Easy peasy cheesy...Sweet Potato Bake.

Yes potato bake isn't hard to make, in fact there are now jars of sauce to make it even easier... But sometimes it's nice to make your own hearty bake from scratch. Mines a little different.

I don't do exact measurements, no one sticks to them anyway, plus as a Momma I use what I have to hand, I'm busy!

3 Parsnips
4 Carrots (optional)
4 Sweet Potatoes
Cheese, gated, your favourite brand
Dried/fresh Parsley (or another herb you like as much.)
Mixed veg, to serve on the side, again whatever you like and your kids will eat.

• Fill a pan with water, and put on the hob to boil.
• Pre-heat oven to around 180 degrees
• Peel your Parsnips, Carrots and Sweet Potatoes
• Plonk them in the water. Feel free to salt your water, I don't general as I have a Mojo that likes to taste what we are all eating.
• Once they are softened, they should still be relatively intact.
• Separate out the Parsnips, Carrots and Taters into separate bowls.
• Mash them all, keeping them separate.
• Get a big oven dish, put in your first layer of which ever you like, once in sprinkle on a little cheese and parsley.
• Next layer, and continue on till you have a few layers to look at, I find it nice to put Carrot on the bottom and Parsnip in between that and the Sweet Potato, simply for the colour differentiation.
• Top with whats left of the Cheese & some Parsley.
• Pop in the over for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden.
• While that is browning, put your other veg on & have a cup of tea/coffee/wine/vodka....
• Server & Eat.

There are a few other recipes on here, feel free to test them out, they wont be to everyones taste, but neither am I.

Holiday time

So my Nana is going to be 70 this on the 28th of April, so, I decided to book a flight up with me and the girls to surprise her, take her for a meal and what not. Sounds lovely, she live 2 minutes from the beach, is surrounded by fields and playgrounds, all in all it's a lovely place.

But here is the thing, I'm taking both girls on a plane, by myself. No man help in sight. It's Mojos first time on a plane but Eldest has been on many times. Taking a toddler, or a child 3+ seems so easy to me right now. The first time I took Eldest on a plane she was just 6 months old, she was taken off me & at one point a nappy search was mentioned, which I refused, you can scan her any which way, but I can tell you now, you aren't taking her nappy off in front of all these strangers. Eventually, after rubbing bum cream on my hand, drinking 1oz of milk and using a baby wipe on my face we were allowed on our way.

This was around the time that airports had really cracked down on passenger safety.

This time I'm sure it will be less difficult.

Then there is the packing, so far I've packed 4 dresses, 2 jeans, 2 jumpers, 2 tights and 7 pairs of underwear (Eldest) 7 vests (Mojo)... So it isn't going terribly well. I was going for less clothes to fuss about capsule wardrobe, but the bag is already not looking very big, I'm not sure where all my things will go. I might just wear them all at the same time, be a nightmare at check-in but saves on space?

Another thing, in order to get through the bleepers without taking shoes off, coats off and getting half naked I just wear flip flops/pumps, and as little else possible while trying to retain the dignity I sometimes start my day with.  Rest assured that most of these male attendants will have no idea they make the ordeal so difficult by simply doing their jobs and how by the end of it, I'll be sitting in the lounge, red faced slightly clammy, with a boob out of the bra cup, Eldest telling me I'm all red (she has a running commentary going the whole time she is awake), Mojo trying to pull my top down laughing and biting like a feral demon child. If I'm really unlucky there will be a snot/poo scenario to consider too. I also don't like flying.

I'm looking forward to it but I really wish airports would have a 'parent friendly' zone. One where the queue doesn't sigh at you when you have to unhitch your child from you with fiddly clips, or chase your child under barriers, where the poo smell could be coming from anyone there, not just your spawn, where these people know that children can take 45 minutes to put 1 shoe on when you're in a rush. Oh, and in the lounge is a Nanny ready to take your child while you sob in the corner drinking non-alcoholic wine, because you're still on duty.

Just a thought.

Eldest & Mojo Picture.

These are some of my favorite pictures of them ...

Eldest

Mojo

Eldest aged 4.5

Me and Mojo

Eldest being an 'splozor'

Me and Mojo

Eldest testing out her photography skills

I love this photo a lot. Eldest.

Testing out Momma glasses

Eldest 3rd Birthday

Eldest raising money for Barnardos age 2.5 (She raised £150)

Eldest loved her 'ink fuff' (pink fluffy) coat

Mojo, because everything is funny when you're 5 months old.

Introducing Mojo

So here is a little video of Mojo, she does this a lot, I can only assume she is part Vampire... I did after all watch a lot of Twilight while pregnant. I'm not ashamed, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

THRIVE

On twitter today I see Mummy From The Heart asking for posts, being the nosey beasty I am, I have a look at the post that this is in reference to. It is not at all what I expected and thus read not only a personal post, which details the struggles they went through, but another cause too.

The other cause is quite heartbreaking. Obviously as a mother I'm drawn to the Maternal and Child Health when I first get to the ONE.org site. There is however so much more to this campaign than meets the eye. The website is packed with so many devastating facts and figures...

"Every year, an estimated 358,000 mothers die from pregnancy related causes and 7.6 million children die before their fifth birthday"

 My Eldest is 5, so simply seeing that number sends a shiver up my spine.

I click to... FOOD. FARMING. FUTURE : Breaking the cycle of Malnutrition and Poverty.

Being already gripped to this I want to read more, obviously before you do get involved in writing something you want to do a bit of research. I'm going to be honest here, like most people hearing these things tugs on the heart strings but how many of us really consider what it means?
So as I am digesting some figures, I get up make a drink for myself, Eldest & Mojo. Right there I have done something to nourish myself and my babies without a second though. If that was taken away, if I was to struggle feeding my children, to risk losing them daily, I just... words fail me.

Today across the world ONE launched a huge campaign, the agenda is simple in 4 years they want to break the hunger, poverty cycle at the very root, heart and base of the matter. By 2015 if everyone steps up, uses their voice and power to speak for those who everyday face losing the most precious gift this could be stopped.

Key aims :
"Together, we can stop malnutrition, not just for one child, but for 15 million."
"End poverty, not just for one person, but for 50 million."

  Right so there are some simple and easy ways to get involved. They are in much more detail in the blog mentioned at the very top of this post,

• Sign the petition - Here. It takes ooooo 1.5 minutes to complete. Strength in numbers, the more people who sign, the more people who take the time, the harder it will be to ignore.
• Spread the word - We use our twitters and blogs, facebooks and a bunch of other online media to tell people what we had for breakfast, why not use it to spread to word about what people didn't have for breakfast.
• Hashtag it - #LetsThrive
• Keep checking back on the website, and the above mentioned blogger Mummy From The Heart who is a a 'Mum ambassador for ONE.org', you can also follower her via twitter @michelletwinmum , follow @ONEcampaign too.

 I'd like to take a minute to say that I haven't just jumped on the bandwagon for this without doing some serious reading about it, I've been involved with the UNDP previously and attended '7th Forum of the World Alliance of Cities Against Poverty'. So ending poverty is a cause I'll always back.

My shiny pass/programme lanyard.

Back to the real point, if the blog post was too long...

So scroll up, and follow the bullet points, go to the website, hit twitter. But whatever you do, do something.

Jelly Fingers

I ran into these guys purely by accident and so far I really enjoy their website. I signed Mojo up to The Baby Board of Directors as soon as I found it. A simple little form and you are all signed up to review some products suitable for your age bracket.

 Now for any parent the opportunity to try things about before you buy is quite an important thing, countless times with Eldest I bought products and soon after realised that they were indeed useless bits of rubbish I'd wasted my money on, ranging from toys to brands of baby wipes. These guys guarantee you will get a product every 6 months at least and more if they can. Well, 2 a year is fine by me!

They also have a great sale section, really gorgeous unique products with up to 80% off. Can't ask for more really. Free things & Sale items, happy days. You do have to be quick if you find something you like, obviously things with such high % off won't stay around forever.

So here is the website: Jelly Fingers  You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter. If you click 'The Baby Board of Directors' link at the top it will take you to the facebook page sign up.

Easy Beefy Casserole

Its easy, it's taste and it looks quite stunning once cooked.

So you'll need :

• Beef (could be casserole beef, slow cook beef or any alternative that you like)
• Beef stock (I am lazy and thus use the Knorr Beef Stockpot)
• Herbs (I plonk in a Knorr Herb Stockpot)
• 2 Onions Chopped, sliced or diced - chefs choice.
• 3 Carrots Sliced into circles looks lovely
• 4 Mushrooms (if you don't like them then leave them out, if you are keeping the in slice them up)
• 4 Potatoes (quartered)
• Glug of red wine, not enough to get your kids drunk but enough to enhance the flavour.

Now the cooking bit:

•  
• Preheat your over to about 150 degrees.
• Boil some water in a pan, add the Beef stock and wait till it's infused, you can smell it. 
• Throw in your onions.
• In a casserole dish pop in your  quartered potatoes, chopped carrots, make them all look pretty, or like I do, throw them in and go for the 'rustic' look. 
• Place your uncooked Beef meat in the dish.
• Put your herbs into the pot of hot stock and onions, stir in and have a little taste. Dry herbs will take longer to infuse their flavour so be careful not to add too much too soon. 
• Once that's had a few minutes and the onions are soft, glug in your red wine.
• The smell of the beefy stock and the red wine is quite luxe.
• Final bit, pour your hot stock over everything in the casserole dish, cover with some tin foil, and bang it in the oven. 

I go for a slow cook, around 3-4 hours, till the potatoes are soft and the meat is cooked through and has soaked up the other glorious flavours in the dish. But you can wack the heat up and cook it quicker.

4 Kermit Kodes.

Here are some goodies for anyone who might read the blog :)

Hello there, I've already drank 40 cows worth of milk and our Kermit Backpack is on it's way.

 If you happen to be a few codes short I have 4 spare.

 Remember they can only be used once so if someone has been here first they hopefully will leave a comment to let everyone know they have claimed.

 Here they go...

W672LU4MDA
ZJTETULGLJ
24TTTUAM2V
RNXTAH2HEW

Website : www.milkmatters.co.uk/muppets

Again if you are lucky enough to have used any of these codes, please comment below so others know.

Thanks Lovelies xx