A very late lunch for three special chaps.

My lovely nephews are visiting again. Every time we see them, I am aware of my little almost-three-year old growing inches in height and knowledge and skills. He absolutely idolises his big cuzzies, and his hero-worship seems to be contagious. Emily has learned to say her cousins' names, as clear as a bell. In fact, they were the first words out of her mouth this morning.

This was their late lunch today- late, because they'd been busy playing at the local park all morning. This looked so yum. And let me tell you, it was. I know, because the grown ups ended up eating the kids' lunches as the little guys were too busy scootering and generally having fun to pause for something so inconsequential as food! 

Ham and a mix of vintage cheddar and Parmesan cheese with a mild organic tomato chutney on multigrain bread, topped with strawberry skewers. 

First Birthday - a picture post

My little girl has just turned one and we marked the occasion with not one, but two, celebrations. A girl only hits her onesie once, right?!

Both of her cakes were gluten free, colour free and made with loads of organic raspberries. 

This cake topper is actually a vase that belonged to my baby girl's great, great grandmother (another Emily). 

We were able to source "Emily" champagne for the occasion and it was delicious and bubbly!

We are blessed with just absolutely the loveliest friends in the world.

Kiddie snack baskets: for the smallest guests in attendance.

I love birthdays. I love celebrating. I love family time. I loved every minute of BOTH parties! 

Pâté for beginners (that would be me).

Confession number one. I've never eaten pâté. Not once. Despite having grown up with a pâté-loving and pâté-making mama, and, in recent years having worked with the pâté queen of Australia, I've never been tempted to sample even a spoonful. As a child, I think I just found the smell too rich and robust. As a grown up, the hangover from my years as a vegetarian leave me with an unshakable distaste for, well, animal organs. I know. It's a little hypocritical to eat one cut of chook and not another, but personal preferences are just that- and my preference is for- not liver. 

Confession number two. I have a tendency to indulge my neurotic worrying side. I try really hard to be more like my husband, who is calmness personified, but when it comes to my kids, I just can't fight it. So, at my daughter's twelve month check up, when the doctor announced that my little one is on the fifth percentile for height and weight, a shift from where she has always tracked on the 25th percentile, I began to chew my lip and analyse this development. Or lack thereof. Was she eating well? Was my milk ok? Was she allergic to something? Had I somehow stunted her? I stand not-so-tall at 5 foot 2. My grandma was 5 foot 1, if that. Shortness- not so hard to understand. 

Nonetheless, to reassure myself that both kids are getting their absolute max of protein, I ordered some free-range chicken livers into a local butchery, then eyed them off in my fridge, nervously, and with disgust, until my mum arrived, placed a wine in my hand, and gave me the encouragement I needed to (I can't believe I am typing this) begin picking off the membranes and slicing off any fatty tissue and black spots. Seriously. I was initially the most grossed out I have ever been in my life. More grossed out even than when I peeled my first Ox tongue. Or when I clean out the fish tank (slimy water and fish wee, ewwwww!). After the first four or so livers though, I actually started to enjoy the silky feel of them.

Would I rush back to the liver pan and make another batch of pâté? I am afraid I am going to have to. Little miss One devoured this with gusto. She shunned the bread I served it on (just baked organic wholemeal) and preferred to ingest it pure, just spoonful after spoonful. We had to cut her off so as not to overwhelm her on the first liver outing. Recipe coming soon. 

Breakfast

Whipped up a tray of these little guys for my fussy two year old's breakfast. Spread with butter, fresh out of the oven, and both kids got into them.

Pizza Pockets

This is a really easy lunch for a wintry day. Despite not taking time to prove, the dough is still light and fluffy. 

Preheat oven to 160'c. 

In a bowl, combine a cup of organic wholemeal flour, a heaped teaspoon of dried yeast, a half teaspoon of caster sugar and about a third of a cup of tepid water. Stir to combine then knead until springy, adding a little extra flour as needed to form a dough. 

Roll to about a centimetre in thickness, and a round diameter. Spoon in your filling- I did organic crushed tomato and slices of Swiss cheese- then fold the sides to form a pocket. Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Leave to cool before serving if your children are young; tomato becomes so molten! 

Dim-Sum for my Small-Son

Between the ages of 12 and 22, I was vegetarian. Actually, I was vegan for 6 of those years- good heavens. That seems like an impossibility now as I do love a good steak, aherm. Being vegan though really forced me to think outside the box when it came to food, and I developed an unshakable love for Asian food.  Japanese is a special favourite of mine, particularly Nasu Misoyaki, a type of miso baked whole eggplant. And don't even get me started on natto, which I hoard in my freezer and feast on whenever I crave the salty, fermented flavour. Oh yes! 

Another vegetarian go-to recipe for me was dim sum. I love them. They're a little fiddly at first, but like cold rolls or sushi, once you have got the gist, you can pump them out almost as quickly as a Vegemite sandwich. 

I made these tonight for the kids. The filling is frorganic chook thighs sautéed with diced onion and a generous teaspoon of cumin (which is sooo good for you so long as you get a good fresh source..). I realise they're not vego on this occasion- to do veggie ones, I do any combo of mashed veggies, or just sautéed onion and peas with spices to season. 

I steamed them for a few minutes, just to soften and served them solo. They're too delicious to need any sauce. My son ate four and my not-quite-one-year-old ate three. Dinner win! PS don't you love the training-wheel chopsticks?! And the teeny tiny bamboo baskets! Mmm. I'm a sucker for themed meals..

Coconut and Berry Polenta Bites (sugar free)

These are sensational, and sensationally simple. 

Gently heat organic coconut cream and half a cup of filtered water until it bubbles, tip in polenta (around a cup) and stir constantly over low heat until liquid is absorbed. Add half a cup of desiccated coconut and stir, then half a cup of berries. Incorporate gently so as not to stain the mix with berry juice. Remove from heat.

Turn out onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and flatten with the back of a wooden spoon to make a square shape around a cm thick. 

Bake at 170' for 20 minutes, remove and cool, then slice. These are just so virtuous, gluten free and tasty. Mmmm! Store in fridge (if you have any leftover). What a great alternative to coconut ice (that's all confectioners sugar and colours.)

From the "What were they thinking" files.

Presuming I wasn't hoping to steer clear, by a margin of miles, of the fairy princess brainwashing that seems to be a rite of passage for so many toddler girls, there is just absolutely no way I would buy this, or anything remotely like it.

If you can get past the marketing, so clearly aimed at small people (there are Pixar Cars counterparts to these and they were displayed in a happy little pint-sized shelving unit overloaded with disney characters), then you might be tempted to sling one into your trolley. Kids would no doubt love the fizzing and frothing; the bright colours. In fact, they might love it almost as much as their non-toxic bath toys, or the sensation of being surrounded by warm, splashy, splishy water.

But you might want to think twice about what you surround your little ones' naked body with. Skin is the body's biggest organ, and it is porous, absorbent. To be sold in Australia, products have to guarantee a certain level of safety, and I am not saying this doesn't meet it. I am sure they are safe...

But with the plethora of chemicals we are all exposed to in our daily lives, it's hard to pinpoint which product in particular is at fault, and there is a sort of credible doubt that can be relied on. Is it baby shampoo that some kids react to? Laundry detergent? Pesticides used in farming? Living under powerlines?

Well. It is a mine-field, that is true. What particularly concerns me with this happy little cocktail of chemicals you are being invited to warm and douse your child with is the inclusion of the colour Blue 1, aka brilliant blue. According to wiki, Brilliant Blue has been banned throughout western europe, though it is now legal in most countries. It is a known allergen though, and a study published in the journal "Food and Chemical Toxicology" shows that the dyes "can enter the bloodstream via the skin or through the digestive tract.... The finding is troubling because several studies show that these dyes might inhinit cell respiration."

It is a controversial study, and many oppose the findings, but this brings me back to my original thought. Why bother? Where there is risk, and no compelling reason to take that risk..... Why would you?

Oh, ps, check out the "CAUTION" label that speaks for itself... Because young kids and toddlers NEVER drink bath watr by mistake, or splash the water into their, you know, eyes. Gulp.