It's Father's Day in just over a week. Last weekend Eddie and I wandered around the shops, looking for a present. We bought one of the bigger cards, having spent a long time looking at the cards, laughing and discarding them. My cheeky son has picked a card which said "Dad, you suck!", which you have to open like a concertina, and then the full sentence reads like "Dad, without you I'm stuck", or something like that. And though I was tempted to buy that card, it is mighty rude. So we opted for a more traditional Superhero-style card.
Are you thinking of getting a gift for your partner, father of your kids or your Dad?
Is he a jigsaw puzzle fan by any chance?
If he is, there is a splendid idea from Ravensburger, which could easily please any puzzle fiend - Take to the Skies 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle.
This puzzle is a colourful tapestry of all kinds of flying machines: from vintage to contemporary.
Here you will see light aircraft, gliders, helicopters, radio-controlled models, hot air balloons.
The main image is framed by the maps with bold fonts.
The artwork for the puzzle was created by Hampshire-based artist David Pen, who is a flight aficionado himself. His passion for flying things clearly shines through.
The finished puzzle measures 70x50cm when complete, and is suitable for ages 12+.
All puzzle pieces are made of high quality cardboard, with linen finish print to minimise glare on puzzle image.
I've been working on this puzzle a little bit at a time during the day, when my boys are at school. I get a cup of coffee, put Netflix on (watching The Pinkertons), spread the puzzle and enjoy a peaceful half an hour. I just need a little bit more time to finish it, but it's almost complete. I won't have a chance to do anything during the weekend, as my elder son goes on a school trip next week, and I need to make a list, check it many times, pack all his things etc.
This is a beauty of a puzzle, and will make a lovely gift, and not just for Father's day. Look at me, a jigsaw puzzle addict. Give me a puzzle any day, and I'm happy.
Disclosure: I received the puzzle for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are my own.
Goodness me, it's only one week to go until Father's Day.
Are you stuck for ideas for Father's Day gifts? You can always buy another Best Dad Ever mug (I'm laughing at myself, as the last time I counted we had at least three Dad mugs at home).
I plan to bake a cake, and Eddie will most likely do a homemade card for his Papa.
My late Dad loved crosswords, fishing and listening to the radio. He was also a very talented jeweller. One day I will find courage and write about him.
My father-in-law is into arts and fine whisky. We all have our passions and hobbies.
If your Dad or father of your child(ren) enjoys puzzles. there is a perfect gift for him - My Haven-The Man Cave 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle.
This puzzle is the second in My Haven series of Ravensburger puzzles, created by British artist Steve Read.
My Haven presents all kinds of havens and sanctuaries for different creative retreats and hobbies.
Last year I reviewed My Haven - The Craft Shed, which depicts a colourful scene inside a shed with the most beautiful garden view. I wish I had a shed like that to escape and relax with my hobby.
The Man Cave is suitable for ages 12+, and measures 70x50cm when complete.
Like all Ravensburger puzzles, it is made from strong premium grade cardboard, with linen finish print to minimise glare on puzzle image.
The Man Cave in the puzzle is a perfect hidey hole for any man, where he can concentrate on his numerous favourite hobbies. He clearly has several projects on the go.
The master of this creative chaos is not in the picture, must have nipped out to the loo.
His laptop is on, the big beer mug is waiting, and the fluffy dog is asleep in the corner.
Looks like the owner of this well-organised shed (or is it a house extension?) has quite a few hobbies - model building, photography, reading, playing musical instruments and doing online research. I wonder if he's researching his family history.
He's clearly also into sports - golf, cricket and rugby.
And he has the most comfortable looking armchair as well, lucky chap.
The overall design is colourful and very detailed.
This puzzle will make a lovely gift for any puzzle fan and might be a great idea for a Father's day gift.
Disclosure: I received the puzzle for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are my own.
Since we got a new oven delivered and installed last Saturday, I've been busy catching up on my baking. My old oven died of old age, it was not new when we moved to our house over 8 years ago, and in the last years had no light inside; every time I turned the fan on, it would make rumbling sounds like a mini tractor. It had a good life though, and was much used, baking winning cakes as well as some disasters. My latest oven is Neff, let's hope the famous German quality proves to be not just the stuff of myths.
Just today I baked shortbread for Millionaire's Shortbread recipe with Terry's Chocolate Orange. Terry's Chocolate Orange PR have got in touch with me, asking if I'd like to try one of their recipes on the run to the Father's Day.
Since all my three men have a sweet tooth, I knew it would be appreciated.
If you fancy making this lovely treat for Father's Day, here is the recipe, courtesy of Terry's Chocolate Orange. It's perfect for the whole family. My older son loved it.
So, first comes the recipe, then my thoughts on it.
Millionaire's Shortbread
The Terry's Chocolate Orange Millionaire's Shortbread is an irresistible twist on the traditional recipe; the crumbling shortbread base and indulgent caramel perfectly combine with the signature chocolate orange flavour for its top layer decorated with the iconic orange segments.
Prep time 45 minutes
Cook time 50 minutes
Makes 25 squares (or 15 bigger slices)
For shortberad:
135g butter, softened
175g plain flour
55g sugar
1 orange, zested
Topping:
379g can condensed milk
75ml golden syrup
150g butter
100g sugar
3 Terry's Chocolate Oranges
Preheat the oven to 180C/160 fan and line a 20x20 brownie tin. In the bowl of a food processor, add the butter and plain flour. Blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs and then add in the sugar and orange zest and blitz again to combine. Take the mixture out and work with your hands to form a ball of dough. Push the dough into the base of the lined tin until it is flat and even and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Meanwhile, prepare the caramel. In a large non-stick frying pan, heat the condensed milk, golden syrup, butter and sugar until the butter has melted and the mixture begins to boil. Stir constantly to keep it from burning. Turn the mixture down to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the colour starts to become golden brown. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl to cool and thicken slightly.
Once the shortbread is cooked, allow to cool for 10 minutes and pour the cooled caramel over the top. Allow to cool and then chill for 10 minutes while you melt the chocolate.
Bring a small pan of water to boil and place a heatproof bowl over the top making sure that the water does not touch the bowl directly. Break up the chocolate oranges into segments, reserving half of one for decoration and tip the rest into the bowl. Turn the heat down immediately to a gentle simmer and allow chocolate to gradually melt. stirring occasionally.
Once the chocolate has melted, remove the shortbread from the fridge and pour over the chocolate, making sure to spread it into the corners.
Use the remaining chocolate segments to decorate the top and then chill until firm.
Once the chocolate is set and you are ready to serve, slice into squares.
I followed the recipe precisely, and thought that there was too much of caramel sauce. It was a very thick layer of caramel, which is still quite soft, even after a few hours in the fridge. The chocolate has set well. Next time I'm making this recipe, I'll halve the amount of caramel.
You don't really need a food processor to make shortbread, hands are just fine for making crumbs.
I had to re-do the chocolate layer, as my first attempt at making the chocolate sauce produced a curdled chocolate. I have mixed cooking milk chocolate and one chocolate orange, and then the sauce turned glossy and easy to spread.
I liked the addition of orange slices, I think it's an inspired twist on a classic recipe.
My slices were all different sizes. I don't need Cherish from Creme de la Creme with her ruler to tell me that. I suspect she would run away in shock horror.
Will you be baking any sweet treats to celebrate the Father's Day?
Disclosure: I received several chocolate oranges for the purposes of testing the recipe. All opinions are our own.
La cucaracha, la cucaracha Ya no puede caminar. Porque no tiene, porque le falta, Dinero para gastar.
That's what I have been singing to Eddie, whenever we take out the board game "Bugs in the kitchen" or La Cucaracha from Ravensburger.
The first time we opened the box, we discovered a HEXBUG Nano inside it. Turn on the tiny switch, and eeek, it runs so fast. Catch it if you can.
The rules are simple enough. You start in the middle of the board, which is built like a maze of knives, forks and spoons. The bug begins its escape from the middle of the board, vibrating, turning around and finding ways to get out of the maze.
All the cutlery pieces move around, so you can trap the hex bug or encourage it to move around the board. Roll the dice, then turn the spoon or knife or fork (whichever appears on the dice) at 90 degrees. If you are lucky to trap the bug, you get a bug token, and the board is reset for the bug to begin its escape again.
Once a player traps the pesky hex bug five times, the game ends. So, that's the rules.
This is an exciting and fun board game, which could be enjoyed by the whole family. My little man and I were in stitches, trying to trap the bug.
The HEXBUG Nano is a little piece of minimalist art. Sadly, the battery didn't last very long. We had this game for about a couple of weeks, and though we didn't play every day, it already needs a new battery. The board game is supposed to come with a spare battery. I searched high and low, and couldn't find it. It's quite possible we discarded it with the packaging, so once you open the box, make sure you've found the spare battery, and keep it somewhere safe.
This board game will make a lovely present for a child's birthday, or even a gift for Father's day so that your partner and kid(s) could enjoy playing together. I can promise you lots of laughter.
Disclosure: I received the game for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are Eddie's and mine.
When I told Eddie we were going to bake some cupcakes today as a rehearsal for the Father's Day, he told me wistfully: "There's Mother's Day, there's Father's Day, when is the Children's Day?". I told him it was the day before yesterday, that's why he got two Hot Wheels cars as a gift. But he was adamant that we didn't celebrate it properly with a big cake. Father's Day is on the 21st of June, so we were doing an early trial of baking some tasty lemon cupcakes, which we plan to serve with a latte in a new magic mug from Truprint.
If cupcakes and latte don't rock your Papa's boat, Truprint has a whole range of gifts for Father's day, there is surely something that will catch your eye.
And to encourage you to spend your money on their range of gifts, Truprint is running a current offer for Father's day, where you can get up to £30 off with a code LOVEMYDAD (see full terms and conditions if you click on the link above, then scroll all the way down on their page).
Actually my husband is away for a few days this week, so we could bake and rehearse without him knowing about the gifts we are going to surprise him with on the day (we'll obviously bake a new batch of cupcakes then).
So, what's that about the magic mug, you may ask. This photo mug is a novelty customised mug, where you add a few photos as well as a message if you want. When you see the mug first, it's all black.
Pour the boiling water, and see how the mug is transformed into a mini-gallery of your favourite photos. I almost squealed with delight when the photos appeared on the mug. I don't know about my husband, but I certainly was as excited as a kid.
We have quite a few photo mugs at home, produced by different photo companies, but it's the first time I have seen a magic mug in action. And I loved it.
You can add up to 15 photos on each mug, though that might be a tad too crowded. I have picked six images of my boys, on their own, and with their Papa (we don't call him Daddy but Papa).
I have also ordered a set of six coasters, using the same images as appear on the mug, so they can be gifted as a set. And again, I loved them so much, that I am definitely going to order another set to give to my in-laws, as I know they'd love them too.
All these images bring happy memories, I know exactly where and when they were taken.
And the third gift from Truprint range is a classic acrylic block with the photo that I love. And though Papa already has several photos of our boys in his office, I'm sure he'll appreciate one more. It will look good among his boring academic books (the photo below shows the books at home).
We had a bit of a problem with this item when it arrived, as there was a white spot on the image. I wouldn't have been bothered much if it were on the clothes or interior, but it was on the face.
I emailed the customer services, they responded immediately, asked to look at the photo of the faulty item and promised to send a replacement. It arrived a couple of days later, so kudos to Truprint for listening and responding so fast.
What about our lemon cupcakes? Are you interested in reading our recipe?
Lemon cupcakes (makes 12) Ingredients:
1 big lemon, I used a Sorrento lemon, zest and juice
3 medium eggs
200g caster sugar
50ml limoncello (optional)
150g self-raising flour
100g cornflour
100g butter, melted
for toppings: a selection of mini lemon meringue sprinkles from Dr Oetker, pine nuts, icing made of icing sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice and Jelly Bellies
Grate the lemon zest. I used a Sorrento lemon, which I found in Waitrose. It is bigger than the standard lemon, with thicker and juicier skin and a great citrussy aroma. Beat the eggs with the sugar, add the lemon zest and juice, and limoncello if using. Mix well. Add the flour and cornflour and melted butter, mix until you have a very smooth batter.
Pour the cake batter into paper cupcake cases inserted into a cupcake baking tray. Sprinkle some mini lemon meringue sprinkles or pine nuts on the cupcakes before baking. Place the tray in the oven preheated to 180C and bake for about 20+ minutes. Check readiness with a wooden toothpick.
Take the cupcakes out of the oven and let them cool. If decorating with the icing, mix about 4 heaped tsp of icing sugar with lemon juice (just add a bit at a time until you get a runny consistency). That should be enough for 6 cupcakes. We did a mixed batch. Top up with a Jelly Belly.
Both of my boys loved the cupcakes, and I'm sure Papa will love them too, once he has a chance to try them on Father's Day.
I know he'll love all his gifts.
Disclosure: I received a credit to spend on gifts for Father's day at Truprint. All opinions are mine.
Minions. Do I need to say more? Most parents of younger children know them only too well. Their popularity might be only rivalled by Frozen. If you are a fan of mini-horrors, you'll be pleased to know that Ravensbuger has recently released not one but three Minions 3d puzzles, featuring these adorable little creatures. Ravensburger Minions 3D Puzzle (72 pieces) has oodles of appeal for any Minions' fan. This spherical puzzle comes in 72 shaped plastic pieces.
As always, with the Ravensuburger 3d puzzles, all the pieces are numbered for the ease of assembly, and have a little arrow pointing you in the direction where the next piece should go. They fit perfectly.
It is a bit tricky to finish the puzzle and fit in the last few pieces, as you globe is getting complete.
The design is colourful, funky and amusing, featuring your favourite characters. Once assembled, this puzzle measures 13cm in diameter. Turn the sphere and smile.
Ravensburger Minions 3d puzzle (72 pieces)
My younger son Eddie was happy with all three puzzles, but he said his favourite one was a Pirate-themed one. Of course. I had no doubt that he'd pick this one as his top choice. Minions dressed up as pirates. Who can resist?!
Ravensburger Minions Movie 3d Pirate Jigsaw puzzle
Ravensburger Minions Movie Mini 3D 54-piece Pirate Jigsaw Puzzle is a mini-sphere which comes with a stand. At 7cm in diameter, it is small enough to be on display on any shelf among the books and favourite toys.
Ravensburger Minions Movie 3d Pirate Jigsaw puzzle
And then there is Ravensburger Minions Movie 3D 54-piece British Jigsaw Puzzle which is also a mini-sphere on a stand. It is the same mini-size as the Pirate puzzle. But this time Minions are discovering London, and most likely plotting to take over the Cabinet.
Ravensburger Minions Movie 3d British Jigsaw puzzle
As you can see from my photos, all three jigsaw puzzles are very cute, bright in colour, cheerful and plain adorable. They will make fab gifts for the Minions fans of all ages. In fact, I know quite a few adults who are crazy about the Minions. Do you reckon they will be a super duper gift for the Father's day?
Ravensburger Minions Movie 3d British Jigsaw puzzle
Disclosure: we received the puzzles for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are mine.
It's Father's Day on Sunday, and not much time left to buy your Dad or partner and father of your kids a lovely present. If you're still not sure what to buy your Dad or partner, perhaps my list of ideas might help you.
Foodie Dad would appreciate a wonderful Cheeky Monkey banana chutney from The Garlic Farm. I don't know who came up first with a you-would-have-thought-a-preposterous idea of mixing bananas with garlic, but you have to try it to believe it is a great combination.
Another super gift for a Dad who loves his food (but is not necessarily a super cook himself) would be a Curry Favour Gift Bag from the Hawkshead Relish Company. A large jute bag comes with a great selection of foods like a Mango chutney, Hot Garlic Pickle, Chilli Jam, Relish Bombay Potato Mix, Relish Garam Masala and Lakeland lager. Don't forget to add some strong Cheddar and oatcakes! I bet your old man will tuck in with relish!
Photo reproduced with kind permission from The Hawkshead Relish Company
DIY Dad
Always looking for home and garden improvement projects? Then a Shed Tidy available from Handpicked is a must. Actually I don't know about our Daddy, but I certainly need one for my greenhouse to keep my gardening tools neat and tidy. It is a stylish container which would look well in any shed. But you have to hurry: their cut off ordering time for delivery in time for Father's day is 2pm on Thursday using Next Day delivery.
Photo reproduced with kind permission from Handpicked Collection
Well-Groomed Dad
I must have been very inattentive, but I've associated Dove with gentle care products for women, and their super models of traditional build. Yet Dove also does a super range for men. Dove Men+Care/Clean Comfort set includes two must-haves: a micro moisture body and face wash & a compressed deodorant, developed specifically for men's skin. This range is clinically proven to fight skin dryness. Hopefully now my dear husband would stop using my bath products.
Passion for Fashion Dad Jo Vane handmade sterling silver boat cufflinks from Vinnie & D are very elegant and stylish, even James Bond would be happy to wear them. I love the little embossed boat design and hammered silver effect on each cufflink. Vinnie & D mentioned it might be too late to order them now for Father's day, as they are handmade, and I left it until the last moment to do my list, but I'll keep them in mind for the next year or for a birthday gift for my husband.
photo reproduced with kind prmission from Vinnie & D
Gadget Dad
Your partner might have all the latest gadgets to play with, and you're not sure what gift he might want. Does he by any chance enjoy playing Lego with your little one(s)? Is he even more enthusiastic than your child? How about a Lego alarm clock (available widely, see Argos, John Lewis, Amazon etc)? There are so many to choose from, and this excellent Superman Lego alarm clock would appeal to men
Book Worm Dad
I've been admiring the latest releases from The Folio Society, the choice is splendid. Which book loving man would say No to a super edition of The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth?! The Folio Society books are well known for their sturdy boxes and marvellous illustrations, and whichever book you choose from their range, it surely would be a marvel of book art.
Photo credit: The Folio Society
Footie Dad
Any Dad who loves all things football and who cannot wait for the World Cup would truly appreciate this wonderful selection of biccies: The Half Time Mini Collection Biscuit Tin. The Biscuiteers have done it again, when you think they have gone through all possible themes for their biccies, they come up with another super selection. This fab tin features an edible match with a football pitch, shirt, boots, England flag and a pint. What a fantastic way of cheering En-ger-land during the World Cup.
Photo reproduced with kind permission from The Biscuiteers
And if you don't have a budget to spend on a gift, just bake a chocolate cake or make a batch of cookies for the loved man in your life, make your own card and tell your Dad how much you love him.
Never be afraid to tell your Dad that you love him. I miss my late Dad, but it brings me comfort to know that I told him many times how much he meant to me.
