There's no place like home ...

A Fairytale - featuring coffee.

Once upon a time, there was a young girl who worked for a big law firm in the Emerald City (aka Dublin). She loved to dress up in her high heels and swishy dresses, and was fully made up every day (becoming very proficient at applying her make up on the train). She enjoyed her job, the people she worked with and the 'buzz' of office life. There were some heartless business people, some brainless fools and some who were scared of The Boss, but she was happy. Her favourite part of the working day though, was that first cup of freshly brewed coffee from the coffee shop next to the office. Even when the most painfully boring meeting was looming, or when the wicked witch of the office had sent her a nasty email, that cup of coffee made the early mornings and the long commute and all the office nonsense seem worthwhile.

But then, one day, the young girl had some little munchkins, stopped working and found herself trapped at home, staring at a jar of instant coffee, while standing in her kitchen in her pyjamas and ruby slippers. Life seemed pretty grim for a while and she dreamt of those days when a good cup of coffee was just a few steps away ...

So, imagine her excitement when her Fairy Godmother delivered a new Tassimo coffee machine to her home which allowed her to make freshly brewed, Costa Coffee coffee, in her own home! The machine was nice to look at, slotted in perfectly next to the microwave and was so simple to use even her little munchkins could do it. The woman (she had grown up now) was very happy and found herself making delicious coffee-shop quality drinks at the touch of a button.

Sometimes she still misses her adventures in the Emerald City, but most days she sighs contentedly, as she sips her delicious coffee and gazes fondly at the little drawings her munchkins made for her the previous day. 'Ahhh, there's no place like home,' she says, as she kicks her ruby slippers off. 'There's no place like home.'

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The Costa at Home range includes Cappuccino, Latte and Americano TDISCS which can be used with a Tassimo coffee machine (the machines retail at between £99 and £139.99 and can be purchased from Bosch, Tassimo.co.uk or from retailers such as John Lewis, Argos, Currys and Amazon). The Costa Roast and Ground range can also be enjoyed with cafetieres and filter machines and can be purchased in Costa stores as well as supermarkets.

Full details of the range can be found at the Costa facebook page.

There's no place like home ...

Be Seen At Halloween

Yes, it's that time of year again - no, not Christmas (although you'd be forgiven for getting confused - have you seen the number of selection boxes in the supermarkets?). Halloween is almost upon us, again. The skeletons are already hanging from the doors, the blood-covered hands warn us to 'KEEP OUT' of our neighbours' houses (just in case we were thinking of calling in, un-announced) and fake cobweb trails annoyingly from one end of the house to the other.

But, of course, the main point of Halloween isn't the carving of pumpkins or the bobbing for apples or the opportunity to wear striped black and green tights and sparkly purple eye shadow, the point of Halloween - when you are 5 and 7 anyway - is TRICK OR TREAT-  aka SWEETS.

Yes, it makes me anxious. Their teeth will rot, they will never get to sleep after all that sugar, they might choke on a boiled sweet - 'has anyone been given a boiled sweet?' I cry, rummaging through their stash to remove any contraband.

But what also makes me anxious is being seen in the dark - especially after last year when, among a hoarde of kids fleecing the houses on the estate of everything and anything resembling candy, my youngest went missing for a few minutes. Dressed entirely in black and with sweetie frenzy in full swing, he went one way and the rest of the kids went the other. Luckily, he was only 'lost' for a minute and luckily the fact that he had a neon glow stick meant that he was spotted by a neighbour and brought back to the group.

So, when I saw these 'Be Seen At Halloween' reflective stickers from Wilkinson, I thought they were an excellent idea. The stickers are made from hi-vis material, which will reflect beams from car headlights and make the stickers glow. Only £2 for a pack of 4, they are money extremely well spent and as well as being 'cool' (the words of my 7 yr old) they will help to keep your little devils and witches visible to passing motorists. 

A no brainer really.

Happy Halloweeeeeeeeeeeeen.

The Halloween range is available in Wilkinsons stores now or online at www.wilkinsonplus.com

Be Seen At Halloween

Making a meal of it

I’m not quite sure whether to jump for joy or weep into my coffee.  Why? Because with my youngest starting Junior Infants this week, both my children are now at school. It’s a strange feeling; a mixture of pride, joy and nostalgia. How did those years go by so quickly? How did those tiny babies grow up so fast? I’m sure these are thoughts being shared by many parents around the country this week.

Of course, it’s lovely to have a little bit of ‘me time’ back. Now, I have no excuse for putting off that daily morning walk I’ve been talking about since September 2010. Now, I can sit at my desk and get on with my job, without getting up to every ten minutes to separate Lego bricks or wipe up a spilt drink or find a lost teddy. I will have the peace and quiet I have craved so often – but I will miss the chaos.

Thankfully, my boys are still young enough to allow me to kiss them goodbye in the school yard. I still get smothered with hugs when they come home and I am still needed to patch up wounded knees and over-loved teddies. I am also, of course, still needed to provide an endless supply of food. The packed lunches are going well (so far) and appetites are definitely increasing after a busy day at school. With the nip of autumn already in the air, I’m looking forward to making warming soups and stews for my hungry boys. Of course, they will refuse to eat them, but I will continue to make them anyway in the hope that one day … one day …

With ‘Back to School’ there comes the inevitable return to the old routines. Everything has to be that bit more regimented. Homework – check. Dinner – check. Showers – check. Bedtime – check. The whole day seems to be managed on the basis that ‘you have to be up early for school tomorrow.’ And I find that what you put on the table for dinner can make or break the entire day. If it’s a pasta carbonara night, everyone runs to the table and devours the lot. If it’s salmon we may meet with some resistance and if it’s the dreaded stew … shudder.

Having fought over the years about peas and broccoli, things touching each other on the plate and arms which are simply too exhausted to lift a knife and fork, I think I am now battle scarred enough to face whatever new forms of mealtime protest my little soldiers throw at me. Slotted spoon at the ready, I will face them head on.

Funny though, how I can now laugh at the little things they said when they were just toddlers. And I quote:

1. That’s too soft, I only like crunchy things
2. But that tomato is too bendy
3. Well, it’s just that those carrots are touching the peas
4. Yukky. That bit of the banana is dirty
5. I WANTED CHEESE ON TOAST, NOT CHEESE SANDWICHES
6. It’s just that my tummy is SO full but my pudding tummy is still hungry
7. But I can’t eat it mummy because THIS IS THE WRONG SPOON
8. I’m too tired to eat cucumber
9. That’s got peppers in it and they make me cough
10. But if I eat all this, then I won’t have room for any telly

The protests about what’s on their dinner plate may change slightly, but the sentiment remains the same.

Perhaps they are growing up too quickly, but reassuringly, some things never change!

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For loads of great meal ideas and easy recipes for healthy family meals, check out the Tesco Real Food page where you can search for recipes by ingredient, type of meal, cooking time or type of cuisine. There is also a great section for family meals on a budget.

Making a meal of it