Quite a while ago Parragon Books sent me a great book to review, and because I'm unable to stand around for ages cooking at the moment I must admit I neglected to use it. Finally I ordered my ingredients among my shopping and last night I cooked a recipe from this book for my family's tea.


The Burger is full of around 100 different recipes including a few sauces and condiments as well as a whole plethora of burger recipes of all types.It has everything from Chilli Burgers and Jamaican Jerk Chicken Burgers to Beef Teriyaki Burgers With Sizzling Vegetables. It also has an excellent section with hints and tips and The History Of The Burger.

 I was delighted to see that it contained a few vegetarian recipes (as well as masses than can be adapted for use with soya or Quorn mince). I decided to make their Classic Veggie Burger.


This is a vegan burger where the protein content is from beans and nuts. It's incredibly simple to make and literally ANYONE can do it. Please bear in mind I used double ingredients as I needed to feed 7 of us last night, so you won't have as much mix or as many burgers!

The Classic Veggie Burger (page 26 of The Burger)

Ingredients


85g/3oz brown rice
400g can flageolet beans drained and rinsed
115g/4oz unsalted cashew nuts
3 garlic cloves
1 red onion chopped
115g/4oz sweetcorn kernels
2tbsp tomato puree
1tbsp chopped oregano

salt and pepper
2 tbsp wholemeal flour for coating
vegetable oil for frying

Method

Cook the rice for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and put into a food processor or blender.

Add all other recipe ingredients - beans, nuts, garlic, onion, sweetcorn, tomato puree, oregano - and season with salt and pepper.

Blend until the mixture still has a bit of texture, but no big lumps of garlic or nuts.


I have to say it doesn't look very attractive at this point, and a couple of my children came in and stared a bit before walking away without saying anything. Just occasionally they can be very restrained....


Shape the mixture into 4-6 equal(ish) burgers and coat with flour. Place in the fridge for an hour. If you don't put it into the fridge to rest for an hour then it'll be very hard to work with and somewhat gooey.....I learned this lesson many years ago when you couldn't buy ready made veggie burgers anywhere...


Fry your burgers or brush with oil and barbeque for around 5 minutes a side. I actually did mine for a little longer on a low heat as I felt they were a bit soft still.

Garnish with whatever takes your fancy and eat....


These burgers were really nice. I was worried they'd be a little too sweet, but they were not at all. The beans have the strongest flavour, so they actually go incredibly well with tomato relish or good old ketchup!

The Burger is a shaped paperback with 224 pages. It has an RRP of £12 and is currently available on Amazon for £11.13. I really like it. I've already got the ingredients to make Spiced Lentil-Potato Burgers and there are a few of the meaty burgers that I can easily use soya mince with. Making your own burgers is much healthier and you can add whatever takes your fancy on the day!

Arthur Price are world-renowned for their cutlery, but they sell far, far more than that. This year they have released a special gift collection designed by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen for Remembrance Day.

I'm not a fan of war or fighting, but I can appreciate that at times in the past there has been no alternative. I wouldn't want to enlist, and I really hope none of my children ever do either, so I'm eternally grateful to those who have stood up and been counted on my behalf and in the place of my friends and relatives.

The Remember range of poppy-inspired gifts includes a tote bag, journal, umbrella, iPad case and mug, and 10% from all proceeds will go to the Royal British Legion Women's Section to support their work providing care and support to members of the armed forces community.





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Sometimes just the right thing comes along at just the right time. I was asked if I was interested in trying HealGel Intensive Skin Rescue Gel when I was 4 days into wearing a full leg splint 24 hours a day.


To hold my broken leg straight I'm currently in a full leg splint. While it's actually really soft and comfortable it slips down when you've walked any distance and rubs against the top of your knee. I have no other option but to do at least 1 school run a day, which is a mile there and back. That 15 minute round trip is 40 minutes in the splint and I get slower as I go on. It can get a bit hot if you've been active and the sweat and friction generally makes your skin more sensitive. There's also that thing when you get a hair or a speck of dust caught inside it and it irritates until you can find it and get it out.




HealGel Intensive is an "advanced skin rescue formula" that is suitable for all skin types. They describe it themselves as follows -

HealGel Intensive is a multi-active gel that helps speed up recovery and resolve a wide range of skin problems.

Originally developed to improve the appearance of scars and relieve bruising and swelling, diminish redness and irritation, HealGel Intensive addresses and resolves a whole host of common skin complaints, such as rosacea, acne, eczema, psoriasis, sensitive skin and sunburn too. It’s also a great emergency repair for stressed skin or when you feel your complexion needs a little extra loving care to restore its radiant glow.

HealGel Intensive is a non-greasy colourless gel containing Arnica and Madecassoside amongst other things. It is naturally cooling and forms a protective barrier on the skin while the active ingredients get to work speeding skin recovery and repair, and soothing tired and sore skin.

HealGel does not contain animal products, nor was it tested on animals. Testing is carried out by independent dermatologists on human volunteers.

I first applied the cream one evening, and the next morning I noticed a real difference when I came to put on my second application. It didn't feel so awful to put the splint back on. My skin was generally less sensitive and not at all sore. The top of my knee wasn't even slightly pink. I wouldn't say it was a miracle, but I definitely felt I'd been able to let my skin rest and recover lying down overnight despite still wearing the splint.


You really do only need a tiny amount because the gel spreads really well. It sinks into the skin almost straightaway, and doesn't leave any stickiness, so I can put my splint straight back on. It has a slightly medicinal smell, but that may well be the Arnica, and it isn't at all unpleasant, it's really quite sweet smelling.

I've used it morning and evening most days for the last 14 days and I'm really pleased with the results. My skin isn't sore at all and even though it's been rubbed smooth and shiny in places it doesn't feel overly sensitive. My bone is broken at the very top next to my kneecap and I've damaged ligaments and possibly cartilage, and although this cream can't fix any of that, it's definitely soothed my skin and stopped me having to suffer another symptom. I think by now without the HealGel Intensive I'd absolutely detest my splint.

I'm really impressed with HealGel Intensive. It isn't suitable for broken skin, but in my case that's irrelevant. I genuinely believe it would be great for any dry or sensitive skin. I've used it on my face after I've been out in the wind, and it's really stopped any redness or dryness. As an added bonus my hands are also benefitting from me using the gel. Usually they're sore and peeling because of the amount of time they spend in water and although I haven't purposefully used it as a hand cream - they're smoother and more moisturised than they've been in years!

HealGel retails at £37.50 for 30ml. Although that isn't cheap, a little goes a very long way indeed and for me at least it has lived up to every single promise. I've barely made a dint in the bottle I've been using for the last 2 weeks, it'll last for ages and I'd very happily pay that money for the relief I've experienced so far. As an excellent quality face cream it's very reasonable.

It's true. It really happened. This time last week I was still trying to contact the bowling alley to give them the expected numbers for my son's 5th birthday party that I booked in July. I couldn't get anyone to answer the phone, it was the day before the party and online only gave the same phone number, so at 6pm I sent my partner off to drive over to the bowling alley and check nothing was wrong.



Too late to tell anyone at school, and only 3 of the 6 children invited had replied (why do parents do that? Why not say 'sorry, no' if you can't come?). Most importantly I had a 5 year old boy who was absolutely buzzing with excitement and there was no party.

In a panic I rang the next closest branch of 1st Bowl. I don't know what I was expecting. She was polite and clearly expecting calls and had only a postal address she could give me for the company. What the hell was I meant to do with that?

Realising I was not going to get any joy out of them and at this point just wanting to save something I rang the booking line for AMF Bowling who have a branch in town. The woman I spoke to was mortified on my behalf. She was so lovely and desperate to help, but told me there was a 2 week booking period. She put me on hold for 5 minutes and then came back with the best thing she could ever have said. 

"I've spoken to the manager at your local branch and he wants to help. He doesn't have many parties booked tomorrow, so he can fit you in, but only at 11am or 1pm"

Seeing as the original party was booked for 12 noon, 1pm was just perfect. I said 'thank you' many times, cried a bit, paid my deposit and then rang the 3 parents I had numbers for. Talk about a stressful hour!

So on Saturday (via the original alley just in case anyone had turned up) we took our 6 youngest children and 3 friends and gave boy no.3 the best birthday party any 5 year old could ever have. And it really was brilliant. The staff couldn't have been more attentive, we were given loads of time and allowed to finish our game even though it ran over. No-one cared that the little kids spent half the time running around the seats in circles laughing rather than sitting waiting for their turn. There were balloons and singing and cake, and it was perfect.

The teenagers were competitive - the little ones didn't even get it that there was a score!

Even the coloring sheets while we waited to eat were popular!

The food was lovely!

 It doesn't end there though. I hadn't paid for my party myself, I'd won it. I posted on Facebook about the disaster I was having on the Friday night, and this is what happened....


So I wasn't even left out of pocket.

I can't be thankful enough to AMF Bowling for fitting us in and having such an amazingly lovely bunch of people on staff, and to Bury Family Life for covering the bill even though it really wasn't their fault at all.

......And thank you too to the 3 sets of parents who brought their children to the rearranged bowling and didn't mind me posting pictures of their young men on my blog.

No thanks to the national chain 1st Bowl, which didn't bother to let me or anyone else (children in party clothes were turning up for other parties carrying presents when we went past on the Saturday) know that they had closed down that branch, despite having my phone number and email.

The Pixies are playing at the Manchester O2 Apollo Arena in November and I'm not going. It's even a week after my birthday, so I'd have the perfect excuse to work out logistics of getting someone to babysit, and go out on our 2nd date in 6 years. I can't really say that there's any other reason for me not attempting to get tickets other than sheer apathy. I'm quite disappointed with myself.

To be honest I didn't even pay attention to the date when tickets were released, and they sold out in 3 minutes, so I probably wouldn't have got a ticket anyway, and that whole panicky 5 minutes is something I've been through several times and it's rarely any fun. It used to be so much better in the olden days when I could walk down to Way Ahead and buy a ticket and the bloke behind the counter would rip it out of a book. It's the same for everyone though, it doesn't matter if you're going to see the Pixies or Jesus Christ Superstar Arena Tour.

It would have been super-cool to go and see them again though. The first time I saw The Pixies was in October 1990 in Sheffield, long before the O2 existed. I was a wide-eyed 18 year old just embarking on my first serious relationship. I put my hair in bunches and thought I looked really great.

We were up on the balcony and had a fantastic view. The sound really rumbled around the building too. I have those memories instead of making new ones. There are photo's somewhere, but I have no idea where and I can't really remember any of them, it's all just in my head. I think my version is probably in brighter colours and on a grander scale than the photo's would be too...


If you're going to see the Pixies, or any other gig/concert/band then enjoy yourself,  and spare a thought for us because in November, instead of seeing the Pixies, one of us has to chaperone 3 teenage girls to You Me At Six and 30 Seconds To Mars (no, I've not really heard of them either... it was so much easier when they wanted to see Rizzlekicks or One Direction...).

We think it's a great DVD, it's always good to see people get what they deserve when they behave abominably - especially if it's in a humorous way. Our full review is in this post.

The DVD has a total running time of over 2 hours and contains 11 episodes -

Nuclear Wart
The Ugly Prince
Cat's Eyes
Message In A Bottle
The Dragon Moth
The Long Face
The Kingdom Of Wax
The Spelling Bee
The Flat Pack Kid
The Blood Doctor
The Apostrophic Expositor


Entry is by Rafflecopter below....

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The DVD contains 11 episodes and has an epic total running time of approximately 121 minutes. The stories are taken from a range of modern day tales by Jamie Rix, animated for DVD and narrated by Nigel Planer. Each tale has a warning for children who break the rules or are rude or selfish, or in some other way act anti-socially and then receive their comeuppance!

The illustrations and animation are colourful and modern, and the people are really expressive, pulling great faces and having real character. 

The DVD contains 11 episodes -
Nuclear Wart
The Ugly Prince
Cat's Eyes
Message In A Bottle
The Dragon Moth
The Long Face
The Kingdom Of Wax
The Spelling Bee
The Flat Pack Kid
The Blood Doctor
The Apostrophic Expositor

One of my favourite episodes is The Dragon Moth, this tells us about a boy who never follows the instructions on signs and labels. At one point this has him with his finger stuck up his nose because he picked it after using superglue. It is really funny, and all of the tales are very light-hearted in spite of some of the 'terrible' fates the children face.

I love Brothers' Grimm stories and have read them to all of my children, and this is in a very similar vein, but the modern aspect makes it more accessible for youngsters today. We've really enjoyed this DVD, we really like the Gruesome Tales anyway, so we've watched this through a few times in the past few days.

Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids: Nuclear Wart has a suggested age range of 3-6, but I really think that's too limited because I enjoy them and so do our teenagers. It is released on 7th October with an RRP of £7.99, and is currently available from Amazon for £6.99.

I'm delighted to have 3 copies to give away just in time for Halloween. Entry is by Rafflecopter on this page...

The jelly pots each come with their own fold out spoon and don't need to be refrigerated, so they're ideal for lunchboxes and picnics or travelling. They are made with real fruit, so they are lovely and tasty, and they have no artificial colours or preservatives, which gives the blackcurrant jellies a really interesting colour, but has no effect on the flavour.


 The Blackcurrant Jelly Pots have no added sugars or artificial sweeteners and are vegetarian, which is really impressive and incredibly rare. All the taste and sweetness comes from the fruit. I tried Blackcurrant myself and it was lovely, not tart at all and plenty sweet enough. We simply don't need artificial sweeteners in everything. The apple however do contain Sorbitol.



My 3 and 5 year olds thought these were brilliant, they were incredibly excited by them and ate them in moments. I think we'd definitely buy these again as part of a picnic meal or for when we were out for the day.

I've hardly had chance to make any personal posts recently. I don't have very much time, but more importantly I don't want to turn into a one-trick depressive 'woe is me' pony (here follows a post about how ill we all are). 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not after sympathy, we're coping and everyone's going to school in clean clothes and we're all still eating mainly sensible meals. It's inescapable though that having a broken leg and a partner who's still recovering from Meningitis is all-consuming. It takes over every aspect of our family and personal life. We can't go places, we can't do things. We're terminally frustrated.

Cooking tea used to take me an hour or 2, now it's taking 3. Sorting the washing used to be a 5 minute job, now it takes me that to get up the stairs and fling the wash basket down, then come down myself. The school run is so epic that I'm spending an hour and a half of my day on it, despite my partner spending his lunch break driving back and doing the nursery pick up for me.

My partner's Mother had a stroke last week, and although she's doing fine, it'd be lovely for my partner especially to go and see her. At 200 miles drive each way it's just not possible for him to drive that far, and I can't drive at all while I'm still in a leg splint.

There are, believe it or not, good points to all of this. Our teenagers are having to take on more responsibility for household jobs that they probably should have been doing anyway really. They're all learning exactly how the washing machine, tumble drier and dishwasher work. They're becoming used to having to do chores each day, and taking a responsibility for tidying and cleaning. They're all learning about the importance of doing a 'proper job' because I'm not there finishing off after them.

We've all learnt a lot about mortality, and taking our health for granted. I think that's a troublesome lesson to learn, but one that we all have to face at some point. 2013 has certainly shown us that your physical well-being can be altered in an instant. You can't prepare for it or see it coming, but it throws into stark relief all that drivel you used to think was important.

I promise I'll work harder on the content posts, aside from my 3 month Meningitis update I'll try and avoid mentioning aliments for a while, and I'll make more time to stop and look around me and enjoy what I see. And trust me, I am still smiling....mainly....

We've been sent Angry Birds Ca-Cool Masks by Top That Publishing and as soon as they saw it my young boys were excited!


As far as I know they've never played Angry Birds, but they certainly know what it is! The book has pages with loads of information about the different characters and my boys soaked it up! We read it at bedtime one day, and made the masks after tea the next, and they knew everyone's name and what skills they had - if only children could learn everything so easily...


The masks are incredibly easy to put together. Each part is labelled with letters, put the letters together or 'through' the right slit and in 2 minutes you have a mask. There are extra instructions to follow to get some of the trickier aspects right. I was also impressed with how well the mask parts came out of the book. We didn't rip anything!


The masks are great quality and really well designed. Loads of the paper fastening flaps 'lock', so the mask is really quite stable and unlikely to fall apart. 


Plenty of elastic is included, plus loads of little cushioned pads which you can use inside the masks to make them more comfortable around your nose. The masks are designed for children, so not very big, and the eye holes can be a bit off, but they look brilliant and are a real fun novelty.


We love this book and I think it is really good value for money. It's a book and 8 masks in one. It has an RRP of £5.99 and is currently available from Top That Publishing for £5.39.