Let’s keep in mind that we all love our kids and are all doing our best.
Last week’s Facebook battle was a bit of a doozy. I won’t lie – I didn’t walk away from it unscathed. There’s no need to rehash the topic but it did make me realise two things.
1. I need a formal social media etiquette policy.
I love debating stuff. Being forced to defend my stance does help to cement my reasoning. And sometimes one of you will present a fabulous argument that makes me change my mind. When people are too fixed to consider the alternative views then it’s not really a debate or discussion, it’s an argument. And for some reason, arguments on the Internet are vicious and full of personal attacks. And that’s not fun for anyone. Which is why I’ve written this policy…
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When I comment on Vegie Smugglers pages, I will try to…
* Be real & genuine
Please treat my blog and Facebook page like the real world. Despite the fact I post under a blog name, I am a real person and I’m venturing online with the same spirit with which I approach my whole life. I’m connecting with people, talking to them, forming friendships and having interesting conversations.
* Be open minded
Enjoy chatting to people here who are different to your regular circle of friends. Share information; feel free to passionately state your case in a considered and rational way. Then read and discover the other opinions. Foster empathy and understanding of others.
* Admit mistakes & be thoughtful
So if you wouldn’t say something in real life, don’t say it on my page. And if you do say nasty stuff then shame on you, apologise! If you do it more than once then you’re not welcome here and will be banned.
* Have fun
Please enjoy the Vegie Smugglers pages. Enjoy sharing your opinions in considered and passionate ways. Help each other, make friends and learn something new.
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2. Now, the other thing that last week’s discussion did was strengthen my resolve around this whole vegie-smuggling thing.
The more I work on my business, the more passionate I get about helping people make little changes that will improve their lives.
For me, food is the foundation of everything. Good food enriches your soul. It leads to good health, which leads to positive behaviours, enthusiasm and motivation for life.
Perhaps it sounds silly but I really believe that introducing new ingredients and finding new healthy meals that your family can enjoy together will improve your life. By making good food choices you’ll feel better about yourself, you’ll improve the health outcomes and behaviour of your children and create a positive environment. And your life will just be that bit more interesting.
Regular readers will know that I am not even nearly fanatical about anything. A bit of white flour, sugar and wine can enrich our souls too. But I will always discourage consistently lazy eating habits. Considering that childhood obesity is still increasing, I’m committed to doing whatever I can to help families make good choices.
Here’s an example of what I mean. You can buy sachets of quick oats in the supermarket. They’re expensive and the flavourings taste a bit weird, but they’re easy. How about instead, buy the plain box of quick oats. They only take 30 seconds longer to cook. Then sprinkle this powder over the top. The result is an aroma that will make you swoon, some sneaky nutrition and a little bit of magic to make you smile first thing in the day. From soulless to spectacular with the minimum of fuss.
Magic powder to make your day awesome.
Magic Morning Powder
1/2 cup LSA mix
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Mix together and sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons over your steaming hot porridge.
Thanks for stopping by.
Vegie Smugglers 
Vanessa Fuller said,
June 10, 2013 @ 5:17 pm
agree agree agree. and to make life easier for me I make my porridge mix up the night before with various seeds nuts fruits flavours, soak overnight so just have to heat and eat in the morning.
btw thanks for keeping us on track and inspired
wendyblume said,
June 10, 2013 @ 5:33 pm
Welcome.
Peta Walker said,
June 10, 2013 @ 5:18 pm
LOVE your info and enjoy reading your emails and FB page, and, think your etiquette rules are fantastic.
Have a great day, Peta 🙂
Rosemarie said,
June 10, 2013 @ 5:23 pm
yummo
Carolyne said,
June 10, 2013 @ 5:25 pm
I much prefer the traditional and not the quick oats and the quick oats aren’t as good for you anyway. I personally don’t like the flavoured ones but do like the traditional with a drizzle of honey and some banana!
wendyblume said,
June 10, 2013 @ 5:34 pm
Yes, I agree Carolyne, I like the traditional best too. Hubster cooks porridge for us using them on the weekends. Check your brand though – the claims that the quick oats are just chopped smaller seem to be true, judging by the ingredient list.
Corli-Anne Rzasa said,
June 10, 2013 @ 5:44 pm
Porridge is a huge hit here and I am sure it will be even yummier with that addition. Thanks
Belinda said,
June 10, 2013 @ 7:07 pm
Hello, I agree. I now buy my oats direct from the farmer (cheaper too..) as I make my own yummy muesli, (usually just for me!). And the difference with fresh oats is another step again. I found a recipe for slow cooker porridge, which cooks over night, and looks delicious, but I’m yet to get that organised. 1 cup of oats to 2 cups of milk is the perfect formula in our house for the stove top and it cooks while I’m in the shower, Win, win!!
Robyn Birkin (@moderndaymissus) said,
June 10, 2013 @ 7:08 pm
Oh my! I remember the smell of cinnamon and sugar from when I was a child, and mixing it with LSA mix sounds divine. Makes me want a bowl of porridge now. Proper oats don’t even take that long to make, I don’t know why people bother with the others.
Katie said,
June 10, 2013 @ 7:18 pm
Yes I think the more “convenient” something is, the more processed it is eg the quick oat satchels. I love your magic morning powder, will definitely give that a go thanks 🙂
Kirrily said,
June 10, 2013 @ 8:31 pm
What is LSA? Is that linseed, something and another thing mix?? The cinnamon and sugar sounds yum.
wendyblume said,
June 10, 2013 @ 8:57 pm
Yep, you can usually find it near the grounds almonds.
littleredcherry said,
June 10, 2013 @ 8:33 pm
I agreed with your post anyway, was just too intimidated to enter the conversation/argument. I’m a teacher and I still agreed with you!
wendyblume said,
June 10, 2013 @ 8:56 pm
That’s part of the problem – once people get abusive then anyone who disagrees (wisely) stays quiet! X
Anna said,
June 10, 2013 @ 8:46 pm
That sounds yummy – we got some sample packs of quick oats, my son won’t even eat them, just normal oats for him and only takes a few minutes longer. Rapadura would be a nice option for this too, think I’ll try it tomorrow 🙂
wendyblume said,
June 10, 2013 @ 8:55 pm
Rapadura would be fantastic – great suggestion!
Mel said,
June 10, 2013 @ 9:00 pm
We have porridge with wholegrain oats and frozen berries- to help cool it down with LSAP on top- yummo!
wendyblume said,
June 10, 2013 @ 9:34 pm
frozen berries would look gorgeous too!
Jenny S said,
June 10, 2013 @ 9:58 pm
I really appreciate all of the work you do. I have four boys (all under age 4) and am trying to teach them healthier eating habits than I had. Keep up the work. We need more people like you. Thank you for the hard work!
wendyblume said,
June 10, 2013 @ 10:03 pm
awww shucks! thanks. And a million best wishes for a woman with four boys under 4 – you’re a saint!
Jody Foster said,
June 10, 2013 @ 10:09 pm
Mixed and ready to go!!! Can’t wait to try it in the morning. If I wasn’t so full from dinner I would try it tonight especially since breakfast is my favourite meal of the day.
wendyblume said,
June 10, 2013 @ 10:14 pm
hope you like it – let me know what tweaks you make to make it even yummier. Someone suggested frozen berries and I also like a bit of grated pear or apple!
Annie said,
June 11, 2013 @ 1:15 am
love the magic morning powder idea – will have to hit the shops for some LSA mix. In the meantime, we’re loving our quick oats with lashings of frozen raspberries at the bottom of the bowl, hot porridge on top and a smidge of demerara sugar sprinkled to finish. So delicious.
wendyblume said,
June 11, 2013 @ 11:14 am
you’re the second to love frozen berries – such a great idea, I’m going to have a go with that too!
Sarah said,
June 11, 2013 @ 8:19 am
Yum! Quick oats annoy me. Why take something quick easy and healthy and make it crappy. Grrr. Anyway my kiddies will be excited about magic morning powder for sure!
Nicole said,
June 11, 2013 @ 9:23 am
Well said! My kids are happy with plain porridge with a little cinnamon added during the cooking, so that’s what they’ll keep getting (2y8m and 11.5m old, I’m not introducing them to adding sugar to breakfast anytime soon)
Lavina Frenando said,
June 11, 2013 @ 10:44 am
Sounds yummy! I like to add tinned pie apples to my porridge with the cinnamon. Apple/Cinnamon and porridge is a combo I can’t resist!
wendyblume said,
June 11, 2013 @ 11:02 am
nice! yes, we’ve just had a run of dried apples and currants… mmmmmm
Liz Fayers said,
June 11, 2013 @ 3:32 pm
Love porridge! I often soak my whole oats overnight in the saucepan in a cup of water, this makes them so quick to make in the morning.
katie said,
June 11, 2013 @ 3:59 pm
fabulous idea – porridge is our staple morning meal, however we are a bit naughty and let the kids have a small drizzle of honey and a teaspoon of ‘chocolate sprinkles’ (ie actavite – i know it is all sugar, but i justify it to myself as it apparently contains vitamins!)… but i am going to go down the ‘magic morning powder’ route and see if i can swing them back around 🙂 i just hope i can source some lsa that doesn’t have traces of nuts – we have a peanut allergy over here…
wendyblume said,
June 11, 2013 @ 4:12 pm
hmmmm, then you’ll be struggling, the ‘a’ is for almond meal unfortunately! Maybe a little spoonful of chia mixed in with your chocolate?
katie said,
June 24, 2013 @ 3:45 pm
oops, i wasn’t clear enough in my post… almonds are ok (tree nuts are fine) but most of those sorts of things are processed on equipment that also processes peanuts – which are our problem 🙂 chia seeds are a genius idea…
Claire Bailey said,
June 11, 2013 @ 9:33 pm
I know I’m a bit slow on the uptake with this one, but Wendy, you are a gem and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Porridge is always a winner with me, I like adding fresh dates to mine too, the LSA as delicious too. Will have to try the Magic Porridge Powder out on the kids tomorrow 🙂 See if I can tear them away from their toast for a change, they do love cinnamon so I am sure it will be a winner.
Claire Bailey said,
June 12, 2013 @ 3:48 pm
I made some this morning, I added 1 tsp of cocoa too, and it went down a treat and have been asked for it for breakfast tomorrow. Two thumbs up here 🙂
Tracey Rose said,
June 14, 2013 @ 3:12 pm
Well said … i wish everyone read and followed this etiquette – keep up the great work 🙂
Donna said,
June 19, 2013 @ 6:22 pm
Awesome I am guilty of the flavoured quick oats. I have these three ingredients in the cupboard and will be doing this instead from now on.