The Spring Menu Food Art Challenge #CostaFoodFun for Costa Coffee

It's no surprise that our #CostaFoodFun delivery meant that we had visitors from "out of this world" given that all of the treats tasted out of this world!

However, the minute our Dinosaur heard that aliens had flown in, he used the HUGE jammy biscuits, carrots and apple, to make a bicycle and despite the rain, he headed for the hills. Except, with this being the #CostaFoodFun world of food art, the hills were made of Hot Cross Buns!

Little did we know that Aliens were the least of our worries. All of our toys had come alive since our #CostaFoodFun #FoodArt delivery (you know the way they do in Doc McStuffins), and, with one of the jammy biscuits being unaccounted for, the Queen in our lego mini-figs set, had a little plot all of her own:

Luckily, the farmyard gingerbread biscuits brought some fun and light-heartedness to the house. Once the carrot/apple bicycle was broken up sacrificed to accompany Friday's afternoon tea and coffee (I had my BFF and her son over):

... the farmyard gingerbread pig grabbed the carrot-bike scraps and made himself a scooter, with curtain rings for wheels. His body was a rather rushed carving out of a stale heel of bread. #FoodArt with a cupboard knob for a belly button (Aaron questioned this addition, but it seemed a good idea at the time) :-0

Bread for clouds, baked beans to read "Costa", a jelly sweet for the sun, dry pasta for rays, the cupcake case from Costa's Easter Chocolate Crunch as her hat, some of Aaron's mini Easter Eggs (from our friend Fiona) as hat decor, sausages for pig body and cow "legs" and Costa's New Belgian Chocolate Jaffa as the "cow" tum and tail :-)

Costa, the UK’s favourite coffee shop, launched its limited-edition Spring menu, available in all UK stores since 27th February 2014 until 30th April 2014.

This post is entered into a competition, that 10 lucky bloggers have participated in. There is a LARGE (just like the biscuits) Costa Gift Card up for grabs for the successful #CostaFoodFun winner...

Our Wet Weekend with Perry The Penguin

We were very lucky to receive a few Perry the Penguins to have fun with this weekend courtesy of Costa Coffee.

He, and a few of his friends arrived on Thursday.  In the box was a gold envelope like something from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - it was all very exciting - I could not wait for Aaron to finish nursery at 1 p.m. so I could show him his new friends.

That night Mummy took Perry in her handbag to Aaron's first ever martial arts class, but Mummy was so worried watching Aaron, Perry never got a look-in - ooops; thank God the challenge didn't properly start till Friday.

Friday - the only thing we did was to take Perry swimming.  Was a great session.  We all had lots of fun and went for something to eat afterwards. Swimming always makes Aaron hungry!

Saturday
Sorry Perry, Saturday we stayed in all day due to the wet/windy weather. You had great fun playing with Aaron's computer though and I had fun eating one of your friends with a cup of coffee :-)

Sunday

It was incredibly wet today.   So much so that I did not want to go anywhere.  When Perry could tell that Aaron and I were having the day indoors, he asked if we could play with Aaron's shopping game.  We obliged naturally, but eerrrr, in the style of golf, I gave him a handicap.  Let's just say I ate his legs.  What can I say, I got nibbly.  Aaron was horrified and immediately got his ambulance out.  Whatever it was that Paramedic Aaron did, it clearly worked, as legless Perry the Penguin went on to win the game!!! Look:

We actually did go out in the end and went to Kiddicare and got some food shopping at Morrisons.  

I don't drive so despite the rain, we put our hoods up and got the bus:

Aaron showed Perry how to write in steam on the window.  Perry spent a long time looking at the driver, wishing he could drive the bus. Then he relaxed and sat on Mummy's knee and enjoyed the journey.

It wasn't all going to be plain sailing.  Aaron is a BOY and and ONLY CHILD after all.  When we got to Morrisons he thought it would be very funny to weigh Perry.  When it didn't seem to hurt him he moved onto something else.  On the way out of Morrisons Aaron always goes on a car.  He of course made Perry go on a different one and when I then tried to get him to ride with Aaron he threw a paddy till I took him away again (when I TRIED to INSIST that they share the car Aaron shouted "he's JUST a biscuit" - I had to really stifle a massive giggle).  It's AMAZING the way 3 years olds will go along with imagination until it DOESN'T suit them:

Aaron loved posing with the new lego Policeman at Kiddicare and was thrilled when I didn't ask him to share with Perry - now I know what Aaron would be like as a Brother - lots of work to do me-thinks!

See he's not impressed holding him while eating lunch.

When we got home... after I cooked... we sat down to dinner...

Perry was quite jealous of the Beef Casserole (Aaron's gobbled up most of his beef already in that photo) we were eating so he sneaked off and came up with this fishy dish!

I think the long and the short of it is that Aaron isn't terribly great at sharing.  I think our left-over Perrys need to have some more adventures as sadly they joined us on a very inactive weekend which just isn't like us at all, but the weather was truly awful.  

I think, Perry is best served with coffee.  I must say, when you're in need of a sugar boost the icing is a welcome bonus.  I ate the beak on its own yesterday and it does indeed taste of orange.  In terms of texture, they are neither chewy like an American cookie, nor are they crumbly like a digestive.  They are in between, with a really great ginger flavour. Ginger is GREAT if you have morning sickness by the way, so if you are expecting, try a Perry today :-)

So the next time dear reader, that you are in Costa Coffee keep an eye out for Perry the Penguin.

Disclosure: we were posted Perry the Penguins for the purpose of this challenge, and will receive a Costa voucher, which I can't wait to use.

P.S. you can join in the fun too:

Have you met Perry the Penguin? We'd love it if you could share snaps of him - gift cards for our faves! #PerryOnTour pic.twitter.com/Syt4VPWBQr
— Costa Coffee (@CostaCoffee) January 24, 2014