Try this scarily sweet pumpkin craft

Who doesn’t love a good nature trail, scavenging in the garden or when you head to the park? Do you fill your pockets with bits of moss, twigs, conkers, stones and leaves and carry them home like precious cargo? Children love creating cardboard box forests from collected treasures, so this year why not combine it with Halloween and try out an alternative to pumpkin carving?

Here I’ll show you how to make a secret woodland in a pumpkin cave, for some little creatures to play in. It’s a wonderful way to get small minds creating and the scavenger hunt for all your woodland materials can be as much fun as the decorating itself.

Step one
Take a pumpkin and a felt tip pen and draw a rectangular window shape. Using a serrated knife and a grown-up pair of hands, cut out the window shape. Don’t worry if you cut a little off-line; use a damp cloth to wipe away any felt tip.

Step two
Empty the seeds and loose flesh from your pumpkin. Let the children help and get messy pulling all the pumpkin’s hairy insides out! Rinse your pumpkin with water and pat the inside dry with paper towels.

Step three
Now you can start creating. Rosemary and creeping foliage make great bases for your woodland, and herbs give off a lovely scent too. Moss is perfect to balance your figures or toy animals in. Raid your toy boxes or local cake decorating shop for cake toppers, which make perfect props for your autumn woodland. Plastic horses, birds and maybe a reindeer or two would look very at home in this pumpkin shelter.

Add colour with dried flowers and pop on a window ledge or in the hallway for everyone to admire. The herbs will keep the pumpkin smelling sweeter for longer, meaning your creation has a shelf-life beyond October 31! You could add shredded paper and make a bird’s nest or even fake snow for a wintrier feel?

The only limit to this fun craft is your imagination. Enjoy!

Liked that? Try these:

• How to make pumpkin-spiced French toast 
• Five tips for a happy Halloween
• 15 excellent reasons to be happy that autumn is here

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Bring Nutmeg to life at our magical sculptures this Winter Wonderland

Unless you’ve been living under a giant ball of tinsel for the past few months, you’ll know that this year’s Winter Wonderland welcomes a very special new resident – Nutmeg the baby reindeer. So far we’ve told you all about Nutmeg and the children’s storybook created just for Center Parcs, but the fun doesn’t stop there.

At all five Villages this Winter Wonderland, you’ll find a magical, enchanting sculpture, each one inspired by a page from our book Nutmeg’s Antlers. Bedecked in twinkling fairy lights, the sculptures fit in perfectly against the scenery of snow-capped trees, cool blue skies and festive activities taking place from Monday, 7 November.

So what are they? Well, besides looking beautiful they’re the perfect spot to gather round and take a family photo to remember your break at Winter Wonderland 2016. But, with your smartphone you can also add our beloved Nutmeg into your photo too. How? Well, it’s magic of course! And by magic, we mean augmented reality.

Augmented what?

Augmented reality (or AR) is a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on to your view of the world, in real time. Unlike virtual reality, which creates a totally artificial environment, augmented reality uses the existing environment and overlays new information on top of it. To bring Nutmeg to life during your break, all you have to do is download the free Zappar app, available on Apple or Android.

How it works

1. Arrive at the sculpture (locations below – keep reading!) and open the Zappar app on your phone. It’s a really good idea to download the app ahead of your stay or in your Lodge (all accommodation now has free WiFi). Don’t worry if you forget though, there will be a WiFi connection at the sculptures too to ensure you can get that perfect festive snap.

2. Hold your smartphone over the full sign, next to the sculpture.

3. Marvel as you watch Nutmeg come to life before your eyes! Touch your screen to position, enlarge or shrink Nutmeg and take your photo with him, before saving and sharing to social media.

Where to find the sculptures

Whinfell Forest
Between Tree trekking and the Sports Plaza, map ref C10. See the map.

Sherwood Forest
Between the Village Square and the lake, map ref E9. See the map.

Elveden Forest
The cycle park by Dexters and the Village Square, map ref D9. See the map.

Longleat Forest
The top end of the Village Square entrance, map ref D8. See the map.

Woburn Forest
The grass ahead of Subtropical Swimming Paradise, map ref E5. See the map.

Haven’t booked your Winter Wonderland break yet? There’s still time! Take a look now.

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Pumpkin spiced French toast with hot maple nectarines recipe

Add a little pumpkin spice to your life

Pumpkin spiced coffees are having a moment. They mean that autumn is here and that magical time of year is on its way when your diet can be 60 per cent mince pies and Eggnog and nobody can judge you.

Since Starbucks created the pumpkin spiced latte (or #psl if you’re that way inclined) ten years ago, they’ve shifted an incredible 200 million of the drinks.

Recreating the familiar flavour of your favourite hot beverage isn’t as simple as adding some pumpkin. It’s a delicate blend of spices including nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and ginger that combine to give you that pumpkin pie warmth.

With this recipe you get the best of both worlds. Golden silky pumpkin enriches the creamy batter, while the spice mixture makes the house smell divine once you start cooking. The thick slices of brioche take this from a simple breakfast to an indulgent treat, especially if you add the hot, luscious nectarines. You needn’t keep it to the morning either – why not try it on Halloween before you head out for a spot of trick or treating?

The below recipe serves two. Simply double the quantities for four and continue scaling up if you have more guests. And if word gets out that you’re serving this up for autumn brunch, you may find people start popping round unexpectedly…

French toast ingredients

2 eggs
4 tbsp double cream
4 tbsp pumpkin – from a can or puréed
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of allspice or ground cloves
4 thick slices of brioche – ideally a few days old
B1 tbsp of oil (for frying)
1 tbsp of butter (for frying)

French toast method

1. Whisk the eggs, then add all the other ingredients and whisk again
2. Heat the oil and butter in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat
3. Carefully dip the bread slices into the batter and flip them over to give them a good coating
4. Gently fry the toast in the pan, turning once, until golden brown.

Hot maple nectarines ingredients

1 ripe nectarine
Maple syrup
½ tsp vanilla extract
A little butter for frying

Hot maple nectarines method

1. Melt a little butter in a frying pan
2. Slice segments from the nectarine into the buttery pan
3. Cook on both sides until starting to brown
4. Drizzle in some maple syrup and vanilla, then spoon over the French toast
5. If you are feeling fancy you can add crème fraîche, cream or ice cream and a dusting of cinnamon

Pssst…

Here’s a little secret. If you can’t get hold of pumpkin, just leave it out. The recipe is still delicious with just the egg, cream and those lovely spices.

Liked that? Try these:

• Easy peasy frangipane fruit tarts
• Autumn family crafts
• 15 excellent reasons to be happy that autumn is here

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Together for Short Lives: Meet the Abbott family

Our charity partnership

Back in June we proudly announced that our new charity partner for the next two years was to be Together for Short Lives, a charity that supports 54 local children’s hospice services across the UK and provide advice and support to families nationwide. With our new charity partnership we are helping five local children’s hospices, all of which allow families to make the most of the time they spend together and ensure that children have as fulfilling lives as possible.

Meet the Abbott family

The work of Together for Short Lives is vital and the Abbott family have experienced the support they provide for all members of their family.

Lee and John Abbott, parents to Noah and Amber, have received life-changing support from Keech Hospice Care, one of the many hospices working with Together for Short Lives providing vital support for families.

“No parent is ever prepared to hear bad news about their child but when we were told that our baby girl had lissencephaly I couldn’t take it in. Doctors told us that Amber wouldn’t develop beyond a 3-5 month year old. Even with modern medicine and care, we realised that our child was going to have a limited life. I stopped worrying about how long she would survive and started focusing on her quality of life.”

Keech Hospice Care

For families like the Abbott family this is where hospices like Keech Hospice Care reach out and offer a helping hand.

“Hearing the word hospice is scary. You associate hospices with death and sadness but I was amazed at just how much Keech offered and how it could help the whole family. It was nice to know there were other parents out there going through the same thing. Being able to interact with other families and share experiences and advice is amazing. Keech isn’t just about the medical side of life; it is about providing a quality of life and giving these children some normality.”

Children’s hospices provide support for the entire family and Amber’s brother Noah has experienced this first hand.

“Noah, Amber’s brother, struggled with his new sister. He loves her to pieces but is angry that he is no longer my only concern. Keech gives Noah a platform of expression and he’s the centre of attention while we are there.”

“Day to day life is a struggle but Keech makes it that little bit easier to handle. I feel better that I am armed with the knowledge of what to expect and that I have a network of people able to support me. It’s incredible to think that Keech relies on donations to stay open and provide this fantastic service. If I won the lottery tomorrow I would definitely make sure that Keech was around for years to come.”

We’re extremely proud to be supporting this life changing charity and we will be keeping you updated with our fundraising efforts along the way. To learn more about the inspiring work of Together for Short Lives and the support they offer for families all over the UK, find out more here.

 

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How to make perfect picture book pumpkins

I love the idea of everlasting decorations – the kind you make with the children one year, carefully store away and then joyfully re-discover twelve months later. If you, like me, can never bear to throw away your little ones’ craft projects (how could I?), then these stylish Halloween decorations might be for you.

These Halloween book pumpkins are a great way to appreciate the beauty of an old book that’s too tatty for a charity shop. They’re as fun to make for adults as they are for children, and, best of all, they don’t start to smell a bit iffy after a few days like a regular carved pumpkin!

All you need to create them is some old books that you no longer read – the dog-eared, slightly-torn, battered ones work perfectly. This is a chance for them to avoid the recycling and be turned into something beautiful.

The type of book you use is up to you – we went for the children’s un-read picture books, but old novels or musical manuscripts look wonderful, with a vintage feel.

For the stem of your pumpkin, head into the garden or your local park for some twigs. You need the straightest twigs you can find so they lie flat against your book spine. You could choose ones with a few leaves at the top or decorate with some seasonal ribbon, like we did.

Step 1

Take your book and separate the block of pages from the spine

Step 2

With a pen, draw half a pumpkin shape on the first page. Remember you want your pumpkin to stand up, so make sure you draw a slightly squashed circle shape with a wider base

Step 3

Gather together the first six pages or so and carefully cut around your pumpkin outline. Take the next few pages and, using the outline of the last cut page as a guide, continue cutting through all the pages to the end of the book.

Step 4

Open the book at the middle and flatten. Using a glue gun, spread some glue down the spine of the book and press your twig into place. Hold it down for 30 seconds until it sticks fast.

Step 5

Stand your pumpkin upright and spread out the pages until it balances.

Hooray! A Halloween decoration with no carving, no mess and no rotting vegetables. A forever pumpkin. Why not make a whole set out of different sized books to sit on the mantelpiece?

 

Liked that? Try these:

• Try this scarily sweet pumpkin craft
• Pumpkin spiced French toast
• Give your family a spooky greeting for Halloween

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Minder gokkasten bij Center Parcs

De gokkasten in Center Pars zone ‘House of Games’ worden steeds meer vervangen door behendigheidsspellen. Dat liet uitbater van de speelzone ‘Alrecrea’ weten aan de website meneercasino.com. Een exploitatie zonder gokkasten zorgt voor een lagere inzet van personeel.

Bij de behendigheidsspellen worden geen prijzen in geld maar in tickets uitgekeerd. Met die tickets kunnen deelnemers speren voor prijzen. “Dit soort spellen valt niet onder de categorie gokspellen” laat roel Veltmeijer van Alrecrea aan de Meneer Casino weten, “Bovendien willen we sowieso van het gokimago af”.

In samenspraak met Center Parcs
Het is voor Center Parcs niet ongebruikelijk om voor onderdelen van de exploitatie op het park samen te werken met externe partijen. Zo is de hele foodservice op de Nederlandse en Belgische parken uitbesteed aan Albron. Voor de exploitatie van ‘House of Games’ wordt samengewerkt met Alrecrea uit Sittard.

We vroegen aan Center Parcs in hoeverre zij invloed hebben op de koerswijziging van Alrecrea? Een woordvoerder laat weten: “Vanzelfsprekend verloopt iedere aanpassing in een concept, dus ook in het concept ‘House of Games’, in samenspraak met Center Parcs. We zijn continu met onze business partners in gesprek over vernieuwing in de beleving van onze gasten, zo ook met Alrecrea.”

Is er veranderende rol van het House of Games concept binnen Center Parcs? Center Parcs: “Voor wat betreft de kansspelen is er een aantal factoren dat een rol speelt. De invoering van het rookverbod een aantal jaren geleden, de opkomst van online casino’s én het uitblijven van innovaties op het gebied van machines maken dat we gestaag een daling zien van de populariteit van kansspelen bij Center Parcs.”
Over mogelijk samenvoegen met ander concepten is Center Parcs duidelijk: “De House of Games is vandaag al een ‘open’ afdeling in onze Market Dome of Action Factory en is goed zichtbaar voor onze gasten, maar is wel een concept dat op zichzelf staat. We hebben geen plannen om deze te integreren met andere concepten.”

Bron en hele artikel: Pretwerk

Bungalow Race: profiteer van extra scherpe prijzen

Vanaf 12 euro per persoon per nacht

Inclusief verplichte kosten

Uiterste boekingsdatum: 3 november 2016

Aqua Sana Woburn Forest to welcome Pop Up Spas

Aqua Sana Woburn Forest, Bedfordshire, will be hosting pop up spas from three different product houses across six months from January to June 2017.

VOYA, [comfort zone] and ESPA will each have a four week slot in the retail space and use of a treatment room at Aqua Sana Woburn Forest. The three product houses offer a different approach to spa, giving guests the opportunity to learn about new brands, new products and experience treatments from their own specialised therapists.

VOYA 27 January - 23 February 2017:

Hailing from County Sligo, Ireland, VOYA harnesses the natural goodness of seaweed in all their products. Founded by the Mark and Kira Walton over 10 years ago, VOYA is the world’s first certified, organic seaweed based skincare range. The Irish seaweed is hand-harvested to create over 50 products that utilise the minerals, vitamins and bioactive compounds which make up 80% of seaweed. A highlight of the VOYA pop up spa will be the chance to experience the 300 year old Irish tradition of a seaweed wrap.

[comfort zone] 24 March - 20 April 2017:

Italian product house [comfort zone] was established in Parma by pharmacist and cosmetic chemist Davide Bollati in 1996. After studying innovative approaches to anti-aging, Davide was inspired to create products that combined a soulful, healthy, sustainable lifestyle with advanced science-based solutions. [comfort zone] focusses on a mind-skin connection and places emphasis on overall wellbeing, which spa guests can learn about during workshops and seminars on diet and lifestyle as part of the [comfort zone] pop up spa.

ESPA 19 May - 15 June 2017:

Founded by Sue Harmsworth in 1992, ESPA takes a tri-active approach to spa – blending plant extracts, marine extracts and essential oils to create their range of products. ESPA products specialise in delivering immediate and long-term skin care benefits, as well as multi-sensory, immersive experiences through therapeutic treatments. As part of their pop up spa, ESPA will offer guests ‘10 minute treats’ and workshops ranging from ‘Mindfulness & Breathing’ to ‘Body Cleanse & Revitalise’ to showcase their holistic philosophy.

Kay Pennington, Aqua Sana Group Spa Manager said;

“We’re really excited about VOYA, [comfort zone] and ESPA running pop up spas at Aqua Sana Woburn Forest. Each product house is unique in its approach and offers different types of treatments and products for spa guests to learn about and experience. It’s a first for Aqua Sana and something completely new for our guests – we can’t wait to see what they think.”

Details of each pop up spa at Aqua Sana Woburn Forest will be available online at www.aquasana.co.uk/woburn for four weeks before each slot. All treatments, workshops and seminars on offer can be booked by spa guests online in advance or on the day (subject to availability).

Bron: CPUK

Give your family a spooky greeting for Halloween

If there’s something that little ones love to do more than painting, I’d like to hear it. Combine that with covering their feet in the stuff and you’ve got a winning craft idea for Halloween!

All you need is black card, a hole punch and fun ribbons to embellish your greetings card, white paint and a black pen. Oh and a pair of willing feet!

Step one
For little feet, fold your black card in half to make a portrait style card. Using the hole punch, make two holes. Now you are ready to paint your feet.

Step two
Dip the foot into a shallow bowl or plate and if you want to, use a paint brush to even out your white paint over the sole of your foot. Place your foot on top of the black card and press down to make a painty footprint!

Step three
Leave to dry, then add your ghostly eyes and mouth. Thread two pieces of ribbon one at a time, through your pre punched holes and tie in a knot or bow. Now write a spooky message and send to a friend to wish them a Happy Halloween!

Step four
For bigger ghosts footprints, hole punch two A4 pieces of card and tie them together with your ribbons.

How about making a family of ghost feet? Get everyone involved and on a larger piece of card each make a painted footprint. Hang with ribbons on your front door to welcome trick or treaters.

You could even add a little sparkle and sprinkle white and silver glitter on your wet ghosts before the paint dries.

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Terrific Toffee Apple Pies

When I think of autumn, I think of apples. It’s the time of year when they’re at their best, when the apple trees shake off their wares and baskets appear outside homes in our village, piled high with fruit, hand-written signs saying “Delicious apples, please take some!”

For the best pies, I mix soft, tangy Bramleys – which cook down to a rich sauce – with little cubes of crisp eating apples to add bite. You can absolutely make these with shop-bought pastry (and I have, several times) but this sweet and short pie pastry is so delicious that they become utterly irresistible. Add in a spoonful of dulce de leche (or heaven in liquid form) and you have a handheld, warm dessert that’s as perfect round a bonfire as it is as a mince pie substitute for currant dodgers.

Terrific Toffee Apple Pies

Makes 10-12 pies

Ingredients

Filling
2 large Bramley cooking apples, peeled and slices
2 eating apples (Pink Lady or Granny Smith work well), chopped into small cubes
70g golden caster sugar
1 tbsp milk mixed with 2tsp cornflour
1 tin of dulce de leche (you could make your own, but the tinned is just as good. Find it next to the condensed milk)
Mini butterscotch piece (optional, but amazing)

Sweet Pie Pastry
175g plain flour
75g self-raising flour
50g icing sugar
175g fat (I use 125g butter and 50g lard)
1 egg, whisked with a dash of milk

Assembly
1 batch of homemade pie pastry or 1 pack of ready-to-roll shortcrust pastry
1 beaten egg mixed with 1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp Demerara sugar

Method

Filling
1 Place your Bramley apples and a tablespoon of water into a pan with a tight lid
2 Cook for around 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften
3 Add your diced eating apples, replace the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes
4 Add your sugar, stir, taste (add more if you feel it’s needed)
5 Add your cornflour and milk
6 Cook for a few minutes to thicken the filling, then leave to cook

Sweet Pie Pastry
1 Mix the flours and icing sugar then lightly rub in the butter and lard
2 Add most of the milk/egg mixture and stir (or pulse in a food processor) until it starts to come together
3 Pull the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes

Assembly
1 Roll out your pastry on a floured surface until the thickness of a pound coin
2 Cut out circles a little bigged than the space in a fairy cake tin
3 Press your pastry into the tins
4 Spoon in some cooled apple and top with a heaped teaspoon of dulce de leche (sprinkle in your butterscotch pieces here if using)
5 Cut out slightly smaller circles and press them on top, sealing the edges
6 Brush with the milk and egg mixture, sprinkle with brown sugar
7 Bake at 175°C for 16-18 minutes until light golden brown
8 Cool in the tin for 5 minutes then carefully remove to a cooling rack

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