Left Over Mash...

For some weird reason, only 1 of my 4 kids enjoys mash, and he wasn't home tonight, so there was a fair bit of mash left over!!!

Without fail, I always put left over mash in the fridge, thinking to myself 'I'll make something with this tomorrow'.  Tomorrow never comes...  Tell me I'm not the only one :)

Tonight, I FINALLY decided I should do something with the mash before I cleaned up the kitchen.  I scoured the net (well actually, a quick google search) and I saw my inspiration - Gnocchi!!

Looked pretty easy.  Mashed potato, flour, egg.  I'm sure I could do that.

At the moment, I'm meant to be on a no wheat, gluten, dairy, blah, blah, blah diet, so I thought I should do the right thing and use a gluten free flour.  I had some buckwheat flour in the cupboard, so I decided to use this.  I have no clue whether it will work or not, but hey, I figure you need to try yeah??

I forgot to take pics of the mixture before it was almost all gone!!!  So in my mash is white potato (I have no idea what type) and sweet potato, both with the skin on.

The ratio to make gnocchi is 2 parts potato to 1 part flour plus 1 egg.  I didn't actually measure mine, but just added enough flour for the dough to come together and not be too sticky.

Then take out a fist full of dough and turn onto a floured surface and roll into a sausage about 1.5cm in diameter (again, I didn't measure).

Chop them up with a knife and place on a baking tray (or other tray that fits in your freezer).

I chose to freeze mine straight up as I knew I wasn't going to use them straight away.  I placed them on a baking tray making sure they weren't touching, and put them in the freezer.

They'll stay there for about 3 hours, until frozen, then they can be put into a freezer bag or other container and will keep up to 2 months.

Once you're ready to use them, they must be cooked from frozen.  Drop them into boiling water, and remove once they have risen to the top of the pan.  Remember not to crowd the saucepan!!

I'll let you know how the buckwheat flour, skins-on mash based gnocchi goes once we use it!  I'm hoping the kids gobble it up better than their mash!  Seriously what kid doesn't like mashed potato - crazy cats :)

Birthday Parties

My third child turned 3 this year..  Three, can you imagine!  Birthday parties are so much fun.  A lot of work, but so much fun.

We often do parties that are way too big.  You know, there are so many friends from different circles, each with kids around the same age.  You can't invite one family without inviting all families, which is great, but when you look at having 30 plus kids at a party, well even I'll admit it gets a little out of hand!

I decided this year was the year to stop the big parties.  Make it manageable.  Make it enjoyable.  Chat to friends.  Watch the kids.  Eat some good food.  Enjoy it!

BUT...

Although I managed to have a small party, I did 2 parties instead.  A family party (with 8 kids (4 of whom are ours!!)), and a friends' party (14 kids).  So it was probably just as much work, if not a little more, but it was fun.  It was manageable, and I got to chat to people :)

A friend of mine had a party for her 3 year old on a Friday, during school hours - what a revelation!!!  I'd never thought of it!  It meant cutting down on siblings (not that there's anything wrong with siblings, but hey, less people, less food yeah??).  I was sold.

But I digress, this is a BLW blog is it not?  I should probably talk about food!!!

The food we served at the party (I should have taken pics...)

• Watermelon, blueberries, strawberries, bananas.
• Vintage cheese chunks, homemade hummus and chunky basil dip with organic rice crackers (plain and tamari)
• Homemade ricotta pinwheels (a friend did these, and I really need to get the recipe, because they were awesome!)
• Popcorn (who doesn't love popcorn)
• Plain chips
• Fairy Bread
• A few lollies and 
• A Rabbit Cake.

FRUIT
I didn't buy organic berries (although they're party of the Dirty Dozen).  I did soak both the strawberries and blueberries in an apple cider vinegar and water solution to remove (hopefully) many of the pesticides that the berries contain.
The bananas can be dipped in a weak solution of either lemon or pineapple juice to stop them going brown and looking unappealing.  The same can be done with apples and pears as well, and any other fruits that tend to oxidise once cut.

DIPS
The hummus was made with garlic, chickpeas, tahini, lemon, olive oil, cumin.  I think next time I'll add some parsley as well.
The basil dip was made with basil, cashews, parmesan cheese, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper

CAKE

The rabbit cake was made from the 'Women's Weekly Cake Book', and requires 3 cakes!

I made 3 different types of cakes - 2 gluten free cakes as one of the kids is ceoliac, and a 'normal' orange cake made with Kamut (Khorasan) flour.

One of the gluten free cakes was just made with a Basco cake mix, with buttermilk instead of water/normal milk.  This helps with the texture of the cake, and makes it more creamy and less grainy.

The other cake was made from the Magic Bean Chocolate Cake from the Thermomix forum.

This is a pretty awesome cake I think!  The main ingredient believe it or not is kidney beans!!!  (I was amazed, and had never thought of using them in a cake).  There are loads of eggs in it.

Even though it's a thermomix recipe, you could definitely make it without.  All you need is a food processor.

METHOD FOR MAGIC BEAN CAKE WITHOUT A THERMOMIX

(Ingredients)
420 g kidney beans, canned, drained
1 tablespoon water or coffee
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
70 g unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon GF baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
125 g butter
5 eggs
180 g sugar

(Method)
1.  Blend the kidney beans, water, 1 egg and vanilla until smooth in a food processor
2.  Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
3.  Add the remaining eggs one at a time and beat well between each addition
4.  Add the bean mixture and beat again until combined
5.  Add the cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt and beat again until well combined
6.  Pour into a prepared cake tin (20cm round) and cook in a 160 degree oven for around 40 minutes (this could take up to an hour, but check at around 30min and every 5-10 minutes afterward to ensure it's not overcooked).  It is cooked when a skewer is inserted in the centre of the cake and comes out clean..

The cake turned out really well, but was very 'dark chocolate', which some of the kids weren't keen on.  I think next time I will reduce the cocoa powder to make it a little less strong.

I know that there's a lot of sugar in this cake, but I think I would be happy(ish) to give this to Olive for her first birthday.  I'll be looking into some other alternatives too.  I'm also contemplating the watermelon 'cake' for her birthday, but I'm sure I'll cave and go for an actual cake!

It's funny how 1 is the 'magic' number and they can suddenly have cake and lollies and other 'sometimes' foods.  I'm still struggling with this, but as Olive is baby number 4, I cave pretty quickly...

What are your thoughts on cake at your child's first birthday?

Cleaning up the Mess

So, we've decided to Embrace the Mess, but how do we deal with and clean up the mess?!!

How do we stop everything from staining?  What other tips do we have?

STAINS

Aargh, I hate stains, but I'm really not very good with them.  I wish I was good at it, but I'm not...  I'm so bad that I have passed all the washing duties to my husband!  There are some great tips out there to keep your whites (sort of) white blah, blah, blah :)

There are a couple of things that are really, really bad stainers...  Pear, banana, beetroot, spaghetti bolognaise are a few to be named.  So, what should we do to help?

The first thing to do, is to grab one of those full bibs - you know the ones, they have arms and tie up at the back - like a big painting apron, but teensy for little babies!  These are a life saver, they really are...

General Tips:
These tips should work for most stains and so fit into the 'general' group.

A good tip I have heard is to pull the clothes very tight; stretch as tight as possible and pour boiling water over the stain.  I have tried this before, but I think I tried it when the stain was already very, very old... It actually worked a little, but I'm sure it would have worked much better had I done this when the stain was very new.

If you don't mind using NapiSan, then soaking always helps, making sure the NapiSan is dissolved first, and massaging the clothes every now and again in the bucket.

If you're not a fan of NapiSan, you can use BiCarb Soda - make a paste with a little water and smear on the stain and leave on for at least 10 minutes, rubbing a little.  A paste can also be made from NapiSan too and used in the same way.

DO NOT USE A DRIER WITH YOUR CLOTHES UNTIL A STAIN IS REMOVED, OTHERWISE IT WILL SET, AND BE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE

Pear and Banana -

I've heard and know from personal experience that these are probably the worst stainers, but some of the best snacks!!  The best thing to do is to rinse them straight away, then wash as soon as possible and hang them with the stain facing the sun...
Another I haven't tried yet, but will certainly do this next time - for banana, rub it all over with tea tree oil, and for pear - rub with glycerine and leave for 20 minutes - wash as normal :)  They sound interesting, and the tips were found here

Spaghetti Bolognaise -

• FRESH - 
• Use a dishwashing liquid (bleach free) and pour a little onto the stain.  Rub the fabric between your fingers so that you're rubbing both the front and the back together.  The dishwashing liquid will help to break down the oil in the stain and effectively remove. Rinse with cold water and repeat the process until the stain is gone.  Wash as normal.  Don't dry the clothes until the stain is gone!
• Talcum powder???  Sprinkle on the stain and leave it sit for an hour to absorb the oils, then brush it off an wash as noraml.
• SET - Tomato stains that have been 'set' (clothes dried in the drier, hot water used etc).  These stains are almost impossible to remove :(  A few tips I've seen are:
• Moisten the fabric with water, then use dishwashing liquid as above, but instead of just using your hands to rub the stain, rub it with an ice cube as well.  If the stain still remains, repeat a couple of times, and if it's still there, rub the area with a cloth soaked in vinegar.
• Use the 'boiling water' method
• BiCarb and Salt.  Make a paste from equal parts of salt and bicarb with a little water.  Rub onto the stain and work it in with your fingers.  Wash the fabric as normal.  

So, I think that'll do for part one of cleaning up stains - more stain solutions to come!

I'll find some stained clothes somewhere around and trial some of the ideas that I've set out here, keep checking in and giving me some ideas :)

xx

How should I start my baby on solids??

We've had some questions about what foods to start your 6 month old on.  Do you have to give one food at a time?  In the morning?  How long should you wait between offering different foods?

Here's hoping the following information will help you.

1.  What age should I start feeding my child?  Are there any other indicators?

Firstly, the current World Health Organisation (W.H.O) recommendation is for exclusive breast feeding for the first 6 months - ie, no water, no other foods at all.  Obviously if you're bottle feeding, then nothing but formula for the first 6 months :)

In Australia and some other Western countries, the recommendations seem to be to start solids between 4 and 6 months.  There is another article being written that will be published in August this year that will give updated information..........

The premise of Baby Led Weaning (BLW) is to follow the cues of your baby, both externally and internally.  It's the external abilities that let us know that the internals are ready.  So for BLW, your baby must have the ability to sit unaided.  They do not have to be able to manoeuvre themselves into a sitting position, but if they are say up, they need to be able to balance themselves for a 'period' of time, to be able to sit in their high hair.  They must be able to manipulate objects to their mouths, and also show an interest in food.

2.  Known Allergens - to introduce or not...

It used to be encouraged to hold off giving your baby known food allergens until over 1, or sometimes even later, as it was thought that by excluding these foods until your child was more mature, it would reduce the occurrence of severe food reactions.  Since then, the research has not backed this thinking, and it is now thought that it could actually have had the opposite effect!  It is now recommended that unless you have a family history if food allergies, then you should not limit the intake of these foods.

The food allergens include but aren't limited to peanuts and other tree nuts, wheat and or gluten, and dairy :)

3.  How many foods should I introduce at a time?

 In 'traditional' or purée feeding, it is common to introduce foods one at a time, for a couple of days each on case there is a reaction.  In BLW there is no 'rule' as such, but I believe that this is where common sense should prevail...  If you are personally worried about introducing different foods, then introduce them slowly, if you are not worried, then introduce them as you see fit.  If you have no history of food allergies then give whatever food you are eating, providing it's suitable and nutritious :)

4. What type of foods should I start on?

When your baby is first starting to eat, it helps to give them food that is easy to hold, and easy to disintegrate into their mouth.

Food shaped like 'chips' or long rectangles are easy to hold onto.  Carrots, beans, sweet potato, roast potato, banana, pear, steak, chicken etc.  foods that are hard can be steamed to soften them.  Broccoli makes a perfect first food as it has a built in handle!

Soon after your bub has grasped the concept, they will be picking up much smaller bits and will be able to master things even as small and peas.

5.  Do I really just give my baby what we are eating?

It a nutshell, yes, give your baby what you are eating.  You may or may not tailor what you are eating at first to suit bub, eg loads more steamed veges, but you do not have to.

A few rules of thumb should be taken into consideration
a)  Hold off on the salt.
      If you need to add salt to your dish, do it after you have taken out bub's portions.  Try to avoid  store bought stocks etc.
b) Hold off the sugar.
      Explore different ways to cook without using processed sugars.  Use fruit where possible to sweeten if you must.
c)  No honey!
      Honey (in rare occurrences) may contain botulism, which can be very serious if small babies contract it.  The botulism spores are not killed off in conventional household cooking, so please do not give your baby honey  :)
d)  Avoid processed foods
      This is good for the whole family, to eat real, whole foods, however it's not always possible, so do what you can to eat unprocessed foods the majority of the time.


I think that's about it.  BLW at a glance.

There may be more questions that you have, so I can update this blog post at any time.  If I have left anything out, please let me know, and likewise if you think there is some misinformation in here, please also let me know!

Enjoy your Baby Led Weaning experience.  Remember to ask questions.  Below are some pics taken during the first few weeks of BLW Miss O!