Posts tagged family

Try, try and very trying

August 9, 2010 · Filed under All recipes, Fish, News, Vegie smuggling techniques · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Apparently repetition works really well with children. Perhaps that’s the reason why I have to stand there and say “put your shoes on” multiple times – and with increasing volume – every single time we need to get ready to leave the house. But does repetition really work with food? We are told, often, to offer the kids an ingredient 6-10 times and eventually they will try it.

You can read all about food repetition at the ABC online, Better Health VIC,  Westmead Hospital, School Canteens, Sixty second parent, Jackie French, PGR network, Australian bananas, Yoplait and Bubhub.

Zzzzzzzzzz. Sorry! Still with me? Yep, that’s right. 10 examples of people telling you how long to persevere in your quest to get the children eating their greens. Are they for real? Who, in their right minds, is masochistic enough to suffer the cruelties of dinner refusal 10 times?

When I hear “I don’t like it” for the first time, I will deal with it in an understanding way. I will revisit the recipe and adjust it in a way I think will be preferred the next time I cook it. The second time, I cross my fingers and if there is an outright refusal this time, then I’m done! Safe to say that that recipe will not get cooked again.

Try not to be too discouraged when this happens. While some recipes might not be right for your family, it doesn’t mean you have to skip an ingredient entirely. Switch to another recipe that smuggles the same target vegie and try that. Mushrooms might be rejected in a The best ever vegetarian lasagne but they might be devoured in Vegie slice.

I think the feed them 10 times advice is one of those myths like brushing your hair 100 times will make it shinier and using certain beauty products night and day for 3 months will make you more beautiful. NO ONE can keep up the commitment, so the myth is never really tested.

Anyhow, let’s save you all the trouble and just give you a recipe for this tuna pasta bake that gets devoured first time every time (and it cleverly disguises corn, zucchini and capsicum).

Tuna pasta bake recipe hiding corn, zucchini, carrot and capsicum

Aim for a hole in one with this tuna pasta bake recipe


Lulu’s favourite tuna pasta bake

Don’t skip the step of infusing the milk – it’s the crucial taste factor.

1 small brown onion, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
10 black peppercorns
Small bunch herbs of your choice (parsley, thyme, rosemary)
3 cups milk
250g dried wholemeal pasta spirals
60g unsalted butter
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Splash of white wine (optional)
425g can tuna in springwater, drained
125g can corn kernels, drained
1 zucchini, grated
1 carrot, peeled, grated
½ red capsicum, deseeded, finely diced
1 cup grated cheese
2 tbsp breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 180C.

Combine the onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, herbs and milk in a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Remove from heat immediately and leave to cool.

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water according to packet directions. Drain and set aside.

Pour the infused milk through a sieve into a jug (discard onion and herbs).

In a saucepan (non-stick is good), melt the butter over low-medium heat. Add the flour and use a wooden spoon to stir for 1 minute until bubbling. Gradually add the infused milk and keep stirring the whole time to avoid lumps. Bring to the boil and thicken until the sauce sticks to the spoon (about the consistency of custard). Remove from the heat and mix in the mustard and wine (if using).

In a large bowl, mix the pasta, tuna and vegies together with the sauce. Spoon into a baking dish and top with the cheese and breadcrumbs.

Bake for 25 minutes until bubbling and golden. Serve topped with parsley sprigs.

SERVES 2 ADULTS & 4 KIDS

FOR THE ADULTS Kids can eat this on its own but adults like a nice leaf salad and – if you’re not carb-phobic – crusty bread (and white wine).

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You know it makes sense…

July 27, 2010 · Filed under Food experiences, News, Sweets & treats · Tagged , , , , ,

There’s been sadness in my family lately with the passing of our matriarch. At 96, the death of Mollie was not unexpected, but sad nonetheless and a reminder of what does actually happen at the end of these crazy lives we lead.

We watched her spend a couple of months in and out of hospital, growing frail, then drifting away from us before dying. I watched a 96-year-old woman say goodbye to her 76-year-old son and saw the twinkle of mummy-love still glistening in her eye. It was a life affirming moment.

Sometimes I can’t wait for this stage of parenting small children to be over. Other days I’m almost distraught at how quickly it’s all flying by. But no matter how ephemeral this stage of mothering is, the indulgent love lasts a lifetime and I will adore my girl and my boy forever. They will be able to grow old and experienced and frail themselves and still they will be my joy.

Clearing out Granny’s small apartment, we were surprised by the amount of nostalgia. The cups we’d drunk from as kids, the paintings we’d looked at. The patterns from a lifetime of the domestic arts that I’m salvaging in the hope that one day I’ll have the skills to use them.

Tucked away on a kitchen shelf was a pure gem. Not Granny’s, but my great-grandma’s copy of “The Commonsense Cookery Book”. A 1914 first edition of the classic that has sold over a million copies. In terrible condition, with newspaper clippings stuck into spare pages. It’s a fantastic piece of family and social history.

I brought it home and realised that I also have a copy. A shiny, barely-flicked through one that I bought last year.

I’m drawn to the simplicity of heirloom recipes. I love the way they’re written. Back in the days when nothing needed explanation and things barely needed measurement. When women at home didn’t need to have ‘cream the butter and sugar’ explained to them. We’re a pretty hopeless, unskilled lot these days.

My copy and a 1914 edition of The Commonsense Cookery Book

Old but new, how the circle of life reveals itself in happy ways

Looking through my two matching copies is like some strange circle of life and an instant glimpse of the changes to motherhood and wifery over the last century. The new shiney copy isn’t the same as the original, it’s been revised and updated. What’s been left out? Well the whole chapter on “Invalid’s and children’s cookery”, with recipes for junket, egg flip (with sherry) and beef tea custard.

So perhaps some things are best in the past. But I think next time one of my kids is sick, I might be reaching for this simple piece of bliss…

(text from the 1914 edition of The Commonsense Cookery Book”)

Sweet Omelette

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 teaspoon water
1 oz. sugar (2 level tablespoons)
Jam
Butter

Method
1. Take yolks of 2 eggs and whites of 3 eggs.
2. Boil water and sugar.
3. Add it to the yolks.
4. Beat whites stiffly.
5. Have a hot plate ready.
6. Have some hot jam also.
7. Melt the butter in an omelette pan.
8. Add the yolks to the whites.
9. Mix well but lightly.
10. Pour into the pan.
11. Cook gently and shake occasionally till set.
12. When coloured slightly underneath, brown the top by placing in the oven or under the griller.
13. Lie it on to the hot dish.
14. Spread heated jam on one half.
15. Fold the other half over.
16. Serve at once.

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The best way to smuggle… spinach

June 29, 2010 · Filed under All recipes, The best way to smuggle..., Vegetarian · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

In just the same way that a vegie, is a veggie, is a vege – you can get chard, silverbeet and the true English spinach and they can generally be interchangeable in most recipes. All are in season during the winter months and contain huge amounts of vitamins C, K, iron and nearly every mineral known to man.

So which spinach to use? Generally any of them can be used in recipes (except for salads, where the light English or baby spinach leaves are best), they’ll just need different preparations.

Frozen spinach just needs to be thawed (the microwave works ok for this) and the excess moisture squeezed out. The thick leaves of fresh chard and silverbeet need to be dunked in boiling water for a minute or two then drained and chopped. English spinach can just be chopped and chucked in.

For this recipe, I like to buy a bunch of fresh silverbeet and do the blanching thing. It does add 10 minutes to your prep time, but gives a really fantastic flavour that the kids will love. If the green flecks are going to cause grief for you, use a blender and pulp the spinach and it will hide in the recipe more easily.

I find though, that the amount of cheese in this bechamel-free lasagne overcomes any vegetable obstacles.

The best-ever vegetarian lasagna

This meal hides spinach, carrot, mushrooms and broccoli and I'm not exaggerating when I say that it IS the best ever!

The best-ever vegetarian lasagne

Ingredients
Cooking spray

Tomato sauce
800g can chopped tomatoes
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ cup sliced black olives (optional)
2 cups finely diced vegies (try broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms and carrot)
2 tsp dried Italian herbs
Salt & black pepper

Spinach layer
250g grated mozzarella
300g cottage cheese
150g other cheese of your choice (crumbled feta, grated cheddar, grated parmesan)
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 egg, lightly whisked
1 bunch silverbeet, blanched and chopped or a frozen 200g box of spinach, thawed, with the excess liquid squeezed out

500g box instant lasagne sheets
Handful grated cheese, for topping

Preheat oven to 180C. Spray a 5-litre lasagne dish with cooking spray.
For the tomato sauce, place all the ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the initial crunch is taken out of the vegies and onion. Everything gets baked later, so avoid overcooking at this stage.

For the spinach layer, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Use your hands to get everything mixed through well.

Now you’re ready to begin layering. This is the order: enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom of the dish, then pasta (break sheets to cover entire layer), half the spinach, pasta, half the remaining tomato sauce, pasta, rest of the spinach, pasta, rest of the tomato sauce. Did you keep up?

Top with a little more grated cheese and bake for 45 minutes or until golden and YUM.

SERVES 2 ADULTS & 4 KIDS

FREEZING & DEFROSTING
Wrap slices of lasagne in two layers of plastic wrap. Freeze on oven trays to maintain its shape and then transfer to freezer bags. Stores well for 3 months. Reheat by thawing in the fridge for 24-36 hours before microwaving until steaming hot throughout.

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Tired parents and stuffing vegetables into vuvuzela

June 21, 2010 · Filed under All recipes, News, Vegetarian · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

World cup fever has gripped the household and since we’re not sipping mint tea in Morocco or frappes in the Greek Isles, the hours are proving challenging. First game starts at 9.30pm and goes through till morning. Shame the kids aren’t joining in the fun, but keeping strictly to their sun-up to sun-down regime, Australian time.

Getting the right atmosphere for the fun though is proving much easier with it occurring to us that we have our very own vuvuzela here at home in the guise of a 3 year-old boy who manages to make incessant noise without the use of many words (except poo, poo-head and idiot). The noise starts up right from the tweet of the earliest birds. The occasional lull is just long enough for a sigh of relief before the blasting starts up once more all the way till bedtime.

Lucky he’s cute and lucky he’s funny. And looking on the bright side, we’ve got a little African souvenir without needing our passports.

Our parenting regime has slackened somewhat in our sleep-deprived state and dinnner-time has shifted to the rug in front of the TV. On the menu? These little bean and vegetable balls are fun to eat, get popped straight into the mouth and don’t make too much mess.

Vegie dots

Bring silence to the noisiest vuvuzela with this vegie dot recipe


Vegie dots

400g can four-bean mix, rinsed, drained
1 cup mashed potato or pumpkin (or a mix of the two)
1 carrot, peeled, grated
1 zucchini, grated
2 spring onions, finely diced
Sprinkle of garlic granules or 1 clove garlic, crushed
1 egg, lightly whisked
½ tsp dried Italian herbs (optional)
Salt & black pepper
Dry wholemeal breadcrumbs
Canola oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 200C. Line an oven tray with baking paper.

Place the four-bean mix in a mixing bowl and mash using a fork or masher. Add all the remaining ingredients except for the breadcrumbs and cooking spray and mix thoroughly (hands work best for this job).

Roll bite-sized portions into balls, toss in the breadcrumbs until coated evenly and place on the baking tray.

Spray balls lightly with cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes. Remove tray, gently roll balls over, lightly spray again and return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes until golden.

Place a bowl of your desired dip in the centre of a plate (tzatziki, hummus or even tomato sauce), surround with the vegie dots, crudites, breadsticks and cheese.

SERVES 2 ADULTS & 2 KIDS AS A SIDE DISH.

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Taste and nutrition the two most important cooking factors for ‘mom’

June 17, 2010 · Filed under All recipes, News, Red meat · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Deep in the internet’s bowels you can find statistics to back up just about any argument or theory. Babycenter.com has collected a bizarre range of survey results on a huge range of parenting subjects. Access them here. There’s facts about everything from brands of breast pumps to life insurance policies, but of course it’s the nutrition and food topics that pique my interest.

One survey asked 4000 moms to rate the importance of several factors when cooking for their families. The two most important factors were taste and nutrition. Yay! Congratulations to all of you mums who don’t want to compromise on flavour, even when faced with fussy feeders.

Another interesting result was that 51% of mothers were prepared to cook two dinners each night just to keep the peace. I understand how this situation evolves, but I just refuse to do it! I try to make all my recipes healthy and packed with vegetables, so we feel good about feeding them to the kids but with the addition of a couple of ingredients, the adults can enjoy a delicious meal too.

A good example is these lamb meatballs – the feta makes them very more-ish and they can be adapted to suit everyone. Plus, they cook in the oven, avoiding a big revolting mess, because cleaning up more than I have to is also something I refuse to do.

Lastly from the surveys, 39% of mothers find going online to be the most peaceful part of their day…

Lamb and feta meatballs

Don\’t cook two dinners, these lamb & feta meatballs will please everyone.

Lamb & feta meatballs with pasta salad

Both the cooked meatballs and salad can be kept in the fridge for up to two days

Meatballs
500g lamb mince
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 egg, whisked
2 tbsp chopped parsley, basil or oregano
100g feta, crumbled
1 carrot, peeled, grated
1 small zucchini, grated
Canola oil cooking spray

Pasta salad
200g wholemeal pasta spirals
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 vine tomato, finely diced (or ½ punnet cherry tomatoes, halved)
½ cup basil leaves, chopped (optional but recommended)

Preheat oven to 200C. Line a large oven tray with baking paper.

For the meatballs, combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Use your hands to mix well, then roll into bite-sized balls and place on an oven tray. Spray meatballs lightly with cooking spray and bake for 10 minutes. Use tongs to carefully turn over, spray with more cooking spray and bake for another 5-10 minutes until cooked through.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water according to packet directions, then drain. While still warm, toss through the remaining ingredients.
Serve the pasta in bowls, topped with meatballs. Sprinkle with basil leaves.

SERVES 2 ADULTS & 2 KIDS

FOR THE ADULTS Add extra ingredients to the pasta salad. Try olives, chopped anchovies, spinach leaves, toasted pine nuts and dried chilli.

 

real-healthy-families

Like this recipe? Check out my cookbooks to find a bunch more meals that your family will love.

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If McDonalds can brain wash my child, then I can too!

June 3, 2010 · Filed under Food experiences, News · Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Mr Meat & Potatoes tries McDonalds

Mr Meat & Potatoes isn't sure about the pancake

The power of marketing is interesting, isn’t it? No one markets to kids better than all the fast food chains. They are awe-inspiringly good at it. Last week we went to McDonalds. I’m almost embarrassed to admit that this was our first family outing there. I don’t mean to be one of those condemning food-snob parents, but it’s just one of those things that I’ve found quite easy to avoid (my kids are still young). But after a trip to a museum, the nearest, easiest (and most fun) food choice was Maccas. So we went.

Following the rule that it’s best to eat the specialties of the house, I skipped all the healthy options and got good old HappyMeals with burgers and fries. I know they offer apple slices and salads, but I’m suspicious of apple that doesn’t turn brown and non-wilting lettuce. Just give me the junk.

Perhaps I should be quite satisfied that the kids didn’t really like it. The chips were a huge hit (all that salt could make snot quite tasty) but the burgers were ‘weird’ with Mr Meat and Potatoes insisting on calling them ‘pancakes’.

Most interesting though, was the supreme McDonalds talent of seducing my children with cardboard and plastic. The cheap red and yellow boxes were the biggest hit of the day. We had to take them home and they are now lovingly filled with broken bits of car and draft letters to Santa. And the plastic toy, which does nothing except click and count to 9, is amongst the most revered treasures they own.

I guess the lesson is not underestimate the joy of a pretty dinner – if McDonalds can tempt my kids with a cheap packaging, then I can lure them with a range of cute stuff too.

Collection of cute bowls

A bowl for every meal - just some of my collection

Whenever possible, serve food to kids using colourful bowls and plates. Fun cutlery, chopsticks, whatever it takes to make it interesting and worth trying. Half the battle is won once the first bite goes in.

My crockery collection is embarrassingly big, way beyond the usual IKEA kids plates that furnish all family kitchens. But I still don’t mind an online browse. The best range I’ve found locally is www.urbanbaby.com.au. Check out some of their gorgeous (and useful) products…

products from urbanbaby

Surely your kids would eat off these?

Good luck and happy eating…

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Not a pock-marked lady in sight

May 19, 2010 · Filed under All recipes, Food experiences, Red meat · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

my happy daughter in a chinese restaurant

So shiney! So sparkly! So top-aussie!

Back in my double-income-no-kids incarnation I lived in a much less salubrious, multicultural part of town. Drunks, 24-hour pubs, lots of dirty surfaces and every outing included some interesting encounter with someone a bit out of the ordinary. It was also a major Shanghai-nese centre, with rows of restaurants with menus only in Mandarin and old men sitting at back tables rolling pork and coriander dumplings…. hmmmm. I salivate at the memory. My first meal in one of these restaurants was a revelation with juicy dumplings and fish in oyster sauce. Then ma-po dofu – a gorgeous combination of minced pork and tofu. Apparently the name translates as ‘pockmarked-face lady’s tofu’. Delicious! The whole meal cost us less than $15.

Since then, of course, a couple of glorious kids have entered our lives and we’ve outgrown the dodgy surrounds and moved to a suburb that’s much shinier. Feeling nostalgic, we packed up the kids and headed off to our local Chinese restaurant. Large clean fishtanks in place of the paper menus sticky-taped to the walls. Fancy mirrored ceilings instead of grime. And the food? Well… it’s about 5 times the price and falls strictly into the Australian/Chinese category. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad, actually its good, but very top Aussie – sweet and sour as far as the eye can see. Looking at the patrons I realised the only Asian faces were those of the waistcoat-wearing waiters. All the local Asian residents bother to drive the 3 suburbs to where the pockmarked-face lady still reigns.

Here’s my version, tailored for the kids.  It’s a handy recipe too – all the ingredients can be prepared early in the day, stored in the fridge and thrown together quickly that night.

Ma po dofu dish

This kid-friendly ma po dofu smuggles tofu, carrots, corn and capsicum

Ma po dofu

500g pork mince
1 tbsp dark soy sauce (or regular soy sauce if you prefer)
2 tbsp shaoxing wine
(Chinese rice wine) or dry sherry or mirin
1 tbsp canola oil
1 large carrot, peeled, grated
1 zucchini, grated
125g can corn kernels, drained
1/3 red capsicum, deseeded, finely diced
200g packet flavoured tofu (honey/soy), diced (or use plain tofu if you prefer)
1 tsp crushed ginger
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp soy sauce

Marinate the mince in the dark soy and 1 tbsp rice wine for 1 hour (if you have time) in the fridge in a ceramic dish.

Heat the canola oil in a wok or large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Cook mince until browned, breaking up lumps as you go. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Reheat the pan on high heat, cook all the vegies, tofu, ginger and garlic for 1-2 minutes. Ensure heat stays high to avoid vegetables going soggy.

Return the mince to the pan, along with the stock, soy sauce and the rest of the rice wine. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Serve with rice of your choice and coriander.

SERVES 2 ADULTS & 4 KIDS

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That’s not a sausage roll Gary, THIS is a sausage roll

May 11, 2010 · Filed under All recipes, Chicken, News · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Anyone in Australia watching the current series of Masterchef last Friday night (about 1.5 million of us according to www.mumbrella.com.au) might have seen Gary whip up a ‘healthy’ kid’s sausage roll.

Looked gorgeous and apparently tasted ok but I wasn’t impressed. Calling it healthy’ was a bit of a stretch.

True. There were carrots in it. But to get them there, they were grated, slowly sauted, mashed, mixed with the meat and then baked. It’s a pretty popular way to smuggle vegetables into kids and one that I can’t quite get my head around.

According to this method, at some stage during the day when I’m not doing the washing, cleaning, school runs, freelance work, buying the new undies because the old one were pooed in, unstacking the dishwasher, watering the plants that are gasping their last breaths and helping build the lego bird for ‘b’ homework, I’m supposed to cook vegetables to death and mash them.

Some helpful books such as Jessica Seinfield’s ‘Deceptively Delicious’ recommend doing mashed vegies in large batches and freezing them in small portions ready to drop into tasty treats.

So to successfully smuggle vegies I’m supposed to boil, mash, freeze, thaw and cook again. And will there be any ounce of nutrition left at the end of all that? Maybe you’re a nutritionist or food scientist and can let me know, but I’m suspecting not much.

In the mean time, I can’t be bothered with all that. Here’s my sausage roll recipe complete with four vegies and lentils…

Vegie Smuggling chicken sausage rolls

THIS is a sausage roll! Complete with carrots, zucchini and lentils.

CHICKEN SAUSAGE ROLLS

5 sheets frozen puff pastry
500g chicken mince
1 carrot, peeled, grated
1 zucchini, grated
1 onion, grated (or you can whizz these 3 ingredients to save time, but avoid pulping out all the texture)
3 medium mushrooms, finely diced
125g can brown lentils, rinsed, drained
1 egg
2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (basil and chives are good)
Salt & black pepper
1 egg, whisked, for glazing

Preheat oven to 200C. Lay out your pastry sheets on a bench. Cut each in half to make 2 rectangles.

Mix together all the remaining ingredients until combined.

Spread the mixture lengthwise along the middle of the rectangles. Ease pastry over from one edge, brush egg along top side then roll other edge over to seal.

If cooking immediately, cut each stick into 4 pieces, place on an oven tray lined with baking paper, brush with egg and cook in middle of the oven for 25 minutes until golden and cooked through.

MAKES 10 STICKS (40 PIECES)

Sausage rolls and chips

Cut potatoes into fries, toss in oil and cook at the same time.

FREEZING & DEFROSTING INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare these quickly. Wrap uncooked sticks of sausage rolls in plastic wrap. Freeze immediately on oven trays to maintain their shape before transferring to plastic bags for an extra layer of protection. Defrost in the fridge (still wrapped in plastic) for 24 hours before cooking. Ensure they are completely thawed before cooking. Cut into four, brush with egg and cook for 25 minutes until steaming hot in the centre.
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Want more?
Also check out these pastry recipes
Beef Triangles…YUM!
And for a sweet pastry idea, try these apple & pear squares.

And try these lentil recipes…
Delicious Lentil Burgers
Pumpkin, corn and lentil soup
Seriously good Beef & lentil fajitas

 

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The best mother’s day pancakes

May 6, 2010 · Filed under All recipes, News, Sweets & treats · Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s Mother’s Day in Australia this Sunday. Time to ooohh and aaaaahhh over colourful bits of cardboard stuck together and a painted footprint trodden on a paper love heart. Time to dig coins out of my purse to give to Miss Fruitarian to spend on pot pouri at the school Mother’s Day stall.

Luckily this year, things are looking up. Miss Fruitarian has won a prize in the local council’s “my mum’s a star…” competition, which means she and I are off to a local playcentre to collect our mystery prize. I’m hoping for a lovely pamper pack, but might have to settle for a free entry voucher at a local ladies gym.

I asked what she had to do for the entry, and wondered if perhaps she had submitted the portrait she did of me a few weeks back which included every single wrinkle. I looked like a cross between a cabbage patch baby and a zebra. It would win the pity vote for sure.

Apparently it was just a 25 words or less thing, and she wrote that “she gives me big squeezy cuddles”. Which is nice, but considering the amount of time I put into catering for the family I would have hoped for more of an ode to my cooking. When I pursued this line of questioning, she looked at me a bit blankly “But Dad’s the good cook”.

Yes. Here’s why… Sunday mornings at our place are Dad’s tribute to all breakfasts sweet and salty. Just saying. Not complaining. At all. Because here’s a good example of something that Dad whips up quite often. And he does the dishes afterwards too, which means that every Sunday is Mother’s Day at our place….

Oaty pancakes with strawberries

Mum will really love you if you whip up a couple of these

Oaty Banana Pancakes

3/4 cup oats
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 small banana, mashed
1 tbsp melted butter
Spray oil

Place the oats in a bowl and pour over the milk. Leave them to soak for 10-15 minutes (up to 30 minutes if you have time).
Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl.
Mix the sugar, egg, banana and butter through the oat mixture. Pour this mixture into the flour and mix gently. If you have time, leave the mixture to sit for 20-30 minutes, otherwise it can be used straight away.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Spray with oil. Add 1/3 cup amounts to the pan. Turn once bubbles appear and the pancake is golden. Each side takes 2-3 minutes.
Serve them with maple syrup and more fruit – diced rockmelon and strawberries are really fantastic.

Did you try these? How did they taste? I’d love to hear your feedback…

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My top 10 tips to smuggle vegies into kids…

May 5, 2010 · Filed under News, Vegie smuggling techniques · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sadly, I’ve had to spend way too much of my time thinking about this. Miss Fruitarian (age 5) and Mr Meat-&-Potatoes (age 3) used to make most mealtimes about as joyous as stabbing myself in the eye. However after many mealtime disasters and much trial and error, I think I’m almost there with them reasonably able to consume most ingredients in moderate amounts. So I’m in a position to provide a helpful list of ways to get your children eating healthy food without complaint….

TIP 1:
Hiding healthy food in yummy meals

Some people are anti hiding food, thinking kids just need to learn to eat their vegetables. This is true. But my logic also states that once the kids are eating healthy food that’s hidden, their palates become used to the flavours and you can gradually reduce the amount you have to hide things until they will happily munch down anything.

TIP 2
Chop things small

Once food is grated or chopped finely, kids are much less able to identify and pick out foreign items. If it’s all mixed together in a yummy delicious meal that their tastebuds approve of, the battle is won. Use a grater, learn knife skills and invest in a mini food processor to make blitzing food quick and easy.

TIP 3
Keep it colourful

There’s a reason why kid’s toys are all bright. They love it! It attracts them and it looks fun. Use this logic in your mealtimes and you’ll have kids thinking ‘yum’ as soon as the plate is put down.

TIP 4
Kids love flavour

At some point around 8-12 months, both my kids went from loving bland, to needing much more challenging flavours. Don’t dumb food down thinking that they will prefer it. Sure, leave out the chili and olives, but experiment a little and you may be pleasantly surprised by how much the kids like interesting foods.

TIP 5
Variety

A British study found that 1 in 4 families ate the same meal on the same night of each week. If this works for you, fine. But my kids get really bored and uncooperative when being fed sausage rolls every Thursday night (I found this out the hard way). They like the surprise of ‘what’s for dinner’. It keeps it interesting and more playful.

TIP 6
Patience

Understand the current stage of your kid’s development and realise that it doesn’t matter if they don’t eat every meal. Perhaps it stems from the early frantic days when you shove as much milk into your kiddie as possible in the hope that they will sleep all night, but some days they are not hungry and do not need to eat. Maybe freeze their dinner, to avoid the frustration of scraping a whole bowl of food into the bin.

TIP 7
Plan Ahead

Yes, it’s boring. But it’s also a key to success. Know what’s for dinner before they ask you. It doesn’t mean you have to cook every night. When you do feel like cooking, make double batches and freeze portions so that even on hellish nights you have something good to give them.

TIP 8
You get what you get and you don’t get upset

This wonderful mantra is from Australian chef Bill Grainger. Visit him at www.bills.com.au. It sums up a couple of important things – 1. What you see in front of you is dinner. I WILL NOT go and make you toast or open a tin of beans. 2. You must TRY what is in front of you. You don’t have to like it, but you must try it.

However, if you kids are visibly gagging over something, or even you concede that perhaps things didn’t go so well in the kitchen tonight, then offer them a banana or a bowl of cereal. No interesting specials like spaghetti in the tin or cheese on toast. Please don’t prepare food twice in a night – they will sniff food victory.

TIP 9
Look at your own diet

Kids copy you. Assess what you eat and make modifications so that you are setting a good example. Quit crappy snacks. Start eating fruit again. Include more vegies in your cooking and rediscover how good fresh food can be. Perhaps your mum wasn’t’ so great in the kitchen and perhaps you didn’t have a good introduction, but now is your chance to eat well.

TIP 10:
Distract yourself

I’ve taken up knitting. Truly. So that I can sit at the dinner table, am present and can participate in dinnertime talk without having to actually watch the carnage. I breathe deeply, remember lessons learnt from the Buddhism for Mothers book and remind myself that food flying around everywhere, being smeared on chairs, spat out and pushed aside is part of children being children. If I watch them my blood pressure rises and I start yelling. Knitting seems to be more of a positive activity than guzzling wine which incidentally does also distract me quite nicely.

So there you have it, they’re the top tips that I’ve discovered. But what are yours?…

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