Bounce Back Brown Rice Salad

2 cups brown rice
4 cups water
tbs chicken stock
saffron threads
1 brown onion, finely chopped
dutch carrots thinly sliced
mint thinly sliced
toasted slivered almonds
1/3 cup currants

Cook brown onion at a low heat with a dash of oil until soft and sweet. Then simply cook rice - absorption method - eg. 2 cups rice and 4 cups water in a pot with lid on until all water is gone. When finished allow to cool and stir through mint, currants, carrots, onion, and almonds. Now enjoy!

Conversations with two and a half year olds.

Me: 'Georgie, Porgie, pudding and pie. Kissed the girls and made them cry. When the boys came out to play. Georgie Porgie ran away'.

Tom: 'Why they cry mumma?'

Me: 'Who, the girls?'

Tom: 'Yes, mumma.'

Me: 'They didn't want to be kissed by Georgie Porgie, mate.'

Tom: 'Oh.'

momentary silence.

Tom: 'Mumma?'

Me: 'Yes, Tom.'

Tom: 'Is it still oday for me to kiss you?'

Pumpkin & Chickpea Salad with Sunflower Seed Dressing

This recipe is easy, peasy. I made it one night after work and it took all of 20 minutes tops.

You'll need for the salad:

1/4 Pumpkin, cut in to cubes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
dash of olive oil
half a red onion
1 can of chickpeas (I use dried and leave soaking for the day)

You'll need for the dressing:

1 tbsp honey
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 sunflower seeds
2 tbsp warm water
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
dash of salt and pepper
coriander, finely chopped

Get to work:

Toss pumpkin cubes in olive oil, cumin and coriander. Roast until soft. Add the red onions about half way through. Once cooked, put pumpkin & red onon in the a serving bowl with chickpeas and finely chopped coriander. To make the dressing, simply put honey, lemon juice, water, olive oil, seeds, salt, pepper, and a large pinch of fined chopped coriander in a blender and whizz. Add more water if its not runny enough. Toss a little bit of dressing through salad with fresh coriander and serve.

** I added currants for a sweet hit. Yum!

Introducing Empress Avenue

I am so pleased to announce, finally, on this here blog my latest sewing venture 'Empress Avenue'. I've always loved sewing, and have lusted after many vintage patterns, clothes and fabrics. Empress Avenue is a culmination of those loves. Vintage inspired dresses, hand made to regular sizes or custom fits.

The facebook page is building momentum and I have a few marketing plans in the wings ready to be implemented once I have all my ducks in a row.

So please, dear reader, become a friend of Empress Avenue on Facebook today, and get regular updates about whats happening.

Or for visual stimulation follow me on Instagram @embrock

Pease also visit the Etsy page for ready made dresses or head to the website to look through fabrics for  custom orders. I'm ready and waiting to make your sundress dreams come true.

Japanese Vegetarian Pancakes

New recipe. Totally needed to share. It was easy, delicious and above all, a little fancy!

Here's the loot you'll need, most of which you'll already have in the cupboard.

Pancakes
3 carrots, shredded with veggie peeler
Half a small cabbage, shredded
3 spring onions, sliced thinly on an angle people
5 kale leaves, stalks removed.
1/2 cup flour
6-7 eggs.
Toasted sesame seeds & spring onion shreds for sprinkling
Japanese mayo - coles has it (and it's worth the $3.50)

Sauce
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 tsp rice wine or sake
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp dijon mustard
1/8 tsp ground ginger (I used 1 crushed garlic clove instead)


To make the pancakes
Mix all your veg in a bowl and toss through the flour to coat. Add 6 - 7 eggs so that all veg is covered with egg.

Heat canola oil in a pan. Add heaped spoonfuls (i used tongs) to make big pancakes. Press them lightly with the spatula. Fry until they are solid and crisp underneath. I used the 'two-plate' method to flip. Use spatula to remove from pan, place on plate, cover with another plate, flip both over at the same time and then put the pancake back on the pan to cook the uncooked side. Make sense? They can be put into an oven on low heat to remain warm.

To make the sauce
Mix all those ingredients together in a pot, heat for 3-5 minutes and leave to cool. Frickin' awesome!

Going Organic

I'm a big believer that small changes can make a big difference. Too often we believe that the problems of the world are out of our hands. That the money man will always win. Well, yes, he will if you sit on your hands.

I've had a bee in my bonnet for the past few years about two Australian supermarkets who I feel not only dominate and destroy the market, but who also have a largely negative impact on farmers, brands and consumers a like.

I have ventured to find alternatives, enjoying for awhile the likes of Aussie Farmers Direct and LaManna Direct, but my all time favourite find to date, both for their produce and their philosophy, is Whole Larder Love.

Now, every second Wednesday I place my order for a box of organic fruit and vege. On Friday a farmer plucks my produce from the ground, and on Saturday the lovely Rohan, often accompanied by his delightful family members, delivers the box to one of three locations around Melbourne - the drop off point.

We venture down, meet the people behind the produce, and collect our goods. I take them all home, wash off that gorgeous organic soil and stock my fridge as ideas for meals dance like sugar plums in my head.

Here are some of the delights we found in our box - total cost $48.

6 corn
5 beetroot
30 apples
16 carrots
head of broccoli
silverbeet
kale
4 turnips
4 big potatoes
3 onions
1 red onion
1 head of red cabbage
2 parsnip
1 leek
2 tomatoes

Even though we didn't get much fruit, I wasn't bothered. The kids loved the apples and ate every last one. And besides, I like the idea of moving to be more seasonal. These are but small steps I am taking, perhaps towards even growing my own.

We all know money has power. How are you using yours?

Bloody Good Beetroot Salad

If, like me, you enjoy a little pinot now and then, perhaps balance it out with a little more beetroot in your diet. It helps to cleanse the liver, so you can ruin it again sooner :)

No, seriously, I am taking a much healthier approach to eating lately. Even ordered some organic fruit and vege to be delivered right near our house this Saturday. Apparently the vege is pulled from the ground on Friday and in your hands by Saturday lunch time. Coles and Safeway can NOT beat that people!

One of the yummiest recipes that I have uncovered it this delicious (and super quick and super easy) Beetroot Salad. Try it. Your liver will love you for it.

This is leftover beetroot salad added to my veggie tacos.

Bloody Good Beetroot Salad

1 beetroot

1 large carrots

1/2 red onion

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

tablespoon of red wine vinegar

1/2 cup of good olive oil

1/4 cup petita seeds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Toast all your seeds and nuts on a pan then put aside. Grate beetroot and carrot into a bowl. Thinely slice red onion and add to beet/carrot mix. In a bowl add finely chopped garlic, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Mix.

When you're ready to serve, add seed and nut mix to the beet, carrot and onion and then toss through your red wine dressing. This will give four adults a good dose of healthy yumminess.

Friday Ventures

Had a lovely day with my little ones last Friday. My friend was busy getting ready for Finders Keepers market, so we asked her daughter around for a play date. 

 I decided a visit to the park was in order because it was such a beautiful day and also because afterwards I wanted to get my coffee fix at our new local cafe. I had read about it here and thought it sounded worth the trip. It was. 

 The kids received fresh paper and stamps on arrival and an m&m cookie baked by Mario only moments later. I settled down to a coffee and a muffin and the review was right, Mario makes-a-the-good-muffin.

 

After morning tea the kids got to choose from the lucky dip bins. 

This is them holding them up for me.


A quick climb of tree and then home. I love days like these!

 

I'm back!

I realise that it's been a ridiculous amount of time since I was here, but now, I'm back. It's been a busy few months settling into the year and finding our feet schedule wise with kids, work, family, house renos and of course, trying to do things we enjoy for just us. eg. sewing, playing music etc. With the time I have been playing...with fabrics...and dresses...and am close to launching a new (small) business. Details to come. It's sucking up all my time and the preparation for this has been full on. It's included scouting around for fabrics, trying to get a logo in place, coursing a new website, finding patterns that I can adapt and that leave me inspired, and of course, research, research, research. For your viewing pleasure, while I finalise those last minute things, here is my new work space, our newly renovated study. All she needs now is the ottoman I'm in love with and those mustard cushions I am lusting after.

The great good Friday challenge.

It's been awhile, but I'm back. With so much to share. It might take me awhile to find the time to fill you in on everything, but bare with me, we'll get there!

I just wanted to share quickly a challenge that I gave myself this Good Friday just gone. As we slip deeper and deeper into a recession I find myself becoming more and more aware of every dollar. I don't want to spend in excess and I don't want to waste anything!

After reading this article about saving money on your food shopping, I decided to set myself a challenge. We had invited our friends over for dinner and I asked myself - could I put on a good, tasty dinner using only what was left in my cupboard? Since our 'shopping day' was the next day, it was especially hard, but with a little help from google I started to plan my Vegetarian Good Friday Feast.

On the menu was: zucchini risotto balls, lentil and quinoa sausage rolls, roquette and red onion salad, broccoli pasta, quinoa salad and fig and walnut puffs with ice cream.



Here are a few of the recipes I used, and of course, some select pictures.

Zucchini Risotto Balls

I cup arborio rice
1 cup white wine
clove garlic, chopped
1 white onion, chopped.
Parmesan cheese
parsley
2 cups chicken stocks (and more if needed)

Fry garlic and onion in pot with olive oil. add rice and stir thoroughly. When the rice is nicely coated with mixture turn up the heat and add wine. let this reach a boil and then turn right down. add shredded zucchini and i cup of stock. stir continuously adding stock in small doses until the rice is cooked. When ready stir through parsley and Parmesan. When mixture is cold roll into balls and roll through bread crumbs. Bake in hot oven until golden.

TOP TIP: Did you know the hard part of your Parmesan cheese block can be chopped up small and thrown into your risotto a few minutes before it finishes. This adds lovely little cheesy bites with real texture and doesn't waste a thing!

Lentil & Quinoa Sausage Rolls



I cup red lentils
1 and 1/2 cups of water
1 cup of cooked Quinoa (follow pack instructions)
1 carrot, chopped into tiny cubes
1 zucchini, shredded
1 cup bread crumbs
2 tbs tomato sauce
1 tbs oyster sauce
4 sheets of puff pastry

Fry carrot and zucchini in a pan with butter. Bring lentils to the boil and cook until water has mostly gone. Throw lentil mix, carrot and zucchini mix, cooked quinoa, sauces and bread crumbs into a bowl and mix. Cut sheets of puff pasty in half. Fill middle with some mix and roll into a sausage roll. Cut roll into standard sausage roll sizes (10cms) cook in heated over until lovely and golden.

Broccoli Pasta

2 cups of penne pasta
cup of chopped broccoli
olive oil
quality dried Parmesan cheese

Boil pasta and broccoli until cooked. drain. add a dash of olive oil to coat and some Parmesan cheese to taste. done. yum. yum.

Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa salad
half a cup of cranberries
half a cup walnuts
quarter cup red onion
handful of chia seeds
parsley
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 garlic cloves chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Add quinoa to water in pot. bring to a boil, then simmer and cover. Let all the water absorb and it's done. Take it off the heat and let it rest/go cold. In a bowl combine, walnuts, cranberries, red onion and chia seeds. Add cold quinoa. Half an hour before serving add garlic, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir through and then put back in the fridge.

Fig & Walnut Puffs

My mum gave me a bag of her beautiful figs. I have NEVER cooked with figs. So i googled. And with the pastry I had left over, made these little parcels of love!



20 ripe figs
3 sheets puff pastry
some sugar
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
4 tbs honey

Using a mug or cup, cut out pastry rounds and place in a well oiled muffin tin. Sprinkle a little sugar in each. Cut the stalk off the figs and slice into approx four pieces. Layer 3-4 pieces in each pastry basket. Warm walnuts and honey in the microwave. Top figs with walnuts. sprinkle a little more sugar over each. cook in warm over until golden. serve with ice-cream.

Still doing it

Just wanted to quickly update that my mile a day challenge in feb is still well and truly happening. I walk every day without fail and even attempted some running at the farm last week! It's not always easy - sometimes I have to walk after the kids are in bed or first thing in the morning before they wake up ( killer) and I've even taken to bringing them with me in the pram! At work I walk every lunch break around the streets of richmond or too and from the train station - I find a way to make it happen!!! And with some calorie guidance from fitnesspal app I have managed to lose two kilos!!! Could not be happier!

And so it begins...

Committed. That's me. While I could have been sitting on the verandah of my mother-in-laws beautiful farm, drinking wine and watching the wind whip the trees, I was instead taking up the mile a day challenge. Maggie came with me. I think she likes this new health kick :)

It's all about me.

I can't even believe I am about to write these words. My fingers are all numbing over, and they aren't even the part of me that will benefit the most from what I am about to admit to the internet.

I have just committed to a mile a day challenge, hosted by the lovely JewelChic. I was leaving random comments on her facebook page, jealous quips about how lucky she is to lead the life she leads (makes jewellery, travels the world, is uber positive) when it dawned on me. 'Em, that can be you'. You don't have to sit back and watch someone else do it. You can actually get up and do it yourself. Not be the next jewelchic, but you know, start working on me.

So I said I would begin by running 1 mile a day over the month of Feb. Not too mean a feat really. But it's less about the mileage and more about smileage. I want to start feeling good about how I look (two babies, post baby weight, snacking all day, drinking red wine etc etc) and I also want to improve how I feel. I spoke recently about my pre menstrual troubles and I feel that there are so many things I could be doing better that I just let slide. Exercise is one of them. It realise good endorphins, right? And if I feel like I'm getting some time for me, perhaps I may feel less trapped that all my time is devoted to the kids.

In conjunction with this new challenge, I am heading to a yoga class on Monday night. It's a free one, and I wanna check out the centre, so no major commitment just yet. But my lovely husband has said he will pay for a full course should I like it. Ben is a big meditation fan and wants me to feel the benefits.

With my new job I also have three days where I can really think about what I'm eating. I am very good with my meals, snack only on fruit, and really look forward to dinner when I get home at the end of the day.

These are small changes, I know, but changes none the less. And I'm proud of even giving it a go. I will document some of my challenge moments here. Share the odd healthy recipe when I come across it, and boost my triumphs as they are realised. Wish me luck people!

The Whirl of Christmas.

Christmas. Over. So fast. So tiring. So much fun. Here are a few photos from the many that we took over the last few weeks. We've been up to so much here in Melbourne.



I made homemade muesli for all the important women in my life. Mum, sisters, mother-in-law. It was very well recieved and they seemed to like it. Will post the recipe as soon as I get uno momento.



Santa brought Tom a trolley to pull around. Annie loved it.



Santa (my father) made this dolls house for Annie. We found all the beautiful wooden furniture in a store called Early Learning Centre. She's had her head in it ever since.



We finally got Tom's seat attached to my bike. On Christmas Eve we all took a little bike ride before dinner. It was so lovely and as you can see Tom LOVED it.



Christmas Eve dinner was just me, my wonderful husband, our delightful kids who I love so much it hurts and this meal I made. Fennel and salt rubbed pork with broccolini, kipfler potatoes and a red currant glaze. Oh, and the most unforgettable pinot noir that I have ever tasted and have since forgotten the name of.

Conversations with three year olds

'mumma? It looks like it will rain'

'yes...the clouds are very grey'

'what you said?'

'I said the clouds look very grey'

'what?'

'the clouds...they look very grey'

'grey?'

'yes'

'yes...like toy story'

What the??

Quick Lunch.

These days it's hard to arrange three meals a day that everyone in the family will eat and will also be kind to my two-baby waist line. So I approached things from a different angle. I'll stop munching on the left over pieces of peanut butter sandwiches and half eaten pasta the kids no longer want, and I will actually sit down and make myself a little something special - and healthy.



I found these little numbers in the supermarket the other day. Vita-Weat Lunch Slices. Ok, so they're just crackers, but they're fancy schmancy crackers and I am a princess and deserve the very best that life and Arnott's can give me. I loaded these up with hummus, cucumber, thin slice of cheese, tomato and rocket. Bring it on!

Not bad for a frazzled mother of two looking to get into a pair of jeans she hasn't worn since they closed the Cadillac night club down. I hope my generous serving of tonight's Osso Bucco wont ruin all this hard work.

The kids and me.

Here's a little photographic update of the kids. Time has just flown recently. Really flown. I feel like this year is a massive blur and all I have to show for it is these two little munchkins who are now just that little bit older and soooo much cuter.



:: We head to the park a lot. Swing. Laugh. Fall over. Being away from our renovating nightmare means Bens gets more done and I stay a little more sane ::



:: I'm in love with a new supermarket. It's called LaManna. Amazing produce, fresh Australian only fruit and vege and the best cannoli hands down! In this picture, Tom expresses his love for the place ::



:: We ventured to the Big West Festival the other day. Annie, Tom and I rolled down a grassy hill and bopped to hip hoppers. I love this side of the city ::

I realise I haven't updated this blog in awhile. I am feverishly trying to get another job and that means ever last second I have is spent emailing, meeting or calling. Hopefully something pops up soon and life can have some kind of routine again.

Doing it Italian Style.

I was given a pasta machine for free. I was very, very excited. I've been waiting for a few days now to try it out, and with kids asleep today is that day. First things first, the dough.

3 cups 00 flour
4 small eggs
1 tsp olive oil
pinch of salt

You're meant to put the eggs in the centre of the flour pile and slowly incorporate into a dough mix without breaking the 'flour walls'. My first attempt was pitiful. Here's my second attempt.



I managed to wrangle this into a dough that looked wonderfully like pasta dough. I used my index finger to mix. Is there nothing the index finger cant do? The dough should not be too dry or too sticky. Tick. It it should bounce back when poked. Tick. And it should look like Jamie Olivers...:(



For this delicious pasta I will be making a roasted red pepper sauce. Peppers were $2.80 at the local supermarket and I couldn't resist a nice big bag for our pizza, Vietnamese stir fry and of course, this dish.

Simply char grill the peppers, peel off their skin and whiz with roasted pine nuts. To see a full recipe go to this awesome site. I will be making little ravioli stuffed with spinach and ricotta. I'm always looking for more vegetarian dishes, dishes that don't require me buying any ingredients outside my weekly shop, and of course, something that hides vegies for the kids. This dish really does do all those things.



Annie absolutely loved making pasta. We were very careful with the fingers people!







When I saw how well the pasta had turned out, I popped down to Seddon Wine Store and got us a lovely Italian red to go with. My best idea so far!

Brand Junkie: Push and Go Teddy

Tom turned one on Friday. I know, right? Like, where did the last year go, huh? It flew by and I have a little post I want to dedicate to just him in a few days. But before I do, there's something I wanted to share. My sister gave us money to buy Tom toys we thought he needed at this point in time (love it!). We were able to choose his gift. Make sure it was right developmentally. And of course, insure that it didn't beep, bonk, flash, whiz, zoom, or sing. I bought two toys at Baby Bunting from the Tolo Toy range and was very happy with the results.



He got this ball with hidden Teddy that pops up when you push the button. Cute!



And Push and Go Teddy.

Here's a little video of Tom and Annie learning how to share like the civilised human beings that we have raised them to be.

Getting busy with it.

I've been keeping busy of late qith a few little projects. All of them have to have purpose (present etc) and be cost effective (using left over material if possible). Annie has a friends birthday party on Sunday. The mum asked me awhile back to make her daughter's doll a little cot quilt.I finally got around to it, but decided against the quilt and for a little sleeping bag instead.





For the inside I used some toweling that I had left over, all the pieces zig-zagged together to form one piece big enough to take on this project. It was so easy and cost effective and I figure not to bad to wash either.

For the fabric I tried using a mix of things I already have in my limited stash. I think the colours work pretty well together. I just hope shes not bitterly disappointed that it's not pink!