What If? no.21 The Game Show 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle from Ravensburger

If you enjoy creative competitions, you might remember a fun competition run by Ravensburger last year.
What IF? you were drawn into a Jigsaw Puzzle?
The search is on for Britain's funniest friends and family!
Does this ring a bell? Did you enter the competition?
Oxfordshire-based toy company Ravensburger was giving its puzzle fans a chance to feature in their bestselling What IF? jigsaw range.
Entrants were asked to submit their best funny family and friends photo using the hashtag #WhatIfWeAreAPuzzle.
The winning group was to be drawn into the next What IF? 1000-piece puzzle, depicted as entrants in a Challenge-Quiz-Show type scenario.

Launched over 5 years ago, What IF? is a firm favourite with puzzle fans across the UK. The series reflects life's unexpected twists and turns, and challenges us to imagine "What IF?"??? As the puzzle image is not shown on the box, you need to use the visual and written clues to help envisage what the finished jigsaw puzzle might look like.
One thing is for certain - expect plenty of smiles along the way!

I was very curious to find out who has won this unique prize. Now the winning entry has made it into a new What If? no.21 The Game Show 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle, and what a corker it is!

The illustrations are the artwork of the much-loved artist, cartoonist and comedy writer Geoff Tristram.
The puzzle shows four members of the Douglas family, who dream of winning £1 million in TV's top quiz show, Lost in Translation.

Tash, Bradley, Liam and Ria are testing their language skills. The quizmaster Brendan Bromsgrove asks them to translate a phrase from Latin. What if they have no clue what it means?

The image on the box shows the moment when Tash & Co realise they are not able to tackle the Latin phrase. But what will the puzzle inside the box reveal?

Geoff Tristram has created caricatures of many famous faces. I imagine the Douglas family were well chuffed to join in such an exclusive club. This is truly a prize you cannot buy.

The puzzle measures 70x50cm when completed. It's suitable for ages 12+.
Like all Ravensburger puzzles, it's made from strong premium grade cardboard, with linen finish print to minimise the glare on puzzle image.

This colourful, entertaining jigsaw puzzle is suitable for ages 12+, and will make a fun gift for a whole family.

Disclosure: I received the puzzle for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are my own.

Oat peanut butter cookies

Have you seen jars of peanut butter powder in health shops as well as some supermarkets? Were you tempted to buy them? I picked the jars a few times from the shelves, but put them back thinking I would have liked to try it, if it were sold in small trial portions rather than big jars.
I have read about this product in the vegetarian/vegan food articles, and it seems to be all the rage among the fitness-obsessed influencers.

The latest Degustabox food box provided its subscribers with the chance of trying the powdered peanut butter.
There were two PBfit peanut butter powder sachets (24g each) in the box.
They call it "peanut butter without love handles", as it contains up to 90% less fat than traditional peanut butter, and about 1/3 calories.

I confess that I'm not a fan of healthy protein shakes and smoothies. I have tried many versions, and decided they are not for me. Fruit and ice cream smoothies are in a different league altogether; it's the protein smoothie bowls that I find unappetising - no matter how healthy they are supposed to be, sorry.
You can add one hundred hashtags like #fitnessmotivation, #girlswhoworkout, #fitandfab, #generationfightflab #leansquad #fitness4ever etc etc, I look at those images, and reach for the cookie jar. I'm not a fitness person, though I do walk miles and miles every day.

All my guys love home-baked cookies, so I knew what I was going to make with the powdered peanut butter.

Oat peanut butter cookies
Ingredients:
1 pack (24g) peanut butter powder
60g caster sugar
80g (Stork) margarine
1 small egg
1tbsp golden syrup
1tsp vanilla essence
140g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
100g oats

Cream the margarine with sugar and peanut butter powder in a mixing bowl. Add the oats, flour, golden syrup, vanilla and beat in the egg, mix well, forming the dough.
Pinch a big walnut-sized piece of dough and roll it into a ball, then flatten and place them on trays lined with parchment paper, foil or silicone baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes until golden at 180C.
Don't overcook, they are still very soft when you take them out. If you keep them longer, they'll get crispy.

Golden syrup is optional, it's more of a binding ingredient, and could be swapped with a spoonful of any nut butter, or even add a bit more margarine.
I prefer to use margarine when baking cookies, as it allows them to keep their shape better. Butter makes the cookies more splattery, if that's the word. But if you are set against margarine, by all means use butter.

These are lovely cookies, and they didn't last long here. I think I might even buy a big jar of powdered peanut butter, as it's great for baking.

So, if you receive the Degustabox, and were not sure what to do with the powdered peanut butter, try these cookies. You're welcome! (singing in Maui's voice)

Adding my cookie recipe post to #KitchenClearout linky hosted by Cheryl at Madhouse Family Reviews.

Photo diary: week 6, project 365

Just a week ago we had a garden full of snow, and were able to have a snowball fight. By today it's already a distant memory, as the snow was almost all gone by Tuesday.

Sunday was a wet day, with the constant drizzle eating the snow slowly away. I looked at some of the patterns of the leafless branches in the garden.

There were the last remnants of snow in the garden, but to Eddie's chagrin, most of the snow was gone, and the schools were open for business, as normal.

I'm trying to remember what I did on Tuesday. I clearly didn't take any photos, as I can't find anything on my iphone. I did receive a new jigsaw puzzle that day, and was too keen to start it, and I was also trying to finish the thriller I was reading, so that is my excuse for the lack of photos.

Wednesday morning was misty and foggy, when I got up and looked out of the window, but by the time we walked to school, the mist lingered just a little bit.

Thursday was a super busy day for me. In the morning, as soon as I took Eddie to school, we hopped on the bus to Oxford to meet with Sasha's psychiatrist and school team to discuss the medication he's been taking in the last couple of months. We decided for now not to change anything and keep taking the prescribed dose.

While waiting at the bus stop outside Sasha's school, I spotted this big bird (a kite?) just above our heads. It was flying very low, but by the time I got out the iphone, entered the pass code, and opened the camera, it went higher up and didn't wait for me. I did a few snaps.

In the evening our Waterstone's book shop - along with the other book shops and libraries - hosted a Harry Potter event. The book shop was completely packed.
Children were divided into four houses of Hogwarts. The sorting hat was actually a big tray of cupcakes. You had to bite in to reveal the colour of your house inside.
Eddie was pleased to be assigned to Gryffindor. There was a quiz (we were pretty rubbish at the quiz), a colouring competition, a hunt for clues hidden in the shop, reading etc.

We had a lovely time. I was the only parent who attended in a costume. I borrowed an academic gown and mortar hat from my husband, and went to the party as Professor McGonagall, just to embarrass my son and his friend.

Later we went to Pizza Express for a late dinner, as Sasha had his overnight stay at the respite centre.
We had to wait for over an hour, and were ready to leave the restaurant by the time the pizza finally arrived.

I took a lot of photos during the Harry Potter event, and then we played with the filter. Eddie wanted to have this photo in black and white.

On Friday a friend took me to Lidl by car. I haven't been there in the last couple of years. It's pretty far for me to walk, as it's almost out of town. I did a list of the best wine to buy in Lidl according to the Decanter magazine, but none of the recommended bottles were available. I did buy two bottles of Tokaj, as my birthday is coming later this month, and we might have friends over for dinner.

A friend came over, and I gave her the book I finished reading earlier this week, as she enjoys thrillers as much as I do.

Today is just a usual round of things to do: grocery shopping, a quick trip to Costa in between a library and shops, choosing some Pokemon cards for Eddie ( we got one GX card, yay!).
I might bake cookies later, if I can master some energy.

And here is a little bit more of our garden, with snowdrops taking over. They are truly all over the place.

An InLinkz Link-up

Recovery Degustabox (January 2019)

Many people tend to think of January as a start of their wellness journey, making healthier decisions when it comes to food, cooking and mealtimes. Dry January and Veganuary seem to have become a trendy fixture of our times.
To help you with your personal wellness goals, Degustabox's latest food box - Recovery - is set to inspire you and guide towards making healthier food choices.

This food box arrives every month and is full of foodie surprises. This monthly food and drink subscription box is an excellent way to discover products which have only just appeared in the shops or those which might have been around for while, but you haven't had a chance to try them yet.

Thanks to Degustabox, I have found new favourites to add to our shopping list, including some products which I probably wouldn't have tried otherwise.

Each time the box arrives, it's a total surprise. You get a good selection of foods and drinks.

If you haven't tried Degustabox subscription box yet and would like to have a go, I have a whopping £7 off discount from your first box (and you can unsubscribe any time) - just use a code 8EVI8 when you place an order.

What did we receive in the January'19 Degustabox? Let's have a look.

YES! Fruit and Nut bars (£1.20) are delicious wholesome snacks, great for packed lunches and for long walks, when you need a little something to keep you going.

The fruit bars contain no added sugar, besides naturally occuring sugars) and are 1 of your 5 a day.
Nut bars contain 5g of sugar and are a good source of protein.

Both coffee dark chocolate and cherry nut bar & dark chocolate sea salt and almond nut bars (189kcal per bar) are tasty treats.

LioBites Freeze Dried Strawberry Crisps & Apple Crisps (£1.50) are healthy fruit crisps. You will receive one of two flavours in the box. Made from fresh fruit, picked in season and freeze-dried, they are full of flavour, vitamins and antioxidants.
1 pack of LioBites crisps counts as 1 of 5 a day. A great addition to any packed lunch, they are a good source of fibre.
We have enjoyed LioBites smoothie bites in the past (also courtesy of Degustabox).
Apple Crisps (as well as the other products in LioBites' range) are also suitable for home baking and cake decorations.

Pick Up! Milk Chocolate (£1.69) by Bahlsen are a tasty combination of a smooth milk chocolate with ground hazelnuts, sandwiched between two crunchy biscuits. They are individually wrapped, so a good option for a treat on the go.
Nutritional values: 143kcal and 9.8g of sugar per bar.
My guys love chocolate cookies, so this pack was demolished pretty fast.

We are big fans Hartley's 10 Cal Jelly Pots (£0.75) - mostly berry-flavoured ones - and were glad to try new dessert inspired flavours. Black Forest Gateau and Lemon Cheesecake are lovely sweet treats, and are dieters-friendly, being under 10kcal each.

Miso Tasty Original Ramen Noodle Kit (£3.50) is a take on the classic Japanese dish, hailed as one of Japan's top inventions - the Ramen noodle.
The kit includes two servings of non-fried noodle nests, white miso pastes, seaweed and spring onion garnishes and sesame oil pouches.

Miso is a great source of plant protein, antioxidants and fermented goodness.
These are vegetarian meals, to which you can add any toppings (vegetarian or flexitarian).
One serving comes at 334kcal (without toppings).

Pipers Crispeas Matar Paneer (£1) are a low calorie, vegetarian snack, offering protein and fibre. At 91kcal per pack, they make a tasty snack for those who keep count of calories.
These pea snacks are gluten-free, wheat-free and barley-free.

Ryvita Protein Red Quinoa & Sesame (£1.59) are crunchy, crispy slices, baked with pea protein and rye. As the name suggests, they are high in protein and fibre, and are suitable for vegans.
Add any toppings you like for an easy snack or light lunch.

Kallo Lightly Salted Organic rice cakes (£1.30) are wholegrain & low fat. At 29kcal per rice cake, they are a favourite among many dieters as a low cal snack.
Kallo Protein Packed Lentil Cakes are a high source of protein. At 30kcal per lentil cake, they are also vegetarian, vegan, coeliac friendly, contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

You will receive one of the two flavours in the box.

PBfit Peanut Butter Powder (£0.75) is made with whole-roasted peanuts, pressed to perfection. The powder contains up to 90% less fat than traditional peanut butter, and about 1/3 the calories, which is great news for anyone on a diet.
Useful for smoothies, shakes and in baking.

As I'm not a fan of protein shakes or smoothies, I used the peanut butter powder in cookies. Oat peanut butter cookies made with PBfit proved to be a great success with my guys.


And finally, Willy's Apple Cider Vinegar (£2.95) is a raw and unpasteurised ACV which contains the mother. It will make a great base for salad dressings. Or add a glug to a tray of roasting tomatoes, radishes or grapes.
In the cold weather make a hot reviving drink of 2tsp of ACV to 2 tsp of honey, diluted in a mug of hot water.

Photo diary: week 5, project 365

Thank goodness it's finally February. January seemed never-ending. The spring flowers are already starting to appear in the garden.

Last week was a mix of warm and cold here. We've been shivering on what appears to be the coldest day for the last seven years, and we've got snow as well.

Every Sunday evening Eddie has a guitar practice before his lesson on Monday. This time he was learning Seven Nations Army chords. We even watched a video on Youtube on how to play it.

Monday was another abysmal day for me, as I had to go back to the "demon dentist". Friends saw me moaning on Facebook about how awful I felt afterwards. As the tooth is very much at the back, the access is quite tricky, and the dentist put some sort of contraption in my mouth. If you've seen the Willy Wonka film with Johnny Depp, it was similar to that, a terrible frame to keep a mouth open wide. Plus there was a plastic sheet on top.
I couldn't breathe properly, was panicking, and it made me gag. On top of that torture, the local anesthesia has frozen half of my face, including the muscles of one eye, which has totally freaked me out.
There is still one more visit to complete the job. I don't know how I will find any courage.
I have a phobia of dentists as it is, but after this treatment I am even more terrified of them.
Didn't take any photos on Monday, as I was feeling crappy.

On Tuesday I cooked a ready-made French meal - Cod loin with black rice. It wasn't too bad, but nothing "to write home about" either. Won't be buying it again.

The crocuses in the garden are beginning to shoot spears out of the ground. I picked a little bunch of crocuses and snowdrops, and the scent was so wonderfully delicate when they started to open up indoors.

Eddie enjoys reading the Beast Quest series. I've spotted this bunch of BQ book in the Oxfam shop and took a photo for Eddie to decide if he wants me to buy any of them. I did buy only one book.
When we visited the shop today, all the books were gone.

Friday, yay! Finally we have got snow. Eddie's been wishing for snow for a few weeks. Ever so hopeful that he'd be able to have a snowball fight.

I woke up on Friday morning, checked up the school websites, both were closed. I went back to bed, telling Eddie to keep sleeping, as there was no school. And of course, he couldn't go back to sleep after that, too excited about the snow.
Before we even ventured in the garden, I could see a lot of trails in the snow. That must have been a cat, who wandered everywhere in the garden, then left over the wall.

And another photo from yesterday. We found these two foodie snowmen by Cafe Rouge.
When we walked there today, they were gone. It's not because they've melted, no, it's some nasty b^*&%^$s who demolished them.

Today Eddie got his much-coveted snowball fight.

An InLinkz Link-up

Photo diary: week 4, project 365

I've realised I have only done one blog post in the last week after the previous Photo diary, and that was prepared in advance. I've not been feeling well in the last ten days or so with a toothache.
Went to the "demon dentist" twice. The first time he put some bio-composite thingy, which didn't help at all, and started crumbling on the same day. I could barely survive the weekend, and asked to be seen on Monday.
Alas, I need to have the root canal work done, which means going back to be tortured again and again. I'm rather peeved with them, as he said looking at the x-ray that there was a tooth problem when they did the x-ray over a year and a half ago. Why the heck didn't they flag it up then? It would have saved me all the pain and expense.
Now I will have to pay £648 on top of the £67 initial visit plus £50 for the x-ray. It might be pretty normal for the private dentist, but if you compare it to my carer's allowance (£268 last month which included £10 bonus for Christmas), this is extortionate.

Last Sunday our favourite Costa was closed for refurbishment. Instead of going to the M&S cafe we decided to try Starbucks. The latte was awfully bitter. I haven't been to Starbucks for over a year, and forgot just how bad their coffee is. Eddie was not impressed with his ham and cheese panino either, as it had mustard inside.

On Monday I was in too much pain after the visit to the dentist. It was Sasha's night away at the respite centre, and the original plan was for us to go to Oxford with Eddie. My husband booked a table at the game cafe, where you can play any board games. It's super popular, and you need to book in advance.
I was way too poorly to travel to Oxford, so my husband and Eddie went without me. They also went to McDonald's afterwards, and I didn't have to cook dinner.
I spent all the afternoon and evening, nursing a sore jaw. I even had a fever. In a way, I'm glad Sasha was not at home, and I didn't have to think of his dinner, reading time etc.

As I was too unwell to take photos on Monday, here are two pics from Tuesday.
I had to pick up a packet from the depot, and walked by St Mary's church. Since our Sasha's obsession with the churches continues, I took a few snaps of the church.
The morning was beautiful, with blue clear sky.

And then, when I was having a late-ish lunch, I saw that it was snowing. Big fluffy snowflakes kept falling, but melted on the ground.
Eddie later told me that his teacher let them all get outside to look at the snow.

A frosty morning - and a walk through the fields on the way to school, with Eddie's friend.

Here is another of my charity shop finds, a Wedgwood cup and saucer, which costed £4 and will come handy for my food and drink styling photos. I also haven't seen a Wedgwood cup like that before.
It's in pristine condition. I will most likely gift it to my Mum, who loves this brand.

Still not feeling all that well, I thought we'd have an easy evening. With my husband being away, we ordered two pizzas from Domino's, and bought a film to watch on Amazon - The house with a clock in its walls. There were some pretty macabre characters, and those creepy dolls and mannequins, arrgh, they are going to haunt me in my dreams. Quite a few times we kept turning away or closing our eyes, and laughing at ourselves for being such wusses.

At home all day today, just lazing about. I had a grocery order delivered, and while taking some stuff to the summerhouse, snapped these cyclamen leaves. They seem to spread like fire in the garden. I don't mind, the leaves are so decorative.

Talking of groceries, are you planning to do any food stockpiling before Brexit? I haven't done anything, but reading some discussions on Mumsnet, not sure if it might be a good idea.

An InLinkz Link-up

The Hairy Hand by Robin Bennett #BlogTour

Children's literature is experiencing a renaissance nowadays. There are so many books published each month, it is easy to get lost in an avalanche of the latest releases.
When you come across a real gem of a book, it's a genuine joy.

The Hairy Hand by Robin Bennett is one such splendid discovery.
Eddie and I have been reading it for several evenings at bedtime, and every time I had to stop, he begged me to continue.

The story begins with Septimus (or Sept for short) ruminating about his lot in life:
"He always knew he was very different from everyone else in the village and Septimus often wondered if that was why his mother seemed not to like him very much."

The Plogs, his parents, are a terrible, revolting couple. They could be the twins of The Twits.
Sept and his parents live in a village called Nowhere, which is a sad and abysmal place to exist.
Sept has no friends, and his parents don't care for him either. They hardly notice him, that is, until the day when a letter arrives, informing the family of Sept's uncle's demise.

Sept didn't even know that he had an uncle.
"Of course you do!" exclaimed Mistress Plog... "Everyonesies got an Uncle, imagine not having one of them!.. and, ooh, yer uncle... such a fine man and a great wizard. But a real gent, too - a Gentiman Warlock, whichesies a wizard wot doesn't wear a hat. And a bootiful house he's got by the sea, all tall'n elegant, just like him, and it sits above the frothy waves and the wild winds."

The letter includes instructions which allow Sept to choose any three items in the house, and once three treasures are chosen, he must leave the house, never to return.

After surviving the long, perilous journey to his uncle's house, Sept makes his choices. He feels drawn towards a quite ordinary wooden box, which was wedged between the volumes of magic books.

"The point was, Sept's hand felt drawn towards the box, as if pulled by an invisible string, and he reached forward. Time slowed as a warm wind sprang up from nowhere in his uncle's study, carrying with it the smell of hot sand, rich spices and whispering voices - like the dry pages of a book having a conversation with itself."

As you might have guessed, this is not an ordinary box with some banal keepsakes. It contains the eponymous Hairy Hand, a magical scary thing, with a soul and mind of its own. One of its uncanny abilities is a talent for finding the buried treasure. This suits the greedy Plogs just right.

There is a special bond developing between Sept and the Hairy Hand.
Will Sept find his destiny with the help from his supernatural friend?

A battle between good and evil takes this story to the realm of the classic fairy tales. I can easily see this book becoming a modern classic of children's fiction.

The book design deserves a special mention. The sturdy cover with a spooky image of a dark hairy hand catches your attention and intrigues you. There is a tiny metal pendant on the spine, which is a great detail.

The illustrations in the book are an eclectic mix of styles - from a style imitating a child's drawing to black silhouettes, from colour-your-own mandala to images reminiscent of the first printed books on alchemy.
The illustrations support the storyline organically, adding all in all to the eerie atmosphere.

This quirky and wonderfully bizarre story with a Gothic twist will appeal to children and grown-ups alike.
We're hoping there will be a sequel.

Author Bio:
Robin Bennett is an author and entrepreneur who has written several books for children, adults, and everything in between. Listed in the Who's Who of British Excellence at 29, his 2016 documentary "Fantastic Britain", about the British obsession with fantasy and folklore, won best foreign feature at the Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards, and his first book for young aduts, Picus the Thief, won the Writer's News Indie Published Book of the Year Award in 2012.
You can find Robin Bennett on Twitter as @MonsterBooksRaw

This review is part of the blog tour. You can visit the other blog stops following the route below:

Disclosure: Many thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and Monster Books for sending me a copy of the book for the purposes of reviewing.