Search Results for: Banana bread

making meals for others

June 27, 2016 By corrie 7 Comments

I didn’t intend to be off the blog for that long but the rush of the end of term, a house full of sick people, my twins finishing school up to homeschool and some very sad news from our school have kept me away. We lost one of the mums in our class and it has just been such a sad time of shock, prayer and heartbreak. Heartbreak for a family because you just can’t imagine leaving your own family behind or losing your loving partner. Please keep them in your prayers.

One of the things I’ve been doing is pulling out my cookbooks and going through the blog, planning meals that take a bit longer but are loved by my family to share with the family in our class.

I thought I’d share a few of my favourites from the blog and I’ve offered some tips at the end for when I’m taking meals to others. If you’ve got a tip be sure to let me know as we always learn something new.

3 hour meatballs

Set aside your afternoon for this one but it’s top of my list this week. Drop off bread, salad and even a bag of pasta. I would put the meatballs in a container or two and freeze straight away. You could reheat in the oven or because it’s a very ‘saucy’ meal you could place in a saucepan and gently reheat that way.

Chicken & Vegetable lasagne

I make this by doubling the ingredients, use fresh lasagne sheets and place into alfoil containers. If I’m making for another family then I don’t cook the lasagne. After assembling, I then wrap tightly in alfoil, place in a few grocery bags and freeze. It can be defrosted or go straight in the oven. I cook them in a 180C oven for at least 1 hour and a bit more if frozen. You have to adjust the cooking time depending on the size of the container you’ve used but when it’s golden and bubbling and cooked in the centre. You can also use beef mince in this recipe.

To make a vegetarian version you just replace the chicken mince with finely chopped vegetables. Just add more of the same that you have used like carrots, zucchini, celery. It’s delicious and I’ve made a few times.

Big meaty lasagne

Somehow I went from buying 500g mince to 1kgs and now I just buy 2kgs mince and cook all at once. Sign of a large family. This is a delicious recipe. I now double the quantities and do 2 at once. Always popular.

Super easy chicken pie

One of the most popular recipes on the blog. So easy and so delicious.

family roast

This is a delicious chicken roast baked in cider. Super delicious and easy. I would make this and then place all in a big foil roasting tray and take to the family. One of the dishes that I would let them know you’ve got dinner covered that night.

date night risotto

You can play around with the fillings for this one but it’s delicious. Also the chicken and lemon risotto is also delicious. I would make the risotto. Place dabs of butter and some grated cheese on top, wrap it all up tightly in foil then freeze or take to the family. Nice with a salad and garlic bread

roast chicken and smoky sweet potatoes

chicken and chorizo with quinoa

red chicken

Why yes, I do love chicken!

broccoli and cherry tomato quiche

great for the vegetarians, health nuts or for lunches. Quiche is so great with a salad and garlic bread or crusty bread.

quiche maraichere

And now for some sweet treats

Cinnamon Rolls

Don’t be alarmed by the huge quantities. Make them to keep and give away. For our family I do them in our own dishes and then half the rolls go into foil trays. Wrap tightly in foil, freeze and then don’t take long to heat up in the oven from frozen. You will become everyone’s best friend with this recipe…well except for your jeans.

Apricot Cake

all time favourite from one of my all time favourite cookbooks, monday morning cooking club. If you don’t have the book and love to cook for other people then get it! I’ve put the thermomix instructions for you in the recipe.

lemon blueberry cake

my best ever chocolate brownies

I don’t even make another brownie recipe, only this one. Been making it since before I got married and never switching to another one. I’ve included instructions for big quantities too.

carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

an oldie but a goodie and everyone loves it!

best ever banana bread

A few last tips I’ve learnt from taking meals to another family

make it as easy as possible, no dishes to wash or return

a sweet treat never goes astray

write the ingredients and cooking time. Put in options for defrosting and cooking frozen.

think of side dishes. Garlic bread and a salad bag are easy to pop in a freezer bag with your dish

check there are no allergies/dietary requirements for the family

supermarkets have a pretty good range of alfoil containers including ones with lids and also party stores have a great supply as well

think of the family size when cooking the meal

pinterest is FULL of ideas for meals to make ahead and freeze

double the ingredients and cook one for your family and one to give away

I don’t cook my lasagnes anymore. I prepare the lasagne, wrap it all up tightly and freeze and let the family cook it. It seems to taste better that way.

Filed Under: babies, family, family finances, fast family dinners, thermomix

back to school lunchbox ideas

January 12, 2016 By corrie 11 Comments

The kids will be back at school before you know it. And I’m already thinking about lunchboxes. You might have someone starting school for the first time, someone on a special diet, someone complaining they need a bit more variety, someone who never eats what is in there or you just need some new ideas. I always need some new ideas. There is nothing wrong with a vegemite sandwich and piece or two of fruit but my older children are often telling me of their friends with sushi, schnitzel or sausages in their lunchboxes. Oh and chips, I always hear about the kids who get chips in their lunchboxes too. Mine don’t.

Each week I start out with loads of fresh fruit, packs of tortillas, 2 loaves of bread in my freezer, a spinach or salad bag, ham, cheese, hummus, rice crackers and a few other things. For morning tea and snacks think of a variety of fruit, try something new like raspberries, blueberries or cut up watermelon, homemade biscuits or muesli bars, hummus and crackers and carrot sticks, sultanas, homemade popcorn, cherry tomatoes, an egg sliced up, homemade banana bread or a healthy slice.

For lunch instead of sandwiches think about wraps, frittata, savoury muffins, sushi, rice, cold pasta, cooked quinoa or couscous with tuna or some veggies stirred through, crackers and dip. If you have really picky eaters then leave out the spinach but they will love wraps with something simple inside. Cream cheese and smoked salmon is a nice treat on a friday.

Think about a protein source when you are packing the lunchbox especially if you are packing for a bigger eater or your hubby or someone on a gluten free/special diet. Protein fills you up and if you have a few choices in your fridge then you are sorted for lunchboxes. Cooked chicken (you can do it in the slowcooker the day before or poach some chicken breasts on the stove), cooked eggs sliced up, some canned tuna (out of the can) with some crackers or to put in a wrap during the day.

I have some people with an aversion to lettuce and spinach but I can put at least 3 or 4 pieces in a wrap and it gets eaten even at home. Grated carrot is also great in a wrap. Tomato is a bit hit and miss here with my little customers.

Last words of advice

Keep nuts and peanut butter at home and away from school. Check the school’s food policy as eggs, yoghurt or other foods might be banned if there are serious food allergies.

Always have a spare loaf of bread in your freezer

Buy fruit in season, mandarins are always popular and last well. Have a fruit bowl on the kitchen counter if you don’t already so that kids can pack their own fruit.

Always check school bags for leftover fruit. We’ve had a banana incident and a few apples go bad in the bottom of bags and they can stink out the bag and require a big clean up. You’ll always have one member of the family who leaves some food in their bag.

Make up biscuit dough and keep it in your freezer wrapped up in a log in baking paper with the ends twisted. Take it out, leave it for 5-10 minutes, slice while still frozen and then bake. Perfectly round biscuits.

Have little containers that you can send cut up fruit, crackers, biscuits in as a little snack

I always have a pack of tiny teddies tucked away in my pantry just in case

Quinoa only takes 20 minutes to cook and is great in the fridge and can be used plain or with some salad ingredients and it’s great for older eaters who want something different or complain about boring sandwiches.

Cherry tomatoes last well during the week, are sweet to eat and bright and colourful in a lunchbox.

Don’t pack too much food especially for kindergarten students as it can be too much choice and they just want to play

No chips or chocolate, start out with good habits from kindergarten and then your children won’t ask for them – no, well they might ask for them but at least you haven’t set a precedent

Water, water and more water. Always water. A good drink bottle and ditch the juice or cordial. Again it’s better to start out the good habits in kindergarten and primary school and better for their health and teeth. Even some of my kids who haven’t been big water drinkers are now great because there is nothing else on offer at our house but water. Trust me on it, my 3 and 5 year old are the best water drinkers but it wasn’t always that way.

Ask your kids what they like to eat – if like me you have a vegemite sandwich lover then go with it. Let them cut their own sandwiches and make their own when they start to show an interest. If we’re having a crazy morning then it’s not uncommon for me to ask my big 3 to make their own sandwiches with some help from me as I run past!

Filed Under: back to school, healthy eating

back to school : gluten free lunchboxes

January 19, 2015 By corrie 15 Comments

Just over a week till I’m back into routine and I’ve been adding some fun things to my back to school board on pinterest if you haven’t seen it yet. Oh and I have a lunchbox board too. Trust me my lunchboxes are not and will never be as fabulous as some of the things that I pin but heh it’s fun to get ideas. But I was asked by one mum on facebook to write a post on gluten free lunchbox ideas. Yep, it’s certainly a challenge when you start out having to make gluten free lunchboxes. This year I’ll need to make it 3 days a week but I have a few ideas I thought I’d share with you. Of course you might have other things to avoid like dairy or eggs so I’ll try to offer some alternatives too.

sushi

make your own or in a pinch buy some from a shop or supermarket that morning if you really get stuck and yes I have been stuck. Tuna with a mayo that is free from gluten (and dairy), egg (if allowed) with mayo, avocado, gluten free ham and avocado are simple fillings that you can easily make at home. If your little person isn’t a fan of nori then rice balls are super easy to make and wrap in glad wrap. Pop a little filling in the middle of a ball of rice and mould into a little triangle. I loved these in japan and london for my lunch on the run. My quick and easy sushi recipe is here.

Be sure to use vinegar in your rice and something to keep it cold in the lunchbox is important too. We are lucky that at preschool we have a fridge for lunchboxes which does make my life easier.

popcorn

if your little one isn’t too little (because of the choking risk) then popcorn is a great snack for lunchboxes and I love that you can buy small bags of it now if you run out of time to make it. Of course check the packaging to ensure it’s gluten free but it makes a tasty fun snack and kids won’t feel like they are missing out

savoury muffins using gluten free flour

if you use a cup for cup substitute like white wings gluten free flour or the macro gluten free flours then you can pretty much use any muffin recipe substituting the regular flour for gluten free and anything else in the recipe that might contain gluten. These are my cheese, corn and bacon muffins and just swap the flour for gluten free and ensure that your bacon is gluten free and you are good to go.

bake your own cookies

yes you’ve probably realised that baking your own gluten free treats is really the best way to go. Not only in terms of price but also to avoid additives and things that are put into gluten free treats. I’ve got these delicious little lunchbox cookies

gluten free choc chip cookies and if you have the new thermomix just use the recipe on the recipe chip but use gluten free flour and baking powder

frittata or anything with baked eggs

some schools/preschools don’t allow eggs so you need to check first but I find frittata makes a great alternative to a sandwich. This recipe is super delicious for a bit of variety, bacon, lentil and vegetable slice

and good old fashioned zucchini slice using either rice flour or a gluten free plain or self raising flour

and my easiest frittata for kids which always gets eaten

meatballs

my guys love meatballs and if you can keep a lunchbox cold enough then these are a winner because you can chuck in vegies and they are something different. Make your own tomato sauce to dip them in or a little container of tamari if you trust your child not to end up wearing it. These chicken and vegie meatballs are so easy to make and you could do it the night before and freeze a few bags of meatballs and portion them up for lunches during the week. Also great for lunch at home or dinner in a pinch.

cold chicken

We love cold chicken in this house. Roast the chickens for this recipe with the sweet potatoes on sunday night and you could have the next 2 days lunches sorted. The sweet potatoes go in for the last half hour that the chickens are cooking and it’s a simple but really tasty way to eat chicken. The sweet potatoes are so delicious and with a bit of spinach (if it will get eaten) this is my favourite cold lunch at the moment. Delicious. I do 2 chickens at a time at the moment (organic free range if you can) and I do like a good chicken and mayo salad too. Just quietly.

make a cake and freeze it

I need to do this because I can’t trust myself around a nice warm cake at the moment (well at any moment). This is our current favourite, lemon and blueberry cake. So good. Bake it as a square, let it cool (after you’ve had a slice), cut into big squares, pop into ziplock bags and freeze. Each morning you’ve got a delicious treat to pop into the lunchbox of the most fussiest of eaters.

and this super easy tea cake made with gluten free flour is another great way to pop some fruit in

and good old banana bread, tastes so much better when you make it yourself. Just use a gluten free flour in place of regular flour in my all time favourite recipe that I make most weeks. Original recipe for my melt n mix banana bread is here and thermomix instructions are here.

gluten free macaroni with meat/veg

we are addicted to the barilla gluten free macaroni which is less expensive than the San Remo and tastes just as good, maybe better. Boil up a big pot and portion some out to freeze a few. Add in sweet corn, drained tuna or some ham strips, any favourite vegetables or meats and you could stir in a bit of grated cheese too. Everyone loves pasta and be sure to keep the lunchbox cold.

fruit and vegies

now if you have a fussy eater then you need to work with what they like. For my little miss its a banana and an apple that gets eaten. Everything else is a bit hit and miss and generally comes home. Grapes, watermelon, strawberries, dried sultanas and dried apples are also popular and of course be careful to buy fruit minus the nasty numbers that generally cause an upset tummy in a sensitive little eater. Carrot sticks and hummus are always popular, if dairy is tolerated cream cheese makes a delicious dip with little carrot or celery batons and if you really struggle with the vegies then some sweet corn and a little spoon in a little compartment of the lunchbox can be fun. Our little one loves peas and to pick them up with a fork and eat them one by one.

corn thins and rice crackers

where would we be without corn thins and rice crackers. My favourite topping on a corn thin is peanut butter but that’s not allowed in lunchboxes so pop on your child’s favourite topping. Sliced cheese that you’ve done yourself is great or if you are using mini rice crackers include their favourite dip in a little compartment of the lunchbox for them. We also love the plain mini bags of rice cakes so she doesn’t feel like she’s missing out and the big kids love them too.

organic chip chips and guacamole

truth be told that nachos are my dinner in a pinch. A bag of organic corn chips which doesn’t have the nasties other corn chips too and some mashed up avocado and diced tomato and you are done. It’s a great way to fill up a lunchbox and an easy lunch. A little squirt of lemon in your guacamole will help prevent it going too brown before lunchtime.

sausages or gluten free hot dogs

if you have a really picky eater then a cold sausage with some homemade tomato sauce or a gluten free hot dog will be a special treat in their lunchbox. You can slice it up for the little ones or have it sliced

good old sandwich on gluten free bread

I don’t like gluten free bread from the shops but my little girl doesn’t mind it if it has her vegemite on it (if you are strictly gluten free then look for an alternative like ozemite and always read labels). So keep a loaf in your freezer. Gluten free raisin bread is delicious and makes a cute little morning tea with a bit of butter on it and cut into quarters and is worth a try.

Over to you……………..any suggestions for my lovely reader who needs help with gluten free lunchbox ideas!

Filed Under: back to school, gluten free

5 months

January 12, 2015 By corrie 4 Comments

I love how I had this great idea that I’d do monthly photos of my sweet little baby and I think I did birth, 1st month and now 5th month. Oh well. Life is busy, everyone is at home while we are on holidays and this little guy is teething and growing at record speed. I know I have big babies but he really is putting on the pounds. And his thighs. Cutest things ever.

I took this while he was napping on my lap one night. Just with my phone but it is really one of my favourite pics of our sweet little baby boy. And I hope you appreciate the banana bread mixture on my dress from our earlier baking session. He’ll probably be walking the next time I put an update on the blog.

Filed Under: babies, baby, large families

my first trip to Costco

September 7, 2014 By corrie 20 Comments

I think I’ve been saying for quite a while (like since the first store opened) that I wanted to visit Costco. I didn’t envisage taking my littlest 3 on my own there but I did. We survived and I’ll be back. Did I take any photos. Oh well the phone was in my ergo to take photos but juggling the big trolley, an almost 4 year old who didn’t want to sit in the trolley or hold my hand or the trolley meant that I took 2 photos.

image source SMH

Before I headed off I asked on my facebook page for a few tips. My readers know everything and are the best people to ask (am I right or am I right?). They said – make a list, know your prices, go on a weekday, take someone with you or leave the kids at home (I failed that one but in my defence my helper had to cancel that morning so I had planned to take an extra pair of hands).

It was a bit of a drive from our house (especially when the directions had me end up on the wrong street and have to find my way back to the store) but easy enough to do on a school day. Parking was easy, I got there at about 10.30 and parked 3 rows back from the lift, a man was finishing with his trolley so I was able to load in the kids and head off to the store. I did my membership at home ($60) and took in my print out which did save a little time but there was still a queue and no one serving us when we first got there. The husband of the lady behind me (who I had started chatting to) got to the desk and told them they needed someone on memberships and that hurried things along. So I probably spent 10 minutes in the queue and getting my card. And then we went in.

First up were cute outfits for toddlers/preschoolers at about $13 each so we got 2 of them for preschool. Some cute busy books like Monsters University, Palace Pets that have toys inside them and are great for our speech therapy and helping at home with speech. $10 each and are very handy for church so we got a few of them.

Then I had no idea where to go, at this point emerson threw all his duplo out of the trolley and a kind staff member came and helped me pick it all up and then I managed to drop it again everywhere. He was very kind and helped me and off we went. Picked up some lollies, some snacks for school and then a few of the food aisles and nappies and wipes. At this point I met up with the lady I’d been chatting to at the membership desk and she came to see how I was going and gave me some tips and products she likes.

Now after a while I couldn’t find the bakery section and my little miss wasn’t keen on walking close by me so we picked up some summer pjs and tshirts and headed to the checkout. The queues had died down so there was only one person in front of me, I had no idea which side to stand on as your trolley goes one side and you go the other but the staff were all very helpful and nice and I said it was my first time! I paid and then we were out of there. Those trolleys are big and take up some room so it did take a bit of time to get out there but we did. Now I didn’t buy a lot of food – missing from this photo were a big bag of ruffles chips, a 1.2kg bag of snakes and a big bag of violet crumbles. You all know where they have gone, except for the snakes which are in the pantry and will last us a long time.

That coconut flour was only $5.99 a bag which was probably best buy of the day and the choc chips were another best buy at $11.89 which will keep us going a while.

We had a hot dog and a lemonade, another kind man walked over and got me some straws, easy to find a table to sit down and then we were in the car and I sat in the front and fed the baby before our long drive home.

Prices – you were right that not everything was cheaper, I almost bought a big box of cherry ripes for someone who loves cherry ripes until I saw that they were $40 for the box. I also saw a huge banana bread but at $19 for the loaf I could easily make a nice fresh one at home for much less. So do pay attention to prices before you chuck it in the trolley. All up I spent $304 but that included 4 t-shirts and 6 sets of clothes/ pjs for the kids that I have put away for Christmas and I thought the Osh Kosh summer pjs were great quality. These sequinned tees were $9.99 each.

And my favourite camera was there too………

So the verdict? I loved it. I think my first trip was more just to check it out, work out what I could buy in the future, confirm that I probably don’t want to take my littlest 3 with me again (surprise surprise) and I also got the idea that it would be great to go before little lawson’s baptism and the next birthday parties. I wouldn’t go for my regular shop but I think for a few big stock ups and for parties then it will be worth my while. I also like the jumbo bags and boxes of products which when you have a big family will be great.

Tips for next time. I’ll take 1 little person with me and try to leave the rest at home. I will make my list and work out where everything is. I kind of walked in and just went left and did about a third of the store so next time I’ll try to see more. I’ll take a few more photos. I’ll make a list. I’ll mentally add up the tally as I go and I’ll empty out my pantry, fridge and freezer before I go so I can stock up.

And that was that. I hope to get back in about a months time and will follow my tips. I also love Costco Mum on Facebook where you can see people’s purchases and what’s in store.

What are your tips? Have you been? Do you go regularly? Do you have a Costco near you?

Filed Under: large families, shoppping

what to bake for the cake stall

July 22, 2014 By corrie 16 Comments

A big white box came home with us today in preparation for the cake stall at the fete. I’m excited and now need to choose what to bake. With a tree full of lemons I’m thinking a lemon cake with icing. If you’re stuck with what to bake for your next cake stall then I’ve put a bit of a list together for you. Happy baking………………….I’m so hungry for some homemade cake after putting this list together!

banana bread

caramel slice

chocolate brownies

chocolate raspberry brownies

nicely iced chocolate brownies

chocolate pretzel cookies

cinnamon teacake

gluten free carrot cake (I would leave out the nuts!)

lemon drizzle cake

old fashioned orange sponge

jam drops

old school chocolate slice

pineapple fruit cake

rocky road

rum balls

cranberry + pistachio shortbread

(check on the nuts policy and just leave out pistachios if necessary)

smarties tart

toffee apple teacake

vegan chocolate fudge cake

What’s your favourite thing to bake (or buy) from the cake stall?

Filed Under: baking, cakes

baking for lunchboxes

January 27, 2014 By corrie 28 Comments

wow school goes back this week! I can almost feel the tears as I think about waving my little twinnies off to big school. And I’m getting organised with all of the lunchboxes and drink bottles out to make sure I have enough, name tags have been sewn into every item of new school uniform, bags are out and a few last minute supplies to get before I send them off this week.

And a few of you asked for lunchbox ideas. I’m afraid I’m not that exciting with lunchboxes here. I try to pack healthy lunchboxes with lots of fruit that the kids love, they are pretty easy going with their sandwich requests – ham, cheese, vegemite. We don’t do a lot of prepackaged things but I do keep a box of muesli bars or le snaks up the top of the pantry for the end of the week when things are usually running out.

so if you like baking I’ve put together a list of some of my favourite recipes that work great in lunchboxes and I’m making a list of gluten free treats that can go in lunchboxes as I send my littlest miss off to preschool for the first time with a gluten free lunchbox every day.

Melt and mix banana bread

Quick banana bread in the thermomix

CWA Banana Cake

This is an oldie but a goodie, it never lets me down. For the gluten free version I’ve just been using the white wings gf flour or macro and it tastes great. You can even leave out the butter and just add a dash more milk if you want to

One Cup cookies

another oldie but always a winner. I find if you use butter that you need to add more so use 200g butter or 125g margarine in this recipe. Always goes down a treat

Banana choc chip bites

You can leave out the choc chips to make these a dairy free treat, this recipe goes a long way.

Jam Drops

Need no explanation, absolutely delicious and a great little treat.

Guilt free oat bites

Leave out the nuts please! Super healthy and delicious.

Simple party cakes

great to send in to class when it’s your little one’s birthday. Always be sure to ask if anyone has an allergy so that you could send something for them in – I like to do a few freddos or simple lollipops.

Cinnamon Tea Cake

this is a little treat but has to be one of my favourite recipes and is also great for afternoon tea as a treat. It never lasts long and retro daddy is lucky to get a slice when he comes home at night.

super easy sultana scones

120 cookies in the thermomix

perfect for big families or bulk baking!

Apricot cake for a crowd

Choc chip, coconut and raisin cookies

Leave out the choc chips and double the raisins for a healthier cookie

honey fruit and muesli balls

Make sure you use a nut free muesli for these babies

Pioneer Woman’s Oatmeal Crispies in the thermomix

Cheese Corn & Bacon Muffins

These would be great for lunch or morning tea and especially for those non sandwich eaters in the family or for something a little different

apple maple syrup flapjacks

cheesey pizza scrolls

Best ever cold frittata

buttermilk scones

You could throw in some chopped dates or another dried fruit for something different

gluten free apricot cake

gingerbread cupcakes (vegan)

easiest frittata for kids

sushi

not baking but a great treat for lunchboxes and picky eaters

Now that looks like a whole lot of sweet treats. I try to bake at least once or twice a week for lunchboxes and sweet treats aren’t in there every day. Other favourites are cheese and rice crackers, corn thins, cheese sticks, yoghurt, muesli bars, lots of fruit and I buy fruit that the kids love and doesn’t come back in the lunchboxes. Got a favourite baking recipe you’d like to share with my readers, just let me know about it…………..

Filed Under: baking, recipe

having a lovely Valentines day

February 14, 2013 By corrie 6 Comments

Happy Valentines Day lovely readers. I’m sure not all of my readers celebrate the day….in fact retro daddy was not a fan of the day in the early years of our marriage. But I think it’s a sweet day and the kids looooooove it. Plus I am having the most relaxing day today. Which is kind of good because yesterday was one of those flat out days – school pick up, homework, piano practice (where is my mum to tell her how sorry I am for not being the best piano student and for her patience), bath time, swimming lesson, class parent meeting, P&F meeting, bake some banana bread in love hearts for lunchboxes then bed.

Today I am totally taking it easy. A few loads of washing, a bit of knitting and playing outside with elodie – I’m trying to teach her how to throw a ball – she doesn’t want to let go and runs up and hands it to me. And to top off a perfect morning I also received the best sort of mail there is – craft mail! I ordered all of this lovely stuff (Lisa threw in the ribbons as extras, thank you!) from Crafty Mamas and I just renewed my Ottobre subscription. This is the year I will make more of the little ones clothes and find more time to do what I love……making things.

Retro daddy wasn’t feeling so well so he had to come home early and luckily he works above a Lindt cafe – kind of convenient since my favourite chocolates are Lindt balls. Although there was a little confusion earlier in the day. As he left the house I reminded him lindt balls. He called from the office and said ‘so you want a big box of ferrero rocher right?….I corrected him ‘no ,lindt balls would be lovely’. Glad he got it right although I have to hide these babies from the little people – elodie is particularly fond of Lindt balls. And I don’t know about you but I like them to be at just the right temperature so the filling melts as you eat it. So good.

He did good. I will be cooking him one of his favourite dinners of teriyaki salmon, rice and wilted spinach. Hope you have a great day too……….

Filed Under: chocolate, marriage, sewing

retro mummy goes back to school

March 12, 2012 By corrie 12 Comments

Yes! That’s right! Today I went back to school. Keira’s school to be exact for Mothers Monday. A very special day where I get to spend all day with keira and do what she does.

Which is be a sweet little year 1 girl. It was such a lovely day but something I totally underestimated was just how exhausted I’d be. Lugging around Elodie all day did not help and girlfriend is not getting any lighter. I haven’t been this tired in a long time.

We started with a special mass. Somehow I didn’t cry, probably because I was so focused on keeping elodie quiet but it was so adorable when Keira’s grade got up to sing the special mothers song ‘Mum I want to tell you, just how much you mean to me……..’

Then we did english where I got a refresher on nouns and verbs (I’m not kidding, english was not one of my best subjects)

morning tea where elodie stuffed no less than 3 pieces of banana bread in and got it all over my black dress and cardigan. Then it was maths (not one of keira’s best subjects) and a spot of bingo then lunch.

After lunch was my favourite activity of the day…………………scrapbooking. And I did let keira do some of it. I promise. I didn’t take over. We made a little memory book and it was such a lovely activity to do together. And keira has taken to it so quickly that she hasn’t stopped since we got home this afternoon. I think I have a little scrapper on my hands. Which might come in handy since I never finished any albums I started after she was born.

So I am now lying on the couch, exhausted and did what any sensible pregnant lady who has lemonade and ice cream in the house does……….LEMONADE SPIDER! I’ve got a bit more energy now to do teeth and bed before I collapse on the couch again.

but the best part of the day, when I got home and a little someone wrote me a very special letter telling me how much she loved today, she hoped all of my dreams came true and that I’m the best mum in the world. Awwwwwwww. Talk about buttering me up!

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