Baking with the Kids for Halloween

Halloween is fast becoming a major event in the UK as it has been for many years in the US and this means more and more kids wanting to host or attend a Halloween party.  But this also makes for a great reason to get that personalised baking set they bought you for your birthday out of the cupboard and enjoy some baking time with the kids.

Party treats

With ghosts, witches, pumpkins and other spooky elements, there are plenty of inspirations for Halloween and plenty of great ideas how to make something with the kids within the theme.  One really simple idea involves decorating biscuits to make Spider web biscuits to serve your guests.

All your need for this recipe is eight rich tea or other buttery biscuits, 100g of dark chocolate and 3 tablespoons of icing sugar as well as a few drops of lemon juice.  Melt the chocolate either on the stove or in the microwave until it is smooth and shiny then spread some on each biscuit.  Leave them for around ten minutes to set.  Meantime, mix the icing sugar with lemon juice to make an icing paste.  Use a pastry bag with a very fine nozzle and start in the centre, drawing three circles, each one a little bigger.  Then use a fine knife to drag the icing from one circle to another to create the web, or join them with more lines of icing if you prefer.  Let them set and you have perfect Spider web Biscuits.

Gruesome cakes

Graveyard cupcakes really look the part on the Halloween buffet table and by using a chocolate cake mixture from a box, the kids can really get involved with the job from the start.  As well as a 500g cake mix you will also need 800g of chocolate icing, 150g digestive biscuits and 24 oval or rectangular shaped biscuits such as Nice.

Make up the cakes as instructed on the box then add the chocolate icing, leaving one quarter of it for extra decoration.  Fill a pastry bag with the remaining icing and use a plain tip then write RIP on the rectangular biscuits at the top end.  Stand each decorated biscuit in the cupcake to resemble a gravestone coming out of the ground then sprinkle each cake the digestive biscuit crumbs to appear like dirt.

Traditional sweets

One of the most traditional sweet treats for Halloween has to be the toffee apple and these too can easily be made at home.  Use 100g pre-made toffee along with six Granny Smith apples and some wooden sticks like those found in ice lollies.  Insert a stick ¾ way into an apple then place them on a lined baking tray.  Mix up the toffee with two tablespoons of water and ½ teaspoon of vanilla essence on a low heat until melted and smooth.  Dip each apple into the toffee until each is covered then put back onto the tray until they set, pop them in fridge if you need them quicker than leaving them to air-dry.

Celebrating Baby’s First Christmas

There are plenty of things about Christmas that can be left to the last minute but other areas that should be looked at as early as possible.  One of those areas is celebrating a baby’s first Christmas, whether your own baby or one in the family.  Marking this milestone is something that should be given careful consideration so here is some inspiration to get you started.

The little stuff

We know that Christmas cards are important and getting the right one can be agonising for some people.  Okay, the baby won’t make much of it as it isn’t edible or something to play with but can be kept as a memento for them to see in later years.  One of the top options for Baby’s First Christmas cards are those that feature a real picture of the baby as well as a personalised message.  A newborn picture or even one just taken recently can be ideal and there are plenty of places to get that special card made.  If you can’t get a picture card, then a picture of the baby with a personalised frame is another nice keepsake, perhaps with a special message added.

Clothes

We all have those Christmas clothes that we wear on Christmas day and Boxing Day and may look completely daft but are part of the family tradition.  When it comes to the smallest member of the family, a Christmas themed all-in-one or pyjamas might be an idea thing.  After all, a little baby isn’t too worried about how daft it looks in an elves or tree ornament pattern onesie but their parents will adore how cute they look!  Add in a first Christmas bib to help cope with the mess of Christmas dinner will be a welcome addition for the parents and a personalised one adds that special touch.

Christmas traditions

Hanging up a stocking for those special little presents is something done in most households and there needs to be an extra one added for the new arrival.  There are some great handmade ones for something a little different or even get together with the older kids for a craft session and make one yourself, perhaps a new one for all members of the household so they don’t feel left out.

Personalised baubles for the tree are another great memento that can be brought out each year and enjoyed.  Names and the year are popular choices for a personalised ornament as well as a message who the bauble is from.  Handmade ones are another option to make with the kids.  Wooden ornaments with a name on them are a simple option if you are nervous of breakable glass baubles.

A personalised storybook for Christmas night is a present that can last for a number of years.  With a Santa themed story or the ‘night before Christmas’ theme, this is something that can become part of the Christmas Eve tradition, reading the story before going to sleep on the big night – assuming you can get them to go to sleep at all!

Can You Get Coffee-Shop Coffee at Home?

Lots of us love to go to the big name coffee shops and order ourselves a fancy coffee with a complicated name and lots of fancy ingredients.  As we sit there savouring the flavour, we often think it would be nice to have this kind of drink at home.  But is it possible to get coffee-shop style coffee at home?

Simple methods

Coffee has been around since the 9^th century and there are now hundreds of different variations to the drink and lots of different ways to prepare it.  One of the simplest and for many households, the most common method is to use an automatic drip coffeemaker.  These machines operate by dropping water through a filter that has been filled with ground beans and into a carafe.  Another common system is called the French press.  This uses a small glass jug fitted with a mesh filter on the lid and are seen as a ‘better’ option by coffee connoisseurs than the drip style.

One such expert, Tim Eggers from CoffeeGeek.com said he favours the French press because not only it is simple, but it allows good control over the brewing process.  It takes a few minutes longer but it worth the wait.  Then you can pop it in your favourite mug that the kids got you for your birthday and sit back to enjoy it.

All in the beans

Making the coffee is an important part of the process but the other essential part is the beans used.  No matter what system you use, you won’t get coffee-shop style coffee if you use poor quality beans.  Eggers is a big fan of using fresh-roasted high quality coffee beans that are then ground properly so investing in a grinder is an important step in the process.

Finding those perfect beans might sound difficult but today there are plenty of options.  For a starters, big name coffee shops such as Starbucks often sell the beans they use so that people can get the same taste at home.  Even supermarkets offer high quality beans as well as ‘normal’ style coffee products.

Creating those perfect beans takes a bit of work and the process used has a big effect on the beans produced.  The different blends come from how long the beans are roasted after they start to split during the boiling process. 

Light roasts, for example, stop being roasted just after this point, known as the ‘first crack’.  These tend to have a muted flavour.  Medium roasts are stopped a little later and have a balanced flavour between the two extremes while darker roasts have a pungent and sharp flavour.

Experimenting with flavours

The best way to find out what coffee method and type of beans work best for you is to experiment.  Once you learn the basics of making these coffees, you can start to experiment with the other types of fancier coffee available.  Espresso is one of the basics and is made in a similar way to drip coffee but has a strong flavour.  It is used in favourites such as latte, cappuccino and mochas with different milk amounts added to them.  Before long you will be making a three shot, extra drizzle caramel latte in the house for your mid-morning coffee.

Helping Kids Enjoy Halloween

Now the kids are back at school, parents’ attention begins to turn towards the next two months and there is a lot going on.  Next month sees Halloween after the half term break then Bonfire Night close its heels and then before we know it, it is Christmas.  Halloween is an event that is ever growing in popularity with the shops filling up with everything spooky already.  For some kids, it is great fun but for others it can be a bit too scary.  So how can you help kids enjoy Halloween and make sure they are safe?

Trick or treat

Most kids will say trick or treating when you ask them what their favourite part of Halloween is – mostly because of the sweets involved.  The biggest part of this is the dressing up element and most kids adore doing this at any excuse.  Of course, dressing them up in dark clothes on a dark night can seem like a bit of a recipe for disaster so one easy tip is to pop a little glow in the dark tape on the costume or on their trick or treat bag.  Makes for a fun look but also makes them easier to spot when walking around the neighbourhood.

Some people elect to let their kids wear masks as part of the costumes but one thing to watch is that they don’t cover their eyes, noses or mouths as this can be uncomfortable or worse.  Another solution is to go with face painting instead – great fun in the lead up to going out and means there is no mask to get in the way.  Older kids might elect for coloured or decorative contact lenses to add to the look but avoid these for the younger kids.

Halloween activities

If you aren’t going out trick or treating or are having a party, then getting the house ready for the event is another fun activity.  The carved pumpkin is a staple of the Halloween decorations so why not let the kids sketch their design onto the pumpkin and do the carving yourself or let the older kids take on the job.  If they want to scoop out the pumpkin, use an ice cream scoop rather than a knife.

Adding candles is another tradition but can be a bit of a risk around kids.  Replacing them with a glow stick or a flameless candle will give the illumination without the risk of a real flame to deal with. 

Dealing with Fright Night

Some kids find Halloween a bit terrifying and don’t want to take part in the activities.  They can even get spooked when people are knocking on the door.  One solution to help with this is to get a reading book on Halloween, even a personalised one that makes them the central character in the story.  This will make it seem less scary and help them understand what all the ghosts and witches are about.  That way the next year, they may even want to join in the trick or treating or Halloween parties!

What is a Hot Toddy?

Whether we like it or not, it seems summer has passed us by for another year and there is a definite chill in the air on an evening.  The dark nights are coming up fast and the prospect of frost and snow has to be considered, though hopefully not for a while.  But as the weather turns against us, we often come home looking for something to warm us through and one idea (though not for the kids particularly!) is the hot toddy.  But what exactly is this?

Hot toddy basics

For most people, the hot toddy involves whiskey and this has been at the heart of the drink.  But modern versions have come along that explore other alcoholic components and, apparently, some of them are quite tasty.

The phrase ‘hot toddy’ is said to have connections to a drink that was brought to Scotland by those working for the East India Company as the word toddy is a drink in India made from fermenting the sap of palm trees (doubt there were many of them in Scotland at the time).  Another possible idea for the name comes from the freshwater spring at Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh and the drinks made with it – whiskey being one of them!

When it comes to choose an alcohol for the job, go for something that has the strength to stand up to the other ingredients.  A good whiskey is something like a Talisker or an Islay Malt – Chivas regal, Glenlivet and other famous brands are a little too delicate.  Bourbon works well as an after-dinner toddy with its vanilla flavours while spicy drinks also work.

The hot bit

The other main ingredient in a hot toddy is the hot element and hot water is most common.  But there are other ideas for those looking for the more exotic – these include using a spice-infused tea for a chai rum toddy while another mixed apple juice and Drambuie.  The latter is said to be a lot like mulled wine.  Sugar, sugar syrup or honey can all be added to the hot element to enhance the flavours used.

The final element is what makes the drink – the spices.  The chai toddy mention makes use of some really exotic spices such as star anise, cardamom and peppercorns though some may find them too powerful.  Traditional spices used as cloves and a cinnamon stick for a subtle heat.  Ginger is another option to add as it is also warming while ground nutmeg brings a slightly peppery taste.

Cinnamon sticks and a twist of lemon peel are often used as garnish but the great thing about this drink is there is no need to stand on show – you don’t need a fancy glass and elaborate finishing as your favourite mug that the kids got you for Christmas will do the job perfectly.  The point is to wrap the hands around the mug, inhale the warming aroma and enjoy feeling the heat of the drink warm you all the way to your toes – that’s the whole point of the hot toddy!

Choosing the Perfect Sparkling Wine

Whether commemorating a special event such as a wedding or anniversary, celebrating a special birthday or congratulating on a new job, a bottle of champagne is a traditional gift.  But not everyone likes champagne so what other sparkling wines are available?

Understanding the sparkle

Sparkling wine is a wine that has bubbles and is carbonated.  It tends to be named by the region where it is produced – hence Champagne comes only from the Champagne region of France.  Being possessive of their name and brand, the French won’t allow any other sparkling wine to be called champagne, so hence a variety of names have come along as the appeal of sparkling wines spread.

Sparkling wine also comes in four levels of sweetness and the bottle will tell you what level it is.  At the top of the scale is the Extra-Brut – this is the dried kind of wine and is where the yeast in the process has completely consumed the sugar so there no hint of sweetness to the resulting drink.  Next up is Brut, the most commonly encountered and popular level.  This wine is dry with just a hint of sweetness as the yeast was stopped just before it ate all of the sugar.  Champagne is nearly always Brut.  Extra Dry is somewhere between Brut and Extra-Brut and Prosecco is the most well known variety.  Finally, Demi-sec is a sweet sparkling wine, usually drank with dessert as it has a noticeable amount of sugar in it.

Types of sparkling wine

Champagne isn’t the only sparkling wine from France as there is another type called Crement – basically this is champagne that is made in other parts of the country, normally Burgundy, Jura, Alsace and Loire to name a few.  It has near the quality of champagne but a less heavy price tag.

Prosecco has quickly become the popular alternative to champagne and comes from Italy, using the Glera grape.  It has a less complex flavour than champagne often said to have the flavours of white flowers, apple and pear in it.  It has become the favourite sparkling wine for parties and for gifts, with personalised labels being a great way to make a bottle a commemorative present as well as a tasty one.

Lambrusco is the other well known sparkling Italian wine and has become rather trendy in places like New York.  It is an off-dry sparkling red wine from Emilia Romagna that works well with Italian foods such as prosciutto and parmigiana reggiano.

Franciacorta is another sparkling wine from Italy, specifically from the Lombardy region.  It is very tasty though does tend to be expensive and is made with chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot blanc grapes.  The resulting wine tends to lack the zesty acid of champagne.

Cava is the Spanish sparkling wine, though at one time had a reputation of being less than the best.  Modern versions however, have changed this and are a good quality product that is widely available.  They also use the same methods as in champagne and some are aged even longer.  The main grapes used are Xarella, Parellada and Macabeo.

Sekt is any of Germany’s sparkling wines and some of these have come on a lot in recent years to be a good quality product, with Riesling Sekt being noted as one such variety.  It has the green apple and nectarine flavours of a Riesling with a sparkle as well.

Top Back to School Tips

It’s that time of the summer again, where parents look at the calendar and realise there are only a couple of weeks of the school holidays left.  Now is the time to start thinking about all those back to school matters and what you need to organise for their return to class.  It is also the time to start contemplating the first days of school for the new starters.

New starters

Some kids leap into their first day of school as if they had been going for years but for others, it is a scary time.  One tip to help them get ready for their first day of school is to get a personalised storybook that tells the tale of the first day and gets them ready for what to expect.  Now is a good time to get the book and read it in the days before that big first day to help them feel happier and more relaxed about it.  It also starts to arrange a bedtime routine that can continue once they are in school and means a set bedtime isn’t another new thing to adapt to.

Getting prepared

The weeks leading up to the new term are the best time to take stock of what you have and start a list of what you need.  The oldest kid in the household is bound to have outgrown their school uniform though their off-casts could be great for the younger kids or for the kids of family and friends.  Pre-loved is a great way to help out other parents or to find those items you are missing and lots of Mums websites such as Netmums will have notice boards to make swaps.  Some schools also sell second hand, good quality uniforms at a sensible price.

As well as their daily uniform, don’t forget the PE kit, even if the kids aren’t too enthusiastic about it.  From the swimming kit to the general sports gear and anything they need for special sports they are involved with all needs checking for condition and most importantly to ensure it still fits!

New terms are an ideal time to stock up on some new stationary and a quiet bribe for the kids.  A new bag or rucksack, a new pencil case and associated stationary is a great way to get them a little more excited about returning to school.  A new lunchbox may be needed too, as last year’s is likely too ‘young’ for them now or doesn’t have the current trendy group or character on them.

Planning ahead

As the winter ranges are hitting the shops in the next few weeks, it can also be a good time to do an inventory of their winter gear to see how they stand.  While the last few winters haven’t been too severe in the snow front, a good winters coat and boots are better to have and not need than the other way around.  Plus many kids love a new woolly scarf and hat for when the frosts come and a raincoat will doubtless be needed at some point, especially if the summer is anything to go by!