Viewing all items in Resource Category: Looking at You

A history of our Easter chocolate Your Easter chocolate can be good for you Easter Story Biscuits What home gadgets do you regret buying? Our obesity is costing us millions Dawn chorus What does your child know about red squirrels?  ** Editor:  If you suspect a lot of people in your church love chocolate, this...

Chocolate.  Just a mention of the word can trigger off all kinds of emotions:  craving, greed, passion. Few foods have the ability to get such a hold on people.  As you buy your Easter eggs and bunnies and whatever else this month, here are some of the facts of chocolate: Where does chocolate come from?  ...

It all began in ancient Peru over 5,000 years ago. They liked to sip cacao, the purest form of chocolate. It took many centuries to find its way to Europe, but when it did arrive, it was a big hit. Now, with sugar added, chocolate is one of the most popular treats we know. In...

Prep. Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 1 day Ingredients: 1 cup pecan nuts 1 tsp. vinegar 3 egg whites 1 pinch salt 1 cup sugar large plastic bag wooden spoon tape Bible Instructions: Preheat oven to 150C. Place pecans in the plastic bag and let the children beat them with the wooden spoon to break...

You know what they are: those things you never knew you needed until you saw one in an advert. Then suddenly you felt that life would never be complete without one. And so, you brought home the spiraliser that makes vegetables look like spaghetti. And the pasta maker that you can’t quite figure out how...

66% per cent of UK adults are now overweight or obese. That is according to recent NHS England figures.  Around 30% of these are officially obese, with a Body Mass Index of 30 or above. It is affecting our chairs, our ambulances, and even our coffins. Furnishing companies are getting orders to provide bigger chairs....

If you sleep with your bedroom window open, you will know all about the dawn chorus around now. The birds are busy establishing their territorial rights, and the ‘early birds’ have probably already selected a nest site and started building. The blackbird builds a solid cup of twigs, plant stems and leaves, lined with a...

Sadly, red squirrels are now so rare in Britain that many of our children are not even sure what they are. A recent study found that one in 10 children are unable to even identify a red squirrel when shown a picture of one. And a third of British children do not know that red...

When women become mothers… tracing a pregnancy The secret life of a busy mother Granny retired?  You’ve got to be kidding…. Dog walkers now face unlimited fines if pets chase livestock Why big, wet licks from a dog can help a teenager’s mental health Afternoon tea, anyone? ** Editor: With people thinking about mothers this...

March brings us not only Mothering Sunday, but also the Annunciation of the Incarnation -when the angel Gabriel told Mary that she would become pregnant with the Christ child. (25th March, exactly nine months before Christmas). Mary was overwhelmed with joy and love, as are millions of women when they realise their child is on...

Not many years ago lonely mothers would head for each other’s homes or to the local toddler group for coffee, sympathy, advice and general camaraderie. These days, most also switch on the computer. For many busy mums, parenting forums and communities have long been their best friend/mother-figure/health visitor/schoolteacher, all lumped into one. One young mum...

The idea that grandmothers retire into an unburdened world of gardening and tea-drinking, golf and knitting is no more than a pleasant fantasy these days. Instead, nearly 63% of grandparents provide some sort of childcare to their under-16-year-old grandchildren. That amounts to around seven million older people, aged mostly between 55 – 74. As many...