Oat & Raisin Cookie Recipe

Well it has been quite a while since my last blog post and I know how much you all love a recipe. So today I have the most easiest and straight forward recipe for you, oat & raisin cookies!

I actually got this recipe from my next door neighbour, she had made a batch for her sons football team and she let me try one, and honestly I have never looked back!

Sometimes as much as I love chocolate these make a lovely healthier alternative with the oats and raisins in. And why not try to add nuts or other fruit if your preferred too.

These go down a treat in our house, they are a perfect snack for the kids to munch on, and you will find yourself going back for more! Honestly one is never enough!

So without further ado here is the recipe

Ingredients

• 110g butter, softened
• 110g caster sugar
• 110g soft light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250g porridge oats
• 110g self raising flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 110g raisins

Utensil’s

• Baking tray
• Greaseproof paper
• Large Mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Scales

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°c and line some baking trays with some greaseproof paper.

2. Cream the butter in a large mixing bowl, until soft.

3. Add the sugars and beat the mixture, until it’s light and fluffy.

4. Add the egg, water and vanilla extract and while still beating.

5. Reduce the speed gently and mix in the oats, flour, salt and raisins to form a dough.

6. Soon the mixture into small balls straight on to the baking tray, placed slightly apart. Then flattened with the back of a spoon.

7. Place in the oven for about 15-25 minutes, until they are a light golden brown and soft in the centre.

8. Allow them to cool on the trays before transferring them to a cool rack.

And then enjoy!

I hope you love this recipe as much as me, and let me know how yours turn out in the comments below.

Be sure to tag me on Instagram too @thecountrysidemama

See you soon.

Children’s Toys Review – Jaques of London

A certain day is fast approaching…Yes, it is that time of year where our families and friends gather around to celebrate Christmas. There is just so much joy and excitement when Christmas is here, especially for the children, from decorating the tree, making Christmas cookies, meeting Father Christmas, writing a Christmas list and posting your Christmas letter. And of course we have the big day itself, meeting family and friends, enjoying a Christmas dinner, giving gifts and off course opening the Christmas presents.

We all want good and sustainable toys for our children, and Jacques of London Toys are just the perfect brand to buy from this Christmas. Jacques of London is the oldest Manufacturer in the world, they were established in 1795, and this family run retailer has been passed down for and astonishing eight generations. Jacques have created and crafted many games throughout there time, from there classics games of Croquet, Snakes and Ladders and Ludo.

Jacques have been teaching the world to play with their classic and timeless toys, some of there toys are aimed for younger children (preschool and toddlers) however that being said, they do stock a wide range of toys for older children too, which means plenty of fun for all the family.

Magnetic Fishing Game – Product Code – 99009

If your little ones love anything to do with the underwater world, then take a dive under the water with this Magnetic Fishing Game. It comes beautifully presented in a sea life themed box, with 30 magnetic wooden sea creatures and two hand crafted wooden magnetic fishing rods to catch all your sea friends, it is honestly a race against the clock to see who can catch the most sea life!!

This game is perfect to teach fine motor skills, and will give your child the ability to concentrate and use hand-eye coordination. Children can play this game independently but also collaboratively, and hopefully this game will encourage your children to play together.

However leave it to Jacques of London to make this classic game into a two-in-one game! Not only is this a magnetic fishing game, it also can turn into a more educational game for children. By flipping over the wooden sea creatures you will find a mixture of letters, numbers, words and symbols. There is not right or wrong way to play with these, however you could fish the numbers out of the game to create a sum and find the right answer etc. They are just lots of endless possibility’s for this fabulous game.

Animal Jungle Puzzle – Product Code – 89405

We have a ton of puzzles in our house, my children absolutely love to do puzzles and when they found out that the lovely Jacques of London sent us this amazing 150 piece jumbo puzzle, they were so pleased. This Animal Jungle puzzle is perfect for small or big hands, it is hand painted by the astonishing British Artist Kate Brazier, showing us lots of vibrant colours in this unique jungle design.

The puzzle comes in a sturdy box, which means it is easy to take with you, if you are travelling, you also have 150 puzzle pieces inside to create your jumbo puzzle. The puzzle also comes with a gorgeous printed paper image of Kate Brazier’s Jungle Animal Scene, that you can use to help you guide where your puzzle pieces should go.

This puzzle is made with the highest quality laminated cardboard, ensuring that it will give your years of exciting puzzle play to come.

Rachel’s Top Picks for Christmas!

Here are my top picks from Jacques of London. Click the links to shop.

Magnetic Fishing Game – ad

Animal Jungle Puzzle – ad

Monkey Stacking Game

Giant Tumble Tower

Snakes & Ladders with Ludo

Wooden London Bus

Fairies Jumbo Puzzle

Colourful Xylophone

Click the links below to shop these Jaques of London Products:

1. Magnetic Fishing Game – ad

2. Animal Jungle Puzzle – ad

3. Monkey Stacking Game

4. Giant Tumble Tower

5. Snakes & Ladders with Ludo

6. Wooden London Bus

7. Fairies Jumbo Puzzle

8. Colourful Xylophone

AD – Magnetic Fishing Game & Jungle Puzzle are pr products from Jacques of London.

I hope you’ve all enjoyed this review, and enjoyed my gift guide.

For more information be sure to visit @jaquesoflondon Instagram page or visit there website here too – Jaques of London

See you soon.

Pegsdon Hills Nature Reserve (Hexton Hills) – Travel Diaries

A walk into the fresh air is always good for the soul. That’s why we decided to head off to Pegsdon Hills Nature Reserve in Hertfordshire or also known as “Hexton Hills” last weekend.

It has lots of walking paths, some really high with magnificent views or if heights are not your favourite then take a casual slow walk down the bottom of the hills through the wild sheep; whichever tickles your fancy.

– Left to Right: Aiden & I, Zara with Daddy, Our intials in the special tree, Jaxon and I.

It is such a fabulous place just to come and explore and it has the most picturesque scenery for miles. The Nature Reserve is home to lots of wildlife too, ranging from the smallest bees to the huge wild horses. It’s the perfect environment to see all the wildlife thrive around here.

Aiden and I actually had our first “Day Date” here nearly eight years ago now; the time seems to fly by. When we first came here we found a tree with lots of names carved all over it, so we felt it was only right to carve our initials into it. Two children later and a few years have past, so when we came back with Jaxon and Zara last weekend, it was so lovely to show them our initials on our special tree!

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Even though it was very cloudy, we managed to sway the rain, which was very lucky. It honestly was just such an enchanting walk for us and the children. If you’re looking for a family day out, then Pegsdon Hills is definitely a place you should consider visiting.

Where are your favourite places to go on a Countryside walk? Let me know in the comments below.

See you soon!

Apple & Cinnamon Cake Recipe.

Well it’s now February, and although it’s still a bit nippy outside; spring is certainly not that far around the corner. So what a better way to spend lockdown than baking a cake on a chilly February Winter’s day.

Today I thought I would share my Apple & Cinnamon Recipe with you all, as I posted a sneak peek of it on my Instagram stories and I had a lot of messages asking for the Recipe.

This is such a nice and easy bake, filled with a combination of warming cinnamon and sweet crunchy apple and it tastes absolutely amazing served with some hot custard too!

So without further ado here is the Recipe.

Ingredients

• 115g Unsalted Butter & some for greasing
• 225g Self Raising Flour
• 2tsp Cinnamon
• 115g Light Brown Sugar and some for sprinkling
• 1 Large Egg
• 6-8tbsp Milk
• 225g Granny Smith Apples

Utensils

• Large Bowl
• Spatula
• Tall Non Stick Spring form 9” Cake Tin

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease your cake tin with some unsalted butter and then leave to one side.

2. Peel your Granny Smith Apples, remove the core and chop into chunks making sure you have 225g worth and then leave in a bowl to one side.

3. Mix the self raising flour and cinnamon in a big mixing bowl. Add the unsalted butter and rub it into the flour mixture using your fingers, until it resembles a fine breadcrumbs.

4. Stir in the light brown sugar and then beat in the egg followed by 6-8tbsp of milk. Add the milk gradually until you have a smooth, thick batter.

5. Now add the apples that you left to one side to the bowl and mix to combine.

6. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake tin and then level out with a spatula and then sprinkle on some light brown sugar on top of the cake.

7. Place into oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Insert a skewer into the middle of the cake to test whether or not, if it’s baked. (Top Tip: If it comes out clean, it’s done!)

8. Allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, and then turn our onto a wire rack to cool further. Serve the cake with some hot custard and enjoy!

I hope you have enjoyed this recipe, and I would love see yours! Tag me on Instagram @thecountrysidemama

See you soon!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe.

Well as we are in a national lockdown over here in the UK, we are quite limited on things to do as we do not have the luxury of visiting places at the moment. However that being said, there is nothing like staying at home and taking up baking to kill the time away.

I’ve always loved to bake and today’s blog post is all about staying in and baking the perfect chocolate chip banana cake. I made this loaf cake yesterday, and it has the most mouth watering sponge with tasty bananas and chocolate chips running through it. It also has a crunchy top with melted milk chocolate; drizzled all over the top of it. Perfect for you all to enjoy, and hopefully for your family and friends to enjoy too, once the lockdown has been lifted (Again!) It is really such an easy and straightforward recipe to follow and I will leave all the ingredients and instructions down below.

Ingredients

• 75g Unsalted Butter (Melted)
• 100g Caster Sugar
• 2 Medium Free Range Eggs
• 225g Self Raising Flour
• 3 Large Bananas
• 100g Chocolate Chips
• 25g Milk Chocolate (For Decoration)

Utensils

• Large Mixing Bowl
• Spatulas/Wooden Spoon
• Loaf Tin
• Loaf Tin Liner

Instructions

1. Preheat the Oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas4. Add your Loaf Tin liner to your loaf tin and put to one side.

2. Melt the butter, then crack two eggs into a big mixing bowl. Then add the melted butter, sugar and whisk them together. Mix until smooth.

3. Add the flour into the bowl and fold in gently until it turns into a creamy cake batter.

4. Mash the bananas then add in the bananas and chocolate chips and mix until all combined.

5. Spoon the cake batter into your loaf tin, and smooth over the top with a spatula.

6. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes at 180C. Until Golden/Brown.

7. When the cake is baked, take it out of the tin and leave it on a wire rack to cool.

8. Once the cake has cooled down, melt some milk chocolate and place it into a disposable piping bag (Top Tip: If you don’t have a piping bag, you can always use a spoon instead!) and drizzle on top of the cake for decoration.

And that is it! I hope you enjoy making this yummy perfect afternoon treat with a cup of tea! I would love to see your creations, just tag me on Instagram @thecountrysidemama

See you soon!

Celebrating “The Big 30!”

I can’t believe I am writing this post, but today I am celebrating my 30th birthday and even though I could not celebrate it with the rest of my family and friends as I would of liked too, (due to the current lockdown) I still had a lovely time with my darling Aiden and our two children.

However turning 30 has made me think of that scene in the film “13 Going On 30” when the main character; Jenna, a young woman sick of being a teenager, makes a wish to become “thirty, flirty and thriving.” To her great surprise, Jenna wakes up the next morning as her 30-year-old self, which begins an adventure where she learns that life can be challenging at any age.

In my experience, there are two expectations around arriving at the big 30: You either have it all figured out (ha!) or you’re just taking life as it comes.

But here’s the truth. Hitting the third decade of my life actually feels amazing, and I have a few reasons why that is!

Birthday Blooms are always the prettiest.

You realise Age is just a number!

As they say age is nothing but a number, however on my 30th Birthday, I woke up and felt . . . exactly the same as age 29.

I’m definitely noticing extra creases around my eyes, or crows feet as I’ve been told! So I’ve upped my skin care routine like crazy, but I do not “feel” any older. Nor do I feel more “grown-up,” despite having children and a house!

So when it comes to the number of candles on your birthday cake, remember that your attitude defines your outlook going forward. You can choose to be stressed and anxious about a certain age, or you can choose to be grateful and open to another year of life on this earth.

You learn to practice Self Care.

At thirty, I’ve learned there are many ways to practice self-care. It might mean eating a nutritious salad or indulging in a cookie, appreciating your curves or going for a run. It could involve carving out an hour (or three) on the weekend to watch your favorite television shows, or going for a long walk to clear your mind. I love that I get to decide how I want to prioritize my mind, body, and spirit.

Mostly for me though, I love to read a book to relax, especially when my children have gone to bed, it is the best time to unwind. I try to make a habit of “less phone”and “more reading”, our phones can cause us dilemmas sometimes so less socialising in one evening can be great.

You know your own Impulses.

I am much more aware of my impulses now. I can tell when I am starting to feel myself get irritable and I should go and have a cool down. I also can tell that if I am dwelling on 737191024 things, that I really just need to let all these things go and sleep it off.

Being thirty has definitely taught me to be a little more in tune with my patterns, habits, and behaviors. It certainly does not mean I am perfect; it just means I’ve lived with myself long enough to know when I am about to take action in a certain way.

Pretty in Pink for the 30th Celebrations!

Honestly turning 30 has been amazing, and I have loved that I have realised all these new changes that have come with the age of turning 30! I can not wait to see what the next decade has in store, but for now time to eat some Birthday cake!

See you soon.

Embracing Autumn.

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I don’t know about you but as soon as the leaves turn that golden brown colour I know Autumn is here to stay for a while. It’s a time of year I honestly feel myself craving the cooler weather, and I am more than ready for it.

However I know it is the middle of November already, and we will soon be coming into Winter. So we’ve been embracing all the Autumn goodness over here, enjoying the early crisp mornings to lighting the crackling fire in the evening.

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Fly Agaric Mushroom, Autumn Fairy Arts & Crafts and
Beautiful Autumn Trees.

Usually it’s the time of year for getting cosy in your oversized jumpers, and normally the shops would be filled with lots of coats, jumpers and scarves but with our latest lockdown restrictions, retail therapy is for online purposes now!

Nevertheless, though we are all in lockdown here in the UK it hasn’t stopped us from appreciating these Autumn days. We’ve been doing everything to get outdoors and explore our surroundings. So whether it’s going on long Country walks, foraging for lots of autumnal arts and crafts, having a firework night, lighting sparklers, exploring woodlands or even jumping in muddy puddles, we are happy to do it all.

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Firework night with Sparklers & playing in the Autumn Leaves.

Honestly this Autumn weather has got me wanting to be all cosy, with hot chocolates in our hands and all snuggling up on the sofa! How will you been spending your Autumn Days? I would love to know. Leave me a comment down below or head to my Instagram @thecountrysidemama

See you soon

* Parlan bag – is part of a collaboration with @gastonluga \\ pr product

Millionaire Cupcake Recipe.

There is nothing like having a millionaire shortbread to give your that chocolate caramel kick, but I was thinking, what would be better if it was a cake, then I thought no how about; little cupcakes!!

So I thought I would share my millionaire cupcake recipe with you all, as I posted it on my Instagram account, and I had lots of feedback from you all asking for the recipe.

It is the most gorgeous combination of chocolate, caramel and shortbread to create these wonderful millionaire shortbread!

So without further ado let’s get into the recipe.

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 150g Stork/Unsalted Butter
• 150g Light Brown Sugar
• 3 Medium Eggs
• 150g Self Raising Flour
• 1tsp Vanilla Bean Extract

Filling

• Caramel

Buttercream

• 150g Stork/Unsalted Butter
• 300g Icing Sugar
• 30g Cocoa Powder

Decoration

• Shortbread

Utensils

• Cupcake Tray
• Cupcake Cases x12
• Piping Bags

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line your cupcake tray with you cupcake cases.

2. Beat together the stork and sugar until you get a creamy consistency. Add the flour, eggs and vanilla and mix again to combine.

3. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases (just over half full.) and bake in the oven for 17-20 minutes until slightly golden on top. Once removed leave on a wire rack to cool.

4. Once cooled, cut out a hole in the middle of the cupcake and spoon in the caramel. Repeat this to all the other cupcakes!

5. To make the chocolate buttercream mix the butter and the icing sugar together until well combined, once mixed add in the cocoa powder and heat for 5 minutes until you get a lovely silky buttercream.

6. To decorate your cupcakes, get a piping bag and nozzle of your choice and pipe your buttercream onto the cake in a swirl.

7. Finish by decorating with half a shortbread and sprinkle shortbread crumbs on top to complete.

8. Eat and enjoy!

It really is such a lovely recipe to follow, and this will make the most scrumptious cupcakes you have ever eaten! (I promise!) I would love to see your own Millionaire Cupcakes, so tag me on Instagram @thecountrysidemama so I can see your masterpieces!

See you soon

*Apron & Teatowel – Pr Product from Christie Lloyd Interiors

Milkybar Cheesecake Recipe.

If there is one thing I love, it is cheesecake. There are so many different recipes about though, from fruity to chocolatey. However making a chocolate cheesecake with my favourite childhood chocolate bar had to be the best one yet! (Oh and it was!!)

Milkybar was one of my favourite chocolate bars growing up, and now it’s still a firm favourite in our household today. My kids absolutely love it, whether it is there bar of chocolate or there milk buttons, it always wins them over!

So I thought about making it into a cake for them and Cheesecake definitely sprung to my mind. I thought how hard could it be and in actual fact, it was actually so straight forward, as there is no baking involved. So I thought I would share my recipe with you to make this perfect Milkybar Cheesecake!

Ingredients

Biscuit Base

• 300g Digestives
• 150g Unsalted Butter

Cheesecake Filling

• 300g Milkybar Chocolate
• 500g Full Fat Cream Cheese
• 75g Icing Sugar
• 1tsp Vanilla Duvet
• 300ml Double Cream

Decoration

• 150ml Double Cream
• 2tbsp Icing Sugar
• 50g Milkybar Chocolate (Melted)
• Milkybar Buttons (For the top of the cheesecake)

Utensils

• 8” Springform Cake Tin
• Piping Bag
• Piping nozzle (star shape)

Instructions

For the Biscuit Base

1. Blitz your biscuits in a food processor or alternatively bash them up in a large bag with a rolling pin, until they turn into a fine crumb.

2. Melt your butter until it is runny, and then mix into the biscuits.

3. Press the mixture down into a 8” Springform cake tin.

For the Cheesecake Filling.

1. Melt your Milkybar Chocolate carefully either in the microwave or place chocolate in a bowl and simmer over a pan of boiling water (Bain Marie) and then leave to side for now.

2. Whisk together your cream cheese, icing sugar and Vanilla until smooth.

3. Add in you melted milky bar chocolate and stir to combine.

4. Add in your double cream and whisk until thick.

5. Spread the mixture over the biscuit base and then refrigerate for 5-6 hours or even preferably overnight.

For the Decoration

1. Once the cheesecake is set, remove it from the tin carefully!

2. Melt some extra Milkybar chocolate and then drizzle over the cheesecake.

3. Whip together your double cream and icing sugar until soft peaks are formed.

4. Take your icing and then pipe around the top of the cake with piping bag, making little star swirls decoration.

5. Add a piece of Milkybar Buttons to each swirl.

6. Then eat and enjoy!

It really is such a lovely recipe to follow, and this will make the scrumptious cheesecake you have ever eaten! (I promise!) I would love to see your own Milkybar cheesecakes, so tag me on Instagram @thecountrysidemama so I can see your masterpieces!

See you soon

Homemade Orange Cake Recipe.

Well it has been quite a while since my last blog post, and a lot has change especially with all the latest world events going on right now. The most biggest change that we have come across lately is the Coronavirus Pandemic which has caused us to Stay at Home, to help Save Lives.

With lockdown happening I know being indoors can sometimes seem overwhelming for some people and it may be hard for some of you to get outdoors however today’s blog post is all about staying in and baking the perfect Orange Cake for you all to enjoy.

I made this Orange Cake last weekend, it has the most light sponge with a bit of Orange tangy buttercream to bring it all together. It is honestly the most delicious thing I have made yet, and so perfect for you all to enjoy, and hopefully for your family and friends to enjoy too, once the lockdown has been lifted. It is really such an easy and straightforward recipe to follow. I will leave all the ingredients and instructions down below.

Ingredients

• 225g Unsalted Butter (Plus extra for greasing.)
• 225g Caster Sugar
• 4 Free Range Eggs
• 220g Self Raising Flour
• 2tsp Baking Powder
• 1 Orange Zest Finely Grated/Dried Candied Orange Peel (Either one will be fine.)

For the Filling and Topping

• 75g Unsalted Butter
• 150g Icing Sugar
• 1tsp Orange Essence Flavouring
• 1 Orange sliced into half slices for decoration
• Tiny Flowers for decoration

Utensils

• Large Mixing Bowl
• Spatulas/Wooden Spoon
• Two 8inch Sandwich Tins (Any size can be used, but I did use an 8inch tin)
• Palette Knife
• Wire Rack
• Serving Plate

Instructions

1. Preheat Oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas4. Lightly butter two of the sandwich tins.

2. Put the butter and sugar into the large mixing bowl and mix until creamy and then add in the eggs and continue mixing until completely smooth.

3. Add in the flour, baking powder and orange zest/candied peel, then fold in gently until combined.

4. Divide the mixture evenly between the two sandwich tins. Level the surface with a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon.

5. Place into the oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes until golden. The tops of the cake should spring back when pressed lightly with a finger. Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, the run a small palette knife and carefully turn the cakes out onto a wire rack. Leave to cool completely.

6. While they are cooling, choose the cake with the best top and place the other cake top down on to the serving plate.

7. Beat together the butter and icing sugar until a light creamy consistency. Add the orange essence for flavour.

8. Spread the buttercream on to one side of the cake until even, then place the other cake top until it is sandwich together. Add the remaining buttercream to the top of the cake and spread all over the top. Decorate the top with orange slices and mini flowers.

And there you have it the perfect Orange Cake for a special treat at home. Let me know if you have made this Orange Cake, I would love to see. You can also tag me on Instagram too @thecountrysidemama

See you soon!