Emmeline's Rainbow Birthday Party

Our sweet little Emmeline turned two on Saturday and we celebrated by having a rainbow-themed birthday party!  There were about 40 guests so Emmeline's home was full and happy.

Fortunately, we were blessed with some warm spring sunshine, so the children were able to play in the garden.

Emmie having sunscreen applied and wearing a hat.  Good girl.

My post is a bit late because I needed a couple of days to recover after the hoopla, the craziness, the extravaganza that was....

You know I like to go on a bit when I'm describing our parties, so grab a cup of tea, settle in and prepare for lots and lots of colour!

Lots of rainbow treats, rainbow outfits and rainbow decorations.  It resulted in one very happy birthday girl.

Douglas was an enthusiastic decorator with balloons (also loved the rainbow shirt and socks).

and Nigel as chief grill master whipped up a delicious BBQ dinner.

Alun also helped with the preparations:-

The treat table had lots of yummy rainbowy goodness.

And the yummiest part  - Gemma's famous cupcakes from Gemma's kitchen!  Grandad also helped in the kitchen, decorating and chief gardener.

There was also a healthy option.  Skewers of rainbow fruit,

With strawberry, orange, pineapple, kiwi fruit, two blueberries and a red grape.

An ice cream buffet table and of course, jelly.  You can't have a party without jelly, this time in every colour of the rainbow.  Bring on the sugar!

Actually, I think this was quite an accomplishment for me.  They took 16 hours to make.  I used  packets of strawberry, orange, lemon, lime, raspberry (with a couple of drops of blue food colouring to make blue jelly) and  blackcurrant jellies. I started with the blackcurrant flavour, adding 20 ml (4 teaspoons) of jelly mixture each to 30 disposable plastic wine glasses and then allowed two hours for each layer to set.  I also made sure the jelly was cool when I poured it on to a set jelly.  Then squirty cream and hundreds and thousands to decorate.  Unfortunately, I forgot to put the squirty cream on the table (it got left in the 'fridge - always forget something at a party) but there was lots of ice cream for the children.  The adults started to add a new coloured layer.  GREY as in Grey Goose Vodka!

Anyway, I think it was well worth the effort.

As I said it was a super fun, super colourful rainbow party for both adults and children.  Couldn't wait to tell their friends about it:-

However, the real 'WOW' factor was Gemma's rainbow layered birthday cake!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Emmie, Happy Birthday to you.

I have no idea how she made it but it was delicious as well as clever.

Food aside, a child's party is nothing without some great fun and creative play.

The most amazing balloon sculptor arrived.  Words fail me -

How does he do that?

What to do with little guests when everyone is arriving?  A colouring competition.

and Bubbles (both for children and adults).

Next we played "Pin the Pot o' Gold on the end of the Rainbow".

Grandad helping to make the Rainbow.  Nature is very clever, it was quite hard to do.  Involved a pencil, string and ruler.

The finished product:-

And the game:-

Then, of course, Pass the Parcel.  Each layer was wrapped in a different rainbow coloured tissue paper with rainbow stickers for prizes between the layers and a kaleidoscope as the main prize.

Alun used appropriate music:- Somewhere Over the Rainbow
                                               The Rainbow Connection
                                               Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.

Thanks to all her friends and family, Emmeline had a wonderful day.

Pulled Pork Recipe

Heard about this recipe at Slimming World and it is going to become a firm favourite.  Served it to Caroline and Mike whilst nursing Chloe with Chickenpox and Caroline with a sore throat, so very easy to do.  You can cook it in the oven and the glaze will go more sticky but I did mine in the slow cooker which kept the sauce more fluid.  Enjoy.

900 kg boneless pork roast
1 carton passata
5 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp mustard powder
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp brown sugar or sweetner if on a diet
black pepper

In a small bowl, mix tomate puree, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, mustard power, garlic and seasoning.  Transfer to a small pan and simmer for 15 minutes, or until sauce thickens.

Meanwhile, trim and remove all visible fat from the pork and sear all sides in a hot pan sprayed with fry light or olive oil.  Transfer to a roasting tin lined with aluminium foil and pour the sauce over the pork making sure all the meat is covered.  Cover with the foil and bake on 160 C for 4 - 5 hours or like me bung it in a slow cooker on low all day.

Remove the pork from the oven/slow cooker and place on a cutting board.  Allow the meat to cool for approximately 15 minutes, then shred into bite- sized pieces using two forks.

Serve with

Lettuce, Beetroot, Coleslaw (make your own with shredded cabbage, carrot and onion and fat free natural fromage frais and a pinch of mustard powder) and Chips (sin free, of course.)  Preheat oven to 220 C.  Cut potatoes into wedges, I like to leave the skins on.  Wash and dry thoroughly.  Line a baking tray with non-stick foil.  Place potatoes in tray and spray well with Fry Light.  Cook for approx. 30 mins.

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday and Spring should be in the air.  The sun did appear but the wind was still very cold.

However, the Easter bunny arrived for our Easter Egg Hunt................

The idea of an egg-laying rabbit was taken to America in the 1700s by German immigrants.  They told their children if they were good the Easter bunny would leave them coloured eggs.

Chloe and Emmie had been very good so they hopped on down to find the Easter eggs.  They had a great time running around finding the hidden Easter bunny drawings.

With the weather being so cold Easter was like another Christmas.  (We even had a turkey, but no Christmas pudding.  Instead a hot Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding, which everyone enjoyed, so recipe at the end of this blog).  Not that I'm complaining - any excuse for family time, celebrations, drinking champagne at lunch-time and cute decor is good for me.

Table all ready for lunch:-

and the family - Alun, Gemma, Emmie, Caroline, Mike, Chloe, Doug, Sofia, Balou, Stuart, Tina and Chris

With this cold weather life seems to be on hold at the moment whilst we wait for Spring.  I'm fed up of this never ending winter.  I want to wear summer clothes and sandals and go out without a coat, scarf, gloves and boots.  However, Easter holiday weekends can be notorious for their weather, and part of the blame for this is that the dates of Easter can fall between March 22nd and April 25th, when the weather can range from freezing to heatwave.  One of the most surprising things is that snow has often fallen over Easter.  In the past 50 years there have been more than a dozen white Easters.  Parts of the UK still had snow this Easter.

I hope everyone had a great Easter break.

Spring is coming:-

Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding.

It is quite simply one of the most brilliant hot puddings ever invented.  It's so simple but so good - and even better prepared two days in advance.  Serve in small portions because it is very rich.  Though I doubt if there will be any left over, it's also wonderful cold.

9 slices, thick good quality white bread, 1 day old, taken from a large loaf
5 oz (150g) dark continental chocolate with 75% cocoa solids
15 fl. oz (425 ml) whipping cream
4 tablespoons dark rum
4 oz (110g) caster sugar
3 oz (75g) butter
A good pinch cinnamon
3 x size 1 eggs

To serve: Double cream, well chilled

You will also need a shallow ovenproof dish 7 x 9 inches (18 x 23 cm) base and 2 inches (5 cm) deep, lightly buttered.

Begin by removing the crusts from the slices of bread, which should leave you with approximately 9 x 4 inch (10 cm) squares.  So now cut each slice into 4 triangles.  Next place the chocolate, whipping cream, rum, sugar, butter and cinnamon in a bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, being careful not to let the bowl touch the water, then wait until the butter and chocolate have melted and the sugar has completely dissolved.  Next remove the bowl from the heat and give it a really good stir to amalgamate all the ingredients.
Now in a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and then pour the chocolate mixture over them and whisk again very thoroughly to blend them together.
Then spoon about a 1/2 inch (1 cm) layer of the chocolate mixture into the base of the dish and arrange half the bread triangles over the chocolate in overlapping rows.  Now pour half the remaining chocolate mixture all over the bread as evenly as possible then arrange the rest of the triangles over that, finishing off with a layer of chocolate.  Use a fork to press the bread gently down so that it gets covered very evenly with the liquid as it cools.
Cover the dish with clingfilm and allow to stand at room temperature for 2 hours before transferring it to the fridge for a minimum of 24 (but preferably 48) hours before cooking.  When your're ready to cook the pudding, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4 350 F (180C).  Remove the clingfilm and bake in the oven on a
high shelf for 30 - 35 minutes, by which time the top will be crunchy and the inside soft and squidgey.  Leave it to stand for 10 minutes before serving with well- chilled double cream poured over.  Enjoy.

Delia Smith's Winter Collection.

Phil's Baileys Brulee

Gemma has lost this recipe so I thought I would blog it so we can always find it - no matter where we are in the world....

"This is a luxurious twist on an indulgent pudding, which makes it even more delicious".

Serves 6 - 8

185g egg yolks (9 or 10)
100ml Baileys
180 ml milk
400 ml cream
95g sugar
50g caster sugar, to glaze.

Heat the oven to 90C/Gas Mark 1.  Mix all the ingredients together with a whisk.  Allow the bubbles to settle, then pour into ramekins or brulee moulds.  Place on a tray and transfer to the oven.  Bake for 30 - 40 minutes until set around the outside of the mould, but soft and wobbly in the centre.  Remove from the oven and cool on the tray.  When cool, sprinkle with sugar, glaze with a blowtorch (Phil uses his big one) and serve.

Enjoy.

A very special Mother's Day

I really love Mother's Day and not just because I am a mum.  It's a wonderful opportunity to gather all the family together.

On Mothering Sunday, above all other,
Every child should dine with it's mother.

Sunday, 10th March, 2013 was Mother's Day here in the U.K. and Caroline and Gemma treated me to a delicious meal at Caroline's.  There were fabulous canapes with bubbles supplied by Gemma, then a prawn starter followed by excellent duck prepared by Caroline.  Gemma finished off the meal with a wonderful cheesecake.  How lucky am I and all my babies with me.

Thank you for the gorgeous presents, bling, bling, shoes, chocolates and a plant.  Emmie made me a card with her hand prints on.  I love anything with Emmie's hand prints on, including dirty windows after a visit!

She also made me some adorable Cup Cakes.

Emmie and Chloe had to try one and declared them delicious.  Lots of kissing from Chloe.

We brought  cow bells back from Wengen and they were a great hit with Chloe and Emmie.

Alun wanted one too!

Thank you Alun, Gemma, Emmie, Caroline, Mike and Chloe for a fabulous Mother's Day.

We didn't have fresh snow whilst in Wengen but Monday it snowed in Milford on Sea!

Skiing in Wengen

There are no roads to Wengen, but the journey is part of the adventure. This is the cog railway we took to Wengen from the station in Lauterbrunnen.

Stepping off the quaint cog train is like stepping back in time.  Children still get around on their toboggans in this magical village amid the Jungfrau mountain range.

Wengen is simply - stunning.  We stayed at the Hotel Caprice which is a centrally located, 4 star boutique hotel offering fantastic views of the valley from our large, sun-blessed balcony.  Up, Up, Up, Up in a Balloon

Fly so high I can touch the moon:-

Yes the view from our room is well..................You decide.

The views across the valley are stunning.  They get even better higher up, when the famous trio of peaks comes fully into view - the Monch (Monk) in the centre protecting the Jungrau (Maiden) on the right from the Eiger (Ogre) on the left.

Or you can fly in

Andy, Tony and Phil.  The Boy Racers.

The Jungfrau Region, in the heart of the Bernese Oberland, stretches just 18 kilometres from its 'capital' of Interlaken to the snow-capped summit of the Jungfrau massif.  But what a remarkable region!  Your first impression is the breathtakingly beautiful scenery, so glorious that no picture postcard can possibly do it justice.  The region includes such renowed resorts as Grindelwald, Wengen and Murren.  The boys skied them all.  The world-famous Eiger North Wall is its landmark.

and the beautiful glaciers

It's not only ski-ing that's on offer here.  As well as the miles of ski pistes available, this Swiss holiday resort boasts some wonderful cleared paths for walkers.  Wengen also hooks up to the picturesque villages of Grindelwald and Murren, via its railway and cable-car system.  Rosie and Lynda walked many miles.

Pauline and I decided to join Class 4 Intermediates for some much needed skiing technique.  Over the years the style of skiing has changed.  On my first lesson Sabine said you are a good skier but you could be even better with carvers.  So very kindly that evening Phil bought me some new skis.  My old ones were ten years old.

Class 4 - Mary, Tim, Pauline, Hugh, Sabine (the excellent instructor) Me with my new skis and Alistair.

Sabine's family have been and are in the Swiss national team.  So, of course, she had to do the Lauberhorn live with us.  This classic among donwhill ski races - the famous Lauberhorn downhill - can be experienced by every skier.  The whole course can be skied, including the Russisprung (Russi Jump), Hundschopf (Dog's Head Jump) Minschkante (Minsch Edge) Canadian Corner, Langentrejen and Ziel-S (Finishing S).  One of the highlights is the Hanneggschuss speed section:  can you reach 100 km/h?  My time: 66 km/h!
Exciting.

Our lesson was three hours every morning and at 1 p.m. we were ready to stop at the Wigwam, Kleine Scheidegg.

and enjoy a well earned lunch at the nearby Bellevue.

A ski-ing holiday offers many things: thigh-burning exercise, mountain air, hearty lunches and the chance to get up early the next day and do the same again.