Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to you!
I am going to have a busy day, with lots of cooking (we have guests for dinner), and you are probably too busy as well to read any long posts.
Just wanted to wish you all a happy Easter!
Here's a selection of the vintage Russian Easter cards for your delectation.

 

Club Penguin Ideas: Easter nests with a difference

If your kids are fans of the Club Penguin, they will love these nests with a difference

Chocolate Puffle Nests

Makes 12.

Ingredients:-

300g cooking chocolate

120g cereal – rice pops, cornflakes or shredded wheat (approx. 5)

1 pkt coloured ready to roll icing

50g white ready to roll icing

Black icing pen (optional)

Paper cases

Method:-

Place the paper cases into a bun tin.

Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a large heatproof bowl.

Add the cereal and mix well until it is fully coated with chocolate.  If you are using shredded wheat crumble them first with your hands.

Divide the mixture between the paper cases.  Make a small hollow in the tops where the Puffles will nestle.

If the mixture sets too quickly place the bowl back in the microwave for 30 seconds to reheat and melt the mixture or place it back over the pan of  simmering water for a couple of minutes.

Place the nests in the fridge to set.

To make the Puffles you will need some coloured ready to roll icing.  Working with one colour at a time, knead the icing briefly until it is soft and pliable.

Roll the icing into smooth balls between the palms of your hands.  You can make Puffles any size you choose.  One large Puffle to sit on top of each nest or two or three small Puffles to snuggle together.

With a small pair of scissors lightly snip the top of the Puffle’s head three or four times to create some spiky hair.  Gently smooth the snipped spikes with your fingers to make them more defined.

Once you have spiked all the Puffle’s hair it’s time to make the eyes. Take the white ready to roll icing and roll small balls in the palm of your hand using your fingertip.  Roll enough balls for all the Puffle’s eyes.

Apply a tiny dab of water to the Puffle’s face in position for the eyes using a small paintbrush.

With the tip of your finger press one white eye down onto the worksurface to flatten it.  It should stick to your finger.  Now press into place on the Puffle’s face.  Repeat for the second eye – overlapping it slightly with the first.

 

Once you have eyes on all the Puffles set them aside to dry out a little before finishing them off.

For the pupils of the eyes and the mouth – draw on with a black icing pen or use small dots and strips of black ready to roll icing, using a little water as glue.

Take the nests out of the fridge and add one or two Puffles to the hollows in the tops of each.

Grandpa in search of love

Lonely hearts ad: I am a good looking chap. Don't have bad habits. Looking for romance.

In them good old days I was a sailor.

I used to date a giggly Russian girl who loved her food.

The single farmer next door said her hands are full already, what with all her livestock and the farm, and she is not looking for a relationship.

I might have a free bus pass...

... but I am still young at heart, and I am looking for a companion to spend the days lounging together, watching TV and listening to the birds in the garden.

P.S. You might be asking what's all this about and whether I have lost the plot.
Actually, I haven't. John Crane Ltd have been sending a hundred wooden granpas and grandmas to bloggers around the UK. To see our adventurous grannies and grandpas, have a look at John Crane Facebook wall and/or visit the Blog-Match.

Chocolate or sex? Chocolate any time!

The Nation’s appetite is for chocolate rather than a night of passionate sex

With Easter Sunday round the corner Chocolate didn’t need any extra promotion as it is voted as the UK's number one vice to beat the blues - a survey reveals we are nation of emotional eaters who turn to chocolate before sex, drugs or booze

Chocolate has been named the biggest “pick me up” for the Nation, with sex trailing in a shocking fifth place, a survey of 2000 people has found*.

The survey, conducted by weight management company LighterLife, found that 34 per cent of men and women said that they turn to chocolate to beat emotional blues.

A close runner up, and still related to a calorific intake was junk food like takeaway pizza with 19 per cent of people choosing to gorge on stodgy food after a stressful day.

Rather shockingly, a night of passionate sex is only how three per cent of the nation choose to relax and unwind.

The survey was conducted by weight management company LighterLife, who asked a panel of men and women what they turn to when they are feeling low.

And even the higher tax doesn’t seem to turn people off turning to alcohol as it came as a close third. Rather controversially, recreational drugs were also named as one of the leading sins

TV Doctor Dr. Hilary Jones says, “I am not surprised that high fat foods are being used more than sex, alcohol and cigarettes in stressful situations but people should still think about why they are turning to chocolate and junk food rather than their partner for support. For many people it seems that food and drink are often used as a way of avoiding intimacy or for those who are single, compensating for lack of it – emotional eating ultimately puts a strain on your health. What people need to do is acknowledge the reasons why they are “emotional eaters.”’

The LighterLife programme incorporates weekly single sex counselling groupscomprising of a maximum of 12 people – they’re an integral and compulsory part of the programme and enable people to reassess their relationship with food so they are more likely to manage their weight effectively.

Which is exactly what emotional eaters need and this survey demonstrates this. Worryingly it reveals that we are a depressed Nation who would rather turn to unhealthy vices for our kicks, none of the poll said they like to work out raising concern over the health of our country.”

The table of results for Bath:

What do you consume more of when you feel unhappy?

Chocolate	33.89%
Junk food like pizza	16.11%
Alcohol	15.56%
Sweets	10%
Sex	3.33%
Cigarettes	2.78%
Recreational drugs	1.11%
None of the above	17.22%

*LighterLife surveyed 2000 people (1000 men and 1000 women) in an independent survey by One Poll.

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Honestly, I am not surprised. :)

The K Shocolât Melting Pot (review)

While leasurely browsing throught the gifts for Mother's Day online, I came across the K Shocolat Melting Pot.

We have discovered K Shocolat a few years ago, when my husband was travelling and picked up a few bars in the airport. We liked it so much, that I would always buy some of their range in Waitrose in time before Christmas. Sadly, for the last couple of years, Waitrose stopped selling this range.

I bought the Melting Pot kit as a gift for myself for Mother's day. As I haven't tried it before, it was a bit like "buying a cat in a sack" (as the Russians like to say), i.e. at your own risk.
However, I wasn't disappointed.

Quote from the site: "The K Shocolât Melting Pot is a contemporary twist on the traditional French style chocolatiere. Accessorised with the iconic K Shocolât Hot Choc Milk and Hot Choc Dark drinking chocolates, this monogrammed pouring pot is a luxurious and unique way to serve your favourite drinking chocolates to friends or family. True continental style. "

At £14.99 it is quite pricey for the hot chocolate. Not exactly for an everyday cuppa. However, it will work well as a gift. Or indulge yourself on a special occasion.

Hot chocolate comes in two varieties of chocolate chips here: milk and dark.
The hot chocolate doesn't have an artificial aftertaste as many well known brands of hot chocolate do, and is not oversugary (I am talking about you, Cadbury's). The chips melt well in the hot milk.
I am also very partial to speciality kitchen ceramics, and love the cute melting pot with a handle.

It was probably the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted, very smooth and moreish. I served it with the whipped cream and mini marshmallows.

Will I buy it again? Yes, as a treat. And now that I have a melting pot, I can buy the hot chocolate in tubes separately.

P.S. This is not a sponsored post. I bought the product. All views are my own.

Not Born with It (2 April 2012)/AUTISM MOTHERS

NOT BORN WITH IT by AUTISM MOTHERS

If you have a child/grandchild, brother, sister, or friend with autism and if they weren't born with it - please join Autism Mothers for their worldwide photographic event on World Autism Awareness Day. Go NOW to the NOT BORN WITH IT event page and post a picture of the child/adult with autism, together with their first name and a short comment.

Hundreds of us have already posted pictures of our children on the Not Born With It event page. Go post some more!!

Autism Awareness Day: 2 April

The fifth annual World Autism Awareness Day is April 2, 2012. Every year, autism organizations around the world celebrate the day with unique fundraising and
awareness-raising events. How will you celebrate? To share your events, please "Like" the World Autism Awareness Day page on Facebook and submit your events by posting the information on the wall.

Thank you for celebrating the wonderful people in our lives affected by autism on April 2 and throughout April which was Autism Awareness Month. We look forward to celebrating with you on April 2, 2012!


My beautiful boy

Russian doll giveaway/ cd 5 May NOW CLOSED

When is a Russian doll not a Russian doll? If you arrived to my blog in search of the Russian nesting dolls, you might be disappointed that the doll I am offering as a giveaway is actually a doll in a Russian national costume. Or one of them, since there was such a huge variety of costumes, different in each region. The Northern and Southern Russian costumes differ quite dramatically, and even then each province, district and even village would have their own distinct features.

De Agostini started a new series of dolls exclusively for the Russian market: dolls in folk costumes.
The first doll represents the Moscow province (and is wearing a winter dress).

 I have a spare doll to offer as a giveaway (please note the booklet in Russian is not included in the prize, as I don't have it).

I will also add a set of three Russian dolls cookie cutters from Lakeland.

These are excellent cookie cutters, and I have used them for making biscuits. If you fancy to have a look at what you can do with the cutters and how to decorate the biscuits, have a look at my older post.

To be entered in the draw please follow two simple steps:
1. Answer the question by leaving a comment below this post
+
2. Leave a comment on any other post.
Only people who will do both steps will be entered in the draw. I love reading comments, so please indulge me, you can choose any older post to leave a comment.

You do not have to follow my blog to be entered in the draw. If you decide to follow my blog, I will be thrilled, of course.
Please leave me some means of getting in touch with you if you win: your Twitter name, or forum name (if you come from any of the comping forums), if you use a Blogger, make sure there is an email address in your profile.

And the question is (pick any question):
Have you ever been to Russia (or plan to)? What places did you visit? Did you enjoy your trip? (or not?)
Or if you haven't been, and have no plans to travel, tell me something Russia-related. Whether you collect dolls, or tried Russian food. :)

This is a not a sponsored giveaway, I would prefer it to go to someone who loves dolls and who would appreciate a new addition to their collection, or who has a child who would give it a loving home. I would hate it to end up on ebay.
This giveaway is open to the UK residents only.

Good luck! The winner will be chosen after 5 May 2012.
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Many thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway, I enjoyed reading your comments. I wish I had a few prizes to give away. But there could be only one winner. All the names went into the Raffleking, and the winner is ........
CARRIECAKES
Big well done! I am going to contact you now as to where to post the prize.

Mummy's Little Helper...

or hindrance (more likely)... Whenever I start doing the house chores, Eddie wants to join in, and of course, he is at the age when he is more of a hindrance than real help. But I do not want to discourage him.
He loves our garden, and every time I do a bit of weeding, he is there with the brush and the scoop.

He has developed a great fondness for the big garden brush, and would take it around the garden and even use it right at times.

Of course, then my own work has to be abandoned and you need to supervise him closely. I remember when Sasha was little, he watched me snipping off the dying flowers and then beheaded all the tulips in the garden, and he was very proud of his effort. I had no heart to tell him off, as he clearly thought he helped me.

I have big plans for Eddie. This year we are going to grow tomatoes again, and he will help me to water them, this task will be easy enough for him. We have a water tank, so hopefully there will be enough water for the tomatoes, as there is a threat of a water ban this coming summer. Sasha has always enjoyed watering the garden plants. He would get soaking wet, but so deliriously happy.

Then there is the call of the kitchen and the temptation of all the kitchen utensils and appliances.
Eddie loves watching me cooking, and I let him mix the cake dough or decorate the cookies.

Of course, at times the mixing bowl ends up on the head, Lady Gaga-style, and who is having more fun, Eddie or me when this happens?

As Eddie is too young to handle the electrical appliances, I only let him push the button on the milk shaker and he squeals with delight when it starts the noisy dance.

Is 20 months too young to be helping with the chores? Perhaps. But if the little people see the chores as a fun activity, they will want to join in.

One can dream: perhaps one day I will have a man in the house who will not throw dirty socks on the floor, leave the wet towel on the bed or crumbs in bed. Or does this only happen in Hollywood films? :)

Clickety Clack Track: Dinosaur Train (review)

A parent's dilemma of choosing either educational or entertaining show for their children is easily solved with the new series called "Dinosaur Train".

We were recently sent a DVD of the first two episodes of this new animation which aired for the 1st time on March 14, 2012 on Nick Jr. 

Show synopsis:

Dinosaur Train, created by Craig Bartlett (Hey Arnold!), is set in a whimsically realistic, prehistoric world of jungles, swamps, active volcanoes and oceans. Each day, Dinosaur Train will help kids ages 3 to 6 to apply scientific thinking as they discover new types of dinosaur species, compare and contrast dinosaurs to today's creatures and embrace the living sciences of paleontology and natural science. The half-hour shows feature two animated episodes; Based on input from paleontologists, science educators and early childhood education experts, Dinosaur Train promotes critical thinking skills for preschoolers based on an engaging and creative curriculum.

Dinosaur Train, produced by The Jim Henson Company, is co-produced with Singapore animation company Sparky Entertainment, with the participation and assistance of the Singapore Media Development Authority. UK production and financial support is being provided by Ingenious Media. The series is executive produced by Lisa Henson, Brian Henson, Halle Stanford and Craig Bartlett.

Plot Synopsis

EP 1: In Valley of the Stygimolochs, Buddy wonders if he’ll grow horns when he gets older, so Mrs. Pteranodon takes him to visit some dinosaurs called Stygimoloch, who have really impressive horns.

EP 2: In Tiny Loves Fish, after Mr. Pteranodon teaches the kids his fishing method, Buddy and Tiny work together as a team to catch fish in the Big Pond.

Character descriptions:

Buddy, a curious, funny, and intelligent T-Rex is the star of the show. He is cautious, but always ready to jump into action and start asking questions. While on the Dinosaur Train, Buddy makes a hypothesis and begins searching for the answers to his questions with the help of his Mom, the Conductor, and the new dinosaurs he meets on the train. When Buddy isn’t taking exciting trips on the Dinosaur Train, he is playing with his siblings, Don, Tiny, and Shiny and anticipating their next adventure.

Tiny, who loves to make rhymes, is quite clever and very brave. Tiny approaches every dinosaur she meets with the confidence of a news reporter trying to get the full scoop. Tiny is so brave that she often wanders a little bit too far; but, Buddy is always there to help her get back on the right track. And in return, Tiny is fiercely protective of her brother Buddy. Tiny also has two Pteranodon siblings: Don and Shiny.

Shiny is more “girly” than Tiny and proud of her shiny exterior, but can become shy in social situations. Shiny is outgoing with her siblings and acts as if she is the “wisest.” She can be a bit of a show-off and loves role playing with her brothers and sister. Shiny is happiest at home in Pteranodon Terrace hanging out with Dad and Don, while her Mom, Buddy, and Tiny take trips on the Dinosaur Train.

Don is a sweet, mellow little Pteranodon. Although he has a goofy streak, he is steady as a rock and very focused on the task at hand. Don is loyal to all his siblings and graciously waits his turn. Once his mind is made up, though, Don goes enthusiastically head-first into every challenge.

Mrs. Pteranodon: teacher, companion, and tour guide extraordinaire. But, first and foremost, she is “Mom” to Buddy, Don, Tiny, and Shiny. She is always there to listen to Buddy’s questions about being an adopted member of the Pteranodon family. Mrs. Pteranodon is intent on a good education, but she is also always looking for ways to let her kids explore their world.

Mr. Pteranodon: The kids' devoted, hands-on "sports dad," Mr. Pteranodon loves to approach parenting like coaching a team. He can even make a squawk that sounds like a whistle when he needs to call "time out!" He exhorts his kids to work together towards their goals, often calling out, "Go Team Pteranodon!" He is fun, can be a little silly, and encourages the kids to "be adventurous."

Conductor Troodon is a Troodon and a special friend to Buddy and his family. He becomes one of Buddy’s heroes because he is the Conductor of one the most awesome trains of all, the Dinosaur Train! The Conductor is very intelligent and is happy to explain facts about dinosaurs, the places they visit and even how the Dinosaur Train works.

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My boys enjoyed the DVD, despite the fact that their ages don't fit exactly the age group the series is aimed for. Sasha is 10, but enjoys watching animation for the younger audience still. Eddie at 20 months is a bit too young to appreciate the educational part of the series, but he loved the colourful characters and the fab animation.

Here they are, watching the DVD and having a laugh. Sasha laughed at the comic twists in the animation, and Eddie was mostly joining in the laughter.

I loved the fact that they were watching together and sharing the experience. I must say I expected a high quality animation from The Tim Henson Company, and I wasn't disappointed. This is a truly creative, educational, fun animation.
I also loved the message that it is OK to be different. There is a lot of peer pressure among children nowadays to conform and be like everyone else and lose individuality. This animation teaches children to appreciate the difference and be true to yourself.
So climb aboard and enjoy the show!