Happy Mother's Day

It's one of the toughest but most rewarding roles out there! Being a mum or the primary carer responsible for growing, guiding and shaping the lives of the tiny little humans we love so much.

Like Melbourne weather, being a mum to Ava is like four seasons in one day. She humours me, frustrates me, pushes all my buttons and melts my heart all in a single breath. 

Last week over breakfast she sheepishly said to me, "Mum, a rice bubble just went up my nose." Like it kinda just leapt up there on its own. Seriously? Should I be freaked out, or relieved that it's gluten and sugar free? 

Then there's the spontaneous kisses and proclamations of love. They thrill me and melt my heart, no matter how cheeky she is being. She surprises and challenges me every day. 

We fight, we talk, we laugh and we cry. Poor Brett struggles to understand what the hell we are on about most of the time. The bond between mother and daughter cannot be described, nor can it ever be underestimated. 

These moments will be forever etched in my heart and memory. It's a joy and a privilege to be the Mum of such an amazing little girl. 

Through the sleep deprivation, the inexplicable meltdowns, her sharp wit and heart melting belly laugh and let's not forget the excruciating pain of stepping on Barbie limbs there's nothing quite like motherhood. 

I feel so blessed to be Mum to such an amazing child and incredibly lucky to have the support of a loving partner, family and friends. Because it really does take a village to raise a child. 

Happy Morhers Day to all the amazing mums out there. Whether you're the Mum to your own child/tribe, caring for others, doing it all on your own, mourning an angel baby or trying desperately to conceive - my heartfelt gratitude, solidarity and love goes out to you. 

And of course the biggest shout out of all goes out to my Mum. Thank you for being such a shining example of motherhood. And I'm sorry about those moody gothic teen years... We both know that Ava will pay me back for those painful years tenfold. 

I've just found my ideal breakfast

Smoothie and a coffee, what can be better than starting your day with either of these breakfast staples?

Simple. Combine the two into a delicious, filling and healthy wake up smoothie.

I'm trying to cut down on soy, so I ditched the daily soy flat white but could not bring myself to give up my daily caffeine fix. 

After making an especially YUM cacao banana and date smoothie earlier this week, I decided to add a shot of espresso. I mean it couldn't be too bad right. Bad? Hell no, it was amazing! 

Best idea ever! I haven't looked back, I have only been making smoothies that are compatible with coffee. So the green smoothies have taken a backseat this week. Here's today's kick start to my Saturday!

Cacao and banana smoothie

1 large banana

1 cup almond milk

1 cup ice

1 tbs chia seeds

1/4 avocado

2 tbs cacao

1 shot espresso - cooled

4 dates or some honey - only add if you prefer a sweet smoothie

Blitz in your blender or on speed 7/1 min in the Thermomix until smooth and creamy. 

Super green smoothie

Kale smoothie that tastes like dessert. 

Most people know that I'm a smoothie tragic from way back. I've been making smoothies for breakie for the last 15 years. Now I make them for my daughter too, using whatever fruit and vegies we have to make a kid friendly combo.

This morning I went through the fridge looking for inspiration. All I had was heaps of random leftovers from the extra long weekend of indulgence over Easter and ANZAC day. 

I wanted to use up some leftover kale and coconut milk. But I didn't have any apples or pears, which are usually a staple ingredient in my green smoothies. 

I did find some frozen banana in the freezer - when it's too ripe for Ava I chop it up and freeze it for smoothies or desserts. She also tends to leave the ends, because apparently the bottom of bananas are gross!

I had some macadamia and cashew chia pudding in the fridge. This was delicious so i threw it into the smoothie to bulk it up a little. 

My daughter won't touch green smoothies. So today I poured it into her juice cup, put the lid on it and a stainless steel straw in and said here's a banana smoothie. Slight deceiving I know. She loved it. 

I then showed her mine and said, "Want some more bubba?"

"No way that's yuck," she squealed. 

But when I showed her it was the same banana smoothies she thought it was hilarious and the best smoothie ever! So fickle and so funny those 4 year olds!

Here's what went into the smoothie:

3 kale leaves stalks removed 

1 frozen banana chopped

4 dates

1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tbs chia seeds (I like to soak mine first) 

1 cup ice

1/2 cup water

How to blend in the Thermomix:

Chop dates 5 sec, speed 7

Add ice, turbo 2 or 3 times until crushed 

Add remaining ingredients, blend 40 secs, speed 7

Super charged with super foods kale and chia. Enjoy! 

Easy cacao bliss balls

I love chocolate! I have no self control when it's in my house, so I try not to buy it. And without having much time for exercise at the moment I can't have too much.

Sometimes a girl needs to satisfy that craving. So here's a simple and healthy 'choc' treat that is packed full of flavour. It's the perfect afternoon slump pick me up for busy Mammas. This recipe was inspired by super fit and healthy Mamma Willy B Mum.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups/300g almonds 
• 1 cup/80g shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup / 30g raw cacao powder
• 1/2 cup maple syrup or rice malt syrup
• 2 tbs organic coconut oil
• Pinch Himalayan pink salt

Here's what you need to do:

1. Place all ingredients into the TM bowl (or a food processor)
2. Mix for about 10 seconds on speed 7 
3. Roll into small balls  
4. You can then roll them in chia seeds or shredded coconut 
5. Place in the fridge for a few hours to set

My daughter absolutely loves these. Especially when I roll them in hundreds & Thousands for a special treat! 

Make your own gluten free flour in the Thermomix

Gluten free flour mix made in the Thermomix is so easy and it will save you money too! 

Making your own gluten free flour is really simple with the Thermomix. It's much cheaper than buying it pre-made and doesn't contain all those nasty preservatives and mystery ingredients some brands use.

This recipe was inspired by Thank Heaven's gluten free flour mix. It's my go to site for making flour or finding substitutes when I am missing an ingredient for a recipe. You'll find a few different mixes on her sight and a great summary of the various gluten free flour options and their substitutes.

You can easily double the recipe to makes a big batch if you do a lot of baking. Take note, it does not all fit in the Thermomix bowl at once so my kitchen gets a bit messy when I mix big batches.

My chef trained hubby is always appalled at the mess I make when I'm in the kitchen. He is very methodical and uses only what's required. I on the other hand tend to pull out every appliance I think I may need, along with multiple bowls, measuring cups, jugs and various stirring/scraping contraptions. Plus I go about things the long and hard way, but that's all part of the learning process isn't it!

Here's what you'll need:

• 100 g white rice
• 50 g buckwheat (or substitute with dry chickpeas)
• 50 g sorghum flour
• 100 g potato starch
• 200 g tapioca pearls or flour
• 5 g guar gum

Instructions:

1. Add rice and buckwheat to the thermomix bowl and mill for 1 min, speed 9
2. Add Tapioca pearls if you don't have flour and mill for 1 minute, speed 9.
3. Let the Thermomix cool down, it can get quite warm when milling. Take this opportunity to check that the grains are a fine flour consistency, if not mill for another 30 secs, speed 9. 
4. Add remaining ingredients and mix for 10 secs speed 6

This recipe is great for pancakes, muffins, veggie fritters and biscuits. I used this one to make my favourite banana bread on the weekend which I am trying to convert to a Thermomix recipe. It's getting there, but haven't quite nailed it in the Thermie yet. 

Please share your favourite gluten free flour recipes and the amazing goods you bake with it. I'm always looking for healthy and simple ideas. Happy baking! 

Christmas love

Who doesn't love Christmas? You get to spend quality time with your nearest and dearest. You eat your weight in food. And if you have kids, there's nothing better than experiencing the wonder of Santa, decorations, Christmas lights and the spirit of giving through their eyes. 

There's all the excitement in the lead up to Christmas day and then the wide eyes and squeals of delight on Christmas morning. It was priceless. 

This year Ava really got right into the Christmas spirit. She was super excited about Santa coming, often trying to negotiate when he would come. Me, "14 more sleeps until Santa comes." Ava, "Three more sleeps?" She likes to think everything is up for negotiation. Aghhhh!

She helped decorated our tree and was thrilled to decorate Grandma's tree all by herself. I even had to let go of my preference for no tinsel on the tree. Ava is a big tinsel fan! 

Ava even loved Christmas shopping. She would track Santa down at every shopping centre we visited to ask him for a new scooter. She loved choosing and wrapping pressies for family and for charity and she sang so many Christmas carols I thought my ears may start to bleed. So I'd have to put this one down as my best Chistmas ever. 

So here I am on Christmas night. Tummy full and bloated, house trashed, fridge full of left overs and I couldn't be happier. 

15 reasons my toddler cried today

Some days parenting a toddler is really hard. There's some things that simply can't be explained or accurately described in those books you read when you are pregnant and blissfully unaware of what you are getting yourself into. 

Nothing seems to go right and you find yourself at loggerheads with a 3 year old who appears to have taken on the personality of Napoleon. Barking orders, screaming when things don't go her way and pushing buttons that I never knew I had. Tears are inevitable and sometimes Ava cries too...

Today was one of those days. It actually started quite early this morning as I left the house to do the first yoga class I've done in 3 years. I thought I'd start my Sunday all zen like. Umm, nice try.

I guess the combination of being 3, fiercely independent, extremely smart and really knowing exactly what she wants at all times can get a bit much sometimes. Today was one of those days, where I just couldn't get it right for my little girl.  

So here's just some of the reasons Ava cried today.

1. I'm thirsty
2. I don't want water
3. Daddy cut my apple into triangles, I want it round 
4. The blender is too noisy
5. The hand dryer is too noisy
6. I fell over, it was Daddy's fault
7. I don't want chicken soup
8. I want to butter my own toast
9. I want Mummy to butter my toast
10. I don't want toast
11. I don't want dinner
12. I'm dirty
13. I don't want a shower
14. I want my special shower cap
15. I'm hungry, I want my dinner

Thanks goodness today is nearly over. Ava is finally asleep and as exhausted as I feel, I'm actually looking forward to her calling out to me at 4am for a snuggle in Mamma's bed. All the meltdowns, rages, defiance and endless negotiation is forgotten as I carry her warm and cuddly little body into our bed for a few hours of precious snuggles.

When life hands you lemons...

Sometimes life doesn't go as planned. Out of the blue it can throw you a pile of sour lemons that hit you fair and square between the eyes. Leaving you feeling dazed, confused and totally off kilter.

Like most Mammas I have many balls in the air. Juggling bills, work, that endless to do list and a good dose of guilt like a cirque du soleil pro.  But inevitably my lack of coordination appears, a curve ball or two hits and it all comes crashing down. It's been a pretty crappy few weeks for Burnsy and I punctuated with very little sleep. Its fair to say that I have not been on top of my game. But you know what? Today I am ok with that.  

Its another 5am saturday morning wake up. But instead of lamenting the hour I have spent the morning silently stalking my friends on Facebook, reading my favourite blogs and listening to those familiar and comforting early morning sounds of the Inner West. Chirping birds, light traffic, Santo watering his cabbages next door and of course Burnsie snoring. 

I finally feel calm and relaxed. Not sure if that's the residual panadol in my blood stream or the fact that my little munchkin is not here pulling me out of bed to watch cartoons and make her some breakfast!

Ava has been with her Nanny for a few days. Its the longest period I have ever been away from her, I have missed her like crazy and a I can't wait to see her today. But it's also reminded me that taking time out for myself is the best thing I can do for my family. A cranky, run down and overtired Mamma is not a very fun Mamma - that's for sure.

Now weeks like these need not come by again any time too soon, that's for sure! But without the sour, you can never truly appreciate the sweetness in life! 

So it's what you do with those lemons that make all the difference!! Personally I like to squeeze them onto pancakes or juice them with apples, celery, kale and ginger - so yummy! 

What gets you back on track when things don't go to plan?

Blueberry crumble muffins

A sweet treat for our family gathering at Great Nan & Pop's house to celebrate Father's Day tomorrow.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice flour
• 2/3 cup caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon guar gum
• pinch salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ cups frozen or fresh blueberries
• ½ cup gluten-free almond milk
• ½ cup light olive oil
• 2 large free-range eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Crumble topping:

• 1 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray.
3. Mix sifted flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, guar gum, salt and cinnamon in large mixing bowl.
4. Add blueberries; stir to coat evenly.
5. Combine milk and oil in small bowl.
6. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add liquids to blueberry mixture and stir until just combined.
7. To make the crumble topping, mix the almond meal and brown sugar.
8. Spoon mixture into muffin pans.
9. Sprinkle each muffin with crumble topping.
10. Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes or until lightly golden.
11. Remove muffins from pan and serve immediately or cool on a rack.

Our Sunday morning Mecca

I love our little home in the inner west, it's close to the city but just far enough away to avoid the feeling of being stuck in a perpetual rat race.

We have everything we need at our finger tips. Amazing coffee, parks, shops, kids activities and community right here on our doorstep.

One of our favourite weekly rituals is the Marrickville Organic Markets. Held at the Addison Road Community Centre, it's become our Sunday morning Mecca. 

Every Sunday morning Ava asks me if we will see the ponies and get a face painting. Even this week, while on holiday in Melbourne, she asked for a face painting!

I recently caught up with the lovely Jane from Marrickville Sundays to answer 5 questions about why we love the super child friendly organic markets. Checkout the blog here, it's a must read for all Inner Westies with kids and market lovers alike!

Croatian vegie stuffed capsicum

A big thank you to SJ, the culinary genius from Chasing the Donkey, who inspired this recipe. Get the original stuffed peppers recipe here and follow SJ's blog if you love food and travel or need a laugh.

After seeing SJs meat filled version on Instagram my mouth wouldn't stop watering for days, which is unusual as I do not eat beef. But I'm always looking for new ways to cook vegetables, so I thought I'd rework this into a vegetarian winter warmer for meatless Monday. Plus I wanted to use up the vegies that were piling up in our fridge and some herbs from our garden. This is really one of those meals where you can just throw together whatever you have on hand.

So Monday comes along and as usual I am super organised, haha yeah right! When I bothered to read the recipe properly (on MONDAY night) I realise it's going to take two hours to cook. Crap! Now that we have a child, eating at 10pm on a school night just isn't an option. So unfortunatly we didn't get to make this for Meatless Monday, it was bumped to Wednesday because that's my day off with Ava and clearly I have heaps of free time on Wednesdays. 

There are a few steps in this recipe - stuffing the capsicum, making the sauce then cooking it for two hours. So SJ's two hours would equal minimum three hours for me. And in addition to cooking and prep time I needed to prepare myself mentally...  

As a general rule I like to make things that are quick and simple. Minimal instructions and zero technique, anything more and I end up rocking in the corner. However I am known to occasionally overextend myself (in time and ability) and this was worth the anxiety and the effort. 

Once Ava was tucked up for her afternoon nap I was ready for battle the challenge. I read the instructions multiple times and reminded myself to breath. 

Ingredients

Stuffed Capsicums:
6 capsicums

2 small carrots diced

2 celery stalks diced 

2 zucchinis diced

2 tomatoes diced

1 tsp Garlic 

1 cup Brown rice
1 free range egg

1 tsp Paprika (optional)

Sauce:

1 Celery stalk

1 Carrot

1 tbs GF Flour

2 tbs tomato paste

2 cups vegetable stock

Salt & pepper

Bay leaf
Mixed herbs (optional)

Instructions

Start with the stuffing:

• Carefully slice the top off the capsicums and scrape out all the seeds
• Wash and set aside - don't forget to keep the lids
• Chop up the vegies and mix together in a bowl
• Mix in rice, paprika and garlic
• Season with salt and pepper 
• Spoon mix into capsicums, don't overfill them as they will explode (like mine did)
• Place capsicums into a large pot keeping them close so they don't fall over, but not too squashed as they will fall appart like mine did 
• Set aside to make sauce.

Make your sauce:

• Throw celery and carrot in a pan. 
• You can add onion, however onion and my sensitive belly don't get along so I left it out.  
• Once the vegies have softened add flour (I use GF) and mix well until browned 
• Add tomato paste, stock and and herbs
• Stir well until sauce boils 
• Pour sauce evenly over the capsicums, making sure they are fully covered
• Put the lids on the capsicums. 

Cook for 2 hours:

• Cook on a low heat for 2 hours
• Check the pot and shake regularly to ensure the sauce is evenly spread so you don't burn them 
• Add extra stock, water or a can of diced tomatos if you need more liquid - don't let it dry out or the capsicums will burn and fall apart
• Allow to sit for a while after cooking - like any good sauce the flavours will intensify
• Serve with mashed potato or rice. 

Initially the multiple steps had me terrified, however I found the process to be more time consuming than difficult. And this is one of those meals you can just throw together whatever you have on hand. Perfect for someone like me who struggles with too many instructions and never remembers to bring a shopping list to the shops. 

The aroma that filled the house was amazing, resulting in the inevitable over indulgence where appropriate portion size is thrown out the window.  And best of all, Ava loved it! Like all new things she did not want to try it at first, but after some gentle persuasion and possibly a little bribery she polished off the lot!  Winning!

What's your favourite winter warmer meal?

It's a neeeeew car!!

We have a new car!! My first ever - brand spanking new car at the ripe old age of 38! Not a demo model like Golfie but a brand new car. Snaps to me and Burnsie, we are so grown up.

Do you know what sucks about having a new car? Burnsie takes the new car every day. Ok, so his office is on the Central Coast so he drives 3 hours per day - hence the new car. First world problem...

I can't complain, I so love having my own car again. It means I don't have to run/power walk from the station to day care to pick up Ava, then race home whilst trying to spot cockatoos, discuss the position of the moon, negotiate riding in the pram over walking while carrying a backpack, handbag, various artwork and a handful of MUST HAVE gumnuts. It means that Ava and I get home by 6 and can leisurely cook dinner together rather than me frantically throw some food into a pan while Ava is planted infront of the TV for 20 minutes before being dragged to the table to inhale her food, then dragged into the bath.

Whilst driving 5 minutes to the station is not my greenest behaviour, it's amazing how much a little extra time can bring so much peace to one family. Call me a hypocrite, but sometimes it's not easy being green.

An open letter to my future teenage daughter

Happy girl!

The other day I asked you, "Who are you best friends at pre-school?" You proudly shouted, "ME!" That made me so proud. That's right sweetheart. You should always be your own best friend, don't be defined by those around you and always love and be true to yourself.

As a teenager you will have so many friends, probably way more that you even know on Facebook or whatever latest and greatest social site is by then. But your true friends will love you for who you are. You will be tested and pushed to the limits of your own boundaries, but I can see such strength and determination in you to walk your own path and to your own beat. I love that about you, even when it frustrates me to tears!

Yesterday you told me you are clever and very strong. You often say that you make us proud and happy, which you do every moment of every day. Probably more than you could ever know. Sweetheart you are a delight!  You are clever, funny, cheeky, witty, inquisitive, strong willed, independent, loving and divine. You make your Dad and I so proud and we are better people for having you in our life.

As a teenager I can only hope that you see yourself through my eyes. Being a teenager can be tough. I was aweful to your Grandma when I was a teenager, and I guess we are bound to have our moments too.  As a 3 year old your stubbornness and determination both frustrate and amaze me. I am thrilled at how intelligent and quick witted you are. However I often get a hint of teenage attitude from you, it frightens me a little as I know the karma train is heading my way!

Today as I was frantically searching for my keys, cursing how late we were you put your hand on my shoulder and said, "It's ok Mummy I'll help you find them." Then you ran to the lounge and pulled them out of the rocking chair where you had hidden them!! I didn't know weather to laugh or cry, so I just praised and thanked you through clenched teeth.

I wish so many things for you Ava. Childhood, play, innocence, imagination, study, friends, parties (with no boys present...I can only wish right), first kiss (at age 35 please), travel, career, love, passion, family.  But I wish more than anything that you stay true to your heart and follow your dreams, don't let others drag you down and never let your gender, age, sexuality or beliefs hold you back. l hope that you can come to us at anytime, no matter what. We love you unconditionally and will never judge or dismiss how you feel.

You can be anything you want to be. At 3 years of age you are already a confident and articulate public speaker. You are amazing with animals and babies. You are incredibly creative and super intelligent. I have no doubt that whatever you set your heart on, whatever fills you with joy and challenges your mind you will achieve. My daughter, I love you.  

Your bandaid is where?

For a once free spirited drifter, it amazes me how much I love routine these days. I rely on routine to keep me focused and to get things done. Without goals and routine you would probably find me curled up in a corner rocking.  

Night time routines are especially critical at the Burnsie residence. Ava's bedtime routine involves two or three stories,  a selection of teddies and babies to be tucked in and Ava's choice of one parent remaining for snuggles "under the covers".  "You wanna come under covers with me Mamma?" How can that offer be refused??? 

Of course bedtime routine also comes with a plethora of stalling tactics! Ranging from the timeless, "I'm thirsty, I need a drink" to "I need to go to the toilet", the former is now mitigated by strategically placed water bottles. Ava's current favourite is "my tummy hurts, I want some Spider-Man C" (that's actually vitamin C - obviously) and then there was the cryptic "where"s my talice?" It took days and countless meltdowns  to figure out her talice was the remote control to the mobile we had over her cot when she was a baby. Ok then.....

I love our routine for my nights under the covers, I hear all about Ava's friends at day care, she tells me about her favourite games and we make up silly stories. Brett loves his nights under the covers because in addition to snuggling up with his little princess in a bed half his size, he often falls asleep before Ava. And as an added bonus he avoids cleaning the kitchen. 

Last night's bedtime routine was no exception. It was late, 2 stories were negotiated, the night's stalling tactic involved a sore finger and Dora bandaid to make it all better.  Then Daddy was instructed to climb under the covers.

After 30 minutes I thought I better go in to wake up Burnsie. Any longer and ill be stuck cleaning the  kitchen on my own and he will need a physio from falling asleep in a 1.5 metre bed. 

Before I managed to drag myself away from the heater I heard a wail. Oh  dear, had Burnsie just rolled on Ava? No way, not enough room to breath, let alone roll in that bed. 

My bandaid my bandaid wailed Ava running out to me. "Ummm i think her bandaide is up her nose", says Burnsie way too calmly. WTF? 

Ava had somehow managed to shove her Dora bandaid up her nose!!! I silently and momentarily freaked out while envisioning an xray of Dora's face grinning at me, firmly lodged in the frontal lobe of her brain. 

Brett was still half asleep but in action mode.  Ava was pretty distressed and wanted to go to the doctors. Holding her close, I was strangely calm and composed. Brett who is always calm and knows what to do in an emergency, asked her to blow her nose a few times. After what felt like an eternity and with a lot of gentle persuasion she blew her nose. Luckily it appeared and I was able to pull it out.

What an ordeal! I just wanted to hold my baby girl all night and tell her it was ok. Bless the little angel, she said she was sorry for putting Dora up her nose. But after 2 minutes she had moved on and wanted to tell me about her new alligator story. 

Even though I was totally freaked out, I was very proud of myself for not completely losing my shit. But regardless, I don't ever want to have to go through that again!!! 

Strong willed toddler or natural born leader

This is a great article on raising a stubborn strong willed toddler. Ava is seriously independent, so we actually follow a number of these principles, if we didn't our home would be a war zone. 

Here are the top 10 tips for parenting a strong willed toddler.

You should bow to me Mamma

Wait, what?? My daughter said "You should bow to me Mamma" and she was quite serious. So I did.

I was kind of taken aback by this one, I mean kids say the weirdest funniest things right? But where the hell did this come from? I was like, what? Can you please tell Mamma again sweetheart, I don't think I heard right. So she said it again. And like a good Mum I bowed to her then asked her to bow to me, which she did with a giggle.

Quite frankly Ava Mae rules over this household, Burnsie and I practically bow to her every day metaphorically speaking.  Her attitude and spunk make her irresistible and likely to get away with murder.

Don't get me wrong, we do practice discipline however when little miss attitude gives out some 'quick witted, intelligent and in context' lip, it makes me burst with pride and adoration. Is that wrong? The girl has an answer for everything and will not back down if she has something to say. Whilst if frustrates the hell out of me it also makes me incredible proud that I am raising a strong, smart, passionate and fiercely independent female. 

In my head I often hear the voice of my own Mum saying "karma"!! But for now I choose to ignore the fact that a cute and feisty toddler attitude will likely develop into a serious angsty teenage attitude - oh good grief!! For now I'm happy to ride the wave of cuteness and punch out a few entertaining status updates for family and friends. 

DIY paint for kids

Burnsie found this recipe on Facebook so we had to share it! 

• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup gluten free flour
• 1 cup water
• Natural food colouring 
• Mix together until you get the colour you want

So simple and non toxic, the kids can make it themselves!

Embarrassing stuff kids say

"Mummy, that lady has big boobies just like you!" Yes, you read that correctly. This is what Miss 3 yells out on the train today while pointing at an attractive young South American girl sitting opposite us.

Umm, thanks for that! If you have heard my daughter's voice lately you will have a pretty good idea how this played out. She's a foghorn, not sure where she gets that from. And if that statement didn't get everyone's attention, there's more.

Next thing she lifts up her top. Oh to clarify, Ava lifts her top. Unfortunately for my dear hubby it was not the attractive young girl lifting her top. She was probably totally mortified that her boobs are being compared to mine. Despite sitting opposite the crazy family (that would be us) she is completely avoiding any eye contact whatsoever. I am also hoping like hell that this girl does not understand a word of English. Not that it mattered, the lady next to us definitely understood English.

So with her top lifted for all on the train to see, Miss fog horn screeches "When I'm a grown up I'm going to have big nipples and boobies just like mummy."  Gold. No really, it was gold. I had to give it to her, Burnsie and I had nowhere to go from there. We were speechless.

It's times like this I have mixed feelings about having a smart and articulate toddler. I know it's not unusual for kids to embarrass their parents in public, it was just a bit of a shock when it happened on a busy Inner West train.

It's not the first outburst. Previous gems include. "Mummy I have to go to the toilet. I have a wedgie." And "Mu Mummy has a baby in her tummy". The former was true, the latter was not for the record !!

Ever since my sister came to stay with the gorgeous 12 week old Gabi, Ava has been obsessed with babies and boobs. She pretends to breast feed from me and talks endlessly about her boobies. Is this normal?

My Mum calls it karma! I think there may have been a few occasions that I embarrassed her a little when I was Ava's age. So is it karma or just normal curious and innocent toddler behaviour ?

Dr Seuss

Dr Seuss is still one of my all time favourite writers! He was so ahead of his time and incredibly insightful.

He wrote The Lorax over 40 years ago because he was angered by the way people were treating our environment.

Ava's 3rd birthday party

Gotta love a party loaded with sugar!! It's not often that I wilfully feed Ava bucket loads of sweets, but birthdays come only once a year, so why not make the most of it.

Bursie really outdid himself with this cake - although it wasn't gluten free so I am already paying for the cheeky slice I had to have. My contribution! I did the writing and a bit (ok a lot) of micro management of the final touches...poor Burnsie.  

Ava seriously lost her shit (but in a good way) when she saw it before that party this morning. She said it was the bestest cake ever in the whole wide world.

I should also mention that our rather fancy Ilve oven decided to pack it in the night before the party! Seriously???  It's only 4 years old grrrr!  Luckily the cake was done, it just meant that we had less savoury adult food as I had planned on baking a batch of GF mini vegetarian quiches. 

Ava and her best friend Marli had a ball playing together in the park. They have known each other since they were born. 

We didn't invite too many kids, just Ava's cousins and her best park buddies Marli and Emily. She had so much fun running around the park, playing chasing and bossing us all around too!

The kids enjoyed blowing bubbles, playing pass the parcel and snacking on a mix of both wholesome and sweet treats.

These fruit cups were really easy to make and were a hit with the kids and adults. We chopped up watermelon, cantaloupe, nectarines, grapes and berries that morning, put them into a big container, then filled the cups at the park. Simple, beautiful and really healthy!

For a twist on fairy bread, we made wholemeal hundreds and thousands pin wheels which disappeared pretty quickly.

To make these I asked the baker to cut the bread loaf long ways. You should have seen his face, he had never been asked to do this before and thought I was totally insane.

Actually, I think he was worried that his cutting machine would destroy the bread! However he cut the bread perfectly and it was so much easier to make them rather than cutting long ways yourself.

Tip!! Flatten the bread out with a rolling pin before you butter it and sprinkle on the hundreds and thousands. Once flattened out they are so much easier to roll up. Then you cut each roll into three pin wheels. So easy.

Can you spot the dodgy one I made???

The marshmallow sticks are another super easy and very pretty sweet treat. What kid doesn't like marshmallows??

Bunsie insisted on making home made LCMs. I am not a fan, they are sickly sweet and full of sugar. As you can imagine the kids loved them...

So it kind of backfired for Burnsie, he was hoping to have them all to himself.