Earth Babies Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Food’

What is your fall-back sure-fire get the kids to eat recipe?
email it to us at admin@earthbabies.co.za and stand a chance to win Enchantrix bubble bath for the kids.

Mine is a tupperware quiche recipe. We make it with tuna mayonnaise -plain and simple. We generally eat it with sweet potato or butternut and something green (cucumber is their favourite salad item and one they will ALWAYS eat). I added a simple shortcrust crust to the original recipe and I have also gotten lazy in the prep where i mix all the filling ingredients together with a fork – without the cheese, pour it into the pastry base and then top with cheese. The kids like it this way as then the egg custard is not a separate layer. When I am patient enough to handle the mess, they will help me prepare it.
(this was tonights supper and though I did take a pic to share the camera batteries have died on me – so no pics today)

Quick to make, really yummy and you can get creative (my favourite ‘big peoples’ version was bacon, roasted butternut, feta and mushroom). I am sharing the recipe as I originally wrote it down (plus the crust option).

Quick Shake Savoury Tart

Be creative with filling, mix and match or just plain all is good!
Filling ideas:
- 1 cup pineapple, 1 tin tuna
- 1 tin tuna, mayonnaise, feta & chopped peppers
- 1 cup Bacon (viennas, ham), 150g mushrooms, 1 onion (chopped and fried)
- asparagus salad cuts
- 175g spinach (cooked & chopped), 25ml grated onion
- sweetcorn (makes for a yummy sweetcorn bake with braai)

PREHEAT OVEN TO 180C

A. Crust:
Note: can be made without a crust
1 part butter
1 part flour
(eg 200g butter / 200ml flour)
3 ml salt
Place flour and marge (firm) in a bowl add salt .
Rub together with finger tips till it forms crumbs (looks like lumpy breadcrumbs)
Grease a pie dish (lemon meringue dish)
Place mix in dish and press roughly into base of dish

B. Filling:
Place filling ingredients over crust base.
Sprinkle 1 cup grated cheese over top
Pour egg custard over the top

C. Egg custard:
150ml milk
30ml flour
3ml salt
2ml seasoning
2 large eggs
5ml mustard (optional)

Place all ingredients in a shaker and shake
Pour over filling.
Place in oven for 30 minutes
Makes enough for a 4-6 meal servings (with salad or vegetables)

WINNER OF THIS GIVEAWAY IS COMMENT NO 20 SHANELLE – CONGRATS AND ENJOY YOUR PRIZE SHANELLE ♥

For most parents it seems to be a concern on how to encourage and keep track of whether your child is eating enough fruit and veg. A friend has launched a very cute and effective concept to encourage children to have their 5 fruits and veg a day in a visual and simplistic way that is not only fun for the children but informative for the parent.
www.concious-living.co.za

Yvy has kindly gifted a pack for a giveaway - in order to be placed in the draw all you need to do is make a comment below before the 31st july 2010
(and please pop over to Concious-Living there is a list of what magnets are included in the pack on the Products page)

Use our 5-a-day Fridge Magnets to keep your family’s health on track!

Every time your child eats a fruit or vegetable allow them to put that particular magnet on the fridge. This allows you to keep track of their daily eating habits, and also increases their awareness of healthy foods.

At just a glance you will be able to see whether your child is achieving his 5-a-day of fruit and veg every day.

5 Reasons to buy 5-a-day Fridge Magnets:

*Raises awareness of healthy foods

*Encourages healthy choices and healthy eating

*Promotes healthy bodies and stronger immune systems

*Increases the likelihood of using a variety of fruit and vegetables

*Designed to be educational and fun, fun, fun!

I wrote this article on Jozi kids about Halloween, you can read it here on their blog

I remember the dilemma I had when we went Trick-or-treating the first time when we lived in England, I try where possible to limit my kids sweet and sugar intake, but this was now sweet heaven a whole bag full of sticky delightful sweets. A kids dream come true. Should I just let them have the sweets and enjoy them or should I changed them from healthier snacks? In the end I thought you are only a kid once and sweets at Halloween are unlikely to kill them. All things in moderation I guess is the answer.

It does not stop me thinking I wish we could cut sugar out of our lives totally. I have read so much about it negative effects on our bodies. I read this article Sugar the Sweet Thief of Life a few years ago, it is a long read but quite scary to see what effect it has on our bodies, and ever since then I have wanted to get rid of it, but it is way easier said than done when I myself have a very sweet tooth.

I know I will never be able to cut sugar out all together as much as I would like to, maybe I just have to make peace with trying to limit it where I can and substitute with other snacks. I don’t want to be fanatical though as I think the forbidden always becomes more alluring to kids. So I guess a sweet overload at Halloween and other times like this is just part of the joys of growing up.

While reading about all things healthy and always being on the look out for stuff to try I came across Kefir. I started asking around at health shops and trying to see if I could find anyone that had some to share but most people did not even know what I was talking about. Quite by chance I asked at one health shop after I had almost given up hope of finding any and not only did the lady know what I was talking about she had a number of where I could get some from.

So if after reading this you like the idea of kefir and want try it please feel free to contact me and I will happily share mine with you. Once your own batch starts to grow be sure to share it with others.

So what is it and why should you try get your hands on some.

What is Kefir?

Kefir is a fermented milk drink. The word kefir is said to have originated from the Turkish word “Keif” which means “good feeling”.
Kefir Grains are white or cream coloured grains that look a bit like cauliflower florets and they ferment milk. This grain is a like culture of more than 30 microflora that form grains or cauliflower-like structures in the milk. As they ferment the milk they grow creating new grains. Real kefir from live culture is an endlessly self-propagating process. So as your grains multipy you will have enough to share with others.

Microorganisms present in the grains include lactic acid bacteria, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lb delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lb helveticus, Lb casei subsp. pseudoplantarum and Lb brevis, a variety of yeasts, such as Kluyveromyces, Torulopsis, and Saccharomyces, acetic acid bacteria among others. They give kefir excellent keeping qualities by keeping putrifying bacteria that might otherwise colonise the milk at bay. They’ve been shown to inhibit both salmonella and E. Coli in laboratory tests.

Kefir and Health

Okay so this is the why part, why would you want to get some of these little grains to ferment your milk?

Kefir helps restore the balance in gut flora and has many reputed health benefits. It has antibiotic and antifungal properties. It has been used to help in many conditions including metabolic disorders, atherosclerosis, allergies, tuberculosis, cancer, poor digestion, candidiasis, osteoporosis, hypertension, HIV and heart disease. While it might seem strange to drink something with yeast in for a condition like candidiasis it helps restore natural balance, the micro elements kill of the Candida Albicans.

In addition to beneficial bacteria and yeast, kefir contains many vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes. Particularly calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, B2 and B12, vitamin K, vitamin A and vitamin D. Tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids abundant in kefir, is well known for its relaxing effect on the nervous system. Because kefir also has an abundance of calcium and magnesium, also important minerals for a healthy nervous system, kefir in the diet can have a particularly calming effect on the nerves.

Even many lactose intolerant people can tolerate Kefir as long as it is raw and not cooked, and it is usually of great benefit to them.

Research into Kefir:

www.torontoadvisors.com

www.nourishkefir.co.uk

How to make it:

www.seedsofhealth.co.uk