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Pie goes down well in our house. Everyone loves it, especially Husband. So when Square Pie invited us up Spitalfields Market to try their new mini Canapies we were the family for the job.  Square Pie began life in 2001 as a stall in Old Spitalfields market but has grown into a posh takeaway restaurant (with seating) with numerous branches around the East of London. You sit outside the shop within the hustle and bustle of the market. We went on a Saturday so it was super busy with loads of atmosphere to soak up.  The pies are displayed ready cooked. And there are a lot of them! They are unsurprisingly square! There are classic flavours such as Steak & Kidney and Chicken & Mushroom to more adventurous flavours like Lamb & Rosemary and Spinach, Goats Cheese & Sweet Potato.  You pick your pie, then pick your sides. Mash is obviously on the menu (with smashed up skin! Mash purists may struggle with that but I was excited to see Sweet Potato mash on offer which is one of my favourites. You can also have potato wedges if feeling adventurous and vegetable sides include peas, mushy peas and baked beans. You can have your pie drenched in onion gravy or garlic and parsley liquor (or both!). If you prefer cold sides there is coleslaw and a range of salads to choose from. The pies come in sturdy boxes which you can take away or eat outside at one of the tables.  So which pies did we choose - well we were invited to try the Canapies which are perfect for kids so they had a selection of the mini pies with mash and beans. Little E had a Steak and Guiness plus a Chicken & Mushroom (she is pointing to her pies in the picture in case you missed them) and Little I tried the vegetarian Spinach, Goats Cheese and Sweet Potato version.  Mini Canapie meals at Square Pie Husband and I went for full size pies but I was excited to see a Skinny Pie option! Basically it doesn't have the pastry base - just a puff pastry top. Perfect as I love the puffy top but I get too full of I eat the base too. It is a whopping 50% less fat plus they charge less for it too. Double win!  My Skinny Steak and Mushroom Square Pie Husband went for the Chicken and Bacon pie with potato wedges and mushy peas.  Chicken and Bacon Square pie with gravy and liquor So they looked great, a feast for the eyes. But how did they taste... AMAZING! Jam packed with filling and full of flavour. The pastry was flaky and light. The kids loved the mash and my sweet potato mash was awesome. Husband wasn't blown away by the wedges but the mushy peas were immense.  Rammed with filling The canapies were perfect size for the kids and they loved them! You can buy them unbaked yo take home and pop in the freezer (£3.99 a pack of 4). Perfect for teatime.  Canapie! Nom, nom, nom! Vegetarians are well catered for at Square Pie with 2 veggie pies available plus the Canapie option. If you aren't a pie fan you can have sausage and mash or a jacket spud with a selection of toppings. Price wise the pie meals are so reasonable. Just £7.29 for a pie with 2 sides (£6.49 for a Skinny Pie meal) and £3.99 for a Canapie kids meal (1 Canapie) it is fantastic value for money. It really it proper gourmet pie and mash in a box.  Square Pie menu Square Pie has outlets in Bluewater shopping centre, both of the Westfield shopping centres, The O2 and Excel exhibition centre so loads of opportunity for yummy pie! Find out more at squarepie.com We were invited to try Sqaure Pie for the purpose of this review. All opinions are our own. Linking up to #sharewithme at letstalkmommy.com #MMWBH at superbusymum.net #allaboutyou at mama-andmore.com and #triedtested at myfamilyfever.co.uk and goingonanadventure.co.uk
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 She can't say it yet but I know exactly what she meant... Linking up to #wickedwednesday with brummymummyof2.co.uk So you've read my Father's Day Gift Guide. You've trawled the net for ideas. You've consulted tarot cards. But you still haven't got a clue what to get Dad for Father's Day. You are not alone. I'd love it if you left a comment below telling me your result and if it fits your Dad! Exciting news today! Baby specialists Chicco have just launched a new range of DryFit nappies. Little I has been given an exclusive preview of the new nappies and has been testing them out over the past few weeks to give you the lowdown on how the perform on a very active 16mth old!  The new nappies go from newborn size 1 up to size 5. The weights seem generous to me and where Little I was needing a size 5 in the leading nappies to guarantee overnight dryness, size 4 Chicco DryFit are a perfect fit with plenty of room. It will be a while before she needs size 5!  The fabric like external liking is extra breathable helping to avoid sweating and nappy rash. Little I's bum has been perfect when wearing them so that gets a thumbs up.  The nappies are thin and initially I was concerned they may not hold much liquid but that isn't a problem at all. They absorb loads and Little I can easily go overnight without leaking. And the best thing is they stay compact rather than going all bulky and saggy like the leading brand. They also mask the smell much better - great for the warm summer months. The design is also subtle and pastel meaning they don't show through Little I's thin summer clothes.  Little I is one of the most active babies I know. Luckily the DryFit nappies flex and stretch mimicking the movements of her leg stopping leaks. They have been tested during climbing, gardening, exploring and even during impromptu baby yoga sessions! The nappies past every test and I can see why they are the leading brand in Italy, Chicco's home country.  Movement definitely not restricted! New Chicco DryFit nappies are available exclusively from Boots in store and online from today. At £7.99 for a pack it works out roughly 21p per nappy (size 4) which is more expensive than the leading brand and supermarket own brands but from 24th June they are on Buy One Get One Free making them a steal so stock up during the offer! Find out more at chicco.co.uk  We were sent Chicco DryFit nappies to review but all opinions are our own. Linking up to #maternitymondays at becomingastayathomemum.com #triedtested at myfamilyfever.co.uk and goingonanadventure.co.uk #sharewithme at letstalkmommy.com and #familytested at thegigglesfamily.com  We visited my Uncle this weekend who is the proudest Great Uncle ever. My girls simply adore him. Around this time last year I posted a picture of the 3 of them - shows how the girls have changed so much!!! Linking up to #whatsthestory at podcastdove.com#mysundayphoto at onedad3girls.com#magicmoments at theoliversmadhouse.co.uk and #mycapturedmoment at runninginlavender.com  Summer is calling and we are starting to make the shift from comfort foods over to the BBQ and salad season. For the past 3 weeks I have had a superfood salad on the weekly meal plan but it hasn't appeared on the dinner table yet! So when Florette got in touch and asked me to create a summer salad recipe using one of their bags of salad leaves it was the push I needed to embrace salad season! I hate 'frizzy' lettuce (you know what I mean right?) so instead I opt for either crisp styles or tender baby leaves. I love Florette's Baby Leaf and Rocket leaves so it was the obviously choice to use as the base for my superfood salad.  Salad leaves, particularly dark leaves are packed with nutrients and this whole recipe is jammed packed with superfoods: Tuna - packed full of Omega 3 fatty acids and a good source of protein Quinoa - a fantastic seed which packs a protein punch as it is full of amino acids. Bulgar wheat - similar to quinoa but this is a grain not a seed, again high in protein and a good source of soluble fibre. Edamame beans - packed with fibre, protein and isoflavones which help keep cholesterol at bay. Pomegranite seeds - a great source of vitamins A,C and E plus antioxidants. Cherry tomatoes - full of vitamins plus lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. Cucumber - despite their high water content cucumbers provide masses of vitamins and minerals plus they have anti-inflammatory properties. Garlic - contain allacin, a powerful anti-inflammatory which can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Lemon - the juice from one lemon contains 100% of your RDA of Vitamin C. Plus lemons contain citrus flavonoids which are linked to numerous health benefits. Extra virgin olive oil - surely you know how good for you high quality olive oil is! It is one of the healthiest 'good fat' you can buy. You should feel super virtuous after eating this! Superfood Salad (ready in 30mins) Ingredients for 2 people 1 cup dry quinoa and/or bulgar wheat 1 bag Florette Baby Leaf and Rocket salad leaves 100g plum cherry tomatoes 1/3 of a cucumber 1 tin tuna (drained) 40g pomegranite seeds 80g cooked, shelled edamame beans 1tsp dried Italian herbs For the vinegarette: 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 tsp dried oregano First you need to cook your quinoa and/or bulgar wheat using the ratio 1 part quinoa/bulgar to 2 parts water. Rinse the quinoa/bulgar wheat in cold water. Pop in a saucepan and add 2 cups boiling water (I added a teaspoon of dried Italian herbs too) Put a lid on and cook on a low heat for 15mims. Turn the heat off and leave lid on for 10minutes. Fluff up with a fork and allow to cool.  Meanwhile make the vinegarette by mixing together the EVOO, lemon juice, crushed garlic and oregano and stir. Let it sit for 10mins the stir again.  I like to cook my own edamame beans and pop them out of their shells. I buy them frozen and they only take 4mins to cook in the microwave. But you can just as easily use pre-shelled beans for ease. The cucumber and tomato can be diced as small as you fancy. I prefer it small enough so it can be easily eaten with just a fork.  All you need to do now is drain your tuna and layer all your ingredients on top of the Florette salad leaves leaving the pomegranite seeds until last to add a splash of colour. Drizzle with the vinegarette and enjoy!  Why not try out some more delicious Florette salad recipes or make up your own! I'd love to hear what is your favourite in the comments box below. Linking up to #foodpornthursdays at moderndadpages.com #tastytuesdays at honestmum.com #recipeoftheweek at amummytoo.co.uk and #pocolo at vevivos.com We are very proud to be Chicco Tested for Happiness bloggers and last month we were sent their new Disney Princess Cinderella baby toys to take a look at. Little E was particularly excited as we saw the new Cinderella film at the cinema a few weeks back and ever since she has insisted on wearing blue...  We received the Cinderella Dancing Spinner and Cinderella Dream Highchair Toy. Perfect for wannabe Prince and Princesses aged from 6mths.  The dancing spinner features Cinderella in her ballgown and when baby presses Cinderella's head down the transparent balls spin creating a swirl of magical colours. Inside the balls are pictures of the mice and bird characters from the original Disney animated film.  The highchair toy features a classic theme from the story - the pumpkin transforms into a carriage when you spin it accompanied by jiggling sounds. Hearts and crowns further add to the magic.  All Chicco's products are created and designed in collaboration with Osservatotio Chicco, it's baby research centre where paediatricians and parents work together to study stimuli and provide insight to assist the learning and development of babies. The Disney Princesses range is designed to assist the development of early tactile and coordination skills.  We were also sent some yummy fairytale cookies from the Cookie Collaboration to enjoy to celebrate the launch - Little E loved her Cinderella glass slipper cookie. She also ate the frog prince but she did let her Little Sister eat the wand!  The new Chicco Disney Princess range is completed with a Snow White Magic Mirror and an interactive Snow Whit Cottage with lights and sounds. They sound fab, I love a magic mirror! Cinderella Dancing Spinner £14.99 Cinderella Dream Highchair toy £5.99 Snow White Mirror £5.99 Snow White Cottage £19.99 Find out more at chicco.co.uk We were sent these products for review but all opinions are our own Linking up to #triedtested at myfamilyfever.co.uk and goingonanadventure.co.uk #MMWBH at superbusymum.net #sharewithme at letstalkmommy.com and #familytested at thegigglesfamily.com  Errrr Little I you have a tiny bit of lasagne on your chin... ...which stained and made you look like an extra from TOWIE for 3 days. Linking up to #wickedwednesday at brummymummyof2.co.uk  The Bubabloon comes in it's own little carry pack (perfect for holidays) and it is essentially a deflated fabric ball. It is machine washable at 30 degrees and you can even pop it in the tumble dryer on low. My girls love balloons. Endless fun can be had from floating one around the front room, kicking about in the garden and of course, jumping on them to see who can make them pop. But I'm always wary of them. We weren't allowed balloons as children because my Dad was obsessed with the danger posed by them. And he was right; balloons cause more childhood deaths than any other toy. That's a scary fact. But before you rush to ban balloons from the house we were sent a novel new product to try out. The Bubabloon is a little balloon cover which makes standard balloons safe for play. Hooray!  You pop a standard balloon inside the cover via the little hole at the end and inflate the usual way. You then tie of the balloon and push the knot inside the flap so it is not accessible. Easy peasy.    You then have a balloon covered in thin lightweight fabric allowing the balloon as act, well balloon like, despite it being protected. If the balloon pops during play the bits of rubber are stored safely inside. You child also cannot pop the balloon with it's teeth or get hold of an old deflated balloon. All of which pose a choking hazard. So what did the kids think? They absolutely loved it and played with it just like a balloon or ball. Little E loved the cow design and took it outside to show the cows in our field. Little E was obsessed with rolling on it... we had some fun taking this photo - how many Bubaloons (and us!) can you spot?! Bubabloon covers start at £10.99 (The cow design we were sent costs £12.50). Buy online at bubabloon.co.uk Linking up to #letkidsbekids at letkidsbekids.co.uk #triedtested at myfamilyfever.co.uk and goingonanadventure.co.uk #familytested at thegigglesfamily.com #wineandboobs at moderndadpages.com #countrykids at coombemill.com We were sent Bubaloons to review but all opinions and thoughts are our own.
I have been polishing my hair with a stunning Rock & Ruddle natural bristle hairbrush for a few weeks now. You can check out my review later this week and be in with the chance of winning a beautiful luxury brush for yourself by completing the Rafflecopter form below! 
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Welcome!Artist, Baker and Blogger. Mum to my two beautiful, cheeky girls. Muddling my way through parenthood with equally cheeky Husband. 
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