Secret Women’s Business

Is there any better way to lift your spirits and fill your cup than a night out with your girlfriends?

From Google Images

I have to admit, I’m not that comfortable in social situations where I don’t know everyone.  I’m terrible at making small talk and introducing myself to new people.  You won’t find me hanging out at the school gate chatting with the other mums for hours and I’m always the quiet one at yoga, keeping to myself, minding my own business.

Now, that’s not to say that I don’t love socialising, I do, but I am really blessed to have a wonderful group of friends whom I’ve known forever and love hanging out with every opportunity I get.  So I guess this would be called playing it safe.  I’m not exactly shy, I just don’t often choose to put myself out there.  Luckily, though…I have a friend who does and she makes sure I come along with her!

And so, last Saturday night, I went out with a group of girls I’m just getting to know.  And…we had a blast.

My children don’t go to school locally and what I’ve found is that it can be a little alienating for all of us.  We don’t have the same opportunity to make friends and get to know people in our community like those who have kinder, school and sports in common.  For me, joining in with this group of gorgeous girls who have already established firm friendships was a little intimidating  but they could not have been friendlier or more welcoming.

I didn’t get a photograph but we probably looked something like this…

We met for dinner at a local restaurant where food, wine and conversation was enjoyed without interruptions, without children needing to be taken to the toilet right as our meal was served and without drinks being spilled all over the table…actually, I think there was a drink spilled but hey, it’s not a party until something gets knocked over!  We admired each others shoes, we shared birth stories and we complained about our husbands total refusal to ‘flick out’ the washing before hanging it on the line.

We worried about how we would deal with teen drinking in the future and promised to support each other when the time came.  We bonded over the admission that we sometimes pretend to be asleep when our husbands came to bed, even when we had been flirting and making promises during the day and how we then feign incomprehension at how we could have fallen asleep insisting that we be woken up next time.  Can you imagine waking a sleeping, exhausted mother? I’m pretty sure my husband wouldn’t go there no matter how much I insisted!

From Pinterest

Women, I think, are held together by our friendships.  We are so good at being there for each other.  We are willing to talk, to support each other and to share the load so to speak.  I just couldn’t get by without my friends and I’m so glad I took myself out of my comfort zone to make some new ones.

Do you love hanging out with your girlfriends?  What is the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you on a Girls Night Out? Which Sex and the City character are you most like?

Have fun!

mamacino x

If you like this story, you might also like to read…

Beach Walks, Brunettis and my Bffs…

Many Shades of Mother’s Day…

It Takes A Village To Raise A Child…and some blood orange sorbet doesn’t hurt either…..

My Francesca celebrated her sixth birthday on Sunday.  We had a wonderful time…the sun shone, we had lots of great food and enjoyed sharing the day with our awesome family and friends.

Miss Francesca

I am always humbled by how much love and kindness my family and friends lavish on my children, especially on their birthdays.  I think as a parent, there is nothing that moves you more, or warms your spirit more than seeing the people who are important in your life take an interest in your kids.  There is something reassuring in this.  Something that makes you feel supported, like it’s not just you responsible for this daunting task…that there are others willing to help.  Willing to be there for your children, to make them feel loved, special and that they belong to something greater, that they are part of a bigger community.

I can’t tell you how much this means to me.  How important it is to me.  How grateful I am for the village I have helping me raise my children.

From Pinterest…

And so…I feed them all.  I’m not sure I can ever repay the debt whole heartedly enough so I make them eat cake.  And pizza.  And blood orange sorbet.  I hope my love and gratitude can be felt in the food I make them, I try to put my heart and soul into it x

Blood Orange Sorbet – Dairy Free Ice-cream

Serves 4-6 in cones – you need an ice-cream maker for this recipe!

My favourite…Blood orange sorbet

What you need:

6-8 blood oranges – enough to make 2 cups of juice

1/2 cup raw sugar

What to do:

Juice your oranges using a hand juicer, (not your fancy machine one) to make 2 cups of juice.

Put the sugar in a small saucepan and add enough juice just to cover it.  Heat over a low heat until all the sugar dissolves.

Add the sugar mixture back into the juice and stir to combine.  Put in to the fridge to cool completely.

When your juice is nice and cold, put it into your ice-cream machine and do what you normally do.  It only took mine about 20 minutes to freeze.

Put your sorbet in a container with a lid and pop it in the freezer to firm up.  You might like to let it sit on the bench for about five minutes before you want to use it.

Enjoy in a cone or a cup…it’s tangy, fizzy and totally delicious!

How do you celebrate birthdays in your family?  Is it an ‘all in’ affair? 

Happy Birthdays and as Frankie says…Have fun and get dirty!

mamacino x

Apple Carrot Cup Cakes with Zesty Lemon Icing

Everybody loves a cup cake.  These Apple Carrot Cup Cakes are delicious and wholesome and the Zesty Lemon Icing is a treat.

Pretty and delicious...

Yesterday, an old school friend of mine called in for a visit with her two gorgeous boys.  They have been living in New York for some time but are contemplating the move back to Australia.  I think being closer to family and the need for more space (we all know how much space little boys require!) might be motivating them.

It’s funny how children can completely change your priorities and your lifestyle…family becomes more important and you find yourself socialising with them…and enjoying it!  We discover that ‘having it all’ actually means ‘doing it all’ and living simply is so much more rewarding.  Good friendships are valued and nurtured through support, love and a fair trade in child care.  We find out we will do anything for our kids to be happy and healthy…even if it means making a few sacrifices.

Watching my friends two little “New Yorkers’ play in my backyard with their new Aussie mates was delightful.  Kids are kids around the world.  We had a lovely afternoon catching up on news, eating cup cakes and drinking champagne (us, not the kids!).

I really love this recipe because not only are these cup cakes moist and light and just sweet enough, they are also dairy free and a little lighter on the sugar and oil than some traditional carrot cake recipes.  Give them a go…they are delicious as an afternoon treat.

Aternoon Tea, anyone?

Apple Carrot Cup Cakes 

From Karen Fischer’s Carrot Cake Recipe in Healthy Family, Happy Family.

Makes 8

What you need:

1 cup wholemeal plain flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp bi-carb soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup Rice Bran Oil

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups (about 3 medium carrots) carrot, grated

1 large green apple, peeled and grated

What to do:

Pre heat your oven to 150 degrees celcius.  Line a muffin tin with paper cup cake cases.

Combine flour, sugar, bi-carb, baking powder and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.  Stir in the eggs, oil and vanilla and beat well.  Add in the carrot and apple and mix through.

Spoon the mixture evenly into the cup cake cases and bake for 25-30 minutes.  The cup cakes will be firm to touch and a skewer inserted will come out clean when they are ready.  Cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Zesty Lemon Icing:

1 cup Pure Icing Sugar

1 tsp butter (leave this out for totally dairy free)

1 – 2 tbsp lemon juice

1-2 tsp lemon zest

Mix all ingredients together until you have a firm icing mixture.  Use a spatula to spread even amounts of the icing over the cupcakes.  Decorate with a walnut if you so desire.

Enjoy as morning tea, afternoon tea or a late night snack.  They keep for a couple of days in the fridge and can be put into lunch boxes as a special treat if there are any left!

Happy Eating!

mamacino x

 

 

Beach Walks, Brunettis And My BFFs

I am blessed to have the best girlfriends in the world.  It doesn’t matter if they live five minutes from here or far away across the seas…they are always there for me, and I am truly thankful for that.

This week, I have been lucky to spend time with many of them, talking and drinking coffee (okay, and champagne) solving my problems and the world’s with a generous spirit, an open mind and a shoulder to lean on.  I have been walking in the sunshine along the beach, pouring my heart out to a relatively new friend who has become very special to me for her wisdom, kindness and her willingness to listen.  I have been cheered up by my Book Club friends over champagne, delicious cake and great conversation (not about the book, as usual).  They make me laugh so much…an awesome gaggle of girls with whom, after five years, I couldn’t do without.  And…as if it couldn’t get any better…I shared a coffee and lemon tart with my oldest school friends at Brunetti’ s in Carlton.

Latte...with love.

I love living by the beach but I am a Melbourne girl at heart so an opportunity to go SANS children for brunch in the city with my best friends is very, very exciting for me.  I blow dried my hair, dug out some bling and put on my favorite black summer dress.  Driving down Lygon Street feeling very cosmopolitan, I was flooded with memories of, dare I say it…when I was young!  The specialties of the local delis…organic sourdough breads, Italian olive oils, freshly made pasta, amazing coffee were calling to me…the energy of the place is infectious.  I even found a car park easily!  On meeting my friends we took up right where we left off last time even though it has been months since I saw them last.  With 8 children between us, we are used to talking fast and making the most of every moment.  We ate, drank, indulged and nobody got a parking ticket!  Definitely a great day out.  I left with a smile on my face and a spring in my step.  I was feeling…happy, loved and part of  a bigger picture.

These are a few of my favorite things...

Being a mum can be so busy.  You can be surrounded by people but still feel lonely.  Sometimes you just need to connect with a friend, someone who will listen and not judge.  Someone you can just have fun and laugh with.  Someone with whom, you can be 100% yourself.  I am lucky to have so many of these wonderful women in my life.  Whether they are taking my children to school for me, making time to talk or just sending a message to say ‘hey’, they mean the world to me and I wouldn’t want to be without them.

mamacino x