Half term and toad-in-the-hole

It's half term.

That means no childcare.
It also means no work for me as I'm now on a term-time contract.

So, less expense on childcare, which is good.
It's been raining all week, which is bad.

All the garden/park/woods fun I had planned?  Not so much.  Don't get me wrong, I love a muddy, puddly, splashy walk as much as the next Mum, but after four days of it it starts to lose it's appeal.  I don't want to go to soft play, it's mental in the holidays.  My two are still small enough that lots of boisterous kids can be intimidating (more so for Master Chief than for Miss Chief, she's a bit of a bruiser!).  

So, crafty bits inside are a winner at the moment.  Master Chief loves getting out his maker box, and Miss Chief seems content building towers for longer these days so it's working.  Last week it wouldn't have worked, she'd have tried to snatch away whatever he was working on and he'd have the screaming abdabs. Next week it might not work, but for the time being I'm making the most of it.  We've made cards for every event, and pictures for everyone.

We've made a gingerbread house (yes, I know it's been a while since Christmas but we never got around to making it then).

 We also made toad-in-the-hole, Master Chief loved mixing the batter and everyone loves sausages.  

Ingredients
Sausages (as many as you want)
225g Plain flour
4 eggs
250ml milk
Oil

What to do
I prefer my sausages well cooked so I always brown them first, either in the oven or in a frying pan.  While you're doing that, put a deep baking tray into the oven with the oil in it so it gets really hot.
Mix together the flour, eggs and milk (adding the milk in gradually) and whisk until it's smooth.  Put the sausages into the oven tray (into the hot oil) and then pour the batter all over them (I always make sure that the sausages stay away from the edges of the baking tray).  Put it in the oven at about 200 degrees (gas mark 6) for about 30-40 minutes - basically, as the sausages had a head start, when it looks done, it's done!

I served it with gravy and some veg on the side, this time it was cabbage and cauliflower.
Cue happy faces and clean plates.

What've you done with your holidays?