Avengers Wrap-semble and a Blind Taste Test- Lunch Less Ordinary Mission 3

One of this week's challenges to make our  Lunch Less Ordinary with Mission Deli Wraps is an absolute corker! Devise a wrap based on your favourite film!  For a movie lover like myself that is just a great challenge. My mind went into overdrive thinking of various fillings and ways to serve wraps in celebration of our favourite movies.  The Exorcist...a wrap filled with mushy peas?  Gone with the Wind...a baked bean wrap? Or how about a wrap filled with Stilton for the Blues Brothers?

I decided to go with my family's favourite film franchise of the moment...Marvel Superheros and in particular The Avengers!  But one wrap was not enough, oh no! So I've made a wrap based on each of the four big characters:  Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America and Thor, each recipe paying homage to our favourite superhero, whilst still being a healthy, simple and delicious lunch.

Iron Man

Iron Man's wrap is naturally packed full of Iron rich food to give us the nutrients we need to be as tough as Tony Stark in his Iron Man suit.  Egg mayonnaise, chopped tomato, sweetcorn, watercress, rocket and spinach salad packs an iron rich punch to lunchtime, and pays homage to the famous red and yellow suit. A sprinkle of chilli flakes and a twist of black pepper give it a kick befitting a superhero's lunch!

Boiled egg, mayo, chopped tomato, sweetcorn and chilli flakes.

Spoon onto iron rich spinach, watercress and rocket salad.

An Iron rich wrap fit for my very own Iron Man!

Thor

Thor is a meaty hunk with a hammer, so his wrap must also be meaty with ham-mer!  Thor is a tasty piece of hot stuff, so naturally the wrap is also tasty and hot, based on a quesadilla with melted cheese, strips of Quorn Chorizo and Quorn Ham (as we are veggie), diced spring onion and a sprinkle of hot chilli flakes.

Mix grated cheese, chopped spring onion, chorizio, ham and chilli flakes.

Put wrap into hot pan and sprinkle on filling.

Put second wrap on top and heat through and turn.

Serve when the cheese is melted cut into quarters!  Add a ham hammer!!

Captain America

What's more American than hot dogs with relish?  The Captain America wrap is a modern twist on this USA favourite.  Veggie hotdogs make the perfect 'All American' wrap filling with a fried onion relish or ketchup. Using Mission's mini wraps, I made individual Captain America snacks. The wraps made a really good alternative to a bun and the kids loved them.

Microwave the veggie hotdog sausages.

Spread relish or ketchup onto the mini wraps.

Roll up the hotdog wrap and secure with a cocktail stick.

Enjoy as a tasty and fun  alternative to a hotdog in a bun.

The Hulk

He's mean and green and bursting at the seams - just like his wrap!  In Avengers Assemble we find out that Dr Bruce Banner has spent time in India in an attempt to avoid his Hulk inducing rages so a curry seems very apt!  A yummy, overstuffed rolled wrap packed with green lentil curry with peas and spring onion served with a green yogurt raita sauce fits the bill perfectly.  The filling is bursting out of the word "HULK" cut into the wrap, just as the Hulk's huge muscles burst out of his clothing!

My husband is ready for his Hulk Wrap...don't make him angry!!

Green lentils, peas and spring onion stalk curry.

Put into centre of seeded wrap and top with raita.  Roll up.

Carve the wrap to let the curry burst out Hulk-style!!

As they say in Hollywood..."That's a Wrap!!"
***

Blind Taste Test

As we were having such fun getting creative with Mission Deli Wraps I decided to give Kizzy the blind taste test.  Here's the mission challenge:

"Put unusual flavours together in a wrap and get the kids to eat them blindfolded. They need to guess what the 'weird but it works' flavours are. Best of 3 ‘what’s that wrap’ wins! And whatever their favourite is goes in Monday’s lunchbox. Yum!"

So I came up with three wraps:

 Hot Banana, Cheddar, Mango Chutney and Chilli Flakes 

(an idea recommended by my friend Helen)

 Stilton, Spring Onion and Mushroom Melt

Passion Fruit, Blueberries, Vanilla Yogurt, Sliced Peaches and Vanilla Sugar

Watch this video to see what Kizzy thought and what she'll be getting in her lunchbox on Monday!

   

Check out MissionWrapsUK on Facebook to join in the fun!

Sonic Blasting Iron Man 3 Toy - Review

We are big fans of Iron Man.  We love Robert Downey Jr's charismatic superhero and can't wait to see Iron Man 3.  So when we were sent a 15" Sonic Blasting Iron Man toy to review, everyone from 3 year old Freddy through to 44 year old daddy got very excited!  Daddy has a self-confessed man-crush on RDJ so this toy was always going to appeal to him.  Featuring a motorized rotating missile blaster, 5 fire missiles, 5 ice missiles, flashing eyes, Arc Reactor and authentic battle sounds it offers an all-action play experience for Iron Man fans of any age!

We were really impressed with the quality and craftsmanship of the toy: it feels very sturdy, stable and solid. Even when Freddy played hard, it withstood the rigours of being flown around the room and having fights with imaginary foe. The spinning sonic blaster shoots five missiles at a time at the touch of a button.  It is very effective but isn't too ferocious which is a bonus, meaning we still have all ten projectiles intact and haven't lost any down the back of the sofa.  The rotating action works really well and Freddy loved it!  He also loved the button that made his eyes and chest light up.  This really is a great toy for fans young and old which would look as good in a teen's bedroom as it would in a toybox.  Everybody agreed that it was a real blast!!

Here is Freddy's demonstration of the Iron Man toy which has quickly become his favourite plaything... making daddy very proud indeed!

The toy takes three AA batteries that fit securely into a screw up compartment in Iron Man's back.  It has an RRP of £29.99 and is available from good stockists including Amazon.


If you have enjoyed this video review please consider giving Inside the Wendy House a vote in the BIB Awards in the Video category.  Thanks so very much :)

A Little Blue Teapot, an Operation and a 55" 3D TV

When we went shopping at the weekend, there were a few things we wanted to get.  On my list were new cushions to add some finishing touches to our living room.  I was really pleased to find some that totally matched my curtains which has helped tie the room together nicely.  I have now packaged up my old mix and match cushions for the charity shop.  I'm sure someone will be very grateful for my old animal print and faux fur covered cushions (Bet Lynch perhaps??)

While we were getting the cushions, Freddy spotted something he really wanted.  It wasn't a toy, or sweets or even a much coveted iPad.  No, it was a teapot.  A simple 4 cup, ceramic, blue teapot.  He really, really wanted to use some of his Christmas money to buy the teapot and no amount of persuading or offers to exchange it for something different was going to sway him.  I am someone who likes to allow their children to  be creative and individual.  I don't like to suppress ideas out of hand, so when it became clear that Freddy really wanted to buy this teapot (when he refused to swap it for a new football and a bar of chocolate) I thought it would be wrong to deny him. After all it was £4.99 and he had £5 of his own money to spend.

Freddy was over the moon with his purchase and has taken great delight in filling his teapot with squash and pouring himself and his sisters cups of juice.  I have no idea where the idea of doing this has come from. We never use a teapot at home.  I guess he must have seen something on CBeebies or Nick Jr involving a teapot.  That, or he really is an old soul inside and is indulging that part of him.

Happy With His New Purchase

I don't know whether it was because I was in such an accommodating mood that Ian decided to raise the issue of buying his new TV again.  But, his timing was spot on and I agreed to him doing his much longed for technological upgrade.  Like a small boy let loose in Hamley's, Ian hit Curry's with a vengeance.  He knew exactly what he wanted following months of research and his 55" LG passive 3D Smart TV, Panasonic surround sound system and 3D Blu-Ray player were soon his.

In the huge TV box

He set it all up and soon we were watching the Avengers Assemble in 3D.  He's been buying the 3D versions of new release films for ages waiting for the day when he could play them!  I must admit it is bloody amazing!  Ella and I were immediately whooping with amazement as Iron Man flew into our living room!  We looked pretty cool in our brightly coloured cinema style glasses, but Ian opted for an old pair of black ones he'd found in a drawer because he thought they looked more manly!  Poor Ian was a bit disappointed as he sat watching it, complaining it looked no different to him.  It didn't take a Sherlock Holmes to deduce that the glasses he was wearing were not actually 3D specs from a previous cinema trip but were actually a cheap pair of  Rayban style sunglasses that had come free on the front of a magazine!  I found him a real pair of cinema 3D glasses and soon he was as impressed as Ella and I were!  Last night I got to watch Mr Selfridge in glorious 55" HD.  I definitely approve of Ian's new toy.

Our original 47" TV is getting a bit tired due to it's overuse and the sound is getting a bit temperamental, but Ella is very happy to now have it wall mounted in her room for watching DVDs and gaming.  Remembering the pathetically small, black and white portable TV with a coat hanger aerial that I used to have, I'd say that kids today are incredibly lucky indeed.

One of the reasons for agreeing to Ian doing this now is because his operation is imminent   It is almost exactly a year ago since he had his first operation to try to repair damage he unknowingly did as a small child when he fell onto the crossbar of a BMX bike following a badly executed jump!  Over the years scar tissue has built up resulting in bladder problems and potential kidney problems.  Operation number one attempted to clear the scar tissue with a 50% success rate, but unfortunately it failed. So operation #2 is a bigger, more invasive affair, where they hope to cut the tubes, take out the damaged section and rejoin the two ends.  It will involve a hospital stay and a two week recovery time.  He can at least now lie on the sofa with our new matching cushions, wearing his 3D specs, watching some quality 3D Blu-Ray films as Freddy serves him up juice from his little blue teapot whilst he recovers from his op!

Silent Sunday - Iron Man Bear

My Superhero Husband #kodakavengers

My husband Ian is a bit of a comic book geek when it comes to the Marvel Avengers.  He loves all the films and admits to a man-crush on Tony Stark.  I bought him the 1978 Black Sabbath Tour T-Shirt as worn by Tony Stark in the Avengers Assemble movie and he is adamant that the resemblance between himself and the man behind Iron Man is uncanny!  Ian also thinks that he would be able to beat the Hulk in a fight.  The green giant, who is not in the least bit jolly, would definitely find himself in a battle of brain over brawn  going up against my husband in this fantasy battle.

It is therefore no surprise that Ian was very quick to volunteer as a model for the #kodakavengers Linky Challenge on the Britmums Blog to celebrate the release of Avengers Assemble on DVD and Blu-Ray.  Kodak have an exciting online printable kit which includes a whole host of Avengers goodies that can be printed out and used to create a fun movie night or party.  We printed out the masks!!

My Superhero husband was in his element.  He made a dashing Captain America, a ferocious Hulk and a  spectacular Iron Man!  Here is is striking his best poses and embracing his inner superhero.

Captain America...The Old School Hero

The Hulk...You Won't Like Him When He's Angry!!

Iron Man...The High Tech Hero

You can print out your own Superhero masks and join in the fun yourself.  There are some great prizes to be won...and you too can get your husband or kids to embrace their inner superhero.

Unfortunately for Ian, the closest he normally gets to being Iron Man is when he is doing the ironing...but he will always be a superhero to me!

Avengers Assemble!

Iron Man Fancy Dress Costume from Rubies

With the recent excitement surrounding the return of The Avengers and other Marvel comic book characters to the big screen, kids around the country are all dreaming of becoming superheroes.  Thanks to Rubies, the UK and Europe's only official distributor of Marvel costumes (they do Disney too!) they don't have to dream anymore!

With a new range of costumes soon to hit the UK, your child could dress up as their favourite characters for some fun role play and world saving!

Kizzy was sent a cool Iron Man costume to model.  The all in one suit and mask is perfect for fancy dress parties and  Halloween.  Children can dress up in Stark Industry's best creation and embody the hero that is Iron Man!

Kizzy, who is 9, is wearing a large Iron Man costume which is designed for ages 7-8 but as she is slim it fitted fine, although the legs were a bit short.  So it would be the right size for the intended age group.  It is also available in small and medium for children aged 3 and up.

The mask fitted everyone and was modelled by 16 year old Ella and 3 year old Freddy too!  It is flexible and comfortable to wear with good visibility.

If you children prefer to be Disney Princesses rather than Marvel Superheroes, Rubie's have a range of four new classic princess outfits!  The gorgeously girlie Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Snow White and Cinderella dresses with a large character print on the front are available exclusively from Argos.  They are available in ages 3-5 and 5-7.  Every little princess will have her dreams come true with her very own fairytale ending!!  They are currently available at £14.99 each or two for £19.99 instore or at argos.co.uk