Oh I do wish I could be a SAHM...

my job is driving me nuts... not my job so much, as my colleagues... the tension in the air at work is so thick at the moment, a knife wouldn't even cut it... It's not a nice working environment thats for sure. 

And then you get the people that harrass me all day for something they only asked for in the morning, after I have had 2 days off and have loads to catch up on  in my busiest week of the year!!!!

**********SILENT SCREAM**********

I have spent the last 2 days at home with Cam, looking after him cause he was sick, and I loved every minute of it... I had forgotten just how much fun he could be, and how much I loved being around him... You see - being a working parent, it's hard to enjoy those moments, as they are often rushed...

I think I have to sit back and seriously think about what I want to do career and parent wise....

Recipe: Autumn Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Since I'm home from work yet another day, I thought I would try this delightful recipe given to me by a dear friend.

Celebrate the new season with this rich and wholesone vegetable cake, full of kumara, courgette and walnuts

Ingredients:
350g Kumara, peeled and chopped
1 corgette (160g)
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 tsp mixed spice
1 cup caster sugar (again - I used plain white sugar)
2 eggs
125 unsalted butter, melted, cooled
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Cream Cheese Frosting:
65g cream cheese, at room temperature
25g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups icing sugar

Method:

1. Grease a 20cm ring cake pan.  Line base and sides with baking paper.
2. Boil, steam or microwave kumara until soft.  Drain.  Mash until smooth.  Cool
3. Grate courgette.  Squeeze out any excess moisture and discard liquid
4. Sift flour, spice and sugar into a large bowl.  Stir to combine.  Whisk eggs and butter in a medium jug until combined.  Stir into flour mixture.  Stir in kumara, courgette and walnuts.  Spoon into prepared pan
5. Cook in a moderate oven (180oC) for about 50 minutes, or until cooked when tested.  Stand cake in pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
6. To make cream cheese frosting, beat cream cheese and butter in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Slowly add icing sugar.  Beat until smooth.
7. Spread cream cheese frosting over cold cake.  Decoratewith extra chopped walnuts.

You will need 1 cup of mashed kumara for this recipe.  To give the autumn cake a different flavour, add finely grated lemon or orange rind to the frosting.

Recipe: Banana Loaf

Cam is sick today, so while I am at home, and he is asleep I thought I would make a banana loaf... YUM...

So I got the recipe out of my trust Edmonds Cook Book

and I got out my trusty Tupperware Loaf Form - much like this one and off I went:

Banana Loaf

1 3/4 Cups Self Raising Flour

1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1/4 Cup Milk

75 Grams butter - melted

1 Cup mashed banana {approx 3 bananas}

Sift flour, baking soda and salt into a bowl.  Mix in Sugar

In another bowl, beat eggs.  Stir in milk, butter and banana.

Mix quickly into dry ingredients, stirring in ingredients are just combined.

Spoon into a greased and lined 22cm loaf tin

Bake at 180oC for 45-55 minutes

Leave in tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack

Flu Jab

I took Cammy to get his flu vaccination this afternoon... I was a little nervous...

but he was soo good... he didn't even cry... GO CAMMY!!

2nd half in 4 weeks... fingers crossed it's just as easy next time :)

Sandpit

according to the book "raising boys" every little boy needs a sandpit... Sandpits apparently encourage boys to use their imagination... and in the years I worked in early childhood, I think that this "fact" has been prooved to me...

We already had a perfect container for a Sandpit {we bought it at x-mas for Cam's swimming pool at the caravan} so off to bunnings I went to buy sand for it...

At bunnings, there is so much sand it's not funny... however there is only one bag that says "play sand" so I can only assume {lol} that this is the sand I need... it is sold in 18kgs bags for $10.98 per bag... hmmm how many bags does one need... I rung Ian to ask, and we decided to buy 4 bags, and if we needed more, we could always go back... sweet... done :)

Arrive home, and start putting sand in the "pit"... two bags later, and there is plenty of sand... so we put the other two bags downstairs in the store cupboard, knowing we will use them, as this sandpit, is only temporary while I search for a Clam Shell :)

Cam was asleep while all this was going on... and when he woke up, I took him outside, took the cover off the sandpit, and let him go hard... he was soooo  happy :)

NEW SHOP... NEW SHOP... NEW SHOP

3 posts in one day... *phew* but this one is to let you all know about the launch of a brand new online shop... created right here in NZ, by some really cool people I know...

So without further ado, I introduce you all to the Cheeky Monkey Shop!!!

If you use cloth nappies, then I suggest you try the ones that the CM Shop sells... :)

The Ultimate Youth Award

Today I spent the day teaching a group of 20 St John Members aged between 13 and 18yrs Childcare... this is so they can work towards obtaining their Gold Childcare Badge while working towards the ultimate goal of achieving their Grand Prior's Award...

I really enjoy teaching this course, as I get to work quite closely with these kids, but also because I know that I am ultimately helping them to acheive something pretty great... Something that I have the pleasure of having achieved...

This is the only Youth Award that is able to be worn on an Adult uniform, and boy oh boy is it worn with Pride...

I love St John Youth, and I hope that I can help many young people to acheive this most prestigeous award... I certainly hope that I can help Paris to acheive it :)