My top 5 recipes for super easy KIDS dinners in the Thermomix

This really made me chuckle!!  Every day dinners can be so boring and repetitive and if your house is anything like mine,  then it's full of fussy eaters who want dinner THE MINUTE their little tummies are hungry.  Then I'm left trying and pull something out of the bag in record speed at the same time as trying to do homework, entertain a whingy baby, referee an argument as well a mountain of other things!!  I have recently started to meal plan, which I have to admit REALLY does help, but it's also good to have a selection of 'good old faithfuls' that you can rely on last minute!  Cook and freeze is also the way forward!!

1.  The easiest kids Macaroni Cheese ever

Seriously this recipe couldn't be any quicker or easier and is my Friday night (rugby training night) staple for the kids. 

Ingredients:
200g pasta
200g water
220g milk
100g cheese
100g diced ham or bacon (I buy it ready cooked and diced from the deli section of the supermarket)
70g fresh chopped tomatoes or mushrooms (optional)

Put the water, milk and pasta into the thermomix and cook for 10 minutes on 90 degrees at reverse speed 1.  Then add the cheese and ham (and anything else you might like) and cook for another 4-5 mins on 90 degrees, reverse speed 1.  That's it!!!  Serve with a bit of tomato sauce and they might even ask you for seconds.  I find this recipe is more than enough for three children.

2.  Veggie smuggled Bolognese Sauce

This is the most versatile sauce ever and oh so healthy.  You can literally put whatever veggies you like in it, and the kids will never know.  The recipe makes enough to easily feed a family of six.  It's great for freezing too.  You could use it on pasta or spagetti, with mashed potato as a 'cottage pie' or as a sauce for the bottom of pizza's.

Ingredients:
1 x onion
1-2 cloves of garlic
500g vegetables of your choice (carrots, celery, sweet potato, zucchini/courgette, corn, mushrooms)
400-500g mince
1 tbs oil
1 heaped tbs vegetable stock (homemade if possible)
120g water
pinch of nutmeg
150g tomato paste
200g tinned or chopped tomatoes

Chop the onion and garlic for 5 seconds on speed 7 and then add the oil and saute for 3 minutes on 100 degrees, speed 1.  Add all the veggies and chop for 5 seconds on speed 7.  Add the mince and cook for 10 minutes on varoma temperature plus reverse speed 1.  Add all the remaining ingredients and cook for a further 20 minutes on 100 degrees plus reverse speed soft.  You can either serve immediately (once it's cooled of course) or put it in the freezer in portions.  If you'd like to make the recipe a bit more 'grown up' friendly replace half the water with red wine.

3.  Left over Spagetti Pizza

We usually have this the night after we've had Spagetti Bolognese (using the above recipe) with the leftovers.

Ingredients:
Leftover Bolognese Sauce
140g water
140g milk
30g yeast
20g oil
2 x tsp salt
500g plain flour
grated cheese
fresh basil

To make the dough:  Put the milk, water, oil, salt and yeast into the thermomix and give it a quick mix for 5 seconds on speed 3.  Add the flour and mix it all together for 6 seconds on speed 8.  Then set the dial to the closed lid position and knead the dough for 2 minutes on interval speed.  Wrap the dough up in either cling-film or a thermomat if you have one and let it rise to double it's size ( for approx. 30 minutes).  Break the dough up into four balls and roll them out as thinly as you require.  Spread the bolognese sauce over the top and add some grated cheese and fresh basil.  Bake in a hot oven (200 degrees) until they are golden brown.

4. Butternut Squash Soup with Dippy Toast Soliders

This is quite a wintery kind of dinner, which is perfect seeing as we're full swing into winter now.  However, my kids love it so much that we often have it right through the summer too.

Ingredients:
1 x onion peeled and quartered
1 tbs oil
500g butternut squash, peeled and cut into rough chunks (you could also use sweet potato or pumpkin)
1 x carrot, peeled and cut into rough chunks
A pinch of brown sugar
2 x tbs vegetable stock
500g water
3 x tbs cream

Put the onion in the thermomix and chop for 5 seconds on speed 7.  Add the oil and saute for 3 minutes at 100 degrees on speed 1.  Add the butternut and carrot and chop for 10-15 seconds on speed 7.  Add in the stock, water and sugar and cook for 20 minutes at 100 degrees on speed 1.  Add in the cream and whizz for 20 seconds on speed  9 or until you have totally smooth consistency   Pour into bowls and serve with warm, buttery toast cut into soldiers.  Butternut and carrots are naturally sweet vegetables, so the kids really do love this soup.  It makes enough to feed a family of five and it can easily be frozen and saved for another night.

5.  Sausage Rolls

Ingredients:
80g wholemeal bread (approx. 3 slices)
160g carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
80g zucchini/courgette roughly chopped
2 spring onions
1 heaped tsp vegetable stock
450g minced beef (or chicken)
2 heaped tbs tomato ketchup (I used a home made one)
3 sheets of frozen puff pastry
1 egg, slightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and line two baking trays with baking paper.  Put the bread into the thermomix and chop for 10 seconds on speed 7 to make breadcrumbs.  Set them aside in a separate bowl.  Put the carrot, zucchini and spring onions into the bowl and chop for 5 seconds on speed 7.  Scrape down the sides and add the beef, tomato sauce, stock and breadcrumbs.  Mix for 5-10 seconds on speed 5 until everything is combined.  Cut each pastry sheet in half and spread the mixture lenghways down the center.  Using a pastry brush, slightly dampen one side (lengthways) with water and then fold each side of pastry over the mixture to create a seam.  Turn the sausage roll over so that the pastry seam in underneath.  Cut into your desired size and place on the baking trays.  Brush each one with egg (using the pastry brush) and cook for 20 minutes or until golden brown   Serve with a big dolup of tomato sauce, a side salad or some chopped veggies.  These sausage rolls are also perfect for freezing.

I have recently added 3 thermomix recipes that are perfect for warming up little bellies in the winter.  You can see them HERE.

So there you have it - my top 5.  Do you have any fail-safe kids recipes that you couldn't live without??? I'd love to hear them.

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May in pictures! Love Instagram

It's the first proper day of Winter today (in the southern hemisphere anyway) and the sky is enormous! And perfectly blue for as far as the eye can see.  It's also 23 degrees outside!!  Yes, 23 degrees!!!  I promise never ever to complain about winter again!  Oh and it's also whale season in Sydney where the beautiful hump backs make their way to warmer waters swimming literally right past our house!  I haven't seen one yet, but I am so excited!!

Like the rest of this year, May has gone by in a flash and I don't think I've posted one instagram photo!!  So here is a round up.  I had to choose my favourites as I have just taken far too many to post in one place - and I would hate to bore you all silly!!  You could always follow me on instagram at mrsdbplus3 if you want to see them all.

chocolate Friday

Master J is allowed to have chocolate spread on his sandwiches for school on a Friday only and of course Miss H is now old enough to tell me that "it's not fair!!!"  So now the tradition has spread to the girls too.  Little Miss L was VERY happy with hers.

I absolutely CANNOT resist proteas.  They are just the most beautiful flowers ever!  My Granddad has a farm in South Africa where he grows them and there is nothing more amazing than walking through rows and rows of these spectacular plants.  They were my wedding flowers too (from grandpa's farm of course) so there is a bit sentimentality there for me!  I saw these in a coffee shop in the city and was tempted to smuggle them home.

My little lady is growing up too fast!  She has gone from refusing to look at the camera, to asking me to take pictures of her every five minutes.  I don't know which one is worse!!

Just too cute! 

My favourite spot

Watching Dad Go-karting!!

My drive to and from Master J's school never gets old!!  The ocean looks different every day - and you never know, I might see my first whale of the season from up here!

My darling little niece started eating solids this month.  I wish I could see her for reals!!

How beautiful is this autumn light?

Multi tasking at it's best!

The double rainbow ends right in Master J's bedroom - or so he thought!!

I made this pink rainbow cake for Miss L's birthday at our local playgroup.  I got the recipe from Retro Mummy.  It wasn't as tricky as I thought it would be and I actually quite enjoyed making it.  I'll have to do it again one day to perfect it.  Her tip to put the cake in the fridge for an hour between each layer of icing was brilliant!! 

What kid doesn't love a dad swing?

Watching the waves!  Miss L and I walk to the beach every day to get some fresh air.  I think she loves it as much as I do.

Well that's it - a bit of a random selection really, but I had fun taking them all.  

Happy June everyone.  Half way through the year already.  I hope it's a great month! xxx

A VERY first Birthday

This week my baby turned ONE!!!!

I really debated about having a third child.  Was I doing the right thing? Would I have enough love to go around?  Could we afford it?  Would it make us outnumbered as parents?  Could I cope with three children with no family around for support?  But no matter how many 'if' and 'buts' swirled around in my head, my heart was always sure.  Eventually I let my heart win and I will be FOREVER thankful that I did, as none of us would be complete without our beautiful, cute as a button, little Miss L.

I have to be honest and admit that I am still 'processing' that fact that my baby is ONE!!  Somedays I really wish I could freeze time and she could stay little forever (actually there are moments when I feel a bit like that with all of them).

A little overwhelmed with all the pressies

We started the day off a little jaded (well Mr D and I did) as our poor little one year old kept us up half the night with 'ouchy' teeth.  The big two top ones are pushing through and they are really causing her some pain.  Nothing some pressies couldn't fix though!!  Master J and Miss H were so good and they let her do most of the unwrapping.  (Of course the birthday fairy did bring them both a little something too).

I just love that smile.

We haven't had a birthday party yet as mummy isn't organised enough, but dad took us all out for a birthday dinner instead.  By the time we left there NO CAKE LEFT!!

Yummy!!

Birthday girl in the middle

Vivid Sydney! This city is magical!

Tonight we took the ferry across into the city to see Vivid Sydney!  It's the most spectacular festival of lights and really one not to be missed   We went last year but it was freezing, Miss L was only days old and Miss H decided to start vomiting!!  It was definitely a night to remember but for all the wrong reasons!!

Tonight it was just beautiful.  The weather was balmy (well a little chilly, but no where near freezing), everyone was happy and the lights were amazing.

Customs House

The museum of Contemporary Arts 

The Harbour Bridge in all its glory. 

One of THOSE days!

Yes, you know the ones  - where everything goes wrong and the universe it just totally against you!!  Well that was my day yesterday.  By that dreaded time of day (the tea, bath, bed time) my usual 'organised' chaos was just plain CHAOS!!!

It all went seriously down hill at bath time.  Master J and Miss H were fighting over something in the bath and it was starting to do my head in!!  I can't even remember what it was about as I stopped listening to the constant shrill of "He said, she said, he started it, she started it...."  The only reason I was still in the bathroom was because Miss L still needs to be supervised in the water, otherwise I would have been well outta there!!

After not very long I'd had enough so I bundled Miss L into a nice warm towel and took her on to my bed to get her into her pj's.  I was just strapping up her nappy when I heard this awful scream (the one where you drop everything and run) and the next second Miss H was running into the room yelling "There's blood!!!  Lots of blood!  Master J is bleeding mummy!! COME QUICK"  I ran into the bathroom and sure enough, there was blood everywhere.  Master J actually seemed ok.  "It's just a nose bleed, mummy" he said, "but a really bad one!"  What happened I asked (taking lots of deep breaths!  If you didn't already know, I am NOT good with blood).  Miss H, threw a monster truck at me and it hit me in the nose".  "For god's sake" I thought!!!

He was now dripping blood all over the bathroom, so I told him to get back into the bath and put his head between his knees (I think that was the right thing???? Must re-new my first aid training!!!).  I was just about to get him another flannel (yes, there really was that much blood) when there was a huge THUD! followed by another blood curdling scream!  SHIT SHIT SHIT I totally forgot that I had left Miss L on my bed and clearly she had just fallen off!  I dashed back into my bedroom and scooped her up, rocking her furiously trying to calm her down.  Miss H was now skipping up and down the landing (still naked) shouting "Mummy said a rude word, mummy said a rude word!!"

Whilst trying to get Miss L to calm down, I remembered that I had told Master J to get back in the bath.  Oh god, what if he's fainted - IN THE WATER (something I would probably do - and was not far off it)!!  What a stupid thing to tell him!!  My stress levels now sky high, I ran back into the bathroom.  "You OK honey", I asked him.  "Yes, mummy I just need some more tissues' (Yep - still bleeding).  I started wondering if this was normal and should I be calling a doctor when the fire alarm went off!!!  I KID. YOU. NOT!  It was so loud that I couldn't even hear myself think!!!!

Why the hell was it going off????  I was sure that I didn't have anything on that could have caught fire?  Now Master J is yelling "FIRE FIRE!  We need to get outside NOW mum!" (bearing in mind it's pouring with rain outside and I'm the only one with clothes on right now).

I ran downstairs, half expecting there to genuinely be a fire but there was nothing!  Thank GOD!!  I checked everywhere but it was all ok.  Phew - I've made so many silly mistakes under pressure before that I didn't trust myself that I hadn't actually left anything on in the kitchen.

With the alarm still screaming, my head pounding, my heart racing, a baby crying, Master J shouting "Fire Fire!" and Miss H - well who knows what she was saying.......... I thought I was going to crack!!!!

After balancing on a chair, ripping the alarm off the ceiling with the end of a mop, and pulling the batteries out I finally had silence!!

Have you ever had one of those parenting moments where you feel like you've totally lost control of the situation?? Please say yes!!

(Sorry there are no photos on this post - it was one of those rare times when the camera was the last thing on my mind!!)

Oh and today is FRIDAY!  Yippeee and I'm smiling again.  Happy weekend everyone x

It's ok to be a little nervous! A Master class in blogging and a cocktail party

Even deciding what to wear was a tricky task!!!  I had to conquer two outfits, one to wear to the Kidspot Blogging Masterclass (which was going to be full of fabulous bloggers that I have only ever read online profiles of), and the other was a cocktail dress for the party in the evening.  The last time I wore a cocktail dress was so long ago that I had to send Mr D deep into our 'storage' to try and find my old stash of dresses!  I didn't even know if they were going to still fit me.

I decided to wear something warm and comfy, and packed my posh frock before headed out the door.  The kids were a bit confused as it's normally Mr D going off to work, not me!  "Where's mummy going?  When is she coming back?" I could hear them ask as I made a dash out the front door.

It was one of those beautiful, crisp winter days where the vast blue skies can't help but make you smile, and I had a whole heap of butterflies in my tummy to join in too.  As I pulled my wheelie bag along the road toward the bus stop I suddenly felt transported back in time to the days when I used to be dressed in my glamourous Virgin Atlantic 'whites', pulling my bag along to meet the crew bus ready for my next adventure.  I had that very same nervous excitement that I used to get in my early flying days when I was about to meet a brand new crew and head off into the skies!

What does one wear to their first ever blogging function????

I arrived at the venue early (I had given myself LOADS of time to find it as I'm an expert at getting lost, especially in the city).  I got out the cab, stood in front of the building and took a HUGE deep breath.  'Here we go" I though, as I headed through the doors (with only slightly trembling hands).

It's really quite nerve wracking standing in a room full of people who you don't know in person and trying to think of something intelligent to say to start a conversation - especially when you know they are all amazing bloggers!  Silly really when I used to work with some very well known A-list celebs at Virgin without even blinking an eyelid.  But for some reason I felt so much more nervous this time!!

I spied Naomi from Not just a mummy ,who'd I'd met once before, and her big beaming smile made me relax instantly.  We found a table and I sat down next to Rachel from Redcliffe Style  ("OMG OMG, just act normal" I though, with my heart beating at 100 beats a minute).  I wanted to tell her just how fabulous I think her blog is, but shyness took over and besides, I didn't want her to think I was some kind of nutty stalker lady!!  So we chatted about our girls instead and she was just so lovely.  Also at our table was Barbs from Patchwork Cactus, Salz from Dummyspit and Karen from Yellow Dandy Dreams.  All of whom were equally as lovely and I couldn't help feeling a little overwhelmed by all the talent in the room (in a good way of course and I had to pinch myself once or twice, just to make sure I WAS actually there).

Hailey Bartholomew (award winning photographer, film maker and founder of the 365 Grateful project - amongst other things) opened the masterclass with a very emotional story about where it all began for her.  She showed us a little film called 'White picket fenced-in" that she made before she even owned a video camera, and by the end of it I could feel the tears falling down my cheeks.  Not that it was a sad film at all........it just really really struck a cord in me.  It was about how she felt, as a stay at home mum, that the world was just passing her by!  She managed to beautifully articulate exactly how I sometimes feel ever since becoming "mummy' full time just over two years ago.  I'm not at all an unhappy person, in fact, I think I am the happiest I've ever been.   I love my three children dearly, but somethings I really do feel that there is something else out there - just for me, and if I'm not careful it's going to just pass me by.  Hailey, you have no idea how powerful your talk was for me, so for that I thank you for the bottom of my heart.

I don't know where blogging is going to take me, but right now, I love it!  And that is enough for me to keep going.

Hailey was followed by two other panels of speakers who performed a kind of question and answer type interview on everything you might like to know about blogging, from design, to social media and even to working with brands.  To me, who is a self taught, very new blogger (with next to no experience) the value of these tips and advice were immeasurable!  I was literally like a sponge, soaking it all up and furiously taking notes so not to miss anything!

These are just a few of the tips that I'll be working on:

Later than evening, after the Masterclass, was a cocktail party to celebrate all those fantastic bloggers that were chosen as the Top 25 Australian bloggers in their category in the Kidspot Voices of 2013 competition.  (You can find out more about the competition here).  I didn't make the top 25 but I was a nominee and so was invited to attend the evening.  And what an honour that was - I still can't believe that I was even nominated!!

There was a few hours between the Masterclass ending and the cocktail party starting, but not enough time for me to get all the way home, changed and then back into the city again.  I wasn't quite sure what to do, so I put a note out on twitter a few days before (yes, twitter!!!! I didn't even know what twitter was six months ago) asking if there was anyone that could help.  The lovely Amanda from A cooker and A looker replied saying that I could share her hotel room.  Amazing!!  She didn't even know who I was!!  Mr D wasn't convinced by this 'twitter' thing!  "How do you even know she's a woman?" he asked  "Anyone could be offering you a room - sounds dodgy to me!!!"  Luckily I met Amanda at the Masterclass first so I knew she was the real deal, but I still had to txt Mr D ALL the details of where I was!!

It's truly amazing how friendly and welcoming this online community of 'bloggers' are.

A bit of fun with Amanda from 'A cooker and a looker' and Aleney from Boy eats world

After a fun and exciting evening of chatting to lots of like minded and fabulous woman, I headed home with a smile on my face and a fire my belly!!!  And to top it all off, I got a lift home from the fabulous Seana Smith.  Her book "Sydney for under 5's" was literally my bible in our first few months here in Sydney!!!

Now THAT's a goodie bag!!

So if you haven't already done so, I highly recommend you check out all the wonderful blogs I've mentioned in this post, and I'd like to especially wish Amanda from "A cooker and a looker' and Aleney from 'Boy Eats World' the very best of luck in the competition.

Thank you SO much to Kidspot for this amazing opportunity and for opening my eyes to a whole new world.

(Sponsored Post) How to make your home FIRE SAFE this winter!

Do you really know how safe your home is from fire??  When I was asked to write this post I thought "Oh yeah, our house is pretty safe" especially as we've literally just had all our smoke alarms tested and replaced.  The first two things that popped into my head of 'potential dangers' were the iron and my GHD hair straightener's - both of which I will shamefully admit to forgetting to turn off in the past.  Luckily (for that very reason) I have a new fancy shmancy iron and GHD's that both switch themselves off if they are left unused for longer than 10 minutes!!!! 

So really that must make our house a definite low fire risk right???

WRONG!!!

I logged on to the New South Wales Home Fire Safety Audit and I was really quite shocked to discover that actually our home is considered to be a 'high risk' for fire!!  It has been a real eye opener for me as it made me aware of every day things like heaters and tumble dryers that could potentially cause a fire at home!!!

A fire in your home can be one of the most awful (and potentially tragic) things that could possibly ever happen to a family.  It just doesn't bear thinking about, so if you want to find out how 'fire safe' your home is (and I highly recommend you do), then just log into the 

NSW HOME FIRE SAFETY AUDIT  

and follow the steps.  They ask you a few simple questions about your home, your environment, and your lifestyle choices.  Within a few minutes they will not only give your home a fire safety rating but also some very valuable tips on how to improve your understanding of the fire risks in your home and how you can make it safer.

One of the questions asked was "Does your family have an emergency plan of action that you can follow in case of an emergency including fire?"  We didn't!  This was one of those things that just hadn't occurred to me to do.  Luckily you can download one here, which is a great help.  I also decided to chat to Master J and Miss H and explain to them what our smoke alarms were, and what would happen if they were to go off.  I turned them on for a couple of seconds so that they could hear the loud shrieking noise they made (which was met with fits of giggles and hands covering ears).  "So what do you think it means if you hear that noise in the house?" I asked them.   "FIRE FIRE!!" yelled Miss H, jumping up and down in excitement (mmmm, I'm not quite sure she's getting the seriousness of this!!).  "What should you DO if you hear that noise?" I then asked.  "Master J was taking this little lesson much more seriously (and already had his fireman suit on).  "If I hear that noise mummy, I run down the stairs and shout "FIRE FIRE' as loud as I can and then I will run outside and tell everybody else, so they can come and help!"  "Great answer kid" I said.  We did go into it in little more depth, but I was happy that they understood it somewhat anyway.

I'm afraid to say that it wasn't actually too long before they had to practice for real.  A couple of days ago I decided to do a bit of conventional cooking and not use my thermomix, and within 10 minutes of trying to 'lightly fry' some homemade fish fingers I had set the fire alarm off.  Poor Miss L got such a fright she decided to join in with the shrieking and before I could even get to the alarm to switch it off, Master J was literally flying out the front door heading over to the neighbours house yelling "FIRE FIRE" at the top of his voice!!!

I had to chuckle - but at least my lesson had sunk in!

So if you have not done so already MAKE YOUR HOME FIRE SAFE today.  I would truly hate for anything awful to happen to anyone, especially if it could have been prevented.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post however all the opinons written are entirely my own.