Eating healthier when out and about with the kids

As part of my recent lifestyle change and weight loss journey, I asked blogger, Neil Walsh for some tips for eating healthier when out and about with the children. The following post is a guest post written by him, do check out his blog for more tips for mums looking to lead healthier lives. 

Summer is almost here which means that it’s time to try and make the most of the weather
and venture out of the house. Whether it is a family outing to the seaside, a National Trust
property or the thrills and spills of Alton Towers then there will be food choices to be made.
Often on days out it is much harder to eat healthily than it is to do so in the comfort of our
own homes.

So how do make healthy choices (without having to eat wilted salad all day)?

First things first. Let’s be honest here… willpower is pretty unreliable. When faced with
unhealthy choices more often than not we are going to be tempted… and, actually, that’s
fine. A lifestyle and diet without unhealthy choices would be pretty boring and the general
rule of thumb is that as long as your choices are 80% healthy then you can be less healthy
with the remaining 20%. But be warned, it is better to be conservative with this approach as it is very easy to accidentally drift into a 50/50 balance or worse. Making a plan and being
aware is the key to success here.

The easiest way to plan is to take your own food. Pack healthy choices and control most of
what you eat. A healthy pack lunch for the family, a supply of snacks and buying an ice
cream from a van should not blow your calorific budget for the day. On the other hand,
buying a snack from the glass cabinet when ordering a mid-morning coffee followed up by a
calorific fast food lunch could have you over your calorie budget for the day before you’ve
even had dinner.

But it is also possible to eat healthily without bringing your own food. Again it just comes
down to a bit of planning. If you do happen to be going to Alton Towers (like Jen!) then food
choices are going to be limited. One of the options there is The Explorers Pizza and Pasta
Buffet. ALL YOU CAN EAT! If you have a weakness for pizza (which I definitely do!) and you
can't stop once you have started then this might be a place to avoid. 

Having this in mind before you go is crucial as on the day when you are hungry and in need of a rest than being faced with sitting down and offered endless pizza is only going to have one result!

Try these guidelines for making healthy choices when eating out:

• Plan a healthy snack before lunch so you are not starving when you do eat.
• Try to look at menus online before you go to help you plan a more informed decision. Try to avoid panic buying that ½ pound bacon and onion ring burger!
• Don’t be scared to try something different / healthier. Notice I said “healthier”, not healthy. If you always order the same thing when you go out then there may be healthier options that do not involve a drastic change to what you like to eat. E.g, a Big Mac, medium fries and medium coke comes in at around 1,015 calories. Swap that for a McChicken sandwich, small fries and diet coke and even have a salad shaker too and you are still only at 644 calories, a saving of 371 calories. Small savings in calories can all add up to a significant positive impact on your health.
• Know where the calories come from. Calories in a Big Mac = 508. How many in large fries? 444! So you could almost eat two Big Macs for the same calorific cost as a Big Mac and fries… and you will be much fuller after two Big Macs! Don’t accidentally order calories.
• If you are unable to scope out a menu beforehand then a helpful rule is that simple is usually healthier. Meat and veg will almost always be healthier than processed and cheese sauce.
• Don’t be afraid to be ask for what you want. When ordering, ask for dressings on the side, ask to swap fries for veg, ask for half portions, most places are very accommodating.
• Drink water. Drink water all day! Drinking water will help to fill you up, keep you hydrated/feeling good and has much lower calories than sweet options. If you take your own bottle or ask for tap water then you can save money and reduce plastic waste too!

So there we have it. Don’t rely on willpower. Plan ahead. Drink water. Perhaps just as importantly, if it all goes horribly wrong and you end up having a 4,000 calorie day then don’t beat yourself up or give up on trying to eat healthily. Don’t turn one bad day into a bad week. We all have bad days. The best-laid plans will often not turn out the way we hoped… it’s part of being human. 

It is getting back on the horse again that makes the difference… not eating another horse the next day!

Neil Welsh knows how to get what mums want. Lose weight, encourage your kids to eat healthy food and create habits that last. To start now, check out http://neilwelshnutrition.com for more info!

Introducing the Vegetarian Society Approved vegan trademark and free Just V show tickets!

Last month I was invited down to the Vegetarian Society Cookery School in Altrincham to celebrate the launch of the brand new Vegetarian Society Approved vegan trademark, this is the Vegetarian Society’s second trademark, which will complement their highly successful vegetarian one that currently certifies over 15,000 products.

Along with a small group of foodie bloggers, I was given a fabulous introduction into the world of vegan cookery in the form of the vegan toolkit workshop. 

As a special treat for my readers, I also have news about how you can get completely free tickets to the Just V show in London this weekend, read down to the bottom for full details!


This new Vegetarian Society Approved vegan trademark offers the assurance of strict checks to ensure products’ vegan credentials making sure they are free from:

• animal-derived ingredients,
• cross-contamination during production,
• GMOs,
• animal testing either directly or via commissioned processes.

As well as food products, the new trademark will soon be seen appearing on cruelty-free cosmetics, beauty products and even vegan cafes and restaurants such as The Retreat Kitchen in Richmond.will carry it across their homemade range.

I've found the original Vegetarian Society Approved trademark extremely useful over the years when shopping for packaged produce and I will be looking out for the new trademark appearing in shops, especially to provide reassurance and clarity on cosmetic and skincare products.

I've been a vegetarian for over twenty years and despite a brief dalliance with veganism during my university years, I've always had some reservations about cooking meals without dairy, being a rather fussy eater anyway, I was worried it would significantly limit my options.

However, I am always open to trying new things and I am very glad that I did. During the day I learned some great tips and tricks, from how to make perfect vegan meringues and eggless mayonnaise to great recipes for vegan pesto, cashew cream, how to best prepare tofu and  I even discovered entirely new foods to me such as Jamaican Ackee and breadfruit.

Photo courtesy of the Vegetarian Society

Our day was led by Alex Connell, the friendly, funny and passionate principal tutor of the Vegetarian Society Cookery School. Under his expert tuition, I was delighted to discover that vegan cookery is nothing to be scared of. In fact, I have come away with so much inspiration that I am introducing a vegan day at least once a week in our house and so far the whole family has happily embraced it!

Photo courtesy of the Vegetarian Society

After learning some basic skills in the morning, such as pureeing garlic, chopping onion and celery, as well as making pasta, pesto and mayonnaise, we each chose a recipe to follow to contribute to a wonderful vegan feast that we enjoyed later in the afternoon.

 My recipe of choice for the day was a Spicy Chickpea Tagine with Aubergine Harissa, which I enjoyed so much (despite not usually being a lover of aubergine/eggplant) that I have made it again twice already!

Photo courtesy of the Vegetarian Society

Photo courtesy of the Vegetarian Society

I enjoyed a wonderful day filled with delicious food and fabulous company and I'd like to thank everyone at the Vegetarian Society Cookery School for making us all feel so welcome as well as my fellow bloggers Jenny, Nicky, Helen, Ellie, Annabelle and Emily.

You can follow the Vegetarian Society on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube to keep up to date with their latest news!

As I hinted above, I also have new of a great freebie for you...

The Vegetarian Society will be at the Just V Show at Olympia in London this weekend ( 7-9th July ) and you can claim FREE tickets to the Just V Show via the Vegetarian Society website, what's more, if you stop by the Vegetarian Society stand you'll be treated to a fabulous goody bag full of samples and vouchers to take home!

This post was commissioned by the Vegetarian Society. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wagamama comes to the Trafford Centre

I love Asian cuisine and in the last ten years that I've lived in Manchester, Wagamama has become one of my favourite places to eat. If I'm meeting a friend after work or grabbing lunch while shopping with my family, more often than not you'll find me tucking in to a delicious Yaki Soba at Wagamama.

I've thought for a while that the Trafford Centre, Manchester's huge shopping Mall,  would be an ideal place for a branch of the popular Japanese inspired restaurant chain, today that dream became a reality as Wagamama opened the doors to their newest and biggest restaurant in the UK on the top floor of INTU Trafford Centre.

My good friend Pippa and I were delighted to be invited to a special preview lunch on Friday before the brand new eatery had even opened it's doors to the public. We got to see the company's Executive Chef, Steve Mangleshot prepare meals from his brand new menu including Seafood Ramen and Short Stack Rib Beef Ramen. I love the layout of the new restaurant and way that customers get to see their food being prepared in front of them in the long open kitchen.

As well as the traditional canteen style benches that are familiar to Wagamama patrons, this new location also boasts a selection of cozy booths, perfect for family treats or romantic dates. The modern mezzanine level overlooks the whole of the lower floor and gives that extra aspect of privacy, it would be perfect for hosting a special occasion or a family get together.

We had a lovely lunch and although I stuck to an old favourite of Yasai Katsu Curry, I'm looking forward to trying something from the new menu next time I visit...

I not sure if my husband will agree, but I can see myself taking a lot more frequent shopping trips to the Trafford Centre now I have my favourite place to dine...

An Autumn Picnic with Vita Coco #VitaPicnic

We love picnics. To our family a picnic is not just a meal, it's an adventure! We involve the children from the start, they love planning what food we will have, helping us prepare and bake it and packing it up.

The lovely folks at Vita Coco sent us some lovely goodies and asked us to share our favourite Autumn picnic spots, so here are my top three year round picnic spots in the North West...

Crosby Beach

This is a childhood favourite of mine. I grew up just 15 minutes walk away from the Sefton Coastline so for me the beach was never just a good weather activity, we visited the beach and picnicked amongst the sand dunes all year round.  I've always found the water so peaceful and calming so what could be better that wrapping up warm and eating your picnic overlooking the Irish Sea?

Delamere Forest

Again this is somewhere I've regularly visited since my own childhood and more recently we have been enjoying adventures as part of or role as Forestry Commission Ambassadors. With Gruffalo hunts to entertain the children and picnic benches under cover fo rainy days thee is no excuse not to pack up your picnic, get you wellies on and take a wander in to the Deep Dark Wood...

Heaton Park

I think our absolute favorite picnic spot has to be Heaton Park, I've written many times about how lucky we are to live so close to such a fantastic open space and how it holds such special memories for us. Our first ever picnic here was a few days after myself and my husband fond out I as pregnant with our son. Little did we know at that point how Heaton Park would play such a significant part in our lives; later becoming our wedding venue and our favourite place to take our two children.

There are just so many ideal picnic spots here including:

•  Next to the adventure playground, here we can watch the children brave the ENORMOUS slide
• Overlooking the Boating lake which is just so peaceful
• In front of the beautiful yet now sadly closed o the public, Heaton Hall where we held our wedding reception
• Or my ultimate favourite; on top of one of the hills where you can see everything around you from children playing to the majestic restored trams that no run through the park.

So they are our favourite all year round picnic spots! Where's yours? 

I'm feeling rather peckish after all this talk of picnics so i'll leave you with some images of picnic food... Yum!

We were sent some Vita Coco goodies to write this post.

A Sweet treat with #AngelDelightMoments

Angel Delight is a pudding that’s been around for many years, since 1967 in fact! It's known for being an instant pudding that's fun to make as well as eat. Many of us will have grown up with these blue paper sachets in our kitchen cupboards.

Does the familiar packaging of Angel Delight bring back any childhood memories for you? 

For me it takes me back to days spent with my Nanna when I was about 7 or 8 during the school holidays. As my mum was a single parent, summer childcare meant me spending the days with my grandparents. I loved helping her with the household chores; folding sheets, dusting and digging up potatoes in the garden but most of all I loved the time we spent together in the kitchen. Now my Nanna was no culinary expert but I have very fond memories of kneeling on a dining room chair pulled up against the kitchen counter wearing a frilly pinny she had made for me out of old clothes and helping her in the kitchen. There may well have been more to our repertoire but the 'recipes' that come to mind are cherry scones, coconut macaroons and Angel Delight!

It's been over twenty years since these days and almost ten since I lost my dear grandmother, but I look back and I can see us clear in my mind, working as a team mixing the ingredients together while she told me tales of her schooldays. I a so lucky to have shared these moments with her and I treasure the memories.

Now I'm a mother and my children spend time baking in the kitchen with their own Nanna, I hope they have such memories of it in the future too.

The new Bubblegum flavour of this pudding launched in Tesco last September, and can be used to make either a the traditional instant dessert of our childhood, or ice cream can be added to make a bubblegum flavoured milkshake. Although I like to keep an eye on my children's sugar intake, everyone likes a treat now and again and I like that the Bubblegum flavour Angel Delight is made only using natural colourings and is also suitable for vegetarians.

We were sent a couple of packets from Britmums to try out and decided to make a sundae style desert with hidden treats at the bottom, what do you think of our creation? 

The children both really enjoyed making it and it reminded me of those precious days sharing the kitchen counter with my beloved Nanna many years ago.

This post is an entry for #AngelDelightMoments Linky Challenge, find out more here.

Halloumi and Pepper Stack - Quick Summer Meals

In the hot weather we've been having recently it can be hard to make too much of an effort  when preparing food so I like to have a few really simple and quick meal ideas to hand . This delicious  vegetarian grill stack was first created based on what was left in my fridge the day before my weekly shop! The ingredients compliment each other really well though and  and it soon became a regular favourite.

What you need (to serve 4):

A 250g block of Halloumi Cheese

Two large Peppers (I chose Yellow and Red)

100g Cous Cous (either a ready spiced mix that you can buy in the supermarket or plain cous cous and your own spices to taste.)

Dressing (I used a sweet chilli, soy and ginger dressing, but I think sweet chilli, or a balsamic glaze would go equally as well)

What to do:

Start by slicing your Halloumi into 8 pieces and place under grill, (To make it super quick and easy I used our George Foreman).

Next chop each of  your peppers up into 6 large pieces and also place on the grill.

Make up your cous cous as per the packet instructions (usually adding boiling water, stir, leave for five minutes and stir some more, adding a little olive oil if preferred.)

Turn the cheese and peppers after 5 minutes and continue to grill for a further 5 mins.

Serve by dishing the cous cous onto the plates then stacking 3 pieces of pepper and two pieces of Halloumi alternately on top to form a 'tower'.

Add dressing and season to taste and enjoy!

A deliciously simple vegetarian meal from fridge to plate in just 15 minutes, perfect for a warm summer evening!

Also great on a budget: this worked out at just 95p a serving for me!

I've linked this post up with #Recipeoftheweek, click on the badge below to check out more delicious recipe ideas...

Chef's table at Red Hot World Buffet - Review

A few weeks ago I was given the opportunity to attend a special event at Red Hot World Buffet in Manchester. I was invited to join some fellow bloggers to dine at the Chef's Table and experience a selection of dishes specially selected by Head Chef Anurag Bisht.

I walk past this Deansgate restaurant on a daily basis but i'd never had the pleasure of dining here, although I had heard some very good things about both the food and the whole dining experience so I was really looking forward to trying it for myself. Red Hot World Buffet was born in Nottingham in 2004 completely transforming the concept of all-you-can-eat dining. Rather than cooking behind the scenes, expertly trained five star chefs were stationed at live cooking counters interacting with customers and creating a 'restaurant within a restaurant' concept. This proved so popular that the brand soon expanded throughout the UK.

The Manchester venue is one of seven branches of Red Hot World Buffet throughout the country and in 2012 it expanded to include a second level offering beautifully decorated function rooms to cater for a variety of corporate occasions. It was one of these luxurious rooms where we were treated to a delightful evening.

I was really looking forward to a night of 'me time', the chance to shrug off the label of 'Mummy' for the evening and have a grown up chatter with some lovely local bloggers, I was not disappointed!

On arrival we were treated to a Red Hot signature cocktail that along with an delicious mix of liqueurs and peach syrup, included a whole blended plum! It was mouthwatering and very easy to drink, so refreshing! It was easy to see how months of research had gone into perfecting this drink right down to the aesthetically pleasing garnishes and shaped glasses...

 

After being personally introduced to our chef for the evening and served with a wine matched perfectly to the first of seven courses, we were presented with the Amuse Bouche, which for me was Avocado and Mango Sushi.You can see below just how enticing it looked, it was almost a shame to bite into it! It tasted just as delicious and was a lovely first dish of the evening...

The next course was a Potato Tikki, this example of popular Indian Street Food was a taste sensation, rather spicy but accompanied by a sweet sauce and colourful pomegranate seeds which complemented each other beautifully.

Next up was the fish course of seafood Risotto but I was kindly served a vegetarian option of asparagus and sundried tomato risotto. As you may know from my recipe posts Risotto is one of my favorite dishes to both prepare and eat. Because I spend so long hours perfecting it at home it's usually something I avoid in restaurants for fear of being disappointed. However I was rather impressed with this tasty dish. As I mentioned earlier each course was accompanied by wines that had been expertly paired with the food. The crisp white served with the Risotto really complemented it and brought out the flavours of the asparagus. The wine was brought to us before each course by polite and pleasant serving staff, who were happy to cater to our every whim.

The main course was a delightful Teppanyaki prepared on the Oriental Grill, Chicken for the others and vegetable for me. This was a simple but effective dish, with crunchy vegetables and and a tasty sauce.

After these first four courses I had to admit I was getting a little full, but when I saw our desserts approaching the table, I knew I had some more room!

What more can I say about this Palette cleansing raspberry sorbet that was served with a mint leaf on a bed of ice in a martini glass, apart from yum!!

I have to say, it's a difficult choice but I think this may just have been my favourite dish of the evening! I could have eaten it again and again!

And then it was time for Dessert....

Pancakes with Strawberries and white chocolate, Petit Fours and mini deserts served with a fresh coffee...

The perfect way to complete a fabulous meal and very satisfactory to my sweet tooth!

The evening wasn't just about the amazing food, the service was exquisite, and it was great to be able to relax and converse with fellow bloggers while actually being able to finish a sentence which is never possible at family events with the children!

 I have dined in a variety of all-you-can-eat style restaurants and one thing that always lets me down in the lack of choice in vegetarian selection, I find that the 'meat free' options tend to be an after thought and are generally bland and tasteless. This was certainly not the case with Red Hot World Buffet, everything had been thought out and planned in detail, including the Vegetarian dishes.

Our evening at Red Hot World Buffet in Manchester was fantastic and I will definitely be visiting again with my other half in tow to experience the buffet for myself. I would recommend a visit to this restaurant, it would make a perfect 'date night' or even a lovely place to go for a family meal at the weekend, especially when prices start from under £10!

You can save even more with the latest offers here...

Food and drink was provided free of charge in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.

Easter Baking - Hot Cross Buns #cbias

Although the weather is making it feel more like Christmas, believe or not Easter will be here in just a few days time. To make it feel a bit more like the Easter holidays I decided to do some baking. As you may know I have been trying to challenge myself with recipes recently, experimenting with things I've never tried before, so off I went to Aldi in search of the ingredients for a yummy Easter treat that I was going to bake myself....

                                                                   hot cross buns!

You can check out my shopping experience in this Google+ album...

Shopping for Easter baking Ingredients at Aldi

I love a nice toasted hot cross bun, warm and dripping with butter, it really is the perfect comfort food and what better to warm us all up in this nasty cold weather?

My 5 year old Ben is a really keen cook and usually helps me with baking but on this occasion I wanted to try it out myself first so I waited until the children were tucked up in bed then out came the ingredients...

Can you spot the error in this picture?!

I was really pleased with what I had got for my money in Aldi, as although I regularly visit for a top up shop of fruit, veg, bread and milk, it's not the first place I would have gone for home baking ingredients. Well now I know about the great selection and prices it will be in the future!

So I had my ingredients ready all I needed to do was start baking. After mixing the flour, salt, cinnamon and mixed spice together in a large bowl, I rubbed in the butter then added the currents, mixed peel and yeast.

I now had a dry lumpy mixture and created a well in the centre to add the water, milk and egg, (this is always Ben's favourite part of baking, adding eggs!)

After mixing in, I was ready to knead. There is something incredibly relaxing about kneading dough, maybe I am taking all my daily frustrations out on this fruity mixture, while I pound it against the floury surface, whatever it is, I find it really therapeutic!

Once it's fairly smooth and elastic I pop it back into the bowl and cover with a damp tea towel for an hour while I go off to watch Don't tell the Bride, it's my wedding anniversary this week and it all takes me back to the preparations for my big day, thank goodness I planned it and not my other half though, I'd have been wearing a bin bag if it was down to him!

After a  giggle and a brew it was back to the kitchen to find my dough had risen nicely, now to press the air out and knead again before dividing up into buns and leaving again for 30 minutes to continue to rise.

I have always wondered how the cross was made on the top of hot cross buns and now I knew, it was pastry! Rather than making my own pastry just for this, I had bought a pack of ready to roll with my earlier shopping, so I opening this up and started cutting it into strips, I barely glanced at the packaging.

It was soon time to pop the buns in the oven, so after brushing with beaten egg and placing the strips of pastry on top of each ball of dough in they went at 200c for 15 minutes.

It was only when I went to take them out of the oven that I noticed that something wasn't right, not wrong as such, they still looked (and smelt) delicious, but I was sure the cross wasn't meant to rise that much? It was only then that I glanced across to the packaging of the pastry to find I had bought Puff Pastry and not shortcrust! Silly me! (Did you notice my error in the photo?)

Oh well, they still tasted amazing (I had to try one straight away, just to make sure!) and I now know for next time, Although my hubby did say that he quite liked the crunchiness of the puff pastry so you never know I could be on to something!

Apart from my school girl error, these were a great success and I will be making them again with Ben's help very soon. Why not have a go and let me know what you think? 

Happy Easter!


I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated

as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® #CBias #SocialFabric. All images and opinions are my own.

A Fun Filled Family Day Out at Hollywood Bowl...

I've always loved bowling, it's a great family activity and one that I remember enjoying from a young age. We first took Ben while at Centerparcs when he was just one and although he mainly watched on that occasion, he loved the whole atmosphere and it wasn't long before we returned and he played himself, with a little help of course!

So when we were offered the chance to visit Hollywood Bowl in Manchester for a VIP family Bowling experience, I couldn't say no. As both myself and Mr MMP work full time, we like to make the most of our weekends together as a family and always try to fit in some quality time around the housework and errands that need to be done. Most of the time that means something free such as a trip to the park, walk in the woods or a board game at home but when we can we like to save up some pennies and spend it on a family treat! Bowling is ideal in the winter months as you stay warm and dry while having fun!

We arranged to visit on Saturday afternoon, and being the weekend at the end of half term it was rather busy when we got there but as we had booked beforehand (which I would recommend doing if you're planning to visit at the weekend or in school holidays) our lane was ready for us and we didn't have to wait.

But before we could start playing we had to change into the 'oh so snazzy' bowling shoes! Elizabeth has tiny feet for her age and at almost two she's still only a size 4, unfortunately they only had bowling shoes starting from a size 6, but with them being velcro fastenings they weren't too bad. As it was a busy time and there were quite a few children's parties in, many with children around Ben's age, they didn't have his size either but again a size above with the velcro fastened tightly did the job. Myself and hubby were more easily served (even with his huge size elevens!) and soon we were all 'booted up!'

When we got to the lane, it was really easy to set up or our game and I really liked that the 'bumpers' were motorised and controlled by the computer system so you could choose which players to  have them up for. A simple thing but it means that adults and children can play together at their own skill levels. I will sound like an 'oldie' saying this, but 'they didn't have that in my day!' I remember when bowling as a child, the bumpers consisted of foam tubes that you either had or you didn't and that was that.

So we were all set up and ready to go! We all had great fun as you can see from the pictures, and Daddy got quite competitive  towards the end when he realised Ben was beating him! Although he stopped sulking when he finally got a strike!

Younger children are well catered for with a metal ramp, so they can simply push the ball down it and don't  have to lift something that weighs almost as much as them! Elizabeth found this really easy and seemed amazed at how quickly her pretty pink ball zoomed down the lane! Ben used the ramp on some goes but also bowled 'properly' on others, copying Daddy.

The staff were really attentive and regularly came to check if we needed anything. There was also a 'call button' in case you needed anything when the lovely staff were not nearby.

Food and drink could be served direct to the lane or if  preferred could be enjoyed in the Diner or for more 'bistro style food' the Bar.

We decided to eat at our lane and as part of our experience were provided with a family platter which consisted of a jug of soft drink, a rather large plate of fries and a choice o f burgers or hotdogs, (As am I a fussy vegetarian they kindly included a veggie burger in this for me). The whole selection was a bargain at just £10 to feed a family of four. Now this is not the type of food my children usually eat at all but as a one off treat I thought it would do no harm and I have to say they thoroughly enjoyed it! I just hope they don't start expecting chips on a regular basis now! If however you prefer something else the menu choice was quite varied. The food, drink, straws and serviettes were all kindly served to us on lane by the attentive staff, while we continued to enjoy our game.

We had a great time playing our two games and Ben came out victorious in both, while I came last, beaten even by my not even two year old daughter! (I think the bumpers may have helped, maybe I should have them up next time!)

The two games were plenty for us and by the end, Elizabeth was getting tired (and a little grumpy!) but if we had wanted to extend our visit there was a good sized amusement arcade with games aimed at all ages.

While we were there I did need to change Elizabeth's nappy and found the 'baby changing room', although small and basic, to be clean and it for purpose.

All in all we had a really great, fun filled family day out, which was enhanced by the helpful and friendly staff. Hollywood Bowl really does cater for the whole family and at £32 for a family of four to enjoy 2 games of bowling each is not a bad price for an occasional treat. It's also worth checking out the website  www.hollywoodbowl.co.uk for special offers at your local branch.

Disclaimer: we were provided with 2 games of bowling and food for our family free of charge but all views and opinions are my own

Fit Antibacterial Vegetable wash - 100% natural!

You will probably know by now if you are a regular reader that as a family we try to eat organic when possible. We have yummy weekly fruit and vegetable boxes delivered and I love cooking with fresh seasonal vegetables! I always thoroughly wash our fruit and veg and usually just use water (sometimes a vegetable brush to scrub those carrots or spuds that come covered in soil!) however last week I was sent an interesting new product to try!

Fit Antibacterial Fruit and Vegetable wash is 100% Natural, and removes 98% more pesticides, waxes, people-handling residues, and other contaminants than washing with water alone!

To be honest I had always thought water was sufficient especially on organic produce, however I came across this on their website which made me think again!

Organic produce can have higher levels of bacteria due to the use of natural fertilizers and the restrictions on how processors can clean the produce to adhere to current European Organic standards. Many of our customers use Fit on their organic produce when they purchase it to extend the shelf life as the high level of bacteria can accelerate normal deterioration.

So I thought why not try it?

I have now been using this spray to wash my fruit and vegetables for over a week and have to say I have actually noticed a difference! The colours of the vegetables are brighter after washing with this and seem tastier too! It completely took away that 'soily' taste that you can get with carrots and spuds!

At first I was concerned that a product that was able to do this may be full of chemicals. How else could it clean so throughly? But no, Fit Fruit & Vegetable Wash is 100% Natural and uses only food approved natural ingredients which include organic grapefruit juice! It is also certified and recommended by the UK Vegetarian Association.

My second concern was that it may leave an aftertaste that could put my son off eating fresh fruit, However we soon found that Fit rinses away completely, leaving clean fruit and veg with no aftertaste or smell! So my son still devours the fruit bowl at any opportunity!

Fit spray is really easy to use! You simply spray, rub and rinse! With fruit I cleaned with fit before putting in the fruit bowl so Ben could still help himself when he wanted to. With Vegetables I sprayed them while preparing for cooking.

It does state on the packaging that it is recommended to eat produce within two days of cleaning as it removes any preservatives, but we had fruit that was eaten after 3 or 4 days and was fine!

We were sent the 350ml sprayer bottle which costs £4.49 to purchase and they also have a 950ml bottle available for £5.99 which can be used as a refill for the sprayer or to crate a 'bath' to soak produce in.

I think this is really good value for a natural product that does seem to last! We have been using the spray on all fruit and veg for a week now and it's still over 3/4 full!

You can find out more about Fit Antibacterial Fruit and Vegetable wash and purchase it online at www.buyfit.co.uk. You can also keep up to date with the latest news and offers on Twitter!