Piccolo Baby Food Review

Posted on by

piccolobabyfoodreview stage 1and 2

Baby food is big business, and pouches even bigger still. Convenient and healthy, most – if not all- parents will give their little ones baby food pouches. They are great for eating out, keeping in a bag for an emergency, or just for a meal indoors. They are also great for when parents are too tired to cook. Piccolo are an Italian brand bringing Mediterranean goodness to the market.

Piccolo Pure – is their first single fruits range, for which they have handpicked and blended the tastiest fruit varieties including Stanley Plum, Fairtrade Banana, Fairtrade Mango and Williams Pear: each chosen because their delicious and distinctive tastes, making them perfect for little ones as their taste buds begin to explore first flavours. My son loved all of these. He devoured them in minutes.

Their Pure Banana and Pure Mango blends are the only baby food pouches to hold Fairtrade accreditation, as they continue their commitment to give back through ethical and sustainable sourcing and by donating 10% profits to charity.

 

They have also launched variety baskets of Piccolo recipes crammed full of delicious fruit and veg to excite little ones’ taste buds.  And with a pouch to get parents through Monday to Friday, there won’t be any need for that last-minute empty cupboard panic when their baby is hungry. I think this is a brilliant idea. It takes some of the pressure of parenting. Something which is always much needed.

 

Finally, they have new recipes launching this summer, using nutritious, organic ingredients and distinctive flavours including coconut, cinnamon, sage and rosemary.  They are launching a delicious Lamb Ratatouille (with a hint of rosemary), perfect for recreating the end of summer Mediterranean feeling, our first fish based pouch with Salmon Fish Pie (with a pinch of parsley, basil and thyme) and a very English Roast Pork, Parsnip and Apple recipe.

My little one tried the ones in bold and loved them all. Particular favourites were the Lamb Ratatouille with a hint of rosemary and Squash, Mac & Cheese with a hint of sage. 

 

Stage 1

  • Blushing Berries, Pear & Banana
  • Banana, Coconut & Baby Brown Rice with a pinch of cinnamon
  • Pear, Strawberry & Yoghurt with wholegrain Oats

Veg Only

  • Sun-ripened Tomato and Red Pepper with a dash of olive oil
  • Parsnip Carrot & Leek with a hint of thyme

Stage 2

  • Lamb Ratatouille with a hint of rosemary
  • Tomato, Lentil & Angel Pasta with a dash of olive oil
  • Squash, Mac & Cheese with a hint of sage
  • Roast Pork, Parsnip & Apple with a hint of rosemary
  • Salmon Fish Pie with a pinch of parsley, basil and thyme

 

As you can see from the list, the recipes are exciting and different. They make some other baby food pouches look very boring indeed. We are a fan of Piccolo, the brand is a great way to feed your child in a healthy and sustainable way. Frost loves.

 

A round up for Father’s Day

Posted on by

 

It’s never easy ringing the changes for Father’s Day  so I’m sticking to well known themes but I do feel excited by my choices.

Books – well, why not.

pic 1 harry

Anatomy of a Soldier by Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, Harry Parker, who returned as a double amputee. Of course this interested me because I founded Words for the Wounded, but it also interested the blokes on our small volunteer team. Harry is now a writer and artist and this is his first novel. It is a tour de force, quite different to all others in this vein. The narrators are the equipment which led to the ‘incident’, and to the saving of his life.

Faber and Faber: hb £14.99 also in pb.

Another that is quite different to others I have read and which appeals to both men and women, or so I believe.

pic 2.castle

Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge features a modern day plane-wreck, the two survivors of which (strangers) reach a deserted Polynesian Island and have to find a way of surviving – together. It’s not only a fascinating concept (never ever travel without a huge number of spare contact lenses – especially if you fancy yourself an artist – though it seems he produced exceptional work without.) This leads to the question – if he survived would he continue to produce through a blur.

It was laugh aloud funny, but also moving and interesting as they became a team.

HQ: pb £7.99

Labour and the Gulag:

pic 3 labour

One of my relatives was a communist between the wars, and proceeded to achieve high office in a profession demanding rigorous integrity and intelligence.  He continued however to be hard left and a supporter of Russian Communism – heedless of the inconvenient truth of theiniquities of the system. He felt, I believe, that the end justified the means. It removed any respect I felt for him and his subsequent work.

He was not alone. Read this and bang your head on the table in despair and exasperation.

Labour and the Gulag by Giles Udy

Biteback Publishing. hb £30.

All this reading should of course be accompanied by a restorative drink or two.

BULLDOG Gin

pic 1 bulldog

Present in over 80 countries, BULLDOG Gin is the fourth largest and fastest growing premium gin in the world. With its unique bold, black bottle and distinct flavour, BULLDOG is a modern gin that has been quietly causing a stir on the gin scene with its British attitude and global mind-set. Using only the best quality British wheat and water, BULLDOG starts with triple distilled neutral grain spirit. It is then distilled once more, adding the distinctive blend of 12 botanicals to the pot still to deliver a smooth experience.

Stockist Ocado RRP £22.00

Estrella Galicia

pic 2 beer

Estrella Galicia is a premium world lager with a refreshingly smooth and well balanced taste with a light body. A spicy and light toned beer, Estrella Galicia has a clean and balanced aroma of Perie with nuggets hops and light malts.

Stockist: Marks and Spencer

RRP: £5.25

 

 

National Poetry Day and the BBC commission 12 new poems celebrating local words

Posted on by

nationalpoetrydayNational Poetry Day and the BBC are joining forces this year to discover and celebrate the nation’s great local words in 12 specially commissioned poems – one for each of the 12 BBC regions in England.

 

From today and taking their cue from National Poetry Day’s 2017 theme – Freedom – BBC Local Radio across England will be calling on listeners to ‘Free the word’: nominating a truly distinctive local word that deserves to be better known nationally.  These 12 words, once chosen, will each be offered to a local poet as the creative spark for a new poem, to be broadcast on the BBC on National Poetry Day, 28th September.

 

Across BBC Local Radio, on social media, and in interviews and discussions, people are invited to recommend a word that is used by local people but not yet known by the nation at large.

 

The words suggested will be considered for inclusion in the Oxford English Dictionary. The search embraces dialect, slang and idiom – any word that makes visitors do a double-take and ask what is meant. The ideal word will be striking and give a flavour of the place and local identity. It can be ancient or newly imported, just as long as it is regularly used by people locally and deserves wider circulation.

These suggestions will help an expert team of lexicographers from the Oxford English Dictionary build a fresh picture of regional English as it is spoken now. Each region will then be celebrated in its own poem, inspired by the chosen word, to be broadcast on National Poetry Day.

 

BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio Cymru (the Welsh-language station) are also taking part and will be calling for their own local words to provide the inspiration for a poem for National Poetry Day.

 

Susannah Herbert, Executive Director, National Poetry Day, said:

 

“National Poetry Day is truly national when it’s truly local. The distinctive words and figures of speech used in different regions have inspired poets for centuries, from Chaucer and Shakespeare to Daljit Nagra and Liz Berry – and a poem is still a great way to get a favourite expression before a wide audience. These new poems will draw on words handed down by grandparents and picked up in street markets: we’re hungry to hear how the nation speaks when it’s at home.”

 

Michael Proffitt, Chief Editor, Oxford English Dictionary, said:

 

“The Oxford English Dictionary is delighted to participate in National Poetry Day. This year’s focus on regional words and phrases makes it a particularly good match, as a celebration of linguistic creativity and diversity across the country.

 

The OED already records many thousands of words associated with particular regions. But language changes as society changes, and the OED is constantly updating its record of English. A national event about regional language is a great way for the OED to learn more about the distinctive, evocative, and poetic words and phrases that people use now, some of which have yet to appear in the dictionary.”

 

Last year on National Poetry Day the 40 stations of BBC Local Radio marked National Poetry Day by each broadcasting a poem about a local landmark commissioned from 40 #BBClocalpoets in an unprecedented lyrical mapping of the English landscape.

 

National Poetry Day (28 September 2017) is a mass celebration of poetry that annually engages people across the country with reading, writing, performing and listening to poetry. It enjoys very high participation rates, especially online and in schools and libraries: supporters include the Football Association, the Royal Mail, the BBC, and HRH the Prince of Wales. It is co-ordinated by Forward Arts Foundation, which brings together leading poetry, literacy and literary organisations around a common purpose: promoting the enjoyment, discovery and sharing of poetry.

 

For further information, visit http://nationalpoetryday.co.uk

To nominate a local word on social media use #FreetheWord

 

 

InTRANSIT 2017

Posted on by

 

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and O’Neill/Ross present

Friday 9th – Sunday 25th June 2017

At locations across Kensington and Chelsea

 

 

InTRANSIT will once again take over the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea with its experimental programme of site-responsive art and performance. With this year’s theme of ‘Island Life’, InTRANSIT brings together responses from a diverse selection of artists looking at the contrasts of urban isolation and connectivity, celebrating community and the principle that ‘no man is an island’.

Pop-up ‘Island’ installations create an arts-archipelago across the borough, with the Portobello Pavilion – InTRANSIT’s hub of practical activity and discussion – at its centre. Highlights include: a series of large-scale, playful sandcastles produced in conjunction with the Museum of Architecture; an immersive exploration of JG Ballard’s novel Concrete Island; an electro-folk opera at the Print Room; an art exhibition in a secret subterranean space at Notting Hill Gate station; and a day of dance and participation from Polynesia and Melanesia.

InTRANSIT 2017 highlights include:

Portobello Pavilion – Friday 9th June to Sunday 25th June, Powis Square, W11

A striking temporary structure situated in historic Powis Square, the Portobello Pavilion offers a serene landing place within the wider context of the programme. Sandcastles – Friday 9th June to Sunday 25th June, various locations

The Museum of Architecture presents a series of large-scale sandcastles, each up to 2.5 metres tall, designed by leading UK architects. Located outside the Design Museum, in Duke of York Square, and at Portobello Market, these iconic structures will unite InTRANSIT’s ‘Island Life’ with the London Festival of Architecture’s theme of ‘Memory’.

Concrete Island – From Thursday 15th June

Charlie Warde returns JG Ballard’s classic novel Concrete Island to its site of origin in this immersive adaptation. Our protagonist, Robert Maitland, a contemporary Robinson Crusoe, plunges through the matrix of modern life and becomes marooned on a section of wasteland earmarked for development under London’s busiest road. Escape Artists – Friday 9th June to Wednesday 14th June

Collaborating with course directors and emerging artists from Central St Martin’s, Royal College of Music and the Cass School of Art, Escape Artists uses the issue of decreasing academic space as an opportunity for established colleges to break with tradition and take their practice off-site.

Remnants – From Monday 12th June

Performed by four singers and dancers, Remnants is an electro-folk opera, re-arranging traditional Balkan vocal music and combining it with contemporary electronics.

These are just a taste of all that’s on offer. Have a look to see what else:

www.intransitfestival.co.uk.

Most are free of charge but some require pre-booking.

 

My mother’s favourite tipple… Greenhall’s Gin by Milly Adams

Posted on by

 

It seems to me that minds turn to crisp cool gin as summer approaches, add to that the thought that Father’s Day is galloping towards us  and here we have the answer… not least because mum can have some too.

Greenall’s have launched a really swish brand new bottle design in both the Original and Wild Berry flavours and it’s on the shelves now.

pic 1 greenall

Greenall’s The Original London Dry Gin has a rich British heritage. Established in 1761, and originally created by the forefather of gin, Thomas Dakin, Greenall’s is Britain’s first and original London Dry style gin and celebrates over 250 years of Great British history.

 

Greenall’s has featured in gin palaces – such an evocative image – right through to today’s supermarkets and gin bars which are thriving. The new bottle’s shape hints at the 1700’s look and features an embossing of the spirit’s birth date – 1761- the signature of Edward Greenall and the Greenall’s crest. To symbolize the craftsmanship that goes into the brand there is a print of a hand-stitched Union Jack on the back.

The original recipe remains unchanged, a recipe that has only been known by 7 Master Distillers since launched all those years ago. Joanne Moore Greenall’s 7th Master Distiller is the current guardian and one of the first female gin masters – my mum would be thrilled. I find this continuity and history enhances everything about Greenhall’s and highlights its award winning success. It should be designated a national treasure.

What’s more, what a great product, and one that is constantly improving its image. A masterstroke.

RRP £21.00 – 1Ltr   ABV: 37.5%

RRP £16.00 – 70cl.   ABV: 37.5%

RRP:   £9.00  – 35cl.   ABV: 37.5%

www:greenallsgin.com

 

 

 

Business of Books: Behind the Best-seller Jane Cable Meets Rosanna Ley

Posted on by
the-business-of-books-interviewswithjanecableThis week I am especially delighted to welcome one of my favourite writers, best-selling author Rosanna Ley.
BUSINESS OF BOOKS- Behind the Best-seller rosanna ley

1)      How much of your working life does the business of books take up?

Pretty much all of it! I work full time from home: writing, researching, editing, writing publicity material and taking part in events and occasionally doing a manuscript appraisal for an author (I used to do more of these but now although I’d love to, I simply don’t have the time). I also run an annual week’s writing retreat in Andalucia in July for around 12 writers at finca el cerrillo which I adore. It’s a haven of tranquillity and it’s so good to work with other writers. I used to do a lot more tutoring of creative writing and also working with community groups on therapeutic writing but I have had to let this go. Very reluctantly. But writing and editing a book a year (of around 130,000 words) is very time-consuming!

2)      What’s your business model to earn a living from writing?

I’m not sure that I have a business model at all. I’m fortunate in that I do earn a living from writing. It’s hard in these days of low advances and competitive deals from independent publishers, not to mention the number of authors who self-publish who have to work so hard to earn from their books. I would certainly consider running creative writing courses as a good way to supplement income, and there are appraisal agencies who take on experienced readers to give constructive feedback on writing for authors who go down this route. Apart from that, my model would be to keep writing, keep publicising and hope that your work is eventually recognised. Just keep getting it out there…

3)      What do you write and what do you consider to be your major successes?

I write novels often described as ‘commercial women’s fiction’ which are contemporary but also contain elements of the historical. They offer a bit of mystery and some romance and are set in stunning locations such as Sicily and Sardinia (as well as my home turf of West Dorset and also Cornwall). I have also set novels in Cuba, Burma, Morocco and Barcelona. Yes, I like to travel… My books are often called ‘holiday reads’ because of the locations I choose, but I like to think they offer a bit more than that…  I like to include some (hopefully) thought-provoking subject matter and I like to explore human relationships and the ‘tangled webs we weave’. My biggest paperback success has been ‘Bay of Secrets’ which takes on some rather dark and hopefully intriguing subjects centring around the Spanish Civil War when a woman from Dorset in 2012 goes looking for her birth mother. My biggest e-book success was ‘The Villa’ which is about three generations of women and their journeys – one to find her lost love, one to discover the secrets of the past and one to find her own sense of self!

4)      Tell me about your latest project.

The project I am currently working on is entitled ‘Her Mother’s Secret’ and is set in Belle-Ile, a small island off southern Brittany, France. It centres around Colette, who left the island when she was eighteen and who returns when her mother Thea is ill in order to care for her and help run Thea’s flower shop. I have finished the first draft and am doing some editorial work on that now. We are also looking at cover ideas. I am also doing some publicity work for ‘Little Theatre by the Sea’ which is out in hardback with Quercus already and will come out in paperback on June 1st. This book is about restoration and change. Faye travels to Sardinia to take on the project of re-designing the little theatre and finds much more than she ever bargained for…

Rosanna Ley is the best-selling author of The Villa, Bay of Secrets and Little Theatre by the Sea. Her books are published by Quercus.

We don’t teach touch typing – yer what?

Posted on by

 

 

 

I read in the newspapers that touch typing lessons are to be taught to students – yer what? I had no idea it wasn’t. In this day of ipads, laptops and lord knows what – how could this have happened? Anyway, with my thoughts concentrated on this most useful of skills  I was really pleased to try the Penclic Mini Keyboard KB3.

 

pic 1 keyboard

 

Is it as good as it looks – because it does look slick doesn’t it?

 

Yes. The whole case is made of metal and the buttons  feel definite to type on, crisp and no nonsense too. The keyboard works for win, ios and android and connects via bluetooth or you can switch to corded connection if you prefer that.

 

The battery capacity is 250mAh and sleep saving mode activates after 30 minutes – press any button. The wireless reach is 10 meters and height 10.25 mm. Weight: 284 grams. Cable length: 150 cm.

 

I have another Mini Bluetooth Keyboard but will be using this Penclic in future. It’s lighter (such a boon), crisper and altogether superior. Have I made it sound like a pastry? I hope not because it’s a great tool. I just have to go and prize it out of the hands of ‘him indoors’ and being an IT buff, he’s no slouch when it comes to knowing what’s what, so it will be a tug of war.

A good looking practical product. Maybe it will encourage all those ‘learner’ touch types out there?

 

http://www.penclic.se/shop/

 

RRP: £79.99

 

The Modern Day Pregnancy Hospital Bag | Then And Now

Posted on by

giving birth, birth, childbirth, the truth about giving birthWith over two decades of experience of pregnancy and birth, and more than 650,000 users every month, Emma’s Diary, the essential pregnancy support resource has been able to look back at key trends to compare the contents of the modern day hospital bag compared with that of 20 years ago and the contrasts are remarkable.

No need to carry a camera

One of the big differences is that we no longer need to carry a camera in our hospital bag today, providing we have our phone and charger, most cameras on mobile phones are so good today that we don’t need both.  Equally, the convenience of reading a book on our Kindle or tablet eliminates the need for a physical book and doubles up as a way to communicate with family and friends online.

Clean eating trend

The trend for clean eating has also seen the choice of snacks and drinks change dramatically over the years, with high-energy drinks, fresh smoothies and snacks such as vegetable crisps and protein bars being popular in 2017.

CDs replaced with streaming music on our devices

The devices we use to listen to music (a popular past time for women in labour) have also changed beyond all recognition as we have moved from portable CD players (and the need to carry CDs in our hospital bags) to streaming music on our mobile phones and tablets.  Although our tastes in music may have evolved, using music to help soothe and relax us during labour is still an important element.

Some things never change

We still need disposable pants and they still look as ghastly as they always did!  Baby clothes, mitts, maternity pads, nursing bras, slippers, toiletries, tissues and baby wipes are still very much part of the modern day hospital bag.

According to Emma’s Diary – here are its top 15 contents for mums to be hospital bags from 2017 and 1997 (20 years ago).

 

2017 Mum’s Hospital Bag Contents:

  1. Mobile 4G smartphone/iPhone
  2. iPad/tablet
  3. Music downloaded to your phone and earphones (Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You, Bruno Mars’ That’s What I Like and The Weekend’s Starboy have been chart toppers this year)
  4. Lip balm (such as Burt’s Bees)
  5. Snacks and drinks (water, smoothie, isotonic drink, vegetable crisps)
  6. Kindle (Into the Water and Caravel are popular books this year)
  7. Baby wipes
  8. Birth ball
  9. TENS machine
  10. Slippers, socks, nightwear
  11. Maternity Pads
  12. Baby clothes and nappies
  13. Nursing bras
  14. Disposable pants
  15. Toiletries and hair brush/clips

 

1997 Mum’s Hospital Bag Contents:

  1. Portable CD player (or the minidisc player launched in 1992 for those gadget lovers!)
  2. CDs/Mini discs – (Blur’s Beetlebum, No Doubt’s Don’t Speak and Spice Girls’ Spice up your Life were all chart toppers this year!)
  3. Paperback book (Cold Mountain and Harry Potter were popular
  4. Mobile phone (probably a Nokia 6110 or similar)
  5. Camera (film, polaroid or first digital if you were into gadgets)
  6. Snacks and drinks (water, Orbitz drink, bag of Doritos 3D)
  7. Lip balm (such as Nivia)
  8. Tissues/cotton wool balls
  9. Slippers, socks, nightwear
  10. Maternity pads
  11. Baby clothes and nappies
  12. Nursing bras
  13. Disposable pants
  14. Toiletries and hair brush/clips
  15. Address book (with contact numbers)

 

Mum of two and Marketing Director at Emma’s Diary, Faye Mingo commented: “It’s been great fun looking back at the change in contents of the hospital back of 1997 compared with today.  So much has changed and yet so much is still relevant today.  What is probably the most astonishing is the change in the way we communicate and connect with others and how that has had a direct impact on what we now take into hospital, whether that’s related to the music we listen to, the books we read or how we converse with others – times change!”

 

www.emmasdiary.co.uk