Feeding Solids

This time round I have a very independent feeder. Ellie likes to do things herself when it comes to feeding and solids. She even tries to get her fingers in her mouth when breastfeeding which is most frustrating! We've been going along the lines of what they call Baby-Led Weaning or Baby-Led Solids and it has been working well for us. It means less time spent pureeing foods and more time watching Ellie concentrating on picking up bits of food of her tray table which is extremely cute and mesmerising. The first thing we tried was grated cheese which she absolutely loved, now we're up to very soft cooked fingers of carrot, sweet potato and beans. She loves gnawing on chunks of bread too! One day we'll learn to use a spoon but for now she is very happy practising her pincer grip and hand-eye coordination! It's messy but fun!

Luckily she absolutely loves bathtime at the moment!

And looks ever so cute wrapped up in a towel :D

Can you?

I recently cooked mince for the first time in my slow cooker. I didn't really think about it I just did it because it was easier to prepare dinner and throw it in the cooker to do all the work and be ready at 6pm without me having to do anything during the "witching hour" with two kids screaming at me for attention!

That night after chowing down on a delicious spag bol I checked my facebook page to see that a friend had had an unsuccessful attempt at mince in the slow cooker and found that there was a little controversy about whether or not you can or should attempt this feat!

Well, I'm here to say that in my experience you can and it can indeed turn out nicely - sure it's no masterchef meal but it's great for my family and the mince is so tender that it is perfect for my 7 month old to have a try at eating meat without having to puree anything.

I tend to be a bit of a "chuck in a bit of this and that and hope for the best" cook so I can't quite say what exactly I put into this meal but it went a little something like this:

500gms minced beef
1 tin diced tomatoes
1 diced carrot
1/2 a diced capsicum
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 tblspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
a handful of fresh herbs - I used oregano, thyme and basil
Salt and pepper to taste

I think I added a sachet of tomato paste as well?

Chuck it all in and cook on low for 7hours (approx)

I think the trick is not to put too much liquid in or it will be too soggy.

You can put in onion or celery or whatever veg you normally use or try different herbs and spices to taste - a dash of chilli never goes astray but I didn't have any on hand that day.

Of course all you have to do when your ready to eat is cook you spaghetti and grate some cheese for the top.

I'd love to hear how you go and what your thoughts are on mince and slow cookers!!

Bubbles and Water

C'mon who doesn't love bubbles! This is one of the best and easiest ways to entertain babies and children of all ages! I got this bubble "blower" from Target, it takes 2 AA batteries which operate a little fan that blows the bubbles out and it was only $10.00! It saves my breath and the frustration of a 3 year old when he can't get the old traditional ones to make enough bubbles with his own breath!

I love how the simplest things are the most delightful to children and captivate them for the longest time.

And as a lover of beauty and photography you can get some pretty cool shots by making the bubbles land on flowers and foliage. You've got to be quick though because after a few seconds the colours dissapear and the bubbles pop!

Always a challenge to try to get a floating bubble in focus especially on a windy day!

And here's a few tiny bubbles that nature created for me one morning last week. These are my nasturtian flowers and leaves which have now all dissapeared with the first frosts of the season

:(

Mother and Daughter

A belated Mothers Day post for the first Mothers Day I have shared with my beautiful daughter Elliana. We are so blessed to have you in our lives and we love you so very much.

Whilst I was gardening last week and Alex was "helping" me yet again by relocating soil and straw and rocks around the place I had a grand idea to make him his own little garden. A special spot that is his and he can dig in the dirt, plant things, stand on them, bury rocks and seeds and anything else his little heart desires!

I decided on a little shady corner close to the house that had been overrun by mint (why did I not listen to all those people who say "never plant mint in the garden, keep it contained in a pot). I spent an afternoon removing the mint and digging out the clay and importing some fresh new compost soil.

The following day I took Alex to my favourite shop, Bunnings, and let him choose some special things to go in his garden. He chose a red pot and some pansy's and some sweet peas.

He chose some bricks for the edging and some special stones.

We added some bits that we had laying around the garden and the sandpit too.

He also chose a cute little snail, hopefully this will scare away the real snails and stop them from eating our plants!! One can only hope!

Private

I have decided to make my blog private so if you want to continue reading my few and far between posts :) please let me know your email address so I can add you.

Cheers!

My Little Man

Just wanted to share some photos of my little man, three years old now and growing up far too quickly!

He is shy.

He loves chocolate.

He is serious and empathetic.

He is cheeky and funny.

He adores the outdoors.

He love his Nanny

Run, be free...

When do we lose the ability to find so much joy in just being able to run around wildly in a garden or a forest or on a beach...or even just up and down a hallway a gazillion times?

My other thought when I saw this photo was...wow...I wish I had just half the amount of energy that he has!


Today my goal is to find just a little bit of energy to rejoice in our freedom