All Things Mum

The other day I saw a huge stack of Bellini multifunction cookers in front of Target. Of course the black and sleek packaging and design caught my eye and I stood there having a look at what they were selling. It was an all in one pressure, rice, porridge, cake, steam and slow cooker. It was half price so I really couldn't resist. I plonked it in front of the pram and the toddler walked. I tried it with rice yesterday and it was fine but wasn't happy about how loud it was as it let out the steam and it spurted rice water over the lid so it doesn't win any gongs in that department. However, I made 15min soy chicken for lunch today so I was really pleased with that. In fact, I don't know how I lived without a pressure cooker for so long! I use to cringe about how it would take me 30mins at least to make a meal and now I can go from frozen to the table in about 25mins. How awesome! I made this soy chicken using 8 drumsticks, 1/2 cup soy, 1 cup of vegetable sto...

I love that the Salvo's store is right next to the medical centre down the road, so on the odd occasion where I have to take a little one to get checked out, we pop over there for a little browse. I picked up this knee length skirt which I think would look great with boots and tights or it would be just a nice skirt for spring. It was a rather small size but I tried it on and it fit so for a measly $6 it came home with me. It was a bit wrinkly but I'll just give it a wash and iron it out. It's a nice cream colour so I won't need to dye it but that's a good idea if you find something that's not in a particular colour you're after. I love that I can re-use something instead of buying from a store where I know that I can reduce wastage.   I also went to the craft bin and found these on top. I couldn't believe my luck. I can't wait to start on them so that I might have something pretty to wear come Spring time. They look like vintage McC...

This week I decided to make macarons and see what all the fuss is about. They actually don't require too many ingredients which is what draws me to make things from recipes. Anyway, these are the chocolate ganache filled type and I guess they turned out alright. They are very sweet though due to the icing sugar so I'm on the fence about whether I like them or not. They are quite chewy which is what I do like and the ganache is easy to make. Here is a close-up of them. They didn't have 'feet' like real macarons and only a few puffed up. The rest of them were rather flat and some cracked. I think I probably undercooked a few of them. My brain is telling me they are too sweet but my hands keeps reaching for them. Hmmm.. But now I have macarons under my belt I can scratch that off the bucket list. Yesterday I had some child free time (very rare) and I finished the lining of the jacket. This jacket project was dragging it's feet as I lost pieces of lin...

You know, since my fourth baby I've upped my tea/coffee/hot choc consumption. I may not have noticed it a whole lot except that I still look a bit pregnant and I.am.not! So, as counting calories is not my thing (or anyone elses), I wanted to try an artificial sweetener but those things are just baaaad for you. Lucky for me I have now tried Natvia and I love it. It tastes great and will surely help my waistline. Did you know that Natvia has 95% fewer calories than sugar, has no aspartame or saccharin, low glycaemic index, low carbs and is great for coffee and cooking! More importantly it doesn't have that icky after taste. I tried this Mocha Drinking Chocolate and it is delicious. There's even a range for the whole family. I surely have to try the flavours for the kids. I have trouble getting my eldest daughter to drink milk so this is right up my alley. They're also having a Bake-off with some great prizes so go check it out: http://www.taste.com...

Meet my new baby, Janome 19110. Ok so maybe it needs a pet name but for now I sit at my sewing table in awe of her. She is a little bit of an upgrade to my current Janome 521 which has been having a bit of a tanty as of late. This one has 50 built-in stitches and 3 types of buttonholes. Did I mention they are automatic buttonholes! Awesome. There are the 7 piece feed dogs which should mean that my fabric won't get sucked under and hopefully will move much more smoothly AND the bobbin shouldn't get caught inside (unlike my old machine). That being said there's not much else fancy about her as she was one of the bottom range of computerised sewing machines. You could get fancier but I know myself and I'm not running any type of sweatshop in my office I tell you. I am all about keepin' it real my friends (most of the time). I started off trying a few stitches and trying the buttonhole foot. It sewed the first two parts and then it stopped. My hea...

What are Qubies ? Apa rt from the cute name they are the best way to store breast milk, baby food and purees. They were created by Aussie mum Alexandra Wardle who was frustrated at not being able to get baby food out of cheap ice cube trays. Since its inception, Qubies has been proud to be winner & runner up to a number of awards, including: · 2010 Winner for the Telstra Business Women’s Awards 2010 for Nokia Product Innovation · 2012 Runner Up for the My Child Excellence Award (feeding) · 2010 Finalist in the AusMumpreneur Awards – category of Product Innovation · 2010 GCGhOV Star of Excellence (Gold Coast Grapevine House of Vitner)   I love this picture because I make pumpkin soup all the time and it's a healthy and easy dinner or lunch for children (or adult). How clever is this idea, freezing apple juice. You could freeze lemon ...