Meal Planning Monday #13

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It's been a few weeks since I've taken part in this linky (because of The Boy's birthday and our holiday the week before) and for the few weeks before that I'd been lacking enthusiasm. That ended up costing us money and wasting food. Not good, not acceptable and a complete lack of effort on my part. This month is completely manic financially: our holiday, The Boy's birthday and Britmums. I need to utilise the food in the cupboards and freezer, not buy any more!

  • Sunday: red onion & cheese plait, buttered carrots & roast Charlotte potatoes (with skins). The two dads (mine and The Boy's) will be having slow-cooked brisket in beer, mango chutney and mustard.
  • Monday: slow-cooked 'pulled' vegetables in wraps, ranch salad and onion rings.
  • Tuesday: Mediterranean vegetables with rice and grilled halloumi.
  • Wednesday: (work day) Primaverdi pasta. (Mr. TBaM is reading this wondering what it is: slice courgettes and half a leek, and lightly stirfry. Add half a tub of Elmlea and a handful of parmesan, along with a grind of black pepper. Cook the pasta in hot water for three minutes, strain and transfer to pan. Mix and serve with a sprinkle of parmesan. Ta!)
  • Thursday: Quattro formaggi pizza and wedges.
  • Friday: Britmums Live.
  • Saturday: Britmums Live.

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I'm linking this up to Mrs. M's Meal Planning Monday

The Novelty Of Birthday Cakes

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So this week I've made two birthday cakes. And we're not talking about round sponges with some chocolate and sprinkles on top, we're talking themed cakes.

This week, I've made a sandcastle cake for The Boy's actual birthday on Tuesday, and for his birthday party day today he had a Peppa Pig car cake.

Thank God for cake moulds hey? I've used one for both cakes: one was a silicon mould from Aldi; the other was a metal, Wilton mould borrowed from the cake-loving Mummy Mishaps. They seem to make everything so much easier and as a result, even the most artistically-lacking parent can whip up an extravaganza for their little ones with the aid of some dolly mixtures and a liquorice allsort or two.

Having made a madeira sponge for the Sandcastle cake, I discovered that it was a little dry and so I decided to add in some natural yoghurt (which is a trick I've learnt from the aforementioned Mummy Mishaps) which makes the cake lighter and more fluffy. I used this gem from Seasider Clare again, and despite the minor realisation that I hadn't made enough and needed to whip another 2 egg mixture. Two hours in the oven and an overnight cooling, saw me decorating it this morning.

After carving out the area for Peppa and family to sit in, I covered it in the appropriate icing sourced from a local cake suppliers using this image as my reference point. I used some wafer flowers on the grass and ended up with this cake which I am really rather proud of. It also tasted a damn sight nicer than the other day, the yoghurt worked a treat.

I have had great fun planning The Boy's cakes over the past few weeks, it's one of those mummy things that I've looked forward to and relish every stressful, floury moment of it. I haven't quite decided on next year's cake yet, but there is a pirate ship mould on top of the fridge that's been sending me distress signals for the past two years.

If you've got a novelty birthday cake that you'd like to share, please add it to the linky below.

 

Going To The Island

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Recently I wrote a post that was our own version of the National Trust's list of Fifty Things To Do Before You're 11¾, adapting it, as The Boy's birthday was imminent, to Five Things To Do Before You're Three!

About a month ago, we decided it was a glorious day and the tide was out (the Bristol Channel has the second highest tidal range in the world after Nova Scotia) so it would be an ideal time to attempt a walk over to a nearby 'island'. I use the inverted commas around it because at low tide it is connected to the mainland by a causeway covered in rockpools, at high tide it's an island. There's nothing on this island apart from a wrecked boat, a swamp and some rather spectacular views of the Bristol Channel and England, it's also only about two hundred yards wide and four hundred yards long, if that. However, an island it is and it was on our list.

The tide was very low when we set off under the midday sun (and wind), giving us at least three hours before it started turning back in again. Plenty of time for us to have our picnic lunch on the beach, explore the rockpools and get to the island and back again. I wasn't convinced The Boy would manage it in all honesty, but it's amazing how little ones can just keep on going if you take it at their pace.

It was an eye-opener for not only The Boy; all the aspects of living on the coast that I assumed everyone knew about, always amaze my husband as he grew up in the heart of England. We discovered mermaid's purses, the difference between wet and dry seaweed, barnacles (Like Captain Barnacle Mummy!), there was a small crab in one rockpool, and salt crystals in a dried-up pool.

And when we got to the island, I realised that I've lived here all my life and never been all the way there before! And the view is spectacular.

[slickr-flickr tag='GoingToTheIsland']

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Sandcastle Birthday Cake

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A month or so ago I bought a silicon cake mould from Aldi in the shape of a sandcastle. At only £3.99 I couldn't not buy it, even though I had no idea what I was going to use it for; I'd already decided on The Boy's birthday cake and had no idea what this one could be used for.

In the end I decided to use it for The Boy's family birthday party today. I've never used a silicon cake mould before and was nervous. I was also a bit nervous because of the size of the mould and had no idea how much mixture would be needed. After a helpful tweet from Clare at Seasider In The City pointing me in the direction of this post, I discovered I'd need 9 eggs and 18 ounces of flour for the madeira cake!

Luckily it only took an hour and half to cook, and peeled out of the mould really easily. Today while The Boy was napping, I decorated it with some simply shell-shape chocolates.

I was sceptical that it looked ok, but The Boy was more than happy with it. Look at his little face when he saw the cake mummy made him:

Now You Are Three…

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While I have tried to remain in denial about The Boy's third birthday, it's impossible. Sometimes the only thing we can be sure of in this life is that time will pass, and our babies will turn into children and people in their own right.

I am inordinately proud of my little boy: he is a friendly and happy little boy who wants to chat to everyone, he loves playing with his friends and family, loves making craft items and baking, is never happier than when he's building a sandcastle or jumping up and down in muddly puddles. This little individual being is kind and considerate, loving and caring, quiet and cheeky. He's not a boisterous boy, he's not a rough and tumble, fighting and climbing boy, but he is curious and insightful, wanting to learn about the world around him in a cautious but determined manner.

He says 'gyurls' for girls and 'wyurld' for world, and 'you were being confused'. He has a beautiful singing voice and makes songs up, mixing together theme tunes deliberately. When 'groovy moves' or 'I am a shape' come on the television, he insists that I stop what I'm doing and go and dance straight away; he never stands still for 'freeze' but checks everyone else is.

He insists on doing stand-up wees and refuses to let daddy help him, apart from to pass him a piece of tissue. He hates sitting in his booster chair seat, declaring he 'wants to be a big boy' but wants to be carried like a baby out of the bathroom wrapped in his towel while daddy sings 'rock a bye baby'.

Every morning since he could walk, he rushes in to wake me up and feeling him in my arms first thing every morning is the most amazing, awe-inspiring, serene and natural thing in the entire world.

Happy birthday my darling, precious boy.

Instagram: #VictorianDecay

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Earlier this year I discovered the world of Instagram, but it wasn't until I came across other photo-editing apps that I really found my feet with it. The filters and borders on Instagram are very limiting I think, plus it doesn't tend to save a copy to your camera reel. Both of these factors meant that I started using Camera+ more often than not for my IG uploads.

About three weeks ago, I saw Instagram's weekly blog entry and it highlighted the work of an American photographer that takes photographs of derelict buildings in his home of St. Louis, Missouri. I was really intrigued by them and it reminded me of the amazing houses in my own town in south Wales. Much of the area where I live, specifically my town, was built between 1870-1890 with the boom of the coal industry in the Valleys. The houses, which would have been owned by the mine-owners, are grandeur and almost like estates with coach houses and folly-style Summer houses at the bottom of their garden.

However, a small proportion of these stunning examples of Victorian architecture have been allowed to fall into a terrible state of disrepair over the past forty years. Some (like the three-storey redbrick hotel on the seafront or the four storey detached house with turrets and a roof garden) were bought by an unscrupulous 'businessman' for redevelopment. When permission wasn't granted, they had mysterious fires or internal supporting walls were demolished until they were ordered to be pulled down. Other buildings, through the sheer weight of financial upkeep have become derelict and abandoned.

Luckily in the last three-five years there has been considerable interest in the remaining treasures, resulting in massive renovation and restoration. It meant it was a bit difficult to find any of them to photograph when I went on a hunt, but I did manage to snap some. I wish I'd thought of this three months ago and I would have been able to photograph the beautiful single-storey church school (which I'd had my eye on for when I won the Lottery) before it was ripped down.

I've started posting these photos onto Instagram using the hashtag #VictorianDecay, but not everyone (including my husband) has access to the network. Here they are:

[slickr-flickr tag='VictorianDecay']

I've been shortlisted for the MAD Blog Awards in the Photography category. If you like these photos, I'd love it if you could vote for me please? Voting closes on 6th June. Thank you

Mum and Dad Blog Awards 2012

Sponsored Video: My Own Grand Design

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I live in a three-bedroom ex-council semi-detached house in a reasonably suburban street.

Only I don't. Well not in my head anyway.

In my head I live in a purpose built detached house in several acres of land. As you go in through the front door, there's a large open hallway with a staircase slap-bang in the middle. Behind the staircase is the doorway into the kitchen and diner which spans across most of the back of the house. On the right, it leads into a large playroom and sitting room: the family room. In this room is a circular staircase up to the hallway outside the children's bedroom (Yes I know I only have one at the moment, but it's my dream so I have two ok?). Only this spiral staircase is one of those that has a slide around the outside of it; how cool would that be?

Further off to the right is a cinema room. Not snazzy and modern, but old fashioned with red velvet seats and gilt edging everywhere. Think the Hollywood golden era. Off the back of this room is an indoor swimming pool with bi-folding doors all along the one side into a courtyard area which the kitchen and playroom also overlook.

Back to the hallway and on the left of the staircase is a door into the living room. Although to be honest it's probably more of a formal sitting room because we'd spend all of our time in the playroom! Behind that and leading into the kitchen is the dining room with doors off onto the courtyard which flows into lush green lawn.

I haven't thought about upstairs yet, I've been too busy working out where the spiral staircase goes.

Anyway, I've spent many years covetting the perfect home and immerse myself into the like of Britain's Best Home or Grand Designs (have you noticed they're not very 'grand' anymore?) storing away ideas to be used for when I finally win the lottery and can have my dream home built. There's nothing massively quirky about my house, it's not out there with the people who have aquariums in their basements or discos in their garages, but I do think that the spiral slide staircase is an inspired move.

Aviva want to know all about your quirky homes and are offering a prize of £5000 to the most unusual. Check out their Facebook page for more information.

 

This is a sponsored post. My ramblings are my own.

Meal Planning Monday #12

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It wasn't until I read Kate's Meal Planning Monday earlier that I realised I'm going on holiday next week. It sounds a bizarre thing to think of from reading her post, but we are staying on the same resort next week and she prompted my brain into gear. Our week's holiday in Devon seems to have caught me unawares and I'm left with a fridge and freezer full of food that I need to try and use up. Admittedly I don't need to eat up the freezer food but I am in a pickle because I had a delivery from a PR earlier:I'm going to be trying some lunchtimes recipes with The Boy to engage him into his mealtimes more, and while I anticipated a sample from them, I didn't expect four loaves and four packs of rolls! Therefore I need to find space in my freezer because we won't eat them all in time and I'm not wasting food.

So this week I need to use food up!

  • Sunday: It was my mum's birthday so we had a small clear out of the freezer (nowhere near enough) and the fridge.
  • Monday: Pizza, salad and wedges.
  • Tuesday: Vegetable fajitas with smoky quorn chunks. (I finally remembered to add it to the planner!)
  • Wednesday: Chicken pie/vegetable frittata, salad and wedges.
  • Thursday: Spaghetti and meatballs.
  • Friday: Leftover vegetables (I anticipate leeks, mushrooms, peppers and courgettes) in risotto.
  • Saturday: Chinese.

As Kate points out, there won't be a plan from me next week as I'll be enjoying (hopefully) sunny Devon.

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I'm linking this up to Meal Planning Monday at Mrs. M's.

Mediterranean Vegetables And Rice With Grilled Halloumi

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Some of my best recipes arise from making stuff up as I go along. This is one of them!

It's an incredibly simple meal and is a complete and utter cheat from start to finish. I've mentioned it a few times on my Meal Planning Monday posts and it always gets an excellent response and a request for the recipe, so here it is.

But first of all, a picture:

Aubergines, courgettes, red & yellow pepper, onion, extra virgin olive oil, basil, garlic, black pepper, basmati rice, halloumi.

I'd like to make out that it's really complicated but it's not. Aldi sell a bag of chargrilled mediterranean vegetables for £1.45. They also do boil in the bag basmati rice. Ten minutes in a wok for the vegetables, ten minutes in hot water in the microwave for the rice and toss the two together. Lightly grill the halloumi on both sides. Shove it all on a plate.

Et voila!

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