Tag: toddler

Simple Fish Pie

| March 12, 2013

Welcome to my family meals where I share my favourite fresh, nutritious, easy and quick meals for the whole family to enjoy. Where possible, we always eat and cook with organic ingredients. I like to buy the freshest produce for my family to ensure we’re getting the essential vitamins and minerals we need through our food.

This Simple Fish Pie is nutritious, quick (the green beans and spinach cook in the oven) and my toddler loves it.

Serves 4

Prep Time 10 minutes. Cooking Time 25 minutes.

You’ll Need:

  • 1 Red Onion
  • 2 cloves of Garlic
  • 8 Potatoes
  • 2 Carrots
  • 200g Green Beans
  • 3 handfuls of Spinach Leaves
  • Tin of Salmon
  • 1/2 cup Milk (to help mash the potatoes and carrots)
  • Sprinkle of low-fat Cheese for the topping
  • Sprinkle of Pepper to taste
  • Serve with Sweetcorn (I use super sweet Waitrose Organic Frozen Sweetcorn)

Let’s Make Simple Fish Pie

Fish Pie

1. Wash and chop the potatoes and carrots. Boil until soft.

2. Chop and saute the onion and garlic in some olive oil.

3. Wash and chop the green beans into small bite sized cuts. Add to the onion and garlic for a few minutes and stir occasionally.

4. Open the tin of salmon. Add the onions, garlic, green beans, salmon and spinach into a Pyrex Dish and mix together.

5. Mash the potatoes and carrots with a little milk until you have a smooth consistency.

6. Add the mashed potato mix on top of the vegetables and salmon.

7. Sprinkle a little cheese over the potato mix and add pepper to taste.

8. Cook in the oven on fan bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes (until potato top is turning golden).

9. Boil frozen sweetcorn for 40 seconds.

simple fish pie

10. Serve with sweetcorn and savour this hearty and healthy meal with your family.

fish pie

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Baby Passport Photos

| March 5, 2013

When we were in New Zealand I took Imogen to a shop to have some photos taken for her New Zealand passport application.

Alas, the cameraman didn’t even get as close as clicking the camera’s button. Imogen didn’t want to stay still for a second. He kindly told me I could take some mugshots of my toddler at home and he would let me know if they’d do for a New Zealand passport.

The rules for baby and toddler passport photos seem to be much stricter in New Zealand. Babies cannot have their eyes closed and he clearly stated (looking at Imogen) that any ‘frizzy or loose’ hair must be tied away from the face.

Keeping Imogen’s eyes open isn’t a problem now she’s a toddler and alert 24/7 (or so it feels like it). But tying her hair back is tricky and getting her to look perfectly straight ahead at the camera is nigh on impossible. Her hair still isn’t quite long enough to tie back without clipping the shorter strands at the sides. So trying to get a hair tie in and then clipping the sides of her hair back meant I literally had three seconds to snap away before she pulled the ponytail out and ran out of the room… giggling loudly as I chased her down the hallway!

As these photos show, this is why you shouldn’t try and take baby passport photos…

Passport

Come on, just give up Mummy!

Top 5 Foods for a Good Night’s Sleep

| February 15, 2013

Waitrose Bananas

Waitrose Bananas

As a parent I count my blessings each time I get a full night’s sleep, it’s enough to make me want to jump out of bed with joy in the morning. If my toddler doesn’t wake me then I’m usually lucky enough to sleep through the night. But on occasion when I just can’t drift into a slumber, whether for reasons of stress or just a plain old inability to sleep, I turn to natural foods to assist.

There are some simply brilliant foods to help induce Zzz’s. These foods contain tryptophan which converts to serotonin and melatonin, the brain’s key calming chemicals. Serotonin promotes calm and melatonin helps to cause drowsiness and lower body temperature for a restful sleep. The perfect package for shut-eye.

I recommend trying one or two of these foods 90 minutes before you plan to close your eyes so your digestive system has time to process what you eat before slumber. It’s always a good idea to avoid caffeine and alcohol at least four hours before sleep and don’t go to bed when you’re either hungry or full as this will contribute to a disrupted night’s sleep.

Top 5 Foods for a Good Night’s Sleep

1. Bananas
High in serotonin and melatonin, bananas also contain potassium and magnesium which is a muscle relaxant.

2. Oatmeal
A small bowl of oatmeal contains melatonin and complex carbohydrates which can help more tryptophan get into the brain. Topped with some warm milk this is a healthy source of comfort food and if you’re slightly peckish it will keep those hunger pangs at bay.

3. Almonds
A handful of almonds contains tryptophan and magnesium to relax muscles.

4. Low-fat Cottage Cheese
Low-fat cottage cheese contains tryptophan and is a lean source of protein that will help keep your blood sugar regulated throughout the night.

5. Flaxseed
Known for their mood lifting properties. Sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of flaxseed on a small bowl of oatmeal or on a portion of low-fat cottage cheese.

If you feel like a warm drink before bed a cup of chamomile tea can help to promote calm thanks to chamomile’s natural soothing properties. If you want something a little richer a glass of warm milk contains tryptophan and calcium, known to reduce stress and stabilise nerve fibres.

Take your pick from these Top 5 Foods and see what works best for you.

Most importantly, don’t stress about not sleeping. Having a regular routine before bed will help to get your mind and body in the mood for sleep. A warm bath with some relaxing aromatherapy oils and reading a good book before bed contribute to winding down and preparing for rest.