Tina's Sketty Muffins

My best friend in grade 5 and 6 was Tina... and my Mum still refers to her as "Tina, chops with Dianne gravy" because I insisted upon chops with Dianne gravy because that was Tina's favourite food.

Well, thanks to Facebook, we've kept in contact here and there, we've been able to watch each other grow and become Mums and just generally be awesome.

Well, today, Tina chops with Dianne gravy will be forever known as something else. Tina sketty muffins.

She mentioned that she was making them with her little ones, and I thought they sounded too good not to steal the recipe! They WERE awesome. I made them for afternoon tea for the kids, and we devoured them in one sitting -burp-

 

 

 

Sketty Muffins

 

Ingredients

 

4 eggs (lightly beaten)

1 tin of spaghetti

2 cups shredded cheese

2-3 slices of ham or bacon (optional diced)

1/4 cup SR flour

pepper

 

Method

 

1) Pre-heat oven to 180C

2) Grease muffin tin well

3) Leaving out half a cup of cheese, mix all ingredients together in a bowl.

4) Spoon out about 1/4 of a cup of mixture and put into the muffin tray. I use an old fashioned icecream scoop, which is what I use for cupcakes too.

5) Bake for about 20-25 mins or until cooked.

6) Leave in the tray to cool for 10 mins before using a blunt knife or spatula to work them out of the tin carefully. Cool on a wire rack (Or just eat warm)

 

 

 

 

 

Our Foggy Froggy Day

It was a cold wet day and I was thinking what I could do to entertain the kids with enough creativity that I wouldn't also get bored.

At a birthday party recently, Andy got three little plastic frog toys which he is besotted by, so I thought we'd do some educational and fun activities about the life cycle of frogs.

This is a list of things that we did that were froggy related in case you dont want to read further.

1) Paintings of habitat and food for a frog
2) Playdoh life cycle
3) Making and playing with leap-frogs
4) Tiddalik the Frog story time
5) F is for frog and the life cycle worksheet
6) The Princess and the Frog DVD
7) Frog songs


First, we did a painting of the habitat. This led to discussions of what a habitat is, why certain types of animals live there, and others don't. This lead to discussions about food, and what keeps frogs healthy, which lead to discussions about pollution and what humans can do to help. This was ALL led by a three and four year old. Their knowledge astounds me.

Joey's frog pond with lots of flowers. 

    

Andy's frog lake with a jumping frog, and the sun making a rainbow. There is also some flies and dragonflies to eat. 

Next we spoke about how frogs are born, and made the life cycle out of home made playdoh onto a sheet of paper. Joey particularly liked making the eggs and kept pulling apart his tadpoles and adult frog to make more eggs. Andy loved retelling the story of the life cycle. 

Getting crafty after lunch, we re-used (another major focus for our family at the moment reduce, reuse, recycle) a couple of soft drink bottles and made some leap frogs. These are really simple. Just chop the bottom off the bottle at about the half way mark and cut four "legs". Bend each one at the end to make a "foot" about 2cms (3/4 inch). When you press their backs, the legs will splay outward, and when released they will leap into the air! We used the hot glue gun to stick on a curly tongue and drew on some eyes with markers. 

Before nap time, we read our copy of Tiddalik The Frog. It's a Dreaming story about a frog who drinks up all the water in Australia, and the animals have to try different things to get the water back out of the frog. I found a pretty cool youtube version here. Sophie and Ryan loved the animal sounds we were all making, and I just wish I could get Ryan's version of a kookaburra on film!

When the twins are asleep, we try to fit in some writing time for Andy. I printed off the F is for frog worksheet and the Life Cycle of a Frog worksheet and we did them together... for a little while. As is the ways of Andy however, his non-perfection got the better of him, and he ripped it up into 15 pieces while throwing a tantrum.


Yay for rest time. We popped on The Princess and the Frog, Disney movie and snuggled up on the couch.


When the twins woke up, we all sat on the mat and sung some froggy songs.

1) Der Glumph Went The Littler Green Frog 
2) Five Little Speckled Frogs
3) Mr Froggy Went a Courting  (this was not very successful with my kids)
4) Mr Frog... I can't seem to find a youtube on this, so I might just have to be creative and make one myself... one day. So, here are the lyrics.

Mr Frog jumped out of the pond one day
And found himself in the rain
Said he, "I'll get wet and I might catch a cold." AAAAAAARCHOOOOO (sneeze loudly)
So he jumped in the pond again.



Just before bath time, I caved and let the kids play froggies in the rain, the day didn't seem complete without being in the rain with the frogs. In the bath we used the little frogs on floating plastic plate lily-pads which was pretty cute and also we spoke about floating and sinking and why this happens.

Can you think of other Froggy activities? If you can, let me know and I will add them!

Cheep Cheep Cheep

Welcome to the family Edith and Rozzie, or two ISA Brown 4 day old chicks!

Joey is our little chick whisperer and mother hen. He's usually full of energy, and naughties (it's because he has little teeth, so Mum says) but when he's with the chicks, he's gentle, kind and still!

Product Review: Suncatcher Craft Set

I love Arts and Crafts, it's no secret that I get as much pleasure from doing them as the kids do. So, when I find a set that we can all enjoy for a reasonable price, I buy it.

I was looking at the new craft section in K.Mart the other day, and found Cre8tiv Kidz, Suncatcher set. I made something like these with my Nanny when I was little and it hung in my room for years. For $5, it includes 18 designs, 6 stains, a paint brush and the ribbon to hang (some) of them up.

We all had heaps of fun doing them and on this rainy, Pajama Thursday.

What craft sets have you tried that you love!? Link me!

Kid's Cubby House in an Odd Spot

Recently, we adjusted the toy room, so it was easier to clean, had more play space and donated some toys that they'd grown out of.

There was an odd little spot, between a wall and a bookshelf and the Hubby had one of those ideas, that we just had to try, fail or not.

We (he) set about building a cubby house, that could also be used as a shelf.
We (I) were very impressed how it turned out.

This is the space we started with. Odd, right? The boys are loving playing with all the "new" things that they forgot they had! 

Now, there could have been an easier way to do this, but we were sort of just making it up as we went a long.

They love this space. It's been used for hiding, playing Mums and Dads, reading, quiet times and being the dark cave to explore. It doesn't take much space, and fills the gap nicely. We all love the little cubby! 

From TV Cabinet to Perfect Desk!

I have a pretty creative Husband, and while, yes, it does take him some time to complete a projects, when they are complete, they are amazing!

He just finished my re-purposed desk! What do you think?!

The cabinet pictured, isn't ours, but one that's exactly the same. 

That goes with our entrance table, which was made from pallets!

Teddy Bear's Picnic 1st Birthday Party

If you go down to the woods today, you're in for a big surprise.
If you do down to the woods today, you'd better go in disguise.
For every bear, that ever there was, will be there for certain because,

Today's the day that Teddy Bears have their picnic!

Last month it was Ryan and Sophie's first birthday. Yes, it has taken me that long to recover and blog about it.

There were a few things though, that made the party impressive, without going over the top, and I'd love to share them with you.

Firstly though, look how cute they are all grown up.

Hazaah! Onto the party.

PICNIC BLANKET 

The first thing that I imagined a Teddy Bear's Picnic, was a gigantic picnic blanket. So, I set off to our local craft store and bought 5 meters of each, red and white gingham, and red with white dots fabric. They were the same weight of fabric and the reds matched perfectly. I thought that this would make a 5m by 5m square picnic blanket, but didn't take into consideration that the fabric width was 1.2m. Whoops. Maths and I never got along really.

Essentially, I cut each "square" out and sewed them together into rows first, dots, stripes, dots, stripes.
The stripe, dots, stripe, dots. Did that again, and then sewed the long strips of fabric together, matching up the corners the best I could.

I used 4 tarps (you can see the blue poking though in the picture) and sewed them together, ensuring the eyelets were upward.

I laid the tarps down, then the fabric over top, and hand sewed long ribbons on to the fabric where each of the eyelets are. I can then remove the fabric whenever I want to, to clean it. We used tent pegs to peg the tarps down, so the kids didn't slide all over the place.

It was lovely to see them all in their party outfits playing on the blanket.


COMMEMORATIVE BEARS 

While I was at the craft shop, I saw some calico bears that were on sale, and I almost had a heart attack.

With the left over fabric, I made some bows, and stitched them on. Each guest signed the teddy and now the Twins will have them to look at forever!

Do yourself a favour and use a laundry marker, not a permanent marker. The laundry marker wont bleed into the fabric, which results in a nicer signature.



TEDDY BEAR CAKES


I was lucky enough to win a Cake 2 The Rescue twin cake kit! These kits come with "husband proof" baking instructions, and everything you need, except a mixer, oven, a bit of time and some spoon lickers.

They are really fantastic and if you're in a bind, they send them out very very quickly. They also taste really great!






DECORATIONS

I was lucky enough to find some bargains at my local $2 shop. Rolls of gift wrap in the same patterns as the picnic blanket and some plates, party bags, and napkins too! I used the gift wrap on the park tables to make them look prettier, and the kids love the polka dot plates and party bags.








PULL STRING PINATA 


My Aunt Sandra is the Queen of Pinata making in my family, so naturally, I asked if she could make one. Because there were mostly little kids, we saw an awesome idea on Pinterest about a pull string Pinata!

For this one, she made teddy bears from paper mache and used a box to hold the treats. Before assembly she cut a flap on the bottom of the box. She then poked lots of holes into the flap. She threaded one string through (near the open part of the flap) and secured it with duct tape which would open the flap when pulled on. Then, she threaded the string though the holes, and tied a small knot into the string of each, so that there was some resistance, and the strings didn't fall though. She secured the bottom with masking tape, and painted the box. Next she filled it with treats, and stuck the bears onto it.

The kids really enjoyed this, and no sticks to wave around!



Of course there was pass-the-parcel and we went on a bear hunt.

Another fantastic idea, one which I didn't get a photo of, was to label all of the guests teddies. My Mum made a little container containing string, a pen and some colour sample cards with holes punched in, and each time a guest came, she wrote out a card saying "This teddy belongs to_______" and tied it to the bear.
The kids liked this a lot.

You can find some other bits and pieces here including the sound track, invitations and more! GO THERE NOW!


All in all, a great day was had. We did simple pizzas, party pies and sausage rolls, lollies, chips and popcorn for party food, as it was afternoon tea and really, the kids were more interested in playing.

Thanks to all who made this a success.

Happy Birthday Twinnie-Pops

Take Away v. Home Made: Chicken Chow Mein

It's our favourite dish when we order Chinese. Chinese take away, is not in our budget too often. Thus rises the dilemma.

I set about Googling, Pinteresting and asking about how I can make the awesome chicken and sauce that mimics our Chinese shop.

Most of the recipes on the internet, called to stir-fry the chicken. This is not how the Chow Mein I prefer is cooked. It's softer, more tender, and it's white, not browned, like in a stir-fry.

I found a sauce recipe that boasted that it was thick, so I stored it away, and kept searching for the method to cook the chicken. Some recipes said to poach it, so I tried that, but it was a bit too rubbery. Some recipes said to steam it, but it was a bit too dry and tasteless.

Then I found a thing called velveting. This method is a big winner. So, using a few different recipes, I've finally made something that I'm proud to call Chicken Chow Mein.

What also makes my Chicken Chow Mein better than the one in the take away shops, is that I use these new to Australian supermarket noodles.

I read about them a couple of years ago. Magic, low calorie, low GI, extremely low carb, gluten free, no fat noodles, made from the soluble fibre of the konjac root. These are like the magic filler or a meal. Brought here, by Cheng's  a well known and trusted brand, I was keen to give them a go. What's better, is this week they are on special in Coles, for 2 packs for $3.

Now, I italicised the above text, so it draws your attention to it. These noodles are great. If you're on a weight loss journey, and are sick of feeling a bit empty, give the noodles a go. They can be used in soup, as pasta, in stir-fries and in spring rolls.

So, without further ado... Here is the perfect Chicken Chow Mein recipe.


Chicken Chow Mein- My style.

Feeds 4-6

Ingredients

Velvet Chicken

1kg boneless chicken thighs (or breasts)
2 egg whites
4 Tbls corn flour
1 tsp salt
1tsp pepper

The Vegetables
3 stalks of celery, cut into sticks
1 handful of snow peas, top and tailed
1/2 large red capsicum
1 onion, sliced
2 carrots, julienned
bean sprouts
shallots, sliced on the diagonal

The Sauce

11/2 cups chicken stock
4 Tbls soy sauce
1 Tbls fish sauce
1 Tbls oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
3 Tbls corn flour
2 Tbls water

2 packets of Cheng's Low-Cal Wok Ready Noodles- rinsed

Method:

1) Slice your chicken thighs or breasts, against the grain. So, if you look down on your meat, you'll see a long side, and a short side. You want to cut, so that you're cutting short strips, not long strips... Does that make sense? If not, let me know.
2) In a bowl, whisk the egg whites until they just start to get frothy
3) Add the corn flour, salt and pepper and stir.
4) Add the chicken strips and coat well.
5) Cover and put in the fridge for at least 30 mins.
6) Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
7) Add your chicken, a little at a time, and stir well, separating the strips. When all the chicken is in, stir and wait for it to boil again.
8) When it's foaming up, and the chicken is white, remove from the water, using a slotted spoon. Place on a platter and cover. If you're not using it straight away, put it in the fridge. This can be done a few hours in advance.
9) Get your sauce ready! Add stock, all sauces and sugar into a jug, and stir to dissolve sugar.
10) In a small bowl, dissolve corn flour in the water.
11) Stir-fry all vegetables, except the bean sprouts and shallots (they'll be used as garnish). I prefer my veggies crunchy, so it only takes a couple of minutes.
12) Add the chicken. When that's heated through, add the stock based sauce, and bring to the boil. It wont take long.
13) Add the corn flour, and stir like a crazy person. It might be handy to have a little more stock on hand, in case it's too thick, although, mine was perfect.
14) Add in noodles and gently stir through

15) Serve in a bowl, with sprouts and shallots to garnish.

 Yes, I realise the photo is a bit crap- but the food was delicious!

So.. Take Away v. Home Made?

Cost: TA: $11.90 for two serves
          HM: $14 for 4 serves

Time: I was pretty impressed how quick it was put together. Probably quicker than getting in the car, ordering and waiting for it to be cooked. So HM wins.
Dietary Needs:  Lots of vegetables, and with the noodles instead of rice, WAY less carbs! Win for HM
Convenience: I have the ingredients in my cupboard/fridge/freezer most of the time, so that's also pretty great.

So it's a WIN for Home Made!

 

Let me know if you try it, if you changed anything and what you thought!!!

 

 

Adult Toy Review- Rating XXX

A competition, on Facebook!
Oh what do I have to do?
Vote on this, like a post,
Refer a friend or two?

You've gotta be in it to win it,
Was my motto, which stood by me.
But I think my obsession has gone too far,
Knowing what it is, was not the key.

I saw a post by Naughty Partys
A give away, she said.
Get your friends to come over and say hi,
And you can win this toy for bed.

I glanced at the picture,
My eyes got a little wider.
I've never seen anything so odd,
Looks like a rubber table cloth slider.

"Why not," my brain said to me.
Make it fun, if I win, I'll review it.
Surely another will want it more,
They'll have more friends, I knew it.

But my friends stood by me,
Went over and said hi.
I blushed at the postman,
Grimaced and waved good bye.

Here I hold the package,
Instructions in my hand.
In an empty house,
I look at my wedding band.

I feel the pressure to use it,
It's like it's taunting me.
Don't be scared, light some candles,
How awkward can this be?

..................................................................................................................


Well, let me just say,
I wasn't expecting that.
My imagination was far more horrible,
I thought I'd finish flat.

By myself I couldn't do it,
So I waited for the man.
We had some wine, got in the mood,
Finished watching Wedding Band.

And in the bedroom, together,
It wasn't even scary.
Ok- that's a lie,
Sorry Virgin Mary.

We played and we giggled,
It wasn't what I thought.
Back and front hole, no no.
It's for the button and the lady port.

So we played Christian and Ana,
Not that he knew the game.
But we tried something different,
And it was special all the same.

Now with out getting graphic,
Because Mum and Dad are reading this.
Using an adult toy in the bedroom,
Is certainly not a cuddle and a kiss.

So if you're feeling flat,
Talk to the ladies at Naughty Partys
Grab some batteries and some wine,
It'll make your heart race for starties.

And we're all adults here,
And we know you want to try it.
Don't be scared, have a look,
Message them and buy it!

Upcycle Old Formula Tins

 

 

 

I did this project a few weeks ago, and they've been really handy. You could keep craft supplies, flour, tea, or whatever you like. The tins are great because they are air tight... and FREE!