Muffin Tin Monday

I have found another thing to participate in!! I love all the smart ideas from bloggy mumma's out there! This one is called Muffin Tin Monday see here at Sycamore Stirrings and here for last weeks entries so many good ideas for Muffin Tin Entries

Basically on a Monday you make lunch in a muffin tin take a photo and write a description and send your link to sycamore stirrings! Judging by my photos I'm am going to have to buy a new muffin tin if I want to keep entering - mine are old and rusty...

Cheerios, cheese cubes, Roast beef (dinner leftovers)
Flame grapes, Strawberry Sherbert, Diced bread roll

I will include the recipe for strawberry sherbet on foody friday - but it is basically a dessert made from cream, yoghurt and jelly(jello for you Americans) crystals. The kids love it and pretty much dipped everything in it.

This was very successful way to get kids to eat - I will try some things they don't like next time see if it works!! I did this on a sunday so it was muffin tin sunday for us, as the older two were playing up a bit after church and while their sister was at the hospital - this calmed everyone down.

Why do kids only get sick when the doctor's aren't open??

So I have spent 2 days and 3 nights with a little child permanently glued to my stomach, wriggling till she gets comfortable then falling asleep. If I dare move her she cries until she snuggles back in.

Why are kids fine during the day then get irritable around 5pm, and you are up walking the hall by the middle of the night cursing the fact that kids always seem to get sick when the doctors are shut?? I kept telling myself oh she will be better the next day (saturday, still no doctors open around my area) then through sat night, she'll get better - then sunday if she is still sick monday I will go to the doctor first thing. Beacause no one wants to spend their Sunday at the Emergency Room at the hospital waiting for 5 hours!!

Well she didn't get better, if fact got worse, didn't move for hours, and I made the mistake of googling her symptoms (don't do it people - make you paranoid) and she had all the symptoms of Scarlet Fever - which can cause Rheumatic Heart disease if undiagnosed - so sent my husband off to the ER with her to get her checked out. She was in a chatty happy mood as I drop them off at the hospital (I had to go back to church to pick up our other kids) I say to her dont be happy now in front of the doctors

Prognosis - Nothing- She HAD a virus, now it is coming out in a rash.. she will be fine... well thanks doctor... I spent the night with a kid who could not STOP scratching said rash... and crying all night.... Yes thank you for your prognosis!! - Lucky Hospital visits are FREE in Australia cause I would not be very happy if I had paid for this.

Sabbath

My foot standeth in an even place : in the congregations will I bless the Lord ~ Psalms 25:12

(I thank the Lord that my life is blessed and I am indeed in an even time of life!!)

To make me happy

I went to the farmers markets this morning and then to a primary activity while husband stayed home with baby who feels a little under the weather at the moment. I didn't buy much except these gerberas - so that if we all end up sick - we will have something pretty to look at while we suffer! and at $1.25 each who can resist?? My usual farmers market purchase is flowers - my husband says he doesn't need to buy me flowers - and I say "Honey you bought them really - I used your money =) How thoughtful of you!!

Want your kids to help around the house?

THE CHORE BUCKET IS WHAT YOU NEED!!!!

Found this idea at Let's Explore so check hers out as it is much cuter than mine. All you need is an empty Milo/baby formula/food item tin and paper.

But the basic idea is to create a sort of Lucky Dip of chores written on paper. Make them easy and achieveable chores or the children might lose interest. Apart from a day or two of having a rest my children have now done chores every day (even wanting to pick 2 or 3 chores each day) since I started this idea. Children especially enjoy chores that require a water spray bottle. We filled an almost empty window cleaner bottle with water - it still has a tint of blue so they think they are using the real stuff.

Some of the things I have used are

*Wipe Outside of fridge
*Wipe outside of oven
*Wipe windows
*Wipe bathroom mirror
*Wipe down fireplace mantle
*Wipe down TV

*Tidy DVD/Video area
*Sweep a room of choice
*pick up 5 things
*Mop
*Take Garbage out
*Help with dinner
*Tidy craft desk
*Clean kitchen table and chairs

I am sure there is a novelty factor at play and the enthusiasium might wear off - that is why I dont't force them if they say they are tired, but the next day I say "Go grab a lucky dip chore" and they are off and at it again.

Had the idea trialled by a friend before I posted about it here - Jenny says it works a treat with her 3 sons!! so I know it is not just girls who will do it. Thanks for the feedback Jenny!!

Go luck and get those kids cleaning!!!

Foody Friday

Some recipes from this weeks menu at our house

Fried Camembert with Redcurrant Sauce

50g (1/3 cup) plain flour
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup dried breadcrumbs
1 pkt camembert cheese cut into 12 wedges
1 jar red currant jelly ( I used cranberry sauce)
vegetable oil to fry

Place flour eggs and breadcrumbs into 3 seperate bowls. Toss the camembert in the flour, dip in egg and then in breadcrumbs.

Add enough oil to saucepan to cover camembert. Heat oil, (to test drop in a cube of bread - it will turn golden in 15 secs when ready). Add 3 wedges at a time anf cook 2-3 minutes till golden. Repeat in batches until done. serve immediately with cranberry jelly.

Country Egg and Bacon Pie
(so easy kids can make it)

1 large sheet frozen shortcrust pastry (or 2 small)
1 small onion diced
3 rashers bacon, diced
1 tomato sliced
1/2 cup tasty cheese
6 eggs

Place pastry into a shallow pie dish - DO NOT TRIM. Layer onion, bacon and tomato. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley. Break eggs over surface of pie, Swish pie to spread eggs a little. Fold the pastry edges over to the filling. Bake for 30-40 mins unitl firm and golden. serve with salad and crusty bread. * I cooked my bacon and onion first.

Lamb and pineapple curry

2 tbs oil
1 onion, diced
Lamb, diced
300g jar tikka masala curry paste
1/2 cup water
400g can crushed pineapple
2 cups shreadded cabbage
1/4 cup fruit chutney

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Saute onion for 2 mins. Add lamb cook stirring until meat is browned. Blend in simmer sauce and water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 mins till lamb is tender. Add crushed pineapple, cabbage, basil and chutney heat until cabbage is wilted. Serve with rice.

Meringues

4 egg whites, at room temp
pinch cream of tartar
1 cup caster sugar
2 tbs brown sugar

Preheat oven to 120 degrees celcius. Line two trays with non stick baking paper.
Use electric beaters to whisk the egg whites and cream of tarter in a clean, dry mixing bowl until soft peaks form.

Add caster sugar 1 spoonful at a time, whisking well between spoonfuls. Once all the sugar has been added whisk an additional 2 mins until mixture is thick and glossy.

Spoon tablespoons of mixture on tray. sprinkle with brown sugar. Place meringues in preheated oven, reduce temp to 90 degrees and cook for 1 and 1/2 hours. Turn oven off and allow the meringues to cool in the oven for 2-3 hours.

I used mine to decorate a cake, you can just eat them as a sweet snack.

Fish with Avocado Salsa


4 fish fillet of choice
100g mixed salad leaves
2 tomatoes sliced

Salsa
1 avocado peeled and chopped
1/2 -1 mango peeled and chopped (not in season here, so I used Canned Mangoes)
1 small red onion
1 small chilli finely chopped (optional)
juice of lemon or lime

Spray chargrill with olive oil. Cook fish 2-3 minutes or to taste.

Combine all salsa ingredients. Set aside until required. Serve fish on a bed of lettuce and tomato topped with salsa.

I served ours with crusty bread - YUM

Home made lemonade

1 lemon, juiced
1 litre water
1/2 - 1 cup sugar

Add ingredients together - shake bottle to dissolve sugar. For extra bite add some fresh grated ginger. *This recipe thanks to my mother in law - she taught me and I make it all the time :)

The Potato People

The Potato People by Pamela Allen
I borrowed this book from the library and the girls liked it so thought we would copy it by making our own potato people. The book gives you a few tips for making your own potato people. I have uploaded a video of Kalani reading the story if you can't happen to find the book - as it is by an Australian Author. Gabrielle had a great time weilding a potato stuck on a skewer at us. She thought it was very funny Making Potato People Each girl with her potato person - love Gabrielles!!
They said one of them looks like grandma!!

Toddler Tuesday - Art Group

After some minor technical difficulties ( I accidently deleted all my photos for the month!! - but wonderful IT husband found them again - what a hero!) I am ready to post about our second Toddler Art Group Session.

Using ideas from Secret Agent Josephine for leaf painting and from The Artful Parent for Salad Spinning Painting were were set to go. This time we had 6 children which is a nice size.

I was able to get a cheap Salad Spinner at Ikea as I was not sure what the paint would do to the spinner (nothing- the Paint washed out fine) as we only had one spinner the children had to take turns so while waiting they painted leaves and whatever they wanted on paper.
Squeezing out Paint
Spinning and Spinning
Finished Product
Some children had very short attention spans and one little girl was still going an hour later!! what a champ!! I was very impressed that the were all so interested in the salad spinner - I was worried they wouldn't be interested or get bored with it easily. I think this one was a success!!

And my little one ended the class the same way as last time - Stripping off naked and hopping into the esky full of warm water to wash our hands in!! - *note for next time - smaller container!!
What a cheeky monkey!!

What I had to clean at the end - What a pretty pattern

Solution to Cold

I have been wanting to make these HOT SOCKS for ages but the instructions said you had to have all cotton socks so they won't smell funny after being microwaved - well since I live too far from the mall to walk I never go to clothes shops so was waiting for when I do and buy some pure cotton socks.

After all my complaints about being cold wonderful Mechelle told me she just makes her rice bags out of fabric scraps and they work fine. So with that encouragement I set to work straight away by cutting up an old hooded sweater and a corderoy dress too small for my girls. I purposely chose to cut rectangles around the pockets, then sew up the sides, fill with rice and sew closed.

Now we have rice heat bags with little pockets in them to warm our hands. These bags are so lovely - I slept with mine at my feet (which are always blocks of ice) and it was heavenly and cozy!! The girls are so in love with theirs that I spent all morning microwaving the bags every 20 mins when they lost their heat.

*Note* If I was to do this again (most probably) I would make the rice bag out of calico and use the fabric to make a sort of pillow case for the rice bag, so the cover could be washed, as I see these little things getting pretty grubby from all the love from my girls.

I am also sad that at the beginning of the year we went through our house and gave to charity all the clothes we dont wear - ALOT!! Now I think of all the fabrics and patterns that could have been mine - for free, so think about the material that could come from clothes you are about to throw away!!
And what is this??




NO... I am not pregant..... just in love with my hot rice bag =) Oh warm sweet relief... I think I am addicted.

Unplug your kids challenge - OLD

I honestly could not think of anything to do for the Unplug your kids "OLD" challenge . I wracked my brain for days and even though words like this are very open ended I could not think of anything except carving apples and leaving them to dry to shrivel - but I didn't have the time for that or the apples (kids ate them all) so I was tempted not to participate in this weeks challenge.

Then last minute inspiration :)
Grandma's Birthday Lunch at our house - That's old isn't it??? Well I can't be that mean as my mum is still in her 40's!!! but she is still old to her granddaughters ;)

But here is my real old entry -

I had planned for our family to celebrate Winter Solstice (around 21st June in Australia) see previous blog here for family solstice ideas and thought well isn't that old?? It's been celebrated for thousands of years.

So here are a few things we did
Hammered nails into a tin can to make a lantern. I held the can with my legs and nail with my fingers - the girls did good not to hurt me too much

And made Plastic Cup Candle Holders!
"Sun" Crafts
Finished products - Handprint Sun and Outer Space drawing
Making Pizza
Our Fireplace - not common where I live, so we are lucky to have one
Toasting Marshmallows

My first Tag :)

I finally got a tag - which is like a questionaire or challange or dare or something.

This one is easy though - Show pictures of where you blog

I received this tag from lovely Mechelle and I also saw it on Crazy Jan's blog. Lots of fun to visualize where everyone is writing their comments from.

So here goes

My blogging haven - Love the Ikea desk ;)
Is in the loungeroom

Apart from our house being very tiny - and there being no where else to have a computer, we are following computer/internet advice of having a computer in an open area - to help stop all those vicious addictions that can happen with too much internet eg neglecting my kids :P

So from here I can blog to my hearts content and at the same time - watch tv, play with my kids, have kids on my lap, read scriptures, do husbands paperwork,have kids do flips off the couch onto me, answer the phone, do pilates, and sit by the fire :)

With my favourite screen up - My blog ;)
The behind my desk

You Know its Winter in Australia when.....

You wear socks with your sandals :)
It's warmer OUTSIDE your house than INSIDE!! (Curse these cold, daughty, non heated, non insulated wooden houses)
You wear boots for fashion - not because it is cold :) It is actually cold enough to wear them for 4 weeks out of the year
You get excited when you see a deciduous tree - I have ONE!!!
Book club is held at your house because you have a fireplace (fairly rare here)

BBBBBRRRR..... I am off to grab a blanket - my house is FREEZING!

Sabbath

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you. ~John 13:34

Birthday Lunch

wasn't long enough.. but was lovely.

MENU
Deep Fried Camembert Cheese ( oh my I have found a new best friend) dipped in Cranberry sauce
Pumpkin Soup and crusty bread
Chicken and Leek Pie and Salad
Sprite Cake and Brownies

Cake recipe at Bakerella

my oh my... I can bearly walk... hmmmmm soooo full :)

and what perfect weather for the shortest day of the year!! Still warm enough to eat outside..

I have Been Busy...

all day cooking

here is a sneak peak of my mothers birthday lunch I am hosting

Meringues to go on top of the cake :)

I will rest my sore legs at book club tonight - which is at my house - want a cup of fudge hot chocolate? or white chocolate hot chocolate?? With fireplace??? Cozy!! Then be here tonight - 7:30