"I ordered some cupcakes from Let Them Eat Cake recently and they literally were too beautiful to eat - well for a while anyway!  I actually ordered them for Alice's teachers as a end of term 'thank you' and they really went down well.  You can see from the photo how gorgeous they look and because they are made especially for us they are personalised exactly how we wanted them - well how Alice wanted them, hence the pink butter cream fondant and edible glitter!  

They were well presented in little doillies and set in individual spaces in a box with a clear lid so they could be viewed in all their glory and survived the down pour that morning we took them to school!

I certainly know where I will be getting Alice's 7th birthday cakes from!" Sam from Hampshire 

Vist www.letthem-eatcake.com for more info and visit Vicci's facebook page for lots of photos of equally gorgeous cupcakes!

Also From Birthday Party by Tracey Benton 

It’s really tempting to get carried away at parties and let the children have all the stuff they’re not normally allowed. And why not? It does no harm if they usually eat pretty healthily. The thing is, many foods aimed at children contain additives, and one of the greatest concerns about additives is the effect of mixing them together. Some children are more chemically sensitive than others to things like additives, colourings, sugars and sweeteners, so much so that it can dramatically affect behaviour and lead to wild mood swings, hyperactivity and aggressive behaviour such as kicking and biting. With a room full of giddy children, this chemical cocktail could you leave you tearing your hair out.

Where do you find these additives?

• Most fizzy pops and squashes contain colours, preservatives, sugar and artificial sweeteners. A pretty lethal combination if you ask me.
• Almost all coloured sweets will be artificially coloured and full of sugar.
• Flavoured snack items. Most will contain artificial colours, flavours & often MSG (E621) flavour enhancer.

Get into the habit of checking the label. As a general guide, the shorter the list of ingredients, the fewer additives. If you don’t understand some of the ingredients listed or they have long, chemical sounding names, don’t buy it.

I know you’ve heard this before but the ideal diet should be full of fresh and unprocessed foods that are low in salt and sugar. This means eating as many vegetables, fruits, whole grains, pulses, beans and fish as possible, plus moderate amounts of dairy, meat and essential fats. When choosing fruit and vegetables, aim for seasonal organic choices where possible. A variety of different colours will provide the best mix of nutrients, especially black, red, orange and green fruits and vegetables.

Educating children from an early age about health and nutrition will help them to make good choices. As they get older they have an increasing amount of freedom over food choice and often eat outside the home. Outside factors such as peer pressure and advertising also start to play their part.

The best advice is to eat really well at home and allow a few deviations and treats when out. If 75% of the diet is optimum they will survive the rest. 

Swap Shop

Traditional Party Foods – How to Make them Healthier 

Swap	For	Why
Flavoured crisps	Plain varieties eg corn tortilla chips	Flavoured varieties are usually enhanced with MSG
Sausage rolls	Sausages on sticks	Meat content & quality very low. Choose good quality sausages and check the meat content (cheap sausages 40-50% meat content, best quality 90%+).
Wafer thin ham	Ham from the butcher	The prepacked ham generally has water and flavour enhancers added
Reformed meats and soya alternatives	The real deal!	Anything made to look like something else has been highly processed and is full of additives with little or no nutritional value
Cheesy strings	Cubed cheese on sticks or mini cheeses	Cheese is very nutritious for growing children but only when it hasn’t been reformed
Cola and fruit flavoured drinks	Fresh orange, pineapple or apple juice diluted with fizzy water	Cola contains caffeine. Fizzy drinks either contain a lot of sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Individually packaged cake bars	Malt loaf spread with butter	Cake bars are high in fat and sugar. The energy in malt loaf is more slow release.

For Recipe Ideas Click Here