Author: Belinda

Week 5 with Jamie – Beef

Picnik collage Week 5 Jamie\'s Ministry of Food Ipswich

This week on the menu was – Good Old Chilli Con Carne, Guacamole and Fluffy Rice.  Let me start by saying – SO SO GOOD!!  This was so out of my comfort zone and I am a little proud for diving in head first and not whinging!! I always thought I didn’t like chilli, beans or coriander.  Well…… now they are my new best friends!!!!  We  made the quickest, tastiest guacamole all on the chopping board (no bowls for washing up) and again SO GOOD!

After cooking we headed over to Mum and Dad’s with dinner for everyone.  My wonderful parents look after Ben while we cook.  We had a feast to share this week.  Bowls full with  Chilli Con Carne, Rice, Guacamole, and natural corn chips (the corn chips added for Ben to make it more appealing for little ones).   It was such a hit!  Seriously the tastiest meal I have had in some time – the flavor……yum!!  I can’t wait to cook it up for friends (or Andrew can cook it and I can relax).  So who’s up for dinner?

You can get the recipe from here.

Next Week – Pasta

Oh I forgot….. we also enjoyed some pumpkin muffins to celebrate Jamie’s Birthday…Happy Birthday xo

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Linking up with What we ate Wednesday

Cowboy… good or bad?

I have always had a no toy gun policy!  Well……. kids don’t need toys to make a gun. Their finger become a gun, they pick up  a stick or pen or anything and it becomes a gun.   I have toyed with the idea of allowing Ben to have a toy gun for months.  He has asked for a ‘star wars blaster’ or a ‘cowboy blaster’ a number of times.    I had one, my brother had one and it didn’t seem to harm us.  I have fond memories playing cowboys with my brother in our backyard.  We had a metal cowboy pistol in a leather holster.

I have watched Ben with his toys.  He has favorites for a period of time and then he moves on to new favorites.  So I  came to the conclusion today that he can have a toy gun.  My thinking is that it will be a favorite for a time and then be replaced by something else.    Ben got his cowboy pack today.  We were in the $2.00 shop and there it was in front of him – A cowboy gun, spurs, holster, belt and badge – all for the fabulous price of $2.00.  He LOVES it. Here he is at Gamma’s house modelling his new look!

Picnik collage cowboy

Fingers crossed my theory is correct…. if all else fails it cost $2.00 it has to break soon!!

Did you have a toy gun?

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Gamma’s Day at KINDY!

Picnik collage Gamma\'s Day

Ben took his Gamma (Grandma) to Kindy today for Under 8’s Day.  Gamma got to meet Ben’s lovely teachers and play with Ben and his friends.  I am not sure Gamma is into climbing on the fort though!!  The teachers had organised lots of lovely activities – kite making, clay modeling, gluing, bubble blowing, spray bottle painting, threading, painting……. Ben made a kite, did some painting but enjoyed playing of the fort the most (his favorite thing in the world!).  All the children and Grandparents shared in a wonderful morning of play and a lovely morning tea.  Our sensitive little petal got upset as the morning came to an end and the children became a little rowdy.  He is now half asleep on the lounge all snug under a blanket.  Thanks to Ben’s teachers and Gamma for a lovely morning xo

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Baked Carrots in a Bag

Picnik collage carrots in a bag

This recipe comes from Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food cook-book. This is a great side dish  for a BBQ or simply tasty vegetables for dinner.  It can be prepared early and popped in the oven for cooking at anytime.  It’s so easy!!  But more importantly sooooo YUM!

Ingredients

1 ¾ lbs/700 grams carrots
1 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic
1 orange, zest and juice
1 tsp marmalade
1 rasher of bacon
2 pats/ 2 teaspoonsbutter
Salt and pepper

Method

  • Preheat your oven to 400F or 200C.
  • Peel carrots.
  • Leave them whole if small, chopping any larger ones up.
  • Get yourself a sheet of aluminum foil about 2 feet/60cm long, fold it in half to make a crease, and then open it out again.
  • Pile your carrots in the middle of the aluminum foil on one side of the crease.
  • Pick the leaves off the rosemary and finely chop.
  • Peel and finely slice garlic.
  • Scatter the rosemary and garlic over the carrots.
  • Grate over the zest from half of the orange, and add the marmalade,chopped bacon,  butter and a pinch of salt and pepper.
  • Fold the other half of the aluminum foil over the carrots and scrunch and seal the two sides of the aluminum foil bag together, leaving one end open.
  • Halve the orange and squeeze all the juice into the bag
  • Seal up the final side.
  • Place your aluminum foil bag on a baking tray in the preheated oven for around 50 minutes.
  • To serve, carefully pour the carrots and all their juices into a nice big serving dish.

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Linking up with Heather – Recipe Swap