What’s On: Manchester Science Festival 2017

The family-friendly programme for this year’s Manchester Science Festival has been unveiled. The 11 day science extravaganza is packed with events, including a robot playground, family rave and a wild dinosaur experience.

This year’s festival runs from Thursday, 19 October to Sunday, 29 October and features more than 100 events at venues across Greater Manchester including Rochdale, Oldham, Stockport and Bolton as well as the city centre.

Headlining the Manchester Science Festival at the Museum of Science and Industry, will be the blockbuster exhibition Robots which explores the quest to recreate humans in robotic form. Smaller robot fans can also explore the themed activities at the Robots Playground featuring Miro the RoboDog, Nao the dancing robot and a host of other metallic friends.

Also headlining the Manchester Science Festival is Tape, by award-winning artists Numen/For Use. They are transforming the 1830 Warehouse at the Museum of Science and Industry into a giant spider’s web made from sticky tape. Visitors can climb through a translucent “stretched biomorphic skin” strung above the ground and crawl along winding networks of cocooning passageways.

Other events at the Museum of Science and Industry include Scribble Bots, Human vs Machine and Lego Space Rovers. Plus two fantastic immersive smartphone adventures featuring Ada Lovelace and Hedy Lamarr, The Lost Program and Reporting For Duty.

Further afield, visit the #CitizenScience Showcase to find out how people just like you are helping to make world-changing discoveries or experience the AquAIRium, a “dry aquarium” that brings every sound, scent and surface of the ocean to life. Puzzles, problem-solving and PlayStations: it’s all about experimental gaming at GameLab where for good measure, they’ll also take your mutt’s mugshot portrait using the latest camera technology. All three events are held at the MediaCityUK campus of the festival’s lead educational sponsor, the University of Salford.

Sing along to the A-Z of science with the Ensonglopedia of Science or discover the weird things the human voice can do at Electrifying the Voice. Music-lovers can enjoy science raps at the Hip Hop Science Stop Weekender. Experiments get excitingly explosive at Quantum of Science, while things that rain down from the sky is the subject of Meteorites and Fireballs.

Enjoy a creepie crawly boogie woogie at Big Fish Little Fish’s family rave. Encounter some Dinosaurs in the Wild and get hands on with the archives (and some Lego robots) in Science at Central.

There’s yet more hands-on fun at A Grand Exposition. A four-day celebration of the region’s diverse community of artists, makers and creative technologists, and The Science Studio. Visitors can get up close and personal with the chemicals, reactions and elements artists use in their art. The young coders of Manchester can test their hacking skills at HackManchester Junior; plus TV astronomer Mark Thompson will explore the magical properties of matter with exploding elephant’s toothpaste and vortex generating dustbins in Mark Thompson’s Spectacular Science Show.

The popular Pi: Platform for Investigation returns with daily events at the Museum of Science and Industry; featuring the real-life amazing researchers investigating subjects including flooding, dementia and killer fungi.

For more information and to see the full programme of events at the Manchester Science Festival, visit www.manchestersciencefestival.com

Review: Pier Eight at The Lowry, Salford Quays

Last week it was my birthday and as such a celebratory night out was required. My friend Sarah and I decided to go for dinner somewhere I’ve wanted to try for a while – Pier Eight, the rather nice restaurant at The Lowry Theatre in Salford Quays.

We arrived just as the evening performance of the popular show The Addams Family was about to start. Pier Eight had a smattering of people having a meal before the show, but also several busy tables of people like us who had just come for dinner. We were seated by the window which gave us a lovely view of the Millennium Bridge over the Ship Canal. Sarah remarked that having the view over the water felt a bit like we were on holiday. I’m not sure I’d go that far, but it was lovely.

Review: Pier Eight at The Lowry, Salford Quays

We ordered drinks and a good look at the menu. Pier Eight is a beautiful restaurant; with gorgeous light fittings, comfy but stylish chairs and booths, an open kitchen and all the panoramic views of Salford Quays you could ever want. It was so pretty Sarah and I were snapping away at little details and gathering up some interiors inspiration.

To start Sarah ordered the seared scallop with apple tart, black pudding beignet with red wine sauce (£8) and I opted for the summery sounding tomatoes, Lancashire curd, aubergine purée, Kalamata olives and pickled shallots (£6).

Sarah’s scallop was excellent, she said the dish was well balanced and perfectly cooked. I wasn’t sure what to expect with my tomato dish, but it was a treat. Chunky slices of ripe tomato sandwiched in between thin, crispy sheets of filo pastry with little dollops of Lancashire curd cheese. The olives and aubergine both giving a depth of flavour to each mouthful. Put a little bit of everything on your fork and it was very well put together. I was sad to finish it.

Review: Pier Eight at The Lowry, Salford Quays

For our main courses I ordered the spinach pancake, Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire cheese, baby beets, onion purée and tomato sauce (£16). Two filled pancakes covered in a rich tomato sauce. It’s quite an old-fashioned dish, but I really liked that. The spinach and cheese filling was well seasoned and tasty and the tomato sauce was about the best I’ve had. The baby beets were a little lost on the plate and seemed more of a garnish than anything else.

Review: Pier Eight at The Lowry, Salford Quays

Sarah’s lamb rump, hotpot potatoes, carrot purée, broad beans, asparagus, lamb sauce (£21) was a hit. She was thrilled with her perfectly pink lamb (they’ll cook it how you like it if pink is not to your taste). Being a good Northern lass she sung the praises of the hotpot potatoes (always everyone’s favourite part of a hotpot) and the carrot purée was wonderfully vibrant and sweet. She was impressed with the portion size, no mean portions here!

Review: Pier Eight at The Lowry, Salford Quays

Despite being fit to burst, this was a birthday celebration so we managed to find room for pudding. It was at this point in the evening where we clashed a little. We couldn’t possibly choose the same pudding and we both have similar tastes. We both agreed that the pudding menu was particularly strong and we both regretted we couldn’t just order everything and work through it tapas style.

Nevertheless a compromise was reached, it was my birthday so I got first dibs. I chose the Turkish delight baked Alaska with rich tea biscuit purée (£7). I know Turkish delight is one of those love/hate things, but if you’re a lover then this is the pud for you.

Review: Pier Eight at The Lowry, Salford Quays

It arrived with a birthday candle on top (thanks Pier Eight, a lovely touch). My baked Alaska stood proud at around 4 inches tall; gorgeous crispy meringue around ice cream peppered with Turkish delight chunks. The plate was adorned with rich tea biscuit crumbs and a rather intriguing rich tea biscuit purée. It was a pudding that I’ll remember for a long time and the prefect way to end a meal.

Review: Pier Eight at The Lowry, Salford Quays

Sarah ended up with the pudding I would have otherwise chosen – Rhubarb creme brulee, brandy snap, mascarpone cream and rhubarb crisp (£6). Sat on the table next to my Turkish delight extravaganza it did look a little bit modest, but what it lacked in showstopping pizzazz, it made up for in deliciousness.

The dainty little teacup of rhubarb creme brulee was beautifully creamy with a perfectly crunchy top. A pretty and elegant way to end a meal.

Pier Eight has a menu which celebrates the best local and seasonal ingredients from across Lancashire and Cheshire; all beautifully cooked and served in elegant but relaxed surroundings. I have to mention the service which was attentive without being in your face, it was relaxed and friendly and not at all pushy.

Our meal at Pier Eight was excellent. It’s a little bit of a hidden gem despite it’s busy location. I’ve only ever had drinks at the bar before, but we will be back. It’s somewhere we will both return to again and soon.

Find out more about Pier Eight at The Lowry on their website.

Pier Eight, The Lowry, Salford Quays, M50 3AZ Tel: 0161 876 2121

We were invited guests of The Lowry.

Recipe: Spinach & Pea Soup with Ricotta Dumplings

Over the weekend I made a big pot of my Spinach & Pea Soup with Ricotta Dumplings. It’s so quick and easy to make, and it’s absolutely packed with good stuff. The ricotta dumplings are optional but they help make a simple lunch a little heartier.

For me, Autumn is the season for soup. I love making a big bubbling pot of soup as a weekend lunch, and something that’ll last me through the week too. I’ve been feeling very run down recently and both me and my son are anemic. On top of the iron supplements he has been prescribed, I’ve been feeding him up with iron rich foods, spinach being top of the list. I’ve been finely shredding it and stirring it through all kinds of things, from curries to pasta sauces. Being secretive about eating spinach isn’t always a good thing, especially when it makes something so wonderfully vibrant as this.

Recipe: Spinach & Pea Soup with Ricotta Dumplings

I’m not sure this healthy recipe could get much easier. Often I don’t bother with the dumplings and just make a huge pot of soup. It’s pretty frugal too which makes it an all round winner.

Spinach & Pea Soup with Ricotta Dumplings

Ingredients (serves 8)
2 teaspoons of olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 litre of hot vegetable stock
500g of frozen peas
800g fresh baby spinach
Sprinkling of dried mixed herbs
Salt and pepper
Single cream

For the Ricotta Dumplings –
250g ricotta cheese, drained
75g self raising flour
1 large egg
30g Parmesan style cheese, finely grated
Salt and pepper

How to make the Spinach and Pea Soup –

Drizzle the oil in the bottom of a large pan. Throw in your diced onions and cook slowly until they’re tender. Add your diced potatoes and crushed garlic and stir for a minute. Pour in your hot stock, then leave to simmer for ten minutes or so until your potato pieces are tender.

Once your potato is cooked, add your spinach (it may look like a huge amount but it will wilt down to nothing) and put the lid on the pan for a few minutes, stirring occasionally to help the wilting process. Once wilted, throw in your frozen peas and simmer for a few minutes. Add some salt and pepper and about half a teaspoon of dried mixed herbs. You could use fresh herbs such as mint or coriander if you’d like, or even pesto, but dried herbs are fine.

Take the soup off the hob and leave to cool a little. Using a stick blender, blend the soup until it’s smooth with no lumps or leafy bits. Taste it and add more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. At this stage I also like to add a couple of tablespoons of single cream to make it taste a little more luxurious.

Recipe: Spinach & Pea Soup with Ricotta Dumplings

How to make the Ricotta Dumplings –

Drain your ricotta and pat it dry with some kitchen towel. Tip it into a mixing bowl with the Parmesan, salt and pepper and egg. Mix together. Carefully stir in the flour.

Put a large pan of water to simmer on the hob. Using two spoons, form the ricotta dough into small quinnells. If you don’t want to make quinnells, you can gently pat the dough into small ball shapes no bigger than a teaspoon scoop. Don’t be tempted to make them too big, they won’t cook through properly if you do.

In small batches put the dumplings into the simmering water to cook. Do not crowd the pan. The dumplings should sink to the bottom and then rise. I turn them over in the water and cook for another minute once they have risen to the top of the water. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain.

To serve, float three dumplings on top of your spinach and pea soup. I added a drizzle of single cream, but some finely grated Parmesan would work well on top of the soup and dumplings too.

Enjoy with some fresh crusty bread and feel virtuous at how much healthy veg you’re eating.

Recipe: Spinach & Pea Soup with Ricotta Dumplings

Check out my recipe for Norwegian Inspired Cauliflower Cheese Soup.

Review: Awesome Little Green Men “blind boxes”

Note: We were sent these Awesome Little Green Men for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

A couple of weeks ago we were sent some Awesome Little Green Men to try out. I put them to one side, ready to pull out with a flourish when my son had his cousin round to play. I didn’t think they’d be that impressed by them, but I surprised myself by being wrong. The Awesome Little Green Men are indeed awesome and about half of them are green, the rest are blue.

Review: Awesome Little Green Men "blind boxes"

Awesome Little Green Men is a new military collectible that combines blind-boxed soldiers and vehicles with a gameplay experience. You collect the Awesome Little Green Men and play the battle game. The goal is to build the best squad in order to win the game. Awesome Little Green Men is suitable for ages 6+.

Review: Awesome Little Green Men "blind boxes"

There are more than 100 unique military characters to collect in Series 1. With two troops to collect – green and blue. The collection features rare figures and more commonly found characters. The troops are led by General Pain and General Panic are made from colourful plastic. They have great names like Private Insurance, Corporal Kickbutt and Major Attack. I’m also pleased to note that there are some female characters who kick ass just as hard as their male counterparts!

We received a Deluxe Battle Pack (RRP £24.99) and a couple of Blind Boxes (£3.99 each) to play with. The Battle Packs contain everything you need to start your mission (comes with eight soldiers (three in a vehicle), eight dog-tags, a new recruits poster and game guide). Make sure you empty the pack out properly, there are bits and pieces cleverly hidden in the packaging. Each blind box comes with one soldier, one dog-tag, a new recruits poster and game guide.

Review: Awesome Little Green Men "blind boxes"

There is a specific way to play the game – taking turns you march, attack, flick sliders to get hit points, each solider has a numerical value (printed on the bottom on the figure) and each player starts off with the same value of figures in their troop. When the hit points for the character has been reaches, he or she goes to the opposing team. Sounds more complicated than it actually is.

Review: Awesome Little Green Men "blind boxes"

However, when it came to it, the boys just wanted to play things their own way, complete with old school sound effects. They had great fun with them and they were such a success they both gave them the thumbs up.

The individual blind boxes cost £3.99 which is about average for blind bags/boxes these days. The figures are about 2 inches tall and are well made, they’re fun and although there is a specific game you can play with them, they’re just as much fun if you just battle with your friends.

Review: Awesome Little Green Men "blind boxes"

Awesome Little Green Men are available to buy in Tesco, Smyths, Toys R Us and on Amazon.

To find out more information about Awesome Little Green Men and The Battle Game, visit https://awesomelittlegreenmen.mgae.com. They can also be found on PopJam, the username is @LittleGreenMen.

Note: We were sent these Awesome Little Green Men for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

Board Game Club Review: Jungle Speed

I am part of the Blogger Board Game Club run by Playtime PR. Each month 50 bloggers are sent a new (or new-ish, or at least new to them) board game to play and put to the test. This month we were sent Jungle Speed, a game none of us had heard of before.

Board Game Club Review: Jungle Speed

Jungle Speed is a card game created by Thomas Vuarchex and Pierric Yakovenko in 1991 and is produced by Asmodee Editions. It is played with a pack non-standard playing cards. It’s a bit like Snap but more complicated.

The box contains a deck of cards, a wooden totem and a bag to store the game in. Because there are so few elements and they can be packed away in a small bag; making it an ideal travel game. Jungle Speed is suitable for 2 or more players aged 7+. Each game should take around 15 minutes to play. It has an RRP of £14.99 and is available from a range of retailers including Amazon.

The game revolves around matching cards with identical symbols. Just like Snap, but the pack of cards all have different symbols on, some of which look similar but they’re not. Because some of the symbols are so similar it does make the game more challenging and players are more likely to snatch the totem at the wrong time meaning they have to pick up extra cards.

Board Game Club Review: Jungle Speed

To play, you shuffle the cards and deal them out equally to each player face down. Players take turns playing the top card from their stacks in a clockwise direction. There is a wooden cylinder called a Totem in the middle of the table, when a player plays a card that matches the symbol of another player’s top card, the two players must ‘duel’ to grab the totem. The loser of the duel takes both players played cards, as well as any cards under the totem and so it continues until the winner doesn’t have any cards left.

I explained the rules to the boys, one of which said it sounded boring, so he walked off and didn’t want anything more to do with it. So I played the game with the remaining 7 year old boy. He’s bright and he picked up the rules quickly enough. We played the game several times just to make sure we weren’t missing anything. Maybe we were, but neither of us had anything particularly good to say about Jungle Speed.

I wonder if it is better and more exciting played with more players. There wasn’t much action other than turning cards and even when we matched a card, snatched the totem and gave away our discarded cards to the loser, it wasn’t as much fun as a simple game of snap.

Board Game Club Review: Jungle Speed

After we’d packed the game away I read some reviews on Amazon, most of which were absolutely glowing. I’ve re-read the rules a couple of times since, just to check we were playing it correctly and we were. Jungle Speed is not for us. It’s not exciting, it’s not especially engaging and it lacked the speed and fun of a simple game of snap. Sorry Jungle Speed, we didn’t really like you.

We were sent the Jungle Speed board game for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own. This blog post contains affiliate links.

Find other board game and toy reviews here.

Crafts: Easy Halloween Monster crafts for kids

It may only be the start of September, but I’m sure Halloween preparations get earlier every year! My boy is already making noises about going trick or treating, it’s too soon for me, but it’s never too soon to get crafting. This month I was tasked by Craft Merrily to create some Monster Crafts. We’ve done two monster crafts this month, one ideal for a playdate or party and the other is just a simple craft you can do with as many children as you want.

Monster Crafts – Shower Puff Creatures

You will need:
One shower puff per person
Bostik Glu Dots
Pipe cleaners
Googly eyes
Cardboard
Scissors
Felt (you can use card if you don’t have any felt)

Crafts: Easy Halloween Monster crafts for kids

How to make your shower puff monster:
This is pretty simple. Using your pipe cleaners, twist them into a shape you like and wrap them tightly around the monster’s head. I had them as weird ears, but you could use lots and do crazy hair.

Cut out some circles (or other shapes if you prefer) and stick your googly eyes on to them. I drew lines around the eyes to make my monster look more monstrous. Using the glu dots, stick your monster eyes wherever you think your monster might have eyes.

Cut a mouth shape out of the felt (or cardboard), make a tongue or creepy teeth if you prefer and stick them in the mouth. I used a pen to draw some detail on the mouth and tongue. Once you’re happy with you mouth stick it in place using the glu dots. You are done! Find a nice place to hang your monstrous creation.

Crafts: Easy Halloween Monster crafts for kids

Monster Crafts – Create your own monster!

You will need:
Cardboard
Bostik Glu Dots
Felt tips or crayons
Assorted craft things to stick on – feathers, glitter, stickers, eyes etc

Crafts: Easy Halloween Monster crafts for kids

I have drawn up some of my own monster templates which you are more than welcome to download here. I printed them out on card. If you don’t want to use my drawings (I’m no artist) then you can draw your own on paper or cardboard.

Colour, stick, create, go wild, let you imagination know no limits and conjure up the monster of your dreams, or nightmares! As you can see the boys had lots of fun creating and decorating their monstrous creatures.

Crafts: Easy Halloween Monster crafts for kids

The boys really liked this little crafting session, perfection was not required and they loved using their imaginations. They gave their monsters very cute names too, like Ghosty and Mr Colourful. I really like this one, this is Ghosty and he is multicoloured with green accessories, oh and you can walk him with your fingers too.

This is the kind of craft activity that they can do with fairly minimal supervision and you can use their creations to decorate the house come Halloween too.

Crafts: Easy Halloween Monster crafts for kids

Note: I am a Bostik craft blogger and I was sent the materials to create this craft from Craft Merrily.

Crafts: Easy Halloween Monster crafts for kids

Check out my other craft tutorials here!

Our 5 favourite things from the Just So Festival 2017

We’ve been going to the Just So Festival for four years now and each year we throw ourselves into the magic of it all. It is absolutely the highlight of our year. This year was no different, we arrived anticipating good things and we left sad that it was all over for another year. Just So Festival 2017 was an utterly enchanting experience.