Welcome to the Oxondads Blog: May 2015

Friday 29 May 2015

29th May 2015 - Things To Do Over The Weekend, In & Around Oxfordshire

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Sibling Bullying - The Effects and how to deal with it.

The evidence is in: bullying from (usually) an older sibling can cause depression later in life. But how parents deal with it is vital.

There has been a collaborative study by Oxford, Bristol and Warwick universities that asked around 7,000 children aged 12 if they had experienced a sibling saying hurtful things, hitting, ignoring them or lying about them. These same children were then asked about their mental health when they were aged 18.

The good news is that most children said they had not experienced such bullying by their siblings. The not so good news is that those who had were approximately twice as likely to experience depression, anxiety and to self-harm than those who had not. We hear a lot about bullying and what a problem it is, and the talk tends to be: bullies equal bad and victims equal good. But, of course, it is more complex than that. A bully doesn’t bully for fun. It may look like that, but actually a bully bullies in order to solve a problem – usually, to gain equilibrium where an imbalance is felt.

The first time an older child gets knocked off balance is often when the new baby is born. The family dynamic changes for the older child, and usually for the worse. They have feelings about this – they feel they are a victim. It feels terribly hard for parents to validate how their oldest child is feeling because they hate them feeling like that. So when the older child starts to ask if the newest addition can go back to the hospital where they came from, or some such, they are told that they love their younger sibling and cannot say things like that.

However hard it is to acknowledge, it would be better for everyone, especially the new sibling, if an older child’s inconvenient feelings of displacement were validated instead of being brushed away. If feelings, however uncomfortable they may be for the parents, can be acknowledged non-judgmentally, and empathised with, that goes a long way to lessening them. This can feel counter-intuitive, but when children are made to feel ashamed for resenting the new addition to the family, this drives the hate in deeper, making it more likely to resurface later in the form of bullying.

Although it’s usual for the older to bully the younger, it can sometimes be the other way around, and this usually stems from a similar feeling – it feels like the older child is getting more than their fair share of resources, attention, recognition or simply love. The parents may justifiably feel that there is a fair division of love and resources, but that is not the point. The point is to acknowledge and validate how the hard-done-by child feels, not to justify the parental position.

It is difficult not to side with the victim in such situations, or not to dismiss both siblings and tell them to sort it out for themselves. But it is important to take the situation seriously and to increase supervision to keep the victim safe from further harm.

It’s hard to find the extra time and patience required to sensitively explore what the hurt is that the perpetrator is going through to motivate them to cause harm, and to help them find alternative ways of dealing with difficult feelings. Nevertheless, we need to take seriously the perpetrator’s pain as well as the victim’s, because if we don’t there is a fair chance that their pain will continue to be taken out on others.

If the bully gets told off, punished for tormenting another child, they will possibly just get better at not getting caught, rather than stopping it. When we understand the emotion that motivates bullying, and the perpetrator feels understood, and empathised with, that will begin to address their feelings of imbalance so that the need to torment a younger sibling will be more likely to dissipate. It’s a mistake to label a bully as bad and a victim as good – this could even get a child too comfortable in a victim role and do nothing to lessen the perpetrator’s grievance.

In developmental psychology, we have paid more attention to the influence of parents on the development of personality than to the effect that siblings have in how we form. So I welcome this new research. Early dynamics between siblings has a significant impact on how we go on to make other relationships and how we operate in the world. If we are victims of early abuse, from wherever it comes, we will have less chance of seeing the world as being peopled mostly by those worthy of trust, and we will be in danger of experiencing the difficulties that come out of having insufficient optimism and confidence.

This article is taken from Dadzclub

ESSENTIAL READ: First-time dad survival guide Part 2

If you caught our first feature on a guide for first-time dads, you’re hopefully well underway with your baby’s sleeping and clothing checklists. Click Here for Part 1

Our next instalment looks at what you’ll need to be ‘out and about’ with your little one and all the things needed for ‘nappies and changing’. Don’t worry if you missed our first feature, we’ve kept it online so you can catch up. You’ll be stocked up with baby gear in no time

Out and About

Baby car seat x 1

Baby Car SeatThis is one of the most critical things to get right and somehow the one thing that dad’s often get wrong. Whatever you do don’t leave it until the last minute to fit this into your car. Your wife or partner won’t thank you for it after hours of labour and delivering your child, only to find that you’ve not even read instructions on how to get the car seat in.

Car seats are categorised by group and newborn babies fall into group 0. Whether or not you own a car, you have to have a car seat for your baby to transport them in a vehicle. There’s endless choice for car seats from weight and design to safety fixings and portability. If you need more help with what to go for and understanding important safety features, look out for our ‘top tips on buying a car seat.’

Buggy / Pushchair x 1

Unless you’ve been fortunate enough to be given a hand me down from friends or family, a buggy is likely to be your most expensive purchase. If you missed out on our ‘top tips for buying a buggy’, go here for a catch up - http://www.dad.info/article/kit/baby-gear/top-tips-for-buying-a-buggy

The most important things to look at are the chassis/frame, the different seat attachments and additional accessories needed. The most important thing to do is test drive a few in the shops and make sure you go somewhere where the shop assistants know their stuff. Learning about suspension, off road, weight, portability and baby comfort might seem like an overload of information but it’s worth it to get the right set of wheels for your little one.

Sling x1

Dad Wearing Baby SlingSome parents don’t bother with a sling but if you’re out and about most days doing quick jobs here and there, you’ll love it. It’s also great for using around the house, as babies like to feel close to give them comfort or help them sleep. Rather than be tied to having them in your arms, hands free with a sling means you can get your other jobs done.

Get one that’s easy to put on and for dad’s one that faces both ways is always great, especially as they get older and want to nose around. It’s also important to get something easily adjustable between different users – quick pull side straps and easy clip in slots. Look out for our feature on baby carrier’s as there are some great ones for mums and dads.

Child Carrier Rucksack x1

Dad Wearing Child Carrier Rucksack

This is something worth investing in if you and your family love the outdoors and you like to go on long walks. Suitable from when they can hold their own head, usually about six months, they can fit into one of these, leaving you hands free with no heavy buggies to cart around.

How long it lasts will depend on your baby’s weight but it should last from six months to well over the age of three. Look for comfortable straps and frame for you and comfy seat padding for your child, especially if carrying them for long periods of time. Child carriers are available in all good outdoor shops and large high street retailers.

Baby Monitor x1

There are so many baby monitors on the market varying from basic plug and play to video monitoring, temperature control, lullabies and all bells and whistles. Check out our feature on the latest baby monitors if you need some ideas - http://www.dad.info/article/kit/baby-gear/five-of-the-best-high-tech-baby-monitors

Get a monitor that’s easy to set up in your home or anyone else’s house as travelling will be much easier with it and it will make you feel settled wherever you go. Good distance range, sound quality and a vibrating option are also good features to look out for. These days most come with video monitoring so you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Think of your budget and what features are most important to you – if you live in a small space then long range may not be as important as video. A rechargeable unit is a must as the last thing you want is to run out of batteries somewhere.

Nappies & Changing

If you don’t have a stomach for things toilet related, after having a baby in the house the word ‘poo’ will become a regular part of your vocabulary. The biggest thing that shocks new parents are how many nappies a baby gets through each day. In the early stages anything from 8 to 14 is common. No joke. Arm yourself well and toughen up your stomach boys.

Top and tail bowl x1

Think of a bowl with two sections, one to use for their face and one to use for their bottom - hence the top and tail. They’re cheap to buy but if you’re the sort of dad who get’s easily confused, just pick up a small washing up bowl instead and save the face washing for in the bath.

Cotton Wool (Bags) & Wipes x6 packs

When a baby is very small, especially the first few months, baby wipes can be harsh on their sensitive skin so it’s advised to use warm water and cotton wool.

Cotton wool balls can spiral in costs when you realise how much you’re getting through. A cheaper alternative to buying the packs of balls is to find rolls or sheets of cotton wool. You can pick them up easily from pharmacies like Boots. It will be a boring job you sit and do in front of the telly, turning them into balls and filling up a big jar ready for a poo extravaganza.

It’s hard to specify quantities but to set yourself up with, start with two large bags of balls and see how quickly you get through them save the wipes for on the go and changing bags, especially in the early stages.

Six packs of wipes are fine to start out. Wipes are great for everything, not just your baby’s bottom - spillages of any kind, from food and drink to all matter of baby mess.

Nappies x100 (to start)

What nappies should you use? Cloth nappies, disposable, disposable but biodegradable, there’s your choice. Not as many parents use cloth nappies anymore, also known as terry nappies. Although great for the environment, rinsing the poo off and washing endless cycles of them is not for the faint hearted. Hats off to those who do it.

A good compromise is to buy biodegradable nappies. Ease for you but still doing your bit for the environment. You may not find these readily available in the shops but lots of online companies do them and will deliver straight to your door. Perfect. There are lots to choose from but Moltex nappies are fantastic and the multi packs are great value. Remember to check the sizes of what you buy. Lots of nappies are sized by a baby's weight.

Nappy Bin x1 (or metal bin) / Nappy Sacks x2 rolls

You can fork out for a dedicated nappy pail that are great at keeping smells at bay, some even tie each nappy within a closed back as you go along. If you want to keep things cheap however, any metal bin will do, as it’s easy to wipe clean. Ikea, ebay or hardware stores are all great for this. Just line it with a bin bag, stock up on rolls of nappy sacks (buy 2 -3 to start off with) and make sure you empty daily.

We’ve covered gear for being out and about with your baby and everything you’ll need for nappies and changing. There’s one last thing that combines both together and will soon become your Mary Poppin’s bag of tricks:

THE CHANGING BAG

Daddy Style Changing Bag

Vital for being out and about and a bag you won’t live without, there are some great changing bags on the market and some really cool dad ones catering for you and your baby. Check some great ones here - http://www.dad.info/article/kit/baby-gear/baby-changing-bags-daddy-style

The great thing about changing bags is that they can last right through to when your kids are toddlers or start school. The contents just needs adapting to what they need at that particular age.

When your baby is newborn, you’ll need to start out with the following -

Changing bag with mat x1

Nappies x5

Baby wipes (Wet wipe pack) x1

Disposable nappy bags x20

Anti bacterial hand gel x1 (For you as you may not be near a sink)

Toys x2

Sudo cream x1 (Great for sore bottoms. Pooing that many times a day is hard work)

Spare grows / outfit x2

Teething rings x1 (after a few months)

Sterilised bottles of warm water (If baby is on formula). Quantity depends on how long you’re out for.

Milk powder container (If baby is on formula). These are great as they are separated into compartments so you can measure in the exact amount needed before leaving home.

If baby’s mum is not to hand or she’s not breastfeeding, you’ll need to remember food. Pre six months it will be all about bottles of milk. Don’t worry we’ll stock you up on the feeding side in our final installment. Much of the above is also dependent on how long you’re out and about for. You’ll soon get to know all manner of things about your baby and can adapt your bag to suit his or her needs.

Be Prepared At All Times

Our final part to your survival guide looks at Feeding, Bath Time Toiletries, and Toys.

This article is taken from Dad.Info

Friday 1 May 2015

30th April 2015 - Things To Do Over The Weekend, In & Around Oxfordshire

To find out what is on over the weekend via "Daily Info, Oxford" please click HERE

To find out what is on over the weekend via "Oxford Mail " please click HERE

To find out what is on over the weekend via "Jack FM" please click HERE

Is your Child Ready for a Mobile Phone?

It’s your call !

There are many factors that will influence your decision over whether or not your child needs a mobile phone or is indeed ready for the responsibility that goes hand in hand with such a bold move to independence. Perhaps you are struggling internally between your desire to know your child is safe and can contact you right away should the need arise, yet you also worry about the dangers of putting such a powerful communication tool in the hands of your child. The dangers of the outside world are getting ever closer as your child grows and becomes more independent. A mobile phone can seem like yet another step towards that world.

If, like many parents you’re struggling with your decision, you may have some very real concerns driving your decision. What if your child rakes up a huge phone bill, somehow manages to turn off the credit limit or worse still, has no credit left if they need to call you urgently?

How will you manage the use? Is it fair to worry that your child may be sending midnight messages to her friends when you believe she is tucked up in bed fast asleep or what if someone else is sending her messages in the dark of night? These are all very real fears. Others may worry that their child will start to lose interest in school work and will opt for hours on gaming apps or other more interesting mobile distractions.

There are greater worries still. What if, your child sends a thoughtless message or picture that cannot be ‘unsent’ once it is out there? What if someone is in contact with your son and you don’t know who they are or you fear that they have ulterior motives for contacting him?

These are all very real fears that parents consider during their decision making process. You wouldn’t be doing your job as a parent if you didn’t cover every base and consider all the risks before going ahead. Have you discussed your concerns with your partner, a friend who has a similar concern or has already given their child a phone? Do as much research as you can before you make your decision. Are you even considering this option because you feel it is the right time and you want to be in touch with your child now that she is becoming more independent or has your child asked for a mobile because her friend has one?

Research shows that children who are in possession of their mobile phones overnight do answer or send text messages when they would normally be reading or sleeping. More worrying is the concern over ‘sexting’ which involves sending picture or text messages with sexual connotations. More children admitted to sending or receiving these types of messages when compared with the number of parents who believe their children had done so.

While there is no getting away from the idea that our children are moving with the times, are ahead of us in terms of their knowledge about information technology and communication, we must also consider that as human beings, we are driven to connect. Mobile phones take us one step closer to achieving this so it is inevitable that your child will want a mobile phone and that at some point, you will believe that it is the right step for the right reasons.

Consider the positives now. If you’re worried about your child out with their friends, you’re able to send a quick message and receive a reply to put your mind at rest. Perhaps you’re running late and you’re worried that your child will be scared or concerned that you are not there when you said you would be, send a text or give them a quick call. Equally, they can make a call to a friend or family member if they cannot reach you but need to speak to someone urgently, even the police or ambulance service if necessary.

There is the added benefit of staying in touch as a family. With the Apps available today, you can easily create family ‘groups’ so that you can all send secure messages that can be seen by all and responded to by all. This can help you to stay connected as a family in a way that was not previously possible. As your child moves from tween to teen, family communication or time together can seem to be a bit thin on the ground. From this point of view, it is a great way to keep connected and stay in touch as a family throughout the day or night.

Once you decide that the time is right and you’re ready to give your child a mobile phone, consider a parent-child ‘contract’. You may laugh now but in the future, you’ll be glad you put the rules in place early on. The boundaries are clear and if your child does not use the phone responsibly or uses it for means other than those set out in your ‘contract’ the phone and rights associated with it, are removed until your child has learnt the lesson about responsible use.

Sign on the dotted line

When you’re ready to allow your child to have a mobile, talk to them about the fact that you will be setting out a contract for use, just like the one you need to sign with a provider. Responsible use is important and following the ‘rules’ is part of the process. You may want to allow your child some control over this as they will be far more likely to stick to and remember the rules if they’re the ones who put them down on paper in the first place.

Encourage your child to think for a week or so before you give them a phone, about what constitutes fair and safe use. What is the reason you are giving your child a phone and what do they feel would be fair use? From there, you have an idea of your child’s expectations and they can understand your concerns in advance.

There is always room for negotiation. Once you have decided on your list of essential rules, rules that may not be broken under any circumstances, you can invite your child to add in some of their own or argue their reason’s for opposing some of yours. Once you are both happy that you’ve settled on a set of rules that allows you to keep your child safe while still allowing them some of the independence that comes with owning a phone, you can print off a written copy for both of you to sign.

You may want to consider some of the following as a guide:

1. Set a credit limit or bar certain numbers from the phone at the outset.

2. Decide whether or not your child will have internet capability on the phone and if not, ensure that the phone you provide does not allow this function

3. Ensure that your child knows that it is not appropriate to send pictures or messages that contain photographs or content that could compromise their integrity or get them into trouble – demonstrate this by saying to your child that you should never send anything that you wouldn’t want the whole school to see.

4. Clear usage policy such as no mobiles in bedrooms or when at home, mobile phones are placed in a drawer.

5. Ensure that your child is road safe, remind them of the importance of not using their phone when walking as this leaves them open to the dangers of what is going on around them (traffic, road works, bikes, other pedestrians etc…)

6. Ensure that phones that have GPS location or social network sites, don’t let others know your location, mobile number or other personal information

7. Encourage fair use when your child want’s to top up credit. It is important to teach your child about limits.

8. Check your child’s bill regularly, you may also want to do spot checks on messages sent and received. Check with your provider what safeguards there are for parental control.

9. Discuss using messaging in anger. Rather discuss any issues with people face to face. Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say to a person’s face and even then, be certain that it is not damaging or hurtful.

10. Allow your child to prove that they are responsible. If they break the rules, ensure that they are aware of the consequences. Remove the phone for a pre-determined length of time that fits the act and ensure that your child is aware of the consequences of not following the rules you’ve made together.

Most mobile phone providers offer parental controls. This allows parents to monitor and restrict the content that children can access. Check that this services is activated and regularly ensure that it has not been disabled. Discuss your concerns with your phone provider, they can offer the most up to date service information that will help to put your mind at rest. Your provider is not likely to be able to directly filter content that your child receives on their phone directly. This includes texts, apps and picture messages. They can restrict internet browser content.

Your child’s phone may be able to access wi-fi hotspots so even if they don’t have a data package on their phone, be aware of the phone’s internet capability. There are a range of parental control apps that you can download. These vary in price but are ideal for filtering out unwanted content. You can install anything from basic blocking apps to full on monitoring.

Finally, talk to your child about phone safety. Keeping it out of sight to ensure that they do not become a target for theft and ensure that your child knows what to do should their phone go missing. Use a password to protect phone access too, this will help to make it more difficult for thieves to access your child’s phone, giving you more time to report it lost or stolen.

Children ultimately want to be responsible, remind them from time to time and parents responsibly by checking your child’s phone and setting reasonable limits on use.

This article is taken from childcare.co.uk

Teach your kids to cook: 10 easy recipes you can make together.

Child making a pizza in kitchen, step-by-step

Getty

Childhood obesity is a national problem with a third of schoolchildren classed as overweight.

The news this week that the rate of obesity is slowing down is, of course, welcome.

But the solutions to tackling the issue long-term are complex and costly – but we parents can make a difference.

I recently tried to do my bit by setting up an after-school Cookery Club at my sons' primary school.

As a housedad who cooks for and with his children every night, I thought I could make a contribution.

I'd teach every child who wanted to learn from Years 5 and 6 the basics of cookery via the creation of healthy, tasty meals they already enjoyed eating (albeit, all too often, in processed form, with all the nutritional villains of sugar and salt contained within) or wanted to eat (but their parents didn't have time to cook-from-scratch for them).

Twenty four kids came forward – a decent percentage from a roll call of 60 – so with the Deputy Head, we popped their names into a hat and drew out three lots of eight, who I would then teach in chunks of four weeks per group.

There were some dietary challenges – a couple of children were vegetarian, a couple halal, one had lactose intolerance, another a nut allergy – but with some planning and organising groups according to dietary needs, we overcame them.

What was most important was that they were enthusiastic to learn and learned where their food comes from and how to prepare it in a quick, simple, healthy way – without the need for additional salt or sugar to make it delicious.

Perhaps you could give them a go with your own kids – and with their friends too.

FIRST OF ALL, TEACH THEM THE BASICS...

• Read a recipe all the way through before you start.

• Wash your hands.

• Make sure you have all the ingredients before you begin a recipe.

• Always wash your hands before you start any recipe.

• Use separate chopping boards for fruit and vegetables.

• Keep your cooking area clean and keep a cloth or kitchen towel handy to mop up any spillages.

• Store raw and cooked food separately.

• Keep meat and fish in the fridge until you need them and always take care to cook them properly.

• Wash your hands after handling raw eggs or raw meat.

• Check the use-by date on ingredients.

AND NOW FOR THE RECIPES...

These are the 10 best from the Housedad Cookery Club.

ROAST CHICKEN AND BEAN SALAD

Serves 4

125g frozen broad beans
400g read-cooked roast chicken, shredded
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
Handful fresh chives, finely chopped
12 black olives, pitted
1 crisp lettuce, such as Cos, leaves separated
2-3 spring onions, finely sliced
For the dressing:
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
1-2 tsp Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Soak the broad beans in hot water for five minutes, then use a colander to drain. Set aside.

2. To make the dressing, put all the ingredients in a screw-top jar, season with black pepper, cover with the lid and shake.

3. Put the chicken, tomatoes and half of the dressing in a bowl. Sprinkle in half of the chives and season with the pepper. Gently mix in the beans and olives.

4. Spoon the chicken mixture on top of the lettuce. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and sprinkle over the spring onions and remaining chives.

MINI-BEEF BURGERS

Keith Kendrick

Serves 6

250g beef mince
50g Parmesan or Cheddar cheese, freshly grated
30g fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
Half onion, finely chopped
1 egg
1 tsp dried oregano
Olive oil, for frying
16 mini bread rolls
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
Lettuce leaves
400g tomato ketchup

1. Prepare a baking sheet with a sheet of greaseproof paper. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients for the burgers (beef, cheese, breadcrumbs, oil, garlic, onion, egg and oregano).

2. Form the mixture into balls about the size of walnuts and then flatten them out on the greaseproof paper-lined tray. Chill the meatballs in the fridge for a few minutes. Wash your hands well after handling raw meat.

3. Fry the burgers in the oil on a medium heat. Turn over after 5 minutes. Put a fork in the meat, if the juice is clear, then they're done.

4. Carefully cut the rolls in half. Fill each roll with a cooked burger, a tomato slice, a lettuce leaf and tomato ketchup.

FIVE-A-DAY PASTA SAUCE

This sauce is clever for two reasons. First, there are lots of ways to use it – poured over pasta, or over meatballs, or stirred into couscous, or as a healthy alternative to ketchup. Second, it's packed to brim with veggie goodness. It's also perfect for freezing into handy portions.

Serves 4

1 carrot, peeled diced
200g butternut squash, peeled and diced
50g frozen peas, defrosted
415g can baked beans
400g can chopped tomatoes
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp hot chilli powder (optional)
100ml double cream (optional)

1. In a saucepan of boiling water, cook the carrot, squash and peas for 7-8 mins, until tender. Drain in a sieve, then return to the pan.

2. Add the baked beans and puree with a hand blender until smooth.

3. Return the pan to the heat. Add both the canned and fresh tomatoes and bring everything to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4-5 mins until the fresh tomatoes are soft and pulpy.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and puree again until you have a beautifully smooth sauce. Add the chilli and cream to make the adult version.

RAINBOW CHICKEN STIR-FRY

Use any vegetables you like as long as they are crunchy and colourful. Serve with rice or you could use pitta pockets instead.

Serves 4

2 chicken breasts 1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp Chinese Shaosing rice wine
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into batons
1 courgette, topped and tailed and cut into batons
Half red pepper, deseeded and cut into batons
Half yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into batons
2-3 tbsp hoi sin sauce, from a jar

To serve: 1 cup basmati rice, boiled in 2 cups water for 9-10 mins, until tender; or fill pitta pockets or tortilla wraps.

1. In a bowl, mix the cornflour, rice wine and soy sauce together with a teaspoon until they form a batter.

2. Put the chicken breasts on a chopping board and, using a sharp knife and the 'claw' technique, slice the chicken into 1 cm-thick strips.

3. Add the chicken breast strips to the cornflour batter and, using a spoon, thoroughly coat the chicken. This is called 'velveting' which protects the chicken from getting burnt and dried out. Set aside until you're ready to cook.

4. On a separate chopping board, use a potato peeler to peel the carrots and then use a sharp knife cut them into thin strips. Next, trim off the ends of the courgette and cut it into strips. Now, using a teaspoon, remove the seeds from the pepper halves and cut them into strips. Transfer the chopped vegetables to a plate.

5. You're now ready to cook. Turn the hob on the oven to High. Add 1 tbsp sunflower oil to a wok or large frying pan and heat until smoking.

6. Remove the chicken strips from the cornflour batter and drain off any excess.

7. Holding the handle of the frying pan or wok, add the strips to the hot oil – taking care not to touch the pan or to get splashed. With a wooden spoon, stir-fry the chicken for 2-3 mins until the chicken is almost cooked through.

8. With a metal spoon, carefully remove the chicken from the pan and transfer to a clean bowl.

9. Wipe the pan clean and add the rest of the oil. Stir-fry the vegetable strips for 2-3 minutes.

10. Now add the Hoi Sin sauce and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables become tender.

11. Next, return the velveted chicken to the pan. Add the Hoi Sin Sauce and cook until bubbling, approx. 2 mins.

12. Serve on a bed of basmati rice or in pitta pockets or tortilla wraps. Eat and enjoy!

NAAN BREAD PIZZAS

You'll need a large naan bread for each 'pizza', then follow these stages:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Lay a naan bread on a work surface.

3. Using a spoon, spread a layer of your favourite base sauce. Choose from:
- Tomato
- Hoi sin sauce

4. Next, add your cheese:
Choose from:
- Sliced mozzarella
- Grated Cheddar
. Now choose your toppings. Choose from:
- Chopped green peppers
- Sweetcorn
- Pineapple pieces
- Sliced roast chicken
- Strips of ham
- Pepperoni
- Cherry tomatoes

6. Put your Naan Bread Pizzas on the baking sheet and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes.

7. Serve with salad leaves.

VEGETABLE CURRY

Serves 4-6

1 tbsp oil
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp tikka masala or korma paste
200ml coconut milk
200ml very low-salt vegetable stock
½ butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cubed
250g green beans, trimmed and cut in half
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
Pack of baby sweetcorn Fresh coriander leaves, to garnish
Serve with basmati rice and naan bread

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion over a medium heat for 5 minutes until softened.

2. Stir in the masala paste and cook for 1 minute. Turn down the heat and pour in the coconut milk, stirring.

3. Slowly pour in the stock. Add the butternut squash and bring to the boil. Then lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.

4. Add the beans and chopped pepper to the pan and cook, covered, for another 5-10 minutes until the squash is tender. Garnish with coriander.

5. To make the rice, put wash a cup of rice until the water runs clear. Add to a deep saucepan. Add 1 cup of water. Simmer for 5 mins. Turn off the heat and cover with a clean tea towel. Fluff up with a fork and serve.

CHEESE SAUCE FOR PASTA

Makes enough for 4-6 portions

25g butter
25g plain flour
600ml milk
salt and pepper
80g cheese, grated (e.g. mature Cheddar, Gruyere or Gouda)

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan.

2. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.

3. Take the pan off the heat and gradually stir in the milk to get a smooth sauce. Return to the heat and, stirring all the time, bring to the boil.

4. Simmer gently for 8-10 minutes and season with salt and white pepper.

5. Stir in cheese and allow to melt. Don t re-boil the sauce or it will become stringy.

MINI CHICKEN BURGERS

Makes 8

800g chicken mince
1 large egg white
2 tsp water
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp Italian herb seasoning
50g breadcrumbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A little vegetable oil for frying

1. Put the chicken, egg white, water, onion, parsley, garlic, herb seasoning, breadcrumbs and seasoning into a bowl and mix together. Add the chicken and mix together with a fork. Don't over mix. Shape into small patties.

2. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add the burgers. Cook over a medium heat for about 4 mins each side until cooked through and golden brown. Serve on buns with salad.

STICKY CHICKEN AND VEGGIE WRAPS

Serves 4

4 chicken breasts, sliced into strips
1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil

For the sauce

4 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
4 tsp brown sugar
4 tsp tomato puree
2 tbsp olive oil

1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

2. Add the oil to a large frying pan and bring to a medium heat. Cook the chicken breast strips for a couple of minutes each side then add half the sauce.

3. Cook for a further minute until the sauce bubbles. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

4. Serve the chicken strips on tortilla wraps with sliced peppers, sliced cucumber and sliced tomatoes.

5. Drizzle over the remaining sauce. Wrap and eat.

SPANISH OMELETTE

500g waxy potatoes, such as Charlotte
knob of butter
2 small onions, finely sliced
Red pepper, finely chopped
Sweetcorn
Courgettes
Green beans
6 eggs
1 x 25g pack chives

1. Finely slice the onions and chop the red pepper, removing the seeds. Cut the potatoes into roughly ½ cm slices.

2. Heat a knob of butter in a medium (about 24cm) frying pan over a low heat and cook gently for 10 – 15 until starting to go brown, add the peppers and cook for a further 5 mins.

3. Put the potatoes in a steamer over boiling water for 10 - 12 mins to soften. If you don't have a steamer, put in a saucepan, cover with boiling water and simmer gently for around 8 - 10 mins until just cooked through and drain well.

4. Break the eggs into a jug and beat with a fork, season with a generous grind of pepper and a pinch of salt. Use scissors to snip the chives into small pieces and stir in.

5. Heat the grill. Add a little more butter to the frying pan and add the potatoes. Pour over the egg mixture. Cook for 15 mins until almost set and golden brown underneath - you can use a fish slice to lift the omelette up and check.

6. Put the frying pan under the grill. Make sure the handle is outside the oven as it will become very hot and can burn. Cook for a further minute or two and serve.

This article was taken from Parentdish.co.uk