This traditional Swedish recipe has been part of our family fare for decades. It is hearty and nourishing comfort food at its very best.
Urgent appeal – CARAD needs our support
CARAD is an independent, community-based organisation providing essential welfare and advocacy support to asylum seekers, refugees and detainees in Western Australia. They need our help and it is so easy to contribute.
A Bush Christening (poem by Banjo Paterson)
This is one of my very favourite poems – particularly when read in a broad Aussie drawl… its brilliance speaks for itself.
Mini Melktert (milk tart)
Melktert (milk custard tart) is a traditional South African tea-time treat. If you want to taste them, you’ll need to grab one before serving as the platter will empty quickly!
Do You Need a Homeschooling Briefcase?
Our homeschooling style is a mix of bookwork, exploration, free play, music, media and good old chatting. My kids like structure, but not routine and we often find ourselves out and about during the school day. There are music lessons, chores, excursions and family visits within our week and sometimes the odd appointment (with waiting …
“Circle of the Church Year” hanging for Godly Play
Create your own wall hanging of the Circle of the Church Year for your Godly Play or Sunday School room.
No iPad or tablet? No problem: Top 10 screen-free diversions for the kids.
Screen devices are fun and can be ideal in the right situation. But there’s so much you can do without them too! Here are our top 10 go-to activities when the kids need help sitting still or quietly in or out of the home.
Zucchini, marrow, courgette – whatever you call it, it’s pure gold.
How often do you find yourself with a lonely courgette in the fridge, wondering how to turn it into something useful? I do – frequently. I often buy them (and am now trying to grow them), but I end up forgetting they’re there and before too long they’re fit only for the compost. However, I …
New year, new recipe: Banana Bread
It’s a sweltering New Year’s eve and we need a tasty treat for tonight. I have neither the time nor energy to experiment with ideas for my bananas which ripened overnight (this climate is something else!) so, I’ve searched for a classic banana bread and Australian Women’s Weekly once again don’t disappoint. Their dependable and …
I am grateful
I don’t acknowledge my blessings nearly often enough, much less pay them forward as much as I should – that is what I am going to work on from now on.
Christmas Fruitcake (alcohol free)
For those who don’t like brandy, here is a great cake that has the same depth of flavour without the punch of the plonk. It also doesn’t need long to mature so if you have left it last-minute to do your cake this is the one for you.
Do all homeschoolers ride the ‘school trial’ see-saw?
The kidlets dropped a bombshell on us and once again said they really want to try school next year. It was unprompted and clearly something they’ve thought about, so we looked into it and got them into a last-minute trial. The first things I considered were: – are they just looking for a change of …
Love is love is love
It is week 2 of Advent – the week to light the candle of love.
Recently I have been involved in conversations which have steered towards others speaking openly against homosexuality and non-binary gender identification. It jars me every time and I need to speak my piece about respecting anyone’s choice to consensual adult relationships of any kind.
The Alternative Advent Calendar with Purpose
Are you are tired of the commercial, tacky or expensive and branded advent calendars in the shops? Try giving the kids a new activity each day – something with purpose to foster joy and kindness. Put a daily slip of paper in the relevant advent calendar pocket (or you could put it on the fridge, on the tree, in lunchboxes or under table mats etc.) for the kids to find and do – you can include chocolate treats too, with a reading from your favourite poem, book or a passage from the Bible.
Kanelbullar – Swedish cinnamon buns
These taste of pure Christmas season, with cinnamon and cardamom punching through the soft and fluffy dough. Kanelbullar are a traditional Swedish bun that can be served at any time of year, but are particularly nice to turn out at Christmas. Easy to make, if you have the patience to allow the two dough rises.
Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas
Looking for ideas to make your family and friends smile? These ideas from the Wasteless Pantry are just the ticket and help us all move towards a less consumptive culture during the festive season.
Have you chosen a charity to support this Christmas?
Taking a breath to think about sharing our blessings can turn an awful year into something a bit brighter.
One Term Too Long
A pair of limericks book-ending a joke
Giftedness – understanding and supporting it.
Giftedness‘ can be defined in many ways, but basically it describes individuals with a high cognitive potential. Broadly speaking, an IQ in the top 1-2% of the population (about 130+). Gifted individuals have specific emotional, sensory, social and educational needs. Understanding this is pure gold and well worth the (sometimes high) price of a report from a specialist.
The Power of Reflexology
I never knew how someone pressing points on my feet could change my health so much. Reflexology is remarkable.
Veggie, Gluten-free, Nut-free Family-friendly Mexican Fiesta
I’m loving exploring new cuisines. Recently I was a bit stumped for ideas when I was planning a free-from vegetarian family dinner party, but this worked really well: Nibbles Lentil crisps with salsa, sour cream and chive dip Chopped fruit and veg Corn tortilla chips Mains Gluten-free corn taco shells, heated and served with choice …
Homeschooling – get everything done, but be flexible
Kids need independence and we all, quite frankly, need space to ourselves each day. So, to balance everyone’s needs out I use this guiding list.
Vegan Tofu & Oat balls
Makes: ± 12 balls Time to make: 25 mins (5 prep, 15 in oven, 5 on stovetop) These yummies are not my brain-child – I was lucky enough to enjoy them at a friend’s house and I fell in love with them. She explained how she makes them and I’ve adapted it very slightly. They …
Avocado pit – which way up?
I’ve done this successfully twice before – I have also gotten it wrong. I can never remember which way up to suspend the pit! So, this is a reminder to myself and anyone else who ends up drowning the pit headfirst in a jar for weeks, while waiting for a shoot from it’s backside: it …
Amazing worms improved our home and our garden.
I have to admit, this is not the sort of piece I thought I would ever be writing – detailing how the squirmy little squishy creatures are making a difference to our lives. But they are! Since learning about worm farms last year, I have faced my fear of dirt and compost and installed a …
Vegan cheese puffs
Makes: ± 30 small puffs Time to make: 20 mins (10 prep + 10 bake) Ingredients Method – 1 cup plain flour– 2 tsp baking powder– 1 pinch paprika– 20 ml vegetable oil– 1 apple (peeled and grated)– 1/2 cup water– 1 ½ cups grated vegan cheese 1. Heat oven to 450°F / 230°C 2. …
Face Mask Pattern
An easy, DIY face mask pattern. Zero waste, fully washable, snug fit and won’t hurt your ears.
DIY Natural Deodorant
You’ll never need to buy deodorant ever again!
Fibonacci Spiral Craft
– just 5 steps – When your kids are different ages and enjoy different things, what a win when you find a craft that suits everybody! This activity ticks so many boxes, helping to bend brains as well as flex fine motor skills. A bit of careful nail-hammering will also satisfy the sensory-seekers and a …
Peanut Butter Biscuits (vegan)
Easy vegan biscuits packed with flavour. A great snack if you are craving umami!
DIY Choc Hazelnut Spread
No need to buy commercial spreads made with palm-oil anymore! This is quick, easy, cheap and nutritious. It also brings a bonus feel-good factor as by boycotting palm oil products you are helping to save the Orangutan’s habitats currently being decimated by palm oil plantations.
Homeschooling resources
A work in progress, this list of homeschooling resources is becoming a helpful starting point for others looking at home education.
Who’s The Hu?
Is there anything better than stumbling upon a video or new song that grabs you, swings you around the room a few times and throws you back into your chair hungry to learn more? Unbelievably talented musicians and definitely my top band at the moment. I stumbled upon the video fo Yuve Yuve Yu by …
Flatbread in just 20 minutes
Makes: 6-8 flatbreads Time to make: 5 prep, 10 resting, 5 actual cooking This bread is quick, easy and a great addition to a meal where you want a little something for dipping, scooping or wrapping. Ingredients Method – 225g wholemeal flour– 1/2 teaspoon of salt– 100ml warm water. (Additional water if needed– Splash of …
Sourdough Starter
Develop your own sourdough starter with just two ingredients!
Buttermilk Scones
Easy, delicious and quick to make.
Be Kind. Choose that.
Kindness isn’t about getting it right every time; rather it means treating others as best you can, with respect and fairness, regardless of how you feel about them or who they are… This doesn’t always come easily when we are tired, afraid or stressed and focused on our own needs, so it is a choice that has to be made deliberately.
The hidden ills of Covid-cloistering.
We all want the current Covid-19 crisis to end. It has been many months since life resembled the ‘normal’ that we once knew. The tragedy that has unfolded since we heard of the first cases in Wuhan approximates something from a post-apocalyptic novella. Data modelling and politicisation of the problem has us all on tenterhooks …
Wild Mercy, by Mirabai Starr
An embroidered wealth of spiritual food and practices, this book weaves together the strength, fire, passion, gentleness, love and wisdom of the feminine. It empowers, reassures, nourishes.
3-minute Balsamic Dressing
Makes: 100 ml dressing Time to make: 3 mins This incredibly versatile dressing is perfect to splash on salad, drizzle over baked potato, mains, or simply as a dipping oil for fresh bread. I learned a variation of it from my Aunt in about 2002 and it has been part of my repertoire since then. …
ONE.org – join the fight against extreme poverty
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Easy, practical ways to reduce your waste at home
As mentioned in an earlier post, I was inspired by the Earth Carers course to make changes to our home. These have been so much fun to do and have improved our health, garden, budget, awareness and impact on the planet. No nonsense – it’s a first-hand account. These are things we have actually tried …
Frangipani – the easy way to grow cuttings
Growing a beautiful Frangipani from a offcuts couldn’t be easier! Strip the cutting of leaves and buds Leave it upright in a dry, sunny place for about a month Plant into a pot with coarse soil and water sparingly (roots will form) Give it plenty of sun – it will sprout new leaves and buds …
Bunting from baby clothes
Do you have baby clothes taking up space in your cupboards? Sharing them onwards for others to use is always a great first option. Then, sometimes they are just too adorable to part with, or are firm favourites associated with other memories or people.
MAKE BUNTING out of them! It is very easy, fun, attractive and you get to enjoy the nostalgia whenever you celebrate in your home.
Cheese Muffins
Makes: 12 small muffins Time to make: 20 mins (10 prep + 10 bake) Whether you are having brunch, afternoon snack or midnight cravings, these are delicious, quick and easy to make. My mother used to make these for us and we still cook them in our home at least once every few weeks. The …
Face your waste (it’s fun)
It has been almost a year since a friend and client of mine recommended I look into the Earth Carers course with a local council. It was an opportunity to learn how to minimise the waste we put into our bins. I had no idea what to expect, but it was something new to do …
Great leaders shine on, even when idiots take hold
I will impart it to my kids – all of it. I won’t rest until they understand what it can feel like to be proud of yourself, your nation, and your leader, to feel fierce satisfaction and wonder at what a nation can achieve in the face of vile ignorance and hateful leadership. Only then can they aspire to experiencing that for themselves – by making good choices about the future.
Contentment – a really simple choice
Contentment is not a consolation prize for those who don’t achieve greatness. It speaks of a choice, a decision and deliberate commitment to being grateful and welcoming the peace, joy and abundance that lets in.