goodbye precious food

After nearly 8 years, I think it is finally time to say goodbye to the sugar flowers that decorated our wedding cake. I've never felt so sad about parting with something edible before.

Now, if only I had the guts to do the same with my wedding dress. I'm never going to wear it again, but I really can't bring myself to part with it just yet.

The flowers are enough for now.

quinoa porridge and other detox discoveries

Well, we made it through our three-week detox (just!). It is one of the toughest things I've had to do. Not because of the food we were eating, but the extreme amount of effort involved. During the detox we had to avoid dairy, wheat, gluten, processed, packaged, and canned foods. Everything had to be made from scratch. The amount of pots, pans and plates we had to wash every day was ridiculous! It was truly exhausting.

What I enjoyed, though, was discovering some new tasty meals. My husband made a heap of Zucchini Fritters for us to heat up at breakfast time. They are really simple to make and so tasty. Mix two eggs with one grated zucchini and fry in olive oil. We also added grated carrot and some sliced mushrooms, served with a bit of sea salt and ground pepper.

I loved the fritters, but didn't really want to have them every morning for three weeks. So, we cooked up some Quinoa Porridge. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is a seed that is very high in protein and is quite versatile. Boil it for 10-15 minutes, then you can make a risotto-style meal with it, or substitute for rice with a stir fry, or sweeten it up to make porridge. We blended up some berries (which gave it a spectacular colour!) and mixed it through, sprinkled some crushed nuts and sunflower seeds on top, then served with soy milk. It also tasted great with an apple puree that my husband made by boiling up some green apples. It certainly hit the spot as a 'breakfast cereal' substitute.

Another highlight was San Choy Bow. We've never made it from scratch before, but were able to make it easily with this recipe from the Metagenics website as our starting point.
Since we couldn't actually use mince during the detox, we cooked up some chicken breast cut up into small pieces in the fry pan, then used our Turbo Chef to 'mince' it. I was surprised how well it worked - I've never used it for meat before. We had no water chestnuts, but added finely chopped mushrooms, carrots, onion and whatever else we had (again, using the Turbo Chef to save time - best invention ever!). I couldn't believe that using only fresh ginger and gluten free soy sauce would give such a delicious flavour.

As well as introducing new meals to our repertoir, this detox certainly made us more aware of what goes into the food that we buy and has lead us to make better day to day decisions in that regard. But, more about that later, I reckon.

algae in a glass - detox time!

I mentioned that I was feeling bloated in a status update on Facebook several weeks ago. I was surprised when my whinge about rice crackers generated a huge response from different friends who have had similar issues. It's more common than I thought and there are so many different causes for bloating and other symptoms. I was convinced to go and get some proper advice in order to get to the bottom of my health issues.

So, I booked myself in to see a local Naturopath. In my initial consult, Susan asked me about everything. Every aspect of my life. Diet, work, hobbies, nearby electrical equipment. (At least she'll never be accused of not being thorough.) She then sent me off for a stack of blood tests. These tests revealed vitamin deficiencies, the main ones being protein and iron, and a couple of other unusual things. Also, my digestive system is all out of whack; "not enough of the good guys", I was told. This explains so many things!

That is how I ended up here. Deviating from my mission to organise the house and, instead, doing a 'command-delete' on my insides: detox!

Yep, I'm now one of those "weirdos" on a restricted diet. I never in a million years thought that person could be me. And my lovely husband is coming along for the ride. What a good guy.

The aim of this special diet is to remove toxin exposure, remove bad bacteria from the digestive system, renew and improve digestive function and release existing toxins. Mostly, it's avoiding gluten and dairy, as well as processed and packaged foods for three weeks. (This is called an 'express' detox). There are actually a lot of things on the "allowable foods" list, so the food has been quite good. It's just breakfast that has been the major challenge. But, more about the food another time.

We have just completed day 3 of our 21 day detox. And if it was just the change of diet that we had to deal with we would be cheering. But, and I believe this to be a fairly big BUT, we have been given some powdered supplements to "assist" with our detox. Morning and night we have to drink this stuff. The first, Thermo Phase Detox, is "vanilla flavoured" which I think is a very generous description. I guess it wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the texture. It's quite gritty and hard to swallow.

You should have seen us both. Standing over the sink, gagging, trying to get the stuff down. Urrggh.

Now, for the even bigger B-U-T: this "vanilla flavoured" powder is actually really enjoyable compared to powder number two. G-Tox Express curiously hasn't been labelled with a flavour. We soon found out why. Have you ever drunk a glass of pond water? No? Me either. But, if I ever did, I imagine this is what it would taste like. (And feel like, for that matter). Even my eldest son said "Yeah, it looks like algae. Like the algae in the Octonauts Algae Cleanup!" Awesome.

Check it out:

It's the most torturous thing I can ever remember doing to myself. And probably the thing that will make my husband hate me.

I just keep remembering that in a couple of weeks we'll be feeling awesome!

(And keep not remembering that we have 18 more days to go.)

the crusts

Most of the time, my children just will not eat their crusts! And it seems that this is a common problem for most parents.

The boys would make their requests for "peanut butter and buzz butter" on sandwiches. I would make the sandwiches and cut them into squares (another special request). My eldest (3.5) would gobble up everything at great speed - except the crusts - and my youngest (1.5) would eat the toppings off and leave all of the bread behind. Sigh.

Scraping all of that yummy bread into the compost was beginning to wear thin. What a waste!

I had attempted to make other things for lunch that weren't sandwiches. Especially for the little one. I served up lovingly prepared sticks of cheese, carrot, cucumber and ham, after which he ate all of the ham, took one bite from each stick and threw the rest on the floor.

Both of them keep insisting that they really do want sandwiches, so I came up with a way of making sure that every last bit of those darned sandwiches got eaten.

When the boys have 'finished' their lunch and leave the table, I grab their plates and take them to the kitchen. There, I have two small containers labelled with each of their names. I put their leftovers into the corresponding container.

After rest time, when the boys are hungry, I produce the creatively named "special containers" and make a big deal about presenting each boy with his own container that has his name on it. They choose a place to sit and then eat up all of the contents of their container.

The first time I tried this, I was amazed that it actually worked! And I didn't have to force them or anything. (Not that I was planning to force them, I just expected more of a fight about it!) After they finish the leftovers, they can then choose a piece of fruit (or whatever) to complete their afternoon tea. Woo!

(If there is still a little bit left after that, I just throw it out.)

For a little while, I was doubting myself. "Am I being too mean?"

But I soon realised that they were happy and the bread wasn't going to waste. Everyone wins!

the kitchen!

I've been completing a little bit here and there in the kitchen for months now. From the start I thought I would like to have it completed by the end of the year.
Well, I've just scraped in!

Here is what I started with:

Surprise, surprise - another embarrasing mess!

Here is what I did with the kitchen, with help from my lovely husband...

I think the pictures will speak for themselves, but I'll still point out a few highlights.

1. Installing a shelf above the bench to keep the space clear for preparing food. ($50 from Ikea)
2. Purchasing a set of tins to keep bread, tea, coffee etc in. ($16 from Kmart)
3. Investing in Tupperware! The Access Mate "Veg Out" containers were $117.65 for both. I justified this expense by repeating a "they have a lifetime guarantee!" mantra in my mind. My husband loves these. They are much more suitable for potatoes and onions than the rotting box we had previously. And they are impenetrable for creepy crawlies!
4. Ikea shelf inserts in plates and glasses cupboards.
5. Large plastic tubs for plastic containers and bake ware. (About $6 each from Kmart). These allow the containers and drink bottles to be a little more organised and I can lift them out easily to access the "occasional use items" in the hidden corner of the cupboard.
6. Moving all the dishes, bowls and platters that I use all the time into a more accessible place. 
7. Getting a new bin. We now have a bin that has two sections; a smaller section on the left for rubbish and a larger section on the right for recycling. (About $70 from Bunnings from memory). Now the recycling doesn't float all around the place in an enviro bag. Much better!

I actually feel excited to be starting a new year with a new kitchen! My whole family has noticed the difference. We can find things we need more easily, and I don't feel angry every time I need to prepare a meal for everyone. I think a happy cook produces better food. 

And, just today, James came in as I was adding the final sparkle and said "thanks for cleaning the kitchen, mum!" Nice to know I am appreciated :)

The challenge now will be to maintain that level of cleanliness. All I can do is try.

Happy New Year to you all. May next year be full of love, fun and organisation!

loving lentils

Goodbye meat!

Not forever, though. Just sometimes.

Our family is as carnivorous as they come. My husband's parents are well known for their top notch barbeques. The vast array of perfectly cooked meats they serve up is amazing. My family are into their meat too. Last Christmas my dad fired up the barbie and cooked Kransky wrapped in bacon. What better thing to wrap meat in, than more meat!? (boy was it tasty, though)

With that extremely brief history in mind, you may understand our excitement in making some very yummy meat-free discoveries lately. We never really thought to do anything other than include a meat with every meal. But, I am so glad that my husband suggested that we try branching out a bit.

My latest effort was pasta with lentils and feta. Yummo! Everyone shoveled it down within a matter of minutes. It didn't look half-bad either.
I loosely followed the recipe, adding in any fresh vegies we had in the fridge; mushroom, zuccini, onion, carrot, capsicum and a few cloves of garlic. Also, I used Australian Feta. mmmm

Spinach and ricotta cannelloni has been another favourite.
I have also made an Indian Korma with chick peas and a lentil spaghetti bolognese. These meals have been super-easy to make and are delicious.

One of the boys' swimming instructors suggested I make mushroom rice where you cook arborio (or basmati) rice in vegetable stock and add vegies. Thanks 'swimming lady'! - I'm going to try that one next week.

I think I was expecting to feel like something was missing by removing the meat from a meal. How wrong I was! Why didn't we think to try these things sooner?

I am smiling at the thought of how much money we are going to save by not having to buy meat for every single meal. And we will have much more space in the freezer too! Hooray!

I'm keen to find more recipes. So, if you have any yummy vegetarian meals that you would recommend, please let me know.

Oooh. And make sure you check back in to Command Delete next week. I'm going to be having a giveaway! And that doesn't mean I'm going to be giving away my unwanted, used junk - it's something brand new and really cool!
So, look out for it - you've gotta be in it to win it!

here's an idea...

I have compiled a list of unusual household tips and tricks for you. Some ideas are from friends and family, others are my own. Enjoy!

• If crayon finds its way onto every visible surface, then use a rubber, aka an 'eraser', to get it off.
• Baby wipes will clean almost anything. (Even if you don't have a baby, I reckon you should have a pack of baby wipes handy.)
• Put a bit of Napisan in with every wash and you'll rarely have to
  soak things.
• If, for some reason, non-washable markers end up all over your 'older' bathroom sink, rub toothpaste (yes, toothpaste!) onto the marks and then wipe off with a damp cloth. Best!
• Store all cards / money / play pieces from boardgames in snaplock bags within the game box. Environmentally friendly? Not really.
  Sanity saver? Absolutely!
• If you spill rice on the carpet, or if it gets thrown there, wait til it dries then vacuum it up. So much easier than picking single, sticky grains of rice from the floor. Also, the sound of all those bits 'pinging' up the tube of the vacuum is very satisfying. "ooh yeah. so much cleaning happening right now"
• If you use jar sauces (hey, we're not all out to win Masterchef), rather can spending hours scooping and scraping the last bits out with a spoon, add a little water, put the lid back on, shake it up, then pour it into the pan.
• After chopping onions, rub your hands on the kitchen sink to get rid of that onion smell. It really works! Try it.
  (I must check if that works for other things too, such as baby poo. That smell never seems to wash off.)

And, one more from my husband:

• If you drop zucchini on the floor, rub your face on a tea towel.

I am yet to find a way of successfully removing lipstick from carpet and getting an umbrella stain (??) off our dining table. Who knew that umbrellas could stain things? If I find an answer I will definitely let you know.

the Bokashi Bucket - composting system

I received some great suggestions after expressing my concern about having to buy bags for our general household rubbish. A friend suggested using bread bags for rubbish. A great idea! Very resourceful. But it left me thinking, "that would last about two hours in our house before having to be emptied". The reality is that we just have too much waste.

There are different ways of reducing household rubbish, but one particular thing I noticed about our household is that half of our bin was always full of organic scraps! Cores, peels, bones, fat, uneaten crusts, forgotten fridge food, and more. But, since we live in a unit, I didn't think we had any option but to throw this stuff in the bin.

How wrong I was! Another dear friend introduced me to the Bokashi Bucket. ($69.90 from Todae online eco store for a single bucket and a 1.5kg bag of Bokashi Mix). This surprisingly simple product allows anyone at all to turn their food waste into a rich fertiliser. You can put ANY food scraps into this thing including citrus, egg shells, raw and cooked meats. You can even chuck tissues and small bits of paper in.


It doesn't take up much room and can easily be used on a balcony and even inside. And here's the best thing: it doesn't smell!

After I ordered our bucket, my three year old couldn't wait for it to arrive. He loves to help with our composting and even remembers to keep his banana peels out of the rubbish bin.

Here's how it works:
1. Place your waste into the bucket
2. Mash the waste to remove air
3. Sprinkle a hand full of the Bokashi mix over the waste

You just keep layering your food scraps in the same way until the bucket is full. The Bokashi Mix is made up of wheat, grains and microbes which aid the fermenting process. You can drain off any liquid if necessary from the little tap at the front. The liquid is called 'Bokashi juice'. When diluted it makes a really great liquid fertiliser for your garden.

When your bucket is full just bury the contents in your garden to allow it to completely biodegrade. After a few weeks you will then have nutrient rich fertiliser for your plants! (Or, in our case, for our families' gardens.) Then rinse out your bucket with water and start again.

We are loving our Bokashi Bucket and are excited that our rubbish is becoming something so useful. It has also been a great way for our boys to learn about the environment and how waste breaks down.
Who knew composting could be so fun!?

I have another organised room to reveal in a few days too! Stay tuned.

the refrigerator of doom

We returned home on Monday from our week long holiday to find that there was a bit of a 'smell' coming from the fridge. The 'sorting' of the fridge was meant to have been carried out soon after I wrote my last blog entry but it never happened. So all of the problem items inside the fridge had been there significantly longer than the time we were away, but that extra week seemed to tip them over the edge.

(And, needless to say, I won't be including any photos with this blog!)

I browsed through the upper shelves of the fridge thinking back over the meals of dinner-times past,
"oh yeah, that was once a yummy shepherds pie..." and finding all of the small plastic containers that I had lost. "So THIS is where they all got to!" Some had a few left over veggies, or bits of pasta that I had intended to use later. I also found half a lemon face down on a dish that had become as hard as cement! You should have heard the sound it made when I tapped it with a butter knife.

Embarrassingly, it gets worse...

I took one look inside the veggie drawer at the bottom of the fridge, quickly shut it and walked away.
Oh my goodness!! Most of the veggies were almost completely liquified! I could make out some sad looking capsicums and the remnants of a bag of green beans. There they were, all dissolving away into a putrid juice. Liquid gold, er, mould...

I buy fresh fruit and veg every week, but don't keep a good track of what is there already, so just keep taking from the top of the pile. Dear oh dear. Mistake.

While there is absolutely no excuse for the state things were in, I am going to make one anyway:
More often than not, at the time I am accessing the fridge, I will be grabbing things to feed hungry small people. They love their food and don't take kindly to waiting any longer than they have to. So I may notice a container with food from two weeks ago, make a mental note to remove it, then walk away and promptly forget.

I have decided now that I should put up with an extra couple of minutes of whinging and remove the suspect items straight away. I am sure it is a massive health and safety risk to leave bad food sitting there. At least, on this occasion, the bad things seemed to be restricted to their own containers or bags.

I have also begun dating things when I open them, such as tomato paste, so I can plan to use them up before they start to rot. And less waste is also an extremely good thing!

My husband suggested that a good time to remove things is before they turn to liquid. Noted. And a fair call too, since he and his iron stomach are the ones to clean out that drawer and completely wash it with soapy water. It is so lovely and sparkly now. (A million times thank you!!)

Together we have turned our refrigerator of doom into a refrigerator of DESTINY!

and the food lived happily ever after...

Well, it's certainly looking that way at the moment. A few people have asked how I went with the rolling pantry. I can finally give you an update.

I took a two minute walk around the corner to Mitre 10 a couple of weeks ago. A member of staff saw me standing in front of the castor wheels looking a bit perplexed (there were a LOT of wheels!), so asked if he could help. [Sure. That would be great.] So, I explained, in detail, the issue I was having and told him I needed two inch fixed castor wheels.
He told me the kind that matched my description were out of stock.
[Of course they were. Sigh.]
So, he ordered them in for me.

Almost a week later a got a call saying they were in. [Yippee! - never in my life have I been so excited about wheels.] I took the boys with me straight away to pick them up.
I was just about to pay for them, when [hang on a minute!?], I noticed that they were SWIVEL castor wheels!! [how can it be this hard to find wheels that don't do anything fancy?? They just need to ROLL for goodness sakes!]

I returned home empty handed and a bit grumpy. I wanted the food out of our laundry. So, when the boys had their naps that afternoon, I headed straight for my trusty ol' pal, Ebay! I found exactly what I wanted within five minutes and for a fraction of the usual cost! They were shipped from Queensland and arrived two days later. I then attached them to the pantry myself. I had to sand back a couple of lumps on the wheels to get them running smooth (you get what you pay for), but the end result is a fully functioning rolling pantry.

All of our food is now either in the fridge, beside the fridge in the rolling pantry, or in the two drawers underneath the oven. My friend upstairs informed me that those drawers are the only place in the kitchen that cockroaches can't get into. Win!!

So, I am feeling extremely organised in the food department at the moment. We can see (and reach) all the food we have, it is fairly neatly arranged, and we now have a sensible amount of everything too. I am surprising even myself! Although, I haven't really sorted out the fridge yet. I have been stalling. I am very very afraid of what I might find. Will definitely be wearing gloves for that job!

But, I guess I got my happy ending.
Or is it the beginning...?