Ravensburger's The Night Before Christmas Puzzle

Our puzzle from Ravensburger this month has a very seasonal touch to it. We were asked to review a Giant Floor Puzzle. The Night Before Christmas sees Santa getting his sleigh ready before setting off to deliver all the presents on Christmas Eve.

The puzzle is made up of 32 non identically cut pieces. It measures 65 x 46 cm once assembled. It is designed for children aged 3 years +. The pieces are quite big which is great for little hands. 

Both Callum and Nathan really enjoyed completing this puzzle, Callum said it was easy to do and even Nathan said he found it quite easy. I think it will be one that the boys do on Christmas Eve this year when we do our family activities to get everyone in the mood for the big mans arrival.

This puzzle also comes with a "Santa stop here"sign, which the boys have said they want  to hang on their bedroom door this year.

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12 Days of Christmas in November Giveaway

Everyone has heard of the Christmas song "The Twelve Days of Christmas"... and as the song is about giving gifts for 12 days I thought that we could do the same. So for 12 days I will be hosting some wonderful competitions for all our readers.

The boys and I are super excited about Christmas this year, now for me this is a first as usually I am so unorganised and end up stressed to the max and can usually been seen racing around the high street and supermarket in the week running up to Christmas. Every year my mother in law tells me to prepare and plan and be organised and as I nod in agreement I secretly think she knows I will do no such thing. However this year is different, almost all the presents are bought for everyone and the only things I need to do is wrap presents, enjoy the school nativities and carol services, buy a new tree and do the enormous food shop. You could say I'm feeling a bit smug this year and you would be right, like I say this is my first year in many years that I am well prepared.

So because I am so prepared and would like to enjoy as much of December being stress free I have decided to hold my Christmas giveaway in November, from 19th November we will be giving away one fabulous prize away each day for 12 days. We have lots already organised and have some great prizes that I think our readers and their children will really like.

Come back everyday from 19th November to see what we have in store for you all. Prizes will be able to be won here on the blog and over on Facebook and Twitter, so make sure your following us.


If you would like to donate a prize for one of my 12 days of Christmas in November please do get in touch, you can email me - herecomestrouble11@gmail.com or tweet me on Twitter @herestrouble11.

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Makhlouta, a comforting rice and lentil soup from Lebanon

Remember those pictures from our garden, taken just ten days ago? Well, just a week later our garden looked - and is still looking - very different, as the snow came surprisingly early this year, and that first snow is still here.



Which means it's time to enjoy autumnal hearty flavours from now on. And here's a neat recipe to start with - a Lebanese soup makhlouta. What impresses me most about this is that it hardly contains anything, yet is most satisfying and flavoursome :)The recipe is slightly adapted from Claudia Roden's wonderful Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon, published in 2006. According to Taste of Beirut food blog, makhlouta means 'mixture' in Lebanese Arabic and it's a soupy stew that contains variour legumes and beans such as lentils, kidney beans, white beans, chickpeas, bulgur wheat. Claudia Roden's version is pretty minimalist, containing just rice and lentils, but I often prefere minimalist versions anyway, so I'm happy with this recipe.

Makhlouta - Lebanese rice and lentil soup
(Liibanoni riisi-läätsesupp)
Serves 6 to 8

 

2 large onions
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 litres vegetable stock
200 g red 'Egyptian' lentils
100 g risotto or porridge rice, rinsed and drained
2 tsp coriander seeds
salt and black pepper

To serve:
1 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
1-2 lemons, cut into sectors

First make the crispy onion topping. Peel and halve the onions, cut into thin slices.
Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan, add the onions and fry gently until the onions are softened and translucent. Now increase the heat and fry until the onions are golden brown and caramelised. Transfer onto a kitchen paper to crispen.

For the soup, bring the water into a boil. Add the lentils and rice. Season with pepper and add the crushed coriander seeds. Bring into a low simmer, cover and simmer for 35-45 minutes, until both rice and lentils are completely soft and the soup nice and creamy. Taste for seasoning  - add salt, if necessary.

To serve, scoop the soup into warm soup bowls, sprinkle with crushed cumin seeds and garnish with crispy onion rings. Place lemon slices or sectors on the table, so everyone can sprinkle some lemon juice on top of their soup.

More makhlouta recipes out there:
Taste of Beirut
Mama's Lebanese Kitchen
Ya Salam Cooking
The Gutsy Gourmet
The Well-Seasoned Cook

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Design A Lego Vehicle for the new Lego Film

I was sent an email last week with details about a competition for my boys to take part in. Callum already has his thinking cap on and is really starting to think about what he wants to do to enter the competition. However I thought I would be nice and share it with my readers as I know many of you have children of a similar age to my own and who would probably also like to enter this competition as it is definitely once in a lifetime thing. So what is this competition I hear you ask.... Well look at the information below and how you can enter.

In 2014 there will be a new film out. The film, the first-ever full length theatrical LEGO movie, follows Emmet, an ordinary, rules-following, perfectly average LEGO minifigure who is mistakenly identified as the most extraordinary person and the key to saving the world.  He is drafted into a fellowship of strangers on an epic quest to stop an evil tyrant, a journey for which Emmet is hopelessly and hilariously underprepared. 

Warner Brothers and LEGO are giving one child aged between 5 and 13 years old the chance to create a vehicle entirely from LEGO which will star in the film!

All you and your kids have to do is build a great vehicle – it can be anything from a train to a plane, to a car or space ship, boat…whatever takes your fancy – and then take a photo and upload it to the website www.lego-themovie.co.uk.   Easy Peasy :) 

Here are a couple of examples for you to look at.

Entries need to be in by 31^st December 2012 and then, a winner will be picked


Good luck to any of you that decide to enter the competition.

*We haven't been paid or sponsored in anyway to promote this competition*

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Bizzybee Gloves and Cloths

Like all other mums and housewives my days pretty much consist of cleaning and tidying up after the family (its not all watching Jeremy Kyle and drinking cups of tea you know) which now that James has started nursery on a morning is a much easier task, I find that if I do a through tidy up on a Monday and a Friday morning I don't have much to do throughout the rest of the week and on a weekend which can now be spent doing things with the boys and Matthew. Over the last couple of weeks I have been using a range of Bizzybee products whilst doing my usual chores around the house.

I was sent a mixture of products to try out, these included multipurpose cloths, rubber gloves and scourers. What I love about Bizzybee products is that they make housework that little bit more glamorous - lets face it housework is pretty dull.  

The multicoloured clothes are extra strong and absorbent and they are machine washable, meaning you can use them over and over. They also look fab when your doing your cleaning with the pink spotty gloves. They have an RRP of £1.29 for a pack of 5 cloths. The Bizzybee Cleaning Kit contains 3 microfibre cleaning cloths, Each does a different job. The blue cloth polishes and shines glass, the fluffy and absorbent green cloth can be used in the bathroom and to wipe down other wet surfaces and the purple one has a raised surface which is used in the kitchen to remove dirt and leaves surfaces spotless. The kit has an RRP of £4.50. I love the Bizzybee scourers, they are non scratching  and really sparkly so add a touch of glamour while your washing the dishes and especially those pots that need that extra bit of elbow grease to get clean. They also have an RRP of £1.29 for a pack of two.

I was also sent some of Bizzybee's gloves to try out. First up I tried the moisturising gloves, these gloves are ideal for people who have an allergy to latex as they are latex free and made from vinyl instead, they contain a natural moisturiser which which protects and cares your skin. They are priced at £2.49 a pair.  The pretty pink spotty gloves have a comfortable knitted cotton lining, they are extremely durable and are all you will need either cleaning inside or out. They are priced at £4.98. I have pretty small hands and I found them comfy to wear and they fitted my hands perfectly. Lastly I tried the multipurpose gloves. I love that they are purple in colour (as its my favourite colour). They have a raised grip pattern making it easier to pick up and grip delicate objects. The gloves are really strong and will last. They also have a soft cotton lining making them really comfy to wear. They have an RRP of £1.50 a pair.

I love the Bizzybee range of cleaning products, not only do they do a fabulous job at helping me keep the house looking spic and span they also look great hanging over my taps or by the side of my sink. They really do brighten the place up. All my friends ask where did I get them from. 

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Celebrate Halloween with Poundland

Halloween is one of those occasions that we can take or leave in our house, some years Callum has wanted to go trick or treating others he hasn't  - this year he has been invited to 3 parties and has said he will go to all 3 (I'm not sure how that will work). 

Recently we were asked by Poundland to try out some of there Halloween products. Poundland has a huge variety of decorations, costumes and other Halloween products in store. We were sent a pumpkin silicon mould, a cake stand and some spooky window spray.

The pumpkin silicon mould is ideal for baking cakes or making jellies. It is very good quality for the price and is very easy to wash once you've finished with it.

We love the Poundland cake stand. It is really easy to set up and can be reused as it can be collapsed after use. It is made from cardboard and once made up it is quite sturdy. It will also hold around 16 buns depending on their size.

The spooky window spray would make an excellent addition to any party, the spray is orange and really easy to apply, there are 6 stencils in the box, you need to stick them to your window and then spray over them, once you have done this carefully peel the stencil off the window and you will be left with a fab decoration. My only complaint with the spray is that it was quite messy once it was sprayed, this was however easy to clean up with some kitchen paper.

If your planning on having some fun this Halloween and want good quality products at an amazingly low price then head to Poundland, I'm sure they'll have everything you need.

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Pom Bears Halloween Limited Edition Snacks

Recently the boys have been trying out the latest flavour of Pom Bear snacks. Just in time for Halloween, Pom Bear have released limited edition Pickled Onion flavour snacks. These snacks are available to buy as a pack of 6 for £1.39. You can buy them from supermarkets such as Tesco, Asda and Waitrose. 

The boys love the fact that the snacks are the shape of a teddy bear. I love the fact that they are under 100 calories a pack so I can snack on them too. They are suitable for vegetarians are gluten free and contain no artificial colours or preservatives. The snacks are full of flavour and taste great.

James enjoying his Pom Bears

These snacks will be available for a limited time only so make sure you don't miss out.

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Cocktails at Frankie & Bennys

Matthew and I had a rare night out on our own last night, I say rare because I can't actually remember the last time we went out on our own as a couple. As Matthew works shifts it can be hard to try and see each other for a couple of hours a day never mind a full evening. We decided to have a belated celebration for my birthday and as we had been asked to go try out some of the new cocktails on offer at Frankie and Benny's we thought that it would tie in nicely. We were sent a voucher that entitled us to a two course meal each and two of the new cocktails a piece. The food as always was amazing, Matthew had a mixed grill followed by an ice cream sundae and I had hot dough sticks followed by Chicken Carbonara Bake.

The first drink I ordered was an Apple-tini and Matthew decided on a Woo Woo. The Apple-tini is made with Eristoff vodka, apple schnapps, pressed apple juice and gingerbread syrup, The Woo Woo is made with Archer’s peach schnapps, Eristoff vodka and cranberry juice, it is shaken with fresh lemon juice and sugar, served with ice so that it is refreshing. Both of these cocktails are priced at £4.95 each. 

For our second drinks I chose the Pina Colada and Matthew chose the Bramble cocktail. The Pina Colada is made from Bacardi rum, it is blended with coconut cream and pineapple juice, it was really nice and really easy to drink. The Bramble cocktail came recommend by a member of staff, he said it was what he would drink if he was out as it was full of flavour, Matthew really liked this cocktail, the Bramble is made with Bombay Sapphire gin, fresh lemon juice, sugar and Chambord black-raspberry liqueur. The Pina Colada is priced at £4.95 and the Bramble is priced at £5.95.

We really enjoyed our night out and would definitely go again, the staff are always friendly and helpful. We only tried 4 cocktails but there are numerous other on the menu too. You can buy them as pitchers so you can share them with your friends or buy the glass like we did. We would highly recommend Frankie and Benny's not just for their food but their cocktails and their customer service.

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Finnish mince and cabbage gratin

You've already got the recipe for the Estonian cabbage and mince stew (recommended!), here's a Finnish version that's similar, yet totally different. Whereas Estonians like their mince and cabbage as a stew alongside some boiled carrots, the Finns throw in some rice (and syrup or honey - they've got a sweeter tooth!), layer it into a oven dish and bake it slowly until done.

Both are lovely. You could even make a large batch of the Estonian one, and use any leftovers for the Finnish version on the next day :)

The traditional condiment is lingonberry jam (you'll find a jar in your nearest IKEA store), but sour cream works just as well.

Finnish mince and cabbage gratin
(Kapsa-hakklihavorm riisiga)
Serves 6

150 ml short-grain "porridge" rice, uncooked
400 ml water
0.5 tsp salt

about 1 kg white cabbage, finely shredded
1 onion
400 g beef mince
1 tsp salt
0.25 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano or marjoram
1-2 Tbsp sugar syrup or honey (or use cornsyrup, maple syrup or even agave nectar)
400 ml beef stock

Place rice, salt and water into a saucepan, bring into a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until the rice has absorbed the water. Remove from the heat and put aside.
Chop the onion. Put beef mince and onion into a large and heavy frying pan and fry until slightly browned. Season with salt, pepper and marjoram, then add to the rice.
Add the cabbage to the frying pan, season with a bit of salt and heat, stirring regularly, until the cabbage is slightly coloured and "collapsed". Season with syrup, then combine with the rice and the fried minced beef.
Pour into a medium-sized oven casserole dish, pour beef stock on top.
Bake in a preheated 200 C oven for one hour to one hour and 15 minutes. Use your judgement and cover the dish with a piece of foil at the end, if necessary.

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Do your Children Know More About Technology Than You?

I think it is quite scary how far technology has come in such a short space of time, when I was at school (which wasn't all that long ago - well I don't think it was anyway) we didn't really have much in the way of technology, we had a couple of computers for all the pupils in the school to use but there certainly wasn't any electronic white boards, laptops or PCs  in every class room. When I reached secondary school there were slightly more PCS and we had IT lessons so that we could be taught bits about using a computer, once I got to college all coursework was to be typed, to apply fro uni we had to submit our UCAS form all online and once I started my course all work during my degree which had to be marked had to be typed up too. So I think I was quite lucky that as technology progressed I did too. Matthew having worked in sales and having been an "expert" in store is also quite tech savvy and loves learning about new things, but some parents have obviously not had the chance.

I would like to think that both Matthew and I know more about technology than the boys especially with them being so young but you may be just as surprised as I was to hear that recent research reveals that almost 60% of primary school kids know more about technology than their mums. Dubbed ‘TIPs’ – Technologically Inept Parents – they are struggling to know their iPad from their Notebook or the difference between an MP3 and GPS. 

The research made up of 2,000 parents and children shows that 73% of children would like a gadget for Christmas this year, which coincides with the launch of the new InnoTab 2 children’s tablet from VTech. Hamley’s, Argos and Tesco have all predicted tablets such as the InnoTab 2 will be one of their best sellers this Christmas, which is mirrored in the research and shows that almost a third (32%) of kids are planning to ask Santa for their own tablet this December. We have already had both Callum and Nathan ask for a tablet of their own after thay have seen my shiny new iPad. We were however very lucky to have been sent an InnoTab 2 to review earlier this month and you can read about our thoughts of it here.

To ensure parents are well equipped to deal with the array of technologically advanced Christmas presents this year, VTech has launched the VTech-nic University masterclass to help parents improve their technological know-how.  Kirsty Gallacher, a self-confessed TIP, attended the masterclass and said “I’m not ashamed to admit that my sons know how to use my smartphone better than me. Technological advances are so fast moving it is hard to keep up so I found the VTech masterclass really helpful to give me a dummies guide to the hottest gadgets of this year. Luckily, the new VTech toys are so easy to use, whilst being educational so I had no trouble there, but I do think I might still need Oscar’s help with my laptop from time-to-time. At least if he has his own InnoTab 2 he won’t want to borrow my tablet. To view the VTech-nic University e-masterclass visit www.facebook.com/VTechToysUK 

The other day the boys and I were watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on TV, Callum asked me what it was like to go to school in the olden days and was my school just like Charlie Bucket's I quickly put him right about that one, I was slightly put out that he thought I went to school back in the 70's (when the film was made) when in fact it was the 90's and early 00's. He couldn't believe that we had blackboards that were written on in chalk rather than a white board with a pen. I guess the point I'm making is that technology to children today is common place and to them it has always been around. At the minute I know I definitely know more than the boys about technology but I'm sure there will come the day when I don't and I will need to ask them for help. Just like my dad does with me, he doesn't own a PC or smart phone and has no inclination to, he wouldn't know how to turn either of them on and if you gave him an iPad i think he would probably look at it in disgust and ask what the point of it is. But for him that works and has got by without needing technology, if he does need anything looking up on the internet or something printing out he asks me or my step sister to help. 

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Some pictures from Nami-Nami garden, October 2012

My dear K. took some pictures of our beautiful garden last weekend. The gardening season is more or less over for this year - we picked our last tomatoes and aubergines/eggplants a fortnight ago, this weekend we harvested the last of beets, carrots and potatoes, as well as Jerusalem artichokes (the latter could stay in the ground until the Spring, but we wanted them out from a certain raised bed).

Despite the cold nights and heavy rains, the garden still has some amazing colours on display.

Cornus alba "Sibirica" aka red bark dogwood or red twig dogwood:
 

Quercus rubra aka northern red oak or champion oak:

The bright red and ripe fruit of Podophyllum emodi aka Himalayan mayapple or Indian may apple:


Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora' aka panicled hydrangea:


The autumn look of Ligularia stenocephala aka leopard plant:


Hylotelephium spectabile (Sedum spectabile) aka showy stonecrop or ice plant in its full glory, Echinacea purpurea aka Eastern purple coneflower or purple coneflowe is finally loosing its beautiful colour:


One of my favourite apples back in Scotland was Egremont Russet - perhaps because it's very dissimilar to all the popular apple varieties in Estonia. The russet apple is often described as having a sweet and dry "nutty" flavour, and I agree. When establishing our garden 4 years ago, we ordered two Egremont Russet plants from  England to complement some of our local varieties. Although we got 2 beautiful ripe apples last year, then this year we've been blessed with almost twenty large and perfect russet-coloured dessert apples:



Aster novae-angliae aka aster "New England" is still looking pretty:


Sambucus nigra or black elder (lace black elder), variety 'Dissectum', has really been thriving in our garden. Earlier this year I used the blossoms to flavour raspberry jam and make several bottles of cordial for the forthcoming winter. Now the berries are ripe and I hope to make some black elderberry jam next weekend:


And last, but not least - our beautiful Rosa rugosa aka rugosa rose "Ritausma" has began to blossom again, for the third time this season, if I'm not mistaken:


Here's the garden update from May 2012, and here's the garden update in Estonian.

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Ravensburger Jake and the Never Land Pirates Puzzle

The boys are huge fans of the Disney Junior channel on TV, so when we were sent the Jake and the Never Land Pirates jigsaw puzzle from Ravensburger as this months puzzle to review for the puzzle club they were very happy.

The puzzle has 35 pieces, these pieces are all unique - no two pieces are the same shape. The puzzle is made from recycled cardboard and special paper so that the picture is glare free.

The puzzle is aimed at children aged 3 years plus, so is ideal for James and Nathan. Nathan said he loves the puzzle as it has his favourite characters from the TV show. He says his favourites are Cubby and Jake. He doesn't like Captain Hook as hes a naughty pirate. It took Nathan about 20 minutes to complete the puzzle. He started out by finding the edge pieces, as they have a nice yellow border he found it quite easy to find them all and put them in the right places.

The puzzle can be bought from most good toy retailers for around £3.99. It would make an ideal stocking filler for any fan of the TV show. We are eagerly awaiting next months puzzle from Ravensburger and cant wait to see what we will be reviewing.

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