My children

I want to celebrate my children today.

Mummy of Three Small (wonderful, delightful, mischievous, inspiring) Boys

Facebook competition Compost Stew

Hi fellow Munchettes,

Every Monday we will be running competitions on our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/munchcooking.  They will run until Thursday and a new one will start each Monday.  So be in to win.

Check out our post from Facebook.

Welcome to our first MUNCH MONDAY MADNESS COMPETITION! Thanks to Compost Stew we have TWO copies of this gorgeous book to give away. Simply Like and Share this photo to be in to win!

Compost Stew is a fun and imaginative way to get your little person thinking about looking after our planet, Check out their facebook page here:https://www.facebook.com/CompostStew?ref=ts

Pears, pears, pears

Did you know that the pear is a member of the rose family and and related to both the apple and the quince? Did you know that much of the nutrient goodness of a pear is in its skin?

Pears are juicy and sweet, with both a soft and grainy texture. There are varieties of pear available almost year-round. If you want to know if a pear is ripe press (gently) around the stem, pears ripen from the inside out. If it a pear is hard at the stem, it its not yet ripe.

Pears are a good source of potassium, vitamin c and dietary fibre. Most of which is found in the skin. Pears are also a very low allergenic fruit so are a good first food for babies. A slice of ripe pear is very easy for little people to eat.

Pears make great eating, something I only came to realise a few years ago. They are great in salads or with a cheese course. There are a many great recipes for pears. They go well in crumbles, baking and are very popular for puddings such as poached pears, baked pears, pears and chocolate. For the kids, tinned pears with yoghurt is an easy healthy pudding.

Pear and walnuts make a great autumnal salad combination. You could try pear and walnut salad:

Arrange on a plate:

• 2 pears, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 cup of shelled walnuts (toasted, if you can but not essential)
• 200 g rocket

Whisk together two tablespoons of olive oil and one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Pour over the top and then add about 50 g (approx a quarter of a cup) of grated pecorino or parmesan. Serve immediately, feeds 4-6 people as a side or entree.

Mummy of Three Small Boys x

Double trouble

I am blessed to be the mother of three boys. One has just turned five years old and the other two are 20 months old.

When I told my mother I was expecting twins she laughed and laughed. My mother in law was obviously very distressed by the news, "oh, no" was all she could muster. One of my best friends cried for a good half hour, and kept asking me if I was joking. I was not joking. In fact most people had unusual or extreme reactions to the news. Most people were didn't know whether to congratulate us or commisserate with us. And more than a few were thinking, phew, I'm glad its not me.

People often ask, how it felt to find out I was expecting twins? The truth is my husband and I were both deeply shocked. We had debated the two or three kids issue and came firmly down on the side of stopping at two. We had found having one a lot of work. When we got the unexpected surprise of facing being the parents of three we spent a good couple of weeks feeling depressed, as we re-imagined our even more hectic lives. Many things were going to me more difficult and we weren't sure if we could cope with the stresses of parenting two babies at once, with a three year old as well. 

But we have. And if it happens to you, you would too.

Now, when I am out with the twins, the most common thing said to me (constantly) is, "ooh, you've got double trouble".  At times I do feel inclined to agree with this statement. Parenting twins, particularly if you have other children, is very very hard work. Most things take double the time, it is very difficult to get out and about with them, and I swear that two babies make triple the mess. Added to that, many twin pregnancies are high risk and many families have difficult pregnancies and pre-term babies and the additional stress that comes with these experiences.

But it's not just double the trouble, its double the happiness. The moments of joy in my day are amplified beyond the power of two. The little things they do seem cuter and more special to me; Two little nudies running races as fast as they can before bathtime, two little babies helping each other put your shoes on, two little people giving you a cuddle. I honestly feel super lucky to be a parent of twins. And to be someone who has been blessed with three children.

Mother of Three Small Boys

Best ever chocolate cake?

Most of us have one or two never-fail recipes. Luckily for me, mine is a chocolate one. Now I'm not saying this is the world's best chocolate cake recipe, but it is definitely a great one. It's simple, economical, rich chocolate flavoured, moist and never fails, even when my little helpers helps a bit too much.

This cake freezes well. It makes quite a good size cake so I often syphon some batter off and make some lunch box muffins. Sometimes I make into a batch of chocolate cupcakes instead of a cake.
All you do is sift together into a large bowl:

• 300g flour
• half cup cocoa
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 t baking powder
• 2 t baking soda

In another bowl combine:

• 2 eggs
• 2 cup water
• 1 T white vinegar (I have often used malt)
• half cup light vegetable oil

Whisk the wet ingredients, then add wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Break up any lumps. Pour into a greased 22 cm spring form cake tin. Bake in a pre-heated oven just under 150 for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Adjust the cooking time for muffins/cupcakes.


Do you have a world's best chocolate cake recipe? Do you have any never fail recipes to share?

Mummy of Three Small Boys

When life gives you lemons, make icecream

I really really like to eat ice cream. Apart from biscuits, ice cream is probably my biggest diet downfall. I like it so much I started to make homemade ice creams. They are hard to beat and you can make some really amazing treats, and know that they are made from real food and free from any unnecessary extras.

I like ice cream so much I bought an ice cream maker, and if you are serious about ice cream they are really useful. Mine has never made a bad ice cream and together we have made all sorts of ice creams. Making ice cream is a great way to make use of in season fruits, and there is something amazing about homemade strawberry ice cream. My eldest boy really enjoys making ice creams with me... and as a kids activity its slightly less messy than baking! We don't bother with the custard based ones, I tend to be more into the quick recipes where you chuck in milk, cream and your other ingredients and churn for 30 minutes.

However, you don't need an ice cream maker to make delicious ice creams, though. One of the best (and easiest) recipes is Nigella Lawson's Lemon Ice cream, in How to Eat. I have reproduced it below. The great thing about this recipe is that once you have put it in the freezer you can forget about it till you are ready to eat it. There is no mixing or crystal breaking etc.

Lemon Ice cream
3 juicy lemons
420ml cream (she suggests whipping cream but I simply use pouring cream)
170g icing sugar

Grate the zest from two of the lemons. Squeeze the juice of all three and pour into a small bowl with the zest and icing sugar, stir to combine and leave for 30 minutes (which I never have and its always been fine) to let the flavour deepen. Whip the cream with 3 tablespoons iced water until it holds soft peaks, then whisk in the icing sugar/lemon juice mixture. Tip into a shallow container, cover and freeze. Soften in the fridge for a little bit before serving.

The first time I made this, four grown-ups demolished the lot at a Sunday lunch... Luckily we had minestrone first, rather than a roast.

You say tomato, I say pomodoro

Pomodoro, or tomatoes are a key component of many cuisines including Italian, Spanish and Mexican. The tomato originated in South America, quite possibly from Peru. The tomato spread around the world following the Spanish colonisation of the Americas. Originally many people were wary of tomatoes, considering them to be poisonous.

I cant imagine what cooking today would be like without the tomato? Apart from onions, tomatoes are probably the thing I use most in my cooking. I am sure this is true for many of you. I make a lot of Italian inspired meals like lasagne and bolognese, because these are very popular with the kids. I also make a lot of casseroles and always add tinned tomatoes to these.

When tomatoes are in season and cheap, and I am trying to be good, I eat baby tomatoes as a snack instead of other sweet things. I also enjoy making fresh tomato sauces for gnocchi and other pastas. I simply roast them with garlic, rosemary, thyme or any other herb available this brings out an intense and sweet flavour. Then I puree/blitz them in the food processor and combine with slowly sauteed onions and leeks. I make big batches of this and some goes into the freezer for the colder months.

Of course home grown tomatoes are full of an intense flavour and fun to grow, but because they can easily be grown commercially fresh tomatoes are available year round. I think the health benefits of tomatoes warrant them being eaten all year round, either fresh or tinned.

Tomatoes are loaded with vitamins such as A, C and E. They are a great source of potassium and calcium, but their greatest claim to fame is their lycopene content. This is an antioxidant that helps lower cholesterol and protect us against strokes, cancer and heart attacks.

Our bodies can access the benefits of lycopene more easily from cooked tomatoes. Here are some ideas for getting more cooked tomatoes into your diet in these colder months:

•  Baked tomato risotto - use tinned tomatoes to replace some of the stock
• Sausage casserole - tinned tomatoes or tomato soup replaces water/stock
• Curries - try tinned tomatoes instead of stock/coconut milk or add tomato paste to thicken
• Home made pizza - use tomato paste and top with chopped, deseeded fresh tomatoes then add favourite pizza toppings
• Try to use tomato based sauces instead of cream sauces for pasta
• Tinned tomatoes, garlic and onions make a very quick tomato soup for lunches.

Got too much home-work?

Do you ever feel like you never truly get your house clean? I certainly do. There is always someone messing up what I tidy. Dishes and laundry multiply like bacteria. Cleaning up at my house is a full time job.

Happy Mothers Day Munchettes

Munch boxes

The sandwich is the lunch box item that people are probably most familiar with. The vegemite sandwich was the staple of my lunchbox as a child and the sandwich has become a core component of my childrens' munch boxes. They are an easy and convenient staple, and for grown ups on a budget they remain a great lunch option.

I recently read one of those four ingredients books for kids. It made the following suggestions for creating a healthier sandwich:

• Use bread that has at least two grams of fibre per slice
• Add a protein, cheese, egg, ham, cooked chicken, peanut butter
• Try to add at least two colours of vegetables eg red capsicum, green baby spinach, tomatoes, grilled eggplant, cress

Obviously brown breads and grain packed breads are best, but variety keeps things interesting. Try to use croissants, rolls and wraps now and then. If your kids are not really so keen on brown bread try to do one slice white and one brown while they get used to it. Most kids like their crusts removed. If it gets them to eat the majority of a healthy sandwich then its not a bad trade-off.

Think about your lunch box when you are cooking meals. Leftovers make great sandwich fillings. Some "leftover" sandwich ideas include:

• Bologanaise and cheese (toasted preferably - great for those at work)
• Grilled vegetables (eg capsicum, carrot or courgette) and feta
• Roast potatoes and cold roasted meat
• Leftover salad with ham or other cold meat.

Happy munching.

Do you get a lot of monkey business at meal times?

Are you sick of monkey business at meal times? Got any great ideas for getting kids to eat the healthy stuff? Got any tips for sandwhiches or lunch box ideas to share?

Picture nabbed from picsonlyforu.

Mummies know best

Munch would love to hear from Mums from anywhere who have ideas, products, events and activities to for pre-schoolers. If you are a mummy-preneur or you have something you would like us to promote at Munch, all we ask for you to do is tell us about it, like our facebook page and become a follower on our blog. You can email us at: munch.cooking@gmail.com.

The first mummy-prenuer for under 5's Munch would like to introduce to you  is Kate Day. Kate offers classes for under fives via her website www.tinyadventures.co.nz. Tiny Adventures offers a series of interactive classes matched to the developmental stage of your baby, and is offering a free introductory class this Tuesday: 

FREE Little Wrigglers Taster Class
Tuesday 8 May at 9.30 am, St Judes's Church Hall, Freyberg St, Lyall Bay.

Kate is also going to be one of our guest bloggers so we can follow her son, Freddie, and his food journey.

We really want to hear from you as we are a collective of mummies wanting to offer the best for our pre-schoolers. As we said right at the begining of lauching Munch, we are all about communities. And, mums know best, right?

Rubber Ducky, you're the one!

Just because your bath toys are often in water it doesn’t mean that they are always clean. Here are some useful ideas for keeping them clean.

Prevention is obviously, as always, better than cure. If you dry them after every bath and clean them regularly they will be less likely to get grimy or mouldy. Easier said than done though, right. Try to use toys in the bath that are non porous and easy to clean. You could use a glue gun and seal up holes in any squirty toys to stop them getting water in them in the first place, but then they wont be as much fun.

Here are some cleaning tips for bath toys:

• For regular washing you can mix warm water and detergent, and wash and rinse and then dry them in the sun. You could put them in a mesh washing bag to dry.
• When toys are really dirty, try soaking them in a nappy soaker like napisan. This is great for the squirty toys as it gets inside them and breaks down the gunk (squirting out the gunk is quite satisfying). 
• Pots and other hard plastic toys can be put through a cycle in the dishwasher after washing or soaking them in napisan.
• If your toys can not suitable to go in the dishwasher, put them into a mesh bag (after they have been cleaned and soaked) and chuck them in your washing machine with a load of towels. This worked brilliantly for foam bath letters/numbers (I also do this for the shower curtain).

For a non-chemical option:

• Wipe them clean with a clean cloth and dry them out in the sun inside a mesh bag.
• Or, clean and dry toys, then place them in a mixture of three parts hot water and one part vinegar, and soak for at least 10 minutes. Wipe/dry well.
• Or, put your toys in the dishwasher with a small amount of vinegar (a couple of cap fulls, or a 1/4 cup) in the soap dispenser and put it through a normal cycle. Dry well with a clean tea towel if necessary.
• Put all the toys into a bucket with some baking soda. This cleans them up nicely, although sometimes they need a wipe down afterwards, but it is super easy.

Do you have any other great tips for cleaning bath toys?