Talented Tie Die

Yes crafting is in the genes, my daughter has just opened her own Etsy store. This great duvet set is her first item, she hand makes them to order. She has made loads of t shirts too and just finalising her designs before adds them for sale. She has tons of ideas and planning on expanding during the summer to use the funds to support her through college...and knowing her a few concerts too 

Please take a look

Loves ya Becky x

Perfect Family Roast

There's nothing better than inviting family round and making a lovely roast dinner for everyone to enjoy, but that also includes myself, so here's a simple how to guide with some of the best recipes I've used, but also clever cheats so you get to enjoy time round the table instead of collapsing into your dinner plate at the end.
There is firstly the ingredients, along with links to cooking sites, a step by step cooking guide and also a timed schedule to ensure it all runs smoothly.

Roast beef & gammon joint, with roast potatoes, honey roast parsnips, carrot and swede mash, cauliflower, broccoli, carrot batons, green beans, stuffing and of course yorkshire puddings. Serves around 8, but if less can freeze excess veg dishes and use meat for other meals in week.

Shopping list
Beef Joint (I use topside), Gammon Joint
1.5 kg potatoes (I use maris piper), 1kg parsnips, 2 medium onions, 10 large carrots, 1 medium swede, 2 sticks of celery, 2 bulbs of garlic, pack of green beans, small cauliflower, broccoli
Cheat
Packet of stuffing mix, Vegetable gravy granules, Vegetable stock pot (I use Knorr)
Store Cupboard
Salt (sea salt best), Pepper, Butter, Honey, Olive oil, Thyme, Rosemary, Nutmeg, Plain flour, English mustard, Dark brown sugar, 2 eggs, Milk
Timer can use cooking timer or on phone etc

• Tip if using dried herbs instead of fresh use about a third to what the recipe asks for this is a great converter
• Whenever I say season it just means with salt and pepper

I tend to cook the meat first so it has time to stand, For the beef I use Jamie Oliver's recipe is perfect for all palettes and for the gammon I use a simple glazed recipe
My favourite roast potatoes are also a Jamie Oliver recipe, they have a wonderful crispy outside and fluffy inner.

Timesheet
Overnight Cover gammon in water and leave to soak overnight to draw out salt
Meat joints will vary depending on weight, so work this out beforehand to allow. You can cook your beef on top middle shelf and then add in gammon on lower middle shelf.
Morning Cook meet joints, I generally leave these wrapped in foil so stays warm so still stays warm while rest of meal cooking. If you calculate timing of joints so can begin cooking rest straight afterwards then your oven will already be preheated saving time and money.
Rest of meal takes around 1 1/2 hours to cook

1. Add generous amounts of olive oil to muffin tin and heat in oven gas mark 7,  boil kettle
2. Prepare batter mix by adding 70g of plain flour into a bowl, beat in 2 eggs until smooth and then gradually add in 100ml of milk until smooth and season. This will make 12 yorkshire puddings
3. Prepare stuffing mix using boiled water, roll into individual balls
4. Carefully pour batter mix in muffin tin, place on top middle shelf
5. Place stuffing balls on baking tray on lower middle shelf 
6. Set timer for 15 minutes, set a large pan of water to boil while peeling and cutting potatoes and parsnips
7. Place baking tray with olive oil in bottom of oven
8. Boil potatoes timer for 5 minutes
9. Drain potatoes leave standing in drainer timer 4 minutes while peel and slightly crush garlic
10. Remove Yorkshire Puddings and stuffing balls, place on plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Turn oven down to gas mark 5 
11. Gently toss potatoes in colander to fluff them up a bit, put in preheated oil tray, add garlic and rosemary, and season, add extra olive oil and give a good shake to make sure evenly coated and spread out. Add another tray with generous amount of olive oil into oven timer 5 minutes
12. Add parsnips to heated oil tray, toss so evenly covered, and season timer 25 minutes 
13. Tip if having a starter now would be best time to prepare and serve, 
14. Boil kettle timer 5 minutes while preparing 5 carrots and swede for mash cut in small cubes
15. Add to boiling water and simmer covered timer 10 minutes If you want to slice your meat do it now. Also shake potatoes and parsnips in oven to get even cooking
16. Set timer 5 minutes while boiling full kettle, prepare cauliflower and broccoli into florets, carrots into batons and de-string beans
17. Add 2 tablespoons of honey to parsnips, and toss to cover evenly, return to oven
18. Add cauliflower florets to boiling water and simmer timer 3 minutes
19. Add carrots to boiling water and simmer timer 2 minutes
20. Add green beans to boiling water and simmer, and start rapidly boiling another pan of water set timer for 3 minutes while you drain and prepare mash
21. For mash add butter, seasoning and bit of nutmeg according to taste
22. Add broccoli into rapidly boiling water to blanch, boil a kettle ready for gravy timer 2 minutes
23. Remove everything from oven and hobs, and drain ready to serve. Toss green beans in a drizzle of olive oil and salt, add bit of butter and season carrot batons
24. For gravy I use gravy granules as directed on packet but also add in a stock pot for extra flavour

Hope this helps to take some of the pressure and preparing a large family dinner. Bon appetite!

Love ya Becky x

How to Survive School Holidays with Teenagers and Toddlers

Here's a few tips I use for surviving school holidays to keep everyone happy without breaking the bank or yourself

• Remember the children are on holiday too, they don't want to be tired out from too many activities.
• Make a plan. Kids like structure, if they know that a day of cleaning will mean being rewarded by day out later in week, then you will meet less resistance and nagging. The same is true if you plan games, films, and other activities.

• For each holiday I generally plan a tidy up day, an outing, a day for friends, an activity day, a shopping day and a chill out day
• Tidy up at start of week gives a fresh start which frees up time later in week to spend together. Cleaning out wardrobes can mean a fun shopping trip, or sorting toys to donate can be rewarded by new toy later in week.
• Activity days are not just for young children, its amazing how older children will join in with designing bags, tie die and especially cooking
• Allow a day for older children to go out with friends while younger children have a play date

• Games, movies and TV nights are a great way of bonding and making children feel you have made time for them. These activities seem to work best on an evening, we start with ones suitable for younger child which everyone takes part in and then once youngest go to bed continue activity theme with older children
• Box sets are great during holidays, watch a film or episode each night, it keeps a routine and something to be anticipated everyday
• Respect that each child will want time on their own too. Younger children have been at nursery or school, they have toys they don't get chance to play with on normal working weeks. Teenagers want to relax playing on computer, read etc, so use this time to relax yourself or do chores.

Many establishments offer weekday or off peak discounts school holidays are great for taking advantage of these;

• Cinema-Many cinemas also offer discounts on set weekdays or if you visit before 5pm
• Off Peak Travel- many operators offer discounts on transport for travelling after 9:30am, if you plan your outing then travel especially on trains can be prebooked weeks in advance for biggest discounts. Always ask about family tickets when using public transport, there are some very good deals
• Restaurants- Many offer discounts for early bird eating, one of our favourites is Pizza hut buffet, but it always worth checking on website
• Discount sites- check out sites such as Groupon, Wowcher and Vouchercloud can offer discounts on days out and restaurants. It is worth checking these out a few weeks before holidays to help plan outings and spread cost
• Always do an internet search for discounts where you want to go, there usually advance tickets, offers to print or discount codes
• Linked tickets- many travel operators have deals to offer discounts to visitors using public transport, many of these vouchers need to be printed at home first, but you canend uo saving a lot more than what the travel ticket costs

Loves ya Becky x