Warwick Castle becomes The Haunted Castle this Halloween

Until October 31st, Warwick Castle is hosting six all new spooky attractions turning it into The Haunted Castle in the week leading up to Halloween. We were invited along to join in the fun and experience the family thrills and scares. Warwick Castle stays open until 9 pm everyday of The Haunted Castle event, giving some after dark excitement to the bravest visitors.

During the day, families can get lost in time and enjoy the all new Horrible Histories Maze. Children can explore gruesome eras in history from the Terrible Tudors to the Stomin' Normans to the Vicious Vikings, as they attempt to re-order history and escape the maze. Along the way, you stamp a passport and once completed, it can be exchanged for a treat in the castle shop. There is so much to learn and Freddy really enjoyed it.

The Haunted Hollows walk-through is a magical trail filled with spooky secrets where fairy tales become scary tales. You encounter a friendly washerwoman, a grumpy gargoyle and a mysterious scarecrow as you make your way to the Witch's garden where golden vegetables grow. There are bats, spiders, skeletons and crows to spot as you explore the haunted hollows. As darkness falls, things get more eerie!

The Warwick Castle courtyard is decorated with hay bails and pumpkins giving it a seasonal makeover. There are spooky stories brought to life by resident storytellers and little wizards and witches can help the witches of Warwick conjure up spells in The Witches Tower. Eagles, Owls and Vultures take to the skies in the Flight of the Eagles show. The birds are utterly magnificent!

Included in your ticket price, is a brand new live action horror mazes Tormented, which has a 5 pumpkin scare rating! It tells the story of a woman tormented by the malevolent spirit of a man excused of murdering her family. With creepy dolls, unnerving special effects and doctors trying to cure the poor tormented woman of her 'condition', this is not for the faint hearted. Don't take the kids into these mazes. (Somebody in my group did and the poor girl had hysterics and had to be escorted out in tears.) You have to collect a free timed ticket for Tormented, returning at a set time to enter. Tormented opens at 12 pm.

Outbreak 1349, which is a free-flow attraction, opens at 5 pm. You come face to face with the plague ridden residents of Warwick Castle. Can you escape the Black Death?

After dark, the action hots up as fearless knights take part in a thrilling fire joust and the trebuchet catapults a fireball in an exciting demonstration. 

With the spectacular state rooms and Great Hall, Kingmaker, the towers and ramparts, the mound, the mill, the gaol and the Time Tower to explore, there is so much to see and do. We took an autumnal walk in the landscaped gardens and enjoyed a coffee in the conservatory overlooking the Peacock Garden watching the birds proudly strutting about. It is a lovely place for wandering about in the beautiful grounds, getting some fresh air and exercise and of course making leaf angels!

The Castle Dungeon (extra charge applies) completes the scary attractions on offer this Halloween. You can make a short break out of your visit by arranging a sleepover in the new Knight's Village.

We had a really good day and enjoyed learning about the history of the castle in such an interactive way. The Halloween attractions certainly added some spooky fun and make Warwick Castle a great choice this half term.

Find out more and book tickets at www.warwick-castle.com.

Pumpkin Pie Recipe for Halloween from Holland and Barrett

It's just a couple of weeks until Halloween and the supermarkets are stocking pumpkins in readiness for when we carve our Jack O'Lanterns. But pumpkins aren't just for creating spooky seasonal decorations, they are also good for eating. Not only do they taste good, they also are packed with nutrients. They are rich in beta-carotene, which helps good vision, skin health and the function of the immune system. Pumpkins are also a good source of fibre and contain potassium. Pumpkin is also packed with zeaxanthin, an antioxidant that helps to protect the eyes from age-related degeneration. The seeds are nutrient dense, high in protein and contain unsaturated fat. The seeds also contain phytosterols for heart health and trypothan, which the body uses to produce serotonin in the body to help maintain normal mood.

The traditional way of enjoying pumpkin is in a pie. This is a recipe by Natasha Corrett, created in collaboration with Holland and Barrett's free-from range. This healthy take on the traditional pumpkin pie is perfect for Halloween.

PUMPKIN PIE RECIPE

Serves  6–8

For the crust:

50g (1¾oz) dates, pitted

65ml (2½fl oz/¼ cup) hot water 

1 tbsp sunflower oil

200g (7oz/2¼ cups) ground almonds

¹⁄8 tsp ground nutmeg

For the filling:

600g (1lb 5oz) pumpkin, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tbsp sunflower oil

3 eggs

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp mixed spice 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp coconut flour 

2 tbsp agave syrup

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3, and line a 15cm (6in) tart tin with baking parchment.

Soak the dates for 10 minutes in the measured water, then drain.

Put all the crust ingredients into a food processor and pulse until they come together to form a ball. Carefully tip the ball into the tin and press the ‘dough’ evenly all around.

Prick the dough and bake for 15–20 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes before adding the filling.

Roast the pumpkin with the sunflower oil for

20 minutes until it is soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Transfer the roasted pumpkin to a blender and whizz until smooth. Then add the eggs, spices, vanilla extract, coconut flour and agave syrup and blend again until you get a super-smooth mixture. Scoop the mixture up and transfer into the crust and bake for 30–40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

***

If pumpkin pie isn't your thing, Holland and Barrett stock a range of pumpkin products that are nutritious and perfect for this time of year. Great for healthy snacking!

Meridian Organic Pumpkin Seed Butter 170g £3.29
Freed Gluten Free Crispbread with Cheddar and Pumpkin Seed 160g £2.89
Biona Organic Spiced Pumpkin Soup 680g £2.69
Neal's Yard Wholefoods Pumpkin Seeds 400g £7.99
9 Bar Pumpkin Mixed Seed 50g 99p
Rude Health The Pumpkin Bar 35g 99p

Find these in store or online at www.hollandandbarrett.com.

Holland and Barrett also stock a great range of Free From treats for children for Halloween. Perfect for vegetarian and vegan children or children with food allergies or intolerances. No one needs to miss out on Trick or Treating with goodies such as Orgran Outback Animals Chocolate Cookies Multipack £3.37, Goody Good Stuff Cola Breeze sweets £1.49 and Moo Free Bar Crunchy Banana £2.70.

Hazelnut Coffee Yankee Candle #review

Summer appears to have bid us its final farewell and our first steps into the autumn have begun. To welcome in the season, I have a wonderful Hazelnut Coffee large jar candle from Yankee Candle, which burns with a glowing warmth, giving out a lingering fragrance of sweet scented coffee shops. Autumn is definitely the time for Hazelnut Lattes and this candle embodies that aroma perfectly.

The Hazelnut Coffee candle is a full-bodied blend of Java coffee beans suffused with macadamia nut, vanilla and cocoa bean. With up to 150 hours of burning time, this candle will fill your home with its rich, warm fragrance for days. It makes my living room feel so cosy and smell so good!

The scent does not smell overly strongly of coffee, it is more sweet, rich and nutty. Freddy says it smells like chocolate brownie and ice cream. I love the colour of the candle and the classic style of the Yankee Candle jar is timeless. The fragrance is good when the candle is both lit or unlit, so simply by leaving off the lid my room is delightfully fragranced.

The Hazelnut Coffee candle is only around for a limited time so grab one while you can. It is one of a number of candles making a special appearance in the range. The large jars have an RRP of £21.99.

Find this and the rest of the Yankee Candle range at www.yankeecandle.co.uk.

Center Parcs November Challenge - An Autumn Poem

This month, Center Parcs is challenging bloggers and their families to come up with a poem inspired by Autumn.  Autumn has always been my favourite season as it takes us from the glorious summer sunshine to the cold winter's snow, heralding great changes from day to day. You can really see nature at work and marvel at all its wonders.  

Emma Tapp is Center Parcs Whinfell Forest resident nature expert and Conservation Ranger.  She has some top tips to bring inspiration to help us unleash the inner poet.  Our favourite tip is:  Be inspired by your surroundings - Observe as the leaves change colour from green to red and let the beautiful burnt oranges get the creative juices flowing, what does it look like and remind you of?

It was fun to go out for an inspirational autumn walk and kick up the leaves.  We talked about what we could see and what things we did in the autumn months and let our surroundings inspire us.  Kizzy is a very poetic soul and we brainstormed and talked about similes, metaphors, rhyming couplets and the imagery of Autumn, inspiring each other further.  I love hearing her ideas and working with her on something creative.  Especially when we get to scrunch through the fallen leaves at the same time.

Autumn

Low sun shining in the morning skies

Its orange glow dazzling our eyes,

As our warm breath mists the cold air

And coats are zipped with a mother's care.

Keeping the cooler air at bay

On the school run or out at play.

The roads are lined with litter bug trees 

Mindlessly dropping their unwanted leaves

Leaving them to fall and tumble 

Autumnal acrobats, nature's jumble.

Reds, brown and yellow - a tapestry,

Of Autumn's colours for all to see.

Summer seems so long ago,

Tomorrow holds promise of winter snow,

But here and now, each autumn day

Brings ripening fruit and golden hay,

Leaves to crunch and darkening nights,

An extra hour and Halloween frights.

Watching and wondering at seasonal changes,

The marvel of nature as the world rearranges.

Preparing itself for the coldness to come,

Whilst bringing along its own sense of fun.

A walk in the park, feeding the ducks,

Football fans cheer, all praying for luck.

Wishing on rainbows, the first frosts appear,

Another step taken through another great year.

This is my entry to the Center Parcs and Tots 100 November challenge. If I’m chosen, I would like to visit Whinfell Forest.

Spicy Plum Cake - A Seasonal Recipe

Spicy Plum Cake Recipe

This is a very easy recipe and a great way to use up plums, which are ripe and abundant at this time of year. The warmth and spiciness of the cinnamon works really well with the juicy plums. It is a perfect autumnal dessert, delicious served hot with custard!

Ingredients

125g  butter

150g  sugar

2 eggs

150g plain flour

1 tspn baking powder

2 tspns ground cinnamon

approx 8 stoned, halved plums

2 tblspns demerera sugar to sprinkle on top

Method

Cream the butter and the sugar together.

Whisk in beaten eggs gradually.

Fold in sifted flour, baking powder and cinnamon.

Pour cake mix into a round deep pie dish.

Top with the halved plums, cut side up.

Sprinkle over the demerara sugar.

Cook at 180 degrees, GM4 for about 45 minutes.

Apple Cakes Recipe

Flora Cuisine recently sent me their new Let's Get Cooking recipe book and the ingredients to make one of the recipes, Apple Cakes.  So we got busy baking and made these delicious autumnal cakes!

Apple Cakes

Ingredients

115ml Flora Cuisine

115g caster sugar

115g self raising flour

2 free range eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 dessert apples chopped

Method

Preheat oven to GM5.

Mix together the Flora Cuisine, sugar, flour, eggs and cinnamon until smooth.

Fold in chopped apples.

Divide between 12 - 18 cake cases.

Cook for 12 - 15 minutes until they spring back when lightly touched.

They were light, moist and had a delicious flavour.  They really are perfect for autumn with the inclusion of apple and warming cinnamon.  They were so easy and quick to make using the Flora Cuisine and the all in one method.  I'll definitely be making these again!

A Wonderful Weekend To Celebrate Family

This weekend has been really lovely.  Megan came home so Ian could fix her car using precision instruments a big hammer to knock the front of the car back into alignment and replace the broken headlights and re-attach the bumper.  It may not look pretty but she is now safely back on the road after her accident.  I was really shocked by the state of her legs following her crash.  They were purple-blue from above the knee down to her ankles, literally covered with big bruises.  Her back has been twisted and jarred and is painful but she is a tough cookie and being so positive. I am so proud of her handling this ordeal in such a mature manner.

Megan has also just been accepted to be a member of Radio Lollipop, the radio station that operates in Manchester Hospital.  She will be part of a volunteer team who works on the long stay children's wards with the kids, planning activities and chatting to parents.  She will also be presenting on the radio doing her bit as a DJ!  I'm sure it will be immensely rewarding, sometimes heartbreaking and ultimately life changing for my daughter.  She is also volunteering as an usher at the local theatre.  Her job with the charity Hand on Heart is taking her to great places, meeting famous and inspirational people and helping raise money to purchase defibrillators for schools in the UK to help prevent the deaths of young people from sudden cardiac arrest.  I am really proud of the contribution she is making to the community and know she will go on to great things.

At The Salford Business Expo With The Aptly
 Named Manchester Giants Basketball Team.

Meanwhile, Ella is flourishing at her new college, doing well in her subjects and coping with all the recent changes she has had.  On Sunday, she played at the Bandstand at The Quarry Park in Shrewsbury.  It was a very chilly but beautiful autumnal day.  Ella performed beautifully even though she was going blue with cold!  After her performance we were approached by the Principal of the college inviting Ella to perform at some future events.  He said he loved the tone of her voice and that she was very talented, which is lovely to hear!  One of the events is being held at the prestigious Severn Theatre which will be an amazing opportunity for her and a wonderfully proud moment for me and her dad.

Ella performing her songs.

After her performance we had a walk in the park and Freddy played in the play area.  It was such a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  We followed this by a well deserved lunch out before heading home.

Catch Me Daddy!

My Girls x

Here is Ella performing a cover of Read All About It:

I love weekends with the family.  I have a lot more family events to look forward to too.  I am taking Meg on a much deserved two day break to Champney's Spa later this week (thanks Parentdish!) Then we have Megan's 21st birthday family meal to celebrate which we'll be sharing with our close family.  It'll be wonderful having my loved ones all under the same roof again.

Autumn Fun

 Country Kids

I love Autumn and remember, as a child, the joy of stomping through the fallen leaves.  Today watching Kizzy enjoying the season was really wonderful.  Kicking up the crisp, brown leaves and throwing them in the air, she embraced all the fun of playing in the autumnal landscape.  It took me back to my childhood!