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Country Kids – October

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Tis the month of illness here. My little family and my extended family and circle of friends have been hit by bug after bug after bug. In our house alone over the last 10 days we have a rather nasty cold virus and a stomach flu. Chloe has also been teething and sleeping as poorly as ever so it’s fair to say we are all a bit drained.

Yesterday was easily a day which could have been spent curled up under a blanket with us all feeling rather sorry for ourselves but we forced ourselves to get dressed and out into the crisp autumn sun for some fresh air.

We weren’t out for long but it definitely made me feel more awake and the kids seemed to enjoy. We popped on our wellies and jumped about in some big puddles down near a local coastal path:

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We also hit the beach and studied the large piles of driftwood and seaweed which would have made for far prettier photos but we were having too much fun to take any!

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

Simple Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

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When I make pulled pork normally it’s a bit of a long, drawn out affair. I make up a rub, massage it all in and leave overnight to soak in. I then cook for at least 8 hours in a traditional oven before pulling.

It’s pretty amazing and I make it every few months or so.

I don’t always have the time or inclination for the fuss of proper pulled pork so I’ve created my own cheats version which also happens to be very budget friendly due to the cheap cut of meat and also the low energy from cooking via the slow cooker.

This simple pulled pork has only 5 ingredients, can be prepared in 5 minutes or less and popped into the slow cooker in the morning ready for dinner that evening. Oh and it tastes incredible.

Simple Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

You will need:

1 Pork Shoulder ( I used a 1kg shoulder from Aldi which cost just £2.89)
3 tbsp of dark brown sugar or molasses
2 tbsp of sweet smoked paprika
2 tbsp of mustard ( I used English)
1/2 tsp of Crushed black pepper
* Optional – 4 tbsp of your fave BBQ sauce – we love Newmans sticky hickory.

Prepare your pork shoulder by quickly removing the string, skin and fat and setting aside. Rub in your mustard, sugar, black pepper and paprika – get as much into the meat as you can.

 

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Place in the slow cooker on high for 4hours then low for 5. You could just put on low for about 12 hours instead. Test your pork is ready by using a fork to pull some meat, if it comes away easily and is tender then it’s ready to pull. Drain the liquid into a jug then use two forks to pull the meat apart. Now you have two options, you can return some of the cooking liquid to the pot and mix in with the meat and serve which tastes fabulous or if you want more of a barbecue style taste you can add your BBQ sauce. Mix and replace lid, leave on low until ready to serve.

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Notes:

You can use a larger piece of meat just adapt the cooking times and amounts of seasoning.

You do not need to add liquid. The meat will provide enough liquid.

There are lots of different ways you can serve pulled pork. To top an epic burger is a fave of ours but I do love it served simply in a fresh white bread roll. So good.

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This serves 4 quite easily.

It Makes Me So Sad

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This is something that Izzy has started to say..usually for funny reasons like..Mr Tumble has finished ..it makes me so sad ..or I can’t see Nanna today..it makes me so sad.

Today we left Izzy at a local nursery/preschool for the first time. She’s 3 years old but doesn’t start nursery at her school until January so this is something we have decided to do once a week to get her used to us not always being around. And guess what – it made her so sad.

She had minor hysterics and had such an incredibly sad face that I had tear myself away knowing that what I was doing was for her own good. So she is there and I am here sat near the phone just waiting until it’s time to go and get her. Chloe is in bed. This is the peace I always crave. But I miss her.

I doubt that by this point she is missing us at all, she is probably making new friends..eating snacks..painting but we aren’t there to see what she does. Will the teachers spot her toilet signs..her wiggly dancing bum which means it’s really time to have a wee NOW. Will they know when she needs a cuddle or wants a drink. How can they know how to look after my child in the way I would look after her.

She will be gone for just two hours but already my house is silent, her giggling and nagging is already missed and I’m sat here in my peaceful house crying just a little tear for the mayhem which I’ve grown so used to.

I used to wonder why my sisters got so upset at their children approaching milestones. I totally get it now. Every milestone is a step further from us. A step away from them being completely ours.

And this. Well it makes me so sad.

Jumping In Muddy Puddles

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A little while ago we were sent some Muddy Puddles goodies to review for Izzy and Chloe but the weather has been pretty good for the last few months so we haven’t had a chance yet to try them BUT I think the products are so fab that I wanted to share them with you while you still get the opportunity to snap them up before the real autumn and winter weather hits us.

First up there is this 3 in 1 coat, snuggly onesie and mac which we were sent for Chloe:

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Now we have actually used this, well one part of it at least whilst at festivals throughout the summer. The fleecy inner suit was ideal for the cooler evenings especially later in the summer when we were at The Big Feastival. It was lovely and cosy and she seemed happy in it.

It’s great quality and although it seems quite expensive at £59.00 I think you have to look at the bigger picture and the fact that it’s essentially three separate products which altogether would cost you more than that.

Secondly we received these welly liners:

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Izzy loves wearing her wellies and although until this week it hasn’t really been cold enough for liners I’m sure they will be used very soon! She hates getting chilly and loves soft socks so I think this will be a big hit.

If you are looking to get things all ready for the change of seasonal wardrobes I highly recommend you go check the Muddy Puddles website.

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* As stated previously we were sent these items free of charge for the purpose of a review.

Slow Cooker Tomato & Chilli Chutney

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I hate waste. We were recently given a lot of tomatoes from a family member and as well as making Sundried tomatoes I decided to give Slow Cooker chutney a whirl.

I love chutney, I’ve made it several times on the hob and it’s always delicious. I really wanted to try and make some tomato and chilli chutney as it’s my favourite but I didn’t have the time or the energy to spend standing at the stove so I decided to give it a whirl in the slow cooker and woohoo it worked. Now I don’t normally abide by strict quantities for making chutney but I wrote down what I used this time and you can probably be a little flexible with it. This makes a fairly sweet chutney perfect for pairing with a strong cheese or in a nice ham toastie. Next time I make some I will change to red wine vinegar instead of sherry for a milder taste. You could also increase the chilli content for more of a kick – this is quite a subtle heat.

Slow Cooker Tomato & Chilli Chutney

You will need:


2 large red onions diced
750g of tomatoes, roughly chopped ( any variety you like or have a lot of)
3 apples, peeled, cored and chopped ( I used Gala)
1 cube of frozen ginger or an inch of fresh ( the frozen dissolves but fresh needs to be diced)
200g dark brown sugar
200g light brown sugar
175ml sherry vinegar
1 small dried or fresh chilli diced finely or 1/2 tsp of chilli flakes
150g of sultanas diced

Place all ingredients into your slow cooker and stir well. Place the lid on and cook in high for 5 hours. Don’t peek. Open up and stir again and leave on low for 8-10 hours. To thicken it more you can leave the lid off for last 30/40 mins of cooking but otherwise just spoon into jars leaving most of the liquid in the slow cooker. This made 2 large jars of chutney and it’s absolutely delicious.

You can eat it straight away as it’s a slow cooked chutney but it will be even better after storing for a few weeks.

I re use my jars so I wash thoroughly then sterilise in a hot oven.

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These would make fabulous Christmas gifts..if you can keep your hands off them for that long!

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And So This Is Christmas..

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Sorry. No really I’m sorry. Posting about Christmas in October? I am really sorry.

Go away now if you aren’t quite ready yet. I won’t be offended.

Arrgghhhhhhhh where did you all go?

Last week I asked on my social media channels if people were ready for some festive posts and I was surprised. A few of you said woah there but most of you are more than ready for a glass of baileys and Fairy tale of New York. I went with the majority..

Ok so I’m excited about Christmas this year. More so than last year.

Izzy is at the absolute best age for Christmas. Three years old.

Full of wonder at everything and still too young to doubt Old Santa Claus.

I’m already planning EVERYTHING I want to do with her and Chloe.

Chloe will be too young to participate in a lot of things but I’m excited to see her face around the Christmas lights and at the carol concerts – she loves a good singsong.

It’s also something positive, something fun and something to aim towards. I need this.

Not at all scary that I will be back in work then. No not at all. Really. Hmmmmmmm.

So you can expect lots of Christmas on the blog this year.

Recipes, Gift ideas, crafting fun.. Thrifty DIY hampers.. Festive photos and more….

I’ve nearly finished my Christmas present shopping for my (rather large) family. Now onto planning our Christmas menu. The best part hey?

And I’ve already made the chutney 🙂

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Have you started planning Christmas?

BBC Winter Good Food Show 2014 Discount Code & Giveaway

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Winter is creeping up on us.. The fleecy throws are out. Hot Chocolate is a staple feature and one very exciting event is quickly approaching!

The BBC Winter Good Food Show is at The NEC Birmingham from 27th – 30th November which makes it perfect timing for Christmas shopping for the foodies in your life.

Highlights this year include:

Supertheatre sessions from: John Torode, James Martin, The Hungry Bikers, The Two Greedy Italians as well as our favourite bakers Paul & Mary.

You could meet these guys strolling around the show..

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The Eat Well Pavilion: your chance to discover wholefoods, superfoods, free from products and natural ingredients, get advice from nutritional experts, learn healthy cooking techniques, sample a selection of delicious and nutritious food and drink, and live healthy from the inside out.

The BBC Good Kitchen: the perfect place to enjoy a relaxing lunch at the show where you can savour dishes inspired by bbcgoodfood.com’s seasonal recipes. £21.99 for 2 courses £24.99 for 3 courses To make a reservation, please call 0121 767 3663. We strongly advise you reserve a table in advance.

The Bakes & Cakes Tea Garden Enjoy a relaxed afternoon (or morning!) tea in the Bakes and Cakes Tea Garden. Watch the world go by, and plan the rest of your day over a delicious cuppa.

All this and you can shop till you drop.. Get all your Christmas presents for even the pickiest of family members:

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And SO much more.

Now for the best part. I have a 15% off discount code for you to use:

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And three of you lucky readers can win a pair of tickets just by entering the simple rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Gallery: Creative

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For quite a long time now I’ve been thinking about joining in with The Gallery, a weekly linky set up by Tara over on The Sticky Fingers Blog but for one reason or another I forget or something pops up.

I’m joining in with this weeks theme which is Creative. We are a fairly creative family. I love to bake and create in the kitchen. Andrew is super handy and makes everything around the house. Izzy loves to cut and paint and collect bits. Chloe likes to make a mess.

I am trying to be more creative with my photos. Maybe not always taking a photo from the same angle as before. Not always needing people to look at the camera before I take a shot.

This photo I took at a local beach. Nobody looked up while I snapped away. They were absorbed in the fun of the seaside. Exploring rock pools..being kids ( little and large).

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Why don’t you take a look at the other photos in the gallery:

Sticky Fingers Photo Gallery