The Day Pippa went to Asda House

When I went to Asda House last Wednesday I didn't know all I do now. You know how sometimes you learn about something after the event and you kick yourself? Well the first thing I would kick myself about is the live webcam that Asda House has in its Atrium. If I had known I would of taken a sign with me and told everyone on Twitter that follows me to watch at a certain time. If they ever forgive me for all the giggling that took place then next time I am invited back (please have me back Asda!) I promise to behave... apart from the sign I will be carrying!

I learnt a lot about how Asda works, and was fascinated by the culture that they have. When you work at Asda, it seems that you aren't just working at a job, but you are part of the family. I can't speak for all the employees, but I do think that everyone that I spoke to loved their job. They all had such enthusiasm for what they do and for each other and for the other departments! There is of course a friendly rivalry between departments, but that actually benefits customers as each department is striving to bring better goods and service than other departments. Its like a win win for the employees and customers!

I was really lucky to be able to talk to buyers in both the World Foods Department and in the FreeFrom Department. Paul (World Foods) and Richard (FreeFrom) were both keen to know what we (I was with CosmicGirlie as Amy from And one more means Four......and 1 more, Him Up North from The Blog Up North and Maria from Mummy's Busy World went to other departments) thought of the ranges that they had in store and what we thought was missing. I had a great chat with Paul, he is one of my heroes because he is part of the reason that Daddy and I choose a new food every once in a while to try!

Richard was amazing. He sat there and made notes whilst I made a huge list of everything that I thought was missing from the FreeFrom range, and everything I would like, that annoyed me and I would like more of. Then he gave me a huge bag of food to bring home for Daddy to eat (Thanks Richard, From Daddy!) and to give feedback on. The products were great and were very diverse and Daddy will talk about them (and also give his other great buys from all the major supermarkets in the UK) as soon as I can sit him still long enough with out him looking up his American Dream!

Now for Sausagegate.

Whilst we were at Asda House, we were allowed to try and give our opinions on several customer inspired sausages, one of which will be announced as the winner in the next few weeks. The Sausages were expertly cooked and none of us tried to convince the chef that he should come home with us, and none of us tried to get the chap in charge of Bacon and Sausages to let us tag along with him the next time he was product testing, and none of us made any crude jokes about hot sausage, meat, or injections of hot beef... and anyone who says otherwise is out to get me!

Finding out some of the history of Asda wasn't as boring as you might think because the wonderful Mike and Owen truly love the stores and it came across in what they told us; Both have worked in Asda for an impressively long time and both were able to give us facts (like Asda was the first Supermarket to sell Furniture!) off the top of their heads and they were aware of every store! When I said that my local was Milton Keynes, they both nodded and said "SuperCentre". It had been joked that both Owen and Mike would bleed green or if you cut them in half would say Asda through the middle of them, but I really do think that it is true! I have also said if they are ever in the MK area they can pop in for a cup of tea and I really do mean it, they were both great fun!

And that about sums up my day at Asda House.

Cupcakes and a bake off!

Daddy, Top Ender and Baby Boy stole my idea last weekend and made a batch of cupcakes. I was planning on making some myself as I wanted to enter English Mum's Bake Off, but I was busy hiding in the living room playing Farmville or something and so they did this all without me.

Baby Boy found it odd that Daddy's whisk was bigger than his. I found it odd that they didn't use Ken (my Kenwood food mixer) but opted for the hand method.

Top Ender helped measure out all the ingredients whilst sporting a country casual look.

Both Top Ender and Baby Boy had a good mix.

Top Ender was even allowed to make sure that all the lumpy bits were out of the mixture

Baby Boy was too worried that his juice was going to be stolen and added into the mix and so kept a firm grip on it.

Baby Boy also decided that baking was easy and could be done with his eyes closed.

Top Ender preferred to keep hers wide open.

The cakes were allowed to cool, but Daddy had to distract Baby Boy as he just wanted to eat them fresh from the oven.

Top Ender opted for a sneaky sprinkle fix.

Finally it was time to decorate and this was Top Enders idea of heaven!

Whilst Baby Boy had a little bit of help from Daddy this design was all his and eaten before Daddy even had the camera pointing at him.

And the verdict from Top Ender on the wheat free cupcakes?

I believe that's a thumbs up!

Chocolate Weetabix and I am not proving a point!

This is a sponsored post, but it is funny and true so don't wander away!



As of today you can go to Sainsburys and buy Chocolate Weetabix, (£2.59 for a pack of 24) but because Weetabix know that I love Chocolate and Weetabix they sent me a box last week (along with some toys for Top Ender and Baby Boy and some vouchers and a really cool canvas bag that I can add to the ones I take shopping) to try. They did also send me a chocolate spoon and a Chocolate Weetabix bowl, but if Top Ender or Baby Boy asks, the chocolate spoon was quite poisonous and not safe for children okay?!

Weetabix are one of my most favourite cereals and now that Daddy can't eat them (with being Coeliac and all) it means all the more for me. I have in the past eaten the normal ones with chocolate milk instead of normal milk (we ran out of the normal stuff!) and even hot water (you should try that one) but these were something different.

So what did we think of them? Top Ender won't touch the normal ones (despite as a smaller child eating them everyday for breakfast and refusing all else) yet she ate most of my bowl the first morning that I had them. Baby Boy took one look at my bowl, sniffed it a bit and refused to eat even one spoonful. It was only after I had taken a few moments to pay attention to what I had been eating that I realised its plain chocolate in the Weetabix.



I don't do plain chocolate. I actually hate plain chocolate. Plain chocolate is evil.



So Top Ender has been happily munching on the Chocolate Weetabix in the Chocolate Weetabix bowl and she thinks they taste delicious, but she is on her own with that one.



And with regards to proving a point.



Daddy said that I never write any negative reviews. I pointed out that I had said something negative in the review of the Brio Wooden Pull Along Helicopter, but that in general all the things that I have reviewed had been great and if something came to me to be reviewed and I didn't like it I would say so.



So just before Daddy starts saying I did not like these Chocolate Weetabix just to prove a point, I really, really, really don't like plain chocolate; but I will continue to eat normal Weetabix with chocolate milk on.

Treats for Daddy

Daddy has coeliac disease. This means that buying treats for him is a little harder than for most. Luckily these days every supermarket has a section of wheat free (dairy free and sometimes taste free) goodies, but to get proper cakes and treats (read of a decent size and with flavour) we normally have to make them ourselves from scratch.

Sometimes though making things from scratch doesn't quite work. Daddy really loves cheese scones, but every time I have made them... well lets just say the local ice hockey teams (MK Lightning and MK Thunder) had plenty of practice pucks if they wanted them. Experimenting is the name of the game.

Now this isn't a problem. I like to bake and even Daddy likes making scones and Top Ender loves to get busy in the kitchen with either of us (or on her own as several experimental puddings would attest to!) and so there isn't a problem there.

We are lucky that Daddy can buy foods on prescription too. He likes food that Glutafin make and as you can see a Happy Daddy is when he picks up his order from the Chemist!

 

Sometimes we get lucky, like the time when Daddy took Top Ender and Baby Boy to a Farmers Market in St Albans and discovered a stall full of wheat free cakes and biscuits and everything else a coeliac could only dream of.

And then there was discovering Cake Balls UK on Twitter. Anna makes gluten free cake balls (and "normal" cakes balls too and you can buy them from her website http://www.cakeballs.co.uk/) and was kind enough to send some to Daddy to taste.

I managed to get these photos before Daddy stole the balls away (and according to him ate them all in a car journey that lasted about three minutes) and as you can see they are beautiful looking!

Anyway, the balls were chocolate flavour (I'm not the only one singing *that* South Park song am I?) and Daddy said that they were fantastic and we will be ordering them in the future!

So why not follow Anna on Twitter, or better still order some of her lovely wares!

And because I am kind, here is the recipe for the cheese scones that Daddy has been making every week

Cheese Scones

8oz Gluten Free Self Raising Flour
1 level teaspoon Gluten Free Baking Powder
Half teaspoon Salt
Ground Black Pepper (to taste)
2oz Butter or Margarine
3oz Grated Cheese
4-5 floz Milk

Mix the flour,baking powder,salt and pepper together in a bowl.
Rub in the butter or margarine.
Mix in the grated cheese.
Make into a dough using the milk and a flat bladed knife.
Place on a floured surface and knead lightly for a minute.
Roll out to 1" thick and cut into 7 or 8 rounds using a 2.5" cutter.
Place onto a greased baking sheet and pop into a very hot oven for approx 10-12 minutes.
Gas 7/8 or 220 degrees centigrade.

To make fruit scones just miss out the salt, pepper and cheese and add 2oz sugar and 2oz sultanas to the mix.