May this Month be Filled with SWANtastic Fun!
Another SWANtastic month has arrived and with it, we celebrate our fallen heroes on Memorial Day and our more nurturing heroes on Mother's Day.
Mother's Day is a day to treasure Mothers, Grandmothers and those that take on a motherly role in our lives!
It can be a lovely time for many people, but for others, it can be emotional. Odette misses her own Mother every day and Mother's Day is filled with many different feelings. Since Alise came into her life, Odette has cherished being a parent and spending time with her but also shares heartfelt memories of her Mother with Alise whilst making new memories as a Mom herself.
Some may spend Mother's Day with the Mom (or Mother-like figures) in their life or enjoy time with their children. Others may recall fond memories. Some may not even celebrate at all. However, you choose to spend the day, look after yourself and those that you care about.
Odette and Alise have a full day of baking planned and are going to enjoy all of the treats that they make in the palace garden as part of a delicious picnic with Uberta and Derek.
Derek and Alise are planning to give their Mothers some beautiful bouquets for Mother's Day. Alise has also made a gift for Odette too!
Keep reading for a fun craft that also makes a great Mother's Day gift. There's also a delicious recipe to make!
Remember to share your creations on social media using #SwanPrincessOfficial
Mothers Day Movie Night
The Swan Princess celebrates love, magic and family throughout every treasured movie in the series! Amongst the beloved collection of stories, there are two in particular that make the perfect addition to a Mother's Day movie night!
In "A Royal Family Tale" follows Odette and Derek as they start their journey into parenthood when young Alise joins their family. Watch as Alise is welcomed by familiar faces and begins to find her own voice, all with a SWANtastic family at her side!
Join our beloved couple as they learn more about Alise and the bonds of family in the fifth installment of the series.
"A Fairytale is Born" takes us right back to where it all began, before the events of the first movie, whilst treating viewers to the preparation of a SWANtastic coronation in the present day!
Discover how Uberta became Queen and the friendship she formed with another royal family who would become parents to a certain SWANderful Princess! See how Uberta became the Queen we know and love whilst being a loving Mother to her young son.
The fun doesn't have to stop with these two installments - there are twelve SWANtastic movies in The Swan Princess series, each with their own SWANderful story lines, enchanting music and memorable characters.
Pretty as a Picture Mason Jar Creation
This mason jar craft is a fun idea for anyone who enjoys artistic activities! When they are finished, they are great for brightening up any surface in your house and also make adorable gifts - including for Mother's Day!
You can use a photo, a drawing or even an image of your favorite Swan Princess characters!
You Will Need:
• Mason Jar
• Contact Paper
• Paints (Acrylic) - choose your favorite colors!
• Clear Spray Paint (optional)
• Scissors
• Primer
• A photo of your choice
Instructions:
1. Firstly, wash your mason jar and make sure that it is completely dry before starting your creation.
2. Now you need to decide the shape that you would like your frame to be. You could choose a circle or square. Maybe you would like to do a heart shaped photo? For a Swan Princess theme, some of you might choose the outline of a swan!
When you have decided, draw the outline of the shape that you have selected on to the contact paper and carefully cut it out.
3. Place the contact paper on the side of the jar (where you would like the photo to be).
4. Spray the primer all over the jar (including where your contact paper is).
5. Stand your jar to one side to allow it to dry.
6. Once the jar is completely dry, you can start to paint! Choose any color, design or pattern that you would like and paint your jar.
7. When you have finished (and before the paint dries), peel off the contact paper.
8. Allow the paint to dry for a few hours.
9. If you want a glossy finish, when the paint is dry, add some clear spray paint all over the jar.
10. Tape your photo to the inside of the jar so that you can see the focus of the image through the shape that you made using contact paper.
You can use the jar for anything that you like! If you are gifting it for Mother's Day, add a small cup/jar into the mason jar filled with water (the extra jar prevents the photo getting wet) and add some pretty flowers. If you don't have a smaller jar, you could use artificial flowers or make your own using card, paper and other colorful materials.
Puffin's Bacon and Pea Bake
This month, Puffin has a brilliant bake to share with you all! It's perfect for the summer months, especially picnics! In fact, this is one of the delicious dishes Odette and Alise are making for their Mother's Day picnic with Uberta and Derek!
Ingredients:
• 500g all-butter shortcrust pastry
• 4 large eggs
• 300ml double cream
• 100ml milk
• 140g smoked bacon lardons
• plain flour, for dusting
• 175g peas
• 175g podded broad bean
• 12 basil leaves (plus extra for garnish)
• 50g Parmesan, grated
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
2. Lightly flour your surface.
3. Now take your pastry and roll it out on the floured surface. It needs to be large enough to line a 28cm loose bottomed tart tin (which you will use in the next step).
4. Transfer the dough to the 28cm tart tin, pressing the dough in for a snug fit. Leave any overhanging pastry where it is.
5. Place the tart tin on a baking tray.
6. Line the pastry with baking parchment and fill the pastry case with baking beans.
7. Bake (blind) for 25 minutes.
8. Take the pastry out of the oven and remove the beans and baking parchment.
9. Immediately return the pastry to the oven for another 5 minutes.
10. Whilst the pastry is in the oven, you can boil the beans and peas for 5 minutes until they become just tender.
11. Drain the beans and rinse off any frothy starch.
12. Put the beans in a bowl then add 3 tbsp cream and the basil.
13. Add seasoning thoroughly.
14. Purée the bean mix with a hand blender or food processor until smooth.
15. Next, dry-fry the bacon for a few mins (in a non-stick pan) until it starts to turn golden.
16. In another bowl, beat together the eggs with the remaining cream, along with the milk, Parmesan. Season well.
17. Evenly pour the pea and bean purée over the base of your tart case.
18. Scatter the bacon over the now purée covered base.
19. Take your egg mixture and pour it into the base.
20. Adjust the oven temperature and lower it to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bake for 35 mins until your bake is set and golden.
21. Remove the bake from the oven and allow it to cool slightly before carefully trimming off any overhanging pastry with a sharp knife.
22. Scatter over some basil and serve!
