Chocolate eggs using real eggshells!

A friend of mine makes these using ostrich eggs, but since we now have an abundance of eggs thanks to our feathery ladies, we thought that we would make ours from chicken eggs. First try and crack your eggs open just using the base. It is a little tricky, I have been collecting my egg shells for a couple of weeks. Wash them as soon as you have broken them and let them dry. Sterilize them before you use them. Melt some chocolate. I used 100g which made 6 eggs. Put some melted chocolate inside and keep turning, if you have an area that just doesn't want to coat, just give the egg a little shake and it should get the chocolate flowing. I did 2 coats of chocolate. Leave to harden. Try and wipe off any chocolate on the shell, it can look like chicken poo! Then fill the eggs with some treats. And use some melted chocolate to stick them onto a biscuit. Then peel. Ta da! Yummy!

Lots of sugar, easter eggs and volcanoes

The kids had a friend over for a sleepover which meant lots of sugar! I am not sure why we serve sugar on sleepovers especially because we want them all to go to bed at a reasonably decent hour. Maybe that's part of the fun, giving them enough energy to stay up later than usual :)

Chocolate fondue. The chocolate and fruit didn't last long :) Continuing on the sugar theme, we decided to get started on making our Easter eggs. It is a bit early but practice makes perfect. yes, she licked the bowl :) They are a bit rough looking. Not at all like the shop-bought shininess but they are made with love :) We also made some white ones. We now need a lot more chocolate, next time we are going to attempt a big egg! We also decided to give fudge for Easter. Although I have made toffee, I have never made fudge and am determined to find a great recipe that works for us.

This recipe wasn't it.

We shall just have to practice until we get it right. Everyone ate it all up though :) After the wind smashed our last run, Hubby decided to make a new run with the kids. They still have a long way to go though. Googs is into volcanoes at the moment. Champ was too at the same age, strange, it must be a boy thing.

First job was to cut the egg boxes into lots of little volcanoes and then use masking tape to stick them down. Masking tape can be painted on. Then painting Finally adding all the lava!!! lots and lots of lava :)

Spring day at the river!

We have been looking forward to getting back to this river for about 6 months! And what a lovely day to go, unseasonably warm spring day *sigh, here's to many many more days like this. I know, wishful thinking :P Googs found a rock shaped like a knife. And yes, you would be right in thinking that although the weather was unseasonably warm, it wasn't quite warm enough for a paddle. Still...they made it work :D Boo going to chat to an inquisitive sheep. Making rock food. Kiki took the camera and this picture when I wasn't looking but I have added it to show how relaxing it was :) quilt, food, bare feet and crochet - bliss. After feeling a little lazy, I decided that we should all go for a walk. The kids went to try and round up the sheep. There they go! lol the sheep got away, the kids need more practice :) Finding a rooty hidy hole a sandy beach :) Boo kept finding deep pools that she is earmarking for a swim when the weather heats up. OK sticking hands down unknown holes is probably not the best idea :P Luckily nothing nibbled little fingers. Rabbit? fox? Gnome?

National Coal Mining Museum

This week we went to the coal mining museum with the home ed group...and Gran.


Meeting the pit ponies. None of the ponies work down the mine anymore but they keep them to remind the public of the work they did. Especially after a law was passed meaning that the children had to go to school instead of working down the mines from 5-10 yrs old.
The three older kids and I went down the mines. It was an hour tour. It was brilliant, we saw models of the people working down there, the tools and machinery that were used and they even switched off the torches so that we could see how dark it used to be!
More machinery
Some coal that Googs found



There was lots to explore
More pit ponies


We then went to enjoy nature...and the sun!
Kiki asked me to make her a daisy chain necklace



and then a crown. "Me!, I'm a flower princess"
Fishing for frogs.


We even found a waterfall
And got to climb trees.

Spring is here!
This is a monument to the dead ponies.
I am not sure whether they bury them here or scatter their ashes.
We weren't expecting to connect to nature today, it was a pleasant surprise :)