Pork Bok Choi Salad, Rice Pudding and Appreciative Toddlers

I rock a few vintage Australian Women's Weekly recipes.  Mostly via my best friend Amy, whose mum is a diehard fan of the 70s culinary classics cannon - right down to mayonnaise made with condensed milk (says Amy).  No judgement from me - most of the food is pretty awesome.  Such as this 'Asian Style' [sic] roast pork sliced into a bok choi salad.  The salad dressing comes straight off the back of the Chang's Fried Noodles packet.  Don't you love it?!

So grab yourself a packet of Chang's Fried Noodles - you can use the leftovers to make Chocolate Spiders to complete the retro fun - and whip up a batch of the dressing.  Recipe is on the back - from memory it contains olive oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, white vinegar.  Actually, make that a triple batch, since it keeps brilliantly in the fridge (leave at room temp for a few hours so that the oils re-liquify).  Definitely include the sesame oil.  Here is what it looks like out of the fridge, with a solid layer of oils on top:

Wash and slice up a few bunches of bok choi (get the younger - sometimes called baby - stuff, which is crispier and greener).  Toss through a good amount of the dressing, and some of the Chang's noodles at the last minute.  You could trick it up a little with some sliced spring onions and some toasted pine nuts - I often do, and it's awesome, but I didn't today.

Then add thinly sliced pieces of the roast pork - recipe below - and drizzle over some of the reduced pork marinade.  I'd allow, per person, a couple of bunches of bok choi, and 1/3 to 1/2 a pork fillet per person for a reasonable dinner.

To make the pork:

Combine 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons red wine, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon red food colouring, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and a clove of crushed garlic in a bowl.  Add a pork fillet, and marinate at least a few hours, preferably overnight (this also freezes brilliantly in its marinade, in a snap lock bag).

Roast in a baking dish (on foil - the marinade is a pain to scrub off) at 180 degrees for around 25 minutes, or until medium (60 - 63 degrees at thickest part for you Thermapen users playing along at home).  Rest, then add the juices to the marinade, and boil in a small saucepan for a few minutes to kill any raw meat bacteria.  It should thicken up nicely to use as a pour-on glaze.

Because all the elements can be prepared in advance, it's a good dish to take on a picnic or to a 'bring a plate' affair.

Cool weather.  Gotta be rice pudding, doesn't it?  For lunch, for dessert, cold for breakfast, standing in front of the fridge eating it straight from the dish with a spoon...  Erm, forget about the last part.

Tabitha loves it, I love it, you love it.  Of course you do.

Grease a 2 litre shallow baking dish.  Add 3/4 cup rinsed and drained short-grain rice, 3 cups milk, 3/4 cup cream (or milk), 1/4 - 1/3 cup caster sugar (preferably vanilla infused caster sugar), 3 tablespoons sultanas and 1.5 teaspoons vanilla.  Mix lightly with a fork.  Dot the top with 3 teaspoons of butter in small pieces, and a good grating of fresh nutmeg.

Bake at 160 degrees for around 2 hours, or until rice is tender.  Serve warm or cold with cream, ice cream and / or a dollop of jam or stewed fruit.

Homemade cherry jam.  So good.

Meanwhile, Tabitha is devouring the ginger cookies from the other day.  

She says that they smell 'so nice mummy!'

Tabitha also says, 'Thank you for being clever and making me some delicious rice pudding mumma!'

Nawwwww.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!  It's been a lovely one here.  A bit of a sleep-in while The Daddy played with Tabitha and Zachary, then he made me some crumpets, from scratch!  This is quite an achievement, since The Daddy does not cook at all.  He followed the recipe from Mamabake, here.

Thoroughly drowned in butter and golden syrup:

Tabitha wanted cheese on hers:

Was also presented with some divine, oversized chrysanthemums (one of my favourite flowers) by Tabitha, and an assortment of Lush bath bombs and bubbles - The Daddy picked out some just for 'mummy alone time' and a few fun ones for me to share baths with the munchkins.

We went out for lunch to Firechief, a brilliant pizza restaurant in Hawthorn - really spectacular Napoli style charred-base pizzas in a converted fire station - all high ceilings and industrial fitout, really family friendly and some of the best pizzas I've eaten in Australia.

My parents and sister are currently in Adelaide, so I sent over a nice large box of my mother's favourite chocolates from Melbourne, Koko Black's milk hazelnut clusters.

Both beautiful children are currently asleep, The Daddy is doing some outdoors work, and I'm off to have a nap and a cuddle with Zach!

xx The Mummy 

PS - just look how gigantic my beautiful boy is!  Just on 5 months, but happily in 9-12 month size clothing.  Proud to think that he's grown so enormous on milk alone:

Getting Clean

I didn't really clean when I was growing up - I kept my room tidy, helped with the washing and the dishwasher etc., and spent many hours with saddle soap in hand, polishing horse tack.  But the proper household cleaning - the bathrooms, the floors, kitchen and windows - was never part of my job set.  As a result, when I moved out of home (aged 20, in with The Daddy), I really had no clue how to clean.  The Daddy (then The Boyfriend) was amused and incredulous in equal parts.  He'd lived on his own for a while, and took very good care of himself (albeit while eating way too much takeaway food).

Fast forward a few months, and find me lying prone in the bathroom, having literally fainted unconscious after mixing bleach with other chemical cleaners in a tiny, unventilated bathroom.  Awesome.

As you can imagine, I became a little wary of chemical cleaning products after this disaster.  But also, I am actually quite allergic to most chemical cleaning products - Windex used in the house can trigger a major asthma attack, and most chemical sprays cause major eczema - which is a pretty major incentive to avoid them.

I also hate the idea of using chemicals in the house where we live, having Tabitha breathing in chemical fumes, and eating food off floors and surfaces coated with chemical residues (yep, off the floor.  Often.  Floor food is a major toddler food group, don't you know?).

Okay - from here, the post might get a bit gushy.  I'm into Enjo.  But I have no affiliation with Enjo - I don't sell it, and I don't know anyone who does.  But I found it hard to find reviews or info from consumers when I looked for it a while back, so thought my opinion and experience with the products (and Method products, at end of post) might be useful for anyone considering switching away from chemical cleaners.

A few years ago - before Tabitha came along, but during the pregnancy - I became an Enjo convert.  I'd been muddling along with vinegar, lemon juice and bicarb soda - all of which I still use - but after going to an Enjo party, I found the fibre products to be much simpler to use, less messy, and I felt like everything was actually cleaner than ever before - cleaner than when I used to use chemicals, and cleaner than using bicarb etc. alone.

The Daddy was a bit skeptical to begin with, but after he had a lesson on the correct use, and gave the bathroom a clean, he was quite shocked at how well it all worked.  I've tried cheaper brands of microfibre cloths (supermarket, and from an eco store) and for me, they haven't worked as well.  Also, some people I know who haven't had great results with Enjo have actually not been using them properly, or haven't cared for the fibres properly (e.g. using the wrong detergents, letting them dry when dirty, or even putting them through the dryer, a massive no-no!).  But for us, using them as intended, we have been really pleased with the range, and a few months ago I replaced my 'most used' cloths (the kitchen and bathroom ones).  Yep, they do need to be replaced every few years, depending on use, but I believe it still works out cheaper than buying loads of chemical cleaners.

The basic deal with Enjo products is that you use a glove (such as the Kitchen Glove) damp or wet, and then dry with a highly absorbent cloth called a 'miracle' (such as the Kitchen Miracle).  Beyond this, there are a number of other products, such as wet and dry dusting cloths and gloves, kitchen scrubby bits, and floor fibres.  Beyond this further, there are also things like car cloths, body cloths and the like, but I personally just stick to the basic household cleaning ranges.

I can't recall enough about all the technical elements to give you a proper low-down, but I remember being quite convinced when I first learned all about the range - that is, I am completely confident and satisfied that my house is clean and that there are no bacteria colonies lurking on my benchtops.  Furthermore, my understanding is that chemical cleaners actually tend to leave a slight film behind, which a) is gross and scary but also b) actually encourages more dirt and grime to come back and re-settle on the surface you have cleaned.  This is certainly my experience - for example, mirrors and shower screens remain much cleaner for far longer than when using chemicals.

I always think that my stack of Enjo fibres look like someone hunted and skinned a bunch of Muppets...

The products that get used on a weekly basis in my house are:

Kitchen

Kitchen Glove - Probably my favourite and most-used Enjo item.  It cleans even the most revoltingly filthy kitchen surfaces (picture my kitchen looking like those annoying 'Spray and Wipe Works Faster' ads, with grotty baked on sauces, after a full day of batch cooking) without any excess elbow grease, works on all surfaces (stone benchtops, matte stainless steel appliances, my beloved reclaimed timber dining table) and is generally just a breeze to use.  Any stubborn patches just need a spray of water, and a few minutes to sit before going over them.  The glove has one side for general cleaning, and the other side for greasy spots - perfect for the glass splashback after deep-frying!

Kitchen Mini Plus - this is like the kitchen glove, but smaller, and has a sort of 'super scrubby' side.  Fantastic on really baked-on bits (I clean the oven with this and some Marble Paste) and for cleaning baking dishes after lasagne, roasts etc.

Kitchen Miracle - basically this is used to get everything dry and sparkling after the Glove or the Mini.  Works beautifully polishing up my dining chairs after going over them with the Glove - they are made of transparent polycarbonate (Phillippe Starck's Ghost Chairs) and this gets them really sparkly.

Allpurpose Cloth - this replaces those manky old stinky dish cloths.  The ones that people (The Daddy) love to use to wipe down spills over and over again, thereby creating a spectacularly nasty bacteria breeding ground for every bit of chicken juice, floor milk spill and the like.  Shudder.  Instead, a couple of Allpurpose Cloths get rotated and washed every day or two.  Also works out cheaper in the long run than constantly buying disposable sponges.

Bamboo T-Towels - I actually only tried these because I got two included as part of a kitchen package I bought.  I didn't expect anything special from them.  Wow, was I wrong!  These are just the greatest tea towels - large, so thick and strong, incredibly absorbent.  I now have about half a dozen of them, and rarely use other tea towels.  Plus they seem to wash and wear really well, so they always look nice hanging in the kitchen.  I have grey ones.

Bathroom

Bathroom Glove - Gets all the bathroom surfaces spotless.  You start on the cleanest parts (mirrors, benchtops) and work through to the harder spots (shower screens, tiles, sinks) then finish with the external parts of the toilet.  You can use it with Marble Paste for any stubborn grime, though if you clean the bathroom regularly, it shouldn't get to that point.

Bathroom Mini - Essentially the same as the glove, but smaller.  I use this for touch-ups during the week, generally just the mirror and taps.

Bathroom Miracle - Like the kitchen version, this gets everything beautifully dry and sparkly after cleaning.

Other

Dust Gove - Used dry, this just picks up all the bits of dust in the house.  Tops of picture frames, bookshelves, timber shutters etc.  Stops it from all flying around while you clean - it all sticks to the glove, which you just shake off as needed.

Indoor Miracle - Used damp, this polishes up any general household surfaces, like television screens, glass tables, door handles etc.

Floorcleaner Pole - This is basically a fancy mop head and handle - you attach the fibres onto the bottom part.  Actually, it recently won the Australian Women's Weekly Product of the Year, and it certainly is easy to use.  You adjust the height to the correct height for your body (top of the handle should be the height of your nose) and the fibres can click on and off easily, without having to bend down.  The pole swivels around when you twist it, getting into all corners and along the edges without having to twist your whole body around.  Once you get the hang of this action (allow a few goes!) it is incredibly fast and easy to use, and kind on the back.  Also, it can click into a locked position and stand upright on its own, in the middle of the room, which is handy if you have to run for the phone or something.  All of the adjustments, swivel lock/unlock and fibre changing can be done without bending over at all.  You dampen the fibre head (not for the dusting one) and then just use your Enjo water squirt bottle on 'jet' setting to re-wet the floor as you go, as needed.  You don't need much water at all, so the floors dry nice and quickly (handy with a toddler around).  Also, no lugging of a heavy, soapy, slippery bucket.  Lots to like here.

Oh - and because the handle height is adjustable, Tabitha likes to use it on the lowest height, and will happily mop or dust the floor on her own for quite a while!  Of course, she's not particularly effective at the job yet, but it keeps her happy, and I figure that good habits start young.

Dust Floor Fibre - This is basically a broom substitute - although better, because it completely hugs the floor, picking up even the tiniest specks of dust and hair, and actually clings to all the dust, instead of sending it flying.  It only takes a few minutes to go over all the hard floors downstairs, which is much easier (and quieter) than pulling out the vacuum cleaner every day.  This one doesn't need to be washed every time it's used.

Matt Floor Fibre - This is the mopping head.  Used with much less water than a traditional mop, it's fast, safe (less slippery floors) and incredibly simple to use, thanks to the awesome swiveling Floorcleaner Pole it's attached to.

Out of the entire Enjo range I've tried (probably around 50 per cent of the range I'd say, including most of the main / popular products), the only thing I'm not completely happy with is the Matt Floor Fibre.  I get some streaks on the floor every time it is mopped - I've tried using it wetter, drier, twice in a row.  Nothing seems to fix the problem.  Hmm.  It's still better than using a massive bucket of soapy water and a traditional mop, but I would really love to have a better solution.  Perhaps I need to try the Fussy Floor Fibre - but the Matt fibre was recommended by my consultant while he was at my house, and I am reluctant to spend another $70 or more on a fibre which may or may not work better.

I use the kitchen cloths (cleaning and drying) almost every day, on the benches and dining table.  So I have two sets of these on rotation.  Fortunately, they dry easily overnight, so I could probably get away with just one set, but it's handy having two, especially for those weekends where you do a lot of cooking and entertaining.  I love the fact I can clean the kitchen and table even while Tabitha sits and plays or eats right beside me - all I'm doing is spraying water and wiping.  No chemicals, nothing nasty or stinky.

The floor fibres - the dusting/sweeping sort of one, and the mopping one - get used a couple of times a week.  I constantly curse our floors - they are dark, matte wood, and show up every streak, dusty footprint and cat-fur-tumbleweed.  It would take a daily mopping to keep them looking really good, which just isn't going to happen.  Anyway, I like the sweeping fibre on the clever Enjo floor swivel stick, because it is quicker and easier than pulling out the vacuum.  A quick swivel around the floor in the main living / dining / kitchen area each day keeps things pretty clean.

I don't use the bathroom fibres much at all - The Daddy is the main bathroom cleaner in our house, and our weekly cleaning lady does a thorough job on all of the bathrooms - but I find them incredibly easy and effective to use.  They polish up stainless steel beautifully, and I love the fact that I can clean out the bath, have it really sparkling, and then not worry about sitting in a tub full of chemical residue!

I use the marble paste, as instructed by Scott my 'Enjo Man', only when something is really tough and baked on, such as the inside of the oven, or to get rid of any accumulated grime in the bathrooms.  The marble paste also gets my stainless steel kettle so, so clean and shiny.  Works well on filthy stainless steel pots, too.

If you are interested in Enjo, it really is best to get a consultant to come visit - either to have a party, or just for a one-on-one session.  This way, you can learn how to use everything properly (the few people I know who haven't loved their Enjo bits were actually using them incorrectly, I discovered), and you can work out exactly which products are best for your house.  Also, you then have someone to call if you forget how to use a particular cloth!  My Enjo man is always very helpful over the phone, and even came back one evening to give me a refresher when we moved house.

This aside, though, I am really pleased that Enjo is now available online!  Great news!  It means I can replace single cloths quickly and easily, and can snap up special offers as they arrive in my email newsletters.  Having the online shop also means that potential customers can get an idea of the prices etc. before committing to hosting a demo or calling a consultant, which I think is good - a lot of people are put off trying out items if they feel like they are going to be ambushed by a pushy consultant into spending more than they can afford.  

I initially purchased the Domestic Starter kit, which seemed incredibly expensive at the time (for a bunch of cleaning cloths) but now that I am a total Enjo fan, seems like such good value.  Since then, I've bought the floor cleaner and fibres separately, and have replaced the kitchen and bathroom cloths in 'special offer' packages at various times.

The Domestic Starter package or the Domestic Detox package would be awesome presents, I reckon.  In our house, there was some Enjo under the Christmas tree - I bought this Mummy's Lil Angel special Christmas package for Tabitha late last year.  It includes four mini gloves (actually, the size is just fine for even adults with small hands, like myself) and an Indoor Miracle.  All in a cute bucket.  Tabitha is a bit obsessed with Enjo cloths - she has thrown more than one tantrum over not being allowed to keep cleaning after we've finished!  If it were up to her, she'd happily spend an hour or more spraying and scrubbing - the problem is, this means water everywhere!  So I bought her a small 'misting' bottle from the chemist, as opposed to a spray bottle, and it seems to contains the water a little better.  I am a firm believer in kids helping out with all household tasks from the earliest years (despite the fact I wasn't expected to, myself, growing up) and Tabitha already helps with the dishwasher, wiping up spills, feeding the pets, packing away toys etc.  Now, she has her own cloths to clean up after her meals and wipe down the bathroom bench after she brushes her teeth.

For myself, I am keen to try out the 2 in 1 Window Cleaner package (we have approximately a zillion times more glass windows and doors in the new house as the old) and the Fussy Floor Fibre.  Hopefully soon!  I will report back if I ever try these out.

Oh - and I wanted to share, briefly, our experience of using Enjo products with a cleaning person.  We put off getting a cleaner for months, despite us both agreeing that we should as soon as we moved into the new (larger) house.  But I kept searching online, and asking around, without managing to find a cleaning company or agency that used Enjo products.  Because of my allergies, and having little ones in the house, I was completely unwilling to have anyone use chemical products to clean the house.  I found a great-looking 'eco' cleaning business which uses bicarb, vinegar, microfibre cloths etc., however I couldn't get them to return any calls or emails - I suspect that they are simply flat-out.  I know there is great demand for eco-friendly house cleaning (because many of my friends are looking for it too!) but there seems to be a serious lack of supply.  Seems crazy to me - if I were working full time as a cleaner, I would much prefer to be using natural products and water, than touching and inhaling chemicals all day.

Anyway, in the end, I just called one of the major cleaning agencies (Absolute Domestics), and chatted to them.  As it turns out, they have plenty of cleaners who are either familiar with Enjo products or were happy to learn.  They connected us with our current woman, and she came half an hour early to the first appointment, ready to learn about how to use the Enjo range.  She admitted that it was all a bit much to take in, that first day, and the next week she brought along print outs from the website!  After the first couple of weeks taking a little longer than expected, while she got the hang of the new tools (of course, we paid for her extra time!), she is now an absolute pro, and gets the house looking incredible.  She tells me that she loves using the Enjo range, too, because it gives her a break from working in chemical-filled spaces all day.

The only thing that I miss, using Enjo products, is some of the beautiful fragrances that the (nicer, natural) products leave in the house after use.  So now, I make an effort to light a scented candle for an hour or so each day (current favourites are the Glasshouse Coney Island candle, for downstairs, and the Glasshouse Monet's Garden tuberose candle for the upstairs bathroom).  I also use beautifully scented natural beeswax and lavender furniture wax polishes on the large wooden dining table downstairs, as well as on Tabitha's wooden chairs, table, highchair and cot.  This gives all the wood a beautiful natural glow, keeps it oiled and healthy, and leaves the most dreamy, comforting smell of honey beeswax and lavender in the house.  Polishing furniture with natural beeswax is also a great arm workout!

Finally, I do have a small collection of Method products.  I have been a Method fan for a long time, and can't bring myself to completely give up their gorgeous range.  While the Enjo cloths get the house fabulously clean, other people (family and friends who are visiting, for example) generally feel more comfortable cleaning with traditional products, and I am NOT one to turn down an offer of help cleaning the kitchen etc after having people over!

There are also occasions when I want to use something with a bit more 'oomph', such as cleaning up bodily fluids (this happens with relative regularity, with a toddler in the house!), mopping the floor when it's looking particularly grotty, or if I've been cooking all day with lots of raw meat etc. in the kitchen.  Also, sometimes all the Enjo is in the wash and I need to clean up - so I am more than happy to pull out my fabulous Method sprays.

My all-time favourite products are:

Daily Kitchen Clementine spray - gorgeous fresh fragrance, perfect for a quick kitchen clean-up.  This is the product most likely to be used by visitors in the house!

Floor and Surface French Lavender concentrate - I mix this up with water in a spray bottle and use to mop if the floor is particularly filthy, and it leaves everything smelling divine.

All-Purpose surface cleaners (Lavender and Pink Grapefruit) - for any spills or messes, I also use it to clean around the cats' food and litter area.

Daily Shower spray - you just mist this over the glass and tiles after your shower, and it prevents scum from building up.  This is the ultimate product for the lazy or time poor person!

Wood for Good Squirt and Mop - this can be used with the Enjo floor fibre.  I really like it, but it has a strong almond smell that some people (including The Daddy) dislike.  It basically smells like marzipan.  I can't see this on the Aussie Method page, but you can get it through Enjo.

Bowl Patrol - gets the toilets really clean without flushing nasty chemicals into the waterways.  When you have killer pregnancy sickness, having a sparkling clean toilet is a priority!  Can't see this online - I bought a few of them ages ago, possibly they aren't around anymore.  But Method now makes other toilet cleaners which I imagine are just as good.

As with Enjo, I am thrilled that Method is now available online - I did a big order a week or so ago, stocking up on my favourite products, and taking advantage of a handwash sale to try out 6 new handwashes.  Such gorgeous colours and scents to have around the house, livening up the bathrooms and kitchen.

Is there anything else I use for cleaning?  Some white vinegar (I go through a lot of this actually, I add half a cup to the washing liquid in the washing machine, and another half a cup instead of fabric softener.  I also use it, with bicarb soda, to soak any filthy pots and pans, or anything burnt on.  Vinegar is also what I use to clean the windows, inside and out, mixed with water and wiped clean with newspaper); lemon juice (for removing stains on our pale stone benches); bicarb soda (with vinegar, or water, in a paste for stubborn stains or grime around the house); lots of fresh air.  Yes, actually, the one 'cleaning' task I absolutely must do each week is thoroughly air out all the rooms in the house, particularly bedrooms and the kitchen.  This means locking the cats up somewhere safe for the day  (the spare bedroom with lots of glorious sunshine, normally), and opening all windows as far as they will go.  I try and do this even in cold weather, for a few hours.

What cleaning products do you use?  Are you into the natural cleaners or are you a massive bleach fan?

Ginger Biscuits, Party Invitations and Watercress

One of my favourite cookbooks - actually, books in general - is Jane Brocket's Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer.  In it, she combines recipes inspired by meals and dishes from classic children's literature with nostalgic discussions and observations on food from this 'golden era' of children's books.

These ginger biscuits are slightly adapted (just for more spices) from the book - the recipe inspired by the ginger biscuits that the Famous Five ate in Five Go On Kirrin Island Again.  In the book, after being presented with a plateful of these by Joanna, their beloved and plump cook, says, "I say, aren't these good?  You know, I do think that good cooks deserve some kind of decoration, just as much as good soldiers or scientists, or writers.  I should give Joanna the OBCBE."

So, Brocket has called these quick-to-make biscuits:

Joanna OBCBE Ginger Biscuits

120g soft butter

120g golden caster sugar (often called raw caster sugar)

1 dessertspoon golden syrup

1 egg yolk

200g plain flour

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 very heaped teaspoon of ground ginger

Pinch of salt

Very generous pinch of mixed spice

A good grating of freshly ground nutmeg

Small pinch of ground cloves

Cream butter and sugar, beat in syrup and egg yolk.

Sift together all dry ingredients, then work them into the creamed mixture until the dough comes together.  Do not overwork, or you will get tough biscuits.

Break off small pieces and roll into balls (around two dozen), place them apart on a lined baking tray, and press down slightly with the fingers to flatten a bit.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until they are just golden brown and smell incredible.

Transfer onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

Tabitha and I are growing watercress on some damp cottonwool in a dish on the kitchen bench.  I have fond memories of sprouts growing on the kitchen windowsil as a child, so decided to give it a go.  They have just started to sprout today.  Next time, I am going to try growing them in an eggshell (as 'hair') or sprinkled on damp cottonwool to form a word or picture.

Tabitha waters them each day by misting the dish with a spray bottle.

My friend Michelle is an incredibly talented (and lovely) graphic designer.  If you need any sort of invitations done, you must check out her work at Berry Blue Designs.  I believe she is also planning on launching some ready made / template style invitations soon.  I hope she hurries, because I have not seen anything nicer around!  Here is her blog Oh So Lovely - you must go and check it out, if only to gaze in awe at her daughter Ava's spectacular curls!

Michelle / Berry Blue Designs created these invitations for Tabitha's upcoming fairy party.  The paper is a beautiful matte textured card, and the colours are divine (the photo absolutely does not do them justice.  I really must learn some basic photo editing!  I would like to have lightened this one up:

Zach is such an easygoing baby.  He happily lays on a quilt on the back decking and watches me garden.  He has, however, started to crawl (just a couple of 'steps' at a time), so this won't last for long - soon I will be chasing him around, trying to keep him from eating all the soil!

Most of our veggie gardens are set in sturdy chook and possum-proof cages.  Otherwise everything gets gobbled up!  Whenever I want to get into one, I need to use a cordless drill to remove the side screen frame.  I am looking into some sort of latch, instead!

A few new bok choi plants poking their leaves through the mulch, in and around the alyssum:

Cheeky chooks - they all tore out onto the decking while their gate was open and my back was turned, and started gorging on my lettuces planted along the sides of the decking.  I flapped my arms at them and they retreated.  One would think I starved them!  In fact, they had 3 half-eaten corn cobs and loads of silverbeet to munch on.  From left to right:  Dolly, Sweetpea, Lacey, Nugget and Edith:

Brussels sprouts edging out a sneaky marigold.  I really hope the sprouts grow well.  They are the most fascinating plant, and nothing beats really fresh sprouts, in a very hot pan with plenty of butter and bacon!

Do you like sprouts?  Or do you consider them a terror of childhood, to be avoided at all costs?  Are there any other traditionally 'unpopular' foods that you adore?

Making Life Easier - the Gift Box

When I was growing up, my mother always had a 'Present Box'.  A large box of carefully selected treasures - for babies, for boys and girls, for adults.  Oh how I used to covet the items in that box.  I recall one beautifully wrapped scented soap - it's embossed paper featured a swirly floral print in lilac, white and charcoal, and I loved to cradle it, sniffing and stroking, each time my mother pulled out the present box.  Who did the soap go to in the end?  I cannot recall!

Now that I am a little time-poor, I have started my own present box, an Aladdin's cave of enchanting small gifts.  I really enjoy stocking it up!  Whenever I see something which would make an excellent gift - for a baby, child or adult - I buy one (or two!) and squirrel them away.  Sometimes I have someone in mind as a recipient, but often not.  Every item in the box is something I would be personally thrilled to receive.

Now, if I have a gift-giving occasion, I can go 'shopping' in my present box, pouring over the contents and selecting something just right.  Often, of course, I still go out shopping with the intent of purchasing a gift for someone.  For example, this morning I bought a colourful, fluttery kite for one of Tabitha's friends.  The kite is the same as hers, and is thankfully simple to get up in the air, even for a toddler.  This morning, however, I bought two of this kite - one for the intended recipient, and one to tuck away in the present box.

Here are some things which have lived in my present box - feel free to copy, if you have (or want to start) your own:

Jellyfish Kite - a single-string kite with beautiful fluttery tails.  Recommended as a 'first kite'.   Australian-made by Windspeed Kites.

Edison Trainer Chopsticks - not your standard joined-at-the-top full-sized pair, these are the right size for small children, and have loops for the fingers and thumb, thus placing the hand in the correct positioning for chopstick use.  Within five minutes of using her pair, Tabitha was able to eat most of her meal with her training chopsticks, and enjoys playing games with them (e.g. picking up small toys and placing them into a bowl) for practice.  Great for fine-motor coordination too!  Oh, and they come in super cute styles.

Eggling ceramic planter - I am totally in love with these.  A realistic ceramic egg, crack it open, water, and a tiny garden will grow - you can get flowers or herbs.  Hand made in Japan, the plant will grow for a few months in its egg home, then can be planted straight into the garden.  I think these make a lovely gift for children or adults!  The company also has some other cute mini plant products for children, on their website.

Queen B Candles - these 100% pure beeswax candles are made in Australia from local beeswax.  Free from any nasties, and smelling divine - like honey sitting in the sun - these are a nice gift for many occasions.  I personally love their tealights which come in clear cups and jam jars (we have them hanging along our back decking in THESE holders, which look spectacular in the evenings) and their Bee Lights - skinny, pretty little mini tapers, which make elegant birthday candles or beautiful bathtime lights.  Their roll-your-own tapers and poured candle kits are great for older children.  Not particularly gifty, but a favourite of mine, is their furniture polish.  Take ten minutes to click around the site, and I promise you will find something gorgeous!  I had these candles all around the house when in labour with both Tabitha and Zachary, and love supporting an environmentally friendly small Australian business as well!

Stockmar Crayons - these come in blocks and more traditional crayon shapes, and in small or large sets.  The saturation of colour, the smoothness of the draw, and the divine pure beeswax smell combine to make these my absolute favourite crayons.  I can sit and draw with these for hours with Tabitha.  You can also get a nice combination set here.

Sarah's Silks playsilks - These 90cm square silk scarves some in the most divine colours - rainbow and starry night sky are favourites here - and are the ultimate playtime accessory for small children.  They can be used as dressups (superhero capes, princess skirts), baby doll blankets, a circus tent for the dollhouse, some 'water' for the farm animals to swim in...  I wish we had one in every colour!  Sarah's Silks also make a gorgeous silk rainbow streamer that will bring out the inner rhythmic gymnast in anyone!  In fact, the company makes dozens of beautiful silk products, well worth having a browse through their range.

Knitting Mushroom - when I was small, I had a 'knitting Nancy' doll, which produced endless feet of knitted tubes.  I used to stitch them into little circular dolls' rugs.  They are sort of pointless however encourage good fine motor coordination, and children always seem to enjoy them.  This knitting mushroom is one of the sweeter versions I have seen.

Le Toy Van dolly family - these also come in fairy and princess styles.  I think these are some of the nicest basic doll families out there, and make for hours of engaging rollplay games for small children.  Tabitha loves putting a tiny baby doll (sold separately) into a small cloth 'wrap' on the mother's chest.  Teeny Tiny Babywearing!

Le Toy Van Honeybee Cake Stand Set - what child (or adult) wouldn't enjoy playing with these?  Always a hit gift, Tabitha also adores her set, and they seem to encourage plenty of imaginative play - preparing tea and cakes with her tea set, but we also sort them into categories together, e.g. 'cakes with chocolate on them', 'fancy or plain' etc. which gets her little mind ticking!

Stockmar, Sarah's Silks and many other beautiful Steiner type products can also be purchased from my aunt's gorgeous shop in Hobart, Lyrebird.  She doesn't have online shopping BUT she will happily post anywhere, and her prices are generally cheaper than 'mainland' shops, particularly for larger items.  You can also follow them on Facebook.

Dragonfly Toys and Honeybee are two of my favourite toy shops, worth a browse online for gift ideas.

I'm not great with adult male gifts.  Any ideas?  I tend to go with a good, interesting bottle of wine.  Or an art / travel / architecture book.  Not that those are terrible things!  But it would be nice to mix it up a little.

For babies, I generally make or buy something specifically, however for unexpected babies (obviously not unexpected to the parents, but for people I don't know as well, and haven't followed the pregnancies) I keep a small stash of pretty bits and pieces - lovely soft organic muslins, embroidered bibs, handknit beanies.


For female friends, I also tend to buy for the individual.  When in doubt, Champagne or a box of Koko Black chocolates.

Stored next to my present box is a stash of wrapping papers - geometric prints, florals, tissue papers, alphabet prints and others - and some ribbon and cards.  I keep a decent stack of cards - birthday cards, get well cards, thank you cards, new baby and wedding cards, and some blank ones.

The last category of gifts I often give?  Small handmade gifts, most often given as hostess gifts.  A jar of fragrant Spaghetti Spice (a Nigella Lawson recipe, I will post one day), a jar of homemade roasted almond praline, a jar of glittery, lavender-scented playdough (for a child, naturally).

Of course, I am always happy to bake something as a gift - a tin of gooey chocolate brownies, two dozen decadent triple chocolate fudge cookies, a wholemeal apple cake.  Most people are happy to receive baked goods!

What are your favourite gifts to give?  Or receive?  I love to receive anything beautifully wrapped.

Oh and finally - since we were talking about toys - I can't resist a couple of quick snaps of my kiddie winkies, playing with their toys earlier today.

Zachary (at just on 5 months) has 2 teeth completely through, and more on the way - he is constantly chewing and licking his lips, poor dumpling.  He loves to chew on fabric (felt teething rings, scarves and cloth books, teething rag dolls) but also on smooth wood.  Both of the below colourful toys are popular with him:

Tabitha received her dolls house for her 2nd birthday, and nearly a full year on, it remains her favourite toy.  She can play in it for hours, with all of her little dolls and animals.  Hours.  And she likes me to play dolls house with her.  My friends, there are only so many hours of doll-talking I can handle without loosing my marbles a little.  Plus, she is a bossy britches, and gets cranky if I am holding the dollies wrong (they must be held forward-facing, with one finger / thumb on each side of the waist - never the head - and must move slightly while they are talking).  But then she tells me she wants me to play with her because, and I quote, "You're my best friend Mama and I love you so much" so of course, I play.  Little darlings!

Toadstools, Pretty Paints and Hot Dogs

Now that the weather is becoming cooler, the garden is starting to die back.  The last of the basil has been slashed to the ground and turned into 1.5kg of pesto.  Many of the flowers - including my beloved 'ribbons and bows' petunias - have withered away.  But the new plants in the ground are thriving beautifully in the damp soil, still with plenty of strong morning sun.  Carrots are poking beautifully feathery, vibrant tops through the soil, leeks and spring onions are glossy, decorative kale, bok choi and Brussels sprouts seem to grow an inch a day.

We bought some colourful toadstools at the Byron Bay markets.  I had my eye on a set of 5 red ones, of varying sizes, but of course Tabitha wanted multiple colours, so we have rainbow faux fungi out back!

Pretty little violas and pansies are putting in a solid effort, keeping colour sprinkled around the garden.  I love their 'faces', which always remind me of the floral chorus from Disney's Alice in Wonderland.

Some bumblebee bunting along the weathered back fence is cheering on even the dreariest days:

The cool weather breakfast of choice is porridge - cooked slowly on the stove, with plenty of full cream milk, sliced banana, chopped pecans and a little maple syrup sloshed on at the end.  Cooked with a spurtle of course!

We have two new chookies - hatched from tiny bantam eggs in November.  Here is Nugget - gold nugget, not chicken!  Not sure if she will be sticking around, as s/he is possibly a rooster.  Only time will tell.

We have another new pet as well - a caterpillar.  It's a cabbage moth, I believe, so I was about to toss it to the chooks as a treat, but then I thought Tabby might like to take a look.  It's been living on mint leaves for a week or so on the kitchen bench, and Tabitha has been very good about 'looking not touching'.

Can you spot it below?  You wouldn't believe how much it eats!

Tabitha was given these beautiful powdered paints last birthday.  They are made from plants and herbs, smell like delicious jelly, and mix into gloriously rich colours.  The brand is GLOB.

Painting on the back decking in a cosy oversized hand knit from her 'Great Grand Godmother'!

Comfort food season.  The Daddy and I love hot dogs (in natural casing, grilled in a buttery pan, with a bun steamed and toasted, face-down, in butter).  Shhhh, it's our guilty pleasure dinner!  I made mac'n'broc'n'cheese as a side:

To make the mac'n'broc'n'cheese, make a roux from 20g butter and 30g plain flour, whisk in a cup of milk to form a thick white sauce, add 1.5 cups (firmly packed) of grated cheeses - I use a mixture of Gruyere, cheddar, mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano - and stir through to melt.

Meanwhile, boil 200g macaroni or penne in generously salted water, and throw in a cup of broccoli florets in the last few minutes.  Drain, and  stir through the cheese sauce.

Spread into a greased shallow baking dish, top with panko breadcrumbs and extra grated Parmigiano.  Bake in a hot oven for around 30 minutes.

New Babies and the Freezer Solution

No, I do not recommend freezing your baby.  I don't even recommend letting them get chilly - babies like snuggly warm socks and blankets.

I do, however, strongly recommend freezing vast amounts of food before a baby arrives.  Whether you make it all yourself, or you have an army of fabulously helpful friends and family to stock a freezer, it is a marvellous idea to stash away as many pre-prepared meals as possible.

I froze a fair amount of food while pregnant with Tabitha - maybe a good month's worth of meals - however this time, I knew I needed to pull out the Big Guns.  Not only would there be a new baby, requiring hours of cuddling and feeding, but Tabitha would still need plenty of stories and play time.  I knew that the time leading up to dinner (say, 5-7pm) would be the most frantic and difficult, and being able to pull an instant dinner out of the freezer would be a blessing.

My lofty aim was to have a full three months' worth of frozen dinners.  That is, a minimum of 90 meals (each enough for the three of us food eaters).  Did I do it?  Oh yes, I did!

Step One was securing the freezer space.  We have a reasonable sized freezer, but there was no way it could hold this much food.  I thought about distributing the meals between the freezers of a few friends and family but a) this was a bit of a logistical headache and b) I would still struggle to get enough room.

Ultimately, we decided to purchase a stand-alone freezer.  My research suggested that a chest style freezer would be best (cheaper and more energy efficient) however The Daddy felt that a chest freezer would be a giant pain, leading to UFOs (unidentified frozen objects) lurking deep at the bottom, covered in ice.  Whereas an upright freezer allows easy access, and with drawers or shelves, you can segment foods into vague categories (helpful when keeping tabs on what you have left).

We shopped around a fair bit (didn't need anything fancy, as it lives in the garage, but also wanted something vaguely decent, as I've heard too many horror stories involving freezers dying suddenly, hundreds of dollars' worth of food lost, and shonky warranty repairs).  We went with this one - a Fisher and Paykel 389 litre freezer.  It's been great!  You could also look int renting one for a few months, or possibly borrowing one - you'd be surprised how many people have an empty chest freezer in the garage, particularly empty-nester types.

One point - once the freezer is full of your precious food, representing hours of cooking, shopping, planning, and possibly hundreds of dollars of food, it would be a tragic disaster to loose the lot due to a freezer power failure.  How can I be so sure?  Alas, I have experienced this nightmare firsthand, during the Great Freezer Disaster of late 2012.  While moving around some heavy furniture in the garage, The Daddy knocked open the freezer door and it did not close properly.  I didn't discover this for a while (at least 24 hours, possibly more), by which point the top 1/3 of the freezer was defrosted (cold air drops, so the bottom part of the freezer survives power outages and door openings the best.)

I screamed, I sobbed, I blamed (I was 8 months pregnant and very hormonal).  Quickly, I pulled myself together and was admirably pragmatic, in my opinion.  I retrieved my Thermapen instant read thermometer (don't have one?  Put it on your Christmas list) and was able to quickly ascertain the temperatures of all the items in the freezer.  In case this happens to you, here is what you can do:  

• Anything that remains frozen (less than 0 degrees, or with a nice coating of icy frost all over it) can stay in the freezer.  
• Anything that has risen above 6 degrees (for more than a few hours) should be tossed - although The Daddy ate a whole bunch of chicken curries that has been sitting at 14 degrees, and he didn't get sick!  I personally would not, though.
• Anything sitting in the 'refrigerator zone' of 1-6 degrees, you can either re-freeze (depending on who you listen to, but there are certainly official health bodies out there who say you can) making sure you heat thoroughly when you do eat them, or you can transfer to the refrigerator and cook as soon as possible.  In the case of raw plain or marinated meats, you can safely cook them, then re-freeze.

My Thermapen allowed me to get an instant, accurate core temperature for all of the items, very quickly, which was great as it meant I didn't have to pull all the items out, poke them, examine them, and generally melt them even more.

Instead of using the above information, however, I recommend preventing freezer failure in the first place.  Clever, aren't I?!  How do you do this?  Duct tape the power point and the plug, so that they cannot accidentally be knocked out.  Also, check if your freezer tends to swing closed automatically.  If not, like mine, you need to be really vigilant about giving it a good press each time you close the door.  Also - a partially empty freezer will loose its coolness very quickly (e.g. in case of blackout etc).  So it's a good idea to fill the freezer with big bags of ice or similar, which will help keep your foods cool in case of a disaster.

What containers should you freeze 90+ meals in?  Not Tupperware, that's for sure - unless you are far wealthier than I.  I am a big Tupperware fan, but that many freezer containers would send a small nation bankrupt.  You could buy cheaper versions (which I don't find as good) or do as I did, and use a combination of snap-lock bags and bulk-purchased takeaway containers (which can be washed and reused a few times, and are Dirt Cheap from places like Lombard).

Snap lock bags are particularly great for marinating meats.  I lined up rows of bags filled with chicken drumsticks or pork fillets, dolled out the marinade ingredients into each bag, sealed up (squeezing out the air) and massaged with my hands, before laying in the freezer.

So, here is the big question - what was in my freezer?  Here goes (when I say 'meal' I mean that it contains enough for myself, The Daddy and Tabitha):

• 5 x bag of 10 marinated South African drumsticks (a Nigella recipe)
• 6 x Char Sui style marinated pork fillets
• 6 meals of paprika chicken, and 6 containers of frozen spaetzle
• 8 meals of homemade sausage rolls (using free range pork mince and lots of grated veggies)
• 6 meals of chicken satay, plus 6 packets of frozen satay sauce
• 6 meals of tuna and veggie pasta bake (12+ truly enormous serves)
• 4 meals of veggie lasagne
• 6 meals of meat lasagne (also half a dozen sticks of homemade garlic bread)
• 5 Thai green curries
• 5 meals of diced chicken thighs, with enough homemade teriyaki sauce in a jar in the fridge
• 5 meals of Thai chicken patties
• 2 meals of Moroccan lamb curry
• 2 meals of lamb veggie curry
• 2 meals of minestrone soup
• 4 meals of roast pumpkin and cumin soup
• 2 meals of chicken Kiev
• 2 spanokopita (with spinach and pumpkin)
• 4 family sized pies (chicken and veggie, steak and mushroom and beef pastie - these were purchased, from Rolf's Pies)
• 4 meals of crab croquettes (purchased from Suzuran Japanese grocery store)
• 6 packets of 100g homemade frozen pesto
• 6 meals of chicken Provençal

The above came to 96 meals, each providing plenty for the 3 of us.  This is what was in the freezer (garage, our indoor freezer and some stashed in my parents' freezer).  

Where possible, I added loads of veggies to the frozen meals (for example, double veggies in the curries, lots of grated veggies in the sausage rolls) so that we could get away with not cooking separate veggies for many of the meals.

Sometimes, we needed to cook some rice or pasta, or add some extra veggies or salad, but many of the meals were perfect without any additions.

In addition, I had:

• Frozen peas and corn, raspberries and blueberries, and bananas (for smoothies - I drank loads of banana/blueberry/yoghurt/oats/LSA smoothies in the early weeks);
• Dozens of date scones, and plain buttermilk scones.  Cook until just beginning to brown, then reheat directly from frozen in a 180 degree oven.  Again, great for quick snacks or when people were visiting;
• A few whole, unbaked apple pies;
• 200 balls of frozen chocolate chip cookie dough (14 minutes in a 180 degree oven from frozen);
• Around 50 small dark chocolate walnut brownies;
• Several slices of cheesecake, which freezes brilliantly, defrosting with no discernible decline in condition in just a couple of hours on the bench.

With the baked goods (brownies, cakes, cheesecakes), I recommend wrapping them really well to prevent freezer burn - two tight layers of clingfilm, and a layer of aluminium foil.  They should keep just fine for a good month or so.

I also stashed away several large bags of scallop dumplings, prawn dumplings and pork steamed buns from an Asian grocery store.  These made a nice quick lunch on several occasions.

I made around 70 per cent of the food myself, with the rest contributed by friends and my dad.  You can also buy 'nearly' homemade instant meals at many markets, and there are many small retailers specialising in homemade type instant meals - some even deliver!

I personally think that a freezer-stocking would make an excellent baby shower / Blessingway idea.  Many women have a baby shower for the pure joy of getting together with their friends before the baby arrives - but so many of us don't need the gifts.  How about throwing a shower for a pregnant friend and asking the guests to bring a homemade frozen meal instead?  You could easily put together a full month's worth of dinners this way - what a spectacular gift for a new family, a month of wholesome, healthy dinners without having to cook!

If the mother-to-be lacks freezer space, you could spread the meals between a few people, and arrange a weekly drop-off.  Or you could all put in to rent a freezer for a month or so.  If the mother has special dietary concerns (gluten free, vegetarian, an intense dislike of meat / fruit combinations...) then you could even provide some recipe ideas that the mother might like if the guests are into cooking?

One final note - after the baby's arrival, you may well find that you actually feel like cooking - particularly if your partner has some leave, you may in fact have more free time to cook than ever before.  Very well.  Use this time to continue stocking the freezer - I did several great big batch cooks while The Daddy was home after Zach's arrival, and even though Zach is now 5 months old, we still have a nice full freezer!


What else should I have stashed in the freezer?  What are your favourite meals to freeze?