RECIPE: HEALTHY BALLS

HEALTHY BALLS

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 10 medjool dates pitted
• water
• 5 tbs dessicated coconut plus extra for coating the balls
• dark chocolate chips (your choice how much, I chuck in a handful)
• 2 tbs tahini

METHOD

1. Blitz the oats, 6 dates, coconut and tahini in a food processor.
2. Add the other dates one at a time and a few drops of water to help bind the mixture.
3. Remove the mix from the processor and stir through your chocolate chips.
4. With damp hands use a desert spoon to gather some dough and then roll into balls, once ball is formed roll it through the coconut you saved for coating and repeat until the mixture is all used up.
5. keep the balls in the fridge, they should keep about 2 weeks ( although mine never make it that long!) enjoy!

RECIPE: SLOW COOKER BEEF GOULASH

SLOW COOKER BEEF GOULASH

INGREDIENTS:

• 500g Stewing Beef diced
• Brown Onion chopped
• 2 Carrots chopped
• 2 Capsicum Green or Red chopped
• 2 cloves of crushed Garlic / or 2 teaspoons of minced Garlic
• 2 x 140g tins of Tomato Paste
• 1 Tablespoon of Paprika
• Season with salt and Pepper
• Sour Cream (to serve)
• Rice (to serve)

METHOD

1. Add all the ingredients above (except the sour cream and rice) to the slow cooker and mix together to combine. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours

2. Serve with rice and top wit a dollop of sour cream and enjoy!

• You could make this dish spicy by using hot paprika
• You could try serving it with crusty bread and add potatoes to the slow cooker mixture or switching the rice for mash potato.
• This will comfortably serve 4 adults and will allow leftovers for 2 adults and 2 children

RECIPE: LAMB TABOULI

LAMB TABOULI

INGREDIENTS:

• Olive Oil (just a dash)
• 500g Lamb Mince
• 1 Red Onion finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Cous Cous
• 1 Chicken Stock Cube
• 1 cup Boiling Water from Kettle
• 2 Cloves Crushed Garlic / or 2 tsp Garlic Paste
• 2 tsp Allspice
• 1 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds
• 2 tbs Lemon Juice
• 1 cup Flat Leaf Parsley finely chopped
• 1/4 cup Mint finely chopped

To Serve

• Baby Spinach Leaves
• Flatbread or wraps
• Hummus
• Tatziki

METHOD:

1. heat oil in a pan med-high heat add onion and cook, stirring until soft (about 5 mins). Add the lamb and cook breaking it up until browned ( about 5 mins). Meanwhile combine Cous Cous with the stock and boiled water in a bowl just covering the Cous Cous with the water allowing it to soak it up

2. Add Garlic, Allspice, Cumin, Cinnamon and Fennel Seeds and cook, stirring for about 30 seconds or until mixture is fragrant. Remove from the heat.

3. Fluff through the Cous Cous with a fork ensuring it has soaked up the liquid and then add it to the mince mixture, along with the mint, parsley and lemon juice. Stir the mixture to combine the ingredients.

To serve we like to have the mince mixture in a big bowl on the table along with the Spinach, bread and dips and we help ourselves to make our own plates up. This serves our family of 2 adults and 2 children quite well and there is usually some mince leftover, this would feed 4 adults easy and is a great easy dinner party option!

Taking Down Tree & Acknowledging My Feelings

Every year the Christmas tree doesn’t tend to make it past the 27^th of December in my house. December rolls around and the house is made to be lovely and Christmassy and I bask in the weeks of Joy and Chaos that is Christmas. I love it. As soon as it is done though I need to get everything away, rip the band-aid off and it is as though it never happened. Admittedly I feel stressed by the post-Christmas mess and I believe this fuels my desire to completely clear the house.

Almost naked tree

This time the tree made it to New Year’s Day! This is unheard of in our home. I have certainly behaved differently this time. Each day since Christmas I have done little bits around the house in a bid to tidy up. New Year’s Day we had an at home tidy up day and I got some stuff done including taking down the tree. Instead of rushing, I just got it done calmly and dare I say, mindfully. As I did so, I felt a little sad that Christmas was over but sad in a good way if that makes sense. Sad it is over but a little hope and excitement as I remember we have next Christmas to look forward to.

I took a little time to recognise my feelings and then moved on once I had acknowledged this. It is very typical of me to avoid any feelings coming my way, to distract myself to not take stock of them. This always blows up in my face with a whole mish-mash of emotions bowling me over at once when I feel most vulnerable or run down. A bit like when you haven't done the washing for a week and the hamper is overflowing.

I bought myself a pack of Blom Cards and along with some help, I found a card that suited where I currently stand, to name my feelings. I felt as though recognising the feelings I had taking down the tree was a great putting into practice of what my card was all about. It is really the first time I took on the task of what was on the Blom Card. I decided to try and allow myself to recognise when I feel certain feelings as they organically occur. Rather than seek out moments to recognise my feelings, because I would be distracted into looking for feelings rather than getting on with my day. Although a seemingly insignificant a task, taking down the tree turned out to be a good exercise me, in my own way I understood how to identify, name my feelings, and let them go.

Happy New Year Guys!

Fi xx

Supermarket Shoppers Which One Am I?

Like most Mums I do my grocery shopping as a part of my routine. Whether it is online or in person, most mums have their routine down pat for doing the groceries.
Today I needed to pop to the shops for milk outside of my regular scheduled shop time and I am discovering, depending on the type of shopper you are, there is a time for you at the supermarket.
I got frustrated this morning because even though I was in only to get one thing I went into full Mum mode at 10:30 am on a Sunday morning. This did not suit the mood of the supermarket. Here is my list of supermarket shoppers. Guess which one is me. Which one are you?

The After school drop off:
This is somewhat a peaceful time to head to the shops. Either you have deposited all your offspring to school or kinder and are able to walk in at a normal pace and slow your thoughts down to actually take in your surroundings and grab a coffee to nurse as you wander about, or you have a little person joining you, a little person who you decide can have the little trolley and lead the way throughout the store. You have seemingly endless patience until your child assures you (quite forcefully) that they can steer the trolley on their own and before you know it you have almost taken out 6 pensioners just out for their morning stroll and biscuit run. You get to the self serve checkout and the little person wants to help scan the items and also remove and replace items from the bagging area causing the computer to lose its shit and constantly shout out for assistance and you and the poor bugger assigned to self serve checkouts that day become quite well acquainted as you apologise profusely and hope they understand rather than think this tiny person owns you.

The after work 5pm dash:
This is the I haven't planned dinner and need something quick shop. Usually the time when people in their suits or work uniforms go in with a mission of I NEED DINNER. Cooked chooks, jars of curry, ready meals, fish fingers and a sneaky block of chocolate to consume after the kids have gone to bed and The Bachelorette is on. Sometimes, some poor person made the decision to pick their preschooler or toddler up from daycare before shopping and has a fight at the squeezy yoghurt aisle because a) their kid just cannot decide which one to get or b) Mum said a yoghurt not a custard but the child is adamant that if it is in a squeezy pouch it IS a yoghurt and you are stuck in a vicious debate.

The Saturday party shopper: It is Saturday evening and you have a BBQ or a party to go to and you head in for essentials, chips, sausages, deli salads and so on. Anything that says party. You are quick and don't hang around too long except to quickly assess if there is a 2 for the price of one deal on all the items you need to purchase. This can be a fun trip with kids because you usually have your party pants on and say yes to that bag of snakes because you are ready to have a fun night and everyone leaves happy as the kids have their lollies and mum and dad have their wine and cheese.

The Sunday Straggler:
Mid morning these chillaxed shoppers (usually childless) take their time as they peruse the shelves. They take a big step back as though admiring a piece of art as they scan the shelves for that perfect brunch item or nibbles to accompany their Sunday sippers. They move slowly, not at a sloth pace but very mindfully and relaxed enjoying their time as they pick their Sunday fair. I hate them, because I want to be them,

The Sunday afternoon mum shop: 
This could be the busiest time in the supermarket. After a weekend full of sport, birthday parties, working bees, family gatherings and so forth at 3 pm Mum realises, "oh fuck, school is on this week and I have no bread or sandwich fillers, or dinner for the week." So she readies herself, scribbles down a shopping list containing, muesli bars, Tiny Teddies, ham, fruit, bread. She then negotiates with her husband which children to take and which to leave at home with him while he mows the lawns hoping that he will tell her he is happy to have the children stay with him as he tidies up the yard ( and hopefully the house too if you're lucky). Mum packs into the car, realises she forgot the enviro bags and lumbers on out to get the bags to the delight of the distraught toddler who is screaming at the window because mummy is leaving and never coming back (in his beautiful little mind) the tear soaked face is covered in delight arms open to welcome her embrace and then horror as she quickly grabs the forgotten bags slams the door and runs back to the car. As she pulls out of the driveway violins should be playing as the devastated child wails at the front window. Now depending on whether you have a child with you or not it can go one of two ways.

• No child, list in hand Mum powers her way through the aisles and navigating is easy because at this time (sunday 4pm) the supermarket is packed with other like minded shoppers. we are quick and efficient and have empathy for our peers who lost the leaving the children at home negotiations.You bump in to a familiar face or two and quickly exchange pleasantries as it is unsaid you both need to keep moving (although there is always 5 mins to flip through a magazine or two when you pass them).Without kids you enjoy methodically lining up your groceries on the register and giving death glares to the cashier as they completely mess up your well thought out system (unless your at ALDI). Usually you have planned tea for the week but not Sunday night (oops) so you grab a tray of sausages and a bag of convenience salads and microwave potatoes thinking you are the queen of convenience and hubby can chuck them on the BBQ on while you put the groceries away. all the while you have your hungry little ankle-biters whining about the level of hunger usually measured by how long they can let their whine linger "Im huuuuuuuungrrrrrrryyyyyyyy"

• Shopping with child or children in tow: you get in the car and negotiate who sits where, who gets to pick the music and you have to answer the whining of how long this trip will take and "no we will not be having Maccas for tea so don't ask me again." You get to the supermarket list in hand but you may as well burn it due to the extreme eye rolling and fake gagging coming from your children who would much rather fill the trolley with LCMs, Roll Ups and Cheezels.  Your children ask what is planned for tea this week you tell them and the complaints roll out, "can't we have this instead?" "I hate that dinner!" "You always make that its so boring!"  "    "I'm not eating that!" Ignoring these comments and sticking to your guns you get what is needed for tea that week but end up at the freezers stocking up on fish fingers, pizza and chicken nuggets "just in case" they won't eat whats on offer when truly you will just chuck the oven on and put on the first thing you grab to save an argument. Getting to the checkout and the kids are so excited to "help" they start grabbing everything they can, squashing the bread, bruising the apples and unsealing yoghurt in the process. You guide the trolley to the car with your brood and are astonished none of you caused a mass trolley pile up in the car park. You get Maccas on the way home for tea.

So there you have my list of supermarket shoppers. I am certain there are more out there, but this was my list and experiences. I would love to hear yours and also which one are you?

Happy shopping guys!

Fi x

That time I did an Adventure Race (a short one)

So earlier this year I recieve a text from my friend Jo with the link to a womens only sprint adventure race with Adventure Junkie
I had my knee surgery a few months prior and still getting my bearings but doing ok. I decide to say yes and so we partnered up.
The race was a 2 km Kayak, 5 km Run, 1 km orienteering, 10 km bike ride.
I got a bike for my birthday so this was the perfect opportunity to really break her in!
Our local lake was doing weekly kayak hire with Canoeing Victoria and this is where our training began. This was so much fun, once we got the hang of how to paddle we were good!

First time on the water

Sunday was kayak day, we got some awesome weather until one Sunday it was 11c and pouring. So we had to borrow the thermals from the hire people. Thing is they only had small sizes and we got on to a smashing start when I tried to sit down in my kayak and heard an almighty RIP coming from my rear. I could not stop laughing. You know the laughing where there is no noise, you can't breath and all your emotion is coming out in tears. I think that was one of my favourite training sessions because after we were done, soaking from the rain we went our separate ways, I got home and into the shower and under a blanket to snuggle with my babies.

As the weeks went on we trained, going for bike rides and out for a run. I struggled with the running due to suffering Achilles tendinitis and I am grateful for the patience that my partner Jo showed me in my moments of pain where I just could not run for the pain.

Training never seemed like a chore and was a great time for us to bond and build our friendship.

Race Day. March in Melbourne is always lovely and we got a lovely day. 1st leg was the Kayaks and we are hit with our first challenge. The 2 person kayak. See, we had only used a single person kayak and while in theory we were prepared there was one part of the kayak we weren't prepared for. The rudder, in our case the malfunctioning rudder. Which ever way we paddled, it wanted to take us a different way! Being in the back of the kayak it was my job to steer the rudder instead I drew my feet away and used my paddle to steer. Once we had that figured out we were good.
Now, if you have never done an Adventure Race like me, it may surprise you to know there are check in points all through the course. Trying to check in on a kayak is a challenge, especially with 20 other kayaks around you and you are starting to float under a jetty and doing your best not to capsize as you lean over to scan your tag at the check point.

We lost a fair bit of time in the kayak leg but it really was quite the strategic challenge in the sense of "how the hell do we get out of this marsh we are currently bogged in", we made our time back surprisingly in the run. I was able to go in short bursts for a time before having to walk it out and then run again. I have strong legs and can push out a good sprint when I need to.

Once we got through our run the cycling was next, we got our bikes and set off in the wrong direction. It's OK though because the other teams were so supportive and especially in the bike leg everyone was helping everyone as we tried to find all the checkpoints. One thing we were not expecting in the bike section was all the hills, so many steep hills. My tip for getting up those bad boys aside from hopping off and walking is to shout your head off, and swear a lot! After the race I heard on the radio that this is actually a fact and I can wholeheartedly say that it works, because I made it up the biggest most steepest hill of the lot in one good go!

The orienteering was the bit where I followed my partner Jo and just made sure I was keeping up.

Crossing the finish line was a great feeling I was elated and so proud of both of us.

This race took me back to a time when I was a kid and did stuff because it was fun. Somewhere along the line I became so self conscious of what people think of me for how I looked and the things I do. Striking up this friendship with Jo and her enthusiasm to try things and rope me in for the ride is really cool, There really is no pressure from her but when she says she wants to do something, most of the time I think "yes I want to do that too!"
Doing this race was not about being the fastest or the strongest, it was about trying something new and having some fun. I got out in the fresh air, I  moved my body and I had a really good time with my friend. I am looking forward to doing more things like this in the future. I am doing Tough Mudder with my husband in October and yes I am very nervous but also excited at the same time.

Doing this race has shown me that even though I am a grown up now there are so many things in life to experience just for the fun of it! Get out there and do something that makes you think "that would be fun" you will not regret it 

Big Thanks to my friend Jo for asking me to join her!

Fi 

x

Using a visual to understand anxiety

Away on a fun weekend with old family friends. We started the tradition before all of us had kids and now we have many children in our little group.
As my friend and I sit on the last day in a quiet room. The rest of our group and the children have gone for a walk along the beach. We have done our packing and relish in the brief silence us Mums rarely encounter. I like this about my friend, we can comfortably be silent. As we rest in the peace, she asks me how our daughter is going with her anxiety. My friend is a clinical psychologist and is a great support on the topic of our daughter's anxiety. Whilst we actively seek professional help, she always has some helpful suggestions on how we can support our wee girl.

She asked me if she has ever show me her "diagram" on how she explains anxiety to patients witg anxiety. I said no she hasn't and so she begins to explain.

Holding up her hand with a closed fist she points to her wrist.
This is the root of our brain
At this stage we need the basics here protection, shelter, safety.

Next she opens up her hand exposing her palm. In our palm is where our emotions are they are developing as we go into toddler-hood and have tantrums, experience separation anxiety etc. This is pure emotions in this palm.

She then begins to close her fingers one by one over her palm. This is logic developing. This takes into the teen years in which to develop and as it does so, places a lid over the emotions.

When someone experiences anxiety the lid (logic) has popped off allowing the emotional state to completely take over.

How do we settle this emotional state? We have to go back to the root. Back to basics. Protection, safety, shelter.

When my daughter has episodes of extreme anxiety I have become anxious myself, panicked even angry. None of these reactions helped the situation.

After seeing her psychologist she advised that I just hold her in these moments. Just hold her as long as she needs.

As I spoke with my friend she nods and adds that stroking her arms, a hand to the forehead any nurturing touch. Those who suffer anxiety very commonly will rope their arms around themselves or place their on hand on the forehead unconsciously seeking this comfort.

The explanation of how the brain works in anxiety has really helped in how I respond to my daughter and also my son who is 3 and requires the same support as he goes through his toddler-hood.

Encouraging my daughter to tap into logic is where we are at. For example she lost her class at school one morning as all the lines  were making their way to classrooms. It was busy and overwhelming for her. As she is in Grade 2 she is familiar with the school so I gave her 2 options to think of if she finds herself lost.
#1: she heads to her classroom
#2: if her class room is empty she goes to the office. She knows where is it and that there will always be someone there who can help her.
We went over these together and I got her to say it back to me and we touch back on it from time to time.

I hope this helps someone out there. It is horrible to see your child with an internal struggle and we all want to do our best to support them.

Fi
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