Daily Archives:

4th July 2023

Family

Three Ways to Refill Your Heart and Your Nest When the Children Fly

empty nest
Photo by dabatepatfotos 
This is a collaborative post

Many parents feel lonely and depressed after their final child leaves the nest. Although not a medical diagnosis, empty nest syndrome is a term used to explain these emotions. These strong emotions might be perplexing and unexpected because they appear to be at odds with your child’s accomplishment-related pride. You can learn about how to deal with this empty nest and accept your contradictory emotions by managing the changes effectively.

Acknowledge and Appreciate the Need for Parenting

The biggest challenge for parents may be the notion that they have completed their task or are no longer required in their child’s life. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Your children still depend on you even though they are not home. You still have a lot of parenting ahead of you, just in different ways. It may seem more like mentoring than parenting but that is par for the course. Keep in touch with your young adult and look for opportunities to assist them. Many parents choose to continue spreading their experience and care by taking on foster children. Find out more about options in your local area at thefca.co.uk. These children can fill the void and help you to remember that there is more than enough love to go around in the heart of a parent.

Rekindle Connections

Build and re-establish relationships. Many parents neglect their social interactions in the busy time of parenting as there is often little time for socialising. Once your children have left, this might be the perfect time to catch up with former acquaintances as well as enter fresh social settings to make more friends. If friends are entering a similar life stage as you are, this could be the perfect way to get reacquainted. This is a positive diversion that can help you steer loneliness away from your door. You may help one another out and offer advice on what works and what doesn’t by working together.

Make the most of this opportunity to spend quality time with your significant other. It’s time to put your relationship back in the forefront now that your nest is empty. Being alone with each other for such lengthy periods of time may require some getting used to, but it will be beneficial to you both in the long term. Plan date evenings into your schedule and set aside time to spend with each other. You may rekindle your romance and strengthen your bond with some time and effort.

Accept the Emotions

Give yourself permission to be unhappy and grieve the changes you are going through. Work through the emotions and take your time. Also, remember to be gentle with yourself. It’s normal to feel empty and uncertain at this stage of parenting because you have never experienced it before. Just be careful not to wallow in the grief as the sadness will eventually fade as you get used to the new situation.

In this next step of the parenting journey, you will need to accept the emotions, rekindle connections, and acknowledge and appreciate the need for continued parenting.

Health

How To Feel Confident In Yourself

This is a collaborative post

Confidence is one of those things that everyone wants more of and wants to understand better. If you are keen to try and make sure that you are more confident, there are a lot of things that you can do in order to make sure of that. As it happens, it might prove to be a simpler and easier thing than you assume, but you will need to make sure that you are working at it as best as you can.

Confident looking woman, dressed smartly and smiling
Image Source – CCO License

In this post, we will take you through some of the major ways in which you can hope to feel confident in yourself. As long as you think about the following, you should find that you are much more confident in yourself in no time and that this carries on in your daily life in a really powerful and useful way.

Get Healthy

One of the main things that help here, if not the number one main thing, is for you to get as healthy as possible as soon as possible. When you are generally well and healthy, that is the kind of thing that really makes a difference, and it’s something that you are therefore going to want to aim for as best as you can and as strongly as you can too. The truth is that getting healthy is not all that hard, but it does require that you focus on a few key areas in particular.

First of all, you may want to aim to have a healthy weight, as this is often one of those things that really improve how people feel about themselves. If you can do that, you should find that you are going to have a much better sense of yourself, so it’s well worth thinking about. Beyond that, make sure that you are avoiding over-drinking alcohol and caffeine, and that you are getting exercise and sleep too.

Those simple things really do make a difference to how good about yourself you really feel, so they are worth focusing on.

man wearing patterned shirt, leather jacket and leaning against a wall
Image Source – CCO License

Work On Your Style

It’s great to have a personal sense of style that you are happy with, as that is going to improve your view of yourself and will help you to move around with confidence. There are a lot of ways to work on your style, but the main thing is that you are thinking about what kinds of improvements you want to make so that you can be happy with your appearance in general, but also so that the style reflects who you feel you are internally.

To that end, consider whether there are any changes to your style that you might want to make, including whether you want to go for something really unique like a nipple piercing, or whether you want to try out some outfits you have never tried before. In any case, these are worth thinking about and could lead to a great improvement in confidence in no time.

Building Self-Belief

When you see confidence in someone else, what is it that you are really seeing? More often than not, it’s a kind of self-belief, something in them that shows that they are capable of anything that they put their mind to. That is something that you can build in yourself as well if you want to, and it’s all about just stopping limiting yourself and what you think about yourself. If you can build up your self-belief in this way, it will naturally lead to more confidence in yourself, so that is the kind of thing that you really need to think about here.

man standing in the middle of a road wearing a white shirt, grey tie, black trousers and sunglasses
Image Source – CCO License

With practice, you are going to believe in yourself more and more, and you will find that you end up in a situation where you are going to be much more naturally confident. That is a great place to be in.

Practising The Art Of Confidence

In general, you can think of all this as practising the art of confidence. It is something that you are always going to need to develop as best as you can, and as long as you work at it you should find that you can do so. Working at it and practising it is really the same process, so just make sure that you let yourself be creative with it. The more you enjoy the process, the more you are going to get out of it in the long run, which is something that you can look forward to.

Recipes

Strawberry And Raspberry Eclairs Recipe

This recipe is brought to you by Ocado

If you can’t get your berry fix from strawberries alone, why not throw in some sweet, juicy raspberries too? These eclairs are the perfect party food for guests to pick up and enjoy.

Ingredients

  • 50g unsalted butter, diced small
  • 65g plain flour, sieved onto baking paper
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 600ml double cream
  • 225g raspberries
  • 15 strawberries, sliced
  • 150g icing sugar, sieved

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper.
  2. Place 150ml water and the butter into a saucepan over a medium heat. Once the butter has melted and the water starts to boil, turn off the heat, slide the flour into the mix and beat with a wooden spoon until you have a ball of dough. Transfer to a mixing bowl and cool for 10 mins. Little by little, beat in the egg with a wooden spoon. You might not need all the egg – you want the mix to fall from the spoon after a count of 5.
  3. Transfer to a piping bag with a 1.5cm nozzle and pipe out straight lines of choux pastry, 12cm long, with plenty of space in between. Bake in the oven for 20-25 mins until risen, golden and crisp.
  4. Remove from the oven, make a hole with a skewer in the base, lay them upside down on the baking sheet and return to the oven for another 5 mins to dry out. Then remove from the oven and allow to cool.
  5. Crush 150g of the raspberries. Whisk the double cream to medium peaks and stir through the crushed raspberries.
  6. Push the remaining 75g of raspberries through a sieve and mix with the icing sugar to make the icing.
  7. Once fully cool, slice the eclairs in half and spread cream over the bases, followed by the strawberry slices. Use a little more cream inside the lid to stick it on. Top them all with pink icing.

To see more strawberry-inspired recipes, visit Ocado’s page here: https://www.ocado.com/webshop/recipecategory/strawberry-recipes/192846

Below you’ll find links to more strawberry and cream-based dessert recipes

Strawberry Trifle
Strawberry and rose syllabub
Giant strawberries and cream scone

About Ocado Retail

Ocado.com (operated by Ocado Retail) is the world’s largest dedicated online supermarket, and is a joint venture between Marks & Spencer Group and Ocado Group.

Delivering to over 80% of the UK, more than 940,000 active customers benefit from an unbeatable range of around 50,000 products (including big-name brands, more than 5,000 items from the M&S food and drink range and Ocado’s Own-Range), unbeatable service with next-to-no substitutions, and the most sustainable grocery proposition of any British grocer.

Every order is carefully packed in one of seven distribution centres using world-leading software and technology. Shopping is then delivered directly to customers using a network of regional spokes and fleet of delivery vans. Ocado developed the first grocery shopping app in 2010 and continues to innovate, offering customers the best possible experience.

Ocado Retail is also responsible for Zoom by Ocado, its rapid grocery delivery service.

Recipes

Giant Strawberries And Cream Scone Recipe

giant strawberries and cream scone recipe

This recipe is brought to you by Ocado

A scaled-up version of the beloved British scone, this giant strawberries and cream scone is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser – and it uses two types of cream!

Ingredients

  • 450g self-raising flour
  • 110g unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature
  • 50g caster sugar, plus 4 tbsp for the compote
  • 260ml milk, (preferably whole milk), plus extra for brushing
  • 200g strawberries, hulled and chopped (for the compote), plus 200g to finish
  • ½ lemon, juice only
  • 150ml double cream, to finish
  • 150g clotted cream, to finish
  • 1 cup icing sugar, to dust (optional)

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking paper. Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt, the butter and caster sugar. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips, until it resembles sand with no large lumps.
  2. Slowly add the milk and start mixing it all together using a knife (this avoids overworking the dough, which could create a tough, chewy texture). Once most of the dough has come together, use your hands to bring it gently into a ball. Shape into a round and place on the lined baking tray.
  3. Use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough out to a circle about 20cm in diameter and 3cm thick. Brush the top with milk, then bake for 25-30 mins, until golden. Remove from the oven, peel off the baking paper and leave on a wire rack to cool.
  4. While the scone is cooking, make the compote. Place the chopped strawberries, caster sugar and lemon juice in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a gentle rolling boil. Cook for around 15 mins until it starts to look syrupy, then remove from the heat and allow to cool. Chill in the fridge until needed.
  5. Place the creams in a bowl and whisk to stiff peaks. When ready to serve, stir in the strawberry compote.
  6. Carefully slice the scone in half horizontally and smother the lower half in the cream and strawberry mix. Cover with sliced strawberries, then pop the top of the scone back on. Dust with icing sugar, if you like.

To see more strawberry-inspired recipes, visit Ocado’s page here: https://www.ocado.com/webshop/recipecategory/strawberry-recipes/192846

Below you’ll find links to more strawberry and cream-based dessert recipes

Strawberry Trifle
Strawberry and rose syllabub
Strawberry and raspberry eclairs

About Ocado Retail

Ocado.com (operated by Ocado Retail) is the world’s largest dedicated online supermarket, and is a joint venture between Marks & Spencer Group and Ocado Group.

Delivering to over 80% of the UK, more than 940,000 active customers benefit from an unbeatable range of around 50,000 products (including big-name brands, more than 5,000 items from the M&S food and drink range and Ocado’s Own-Range), unbeatable service with next-to-no substitutions, and the most sustainable grocery proposition of any British grocer.

Every order is carefully packed in one of seven distribution centres using world-leading software and technology. Shopping is then delivered directly to customers using a network of regional spokes and fleet of delivery vans. Ocado developed the first grocery shopping app in 2010 and continues to innovate, offering customers the best possible experience.

Ocado Retail is also responsible for Zoom by Ocado, its rapid grocery delivery service.

Recipes

Strawberry and Rose Syllabub Recipe

strawberry and rose syllabub
This recipe is brought to you by Ocado

The classic combo of strawberries and cream is given a sweet, floral and slightly boozy twist in this super-simple Strawberry and Rose Syllabub – perfect for chilling out and watching Wimbledon!

Ingredients

  • 400g strawberries, hulled and quartered
  • 4 tbsp rosé wine
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp rose water
  • 150ml double cream
  • 4 vanilla shortbread biscuits

Method

  1. Put the strawberries in a bowl with the wine, sugar and rose water. Mix well and leave to macerate for 45 mins.
  2. Scoop most of the fruit into 4 dessert dishes, setting aside a few pieces for decorating. Pour the steeping juices into a separate clean bowl with the double cream and whisk to soft peaks.
  3. Spoon the cream over the dishes of strawberries, then top with the remaining strawberries and a shortbread biscuit. Serve immediately.

To see more strawberry-inspired recipes, visit Ocado’s page here: https://www.ocado.com/webshop/recipecategory/strawberry-recipes/192846

Below you’ll find links to more strawberry and cream-based dessert recipes

Strawberry trifle
Giant strawberries and cream scone
Strawberry and raspberry eclairs

About Ocado Retail

Ocado.com (operated by Ocado Retail) is the world’s largest dedicated online supermarket, and is a joint venture between Marks & Spencer Group and Ocado Group.

Delivering to over 80% of the UK, more than 940,000 active customers benefit from an unbeatable range of around 50,000 products (including big-name brands, more than 5,000 items from the M&S food and drink range and Ocado’s Own-Range), unbeatable service with next-to-no substitutions, and the most sustainable grocery proposition of any British grocer.

Every order is carefully packed in one of seven distribution centres using world-leading software and technology. Shopping is then delivered directly to customers using a network of regional spokes and fleet of delivery vans. Ocado developed the first grocery shopping app in 2010 and continues to innovate, offering customers the best possible experience.

Ocado Retail is also responsible for Zoom by Ocado, its rapid grocery delivery service.

Recipes

Strawberry Trifle Recipe – It’s Wimbledon 2023!

strawberry trifle

This recipe is brought to you by Ocado

It wouldn’t be Wimbledon without treating yourself to some strawberries and cream and there’s no better way to enjoy them in a classic strawberry trifle.

Ingredients

  • 275g caster sugar, plus 10g for the topping (optional)
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 200g whole strawberries, plus 150g, quartered (optional)
  • 5 gelatine leaves (for a firm set; use 4 for a softer set)
  • 200g sponge fingers, or use Madeira sponge, cut into strips
  • 500ml whole milk
  • 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out and kept, or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 40g cornflour
  • 600ml double cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp (approx.) sprinkles, such as hundreds and thousands, to decorate (optional)

Method

  1. For the jelly, put 150g sugar and the lemon zest in a pan with 500ml water and stir over a medium heat until dissolved. Add the whole strawberries, simmer for 10 mins until syrupy, then strain into a clean pan (save the leftover mushy fruit to eat for breakfast with yoghurt). Meanwhile, soak the gelatine in a small bowl of cold water for 5 mins.
  2. Return the strawberry syrup to a low heat until steaming. Squeeze out the excess water from the gelatine and stir it into the pan. Remove from the heat, leave to cool to room temperature, then add the quartered strawberries (if using).
  3. Arrange the sponge fingers in the bottom of a 1.5-2L trifle dish, pour over the strawberry jelly and leave to set in the fridge for 4-5 hrs.
  4. Meanwhile, for the custard, heat the milk, add the vanilla pod and seeds or vanilla paste and 65g sugar in a medium pan until steaming. Remove from the heat; leave to cool (discard the vanilla pod if using). In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks, cornflour and 60g sugar with a balloon whisk, until pale, then gradually pour in the warm milk, whisking continuously.
  5. Return the custard to a low heat and keep whisking until bubbling and thickened. Transfer to a heatproof bowl to cool, then chill for at least 2 hrs, or until ready to assemble.
  6. To finish the custard, whip 300ml cream to soft peaks with a balloon whisk. Lightly beat the chilled custard with a spoon to loosen, then fold in the whipped cream with a spatula, until combined. Spread the custard over the set jelly layer.
  7. For the topping, whip the remaining 300ml cream, vanilla extract and remaining 10g sugar (if using) to soft peaks, then dollop it over the custard. Top with sprinkles, if you like. Serve immediately or chill for up to 3 days.
  8. Allow 5 hrs chilling time for the jelly to set and the custard to chill.

To see more strawberry-inspired recipes, visit Ocado’s page here: https://www.ocado.com/webshop/recipecategory/strawberry-recipes/192846

Below you’ll find links to more strawberry and cream-based dessert recipes

Strawberry and raspberry eclairs
Strawberry and rose syllabub
Giant strawberries and cream scone

About Ocado Retail

Ocado.com (operated by Ocado Retail) is the world’s largest dedicated online supermarket, and is a joint venture between Marks & Spencer Group and Ocado Group.

Delivering to over 80% of the UK, more than 940,000 active customers benefit from an unbeatable range of around 50,000 products (including big-name brands, more than 5,000 items from the M&S food and drink range and Ocado’s Own-Range), unbeatable service with next-to-no substitutions, and the most sustainable grocery proposition of any British grocer.

Every order is carefully packed in one of seven distribution centres using world-leading software and technology. Shopping is then delivered directly to customers using a network of regional spokes and fleet of delivery vans. Ocado developed the first grocery shopping app in 2010 and continues to innovate, offering customers the best possible experience.

Ocado Retail is also responsible for Zoom by Ocado, its rapid grocery delivery service.

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