I don’t know if everyone says this about their children but I feel like mine have grown so fast all of a sudden. Whether it’s just their age, stage that they’re at or if it’s to do with coming to the end of being infants but it just seems like they have come on so much. Their reading has improved so much, they have moved on so much quicker in swimming, their appetite is even bigger than before and they seem to need even less sleep!
Cake is my guilty pleasure, especially ones with chocolate in. Emma Donogue said “If I was made of cake I’d eat myself before somebody else could” which I think could be quite true of myself! I love to feed my sweet tooth and so I love making things like brownies or blondies but I also love loaf cakes like my ginger loaf or a lemon drizzle. I remember my mum making banana bread and me eating it with butter spread on. I tend to try and go for healthy treats these days but that doesn’t mean I don’t have an extra thick slice.
When we bought our house twelve years ago, it was our first renovation project. Project managing a massive renovation whilst working full-time was so difficult. We learnt so much and made so many of mistakes, so I would love to use this experience in the future to do some more home improvements.
Looking for an activity to tire out the kids which is fun for the whole family? Great for burning off some energy, getting in your daily exercise, staving off cabin fever on a rainy day, Red Kangaroo has lots of different activities to keep everyone entertained.
There is some debate now as to whether breakfast is really the most important meal of the day. What is important is what we choose to eat for breakfast. I can’t miss breakfast, I need some food and a drink to get me going in a morning. I’m not really a morning person and breakfast helps me to wake up and get started with the day, without it I wouldn’t have the energy for work, running around after the kids and for all the jobs in the house that always need doing.
I’ve spoken on the blog before about it being important to me that my boys know where their food comes from and to be interested in nature. Last year we bought some vegetable seeds and planted them and it was lovely to see them interested in how they were growing and open to trying new things because they had come from our garden.
When you think of traditional British dishes, the pie should be high up on the list. Originating in ancient Rome, the pie is a hearty meal when served with mashed potato or chips and some form of vegetable. I have to admit that it’s something I don’t make often and when I do, I stick to the same recipe using up roast chicken leftovers so we were excited and interested to try something new at Pieminister in Nottingham City Centre.
I’ve got another new vegan recipe for you and this one is a lovely treat. My absolute favourite mid morning snack is a cup of herbal tea and a slice of cake. There’s nothing better than having a break, sitting on the sofa and enjoying a sweet treat. What if that sweet treat was good for you? I love gingerbread but it’s very heavy on the refined sugar and I wanted to reduce this and also make it gluten and dairy free.
Chocolate for breakfast? Yes please! It probably won’t come as a surprise to you that we love our chocolate in this house. My Chocolate and Almond Granola is a staple and my boys, and in particular Ethan makes sure I make a batch every week. As I’m taking part in Veganuary I was looking for some new breakfast recipes and thinking about how I could find some nutritious as well as quick and easy to make breakfasts now we’re back into the routine of school and work when mornings are rushed.
This recipe came about from looking for a new and quick pasta sauce recipe to try during Veganuary and experimenting with different ingredients. The first time I made it, I put toasted pine nuts on to garnish and it tasted great. Blending them in and adding the cream cheese has made this pesto even more delicious. It’s super quick and easy to make. You can have a meal on the table in ten minutes tops, which is so good for when you’re tired and don’t want to stand in the kitchen for hours on an evening.