Categories
Recipes

Matcha Green Tea Frozen Yoghurt

Zen Green Tea sent me some Green Tea Matcha to try.  They had no idea that I just love green tea… actually it is so yummy the smell of the matcha powder made me want green tea ice cream.

However, I am trying to watch what I eat and thought why not create Matcha Green Tea Yoghurt.  A healthy alternative to ice cream.

Yummy Zen Green Tea Matcha
Yummy Zen Green Tea Matcha

Matcha has great health benefits

  • Matcha’s whole-leaf stone-ground powder gives you 100% of the health benefits of green tea: from boosting energy and concentration to fighting cancer. Helping your body fight anything is good in my book.
  • Due to drinking the whole leaf – one cup of matcha delivers 137x the antioxidants of a cup brewed with a green tea bag. How amazing is this and great for you!

Did you know?

“The L-Theanine amino acid in matcha is known for its ability to increase alpha waves in the brain and promote calmness and alert concentration giving matcha users a great “Zen” state.”

 

The ingredients I used to make the Matcha Green Tree Yoghurt.
The ingredients I used to make the Matcha Green Tree Yoghurt.

 

Ingredients

  • 3 cups of yoghurt – I used Jalna creamy honey vanilla yoghurt.
  • 3 tablespoons of Zen Green Tea matcha green tea powder (You can change amounts if you don’t like it being strong)
  • 1 Tablespoon of honey (whatever you have available) Note: you can add more honey if you like it sweeter.
Adding the Matcha Green Tea powder to the mixture.
Adding the Matcha Green Tea powder to the mixture.

Method

  • Put all ingredients in one bowl
  • Mix ingredients together with a stick mixer or put in a blender.
  • If you have mixed in a blender pour into an airtight container and freeze.
  • Freeze for 2 nights and then eat!

To serve: Take out of the freezer and wait a bit for the frozen yoghurt to be soft. Once a bit softer you can use an ice cream scoop to put some in a bowl to eat.

Ready to eat and smells so yummy! This Matcha Green Tea Yoghurt is a great summer afternoon treat.
Ready to eat and smells so yummy! This Matcha Green Tea Yoghurt is a great summer afternoon treat.

Enjoy your yummy Matcha Green Tea Frozen Yoghurt.

One finished bowl of Matcha Green Tea Yoghurt.... or should I say what is left of the yoghurt.
One finished bowl of Matcha Green Tea Yoghurt…. or should I say what is left of the yoghurt.

This super easy and quick dessert is a great treat and also super healthy.

Store it in the freezer and just use it whenever you need it. Its an excellent after dinner dessert. You can add berries, nuts and anything else you would prefer to make it your own.

I hope this has inspired you to make your own frozen yoghurt with Green Tea Matcha Powder.

If you wish to purchase the Zen Green Tea Matcha Powder you can shop online at the Zen Green Tea Website

A HUGE thank you to Zen Green Tea for sending me some samples to try.

Coming soon are things to make with Turmeric Matcha Green Tea Powder, plus more recipes for the Green Tea Matcha Powder.

Sign up for my newsletter

Stay current with all the things that are happening on Mummy to Twins Plus One? Don’t miss a thing by signing up for my newsletter. This newsletter will list all giveaways and fabulous things that are happening.

Categories
News

Happy Year of the Rooster

Gong Xi Fa Cai to everyone!

The YEAR OF THE ROOSTER is going to be wonderful for all! Well I hope so. Don’t you.

What do you do to celebrate Chinese New Year?  I like to celebrate with dumplings either home made or purchased. Maybe if we are lucky we go out to a lovely restaurant for some yummy Chinese food. Whatever you decide to do I hope you have a lovely celebration.

 

Gong Xi Fa Cai to you all! I hope that the year of the Rooster is good for you, it is meant to be an excellent year for me, and I'm keen to get working on some huge plans soon. Happy Chinese New Year!
Gong Xi Fa Cai to you all! I hope that the year of the Rooster is good for you, it is meant to be an excellent year for me, and I’m keen to get working on some huge plans soon. Happy Chinese New Year!

 

Our family loves to celebrate Chinese New Year. I’m an ox, hubby is a monkey, the twins are rats and little Alexander is a sheep/goat.   I’m meant to have an excellent year in the year of the rooster and I hope that this is true.

Do you like to look at the Chinese horoscopes? I do. If you are like me and want to figure out what is going to happen this year check out the links below:

Make yummy San Choy Bau and celebrate Chinese New Year!
Make yummy San Choy Bau and celebrate Chinese New Year!

If you would like kids to get involved and learn more about Chinese New Year I have some great links below: 

  • Education.com has some great free worksheets and kids can make a Year of the Rooster Mask. They also have some colouring in sheets to download
  • Crayola has colouring pages that you can print out or colour online. Colour in the rooster to celebrate the new year.
  • Activity Village in the UK has colouring pages, crafts and so much more available for kids. Download and enjoy.
Making mango custard
Making mango custard

Try your hand at making your own dumplings. I made some the other year and they were so yummy. I’m going to do some more this year with a difference and will post when complete. Check out my detailed post about what I did to create a Chinese feast to celebrate Chinese New Year. Note this is from a previous year so forget the mentions of the old signs.

My homemade colourful dumplings.
My homemade colourful dumplings.

 

Enjoy and have fun. Happy cooking if you do make some of these yummy recipes.

Happy Year of the Rooster from all of us at Mummy to Twins Plus One.

Categories
Recipes

I’m a Steggler for An Easy Dinner

When I left the Kids Business Bloggers Brunch Steggles gave me a chicken for dinner. Yes I left with dinner all taken care of. How amazing is that.

Due to such a big day with a super early start (I was up at 4am) I decided to do the chicken dinner on the Saturday night rather than the Friday night which was the same day as the brunch. The chicken was in a nice cool bag with some cool bricks to ensure that it lasted on my drive  home. Once home I put it straight into the fridge to allow me to use it the next night.

The chicken in the cute cool bag from Steggles.
The chicken in the cute cool bag from Steggles.
The chicken that Steggles gave me.
The chicken that Steggles gave me.

Important: Before any cooking can begin. You need to make sure to heat up the oven. Put your oven on to 180ºC.

Part 1 – Cut up the chicken

I have cut up cooked chickens before and it has all been good and worked well. I thought it would be similar. It was not really hard but I did not have a smooth run at it. I must say part of the way in cutting up my chicken I thought I have no idea what I am doing and need some help. At this point I was nearly done so just continued and considering I did a pretty good job. I had the drumsticks, wings and other parts all ready to swim in the marinade mix.

If you would like to learn how to properly section a whole chicken this video below from the New York Times is an excellent resource.

The lovely people at Steggles even included a recipe card. However due to not having some appliances to make the job easy and also being a tired mamma I opted for the easy solution. A bottled marinade by Nandos and some soy sauce was added to flavour the chicken.

Part 2 – Marinate the chicken

The marinade that I used. Plus I added some soy sauce.
The marinade that I used. Plus I added some soy sauce.
The cut up Steggles chicken in the marinade.
The cut up Steggles chicken in the marinade.

The chicken got put in a dish that is oven proof and then the marinade got added. I made sure to mix the marinade over all the chicken and then covered the dish to put in the fridge so it had some time for the flavours to infuse. I left the chicken in the fridge for about 2 hours.

Part 3 – The vegetables to go with the roast chicken

I cut up the following:

  • Potatoes
  • Carrots
  • Pumpkin

Once I had an adequate supply for four people (noting that hubby and I were mainly going to be eating the vegetables) I boiled them for a bit so that it did not take too long to bake in the oven.

The vegetables boiling away. This way they don't take too long in the oven.
The vegetables boiling away. This way they don’t take too long in the oven.

Part 4 – Put chicken in the oven & add the vegetables

The oven should be very ready and hot to now cook this very yummy looking chicken. Put the chicken on the top part of the oven and let it cook for about 10-15mins. After about 15mins check on it and if need be turn over all bits of chicken. Mix the chicken around in the marinade and anything else you have added to the mixture. How about some onions or what about some mushrooms.

It is about now that I put the vegetables in the oven to cook also. I added them to the bottom tray to start of with. Once the chicken was done the vegetables got moved to the top of the oven and continued to get crispy and yummy.

I added some olive oil spread to the dish with the vegetables and a little bit of salt for taste.

The baked vegetables after they came out of the oven.
The baked vegetables after they came out of the oven.

Leave the chicken for another about 15mins and then check again. Make sure all parts are cooked all the way through. If not cooked all the way through turn over and put back to carry on cooking.

I noticed that the chicken cooked before the vegetables were done. However the vegetables did not require that much extra time. To make sure the vegetables were cooked I removed the chicken and put tin foil over the top to keep the meat hot and tender. It then allowed the vegetables to cook and to not spoil the meat.

The Steggles chicken all cooked and ready to be served up for dinner. YUM!
The Steggles chicken all cooked and ready to be served up for dinner. YUM!

Part 5 – Ready to eat

The twins had the same meal we did. The chicken was a hit. Pity the kids were not fans of the vegetables.
The twins had the same meal we did. The chicken was a hit. Pity the kids were not fans of the vegetables.
Our baked chicken dinner thanks to Steggles. It was very yummy and an easy dinner to make.
Our baked chicken dinner thanks to Steggles. It was very yummy and an easy dinner to make.

#StegglerFor

#FamilyRoast

Do you love Steggles chicken as much as we do? Share your best ideas for your roasts or dinner inspirations. I do love a roast dinner that the family all sits down to. It is also getting cooler so a roast dinner is a great idea.

Maybe this has inspired you to give a roast a go. If so, let us know how it went.

Would you like some recipes to give you a few ideas and inspiration? Well Steggles have that covered also. Steggles have a whole recipe section that covers not just roasts, they have turkey, mince, and much more.

Did you know that Steggles is canteen approved for school lunches, I did not know either.

You can download the Steggles eBook of recipes for school lunches and give them a go. I think I will do this as it will give me more variety for the twins school lunches.

Thanks so much to Steggles for our baked chicken dinner. With this post I’m entering a competition to win a Steggles prize pack. Wish me luck.

Categories
Recipes Uncategorised

I’m a Steggler for An Easy Dinner

When I left the Kids Business Bloggers Brunch Steggles gave me a chicken for dinner. Yes I left with dinner all taken care of. How amazing is that.

Due to such a big day with a super early start (I was up at 4am) I decided to do the chicken dinner on the Saturday night rather than the Friday night which was the same day as the brunch. The chicken was in a nice cool bag with some cool bricks to ensure that it lasted on my drive  home. Once home I put it straight into the fridge to allow me to use it the next night.

The chicken in the cute cool bag from Steggles.
The chicken in the cute cool bag from Steggles.
The chicken that Steggles gave me.
The chicken that Steggles gave me.

Important: Before any cooking can begin. You need to make sure to heat up the oven. Put your oven on to 180ºC.

Part 1 – Cut up the chicken

I have cut up cooked chickens before and it has all been good and worked well. I thought it would be similar. It was not really hard but I did not have a smooth run at it. I must say part of the way in cutting up my chicken I thought I have no idea what I am doing and need some help. At this point I was nearly done so just continued and considering I did a pretty good job. I had the drumsticks, wings and other parts all ready to swim in the marinade mix.

If you would like to learn how to properly section a whole chicken this video below from the New York Times is an excellent resource.

The lovely people at Steggles even included a recipe card. However due to not having some appliances to make the job easy and also being a tired mamma I opted for the easy solution. A bottled marinade by Nandos and some soy sauce was added to flavour the chicken.

Part 2 – Marinate the chicken

The marinade that I used. Plus I added some soy sauce.
The marinade that I used. Plus I added some soy sauce.
The cut up Steggles chicken in the marinade.
The cut up Steggles chicken in the marinade.

The chicken got put in a dish that is oven proof and then the marinade got added. I made sure to mix the marinade over all the chicken and then covered the dish to put in the fridge so it had some time for the flavours to infuse. I left the chicken in the fridge for about 2 hours.

Part 3 – The vegetables to go with the roast chicken

I cut up the following:

  • Potatoes
  • Carrots
  • Pumpkin

Once I had an adequate supply for four people (noting that hubby and I were mainly going to be eating the vegetables) I boiled them for a bit so that it did not take too long to bake in the oven.

The vegetables boiling away. This way they don't take too long in the oven.
The vegetables boiling away. This way they don’t take too long in the oven.

Part 4 – Put chicken in the oven & add the vegetables

The oven should be very ready and hot to now cook this very yummy looking chicken. Put the chicken on the top part of the oven and let it cook for about 10-15mins. After about 15mins check on it and if need be turn over all bits of chicken. Mix the chicken around in the marinade and anything else you have added to the mixture. How about some onions or what about some mushrooms.

It is about now that I put the vegetables in the oven to cook also. I added them to the bottom tray to start of with. Once the chicken was done the vegetables got moved to the top of the oven and continued to get crispy and yummy.

I added some olive oil spread to the dish with the vegetables and a little bit of salt for taste.

The baked vegetables after they came out of the oven.
The baked vegetables after they came out of the oven.

Leave the chicken for another about 15mins and then check again. Make sure all parts are cooked all the way through. If not cooked all the way through turn over and put back to carry on cooking.

I noticed that the chicken cooked before the vegetables were done. However the vegetables did not require that much extra time. To make sure the vegetables were cooked I removed the chicken and put tin foil over the top to keep the meat hot and tender. It then allowed the vegetables to cook and to not spoil the meat.

The Steggles chicken all cooked and ready to be served up for dinner. YUM!
The Steggles chicken all cooked and ready to be served up for dinner. YUM!

Part 5 – Ready to eat

The twins had the same meal we did. The chicken was a hit. Pity the kids were not fans of the vegetables.
The twins had the same meal we did. The chicken was a hit. Pity the kids were not fans of the vegetables.
Our baked chicken dinner thanks to Steggles. It was very yummy and an easy dinner to make.
Our baked chicken dinner thanks to Steggles. It was very yummy and an easy dinner to make.

#StegglerFor

#FamilyRoast

Do you love Steggles chicken as much as we do? Share your best ideas for your roasts or dinner inspirations. I do love a roast dinner that the family all sits down to. It is also getting cooler so a roast dinner is a great idea.

Maybe this has inspired you to give a roast a go. If so, let us know how it went.

Would you like some recipes to give you a few ideas and inspiration? Well Steggles have that covered also. Steggles have a whole recipe section that covers not just roasts, they have turkey, mince, and much more.

Did you know that Steggles is canteen approved for school lunches, I did not know either.

You can download the Steggles eBook of recipes for school lunches and give them a go. I think I will do this as it will give me more variety for the twins school lunches.

Thanks so much to Steggles for our baked chicken dinner. With this post I’m entering a competition to win a Steggles prize pack. Wish me luck.

Categories
Recipes

Easter Baking With IGA

IGA sent me a bag of goodies to say Happy Easter. It was a lovely bag that I can reuse and it was filled with baked goods to make a special treat.

Choc Cornflake Slice to be precise! I have never made this before but thought since it is Easter and due to relatives coming for lunch tomorrow a treat is in order.

 

Now how did I make this amazing slice for the Easter Long Weekend?

Well, it is was super simple and it did not take long at all. The only thing that was hard was waiting for the slice to cool down.

Ingredients

  • 275g milk chocolate, chopped
  • 75g copha
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1⁄4 cup sugar
  • 80g unsalted butter
  • 3 cups of cornflakes
  • 1⁄2 cup shredded coconut
  • 1⁄4 cup dried cranberries
  • 35g milk chocolate, extra
  • 15g copha, extra

 

The chocolate and Copha ready to melt for the base of the slice
The chocolate and Copha ready to melt for the base of the slice

 

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 150C. Line the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Melt the chocolate and copha in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of boiling water, stirring regularly. Remove from heat and pour over the base of the tin. Set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt together the honey, sugar and butter, stirring until sugar has dissolved.
  4. Place the cornflakes in a bowl with the coconut and cranberries and pour over the honey mixture.
  5. Spoon the cornflake mixture over the chocolate base. Bake for 10 minutes, remove and cool slightly before refrigerating until firm.
  6. Melt the remaining chocolate and copha together. Drizzle over the slice then cool fully before slicing into squares.
  7. Cool in the fridge for 45 mins. Once set you can slice it up to eat!  (I have left it out a bit to cool down before putting the tray in the fridge)
The copha and chocolate melted and spread on bottom of pan for the base of the slice.
The copha and chocolate melted and spread on bottom of the pan for the base of the slice.

 

TIP: If you don’t like cranberries, try a different fruit. You can also try white chocolate or dark. Why not add some nuts or other tasty things as well. Make it unique to your families likes.

 

 

The recipe card from IGA for Choc Cornflake Slice
The recipe card from IGA for Choc Cornflake Slice

Did you know that IGA has a great site full of tasty and easy to make recipes? It is a brilliant resource for a busy parent. Check it out and be inspired.

Sign up for my newsletter

Stay current with all the things that are happening on Mummy to Twins Plus One? Don’t miss a thing by signing up for my newsletter. This newsletter will list all giveaways and fabulous things that are happening.

 

Categories
Recipes

Make Stuffed Capsicums

Do you need a healthy idea for dinner or a side dish? This recipe can either be a main or a little something extra.

As you know I am undertaking the 12 week program from Body Beyond Birth, and wanted to try some of their tasty looking recipes.

I decided to make the following, Rice & Bean Stuffed Capsicums

Stuffed Capsicums ready to go into the oven.
Stuffed Capsicums ready to go into the oven.

 

NOTE: Just so you know I realised after purchasing all the ingredients that the online recipe can be altered for the number of people who you would be cooking for. I only used 2 capsicums cut in half to not make too much for an individual meal. However I did end up with a lot left over and that went in the fridge for the next night’s dinner.

The following ingredients are for 4 people. If you need to change this. Click on the number and change it with the up or down arrow on the link above for the recipe.

Making the stuffing: Cooking the beans, rice, and with all the other ingredients.
Making the stuffing: Cooking the beans, rice, and with all the other ingredients.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cup cooked brown rice
  • 1 1/2 small zucchini diced
  • 3/4 small red onion diced
  • 4 red capsicums
  • 1 cup kidney beans drained & rinsed
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons of heaped fresh coriander finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • Salt & pepper
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil + splash for cooking

 

I substituted the following: Instead of coriander I used parsley, due to hubby hating it. Instead of purchasing pine nuts I used almonds due to having them already. I added some parmesan cheese to the top of the capsicum so that it would add to the flavour and give a nice consistency.

I used almonds instead of pine nuts. I already had almonds at home and thought it would be cheaper to use what I already had.
I used almonds instead of pine nuts. I already had almonds at home and thought it would be cheaper to use what I already had.

Jackie from Body Beyond Birth told me that you need to pick food choices that work for you. If you don’t make things from scratch all the time it will be hard to keep up. Eat well and incorporate it into your every day life.  Make it easy for you.

Instructions

  1. I put my oven on to 180 degrees as my oven is gas is old and funny. The instructions on the recipe say 150 for an electric oven. Make sure to your line your baking tray.
  2. I halved and cleaned out my capsicum pieces. I like to make sure that they are ready.
  3. Cook brown rice, drain, pour back into pot & cover off heat for 10 minutes.
  4. Cook zucchini & onion in a fry pan with a splash of olive oil on medium-high heat for a few minutes
  5. Once softened & starting to brown, take off heat & set aside.
  6. Combine all ingredients together except capsicums.
  7. Spoon mixture into capsicums.
  8. I added parmesan cheese and left off the olive oil drizzle in the recipe.
  9. Bake for 30-40 minutes until soft & cooked through
  10. Serve immediately
The capsicums ready to be stuffed.
The capsicums ready to be stuffed.

 

I know I added some things to this dish and it was not exactly as listed. It tasted amazing and the addition of the lemon rind made it have an extra burst of flavour. Having the almonds made it have a nice texture and it was a great addition to a fabulous and easy dish.

Making it a main meal option

If you would like to make this as a main meal you can.

You can add mince or meat if you are not vegetarian. One good tip is to make sure that the capsicum pieces are a little bigger if it is a main meal, or have a few more if smaller.

You can play with what you add to the stuffing for the capsicums, and have different fillings for different menus. You could have a totally vegetarian dish and then switch it up by maybe adding some cheese in the stuffing mixture, or say shredded chicken and other root vegetables. The choices are endless and you can be as creative as you like.

Rice & Bean Stuffed Capsicums ready to eat. Yum. Just right for a side dish or for a main meal.
Rice & Bean Stuffed Capsicums ready to eat. Yum. Just right for a side dish or for a main meal.

 

I hope this helps with some dinner ideas or maybe for lunch? You can have it for both. This is super easy dish and helps to make sure that you are getting more vetables in your diet. Well I suppose it depends on what you put in the stuffing.

Happy cooking!

 

Categories
Exercise

Fitting Exercise Into Your Day

The last few days I have been a bit lax, yes I started with great intentions to do my stretches but things got out of hand.

Headache,

Kids not getting ready for school,

Headache,

And then helping at school for home reading.

I love helping at the school but it does mean that when I come home, that my wishful early start to the day was not to be.

I know I should get with it, and get up early. I am planning this for next week, so that I can focus on me and have my time without any interruption. Once I have done my exercises I feel great. The stretches from Body Beyond Birth really do make a massive difference to my mood and how my body feels.

Did I mention the headache?….Well I have had one for a few days now, and I find that when I get to that time of month or before, I get bad headaches. Do you suffer from this as well?

I like to get out in the fresh air and to change my environment. A bit of exercise somewhere different can make all the difference. Having kids stay over at relatives for the whole weekend can have the same calming and happy effect. Pity that the latter is not happening although I have been wishing and praying.

I was on a roll and was doing my stretches and exercises online. I charged the iPad and have done them in the garden, the bedroom and the living room. Sounds kinky but it is just me with the iPad doing my exercises. Yes boring but they make me feel amazing and so tall!

I just love this stretch. What is your favourite stretch or exercise to do?
I just love this stretch. What is your favourite stretch or exercise to do?

Having an exercise program that is portable is great for me and other busy people. I would never have been able to do my stretches in my garden if this was not so.

After I have done my walks (on both days I have done well over 10,000 steps thanks to my FitBit for this info) I did some of the meditation videos that are on the Body Beyond Birth’s program. This allowed me to relax, refocus and just be. It helped me feel better.

Do you find that meditation is helpful? I do! It really helps me and makes a massive difference. I feel lighter and just calmer. Very helpful as a parent to two energetic kids or anyone that is feeling stressed or tense.

I will do my stretches tomorrow before I leave the house and have the option to pick a yoga work out or maybe another meditation video.

Feeling relaxed with meditation.
Feeling relaxed with meditation.

Due to hubby and the kids wanting to go to the pancake place for breakfast I might need more than stretches tomorrow. I might have one, yes just one…. I promise!

After they have had their fill with pancakes, I’m off to the shops to get ingredients for some of the yummy recipes that Becky and Jackie have on the site. Once sampled I will showcase them on the blog.

How are you going trying to fit in your exercise into your day? Do you get up early to make sure you don’t miss out? Or do you love doing it in the afternoon? Let us know what is working for you? Send in your comments.

Read Becky’s post about how she fits in exercise into a busy day

Even Jerry Seinfeld loves doing meditation – He does it twice for 20mins a day.

Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

 

Categories
Recipes

San Choy Bau

This was to celebrate Chinese New Year but can be made at any time.

This is a fast and quick recipe to make, it is also healthy and also very yummy.

sangchoybau_web

Ingredients

  • 500 grams of chicken/pork/beef/turkey  (It does not matter what type of mince you choose it is up to you and what you like)
  • I brown onion
  • 2 Spanish onions
  • 3 large mushrooms
  • A cup full of bok choy
  • Half a cup of diced cucumber
  • 2 grated carrots
  • Soy Sauce
  • A teaspoon of garlic paste
  • A couple of squirts of lime juice

You can add what ever vegetables that you would like. Bean shoots, oyster sauce, water chestnuts, and chilli flakes.  I did not add these as I made it for the kids. I’m going to add the chilli for my meal.

Even though it was missing the other sauces and chilli, it was very tasty and moreish.

Chopped veggies ready to be cooked
Chopped veggies ready to be cooked

Method

  • Chop up all the vegetables
  • Wash the lettuce so that you can get some nice lettuce cups
  • Cook the mince and then add the vegetables to the pan.
  • Serve the mixture into a lettuce cup and eat!

 

The finished product, ready to eat! San Choy Bau.
The finished product, ready to eat! San Choy Bau.

I have not mastered getting enough lettuce bowls out of a head of lettuce. This is a skill that I need to learn. Do you know a trick to ensure you get more than 3 or 4?  Are yours a perfect size and shape. Mine looked a little straggly but tasted wonderful!