Tag: 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.

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!
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

Allergies, Allergy Free, Baking, Children, Chocolate, Dairy Free, Families, Family Life, Food

Celebrating National Pizza Day With Sweetpea Pantry

by thejoyoffive1 Comment on Celebrating National Pizza Day With Sweetpea Pantry

Who doesn’t like pizza would be an easier question to ask than who does.
Pizza is the the most popular choice when it comes to takeaways with pepperoni coming in as the top choice; and if you thought pizza was a relatively new thing you would be very far from the truth as the first ever pizzeria was opened in Italy way back in 1738!

There are a whole variety of toppings available now and as a family we love evenings of making up our own combinations.

It is the perfect meal to allow everyone to get hands on and pick the things they they really like.

To celebrate National Pizza Day I have joined up with the lovely people at Sweetpea Pantry who challenged us to create on own pizza using their fab Playful Pizza Dough Mix.

A while ago we were lucky enough to try out their Ginger Giggles Biscuit Mix and were more than impressed with the child friendly mixes that are easy to prepare, healthy and great fun.

The Playful Pizza Mix lived up to what I expected and created the perfect base to make our creation.


I decided to steer away from the norm and create a sweet pizza but keeping  sugar to a minimum with a few products that are low in sugar but still taste good.

Take a look and see if it is something you fancy giving a try, it would actually be the perfect treat for Valentine’s Day!

Chocolate Heart Pizza

  • Pack of Playful Pizza Dough
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 50g dairy free milk choc chips
  • 50g dairy free white choc chips
  • 300g Jim Jams reduced sugar hazelnut spread
  • 50g freedom vegetarian mini marshmallows
  • Handful of raspberries
  1. Mix the dough according to the instructions.
  2. Once ready take one of the three dough balls and create a heart shape leaving a slight lip around the edge to create the crust.
  3. Prick the dough with a fork and cook for 10 mins.
  4. Take out and allow to cool slightly.
  5. Next take the hazelnut spread and cover the base.
  6. Sprinkle over the chocolate chips first, followed by the marshmallows and finally add a few raspberries to the very top.
  7. Place under the grill until the marshmallows have slightly toasted and the chocolate has melted slightly.

Let me know if you give this a try as I would love to know what you think!

Allergies, Allergy Free, Arts And Crafts, Children, Chocolate, Crafts, Families, Family Life

Chocolate Playdough Sweets For Valentine’s Day 

by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment on Chocolate Playdough Sweets For Valentine’s Day 

I am literally going stir crazy this weekend staying in with the children due to number five’s chicken pox!

The only thing for it was get crafting and with Valentine’s Day just round the corner I thought I would try something that would allow the kids to get involved in the celebrations too.

Mine always love playdough so I made an allergy friendly chocolate playdough that they could create chocolates from and wrap up to use in role play.

I used the same recipe that I use for my lavender playdough and just substituted the lavender for cocco powder.

It literally smelt good enough to eat and I had to stop the boys several times from doing so!


They had great fun rolling the balls to form the chocolates but had more fun creating poo!


When the balls were ready I popped them into the freezer for a while to harder up and then wrapped up in a square of cellophane and finished off with a piece of ribbon tied into a bow.


If this looks like something you fancy trying out yourself then take a look at this really simple recipe:

Chocolate Playdough

  • 150g gluten free plain flour
  • 50g salt
  • 2tbsps oil
  • 150g water
  • 4tbsps cocco powder
  1. Place all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
  2. Add the oil and then slowly add the water until the playdough forms a ball.
Children, Chocolate, Christmas, Families, Family Life, Food, Gifts, Recipes, Uncategorized

Melting Snowmen Christmas Presents

by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment on Melting Snowmen Christmas Presents

One of my favourite gifts to make at this time of year is chocolate bark. You can use a mixture of so many different  ingredients and it is completely up to you what combinations you choose.

This year I got a resounding ‘no’ when I suggested it again for teachers presents.

I took to the Internet and found a great recipe for melting snowman that I knew would change their mind.

All the recipes I found were American so lots of the ingredients were unavailable over here.

I managed to change things around a little and here is how we made them.


Melting Snowmen

  • 6x200g bars white chocolate with krispies
  • Small amount of orange royal icing 
  • Black sweet beads
  • Handful pretzels 
  • 10 rolos 
  • Shallow baking tray
  • Grease proof paper
  1. Break up the chocolate into a heat proof bowl and melt over a pan of boiling water.
  2. Line a baking tray with greasproof paper and spread the melted chocolate across the whole tray.
  3. Place a rolo side on into the chocolate to create a hat.
  4. Place on two black beads to make the eyes and three more for his buttons.
  5. Roll a small amount of icing to create a nose and place this on the chocolate too.
  6. Lastly break the pretzels into small strips and put onto the chocolate for the arms.
  7. Put the tray into the fridge and allow to harden for a few hours.
  8. Cut into sections and place into cellophane bags.

      Allergies, Allergy Free, Cakes, Children, Chocolate, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Families, Family Life, Food, Lollies

      Allergy Friendly Halloween Ghosts

      by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment on Allergy Friendly Halloween Ghosts

      When you have a child with allergies times like Halloween can be a bit of a tricky time with treats around every corner.

      I’m planning ahead this year and making sure number four has plenty of treats ready for the weekend ahead.

      One of my easiest and most loved recipes for him are my Rice Krispie lolly pops. 

      I have used the basic ingredients from this and changed it around a little to create these cute ghosts.

      Allergy Friendly Halloween Ghosts 

      • 150g Rice Krispies
      • 3tbsps dairy free spread
      • 320g dairy free white chocolate 
      • Dairy free chocolate drops for face 
      1. Over a low heat melt the butter and marshmallows in a large pan.
      2. Once melted add Rice Krispies until completly covered.
      3. Take a small handful of mixture and mould into an elongated oval shape that is tapered at the end to create a tail.
      4. Place onto greaceproof paper and cool in the fridge for about thirty minutes.
      5. Meanwhile melt the white chocolate in a bowl over the top of a pan of boiling water.
      6. Once the ghosts have hardened up cover the top half in the chocolate, add a few chocolate drops for eyes and a mouth and place back in the fridge to set the chocolate.
      7. Once hardened they are ready to serve.
      Children, Chocolate, Families, Family Life, Festivals, Food, Picnics, Recipes

      Gooey Chocolate BBQ Cones

      by thejoyoffive3 Comments on Gooey Chocolate BBQ Cones


      We had our first experience of camping at a festival this weekend and I really wanted to try out some tasty treats that were easy to prepare with limited space but we’re still a little bit special.

      We had decided that disposable BBQs were going to be our best friend as we could quickly prepare the food and throw everything away when we were done.

      The whole family has a sweet tooth so something sticky and chocolaty would be the perfect treat.  Take a look at these yummy cones if this is the kind of thing that takes your fancy too!

      Gooey Chocolate BBQ Cones

      Makes 10

      • Pack 10 waffle cones
      • 200g milk chocolate
      • Large pack of marshmallows
      • 120g cadburys nibbles
      • Punnet of strawberries
      1. Break chocolate into pieces, cut marshmallows into half and quarter the strawberries.
      2. Take out the cones and equally divide the chocolate, marshmallows, nibbles and strawberries between each of them.
      3. Wrap the cones separately in tin foil and place on the BBQ when it is just warm at the end of your main cooking.
      4. Leave to warm through for around 10mins, remove and serve.  They would be perfect with a big blob of vanilla ice cream.

      Children, Chocolate, Christmas, Families, Family Life, Food, Gifts, Recipes, School

      Candy Cane Bark Gifts For Teachers

      by thejoyoffive1 Comment on Candy Cane Bark Gifts For Teachers

      I always like to make something for the children’s teachers at the end of term as the children can then get involved with the whole process and feel really proud when they hand it over to their teacher.

      This Christmas we have made some yummy candy cane bark which is so easy to do.
      Candy Cane Bark

      • 800g white chocolate
      • Box of 12 candy canes
      • 2tsp peppermint flavouring

      1. In a bowl bash the candy canes until broken into small pieces.
      2. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water.
      3. Add the broken candy canes and peppermint flavouring to the chocolate and mix well.
      4. Pour the mixture into a shallow baking tray lined with greasproof paper and place in the fridge for around 30/40 mins.
      5. Once hardened break into random pieces.


        
      I took some cellophane and placed the bark into the centre and gathered at the top with some Christmas ribbon and attached a gift tag.


      What do you normally but for your children’s teachers at the end of term?