Cautionary Tales For Children
Wonderful witty poems great for reading to your children. The stories and rhymes will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
Research has shown how important YOU are to your children and how as a dad the things you do, and keep on doing, really count, whether you live with them, or you are a single dad and are only able see them once a month, once a week or more, what you do really matters. This site is dedicated to all dads but will be of special relevance to the single dad. Remember, you are half the reason your children exist and they need you whether you live with them or not. As their dad, you have what it takes to make their lives successful and fulfilling no matter how often you see them. This site is about all the positive things that we as parents have to offer our children.
Chocolate Rice Krispie Cakes
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You don't even need to bake these
Ingredients
Bar of chocolate
1 or 2 x 250g
Butter
Small knob
Rice Krisies or Cocopops
1.5 – 2 cups
Sugar
Tea Spoon
This recipe is very quick and easy and really good fun to make. The sweet smell of melting chocolate is just fantastic. You can use any bars of chocolate, milk, white or dark. However do not try and melt Flakes, Ripples or things like Mars Bars, they have ingredients in them which stop them melting properly. . . .
This recipe is partly a making project as well, because one day we wanted to make Rice Krispie cakes but we had no paper cup cake holders, so we cut up a Pringles crisp tube and used that instead. We also wanted something to go inside our wizard’s cake boxes and these Rice Krispie cakes seemed perfect. . . .
This recipe should make about 12 chocolate Krispie Cakes, which should be enough for 12 kids or one very hungry kid. Although the exact quantity of ingredients isn’t really important, you need enough chocolate to coat the Rice Krispies and enough Rice Krispies to fill some or all of your homemade cake rings.
How to make it
To make the cake rings, take either a crisp tube (Pringles) or a small drinks bottle and mark it off at roughly 15mm (3/4”) intervals with a permanent marker and then draw lines to the marks making sure that they are neat. Make the initial cut with a craft or kitchen knife and then cut out the rings with strong kitchen scissors. You don’t need baking paper for this recipe because it is not being baked. Just lay a couple of sheets of clean plain paper (A4 or US Letter) on a suitable tray or flat surface (small enough to fit in your fridge) and place the rings on the paper. . . .
Break up 1 or 2 x 250g chocolate bars and place in a non-metallic bowl with a small knob of butter and a teaspoon of sugar (stops the chocolate setting too hard). Microwave the chocolate, butter, sugar mix on medium for about 10 seconds at a time stirring between each time until the chocolate is melted and the butter and sugar are mixed in. Do not over microwave as this will burn the chocolate. Gently stir in the Rice Krispies in to the melted mixture (cooks call this “folding in”) trying not to crush too many Rice Krispies, until all the Rice Krispies are completely coated. . . .
Spoon the chocolate coated Rice Krispies into the rings, patting down gently with the back of the spoon so that the cakes are nice and flat and fill the rings neatly. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes then press out.
Try these variations
You could shape the Pringles rings into other shapes before you put the Krispies in to them. Heart shapes work well, but so do square shapes.
While the chocolate is still soft and before they are chilled and set, why not sprinkle the top of the cake with 100s and 1000s.
You could serve them as a pudding with cream (or spray cream) or chocolate sauce poured over them.
While they are setting why not print out and make some wizard treat and cake boxes (in the Making section).
The recipe instructions are so easy to follow, and they're quick to download.
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Cooking for guests
As a man, there’s something nice about cooking for appreciative guests. Perhaps it’s because it gives you an excuse to show off; or maybe it’s the chance of acting out a little theatre in the kitchen, or conceivably it’s the fulfilling of that primordial hunter gather drive to provide sustenance.
Whatever it is, cooking someone a meal can be such a great pleasure for both you and the person you are cooking it for. Even better if you are able to cook while your guest or guests are actually with you so that you can get them involved in the food preparation, it certainly breaks the ice and is a good way to get the conversation going. There’s also something about moving into a new place and cooking your first few proper meals, it really does make a place feel more like home.
Even if you’ve never cooked before, you'll quickly discover that there really is nothing to it. The recipe instructions are simply written and illustrated to provide guidance at a glance when you’re in the thick of it. I have carefully chosen a few easy to master recipes that are big on results, you know, the sort of food you might expect to get in an expensive restaurant or hotel, but you’re going to be able to make it in a few minutes.
Try Eggs Benedict one night when it’s late and your guest fancies a snack, or perhaps for one of those late morning posh breakfasts with coffee and juice. It’s a very simple meal to make, but so rich and glorious, it will always cause a stir and stick in the memory for a long while. But then, why not try the Seared Tuna Ahi. Personally I never really liked fish, but then one day I tried seared Tuna Ahi steak and I was converted. It’s the most simple meal and to those watching you make it, appears as if you have conjured up a little slice of culinary heaven from thin air in about 10 minutes (this is a great meal to whip up on the barbeque just as easily).
And if you have a good recipe of your own, why not send it in to us so that you can share it with all those other dads wanting to cook for grown ups.
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