Makes and Bakes

Roast dinner: Wot so Funee?

  Homework by the Bug, aged 5: Now, if you have your own post to link this week, grab the badge code from the sidebar, and click the link below to enter your post – I can’t wait to see what you have! It’s not obligatory, but if you include a link back here in your own post, I’ll return the favour with a tweet-out. If you’re new here you can check out the Wot So Funee? main page for more info. Powered by Linky Tools Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

Costumes and ideas for World Book Day

World Book Day ideas: Saucepan Man from the Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton

Our school stages a non-uniform “come as your favourite book character” day every year on World Book Day. In 2013 World Book Day will be on Thursday 7 March, and the Bug has been pondering his costume for a while. Would he wear my cast-off from a previous year? His answer was no, on the basis that not only has he never read the Faraway Tree (I know, right?!!), but that the saucepans have not fared too well for their 2 year secondment to the loft… So we were stuck, wondering what the best character would be. We don’t have …

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Valentines Day crafts for kids

"pink fudge hearts for Valentine's day"

Are you the parent who gets up early on the morning of Valentine’s Day to post an ‘anonymous’ card through the door addressed to your child?  It’s a harmless activity and makes them feel good about themselves. But this year the Bug and I have made our own Valentines, and so can you. From full-blown candy-crush to simple Valentine’s card, kids can make it themselves, or with minimal adult support. Obviously you can’t spoil the dream by asking them to write a card to themselves (you can’t opt out completely parents!), but you can help out if they want to …

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How to make pancakes: recipes and fillings

"savoury pancake for kids"

I am nicknamed “The Hoover” in our family, due to an innate ability (Daddy has it too) to consume favourite foods before Mummy has even made it to the table. Pancakes hardly hit the sides, as demonstrated by the rapid demolition of my  ‘Crêpe Citron Chantilly‘ in Brittany last summer. So you can imagine my enthusiasm and impatience for Pancake day to arrive. So much so that we actually did it a week early! My plan was to have pancakes for breakfast (of the griddled, blueberry and maple syrup variety), something random and forgettable for school dinner, and pancakes for tea. …

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Girls day in: how to create a home spa

  As the grey sky glares down on us, and our condensate pipe requires more and more kettles of hot water to thaw out and provide us with heating, we find ourselves wishing we’d booked our Center Parcs trip for January rather than waiting for the summer. Clearly we would be spending most of our time indoors, in the Subtropical Swimming Paradise, deluding ourselves that summer has arrived. But Mummy would almost certainly be sloping off to the Aqua Sana Spa, and after my home spa experience last week, I will be hot on her heels! As a result of …

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Easy Pork Schnitzel Recipe Only 5 Weightwatchers Pro Points

"Weightwatchers easy port schnitzel recipe"

  We were recently given a new WeightWatchers recipe book titled Fresh and easy everyday. Mummy finds that the key to staying on track with her ProPoints is variety, so new recipes are always welcome. Inspired by our recent cookery class with top chef Francesco Mazzei, and by the promise of “easy” recipes, Mummy handed over this Weightwatchers book to me, and left me to get on with it. I chose this easy Pork Schnitzel recipe because I like all the ingredients, and we estimated a total cooking time of 15 minutes. Mummy cooked some tiny rosemary and garlic potatoes, …

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How to recycle your Christmas Cards

"how to make home made decoupage greetings cards"

Mummy hates waste. You name it – we recycle it. Last Sunday’s chicken roast? Sandwiches. Then stir-fry. Finally, soup. We have been subjected to the weirdest menus in the name of not wasting leftovers. You know that rule that says you can only cook meat twice before it must be discarded? Well, Mummy doesn’t. We’ve even once been served two-day-old bubble and squeak (with added bacon) sandwiched between a couple of pasta sheets, masquerading as a veggie lasagne. Our house is full of random buttons, screws and blue-tack remnants, and the tiniest snippet of paper has to go into the …

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Warming Chickpea and Chorizo Casserole 8 ProPoints

"chickpea, chorizo and butternut squash casserole slow cooker"

When I lived in Spain as a student I was astonished at the awful food – until I moved in with some girls who had a cook. Yes, I know, students with a cook! But that’s how seriously these people take their food, and mealtimes. After their various lectures, they would all convene back at the flat at 2pm for a hearty lunch made by Loli (she also ironed and cleaned for them, for a pittance, I seem to remember). My absolute favourite creation from Loli was a chickpea and chorizo concoction; it was invariably laced with gorgeous olive oil, …

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Slow Food Fast

Italian cooking with kids

Which of these images is more appealing to you as a parent? Which would you prefer your child to eat? And which would your child choose? Yeah, us too, and though Mummy tries to make us cut out fast food, we do love the odd Happy Meal. As a family who eats out whenever we can afford it, we were shocked to discover that more than half of meals eaten out in Britain are at fast food restaurants . When we eat 0ut it is at Wagamama, where the Bug’s favourite dish is Chilli Squid, or at Sophie’s Steakhouse, where …

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Parmesan and pumpkin gnocchi with sage

Recipe for pumpkin gnocchi

We learned this recipe from Francesco Mazzei as part of our experience with Slow Food Kids Ingredients (serves 4): 100g                       mashed potatoes (use 2 large potatoes) 100g                       pumpkin mash (1 butternut squash) 100g                       Grana Padano 21 Months (or good quality parmesan) 100g                       00 flour Pinch of                Nutmeg 1                              egg yolk 50g                        butter 1                              teaspoon shallots 20g                         Sage (4 leaves) Method: 1)      Cook the potatoes and pumpkin in boiling water for 20-25 minutes, or until soft, then drain. 2)      Mash well and place in a large bowl. …

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Oven roasted vegetables with fresh hazelnuts

This is one of the delicious recipes we learned whilst cooking with Slow Food Kids and Grana Padano (Recipes by Francesco Mazzei) Ingredients (4 servings): 200g     Beetroot 200g      Fennel 200g      Butternt squash 200g      Purple Aubergine 2              Red onions 2              teaspoona tomato paste 50ml      Extra Virgin Olive oil 50g         Fresh hazelnuts or cobnuts Salt & Pepper 2              Tablespoon honey 500ml    Raspberry vinegar 50g         Grana Padano 21 Months shavings Fresh Herbs for decoration (Chervil, Basil, celery cress)  Method: 1)      Place the beetroot in a pan of cold water; bring …

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Slow-cooked smoky beef casserole: 5 WeightWatchers ProPoints

Slow Cooker Beef Casserole 7 WeightWatchers ProPoints

This weekend Mummy served this slow-cooked smoky beef casserole instead of roast dinner. I was inclined to kick-off, because Sunday roast is my favourite meal of the week. But I found myself sneaking into the utility room to check on the slow-cooker, because the smells wafting out were just so tempting. Once again, Mummy cooked for about 10 minutes and then produced this rich, smoky-scented dinner about 8 hours later! Serves 6: this recipe has been created by us, using the WeightWatchers ProPoints system. It is not a WeightWatchers recipe. You will need: 8oog lean casserole steak, cubed 20g plain …

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How to make a pirate eye patch

How to make a pirate eyepatch

Those of you who know me well are aware of the fact that Mummy is rubbish at craft. So it’s lucky for the Bug that we know Stacey, who has written us a guest craft tutorial today on how to make a pirate eye patch. It’s so simple, I’m pretty sure even Mummy could do it! Ahoy shipmates! Pirates are very popular at the moment. This cheap and easy-to-make eye patch will come in very useful for children’s parties or fancy dress. It is simple enough to make with your children although some of the cutting out is a bit tricky. …

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The food in Brittany – not just your usual crêpe!

Devouring a plate of “Citron Chantilly” (that’s lemon and sweet whipped cream to the likes of you and me) didn’t take me long, and the Bug wolfed down his Apple and Caramel version with equal gusto. But whilst M&D enjoyed their savoury versions (galettes, if you need to know) they marvelled at the 199 possible compositions of this mealtime staple and dessert treat of Brittany on offer at the Crêperie Mariniere in Trévignon. But the food in Brittany is not just about these gorgeous pancake confections. Oh no no no no noooo…… There is more! And here is just a …

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Banana fudge muffins recipe: the Bug’s favourite

Following my first attempt at hosting Listography for Kate Takes 5, with my Top 5 Yoghurts, the Bug has been pestering Mummy for a post of his own. I may have mentioned that Daddy likes to bake muffins on a Sunday, and has become something of an improvisation expert with his random flavours. Chilli chocolate muffins was not one of his better attempts 😯 The Bug rates the muffin quality each week and came up with his top 5 muffins: Does that make sense? Can you tell what he’s written? Granted, his handwriting is a little primitive. He then took …

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Slow Cooker Red Lentil Curry recipe: 7 WeightWatchers ProPoints

Super simple slow cooker Lentil Curry recipe

What Mummy loves about this red lentil curry, aside from the fact that it has only 7 WeightWatchers ProPoints per serving, is that it genuinely needs no effort at all. Simply chop up all the vegetables, rinse the lentils until the water runs clear, mince the garlic, grate the ginger and chuck everything in the slow cooker on a high setting for about 4 hours. Or you can cook it all on the hob, with some low calorie cooking spray, if you’re in a hurry – about 15 minutes simmering will do it. You will need: 250g red lentils 1 …

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Roasted Mediterranean Vegetable Pasta: 6 WeightWatchers Points

This recipe is calculated using WeightWatchers ProPoints. 6 This is Mummy’s staple “been a bad week” recipe – dead simple, really tasty, and you can spice it up or down according to taste. Since the only points values are in the pasta, you can make it as low or high as you need, depending on what you have left. Mummy always makes extra; she claims the roasted vegetables are surprisingly delicious in a wrap for lunch the next day (3 points for lunch if you use Sainsbury’s Be Good to Yourself wraps). For my tastes, aubergines can go swing, not …

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Sausage and Lentil Casserole: 8 WeightWatchers ProPoints

Sausage and lentil casserole recipe

This sausage and lentil casserole is healthy, delicious comfort-food, that even the children relish eating! The recipe is calculated using WeightWatchers ProPoints, and serves 4 hearty appetites. A proper alternative to the Sunday roast.  Sausage and Lentil Casserole recipe You will need:   We served this with steamed savoy cabbage. It all went, and seconds were requested! Result! I’m linking this post to Romanian Mum’s Foodie Friday, where you will find a whole host of meaty recipes!