip off and place on a plate to cool and set.

Rachel’s Tip:  If you want to mix things up with your biscuits you could always try using milk chocolate or white chocolate.

Our verdict

I couldn't find my camera when we were making these, and they were all eaten by the time i found it, but i will add some pictures next time we make them(which we will be).

The biscuits are really easy to make, and really yummy. I ate one before we dipped them in chocolate and that was really yummy, but after dipping in melted milk chocolate, well there are no words to describe how yummy these were mouthwatering. The chocolate really complemented the orange in the biscuits.

Next time i think i will get some white chocolate as well as milk chocolate, and dip half the biscuit in milk chocolate and when that's set dip the other side in white chocolate. Just to make it extra chocolately (can you tell we love chocolate).

So why not give them a try.

Loren x

Rachel Allen has teamed up with Kerrygold to produce The Kerrygold Community Recip-e-book, available for free download in October. For more information on Kerrygold, the Recip-e-book and some delicious recipes visit www.facebook.com/KerrygoldUK

Spicy chicken Pitta Breads

I was recently sent a bundle of Schwartz products to review, so will be sharing some yummy recipes
This one is a firm favourite in our family.

Ingredients-
Diced chicken
Schwartz Medium Curry Powder
Mayonnaise
Lettuce
Spring onion
Cucumber
Cherry Tomatoes

Firstly fry your chicken in a little oil until its cooked all the way through. Then sprinkle with Schwartz medium curry powder and fry for a few more minutes.
While the chicken is cooking prepare the salad, and toast the pitta breads, then cut them open, spread with mayonnaise and fill with salad. Then add the spicy chicken.

It really is as simple as that, and is so delicious and filling.
You can use whatever salad you like, and can change the mayonnaise for anything you like. Daz likes his with A spicy relish.

Loren x

Why not take a look at schwartz.co.uk to see some of their recipes.

Soreen-review

 
We were sent 3 different products from soreen. Soreen Snack fruity malt loaf, Soreen Banana Loaf, and Soreen Apple and Sultana Loaf.

Soreen Snack Fruity Malt Loaf-RRP from 70p

The snack packs, are a handy pack containing two pre-buttered slices, and are available in two flavours that adults and children alike will love; Fruity Five and Original Malt Loaf. We tried the Original Malt Loaf.

This is a really brilliant idea, perfect for lunchboxes, be it for school or work, or just a snack to take with you for all the family when on the go.

The butter didn't seem to be spread out very well, but rubbing to 2 slices together soon solved that problem.

These were brilliant for popping in my handbag or changing bag when we were going out, and i could just grab them on the way out as opposed to having to slice, butter and wrap up an original malt loaf.

Soreen Banana Loaf-RRP from £1.29 for a large loaf

The Banana Fruit Loaf is full of bananas and is bursting with deliciously squidgy energy, and the pale colour from the natural ingredients, means a fruity and lighter tasting alternative to the original malt loaf. For those that don’t like raisins or sultanas, Soreen’s new Banana Loaf is a welcome addition to any kitchen cupboard!  

This is my absolute favourite, i couldn't get enough of it. I was very reluctant to share :-O but i did, and Jack loved it as well. I will definately be putting this on my weekly shopping list.

Soreen Apple and Sultana Loaf-RRP from £1.29 for a large loaf

The fresh and fruity Apple and Sultana loaf is packed full of deliciously squidgy energy and the sweet apple taste is topped off with a delicate hint of cinnamon. Lighter in colour than the original Soreen malt loaf, the Apple and Sultana fruit loaf also provides a mouth-watering base for a bread and butter pudding. For a decadent twist serve with lashings of cream.

I personally don't like cinamon, so I didn't try this, but my Dad did and he said it was really nice. Daz also took some to work and he said that him and his work mates shared it out and they all absolutely loved it, and wanted more.

Fun Recipe

We were also sent a fun recipe to use with the banana loaf, although you could do the same with any of the soreen range.

Mini Banana Castles

Ingrediants:

x1 Soreen Banana Loaf

x3 Ripe Bananas

x1 tub vanilla ice cream

x1 bar of chocolate for shavings(this is optional)

Method:

·         Slice the Soreen Banana loaf into thin slices and toast until golden brown

·         Use a pastry cutter to cut round shapes into the slices to create the bases of the castles

·         Slice the bananas and lay onto each of the toasted slices

·         Scoop some ice cream from the tub and place on top of the banana slices so that it creates a tower

·         Make some shavings of chocolate with a grater and sprinkle on top of each castle

·         Serve - yummy!

And it really is yummy, definately worth a try.

Overview

We give all 3 products a huge thumbs up. I will definately be stocking up on the banana loaf and the snack packs, along with the orginal malt loaf.

I definately recommend going out and trying something new today. A yummy snack, and much better for you then chocolate. The loaf's contain less than 1.5 per cent saturated fat, and are a delicious tasting treat for children, and the perfect afternoon snack to stave off cravings or as an energy boost before or after activity, or a hard work out.

Loren xx