munchiesandmunchkins, Author at Munchies and Munchkins

Creamy Pesto Chicken

March 21, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 2 Comments

I definitely have less time to cook these days but I still love creating new meals and enjoying really tasty food.

Today I had a hunt about in the fridge and made a recipe I must have made 10 times before but today it tasted especially good and I wanted to share it with you before I forgot!

Creamy Pesto Chicken

Totally indulgent but light and the addition of the tomatoes/peppers and courgettes makes you feel pretty food about eating it.

You will need:

3 or 4 chicken thighs
2tbsp Pesto
150ml double cream
2 sweet red peppers diced (or half a large red pepper)
Approx.10 cherry tomatoes
2 inch chunk of courgette diced
Crushed black peppercorns

Brown your thighs:

* I was making double for a different recipe.

Once browned add your courgette, tomatoes and peppers:

Cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes and then add your pesto and cream. Cook for a further 5-10 minutes ensuring your chicken is thoroughly cooked and serve immediately.

I served with “round chips” and rocket. It was delicious. It served two adults and we were more than satisfied.

Recipe for chips to follow tomorrow.

It’s a bit of an indulgent recipes with the double cream so you could use single cream or even yoghurt to lighten it up but it’s seriously good.

I Heart Cookbooks – Baking With Fruit. A Parragon Book Review

March 21, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

I recently wrote about a cookbook I loved and have used lots written by Jack Monroe. Some of my cookbooks are like that, I cook from them constantly.

Other cookbooks I may not have tried one single recipe from yet. Does this make it useless? No.

I gaze at the pictures, I absorb the recipes and ideas for meals often come to me from doing this. Maybe I will read a book and then in a years time I will suddenly realise that yes I definitely want to make those strawberry tartlets with vanilla creme tonight.

This book:

Baking With Fruit by Love Food

Is definitely one of those books.

The photos make you drool and I must have flipped through it about a hundred times since I was sent it. Plus it looks pretty on my bookshelf 🙂

On my to make list are:

Strawberry Tartlets

Peach Tarte Tatin – peaches.. caramel and pastry. Need I say more?

Cinnamon, almond and apple cake – cinnamon and apple go together like Iggle Piggle and Upsy Daisy. It’s a combo I love so I look forward to trying this out.

I am really enjoying all the cookbooks I’ve received as part of the Parragon book buddy scheme.

Next up I review a marshmallow book…

* I received this book as part of the Parragon book buddy scheme.

Goodnight Sun – Gro Clock Review

March 20, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

We have been using a Gro Clock from The Gro Company for about 3 weeks now and it’s probably a little early for a comprehensive review but I’ve been so impressed with it that I wanted to share our experience with you.

We are Gro Company fans here in our house, we have used the swaddles and the sleeping bags with great success and I’d been hearing good things about the clock for a while.

The Gro-clock is like an alarm clock for children which uses fun images of the stars and sun to communicate when to go back to sleep and when it’s time to get up. It’s mains powered and comes with a really cute book called The Sleepy Farm which tells the story of Percy Pig who is very tired and grumpy because he doesn’t sleep for long enough. The book and clock have easily become an important part of our bedtime routine.

If Izzy is a little grouchy and doesn’t seem keen to go to bed we ask her shall we go and say Goodnight to the Sun and she will eagerly say YES. We set the clock in front of her every night and she waves excitedly at the sun as it winks and fades away, she then says hello stars and settles down in bed. If she wakes up too early we go into her room and say is the sun up yet? She says no and then goes back to sleep. Most days she wakes up within about 5 minutes of the sun rising (On her clock).

It’s made a big difference to our evenings and morning. Although Izzy has been a good sleeper since about 1yr old she had started to wake earlier in the mornings and with a young baby we were all getting pretty worn out. Plus she was tired and grumpy most of the day.

Since using the clock I have noticed a happier, more rested toddler and I have definitely felt the benefits myself.

Spending the time reading the book together is really nice and she already knows most of the words and finishes off the sentences.

I would definitely recommend this for any child aged 2+ especially if they aren’t the best sleepers. It’s a fab product.

*we received this clock for free for the purpose of this review.

I AM HAPPY. REPEAT AFTER ME.

March 20, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 1 Comment

Last year on International Happiness Day we were waiting for a second scan of Chloe as our first scan following the first of many bleeds had been too early to show a heartbeat. The sonographer and midwife hadn’t seemed particularly hopeful and we had a week of being in limbo. I was most definitely not happy that day.

This year 12 months on I am sat with my 17week old baby suckling at my breast. Every now and again she stops to look at me and smile. My 2.5yr old runs around occasionally bringing a toy to show me or just to say something completely random. Sometimes she just wants to kiss Chloe or hug me. My OH is in the shed making me boxes for my pantry. This is happiness. I’m in love, head over heels in love with my family. Happiness for me is love. Or love is happiness. Whatever way you look at it.

I won’t pretend to be smiling all day long. Because that would most certainly be a lie. I still feel down a lot, I still get scared a lot. I’m starting some therapy for Post Traumatic Stress in April and I can’t say I’m looking forward to it. BUT. And this is a big BUT. I feel happy on many occasions throughout the day.

Like when Izzy tells me she is “Two weeks” to reach a certain toy. Or when I ask her a question and she pauses thoughtfully and says “let me see..”

Or when Chloe finds such joy in her own two feet or the first smile we get when she wakes in the morning.

When Andrew leaves me in bed to have a lie in as he knows I’m exhausted.

When my parents invite us over for food and spoil us in the little ways that only parents can.

When we have a teddy bears picnic in the woods.

When I try a new recipe and its delicious.

When I manage to watch 30 minutes of uninterrupted Greys Anatomy.

When I write a blog post which means a lot to me.

Baking with Izzy.

Cuddles with my family.

When someone tells me they like my blog. Be it a brand, a fellow blogger, a friend or just a new reader.

When Izzy says ooooh in delight at her lunch..

When the postman brings me chocolates.

I may still have nightmares and get anxious and find being a mum of two incredibly hard but at least once a day I feel happy. Not everyone has that.

Maybe today you will see all the tweets and inspirational quotes about International Happiness Day and feel resentful and I do hope this day isn’t hard on any of you. Try and take a minute and think. Maybe you won’t beam with joy all day but if at some point you have to smile because of a particularly good cup of coffee or a comment from a stranger, a silly sentence from your child or just the feeling of being loved then embrace it. Be happy if just for a moment.

Funky Outfit – Funky Giraffe Review

March 19, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

We have quite a few Funky Giraffe products in our home. From bibs to Christmas stockings. They make really cute baby bits and I’m always really happy with the quality.

Whilst at the recent Baby Show at London Excel Chloe was offered a pretty dress and bib set to try out.

She looks adorable in it.. Biased I may be. It’s made of a really soft cotton and very comfy and easy to put on/take off.

I may have just realised that they make these up to age 3yrs.. Incredibly tempted to buy it for Izzy!

Visit Funky Giraffe for more cute outfits!

I quite fancy this next..

*I was given this dress free of charge for the purpose of this review.<

OrganaMama – Review

March 18, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

Subscription boxes are so IN right now. Ha. Everywhere you look there seems to be a subscription box, foodie ones, beauty ones and now mother and baby ones.

I am a huge fan. Receiving a box of new products to your door each month without having to go looking for them is a huge plus for me. Most of the products I receive I hadn’t heard of before so it’s a great way to discover new brands.

This month I was sent a box from OrganaMama to review.

Introducing OrganaMama – an exciting new subscription box in the UK! Every month we hand pick the best quality natural, organic, ethical & sustainable products for expectant & new mums and babies. We lovingly pack them up in beautiful reusable boxes, and deliver them straight to your door. It’s a healthy celebration of motherhood every month of the year!

So new brands..all organic, ethical and therefore entirely guilt free yes?

This was the box I received:

The packaging is beautiful and is ideal for use as a memory box or sensory box for your child once you have emptied all the products out. I’m a sucker for a well packaged gift so they were onto a winner before I even opened it.

I was more than happy with the selection of products inside..

1. Gwdihw Cheeky Cherub Balm – This was quite possibly my favourite product in the box. Gwdihw ( meaning Owl in Welsh and pronounced Goody Hoo )it’s a baby balm made from Coconut & Olive Oils along with Lavender and other natural ingredients. It smells lovely, you only need a teeny amount and it worked wonders on my little uns nappy rash.

2.Jack n Jill Toothpaste – this natural calendula toothpaste comes in a really pretty tube and must taste pretty good as Izzy seems to want to brush her teeth more!

3.Jack n Jill Silicone Finger Toothbrush – haven’t used this yet but it won’t be long as Chloe is starting to teethe.

4. Ulrich Notorlich Liquid Wash Detergent – This lemony ultra concentrated detergent is lovey and fragrant and a little goes a very long way.

5.Amiya UK Natural Cotton Fitted Cot Sheet – this sheet feels so soft and luxurious that I want one for my bed! Chloe is still in her Bednest but this sheet is sure to feel amazing when she moves into her cot.

6. World Playground Drum – this was a huge hit with both Izzy and Chloe, Izzy figured out how to use it in minutes whilst I with my lack of rhythm still struggle. Chloe lights up when we play it in front of her. Love this.

7.Contented Calf Recipe Book – I wish I’d had this before giving birth so I could have prepped some meals but I’m looking forward to trying some of the recipes out.

I will admit to being really impressed by this box, in looks and substance it is superior to most of the similar services I have seen.

Would make a really lovely gift for a mum to be or new mum.

They are £26 per month and there are a range of options available to choose from with different ages and styles.

She’s A Little Foodie – Plum Baby Review

March 17, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

Izzy loves food. She will try anything and my family always laugh at her favourite foods such as olives and peppers.

She generally eats what we eat and you all know how much I love to cook so she has a pretty varied diet which can sometimes mean that buying ready made food or easy prep meals isn’t easy as she doesn’t like the bland tastes.

Luckily there are brands such as Plum who know that some children really like exciting meals and so we haverecently been happily reviewing some of their product range.

Dishes like this:

Moroccan Tagine

and

Jerk Chicken

Snacks that I can give her without feeling guilty about what she’s eating such as:

Fruit nibbles which Izzy calls her sweeties:

Apple, spinach and kale wafers.. We shared these out with friends at a local playgroup and children from 1-5yrs old thoroughly enjoyed them.

We can breakfast on the go with fruit pouches which have the added bonus of quinoa and yoghurt included.

Her absolute fave was the Purple Carrot and Blueberry version which she devoured even with a mouthful of chicken pox when she was feeling really low.

Everything she has tried she has loved which I kind of expected as we have always been Plum fans..I mean have you tried their Lemon Chicken? … Drool.

As a parents sometime making food choices can be so hard and you can end up feeling guilty for lots of reasons .. You know the ahhh how much salt is in this or WHAT are those E numbers? And even is this tasty enough.. I mean would I want to eat it?

Choosing Plum products cans make these choices a little easier although deciding between the Tagine and Jerk Chicken could cause a problem 😉

*We were sent these products free of charge for the purpose of this review.

Monthly Foodie Round Up

March 17, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

Each month I receive products to try out or I buy new products that catch my eye in the supermarket .. or TKMaxx!

These are the foodie bits we have enjoyed this month:

Jungle Dogs

These were more for Izzy than for me but I must admit to having a sneaky taste 🙂

So what are Jungle Dogs?

JUNGLE DOGS ARE MADE FROM ALL PORK, WITH NO MECHANICALLY-RECOVERED MEAT, THEY CONTAIN MORE MEAT THAN OTHER LEADING HOT DOG BRANDS. SMOKED WITH NATURAL BEECHWOOD & CONTAIN NO ARTIFICIAL COLOURS OR FLAVOURS

Sounds good but what do they taste like? Well Izzy gobbled them down and she’s a proper foodie so it’s a big thumbs up from her and myself and her Dad had a taste too and we enjoyed. You get the proper hotdog flavour that always reminds me of fairgrounds and childhood but its so nice to know that you are feeding your child a decent product. Sausages are notoriously low in actual meat percentages (especially hot dogs) but these are higher than any other brand.

They microwave in just 50 seconds making it a really easy tea time treat.

We loved these and will certainly be buying in the future.

Ryvita Cracker Bread

We were sent two packs to try, cheese and black pepper.

The black pepper were my favourite by far although we did enjoy the cheese too. I liked them topped with soft cheese and cherry tomatoes or cucumber. Izzy enjoyed them spread with flora and my OH liked them with hunks of cheese. This will become a regular addition to my shopping list..especially at a lovely 19cals 😉

Safari Chakalaka Chilli Sauce

What is Chakalaka?:

Fresh and zingy with a hint of spice. Our Chakalaka sauce is based on a traditional African vegetable dish of the same name. It can be added to pretty much anything to bring some African sunshine into your life.

It’s a medium heat sauce and is great added to creamy sauces to give them a bit of a kick, we have also used it to marinade chicken and my OH likes a drop of two in his sandwiches. It’s not too hot but definitely has a bit of a zing!

Safari are an event catering company who you will always find at the best food festivals and they have now started selling their famous sauces and marinades online. Definitely worth a look at their site

Drop Dead Chocolates – Salted Caramels

I drooled over some pictures of these on Twitter for quite a while and I was very lucky to be offered some to try as they are divine. Bitter sweet dark chocolate, buttery caramel and sea salt crystals on top. Yes. I’m a fan. Drop Dead Chocs make letterbox friendly gift boxes of chocs that you can tailor to suit your taste.

*Products were gifted for the purpose of this review.

Hotel Chocolat Easter Review & Giveaway

March 16, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 178 Comments

Some days the postman brings me bills and junk mail.

But then every now and again he brings me something brilliant. Like this:

Doesn’t that packaging just make you smile 😀

And just look what was inside..

Hotel Chocolat Egg & Chips:

You’ll just love our take on a British Classic – with a creamy white chocolate and vanilla seed egg served sunny side up with a soft salted caramel yolk and a scattering of mellow milk chocolate, salted caramel-filled chips. Knife & fork not included!

I’ve got a bit of a thing for salted caramel and Hotel Chocolat do it so well. The “chips” were divine. I’m not normally too fussed on white chocolate but this isn’t normal white chocolate. The vanilla seeds take it another level and the yolk…mmmmmmm.

Now that I’ve made you salivate all over your screens how about I give one of you lucky people a box of Egg & Chips just for you..

I’m too nice.

Visit Hotel Chocolat for more Easter ideas.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To Soothe or Not To Soothe? The Dummy Debate

March 16, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

Before my first daughter was born I remember thinking write clearly that I didn’t want to use dummies..soothers.. pacifiers – whatever you choose to call them. I hated seeing children of 3-4years old walking around dummy firmly stuck in their mouths, talking through them and finding it hard to understand what they were saying.

When Izzy was about 4weeks old I was tired, she fed all the time and at night it was becoming clear that she was only feeding so often out of comfort so we bought some dummies and it helped massively. I didn’t put a dummy in her mouth every time in the day that she made a noise and I made sure that if she was hungry she was fed rather than pacified. However when she was unsettled at night or if we needed that extra few minutes to get somewhere to sit down for a feed it helped so much. So much.

From 6 months we only used the dummy for sleep. We would give her a dummy and a snugly toy/blanket at nap time and nighttime and it became a sleep cue. We never used it again in the day time apart from on an odd occasion when she was very unwell.

I am firmly in the pro dummy club.

But I still had the occasional bout of guilt for using dummies but why?

Why did I feel guilty for soothing my child? For helping her sleep?

I felt less guilty when I realised that most of the people I knew that didn’t use dummies didn’t do so out of choice but because their baby refused to take them. Because not all babies do.

I was invited recently to the launch of a new soother (dummy) range by Tommee Tippee at The Baby Show in London which is what made me think of writing this post.

Cute new designs:

They have developed a new line of soothers which come in 4 ranges – Fun, Anytime, Night time and Air they have a large, long, flat teat which is easier to hold in babies mouth and in their tests the new soother was accepted first time by more babies.

This is a plus in my book – this time around we were prepared and had them ready when Chloe was 4weeks old ( most HV’s recommend establishing breastfeeding first which is why we waited until 4wks) and luckily for us she has taken to them. Again she doesn’t have it all the time and its mostly just for settling her when upset or over tired.

It has really helped with her sleep, she still feeds on demand when she’s hungry and is gaining weight well and she uses her dummy when she just needs to be settled.

Some research has shown that using dummies for bedtime can reduce the risk of SIDS ( sudden infant death syndrome) whilst more research is still needed on this it’s certainly worth thinking about. You can find more info on the Lullaby Trust Website

What’s your view on dummies? Do you agree with me that that using them or not using them is an individual choice and neither choice is wrong.

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