Max and the nasty Dravet Syndrome

I have had a very busy week with children. I had my sisters kids come and stay for a couple of days to help her out while they renovate their home. I have looked after little Alice who is 8 months old for a day, which I do occasionally to help the mother out. I have also had my brothers kids here for a day too. My brother and his partner have 4 children all under the age of 5 and as you can imagine it is not easy juggling them and work. That is especially true since my nephew Max has a sever form of epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome. Max spends at least a week in hospital every month after having a sever seizure. It is heart wrenching to see him suffer and to see his parents go through the emotional turmoil of having a very sick child.

I didn't know much about the Dravet syndrome before Max was born but have recently done a lot of research trying to grasp what it is and what kind of future Max can expect. You see Max is only 22 months old, only 3 months older than my little girl and he has developed alongside her. They still play and when he is good, he is really good, a happy, friendly and cheerful little toddler. It took him a little bit longer to walk and say words, but apart from that his development both mentally and physically would be considered 'normal'. It is the epileptic seizures that he suffers from that set him apart. The seizures can be mild and last a couple of minutes or sever and last for over half an hour with the medication not helping. That is usually when he ends up in hospital with various doctors trying to work out what concoction of medication will help to stop the seizures and what possibly could be done to prevent the more serious ones repeating.

It is hard on poor Max, his siblings and his parents. It is emotionally draining and a major financial burden especially when you have 3 other children to care for. Medicare subsidies a portion of the medication that he needs but not 100% of it, and he is on a lot of medication. The bad news is that after the age of 2 it actually gets worse. His development is expected to decline and he is likely to develop other forms of seizures that are even more sever. He will need special care for the rest of his life and his life expectancy is something we at home don't talk about. There is hope that he will get through to early adulthood and if his development, both physical and mental, continues to develop slowly, there is a chance that he will be able to lead a semi independent life in the future.

If anyone is keen to read more about the syndrome click on the link here. Please say a little pray for my little nephew and thank you for letting me share this story of a brave little man and my week.
x

gorgeous Max at 5 months

My raspberry ripple disaster

I have been on the I Quit Sugar program for a couple of weeks now. I think I do feel a bit better, I don't seem to get the afternoon cravings as much as I use to and I think my skin is looking much clearer. The big bonus is that I also have lost a little bit of weight, not much but enough to make me feel like its working.

To be honest I haven't really craved sugar as much as I thought I would. I mean I think about it daily but my determination to be a healthier me is more stronger. The biggest lesson that I have learnt throughout the first two weeks is that so much of the sugar that I consumed I didn't even know was there. Sugar is everywhere and unless you make everything from scratches be prepared to have added sugar. The biggest culprit is anything classified as "low or no fat" or "diet", it is amazing the amount of sugar that goes into these products. They take out the fat and add heaps of sugar, and that is suppose to be healthy?

The whole process has made me re think my shopping list and I had to change the yoghrts I ate, the bread, the sauces (from salad dressing to katchup), anything pickled more or less had to go and even cans of tomato I needed to switch. There are a lot of sugar free products on the shelf which are still delicious but they tend to be more expensive. I find the process has been very educational.

Now about this raspberry ripple. Well in the book I Quit Sugar by Sarah Wilson, the raspberry ripple recipe is claimed to be their most popular and repeated. So after two weeks on the program I decided that I needed a treat, albeit a non sugary one, so I made it.

I must say from the start I was going into the recipe with a bit of scepticism. It involves a lot of butter and coconut oil, and I have never been a fan of anything greasy. I do think that I might have done something wrong because the one in the book didn't not look anything like my finished product. But you be the judge and have a look at the pictures below. And the taste, well it tasted oily and not really something I'll be making again any time soon. I think I'll just stick to the savoury treat recipes.

photo taken from the I Quit Sugar website

and my version

5 - The beach

I love the beach, I love summer and the heat is bearable when you can be immersed in water. I really do love it. Not that keen on sharks though or jelly fish and that is why I also love lifeguards. This picture was taken in Port Douglas on our Holiday. Great holiday spent mostly in the crystal clear waters of Queensland.

my love of sugar #healthyme

Everyone that knows me knows that I can consume a huge amount of sugar mostly in the form of chocolate, ice cream, lollies and pastry. It is my big downfall and I have spent my life trying out versions of moderation which never work. It is a big reason why shifting weight is so hard for me and this year I have decided to do something about it.

So, every year in January I make this resolution (mostly quietly to myself) that I will go on a diet and lose weight and I have tried EVERY diet out there! All the various detoxes, the low carb diets (including Dukan, Body Trim and Atkins), and the more calorie controlled ones like Weight Watchers and Light and Easy etc etc....

Since becoming a mother my perspective has changed drastically and I realised that I don't want to go on 'diets' anymore. I don't want my daughter to think that going on 'diets' is a norm and that her mother might have a body issue. That is not the lessons that I want to teach her so I have decided that instead of concentrating on dieting I will just try to be healthy. But being 'healthy' is so much harder to do than to say and it made me evaluate the habits that I need to change in order to achieve this.

I have decided that the first thing that needs to change is my sugar addiction, I need to kick it in the butt! Being lost at how to go about it I picked up and read Sarah Wilsons 'I quit Sugar' book which introduces the 8 week program to quit your sugar addiction for good. Sarah makes it sound easy but I don't think it will be that easy for me to do since hubby also likes his sugar and I'm not planning to deprive my little girl of fruit. But it needs to be done so this is the week for me to start. If anyone else is interested in the program it had just started and the link to it can be found here.

So this is my first step to the new 'healthier' me, now just need to organise an exercise regime that I can actually stick to and I'm done!

x

its been a while....

It really has been a while. I haven't written a post in nearly 6 months and I don't really have a big reason why, only thing that comes to mind is that I had no inspiration and a growing toddler that took up a lot of my spare time.

But I have decided to dedicate a little bit of time to jot down some more of my thoughts since I do find it therapeutic to be able to get things of my chest and not harass my hubby or friends with all my random thoughts.

We have moved and are now living in a big house far away from water. I do miss the ocean and the proximity that we had to it. Even when I didn't go into it, I still enjoyed going out for long walks with a great view. But now we do have a swimming pool and use it daily trying to escape this hot summer which is great, and Lucy has a big backyard to ran around. With the multiple shark sightings around Newcastle and the attack in Mollymook, not going into the ocean doesn't seem so bad!

I have been busy moving, knitting, renovating and looking for work, but now things have settled down so I can take a breather and enjoy the rest of the summer.

xx

swing fun

the yo-yo diet of a toddler

Its amazing the amount of food that can be consumed by a toddler...especially my one! Since she turned one it seems that her diet has taken a weird turn. At first she decided to only feed herself and had a diet that consisted of only protein (and I mean anything from beef steak to fish fingers!), bread and fruit. Everything else ended on the floor with a face of disgust saying 'how dare you try to feed me THAT" and that was especially true to any form of vegetable. My little girl that would spend ages chewing on Chinese broccoli and carrot, all of a sudden decided that vegetables were not her friend! and of course I started to worry and think of ways that I could put veggies into her diet. I made heaps and heaps of meatballs stuffed with grated veggies and even put in some rice so her carbs were not just based on bread. She did love them and could eat 5 meat balls in a sitting, enough to satisfy an adult.

And then came days when EVERYTHING ended on the floor and I had to be satisfied that she ate some fruit and crackers and had her milk. I have no idea what was going on in her little head and the more I read about diet and toddlers, the more I worried that she was not getting the nutrients that she needs.

But then came this week were she decided that she is VERY hungry and the amount that my toddler has consumed in the last 2 days is astounding. I mean she is eating HUGE meals, all healthy and fully balanced but enough that if I started to eat that amount I would be the size of a house! She once again doesn't mind if I spoon feed her, she once again is loving all her vegetables and apart from having a full breakfast, lunch and dinner, she is also eating morning tea, afternoon tea and snacking on fruit all day long! Its astounding!

So the moral of this story is that I have decided to stop worrying! I mean I don't think she will starve herself and I have come to the realisation that she is slowly becoming her own person with her own individual personality and tastes and she knows what she likes and how much of it. Plus that with all the growth that she is experiencing and she is so unpredictable with her appetite that I will just GO WITH IT. If she's extra hungry I have a freezer of extra frozen meals that I can quickly defrost (heaps of meat balls too) and if she's not, well it can end on the floor and eventually in the bin (or the birds if its bread!).

I have come to the realisation that my darling is as stubborn as me and her dad, and it shows in her appetite. I wouldn't have it any other way though.

xx

Hand Print Art

the finished product

This idea I must say was not mine but my sister in laws and it was a good one. Our UK holiday was so planned that all of my hubbies family would be in the same place, at the same time. This is not an easy feast as one part lives in Australia, the other in the USA and the rest back in the UK. But it was great to see everyone and all the cousins met each other for the first time. It was loud and busy and gorgeous!

So back to this idea inspired by the sis in law. Well since all the cousins were together at the same time, we decided to mark the occasion with hand print art. We did three, so that the three siblings all took one home to their parts of the world, and we wrote the name and ages of the kids. It was a great idea and I will treasure mine forever.

It is such an easy thing to do, but it looks good and is a great way to remember how small they all once were when they are all big and scary teenagers!

Let me know what you guys think?   and if anyone wants to know how its made just let me know and I can write it up for you!

x

work in progress

Our Holiday in the UK 2014

In the last week I have been walking around in a blur of sleep deprivation, reminiscent of the first few weeks of Lucy's life. And its all to do with the massive dose of jet lag that my gorgeous one year old is going through. There is no way I can explain to anyone what its like to go on a 30 hour plane journey with a toddler AND in economy. Unless you have experienced it, you will never be able to picture it, but lets just say it will be a LONG time before I do it again, it will be after a time when the memory of the experience fades drastically.

Now I have to put up with jet lag. The complete time change is bad enough on an adult that understands what is happening but a toddler who was so ingrained in her routine, well lets just say she's looking for breakfast at 2am and is not happy when I don't give it to her!

But its not all bad; we had a great holiday visiting our family and friends in the sunshine. Hubby and I went away to Edinburgh for 3 days on a mini break without Lucy and I must say I loved the city. It was so warm I actually got burned (I Know, hard to believe!) and just wandering through the streets you felt like you could step back in time. We saw the castle, did a ghost tour and of course the dungeon tour for a laugh. 

We had a great holiday and made great memories that will last us a life time. Now back to our 'reality' and everyday life, already panning our next holiday.

Here a few photos from the holiday. 

celebrating her 1st birthday in the UK

Happy birthday Owl cake

Milford on Sea

Edinburgh

trying to spot a monkey

chasing wild horses

beach huts on the beach

Lucy is ONE!

OMG she is 1! My little angel has turned 1.. I still recall the moment that they put her in my arms and I thought 'what a funny little face' and she did have a funny face and from day one pulled the funniest expressions. She still does really but now they are much more controlled.

She melted my heart on this day last year and she still melts my heart with everything she does. And I never thought I wanted to be a mum but now can't imagine any other way of being.

Her first birthday is spend in the UK, among her British family and friends who don't get the pleasure of seeing her daily and she is going to be spoilt rotten. Its on days like these that I always think how much simpler it would all be if we all lived in the same country. I know both my hubby and Lucy would love it, but I don't think I could give up sunshine and my lifestyle that easily.

I have loved every moment of the last year and could not imagine now life without my Lucy, so I'm looking forward to the next years and the adventures that Mike, Lucy and I will encounter.

Love you my sausage
xx

Day 1

and now 1 year old

walking at 1

We are Going on a Holiday!

packed the baby!

This week we are going on a holiday. Not just any little holiday but a long plane journey holiday. I'm really looking forward to going to the UK to see family and friends and to catch up. Most have not met Lucy so it will be a fun holiday with lots to do and see and Lucy will turn 1 while we are there! There's a party already planned for her by her grandparents and I personally can't wait.
Also, though winter only came a week or so ago here in Sydney, I'm ready to go somewhere a little warmer, where the days are longer and my arms get a little bit of sun.

This is our first journey overseas with Lucy and I'm slightly worried... well slightly might be putting it mildly. My little girl is fun and loving and HATES being cooped up! If I don't take her out in the morning and then again in the afternoon, I might as well start pulling my hair out cause she will drive me NUTS! So you can imagine my tribulations at the idea of 22 hours on a plane being confined to an area about the size of her cot. Lets just say I'm worried! we have taken peoples advice and bought new toys and books and downloaded shows on the iPad, but I still worry because I personally just can't imagine it.

As a childless person I still wasn't keen on flying long journeys (just like Lucy I HATE being cooped up and confined... guess she gets it from me!) but I tolerated it with sleeping pills and LOTS of movies. I use to complain if I had a seat next to a child (to be fair, working all year with kids, my holidays were always planned as kid free zones) and now I will be the person that people won't want to sit next to and I won't be blaming them.

The packing has also got more complicated with all the extra debates on what to take and what is not necessary, putting things in the suitcase and then back again. To take the pram or not to? To take a sleeping bag or not bother? amount of nappies, wipes, food, change of clothes....etc etc? the questions continues along with the mess in the house.

So wish us all luck and if you don't hear from me for a bit there is a good excuse, we are on HOLIDAY!

I can Knit!

My gorgeous beanie model

I have been reading all these blogs on knitting and thought, impossible I just don't have time! But then I realised that every night I sit on the couch watching TV and playing candy crush! There has got to be better things for me to do!

So last week I went out bought some knitting needles and some cheap yarn and went on You Tube to see how to knit. Once I watched a video for beginners I realised that I have done this before.  My mum taught me when I was ten and I completely forgot about it but once I had the needles in my hands I realised I actually knew how its done!

first attempt at knitting 

I started with a scarf, it wasn't my best creation but apparently when your starting, a scarf is a great way to practise the basics. Then I found a great blog Fibre Flux, they have great beginner patterns and tutorials. So now I spent my time at craft shops and looking up patterns, at least I am off my candy crush addiction. If you want to learn to knit, I found this website really helpful and the tutorials were really great for beginners, click here for the link.
xx

finished product

4 - Vietnamese Pork Roll

This weekend it was ugly and it rained and we were ALL sick. Just a head cold but still not nice, so we spent most of the time indoors on the couch. One outing we did get is to the local bakery. Its one of those cheap and cheerful bakeries that have the BEST croissants EVER and delicious Pork Rolls. If you want 100 thousand calories in one sitting and mouthfuls of flavour, you can't go past these!

Lucy is on the move

This week Lucy has reached another milestone. She had finally got up the courage and taken her first steps away from the couch and into my arms!

It was a great moment and she was so proud of herself and I just kicked myself for not having my camera ready to take a picture.. Oh well since then we have plenty of pictures of her attempts at walking.

She is such a brave little sausage, not caring that she can't yet walk, she just goes for it and most of the time ends up on her bum. But I applaud her for trying and I'm sure anytime soon she will have the whole process sorted out. I just have to remember to enjoy this time when she is still slow enough for me to walk behind her because I can just imagine that once she perfects it, she won't be walking but running everywhere.

In two weeks, Lucy turns one... OMG the countdown begins!

My 10 wet weather activities around Sydney

I have spend many hours trying to work out what to do with kids when it rains. There is only so much indoor activities that you can do at home before cabin fever sets in and you need to GET OUT. So I have compiled a list of activities that I like to do now with Lucy and activities that I have done with other kids that I have looked after here in Sydney. I guess we need the rain, so let it rain and lets stay dry :)

• Powerhouse museum - I love the Powerhouse! You can get there by bus or the light rail or just drive in. I've never had problems finding a car park. The museum has great exhibitions that will interest the older kids but there is also a lot to do for the young ones. For one there is Wiggles World where all things Wiggles are seen! Also a variety of play stations throughout for little ones to ran around or crawl through. Only $15 for adults and free for under 4s, its a great wet weather day activity. Check out the website Here.

• Plaster Painting - This activity is for a bit older kids, 3+. It is crafty and messy and can be a lot of fun, especially if you have kids that love craft and you want to take the mess out of the house. It is not the cheapest option but a great way to spend a couple of hours and you take the plaster art work home to show off to everyone!  Here is a link to the one at Fox Studios, but if you Google it, there is one close to everyone.

• Australian National Museum - The National Museum is great for kids that can walk and appreciate the giant dinosaurs in their skeletal display and the kid section in the end is great for some educational play and activities. Here is a link to the museum to see all the latest exhibitions.

• Shopping centres - The good old shopping centre needs to get a vote as an activity for when it is horrid outside. Some are better then others at providing fun activities for kiddies. Most will have a show on during school holidays and the really good ones have great play equipment for kids of all ages, my favourites include Top Ryde City, Chatswood Chase, Broadway and East gardens.

• Play dates - Its great if you have friends that have kids the same age as yours and you can just drop over for a coffee and the kids can play for an hour or two with a variety of different toys. There are lots of mummy and nanny networks on Facebook that have been formed just for such a purpose.

• Coffee shops - Coffee shops that have play equipment or that are child friendly are a great way to spend some time as well, you can have a cup of coffee or tea and your baby can have some babycino. Some are better then others, I loved going to About Life in Rozelle, they had tables at the back with a toy section that kept kids entertained. Have a look at Little Eats for all the child friendly places in your area.

• Playgroups - Playgroups are great and you can generally find one for each day of the week if your prepared to travel. I have spend many years attending and never regretted it, the kids had fun and I got to tire them out and relax with a cuppa. Some have waiting lists but others you can come along whenever you want. Have a look Here, for one in your area.

• Library - Also one of my regulars and if you read this Blog you will know that Lucy and I are loving Rhyme Time every week. Look up your local library for all activities offered and get out of the rain.

• Play Centre - By Play Centres I mean Lollipops Playland and similar centres. They can be pricey but if you have a toddler that can walk they will love it and even better if you con one of your friends with kids to come along as well. You sit and chat while kids play.

• Movies - If your kids are old enough to enjoy a movie then this is a good way to spend a couple of hours or if you have a really little one you should consider 'mums n bubs' sessions. Most cinemas ran them during the school term and if you time it right you can enjoy a movie while your baby sleeps in the pram or on your lap. Here is the link for the Event cinema website.

I do hope that the above list has been helpful and I am sure I have missed out on activities so will love to hear of any others?

My big fat chocolate cookies

Last night after my healthy chicken soup for dinner I got a craving for chocolate and a craving that strong can not be ignored. So I went into my pantry and dug up a few ingredients and came up with these huge chocolate cookies that are crunchy on the outside and soft inside, YUM! Taste gorgeous with a big glass of milk! Enjoy x

Ingredients

2 cups plain flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 cup choc chips

Method

• Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. In a small bowl mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder. Put aside
• In a larger bowl, using an electric beater, beat the butter and the sugar until creamy. Add the egg and beat for another minute. Gradually throw in your dry ingredients, beating until thick. 
• Throw in the choc chips and mix with a big spoon.
• Use your hands and make balls out of the dough and place onto grease proof paper and tray. With the palm of your hand squash the balls making them into disks. 
• Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and remove. Let them cool on a wire rack and Enjoy!

xx

the best pizza dough ever + pizza

This claim I make not neelie willie like, I actually really mean it! If your like me and like a thin crust pizza that is easy to make and delicious, well this is for you!
The recipe was originally introduced to us from our dear friends in the UK and is taken from Jamie Oliver. We usually make a big batch and then freeze the left over dough in cling wrap for later use. It lasts a long time in the freezer.

Ingredients

800g bread flour
200g finely ground semolina
1 teaspoon salt
2 x 7g dry yeast sachets
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoon olive oil
650ml lukewarm water

Method

• Sieve the flour and salt onto a clean dry surface, make a well in the centre. Combine the water, oil, sugar and yeast in a jug, leave for a few minutes and then pour into the centre of the flour well. 
• Using your hands slowly close the well and combine all the ingredients. Once all combined knead the mixture until you get a smooth springy dough.
• (you can skip most of the hard work by using a machine that kneads, just place the flours and water/oil/sugar/yeast mixture into the machine and press a button!)
• place the mixture into a large bowl thats been dusted with flour, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm room for an hour. The mixture should double in size and then its ready
• dust some flour onto the dough, remove it from the bowl and place onto a flour dusted surface. Using your hands, knead the dough lightly to remove some of the air (1 minute is usually enough)
• Once that's done, break the dough up into small balls (size of your palm). The recipe makes 6-8 pizzas. Either use immediately or wrap the balls in cling foil and pop into your freezer for later
• Now to make your pizza. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. On a flour dusted surface, roll the ball around and press using your hands to make into a round shape.

• Using a rolling pin, roll the dough until its around half centimetre thick. 
• On an oven tray, I like to then place in the oven for 5 minutes to give the crust extra crunchiness but this stage is optional, if you don't like it too crunchy proceed to the next stage
• Remove from oven and place any toppings you desire ( I love to keep it simple with a good sauce, preferably home made, onion, tomatoes, peperoni and of course cheese!)
• Reduce oven to 180 degrees and bake pizza for 10-15 minutes or until lovely and golden

Enjoy xx

the fun in rhyme

After deliberations and discussions, I have decided (along with the hubby) that we will not send Lucy to childcare as yet. The more I thought about it, the more I realised how much I actually enjoy spending time with her and how much I would miss out on if I were to leave her in childcare.

Its not forever, I will have to eventually go back to work but for the time being I will just attempt to fill her mornings up with activities so she doesn't get too bored at home and drive me crazy.

This is where Rhyme Time came in, it is just one way that we will fill our mornings. Our local library is really great where it comes to kid activities and its only ten minutes up the road. They host Rhyme Time twice a week and have Story Time twice a week for the older kiddies too.

Lucy and I have been to Rhyme Time previously, but with juggling her sleeps along with the after school care I do and the house work we have not been regulars.

So I have decided that now that Lucy is not going to childcare I will make every effort to entertain her in the mornings, so off we went to Rhyme Time. And I must say she loved it! but I'm not sure in the way that you would think... she spent the first ten minutes quietly sitting and listening to the readings and some of the songs, starring at me doing the actions and all the other parents. Then she realised that she wasn't tied to me and off she went! crawling through all the parents and the kids, talking and trying to distract everyone, giggling to herself along the way.

I spend the rest of the time either watching her running off or chasing her as she made a break through the crowds and headed out the door on all fours!

I think we will need to attempt it on a regular basis so she learns to sit and pay attention, but regardless the smile on her face as she made friends with the crowd makes me think she had a great time!

Success I think and now off to try out our local Playgroup
x

Am I ready for Childcare???

Lucy my gorgeous girl, has lately been a little nightmare. I like to excuse everything with the idea of teething but I think there must be a few more reasons why she has been acting up, including being slightly bored. Being a mum is completely different to being a nanny, apart from the other 10 thousand reasons I have noticed an important one, I DON'T play with her as much. As a nanny I was at the park DAILY, I went to playgroups WEEKLY, music classes, Gymbaroo, walks and play dates and of course endless hours on the carpet playing. But that was my job and I did love it.

I still do some of those things with Lucy, but not all the time because responsibility and housework need to be done. So I think Lucy is bored and at times driving me UP THE WALL!

So last week I had decided that maybe it is time she went to Childcare, just one or two days where she can be social and have fun with kids her age and also get worn out. A good idea I thought, I could also get some work done and maybe even look for some part time work on those days to complement the After School Care I already do. I put her on the waiting list at a few centres and thought I would have to wait months (inner west childcare shortage sucks!), but a week later I got a phone call and they have a place!!

This is when the panic sat in, Am I ready to let go and actually let her be looked after by others and by others I mean strangers not my mum or sister or friends, just strangers? Am I ready to spend a couple of days without her? She will just be 1 year old and is that old enough??

I do understand that some women have to go back to work and sent their babies to care much earlier, but I have the option not to, Am I being a mean mummy??? Being a nanny myself I didn't think I was going to have this panic attack, mostly because from experience I know that Lucy will be absolutely fine and being the social butterfly that she is, she probably will love it. But being a mum I'm not sure I have it in me to let go this quickly? So the question really is, Am I ready for Childcare?

Anyway I have a week to think about it before the places are offered to others, what do I do?

Not Happy MUM!

Chicken and leek soup

My poor hubby is sick and there is nothing better at curing a sick person then some nice hot chicken soup. I make this like a broth and love to eat it with hot freshly made rolls but you can also cook up some noodles and throw it in at the end for a different twist.

Ingredients

200g chicken chopped (any part will do but I like breast or thigh fillets)

2 litres chicken stock

2 cups water

2 carrots chopped

2 leeks sliced

1 onion chopped

4 garlic cloves chopped

2 tables spoons Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste 

splash of oil

Method

• In a large soup pan on a high heat throw in your oil, onions, garlic and chicken. Brown until ingredients start turning golden, stirring.
• Place your stock and the extra water in the pan and bring to boil for 5 minutes. Using a ladle remove the top layer of the soup (the foamy bit)
• Place your carrots and leeks into the soup and bring to boil
• Reduce heat to low and let the mixture simmer for 1 hour
• After one hour, put in the worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper as needed. Cook for 5 more minutes and remove from heat

Serve with warm bread or noodles. Also optional is a garnish of coriander and a squeeze of lemon

Enjoy xx

3 - My Kindle

I have always been a keen reader. I loose myself in a book easily and can read for hours. I never thought I would switch from actual books; I love the feel and smell of them and even the way they look on my book case. But a year ago my hubby got me a Kindle so I didn't have to drag books around on a plane and since than I haven't looked back. The ease of the quick download, the weight of the kindle and the fact that once charged the battery can last weeks. Love my kindle :)