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Well, July meant the beginning of the summer holidays for the boys, so we’ve been trying to have lots of fun! We’ve had a few days out, dog walks; but one thing we haven’t been doing is playing outside a lot. What is the weather all about this summer?! It’s bloody miserable, I think we’ve had rain on more days than not; we’ve not even had the paddling pool out yet, or the bouncy castle. Hopefully sometime before we go on holiday we’ll be able to, as we get back three days before the boys go back to school.
I’ve decided from now on, not to just limit our monthly favourites to five things in the round up post. I’ll just include as little or as many favourites as we’ve enjoyed. July is more of a foodie edition, as we had quite a few products for review last month, and had a great foodie (adult!) evening out.
So, what were our favourites in July?
Bahlsen S’mores*
We love receiving Bahlsen goodies through the post, and this time was an extra special surprise; we were sent everything we needed to make Bahlsen s’mores just in time for barbecue season – yum. This is a personal recipe by top London chef Tom Cenci. It’s really simple; all you need is a pack of Caramel Choco Liebniz, peanut butter (crunchy is my favourite!), large marshmallows, and wooden or metal skewers.
To make one s’mores – smear some peanut butter over the chocolate side of two biscuits; place a marshmallow onto a skewer and toast over an open flame, making sure it just caramelises on the outside but doesn’t burn; sandwich the marshmallow between the biscuits, leave to cool a little, and devour! (If you don’t have access to an open flame, just skip the roasting step, assemble, and put in a warm oven until the chocolate melts and the marshmallow softens).
A visit to COSMO
It was our wedding anniversary during the second week of the month. My mum offered to come and watch the boys for a few hours so we could go out by ourselves; needless to say, I jumped at the chance! We had been wanting to visit COSMO in Doncaster for ages, so it was an easy decision where we were going to go. Oh my word, I’m glad we finally made the trip. I love a good buffet, so I got stuck in and it was delicious. The mini desserts were especially tasty; I could have eaten more but I was feeling a bit sick so I had to call it quits. There will definitely be a next time though.
Charlie Bigham’s ready meals*
Charlie Bigham set up shop way back in 1996 with the aim of producing top quality dishes made with the TLC that you would yourself at home. His aim being to help people steal back quality time together and put their feet up, whilst they wait for their pre-prepared meal to cook. We were sent some vouchers to try some of the summer inspired dishes, but unfortunately I couldn’t find them so opted for the chicken tikka masala & pilau rice, and the fish pie.
I have to say that on first sight the meals didn’t look that big in the box, but there was actually plenty enough for the two of us; after serving them up I could see that the container was quite deep. Both meals were deliciously creamy and oh so moreish. Made for two, but could very easily be eaten by one. The masala had plentiful big chunks of chicken; the fish pie was the same but with cod, salmon, and smoked haddock. They did seem pricey to me at first at £7 per meal, but now I can see that it would probably cost similar to make myself with the quality of ingredients. I’ll definitely be considering these in the future when we want something special and indulgent.
Blackberry picking
When we moved to our house, we inherited a couple of huge blackberry bushes. The fruits don’t usually appear until later in the year, but I noticed a few weeks ago that they were starting to flower. They ripened up really quickly and the boys kept asking to pick some, so pick some we did. Quite a lot, actually; I have a few tubs in the freezer, stocking up for winter!
Soreen Malt Loaf bars*
I’ve written about Soreen a few times before, as we all love the mini loaves; they’re perfect for packed lunches, picnics, and general snacking. With summer now in full swing (well, it’s supposed to be anyway), it means days out, family bike rides, and the like. The generous people at Soreen sent us some of their new Malt Loaf Bars to try. They have the deliciously squidgy Soreen taste, but in a bar form to stock up on that energy! These are the perfect size for me to have a nice treat.
A visit to the seaside
One of our summer days out at the end of July when The Husband had a day off work, was a trip to Cleethorpes. We coincided this with a visit to The Jungle Zoo. It’s a small place, but there is still a lot to see. Including birds, meerkats (I could stand and watch them all day!), snakes, goats, monkeys; and Rhino the iguana who walks around freely and lets you stroke him! It’s a good way to pass an hour, but be warned that they only take cash payments for entry.
What did you enjoy during July?
*Disclosure
We were sent these products free of charge to review. All thoughts and opinions are honest & our own.
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