Chick update!

Just a quick update on the chicks! They are now just under a week old and have quadrupled in size, no kidding! The biggest one, being held very carefully with extreme concentration by Connie (top) in our smock, has well developed little wings and is by far the most feisty. A perfect match for our youngest daughter!

Martha has in her hot little hands the one that we think will be most Buff like (they will all be crosses or hybrids in proper breeding speak!) and we think it is looking very unamused at being photographed! Let us know about your chicken stories.

New arrivals here at home

Here are 4 of the 6 new arrivals at the Immink ranch, mummy is a Buff Orpington called Daphne (had a sister called Josephine now in chicken heaven) and daddy is a fiesty mongrel cockerel called Rico! The kids have so far named these 4 Daffodil, Buttercup, Tulip and Blackberry!! Thankfully we can edit those without a deed poll! Updates to follow as they get bigger and cuter!!

A Different Pace…

We love a family road trip and we’ve discovered Norfolk VW Campers which specialises in hiring classic VW camper vans for holidays in and around Norfolk and Suffolk. A small business based in a village to the south of Norwich it’s within striking distance of the Norfolk Broads, the Brecklands, the beautiful north Norfolk coast and the small villages and beaches of Suffolk. Classic camper van holidays offer a slower pace for those inevitably bonkers family outings – you can’t speed in one of these things and they give everyone a great view of wherever you’re off to.

Slop Smock for Mini Sailors

Thanks to Eileen Cameron from Aberdeenshire for her feedback on our Slop Smock. We’re sailors at this and (which why we made it one of our first pieces) and so is Eileen whose son William wore his for his first sail last weekend. ‘Thanks for the slop… William looked like a proper Jack Tar. Why don’t you do them for grown-ups?’ We’d love to oblige but we’re concentrating on our baby versions at the moment… Although given the Great British elements sometimes we want to crawl into one, too.

Awesome Views at Ecotech

There are very few places in Norfolk where you can get a far-off view – it’s flat as a pancake mostly but we wouldn’t have it any other way, especially when we’re all on bikes. Our friend Pearl tweeted this pic of her visiting the Ecotech wind turbine at Swaffham. on a good day you can see for twenty-five miles! You have to be 7 years-old and very fit to take the tour to the top up its 300 steps but there’s an Organic café plus other interesting eco-related exhibits for anyone left at the bottom. Pearl says, ‘It’s totally awesome!’

Skye’s cake

The kids spent the afternoon with our old friend Maddie and her to lovely kiddies Skye and Dan. Having baked a wonderful sponge cake using organic eggs from the garden, one of which was a double yolker causing the sponge to be a wonderful, rich yellow, the kids announced that it needed to be iced and that the icing should be very pink indeed! Parents not so sure but seriously outgunned by some extremely determined children we decided to go with it. Absolutely delicious Maddie, post the recipe here!!

Choc-Free Easter Bunnies

Sticky, sugary, smeary Easter Sunday is one of the best days of the year. But there’s usually that moment when you’d be quite happy never to see another choc egg as long as you live. We found an antidote on the website Nic Nac Noo, which specializes in fab wooden and Organic toys, in the shape of this cute 11-piece baking basket by Gluckskafer. Mini Easter cakes made by mini bakers beats a tour through the entire Cadbury’s range, surely.

Comfort Food

We happened to be listening to the radio whilst having a lovely, lazy Sunday morning at home making lunch with the kids. A programme came on about food memories and comfort food as Connie, the wee one, was helping Emma make a pizza, one of their favourites! Here’s to making memories!!

Pizza recipe-

6 fluid oz warm water, 1 tablespoon dried yeast, 2 tablespoon olive oil and tea spoon of runny honey mixed up and let yeast froth up for about 10 mins. Then mix in 250g strong white flour and 50g of maize flour. Mix well and leave to raise. Once risen punch down and then spread onto oiled baking sheet, cover with tom sauce or pesto and then add your toppings. Cook in oven at 180C for about 20 mins. Eat!!

 

Splash in Splats

We’ve discovered these fabulous boots for children who love to get out there. Splats come in a whole rainbow of lovely colours and were created by two friends who couldn’t find the right wellies for their own kids. Scrunchy tops and fab rubber soles make these the ideal rough and tumble footwear in our opinion.