Family Day Out: Stepney City Farm

We enjoyed a fabulous afternoon out this week at Stepney City Farm, in the East End of London; a gem I'd never visited before and that was fun for all of the family.

Stepney City Farm



Bridget saying hi to the chickens

Fun at Stepney City Farm

Stepney City Farm
 


The city farm is fairly compact as far as farms go, but packs in plenty.

Animal feed is available to purchase at the farm reception so children are able to try their hand at feeding their favourite animals, Bridget loves animals so she found this super fun.

There are lots of 'buzz facts' boards up around the farm with interesting little nuggets of information about farm life and the animals within, which provide an interest and an educational side to the trip - perfect for older, more curious children.

Stepney City Farm buzz fact

In the centre of the farm is a huge area dedicated to some allotments for local residents. My Dad has recently took over an allotment so this proved to be quite interesting to my Mum and I, less so for Bridget and Beatrice and my brother Dan who came along for the fun. You can tell a real care and dedication goes into these small growing patches, every effort has been made to repel birds and bugs from eating the produce and we saw some impressive things growing, from courgettes, tomatoes, squash, onions and an abundance of beautiful smelling fresh herbs. The farm apparently sells 'veg boxes' to locals too, which I thought was great. 

 

Allotment at Stepney City Farm

The farm hosts a number of events for locals - there was a music group for toddlers taking place when we arrived and there's a play section with lots of toys and ride ons available to enjoy - again popular with Bridget.

There is a little farm shop, which was unfortunately shut on Friday when we visited, and a picnic area too.

Stepney City Farm runs as a charity organisation, so rather than ask for an entry price fee, there are simply donation points to offer up what you can afford or would like to pay. This makes for an affordable day out for the family, especially if you have more than one child; a lot of farms or petting zoos charge a fair amount per adult and child, so for the summer holidays, this is a great shout as a cheap way of keeping them entertained for a day!

Stepney City Farm has a heart and soul that is based all around the local community, and there's something really special about that.

 

Stepney City Farm is open Tuesday-Sunday 10am-4pm and is about a ten minute walk from both Limehouse and Stepney Stations.

Cooking with Children: Chocolate, Cornflake and Marshmallow Cakes

I'm a very firm believer in encouraging children to cook from a young age, and Bridget has been making cakes and 'helping' me in the kitchen since before she was able to walk and would just 'stir' cake ingredients from the comfort of her high chair. She absolutely loves to help Mummy, and her favourite job of all is to 'make cakes' - a really fun activity for children of most ages, especially with the added bonus of eating them afterwards and handing them out proudly to various family members. Bridget has her own little apron and loves going to fetch it if I invite her to do some cooking in the kitchen.

These Chocolate Cornflake Marshmallow Cakes are a slight step up from the ones I made myself as a child and are absolutely delicious, rich with milk chocolate, crisp from the cornflakes but gooey from the marshmallow - just gorgeous and very tempting for children and adults of all age. They are easy to make, take very little time and are a great way of spending quality time with your little one in the kitchen.

For these particular cakes, I bought all of the ingredients from Lidl too for less than £3.00 so it's an inexpensive family activity.

The below makes 12 cakes.

Chocolate, Cornflake and Marshmallow Cakes

Here's how:

• 80g butter (unsalted)
• 1 pack mini marshmallows
• 1 large bar milk chocolate
• 80g raisins
• 250g cornflakes

Firstly get your little one to wash their hands with you and get them into this habit before doing any tasks in the kitchen and then help them tie their apron.

Now little one can be in charge of breaking up the chocolate into a crack and melt-proof bowl (without eating any if possible!) while Mum or Dad (or whoever is cooking with little one) boils the kettle and places a small saucepan on the hob with some just boiled water.

Excitedly breaking up and sneaking in a few bites of chocolate

Once all the chocolate is broken up and placed into the ceramic dish, add the butter and two thirds of the pack of marshmallows and place the bowl over the boiling water. Obviously if allowing little ones to help at this stage, be extremely careful and be on hand at all times - Bridget knows that this step is 'burnies'. 

Chocolate, butter and marshmallows melting

Chocolate, butter and marshmallows melting

Now get little one to pour the Cornflakes into a mixing bowl, then you pour over the melted chocolate and marshmallow mix and allow little one to stir. Add the raisins now too and stir well.

Mummy's little helper

Get your toddler or child to line a cupcake tin with 12 cake cases and then help her to spoon a generous spoonful into each - it doesn't matter if this is a little messy, this is all part of the fun.

Adding the finishing touches

Once the mixture is evenly distributed allow your little one to scatter or place a few marshmallows over the top and set aside to set for an hour or so. Enjoy!

Padstow, Cornwall: A UK Family Travel Destination

A few weeks back we returned from a family trip to Padstow, Cornwall with all of Glen's immediate family for a week's stay at a beautiful, large and luxurious house 200 yards from Constantine Bay. I'd been longing to visit Cornwall for a very long time, (my last visit was in 1986, aged 2) and everything I hoped for was true, barring maybe the weather, but this is the UK so we were prepared for that.

The county is utterly captivating, and we did manage to take in a few of the interest points and different towns all with their own individual charms and nuances but I have to say, that Padstow itself was my favourite by far, and I was only sorry we didn't spend a day or two more there.

PENRICH – PERFECT STAYS

Penrich, Perfect Stays, Constantine Bay

The beautiful house we stayed in was nestled just a couple of hundred metres from the beach at Constantine Bay. Penrich; a stunning four bedroom house that we booked through Perfect Stays, was a really modern, luxurious base for the week, and with Bridget only just two and our little nephew George just a few months old, it was ideal. Evenings were spent together over a meal, a cream tea, playing some of the provided board games or watching one of the TV's in either the living room area or the designated film and TV room.

Everything at Penrich was finished to the highest specification, and everything you could wish for was here - the kitchen had its own wine fridge, dishwashers and every modern convenience you might require. On arrival the fridge was stocked with locally sourced eggs, bacon, clotted cream, jam and a selection of scones too – a really nice touch.

A balcony looking out to the Bay, plus a back garden area with rattan furniture and barbecue provided - we didn't have the weather to make the most of this, this time around but we wouldn't hesitate to return.

Penrich, Perfect Stays, Constantine Bay

Penrich, Padstow, Cornwall

The master bedroom had a huge en suite with walk in shower and free-standing bath, and another of the double rooms also had an en suite. A shared bathroom sat nestled between the other two rooms; one a double, and one a family room with a double bed and two sets of bunk-beds.

PADSTOW

The small town of Padstow is inhabited by less than 4,000 residents, but has become a real foodie destination, thanks to the variety of Rick Stein outposts, the man with the midas touch for the town, plus a number of other high-profile chefs in the area such as Paul Ainsworth and just across the bay, Nathan Outlaw’s The Mariner’s Rock.

Reviews for meals taken in the likes of Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant, The Custom House, Rafferty's Wine Bar and The Cornish Arms (another Rick Stein venue) can all be found here.

Rafferty's Wine Bar, St Merryn, Cornwall

We also enjoyed takeaway in the form of Rafferty's Pizza - a delicious stone-baked pizzeria a few minutes’ drive from our house, which provided a delicious meal on two nights after two days out doing lots of sightseeing and driving. Our first night too, saw us enjoy fish and chips in from Rick Steins which was excellent quality too. And on arrival on the Monday, we had a couple of hours wait and so took refuge in The Farmer's Arms in St Merryn, very much what I would call an 'old man's pub'. We chose 'safe' options as wasn't sure of the quality of the food for a quick lunch, but needn't have worried. I had a ham baguette, and the ham was thick cut, home cooked and utterly delicious.

We made use of Stein's Fisheries excellent seafood counter in the town too, Glen's stepdad Bill bought a few fresh crabs from here for sandwiches, and one afternoon we bought some fresh prawns, scallops and squid from here and had a delicious seafood linguine back at Penrich. Before the long drive back to Essex we popped in again and collected a couple of crabs, some lemons and parsley which the shop happily boxed up for us with plenty of ice so it stayed fresh for the five and a half hours of our journey.

Stein's Fisheries

Cooking at Penrich with Stein's Fisheries produce

FAMILY FRIENDLY SPOTS IN THE PADSTOW AREA

Constantine Bay - we took Bridget for daily walks here from Penrich, and when her cousins, Lola and Pearl, arrived at the weekend, they enjoyed it as much as she did. A beautiful sandy bay with hundreds of sea shells scattered and ready for collecting and exploring, it was a paradise for children. We saw plenty of surfers and dog walkers here too, and it looked different every day, just gorgeous.

Constantine Bay, Cornwall

Bridget taking a stroll on Constantine Bay

Treyarnon Bay - just a five minute walk over a cliff path from Constantine Bay was this over sandy cove, more of the same and on the Sunday we walked here after a lovely meal at Rafferty's Wine Bar and there were tons of people here enjoying what nature offered up. One family had brought a pop-up gazebo and were enjoying a BBQ and birthday cake which was lovely to see.

Treyarnon Bay, Cornwall

Padstow Beach - we only admired it from afar as we had our own beach at Penrich which we enjoyed so much, but had we had the weather, it would have made a great change for a day spent on the beach.

Old MacDonald's Farm - a lovely farm on the outskirts of Padstow that had the likes of goats, chickens, horses, owls and other animals to enjoy as well as plenty more to keep the children entertained from pony rides, a train ride, go karts, trampolines and crazy golf; all included in the price of entry.

Old MacDonald's Farm, Padstow

OUTSIDE OF PADSTOW
Mevagissey 

Mevagissey

A pretty little fishing village with a small harbour and a bustling tourism, Mevagissey has plenty of shops selling nautical nick naks as well as some more boutique style outlets. Tina, Glen's Mum, was able to trace the houses of some of her ancestors too, which made the visit here all the more special. We enjoyed a lovely, informal meal at No 5, no bells or whistles, it was a laid-back place but the food did the talking, I enjoyed a delicious seafood salad that made the moat of local Cornish crab, prawns, mackerel and smoked salmon - lovely.

No 5, Mevagissey, C

St Michael's Mount

A National Trust protected island 500 metres off of Marazion, inhabited by just 30 people, and reachable only by sea path, that disappears as the tide rolls in. Unfortunately we chose the worst day for this bit of sightseeing, fog, wind and rain! We managed a quick walk over to the Mount, but visibility was poor and we had to hot step it back to avoid getting rather wet.

St Michael's Mount, Cornwall

There was a lovely adventure playground at Marazion which was ideal after Bridget had been cooped up in the car for a couple of hours.

Newlyn

Newlyn was an even tinier little fishing hamlet with just a scattering of shops but an excellent array of fresh fish shops, some of which offered mail order fish boxes, in the Riverford kind of way.

We enjoyed a traditional Cornish Pasty in Warren's Bakery (who claim to be the oldest makers of Cornish Pasty's) here though, which we were all excited to try. It was tasty, hearty and cheap, but didn't set our world on fire.

Jamaica Inn

High on the Bodmin Moor, Jamaica Inn, famous from Daphne Du Maurier’s famous tale of the same name, is a great tourist spot off of the A30, the main road into Cornwall. Full of gothic history, the Smuggler’s Museum dedicated to smugglers, pirates and of course Daphne Du Maurier, is in an annexe to the main building, which is still an operating guesthouse, restaurant and bar. Jamaica Inn was a must-visit for me, being a huge Du Maurier fan, and made a good meeting spot, it was where we met the rest of the family as Glen, Bridget and I had stayed in Exeter the night before, whereas the rest of the family travelled in from Essex on the Monday. It was a cosy bolthole, full of wood-burning fires and armchairs and a welcoming warming drink too.

The Smuggler's Museum, Daphne Du Marier's Office, Jamaica Inn

Land's End

Land’s End is the very end of the country; with its’ own little built up tourist spot around it. With usual views right out into the sea, which I'm assured are beautiful, unfortunately due to the poor weather, visibility was at an all-time low and so we could barely see five feet in front of us, but at least we can say we’ve been – John O’Groats next!

Land's End, Cornwall

There are plenty of places we didn’t manage to visit during our stay in Cornwall – such as St Ives, which I’ve been told is beautiful, Bude, Falmouth and Penzance to name just a few – there are also plenty of family attractions we didn’t make it to, which we would make a conscious effort to plan for if it was just our little family. 

Cornwall certainly has plenty to offer. The county truly captured our hearts in late September, when the weather was up and down and far from inviting. We will 100% return to Cornwall for a family holiday, especially now we have another little one on the way, and trips abroad will be that bit harder – until next time Cornwall, the ideal UK family holiday destination.

Family Activities: Making Halloween Cards

Children and toddlers absolutely love anything that involves any arts and crafts and for younger ones, like my daughter Bridget who has just turned two, it's an excellent way of helping them tune their fine motor skills - not to mention keeping them entertained for a while; perfect during half term if your kids are now climbing the walls. It’s just a great family activity.

With Halloween coming up on Monday, I spent some time with Bridget making spooky cards for all the family using a bunch of different items and encouraging her to get messy and have some fun.

We recently bought the Step2 Flip & Doodle Desk for Bridget's birthday, which is a desk with easel and drawers and compartments for all different arts and crafts and it has been such a great investment. We've already had hours of fun with it and I know come the colder, winter months when I'm very heavily pregnant or at home with the new baby, this is going to be invaluable.

Some simple Halloween crafting needn't be an expensive ask either, the only thing we bought were some spooky stickers from a pound shop - everything else we had in supply; and we even used an apple to help us print some paint-pumpkins. 

Homemade Halloween Cards

Halloween Crafting

Things you might need:

· Orange tissue paper

· Coloured card

· PVA Glue

· Some googly eyes

· Pipe cleaners

· Pompoms

· An apple

· Some yellow and red paint (or orange if you have some)

· Sticky backed letters

· Spooky Halloween stickers (can pick up in pound shops, supermarkets or Hobbycraft)


We made eight cards - simply folding 8 pieces of coloured card in half - plus a few paper artworks to practise on first and we did half with the paint pumpkins and half with tissue paper pumpkins (to allow the paint to dry sufficiently).

For the paint pumpkins I cut the apple in half and used a paring knife to make a small incision into the top, and then inserted a lollipop stick, to act as a handle. We didn't have any orange paint, so I encouraged Bridget to mix some red and yellow Crayola paint together in a bowl with a paint brush until we had the desired colour, which she seemed to enjoy. We then dipped the apple fully into the paint and then placed onto the card or paper to make a delightful pumpkin print. Just do half and then set aside to dry fully. Luckily we had a sunny day so left on the window sill and they were dry in a couple of hours.

Using some orange hued tissue paper, purchased in a large pack of ten coloured sheets from Asda (only £1.00) as part of the art supplies, we ripped up small pieces then scrunched them into little balls. I drew, with pencil, a small circle for Bridget on the cards, and then she used some PVA glue with a paint brush and painted the circle, then attached the tissue paper to appear like a pumpkin.

We then used either some cut green pipe cleaner or small green fluffy pom poms to stick on top as the stalk, as well as some colouring with Crayola Washable Markers and plenty of sticker fun. We used the letters to write ‘Happy Halloween’ on a couple of them, obviously I handed Bridget each sticker and told her where to stick those ones for the spelling of the words, but they are lovely and higgledy piggledy, which I think makes them all the more fun.

Once the paint was dry we added googly eyes and plenty more stickers and colouring in – lots of fun.

Bridget and I really enjoyed this quality time together and she was super proud handing them out to her Nanny and Grandad’s too – we’ll definitely be getting some Christmas crafting bits and pieces in the next few weeks ready for the next festive season J