I love making shortbread and lately have been giving my newly created biscuits as gifts. Rather than make the traditional shortbread, I wanted to do something different.
Why not add freshly squeezed orange juice and zest to the shortbread?
I visisted Todarello’s Katoomba Village Fruit Marketto stock up on Valencia oranges to make my zesty orange shortbread. Todarello’s have a great array of fresh produce to choose from and it is my one stop place to get quality ingredients.
Yummy Valencia oranges at Todarello’s Katoomba
I used the recipe from the McKenzies Rice Flour box, but with an added twist of orange juice and orange zest.
The Valencia oranges are so juicy and sweet
INGREDIENTS
225g plain flour, sifted
115g McKenzie’s Rice Flour
115g caster sugar
1 pinch salt
225g butter, at room temperature
Juice of 2 fresh Valencia oranges
Zest of 2 Valencia oranges
Very orangy shortbread dough ready to roll out and create duck shortbread
METHOD
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C or 356 F.
Step 1: Combine flour, rice flour, sugar, salt, add melted butter, add the juice of 2 Valencia oranges as well as the zest of 2 oranges (TIP: grate the zest first and then juice the oranges). Mix ingredients into a dough.
Step 2: Roll the dough onto a floured surface, make sure you have flour ready for the rolling pin, as well to help with the cookie cutters. Carefully roll to desired thickness and using a cookie cutter, shape into whatever shape takes your fancy. I used many different shapes, stars, a duck, a dog, and also the number 7.
Step 3: Place onto a tray lined with baking paper, prick with a fork, or add any decoration that you wish before the cookies go into the oven. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool before moving from the tray (If you move too quickly after coming out of the oven the biscuit can fall to bits – it needs more time to cool and harden).
Dog shaped Zesty Orange Shortbread ready to go in the ovenThe baking paper where the dog shaped zesty orange shortbread wasSuper cute zesty orange shortbread about to go into the ovenThe baking paper where all the ducks were
Don’t the little shortbread ducks look cute
The zesty orange shortbread dough with a number 7 cookie cutter
Zesty Orange Shortbread 7’s for a little person’s 7th Birthday!
Number 7 shortbread waiting to go into the oven
All cooked and ready to eat!
Number 7 Zesty Orange Shortbread cooked and ready to eatCute duck Zesty Orange Shortbread all cooked
The shortbread tasted delicious and the zest added a nice texture and added to the flavour too.
The star-shaped Zesty Orange Shortbread
POST FEAST REVIEW
Shortbread is yummy but zesty orange shortbread really is wonderful. The added tang of the Valencia oranges really gave it something special.
Zesty Orange Shortbread with some orange zest for decoration – I need one now with my cup of tea
WOULD I MAKE THIS AGAIN?
Adding fresh Valencia orange juice and zest to shortbread was a great idea, it was very tasty. I would definitely make this again. For the next batch, I want to make it even more orangy and also add dark chocolate to create a jaffa shortbread.
The star shaped Zesty Orange Shortbread looking very yummy. I want one right now!
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I had such lovely Valencia oranges from Todarello’s Katoomba Village Fruit Marketand thought why not try making orange syrup? How about making it even more orangey, so that each bite just screams summer oranges, even the smell instantly makes you know that it is orange.
Looking online for recipes for orange syrup, all the recipes tell you to use the juice and not pulp. Why not use the pulp? Why not use the super fresh orange puree to ensure your orange syrup is like eating a fresh orange?
Wouldn’t this be AMAZING to have a syrup that just screams tangy fresh tasty juicy oranges?
So how did I make this extremely yummy orange syrup?
This orange syrup can be used for cocktails, refreshing drinks (plain water and sparkling), syrup over ice cream, and also sauce to bind cakes together for a creative cake creation.
INGREDIENTS
2 Valencia Oranges = 1 cup of orange puree
1 cup of water
1 and a half cups of sugar
Orange skin (Use the skin of the 2 Valencia oranges so that it infuses the orange flavour).
All the oranges before they went into the blender
METHOD
This recipe takes around 20 minutes to make. Not long to then enjoy your orange syrup.
Step 1: Cut up the 2 Valencia oranges, remove the skin and just leave the flesh of the orange. Put all the orange flesh into a blender and make sure it is thoroughly pureed. Pour out into a measuring cup, you should have 1 cup.
Step 2: Put the orange puree, water, and sugar into a saucepan. Melt the sugar and wait till the mixture thickens up a little. Depending on the amount of sugar added depends on how thick the syrup gets, if you wish to have a thicker syrup you can add more sugar. (I put my syrup in the fridge and it thickened up a bit more after a few days.)
Step 3: Add the orange rind to the mixture so that the orange flavour gets stronger. I cut up all the orange skin and added it all.
Step 4: Once cooked to your desired consistency strain the mixture and once cool put it in a jar/jug and then in the fridge. The syrup will keep in the fridge for around a month.
I added orange juice and orange to ice cubes – It made my orange syrup gin drink taste amazing!
POST FEAST REVIEW
I had no idea that fruit syrup was really easy to make. The syrup had a nice caramel taste when it was added to vanilla ice cream. I added orange zest for taste and decoration, the zest added bursts of flavour.
Having the syrup in the fridge for a few days allowed it to thicken up a little more. It was a better consistency after about 3 days in the fridge.
There is an amazing amount of uses for orange syrup, drinks, cakes, ice cream, and desserts.
Now that I know how easy it is to make, I will make different types of syrup for desserts. How about raspberry, blueberry or mandarin syrup? I am now thinking about another ingredient could be syrup.
So refreshing with fresh orange syrupYou can add a little or a lot depending on your taste
WOULD I MAKE THIS AGAIN?
Yes, I would make this again, however, I would make some changes when making it next. I would add more orange and up the sugar a bit. Creating a thicker syrup that is more like an orange concentrate from fresh oranges. Adding the zest to the syrup would be a great addition as well, this way there is a different texture for taste and it will look amazing too.
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It was very nice to have a break for a week. I didn’t go on holiday; I didn’t really have a break, but it felt like a mental rest to not have to think about what was for dinner as well as not shopping for all the items to go with the meals.
Until the job of deciding what to do for dinner is taken off my plate… see what I did there, a meal pun. I didn’t realise how much organising dinner every night weighed upon me.
Hubby preparing to make Chicken & Creamy Peppercorn Sauce
It felt like a holiday to have all the decisions made for me (for dinners not everything in the world). You can let HelloFresh pick your meals or you change them to suit your needs.
Things that I loved about HelloFresh:
No shopping for ingredients
Gets delivered to your door
Super easy to follow recipes with portions so that there is no waste
Very fresh ingredients
Tasty meals with variety for the week
Recipes were easy to follow and create – simply match the recipe card to the right colour bag of ingredients.
Different meals that you normally would never cook
I liked the fact that all you have to do is match the colour codes for your ingredients and recipe.
The whole family got involved and cooked a HelloFresh meal each. It was great to see that the kids were excited to take part in what the family was eating for dinner each night.
One thing that I did really like was that the meals were easy to create. No complicated steps or things to do. However, there were some recipes that were quicker to make than others, but no matter the time the meal took to make, the steps were still easy.
Hubby making the creamy peppercorn sauce
A few things we noticed:
While Hubby was cooking the Chicken & Creamy Peppercorn Sauce he noticed that the sauce took longer to thicken up than the recipe said. The recipe said around 5 or so minutes but it took around 30 minutes to thicken up.
One of my girls was cooking the Quick Sweet Chilli Beef Stir-Fry and we realised that the way they wanted us to cook the rice didn’t work, so we ended up cooking it the normal way by boiling it in a saucepan.
We added what we thought was ample olive oil for the marinade mixture, but it needed a bit more as it was too dry.
These were not major issues, and the meal was still easy to create and tasted delicious.
Quick Sweet Chilli Beef Stir-Fry ready to eat
I have never made a Carbonara from scratch before. I always thought it would be complicated. HelloFresh showed me that it is in fact very simple to make.
It was nice to make a meal that I’ve never made before and allow me to have new cooking skills for next time.
At least I will have the HelloFresh recipe card to help me make Creamy Bacon Carbonara again.
Making the Carbonara sauce for the Creamy Bacon Carbonara with Pear Salad
Our favourite meals were:
Quick Sweet Chilli Beef Stir-Fry
Quick Caribbean Chicken Tacos with Pineapple & Corn Salsa
Creamy Bacon Carbonara with Pear Salad
So if you are like us and think you could do with some time out making decisions on what to cook for dinner, then HelloFresh can help you.
I have a deal that gives my readers $130 off a HelloFresh meal kit
CODE: TWINSPLUSONE130 Offer: Get up to $130 off your first four boxes!
One thing that I have missed with the lockdown restriction is eating out.
With the restrictions easing, we were lucky to experience dining at a wonderful restaurant on our wedding anniversary.
Pins at Lurline in Katoomba – Yummy food and great service
A few weeks ago we were lucky to be able to book a table at Pins on Lurline
If you have kids and wish to get your fix of some yummy fancy food, then don’t worry Pins on Lurline cater for kids too!
“At Pins believe that it is never to early to appreciate good food and we welcome well-behaved children. Our younger guests can order from our a la carte menu, we will do our best to adapt for their tastes. We reserve our earlier bookings for guests with young children.”
I know a family-friendly restaurant that can give you a stunning meal is a winner, but we did not go out with the kids and finally had an adult meal for the first time in months.
Pins on Lurline offers an intimate space for dinner
We opted for the Omnivore Tasting Menu if you are vegetarian there is a menu that you will love as well. Pins on Lurline have only two options for their menu at the moment a Tasting Menu that changes daily.
The menu works with local and fresh produce so you will always have a new and amazing food experience at Pins on Lurline.
Oh and if you are having a special celebration make sure you mention this when booking…we didn’t and only mentioned it on leaving. Executive Chef Adam Shaw will work his magic and add a special surprise for you during your dining experience.
When we entered the restaurant we were made to feel welcome and seated immediately. Due to restrictions, there were only a few tables of diners and it was a very intimate experience, so in a way perfect for an anniversary dinner.
Jody made sure we were all sorted and gave us some yummy freshly made bread and gave us our first glass of wine that will be paired with the first course (in the tasting menu we had 6 courses)
You can just have the tasting menu or have the tasting menu with the wine pairing and we did both. I must admit due to not going anywhere for months this was a fantastic treat, and a great way to break the drought on not going to any restaurants or anywhere.
So if you are interested in costs: Tasting Menu $80, and the Wine Paring is $40
Entree
Zucchini Flowers filled with Ricotta, Sundried Tomato, Fig & Preserved Lemon, with a Capsicum Cream Sauce
Wine: Veuve D’Argent, Blanc de Blanc, Burgundy
Zucchini Flowers filled with Ricotta, Sundried Tomato, Fig & Preserved Lemon, with a Capsicum Cream Sauce
Scallops served with a Lemon Gel, Radish, Spiced Mayo on an Orange & Ginger Sauce
Wine: 2017 Domaine Des Aubuisieres, Vouvray Sec, Loire Valley
Scallops served with a Lemon Gel, Radish, Spiced Mayo on an Orange & Ginger Sauce
I loved the way the scallop dish was presented. It reminded me of under the sea and coral. It was one of my favourite dishes, and very yummy!
Under the sea Scallop Plate – YUMMY
Mains
Slow-cooked black garlic & Rosemary Pork Belly, with Sweet Potato Puree, Asparagus, Gourmet Tomatoes, and Smoked Jus
Wine: 2018 Tooloagni Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley, Victoria
Slow-cooked black garlic & Rosemary Pork Belly, with Sweet Potato Puree, Asparagus, Gourmet Tomatoes, and Smoked Jus
Moroccan Spiced Lamb Cutlets, served with Crumbed Haloumi, Cous Cous & Wilted Spinach
Wine: 2017 Tyrrellls Hunter Valley Shiraz, Hunter Valley
Moroccan Spiced Lamb Cutlets, served with Crumbed Haloumi, Cous Cous & Wilted Spinach
Dessert
White Chocolate Panna Cotta with Walnut & Almond Crumb, Peach Puree, Seasonal Fruit & Mango Sherbet
Wine: Yarran NV Sparkling Moscato, Riverina District, New South Wales
White Chocolate Panna Cotta with Walnut & Almond Crumb, Peach Puree, Seasonal Fruit & Mango Sherbet
Yarran NV Sparkling Moscato, Riverina District, New South Wales
You can add side dishes for an extra $9, your choices for sides are Pins House Salad, Roasted Chat Potatoes, and Seasonal Vegetables.
After dinner sweets. Berry coconut slice and mint chocolate balls – So yummy!
I must say after my six-course with tasty wines I was very full, I couldn’t have had sides as well. However, if you are a party of more than two people maybe a salad or some extra vegetables might be helpful.
What Did We Think?
We loved our time at Pins on Lurline from the moment we stepped inside the door. We were greeted warmly, nothing was a problem, our glasses were always topped up, any questions about the food where answered and we felt at home and comfortable.
The food was divine and was very high end. I was worried at first as the courses are smaller but with six dishes plus wines for each course you are full and there is no need to worry that you will leave hungry.
Our first journey out since lockdown was a highly successful one and it was a great place to celebrate our 16 year wedding anniversary…yes this is a long time to be married (however we’ve been together for over 20 years, just married for 16)
If you wish to go to somewhere that is impressive, has quality food and wine then Pins on Lurline is for you. Due to the restrictions on numbers, you will need to book to ensure you can get a table.
I loved my experience so much I had to share with you all and showcase a fantastic local business that is open and looking forward to seeing more people. If you are traveling or visiting the Blue Mountains make sure that you check out this amazing restaurant. You will not be disappointed.
Note: This is not a paid partnership. I live in the Blue Mountains and with the recent bushfires and now coronavirus we need to support as many local businesses to help them out.
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Hello Fresh Australiasent us a box to test out. I’ve never used Hello Fresh, known anyone that has, or had a chance to experience their food… well that was until now.
We were excited to give it a go and see if all the hype and advertisements lived up to reality. Spoiler alert: Hello Fresh is beyond amazing and more!
Due to Father’s Day, we have been making some fabulous creations all from the help of the Hello Fresh box.
I would highly recommend getting a Hello Fresh Box to make dad an amazing, healthy and yummy meal.
It has made me not wonder what will I cook for dinner tonight… as it is already sorted.
The box came with everything that you would need to cook any of the meals that are listed on the recipe cards.
Some of the meals that we have had are:
Caribbean Chicken & Coconut Rice
Nonna’s Beef Taco’s
Lamb & Spinach Shepherd’s Pie
Chicken & Bacon Pesto Pasta
My little masterchefs helped me make Caribbean Chicken & Coconut Rice. It was so fabulous.
Food packs are in brown paper bags that have matching colours to the recipe cards. The bags fit neatly in the fridge and
Nearly 100% recyclable packaging (love the fact that Hello Fresh is focused on looking after the environment)
I’ve been super impressed with the quality of Hello Fresh’s food and how simple it is to create gourmet meals for the family, that I have signed up as an affiliate.
Below are the affiliate links for Hello Fresh. I know not everyone is in Australia so I’ve got links to the USA, UK and Canada to help you out.
A HUGE thank you to Hello Fresh for sending us a lovely box of yummy meals to test out. We loved it and will be getting another box soon.
Lamb & Spinach Shepherd’s Pie with added cheese on top.
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Food is one of life’s pleasures- perhaps subconsciously to us, food enlightens all our senses to create that pleasure.
You celebrate with food.
Families come together over the dining room table- this social experience is a vital part of our wellbeing.
Friends go out to enjoy meals at new and interesting restaurants/cafes.
Food is also super important for your health. Good quality food is your tool to wellbeing.
It is recommended that you consume a wide variety of fruits and vegetables daily – eating the rainbow is ideal. By this, all colours should make an appearance on your plate.
This passion and enjoyment that food brings does not go away with age.
The Maggie Beer Foundation “was established in 2014 to improve the food experiences for older Australians, particularly those living within aged care homes. In fellowship with her Board of industry leaders, professors and health advisors, Maggie has made it her personal mission to link the latest research of how the food we eat can impact brain health and general wellbeing, with her innate knowledge of what good food can do for everyone’s emotional wellbeing – a truly nourishing mix, so much greater than the sum of its parts.”
How Can You Help?
Donations – Giving money to help the cause is a great way to help.
Corporate Support – If you are a business/corporation you can support The Maggie Beer Foundation.Businesses can support a program or project, become involved with progressing one of our strategic priorities and implement the Maggie Beer Foundation “Appetite for Life” program in an aged care home.
Advocacy – The main focus of The Maggie Beer Foundation is “radically change food practices in aged care, to improve the emotional wellbeing of each and every person.”To make a change, government and aged care facilities need to be on board. It’s a huge job and one that can be done with everyone helping.
Maggie Beer Foundation – Creating An Appetite For Life
You no doubt know someone elderly or in an aged care setting, food is one major thing they have to look forward to in their day. We too are ageing and how nice would it be to have our daily food pleasures available to us as we endure our elder years?
Together let’s get behind Maggie Beer’s mission to improve the food experience in aged care.
“Breakfast is served! “Super” Banana Porridge – this contains approximately 25% more energy and a third more fibre than regular porridge just cooked with milk!” Image from The Maggie Beer Facebook Page
Improving food in aged care facilities will help everyone and one day possibly you. I think that when a relative ends up in aged care it doesn’t dawn on you that one day this could be you.
Food is a vital part of living and one that doesn’t disappear with age, making meals interesting, tasty and healthy is important. Also, it is one thing that can be changed with a lot of support.
Be the change and help The Maggie Beer Foundation get more awareness around food in aged care facilities.
Share your stories of what is working, any changes that you have made that has had a positive impact on residents whether they are living at home or in a supported care environment.
Disclaimer: I love what Maggie Beer’s Foundation is doing for aged care and older Australians. I am a firm believer as we age we should be treated well. Aged care homes or institutions need to ensure that their food is delicious, healthy and interesting. Good food means good health and a better quality of life.
Everyone at some point will come into contact with an aged care home.
You might visit your grandparents, have to put your parents into one, your partner might need some assistance, or eventually, you will need one.
This affects us all.If we all get behind this great mission to ensure that food in all aged care facilities is better, then we would have helped everyone that will need any aged care facilities nationwide. Wouldn’t this be great?
“Food is nutrition not just for the body, but also for the soul. It’s what fires our appetite for life, no matter what age.” Maggie Beer.
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This week has been manic, well actually manic or constant chaos seems to be my new form of normal.
I did have a few weeks basically free to rest and to just be, I only had a few days full of things to do with the kids and then suddenly they have all been eaten up with plans, with so much busyness that means that rest, work and actual items that need to be done are not getting done at all.
With the racing here and racing there to keep kids entertained, cooking dinner seems to be an afterthought and very much forgotten.
Yep, insert terrible mother comments here.
I have been simply so tired and annoyed that I get to the end of the day and the darkness has filled the sky and I still have no idea what to do for dinner.
Lamb Shank Red Wine & Rosemary and Lamb Shank Traditional Mint Gravy from Chef Direct.
Bad planning I hear you say, probably….. but I have a fabulous solution or if you were Baldrick on Blackadder, a Cunning Plan.
The amazing team at Marathon Foods sent me the following meals:
Lamb Shank Red Wine Rosemary
Lamb Shank Traditional Mint Gravy
Beef Meatballs Tomato & Basil Sauce 1.2kg
Mild Chilli Beef & Bean 1.2kg
Do you find that you run out of time to think of a yummy, healthy and a quick dinner for the family?
If you work or just wish to have a break from thinking of what to cook Chef Direct’s prepackaged meals are an awesome choice.
DID YOU KNOW…
“Marathon Chef Direct creations are made fresh and kept that way by use of clever technology and packaging without the need for refrigeration or freezing. Our delicious creations are free from artificial flavours, colours or preservatives and there is no added MSG.”
Storing the packs in the pantry due to no refrigeration is perfect as it frees up much-needed space in the fridge.
Marathon Chef Direct creations are shelf stable meals for the busy kitchen
Free from artificial flavours, colours or preservatives
Lamb Shank & Red Wine Rosemary
This was the first meal that we tried and I must say we were so impressed.
The super yummy Lamb Shank & Red Wine Rosemary from Chef Direct by Marathon
The meat just melted in your mouth and fell off the bone and the red wine and rosemary sauce was super tasty and a fab accompaniment to the meal.
I added mash: Potato, red onion, brown onion, corn from fresh corn that I boiled and then removed the kernels, & carrots.
For some extra greens I cooked up some beans in olive oil and a little soy sauce.
The lamb Shank was warmed up in the microwave for 6 mins. This is my type of cooking, 6 mintues for a fab meal to be ready…. oh and a little bit extra for the mash, but not by much.
I would say I probably only cooked for about 30mins and used the microwave or 12 mintues (6 minutes for each Lamb Shank)
This meal was stress-free, easy to make and delicious!
Beef Meatballs Tomato & Basil Sauce 1.2kg
Beef Meatballs Tomato & Basil Sauce 1.2kg from Chef Direct by Marathon.
This pack is a huge size and I decided that it was wise to half it and put the rest into a container to store in the fridge. I ended up using the remainder for the kid’s dinners the next night.
Beef Meatballs with Tomato and Basil Sauce from Chef Direct ..and yes I added broccoli.
To heat up the meatballs and sauce, just boil some water in a pot and heat in the bag for 35 minutes (Making sure that the pot is off the heat when the bag is in it). You can also heat in an ovenproof dish, reheat in the oven for 30 minutes at 180°C (Heating in the oven make sure to remove contents from bag and place in the dish to reheat).
Cooking vegetables, reheating the meatballs and sauce and cooking the spaghetti. Talk about multitasking.
You cannot have meatballs without spaghetti, and I also added some vegetables. It got topped off with some grated mature cheese and then it got eaten!
The verdict was that it was another yummy, filling and easy to make the meal.
Mild Chilli Beef & Bean 1.2kg
Chilli Beef & Beans by Chef Direct is so tasty and super convenient for busy mums.
Hubby and I love a chilli meal and this really was tasty. It is not that spicy and has a good taste for those that don’t like it too hot. If you do want to increase the heat, you can always add some more chilli flakes to your meal. This way you can make it just the way you like it.
I boiled water in a saucepan and then took the pot off the heat. I added the Beef and Beans so that it could heat up and be ready for us to eat.
Reheating only took 30mins and gave me some time to get the vegetables organised.
Rice was added and I used the easy prepackaged and super quick Sunrise Rice and Quinoa Brown Rice, which only takes 90 seconds to be ready. I did say it was super quick!
I do love my greens, so added broccoli, bok choy and some capsicum for colour.
The vegetables for the Chilli Beef & Beans from Chef Direct by Marathon.
Now for the finished yummy looking meal of Chilli Beef & Beans with Rice and Vegetables.
The finished meal of Chilli Beef & Beans from Chef Direct by Marathon. Looks so good, doesn’t it?
If you wish to make your life a bit simpler you can get the Chef Direct range at IGA and have a break or at least make dinner time so much easier.
The Chef Direct range is also perfect for camping and travelling. No need to refrigerate and can be easily packed. Use for your next camping holiday with the family.
As a busy mum to 3 kids and a hubby, it would be nice to have someone make me a meal for a change.
The yummy Lamb Shank Red Wine and Rosemary Sauce meals from Chef Direct by Marathon.
The meals from Chef Direct are so easy to prepare I just might be able to put my feet up and take a break.
All you need to do is to add the mash, spaghetti or rice and a few things to the meal. Other than heat up the packet from Chef Direct and then enjoy!
A HUGE thank you to Marathon Foodsfor sending us such tasty, amazing and easy to prepare meals.
I’ve been telling other mums about what a great time saver these meals have been for me.
I would strongly recommend that you give the Chef Direct range a go, you will be so happy you did.
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It is National Nutrition Week – 16th of October to 22nd October, and the aim is to increase the amount of veggies and fruits we eat each day.
Did you know?
“Less than 1% of Australian children and teens get enough veggies each day, yet over 1/3 of their daily energy comes from ‘discretionary foods’ such as biscuits, lollies, fast food and sugary drinks.”
The Teeny Tiny Stevies are the National Nutrition Week Ambassadors that are inspiring kids and also to parents.
“Kids Music That Doesn’t Suck” Zoe Foster-Blake
The sisters behind Teeny Tiny Stevies, Byll and Beth started as a fun project but has become very popular with kids and adults alike. The sisters have been playing Australian Folk Festivals since they were teenagers, including Woodford, Port Fairy, and the National Folk Festival in 2016. Oh and also travelling to Canada for the Folk Festival circuit in 2011.
If you wish to catch the Teen Tiny Stevies live here are their dates throughout Australia:
TEENY TINY STEVIES LIVE DATES
Fri Oct 14th – The Little Bookroom, Carlton Vic (10.30am Musical Storytime!)
Fri Oct 21st – National Nutrition Week Event, Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne
Sat Oct 22nd – Ararat Primary School, Ararat Vic
Sat Oct 29th – The Lost Lands Festival, Werribee Mansion Vic
Sun Nov 6th – Darebin Music Feast Closing Party, Preston Vic
Fri Nov 11th – The Children’s Bookshop, Sydney NSW (9.45am Musical Storytime!)
Sun Nov 13th – Newtown Festival, Sydney NSW
Dec 27th – Woodford Folk Festival, QLD
So what can you do to add more colour to your plate?
You should aim to “eat a rainbow”. Add different coloured vegetables and fruits to your meals.
The different varieties gives you a good mix of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fibre and phytochemicals.
Another interesting fact:
“The Australian government could save $58 million in health expenditure if only males ate as much vegetables as females.” *Source: http://bit.ly/2dZMJDP
Try for 5
The theme of this years Nutrition Week is to aim to add 5 veggies or fruits to your day. Yes add 5 vegetables of different colours. If you do your body will thank you.
If you consume plenty of fruit and veggies it can help reduce your risk of some cancers, heart disease, stroke and also diabetes.
#TryFor5
Different coloured fruit and veggies ready to eat. Don’t they look yummy!
My aim with the kids is to expose them to more fruits and veggies. They are fussy eaters and it has been a huge challenge. The plan is to have a new food on the plate each night and they have to at least taste it. I hope this goes well… or else I can hide it all again.
What do you do to make sure your kids eat more fruit and veggies?
I AM TRYING TO WORK ON SOMETHING THAT IS RATHER IMPORTANT AND NEED TO CONCENTRATE! CAN DADDY HELP YOU?
I told hubby before being bothered that he had to sort dinner and everything else. He was happy to do it as I was busy. Great I thought, until the Weet-Bix meltdown began.
For the last couple of days the kids have not been feeling well, and one is coughing and had a slight temperature. The other had a bit of a temperature also, but it was nothing to worry about. So we did the normal fluids, painkillers, kisses and cuddles and that was it.
The kids of course requested to have Weet-Bix for dinner. We thought fine, they are not well and at least they are eating something.
When the twins are feeling unwell they like to have Weet-Bix for dinner. Yes this could be a parenting fail. But I think if they are sick, it is better that they eat something than nothing.
Just to explain: I’m the mum who gets the interest of the worried doctor due to kids looking thin and underweight. My kids have always been at the bottom 3rd percentile on the graph in the blue book you get when you have a baby.
I know my kids are fuss pots with eating, however they were on track for their milestones and have been ahead for some of them. This was good as one doctor we saw in the early days was convinced the twins might be delayed, so wonderful this was not to be.
So as you now understand if my fussy eaters, when sick desire Weet-Bix, we let them.
Hubby prepared the Weet-Bix but was not prepared for the outcome.
This is how it all unfolded:
Hubby brings Weet-bix to children.
One kid takes a look at the Weet-Bix and starts screaming and crying.
She says, “That is not how you make Weet-Bix!!!!” “Mummy does not make it like this!”
This child was so upset and annoyed by the way the Weet-Bix was, she had to physically remove herself away from the food and could not touch it as she was in such hysterics.
Not the way Weet-Bix should be! Daddy why did you do this she said!
Hubby also got told:
“How could you?”
“That’s not how you do it!
This is not correct!”
All of this was accompanied by waving of arms, crying and putting hands on face in major disappointment.
Due to hubby’s loss at what the issue was, and of course dealing with a traumatised child, I piped in and said,
“If you don’t like it, you can fix it. Go to the kitchen and do it the way you like it”
She took the matter into her own hands, left the room and went to the kitchen.
She returned with a bowl of Weet-Bix created in the way she likes and wanted in the first place.
Weet-bix made by the child in question and just the way she likes it!
Daddy said that she reacted like he had given her a pooh sandwich.
Have you ever done something for the kids to have a hysterical reaction to what you did?
What was the thing that made the child/children so upset? Was it as simple as not organising the Weet-Bix like the child wanted?
Note: Daddy put the flakes of Weet-Bix in the bowl as well as the last biscuits. He was being thrifty and good to use every last part of the box. However if you use too much of the end flaky bits it makes it clump and just be a big mess. I think that this is what the issue was.
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One of my girls made this all by herself. What a big girl she is.
One of my girls seems to be more adventurous with food, not as much as I would like but she is doing well. Lately she has liked more vegetables and wants to have salads and so on. She is also more willing to try the food. Today this child had a Vegemite and honey sandwich and she ate it all. The other child is being a bit harder to convince to try anything other than a cheese sandwich.
It got me thinking, what is the strangest request you have gotten from your child for food? Was it the combination of putting it all together that made you think YUCK! Or no they will not eat it, but the kid surprised you and now it is a firm favourite.
I for one am glad that one child is expanding her diet and taste for new things. I just hope it will rub off on the other child. I’m sure it will in time. Send in your stories of weird concoctions so that we can get inspired and have a laugh.
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I personally like nice mature cheese with apple on nice crusty bread. YUM!
Since the girls started school, they have been off their food. I have offered all sorts of things for dinner and nothing or the bare minimum gets touched. Sandwiches and lunches are coming back not eaten. This brings me to question: “What are they eating? And who’s lunch are they eating?”, because they are definitely not eating what I am giving them. I do know that I need to have new choices for them, however this is limited by a vegemite and honey sandwich diet and extras are left and never touched. Both girls eat a good breakfast, weetbix. Maybe I need to reduce that so that they eat lunch and dinner.
I feel that the girls are just too busy to eat? So many things to do and see, don’t have time to eat. Is this it? It makes me wonder, when they come home they say they are hungry. So I give them something before I give them dinner, say a yoghurt and then they don’t eat anything after this. Very annoying. I have had screaming temper tantrums telling me that they are hungry and they are not tired and please mummy I don’t need to go to bed!!!!
Before you think I am a big meany poo. I gave them several things to eat and nothing got touched. I thought that they might not be that hungry so left it for ages on the table so the girls could go back and pick at it. I feed them some milk in the hour before bed and they still carry on that they are hungry. I have taken this as a delaying technique and if mummy thinks we are hungry we can stay up. Told them that if they did not eat the sausages, cheese, and beetroot then they are not hungry and it is bed time. Lillian was falling asleep in my arms tonight and also yesterday. There is no way that they are not tired. I suppose Julia and Lillian are trying to convince me otherwise, cheeky monkeys.
Does your child not eat if they are too busy or involved? I suppose that this will sort itself out, when the girls are hungry they will eat. I need inspiration for more lunch box ideas and dinners for the girls. If you have any thoughts, send them my way. We can all share and benefit out of others ideas.
