How to make a Rainbow Drop Cake this Easter

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With Easter this Sunday I have been thinking of tasty treats I can cook up in preparation. I am not the most brilliant of chef's but I do like to dabble in the kitchen, and when I do get stuck into something I give it my best shot. I began thinking about different Easter sweets I could in-corporate into my baking attempt...

I decided to make a sweet cake, but not just any sweet cake. While browsing the Swizzels Matlow website I came across many of the sweets from my childhood, Fizzers, Love Hearts and Parma Violets... Then an old favourite of mine appeared, Rainbow Drops!  In that instant I knew exactly what I was going to cook up for the family this Easter.

A Rainbow Drop Easter Cake!

I had an idea forming in my mind of how I was going to do this, and what the finished cake might look like. I decided that the Rainbow Drops would be the over all decoration on this cake, with their bright colours to make the cake stand out it really would be a treat.

I decided to cook up one big sponge cake, which took well over an hour to bake. After waiting for the cake to cool enough to remove it from the tin, I began to melt some chocolate over the stove. 

With the melted chocolate in hand I slathered it all over my freshly baked cake, all over the sides and all over the top. Then I set to work with my chocolate fingers all the way around the base of the cake. With the fingers in place it was time to drizzle the last of the melted chocolate into the center. 

Now all of the chocolate was in place, I had to work quickly. I sorted my Rainbow Drops into their individual colours. I had Pink, Green, Orange and Yellow laid out ready to be put into place. It was trickier than I had anticipated, and had to keep going back to make sure that the Rainbow Drops covered all of the melted chocolate. 

I spent my time adding in all of the Rainbow Drops, I added in the words 'Happy Easter' and then spread the rest of the drops into the particular coloured sections I had laid out. Seeing the completed cake in front of me I was rather pleased with how it turned out. 

The recipe for the actual cake was just a simple sponge:

- 250g unsalted butter – softened
- 600g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 470g plain flour 
- 140g cocoa powder
- 2tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 table spoons of double cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- A little bit of milk

A Rainbow Drop cake doesn't have to just be for Easter, it could be for absolutely any occasion at all. I like to think of it as a 'just because cake'.

Leo is yet to see our Rainbow Drop cake, but I think he will be hankering after a slice tomorrow when he sets his sights upon it. 

Are you cooking up any tasty treats this Easter?

#NetflixStreamTeam - April

Throughout the year there are a number of special occasions that give us reason to celebrate. In our house Christmas, Birthdays and Easter rank pretty highly, and with Easter on the doorstep and the half term holidays upon us, we are all looking for ways to entertain the kids and of course ourselves.

This Easter break we are looking forward to getting out and doing things as a family, we are hoping for lot's of sunny weather so we can make the very most of the long weekend that is coming our way. Of course if the sun doesn't shine we will need other ways to entertain ourselves and of course Leo. That is where the arts and crafts come in, or even just cracking open some Easter Eggs and relaxing with a good family film.

This month Netlix has teamed up with Konnie Huq and asked her to pick out some of her favourite family films for Easter. There are so many great films on Netflix at the moment so narrowing it down to a few 'must watch' is a monster task! Many of the films that Konnie has picked out are films that we have already been enjoying as a family, but to be honest I am a fan of a film that Leo hasn't made me watch more than 50 times! 

Some of the best family films to sit down and watch together this Easter are:

Leo adores Up and this is a film that we will quite happily sit down and watch with our Easter Eggs! But if you are looking for some content for the younger children then why not tune into The Land Before Time: Wisdom Of Friends. I loved these films as a child and I have taken great pleasure in introducing them to Leo, and as he is currently going through a Dinosaur phase at the moment, it is suffice to say that it has been a BIG roaring hit!

The great thing about Netflix is that they are always bringing new content in, so even after you have spent a rainy day watching lot's of kid television, there is a whole range of programs that are just for you! It takes becoming a parent for you to really appreciate grown up television,  and for me having Netflix at the touch of my fingertips has provided me with so much to watch as and when I can fit it into my busy life. This month I have been enjoying Ugly Betty and I am highly anticipating season 2 of Orange Is The New Black!

In honour of Easter Konnie has put together a fun art and craft for us to do with the kiddies. How about making up some 'Cuddly Easter Bunnies?' For this I will hand you over to Konnie!

'One of the funniest moments I had presenting children’s TV was when I had to do some baking on a live show of Blue Peter with S Club 7, all the while interviewing them, and literally all of the utensils and cooking dishes were missing! It was really chaotic, I kept having to ask the cameramen and crew during the live show “does any one have a spare baking tray?” Very embarrassing but funny too.

Hopefully there is not as much margin for error with this Easter themed craft idea for ‘Cuddly Easter Bunnies’. I love it because they are so simple to make, the kids love them, and depending on how many old gloves you find, you can create an army of these critters!'

1. Materials you'll need: An old glove Two buttons Needle & thread Glue Ribbon Cotton wool balls Scissors 2. How to do it: Take your old glove and cut along the dotted white line. 3. Use your needle and thread, and sew on two buttons for eyes then stitch an X for the nose. 4. Turn your bunny inside out and stitch along the cut edge, leaving enough of a gap to stuff 5. Turn your bunny back out and stuff with wadding, then finish stitching to close the gap 6. To finish, stick a cotton wool ball on the back with multipurpose glue for the bunny's tail. Tie a ribbon round the ear or neck and bend the longer ear down.  Turbo FAST competition time! The Next batch of Turbo FAST episodes from season 1 are available to watch on Netflix now. This month why not get the kids to review? We will be giving our star review a 6 month Netflix subscription as a competition prize to give to your readers. So revv up your engines and get reviewing!

Dreaming Of Some Sunshine

It is safe to say that 2014 has kicked off with an frightful amount of rain. We have seen flooding and just general miserable weather. All of this rain has highlighted a certain item of clothing that both Leo and I have been lacking…Waterproof jackets!

If you are like me, you will shy away from heading out and about when it rains, but let’s face it… If you need to go out, you need to go out! Leo on the other hand is not scared of a little bit of water, he’s more than happy to slip on his wellies and find numerous muddy puddles to splash around in! It was only earlier this week after I picked Leo up from nursery, that he decided to jump through each and every puddle he came across, in his trainers no less! Suffice to say I didn’t anticipate that first splash, which resulted in grand smiles from the mischievous one!

By the end of the walk back to the car, Leo had drenched his shoes and splashed water (and mud) all up his jeans. He had managed to inflict the splashes in my direction just as much as his… So I too got to feel soggy and muddy. Of course Leo didn’t mind, this just made the puddle activities that little bit more exciting. Splashing in deep, muddy puddles is so much more fun… When Mummy gets involved too!

I recently came across Muddy Puddles, an online shop selling a wide variety of coats, and jackets that will help our kids weather the elements. They have jackets that will protect you from a rain shower, right through to warmer coats that will weather a snow storm.

Muddy Puddles have the coat (and footwear) for the job. I particularly like the rainmac’s as these little beauties come in handy throughout the year, living in Britain we know that we will spy rain even over the Summer months so it is a good item of clothing to have to hand.

As a parent I like to know that I have everything for Leo that I could possibly need, and as he is growing all of the time this can prove to be one demanding task. Sometimes I find that I only realise that we have a need for an item….In the instance that we actually need it! You can guarantee that if you have to pop into a high-street shop you won’t be able to find what you are looking for. I have found myself in this position on a number of occasions, they either don’t have the size, pattern or the entire item I am after. I guess this is why I do so much of my clothes shopping online these days!

Disclaimer: This is a Featured Post

The Harry Potter Studio Tour Presents Feathers and Flight

On Friday 4th April the entire family set off on a wild adventure, and when I say family I don't mean myself, Luke and Leo. I mean my parents and siblings. I cannot remember the last time we all went out as a family of 6, but I know a lot of time has passed since we have all got together and done something like this!

We were on our way to the Warner Brother's Harry Potter Studio Tour for an exclusive preview of their Feathers and Flight feature that is running from the 4th April right through to the 27th April 2014. Suffice to say we were all incredibly excited and looking forward to an evening full of magic and laughter. Having visited the Studio Tour back in December, I knew we were in for a fantastic time and I knew that the rest of the family, who had never visited before were going to LOVE it!

Feathers and Flight 2014

- Pose for a photograph with the owl that played Harry Potter’s letter-delivering companion Hedwig as he sits outside 4 Privet Drive.

- Meet the talented owls that played Ron Weasley’s tiny pet Pigwidgeon and the Weasley family owl Errol who will be stationed along the wizarding street of Diagon Alley.

- Watch as crows and ravens that appeared in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabandemonstrate their acting skills in our backlot.

- Learn how birds were taught to ‘act’ by taking a look at the equipment that was used on set.

- Hair and Feather Supervisor Val Jones will lead an expert team to demonstrate the techniques that made winged wonders such as Buckbeak the Hippogriff and Fawkes the Phoenix a reality on screen. By individually inserting thousands of feathers, Val worked to create the Hippogriff’s feathery coat which helped transform it into a believable creature that really moved.

- See the broomsticks of Fred and George Weasley, used during their escape in Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, in Hogwarts’ iconic Great Hall as the set will be decorated as it was for owl post delivery scenes. Specially-made broomsticks and letters, which were designed to be light enough for owls to carry, will be on display as well as a breakfast feast of racks of toast, cereal and jugs of juice.

The Feathers and Flight event shows us exactly how filmmakers brought the feathered creatures to life on screen. From Buckbeak the Hippogriff to the training of the Owls, the ravens and special effects equipment...There is so much that went into the most simple of scenes. I was so impressed during a question and answers session with Julie Totman and colleague Guillaume Grange, they allowed members of the group to ask questions and shared some of their secrets. Did you know that for each animal character their were at least 3 animals playing that role? Each animal has their different strengths and weaknesses, one animal would be great at tricks, one maybe better at being handled and so on...  

With the introductions coming to an end it was time to start the tour. I have to say that I was so excited to be visiting after hours, when everybody else had gone home and it was just my family and the rest of the people on our tour. As you can imagine, the studio tour is a magical place to be and this feeling was heightened as we got to see everything up close and personal while taking our good sweet time as we went around. First up was the Great Hall, and I took great pleasure in watching everyone's faces as the cinema screen lifted to reveal the entrance to the famous set. I think my younger sister's draw dropped when she first walked in!

We enjoyed nibbles and drinks in the Great Hall and nosed into the crooks and cranny's of this magical room. This set is my favourite, and you don't have to look around to far to work out why. The flagstone floor, the big open fireplace, the detail that is just absolutely everywhere is just outstanding. What I adored about visiting after hours was being able to spend so much time in the Great Hall alone, when I visited in December I felt that there wasn't enough time to see everything, so I made the very most of every moment that night.

We slowly made our way around the tour, we took in everything and posed for many, many photographs. My Mum who hasn't really watched many of the films was enjoying taking everything in (I will be insisting she watches them all now!), my Dad who is the biggest kid enjoyed it as much as my siblings. There was ample opportunity to speak to the guides as they were on hand all evening, and were happy to answer any additional questions that we had. 

There was one thing that I was looking forward to more than anything that evening, and that was to have a play on the broomsticks! On our last visit the line to have a go was about 30 minutes long, and our group decided not to have a go. But on this occasion we just walked straight in, there was no waiting around and we even got to don a Hogwarts robe. We flew Mr Weasley's magical car, and then we each took to the sky's on our broomsticks. It was AMAZING! For my first broomstick flight I don't think I did half bad, and I was so pleased with the picture that I walked away with. The entire family had a go at flying a broomstick that night, and they all absolutely loved it.

Next up we were off out into the back lot, it is here that you can try Butterbeer and see if it tantalizes any of your taste buds. Having tried it before I knew that it was a little too sweet for my liking, but happily drank it up. The younger brother seemed to really like it, but the rest of the family were not sold on it. I definitely recommend giving it a try, you may just be surprised. 

It was here that we came face to face with Hedwig, and we gladly took it in turns to snap our photos with him, before having a look at the night bus, Hagrid's Motorcycle and of course the flying car which happen to all be featured outside. 

As you move out of the back lot and back inside to which ultimately is the final bit of the tour, you find yourself in a room full of creatures featured in the films. There were goblins, wax models of the cast and of course some of the creatures. Dangling from the ceiling I saw Aragog, King of the Spiders. I have to say that he is a spider that I would rather not come across!

Another of my favorite sets has to be Diagon Alley. It is a set that you can walk through and actually gives you a sense of being in a magical world. You see familar sites and can marvel at the shop fronts, my favourite being The Weasley Brother's Joke shop! 

As we began to come to the end of the tour, I knew that we would very soon be casting our eyes upon the Hogwarts Castle, and I knew that this was going to blow everybody's minds. The last time I visited it was for Hogwarts In Snow, and Hogwarts was covered in a blanket of snow. It was nice to see it this time in it's true form, but it still completely blew me away. The detail and sheer size of this model is just incredible. Every outside shot of the castle that you see in the film series, is actually of this model. For the longest time I just assumed that the exterior shots in the film were computer generated imagery. How wrong was I!?

Leaving the room with the rather incredible model of Hogwarts brings you out into a room full of wands. I remembered this room from last time but didn't actually know what it was for. I was really pleased that there was a member of staff in there on this occasion, and he explained to me that each wand box had the name of someone involved in the Harry Potter films. Each wand box had been hand inscribed and the guide was so familiar with each and every box, that he could actually point with his laser pen to the box with the persons name he was talking about. He could point out absolutely anyone and everyone, and even tell you all about them. 

This brought us to the end of our adventure around the studio, and it was time to make our way back to the car. We all had an absolutely amazing time and it was lovely to do something together. 

If you are planning on visiting before the 27th April, the Feathers and Flight experience is great. I am sure you will all love it as much as my family and I did. 

Disclaimer: We were invited along to the event, provided with free admission and a goody bag. I was not asked to write this post and all views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.

You Amaze Me

It is so easy to get lost in those blue eyes of yours, the way they sparkle, the way that they shine. 

Watching your facial expressions as you move through the world, the way you study a Butterfly land on a leaf and that look of amazement dashes across your face. The compassion and worry in your voice when you saw a dead hedgehog in the road, the way your little voice quivered when you told me 'hedgehog hurt. hedgehog died'. The way you accept the most simple of explanations, and that the hedgehog has gone to sleep for one last time and is now happy way up there in the sky. 

Nothing tops watching you growing up, teaching you about the ways of the world. The good, the not so good and at times the things I wish I never have to tell you about. You are at an age now where you are wanting to know so much, but still learning and not fully comprehending. Still completely innocent. 

When you do something wrong you look for reassurance in me, you run up and kiss me over and over. That's your apology because 9 times out of 10 your feeling to stubborn to use your words for that one particular punch line. You run out and about in the garden, you scoot up and down Granny's drive, and boy have you got fast. You pick daisy's on your travels and bring them back to me. You say 'for you Mummy!' and present me with a bunch that you picked just moments before. You truly sweep me off my feet!

You have the most infectious giggle, and it is a sound that don't go a single day without hearing. You find adventure in everything that you do, and your giggle rang louder the day you sat on my lap as we drove up Granny's long drive way! You laughed even harder when you managed to grab control of the steering and we almost bumped the pillars on the driveway! That would have been an interesting conversation to have with the grandparents little man.

All of a sudden you have completely slotted back into Nursery, and go off with no tears at all. In fact you are so excited by the time we get there, that you ignore the line of people waiting to go inside and run straight past them, under peoples legs until you are inside! There are no goodbyes for Mummy, and I you are completely happy until I turn back up three hours later. 

Each day you are learning something new, saying something new or surprising me in some way. You make my heart melt and I beam with pride. We are on the count down to your 3rd birthday now, and another year has almost come full circle. It amazes me what each year instills in the both of us, and although you started the year as a toddler, we will be leaving it as a 3 year old. A little boy who will be in his very last year before school. A little boy who will be going on many more adventures, and making me even prouder. 

Watching you grow up is the most amazing thing, and I love sitting on the front row, watching, listening and living life with you.

Great Nights Out in Dublin

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Dublin’s most famous export is of course Guinness, and no visit to Dublin is complete without a visit to the Guinness Storehouse, on the site of the brewery in the city centre. It’s a vast, interactive attraction that tells the story of Guinness’s journey from humble beginnings to world domination. You can learn how to pour the perfect pint and when you reach the top floor at the end of the tour you’ll be rewarded with a pint of Guinness in the glass-walled Gravity Bar that boasts incredible 360 degrees views of the city.

And now that your appetite’s well and truly whetted, it’s time to find some more watering holes.

Pubs

Dublin’s many pubs are famous for their ‘craic’ - that hard to define mixture of warmth, friendliness and music that creates a unique atmosphere that you’ll want to revel in all evening. You’re bound to happen upon plenty of welcoming pubs as you explore the city, but if you’re hankering after the ultimate traditional Irish pub atmosphere, head to Palace in Fleet Street, the history-soaked hang out of Dublin’s most famous writers of the past.

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Bars

Dublin’s a city where tradition sits happily alongside the new in the form of a thriving, buzzing bar scene, which is good news if you’re more into cocktails than Guinness. Dakota on William Street South is a perfect place to grab a booth and rub shoulders with the young, trendy residents of Ireland’s capital.

Don’t forget you’re on holiday so just relax and enjoy the craic. Many of Dublin’s pubs and bars also do excellent food so they’re perfect one-stop fun destinations. And when it comes to hotels Dublin has a great choice of cheap, central rooms  - handy when it’s time to call it a night. 

Disclaimer: This is a Featured Post

34 months old

said lighting mcqueen instead of Da Da Da

Stopped crying about nursery. Says school today for Monday and Friday. Says no school today on days he doesn't go.

Starting to count. Tells people he is 3.
Starting to talk about colours and knows that Mummy's car is blue. Daddy's is white and Granny's is black.

Had hearing test and eye test appointment through

did first wee on the potty