Book review : With Malice - Eileen Cook

Jill Charron, an 18-year-old American high school student who is super-excited about going to Italy on a once-in-a-lifetime school trip, dreams that the experience will change her life and give her memories to last forever. When she wakes up in a hospital bed with severe injuries from a car accident and amnesia that has wiped out her recent memories, her first thoughts are that she has to get better so that she can still go to Italy and she needs her best friend Simone, for moral support and to fill in the gaps in her memory. Her parents eventually have to break the bad news to her : the accident took place in Italy and Simone, who was in the car that Jill was driving, died in the accident.

Things go from bad to worse as she discovers that everyone, including the Italian police, her school friends and the press, are convinced that it wasn't an accident and Jill is to blame. As she has no memory of even being in Italy, let alone the accident, Jill tries to make sense of the facts and suppositions that the police investigation throws up : a fight with Simone, an Italian boyfriend who cheated on her with Simone, ... As the blurb says on the back of the book : "If you can't remember what happened, how can you be sure you're not to blame?"

I was totally gripped and raced through the book in a couple of days. I found the story believable and could empathise with Jill (right up until the very end, which was the only part I found slightly disappointing). Discovering new nuggets of information and police statements, then trying to fit them into the story along with Jill, added suspense and seeing how the press and facebook groups could twist things to corroborate whichever viewpoint they wanted was a pretty damning but realistic representation of society.

Since the novel has teenaged protagonists, it is classed as young adult fiction but it would appeal to a much wider audience so don't be put off by the label.

star rating : 5/5

RRP : £7.99

Disclosure : I won a copy of the book.

Globecooking recipe : Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken (USA)

Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken Tenders was one of the recipes from last month's USA-themed Kitchen Trotter box. It's a quick and simple dish that was a huge hit with the whole family and used up lots of odds and ends of condiments from the fridge - win-win !

My version tasted divine but wasn't pretty. Here's the picture from the recipe card and as you can see, it's much easier-on-the-eye. The recipe card said that you could crush the pretzels by hand or with a food processor, so I went for the former, but they were actually really hard so I couldn't manage to get the fine, even breadcrumbs texture from the official picture.

The recipe required one ingredient from the box - a pack of Honey Mustard & Onion Pretzel Pieces. They had a lovely tangy, sweet flavour but you would risk breaking a tooth if you ate the whole pack because they are really hard ! I had a rummage through the fridge and found lots of odds and ends of mild, sweet mustards, as well as some individual packs of honey that came back home with us from the breakfast bar in our hotel in Turkey this summer ! In the picture, I spot Canadian, Norwegian and American mustards, all from different Kitchen Trotter boxes - this is part of the reason that I'm not renewing my subscription, because I have too many spices and condiments to use up from previous boxes. I'll still be checking out the recipes and seeing what I can recreate with what I have though.

 Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken

ingredients :

500g chicken

salt & pepper

a bag of honey-mustard pretzel pieces (or similar - dried breadcrumbs would do)

4tbsp honey

4tbsp mayonnaise

4tbsp mustard (I used American yellow mustard and a bit of honey mustard)

a pinch of Cayenne pepper (optional)

Chop the chicken into chunks. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix together the honey, mayonnaise and mustard (along with the Cayenne pepper, if using) until you have a smooth sauce. Taste and adjust the balance of flavours, adding extra honey or mustard to suit your personal tastes. Pour half of the sauce into the bowl of chicken, stir and pop in the fridge to marinate for an hour (or however long you've got)

Crush the pretzel bites, using a small child and a rolling pin or, for a better consistency, a food processor.

Ideally, you should take a piece of marinated chicken and roll it in the pretzel crumbs until it is evenly coated. I still had fairly large chunks of pretzel so I just emptied the crushed pretzels in the bowl of chicken and stirred it all around with my hands until it was as evenly coated as possible. As you can see, I laid it all out on a baking tray ready to go in the oven at 180° for 25 minutes, as per the recipe. Then I looked at the time, realised I had 5 minutes until everyone arrived home for lunch and decided I need the faster plan B, transferred it all to a frying pan and 10 minutes later, we were ready to eat !

Serve the chicken with rice and salad or coleslaw, and use the remaining marinade as a sauce/dip for the chicken.

Even without the honey mustard pretzels this would be delicious, so I'll definitely be making this again, using crushed regular pretzels, died breadcrumbs or maybe crushed crisps or crispbread.

*** Don't miss my country-by-country globecooking recipe index ! ***

Adding to this month's #KitchenClearout linky as it used up lots of odds and ends of condiments from the fridge.

The Good Egg Card Challenge: Social Kindness Game review

Did you know that 17th February is the annual Random Acts of Kindness Day? That doesn't mean you can't be nice to friends, family and even complete strangers on every other day of the year though, and The Good Egg Card Challenge is a great way to help inspire yourself, your children or, if you're a teacher, your pupils to see how they can do simple things to brighten up the lives of the people they encounter.

There is no need for instructions - the introduction cards explain that "this pack of cards is a portable adventure to discover if you are truly a 'good egg' ", which they define as "a kind person with great standards and qualities such as being helpful and good to other people". There is even a quotation from Sophocles to motivate you : "To be doing good deeds is man's most glorious task". 

There are 50 cards that are split into five categories : Giving, Caring, Thanking, Amusing and Surprising. Some are genuinely useful deeds, some will provide little unexpected awww-moments in someone's day, while some are just plain silly to put a smile on someone's face - probably including your own, whichever category you have drawn.

Some are very simple and won't take you out of your comfort zone, however shy or introverted you are - for example, "send a postcard/greetings card to an old friend to say hi" or "smiling is contagious - make 8 people smile in one day and give this card to one of them", while others (such as drawing a fake moustache on your face and walking down the street to make people laugh) require slightly more confidence !

There may be random acts of kindness that you already do or some that you had never thought of doing - taking your old books to a charity shop or paying for the coffee or bus fare of the person behind you in the queue can both be done on a regular basis, for example.

Other cards make you think about different ways of seeing the world and how you react to and interact with it. Rather than getting annoyed and impatient when you're in a queue, "swap places with the person behind you in the queue" - this will be particularly appreciated by a parent of a fraught toddler on the verge of a tantrum - or "help a spider out of your house/building without squashing it".

There are no rules - you can select a random card or go through the pack to choose one that appeals to you, you can play by yourself, with friends or family or even in a group such as a class or scout group. You could even buy packs for your friends and challenge yourself to a battle of kindness to see who can complete the most challenges in a set time. With Christmas on the way, it would be ideal as a Secret Santa gift or a stocking filler too. 

As an added bonus, performing acts of kindness has been scientifically proven to make people happier, slow ageing and improve relationships. In the current climate of doom and gloom, with everyone worried about everything from Brexit and terrorism to world politics and a potential new world war looming on the horizon, anything that can put a smile on people's faces and restore their faith in human kindness even for just a moment has to be a good thing. 

for more information : www.goodeggcardchallenge.com

Disclosure : We received the product in order to write an honest review.

DVD review : Rock Dog

Today sees the release on dvd of Rock Dog, a fun family film that frequently reminded us of a cross between Scooby Doo and Happy Feet (the story of the kid who doesn't fit in, has to find his own unique personality which goes against his father's wishes and, against all odds, ends up saving the community).

The film takes place on Snow Mountain where the resident Tibetan Mastiffs live a peaceful but boring life, guarding sheep from a group of big bad wolves led by Linnux. Music has been banned from the mountainside by Mastiff leader Khampa but things are about to change - his son Bodi discovers a radio dropped by a passing aeroplane and instantly decides he wants to become a rock’n’roll star. Defying his father's wishes to follow his dream, he heads to the city to find the legendary - and reclusive - musician Angus Scattergood, who needs to write a new song and fast. If Bodi can put a band together, help Angus with his song and defeat the wolves' plot to take Snow Mountain, his life will be in tune and he will become what he’s always dreamed of being: more than a dog … more than a rock god … he’ll be a ROCK DOG!

It's a fun, action-packed movie with funny characters and some good life lessons for both parents and kids.

Running Time: 90 minutes

Cert: PG

Disclosure : We received a review copy of the dvd.

Cadbury Dairy Milk Tiffin review

I thought I'd tried pretty much all of the different Cadbury Dairy Milk varieties at least once, but when I was given the chance to review a bar of Tiffin, I realised that this one had passed me by. It debuted in the UK over a decade ago, enjoyed a limited edition run as a 95g bar last summer and has now been brought back as a permanent fixture after an impassioned social media campaign by fans for its revival.

I remember making tiffin in a home economics class at school many years ago, mixing up broken digestive biscuits and raisins, covering them in chocolate and pressing them into a tin to set. These days, nobody talks about tiffin any more - it's fridge cake all the way - so I love the trip down memory lane that the name gives me. The Dairy Milk bar basically follows the same recipe, combining crunchy biscuit and dried grapes smothered in Cadbury Dairy Milk. This gives it a great mixture of flavours and textures and it was a hit with the whole family.

A 25g serving, equal to five chunks, contains 126 calories, 6.4g of fat (of which 3.8g saturates) and 15g of carbs (of which 13g sugar).

Cadbury Dairy Milk Tiffin is available in 200g bars, for a RRP of £2.49 at all major supermarkets.

Disclosure : We received the product in order to write an honest review.

#MySundayphoto #SundaySnap 15/10/17

Madhouse recipe : Meatballs Cottage Pie

I always think of this dish as a Turkish version of Cottage Pie because meatballs in gravy topped with mashed potato was a dish I first discovered in our hotel in Fethiye this summer. Adding vegetables was my own addition but it worked really well, making it into a complete meal and getting the kids guzzling veg with gusto. In the hotel version, they used bigger meatballs and less potato (more of a potato hat than a complete covering of mash), making it easier to serve than my version.

Meatballs Cottage Pie

ingredients :

a pack of frozen meatballs (or make your own)

a pack of frozen veg

gravy

potatoes

milk

butter

salt, pepper

First of all, get the potatoes on to boil in a pan of salted water.

For speed, I used a bag of mixed frozen veg but you could use fresh. This would also be a great recipe for using up leftover cooked veg.

Transfer to an ovenproof dish and pour over some gravy. I just used instant gravy made with granules and boiling water.

Cook the meatballs. You've guessed it - for speed, I used frozen shop bought meatballs but you could make your own using mince or even sausage meat.

Arrange the meatballs on top of the veg and gravy.

Drain and mash the potatoes, using butter, milk and anything else you might want to add for extra flavour (mustard, garlic salt or parmesan, for example). Carefully place a spoonful of mash on top of each meatball. 

Pop in the oven until you're ready to eat. Juliette thought it would have been nice to add some grated cheese on top but I'm not sure about the combination of cheese and gravy - let me know if you try it !

This is fabulous as a quick midweek meal - in half an hour, it was on the table (and ten minutes later, there was nothing left but a smear of gravy in the pan !)

Adding to this month's #KitchenClearout linky because this is a great recipe for using up leftover cooked vegetables and/or mash.

Fab freebies of the week 14/10

Spare a thought for me, at school on a Saturday morning as you read these lines, for parent-teacher meetings. Ah well, this time next week, I'll be on holiday so I can't complain - bring it on ! In the meantime, time to bring on this week's freebies ! :)

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We've got 1,000 Eyeko Fat Liquid Eyeliners to giveaway! Fill out the form below to be entered into our prize draw. Share our social posts and it'll count as another entry!

There’s still time to apply Trend's our latest project with Olay. As part of a team of 5,000 savvy circlers you’ll be matched with the perfect Olay skincare cream for you. As well as receiving your tailored skincare cream, you’ll receive exclusive brand info as well as samples and coupons to share with those around you.

Purhase a Marigold cloth or scourer with promotional sticker and get your money back when you tell them what you think.

Request a sample of Pampers ProCare nappies

Win 1 of 1000 Taste Inc chicken snacks

Active Iron 10 Pack Promo - use code BOUNTY2017

Sign up your cat for the Purina One 3-week challenge

NEW Ryvita Rye Cakes are naturally high in fibre, low in fat, a source of zinc AND a source of magnesium (take that rice cakes!) Rye Cakes are available in two flavours - Lightly Salted and Multigrain and we are giving you the chance to WIN one of 1000 packs of Lighty Salted Rye Cakes.

@SurepakUK

Have you had a free stock pouch sample pack? If not simply request a pack and see which one suit you! http://www.surepak.co.uk/stock-pouches #Packaging

(Take note that it's the packaging not the contents !)

For a very limited time, we are offering 3 days worth of the amazing RevitalU Brew Smart Coffee totally FREE……No Catch, No Postage Charge, No Risk and No Obligation.

Just head over to http://samples.revitalu.shop then click on the Contact info (top right).

Fill in your details and make sure you select the “Request – A sample option”. In no time at all you will receive three days supply of the Smart Coffee for you to try. All we ask is that you let us know how you get on. Just drop us an email to samples@revitalu.coffee to confirm you have received them and any feedback, good or bad.

We have an exciting opportunity, exclusive to our 7th Heaven Angel VIP Club, whereby you have the chance to try and review one of four NEW 7th Heaven masks not available in stores yet. How exciting right!? Select from Acai Peel-Off, Coconut Gentle Scrub, Watermelon Mud and Cucumber Mud.

You can see previous weeks' freebie roundups by clicking here but be warned, many of the offers are only valid for a short time. Let me know if any have expired and I'll remove them from the roundup.

You may also like to enter my current giveaways :

Giveaway #650 : One-Sheet Sculpture: Amazing Creatures book - closing date 19/10

Giveaway #651 : Master Builder Roller Coaster Marble Run book - closing date 23/10

Giveaway #652 : Win a Teletubbies Big Hugs CD - closing date 28/10

Giveaway #652 : Win a Teletubbies Big Hugs CD - closing date 28/10

Twenty years on from their million-selling No. UK 1 smash Teletubbies Say Eh-oh!, the fab four are once more eyeing the charts with an irresistibly catchy new album, Big Hugs. Featuring a mix of new songs from the current series of the iconic show, alongside a selection of children’s classics with a Tubby twist, the record will be available both digitally and on CD from 13 October, 2017.

Music and dance are integral to Teletubbies, so what better way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the groundbreaking preschool show than with a brand new album for youngsters to sing and dance along with.

With distribution handled by The Children’s Group, Big Hugs will be available from HMV, Amazon.co.uk, iTunes, & select FOPP locations in the U.K. It will also be released in the US, Canada, Australia and throughout Europe. Tracks will also be available to download individually, with the title track “Big Hugs” available digitally on September 29th and can be streamed on Spotify.

Narrator Daniel Rigby lends his vocals to many of the songs, including the title track Big Hugs, the popular Bottom Bump Song and Tiddlytubbies Songtime, which introduces the world to the delightful Tiddlytubbies. In addition to music from the first two series of the revamped Teletubbies, the 19-song soundtrack features timeless favourites that kids know and love performed by the voice of the Tiddlytubbies and Voice Trumpet, Teresa Gallagher. Preschoolers will be moving and grooving to children’s classics such as Wheels on the Bus, Four in a Bed and Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.

Daniel said: “It’s amazing to sing the Teletubbies theme tune. Highly surreal, but wonderful, as well, and any one of my friends, or my family, who I say, 'I am now singing the theme tune of the Teletubbies,' it's like I'm saying, 'I've been knighted,' or, yeah, 'I've won £1 million’.”

The full track listing is: Teletubbies Theme; Big Hugs; Tubby Car Song; Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes; Tubby Packing Dance; Tiddlytubbies Songtime; Bottom Bump Song; Tubby Phone Dance; Tiddlytubbies Playtime; Four Little Monkeys; Puddle Dance; If You're Happy and You Know It; Party Dance; The Custard Ride; Stomp Dance; Wheels on the Bus; Old MacDonald Had a Farm; Five in the Bed; and Tiddlytubbies Sleepybyes.

I have a copy of the CD to give away to one lucky Madhouse Family Reviews reader. Fill in your entries in the Rafflecopter widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

UK only. Closing date : 28/10/17

T & C's : Entries close at midnight on the closing date. Winners will be selected with a random number generator and announced on facebook and in the giveaway post subject line. Please note, you will be contacted by email and/or twitter and if I haven't heard from you after 28 days, I'll have to pick another winner. Prizes will be sent out by the companies or their PR directly to winners. Madhouse Family Reviews cannot be held responsible for any prizes that go astray !

You may also like to enter my other giveaways :

Giveaway #650 : One-Sheet Sculpture: Amazing Creatures book - closing date 19/10

Giveaway #651 : Master Builder Roller Coaster Marble Run book - closing date 23/10

What's Cooking at The Madhouse? menu plan 13/10

One week left until the holidays and phew, what a week ! The Norwegian delegation of teachers and researchers are coming over for the week so, as well as having them sit in on our classes and interview us about how we planned our lessons for the project, we'll be involved in socialising with them, so I'm not sure how much time I'll have for cooking next week. There's a meal planned on Thursday and drinks on Monday but with a bit of luck, I can load up the slow cooker and still have a meal on the table. If not, it'll be a frozen pizza in my absence !

Saturday

lunch - Time for the traditional KFC/Burger King/McDonald's option - but before that it's parent-teacher meetings on a Saturday morning *groan*

dinner - bacon & split pea soup

Sunday

lunch - roast dinner, probably chicken

dinner - leftovers from lunch or fridge grazing - or possibly chicken & veg soup if we had a roast chicken

Monday 

 lunch - school canteen with the Norwegians

dinner - chicken curry with cheesy naan bread

Tuesday 

packed lunch - tuna salad or canteen with the Norwegians

dinner - Chinese 5 Spice Duck with noodles & stir fried veg

Wednesday 

lunch - chicken fajitas

dinner - cheesy pasta bake with prawns

Thursday 

packed  lunch - smoked salmon bagel or school canteen with Norwegians

dinner - meal with the Norwegians - hopefully leftovers for Madhouse Daddy and the kids, if not a frozen pizza

Friday  

packed lunch - school canteen with the Norwegians

dinner - potato & bacon hash with a fried egg on top

***Click on my Menu Plans tag to see all my other weekly menu plan blogposts.***

Join in with the weekly meal plan bloghop !

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