Meat free Mondays...we are leaning into it

Our house is slowly leaning into 'Meat free Mondays'.  I have felt I wanted to give it a try after quite a few things I have read and watched lately(inparticular 'Food Inc' the movie).

We are leaning in as 1.  Man-of-the-house loves meat and 2.  All my best recipes are meat based.  

So on Monday night we compromised by having vege burgers with home made wedges, and man-of-the-house got free range bacon on his as well. So...its happening slowly.  If anything it has also made me aware that I can really vote with my wallet, and encourage companies to make small changes.  eg.  One of our major ham produces now sells free range bacon.

Here's to trying something new!

Its been raining...I have succumbed to the dryer

Its been raining a lot around here, and this is not our wet season.  And as much as I try to avoid using it (mainly due to the fact that half our house steams up) I have been using the dryer on a pretty regular basis.

I have read up about using dryer balls to increase your dyer efficiency and was going to go out and buy some big plastic ones, until by total chance I spotted these little cuties:

Tumblemonkeys, they are made from wool felt and are so gorgeous I want to use them in every cycle.  Plus...just looking at them makes me smile!

Just in time for Easter

Every year for Easter my Mum would buy the Grandkids new winter pyjames, and this year with Mum gone I have been motivated to sew baby boy his very own handmade pair.

I used the 'Snug as a Bug PJs' pattern from this talented lady, and was so impressed with how easy and quick they were to make (and quick is important to me, as sewing with a two year old in the house is pretty tricky).

I bought some plain shirts and added some embelishment, and now I have some cute dino jammie pants with two matching shirts (all prepared for breakfast to be spilt on them).

Happy Easter everyone!  

I heard on the radio the other day that the motto for easter should be small quanities of good quality chocolate (and if it is fairtrade even better).

Let them eat cake (well it was bread actually)

With banana's so expensive at the moment, you don't want any to go to waste.  Here is what I love to do with banana's.

My favourite banana bread recipe

90g unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup mashed (over-ripe) banana (about 2 large banana's)

1 cup plain flour

1 cup self-raising flour

1. Preheat oven to 160 degress (fan forced).  Grease and line loaf pan.

2. Beat butter, vanilla and sugar in a bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Stir in banana then sifted flours, in two batches.  Spread mixture into a pan; cover with a strip of pleated foil.

3. Bake bread 40 min; uncover, bake about 30 min.

(I love to add about a teaspoon or 2 of cinnamon in the mix, and I also sprinkle extra cinnamon on top before baking)

Curb-side-pick-up...the unofficial recycling program

 (photo sourced from here)

Do you have curb-side-pick-up where you live?  It happens here a couple of times a year when you receive a letter in the mail telling you a magic date which then gives you and everyone living in the designated suburb permission to put everything and anything that once was in your house/garden/shed/attic onto the side of the road.  It is so interesting as you drive around the streets to catch a small glimpse of peoples lives by the type of 'stuff' that gets thrown on the curb.  However, even more interesting/satisfying (and has actually been my entertainment for a few days) is watching all the 'enterprising' recyclers who come and pick up all the 'stuff' before council picks it up.    Ranging from  professionals with trucks to little kids with wagons everything that could be used, sold, broken down for copper and steel has been picked up in the light of day; or for the more self concious...in the dead of night.

24hrs is all it took for one of our chairs to go...it was a bit like waiting for the tooth fairy, wondering when it would go...how long it would take from when I put it on the curb.

Lets just hope it doesn't end up on the curb next pick up...

play time

I must admit that sometimes my 'play' time with baby boy isn't as imaginative as I would like.  We get so busy that sometimes I forget that instead of just pulling out some toys I need to actually sit down with him and play, and show him the diffrent ways he can play with his toys so he can then use his imagination to take it further. 

This week I bought the beautiful wooden castle above (and I will be honest and say that good wooden toys aren't cheap), but as soon as we bought it home and put it together I felt relieved that my expense was all worth it.  Baby boy sat down at his table and played with the castle for nearly an hour.  

 To set this off I first explained to him who all the characters were (the witch with the cauldron is called 'the cook' ;0) and showed him how they could be used, how they could go through the little doors and how we could make them talk and play with eachother.  He loved it!  

So now I just need to keep reminding him that playing with his castle is more exciting than watching tv (which is another area where I really need to improve).

I bought the castle from Oxfam which also helps me know it was made using fairtrade practices.

A little bit of nice

I saw this clip when I was watching tv with baby boy yesterday, it made me smile and it made me cry and it made me happy again.  It is just nice, in every sense of the word.

Lately I have realised I have no tollerance for people who aren't nice...none at all!  It is making my working life difficult, but then easy at the same time because I can see things really clearly.  Things in my personal life lately show that we are only here for such a short time, so being unkind is just a plain old waste of time.