Meal Plan Monday…Featuring Cauliflower and Gruyere

Today is Meal Plan Monday.

I’m going to share with you my meal plan for the week in the hope that you get some kind of inspiration from it.  I get the impression many of you find the whole getting dinner on the table every night to be a challenge and so do I at times!  Sometimes sharing ideas with others in a similar situation can help…so here goes…

Firstly, I just want to make it really clear that I am just a mum!  I am not a nutritionist or dietician.  I am not amazingly organised or any kind of super mum.  I’m just a normal mum wanting to provide the best food for her family.

Food that is simple.

Food that is healthy.

Food my kids will actually eat!

I don’t believe it is necessary to get all creative and original in the kitchen – save that for the weekend!  During the week, I like to keep it easy on everyone – who wants to be doing dishes half the night? So on a Sunday night, I take a good hard look at what is already in my fridge and pantry and then nut out some ideas of what I might make with it.

This is my actual meal plan for this week…not saying it’s perfect!

We try to keep things gluten and dairy free most of the time but you will see spelt pasta and some cheese on my meal plan.  Usually I will provide an alternative for Frankie who is my main concern when it comes to intolerances.

Breakfast and Lunches are just suggestions.  We don’t always stick to that part of the plan but it is good to have an idea and some ingredients on hand – I find being prepared is the best advantage of this whole meal planning deal!  I have also neglected to add the soy latte I grab down the street most days and the bit of mint raw choc I eat after dinner each night…I can’t be giving away all my secrets!

I use mostly organic, good quality, fresh food and I do spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  I am Italian and I love to cook so I find a balance between clean eating and thoughtful indulgences.  If you don’t have as much time as I do to cook (I don’t work while my husband is away at sea working, which he is at the moment) you can certainly take some short cuts – buy a good quality dip instead of making one…things like that.  Take what you like and leave the rest…

Cauliflower

This week I got a lovely organic cauliflower in my Co-op box.  This is what we did with it…

Cauliflower and Gruyere Soup

I LOVE Gruyere cheese.  When I do use cheese, I go to my deli and get a good one!  Gruyere is mild but tasty, firm but smooth.  Great cheese for melting so delicious for a toastie or open sandwich melt.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 T organic butter

1 leek washed and roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 Cauliflower, roughly chopped

2 potatoes, peeled and chopped

I bay leaf

About 4 cups of stock ( I use home made chicken stock but you can use vegetable too)

1 cup (about 60g) grated Gruyere cheese

Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper to season if necessary

What to do:

Put the butter in a good soup pot along with the leek and garlic and saute for a few minutes before adding the rest of the veggies and bay leaf.  Cook stirring regularly for about five minutes, then add your stock.

Cook with the lid on but ajar for about 20 minutes, until the potato is soft (you can stop at the point and let the soup sit for a few hours, heat turned off).

Use a stab blender (or blender in batches) to puree the soup.  Bring to a simmer, the stir in the Gruyere and keep stirring until it has melted, just a few minutes.  Taste before seasoning in case the stock and cheese are enough.

Serve with some chopped chives and thick buttered sour dough toast.

Notes:

• The Gruyere can be substituted for 1/2 cup of grated parmesan or 2 T of cream – or leave it all out if you prefer a dairy free option.
• Soup can be frozen but better (not essential) to do so before the adding the cheese stage.
• Leftover soup can be used to replace Bechamel sauce in Lasagna.

Cauliflower and Gruyere Mini Quiches

Defrost 2 sheets of shortcrust pastry and use a large glass to cut four circles from each.  Press these into a well greased muffin tray.

For the filling, into a bowl add 1/4 cauliflower broken into little florets and lightly steamed, 3 eggs, a dash of milk, 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese, some chopped chives and a pinch of good quality salt.  Whisk up.

Put the filling into the pastry lined tin and bake at 18oC for about 15 minutes, until golden brown and puffed.

These are nice with soup, great in lunch boxes or even served to the kids for dinner with some peas and carrots.

• If you don’t like using frozen pastry, you can make your own or even go without to make mini frittatas.
  

Still got Cauliflower?

This Jamie Oliver Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry is easy and delicious and great warmed up for lunch the next day.  I have also made Rosa Mitchell’s (My favourite Sicilian Chef…you might have been to Rosa’s Kitchen in Melbourne?) Cauliflower Fritters and the kids love them.

What else am I making?

Delicious Honey Spiced Chai Cookies from Marinya Cottage Kitchen

Carrot and Coconut Flour Muffins from Comfy Belly

Well…I hope this has helped inspire you to get productive in the kitchen.  I would like to continue this series and I have lots of ideas I’d love to share with you.  I would also love your feedback – let me know if you have any questions or would like to talk about anything in particular.

Have a great week!

mamacino x

Our Whole Food Journey

My kids eat a stack of processed food.

Processed by me!

Over the past few years, I have been on a journey to improve the way we eat.  To buy better quality food, prepare it properly, minimise wastage and improve our health.  I am going to say I have succeeded in doing this and the reason I can say that is because I allow myself to be flexible.  We follow the 80/20 rule and even though the numbers might change often…we are certainly doing well most of the time.

So, what is a whole food diet?  For me…it is a way of life.  It involves eating good quality produce that is still as close to it’s natural state as possible.  I am happy to use the whole food label because to me, it is so broad…and if Jude Blereau’s cakes come under this label too, I’m more than happy to sign up!

Vegan, vegetarian, fruitarian, paleo, primal…we are all of these and none of them too.  Our meals include a whole variety of different foods with a concentration on the ones that work best for us – lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, good quality grass fed or free range meat, real bread and gluten free grains, organic yoghurt, naturalyl sweetened treats and desserts.

Does this mean we resist the temptation of hot chips on the beach after a late summer afternoon swim?  No.

Do I let my kids eat whatever is going at kid’s parties? Yes (but sometimes I have to bite my tongue and keep my hands behind my back!)

Do I enjoy a glass of wine or the occasional double dipped, limited edition Cherry Ripe.  Do you Kristin?  Okay, Okay…YES!

Many people ask me about planning meals and how I do it.  I have to tell you…I am no expert!  Six months ago I would have scoffed at the idea of a meal plan but since I have been doing it, I have found it makes my life so much easier!  Less shopping, saving money, better food choices and less stress.

Over the next few weeks, I am going to share my meal plans and simple ideas for making your kitchen more about whole foods.  It is a process, but it can be done…I have done it and if you want to, you can do it too!

Please feel free to leave me a message if there are any particular issues you would like to talk about…particular ingredients, breakfast ideas, healthy snacks, how to buy organic on a budget…I hope I have something valuable to share with you.

Until then…here are some posts you might be interested in….

How to go organic on a budget

How we buy our food

Super food for super kids

Meal Planning and what it taught me

How to plan and stick to healthy meals

Happy Eating!

mamacino x

 

 

Time to reflect and some unorthodox parenting strategies…

I find that the mood in our family ebbs and flows.

We can have days, weeks even, where things run smoothly and everyone is happy and at peace.  At other times, things can feel like they are getting a little out of hand.  Sometimes the imbalance sneaks up on me and it isn’t until Buddhism for Mothers appears on my bed side table again that I realise it is time to sit down with a cup of tea and reflect on where we are heading and how to change the course.

Biscuits from Marinya Cottage Kitchen

 

My toddler has been so challenging lately.  As they say…he has hit the terrible two’s running!

He has very firm ideas about what he wants to do and is very difficult to sway.  He fights me on everything.  Eating breakfast, getting dressed, getting in the car…I have resorted to telling him stories of Jack Frost who eats the toes of little boys who do not wear shoes in winter and that children who refuse to get out of the bath will go down the plug hole!  I have allowed him to eat his dinner in front of the television just so the rest of the family can eat in peace.  I simply move over when he climbs into my bed each night and have even fake-cried when he wouldn’t do something I asked.

He turned on an absolute doozie at the Speech Pathologist and when she looked at me to throw her a life line, I had nothing.

Today, I found myself asking…who is the grown up here?

I have firm boundaries for my children, however, within those boundaries I allow much freedom.  I would say I was fair and reasonable and honestly always have their best interests at heart.  Sometimes it is just so much easier to give in but we all know it just makes it harder in the long run.  I have given the matter some serious thought and I have decided it’s time to toughen up!

I want to teach my children to be polite, to be empathetic.  I would really like them to be respectful of themselves and others.  I want them to value themselves and not live in fear of being eaten by Jack Frost.  This takes work and it’s not easy.  For me, I need to choose my battles and fight them consistently.  And so, Leonardo…here are the new rules.

1. There will be no Dora DVD until your breakfast has been eaten at the table and you are dressed and ready for the day.

2. When I ask you to do something and you choose to behave inappropriately, I will explain why I don’t like your behaviour and you can sit on the bottom step for a while to think about it.

3.  There will be no more sugary treats and by sugar, I mean honey, maple syrup, dates, rice malt syrup, coconut sugar and juice.  It’s the best thing I can do to help you regulate your behaviour.

4.  Cuddles, kisses, hugs, stories and adventures will continue as normal.

So what do you think?  Have I convinced you?  Do I sound tougher?  Because when I told Leonardo, he just laughed…

Do you have rules in your home?    What is the most ridiculous thing you have ever said to your kids? How do you get around anti-social toddler behaviour…I’d love to know!

Love and Light (and nerves of steel),

mamacino x

 

 

Our Food Story – in case you missed it.

Many new friends have joined us here at mamacino in the past week or two and I would like to take this opportunity to say welcome and thank you for stopping by.

Mamacino is a space where I can share my adventures and sometimes misadventures as a mum.

Our happy nachos…

My main focus is to improve the overall health and well being of myself and my family and hopefully inspire and support others to do the same.  We are working hard to create a healthy and happy lifestyle which is simple, loving and fun.  We aim to have a diet rich in organic whole foods such as fruit, vegetables,  gluten free grains, grass fed or free range meat and poultry and of course, healthy treats made with natural sugar substitutes.  Do we get it right all of the time?  No.  But we are trying our best and love sharing our successes along the way.

Delicious chicken and spelt wraps…

I have written in the past about our food story and if you are interested in developing a healthier diet, learning about intolerances and the condition my daughter Francesca has called Pyroluria or just curious about how my family eats and why, you might like to read these posts…really, it is my main motivation for writing the blog.

Our Food Story

Our Food Story Continues…

Our Food Story…getting some answers

I would love to hear your food story too so please feel free to leave a comment, email me or contact me via facebook

.  I would be only to happy to help or support you in any way I can.

Love and Light,

mamacino x

The Secret Diary of an Extreme Mother

I know I probably come across as all glamorous and together (ha!) but you will be shocked, I’m sure, to hear that this is not actually the case.  

In fact, it would be an extremely rare day for me to feel like I am sailing effortlessly through motherhood, unscathed by demanding toddlers, absent partners and torturous perfectionism. 

Today was not one of those rare days.

5.30am – Woken by small person shaking me and poking me in the eye.  Small person is hungry and would like breakfast.  In bed.  NOW!

6.15am – Turn on shower.  Notice legs are not just hairy but bordering on hirsute.  Toes need pedicuring.  Hair needs washing.  Make acquaintance with scales who confirm what my skinny jeans have been trying to tell me all week.  Only yoga practised is quick downward dog while trying to pick up the slippery soap from the shower floor.

8.15am – Late start to 90 minute school commute due to small person demanding to wear too-small gum boots.  Finally get too-small gumboots on by wedging small person between the wall and my knee.  Small person learns knew word.  New word is not gumboot.

9.00am – Message from husband ’0n course’ in Sydney requesting information on best coffee shop for kid-free, uninterrupted, work funded coffee break.

10.15am – Small person masters the spaghetti tantrum in busy shopping centre and is, after several moments of  negotiation through clenched teeth, dragged out by my free hand while I carry a potty in the other.  Dignity down the toilet, so to speak.

12.30am – cook, clean, wash, dry, fold, put away, cook, tidy, clean…COFFEE!

1pm – Risk life by turning off Dora DVD to insist on small person having a nap…for both our sakes.  Small person so infatuated by Dora, I have to sing the Dora song when he is not in the vicinity of the television.

Spend next hour singing “I’m a map, I’m a map I’m a map…” to myself to the point of near insanity though preferable to current mantra “let it go, let it go” Let what go for God’s sake?  If there is an easier way to do this, I want to know about it!

2.45pm – Repeat gumboot fiasco, late to leave for 90 minute school commute.  Encounter massive road works and use the finger to express my feelings about people driving up the closed lane and then pushing in.  Arrive at school ten minutes late to find both daughters sitting alone with teacher on duty.  They are the last students to be collected.  Mother of the year.  Dignity dwindling even further and kicked while down by guilt.

4.00pm – Swimming lessons…need I say more?

5.00pm – Small person engages in another spaghetti tantrum in library and adds in screaming for effect.  Leave library carrying small child under my arm and heavy swimming bag, wet towels, school bags and library books in the other.

6.00pm – Arrive home to unpack and crack on with dinner, bath and bed routine.  Privy to melt downs by two out of three tired children.  Am screamed at ferociously by small person for stopping Dora again in a way that makes me certain he would choose to live with her over me if a custody battle was to ensue.  Alternate weekends looking attractive at this point.

7.00pm – Read chapter of Harry Potter with challenge of impersonating Hagrid’s accent without theatrical aid – wine.  Asked to explain why we never have dessert, what a ‘dirty free-for-all’ is (thanks K$sha) where the popper is (?) and why I stink.  Because Natural deodorant is not made with extreme mums in mind, that’s why.

7.15pm – Bedtime.  Kiss, cuddle, prayer, gratitude…blah, blah, blah…hurry up Offspring’s going to be on soon!

The (almost) End.

If you are an extreme mother and I know you are, because we all are, I just want to take this opportunity to tell you that you are freaking awesome.  I don’t know how we do it, but we do…and we keep doing it day after day.  

Love and light,

mamacino x

The Light in Tuscany

Do you have a happy place to visit on cold, rainy days?  Days when the washing piles up and your spirits sink down?  

I do…

They say the light in Tuscany is mesmerizing.

I found that difficult to understand.  Until one day, I saw the light.

Scarf wrapped tight to deflect the autumn chill, I sat sipping Prosecco crisp as the air while breathing in the warm, woody scent of roasting chestnuts.  I was surprised by a luminosity that crept peacefully across the Piazza.

The white marble Duomo glowed a pinkish red in reflection of the brick bell tower standing silently beside it.  The ancient stone buildings embraced the amber and golden hues of the leaves fallen around them.  The heavens were ablaze and I was watching through rose colored glasses.

As I watched the sun setting behind the crumbling walls of the village, it occurred to me that being in this light, this sunset, was spiritual, like an awakening to the wonderment around us.

And then it was gone, without a whisper.

Where is your happy place?

Love and light,

mamacino x

Guest Posting on A FIFO Wife and some tasty Ricotta and Pea Quiches…

Today I am guest posting over at A FIFO Wife.

I recently discovered that FIFO stands for Fly in Fly out and is a term used to describe families who have parents working in jobs where they are away from home for weeks, sometimes months at a time.

I am a FIFO wife!  And I didn’t even know it!

Deb, who writes about how she manages this way of life while caring for her three children, is warm, funny and supportive and I know you will love her blog as much as I do…please pop on over and take a look around.

Today, I am sharing my recipe for quick and easy ricotta and pea mini quiches.

My kids love these and what mum doesn’t love a simple, tasty, winner of a meal idea whether her husband is thousands of miles away or not!

For how to make my Easy Mini Quiches, visit the FIFO Wife here.

How we buy our food and baking the ‘good’ muffins…

The way we  buy our groceries has been slowly changing over the past few months.  

It’s really a reflection of the changes in what we eat.  Moving towards a whole food, organic, fresh is best way of eating has seen us visiting the supermarket less and the farmers market more.

We buy our eggs from a guy at the Farmers Market who proudly displays photographs of his chooks roaming free in his grassy pastures about an hour down the road.  Our bread comes from an organic sour dough bakery right here in Torquay.  Our grass fed beef  is now delivered fresh from the farm about an hour along the Ocean Road where the farmers, a lovely young couple, take pride in being involved in the whole process from pasture to (almost) plate.  Our coffee is roasted by a guy around the corner, our goat cheese made on the other side of Geelong and our staples like spelt flour, dried fruit, tea, nuts and seeds from our local Whole foods store.

Our fruit and vegetables come largely from our Co-op and are delivered every Thursday.

The Co-op is a local initiative to supply members with seasonal, organic and bio dynamic produce at an affordable price.  In exchange for this service, members are required to pitch in and help out with packing, delivery or administrative roles.  You don not know what you might get in your box and some weeks are more abundant than others but we really love the surprise and have learnt to plan our meals around what we have rather than the other way around.

Last Thursday was chilly and drizzling with rain.  We rose from the cosy warmth of bed to get the girls off to school and prepare for our morning box packing for the Co-op.  I couldn’t resist baking a batch of fresh, warm pear and cinnamon muffins to be wrapped in a tea towel and transported to the packing shed to share with our co-workers and help ease the burden of frosty fingers.  I even made the good muffins…meaning the ones with sugar in them that I only make on special occasions!

Leo more keen on eating than packing…

So of course, I do still visit the supermarket but far less frequently and I actually get a lot of joy out of the quality foods we buy.  We have become so much better at eating simply and making the most of what we have.  I enjoy the challenge of planning and cooking and using up every last bit of produce in the fridge.

The Good Muffins – Pear and Cinnamon

I use Jude Blereau’s muffin recipe and she has some wonderful variations for gluten and dairy free versions which I have tried and can say they are just as delicious.  For Jude’s original recipe, see her blog.  

This is how I made them, it makes 9 good sized muffins.

Ingredients

Muffin topping:

1 T rapadura sugar

1 T shredded coconut

1 T chopped walnuts

1 tsp cinnamon

Dry:

2 cups of white spelt flour

2 1/2  tsp baking powder

1/2 cup rapadura sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

3 pears, peeled and chopped into 1cm cubes

Wet:

1/2 cup full cream milk

1/2 cup natural yoghurt

1 egg

1 tsp natural vanilla extract

80g butter, melted and cooled

What to do:

Preheat oven to 180C and lightly grease your muffin tin, then use baking paper or muffin cases to line it.

Mix topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Add all dry ingredients, except pears, to a large bowl and use a whisk to break up any lumps and combine.  Add the pears and lightly mix to evenly mix them through.

Whisk together the wet ingredients in a small bowl, then gently mix through the dry mix being careful not to over work it.

Place the mixture into the muffin cases and sprinkle with the topping mixture.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and cooked through.  Allow to cool in the tin for about ten minutes if you can wait that long!

Enjoy!

How do you do your shopping?  Do you have access to Farmers Markets or Co-ops?  Do you buy anything on-line?  I love to hear about it!

In case you were wondering…here are our suppliers on the Surf Coast, Victoria.

Farm Gate Foods

Barrabool Hills Beef

Torquay Farmers Market

Surf Coast Whole Foods

Happy Eating,

mamacino x

 

 

Changing Seasons and My Kid’s Almond & Apricot Granola

I love living in a place where we experience a real change between the seasons.  Watching my garden transform from green to golden then to bare and lifeless and as if by magic to green and lush again brings me so much pleasure.  Beautiful memories are made by the food we eat, the clothes we wear and the things we do.  

These experiences unfold to tell the story of our year.

Yesterday Francesca and I made the journey over to Sorrento by ferry to visit her holistic GP.  It was a freezing, blustery Autumn day and so we rugged up in our woolliest woollen jumpers, scarves and boots.  Protected from the cold we set out only to arrive early in a still sleepy Queenscliff.  The temptation to stop for a  hot chocolate was too great and so we allowed the wind to blow us into a small, rustic cafe where we sat by the blazing fire sipping our steaming drinks.

A fresh gust of wind blew in the door with each customer coming in for their much needed latte and chilled our warm cheeks rosy from the fire.  We made friendly conversation with the locals and discussed the local ingredients the chef liked to use in his dishes.  I felt so alive, so a part of that morning…so connected.

Today I’m snuggled up inside as the rain raps against the windows and the yellowed leaves of the maple swirl and dance on my deck.  Cafe del Mar plays, the house is warmed by the fire and the smell of cinnamon, butter and honey drifts from the kitchen.

Bliss.

Kid’s Almond and Apricot Granola

Breakfast is a big deal in our house.  My kids wake up ravenous and like to be filled up with warming, hearty food.  I make this granola for them to have on the mornings I don’t have time to cook omlettes, french toast or porridge from scratch.  The dairy eaters love it with home made yoghurt and the non dairy eaters have it with almond milk and softly poached pears.  It is delicious with my pear and prune compote.

 

Ingredients:

4 cups of whole, rolled oats

1/2 cup of shredded coconut

1/2 cup of chopped almonds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup pepitas

1/4 cup of melted butter or coconut oil

1/4 cup of honey or maple syrup

about 10 organic dried apricots, chopped (I use my kitchen scissors for this job!)

What to do:

Set oven to 150 C

Place all ingredients except butter and honey in a large bowl and mix to combine.  Melt the honey and butter together and mix well, then stir through the oat mixture to coat well.  It may seem like it isn’t enough, but it is.

Spread mixture on to two lined baking trays and toast in the oven for around 30 minutes, taking out to stir with a fork every ten minutes or so, until golden.

Allow to cool, then add the dried apricots.  Store in the cupboard in an airtight container.

• So delicious with fruit and yoghurt
• Use as a crunchy topping on fruity muffins
• Use as a delicious topping for pear, apple or rhubarb crumble

What is your favourite season?  Are you a beach babe or a snow bunny?  What kinds of foods remind you of the season you are in?

Keep warm,

mamacino x

A Word About Mother’s Day

This year I will be celebrating my 10th Mother’s Day.

Over the years I have learned a few things.  How to approach Mother’s Day is one of them.

Last year there were tears.

I’m sure I could write volumes about what Mother’s Day is and isn’t but I will just leave you with this…

Don’t dwell on what Mother’s Day isn’t and be grateful for what it is…let it go, enjoy the ride.

Happy Mother’s Day Mums…you are amazing…

mamacino x