Family Natters

If you are anaemic, want to be healthy or lose weight, this is the recipe for you. It’s so tasty that James and I have been known to fight over the final helping.

Ingredients

2 bags or bunches of watercress

1 medium onion

2 chicken stock cubes

2 oz butter

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 pint milk

optional cream to garnish

Method

Chop the onion and sweat with 1 oz butter for 10 minutes

Roughly chop the watercress, then add it to the pan and sweat for 5 minutes

Turn the heat up a little and add the flour and remaining butter. Stir constantly.

Make up and add 1 pint of hot chicken stock up using the 2 stock cubes. Continue to stir.

Boil the milk and add slowly.

Simmer for 20 – 25 minutes.

Allow to cool then liquidize.

If you wish, add a swirl of cream to serve.

We test… Cadbury’s Choc Spread V Tesco’s

Halloween is not complete without ghoulishly decorated buns.

Kids not only learn important early maths and social skills from making Halloween buns, but have all the enjoyment of eating them too!
With pre-schoolers use words such as one, two, three, more, less, half, round, on top below and under; and let them weigh or measure out ingredients (if you dare).

Simply buy or bake plain buns then top with either melted chocolate or icing.
Decorate with either bought mini Halloween sweets or make your own from choclate buttons, liquorish, hundreds and thousands and jellied candies.
What are your bun decoration ideas?

Here are ideas on how to make your child’s packed lunch nutritious, tasty and appealing. The suggestions are in line with the UK’s School Food Trust which recently released a model packed lunch policy which asks that packed lunches should not include:

snacks such as crisps
confectionery such as chocolate bars, chocolate-coated biscuits and sweets
meat products such as sausage rolls, individual pies and corned meat
Lunch A

wholemeal bread + ham sandwiches
fresh orange juice
apple
grapes
cheese and baked crisp dip
yoghurt
Lunch B

prawn salad
apple juice
satsuma
strawberry mousse
pack of dried fruit

Bonfire Night just isn’t the same without toffee apples. This recipe is easy enough for children to follow.

Ingredients
6 red + green apples
6 lolly sticks
30g/1oz butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
225g/8oz granulated sugar
110ml/4fl oz water

Method
1. Push the wooden sticks halfway into the apples near the stalk.
2. Put the sugar and water in a heavy duty pan and dissolve over a gentle heat.
3. Add the butter and syrup and slowly bring to the boil.
4. Boil without stirring until the toffee cracks softly.
5. Remove from the heat and dip each apple into the toffee, making sure they are completely coated
6. and leave to harden on a baking try lined with baking paper

One Response to “Kids Toffee Apple Recipe: Bonfire Night”

1. 1

   farmingfriends Says:
   These sound delicious. I will be making them today.I have a halloween treat on my site for you. http://www.farmingfriends.com/halloween-sweet-treat/ Sara from farmingfriends

Lots of kids I know are fussy eaters. Tom for instance just eats the same small range of foods. I usually end up bribing him to eat veg. by offering him a desert if he’ll eat so many mouthfuls.

The book Mange Tout boasts its 100% effective at changing children’s attitudes to fruit + veg. It lists activities, games and rhymes you can use to gain children’s interest and make eating fun e.g asking your child if they can brush their teeth with a carrot. I was particularly interested in the simple serving ideas as I’m rubbish at thinking up appetizing ways to offer fruit and veg I don’t eat myself.

I am going to see if it can help improve Tom’s diet. Watch this space.

My Jambalaya requires only 1 pan, 9 easy-to-come-by ingredients and 15 minutes of preparation time. It is healthy wholemeal brown rice, tomatoes, onions, kidney beans, red peppers, peas plus (if you wish) the meat or fish of your choice. A Cajun favourite of mine that gives you your 5 portions of veg with easy.

Utensils

big frying pan or wok

chopping knives and board

Ingredients

2 chopped onions

350g brown wholemeal rice

1 can tomatoes

900ml veg. stock

1 can red kidney beans

1 red pepper, seeded + chopped

100g peas

*15ish king prawns

*275g shelled mussels

(* if you wish. Some people substitue chicken, shrimp, sausage or duck; just make sure it’s properly cooked)

Instructions

1. Heat 2 table spoons of oil in the pan or wok.

2. Add and saute the onions for 3 mins.

3. Add the 350g of dry rice and fry for 2 mins.

4. Stir in the can of tomatoes and veg. stock.

5. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 mins until tender.

6. Stir in drained kidney beans, red pepper, mussels, prawns, peas and seasoning.

7. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Some people add 1 chopped green chilli and or chilli powder, but I don’t.