Category: Old Coates Parents

Recipe Of The Week – Banana Loaf

Ingredients –

140g butter, softened (plus extra for the tin),

140g caster sugar,

2 large eggs, beaten,

140g self – raising flour,

1tsp baking powder,

2 very ripe bananas, mashed,

50g icing sugar,

Handful of dried banana chips,

Method – 

  1. Heat oven to 180c / 160c fan / gas mark 4.

  2. Butter a loaf tin and line the base and sides with parchment paper.

  3. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy then slowly add the eggs with a little flour. Fold in the remaining flour, baking powder and bananas then pour into the loaf tin.

  4. Bake for around 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

  5. Cool in the tin for ten minutes then remove to a wire rack.

  6. Mix the icing sugar with 2 – 3 tsp water to make a runny icing, drizzle across the top and decorate with banana chips.

  7. Serve with a glass of milk or a coffee for the grown ups!

Serves 6

Keeping Our Coasts Clean

Our Coastal Classroom has been up and running for a few weeks now with much success.

The children are absolutely loving their lessons and learning so many new skills.

This week however, we focused on something a little different; our very own Early Days beach clean up.

It’s no secret that our coastline is becoming increasing polluted with plastic waste causing worrying environmental statistics for the future.

As a nursery we know how important it is not only to teach our children how to learn and grow, but also how to protect their own futures and the planet we live on.

With this in mind, we will continue to incorporate our beach clean up into our lessons. We also ask that whenever you find yourself at the beach, you do the same.

Lets save our coastlines one piece of plastic at a time.

 

Our Mini Marvels

Once again, the children at Early Days Nurseries pulled on their superhero costumes in aid of cash for kids.

We baked some lovely cakes and sold them to all our mummies and daddies, and a few grannies and grandads too!

After Maureen’s rounding up, we are so pleased to have raised £100 for another fantastic charity.

Thank you to everyone who helped!

Recipe Of The Week – Chicken Curry

Ingredients –

½ fresh red or green chilli, chopped,

2 cloves of garlic, chopped,

15g fresh ginger, chopped,

1 large onion, chopped,

1tbsp vegetable oil,

1tbsp coriander,

3tsp cinnamon,

2tsp turmeric,

3tsp cumin,

1 400g tin chopped tomatoes,

5tbsp mango chutney,

400g chicken breast, diced,

1 tin coconut milk,

4tbsp fresh coriander, chopped,

Method – 

  1. In a large saucepan, fry the onion and spices with a little oil over a medium heat until soft.

  2. Add the chicken and fry for 5 minutes until cooked and coated.

  3. Add all other ingredients and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

  4. Serve with some fluffy rice or nann bread

Serves 4

Coastal Classroom Has Arrived!

What a week to launch our Coastal Classroom!

The preschool boys and girls from each of our nurseries are having the best time planning their activies for the coming weeks.

Yellowcraig Beach is such a great location with so many different and exciting areas to explore.

Keep watching for more fantastic photos and updates as the children get more involved with our beautiful Scottish coastline.

Coastal Classroom is Coming!

We are so excited to announce that our Coastal Classroom programme will be up and running from Monday.

Steve and Laura Crandles, along with our newly qualified leaders from each nursery, will be putting their skills and knowledge into practice at Yellowcraigs Beach for the next 6 weeks.

Their first session will be focusing on creating a risk assessment of the area and putting in place rules and boundaries with the children.

This beach was chosen as it has a massive array of rock pools, open spaces and beach woodland to explore.

We can’t wait to get the boys and girls out there!

Recipe Of The Week – Root Vegetable Rice

Ingredients –

1 tbsp olive oil,

2 onions, finely chopped,

250g carrots, sliced at an angle,

250g parsnips, sliced at an angle,

1/2 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed,

80g butter,

500ml chicken stock,

100g short vermicelli,

300g white rice, rinsed and drained,

pink of saffron,

1/2 small pack flat leaf parsley, chopped,

Method – 

  1. Heat the oven to 200c / 180 fan / gas mark 6.

  2. Put the carrots and parsnips in a roasting tin and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle over the coriander seeds, season well and bake in the oven for 25 – 30 mins until cooked through and starting to turn golden brown at the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside somewhere warm.

  3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the onions. Fry for 2 – 3 mins until starting to soften, then add the vermicelli and cook until golden.

  4. Add the rice, saffron, stock and 500ml water. Cover with a lid, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook until the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 mins.

  5. Add the roasted carrots and parsnips, scatter over the parsley and serve.

Serves 4