Baked Cheesecake

This is a simple cheesecake, no fancy flavourings or decorations, but it is excellent.  The texture is smooth and silky, like a baked custard or silken tofu.  There are several important factors in getting a lovely silken cheesecake:

• You must not overbeat the ingredients - if you whip in air, it will collapse as it cools.  Ideally, prepare the filling in a food processor with the double blade attachment, which does not whip up the mixture, as opposed to a traditional beater or standing mixer.

• Overbaking will cause the top to crack.  Be patient, don't have your heat too high, and once the top starts to brown, keep checking regularly.

• The best baked cheesecakes are cooked in a water bath, like a baked custard.  This ensures the cake is protected from strong heat, and can gently set through.

• A water bath also keeps the oven quite humid, which helps repair any small cracks in the top.

Here is my recipe, adapted from one given to me by my best friend Amy (which was originally cooked sans-water bath).

Crust:

1 cup of biscuit crumbs (Marie or similar)

1/4 cup of caster sugar

1/4 cup of melted butter

Combine the crust ingredients in a bowl, then press firmly (use the back of a glass) into the base of a round springform tin (24cm is the one I use).

Bake at 170 degrees for around ten minutes, or until lightly browned.

Filling:

750g cream cheese at room temperature (allow a couple of hours out of the fridge)

1 cup of light cream (this is pretty much the only time I will ever recommend using light anything.  Trust me.)

1.5 cups vanilla caster sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 tablespoons of self raising flour

2 large eggs

In a food processor, using the double blade attachment, beat the softened cream cheese with the sugar until completely smooth.

Add the light cream, vanilla, flour and eggs.  Blitz again until completely smooth. (Note - you can use a hand beater or standing mixer, but be careful not to overbeat, and once mixed, drop the bowl down, hard, a few times on the bench, to try and force out any large air bubbles).

Pour over the pre-baked base.

Wrap the tin in two layers of aluminium foil - you need to use extra-wide foil for this size springform.  It is vital that no water gets through the foil, as it will seep into the cake.  Sit the wrapped tin in a large baking tray, and pour in enough boiling water to come 2/3 up the side of the tin.  (See pictures below.  You can buy extra-wide foil at regular supermarkets).

Carefully transfer the tray to the oven, and bake at 180 degrees for 60 - 90 minutes.  This really depends on your oven - you are looking for the cake to be lightly set (that is, you can gently touch the middle and it is firm), and the top should be pale golden.

Once cooked, turn the oven off and open the door.  After ten minutes, remove the cake and sit it (in its tin) on a cooling rack.  Once cool, transfer it to a plate and store, covered, in the refrigerator.

Serve in slices with some fresh berries.

Easter and a Picnic

Tabitha is so small - of course she doesn't know what Easter is, nor does she eat chocolate yet (save the odd bite of chocolate cake once or twice).  For her, the best part of Easter is having a long weekend - more days to spend with mummy AND daddy!

I am not really a chocolate or lolly eater (I used to give my lolly bags from birthday parties to my mother when I came home), so we don't go in for the all-out chocolate festivities here.  When I was small, I used to receive one 'big' egg (in reality, only the size of my hand), and several small eggs, hidden around the house, which were to be shared with my parents and any guests.  I always felt that this was plenty - in fact, mum used to have to throw out most of the previous year's eggs each March, in preparation for the coming Easter!  Like I said, not a big chocolate or lolly eater.

Tabitha did receive a small chocolate bunny on a stick this morning - she can have a little go with that after dinner, and I'm sure The Daddy will happily finish off the rest.  The Daddy received a nice gold bunny and egg.  For me, three little caramel-filled bunnies.  In the past, The Daddy has bought me enormous bunnies from Koko Black - I love them, but I have never managed to eat more than the ears.

This morning, we all sat and had breakfast together - hot cross buns and some nice tea:

Last night (Easter Eve?), we went to dinner at our friends' house.  They have two gorgeous little twin girls - it was lovely watching Tabitha play with the 'big girls' (the twins and my sister).

Here are the Big Girls eating their dinner - did you ever see three cuter little bunnies?

Tabitha ate her dinner at the table with the grown ups - some delicious chicken and mushroom risotto, garlic bread, green salad and cheesecake.

Today, for lunch, I packed up a picnic (roast chicken rolls, cheesecake, Thai chicken balls and some potato croquettes - nothing fancy, as my dad says, 'let's not try to recreate a restaurant in a park') and we went into the Royal Botanical Gardens to have a picnic lunch with my parents, sister, Grandfather, aunt Annette and her boyfriend Jaicome.

It was the most glorious day for a picnic!  Bright blue skies, lots of sunshine, no wind - we chose a spot on a grassy bank, overlooking the sparkling lake and with a lovely view of Melbourne's city skyline.

My sister had these fabulous little bunny ears - they are on two hair clips, so cute:

It was nice to lay around in the sunshine, enjoy a glass of Champagne, and cuddle Tabitha in her funny little apricot velvet tracksuit - it makes her feel like a cuddly teddy bear.

This is how I like to make roast chicken rolls:  roast a free range chicken with some sage, onion, bacon and breadcrumb or rice stuffing.  Shred the meat, and shred pieces of the crispy skin.  Butter a large, soft roll, then spread generously one one side with green tomato pickles and seeded mustard, and on the other side with whole egg mayonnaise and mashed avocado.  Pile on chicken meat, some of the stuffing, some pieces of crispy, salty skin, and finish with a slice of cheese.

My sister is a fabulous babysitter / playmate for Tabitha - the two of them crawled and played all over the grass for hours.  Tabby managed to get quite the momentum, crawling down hill!

Tabitha really had a brilliant day - surrounded by family, free range on soft grass as far as her eyes could see, she was free to really roam around and play without fear of getting into danger.

We managed to pin my sister's bunny ear clips onto my grandfather.  He took it with good humor.

When we got home, Tabitha went down for her afternoon nap, and The Daddy, myself, and both cats, Pudding and Possum, all went to bed for a sleep too!

I hope that everyone had a nice relaxing Easter weekend.  Here in Australia, we are lucky to have a five day long weekend - Good Friday, Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday (which is also Anzac Day) and then the Anzac Day public holiday on Tuesday.

Tomorrow, I will post the recipe for my cheesecake.  It is a baked cheesecake, and is incredibly silky and smooth, as it is cooked for a long time, at moderate heat, in a waterbath.

Dining Out with Baby

One of the often-spruiked advantages of Baby-Led Weaning is that it is 'easier' to eat out at restaurants with your baby.  In many ways, this is true.  For example:

• You can easily order something off the menu for baby, pretty much anywhere you go, right from Day One of solids.  Most restaurants will do some sort of steamed/roasted/wok-tossed vegetables, and you can generally suppliment this with some sort of meat from your own, or someone else's, dish - a strip of steak, some braised meat, a piece of chicken or fish, some schnitzel, a prawn.  Some bread is generally available.  I have never, ever been caught out at a restaurant or cafe - there is always something for Tabitha to eat.

• You don't need to feed your baby.  You can eat your own meal when it arrives.  The baby will feed herself.

• The self-feeding offers a degree of entertainment for the baby.  For some time (between 5 - 30 minutes, depending on the baby), the bub will be pretty happy if left to her own devices.  This allows more opportunity for you to relax and eat your meal.

• Restaurants and wait staff generally love BLW.  Even though it is messier, I find most staff are so enamored by a tiny baby eating fists of veggies and steak that they love having these 'mini diners'.

• As baby gets older, and are continuing to eat as they always have (off the adult plates, so to speak, with a variety of spices, flavours and tastes), you can simply continue to order off the adult menu (entree size), and bypass the scary deep-fried, tomato-sauced, refined-carbs 'children's menus'.  They won't know what they're 'missing' unless you tell them.  Or until they hit school-age and their friends teach them about the joys of nuggets and fries (then you've got more of a challenge on your hands).

The only real disadvantage of BLW when eating out is the mess - sitting there spooning purees or lumpy mash into a baby mostly contains the mess the the face and body region, to be wiped down afterwards (of course, many puree-fed babies learn very quickly to grab and throw the spoon, resulting in massive mess!)

BLW babies tend to drop a fair amount of food on the floor directly underneath them.  Of course, you don't want to leave that behind, nor do you want to crouch on your hands and knees in the middle of a restaurant, quickly picking up grains of rice and half-chewed meat!

There is a simple solution - use a drop sheet.  Just bring along a bunny rug or large muslin, and pop it underneath the high chair or chair (Tabitha is often sitting on a regular chair, with her HandySitt).  Don't spread it so far behind the chair that anyone will trip, of course, but just a few inches around the bottom should do.  At the end of the meal, you can quickly gather it up, and shake it out, outside, when you leave or get home.  Easy!

Of course, BLW doesn't mean you won't face a lot of the regular old restaurant-with-babies problems.  The main problems are:

• Boredom.  I advise being out of the seat as much as possible.  If we arrive before everyone else is seated, I keep Tabitha in the Ergo, walking around the restaurant or street.  When everyone is ready to order, I sit down, order, then walk again until the entrees arrive.  Between entrees and mains?  Walk again!  Of course, passing the baby around amongst your family or friends may be enough to entertain her, without having to go for a walk, but do consider how hard it can be for a baby - a massive table of awesome things like wine glasses and butter dishes and shiny knives and tablecloths and you aren't allowed to play with them.  So sometimes taking baby for a walk is the best approach.

• Highchairs (availability, safety, cleanliness).  Many restaurants do not have highchairs.  Some do, but they are of dubious cleanliness - the nylon straps can be caked in years' worth of food, the joins of the cushions can harbour all sorts of manky damp mould.  Some chairs are just far too big for a young baby.  Generally, unless the restaurant has one of those great little Ikea Antilop highchairs (easy to clean, small and safe), I use our own HandySitt.  It doesn't hurt to carry some disinfecting wipes - I'm normally far from one of those 'disinfect everything' type of mummas, but a quick wipe over a questionable highchair tray is sometimes useful.

• Attitude of patrons and staff - unfortunately, many people forget what it is like to be a baby, and look surly if a small person dares to even venture into an eating establishment.  For us, this has been few and far between - in fact, I can't recall a single negative comment - however it's best to use a 'charm offensive', I think.  I find that making the effort to 'dress up' the baby, when going out to a nice resturant, makes a huge difference.  If Tabitha is in a pretty dress, matching cardigan and cute shoes, the wait staff and other patrons seem to fuss over her, avoiding any stern looks.  It seems ridiculously superficial, but it works in my experience, and in the experience of my friends!

When taking your baby out (or when dining out yourself, if you do not have children), it is worthwhile keeping in mind that all people need to learn, and have practice, to become polite, well-behaved restaurant patrons.  It makes sense to expose children to restaurants early, if possible, so that they can observe what goes on, and learn, through the natural 'mimic' behaviour, what is expected of them when dining out.  I know plenty of children who dine out frequently, with beautiful manners, and they were all taken to restaurants regularly by their families from a young age.  

As with all things child-related, my approach is to reward good behaviour and try to ignore the bad (of course, this isn't really relevant with babies Tabitha's age, who have no concept of 'behaviour'!)  If a child is misbehaving in a restaurant, it is often because they are bored, so do the respectful, kind thing and provide some entertainment or take them for a walk.  As they get older, they will certainly become pleasurable, entertaining dining companions.

Bear in mind, too, that even the most highly-strung of babies and children can have better restaurant manners than some adult patrons.  Over the years (including my years working as a Public Relations Strategist in food and restaurant PR), I have witnessed some truly abysmal displays of rudeness from adult patrons, far worse than most baby restaurant behavior!  I'm taking inappropriately sexual comments to wait staff, bottom-pinching, stealing of silverware, theft of whole wheels of cheese from breakfast buffets, drunken shouting, reducing wait staff to tears over a small mistake, wildly shocking 'adult' behavior under tables, throwing drinks or food for fun, drunken vomiting in $50-a-main restaurants, and general obnoxious behavior from people old enough to know better.

Bearing the above in mind, suddenly a baby dropping some broccoli and chicken on the floor, or squealing with indignation because they can't play with a wine glass, does not seem so dreadful!

My final tip?  Tip.  Tip generously.  Adding a little extra gratuity if your baby has made a mess is always appreciated, and a big smile and a sincere 'thank you' goes a long way.

Since she was born, Tabitha has been to lots of restaurants, including several 'Chef's Hat' rated establishments.  She's been well received at all of them, and is, overall, a pleasure to eat out with.  Her first 'outing' was to Ocha, a brilliant Japanese restaurant in Hawthorn, when she was just three days old (we went out for my birthday with some family and friends.  I sat on a cushion.  Tabitha slept through the whole meal in her capsule).

Here is Tabitha at Ocha when she was a newborn:

And last night, aged ten months, munching on ginger chicken:

Odds and Ends

I often feel like I am far busier now, as a full time mother, than I was when I worked full time!  There is more down time - while Tabitha naps, I have plenty of time to knit, bake and read - but also lots of rushing around, trying to cram in playdates, shopping and activities in between nap times.

I keep my diary on my iPhone, which I find essential, however I am also a big fan of these Weekly Planners from stationary store Kikki.K:

I like these because it gives me a chance to sit down at the start of each week and map out our activities - I can see at a glance where we have blocks of free time, or which days look too crowded.  It also has space for 'to do' and 'to buy' lists.

I promised a couple of readers that I would post a photo of the scarf I knitted for The Daddy's birthday.  It is nice and chunky, rustic and not at all girlish.  Because it is made of a very soft merino (Zara), it drapes nicely.

Tabitha is completely obsessed with Camelbak drink bottles.  From the time she could first crawl, she learnt to sit up with my drink bottle, and can easily use the straw (it has a bite valve).  I love this - so handy, now I don't need to take a separate sippy cup for her!

When Tabby's Godmother Sophie comes over, it is Camelbak Heaven - Sophie also has one (a blue one), and Tabitha collects them both, for double the fun - she will continue drinking even when she's full, letting the water run back out of her mouth...

Looking a little drunk from all that water...

At Mothers' Group, one of the (very talented) mothers made little Easter rusk biscuits for all of the lucky babies.  She even designed beautiful paper packaging, complete with the recipe - don't you wish you were so creative?!

Sushi Sushi Yummy Yummy

No real point to this post - just sharing some pretty cute photos of babycakes enjoying one of her favourite lunches, tuna and avocado handrolls from Sushi Sushi.  This seems to be a popular food with most toddlers and small people I know...

In other Tabitha news, she has been standing on her own, for a few seconds (up to ten) for over a week now.  She's been 'cruising', which means walking around sideways while holding onto furnityre, for well over a month now - maybe two months.  I wonder if she will take a step on her own while we are overseas?  We leave for the US in 2.5 weeks, and will be back at the start of June.

Saving Money with a Baby

In some ways, new babies do seem to eat money.  The good news is that babies don't really need much - a few grosuits, some nappies, a breast, a few homemade toys will do.  Of course, most of us aren't that frugal, and the temptation to buy loads of cute baby pieces can be strong.

Personally, I sat somewhere in the middle - I bought a fair amount of clothes (and was gifted lots), and I bought a fair few 'premium' products such as organic baby washes and creams, lovely organic bedlinen, a top-of-the-line car seat and pram, a number of excellent baby carriers, wraps and slings.

I also made a fair amount of stuff (all of the blankets are hand-knits, plus some coats, jackets and hats).

I completely avoided buying much baby 'stuff' - no fancy musical rocking chairs, walkers, jolly jumpers, no special baths, musical mobiles, baby monitors, special rocking feeding chair, infant swing, sleep positioners, wipe warmers, or lots of other stuff that some lists include as 'essentials'! Yes, all those things are common new baby items!  I think they would all add up to over a thousand dollars, easily, and we did without any of them.  Some are useful, for some people, but certainly I cannot imagine that any baby would need most of them.

Some things I bought as we needed them, rather than all at the beginning - this saves space (as you pack some things away, there is room for new things) and also spreads out the cost.  A playmat (with overhead toys and rails), some interactive toys, GroBags, these things waited until we needed them.

One area you can save loads of money is consumables - anything that you can buy disposible, you can buy reusable.  Reusable products save significant money, and are also generally much better for the environment (and often lower on chemicals, which is important to me for products against my and baby's skin).

• Cloth nappies instead of disposables.  Depending on where you buy them, good quality (non-leaking) disposable nappies can cost between 30c - 52c per nappy.  For a young baby, this can mean between $20 - $45 a week in nappies!  A set of top quality MCNs (modern cloth nappies) will cost you around $300 - $400, depending on whether you buy sized (e.g. small, medium and large) or one-size-fits-all.  OSFA nappies are more expensive to start, but will last the baby until it is toilet trained (up to 4 years).  We chose sized nappies - we started using MCNs when Tabitha was 4 months, and she went straight into Mediums.  Many slim babies toilet train straight out of Mediums.  So our entire nappy cost (from 4 months to maybe 3 years) might be only $380!  We do use disposables at night (around $110 a year) but many people use MCNs at night too.
  This really is a massive cost saving - if you're not convinced about MCNs, try buying one or two Itti Bitti d'Lish All-in-Ones.  I think you'll be sold!

• Cloth wipes - baby wipes are handy at times, but simple cloth wipes (cut up an old flannelette sheet or a couple of old towels) are soft, washable, and easy to use - either wet them with some warm water, or keep a spray bottle of water to spray on baby's bottom, then wipe.

• Reusable breast pads.  You can buy lovely, colourful, soft breastpads with a waterproof backing.  If you have a strong flow, like I do, you will need to continue to use breastpads well beyond the early days - I still can't go without, and Tabitha is 10 months old.

• Lunette cup instead of disposable tampons and pads.  Once you have passed the 6-week initial bleed, you can use a menstrual cup.  These pay for themselves after half a dozen periods, maximum, and are so much better for your body and the environment.

Of course, breastfeeding is a massive cost saver! Years of formula, bottles and teats, and steam steriliser units can add up to an enormous cost.  Spend $65 on an Australian Breastfeeding Association subscription (comes with the best breastfeeding book around, plus unlimited free breastfeeding counselling and support), and you could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars.  Having good support can be really crucial for breastfeeding - it can truly make the difference between being able to continue or giving up.  Breastfeeding is the ultimate eco-friendly, no-cost baby option.

It is certainly worthwhile buying a small collection of toys - some teethers, some baby rattles/moving/shaking objects, some blocks, some musical instruments.  Beyond this, however, you may find that joining your local Toy Library does the trick.  Most toy libraries are free or low-cost to join (many require you to volunteer just a couple of hours of your time in return) and you get access to LOADS of great toys - from puzzles and small block sets through to large things like slide sets and cubby houses.  I find Tabitha gets sick of most toys pretty quickly, so this is a great way to rotate the selection, and upgrade to age-appropriate toys regularly, with no cost outlay, and no need to store things!  Here is a link to the Victorian Toy Libraries, but similar things are found all over Australia and indeed the world.

Following that train of thought, the regular local library is brilliant.  I must admit that I am Library Obsessed!  I walk to our local library (5 minutes away) at least once a week - I have to walk, in order to limit the amount of books I can drag home!  Otherwise I end up with eight novels, three massive hardcover cookbooks, two oversized architecture books and a stack of DVDs and magazines...  I recommend the library for parenting books (they seem to all have great collections - and remember, if there is a book you want to read, and your local library does not have it, you can request for them to purchase it).  But most of all, the library is excellent for baby and children's books - there are hundreds and hundreds of great picture books, and my library has a few massive tubs of board books.  Each week, I borrow a few 'touch and feel' type books and a couple of other board books.

Baby Led Weaning is a cost saver.  No need for pre-made babyfood (almost every woman I know who feeds their baby purees uses some of the pre-made, fancy organic ones, even those who claim to prepare and blend everything themselves).  Those pre-made baby foods are expensive!  Even if you do make all your own purees, it must be a little time consuming.  Just feed the baby whatever you're eating, I say!

I don't like to use chemical-laden cleaning products.  They give me eczema, I hate the smells, and they leave a chemical residue all over your house - not great anyway, but with a baby who licks everything, even worse.  I use a combination of natural cleaners (bicarbonate of soda, boiling water, lemon juice and white vinegar) and Enjo products.  Enjo can cost a bit to start, but I find their products dramatically superior to the cheaper copies, and I find that they actually clean the house better than chemical products.  After the initial cost outlay with Enjo products, all you use is water, so you will certainly save money in the long term.  But even without Enjo, you can easily get by with just bicarb, vinegar and boiling water.

Try babywearing instead of the gym - it sounds a little trite, but I am slimmer and in better shape than I was before I had the baby.  With a good quality, well-fitting baby carrier (such as an Ergo or woven wrap), your back can comfortably support even a heavy baby or toddler.  I often walk 2 - 3 hours a day with my 10kg baby attached to me.  This means 2-3 hours of walking with a 10kg weight - great for fitness, legs and core muscles.  My arms get enough of a workout, lifting Tabitha up and down constantly during the day.

Although I spend a fair amount of money on food, I save money in some areas.  While I buy a lot of organic products, and things like imported bronze-extruded pasta, as well as Fair Trade ingredients, I save money by shopping in season (boring, I know, but true) and at Farmers' Markets.

More importantly, I have dozens of meals that I can cook large amounts, cheaply, then freeze.  I also have lots of meals that are quick and low-cost, feeding 2-4 people for well under $5 a serve, sometimes under $2.50 a serve.  Thick and rich lentil or bean soups, slow-cooked stews, meals made with cheaper (but tastier) cuts of meat like chicken thighs and drumsticks, chuck steak, and neck or shoulder of lamb.

Smart research will always save you money.  Jumping online to compare prices for nappies, toys, clothing, prams etc.  Buying on eBay.  Buying from overseas can save you loads of money, even considering international shipping costs!  THIS Dutch website sells Bugaboos, the accessories, and Tripp Trapp high chairs, for far lower prices than anywhere in Australia.  We bought our Tripp Trapp, its accessories, and a handful of accessories for our Bugaboo Cameleon (travel bag, sunshade, footmuff, sun canopy, cup holder, rain cover etc.), and even with international shipping of over $100, we saved over $300.  The saving would have been much more if we'd bought the actual pram from them as well (our pram was a gift from my parents).

Those are some of my tips.  I don't pretend to be a budget bargain queen (search out websites like Hillbilly Housewife for that!), but like most people, I like to save money where I can, so I can spend the money on fun things!

Baby Led Weaning Tips - Part Two

A while ago, I did a post with some tips on baby led weaning.

I finally got around to writing another post on this.  It's a real learning experience for us all - a wonderful one!  Tabitha is learning about new tastes and textures, and her fine motor coordination is increasing dramatically every day.  She can pick up a few grains of rice in between thumb and forefinger, making it quite easy for her to eat rice now.

I apologise in advance if I have already mentioned any of these on the blog!

• I find I steam or roast a lot of vegetables - every day or two, I prepare a bunch (2 - 4 different veggies, normally, such as roast zucchini, roast pumpkin, steamed carrot and steamed green beans).  She eats some for dinner, some the following day for lunch, and generally some more for dinner.  As long as you refrigerate the cooked food straight away, it's fine - just make sure you reheat it (only once) to piping, steaming hot, then allow to cool to baby-friendly temperature.  To mix things up, try mashing (or pureeing) about half to one cup of mixed vegetables, and using them as a simple filling to some homemade filled pasta.  Just make a small amount of pasta dough, roll out very thinly (one click thinner, on the pasta roller, than regular pasta), then pop little balls of mixture on a sheet of pasta, use a damp finger to moisten around each filling piece, lay another sheet over the top, carefully squeeze out any air bubbles, and cut into ravioli.  These cook really quickly - just a few minutes, maximum.

• Pop a side plate in the freezer while you prepare the family meal - then you can put the baby portion on the icy plate, straight away, and it should cool down sufficiently by the time the meal is dished up and brought to the table.

• Make a simple cheese sauce (just a basic white sauce with a good handful of grated cheese melted through) to mix with vegetables (or pour over them and bake in a hot oven until the top is browned).  This adds calcium, protein and calories to simple vegetables.

• Please do NOT be afraid of fat!  Most vegetables contain fat-soluble (and crucial) vitamins: without some butter, oil or fat, you cannot get the maximum food value out of most vegetables.  Some lovely fresh olive oil, butter or meat fat makes vegetables taste delicious, and allows your baby to absorb more vitamins from her food.  Babies need fat!  So do adults!

• On the topic of fat - I am constantly trying to get more good fats into Tabitha and my diet.  We both seem to trend towards slim, and it's important to keep something 'in reserve' - for her, because babies can loose weight so quickly if they get sick, and for me, because I am still breastfeeding 6 - 8 times a day.  Our diet includes lots of avocado, extra virgin olive oil, nut butter spreads (such as almond, brazil and cashew), sardines, oily fish and, yes, butter and animal fats (great sources of vitamin A).

• Beans are great - so nutritious, and perfect for practicing fine motor skills (and keeping baby occupied for a little while!).  You can buy dried beans to soak and cook, but I just get good canned organic ones - kidney beans, butter beans, edamame (buy frozen), fava beans and cannellini beans.  Rinse them, then either serve cold or heat with some olive oil in a saucepan - toss with some chopped parsley for a little extra colour and flavour.  Corn kernels are also great for fine motor.

• Gnocci is great for BLW!  It cooks in just a minute or two, and you can toss it with all sorts of sauces - pesto from the fridge, tomato passata, some cheese sauce, even just some ricotta and chopped herbs.  It's a great 'emergency' meal - stash some in the freezer - and can be taken, cold, out as a snack or lunch-on-the-go.

• Stewed meats are a real favourite of Tabitha's - so flavourful, and she finds them easy to eat, as they melt in the mouth.  She loves Chicken Provencal, Paprika Chicken, mild Chicken Curry, Beef and Red Wine Stew and Coq au Vin.  So do The Daddy and I, incidentally - everyone's happy!

• Dumplings are one of the ultimate BLW foods - carbohydrates, protein, lots of interesting flavours, all in a neat little easy-to-hold parcel.  I like to think of them as a sort of diminutive, scaled-down version of an adult pastie!  Prawn and sweetcorn, seafood, gyoza, they are all good in Tabitha's eyes.

• Tuna and avocado handrolls are a standard lunch when we're out (I buy them from Sushi Sushi, who I trust).  I cut one in half, and offer her half at a time - she really devours them.  Of course, they are quite messy, with rice sticking everywhere, but they are a simple, quick and nutritious lunch.

• Toasted sandwiches are brilliant - the melted cheese helps stick everything together, so you can try all sorts of fillings (roast chicken, roast veggies, tuna, corn etc) with cheese.  These are good warm, or cold for a portable lunch.  I cut them into 8 small fingers, generally, for ease of eating when out.

• Savoury scones and muffins (feta and herb, pumpkin, zucchini etc.) are easy to batch-cook and freeze.  Defrost in the microwave or a moderate oven for a quick snack or lunch.

• Make a large batch of chicken stock, and reduce significantly to obtain a concentrated broth.  Freeze in small amounts - you can dilute and use to poach chicken or vegetables, adding flavour and nutrition, or add a little to meatballs, stews, mashed vegetables etc.

• Packets of frozen vegetables are handy for emergencies - I always hated the idea of them, but sometimes, a few bits of frozen beans/babycorn/broccoli are better than no veggies!

Here is a little flashback for y'all - Tabitha's first ever solid food!  You might recall that this was some lovely rare steak and green beans at Luke Mangan's Melbourne restaurant, The Palace.  She found this fascinating, and spent ages examining and tasting her food.  We were so thrilled, I recall The Daddy and I just kept grinning at each other!

Bring a Plate

Normally, I am queen of Bring a Plate.  I spend a week - or more - carefully considering the eaters.  Will some be pregnant?  Vegan?  Will there be children?  Of course, bringing a sweet plate is even easier - whip up a cake, a slice, a batch of biscuits, some fresh muffins, a trifle.

The only time I hate Bring a Plate is when OOPS I forgot!  I have a full day Australian Breastfeeding Association training day tomorrow, and I just noticed we are supposed to bring something to share for lunch.  It's too late at night for me to feel motivated to duck out the the shops. I thought I could grab some sushi on the way, in the morning, to put on a platter - but the workshop starts too early for the shops to be open.

So I have a spare apricot cake from my mad baking yesterday, and I have some chocolate hedgehog in the fridge.  But I know I ought to bring something savoury.

In case you ever get stuck with Bring a Plate at the last minute, here are the ideas I managed to come up with, based on my pantry and fridge, without needing a shopping trip.  I hope one day this helps!

• Eggs are your friend.  Hard boil a whole heap of eggs - either make deviled eggs (cut them in half, scoop out the boiled yolks, mash them all up with some mayonnaise and any/all of the following:  curry powder, dijon or seeded mustard, fresh herbs, cayenne powder);

• Alternitively, mash up the eggs with lots of mayonnaise, salt, pepper and either some curry powder or fresh herbs, and make lots of egg sandwiches.  Cut off the crusts, cut them into triangles, and arrange on a plate.  If you happen to have two types of bread (e.g. wholegrain and white), you can make quite a fancy looking plate of egg sandwiches;

• I happen to keep mini tartlet cases in the cupboard (they are cheaper to buy in bulk, and they keep well in tupperware).  You can caramalise some red onions, and put a little onion, topped with some feta (Persian or otherwise), and a couple of bright green slivered pistachios (again, I always have these in the cupboard) if you have them to hand.  Pop them in an oven for ten minutes to serve;

• I tend to have mini toasts / Melba toasts in a container.  A smear of cream cheese, and a tiny sliver of smoked salmon on each is very delicious.  One small packed of smoked salmon will stretch to a couple of dozen of these;

• Hummus.  If you have a can of chickpeas, pop it in the food processor with 2 cloves of garlic, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1.5 tablespoons tahini, 2 tablespoons of oil and half a teaspoon of salt.  Blast until smooth. Scoop into a bowl, sprinkle with a pinch of cayenne (optional), and pop on a plate with some crackers and cut up carrots;

• Salmon dip - mix well, together, a drained tin of salmon, a package of cream cheese, half a cup of sour cream, a few tablespons of softened butter, a tablespoon of finely chopped onion, some chopped fresh herbs (if you have them), some cayenne to taste, and salt and pepper;

• Savoury scones are an easy one - add a good handful of grated cheese, and some chopped fresh herbs (chives are nice), to a plain scone mixture.

• Of course, depending on what else you have in the house (leftover roast chicken, a chicken breast to poach and shred with mayonnaise and herbs, a couple of zucchinis to make zucchini slice etc.), there are dozens of other easy, lazy things to make without leaving the house.  And if you DO have enough time before the event, it's easy to stop at a Sushi Sushi and buy a dozen handrolls to cut into small pieces on a platter.

Tonight, I am completely exhausted (super busy day).  So I am opting for the very easiest choice - egg sandwiches!  I will also take along the apricot cake and the hedgehog.

Big Baking Day

Big baking day!  Lemon Poppyseed Cake, 60 of Granny Boyd's Biscuits, an Apple Cinnamon Shortcake, an Apricot Shortcake (both shortcakes are basically this recipe, but with stewed apple or poached apricots), and 48 pieces of Chocolate Hedgehog (a batch with milk chocolate topping, and a batch with dark chocolate topping)

It's hard baking with a mobile baby around - our oven, like many people's, is below the bench.  This means that it's a giant, shiny, reflective, scalding hot wall.  Tabitha touched it once while it was preheating, and even the gentle heat was enough to upset her.

The options are:  keep the baby OUT of the kitchen (with a baby gate, or appealing pile of safe toys in the next room.  Or a pile of safe, but 'forbidden' objects, like a few old CDs or a pile of washing); you can also try popping the baby safely wrapped on your back - this works well if the baby is in the right mood.  I would love to have a wall-mounted oven, but they just aren't popular anymore, particularly in the 90cm size.


What I tend to do is this:  For 'interesting' cooking, with lots of chopping and colours, I pop her high on my back, so she can watch the cooking (and maybe learn to cook one day!).  For baking, which involves more visually boring processes like measuring, stiring and creaming, I leave her on the floor with interesting toys (the tupperware draw is good!). 


If she gets bored, I stop what I'm doing and we go play for a bit, then come back to the baking.  So something simple like a Lemon Poppyseed Cake can take a long time!  We measure, then play.  We cream, then play.  We juice and zest, then play.  We prepare the pan, then play.  We make the mixture, pour it into the pan, then into the oven and off we go.

I love this chocolate hedgehog recipe.  It originates from a good family friend, Geof - he is known for his hedgehog, and generally has a tray in the fridge at his house.  He also does a brilliant lemon cordial, as well as a lemon delicious pudding.

Chocolate Hedgehog

In a medium saucepan, melt together 115g butter, 2 tablespoons of cocoa, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of dessicated coconut.  Set aside to cool a little, then add a lightly beaten egg, and stir to combine.

Add one packet of crushed Marie biscuits (you don't need quite a full packet - so feel free to eat two or three of them as you go!).  Stir well.

Press the mixture into a lightly greased sandwich tin (or 20cm x 20cm square tin).  Put in the fridge to cool.  When cool, melt together 150g dark chocolate with 50g butter (you can also use milk chocolate if you have someone in the house who prefers it - but the dark is infinitely better, so I do a batch of each).  Spread this over the top of the hedgehog, and put back in the fridge to set.  When nearly set, you can sprinkle some more dessicated coconut over the top, if you like.

Cut into 4cm squares, and store in the fridge in an airtight tin.  Will easily keep for a few days or so.

Here is my Lemon Poppyseed Cake recipe.  It's based on a Madeira Cake from Nigella Lawson's How To Be A Domestic Goddess, with the caster sugar topping and dense, moist crumb.  It's quite lemony, and I don't use too many poppyseeds - though of course you add how many you think look right.

Lemon Poppyseed Cake

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees.  Grease, flour and line the base of a heavy loaf tin (roughly 22cmx13cmx8cm, I think mine is).

Cream together quite thoroughly 240g softened unsalted butter with 200g caster sugar (I use vanilla caster sugar, as usual).

Add the zest of one lemon (unwaxed organic or off a backyard tree, if you can).

Sift together 210g self raising flour and 90g plain flour, set aside.

Add three eggs to the creamed mixture, one at a time, with a spoonful of the flour with each.

Then, gently but thoroughly, mix through the rest of the flour, then pour in the juice of 1.5 - 2 lemons (depending on the size of the lemons).  Add a couple of tablespoonfuls of poppyseeds, stir through, then spread the mixture into the loaf tin.

Sprinkle the top generously with caster sugar - a tablespoon or two.

Bake for around 50 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Here are the fruits of my day's labour.  From top to bottom, Lemon Poppyseed, Granny Boyd's Biscuits, Apple Cinnamon Shortcake, Apricot Shortcake, Chocolate Hedgehog.  People often ask me if I eat everything I bake - I do try everything, but with the exception of freshly baked bread and chocolate cake, I am satisfied with a taste.  I have, on occasion, eaten an entire loaf of fresh bread, or an entire chocolate cake, by myself over the course of a day and evening!

Choccy Monster

Scary (but adorable) stuff!

Then The Daddy nibbled all the melted chocolate off her hands, which had her in FITS of laughter!  Cute Overload.