Things that make you go SQUEEEEEEEE!

As I haven't done a SQUEEEEEEEEE post in a while I thought I'd do one today.

This first one is the birthday cake my children made for me on my last birthday. I just came across the photo again today, and thought it was a Must Share. Why is it that cakes baked and decorated for you by your kids taste so much better?


Then we have my daughter, Miss Z, who defiantly refused to go to bed one night last week, so went to floor instead as a protest. Bless her - she's getting a bit heavy to lift up and put back in bed!

Then this morning a lovely photographer friend of mine who runs Taylor Made Moments shared a photo she took of her kitteh which I also thought was very worth sharing.

And last, but by no means least, here's a nostalgic (to me) photo of where I grew up.  Yeah, I know, right?  The reason I'm no longer there is....?

STxxx

My new blog!

Well, as I mentioned in my last post, I've recently started as a Thermomix consultant here in WA and am having more fun playing with this gadget than I can possibly express!

I've also started up a new blog for all things Thermomix-related, which I hope you'll stop by and take a look at!

My new blog is called ThermoMixup and has recipes, links, cooking class information, tips, news and much more and you can find it Right Here!

Mwah!

ST
xxx

Plotting and scheming in a fun, fun way!

Recently it has seemed that my life is quite food-focussed, and in a good way! I recently signed up as a Thermomix consultant, have started stocking up on healthy, whole-foods and am really excited at getting my family onto a healthier and more sustainable diet. I also made jam. Me - the person who messes up a sweet recipe without even trying! I made the most amazingly dee-lishus strawberry and apple jam in 45 minutes with my new Amazing Kitchen Assistant, Madame Thermomix!

A few months ago I started up my Juno Events and Juno Junior kids' party businesses, and I must confess things have been a bit slow (stoned snail pace, actually) to get started, so I got my thinking cap on and tried to think how I could make my business stand out a bit.

The answer actually came to me from about 5 sources all at the same time.

1. My kids became even more obsessed with Masterchef than I was
2. My son went to a Father-Son cooking class with his dad and loved it
3. All of my kids have been having as much fun with the new Thermomix as I have, and really getting into the whole concept of whole foods and really Making Stuff From Scratch
4. I started watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution - the US one, and found I had tears in my eyes at nearly every episode.
5. My mother spoke to a friend of hers about my new gadget, and my love of food, and she mentioned that there was a Junior Masterchef about to come out.

Well - that had the efffect of that delightful lightbulb popping up over my head and I realised (about time too) that kids cooking classes are the way forward for me. I do love kids, I really do. I'm also no pushover and have no problems whatsoever in doing what it takes to maintain discipline in group situations (aka - I have a reeeeeee-ly good Cross Voice when required).



So, I love kids, I love food, I'm passionate about sustainable living and would love to share the benefits of healthy cooking and eating, and I've also got my Cert IV in Training and Assessment, which has taught me all about OHS, lesson planning, learning styles and much more.

I would be eternally grateful for any feedback any of you lovely blog-followers could provide. I've got a few ideas on how to actually run this, including:

1. Full-term courses one day a week afterschool (like sports etc.)
2. Parent and toddler cook-together classes
3. Hosting kids' cooking themed birthday parties
4. School holiday half-day activities

With each class the children would get to take home a main course dish to serve a family of 4, probably, thus freeing up Mum or Dad from cooking dinner that day. They would also get to take home samples of anything else we've made - bread, pastries, cakes - whatever we get up to!

Venues at which to hold these classes seem to be everywhere near me, with the local council running a whole heap of lovely community centres which all seem to have very well-planned kitchen areas.

So - that's my idea, and I'm running with it! Let me know what you think! Would you send your child to something like this? Do you think they'd even be interested?

STxxx

September - Eat Less Meat challenge

I've taken the challenge issued by Dixiebelle from her Eat At Dixiebelle's blog (the mere sight of which will make you hungry, I promise) to make September an Eat Less Meat Month, as well as Fair Trade Chocolate Month.

I'll be honest, I hardly ever eat chocolate, so this part of the challenge won't be a problem at all, although I'll have to be vigilant on the occasional choccy treats the kids may have.

The Eating Less Meat will, however probably live up to the word "challenge". I happen to love legumes, pulses, vegetables and tofu, and would quite happily live on them. My children, however, are another story. The mere sight of anything green on their plates guarantees an instant whingy chorus of "Mu-u-u-u-u-u-m! Do we HAVE to eat the (insert name of offending green item here)!

It's still something I want to do for a huge range of reasons, most of which are already outlined perfectly on Dixiebelle's site, so I won't go into too much detail. Personally, though the main benefits for me and my family are as follows:

Health - I'm determined to put a bit more effort into coaxing my stubborn offspring gently along to a healthier diet, one that includes a much wider range of fruits, vegetables and legumes than they currently tolerate.

Cost - As a single mother who is fully expecting to be fired later today from her most recent part-time job, this one's fairly obvious. As I nearly only ever buy free range, organic meat anyway, it can get pretty costly. Lentils, by comparision, are nearly free!

Environmental issues - Many more of the planet's resources are required to raise livestock for meat than are required for vegetarian alternatives. More information available on Dixiebelle's blog.

Education and awareness of all the above points for my children. I hope they will learn something by this little challenge. They are going to be invited to assist with meal planning, shopping and food preparation, and I'm hoping they'll take a little interest in the "why" of the whole exercise as well. That may be a little hopeful on my part, but it's worth a shot! During the same month we will also be planting our home veggie garden, which will round out the experience for all, I hope. Details of what I'm planting to be found here.

My next step is to mealplan my first week, which I'm hoping to do after work today (unless I do actually get fired, in which case I'll be too busy drowning my sorrows in a vat of wine). Again, I'm counting on Dixiebelle to help me with this, as she's already put together a few weeks' worth of menu suggestions and hey, why re-invent the wheel, right?

Stay tuned for screams of horror from the mini-Tiaras as they realise what September holds for them!

STxxx

Recipe - Easiest pizza dough ever

... as long as you have the Marvel That Is The Kitchen-Aid Artisan Mixer lurking in your kitchen somewhere.

500g bread/pizza dough flour
2 X sachets yeast
50 g olive oil
320g tepid to lukewarm water
1 tsp salt

Chuck all the dry stuff in the mixer bowl, give it a quick spin, then with kneading hook going at speed 2, gradually add in the olive oil and water until dough forms a ball on the hook and goes round and round in a satisfying manner.

Continue this for about a 1 - 2 minutes until it looks lovely and smooth and stretchy. Squoosh into a sort of ball-like blob in the bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for an hour or so until it's roughly doubled in size.

Punch down the centre of the ball-like blob to get all the nasty CO2 out, then scrape out onto lightly floured surface and give a quick hand kneading - just a minute will do.

Divide into pizza-sized bits and leave to rise for another 15 minutes or so.

Flatten out onto pizza pans and put all the stuff on top.

Cook!

Eat!

Be Merry!

Just the way it do be.

Well, cookfest is trailing off. Here are tonight's highlights:

1 X large cottage pie. Kid seal of approval, hidden veggies and all
20 X chicken sausages. Green. See pic below. I have reservations on their stylishness, but am confident they will taste ok.
12 X raspberry, carrot and zucchini muffins. Another seal of kid approval despite veggies.
12 X cheese and herb muffins. Yet to be tested.
1 X currently simmering pot of potato and roasted garlic soup with a few other sneaky veggies in there. Also yet to be tested.

As promised, here's picture of snaggers:

And another one....


Yeah, I know it kind of spurted out there in a spurty way, but hey, first attempt and all that. Taste test tomorrow night. Mwwuhahahahaha, shall make kids eat green sausages!

STxxx

MYO Snaggers

Help me, O Powers That Be, as I attempt to make sausages for the first time ever. I have the free-range organic chicken thighs (with apologies to the chickens who donated these) and a buncha herb and spicy stuff, and have yet to find a recipe that (a) is for the kind of thing I want to make (b) I can understand and (c) shows me how to squish the meat into the casing.

Fortunately I am all gadgeted-up, and have my handy dandy Kitchen Aid with appropriate attachments, but absolutely SFA idea on how to actually use it. Shoulda watched the DVD that came with the gadgety bits, I guess, but these have now been swallowed up by the Bottomless Pit of Lost DVD's which is slowly but surely taking over our house, a la "The Nothing".

OK. Wish me luck.

I shall either post photos of sausages later or drunken photos of self lobbing hunks of semi-ground chicken flesh at the children.

Do stay tuned!

STxxx