Garden

One or two photos of beautiful things in my garden at the moment.

 

 

 

Bird Nests with Clay and Sticks

Easter is coming and I am starting to think about some crafts for the kids to make.  So far we have only got around to making a bird nest with clay including some birds and eggs.

Apparently pictures are not allowed until it is all finished..Sorryyyyy

Oh yes, we also made some bunny ear crowns. 

Insect hotel

We have started to make an insect hotel.  We need to still gather lots of bits like pinecones and Dad has to cut up bamboo sticks for us.  Here is the beginning of our idea though...

Spring sunshine

 



We are having a glorious spring so far.  It is March and we have had temps up to 18 degrees.  The kids have been excited to see the sun, which is quite sad actually and makes me wish for life back in SA.  They have been building forts in the garden, eating outside and just lounging around on picnic blankets...heaven



 

 

 

Best Beef Stew for Kids

This is the best beef stew recipe for kids...mine devour the lot, even Cricket who doesn't fancy most cooked food.  The recipe is adapted from the Feeding Kids cookbook by Netmums.  I tend to buy really good steak to put in and then it is a real treat with meat that melts in your mouth.  The cookbook has dumplings in the recipe and it is cooked in the oven.  Sounds yum, but this is a simpler version.

1Tbsp olive oil
500g stewing steak cut into small cubes
1 large onion chopped
1 garlic clove chopped
1Tbsp flour
500 ml beef stock
1Tbsp tomato puree
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
1tbsp balsamic vinegar

Cook the onion in the olive oil. Add the beef and cook till brown.  Add the garlic and stir in the flour. Add the stock, puree, carrots, potatoes and balsamic vinegar.  Simmer for two hours.  Serve with rice. and a green vegetable on the side.  Seriously delicious and simple to make.

Dinosaurs

Cricket is really into dinosaurs at the moment.  He has a colouring in book - one of Tigers that was refound amid much excitement.  So far it has been to nursery school twice and has been coloured with his nursery friends and it travels around in the car with us and has even gone around Albert Heijn in the trolley with me shopping and Cricket madly colouring.  We did a very simple dino craft today, which just involved sticking body parts together.  I cut them out and he stuck them. 

 

 

 

We also made some dinosaur bread...using pizza dough

 

 

Bird snacks





Cricket has a home day today and is tired and grumpy so we are staying in.  It's cold and gloomy outside too so perhaps a good idea.  We have made some bird snacks with stale bread and cranberries using plastic needles and twine.  



 

 

 



Here's picture of our bird house. We are hoping some small inhabitants will find it this winter.