www.stairsteady.net Privacy Policy

This privacy policy has been compiled to better serve those who are concerned with how their 'Personally Identifiable Information' (PII) is being used online. PII, as described in US privacy law and information security, is information that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person, or to identify an individual in context. Please read our privacy policy carefully to get a clear understanding of how we collect, use, protect or otherwise handle your Personally Identifiable Information in accordance with our website.

What personal information do we collect from the people that visit our blog, website or app?

When ordering or registering on our site, as appropriate, you may be asked to enter your name, email address, phone number, address or other details to help you with your experience.

When do we collect information?

We collect information from you when you place an order, fill out a form or enter information on our site.

How do we use your information?

We may use the information we collect from you when you register, make a purchase, sign up for our newsletter, respond to a survey or marketing communication, surf the website, or use certain other site features in the following ways:

      • To personalize your experience and to allow us to deliver the type of content and product offerings in which you are most interested.

      • To allow us to better service you in responding to your customer service requests.

How do we protect your information?

We do not use vulnerability scanning and/or scanning to PCI standards.

We only provide articles and information. We never ask for credit card numbers.

We use regular Malware Scanning.

Your personal information is contained behind secured networks and is only accessible by a limited number of persons who have special access rights to such systems, and are required to keep the information confidential. In addition, all sensitive/credit information you supply is encrypted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology.

We implement a variety of security measures when a user places an order to maintain the safety of your personal information.

All transactions are processed through a gateway provider and are not stored or processed on our servers.

Do we use 'cookies'?

We do not use cookies for tracking purposes

You can choose to have your computer warn you each time a cookie is being sent, or you can choose to turn off all cookies. You do this through your browser settings. Since browser is a little different, look at your browser's Help Menu to learn the correct way to modify your cookies.

If you turn cookies off, some features will be disabled. that make your site experience more efficient and may not function properly.

However, you will still be able to place orders .

Third-party disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your Personally Identifiable Information.

Third-party links

We do not include or offer third-party products or services on our website.

Google

Google's advertising requirements can be summed up by Google's Advertising Principles. They are put in place to provide a positive experience for users. https://support.google.com/adwordspolicy/answer/1316548?hl=en 

We have not enabled Google AdSense on our site but we may do so in the future.

California Online Privacy Protection Act

CalOPPA is the first state law in the nation to require commercial websites and online services to post a privacy policy. The law's reach stretches well beyond California to require any person or company in the United States (and conceivably the world) that operates websites collecting Personally Identifiable Information from California consumers to post a conspicuous privacy policy on its website stating exactly the information being collected and those individuals or companies with whom it is being shared. - See more at: http://consumercal.org/california-online-privacy-protection-act-caloppa/#sthash.0FdRbT51.dpuf

According to CalOPPA, we agree to the following:

Users can visit our site anonymously.

Once this privacy policy is created, we will add a link to it on our home page or as a minimum, on the first significant page after entering our website.

Our Privacy Policy link includes the word 'Privacy' and can be easily be found on the page specified above.

You will be notified of any Privacy Policy changes:

      • On our Privacy Policy Page

Can change your personal information:

      • By emailing us

How does our site handle Do Not Track signals?

We honor Do Not Track signals and Do Not Track, plant cookies, or use advertising when a Do Not Track (DNT) browser mechanism is in place.

Does our site allow third-party behavioral tracking?

It's also important to note that we do not allow third-party behavioral tracking

COPPA (Children Online Privacy Protection Act)

When it comes to the collection of personal information from children under the age of 13 years old, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) puts parents in control. The Federal Trade Commission, United States' consumer protection agency, enforces the COPPA Rule, which spells out what operators of websites and online services must do to protect children's privacy and safety online.

We do not specifically market to children under the age of 13 years old.

Fair Information Practices

The Fair Information Practices Principles form the backbone of privacy law in the United States and the concepts they include have played a significant role in the development of data protection laws around the globe. Understanding the Fair Information Practice Principles and how they should be implemented is critical to comply with the various privacy laws that protect personal information.

In order to be in line with Fair Information Practices we will take the following responsive action, should a data breach occur:

We will notify you via email

      • Within 7 business days

We also agree to the Individual Redress Principle which requires that individuals have the right to legally pursue enforceable rights against data collectors and processors who fail to adhere to the law. This principle requires not only that individuals have enforceable rights against data users, but also that individuals have recourse to courts or government agencies to investigate and/or prosecute non-compliance by data processors.

CAN SPAM Act

The CAN-SPAM Act is a law that sets the rules for commercial email, establishes requirements for commercial messages, gives recipients the right to have emails stopped from being sent to them, and spells out tough penalties for violations.

We collect your email address in order to:

      • Send information, respond to inquiries, and/or other requests or questions

      • Process orders and to send information and updates pertaining to orders.

To be in accordance with CANSPAM, we agree to the following:

      • Not use false or misleading subjects or email addresses.

      • Identify the message as an advertisement in some reasonable way.

      • Include the physical address of our business or site headquarters.

      • Monitor third-party email marketing services for compliance, if one is used.

      • Honor opt-out/unsubscribe requests quickly.

      • Allow users to unsubscribe by using the link at the bottom of each email.

If at any time you would like to unsubscribe from receiving future emails, you can email us at

and we will promptly remove you from ALL correspondence.

Contacting Us

If there are any questions regarding this privacy policy, you may contact us using the information below.

www.stairsteady.net

Westthorpe Innovation Centre

Sheffield, S21 1TZ

England

info@stairsteady.net

Easter Activities for Children

Now the Easter Holidays are here and the weather is looking less than inviting I thought I would do some activities to entertain your children or Grandchildren indoors.


Most children love ‘helping’ bake so I have found two simple recpies with an Easter theme, Easter Rocky Road and Easter Chick Cupcakes. Both recipe’s are from the Good Food Channel and both are easy enough for children to get involved with.

Easter Rocky Road

Prep time: 15 min, plus setting time

Cook time: 5 min

Serves: Makes 12 pieces

Ingredients
• 300 g milk chocolate, (min 30% cocoa solids)

• 100 g butter, softened

• 100 g digestive biscuits

• 100 g rich tea biscuits

• 100 g mini marshmallows

• 200 g chocolate mini eggs



Method

1. Break the chocolate into pieces, place in a bowl and melt gently - you can do this either in a microwave or on the hob in a heatproof bowl over simmering water.



2. Add the butter and stir until it is melted and fully mixed with the chocolate.



3. Place all the biscuits in a food bag and bash with a rolling pin, but stop before they all turn to dust.



4. Add the biscuits and the mini marshmallows to the warm buttery chocolate and stir well.



5. Pour the mixture onto a buttered baking tray and top liberally with the mini eggs.



6. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and then cut into pieces. Store in a cool place and eat within 3 days.



Easter Chick Cupcakes

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 18 min

Serves: Makes 12

Ingredients
For the cupcakes

• 125 g unsalted butter, softened

• 125 g caster sugar

• 2 eggs, room temperature

• 125 g self-raising flour

To decorate

• 125 g unsalted butter, softened

• 250 g icing sugar

• 2 tbsp milk

• 100 g moist shredded coconut

• yellow food colouring

• 24 chocolate chips

• 12 orange jelly diamond sugar decorations



Method

1. For the cupcakes: heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. In a mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Once this is pale and fluffy, add 2 eggs one at a time.



2. Add the flour and once this has become a nice fluffy cake batter spoon into cupcake cases in a muffin tray and bake for 18 minutes. Once they are firm but springy to the touch, remove from the oven and allow to cool.



3. To decorate: Put the shredded coconut in a bag and drop in some yellow food colouring. Give it a good shake until the white strands have turned a cheerful yellow colour. Turn it out onto a large plate.



4. In a bowl, combine the butter with the icing sugar. If your buttercream frosting is a bit stiff, add the milk to soften it.



5. Once this has mixed well and become fluffy, dollop 1 heaped teaspoon on each cupcake and spread to form an even layer with a palette knife.



6. Scatter the top of each iced cake with the yellow coconut flakes to give an even coating. Finish each cake with 2 chocolate chip eyes and a jelly beak.



Easter Crafts

There are so many Easter crafts that you can do with children including:

Making Easter cards – coloured card, cotton wool, tissue paper, poster paints, brushes, felt tips, Pritstick

Easter bonnets – plain straw hat ( a card hat can be made instead using a large sheet of card, double sided sticky tape and staples), PVA glue, coloured card, glitter, little Easter chicks (available from most card shops and supermarkets), tissue paper, silk flowers, feathers, ribbons and buttons.

Painted/coloured hard boiled eggs – Hard boiled eggs (eggs boiled for 12 minutes then cooled), felt tip pens, Poster paints, brushes, tissue paper, glitter, wool strands for hair, googly eyes, pritstick.

Healthy New Years Recipe's

Chickpea and Roast Vegetable Salad

Prep: 25 mins plus 30 mins standing time

Total cooking time: 40 mins

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 large butternut squash, cut into chunks

• 2 red peppers, halved

• 2 aubergines sliced in half lengthways

• 2 large courgettes sliced in half lengthways

• 2 large red onions, cut into quarters

• Olive oil , for brushing

• 300g tin of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh leaf parsley

Dressing

• 40ml olive oil

• 1tbsp lemon juice

• 1 small garlic clove, crushed,

• 2 tsps chopped fresh thyme

Preparations:

1. Preheat the oven to hot 220 degrees/gas mark 7, brusg a baking tray with oil and spread the vegetables in a single layer over the tray. Brush the vegetables lightly with the olive oil.

2. Bake for 40 mins or until the vegetables are tender and begin to brown slightly on the edges. Remove and set aside to cool. Chop the vegetables into large pieces, then put all the vegetables in a bowl with the chickeas and half the parsley.

3. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Season, then toss through the vegetables. Set aside for 30 mins to marinate. Spoon into a serving bowl and sprinkle with the rest of the parsley before serving.



Roast Butternut Squash Soup

Prep 20 mins

Total cooking time 55mins

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1.25kg Butternut squash, cut into chunks

• 2tbsps olive oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 tsps ground cumin

• 1 carrot, chopped

• 1 celery stick, chopped

• 1 litre vegetable stock

• Fresh finely chopped parsley, for serving

• Ground nutmeg, to garnish

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to moderate 180 degrees/Gas 4. Put the squash on a greased baking tray and lightly brush with half the olive oil. Bake for 25mins or until softened and slightly brown on the edges.

2. Heat the remaining oil in a large pan. Cook the onion and cumin for 2 mins over a medium heat, then add the carrot and celery and cook for 3 mins, stirring frequently. Add the squash and the stock. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 mins.

3. Cool a little and then puree in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return the soup to the pan and gently reheat without boiling. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve then sprinkle with the chopped parsley and ground nutmeg.

New Years Blues and Goal Setting

Christmas and all the excitement of December has gone any many people start to suffer from the January blues. I have been doing some research on how to beat these blues naturally and have come up with my top 7 tips.. Each of them alone can help you to feel better so why not try giving one or all of them a go and start 2013 off feeling good about yourself?


Tip 1 Eat Happy Foods!

Some foods can leave us feeling sluggish and down these tend to be fatty, sugary or processed foods so try avoiding these for a while and stocking up instead on some of these which actively promote feeling good and protecting the body:

Flax seeds or other foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids – These have been shown to reduce symptoms of low mood and aid sleep. Good sources of these include oily fish and nuts. Some products are now fortified with omega 3 too.

Bananas – Bananas contain tryptophan which the body uses to produce serotonin. They are also packed with potassium and vitamin B6. They also can help regulate blood sugars.

Complex Carbs – Complex carbs are found in things such as brown rice, oats and pulses. They give a sustained energy release and can help promote a feeling of wellbeing as they help produce tryptophan and serotonin.

Vitamin B, B6 and B5 – These are essential for the body’s conversion of food into energy and they aid mood elevation. They help support the adrenal glands which help support the body’s response to stress. B6 is essential for serotonin synthesis.

Immune strengthening foods – garlic, onions, beetroot, peppers, chillies, sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, nuts, seeds, honey and blueberries. There are many more and they tend to generally be the raw and colourful ingredients in our diets.


Tip 2 Find out what’s making you feel down.

Ask yourself what is making you feel down in the dumps and rather than trying to push these feeling aside allow yourself to acknowledge them and then resolve them. To help to do this you can use the wheel of life, a tool used by many life coaches. The wheel of life is a circle divided by 8 spokes. Each of these spokes represents an area of your life:

1 – Health 2 – Money 3 – Social life 4 – Partner/relationship 5 – Work/career

6 – Friends and family 7 – Physical environment and home 8 – Personal growth/spirituality

For each of the spokes give yourself a score out of 10. Where you score less than 5 this is an area that you need to focus on and write out any problems that you feel are in this area and then try to find solutions for. Set yourself goals for these areas and problems. Try to double at least one of your spoke scores within a set amount of time e.g. I will spend more time with my family by the end of the month etc.

Tip 3 Set short and long term goals

This helps you have a purpose in life and helps you to keep focused on this purpose rather than concentrating on the negative aspects of your life. The sense of achievement that reaching your goals gives you helps to raise your confidence and self esteem. Make sure that your goals are all SMART Goals should be SMART, that is:

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Attainable

R – Relevant/Rewarding/Realistic

T – Time bound

Specific is the What, Why and How of the goal. Ensure the goals you set are very specific, clear and easy. Instead of setting a goal to lose weight or be healthier, set a specific goal to lose X cm off your waistline or to drop a dress size or to run X miles in X amount of time. Then review the goals and make sure they are still manageable steps towards your main resolution.

Measureable - Choose a goal with measurable progress, so you can see the change occur. How will you see when you reach your goal? Be specific: “I want to lose 1kg before the end of the month, 5kg in 6 months and 7kg in a year” shows the specific target to be measured. “I want to lose weight” is not as measurable. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that motivates you to continue the effort required to reach your goals.

Attainable – Goals you set which are too far out of your reach, you probably won’t commit to doing. A goal needs to stretch you slightly so you feel you can do it and it will need a real commitment from you. For instance, if you aim to lose 5kg in one week, we all know that isn’t achievable. But setting a goal to lose 1kg and when you’ve achieved that, aiming to lose a further 1kg, will keep it achievable for you. The feeling of success which this brings helps you to remain motivated. Be sure to set goals that you can attain with some effort! Too difficult and you set the stage for failure, but too low sends the message that you aren’t very capable. Set the bar high enough for a satisfying achievement!

Rewarding – When your goals are rewarding for you, it is much more likely that you will stay focused and motivated. By making the goals and resolutions personal to you rather than what other people ask of you it is far more likely that you will stay on track. When you achieve each goal towards the main resolution take the time to enjoy the satisfaction of having done so. Take time to see how the goal has taken you closer to meeting the resolution and look at the progress you have made. Reward yourself appropriately for having met your goal and it will help build your confidence and motivation towards meeting the next goal in your plan.

Time bound - Set a timeframe for the goal: for next week, in three months, by the end of the year etc. Putting an end point on your goal gives you a clear target to work towards. If you don’t set a time, the commitment is too vague. It tends not to happen because you feel you can start at any time. Without a time limit, there’s no urgency to start taking action now. Time must be measurable, attainable and realistic.

Some other Hints and Tips for meeting your resolutions and goals are:

State each goal as a positive statement rather than as a negative eg I will, can, regularly, rather than I won’t, can’t or never

Set priorities – if you have more than one resolution then decide which one is most important to you and work on that one first it is easier too easy to feel overwhelmed by having too many goals to reach at once.

Write goals down – if you have no record of your goals it is much easier to give up on them.

Make sure your goals are small and achievable if things seem too large and difficult it is far harder to stay motivated.

Set goals over which you have as much control as possible. If you set goals based on personal performance rather than outcome you can keep control over your achievements rather than being dispirited by external reasons beyond your control.

Keep re assessing your goals to make sure you are still working towards your over all resolution and if not alter your goals to make sure you can still achieve what you set out to do!

Tip 4 Socialise and build or maintain relationships and friendships

When you feel depressed or down you can start to isolate yourself, this increases the feelings of depression. Mixing with people does help to left the spirits!

Close relationships affect how we feel, so nurture them and if there is problems try to resolve them. If you need some help try organisations such as RELATE http://www.relate.org.uk/home/index.html

Friendships also affect how we feel, just having a friend to listen and talk to can make a huge difference. Make sure you devote some time to maintaining or making new ones. Remember it is quality of friendship that matters not quantity!

If you are having trouble making new friendships why not try: Joining a health club or gym, Joining a class at a local centre, Joining a team or a club, Joining a book club, Volunteering at a local centre or charity, Learning a craft, Joining a local Women’s or Men’s group, Joining a local drama club, Attending reunions or Joining a church. These are just a few suggestions!



Tip 5 Exercise

The effects on mood of exercise can be instant. Whether it is a workout at the gym, a simple walk in the sun or as a member of a team, exercise can be uplifting. This effect is partly due to the body releasing its mood boosting and pain killing endorphins. These are a drug free way to feel better. Exercise also has many other benefits including a healthier body and increased self esteem from looking and feeling better. There is lots of research that shows exercise is depression beating.


Tip 6 Sleep

Sleeping well can have a big affect on how we feel, look and perform on a daily basis. Sleep directly impacts upon our overall quality of life. Good quality sleep leaves our mind and body ready for a new day by enabling muscle repair, memory consolidation and the release of hormones regulating growth and appetite. It helps concentration and allows us to better make decisions and participate fully in activities. To help you to get better sleep make sure that you give yourself a regular bedtime routine that includes a wind down period with no food, caffeine or alcohol. Having a hot bath or shower and a milky drink can help relax the muscles and allow you to drift off to sleep naturally.


Tip 7 Ask for help.

If you still are feeling down and can’t seem to shake the negative thoughts and feelings then ask for help. There is no shame in admitting that you need some help and turning to others to get it. Try your doctor or organisations such as MIND http://www.mind.org.uk/


I hope that this January and the rest of 2013 is a happy and healthy one for you!

New Year Resolutions

Its that time again, whether we want to loose weight, learn a skill or break a bad habit a new year means a new start.

This year, why not make a list of things that you could do to make someone elses year. they can be really simple.

Acts of Random Kindness or ARK are a nice way to not stress about 'becoming a better you' but able making someone else feel better.

examples could be:
opening doors for people
smiling at people who serve me in shops
bringing in a neighbours bin
defrosting a neighbours car

this makes the new year happier for so many... and you never know the effect it has on others.

Happy New Year

We hope you have a prosperous and happy 2013

Sweets

As New Year Treats, or as thank you gifts for hosts over the holiday season homemade sweets go down a treat (im sorry i couldnt resist)

here is a nice simple recipe

Snowflake Truffles
Serves: 16


Filling:

100g (3 ¼ oz) desiccated coconut

60g (2 ¼ oz) icing sugar

100g (3 ¼ oz) ricotta cheese

16 whole almonds

Ganache:

70g (2 ¾ oz) chopped white chocolate

3 tablespoons double cream

50g (2 oz) desiccated coconut, or enough to coat

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 1 hour

1.For the filing: In a medium bowl, mix together coconut, sugar and ricotta cheese to form a dough. Divide into 16 portions. 2.Roll each portion into a ball, pressing one almond each into the centre of each; cool in freezer for 20 minutes. 3.Place the white chocolate in a large stainless steel bowl and set over a saucepan of barely simmering water to melt. While the chocolate is melting, stir in the cream. Use a cocktail stick or fork to dip the truffles in the chocolate mixture. Arrange coated truffles on a platter. Sprinkle remaining coconut over the truffles while the chocolate is still melted. Cool in refrigerator until the chocolate coating hardens.  

New Years Eve Prep

After all the Christmas planning, meals and visits you can get to new year eve and want to just flop.

Here are some simple games and ideas to make it all a little easier.

The Night:

PLAN.
Whether throwing a party, being a guest or staying home, spend time sorting out a plan. who will you be with, will you need a taxi? will someone drive? what will you do to entertain the children.

THE ELDERLY.
Try to to forget elderly friends or parents, they may wish to be at home, but not everyone wants to get an early night. Offer to entertain or at least give them a call in the evening to make sure they have everything they need.

CHILDREN.
As keen as they may be to stay up getting them through to midnight can be hard. make sure everyone has an afternoon nap and have plenty of games to keep them occupied.

GAMES.
here are a few of our favourites

• STRIKE A LIGHT How To Play: Two party guests leave the room and together decide upon a word that the rest of the group will try to guess. They then return to the room and start a conversation together based around their chosen word, trying to give clues to what the word is - but without, of course, actually saying the word itself.

When a guest thinks they know what the secret word is, they must say, "I strike a light", then whisper their guess to one of the two original players. If they guess correctly, they can join in the conversation with the two players. If they're wrong, they must carry on until they guess correctly. The game ends when all the players have guessed what the word is.

• THE VICAR'S CAT How To Play: party guests form a circle and the first person begins by describing "the vicar's cat" with an adjective beginning with the letter "A". Each player then takes a turn finding a different adjective to describe "the vicar's cat" starting with "A".

Once everyone in the circle has had a turn, it starts again with the letter "B", and so on. Any player who fails to think of an adjective in ten seconds is out. The game continues through the alphabet until only one player - the winner - is left.

• FRUIT BOWL How To Play: You need an even number of people to play this game. Everyone gets into pairs, and each pair is given the name of a fruit. Someone at random calls out the name of a fruit, at which point the relevant pair must get up and swop places with each other. It starts off simply, but the idea is that as the game progresses, it becomes more complicated, with two or more fruit categories called out at the same time.

• LOOKABOUT How To Play: One person starts the game by showing everyone a small object in the room. Everyone then has to leave while that person hides the object somewhere in the room. When everyone is called back in, they have to search for the object. When they see it, they have to sit down quietly.

The game is more interesting if they don't sit down immediately but pretend to keep looking around for a few more seconds - otherwise it makes it obvious exactly where the object is. The last person to find the object becomes the next person to hide something.

• YOU'RE NEVER FULLY DRESSED WITHOUT A SMILE How To Play: One player is "It", and they're the only person allowed to smile during the game. They then have to try, any which way they can, to make everyone else in the group smile. This can get very silly. The game continues until only one person is left not smiling - and he or she is declared the winner.

• BLINDMAN'S BUFF How To Play: One person is blindfolded while all the other players spread out around the room. The blindfolded person then has to feel their way around the room until they manage to catch someone. They then have to guess who it is they have "caught". If they guess incorrectly, the person is freed and blindman has to keep going until they correctly guess the identity of a person caught.

Once they manage this, someone else is chosen to be blindfolded. It's probably best for you to move any fragile or delicate items out of the way

TV.
there is always some nice New Years Eve TV so whether its a low key event or a party using a TV show that counts down can keep everyone entertained.

Above all have fun!

Winter Walks

After all the eating and talking, its great to get out and get some fresh air.

here are some great winter walks for all the family.

Chestnut Chocolate Refrigerator Cake

this is an office favourite... very yummy

75g prunes, roughly chopped


75g raisins

3 tbsp brandy

150g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

100g unsalted butter, cubed

150g gingernut biscuits, roughly crushed

150g cooked and peeled chestnuts, roughly chopped



Combine the dried fruit and brandy, and soak for at least two hours (or up to six). Line a 20cm square tin, or a 20cm-diameter round tin, with clingfilm. Put the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and leave to melt. Combine with the fruit and brandy, the biscuits and chestnuts. Pour into the tin, pressing down into an even layer. Leave until cool, then refrigerate until solid. Use the clingfilm to lift it out of the tin, and cut into squares or wedges.   its really great for when you have guests... or to sit in a corner and eat it all yourself :)

Images of Christmas

it may be all a blur now, so lets spend a few minutes just remembering

Any Leftovers?

Hope you all had a great day yesterday.
So we have eaten till we are full, but their is still food left.
What to do?

Make a meal from them,

Turkey Casserole

2 onions , finely chopped


1 eating apple , cored and chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried sage , or 5 sage leaves, chopped

2 tbsp plain flour

300ml vegetable or chicken stock

2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

2 tbsp runny honey

400g-500g leftover turkey , shredded

about 350g leftover roasted vegetables like roast potatoes, parsnips, celeriacs and carrots , chunkily diced

  1.Fry the onion and apple in the oil until softened in a casserole or deep pan. Stir in the sage for 1 min, then stir in the flour. Gradually stir in the stock followed by the mustard and honey.

2.Bring up to a simmer and stir in the turkey and roast veg. Cover and gently simmer for 15 mins until turkey is piping hot. Season and eat with mash or jacket potatoes.


Bubble and Squeak   •4 tbsp butter

•½ cup onion, finely chopped

•Leftover mashed potato

•Any leftover vegetables, cabbage, swede, carrots, peas, Brussels Sprouts, finely chopped

•Salt and freshly ground black pepper

•Fried bacon pieces (optional)


•In a large frying pan melt the butter, add the chopped onion and fry gently for 3 mins or until soft.


•Turn the heat up slightly and add the mashed potato and vegetables. Fry for 10 mins turning over in the melted butter two or three times ensuring the potato and vegetables are thoroughly reheated plus you are aiming to brown the outside edges but not to burn the bubble and squeak.

•Press the potato mixture on to the base of the pan with a spatula and leave to cook for 1 min. Flip over and repeat.

•Serve.

lets not forget the leftover desserts

another Jamie Recipe
• 200g leftover Christmas pudding


• 6 tablespoons cranberry sauce

red wine or mulled wine

Optional: 2 teaspoons sugar, to taste

• 1 x 500ml tub good-quality vanilla ice cream

• a large handful of flaked almonds, toasted

• 1 x 100g bar good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

What I’m giving you here is really more of a suggestion because the amount of Christmas pudding you’ll have leftover will really depend on how greedy your guests were on Christmas day. But personally, I love Christmas pudding and I think it’s almost worth having another pudding stashed away so you can make this as an after-Christmas treat.

Put a pan over a medium heat and crumble in your Christmas pudding. Squash it down a bit with a wooden spoon to help it heat up and get a bit crispy. Fry for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring every so often so it doesn’t catch. In another small pan on a low heat, add your cranberry sauce with a splash of red or mulled wine. Stir in and cook for a few minutes until warmed through. If your sauce is too tart for your liking, add a teaspoon or two of sugar. If you’ve made up a batch of my spiced sugar, then use that because it will be delicious with the cranberry.

Once your pudding is warm and slightly crispy and the sauce has heated up, divide half of your pudding between your four glasses or bowls. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of the pudding, drizzle over your hot cranberry sauce, and a good sprinkling of toasted flaked almonds. Divide the remaining Christmas pud between your glasses and layer again with ice cream, cranberry sauce and flaked almonds. Finish the sundae off by grating over a bit of nice dark chocolate and dig in before the ice cream melts.

ENJOY!

Happy Christmas

Have a great day from the StairSteady Team!

The Night Before Christmas

As a child it was a great tradition that this evening we would sit as a family and read this poem. written by Clement Clarke Moore its a classic.

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house


Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,



When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
  The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,



With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;   "Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!

On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONDER and BLITZEN!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"



As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.



He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.



His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;



The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;



He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;



He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!"    

Happy Christmas Eve!

Mulled Wine

Christmas is very nearly here, and one of our favourite things to drink this time of year is Mulled Wine, Jamie Oliver has a lovely simple recipe
you will need:
• 2 clementines


• peel of 1 lemon

• peel of 1 lime

• 250g caster sugar

• 6 whole cloves

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 3 fresh bay leaves

• 1 whole nutmeg

• 1 whole vanilla pod, halved

• 2 star anise

• 2 bottles of Chianti, or other Italian red wine

...and for a none alcoholic version use red grape juice

This is dead easy to make and tastes like Christmas in a glass. It’s a lovely celebration of those traditional festive spices like cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. If you’ve got your own favourite spices, then feel free to add those to the pot too. Let everything cook away and warm up gently so the flavours have time to mingle with the wine. I like to leave my mulled wine ticking over on a really low heat and just ladle some into glasses as and when guests pop in.



Peel large sections of peel from your clementines, lemon and lime using a speed peeler. Put the sugar in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the pieces of peel and squeeze in the clementine juice. Add the cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and about 10 to 12 gratings of nutmeg. Throw in your halved vanilla pod and stir in just enough red wine to cover the sugar. Let this simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved into the red wine and then bring to the boil. Keep on a rolling boil for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until you’ve got a beautiful thick syrup. The reason I’m doing this first is to create a wonderful flavour base by really getting the sugar and spices to infuse and blend well with the wine. It’s important to do make a syrup base first because it needs to be quite hot, and if you do this with both bottles of wine in there you’ll burn off the alcohol.


When your syrup is ready turn the heat down to low and add your star anise and both bottles of wine. Gently heat the wine and after around 5 minutes, when it’s warm and delicious, ladle it into glasses and serve.

The Nations Favourite Christmas Carols

To carry on with our 12 Blogs of Christmas (blogs for the 12 days before and after christmas)
We wondered what the nations favourite Christmas carols were...good old google.
according to The Nation's Favourite Christmas Carol on ClassicFM
Top 30 Christmas Carols


1. O Holy Night

2. Silent Night

3. In the Bleak Mid-Winter - Gustav Holst version

4. In the Bleak Mid-Winter - Harold Darke version

5. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

6. O Come All Ye Faithful

7. O Come, O Come Emmanuel

8. Coventry Carol

9. O Little Town of Bethlehem

10. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

11. Once in Royal David's City

12. In Dulci Jubilo

13. Joy to the World

14. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

15. Away in a Manger

16. Sussex Carol

17. Shepherd's Pipe Carol

18. The Three Kings

19. Gabriel's Message

20. Jesus Christ the Apple Tree

21. Gaudete

22. The Holly and the Ivy

23. Carol of the Bells

24. See Amid the Winter's Snow

25. Ding Dong! Merrily on High

26. Candlelight Carol

27. Good King Wenceslas

28. Angels from the Realms of Glory

29. The First Nowell

30. What Sweeter Music

we in the office love the Candlelight Carol (number 26)

really gets you in the Chrsitmas mood!

Christmas Drinks

Hot Toddy Recipe


Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 1 Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 1 oz brandy, whiskey, or rum

• 1 Tbsp honey

• 1/4 lemon

• 1 cup hot water

• 1 tea bag

Preparation:

1. Coat the bottom of a mug or an Irish coffee glass with honey.

2. Add the liquor and the juice of the lemon quarter.

3. On the side, heat water in a tea kettle and add the tea bag to make hot tea.

4. Pour the steaming tea into the glass and stir.

Eggnog Recipe

Prep Time: 25 hours

Total Time: 25 hours

Yield: 16 Drinks

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs, separated

• 1/2 cup super fine sugar

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 2 tsp vanilla

• 2 cups brandy

• 1 cup milk

• Nutmeg (use for garnish also)

Preparation:

1. Beat egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, nutmeg, salt and vanilla together until very thick and light yellow.

2. Slowly beat in brandy (rum and whiskey are also popular alternatives) and milk.

3. Cover and chill overnight.

4. Shortly before serving, beat the egg whites to soft peaks.

5. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beat this mixture to soft peaks again, creating a meringue-like cream.

6. Then slowly pour this cream over the chilled brandy mixture, folding in gently.

7. Serve the eggnog in a mug, Irish coffee glass, or punch cup and grate nutmeg over the top for garnish.

Brandied Apple Cider


Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 4 glasses

Ingredients:

• 2 apples

• 2x 375ml bottles of cider

• 250ml (1cup) Brandy or Calvados

• Cinnamon sticks to serve

Preparation:

1. Thinly slice 2 apples into discs discarding the ends, do not core.

2. Place the apple into a large heavy based saucepan and add the cider and brandy or calvados.

3. Heat until almost boiling but do not boil.

4. Serve in heatproof glasses such as Irish coffee glasses. Add cinnamon stick for decoration.

Crafts For Kids at Christmas

Christmas is a lovely time to get Children involved in festive crafts, below are a few ideas for you to try:

Christmas Tree Biscuits

Serves Approx 80 Easy Prep 15 mins + chill 30 mins Cook 12-14 mins

Hang these tasty Ginger and Cinnamon flavoured biscuits from the Christmas tree.

Ingredients

• 450g (1lb) plain flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 4 tsp Ginger Ground

• 2 tsp Cinnamon Ground

• Sea Salt Mill

• 200g (7oz) caster sugar

• 250g (9oz) unsalted butter, diced

• 4 tbs golden syrup

• 1 large egg, beaten

Cook's Notes

These biscuits can be kept in an airtight container for up to 1 week. This recipe makes approx. 75-80 biscuits, which may seem a lot but there will be plenty to hang on the tree, for the children to nibble on, and even more to wrap up in lovely Christmas film and give to friends and family.



Method

STEP 1 - Sift the flour, baking powder, Ginger and Cinnamon into a mixing bowl. Season with a little Sea Salt.

STEP 2 - Add the sugar and butter and rub in with your fingers until the butter is absorbed and the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

STEP 3- Mix the golden syrup and egg together and then stir into the mixture with a wooden spoon. Bring together with your hands and knead very gently to form a smooth, stiff dough. Shape into a ball and cover in clingfilm. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to firm up.

STEP 4- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4.

STEP 5- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut into quarters, allowing you to work with each quarter at a time. Keep the remaining dough in the refrigerator until you are ready to roll it.

STEP 6- Roll out the dough to a thickness of approx. 3mm and cut into festive shapes.

STEP 7- Place the biscuits onto baking sheets lined with greaseproof paper.

STEP 8- Bake the biscuits for 12-14 minutes until golden brown, remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.

STEP 9- Using a wooden skewer, make a small hole in each biscuit whilst they are still warm.

STEP 10- Once completely cooled, decorate as desired, tie a ribbon through the hole and hang on the tree.

Salt Dough Christmas Decorations



• 2 cups of plain flour

• 1 cup of table salt

• 1 cup of water



Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl and gradually add the water, mixing to soft dough.

Remove from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead for 10 minutes (this helps to create a good smooth texture).

Leave the dough stand for approximately twenty minutes before working with it.



Whilst the dough rests cover 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper.

Place dough on floured work surface and roll out flat (approx ½ – 1cms deep) – roughly the depth of a pound coin



Using cookie cutters to cut out shapes.

Make a hole in the shape while the dough is still pliable to allow ribbon for hanging. Don’t make the whole too small or you won’t be able to get the ribbon through. An old chopstick is about the right size

Transfer shapes to the baking trays



Dry the dough in a very cool oven.

Alternatively you can leave the dough to dry naturally in the air. While it might be environmentally friendlier, the drawback with air drying is that it can take up to 48 hours for the decorations to dry, whereas it will only take about 4 hours in the oven. Oven drying – 200F/Gas Mark ¼

You are now ready to decorate your salt dough shapes.

Decorating is really easy, acrylic paints work best as they create a nice smooth finish but you can use any paints you have. A coating of PVA glue once they are dry gives a nice shiny finish if you have used poster paints. You can also add glitter and gems once the paint is dry using hot melt glue gun or PVA.