I was just browsing through our summer photos and this one made me laugh.
I'd left the kids with their dad while in town so I could do some quick shopping and this is what I walked back to...two children with blinged out caps, one of them eating blue ice cream!
It's not unusual for Dylan to have his ice cream all over his face, I actually think he thinks it's a necessity. Thank God he wasn't eating chocolate ice cream!
As for Emily, I remember her being particularly ratty later that day, I wonder if that blue ice cream had anything to do with it.
I'm am thankful though because I did get a chance to get some shopping done without two kids trailing behind me touching everything and moaning loudly,
and,
the caps are still worn regularly.
Blue ice cream however will NEVER be bought again.
We made scones...I say we, I really mean me.
The kids were too busy playing Minecraft and after asking them about 10.000 times I decided to go ahead and make them by myself. I'd never made scones before so was a bit apprehensive, maybe it was a good thing the kids weren't around to "help".
I must say, they turned out far better than I imagined, quite delicious actually and they disappeared just as quickly as it took for me to make them!
Here's my scrummy recipe:
350g self raising flour
pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
85g butter
3 tbsp sugar
180ml milk
1tbsp lemon juice
1egg
Preheat your oven to 220 Celsius.
Add the flour to a bowl, add the salt and baking powder and stir.
Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs, then add the sugar and stir.
Heat the milk until just lukewarm (30 secs in microwave) and then add the lemon juice.
Make a hole in your flour mixture and pour the milk into this, then quickly stir together with a fork, be careful to not over mix.
Dust some flour on a work surface and gently fold together the mixture.
Fold into a shape about 4cm thick and cut out round shapes (I used a cookie cutter).
Place on a baking tray and glaze the scones with some beaten egg.
Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes.
Serve with jam and cream.
YUMMY!!!
A few weeks back we visited Groombridge Place, also know as the Enchanted Forest.
What a magical day we had!
It is such an amazing place to visit, especially with kids, both mine loved running around and discovering what new surprises were lurking around every corner.
We started off by visiting the beautifull gardens where we admired all the pretty flowers and plants. The kids had loads of fun hiding behind big hedges and then jumping out to scare us, we did pretend they managed to do so of course, even with all the "warning" giggles coming from behind every hedge.
We also found the secret garden where we looked for fairies, but sadly we found none.
Nevertheless it was a very pretty place.
As we continued walking the gardens we came across a giant chess board where we stopped to have a little game. The was definitely a lot of fun. Dylan even asked if we can have one of these in our garden! Hmm, maybe a miniature version...
After we explored the remaining gardens we got on a canal boat which took us to the other part of the forest.
It was so much fun and really relaxing, even if Emily had a bit of a freak out because of a spider being too near to her seat!
Once we got off the boat the kids ran straight to the play park where we let them play for a bit, but not too long because we had much more exploring to do. Everything was really mystical on our walk around the forest and there were so many interesting things to see.
At one point we stumbled into a teepee village where both my kids quickly got a makeover. Dylan turned into an Indian warrior and Emily into an Indian princess.
My absolutely favourite part of the whole day were the giant tree swings and we spend so much time there, trying out all of them, each swing taking us higher into the treetops. The feeling was magical!
Simon, Dylan and I couldn't get enough, Emily on the other hand wasn't too sure, she was much more at ease at the kiddy swings further down the path. In her defence, these swings did go up quite high as the trees were on a slope, so when you were up, you really were UP!
It really was an amazing day and I can't wait to go back. I'm thinking autumn might be the perfect time for another visit.
This weekend has been a quiet one, but nevertheless a good one.
You see, Simon was admitted to hospital last week with kidney stones and while he's waiting to pass them we didn't venture out too much
Saturday morning we just pottered around the house and I noticed how many little chili peppers we have on our plant, I really should start using them.
It was quite sunny during the morning so perfect to spend some time in the garden and read my book. I'm really enjoying "the night circus" and would definitely recommend it. The kids played some games, although this was really Dylan playing on his DS and Emily nearly sitting on him to watch him, much to Dylans annoyance of course! Simon kept himself quiet inside and our cat was more
than happy to keep him company.
In the afternoon we went to Simon's brother for a BBQ and Emily and her cousins loved playing
ice cream shop in uncle Stuarts garden house. Their ice creams were a pit pricey though, £10 for a single cone!
We started our Sunday off with a delicious cooked breakfast and it really must have been delicious since both my kids finished their plates, not too unusual for Dylan but very much so for Emily! Later that day Simon's brother came to our house and we cooked a delicious roast dinner together. In between there was a lot of colouring, playing games and watching movies and Dylan made some lovely drawings with his little cousin.
I can't wait to see what this new week brings but I am hoping Simon's kidney stones will pass soon!
Have a great week everyone.
Last week my family came down for a couple of days and we had a fantastic time!
During the day we visited parks, beaches and cities.
Evenings were spent in our garden where we had an epic BBQ one night and one beautiful summer evening was spent at the harbour.
It was low tide and we were able to walk all the way up to the harbour wall, something
the kids were amazed by! All the fishing boats were stranded and Dylan loved walking amongst them. Emily was more interested in finding pretty seashells and chasing the seagulls.
All in all it was a pretty good night!
Over the weekend one of my lovely friends came to visit and we decided spend a day out in Canterbury.
Although I go quite regularly, Canterbury being the closest big town for some good shopping, I
never really hit the touristy places.
Sure, I walk past the cathedral every time, but it's been at least 15 years since I've actually went in. Due to the Sunday service taking place we didn't have the chance to visit the inside of the cathedral but we did spend a good amount of time exploring the grounds, gardens and crypt. It truly is a fabulous place.
We then continued strolling through town and taking in all the sights and we ended up by the canal where Emily begged us to go on a boat ride. The sky was looking rather grey at that time so we decided not to which made Emily quite sad. I can't blame her for wanting to go on the canal boats, it all looked very idyllic.
I foresee another trip to Canterbury very soon...on a day when no rain is forecast so my little Emily
can finally go on that much wanted boat ride
Summer is finally here! The season of BBQ's, picnics and delicious treats.
One of my absolute favourite treats in summer time is any piece of fruit paired with chocolate.
Can you think of anything more delicious than chocolate covered strawberries or bananas...neither can I!
Luckily Hotel Chocolat had the same idea and they have an amazing range of summer selection boxes
on offer.
I was lucky enough to be asked to do a review of their Island Smoothies.
These chocolates are so delicious, summery, fruity and full of flavour.
The packaging is simple yet stylish, making it A LOT more alluring than supermarket chocolates, but the main star here is the chocolate of course! Hotel Chocolat has a strong ingredients philosophy and only use wholesome, real ingredients. Their overall mantra is "more cocoa, less sugar" and this definitely reflects in the creamy texture and full flavour.
The island smoothies selection box offer four different flavours
apricot smoothie (Magnificently fruity and tender apricot ganache wrapped in soft white chocolate.)
banana smoothie (Lashings of banana paired with our high-cocoa white chocolate.)
passion fruit smoothie (Tangy, juicy Passion Fruit truffle blended with sumptuous white chocolate in a milk chocolate dome.)
Saint Lucian breakfast smoothie (Lashings of zesty lemon and grapefruit blended with smooth coconut, all soothed by creamy white chocolate.)
I served them for dessert with a selection of fresh fruits and they went down a treat.
My favourite was the banana smoothie closely followed by the passion fruit one!
At only £10 these are a bargain and ideal as a teacher gift, as a little surprise for a friend or even as a treat to yourself and oh...just think about how happy you could make the hostess of the next bbq you're invited to when you bring a box of these along for dessert!
If Island Smoothies aren't your thing don't fret,
they have a huge range of summer selection boxes for you to choose from, all of them perfect for sultry afternoons and magical midsummer eves.
I was sent the Island Smoothies selection box for reviewing purposes and would hereby like to thank Hotel Chocolat for the opportunity!
All opinions are my own.
