Our little life

We have our good days we have our bad but most of all we are happy. My kids and I have most days at home some going into town but all days we have fun, we have laughs, we have cries and we have lots of love. This post was inspired by a friend of mine pointing out how we portray ourselves online.
The first few months that I had two kids was hard. Even when both my kids were asleep I had 100 other things to do and I was not handling it. I was determined to breastfeed because my milk stopped when Hastings was about 4 months old but when Calloway was 6 months old I was put on medication for a viral infection. I pumped enough for the 4 days but the infection  did not go away and I had to go on a second round of medication but I could not pump more because I had the medication in my system so he had to go on formula. Once he was on formula for a week I was unable to get my supply back enough and he was stuck on formula and once again I was in tears that I couldn't supply my baby with what he needed. When it comes down to it after the tears I know that he is healthy and he is happy but it is that initial though. Also the pressure to breastfeed, I agree with breastfeeding 100% but the first time I bottle fed in public I was more embarrassed than having my boob hanging out, because of the pressure.
I pride myself in my dedication to eating healthy and staying fit and I share that regularly. I do eat well but I also treat myself, just like anyone else. I do feed my kids healthy food but if I had a choice I would cheat. I don't have an option because Hastings is gluten and lactose intolerant. So that limits his food choices so I really can't give him snacks from the store most stuff is healthy and super good for you because I make it all myself. This food that Hastings can't eat does limit the amount of bad food we can keep in the house but that doesn't mean we don't have it. I bake for a living so I can whip up bad food faster then you can say 'oh bad maltodextrin'.
I have many people that I know say 'How do you do it manage 2 kids and do your baking business?'. Well the answer yes I manage two kids and yes I bake a lot... but things get left behind, I just mowed our lawn for the first time since December. I have not mopped my floor in weeks, I have swept but it really needs a mop. I look after my kids and I bake but things get left behind.
Now the kids are a bit bigger things are getting easier Hastings and Calloway play more together and Hastings listens well. I have a clean but untidy house. I have happy and unhappy days but do you know what. My life is perfect for me. My kids are perfect enough for me. My husband is perfect enough for me. Each person has there own perfect and like my inspiration for this post I think we need to love ourselves and   everything we are lucky enough to have. We just have to remember that when people share all these good things it is because they are happy and they want to share but they wont always share the bad times but it doesn't mean they don't have them.
Love to you all.

Thoughts

I don't know why but I need a vent today. This will be entirely random thoughts that I have been having of late.

1- How could anyone hurt a child, any child but specifically your own child. I look at my babies and I can't imagine ever getting to the point where I am that angry or unhappy at them or otherwise that I would think hurting them would fix the problem. I want to hurt those people... a little counter productive I guess.

2- Discipline is love. I am not talking smacking but discipline your children people. Kids need rule, kids need guidelines. You are doing them a favour teaching them these rules and you are doing yourself a favour. When kids know the rules it doesn't mean they wont misbehave or try and bend the rules but it will reduce those incidents just be consistent.

3- I want the rain because we are only on tank water but we have water now so can you go away now.

4- I love exercising.  I get a little unmotivated  sometimes but if a make myself get out and do it I feel amazing. I would recommend for mums with young kids there is great kids yoga video that I do with Hastings on you tube I think it is Yogatic. Also for just anyone working out at home there are great print outs and full length videos on fitnessblender.com they have heaps of videos that will suit all fitness levels.

5- I love cooking. I love making pretty dishes but even more I love making delicious dinners. Cooking is cathartic for me.

Thanks for letting me think on screen.

Yumo Apple Cider Cakes with Apple Bark

This was meant to be a donut recipe but I didn't have a donut pan so we made patty cakes. I also dont know where to get cider so I had to make my own so I will add that recipe as well. 
This recipe is care of Alanabread 
http://www.alanabread.com/2011/10/apple-cider-baked-goods-apple-cider-glaze-apple-bark/

APPLE CIDER BAKED GOODS + CIDER GLAZE + APPLE BARK

Apple cider baked goods (from Diana’s Desserts)

2 cups plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 egg

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup apple sauce

1/3 cup maple syrup (or maple flavoured syrup)

1/3 cup good quality apple cider

1/3 cup vanilla yoghurt

3 tbsp vegetable oil

Apple cider glaze

1 cup icing sugar mixture

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup good quality apple cider

Apple bark

1 apple

sprinkling of cinnamon

For the apple cider baked goods

1. Preheat oven 180°C.

2. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

3. In another bowl combine wet ingredients; beaten egg, brown sugar, apple sauce, maple syrup, apple cider, yoghurt and vegetable oil. Give them a quick whisk then add your bowl of dry ingredients. Whisk until just combined.

4. Divide your mixture between pans/tins of your choosing. For a donut pan bake for 10 minutes, for mini donuts and baby cupcakes bake for 5-7 minutes or until the tops spring back when touched.

5. After 5 minutes transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

For the apple glaze

1. Combine icing sugar, cinnamon and cider in a small bowl and stir well to remove any lumps.

For the apple bark (do this the morning before)

1. With a sharp vegetable peeler peel thin strips of apple, including the skins, and place on a baking tray. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

2. Bake in a cool oven (around 80-100°C) until completely dried, between 2 -3 hours. (If you are doing this day before you may need to re-crisp your apple bark for half an hour before assembling). Once dried, the apple skins will shrink and curl like little twigs. The apple strips will look like leaves.

For the assembly

1. Hold your baked good up-side-down and dip into the glaze. Shake of any excess and place back on the wire rack. Take a piece of apple bark and place on baked good while the glaze is still wet so it stays in place once dried. Continue with the rest of your donuts and baby cupcakes.

The Apple cider Recipe

8 -10 apples
1/2-1 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise 

4 whole nutmeg

Directions:

1
Quarter your apples (no need to remove peel or seeds).
2
In a large stock pot add your apples and fill with water--just enough to cover the apples.
3
Add your sugar.
4
Wrap your cinnamon and allspice in a doubled up cheese cloth and tie, and add this to the apples and water.
5
Boil on high for one hour (uncovered) checking on it frequently.
6
Turn down heat and let simmer for two hours (covered).
7
Take off the heat after two hours of simmering and let cool.
8
Remove spices and mash up the apples to a pulp like consistency (a potato masher works well for this).
9
Once cool pour into a strainer over a large bowl. When most of the juice has drained away, put the remainder of the pulp into a doubled up cheese cloth and squeeze over the bowl until no more juice comes out.
10
(At this point you can either restrain the juice to get out the little bits of pulp that remain with a cheese cloth draped inside the strainer to catch them or just leave it like I do).
11
You can store in an air tight container in your refrigerator for up to a week or you can freeze it for later use if you like.

Another Great Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 skin-on bone-in chicken breasts
• 2 slices bacon (finely chopped)
• 3 tbsp (about a handful) finely chopped mushrooms
• 2 tbsp roasted pine nuts
• 2 tbsp panko bread crumbs
• 1½ tbsp cream cheese
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 tbsp green onion
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp thyme
• ¼ tsp parsley
• olive oil/butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Remove chicken from fridge.
3. In a pan on medium heat, fry bacon until cooked, but still soft. If cooking potatoes with the chicken, save the bacon fat for them!
4. Roast pine nuts in pan on medium heat until browned.
5. Finely chop your bacon, mushrooms, pine nuts & green onion (or combine in food processor).
6. In a bowl mix all your ingredients together (minus the chicken!).
7. Run your finger under the chicken skin to loosen it for the stuffing. You should be able to loosen it from each end, while it stays connected on the sides.
8. If you’re cooking potatoes with the meal, combine all ingredients in a baking dish and put them in the oven 10 minutes before the chicken (refer to recipe below).
9. Use a spoon and your finger to stuff the filling under the chicken skin. Spread it evenly as you stuff.
10. Once stuffed, rub the chicken skin with olive oil or butter, and rub entire chicken breast with salt & pepper.
11. Place chicken in a baking dish (or on top of potatoes), cook for about 25-30 minutes (will depend on size of chicken breast), or until chicken reaches internal temperature of 160°F (will continue to cook while resting). I would highly recommend using a meat thermometer (linked below) for the best results.
12. Serve chicken garnished with parsley.

To a Special Lady

This is over a week old but my Mother had a birthday and I love treating her on her special day because she treats everyone else every other day of the year. So I snuck over to her house at the crack of dawn and put up decorations she was awake but I had eyes on the inside keeping her clueless and I had breakfast all prepared.
Happy Birthday Mum.

Blueberries, home made yoghurt and Muesli 

Yoghurt Recipe

2 litres non-homogenized milk

3 tbsp live natural yoghurt

1 vanilla bean

½ cup sugar (optional)

Preparation

Heat treatment 

This is required to destroy any spoilage bacteria, thus allowing the desirable bacteria no competition to produce enough lactic acid to preserve the yoghurt. It also denatures the proteins a little, giving the yoghurt more viscosity.

Firstly, heat the milk, sugar and vanilla bean with seeds scraped out in a sterile pan to 92°C – you can use a double boiler or put it straight on the heat (be very careful not to burn the milk as this will taint the product – keep stirring!). You will need to use a thermometer to check this temperature and keep stirring to ensure an even temperature throughout. Once the 92°C is attained, remove the pan from the heat.

Reduce heat quickly from 92°C to 35°-40°C. Place the pan in a cold-water bath – use a double boiler system and replace the cold water, or put the pan straight into a sink if deep enough. Check the temperature frequently.

Adding the starter

Once the milk reaches 38°C, add the yoghurt and stir. Pour the milk into sterilised jars and fill right to the top, leaving no gap. 

Never add the starter if the milk is higher than 45°C.

Afterwards, your own yoghurt can be used as the “mother” to make the next batch. However, over a few batches, the nature of the bacterial content may change slightly and, with it, the texture and flavour of the yoghurt may begin to change. If this is the case, start again with commercial yoghurt.

Incubation

It is very important to get this right – if the temperature is too warm, then one bacteria will grow faster than the others and this will result in imbalanced flavour and texture. In Australia, most commercial yoghurts are incubated at 42-43°C for 4-6 hours (the longer the incubation the stronger the yoghurt), while European yoghurts are incubated for 12-16 hours at 33-35°C.

Keep the sealed jars in a warm place for 12-18 hours. An easy way of doing this is to place the jars in a small eski, with water surrounding the jars at the correct temperature. You can check every few hours and adjust the water temperature as required by replacing with warmer water. During the incubation, the bacteria will convert the lactose into lactic acid and the pH will decrease to the point where coagulation occurs.

After coagulation occurs, do not place the yoghurt in the fridge for at least 1 hour – it is this time after coagulation has occurred that will determine the flavour intensity of the yoghurt; the longer it is left, the stronger the flavour.

Keep in a tightly sealed jar and use within a week of making it. 

Fruit Loaf 

Recipe by Teresa Cutter, The Healthy Chef

200 g  (2 cups) almond meal

1 tablespoon ground linseed (flaxseed )

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon bi carb soda ( baking soda )

4 free range / organic eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract

1 large red apple, chopped with the skin into chunks

80 g dried apricots (sulphur free )

60 g dried cranberries

30 g walnuts, chopped (optional but really good )

1 tablespoon honey

Preheat your oven to 180 C. (160 C FAN FORCED)

Mix almond meal, cinnamon, bi carb and linseed (flaxseed ).

Add eggs, honey and vanilla and mix through.

Add apple, dried fruit and walnuts.

Mix well – it will be very chunky, full of fruit.

Spoon into a loaf tin that you have lightly oiled and dusted with almond meal or coconut.

Smooth out the batter with the back of a spoon, making sure it’s all even.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden and cooked through and your kitchen smells wonderful.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for about 1 hour before turning out.

Serve alone or with a little ricotta or cottage cheese  + honey.

Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Banana Bread

265g (1 3/4 cups) self-raising flour

40g (1/4 cup) plain flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

140g (2/3 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar

125ml (1/2 cup) skim milk

2 eggs, lightly whisked

50g butter, melted, cooled

2 overripe medium bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush an 11 x 21cm (base measurement) loaf pan with melted dairy spread to lightly grease. Line the base and 2 opposite sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing it to overhang.

Sift the combined flours and cinnamon into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre. Place the milk, eggs, melted butter and banana in a medium bowl, and stir until well combined. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.

Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into slices to serve.

Practical or Lazy

Ok so when I was a bit larger just after I had the baby boy I used the excuse that I was fat and didn't look good in anything but now I am 20kg lighter and I am still wearing the same clothes. Black crop tights and wide strap singlets and very comfortable bras. I know that seems strange to add but I wore a normal bra the other day that all the other women in the world wear and I was SO uncomfortable.

I keep making excuses for my wardrobe, it is practical because I am the mum of 2 young boys to moves with me and is can get messy, I go to the gym so I am just wearing my gym clothes before hand and oh whoops I got changed into clean gym clothes after my shower.

When I really think it through I am just being lazy I am comfortable and I look ok not good not great but not bad. I am being very lazy.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years

A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Years. It was my littlest Calloways First Christmas and he had a lovely time. Hastings enjoyed opening his presents but really just wanted to open one and then just play with it rather then open another one. We also spent a lovely  day with family. I got to spend some lovely play time with my only Nephew who is about 5 months younger with Hastings. It was great to have a big family Christmas. 

New Years involved us in bed by ten and then off to the gym. A perfect evening and morning for me. 

I hope everyone had a lovely time with family and friends. 

Love

Tarryn

My Family.

Healthy

Ok so usually I post cake recipes and desserts on here but I am not much of a sweet eater unless it is a piece of Chocolate. But I am in love with this recipe and this website and this Chef. Teresa Cutter AKA The Healthy Chef. http://www.thehealthychef.com/
Here is a recipe of hers that I have made over and over the last couple of months a great on the go breakfast. Or just a snack. Hastings Loves them and so do I and they are very healthy and easy to make. I use half apple and half banana, I have used Hazelnut flour and I have tried Almond meal as well but desiccated coconut makes these more kid friendly and cheaper to make. I also make them into Muesli bar shapes and little muesli bar shapes for the little one. Enjoy

Apple + Cinnamon Breakfast Cookie

180 g (6   1/4 oz / 1 full cup ) smashed ripe banana or apple puree (unsweetened)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
200 g (2 cups / 7 oz) rolled oats or barley + a little extra for decorating
50 g (1/2 cup / 2 oz) ground hazelnuts ( or if you want to make this nut free – use desiccated coconut)
50 g (2 oz)  rasins
50 g (2 oz) dried chopped apple
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract.
60 ml (2  fl oz /1/4 cup ) macadamia nut, almond or light flavoured olive oil

Preheat your oven to 160 C. 320 F – fan forced.
Combine smashed banana or apple puree, vanilla with the cinnamon, oil and honey.
Add oats, hazelnuts, rasins and dried apple.
Mix together well with your hands, squeezing the mixture together until it starts to bind.
Form into 12 cookies and roll them in some oats for decoration.  I like to use a small ice cream scoop for this, but you can also use a tablespoon or your hands.
Flatten slightly.
Bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until golden.
Cool and enjoy.
Makes 12 cookies
Will keep for 5 days wrapped in a sealed container.

Sweet

Here is a gift from my lovely Husband. Any one who knows me knows I love Christmas so he has brought me this beautiful advent calender. It is full of delicious goodies. I am on a diet so I have to share but I will enjoy one every now and then.

Cupcaking and an Update

I don't do these posts here all that often these days but here is a quick one photos of vanilla cupcakes with vanilla bean butter cream frosting and Mocha cupcakes with espresso butter cream (yumo) and some photos of the kids on our recent adventures

The Babies

Hastings, the big one is now 18months old. This is just crazy. It feels like just yesterday I held his newborn little naked body in my arms for the first time. He is growing and learning so quickly. He mimics sounds, copies actions and follows instructions. It is amazing to see his brain at work. We are seeing him do new hinges every day and new words fly out his mouth. I wouldn't change anything about the 18 beautiful months I have had with him. It has gone so quickly soon he will be 2 next thing I know he will be 18.

Ok so Calloway, the little one is 3 months. He is a happy baby and I believe he gives the most beautiful smiles in the world. He loves his cuddles and his sleep. He is sleeping through the night and that makes for a very happy mum. I have so much love for my babies they make my day. I have ultrasound photos of them on my night stand just as a reminder of how amazing the miricle of having a child is.

Cupcaking

Raspberry Pistachio Cupcakes with Raspberry butter cream and pistachio crust

Its been so long

Sorry it has been so long. I have been giving my little business legs and it has been kept me running. I am lucky that before even starting as an official business I had a pretty solid customer base.
Since I have opened online, I was asked to do a set of cupcakes for a cafe, not for eating, but for a photo shot. The cafe that did this are bring out a range of drinks and are going to use my cupcakes on their posters that will be advertising the drinks. The cupcakes are the same flavour as the drinks. I can not say anything until they start advertising then I will put up my copy of the photos.
I have also had a few orders for little events and business parties and I have more in the pipeline which is more than exciting.

Ok so that is the second most important thing in my life now to the first most important. MY BABIES. Hastings is growing up so so quickly the kid just absorbs information. We are getting new words every other day. He is also a big of a neat freak, he puts rubbish in the bin like it is a game he puts his books away on the shelf and wipes the table after he eats if I give him a cloth. He just amazes me. He is such a caring big brother. He watches and checks on Calloway when they are at the playhouse and I am at the Gym. The ladies are always telling me how he goes and checks on him and if he gets upset he runs over to him.
That was the big one now for the little one. He will be 3 months old next week what the??? It has gone by so so quickly. We are getting probably 5 full nights of sleep a week sometimes less sometimes more. He is feeding well about every 4 hours some days he has a big of a feeding frenzy which is nice it makes me feel so wanted. I am big on getting kids into a routine but I definitely know that here is a balance to it. It doesn't hurt to make them wait a little while but not too long they are so little and precious. I don't make him wait until it hits 4 hours but I do try and settle him in other ways if it is early. If he settles from that he wasn't very hungry and if he does not then I will feed him. He gives the biggest most beautiful smiles it is an amazing heart swelling thing to see.
We are yet to decide if we will have more kids we are both so happy with the 2 little men we have and we can see the financial and time advantages with only to kids. Especially with family overseas it will be near impossible to afford to take more than 2 kids over to America. But at the same time we have both talked about having more kids as a possibility, and the idea that this is the last time I will see a first smile or first steps or kiss a brand new baby forehead, is a hard thought to swallow. Then again I hate pregnancy so much I know it has a major reward at the end but pregnancy has been rough on my body I am not sure how I would cope if we were to do it again. If we do do it all again it won't be for at least 3 years we need that cooling off period.

Ok so here are my babies. It was nice to catch up I hope to see you all again soon

My littlest

My baby is 9 weeks old and he is amazing. 

He sleeps well

He eats well 

He travels well.

He smiles amazingly.

We love our sons they are the greatest things ever to bless my life

Sickidy sickidy

Hastings got goastro, then Hubby got Gastro then I got gastro then Uncle got gastro then Gramps got gastro.

Everyone has been ill and it is horrible. I was almost in tears when I was going through it I cant believe my baby had to go through it.

YUCK YUCK YUCK

Cupcaking

 Milo Cupcakes, malt chocolate cake with whipped chocolate ganache and a milo top

Cupcaking

Today's adventures
Musk cupcakes with vanilla Swiss meringue butter cream and macaroons with butter cream filling, strawberry and orange.

Cupcaking

Here are some lovely fresh strawberry cupcakes that I have made for a fishing trip... yes that's right a fishing trip with cupcakes who knew.

I dont usually bother to do this but I have had some requests for some recipes so here it is

For the cake:

1 cup butter
2  1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon red food coloring
1 & 1/4 cups pureed strawberries
3 cups cake flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch Salt
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with liners and set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar for 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, food coloring and strawberries, beat for another 3 minutes.

Sift dry ingredients and add to butter/egg mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.

Fill cupcake tins 2/3 of the way up. Bake for 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Let sit for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the frosting:

 (makes enough for 24 cupcakes)

5 egg whites

1 1/2 cups white sugar

400g butter at room temp cubed

1/4 cup strawberry puree

Combine egg whites and sugar in a stand mixer bowl and place it over (not on) simmering water. Heat mixture to 160 degrees F while whisking constantly.
Transfer mixer bowl to stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium high speed until mixture cools, doubles in volume and forms stiff peaks; about 10-12 minutes.
Add butter in one piece at a time, mixing to incorporate after each addition. The mixture may appear clumpy and almost curdled looking at first—this is normal. Keep mixing and it will become even and smooth again.
add puree and mix to combine.

My men

Hastings loving his little brother Calloway, He is so gentle with him and any time Calloway wakes up I hear this resounding WALLOWAY down the hall.

Here is Hastings with his new trick, let me tell you my life will be shortened by these boys new tricks.