On our visit to Elvaston Castle yesterday, something caught Sophie's eye, but what could it be?!
Showing posts with label Sophie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sophie. Show all posts
Saturday, 8 June 2013
Saturday is caption day!
On our visit to Elvaston Castle yesterday, something caught Sophie's eye, but what could it be?!
Friday, 7 June 2013
Photos of Elvaston Castle
We are really lucky with where we live, 20 minutes in one direction and we are in the peak district, and 20 minutes in the other direction and we are in the centre of the city, which has some amazing parks and open spaces.
One of our very favourite places is Elvaston Castle. With beautiful scenery and plenty of wildlife it is the perfect place to spend the day. I think the photos speak for themselves!
One of our very favourite places is Elvaston Castle. With beautiful scenery and plenty of wildlife it is the perfect place to spend the day. I think the photos speak for themselves!
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| Sophie was very pleased to have mastered the play park! Shes getting so much more confident |
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| Catch up Sophie! |
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| We had lots of fun feeding the ducks and geese! |
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| I love the contrast of woods and open spaces |
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| One tired little girl! |
Thanks for looking! x
Monday, 3 June 2013
Sophie makes flapjacks
I love baking with Sophie, she gets so enthusiastic and excited, but it can get very messy, so I was thrilled when the lovely people at elinens sent me this gorgeous Sabichi Best of British apron to try out. It gave me just the excuse I needed to make one of our favourite recipes - flapjacks. Its such a simple recipe that Sophie can do most of it with assistance. I tend to have to hide them when Michael is around though as he's always dipping in! We put them in lunchboxes and take them on picnics - they can be frozen, but they don't often last that long!
I always weigh out the ingredients in advance and have everything I need to hand, as Sophie stands on a chair at the kitchen table to help. This way I can stay with her. I let her add all the ingredients (apart from the hot butter) and give them a good mix. I do have to keep a close eye on her otherwise she would eat everything before it gets to the oven! I also have to watch she doesn't chuck everything everywhere, including over me, so an apron for both of us is a must.
I loved the design of the apron, its quite short, which is perfect for me, and the ties are long enough for it to fit any size. The lightweight 100% cotton material was lovely for a hot kitchen and it kept my clothes nice and clean, I also really like the patriotic red, white and blue design - a great buy for the price!
Recipe
Method
Disclaimer - I was sent this apron free of charge for the purpose of this review
I always weigh out the ingredients in advance and have everything I need to hand, as Sophie stands on a chair at the kitchen table to help. This way I can stay with her. I let her add all the ingredients (apart from the hot butter) and give them a good mix. I do have to keep a close eye on her otherwise she would eat everything before it gets to the oven! I also have to watch she doesn't chuck everything everywhere, including over me, so an apron for both of us is a must.
I loved the design of the apron, its quite short, which is perfect for me, and the ties are long enough for it to fit any size. The lightweight 100% cotton material was lovely for a hot kitchen and it kept my clothes nice and clean, I also really like the patriotic red, white and blue design - a great buy for the price!
Recipe
- 250g porridge oats
- 100g butter
- 100g raisins (or any other dried fruit)
- 80g golden syrup
Method
- Preheat the oven to 150 degrees, grease or line a swiss roll tin
- Melt the butter in a pan or the microwave
- Mix together all the ingredients
- Add the mixture to the swiss roll tin and press down well
- Bake in the preheated oven for approx 30 mins
- Leave in the tin to cool, then cut up in the tin ready to serve
Disclaimer - I was sent this apron free of charge for the purpose of this review
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
Highfield Happy Hens, Etwall, Derbyshire
Yesterday we visited Highfield Happy Hens at Etwall. I have been meaning to visit for a long time now as I had heard some great things about it, and I love the way it was started.
Over 20 years ago, the owners started inviting homeless youngsters into their home. They needed something for them to do, so they started helping out a neighbour by collecting eggs. They then built their own chicken sheds and it seems to have gone from strength to strength. They now work with both the youth offending service and the education authority.
Highfield Happy Hens now has a farm shop, tea rooms, childrens play areas, crazy golf, animals to feed and you can even collect your own eggs!
Unfortunately when we got up today we were faced with the typical British summer - it was chucking it down! We debated on whether to still go or not, but in the end we donned our wellies and waterproofs and off we went.
When we arrived we walked into a very welcoming looking shop, which had lots of lovely looking fresh produce, as well as a range of childrens toys. We bought some animal food which was very reasonably priced at 50p for a bag. The tea room was clean and tidy and they had some lovely looking cakes, although we had bought a picnic!
Due to the rain we headed straight to the indoor play area where there were various toys and climbing frames - Sophie particularly liked the tractor sit on ride.
The rain soon eased off and we took this as our cue to head on towards the animals, we passed pigs and sheep then headed up to an indoor barn, which had pigs, goats, lambs and calves which could be fed. Further up the track there were various different breeds of chickens, before reaching the top of the path with lots of free range chickens in a field which we fed. Sadly the weather didn't allow us much time outdoors, so we headed up another track to the big barns where we could collect some eggs. I think this was definitely the highlight of Sophies day - she loved looking for and collecting the eggs! You then take your eggs to the shop to pay for them and they are boxed up.
We then headed back to the indoor play area, where there are a few picnic benches and ate our lunch. It was a shame the weather stopped us using the outdoor play and picnic areas, and spending more time looking at the animals, but we will definitely be back again, hopefully when the weather is better.
Click here to visit the Highfield Happy Hens website
Over 20 years ago, the owners started inviting homeless youngsters into their home. They needed something for them to do, so they started helping out a neighbour by collecting eggs. They then built their own chicken sheds and it seems to have gone from strength to strength. They now work with both the youth offending service and the education authority.
Highfield Happy Hens now has a farm shop, tea rooms, childrens play areas, crazy golf, animals to feed and you can even collect your own eggs!
Unfortunately when we got up today we were faced with the typical British summer - it was chucking it down! We debated on whether to still go or not, but in the end we donned our wellies and waterproofs and off we went.
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| There are advantages of the rain of course! |
When we arrived we walked into a very welcoming looking shop, which had lots of lovely looking fresh produce, as well as a range of childrens toys. We bought some animal food which was very reasonably priced at 50p for a bag. The tea room was clean and tidy and they had some lovely looking cakes, although we had bought a picnic!
Due to the rain we headed straight to the indoor play area where there were various toys and climbing frames - Sophie particularly liked the tractor sit on ride.
The rain soon eased off and we took this as our cue to head on towards the animals, we passed pigs and sheep then headed up to an indoor barn, which had pigs, goats, lambs and calves which could be fed. Further up the track there were various different breeds of chickens, before reaching the top of the path with lots of free range chickens in a field which we fed. Sadly the weather didn't allow us much time outdoors, so we headed up another track to the big barns where we could collect some eggs. I think this was definitely the highlight of Sophies day - she loved looking for and collecting the eggs! You then take your eggs to the shop to pay for them and they are boxed up.
We then headed back to the indoor play area, where there are a few picnic benches and ate our lunch. It was a shame the weather stopped us using the outdoor play and picnic areas, and spending more time looking at the animals, but we will definitely be back again, hopefully when the weather is better.
Click here to visit the Highfield Happy Hens website
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Potty training....
So I think the time has come. And I have no idea what I am doing.....
Sophie knows what the potty is for, but as of yet hasn't used it, she got it out this morning saying 'doo' (poo). So off came her nappy again - she sits on the potty, then gets up and wanders off. Shes been doing this for days now. I'm not sure it has anything to do with her wanting to use the potty, more her current dislike of wearing clothes (who needs clothes!). Shes currently taking off her t-shirt too.
She has on a few occasions had a wee or poo without the nappy on (never on the potty or toilet though) and has got so upset and worked up over it. I'm really not sure she is ready, but when shes asking for the potty, I can hardly say no - luckily I have a carpet cleaner!
For the first time in a long time I feel like I did when she first came home - totally out of my depth - I'd not even thought too much about potty training, maybe that's because of my total denial that I no longer have a baby, but a toddler! And once shes out of nappies, there will be no denying that she really is growing up - I don't think I'm ready for that.
So I am currently sat watching mybaby toddler wandering round the lounge in nothing but a pair of socks wishing that time would slow down, while trying to figure out if she really is ready for the potty!
Sophie knows what the potty is for, but as of yet hasn't used it, she got it out this morning saying 'doo' (poo). So off came her nappy again - she sits on the potty, then gets up and wanders off. Shes been doing this for days now. I'm not sure it has anything to do with her wanting to use the potty, more her current dislike of wearing clothes (who needs clothes!). Shes currently taking off her t-shirt too.
She has on a few occasions had a wee or poo without the nappy on (never on the potty or toilet though) and has got so upset and worked up over it. I'm really not sure she is ready, but when shes asking for the potty, I can hardly say no - luckily I have a carpet cleaner!
For the first time in a long time I feel like I did when she first came home - totally out of my depth - I'd not even thought too much about potty training, maybe that's because of my total denial that I no longer have a baby, but a toddler! And once shes out of nappies, there will be no denying that she really is growing up - I don't think I'm ready for that.
So I am currently sat watching my
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
Your best parenting moment?
I never realised just how overwhelming being a mummy would be - I'm not the natural maternal type, but from the moment I laid eyes on my little girl I was amazed by her. For the first 2 weeks of her life we didn't even turn the TV on, we just watched her, whether she was eating, sleeping, crying... you get the picture.
Each and every day she suprises me, she does something new or funny, or runs up and gives me a cuddle unexpectedly, and I was trying to think what our best moment has been - I'm just not sure I can pinpoint one. Of course there are all the firsts - smile, steps, words.
But then there are all the other things she does too, the way she giggles uncontrollably if we sniff her feet (don't ask how that came about!) or the look of absolute surprise she adopts when she opens a present, or we play peekaboo, or when I ask her for a kiss and get a toy tiger launched towards my face!
Then there are the simple things, watching her going up and down the slide, or play on the swings, trying new foods, having her come for a cuddle before bedtime. I never realised just how rewarding the so called mundane activities of everyday life could be.
What has been your best parenting moment so far? I'd love to hear from you :)
Each and every day she suprises me, she does something new or funny, or runs up and gives me a cuddle unexpectedly, and I was trying to think what our best moment has been - I'm just not sure I can pinpoint one. Of course there are all the firsts - smile, steps, words.
But then there are all the other things she does too, the way she giggles uncontrollably if we sniff her feet (don't ask how that came about!) or the look of absolute surprise she adopts when she opens a present, or we play peekaboo, or when I ask her for a kiss and get a toy tiger launched towards my face!
Then there are the simple things, watching her going up and down the slide, or play on the swings, trying new foods, having her come for a cuddle before bedtime. I never realised just how rewarding the so called mundane activities of everyday life could be.
What has been your best parenting moment so far? I'd love to hear from you :)
Tuesday, 7 May 2013
Somewhere over the rainbow....
I spent a long time trying to decide on a theme for Sophie's birthday cake this year. Shes at an age where she loves everything, but there's no one particular thing that stands out for her. I would say her favourite thing right now is all things princess (or drindess as Sophie would say!) but I wanted to save that for when shes older. So, after coming across a gorgeous looking rainbow cake in a magazine I decided to give it a go. And here are the results :)
I found that this cake was great fun, yet relatively easy to make and looked really stunning when I cut into it. Suprisingly it didn't even take that long either. Everyone loved it so it was well worth the effort.
The cake recipe I used comes from the Good Food website and creates quite a dense cake, which doesn't rise much at all - leaving the layers thin and flat, so ideal for stacking. I did 7 layers altogether, but you can do less if you want.
The following recipe is enough for 2 layers, for subsequent layers, just repeat;
Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together using an electric whisk, then separate equally into 2 bowls and add your food colouring. Put in 2 greased and lined 20in round sandwich tins and bake in a preheated oven 180C/160C fan/gas 4 for 12 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Repeat for additional layers.
For the frosting I wanted to use a cream cheese frosting, as with the Good Food recipe, but found the one they suggested came out way too runny, so I used one with butter.
Mix together the butter and icing sugar, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, then add the cream cheese and mix in. I actually found it easier to split the ingredients in 2 and make 2 separate lots of icing.
When all your cakes have cooled sandwich them together with the icing and then coat. I found it best to do a thin crumb coat first, then a thicker coat afterwards.
Hints and Tips
I found that this cake was great fun, yet relatively easy to make and looked really stunning when I cut into it. Suprisingly it didn't even take that long either. Everyone loved it so it was well worth the effort.
The cake recipe I used comes from the Good Food website and creates quite a dense cake, which doesn't rise much at all - leaving the layers thin and flat, so ideal for stacking. I did 7 layers altogether, but you can do less if you want.
The following recipe is enough for 2 layers, for subsequent layers, just repeat;
- 125g butter , softened
- 225g plain flour
- 150g caster sugar
- 3 medium eggs
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together using an electric whisk, then separate equally into 2 bowls and add your food colouring. Put in 2 greased and lined 20in round sandwich tins and bake in a preheated oven 180C/160C fan/gas 4 for 12 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Repeat for additional layers.
For the frosting I wanted to use a cream cheese frosting, as with the Good Food recipe, but found the one they suggested came out way too runny, so I used one with butter.
- 200g unsalted butter
- 1200g icing sugar
- 500g full fat cream cheese
Mix together the butter and icing sugar, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, then add the cream cheese and mix in. I actually found it easier to split the ingredients in 2 and make 2 separate lots of icing.
When all your cakes have cooled sandwich them together with the icing and then coat. I found it best to do a thin crumb coat first, then a thicker coat afterwards.
Hints and Tips
- Avoid using supermarket food colourings - to get the depth of colour to make this cake look stunning you really do need professional food colouring gels or pastes. Even the gels you can buy in the supermarket aren't strong enough, by the time you have added enough to get the vibrant colours you will have altered the taste and consistency of the cake. I used the Sugarflair range of colours and while not the cheapest you only need to use a small amount. I also mixed the orange and purple myself from the other colours
- If your cakes rise and dome too much they will need trimming. The easiest way to do that is to freeze the cake first, use a sharp knife and trim the top, then while still frozen spread a thin crumb layer of icing onto your cake
- To ensure the top of your cake is flat turn over the top later of cake so the bottom is on top
- Theres no need for lots of decoration on the outside of this cake - it looks so impressive when you cut into it.
- There are a variety of different icings you could use on this cake. Buttercream, white, dark or milk chocolate grenache, cream cheese frosting are just a few
Sophie turns 2!
When you have a baby, you don't realise how true it is when people tell you how quick the time goes, but I cannot believe that on the 5th of May it was 2 years since the whirlwind that is Sophie came into our lives.
In those 2 years our lives have changed beyond recognition. We've had sleepless nights, tears and tantrums (and thats just us!) Its been a real rollercoaster, but its undoubtedly been the most amazing 2 years of our lives.
Its such a cliche, but it has beyond amazing watching our helpless little bundle grow into such a happy, loving, funny and stubbornly independent little girl. She never fails to make me smile, and I find it impossible to stay mad at her, no matter how naughty she is!
It was quite emotional thinking that now shes 2 we really can't refer to her as a baby anymore. Shes this little person with her own thoughts and opinions (on EVERYTHING!) but as amazing as she is, I do miss the little bundle that she was.
We had such a wonderful weekend for her birthday. On the Saturday we had family arriving from down south to stay for the weekend - I was pretty worried how we would all squash into our little house, but we managed just fine and it really made it a fantastic weekend for Sophie - she loved all the attention! On the Sunday we had yet more people round for cake in the afternoon. Luckily the sun was out and we spent the whole day in the garden for the first time this year - we really couldn't have asked for a more perfect weekend!
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| Just a few minutes old |
In those 2 years our lives have changed beyond recognition. We've had sleepless nights, tears and tantrums (and thats just us!) Its been a real rollercoaster, but its undoubtedly been the most amazing 2 years of our lives.
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| 3 months old |
Its such a cliche, but it has beyond amazing watching our helpless little bundle grow into such a happy, loving, funny and stubbornly independent little girl. She never fails to make me smile, and I find it impossible to stay mad at her, no matter how naughty she is!
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| 1 year old |
It was quite emotional thinking that now shes 2 we really can't refer to her as a baby anymore. Shes this little person with her own thoughts and opinions (on EVERYTHING!) but as amazing as she is, I do miss the little bundle that she was.
We had such a wonderful weekend for her birthday. On the Saturday we had family arriving from down south to stay for the weekend - I was pretty worried how we would all squash into our little house, but we managed just fine and it really made it a fantastic weekend for Sophie - she loved all the attention! On the Sunday we had yet more people round for cake in the afternoon. Luckily the sun was out and we spent the whole day in the garden for the first time this year - we really couldn't have asked for a more perfect weekend!
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| Enjoying her birthday cake aged 2 |
Thanks for reading x
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