Banana & Apple Muffins

Any one who knows me, knows I'm all about healthy living! However, the Zebra likes baking, and loves cakes and this isn't going down well with my waist line...

This week, we had a go at a healthy version of a muffin - The flour is wholemeal, the oil and milk is coconut and the filling is fruit not chocolate!

Ingredients: 

275g wholemeal self raising flour

2tsp baking powder

25g soft light brow sugar

2 bananas 

300g frozen apples

1tsp orange peel

1tsp orange juice

300ml coconut milk

1 egg

3tbsp coconut oil

To decorate:

Honey 

Porridge oats 

****preheat oven to 200degs

Using a juicer or blender, make a pureee from all the fruits. This is the Zebras favourite kitchen toy!

Into a big bowl, pour the flour, baking powder, and sugar, then mix well.

Make a well in the middle and then pour in the milk, egg, and oil. Try not to drop the egg cup in the bowl!

Finally, mix in the fruit purée and stir until the batter is smooth.

Spoon the mixture into muffin cases - we found it made 14 in total with a bit left over to lick from the spoon...

Pop in the oven for around 30 minutes but keep an eye on them!

Once they have cooled, drizzle over some honey and sprinkle on some oats... Delicious and guilt free!

St. Patrick's Day

Happy St Patrick's Day! 

Here's hoping you find a pot of gold at the end of your rainbow...

As well as the yummy rainbow fruit breakfast and the emerald green snacks, we have made some lovely crafts! 

We used an arrary of paints - as you would expect when painting a rainbows! For the shamrocks we used green paint, and also a mosaic of green textures (we always keep junk mail and use it for cutting out bits for crafting).

Use each colour of the rainbow to paint a handprint on white paper. Let them dry, then cut them out. 

Cut out a rainbow shape from white card and then glue down the handprints. Isn't this just the cutest rainbow ever!

For the first shamrock, we used some old corks and dabbed them in green paint - the Zebra had so much fun stamping!

We then covered a sheet in glue and stuck down all the cut out green pieces to make a big collage.

Once they had both dried, I used a heart shake cookie cutter to make a shape of a shamrock to cut around. 

💚May the luck of the Irish be with you💚 

Daffodils

Spring is almost here! The weather is getting nicer, and 20th March was the official start on the calendar...

We made these pictures for mothers day, however they are a great general Spring craft, or even for Easter cards.

This Zebra just loves her hand being painted!!

Stamp four yellow hands to create the outer petals...

...and an orange hand in the middle for the flowers head. Mummy then added a line of green for the stem.

It's not just daffodils, this method could be used to create all sorts of colourful flowers!

Wheal Martyn and Claylets

We have been very lucky to be invited to visit Wheal Martyn China Clay Museum and Country Park. 

Even though I grew up just a couple of miles from the centre, I have never been before so was very exited, and we was even more lucky to have such beautiful weather for this time of year! 

As well as spending the day discovering Wheal Martyn's treasures, we were exited to attend the Claylets group.

This is a new session, held from 11am-12pm on the last Thursday of each month.

The Claylets is held in the very pretty tearoom which is open to the public, not just those visiting the museum and park. 

This is a new group (the session we attended was only their second) and was rather quiet, but I'm sure once word of mouth gets around it will become much busier. We look forward to attending again and the outside adventures they have planned for later in the year.

It was a fantastic hour, and the Zebra had so much fun! Each month there is a theme which links into Wheal Martyn - this one was all about diggers and big machines. There was a huge wooden train set to play with, lots of different pictures to colour in and books about trucks and tractors. The craft activity was glueing and sticking big digger wheels, and during music time we obviously had a sing-song to 'The wheels on the bus'! 

After lots of fun with the Claylets, we stayed in the tea room to refuel with some lunch. The food all looks delicious and is homemade and locally sourced where possible. 

The children's lunch was a box meal and it was fantastic to see a big, fresh sandwich brought out with it. Inside was also a pack of colourful molding clay, pencils and picture to colour - perfect to distract the Zebra while I tried to sneakily eat my cake without sharing...

With our tummies full it was time to explore the museum! I was a bit skeptical about what to expect, only because Wheal Martyn has never been particularly advertised as a children's attraction...

However, the Zebra found lots of fun bits to keep her happy and entertained, while I was able to read and learn more about the past and present world of China Clay. 

I can remember watching the big ships docked in Charlestown being filled with clay, and you can't miss the big sky tips all around the clay villages, so it was great to finally learn a lot more about St Austells heritage and involvement in the China Clay industry.

There was lots to look at - displays, posters and models - all which was really interesting for me and fun for the Zebra!

And look what we found half way around - a lovely craft station set up for children!! We spent a lovely time glueing and colouring a spring time butterfly. 

As well as the exhibits, there are two films to watch. The first one was all about the life of a child many years ago in the pits, and the second was much more up to date showing all the big machines and modern technologies involved. 

With the sun shining and a much better understanding of China clay, it was time to get outside and explore the grounds and outside sections.

There are lots of beautiful spots everywhere we turned, and with benches and tables along the way we can't wait to return with a picnic in the summer. 

The centre is a former clay works and the old buildings have all been used, restored or left open to explore. Behind the museum sits the old mountain created from the old works.  

Water plays a very important part in China clay production and there are two fully working water wheels in the grounds. They are both mesmerising and we had great fun watching them.

A short walk up from the museum is a seris of old buildings housing more exhibits, old cars and big machines. 

Up in the roof of one of the buildings is a very spooky restoration, made even more eery by the working sounds being played. 

This is an old clay works and as such was not built with pushchairs in mind - The majority of the country park is buggy friendly but some routes would be a little challenging! 

As we left the building behind, we climbed up the hill and found these beautiful China Clay works. It was so interesting to follow the production journey, all with some breathtaking views!

As the clay adventure comes to an end, the country paths continue. The woods here are picturesque and the Zebra was happy to run around the paths and trees, right to the very top - stoping only to smell the flowers and talk to the birds.

Once we had climbed to the peak of the hill, (including a tunnel through the ground!) there is a viewing station looking out on a working clay pit. We could hear the water blasting and watch the trucks winding up and down the pit. A fantastic way to end the experience. 

We will be returning again to Wheal Martyn, for both the Claylets group and the country park and can highly recommend both!

Admission to the park includes 12 months free re-entry so is fantastic value for me money!

For more information on Wheal Martyn, please see thier Facebook, Twitter, or website:

https://www.facebook.com/Wheal-Martyn-421202931258302/

https://mobile.twitter.com/whealmartyn

http://www.wheal-martyn.com

The Monkey Sanctuary

We were very exited to be invited by The Monkey Sanctuary to spend the day at their centre. We got to learn more about their monkeys and the amazing work they do. We had hoped to visit on a sunny day, and although the sun was out when we left home, the rain and mist appeared just as we reached Looe - not that it dampened our spirits! 

We arrived at lunch time, and the first thing we saw as we parked up is this amazing Treetop Cafe!

This really is a beatiful place to stop for a drink or bite to eat. They aim to be as ethical and resourceful as possible, which includes being a meat free establishment! There is a great menu of vegetarian and vegan meals and snacks, something I enjoyed about living in Brightron, but don't see very much in Cornwall. 

As the name suggests, the cafe really is up in the rooftop of the trees, with a lovely view looking down over the hill. We could just catch a glimpse of the sea through the weather and can imagine how beautiful it would be in summer. 

The food was reasonably priced, and absolutely delicious. My soup was full of flavour, and the Zebra loved her 'chicken' nuggets so much she ate the whole plate! We also had a scrummy carrot and lemon cake for pudding.

With our tummies full, we start the short walk down to the sanctuary. Again, the views are beautiful! The location is not just a sanctuary for the monkeys, but the broadleaf woods are a haven for many local animals, butterflies, insects and plants. They are committed to helping the flora and fauna floursh, many of which are threatened locally. 

Once we arrived we were very exited to start seeing the monkeys! They are such happy, curious animals, and even in the cold weather many ventured out to get a closer look at us and play in their large well kept enclosures. 

As we walked around, we were greeted by friendly keepers who were happy to talk about the animals and answer any questions we had. To be honest, every single member of staff we spoke to was friendly and up beat, giving a great atmosphere to our day. 

The sanctuary is not a breeding centre, but a happy home for monkeys, many who have not had he best start in life. It really is sad to think of these beautiful animals being kept as pets in tiny cages by people who just don't understand their needs.

We was surprised to see one very young monkey, Lily, who is just over a year old. Even with the strict no-breeding policy (and the female monkeys being on contraception) it seems "Happy Accidents" really can happen to anyone...

Obviously monkeys live in the trees and love to climb and explore. The centre is on many levels going up the side of the cliff so there are lots of runs and bridges for the monkeys to move between their cages. Although this is lovely for them, it may be difficult for a pushchair, so I recommend a sling or carrier for any babies.

The enclosures are clean, large and full of ropes and activities for the monkeys to enjoy. They also have inside homes which are heated to keep them snuggled and warn through our winter. 

Although some parts of the homes look like they are strewn with rubbish, these are actually specially chosen items for the monkeys to play and engage with. 

This was all explained in the education room!

Also in the room was lots more information on conservation and why and how we need to protect monkeys. 

The sanctuary gives visitors an opportunity to sponsor thier own monkey - something the wonderful Stephen Fry has done! There is a short film explain his involvement as well as the sad story behind his adopted monkey Joey. 

Underneath the monkey house, deep in the cellar, is the home of a colony of horseshoe bats. They are an endangered species, only found in the southwest of England and parts of Wales, so it's great to see thier home being protected here in Cornwall. Obviously, it would upset and disturb them if visitors constantly poked around thier dark, home, so instead there is a bat room. In here are the controls for the the CCTV which we could use to move the cameras and watch the animals. 

As we wondered around, it was great to see some workshop activities for the children. There are also lovely spots to sit and watch the monkeys - and I imagine the views would also be amazing in the sunshine!

The Zebra was also delighted to find the activity room. It is a bright, colourful rainforest themed building with lots to do. There were three big tables full of arts and craft projects with a wonderful array of materials and instructions. There was a cosy corner perfect for smaller ones and babies to play, as well as sensory smell & touch games. 

We only had time for a quick play as the rain really started to come in, but the outside play area is fantastic! There is also a smaller frame for the younger ones, but the Zebra was adamant she wanted mummy to help her climb this one! 

When we return, we can't wait to explore the grounds and trails around the sanctuary, hopefully getting to spot some butterflies, bugs and maybe animals...

I have nothing but praise for the centre. They do a fantastic job and run an amazing sanctuary. They are clearly recognised worldwide and were the first centre in Europe to receive accreditation from the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuarys. 

Tickets into the sanctury allows for free re-entry for 12 months, and we will most certainly be returning soon - whatever the weather! 

For more information, and to buy your tickets, please see their website or check out the Facebook page:

http://www.monkeysanctuary.org/

https://www.facebook.com/wildfutures/