Holidays Archives - The Ramblings of Lottie

6 Handprint Art Projects for Kids

Since Lock Down, I’ve had to fill my afternoons with activities for my toddler. Going to the park or soft play or seeing friends/family isn’t an option, so I started doing things like: music time, story time, more garden play, messy play and painting! Olivia gets bored of painting quite quickly and she’s still too little to do proper art projects. So why not have some fun with it? So we tried some handprint art!

I found ton of handprint art for kids ideas on Pinterest so, I thought I would recreate some of my favourites. You can do these in paint or card. You can make these into greeting cards or gifts for loved ones. I love these because not only is it a fun activity for you and your kid but it’s also a treasured keepsake. Something you can look back on and reminisce on when they were small.

All you need for these crafts is:

kid-safe paint
coloured card
scissors
tape/glue
felt tips
pencils/pens
child’s hand

1. Flamingo Handprint Card

Make an outline of your child’s hand on pink card.
Draw the neck and head of the flamingo to roughly the same size as the hand.
Cut both out and attach with tape or glue.
Draw some legs, cut out and attach with tape or glue.
Write your message on the back.

2. Dinosaur Handprint Card

Make an outline of your child’s hand on card (colour of your choice) ensuring your child’s fingers line up with the edge of the card.
Fold the card so the fold lines up with the edge of your child’s wrist.
Cut out hand ensuring you cut through both layers of card while keeping the fold by the wrist. You should be left with a hand shaped card.
Draw head and neck of dinosaur in the same coloured card. Cut out and attach to the back of the card with the hand facing down (so the fingers are like the legs and tail).
Draw on eyes, nostrils, mouth and any other features of your dinosaur. You could even use goggley eyes for your dinosaurs to make them extra cute!
Write your message inside.

3. Family Handprint Art

This one is my favourite and makes the perfect gift! You can also do this with paint but I preferred it with card)

Draw an outline of your child’s hand in their choice of coloured card. Cut it out.
Do the same with members of your household until you have a collection of different coloured handprints.
Layer them so the smallest is on top and the largest is on the bottom. Secure together with glue.
Frame for a gift. This would also look great in the centre of a wreath for the holidays or a Christmas ornament. You could write people’s names on them and the date on the back for a memento that will last forever.

4. Volcano Handprint Art

I think this one is so cute! Again, can be made into a card or gift. This can also be done with paint. Instead of cutting out your child’s handprint just get them to make a handprint in paint.

Make 2 outlines of your child’s hand. One on yellow card and one on orange card. Cut them out.
Draw and colour in a volcano. You could print one off or get your kids to draw one (even better).
Use the handprints as lava spewing out the top of the volcano. Glue the card cut-outs or get your kids to make a handprint in paint at the top of the volcano.
Decorate how you wish.

5. The Hungry Caterpillar Handprint Art

We had the most fun making this one!

Paint your child’s palm green with kid-safe paint and their 4 fingers (not their thumb) in blue kid-safe paint.
Make a handprint on white paper/card.
Repeat until you have 3 handprints next to each other.
Paint a red circle for the caterpillar’s head (or use a round sponge stamp like we did).
Once fully dry, draw on the antennae and nose. I made the eyes with yellow card and drew on his pupils then attached with glue.

6. Seasonal Tree Handprint Art

I love the idea of this project because it would be a great activity to teach children about the seasons. You could get them to make 4 of these (one for each season) and make their tree look different for every season. For example, Spring could have light green and pink/yellow dots, Summer could have dark green, light green and red dots, Autumn could have orange, red and brown spots and Winter could have none (make it a snowy scene). I made an Autumn one because it’s my favourite season.

Place your child’s hand in the middle of the page. Draw around your child’s hand and arm. Colour or paint it in brown. This will be the trunk of the tree.
Using your chosen colours, create the leaves making it more crowded around the trunk of the tree and gradually getting more spaced out away from the trunk. I used felt tips to make the dots but I love the idea of kids using cotton buds and paint to make this.

If you liked this, you may also like: Fathers Day Crafts For Kids
Super Easy Valentine Crafts To Do With Your Kids
At Home Activities For Toddlers
Mickey and Minnie Mouse Cupcakes

If you want to see more fun things to do with your little ones, check out my Pinterest! I have a “Kids Activities” board and a “Toddler Activities Board”: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/ramblingsoflottie/boards/

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. It really does mean a lot. Keep your eyes peeled because I have some very exciting things coming out on the blog in the next week. Two posts in particular I am incredibly excited to announce to you! See you soon! xx

Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes

Some of you may have seen pictures of these beauties on my social media (by the way, if you aren’t following me, you should!) so I thought I would share the recipe to my Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes. I try to make these at the weekend for the family. If you’re short on time in the mornings, you can make the batter in advance, cover and leave in the fridge overnight ready to fry up for breakfast!

I don’t make these pancakes every weekend but I think they’re great for special occasions! Birthdays, Father’s Day, Anniversaries, breakfast for dinner and especially global pandemics, are all great excuses to make these light and fluffy blueberry pancakes. If you’re not a fan of blueberries just swap them out for chocolate chips or check out my Fluffy Bunny Pancakes recipe!

My little girl is not the biggest fan of fruit but she loves these pancakes and they are reasonably healthy. I know, I absolutely cover them in icing sugar but, for my daughter, I just drizzle a bit of honey on the top and they’re just as sweet. There’s so many things you could serve these with. My fiance likes his with maple syrup or served warm with vanilla ice cream (which is my favourite but I don’t usually have the time) . Maybe kids would love these served with whipped cream and sprinkles. The possibilities are endless!

Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes

The perfect healthy-ish pancakes for a fun meal!

1 tbsp vegetable oil (plus extra to add as you go along)
120 g plain flour (sifted)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp ground almonds
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp lemon zest
184 g greek yogurt
6 tbsp almond milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
50-75 g blueberries

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground almonds, sugar and lemon zest into a small bowl.
Whisk the yogurt and milk together in a large bowl. Afterwards, add the egg and extract. Whisk until smooth.
Carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until you have a smooth, thick batter.
Fold in the blueberries carefully and set aside.
Heat a frying pan on a medium heat and add your oil.
Once fully heated, ladle the batter into the pan to make a medium sized pancake.
Once you see bubbles forming on the top, flip the pancake over gently and allow the bottom to turn a golden brown.
Plate up and add your toppings!

These are a bit more work than your usual pancake but I promise you, it’s worth it! If you do recreate these, I would love to see! Follow me on my social medias and feel free to send me your pancake creations!

Tell me in the comments what your favourite pancake toppings are? Are you a whipped cream and sprinkles type of person or do you prefer the traditional syrup? Let me know!

You may also like: Fluffy Bunny Pancakes or Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

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Fathers Day Crafts For Kids

Father’s Day is coming up and with everything in short supply, at the moment, why not make something for Dad, Grandad, Step-Dad or father figure in your life? Not only does it mean more but it’s also a fun activity for the kids and some of these you can treasure forever! Without further delay, here are my favourite Father’s Day crafts for kids!

Following in your footsteps craft

This piece is great because you can turn this into a card, framed artwork or even do this on a canvas! Not only is it super cute but it’s a life long memento. You are encapsulating your little ones’ feet (not forgetting the super cute toes) in a piece of artwork that will last a lifetime. In years to come you can look back on it and reminisce about the times they were small.

All you need to do is (carefully) paint the bottom of “Dad’s” shoe with kid paint (I used a sponge to minimise the mess on the sole) then carefully press it onto your card or canvas.

Wipe the paint off of the sole of the shoe with a damp cloth. Then, using a different colour of kid-friendly paint, paint the bottom of your child’s foot and make a print in the middle of “Dad’s” shoe print.

You can write anything you like around it but I thought ‘Following in your footsteps’ fitted nicely here.

And there you go! A perfect gift, or card, for Father’s Day.

Father’s Shirt Card

This is probably for the older kids but I love how versatile this can be. For younger children, you could use white paper and make the shirt in advance for them to colour in and design their own shirt for Dad.

Shirt Cards

How to make shirt cards

Equipment

Coloured card
Scissors
Glue
Shirt buttons/stickers/pens

Instructions

Fold a piece of, either A4 or A5, card in half.
Cut 1/3 of the way into the card near the top ensuring you cut through both layers. Do the same on the other side.
Open your card and cut down the spine to meet your first cut.
On the back page of your card, join the cuts you made so you remove a strip from the top.
On the front page of your card, fold over the top pieces until the top corners meet in the middle and form your collar. Secure with glue.
Cut out a tie/bow tie from different coloured card. Decorate and glue into place.
Draw buttons on the shirt or use stickers. If you are making a larger card, you could even design it so the tie lifts up to reveal a special message!

You could use real buttons you have laying around and just glue them on, or even stickers! I have even seen people colouring bow pasta (raw) and gluing them on to look like a bow tie! GENIUS!

‘Dad’ Finger Paint Card

Again, I know I put ‘card’ in the heading but you could easily frame this or do this activity on a canvas.

Simply cut out your letters in card and using tape folded over on itself (so it’s sticky on both sides) attach it to the card.

Then your child can paint all over the card. Little ones can use their hands and feet and older ones might like to paint a pattern over the top.

Once your artist is finished, carefully peal off the card letters and set aside to dry.

Baked Treats for Father’s Day

Who doesn’t love yummy treats? Especially Dads! Brownies, cupcakes, cookies, the list is endless but here are a few ideas for you:
Star Wars Day: Wookie Cookies if Dad is a bit of a Star Wars fan,
My Vanilla Cupcake Recipe to put your own design on
Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins maybe for breakfast? Why not?
Another idea for Father’s Day breakfast: Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes!

Also check out…

This LOVE canvas was made with my toddler. You can find out how I made it here: Super Easy Valentine Crafts To Do With Your Kids

If you liked my Father’s Day crafts for kids, you might also like: At Home Activities For Toddlers
Lock Down Daily Routine For Toddlers

For more toddler and kid craft inspiration, follow me on Pinterest! I am always pinning new activity/craft ideas. Look out for my “Kid Activities” and “Toddler Activities” boards https://www.pinterest.co.uk/ramblingsoflottie/ .

Star Wars Day: Wookie Cookies

I know. You’re surprised to see Star Wars content on this blog. I haven’t even seen a full movie (don’t come for me). However, Steven and his family are Star Wars fans, verging on super fans. So, I thought this May the fourth, I would cheer them up with these! I first saw this idea on Pinterest and wanted to recreate it with my own recipe.

I have previously made other Star Wars themed bakes for Steven’s brother’s 40th birthday. We organised a Star Wars themed kids party (with no kids) in our new home (at the time), which included: Pin the Lightsaber on Yoda, Star Wars pun food (Ham Solo sandwiches), inflatable lightsabers, homemade photo booth and a Millennium Falcon cake.

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It’s a relatively simple recipe but, nevertheless, may the force be with you! See? I can do Sci-Fi!

Recipe

You will need:

Ingredients

400g Plain Flour
3/4 tsp Bicarbonate Soda
2 tsp Ground Ginger
2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Mixed Spice
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
180g Butter (soft)
125g Dark Brown Sugar
1 Egg
125g Golden Syrup
190g chocolate
100g white chocolate chips

Method

Sift the flour and spices together in a large bowl.
Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
Add egg and golden syrup to creamed mixture and combine well.
Gradually add in the flour and spices until fully combined and makes a loose dough.
Split the mixture into 3. Wrap in clingfilm and chill overnight.
Preheat the oven to 170° Fan.
Remove the dough from the fridge and leave at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Roll out on a lightly floured surface and cut out your gingerbread man shapes.
Using a fork, make impressions in the dough to look like fur.
Bake on a lined baking tray for 8-12 minutes (depending on size of cookies and whether you like them soft or crisp).
Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Once fully cooled, melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring in between until fully melted.
Leave the chocolate to cool slightly before pouring it into a piping back (or you can use a zip lock bag)
Snip the end of the piping bag (or the corner of the zip lock bag) and pipe a diagonal line across your gingerbread man.
Place the white chocolate chips along this line. I used white candy melts because my cookies were quite large (and it’s all I had in the house #QuarantineLife).
(Optional) pipe two eyes and a nose on your wookie with the chocolate.

So, there you go! Absolutely delicious wookie cookies! Not bad for a non-nerd, aye? I hope you enjoyed reading this and if you recreate these, please share the pictures with me! I would love to see your quarantine baking!

Happy Star Wars Day!

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Simple But Cute Easter Treats

So, in the midst of this chaos, here’s some normality. 4 simple treats to make at home to celebrate Easter. There’s nothing fancy required or ingredient you need to brave the shops for. You won’t be elbowing Hugo or Biffy in the wholefoods shop for the last Madagascan Dodo Bird Feather to make these. Just your normal baking supplies. I really hope some of you can create these and find some escape in these recipes. Baking, for me, can be really therapeutic and, if that fails, you can always stress eat your bakes. Whichever way, I hope this helps.

1. Easter Bunny Sugar Cookies

These are great to make with little ones because you can make the dough ahead of time and they’re really simple and quick. If you don’t have any Easter cookie cutters because ever other Mum in the country has bought them, then this is for you!

What you will need:

A batch of sugar cookie dough (see my recipe here).
Rolling pin
Gingerbread man cookie cutter
Chocolate eggs with a sugar crisp shell

Method

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1 cm thickness.
Cut out your ‘gingerbread men’.
Place cookies on a lined baking tray upside down. The ‘legs’ will be the bunny’s ears.
Place a chocolate egg in the centre and bend the arms over the egg so it looks like the bunny is cuddling the egg.
Using a cocktail stick, give the bunny some eyes.
Bake in a preheated (160ºC fan) oven for 10 minutes.
Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Once cool add a nose with a blob of chocolate or a sprinkle.

2. Easter Nest Cupcakes

Everyone knows how to make the traditional chocolate Easter nests. Well, they inspired me to make these in cupcake form with a difference.

What you will need:

A batch of 12 cupcakes (I used my vanilla cupcakes but you could make chocolate ones to make these treats even more chocolatey)
A batch of chocolate buttercream (bought or homemade)
Chocolate sprinkles
Mini chocolate eggs

Method

Fill a piping bag, fitted with a round piping nozzle, with chocolate buttercream (if you don’t have a nozzle, just cut the end off to size).
Pipe two rings (one on top of the other) of buttercream onto the top of the cupcake.
Dip your cupcake (gently) into a shallow dish of chocolate sprinkles until the buttercream is coated in them. It should look like a sprinkle covered doughnut!
Place two mini chocolate eggs in the centre of your nest.

3. Lemon Shortbread Bunnies

These are just so delish! Again, these are so simple and great to make with kids. Get creative! Pick your favourite sprinkles and unapologetically decorate!

What you will need:

125g butter (room temp)
180g plain flour
1 tsp lemon zest (I put in more because I love the lemon flavour)
65g caster sugar
Bunny cookie cutter
Small flower cookie cutter (optional)
Icing sugar
Your favourite sprinkles

Method

Preheat oven to 150ºC.
Mix the butter and sugar together until creamy. Then add the lemon zest.
Sift in the flour and combine. Using your hands, form into a dough. Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Remove from the fridge and roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 5mm thickness.
Cut out your bunny shapes and place on a lined baking tray. You could also cut out some small flower shapes for the tail! If you don’t have a flower cutter, don’t worry! Continue reading!
Place the baking tray of cookies into the fridge for 10-15 minutes. You could also put a large hole in the top of them if you with to put ribbon through them to hang.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges of the cookies have a golden tinge.
Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
Mix together icing sugar and water to make a simple icing (you could also add lemon juice to give it more lemon flavour).
Cover the flower shaped cookies in the icing or carefully spoon/pipe the icing onto your bunny to give it a tail. Add your sprinkles to the icing to create a tail made of sprinkles or simply leave it as it is! If you’re creative, you could give him sprinkle ears!

4. Floral Bunny Ear Cupcakes

These are slightly more challenging but I think they’re so cute! I used these reusable cupcake cases that are silicone plant pots which I think were perfect for this design! You can use whatever you like.

What you will need:

A batch of your favourite cupcakes (or you can use my vanilla cupcake recipe)
A batch of vanilla buttercream
Piping bags
Variety or piping nozzles
Food colouring
Candy melts or chocolate

Method

Melt your candy melts in a piping bag (I used a microwave. Heated for 30 seconds then squeezed the bag to mix the melts. Then heated for another 30 seconds and repeated until I got my desired runny texture). Then snip a small piece of the end of the piping bag off. You can use chocolate, however, it is not as stable.
On grease proof paper, pipe bunny ear shapes. (I draw my design before hand and placed it underneath the grease proof paper so I could trace it).
Leave to harden on a flat surface for 24 hours.
Separate your vanilla buttercream into different bowls and colour. I used yellow, pink and violet as I thought they were nice spring colours.
Put your buttercreams into separate piping bags with different nozzles.
Apply a base of green buttercream to look like grass.
Carefully peel your candy melt bunny ears off of the grease proof paper and delicately push them into the buttercream.
Pipe a variety of flowers and shapes onto the cupcake. You can always just pipe swirls and dots! Try to pipe them onto the cupcake in a way that supports the ears.

And there you go! Very simple and quick Easter treats. I hope this brings some joy to your household. If you do create these, please share pictures with me! I would love to see them!

Be kind. Stay Safe.

Follow me:

Instagram: @charlotterose293
Twitter: @Cook2903

Basic Sugar Cookie Recipe

This is the recipe I use for a really quick and simple sugar cookie. Perfect for Christmas, Birthdays, baby showers or any occasion or holiday.

Ingredients

100g butter (room temp)
100g caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
275g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 190ºC/ 170ºC fan/ Gas 5. Line a baking tray.
Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.
Gradually add the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
Sift in the flour and mix until it forms a dough.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1cm thick.
Cut out your shapes and place onto the baking tray.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until pale golden.
Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Movies Made For Comfort

During this time, I want to help keep people’s spirits up as much as possible. Since we’re all stuck inside with more time on our hands, it’s easy to get wrapped up in this COVID-19 chaos, doom and gloom. We could all use a little mental escape and what better way than curling up on the sofa with a hot cuppa and a good movie. The type of movie that doesn’t require thought. The type of movie that transports you to a simpler time. Something that makes you smile, laugh a little and brings a little bit of light in the darkness.

I was born in the late 90s so most films I find comforting are from the 00s. They just take me back to a simpler time of watching movies on the sofa during rainy days or cinema trips with my Mum. Back when my world was a little smaller. So here are my top 10 comforting films.

1. Legally Blonde

I know, I know, super girly but this film was a constant favourite of mine as a child. Not only is the soundtrack upbeat and fun but the message is empowering. You can do anything you work hard at, despite what people say or think about you. If you keep going through all the struggles and backlash of other people, it will pay off even if no one is on your side. It’s also a good reminder to help people along your way. Elle Woods has lapses in confidence and sense of direction in her life but ,throughout it all, she is kind. She is nice to people who are continually cruel and helps anyone. I think we could all use this reminder right now.

2. Cheaper By The Dozen

This is another one of my ‘regularly viewed’ from my childhood. I know Steve Martin can be a crowd divider but I just can’t help but love this movie. This also has an awesome soundtrack (can you tell I’m a sucker for musical montages?) and is upbeat and easy to watch. A family of 12 kids and their parents go on holiday together. What could go wrong? It’s filled with typical PG physical comedy (and some adorable kids) it will definitely give your mind a break.

3. Bridesmaids

A CLASSIC! This film holds so many memories for me. I remember watching it in the cinema with Mum for the first time. We shared many a cinema date just us two and they were so special to me. We’d go while other kids were at school so the cinema was practically empty. It was those times it felt like we were the only people in the whole world. On our drives home we would reminisce about our favourite moments and laugh together all over again.
I also remember watching this film after my first (and last) night out clubbing. My friends and I collapsed on my sofa and put this movie on. We kicked off our heels, got under blankets and giggled together. I’d take that over clubbing any day!

4. Practical Magic

Another one of mine and my Mum’s favourites. I can’t remember the first time I watched this but I remember being about 7 or 8 and trying to get my spoon to stir in my cup or trying to get flower petals to fly in the wind. Maybe it was this movie that made me so wary of men? It definitely made me suspicious of a beetle’s squeak. It has everything I love wrapped up in one movie: witches, love stories, revenge, sisterhood and family. This is not just a Halloween movie.

5. Hocus Pocus

Staying on the witch theme. This movie is one I normally save for Halloween season but desperate times call for desperate measures. It is an absolute classic and I think I know this movie word for word. It’s one for the whole family and really puts me in a cosy mood. And, yes you guessed it, it has a musical number that I recreated in my bedroom when I was 8. As a kid, I wanted to be Sarah. The funny one, the one who wore purple and the one who all the boys liked, lol! Not sure that happened for me. Sorry 8 year old me!

6. Christmas With The Coopers

From one holiday to the next. Yes! A Christmas film. Even though it’s spring, I see no harm in recreating the ambience of Christmas. Christmas just seems to be a happier time for me, a cosy time and I can’t help but feel safe in a way. I know that’s not the case for some but it’s a time I really treasure. This film in particular is humbling and beautiful. Not to mention it has an incredibly cute dog. It’s just one happy reminder to love your family, even if they drive you mental or aren’t perfect themselves. So if you’re in quarantine with your family and need a little convincing to love them, this is the movie for you.
P.S in other countries this movie is called ‘Love the Coopers’

7. The Mask

My friends and I used to watch this round my house all the time. Jim Carrey is a true talent. This was the first movie I saw that combined live filming with animation. I think this was my first Jim Carrey movie too and it sparked my love for his work. Like all good movies, it has an excellent dog in it too! Oh, and a musical dance number or two!

8. Bad Moms

This is a perfect time for every Mother in isolation with their kids to watch this. This movie always reminds me that it is okay to not be the perfect parent. The most important things you can give to your kids are love and happy memories. Spend time with them, listen to them, teach them things they will need in life like how to apologise or take care of their mental health. Show them how to unwind, be a good person and just be kids. This movie also highlights the different types of Mothers out there and that it’s okay if you don’t iron your kids underwear like Becky down the road or have 15 million colour coded worksheets. If you’re a good person, you’re a good Mum.

9. Wine Country

This is more of a recent discovery of mine. It’s about a group of friends going on a weekend break together for one of them is turning 50. They go on a girls trip and tour vineyards but it gets a little messy. They show getting older as something to look forward to and true friendship as something to treasure. I can only hope that my life looks a little like this when I turn 50.

So there we go, they are the top 9 films I find comforting. I hope they give you some comfort too. Now, please remember this is personal opinion. You may not agree but please feel free to share some of your favourite and comforting movies!

Stay safe. Be kind.

Fluffy Bunny Pancakes

Tomorrow is Pancake Day! It’s the perfect excuse to have a fun dinner or a sweet treat.

Since this is the first Pancake Day Olivia can take part in, I was trying to think of ways to make it fun. I always love pictures of people making animal pancakes for their kids. There are no rules. You can make teddy bears, butterflies and everyone remembers the pancake art trend. Olivia is still too young to appreciate full blown pancake art but I wanted to practice a simple design that I can make her on Sunday mornings or a grey day to cheer her up and I thought one of the most simple (and cute) designs would be a bunny!

Although I had a lot of fun making these, I can’t wait until she’s a tad older and can decorate her bunny how she likes. Whipped cream tail? Chocolate whiskers? Strawberry teeth? Banana eyes and blueberry nose? If you do make these, please share your designs with me! I would love to see how you (or your children) decorate them.

Not only is this adorable, but they actually taste so good. I had some left over batter, after making these, and decided to have some for breakfast (as it was just there, and honestly, they’re so delicious!). I topped mine with strawberries and honey (how grown up am I?) but I kind of wanted to cover it in Nutella, whipped cream and sprinkles. Not gonna lie.

The recipe is perfect and you don’t need to run to the shops to get anything ‘special’. Chances are you’ll already have everything you need in the cupboard. So, without further adieu…

Fluffy Pancake Recipe

Ingredients

135g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp caster sugar
130ml milk
1 egg
2 tbsp olive oil

Method

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a large bowl.
Lightly whisk the milk and egg together in a seperate bowl, then add the olive oil.
Pour the milk mixture into the large bowl with the flour and whisk with a fork until completely combined.
Leave batter to rest for a few minutes.
Heat up a frying pan with 1 tbsp of oil to stop the pancakes sticking (you’ll need to add oil as you go).
Add a ladle of batter to the heated pan. For the bunny you will need 1 large (body), 1 medium (head), two small (feet) and two ear-shaped pancakes. You’ll want to make several of each so you can practice and pick the best ones.
Once the top of the batter begins to bubble, flip the pancake over and cook until golden brown on both sides.
Arrange into a bunny shape and decorate!!!

And that’s it! It’s literally that simple! These are perfect for a spur of the moment pancake craving or a spontaneous weekend breakfast.

Thank you for taking the time to read. I hope you all have a very yummy Pancake Day!

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DIY Valentine Treats

Looking for something yummy this Valentine’s? Then look no further! I have everything you need for a romantic night in, a gift to share and those who hate V-day. These are also great if you’re having a ‘Palentines’ or ‘Galentines’ get together. If you make any of the following, please tag me in your creations on social media as I’d love to see how you recreate these.

Chocolate Strawberry Hearts

Everyone loves chocolate covered strawberries on Valentine’s day. Why not make some for your valentine with a twist?

What you will need:

Strawberries
Chocolate
Pink Candy Melts
Toothpicks

Method

Cut the tops off of the strawberries and cut in half.
Arrange two halves into a heart shape (flat side down, points together). You may need to trim the edges to be more rounded.
Push a toothpick through the two pieces of strawberry to secure them. Place onto greaseproof paper.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and drizzle over the strawberries until evenly covered.
Allow the chocolate to set and remove the toothpick.
Melt Candy Melts in a heatproof bowl and drizzle over the strawberries in a zig zag pattern. Allow to set.
Serve immediately or refigerate until ready to serve.

Giant Valentine Cookie

This is the perfect gift! I make this everytime we decide to have a stay-at-home valentine’s. It’s so good to share in front of the TV. If you’re not very artistic and not sure how to decorate it, NO WORRIES! Melt some chocolate over it when it comes out the oven, add ice cream on top and it makes the perfect dessert.

What you will need:

A batch of your favourite cookie dough
Royal Icing coloured red and white
Sprinkles

Method

Create a batch of your favourite cookie dough. (I used a packet as it was quicker).
Arrange cookie dough into a heart shaped pattern on a lined baking tray.
Bake accordingly and allow to fully cool.
Create royal icing (recipe below). Divide icing into two bowls and dye one of the bowls of icing red.
Decorate the cookie as you would like. I think this looks particularly good with a traditional valentine message like ‘Be Mine’, ‘Will you be my Valentine?’ or ‘I love you’. Add sprinkles or other edible decorations.

Anti-valentine Biscuits

Not everyone likes Valentine’s day so if you’re one of those people (or you’re having a ‘Palentines’, this would also be fun) this is for you.

To make the biscuits

You will need:

100g sugar
200g butter
300g plain flour

Method

Preheat the oven to 160ºC/140ºC fan/Gas Mark 3 and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (take care not to overmix).
Slowly add the flour to the mixture until fully combined.
Use your hands to squeeze the mixture together into a ball.
Gently roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut your shapes out (I used a large heart cookie cutter). Place the biscuits onto the baking tray and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool on a wire rack.

To Decorate

You will need:

3 egg whites
500g icing sugar (sifted)
3 tsp water
red food colouring

Method

Whisk egg whites until white and fluffy with soft peaks.
Slowly add the icing sugar 1tbsp at a time and mix thoroughly.
Mix until the icing forms a soft peak on the whisk. Not stiff enough to stand straight but just loose enough for the point of the peak to slowly fold over.
Seperate the mixture into two bowls. Dye one bowl of icing red and put half of the red icing into a piping bag with a small round tip.
Carefully pipe a boarder around the heart biscuits and leave to set.
Add 1tsp of water at a time to the remaining red icing until it is slightly runnier.
Carefuly pipe the runnier icing onto the biscuits and use a toothpick to ensure the icing evenly flood the biscuit to the boarder.
Once set, put white icing into another piping bag with a small round nozzle and pipe words in the centre of them. You can pipe any words. You could even make these like traditional candy hearts by using different colours and ‘lovey dovey’ expressions.

I really loved making all of these and I can honestly say they are all delicious! Thank you for reading and please check out some of my other posts. I recently did a post you might like called ‘Super Easy Valentine Crafts To Do With Your Kids’, although to be honest anyone could do them!

I am the owner and creator of all above content.