When I was working in London there was a coffee shop just down the road from my office that sold the most amazing millionaire shortbread ever and since then I have been addicted to the stuff. Some places make it a bit too sweet and sickly, but I've followed this recipe a few times now and it always seems to turn out really well. I just have a handwritten version of this recipe from my sister which I have then gone on to tweak, but I believe that it's originally from the Hairy Bikers. Ingredients Base 125g butter 50g sugar 175g plain ... read more
Archives for January 2013
Review: Bebe au Lait Nursing Cover
Bearing in mind that it's the most natural way of feeding your baby there's no doubt that breastfeeding can also be bloody difficult. Not only can there be issues about milk supply (either not enough or too much) but some babies struggle to latch on properly at first and older babies can also get distracted and find everything else more interesting no matter how hungry they are. I was incredibly lucky with Little Miss C as I had plenty of milk, she fed very quickly and when she was hungry not much else distracted her. I'm also lucky living in St Albans as there are literally ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Magnets, Bulbs and Batteries
There's absolutely no doubt that I was something of a geeky child. I had a chemistry set and also a selection of batteries, bulbs and electric wires. I also had a magnet set that I loved so much that when I saw the same one for sale on eBay last year (in new condition) I bought it instantly to put away for Little Miss C and her, then still a bump, baby brother. It's no wonder that I went on to study physics and chemistry at A-Level and engineering at university. I would have loved the Ladybird Junior Science Book Magnets, Bulbs and Batteries - in fact some of the projects look so ... read more
Snug as a Bug – Tamsyn Murray and Judi Abbot
Someone at Simon and Schuster must be totally in tune with when my kids are either under the weather or being awkward as it always ties in beautifully with when review books arrive from them. That's exactly what happened last week when Master C was full of cold and demanding almost constant feeding. Luckily the postman delivered a copy of Snug as a Bug and I was able to snuggle up on the sofa with them both to read it straight away. Any book that has a main character named after Master C is a sure fire hit in this house and that's exactly what we had here. The book starts ... read more
A spot of Telly Nostalgia
Just in case it's passed you by I feel it my moral duty to inform you of an amazing event that's going on this weekend. It's 30 years since those people at ITV started doing kids programmes - Children's ITV as it was known, CITV in modern speak - and to celebrate they're turning the CITV channel (that one you watch sometimes when you overshoot CBeebies on the remote) over to some of the best shows from the last 30 years. A quick look at the schedules (in this Radio Times article) shows some great memories from my childhood as well as plenty of others I'd forgotten. ... read more
Toddler friendly hidden vegetable bolognese
I'd put money on Little Miss C not being the only toddler out there who isn't particularly keen on fruit and veg. After a Christmas season in which she went to several parties that presented her with the opportunity to eat her own body weight in crisps we thought it about time to try to reverse this unhelthy eating trend. LMC has always been a fan of meat dishes and would quite happily snack on sausages or similar in the same way that other (healthier) children might eat a banana or an apple. Over the last couple of years I've therefore become quite good at trying to squeeze as ... read more
The resolution to end all resolutions
These past few days so many bloggers have been busy writing about their plans for 2013 and detailing their resolutions for the new year. Reading all these posts got me thinking about what my resolutions and plans for the new year should be and that's where I came a bit unstuck. There's certainly plenty that I want to achieve this year and I do have some personal goals, but it got me wondering as to why people make resolutions on 1 January and just how successful they are. Yes it is the start of a new calendar year and after the excesses of the Christmas period many people feel that it ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Learnabout… Maps
There's nothing better than a New Year's Day walk to blow off the cobwebs post Christmas and that's what inspired my choice of this week's Ladybird Tuesday: Learnabout... Maps. The Learnabout series (series number 634 if you're wondering) included books on both indoor and outdoor activities ranging from Stamp Collecting to Coarse Fishing and Training Your Dog. I'm a complete map addict and hence the book on maps has to be my favourite from the Learnabout series. First published in 1967 I'm guessing that the copy I have has to be a later reprint - mainly due to the ... read more