Love is a Joseph Joseph Potato Smasher

Designed to speed up the mashing process, the Smasher™ cups and traps potato firmly in place whilst its unique pump-action makes short work of the mashing.

Also perfect for puréeing other kinds of cooked vegetables and soft fruits.

Dishwasher safe.

And I love it if there was a Desert island Kitchen gadget show I would be taking this on the Desert Island with me. 

Potatoes ready for mashing or smashing !

the Smasher™ cups and traps potato firmly in place whilst its unique pump-action makes short work of the mashing.

A smashing good time was had by all!

Here it is perfectly smooth mash potato

The Potato smasher is my own  which I bought.. I just love Joseph Joseph . It makes me want to cook.. next mission fairy cakes and I will have to use my Joseph Joseph bowls.

Abigail Story Buddy Giveaway

ABIGAIL STORY BUDDY™

Meet Abigail, the chatty acrobatic bunny who just can't wait to grow up. Kids will love watching her come to life as you read key words aloud from her books: Her newest book,Abigail and the Fashion Show, comes with an Abigail-sized purse for her to carry. Additional books include Abigail and the Balance Beam (book included), Abigail and the Tea Party and Abigail and the Lost Purse.

A charming book which will delight any little girl or boy. I gave my niece the Jingle the Huskey at Christmas and she thoroughly enjoyed it , she is an advanced reader  and she just loved this. Even if you are not an advanced reader then is nothing better that snuggling up with a your child while you read it to them

Interactive Abigail Story Buddy Rabbit from Hallmark

Each Interactive Story Buddy plush character has a free coordinating app for iPhone and/or iPad that can be downloaded from Apple's App Store. Each app includes games, animation that brings the storybook pictures to life, and the option of recording your own voice or playing a pre-recorded narration:

• Download Bigsby’s Best Friend iPad app
• Download Abigail and the Balance Beam iPhone/iPad app
• Download Cooper's Big Bear Hug iPhone/iPad app
• Download Watson and the Case of the Sneaky Stealer iPhone/iPad app
• The Jingle All the Way app has generated more than 200,000 free downloads so far. Apps tracker padgadget.com regularly ranks the Hallmark Story Buddy™ apps among the top 10 downloads across the industry. 

Hallmark have very kindly given me one of these to review  to give away to you.

There are two simple steps

1. Comment on your favourite animal

2. Press press the Goggle + button at the top of my blog and comment that you have done so 

Winner will be chosen by Random org on the 18th May.

Diamond Jubilee card

I have created yet another Jubilee card, I must admit I haven yet to do a stepper card without it going wrong but surely learning a new skill is about it going wrong sometimes. I am not one of those people where such things come to me naturally. For instance I lasted knitted a scarf for my teddy bear 33 years ago and have NEVER knitted since,  should I take up knitting again is there any easy way to learn ? any way here is my latest Jubilee inspired card.

A Diamond Jubilee card

A Union Jack inspired  Dimaond Jubilee card

Saucy Sausage Pasta

Saucy Sausage pasta for 4 people .  This is a frugal recipe as you no doubt with probably already have these items in stock.






Ingredients


1 chopped medium onion
1 tbsp Olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 tap chilli powder
400g chopped tomatoes
300g short pasta ( such as fusilli)
sausages




Method:


Put a large pan of water on to boil. heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the sausage  on a fairly high heat until they are brown all over then chop them into chunks. Now turn the heat down and add the onion and garlic, cooking them until they have softened.
Stir in the chilli powder and tomatoes with the sausages, bring the sauce to the boil then turn the heat down and let it bubble for about 10 minutes while you cook the pasta.


Drop the pasta into the pan of boiling water and cook according to the pack instructions. Drain the pasta, then tip it into the frying pan with the sausage sauce, mixing well to coat. Dish up immediately with crusty bread.

Frugal Saucy Sausage Pasta

I didn't cut the sausage up in chunks for my son kids aren't  fickle are they ?!


And I forgot the rustic looking French bread !

"Bloody Squirrels"

"Give me a child until he is seven and I will show you the man,"  is  meant to a Jesuit saying and it's one I remember from My History A level when I was knee deep in seventeenth history  getting to grips  with the likes of Richelieu. But like most quotes , it is often misquoted and the real words and meaning lost in time.

But this does have a true sentiment at its  heart you are actually guiding your child from the day they are born. Not sure if we would call it moulding as you have to allow free choice as they grow up. The choices and actions you make as parents etc go a long way to shaping the character of your child.

So for example don't get wound up if you have a cross word with your child just sit down and talk about it , when you've all calmed down. They will come to know that situations can be resolved by talking.

So its this week I celebrate  my blog anniversary and my son talking.. puzzled aren't you? Well its one year since I started my blog and ten years since my son started talking. Why is that monumental ? You see my son is thirteen now and didn't start talking till he was three and a half. And his first words were "Bloody Squirrel" So if you would like to see the story behind it you can click here. And you will see whilst that event shaped my son into the happy go lucky albeit still shy teenager today. yes we still have the problems that teenagers bring knuckle dragging, untidy room fridge raiding.


So I shall pat myself on the back to the fact I have done a good job with my child . I must go as I have to wash to football kit, rugby kit, cricket clothes.. you get the picture don't you?

Washing rugby kit.