Wrestlemania

I came across a bunch of old photos today which really made me smile... reminding me how quickly laughter turns to tears.

You know the scene. The kids are wrestling on the bed. They are laughing and tickling each other, giggling. There is jumping and rolling, arms and legs tangled together, somebody sits on someone's face; someone else gets an elbow in the teeth... and the wailing starts up.

What began so well and with such joy quickly becomes a war zone with accusations flying, tears streaming and Mummy is left to pick up the pieces and try to negotiate World Peace.

And it's only worse when Daddy gets in on the act. Guaranteed to be tears, and they won't be his, the great big Booffer. I sometimes ask myself, "Do they never learn anything?"

And yet. I guess what lingers in their memories is the fun of the wrestling, the tickling and the giggling, or they wouldn't be keen to jump in the minute somebody shouts, "Fun fight!"

Or to pile on Daddy the second another one shouts, "Let's get him!!!" (as if they actually could)

I am the Mother. I am wise. I know it will only end in tears.
But do I stop them? (as if I actually could)
Nah.

Cos it's lotsa fun while it lasts!

Do you do this at your house (or is it just US?)

PaisleyJade's family have taken this to a whole new level - with no tears! Check out THIS POST that really made me smile...

Quick and Easy Gluten Free

GF Rainbow Layer Cake

Wow. I have been amazed at the level of interest around the whole gluten-free thing!?!

I only have a few moments before i have to be somewhere but thought I'd write up a quick post to address some of the comments and questions...

Isn't it really restrictive and a big hassle?
No, not really. Going Gluten Free has actually been relatively easy and painless! I'm not just talking about my measly one gluten free day so far, I mean with transitioning Miss Fab to the GF life.
I've been cooking gluten free for our whole family's evening meals since July, and it has actually helped us all eat healthier, and less rubbish than before. I managed to make a gorgeous and delicious Gluten free tea party
for her - nobody would ever have know they were eating gluten free. It was all delicious and yummy, and best of all, simple and easy. Click here for that Menu...

Delicious GF Cupcakes

Isn't it really expensive??

Well, some things are. Like the bread. You will pay $6-7 for a tiny loaf of rubbery bread. And the pasta. You can make a decent pasta dish with GF pasta (if you stand there stirring it the whole time so it doesn't overcook and turn into a gelatinous mass) but one 250g packet of pasta is about $4, and you need TWO of them to feed the family. So what do you do? You change your staples.
Don't have pasta as your main carb option - keep it for a special treat. Use rice or potato as your starchy filler. Use the bread for occasional toasted sandwiches (it's better cooked/toasted) and think creatively about alternative GF options rather than sandwiches for lunch.

Also if you get good at reading labels, you will discover heaps of "regular" food items that are actually free from gluten, although not actually trumpeted as "Gluten Free".



All GF Treats



Isn't it all really bland and yucky??

No, not at all!! And GF baking is really simple, if you use the right ingredients. The biscuits and cake have a different texture, but the good ones are just as yummy.

And some gluten free foods are actually yummier than the regular kind. Like the bacon. And the ham. Soooo good. Like it used to be before they started injecting water and sugar into it all.

I will be writing a post soon about all my great gluten free discoveries - like Twisties. And Cheezels. And Rashuns. ALL GLUTEN FREE. Yep. You would never think, would ya?

GF Rocky Road

Last night I did a twist on Spaghetti and Meatballs. It was delicious, easy and gobbled up by all.

I used Rice.

Gluten Free MEATBALLS

Microwave some basmati rice while you prepare the rest.

Meatballs
500g good quality beef mince
1 egg

1-2 tablespoons cornflour

A splodge of tomato ketchup (Watties is GF)

A squirt of GF Soya sauce (Ceres Tamari)
Cracked black pepper

Smoosh all the ingredients together with your hand and form small handfuls into little meatballs. Place on a roasting dish lined with baking paper and bake in the oven at 190oC for approx 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
handful garlic flakes (or 2 crushed garlic cloves)
4-5 button mushrooms, grated
1-2 zucchini, grated
1 carrot, grated
1 apple, grated
1 Jar of tomato-based pasta sauce (Dolmio etc)


Heat the oil and then quickly add the mushroom and garlic, followed by the zucchini. Add the apple last and then the jar of Pasta sauce. Allow to simmer until the rice is cooked through.

To serve:

Spoon rice onto each plate, then meatballs, top with pasta sauce.

Oh look - the veges are all hiding in the sauce! Nobody will ever know they are eating a bunch of veges! That's why I grate everything.

The apple makes the sauce slightly sweet, delicious.

It took my Italian-loving hubby a while to get used to the idea of meatballs with rice not spaghetti, but he still declared it delicious. And the kids plates were clean, with no complaints about veges.

Plus it only took me 20 minutes to prepare. Bonus.

I will post more lazy cook GF dinners soon :)

PS: For non-New Zealand readers, the BRANDS don't matter. Just check the ingredients of your regular tomato-based pasta sauce and ketchup; you may find they are already GF (most ARE); The Soy Sauce is the tricky one. The one I use is Organic and brewed entirely from Soy, no wheat.

RAW(e) Smiles & Laughter

When I spotted this theme on RAW(e) this week I knew just the picture...

This one of my girl, who laughs with complete abandon.

She throws herself into laughter the way a diver launches off a platform.

It is a whole-body, whole-soul thing for her.

When she finds something funny, the whole world hears her glee.

I love the way Miss Fab laughs with all of herself.
May she never lose her joy, which is in fact her True Name's meaning: Father's Joy.

To join in with RAW(e) click here

My Gluten Free Experiment

My daughter has been on a Gluten Free journey for the last three months. Her sore tummies and low energy seemed to indicate some kind of dietary problem, though nothing showed up in the blood tests apart from being low in iron and having a positive reaction to some kind of unspecified allergen.

Thankfully my sister and brother-in-law were on hand to help solve the mystery, and suggested gluten intolerance. My bro-in-law is a chiropractor who has specialised in neurology. My sister and nephew are both gluten-intolerant and have become masters of delicious gluten-free baked goodies.

After just a short time going gluten free my girl's sore tummies cleared up. And the fun really began trying to figure out how to cook gluten free dinners (I'm a lazy chef, I like quick'n'easy, and won't cook multiple meals), how to make a gluten free birthday party, how to find edible GF bread and snacks and treats.

In the middle of all this, my bro-in-law kept suggesting that I may be gluten intolerant too.

He says, a sore tummy is just one symptom. A lot of other problems can be cleared up by eliminating gluten, he says.

He told me that gluten is a neuro-toxin (and gave me scientific book to back it all up). The book says that manufacturers have been increasing the levels of gluten in our food for ages, adding it to random things like ham, flavourings and even sweets. Growers have been producing wheat with higher levels of gluten because it makes bread cheaper to produce. Gluten intolerance is growing. One in ten people in the population are gluten intolerant and don't know it because the symptoms are so varied.

The symptoms can include any combination of: Low energy (low iron is an indicator), fuzzy-headedness, headaches, bloating, spotty skin, difficulty losing weight, fluid retention, gradual weight gain, flatulence, depression and tiredness.

Hmmmm. That does all sound very familiar.

But can I really do without my scones? My muffins? My donuts? By chip'n'marmite sarnies???

Well, er, my waistline says, YES! In fact my waistline and ever-increasing butt scream: "Help!! Do something" and my lack of energy shouts: "I need to go to the gym but I just caaaaaan't!"

Then the lovely Cat started a health-kick blog and I quietly admired her resolution. And wished I had her determination. Because my tummy still resembles a five-month pregnancy and lets just say that clothes shopping is a trial not a delight.

And on Saturday I was chatting to a friend whose daughter has also gone gluten free. She was diagnosed on the autism spectrum and her Harvard-trained specialist recommend a gluten-free diet (along with other dietary changes). My friend cannot believe the change in her daughter's behaviour. She says, unbelievable.

Then my sister made the yummiest gluten free choc caramel slice for dessert on Saturday night. Man, gluten free can taste great. It needn't be a life of deprivation!

So this morning I woke up and decided: I am going to try to go gluten free for the next two weeks and see what happens.

I have a spotty face. I have a sore tummy, bloating and er, other embarrassing symptoms. My head is fuzzy at best, my memory is shocking. I have frequent headaches, am always low in energy. I need to get healthy. I need to lose some weight (not even for vanity reasons, just for feeling good in my own skin, and having more energy).

So. This morning I had GF toast for breakfast. It was quite yummy, tasted like Vogels (it's Venerdi).
Dinners will be easy as we are already Gluten Free at dinnertime. So that just leaves lunch. I might go back to my bowl of chopped fruit with yoghurt and LSA. Healthy and delicious.

In two weeks I will report back and tell you how my experiment went and whether it will become a permanent thing. Me. Gluten Free.

Could be interesting...?

{PS: Commenty Questions answered HERE...}

Changes

Spring always gives me a sense of anticipation; an air of expectancy for new things. Maybe that's why Spring is my favourite season. This weekend there was plenty of changing things around to prepare for new stages and seasons. In the midst of it all there was laziness, movies, GF pancakes, spontaneous visits with friends, food, laughter, thunder, lightning and lots and lots of rain.

This stormy weekend we...

 ...finally packed away the cot and said goodbye to babyhood... mostly.

... created a toyroom in the space left behind. A space for little boy toys (and a few little girl ones)

 ...made space for foozball and created a big boys paradise which is very popular with everyone...

 ...had fun playing foozball with Nan and Grandad (after their day house-hunting)...

 ...rearranged Miss Fab's newly decorated bedroom because she just hates to be left out (can you spot the changes??)

 ...enjoyed a family dinner and look forward to many more to come (when my folks find that miracle house and Move North)...

What did you do this Weekend...?

Blessings

You know last week in the middle of all the puking and diarrhoea, I felt anything but blessed.
Isn't it funny how something as "small" as sleepless nights and sickness can make us lose sight of the blessings?

OK. Not funny. More like annoying. Or crazy.

Because the whole time I was adrift on the tide of vomitousness, I still had a roof over my head (even though it felt like the walls were closing in), food on the table (for those who were well enough to eat), friends and family who care (even though most would prefer to steer clear of the germs, I was not alone because of technology).

I also actually have kids to be sick in the first place. Sometimes I forget what a miracle that is, in itself.
In the midst of complaining and nagging about dirty clothes strewn over the floor and sticky crumbs littering every surface, I can totally lose sight of the blessing of children.

Yesterday I went to see the movie "Mother and Child" with my friend Meg. It was very decadent, we agreed, to go to a movie during the day. But we justified it in our minds one way or another (yet another blessing) and off we went.

I hadn't heard anything about the movie and I had no expectations so I wasn't disappointed (neither was I blown away) but one particular scene was very moving. A young woman who had been desperate for children and unable to conceive had arranged an adoption... but {spoiler alert... skim this if you plan to see it} at the last minute the teenage mother changed her mind. The grief and pain was heart wrenching and palpable.

Baby Fab

And yet here I am with three children I could conceive and carry naturally. Three crazy noisy outrageous fun-loving clown children. I am truly blessed, and should never take that for granted.

I am also blessed with a husband. Yes, that is a blessing I shouldn't take for granted either. I waited many long lonely years for him.

And he's one of the good ones. He is loving kind and generous, a good father. Annoying at times. Bossy at times. But a genuine goodhearted man who always wants to give his best. I am blessed to have him.

Then there's the blessing of good health.
Ironic since I had a lingering head cold and sinusitis for four weeks followed by a week of puking. Good health?

YES. Nobody is dying. I have not been diagnosed with anything terminal or scary, and neither have my children. Backaches, headaches, colds and tummy bugs, a bit of gluten intolerance and depression thrown in?
Small potatoes. We have Friends who are facing scary illnesses, in themselves and their kids. So my minor ailments hardly rate a blip. I am counting my blessings and thankful for relatively good health.

I was blessed to grow up in a family where my parents loved each other. They are still in love and the best of friends, wonderful role models for us. I am blessed to have both my parents still living.

I don't want to take that for granted; I want to maximise the time we have together (mum and dad are coming to Auckland for the weekend. They are hoping to move here. Oh I would be the most blessed person to have them living close!)

We are blessed with enough for ourselves and some left over to be generous with. That is a blessing enjoyed by few in this world.

We are able to travel. I love to travel. It's a passion of mine and a dream come true. I am so blessed!

I have friends. Great friends. True Friends. Friends who encourage me, who help me out, who are honest with me. Friends who I can laugh and be myself with: what better than coffee or movies with a good friend or two? I am so blessed.

We have a home that we own. A beautiful home. The home of my dreams really, though it is no mansion.

I can create. I can see. I can hear. My legs work (though they may not be the size I'd wish).

I am blessed to live in a country where I am free. Free to walk around openly as a woman. Free to be myself. Free to follow my faith openly. Free to speak my mind. Free to raise my children in accordance with my conscience. Free from oppression.

Oh, our government is far from perfect, but really? Compared to some places?? We are blessed. We live in Paradise, really.

I am blessed with a faith that is real to me. A hard-won sought-after faith tried-by-fire. Not handed to me on a plate by the older generations. Sifted and sorted, questioned and clung to. My faith in a Real and Living God has seen me through my darkest hours. I have Hope. I have Purpose. I am truly blessed.

So many blessings. How can I list them all?

Really, when I stop to count my blessings the list could go on and on. I can focus on the "weeds" or the "flowers". Guess which one will make me feel happier?

I am truly a blessed person. In sickness or in health, still blessed.
Having a good day or a crappy one. Still blessed.

What are the blessings in your life, when you stop to think about them??