Chessington World of Adventures for Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers

Bridget and Beatrice at Chessington World of Adventures

For Bridget's fourth birthday in September the four of us enjoyed one of Chessington World of Adventure's short breaks with two days in the park and an overnight stay in the Safari Hotel.

It was the girls' first time and a trip down memory lane back to our respective teenage years for Glen and I; and despite the first day coinciding with the wettest day of the year so far, we had a great time in both the park and the hotel. 

Chessington Safari Hotel 

We stayed in one of Wayanama Rooms and I urge you to take the many negative reviews of these rooms with a pinch of salt; ours was fab. It was spacious, comfortable, immaculately clean and the reason we particularly chose this room, for the views over the Wayanama Nature Reserve was absolutely wonderful. We were delighted to spot the zebras and ostrich roaming around from the comfort of our rooms, especially first thing in the morning. There were also other unidentified animals, which we later found out were ankole and sitatungas, during our night-time wander around the edge of the reserve, something exclusive to hotel guests.

The Safari Hotel for me was an absolute triumph, I was charmed on arrival by the animal print decor, but the little touches for children throughout were what really won us over. 
They had a children's film area complete with chairs and bean bags, an armadillo enclosure, an in-hotel swimming pool and a range of payable amusements too; plenty to keep the children entertained, as well as a lovely zebra themed bar area for the grown ups.

Bridget & Beatrice at the Wayanama seating area overlooking the nature reserve

Impressive welcoming giraffe at the Safari Hotel, Chessington World of Adventures

Wayanama Room at the Safari Hotel, Chessington World of Adventures

Bridget and Beatrice loving their animal themed bunk beds at Safari Hotel, Chessington World of Adventures

The hotel restaurant offers a variety of food; it didn't really appeal to us, so we took a short drive down the road and enjoyed a low key Sunday dinner at The Star; but if you didn't want to venture out once checked in, I'm sure you could find something on the menu.

The only downside for me with the hotel was the breakfast, which was included with the deal. On this particular morning, for some reason they combined the two hotels, and bunged us all into the same restaurant in the Azteca Hotel, which would be find except it was unorganised chaos. You have to book a time slot in advance for breakfast, but we still queued for quite some time, and once in it was a bit of a free for all. Dirty plates were left laying around and packed high on neighbouring tables and it was just a bit shambolic to be honest. The selection of breakfast, particularly the continental was good, branded cereals, pastries, muffins, yoghurts, granola as well as hams, cheeses and bread with preserves. Again for the cooked breakfast option, the variety was huge, but it was not laid out appealingly, the scrambled egg literally looked like a mountain of rubber and it was just a bit poor in terms of presentation. That being said, there was a huge variety, including a vegetarian station, and we all managed to eat something. A shame really as it was the only negative to our stay.

Chessington World of Adventures - Rides

We arrived on the Sunday which was Bridget's actual birthday, and as I mentioned it was the first day for months of real heavy rain; we were prepared though and had waterproofs at the ready, and didn't let it dampen (see what I did there) our visit at all. It stopped around 2pm too and the Monday was dry and warm.

I was nineteen the last time I visited Chessington, back in 2003 and I have to say it hasn’t changed as much as you might think. The park is still split out into 'lands' such as 'Wild Woods' and 'The Pirates Cove' and some of the old favourites are still around; such as The Vampire Ride. 

Bridget enjoying one of the rides at Chessington with Glen

Tiny Truckers ride at Chessington

One of my old childhood favourites, the Bubbleworks has been re-dressed as The Gruffalo River Ride and is just as magical now as when I was a child, especially as we love the Gruffalo. There are plenty of more tame rides for children and toddlers which was perfect for Beatrice who was only 19 months at the time. The Adventure Tree, a merry-go-round with animal theme, Tiny Truckers,Flying Jumbo's and Toddler's Crazy Cars plus several more that we could all go on as a family; great fun. 

Bridget enjoyed some of the bigger rides such as the Treetop Hoppers, Jungle Bus and Sea Dragons and was eyeing some of the rides aimed at taller, and older children, and angling for us to come back soon.

Chessington World of Adventures - The Zoo 

Combining the fairground rides with the fantasically varied zoo makes Chessington such a winner for families as there is something for everyone, regardless of age.

Bridget really loved coming on the Zufari off-road bus ride through the nature reserve seeing some of the bigger animals, such as the giraffes, elephants, rhinos, and zebras up close. 

Everything you would expect in a zoo such as lions, tigers, monkeys and gorillas are there as well a plenty of more unusual wildlife. Binturong, otters and meerkats as well as a penguin and sea lion area made the zoo a never-ending joy for the children. As with many zoos, there was invites for guests to come along at designated times to watch feeding times and see shows with various animals which was fun too. 

Bridget at the penguin enclosure at Chessington World of Adventures

Whilst watching the lions pacing, we saw one jump up and roar at a shocked guest gawping at one of the viewing points who promptly jumped out of his skin - it may be my sense of humour but it tickled me and I bet that man won't forget it in a hurry.

Chessington World of Adventures - Children's Petting Zoo

In addition to the bigger zoo animals, the park has the children;s zoo and a chance for the kids to go into a petting zoo, and walk around with the likes of sheep and goats as well as stroking them etc. Bridget and Beatrice were elated and it was actually a struggle to entice them away. There were also rabbits, pigs and guinea pigs in this area.

In the children's petting zoo at Chessington World of Adventures

Chessington World of Adventures - Sealife Centre

There is also a fairly large Sealife Centre inside of Chessington, which was a great place for us to start during the heavier rain on the Sunday. They had a little treasure hunt for children, an excellent way of engaging the children, Bridget certainly enjoyed it.

Fun in the Sealife Centre at Chessington World of Adventures

Chessington World of Adventures - Shows

The other must-do activity at Chessington if you're there with under 10's, is a visit to The Gruffalo Arena for the show; it's fun, cheesy, interactive with the chance for the children to clap and dance along and shout out etc. I have to say my girls absolutely loved it and Bridget was even more thrilled to do the meet and greet with the Gruffalo. There are other shows on throughout the day which we sadly missed, but these are a real draw, especially with toddlers and pre-schoolers.

At the Gruffalo Arena, Chessington World of Adventures

Bridget delighted to meet the Gruffalo at Chessington World of Adventures

Food wise there are a few options dotted around such as a pizza/pasta buffet restaurant, fried chicken and a burger joint with various food carts throughout and Costa outlets (but only the ones with a machines, no barrstas sadly) with pre-made sandwiches. We took our own picnic for the Sunday and headed off at lunchtime on the Monday so avoided the food outlets; I did venture into one to grab some drinks, and as always with these types of places, they are quite over-priced for what they are, so I'd consider a picnic, especially if you have a few children in tow as it can become expensive.

We paid just under £200 for the four of us for this break at Chessington, which included x2 days in the park for the four of us, including early access on the second day and an overnight's stay at the Safari Hotel with breakfast. 

The website is packed with various themed events and stays so I will be keeping my eye out for any great offers.

We had an utterly brilliant family adventure at Chessington, and will be sure to return again once Beatrice is old enough to enjoy a few more rides. 

Family Travel in Lassi - Kefalonia

My wonderful family in the sea at Makris Gialos Beach, Lassi, Kefalonia

We enjoyed our second holiday in Kefalonia earlier this year – a fortnight at the end of May and early June, and yet another celebratory holiday for my parent’s 30th wedding anniversary. The four of us and my parents had the full two weeks in Lassi, with my brother and his partner joining for the second week; half term.

We absolutely adored Lassi back in 2015; even though it is a completely tourist resort, which would usually put me off, there are so many beautiful spots and the local people are just so charming and friendly and made such a fuss of Bridget who was only nine months old at the time, and we resolved we would return.This time Bridget was just over three and a half and Beatrice 15 months and once again, we had a fabulous time.

Lassi for us is an ideal family holiday spot and I’ve shared some insights and useful tips for enjoying it with your family.

Accommodation

Most of our party stayed in the Irilena Studios; and the accommodation was outstanding, especially by Greek standards. We had a spacious wo bedroom apartment for the four of us including travel cot, with a separate kitchen and dining area, all spotless and fairly modern.

The fantastic views over the resort and bay really made the Irilena Studios stand out for us. Also the lovely hot tub lounging area which was a huge draw for the whole family in the early evenings before heading to our rooms to get ready for our nights out. The apartments are set is lush surroundings, well-kept grassy areas and covered in pretty floral blooms – really picturesque. 

View from our balcony at Irilena Studios, Lassi, Kefalonia - cameo from Mum

View from Irilena Studios, Lassi, Kefalonia

The hottub the girls loved at Irilena Studios, Lassi, Kefalonia

The staff at Irilena Studios were absolutely lovely too, and loved the girls, especially Bridget who used her Kalimera (good morning) and Pos se lene (what’s your name) to great advantage in the charm stakes.

The only downside to this accommodation was the stunning views came at the cost of a huge climb each evening. Based at the top of a steep incline, this was quite exhausting with the buggies, especially at the end of the night. It wouldn’t put us off of returning, but is worth noting – especially if you have a double buggy.

Beaches

Our daytime entertainment was mainly in beach visits – and we didn’t need to venture far from Lassi to enjoy the charms and beautiful scenery of several different beaches. I know some people love a kids club on holiday, but as we work, our days on holiday are best spent enjoying time together and the girls, like most children, love everything to do with the beach; from making sand castles or bigger sculptures, digging holes for Daddy to lay in, paddling in the sea and generally rolling round in the sand with an odd ice cream thrown in – bliss.

My favourite beach is Makris Gialos which is where the Costa Costa section is, the soft, cushioned beds and cabanas. Slightly more expensive than the other beaches, but I’d personally rather pay that little bit extra for the added comfort and the waiter service of food and drinks – their frappes, cocktails and club sandwiches are great. 

Me and Dan at Makris Gialos Beach, Lassi, Kefalonia

Paliostafida Beach

Beach fun in Kefalonia for Bridget and Beatrice

As a Mum of an under two, what I also found great here is there are wooden walkways around the beach to different spots which as well as making it easier to navigate with a buggy – means you can take little ones for a buggy walk to encourage them to have their daytime nap, which is really important in the Greek sunshine to ensure a happy tot.

Paliostafida Beach, by the Mediterranean Hotel is one of the busier beaches, another golden sanded, clear blue sea beach, which is easy for the children to paddle into, not too many rocks as you enter the sea. There is also a beach bar here within the hotel, and many people seemed to bring their own supplies onto the beach – great if you’re on a budget.

My Dad’s favourite was what we called the ‘grey beach’, actually named Gradakia Beach, and slightly closer to Irilena Studios, if a little off the beaten track to get there down a bit of a dirt track. It’s really pretty with grey sand and pebbles and slightly more quaint than the other, more commercial beaches. There’s a lovely little beach bar- very Instagrammable, and caves to explore which are in paddling height, so that was fun with the girls. 

Gradakia Beach, Lassi, Kefalonia

There’s a lovely, Greek taverna on the walkway back to the main road which has spectacular sea views and I can vouch that after a day on the beach offers the perfect pit-stop for a Mythos or a carafe of wine.

There are also some beautiful little coves of beach along the Fanari Road, which is the walk you take if you head to Argostoli on foot from Lassi. Some of them do take a bit of a climb up and down, so aren’t ones to take a buggy to, but great for exploring.

We did enjoy one day in Skala, as many had recommended the beaches there but found we preferred Lassi. You can get a return taxi to Skala from Lassi for 100 euro or there are buses from Argostoli.

Pools

We enjoyed a few days around a couple of the pools in Lassi too with the children. As long as you buy a few drinks or a meal around the hotel pools, most are more than happy for you to visit.

The Princess Hotel had a lovely big pool for swimming in, and a reasonable restaurant within too. We had a lovely gemiste (stuffed tomato) meal there for around 6 euros – all homemade and really delicious. There was also a huge grassy area out the back of the hotel, which was great for the girls for running around and burning off some energy.

We spent quite a bit of time at The Marianna Studios pool too; the staff here were really friendly and welcoming with the girls and they made a lovely frappe too. There was a little park area here too, but all metal, which wasn’t ideal in the sun.

One afternoon when the girls were having a snooze with Glen in the room, I had a lovely couple of slightly boozy hours at Logos Grand View with my brother and Chris, up another hill of Lassi. We enjoyed a cocktail in the sunshine at the infinity pool which had some fantastic views over the bay. Slightly more expensive than most of the bars in Lassi, but worth it for the views. 

Logos Grand View, Lassi, Kefalonia

Logos Grand View, Lassi, Kefalonia

Family fun

Exploring in general is always a great activity with children and the rather long walk along the Fanari Road into Argostoli from Lassi provided plenty of interest points, from climbing down to harder to reach beaches and coves, discovering pine cones and other natural items on our nature trail list, and of course exploring the St. Theodoros Lighthouse, spotting the waterwheel and the Italian war memorial. 

Dan and Bridget at the St. Theodoros Lighthouse, Argostoli, Kefalonia

Once into Argostoli the activity that Bridget and Beatrice probably enjoyed the most was spotting turtles in the lagoon, of which there are plenty. The joy of seeing one pop his head out or just floating just beneath the surface meant that we came home with a bounty of turtle-themed tut – a turtle bag a wooden turtle toy and even a dress with a turtle on it! 

Bridget and Beatrice with Nanny Vicky, turtle-spotting at Argostoli Lagoon, Kefalonia

Even more fun was the various activities at Arostoli Lagoon Activities. We enjoyed an afternoon on a pedalo just the four of us which was super fun, and another afternoon, my brother, Mum, Chris and I took the girls on a motorised boat around the lagoon turtle hunting and all having a go at driving and steering the temperamental boat. Lots of fun and both were around the twenty euro mark, with free bottled water, so not badly priced. 

Pedalo fun at Argostoli Lagoon Activities, Kefalonia

One of the days we took the ferry over to Lixouri and enjoyed an explore around there, including the huge adventure playground – we were quite lucky in that we chose a slightly cooler day, so the girls were free to enjoy the slides, swings, climbing frames and roundabouts – mingling with local Greek children which was lovely.

We also enjoyed the tourist train trip around Argostoli which pointed out various spots to us and kept us out of the mid-day sun for half an hour.

Eating out and evenings

Restaurants all around the Mediterranean are super accommodating of small children and babies and Kefalonia is no exception. Most places carry children’s menus and if you wanted a smaller portion of an adult’s dish, most places will oblige happily.

If your kids are fussy, you will find things like pizza and chicken nuggets on most children’s menus, but Greek food is so fab for kids, so I do urge to try and get them trying different things. Mine both enjoyed moussaka, pastitsio, pastichada and souvlaki, to name a few as well as various nibbles off of a few fish platters we enjoyed on afternoons at Makris Gialos Taverna, which had beautiful views overlooking the beach. As we tended to eat later as a whole, what we tried to do, was when we came off of the beach and fancied a beverage (Mythos for me) was order for the children, and then perhaps a dessert later when we were eating so they weren’t over-tired.

Lassi and Argostoli are both packed with restaurants and bars, so you’ll be spoilt for choice of where to eat and drink.

Stand-out meals and food venues for us in Argostoli were the Kefalonia Grand Hotel where we enjoyed some wonderful breakfasts, The Captain’s Table for traditional Greek food and a lovely head waiter who was very patient with my rarely used Greek, and Spathis Bakery for fantastic pastries, coffee and gelato. 

Breakfast at the Kefalonia Grand Hotel, Argostoli

In Lassi, we really liked Kefalos, which is a huge venue with a little playground at the back and really friendly staff – Bridget and Beatrice had more moussaka here then I can remember (they call it Greek meat pie) and we tried most of the Greek dishes on the menu. My parents really liked the English breakfast here too. Also the Makris Gialos Taverna is great for easy lunches with a great view. Also Mel’s which is like a little American themed diner style restaurant very close to where we stayed, was great for breakfast, home-made cakes and pastries and the girls absolutely loved their pancakes here too.

In Lassi, there are music bars with live acts, and traditional Greek bouzouki and dancing, which is fun, but if you are looking for non-stop evening activities for children, this isn’t the resort for you. Our children tend to nod off fairly early after jam-packed days in the sunshine and early evening meals, so the more laid back atmosphere here really suits us, and we enjoyed a few beers, wine or cocktails in the evenings before having relatively early nights.

Happy 30th wedding anniversary Nanny Vick & Grandad Les

 

We must call out Eden Bar which is so pretty, with loads of flowers and water features all around but the star attraction here is lovely Tina, who runs the place with her husband. She was such a gem with the girls to the point Bridget cried when we had to say goodbye to her, but we promised we would return. They also did great pizza and ice cream here. 

At our favourite Eden Bar, Lassi, Kefalonia

Lassi is a great family holiday destination if you love beach days, and easy nights like us. There are tons of trips around the island to various tourist spots, some of which I mentioned here such as Melissani Caves, Myrtos Beach and the Robbolo Winery if that is your thing; but if you like kicking back and enjoying some well-earned relaxation in beautiful surroundings whilst enjoying hearty, delicious, home-cooked Greek food and drinks, then give Lassi a whirl.

Pumpkin Mac 'n' Cheese

This a lovely autumnal dish, that is ideal for this week when households are awash with Halloween pumpkins and squash. Rather than throw them out, it’s great to cook with pumpkins – they are packed with tons of vitamins and most importantly, it tastes great.

Mac n cheese is a family favourite - rich, oozing, delicious cheesy pasta with the addition of sweet roasted pumpkin only improves it further.  

If you'd rather make without the pumpkin - just follow the recipe below and omit the instructions re pumpkins. I roast the pumpkin whole and then cut it when softened to remove the hard work, as it can be tricky to chop raw. 

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

The below serves 6.

Here’s how:

• 1 large squash or pumpkin
• 400g macaroni
• 1.5 tbsp plain flour
• 1.5 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 250ml full fat milk
• 2 bay leaves
• 55g Cheddar
• 30g Red Leicester
• 10g Grana Padana
• Nutmeg
• Pinch salt
• Pinch black pepper 
• Firstly place the oven on high at 200 degrees, pop the squash on a baking tray and place in the centre to roast for 30 minutes. 

Fill and boil the kettle.

Now in a pan, melt the butter gently, once fully melted add the flour and mustard powder and use a wooden spoon to quickly mix all together and form a roux. Once all combined add the milk, slowly, a little bit at a time, wach time quickly stirring to combine the roux and form the basis of the sauce. Add the bay leaves here to flavour and season and allow to cook on a low heat for a couple of minutes.

Grate all of the cheeses and leave a small handful aside for the topping, and add the rest to the roux, again stirring all the time. The cheese will melt down and thicken the sauce. Now grate in lots of nutmeg, it's difficult to give an exact measurement, but I like to add quite a bit, probably around a quarter of the nutmeg, it gives a lovely warming flavour.

Now cook the macaroni for 7 minutes in the boiled water with another pinch of salt, then drain and add to the cheese sauce and remove from the heat. Stir to ensure the pasta is all coated gloriously in the cheese sauce.

Now remove the squash from the oven and cut in half, then remove the seeds and anything inedible. Scoop out the flesh and place into a saucepan. Once all is out, roughly mash with a potato masher and then stir through the mac and cheese.

Pour the cheesy pasta into a dish and then scatter over the remaining cheese and place into the oven for thirty minutes or until the cheese is oozing and beginning to brown.

Portion up and if serving to children, allow to cool for a few minutes, so they don't burn their mouths. Enjoy!

A couple of other pumpkin recipes:

Pumpkin & Spinach Lasagne
Simple & Skinny Butternut Squash Soup

Thai Beef Salad

Thai Beef Salad

This Thai Beef Salad is utterly delicious and is so quick and simple to throw together, so perfect for mid week when time is often limited and precious. 

It's packed full of fiery and aromatic flavour and lots of wonderful textures and is a real crowd-pleaser.

You could use any cut of beef, but I particularly like to use a large sirloin for this and as we love it rare, that is what you will see here, but if you prefer your meat cooked a little more, of course do so to your taste. 

I like to marinate the meat overnight, but if time is lacking, marinate for 30 minutes to an hour before cooking. I have also made this with no time to marinate at all, and once drizzled with the zingy dressing it's absolutely fine, so make according to your time. 

You can also mix it up in terms of the vegetables and salad items you use - include your favourites and if you want to bulk it out, add some rice noodles and make a little extra dressing. 

Here's how:

• 1 large sirloin steak, about 2cm thick
• Marinade for the steak:
• 1 lemongrass stalk
• 1 large red chilli
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1-2cm piece of ginger
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• Juice of half a lime
• 1 tbsp shaosing wine
• Drop of fish sauce

For the salad:

• 1 bag of pea shoots
• 1 large carrot
• 4-5 raddishes
• Handful baby corn
• Cucumber - about 3-4cm long section 
• Handful beansprouts
• Handful coriander leaves
• Handful salted peanuts
• 1 red chilli

For the dressing:

• 1 red chilli
• 1/2 lime juiced
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 clove garlic
• Freshly grated ginger (about 1-2cm piece)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

For the steak marinade, slice the chilli, mince the garlic and slice the ginger (no need to peel), and bash the lemongrass a little and simply throw everything into a zip lock food bag, or a plastic container with the sesame oil, fish sauce, lime juice and soy sauce. Throw the steak in and allow the flavours to seep into the meat. Be sure to turn the steak over every so often, to ensure  all of the meat takes in the flavours. Pop into the fridge if marinating overnight, or if you only have an hour, leave at room temperature.

When ready to make the salad, place a griddle pan on a medium heat and allow to come up to a high temperature.

Once hot, place the sirloin  in the middle of the griddle and allow to cook for two minutes, then turn over and cook for two more minutes, and then remove from the pan and allow to rest whilst you prepare the salad and dressing.

Use a large plate or platter and scatter the pea shoots across it first.

Now peel and cut the carrots into thin matchstick sized pieces, then cut the radishes and cucumber into similar thin sticks and scatter all over the pea shoots. Now throw over the beansprouts, coriander and peanuts. If you like a lot of spice, also slice the red chilli and place all over the salad plate. 

Now make the dressing in a small bowl, literally just combine the freshly grated ginger (to taste), sliced red chilli, brown sugar, lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce and sesame oil and mix well. 

Now slice the steak as thick or thin as you'd prefer, into gorgeous slithers, place over the salad and drizzle all over with the dressing. So fresh, so simple, so delicious. Enjoy!

Halloween Chocolate Cupcakes

Halloween Chocolate Cupcakes

These Halloween cupcakes are super fun to make with the children over the half term or if you're having a spooky themed soiree. Whilst the bright orange, spider-topped cakes are definitely geared towards the little ones, the glossy, rich and decadent chocolate ganache topped selection will hit the mark for the grown ups.

You could use any food colouring for the spider-topped cakes, we just went for orange as it's synonymous with Halloween and you could also use sweet laces for the spider's legs rather than icing pens if you prefer.

For the icing I'm afraid I jotted down my measurements in tablespoons as I threw it all together, which I've given below, which are hopefully easy enough to translate.

We grabbed a little Halloween baking set from Poundland which included two dozen spooky cake cases, and a variety of eerily topped cocktail sticks; perfect decorations for cupcakes.

The below makes six of each cake.

Halloween Chocolate Cupcakes

Here's how:
The cakes:

• 120g room temperature butter
• 170g self-raising flour
• 2 tbsp cocoa
• 170g caster sugar
•  2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 tbsp milk

For the spider topped cakes' icing and decor:

• x6 Giant Chocolate Buttons
• Black icing pen
• Red icing pen
• Blue and/or green icing pen
• 2 tbsp butter
• 6 tbsp icing sugar
• 1-2 tbsp milk
• Orange food colouring gel

For the chocolate ganache icing:

• 60g dark or plain chocolate 
• 1 tbsp double cream
• 1 tbsp butter
• Drop of vanilla extract

Firstly pre-heat the oven to a low 160 degrees and line a muffin or cupcake tray with a dozen cake cases.

The cupcakes follow the super easy all-in-one method, which is great for kids! Add everything into a mixing bowl and mix well until a smooth cake batter is produced.

Divide between the cake cases and place into the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until well risen and you can pop a skewer or cocktail stick inside and it comes out dry.

Once out of the oven, place the baking tray somewhere away from the oven and after five minute, remove the cakes and place onto a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

For the chocolate ganache, break up the chocolate and place into a small bowl with the butter, cream and vanilla. Place over a pan of boiled water on a low simmer and allow to gently melt down, use a wooden spoon to stir and ensure everything is fully melted. Then remove from the heat, set aside and allow to cool for five minutes until it's easy to handle. 

In the meantime, make the orange butter cream by combining the icing sugar, softened butter, vanilla  and mix well. Add the milk sparingly until the buttercream is at the consistency you'd like. Now add a drop or two of the orange food colouring gel, and then mix thoroughly. Repeat this process until you are happy with the hue and then spread over six of the cupcakes as smoothly as you can. 

Pop a Giant Chocolate Button in the middle of each of the orange-topped cakes and then simply add the eyes, mouth and spider's legs using the icing writing pens. 

For the remaining six cakes, use a spoon to pour over the thick and glossy ganache and allow to cover entirely. These are supposed to be rich and decadent, so don't scrimp here. Complete these by adding in a Halloween themed stick, right down into the cake so it stays in place. Enjoy!

If you are in need of further Halloween baking inspiration check out these Mummified Sausage Rolls, Chocolate Spider Biscuits or Halloween Biscuits that are are all great to make with the children this half term or in the lead up to 31st October. 

Seafood Spaghetti with Saffron and Chilli

Seafood Spaghetti with Saffron and Chilli

This is one of my favourite meals for Sunday when we're not having a roast dinner. I made it today and realised I've never shared the recipe. 

I used king prawns, mussels and squid today and it is a little faffy the way I prepare this with the squid being fried separately, but it well worth the preparation and extra pots and pans.

You could make these with prawns or mussels that aren't in the shell, however I urge you if possible to make with the shells still in-tact, it really does add to the flavour of the sauce.

People often marvel at the 'unusual' foods that my young daughters eat, including seafood, but it isn't unusual to them, as they have both had seafood from weaning and they absolutely love it, just like me.

I do use a cheat here, a pack of prepared Mussels in Garlic, which you can pick up from practically any supermarket; you can of course just use normal mussels, but the garlic sauce adds to the pasta sauce.

You could equally just throw the squid into the pan to cook with the rest of the seafood in the sauce direct if you prefer. I picked all of the seafood up from my local Morrison's and the kind fishmonger prepared the squid for me so I literally just had to cut, season and cook.

Here's how:

• 12 large king prawns
• Pack of mussels in garlic 
• 1 squid, body and tentacles
• 1 large white onion
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 red chilli
• 4 tomatoes
• 400g passata
• 1 tsp saffron threads
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• Sea salt and black pepper
• Handful parsley to serve
• Drizzle of olive oil
• 300-400g spaghetti or other pasta
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 lemon

Fill and boil the kettle. 

Add the drizzle of olive oil to a heavy-bottomed pan and place on a low heat.

Finely dice the onion, mince the garlic and slice the chilli and add to the pan to saute.

Now roughly chop the tomatoes and add to the pan once everything else has softened down. Finely chop the parsley and set aside for garnish, and cute the lemon into wedges and set aside too.

Season at this point and add the oregano and saffron and allow to cook for a few minutes. 

Now add the passata and tomato puree and allow to cook for fifteen minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the squid. Clean if necessary, otherwise, finely slice into rings, and keep the tentacles. In a bowl add the plain flour and paprika and season generously with sea salt and black pepper, combine and then toss the squid rings and tentacles into the flour and ensure they are well-coated. Now set aside.

Once the sauce has been cooking away for fifteen minutes, place the pasta on to cook according to the packet instructions and when only eight minutes of cooking time is left, throw in the prawns and the mussels and immerse into the sauce, turning every couple of minutes to ensure they cook through. You can see when the prawns are cooked through as they will colour to pink. 

In a separate pan drizzle a little more olive or vegetable oil and place on a high heat and once hot, add the squid to the pan, allow to cook for thirty seconds, and then turn each squid over and cook for a further thirty seconds or until crisp, then remove from the heat and set aside. (Please don't be tempted to cook for longer, as it will result in chewy, rubbery squid, a common mistake.)

Before draining the pasta, add a serving spoon full of the pasta-cooking-water to the sauce to loosen up and help the sauce stick to the pasta. 

Drain and shake the spaghetti to remove excess water then add to the cooking pan with most of the parsley and stir really well, ensuring all of the spaghetti strands get a thorough coating and then quickly dish up for the family. 

Complete by scattering over a final sprinkling of chopped parsley and adding a few of the fried squid rings to each portion and placing a wedge of lemon with each. Enjoy!

Seafood Spaghetti with Saffron and Chilli

Some other seafood dishes you may enjoy:
Vicky's Special Seafood Stew
Crab and Asparagus Linguine with Parsley Grantitata
Prawn Summer Rolls
Prawn and Chorizo Carbonara
Honey Chilli and Coconut Prawns with Ho Fun
Gourmet Seafood Burger
Crab, Chilli and Asparagus Pappardelle
Spanish Prawns with Chorizo, Tomatoes and Peppers
Prawn Saganaki

Boozy Chocolate and Orange Brownies

We love chocolate brownies in all their various forms in our house, but these boozy chocolate and orange brownies are strictly for grown ups. 

They're rich, decadent and the intensity of the chocolate flavour, if you use a good chocolate is just wonderful. If you follow the below, you end up with a glossy topping that is slightly cracking, but a soft and squidgy, fudgey centre - just wonderful. 

I tend to use Cointreau as it's something I always have in stock, but you could substitute for another orange liqueur such as Triple Sec, Grand Marnier, Blue Curacao or Mandarine Napoleon. You could equally switch for a shot of Tia Maria or whisky if you prefer, in terms of taste, but the chocolate and orange works really well together. 

Boozy Chocolate and Orange Brownies

Here's how:

• 185g salted butter
• 200g dark chocolate of at least 85% cocoa solids
• 80g plain flour
• 50g cocoa
• 3 eggs
• 275g caster sugar
• Zest of 1 orange 
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tbsp Cointreau or alternative orange liqueur
• 50g white chocolate
• 50g milk chocolate
• 1 tbsp icing sugar

Fill and boil the kettle and then pour into a small saucepan on a low heat. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line a baking tin or dish and set aside.

Break up the dark chocolate and place into a bowl with the softened butter and gently melt over the saucepan. 

Once fully melted, remove the dark chocolate and butter from the heat. Grate the orange zest and add to the chocolate alongside the Cointreau, mix to combine and then set aside away from the hot water and allow to fully cool.

Roughly chop the white and milk chocolate into small chunks and set aside. 

Sift the plain flour and cocoa into a small bowl and set aside for a moment. 

Now in a mixing bowl add the sugar and eggs and whisk vigorously - if you have an electric whisk, it will take about five minutes, or by hand a good eight to ten. You want there to be a thick and creamy feel to the texture, as if you was making mousse. 

Now gently pour in the chocolate mixture and combine as carefully as you can, trying not to knock the air out that you have just painstaking whisked in. 

Once combined, sift over the cocoa and flour, now use the figure of eight method of mixing in, again being careful to be as gentle as possible.

Once it has formed a wet batter, add the chocolate chunks and stir through - try not to over-work here as you will knock the air out. 

Now pour into the greased, lined baking tin ad try to even out as best you can.

Place into the oven, on a middle shelf and allow to bake for 28 minutes exactly. 

Remove from the oven and give a good bang, if there is no wobble in the middle, the brownies are done, if there is a wobble return for a few more minutes then check again.

Once out of the oven, keep in the tin and place somewhere cool. Allow the brownies to cool completely before you attempt to remove them.

Cut into your preferred sized portions whilst still in the tin, and before serving dust with a little icing sugar for a final flourish. 

These will keep in an air tight container for up to a week, however I doubt they last that long; they are very moreish. Enjoy!

A few other bakes you might like to try:
Mary Berry's Marbled Chocolate Cake
Apple Cake
Lemon Drizzle Cake
Coffee & Walnut Traybake with Vanilla Latte Icing
Peach Upside Down Cake
Lemon & Honey Yoghurt Cake with Blueberries
St Clement's Drizzle Cake