That's MY little boy

Grandparents bring such a richness into the childhood.

I remember many many things my Granny taught me.  The stories she told me of her childhood, at how different her time was but how much the same she was in other ways.

Last week Rick's parents came to stay with us.  They live 13 hours' drive north (but they flew) so we don't get to see them much apart from magic Skype!  And despite them having 15 grandchildren aged 30+ down to Dean at 3 and greatgrandchildren a plenty, they have an ever growing, endless supply of love and affection for each of them.  My boys adore their Nan & Pop.

My MIL is a treasure and I love her deeply.  She has taken me in as her own and fills me with pride when she compliments my parenting or the love I have for her son.  I want to make her and Dad proud.  And to top it off, she loves my cooking.  She is a great culinary magician and yet, she kept asking me for the recipes of my smoothies, pasta and cakes.  We are kindred spirits for sure.

In the picture above, she sat down at the boys' little table to play with them, early one morning.  She may have a funny spanish/yorkshire/aussie accent but that doesn't stop the boys from being mesmerised when she speaks.  Here she is showing Dean the photos in her locket.  He looked intently as Nanny told him that she has photos of her 5 children in there and that one of them was their Daddy.

"That's my little boy there- your Daddy" she would say.

My boys didn't quite get the concept.  They agreed that the other children were their aunties and uncles but the little boy that was their Daddy was in fact one of them.  And then it was a little too much and off they pottered with another thought that 'flew into their funnels'.

This week I sorely miss my Mam & Dad, (Nan & Pop).  It is hard to be so far away from family.

xxx

3/52

A portrait a week of my kiddies for 2013

Liam - cheeky mite being photographed by his bestie gal Shelley.  She gets expressions that seem to be reserved for her only, it comes from their mutual crush! (thanks Shell, and thanks for trying to decode my camera to me!!)

Dean - "I the tunnel" then the car comes whooshing along, and through the archway

Finn McMissile - the car in question.  A birthday gift from Shelley and her mummy Auntie Lesley (you two always pick winners albeit loud ones!!).

Yep, I'm linking!

xxx

3

Dean waited all day, til after dinner for his birthday cake, so naturally only 2 spoons would do !

This is what a newly turned 3 year old looks like, who has forgone every meal that day waiting for birthday cake.

While Rick took Liam for a 5 hour return trip to the airport to collect his parents, Dean and I baked a cake for his and his grandfather's birthday.  They share their birthday, separated by 75 odd years, but otherwise twins no?

In fact, when I announced that my baby was due in January 2010, my father-in-law immediately piped up and said "hold on til 13th".  I said alright, pretty much knowing it was a done deal as the same thing happened when Liam was due.  Dad said "hold on til 2 August" and I said "alright", and so it was (this date is my parents-in-law wedding anniversary and their twin daughters' birthday).  I'm a good obedient daughter-in-law I've decided.

The cake is Nigella Lawson's victoria sponge as seen on this blog before.  I iced it in a cream cheese frosting.  The colours of the layers were chosen by Dean himself and inspiration for the cake top was Pinterest (of course!!).  It not quite the creation Rick made the year before, but I am still pleased with it.

And so it is with birthdays and gatherings, I was hot and sweaty and running here there and everywhere.  Thankfully, my gorgeous friend Shelley was on board and grabbed my camera and snapped this pics.

The birthday boys and us.  I wasn't going to include this pic here as the state of my kitchen was woeful and I was just a tad sweaty and frazzled.  But I included it because this is my family and I love them so crazily.

2/52

A portrait of my children each week for 2013

Liam - pouting over his vegetables.  He has been quite a fussy eater but this week we turned a corner.  He ate carrots! He ate beans!  He ate a zucchini & ricotta pie (recipe is in this months Woolworths Magazine).  And you wouldn't believe who I have to thank for it. . . . Yo Gabba Gabba!

Dean - the vegie eating corner also was turned by Dean this week.  Both boys watched, by chance, Yo Gabba Gabba.  The stripey green furry thing was having a party in his tummy.  

Me: "Hey Dean the carrots are crying!  Aww, they want to go to the party in your tummy, can they come?"
Dean: "Alright"

That is how the entire meal was consumed, but consumed it was!

Joining in here.

xxx 

1/52

A portrait of my children each week for 2013

1. Liam - first time on a slip and slide.  The only time he didn't grin this big was when he was impatiently waiting for his turn.

2. Dean - in his happy place.  He absolutely loves the bath and requires much bribing to get him out before he prunes.

Joining in with Jodi

I do look forward to looking at my children grow this year and to improving my anaemic photography skills.

xxx

Shocked in Translation

My Dar and Granny with my Mum, their daughter-in-law, in the middle
(With thanks to my brother Jeremy for uploading our old family pics on Flickr!)

Warning:  This post contains a naughty word expression for those living in Australia and presumably New Zealand.  Bear with me as there is a wholesome point to it all!

I had a delightful Granny.  She passed away a few years back at the ripe age of 97.  I loved her dearly but boy could she crack me up!  It was the generational-gap-lost-in-translation thing.  You know what I am talking about, words that have changed their meaning or gained another meaning like gay, sick, bad etc

As kids we used to laugh at Granny calling our youngest brother a little faggot.  Obviously she meant a bundle of sticks because he was always wriggly and hard to hold.

But the one that got us all in fits of muffled giggles, probably because we had naughty little minds, was her story of how she coped with our grandfather's snoring.  Like many elderly couples, they slept in separate beds although they shared a bedroom.  It was more comfortable for their aged bodies I guess.  But Granny used to complain that her sleep was being disrupted by Dar's chronic snoring.

With a cheeky grin she would say "everytime he snores, I just get up and give him a root*!"

After our shock, and a little disgust at the thought of it, we would then realise her meaning and laugh at hearing her say something so 'naughty' without knowing.  What she meant was she would grab her walking stick that was next to her bed, lean over and poke Dar in the ribs to get him to roll over and stop snoring.  We knew that, but our little corrupted minds would laugh at the other thought, of our grandparents doing-it (eeeewww!).

I grew up in a household that tolerated swearing.  Each of us, my siblings and parents alike, have hot tempers.  The rude words would fly around frequently.  It has taken me a long time to get to the point where I don't swear.  It is a do-not, a deliberate decision to not swear and raise my children with the same amount of dislike for swear words.  But every now and then, the 'old woman' in me, the former person before I made a decision to love Jesus, would rear her ugly tongue and let the f-bomb or s-bomb out.  I have to be mighty angry, but with my temper, well, I am a work in progress.

But only the other day, my boys, 3 and 4 years, began saying the f-bomb. After questioning, they told me a boy at kindy says it.  It broke my heart (and relieved they didn't hear it from me!).  It is crushing to hear such young boys say such an ugly word.  I know that they don't know its meaning, and is said innocently but it reminded me that there is a big world out there that will continue to shock me in translation.

Many of my friends swear and I don't take offense.  They don't swear at me, it has just become so intertwined into our language that for most, there is no longer a 'naughty word' attachment to it.  In one of my former workplaces, I had a colleague who would apologise to me after each time she used the f-bomb in conversation with me.  In the end I simply told her I take more offense to her using Jesus Christ as a swear word.  Different standards.  She couldn't see the offense. That's ok, I was just trying to let her know what I found offensive, if she really wanted to not offend me.

So my wholesome point?  Not to judge any person for the language they use.

Romans 14:13
Then let us no more criticize and blame and pass judgment on one another, but rather decide and endeavor never to put a stumbling block or an obstacle or a hindrance in the way of a brother (or sister or neighbour or stranger)**.

My new reflective, is to say nice things, to be nice, to think nice, and show love through kindness and gentleness.

xxx

*for those in the northern hemisphere, the word root has a double meaning down under. . .  are you getting my drift?
**my own emphasis

By the way, I am totally digging my Mum's Suzi Q hair-do and that dress!  Think I might get myself a hair cut!!

How I will pray for my children

I saw this on Pinterest originally from here.

I love it.  I have been praying generic prayers for my kids.  For them to have good health, to be good people and to look always to Jesus.  But I have always thought that I should be more specific and claim promises from the bible.  And then I find this gem, pinned by a delightful pinner and friend, Vanessa.

I'm not one for new year resolutions as they seem to be in of themselves set up for failure.  Instead, I am going to 'purpose in my heart' (Daniel 1:8) to uphold Christ and all that He taught.  To be the mother He needs me to be.  And to remember that my first mission field is here in my home.

Happy New Year!  2013.  *sigh*

When I was little, I used to wonder what I would be like in 2000.  And that being 23 was so old and mature.  Well, we are now 13 years passed and I am into my 36th year and I have two boys and a husband and many many things that I never imagined could have happen have happened.  Reflection is mind blowing.  Today I think it is better for me to focus on the future and to grab hold of my Saviour's hand.

I hope your new year is filled with many blessings and crafty exploits.  I'm currently working on a stashed UFO that needn't remain unfinished for another year.

What do you want for your children?
Are you working on any UFOs?
Have you made any resolutions?

See you round like a fruit loop.

xxx

Christmas Presence

At this time of year, it is so easy to think presents presents presents.  What am I going to make or buy for whom?  Have I got enough? What if second cousin Joe turns up?  Should I have some extra chocolates?

I try every year to not be dictated by this giving - receiving frenzy.  Really, it is a consumerism thing in the end.  That is why I tried to go as handmade as possible so that I could inject as much love as I could into each gift.  But I also know that my sons love Lego, and I wasn't about to fashion Lego bricks out of Fimo.  My boys would be horrified!  So giving something that you know the recipient would love is still giving in love.

These verses have been playing over in my mind lately and I thought I would share them with you.

~ John 3:16 ~

For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. 

~James 1:17 ~

Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father who made the heavenly lights; with him there is neither variation nor darkness caused by turning. 

I want to remember that the gift of Christmas is not what Baby Jesus received from the wise men.  The giving and receiving of gifts is actually representative of Gift that God gave this world, our world, His Son Jesus Christ.  And any gift from God is perfect.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas day and enjoy His presence at your table and in your home or out in nature.

Love and blessings,

Fi xxx

Our Christmas Came Early

Warning: lots of photos!

We hosted our family christmas lunch last Sunday.  It was just easier that way.  Here's the wrap up (excuse the pun!)

The Guests

My husband's gorgeous children and their families.  We didn't get to see one of my steppies but he and his girl have promised to visit Boxing Day.  Joy!

The Food

We had a BBQ.  Easy peasy.  Makes everyone happy.  Plenty of vegetables though to eat alongside the mandatory steak and sausages for our meatlovers.  And dessert was the quintessential aussie/kiwi christmas pudding, pavlova.  I covered it in mangoes, strawberries and passionfruit with chocolate to sprinkle to personal measure.

Oops, only got instagram pics of these sides and salads
veggies for chargrilling | Spanish potato salad | tomato basil & boconccini salad with avocado

squeaky cheese (haloumi) kebabs

chargrilled eggplant with paprika served with a garlic feta sauce (not pictured)

Pavlova for dessert of course with extra strawberries and generous dustings of chocolate shavings

The Pressies

I made presents for everyone this year.  Unfortunately I didn't get a pic of the lemon butter but you can grab my recipe here.  It is the lemoniest lemon butter so it is definitely for lemon loving fans.

1. Slippers
2. & 3. Pyjamas for my step grandson.  Using my favourite pattern, well my only patter for pj's!  Oliver&S Sleepover Pyjamas as seen on this blog before
4. And my attempt at the much-done-for-christmas-presents-in-blogland beads (I would have to put a dozen or so links here for where I've seen it before; can I just trust that you have been around here too for a while and know all the places you've seen them?)

My shortbread didn't turn out as I liked so it didn't get gifted.  And to add a bit more value to the presents, gift cards and chocolates were also thrown in for good measure.

We received awesome reading material and yummy-yums, while the boys got toys, toys and more toys.

Getting the kids to sit still and face the camera was next to impossible!  I took dozens but the others are all blurry or not faces!

Yes, this is my tree.  At least it wasn't raided of its baubles or knocked over!

What about the big day?

Well, admittedly Christmas has lost its thunder but it would have been more disappointing on Christmas day to not have had an early celebration.  Rick's older kids have their Mum's christmas breakfast then their partners family commitments.  They live 90 mins from us, it was just easier to grab them early than to not see them at all.

We will enjoy our little family's company.  I love my husband and children to pieces, so to have a lazy morning with pancakes and eggs and tomatoes from the garden, then perhaps a picnic at the beach will be more than christmassy enough for me.

I will bake some special slice no doubt and we will probably eat something from the freezer that night.

Tonight we are off to our cul-de-sac neighbourhood party.  Such fun times!

I hope your Christmas day is full of happiness, of laughter, of special happy memory making.  Wear loose clothing!

Love and blessings from mine to yours

Fi xxxx

The Evolution of Our Green Smoothie

My boys loved this smoothie so much that I had to scrap out every last bit from the Vitamix jug and Liam upon seeing the spatula squealed "I lick it please Mumma!"

I have learnt a lot since I introduced smoothies into our diet.

I have learnt that ::

• it is important to consider the acid-alkaline balance of our diet.  That means, some foods such as meat and cheeses can be highly acidic for the body once digested, leading to such problems as weaker bones (yes, cheese can weaken your bones!) and that alkaline foods, such as most vegetables and some fruits and nuts can improve bone health and general well-being and longevity.  You might find this table helpful in discerning acid and alkaline foods.  Basically, eat more fruit and vegetables and less meat and dairy.

• combining fruits and vegetables in the one juice, or meal, can lead to bad digestion.  It takes different enzymes to break down fruits than it does with vegetables.  You can listen to your body on this one too.  Even though it isn't bad to let one go (flatulence, fluff or fart - I can barely write that word as it is a rude word in our house, boys!), it isn't good if they are quite stinky.  That means that your digestion isn't great and possibly caused by a wrong combination of foods last eaten.  But if you are like me and struggle to listen to your body (in my case, I think I am that toxic that it's hard to tell), it is good to do some research.  I did, and it was a little conflicting.

• after some internet searching, there is a general consensus that mixing fruits and vegetables together isn't that great for your health.  And even though many manufacturers of juicers promote combining fruits and vegetables in their recipes, this may be to make the juicer more appealing for sale rather than what is good for you.  I liked this woman's view on the topic because it sat well with me.  Doesn't mean it is conclusively correct though.  And I would like to believe this guy as it is convenient.  So it brings me back to listening to my body.

• the Eight Laws of Health make sense and I should consider abiding by them.  Not only will it benefit my health but also the example set before my sons will help them to make healthy nutritional choices.  And right now, I just want them to eat the healthy food I set before them and not pester for pizza-from-a-shop, chippies and ice-cream!  In a nutshell they are, Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunlight, Temperance, Air, Rest and Trust.

• variety and making it fun is essential to keeping my little boys interested.  We make up names for our dishes, like Pirate-Treasure-Porridge, Snakes In Red Sauce and Monster Green Smoothies (well we didn't make that one up of course!).  And this morning we discovered Banana Green Smoothie (highly imaginative we are in this house!).  I have found that my boys like a smoothie combination for a couple of weeks before we have to reinvent it.  And new ways in presenting it to them.

That brings me to today's new smoothie.  

Banana Green Smoothie

5 leaves of silverbeet, stalks removed or leafy green of choice

2 bananas 

rice milk (I measure the milk using their little drinking cups x 2)

2/3 cup quick oats

1 Tbl chia seeds

2 Tbl coconut oil

pinch of celtic salt (must be celtic or himalayan pink salt otherwise omit)

tiny dribble of maple syrup, optional

Place all ingredients in given order into your blender (most blenders will blend better if spinach is in first, soft to hard rule).

To serve, we pour it into a cereal bowl and top with a small handful of cornflakes.  Cornflakes are high in salt and really are not good for you.  My boys just love the stuff but it dawned on me that if I were to make a thick smoothie and top it with only a fraction of the cornflakes they would otherwise be having I have reduced their bad salt intake and increased their good food intake.  

Do you make smoothies?  What are your favourite combos?

Can you give me tips to get my boys eating more fruit and veg in its whole form?  Chewing is always a good thing.

Four more sleeps to you-know-when, hope you are ready.  By the way, can't go without a mention to the obvious- the world has not ended today.

Blessings,

Fi 

xxx

Beetroot Chocolate Cake :: A recipe

Hello!

I instagrammed this cake today and was asked to post the recipe.  I'm not one to keep yummy recipes to myself so I offer it up here with pleasure.

Now, if you have never had a beetroot chocolate cake, you can be forgiven for thinking EErrrrkkk.  I did, and never thought I would be baking one myself.  But as it turns out, I had a bunch of beetroot leftover in the fridge from a sad abandoned juice diet.  I really dislike feeding my bin dead vegetables (no worm farm or compost presently) and couldn't bear the idea of throwing the beets away.

A side note, I had every intention of seeing the Reboot Your Life juice diet through to the end but I don't actually have a juicer.  Mmmm, bit of a problem.  But I do have a Vitamix (high powered blender) and thought I could get away with it.  

Apple Cherry bake and Green Juice from Reboot Your Life

All was good until I made a veg juice, using the very beetroots in question and found that all the fibre in the juice too much to bear and promptly turned the juice into a pasta sauce and shelved the diet for another day.

Ok, back to the cake recipe!  I found the recipe in a Family Circle booklet "50 of the Best Cakes & Tarts".  The recipe is by Jill Dupleix.  But this is how I made it.  I had 3 beets to use but the cake takes only one large one, so the extra cooked beets were drizzled with oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper and a spike of apple cider vinegar- nom nom nom.

Beetroot Chocolate Cake
serves 8
cooking time: 35 mins (fan force oven)

70g cocoa powder
180g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
250g caster sugar
250g cooked beetroot (see note at start of method)
3 large eggs
200ml sunflower oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Note: I had 3 beets.  I washed and trimmed them then cut them into quarters and placed them in a steamer until tender.  I then weighed out 250g of cooked beets which ended up being 4 quarters.  So perhaps one large beetroot will do the job!

Preheat over 165C fan force (original recipe is 180C conventional).
Line base of 20cm springform tin.  Mine is old pre dates non-stick so I lightly greased sides and floured.

Sift all the dry ingredients, except sugar, into a mixing bowl, then stir in the sugar til well combined.

Using a blender or food processor (I used my trusty Vitamix), blitz the beetroot.  Then add the eggs, oil and vanilla til smooth.  The colour is amazing at this point, and it gets even better.

Pour the wet bright purple ingredients into the dry, using a balloon whisk to lightly combine.  At this point, I wished a took a photo.  The wet ingredients awakened the cocoa into a deep brown and the bright purple created an awesome swirl against the chocolatey batter. But keep mixing till all is combined.

Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 30 mins.  Check to see if cooked.  If the testing skewer comes out wet, cover the cake with a bit of foil to stop further browning while you give it another 10 mins or so.  The original recipe says to cook for an hour but a max of 45 mins was enough for my cake.

Let the cake cool a bit before removing the sides.  We ate it hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to salve our mouths.

The question is, how did it taste?!  Well, it did taste chocolatey without being too rich and the beetroot gave it an earthy flavour, but only mildly.  In fact, I reckon if I didn't know there was beetroot was in there, I mayn't have noticed.  And it was moist, so goodly moist.

I would like to make this cake again but reduce the sugar.  Perhaps dates or maple?  I'm yet to bake with stevia but I will no doubt venture there too one day.

Have you ever baked a beetroot cake?
Or any other vegetable (besides carrot cake!)?
What do you use to cut back sugar?  Or even to replace it altogether?

xxx

Bunting

Hello lovely people.  There are 50 of you now!  Do you know that actually freaks me out?!  Welcome, I am so chuffed that you are interested in the comings and goings of a nanna-craft-loving mumma of 2 little boys.

I write this little blog for two reasons.  Firstly, as an outlet to record stuff that I am happy to share with complete strangers and friends alike.  And to have a profile beyond just a name so that you can know who it is that leaves random comments on your blog- its nice to click to a person and not just a name isn't it?

As you may know, I am quite late to this sewing caper.  I have been sewing since late 2010, actually since blogging.  And when I say sewing, its an every-so-often thing, not a daily jaunt much like my blogging!!  So it is no surprise that I have never made bunting before despite loving it to bits.  Yes, if a mag has bunting on the cover you can pretty much guarantee that I will buy it.  Sucker.

Remember the December Baby Quilt?  He came early!  And now that he is here, I thought the quilt  was not quite macho enough.  Little baby Jakob needed more diggers and less flowers!

The fabric is from Spotlight and the binding was a premade.  I bought the fabric to make some pjs for my step grandson, also named Jacob, which I am halfway through making. And bunting is the perfect solution for large scraps!

I used the same red fabric as I used on the quilt's binding for the letters.  I have to thank Rachel for this idea of personalised bunting as her's was the first time I saw this idea.  

No one warned me that bunting making is addictive!  I then whipped up a lovely girly one for my dear little friend Ella whom you may know from here.  I've known Ella's mum since I was 7.  I can hardly believe that Ella is 5 already.

 I used fat quarters from Spotlight.  A purchase I made back when I started sewing as I was determined to sew something girly.  But because I have sons, no girly excuse came until I figured out bunting that is!!

This time I backed each flag with the same fabric as its front and the letters are actually the back of a printed fabric because I didn't have a pink solid!

Now that I have these two projects done and dusted, I can concentrate on getting the rest of my christmas crafting done.  You see, our family christmas is this Sunday!!  Yikes.  Still have 4 gifts to make.  I don't want to bring it down to the wire just in case they flop and a quick run in to DJ's is required.

What are you making for christmas presents or is time running out for you too?

xxx