Q&A with Move Guides

I thought I would just share the link to my @Move Guides blog Q&A. How exciting, seeing your interview on someone else's blog! :) My next post for them is in January, make sure to follow them on Twitter and Facebook, to keep up to date.

Bringing up an Expat Child in the UK: An Expat Mother Moves Abroad

YAY! 

And today, we got the final documents that we need to apply for our residence cards, so I am a happy little chappy today!

Hope everyone has a lovely day!

Kalli x

Sock Snowman

My friend, Hannah, posted her cute little sock snowmen on Facebook recently. I just loved them, and thought it would be a fantastic Christmas activity; especially after we had snow yesterday - not enough to make a real snowman, mind you.

She sent me a link to Then she made... and I eagerly found all the bits, in our house, to put the little snowman together. He didn't quite end up like I wanted him to (I was going for a jazzy sequinned snowman), but this is what happens when you let a toddler chose what you are going to do. 

 I still think he is very cute - and think we'll have to get some more socks, so we can make more... Maybe I will get a jazzy snowman too! :)

You need a long white sports sock, an elastic band (I used a hair band), material for scarf and/or shirt, rice or beans, string, a tooth pick or BBQ stick painted orange, a black marker and some pins. You can also use beads, sequins and buttons.

• Cut the toe off the sock and tie with an elastic or hair band
• Turn inside out and fill with rice or beans

• Tie the top closed and cut off the top rim of the sock
• Tie two pieces of string on the body, to make three body parts
• Dress your snowman

• For the eyes, I coloured pins with a black marker - thought that would look the most like a traditional snowman 

• Glue the nose on

And voilà! Your little snowman is complete. 

Enjoy!

Kalli x

Santa Claus is Coming to Town...

I have been really bad with blogging recently, keep thinking about blog posts that I would like to write - and then get so distracted by life, that I don't ever get to it.

A little catch up: I have started blogging for Move Guides as a guest blogger, which is quite exciting. My Q&A blog will be posted this month, followed by my own post about life in London, as an expat mummy, next month. We have also just moved house - CRAZY and BUSY times. However, the most exciting thing I have been doing, is getting ready for CHRISTMAS!

I love love love love love Christmas. I expected to be a lot more organised - but this year seemed to just flown by!

We went shopping last weekend, for things to add to our tree, that was up in the last week of November. And I had a list, as long as my arm of other things I NEEDED to make my house Christmas ready. Thought I would share some of the cute things I have added to my house this year...

1. Reindeer Food: Mix Oats and Glitter in a little bag. On Christmas Eve, you sprinkle the mixture on your lawn, balcony or on your roof (if you have direct access to it). The reindeer will have something to 'snack on' while they wait for Santa to deliver the presents.

2. Santa Key: If you do not have a chimney, you can either buy a Santa Key, or use an old key and attach it to a red ribbon. Leave the Santa Key outside your front/back door, so that Santa can 'get into the house' to deliver the presents.

3. A rewards chart. I wanted to do Elf on a Shelf, but only heard about it on the 1st December, and figured I wouldn't get the elf on time. So, while we were at M&S, I saw this lovely reward chart. Every night, our son either gets a green elf (if he has been well-behaved during the day), or a red elf (if he has been naughty). On the 24th, we put the chart into an envelope addressed to Santa, and if he has been good Santa will leave his presents.

I intended on doing a sock advent calendar, that I found on Design Dazzle. But for some odd reason, I could not find ANY Christmas socks - I looked in over 10 shops! I was going to do 24 socks, with small gifts, Christmas cookie cutters, and sweeties and then have his empty Christmas stocking hanging at the end. Alas, maybe I will do it next year.

One thing that I have made myself busy with today was my wreath. I wanted to buy an empty wreath and make it from scratch, however I couldn't find everything I was looking for. I bought this wire heart for £3, but didn't feel that it was Christmas-y enough.

I had decided that I would make a fresh wreath, as we have a beautiful big Christmas tree outside our front door, that is a little overgrown, and needed some trimming.

I started threading the fresh leaves into the heart, and am very pleased with the outcome. I do however think that I need to add some baubles or ribbons, or something. I had so much left over, that I decorated our staircase too. Think I will have to add some baubles and ribbon to it too.

Tomorrow I am hoping to make Sock Snowmen. 

Ciao, Kalli x

Dukan Cheesecake

Dieting is really tough for a baker – I can’t serve food that I can’t taste, and I really love baking. So I was really lucky that I found this cheesecake recipe, which sticks to the Dukan diet. It was my first cheesecake attempt ever, and while I was very impressed with how it turned out, I was devastated by the taste. Not that it tasted revolting, but it just wasn’t cheesecake! ;) Oh well, better than no cheesecake at all… Here is my recipe!

It can be eaten in ALL phases of the Dukan – provided you don’t eat the whole thing. Remember oat bran limitation.

Base:

4 Tbsp Oat Bran

2 Tbsp Wheat Bran

100 ml Low-Fat Milk

2 Eggs

2 tsp Sugar-free Cocoa Powder (optional) – not allowed in active phase (phase 1)

1 Tbsp Sweetener

A splash of Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Mix all base ingredients, and place in oven-proof dish. Bake the base for about 20-30 minutes or until it is well-cooked. Remove from oven, and put the oven down to 150 degrees.

Filling:

400g Plain/ Natural Yogurt (Fat Free)

200g Vanilla Yogurt (Fat Free)

3 Eggs

200ml Low-Fat Milk

3 Tbsp Sweetener

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Pinch of Salt

On high speed, mix yogurts and milk (if yogurt is watery, only add half the milk). Add salt and eggs, one at a time. Pour onto the base and bake for about 30-40 minutes. Refrigerate overnight, before eating.

And enjoy!

Feel free to comment, or ask any questions…

Love Kalli x

Dukan Diet - The Beginning

When I was pregnant, all I thought about was the birth of the baby. I just wanted to play house - with a perfect little family. I never factored one thing into the nine months. LOSING BABY WEIGHT!!! Arrggghhh, the bane of my existence. We only got married when my son was 11 months old, and I was motivated to be skinny for that, so I cut out all carbs, and lost all of my pregnancy weight.

After that, I slowly started putting it all back on again. It has taken me 3 years to kick my own butt into gear, and lose weight - mainly because my husband thinks I need to lose weight before we fall pregnant again - motivation, I guess!

So on Monday I started The Dukan Diet... I honestly never thought I would be able to follow such a hardcore diet - I have hardly ever dieted in my life. The principles of the diet are as follows:

Phase 1 - Attack Phase: Pure Protein Only

          - I had to cut out sugar, carbs, fruit and veg, and fats

Phase 2 - Cruise Phase: Alternating Pure Protein with Protein and Veg

          - Further drastic weight loss phase, preparing yourself for after the diet

Phase 3 - Consolidation Phase

          - Incorporates many more food groups, and is the phase you go into, after goal weight is reached.

Phase 4 - Stabilisation Phase: Maintaining your goal weight

I actually expected the diet to be WAY harder - I have cut out sugar before (and really battled) and never survived without fruit and veg, but this time I seem to be REALLY motivated or committed - which is awesome. The first few days were difficult, and I was hungry and tired a lot and I was still preparing normal food for my family - but I have already lost 1.5kg's, so I am ready for the long haul.

Will continue to post normal food recipes, but also some Dukan recipes, that I have tried.

Feel free to ask questions, etc, as always...

Have a lovely evening!

Love K x

Goodbyes!

One of the hardest decisions of my life was deciding to leave my birth country. The country I grew up in, and had lived in for 22 years - the country where most of my family live, the country that I met the love of my life, and the country in which my little boy was born.

I have lived away from my family now for two and a half years, and while most of the visits end in very teary goodbyes, this last visit had to be THE worst. Don't get me wrong, the visit was amazing and full of very extraordinary memories, including a family photo shoot - but the goodbye was heart-breaking.

My little boy is three years old now (a very special age). He is at the age where he makes amazing connections with people, can hold a relatively good conversation and has a very distinctive way of making people feel important and loved. He has most people wrapped quite tightly around his little fingers.

My parents, who come across to visit us relatively often, have just been over - as I said in the last post (they flew to the US, and stopped over in the UK). My dad and my son were so connected, it was as though they were one soul living in two seperate bodies - truly very special to watch. 

This all came to a rather heart-wrenching end, the minute the taxi arrived to take them to the airport. We had obviously worked my son up for the farewell - but the minute we told him he'd have to say goodbye, he broke down. He cried from deep within his little heart, and it broke my heart - his first heart-break. Needless to say it was the worst farewell I have ever had to witness. 

While it is so lovely to be able to live in another country, there is nothing more lonely than living so far away from your family.

We Skype-d them tonight, and my little boy was back to his happy little self, quite content that granny and grampa were back on the other side of the computer. We were really worried how he would take seeing them again.

Hope you have a lovely Friday tomorrow, and an awesome weekend! 

Love Kalli x

M.I.A

I apologise for my absence of late - however life has been really crazy. I feel like I am stretched out very thin - trying to fulfil all my commitments and responsibilities, as well as being a mommy. No that I am complaining, I love being super busy!

My parents came to visit us from South Africa - which was AMAZING! But short. (They were flying through London, to the US). I have started jogging - which I was really committed to for a few days, and then put it off for two days and have lost interest. My motivation is so bad, until I get into a serious routine.

I have opted to help organise mommy get together in the area - which is great, as I have found a lot of moms (especially new moms) would love to meet new friends, but don't know quite how to go about meeting new people. My husband says it's like a dating site. Hahaha! Why shouldn't it be though... Meeting a great friend, is kind of like meeting a partner (minus the intimate side, of course!!!)

I also celebrated my 25th birthday a few weeks ago - which was quite a HUGE thing for me. I don't quite know why, but I feel like 25 is more important than 21 (in South Africa, you are legal at 18, so I never quite understood why there was so much emphasis on 21).

We have also been doing loads of outings, parties, etc - this weekend is our first one at home, which is actually nice! Think I might go and have an afternoon nap...

Have a great weekend everyone!
Love K x

South African Food Company

I am a very lucky kid - I was fortunate enough to be chosen as a gourmet taster for The South African Food Co. It is a new company based in the UK, that creates delicious home-cooked South African favourites.

When you leave your home country, you know that you will miss your family and friends, and that you'll miss some of your favourite places and sights, but you hardly ever realise just how much you will miss the local food.

This came as quite a shock to me, when we moved to Malta and I had NO South African ex-pat shops or any 'normal' products. I even got quite excited when I found randomly imported products from South Africa, like Sunlight's Green bar soap (for pre-washing clothes).

However since we have moved to the UK, I have been very fortunate in that I have quite an array of South African products to chose from. 

That said, the South African Food Co has now become a very firm favourite in our house. We received Tamatiebredie (pronounced Ta-ma-tee-brie-dee) which is somewhat like a stew, but a trillion times tastier! It has lamb, potatoes, spices, tomatoes and peppers, all infused in a rich creamy sauce. 

One thing I loved about this portion (great for two large plates), was how much lamb  there was in the meal. I could not believe it. Most of the time, a ready meal has loads of cream and a sprinkling of meat. It was quick and easy to prepare, and when I took it out of the oven I nearly melted into the oven dish, it smelled soooooo delicious. And tasted amazing too.

I definitely think that we will need a few of these yummy meals in our freezer, for when I am feeling a little homesick! Truly, an ex-pats dream...

Check them out at http://www.southafricanfoodcompany.co.uk/  or https://www.facebook.com/thesouthafricanfoodco

'here come the sun...'

Hello, my name is Kalli - and I am addicted to Vitamin D!!! (although you really wouldn't think so, if you saw my ghostly white body)

I really am starting to think that I am a bit of a loon... We lived in Malta for 18 months, and one of the main reasons that we left was that it was too hot! So we moved to one of the least sunny places, LONDON!

This week's forecast is in the 20's, with sun forecast for almost every day and this makes me the happiest person alive. I spent the morning hanging washing, cleaning windows and doing anything and everything I could in the beautiful sunshine. I am wearing summery clothes, and honestly feel happier and lighter today. 

Talk about confused??? Escape the sun of Malta, to crave it like crazy in the UK. 

But I also did promise myself that I wouldn't go on about the weather in the UK, because this is where I wanted to be... So I am off to sun myself, as much as I can, before Summer is over...

Have an awesome day! K x

Braai = Good times!

One thing I have realised that I miss the most about South Africa, is a regular braai (at least once a week). A braai, by definition is like a BBQ or a barbie. But in reality, is unlike anything you can ever imagine, if you have never been to one. A braai is a very special event - it's a purely South African gathering. It can be a whole day or whole evening thing - where people bring their own meat and drinks (most of the time), different people bring various salads, potato bakes, sides and desserts. 

The ladies are generally inside - chatting, preparing the sides and desserts together and watching the kids, whilst the men are outside cooking the meat and bonding over beers at the braai side. Obviously this stereotype has somewhat changed over the years, with everyone outside enjoying each others company.

A typical braai involves lamb chops (not to be confused with lamb chops in other countries, it's a different cut of meat in South Africa), steaks, ribs, chicken, boerewors (a very special kind of sausage!!!), sosaties (similar to a kebab), potato bake, potato salad, coleslaw, green salad, mielies (corn on the cob), various South African desserts (although the dessert is never usually that important), beer, wine and soft drinks. There are obviously very many variations to this simple event - you can also do potjies, and we have even done pizza on the braai.

Another thing that I love about South Africa braai's, is that you don't need to invite people over 3 months in advance, if the weather is good and you're braaiing, you just let people know, and they come over. It's not a grand event, it's just a different (more sociable) way of cooking your food! A braai is one of the the best things in the world... We used to have a built- in braai in South Africa, have had a braai wherever we have lived since, and have braaied in all sorts of weather conditions. A braai will invariably always mean GOOD TIMES!

Rain, rain go away...

With miserable weather being a relative constant in London, it is always a good idea to have tons of back up plans. We seem to actually really enjoy our rainy days in, but they can get a little monotonous after a few days... Here are 10 great indoor toddler activities, to tyre your little one out. Remember, you can have fun in even the smallest house.

10 - Put a large piece of fabric or a plastic rubbish bag (cut open) on the floor - set up paint, brushes, sponges and different papers. Let your child really get into the painting - using their hands and feet. Make sure they are dressed for mess - a bath is easy enough to remedy any excess dirt!

9 - Get some cool colouring in books, and sit and colour together. Pointing out the colours of the crayons and pictures, shapes and numbers. Teach your child to write their own name too.

8 - Get coloured paper, stickers, crayons, glitter and pictures. Make cards for granny and grampa, Father's Day, birthdays, etc.

7 - Make some playdough. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup salt

1 cup water

1 Tbsp oil

2 tsp cream of tartar

Food colouring (drops)

1 cup flour

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a pan and stir.  Cook over low heat, stirring until a ball forms. Add food colouring and mix thoroughly until desired colour. Cool and store in covered container. Hours of fun!

6 - Make some popcorn, and some hot chocolate. Get a cuddly blanket and let you little one chose their favourite movie. Have a cinema day!

5 - Play a fun session of hide and seek.

4 - Have a treasure hunt. Hide a sweet or a favourite toy. Draw up a map or clues, and spend hours 'searching' for the treasure.

3 - Bake! Get the kids involved. Kids love helping, and getting messy - so put on an apron, and get messy in the kitchen. Make simple cookies or cupcakes, get them to help you with mixing, or rolling or anything that requires them to get their hands dirty. Or you could make lunch together - mini pizza's are amazing!

2 - Build a fort (using chairs, sofa's, duvets or sheets, and pillows) or pitch a tent in your living room. Make a picnic, and grab some books and toys. Spend the day 'living outdoors'.

1 - Dress warmly, grab your umbrella and wellies, and go splashing in the puddles.

Rainy days can be super fun... But sometimes it's nice when the rain just comes 'back another day' rather!

Food Revolution Day

I received an email from Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution regarding the 19th of May - Food Revolution Day.

"Together we can change the way people eat by educating every child about food, giving families the skills and knowledge to cook again, and motivating people to stand up for their rights to better food. Add your voice to the conversation with your best cooking and food education tip, favorite ingredient, or tell us why you support the Food Revolution and what actions you are taking." - http://foodrevolutionday.com/

I showed my son the video of Jamie discussing his virtual dinner party (I think my son thinks Jamie is a part of our family, the amount of times he has seen his videos/ books/ pictures around our house) - he got all excited and said 'Mommy, it's Jamie.' and after asking if we should make dinner for Jamie, he agreed!

We love making dinner, cooking and baking as a family. With an Italian daddy and a South African mommy, and living in London - our little boy is so fortunate to have been exposed to so many lovely foods. We really enjoy trying new things, and prepare most of our meals from scratch - including pasta, pizza, soups, sushi, to name a few. Don't get me wrong, we do buy pasta and pizza too, but we enjoy the family vibe of making it from scratch every so often. 

One of our favourite recipes is a fillet of steak or pork (we used pork), potatoes and veggies. Hmmmm, yumminess!

Ingredients:

Pork or Steak Fillets, marinated*

500g potatoes, any kind

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Rosemary, fresh

Fennel, half

Onion, half

Garlic clove

Carrots

Balsamic Glaze

Sugar


Marinate: Salt, Pepper, home-made dried Italian herbs, lemon juice, Mrs Balls Chutney (available at South African stores, and some supermarkets).





Cover the meat with the marinate, put in ziploc bag and put in the fridge for a few hours.


Directions:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C, place fillets into oven tray and cook. Put carrots neatly on a tray, sprinkle with sugar and a pinch of salt. Gently drizzle with balsamic glaze. Cook in the oven until soft.

Peel and slice potatoes. Toss with fresh rosemary, salt and pepper, and olive oil. Finely slice fennel, garlic and onion. Heat a pan, and cook potatoes until brown and crispy. Add fennel mix, and cook a bit more.

And voilà! A delicious family dinner. Serve with baby spinach, red peppers, and tomato salad.




We also made a delicious vanilla pud, for dessert.


Ingredients:

2 cups milk
6 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp butter

Directions:

Heat milk, on medium heat in a saucepan. In a separate bowl; sieve sugar, flour and salt. Pour flour mixture into hot milk, a little at a time, to avoid lumps. Continue to cook and stir until mixture thickens, do not allow mixture to boil. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and butter. Pour into serving dishes, sprinkle with chocolate powder, and allow to set in fridge, until needed.

Buon appetito!
x

life is surprising...

In 2008, just after my 21st birthday, my boyfriend (now my husband) and I had just moved in together. A month after living together, we had found out that we were pregnant, after using two forms of contraception. 

At first, I thought it was a mistake (it just could not be true), followed by the following conversation:

Me:             I am having this baby, whether you stay or not. I don't want you to give up your life, just to stay with me because I am pregnant.

Him:            I'm staying because I love YOU, and I think you'd be a fantastic mother, and wife.

Well that was me! Afterwards, our lives changed something chronic. We both stopped going out, he settled for a 9-5 job, I fortunately graduated that year and when our lease expired we moved out of our 12th floor urban apartment and moved into a family flat in a security estate. We both saved any money we could, after decorating the nursery and buying gifts for our new little pip. 

We were thrown into the deep end, and I personally believe it was THE best thing that could have ever happened to us. We decided not to get married at the time, we wanted to wait until the time was right. He proposed 6 months after our beautiful son was born, and we got married a month later!

I was so petrified after my son's birth of accidentally falling pregnant, I took every single precaution available. Whenever I thought I was pregnant, I did a pregnancy test and celebrated every negative result. 

That was until last week. My son is now 3, and we thought it would be a fantastic age gap. I did a pregnancy test, after being convinced I was pregnant. And cried for hours over a negative test. What a surprise, I never thought I would ever get upset over a NEGATIVE TEST!  I think it was because I had planned my entire pregnancy in my head... 

When I was pregnant with my son, they discovered that I did not have anti-bodies for Rubella (German measles) - I was supposed to be vaccinated in between pregnancies, but forgot. In a way, it is a blessing in disguise. I am going to get vaccinated on Friday, and then will have to wait a month, and then we'll try to fall pregnant again. 

And this time, we will be prepared for our positive result! :)

Mussels in Tomato Sauce

We found this fantastic, sea-side restaurant in Cape Town; that we ended up frequenting quite often. One of our favourite meals on the menu was a delicious bowl of mussels in a creamy tomato sauce. We loved it so much, that we started making it at home too - it is such a great recipe!

Ingredients:

1kg mussels

cup of red/ white wine

2 cans of chopped tomatoes/ tomato purée 

      (if you prefer smooth sauces)

cup of cream

salt and pepper

Directions:

Wash the mussels thoroughly under cold water, and clean shell - removing any impurities. You can soak the mussels for a while, so that they open and release any sand or impurities that are inside their shells.

Steam the mussels in wine, in a pot or large wok, until the mussel meat turns bright in colour. Drain and place back in pot. (You can keep the wine in the pot, if you like). Add tomatoes and mix well, then add cream - slowly, until desired consistency. Add salt and pepper. And voilà!

**Don't eat mussels that don't open during cooking.

Serve with some fresh bread! Hmmm....

Buon appetito!

x

Baby to Toddler

Oh my word, have we had such a transformation in the last few days. My little one has just turned three, and all of a sudden, has developed into a proper little boy - he is FASCINATED by yucky boy things (snails, stretchy skeletons, daddy's playstation games, mud, etc) and has become such a daredevil - bouncing on the bed, and falling off of it; going on the swing - something he hated as a child; and jumping and splashing in the bath (and almost drowning himself), two week after telling me 'Mommy, I don't like baff(th)ing, get my out'. He has also become so much cheekier. I asked him to get ready for lunch time, and he come back with a bag of sweets that he got out of the cupboard and said ' No mommy, I think it is sweetie time'.

I love the fact that he has become more confident and more sure of his own place in this world. This said, our naughty corner has never been used so much before... :)

Easter celebrations!

Happy Easter everyone - hope you all had a lovely day, and hope that you were spoilt by the Easter bunny! Easter brings fantastic family traditions, and this year it was our first 'no-family' family celebration, in which we made a few of our own traditions... With a toddler, I am forced to 'chill out' and relax my obsessive perfectionism. We made Easter cupcakes that I intended to look like nests, however they turned into messy cupcakes that tasted good and were tons of fun to make.

We then went on to dyeing and decorating boiled eggs. Everything was going well, until I walked into the kitchen and discovered that my over eager child had played 'musical dye' with the eggs, and had replaced them in other colours. Needless to say, the colours came out very different to what I expected. We then we drew on the eggs with crayons and special coloured pens. Again, not quite what I expected. However, it was a great bonding time, and we did have fun!


To end off our Easter weekend, we had a FANTASTIC Easter hunt - we were REALLY spoilt. Followed by a fantastic roast lamb lupper (lunch supper).

Roast lupper recipe:

For the roast:

Ingredients:
leg of lamb
garlic
rosemary
seasoning
olive oil

Directions:
Cut slits into the lamb, and insert slices of garlic and bits of rosemary.

Mix olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread the olive oil mix all over the roast, and place in a large roasting bag (Best things ever invented!) or in an oven proof dish and roast at 200 degrees celsius. 20 minutes for every 450g of roast.

For the potatoes:

Ingredients:
potatoes
seasonings
rosemary or chives
olive oil

Directions:
Peel potatoes and cut into chunks. Boil for about 10min, soft but only just. Drain and place in the fridge for about an hour. Warm up oil in an dish in the oven, season potatoes and toss in the warm oil. Cook in the oven for about 45 minutes or until cooked to your desired crispiness. Sprinkle with rosemary or chives when nearly ready.

Veggies:

We did asparagus and carrots.

Ingredients:
carrots
sugar
butter

asparagus
butter
seasonings

Directions:
For the carrots, slice thinly. Cut butter into little cubes and put about 5 small cubes over the top. Sprinkle with sugar, as much as you like. Place cling film over the bowl, poke a few holes into the film and cook in the mircowave for about 5 minutes.

For the asparagus. cut in half or leave whole. Place small chunks of butter on top of the asparagus and season. Cover with cling film, poke a few holes in the film and cook in the microwave within 5 minutes.

What a lovely feast!
HAPPY EASTER!
x

Chicken and Broccoli Bake

I absolutely love this recipe, it is healthy and yummy - and most people eat it, whether they like broccoli or not!

Ingredients:
pack of chicken fillets/ quorn 'chicken' pieces
head of broccoli
tin of chicken/ chicken and mushroom or mushroom soup
curry powder - mild or strong
cheddar/ parmigiana, to sprinkle on top
brown rice

Directions:
If using chicken, boil the chicken first. If using quorn/ vegetarian substitute - put directly into oven proof dish. Chop up broccoli, and mix with 'chicken'. Pour in tin of soup, and some curry powder, and mix it up until well blended. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 mins.

If you are using brown rice, be advised that it takes about 30 minutes to cook.
Serve with side salad!

Buon appetito!
x

Kale Pesto Pasta

I love making a good pesto, and I recently found a fantastic new recipe. For this special green pesto recipe, you can use any green leafy veg. I used Kale, but you could use Spinach or Cavelo Nero, etc. You can really be quite creative with pesto.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of almonds

about 4 handfuls of kale (only the green leaves)

about 1/4 cup of olive oil

75g parmigiana/ pecorino

2-3 garlic cloves

salt and pepper 

fresh chilli (optional)

Directions:

Blend everything in a food processor, it should be slightly lumpy. The pesto needs to be very moist, so add more olive oil, if it is too dry. Because pesto is in olive oil, it lasts quite well in the fridge. Just put in an airtight container, glass is best, and use within about 2-3 weeks.

For the rest of the dinner

Ingredients:

ham

a handful of cherry tomatoes

pasta

Directions:

Dice ham and cut tomatoes in half. Fry ham and tomatoes until slightly brown. Boil pasta. Drain and mix in the pesto (you only need about half of the pesto batch for 500g pasta). Mix in the ham mix, sprinkle with more parmesan and voilà! 

Buon appetito!

x

Cheesy Potatoes, Syrupy Carrots and Parsnips and Balsamic Oven-baked Tomatoes

Tonight, we had shop bought chicken kiev, but we had really fantastic sides. And they were really simple too. 

Cheesy potatoes:

about 5 large potatoes

butter/ olive oil

cheese

Directions:

Peel and slice, boil (to soften). Mix some butter/ oil into the potatoes, and place in an oven dish. Put cheese on, and then grill in the oven.

Syrupy Carrots and Parsnips:

a handful of carrots

a handful of parsnips

some sugar

some butter

Directions:

Peel and chop/ slice/ julienne (cut into strips). Pour everything into a pan and cook until soft.

Oven-baked Tomatoes:

vine tomatoes

balsamic

Directions:

Pop the tomatoes on an some kitchen foil, and bake until they pop their skin... Serve with some balsamic glaze/ regular balsamic vinegar.

Buon appetito! 

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Egg in an Avo

 Oh my heavens, so two of my FAVOURITE things in the world are avocado and poached eggs. So when I saw a picture of this recipe, I had to try it. I should have read the recipe, however as no doubt it would have told me to hollow the avo a little before pouring the egg in... But messes don't = catastrophe! :) It was still DELICIOUS!

Ingredients:
avocado (the bigger the better)
eggs
salt and pepper
grated cheese

Directions:

Preheat your oven to about 180 degrees C. Hollow out the avo, and crack the egg inside. Season. You could even add some chives, or any other herb you like. Pop in the oven for about 5-10 minutes. Put cheese on top and put it back in the oven for a little longer, until the cheese is melted and yummy!

Serve with some fresh bread - we had toasted olive bread! YUM! And some salad.

                                                
                                                                         Buon appetito!
                                                                                  x

Pancakes

So I know that I am a few days off with this post - but I figure, better late than never. Many people celebrated Shrove Tuesday on the 22nd February 2012. Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) is known by most as pancake day. It is the day before Ash Wednesday and the day before Lent begins.

So while I thought we'd have an ENTIRE day of pancake eating, we only made them mid-day (we were out in the morning). After three pancakes I felt so ill from the sugar overdrive, we didn't make any more! :) Here's the recipe we used.

Ingredients:
about half a cup of plain flour
pinch of salt
2 eggs
about 3/4 cup of milk
1/3 cup of water
50 g butter

Directions:
Mix all together, until smooth. Add more liquid or flour, to adjust the consistency to suit your preferences. Pour some oil onto kitchen paper and lightly grease the pan. Flip away... :)

Use sugar and cinnamon, castor sugar and lemon, nutella, ham and cheese, savoury mince or any other topping you like. Roll or fold, and serve!

Buon appetito,
x

Rennie Maritz

I am blogging about this story; because I am devastated by it, and I am hoping that a lot of people will see it and will be able to assist this wonderful family and this special little boy.

We have dear friends; who were blessed with a little boy, Rennie, a year ago. Immediately, like most parents, they developed a strong and beautiful bond with their new son. He became their life and their everything. 


On the 23rd of August 2011, their lives came to a shattering halt. Rennie was rushed to the emergency ward with sudden and acute meningitis symptoms. On viewing a CAT scan, the doctors discovered a large amount of excess brain fluid caused by a blockage at the brain stem. He was rushed to the Neurosurgical ward at Glasgow's South General Hospital for immediate and life-saving brain surgery. The surgery was successful and a Ventriculoperitoneal shunt was inserted into his head. This permanent shunt assists in draining excess brain fluid (bypassing the blockage) into the abdomen, where it is absorbed normally into his body. Whilst under anaeshetic, an MRI scan was performed to diagnose the cause of the blockage.


The blockage was caused by Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Giloma (DIPG), a very rare brain tumour. This tumour can not be operated on, and because of his age Rennie could not receive the normal treatment of radiotherapy. The prognosis for the brain tumour is not very good - even for older children - and with standard treatment, the average survival rate is only 9 months!


As he was so young, the specialists had to come up with a personalised treatment regime. On the 14th October 2011, Rennie started chemotherapy. Doctors were not sure how he would react to the treatment, as it is incredibly harsh on such a small little person's system. He managed his chemotherapy treatments, even though he lost his appetite and was incredibly lethargic throughout. 


After many trips to the hospital and after receiving many treatments, the tumour on his brain is still growing bigger and bigger. He is battling to perform basic functions, such as swallowing and breathing. The hospital has helped to settle him at home now, with everything he needs to make his symptoms easier and making him more comfortable.

I cannot even begin to imagine this happening to my child. I don't think I would have the courage and incredible strength that John and Gillian have. It breaks my heart every time we are updated about the story and I cry for hours, for them and for their little boy.

If anyone can assist him in any way - please follow this link - https://www.facebook.com/RennieMaritzFund or contact me and I will pass on your details.

Chicken, Lentil and Vegetable Curry

One of my talents, if I do say myself, is making a REALLY good curry. I make it mild so that my son can also eat it - and then spice it up for my husband and I.

Ingredients:
olive oil
garlic
1 onion, diced
about Tbsp mild - strong curry powder
salt
pepper
chicken breast fillets
about 2Tbsp lentils
cup of chicken stock
cup of chopped vegetables
3 chopped potatoes
tin of coconut milk
rice

Directions:
Fry the garlic and onions, add the chicken and potatoes. Put curry powder in the pan, and stir until everything is well coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add lentils and vegetables. Pour in the chicken stock and coconut milk. Cook to your satisfaction. Serve with rice/ salad.

Buon appetito!
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