Bear With Me

Here we are in the depths of winter…it’s cold, it’s wet and I’m hibernating!  I’m spending lots of time at home and well, there’s not much news to report…but I miss you all so much so I thought I’d let you know what I’ve been up to while I’ve been taking this little blog hiatus…

Ouch…

Last week I did my back!  I swung Leonardo in spectacular style from the ground up onto my hip and my sacrum and pelvis decided 1000 times was enough and gave out!  I was all lopsided and in pain!  I am so lucky my beautiful Mum was here visiting us because I never would have coped without her support.  The last time I aggravated my back was in Italy while piggy-backing Frankie up some stairs…us mums…we think we are invincible!  Unfortunately, we are not.  I am now thinking about committing to some serious Pilates to strengthen my poor, worn out body…anyone tried it? What did you think?

This is me practising yoga while I’m hibernating…

What I’ve been eating…

I have been a little relaxed with my eating habits this past week or so…it doesn’t help that my Mum brings me home Limited Edition Cherry Ripes (which I LOVE)…apparently they are 60% cocoa and so are very good for you…well, this is what my Mum says, so I’m not going to argue!

I also recently made a delicious Artichoke Dip from Heidi Swanson’s amazing Vegetarian Cooking blog, 101 Cookbooks and these healthy Muffins from my absolute Foodie Hero Sarah at My New Roots.

And for a special morning tea…this tasty Carrot Cake was on the menu.  The recipe is from Guy Mirrabella’s stunning cook book, Hungry.

The Mascarpone Icing was to die for…

What I’ve been reading…

I have been keeping up with all of my favourite blogs…and am especially loving DelveSpot.  Lucie writes so beautifully about life, love and happiness, she is an inspiration.  Go and say hello if you get the chance.

Through DelveSpot, I was able to connect to Amy Kessel.  Amy is a Transformative Life Coach and her website has a wealth of information and inspiration for those of us trying to follow our dreams and uncover our paths.  I worked my way through Amy’s Brilliance Guide which is a series of thought provoking exercises designed to tease your dreams and goals from deep inside your mind…and it worked!  I can now tell you exactly what my dream is…in fact, I think I will…

To travel the world learning about food and culture and write about it…

Simple right?  I intend to get started on it right away…stay tuned!

Plans for mamacino…

I admit, my tech savviness leaves a lot to be desired….however…I am working on a new look for mamacino.  I love a change so I’m really excited about this makeover…I hope to be bringing it to you soon.

I  flirted with the idea of parting ways with mamacino but your beautiful kind words and support have inspired me to continue.  mamacino will continue to be a place for honesty, love and laughter with a focus on health and happiness and support for women of all ages and walks of life.  I will keep bring you stories from my life that I think you might relate to or get a giggle out of and some new and improved healthy, simple recipes and food ideas.  As always…I love to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to let me know if there is something in particular you would like to see featured.

So…how about you?  What have you been up to lately?  Drop me a line and fill me in, I’d love to hear!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Love mamacino x

Feed the Kids – Delicious Fruity Spelt Muffins

Delicious Fruity Spelt Muffins are perfect for breakfast, morning tea or a lunch box snack.  Dairy free and made with spelt flour, they are easier on little tummies (and big ones too) are sweet and tasty without the use of refined sugars and are full of fruity goodness.

Spelt Muffins with Pear, Dates and Walnuts….

Is anyone else missing summer fruit?  I am!  I LOVE having berries with breakfast every day but I’ve noticed the organic strawberry lady hasn’t been at the Farmer’s Market for a few weeks and the strawberries in Woolies are $7 a punnet!  Never mind, we always have our wonderful Autumn fruits to devour.  Apples, pears, bananas…they all lend themselves wonderfully well to baking and especially well to my favourite…muffins!

This recipe is adapted from my new favourite foodie blog, Whole Promise.  It is a delightful resource with wonderful, healthy recipes that the whole family will love.  For the original recipe, see here.

I used pear and date puree for my muffins but you could use any fruit you like…apples, bananas, pineapple, just to name a few.

Spelt Muffins with Pear, Dates and Walnuts

Makes 7-8 medium sized muffins

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups of spelt flour

1/2 cup ground walnuts (ground to a small crumb in the food processor)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bi-carb soda

Wet ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup pear and date puree (or your own favourite fruit puree)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup rice milk

What to do:

Heat your oven to 180 degrees celcius and line a muffin tray with muffin cases.

Combine your dry ingredients in a bowl.

Mix your wet ingredients together in a seperate bowl.

Add wet to dry and stir gently until just combined.

Spoon the mixture into muffin cases and bake for 20 minutes.

Leo looking a bit worried about his chances of getting a second muffin!

Cool a little before digging in…these are SO lovely when still a little warm…you could even have them with a little yoghurt and extra fruit puree for a delicious breakfast treat.

Do your kids love a sweet treat?  Be sure to let me know what you think of these yummy delights.

Enjoy,

mamacino x

 

Celebration or Consolation?

My middle child started school this week.  It’s certainly been quiet around here.  Yep, just me and the baby…and he can’t talk yet so he doesn’t really count.

I must say, I’ve had mixed emotions.  I mean, of course I have been looking forward to it but there were times over the holidays, which were such great fun, that I even considered what it might be like to home school…okay, only for for about five seconds, but anyway…you kind of get used to having your kids around and I guess it’s natural to miss them once they move on to bigger and better things.  Maybe that’s it…the moving on.  Coming to the realisation that your children have begun a new chapter of their lives…one that sees you in less of a starring role perhaps.  They are growing up and that is bound to cause a bit of, what? Grief?  Sadness?  Longing for the past?

What are you….CRAZY?

My advice is to remember the old times with fondness and an appropriate degree of repressed memory and make yourself a big fat muffin as a reward for all the hard work you’ve put in during the pre-school years.  That’s what I did!  Cheered me up completely.  There are so many wonderful things to look forward to in the future, a bright, exciting and positive school experience for you kids included.  If that doesn’t work, make an appointment to get your legs waxed and see how enjoyable it can actually be without a thousand questions from your savvy kinda-kid!

Real Muffins

Okay, muffins are a sometimes food, I get it.  But these ones are the bomb.  This is Jude Blereau’s recipe and if you are interested in cooking with whole foods, you should take a look at her website www.wholefoodcooking.com.au and blog for some fantastic ideas and recipes.

Need consoling...these will do the job nicely.

Ingredients note: The better the ingredients you use, the better your muffins will taste.  If you can, use organic, whole ingredients and cut out the white stuff.  Your body and your taste buds will thank you!

Topping:

1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds but macadamias, hazelnuts, brazil nuts…whatever you have on hand).

2 tbsp Rapadura or raw sugar

2 tbs dessicated coconut

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup plain flour (or spelt flour)

1 cup wholemeal flour (or wholemeal spelt flour)

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup Rapadura or raw sugar

Wet Ingredients:

1 egg

1 tsp natural vanilla extract

80gm butter, melted and cooled

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup natural yogurt

400 gm fruit of your choice (I used peaches and raspberries…delish!)

What to do now:

Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees, line or grease your muffin tin, chop your fruit and prepare your topping.

Put the dry ingredients, including the fruit (except berries, put those in at the end) in a bowl and give a good whisk to get rid of any lumps and bumps (if only it was that easy!)

Put the dry ingredients into a jug and give them a good whisk too.

Add the wet to the dry and mix gently until just combined.  Spoon in to your muffin tray and top generously with the topping.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until golden and cooked through when tested with a skewer or a dry piece of spaghetti.

Cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then pop them on a cooling rack to cool just long enough to demolish one without burning your tongue!

Best enjoyed with a cup of tea while relaxing and reading Sarah Napthali’s Buddhism for Mothers of School Children (but that’s a whole other post entirely!).

Enjoy!

Sensational Super Snackbox Ideas

The holidays are, sadly, coming to an end.  It’s time to start the de-holidaying tasks…removing the tonnes of sand and sunscreen from the house and car, washing  and conditioning beach hair and de-tangling dread locks, labeling EVERYTHING from school uniforms to drink bottles with black permanent texta (I have no luck with those iron on labels!) and of course, making school lunches.

There are lots of magazine articles, books and blogs dedicated to creating the perfectly nutritious school lunch box but what’s most important, is that you pack food your kids will eat.  As a teacher and a mum, I know how vital it is for children to get the right fuel for their busy day.  If kids are hungry or too hyped up on junk food, they won’t engage in learning, if they don’t engage in learning they won’t enjoy school.  If kids don’t like school, they might drop out, find an inappropriately older boyfriend, get a tattoo, fall pregnant…HOWEVER… don’t despair!  This can be avoided simply by packing one or all of the following snacks in their insulated bigger-than-them lunchboxes and sending them off with love.

Hummus with Dipsticks

I know everyone knows how to make hummus but here is how we do it.  It’s super easy, healthy and very, very versatile.

Yum...

1 can organic chickpeas, well rinsed

2 big tbsp natural yogurt

juice of half a lemon

1/2 clove of garlic

sea salt and freshly ground pepper if desired

1. Put all the ingredients in the food processor and whiz until blended to the consistency you like.  You can add a couple of teaspoons of water if you like it a bit smoother.

2. Serve with whatever your children like…chopped apple, carrot, celery, broccoli, pita crisps, rice biscuits or spread it on sandwiches and wraps in place of butter.

3.  Spinach Pesto is really delicious as a dip too!

No Bake Muesli Slice

Inspired by Karen Fischer’s Moreish Muesli Slice in her book Healthy Family, Happy Family.

If you don’t have time to bake, try this yummy slice.  It’s chewy and soft and full of the goodness of super foods oats and seeds.

Great as a breakfast alternative too!

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup preservative free dried apricots

1 cup pitted dates

1/2 cup mixed sunflower and pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup linseeds

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 – 1 cup fresh orange juice (about 1 orange)

coconut for sprinkling (optional)

1. Put everything in the food processor (except the coconut) and whiz until the mixture sticks together.

2.  Line a slice tray with baking paper and press the mixture in, using the back of a spoon to smooth it down.  Sprinkle with a little dessicated coconut.

3.  Put in the fridge for at least an hour and then cut into squares with a sharp knife.  Store in a container with baking paper between each slice in the fridge.

Energy Muffins

Makes about 16 medium sized muffins

Everyone loves muffins and I think it’s okay to include a sweet treat in the lunch box – especially when you have made it yourself.  These energy muffins have lots of goodness and they freeze well too.  Just pop one straight from the freezer into the lunch box and they will be ready to eat by recess!

Great fuel for little bodies on the go...

1/2 cup raw castor sugar

2 cups plain wholemeal or wholemeal spelt flour

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup sultanas (optional)

2 cups grated carrot

1 cup grated apple

1 cup dessicated coconut

2 eggs

1 cup Rice Bran Oil (or 1/2 cup Rice Bran Oil and 1/2 cup natural yogurt if not dairy free)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1.  Sift flour, sugar, cinnamon and baking powder into a large bowl.  Add sultanas, carrot, apple and coconut and mix to combine evenly.

2.  In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, oil, yogurt if using and vanilla.

3.  Add the wet to the dry ingredients until just combined.

4. Spoon into your greased or lined muffin tin and bake at 180 degrees celcius for 25 minutes, or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

5.  These are great for mums too!

More ideas…

Choc Nut Balls , Really Easy Banana Bread and Pesto, Chicken and Ricotta Rolls are also great snacks to include in a healthy lunch box.

I hope these recipes have given you some inspiration and you have luck with your little ones going healthy.  If you like what you read, please feel free to follow mamacino by adding your email address in the space on the right side bar and please be sure to let us know if your children eat the broccoli with their hummus and we will nominate you for the Mother of the Year award!!

mamacino x