Categorised: Grown Ups

It’s the weekend between two long weeks of school holidays.  It might be time for dad to take the kids for a day (or part day) if mum has had them all week (or vice versa if that’s the case!)  Of course, many things that the primary caregiver might often do with the kids is something that the significant other can also do…  nonetheless here are some quick ideas for taking the kids out and giving mum a bit of a break (if you’re a single parent, hopefully you have someone you can call on to give you some time off – this list is sure to be appreciated by your willing helper!)

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It’s easy for us to forget that events in our (fairly recent) past – things that we were involved in or might be able to remember – count as “history” for our children. The 1960s, 70s and 80s – the Springbok tour, the Erebus disaster, the Rainbow Warrior – all history.

It’s also easy to take our own knowledge for granted and forget that our children might not know these things. In fact it’s often by talking to us that they start to gain a knowledge of our world, our country and our history.

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Monitoring software is available for mobile devices, just like it’s been available for laptops and desktops for some time.

The software is simple. Parents create an online account and set filtering restrictions, and then download a small piece of software onto the phone.

Once the parent enters the logon information on the phone, the software synchronises with the online account and applies the filtering restrictions. At the same time, it records sites visited.

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We all know that eating healthy food and getting regular exercise helps us maintain good health, prolonged life expectancy, gives us more energy, and makes us feel happier.  Let’s face it, healthy eating and exercising can make a significant difference to the way we look and feel.

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I keep hearing how it’s difficult to get everyone from a family in one spot at mealtime.  But we all know it’s important to connect together as a family and chat – and it’s sometimes easier to do this over a meal than spur of the moment.

With this in mind, I thought I’d throw together some ideas for brunch and supper – some little utilised meal options but two that can be especially fun and also easy ones to involve others in. Continue reading »

Cupcakes: what better way to get all the kids involved in not only creating a masterpiece using their imaginations but also learning about baking, measuring, decorating and so on?

Shortbread: can you think of a more classic, well enjoyed treat? Continue reading »

I love to cook.  Coming from a family of die-hard foodies, I’ve never had any problem finding people to cook for, but lately the issue has become: “what to cook?”  You can only go through so many terakihi and chips (Monday), spaghetti bolognaise (Tuesday), and butter chickens (Wednesday) before the 5pm groans begin to make themselves more audible. Let’s face it, as society has moved towards ‘convenience culture’, our creativity in the kitchen has suffered.  As our lives become busier, we’re spending more time at the desk, less time with the family and even less time thinking about what’s for dinner (good in some ways, not so good in others).  What used to be a time for the family to gather and socialise at the end of the day has, for many, become a staid and uninspiring woof-down before we settle into an evening of television (or more work!).

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For as long as I can remember, “food” has been a huge part of our family. Childhood memories of porridge on winter mornings with a pool of fresh cream and brown sugar, working on the farm and coming in for a hot lunch, hanging out with Grandma over the stove on a crisp winter day at the farm eating homemade heart-warming vege soup from Grandma’s garden.  Continue reading »

Gluten is a protein and is found in foods made from wheat, barley and rye. It is what makes food such as pasta and bread elastic and chewy in texture.

A very small proportion of people are truly allergic to gluten but many do suffer from intolerances due to eating gluten. A severe and sudden reaction to gluten can be symptoms of an autoimmune disorder called Celiac Disease.  Intolerance reactions we can experience that are unpleasant include bloating, tiredness, lack of energy and irritable bowel.

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The occasional drought notwithstanding, New Zealand is a pretty good place for a backyard garden; for growing a few fruit and vege plants that you can feel proud of when you incorporate their products in your daily meals.

That doesn’t mean you need to be out there cultivating every square centimetre and composting every organic scrap: that’s great if you can do it, but for many of us, we need to start small. Staying small is OK too – probably the most important thing is to enjoy your garden, especially with the kids. Continue reading »