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Review: Tsum Tsum Squishies – Series 2

Thanks to Disney for our review Tsum Tsums.

In our mail a few weeks ago, was a wee packet of Tsum Tsum Squishies, Series 2.  These have a new fuzzy feel.  I don’t know how I’ve missed these, being the parent of a growing child who still likes all things toys, but we have.

Tsum Tsum Squishies 2

In a nutshell, these are all our favourite Disney characters, just far more super cute as a result of the Disney toy makers.  Apparently ‘Tsum Tsum,’ actually means ‘stack, stack.’ and is pronounced ‘zoom zoom.’

It couldn’t be clearer, what these are intended to do, as well as being lovely little pets for all of those with girlies who like to play with dolls houses and need some little pets to go along with them.  You can’t get better than Disney character pets.

The Tsum Tsums include Snow White, Winnie the Pooh, Donald Duck, and many more.

Tsum Tsum Squishies

To me, they seem to be collectable toys, with a little booklet included, where you can tick off the ones you already have.  I can imagine lots of children swapping their Tsum Tsums in the school playground, to get the ones they’re missing from their collections.

When I opened the pack, I’d expected them to actually be squishy, which ours are not, so be aware.  I think some Tsum Tsum versions have squishy bellies, but not ours.

Disney says:

Your favourite Disney characters are now even cuter! Tsum Tsum Squishies are squishable versions of Disney superstars that you’ll love to stack ‘n stack. There are 50 to collect, from Mickey Mouse to Toy Story’s Woody. Share ‘n swap with friends and try to find the rarest of them all! These adorable Disney figures are ideal for ages three and up.

Tsum Tsum Squishies 3

Tsum Tsum Squishies 1

When we opened our pack, we found:

  • Pluto
  • Lady
  • Pinocchio
  • Olaf

Olaf was our surprise Tsum Tsum.

A bit more about Tsum Tsum.

TSUM TSUM COLLECTIBLES

  •  Disney Tsum Tsum Squishies 2 Pack £2.99 – Kick start your Tsum Tsum’s Squishies collection with the 2 Pack. Includes 2 Characters.
  •  Disney Tsum Tsum Squishies 4 Pack £4.99 – Kick start your Tsum Tsum’s Squishies collection with the 4 Pack. Includes 4 Characters.
  •  Disney Tsum Tsum Squishies Pack of 5 with Carry Carabiner £7.99 –  Kick start your Tsum Tsum’s Squishies collection with the 5 Pack. Includes 5 Characters and a Carabiner.
  •  Tsum Tsum Toyshop Playset £24.99 – Create the ultimate Tsum Tsum’s Squishies collection with the Tsum Tsum Toy Shop Playset. Complete with 2 Exclusive characters. The playset can fit 30 Tsum Tsums! It includes interactive elements such as a stacking st age which pops, wiggling Mickie and Minnie, removable display stands and bouncing platform.
  •  Suitable for Ages 3+.

  TSUM TSUM LIGHT UP & SOUND PLUSH

  •  Small £7.99
  • Large £12.99
  • Suitable for Ages 3+
  • Each plush comes with x2 batteries included.

UK Stockists: ARGOS, ASDA, B&M, CDS SUPERSTORES, COSTCO UK, DEBENHAMS, MORRISONS, SHOP DIRECT, SMYTHS, TESCO, THE ENTERTAINER, TOYMASTER, TOYS R US

Tsum Tsum toys originated from Japan’s highly engaging, fast paced and exciting social media game, developed in partnership with LINE, the #1 Messaging Platform in Asia. The app game received 1 million downloads in its first 4 days of release and 10 million downloads within the first two months since its launch! The Plush toy made its debut at the Disney Store Japan in 2013 and sold 500,000 pieces in the first 17 weeks!

Our little Tsum Tsum figures are going to a good home, where a lovely little girl will enjoy playing with them.  When I looked on Amazon, to find some accessories to go with them, there seemed to be no end of accessories or sets to use with a pack of Tsum Tsum Squishies.   I found a lunchbag, a create your own bracelet and bead set, and lots of others, some of which I’ve added to this page, if you’re looking for more ideas.


(This post contains an affiliate link widget.  If you buy from Amazon after clicking through from one of these links, I may earn a couple of pennies.)

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Review: Nerf Hyperfire

As part of Hasbro Toy Tribe, we’ve received a lovely new toy to try, the Nerf n Strike Elite Hyperfire Blaster, for ages 8-16.  Currently £49.99 from Toysrus.

We’ve already got one Nerf, with precious few foam darts left, so getting this to try was very well received by my boys, and even my teen had lots of fun with it.  Our existing Nerf is teensy in comparison, and the Elite Blaster was in demand when they saw how fast the darts are when the trigger is pressed.  I have to admit to getting a very real satisfaction from shooting it myself, as the foam darts went ping, ping, ping against the wall.

Nerf Hyperfire 2
The box was a fairly big size, which would go down well for a present, I think.  And unlike many presents, inside wasn’t a huge box with something teensy at the centre.  The length of the box was fully needed. One of the biggest disappointments my kids have faced over the years with toys, has been opening a box to find hardly anything inside.

Nerf Hyperfire 4
Nerf Hyperfire 3

Hasbro says:

Take aim with the HyperFire blaster and challenge opponents with ultimate speed! It’s the fastest motorised Nerf dart blaster, unleashing 5 darts per second to rain down a deluge of darts onto targets! With its 25-dart drum, this Nerf N-Strike Elite blaster brings impressive firepower to the battle. It fires darts up 90 feet (27 meters). Press the acceleration button, pull the trigger, and let the rapid-fire action begin! Comes with 25 Elite darts.

Believe me when I say, those 25 darts are fast.  My kids are already pushing to get more darts so they can do a rapid load and fire.   It takes four D batteries, which are rather large round ones. Luckily we had some for a torch that hub was planning to renew batteries on, so we pinched them.

Putting it together was easy enough although my teen helped middler to get it all working.  The box had sat for a full day before I got to it, and he couldn’t concentrate on anything until it was opened and set up, but had to wait until I picked up my camera from the motorhome, where I’d forgotten to take it home from, and charged it up.  Very bad timing to be forgetful!

Nerf Hyperfire 9
Thankfully, it comes almost completely built, with only the dart chamber and the batteries to be inserted.  With the size of batteries, I’m guessing this will last for a fair time, which is a bonus.

Nerf Hyperfire 8
The dart chamber is circular, and you pop them in the top.  It’s quite easy to do.

Nerf Hyperfire 6
From there, it’s press one of the two triggers to get the Hyperfire ready, and press that firing trigger, then watch the darts fly……  Very easy set up, and very easy to use.  It’s proved to be a very popular addition to our household.

Nerf Hyperfire 7
Thanks to Hasbro for the review Nerf n Strike Elite Hyperfire Blaster.  Currently £49.99 from Toysrus.

To see more of the top Nerf guns at the moment, make sure you have a look at this top list from My Kid Needs That.

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Is taking your children on holiday during term time acceptable?

Sponsored Guest Post, by Michael Todt of Lending Works

It’s the subject of hot debate at the moment – should parents be allowed to take their children on holiday during term time? Given the prohibitive costs of travel and accommodation, there will no doubt be many families weighing up the cost of the £60 statutory fine against the premium of going away during school holidays, which can sometimes be as much as 115 per cent. It can thus be a big money-saver, depending on the itinerary, destination and length of the trip – which is why tens of thousands of families willingly absorb the penalty.

Of course, the goal posts have now shifted completely with the recent High Court ruling which went in favour of a father who refused to pay his fine. The man, who lives on the Isle of Wight, was a former law student, and argued that even with the six days his daughter missed, she still had sufficient or ‘regular’ attendance to meet the minimum requirement implied by the Education Act.

A game changer?

Some have hailed it as a breakthrough and a precedent for other parents to exploit. However, it’s important to note that judges who cleared him of his fine still haven’t laid out a clear definition or minimum of what ‘regular attendance’ actually is, so it would be wrong to assume that holidaying during term time won’t result in a fine in a general sense.

It’s a thorny issue, and people argue strongly on both sides. Certainly, I’m a big believer in the importance of school attendance, but it’s easy to understand the other side of the argument whereby certain families simply can’t afford to go away during school holidays, or even get leave from work during that time.

The value of family holidays

outdoorkids4

What is certain is the very importance of holidays themselves, and it’s good to see that there is at least some sort of fightback against the rising costs families are facing. I found it shocking that nearly 1.5 million families in the UK can’t even afford a single day out together, let alone a holiday which involved putting heads on different pillows in terms of accommodation elsewhere.

There are specific organisations and charities like the Family Holiday Association which help struggling families out by organising day trips and holidays. For the rest of us, an increasingly popular option is taking out a loan. Given that interest rates are now pretty low on personal loans, and they are pretty quick and easy to get, it’s not a great surprise that more than 1 in 5 Brits use some kind of finance to fund their holidays.

Of course, the important thing to establish before going down this route is whether the repayments are affordable, and that they aren’t going to apply ever-more pressure onto your household finances – otherwise the whole idea of going on holiday could prove to be self-defeating in terms of R&R!

Deciding what to do

Every family’s individual circumstances and viewpoints are different, and deciding the best course of action is very much down to personal choice. Some are starting to favour ‘staycations’ as a means of avoiding the wallet-draining costs of going abroad altogether.

Either way, as far as possible, do what you can to ensure there is at least some sort of getaway in the pipeline for the family. Holidays shouldn’t be seen as some sort of elite privilege. In the busy lives we lead, they’re a vital way of maintaining sanity, and, more importantly, a way to build lifelong memories that can mould families together. So make some plans and give yourselves something to look forward to – you all deserve it!

Disclaimer:
The Scottish Mum Blog is in no way affiliated with or to Lending Works.  Any agreement you make is between yourself and Lending Works.  The Scottish Mum Blog and authors are not responsible for any outcome, legal or otherwise, as a result of an agreement you make with Lending Works, in any form.

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Review: Harvester – Ghillies Lair, Aberdeen

Before I start my review, I have a confession to make.  A miserable tale of electronic devilishness.

Like the annoying snapper at a wedding, I’d walked around the restaurant, pointed my lens at everything I thought looked amazing, and sat back in the knowledge I’d a lot of lovely images, including great ones of my kids enjoying a rare evening out with their parents.  Cheerily I loaded my SD Card, looking forward to printing some off for the kids and for my review, to find nothing registering, nada….dead as the preverbial Dodo.

So, in short, all I can do is tell you how it went for us.  Pictures usually say a thousand words, but in this case, the thousand words will have to do instead.  I’ll try to make them easy reading, but I know that without those colourful additions, it’s really difficult to convey how good our experience was last week.

To make up for it, I’ve borrowed some images directly from Harvester, so thanks go to the PR team allowing me to do that.

This blurry picture is the only one I’ve got from my phone when we were about to leave the house.  Not ideal, but I was looking forward to going out with my family.Harvester Lesley

Setting

The lovely offer of a meal at our local Harvester was welcome indeed.  We had a very lovely meal, which was a really nice family evening, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Seeing my boys eat so much was nice too, although the fussy youngest went for a kids meal, which was no problem.

HARVESTER'S GHILLIES LAIR IN ABERDEEN. Ghillies Lair, Aberdeen Monday 26th October 2015 1510017 Great Southern Road Bridge of Dee, Aberdeen Aberdeen City AB12 5XA
Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk
HARVESTER'S GHILLIES LAIR IN ABERDEEN. STAFF MEMBERS (L TO R) CRAIG ROSS, DEAN RITSON. VAL HUGHES, MONIA BROZEK AND IAIN CURRIE. Ghillies Lair, Aberdeen Monday 26th October 2015 1510017 Great Southern Road Bridge of Dee, Aberdeen Aberdeen City AB12 5XA
Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk

Our Harvester, the Ghillies Lair, is set at the Bridge of Dee, and overlooks the Dee itself.  The restaurant has a lovely extension with views over the River Dee, which would be a lovely sight on a nice evening.

The Bridge is old, very old, and dates from 1527.  It’s used daily by all sorts of traffic, to leave or enter the City of Aberdeen.  It’s built along a row ribbed arches, using granite and sandstone.   I’ve known that bridge my whole life.  Along with the old suspension bridge a bit further along, it’s steeped in history, and we’re lucky enough to still be using this one, although the suspension bridge was closed to traffic long ago.

Harvester Ghillies Lair 3

The Ghillies Lair has an outdoor seating area, overlooking the river, for lovely summery days, and although we’re not there yet, but I’ve fond memories of sitting outside on a nice day for an ice-cream when I used to work at that end of town.

Harvester Ghillies Lair 1

Service

What can I say!  Our server was lovely and nothing was too much trouble.  She was polite and friendly and they accommodated my wish for the BBQ Chicken Stack, without the BBQ sauce as I don’t often like it.   She even posed, in good spirits, for an impromptu picture that’s gone belly up with my SD card.  Perhaps she’ll be very pleased about that…  I did spring it on her, without warning…. 🙂

Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk
Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk

Menu

Three of us went for the set menu, we had one child dish and I chose from the regular menu.  In our local Harvester, there’s an evening set menu, where from 5pm every evening, we have the choice of a main meal + either a starter or a dessert for £10.99, or add a third course for £2.  There was lots to choose from and the menus are online, so it’s easy to take a cheeky peek before you go.

Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk
Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk

Drinks

It was nice to see the option of drinks that we can refill as often as we want ourselves, as with three kids, our drinks bills, even for soft drinks, often outprices the cost of meals.  No worries here, with the ability to choose from several different options, and fill up with ice and fizzy drinks as much as we wanted.  I know many people don’t like fizzy drinks for kids, but when we’re out, it’s a treat, and I’ve always been happy enough for my kids to choose what they want.  Sometimes one of mine chooses a water or orange juice, but refillable drinks tick the boxes for me.

Sauces

A whole bar of them.  Loads and loads to choose from.  BBQ, tomato, relishes, mayonnaise, speciality glazes and lots of different sauces to choose from.

Salad Bar

What can I say.  Lots of different choices, from coleslaw, beetroot, pickled onion, tomatoes, lettuce, carrot, and much much more.  The trays were replenished throughout and I felt confident I was eating fresh food.  It’s not a one visit fits all, so we could visit the salad bar as often as we liked.  My eldest went up three times for a top up.  There was plenty to go round for everyone.

Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk
Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk

Bread, butter, croutons, dressings, bacon bits and more, were also available.  If someone goes in there and says there’s nothing to choose from, I’d think they were nuts…  Wait, that’s exactly what my youngest said……  No problem.  Kids menu and chicken in a southern fried coating with chips saved the day.

Main Courses

The man and middle child chose from the set menu, going for the Signature Fish and Chips, with Ice-Cream for afters.    When their fish and chips arrived, the plates were brimming over with the large fish and enough chips to even keep middler happy.  He’d already eaten four or five of the small bread rolls from the salad bar, and a bowl – brimming full of salad.  Eldest went for the set menu burger, and I had the BBQ Chicken Stack.  There’s a sauce station with lots of different sauce and glaze options, so I had plenty to choose from.  Much more than I’ve ever seen in any restaurant I’ve been to in the past.

Harvester Burger
Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk
Harvester Chicken
Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk

Dessert

Spoiled for choice, we couldn’t decide.  Three opted for the simple ice-cream, but I decided to throw my calorie budget to the wind and go for the Rocky Road – a sundae full of chocolate brownie deliciousness, topped with fresh cream, and including honeycomb and fudge pieces.

My youngest chose the Chocolate Fudge Cake with Belgian chocolate sauce and real dairy ice-cream, and the slice that came seemed huge.  He did have a dilemma when he compared it with the Eton Mess Cheesecake, as the raspberries in sauce and fluffy cream were a definite screaming taste bud temptation.

His eyes popped when the cake was carried out.
‘I’m going to eat it all,” he announced to our waitress, with a smug grin….  She smiled knowingly.

Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk
Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk

At the point he exhaled with exhausted happiness at eating as much as he could, eldest quickly slid the plate over and began to dig in.  By the time he sat back and patted his full belly, there was even a little left over.

Information and Nutrition

This may not seem like much to some of you, but to some pernickety chiels, like me, and many others, allergens and nutritional content is important.  I want to know where I sit with my calorie and nutrient budget for the week.

Working a weekly budget fits high calorie items into my life.  I don’t do deprivation.  As a diabetic, it’s essential for me.  At many restaurants, I have to guess by plucking figures out of thin air and hoping for the best, but not with the Harvester – as they had all the information on their website.

They also have an allergen, gluten and milk guide, so meals or special diets can be planned in advance.  I had two very high calorie dishes, but because the information was all there, it was easy to fit it all in, and be confident that I’d got it pretty right.  And it was worth every last wicked calorie…

Overall

Between the five of us, we ate masses of food.  Apart from the meal, how much else we eat, is up to us.

With the unlimited salad, sauces, breads and fizz.  I can’t imagine anyone ever leaving a Harvester, and still being hungry.  And with a clean and fresh ladies room, everything I looked for ticked all the boxes.  I don’t remember having such a lovely evening with my boys for quite a while.  Having all the teens in one place and eating together gets harder and harder as they grow older.

Although we benefited from a welcome voucher towards our meal, we thoroughly enjoyed it, and will be back as full paying guests.  We’ve been to Harvesters before, and always enjoyed the experience.

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Review: Skinfix Soothing Wash and Hand Repair Cream

Every so often, I get offered a non typical product to review, and I was happy to try out the Skinfix products, as dry skin is something I have always suffered from.  I keep my skin, both on my hands and my face, well moisturised, as I think it’s important to, as we age.

Skinfix is a North American skincare brand, and they recently launched, exclusively in Boots.   What attracted me to agreeing to try it, was that it is suitable for newborns and young children, as it’s steroid free, and all natural.  If it’s good for babies, then it’s good for all of us.

Skinfix Hand Repair CreamMainly growing in popularity in the US, the dry skin hand cream has become a bit of a Cult Product, but without the high price tag that some premium brands expect.  I read the hype, but nothing beats trying things out for yourself.

I’ve been using my Hand Repair Cream for a couple of months now, and have loved it.  Smooth and with good coverage, it’s very good at hydrating my dry skin.  I’d have no qualms about using this on my face, and I have done.

It’s recommended uses also include skin problems such as sunburn, eczema and dry/damaged skin.  I particularly like how it also has shea butter, vitamin e and sweet almond oil.

The Soothing Wash, is for dry/sensitive skin, but my kids have also been using it, so it seems to be suitable for all.  With colloidal oatmeal, vitamin e and jojoba oil, it’s a good mix of ingredients.  Non irritating and sulphate free, is always a good thing to me.

Skinfix Soothing WashThe Skinfix Range at Boots, comprises the following:

  • Soothing Wash
  • Hand Repair Cream
  • Soothing Lotion
  • Soothing Eczema Balm

The Eczema Balm, which I haven’t tried yet, seems to be quite popular as a lip balm.  Perhaps I’ll give that a go, over the coming winter.

Promotional Images from Skinfix below.

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Review: Titan Steel Lightening Cable. Is it the strongest cable on earth?

I can’t guarantee that the Tital is completely indestructible, as we’ve not managed to break ours, but a virtually indestructable cable is one thing that we really needed.

My middle boy is very hard on his chargers and we’ve gone through quite a few in his iPod lifetime.  As much as we try to tell him to be careful with them, they fray, get pulled apart, and don’t usually last for more than a couple of months at a time.

Titan Cable 1

Fuse Chicken, offered their new Titan cable for us to try, and it’s been put through its paces by him.

There are two versions of this cable.  One for Apple, and one for Android.  If you do ever decide to buy one, make sure you choose the right one, as they’re not interchangeable.

About the Titan Charging Cable

  • Made from industrial grade cable, wrapped in dual layers of flexible, high-strength steel.
  • Connectors are sealed with a one piece housing, fused directly over the electronics and metal casing.
  • It charges and syncs.
  • USB connector.
  • It winds and twists into shapes you can mould for your charging point.  Some people even use it as a stand for lighter devices, though I’d worry about the connection port on my device, so I resist using mine for that.
  • Titan took a chainsaw to the cable, and couldn’t break it

The Hype

Ok, so I’d seen some negative reviews about this cable on Amazon, so I really went into reviewing with an open mind.  I was actually really pleased with it on first taking it out of the packet.  How my cable performs in use, is all I can tell you about.

Titan Steel Lightening Cable

Due to the reviews, I allowed my middle boy to do his worst with it for over a week, making sure it has gone through several rounds of being fairly roughly handled.  Ours is still holding up well, and hasn’t broken the connectors.

Would I buy this?  I’m afraid to say I would.  I have a very accident prone boy who goes through cables like water.

 

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Reviews: Christmas Suggestions For Mums

We all end up wondering what to buy mums for Christmas, especially if we don’t have hundreds of pounds to spend on something nice that she’d like.  Here are some of my favourites of the things I’ve had to try for this festive season.  I’d be tickled pink to get these as a present too.

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Candles

I’m a right candle fan, and when I want something a little special to give as a gift, I always head for a branded one, and they don’t come much better than the Yankee Candle Brand.  Scents are sharp and gorgeous, even to the point of being scrummy enough to eat when they’re of the fruity variety, which is one of my favourites, along with spicy delights.

Yankee CandlesYankee Candles 2I received one of their Advent House in the Snow products, which includes a gorgeous tealight for each day of December, and a lovely votive for the 24th.  Scents included Candy Cane Lane, the new Bundle UP, the new Winter Glow, Spiced Orange, Snowflake Cookie, Icicles, and the lovely Christmas Even votive.  I really love this idea.

Of course, I couldn’t wait for December to give it a try and let you see what I received.  Candles are a staple of mine, so this was always going to be popular.

As a present, I’d buy one of many different things from the range of goodies on offer at this time of year.  Even our local chemist is stocking them, and the smells are fabulous every time I need to visit.   I’ve become quite a fan of their reed diffuser sets recently too, as they seem to last longer than other ones  I’ve used in the past.   There are gift sets galore to choose from, or you could even just buy some votives or tealights and wrap them up in a gorgeous cellophane bag with some ribbon.

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Rock Rose Gin

Some of you might not have heard of it, but Rock Rose Gin is handcrafted Scottish Gin.   A little gift box would go down a treat with the mums who like a wee tipple, on it’s own, with some mixers, or even as an ingredient in punch or cooking.   It’s well suited to simply being served with lots of ice, and my sample box may well be my yearly tipple on Hogmanay night this year.   It’s a hand crafted gin, created by an infusion of local and traditional botanicals, by Martin and Claire, and took many experiments to get it tasting just right.

Rock Rose Gin 2 The gin even has its own still, called Elizabeth, which was designed exclusively to make the Rock Rose Gin.  It has a handmade copper head and a botanical vapour basket.   The gin is made in small batches, to make sure the quality is carefully maintained.  Each bottle is also hand waxed and signed by the distiller.

The rose comes from a botannical forage along the Pentland Firth cliffs, where the Dunnet Bay Distillery was introduced to Rhodiola rosea, or “The rose in the rocks!”

According to Martin and Claire of the Distillery, Vikings would harvest the cliffs for Rhodiola rosea as they thought it would give them extra strength for long and difficult journeys.  What a fabulous story to base a unique taste from in the Highlands of Scotland.

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Speciality Condiments/Preserves and Chocolate

Speciality condiments were hiterto unknown to me before beginning blogging.  I didn’t know a value version from a good quality, but I know better now.  There are a lot of good brands out there, and Fortnum and Mason are one of those brands with good taste in developing and creating exquisite tastes for Christmas Food.  If I were buying some of these products for a gift, I’d probably put them in a basket and wrap it with cellophane and tie off with ribbon, for an extra special gift.

Fortnum and Mason let me have some of their samples for Christmas this year.   They’ve got some lovely Christmas food on the go, and I’d like to try some more.

The first thing to be opened here was the Spiced Chocolate.

Fortnum and Mason Christmas Spiced Chocolate

Fortnum and Mason Spicy Chocolate

Actually, the first thing I thought of when I read spiced chocolate, was how horrible it must be.  I shared it with my mum and one of her carers, who promptly said it was lovely and was definitenly getting some of it for xmas.  I have to admit, I really rather liked the slightly spicy but very subtle taste of the rich and creamy chocolate.  Sadly, I went online to look for it, and it seems to only be in the hampers.  Hopefully it is still on the list to come into stock for December, as I’d like to give a couple of bars to her as a Christmas present from my mum.

Other goodies I liked were:

  • Bucks Fizz Marmalade
  • Christmas Mulled Wine Jelly Preserve with Edible Gold Leaf is going to be my party piece on Xmas day at the table.  How cool for the kids to go back to school and tell everyone that they ate real gold….

We haven’t tried the Christmas Mustard as yet.  Mustard isn’t a thing that we’re terribly fond of, so it will go to a very good home, and to someone who really appreciates a good jar of the yellow stuff.

Fortnum and Mason Bucks Fizz Marmalade

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Cookbooks

Doesn’t almost everyone enjoy a cookbook?  I think most of us do, even if we don’t admit it.  I’ve had some lovely books in the past, including the newest Jamie Oliver Superfood, and Ma Broons Cooking with Bairns.

New for this year, is The Social Bite Cookbook.

Social Bite Cookbook 3

It’s a fabulous concept, created from stories and recipes from formerly homeless people who have turned into chefs.

(Affiliate Link)

With an endorsement from Bob Geldof, a foreword from Chris Hoy, and chefs who’ve cooked for George Clooney, the book is a little delight, and 50% of all profits go to help the homeless, but it doesn’t stop there…oh no, the menu is created by Michelin star chef Mike Mathieson, and a whole 100% of the profits – yes, all of them, are given to good causes.

The Social Bite is a social enterprise, which trains and employs formerly homeless people to also work in their cafe’s. They also feed the local homeless community through their suspended coffee and food initiative.

The whole point of the cookbook, as a social enterprise, is that has a diverse menu, that is also affordable to cook.  I know I’ve had cookbooks in the past where there was no way I could afford to buy all the ingredients and cook that way on a daily basis, but this book isn’t like that.

Social Bite CookbookThe premise is simple.  Actually it’s one that I really agree with on a regular basis.  There is a section which includes only five ingredients, lunches, one pot wonders, main meals and sweet treats.

Some tasty recipes include:

  • Caramelised apple and pear upside down cake.
  • John’s emergency cheese cake.   I have to mention this, as I make my own, almost exactly like this and it’s a doddle.
  • Chicken with mozarella and parma ham.
  • Creamy garlic chicken.
  • One pot wonder: Michael’s Jamaican stew.
  • Black bean salad.
  • Jerk port chops with roasted butternut squash.
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Apple & Blueberry Pie + Cherry Shots: Review: Frozen Fruit and The Taste Buds

As someone whose house goes through a mini mountain of fruit a week, I’m always on the lookout for good and tasty fruit.  I often freeze my own strawberries as I tend to dislike the shop bought frozen ones as they somehow change the texture for me.  When I freeze strawberries myself, they seem to stay the same once they’re defrosted.  That’s if they get to the point of being defrosted, as they tend to end up on desserts or smoothies these days.

I had the pleasure of receiving a box of frozen gourmet fruit and some mushrooms, sent by the PR of a butcher, Donald Russell, to try.  In the box, there were 300g packs of plums, dark sweet cherries, blueberries, apples and plums.

They’re called orchard fruits and wild berries.  The fruit has quickly been turned into smoothies and desserts.  The taste of good fruit is exquisite, and these fruits didn’t disappoint.

The cherries were my personal favourites, and I was glad to see they were already destoned, so they made perfect sweeties while they were still frozen for me.  The restaurant quality fruit has gorgeous colours and beat anything I’ve bought from shops, hands down.  There’s no need for peeling, stoning, washing or chopping to enjoy them.  Perfect for baking and alone as treats, as they don’t need to be defrosted first.

I’ve added two recipes that I made very quickly, which included a Blueberry and Apple Pie, and Cherry Shots for the kids and I.

Apple and Blueberry Pie

Apple & Blueberry Pie

Lesley Smith
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Dessert

Ingredients
  

  • 300 g Blueberries
  • 300 g Apples
  • 3 Tablespoons Caster Sugar
  • 1 Roll of Light Puff Pastry
  • 1 Egg

Instructions
 

  • Spread the apples and blueberries into an oven dish and mix with 2 tablespoons of caster sugar.

  • Roll the pastry over the top and cut around the edges. Use your thumb or a fork to press it down around the edges.

  • Beat an egg with 1 Tablespoon of caster sugar and brush it over the top of the pastry.

  • Put your pie into a pre-heated oven at around 180 Degrees for a fan oven and 200 for a conventional. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is an even gold colour on top.

 

Donald Russell Cherry Shots 2

Cherry Shots

Lesley Smith
A very simple recipe, with nothing but fruit and milk.
Course Dessert / Smoothie
Cuisine Dessert

Ingredients
  

  • 200 g Dark Sweet Cherries destoned.
  • 150 ml Skimmed Milk.
  • 200 ml Water.

Instructions
 

  • Cut the cherries into quarters and add to your blender.

  • Top up with milk and water.

  • Blend until smooth.

  • Put into small glasses, or dessert bowls.

  • Pop into the freezer for ten minutes until serving.

In my box, there were also some lovely mushrooms, Ceps, Chanterelles and Morels.  I’ve saved the gorgeous looking mushrooms for another day, as they’ll go well with a sunday roast I suspect.   Mushrooms are perfectly suited to a little butter, lightly sautéed and added to onion and garlic.

The Ceps will be perfect for slicing and a cheeky sauté, while the Chanterelles, I plan on adding to a stir fry, with their floral and acidic taste adding to the mix of beansprouts, onion, red and green peppers, and a touch of soy sauce.

I’ve had Morels before.  They’re a speciality, with a unique aroma and flavour that took a bit of getting used to.   I’d be temped to add them to a creamy sauce with herbs, and possibly some red chillies alongside.

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Party Snacks for the Festive Season

We nearly all come to it every year.  Among many of the people I know, there seems to be a bit of a competition to see who puts out the most extravagant spread.  It even got to the point at one time, that if I went anywhere there were only a couple of limp sandwiches and a cheese puff or two, that I felt cheated.

For this year, I’ve got to take lots of things into account.  Both my mother and I are diabetic, and have underactive thyroids.  Food has to count, or it needs to find someone else’s house to live in.  I’ve lost a fair bit of weight this year, and I want that to keep going.  Health depends on what we put in our mouths and carbohydrates aren’t my friend any more, but I still want to have some tasty treats.

This is my wish list, and if I visit your house, I’d be happy with any of these.  I might even put some of them out for my own visitors, although you’re unlikely to find terribly much in the way of chocolate here.  I have three boys who just hoover it up, leaving nothing for anyone else.

Crisps

These are my all time favourite snacking option.  I have a little penchant for Barbeque Popchips, but you won’t find them on my xmas guest list.

Corkers Crisps recently sent me some of their samples of crisps, and I’ve found some new favourites, although I do need to ration them calorie and carbohydrate wise.  Made in the Fenlands, in Cambridgeshire, they are hand cooked for perfect crunch.

Not only are the potatoes grown on the family farm but the factory is also located there and all the crisps are hand-cooked on site.

Flavours are: Sea Salt, Pork Sausage and English Mustard, Red Leicester and Caramelised Onion, Sea Salt and Cider Vinegar, Sweet Thai Chilli, Sea Salt and Black Pepper, Gressingham Duck and Soy Sauce, and last but not least, Vegetable.

The packs I tried were 40g a pack, and enough for two to share if you’re not too crispy greedy.  My own favourites were the Red Leicester and Caramelised Onion, and the Vegetable flavours.  Two boys liked the Sea Salt and Cider Vinegar and my mum was tickled pink with the Sea Salt and Black Pepper.  They’re crispy and very importantly for crisps, they are nice a crispy with a good texture.  I could eat a box of the Vegetable to be honest…..  They’re luxurious and well worth a place on any table.  They’d go down well with hummus and sour cream.

I can’t find them in any of my local shops, so I might have to give them a miss, but I’ll keep a look out for them arriving.  I really do appreciate my crisps.  If you have a Waitrose or National Trust close by, you’re likely to be able to get your hands on them.

Sweet Nibbles

My one concession to chocolate, that the boys won’t finish before I can put it out, is likely to be Tesco Snacking Fruit, Nut and Chocolate Mix.  The pots are only 45g, but they pack a good punch.    With fruit juice infused dried cranberries, almonds, cashew nuts, milk chocolate coated almonds and white chocolate coated sultanas.

Dried Fruit

Dried mango and cranberries go down well here, in whatever form them come in, so they are always on my snacking list.  I couldn’t do without them.

Fruit Selection

StrawberriesAs a diabetic, berries are my friend.  I’m getting used to blueberries and am finally beginning to enjoy eating them.  I don’t know why I used to dislike them, but perhaps my taste buds are just changing and I don’t need as much sweetness in my fruit as I used to.

I usually have strawberries, and if I can get them, mango and persimmons are firm favourites, as are figs, but it’s unlikely I’d have them all out on the table.

Party Susan Staples

I struggle to believe there would be someone who wouldn’t know what a party susan is, but it is possible.  For those, it’s a round style dish with different compartments for different foods.

In mine, there could be:

  • Chopped Baxters Beetroot, or Baby Beetroot if I can find it.  It’s like hens teeth.
  • Chopped Pineapple.
  • Galloway Cheddar GratingGalloway Cheddar.   We had samples of these a while ago, and when I buy it now, I have to hide it under the veg in the fridge or number 1 son devours it as snacks.
  • Hummus.
  • Guacamole.
  • Sour Cream.
  • Cherry Tomatoes.
  • Sliced Carrot.
  • Sliced Romaine Lettuce.
  • Cashew Nuts, Almonds or Pecans.

No Pizza or Sausage Rolls or Sandwiches

Not any, at all.  My boys might not like it, but the list of foods above are more than enough to fill any belly.

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Giveaway & Von Shef Digital Slow Cooker Review. Ends 16th Dec 15

Slow Cooker Von Shef 2
Image Courtesy of Von Shef

We received the Von Shef Digital Slow Cooker for review from Domu, the lifestyle brand of Designer Habitat.  My old 6.5 Litre slow cooker needed replacing, so the arrival of a new one was very welcome indeed.  There’s also the chance to win one for yourself further down the post.

I’ve written about Domu before, when I tried their Von Shef Frozen Dessert Maker.  Domu aim to provide great gadgets at lower prices than their competitors.

Digital Slow Cooker Review

The digital slow cooker was voted one of their Top Five Slow Cookers by Great British Food Magazine in September, and with the ability to use a timer on cooking, my absolute love of slow cookers has reached a whole new level of practical.

I’ve always wished I could switch my slow cooker off after a few hours simmering, so that I didn’t need to worry about overcooking anything, especially if I was in a hurry, and only had time to use the high cooking setting for a few hours.  As much as I like to time coming home for meals from slow cooking, I always worry about spoiled food if I’m late back and the slow cooker is still bubbling away on high.

This was very easy to operate.  Switch on and off with the button on the right, choose high, low or keep warm from the one on the right and use the scroll buttons to increase or decrease cooking time.

  • The huge 6.5 Litre capacity, can cater for up to 15-20 average servings, although in my family, we tend to fill it half to three quarters full.  With potatoes added as a complete meal in a pot, we’ve had 10 people eat from ours.  On a typical day, we have six people to feed, and just over half full does it for us as a meal, with a little leftover for hungry boys to eat later in the evening as a snack.
  • The lid is strong and made of toughened glass.
  • Although I haven’t used this feature yet, when cooking is finished, the timer should enter a keep warm mode until the machine is switched off.
  • Both the dish and lid are suitable for washing in the dishwasher.

Slow Cooker Steak 2Domu – New Slow Cooking Recipe Hub

As part of the Domu challenge, I developed a Cumin and Coriander Steak Casserole for their new Slow Cooker Recipe Hub.   If you want to see my recipe on there, you can find it here.

The recipes on the new hub, include ones for chicken, beef, the paleo diet, with curry, fish and vegetarian options.

There’s even a section for baked goodies.

The Bourbon Peach Galette seems like a good one to try, although I can’t quite figure out how it would fit in a slow cooker.

For that reason alone, I suspect I’ll have a try over the Xmas season.

The Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Rules

– Open to UK Mainland Entrants only.

– 1 Winner will receive 1 Digital Slow Cooker from Von Shef. There is no cash alternative.

– The prize will be sent direct from Von Shef.

– The Scottish Mum Blog is not responsible for your prize and cannot be held liable in any way for non delivery or non receipt at your end.

– Winners will be notified by DM on Twitter, or e-mail. If the giveaway is not claimed within 14 days, a new winner may be drawn.

– The winners will be chosen by Rafflecopter random generator.

– Scottish Mum Blog and Von Shef, reserve the right to amend, add or withdraw this giveaway at any time.

– Each entry method entitles you to one entry into the draw.

– The giveaway is not associated with any social media channels.

– The winner decision by Scottish Mum Blog is final.

– Closes 16th December 2015 at midnight.

 

Thank you to the Von Shef team at Domu.

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Review: Edge of Belgravia Black Diamond Knife Block and Precision Chef Knife Series

Edge of Belgravia 5

Being offered great knives is one of the many lovely things about writing a blog that also has so much food on it.  The new Black Diamond shaped knife block I received, was created by London designer, Christian Bird.  It’s a very modern and swish addition to any kitchen, and it just happens to be black, which is colour of my lovely worktop.

Edge of Belgravia 1

The Black Diamond Knife Block is pretty futuristic and quite quirky.  I think I love it just for that alone.

It’s designed to be easy to use, and the slots are big enough to take almost any set of knives that I own.  As long as knives are up to 4mm thick, they will fit.

I can see me putting this to good use as a hold all, since it holds up to 11 knives, and my current one only holds 5.  Knives are easy to pull out and glide into their slots.

I was also lucky enough to receive the Precision Chef Knife Series, which consists of:

  • Bread Knife 6″
  • Deba 5″, inspired by traditional Japanese “Deba”.  Perfect for salmon, tuna, sushi and even fruit and veg.
  • Chef’s 6″, my favourite.  A knife for all reasons is what I’d call it.  Very very sharp, and cuts incredibly cleanly.
  • Paring 4″, perfect precision cutting as my new paring knife.  I love it.

I have to say, that when I first saw the size of the paring knife, I felt a pang of disappointment, but it soon changed when I actually began to use it.

My own paring knife is years old and has seen better days.  It’s also a much much smaller blade, and I now know, that my old one is completely blunt in comparison to the sheer sharp edges of these knives.  Made of stainless steel, they have a non-stick coating, which is a revelation for me.  I’ve never actually had knives like these before.

The design of the knives is also unusual, and is bold, with easy grip and large enough handles for me to feel comfortable that they won’t slip.    The handle design even won a piece of the D&AD product design award, in competition with the Apple iPad2.

Edge of Belgravia Purple Cabbage
Image Courtesy of Edge of Belgravia

Knife Safety

Always be aware that with knives, we all have a duty of care, especially towards our children in busy kitchens.  These are excellent knives, but keep them well away from inquisitive fingers.   Other warnings are:

  • Keep them away from heat.
  • Use only for preparing food.  (not for opening parcels)

Edge of Belgravia 6

Care of These Knives

  • Always wash and dry after use.
  • Sharpen knives regularly to retain the crisp and clean sharp blade slicing.

Thanks to Edge of Belgravia for sending the knife block and knife set to review.

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Review: BISSELL POWERGLIDE CORDLESS VACUUM CLEANER

I have a live giveaway running for one of these Bissell Powerglide Cordless Vacuum Cleaners.  It ends on the 30th November 2015, so get your skates on if you want to enter.

Bissell Vacuum

It’s a new vacuum for Bissell, and they’re really excited by the new launch.  Bissell sent me one to review and it’s been put to the test on my floors regularly.  We badly needed a new one, as for the last wee while, we’ve been sharing my mother’s one, as I’d never got round to actually finding one for us.

The cordless ability is what drew me to this, and why I agreed to carry it and also run a giveaway.

Here’s what I think of it.

Putting It Together

The man was home, so he put it together, but if he hadn’t been, I’d have had no problem getting this ready for use.  Compared to some other vacuums I’ve slotted together, the assembly was relatively simply.  It literally was just slot the handle into the extension piece, then slot it into the base unit.   After that, just pop the hose into the connector and click it into place.

Bissell Powerglide 2

Attaching the lift off portion to the base is quick and easy.  The battery is even easier.  It’s just a slot into place until it clicks.  It does need a firm push, but feels sturdy and secure.

ChargingBissell Powerglide Battery

The battery comes out of the vacuum for charging, and slots into it’s own charger, which can take up to 2 hours for a full charge.  The run time is 45 minutes per change, which seems to last us a fair time.

Vacuuming Floors

On the left side, the on and off button is on it’s own.  On the other side, the brush bar has its own button, which is on and off.  In front of the brush bar button, there’s another, which determines the power used, ie high  or low.

For hard floors, it’s recommended to turn off the brush bar.  I mostly used my vacuum on the high power setting at all times, which worked out great for us, but on our laminate floors, I only needed the low power for it to work perfectly well.

Bissell Powerglide Battery Compartment and Brushes

On our carpets, it did the job I needed it to do.  The swivel head means that it’s easy to move around furniture and get under the radiators without having an aching hand by trying to manoeuvre it.  I did find the suction quite powerful on carpets, which was a surprise for a cordless vacuum.

Stairs/ Lift Off

The lift off is easy to do.  Press the bottom half of the release button at the back and the top portion separates from the brush bar.  Flick the dial at the side from vacuum to lift off and pull the hose from the top, then just vacuum away.  On wooden stairs, it’s perfect.  I’d have liked a bit more oompf when using the lift off for carpeted stairs, but it did the job with a little extra time.  I’m not complaining. Bissell Powerglide Lift Off

Where it did a grand job was overhead cleaning.  The carry piece is light enough for me to lift the wand high enough to zap cobwebs from the ceiling in our garage.  There isn’t a close enough socket for regular cleaners, and that has a tendency to get overlooked.

Emptying

It’s a one button release from the vacuum, then, although it isn’t totally handsfree, it’s close enough.  A little catch releases the dirt container lid, and the dirt falls into a bin below.   I did open the top to see how easy it would be to clean, and it scored plenty of points with me here.  The filter is wash and re-useable but since our machine is new, I’ve not tried this to see how long it takes to dry.

Best Feature

It’s a bit of a no brainer isn’t it?  Being cordless, there is no tangling, no picking up and moving of cords wrapped round fingers, or behind a shoulder, or unplugging and replugging to do another room.  The carpet in our extension is getting done more often because it’s simply walk through with the vacuum and get it done.

Likewise with the stairs.  I really dislike juggling cords and having to change plugs several times, and it doesn’t help that the socket at the top of our stairs no longer works, so I have to use an extension lead from a bedroom.

I’ve used the vacuum for a few days now, and I’ve found it much more helpful than I ever imagined. Instead of always bending down with a brush and shovel, it’s simply a case of grabbing the Bissell and clearing crumbs and mess from the floors, especially the kitchen, where breadcrumbs seem to find their way into everything.

Ou cordless vacuum cleaner has already had lots of use, and I can’t see that changing any time soon.

Bissell Powerglide 2

Bissell provided the Powerglide Cordless Vacuum Cleaner for review. Opinions are my own.