Let's focus on the lunchbox....Gannets and Grazers

Now let me preface this by saying I am no lunchbox veteran.  My 'lunchbox training' was when Eloise started school last year and we regularly go on day trips with our lunchboxes.  I bought about twenty-two lunchboxes last year (Ok a slight exaggeration but not as much as you think, maybe halve that...)

With a lot of trial and error I've found what works for us.  Every family is different but I thought I'd share with you my observations from some two extremes of my family.

The Gannet.
This would be Eloise.  Given the opportunity she would eat all her lunch at recess... or on the way to school.   My gannet loves everything sweet and needs variety, but she's pretty reliable when it comes to bringing home an entry lunchbox.  Bless my gannet.
Gannet Pros/Cons
Pros:  Will eat everything
Cons:  Gets lunchbox envy

Laura I'm sure will fit into this Gannet category, but I expect she won't get lunchbox envy as she's pretty affable.  She's a bit of a chatterbox so I'm expecting that the reason she may not finish her lunch is because she was too busy socialising.  She will learn to eat at the prescribed times pretty soon though when she's starving at end of school time.

Now, my other category:
The Grazer

This is the child who is always last to finish their dinner, has a short attention span with food and it's got to be things they like.  Luckily my grazer likes most things but with school starting I know I'm going to struggle to get her to eat everything in her lunchbox.

Pros/Cons of a Grazer

Pros:  Will eat when they get home if you don't manage to get enough food into them during the day

Cons: can be listless or have concentration problems at school due to lack of enough food in system

What to do?

With a Gannet  - here's my tips

• Compartmentalised lunchbox - helps them resist the temptation of eating everything at once and sets a bit of a boundry - i.e. this one for playlunch, this one for lunchtime.  I have bought two for this year:

Fit and Fresh - has a 'freezie' component in the middle and two snackboxes.  This one I think will be best for Laura.  A gannet, who likes to talk.  Not too many compartment but firm boundaries on what to eat (i.e. 1 compartment for feed-a-reader, 1 for playlunch, one for lunch.

And also this Boxy one.  I have a feeling this will be the one the best for Eloise - boundaries with lots of variety.

• The occasional treat - I don't mean a lollipop or a chocolate bar but something packaged or a jellybean or two.  This I have found has helped with lunchbox envy.
• Variety.  Variety in all lunchboxes of course but I've found with my gannet giving variety can allow them to savour and actually look at and appreciate what they are eating.. also something that might take a little longer to eat too can help.
• Eloise's favourite lunchbox would be something like:  Macaroni slice, yoghurt, box of sultanas, a little popcorn and homemade mini muffin.

With a Grazer - this has worked for me

• high protein/quick snack foods.  Like boiled eggs, mini quiches,  yoghurt, cubes of cheese, hommous and carrot sticks, sushi.
• Not a lot of the one thing - i.e. half a sandwich and lots of 'bits' like dried fruit, fresh fruit cut up.
• Compartmentalised lunchboxes works well but not too many bits to open - tupperware one is best

• Olivia's favourite lunchbox would be half a sandwich, cut in half (I.e. two quarters) some grapes, some yoghurt, a few cheese cubes and some water crackers.

Now let's not forget the drinks!  I have some of those wonderful Cheeki BPA free Stainless Steel bottles.  I find they keep everything cold a bit longer than conventional drink bottles.  Pop them in the night before... now if you can't get your child to drink all their water in a day, maybe just pop a bit of juice in the bottom like you would cordial.  Works for me on hot days.

Of course not everyone is lucky enough to have such good eaters, even if they do have different eating styles.  I found some great information over at Kate di Parma's site (she's a nutritionist with school kids like us) the Ultimate Lunchbox  especially in regards to fussy eaters.

So what do you have?  A Gannet or a Grazer?

Psst: Come back this afternoon, I have a fun giveaway!

                                                                                                                   

Sunday baking project - Australia Day Damper!

Can't believe it's taken me two years to put this up with all the bread I've made and simple, easy recipes I like to share - but there you go - it's finally here.

Really, along with Irish soda bread it doesn't get easier than this with bread - of course the best way to eat damper is with lashings of butter and vegemite.   The girls like to help making this and I daresay there will be few dampers on the table at my Australia Day gathering... what about you?


Ingredients:

3 tablespoons (75g) butter
2 cups self raising flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 cup milk


Method:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees c.

Put all dry ingredients into a bowl with the butter

Mix well and then rub butter in with your fingers until you have a breadcrumb-like consistency

Should look a bit like this...

Slowly add the milk 1/2 at a time, mix through until you get a lump of dough. 

Grease a tin or pan with canola oil or butter and then plop your dough onto a floured surface, knead a little (no longer than a minute) until it comes together

Fold into disc (I put a little ball on top but you can do whatever you like - shape it like Australia perhaps!?)

Brush with a little more milk

Pop into the oven for about 40 minutes, until golden brown on top.

What have you got planned for Australia Day?

Next week is back to school week at Frills in the Hills - what do you want to see?

It's not often I let you know too far in advance what's going on but I thought I'd put your mind at rest to let you know that next week there will be a few giveaways, a few lunchbox recipes, a checklist and some dress rehearsals happening here!

Given the fabulous response to my facebook question this morning I'm seeing a lot of you have little ones starting big school this year and some even starting kindy and high school - I'm guessing there will be a few kleenex going in the shopping trolley next week!?  (Not limited to myself my twins start big school too this year)

So what would you like to see up here next week? Any tips, checklists, recipes - anything!?


(don't you love the image too? It's from here)

Winners: 2nd Birthday Giveaways

Wow, what a week that was!! Thanks again for entering all the giveaways, sharing Frills on facebook and twitter and just for supporting me!

I love blogging and connecting with you all on a daily basis, whether it be here, twitter or facebook - it's like having an extended bunch of friends I can chat food, kids and life!

Without any further ado here are the winners of the giveaways - Mr Random generator chose them for me - my spreadsheet was BIG!

If you are a winner, please email me your postal address and we'll arrange your prize to get to you! There were so many entries, I truly was overwhelmed by the response and I'd love to give prizes to all of you !
(An aside---there's some new giveaways happening next  week I can't believe I'm doing so many at the moment!)


Winner of Giveaway One:  Message in a cookie
Mumof4


Winners of Giveaway Two:  Lady Jane Accessories
Dannii
Penelope
Becky


Winner of Giveaway Three:  One Years Donna Hay Subscription
Mummy_Chelle


Winners of Giveaway Four:  Enamel Cookie Cutter sets
CamillaS
Genine Stubbings
Claire
Helen
Sara


Winner of Giveaway Five:  Little Billies Routine Chart
Shell

Winners of Giveaway Six:  One Planet Cake Book and rx Queen colourings
Planet Cake book:  Catherine
Colourings: Megs , Kym, Katie, Jodie

Winners of Giveaway Seven:  3 x Lego Creationary Games
Gemma
Farmers Wifey
Tash



[image credit]

A guide to staples: My pantry masterlist DRY GOODS

You can all thank Merrill for this post as I've been meaning to (and promised a few of you) it a while ago and she finally kicked my butt into gear.

I'm going to list everything I consider a staple in my pantry. I add things depending on a certain recipe but at any given time, this is what you would find.  I will add to this with sauces, condiments and of course, herbs and spices in the coming weeks.

Of course if you are vegan, vegetarian, gluten intolerant or eat from a certain culture or have certain intolerances this of course will be different..  But call me a lacto-ovo-carnivore who loves to bake! (I eat just about everything!)


Pulses, grains and pasta

• Dried soup Mix
• Dried split peas
• Dried yellow peas
• Dried lentils
• Dried barley
• Arborio rice (risotto rice)
• Sushi rice
• Brown rice
• Long grain rice
• Quinoa
• Spaghetti/Fettucine
• Penne/Spiralli/Farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
• Sesame seeds
• Rice paper
• Noodles (2 minutes, hokkein, whatever!)

Stocks/powders

• Salt reduced chicken stock powder
• Beef stock powder
• Vegetable stock powder
• Chicken noodle soup mix
• French onion soup mix
• Powdered whole milk
• Custard powder
• Gravy powder
• Cocoa powder
• Coconut milk powder

Breakfast Cereals

• As you like - but we always have Cheerios, corn flakes, rice bubbles and weetbix on the go

Flours

• Plain bakers flour
• Tipo 00 flour (for pasta)
• Self raising flour
• Wholemeal flour
• Gluten free plain flour
• Rice flour
• Cornflour
• Semolina
• Polenta

Sugars

• Brown sugar
• White sugar
• Caster sugar 
• Raw sugar (I love raw caster sugar too)
• Icing mixture or Pure Icing sugar (I usually have both)

Other baking and cooking bits

• Bicarb soda
• Baking powder
• Cream of tartar
• Gelatine
• Vanilla extract
• Vanilla beans
• Parisian essence
• Rosewater essence
• Peppermint essence
• Food colourings
• desiccated or shredded coconut
• Choc chips
• 70+% cocoa chocolate
• Jelly crystals
• Pappadums
• Corn chips/tacos

Dried Fruits

• Apricots
• Figs
• Dates
• Sultanas
• Currants
• Cranberries
• Mixed fruit (mainly at Christmas)

Nuts:

• Pinenuts (raw)
• Almond meal
• Slivered almonds
• Hazelnuts (raw)
• Pistachios (raw)
• Walnuts (raw)
• Pecans (raw)
• Peanuts (raw and salted)
• Cashews (raw)
• Macadamias (raw)

Tinned goods:

• Diced tomatoes
• Tomato paste
• Kidney beans
• Borlotti beans
• Three/four bean mix
• Chickpeas
• Evaporated milk
• Condensed Milk
• Coconut cream
• Baked beans/spaghetti
• Peaches/apricots/two fruits

Drinks

• Tea - bags or leaves
• Coffee - instant
• Milo
• Cordial

(and by the way, that's not my pantry - I wish! - image credit here )

Rescue Wedges (baked, not fried) - some for now, some for later

Hello all!

It was yesterday of all days I was so happy to see these in my freezer.  I had a monster headache and didn't feel up to cooking at all.  A few weeks ago I had an over-supply of desiree potatoes - they were starting to bud up and it was way too hot to be roasting/boiling potatoes - especially three kilos of them.

So I cut them into wedges.  This is super easy basically cut them in half and then each half into wedges.  Measure them out into a baking tray that you would usually cook them in and then package them up by putting some olive oil, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper either over the potatoes first or straight into a ziplock bag then adding the potatoes, squeezing out as much air as possible - and then seal and smoosh it altogether to move the oil, salt and pepper all over the potatoes.

Freeze 'em right then and there - if you don't want to cook them straight away.

To cook from raw - heat your oven to 200 degrees c for about 20-25 minutes
To cook from frozen - add about 20-25 minutes to the raw cooking time.

•  Now, spice it up!  Add a spice mix of 1/4 tsp cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper if you like spicy wedges.
• Add some chilli powder and lemon juice just before serving for a fab accompaniment to a cold beer.
• Or have some sweet chili sauce and sour cream on the side (or dolloped on top)

What do you make of this? Cheating/cooking/serving suggestions ?

I was amused by  this article by Petra Starke - Adelaide's Sunday Mail yesterday (Thank you to Megan and Shell who sent it to me!)

If you've been reading this blog for two years or two minutes I need to tell you something.  I'm not a complete food purist, I do prefer to make things from scratch, sometimes I'll use frozen veges instead of fresh, sometimes I'll use a jar of pesto if my basil plants are looking a bit naked, and I love myself a cheaty recipe for the CBF nights of cooking - but I don't do the packet mix unless totally humanly unavoidable - which oh, probably when I make cheaty french onion dip.  But I don't think cheaty recipes can be a 'lifestyle'.  You can cook from scratch, there is a lot to be said for appreciating the ingredients of your meal - and there are usually more than four.

But you've got to hand it to these ladies they've built an empire with these self-published books, their publicists obviously work hard and they're onto something because they've sold alot of books, and I mean A LOT.

I don't own any of the 4 ingredients books - it never really appealed to me - neither has the TV show -  but I've got to agree with the writer - pesto sauce on lamb chops is not a recipe, it's a serving suggestion!

Do you have the books?  Do you watch the show?  Love/don't love/don't care?
Do you think there are too many TV chefs?


Image sources
[1] [2]

Sunday baking project: Boston bun

These remind me of my teens, I think my Mum went though a stage of buying them but I do remember their sweet, soft inner and the almost sinful icing on top.  Another blogger I know adores these and asked me some time ago if I had the recipe, mostly for the icing.    The other day I thought I'd give it a go and success!  

The thing with these, like the ones you buy from the bakery is, you need to eat it fresh.  Like the day you make it... otherwise it goes a bit stale quickly.   So make sure you've got a crowd to share it with or make little buns and freeze them un-iced.

Ingredients

Bun

475g plain flour

35g milk powder

75g caster sugar

2 1/2 tsp instant dry yeast

1 egg, lightly beaten

150ml lukewarm water

40g butter, cubed   

1/2 cup currants + mixed peel (optional) 

Icing

30g copha, melted 

2 tb milk 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

2 cups icing sugar 

+ coconut to top with

Method:

In a jug, mix your egg and water together.  Set aside.

In a bowl, add the flour, milk powder, sugar, yeast, currants and mixed peel

Start mixing in the water and the egg, the dough will be sticky - but knead for about 4 minutes

Add the butter in cube by cube and continue to knead for another 6 minutes it well combined and quite elastic.

Place into a greased bowl and cover with clingfilm and allow to prove for about an hour or until it has doubled in size.

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees c
Grease a cake tin and roll out the dough into a long-ish sausage.

Roll dough into your tin and flatten down slightly to ensure it fits into all the corners.

Allow to rise a second time (it will only take about 40 minutes)

Bake for 35 minutes until browned on top.

Leave to cool and prepare your icing by whipping the melted copha with the icing sugar and vanilla until lovely and smooth.

Smooth over your bun with a spatula and sprinkle with desiccated or shredded coconut.

Voila!

So, are you a fan of the boston bun?  

Enjoy your Sunday all! xx

Activity Report: There's always a happy ending at Disney Live!

Back in the day of the first baby alive, bay city rollers and the Love Boat, my Sunday nights were doing the same thing.  Watching the Magical World of Disney.  It's there I got my fix of Disney movies and of course Mickey Mouse, Tinkerbell and of course my favourite, Snow White.

When my very own Snow White came along (Eloise was nick-named by parents neighbours because of her complexion, lips and hair when she was a baby) we found ourselves 'back in Disneyland' and we've been there ever since.

So it was a very exciting prospect to go and see Disney Live - our friends have always raved about Disney on  Ice and I thought 'this is going to be princess in the extreme, the girls are going to love it'.  I was also advised with our invitation that we would have the opportunity to meet and have photographs with some of the princesses.

courtesy Disney

Like any good mother and blogger, I charged up the camera.  I charged my phone.  I packed a bag, I checked the bus timetable and I got us out the door on time.

The Disney Live Production has travelled far and wide - through the US, Asia and now Australia - with just Sydney, Canberra, Newcastle and Melbourne left before they return back to the US soon.

First bus didn't turn up.  That's OK, I planned to be there early, now we'll just be there on time. When we arrive, pick up our tickets, have lunch, head in - do the obligatory loo stop and then I go to take a photo of my girls in all their excitement heading in with their ticket:  My camera says 'insert card'.

Oh my lord, I have no card in my camera! I panic. This must be that Evil Queen conspiring against me.

The bells ring, we head in find our seats and my girls are BESIDES themselves.  The stage is amazing - the set is amazing and then Pluto, Donald, Minnie Mouse and Mickey greet us - the girls are clapping their hands, squealing at Mickey and laughing at Donald and Goofy.

courtesy Disney

Then the princesses arrive. Snow White story plays out - and the costumes, they are dazzling - the Wicked Queen in particular is my favourite and I scold myself again and again about my camera card.  We're in the best seats!   The special affects have the girls mesmerised and Olivia in particular gets my attention to check if I 'saw that magic Mum' excitedly.... 'Yes, it's amazing isn't it'.  I love the seven dwarves!

courtesy Disney

The lovely Cinderella is next and again the costumes, the sets and the voices are so authentic.  It's like we've stepped into a Disney movie.  I feel myself going back to my childhood and wanting to go live at Disneyland.

courtesy Disney

At intermission I call my contact at the show to fess up about the card, they kindly offer to sit with the girls during the next act whilst I pop next door to Market City to buy another memory card.   I do so quite easily but in the heat and humidity I rush back and take my seat back, start to remove the packaging cutting my lip (it's that dreadful shrink wrapped hard plastic) I'm in the dark and finally I pry it open with a pen, and whooosh - the card I just spent $40 on minutes before, flies into the audience, goodness knows where.

courtesy Disney

My attention is on watching Beauty and Beast and it's I've got to say, my favourite story.  The show ends and again I have to report, I have no photos.  I am completely stressed out because now we will meet the princesses and I won't be able to catch it (dang why don't I have an iPhone I am chastising myself)  Luckily my contacts locate a camera and a few iPhone and the day is saved. This is our happy ending! The day is saved!

Eloise getting princess tips from Belle

Olivia loved Cinderella 'Mum,she's got blonde hair, just like ME'.

Photos of my princesses, with the Disney princesses:  Belle and Cinderella.

Here's a trailer of the show - c'mon you know you want to go right?




Summary:
Venues:

• Sydney Entertainment Centre   January 15(today!) 16 (tomorrow) - 3 shows daily
• Canberra AIS Arena  January 18, 19 - 5 shows in total
• Newcastle Entertainment Centre January 22, 23 - 5 shows in total
• Adelaide Entertainment Centre January 25, 26 - 5 shows in total
• Melbourne Plenary (Convention and Exhibition Centre) January 28,29,30 and February 1, 2 -13 shows in total

Ticket Cost
Depending on the venue but around $115-120 for a family for 4, factor in parking also (Sydney you can book yours with your ticket)  I think this is excellent value given it's a live show and it's so spectacular.  (Given what I spent on Tangled cinema tickets last week - I think it's a bargain!)


Merchandise
The programme is $18 and it has beautiful full colour glossy photos - I think it's worth the money if you want a momento.  Other merchandise is between $25-50.  Everything from dolls to light wands, balloons and plush toys.

Tip:
Do the toilet run before and in the intermission - you don't want to miss anything  - and PUT THE MEMORY CARD IN YOUR CAMERA.

So friends, are you heading along, have you been or are you tempted for the closest thing to Disneyland without getting on a plane?

How organised are you for school?

With the two-week countdown underway here (and I think 1 week in Qld?)  I've been crossing off my list of what we need for school.  It's a little bit surreal I'll be dropping all three off and walking home on my own but soon enough I'm sure it will seem perfectly normal.

We have uniforms, school bags, shoes, socks, lunchbox, drink bottle and even our pencil cases and school list sorted (well for the little girls, I went off Eloise's list for last year, I might need extra things for Eloise).   I'm feeling quite organised for school and with almost 2 weeks to go for Eloise and a few days extra for Laura and Olivia it feels fantastic.

The only things left to purchase is new sneakers for everyone, and I guess I'll do that next week and then there's sports shirts and hats which I'm just waiting on the stock to arrive at the school uniform shop (which I run for the school so issue with that).

My latest little crafty exploit is making hairclips and bows.  With three girls and a dangerous addiction to them I figured I better teach myself and stop buying them.

Last January I bought some gorgeous little bows on elastics that were so easy to use and looked fabulous but alas after we lost the first one, and then the second (where do they go?  Same place as odd socks?) I couldn't find them anywhere so I went with ribbons and bows.

The problem with that is they are a lot more effort and a bit more maintenance too - they are played with and get grubby.

So this year - I have bought the supplies and I'm making a huge collection.  If they are lost I can make more at a fraction of the cost and I save myself not only money but time in hunting them down and getting the girls (times three remember!) ready for school in the morning.

How are your school preparations going?

Announcement of 2 winners of Super Food Ideas subscriptions!

I love this little competition because a)  I get to see you cooking and b) because I get to give away Super Food Ideas Subscriptions!   Pretty good huh?

This competition is ongoing so I want to see what you're cooking -it's SO easy - I know you guys are cooking the stuff anyways - just take a pic of you either making it or the end result and put it on the facebook wall to be in the running! (more specific info here)  I take entries from the previous 2 months to pick a winner so with each time you post on the wall you get a go two months in a row at winning!  You can also enter as many times as you like!

So without any further ado here are our winners

Sarah White with Pork Ribs Deluxe (perfect for summer)

And Dawn Tester Stan who baked Banana cupcakes with honey cream frosting

Congratulations ladies - please email me with your addresses and I'll get your subscriptions organised!

Happy Birthday Frills in the Hills #7 Win 1 of 3 Lego Creationary boardgames!

Now we all know that Lego is a stalwart in childhood play and learning.  I even love sitting there with the kids and lego for a bit of creative play.  These days though I am much more hung up on colours, I like to have all my bricks the same colour for the walls, make elaborate floor plans... basically I'm a wanna-be architect.

The kids will scold me for hogging all the pieces or heaven forbid, taking away all the 'good pieces'. So I don't play too much these days.  Maybe I can do that whilst they are school this year... ahem.

So the Lego Creationary game is how I now get my Lego fix.  It's a great little game and it took a little practice with our five year old frills but they are getting GREAT at it.  Basically everyone picks up a card and you pick up pieces as you move around the board and build something on your card in secret.  You need to disguise for as long as possible what you are building - and the first person to guess - gets points and so on to move around the board.   Laura is fantastic at guessing!

Garbage truck anyone?

Olivia won because she built hers first and how easy is a lamp? Seriously!

My future engineer!

Pretty tulip

There are 4 modes of play so you can play it different ways depending on the ages - I won't encourage you to make it a drinking game.. but if you should find yourself with some friends and the game and drinks .... so be it.

So who would like to win some for their family?  No alcohol included people! Seriously though a fabulous school holiday distraction for everyone!

Lego are generously allowing me to give away 3 Lego Creationary Games valued at $49.95 each!

Enter by:

• Leaving a comment telling me the most fun thing you've done this school holidays
• Extra entry by sharing this giveaway on Facebook (ensure you tag Frills in the Hills Facebook so I can count it!)
• And another entry if you mention it on twitter. (I in it to win it  at Frills in the Hills (@frillyhills) #lego creationary game! http://bit.ly/eQ6LeQ )
• You may only enter once by each method.
• Entries open to Australian postal addresses only.
• Entries close midnight 19th January 2011.