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Showing posts from February, 2015

The Four Essentials Every Child Needs to Be Healthy and Happy

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Ever wonder how some parents manage to get it all right? Their kids are courteous and patient, they take turns and share with others, they say please and thank you AND they sleep through the night after eating all of their dinner... they even pick up their toys. It would be most comforting to think that these children are a freak of nature, a miraculous hybrid creation determined by the perfect coupling of genetics. Whilst I am sure there are some behaviors predetermined in children, the bulk of it does surely sit squarely on our own shoulders.

Crisp and Spicy Chicken Wings

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There must be a lot of nurses out there. It seems no matter where you are injured, whether it be a street corner, bus stop, restaurant or even a backyard BBQ, SOMEONE will step up and don their nurses hat.  And thank goodness for them!  I, for one, am completely hopeless in these situations and the last person you would want to be helped by. I want to help, I just don't know how, I freeze. Knowing when to elevate or apply hot or cold, to compress or not to compress, to move or to keep perfectly still and to stay calm under pressure are all such incredible qualities to possess. I'm sure it would benefit us all to at least have first aid knowledge up our sleeves, just in case these angels decide to take a day off. Next time you're having a party, don't forget to invite a nurse or two and be sure to knock up a batch or two of these spicy crowd pleasers too. Oven 'Fried' Spicy Chicken wings 500g Chicken wing pieces 1/2 cup Flour 1-2 Eggs 1/2

Budget Living-Undefined

"Cooking on a budget". I find the term genuinely laughable these days, it's about as specific as me saying "look over there" and rather misleading in a lot of cases it would seem. I guess the majority of people, like myself, would assume "cooking on a budget" to mean a low grocery bill, however, what is low for some may seem extremely decadent to others. Has "budget" become yet another buzzword? Tossed about the internet haphazardly, promising something low cost and delivering, (what I deem to be) excessive spending. Curious about what an average budget might be and whether or not I should be switching my family status from 'middle' to 'lower' class, I took the question to a number of forums.... "What is your weekly grocery budget?" Results: I read through 150-200 different responses, (keeping in mind there may be some double ups between different forums, I did not bother to cross check the names as

Pork Meat Balls

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Pork mince is a little more expensive to buy but the flavour really can't be matched. I do however substitute beef mince in this recipe from time to time and combined pork/beef mince works well too. Ingredients: Meatballs 500g pork mince (ground pork) 2Tbs YIAH Capsicum Pesto 1/3 cup bread crumbs 1egg 2 TBS oil Sauce 1 medium onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 Tbs Honey Balsamic Vinegar 1Tbs raw sugar 400g can diced tomatoes 1Tbs YIAH Roma Italian Spice Blend Method : Meatballs- 1.Combine all ingredients well in a bowl. 2.Roll into balls of desired size. 3.Shallow fry in pan on high until browned on outside. Remove and set aside on kitchen towel. Sauce- 4.Reduce heat to half. 5.Add onion, garlic, vinegar and sugar to pan, stir until onion is translucent. 6.Pour in tomatoes and Italian herbs, stir well. Simmer- 7. Place meatballs in sauce and simmer on low heat for 30mins with lid on, stirring occasionally.

Beef and Bacon Pie

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Pie is always a winner in our house. There are very few prepackaged pies that I am willing to eat so rather than making two separate meals I started making my own. It's easier than it looks, you'll never want to buy a frozen pie again!

Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cookies

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You can't beat the classics. Is there anything more homely than handmade biscuits? I just keep coming back to these time and time again. Ready to eat within half an hour so great for quick morning tea treat. Vanilla Chocolate Chip Biscuits By Mel Roworth Fast, easy, old fashioned chocolate chip biscuits/cookies. Ingredients - 90g cooking margarine or butter - 76g caster sugar (1/3 cup) - 76g brown sugar (1/3 cup) - 1.5 tsp vanilla essence - 1egg - 80g self raising flour (1/2 cup) - 120g plain flour (3/4 cup) - 180g (or more) dark chocolate bits (3/4 cup) - 20mls milk (1 TBS -AU) Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 00:12 Total time: 00:30 Yield: 22 Calories: 136 Fat: 6.1 Method •Preheat oven to 170°C (360°F) •Cream Margarine/butter and sugars. If using vanilla essence add this after creaming. •Add egg and mix thoroughly until completely incorporated. •Stir in flours, choc bits and milk until well combined. •Spoon Tables

Easiest Potato Bake

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Anything that can be thrown together in a dish and popped in the oven is a thumbs up for me. Easiest Potato bake ---Ingredients--- 4 medium potatoes Water 1Tbls butter 2 tsps chives 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon dried onion flakes 1/2 cup milk

Fruit and Oat Balls

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They're on Pinterest, cooking forums, Meal sharing and fitness groups! People are posting pictures of their balls all over the place!! Well, I've resisted the baller movement for so long but I finally decided to get mine out and share with the world. I will refrain from further puns so you can jump straight in and admire my balls. Fruit and Oat Balls Ingredients: 1.5 cups rolled oats 1/2 cup desiccated coconut 1 cup saltanas 1/2 cup dried cranberries Approx 2-3 Tablespoons Golden Syrup

Simple Focaccia

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Divinely easy to make and way to easy to eat!! Mr3 couldn't stop saying "More please Mummy." (pssst...You may want to make two) Focaccia Dough ---Ingredients--- 1 teaspoon white or caster sugar 8g (.25 oz) dry yeast -approx 2.5tsp 2/3 cup luke warm water 2 cups plain/bread flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons Italian Herb mix Topping choice depends entirely on your own liking: Leave it plain or drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Fresh basil, tomato and cheese is my favourite. Make a pizza like topping with a tomato base, pepperoni, olives, mushroom, cheese..... ---Method--- •In a small bowl, gently stir sugar and yeast in water. Stand until bubbles rise, about 10 minutes. •In a large bowl, mix flour, salt and herbs then add yeast mix, combine well. If mixture doesn't combine, stir in additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all of the flour is absorbed. •Turn dough out onto a lightly