17/52

 'A portrait of my boy, once a week, every week, in 2013'

Resting and pondering on the snowy white sandy shore of Boorangoora (Lake McKenzie), on K'gari (Fraser Island)...

Joining in with Jodi of Che and Fidel and her 52 Project.

{Anaru's perfectly harmonious natural bush dyed wool leggings are from the lovely Jemima of MyLiefie}

16/52

'A portrait of my boy, once a week, every week, in 2013'

Sitting in the late afternoon sunshine, sifting the sand through his fingers, feeling its texture and its warmth...

Joining in with Jodi of Che and Fidel and her 52 Project.

Mama lunch, baby lunch...

Whereever possible, the little one and I eat together at lunch, and usually I serve him the same lunch that I eat. This a lunch we eat (in various combinations) at least a couple of times each week. The noodles are a huge hit (he loves to slurp), and I give him the noodle dressing as a dipping sauce, which he loves.

Warm Soba Noodles with Tahini Dressing and Salad

 

You will need:

Soba Noodles (we use the organic Hakubaku brand)
Salad ingredients of your choice (I use whatever I have in the fridge)

Tahini Dressing

1.5 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon tahini
2 teaspoons tamari
2 teaspoons of agave nectar
juice of 1/2 a small lemon or lime

Putting it together:

Simply cook your soba noodles for the recommended time. When they are finished turn the heat off and (leaving the hot water in the pot) take your noodles out and put them in a bowl of cold water for about 20-30seconds, then return them to the hot water until you're ready to dress them. This just ensures that you have noodles that don't go gluggy and coagulate, and if you're little one/s are anything like mine, gluggy noodles won't get eaten, just thrown on the floor.

To make your dressing, simply whisk all the ingredients together with a fork until they form a smooth consistency.

Cut up or grate your salad ingredients as necessary, then mix them all together. Here, I've used carrot, avodcado, nectarine, mixed sprouted lentils/peas/mung beans, baby spinach and coriander.

Drain your soba noodles and gently mix the tahini dressing through. I generally like my noodles on their own, but you could mix the salad through the noodles and it would taste just as delicious.

Chana {Chickpeas} ~ Simple and Delicious

This is an Ayurvedic Recipe that my husband cooks for us. It's simple to prepare, and very delicious.
Enjoy!

Chana {Chickpeas}

1.5 cups Chickpeas
2 large onions (diced)
large piece of fresh ginger (approx 2 inches) (finely chopped)
8 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
3 medium sided tomatoes (or 1 punnet cherry tomatoes) (diced)
1 tsp salt (we use himalayan crystal salt)
2 tsp cumin seeds
3 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp fennel seeds
A few tablespoons of oil of your choice (we use ghee)

Soak the chana (chickpeas) overnight in water.
When you're ready to prepare your meal, boil the chana in the same water that they have soaked in with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds. You will need to check on the softness of the chickpeas, as different chickpeas can cook at different rates - we cook ours for approximately 40 minutes.

Heat your ghee (or other oil) in a medium heat pan, add onions, frying for a few minutes, then add garlic and ginger. Cook for a minute and then add your cumin seeds, coriander powder, turmeric and fennel seeds. Cook for a further minute, stirring the entire time to ensure the spices do not burn.

Add your diced tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are soft. Drain your chana, but be sure to retain the water they have been cooking in. Add the chana to the tomato mixture and stir well. Gradually add the drained water, mixing well to form a 'gravy' for the chickpeas. Cook the chana until the 'gravy' has reduced a little and thickened.

Garnish with coriander leaves (and cottage cheese if you wish) ~ enjoy!

15/52

"a portrait of my boy, once a week, every week for 2013"

Clambering, climbing, digging, splashing... ever busy, this little one of mine...

Joining in with Jodi of Che and Fidel and her 52 Project.

At dusk...

Cardamon Gingerbread Biscuits

Thanks to lots of lovely encouragement, I've started a little blog...

This recipe is so easy, and makes the most lovely gingerbread. If you aren't keen on cardamon, you can certainly leave it out.

Cardamon Gingerbread Biscuits

125g butter
1/2 cup (firmly packed) brown sugar
1 egg yolk
2 1/2 cups plain spelt flour (or any other plain flour you have)
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
3 heaped teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamon
2 1/2 tablespoons golden syrup

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add your egg yolk and beat well. Gradually add in the dry ingredients, then the syrup; mix well and then knead the mixture lightly.

Divide your dough in half and roll out one half on a lightly floured work surface, or on baking paper if you prefer. Use any shape cookie cutters you like to cut out your biscuits - be sure to leave a bit of space between each biscuit on the baking tray, as they will expand. Repeat with the second half of the dough. 

Bake your biscuits in a moderate oven (I set the temp for about 170 degrees celsius) for approximately 10 minutes - leave the biscuits to cool slightly on the tray before placing them on a baking rack to finish cooling completely.

Enjoy!