munchiesandmunchkins, Author at Munchies and Munchkins

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.

2013 A Year in Blogging Review Meme

March 13, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 2 Comments

I was tagged in this meme in January (oops) which is a blog review of 2013 by Franglaise Mummy I really should have completed it by now but wow life has been a bit mad.

There are a few simple rules:
In your post link back and thank the blogger that previously tagged you.
Answer the questions below and tag at least 5 other bloggers.
Include the above badge in your post.

Your top 5 favourite blogs to read in 2013:

Motherhood Journeys – This is written by Corinne (aka Motherscuffer) – its one of the blog posts I love seeing pop into my email inbox and I rarely miss any of her posts, she writes so honestly and openly. Her strength and attitude towards life has inspired me this year.

A Healthy Slice – This is an American blog which I really love. Brittany has an adorable daughter the same age as Izzy and she’s also a bit of a foodie like me. I enjoy reading the posts about her shopping lists and meal plans and love how she makes every task interesting. She also runs a feature called munchkin meals with great ideas for healthy food ideas for toddlers.

Franglaise Mummy – I love Sophie and her blog, we met at last years Britmums conference and she truly is as lovely as she seems on her blog. Love to read about the differences between French and English life and about how she parents her two children. She also has a new joint blog with her husband called Franglaise Cooking which I drool over.

A Girl Called Jack – I’ve been a big fan of this brilliantly thrifty blog written by Jack Monroe for quite some time and I’m totally thrilled for her and the success she is currently receiving with her book.

Dear Beautiful – this blog has encouraged me to take regular photos of myself with my family for the Me and Mine linky and I will forever be grateful for that’s. Its a really lovely blog which I always enjoy visiting.

List Your 5 most read blog posts in 2013

1.DIY Christmas Hampers – totally surprised that this was my most read post of the year but nice to think I may have helped people make their loved ones gifts.

2.GBBO – Super Speedy Suet Pudding – again surprised but who doesn’t love a syrup pudding hey?

3.Babies on Board at Camp Bestival – not surprised at this. I still get questions all the time about Camp Bestial and highly recommend it to everyone.

4.Makka Pakka Washes Faces This was a review of In The Night Garden Live which was shared on their Facebook page so I think that accounts for the high views.

5.Birth.. a beautiful experience? – I knew this had high views, it’s a post that was very hard to write,

Name one blog you wish you had found sooner

Hmm I can’t pick one. Every week I find blogs and end up trawling through archived posts as I instantly love them.

Your favourite blog post of 2013

Our Growing Family last year was a hard year but at the time of posting this I was ecstatically happy.

What would you like to improve (if anything) on your blog next year?

I need to re organise. I also need more time or to organise my time better at least. I want to share a lot more recipes too.

Name one blog you have a blog crush on

Capture By Lucy – her photography skills are incredible and is an area I really need to improve on. I love the style of her blog too.

How often do you post?

About 3-5 times a week.

Share your first post of 2013

How to spend less part 2 this was part of a series of post I wrote on money saving ideas.

Name one thing you would be doing if you weren’t typing this post right now.

Sleeping….or baking..or breastfeeding.

What have you loved the most about blogging this year?

The support I have had throughout a tough year,

I tag the following bloggers:

I’m a bit late to tag anyone else but thanks Sophie for tagging me.xx

I Heart Cookbooks. A Girl Called Jack Review

March 12, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

Most of you will know that I’m a little obsessed with cookbooks. I will sit down with a cookbook and devour it as if it were a novel. My shelves are creaking slightly with the weight of my obsession.

I have books from all sorts of celebrity chefs..as well as all old classics such as the Good Housekeeping Cookery Book which is around 30yrs old and some of Mary Berrys first books. I’m going to review all of my favourite ones on here.

Quite often I will receive a book as a present and I will read it from front to back, drooling over pics and marvelling at the ideas but I may not actually cook from it for quite some time. Last week I bought a book and I had quite the opposite reaction.

Well I say I bought the book but I actually bought the Kindle version.. Which I kinda regret now. I’ve had the book about 10 days and I’ve made 4 recipes from it. One of those recipes I’ve made 4 times. So obviously I love the book. Which I didn’t expect to. I expected it to be good and for it help me create cheap meals but I didn’t really think I would love the food itself and the simplicity of the recipes.

Now of course I want to buy the paperback book as well…

Anyway..the book is A Girl Called Jack written of course by Jack Monroe the author of the blog of the same name. It boasts 100 delicious budget recipes and from what I’ve read and created so far that’s about right.

I bought mine for the bargain £6 on Amazon but I would happily have paid double that as its worth it.

So far we have made:

The Famous 9p burger which consists of carrots,kidney beans and cumin – maybe you wouldn’t look at that combo and think yum but try it and you will certainly be surprised.

The Soda Bread – now the fact that I’ve made this 4 times in 10 days will tell you how much I like this easy peasy bread recipe. Incredibly simple and light on ingredients but delicious when fresh and lovely toasted the day after. 5 stars from me!

The Tomato Soup – this was so popular with my toddler that she demanded seconds on the two occasions I made it. On my second attempt I made double the amount and it was equally good the next day.

The Chickpea and Peach Curry – this is incredibly good. Fruity, spicy and cheap 😀 I wasn’t sure how good it would be but I will definitely be making it again.

It went down a storm with myself, Andrew and Izzy who loved the chunks of peach.

Recipes I’m looking forward to trying:

Garlic, herb and lemon bread
White chocolate tea loaf
Chicken satay
Sausage and Beam Cassoulet
Diet Coke Chicken..

I could go on…..

If you are looking for a new cookbook I recommend this. If you need to save money on your meals or if you just like good food then you need this in your kitchen.

Seven Days In The Maldives? Yes Please

March 10, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 1 Comment

I’m not the type of blogger who writes about things which are in the news. Well not really. Occasionally something will annoy me or frustrate me but really that’s not what my blog is about. Today however I read the stories about the Duke and Duchess and their luxury holiday and it made me think. It really made me think.

You see before we had Izzy we travelled a lot. 4-5 foreign holidays a year was the norm. Izzy was unexpected shall we say and we were certainly not at all prepared for being parents. I remember conversations before she was born where we would chat about how when she was six months old we would feel comfortable leaving her with our parents and going on holiday just us two again.

Gambia 2010

And our last pre baby holiday in Peniche 2011

Of course that was before she arrived and turned our world upside down. She’s now 2.5yrs old and so far we have left really overnight to go to London and now we have two. Chloe is exclusively breastfeeding so it will be a while before that changes I imagine.

That’s what happens. Becoming a parent changes you. It changes how you think. Even if before you have a baby you insist you won’t change..you will. Even if after giving birth you insist you haven’t change you have. It’s impossible not to.

You may think from reading this that I think William and Kate have done something wrong. But I don’t. Not really. Actually not at all.

I wish I could do it. I wish I could go away and spend uninterrupted quality time with my partner. Because that’s important it really is.
In fact that relationship must be looked after, fed and watered or like a plant it will wither and die.

So why can’t I do it? Well the Maldives is a little out of my price bracket to start with but a cheaper holiday would easily be doable.
We have excellent childcare options with either set of grandparents where I know my children would be well looked after and I would LOVE that amount of time with my man.

But I can’t. Not now at least, probably not for a long time. I worry. I worry that my child will be upset or hurt or ill and I will be thousands of miles away with no way of returning home in a hurry and the thought of one of my children needing me when I’m not around..not just for one day but for seven fills me with dread.

I don’t think holidaying without your children is wrong, in fact in some ways it sounds wonderful. If you can do it I’m envious and I will admit that. We all NEED time without our children, just being adults, just being a couple and it doesn’t mean that we love them any less. I think I have to accept its going to take me a while to be able to do it but I’m aiming for a weekend away .. maybe in the UK next year. Start small 😉

I won’t holiday without my children. Not yet. That doesn’t make me a better mother than people who do. Just a different one.

Read this fabulous blog post by my lovely friend Sophie of Franglaise Mummy for a different view about her holiday without her little ones and how it helps her relationship. It may have made me slightly jealous.

Really Lemony Lemon Cake

March 10, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 4 Comments

If I were to choose a slice of cake to indulge in then normally it would be chocolate cake. My OH however isn’t a massive fan of chocolate cake and seeing as it was his birthday this week I thought it would be nice to make something special for him. Unfortunately as with all good plans something came up.. Or lots of things actually. Spots. My oldest daughter has chicken pox and is suffering with it so my time for baking has been limited.

I would never let him have a birthday without a homemade cake so at 11.30pm a few nights ago I was still hard at work in the kitchen making a fairly simple but tasty cake. It’s not extravagant or perfectly decorated but its definitely indulgent!

For the cake:

You will need..
4 Large eggs (pref free range)
225g Golden caster sugar
225g SR flour
2 tsp baking powder
225g softened butter
Zest of one lemon
1tsp lemon extract ( not essence! I used Sicilian lemon from Morrisons)

Preheat your oven to gas mark 4. Grease and line two sandwich tins (20cm)

Place all ingredients into your mixing bowl or food mixer and either beat with a wooden spoon until smooth or mix at a high speed for a few minutes until lump free and a smooth consistency. Divide between two tins and bake for 25 minutes or until golden and will spring back when pressed lightly. Remove from tins carefully and cool on a wire rack before filling and icing.

For the buttercream filling and topping:

125 g soft butter
250 g icing sugar, sifted
Juice of 1 small lemon
50g of dark chocolate

Beat your butter until smooth and gradually add in your icing sugar then your lemon juice and blend well.

Use half as a filling and half to top your cake. Grate some dark chocolate over the top.

Enjoy.

Siblings – March

March 10, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

This month I seem to have a million photos of my girls separately but not as many of them together which is unusual as Izzy spends most of her day at Chloe’s side. So Daddy is slightly in this pic too but it’s the best I have – will try harder next month. I’m loving this monthly record and watching how my girls grow alongside each other. Each month brings new developments for both of them and new challenges for us. As hard as it can be sometimes I’m loving being a mother of two

Silent Sunday

March 9, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 1 Comment

Lasting Change – Team Honk Digital Postcard

March 8, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 1 Comment

Team Honk – a group of bloggers who have helped raise awareness and a sizeable chunk of money through social media and blogging have headed to Tanzania to find out the difference donations to last years Sports Relief have made.

Find out more about the Team Honk Team here the team is made up of some of my favourite bloggers/tweeters and I’ve followed their fundraising journey with interest over the last year. I am incredibly inspired by the energy and effort they have put into Sports Relief.

They have been sharing digital postcards with bloggers all over the UK telling us the stories behind the inspirational women they have met.

This is Lucy – Through mentoring and training the Gatsby Trust gave Lucy the confidence to develop her business and to network after moving from the countryside to the city, She is an inspirational creative who brought out so many beautiful, imaginative handcrafted items to show us. More than that she is a teacher and looks forward expanding her business by training other women who want to start up craft and textile businesses.

You can get involved with a Sports Relief Event or simply make a donation by clicking here

In The Night Garden Live 2014 – Discount Code

March 6, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

You may remember that I reviewed In The Night Garden Live last year at the O2. It was a spectacular show and I’m really excited that we will be going again later this year.

You can read my review for last years show here

We (myself and Andrew) were really impressed with the show and Izzy just loved it. 1 year later she is still a huge ITNG fan and tonight informed me that the Tombliboos are now her favourites.

Here is some info on this years show:

IN THE NIGHT GARDEN LIVE 2014
Staged event of the BAFTA award-winning CBeebies children’s TV show

CHILDREN’S SUMMER CLASSIC DATES FOR 2014

Live Quarter at The O2, LONDON: 29 May – 14 June
Old Deer Park, RICHMOND: 21 June – 5 July
Cannon Hill Park, BIRMINGHAM: 12 – 26 July
The Trafford Centre, MANCHESTER: 2 – 23 August
Queen’s Park Recreation Ground, GLASGOW: 30 August – 13 September

TICKETS ON SALE FROM 31 JANUARY
BOX OFFICE: 0333 300 0023
www.NightGardenLive.com

It’s a show we recommend and so much so that we have a discount code to share with you so that you can get some money off your tickets.

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