Posted on 4 Comments

Review: Silvercrest Rice Cooker

I bought this.  £9.99 from Lidl as an impulse buy.  I know I’m beginning to use gadgets more than my cooker, but that’s not always a bad thing as I’m a carer for multiple persons as well as trying to earn a small crust now and again.

I love rice, I absolutely do, but I hate, and I mean H. A. T. E cooking the stuff.  I’ve tried steaming it, using expensive bags and double boilers, but they all mean my weak wrists struggle to lift, drain and rinse enough rice for six people in one go.  I often end up overcooking it too.  I know other people pretend it’s hip and call it sticky rice when they overcook theirs, but I don’t like sticky rice, uh uh, not at all.

After another cooker top explosion of rice water boiling over, I saw this little machine and took a chance on it.  I have to say, the little Silvercrest does a fab job for me.  It’s out a couple of times a week and cooks rice perfectly every time and gives my poor wrists and cooker top a rest.  It’s the perfect amount of rice for six people and just a little left over if anyone wants seconds.

Cooked Rice

The rice cooker comes with a little scoop to choose the correct amount of rice, and the bowl has marks for the perfect amount of water.  With the little serving spoon, it’s been £9.99 well spent for me.  Actually, the time it saves in cleaning my cooker tops alone is worth it.

Silvercrest

I guess it depends how many people you cook for.  If I were cooking for two, I might not think it was a huge time saver, but with six, it’s one of those things that I am finding it harder and harder to live without in my kitchen.

Posted on 1 Comment

Madeira Wine Cake Recipe

I used to think that Madeira Cake was made with Madeira wine, the same way that liqueurs are often substituted in recipes.  It took a long time for me to realise that the Madeira Wine came in as the perfect accompaniment to a crumbly sponge cake.  I’d be tempted to use almost any sponge cake recipe for use as a Madeira cake, with the addition of some lemon for that citrusy taste to give the cake a tangy flavour.

Here, I’ve used a basic sponge cake recipe.

The accompaniment for sponge cake, to counteract crumbly dry texture, is always a sweet white wine.

Madeira wine from the Madeira Islands is particularly good for this, but choose a sweet variety to accompany cake for afternoon tea.

Unusually, Madeira wine is fortified (made by adding the Madeira spirit) and the flavour is created by heating the wine up to high temperatures and keeping those constant for a good period of time, which also helps to keep the wine for a long time when it’s opened.

Here is my Madeira Cake Recipe Using a Basic Sponge 

Madeira Sponge Cake Slices

Ingredients

  • 250g Caster Sugar
  • 250g Butter
  • 250g Self-Raising Flour
  • 4 Eggs
  • Grated Rind of 1 Lemon

Method

  1. Set the oven to a moderate temperature.  Around 160-170 C.
  2. Mix (cream) the sugar and butter together in a mixer or bowl until smooth.
  3. Add in the eggs and mix until smooth.
  4. Fold in the sifted flour until you have a cake mix texture without lumps and bumps, then fold in the grated lemon rind.
  5. Put the mixture into a loaf tin or two depending on the size.
  6. Bake for up to 35 minutes.  To find out if your cake is fully cooked, use a barbeque skewer to pierce the cake, and if it comes out clean, it’s fully cooked.  Adding a spray or two of cake release to the tins helps with removing your cake once it’s cooked.
  7. When your cake is cool, and I mean cool, slice it in the same way you would a loaf of bread.  If you slice it hot, the cake may crumble into tiny pieces.
  8. Serve and enjoy with a glass of Madeira Wine.  Tesco have a great selection of sweet white wines.

Written for Tesco.

Posted on Leave a comment

Which Wine To Choose For Which Dishes

This infographic is posted in collaboration with Roberson Wine.

Do you know which wines go with which foods?  I know I don’t.  As someone who only rarely drinks it, I find myself in a dilemma quite often if we have people over for a meal, and I have no idea which wines to make a choice from.

When Roberson Wine contacted me and offered an infographic that shows me exactly what would go well with fish, beef, chicken and even chocolate, I knew it would be handy for me to keep long term, as a reminder.

The Easter holidays are coming up, and we can get good weather at this time of year, even in Scotland, which is perfect for the first barbeques of the season.

I found this quite interesting.  I hope you do too.

Roberson Wine Food Pairing_Final

Posted on 2 Comments

The Gift – Five Present Ideas for Your Other Half

This guest post is in collaboration with Thorntons Gifts For Men.

 

If you have a special occasion like an anniversary or a birthday coming up, finding a present for your significant other that’s truly meaningful can be stressful. Men can sometimes be difficult to shop for, and sometimes, generic just won’t cut it. Here are five ideas for alternative but thoughtful gifts for the tricky hombre that will work in just about any situation.

Alcohol

It might be something of a cop out, but rest assured: most guys will be thrilled with a booze-themed present. If he considers himself to be something of a craft beer aficionado, a mixed case of artisan brews should satisfy. If he’s more of a spirits man, you might want to opt for something which adds a bit of theatre to his evening drink: crystal tumblers, whisky rocks and personalised hipflasks are all perfectly viable options.

Food

When man isn’t drinking or sleeping, he’s usually eating, so cater to your beloved’s foodie whims with something delicious. If he’s a spice fanatic, buy him a chilli plant he can lovingly tend. If he loves cooking, opt for something culinary but manly, like a set of razor-sharp Japanese knives. You never know, he might even cook you a delicious meal with his new present to say thanks.

Gadgets

Adding the element of innovation to an everyday process can turn any chore into a delight, so consider what he loves doing and then find a way to streamline it. If he loves music, consider buying him a nifty portable speaker or Bluetooth headset; if photography’s more his style, buy him a zoom lens for his camera phone or a selfie stick.

Hamper

Sometimes, just one gift isn’t enough, and for the truly special occasion, gift hampers are a savvy choice. Usually, these will be organised around a theme, so whether he loves whisky or chocolate or wine, you’re likely to find hampers for him that are a good fit and geared around his passions.

Subscription

If your fella is something of a film fanatic, he’ll love you for getting him a subscription to an online streaming site. Netflix and Amazon Prime might already be on his radar, so consider something a little edgier; Mubi, for instance, curates and streams a different foreign or art house movie every day, and will tick all the boxes for any true cineaste.

With this gift ideas you’re sure to put a smile on his face on that special occasion. Have fun!

Posted on 1 Comment

Amazing Scents From Gorgeous Mother’s Day Flowers & 25% Discount Code

Mother’s Day for 2015, is Sunday, the 15th of March.  If you haven’t thought about a present for your mum, it’s about time you did.

Debenhams kindly sent me a bunch of flowers to review.  With plenty to pick from the Mothers Day Flowers range,  I was spoiled for choice.  I also have a discount code for those of you who are looking to send your own bunch of flowers to your own lovely mums, which will expire this year.

The code entitles you to 25% off a bouquet.  The only bouquets exempt from the discount, are those in the Flowers By Post range.

Code:  DFBLOG25

In the end, I settled for this lovely bunch of sweet avalanche roses with lilac & scented lilies.  My lilies haven’t bloomed yet, but when they do, they’re bound to be gorgeous.

Debenhams Flowers 3

Debenhams Flowers by Post have a range starting from £19.99 for a bouquet to go through the post to whoever deserves one in your life.  I have no excuses, I just like having flowers around the house, but so rarely get out to buy them.  I find myself looking forward to birthdays and some family visits from people who always buy me flowers.

Debenhams Flowers 6

My flowers came in a lovely big box.  I did wonder how they would get to me, but the box was big, had air holes, and the flowers were in a little patch of wet soil that kept them moist.  It was very light indeed, but held the flowers securely.

Mothering Sunday AKA Mother’s Day

It’s held on the fourth Sunday of Lent.  Exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday and most often sits in the last two weeks of March, or early April.  It’s a day where restaurants are kept on their toes, with early bookings from everyone who wants to celebrate their own mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers.  If you’re planning taking your mother out, it’s time you booked your restaurant place, or you’re very likely to be disappointed.

Traditionally, people would visit their own parents, but with distances that people live apart from these days, sending a card or bunch of flowers can often be the only way to get a parent know you appreciate them.

It’s often like another birthday in many families, with presents, cards and a special meal to celebrate.  The shops are full of cards, boxes of chocolates are stockpiled on shelves and we buy them like they’re going out of fashion.

Where Did Mother’s Day Come From?

It really does hark back to a time where people went to church to celebrate their mother.  It could have been a good excuse for a day off, but special services meant that even the scullery maid would have been allowed to go home with a little present, possibly from her employer.  It’s very possible that gifts started in this way.

Debenhams Flowers 4

Scottish Mum’s Mother’s Day

My mothers day usually consists of much of the same as every other day of the year.  There are still three children to feed, clothe and organise, and there’s still the elder to get up, give her medicine and get dressed., so these flowers are lovely, and I do appreciate them.  Appreciating blooms has come late in life to me, but these days, I’d take a bunch of flowers over a box of chocolates every time.

If someone in my family arranged a flower delivery for me, I wouldn’t be at all upset.  Now, perhaps I should leave a note or two lying around for the kids to find, and pass onto their dad!

 
Posted on 3 Comments

A Visit to Hazlehead Park in Aberdeen #BetterPlaces #BritMums

Where do you go when you want a bit of peace and quiet, or simply somewhere calming to help ease the stresses in your life?

Hazlehead Park 2

For me, one of my favourite places is a park that lies not far from us.  Hazlehead Park in Aberdeen, is a nice calming place for me.  I started to go there when my puppy arrived fourteen years ago, and until she died, it stayed one of her favourite places to go.  We’d just have to turn the car into the road leading to the park, and she’d start yelping with excitement.

Granted, it’s not showing its glory on the winter drab day we’ve just had, but imagine this when it’s in full bloom over spring to autumn and you can imagine why I enjoy going there.

Hazlehead Park 3

The park is over 180 hectares in total, and includes a couple of golf courses and a pitch and putt on top of the other things you’d normally find in a City park.  It has a lot of trees, so is great for hide and seek with small children, also letting them see lots of wildlife with the flowers and bushes.

Every year, Hazlehead Park also hosts the Aberdeen Highland Games in June, with the traditional Scottish events such as caber tossing, highland dancing, hammer throwing, piping and tug of war.  There are often upwards of 10-15 thousand visitors that day, so leave the car and take the bus if you’re going.

In the park, there’s also the Piper Alpha Memorial Garden.  Dedicated to the 167 men who lost their lives in the North Sea on the 6th January 1988, as well as to those who lost their lives trying to help the men in trouble.

Hazlehead Park 9

I don’t let my children forget either.  We do visit on occasion, to remind ourselves how men and women put their lives in danger every day, just to give us a better life.  In summer, this garden is beautiful, fully blooming with rich colours.

Hazlehead Park 15

I see this garden as a place to relax and unwind.  In the summer months, I’ve been known to sit there with a flask of coffee and a good book, just to blow the cobwebs out of my hair.  Dotted around the garden are some memorial benches that are perfect for enjoying the garden, and doing nothing more than enjoying the odd nice day that comes our way.

I do go with my kids too, as there’s plenty for them to do at Hazlehead Park.  A nice big maze keeps them busy for at least half an hour a time, while I usually sit outside with my trusty kindle, listening to them shouting for each other as they get lost inside.

Hazlehead Park 12

Sadly, the visit today meant we were too late to visit pets corner, so we went for a late lunch in the cafe instead.

Hazlehead Park 11

Hazlehead Park 14

There’s plenty for kids to do, as there are several open spaces and two huge fields down the back for football or rough ball games.  As well as that, there are climbing frames, swings and even a couple of little diggers that keep middler amused for around an hour.

I think almost everyone that lives in Aberdeen has visited.  There are usually activities and gatherings over the nicer months, and in the afternoons, finding a spot on a sunny day can be challenging, so I have tended to go when I dropped the kids off at school, before the crowds of new mums and toddlers arrive for the day.  There are often dog walkers and joggers out at that time, doing the same thing as I do.

If you’re in Aberdeen on a nice day, make sure you visit.

Hazlehead Park 4

This #BetterPlaces post is in support of the Syndol Headache Relief Find Your Better Place campaign with BritMums. Syndol Headache Relief is now formulated for headaches. Visit www.syndol.co.uk for online resources with information about headaches and how to restore calm in your life.

Posted on 3 Comments

Review: Tassimo Coffee Maker

We’ve recently been using a Tassimo Coffee Machine.  It’s not the top of range one, as we had to go with one that had a large tank on it.  Ours is the Fidelia T40 Tassimo by Bosch machine.   I was half the price on Argos website in their sale, so I’m surprised to see how expensive they just a week or two on, but also grateful for getting ours so cheaply.  It pays to watch out for bargains it seems.

With six people in the house, of whom, 2 are die-hard coffee addicts and 1 child is a right tea johnny, a machine that only spits out a couple of cups at a time would have been harder to live with, but saying that, I have nothing to compare it with as yet, so can’t express my approval at our machine highly enough.

Tassimo

The driving force in buying one, was simply due to my mother and her shaking hands.

She can no longer manage the kettle well, and I didn’t want to take away the pleasure of making her own coffee, so a pod machine it was.

In the end, I went for the one on offer in Argos at the time and bought the cheapest they had with the largest tank.

I did spend a fair while trying to decide on a Nespresso machine v a Tassimo.

The Tassimo won due to the availability of tea and hot chocolate pods.  The advert for £20 off t discs on the box  helped to cement that decision a little too.

Tassimo Bosch

We’ve had our first pods, and we’ve got our first delivery of coffee pods.  I did manage to be a tad disappointed that there don’t seem to be any compatible pods, or t-discs as they’re called for the Tassimo, but I’ve learned to live with that for the moment as these machines do so much more than just make coffee from the discs.

Tassimo T Discs

I’ve been offered pods/discs in the past to review, but never had a machine to use them with, so perhaps you’ll now see reviews of those going online.

I suspect Tassimo Recipes will be going up here soon too.  Tiramisu and Chocolate Mousse seem like a good place to start for me in the next couple of months.

My biggest relief was finding out that it dispensed hot water as well as making coffee.  When we first got our machine, we ran out of discs quickly.

That was no problem, as it just needed the cleaning disc inserted, a spoon of coffee in the bottom of the mug, and off it went making instant coffee too, all while only boiling enough for each mug of coffee.

It’s also been used to fill one of the pot noodles that the middle one is partial to for a snack, meaning that he does not have to manipulate the kettle either.

Each t-disc has a barcode on it.  The machine reads that barcode and it tells the machine how much water to dispense with the beverage of choice.  Some drinks are enough for Expresso type small cups and others need larger cups for the latte style drinks.  If we want a weaker coffee, we can simply choose to press the button at the right time to dispense extra hot water into the cup.

Tassimo T Discs2

Most of us love it, that is, apart from the one person who it was bought for in the first place.  Sadly, it seems that dementia and learning how to use a new machine, don’t go hand in hand, so the machine is now fully the preserve of the rest of the family, but with one difference.

The kids are all comfortable with making her a cup of coffee with it, where they were more wary of pouring boiling water from the kettle, so I have helpers to give the elder her caffeine fix.  And for days she’s on coffee overdose, we switch to decaff after she’s had a couple of steaming mugs.  She can never tell the difference.

 

 

Posted on 5 Comments

What to do with kids in the school holidays!

It sounds a little ominous doesn’t it?  Christmas has just left the building and we’re half way to Easter already, with a wee break in between.  We don’t get the lovely long break that kids in England get at this time of year, but we make up for it with other holidays.

Mid term isn’t a name that’s really been used up here in the North East of Scotland.  We do have a break next week for a few days, but two of those are in service days rather than holidays, so teachers are still in working, though our kids are at home under our feet, and we all know how bored kids get when they’ve been cooped up for too long.

Attractiontix asked a few of us to send a suggestion of what to do with the kids over the holidays as they were compiling a list for their own blog.  I thought it was a great idea, especially for those who’ve just got to the age where their children need to get out and about more, but aren’t quite sure what to do with them.  You can read their post and all the tips by visiting their website.

I was pretty interested in Charlotte’s recommendation from themummyblogger.co.uk. Her suggestion was to try the FA website as they offer free coaching for 5-11 year olds.  I wish I’d known that when my kids were younger, but then again, it possibly doesn’t happen up here with the good old SFA

My suggest was easy, as my kids are the outdoor types.  For the past decade, I’ve often to be found out in the rain and freezing weather with a blue nose and rosy cheeks with the cold, while the kids were toasty warm in their salopettes and thick jackets.  It did help that we had a dog, and had to get out in all weathers anyway.

Go outside, chase rainbows, dig holes or just splash in the rain to get some fresh air into your lungs. Don’t worry about the housework till the kids are asleep; memories aren’t made washing dishes and cleaning floors.

 

What else could we all do?

Join The National Trust or the National Trust for Scotland

The National Trust and the Scottish National Trust have low membership fees for families and plenty of places to go, from having a picnic on the lawn of a stately home or a castle,to rooting around in the bedrooms of royalty gone past, there are lots to do.  If you join one, you also get to use the other, so up and down the UK, there will always be plenty of places to go.

Take A Train

Stonehaven isn’t far from us, but it’s a great day out for the kids.  We often used to take the train, and then have a picnic on the beach at Stonehaven, where there’s a nice big kids play park and the beach within a stone’s throw.  It’s a bit of a hike back up to the station from the beach front, but we have been known to take a wee taxi to get back up there if we’re all tuckered out from digging in the sand.

 Have The Kids Cook a Meal For Everyone

We’ve done this a few times.  The kids have been left to take over the kitchen and we all depend on what they throw together for supper, and how old your children are made the decision on how adventurous they can be.   We try to plan it in advance and they need a little help with the hot stuff, but mixing juices and making sandwiches keeps them busy for ages.  We always end up with too much.

I have not been paid for this post, but Attractiontix are sending a wee basket of goodies as a thank you for joining in with their tips from parents.  I’m looking forward to it arriving already!

Posted on 6 Comments

Review: New Morphy Richards Sauté and Soup Maker

I bought this Morphy Richards Sauté and Soup Maker with Serrated Blade recently, to replace my older Morphy Richards Soup Maker.  I love the quantities and ease of cleaning with the Morphy Richards soup makers, so there was not even a discussion in my mind as to whether I should get one or not.    I was lucky enough to get mine from Costco at a great price, though Amazon seem to have them for around £52.

I have six people to feed, and my mother, who had dementia, is also diabetic.  To get good food into her, the soup maker is just so easy.  I throw all the ingredients into the pot, then twenty minutes later we have bowls of great tasting soup for her.

I did find that trying to sauté ingredients with my old maker was a bit of a faff, as it had to be done separately, so another pan to clean.  Because of that, I rarely bothered, unless I wanted a specific taste.  I did get a bit of a surprise when I switched on the Sauté and Soup maker, to find out just how quickly that it heated up the integrated sauté function.

The inside of the soup maker has a coating, which you can effectively fry onions, butter, garlic and any vegetables you fancy on it.  The smells that come off are amazing and to be honest, they really do make any soup taste much more appealing.

morphy richards saute and soup maker featured

The secret to good soup is always great stock, but there are ways to cheat with good herb and stock pots.  You have to find a way that suits you.

Here’s a little about the maker.

Sauté 

Just pop a little butter or oil into the bottom of the jug and throw in onions, bacon bits, some herbs, garlic, ginger or spices and let them fry for a minute or two.  I use a wooden spoon to give the vegetables a little stir around while they’re cooking.

Morphy richards saute and soup maker 3

Settings

We can choose which settings to use.  Smooth takes the soup into a quick pureed state, while chunky is just that, although it takes a few minutes more for the soup to be ready.  There’s actually even a pause setting that allows you to remove the lid and add some seasonings before the cooking starts again.  There’s a blend function for if the soup isn’t smooth enough for you, and the last one is the juicer function, which I have to admit, I haven’t used with this soup maker yet.

Morphy richards saute and soup maker 4

Serving Capacity

1.6 litres, or 1.4 litre options.    The booket says for servings up to 4 people, but I manage to get enough with one kettle full for three adults and three children.  And if we need more, it only takes 20 minutes to make it, so I can have another pot brewing while we eat our first bowlful.

Non stick coating

This is a fabulous addition to the soup maker.  I’m not sure what more I can say.  It is easier to empty the soup immediately out of the soup maker and rinse it off there and then.  Dried on soup is harder to remove afterwards and you don’t want water to get into the electrical points.

Morphy richards saute and soup maker 2

Making soup is a dawdle in a soupmaker.  It even means that I can just leave it to get on with the job while I do something else.  Anything that saves time foodie wise is a bonus in my eyes, and I don’t have to worry about a pan drying out or boiling over.

A soup maker is the one item, apart from an oven obviously, that I will replace time and time again in my kitchen when one fails.  I can’t say more than that really.  Have I said before how fabulous these are?  Maybe so, but I’ll probably repeat myself for the rest of my life on this item.

I have a fair few soup recipes online.  You can find them here if you’re interested, or check the soups section on the menu bar.

 

Posted on 1 Comment

Review: Perfecta Comfort Mattress from Carpetright

How could we say no to the lovely offer of a mattress from Carpetright.  Our youngest has wanted a more grown up room, but he disliked the mattress on the bed.  He found it too hard and not comfortable enough.

When we were told which mattress we would get, I was slightly worried, as his complaint about his current one, was that it was too hard and uncomfortable.

It was a very thin mattress, and probably not a great choice for him.  We should have chosen better at the start, but we know better now, and that cheap doesn’t necessarily mean good value.

For different sleep needs, mattresses at Carpetright are tagged as either S (soft) M (medium) or F (firm).  For people who sleep on their sides, a soft mattress is recommended to protect hips and shoulder.  A medium is good for people who move around a lot, and a firm mattress is good for people who either sleep on their front on their back.  He sleeps on his back, so I believe a firm is the best choice for keeping the spine supported.

The Perfecta Comfort Mattress, which is the one we were given is rated as an F for Firm.  I did worry that he would find it too hard, but I’d told them what our problem was, and they came up with this solution to fix it for him.

Perfecta Comfort Mattress

It took a little while to arrive.  These mattresses are made by the Silentnight brand.   They’re handmade in the UK and also benefit from fillings that are hypoallergenic, with firm support.

Perfecta Comfort Mattress 1

The bed is a standard double, so the dimensions of the mattress were perfect.  It’s a double sided mattress so can be easily turned to keep it in tip top condition, and comes with a five year warranty.

Now, onto what littlest thought of it when it was time to sleep.

Perfecta Comfort Mattress 2

His favourite Real Madrid covers were added.  Yes, I know we live in Aberdeen, but he supports Real Madrid as a Country Team.  Kids around our way tend to support four teams, their local, the country team, an English and an International one.  For him, it’s Aberdeen, Scotland, Man U and Real Madrid, simply because Christian Ronaldo plays for them.  Whichever of those teams are playing gets his full and undivided attention.

His bedroom isn’t always this neat looking.  You’ll notice I’ve cut out part of his room, as it’s a typical boy room, no matter how often I tidy it, it looks like the aftermath of a massive party.  He’s had a few comfortable nights on there, and in his words ‘it’s beasting.’  Go figure, I’ve never heard that term either.

He’s delighted with his new mattress, and I worried un-necessarily about it being too hard.  It’s just perfect for him.

Perfecta Comfort Mattress 3

We’ve had carpets from Carpetright in the past, so we knew what the service would be like.   I’m after this rug for my hall, but as my size is out of stock, I’ll have to wait until they get more in.

I have to say a big thank you to Carpetright for our mattress, it’s just what we were looking for.  It was worth telling them what the problem was, as I’d have likely picked a soft or medium mattress without asking an opinion, and that wouldn’t have been what he needed at all.

Disclaimer:  Carpetright sent the mattress for review and asked us for our opinion. 

 

 

 

Posted on 1 Comment

Those scribbles on the walls really add up…

Any parent understands the day to day struggle with keeping the house in order, and we’ve all walked into a room to be met with spillages, breakages and general curiosity-induced chaos, maybe some innocent puppy dog eyes too.

It’s great to see the kids having fun, but all too often a play date becomes an over excited danger zone and a rough and tumble with siblings ends in tears or boredom results in a toy meeting its demise in the microwave.

This last destructive activity actually came in at number 20 on a list of the most common household damages caused by children.  The study, published in the Daily Mail, has brought to light the shocking statistic that by the age of just 10 the average child has cost their parents over £2,000 in repairs within the home.

It just goes to show how the constant clumsiness really adds up; 50% of parents questioned in the research consider the costs of fixing child-generated damages around the house as one of the ‘main drains’ on their finances and a similar percentage also believe their offspring to be the ‘root cause’ of domestic damage – even more than dodgy DIY jobs or pets!

Although all kids are guilty of destruction – whether accidental or intentional –unsurprisingly it was boys aged 4 to 10 who were voted as the most likely offenders with two out of three sons were deemed ‘hazardous’ around the house by their parents.

Drawing on walls, permanent carpet stains and broken plates and crockery topped the list of damages, with damaged furniture, foot/hand prints on surfaces and scratched upholstery closely following.

Perhaps it’s rather comforting as well as shocking to find out that 15% of the parents in the study had suffered a blocked toilet while the same number had repaired a smashed window. We’re not alone!

They may seem like relatively small amounts on their own, but these frequent expenses add up to an average £2,000 a year per child – a frightening prospect, especially for those with larger families. All in all, these findings put forward a great case for having accidental damage cover included in your home insurance.

Check out More Than home insurance accidental damage cover for some peace of mind, now with free £200 Home Emergency Assistance when you use their authorised repair network.

This is a collaborative post with More Than.

Posted on 2 Comments

Review: Von Shef Frozen Dessert Maker

Domu is a brand, resulting form ten years experience with Designer Habitat.

Their goal is to give customers very competitively priced gadgets at a lower price than the traditional brand name items.    The products allow us to get a wide variety of home and kitchen products at a much lower cost than traditional brands.  I’ve had a look around the website several times and I’ve been pretty well impressed by the range on offer and the prices for what we get.

I received a frozen dessert maker to try from the range, and although I found it a bit tricky to navigate to begin with, I think we’ve found a good way to get on, especially considering the nice big bowl of what tastes and feels like ice-cream, but is actually only fruit.  That made me persevere after my first disastrous attempt at using it.

I did try the bananas and strawberries.  The book says to freeze the fruit for at least 12 hours beforehand.  I did, but you do need to chop up the strawberries into chunks if they’re medium to large sized, as my first try ended up with strawberries that were too large to push through with the plunger.

My attempts didn’t look as smooth or as perfect as the picture on the website, but I found that by mixing the fruity pulp that comes out of the machine afterwards, that it looks more like ice-cream than it did while it was pouring out.

I found the consistency very thick, but a few more minutes out of the freezer and I was able to mix the fruit into a nice consistency.  The blade part of the machine is very sharp, as it needs to be for crushing frozen fruit, and the machine itself is very noisy in action, but I was impressed with the dessert we had at the end of it all.

Von Chef 2

We can add frozen cream and other items to it, to make it a more creamy and luxurious dessert, but to be honest, I really liked the fruit on its own.  I’d say it takes a wee while to get used to, and the banana makes the dessert much more creamy if it’s fruit only.  On it’s own, the strawberry was much like a sorbet.  I’m planning to buy the frozen bags of fruit from supermarkets and trying those next.

Desserts with zero sugar and no added fat have a distinct advantage and it’s an easy way to get fruit into kids.

I actually really like the look of the Von Shef Expresso and Coffee Machine, and am off to send an e-mail to find out if it can use any coffee pod in it, because if it can, I’ll be ordering one for my kitchen.  I hadn’t heard of Domu before, but now I know about it, I’m quite pleased about the range of products and the prices.