Apologies dear reader for the radio silence from this end. Things have been somewhat busy the last few weeks over here.

Normal order will be returned shortly. In the meantime I wanted to tell you about the BEST DAY EVER I had last Friday.

I don’t work on Fridays, and spend it instead looking after Elliot. Together we had great plans for last Friday and had invited an NCT friend (and his mummy) over for a day of gardening, baking and general merriment.

The boys absolutely loved the gardening – got really stuck in (literally) to planting seeds and watering. I had bought a watering can for Elliot the day before and I have to admit that it’s probably one of the best things I’ve ever got for him. He loves it.



We planted sunflowers, pak choi, radishes, courgettes, butternut squash, onions, peas and salad leaves. (now it’s just up to mother nature to get them to grow, oh, and of course Elliot and his watering can!)

After a lovely lunch where both boys ate amazingly well, we made gingerbread men (recipe below) and they decorated with chocolate bits and raisins. Then they made cress heads. Elliot seemed very pleased with his!

After a well earned nap, we took the boys to Cogges Farm where they had one of their own gingerbread men, and then fed the goats, sheep, and chickens. They also FINALLY worked out how to go down the slide there on their own. Our little boy is growing up!

Anyway, if you’d like to taste some amazing gingerbread men (or men, rabbits and teddy bears as we made) then why not try this recipe:

350g plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

125g butter (use the proper stuff rather than margarine!)

175g light soft brown sugar

1 egg

4 tbsp golden syrup

To make, firstly mix together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and cinnamon in your trusty food processor. Add the butter and blend until mixed in, then add in the sugar.

Lightly beat the egg and golden syrup together, add to the food processor and pulse until the mixture clumps together. Tip the dough out, knead briefly until smooth, wrap in clingfim and leave to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes (or the time it takes to make a cress head!)

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius. Get out two baking trays (I guess you could line them but we didn’t!)

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Using cutters, cut out the gingerbread men shapes and place on the baking tray, leaving a gap between them. Then invite your child to add raisins, chocolate buttons etc to decorate (honestly think more of these went into the child than onto the gingerbread men, but fun was had so that’s the main thing!)

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden-brown. Leave on the tray for 10 minutes and then move to a wire rack to finish cooling. Ta da!

P.S. There’s still time to vote for me in the Family category of the Brilliance in Blogging Awards. I’d be so pleased to make the finals. Thanks so much! Voting closes on the 12th May.