It's a Girl!

Above is a picture of me nursing her at about 10 minutes old :)
Baby Zoe arrived at 2.55 am this morning, weighing 3.320kg. She is 49cm long with a good head of strawberry blonde hair! Mum was only in labour for 2hrs and 45 minutes and a totally natural birth. Both Mum and Baby are doing well!
Welcome little girl!
Take care of you

Waiting...

I have spent the last few days waiting for a phone call. My best friends baby has still not arrived, seems she is not in a hurry to leave her warm watery home and frankly who would be? If nothing happens today she is booked into to be induced tomorrow. The wonderful people I work with have been great in allowing me to call them if I needed to leave work, even on their day off! Fortunately I haven't had to do this, but I want to say thank you anyway for your support and understanding. Rest assured you guys will be one of the first I ring :)

I have a few errands to run this morning, part of Sarah's bed had cracked so I need to drive back to the place of purchase to get the part exchanged.
The other night I managed to pick up some winter school tracksuit pants for Sarah for $7.50 a pair. I am going past one of the other stores in the same chain this morning to see if I can get another few pairs. The normal retail price is $25 - so they are good buying at $7.50! I am getting them a size bigger for next year :)
I do tend to buy plain items like jeans, t-shirts, windcheaters at the end of the season on sale, a size bigger ready for next winter! I do find it saves me money and I am very selective about what I buy, especially since my children are becoming more "fashion conscious" as they get older. I think as I said before the trick is to pick up the plainer items.
take care of you.

Seems I missed this one a few days ago...Kez has awarded me the "schmooze" award!

This award was created by Danielle at Pink Reviews with the help of Mike at Things by Mike.

The award was created to:"recognize those people that were exceptionally adept at creating relationships with other bloggers by making an effort to be part of a conversation, as opposed to a monologue".

Thank you Kez! I like being able to leave comments on other peoples blogs and I really enjoy the feedback I get as well. I love reading the thoughts of my blogger "friends". Thank you all for sharing you lives and thoughts with me. I suspect most of you out there already have this award so I'll hunt around for the next few days to see who I can award it to!

take care of you.

Homemade cleaning products

Thank you to Rhonda for posting the "recipes" for these wonderfully green and inexpensive cleaning products on her blog. I have to admit I was initially disappointed with the laundry "powder" I made up on the weekend. It was a very easy recipe, but obviously my washing machine water is too cold or it doesn't agitate enough to fully dissolve the soap flakes. Or it could be my box of soap flakes is old and a lot harder than they should be...I had to end up re-rinsing my first dark load to remove the soap flakes (No, I didn't use too much in fact I might have even been a bit stingy!) After my initial disappointment I found if I dissolved it first in hot or boiling water and added this to the machine it was fine.
But I am not the only one who washes in my house. So I decided to try making up the laundry liquid recipe instead. Given that I already had the ingredients mixed and in the same ratios I basically just scooped out 2 cups of my powder mix and dissolved it in hot water and brought it to the boil on the stove. Then I followed the rest of the instructions. I now have 10l of homemade laundry liquid ready to launch on my washing. I did the first load last night and it seems to have worked out okay!

I also have stored it in some recycled plastic bottles from milk and cordial. To me it will be more manageable that way. According to Rhonda's calculations it works out to $1.80 roughly for 10l - you can't argue with that price. In my mind the best part is knowing exactly the ingredients as well with no overpowering fragrances.

If you are game give the recipes a try...you might just be surprised!

Take care of you

Leftovers...

Seems we always have some of these in our house and i would rather use them up than throw them out. Yogurt is always one of those things that I tended to buy in the supermarket when it was marked down, but then it would get to the use by date before we managed to eat it all.
I found this recipe that helps to use up the excess of yoghurt as well as the one or two apples in the fruit bowl that no-one seems to want. I made a double batch of these today to use up said items, including 400ml of easiyo Greek yoghurt. I also added in the remains of a packet of frozen berries as the yoghurt was plain and an extra tablespoon of sugar.

Fruit and Yoghurt Muffins
makes 12 muffins

2 cups SR flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
200g tub flavoured yoghurt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped fruit (pear, apples)
cinnamon sugar (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 12 hole standard muffin tin.
2. Sift flour, cinnamon, sugar and salt into a large bowl.
3. Make a well in the centre. Add yoghurt, egg and oil. Stir until mixture has nearly come together. Add fruit and stir a couple of more times. Mixture should be quite lumpy.
4. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
5. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if desired.

I have even substituted tinned (drained) fruit in these and they still taste great.
Not overly sweet but just right.

As far as the yoghurt goes I have started to make my own and must thank Crazy mumma for her simple instructions.

"In traditional yoghurt making, the milk is heated to just below boiling point to kill off the "bad" bacteria, then cooled to "blood temperature" or around 38-44'C, and the starter culture is added. Keeping the mixture at this temperature for a period of time then forms the yoghurt.

The Easiyo yoghurt maker gets around this by using a powdered milk and starter culture mixture, where the "bad" bacteria has been killed off by heat treatment already. Using UHT milk and a starter, in theory, is the same process, as the UHT process also kills off the "bad" bacteria. So I tried this out last night and ended up with fabulous, thick homemade yoghurt this morning! Success!
My recipe was:
1 litre organic UHT milk
2 dessertspoons powdered milk to thicken
2 dessertspoons biodynamic plain yoghurt.
I mixed the yoghurt and powdered milk together with a small amount of UHT milk until it was smooth and then added it to the rest of the milk in the Easiyo container and mixed well. I then added boiling water to the thermos, sealed and let it sit for 14 hours (overnight). This morning I put it in the fridge and tried it this afternoon after it had cooled - it is a lovely thick yoghurt that is difficult to distinguish from the Jalna yoghurt I bought last night! Very happy :-)"

I didn't have organic so I just used the skim UHT milk I bought on special last week along with skim milk powder I already had. I used some yoghurt from the last batch of Easiyo that I had left. After doing a bit of reading I may well buy some plain bio dynamic yoghurt just to make sure my next batch has a good start in life. In total my litre of yoghurt cost me about $1.05.

All up a productive day.
Off to get my beauty sleep.
Take care of you.

To market, to market...

After a yummy breakfast of french toast with berries and cream (Yes! I didn't make pancakes this morning.)

We headed off to check out the markets at Gepps Cross. For those who don't live in Adelaide they are held on the grounds of a drive-in theatre. My children were quite surprised at the idea of an outdoor cinema where you cold sit in your car. Both have asked if we can go one evening, I'll have to find a suitable movie that we might all enjoy and perhaps we shall.

It makes me seem old to remember that it was at the drive-in we saw all our movies. I can even remember going there as a young child, it was family friendly there would be a children's film on first then interval (where everyone lined up at the snack bar) and then as the children all fell asleep they would screen a film for the parents. On hot nights in Darwin we would sit out the front of the combi van on our bean bags and enjoy the warm evenings. I don't know how often we went but I can remember going quite often, but then there really wasn't a lot else to do on a Saturday night in Darwin.

Anyway enough reminiscing and back to the markets. There was quite a crowd to get in and the stalls are very closely packed together. About half the market is trash and treasure with the remainder being fruit and veg. i also saw people wandering around with bunches of flowers so i presume there was also a flower stall or two. I think we walked around for nearly an hour in total by which time my 11yr old had enough. In this time I managed to get through about half of what was there.

Knowing your prices in your local stores is always a bonus before you go and so everything i bought was less or equivalent to the prices in my local fruit and veg shops.

I got Bananas for $2.99kg; baby zucchini, red capsicum, Lebanese cucumbers & broccoli were all $2kg; baby eggplants $4kg, 5kg potatoes $2.50, 4 avocados for $1, bunch of celery $1, salad mix (leaves) $12.00kg ($1.20 per 100g), strawberries $2.80 punnet, blood oranges $1kg, sweet potato $1.49kg, leeks $2.50 lge bunch of 3. That was all my bargains for the day. i also bought some local (Adelaide Hills) Corella pears - I absolutely love these pears - they were $4 a kg but were so lovely and fresh I had to have them.

I will absolutely be going back as the prices were so good and everything seemed so fresh. They also seemed to have many bulk purchases available but as our car was a fair way away and the children were tired I didn't get to take advantage of any of these. I did see what looked like 10kg bags of oranges for $5 which would be great if you had a juicer! I also saw bulk bags of red capsicums and a lot of people seemed to be buying them so they mush have been a good price.

I'm planning to head back next weekend and hopefully get at least one of my friends to come with me. I might also talk to them about doing a few bulk purchases and then splitting them, which would make the prices even better! A veggie co-op of sorts:)

It has been a long day, so I am taking an early mark tonight :)

take care of you.

Doubly Awarded!

It seems I have received this award from both Rhonda and Kez and upon reading about it I feel honoured that my little blog has been awarded :)

The award was started by Bella-Enchanted

"This award will be awarded to those that are just nice people, good blog friends and those that inspire good feelings and inspiration! Those that care about others that are there to lend support or those that are just a positive influence in our blogging world! I am naming this award the Nice Matters Blog Award I will begin my naming a few of those that I feel deserve this award and I would like for those awarded to name 7 others."

Thank you both :)) It is lovely to feel like a "good blog friend" !

And now to pass on the warm fuzzies to a few more people...

Willow at Contemplating Change
Crazy Mumma
Vanessa at Green as a Thistle
Mrs Pivec at Go lightly Palace
Busy Woman at A Vision Splendid

Oh and i can't find any others who I regularly read who have not been awarded as yet!
That reminds me that I need to update my list of favourite blogs.
Take care of you.

Happy Birthday Sarah

Is it only me or do all mothers reminisce on their children's birthdays. I can remember the day she was born and the first time I held her in my arms. It's hard to believe sometimes how grown up she is, but it was 14 years ago after all...

From all reports she had a nice day at school and on Saturday we will be going to one of the local pubs for lunch and birthday cake with 5 of her best friends. I'm sure I'll feel like the inevitable fish out of water, but I love meeting and interacting with her friends. Things seem a lot more complicated nowadays, than they were when I was 14. I just re-read that last sentence and now I am starting to feel old...

Anyway enough about me...Happy Birthday Darling Sarah!
Take care of you.

Slow Cookers

Thanks to Michelle who asked about using her slow cooker, I thought I would post a few instructions that I was given from the Aussie Slow Cookers Yahoo group. They have some great recipes in their files and hopefully you can follow the link here. If not I will post a few of my favourite recipes over the next few days.

In terms of "Dry roasting" in the slow cooker it couldn't be easier. Basically I take my frozen roast (yes, frozen)and place it in the slow cooker on either a bed of potatoes, onions or foil balls. This allows the roast to steam in the juices and leaves the meat very moist. Also be raising it up off the bottom of the pot it is not in direct contact with the heat and so you don't get a burnt bottom. If you don't feel comfortable with putting it in frozen then by all means thaw it first, but I never do and most of the girls on the slow cooker group don't either. I have cooked chickens, roast beef, legs of lamb and many pieces of pork this way. You can marinate the meat as well or add flavours to the bottom of the dish with the potatoes etc.

From frozen I normally cook it on high for a few hours and then switch it down to low. If I am going out all day I just leave it on low all day. If your slow cooker is new I would suggest that you try it on a day you are at home so you can work out how quickly it cooks in your particular brand. It does vary between brands and the new slow cookers do cook things faster then their vintage cousins. hence older ones are highly sought after by slow cooker addicts!

Will post more info in the next few days but right now I must head off to work! Please leave any questions in the comments or if you would like me to write about a particular recipe/method please ask.
Take care of you :)

Update

It has been a few days since I wrote anything here, but rest assured I have been a busy little beaver. I did my menu planning for the next fortnight and it goes something like this:
1. spaghetti bolognaise
2. chicken schnitzel
(these two are my children's favourites so they are part of any fortnightly plan)
3. marinated drumsticks with cous cous
4. corned beef
5. burgers
6. roast pork (dry roasted in slow cooker)
7. salmon
8. beef pies
9.home made pizza
10. hearty beef casserole (from last f/nights menu that we didn't get to make for some reason)
11. green chicken curry
12. soup or toasted s/w

Why you ask are there only 12 dinner items when there are 14 meals to be prepared. Saturday night just gone we had a "scrap and salad" at my friend Mandy's house. 6 hours of scrapbooking with a roast lamb, salad and jacket potato to sustain us for the evening :) Also this coming week is my daughters birthday so we have a family dinner that night, which this year is at her Dad's house. I do have to make a cake appear but i am sure I will manage something :)

My back is recovering nicely, although I still need to get better at all the exercises my physio has given me! I did some house work today and then threw together a batch of muffins from the recipe on Rhonda's blog. I was expecting my best friend, her sister and parents over for afternoon tea so I wanted to have something warm and inviting. They were so good that there are none left! So none to photgraph...sorry....Did I say they were good?

Pancakes & more pancakes!

Here by request is my "fluffy" pancakes recipe.
I will freely admit it is a recipe mostly in my head, created with lots of trial and error over the years.
The measurements are all approximate. The vinegar is essential as it helps the pancakes be fluffy!

Lisa's Pancakes

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups SR flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups milk + 1/2 cup extra
2 tsp vinegar
2 eggs

Method
Mix the vinegar into the 1 1/2 cups of milk and leave to sit for a few minutes. Then add all the other ingredients. Add extra milk gradually until the batter is runny but not too thin. You may have some milk remaining. Don't overmix the batter or you will have flat pancakes!

Drop tablespoons into a heated frying pan. Once bubbles stop breaking turn over. Repeat.
Keep warm until all are made. Serve with cream and any other toppings.These are also great cold.


I first made this recipe at my friend Cathy's house - we were all trying to eat low GI at that time. Sorry to say I didn't write down the name of the recipe book.
Everytime I make this I never seem to have the dried fruit, but I have found they are just as yummy without it.

Low-carb oat pancakes

Ingredients
1 cup oats
2 cups (500ml) buttermilk
1/2 cup (75g) dried fruit
1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp bicarb
1 egg
2 tsp butter (melted)
low fat milk

Method
Soak first two ingredients for ten minutes.
Add remaining ingredients (excluding milk). Leave sit for up to an hour.
Add milk to thin slightly and then spoon about a tbsp at a time into a heated pan.
Serve warm with favourite pancake toppings. If you omit the dried fruit they are yummy with berries and low-fat yogurt and a drizzle of maple syrup!


This is my final recipe that I love, these are really light and fluffy and you can make them with or without the blueberries. This one is from the Dairy Farmers Buttermilk carton.

Buttermilk & Blueberry Pancakes

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
2tbsp castor sugar
375ml buttermilk
1 tsp finely grated orange rind
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp melted butter
1 cup blueberries

Method
Sift flour into a bowl. Add sugar, buttermilk, egg and butter. Beat with a wooden spoon until batter is smooth. Add blueberries and orange rind and stir to combine. Pre-heat a non-stick oiled frying pan over medium heat. Cook pancakes for approx 1-2 minutes or until bubbles appear in the uncooked batter. Then turn the pancake over and cook for a further 1-2 minutes or until golden. Enjoy immediately or keep warm in a pre-heated oven. Serve with fresh lemon juice or maple syrup.

Take care of you.

Frugal Subversive Award!

Wow! Can I just say that I am honoured that Lightening nominated me for a Frugal Subversive Award that was begun by Rhonda Jean . Thank you Rhonda Jean for starting the award in an effort to raise awareness and thank you so much Lightening for your lovely words about my blog. I promise to post some pancake recipes for you in the next few posts :)

Now it's my turn to pass on the award to 3 bloggers who I think are deserving of the award. There are so many great blogs out there it is hard to choose just 3 but here it goes:

My first nomination goes to Kez who like the rest of us trying to simplify her life whilst juggling work, motherhood and CEO of her home. I love her honesty and her posts about the guilt of being a working mother really strike a chord with me. I also love her reading list of "posts-I-like".

Secondly I'd like to nominate Kate whose blog Our red house has the words "ordinary things, simple things, beautiful things" as part of her heading. Her blog brings back lots of memories of my own childhood and I love the vintage items she manages to post about on her blog. Keep bringing out the nostalgia Kate!

My final nomination goes to Mrs Pivec at Golightly Place. I've been inspired by her efforts to get her children menu planning and cooking meals for the family. I knew I had met a kindred spirit when I read this:

"When my children arrived on the planet, I just assumed that craft supplies were vital to life, and so I have always had them. I mean, I had them even before they arrived, of course, but once they were on the scene, I would now have two little ones to do crafts with me!"

Thank you Mrs Pivec for making me smile :) Lots!

And here is a copy of the original notes that go with the award so you know what to do next:

If you are given an award and want to take part in this meme, you can in turn select three other bloggers who have inspired you to be a frugal subversive.
Passing the rules on with the award will make it easier for everyone to participate.
Congratulations on the award. I hope it helps you spread awareness near and far.
MEME RULES
1. When you are tagged, write a post with links to three blogs who have inspired you with their frugal creativity or innovation.
2. In your post, please link back to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme and save the award graphic.
3. Leave a comment or message for the bloggers you’re tagging, so they they know they're received the award.
4. Display the Frugal Subversive Award badge to identify your blog as part of the movement that is turning its back on consumerism at any cost.

Now I am off to post on these lovely ladies blogs to let them know they are nominated:)
Please go visit and read what they have to say. There are more I would have picked, but I had to choose only three this time.
take care of you.

Blondies

No I'm not talking about the 80's rock sensation, or the fact that I do have blonde moments!

This is another in my series of "family favourite" recipes. I can't lay claim to inventing it...it comes from the fedup website. It was one of the first recipes I tried when we went failsafe.

They are called blondies because they are like brownies, but without the cocoa!

BLONDIES

2 cups of flour
2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 cup of butter (125g)
2 cups of packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp of vanilla (optional)

1/4 tsp sea salt

failsafe carob buttons (optional) final step.
Grease a 13x9x2 inch (35x22x5cm) baking pan. Combine flour, baking powder and sea salt. Melt butter, remove from heat. Stir in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir till combined. Stir mixed dry ingredients (and carob buttons, if desired) into sugar mixture. Spread in pan. Bake in a 180’C (350’F) oven 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into bars while warm.

My children don't like the carob buttons on them, plain is just as nice! Yes, they will be quite soft in the middle, how soft is up to you. I normally got 25 -30 minutes in my oven. You might need to adjust times to suit your oven.

Today I found the birthday bed, yesterday we found the doona cover and sheets. So it seems the birthday gifts are all organised. Now we just have to organise the celebrations. We will share this one as she is at her Dad's house on her actual birthday, so as it our tradition he will cook her chosen meal. As for her celebration with friends, she want to go out to dinner with a few girlfriends, not sure what else she has in mind, but I am sure we will figure it out...soon I hope!

I now hav ea glut of lemons from my parents who pruned back their tree on the weekend. Tomorrow perhaps I will try and make some lemon cordial.

take care of you.

Traditions

One of the things I enjoy doing with my children is creating family traditions. Special things we do as a family that will hopefully create some lasting memories. Sunday morning is pancakes (or more correctly pikelets) for breakfast. Rarely a Sunday passes where we don't have them. My 11yr old DS even has a go sometimes. This morning he helped to pour and flip, but of course as soon as the plate was filling up he was off to eat.

For such a skinny thing he has a good appetite.

Here is a picture of his breakfast, (which he cooked) and I actually got him to pause long enough to let me take a photo. Yes, that is ice cream on top as we didn't have any cream!

Take care of you.

Recap of Me time...

I really enjoyed yesterday, but at the same time i am quite tired today. My back is quite stiff and sore so i am thinking that the trekking around the markets and carrying my "bargains" didn't do me any favours.

In some ways I was disappointed in the Central Markets. Some things did appear to be cheaper but not many things that I wanted to buy were. My good buys for the day were - baby bok choy (3 for 80c), bag of beansprouts (70c), bananas (5kg), zucchini ($4.95kg), tomatoes (1.95kg), mushrooms ($5kg). I also went to the organic grocery stand and bought some salad greens $1.99/per 100g) which is comparable to the local non-organic grocers. I also bought 4 fuji apples they were $5.95 kg but look very nice. We shall give them the taste test later on. The only extravagant item I purchased was some home made quince paste which was $2.50, but actually compared tot eh pre-packaged item in the supermarket it was really good value. It will go nicely with the brie I bought last week, with leftover grocery money. It was a reward of sorts for managing to stick to my budget.

I also had a really nice lunch with my best friend Cathy. Only 2 weeks to go now, so one thing I must organise this weekend is a few things in a bag in the car so that when I get the call that she is in labour , I won't necessarily need to come home first. I also need to organise a few non- perishable snacks to go in there, in case we are there for a a long time.

This morning I am feeling stiff and sore and frankly I am over the whole sore back thing. I'd just like to go back to being myself. I'd like to be able to vacuum and sweep and mop my house. I'd like to take my new bike for a ride (I bought it on sale about 3 weeks ago and have ridden it up and down the driveway). I am determined to make sure I do everything the physio says so I can recover quicker.

Today we have soccer at 12.00, which is kind of an annoying time. It means we wait around all morning at home, so don't really achieve much. Then by the time we get home, have a late lunch the afternoon has mostly escaped. Another quiet night at home tonight methinks. My daughter is going fishing at Snowdens Beach with her friends and one of the other parents. Then she is having a sleepover. Tomorrow we are going shopping for her bed.
Hope you all have a great weekend.
Take care of you

Me time

Being a mum and a girlfriend and a workmate and a friend all takes time and effort. We all wear so many hats and try to do so much. I am ll for the slowing down and living in the moment. I don't want to be one of the people on their deathbed who regrets the life they had led.

Today I am having some me time. Time to do what I want to do. Admittedly I have a time frame in which to do but I can't totally neglect my responsibilities or my children. This morning after I finish my coffee I am heading off to the city. My first stop will be the Adelaide Central markets. I don't know how much I will actually buy today, more of an exploration of prices and the range of products available. I will be taking my price book with me as well as my own shopping bags so that I will not be carting home extra plastic bags or overpriced purchases.

After that I am dropping into my old workplace to say goodbye to one of the girls I have known there for a while. She is moving on to a new job. After that I am meeting my best friend for a quick lunch and will get a report on her latest visit to the ob/gyn. She only has 17 days till her delivery date. I am starting to get excited. After that I am off home to collect children form school.

Will hopefully report back tonight with my shopping adventures and any baby news!
Take care of you.

How hard really is it to be green?

Tonight I feel I need to stand on my sensible soap box for a few minutes. Today as I was picking up my reusable fabric shopping bag full of shopping I heard something that made me shake my head in wonder. The person behind me in line (who only had a small basket of shopping) was asked by the shop assistant if they would like their large 6 or 8 pack of plastic wrapped toilet paper in a plastic bag. See I don't get it...why do you need to put it in a bag in the first place? It is already in this case wrapped in plastic and I think easier to carry without a bag. After all if your hands are full with a bag each it is great to be able to tuck it under and arm. Even the paper covered recycled toilet paper I never find difficult to carry.

I've noticed a lot of people are generally thoughtless when it comes to things like this. I applaud companies like Bunnings and Ikea who actually charge you a nominal fee if you want your purchases in a bag. I look forward to the day that all companies do this. Unfortunately we may have to wait until 2009 before it becomes legislation, but until then we can all learn to say no.

"It is estimated that it takes the average Australian family four shopping trips to accumulate 60 plastic shopping bags. If everyone accepted one less plastic bag every time they went shopping, the number of bags used would be reduced substantially. " Go read some more about saying no to plastic bags here.

I'll stop now before I get too carried away, but I feel better for having said something.

Thank you for all the thoughts on my recovery. I can safely report I have not vacuumed, mopped or swept anything. Tomorrow morning I am going to catch up with a friend for coffee, before I start work at 1pm. The coffee thing is something I don't do as often as I would like, so I guess I really enjoy it when I do. While I am at the shopping centre I will also look for a doona/quilt for Sarah's soon to be queen size bed, although I will most likely get her a king size as I know I enjoy the extra width when it gets really cold. I also hopefully will spend the money I was given on Mother's Day on a new jacket/cardigan. I am hoping they have my size in the store tomorrow as I ordered it 10 days ago, but they never called to say it had arrived.

Friday will be busy as well but I will post more about my activities tomorrow.

Take care of you.