Meals wrapped up

Brought to you by Nuffnang and Mission Foods.

I've written before about the lengths I'm prepared to go to in order to make lunch exciting for Ellie. If I'm honest, I just like making sure people around me are eating good food. It's why I use refillable pouches instead of buying ready-made. It's why I'm happy to spend ages boiling and shaping eggs, and cutting shapes into sandwiches.

When it comes to food, my philosophy is everything in moderation, and mostly whole foods. In practice, this is actually pretty easy. If a product has too many ingredients and I don't recognise most of them; I'm probably not going to eat it. If I have a choice between buying a commercial cake, or whipping something up at home, I'm going to (usually) whip up the home version. And I'm going to use good quality, real, whole food ingredients to make it. Sure, I'll switch some things around. Probably use something a bit more nutritional than plain white flour. Switch copious amounts of regular sugar to a smaller amount of rapadura, coconut sugar, maple syrup or the like. If it's for me, I'll switch eggs to something else, and more than likely I'll add a bit of this and a pinch of that as well.

In our house, fat is not a bad word. Fat is a good thing. Avocado and good quality oils are encouraged in our house. Those that eat it get real butter slathered on toast. So, my home made cake will be good. It'll be chock full of yummy real ingredients with minimal processing. Then, I'll just make sure I have people on hand to help eat the delectable creation. Or, I'll freeze half of it for later. Because… no one NEEDS an entire cake… and everything in moderation right?

Real food to me is recognisable. It's a tomato that is red because it was ripened in the sun and is bursting with flavour. It's nuts, and grains and gorgeous colourful fruits and vegetables. Although I make my own bread at home, if I'm out and I get a choice, I'm always going to pick the seedy loaf because I just think, if I can see seeds and grains and goodness because it isn't too processed, then YAY!

So I was delighted when asked to try some of Mission's Red Quinoa and Chia wraps (available in WOW and selected supermarkets for $4.79). Hello! Chia! Quinoa! Wraps! Wraps are a great excuse for everyone to do a make-your-own lunch or dinner. No excuse for not eating what's on your plate when you constructed it all yourself. And something about a wrap just screams EXOTIC over the poor old sliced bread. Especially when you can see the seedy goodness!

I have to be honest. These wraps are amazing. There's no artificial colours or flavours. They had visible seeds all over so I just felt extra good about getting lots of omega-3 fats, calcium, dietary fibre and protein (from the chia version) and plenty of amino acid goodness from the red quinoa. Sure, it's probably a negligible amount but every bit helps and THEY TASTE SO GOOD!

Red quinoa seediness

I had mine stuffed full of avocado, fresh tomato, refried beans, fresh greens picked from the garden, corn kernels and some hummus. For extra decadence, when I took some to work the next day, I also tried toasting it in the sandwich press. So good, and a tasty, healthy lunch to boot.

Ellie and Jimmy didn't eat theirs as a traditional wrap. Jimmy doesn't have the dexterity and Ellie likes to deconstruct everything. But the both loved the meal and ate everything in front of them. That's a win, wrapped in a great big dose of healthy!

I envisage these would also make a great treat option too, served with some banana and Nutella, then cut up into little mini scrolls. I'm sure they'd be devoured in no time.

Are you a sandwich or a wrap person? If you love wraps, I highly recommend Mission. I'd love to hear what your favourite filling is in the comments.

Five things I need every day

They say all you need is love. Well, that's all well and good, but to make my day run smoothly, I need a few extra things in it too. Here are my top 5 daily needs:

1. Coffee. I just have one a day, but it has to be a good one. No instant stuff. I buy beans from my favourite coffee roaster and make my brew with a plunger, then a dash of soy or almond milk. Once I've had my coffee, the day can start properly.

2. Cuddles. I am a tactile person. I love snuggling and cuddling and holding hands and being touched. Except when Jimmy wants to touch me all. the. time. Then I get over it quickly and start to feel touched out. Still... tactile affection is a winner. This picture makes me smile every time I see it. Jimmy crawled up after his feed and thought this was a perfectly acceptable way to fall asleep. I just love his chubby little arm cuddling my head!

3. Touch free time. Much as I love my babies, being constantly needed by someone, constantly touched, constantly on guard in case they get into trouble... it's draining. I definitely need a few minutes of time to myself each day, usually at night before bed. I have quiet time, read a book, catch up on emails and news, and just unwind from the day.

4. Movement. Working in IT, and having a baby to nurse, huge parts of my day are spent sitting down. When I can, I like to get out and move. This could mean I take the kids to the park. Or I find some great tunes and we all dance like mad things around the house. More trivially, I might get off the bus a stop or two early and walk a bit more. I just feel better if I've gotten up and done some exercise for the day.

5. Order. The state of my house, in particular the kitchen, often reflects the state of my mind and moods. I can't feel restful and calm if I'm surrounded by mess and disorder. I don't need things to be spotless, that's an impossibility with small children, but I need things to be tidy and ordered. Before I go to sleep of a night, I make sure I've done a quick whip around the house to make sure toys are put away, discarded clothes are in the laundry, dishes are done and the kitchen, dining and lounge rooms are looking presentable. I feel much better if I wake up and I'm not presented with a huge visual list of things I was too lazy to do the previous day!

So that's what helps me have a good day. Do you have any things you need to make sure your day is the best it can be?

Recipe: Zucchini fritters

I love a meal where I can just make the one thing, and serve it to everyone regardless of age. By that, I mean I can put it in front of everyone without having to puree it, chop it into tiny pieces, or mess around with it too much. These fritters definitely tick all those boxes for me. It's certainly an advantage of baby led weaning - as soon as Jimmy showed an interest in food, he was given suitable samplings from my plate. Something that he could manage to gum, and hold himself. No more having to steam organic vegetables and then puree them to the appropriate consistency as I did for Ellie! I have to say, for a baby who doesn't yet have any teeth, he does manage to consume a fair variety of food (although to my chagrin, he has yet to drop any of his beloved milk feeds in favour of solids).

I digress. These fritters are a lovely light meal - I served them for dinner with a side salad, but I've also been known to whip them up for lunch or an afternoon tea. They're also very flexible - you can use something other than zucchini, just as long as you make sure to remove as much moisture from it as possible. Corn, potato and sweet potato are all variations that I've successfully made. You can play around with the seasonings to suit the vegetable used.

Vegan Zucchini Fritters
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Ingredients:

• 1 large or 2 small zucchini, grated
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup plain flour (I used wholemeal)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, ground
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil, for frying

Method:

1. Sprinkle salt over the grated zucchini and allow it to sit at least 30 minutes. Squeeze out all the excess water (no one like a soggy fritter!!). Put in a large bowl.
2. To the zucchini, add garlic, onion, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, flour and baking powder. Mix well.
3. Form into balls, and flatten slightly. I found this a much easier task with slightly wet hands.
4. Add olive oil to a pan and fry over medium heat until a lovely golden colour. Flip them over and cook until the other side is brown as well.

Notes:

• I got 7 medium sized fritters out of the recipe, which was enough for myself, the toddler and the baby to eat 
• I served them alongside a simple tomato salsa
• I used a plan wholemeal flour, but I think a chickpea flour would also be a good alternative
• I added coriander seeds only because I had a whole bunch of them which I'd saved when my plant went to seed. Season to your own tastes

How to use bento egg moulds

I talked about how I've been upping the interest for Ellie's food previously. The bento shapes and moulds have been a bit of a hit actually! I've been getting a fair few questions about it, so I thought I should write up a how-to for using the bento egg moulds.

They're cute little things, and if it means that Ellie will eat more during this picky eating phase, I'm all for it. They are quite time consuming, so I wouldn't do them every day, but they're quite fun and a bit of a hit if I take them to a picnic or party.

These are the egg moulds I have (the pink and orange ones) - they're a clamshell type, with a closing fastener. There are other sorts, but they should have the clamshell and the fastener so that you get the proper shape and function when you're using them. I picked mine up from eBay.

Materials

• Small saucepan
• Eggs
• Spoon
• Bowl of cold water
• Egg moulds

Egg size and type

Make sure you choose the right sized eggs upfront. I find that large, or extra large work best. You may need to experiment a bit to find which ones fit best. 

I like to use eggs which are a little bit older as well, as I've found that fresh eggs are harder to peel and don't come off with a nice smooth exterior. About a week or so is ideal, and if you're buying from a supermarket, that's probably what you'll get anyway.

Boiling and preparing the eggs

Boil the eggs by putting them in cold water and bringing it slowly to the boil. Once the water is boiling, remove the pan from the heat, put on the lid and leave them to sit for about 9 minutes.

Note, that you want to make sure that they egg yolk ends up in the middle of the egg instead of on one side. For that reason, you need to roll the eggs around while the water is on the way to boiling. I use a spoon and just move the eggs around, rotating them as I stir.

After the eggs are ready, I use my stirring spoon to transfer them to a bowl of cold water, reserving the saucepan water. Then to peel them nicely, crack the shell and peel carefully.

Note, that egg moulds require you to have a hot egg, which is more pliable than a cold one but I'm pretty slow at peeling and I don't have teflon hands, so I need to let them cool down a little for handling. To get around this, I transfer my peeled eggs back into the pan of hot water I used to boil them in before using the moulds. Thrifty huh!

Using the egg moulds

You'll need a bowl of cold water. I just refresh the water in bowl that I used when peeling the eggs as it usually has warmed up by then. Open a mould and dunk it in the water to help make sure your egg doesn't stick.

  

Put in your hot egg. The egg mould shape will let you know how to place the egg - for example, the bunny is thinner toward the ears, so put the egg in with the wider end down.

Close the mould firmly. Don't be shy or start to worry if some of the egg white squishes out at the sides or bottom. Close the fastener until it clicks. Put the whole mould back into your bowl of cold water and let it sit there for at least 10 minutes. At this stage, you can put them in the fridge and leave overnight if you want to.

That's it! When you're ready, just crack open your moulds.

I knew the bunny was going to be a bit messy when I closed it off. It's not too bad - definitely fixable. I just use a sharp knife to cut off all the messy bits.

The bear also came out pretty well, but you can see that I broke a little of the white when peeling so he has a little pock on his face, and the egg was slightly too small for the mould so the ears didn't form as they should. Still perfectly serviceable though.

The end result!

Do you like to eat cute things? How do you make food appealing for the small people or picky eaters in your life?

What's in my kitchen... May 2015

May! How is it May already? I feel like I only just wrote my April post! Maybe the month went quickly because we have been a bit under the weather lately. (Thank you daycare for your germy hot pot situation!). Ellie bought home a bug, which she gave to Jimmy, who shared it with me. Mr Fork was also stricken, but he claims he had it so much worse than everyone (I call man flu....). Anyway, so there was lots of hot drinks, soup and resting happening at our house. Those citrus from last month certainly came in handy!

In my kitchen is...

Passionfruit. Brisbane was recently struck by severe storms which saw five people lose their lives after their cars were swept away by flood waters. We are so very lucky to have avoided any damage, and being situated high on a hill means that our home was relatively safe from flooding, although with many roads being closed or underwater, getting anywhere took much longer than usual for a few days. While I am sure that the garden enjoyed the drenching, one thing which didn't fare so well was my neighbours passionfruit vine. It's a great producer (nothing like my vine) and was loaded with fruit and flowers pre-storm. Post-storm, well, now I have a bowl of large, mostly still-green passionfruit. I'm hoping that they will ripen gradually if I allow them to sit on the windowsill, but if not, I'll turn them into something that needs lots of sugar, possibly a jam or a cordial.

In my kitchen is...

A set of Global knives. Mr Fork and I were given a set of Global knives when we were married some years ago now. However, it is part of Chinese culture that it is bad luck to give knives or cutting implements to people, as it is symbolic of cutting off the relationship. So when I say we were given the knives, technically we were, but in return, we gave the generous giver a card with a coin in it, effectively 'buying' the knives from them.

These knives are fantastic, and are just as good now as the day that we got them. This vegetable knife is my favourite one. I use it for most tasks - yes I know there are such specialised ones as fruit knives, bread knives, fish knives etc... and we have all of those too, but this one fits my hand nicely, is balanced, big (and small) enough for most things and does the job for me nicely.

Also shown is my current favourite chopping board. Made from camphor laurel timber, I like it because the wood has naturally occurring anti-bacterial properties, and because of the wood's grain, only retains surface knife marks and doesn't take the edge off the good knifes. I got this board on one of my trips to the Noosa Edmundi markets, from Nature's Cutting Boards. I love supporting local businesses where possible.

In my kitchen is...

Lots of Hello Kitty kinder surprise insides. I'd always intended to be one of those mothers who is not about the merchandise. Quite a few people though, disagree with me, and although I don't purchase them for her, Ellie has quite the collection of Peppa Pig and Hello Kitty things - toys, bed linen, clothes and the like. One of my relatives has recently discovered that kinder surprise make a special Hello Kitty egg, and so, bought Ellie a carton of them. For those who don't know, these eggs have a thin chocolate shell, and a little toy enclosed.

I managed to stash them away before she was aware of them existing, and I've been stingy about letting her have any - some were released for Easter, and when she is especially good and deserving of a reward, I'll occasionally allow her another. (Mr Fork is not so strict, but that's another story). Anyway, we now have quite a collection of small Hello Kitty habitats, which Ellie insists on displaying prominently in the kitchen, and then arranging endlessly. They are rather cute, but also in my mind... dust collectors. Also, I'm not big on giving food as a reward either.

In my kitchen is...
Chopsticks. We have many sets of chopsticks in our house. Cheap bamboo plain ones. Painted bamboo. Plastic. The cheap ones I use for cooking - stirring and lifting spaghetti and noodles, mixing up stir fries and the like. I used to use the plastic ones to hold up Ellie's bottles to dry. As Jimmy refuses to take a bottle still, I no longer need to have an assortment of chopsticks arranged on my dish drainer. I also have my 'nice' sets of chopsticks which come out occasions for eating. This is my favourite set. I got it in Hong Kong, back before children when I used to travel more often! I don't recall what they're made of, but they're a lovely hardy black material with dimpled silver caps on the ends. The holders are the same black with a simple silver square inlaid.

Speaking of chopsticks, and not technically in my kitchen, but here is a picture of Ellie at yumcha over the weekend. Mr Fork and I have not pushed it and have always gotten her a fork, but for the first time, she attempted to use chopsticks, and I had to get a picture! She is trying to pick up pieces of a bbq pork bun (cha siu bau) which she absolutely adores! 

Although we don't always use chopsticks to eat, I suppose now it is time to start teaching her some of the chopstick etiquette that our families follow:

• How to hold her rice bowl and scoop rice directly into her mouth with chopsticks
• To rest chopsticks on the side of the bowl or on the individual stand to indicate you are still eating and just paused for the moment
• Resting chopsticks at the top of the bowl to show you are finished
• Never to stand chopsticks vertically in your rice bowl because this resembles the burning of incense and 'feeding' the dead (or death in general)
• Transferring choice morsels of food from your plate to someone else is a sign of caring (however annoying it may be when my grandmother refuses to believe I am finished and keeps doing it!)

I am sending this post to Celia of Fig Jam and Lime Cordial's monthly In My Kitchen event. Go have a peek through other kitchens around the globe!

What's in your kitchen this month?

What's in my kitchen, March 2015

Hello Autumn! While I'm sure that there will be plenty of lovely warm soups and casserole meals appearing in my kitchen soon, I'm still enjoying the unseasonably warm weather and the amazing fruits and vegetables available now. I can't even begin to comprehend that it's a new season already when it's still so unbelievably hot. So without further ado, here's what's in my kitchen lately:

In my kitchen is...

Vegan cupcakes from a local Brisbane business. We are not hugely into romance for the sake of a day, but, very strong hinting on my part resulted in Mr Fork getting me a box of vegan cupcakes for Valentine's Day. Because... well, CAKE! That I didn't have to make for myself! Who needs flowers when you have a husband bring you coffee in the morning, and then disappear with the toddler, only to reappear with cupcakes in hand? I know, right!

Ellie handed them to me with a "Mama these are for you," and then staked a claim with, "share please, mama!"

Flavours were Red Velvet (made red with beetroot), Pink Guava, and my personal favourite of the three, Black Forest. The Black Forest is cherry liqueur infused double chocolate, drizzled with more cherry liqueur and then filled with black cherry jam, topped with vanilla buttercream, cupcake cutout, ganache and a cherry. YUM!

In my kitchen is...

Bento accessories! Ellie has been fighting mealtimes lately, so in an attempt to make food more interesting, I've purchased a few bento accessories for her. I'm starting small in case she doesn't like them, but pictured below is a bear shaped sandwich cutter/press, and two egg/rice moulds in the shape of a bear and a bunny.

It's been a bit of a hit actually. Sandwiches are now requested to be "bear sandwich please mama", and I oblige happily. It's a bit of a win/win, as I get to eat all the crusts that are leftover (I think bread crusts are delicious).

I don't eat eggs myself, but Mr Fork buys them from a lady he works with so I know these eggs are organic and from happy hens. I had a go at shaping an egg for Ellie, but there was a bit of a mishap when I got to the peeling stage, so on opening the mould, my cute bunny looked more than a little rabid with it's missing part. No matter, Ellie still enjoyed eating him. Egg moulding is quite an arduous yet interesting process, so I think I'll blog more about it in a separate post. I also have yet to try rice moulding too, although I expect that to be much simpler.

In my kitchen is...

Veggie straws. These were purchased on a whim from Aldi. I thought they were dehydrated vegetable snacks based on the packaging, but I probably should have investigated further instead of just a cursory ingredient check. These funny, square, hollow strips are far removed from vegetables and instead are a puffy mix of potato flour, oil and starch, with tomato puree, spinach powder, salt, sugar and 'flavours' added. I was not very impressed with the taste - I found them bland and would much rather have munched on a real veggie stick with some hommus instead. Ellie however, loved them, so she gets to have them as a special treat. When they are gone, I shan't be getting any more though.

In my kitchen is...

Coconut and raspberry loaf. This is a variation on my standard four ingredient coconut loaf. So easy, Ellie can make it herself (and does, although I help with ingredient measuring and the oven work). I love that she is showing an interest in cooking, and also, in the creating and eating of her masterpieces! As an aside, I'm also loving that she enjoys the clean up part too...

In my kitchen is...

Eggplants a-plenty! I'm harvesting upwards of ten or so eggplants a week at the moment so they've featured pretty heavily on the menu lately. I've had lasagne, moussaka, stuffed and just plain roasted to turn into babaganoush. I have also roasted some and frozen the flesh for use later. And still they keep coming! I really need to find a local garden share near me.

In my kitchen is...

Space! After last month's post where I vented about the uselessness of those jelly maker gadgets, I went on a decluttering spree! I figured that kitchen space is much too valuable to waste on things that I don't use and with that in mind, I was ruthless. I culled corn cob holders and a whole plethora of plastic cutlery that Ellie seemed to have snuck in. Old appliances and devices that I was holding onto out of sentimentality, and a bunch of other things were also either freecycled, donated or binned as appropriate. Now my cupboards are more organised and it's much easier to find what I'm looking for.

I am linking this post in with Fig Jam and Lime Cordial's monthly In My Kitchen event. Go have a peek through other kitchens around the globe!

What's in your kitchen this month?

Recipe: Peanut Butter Lactation Cookies

Breastfeeding is hungry work. My Jimmy is a hungry little milk monster and feeds regularly at two hour intervals or thereabouts. Which is fine(ish) during the day but not so fun at night, let me tell you. It's not all his fault though - we are going through a growth spurt, so cluster feedings are normal and expected. He doesn't have the best latch and exhausts himself with the effort of extracting milk (oh to be a newborn!) and therefore feeds (much) more frequently as he isn't filling up as much as he could at each opportunity.

Anyway, ramblings aside, breastfeeding is hungry work. I like to make sure I have snacks and plenty of water handy, and if they're going to boost my milk supply and make it easier for little Jim to chunk up, by all means point me at the food! I concocted these peanut butter cookies as an experiment, and it's been a bit of a challenge not to hoover them all up at once. They aren't the prettiest but they taste nice and serve their purpose.

Peanut Butter Lactation Cookies

printable link

Ingredients:

• 1 cup peanut butter (other nut butter substitutions are fine - I used some almond, brazil and cashew butter too)
• ½ cup agave nectar
• ¼ cup flax meal + ½ cup water
• 1 cup flour (you could be fancy and use coconut, spelt, buckwheat etc, but plain will also do)
• ½ cup rolled oats 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2-3 tbsp brewers yeast 
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• ½ cup milk (I used soy)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C and prepare your cookie trays.
2. Combine flax meal with water. Allow to rest until it is goopy and most of the water has been absorbed. 
3. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, and brewers yeast.
4. Once the flax mixture is ready, add it and all the remaining ingredients to the flour mixture.
5. Stir well to combine. Add more milk in tablespoon increments, if necessary. (Coconut flour in particular is prone to soaking up liquids)
6. Once a dough has formed, use a tablespoon (or thereabouts) to roll into balls and place on tray.
7. Flatten each ball slightly before placing in the oven.
8. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool.

Notes:

• These would be delicious with chocolate chips or nuts added I think
• I skipped the flattening step as Jimmy woke up and was crying, so my cookies didn't flatten much. I don't mind, they look rustic and taste the same anyway

What's your favourite go-to snack?

What's in my kitchen, November 2014

In my kitchen is...

Bunches of flowers galore! Leaving work to go on maternity leave flowers and congratulations on the birth of Attila flowers. The house smells amazing and I light up every time I have to walk into that kitchen (which is a good thing, as I am tired, sleep deprived but also glowing with new mama happiness)

In my kitchen is...

A Sodastream play, which is patiently awaiting some attention. It is still in it's box because I haven't had the time or energy to get it out yet, but I am really looking forward to soda water on demand, reducing my eco footprint with the copious amounts of store bought soda water bottles and experimenting with delicious flavours. Shiraz cordial flavoured soda perhaps?

In my kitchen is...

An enormous box of fruit. This box was full to the top with locally grown apples, oranges, pears and mandarins. My father bought it for us because he thought it was something easy to snack on with the new baby in the house, and that Mr Fork and Ellie could easily help themselves. I need to start thinking up ways to use the fruit before it spoils though, so I'm thinking muffins, pies, cookies, juices and maybe even using some of the juice to make up more ice blocks for Ellie.

In my kitchen is...

Delicious vegan chocolate muffins, recipe courtesy of Kari from Bite-sized thoughts. She recently posted these up and I was immediately taken with them, and co-incidentally, Ellie had also recently gone off apple purees. Since I like to stock up on things when I see them on sale, I have lots of puree, and these muffins were crying out to be made. Also, Ellie and I needed some mama/daughter bonding time, so while the baby slept, we whipped up these little morsels, and then had the pleasure of snacking on them afterward. Everyone wins!

In my kitchen is...

Various things to increase milk supply, because, newborns are quite the little milk monsters!! I have breastfeeding tea which is a delicious blend of fennel, fenugreek, lemon balm, aniseed and caraway. I also have two flavours of Franjo's Kitchen tanker topper biscuits, in choc chip and fig and almond variety. The fig and almond one is more than a little bit scrumptious!

I am linking this post in with Fig Jam and Lime Cordial's monthly In My Kitchen event. Go have a peek through other kitchens around the globe!

What's in your kitchen this month?

Breastfeeding, what I've learnt so far

* Disclaimer this post is sponsored by Medela.

I've written before about my breastfeeding experience with Ellie.

I won't lie. The first time around we stopped breastfeeding way earlier than I wanted to. I wanted to be that mama who fed easily. I thought it was something that came naturally, that you just instinctively knew what to do. For me, that wasn't the case. We had a toe curling, painful and rocky start. There were latch issues and apparent supply issues. There was sore nipples and mastitis bouts. There was conflicting advice from midwives, lactation consultants and my GP. Lots of tears (both hers and mine). What with pumping, feeding, and a delicious recipe for vegan lactation cookies, we managed to keep at it for nine months, during which time I also returned to work and she also started day care.

Also, I won't sugar coat it. Some of my nicest early memories are of breastfeeding. Of gazing into her eyes, of smelling that sweet baby smell, of tiny hands patting me as she feeds. The utter contentment of those late nights when she and I seemed to be all alone in the world. I missed that when we stopped. So much more than I thought I would. There were more tears (from me this time). After I stopped feeding, I still had a decent supply of milk frozen that we'd finished off by the time she turned one. In spite of how she was fed, and the angst I gave to the whole process, Ellie has thrived. I'm grateful for all the help and (good) advice I received and I want to state that I support feeding your baby however works best for you.

My hand looks really old here

Having said that, I intend to give breastfeeding a red hot go with Attila. This time around, I'm better informed, more practiced and know where to go if I need help.

Recently, I attended a morning tea with Medela. I used their products the first time around with Ellie (hello, marvellous shields and swing breast pump!) and we've got a few bottles as well. This morning tea was fabulous. We talked about what is normal is breastfeeding. Please, if you take anything from this post know that there is no normal! There is no 'correct' set of rules and know that the breastfeeding relationship will change as your baby grows and has different nutritional needs. What works one week might need to be changed the next. Babies can have variable breastfeeding sessions, durations and speed as they grow.

The best advice I can give based on my experiences?

• Go in with a positive attitude. Your baby can sense if you are stressed and that will stress them too.
• Drink plenty of water. You aren't just hydrating you, you're using that water to make milk. Trust me, you will get very thirsty. Go with it. Also, eat. Even if you are too tired, eat.
• A support network makes all the difference. Someone to encourage you when it hurts, cheer you on when it works and help out with answers to your many questions. You might have multiple support people, and that will help immensely. Don't be afraid to ask questions and find your own cheer squad.

Medela provides real solutions for breastfeeding mothers to get over any hurdles in the early days and to support their long term breastfeeding goals. Through its extensive range of breast pump products and other breastfeeding products, Medela is committed to promoting the benefits of breast milk and encouraging long term breastfeeding. For more information visit: www.medela.com.au  or say hello on www.facebook.com/medela.au

 

Nutella breakfast-palooza GIVEAWAY

As one would expect when given a large amount of Nutella to experiment with, it's been featuring quite heavily in our morning diets and play dates lately. We've tried to use it in new and inventive ways, while attempting to stick to my 'breakfast should be relatively healthy' mantra.

Here are a couple of things we've been eating:

Breakfast bagels. I've been tweaking my bagel recipe lately, and I think this is my best batch yet! I substituted some of the flour with wheatgerm for extra fibre, and replaced the olive oil with coconut oil for a subtle taste enhancement. Just quietly, they're delicious, and even more so served fresh out of the oven with some Nutella spread on top! Some of my Instagram followers are all for baking Nutella into a bagel batch and I admit I'm intrigued...

Bagels

Pancakes. No pictures as they were all consumed as soon as they left the pan. Thanks so much Ellie and Mr Fork! Cooked to perfection then stuffed with a variety of things. Nutella and strawberry. Nutella and banana. Nutella, strawberry coulis and slivered almonds. Nutella and coconut shreds. My personal favourite was the Nutella, coulis and almond combination.

As a sort of ready made fondue for fruit. We've used it successfully with slices of pears, peaches and strawberries. My favourite however has to be with dragonfruit. I'm lucky enough that my MIL grows them so when she has excess, I get them. I do have to compete with Ellie for them though... but, Yum!

Dragonfruit and Nutella. Odd combination, but it works!

Layered into chia pudding. This delicious looking concoction is chia seeds soaked overnight with almond milk and a little vanilla essence. Layered with some of fresh strawberries and Nutella and garnished with coconut. This is packed full of energy and kept me going right up until lunch time with no snacks at all.

Chia pudding

Chia pudding

Now, it's no fun me talking about Nutella if I can't share the love! The nice people at Soup have offered a prize to one lucky reader. In the pack will be:

• 30 x 30 gram Nutella jars
• 1 large Nutella jar
• 1 x $50 Woolworths voucher

a Rafflecopter giveaway


To Enter

Use the Rafflecopter widget so I can track your entry, and leave a comment on the blog telling me about the novel, delicious and healthy ways you would use Nutella at breakfast time!

The winner's email address will be provided to Soup to enable the team to arrange the delivery of the prize.

One (1) winner will be selected through a random drawing from all eligible entries after the contest closes to win. All entries must be received on or before March 21 2014 at 12:00AM (GMT +10). The winner will be notified by email. Winner will have 24 hours to claim the giveaway after initial notification. If winner fails to claim within 24 hours, an alternative winner may be selected. 

No purchase required to enter or win. This contest runs from March 14, 2014 through March 21, 2014 at 12:00AM (GMT +10).

Eligibility

This contest is only open to Australian residents. Prizes won by minors will be awarded to their parent or legal guardian on their behalf. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.

**Disclaimer: I was supplied the Nutella to try and review, but all opinions are my own.

Whats in my... kitchen, March 2014

I am linking this post in with the lovely Fig Jam and Lime Cordial's monthly In My Kitchen event.

In my kitchen is...

A collection of ice block moulds, Decor and Ikea brands. Technically for Ellie, but Mr Fork has been known to steal them on occasion. It seems she has been teething forever, and cold food helps her so I simply blend up whatever fruits I have handy, add a little water if required and stick them in the freezer. Delicious, healthy, frozen treats, perfect for sore little gums. She loves them!

Ice block moulds

In my kitchen is...

Apple crumble, to take advantage of the change in season. I love the colder months - food wise it means warm desserts and rich, comforting foods. This is taken pre-baking and it was served with a side of ice-cream. Yummy! Quite frankly it's a hit with people big and small.

Crumbly goodness.

In my kitchen is...

Comfort food. Lasagne, ready to be baked and then served. This is a vegetable lasagne, chock full of silver beet, carrots, red lentils, mushrooms and other vegetables that looked a little sad. This dish will keep Ellie in dinners for ages. It freezes well and is a hit. I'm happy because it's pretty healthy, stores well and she just gobbles it down when it's served.

Lasagne

In my kitchen is...

A secret stash of mini MaltEaster bunnies which I have hidden away from the toddler and the husband for my own personal consumption. This was a surprise present from an awesome person who knows just what I love!

MaltEaster bunnies - too addictive for words

In my kitchen is...

T2 relax tea, which is enjoyable to drink as the weather turns colder. Full of chamomile and other delicious things, this is one of my favourite ways to wind down in the evenings. Sounds a bit nana-like doesn't it?!

Relax!

What is in your kitchen?

Love is all around

Sometimes I get so caught up in the little tiny details of life that I forget to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. When those little details are all I can see, when life gets so full of things to do and places to be and lists of things that need to get crossed off, and that's what I focus on, I sometimes neglect to appreciate all the good things around me. This is a bad habit that I have because I truly believe a happy mama means a happy baby and a happy family too.

So without further ado, here's me focussing on what has been giving me warm and fuzzy feelings over the past few days....

• I love Fridays and Mondays, as they're the days that I get to spend with my little lady, and not have to rush her around to get ready so we can do the daycare drop off. 

• Look at this bumper crop of tiny tomatoes I harvested from my raised garden bed! They're sweet and delicious and worth braving the hoards of grasshoppers which seem to have developed a taste for them too! Anyone have any tips for discouraging grasshoppers? I'm deadly afraid of them and run screaming in the other direction when I encounter them, so squishing is out of the question for me.

• On the topic of gardens, everything is doing so well lately! I have eggplants ripening and I keep eyeing them off, ready to pick them before grasshoppers get to them. The tomatoes are prolific! I have pumpkin and passionfruit flowering like mad, but no fruit yet (maybe it's time to get out a paintbrush and manually pollinate...). Sweet potato is spreading nicely, and even the citrus plants seem to be happy. I'll have to do a proper garden update soon I think.

• On Valentines day, Ellie had a play date, so we whipped up a batch of mini wacky cakes for her to share. These ones are an apple and cinnamon variety, with a spoonful of cocoa thrown in to make them a little bit more special. They were a hit! Not to mention that while Ellie and her friend were playing, I got to enjoy some conversation with another adult over tea and bread. Oh my, how grown up and sophisticated does that sound?!

• Blurred photo aside, look at that look of achievement and sheer joy. There was a stage when Ellie was scared to go on the playground equipment but that is past us now. She loves the slide and I love to hear her squeal with glee on the way down. I also feel like I'm getting some exercise in myself when we walk to the park to play. Win, win!

• Not even a year later and those delicious MaltEaster bunnies are back in store. They have them at the checkout counter at my local shops and I'm a sucker for them... so, so good! Ellie is now old enough to be interested, so I've also turned into one of those mothers who hide in the pantry and try to sneakily scoff the chocolate. HA! It's like toddlers and husbands have supersonic hearing for the crackling of chocolate wrappers.

What has been making you happy lately?

PS: Feel like being social? Come join in on the Facebook page!