I’ve been feeling sorry for myself all day today with blocked sinuses (ow) and a constantly streaming nose. Although I don’t remember my mum making me chicken noodle soup when I was poorly as a child, I do remember her making other soups. There’s nothing like the feeling of comfort from a homemade soup, even if it hasn’t been made by your mum.

Yesterday we had roast chicken with salad for tea. As I was feeling pretty rotten, I started off making a chicken soup for the following day, but ended up abandoning it in favour of my bed at 5.30pm.

When I eventually crawled from my sick bed at 11am this morning (needs must when you have a nursery run to do) I finished off making the soup, in the hope I could heal my poorly sinuses and give myself a hug in a bowl.

Here’s what I did. It’s incredibly easy – if I can do it then you can too. I’m no culinary expert, so it says a lot that my own version is edible.

1) Make the chicken stock by putting the carcass of a roast chicken in a deep saucepan, adding some veg (I used a carrot, roughly chopped and an onion), some fennel seeds and thyme, salt and pepper, before covering with water. Simmer on a low heat for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally.

2) Drain the stock. By this point, most of the meat should have fallen off the bones and the veg should be a bit mushy. All you want is the juice though, so use a colander to strain the liquid from the rest of the stuff in the pan.

3) Sweat onions and carrots over a medium heat in a pan with a knob of butter and some salt and pepper.

3) If you have left-over roast chicken, now is the time to add it. If not, then cook some chicken in another pan and add it to the veg once cooked.

4) Pour in a couple of pints of your homemade chicken stock.

5) Add frozen peas and some vermicelli pasta or glass rice noodles. For a Thai twist, add some bok choi and soy sauce.

6) Simmer for a couple of minutes until the noodles have softened.

7) Eat and feel sorry for yourself.

This is only the second recipe I’ve posted on this blog in over two years, so I’m no Nigella. That said, I do like eating, so if you have any suggestions for ways to make chicken soup even more tasty, I’m all ears.

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When it comes to baking with my toddler, I should probably step up.

This time last year, when I was still a work at home mum, I managed to get at least one baking session in every couple of weeks. Now, we’re lucky if we have one baking session every couple of months.

It’s a shame really, because Frog LOVES it.

She enjoys the feeling of the icky flour and dough between her fingers, she loves to stir and pour in water and see the mixture come together. She loves to spoon the runny consistency into pots, or roll it out into a flat shape she can beat with her rolling pin. Basically, she loves to bake.

One of the things that has put me off is time. As a busy working mum, juggling working from an office with working from home, time is something we don’t always have much of. Another obstacle to the baking saga is space. Or rather – the right space.

Frog likes to be beside me when we’re baking. That means her little toddler table doesn’t cut it. And seeing as she’s only about 2ft tall, she can’t quite reach the kitchen countertops yet. Often, a baking session will end in tears of frustration, when I can’t be beside my two year old at every stage of the process, or if I refuse to let her sit unaided on the counter to watch the bits she’s not capable of doing.

That’s why I jumped at the chance to try out the Funpod from Kiddicare. The enclosed structure keeps wobbly legs secure in a raised space, so toddlers can get involved in the cooking without the chance of falling off a counter or toppling from some kitchen steps.

It’s gone down rather well. Guess I better get the flour and eggs out now then.

It’s not all mess though.

We also chose to try out this retro beauty – the Tomy Megasketcher Colour Doodle from Kiddicare. Drawing without bits of crayon all over the carpet or paint up the walls?

Yes please.

***

The Funpod costs £79.99 and is available at Kiddicare. The Tomy Megasketcher Colour Doodle costs £16.99 and is also available to buy at Kiddicare.

Disclosure: We were sent both products featured in this post for the purpose of review.

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With a baby with a history of refusing to let anyone put anything in her mouth (seriously, no Calpol unless she was holding the spoon – and certainly no bottle) I dreaded the thought of weaning.

Baby-led weaning sounded like a far more fun – if messy – approach. One that wouldn’t see me suffer a nervous breakdown anyway.

I was very enthusiastic. I saw my baby eat cool stuff. Proper food. It was a bit weird and that was why I loved it. I wrote articles about it. I interviewed the Baby-led Weaning gurus on more than one occasion. I was a total convert.

And here I am, with a two year old child who has fads.

A few weeks ago at supper she pushed her plate away and said, “No Mummy! YOGHURT!” before tipping the contents of said plate on the floor. She tried the same tactic the following evening. I got cross. Never before had I been faced with a child of the fussy variety. I started breaking every rule in the Baby-led Weaning book.

“You will NOT leave this table until you’ve eaten at least THREE MORE SPOONFULS young lady!” I reprimanded. And then I gave in and let her have a yoghurt.

Once the flood-gates were open that was it. “No pudding until you’ve eaten your main course! Every. Last. Mouthful,” I frowned. “Eat your greens!” I scolded. “No you will NOT get down until you finish what’s on your plate,” I chided.

In short, I became a dinner lady from my own childhood. It’s amazing how ingrained these habits are. I stopped trusting that my daughter knew when she was full. I started turning mealtimes into a battle that I had to win.

After 18 months of happily trotting to the table, Frog started having tantrums about eating. Just the odd one, but as a foodie from the age of 6 months, this was odd.

So I made a radical decision a few weeks ago. Back to basics. Back to the Baby-led Weaning books.

I brought her mealtimes forward half an hour, so she wasn’t tired. I made sure I always ate with her, rather than sitting opposite staring at her. I offered fruit for pudding, but put it at her place setting next to her main course of food. I ignored what she ate.

And she ate.

She ate and she ate and she ate.

This is her two weeks ago, on a family trip to our local pub for her birthday. She ate pan fried scallops with Asian inspired slaw and ginger. That starter was far more interesting than the pasta and tomato sauce on the kids menu:

And last night? We had fishfingers, chips and peas, with lashings of ketchup. (We like to mix it up a bit.)

My toddler still has the odd tantrum around mealtimes. But now I’m confident enough to accept it’s because she’s tired and she’s not interested in the food.

There’s nothing she won’t eat, but there’s plenty she’ll refuse on certain days. Sometimes yoghurt is the in thing, sometimes it’s curry or paella or piri-piri chicken. Whatever. She knows what she likes and she knows how hungry she is. If she doesn’t want what she’s offered, then fine. But there’s nothing else on the menu. So that’s that.

And guess what? Food is fun again. It’s so fun, the toy kitchen bought for Christmas is back in use…

***

This post was written for this week’s Gallery at Sticky Fingers. Head over there to read the rest.

The post Toddler-led weaning, or “let her eat what she wants” appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

Photo credit: picture by Chris_J

I was a different shape before I became a mum. My boobs were a little fuller, my bum was a little rounder.

I had made a conscious effort to “get fit”, going to the gym three times a week and killing myself at spinning classes. But I was no fitness fanatic – I was just aware there was too much flesh in places that had, before, been smoother.

On having a baby, my body changed.

The boobs became bigger, the belly became wobblier. But, overall, my actual weight wasn’t much different. And that’s how I know never to measure my body’s shape by how much it weighs. My body just doesn’t work like that.

I can have “fat days” where the scales tell me I weigh less than the week before. I can have “thin days” where my favourite jeans slide on without so much as a wiggle, but the scales tell me I’m heavier than I once was.

Since taking on a job in January that involves getting up at 3.30am and being on the go until 10pm, my body has steadily changed yet again.

I cope with tiredness by eating. Everything. Breakfast at 5am, another breakfast at 9am, a rushed snack from the petrol station on the way home (and you know it’s not going to be a salad), another snack with my hungry toddler in the afternoon, a meal around 5pm and more snacking.

Biscuits, cake, chocolate, crisps – these are all my friend. As is anything that can give me a quick sugar rush and fool my body into thinking it has enough fuel to get through another 6 hours without sleeping.

This is not good.

Slowly, I’ve noticed a bit of a double chin developing. My hips are no longer hips, instead sporting extra padding in the form of “love handles”.

Breakfast radio is not good for the figure.

So, around a month ago, I decided to do something about it.

Realistically, a gym membership is out of the question. With working at a radio station in the morning, running around after my toddler in the afternoon and all my writing work in the evenings, I am time poor. There is no time to preen myself like there was in the old days.

So I turned to the internet.

Twitter came up trumps. There seemed to be lots of buzz around @ThinkingSlimmer. Rolling my eyes and stifling a yawn, I inwardly scoffed, “As IF. Another faddy dieting thing. Whatever.”

But then we did a radio show about fad diets. I remembered this Twitter account and contacted the people behind @ThinkingSlimmer. Sandra Roycroft-Davies appeared on our show and I was intrigued by what she had to say. Rather than encouraging a diet, Sandra told me it was possible to retrain your mind to learn new habits.

For me, these habits mean not thinking about food ALL THE TIME. Not diving into the petrol station for a daily sausage roll to keep me company on the way home. And putting myself further up my list of priorities.

I started listening to one of the company’s “Slim Pods“. The ten minute piece of audio was very much like some form of meditation. Lulling me to sleep within minutes, rather than the former tossing and turning scenario. Waking from a deep sleep at 3.30am every day, I haven’t felt dead. I’ve actually been ready to face the day.

And I’ve stopped eating sausage rolls.

Instead, I still eat at the times I used to eat, but rather than crisps and cake, it’s been soup, toast, fruit, water. The kind of stuff my body actually needs to run on, rather than the stuff that tricks it.

And Sandra? She’s been lovely. The odd phone call to remind me to stop saying “Yes” to everything. The odd email to reprimand me for staying up too late working. Just like my mum really.

I have no idea if I weigh less than I did a month previously. But, for me, it’s not about that. I no longer have to breathe in when I put my jeans on. I’m sleeping better. I’m eating better. I feel better.

But I’m not going to stop listening to the audio before bed. It’s an ongoing thing – I need more than a month of listening to help me give up habits that have taken 6 months to form.

So the sausage rolls aren’t quite safe yet.

***

Disclosure: This is a review post. All words and opinions are my own. I was given a free copy of the Slimpod for review purposes.

The post The quest for body beautiful appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

Frog discards her spoon and rams her tiny fingers into the middle of her plate.

After much rummaging, she proudly brings forth a piece of pepper.

And the conversation goes thus:

Frog: Wassat?

Me: Pepper. It’s very yummy.

Frog: Huh?

Me: It’s called pepper. It’s a piece of pepper.

Frog: Wassat?

Me: I told you – it’s food. You eat it. It’s called pepper.

Frog: Ah…. PIGGY!

That’s it. I’m banning Peppa Pig from now on.

***

I’m linking this post up to The Things Kids Say at Thinly Spread.

The post On renaming food appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

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Behold. The latest for environmentally conscious parents.

The Beco feeding set, from Beco Things.

I’d never heard of this brand until they got in touch to introduce themselves. I have to say, I was a bit sceptical at first. I mean, I know it’s trendy to be environmentally aware and all, but aren’t eco potties and plates taking it a bit far?

And then I tried out this feeding set.

Call me fickle, but the fact it’s made from natural plant fibres, is biodegradable and is created using ethically conscious manufacturing is, quite frankly, at the bottom of the list of positives for me. Because it’s just so darn pretty.

I know, I have my priorities completely straight, right?

The thing that I love about this set is the way it looks and feels. It’s got a texture like china, which makes a change from the usual plastic tat Frog tends to eat off. This plate and bowl have a “grown up” feel, but are still very non-toddling toddler friendly.

The edges of the plate feature a handy lip, to stop food going astray…

The cup is made from the same material and has an equally satisfying shape. It’s slanted in the middle, making it easier to drink from for those less experienced in Big Girl Cup Drinking.

But it doesn’t have handles.

For us, this is a bonus, because we’re trying to get Frog more used to drinking from normal cups rather than the “sippy” and “doidy” variety. The sooner she can drink from such vessels the sooner I can stop lugging around spare cups in every handbag.

The bowl is also rather lovely. Perfect for banana eating…

My only criticism of the Beco Feeding Set is the fact it doesn’t come with a helpful assistant to teach your child which utensil goes where…

***

The Beco Feeding Set is available to buy from £11.99 from the website.

This is a review post.

The post An eco-savvy plate. Yes, really. appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

All you have to do is dig out a picture of your beautiful child making a huge mess. Something like this:

This time last year Frog was learning about food.

She was learning to throw it, smear it all over her face and, occasionally, taste the odd morsel.

I remember one particular meal very clearly. We’d had carrot soup for lunch. It was everywhere – adorning the wall, floor and ceiling. Frog had food in her hair, all over her face and under every fingernail. I couldn’t imagine a day when this wouldn’t be the outcome of every mealtime. The thought of Frog using a spoon was a distant dream.

Fast-forward to today and we’re all about the spoons. Gone are the days of plunging chubby fists into plates of spaghetti. Instead, we’re scooping and aiming with perfect precision. The mess is, amazingly, minimal.

But I look back on those early days with fondess. We had great fun…

Now here’s the good bit.

If you too have messy children, you now have the opportunity to brag about it and win yourself a £75 Amazon voucher.

All you have to do is post a picture of your child making a mess, covered in mess or just generally looking messy, on your own blog, along with the following:

Here is my entry to the Appliances Online messiest kid competition at Mother’s Always Right.

Once you’ve done that, come back and leave a comment with a link to your post so I can see your picture. It really is that simple.

Then, in a couple of weeks, keep your eye on my Facebook page and Twitter feed to find out if you’ve won.

Terms and conditions:

• Competition open to UK residents only
• Competition closes Monday 6th February
• The winner will be chosen from the selection of photographs posted – the messier the better

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Difficult, because Frog has chicken pox and hasn’t been particularly happy about it. And wonderful, because it’s back to school time which means the (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine and I swap roles again, with him going out to do his teacher job and me staying at home. Yes it’s back to the juggling of writing while Frog sleeps (which hasn’t been much this week), but at least I actually get to see her, which is a definite bonus.

The chicken pox has put my usually greedy daughter well and truly off her food. She’s even been turning her nose up at the usual favourites of banana and spaghetti bolognaise (not together – that would just be weird).

But the same can’t be said for biscuits.

My diva child has pretty much lived on HiPP Organic apple elephant biscuits this week and HiPP Organic fruit cereal bars. The cereal bars come in two flavours, Peach and Apple and Plum and Apple. The Plum ones seem to be Frog’s favourite.

The biscuits are also rather handy to fend off any chicken pox related meltdowns and seem to go nicely with a cup of warm milk and the beloved magic blanket. We’ve tried them before in fact, and loved them so much we put them in jars for all the babies at the wedding:

The fuit cereal bars have been a welcome accompaniment at breakfast time; the fact they’re GM and Preservative free means I can get away without feeling like a terrible mother for letting my 14 month old have a bar of something sweet with her breakfast.

And they’ve even helped produce a few rare smiles this week:

So if you have a grumpy child, I can highly recommend these snacks from those clever people at HiPP Organic. And guess what? They’ve given me some to give away.

So, read on  if you’d like to win this little lot:

Five winners of this competition will each receive one of the following:

• A box of HiPP Organic Apple Elephant Biscuits
• One HiPP Organic Peach & Apple Fruit Cereal Bar
• One HiPP Organic Plum & Apple Fruit Cereal Bar

To enter, all you need to do is:

• Leave a comment below telling me how old your baby is.

• Tweet (for an extra entry):

“I want to #win @HiPPOrganic goodies in the #giveaway at @mothersright http://bit.ly/mxdGiV”

Terms and conditions:

Competition closes 12noon on Friday 23rd September 2011.

The winner will be contacted within 3 working days of the competition closing.

Open to UK residents only.

Items posted directly by HiPP.

Prize is non-transferrable and there is no cash alternative.

***

Disclaimer: The lovely people at HiPP Organic provided two fruit cereal bars and a box of Apple Elephant Biscuits to review for this post. Obviously they didn’t want them back afterwards. Lucky really, seeing as they’ve all been eaten.

Competition now closed.

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