Tantrums

I wouldn't be one of those parents that you would probably call a peaceful parent. I don't think peace at all costs is worth it. Instead I like the peace of knowing that when I take all my children to the supermarket on shopping day, that they are most like not going to throw a tantrum, swear, touch things they shouldn't, etc. We are loving parents who love our children dearly and in that want them to have the advantages of know how to behaviour if different social situations. I recently answer a comment of a page about how to deal with Tantrums. Which got me thinking, it's not something we deal with much because we have tried to teach the children how we expect them to behave in different situations, like the supermarket. Now we still deal with the attitude problems of being asked to do something and them not wanting to do it~ something we are currently combating, and I should say that none of my children have what would be called "behavioural issues" or "medical issues". SO I'm not asking something of them that they can't do. But here is my response to dealing with Tantrums.

I think it depends on the reason for the behaviour, if it is happening because there is a communication problem, ie they can't explain what they want, or your not understanding, that is very different that one because you have said no to something. The first we do is re communicate what they are saying, You are asking for a ...., no we are about to have lunch, so we are not having that." SO that they know I have heard them, understand what they are asking, and communicate why we are or are not doing that. If they are asking for something ie chocolate while we are out at the shop, and I have said no, then they where to throw themselves on the floor screaming or what ever (rarely happens for us) I would simple pick them up, put the in the trolley, and say when you have settled down we will talk about, but the rule for us is that is behaviour is never rewarded with what the child wants. For us the biggest thing is "Training" in that I mean if you want your children to behave a certain way in a certain situation, when practise before hand, play shops, play doctors waiting room, play whatever it is, waiting until your in the situation is a bit late. We normally will practise it at home, talk through what we are going to do and what is expected of them in the car, then go a head and do it. I also distract the children with singing often. Yes I'm the crazy lady with the 5 children walking through the super market sing, "row, row, row the boat" We try and do things like shopping in the morning after everyone is feed and fresh, make the trip as much fun as we can, but their are times when you can't, you have to just deal with what happens, but I have found the more you spend time doing things like practice the less likely you are to get behaviours you don't want.

We don't believe that you should punish a child for doing something that you have failed to teach them about, ie the first time the draw on the wall. Well no Mummy hasn't told you that we don't draw on walls, So then that would be a training opportunity, and explain why we don't, making sure they know that is not something we want them doing. However if they do it again, we then will discipline the child. Depending on the behaviour, depends of the disciple used.

Teachable Opportunities!

Look for teachable opportunities, you never know how you may help someone else

I remember a time when I only had two children, and was having a play date at the park with a close friend, while we where chatting one of her friends came to say hi, and mentioned she was pregnant. So I asks a few questions to be included in the conversation, like, when are you due?, how are you feeling?, and are you going to find out the sex?. the other questions where fine, but the last one changed the conversation. She said "oh no we don't do ultra sounds!" I was really surprised as at that point I had never met anyone who had a problem with U/S. But instead of seeing this an opportunity to share with me about why they choose not to, she went on whole different manner of "I'm a better Mother than you, because of the choices I make".

Only now after having 5 children, with number 6 on the way, have I really developed my beliefs about birth and pregnancy and can stand on them. However I do wonder how much soon that journey would/could have progressed had that Lady seen it as a teachable opportunity.

Tomatoes!

Well this year in our Garden we are doing Tomatoes Galore! We have over twenty different variety's to try. So we are preparing our soil, and have started some of our seeds in the green houses. Must admit that I am most excited to see the heaps of them have popped there heads out of the soil to say Hello!

The children Love watching seedlings grow, as do I! It makes eating the end product so much more rewarding. Putting that food on the table and knowing that I am giving my family the best that I can. Also knowing how packed with flavour and goodness, makes me smile inside and out.

The blossoms are starting on the trees to show that winter is nearly over, and there is work to be done. Our garden walls still need finishing and bed's need organising, where are we going go to grow all this food?, and how? is the questions that we are working out now. Our aim is to grow as much of our own food as we can. So the Raspberry canes are in and starting to sprout, Strawberry are settling in to their new home near the front gate. Blueberries, pineapple Guava, Mulberry tree, Apple trees, Pear, Peach, Lemon, Lime, if only we have apricots....are still a few years away from reaping the fruits of those harvests. So looking forward to it!

How are things working out at your place?

Have you started your seeds or still waiting for a few more weeks?

Spring is nearly here and I can't wait!

Happy Growing!

What we are ordering from Digger's This Winter.

This year is hopefully going to a a big/Good year in our garden so here is a list of some of things that we are hoping to grow in our Garden. All available to use in Tasmania from the Diggers Club.


Pumpkin Heirloom Mix.
Pumpkin Anna Swartz
Butter Nut Pumpkin

Pennsylvania Dutch Crook neck

Fat Bastard Asparagus

Artichoke

3 colour Bean Mix
-Blue Lake
- Rattle Snake
-Purple King

Cooks Dried Bean Mix
-Red Kidney
- Cherokee Wax
- Borlotti
- Red Yin Yang
- French Flagolot

Romanesco Broccoli
Waltham Broccoli

Brussels Sprouts Ruby

Carrot Heirloom mix
-Red, white,Purple, and yellow Carrots.

Corn
-Honey and Cream, F1
White Corn F1

Cumcubers
-Lemon
-Spacemaster
-Japanese Climbing

Tuscan Kale

Lettuce and Leaf Vegies
- Australian Yellow Leaf
- Mesclum mix
- Crispmint
- Great Lakes
- Edive Natacha

Rock melons
- Ananas
- French Charentais

Water Melon
- Black mountain
- Sweet Siberia
- Golden Midget

Green Feast Peas

Five Colour Mix Beets.
Bloomsdale Spinach
Red Malabar Spinach

Black Krim Tomato
Black Russian Tomato
Riesentraube Tomato

Zucchini Three colour Mix
Zucchini Tromboncino

So this is just the Beginning. We still need to decide on All the Tomato Varieties, Capsicum varieties, Eggplant varieties, and a few other bits and pieces for this years garden that we can't get from Diggers. Which is where Lost seeds comes into it. Can't wait to get started.

What are Treats?

When I was a child if you asked me this question the answer would have been fairly simple, Lollies, Cakes, Ice cream,Take Away, Chocolate...pretty much everything that is sweet and unhealthy. You got treats for being Good, behaving yourself or because someone loved you.

So growing up with this mind set, when I did well on an exam, or Achieved something I would "Treat" myself. When things were not going so great in life and feeling down, I would "Treat" myself, as a pick me up.

Our Ideas of Treats is fashioned in many ways by many people. Advertising, "You deserve....", Parents, "If you behave ...."

Now being a Parent myself my Idea of a "Treat" has changed a lot. When you really think about things and look at them for what they are, is it really rewarding and nice to give someone you love a food that there bodies are going to have to recover from... Very few treat foods that one can buy from the supermarket, are made with Health in mind. Most are full of processed sugars, poisons, chemicals, and things that you wouldn't dream of eating if you really knew what it was.

SO that being said does that mean that I can't treat me family...Of course you can. But wouldn't the best treats be ones that give your family health, that makes them actually feel good after eating it? My mind set has started to change from that of giving food that will cause damage, to one of "Packing in as much nutrition in as I can". For example, Apricot ice cream made with real food, not chemicals. Blueberry Kefir or Yoghurt Cake. Blueberries are full of antioxidants. Yes while the cooking process kills some nutrients, it makes others available. Just a few of the many suggestions out there. Plus food that is made with real food, like butter, and Rapadura or Raw sugar, and don't forget Fruit! A real favourite on our house in fruit salad and yoghurt.

Treat food doesn't have to be boring and when they are made at home and you have put the effort into making them you feel this pleasure and joy of giving something that you know will benefit you family. Plus the added bonus is that you will probably eat less of it than the something you picked up at the store, because it takes long to prepare and your family can appreciate your efforts. :)

So here's my recipe for the Day.

Blueberry Kefir Cake
Ingredients
125g Butter
1 Cup Caster Sugar
2 Cups plain flour - you can use white or wholemeal, we like the wholemeal version Better.
3 Tsp. Baking powder
3/4 Cup of Kefir or yoghurt
1 cup of blueberries, fresh or frozen.

1. Preheat oven to 180c. Grease a round spring form Cake tin.
2. Using an electric mixer, or whisk, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating to combine.
4. Add half the flour mix (flour and baking powder, and half the kefir, stir to combine.
5. Add the remainder of flour mix and kefir and stir until combined. Be careful not to over work the batter, just until combined.
6. Spread mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with blueberries. Press blueberries in slightly.
7. bake for 50 mins,or until a skewer comes out clean. If the top of the cake seems to be getting too dark, cover with foil.
8. Let cool and sprinkle with Icing Sugar.

Eat and Enjoy! The better the Ingredients the better more nutrients.

Warm Winter Meal

So winter is the time for Hearty, warm casserole meals, so here is one that has lasted us for 4 meals.

Beef and Beans Casserole
Ingredients
3 cans of Tomatoes, or 15 frozen tomatoes.
5 tb Worcestershire sauce, we use organic
One piece of Beef casserole steak, diced
1 can or equivalent of Kidney Beans, Or any beans that you have on hand
3 cloves garlic, crushed or diced
1 onion diced
Mixed vegies, I had carrots, corn, green beans, peas, I also a large Swede, which I diced, you could also add potatoes, or any other vegies that you have available.
Herbs, I used dried Basil, Oregano, parsley, Marjoram.
Salt and Pepper to taste.

A few years ago, I realised that by buying a boxes of tomatoes, was a lot cheaper than buy per kg, and then I also had the thought of freezing them in lots of 5 that would be equal that same 1 Can of crushed, or whole tomatoes, with the added bonus of no preservatives. As we go on with our journey of grow our own, I hope to actually use all our own organic tomatoes for this. Another extra bonus is that they taste great, better than any canned tomato that I have tasted. Plus the saving is heaps. 10kg of Tomatoes cost between $5-10, so on average 1 packet of tomatoes cost around 20cents. You can't buy canned tomatoes that cheap.

So in saying that they first step in the recipe for me was to put my three packs of frozen tomatoes into the slow cooker to defrost.

After they have melted down a little, you can easily pull the skins off if you wish.

The next is very easy, you simple add all of your ingredients to the slow cooker,(add enough water to just cover the ingredients), except the salt and pepper, and let it cook for 5 or more hours. Before serving taste and add your salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with mashed Potato, Rice, Pasta, or simply crusty Bread.

I served mine with Fettuccine Pasta, and Fresh baked bread.


Giving Left Overs New Life
For us there was plenty left over and I added more than we would need so that it could become another meal. So the children and I had some for Lunch the next day, and still plenty left for another meal.

SO I then added another batch of tomatoes, and bit more water, Lentils, chick peas, and more beans, which then turned this casserole into another meal, of mostly beans, which the family enjoyed with rice and a sprinkle of cheese. Could also have served it as buritos, in wraps with cheese, or taco mix, or again mashed potatoes. Really Anything that your family likes.

And again there was still enough for Lunch for the children and myself.

Something I am realising is that when you respect food, and not waste the ingredient that you have one meal can actually do many meals. So what was intended for one meals actually did 4 meals.

Enjoy your winter meals!

Children Zest for Life!



I have been thinking recently and over the years, how amazing children are! Having five, we have several different stages of development in our house. One thing that I love about watching children grow, is their amazing love for life. Most days I hear at least one child say,"watch me!", "See what I can do now!". They are excited about learning, excited by pushing there bodies to find out what they can do with them. Always trying out new things.

So what happens then when we become adults?

For many of us the thought of running a marathon sounds like a lot of work. Doing the dishes is work, hanging out washing is work. But for children, they think it is fun! They love playing Mummy and Daddy, pretending to do the things that we see as work.

For me as a home educating Mum, I wait to try my best to keep this natural love of learning alive. Help my children continue in that passion of discovery of how things work, why things are so, how far their bodies can go, how fast they can run....etc the list is endless, and hopefully in the process, I will also get somewhat back to that place of simple joy, and exploration.