Do You Want to Build a Primula Snowman?

I am a mum of five, auntie of eight, great auntie of one and nana of two, so over the Christmas period I am expecting to see plenty of little people coming to visit. Children, generally speaking, are happy if they have full bellies and have something fun to do, so I have combined both of these things and come up with an edible festive activity! 

Using Primula Cheese, I have made a DIY sandwich-making activity for kids to enjoy, which I've called "Do you want to build a Primula snowman?"  Bento lunches have increased hugely in popularity and children love to see favourite characters recreated using food, but I thought making it an activity for the children to do themselves added to the enjoyment. The fact that the children get to use the bits and bobs to create their own snowman, makes this a lot of fun and it uses their creativity. 

It is so quick and easy to prepare everything and you can use up any odds and ends of salad, fruits, vegetables, veggie meats or cheeses that you have. At Christmas, I always have lots of stuff in the fridge so it's easy to find enough goodies to use. Even the fussiest of little eaters will want to get involved! It's a great way to entertain and feed children at the same time - perfect for when you have unexpected visitors with children and want a few seconds peace and quiet!

I let 7 year old Freddy make his own Primula snowman and he loved creating it and then eating it. I think he did a great job and he said it was nice to be able to make his own snack and he thought the snowman looked really cute. He gave it a big thumbs up.

Ingredients

sliced bread

Primula cheese

raisins

carrot

cucumber

vegetarian sliced ham

To prepare:

Using two different sized circular cookie cutters, cut out rounds of bread.

Spread each circle generously with Primula cheese.

Prepare cucumber sticks, strips of veggie ham, carrot triangles and raisin pieces.

Arrange on a big plate.
Give each child their own plate and let them make their own snowmen with raisin eyes and buttons, cucumber arms, a veggie ham scarf and a carrot noise.
Enjoy having happy children!

Merry Christmas

I am a member of the Primula Blogger Club, which is a paid partnership.

Vegetarian Cheese and Ham Swirls #ChristmasSnackHack

I really enjoy entertaining over Christmas and have a stock of recipes perfect for making quick snacks for unexpected guests (or for treating ourselves over the festive period!) It is reassuring to know that I can knock up something fast and tasty especially when those #LittleMomentsofChristmasChaos occur!

Here is a really simple but impressive festive snack hack that is so easy to make using just three main ingredients including a tube of Primula Cheese with Chives. This recipe for Tear and Share Vegetarian Cheese and Ham Swirls makes a snack that looks amazing and tastes even better. Tearing and sharing is a fun, informal and sociable way to eat - absolutely perfect for Christmastime.

Vegetarian Cheese and Ham Swirls

Ingredients

1 can of Croissant Dough (makes 6)

1 tube of Primula Cheese with Chives

1 pack of vegetarian thinly sliced 'ham'

egg to glaze

Method

Open the tin of croissant dough and unroll it. It is perforated to make six triangles with each pair of triangles making up a rectangle. Gently press the dough across the diagonals to re-seal the perforations and then cut the dough to make three rectangles.

Spread a third of the tube of Primula over each dough rectangle.

Top with slices of vegetarian ham.

Roll up from the long side to make a sausage shape. 

Repeat this with the other two rectangles of croissant dough.

Carefully cut into inch slices and arrange in an 8" ovenproof dish. 

Leave space around each swirl for them to rise and expand in the oven.

Any extras can be placed on a baking tray individually (use greaseproof paper to stop them sticking). 

Glaze with beaten egg.

Cook in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees for about 12 - 15 minutes until golden brown.

Serve warm straight from the dish.

My family absolutely love these Vegetarian Cheese and Ham Swirls. They would work equally well using whatever veggie meats you have in the fridge, so you can adapt them to suit your needs. Just make sure you have a tube of Primula and a can of croissant dough to hand (I always buy a few tins over Christmas for impromptu breakfasts or snacking) and you can make a batch of these in no time at all.

Halloween Themed Snacks with Primula

I really love Halloween. It is a great excuse to have some family fun with a spooky twist. I love dressing up, watching scary movies and eating Halloween themed food. It's a monstrously good time of year!

As part of the Primula Blogger Club, I have been creating some seasonal snacks using Primula Cheese, which have been a great hit with the family. Here are three quick and easy recipes to feed your little monsters this Halloween.

Cobweb Muffin Pizzas

Ingredients (per 2 muffin pizzas)

1 muffin
tomato paste
Primula Original cheese
1 cherry tomato, sweetcorn kernels and slices of red pepper for garnish

Method

Slice the muffin and spread with tomato paste.
Pop into the oven at 200 degrees for about 6-8 minutes.
Use Primula squeezy cheese to draw a cobweb on each half.
Using a half tomato, two sweetcorn kernels and eight strips of red pepper, make a spider to garnish the muffin pizza.

Handy hint - transfer Primula to an icing syringe for finer lines.

Smoky Primula Dip served in a pumpkin

Nothing says Halloween like a gorgeous, orange pumpkin. They make such a lovely centrepiece for an autumnal table or a Halloween party. I have used one as a holder for a dip, and surrounded it with tasty things to dip in it! Instead of attempting to hollow out the whole pumpkin and filling it completely with dip, I've simply taken off the top and scooped out enough flesh to pop in a glass ramekin dish. It looks really effective, is more hygienic and means you can re-use the pumpkin afterwards.

Ingredients

Half a tube of Primula Original Cheese
1 teaspoon of tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon of smoky paprika

Method

Simply mix the ingredients together and sprinkle a little paprika on top.
Serve with carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, radishes, celery, crackers or crisps.

Cheesy Sausage Roll Mummies

Ingredients

5 veggie sausages (I used defrosted Quorn sausages)
1/2 sheet of ready rolled shortcrust pastry
Primula Original Cheese
a little milk for glazing
tomato paste for making eyeballs

Method

Cut the sheet of ready roll pastry in half lengthways.
Cut the pastry into five strips.
Spread a thin layer of Primula onto the pastry strips.
Wrap each sausage with the pastry, with the cheesy side facing inwards!
Leave a 2cm piece of sausage showing at the top.
Pop into the oven on a prepared baking sheet at 200 degrees.
Cook for 15 - 20 minutes until golden.
Don't worry if the cheese oozes out - it adds to the effect!
Use tomato paste to make red eyeballs on the top of the sausage to complete the mummy.

These tasty, cheesy little sausage roll mummies are perfect for buffet food or for an after school snack for the kids. The Primula layer adds a lovely cheesy twist to this classic savoury treat.

However you celebrate Halloween this year, I hope you enjoy some family fun and make some wonderful memories!



The Primula Blogger Club is a paid for partnership.

Little Moments of Adventure - Adventurous Pairings with Primula Cheese

My family has loved Primula for years! The squeezy tubes of real cheese are perfect for keeping in the fridge to make yummy cheese spread sandwiches for the kids' lunches or to squeeze onto crackers for a quick snack or to use as a tasty dip for carrot sticks. As a busy mum and nana, Primula is just so convenient and always a hit with the little ones.

I am delighted to be a part of the Primula Bloggers Club, working with the Primula brand, creating recipe ideas for delicious snacks made using their products. The tubes of real cheese combined with real added ingredients in delicious flavour combinations, inspire creativity in the kitchen. Primula isn't just for sandwiches or crackers, it can be the perfect addition to some rather sophisticated snacks!

This month, I have been challenged to come up with an adventurous Primula pairing: an unexpected food combination with ingredients that complement each other perfectly. This adventurously paired snack is something for the grown-ups, who at the end of a busy day want to sit and relax with a tasty supper for two and a glass of wine. Knowing that the children are all tucked up safely in bed, this is the time of day for adult conversation, relaxation and enjoying some quality moments together. It's these little moments when we can step away from our busy routines and enjoy the simple things in life.

The snack I made reflects this chilled time of day, bringing an adventurous pairing of Primula Cheese and artichoke to enjoy during these little moments together. A lovely snack for treating ourselves, while taking time out of our busy schedule: Primula Cheese and Artichoke Tarts.

The combination of creamy, cheesy Primula topped with flavoursome garlic mushrooms, spring onions, red pepper and quartered artichoke hearts, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with chopped herbs on a crisp puff pastry base, is truly delicious. The fresh flavours are ideal for summer using some lovely seasonal vegetables and it is delicious served hot or cold.

Primula Cheese and Artichoke Tarts

Ingredients

1 sheet of puff pastry

1 tube of Primula Cheese

4 drained canned artichoke hearts

6 button mushrooms sliced

1 clove of garlic crushed

1 half of a small red salad pepper sliced

1 jumbo spring onion sliced

olive oil

pinch of dried mixed herbs

Method

Unroll the puff pastry sheet and cut it into four equally sized rectangles.

Score a line around the edge of the pastry rectangles 1cm inside.

Place on greaseproof paper on a baking tray.

Squeeze a quarter of the Primula Cheese onto each pastry rectangle, spread leaving the edges clear.

Thinly slice the pepper and the spring onion.

Cut the artichoke hearts into quarters.

Meanwhile, gently fry the sliced mushrooms and crushed garlic in a little olive oil until well cooked.

Arrange the vegetables equally onto the cheese covered pastry rectangles.

Drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle over the herbs.

Pop into a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes, until the pastry is risen and golden.

This post has been written as part of the Primula Blogger Club, which is a paid for partnership.