Vegemite is an Australian product.  If you are an Australian, you have to have this product in your kitchen pantry.  I am not an Australian, but my husband and kids are.  They love their Vegemite!  I have a big jar in my pantry.  They have it on their toasts with butter.  It is a taste that takes some getting used to.

Recently, Vegemite launched another product called Vegemite iSnack2.0.  It is actually a blend of Vegemite and cream cheese, which I found tastier, less salty and easier to get used to.  My kids love it.  They dip their carrot sticks in it, spread a generous amount on their crackers, sandwiches.

I also used it recently to make the Cheesy Vegemite Pinwheels for their afternoon tea.

This recipe is from www.vegemite.com.au

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of self raising flour
• Pinch of salt
• 50g butter (room temperature)
• 350ml milk
• 1-2 tablespoons of Vegemite
• 200g grated cheddar cheese

1. Sift the flour and salt into a big bowl.  Then rubbed in the butter till the flour becomes crumbly in texture.  Next pour in the milk till it makes a soft dough. 
2. Knead gently on a floured surface, and roll into a rectangle shape of 40 X 25cm.  Spread the vegemite onto the dough, then sprinkle 3/4 of the cheese.  Then roll along the long side to enclose the cheese.  Cut it up into pieces.

3.  Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake in a hot oven (220deg c) for 15-20 minutes.

This is a really easy recipe for the family.  You can also substitute the fillings with Nutella, Chocolate, Cheese & Ham, Cinnamon and Pecan …is up to you!

Give it a try and share with me what other fillings work for you and your family!

It was Sunday afternoon just after one.

It was also nap time for Chloe and Lara.  While JD doesn’t usually nap, he would still lie in his bed, read his magazine, a book, or build his Lego quietly for an hour. 

On this partiular day, he excitedly ran out of his room during rest time, saying “Mum, I saw a really cool bird”

Ha ha, it was so cute.  He was sitting on his bunk bed, studying the magpie in the back garden.

He also had a binocular in his hands so he could have a closer look at the bird.

This boy is very inquisitive.  Always curious.  Always checking out new things.  My crazy but very cool kid.

The 5th month has been a big month for this little one!  Almost everything is happening!

(Picture taken on 18th November 2009.  I love her wide eyed curious look!)

For a start, she is on the roll!  And now, she is even moving around in circle on her tummy!  She is considered mobile!  No more  just lying there still on the floor, she can wriggle, she can roll, she can turn, she can move it!  If she spotted a toy within her reach, she will roll over as swift as Kung Fu Panda, then move her body so that she gets to her toy, and into her mouth the toys she licks!  Ha!  She is actually playing with her baby toys, shaking her rattle, ringing her bell…oooo, this month has opened up a whole new world for her.

(Picture taken on 12th November 2009.  Feet in the air, hands grabbing onto my toes, I can even roll from side to side)

Then there’s her 2 toothy pegs!  Yes, they have sprouted!  Two little ones at the bottom.  I don’t remember the other 2 cutting their teeth this early, but it’s great, two are out, woo hoo!  Besides being a little bit bothered by it once in a while, sleeping a bit more during the day, we have gone through the first 2 relatively well. 

(Picture taken on 12th November 2009.  I am gumming onto my fingers, toys when those toothy pegs are borthering me).

During the day, Lara has also settled into a nice little routine.  She rise at 7am, and continue to stay in her cot till I had my shower and got myself ready.  Then I will pick her up, change her, and bring her out to the lounge room to join her siblings having their breakfast.  Once I had my breakfast, I will give her a morning feed.  We then drop JD to school, come home just after 9′ish in the morning, and she will go for her morning nap for about an hour plus.  When she is rested, had a good feed, she is usually very happy with lots of smiles.  If I were to run some errands, shopping, meeting up people, appointments, that’s when we will go right after her morning nap.  She then naps again just after mid-day till we have to go pick up JD from school.  In the late afternoon, around 4.30pm, she will have a cat nap for about half an hour.  That is usually enough time for me to get the older kids showered, heat up the dinner or make a quick salad!

(I love this little outfit I bought for her from www.springkids.com, showing off her rolls nicely, hee!)

Now, out of all 3 kids, she has been the one that would just go along with all our activities.  JD has soccer, gymnastic, and Chloe has her swimming and Gymbaroo every week.  Lara so far has tagged along to all these activities, sitting in her pram, watching her siblings from the side.  And as we all know, babies automatically draw crowds, so I always have someone (usually another mum or someone’s grandmother) volunteering to help me hold her if she fusses!  By now, Lara knows a few familiar faces at the various venues, and is usually the same person that will go and give her a cuddle if she becomes unsettle because I am helping Chloe with her swimming or gym.  Not forgetting, she also needs to tag along to all the groceries shopping, doctor’s, dentist appointments, birthday parties…everywhere!   She is a “well-travelled” baby! 

I must admit that Lara is the only baby, that after having her, I am still keeping up with all the other siblings activities. 

(Picture taken on 14th November 2009.  Sitting patiently in my pram while I watch my sis Chloe and mummy swimming in the pool). 

I especially enjoy waking up to see her face in the morning.  She will smile, chat, kick her feet happily when is awake in the morning.  The siblings are usually the first one to run to her cot, happily greeting her with a “Good morning Lara” every morning!

(JD and Chloe continue to enjoy Lara just as much.  They get even more excited now that she is rolling, reaching out to toys.  They are such fun together.  They really love Lara.

(Pictures taken on 18th November 09.  This is our usual routine around 4ish in the afternoon.  Kids came home from school, had their afternoon tea, then it’s PLAY time with baby Lara).

But I love them ALL!

(Picture taken on 18th November 2009.  JD and Chloe like to play the little piggy fingers game with Lara, their favourite part is when they get to tickle her).

One Saturday before, I got Chloe to do some baking.  I set up the ingredients for her, and guided her what to do.  It was nice, seeing how attentive she could be when she puts her mind to it.  She thrives on a good challenge and she gets a huge sense of satisfaction when she accomplish something by herself!

Truth be told, Chloe is a little girl that has ample amount of will and energy.  She needs to have a strong sense of purpose but also a good routine in her daily lives.  She would never be happy enough to sit on the side line and watch!  She needs to PARTICIPATE!  And if I were to make a cake, there is no way I could make it without a 3yo 110cm toddler with her neck stretch like an ostritch constantly asking “Mummy, what u doing? Why are u mixing it with banana?  Why are you measuring the flour?  Can I do it?  Can I eat it?  Can we add chocolates in it? ”

Truth also. Chloe is a very special girl to me.  Because she has stretched my ability to another level.  Tested my faith, patience, beliefs in my own parenting.  I have had doubts in my parenting many times with her, of how I am going to bring her up wisely, shaping her will, without breaking her spirit at all.  I have lied in my bed many times, late at night, thinking about her, frustrated but at the same time grateful for the difference she has made in my life.  But if I do it right with her now, I believe the effort can go a long way.  She is strong will, has a strong sense of purpose, is motivated, creative and loves a good challenge. 

Parenting  her requires a strong sense of love, patience,  creativity, and not to mention tonnes of energy and humour!  That no matter how difficult it has been a day with her at times, I must still continue to love her.

So cooking with my 3yo gives her a great sense of pleasure and satisfaction!  And great fun too!  So if you are thinking of something to do with your litle ones at home during the weekend, or the week ahead, give baking a try!

(First, you break open an ovrerripe banana into the mixing bowl)

(Then you add the melted butter, eggs and sifted flour in)

(Using your strong muscles, mixed it all together with a spoon)

(Then put some batter into a ziplock bag, snip the corner off and pour into a muffin pan)

(Then sit tight for 15 minutes, act silly, wait for the cupcakes to cook)

(Once in a while, if you can’t sit still like me, go have a peep into the oven)

(But never never open the oven door without an adult, because it is HOT!)

Ingredients:

• 125g butter
• 125ml milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 cup mashed banana
• 1.5cup or 225g self-raising flour

1. Place butter and milk in a pan, over low heat till the butter melts.
2. Pour the butter mixture into a big mixing bowl, add in the mashed bananas, eggs, sugar and flour
3. Put some batter into a ziplock bag, snip a little corner off and pour into a muffin tray.
4. Bake it in an oven at 180deg c for 15 minutes.

Yo dude, what’cha gonna do!

My JD loves all creepies crawlies.

He is always on the look out for all kind of insects.  Spiders. Ants. Lizards. Ladybugs.  Caterpillars.  He will be there with a magnifying glass.  He will try to catch them, put them into a box, with soils, and feed some fruit and vegies scraps to these insects.

He has 2 book on insects and he loves reading them.

Recently he started to look into snakes and very keen to find out all sorts of snakes.

As for me, I don’t like snakes.  I am okay with insects but not snakes.

I would avoid them when I go to the zoo.  But JD would definitely have a good look.  So I would stand back, look at it from the corner of my eyes, nodding my head to every excitement my son shows, and just admiring it from far.

So a week ago we went to a local family festival, and there was a booth from Animal Ark.

JD just made a beeline for the booth, and you could see his face instantly light up when he saw the red back spiders on display, the crickets, the python, the frogs!  Oh, he felt right at home.

But I was just very happy to help him snap these pics.  According to JD:  ”The snake feels nice and soft.”

But Miss C was not as adventurous towards the snake compared to JD.  She was happy to look at it, but took a step back when JD offered to put the snake on her, ha!

JD really wanted to help, because he said to the snake keeper “I am going to help my sister with this snake as she is still little.”   But Chloe decline, and was happier holding a frog instead.

And JD even took a pamphlet from the booth and reminded me to check when and where  the next Animal Ark roadshow is going to be, because he wants to go look at the snakes and insects again!  I love his passion for the wildlife animals.  They even do birthday parties, so who knows, I might just have a wildflife theme for his next birthday and get the animal roadshow to visit his birthday party!

I like it now that Lara is happy to be on her tummy.  She can spend time on the mat watching JD and Chloe play.

Until she got tired, then I have to go over and flip her over.

But, is nice, when I see them together.

(Photo taken on 5th November 2009.  The 3 of them were happily occupying themselves on the mat.  JD playing with his cars, Miss C doing some threading, and Lara reaching out for a wooden block).

I was craving for some braised pork belly（扣肉）a few weeks ago and came across some pork belly while I was out at supermarket.

I searched for a recipe and came across this.

So I gave it a try!

It is a great recipe, very easy to do.  The only thing I vary was the cooking time.  I actually cut down the cooking to an hour in total, as the pork belly was nice and tender just after an hour.  It was delicious.

Steam some fresh home made man tou (馒头) to go with it, and it will be a great hit at home.

My husband love it, my kids love it, I love it and I cook it again when my sis was here visiting.

My kids called it the “Chinese Burger”!  It was delicious! 

Give it a go this weekend if you like to try something new.

Chloe loves being busy.  It was early evening after her shower, and just before dinner.

She was playing her hammer-tic toy, and created this.

She was very pleased with herself and asked if I could take a photo of her.

She always have this silly grin on her face when I ask her to smile. 

Only at this age they can get away with a double chin.

Mummy does her best in nursing me day and night.

Coz for now, she is still my only food source.

My brother is the best when it comes to making me laugh.

My sister does her best in singing “Twinkle twinkle little stars” at the top of her voice to me.

But daddy, does his best in getting me to sleep.

When I am overtired.

Just needed that lil bit of cuddle.

Somehow his shoulder always feel the best.

Ah, joy of being a baby.

==================================

(Picture taken 2nd November 2009.  An overtired Lara fallen asleep on her dad.  Oh, I love those cheeks and the chubby little hand.  Just want to eat them.)