Ben & Jerry's Cookie Core Ice Cream

Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream is one of the most indulgent makes of ice cream out there. They always seem to go that extra mile to add extra flavours, textures and surprises to their ice creams and the new Cookie Core range is definitely taking ice cream luxury to a whole new level.

What-a-Lotta Chocolate, Utter Peanut Butter Clutter and Speculoos? Specu-Love Cookie Cores have hit the supermarket frozen aisles and I was delighted to be offered the chance of trying some. Who could say no to Ben and Jerry's?!

The 500ml ice creams have a core of crumbly cookie running through the centre of the pot. It is a bit like a soft cheesecake base with a slightly crunchy, dense texture. It's a whole new way to eat cookies.

The three flavours available in the UK are:

Utter Peanut Butter Clutter: Peanut butter ice cream with peanut butter cookies & a crumbled peanut butter cookie core.

What-a-Lotta Chocolate: Chocolate ice cream with chocolate cookies and a crumbled chocolate cookie core.

Speculoos? Specu-Love: Caramel ice cream with traditional spiced Speculoos cookies and a crumbled, caramelised cookie core.

I tried the What-A-Lotta Chocolate flavour. It is rich and intense, definitely one for chocoholics! The core is thick and flavoursome with the slight crunch of a crumbled cookie. It is much like the consistency of the pieces in their Cookie Dough ice cream, but on a bigger scale! Crunchy pieces of chocolate cookie are studded through the ice cream giving a really full on chocolatey experience.

My daughter Ella is a huge fan of the Utter Peanut Butter Clutter variety, which is perfect for lovers of PB! I like the slight saltiness contrasted with the creaminess of the ice cream, and the peanut butter cookie core is lush. It is such an inventive and delicious combination.

Not only do Ben and Jerry make the most incredible ice cream creations, they do it in the most sustainable way using Fairtrade ingredients, responsibly sourced packaging and their Caring Dairy initiative. I am super excited to have read that Ben and Jerry's are planning to make a non-dairy ice cream suitable for vegans. I certainly hope that this is right and a vegan version of this iconic brand becomes available in the UK in the near future. That would be incredible!

You can find Ben & Jerry's Cookie Cores 500ml  in supermarkets for £4.99 RRP.
Find out more at : www.benjerry.co.uk

Playing Traditional Board Games with the Bigjigs Games Compendium

Being Play Patrol Agents for Bigjigs Toys has been an honour, but our time as testers for their wonderful wooden toys has come to an end. However, Freddy has one more toy to test and it is a good one!

The Bigjigs Games Compendium is a beautifully made set of traditional wooden games that packs neatly into its own box. The games included are Snakes and Ladders, Tic Tac Toe, Draughts and Tiddly Winks. The set includes two reversible games boards and all the playing pieces, which are kept in cloth drawstring bags. One of the games boards doubles up as the lid to the storage box. It is a very clever design. The box has a handle making it easy to carry, so it's great for holidays or visits to the grandparents' house, ensuring kids are never at a loss for something to do.

The four games are really well constructed and everything is made of wood except for the tiddly winks counters and dice.  The Snakes and Ladders game is lovely and colourful, featuring pictures of favourite nursery rhyme characters that children will recognise, prompting many a rendition of a story, a rhyme or a song whilst playing. As a twist to the game, we made the rule that you had to recite the rhyme if you landed on one of the picture squares, which was a lot of fun.

The Tic Tac Toe has really chunky playing pieces, which made playing it really satisfying - more so than using the paper and pencil version. Freddy really loved this game of strategy and did really well trying to make his winning moves while blocking my attempts at getting three in a row.

This is Freddy's first ever Draughts set and he took to the game really well. It was lovely to see him so engaged with a traditional game, rather than playing Minecraft on the computer! It made him think and he enjoyed learning new skills.

The Tic Tac Toe board features a target with scoring circles that the counters have to be flicked into. Unfortunately neither myself or Freddy could get the counters to flick upwards and just ended up shooting them across the table missing the board completely! With a bit of improvisation we tossed the counters instead, which Freddy loved doing.

Playing traditional games with children helps them develop many skills. It helps their dexterity, their communication skills, social skills, logical thinking skills, maths skills and helps them learn to take turns. The games are suitable for children aged 3 and up, but will definitely be enjoyed for many years to come.

You can find the Bigjigs Games Compendium at www.bigjigstoys.co.uk/p/games-compendium and its RRP is £22.99.

Adding some Minion Fun to Mealtimes

Tots 100 and Green Giant have challenged me to take part in their Minions Challenge to create the ultimate Minion inspired summer food to celebrate the release of the new Minions movie on June 26th. I have created two dishes using Green Giant Sweetcorn, which currently have a Minions promotion on pack. Both dishes are fun as well as healthy and Minion fans will love eating them.

Cheesy Sweetcorn & Macaroni Minion Bake

Even the fussiest eater will love this nutritious and delicious pasta bake, packed with secret veggies. The cheesy sauce is in fact made from a blend of carrot, potato, sweet potato, onion and nutritional yeast flakes, which is low in fat, packed with goodness and very tasty. The macaroni is mixed with Green Giant sweetcorn, adding an extra portion of veggies. Decorating the cheesy topping Minion style, adds an element of fun that kids will love!

Ingredients (enough for 2 individual servings and a 7" pyrex dish)

For the sauce
2 medium potatoes
3 medium carrots
1 medium sweet potato
1 small onion
1 garlic clove
3/4 pt vegetable stock
1/2 cup of Engevita nutritional yeast flakes (available from health food stores)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon smoky paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil

Other Ingredients
8oz macaroni
198g can of salt free Green Giant sweetcorn
Grated cheese, cheese slices, red pepper and raisins to decorate

Method
Chop the veggies and cook in stock until tender.
Allow to cool slightly then use a slotted spoon to remove cooked veggies into a food processor or blender.
Add a cupful of the cooking water.
Add the oil, Engevita and spices.
Blitz until smooth and creamy and set aside. (Adjust liquid and seasonings to get the perfect consistency and flavour.)
Cook the macaroni according to the pack instructions.
Drain and stir through the drained sweetcorn.
Add enough sauce to coat the pasta, to your liking (any leftover can be refrigerated for a few days).
Divide the mixture into individual ovenproof bowls for the children (put the rest into an ovenproof dish for the adults to share).
Top with grated cheese.
Use the cheese slices, pepper and raisins to make a Minion face on top of the kids' portions.
Cook in the oven at gas mark 5 for around 20 minutes until bubbling.

Sweetcorn Fritters - 'Steves & Crosses'

Who said kids shouldn't play with their food? With these tasty little Green Giant sweetcorn fritters, children can enjoy a fun snack and play a game of 'Steves & Crosses' - an edible minion version of noughts and crosses!  Decorating half the fritters using cheese slices, peppers and raisins to create the Steve Minion, and topping the rest with a tomato ketchup cross makes the tastiest playing pieces. Four pieces of raw spaghetti will make the playing board so kids can play Tic-Tac-Toe before enjoying a healthy and yummy snack.

Ingredients (makes 12)
1 tablespoon SR flour
1 free range egg
198g can salt free Green Giant Sweetcorn
ground pepper
oil for frying
cheese slice, pepper, raisins and tomato sauce to decorate

Method
Put the flour, egg, seasoning and sweetcorn into a blender and blitz to form a thick batter.
Using a frying pan, heat a little oil and cook spoonfuls of batter in batches.
When underside is set, flip the fritter and cook the other side.

Decorate half the fritters using the cheese slice to make Steve's goggles. Use a piece of raisin and a piece of pepper to make the eye and mouth. Put a tomato sauce cross on the other fritters.

Serve them with the noughts and crosses grid made using raw spaghetti on a serving board. They look fun and kids will love playing Minion Steves & Crosses while enjoying a tasty snack.

***

We are looking forward to the Minion movie when it comes out later this month. Freddy is a big fan of Despicable Me and the Minions. The Minions really are the perfect pairing for Green Giant Sweetcorn. Both are yellow and sweet and loved by Freddy!

The two dishes I made went down a real treat with the family. Freddy loved playing with and eating the fritters and he loved the Minion pasta bake. It's great to see him tucking into healthy food and enjoying his dinner thanks to the appeal of the Minions!

Join in the fun and keep up to date with Green Giant and their Minions promotion and competitions on the Green Giant Facebook page.

Marvel Avengers Age of Ultron - in the bedroom

Bedtime has never been very straightforward with Freddy. We have clocked up hundreds of nights of bed sharing and suffered more than our fair share of sleep deprivation while our little boy worked on the technicalities of slumber.  Now at almost six, he has only recently mastered the art of sleeping through the night in his own bed. One of the biggest factors in having him happy to go to bed was making him a bedroom that he loved.

Freddy loves superheroes. He knows all their names, their super powers and the villains they fight. So a superhero theme was the perfect choice for his own personal space. His bedroom has an ace Avengers mural on the wall and he has lots of Iron Man and Captain America toys on display. So when Character World sent Freddy a brand new Marvel Avengers - Age of Ultron duvet cover and cushion for his room, I had one very happy little lad!

Character World is the UK's leading manufacturer of licenced bedroom accessories, and has a huge movie inspired range, which will delight fans of Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, LEGO and DC Comics. The bold, bright designs are created with kids in mind, and help create a bedroom that children will love being in and they will hopefully enjoy sleeping in all night!

The Marvel Avengers Age of Ultron Single Duvet Set and cushion feature realistic, life like images of the superheroes Hulk, Ironman, Thor, Captain America, Black Widow and Hawkeye. The duvet is double sided featuring a repeated print of Avengers symbols and logos on one side and the assembled Avengers on the other. The pillow features the Avengers logo on both sides on a sky background. The cushion is very soft and squidgy and has the same print on it as the duvet cover.

The Avengers - Age of Ultron duvet cover and cushion look fantastic and are also made to a high quality. The design is really impressive with sharp, colourful printing. The Character World range is available to purchase from Argos, Asda and Littlewoods. You can also find it online at Amazon.

Having his brand new bedding and cushion has made bedtimes easier as Freddy jumps into his bed and snuggles up with his cushion. They go really well in his superhero bedroom. Marvel is such a great iconic brand and I think it is brilliant to be able to bring it into children's room in such a fun way. The design will appeal to older kids, teens and young adults too.

Catch the spellbinding show Wicked at The Lowry Theatre

I'd heard nothing but good things about the hit musical Wicked. With its special effects, make-up, incredible costumes and awesome songs (we all love a good rendition of Defying Gravity) the show promises to be completely magical. It is the untold story of the witches from Oz that has broken records and won major international awards.

Wicked is flying into Salford on the last leg of its UK and Ireland tour, bringing all the energy and excitement of the West End to The Lowry theatre.

From now until the 25th July 2015, you can catch the spellbinding performance at The Lowry.

We had press tickets to see the show last night.

Our verdict: "Unbelievably spectacular and awe-inspiring. Simply wonderful."  We loved the way that Wicked gave an insight into the story of the Wizard of Oz, adding a back story for the characters and relationships. The sets, props and costumes created a lavish spectacle and the performance itself was incredible.

The Wicked Stage

You can find out more and book tickets to see the show at www.thelowry.com/event/wicked.

         

Father's Day Gift Guide - featuring Scruffs Hardwear and Truprint

Scruffs Hardwear

Scruffs make menswear that works just as hard as dad does. With durable materials and stylish designs, dad will enjoy wearing the workwear to show that he is #scruffsenough for anything, whether at home or at play. I received a sample of the Scruffs range to try out.

The Scruffs authentic vintage T-shirt is made from thick 100% cotton and is comfortable to wear. It is well made with good stitchwork and has branded label detailing on the sleeve and at the bottom of the shirt. It is available in sizes up to XXL and comes in grey or blue. At £11.95 it is a great price for a quality men's T-shirt.

The Scruffs Boxers are firm fitting and stylish, made using tough, durable polycotton. They have a Scruffs logo printed waistband.  A two pair pack of large boxers are £10.75.

Other gift ideas from Scruffs include a handy bottle opener belt for £11.95 and a water resistant and shockproof sports watch for £19.95. These would all make practical Father's Day gifts for a hardworking dad.

You can view the entire range of Scruffs workwear, safetywear and accessories at Scruffs.com.

Truprint

I have been busy making Father's Day mug and coaster gift sets for my dad, FIL and Ian with Truprint. I have also created a lovely notebook to give to Ian, featuring photographs of myself and all five of our children. At just £5.99, the notebooks come with plain or lined paper and can be personalised using a range of patterns and layouts.

When I give someone a notebook, I think it is really lovely to write a note on the first page. For Father's Day, each of the children can write a personalised message or draw a picture inside for dad to treasure.

Find this and other Father's Day gift ideas online at Truprint plus find details of an exclusive discount code valid until June 15th 2015.

More Drinks - flavoured water with added nutrients

As a mother to an almost teen daughter who takes a packed lunch to school everyday, the issue of whether she stays hydrated and whether she gets enough nutrients during the course of the day is something that concerns me.  Freddy, my five year old, can be a picky eater at times, which means that some days I worry about whether or not he gets enough vitamins and minerals. Thankfully, with More Drinks both of those parental concerns are covered.

The bottles of flavoured water not only taste great, they also have the benefit of being fortified with various added nutrients to ensure that you get essential vitamins and minerals from the drink.

The drinks come in a variety of fruity flavours and in still and sparkling varieties, each fortified with an essential nutrient combination.

The Get More drinks come in 500ml bottles and the kids' A Little More Drinks come in 330ml sports top bottles, which are perfect for school lunches or days out.

The Get More drinks come in:

Blackcurrant and Blueberry with Vitamin A - to support healthy skin and vision
Citrus with Multivitamins - to keep the body healthy with 100% RDA of B1, B3, B5, B6, B7, B12, C and 25% Magnesium and Zinc
Apple and Raspberry with B Vitamins - to help the release of energy
Orange with Vitamin C (200%) - to support the immune system
Mango and Passionfruit with Vitamin D - for healthy bones

The A Little More drinks come in single bottles or six packs, and are available in:

Mango with Vitamin D - to support growing bones

Apple with Multivitamins - with 60% RDA of B1, B3, B5 B6, B7, B12, C and 15% Magnesium & Zinc
Orange with Vitamin C (100%) - to support the immune system

The drinks are made using spring water, are low in calories, sugar free and use natural flavourings.

I first discovered More Drinks at the Blog On festival last month and enjoyed testing all the flavours. They really are very fruity, refreshing, hydrating and give you the extra nutrients that your body may need in a quick, easy and convenient way. I received some for the kids to try out and they have gone down well. We love the simplicity of the funky packaging design and the fact that there is such a variety of flavours to choose from. They are also really low in calories, which is good for dieters, who may struggle to get all their daily nutrients.

The More drinks can be found at Tesco, Asda, Ocado and W.H.Smiths nationwide. The 500ml Get More bottles are currently £1 a bottle in Asda and the six pack multipacks of A Little More drinks are £3.99 on Ocado.com.

Find out more about the brand at: www.moredrinks.co.uk.