Author: Scottish Mum

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Soup Maker Recipe: Pumpkin Soup

It’s coming up to that time again, when we all wonder what to do with the lovely insides of pumpkins that we put out for Halloween.  I’d made my soup and had some lovely pictures, then managed to delete the pen drive, so this is a legally borrowed one that looks identical to how mine looked.

Enjoy your Halloween when it comes.

Remember, when using soup maker recipes, never fill your soup maker above the maximum level from the manufacturer, no matter what the recipe says.  We often use different soup makers, with different maximum levels.

Lesley Smith

Soup Maker Recipe: Pumpkin Soup

Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 21 minutes
Total Time 36 minutes
Servings: 4 -6
Course: Soup
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 400 g Finely Chopped Pumpkin
  • 200 g Finely Chopped Onion
  • 100 g Finely Chopped Carrot
  • 100 g Finely Chopped Potato
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Litre Stock Chicken, Beef, Pork or Vegetable
  • Cream Optional at the serving stage.
  • Parsley Garnish or Herbs (Optional at the serving stage.)

Method
 

  1. For this recipe, to get more taste, you can lightly fry the onions in a frying pan with a teaspoon of coconut oil. The onions must stay white, so they will not need to be on for long. You can miss out this step and just put the ingredients straight into the pan if you are in a hurry, but the taste will not be so rich.
  2. Add all the ingredients to the soup maker. Put your setting onto smooth. With your stock, fill to the maximum or 1600-1800g for all ingredients manually in a pot.
  3. Serve when fully blended with garnish, parsley or herbs. Optional to add a swirl of cream to the soup when it's in the plate for some creaminess.

 

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Review: The 2015 Beano Annual – Have You Read The Beano Recently?

It’s that time of year again folks.  Yes, I am mentioning the C Word.  Christmas that is.

Some will groan at the thought, but I’m pretty well organised this year.  I have to be, with three kids and two adults with dementia to sort out.

Thanks to the lovely folks at Beano, who’ve sent us this year’s version.  I’ve read it, and it’s been quickly squirreled away as a present for Xmas morning.

I don’t know if it’s a Scottish thing, or if it’s a while island of Britain thing, but growing up, my friends and I all received the Beano at Christmas.

Xmas morning wouldn’t be the same, without Dennis the Menace, The Bash Street Kids and Roger the Dodger.  They get up to the things that the rest of us in real life can’t.

Two of my kids have caught my bug, as they often take their yearly annuals to the dinner table, to keep them busy.  Smartphones are not allowed during the Xmas meal here, so reading is a good second best for my boys.

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The Beano have launched an event this year, which will see the Beano characters setting up home at the London St Pancras International Station.

They’ll be there for thirteen weeks, beginning this month, and let visitors and travellers step into the world of the Beano.    It’s nice to see a traditionally British Annual race back up the charts, so feel free to join in the hashtag on Twitter #BackTheBeano.

This year’s annual, The Beano Annual, 2015, is available for £7.99 from Hatchards St Pancras, WH Smith’s, Waterstones, supermarkets, Argos, Amazon, and all good bookshops.  You can’t miss it.

With a cheeky visit online, I spotted it at ASDA for £4, so keep an eye out for the offers.

 

 

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Soup Maker Recipe: Mediterranean Vegetable Soup

This is so easy, that it’s almost impossible to get wrong.  Simply chop the vegetables, throw in the pot, add stock and a little salt, then off you go.

Lesley Smith

Soup Maker: Chunky Mediterranean Vegetable Soup Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 -6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 l Chicken or Vegetable Stock You could add water and a stock pot or two stock cubes.
  • 600 g Chunky Mediterranean Vegetables Diced Red Onions, Courgettes, Red and Yellow Peppers

Method
 

  1. Add the diced vegetables to the soup maker, along with the salt.
  2. Add the stock, either up to the maximum 1600-1800g for a Soup maker or the full 1 Litre of stock if you are cooking this in a saucepan. Use more or less liquid, depending on how much soup you are looking for.
  3. Select the chunky setting and wait until it's ready.
  4. Serve with fresh bread.

 

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Review: Veronica’s Snacks – Veggie and Gluten Free

Veronica 1

Thank you to the people from Veronica’s Snacks for sending us some lovely crisps to try.  These weren’t what I was expecting if I’m honest.  I thought we would be getting some maize type snacks that kids have a bag of and then go on to eat two or three more packets, as they’re still hungry.

Veronica’s Snacks is the brainchild of Veronical Kenneally, a mother of three, who likes to feed her children healthy snacks, but whose kids like snacks, just the same way as everyone else does.

Any version of crisps, that still taste like crisps is going to be a winner for me, as crisps are one of my not so secret passions in life.   These are also gluten-free, so give more options to food restricted families.

What we received to try.

  • Baked Veggie Crisps – Roast Tomato and Spanish Paprika
  • Baked Potato Crisps – Sour Cream, Herb & Onions
  • Baked Potato Crisps – Barbeque
  • Crunchy Creatures – Cheese

I have to admit, that my favourite was the Roast Tomato and Spanish Paprika, while the kids preferred the cheese crunchy creatures.

They’re baked and not fried, with less fat and salt than most regular crisps.   Our packs didn’t last for long, but I’m more comfortable with trying then when I see them in the shops.  In the past, when I’ve tried veggie crisps, I didn’t like them, but I did like these.

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Soup Maker Recipe: Red Lentil Soup Recipe

Who doesn’t love a plate of red lentil soup?  Lentils don’t agree with me, but I do love them, so every now and then, I actually do make a pot.

That’s the beauty of the soup maker, as it’s just so easy to do.  It works especially well for my mother, who decides she wants a hot meal at odd hours of the day now, yet won’t eat tinned.

I’ve always got bags of lentils in the cupboard, and at a push, I’ll just throw in what’s at the bottom of the fridge to make up some vegetable content.

Lesley Smith

Soup Maker Red Lentil Soup Recipe

5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe
Cook Time 21 minutes
Total Time 21 minutes
Servings: 4 - 6
Course: Soup
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 200 g Split Red Lentils Rinse & Soak in water for half an hour before cooking.
  • 1 l Stock To Taste - Beef, Chicken or Vegetable
  • 200 g Potatoes
  • 1 teaspoon Cracked and Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 Chopped Onion

Method
 

  1. For this recipe, to get more taste, lightly fry the onions before adding to the pot, however it isn't necessary, Add the lentils to the cooking pot, with the chopped onion and potatoes.
  2. Add the stock, either up to the maximum 1600-1800g for a Soup maker or the full 1 Litre of stock if you are cooking this in a saucepan.
  3. Select the smooth setting for a pureed soup, or the chunky if you prefer some bits in your lentil soup. If you plan to leave your soup chunky, chop your onions and potatoes very finely before adding them to the pot.
  4. Serve with hot fresh bread.

Notes

Lentil soup is very much a personal thing.  Some people like it so that their spoon stands up on its own, and others like it more watery.   Add more or less lentils with experience, once you know the likely consistency that a set amount yields.  I like mine smooth and not too thick.  If it turns out too thick, I simply add a little more water or some milk at the end of cooking.

Image representative only.  Your finished soup will vary, depending on the content and consistency that you choose for cooking.

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Giveaway: Every Day Card Kits from Stampin Up – Ends 10th November at Midnight

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Welcome to the run up to Christmas.   Stampin Up have offered me three lovely card kits to run as a giveaway.   Three readers will receive one kit each as a prize.

These every day card kits are gorgeous.  You can use them to make up cards for lots of different occasions.  With Christmas coming up, they’d also make for great stocking fillers.

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Entering is simple.  Just follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter widget and away you go.  Under the terms and conditions is a bonus tutorial from Stampin UP, to make your own Halloween Banner.

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Rules – Terms and Conditions

  • Open to UK Mainland Entrants only.
  • 3 Winners will win one card kit each.
  • The prize will be sent to you from Stampin Up and posted from within Europe.
  • 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 within 3 days of giveaway end. If the winner does not respond within 7 days, a new winner will be drawn.
  • The winners will be chosen by Rafflecopter random generator.
  • Scottish Mum Blog or Stampin Up reserves the right to amend, add or withdraw this giveaway at any time.
  • Each entry method entitles you to one entry into the draw.
  • Closing date 10th November 2014 at midnight.

 

Stampin’ Up!® UK

How to create your own Halloween banner

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Materials List:

 

  • Motley Monsters Designer Series Paper
  • Build a Banner Simply Created Kit
  • 2014-2016 In Colour Stampin’ Write Markers
  • Little Letters Thinlit Dies
  • Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine
  • Owl Builder Punch
  • Large Oval Punch
  • ¾“ Circle Punch
  • Basic Black A4 Cardstock
  • Whisper White A4 Cardstock
  • Silver Baker’s Twine
  • Multipurpose Liquid Glue
  • Scissors
  • Hole Punch

Step one
Take a sheet of Motley Monsters Designer Series Paper and a banner shape of your choice from the Build a Banner Simply Created Kit.  Draw around the banner twice onto the Designer Series Paper and cut out.

Once the Designer Series paper pieces are cut, punch holes in the top corners to match the placement on the banner piece to hang the banner flags from. Set these two pieces to one side.

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Step two
Take the “b” letter stencil from the Banner Kit.  Position the stencil centrally on the banner flag, with the top corners of the stencil level with the base of the metal eyelets, as per the picture.

Using the brush end of the Tangelo Twist Stampin’ Write marker, lightly colour through the stencil onto the banner, keeping the colour as even as possible across the letter. Repeat the stencilling for two “o” flags to spell “boo”.

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Step three

Using the Little Letters Thinlits dies, cut the letters to spell “Happy Hallowe’en” from Basic Black cardstock. Make sure you save the central cut-out from one of the “A” cuts, as this will be used for the apostrophe in the sentiment.

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Step four

To make bats, cut two owls from Basic Black cardstock, using the Owl Builder punch.

Using the Large Oval punch and the ¾“ Circle punch, create two “wings” for each bat as shown, four wings in total.  Stick to the back of the bats.

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Step five

To make ghosts, cut three more owls from Whisper White cardstock using the Owl Builder punch. Cut the feet off the white owls and edge with a light line of black ink using a marker pen or an ink pad to define the edges.

Turn the owl shapes upside down to create the ghosts. Add the mid-sized circles from the black owl cut-outs to the white owls for the ghosts’ eyes, and use the same circles from the white cut-outs for the bats eyes.  Add ‘pupils’ to the bats’ eyes. Stick the bats and ghosts together using Multipurpose Liquid Glue.

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Step six

Put the letters across the white banner flags to spell “Happy Hallowe’en”, and stick into place using Multipurpose Liquid Glue. Add the bats and ghosts to each banner piece, again using Multipurpose Liquid Glue. Thread a piece of Silver Bakers Twine or similar through each of the banner pieces, and hang in place.

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Guest Post: Parenting Across Scotland – Top Tips Resources

We all know that being a parent is extremely rewarding. But there are many decisions, concerns and worries that often come in to play along the way – starting at birth and continuing right through to the teenage years.

This is why Parenting Across Scotland, a partnership of charities working together to provide a focus for issues and concerns affecting parents and families, has created resources that offer a ‘one-stop-shop’ for parents.

Parenting Across Scotland

The charity has produced a range of six ‘top ten tips’ booklets for key stages in a child’s life – easy, digestible key pieces of information to help parents on their journey.

The resources aim to give parents key advice on topics such as sleep for babies, playing with your child, starting primary school, starting high school and teenagers.

Working in partnership with various organisations such as Sleep Scotland, Play Scotland and Healthy Respect, the charity’s tips provide a great starting point for any parent looking for a bit of friendly guidance.

Clare Simpson, Project Manager at Parenting Across Scotland, said: “We know that parents across the country all want to do what’s best for their children. Parenting doesn’t come with an instruction manual so parents are going to have concerns and questions at different stages of their child’s life – it’s only natural, and healthy.”

She added: “With so much information out there about what to do and what not to do it can be hugely overwhelming. With our ‘top tips’ resources we’ve drilled all this information down to focus on key pieces of bite size advice to make everything much simpler. We’ve chosen topics that we know from experience raise a lot of questions from parents.”

As well as offering advice the tips also offer reassurance.

One parent from Edinburgh who has used the resource for teenagers said: “Every time I hear my teenager’s bedroom door slam I think of the tips and remember ‘conflict is normal’ – it just gives me a minute to calm down.”

The full list of top tip topics include:

  • Sleep: babies and toddlers – covering routines, helping your child to settle themselves.
  • Starting primary school (also available in an ‘easy read’ version) – visiting the school, encouragement.
  • Starting high school – talking and listening, physical changes.
  • Child’s play – messy play, outdoor play.
  • Parenting teenagers – conflict, respecting their views.
  • Sex, relationships and teenagers – being truthful and honest, sharing stories.

The resources are completely free and can be downloaded from the Parenting Across Scotland website:

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Foraged Wild Blackberry Jam Recipe

At the weekend, two of my boys decided to pick some blackberries.  With the instruction of not to pick below waist height, I hope they stuck to it, but if not, we’ll never know for sure.

I used golden caster sugar for a change for this recipe.  The taste and smell while it was cooking was the best of any jam I have ever made.   It’s also not as sweet as strawberry or rhubarb jams.

It would be amazing served warm with ice cream.

Blackberry Jam 3

Lesley Smith

Wild Blackberry Jam Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 -6
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Baking
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 800 g Wild Blackberries
  • 750 g Golden Caster Sugar
  • 50 g Butter
  • 4 tablespoons Pectin
  • 50 g Water

Method
 

  1. Put the washed blackberries and the water into a thick bottomed saucepan. Simmer for around 10 - 15 minutes to soften the fruit.
  2. Add the golden caster sugar and bring to the boil slowly.
  3. Add the pectin, then allow the jam to rapid boil for around 5 minutes. Add the butter.
  4. You might have some scum to scoop off the top, or you might not have. Whichever way, let the jam settle for a few minutes after turning off the heat, and place it into clean and sterilised jars for storage.

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Review: Chad Valley Toys

We were recently sent some Chad Valley Toys to review as part of their  #100daysofplay which started this summer, and encouraged parents up and down the country to share fun playtime ideas on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

We’re a wee bit late to the party, but better late than never.

Christmas is coming up fast, and there are always good reasons to check out good toys for our kids.  I’d like to see 100 days of play increased to 365 days, as every child should have a day of play, every day, so I’ll be interested to see where the future of the campaign lies.  You can see how the summer one shaped up on the Chad Valley social media platforms.

The current campaign is “Time to Play.”

Play is great and it helps stimulate our children’s imaginations.

Chad Valley says:

Experts have proven that just 15 minutes open play a day can make an enormous difference to the development of your child; sparking curiosity and originality.  With over 300 toys to choose from – everything from brilliant infant and pre-school toys for babies and toddlers, to fun packed toys for boys and girls, there’s lots of fun for every child!  We’ve also developed free stories and play ideas, to help inspire you and your little ones.

  • Chad Valley on Facebook
  • Chad Valley on Twitter

Middler is really a wee toot in a big body, so we go through a fair amount of toys that are built for the hands of little ones.  Some brands can hold their own and others struggle with big hands which play with toys that are made for little ones.

The sheer size of the package was enough to send middler into cloud nine.  There was no way to make him wait after school, so it was eagerly opened.

 

His eyes popped when he saw the fire engine.  That’s understandable as he is vehicle daft, and particularly diggers, tractors, fire engines and police cars.  This was the perfect toy for him.  Unfortunately, the space hopper was just too small for us, so it has gone to a good home, with a lovely wee girl who will enjoy it immensely for her birthday in a couple of weeks.

The fire engine has had some tlc almost daily since our package arrived, which is always nice to see.

Chad Valley FE2

Chad Valley Wheelbarrow

Thank you very much Chad Valley, and my sincerest apologies for such a late response from the Scottish Mum House.

 

 

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Awareness: Children’s Food Crisis In South Sudan

This month, UNICEF are campaigning to raise awareness of the current food crisis in South Sudan.

Meet Nyakhat

She is three years old.  Yes, that is a tiny three years old.  She’s not much more than a baby, yet she led her blind father for four hours to find a UNICEF relief centre to find food.

She’s my heroine of the year.

southsudan

In the South Sudan, there are around 50,000 children at risk.  Think about that.  I know how I would feel if I were facing the prospect of not being able to put a hot meal on the table for my boys.  Or actually, any meal at all.  It must be devastating for the parents, the children and the whole extended families.

Around three million children in the South Sudan have faced need of humanitarian assistance.  That’s over half of all the people who live in Scotland alone.  They struggle with basic needs as a result of decades of civil war.

550,000 children have been displaced.  That means they are living in the open, just as the rainy season begins.  Cholera has begun to break out and parents must be at their wits end.  It really brings home how lucky we are in the Western world, with our basic need for food and shelter met.

Displaced Women

The civil war has meant that South Sudan’s agriculture has not able to flourish.   Crops are not being planted and food is becoming more and more scarce.

I found it frightening that UNICEF reported on the possibility of 4 million people starving by the end of the year, and 50,000 children likely to die.

What is UNICEF Doing?

UNICEF is in South Sudan, working to help the children with care and resources to survive.  Along with their partners, they have screened more than 60,000 children against malnutrition and immunised more than 260,000 against measles.

UNICEF would like to give hygiene kits and safe water for cooking and drinking, for 450,000 people.  It’s an ambitious target and one that needs help to succeed.  How much value do we place on our own ability to have freedom to play and find the families they have often been separated from?  I don’t know how anyone can put a value on that.

Feel free to give whatever you can.

  • Australia
  • UK

£8 could give an emergency water kit for a family.

Just £5 could help give life-saving food for a child for a week.

I am grateful for just how lucky we are as a family.

 

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Review: New Whole Hog Roast Hire in Aberdeen (Spit Roasted) Yum

If you’ve read my blog for any time, you’ll know who my favourite butcher is.   Andrew Gordon has a traditional butcher shop in Aberdeen, and runs an online butcher shop at the Fresh Food Guru website.

One of his specialities is with piedmontese beef.  It’s a beef that is leaner than chicken, and is proving very popular with people who are looking for a healthier meat option choice.

New Hog Roast Hire Catering

He had diversified into taking whole hog roast system hire bookings for events, whether they are for weddings, corporate functions, hotel specialities, or even just the good old garden barbie.

His team will arrive at your venue and do all the cooking on the hog spit roast system.   The meat cooked this way is tender, succulent and divine.

I’m not a great fan of crackling, so I would always leave that out of my own hog in a bun choice, but for those who love it, I’m told that it is second to none.

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Menu

  • Large Fresh Brioche Buns.
  • Candied Crisp Crackling.
  • Whole Roasted Outdoor Reared Pig.
  • Thick Apple Sauce.
  • Traditional Sage & Onion Stuffing.
  • Fresh Coleslaw.
  • Chef in Full Whites/Blacks, Chef’s Assistant.

The whole hog is roasted on a spit roast machine and carved just for the guests, by his own staff.  The whole package is controlled carefully and adheres to strict food and hygiene regulations.

All I can say, is good luck to Andrew and his team in their new venture with their yummy food.

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Scottish Independence Is Dead – For Now!

1.30am

As I start to write this, I have no clue what the result of the Scottish Independence vote will be.  To be honest, I don’t think it really matters, even though it will be history in about seven hours or so.

As an exercise in dividing the nations, it’s done a sterling job.  Many Scots have divided from the English, and the yes and the no from each country is divided against each other.

It wasn’t about Salmond, and it wasn’t about Cameron.  It ‘s a vote for Westminster or the Scottish Parliament, but that message didn’t get through.  I found the TV coverage pitiful and biased, but hey ho, I can’t influence that.

I have to admit, I had a wee bit of a wobble at the polling station, but the cross went in the yes box.  It’s the hope you see.  I’m a glass half full sort.  Our NHS seems to be reducing, we have food banks, elderly people without care support, disabled forced out of their homes, unfair bedroom tax and lots more.  I can’t blame people for wanting to give it a go themselves.

Although my parents generation are more in tune with the union, it was because they had historical industries where they felt proud to be British.  With little of those industries or trade unions left, the younger people in our country are not seeing that meshing of populations, or meshing of ideals, goals or thinking, but there are enough of the elders around to make the final decision.

Actually, the young have been raised on a diet of banking scandals and unfair distribution of wealth, which always seems to favour the already wealthy.  The elders should win this vote, but in another thirty years time, it could be very different.

5am

  • The vote is in and we bottled it as a nation.
  • Fear won over hope.  That’s pretty understandable, given that people tend to be resistant to change.  They almost always resist change in the workplace, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that they resisted it for life.
  • The onus is now on Better Together and the no voters to PROVE their positioning.  But then again, it makes no difference to us, because we can’t do anything about it, even if they give all our money to the man on the moon.

The one thing I have to hope for, is that whether we are independent or not, the damage between the populations can be fixed, and we can carry on living and working together as close neighbours and friends.

The decision is made, though I think it will only fuel further divisions among the populations of the UK.

I really hope not.

We all need to kiss and make up  now, while we watch Government either fulfil or renege on their promise of more devolution for all of us, not just Scotland.