The spooky limited edition haunted house designs are available across all 2L bottles of Fizzy Vimto, No Added Sugar and Cherry Vimto. These party sized bottles are great for sharing, so Vimto has designed a special range of creepy cocktail recipes that will add some seriously mixed up fun to your fancy dress frolics.

Here’s our yummy Halloween themed Vimto thirst quenchers to keep your little ghouls, goblins and guests entertained!

The limited edition Halloween bottles are available in all major supermarkets from early October, so start practising your creepy Vimto Halloween cocktails.

Vimto’s Creepy Cocktail Recipes

Vimto

Eyeball Surprise

A supernaturally simple concoction that every stylish spectre will be drinking this Halloween.

Use an ice cream scoop to make two ‘eyeballs’ of ice cream and press jelly sweets into each one to create the pupils.  Place them in the bottom of a tall chilled goblet and recite a witches incantation. Fill the glass two thirds full of devilishly delicious fizzy Vimto and watch the fiendish foam froth over the top of the glass.

No Added Sugar Vimto

Spooky Strawberry Heart

This is a great drink to serve to a scare to your guests. Swirl some No Added Sugar Vimto in with some cranberry juice and pour into individual glasses. Keep up the fear factor with a ‘Bleeding Heart’ made out of a bbq stick speared strawberry. Simply dunk the ‘heart’ into the glass and serve chilled.

Cherry Vimto/ NAS Cherry Vimto

Blood Curdling Brew

The perfect cauldron concoction for witches and wizards everywhere!

Put the flesh of one chopped melon along with 10 crushed red seedless grapes into your cauldron (or glass if cauldron not available) and blend until they form a ghoulishly bloody pulp! Strain into a glass and top up with fiendishly fruity fizzy Cherry Vimto to create your brew.

Witches tip – Half-fill an ice cube tray with water, add a halved grape to each section and press a raisin into the centre and then freeze to create eyeball ice cubes!

Spooky Ideas for some frightful Halloween fun with Vimto!

Halloween is a boo-tiful excuse to have a spooky party your kids will love, and you don’t need to live in Transylvania to pull it off! All you need is some imagination and you can host a great party without blowing the bank. At Vimto we love a scary party and have concocted some tips and recipes to that your little ghouls or goblins will never forget!

Make Some Invitations

Making these at home is a fun activity you can do with your kids and helps save pennies for food games. Print off pictures of bats, ghosts and pumpkins and trace the silhouettes onto coloured paper. You can decorate these with glitter or paint them in spooky colours.

Get your party invitations out 1-2 weeks before the party. To avoid any confusion, clearly state instructions about themes, costumes, and when the party ends.

Get Decorating!

Follow these simple decorating tips and get the best haunted house on the block.

• Decorate the main party room with artificial spider webs, or let the real ones build up all year long.

• Replace your normal light bulbs with colored ones. You can usually find orange bulbs in the home centres but you’ll almost surely find them in the party stores as Halloween approaches.

• Drape the traditional black and orange crêpe paper from the ceilings and door frames and hang up some fake spiders and bats for added effect.

• Cover the tables with black shower curtains or pick up some Halloween tablecloths while you’re out getting the light bulbs. Don’t forget to sprinkle the tables with Halloween party confetti.

• Carve a big jack-o-lantern as a centerpiece. Black flowers (real or artificial) look great in black cat vases. (Make sure that every jack-o-lantern is carved with adult supervision!!).

Halloween Party Games

Who forgets bobbing for apples or eating doughnuts off a string? These classic Halloween games are great fun for kids and adults can get in touch with their childhood and get involved too.

Bobbing for apples

One of the most iconic Halloween games, this one is also really easy to do. Just get a basin and fill it with water, if you’re a Vimto fan then you can also mix in a bit of cordial to make it taste yummy (just make sure that everyone knows to keep their eyes closed while bobbing), throw in some apples and get two players in a competition to get the most apples. For a scary twist add some plastic spiders, eyeballs and fingers!

Doughnuts on a String

Tie a length of rope between two trees. With kids standing under the rope, tie pieces of ribbon to the doughnuts (one per player) and then to the rope so the treats hang slightly above mouth level. Have players start on the count of three. Instruct each to eat an entire doughnut — no hands allowed — without letting it fall off the ribbon. The first to finish wins.

Pin the face on the Pumpkin

Any child who has played Pin the Tail on the Donkey will pick up this game quickly. Cut out eyes, noses, and mouths from black construction paper. Stick a reusable adhesive, such as Blu Tack, on the back of each cut out, and give a set of cut outs to each player. Place a large pumpkin on a low table or a bench. With blindfolded players starting four feet away (little kids may stand closer), instruct them to walk toward the pumpkin and create a jack-o’-lantern face (without peeking). After each turn, take a picture of the player with the finished pumpkin.

A Mummy’s version of Pass the Parcel

Before the party, tape a small, lightweight prize to the end of a roll of toilet tissue. Wrap up the prize in the toilet tissue and continue taping prizes and wrapping them until the roll is completely wrapped. Ask players to sit in a circle. Each person gets to wrap the end of the toilet tissue around a body part (an arm, forehead, waist, ankle and so on) until she finds a prize. She then tears the paper and passes the roll to the next player. Play continues until all the prizes have been unrolled.

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Tasty snacks turn into Eastern treats on the go

Recent research into the preferences of the consumer when it comes to their choice of snacks when at a delicatessen suggests that they are becoming more adventurous in their choosing s. Eastern Treats is a company that provides for snacks that can be eaten easily while on the go.

The economic crisis has meant that many people have had to cut back on how often they eat out at restaurants. This has meant that while the restaurant industry has declined, the snack sector has done well as people are turning to snacks as a cheaper alternative. A tasty snack is something that can be enjoyed while on the move or while at home

Wing Yip is the leading oriental super market in the UK and offers a great number of snacks. They have even now dedicated an entire section in their shop to selling just snacks as the demand has increased so much. Here you will find delicious oriental style snacks such as wasabi peas, these are sure to add some interest to a snack selection.

For parents, finding a good variety of snacks to put in a child’s lunch box can be a real challenge. For something a little bit different, try replacing the normal crisps and biscuits with an interesting and healthy alternative such as sesame snaps.

For the grown-ups, for an alternative to soups, salads and sandwiches choose filling and tasty samosas, spring rolls or even seawood crackers for an alternative to crisps.

Mr Wing Yip, founder and chairman of the Oriental grocery empire, said: “We stock a huge selection of snacks and sampling some of our sweet or savory treats is the perfect way to try a taste of the Orient and brighten up lunchtimes.”

Wing Yip is the UK’s leading Chinese grocer, with stores in Birmingham, Manchester, Cricklewood and Croydon. Each store is situated close to the city centre with easy access to the motorway and plenty of free car parking for customers.

A visit to one of our stores is like taking a trip around the Orient with over 3,000 products from the Far East. www.wingyipstore.com

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In fact, baby items are one of the green products that have of the largest rise in sales, especially the sales of natural cleaning products and chemical free nappies.    In fact, the UK soil association predicts that even despite the economic downturn the sales of organic food reached as high as £2.1 billion.

It used to be that in secondary school parents started bragging about their children’s academic prowess or their athletic abilities, but now it starts during the baby stages from the maternity wards up until the toddler play groups with mums chatting about how they are raising their child to make sure that they are brilliant.  It seems that while parents always have wanted the best for their children, now there is a much higher focus on what can be done to make sure that they truly get the best.

The million dollar question however is does all of this organic food really make a difference in a child’s development, with the answer coming in the form of another question about what is really organic.

Food is considered organic must have at least 95% of organic materials, but sometimes food items will be labelled organic with small print that tells you the amount of real organic ingredients in it which means you may not be eating as healthy that you think you are.  In addition, foods that are labelled free range, natural, or hormone free are not always organic even though the perception is that they are.

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Healthy eating with PackIt from TrendyKid

Just in time for the kids going back to school is the new product from TrendyKid called the PackIt. This is a freezable then reusable food and drinks storage bag that is made up of gel lines and is a healthy way of keeping food and drinks chilled so they taste better for longer.

The PackIt is compact and very versatile, and folds neatly up to be stored in the freezer until it is next needed. As well as being perfect for school packed lunches, it is also ideal for holidays, work, festivals, sporting events, days out, concerts, camping and any other reason why you would take a packed lunch. It can also be used for baby’s bottles, which is a great boon for any parent going out for the day with their little one.

There are no ice packs or ice needed in PackIt to keep its contents cools and fresh and it has a generous capacity of 6.5L. As the bag is made from non-toxic materials that are both lead and PVC free, PackIt is also kind to the environment as well as being totally safe to use for all members of the family.

It has never been easier to pack healthier and varies meals, and anything perishable is kept chilled at the right temperature, with the contents staying cool for up to 10 hours. This effectively means that any leftovers can go back in the fridge, thus reducing wastage and also saving money.

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Back to basics – bread, cereals and potatoes…

• Try to keep a selection of breads in the freezer for sandwiches. Using a different type of bread each day can make sandwiches more interesting. Try multigrain and seed rolls, bagels, baguettes, pitta breads, wraps…the list is endless! (Children have reported they like meat / cheese or fish etc and bread separate so it doesn’t go soggy)
• You could also raid the fridge for leftovers – some foods taste just as good cold such as pizza or pasta. Cook extra pasta, couscous or rice. Mix it with cut-up vegetables, a few nuts flaked tuna or mackerel.

Filling the void – meat, fish and alternatives…

Try to include lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, beans or pulses in your lunchbox:

• Tuna with cucumber, green pepper, sweetcorn or tomato
• Low fat hummus and cucumber
• Egg and cress (grow your own?)
• Cottage cheese and dried apricots
• Cooked chicken or turkey, tomatoes, and lettuce
• Peanut butter and banana
• Grated cheese and tomato
• Oily fish, such as salmon sandwich or mackerel pasta salad

Remember, if you are using a spread choose a reduced fat one – or do without it completely if you are using a moist filling.

Vegging out or Feeling fruity..?

It’s important to eat 5 (or more) portions of fruit and vegetables every day. You won’t be stuck for choice when it comes to lunchtime:

• fresh fruit e.g. apple, grapes, banana, kiwi fruit (children have also said they like different fruits every day and not always the traditional choices e.g.. wedge of  melon / peeled orange / kiwi and spoon / pot of strawberries. Why not surprise your child with a different fruit / veg choice every day of the week?)
• dried fruits, e.g. raisins, apricots
• chopped raw vegetables e.g. carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes or a mixed salad
• tinned fruit in natural juice – pop in a small container or buy small tins with a ring pull

Dairy delights…

Try to include some dairy products in your lunchbox – important to keep your teeth healthy and your bones strong (remember to look at sugar levels – 5g equals about one teaspoon):

• low fat yogurt – plain or fruit flavoured
• low fat fromage frais
• small pot of rice pudding or custard
• Milk / fruit-based milkshakes

Tasty treats…

Fancy something sweet in your lunch-box? There’s nothing wrong with this. Just try and make healthier choices when you can:

• currant bun, scone or fruit loaf,
• plain popcorn
• cereal bar (remember to look at sugar levels)
• fun sized bar of chocolate

Put in a drink…

Choose from:

• Plain water (still or sparkling)
• Plain milk (skimmed or semi-skimmed) or plain yoghurt combined with fruit e.g. smoothies, pureed fruit with plain yoghurt
• Pure fruit juice in small cartons or in a small bottle
• Hot drinks in the winter, e.g. soups

Keep cool…

• Use a cool bag and pop in an ice-pack or freeze a carton of juice and place in with food to keep cool
• Keep in the fridge until morning if you make it the night before

·          Don’t store your lunch next to a radiator or in the sun.

Tips provided by the British Dietic Association (BDA) -  www.bda.uk.com

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For this reason, using Alan to sell Wall’s sausages is not quite as crazy as people may think, especially since the two inch bull dog mix is adorable with a cockney accent, a little keyboard, and a lot of attitude.  In the television adverts he sings his praise to those who help in the kitchen and in the streets, and is sure to have your kids rolling around on the floor laughing.  More importantly, if you have a hard time getting your toddler to finish their dinner before desert, this little canine may convince them that sausage is actually very tasty.

Head on over to the main website for Wall’s sausages and you will find an interactive advert that features a personalised measure from Alan and Jason Donavan that your kids will find delightful.  Simply type in your child’s name and upload a picture into the app and before long you can sit back and smile while your child beams at the song that the sausage dog is singing for him.  A few rounds with the app and you can bet your kids’ will be finishing their meals tonight!

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Turkey is actually a relatively rare ingredient in Italian cooking, and you’ll rarely see whole turkeys being cooked outside of the holidays. However, turkey breast is a highly versatile ingredient, and very popular among Italian chefs. Here are some of our favourite turkey recipes, Italian-style.

Turkey Tonnato (Serves 6)

This is a great cold turkey dish, perfect with baked potato, salads or picnics. Mixing turkey with fish will give you some really surprising flavours. It’s also a great way to use up roast turkey leftovers.

First, juice half a lemon. Take 3 tbsp of the lemon juice and put it in a mixing bowl with 2 egg yolks and 1 tsp of mustard powder. Using an electric egg whisk froth up the mixture while gentle pouring in 200ml of sunflower oil and 100ml of olive oil until it thickens. Season with salt and pepper. This should give you a thick mayonnaise.

Using a food processor, pulse 185g of tinned tuna in sunflower oil, 5 anchovy fillets, 3 tbsp of capers and the rest of the lemon juice until creamy. Put the pulsed fish in a bowl with the mayonnaise and mix together, adding a little boiling water to thin the mixture if necessary.

Pour a little of the sauce into a large, deep baking tin. Layer 1kg thinly sliced cold turkey on top of the sauce, pouring another layer of sauce over that. Add more sauce, and repeat in alternating layers, keeping some of the sauce in reserve for serving. Cover the tray with tin foil and leave in the fridge for several hours.

Serve this dish at room temperature in a large, flat serving dish. Add the reserved sauce. You can also add olives, lemon slices or capers for decoration.

Turkey with Cream and Tarragon (Serves 4)

Tarragon is a hugely popular herb among Sienese chefs and it’s really good at bringing out turkey’s flavours. This is a simple, straightforward turkey recipe to show you how well these ingredients go together.

Take 200g of cooked white turkey meat cut into strips. Melt a large knob of butter in a large frying pan and add 1 tbsp of dried tarragon reconstituted with an equal amount of boiling water. Stir in 100ml/4fl oz of double cream and boil until it starts to thicken. Throw in the turkey strips, warm through, then taste. Season with salt, pepper and 1tsp of lemon juice. Serve with hunks of crusty white bread and a dry white wine.

Click here for more great turkey recipes.

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Using whole grain favourite, Raisin Oats & More, which provides fibre, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals Matt Dawson will teach you how you can make your very own rugby ball so that everyone has a chance to play team captain in the kitchen.

Watch the following video to see how you and your kids can have fun with your own rugby balls – it’s sure to keep the kids entertained!

Rugby Ball

130g Raisin Oats & More

250g White chocolate

28 Cheerios, all same colour, or mixed colours

50 raisins, approx 10g

1 strawberry, sliced in half

30g additional white chocolate, for joining and decoration.

Makes 1, weight approx 420g

1) Break the white chocolate into small pieces, and microwave on medium in 20 seconds blasts, stirring every time until melted, but not hot.

2) Mix the cereal with the chocolate and stir well to coat the cereal flakes,

3) Chill for 20 minutes, until set,  then take the two halves out of the mould

4) Break the 30g of white chocolate into small pieces, and microwave on medium in 20 seconds blasts, stirring every time, until melted but not hot. Pour into the piping bag.

5) Pipe chocolate onto the back of 1 half of the ball and join the 2 halves together. (This should set in a minute as the ball will be fairly cold)

Using the chocolate in the piping bag decorate the ball with the Cheerios, and write RUBGY  by piping a small dot of chocolate and pushing on a raisins to form the each letter. Finally pipe a large dot of the chocolate and press on the strawberry. Serve.

For more information visit www.wholegrain.co.uk

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