Category: Chocolate

Children, Chocolate, Christmas, Families, Family Life, Food, Uncategorized

Keeping The Magic Of Christmas Alive With Thorntons Cheeky Elf

by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment on Keeping The Magic Of Christmas Alive With Thorntons Cheeky Elf

I was lucky enough to be invited along to the Thorntons Cheeky Elf academy last week for a lesson in how to keep the magic of christmas alive with the help of their new Cheeky Elf.

I didn’t know what to expect before I arrived at the Elf Academy and I was more than presently surprised when I arrived at the super christmassy venue that had been covered in candy canes and pretty decorations and was filled with super friendly elves that I joined once I had doned my elf hat and christmas jumper!

I know all to well that the magic of christmas is something special, something that should be treasured and sadly something that can be short lived once the realisation that Father Christmas is a fictional character comes to fruition.

I’m not saying that christmas isn’t just as magical without the believing – I’m 38 and still get more excited about it then the children, but that pure unadulterated innocence is something special and something I always try to keep alive for as long as I can.

We are now a camp of three non-believers and two belivers with one of those already asking a few questions, so I’m on a mission to keep the magic there for as long as possible and the Elf Academy was a perfect way to pick up some great tips from Santa’s elves themselves.

We were taught 10 tricks in total, some of which I already implement at home and a few new ones I will certainly be trying this year.

It was a really hands on workshop and we moved from station to station trying out all the tricks. We learned how to age a letter from Santa and create curvy script to look authentic, we created Santa’s footprints with the help of a stencil and fake snow, we make pretty sigh bells to jingle once the children are all in bed and with the help of some coconut shells we make the noise of the reindeers hooves which I though was a brilliant idea.

We also perfected our Santa voices using the area deep in our bellies to get a low and realistic voice…I’m not to sure how convincing mine was!

For me aside from the magic of this time of year, being able to use it to measure their behaviour perfect and we were given the tip of creating our own ‘naughty and nice’ lists the we can tick for good or bad behaviour. This one is definitely something I will be using.

If you need a hand with keeping an eye on the little ones behaviour then this is where Thornton’s Cheeky Elf can lend a hand. He can be place all over the home to keep an eye on what the children are up to and report back to Santa with the news…good or bad! And once Christmas Day is over the chocolate treat can be enjoyed by all.

I’m not really a fan of the ‘elf on the shelf’ craze so this is going to be the perfect alternate for us that tastes a lot better and requires a lot let work.

I would love to know what traditions you have as a family to keep that magic alive and if you need some help then take a look at all the Elf Academy Tips right ‘HERE’.

*collaborated post

Children, Chocolate, Diet, Families, Family Life, Food, Reviews

Knoppers Treat Snack:Review

by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment on Knoppers Treat Snack:Review

Chocolate is by far my biggest vice. I can walk on by a packet of crisps and pretty easily pass up the offer of a glass of wine, but when it comes to chocolate, especially that of the nutty variety I can very rarely hold back!

The same can be said for all of my children so I would say we are all pretty knowledgable about the subject. So when we were asked to try out Knoppers(I can’t help but giggle at the name) it wasn’t an offer to be passed up.

Knoppers are squares of crispy baked wafers held together with milky hazelnut wafers and topped with a chocolate coating.

The best way for me to describe the snack is a deconstructed Ferrero Rocce. It is literally all the mouthwatering components of a Ferrero Roche and formed into a handy square that makes the perfect snack for in between meal times.

The creamy, nutty layers work perfectly with the crisp wafer and is set off wonderfully with the extra chocolate layer…I mean you really can’t ever have to much chocolate can you!

We have been enjoying these treats at home with a glass of milk and on the go as they are so easy to slip inside a handbag which allows you to satisfy the moans of the little ones hunger pangs with ease.

At only 50p per snack they are super affordable and can be picked up at a whole host of convinenece and impulse stores nationwide, so keep your eye out for them and let me know what you think.

* Collaborated post.

Alice In Wonderland, Books, Children, Children's Books, Chocolate, Costumes, Families, Family Life, Reading, Reviews, School, Siblings, World Book Day

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory Themed World Book Day With Party Delights UK

by thejoyoffive1 Comment on Charlie And The Chocolate Factory Themed World Book Day With Party Delights UK

World Book Day is one of the favourite days of the school year for my lot…well and for me actually. I love going through all their most loved books and choosing which characters they want to become.

There has been a huge variety of different characters chosen over the years and I have to say some have been easier to create than others. One author that is always top of the list though is Roald Dahl.

He brings back so many found memories of my childhood and I would get completely immersed in his tales, from the shenanigans of the evil Witches to the heart felt adventures of The BFG to the trials and tribulations of the mischievous Twits and the troubled life of darling Matilda.

His thought provoking tales have bought so much enjoyment to myself and my family over the years that it would be rude not to honour his work on such a special day.

On paper as well as on screen Charlie And The Chocolate Factory is alway a hit and the boys were lucky enough to be sent a Charlie Bucket and Willy Wonka outfit each from the lovely people at Party Delights UK.

They are certainly the people to go to to get kitted out for World Book Day, and its not only the children they have thought of, there is also a section for the teachers too.

There are way to many costumes to list on here but there are some firm favourites such as Harry Potter, David Walliams, The Gruffalo, Alice In Wonderland and many more.

Frankie was thrilled will his costume that had all the finer details that are often left out such as Willy’s cane, a super cute bow tie and of course the spectacular top hat.

Oscar’s Charlie Bucket outfit came complete with authentic grubby patches and a little attachment inside the jacket to hold the all important golden ticket!

Head over and take a look yourselves at the fantastic range and get your little ones kitted out in style for this very special day.

*We were given these outfits for the purpose of this review and they are all my own, honest opinions.

Children, Chocolate, Christmas, Families, Family Life, Food, Recipes, Uncategorized

Hot Chocolate Stirrers

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With only a few days left until christmas I sure that most of you are all prepared and have gifts all bought and wrapped ready to go…however if you are anything like me then there are always those last few presents that you completely forget about!

My recipe for hot chocolate stirrers will make a lovely gift and is something super easy to make.

I use wooden spoons as the handle for mine but you can easily use lolly sticks or even something like cardboard straws.

The stirrers can be wrapped individually or like we did for the teachers gifts you can add a few homemade biscuits together with the stirrers and package them up in a nice Christmas mug.

If this sounds good to you then the recipe is below for you to try:

Makes 24 sticks

  • 800g mixture of dark and milk chocolate
  • 8 tbsp cocoa powder
  • hundreds and thousands, marshmallows or fudge pieces to decorate
  1. Break up the chocolate into a bowl and heat over a Bain Marie until completely melted.
  2. Slowly add the cocoa and mix thoroughly.
  3. Pour the mixture into a silicone mould(we used a round ice cube tray) and into each section place the spoon/stick into the centre.
  4. Decorate with your toppings of choice and then place in the fridge to harden for about an hour.
  5. When they are ready pop them out and gift wrap however you fancy!
Chocolate, Christmas, Crafts, Families, Family Life, Food, Gifts, London, Presents, Shopping

Home Of Black Friday Pop-Up Experience With Amazon

by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment on Home Of Black Friday Pop-Up Experience With Amazon

Christmas is well on the way now and for many of us the worry of being able to get everyone their much longed for gifts is something that is hard to deal with.

Christmas is a truly magical time of year but the pressures of financing everything can make this happy time dampened by the pressure.

There are however ways around this with Black Friday being one of the best ways to save a fortune in the run up to Christmas.

Amazon are streets ahead when it comes to Black Friday and have taken things a step further this year with a super quirky pop-up experience in the heart of Soho Square to celebrate.

I was lucky enough to be invited along to the launch last night where we got the chance to see what is going to be on offer and listen to the thoughts behind Black Friday from retail expert – Clare Bailey.

Claire was explaining that for most of us over the years we have realised that giving money is a better option of gifting as the January sales start the minute Christmas finishes and all those gifts we have spend our hard earned money on are dramatically reduced.

However there is no thought or love behind gifting people with cash so being able to make huge savings before christmas is a great way to allow people to enjoy giving an actual gift.

The pop-up shop is a way of showcasing over 100 curated Black Friday deals with the addition of being able to try out games in their super cool games room, take part in games for your chance to win some great prizes and partake in workshops from Amazon Handmade Artisans, YouTube stars and TV chefs.

I had a wonderful evening meeting talented sellers from Amazon Marketplace such as the lovely Lavinia the owner of Lavolio who makes delicious and beautifully packaged handmade chocolates. And the guys behind Cozy Glow candles that would certainly give that well know candle male a run for their money!

They have such passion for their brand which makes their products so much more appealing.

One room in the shop was set up like a beauty salon where I was treated to a hair makeover from GHD and tried out some fabulously vibrant Max Factor lipstick that lasts for an amazing 24 hours.

The shop is open from 12.30-7.30 from Tuesday 21st November until Friday 24th November and is certainly worth a trip for a fantastically interactive shopping experience and some fantastic bargains.

Baking, Cakes, Children, Chocolate, Dairy Free, Families, Family Life, Food, Recipes, Reviews

Making Snack Time Healthy With Sweetpea Pantry

by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment on Making Snack Time Healthy With Sweetpea Pantry

We are all back into the swing of things as far as the school run goes here and all the good intentions of wholesome packed lunches and after school snacks have been wavering a little.

The kids are coming home with untouched food in their pack lunches and with the stress of trying to juggle everything after school we have been reaching for the crisps and biscuits a little to often of late.

What I need is something that takes as little time to prepare as possible, is healthy and nutritious but appealing to the kids.

This is a big wish list but luckily enough our favourite baking mixes Sweetpea Pantry have come to our rescue with their scrumptious carrot cupcake mix and their super-duper brownie mix.

We are big fans of their ginger giggles biscuit mix and the playful pizza dough mix already and were eager to try out these new additions.

For me it’s really important to get the children involved in the whole process of preparing their food as I strongly believe this goes a long way to make them more inclined to try new things and gives them a real sense of achievement.

The preparation of both these mixes was so quick and easy – in fact the whole process is complete in less than 30 mins.

There was the addition of few simple store cupboard ingredients such as oil, honey and eggs all mixed together with the packet mix that is then transferred into cake cases or tins, baked for around 15 mins and is then ready to eat.

Each mix is packed full of nutritious ingredients and yummy whole grains whilst leaving all the nasty refined sugars and artificial colours and flavourings out.

The super chocolatey brownies where a great hit after school when the kids are crying out for something sweet really quickly.

The cupcakes were moist and fruity and the perfect size for packed lunch boxes.

These mixes are so easy to tuck away in the cupboard and just grab as and when you need them so what is not to love.

*collaborated post

Allergies, Allergy Free, Baking, Cakes, Chocolate, Diet, Families, Family Life, Food, Reviews, Reviews

The Polish Bakery:Review

by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment on The Polish Bakery:Review

There was a big knock at the the other day which lead to a cheery man at  clutching a bag of goodies from The Polish Bakery.

I have to admit I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to Polish cuisine so I wasn’t to sure what to expect in my parcel.

The Polish Bakery has been running since 2003 and produces handmade bread, buns, rolls, cake, doughnuts and even birthday cakes with authentic recipes and ingredients directly from Poland.

My parcel included a loaf of their premium white bread, rye bread with prunes and a delicious cheesecake.

Frankie who has multiple allergies was over the moon that he could eat the rye bread and claimed the whole loaf to himself!

It was a perfect combination of ingredients and the juiciness of the prunes added a really good soft  texture to a drier style of bread.

The premium bread was beautifully soft and kept for much longer than most fresh breads.

I saved the best for last with the delectable cheesecake. There was in fact a bit of an argument over the last slice!

The cheesecake looked more like a tiramisu and was a delicious creamy cake with a delicate chocolate taste.

I didn’t imagine their products to be that different to the style in British bakeries but I was very pleasantly surprised and will certainly be going back for more!
*collaborated post

Banstead, Cafes, Cakes, Chocolate, Diet, Families, Family Life, Food

Kiddie Free Evening At FEGO

by thejoyoffive2 Comments on Kiddie Free Evening At FEGO

A while ago now I went along to FEGO in Banstead with Frankie and Oscar to see what they had to offer in the way of family dining.

We were hugely impressed with everything they had to offer…so much so that when I was asked to come back and sample their evening menu I couldn’t wait.

I’m sure I’m not the only parent who craves a little adult time away from the daily routine of taking care of the family, in fact I think it is important to take a break from it all, give yourself a little headspace and enjoy some adult conversation.

I hadn’t had a night out with my younger sister since Christmas so we were both really looking forward to some uninterrupted chit chat over dinner.

We arrived at FEGO and were taken to our table where our super friendly waitress guided me through the drinks menu and helped to pick out a cocktail she thought would take my fancy.

I went for a pornstar martini that I sipped on whilst we perused the menu.

It was a tough decision and I flitted from burgers to salads, pizzas and steaks until I finally settled on a succulent piece of salmon coated in lemon and olive oil served with a sweet potato side salad that was covered with a whole grain mustard dressing.

My sister went with the veggie curry that was a gorgeous combination of cauliflower, spinach, sweet potato, aubergine and butternut squash in a mildly, creamy curry sauce served with fluffy basmati rice and a really different mango salsa that made a pleasant change from the usual chutney.

The desert menu was then shown to us and although every part of me wanted to opt for the fruit plater to save my waistline, my willpower was not strong enough to resist the sharing platter of mini puddings.


This was probably not the best choice for sisters who still have that childlike tendency to argue over who has had the biggest portion!

Each and every pudding was a taste sensation with something different with each mouthful.

The lemon posset gave you that bit of sharpness, the chocolate brownies and ice cream were there to satisfy the love for chocolate and the pasteis de nata filled the want for something creamy.

But my favourite had to be the peppermint crisp pudding that was a combination hard to describe so I will leave it down to you to try for yourself.

Pleasantly full we remained at the table and chatted for ages with another cheeky cocktail.


At no point did we feel pressured to leave and were more than happy taking in the great atmosphere, relaxing and making the most of some rare time out.

Never before have I visited a restaurant at serval different times of day and have been able to enjoy completly different yet equally as wonderful experiences.

FEGO really have covered every base and I have to say that evening dining has been my favourite experience and one that will be having me coming back time and time again.
*Collaborated Post

Children, Chocolate, Egg hunts, Families, Family Life, Gifts

L.O.L Surprise Easter Hunt

by thejoyoffive3 Comments on L.O.L Surprise Easter Hunt

A few months back we went along to the launch of the new collectables that have taken America by storm, L.O.L Surprise.

The children were really taken with them and Izzy has started quite a collection since our visit.

We were challenged to an Easter hunt with a difference by using lots of gifts that are based around these great dolls.

Easter can be a complete chocolate over load so it can be really nice to have something a little different to hunt for rather than the traditional eggs.

I placed the L.O.L diva bow, secret message, joke, colouring in sheet, postcard and sweets around the garden and told her how many gifts she had to find.


A took a while to collect them all together and when she finally did her big prize was an L.O.L Surprise doll which is another task in itself.

She had great fun peeling off each layer of the packaging to reveal a surprise under each one until finally unveiling the doll inside.


It make a great change to the usual hunts and will last a lot longer than a few chocolate eggs!
*we were given the gifts for the purpose of this hunt.

Charity, Children, Chocolate, Easter, Easter Eggs, Egg hunts, Families, Family Life

Easter Egg Hunt For George And The Giant Pledge

by thejoyoffive8 Comments on Easter Egg Hunt For George And The Giant Pledge

This weekend there will be hundreds of of egg hunts going on be it something small in your own back garden or larger organised events.

This year we decided to go along to Limpsfield Chart in Surrey to join in with a hunt that has been organised by George And The Giant Pledge, a charity set up to raise funds for The Royal Marsden Hospital in aid of a very special little boy called George who is currently fighting a primitive neuro ectodermal tumour.

The hospital has been of great support to him and his family and I know through personal experience with my own Mother and Aunt the service they offer is invaluable to so many people.

We have visited the Ridland Lane National Trust area many times to seek out all of the little houses that have been lovingly  placed around the woods so I knew the children would love a visit to take part in an Easter activity.

The woods had been adorned with bunting and balloons and all the volunteers had really got into the spirit of things.

  

The hunt was £3 to take part in and it is being run on a first come, first served basis.

The children are given a map of the woods with a list of all the houses that they needed to find and stamp to say they had found each one.


They ran round at top speed filling in their sheets, hiding in dens, climbing trees and swinging on the huge swing.


Worn out and sheets completed we made our way back to claim our prizes and have their faces painted.


The hunt is running from 10-4 on the 16th and 17th April and as I said works on a first come first served basis.

If you are looking for a hunt this weekend I would highly recommend this fabulous hunt for a fantastic cause or if you would like to find out a little more about George And The Giant Pledge then take a look HERE.

Country Kids