This is so easy to make and is perfect for when the kids come in from school. Alternatively, it makes a great accompaniment to yoghurt – if you want to save it for pudding!

You will need:

115g (4oz) digestive biscuits

50g (2oz) icing sugar

140g (5oz) plain chocolate

115 (4oz) butter

Melt chocolate and butter over heat. Use a rolling pin to crush biscuits in poly bag. Add sieved icing sugar and mix into biscuits. Pour melted chocolate mixture over biscuit mix. Pour into greased tin and leave to chill in fridge.  As this goes down very well with kids, it’s best to double the ingredients for a bigger batch!

Simple, but so tasty – a warming treat for any night of the week.

You will need:

4 chicken breasts

50g (2oz) butter

115g (4oz) button mushrooms, sliced

85g (3oz) bacon, cut into strips

225g (8fl oz) chicken stock

225 (8fl oz) double cream

1 tablespoon plain flour.

Salt and pepper

Melt butter and brown the chicken breasts. Remove with slotted spoon and put to one side. Using the same pan, fry bacon until golden. Add mushrooms. Sprinkle in flour and pour in stock gently, letting the mixture  thicken.  Allow to cook for 2 minutes. Return the chicken breasts, pour in cream, season with salt and pepper and heat in oven for 30 minutes.  Serve with rice and French beans/green salad.

Who minds about calories when it’s bitterly cold. Pile them on – you need them!

You will need

225g (8oz) oats

170g (6oz) marg

6oz (6oz) sugar

2 tbsp syrup

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add sugar and syrup. Dissolve. Remove from heat. Add oats and stir into mixture. Pour into a greased baking tray (a round cake tin – 20cm diameter is perfect). Cook in oven at 180C for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and leave to cool. Cut into squares.

What is the name of designer Children’s boutique?
a) Half-Pint Chic b) Half-Pint Fashion c) Half-Pint Mums

Terms & Conditions:
1. Items will be age and gender specific and picked by Half-Pint Chic from a range of designers in consultation with the winner.
2. No purchase is necessary.
3. Only one entry per person is permitted.
4. The winner(s) will be picked at random.
5. The closing time / date is Wednesday 29th February 2012
6. No part of a prize is exchangeable for cash or any other prize.
7. You will be subscribed to Half-Pint’s weekly newsletter, please inform us with your entry if you do not wish to receive this.

Sign up free today at www.halfpintchic.com find us on facebook.com/Half-Pint Chic
or follow our blog http://www.halfpintchic.com/blog

Do you know who invented the World Wide Web? Any ideas what Percy Spencer created? This is no ordinary history book: 100 People Who Made History published by DK at £12.99 is a guide to the people and ideas that have changed the world we live in. This book contains all the people you’d expect to find, and plenty that you wouldn’t! Take a seat and meet the people who have shaped history and discover how they did it.
Inspirational inventors and thoughtful thinkers rub shoulders with political leaders, sports stars, and entertainers in five absorbing chapters. From Marco Polo to Marie Curie via Elvis Presley, this top 100 comes from all over the world, taking in all types of people. Packed with edgy graphics and plenty of quirky facts, each profile describes the major influences and tells true stories about the movers and shakers from our history.

Parent Talk have 5 copies to give away. For your chance to win, answer the question below and email your reply and full postal address to: editor@parenttalk.biz by the closing date of 15th February 2012.

What nationality was Marie Curie?
a) Polish b) Italian c) English

Discover more animals than any other zoo in the south west for a really wild time. Meet all of your favourites – giraffes, lions, gorillas, cheetahs and thrilling crocodiles, plus our cheeky meerkats, colourful snakes and amazing monkeys.
There are indoor and outdoor play areas, the Jungle Express train (seasonal) and uniquely, six different habitats that mimic the animals’ natural environment. You can also watch some of the animals being fed or listen to a keeper’s talk.
After you’ve watched the animals feeding maybe think about refuelling yourself. Enjoy hot meals and drinks in the Island Restaurant, tasty Cornish pasties in the Snack Shack or ice creams and treats from one of the many snack stations. You can even relax in one of our picnic areas.
With an exciting programme of events suitable for all ages, you can explore the big wild world and enjoy something different as well.
Kids will love a visit from Peppa Pig, whacky fun at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, a ghoulish Halloween evening or a treat in Santa’s grotto. Animal lovers and garden enthusiasts will discover facts about life behind the scenes on one of our exclusive evening tours.
Come in and get close to over two thousand creatures. But better leave a whole day – you’ll need it!
For more information about events and ticket prices please visit www.paigntonzoo.org.uk or call 0844 474 2222

At Home from Home we pride ourselves as a bright, fun, stimulating and homely place to learn. Making those all important first years of a child’s life full of opportunity.
Each child is unique, through offering a variety of experiences and activities each individual child develops and learns through play, learning intellectually, creatively, physically, socially and emotionally.
We have a homely, happy and caring baby room, where we aim to encourage children to learn, to be strong and independent from an early age and making positive and secure relationships.
Our Play room is full of excitement and opportunity. The play room provides both structured sessions and free time for the older children to explore our large garden full of apparatus including a pirate ship and tree house for widening their imagination. Open access from the play room to the art room, offers each child a choice of activities. All of our children enjoy, good home cooked food, with a varied menu to cater for all.
For more information call Claire London on 01458 446460 or email homefromhomenursery@btconnect.com

In order to cope with increasing demand, Razzamataz Yeovil is launching the Introduction to Juniors class, working on the same pieces as the full Juniors class, but for only one hour each week. Students still get tuition in all aspects of the Razzamataz curriculum involving street, hip hop and commercial styles of dance, pop singing, film and television styles of acting as well as musical theatre.
Intro to Juniors is for 6-8 year olds, offering an excellent introduction to the exciting world of performing arts. The class will start after February half-term, but places are limited so book soon to avoid disappointment.
After a fantastic end to 2011 with our Annual Awards, 2012 is another busy year for Razzamataz Theatre Schools in Street and Yeovil. Principal Claire and her team are planning for the theatrical production in July at the Octagon, Yeovil, which will feature both schools. In November they will be taking a group of Yeovil students to perform in the West End with other Razzamataz schools from around the country. Students from Street are appearing in their first theatre performance this month in ‘The Stars of Tomorrow’ at Strode Theatre, in aid of a children’s heart charity.
Along with regular local performances and fantastic Summer Stage Academies during the holidays, it all adds up to non-stop fun and entertainment.
Yeovil classes run on Saturday mornings, Street on Friday afternoons. Contact Claire on 01935 411128 or 07856 273166. Email yeovil@razzamataz.co.uk or street@razzamataz.co.uk.
Visit our website: www.razzamataz.co.uk

The high cost of using solicitors often adds to the severe stress of a divorce or separation. Usually, solicitors charge up to £200 or more per hour and their fees can reduce family assets at an alarming rate. On the other hand, many people find it too daunting to handle a divorce and related matters on their own.
Now there is a third way…. Family Law Clinic Ltd is now operating in Somerset. The firm offers advice on a whole range of matters including divorce, separation, civil partnerships, cohabitation and children matters.
Family Law Clinic (www.familylawclinic.co.uk) provides advice and services as lay legal advisers, who charge the same low fees whether they are solicitors, barristers or legal consultants. Their hourly rate is less than half that charged by solicitors, and they can often offer fixed price services. The aim is to provide an affordable alternative to high street solicitors; an alternative that provides high and personal client care with very considerable savings in legal fees.
The local representative in Somerset is Stephen David (pictured) a barrister living in Taunton, with a wide experience of family and commercial matters. Family Law Clinic can be contacted through their web site or on 01344 876645.

Angela and Clinton became foster carers three years ago and haven’t looked back. Angela spoke about their experience of fostering: “I was inspired to foster by my two aunties, they have fostered for many years and cared for many children. Myself and my partner, Clinton, talked about becoming foster parents for almost a year before making an enquiry, we wanted to be totally sure that we were prepared to have children of all ages and backgrounds living in our home.
Angela continued: “Fostering is the most rewarding job I have ever done. I have seen children and young people grow, develop and learn to love and be loved. It has changed our lives forever and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Read Angela and Clinton’s full story on the ‘fostering in Somerset’ website.
If you have time and a room to spare and want to help children feel safe and secure for a night or longer take your first step towards becoming a foster carer. Find out more visit: www.fosteringinsomerset.org.uk or phone 0800 587 9900 for an information pack.
You can also follow ‘fostering in Somerset’ on facebook and Twitter.