Bambini pasta

We are a family of pasta lovers. My husband, being an Italian, is happy to eat it every day, and my kids love it too. It pains me to see tinned pasta for children, as I don't think it is healthy or tasty (I have recently bought a tin of Peppa pig-themed pasta, as my little man insisted on buying it. Needless to say, once he tried a spoon, he spat it out, it was awful). It is so easy to cook a pasta dish, and the taste is superior to any tinned horrors or pasta in jars which tastes like glue. That's why it gives me a great pleasure to introduce a quality pasta range for kids called Bambini Pasta. It is an organic durum wheat pasta for children and comes in 3 different shapes: Dinosaurs, Safari Animals and Farm Animals.

Organic pasta range Bambini is made of 100% organic durum wheat semolina. It is a high quality pasta which will appeal to children of all ages (confess that I also enjoyed eating it).

My little man loved the Dinosaurs the best (he is a human equivalent of Peppa pig's little brother George who is obsessed with dinosaurs). The shapes are pretty and detailed (and I would love to know how they make it).

As you can see, pasta characters keep their shapes perfectly once cooked. When Eddie was eating this pasta dish, we pretended that pieces of squash were the rocks, and the dinos were climbing all over them and wanted to conquer the gigantic tomato mushroom.

Bambini pasta tastes great with lots of sauces: tomato, Bolognese, pesto, and it is a fantastic addition to soups. 
For example, this Farm animals soup has oodles of appeal for kids. 
You will need 1 medium potato, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, chicken or vegetable stock and a handful of pasta shapes. Peel the potato and carrot, slice/chop them as well as the celery stock and cook in the boiling water, where you dissolved a stock cube (or stock powder). Add the pasta shapes after the potatoes were cooked for about 5 minutes and keep cooking for about 8-10 minutes until pasta is done. Add whatever veg your child loves: parsnips, tomatoes, squash, sweet potatoes and herbs too. 
That will make about 3 portions of soup. Cheerful and tasty!

Farm animals are very cute and amazingly intricate. Inside the Farm Animals pack you will find sheep, pig, hen, rooster, horse and cow (and a farmer too).
And inside Safari Animals pack you will see a monkey, elephant, lion, crocodile and giraffe. What fun!

For more information about this range of pasta, visit Melia Organic.
Bambini pasta is currently available at Ocado.

Disclosure: I received 3 boxes of Bambini pasta for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are mine.

Blow, wind, blow, we've got a Mum & Baby Rescue Balm

The winter has been comparatively mild, we haven't had any snow where we live, but the combination of the damp air and harsh winds outside as well as the heating inside could do a lot of damage to a delicate skin. At 2, my little man is not a baby anymore, but the skin on his cheeks and hands gets dry and rough if we go out for long walks without any protection from the elements. We have been using Organic Babies Mum & Baby Rescue Balm for a few weeks, and I have noticed the difference it makes.

As my older son's skin is prone to eczema, I am trying to do my best to prevent the same with Eddie. I have heard of Mum & Baby Rescue Cream before, as it was launched over a year ago.

What does the official Green People site say about its product?

"Organic shea butter, hemp, beeswax and calendula
New scent-free rescue balm, gentle enough for mum and baby to share.
- Organic Calendula and vit. E soothe sore cracked nipples before and after breastfeeding.
- Rich in Organic Shea Butter to reduce skin's dryness for mum and baby.
- Organic Sunflower, Sweet Almond and Hemp seed oil softens the perineum region before birth.
- Fragrance free and gentle for frequent use - use as often as required.

Also suitable for those who may be prone to eczema and psorias.
Organic Babies Mum & Baby Rescue Balm is made without Parabens, Lanolin, phthalates, artificial perfumes, petrochemicals and colourants to bring you the purest rescue salve that nature can offer"

What did we think of this product?
First of all, it is great to have a product that is multi-tasking, i.e. it treats so many skin irritations which occur in pregnancy, during breastfeeding and is also suitable for babies and young children. It has all the right ingredients like calendula and Vitamin E, sweet almond and Omega-3 and 6 fatty acids that are essential for the healthy-looking skin.

It is scent-free. It soothes rough patches. I have used it on my own face and even tried a little bit on my lips. It is similar in consistency to some of the nipple creams that I used in the past, especially after Eddie was born and my breasts were really sore, but at the same time it is less sticky like those creams, and is of a less dense consistency, making it easier to spread on the skin if you are uisng it as a barrier cream when going outdoors with your baby or tot.

It lasts quite a long time, as you only need a very small amount to apply. It is now part of our going out routine, when I dress up Eddie, he comments: Shoes, scarf, hat, coat and Keem (that's how he pronounces the word cream).

Verdict: it delivers what it promises.

And here are winter tips for babies (as advised by Green People):

ü  "Be careful not to let baby over-heat, this can make them sweat, which can irritate the skin.  As there is a greater difference between inside and outside temperatures during the winter months the best way to maintain baby’s temperature is through layering their clothes.

ü  Avoid the use of chemical loaded toiletries, certain ingredients commonly found in many mainstream products can dry the skin and cause irritation. SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate) added to achieve the bubbles that little ones love and found in most products in your bathroom cabinet is also used as an engine de-greaser! Instead choose organic and natural products which contain skin nourishing ingredients and plant proteins but still ‘bring on the bubbles’. We recommend you try our Scent Free Baby Wash & Shampoo, a super mild wash which is gentle on the skin and is suitable for those prone to eczema and skin allergies.

ü  After bath (and in the morning for those with really dry skin) massage baby with a gentle organic moisturiser, this is the best time to treat skin to a moisture boost as the cream will absorb whilst baby sleeps. Our recommendation is our Dry Skin Baby Lotion, a non-greasy, nutrient packed lotion which protects sensitive skin and soothes those prone to eczema.

ü  When out and about enjoying the winter snow, or for general winter skin protection for little faces try a rich, organic, water-resistant formula. We recommend our Mum & Baby Rescue Balm which is packed with organic goodness including Vitamin E to soothe skin and Shea Butter to tackle dryness. Its super-rich protective consistency blocks wind and cold weather whilst soothing and calming any irritation.

ü  Try to dress baby in natural fabrics rather than synthetic options, they let baby’s skin ‘breathe’. Avoid putting wool next to your baby’s skin as this can cause irritation and can worsen eczema. "

 

 

Brew a cup of Clipper (giveaway c/d 15 November 2012)

If one could wear an aroma of a freshly brewed tea as a perfume, I'd pick a Clipper Red Fruits & Aronia Berry flavour. It is sweet and warm, and that is just the smell alone. It is also a feast for eyes.
The colour of Red Fruits & Aronia is an intense ruby red, wonderfully deep and bright.
Then you take your first sip and sigh with pleasure. All the beautiful flavours of hibiscus and rosehip, raspberry and strawberry as well as the aronia berry are combined to make a delightful infusion.

If you remember the film and book About the Boy, its main character divided his day into a series of units. I think I can divide my day into the tea-drinking slots. Late afternoon and evenings are reserved for my herbal and fruity teas. I have recently discovered Clipper Red Fruits & Aronia, and it is one of my favourites for the caffeine and guilt-free cuppa. It is sweet but not overwhelmingly sweet, and tastes like a summer in a cup. Jolly refreshing and uplifting, try it, it might bring a ray of sunshine into a dull autumnal day like today.

What I love about Clipper is that they say with pride: "Clipper products are made with pure ingredients and a clear conscience. We use only the highest quality sources, add nothing artificial and strive to improve the welfare of the workers."
If Clipper became a party, I would vote for them.

Clipper has kindly offered 5 (yes, five) prizes for my blog readers. The lucky people will get two boxes of Clipper tea and two mugs (see the image below).

To have a chance of winning one of these lovely prizes, please fill in the rafflecopter form.
Answering the question and leaving a comment is a mandatory step. The other steps are optional, and you can tweet about this giveaway once a day.



a Rafflecopter giveaway Good luck!