Soy sauce and chilli glazed sticky duck with fruit salsa

My husband spent a week in Hong Kong recently, and on coming home confessed that he was tired of eating the Chinese food for a week at all the official functions, but he also managed to sneak out once or twice to Pizza Express (my poor Italian hubby, a week without pasta must have been a torture, lol). Personally I love the Chinese food, as it is so versatile, and varied. A week passed after his return, and I thought it was safe to prepare a Chinese-influenced dish for dinner.
This is by no means an authentic recipe but more of a fusion of cuisines and flavours, but it works really well.

Amoy has recently launched a new Special Selection Soy Sauce. To mark the occasion, lovely blogger and creative foodie Cheryl from Madhouse Family Reviews has teamed with Amoy to invite her blog readers to experiment with the new soy sauce and create their own recipes. The recipes will be judged, and the best entry will win a Chinese-themed goodie bag, courtesy of Amoy.

Soy sauce and chilli glazed sticky duck with fruit salsa
Ingredients:
for the salsa
2 kiwis, cubed
2 medium slices of watermelon, cubed
1 orange, sliced
a handful of fresh mint
1 tbsp Amoy special selection soy sauce
1/2 orange, juiced
1/2 lime, juiced
1tsp honey

2 duck legs
3tbsp chilli jam
2tbsp Amoy special selection soy sauce
1tsp hot chili powder
salt
olive oil

rice or noodles to serve

Start by preparing the fruit salsa. The idea of pickling the watermelons is not a new one. It is very popular in the Southern Russia to pickle slices of watermelon in salty brine, and it is lovely on a hot summer day.
Slice the orange (peel it first). Chop/cube the watermelon and kiwis. Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well with the orange and lime juice, honey and soy sauce. Let it infuse for a couple of hours, occasionally stirring. Before serving tear a few mint leaves and add to the fruit salsa.

Rub two duck legs with a bit of olive oil, season and sprinkle the hot chilli powder to coat them evenly. Place in the oven preheated to 200C in a deep dish for about 30 minutes. Mix the chilli jam with the soy sauce, and spread over the duck legs. Roast for another 30 minutes, until the skin is crispy and really caramelised-sticky.

Serve with the noodles or egg-fried rice.

I have received a bottle of Amoy Special Selection Soy Sauce to take part in the cooking challenge.

Ozeri Pronto Digital Kitchen Scales

When it comes to cooking, I don't usually measure the ingredients, and that's why when I post my recipes, I often mention a dash of, a pinch of or a handful of. That applies to almost everything but cakes. With cakes, I prefer to know the exact amount of ingredients as I have learnt that approximate measures could lead to a potential cooking disaster. My old kitchen scales has always been a temperamental beast, working perfectly well one day and refusing to co-operate the next one. Thus I was very happy to test a new kitchen appliance from Ozeri - Pronto Digital Kitchen Scales.

Specifications (as described by Ozeri):
- Accurate, easy to use digital kitchen scale weighs up 11 lbs (1-5kg)
- Features 2 large buttons that generate audible click confirmation
- Precision Tare Button calculates the net weight of the ingredients
- Automatic Unit Button instantly converts from ounces to grams and pounds to milliliters
- Large screen features a bright LCD with wide viewing angle for the on-the-go cook
oversized weighing platform finished in elegant chrome
- 2-minute automatic power-off preserves battery life
compact design stores easily and is easy to clean
- Runs on 2 AAA batteries (included) with an easy-access battery compartment (no screwdriver needed)

What did I think of my new kitchen gadget?
I liked its compact form, it doesn't take much space in the kitchen, which is very important to me. It came with the batteries, which is very thoughtful and convenient.
The performance was faultless, the screen is easy to read, and it is very easy to clean as well (a big bonus, as   my baking sessions are a bit of a flour-flying-everywhere session.
A lovely kitchen gadget.

Here is the last week's cake, with ingredients measured by Ozeri Pronto Digital Kitchen Scales.

And a happy customer, enjoying a slice of cake.

P.S. I received the kitchen scales for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are mine.

Perl Las and walnuts focaccia

I love browsing through Abel & Cole's range of products, and when I saw an unknown to me cheese Perl Las, I was curious to try it, especially that I have read about it recently in the Guardian's Weekend, as Hugh Fearnley-Wittingstall (every time I mention his name, I have to check the right spelling and every time I get it wrong) praised it as one of his top three current cheese choices. I don't often follow his recipes, but use them more as an inspiration, and his Blue cheese, red onion and walnuts focaccia looked like a winner to me.
What is Perl Las?
According to Abel and Cole, "Once upon a time, in the heart of West Wales there was a family of cheese. Well, a family who have been making cheese for many years.
Gwynfor and Thelma Adams make this gorgeous organic blue cheese, Perl Las Blue entirely by hand. Some of the cast iron presses they use are over 100 years old. Vintage!" Sounds perfect.

Perl Las and walnuts focaccia

Ingredients:

1 large onion, thinly sliced

165g Perl Las blue cheese

7 walnuts

2 tbsp pesto
Olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper

a dash of balsamic vinegar

a dash of brandy (optional)

for focaccia:

1 pack of focaccia & ciabatta mix (I used the Sainsbury's variety)

330ml water

30ml olive oil plus extra for coating

more flour

1 tbsp truffle oil (optional)

Start by placing the bread mix in a bowl and gradually adding the olive oil, water and truffle oil, first using the fork to combine it until you have a dough. Then dump the dough onto the well floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, until it feels smooth and elastic.

Put it in the bowl, cover with a tea towel and place in a warm place for an hour or more. I think I kept mine for a few hours until I had time to work with it. By then it was well risen and fluffy. Drizzle a bit more olive oil on it and form a focaccia, sort of an uneven rectangle. Using a finger, poke the focaccia to make the dimples on its cheeks.

Slice the onion thinly and fry it in the pan with the olive oil, season a bit, add a dash of brandy and balsamic vinegar for the caramelised effect. 

Shell the walnuts and break them into segments.

Spread the pesto over the focaccia.

Decorate the focaccia with the onions and walnuts and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until golden. Take the focaccia out of the oven and crumble Perl Las cheese over it. Place it back in the oven, once the cheese has nicely melted, the focaccia is ready to be served.

Mine is a bastardised version of Hugh's recipe, to see his original recipe please follow this link Curd processor.

If you can't find any Perl Las, I'm sure a soft blue cheese like Gorgonzola Piccante or Dolcelatte would work as well. 

I would also love to bring your attention to the bread plate I used for the photo shoot, it is an antique Royal Crown Derby bread plate from 1840-80s. Isn't it pretty? I have bought it recently in the vintage shop. 

I'm adding my recipe to #PoCoLo linky on the inspirational Verily Victoria Vocalises blog.

Back to 1983

This year Kellogg's Special K is celebrating its 30th anniversary. So much has happened in these 30 years.

Sometimes when I look back at those times, it feels like a different era, as if that life happened to someone else, as if it wasn't me. I don't mean just the fashions or music, though shoulder pads do make me feel a bit nostalgic, and I still love Sweet Dreams and Uptown Girl.
And now for the first time since 1983, Kellogg’s is changing Special K with a new, more wholesome recipe.

Going back to 1983 would take me to the Soviet Union. Brezhnev was dead but it was still a very depressive-stagnation period. The high school was a bit of a nightmare for me, as I found it difficult to conform. It would be another three years till perestroika started, by then I will be a University student. I remember my uni days as completely different from school. With all the political changes, we felt that it was time to say Farewell to the dim past and embrace the new world. Everything seemed possible. I felt happy and ready to conquer the world.

Reader, I tried but I could not find a photo of myself taken exactly 30 years ago, I am not even sure my Mum has any. At 15, I wasn't happy about my looks (as probably most teenagers), and tried to avoid having my photos taken. Actually, that's not entirely true, I posed for a professional photographer who came to our art school, he wanted me to look really sad, and did the photo shoot outside some old dilapidated building (my brother was present). I'm sure they would have made a good image for a mis-lit book cover or a ghost story.

At that time Kellogg's didn't mean much to me. It wasn't available in Russia, at least not in my home town, and I can't remember eating cereals in my childhood at all (we had lots of different kinds of porridge and kasha).
Kellogg's was something the American kids ate in the movies and books.

How old was I in this photo? I tried to figure the date out, and can't quite pinpoint the year, maybe 19.
Shoulder pads. I loved them. They made me feel stronger, like wearing an armour. I was quite insecure and naive. I am certainly a lot wiser now and much-much stronger. Well, I have to, being a mother of two wonderful boys who are the centre of my Universe.

Music? In 1983 and later, Russia was crazy about the Italian music. Among many others: Loredana Berte, Ricchi e Poveri, Riccardo Fogli, Pupo, Al Bano-Romina Power and of course, Toto Cutugno.
L'Italiano just swept us all away in 1983, and I fell in love, head over heels.
Later, when I met my future husband, he laughed at my tastes in Italian music and introduced me to the beautiful lyrics of Fabrizio De Andre and Roberto Vecchioni. And while I love their songs, my heart still goes a bit aflutter whenever I hear Toto Cutugno's velvet voice.

In those faraway 1980s I was dreaming that one day I would marry an Italian, and he will be an aristocrat as well. Thirty years later, I have been married to my Italian for almost 17 years, and he comes from a prominent family whose history goes centuries back. One day I will tell you the story of how we met. An irony of fate, as I am more of a socialist than I have ever been before, and don't have much respect for the empty titles and crowns. So, that has definitely changed for me. Thankfully, my husband shares my views.

And while 30 years ago, I haven't had Kellogg's Special K for breakfast, now there is always a pack of Special K on the kitchen counter. I have been eating it for the last couple of weeks every morning, as I am testing it for a month to see whether I'll really be able to go one size down. So far I haven't noticed any difference but the night is young.

What did I think of the new Special K?
"The new recipe contains three grains — rice, wheat and barley (previously there were two) — and is made with wholegrain, for a source of fibre as well as 8 vitamins and minerals. It gives health-conscious, weight-watching women a tastier breakfast".
It definitely is more wholesome and it tastes healthier, but I do miss the sour note of Red berries, which is my favourite variety of Kellogg's Special K. And don't even mention the naughty Strawberry and chocolate. So, I found myself adding bits and pieces to the new flavour.

Have I changed much? Yes and No. I am stronger, wiser, almost unbreakable, a fierce tigress ready to fight for her cubs, especially for my older boy who has autism. Looking at me, you might presume I am armoured against any eventuality, but scratch the surface, and deep beneath you might still find that vulnerable young girl who was hurting at the unkind remark.
But just like the Special K, I will always be special to my family, whether I have wrinkles or carry extra weight.

If you enjoyed reading about my trip down the memory lane, you might like to read the other bloggers' posts on the theme of what has changed in 30 years of our lives. This post is my entry to BritMums/Special K How I've changed Linky Challenge (link removed as expired).

Chicken and okra casserole

I am a spontaneous shopper. I saw the okra on offer yesterday, and grabbed a small bag, then came home and started wondering what to do with it. I found some lovely curries with okra and yogurt, but I had none of the specific Indian spices apart from garam masala that the recipes were asking for. Then I came across a Turkish recipe of a chicken casserole with okra, and having a look around the kitchen, decided that I have the necessary ingredients, more or less. If you want to cook the authentic version of Chicken and okra casserole, read the link from The New York Times.

I have adapted the recipe to suit my list of ingredients and downsized it considerably. I only had 125g of okra rather than the whole pound.

Chicken and okra casserole with yogurt
Ingredients:
8 chicken pieces
125g okra
2 big tomatoes, chopped
5 heaped tbsp of Chobani fat free plain yogurt
juice of 1 lime
1 garlic clove
1 onion
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground coriander
salt, pepper
1tbsp Wild Rose el Hanout
1 tsp of plain flour

Heat the olive oil in the large casserole or wok-style pan, add the flour-dusted chicken pieces. Season with salt, pepper, coat evenly with Rose el Hanout and ground coriander.
In a separate frying pan fry the finely chopped onions and okra (sliced in half). Once the onion is slightly caramelised, add the onion/okra mix to the casserole with chicken, squeeze the juice of one lime and stir well. Add a chopped clove of garlic and tomatoes. Pour some water and cover the casserole with the lid. Cook on slow for about half an hour. Five minutes before you finish cooking, add the yogurt mixed with 1 tsp of plain flour.

I used the Chobani fat free yogurt, which is very thick and tastes amazingly good.

Serve with rice (I used Tilda Lemon rice).

The result: a total triumph of flavours. I am so going to do it again. Next time I'll try a meatless version of just the okra in yogurt dish, with perhaps more tomatoes. Absolutely delicious.

Adding this recipe to #CookItBlogIt linky on the inspiring The Diary of a Frugal Family blog.

Abel and Cole fruit & veg box

It's been about a year and a half since we started to receive a vegetable box from Abel and Cole. For the first year I was buying the gourmet veg box, which I recently changed for a small fruit and veg box, as they had most glorious blood oranges (all gone now, sadly, will have to wait for the next season).
And though I know what will arrive in the next box (well, most of the products, as I ticked off some things on the list which I don't fancy, and you never know what will be sent as a substitute), I am always excited to get a new box. Eddie and I open it together.
Our recent box included:
a box of tomatoes
a bag of potatoes
a bunch of beetroot with leaves
2 courgettes
onions
mango
oranges
pears

Tomatoes are Eddie's favourites, he is happy to eat a whole box given a chance. They are sweet and juicy, and disappeared almost at once.
Mango was quite hard, so I left it to ripen with the other fruit in the fruit bowl, and later made a mango smoothie (no pictures): whizz 1 cubed mango, a small tub of Greek style yogurt and semi-skimmed milk for the most refreshing drink.
Beetroot came with the very fresh greenery, and I cooked a lovely spring borscht with the beet leaves, beet and nettle. For a recipe, please visit my post Spring borscht with beet leaves and nettle. The other day our friend Jay had popped in for a morning cup of coffee, and I mentioned the borscht and said "I love beetroot". He laughed and said: "Of course, you do. You're Russian"

Potatoes went in the chicken soup that I cook for my older son (it's the only soup he agrees to eat, so I cook it most days for him), and as the side dish for the roast chicken with stuffing (one of the onions used).

Slightly parboil the potatoes cut into chunks in the salted water, then place them in a roasting tin or dish, drizzle with the olive oil, add the garlic cloves, sprinkle with nutmeg and roast in the oven at 180C until golden brown.

I also had some leeks left over from the previous week's box and decided to cook a side dish of courgettes, leeks and pear.
2 courgettes
2 leeks
1 pear
2 tbsp green jalapeno sauce
olive oil
salt, pepper
Slice the courgettes, pear and leeks and fry in the pan with the olive oil. Season well. Add the green jalapeno sauce. Stir regularly, add a bit of water and cover the frying pan with the lid to speed up the cooking.
Serve as a side dish to any roast meat or the toad in the hole.

The oranges, zested and juiced, became an orange polenta cake. I bake this cake every week, as it's my guys' favourite, only minus the blood oranges now, which were used for decoration in the original post.
We ate the rest of the fruit, and I still have one or two onions left, which I plan to use this week.

I did a series of posts of recipes for the produce of Abel and Cole.
To see them all please follow the tag Abel and Cole on my sidebar or this link.

Whether you receive a veg box from Abel and Cole, Riverford or any other local brand, you might like to join in the #TheVegChallenge onKirschplunder's blog (link removed as old).

Smiley Shark and the Great Big Hiccup!

Picture books are a great fun! Eddie and I love sitting on the bed or on the garden bench and sharing a story, especially when there are lots of colourful illustrations. It is such a fantastic bonding experience. I have already mentioned that Eddie and I have been chosen to join the Little Tiger Panel. Smiley Shark and the Great Big Hiccup! is our second book to review as panel members. 

This bright cheerful story is written and illustrated by Ruth Galloway. If you are a parent of preschoolers, you might have come across Smiley Shark already. This book is a sequel to the best-selling Smiley Shark story.

What is this story about?
One day the fish couldn't find their friend Smiley Shark anywhere. Finally they manage to spot him but he has the biggest hiccups ever!
If you ever had hiccups, you would nod your head reading the book, as you have probably tried the same methods to get rid of the hiccups. The fish make Smiley Shark do cartwheels, tickle him, ask him to hold his breath. Will these methods help?

The pictures below make me smile, as this is exactly what I do when I have hiccups- I hold my breath for as long as I can, and No, it doesn't work for me either.

Eddie loved this story, he giggles when I imitate the hic-hic-hiccup sound and repeats after me. We both enjoy that there are several characters, so we can read the story, using different voices and be as silly as we can be hiccuping and hooting with laughter at ourselves. A perfect book for play-acting. And it is educational as well, you learn the names of the sea creatures (angelfish, pufferfish etc).

We also enjoy discussing the book after we finished reading the story, I ask Eddie what's the story about, what has happened. We read this book quite a few number of times, and now Eddie can sit and "read" the story to me, i.e. tell me what is happening on each page in his own words.

When a friend came the other day to visit us and suddenly got hiccups, Eddie told me that Jen had the hiccups just like Smiley Shark and suggested we should scare her.

If you love reading to your children, you will have a good time following the story of Smiley Shark's hiccup adventures.

To find more about the range of books from Little Tiger Press, please visit their website www.littletiger.co.uk

If you enjoyed reading this review, you might like the following book review
Look Out, Ladybird

Herby beef cutlets

I've been checking out the Westin Gourmet's email offers for ages, but haven't ordered before. Last week the offer was too good to ignore it, as on top of all the beef products they added a whole corn-fed chicken, sliced ham and free postage. I am going to do a separate post on all the meals I have done with the hamper (and still plan to do), so if you are interested in finding out how it worked for us, keep an eye on my blog. I wanted to find out how many meals I will be able to cook and work out if it truly was a bargain. One of the items in the hamper was burgers, and as we don't have a proper BBQ, I decided to add more ingredients and use them as a base for my herby minced beef cutlets.

This recipe is inspired by my Mum, as she's the one who has been adding herbs and soaked stale bread to her cutlets for many years. For me the cutlets with mashed potatoes is the comfort food which takes me back to my childhood. Each time Mum comes to visit, I ask her to make them for me.

Herby beef cutlets (for about 10 cutlets)
Ingredients:
16oz minced beef
1 big chunk of stale sourdough bread, crusts removed, soaked in milk
1 onion, finely chopped
1 small to medium-sized leek, finely chopped
3tbsp olive oil
1 egg
a handful of rocket leaves, chopped
a handful of ground elder, chopped
about 6-7 basil leaves
salt, pepper

Start by soaking a stale chunk of bread in milk (first remove the crusts). Once the bread is soft, squeeze the milk out and break the bread into crumbs. Put the minced beef in a deep bowl with the soaked crumbs and mix well.
Slice the onion and leek finely and fry them with 1tbsp of olive oil for about 5 minutes. Let it cool and add to the beef mix.
Add one egg to the bowl, the chopped basil, rocket and basil, season well.
Using wet hands, roll the minced beef mixture into cutlets and fry in the frying pan with 2tbsp olive oil in two batches. Fry until well browned on both sides, add a bit of hot water, cover the pan with the lid and let it cook for about 10 minutes. They should be well done, as I really hate pink meat.

You can skip the ground elder, of course, and add the parsley or coriander, a bit of thyme works well too.
Serve hot with the mashed potatoes or rice and French/green beans.

I'm adding my herby recipe to Herbs on Saturday linky which is hosted this month by the inspiring foodie blog Delicieux and created by glorious Karen's blog Lavender and Lovage.

Seedlets: gardening is fun!

Who was it from the celebrity world bemoaning recently a total lack of interest in gardening among the new generations? Monty Don? Look no further, Mr Don. Here comes Eddie the gardener. He would live in the garden given a chance, and cries every time I tell him we have to go indoors. He's happy to dig and water and play in the garden all day long. There is a new range of gardening products for children just like Eddie - called Seedlets.

It was Chris Collins, the Blue Peter gardener, who has launched the new range. He is on a mission to "get children excited about getting their hands dirty with a brand new range of gardening kit: Seedlets. "
It is tailored towards 3 levels: Beginner (just starting out), Intermediate (budding gardener) and Expert (expert green fingers)."

Eddie was very excited when the parcel from Seedlets arrived with the gardening goodies. The range has been cleverly designed to appeal to the young gardeners. The tools are the right size for little hands, and the kits are bright and colourful.

Our parcel included a watering can, mini tool bag and tool set, a propagator and a packet of seeds. The enclosed leaflets show the whole range which includes many more useful tools plus fab things like an insect hotel and a kneeling pad (brilliant for all the weeding jobs).

Chris Collins commented, “I’m totally committed to showing kids exactly how fun it can be to grow plants, especially plants they can then eat! Many children don’t have a real understanding of where their food comes from, so this is about getting back to basics, tempting them away from computers and TVs and into the fresh air to grow their own dinner. In my thirty years teaching kids about gardening, I’ve never worked with a child who didn’t get a real kick out of it. These brilliant bits of kit are colourful, appealing and easy for small hands to use effectively.” 

We bought the kiddie gardening tools for Eddie in the past, which he dismissed as childish, they were made of plastic and didn't look like the "real" ones. So, he was delighted with his new tools from Expert range that look like the "adult" gardening tools (though to be honest, he is not an expert at all, he only aspires to become one).
Personally I love the plastic tools as well from the Beginner range, as they are very colourful and cheerful.

As you can see from the photos below, Eddie is very happy with his new gardening tools.

The Seedlets range includes packets of seeds which are specifically selected for each age group, bearing in mind the attention span and the ease of the instructions to follow.
We received a packet of rocket seeds. Now we come to the greenhouse daily to check on the progress of the seeds in the propagator.

I have assigned a patch for Eddie to dig freely, and he is very happy there. 

Watering plants can be such fun! 

We'll keep you informed on the progress of our rocket-growing project.

Thank you, Seedlets!
To find more about the range, visit the Seedlets site.

We were sent several products from the Seedlets range for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are mine (and Eddie's).

Eco-friendly with NaturePaint

The time has come to refresh Eddie's bedroom. It didn't look too bad, but I never had a chance to redecorate it when I was pregnant, as I was feeling quite unwell, and now I had no excuses not to give it a new look. By coincidence I saw that NaturePaint has been looking for bloggers to review their new range of paint. This was the necessary push for me, I have emailed them at once and they have kindly provided me with enough paint to decorate the room.

Elmer mural

What NaturePaint promises? "NaturePaint is the first paint brand in the world to be proudly labelled as Zero VOC, meaning their paint contains absolutely no toxins and doesn't produce those dreaded fumes that are bad for everyone's health.
Really family friendly as this means that after painting a room it is immediately safe for children to inhabit - so no having to put them to sleep elsewhere or cordoning off the painted room from them. It also has great environmental creds and disposing of left over paint has never been simpler - you can simply add any unused paint to a composter or throw away just as you would milk.
We only use artist-grade natural and non-toxic pigments and these include various earths, ochres, umbers, oxides, and rutile titan white. Wherever possible we buy pigments that are extracted using low environmental impact, non-polluting processes, even if that means we have to pay more money for them"


Sounds fantastic, doesn't it? I have contacted NaturePaint, saying that I would love to try their products as I planned to decorate Eddie's bedroom, and that ideally I would like to do a small size mural for him. My boys love Elmer the patchwork elephant, and I knew I would enjoy painting it on the wall.

I went online to NaturePaint to look at their full colour range. It was not an easy choice, as I wasn't sure whether to go for Basking, Cotton Dusk or By-the-wind-sailor, in the end I have chosen the Sunfish, a beautiful pastel blue shade.

You can see how the mixed paint is full of microscopic bubbles, and I followed the instructions precisely. It was also way too runny when I was painting the walls (in comparison to the other standard brands). The first coating was quite uneven, and I had to use both the roller and the brush to achieve the right effect. Thankfully, once dry, the bubbles disappeared and the coat of paint looked even. As per instructions, you need at least two coatings.

The pros:
- all the environmentally-friendly credentials
- the paint doesn't have an odour, and you can use the room on the same day it is painted (unlike some other paints that smell awfully toxic).
- The paint is supplied in powder form – allowing you to easily mix the amount you need and save any excess for future decoration.
- It comes in 63 colours, so a pretty good selection to choose from.
- provenance: I love the idea that all the paints are produced in Cornwall, using the local materials
The cons:
- as the paint comes in powder form you will need quite a big container to mix it in and the precise scales, as you need to follow the suggested ratio of paint to water. I did have the kitchen scales but I don't expect everyone to have them, so I think a plastic measure scoop to come with the paint would be a good idea. Also I didn't have a big enough container with the lid. I usually paint in stages, as I don't have a chance to complete the room in one go, so I needed a container that would keep the paint from drying for days. Hence I was mixing a small amount of paint every time.
- I found it too runny to my liking

The photo above (the jar) shows the actual shade of the paint, as the photos of the finished painted room are different, I tried to edit them to show the real colour, but didn't quite manage.

That's Eddie's soft toys corner, we have a low futon with a mattress on the floor, where he loves jumping and playing with his teddies and dogs. He doesn't sleep here (just thought I need to clarify, he has a bed at the opposite side of the room, where I was standing).

Eddie's delighted with his Elmer, he watched the progress with great interest, as it took me many days to finish it. I used the acrylics for the mural, as NaturePaint selection didn't have all the necessary primary bright colours for my project and I am more confident with the art materials. I should have first put the primer once the outline of Elmer was drawn, as the colours kept changing on the pale blue background. I had to repaint the pink twice, and mixing red and blue gave me a very dark purple which was almost black, so I had to do another trip to the art shop and buy a purple colour.  Then I realised my old black paint was too dry, so I had to buy a new one. Once the mural was finished, Eddie and I had fun adding the Elmer stickers which I bought a long time ago on amazon, they are wonderfully cheerful and bright, and easily removable once we get bored with them.

If you'd like to read more about the NaturePaint and see what you can do with it, please visit Mummy2Five blog and admire her fantastic Peter Pan mural. She's one talented lady, and I can imagine her son was ecstatic.

I'm adding my post to lovely Verily Victoria Vocalises' blog linky #PoCoLo