Meet the Veggies…WHAT HAPPENS IN MISS MAE’S KITCHEN? by Charlotte Raybon E Eloquent Books New York, New York Once hot, fry the samosas a few at a time for around 10 minutes, or util golden. Drain on the kitchen paper and repeat until all the samosas are cooked. Fannie rolls her eyes with a big sigh. “Will you give a doll a break? I said Miss Mae is out of the house. Now you Veggies get down here. There are some little folks waiting to meet you.”The Veggies slide a little ways down the side of the cupboard and jump onto the table. Theylook around the kitchen and start mumbling. “Yep, it really looks like Miss Mae has gone out,” says Corn on the Cob. “Come on,” says Nanny. “The children are waiting and we don’t have all day.”The Veggies come to the center of the table. They start mumbling again, pushing andshoving each other. Broccoli asks, “Why don’t you go first Onion?” “No, you go first Potato.” “No, you go Mushroom.” “No, you go String Bean.” “No, you go Red Pepper.” “I will not,” cries Red Pepper. “That will be enough,” yells Fannie with her hands on her hips and tapping her foot. She points. “Come here, String Bean, and introduce yourself. You know better.” Encourage them to hold these creatures gently and carefully so that they can see what minibeasts look like The news that we were going to get 'another go' with The Veggies this year was fantastic. By the end of filming the last year there were lots of excited thoughts floating around about improvements, developments, elaborations that could all be made IF we got a second series. Well as of Monday 4th we'll be implementing those pipe dreams so please, if you want to do 'Sunshine dance' over the weekend to ward off any looming bad weather, we'd much appreciate it. (In fact, if you could keep it up for the next 4 weeks, that'd be even better...)

Raymond the Butternut Squash: he may not be the brightest but he is very thoughtful and has a big heart. Thanks to everyone who posted questions for me - I think I'm going to be grilled with the rest of them at a later date but here are a couple of choice ones I've been given: Planting in the garden is a great way to stimulate your child’s senses of touch, sight, sound, taste and smell – soft flowers, bushes and plants that rustle, strong smells and bright colours all help to enrich your child’s experience of gardening. These kinds of sensory plants can be particularly beneficial for children with special needs and sensory impairments, as it encourages them to explore and enjoy the garden. Faulks admits he isn’t a keen gardener himself, although he loves the outdoors. He’s not sure where the inspiration for the character of Mr Bloom came from: “He was always going to be a happy Northern gardener but I haven’t based him on anyone.”

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The Wee MacGregors: the Radishes, a law unto themselves – cheeky, mischievous, observant and attentive. As for the remaining 25 Episodes, you can expect everything that featured in the first series, as well as a few next extras. There are two new Veggies in the nursery (more news on them later..), Compo seems to have undergone a bit of an upgrade plus, there's a whole lot more to be heard from Sebastian, the debonair Aubergine. This time round it's been an even greater pleasure writing and devising for the show. Knowing how it looks, how the characters / puppets respond, how the Tiddlers can be involved it's really allowed us to push the boat out creatively. In addition, now, when the Tiddlers roll up to the TV set, they'll be bringing expectations and preconceptions of what they've seen on the box at home. I'm really looking forward to this. Now they know the veggies, their characters and also Mr Bloom it will be interesting to see how this may affect the show. If your little one really loves getting out and about in the garden it can be helpful to buy a set of child-friendly mini-tools that they can hold and use by themselves. Having a little watering can, rake, trowel and spade can really help build your child’s sense of independence as well as their physical movement and fine motor skills.

Ask an adult to help with this stage as deep frying can be dangerous. Heat vegetable oil to 180 degrees in a large deep saucepan. Line a plate with lots of kitchen paper.Mr Bloom’s Nursery does what many parents might have thought impossible – gets children excited about vegetables! Set in the allotment of the lovable gardener, and featuring a supporting cast of animated veggies, the award-winning CBeebies series has been teaching children about vegetables and where they come from, as well as wider lessons on nurture and growth.