As much as I love the holiday season, that week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve can really seem to drag on. The kids are off school, I feel guilty if I try to get any work done, and the weather conspires to keep us from going out. Cabin fever definitely starts to set in…

Luckily for us, we were able to get everyone out of the house by visiting The Legoland Discovery Centre at The Trafford Centre in Manchester. The kids loved the idea: Kaymi (8) is REALLY into the Lego Friends series, and Kaiden (11) enjoys the Architecture Series (Robie House, White House, etc), the Minecraft set,  and would also love to get his hands on the grand structures like the London Bridge, Town Hall, etc. But, as parents, we still had the basic concerns that always come into play when planning a family road-trip and outing, and I wanted to share with you our experience.

Our Visit to Legoland Discovery Centre (LDC) – The Trafford Centre, Manchester

First impressions:  Very easy to find, well-signposted, ample free parking and easy access

Located within the Trafford Centre, just off the M60 on the west side of Manchester, LDC is very easy to find and get to. However, for the easiest access I would recommend you use the BARTON SQUARE parking, as it is right outside the LDC entrance. (map link)

If you’re not familiar with the Trafford Centre, it is a very well-designed, attractive and large shopping centre. There are also restaurants, a dry ski slope, golf driving range, hotels and a cinema – all located within sight of each other. You can easily turn this into a day-out for all ages…

What you find inside:

Lego Factory Tour – This is a fun 5 minute introduction into how Lego is made, aimed at younger children. One great plus of this is that the kids are given a ‘little’ souvenir as they leave the tour, meaning that you don’t have to buy something in the shop just to prove you were there.

Miniland – Extremely well-crafted buildings and sights, highlighting Manchester, Blackpool, the Peak District, the Midlands and Northern England – including a mini Beatles playing at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. This is all the work of the Centre’s Master Builder, Alex.

Lego 4D Cinema – This is a must see and was fun for all of us. The 3D production was good and the extra ‘D’ came in by adding a physical element. Just avoid the front few rows of seats if you don’t wish to get wet!

Lego Racers area – The kids probably spent the most time here as they were able to build any type of vehicle they wanted and then test them on the various racing and jumping tracks.

Rides: Kingdom Quest, Forest Pursuit & Merlin’s Apprentice – All the rides were fun, but the Forest Pursuit – where you get to drive around a track, is definitely targeting the under 10’s. As he was just within the height limit, we persuaded Kaiden to give it a try; not only was he the oldest one there, but he also looked somewhat squashed!

Lego Fire Academy – This is actually a medium-sized soft play area, for the little ones.

Master Model Builder – A good opportunity for kids to sit in a fun teaching environment and be instructed on how to put together a small set. This was well done, with excellent tutelage and helped the kids see how you can step away from a ‘set’ and build something unique.

The other areas, while themed, were pretty much building stations where people could build to their heart’s content. This included a small pond of Lego (not dissimilar to a ‘ball pool’), pink and pastel coloured bricks in the Lego Friends area, an earthquake centre to test the strength of your constructions, and a Duplo area with large rubber bricks.

Café – Drinks and basic snacks can be purchased from the café, meaning that you don’t have to remember to bring a packed lunch. However, the seating area welcomes both café users and picnickers, offering you flexibility when planning your day.

Highlights:

Staff: The staff are EXTREMELY friendly and attentive, doing their utmost to ensure customers are enjoying their visit. This goes from the simple “Did you enjoy…?” to going out of their way to find you the special Lego piece you need to finish your racer.

Building Stations: As you wait to get in somewhere, you will find little building stations dotted along the walls – to keep the little ones engaged while you wait.

Considerations:

If you’re expecting a full theme-park like Legoland Windsor, you will be disappointed. The Discovery Centre is more of a play and explore centre than anything else, and while well worth a visit, I would strongly recommend looking at the special on-line, package, voucher and annual pass deals available.

Final Thoughts:

While we did have a great time, the overall centre was smaller than we expected, and we felt we had squeezed in all the fun we could after about four hours (remembering the kids are 8 & 11). However, we then ventured across the enclosed bridge to enjoy all that The Trafford Centre has to offer.

What have you done over the holidays? Do you have anything you could recommend? Just let us know below…

The salmon dish this week is very good and sooooooo… easy. It literally takes only five minutes preparation and was a real winner with the whole family. What more could you ask for?

This week’s menu looks a bit old-school, but the Leek & Pepper Trotilla is new to me, so that’s something else to look forward to.

If you would like to create a plan for yourself then please check back here soon as I’m currently writing a special report that will be a short, free, ‘How to create your own menu plan – the easy way’.

This Week’s Menu

Last Week’s Family Favourite

(NB: Many of our recipes have been taken from various books throughout the years, as well as created from scratch or passed down within the family. Unfortunately, I have no idea where most have come from, so if you read a recipe that belongs to you, then I’m sorry and please feel free to lay claim)

Eastern Salmon with Noodles

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Freezing: Not Recommended

Ingredients

Cooking

If you would like help creating your own Menu Plan then check back here soon as I’m currently writing a special report that will be a short, free, ‘How to create your own menu plan – the easy way’.

Have you tried this recipe or any of the dishes listed? If so, let us know what you liked or disliked the most… any variations that worked better for you?

Okay it’s the middle of the year and I’ve got to ask, how are those New Year’s resolutions going? Still sticking to them? How would you like a technique that can help you radically improve your life one step at a time?

Is there something you’ve always meant to do, wanted to do, but just … haven’t? Matt Cutts suggests: Try it for 30 days. This short, lighthearted talk offers a neat way to think about setting and achieving goals.

The next 30 days are going to pass whether you like it or not, so why not think about something you have always wanted to try and give it a shot for the next 30 days?

The idea is actually pretty simple. Think about something you’ve always wanted to add to your life and try it for the next 30 days. It turns out, 30 days is just about the right amount of time to add a new habit or subtract a habit – like watching the news – from your life.

Matt Cutts works on search at Google, specializing in search optimization. He’s a friendly and public face for helping webmasters understand how Google’s search actually works, making hundreds of videos that answer questions about SEO. (SearchEngineLand made this handy chart of all of them.) He’s an advocate for cutting down on poor practice such as link spam. He also wrote the first version of SafeSearch, Google’s family filter.

The video may not be showing up in some browsers. If you’re having trouble seeing then I suggest using Chrome, at least that’s what’s working for me…

I have to say that I wasn’t all that surprised for this recipe to come out on top. With me, just having Mexican in the title piques my interest, but it creates an expectation as well, so it could backfire. However, in this case it was spot on. This dish is very tasty, very filling and oh so easy, best combination ever…!

Whoa… As a courtesy, I do have give you a bit of a warning. The Turkey scaloppine al limone that we had last week was so far from satisfying that it qualifies as one of those minor, yet horrific, events you live through as a family. You know, the kind that brings you together simply because you survived the experience together. Not unlike a five mile hike around a Scottish island… in the pouring rain… when even the one, lone tea room is shut… the castle ruins have no ceilings to provide shelter… you’re brave, brave children are only 6 & 9… you’ve run out of sausage rolls to keep the little ones going… AND the passenger ferry isn’t scheduled to pick you up for hours yet! Yes, truly memorable…

If you would like to create a plan for yourself then please check back here soon as I’m currently writing a special report that will be a short, free, ‘How to create your own menu plan – the easy way’.

This Week’s Menu

Last Week’s Family Favourite

(NB: Many of our recipes have been taken from various books throughout the years, as well as created from scratch or passed down within the family. Unfortunately, I have no idea where most have come from, so if you read a recipe that belongs to you, then I’m sorry and please feel free to lay claim)

Chick-pea and Beany Mexican Hot-Pot (with salad & cheese)

Serves: 4
Preparation & Cooking time: 15 minutes
Freezing: Recommended

Ingredients

Cooking

If you would like help creating your own Menu Plan then check back here soon as I’m currently writing a special report that will be a short, free, ‘How to create your own menu plan – the easy way’.

Have you tried this recipe or any of the dishes listed? If so, let us know what you liked or disliked the most… any variations that worked better for you?

Picture this: you’re at home trying to get something done, but ever since school finished for the summer, you’ve taken on the role of entertainment director for people who are neither appreciative nor seemed to be able to find anything to do without you waving it under their noses. It’s been a long haul and you’re tired… tired of the begging, the pleading and the inability to play independently. Worst of all, it’s only day two.

I know it feels like the summer holidays are still a long way off, but they will be here before you realise. Save your sanity this summer by planning ahead and always knowing what’s out there for the kids.

Did you know research shows that children who sit at home all summer, watching TV or playing on the computer, etc ., have to play a frustrating game of catch-up when they go back to school? It seems that these kids go back to school having slid back about three weeks’ worth in their education.

However, children who were active over the summer break, not only retained what they had learned from last year, they actually start the school year nearly a month ahead academically.

So, what this basically illustrates is that children who had an active summer start the new school year with nearly a two month head start; something that is very difficult for the ‘inactive’ student to catch up with.

Now I know what you’re thinking, but I don’t have time to keep my children busy all summer, I have things I need to do as well. And quite rightly so, besides, it helps instil a good work ethic if your kids see you working.

In any case, you don’t need to be on hand all the time to stimulate your kids, and this can be managed quite easily IF YOU START PLANNING EARLY. Start your research now – find out what will be going on this summer that your kids can take advantage of.  Also, if you start planning early, you can catch those great, but limited, activities that are cheap or free.

There are three resources I would suggest you check with first:

• Your local council/city website to see what they have on offer. These days more and more public bodies are recognising the plights of parents and arranging inexpensive,  fun, sporty and/or educational activities over the summer.
• Ask you friends what they have planned. Not only could they have found something you might have missed, but you can arrange for meet-ups where you can share a coffee/tea together and your kids can mix and entertain themselves.
• Find someone who always seems to have it together. We all know someone like this, they’re never panicking and have things planned out way ahead of time. They will quite likely already have a list of what they are planning for the summer. While I’m not suggesting you do everything they do, it can save you a lot of time running around and they will probably have such a large list of ‘possibles’ that they wouldn’t be able to hit them all anyway.

Personally, I think it’s great to get the kids out to an organised activity at least twice a week. It gives you a chance to stay on top of things, and breathe a sigh of relief.

One thing I would also suggest is planning a few family outings as well. When there’s nothing else available, fill the time by a nice picnic in the park, or a trip to a museum in town. It can be fun, relaxing and good bonding time. You can also invite some other family friends to round things out a bit.

Basically, the whole point is that the summer holidays don’t need to be filled with moans and groans, yours or anyone else’s, as long as you start planning early.

DISCUSS: What are your tips and ideas – share them below…

Everyone needs a meal they can rely on in times of desperation, a ‘fail-safe’ or ‘no brainer’. There are many reasons this casserole is a classic… it’s comforting, easy to make, and oh so yummy! Add this recipe to our repertoire and you can’t go wrong. Not only is it easy, but it’s very easy to tweak if you need to.

I have no idea what Bread and Butter Fish Pie is, so I’m looking forward to that this week. And the chick-pea & beany thing… well… it mentions Mexican and tortillas, so it must be good…

If you would like to create a plan for yourself then please check back here soon as I’m currently writing a special report that will be a short, free, ‘How to create your own menu plan – the easy way’.

This Week’s Menu

Last Week’s Family Favourite

(NB: Many of our recipes have been taken from various books throughout the years, as well as created from scratch or passed down within the family. Unfortunately, I have no idea where most have come from, so if you read a recipe that belongs to you, then I’m sorry and please feel free to lay claim)

Classic Tuna Noodle Casserole

Serves: 4
Preparation & Cooking time: 45 minutes
Freezing: Not Recommended

Ingredients

• 1 can (10 ¾ oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• ½ cup milk
• 1 cup sweet peas
• 2 tblsp chopped pimientos
• 2 cans (about 6 oz each) tuna, drained
• 2 cups medium egg noodles, cooked and drained
• 2 tblsp dry bread crumbs

Cooking

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F)
2. Stir the soup, milk, peas, pimientos, tuna and noodles in a medium baking dish.
3. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tuna mixture is hot and bubbling.
4. Stir the tuna mixture, and sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture.
5. Bake for a further 5 minutes, or until the bread crumb mixture is golden brown.

VARIATION Instead of the condensed cream of mushroom soup you can try condensed cream of celery soup. Also, instead of pimientos, you can use roasted red peppers. And, of course, everything tastes better with a little chilli added, doesn’t it?

If you would like help creating your own Menu Plan then check back here soon as I’m currently writing a special report that will be a short, free, ‘How to create your own menu plan – the easy way’.

Have you tried this recipe or any of the dishes listed? If so, let us know what you liked or disliked the most… any variations that worked better for you?

This is a guest post by the delightful Toby Amidor.

Walk into any book store and you’ll see the latest diets displayed in front of the store. They’re targeting folks who’re getting ready for bathing suit season. After reading over 200 diet books, I’ll tell you how to spot an unsafe diet that will inevitably lead you to fall off the wagon.

#1: Overly hyped scientific mumbo-jumbo

All diet books explain their theories and philosophies—usually at the beginning of the book or home page of the website. If the language and scientific jargon makes you think you’re in college chemistry, skip it. I’ve found the more complicated it is, the less likely it’s truly sound.

#2: Avoidance of food groups

Carb, fat, fruit, or any other type of food avoiders, listen carefully….there’s no need to avoid any type of food group to safely lose weight. The more restrictive a diet is, the less likely you’re going to stick to it over the long haul. Even worse, the fewer food groups you eat, the less likely you’re getting in all your essential nutrients.

#3: Pill pushing

A diet that pushes their special pills or multiple supplements – sounds more like they’re looking to take your money. There is no need for so many supplements that you need to carry a note card like my grandmother with her pill schedule. The diet may also not tell you that some of those supplements can interact with medications you’re on. Instead, spend your hard earned money on real, whole food.

#4: Lack of exercise

If a diet promises weight loss without exercise, that’s a red flag. Both go hand in hand. Any safe diet book should promote at least 30 minutes of regular physical activity most days of the week.

#5: Speedy weight loss

Want to lose weight very quickly? So do most people—and diet plans play into that. According to the National Institute of Health, a safe rate of weight loss is between 1-2 pounds per week. Losing weight quicker than that can result in a dangerous drop in blood pressure. Also, folks who lose weight quickly, tend to gain it back just as quickly (and then some).

LET’S DISCUSS: Which diets have you tried?

Toby is the founder of Toby Amidor Nutrition where she provides nutrition and food safety consulting services for various entities, including Sears, Activewear USA, The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and many more. She is a nutrition expert and, in addition to her advisory work, writes for well-read publications like FoodNetwork.com (Healthy Eating Blog); and Today’s Dietitian Magazine (“Ask the expert”) to name just two. Her own blog was voted into the Top 100 Health Blogs in 2011 by Healthline.

Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in clinical nutrition and dietetics from New York University.  She is also a Certified Dietitian Nutritionist by the state of New York.

Okay, well, phew… glad that’s over with for now. Don’t get me wrong, I know we’ve done a good thing, but it can certainly take it out of you.

Last week we held a 12 hour fund-raiser in our home for a very good cause (Rainbows  – Hospice for Children and Young People) and raised a very healthy £165. Okay, the twelve hour timeframe was a little nuts, and holding it in our home did mean that everything got shifted around, turned upside-down, or hidden from view, but it was worth it because, together with our customers, we were able to do something good for the World…

Why doing something to help a charity can help your business – a breakdown…

When we started doing this years ago (we hold three events a year, and I think this is our fourth year), we wanted to:

• Create an environment where we could bring many of our customers together

We achieved a few things by doing this:

1. Allowed our customers to meet (many for the first time) and share their enjoyment of our products
2. Demonstrated a sense of ‘social acceptance’ – “you mean I’m not the only one to love this stuff?”
3. Let customers demonstrate their particular favourites to each other, allowing us to step back and ‘just let the magic happen’
4. We also get a decent sales boosts, three times a year, at times we schedule

• Provide something extra for our customers

It’s not just ‘us’ that our customers find when they arrive at our door. We invite a few other traders to set up stalls at these events as well, ensuring that each one is offering the quality and service we’re proud to introduce our customers to.

This results in a two-fold benefit.

1. Our customers know that we’ve gone out of our way to bring them something new and fun, without being overly expensive.
2. The traders we invite tend to reciprocate and keep us informed of opportunities we might have otherwise missed.

• Give our customers an opportunity to feel good about what they were doing

While our customers are having a good time eating cake (lots, and lots of cake), playing games and shopping, they also know that what they’re doing is contributing to a good cause they can really get behind, and this gives everyone that ‘warm, fuzzy feeling’.

• Give back to the community

Yes, what we’re doing does make good business sense, but it’s more than that. We’re not putting in over a weeks worth of extra effort just to increase the bottom line. It’s great to feel a part of something that really matters and know that we are helping to enable others to make this world a better place. And you can’t really put a price on that.

So, next time you’re looking for an opportunity to inject some more of that ‘feel-good factor’ into your business, have a think and find a way to involve your staff and customers in some fun, friendly, fund-raising.

How have you put this idea into practice in your business? What has worked best for you? Let us know below…

This weeks tasty treat is so quick and easy you’ll be screaming at me for not including it sooner. Well, all I have to say to that is “we have a plan for a reason and if you’re really looking forward to something that much, the anticipation will make it even better” – or at least that’s what I was told…

Yes this week’s meal is a real delight, but before we get to that, a word of warning. The Cheesy egg and potato pie we had last week was foul. And I do mean disgusting and just plain wrong – I mean really, how can anything with cheese taste that bad? Blah!!!

If you would like to create a plan for yourself then please check back here soon as I’m currently writing a special report that will be a short, free, ‘How to create your own menu plan – the easy way’.

This Week’s Menu

Last Week’s Family Favourite

(NB: Many of our recipes have been taken from various books throughout the years, as well as created from scratch or passed down within the family. Unfortunately, I have no idea where most have come from, so if you read a recipe that belongs to you, then I’m sorry and please feel free to lay claim)

Big Boston Baked Bean and Ham Soup

Serves: 4
Preparation & Cooking time: 30 minutes
Freezing: Recommended (ie, cook double and freeze half)

Ingredients

• Low-fat cooking spray
• 1 large onion, chopped finely
• 400 g (14 oz) can of baked beans (rough sizing as they all seem to be slightly different)
• 400 g (14 oz) can of chopped tomatoes
• 100 g (3½ oz) lean, cooked ham, diced finely
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp tomato purée
• 2 tspred wine vinegar
• 2 dashes of Tabasco or Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cooking

1. Spray a large non-stick saucepan with the low-fat cooking spray and sauté the onion for about 3 minutes, or until softened.
2. Add the baked beans, tomatoes and 350 ml (12 fl oz) of cold water.
3. Bring to the boil and add the ham, sugar, purée, vinegar and Tabasco or Worcestershire sauce, if using.
4. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
5. Season to taste and serve in warmed bowls.

VARIATION Instead of the 50g grams of Stilton you can use 150g of Dolcelatte for a softer, less intense flavour.

If you would like help creating your own Menu Plan then check back here soon as I’m currently writing a special report that will be a short, free, ‘How to create your own menu plan – the easy way’.

Have you tried this recipe or any of the dishes listed? If so, let us know what you liked or disliked the most… any variations that worked better for you?

Oh, what a week. Now, this might end up being a bit of a rant, but bare with me… You may have noticed, but the blog was a little light on posts last week. It was half-term holiday for the kids, so they had a week off, and Sonia decided it was time for me to paint the outside of the house – what joy!

Have you ever tried painting the outside of your house in the rain??? It’s not fun, I can tell you!

So, why would I paint in the rain??? Of course it’s a totally daft idea, but needs must because this Thursday we’re holding a 12 hour fundraiser for Rainbows  – Hospice for Children and Young People, and we always seem to do some kind of renovation/decoration project in the week running up to our events. Yeah, I know… unnecessary frustration, but call it a motivator.

In any case, if you happen to be in the area, and want to help out a great cause while getting a bit of shopping in then check out the event details here.

Okay, back to the rant… how could I possibly have painted the house in the rain? Well you may not be asking, but my neighbours sure did. Basically, my technique was to paint under the eaves and roughly the top three feet of the wall. Unfortunately, the rain was so persistent that I was able to apply two coats before moving on to the trim and main walls.

Yes, this might have worked for the areas I was painting, after all they were still dry, but what you have to picture is that the whole time I’m doing this I’m standing on a rickety step ladder… in the rain… fun, fun, FUN! (grrrrr…).

Now, to make it even more enjoyable, the original designers of these properties thought it would be a great idea to use this rocky, stoney rendering (see below).

As you can see, it’s hardly something you can take a roller to. Even better, you really have you work each brush in to the nooks and crannies or it comes out looking very patchy. Unfortunately, even if we wanted to change it, we can’t as we are now living in a designated Conservation Area. Poo! The one good thing about the rendering though is that Sonia can’t spot the drips – evil chuckle…

Okay, I still have the black trim to finish sometime before Thursday, Wednesday really as we will be baking for the event, but I’m pretty much finished and happy with the result – the old paint was getting very faded and starting to yellow…

Rant’s over, and I think it turned out all right, in the end, what do you think?

Hope to see you at the fundraiser on Thursday…