The Essentials: How does your pantry compare?

In The Age today, foodie Charlotte Wood revealed the staple ingredients contained within her pantry. Naturally, whilst reading it I was mentally comparing each necessity to my own kitchen stores. Here's my take on Charlotte's list:

Baby Nellie turns 1 - and we eat good food.

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By now you may know that my daughter Nellie turned one a few weeks ago (in case you missed it, I've posted here and here on Nellie's party). In this final installment of the goings-on I thought I'd let you know what we ate.

Thai-time :: Pork and Zucchini stirfry.

This is how a professional does it.....

Lately I have been trying to limit how much I've been spending at the supermarket. The freezer, pantry and fridge are groaning with produce - and it ain't all fresh. When I look beyond the everyday staples parked at the front, I find things submerged in the freezer pack ice and stashed in the pantry corners which are approaching, and in some cases well past, their expiry dates.

Plain & simple: comfort food the whole family loves.

Every family has its fussy eaters. In ours, I'm probably the worst culprit. But as I'm usually the one in charge of deciding and preparing meals, I can tailor what we eat around what I like. Bonus!

But when it's the kids who get picky, we tend to get worried that they're not eating enough or the right things. We definitely experience this with Jack and try to play down his inconsistent dislikes (usually colour-related, red and green causing the most trouble) and try to get the good stuff into him where ever possible and by whatever means.

Good Things #5/366 :: In Which I Make Toasted Muesli.

I like muesli. Unfortunately, I`m a fussy mueslian. Luckily, I like the muesli I make for myself. Happy co-incidence, no? Good Thing, yes!

Here`s my recipe for a yummy toasted muesli which I try to make every couple of months. I vary it a little bit each time and below is the recipe I used this morning. Easy peasy japan-esy!

Goodbye 2011, you were so good to me...

Another year has passed, and what a year it was. We had our second baby, beautiful Nellie May, complete with Mummy drama; Jack started at CPEC and in kinder; and my husband suddenly lost the job he'd had for 16 years, only to then accept one based overseas. Eventful, challenging and rewarding.

To celebrate we had dinner with some very close friends who also have a couple of very young children and had our traditional epicurean seafood dinner. Nothing too elaborate, but always a bit decadent and lots of fun.

I heart Bill

I'm a little bit in love with Bill Granger. It's true. Especially since his new series 'Tasty Weekends' began on ABC TV two weeks ago, my crush has grown a little stronger, particularly as the settings are glossy travel magazine-style like the Essex countryside and sand dunes on a glorious Sussex beach in the type of holiday accomodation I always dreamt of.

Here we go....

So, first post.

And it's cooking! My son's third birthday is coming up and I have a lot to do. We're having just a few family and friends at home for a fingerfood style BBQ, so I thought I'd do some lamb koftas which I can prepare ahead, freeze and then pop in the oven on the day to reheat. It's a recipe I've done a couple of times before from 'The Essential Fingerfood Cookbook' by Murdoch Books.