Callum Kidd reporting back to HQ!

Here at Great Ormond Street Hospital the opinions that matter the most are those of the patients. Which is why we are always sending our dedicated friends reporters off to cool events and parties across the hospital network. Here’s what our latest secret squirrel had to say when we sent him off to the Friends Christmas party with his family:

Friends Reporter – Callum Kidd

The Friends Christmas Party kicked off to a very festive start with everyone coming in and having music playing and people walking around dressed up as lots of different characters. There was Alexandr Meerkat, reindeer, wizards, a panda, a kangaroo, an elephant, fairies, pirates, rabbits, the storm troopers from Star Wars, a walking Christmas tree (strange don’t you think?!) and of course, Santa and his elves.

Another great group of people who were there were the one and only Red Arrows! Also, the star of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Freddie Highmore, was at the party. A famous actor, how cool is that?!

As well as all these people there were loads of activities for children of all ages. There was everything from a ball pool for three-year-olds to football games on the X-box for the older children, and lots of great things in between! The party was made even better when Santa and his elves brought round chocolate. My mum’s a dentist -don’t tell her I ate it! Afterwards, the Red Arrows had a chat and gave us posters and sweets.

Next, Santa came round, and he let slip that it was chaotic up in the North Pole, and that nothing was ready. Yikes, I hope I still get presents! As well as Santa, there was a great magician who came over. I still can’t work out how he split a red ball into four balls, it was amazing!

Then, being the reporter, I got to interview Freddie Highmore (Charlie), and it was great. Then I asked Patsy Cowen some questions. Patsy is the face of Friends, so it was really interesting to ask her about why she thinks you should join Friends, what she does for the charity, and some other things about the cause as well.
Then, I got a break. After all, a hard working reporter does need time to eat and play on the X-box right?!

Later on, Reporter Kidd (me) was doing some more writing (for the papers, of course) when the conga train passed by. Led by a very nice fairy, the train went past and carried on ‘across the floor’. Subsequently, we (me and my parents) spoke to Kirsty Moore, who told us of being assigned the exciting post of being the first female red arrows pilot, having begun in September.

Amazingly, I also saw Stormtroopers dancing (weird!). I had my photo taken with David Tennant (he wasn’t there really, it was just a green screen!) and the picture looked awesome.

Finally, I had the great pleasure of interviewing the stars of Oliver! (yes, Oliver!) the west end musical. They said the only thing that kept them going for two performances was food, sounds like the job for me!
See how you can become a Friends Reporter

GOSH on hand to provide support

The Child Death Helpline team at GOSH offer a free listening service for bereaved parents and in today’s special guest blog, a spokesman from that team highlights how strong feelings surrounding bereavement can emerge at any time:

The Prime Minister’s interview with ITV, due to be broadcast this Sunday, has received added media interest due to the tear he shed when recalling the events surrounding the death of his ten-day old daughter in 2002.

At the Child Death Helpline, we know that losing a child is an experience that stays with you for the rest of your life. It is not unusual for tears to be shed eight years after the event and those strong feelings can emerge at the most inappropriate times, even in a Prime Minister.

Our helpline provides a free national telephone listening service for bereaved parents who need to talk about their child and their feelings of loss and devastation. All our telephone volunteers are bereaved parents themselves.

The opportunity to talk to someone remote from family and friends can be helpful not just in the weeks or months that follow the death but years and even decades later.

FREEPHONE 0800 282 986
http://www.childdeathhelpline.org.uk

The helpline is open every day throughout the year:
• Every evening 19.00 – 22.00
• Monday to Friday 10.00 – 13.00
• Tuesday and Wednesday 13.00 to 16.00

The Child Death Helpline is manned by volunteers, supported by professionals at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust, and the Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust.

Second star to the right and then straight on till morning….

As you know we’re trying to make it into the Guinness World Records and YOU can be part of it and make history! The attempt will take place on Friday 30th April at 9.15am. Please take note that you’ll have to register in order for you to be counted and you’ll also need:

• Two independent witnesses (To oversee the record attempt and act as ajudicator on behalf of Guinness World Records)
• Stewards (to help the independent witnesses check everyone is wearing the whole costume for the full 10 minutes of the attempt)
• Timekeeper
• Participants (minimum of 25)
• A log book
• £2 (suggested donation) from every participant

If you have a look on our website, you’ll be able to download our ‘everything you need to know’ booklet* and if you have any burning questions, please don’t hesitate to call us on 020 72393182, we’re happy to help! ☺

Love is in the Air

That time of year is fast approaching; where you show the one you love just how much they mean to you….that’s right we’re talking about non other than Valentines Day – the day for love and a general overall excuse to be romantic! Stuck for ideas on how to woo? MyDish have a whole section dedicated to the day of Valentine! So dust off your rolling pin and dig out your apron to show your love through the medium of food!

Here’s my favourite…….

Chateaubriand in Bearnaise Sauce

Ingredients

5 tbsp. Oil
700g Chateaubriand steaks
1 bag Watercress
BEARNAISE SAUCE
1 Shallots. finely chopped
2 tbsp. White wine vinegar
200 ml White wine
10 Black peppercorns. crushed
4 Egg yolks. beaten
220g Melted Butter
1 tsp. Wholegrain Mustard
2 tbsp. Chopped tarragon

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

2. Heat the oil in a griddle pan. When it is smoking, put the beef in the pan and allow it to sizzle on both sides. Holding the steak with tongs, brown the edges all the way around. Transfer the meat to the oven and bake it for about 20 minutes for medium-rare.

3. For the bearnaise sauce: Place the shallot, black peppercorns, white wine vinegar, white wine and a little of the tarragon in a small pan and boil over a high heat until about a quarter of the volume remains. Take the peppercorns out.

4. Put the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl with the vinegar sauce and whisk. Add the melted butter a drop at a time, whisking between each addition. The sauce will start to thicken. If it splits, add a drop of hot water. Once all the butter is added, stir in the mustards, the rest of the chopped tarragon and season.

5. Cut in the steak in half and arrange on serving plates with a dollop of béarnaise and a handful of watercress. Serve with chips.

Peter Pan Week!

Ever fancied making history? You can make it happen! We want to break the record for the most people dressed up as Peter Pan so the more people involved, the better chance we’ve got to make it into the Guinness World Records!

Calling all teachers – get your school involved to be part of the fun (who doesn’t enjoy dress up!) and we’ll help you all the way! We will provide you with a fundraising toolkit and Peter Pan themed educational materials so you can incorporate it into lessons!

Not a teacher but still think it’ll be a great idea – tell your school about our Peter Pan week and show them our site it’ll also be a great opportunity to get those baking hands busy in the kitchen to help raise even more money! You could even transform the playground into a Captain Hook treasure hunt* and map out a Neverland Treasure Trail of small change in the playground…you never know, it could lead to some hidden treasure.

We’ve even got a video demonstration by CBBC’s Kirsten O’Brien to give step by step instructions for making your own Peter Pan costume and handy sword! It’ll be available soon, you can be sure we’ll be the first to let you know when it’s up and running!

Love Never Dies!

Love Never Dies is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s second edition to the longest running broadway show to date, Phantom of the Opera. It’s safe to say that this will be one of the most eagerly anticipated sequels in history!

If you’re familiar with the original story, Love Never Dies is set ten years after the mysterious disappearance of The Phantom from the Paris Opera House. Christine Daae accepts an offer to come to America and perform at New York’s fabulous new playground of the world – Coney Island. Christine soon discovers the identity of the anonymous impresario who has lured her from France to sing after arriving in New York with her husband Raoul and their son Gustave.

It’s a rollercoaster ride of obsession and intrigue, exemplifying how music and memory can play cruel tricks and The Phantom sets out to prove that, indeed, Love Never Dies!

And this story gets even better – we have secured the only charity gala performance of Love Never Dies with all proceeds going to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. It’s a fantastic opportunity to visit the theatre while helping save the lives of sick children.

If you’re an avid musical theatre fan, this date definitely needs to be penciled into your diary! Tuesday 16 March 2010 at 7.30pm at the Adelphi Theatre, Strand, London WC2.

What better way to show someone you love them either for Mother’s day or as a romantic Valentine gift for your partner.

Tickets are available from See Tickets call 0844 811 0056 quoting GOSHCC or book online at www.seetickets.com/goshcc

But be warned, tickets will be sold on a strictly first come first served basis!

Thank you!

Once again, we want to thank everyone out there supporting us!

If you’ve got a facebook or twitter account, add us and invite your friends! We love hearing from everyone, especially if you’re planning on fundraising – whether you’re organising a local cake sale or challenging yourself to trek or skydive!

Have a look on our website to see how your donations are making a real difference!

From all of us at Great Ormond Street, thank you!

A couple of yummy recipes!

Stuck on what to make for dinner? Want to try something new but don’t know really where to begin? Well, with over 5000 recipes in the MyDish forum, we’re sure you won’t be short of ideas! With a growing community for those who enjoy food and cooking, you’ll soon find yourself immersed into an online Narnia of food!

For Bake It Better we want to whip up the country into cupcake craze, want to get involved? How about trying this yummy treat?

Cookie Dough Cupcakes, thanks to Lolo

Ingredients

• CUPCAKES
• 100g self raising flour
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g margarine
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• COOKIE DOUGH
• 130g flour
• 120g butter
• 110g packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2/3 beaten egg
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method

Make the cupcakes:

1. Place the flour, sugar and margarine in a large bowl and beat with a wooden spoon for about 2-3 minutes until well mixed. Kids love this bit, but be prepared for a messy table.

2. Put the bun cases on a baking tray and spoon a tablespoon of the mixture into each of the cases.

3. Bake for about 15-20 minutes at 180°C

Meanwhile make the cookie dough:

4. Beat together the butter, sugars and vanilla.

5. Add the egg and beat until creamy. Gradually add the flour and salt, and once fully

6. blended and smooth, add the chocolate chips. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.

7. Divide dough into 12 balls and press with your palms into discs resembling chocolate chip cookies. Press on top of the cooled cupcakes

Although, if cupcakes don’t tickle your fancy, getting ideas couldn’t be easier – on our group on MyDish there are some tantalising treats!

Dark chocolate tart with gingersnaps and pecan crust, thanks to Assia

Ingredients

• CRUST
• 14 gingersnaps (about 4 ounces)
• 1 cup pecans
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
• FILLING
• 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate. finely chopped
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of salt
• ¼ tsp cinnamon

Method

Make Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. In a food processor grind gingersnaps, pecans, and sugar fine and add butter, blending until combined well.
3. Press mixture onto bottom and up side of a 9-inch pie plate.
4. Bake crust in middle of oven 15 minutes and cool on rack.

Make filling:

5. Combine finely chocolate and heavy whipping cream in a saucepan. Whisk over low heat until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove saucepan from heat.
6. Whisk egg yolks, egg, sugar, flour, ground black pepper, salt and cinnamon in a bowl to blend. Very gradually whisk chocolate mixture into egg mixture until smooth and blended. Pour chocolate filling into crust.
7. Bake chocolate tart for about 30 minutes. Transfer to rack. Cool.

Enjoy!

Remember MyDish for every food wish!

We’re so happy that people are signing up to our group on Mydish! We want to build the biggest collection of children’s recipes, so if you fancy yourself as a bit of a cooking connoisseur, sign up and help save lives, the phrase sharing is caring certainly comes to mind!

If you have a recipe, however big or small – we would love to see and hear about them! Does your recipe have a riveting past – passed down through generations? You’ll never have to worry about where that scribbled scrap of paper or try to remember your perfected recipe!

MyDish is more than just online recipe book….!

• You can search for tried and tested recipes – a collection of the best recipes according to you

• You can organise all your special recipes into one place that is accessible from anywhere

• You can share your best recipes with friends and family

• You can rate and review recipes and add tips

• You can create your own personalised Cookbook with photo’s and comments and have it professionally printed as a gift

• You can create a group (or join a group) which brings
together people who love the same foods and also helps you to build a group cookbook

• You can get questions you’ve always wanted answered from real experts

Don’t delay, join today!
Going to cook? Have a look!
Remember MyDish for every food wish!

Dress up to make a history!

Who doesn’t love the story of Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up! Great Ormond Street are having a whole week of Peter Pan themed fundraising from the 26th – 30th April! Not only will you be fun-raising…as we’re attempting to make it into the Guinness World Records for having the largest number of people dressed up in the name of Peter Pan!

If you want get your school involved you can register and receive a fundraising toolkit along with Peter Pan themed educational materials. You don’t just have to go for Peter though, you can dress up as your favourite character! So have root around for those old fancy dress costumes, take a trip to your local haberdashery or have a look at our costume instructions to get that perfect Peter (or friends) look!

Although, it’s not just restricted to schools – anyone can join and take part! Have a look on our website or you can call 0207 239 31 82 for more info!