I’m all for messy play. We’re a clay modelling, painting, papier mache kind of a family. The house is far from pristine. I figure I’ll find my house proud self once the children leave home. (Who am I kidding?) Creative activities are great, but nothing makes me happier than a messy play style activity that involves something edible at the end of it. Hence why my boys have taken over Friday tea time and turned it into #Friesday. READ MORE
Do you remember double art on a Friday? I do. It was magical. The opportunity to spend half an afternoon before the weekend in some kind of wonderful world of zen; colouring, painting, modelling clay. It was the perfect start to the weekend. A treat! A welcome break from Monday’s double physics and Wednesday morning’s double whammy of maths and chemistry. READ MORE
January is almost drawing to a close and it feels colder by the day to me. The heating is cranked up, Christmas is long gone, the winter woollies are well and truly on and gloves are de rigueur upon setting foot outside. It’s what my late grandmother would have called ‘bracing’. Weather to clear the cobwebs away, weather to demand wellingtons and of course, weather to demand roasted meats and veg. READ MORE
How’s January going? Busy? Cold? A little bit, ahem, all over the place? Same here. I always feel that as a family we plod through January in a fug of minor disorganisation, sleep walking our way back to normality after all the stodgy delights and late nights of yuletide. So culinary shortcuts, albeit delicious healthy ones, are very much part of my January plan to get us all back into the swing of things. READ MORE
Sweet potato and butternut squash didn’t feature too regularly in my life until I had children, but my I am glad they do now. Sweet potatoes count towards one of your five a day so this is a great recipe to serve to the whole family that will satisfy that chip craving whilst still keeping everyone healthy. This recipe serves about 4.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1kg sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into chunky wedges
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Black pepper
1/2 x 28g pack fresh-flat leaf parsley
Pop 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil into a roasting tin then put into a preheated oven 200C/Fan 180/Gas 6. Once the oil is hot add the prepared sweet potatoes, garlic and black pepper to the roasting tin and give them a little shake, then roast for 35 – 40 minutes, lastly add extra flavour with some chopped fresh parsley.
Holly Bell 