Who knew veggies could be so more-ish

Oh, oh, oh. These were fun. And really nice too. It's like eating those delicious crispy bits left on the pan, or the bits at the bottom of hot chips, you know you love it. I ate almost all of the first batch so had to make more. They go so well as a side to your typical meat staples.

Veggie Crispies 
Grate some veggies like:
Carrot
Onion
Potato
Zucchini
Corn
1 Egg
2 Tbs flour

1/ Mix the veggies, flour and egg in a bowl.












2/ Heat the oil on a non-stick frypan and place dollops of the mixture on the hot pan.

3/ Cook for a few minutes each side until crispy and drain on a paper towel.

Do not judge the pictures, these really are good. Enjoy x

Bring back the old favourites

Cauliflower (and broccoli) cheese. Why haven't I thought of you before? Brilliant.

So I needed to get a good dose of veggies into their day and wondered how the old cauliflower cheese would go. Remember having that as a kid? It's right up there with Tuna Mornay and Macaroni Cheese with crunchy smiths chips or breadcrumbs on top!

Anyway, rather than take you down a typical Aussie memory lane, I will just give you the recipe. So easy, and such a great concealer of veggies. The kids loved the "white stuff".

Cauliflower Cheese
500g cauliflower - cup into bite size pieces
Or any veggies like broccoli, carrots etc.
30g butter
3teaspoons flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/3 cup breadcrumbs

1/ Steam cauliflower for a few minutes until tender and place in a shallow oven-proof dish.

2/ Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add flour and cook, stirring for a minute until golden and bubbling.

3/ Add the milk, stir with a whisk until the milk boils and thickens. Take it off the heat and add half of the cheese (and some nutmeg, salt and pepper, if you like).

4/ Pour the sauce over the cauliflower. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs.

5/ Place under a hot grill until the cheese has melted and the breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Tips:
I always double the white sauce. I just never seem to have enough no matter what.

When do you go from sexy to mumsy?

When I was 19 and nannying for a young 25yr old mother. I was folding her frilly underwear when she said to me "...at 25, everything changes and it's three times harder to get back to normal. Then  you put kids in the picture and it's all over." The next week there were no more frills, but rather an 8pack of full briefs in beige, black and white. Another new-mum friend was hanging the washing when her mother lifted up a nice pair of knickers and said "Now these aren't really mum undies..." Snap. With one little comment, away went the pretty numbers and out came big bessie.

Now I admit, past a certain age things can get slightly flabbier and somewhat scaly if you're not careful,  and kids leave you no time for yourself, and a belly to tone, but does this really justify wearing these monstrosities? If we are talking comfort, especially with kids, then I understand. But gone are the days of comfort = ugly. Almsot every brand offers a very appealing range of comfortable undies in skimpy, boy leg, bikini, and a range of different colours and fabrics other than beige.

So when you are feeling the pressure to make the change, don't. Ignore the looks of disgust from your mother in law, and fight the mumsy undies I say. Oh, and it doesn't stop at undies, hold back on the tapered leg light blue jeans, being a mother does not mean having a camel toe. Surely.

I'll be back

Exam slash assessment time means I am freakishly busy. I have so many new things to tell you but oh so little time. I will be back next week with all the stories.
Ax

La la la there goes the footpath

The other day I hurt my back. Again. This time it wasn't a car ramming me up the butt, oh no, this was a typical footpath of Sydney. Here's the story... I was walking along the nice cement footpath with the pram in the leafy North Shore, enjoying the scenery, waving to the friendly postman, smelling the daisies and all that when Bam! The footpath disappeared. I un-gracefully stumbled, and then slipped, jarring my back, catching the pram just in time before it skidded out onto the road, etc. etc. Not happy. I don't understand why there are perfectly good footpaths for a few hundred meters and then suddenly they stop? Did the workmen stop for smoko and forget to continue? Did they run out of budget? Did they think no one would walk much further than that? The worst part is, when the footpath stops you are forced onto the road - the alternative is upturned tree roots, dirty, sloshy, pebbled 'bush' tracks that prams and nanny's to not cope well with. Once you're on the road you get beeped and glared at for being so irresponsible as to take a young child in a pram onto the road! The whole process turns out to be more stress than it's worth. I guess we should just sit inside all day, forget vitamin D and grow mould. Humph. Just going to put the heat pack back into the microwave now.

I'm the king of the castle

When it comes to imaginary play, not much can really top the cardboard box. After being bugged constantly for new things to do this morning, (the toy cupboard, instruments, drawing materials, cubby house and trucks were all boring) I thought I'd give this old cliche a go. We spent about an hour cutting, decorating and finalising the castles and then I left the room to see what would happen. Instead of the usual arguing the kids played better than ever and the imagination and excitement flowing out of the room was refreshing. This type of play can really strengthen many areas of development that are important to kids growth. They'll use gross/fine motor skills, creative and dramatic play and co-operative skills by working and playing with others. Not to mention they are distracted for a few good hours, and that's always a nice bonus.

If you don't have any boxes go to a supermarket and ask them for some, or for even bigger boxes go to the department stores. To make things a little more time consuming get the kids to decorate themselves, give them ideas like - towers, space ships, boats, castles, car garages or anything they are particulary in to at the time.

Here's ours, half way through decoration phase. 

One healthy piece of slice

I am not going to pretend this is a chocolate brownie OK? It is what it is. But it is damn delicious and you'll feel much better feeding it to the kids than something with triple the butter and sugar.

Apricot Muesli Slice 
2tbs honey
100g butter, softened
1/3 cup chopped dates
1/4 cup pepitas
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg yolk
2/3 cup plain flour
1/4 cup self rasing flour
1tbs custard powder
1/2 cup hot water

1/ Preheat the oven to 180, and grease 20x30cm pan, line with baking paper.

2/ Muesli - heat honey and 1/4 of the butter in a sausepan, stir until smooth. Then stir in dates, pepitas, oats, coconut, 1/2 the apricots.

3/ Base - Beat sugar, egg, and remaining butter until light and fluffy. Mix in flours and custard powder. Press mixture over the base of the pan. Sprinkle with the muesli and bake for 25mins.

4/ Combine the apricots and water in a saucepan. Cook for about 10mins or until soft, stiring continuously. Cool, then process the mixture. Spread over the cooked slice.

5/ Cool in the fridge for an hour, then cut and enjoy.

I used cranberries instead of apricots for a change, and it turned out pretty well. (See pic)

And the toy of the day goes to...

Playdough. I have a real soft spot for it. When I was a little girl I had a suitcase, think paddington bear, that I took to pre-school every day. Inside, I had my two favourite possessions - a ball of red homemade playdough that I would eat throughout the day (that explains a lot), and my bunny toy. It's the simple things you enjoy the most.

And not only does playdough keep the kids occupied for hours...at least 10 minutes...but it gets their creative minds thinking and fine motor skills working. Try making your own - it tastes better.

Playdough
(apparently it's delicious)
2 cups plain flour
4 tablespoons cream of tartar
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 cup salt
2 cups water
3 drops of food colouring

1/ Put salt, colouring and water in saucepan and heat till salt is disolved.

2/ Add the rest of the dry mix and stir until it 'doughs' together.

3/ Remove and let it cool for a min or two. Then knead it really well.

Tips:

Don't refrigerate, keep at room temp in zip lock bags. 

Mix it up with a bit of glitter or sand.

The unsuspecting winner

Today I am giving a gold star to this new-and-improved fishy rissole recipe. The kids liked it I liked it, we all liked it. Easy peasy and full of nutritious goodness. You have to try this if you are struggling to get them eating fish.

Salmon Rissoles
2 large potatoes chopped and boiled till soft
¾ cup oil
1 brown onion finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed
415g can of quality pink salmon, (no skin or bones please) drained
2tsp lemon rind
2tbs chopped parsley
2tbs chopped coriander
2 eggs
Breadcrumbs
Flour

1/ Boil the potatoes and fry the onion and garlic.

2/ Combine the potatoes, onion, garlic, salmon, 1egg, lemon rind and herbs.

3/ Create hand sized patties and put them in the fridge to cool for 30mins.

4/ Remove from fridge. Coat each one in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.

5/ Pan fry for a few mins either side till they are golden and crispy.

Tip:

I served with a salad and herb mayonnaise.

If you don’t have any salmon try tuna instead.

Buy the good salmon – it’s only about 30c more expensive and has a much softer flavour than the cheap stuff and less fishy so the kids are happy.

You know you're a nanny when you

- get peed on daily
- sing Dorothy the dinosaur in your 'I'm actually really trying' voice
- change fuck, bollocks and dick-head to fudge, ning-nong and silly-billy
- can recite 'bear hunt' without looking
- drive like a nanna
- congratulate your boyfriend on his number two's

Can we talk seriously about this pie?

It is so so so good. Really. Would I lie to you?

I went through this pie making phase, and made about 20 different types of pies. This is still my favourite, and what makes me really happy is that I tried it on the kids yesterday and they loved it. I once ate it four nights in a row and I'm still not over it.

Amazing chicken, bacon, mushroom & leek pie

(Makes 1 little pie)

1 sheet frozen ready-rolled shortcrust pastry, partially thawed

1 (115g) chicken thigh fillet, trimmed, thinly sliced across the grain

1 tablespoon plain flour

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 small leek, trimmed, halved, washed, thinly sliced

1 rasher bacon, finely chopped

50g cup mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chicken stock

1 handful of cheese

1 sheet frozen ready-rolled puff pastry, partially thawed

1/ Preheat oven to 200°C. Cut a 16cm round from shortcrust pastry. Use to line base and side of a greased 1-cup capacity, 7.5cm (base), 12cm (top) pie pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden

2/ Place chicken, flour and paprika in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Heat oil in a small non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add chicken. Cook, tossing often, for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned. Remove to a bowl.

3/ Reduce heat to medium. Add leek and bacon to pan. Cook for 1 minute or until leek is soft. Add mushrooms and stock. Return chicken to pan. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes or until sauce thickens, mix in the cheese till melted.

4/ Spoon warm chicken filling into pastry case. Brush pastry edge with water. Cut an 18cm round from puff pastry. Place over the filling. Press pastry edges together. Trim excess puff pastry. Cut a small cross in the pie top. Brush top with water and season with salt and pepper. Place pie on hot baking tray.

5/ Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Serve.

Tips:
To serve 2: Double quantity of ingredients. In step 2, cook chicken, in batches, for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned. In step 3, simmer for 5 to 8 minutes. In step 4, bake for 30 minutes or until golden.

To serve 4: Multiply quantity of ingredients by 4. In step 2, cook chicken, in batches, for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned. In step 3, simmer for 10 minutes. In step 4, bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden.

And they lived hapilly ever after

Fairytale's. Aren't they lovely? Well, no, they're sort of not that great when you think about it. This morning I was reading an old-school fairytale to two enthralled children when I realised the words coming out of my mouth weren't quite like I remembered. There is this mermaid and of course she realises she loves a man - who lives on land. So she trades her voice and switches her tail for legs. The condition is - if she doesn't win the heart of the man in a few days she will be turned into sea foam. The man tragically kisses another woman, ultimately marrying her instead. So as if watching the love of her life move on isn't punishment enough she also turns into sea foam and "floats forever miserable on the waves of the ocean".

Wow. That's really horrible isn’t it? As we all contemplated what had just happened I swiftly moved on to something a little more light-hearted. Ah Hansel and Gretel an old favourite. Hmm kids in a cage and an evil woman burned alive - screaming - in an oven. What about Jack In the Beanstalk? Oh lovely, an ogre who eats children and drinks their blood. Everywhere I looked there was gobbling children, scary foxes, poison and evil relatives. When I asked a group of mothers about this some said they didn’t read the old fairytale's to their kids anymore due to the sexist, barbaric content. This got me thinking. Imagine not knowing who Snow White was? Or What happens at midnight to Cinderella?  I spent most of my childhood happilly daydreaming about these stories. I think for a child fairytale's help clarify new emotions, inspire thought, and evoke imagination. Children relate the story’s meaning to their innocent world, rather than really understanding the words. Children don’t see the horror of a witch burning alive; they see a meanie being punished for doing something naughty – and rightly so. Fairytale's allow children to understand right from wrong, see that evil is punished, and the good generally have a happier ending. I think we should keep the tradition alive - just don’t read them right before bed, edit a few words for the little ones, and chat about the meaning when you’re done.

Not that mermaid story though. That was just horrible.
Ax

Here fishy fishy fishy

Fish are the bomb. They give us protein, minerals, vitamin B12, iodine and are low in saturated fat and contain omega-3 fatty acids. But try telling a kid that. The problem is, with all that fishy goodness comes a strange smell and fishy taste that doesn’t sit well on a sensitive little palate. So to introduce the new taste slowly I tried lots of options with varying fishy proportions. I’m not going to lie to you, not many worked but one that did was my Cheesy Tuna Mornay. As an added bonus I also found out that both canned tuna and salmon have low mercury, cha-ching! Anywho I know you don't come here for nutrition lessons, so here is my Tuna Mornay, the kids gobble it up like it was, well...chicken?

Cheesy Tuna Mornay

300g dried fusilli pasta (Or any pasta)
2 thick slices day-old white bread, crusts removed, coarsely torn
60g butter
2 tbs plain flour
2 cups milk
11/2 cups coarsely grated cheddar
1 x 425g can tuna, drained, flaked
1 cup frozen peas

1/ Preheat oven to 180°C and cook your pasta.

 

2/ Crumb the bread with a food processor.

 

3/ Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until foaming. Remove from heat. Gradually add the milk and place over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Reduce heat to low and cook for 2 minutes. 

 

4/ Add 1 cup of cheese and stir until melted. Add the cheddar mixture, tuna and peas to the pasta and stir until well combined. Spoon the pasta mixture into an ovenproof dish. 

 

5/ Combine the breadcrumbs and remaining cheddar in a bowl. Sprinkle over the pasta mixture. Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until golden.

Nothing like toilet talk for a Tuesday arvo.

I got an email asking about tips for toilet training and I thought - oh goody, my favourite. I have toilet trained about 4 kids so far - two boys and two girls, so am by no means an expert. There are people out there claiming to be 'expert toilet trainers' though, which I find quite amusing. People really do pay for anything don't they? The following are my tips that I have used each time. These may or may not help you as every child is different and there are no trophies or bragging rights for toilet training in the quickest amount of time.

Are they ready?

• Start talking about the toilet/potty and choose your words i.e. 'wee' / 'poo' and see if they respond with interest.
• Take them through your toilet routine. Seems weird but this works wonders - girls should watch mummy and boys daddy. 
• Encourage the 'grown-up' side of things.
• Talk about wet and dry. 
• If they communicate to you that they did a 'wee' or 'poo' you are in toilet training heaven.

Let the games begin.

• Stop using nappies completely during the day and invest in some fun undies - make this a big deal in a good way.
• Dress them in easy access clothes, as there's no time for fumbling.
• You'll go through a few pairs of pants a day but this is key to understanding the wet feeling.
• Continue using a nappy for sleeps but encourage them to call out if they need to go and praise a dry nappy.
• I wouldn't use punishment or anger for accidents as this will only make them feel anxious and unhappy, delaying the whole process.
• Set a timer for yourself every 20mins and gently remind them to go to the toilet/potty. Force toilet sitting will only make the bathroom feel like a punishment area.
• Praise, praise, praise. Every time. You could use stamp or sticker rewards, reducing them as time goes by. 
• Stand with them while they go, give loads of attention and make this an exciting time.
  

Other advice.

• If you have been trying for a week with no success, stop completely and try again in a few weeks.
• When I was toilet training one of the boys, we were in the middle of moving house. He didn't seem at all interested so I abandoned the mission. Once settled in the new house I tried again, with much success. The timing needs to be right; this is a huge thing for them.
• Nannies - make sure the parents are doing the same routine as you are. There should be no confusion in the child's eyes.
• If you're going for the toilet over the potty, remember that it's a lot bigger for a child. Maybe invest in a special toilet seat so there is no fear of falling in, and a footstool so they can get to it themselves.
  
• Everyone is different, but for me it took about 1 week for the child to get a real grasp of the situation and another few weeks to master it.
• Give them a while to bask in their glory, and then tackle the wiping side of things. I found those wet flush-able wipes to be brilliant for this step.

I am toilet training one lucky toddler this week, so if you've got any of your own brilliance to share, please do. And good luck! Ax

Toilet training begins next week.

Get excited, this is going to be one hell of a ride.
My tips coming soon.
Ax

Is baking for the kids making me fat?

I don't actually like baked goods that much. But I find it's one of those things that the more you have the more you want. I used to nanny for a family who LOVED home made baked goods. About 3 times a week I would be whipping out the shortbread recipe, icing a chocolate slice or rolling out a ridiculously fattening cookie dough. Now I nanny for a very healthy family, who only have very good quality healthy food in the house and NO sweets. When I first started a few months ago I would get actual sugar withdrawals at about 2pm leaving me with a pounding headache and the shakes. So now I have found a compromise. I bake, but only (semi) healthy treats - everyone is happy and hopefully I will lose some ass weight now. Please?

Banana, date & rolled oat cookies

(Recipe: Woman’s Weekly “food for fit and healthy kids”)

125g butter, softened
1tsp finely grated lemon rind
1 cup brown sugar
1egg yolk
1/3 cup mashed banana
1 ½ cups plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate soda
1 cup rolled oats
½ cup finely chopped dried dates
½ cup rolled oats extra
4 dried dates extra (chopped)

1/ Preheat oven to 180 and line 2 trays with baking paper. 

2/ Beat butter, sugar, rind and egg yolk in a bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Stir in banana, sifted flour, soda, oats and dates.

3/ Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls and roll each one into extra oats then place on trays 5cm apart.

4/ Press a piece of coarsely chopped date into the centre of each ball. Bake about 15mins and then leave to cool on trays.

must. have. chocolate. now.

Certain times of the month I crave chocolate. Too much information? I know, but we're all friends here. Am I craving it today? Yes. When this happens and I can't make it to the shops because of a sleeping child, i.e. now, I make the slice below. It's the sort of thing you can make in a hurry, baby on your hip, one bowl, a spoon and an oven. And you don't have to sit staring longingly into the oven for hours it's quick! The recipe came from my Grandma's collection and it's really divine. I would show you a picture but I already ate it, all... sorry.

Chocolate Coconut Slice
125g butter
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup coconut
½ cup plain flour
1/3 cup self raising flour
1 tablespoon of dark cocoa
1 egg

Icing
1 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon of cocoa
1 teaspoon of softened butter
1 tablespoon of milk

Melt the butter, stir in the brown sugar. Combine the buttery sugary goodness with coconut, sifted flours, cocoa and lightly beaten egg. Spread the mixture evenly over a pre-prepared 28x18cm greased pan. Bake at 180 for 20 mins or until just firm to touch (underdone is better than overdone).

Spread with icing immediately and leave in fridge to cool (or not, just eat it like I am now, num num num). Sprinkle with extra coconut - if you have time.

Get in while it's cold

It was cold-ish today so I took advantage of the weather and made my all time favourite soup. The kids ate it so fast I couldn't believe it. Try it tonight - there's still time!

My Potato and Leek soup
(Makes 6 bowls)

1 knob of butter
2 leeks
1 medium brown onion: peeled/chopped
2 cloves of garlic: peeled/chopped
2 large potatoes: peeled/diced
2 cups of chicken stock
½ cup thickened cream
Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Melt butter in pan over medium. Add leeks, onions and garlic. Saute until soft. Add potatoes stirring well. Add stock, bring to a boil and simmer partially covered, for 30 mins (or until potatoes are really soft). Put in a food processor or hand held blender and puree, leaving slight texture. Return to pot, stirring well. Bring to boil, let simmer. Add cream, Worcestershire sauce salt and pepper. Serve with crusty bread. Mmmm.

Tips
If you like it thick, only add the stock so it just covers mixture.
For pumpkin soup just switch the 2 leeks for a butternut pumpkin half.
If you want to freeze it, don’t add the cream to the mixture until you want to eat it.

Is that meat in my sausage roll?

 I have a  weakness for pastry - especially sausage rolls. So nothing annoys me more than when I resist the urge, buy them, and look inside at the meat and think, hmm what is that hard gristly thing, is that animal or vegetable and are those black things herbs? Ughh filth. So I made it a bit of a mission this week to try and make them myself. This easy recipe is the result of my weeks testing, and makes sausage rolls that are pretty healthy and so delicious. Best of all you know what's in them. The kids gobbled them up like candy and trust me, you will feel better for making them yourself. 

Allie's Sausage Rolls

- 500g quality sausage/pork/chicken or veal mince. (I used pork) 

- 1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs (day old bread) 
- 1cup of milk (soak breadcrumbs in milk)

- 3 eggs

- 1tbs finely chopped sage 

- 1tbs finely chopped basil 

- 1tbs finely chopped thyme  
- 1 carrot  (grated)
- 1 zucchini (grated)
- 1 small apple (grated, keeps mixture moist)

- 1 brown onion (grated)

- Salt & pepper

- 4 sheets of puff pastry 

- 1 tbs sesame seeds

- Tomato sauce, to lather on top 

1/ Preheat the oven to a hot 220°C and line a few trays with baking paper. 

2/ Combine all the ingredients minus 1egg and pastry then blend together in a food processor.

3/ Slice each pastry sheet in half so you have 8 rectangles and place on a lightly floured surface. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and spoon evenly down the center of each pastry rectangle.

4/ Fold one edge of the pastry over the filling, stretching it slightly as you go. Fold the other pastry edge over the top to overlap and form a seam and press down gently to seal. Turn the rolls over and place on the baking trays (seam side is down). 

5/ Cut each roll into 4 or 5 segments and make a small slits in the top (because they burst otherwise and it's not pretty). Cover with glad wrap and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.

6/ Remove from fridge. Brush the tops with the lightly whisked remaining egg, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. 

I serve these with steamed veggies/salad and tomato sauce. Enjoy. Ax

I'll have one of those baby things now please

I used to think new born babies were a bit squidgy looking, all wrinkled, blotchy and red. But ever since my best friend gave birth I feel an overwhelming urge to have one. Not only did she look utterly gorgeous pregnant, she had a natural labour that she found 'empowering' and resulted in the most beautiful baby girl I have ever seen. I have always had clucky moments and being in my mid 20's I think my body is telling me it's ready but the minute I saw this particular baby all of my senses have gone into baby overload. I can't sleep properly, I see babies - everywhere, I browse baby stores instead of DJ's and I look at my boyfriend in a different way i.e. will our kids have your nose or mine. It's sick isn't it? I used to see a baby and think he or she was cute, but then I could rationalise; 'think of the crying!', 'no more wine', 'you can't afford it'. Now my mind says; 'the smile outweighs the crying', 'I am  sooo over drinking', 'you can never REALLY afford a baby now can you?'.  And it's not just me, I know my girlfriends are all thinking the same thing when I see that glazed over look in their eyes. The moral of the story is that babies in general are cute,  but babies from best friends really are contagious and very, very dangerous. They turn a content not-thinking-about-a-baby-right-now female into a gooey maternal mess. But I think I like it.

Ax

My toddler must looooove me

Apparently if a toddler has a tantrum in front of you it’s a sign of respect. Wow. Aren't I the lucky one? I read this morning that the most trying time for a mother is when her child is around 18months old. In my experience some of the symptoms of this age group are: biting, tantrums, 'no', screaming, climbing, clawing and experimenting. However, when I look at this list I think to myself hmmm that's true those awful little monsters but at the same time I see a great similarity between  18months and 18years. When a child reaches 18years (or earlier) there is biting, tantrums, 'no', screaming, climbing, clawing and experimenting. But, there is also binge drinking, heartbreaks, drugs, sex, gatecrashing, bad circles, hormones and an ID.

I think the most important difference is that at 18months you can still pick up your child and put them in the naughty chair. At 18years they will use the naughty chair to climb out the window, over the fence, into the room of the girl next door, steal the car and drive to the pub. I think I'll take the 18month old over the 18year old thank you very much.

A shout-out to my faves

When I started this blog a few weeks ago I had no expectations. Sharing my thoughts each day has been really enjoyable, almost therapeutic, and I really love the connection with other mums and nanny's. I had a look this morning at where my readers are coming from and was thrilled to see you're from such a range of places.  Please take the time to comment or write to me as I would love to find out more about you, otherwise just enjoy the nonsense my day has to offer.

A little mention to those in, Fremont Monmouth UK, Elland, UK, Villers-ie Bouillet Belgium, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Tokyo City, Brisbane Australia, Perth Australia, Canberra Australia, and of course my home Sydney Australia.

Ax

Best apple invention ever

And you thought apples couldn't get any better! Well this little baby is one of the best things I have seen. For someone that 'prepares' many apples on a daily basis this de-core-er, skinner and slicer is a.m.a.z.i.n.g

Apple goes through and... ta daaa.

I would make a great infomercial chick.

When stuck inside make pizza... or not

So, I don't know if you heard on the news or saw for yourself but the view from my balcony in Sydney yesterday looked something like this:

This glorious dust storm covered Sydney for the best part of the day and we were urged to keep indoors. Not only that but the wind was blowing a gale, and you know what that does to kids. So I had to think of something, fast. We decided to make pizza. Look, the end result was pretty delicious but to be honest it took over 2 1/2 hours and the dough wasn't all that great.

The dough sat in a bowl with a wet towel over it for about 1 1/2 hours and didn't rise properly:

But the end result was yummy:

My verdict? The kids LOVED it. But I think they loved the concept of eating a "bad" food like pizza more than the actual pizza itself. If you have a good, fast recipe then please send it my way, but I think I'll stick to buying pizza bases and topping them myself.

Ax

Pancake Tuesday

Tuesdays are generally pretty average. It's not Monday, it's not mid week, and Friday is still so far away. I try and brighten it up a bit for the kids, and let's face it, me. Pancakes can be healthy, are always delicious and make for a fun afternoon. This recipe makes 12 so I usually halve it as they're so filling. Looking forward to Tuesdays now? Num num num num.

Pancake Tuesday
2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup plain flour
2 tbs caster sugar
2 1/3 cups of milk
50g butter, melted
1 egg, lightly whisked

Whisk all the ingredients together. Or, put them into an empty plastic bottle turn up the music and get the kids to dance and shake it around. Put some butter in a hot frying pan, pour in the mixture (about 1/3 of a cup). Cook for a few minutes, or until bubbles appear on the surface. Carefully turn over and cook for another minute.

I usually serve mine with berries and banana and a small splash of  maple syrup. Alternatively you can use lemon juice and sugar, jam, golden syrup, or honey.

Life's too short to sort socks

One thing I am really terrible at is sorting socks. I have a real inability to decipher the difference between 9month, 2 and 5 year olds socks. To make things even harder, boy and girl socks look the same - forget the days of pink and floral vs blue stripes. One day the mother I was working with pulled out all the socks and lay them out in front of me. Then she patiently explained the size, colour and shape difference. The next day, terrified of getting it wrong I came up with an ingenious plan. I sorted the laundry pairing the socks (that I can do) and while we were eating afternoon tea the kids happily sorted the socks into their piles, the person who could do it the fastest won. Sounds like a pretty standard game, but they loved it. It got me thinking about other laborious chores I could get the little ones involved with. I found many of the things I hated doing, they love! Bingo. Here are my top 5, would love to hear yours.

1-    Sorting socks
2-    Cleaning glass windows and doors
3-    Putting pillows in covers
4-    Sweeping the kitchen floor
5-    Brushing the dog

Seriously good chicken recipe

Just so you know, I do not give this recipe away lightly. It was given to me by a family whose nanny got it from another nanny - somewhere in Asia who got it from another nanny’s grandma who was given it in secret by her great aunt who was a mother of 10 children. Now you have it, you will wonder how you ever got by without it.

Honey Chili Chicken
(Serves 4)
500g chicken fillets (thigh or breast)
Plain flour
2tbs honey
2tbs corn flour
1/3 cup water
1tbs sweet chili sauce (for sensitive kids, halve the sweet chili)
1/3 cup lemon juice
2tsp soy sauce
1/2 a brown onion (finely chopped)

1/ Chop up the chicken into small pieces and coat with flour and a pinch of salt.

 2/ Heat some olive oil in a fry fan and cook the chicken until golden brown and chicken is cooked through (the trick is hot, hot oil). Put the chicken on paper towel to drain away the fat.

3/ Leave 1tbs of oil in the pan (very important there is not too much oil as honey will not froth). Dollop in the honey and stir continuously for 1min. The honey should bubble and foam, the foamier the better but be careful not to brown/burn it.

4/ Next, combine the onion, cornflour, water, chili sauce, lemon juice and soy sauce and add it to the honey. Stir it in and in the next few minutes the mixture should boil and thicken into sticky gluey goodness.

5/ Add the chicken and stir to coat. Here you can also add veggies such as, corn, peas, broccoli, carrot.

Serve with rice, cous-cous or Asian noodles.

My mouth is watering at the thought. So enjoy, and only pass on to those you love
Ax

Overworked and underpaid?

Begin rant. I know a nanny that works with 4 kids, 5 days a week, 9hours a day. She tries to look after all the kids and give them the best life possible, while juggling 6 loads of washing a day, folding, ironing, vacuuming, baking, making the beds inc. parents, she cooks the whole fam a nutritious dinner, does the school run, bakes birthday cakes, walks the dogs, monitors home work, etc. etc. etc. She gets paid $16.50 an hour, no holiday pay, no sick leave, no praise, bonus or sincere thanks. When she asked for a pay rise, she was refused, why? Because there is always another nanny out there who will work that hard for that money. When you think about it, nannies can be the most important, influential people in a child's life, and often have more one-on-one time than the parents do. In that case wouldn't parents want to keep them happy? Shouldn't parents pay them a proper wage, and give them a paid well deserved holiday so they return fresh and positive? I've had a few emails about this, and it's shocking to hear so many nannies are overworked and underpaid, feeling lonely, isolated and unappreciated. I am one of the lucky ones, with fair, grateful parents and gorgeous kids. But I have been to the dark side too. Nannying can be one of the most rewarding jobs, and the right nanny can make the world of difference for a hard working family. The demand for a good nanny is becoming greater every day, so I think there should be a demand for parents who respect the profession and keep things fair. A good nanny is worth their weight in gold, not $16.50. End rant.

Bacon & Mushroom Risotto...tick!

I'm feeling really happy about myself today. The risotto went down a treat, the only downside was that I had to hand pick out the mushrooms for miss 2. It is great to freeze in small portions, and if you're really struggling, put a dollop of tomato sauce on the side. Oh, and you need white wine for this one, so might as well have a sneaky glass for yourself. Cha-ching!

Bacon & Mushroom Risotto
2 tbls olive oil
30g butter
1 onion
4 rashers of bacon, sliced
2 cups arborio rice
4 cups chicken stock
Decent splash of white wine
2 cups of mushrooms
Half cup of cheese

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan (those big electric fry pans are brill for this). Add onion and bacon, cook for a few mins. Stir in the rice and cook over a medium heat for 5mins or until the rice gets a bit of colour, stir frequently. Add the splish splosh of wine and pour yourself a glass too, then simmer to absorb the liquid. Keep stirring. Add the stock, one cup at a time, let the rice absorb the stock before adding more. Add the mushrooms with the second cup of stock. I almost always need more stock/water. Once the rice is done turn off the heat and stir in the cheese, salt and pepper. Delish.

Feel free to add another cup of veggies i.e. brocolli, carrot, corn if you aren't keen on mushrooms, and I usually add cooked chicken pieces to bulk it up a bit.

Bon appetit mon enfant!

Making dinner every night for kids takes the cake for being the most challenging part of the day, depending on a) the fussiness of the little angel and b) range of cooking skills, i.e. making the healthy taste delicious. Finding a repertoire of recipes that the small people love would make my day a lot easier. So, every time I cook something that makes the kids (and parents) squeal with delight, or in fact they simply eat it without force, it will get a special mention here. Easy on the food presentation critique, this isn't Masterchef.
Ax

Do you have a baby in your tummy?

Asked an adorable 5 year old. And it's a really cute question if you're pregnant. But I'm not. Maybe I had been exhaling, and my top is baggy boho, right? I decided to let that one slide until her comments of my 'black and yellow' hair, 'soft arms' and 'stretchy-eye-skin' tipped me over the edge. I dealt with the personal attack calmly and maturely, cancelled the afternoon activities, stomped out of the room, and served brussels sprouts on spinach mash for dinner.

The thing is, her comments did get me thinking. Are children the answer to providing brutal honesty to our inane questions? Imagine taking a child shopping and asking 'does my bum look big in this?', 'is this penny pirate costume any good?', or 'did daddy's mummy really say I was a terrible cook?'. The answers we have been fighting for from our boyfriends, husbands and girlfriends can be simply provided by the little ones we love.

But then again… maybe I'm not ready for the truth just yet.

Not another blog

Well, hopefully not.
I am for nanny's, mums, dads, soon-to-be mums, friends of mums, anyone who looks after the little people. More to come.