the fifo wife

Its Support Sunday. We all need a little help along the way so today is Juggle..a parenting and support consultancy line available via skype and phone for busy mums and dad’s. Abi Gold is the founder and this is what she had to say about Juggle.

We all know that juggling kids and everything else that goes with running a household and living life, can be … well, let’s just say it’s challenging!  So, Abi Gold set up Juggle so that mums and dads have a shoulder to cry on and someone to tell them that they’re doing a fab job.  It’s not like your kids are going to tell you that, is it?  Juggle came about, in part, in response to recent research and the House of Reps report on the FIFO lifestyle, and it’s impact on mental health.  Juggle offers workers and their families the support they need, when they need it, and can make the FIFO lifestyle more manageable for everyone. Its easy you call make an appointment and then she calls you and you dont even need to leave the house. Just turn the TV on for the kids,make a coffee and get ready for someone to lend an ear.

Head here for her face book page and here for her web site for details on pricing and contact details. Thanks Abi. xxDeb

My husband brought me a new recipe book this swing home- Afternoon teas. Its a Woman Weekly book and this recipe is an adaptation of an Apple and Cinnamon tea loaf that I found. I have played with it a little and changed it a wee bit including the tin- I didn’t have a small enough loaf tin so changed out for the standard 20 cm tin. Its so easy and perfectly fluffy. Cooking time may vary a little.

Apple Cinnamon Tea Cake.

What you will need: 

90g butter softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup castor sugar

1 egg

1 1/3 self raising flour

1/2 cup milk

1 medium apple cored and sliced thinly

15g butter melted

1 tbs white sugar (ordinary granulated)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp honey

1/4 tsp ground ginger

How to:

Pre heat oven 180’C. Grease 20 cm tin.

Beat softened butter, vanilla and caster sugar in small bowl until light and fluffy.

Add egg and honey beat until combined. Stir in sifted flour, ginger and milk in two batches.

Pour mixture into pan, top with apple, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with white sugar and cinnamon.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until when skewered skewer comes out clean. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and cinnamon.

Stand for 5 minutes and serve warm with whipped cream.

Yum.

xx Deb

I had an amazing weekend full of good stuff. It was busy, busy and then my husband surprised me Saturday night with a date into the city for dinner and a movie. We watched the Hangover three I laughed and laughed but I can’t work out whether I laughed because it was funny or because it was just a wee bit wrong in places- I’m not sure.  Either way it was an amazing evening and I’m grateful for the thoughtfulness of my husband, that and we had a sitter all night and I got to wear my new vintage skirt and sparkly shoes. That sitter meant this month I have had four nights where I have slept seven hours straight; I wonder if being able to count the number of sleep filled nights is plain sad or funny.

Anyway here are my few things this LAST week of May.

1. We were given an old VHS video player. My kids are amazed with it. Even more so that it makes that sound to get the movie back to the beginning. It’s also teaching them patience..I never remembered it taking that long to rewind a tape.
2. Having an old VHS meant we were able to watch some old home movies of my husband’s deployment overseas these included the video diaries I took for him for the care packages I made. Oh my goodness we were so young, so young my kids didn’t recognise us that left me feeling a little old however on the plus side daddy is now even cooler because he can shoot that big gun and was like a real super hero taking care of the baddies.
3. Over the weekend a friend of mine attacked me for a statement I made about the horrible death and murder of British Sergeant Rigby. I don’t want to start a political or religious debate and please don’t comment or email derogatory views it’s not needed and seriously I don’t care. But whilst these people didn’t create the war they intended they certainly won all the same because my friend is not the same man I knew. They got what they wanted at least in one man and I’m devastated by that fact alone.
4. Someone in my community asked if I was the writer of a FIFO wife for the first time I said why yes I am without hesitation.  As small group we are we are creating a wonderful supportive community and I’m so proud of that.  Thank you ladies and gentlemen; thank you. As they say women and men support each other girls and boys compete with each other and its true and while we are at it: only surround yourself with people that will lift you higher.
5. My little eight year old boy made us dinner for the first time. Spaghetti Bolognese. It was a very silent meal from me as I ponder the fact I may have just got this parenting gig right.Proud yes I am.
6. I’m still trying to work out of if Versace collection of dresses for men are the real deal. You can have a look here what I do know is that all those men look far to thin good to see that the fashion world has the diplomacy to screw everybody’s self image up not just women’s.
7. I do however like how H&M a department store recently used a “plus size’ model and didn’t make a big deal of it. Probably because there was no deal to make…she is the real deal.
8. There is a anti wrinkle product on the market that has come to my attention…a pillow infused with copper read more about it here. If that fails sleep on your back and use a satin pillow slips or so they tell me.
9. Here is something that has surprised me…a country with No Mc Donald’s in fact they had eight but due to bad profits they closed…all I can say is wow that in its self make ms smile.
10. My newest find of online magazine is Confetti…pop on over and have a look. Seriously the best things in life are free.

So my sweets have yourself a fantastic day,

xxDeb

I  had the wonderful opportunity to team up with Kristin from Mamacino this week who has created the most wonderful little quiche recipe for me and for you.

If you don’t already read her blog please head on over because she really creates the most wonderful recipes and tells her cooking stories in a way that will have you whipping up her delights in no time.

Easy Pea and Ricotta Mini Quiches

By Kristin from Mamacino

I have to admit, that I no longer spend hours coming up with new and inventive meals for my children to eat.  With three hungry tummies to feed, come five o’clock, I choose meals that are simple, quick to prepare, favour seasonal produce and that are nutritious.  Most importantly, I choose food I know my kids will love which takes a lot of the stress out of dinner time.

I try to have a steady store of staples in my fridge and pantry that I can depend on to be transformed into something delicious quickly.  Eggs, beans, pasta, tuna and greens from the garden provide the opportunity for lots of easy kids dinners…and if that fails, I rely on the three P’s.

The three P’s represent magical ways to get kids to eat anything and they stand for pastry, parmesan and poke-a-stick-in-it.

Got some leftover bolognaise or vegetable stew?  Defrost some pastry and make pasties!  Add a dollop of butter and a good sprinkle of parmesan to soups, baked beans, mashed vegetables or plain pasta to make it instantly kid-friendly.  Stick a tooth pick in mini meatballs or thread chicken tenders on to skewers and food is fun all of a sudden.

I often make these mini quiches for my kids and they love them.  They are so versatile; you can really use whatever you have in the fridge.  They work well in lunch boxes and can be frozen for up to a month.  Serve them on their own or with soup or salad.

Easy Pea and Ricotta Mini Quiches

Ingredients:

3 sheets of frozen short crust pastry (puff pastry works well too)

4-5 eggs, depending on size

100g (a good handful) of fresh ricotta

½ cup of frozen peas

Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

What to do:

Set oven to 180C.  Lightly grease a 12 hole muffin tin.

Use a glass or a cookie cutter of about 10cm diameter to cut four circles from each sheet of pastry.  Place pastry rounds into each hole of the muffin tin and press them in gently.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, ricotta, peas and a little sea salt and pepper.

Spoon the egg mixture into the muffin cases so each cup is about ¾ full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and puffed up.

Some more ideas:

Dairy free: Don’t use the pastry, leave out the ricotta and add extra vegetables like mushrooms, chopped tomatoes and herbs to your mixture to make mini frittata instead.

Mediterranean: Try sundried tomato, basil and fetta for a nice change.

Cooked Chook: Leftover roast chicken chopped up and added with a spoonful of pesto and a sprinkle of parmesan is delicious.

Gluten Free: Forget the pastry and add some cooked quinoa or rice to make your frittata more filling.

 

 

Still on my high of being parent of the year yesterday I whipped up these this morning for a treat this afternoon. I am not a fan of chocolate crackles so these are a nice alternative and so easy. You could make with any sort of chocolate bar I would imagine and could add little marshmellows or chopped turkish delight..

Mars Bar Crackles

What you will need: 

4 x 60g Mars Bars, chopped
100g unsalted butter, chopped
3 cups Rice Bubbles
2o0g melted chocolate for drizzling on the top (optional)

How to: 

1. In a medium saucepan, stir Mars Bars and butter together over a low heat for 4-5 minutes until melted.
2. Place Rice Bubbles in large bowl. Blend in chocolate mixture until combined. Spoon into cup cakes mouldsor press firmly into a greased pan prepared pan. Chill until firm.
3. If you want to drizzle some chocolate all fancy like melt your 200g of chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler with and drizzle.