Vegie Smugglers

School-readiness for unready kids

March 10, 2011 · Filed under Craft for non-crafty parents, News

With less than a year to go before school, I’m realising that Mr Meat & Potatoes is nowhere near as ready (or keen) for the schoolyard as his big sister was at the same stage. She could write her name, knew the alphabet and count to 40. He can barely distinguish between a square and a rectangle. She participated in the daycare school readiness program as a fun activity to keep her busy, he will actually need it to avoid being totally overwhelmed next year.

Without seeming too neurotic, I’ve done up some quick worksheets for him to play with at home too, starting with some really basic and fun visual discrimination exercises. He can try to pick out the differences and then colour in the monsters. Nothing too hard, but all helpful.

Is your little monster ready for school? Click for fun early education pages

Here’s a 4 page PDF so that your kids can get ready for school too.

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Fuss-free kids parties and macho fairy bread

March 7, 2011 · Filed under Food experiences, Sweets & treats · Tagged celebrations, ideas, parenting

Mr Meat & Potatoes has turned 4.

The festival of him was at the end of a long week and celebrations needed to be simple.

Luckily 4 year old boys are awesome party guests, since they think everything is AWESOME. ‘Cooooooooooolllllll, buzz lightyear’. ‘wwwoooooooooowwwwwwwww smarties’. ‘aaaawwwwwwwhhhhhhh, cake’. Generally they just jump around talking gibberish to each other and playing ‘Ben 10’ (slapping your wrist, making noises and charging off to fight aliens).

I kept the food simple. A massive fruit platter, sausage rolls, cheezels (essential), a bowl of smarties, and a machismo fairy bread. Being that I couldn’t be bothered making chocolate crackles, I just added nutella to the fairy bread, renamed it ‘mud bread’ and the boys were happy.

Strictly adhering to my one-colour cake policy

Rarely do I bother making a cake from scratch for kids parties. Why would I? Nope, a packet cake was the main attraction, with my foolproof, one-icing, one-colour decorating policy. This year (as you can see) it was red, with the fudge-icing-pen drawn web and a spiderman candle. Done in 15 minutes. AWESOME. Last year it was black, which was drab until we popped Lightening McQueen on top and then we had an AWESOME edible tyre.

For the girls, make it a pretty pastel green, sprinkle over flower shaped sprinkles and pop some cute plastic kittens on top. Done. Fancy cakes are well and good for the first couple of birthdays, but geez they come around often and while we all own a copy of The Women’s Weekly Kid’s Birthday Cakes cookbook, I’ve yet to find one you can knock off in less than 2 hours.

Just add Blu-tack...

And games? Well, of course we had pass the parcel. Gotta have that. And I was keen for pin the tail on the donkey, but not organised enough to buy one. But I did have some AWESOME oversized life-like bugs. A bit of Blu-tack, a pen and A3 piece of paper and we had instant pin-the-bug-on-the-boy. And then the AWESOME little dudes got to take bugs home to terrorise their parents with.

...for instant 'pin the bug on the boy' fun

Awesome time, everyone, thanks for coming. Happy Birthday to my little man.

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A ‘one-of-those-weeks’ survival guide

March 2, 2011 · Filed under All recipes · Tagged feeding the family, parenting, recipe, vegetables

It turns out that this week is ‘one of those weeks’.

You’re probably pretty familiar with them yourself. All of the regular commitments dot the calendar with the addition of quite a few extra curricular thingys too. And then to get really razzed up, I’ll throw in a school hours classroom visit, extra graphic design jobs, a burglar alarm that mysterious and randomly is going off throughout the night, a child’s birthday and all of the ensuing extravaganza (two parties + one in-laws-for-the-weekend visit) and a car that is mysteriously ‘clunking’ every time I turn left. Did I mention that I’m having root canal this morning? Yep, 10.30.

Still, I had it all vaguely under control and scheduled. My mind was spinning but mostly clear when I kissed the top of Miss F’s head after school on Monday. But then I looked down and saw the hellish sight that triggers fear in the hearts of even the bravest parent….. a nit.

Schedules toppled as my mum-brain went into overtime trying to find the extra time and access to water needed to smoothly slot nit treatments into the mix before bell time the next day.

We work hard, don’t we, us life administrators.

Food is so totally NOT high on the priority list this week. The main requirement for this week’s dinners is anything easy and quick. With no time to devise something new, lets find the quickest of quick vegie smugglers fixes…

10 minutes mixing, 25 mins cooking (just enough to bathe everyone)

15 minutes prep. 30 minutes cooking (while you help with homework)

Grill capsicum & boil water while you do washing; then ready in 10.

Hope your week is going better than mine. Will report back once things calm down.

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Hippie food for hi-tech kids

February 24, 2011 · Filed under All recipes, Food experiences, Vegetarian · Tagged cooking techniques, feeding the family, parenting, recipe, vegetables, vegetarian

It’s time to brush off the cookbooks from the 70s and revisit the health food section of the supermarket. Don’t be scared, everything is going to be OK.

Remember that kids have no inborn aversion to cliched hippie food like lentils and tofu. They will take their cues from YOU, so challenge your own food aversions and experiment a little. You might even find, that ‘health food’ meals like these lentil burgers are actually delicious and quickly become family favourites. They’re nutritious, quick and easy to make and individual patties can be frozen (find full freezing and defrosting instructions in the book).

Lentils made delicious.

Lentil burgers

400g can brown lentils, rinsed, drained
1 cup mashed sweet potato (or plain potato)
1 carrot, peeled, grated
3 spring onions,
finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
Grated rind from
1 lemon
1 egg, lightly whisked
2 tbsp tomato chutney
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
Salt & black pepper

Canola oil cooking spray

Avocado and tomato slices, lettuce, burger buns and plain yoghurt, to serve

Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to really combine everything well. Form patties (whatever size suits your family) and place on baking paper on a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10-20 minutes.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Spray pan with cooking spray. Cook the patties for 5-6 minutes on each side.

Serve with avocado, tomato, lettuce and a dollop of yoghurt on a burger bun. These are also delicious in wraps dolloped with tzatziki.

SERVES 2 ADULTS & 2 KIDS

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Maybe we should get a baby… or a snake made from toilet rolls?

February 22, 2011 · Filed under Craft for non-crafty parents, News · Tagged craft, parenting

It would seem that Mr Meat & Potatoes is feeling clucky. Everywhere he looks there are adorable toddlers that make him go ‘aaawwwwwwww’ in a perfect imitation of his 6-year-old sister who saves that sounds for puppies, kittens and anything pink.

In the playground today Mr M&P was eyeing off a cute little Japanese toddler. He said, “Maybe we should get a baby?” I was caught off guard and perhaps didn’t handle things too smoothly.

“No, Angelina,” I gasped, “no more babies – Mummy is too old (and over it) for more babies”.

He looked slightly crushed as the full realisation of a life as the youngest child sank in. No cute little Asian baby sister, no fun little brother in a Superman cape.

I tried to console him. “What about we go home and make a snake?”

He brightened considerably. If you can’t have another sibling, then a snake made out of loo rolls is a pretty good substitute.

a craft snake made from toilet rolls for boys

Colouring his cares away - Mr M&P finds consolation in some craft

And voila! My third child is born

Download a PDF of your third child (or pet loo-roll snake) here.

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What the kids eat in… Mexico (part 2)

February 17, 2011 · Filed under All recipes, Food experiences, Vegetarian, Vegie smuggling techniques, What the kids eat in... · Tagged cooking techniques, dinner, feeding the family, ideas, recipe, vegetables

Recently we were having all sorts of discussions about quick summer dinners and the challenges of vegie smuggling in salads. Hiding vegies in salads is much harder and these dishes are best for kids further along on the smuggling scale (ie, they’ll tackle vaguely identifiable stuff).

If you’re lucky enough to have herbivorous kids like that, then you’ve got a great range of tasty dishes awaiting you. Including these Mexican-inspired side dishes. They’re perfect in tortillas (jumbled together, with or without some grilled chicken or fish) or dollop small amounts on crackers for pre-dinner snacks. They’re even good on burgers and on top of hotdogs.

Adults can top theirs with some pickled jalapenos or fresh chilli and before you know it, dinner is served. Quickly, freshly and packed full of nutrition.

I’m giving you my guacamole recipe here. For the salsa and mexi-beans recipes…. well you’ll find them on page 121 of the cookbook.

Margaritas, sombreros and a bit of goodness on the side

Guacamole

1 avocado, peeled, diced
2 spring onions, finely diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 garlic clove, crushed (optional, but recommended)
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander (optional)
Salt & pepper

Combine everything in a small bowl. Season to taste.

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Love is… having someone to check you for nits

February 14, 2011 · Filed under All recipes, Food experiences, News · Tagged celebrations, dinner, parenting, recipe, tuna

Adult-only ingredients and wine? Check. Kids in bed early? Fingers crossed

It’s safe to say that my better half and I have never been overt romantics. We have our special moments, of course, but rarely the prearranged kind. So Valentines Day flowers and gifts has never really been our thing.

However, one night last year, my best-friend arrived home with a romantic brown paper bag full of presents that touched my heart and got me all teary – chocolates and a Tiffany’s box? No, it was nit treatments and a matching pair of his ‘n’ hers nit combs.

Even for us it was a pretty unromantic moment, but looking at him, home after hours out in the big bad world, earning all our money and then running our errands, I had never loved him more. Perhaps it was his commitment to our family through good times and bad that got me all ‘awwwww’ over it. Or maybe I was just pre-menstrual. I can’t remember. But I do know that I look at single parents and wonder just how they cope during the dreaded nit infestations, night terrors or emergency dashes to hospital.

I’m hugely grateful that I have a lovely partner. And to say thanks, this Valentine’s Day he’s getting something special. A little special romantic dinner pour deux.

Our relationship history is littered with memorable meals both in restaurants and at home. Possibly no dish means more to us than this Tuna & Mango Salsa recipe. I made it for him on our first proper dinner together after we moved into our first apartment (almost exactly 11 years ago). Apparently this dish smoothed over any apprehensions and made him think that maybe he’d made the right decision, after all.

So try it on your man (or woman). It’s easy, but special, and with the chilli and coriander, definitely an adult’s dinner. For this night of the year, feed the kids fish fingers and pop them into bed early. Hopefully they won’t re-emerge too many times, you’ve got some serious romancing to do…

Adapted from the Family Circle 1997, ‘Tex mex’ cookbook.

Coriander Tuna with mango salsa

1/2 cup coriander leaves
1 small red chilli, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 tbsp olive oil

2 tuna steaks

Mango Salsa
1 mango, peeled, diced
½ small red onion, finely sliced
½ cup coriander, chopped
2 tbsp lime juice

Crush up the first five ingredients in a mortar and pestle until you have a paste (you can also do this in a blender). Smear it over the tuna steaks, cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Combine all of the salsa ingredients together in a bowl.

Heat a char-grill pan, bbq or frying pan until really hot. Sear either side of the tuna for 3 minutes or so, until cooked to your liking (I like mine still raw in the middle).

Serve with the salsa, fresh salad and wine.

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Show me the money – Vegie Smugglers fundraising is back for 2011

February 10, 2011 · Filed under News · Tagged fundraising

And we're off! Book your 2011 fundraising program soon.

OK folks, around the country P&C and parent groups are meeting up, planning their fundraising activities for the coming year. To make it easy for you to suggest a Vegie Smugglers fundraising program, I’ve designed a leaflet that you can quickly download and print, and a 1-page information sheet, which outlines the two options for using the cookbook to raise money at your school, daycare or charity.

All programs come with free healthy-living worksheets that can be used in class to complete the positive theme of how to grow, choose and cook good food.

A few daycare centres around Sydney are even getting me!!! I’ll be popping by and doing a quick talk to give parents ideas and tips on ways to get their kids eating more vegies. Hope to see you there!

Visit the fundraising page for more information.

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My domestic sham EXPOSED!

February 8, 2011 · Filed under All recipes, Food experiences, News, Sweets & treats · Tagged cooking techniques, feeding the family, recipe, treats

A boon for modern housewifery, a recipe that relies on rotting ingredients.

Each year, Australians throw away $516 billion worth of food. That averages out to $616 per household. Usually I’m conscientious about this, but lately I’ve had to contend with THE ANTS.

In the last week THE ANTS have invaded and forced me to throw away brown sugar, 5 packets of pineapple/sultanas, flaked almonds, an olive loaf and 3 peaches (they were INSIDE!) They’re even into the peanut butter (we’re now just picking out the dead ones and plowing on regardless). No amount of vacumming, tidying, spraying, drowning or baits is getting rid of them.

They are making me feel like a slovenly housewife. They trail past, mocking my cleaning and trying to steal my ingredients.

And you see, it took a bit of coercing to convince my best-friend that I’d be better off working from home (for less money) and looking after everyone. We’d always been a strictly 50/50 feminist arrangement and shifting to more traditional roles was always going to be tricky for everyone. The new arrangement has been going well for a year now but these ANTS are giving me bad press. It’s depressing.

So let’s cheer ourselves up with cake. And let’s call it ‘bread’ to make ourselves feel less weak-willed. I know that none of us are under any delusions that banana ‘bread’ is healthy. It’s full of butter. But sometimes you just need sweets and if you do, then ease your conscience with a tonne of bananas, dates and walnuts (which are apparently, one of the best plant sources of protein).

Even better, this recipe is actually a congratulations to all of you fellow slovenly housewives who have allowed your bananas to droop and brown. A friend (and master baker) confided recently that the secret to her ‘bread’ was to wait until the bananas are practically liquid. There are not many ingredients and recipes that require you to be quite so domestically impeded. Enjoy.

(The best) banana bread

1½ cups self-raising flour
½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup dates, chopped
½ cup walnuts, chopped
100g butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
4 over-ripe bananas, mashed

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a 14x20cm loaf tin and line the bottom with baking paper.

Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Stir through the sugar, dates and walnuts.

Pour over the butter and mix through. Add the eggs and mashed banana. Mix until combined (don’t overmix).

Spoon into the loaf tin. Bake for about 50-55 minutes until a skewer comes out clean (cover with foil if it starts to brown too much around the 40 minute mark).

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The fine art of heatwave cookery

February 2, 2011 · Filed under All recipes, Food experiences, News

Hot. Cranky. And don't get me started on all the ants.

It was 33 degrees in my bedroom at 10pm last night and I do not have air-conditioning.

I am unimpressed about this.

With Cyclone Yasi bearing down up north, I wouldn’t dream of whinging about my relatively calm (just hot) situation. In private though, I will admit to a fair bit of cranky behaviour. Actually, very cranky behaviour. Cranky to the point that the kids are keeping well clear unless they are needing a bottom-wipe or are desperate enough to pester for an iceblock.

I’ve been speculating that this is what menopause feels like. Three years of a humid, sticky February. Perhaps one of my more mature readers can confirm or (hopefully) deny this scary theory.

So, while appetites are generally down, I do feel the need to feed my children something at the end of the day, but what? When the food becomes limp on the journey from fridge to bench and there’s no way you’re turning on the oven or hotplate, what are you going to eat?

Vegie-smuggling salads are a tricky area (one I’m working on), but luckily my kids are becoming much better with basic salad ingredients and I can feed them raw carrot, cucumber, grape tomatoes and iceberg lettuce. Tonight I’m planning a little salad & fruit platter. With a bowl of homous to dip into, some smoked salmon for the luxury-loving Miss Fruitarian and a bit of ham for Mr Meat & Potatoes. A couple of slices of bread and I’m done.

Last night I turned on the hotplate long enough to cook some store-bought tortellini (yes, I know, they’re not very healthy), and I tossed them into raw, finely diced tomatoes, capsicum and marinated artichokes. (You can also use my barely-cook, make-ahead tomato sauce.) I sprinkled over crumbled feta and ham for the kids and some olives and basil for my best-friend and me.

Later in the week I’ll tackle guacamole & salsa rolled up in wraps and tuna & corn mini-pizzas under the grill.

You can opt for chopped salad vegies mixed through cottage cheese and stuffed into pita breads, or if desperate, BBQ chicken (remove the skin) and coleslaw rolls.

That’s about all my addled, cranky brain can come up with. If we all pitch in, we’ll have enough ideas to get us through to March. Please feel free to share what’s on the heatwave menu at your place…