Little Cloud rabbit cushions

Introducing something new and rather wonderful to Cottontails Baby.... Liberty print rabbit cushions, each one hand made in a little British studio, each one soft, pretty and practically irresistible.

Well, irresistible  to me anyhow. About a month ago Claire from Little Cloud emailed me to tell me about her rabbit cushions and I fell in love right away.

So much so that I broke all my own rules about 'only stocking toys' and 'not spending anymore money' and placed an order right away.

I have created a new Nursery Decor department on the website especially to site the cushions (although actually it's a nice addition as somewhere for all those lovely Maileg home accessories to go too).

The rabbits come in eight different Liberty print fabrics and are £30 each. Some pretty pictures below and you can see / buy them all on the website here. I hope you like them as much as I do...

Sylvain and Jeanne on the beach

The sun is shining today  (I am even wearing a summer dress!) and thoughts are turning to summer holiday.

Oh, we had a fine time on the beach last year....

I wonder where we will all go this year....?

Sylvain and Jeanne bake Miracle Bars

Two weeks ago I went to a beekeeping meeting (yes, I keep bees, must write about that some time) where some particularly lovely cakes were served. Called 'Miracle Bars' they are a delicious medley of biscuit, coconut, chocolate, nuts and caramel - yes, the five main food groups. The host kindly shared the recipe with me and a couple of days ago I had a crack at them.

Ingredients below, then method demonstrated by Sylvain and Jeanne. They are ludicrously easy to make, a little rabbit and goose were easily up to the job...

100g butter, melted

125g Digestive biscuit crumbs

175g Chocolate chips

75g dessicated coconut

125g chopped mixed nuts

400g can condensed milk

Bake in a 9" tin at 180C / 160C fan / 350F / Mk 4 for 30 mins

 

Sylvain assembles the ingredients

 

And Jeanne brings the coconut

 

Digestive biscuit crumbs go into a tin

 

Melted butter then chocolate chips on the top

 

Then coconut and mixed nuts - we used hazelnuts and walnuts

 

Jeanne goose can't keep her beak out!

 

Pour a tin of condensed milk over the top

(Sylvain has passed out in the background, too many chocolate drops)

 

Nibble a biscuit while the Miracle Bars bake...

 

And voila...

 

...delicious nutty sweet cake bars!

Oliver goes to Shelsley Walsh

My other half was competing in a hill climb at Shelsley Walsh this weekend, and I went along too to keep him company (for one day anyway, he was there all weekend but there's a limit to my motor racing tolerance... so NOISY)

Imagine Mike's delight when he realised I had taken along an 'extra guest'... yes, along with picnic, book and camera, there was room in my bag for a little mouse! (Mike LOVES it when I start phtotgraphing soft toys in public places... ha ha...)

Oliver mouse had a great day out and is quite keen to go along to the next race meeting.... Not sure I'll be there but perhaps I can persuade Mike to pop him in the passenger seat?

For your own Oliver mouse, visit the Hazel Village section on our website.