Avocado, coconut cream and cucumber goodness!

You know how sometimes you stumble across a recipe and love it so much that you automatically make it over and over until you know it off by heart and then it becomes one of your go-to dishes?  You very nearly run the risk of overdosing yourself and your family on it. Well this is one such recipe but to date, none of us are sick of it.  My Mum found this delicious chilled soup in a recent issue of NZ House & Garden magazine which is always an inspirational read.  It is very, very simple so go ahead and give it a try. In fact why not encourage your children to make it?

What’s your go-to recipe at the moment?

Until next time…

Bhavana’s outdoor setting

Recently I had the absolute pleasure of visiting Bhavana Organic Farm & Cooking School.  Nestled in the hinterland of the Byron Shire in northern NSW, it is so much more than just a cooking school.  The place kind of hugs you when you arrive and provides a day of inspiration, inclusion and love.  I know that sounds corny but it is so very true.  The owners gently show people how to foster a simple and authentic understanding of food and its significance to wellbeing and health. As they say, “Whole foods provide not only our living energy, but are the healing source for so many facets of our life. We believe there is a natural pharmacy in every nurtured garden, and a little knowledge and willingness to learn, provide the ingredients for creating physical health, emotional wellbeing and longevity of life.”  Their vegetable patch is stuffed to overflowing with stunning seasonal produce and their Mt Isa hens are much more than just chooks ~ they are happy, cheeky creatures who rule the joint.  The setting alone is enough to make you feel restored and meditative.  It is a special place.

Byron Shire NSW

During the day  we learned how to prepare some dishes that were not only delicious but genuinely good for you, particularly your gut. The chef, who I like to call “Official Head of Inspiration”, Jo Rushton is a delight and I can’t wait for the Bhavana cookbook which is sure to come.

I really encourage you to check out their website, but meantime I thought I’d share one of Jo’s salads. Its main ingredient is flat-leaf parsley. Whilst very simple, it packs a punch as it is full of antioxidants, a natural diuretic, assists with digestion and is also said to have antibacterial properties.  Personally I’ve always loved the stuff and add it to almost everything.  Jo’s salad relies on nothing more than parsley (6 cups chopped), capers (3tbs), shallots (8 thinly sliced), lemon juice (4tbs) and olive oil (6tbs).  I haven’t been able to resist adding a few more things but I also love the simplicity of Jo’s version.

Here are some more images from the day.

Roasted beef marrow. Not the best looking but I love them.

Here chook, chook, chook!

Chemical-free, organic cabbage as big as my head

Borage

What’s your favourite salad?  Wanna share?

Until next time…

This is not a sponsored post.

A memory waiting to happen

Food is such a great memory-maker, don’t you think? Whether it’s the first time you crunch into a freshly-picked apple from your Grandma’s orchard, eat vegemite toast with the butter running down your fingers, grill prawns on a BBQ on a late summer’s day, bake a cake from scratch with your toddler (or grandchild) or prepare something on a grand scale for a gathering with friends ~ all have the ability to create memories of times well spent. Indeed, some of my fondest life memories revolve around meals I’ve shared with my family, both immediate and extended.

A Granny from a Granny

More importantly to me though is the conviviality and connection it affords. With the rush and busyness of everyday life, spending a good slab of time with my team at least once a day is something I treasure. Do this over a meal and that connection somehow amplifies itself. And this is especially so if each family member is involved in the preparation of the meal. I call it Team Chez Union in my home. Everyone has a role. My daughter is the baker; I am the cook. My son is the collector of condiments and the official setter of the table ~ he has become expert at folding serviettes into silly shapes. My husband has the not so great job of cleaning up but the dogs help him by eagerly hoovering up any crumbs that might fall to the floor. The cat? Well he just sits and eyes us all suspiciously. Strange creature.

BBQ prawns with soba noodles and Asian herbs

I made the decision a long time ago that dinner would be the one meal that we would always share. When my children were little, this was somewhat problematic, as their Dad often didn’t arrive home until after 7pm by which time they were hungry enough to seriously consider eating the dogs’ biscuits. But it was important to me, so after a few (human) snacks and a little time watching TV, they were happy to wait. The upside of this is that their father adores the greeting he receives when he walks through the door. I still don’t have the heart to tell him it’s because his children are hungry enough to eat a horse. Now that they are teens and the waiting is a little less unbearable, they too relish Team Chez Union.

Grace’s Summer Pavlova

The team at Bupa knows that family matters and that we are stronger when we make time to nourish our family relationships and support each other. For ideas and tips on how you can keep your family team tight, head over to find out more about Bupa’s Team Family initiative.

How do you stay connected to your family?  What’s your go-to activity and do you think it’s important?

Until next time…

For more ideas and tips on finding wonder in the everyday consider buying my new book.  You can purchase it via the link in my sidebar above, or at all good bookstores and online and as an e-book. For interview opportunities please contact Jackie Evans on 0407 776 222 or jep.pub@bigpond.net.au

Caro and Co

This post is brought to you in partnership with Caro & Co and Bupa.

Mentha spicata

Mint is one of my favourite herbs. It is super easy to grow, smells beautiful, has a multitude of uses and it’s also good for you…

Here’s my go to list of fun (and delicious) things you and your kids can do with mint:

Dip it in chocolate. Pick a handful or so of large mint leaves, wash well and gently dry with some paper towel. Melt some quality chocolate in a small saucepan and using tongs, have your children dip the mint leaves one at a time into the chocolate until lightly coated. Place them on some baking paper and pop into the fridge until the chocolate has reset. Eat.  You will find they are totally irresistible.

Make some mint tea. Simply pluck a few leaves from the plant, crush them ever so slightly and steep in boiling water for a few minutes until infused. Add a little honey and a squeeze of lemon juice for a deliciously tangy and refreshing drink. It can be drunk hot or cold. You could add a few pieces of sliced strawberry if you wished. The added bonus is that mint is great for your digestion. It can help alleviate indigestion, bloating and gas; assist with effective digestion; calm a tummy and it freshens your breath.

Tussie Mussie or edible posy

Make a Tussie Mussie. These simple herbal, edible posies are a delight to make and give as gifts to teachers, grandparents or other special people in your child’s life. My daughter and I made a quick tutorial video on how to assemble tussie mussie’s, which you can watch here.

Make some herb sugar. This delightful concoction will last for months in a cool pantry. It can be used to sprinkle over desserts (especially tasty over fruit salad), rim a glass of cordial or a cocktail and is also a quirky addition when sprinkled over salads. Have your children put 2-3 tablespoons or raw sugar and a large handful of mint into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Will make about a jar’s worth. Et voila! Herb sugar. You can also use other herbs such as coriander, lemon verbena, culinary lavender and basil, to name but a few.

Shred some mint over some boiled baby potatoes, carrots and zucchini, add a good knob of butter some salt and pepper and mash the lot slightly. I’ve never known a kid not to devour this simple goodness.

Make your own mint sauce. Kids under 6 will need help with this. Kids 6+ can have a go by themselves.

They will need:

• 1 cup of finely chopped mint
• 2-3 tsp of raw sugar
• 1/2 cup of water
• 3/4 cup white wine vinegar

Place all the ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to the boil.  Reduce heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes.  Take off the heat, let cool and pour into a sterilised glass jar.  This will keep in the fridge for months.

Let the kids have a go at Caro’s Goddess Sauce… It is likely to become a staple in your cooking armoury.

Watermelon, halloumi and mint salad

Try this refreshing and delicious watermelon, mint and halloumi salad. Kids 6+ can have a go at making this by themselves.  Simply cut up seedless watermelon into bite sized chunks and arrange on a plate, top with some thinly sliced red onion, some pan-fried halloumi cheese and sprinkle with mint leaves.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and a crack of black pepper.  Delicious!

Make a rainbow salad. You’ll need capsicum, radish, rocket or lettuce, a good handful of mint, carrot, a sprinkle of borage and nasturtium flowers, some raw beetroot and a few grape tomatoes. Chop or grate the veggies and put into a salad bowl. Sprinkle with the mint and the edible flowers. Make a simple dressing and serve. Such a happy, visual feast for children.

Grow some. Mint is the easiest of plants to grow. It prefers a moist, shady spot. Planted in your garden, it will attract beneficial insects such as bees and butterflies but repel the nasties such as fleas, whitefly and common houseflies. Be warned though, it will completely take over so it’s always best to grow it in pots. Be adventurous and try growing some chocolate mint, pineapple mint or apple mint.

A little bit of botanical information for you. Mint or Mentha is a genus of plants from the LAMIACEAE family. Last time I looked there were about 15 identified species of mint, most of which are edible. Pennyroyal also belongs to this genus and repels fleas, but beware as it is also toxic to dogs. The most common mint is Mentha spicata or Spear Mint. It’s the one you’ll often find in gardens or for sale at your local greengrocer.

Which is your favourite herb and why?

Until next time…

For more tips, advice and ideas on how to find wonder in all you do, look out for my book “Caro & Co ~ Helping Kids find Wonder in the Everyday”, published by Sally Milner Publishing. You can preorder via the link in my sidebar above or it’s available from 01 December at all good bookstores and online. For interview opportunities please contact Jackie Evans on 0407 776 222 or jep.pub@bigpond.net.au

Cherry Blossoms

Go for a walk around your suburb and look for the multitude of spring blossoms likely to be on offer. Collect as many as you can and use them to make some potpourri (after you’ve dried them out), a sweet little bed for the fairies in your garden or a dainty arrangement for a vase.

Rainbow Lorikeets are active during spring

I’ve never known a child who isn’t fascinated by rainbows. From a very young age they are likely to know its colours and when spotted will most likely want to set off to try and catch it. If there are no real rainbows on offer, why not help them make this delicious rainbow sandwich and then head outdoors in search of the real deal or spend the afternoon drawing some.  You’ll also find Rainbow Lorikeets are very active during spring so you could go looking for them too.

For one sandwich, you will need:

Lovely image found at 1K Smiles

It can be windy in spring. Why not make or buy a small kite and head to the park?  Because everyone loves to go fly a kite don’t they?

Vampira

October 31 means Halloween. Love it or hate it, it’s my view that it is a great way to create community. So don a simple costume and wander the streets with your kids.

Plant seeds now and this is what you’ll have come summer

Get stuck into the garden! There will be pruning and planting to do and it’s definitely time to dig out any Bindii so your summer is prickle-free. This is a great activity for young kids. All they need is kitchen fork and plastic bag. My daughter adored doing this when she was young as she was keen to ensure a weed free lawn. Now is also the perfect time for children to plant potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes and zucchini (just make sure you’ve had the last of any frosts).

What’s your favourite thing to do during spring?

Until next time…

For more recipes, tips, advice and ideas on how to find wonder in all you do, look out for my book “Caro & Co ~ Helping Kids find Wonder in the Everyday”, published by Sally Milner Publishing. Available from 01 December at all good bookstores and online. For interview opportunities please contact Jackie Evans on 0407 776 222 or jep.pub@bigpond.net.au

Pumpkin, Spinach and Goats Cheese Frittata

Last week I ordered English spinach as a part of my weekly online shop.  I recognise that there is nothing at all interesting about that.  However, I thought I’d ordered 400g.  Instead I ended up with 4 kilograms.  Let me give you the tip, despite spinach reducing tenfold when cooked, that’s a lot of spinach.  It was delivered in a large kitchen garbage bag.  I’m sure it went a long way to confirming my husband’s suspicion that, whilst I might be a good cook, I am quite daft. Secretly I fear he might be right ~ that or I need new glasses.

Butternut pumpkin with a sprinkle of thyme leaves

I’ve tried to be fairly creative in attempting to use it up.  Spinach soup, spinach dip, pasta with the green stuff, chicken fillets stuffed with spinach and pine nuts, sautéed spinach and mushrooms, kale and spinach salad, etc, etc, etc, ad nauseum. Heck, I even added it to the dogs’ meals each night.  Finally, last night I made spanakopita which got rid of the last of it.  Hallelujah!

A few of you have asked for my recipe for the frittata I cooked over the weekend, featuring, you guessed it spinach.  It was totally delicious and simple, so here it is… but please promise me that when you buy the spinach for this recipe, you won’t order it online lest you end up with 4kgs of the stuff…

Notice how many times I’ve used the word spinach in this post?  Hopefully it gives you an indication of how much of the stuff I’ve had to contend with….

Tell me, what’s your favourite spinach recipe and should I risk ordering some next week?

Until next time….

March and April saw autumn again fail to find a foothold. I am becoming desperate for cooler weather and much-needed rain. With late snow in New York and temperatures in the high 20s (celsius) for much of the time in Sydney, Mother Nature has become seriously confused and climate change skeptics should hang their heads in shame.

The unusual weather means Australia’s venomous snakes are still active, which saw a large brown snake come to our back door in late March. Quite possibly the most hideous creature on the planet, it was dispatched with the use of a shovel. Apologies to those who believe their protected status is warranted. Me? I think the only good snake is a dead snake.

We are in desperate need of rain. We’ve been forced to buy feed for our cattle and every plant in our garden is struggling, dying or dead. It is soul-destroying to witness. Although I still do find wonder and beauty in this.

Spent thistle

Australian Gum Tree

Over Easter I ate this stunning terrine made by a good mate. It’s a Serge Danserau recipe which you can find in his book here. It is heaven on a stick, or heaven wrapped in streaky bacon as the case may be.

Country Terrine

I’m amazed by my dog’s ability to find mud on each and every #morningwalk we undertake.

Two-tone Cavoodle

I’m making fermented vegetables. My total addiction to this powerhouse of goodness is relentless so I’ve given up buying it and instead I’m using this simple recipe by the talented Jo Rushton. For more delicious recipes by Jo, you can pick up her book ‘Rocket Fuel On A Budget’ here. You can also read more about the benefits of eating fermented vegetables here.

I’m re-reading Alan Bennett’s The Uncommon Reader. It’s a quirky tale about what happens when Queen Elizabeth discovers the local Westminster travelling library at the back of Buckingham Palace. I think I’ll also re-read The Lady In The Van as the movie has just been released. Anything, anything written by Bennett and featuring Maggie Smith is worth a look.

I’m subscribing to the international edition of The Art Newspaper.  It’s always chokka block full of fascinating articles about the Arts from around the world.  I encourage you to take a look.

Logan and Mason bedding…

I’m redecorating my bedroom with some new bedding because who doesn’t love a new look every now and then?  What do you think?  Huge thanks to the team at Just Bedding for supplying me with this look. What’s more, if you leave a comment on this post, you’ll go into the running to win your own choice of bed linen to the value of $200. The winner will be selected by my 14 year old son who, given his druthers, would spend most of his time in bed.  THIS COMP. IS NOW CLOSED.

I’m visiting cruise ships. Until recently I wouldn’t have considered taking a cruise, as my prejudice had me believing that they were jam-packed with seniors, with constant potential for a gastro outbreak of epic proportions and smelt permanently of bad hospital food. How wrong could I be? The Celebrity Solstice was docked at Circular Quay, Sydney before heading off into the South Pacific and I had the opportunity to take a good look around her.

One of the suite bedrooms

Dockside

One of the 10 restaurants on board

The amazing 12 storey atrium in the centre of the ship, complete with a seven metre Ficus benjamina tree

Wow. Seriously. The ‘cruisers’ were all my age or younger (no rude comments on my age thanks), the ship was truly stylish in its decor, with unique artworks dotted about including beautiful Murano glass installations.  And there are endless places to visit and things to do, which is important when there can be many days ‘at sea’.  You can choose from 18 different retail outlets, 10 different restaurants, cinemas and live theatre and the requisite Day Spa.  Never in a million years did I think I’d find wonder on a cruise ship of the size of Celebrity Solstice.

The most walked upon turf in the world?

Of particular interest to me is the 2130 square metres  (over 1/2 acre) of lawn on the top level.  It is estimated to be the most walked upon lawn on earth (given the ship travels half the globe regularly with over 2000 passengers each trip).  The lawn has to battle constant sea spray, the vastly different climates of both the South Pacific and Alaska and meet strict customs control at each port. It’s a credit to the two full-time green keepers.   The Environmental Services manager told me that many people just like to kick off their shoes and wander barefoot on the lawn every other day.  Others enjoy picnics, or the occasional game of bocce, golf or croquet.  It’s inspired thinking to include lawn on such a ship and if you are considering a cruise anywhere in the world, I’d strongly encourage you to visit the Celebrity Cruises website.

Such a fab sitting spot.

I’m admiring the beauty and diversity of our local flora.  Look at this wonder spotted at the new Barangaroo development on Sydney Harbour.  My horticultural mate Tim Entwisle thinks it’s probably Acacia terminalis, commonly known as Sunshine Wattle.

Acacia terminalis or Sunshine Wattle

And to finish the month of April, my beautiful daughter returned home this morning after a month touring around the U.S. with her very generous Grandma.  I have physically ached for her each and everyday and despite her embarrassment, I couldn’t help but smother her in kisses at Arrivals A at 6.00am.  It was like a scene out of Love Actually ~ one of my all time favourite films.

I love this girl to bits…

I hope you find some wonder in your everyday.  I’d love to hear from you as to what that might be.  Oh, and don’t forget to leave a comment if you fancy some new bedding!

Until next month…

This is not a sponsored post, although Just Bedding provided Caro & Co with the bedding set mentioned above.

And so I found myself in my kitchen early on Saturday morning with two very eager but novice cooks. They told me that they hardly ever get involved in the kitchen, not because they don’t want to, but because their parents just tend to assume that they don’t want to, or believe “it’s just easier”, if an adult takes charge. Hmmm.

Personally, I’ve insisted that my kids help or lead the process of cooking for each meal since they were tiny, because I passionately believe that the act of cooking and eating is such a convivial thing and I also enjoy the tactility of cooking. It has become second nature to my children and they are becoming more and more confident and creative with their culinary adventures. This is simply the way my household swings. There is no wrong or right. But it would appear we are in the minority.

Nestlé and the Australian Institute of Sport recently undertook some research and have released the results. The Healthy Active Kids ~ Cooking with Kids Report found:

• 27% primary-school-aged kids never help with the cooking at home
• 44% of parents say they are too time poor to let kids help in the kitchen
• 43% of parents say their kids know less about cooking than they did at the same age

Break that down a little more, and sadly just 28 per cent of children help out in the kitchen once a month, 32 per cent once a week, and only five per cent every day.

The survey asked more than 800 parents to rate the cooking skills of their children, revealing that being time-poor is a major hurdle for parents when it comes to teaching kids basic cooking skills at home. Well there’s a load of parent-guilt right there! Let’s not forget that for a range of (mostly unavoidable reasons), busyness is a major factor in our lives. So rather than beat ourselves up about it, I instead encourage you to simply just do what you can, when you can. Just a little each day. Or maybe just on weekends ~ whatever works for you. My promise to you is that by teaching your kids a few basic steps, you can encourage a love of cooking so your kids will actually want to take the lead in the kitchen.

Here are a few tips:

1. Start early. We often underestimate what our children are capable of. Have them help with measuring, pouring, stirring, whizzing and blending, chopping and grating (age-dependent). This has the added bonus of honing their literacy and numeracy skills. Measuring cups and spoons are a must when cooking with kids until they learn to judge quantities for themselves.

2. Encourage mess to enter your home (if only temporarily). It can be quite liberating and if you have a dog, you’ll find that they suddenly become a very effective vacuum cleaner. Make cleaning up fun ~ go heavy on the soapy suds and use a little non-staining food dye to make the water colourful.

3. Keep recipes simple to begin with and factor in their favourite foods as often as you can. My daughter adored any kind of egg dish when she was little.  You can find some great recipes on the Healthy Active Kids website and a quite a few on Caro & Co too! And here’s a dead simple recipe for Quesadillas.*

4. As your children get older, teach them the value of ‘mise en place’. This basically means “putting in place” or setting up all the ingredients you will need before using them in the cooking process. It’s standard practice in most restaurants and really helps when kids are in the kitchen. It has a twofold effect. It makes the process of following a recipe more logical to kids and generally just makes it easier for everyone involved.

5. By getting your kids into the kitchen regularly, you are giving them an essential lifelong skill. Once they leave home, they’re on their own… My father who hadn’t spent any time in the kitchen as a kid, once blew up an oven by placing an unopened can of condensed milk into it, thinking that he could simply heat it up that way to make caramel.  He was 25 at the time and was lucky he didn’t blow himself up in the process. I’m determined this won’t be the case with my son.

6. Make it fun! There is no right or wrong to begin with. Give yourselves over to the process. Praise them loudly and often. Crank up some music and sing along while you cook. Buy them a little chef’s hat and their own set of (age-dependent) utensils.

Until next time….

What is your kid’s favourite recipe and why?

*Recipe courtesy of the ever-fabulous taste.com.au.

This post is brought to you by Caro & Co and Healthy Active Kids.

Anyway, enough of that; thankfully the ones we used had been purchased that morning at the local fishmonger and were fresh, shiny and smelt of the sea (as opposed to pee).

Moules et Frites is the simplest of dishes requiring a minimum of ingredients and cooking time. It is a recipe impossibly hard to get wrong, which is also why it’s a perfect dish for your kids to prepare.

Despite the lack of ingredients, it’s packed full of flavour and it’s such good theatre! It’s kinda messy, with big bowls overflowing with full (then empty) mussel shells, juices slopping about, dribbling down chins, and of course the bonus for everyone, all the crunchy goodness of shoestring fries* on the side. Invented by the Belgians, it’s thought that they first began eating this particular dish along the Flemish Coast in winter because mussels and potatoes were plentiful and cheap. I too, love serving Moules in winter when the heat from the steaming bowls fogs up the windows, there’s a fire blazing and there’s a footy game on the TV. Casual, family eating at its best.

There are a million recipes for Moules et Frites with just about as many variations on the original, but this one from the team at Origin LPG caught my eye with the interesting addition of blue cheese croutons. I’d still serve the frites as well. Easily prepared on your gas stove top; I heartily urge you to give it a go. It can be on the table in less than half an hour. It will serve 4.

I really urge you to visit the Origin LPG site. They have a fantastic selection of recipes up on their site at the moment.

*If you don’t have time to make the fries, a couple of crunchy baguettes will do, although the blue cheese croutons provide a good crunch and would more than suffice.

This post is brought to you in partnership with Original LPG.

Whilst the story is more about getting lost (and found again), my kids’ abiding memory of the tale is of the delicious soup the animals prepared. Needless to say, we went through a lot of pumpkin in those days. Now teenagers, they still love Cucurbits* in all their glorious forms.

Pumpkins are at their seasonal best in the cooler months so with winter in full swing here in Australia, I’ve found the perfect recipe for them when they return home from Boarding School this weekend. I know they will be ravenous.

Featuring slow-cooked lamb and pumpkin as the star ingredients, I defy you to find a more satisfying or filling meal for a frosty winter’s day. What’s more, it is a one-pot dish, which can be cooked on your stovetop. This is an added bonus if, like me you are time poor. I heartily encourage you to give it a go. It will serve 4 easily. I’d serve this dish with a bowl of steaming greens along with a Bordeaux or Rioja.

*The Cucurbitaceae family, also known as Cucurbits or Gourds are a plant family which consist of around a hundred genera, the most important of which are squash, marrow, pumpkin, zucchini, gourds and watermelon. All are technically a fruit.

This post brought to you in partnership with Origin LPG.