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

My Girl Crush and a Warming Autumn Breakfast

I would have to say that I am a girl’s girl.

Excluding my husband, I would choose the company of my favourite girlfriends every time.  I am so lucky to have a small group of really wonderful, warm and supportive female friends and I couldn’t think of anything better than joining them for lunch at a chic cafe for endless conversation, champagne and dessert! 

I also find myself with a girl crush from time to time.

For me, a girl crush is finding someone who you have so much in common with, who makes you smile and nod your head vigorously in understanding with everything they say.  Someone who you admire, who you aspire to be like.  Someone you would just love to hang around with drinking tea…even if you have never, and in all likelihood will never, meet them.

My latest girl crush is Sophie Dahl.

 

I remember Sophie Dahl from her modelling days.  She was unconventional, to say the least as a model but she seemed not to care.  She was who she was…a young woman, a lover of food and someone trying to find their way in the world.  Sophie had a love for food all her life, but not a lot of direction in how to nourish herself.  Like me, she has been on a food journey and seems to finally have found her culinary home.

Food can be so emotionally connected.  Some eat for comfort, some to celebrate, some to cure loneliness, some purely for fuel.  I think as girls, sometimes we come to rely on food to be there for us and so begins our journey, or battle, to use it and not abuse it.

Like Sophie, I have tried every way of eating there is and have settled on some sensible ideas that my grandmother probably mentioned when I was just a girl.  Eat when you are hungry, indulge a little but not too much – if you enjoy a decadent piece of cake go for a brisk walk in the fresh air to work it off and maybe settle for a lighter dinner.  Eat real food!  I can not stress how important this has become to me.  Cook with good quality, seasonal ingredients – fruits, vegetables, whole grains, good fats like butter or coconut oil, well raised meat and dairy products like real natural yoghurt, nibble on nuts, drink water.  Listen to your body and acknowledge what it requires to be nourished.  Be proud of your body, look after it and find friends who support you in doing this.  It’s more fun that way!

Breakfast Rice Pudding with Pear and Prune Compote

This recipe is inspired by Sophie’s Rice Cereal in her book Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights.  

 

Rice Pudding

Serves 2 generously

Place 1/2 cup of basmati rice, a cinnamon stick, a sprinkle of cardamom and 1 cup of rice milk in a small pot and bring to the boil.  Turn down to the lowest heat, cover and cook for around twenty minutes until soft and the milk has been absorbed.

You may need to add a little more milk as you go and stir frequently to prevent the rice sticking.

Serve warm with a drizzle of maple syrup, a big spoonful of compote and a dollop of natural yoghurt if you fancy.

Pear and Prune Compote

In a small pot add a stick of cinnamon, the peeled rind of half an orange, the juice of the orange and about 1 cup of water.

Cover, bring to a boil.

Turn the heat down low and add 5 pitted prunes, 2 cored and diced pears, two cored and diced apples and simmer until the fruit is soft, around five minutes.

Stir through a teaspoon of vanilla extract and serve with the rice pudding.

* Sometimes I puree the compote as the kids seem to like it better like that!

Are you a girl’s girl or perhaps you prefer the company of the opposite sex?  Go on, I really want to know…who is your secret girl crush?

Keep warm,

mamacino x

Feed the Kids…Speedy Fried Rice

My children have reached the age where they want to be a part of after school activities.

This is the stage in life where, as parents, we offer up any last shred of freedom we may have been clinging to and become chief timetable managers and taxi service providers.  It’s so much fun…

On top of the new skills we must acquire to co-ordinate these extra demands on our time, we must also keep on top of the old ones!  And the top of the list is, as usual…food!

On Wednesdays after school, we have swimming lessons.  After wrestling three soggy, tired children through the showers, dressing them and exiting the pool with all and sundry in tact, we arrive home starving.  I have learnt to be completely prepared for a simple and speedy dinner to avoid meltdowns and ensure we are organised and settled down in time for The Voice.

Tonight on the menu is Speedy Fried Rice.

Delicious, versatile, easy…

This isn’t a recipe as much as an idea because it will work with pretty much whatever you have rolling around in the fridge…it is especially convenient if you have some cooked brown rice or quinoa in the fridge, but if not, you can cook it up during the day.  You need about 2 cups.

(I like to soak my brown rice for about 8 hours in plenty of water with a teaspoon of whey just to make it easier to digest.)

Here’s how I make it:

• Get your wok or frying pan nice and hot.  Add a dash of coconut oil.  Crack an egg in a small bowl and beat it up a bit.  Pour into the hot wok to make a thin omlette.  Turn once, then remove when cooked through.  Roll and cut into small pieces.
• Add to your wok about two cups of diced mixed veggies such as…peas, corn, capsicum, onion, garlic, grated ginger, green beans, carrot…anything you like, or more to the point, that your kids will eat! You can even add some bacon if you like.
• Once cooked but still crisp, around five minutes, then tip in the cooked rice or quinoa.  Mix well, then add a dash of Shoyu or soy sauce.
• Serve as is, with some chopped coriander or with some grilled chicken strips.

What is your favourite speedy meal for nights when you are late home with hungry mouths to feed?

Happy Eating!

mamacino x

 

 

How to stick to your health goals…

So you want to get healthy.  

You banish processed food, go through a torturous caffeine detox which has you curled up on the couch in the foetal position for a day, you join the gym and start practising self-love affirmations.  It’s looking good.

And then you get busy, the kids get sick, you run out of fresh vegetables so give in to a take away.  This leads to a piece of cake to console yourself, maybe some chocolate and pretty soon you are swimming in a sea of guilt and self loathing.

Does this sound familiar?

Yes.

Is it productive?

No.

I will confess, sometimes I struggle living up to all of my healthy eating ideals…as demonstrated by eating the limited edition, double dipped Cherry Ripe that somehow fell into my shopping basket on the weekend.

Last Friday I was so excited to meet Kate from Summersalt Life at our local Wholefoods Cafe where we indulged in tea, vegan muffins and smoothies and talked about ways to stay true to our health goals in the long term.  Kate is very down to earth and so realistic about living a positive and healthy life by reaching your well being potential.

Lovely Kate

So…here is Kate’s advice for making long lasting changes to your lifestyle, I hope you find it as helpful as I did!

1. Make Smart Goals

A smart goal stands for setting yourself specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time friendly goals to get to where you want to go.  Being realistic about the things we want to do and knowing we can integrate them into our busy schedules makes achieving them so much easier! If you hate the gym, don’t join one!  Instead look for an activity that you will enjoy and commit to that – for me it’s yoga or just getting out for a walk with Leonardo in the pram!

2.  Be prepared

We all know that being prepared, especially in the kitchen, is a great way to keep to our healthy eating plans and make life a whole lot easier in general!  Look for a time during the week when you have the space and energy to prepare an extra meal, write up a loose food plan or do some extra shopping.  Kate says if working out how to fit in your healthy habits is a challenge, a Time Journal can be handy here.  You simple write down all the activities you engage in over a few days so you can see where you might be spending too much time unnecessarily – ahem, facebook maybe?

For me, my food week starts on a Saturday when I visit the Farmer’s Market and stock up on great produce.  This inspires me so much, I’m always happy to come home and get stuck in to experimenting with this great food.  I also love to start the week on a Monday feeling organised and in control, but as you know, I’m highly strung!  That might not be a priority for everyone!

Our Wellness Goals

3.  Stop and Reflect

If for some reason you do neglect your new (or old) ideals for health and well being (say, like, oh I don’t know…making yourself sick by eating too many Easter eggs) it’s not the end of the world!  No one is perfect all of the time but when you do feel yourself starting to slide…stop and reflect.  Think about why you might be indulging in activities that are likely to make you feel sick or bad about yourself.  Is it a time issue?  Is it emotional?  Focus on the positives and just start again.  Remember why you try to stay healthy in the first place – feeling better, looking better, having more energy – and try to guide yourself back to that frame of mind.

4.  It all comes back to Self Love

I have a wonderful friend who has a very busy and demanding job – and she is great at it!  However…she never takes time to eat her lunch, usually because she is so busy helping someone else.  This leads to feeling unwell, exhausted and rushed for time.  I am not a working mother at this point in time, but I don’t care, I’m going to say it anyway…sometimes you have to put yourself first!

Taking thirty minutes to sit, eat and breathe is not doing anyone a disservice! You deserve it and are absolutely entitled to it, if for no other reason but to maintain your stamina, be the very best you can be and continue to give so much of yourself to others.

Value yourself, make yourself a priority and know that sick and exhausted you are of no benefit to anyone (and here, I am speaking from experience).

For more of Kate’s wonderful advice and information about all things health connected, visit her website Summersalt Life   or catch up with her on facebook.

Kate is soon to be running a 14 day Kick Start Program to send you off in the right direction…check it out here.

How do you stick to your health goals?  Have you found any ways of keeping yourself firmly on the fast track to well being?  Share them with us here!

Love Life!

mamacino x

 

What on earth is in my handbag?

Today’s post is a bit of fun.

Sonia from Natural New Age Mum has got a whole lot of us together and convinced us to share the contents of our hand bags! 

Head over to her post to see what a New Age Natural Mum carts around with her and find the link ups to lots of other bloggers!

Mine is actually very boring!  I have a huge bag and have to clean it out at least once a week.  Old shopping lists, toy cars, receipts and sultanas some how end up in there…mysteriously even if no one has even been eating sultanas that week!

So…there you have it.  My phone, purse, extra shopping bag, lip balms and lip sticks, a few toys to entertain Leonardo, an emergency dummy and of course…(healthy) chocolate!

Do you think you can tell a lot about a person by what’s hiding in their hand bag?  What, do tell, is hiding in yours?

Love mamacino x

Hanging out with Gwyneth…

I love cookbooks and have quite a collection on my bookshelves, coffee table, kitchen bench…basically any spare surface in the house!  Some I use almost daily and others I just turn to for inspiration or to admire the beautiful photographs that lie within them.  The newest addition to my collection is It’s All Good by Gwyneth Paltrow.

 

I have no doubt that if Gwyneth lived in Torquay, we would be best friends.

I have felt a connection to Gwyneth since I cut my hair short in the nineties,  just like hers in Sliding Doors!  These days, I relate more to her journey towards good health for herself and her family… we have travelled a very similar path…

I love yoga, so does Gwyneth!  We both tend to get excited about extreme eating plans and share our knowledge with anyone who will listen even though secretly, we love a gooey, stinky cheese with sour dough or a good serve of hot, salty chips!  We have both found ourselves literally passing out from being run down, exhausted and not as healthy as we imagined we might be.  Our children have similar needs when it comes to food – namely avoidance of the dreaded gluten and dairy!  We both believe, wholeheartedly in Somatization…as described by Gwyneth, “the unfortunate art of turning unexpressed emotion into physical symptoms”.

I love Gwyneth’s new cookbook because it fits perfectly with where I am on my journey towards better health.  The recipes are largely gluten and dairy free calling for lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, good fats and good quality meat, fish and eggs.

The recipes are simple and easy to prepare and many are things I already make such as the roasted beetroot and pumpkin salad.  There is a chapter for children and the recipes are delicious, healthy and things my kids already like to eat such as chicken meatballs, fajitas, tacos with guacamole and popcorn.  There are great ideas to jazz up salads with delicious simple dressings and lots of ideas for juices and smoothies.  The dessert chapter is short but sweet – in a natural way – and I can’t wait to try the healthy Candy Bars!

If nothing else, It’s All Good is a beautiful book to browse through and be inspired by…of course there are lots of photos of the gorgeous Gwyneth, but I don’t mind…I quite fancy starring in my own cook book one day!

Do you use cook books daily or are they more for decoration…a bit like the ‘good’ tea towel at my place that no one is allowed to use!  Let me know your favourite so I can check it out!

Get inspired!

mamacino x

 

 

 

A little help from our friends…

One of the things I love most about being a blogger is connecting with people, all over the world, who share my interests and get excited about communicating their message about health, love, well being and life in general.  

Through mamacino, I have found an army of support, my soul sisters.  A tribe of women that are encouraging, inspirational and well, just plain helpful.  I wish I had known them when I was beginning my journey as a mother, it could have made a big difference to my experience.

Since I am focusing on well being this month, I thought I would introduce you to some of these beautiful souls because maybe, you might just find them inspirational too!

from pinterest…

Healing Hands.

Today, I would be honoured to introduce you to some amazing women doing wonderful things to help, heal and encourage mothers on their journey through life…

Alisha from Naughty Naturopath Mum and Essence Practitioner

Naturopath, Australian Bush Flower Essence Practitioner, World Traveller, Mother and all round Health Nut, Alisha’s blog Naughty Naturopath Mum is a wonderful resource for anyone wanting to inform themselves about alternative ways to create a healthier lifestyle.  Alisha creates individual, personal blends of Australian Bush Flower Essences to help people achieve mental and physical balance.

“…In a nutshell, the essences provide energetic release of stored issues that may be blocking you from achieving emotional and physical balance.  The body is always trying to reach a state of balance but due to living life with all it’s stresses and busyness, we sometimes carry the road blocks that prevent us from getting where we want to go”.

Alisha is extremely friendly and approachable so don’t hesitate to get in touch with her for more information, or drop by her facebook page just to say hi…she loves a chat!

Kelly from Dog Rose Healing

I love Kelly for her honest and open approach to everything.  She is a voice of reason and is not scared of keeping it real!  By her own admission, she is no Domestic Goddess but what she is, is amazing at what she does!  Kelly is an Energist which means she is an ”enthusiast, believer and experiencer of my personal energy field and the energy fields of others”. Also a certified Emotional Freedom Technique Master Practitioner, Usui Reiki Practitioner, Australian Bush Flower Essence Practitioner, Kelly is definitely a wonderful person to have in your tribe!

Kelly discovered working with energies helped her heal and find solutions to problems she was experiencing herself…

“Working with energies, I was also able to make changes to many emotional issues of my own, including anxiety, post-natal depression, self-concepts, relationships, pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder, and relationship issues to name a few”.

If you are interested in EFT or finding out more about what our energy can tell you about yourself, visit Kelly at Dog Rose Healing or get in touch via her facebook page.

Robyn from Overcoming Overwhelm

 

I first met Robyn through her page on facebook, Overcoming Overwhelm.

Robyn is instantly warm, friendly and honest.  She is someone to look towards for help and support – she knows everything and can always be counted on for a sensible, real and open opinion about any issue you might be having.  In terms of a therapeutic approach, Roby specialises in Kinesiology.  How can that help us?  It’s best said in Robyn’s own words…

“I am a Complementary Therapist who’s passion is for helping mums successfully juggle family, work and self without sacrificing their health in the process. As a Kinesiologist, I can pinpoint and release issues before they ‘get on top of you’”.

You can also visit Robyn at her blog, Overcoming Overwhelm, where she publishes really helpful articles about life and how to live it to your full potential.

Megan from Megan Koufos, Connecting Families with Soul

Megan is just so delightful.  She has a way of making you feel at peace no matter what chaos is running rampant in your life at the time!  She is so caring, kind and calm, I sometimes wish I could rub up against her and catch some of her energy!

Megan’s work involves helping individuals and families find their soul connection…

“I am a Family Soul Mentor and Intuitive Child Whisperer who guides mothers to create soulfully connected, peaceful and calm families while embracing their own identity. Through using my spiritual and intuitive gifts, I guide mothers and children to reconnect with their angels and spirit guides, intuition and their souls plan and purpose to live soul nourishing lives on purpose with balance, meaning and joy”.

Wow! Head over to http://www.megankoufos.com/freebies to get your free gifts or, visit Megan on facebook!

So there you have it…some of my soul sisters!  They are truly so approachable, friendly and helpful!  don’t be shy, go introduce yourselves!

So, who is in your tribe?  Who could you honestly not live without?

Love and light,

mamacino x

 

 

 

How to stress less…

School Holidays.

Don’t you love them?  Actually, I do love them…most of the time.  However, spending every moment with three inquisitive, opinionated, hungry little people can be challenging, to say the least!

I sometimes feel myself getting flustered when I’m around my children all the time.  I think it’s the noise, the talking, the questions…and the constant and persistent demands for something to eat or drink.  It’s also the demands on your time…doing this when you really want to be doing that.  Watching Cars when you really need to be starting dinner (or you know, poking yourself in the eye with a sharp stick), playing Fish instead of getting the washing off the line before it rains or finding the lost piece of Lego while your cup of tea turns cold on the bench.  I’m not even going to mention facebook.

As mums, we are always trying to do so many things at once, we have so many fingers in our spelt, organic apple pies.

It can be stressful.

And as we know, stress isn’t really conducive to creating a harmonious, happy and calm home…which we’re all striving for, aren’t we?

Recently, a quote from Eckhart Tolle caught my eye…

“Stress is caused by being ‘here’ but wanting to be ‘there’…”

This resonated with me so loudly.  This describes me perfectly.  And so, it got me thinking about living in the moment, being present.  Enjoying the ‘here’ and not thinking so much about the ‘there’.

from pinterest…

The gorgeous Brenda from Brenda Janschek Health & Lifestyle recently wrote about her lesson in accepting the ‘here’ and learning to enjoy it.  I really related to what she had to say.

“…To breathe deeply when there is nothing I can do to change a situation. Accept the moment, embrace it, enjoy it, and experience it with my entire being and not worry about anything else.”

It was a moving post and you can read more of it here.

I’m not saying it’s easy, I’m not saying it will make for smooth sailing all of the time.  I’m just saying it’s worth thinking about.

There is a lot of support now for Mums finding themselves living with stress, anxiety and emotional challenges.  I am really fortunate to be connected with some amazing women doing wonderful things to help and support families and I can’t wait to introduce you to them so hang around…

How do you find space to breath amongst the chaos of family life?  I would love to hear your tips…turning off the radio in the car works wonders for me! Sometimes it’s about the little things…please share your ideas with us…it might just make a mama’s day!

Love and Light,

mamacino x

 

Self Love…can you be bothered?

I’m going to be honest with you.

I don’t have time for all of that self love business.

I don’t dry body brush myself before every shower because, well, I can’t be bothered.

I can’t stand in front of the mirror and look deeply into my own eyes and tell myself I’m beautiful without grabbing the tweezers and plucking out a few stray eyebrows.

I’m sure I would benefit from an hour of yoga and meditation every morning but that would mean getting up at 4am!

And green smoothies…honestly, green smoothies make me bloated.

from pinterest…

Recently I was talking with a friend about food.  This friend, who happens to be beautiful, successful, intelligent and fun was embarking on yet another eating plan in an attempt to lose weight, get control of her life, whatever.

Then it hit me.  And, I said to her..

until you love yourself the way you are, you will never achieve these crazy goals you keep setting for yourself.  Just let it be.  You are beautiful, you are strong.  Just let it be.

When I started thinking about self love, I realised it reaches far beyond lighting a candle and repeating some affirmations.  I realised, it is different, for different people.  And isn’t that the whole idea…having the confidence to choose what it is that makes you feel amazing and then doing it.

I advise friends not to put off doctors appointments when they feel something isn’t right and I follow this advice myself.

I praise my daughter for listening to her body when she turns down a snack she knows will make her feel unwell and I am learning to do the same.

I have an opinion and I’m not afraid to voice it.

I am so much better at saying no to anything that will create stress or discomfort in my life.

So, for me, self love is about making choices.  The right choices that come from my heart, show that I respect myself and others and lead to a place of well being and happiness.

Because I deserve it.  And so do you.

from pinterest…

This month, I have dedicated to my own well being.  I am going to be exploring lots of different ways of achieving health and happiness in ways that are meaningful to me.  I’m going to share what I learn with you in the hope that it inspires you to follow your own path to well being.  Whether that includes dry body brushing or not will be up to you…but it certainly may involve a radical new haircut!

Love and Light,

mamacino x