Easy Rocky Road Recipe

I’m going to open with a bold statement today…..this Rocky Road is the best one I’ve tasted! Oh yes our house went into chocolate meltdown when we tried these the morning after I made them.

There are plenty of ways to make this and we gave a couple of them a try before hitting the jackpot with this. So in good myrealfairy tradition, this Easy Rocky Road recipe is the one to share with you.

What you will need is:

300g Milk chocolate

75g Butter

2 tablespoons Golden Syrup

1 cup Marshmallows

1 cup Maltesers

What you need to do is:

EASY ROCKY ROAD RECIPE

Break up the chocolate into pieces so that it melts easier.

EASY ROCKY ROAD RECIPE

Place the butter and chocolate into a saucepan and put on a low heat. This recipe is all about being gentle with the heating, don’t rush it.

EASY ROCKY ROAD RECIPE

Add the 2 tablespoons of golden syrup and stir in while still on the low heat.

EASY ROCKY ROAD RECIPE

As soon as this has all melted together, remove from the heat. Crush the maltesers so that they hold some chunks to them and are not totally bashed to crumbs. Now eat a couple of the maltesers that haven’t been crushed – originally there were many more than shown in this picture, they are too tempting not to eat a few while making this. Go on treat yourself to the cook’s perks:)

rocky road www.myrealfairy.com

Fold in the marshmallows and maltesers to the chocolate mixture. Put into a foil tin or baking tray which has sides to it so that you can get that Rocky Road look to it by having it around 1 inch (2.5cm) high.

EASY ROCKY ROAD RECIPE

Leave in the fridge overnight. In the morning turn out onto a chopping board and cut into cubes. Sprinkle with some icing sugar if you fancy. Product test by having at least a square to yourself with a cuppa before popping into bags if giving as gifts. I suggest leaving in the fridge until needed to keep firm and crunchy.

Let your friends see how easy Rocky Road can be....Click To TweetEASY ROCKY ROAD RECIPE

I’d love to hear how you get on with this recipe, let me know in the comments. Have fun with it and you can print below.

5 from 1 vote
EASY ROCKY ROAD RECIPE
Easy Rocky Road
Prep Time
10 mins
 

Easy Rocky Road recipe for all occasions. You can print here to take into the kitchen and leave the laptop in a safe place!

Course: Sweet Treat
Servings: 8
Author: www.myrealfairy.com
Ingredients
  • 300 g Milk Chocolate or Dark Chocolate if you wish.
  • 75 g Butter
  • 2 tbsp Golden Syrup
  • 1 cup Marshmallows
  • 1 cup Maltesers
  • A Sprinkle Icing Sugar Optional
Instructions
  1. Break up the chocolate into pieces so that it melts easier.

    Place the butter and chocolate into a saucepan and put on a low heat. This recipe is all about being gentle with the heating, don’t rush it.

    Add the 2 tablespoons of golden syrup and stir in while still on the low heat.

    As soon as this has all melted together, remove from the heat. Crush the maltesers so that they hold some chunks to them and are not totally bashed to crumbs. Now eat a couple of the maltesers that haven’t been crushed –  Go on treat yourself to the cook’s perks!

    Fold in the marshmallows and maltesers to the chocolate mixture. Put into a foil tin or baking tray which has sides to it so that you can get that Rocky Road look to it by having it around 1 inch (2.5cm) high.

    Leave in the fridge overnight. In the morning turn out onto a chopping board and cut into cubes. Sprinkle with some icing sugar if you fancy. 

If you like chocolate recipes then you must try my Ultimate Chocolate Brownies too!

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An Introduction to Cherry Crumble

Over the years I have been immersed in the world of boys clothes while keeping up to date with the latest trends for my two growing lads to wear. Whether its running round the garden or going out in their best party gear, the birthdays are getting bigger and the fashion interest is definitely growing.

When Cherry Crumble asked me if I would like to have a look at their range and review a favourite piece I was delighted. My boys at 9 and 12 are now very aware of their fashion tastes and love new clothes. Most of you know my youngest son G who is now growing taller by the second and blossoming into his fashion sense, taking the lead from his big brother. It’s great how he can go from being the  football mad muddy boy into style king!

Cherry Crumble California ranges come in sizes to fit and suit newborns to 12 year olds. Drawing inspiration from sunny California the designers are committed to producing clothes which shine out with style and are super comfortable for our little one to enjoy wearing.

After spending a long time, even for a nine-year old I was surprised at how interested G was in looking through the designs he liked. The range of soft organic cotton t-shirts were popping out of the page with their different colour choices and caught our eye for a long time.

However, as you can see from the pictures, he had his heart firmly set on this yellow and blue check, reversible jacket. The fur side is so soft you just want to snuggle up in it. The collar stands up slightly and keeps the back of the neck warm. The jacket is a slim fit and as G is tall for his age I went for a size up so it fits great and keeps that all important bit of growing room too.

Discount code online:

You can currently receive 20% off your next order when your sign up for the Cherry Crumble emails where you will get exclusive access to new arrivals, special offers, cherry crumble news & more.

What do you think? Are you always on the look out for new brands and clothes to buy for the kids or grandkids?

 

 

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Go Ape for Christmas!

The myrealfairy Christmas countdown continues here with an adventure for all the family.

Your ticket to adventure – Why gift things when you can gift memories?

With vouchers from just £10  if you’re looking for a unique secret Santa present to impress employees or a thrill-seeker package for all the family, Go Ape has got it covered. Go on. They’ll love you for it.

go apeGo Ape are firm believers that outdoor experiences make people happy. Whether it’s zipping through the tree tops, whizzing along the forest floor, or bouncing on our super springy bounce nets – at Go Ape there’s an adventure for everyone.

go apeWith 33 locations to choose from in the UK, your loved ones are in for one memorable experience.

Go Ape

The locations are so impressive, our local Go Ape is deep in the forest. When we have been on walks in the local area we have all looked up in awe at the tree top obstacles swaying above us. Being able to gift this experience at christmas is great and I can’t wait to see the look on my boys faces.

Go Ape

 

If you are wondering where your nearest Go Ape location is you can quickly find the nearest or furthest (if you are really looking to maximise the adventure!) one for you is right here.

Have fun with your tribe and have one more Christmas pressie wrapped up and ready to knock the socks off your chosen one.

Let me know how it goes and also if you have been to Go Ape before, share your experience in the comments section.

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Wicked Uncle Christmas Gifts

Scratching your head wondering what to buy the person who has everything? This will give you some ideas to bring a smile to the faces of kids and adults alike.

We have started to think about what to buy people this Christmas and I must admit it’s so easy to get stuck on certain people who either have one of everything or are so busy running around that you have no idea what they could possibly like.

I am over the moon to be able to bring to you a great site which has those quirky unusual gifts that really do make you grin and light up.

Wicked Uncle has gifts for babies right through to adults so I was spoilt for choice when I went on to choose something for my brood at home. The thing was which gifts to buy for whom as I know that both of my boys love things which are a bit unusual.

Wicked Uncle Christmas Gifts

My eldest is really into his music and videos now so the portable bluetooth speaker with dancing water jets is ideal. When the music starts, the lights and water move  in time with the beat. Such a great idea, he’s going to love it.

Wicked Uncle Christmas Gifts
He won’t be expecting something quite like this.
Jokes too?

It’s not just great gifts, they even have a joke factory on there which has given me some cool mum points when I said them to the boys when they got home! These are great for putting in home-made crackers too. You can choose the age range which is from 3 – 13+, matching their age range for toys. What better way to end the festive day after polishing off the mammoth christmas roast than with some jokes around the table!

To give you a little sample, here are a couple of my favourites ….

Q. What do you call a girl who stands inside goalposts and stops the ball rolling away?

A. Annette.

And my all time winner…

Q. Why did the banana go to the doctor?

A. Because it wasn’t peeling well.

For my youngest I had to really think about getting him something that was cool, had a function and that would suit his quirky personality. He loves reading his football programmes in bed which he gets from going to every home game throughout the season. He can spend hours going back and forth checking on what the players have been doing. So for him  The Anywhere Light – Strike a Pose! will be perfect to play with and also give him the light to read by.

Wicked Uncle Christmas Gifts

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Wicked Uncle Christmas Gifts
I’ll share if I have to!

To top it off, I treated myself to Hopping Popping Frogs. I might just share these….we’ll see.

How are you getting along with your Christmas shopping so far?

Are you a list person or even a spread sheet buff when it comes to being organised? I have friends who live by their spreadsheets, while I have my ever faithful journal to help me along.

Let me know how you are doing and what you think of Wicked Uncle.

Whatever stage you are at, enjoy and don’t over think it, keep it fun.

Feeling in the Christmas spirit now? How about a spot of Christmas inspired baking with this Easy Rocky Road recipe.

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Collaboration Post

Is it just me?

Do you ever wonder if the bizarre, naughty or plain un-mummy things you think of are just you….I do!

Well here’s my confession….I don’t enjoy the responsibility all of the time.

 

1st disclaimer – if you’ve ever pursed your lips and tutted at someone who’s being un-mummyish then please don’t read on…. I need to have this vent.

I mean, I look at a lot of people and they seem to ‘cope’. Not only cope but even seem to enjoy being around their children all the time and doing mum stuff. One of the reasons I came off Facebook was because I couldn’t bear being mummy shamed by people looking relaxed and joyfully baking with their lovely little darlings, not just highdays and holidays, but regular as clockwork. Also making things and posting photos that show smiling clean children who look like they actually appreciate the perfectly turned out mum or dad next to them.

Here are a few of my sins:

I clock watch for when it’s time the kids have to go to bed. I also get a little excited as I look forward to it. My eyes flit from the bottle of wine, to the snack cupboard to my iPad, all gently purring my name in a frequency no one else in the house can hear.

I would rather not read a children’s story book all the way through at bedtime, I’m tired at 8 myself! The afore mentioned chorus of goodies downstairs is deafening to my ears by this point. I want my children to read well and I want to celebrate with them…just earlier in the evening please.

I’d like to spend more time and money on grown up stuff like make-up and clothes. Instead I blow it on boys toys, classes and kids ‘stuff’. I spend time on my things, I just need to balance it out a bit more.

I don’t particularly enjoy having their friends round, only because I find it stressful. Their friends are great – it’s me! What if they get hurt, fall out with each other or hear me swear under my breath as I stub my toe and then they repeat on a loop, steadily driving me into anxiety overload. Or worse, after having a successful couple of hours, burst into tears as soon as their parents arrive. It happens! I don’t know why, but it’s a kids phenomenon, they do it to torment adults.

Sometimes I just don’t get it – I don’t understand the rules of parenting, I forget that children are immature, yeah doh! I find myself standing in the middle of a room trying to reason with two boys who just want to tease, argue, play and do their own thing without mature interruption.

Finally, I’d like to be strong enough to actually follow through, just once, with whatever I’ve threatened to take away ‘by the time I count to three!’ Even my eldest at 10 started saying that I don’t ever do it, he’s 12 now and nothing has changed. So I’m inconsistent now and freak out at the small stuff.

2nd Disclaimer: Of course I love my kids! Of course I wouldn’t change a bloomin thing and of course my kids are my world. They fill me to bursting point with love and make me boil over with a loyalty to protect them.

But this parenting lark can be bloomin hard and sometimes I need to let off steam! Away from the kids, into my own little space. Sometimes it’s good to shout from the rooftops or into blogging world that it’s tough – without having to apologise or justify…..at least not too much;)

Do you ever feel the same or is it all plain sailing for you?

When I flip the other way I start worrying about the future and when they go out into the big wide world, I call it pre-empty nest syndrome. Hormones clearly play a big role in parenting for me and the huge job demands big feelings.

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Updated October 2018

 

It’s Homework Time

Homework, creative play, jotters, notes stuck on the wall are all on the go in our house. My eldest is now self sufficient and takes his whiteboard where he needs to be.

It’s a busy Thursday afternoon in our house and we have just all bounded in through the front door almost rolling in the cascade of shoes, blazers and bags as the boys start shedding their school skin and morphing into home boys. At 9 and 12 they have gone past the novelty of school and are now firmly planted into the routine. They love being on the go and all the joys that school brings aswell as the woes of coming to grips with the understanding that algebra may seem like a waste of time to  a young lad. Fast forward to a time when he has to fill his car up with petrol, has £20 and  has to work out how many litres he can afford if each litre is a certain price, then he might just see the ‘point’ of it all.

So with homework to add to the daily learning schedule, drinks and snacks are procured, the first pangs of hunger dealt with then our homework time can begin!

I have been sent a whiteboard to try out and very excited about. We have an A3 Folding Wedge Landscape which as you can see from the photos is a great size, has a carry handle on top and looks very sleek. It feels robust enough to tackle being carried around and assembled in an array of places which will surely happen.

It's Homework Time

Now that my eldest is in senior year his homework has really increased and needs far more planning and thought behind it.

As far as the geography project goes, it has to be done! One of the things I was pleased about was that my eldest was suitably impressed with how it looked. In the days of image being very important, to get a big tick and dare I say it a grin from my growing lad, were signs we were off to a great start.

It's Homework Time

The board is perfect for standing on the table as you can see and working with it on either end will give you the views you need depending on the project.

It's Homework Time

Use a drywipe eraser to clean off the writing and start again. This can be done really simply and within seconds the board is ready to use again. Even with the bright orange we used, it didn’t stain or leave the shadow of the words, it was bright white once again.

It's Homework Time

As the board is designed to make use of both sides, one side was used for written planning and one side was used for the layout of the design.

It's Homework Time

I love the use of all sorts of learning aids and devices to enhance the experience for my kids. This board helped with the visual display of bringing together what was in his head.

My youngest didn’t want to be left out of trying our new board and as soon as his big brother had finished his homework he folded it down and carried it up to his room where he settled into his bean bag for some relaxation time. He loved the easy flow the board created for his drawing skills to flood out without worrying about mistakes or scrabbling around for scrap paper. This was one of the quietest after school times I’d had in a while and it was great to see the boys so engrossed in what they were doing.

It's Homework Time
Not one to be left out of the fun!
Conclusions:

For us this is something that is not just limited to homework. As a company director I have so many uses for this board and I will be sneaking this away to use on many occasions. Travelling is a big part of what I do and gone are the days when people want to be encumbered by large items to battle out of the car. This board can be used to illustrate the steps my team decide upon to take projects forward and are great for recording those idea provoking discussions. The fact that I can carry it next to my computer case with ease is a huge buying point for me.

It is fun, it looks good and it has a use! So many gadgets get forgotten, this one won’t.

Have you got whiteboards at home. How do you think you would use them within your environment? Let me know in the comments below, it’s good to share.

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Disclaimer: I was gifted a whiteboard for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions included in the post are my own.

I’m Getting Married!

I’m Getting Married! The time has come to make an honest women of me! But what will I wear, eat, say and do? The pressure is clearly on now.

Is that the right thing to say or should it be ‘we’ are getting married to be more inclusive? Whichever it is, the big day has been set and we are on the path to saying I Do. Beyond excited and having tummy backflips when I think that in 8 months the day will be mine all mine, oh and his too;)

I'm getting married

My OH finally took the plunge and asked me in May after years together and knowing that I was so excited about getting married and he had no idea or need to ever even consider that he would. Our German/English pairing never ceases to amaze me in the way we approach things, coupled with the men are from mars and women are from venus scenario, our lives are interesting.

Those of you who regularly drop by know that I talk about the boys and my OH but don’t delve too deep about our relationship. I do let out the odd gushy poem like this one on the plane from Munich which says it all in a moment of hormones and fear of flying panic.

How did it all begin…

Finding love in my forties after a fun-filled, crazy, sometimes sad and always challenging life came out of the blue. I was scheduled to pick up a visiting professional who had travelled down from London to where I am on the south coast  from the train station. I had known him for over a year through my work in social care by having the odd meeting and email.  I was stood by my car looking through the glass door of the train station, trying to peer over the heads of the crowd bustling through, when his face came into view and I was suddenly smitten…shocked at how this came out of nowhere…but smitten all the same. Once I had greeted him and got us seated and belted up I almost shook my head at myself as I had that silly smile that you get when you like someone but I tried to tuck it deep inside me and keep my super professional facade up as this was a work thing and I’m normally good at painting the picture of being in control onto a nervous face.

The drive should have been  10 minutes from the station to our meeting room, I took the scenic route to make the hop feel like a road trip.

On the way back he asked me for coffee in the station cafe, I paid. Romance my dear readers is not dead!

Skip forward 7 years and our combined families are now one happy bunch and planning a wedding.

Tomorrow is a day with my girlfriends trying on wedding dresses!!  I am pinching myself that I am actually going to be trying dresses on. In my mind I have low-key sophistication, but then I realised that I don’t even really know what that means!

This isn’t too much is it???

via GIPHY

The coming months are going to be crammed with planning. Planning for the wedding and planning for the loft conversion we are having done. Never do things by half should be our motto.

I’ve set up a Pinterest board today so please pin away with any wedding thoughts. If you’ve been somewhere and loved an idea please share it with me on the board. Drop your email or Pinterest link to me so I can add you.

The theme….Beach – Rustic – Chic, ridiculous but true! I can’t wait.

I’ll be writing about the lead up more and more over the next few months. Rings…will he wear one? Speeches…should be bother…. Being given away….is that even relevant these days? There’s alot to clog the brain with. I’ll need tea and help along the way.

I’m in the wedding bubble and it’s all about the ‘me’ at the moment!

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7 Photo Steps to Making a Raised Bed Natural Cover

Using your natural environment to help out with organic gardening is fun and fulfilling. Check out this photo step by step guide to make a natural cover to help keep your veggies that bit safer.

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You can see how we made our raised beds in 5 easy steps here.

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The Long Road to our Loft Conversion

The thought of building work and having the roof of our house taken off is a big step to take. But the space, oh the space and taste of luxury we could end up with! Could be a dream come true.

After our big project of having the conservatory built we have now started planning on moving upwards into the loft.  We’ve been thinking about it for quite a while and even cheekily went to see one of our neighbours who had had a loft conversion to see how they had ended up with their new space.

When we spoke to them we found out that it cost quite a lot of money, way above what I thought. For some reason I had in my head that it was only going to be about 20 or 30k but there was a big big difference. Building is so expensive now, it seems to be a bit over the top. Still I am  determined to try to go ahead and see if we can get it within our budget.

I don’t know about you but I tend to rush into things a bit too fast and sometimes that doesn’t always receive the best outcome.  Even though it’s a bit difficult for me to say that, my other half is far better at doing all the planning and really looking into things properly. I like to think that I have a good general overview but I must say, Pinterest is normally my best friend when I have any sort of ideas. I can go on that ‘pin’ button and hundreds of ideas  come forward immediately, it’s absolutely brilliant and helps me to visualise some of the tiny seeds of ideas that I have flitting around my head trying to take form.

The long road to our loft conversion
So many ideas! Pinterest has alot to answer for.

I left the sourcing and phoning around of people to my other half which he did and before I knew it we had three different builders lined up to come round to give us quotes. They were so different, the first one was a big company type where they have the architects, make the plans and deal with any sort of building regulations and planning applications. They would do the build all for one price and promise if anything goes wrong then they will plan in for any eventuality so you don’t have to worry about a thing. Of course, for this sort of peace of mind and hands off approach  you pay a really big price! Eek! This price came out of £55,000+ way ahead anything that we would even think to be able to afford.

The second person who came along was a builder who barely even looked at the loft space and just said well when you’ve got the plans get back to me I can make a price from there. That was really disappointing, that they didn’t seem to have any ideas or give us any guidance at all,  he just wanted to work from some plans.

The third one however in my Goldilocks story seem to be just right, they came in and straight away hit it off with my OH, he was personable, not to showy and came up with some really good ideas that we hadn’t t even thought of. The fact that they got on well was great since they would be the two people leading the project  suited me down to the ground. I really do want to take a back seat with this and not have to get involved too much with the building side or managing the builders. One of the other little extras that we liked was that he put in a call to one of his clients whom he had completed a loft conversion previously and arranged for us to go round and have a look.  To actually see first hand the quality of the craftsmanship was a bonus and my OH took him up on the offer.

the long road to our roof construction
Can you imagine if it rained during this part?

As yet we haven’t come to a firm decision and the price even from the 3rd one is way above what we first thought. We are now at the stage that we have to think;

Can we afford it?

What will it mean to us as a family to have this extra space?

Do we need all the added extras or should we scale down the plans?

Lots to think about but my gut feeling is to go ahead and keep working in the direction of getting it done. This one is a slow burner and needs time to develop.

Any tips or ideas would be so welcome, goodness knows there’s so much to come to grips with, we need all the help we can get.

Please get typing and let me know what you think:)

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A walk at Kingston Lacy National Trust

The Summer has been brilliant so far and it’s good to be out and about enjoying the fresh air. I love the area that I live as it’s 5 minutes to the sea and even less to our local river. A few months ago I had a really special trip when my dad and I visited Kingston Lacy in Dorset.

It’s around half an hour from us and armed with a snack and a drink, off we set. The road which leads down to the great house reminded me of visiting Longleat when we popped in during our center parcs stay with my OH and the kids. The long path with green fields either side, it’s a really spectacular lead up to the whole place.

I wanted to share some photos of the day which I think show off the colours of the plants brilliantly. This is not a collaboration post, purely a good day out with my dad.

A walk at Kingston Lacy National Trust
You can always find a shady spot

Where there are lawns they look immaculate, the grass looks and feels springy when you walk on it. Such a far cry from my lawn at home that’s been run ragged by the boys playing football every day.

A walk at Kingston Lacy National Trust
I wish I could make a postcard out of this picture, I love it

We were lucky that it was a gorgeous sunny day, one of those days that’s crisp and bright. We had an early start so there was pretty drops of dew all over the grass.

The Japanese gardens looked amazing at that time of year, lots of bronze and gold coloured leaves glinting in the sun.

A walk at Kingston Lacy National Trust

I packed a flask of coffee for our trip and there are plenty of benches dotted around so there is always somewhere to sit down and enjoy the views.

A walk at Kingston Lacy National Trust

There are also the expected hidden gems and surprises dotted around.

kingston lacy

A walk at Kingston Lacy National Trust

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A walk at Kingston Lacy National Trust
Looks like a regal seat

Have you been to Kingston Lacy? Maybe other National Trust places, I’d love you to share links of your posts below or experiences of some of their estates.

Here’s where it is:-

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