Treacle & Oat Soda Bread
Puffin has a delicious recipe for this month. This tasty version of traditional soda bread is a great addition to a dish that includes soup or cheese, especially if you are still experiencing cooler weather where you are.
Eat your soda bread on the same day or enjoy it toasted the next day - if there's any left!
Ingredients:
• 200g (1.5 cups) wholemeal flour
• 250g (2 cups) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 50g (1/4 cup) porridge oats, plus extra for sprinkling
• oil (or butter), for greasing
• 150ml (2/3 cup) live bio yogurt
• 1 tbsp black treacle
• 1 tbsp clear honey
• 1 tsp baking soda
• salt
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F /200C/180C fan/gas 6
2. Next, grease a baking sheet.
3. Take a large bowl and stir the oats, flour, baking soda and 1 tsp salt together until combined.
4. Pour the yogurt into a jug. Then add water in small amount, mixing gently after each addition, until the yogurt and water mix is made up to 400ml (1 2/3 cups).
5. Add the honey and treacle to the yogurt mixture and stir until fully dissolved.
6. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a knife until a soft, sticky dough forms.
7. Now tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring the dough into a round.
8. Gently lift the dough onto the baking sheet.
9. Carefully cut a deep cross in the top of the dough.
10. Sprinkle oats over the dough.
11. Bake for 30 mins or until the crust is golden before removing from the oven (the loaf will sound hollow when you tap the bottom).
Lucky Leprachaun Hat Craft
If you are lucky enough to meet a leprachaun, you might find that you follow them to their pot of gold at the end of a rainbow!
Our St Patrick's Day craft focuses on these lucky beings and is a fun activity for all!
Why not add some glitter to the craft and make your leprachaun hat sparkle like magic, especially the gold buckle!
You will need:
• Cardstock/Thick card or fibreboard
• Pospicle/lolly sticks or craft sticks
• Green Paint
• Paintbrush
• Black Paper
• Yellow Paper
• Glue
Instructions:
1. Firstly, glue enough popsicle sticks to your piece of card/fiberboard side by side so that their combined width is slightly smaller than the length of one stick.
2. Take another pospsicle stick and glue it across the bottom of the already glued popsicle stick. This will make the brim of the hat.
3. Put to one side to dry.
4. Paint the popsicle sticks all over with your green paint before allowing to dry again.
5. Cut out a strip of black paper that is long enough to go across the row of popsicle sticks that you used to make the main piece of the hat.
6. Now cut out a yellow square that is slightly wider than the black strip that you just made. Then cut out a black square that is smaller - this will make it easy for you to make a buckle effect in the next steps!
7. Make sure your "hat" is completely dry then glue the black strip of paper across the top of the horizontal popsicle stick to make the belt of the hat.
8. Next, glue the yellow square to the center of the black belt.
9. Finally, to complete the buckle and your leprachaun hat, glue the smaller black square to the center of the yellow square.
If you are adding some sparkly leprachaun magic to your hat, wait for the hat, belt and buckle to dry completely before adding some glitter to your design! You can make just the buckle sparkle with some glitter or cover the whole hat in sparkles!
This month we are celebrating the birthday of Mister Lorenzo Trudgealong, but his friends call him Speed!
This means Speed is a Pisces in the zodiac and aquamarine is his birthstone.
Pisces is the most intuitive and sympathetic of the zodiac signs and always goes out of their way to make sure everyone around them is happy. They are gentle, kind, and always ready to listen. They are very friendly and selfless.
Because it is so easy for the Pisces to make friends, they are often friends with many different kinds of people with strong personalities. They are the glue that hold these relationships together. Pisces are very tolerant and always willing to help others, no matter the situation; they often neglect their own self-care in the process.
Aquamarine symbolizes courage and friendship. It can also be used to improve communication skills and encourage quick response.
We think this sounds just like Speed!
Is your birthday in March or do you just like the color blue? Purchase your Aquamarine Birthstone Locket here!
About The Swan Princess
The Swan Princess is based upon the folk tale and ballet, Swan Lake. The story is transformed into a playfully fun adventure with exciting music, lovable forest friends, and of course, the handsome Prince Derek. The Swan Princess, Odette, has stayed true to the original fairy tale princess with her kindness, grace, and loyalty.
Three reasons you should follow us on Facebook 1) Get a behind-the-scenes look as Princess Odette and Prince Derek continue their adventures 2) Be one of the first to be notified when new products are released and 3) Share your Swan Princess stories and tales with other die-hard fans.
