Warm you up

I just love snuggling up with my little ones and loved ones and getting all cosy. They love hot chocolates and I try and keep having a hot chocolate for a special treat. It's getting cold, we are all full of snuffles so before bed this evening we got our pj's and dressing gowns on and had a special treat - a hot chocolate. 

My children are dairy intolerant, so having a hot chocolate can be problematic. I use their dairy free milk which is called 'oatley' which you can get from any supermarket in the 'dairy free' section. The oatley has added calcium and as it is made from oats it is a natural healing product. I use coco powder and sugar to make up the hot chocolate. Then we have marshmallows on top to make it extra special.

It is a total treat and perfect for these cold winter nights. We sit around the table, and I ask them to tell me one good thing and one bad thing about their day. Then I ask them to tell me something they are thankful for. 

It's the perfect end to everyone's day. The hot chocolate warms our tummys and the conversation warms our hearts.

Try it with your loved ones and keep warm xx

Quick and easy party hair ideas with a vintage twist.

Going on a night out, party season is approaching fast. No time to do anything with your hair, then check out this little tutorial. 

http://view.ceros.com/monsoon-accessorize/how-to-style-party-hair/p/1 

Don't worry if it's no exact or if it's bit messy if will look quirkier.

Give it a go and be playful.

Enjoy xx

Give your furniture a make over

Having a family of five, storage is very important in our house as we have so much stuff! I needed a chest of drawers that I could fit all of my children clothes in. I bought this chest of drawers from IKEA that does the job perfectly It's big and functional but a little overpowering. 

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/00067830/ 

I wanted to find a way of softening the chest of drawers so it wasn't so dominating in the room. And also so that it looked prettier. A good way of doing this is to change the door knobs. You can have them all the same colour if you have a colour theme going on in your room, or if like me you prefer the shabby chic look you can mix and match the door knobs. 

I spent time picking the door knobs up from different places. I love going into little shabby chic boutiques rummaging through the boxes of door knobs and picking them out. I ordered some on line also. You can pick them up anywhere. 

I love these for a country cottage feel 

http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/nkuku/product/fairtrade-daha-knobs 

or these could look ultra glam if you wanted a more sophisticated look 

http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/pushka/product/clear-cut-glass-cupboard-door-knob 

Why not have a brouse through and find some door knobs to give your chest of drawers a make over.

Happy searching!

Perfect food for the family

Cooking for a husband, a six and three year old and a nine month old with their own individual likes as dislikes can prove to be challenging. 

My husband likes tasty food and lots of it. My six and three year old like easy food that they can eat quickly so they can get on with their buy lives that consists of playing my little pony and spider man. Then there's my nine month old who is fiercely independent and loves finger food so she can feed herself.

I have found the perfect recipe to meet the needs of my demanding family. Annabel Kramel's chicken and apple balsa do the job perfectly. They are wholesome, easy to cook and the apple makes them sweet so the kids can't get enough of them. My husband likes them also as the thyme and parsley add extra taste.

I makes these at least once a week and there are no left overs. Why not give it a try for your family, or just for a tasty snack for yourself.

Here's the recipe:

1tbsp light olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated

2 chicken breasts cut into chunks

½tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1 chicken stock cube, crumbled (from one year old)

50g fresh white breadcrumbs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper (from one year old)

Plain flour for coating

Sunflower oil for frying        

Heat the oil in a medium-sized pan and sauté the onion for about 3 mins over a low-medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the onions to cool down.

Using your hands, squeeze out a little excess liquid from the grated apple. 

Mix the apple in a bowl with the chicken, cooled sautéed onion, thyme, crumbled stock cube and breadcrumbs then roughly chop in a food processor for a few seconds. Season with a little salt and pepper if you like.

Using your hands, form the chicken mixture into about 20 small balls, roll in flour and fry in shallow oil for about 5 mins until lightly golden and cooked through.

Bon appetite!! 

Yummy scrummy recipe

I love cooking, I get such an enjoyment out of making cakes, presenting them and offering them to friends and family with a cup of tea. My husband recently bought home a box of dark and white Lindor chocolates. These are my favourite chocolates and I get quite excited about cooking with them. My mind started ticking over as to how I can mix these delicious chocolates into a cake.

Although I love making cakes, until recently they haven't always turned out too well. That is until I started using Mary Berry recipes. I find her recipes fool proof, literally every cake I make using her recipes turn out fantastic. I found her 'Death by chocolate' recipe and decided to use my Lindors in it.

Here is an online recipe of it:

http://taleof2kitchens.net/2013/02/20/death-by-chocolate-cake-from-mary-berry/

I made the cake as instructed, except for the icing where I used the dark Lindor chocolates instead of plain chocolate. It was heaven watching the little chocolate balls melt in with the butter. Then I cut the white Lindors in half and put them on top of the cake.

All I needed to finish everything was my friends and a cup of coffee.

This is definitely double death by chocolate.

Why not try it at home.

Enjoy!! 

Statement piece ideas

I'm currently helping a friend make her home more homely. She's done all the hard work, fitting a new kitchen, bathroom, knocking down walls etc but now she would like help with the soft furnishings. That's where I come in, and I love doing this stuff.

I would like to share my advice with you too. Go for statement pieces of furniture, colour scheme throughout and do your research on what your style is for example country cottage, shabby chic, vintage, modern industrial, minimal. Stick with that style throughout your house.

I will share with you some lovely statement pieces I have found, I will try and look at a range of price options.

Here's my first find.

Statement lamp

Ideal

http://www.lauraashley.com/table-lamps/cream-birdcage-lamp/invt/3391634

Great deal

http://www.dunelm-mill.com/shop/cream-birdcage-table-lamp-155465#5050210657124

This birdcage lamp would be a great statement piece in your living room. It gives a vintage, shabby chic feel to any living room.