Sign Your Kids Up for Giant Sleepover to Raise Money for UNICEF UK

The Madhouse Mini-testers always get really excited about sleepovers, whether they're happening at a friend's house or just involve bunking up in each other's beds ! I'm sure news of the Giant Sleepover will be met with squeals of delight from all tweens and teens, so the fact that it raises funds for charity is just the icing on the cake. Sleeping in a theme park or a cave sounds pretty exciting, even to a grown-up ! Read on for more info on how to get involved.

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The Giant Sleepover is Happening Again This Year!

Thousands of Children Sign Up to Giant Sleepover to Raise Money for UNICEF UK

The Giant Sleepover in association with UNICEF, the world’s leading children’s organisation, is once again bringing thousands of children from youth groups and primary schools across the UK together for a weekend of fun, friendship and fundraising on the 22nd June 2013.

Children taking part in UNICEF UK ’s Giant Sleepover will be raising money to fund UNICEF’s life saving work for children around the world. Every 15 seconds, a child somewhere in the world dies because of hunger. Money raised will help some of the most vulnerable children.

David Bull, UNICEF UK Executive Director says “The Giant Sleepover is a fantastic way for children to have fun and raise money. I hope that lots of people sign up for the sleepover and take part in the competition. Together we can help save and transform children’s lives.”

Children will be sleeping away from home in school halls, tents, castles, caves and theme parks across the UK . They’ll be having fun and making friends while enjoying a range of exciting activities, from cookery lessons to quad biking and much more!

Every child participating will also receive a goodie bag which includes toys, games and fun things to do on the night.

It’s easy to be a part of the Giant Sleepover whether you are from a school, youth group, Sunday school or sports club, simply register your group of children, at www.giantsleepover.com.

Group registrations are £25, and a £2 Every Child Counts fee for each child participating – all monies collected from the registration and Every Child Counts fee goes towards helping UNICEF’s life saving work for children around the world.

Giant Sleepover trivia :

The first Giant Sleepover event took place in 2003 setting a Guinness World record for the Largest Simultaneous sleepover with 8280 participants in 228 locations.

The hottest sleepover ever recorded was 40C in Delhi , India in 2006. The coldest was in the Falkland Islands at -5C. The most northerly in the UK was the Faroe Isles and the most southerly was at BT Goonhilly in Devon . The scariest sleepover took place in the London Dungeons.

The Giant Sleepover is supported by the Parent Teacher Association, Girlguiding UK , The Boys and Girls Brigades, Sea cadets, St John Ambulance and sporting associations including The Football Association and The England and Wales Cricket Board.

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Save The Children highlight the importance of nutrition for education #foodforthought

#Blogging4Madeleine & Missing Children Worldwide

Fashion Targets Breast Cancer - Wear Your Support  

Don't forget to protect your skin even on a cloudy day !

Some timely advice from Boots popped into my inbox earlier in the week, reminding us that you can still get sunburn on a cloudy day. You may remember our day at the beach, which started off rainy and stayed cloudy all day - well, despite the jumpers, we still managed to come home with sunburnt faces, so it really can be easy to get caught out. We were on a school trip to Dover Castle and Canterbury at the start of the week and I'm really glad I remembered to pack a bottle of suncream in my bag because - again, despite the clouds - I could feel my skin start to tingle as we sat down to our picnic lunch. The good news is, you can stock up on half price suncare products at Boots at the moment - read on for their advice and news of their current deals.

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Ready, steady, get out there! 

Protect your skin with Boots UK as cloudy summer skies can be deceiving

The warmer weather is set to make another appearance this weekend and although there are set to be clouds in the sky it’s still important to protect your skin. Clare O’Connor, Boots Suncare Expert, advises, "Whilst it may not seem as hot on a day with some clouds in the sky, UV rays are getting through the clouds and you can still get sunburnt even though it feels cool! Levels of UV reaching the earth are at their highest at this time of year in the UK, particularly UVA rays which cause long term skin damage and ageing, so we should take care to protect our skin from the sun using a high SPF with 5* UVA rating even when it's a cloudy day."

So don't hang around, let's get out there and grab some fun in the sun, safe in the knowledge that Soltan's uncompromised 5* UVA protection has your skin covered. So whether you head to the coast, dust down the BBQ or uncover the sandpit in the back garden, you'll be set to make the most of the rays even if a few clouds turn up too. Even better, the Soltan range is now ½ price, making getting the whole family sun ready easy on your pocket as well as your skin!

For paddling and playing...

NEW Boots Soltan Once Kids 3 Hour Waterplay Spray SPF 30 or SPF 50, 200ml, £8.49 (was £16.99), provides up to three hours of water resistant protection and up to six hours sun protection. So if you’re all bundling in the car and setting off to the coast, or even just putting up the paddling pool in the back garden, you can have peace of mind that your little one is protected from the sun’s rays in the water for up to three hours, with a high SPF and Soltan’s 5* UVA protection.

For smiley (not sandy!) faces...

To help ensure that your little ones are safe playing in the sunshine, whilst you enjoy your first BBQ of the season, Boots UK has developed NEW Soltan Kids Sensitive Lotion SPF 30 or SPF 50+, 200ml, £5.99 (was £11.99), and NEW Soltan Kids Sensitive Spray SPF 30 or SPF 50+, 200ml, £6.49 (was £12.99). The ultra light, hypoallergenic formula reduces the risk of skin allergies and has been approved by dermatologists. And if you uncovered the sandpit as well as the BBQ, Soltan’s unique new sand-resistant technology means no sandy skin induced tantrums as the kids build their first sandcastle of the season!

And sun protection isn’t just for the kids; make sure you’re well protected from the sun’s rays too.

For glow getters...

Whether you’re at a friend’s BBQ, or escaping from it all on a daycation away from home, be confident that you’re protecting your skin whilst supporting its natural tanning with NEW Soltan Protect & Tan Spray, SPF 8, SPF 15 or SPF 30, 200ml, £6.99 (was £13.99) which provides the maximum 5*UVA protection rating, in a new handy spray format. The special ultra-light texture formula contains Tanositol SPE, an innovative ingredient naturally derived from the fruit of the carob tree, that helps stimulate the body’s natural tanning reaction. Whilst the patented antioxidant complex helps to protect against long term skin damage and ageing by limiting the production of free radicals caused by sun exposure.

Clare O’Connor, Boots Suncare Expert, explains, “We all want to get out there this summer and enjoy those fun summer experiences and it’s important the family is safe in the sun. Our exciting new products mean parents can rest assured their children have uncompromised protection with Soltan’s 5* UVA protection, and be safe themselves too.”

For avoiding little critters...

Don’t let bugs get in the way of eating al fresco, or a spontaneous afternoon stroll. Soltan Moisturising Suncare Lotion with Insect Repellent, SPF 8, SPF 15, SPF 30, 200ml, £4.99 (was £9.99) and SPF 30, SPF 50+, 400ml, £8.99 (was £17.99) is the only leading sun care brand to have a formula including insect repellent. This easily-absorbed lotion with gentle, odourless insect repellent provides continuous moisturisation for silky-soft skin, helping to reduce dryness and prevent peeling.*

Soltan products are formulated with a range of SPFs to help protect you from long term sun damage and burning whilst feeling your radiant best and in the mood for longer, sunnier days. Visit: Boots/soltan for further information.

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Oh we do like to be beside the seaside !

Show Them It's Cool To Be Sun Sensible

Forward planning for the summer : Morocco here we come

ASDA Little Tikes toys review

Asda recently sent through a selection of preschool toys from Little Tikes for us to try out so Pierre happily stepped in as chief tester for the day. The exclusive range available at Asda has been specifically designed to keep children entertained whilst nurturing basic development skills. The complete collection consists of 86 unique and stimulating lines costing from just £1 to £30.

The first item that we discovered was this Soft Book, which is ideal as a first book (designed for children 6-12 months) because it has no sharp corners or paper pages to rip and can be screwed up, sucked, chewed and even taken in the bath without being damaged. Pierre loved looking at the brightly coloured pictures and the words written next to the images are great for sounding out letters with slightly older siblings. It comes with a handy ring to attach it to a pushchair or highchair straps too, which is always a Godsend when babies are at that stage where constantly throwing toys on the floor and watching mum pick them up again is a source of great amusement ! (RRP £5)

Pierre was very taken with the Pull & Shake Pal (RRP £4). When you pull it apart, it vibrates so Pierre loved holding it to his face and tummy to feel the shakes, or putting it quickly on a table and watching it jiggle. It again has a ring enabling you to attach it to a pushchair, car seat or high chair to help prevent it getting dropped and lost. It has very cute features, is nice and soft and has lots of different colours to look at. This again targets babies aged 6-12 months.

And the final product, designed for babies aged 3 months upwards, was the Bendy Puppy Rattle. Pierre decided that he wanted to give this one to a friend who is about to have a baby so we just looked at it inside the packaging. As well as offering great fun for little hands bending and shaking the long body, it has hard teething rings incorporated to offer relief for sore gums. (RRP £4)

I've just been looking at the rest of the collection on the ASDA website and there are plenty of other products available for slightly older kids too, all at very reasonable prices, so it's well worth a look.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £4-5 for the products shown here

Disclosure : I received a selection of toys, in order to write an honest review.

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Growing Up Milk look at Toddler Food Habits Across Europe

Aldi Mamia Baby Bath review

Pabobo Super Nomade Portable Night Light review

Madhouse recipe ideas for National Picnic Week #picnicchallenge

Here at The Madhouse, we never turn down a challenge so when Unilever sent us through a fabulous hamper, including everything we needed for a family picnic, as well as a range of sauces and ingredients to use, I couldn't wait to get busy in the kitchen - especially as I have lots of packed lunches to prepare for this next week for eating outdoors on school trips.

The instructions for the challenge were to come up with a recipe idea using some or all of the ingredients from the hamper. I decided to create a selection of dishes, many of which are so simple they don't really warrant a full recipe, so you can throw them together in minutes.

First up is Sticky BBQ Drumsticks. These really couldn't be simpler to make and they take cold chicken to a whole new level. Put your raw chicken drumsticks in a large freezer bag, squeeze in a generous squirt of Colman's Smokey BBQ Sauce, squish the bag so that the chicken is evenly covered in sauce and leave to marinate for a couple of hours or overnight if you have time. (If your picnic is a last minute decision, you don't need to leave the meat to marinate - it just helps develop a fuller flavour.) Put the chicken in an ovenproof dish, scoop out leftover marinade with a spoon and smear it on top of the chicken then cook in the oven for 30 minutes at 200°C. These need to be transported in a separate Tupperware dish as they are quite messy - don't forget a packet of wet wipes if you're eating with your fingers !

Recipe number 2 is Summer Veg Filo Tarts. Chop 1/2 red Pepper, 1/2 red onion and a courgette into chunks and gently fry until tooth tender. (You can use other veggies depending on what's in the fridge - aubergine, green pepper and mushrooms would all work too.) You can stop there, if you want a vegetarian option, or mix in some leftover cooked chicken or ham, if you so desire. Take off the heat, add a tablespoon of Maille Wholegrain Mustard and mix well. Place overlapping triangles of filo pastry in a bun tray, brush with a little olive oïl then fill with a pile of the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with cheese (whatever you have - grated cheddar, mozzarella or goat's cheese all work) and place in a preheated oven (at 180°) for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the filo pastry has gone golden Brown.

Perfect finger food next - Honey Mustard Ham Pasties. In a bowl, finely chop a few slices of ham, a spring onion and a few slices of Leerdammer cheese. Add a tablespoon of Maille Au Miel (Honey Mustard) and a tablespoon of Hellmann's Mayonnaise with a Zing of Mustard. Mix well to combine. Cut out large circles of ready-made shortcrust pastry. Place a pile of ham filling in the centre of each circle, bring the two sides together and use your fingers to crimp the top and seal them. Brush with a little egg or milk and bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes at 180°.

Time to recycle a recipe I concocted a few weeks ago for the veg box challenge - Fruity Coleslaw. Shred 1/2 a white cabbage, finely dice a large carrot and finely slice a small piece of onion (1/4 of a small onion should be enough). Place in a large bowl and add a generous squeeze of Hellmann's Mayonnaise with a hint of Garlic (or regular Hellmann's Mayonnaise if you prefer). Stir gently to evenly coat all the ingredients with mayonnaise. Throw in a handful of raisins and a diced apple (no need to peel it). Mix it all up and keep in a Tupperware dish in the fridge. This can be used as a side salad or to jazz up boring ham or cheese sandwiches.

Speaking of sandwiches, there's certainly nothing boring about these ones - Coronation Chicken Rolls. Cut a soft roll in half and spread with Bertolli margarine. In a bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of Hellmann's Mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of Colman's Sweet Chilli Mango Sauce and 2 tablespoons of mild curry powder. Mix in some diced leftover cooked chicken, a handful of raisins and a pinch of salt. Mix it all together and sprinkle with a handful of flaked almonds. Use to fill the rolls, adding some lettuce, if you so desire.

These Cheese & Bacon Muffins are a recipe that we discovered for Farmhouse Breakfast Week and they're designed for breakfast on the go. Juliette has been begging me to make them again so I decided to make some for our picnic lunches. Gently combine 250g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 175g chopped cooked bacon, 50g grated mature cheddar, 1 tsp Colman's Mustard, a pinch of Cayenne pepper, 2 lightly beaten eggs, 65g Flora Buttery and 125ml low fat yoghurt. Spoon the mixture into greased muffin tins and bake at 180° for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown and firm.

 The final thing that I made was some Guacamole, to go with carrot sticks and red pepper strips. Just whizz up the flesh of one or two avocadoes with a squeeze of Hellmann's Mayonnaise with a Spark of Chilli, a squeeze of lemon juice, a shake of garlic salt and a pinch of salt.

I almost feel guilty - all the other kids and teachers will be enviously eyeing up our picnic lunches while they eat their soggy ham salad sandwiches !

National Picnic Week is taking place from 17th – 23rd June so let me know how you get on if you try out any of these recipes !

Disclosure : I received a picnic hamper, including a selection of ingredients, in order to come up with some recipes for The Unilever Kitchen Picnic Challenge.

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Madhouse recipe : Stuffed Turkey Roulade

Nescafé, Nescafé, the better way to start your day !!

Quark New York Cheesecake recipe

Playfoam review

When the opportunity arose through Blog Match to review Play Foam, I loved the sound of it so I immediately requested a pack. Learning Resources explain :

"What makes Playfoam so GREAT!

- Completely mess free; does not stick to hands, clothes or carpet

- Use again and again; never dries out

- Non-toxic formula offers safe creative play

- No preparation needed; use straight from the box

- Promotes sensory perception and fine motor skill development

- Colours do not blend; mix the vibrant colours to create new multicoloured shades"

Hmmm sounds almost too good to be true ! Well, when the pack arrived, I must admit, I inwardly groaned. Mess-free is not the word to spring to mind and I had visions of it getting absolutely everywhere and being a real pain to hoover up afterwards as it squished and stuck to the floor ! But surprisingly, I was pleasantly surprised. It looks like tiny balls of coloured polystyrene but it's a weird sticky texture that the kids love squishing into shapes. It's sticky to the touch but doesn't stick to the carpet or your fingers or leave any sticky residue so it is really easy to clean up. It does however stick to any fluff/dog hair/crumbs that may be lying around on the floor/table/wherever the kids are playing so it would be a good idea to get a big plastic bowl, tray or sheet to keep it clean.

Here are some of the models that Playfoam suggest you could try to make :

Looks great, doesn't it? Well, unfortunately, the Madhouse Mini Testers mixed all the colours up into one big multicoloured mess ! The colours don't blend (which they were expecting, being used to Play Doh/Moon Sand/ Moon Dough) so they were surprised to see that you get a rainbow mishmash of all the separate colours. They think it looks quite cool but there's no way of using separate colours now ! 

I'm ashamed to say, I haven't got a single photo of the kids' creations because I kept saying I'd wait until they made something recognisable and it never happened ! They did have great fun squishing it about though. At the end of the play session, we scooshed it all into a ball and I popped it in a bag. It really doesn't dry out - the next time we came back to play with it, it was ready to go, just the way we'd left it, which is better than Play Doh which always goes rock hard when the kids forget to put the lids back on the little pots !

If you're intrigued, head over to the Learning Resources UK Facebook page where there is a competition running with the chance to win one of five Playfoam packs. Don't hang about though, the competition closes on the 7th June.

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £9

for more information : http://www.learningresources.co.uk/category/teachers/shop+by+brand/playfoam/messfreeplayfoam.do?code=BM-PLAYFOAM13&dm_i=17PJ,1GO72,6Q5QHY,4YVO7,1

Disclosure : We received a pack of Playfoam in order to write an honest review.

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Ruby Loves Kids' Crafting Magazine review

Meccano review

Aquarelle Watercolours Kit review

Giveaway #292 : Win 3 x Mister Maker: Watch & Make Vol. 5 DVDs - closed - winners Laura Z Banks, Christine Andrews, Tracy K Nixon

Here at The Madhouse, we all love Mister Maker. He always has brilliant ideas for upcycling things that are lying around the house (often destined for the bin) into fun, exciting arts and crafts projects. We were therefore over the moon to learn that he has a new DVD coming out tomorrow, featuring 20 boredom-busting makes. (We'll be reviewing it shortly.) Here's the official blurb :

Mister Maker: Watch & Make Vol. 5

DVD Release Date: 3rd June 2013

Features out of this world makes!

Join in the fun with Mister Maker and his friends in his magical art studio. Watch and make along as he transforms everyday objects into fun pieces of art!

Over 20 fun makes including:

Mister Maker Makes a Splattered Space Picture

A splattered space picture, noisy coin clackers & hilarious worms in a can!

Mister Maker shows you the perfect boredom buster!

Splattered stencils, an incredible ice cream cone game and wobbly eggs!

Mister Maker has fun with bubbles!

Bubbles, a fabulous fish with shiny paper & space skittles that are out of this world!

Mister Maker makes a brilliant Wrap Paper!

Brilliant bubble wrap picture, a straw powered rocket & crazy carnival shakers!

Mister Maker creates a Space Age City!

Transform everyday objects into incredible insects, torn paper & a space age city!

Abbey Home Media have kindly offered three copies of the DVD to give away to lucky Madhouse Family Reviews readers. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

UK only. Closing date : 15/6/13

T & C's : Entries close at midnight on the closing date. Winners will be selected with a random number generator and announced on facebook, twitter 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 a week, I'll have to pick another winner. Prizes will be sent out by the companies or their PR directly to winners.

Other giveaways you may be interested in :

Giveaway #291 : Win a pair of Hotter Shoes - closing date 14/6

Giveaway #290 : Win 5 pairs of tickets to Good Food Show/Gardeners World Live - closing date 5/6

Giveaway #289 : Win 3 Lala-Oopsies : A Sew Magical Tale DVD & doll - closing date 2/6

Sunday weigh-in : No change

Last week I hit the magic figure of 77.7kg - seven is supposed to be a lucky number so that was my target. I've just jumped on the scales and it said 78.1kg but Sophie prepared a "princess breakfast" as they're known in our house - a plate with lots of little bits of various ingredients - a few slices of banana, a handful of cereal, a Dairylea triangle, some apple wedges, ... - before I did my weigh in so I'm counting that as a no change this week. Next week, I'm expecting a gain - I'll be on school trips all week and will be at the mercy of whatever our host family decides to cook for us so I'll have no control whatsoever. Oh well, it'll only be a blip !

Positives of the week

- I realised this time last term that I'm not a comfort eater but I am a reward eater. To motivate myself to crack on with my school reports, I promise myself a square of chocolate or two every time I finish a class. Which means I've consumed the best part of a family sized bar of Galaxy this week - big oops ! I'm therefore over the moon to have a no change this week !

This week's targets 

Last week's target was : Listen to the SlimPod a few times and stay in the 77's. (Haven't managed to listen to the SlimPod - my life seems like a blur at the moment ! - but I did manage to stay in the 77's)

This week's target is :  - Just enjoy the day trips and don't worry about the rest !

Longer-term targets : I need some new target jeans !

START WEIGHT : 91.9kg

TARGET WEIGHT : 66kg

WEIGHT LAST WEEK  : 78.1kg

WEIGHT TODAY : 77.7g

WEIGHT LOST SO FAR :  14.2kg

STILL TO GO : 11.7kg

CHANGE THIS WEEK : -0g 

Feel free to add your weightloss posts to our weekly linkie - it's great to see how everyone else has been getting on and give each other support and encouragement :)

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter

 MyFitnessPal - Nutrition Facts For Foods

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Sunday weigh-in : Not counting today !

Sunday weigh-in : It's all in the mind !

Sunday weigh-in : Walking Back to Happiness !

Get ready for National Picnic Week !

As I mentioned when I wrote up this week's menu plan, next week is going to be a week of school trips, both for me and the kids. I will be accompanying my classes to Dover Castle and Canterbury on Monday, then London and Rochester at the end of the week. Sophie has a day trip to Walmer Castle, Broadstairs and Margate and Juliette will be having adventures at the beach followed by an ostrich farm. That means lots of packed lunches to organise, so it was perfect timing for The Unilever Kitchen to invite us to take part in their Picnic Challenge.

They sent us through this amazing picnic hamper to inspire us to come up with some recipes in advance of National Picnic Week which is taking place from 17th – 23rd June. Hopefully, the sun will be a permanent fixture by then !

Inside the hamper, we discovered a whole range of products to get our creative juices flowing - various flavours of Hellmann's mayonnaise, some mustards from Maille and Colman's, some Colman's sauces (Smokey BBQ, Garlic Chilli and Chilli Mango), some Knorr stock cubes and some Flora and Bertolli margarines.

I already have some fab ideas for things to make using some of these ingredients so keep an eye on the blog tomorrow when I'll be getting everything ready for the week ahead. I'm hungry just thinking about it !

Disclosure : I received a fab picnic hamper, stuffed with ingredients, in order to put together a recipe for the Unilever Kitchen Picnic Challenge.

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Quark New York Cheesecake recipe

Aero Perfect Pairing Challenge - Bacon and Choc Chip Cookies (yes, really !)

Sorry duckies - other ways to use up leftover bread than a trip to the park !

Book review : The Double Life of Cora Parry - Angela McAllister

The Double Life of Cora Parry transports the reader back to the seedy underworld of Victorian era London. When little orphan Cora is taken from the harsh conditions of the workhouse and adopted by the benevolent Elijah Parry, it looks as if she has found her happy ending. After his death, however, his less charitable widow decides that the little girl must earn her keep and treats her as a servant. But that's not the end of her pains. When Martha Parry in turn passes away, her brother turns up and belligerently throws out Cora, dropping her off at the workhouse gates so that she can go back where she belongs.

The workhouse is such a daunting and hopeless prospect that Cora prefers to try her luck living on the streets. Her path crosses that of Fletch, who takes Cora under her wing and makes sure that she survives on the streets - but one good turn deserves another, and Cora will soon discover how Fletch thinks she can return the favour. 

For much of the first part of the book, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was reading a retelling of Dicken's great classic Oliver Twist, albeit with a feminine slant. I could almost imagine Fletch launching into a heartfelt rendition of "You've got to pick a pocket or two girl, you've got to pick a pocket or two" ! But author Angela McAllister has woven in an extra plotline which helps keep you interested - the double life mentioned in the title.

At several points in the story, Cora seems to come across her doppelgänger, a girl in a red dress and black cloak who crosses her path then disappears. Who is this mysterious lookalike? Is she purely a figment of Cora's imagination or just a random stranger with a passing resemblance? Or is there something more sinister going on?

Well, I'm not going to tell you - you'll have to read the book to find out ! It was an enjoyable read but there were a few storylines that I hoped would go a bit further, in particular Fletch (I was expecting a comeback right up until the final page) and the mysterious girl, which I thought could have been pushed much further. I felt that there were still quite a few unanswered questions at the end of the book which left me feeling slightly frustrated.

This is an adult perspective though, and the book targets tweens and teens. 11-year-old Sophie loved it and said that the atmosphere reminded her of Jacqueline Wilson's Hettie Feather, which just happens to be her favourite book.

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £6.99

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Orion Childrens (4 April 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1444006762
• ISBN-13: 978-1444006766
• Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 1.8 cm

Disclosure : I received a review copy of the book.

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Book review : Ketchup Clouds – Annabel Pitcher

Teen-read book review : Raining Fire - Alan Gibbons

House of Secrets Blog Tour : Interview with author Ned Vizzini

What's Cooking at The Madhouse next week ? menu plan 31/5

So what's cooking at The Madhouse next week? Well, not a lot, to be honest. I'm on a school trip with the 11-year-olds on Monday, taking them to Dover Castle in the morning and Canterbury in the afternoon. We're due back around 9pm so by the time I've made sure they all get picked up safely by their parents, I probably won't get in until around 10pm and I'm sure I won't be hungry by then ! Tuesday is a normal day at work then Wednesday-Friday, I'm off on another school trip, this time to London with the 14/15 year olds. I decided to throw together a rough menu plan for Madhouse Daddy if he wants it but I've no doubt he'll just improvise ! It's there if he wants it though.

Saturday

lunch - a trip to McDonalds softplay - seafood salad for me, happy meals for the kids, which they can burn off on the slides and climbing frames afterwards !

dinner - Madhouse Daddy's homemade vegetable soup

Sunday

lunch - we bought a lovely leg of lamb earlier, which will be roasted with some potatoes, carrots, onions and mushrooms

dinner - I have some wraps to use up, possibly with leftover lamb and jalapeno relish or else with cheese, ham and salad.

I might throw together some picnic friendly dishes today too, as it's a week of school trips, not just for me but for Sophie (Walmer Castle, Broadstairs & Margate) on Thursday and Juliette (beach + ostrich farm) on Monday. Perfect timing, as I'm taking part in a Picnic Challenge, just ahead of National Picnic Week. (More about that in another blogpost.) I'll feel happier heading off, knowing that the food is full of instant meals in my absence.

Monday

dinner - there will be some leftover lamb which can be served with a sachet of microwavable rice and a tin of sweetcorn (which Sophie could sort out all by herself, if she's feeling helpful)

Tuesday

dinner - the one day this week that I'll be around so whatever I make, I'll make sure there are leftovers for the next day. I'm thinking cottage pie or it may just be a big pot of pasta with carbonara sauce (bacon & cream) with added mushrooms, onions and leeks, which the kids have decided is their favourite pasta sauce now.

Wednesday

dinner - yesterday's leftovers, whatever it ended up being 

Thursday

dinner - cheese toasties or sandwiches, alternatively cereal or porridge if they just want something quick 

Friday

dinner - we get back from our school trip around 5.30pm so I'll have time to cook, if I'm not too tired. No idea what, it will depend on what's in the fridge. I know there's some ready made puff pastry so if nothing's been defrosted, I'll knock up some pastry parcels, filled with cheese/ham/tomatoes or bacon/cream/mushrooms or chicken/chorizo/goat's cheese or whatever I find in the fridge. With salad if there's some left, otherwise mash and beans maybe.

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