Nut Nut Nutty

Ringing in the New Year always has plenty people trying to embark on a healthier routine. This New Year I made no resolutions, but am continuing with my journey begun 9 months ago to improve health and energy (something I really need with two MonkeyMoos like mine).

I started trying out living the Paelo diet, but found being dairy free wasn't really for me- I then moved to Banting (The Real Meal Revolution) or a Low Carb, High Fat way of living (diet implies I'll stop at some point).

This has by far been the easiest lifestyle switch I've ever made, and apart from the first three months of hating every cup of tea without sugar, all the other changes have been simply easy.

I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything, and have a new found love for cauliflower, in any form, cauli mash, cauli rice or simply steamed, I'm happy either way. But that's not what this post is about; I recently shared a pic on Facebook of a nut granola I had just finished making, and the request for samples, and recipe caught me by surprise (it shouldn't have really as there are plenty of friends doing either Banting or LCHF diets) SO thought I best share it here for anyone who may wish to try and make it.

 

It's truly simple, and quick but best of all totally tasty!

100g Brazil nuts
50g Walnuts
50g Almonds/Macadamia nuts
80g Sunflower seeds
80g Almond flakes
40g Coconut shavings (unsweetened)
25g Dried cranberries (optional)
2tsp Cinnamon
2tsp Ginger
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
3 tbsp Coconut oil

Preheat your oven to 160' C.
Chop the brazil, walnuts and almonds.
In a heavy based saucepan or frying pan heat the coconut oil, then add the spices (increase or decrease the amounts you your taste- I personally like to heap the the ginger and nutmeg)
Heat the spices gently and then add all the nuts and coconut shavings. Stir over a low heat for about 5 minutes ensuring all the mix is coated well. Add the cranberries and remove from heat.
Place the mix on a baking sheet, spread it out.
Put this into the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes, checking every 6-10 minutes to avoid burning the nuts. You may want to give them a stir to help them get an even roast!
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Once cooled you will need to store it in an air tight container.

Serve with plain full fat yoghurt! Enjoy!  

Stormtrooper Has A Birthday Cake

My little Stormtrooper just turned nine. Nine, not sure how that's even possible. And along with the new age, he has turned his back on the joys of his younger interests and is now solely fixated on anything Star Wars.

If he had his way his entire Christmas bounty would have consisted of Star Wars light sabres (of any description ) and Star Wars Lego, all of it! Needless to say, Santa is rather wise and doesn't believe in giving everything you ask for! Lets face it, there are times MonkeyMoos should only be getting coal and oranges, but Santa is a forgiving man and doesn't punish the "sometimes" naughty boys!

In my previous post I told you my specific instructions were to make cupcake toppers with the Rebel Alliance logo and his cake must be a Stormtrooper. Thank heavens for Pinterest for inspiration for creating this cake.

Lets not lie, by the time I'd worked out how to ice it, drawn up some paper templates, baked the cakes I was sick of the sight of Stormtroopers! (You'd be shocked to know I then accompanied MonkeyMoo to watch The Force Awakens) He is by no means perfect, and there is room for improvement, but happy with him we are!

Well here he is:

Star Wars Everywhere!

You can't escape it this month- it's everywhere- and if your little MonkeyMoos are anything like mine ; nothing else matters. (Admit it you just sang those Metallica lyrics) 

Naturally MonkeyMoo #1 wants a Star Wars party, being too young to take his friends to watch The Force Awakens we have had to change plans. 

I've got specific instructions to make cupcake toppers with the Rebel Alliance logo and a Stormtrooper cake. And that's what I'm busying myself with right now- cakes in the oven! 

Watch this space for finished cakes! 

It's a wrap!

Trying desperately to finish off all the remaining chores this morning and the bet way to keep these two MonkeyMoos out the way was to set them up making some festive wrapping paper!

Finger paints, some sheets of paper and a marker pen for the details. 

Here's the result- a choir of angels! 

Neglect.

I've been awfully negligent of this little blog! I'm doing my best to set aside time to write up a few posts about projects and crafts and cakes and bakes that I've been keeping myself busy with- in the meantime here's a sneak peak at what I'm up to today. 

Crimean War- Walking Wounded

Another long overdue post, that's been sitting here written for months that I simply forgot to post!

Nothing fills me with as much dread as dress up days for school, I can just about deal with a Pyjama day, simple easy and no fuss at all, but the rest of them, book day, always with a theme that makes it more difficult than just pulling something out the cupboard, and maths week which lets face it - is just so dull you can't make it exciting! So you can imagine the look on my face when Monkey-Moo came home from school with a letter instructing that their year would be doing a Crimean war dress up, girls as Florence Nightingale and the boys as soldiers! pffft.

I was happily about to send him off in a white t-shirt ("Pretend it's your vest under your soldiers uniform" I said )  bandaged up, and call him the Walking Wounded! Then after a few discussion at the school gate with other Moms, I started to get pangs of guilt that I wasn't putting much effort into this at all.

With little over 12 hours to go, one fabulous phone call from another mom, currently in the supermarket- " I'm picking up a Red Sweatshirt, it comes in a two pack, I'll drop it round on my way home!" SAVED!

OK send him in red with bandages, still Walking Wounded, it's good enough right? Right? No, didn't think so! Oh no dinner time. Kids to bath, Little Monkey to bed.

Light Bulb!

 

Get paper plates. Get gold paint. Bandages. Find old ribbons. Scissors. Double sided tape. and GO!

Enlist Monkey-Moos painting skills.

 

 

 We have buttons!

A bit of double sided tape, a snip or two, yes that will do!

 

 

More gold paint!

Send Monkey-Moo to bed, it's getting late. Wait for paint to dry.

 

Quick assembly 15 minutes before it's time to head to school, double sided tape all the way, throw on a bandage! (no fake blood here, but some great moms did add that touch.)

 

 

Ready to go! My Walking Wounded! Proud as punch!

 

Dotty Pottery

Oh my, it's been a while, hasn't it! I seem to have got caught up in life and housework, and work work, totally neglecting my little blog! So here is a post I had written ages ago, and simply not got round to posting!

 

We painted pottery.   The boys loved it.   It all got broke!   There were tears!   Its a Long story.   So we made another visit to the pottery cafe to paint up some more! Really there isn't much to say about painting pottery. It's paint, paint brushes, cups of water begging to be knocked over and a whole heap of patience! At aged 3 little Monkey-Moo found it tough to understand why the colours he choose didn't look the same when it came out the bottle, but thankfully we got there in the end.                              

To be fair, he choose a rather lovely colour palette. 

There he sat, happily dipping paint bush into the cup of water and plopping large dollops of splodgy paint all over his little truck. 

 

Despite the enthusiasm, asking a 3 year old to paint three coats was expecting a little too much, verging on impossible even. His solution- instruct Mommy to paint wheels and put Red (cause that's my favourite colour mommy ) on the bottom. All the rather more difficult bits to do, naturally! I even added a few small details to finish it off for him, like doors and hub caps. I may even have enjoyed it a little too much!

There was a moment when we thought we had a sulker, as bigger Monkey-Moo had disappointment painted across his face, not being able to find the same pottery to paint as he had done before the "Breakage incident" shhh we are not talking about it! Fortunately, he soon realised he could choose something cooler, smiles returned! Phew!In the end he was super happy about his ferocious shark, look we even got the thumbs up! He was reminded several times to do his three coats of paint, but in the end, those listening ears just weren't doing as they were meant to. So we left him to it.

A week later, and we have the final products, one truck, one shark and a rather dotty egg cup!

And I'm still convinced that I will get them to do an egg cup each the next time!

Just think how wonderful our eggs and soldiers would look with our very own individual hand painted family egg cups! That's what I'm aiming for!

Off to the Seaside.

We are off to the seaside tomorrow. Hooray! It's been a while since we took the Monkey-Moos to see their Great Grandparents, and what better time to take the trip than a long weekend.

With any trip and our Two Monkey-Moos: Preparation is key.

1. Prepare: Explain where we are going and why if necessary, preferably we have to start talking about it a few days before the event.
2. Set expectations: what behaviour is acceptable, how to speak clearly (essential when Great Grandparents are a little hard of hearing), being polite and manners in general.
3. Distractions: this is really just quiet time activities, colouring books, stickers and reading books usually do the trick, and any quiet toys (the ones that have no electronic bits)
4. Rewards: arguably the most important rule! Good manners and behaviour will result in:- a picnic on the beach, a trip to the playground, or any other fun thing that will get them to behave a little less like monkeys for day!

With preparation well under way, the Monkeys happy with the prospect of visiting the beach and distractions packed, this post turns into a baking one again.

Rather last minute, I whipped up two batches of cupcake batter. One chocolate and one caramel.

Taking advantage of being left on my own in the kitchen, and working quickly to keep it Monkey free (for a while at least.) I swiftly spooned dollops of each mixture into cupcake cases, swirling them together for a lovely marbled effect.  What a super tasty treat to enjoy with the Great Grandparents. A dozen large cupcakes headed for the oven. (key preparation point 4- Rewards, if needed.)

The smell of freshly baked goods led a little Monkey-Moo to the kitchen. Thankful that I got some time alone in the kitchen for a change,  I set out all the decorating essentials and under Monkey-Moos watchful eye, smothered the cupcakes in rich chocolate icing.

I left Monkey-Moo to add all the final decorating touches with chocolate sprinkles and balls. (most of which didn't end up on the cakes but all over the counter and a little on the floor!)

He was very pleased with himself, but truth be told I think it was sneaking bits of chocolate sprinkles into his mouth when he thought I wasn't looking, that he found the most enjoyable!

 

 

See that cheeky little face? And the chocolate evidence around the mouth? ha ha!

He emptied out the remaining sprinkles directly into his mouth shortly after I snapped this shot!

I packaged up the cupcakes into pretty little boxes ready for the trip to seaside in the morning. One box to enjoy with the Great Grandparents and one to leave for them to enjoy throughout the week.

Now the only thing left to do, was get the picnic things packed for the boys lunchtime treat on the beach!

Photographing Family

Last month we were blessed with some fabulously sunny weather, the first real promise of the coming summer months. We took this sunny opportunity to get out into the park, charge up the camera and have a little photography session. If there is one thing I regret, it was not taking enough photo's when I was pregnant with Monkey-Moo #1. There are just so few of hubby and me, and a belly fully of Monkey-Moo. We made up for it, with Monkey-Moo #2, some may even say we went a tad overboard. (hurrumph!)

That said, I couldn't allow my brother and his wife, who are expecting their second little girl this May, to let this precious time pass without capturing the memories in photographs. Natural light, outdoor setting and relaxed atmosphere made this glorious sunny day the perfect time to document a time before they became a family of four!

 I used their camera, and foolishly didn't check the settings in the glaring sun (not that looking at a camera screen is easy in harsh sunlight-but enough of the excuses!) and so the first half of our shoot was rather overexposed!Groan! More time to be spent editing photo's to see what could be saved. The best outcome seemed to be turning them into black and white shots. 

While all this was going on, two little Monkey-Moos were happily posing for daddy, who was snapping creatively away with my camera. Didn't he do well?

Despite the mishaps, we came away with a few super usable shots! Now we wait for Baby to arrive so I can snap away again, with them a Family of Four!