food is fun until you're one

So this month one of my little girls will be 9 months old, this doesn't seem real to me, it feels like I have slipped into a weird time vortex and popped out the other end with a baby that can crawl and climb up on things. I'm pretty sure the sleep deprivation hasn't helped this feeling, the days turn into a blur, the nights are often long and hard. In coming out and realising that I now have an almost 9 month old I've also realised that I have breastfed exclusively for the whole time.

I am very proud of myself, my healthy baby girl loves breast milk and we've gone by the rule that "food is fun until you're 1" So she occasionally gets a bit of mushy avocado or weetbix but mostly she eats what we eat. Baby led weaning is fun, I love watching her smile as she eats a chunk of tofu or a veggie hotdog. It makes me laugh because she gets so into it and does these big MMMM noises. 

Some of my friends are already planning their childs first birthday party! I feel a bit bad because I don't seem to be as excited about it as I should be. I think I might just do a cake smash photoshoot where we take the pics, depending on the weather maybe a small picnic with a few friends. 

i thought i should also give a mention to this amazing website http://www.disposableincomekid.com/ this guy actually gives away money. All you have to do is write a story and he picks a winner each month, seems like a scam? how could someone just give away money? well it's not a scam, I actually won some money for my husband and yep, it came in the mail. So give it a shot, what have you got to loose?

luh you

Raising girls

I have two beautiful daughters in my family. I have so many wishes for them for when they grow up. I wish for them to be self confidant and smart to have a great sense of self, to respect the environment. So many things run through my head, a lot of them are actually reflected in the people around me and who I don't want them to end up like. I worry about the actions of people around us and how they seem in my daughters eyes. What does my 5 year old think when she catches bit of conversation about the latest boy my friends are seeing or when another woman is being nasty. How is hearing things like that supposed to help her become a self assured woman? As woman we have a lot of responsibility as to how we choose to raise our daughters, do we want them to be just like us? Are you strong enough in your opinion of yourself that you feel your daughter would be perfect of she turned out just like you?. I know I'm not, I have a lot a flaws that I'd rather not pass on. So how do we go about this task? When there is so much negative behavior from women in society?. honestly I don't know, What I do know is that I'm going to be the best role model I can. I'm not going to allow people to be bitchy around her, or towards her (yes this has happened). No one is going to get away with their petty 'female' bullshit around my girls ever again. We need to support each other, be there for each other. We've all got issues & have different stories to tell but that shouldn't reflect on how we treat each other. Stop the bitterness & the jealousy and just except that we are all different and that doesn't mean we can't at the very least show some basic human respect for one another. To show our kids that love and respect are important between woman. Yeah it sounds a bit hippy but that's just a part of who I am. Don't like it? Then fine but don't be a bitch about it :p

Worlds greatest shave

So the last few years have been pretty full on with people getting sick in my family. My step dad had bowel cancer, my sister in law has this rare form of appendix cancer & my Nanna had breast cancer. So I kept thinking about what I could do to help & when a lady in my mums group was telling us about a friend of hers who's little boy has just been diagnosed with leukeamia nd she was shaving her head. So I decides to join her team, the team name you ask? Team spiderman!! Yeah so if I was gunna be on a team it would have to be a name like that heh. I set my goal for $250 and made $400 whoop am pretty happy with that.

http://my.leukaemiafoundation.org.au/Becdungey

But if you feel like giving to a great cause here is the link, support team spidey!

super easy vegan muffin pan pies

So over christmas I went on a pie baking spree and a few people requested the recipe, keep in mind I created this from rummaging through my cupboard and pulling out random things hoping that when combined they would make something delicious, this is often my method of cooking. My husband came up with the idea to use a muffin tray to make pies in after we were looking at pie makers and thought they seemed a little flat and small. So here is the recipe hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 100g of TVP (textured vegetable protein) & boiling water
• 1 medium potato - diced
• 3/4cup of veggies - I use peas, corn and carrot - diced
• 1/2 a jar of your fav pasta sauce - I use dolmio spicy peppers
• 3 sheets of puff pastry
• for flavor I use crushed, dried chilies, garlic and curry powder but you can use whatever you like if you don't like it spicy. 
• cooking paper

Method:

• Put the TVP in a bowl and add the spices, then add the water to re hydrate, by doing this the spices dissolve into the water and absorb into the TVP
• Microwave the potato to soften, this shortens oven time.
• mix in the cooked potato, veggies and pasta sauce

• cut the baking paper into squares and line each individual muffin space on the pan

•  Cut the pastry sheets into 4 squares and place in muffin spaces on top of the baking paper

•  Fill the pastry cups with the mixture

•  fold the corners of the pastry over, making a lid

• bake in 180 degree celsius oven until brown and crispy

There you have it, simple, yummy and healthy pies, I hope this helps for next time you have vegan or vegetarian guests for dinner and you don't know what to cook :) enjoy!

*note* i also put cooked rice into the pie mixture, for some reason my husband really enjoys it!

*note* if you are cooking it for vegan/vegetarian guests ensure the pastry is vegan, you can get it you just need to check the box for things like butter, animal derived emulsifiers, animal fats and so on.

luh you

breastfeeding guilt

So I have an online mothers group full of wonderful, strong women. There is around 90 or so in the group with half of them active, the group originated from a website called bub hub and it was a group of pregnant ladies all due in the same month. We migrated to facebook and now that we have all had our babies the group has transformed into a place for us all to vent or ask questions or just share news.

One thing that has always been constant is the women that have had trouble breastfeeding and the guilt that they feel over it. I can't begin to understand how they feel but I can share my thoughts & feelings on it all.

You often hear that breastfeeding is the best for the baby, it is natural and the way we are "supposed" to do things. Breastmilk is full of natural goodness for babies, especially colostrum in the first few weeks of life. Colostrum has very high protein levels and also helps babies pass bowel moments. Then when mature breastmilk is made it contains the right amount of fats and nutrients to nourish the growing baby. It's all happy and perfect and healthy and wonderful.

Now think about the pressure that new mums are under to do everything "right", to be able to function with the lack of sleep, the constant visitors, the pressure to keep up appearances and of course the pressure to breastfeed. Then add people sticking their noses in, family, friends, healthcare nurses and even random members of the public at the shops, it's enough to send a women batty.

The reality is not all women can breastfeed and even then not all women want to breastfeed. I was trying to find some information on the inability to feed and there is not a whole lot out there. There is however a lot on ways to 'correct' the milk supply, worded in ways that makes the mother sound like she is broken. In a world of post natal depression what makes these nurses think it's a good idea to force new mothers into something that they can't do? their babies are screaming for food, just let them do what they need to. Once the new mum has switched to formula life usually settles down, bub stops screaming everyone gets more sleep.

We need to remove the guilt associated with formula feeding, we need to support these mums. Where are the pamphlets to help those who can't bf but really wanted to? There is not enough help for them and it's not good enough. The important thing that we need to remember here is that as long as the baby is loved, fed and looked after does it really matter? and as long as mum is feeling o.k and not stressed out over the breastfeeding pressure then they will bond a whole lot more in a relaxed environment.

Let the mother do what feels right, give her the support she needs and allow her to chose what's best for her and her baby because everyone has a story and their own struggles and reasons for doing what they do.

gotta breathe

I guess you could look at xmas being a positive thing, I mean it is supposed to be about family and gifts and food and such. Harley is even getting into the spirit a little by collecting xmas specials to watch with Lex leading up to the big day and I am thinking I might like to go for a drive and check out the lights around town. I think I might bring some stuff to eat at my Aunties place for xmas day lunch, I love roast veggies but maybe something extra might be nice for us vegetarian folk to munch on. I used to make these really great soysage rolls so I am thinking I might try and make little pies in the muffin tray and see how they turn out, If they turn out ok I will probs post the recipe in case you feel like making some of your own vegetarian muffin pies.

I have started to get fit, well I've been on this process since having Fable and so far lost 15kg but am looking to loose another 5 or so. This week I lost 800g which I was really pumped about because I'm finally under 85 kilos. I haven't been under 85 for about 6 years so it put a smile on my face. Also I need to start measuring myself so I don't get all obsessive about what the scales are telling me. It's easy to do I and don't think it's all that healthy to just focus on numbers.

I also got tickets to one of my all time fave bands thanks to my hubby and my dad who conspired. I'm glad they did because I was feeling uber down about a lot of stuff that day so a Sublime ticket and friend visits made me feel like myself again.

I am planning on using this space for more interesting things but at the moment this is all I can muster, and my little bubbah is ready for a snooze so it's time for me to depart and do the walk and rock.

luh you

so this is blogging

ok so i have a blog now, all it took really was a good friend tweeting "do itt" at me. So really it didn't take much, I don't think i have a whole lot to say but who knows, i might just surprise myself. Currently I have a small child in my lap, the smallest in my family, a little monkey named Fable. She is only ten weeks old but at this point I can already tell she is going to be a chatty mischief maker. From the moment she was born she started babbling and I mean that in a literal sense. After she finished crying she started chatting, it was amazing. As for the cheeky part well I just changed her nappy and sat down with her for a cuddle and her response? to fill the nappy and then giggle. Something tells me if this is her at ten weeks then her at 2 or 3 is going to be an interesting experience.

I have been putting off going for a walk tonight, it looks like it's going to rain. I probably could have gone to the shops and back by now but instead i have been looking to check for rain...it hasn't rained yet. I tend to do this a lot, it's like I am afraid of getting rained on with Fable, She'd be in her ergo and I'd take a brolly so really what's the issue? possibly my weird brain. Brolly is a great word it reminds me of swimming the other day when my hubby Harley said he needed to find his swimming trunks and I laughed at him for being so old fashioned, but then i use the word "brolly" in a sentence like an old lady.

Well I am off to go for that walk, or check to see if it's raining or if it's raining stay home and complain that i don't have juice to drink.

Luh you