Freddie's Friday - Breakfast Makeover

Breakfast had always been an easy meal with Freddie. He'd gobble down his cereal without our help and I never had to worry about whether he had eaten enough to keep him going. Over the last few weeks this has changed and Freddie has needed lots encouragement so I thought it was time to try and make breakfast more varied and exciting but still an easy meal.

A recent New Zealand Healthy Food Guide magazine had an article on how to choose kids' breakfast cereals looking at the fibre, sodium, sugar and wholegrains. The guidelines they listed that I thought were pretty helpful were as follows:

• Sugars - 15g or less per 100g (without dried fruit) or 25g or less per 100g (with dried fruit)
• Fibre - 5g or more per 100g
• Sodium - 400mg or less per 100g
• Whole grains - look for wholegrains listed as one of the first ingredients.

This got me thinking about the ingredients I will use in my breakfast recipes. I'm aiming to create sugar and salt free meals that contain protein, sufficient fibre and whole grains. I thought over my next few posts I would share these successful new breakfasts.

Sugar Free Banana Bread

Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 45 mins

Ingredients:
1 cup plain flour
1 cup wholemeal flour
1/2 cup wheat bran
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
125g butter or margarine
1/2 cup apple sauce
3 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Beat butter until creamy. Add one egg at a time.

Sift flour with cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda.
Mash banana and combine with apple purée and add to butter egg mixture. Fold in flour mixture, dates and walnuts.

Bake in loaf tin at 180 'C for 45 minutes or as muffins for 20 minutes until golden and skewer comes out clean. The cake can be sliced and frozen for quick easy breakfasts or snacks.

Serve with cream cheese, butter or yoghurt.

Here is my first Breakfast Makeover attempt which we enjoyed for afternoon tea. Mike didn't even guess it was sugar free!

Munch Mummy Kate

"More" Breakfast Ideas

Often I am not at my best before my first cup of coffee (we still get up to one of our little ones a lot in the night). So I like to know what I am going to make for breakfast. Luckily, my three boys all shout "more" at breakfast. It is the one meal when they really tuck in. I want to make sure what I give them is sustaining and good for them. We usually have one of three things: porridge (with lsa), cereal, or toast. Or a combination of the three. Sometimes I do feel like I would like to do something a bit different, but it has to be something they will eat that can be prepared quickly.

A good breakfast will help with energy and concentration levels throughout the day and ensure you all feel fuller longer. Good for mummies with tummies, too. But, when the spoons are flying and hungry children are desperate for something to eat it pays to have an action plan. I recently read about this easy way to plan healthy breakfasts. Essentially you just think about including three key things:

• Something filling -  carb
• Something lasting - protein
• Something coloured - fruit

Munch Mummy Kate has also been thinking about breakfasts. She has started a series on "Breakfast Makeovers". See her posting from last week here, where she discusses ways to get little munchkins to eat more breakfast. And check out tomorrow's Freddie's Friday post too. Over the coming weeks she shares some great ideas for making something a bit different for breakfasts. She has some really great recipes for you to try out. I will definitely be trying them.Yay, Kate. Thanks for inspiring me - we had eggy bread this morning!

Mummy to three small boys

Mummies with tummies

I am obviously a bit vain. I have started checking out the stats of this blog to see what it is that people are reading. I find it interesting to see which posts are popular, and to think about what it is that you, the reader, are looking for in a blog.

You were quite interested in my chocolate cake posting, where I gave a very easy chocolate cake recipe which is, in my experience, a 'never fail' recipe. So I am thinking that many of you enjoy chocolate and cake, like me. Perhaps you are also interested in easy recipes that are cheap and economical? Perhaps you also enjoy baking but don't always have the time for it?

I have also noticed that there has been quite a lot of interest in checking out my posting on linseed, sunflower and almond, which discussed this nutrient packed supplement and some ways to easily incorporate it into your life. Which means that, despite the interest in chocolate and cake, you also have a strong interest in healthy stuff too. All things in moderation I guess.

But the number one favourite posting to date has been I am not pregnant, I am fat. Hmmm. Perhaps this means that some of you suffer like I do from being a mummy with a tummy? For many of us it's partly baby's (or babies') doing, and partly a result of leading a slightly unbalanced chocolate and coffee fueled existence in the early days of new born babies. 

And as they grow, it remains a daily struggle to provide a healthy and balanced diet for the whole family. As parents we work exceptionally hard providing for our little ones' daily needs. Planning wonderful days for them, and great balanced healthy meals like those Munch Mummy Kate makes for Freddie. Its easy to forget to take time out to care for ourselves in the same way. Well at least I know that this is often true for me. I don't always prioritise eating well and excercise for myself because it's hard to find the time.

Maybe I should do a post on how to fit some excercise into a schedule that is already bursting at the seams with things that need to be done for other people? What do you think? Got any good ideas?

Mummy with a tummy and three small boys

What are your holiday plans?

Kindergarten, Playcentre and school holidays are just around the corner. What have you and your little people got planned for the break?

This image was obtained from here.

Facebook competition - Jamie Oliver apron

Hi Munchettes,

Its competition time again.  Check out below our blurb on our facebook page http://facebook.com/munchcooking


HAPPY MONDAY MADNESS MUNCHETTES! This week we have an adorable Jamie Oliver kids cooking kit up for grabs, you know the drill, simply Share the photo and like our page (If you havent already!) to be in to win :D and for DOUBLE ENTREE sign up to our blog over at: http://www.munchcooking.com/ xx

Easy family meal from the store cupboard

I don't like to rush my cooking but am often in a situation these days where its hard to find the time to leisurely make meals... its often more about quickly preparing something that is nutritious and also likely to be eaten by the children and enjoyed by the grownups. I like to have some meals that I can prepare quickly and without having to read recipes too much. Risotto, for me, is one of these. Mastering the art of making a good risotto (or even just an okay one) allows you to make a quick, nutritious and delicious meal the whole family can enjoy in less than 30 minutes. Leftovers make a great lunch, too.

I know that sometimes people shy away from making risottos because they are seen as being too fiddly and a bit of hard work. I actually really like to make them and I feel that once you have mastered the basics of making a decent risotto it can be adapted to whatever you have in the fridge or store cupboard. There are only a few things you need to make a good risotto: onion, stock, risotto rice, Parmesan, and olive oil. A small amount of white wine  is good too, but not critical.

Basic four person serving of risotto
1 onion, medium dice
2 cups of risotto rice (Arborio or Carnaroli are good options)
5-6 cups stock (chicken or vegetable are good)
1/4 cup wine
50-75 gm grated Parmesan
50 gm butter

Basic method for risotto
Heat the  stock in a separate pan. In another, larger one saute your onions (or leeks or spring onions) in oil and half the butter. Then add your rice, let the grains get coated in the oil. Then add approximately a 1/4 cup of wine and let it evaporate. Then add the warm stock half a cupful at a time, allowing it to be absorbed by the rice before you add another cupful. Stir gently.

When the rice is cooked to your liking (al dente: with a little bite left in it is traditional) remove from heat and stir through rest of the butter and grated cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper - if you have used pre-made stock and a salty parmesan you might not need any additional salt. Serve in warmed wide bowls to slow the cooking process down.

Once you have mastered the basics of the risotto you can make any combination you like. You can add a variety of ingredients near the end of the cooking process eg: cooked chicken, spinach, cooked pumpkin, lemon juice and zest, salmon or white fish. The options are endless. From a basic risotto with chirozo and frozen peas, to something quite fancy-pants, like this champagne and leek risotto recently reviewed on Radio National. It turns out it is from Pipi - the cookbook by Alexandra Tylee (and would be lovely and easy dinner to make for other grown-ups). You could also try your hand at baked risotto's such as the pumpkin, pancetta and sage risotto.

Mummy to Three Small Boys

Freddie's Friday - Getting kids to eat more breakfast?

My friend Charlotte sent me an email asking for tips on how to get her 11 month old to eat more breakfast. As I, along with lots of other Mums I know, have been through this exact same experience I thought it could make a good post.

 

At the moment her son, Arty, isn't really a breakfast eater. He has between 150-200ml of milk and then eats breakfast 30 minutes later, typically half a weetbix or half a piece of toast. He is then really hungry for lunch by 11.30. She wants him to eat more breakfast and make lunch later.

 

The first thing I always remember when Freddie refuses his food and chucks it on the floor is that he is growing, putting on weight and meeting his milestones. If this is not the case with your baby or toddler then you need to seek support from a professional. Your Plunket nurse, health visitor or GP should be able to give you support and make any necessary referrals. Parents Centre also run a couple of really helpful courses on feeding your baby and toddler.

 

Here are three possible solutions to get Arty to eat more... no promises but worth giving them a try!

 

Switch his milk and solid feeds around

From 8 months milk feeds are still important but only offer after solids. Babies should have breast milk or about 600ml formula a day. This might encourage him to have more of an appetite for solid food. To make this work you have to be really organised and have breakfast ready, as he is going to be very hungry. Something easy like weetbix microwaved with formula milk or cow's milk and some banana mashed in to sweeten it and a bit of yoghurt or porridge with grated apple and raisins or dried apricots, blended to make smooth and a bit of yoghurt.

 

Offer his milk feed 30 to 45mins later, so around 8.30/9am, long enough so he is hungry. To tide him through to lunch offer morning tea (it is a good idea to include protein e.g. cream cheese or peanut butter on crackers) before or after his morning sleep. This should mean you can push lunch to midday.

 

Space his milk feed and solid feed out a bit more

If like me you love that morning snuggle in bed while Arty has his morning feed then keep on going! I was advised by my Plunket nurse that this is not a problem. To make sure breakfast is a success make it slightly later in the morning so he is really hungry - at least 45 minutes later (about 8.30/9am). I would still offer him morning tea so he can have his lunch a bit later.

 

Variety is the spice of life

It might be that Arty is just bored with weetbix and toast! Maybe try out some different foods and eat them together. Make them look exciting and colourful. You could let him feed himself some easy finger food. Here are some ideas:

• Sliced or grated fruits
• Yoghurt with fruit sticks to dip in
• Boiled eggs with soldiers to dip
• Pancakes
• Banana or blueberry muffins
• French toast or Cheesy Eggy bread

As parents we never think our child has eaten enough! When I prepare a meal for Freddie I use his hand as a portion guideline for how much I expect him to eat:

• Carbohydrate - a clenched fist
• Fruit and Vegetables - a handful
• Protein - his palm
• Cheese - his thumb

He often eats more than this and sometimes far less but it is a helpful starting point. Just like us I think babies and toddlers appetites vary and looking at their diet over the week as a whole is definitely more helpful than looking at each meal or each day.

 

Well Charlotte (and all my other readers) I hope this is a handy guide to getting Arty to eat his breakfast. Let me know how you get on!

 

 Munch Mummy Kate

 

 

 

 

 

Cupboard Love

Nigella Lawson, who I admire very much, has produced many great recipe books. In Nigella Express, she offers a variety of recipes that are easy and quick to make, without sacrificing great ingredients. Pragmatically Nigella embraces shortcuts in her everyday cooking, so long as meals don't loose their authenticity.

A key principle underpinning Nigella Express is that if you keep a really great store cupboard or pantry of essentials, you are able to easily rustle up a quick yet fantastic "store cupboard standby" meal. Nigella enthusiastically uses lashings of flavoured oils, frozen vegetables and tinned beans and fruits. Her philosphy can be summed up as 'a little cupboard love goes a long way'. Ingredients like flavoured oils, capers and olives may cost a little bit more up front, but earn their worth when you can easily rustle something up without having a) leave the house and b) accidentally spend sixty three dollars in an unplanned trip to the supermarket. And a lovely meal made quickly is a beautiful thing itself.

Jamie Oliver's , The Return of the Naked Chef also offers a detailed list of store cupboard essentials list. I admit that some of these probably would not feature in old Mother Hubbard's cupboard, but here is a bit of an amalgamation of Nigella and Jamie's essential store cupboard items:

• Oils - eg olive, olive, sunflower. Nigella uses a lot of garlic, chili and other infused oils
• Vinegars - red wine, white wine, balsamic, rice wine
• Horseradish cream or Mustard:Dijon, wholegrain, English
• Salt and salty things like capers, olives and anchovies
• Sugars: brown, white, icing
• Flour: plain, self-raising, corn
• Baking Powder and bicarbonate of soda
• Semolina, couscous, polenta
• Dried pasta: spaghetti, linguine, tagliatelle, penne, (although for us its seashells and risoni in my cupboard)
• Pulses: borlotti, cannellini, chickpeas, split peas, lentils
• Rice: long grain, basmati, Arborio or Carnaroli risotto rice
• Tinned fish
• Sauces: soy, fish, oyster, sweet chilli, tomato
• Tomatoes - tinned, paste and also sun-dried tomatoes
• Dried mushrooms
• Chocolate and cocoa powder, with a good amount of cocoa solids
• Coconut milk, evaporated milk
• Curry pastes
• Herbs and spices
• Stock -  cubes, pre-made or homemade (stores well in the freezer).

Fresh stuff to have in:

• Limes or lemons
• Parmesan cheese, and other cheeses
• Cream
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Onions and Shallots
• Chillies
• Potatoes/kumara
• Herbs (growing in your garden is ideal)
• Frozen vegetables: peas, spinach, corn etc
• Smoked salmon, cured sausage (if vacuumed pack these last well in the fridge).

What are your favourite store cupboard ingredient? What ingredients do you use a lot of in your cooking?

Mummy to three small boys

How do you achieve balance in your life?

"Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some."
Robert Fulghum

This image was acquired here.

Facebook Competition - Support the Neonatal Trust

Hey Munchettes,

 

It is Munch Monday Madness again...We have decided that each month we will support one of our favourite charities by donating money through our facebook competition.  So the charity that we love is The Neonatal Trust who look after our little babies when they need help.  See below our blurb from our facebook page.  Come over to http://facebook.com/munchcooking.com and join us.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Monday Madness Munchettes! Our first charity is...The Neonatal Trust . For every like on this photo we will donate 5 CENTS to the Neonatal Trust. Please 'Like' our page (if you haven't) and Share and like this photo to donate 5 cents....The Neonatal Trust provide support for Premature babies from the point of birth to the transition home and onwards, and that's something worth supporting!. Thanks! xxhttp://www.neonataltrust.org.nz/See More

What are the benefits of volunteering?

It is often said that people just don't have the time to give to voluntary groups these days. However, since becoming a parent, I have had much greater contact with voluntary and community organisations and have seen that there are still huge numbers of people in our communities who freely give their time, resources and experience to others. The last year, with earthquakes and oil spills, has also shown us that in times of need we really are willing to pull our socks up and lend a hand in whatever way we can. Because it is Volunteer Awareness week from17-23 June 2012, I want to give a big YAY to all of you who help out your communities in some way. I know there are a lot of you.

Although we all lead very busy lives these days there are still many many people who give their time to a community organisation of some sort. From what I have seen it is often the mums who are helping schools with their reading programmes, baking and sewing for galas/cake stalls, collecting money or goods for charitable organisations, joining committees, joining causes, networking for the greater good, and helping those who just need a hand.

There are many ways that people provide voluntary support to their communities and there are many benefits to taking on a formal voluntary role, and not just to the organisation that you choose to help. Taking on a volunteer role in your community can give you, the volunteer, many positive opportunities. Volunteering could give you the opportunity to:

• Meet new people, especially if you are new to an area.
• Try something new.
• Experience meeting and procedure protocols, or the chance to upskill or practise skills you are developing.
• Gain experience in a new field - you might be able to try out a new career without making a long-term change or commitment.
• Strengthen your ties to the community and broaden your support network, exposing you to people with common interests, neighbourhood resources, and potentially fulfilling activities.
• Expose you to professional organisations or networking opportunities that could be of benefit to your career.
• Practise and develop your social skills, since you are meeting regularly with a group of people with common interests.
• Develop your sense of identity and achieve a sense of accomplishment. The better you feel about yourself, the more likely you are to have a positive view of your life and future goals.

And if those reasons aren't enough, there are some studies that have found that those who volunteer have a lower mortality rate than those who do not!

Mummy to Three Small Boys

Freddie's Friday - sugar free custard

I’m guessing that for most, if not all, of you the following experience will sound familiar! You have prepared what you think is a delicious meal for your beautiful little baby or toddler, however they turn their nose up at it: chucking it on the floor, spitting out or refusing to open their mouth. As the frustration builds there is also the sinking feeling that they are going to wake up in the night starving hungry or even if they don’t wake up they will probably be up super early demanding breakfast.

Well the way I solve the hunger problem with Freddie is sugar-free custard! It is incredibly easy to make, just 3 minutes, using ingredients that you are guaranteed to have in the pantry. Not only is it a quick and easy recipe it is also healthy. The milk provides fats that are essential for brain development and helps meet your child’s calcium requirement. The egg is packed full of vitamins and minerals and as it is a complete protein that will fill up your little one’s tummy and hopefully keep them going until breakfast.

Sugar-free Custard

This recipe makes a single portion. It takes one minute to prepare and two minutes to cook.

Ingredients

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp cornflour

1 egg yolk

1/4 tsp vanilla paste

Use a microwaveable bowl to prepare and make custard.

Whisk milk into cornflour. Add it slowly so it doesn’t go lumpy.

Whisk in the egg yolk. Microwave the custard for 1 minute.

Stir and then continue to cook for 30 seconds at a time until set, stirring between each 30 second blast in the microwave. Take care it will be extremely hot when it comes out.

Freddie loves his with chopped banana. You could also try serving it with canned fruit (the kind that is in fruit juice) or stewed fruit.

Munch Mummy Kate

Linseed, Sunflower and Almond - LSA

Linseed, Sunflower and Almond ground together is often referred to as LSA. It has a sweet nutty flavour and I think it is quite delicious and extremely good for you.

Linseed is also known as flax seed. LSA is often recommended as part of a liver cleansing diet, but can be used more widely as its an easy way to pack your families diet with essential nutrients. This is because LSA is an excellent source of:

• protein
• fibre
• omega 3, 6 and 9 (essential fatty acids)
• vitamins A, E, D, B1 and B2, B5
• magnesium
• manganese
• calcium
• phosphorus
• potassium
• selenium
• copper
• zinc.

LSA is really easy to incorporate into your diet, too. I put a heaped spoon into our porridge. The kids don't notice and I love the extra dimension it adds to the flavour.

There are many other ways to incorporate this truckload of goodness into your diet. It can be sprinkled over cereal, mixed into yogurt, and smoothies. You could sprinkle it onto salads, sandwiches and slices cheese or fruit. LSA can be added to baking such as cakes, muffins, fruit crumbles and bread, although heating it will effect some of the nutrient value.

LSA should ideally be refrigerated to ensure the essential fatty acids remain at their best - ie so it doesn't go off. You should be able to get LSA at your local supermarket, and like many things, organic is best if your budget can stretch to it. 

Almonds do pose a risk to those with a nut allergy, so do check with your child's school or creche before you put it in their lunch boxes as they may have an exclusion policy for nuts.

What's in your store cupboards?

What are your favourite everyday ingredients that let you make an easy meal quickly? For me, it is risotto rice and parmesan.


Image from here.

Mummy to Three Small Boys

Facebook Competition - Lovely little things

Welcome to munch Monday madness! Thanks to the awesome team over at 'lovely little things' we have a beautiful gift box to give away! You will be able to choose items of your choice up to $50! Simply like our page on Facebook and share this photo to be in to win!

Competition finishes like usual on Thursday.

Munch mummy/nanny Alice x

Something for the grown ups - chocolate mocha fondant

I would like to share with you a pudding recipe for the grown ups to enjoy once the little ones are in bed. This is definitely not a budget buster either. It uses a small amount of dark chocolate, but the rest of the ingredients are things you are likely to have in your pantry. Despite the everyday ingredients, the end result is something a little bit extra special.

With three small boys in the house, my husband and I don't get out together very often. It's hard to have the energy to do much more than the basics of working, running the house, feeding the kids, washing the clothes and cleaning up the constant mess but occasionally we will cook ourselves a special meal or even just a special dessert. Something to be enjoyed once the kids are in bed.

It was my husband's birthday last weekend so we had lamb cutlets (yes, a bit posh but it was his birthday), accompanied by an orange, kumara, spinach and salad inspired by an earlier blog here. Dessert was a rich chocolaty-mocha fondant.

I really like to eat melting chocolate fondants but until last year I gave making them myself a wide berth. Masterchef hadn't help. The crucial gooey centre seemed so elusive.... but actually they are really quite easy to prepare. Similar to making a decent brownie really. The only tricky part is not over cooking them, which is just about timing it accurately and checking it a bit before its due to come out of the oven.

The inspiration for the coffee and chocolate combination came from reading my lovely friend Lucy's blog thekitchenmaid. She is hosting a monthly chocolate challenge titled 'We Should Cocoa' created by UK chocolate officials, Chocolate Teapot and Chocolate Log Blog. This months the We Should Cocoa chocolate challenge is to come up with a chocolate and coffee inspired recipe.

Here is my Chocolate Mocha Fondant recipe, to be enjoyed after the kids are in bed.This recipe makes two good size fondants in medium sized (200 ml) ramekins.

Ingredients

60 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids, if you can)
60 g butter
60 g sugar (i used soft brown sugar)
1 teaspoon instant coffee
very small pinch of salt
1 largish organic egg
60 g self raising flour

In a bowl over boiling water melt chocolate, butter, sugar and coffee together. Or melt gently in a microwave. Stirring occasionally until all is well combined. Remove from heat. Let it cool a bit then whisk in the egg, salt and flour. Divide between  two medium (200 ml) ramekins. Cover and store in the fridge until you are ready to cook.  When you are ready to bake these, pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Bake for exactly 14 minutes. Check at 12 to be safe. You want them to come out cooked on the outside but still runny in the centre. Serve with cream or yogurt.

You could probably use the same recipe and make four smaller fondants in 100 ml ramekins but adjust the cooking time down to 8 minutes or less possibly.

Mummy to Three Small Boys

Freddie's Friday

Freddie's three favourite foods are sweetcorn, banana and yoghurt and I'm pretty sure if I let him that is all he'd eat! In fact "nana" was one of his first words and I'm amazed he doesn't take off with excitement when he sees a corn on the cob. Even on days when Freddie is off his food he'll gobble down some natural yoghurt, which I've recently started making.

Sweetcorn can also be turned into rather tasty sweetcorn fritters that are a great way to sneak in cheese and other veggies. They are a great alternative to a sandwich at lunchtime and are a source of protein to fill up little tummies, as they're made with an egg. An all round winner in my book! You can make the batter in advance while your little one is asleep (it will keep in the fridge for 24 hours) and the fritters freeze well for those days when you run out of time to cook something fresh.

Sweetcorn Fritters - makes 8-10

5 mins preparation
10 mins cooking

Ingredients:
50g self-raising flour
1 egg
200g sweetcorn either frozen or canned
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/2 grated courgette or carrot

Blend sweetcorn until finely chopped but not puréed. Add egg and blend again. Add flour, cheese and grated courgette or carrot and combine.

Heat oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Cook in two batches. Spoon batter into the hot oil, each fritter is about a heaped tablespoon, and cook for a couple of minutes until the surface starts to bubble. Flip and cook until golden. The trick is not to get it too hot so they turn a lovely golden colour and are still soft.

Serve the sweetcorn fritters on their own or with sour cream as a dip.

Munch Mummy Kate

Pre-reading skills for babies and pre-schoolers

Most parents enjoy snuggling up with their little ones and reading them a book. It's a great bonding opportunity, and while we are doing this there are some things we can encourage them to embrace that will help them on their own reading and language journey.

When we read, one of the skills we develop and use involves matching. As babies and children grow they learn to match shapes, patterns and eventually words. Some of the important language and reading things to focus on for pre-readers and early readers include:

• Rhyming - Children who understand about rhyming words have a head start in learning to read and eventually spell.
• Context - Encourage children to look for clues as to what the story you are reading might be about. Can they relate the story back to their own experiences?
• Concepts of print - This is all about knowing how to handle books, eg holding them the right way up, turning the pages in sequence, exploring the pictures, knowing that the words can be read to tell a story. Eventually, learning about contents pages and index and chapters.
• Direction - Being aware that print goes from left to right will lead children to  be familiar with where to start each line and which direction to go in when they start reading. Pointing to each word as it is read is something children will be encouraged to do once they start school.
• Language skills - The more experience children have of language, the more easily they will learn to read. Let your child hear and join in conversations (with adults and children), and listen to stories, songs and poetry.
• Letter skills - Recognising letter shapes, learning the most common sounds that each letter makes will give children a head start on their reading journey.
• Motor skills: This is for the older pre-schooler...  Practising writing letters and words as they learn to read them will help it all to sink in.

Some of the ideas referenced in this article were sourced from here.

Mummy to Three Small Boys

Lunch box ideas?

Some of our readers have been asking for lunch box ideas from Munch. We thought we would throw the net a bit wider, so..... Do you have any great childrens' lunch box ideas? What kinds of things do you put in your kids' lunch boxes? You can email ideas to us at munch.cooking@gmail.com or leave comment below. We will also do some research and report back to you in a little while. See our research here.

Mummy to Three Small Boys

This image was obtained here.

Munch Monday Madness competition on FB

Happy Queens Birthday Munchettes! don't go thinking MUNCH MONDAY MADNESS is on holiday.. there's no rest for the awesome!

So head over to our facebook page at http://facebook.com/munchcooking and join the competition.

Usual rules, you only need to like our page and share the photo to be in to win this cute prize pack for the budding chef in your household.

Bonus offer is that if you follow us or sign up via email on our blog you will get an extra 5 entries.

Competition will be drawn Thursday Munch mummy/nanny Alice xx

Oranges, the natural vitamin c tablet

Did you know that orange peel can be used in the garden as a slug repellent? Possibly not. But we all know that oranges are a citrus fruit packed with vitamin C. They are therefore a great thing to incorporate into your diet year round, but particularly in these colder months when winter bugs are looming. One orange can give you 100% of your daily vitamin C requirements.

The orange tree is the most common tree grown in the world. It is thought that the orange tree originated in South East Asia. They are now widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical climates. Brazil is the largest orange producing nation. It also produces the most orange juice.

Vitamin C belongs to a class known as vitamins soluble in water. This means that it is not stored in the body and must be replaced either through diet or supplements.Taking a vitamin C supplement does not offer same protective benefits as drinking a glass of orange juice, and eating a whole orange is even better.

Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant for our body as it neutralises the effects free radicals. Free radicals in our body can cause damage such as ageing and cancer because of the damage they cause our cells.

Oranges are packed with other nutrients including phytonutrients, fibre, folate, vitamin A and B1, potassium and calcium. They are also good for preventing kidney stones and can reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Oranges have a shelf life of about a week at room temperature and one month if refrigerated. The best way to store oranges is loosely, in an open or perforated plastic bag. If you are going to store your oranges in the fridge, their scent may be absorbed by meat, eggs and dairy products.

Like many fruit and vegetables the orange has much of its goodness in its skin, but often the skin is thought to harbour much of the pesticides used in the production process. Oranges cannot be artificially ripened and must be mature when picked. Ripe oranges often have some green or yellow-green colour in the skin.

So, if you are starting to see some of the winter time bugs coming through your house it could be a great time to make an autumn kumara and orange salad followed by the classic orange almond cake with greek yoghurt for pudding?

Mummy to Three Small Boys

Babies gone

Our site is here to form a community and inspire mummies and daddies to create healthy living and eating for their munchkins.  But sometimes there are hard times like a baby leaving us before he or she is ready to go.  So this post is for all those that have suffered some form of infant loss. 

I have personally had two miscarriages but now have two beautiful boys and another on its way.  One way that I found helped to heal my heart was to write and read. 

Here is one of my poems

Was it a Peter, a George, a David or an Elizabeth.

One will never know as it was never born.

Number one is so beautiful, but two and three we will never know.

Mind is undecided as to how to label it; a baby, a foetus, or just a simple beginning that was not ready for an end.

We will keep on trying to bring another into this world.

We would love to hear from you if you have lost a baby in some way.  Leave us a poem or a sentence to share this loss with others.  We have this beautiful book by Jenny Douche called Baby is Gone to give away to someone who wants to share and follow us.  If you are not ready to share that's okay we just hope this short post gives you a feeling that you are not alone.



Munch mummy Anna x

Fridays with Kate and Freddie

Hello! I’m the latest Munch Mummy, Mum to toddler Freddie, wife, Primary School Teacher and co-owner of Tiny Adventures, a baby developmental class in Wellington. I have always loved cooking and food and been interested in nutrition and healthy eating. So when my gorgeous little man was ready for solids I was really excited! Freddie however wasn’t too keen on solids and after a few weeks of purée, asserted himself and refused to eat from a spoon. He’d spit out pretty much anything I offered him, especially if there were LUMPS! I tried all the tricks – toys, distraction, singing, feeding outside…

In the end I gave in to Freddie’s strong will, threw away the spoon and switched to finger food. We haven’t looked back since. I’m not saying mealtimes aren’t ever frustrating but generally they are happy, family (often messy) times and Freddie enjoys a varied diet feeding himself.

As a result of this journey I’ve become interested in childhood nutrition and how to make children’s meals exciting, appealing and full of flavour while keeping them healthy with minimal salt and sugar. So I started my blog Freddie’s Food which is meant to document my efforts to learn more about childhood healthy eating and nutrition and hopefully at the same time offer other Mums and Dads out there some fun meal ideas and solutions to the challenges of feeding a baby or toddler.


I’ll be sharing Freddie’s food adventures on munch every Friday. Blogging about his likes, dislikes, favourite foods and feeding behaviours and hopefully some helpful hints and tips as well as some yummy, healthy recipes.