These easy suprise dinosaur eggs are the perfect sensory activity to keep exploring minds busy. They make great party favours too!
Author: Rebecca
Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake
This baked cheesecake has a trio of decadent flavours. Deep, rich chocolate; smooth caramel and the warmth of roasted hazelnuts. I first made it over a decade ago, and from that moment it’s become my “famous” cheesecake, often requested at parties and events. It has a professional finish, yet it is so easy to make and it’s one of my most used recipes from the Hummingbird Bakery’s “Cake Days”.
The Instant Pot is one of the best ways to bake a cheescake, and using the waterbath method will ensure that your cheesecakes bake evenly and don’t crack.
For a quick video tutorial, you can check out my instagram here.
Recipe as follows:
yields aprrox 8-12 slices
equipment: 20cm/8 inch round cake tin (preferably springform pan), deep roasting tin, aluminium foil
Ingredients:
Base:
220gr digestive/tennis biscuits (for an extra decadent cheescake you could crush lotus biscuits)
100gr unsalted butter
Cheesecake:
700gr full-fat cream cheese
120gr caster sugar
3 eggs
50gr Nestle tinned caramel
50gr dark chocolate broken into pieces
Topping:
4 tbsp tinned caramel
50gr hazelnuts, roasted and chopped into halves
1. Line the base of the cake tin with baking parchment.
2. Place the biscuits in a plastic bag and crush the biscuits with a rolling pin.
3. Melt the butter, add to the biscuit crumbs in a bowl and stir together. Tip the biscuit mixture into the tin and press it firmly in with a spoon. Place in the fridge and chill for 20-30 minutes.
4. If you are baking in an oven, preheat to 160C at this point (alternatively, Instant Pot requires no pre preperation) Preheat the oven to 160C.
5. Cream the cream cheese and sugar with an electric whisk until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time mixing at medium speed, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Make sure not to overmix, as this can cause cracks in the cheesecake when baked.
6. Set a third of the cheesecake mixture aside in a separate bowl. Stir the tinned caramel in the remaining two thirds and spoon into the cake tin onto the biscuit base.
7. Melt the chocolate, leave it to cool slightly and stir into the cheesecake mixture that you’ve set aside. Spoon this mixture onto the caramel cheesecake mixture in the tin and smooth over.
8. Wrap the cake tin in aluminium foil so that no water can enter the tin, folding it slightly over the sides of the tin. Place a cup of water at the bottom of your Instant Pot and close the lid and set valve to seal. Select pressure cook function and choose 40 minutes. Let it do a natural release for about 20 minutes and then open valve to venting. Once your metal popper has gone done, safely open up you lid and take your cheesecake out. It should have a slight wobble in the middle. (If Baking, fill a roasting tin until the water is about 5mm(1/4inch) from the top of the tin. Place the cheesecake in and bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes).
9. Once baked, allow cheesecake to cool in the tin (to room temperature). Then place it in the fridge for at least a few hours, but preferably overnight.
10. Remove the cheesecake from the spring-form tin, then top with the tinned caramel and sprinkle with hazelnuts.
Trust me, this cheesecake is well worth the wait, the flavour, and presentation, is amazing!
Flash Giveaway – Win tickets to the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 premiere
Lockdown 2020 saw my boys being introduced to the world of Sonic (and gaming). They are obsessed, they LOVE the movie, they LOVE the game and they LOVE the character. We were sadly disappointed at the lack of Sonic merchandise available in South Africa and even considered shipping some in from the UK for birthdays last year. Retailers, could we get some more Sonic toys please?
The good news in our favourite little blue hedgehog is back for a next-level adventure in SONIC THEHEDGEHOG 2. After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when the villainous Dr. Robotnik returns, this time with a new partner, Knuckles (my son Yusuf always chooses to play this character), in search of an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.
Giveaway
We get our first screening in South Africa this week, and the boys are SO EXCITED! To celebrate the launch of the new movie, i’ll be giving away 3 sets of tickets across Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg for the first screening on Wednesday 30th March at 17h30.
To enter: Simply comment below with your email address, city of choice and the name of the villain from the Sonic movie. Please ensure the email you leave is one that is checked regularly, as I will be communicating the winners details through that.
Details are as follows:
Cape Town
30th of March at Cavendish 2 at 17h30
Johannesburg
30th of March at Rosebank the Zone 3 at 17h30
Durban
30th of March at Gateway 16 at 17h30
Each person will win 4 tickets to see the movie, including popcorn and drinks.
Giveaway will end on March 29th at 12 noon, winners will be announced through Instagram that evening.
Eucerin’s Ato-Control Range; The Perfect Solution For Soft, Healthy Skin
All of my children have suffered with eczema concerns as babies, some more severe than others but it’s always a conversation I end up having at our 6 week check-up. The one brand my clinic sister has always recommended is Eucerin, yes, even for babies!
The Ato Control range is designed to care and protect dry, irritated skin. We were sent some to review and I’ve been quite surprised by the results.
Our personal favourite is the Eucerin Ato Control Bath & Shower Oil, it’s formulated with Omega-3 and Omega-6 Oils and replenishes the skins barrier to prevent drying. If I’m using it myself, I apply it directly onto damp skin. If I’m using it for the kids, I add a little into their bath water. Its fragrance and preservative free and my daughter loves adding her “special oil” into the bath. If you suffer from Atopic Dermatitis or eczema flare ups this will work wonders. They are tremendously hydrating and provide instant relief for dry, itchy skin.
The Eucerin Ato Control Lotion is suitable for newborns and babies, it provides instant moisture and strengthens the skins barrier, its quite a thick formula but surprisingly absorbs really quickly. It’s made up of more than 60% natural oils and it’s fragrance and paraben free (as are all the Ato Control range.)
Last but not least is the Acute care cream (and this has been a winner for my husband) – Ask any psoriasis or eczema sufferer what keeps them up at night. Itching! The acute care cream soothes and calms redness and irritation and provides welcome relief to get a good, restful nights sleep.
I love the fact that there is one brand we can use across the whole family (especially when it comes to packing for road trips). Eucerin Ato Control is suitable for newborns right the way through to mum and dad (and Granny and Grandpa too)! Available through Clicks and Dischem pharmacies nationwide.
**Body Wash is suitable from newborn and the Acute Care Cream and lotion is suitable from 4 weeks.**
**This article was written in collaboration with Eucerin, all thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Managing Fevers in children
With 4 children I have certainly managed my fair share of fever’s in 8 years. It still constantly amazes me how each child’s body react differently to fevers. As a first time parent one of the scariest things is not knowing how to bring a fever down.
I was laying in bed, after a night of dealing with 2 feverish children, thinking of all the old wives tales out there and I suddenly thought I should write down my tips in a blog post. First and foremost, I am not a medical doctor. I am merely a mum of 4. Always follow your doctors advice, and hopefully this article won’t go against any of it.
I follow some incredible doctors and have an exceptional Paed as well, check out their websites here (Dr Maraschin) and here (Dr Nadia Khan).
A temperature is your body’s natural response to fighting an infection, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but, it does need to be monitored and managed. I think it’s also very important to know your own child’s “core temperature” as well. For example, I have one child (my eldest), who typically ALWAYS feels ‘warmer to touch’, so when he gets a fever – he burns up quickly, like roasting, and often peaks over 38 Degrees Celsius. I also know, that with him, the second he hits that 39 mark, his bodies natural reaction is to puke (happens every time he gets a fever like clockwork). So we do everything we can to keep it low and monitor him closely. I have 2 other children that are naturally ‘cooler to touch’. Now with them it’s actually harder to tell when they have a fever, sometimes the only way I can see it is if i touch their chest or under their feet (without a thermometer). Their fevers generally take a bit longer to climb.
I’ve heard way too many old wives tales over the years, vinegar socks (please don’t) or vicks on your feet to name a few. Regardless of them, a fever needs to be managed and a high fever can cause seizures so it is important to keep an eye on them and control them.
Here are some of the top (medically approved) tips I’ve learnt over the years:
Don’t forget to always seek professional medical advice.
A new look and formulation for our favourite all purpose cleaner. Handy Andy goes greener !
You may have noticed a bit of a change to your beloved Handy Andy Cream. In keeping up with Unilever’s Clean Future Strategy, the new bottles of Handy Andy cream feature a new modern look, improved product formulation and an innovative packaging.
The bottles are now 100% recyclable and is actually made with partly
recycled materials, while the cream itself has an improved formula
consisting of 100% natural cleaning particles and a 100% biodegradable fragrance. Yes it may be gentler on the environment, but its certainly tough on stubborn dirt and grease, leaving shiny clean surfaces with no harmful residue. You can clean the grease and grime off your kitchen counter with an easy to rinse formulation that allows you to simply wipe off the dirt and enjoy hygienically clean and beautiful surfaces.
As South Africans we are looking for effective cleaners, that are safe for our families and the environment. A product, like Handy Andy Cream, that we can use across different surfaces and for various different uses. It leaves no harsh residues behind and is easy to rinse, this is great news for parents who worry with their children crawling everywhere!
Tying in with the more natural feel, Handy Andy has also replaced Ammonia with a new, uplifting Eucalyptus fragrance. This new variant comes in 500ml, 750ml and 5L. It leaves behind a wonderful, fresh scent and is harnesses on the powerful properties of Eucalyptus.
The Handy Andy cream is available at all major leading supermarkets across the country.
** This article is written in collaboration with Unilever and Handy Andy South Africa.**