Dreaming of Autumn already?
Is it wrong, when I’m sitting here typing in a pair of shorts and an old t-shirt, the sun beating through the window onto my toes, that I’m already dreaming about the end of summer? It’s because we’ll be moving into our new house tomorrow. My mind has drifted even further, to cosy evenings and even past the first frost.
What’s that all about?
I think it started with this gorgeous beast on the Boden website which I think is really lovely. It’s a wax jacket like a Barbour (but with a slightly less hefty price tag). It made me think of crunching along a footpath on a brisk morning (whippet optional), or wrapping up warm to walk around the farmer’s market:
And of course I’ll be bringing my beloved Uggs out of their tissue wrapping. I’m an indoor-wearer only, but I love them so much. I’ve also got my eye on these nifty ones with added legwarmers – how snuggly are they?:
Then I’ll need gorgeous flickering candles while I’m snuggling. These cute little pine cone ones WILL be mine (from The Travelling Souk – one of my fave websites):
And loooook at John Lewis’ beautiful collection in collaboration with Jars Ceramistes – a gorgeous French brand that I’ve long admired. Imagine those jugs stuffed with the lovely Dahlias that flourish right through the autumn, and the bowl brimming with shiny aubergines…
Autumn starts for me when the butternut squash comes back in season. There’s something about a Sunday, with a nice roasted rib of beef, Yorkshire puddings and gorgeous roast chunks of butternut squash, all washed down with a big glass of red wine (I got some monster ones from T K Maxx that I just can’t wait to use), that makes the passing of summer so bearable… Foodie-wise, so much fabulous stuff happens at the end of August… berries and apples, pears, plums and damsons… the courgettes and tomatoes are still around and then there are fabulous mushrooms tempting you to leave the salad behind, heading for risottos, stews and soups, piles of mussels with scrummy white wine and herb scented broth to dip your bread into, baked potatoes and fruit pies…
I won’t mention the C word (FAR too early), but I’ll leave you with thoughts of Autumn until our move is complete. What does the end of summer mean to you?
I’ll see you very soon xx
Dear 18 year old me. ‘Six cocktails do not make you more attractive’ and other gems
Ages ago… years ago, in fact, my lovely friend Jenny wrote me some life lessons – things that she would like to tell 18 year old Jenny, should time travel ever become possible. I kept them, and during our latest move discovered the scrumpled piece of paper in one of my old notebooks. I thought I’d share some of them with you, because they’re really very good:
Dear 18 year old Jenny,
It’s not love, he isn’t perfect, 10 years older than you is too damned old and eloping is a really crappy idea
Never, ever, ever, ever, let the sun set on a fight. Ever.
Save yourself an awful lot of time and heartbreak and accept these two inviolable truths: your Mother is always right and your Dad is the only boy who will ever truly love you no matter what.
It doesn’t matter how much of a sissy you are or how much waxing hurts. Never, ever shave below stairs.
Only hussies think a black bra and a white top is attractive; hussies and their gentleman friends.
Six cocktails do not make you more attractive, witty or a great dancer. Six cocktails make you very drunk indeed.
A boy who isn’t good enough to meet your family is a boy who isn’t good enough.
It’s perfectly ok and sometimes fashionable to be ‘pale and interesting’. Decent fake tan and a cure for skin cancer haven’t been discovered yet and you will regret smearing your shoulders in baby oil to sit out in the sun for the rest of your life. And every time you see a strappy top/dress.
It doesn’t matter how cool it looks, head banging will definitely hurt in the morning.
Hang on with grim determination to the only two things in life that truly matters. Your family and your friends.
So then I asked my friends on Twitter, just out of interest: what would you tell your 18 year old self? The advice came in thick and fast:
@Helencakefiend: #dear18yearoldme you CAN wear a bikini, and you are not fat!
@babaduck71: Dear 18 year old me, perms are not your friend & you really should get your eyebrows tamed
@Girlyougotstyle: #dear18yearoldme Yes you may be academic, but you love fashion and Visual Merchandising will be huge. Ignore the teachers!
@thepurplediva: ALWAYS go for the 5inch FM shoes….your feet will suffer anyway…
@ElsieAnderton: 1) nobody looks good with a perm & a straight fringe 2) don’t drop out of law 3) your skirt is too short 4) that boy’s a dick
@sarahthesheepu: #dear18yearoldme stand up for yourself, believe in yourself, make decisions taht make u happy not other people
@ItsCherrySue: #dear18yearoldme Candi Station speaks the truth! #younghearts
@1978rebecca: Stop wishing your life away, your boyfriend will propose (eventually) you’ll get married and have kids, there’s no rush!
@mummylimited: @EnglishMum stop worrying about boys & learn French #dear18yearoldself
@guineapig66: @EnglishMum you’re stronger than you know, and you will survive this and help others by doing so #dear18yearoldme
@SlatedIreland: #dear18yearoldme your bum looks tiny in everything @EnglishMum
@ImaginationTree: stop worrying what other people think about you and do a few more daring things!” #dear18yearoldme
@DomesticJules: Remember those people who gave you grief in school? You’ll get the last laugh. #dear18yearoldme
@peekaywrites: #dear18yearoldme it doesn’t matter that you don’t know what you want. What you want will find you
@Kristinson: learning another language would actually not be a complete waste of time #dear18yearoldme
So what about you? What would you tell your 18 year old self?
Foodie news: what’s new?
The East India Company
I think I’ll start my ‘what’s new’ with something reeeeally old: The East India Company has been around since its creation by the Royal Charter of Elizabeth 1 in 1600. They still travel the world sourcing really amazing products, which are beautifully packaged and really unusual. We tried their savoury Blue Cheese and Sea Salt biscuits, which were especially delicious topped with something a little sweet, like chutney or cream cheese and grapes. I’ve also got my eye on their amazing Persian Blue Salt. I’ll be heading back at Christmas to source some really unique foodie presents (check out the amazing Hawaii Black Salt as well).
Dr Oetker Baking
Dr Oetker have launched a great new Facebook page www.facebook.com/DrOetkerBaking with a recipe tab featuring lots of baking tips and inspiration. Their Cake Release Spray is probably one of my favourite products. It’s absolutely perfect for use with some of my more elaborate Nordicware tins – grab some now.
Double Stuff Oreos
Not content with producing possibly the best biscuit in the whole world, those crafty chaps at Oreos have made them even better by doubling up on the outrageously nice filling. Make a plain vanilla ice cream in your ice cream maker, and add in a packet of smashed up Oreos. Heaven. If you’re Irish, you will understand what I mean when I say it’s even better than Eddie Rockets’ Oreo milkshake.
Blossom Hill’s new Vineyard Collection
Crack open a lovely bottle of Blossom Hill’s new Vineyard Collection – either to celebrate a special occasion, or just on a feet-up Friday in front of the telly treat. We tried the lovely crisp white wine, which we paired with Thai fishcakes and an oriental salad, but I think it would go down just as well on it’s own. Gorgeous.
Heinz new Squeezy Soups
Heinz have released a clever new Squeeze & Stir soup.
It’s soup. In a tube. No, really.
You just squeeze it into the cup and top up with hot water. We’ve become a bit addicted: they’re really easy, and I find them very similar to the Heinz tinned soups, so no loss of quality either. They’d be great to take to work.
We’re also loving their new 1kg fridge pack of baked beans, which is cleverly shaped so it fits on the fridge shelf (it’s one of your five a day y’know!).
Soreen’s new Banana Loaf
I’m a long-time malt loaf lover and – dare I say it – I like this banana version even better than the original. It’s still as sticky but has a lightness about it that’s quite appealing, especially for the summer. And it’s really low fat too (1.5% saturated fat). Nomnomnom. £1.29 from the usual places.
Piper’s Farm Meats
Piper’s Farm are a family owned meat business in the heart of Devon. They kindly sent us a mahoosive pack of their produce. Everything was top notch and was really well packed so it arrived well chilled. Order online for amazing quality produce. Do not forget to order their fabulous pies. We’re all utterly in love with the pies. I’d also recommend the sausages which have a high meat content but none of the potential nasty crunchy bits. Everything’s portioned up and packaged and the large majority can be cooked straight from the freezer. Have a look at their website here: www.pipersfarm.com
The Spice Tailor by Anjum Anand
These brand new sauce packs are an interesting change from buying a jar of curry sauce. Anjum Anand’s new range is called The Spice Tailor (www.thespicetailor.com). There are seven different packs in the range and each of them has three parts: a little pack with whole spices and two pouches containing sauces. Basically you fry the spices (you can omit the dried chilli if you don’t want it too hot), then add in your fresh ingredients (chicken, fish, lamb… whatever you fancy), then you add the base sauce (which can be used as a marinade if you have extra time) and finally the main sauce. We tried the Rustic Rogan Josh and the Original Tikka Masala, both of which were delicious – a really great item to have stashed in the cupboard. Look out for the whole range in Waitrose.
Douwe Egberts new Inspirations Instant Coffee
We returned back from Cologne to find a lovely hamper filled with different coffees waiting for us. There are three flavours in the range inspired by three different coffee-growing regions: Brazilian Samba (smooth, about strength 3), Kenyan Sunset (fuller bodied, strength 4) and the more mellow Eastern Escape (strength 3), so you can now match your coffee to your mood! The new range is priced £3.59. Visit www.douwe-egberts.co.uk or like https://www.facebook.com/DouweEgbertsUK.
Jamie Oliver by Young’s
The ubiquitous Jamie has teamed up with Young’s to bring out a new range of frozen fishy products: fish cakes, fish pie and fish fingers all with sustainable fish. I’m pleased to see pollock in there, which is yummy and often overlooked. There’s also wild MSC Alaska salmon (that’s Marine Stewardship Council-certified) and smoked whiting which is caught off the Scottish coast. The whole range is made in Grimsby and is available from next month.
Time to buy a house? Or time to run away screaming…?
So back here in the UK, we’re squatting, somewhat ridiculously, in my Mum’s house. All our stuff’s in storage (even the beloved KitchenAid), even then it’s a bit of a squeeze and the Ninja Cat of Death is living an uncomfortable truce with Ellie the labrador and fending off amorous advances from Harry the ‘ginger t*sser’ (I know it’s mean, but it’s his name – he accepts it, and so should you).
We spent a while looking for rental houses, but it’s hard going – they seem to be gone almost as soon as they’re advertised – well, the ones that don’t smell of wee and have kitchens out of the 1940s are, anyway…
A friend of mine was recently looking for a rental house round here, was registered with all the local estate agents and heard of a house to rent. When she asked the agent why she hadn’t been told about the property despite being registered, she was told ‘oh it was gone by 8.30am’… WHAT?!
Now admittedly it’s commuterville – 30 minutes straight into Euston on the train – but queues for viewings? Seriously? And don’t get me started with the prices: £1500 a month for a very small semi-detached house (admittedly, they probably watch us shamble in, me with sticky out Russell Brand hair, the teens with their mahoosive feet and jeans around their arses and English Dad looking seriously pissed off with the whole process – and quickly add on an extra few quid) and they’re always 2 double bedrooms and one single – you try asking two teenaged boys which one wants the single room… One of these days I’m going to suggest a fight to the death (joking).
So we decided we’d buy a house. English Towers Part Deux, if you will. I know, I know… the FTSE is down 12.5%… oh wait, it’s up again… But it’s a very, very small house, with one reception room (I know it’s facile, but all I could think about was where the hell would the Christmas tree go?) on a new estate that was offering good financial incentives for people like us (for ‘people like us’, read poor people). We very nearly bought it too: mortgage offer in place… contracts ready to sign… and then the extras happened.
Heard about ‘the extras‘? Everyone that buys a new house will be nodding their head wisely at this point. Turns out that the extras are charges for practically everything that’s not cemented in.
‘You want carpets in your new house?’
‘Would be nice…’
‘No problem sir, that’ll be three grand. A kitchen you say? One with built-in appliances and a double oven? A snip at £3250…’
‘Got teenagers?’
‘Yes, two’
‘Okay, well there’s a small teenager surcharge of £1000 per child…’
And so it goes on. I might have made the last one up, but our very modest extras – tiled bathrooms, pretty normal kitchen… came to £8,000. And I think we would have stomached it – killed ourselves but stomached it – until the husband read one of the extras was to install Sky: £800. I think it tipped him over the edge and we had a really, really good think about what we were doing. Could we afford all these extras and the deposit? Probably not. Should we stick the money on our credit cards? Probably not.
But the final nail in the new house’s coffin came from my brother, nooooo, not Mad Uncle Ali – don’t be silly,no, the Cocktail King, Sensible Uncle Ian. He made up our minds in two seconds and with one sentence:
Sensible: ‘Do you love it?’
Me: ‘No.’
Sensible: ‘Then don’t buy it. Why would you make one of the biggest purchases of your life and not completely love it? No amount of builders’ incentives should persuade you to buy a house you don’t love’.
So we’re back on the rental market.
*Le sigh*
Aaaanyway, we’ve found a house. Not exactly where we’d like to live but, unbelievably, very close to the house we nearly bought. I’m looking forward to rescuing my Kitchen Aid from storage! It’s got room for us all, and a decent kitchen. And I think I’ve even seen a spot where the Christmas tree can go..
What about you? Rent or buy?
More Xbox fun at Gamescom 11, Kinect Sports Series 2… and some new friends!
So actual Gamescom (well the press preview day) was on the Wednesday and de brevren were keen to get us there early doors.
We headed straight to the Xbox stand (with our priority passes *cough*) to check out all the new stuff. We had our Xbox Ambassador tags on and it was amazing the amount of people who stopped us and wanted to know more about our role. We felt all spesh.
First up, then, was a go on the Kinect Sports Series 2 tennis (seeing as ol’ Martina Hingis was hogging it yesterday):
We also had a go on some of the other new Kinect titles, including Leedmees (look out for it, it’s kind of like Lemmings, but you create their platform with your body shape), and Burnout Crash (one of the new titles which will be available to download straight from Xbox Live, meaning it’s both cheaper, and there’s no plastic boxes, etc, involved).
The Mad Professor, of course, headed straight for EA Sports Fifa 12 (he even managed to get entered into a tournament where he got down to the last 8):
…although he was rather distracted on the way there as he got talking to some new friends:
and the boys got themselves pixellated by Minecraft too (soon to be on Xbox 360 – we heard tell…):
Later, we got to meet with Scott Henson, the developer of Kinect Sports Season 2, and find out all about it. He was such a nice guy and played a game with the Skaterboy while he was chatting away to us (he was competitive – apparently he got beaten by Martina Hingis and was not at all happy!!):
The new game, not out until 28th October, was nominated for Gamescom 2011 Best Family Game, and Scott told us that as well as tennis, it will include darts, golf, American football, baseball and skiing. There will also be some great touches like voice recognition, so when you’re playing tennis you can shout ‘objection!’ to get the point played in slo-mo, and loads of other great touches (which I cant tell you about just yet!).
We had such a fab time, met some wonderful new friends, and got spoiled rotten. The kids all bonded so well and had an absolute blast too. Thanks so, so much to Xbox and to the wonderful Kerry, who managed to get us all to the right place at the right time (just about – it must have been like herding cats). Mwah! x
Click here to find out more about Xbox’s fabulous Play Smart Play Safe campaign, get hints and tips from the family ambassadors and to read more blogs from Gamescom.
The Xbox Playday – trying out what’s new for Xbox at Gamescom 11
So dawn on Monday saw a rare glimpse of the Englishes. Bleary eyed and a bit sweary, we piled into the car to sit in the seventh circle of hell (the M25) and swear a bit more whilst getting later and later for our flight. We were setting off bright and early to head for Cologne for one of the biggest gamer conventions of the year: Gamescom 2011. Everyone who is anyone is there in the gaming world (a lot of them sporting really bizarre haircuts), showing off their newest stuff to the journalists, film crews and hard-core gamers. As a family, we’re proud Xbox Ambassadors – we take our role very seriously (well, me and English Dad do, the kids just think they’ve died and gone to heaven) and have been involved in Xbox’s Play Smart Play Safe campaign to protect children online and promote safer gaming – something very dear to my heart.
Joining us on this amazing trip were fellow bloggers lovely NotSupermum, my long-time buddy Liz from TheMumBlog, Novelists (and bloggers) Caroline Smailes and DJ Kirkby and their families and lovely PR (and blogger!) Kerry.
Tuesday was Xbox’s PlayDay. This is a great event held in a ‘secret location’ (for ‘secret’ read it takes 40 minutes in a taxi to get there, and even then, they drop you at the wrong place) where Xbox show off everything that’s new and fabulous. Because there’s just SOOO much stuff, I’ve done you a little mosaic. Click on the little pics to enlarge:
What we loved:
Forza Motorsport 4 (out 14 October 2011)
The boys adored this. Check out the new Hockenheim Ring and the new 2012 BMW M5 – clever Kinect stuff going on there too.
Gears of War 3 (out 20 September 2011) 18+
English Dad was found playing this most of the day. Apparently it’s even better (if that’s possible) than the already multi-million selling current game.
Kinectimals Now with Bears (out 11 October 2011)
I just love Kinectimals. I played this one with the new panda and it’s just absolutely adorable. It’s going to be available on Xbox Live on Windows phones too, so you’ll be able to take your Kinectimal with you wherever you go!
This will appeal to all those Disney princesses out there – a virtual Disneyland where you can soar above the clouds like Tinkerbell. Absolutely amazing animation – a really good looking game.
Kinect Sports Season 2 (out 25 October 2011)
More of this tomorrow, but highly recommended. The tennis is just amazing, and the darts is really good fun too. Sadly, I didn’t get to play Martina Hingis, who was showing off her skills on the Kinect Sports Season 2 stand, but apparently she was mega competitive and even managed to beat the developer!
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (out 15th November 2011)
This is, apparently ‘AWESOME!’ although I didn’t have a go. There’s remastered classic maps like Beaver Creek and Damnation. (No, I don’t know what this means, but it’s awesome).
Exclusively on Xbox, The Mad Professor gave this a thorough testing and declared it even better than FIFA 11. High praise indeed.
Kinect Sesame Street: Once upon a Monster
What’s not to love about getting to interact with Cookie Monster? Absolutely great use of Kinect this one. And seriously cute.
The Gunstringer (out September 13 2011) 12+
Brilliantly fun Kinect shoot ‘em up (I think this is the first shooter-type game I’ve seen on Kinect) – it’s bundled with Fruit Ninja, which is the best fun ever. Really great graphics and great fun to watch even when you’re not actually playing. Hunt it down.
And our absolute favourite?
Has to be:
Kinect Dance Central 2 ( out 21 October 2011)
Absolutely brilliant. We adored this (as you can see by the photos) and the dance off between English Dad and Not Supermum was one of the best things I’ve ever watched – competitive or what! The music on this new version is killer as well. Here’s the teens showing you how it’s done:
And here’s English Dad vs Not Supermum:
Enter your best travel tips and win a Lonely Planet guide book with Youtravel.com
***THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED! THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR ENTRIES ***
The winner was Jacquie with her tip: ’Take a small compass with you if travelling to New York or any big city, easier to read a map and navigate around, you also dont have to be fiddling with you phone app and risk getting it stolen.’
Well done!
Youtravel.com have really taken me by surprise. I noticed them at the beginning on the year when they launched their rather quirky new website (I heard mention of endless days spent locked in a darkened room with packs of crayons), and since then they’ve been popping up all over the place.
I like their style – they’re fresh and funky and focused on the hotel (it’s how they started off – selling hotels to the travel industry) so you can find your perfect hotel first (with real reviews and videos from real people to help you), and then sort the travel afterwards.
But now, dearest reader, this funky bunch of travel dudes need our help. I’m after some top tips and there’s a little something in it for you too:
We need your best holiday tips! How would you help a family book their holiday? What top tips have you got that you can share about getting the best from your trip?
Is it best to book a night flight? Book last minute? A year in advance? How do you keep the kids happy on the journey, and what are your best tips for enjoying your hotel and resort? I know you know all the answers, so come on, cough up. You can either leave your tips below, or it you’re a tweeter (twitterer?) tweet me and @youtravel_com with your top tips using the hashtag #youtraveltips to be in with a chance to win.
To pay you back for all your hard work, the top tipper will win a Lonely Planet Guidebook of their choice to assist them on their next adventure.
ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions
Review: new Tesco Goodness range – and free Zoo tickets!
I’ve been checking out Tesco’s new Goodness range this week. It’s a change for me as some of the products in the range are chilled, ready-prepared meals. There are also healthy snacks and some nice little bits for lunchboxes too.
The whole range is aimed towards children, but unlike the usual ‘for kids’ ranges has been developed from scratch to be as healthy as possible, while being packaged in a way that’s really kid-friendly. All of the meals are designed to be healthy and nutritionally balanced, and lots of them have hidden veg as well, which I thought was really clever. I think it’s a really good option for when you’re a bit time-starved and yet don’t want to resort to pizza and chips for tea (although there are still some family favourites like a healthy sausage and mash in the range).
The range has been taste-tested by kids themselves, and I’m assured that nothing that got a ‘yuck’ made it into the finished range.
Tesco say: ‘Parents can be rest assured that every product carrying the Goodness logo meets strict criteria for fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt. They also contain no artificial colours or flavours and many have added vitamins or calcium. Most of the range, including the chilled prepared meals, contain at least one portion of vegetables which will count towards their five a day‘. Pretty darned impressive. They’e also guaranteed that the range will be affordable as well, with products starting at just 45p
An added bonus at the moment is that if you buy two products from the range, you can get a free zoo ticket, and be in with a chance to win other prizes too. Just keep your receipt and enter the details on this site: http://www.tescozootickets.co.uk/ to claim the tickets. So that’s healthy food, plus a day out in the fresh air. Top marks, Tesco!
If you try any of the Goodness range, do drop me a comment and let me know what you think.
Tesco Magazine Mum of the Year 2012 – do your bit!
The fabulous Tesco Magazine Mum of the Year awards will be notching up its 7th year in 2012. It’s a time to search out the great and the good of the mumosphere (I just made that up) and give them a well-deserved pat on the back. This year I’m an official blogger for the Mum of the Year 2012 awards too (yay!).
Tesco need to know about that marvellous mum that you know. The one who deserves a massive thank you. She might be a campaigner, a motivator… Maybe she’s raised funds for something fantastic, maybe she’s inspiring children to get active, or maybe she’s a woman on a mission in some other way? I think everyone comes across someone occasionally that really needs recognition for a job well done. This is your chance to make it happen!
Nominations close on 23rd September and the finalists will attend the fabulous celebrity-stocked awards ceremony in London.
So thinking caps on, chaps..
You can find the nomination form here and lots more information ono the Tesco Magazine website too.
If you want to keep up to date with the awards, follow twitter.com/tescomagazine or check out facebook.com/tesco.
Review: breakfast at The Akeman, Tring
With their latest Costa-bashing adverts (placed cheekily opposite the store itself) offering coffees (eat in or take away) for just a quid, The Akeman has been putting itself out there recently. We decided to head along for breakfast to check out the hype.
First impressions are, I have to say, rather fabulous. Having only ever been there for dinner and cocktails, the place takes on a completely different vibe during the day… people were lazing in comfy leather sofas, sipping cappuccinos, and there were plenty of mums with babies sitting in the lovely courtyard garden. I love the fact that the kitchen is open so you can see exactly what’s going on:
We were seated quickly and although it was just noon, assured that it was still okay to order breakfasts. The breakfast menu isn’t massive, but it covers the basics. My three men all went for a full English, and I ordered scrambled egg and bacon. Service is efficient and really friendly. When English Dad struggled with a pepper mill, someone was at his side instantly offering to help. Juices were fresh and ice cold and the coffees were ‘terrific’, apparently (I’m not a coffee drinker).
The full English breakfasts were pronounced excellent: really decent, meaty sausages, creamy, well-seasoned scrambled egg, lovely thick-cut bacon cooked properly (how I hate flaccid bacon) and delicious mushrooms. I got all the cherry tomatoes as nobody else liked them. My own bacon and scrambled egg was delicious, although we could have done with a bit more toast all round (to be fair, we didn’t ask as our waitress had momentarily disappeared):
The bill (with coffees and a couple of fill-ups of coke) came to £34.00 – under ten quid a head for breakfast not being bad for an occasional treat, we didn’t think. We were invited to ‘tweet the boss’ with our comments, which I did, but he doesn’t look like he keeps his Twitter account up to date, which seems a bit counter-productive.
It took a while to get the bill, but both people that served us were cheerful and friendly. So, a decent brekkie all round and a solid 7/10 for the Akeman.
The Akeman is at 9 Akeman Street, Tring, Herts.
