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Back to School
It's almost time to get back into the classroom!
Lord Rogers already has a long list of inventions and experiments he wants to teach Alise - even Princesses have to go to school!
Do you have all of your school supplies ready yet?
If not - NO FEAR! The Swan Princess is here to help!
We have a 'Swantastic School Set' available for a limited time!
Complete with crossbody bag, pen, coloring book, colored pencils, novelty pen holder, fabric mask, and journal, this exclusive set will help you start the school year in style!
Purchase our exclusive Swantastic School Set for $45
Grab a Swan Princess backpack, reduced to $11.99
Just because school is starting again doesn't mean there isn't plenty of time to enjoy the sunny weather and play outside!
Sticky Ribs with Chive Dip
A mouth watering meal for the family to enjoy!
Make sure to have some napkins ready as they can be a little messy - but these sticky ribs will be a hit at any party or family event!
Ingredients:
• 2 racks baby back pork ribs
• 2 cans cola
• 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Sauce:
• 8 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 8 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 1 tsp paprika
Chive Dip:
• 10oz (300ml) pot half-fat soured cream
• 2 tbsp salad cream
• small bunch chive, snipped
• 6 spring onions, sliced
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 320F (160C/140C fan/gas 3) and pack the ribs into a roasting tin.
2. Pour the cola over the ribs and top up with water until the ribs are covered.
3. Cover the tin tightly with foil.
4. Roast the ribs for 2 hours, turning them halfway through, until they are really tender but not falling apart.
5. Now put all of the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Whilst slowly stirring, gently heat the sauce and allow to bubble for 2 mins.
7. When the ribs are ready, carefully lift each of them out of the tin and sit them on kitchen roll to dry. Throw away any excess liquid left in the tin before washing it so that it is clean for the next step.
8. Place all of the now dry ribs back in the tin and coat them well with the sticky sauce.
9. Cover the ribs and allow them to chill for at least 1 hr to allow them to marinate (you can allow them to marinate for up to 24 hours, the longer you leave them, the more flavorful they will be). If you are preparing these in advance for a party or dinner, the ribs can now be frozen.
10. Mix all of the dip ingredients together and chill until ready to serve.
11. Heat the barbecue and wait for the flames to go down. If you are not using a barbecue to cook the ribs, preheat the oven to 425F (220C/200C/gas 7).
12. Add the ribs to the barbecue (or use a a roasting tin, if you are cooking them in the oven). Cook for 20 mins, turning occasionally and basting often with the remaining sauce.
13. When the ribs are sticky, hot and crisping on the outside, slice to serve.
14. Scatter the ribs with sesame seeds, if you would like to and serve with the remaining sticky sauce (warmed), and the chive dip.
Bratwurst in a Bun
Served in a crusty bread roll, the Bratwurst is topped with caramelised onions, sauerkraut, plenty of mustard and a delicious currywurst-style sauce. Prince Derek and Rogers always look forward to these being served at summer events in the Kingdom!
Ingredients:
• Bratwurst Sausages
• Crusty Bread Rolls
• Onions, sliced (as many as you like!)
• Mustard (optional)
Currywurst Style Sauce:
• tomato ketchup 3.5oz (100g)
• ground cloves a pinch
• red wine vinegar 1 tsp
• mild or medium curry powder ½ tbsp
Method:
1. Mix all of the sauce ingredients together in a pan and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Set the sauce aside to cool.
2. Heat the grill to medium and cook the sausages on a baking tray for 10 minutes, (turning occasionally). Continue to cook the sausages until they are golden and cooked through.
3. Just before serving, place the crusty rolls in a warm oven for a few minutes.
4. Put a sausage in each roll.
5. Add the homemade sauce on the sausage and add caramelized onions and mustard or any other condiments you like!
BBQ CHICKEN
One of Princess Odette's favorite meats to include in a tasty meal is chicken and this BBQ version is no exception!
Ingredients
• 2 red chillies, tops removed and reserved for the smoke mix
• 8 spring onions, chopped
• thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp paprika
• 3 tbsp dark brown soft sugar
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 limes (2 juiced, 2 halved to serve)
• 1.5kg mix of chicken drumsticks/wings, lightly scored
• 7oz (200ml) ketchup
For the smoke mix (optional)
• Handful of thyme sprigs
• Handful of bay leaves
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• Reserved chili tops (see above)
Method
1. Place all of the ingredients, except for the ketchup and chicken, into a blender/processor.
2. Add a pinch of salt to the ingredients in the blender and blitz to a rough paste.
3. Tip two-thirds of the paste into a large bowl with the chicken, and thoroughly coat the chicken with the paste.
4. Cover the chicken and leave for at least 1 hr at room temperature, or up to 48 hrs in the fridge.
5. Whilst you wait for the chicken, you can make the barbecue sauce. To do this, place the remaining paste into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook the paste for 5 mins until it thickens (it will become a darker color too). Add the ketchup and cook for 5 mins until sticky. Tip into a container and set aside.
6. Light the barbecue, make sure the coals are piled up at one end with just a 2/3 coals on the other side. Place the chicken on the side with just a couple of coals.
7. Scatter the smoke mix ingredients onto the piled up coals (if you are not using the smoke mix then skip this step).
8. With the vents open, cover the barbecue and allow the chicken to cook for 20 mins before turning the chicken and covering it again to cook for another 20 minutes.
9. Move the chicken so it’s above the piled-up coals, then baste well with the BBQ sauce (make sure not to use all of it as you cab serve some with the chicken later).
10. Cook for a further 10 mins, turning often, until charred and cooked through.
11. Finally, put the limes on the grill (cut side facing down) for 3/4 minutes.
12. Serve the chicken with the charred limes for squeezing over the meat alongside the leftover BBQ sauce.
Bean Bag Toss
Enjoy the sunshine with this fun game!
You Will Need:
Bean Bags
Buckets
Paper
Pens
Sticky Tape
1. Work out where people will stand to throw their bean bags from and mark this clearly on the ground (you can mark a space for adults and a space that's closer for children if there are people of different ages playing).
2. Write down the numbers '25', '50' and '100' on individual pieces of paper and stick these onto each bucket.
3. Space out the buckets in a line from the starting point, with the highest scoring bucket being the furthest away.
4. Take turns throwing three bean bags each, trying to score as many points as possible. If you don't get a bean bag in the bucket then the player scores 0 for that bean bag if they are an adult or 10 points for young children.
5. Play as many rounds as you like, the player with the most points wins!
Extra Challenge
In the Palace gardens, Derek, who we know enjoys a challenge, adds even more buckets and spaces them randomly around the starting point (left, right, diagonally), all with varying points to score!
When Alise was younger, Odette used to ask her to draw pictures of her friends to put on the buckets, with each picture having their own score. Sometimes Alise and Odette still draw pictures for the buckets - JeanBob always demands he is worth the most points though!
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