Mango Conserve

It's almost summer, and that means it's juicy mango time! Each week, after swimming, there is a little road shack we visit that sells massive watermelons, spiky pineapples, and bags of mangoes. Little baby girl has been loving to have a suck on these too (what a good little Queenslander!), however we had a couple left over at the end of the week and I didn't want them to go to waste... So, I made a mango conserve from them.

This made approximately 500ml

Ingredients
- 3 ripe mangoes
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 2 cup caster sugar

Directions
1. Cut up the mango and then mash it up
2. Pop the mashed mango in a saucepan on medium heat
3. Add the lemon and orange juices
4. Slowly add in the caster sugar, mixing as you go
5. Cook on medium for 30 mins, stirring occasionally. You will know it is ready to jar when the mix starts to form a film across the top when you stop stirring
6. Remove saucepan from heat and sterilize your jars with boiled water
7. Whilst still hot, spoon mixture into jars. Seal. Leave to cool for 10-15 mins before placing in fridge

Banana Cake

Not long after I started dating dear hubby, I made a batch of banana bread and he absolutely loved it (he also really loves my brownies!) Every now and then I try something else banana based, but it never seems to live up to my banana bread...

So, I've tweaked my banana cake recipe to be a little bit more like my bread.

Ingredients:
- 4 mashed bananas
- 50g butter melted
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 eggs

Through them all in a bowl together and mix until smooth. Place evenly in a bowl and pop in oven at 200 for 30 mins.

The cake will look heavier than normal, which is why it's more similar to bread.. But it isn't as heavy to eat! (I still recommend slim slices though)

Enjoy!!
Chantal

Budget Boredom Busters

For the past several months I have been (happily) stuck at home with my baby girl. This has been a fantastically fabulous budgeting experience, as we learnt to basically survive off the one income. However, more frequently than I'd like to admit, I got bored hanging around the home all day... So, here are some budget boredom buster tips that I learnt!!

* Join your local library. Not only can you read books without the expensive outlay of buying them, and invest in creating a healthy reading habit in your little ones... But, most libraries now hold activities for free that you can get involved in.

* Expand a hobby. This is an extension on point 1! Get reading on a skill you'd like to build, for me at the moment that is gardening, as I'd like to be as self sufficient as realistically possible (more on that another time)

* Go for a walk. Load up the pram, and give those pets of yours some much needed exercise. Hopefully, you might even get fit yourself!

* Rearrange your furniture. A new layout in the home can feel just as good as a holiday, and you might even find you've got a bunch of stuff you don't need that you can sell for rainy day money.

* Instead of catching up with your friends and other loved ones at a restaurant or coffee house, why not go to the park ore the beach instead? Even if you don't have kids, you can still act like one.

* Visit the museum. Some are free, and some are a small fee, but even in small museums I can easily spend half a day. There is always something else interesting to find.

* Visiting a gallery isn't just for stiff upper lip types... Modern art can be really quite funky, just as ' traditional' art can be calming. Occasionally, some larger galleries hold interactive activities for both the young and the young at heart.

With joy,
Chantal

Banana Cake

Not long after I started dating dear hubby, I made a batch of banana bread and he absolutely loved it (he also really loves my brownies!) Every now and then I try something else banana based, but it never seems to live up to my banana bread...

So, I've tweaked my banana cake recipe to be a little bit more like my bread.

Ingredients:
- 4 mashed bananas
- 50g butter melted
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 eggs

Through them all in a bowl together and mix until smooth. Place evenly in a bowl and pop in oven at 200 for 30 mins.

The cake will look heavier than normal, which is why it's more similar to bread.. But it isn't as heavy to eat! (I still recommend slim slices though)

Enjoy!!
Chantal

My Baby Blues

I have a very beautiful baby girl, she is the apple of my eye and can easily bring a smile to my face. However, I have been suffering from mild depression since she was born (if not a little just before she was born, if I'm here to speak the truth).

I have a skill that has both helped and hindered me through life... I have a great ability to shut my emotions off, put a smile on my face, and get on with the job. Whilst this has many virtues in a workplace environment, particularly sales, it can really be a blockade when trying to seek help with any emotional turmoil. . . Such as post partum depression.

I have tried to open up to a few different people about my issues, however the responses are far less than helpful. They include:
- "but, don't you love her?"
- "why don't you just pop some pills?"
- "you're not a single mum"
- "I've seen you smile"
- "but, you're such a good mum"
- And the worst, was just completely ignoring the fact that I'd even spoken and changed the topic!!

The sad thing is, I'm not seeking a miracle cure, I simply just want to be understood. The odd, "it must be hard" would certainly not go astray. Maybe, it is my own fault, and I've stretched myself to thin... But, isn't that was is expected of us, the modern day woman? I cook, clean, bake, study, garden, look after baby, do the finances, and I return to full time work in a week just to top it off.

So, what exactly is it that I want? I want someone, and not just anyone, but a loved one, to listen. I want someone to offer me some free time, despite how selfish it makes me feel. I want the misconceptions of weight loss and breastfeeding to stop. I want the judgement to stop. I want the nasty little comments to stop. I just want to be heard, as the person that I am, and was, before I became a mother. I want to be treated as a whole human being, not a thing that just feeds and looks after the infant. 

I want to feel comfortable in my own skin, with my own thoughts. And I want the same for every other mother.

For now, 

Chantal

Gooey Choc Bubbles

This weeks sweet treat is a result from a pantry clean out. At some point in the past, we'd purchased rice bubbles for whatever reason, and upon the clean out realised they were extremely close to expiry. Time for some inventing!! I'm calling these my Gooey Choc Bubbles!!

Ingredients:
100g butter melted
3 cups rice bubbles
100g marshmallows chopped
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup condensed milk
1 cup cocoa
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp golden syrup

Topping:
1/3 cup condensed milk
1 heaped tablespoon cocoa

Extremely simple directions:
1. Preheat oven to 200 Degrees Celsius
2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl together
3. Pour out mix evenly into a 20x30cm tray
4. Bake for approximately 25 mins
5. Leave to cool for 5-10 mins
6. Mix topping ingredients together in a small bowl
7. Heat small mixed bowl in microwave on high for 1 min (watch, as may spill over)
8. Pour over cooled slice
9. Leave for another ten mins to cool
10. Slice and serve!

I'd hate to think how many calories are in these, but I hate even more throwing out an opened box of anything!!

Hope you are enjoying my little posts.
Chantal

Financial tips

Some of you may know this, some of you may not.. But I used to work in the financial services industry. Studying and working this field gave me some great skills to use for the rest of my life.

I have five rules that I live by day to day, they are standard rules but crucial ones.

1. Pay off high interest rate debt first.

Whether this is a credit card or personal loan, sit down and work out all your rates and minimum payments. Then pay as much as you can in extra payments on your highest interest debt. Once this is paid off, use it to snowball effect your other loans, use the money you were putting towards that first debt to your next and so forth.

2. Know your budget.

Keep track of where and when your money is coming and going. This will give you a better idea of your financial standing, and whether you really can afford that item you've got your eye on. I keep a monthly budget on our fridge, which I enter into an excel spreadsheet at the end of the month.

3. Spend less than you earn.

Pretty obvious really. Using a budget will tell you if you're achieving this.

4. Diversify your savings.

It doesn't matter how much you have, it does not have to be $10k!! You can invest in a variety of options from shares to bonds to gold and more. The key is to diversify, and the younger you are the higher the risk you can take.

5. Add to your super.

In Australia we are lucky enough to have enforced employer contribution, but even when this eventually increases to 12% this still is not enough for you to retire on.

They are a lot of other little rules that I use, but these are the big basics that must be adhered for financial success.

Regards,
Chantal

Emergency Chocolate Cake

In case you haven't cottoned on yet, I have quite a bit of a sweet tooth. I was having my normal afternoon chocolate and sugar craving, with nothing to fulfill it .. So off to the kitchen I went. However, I quickly learnt we had nothing to fill this craving so I was going to have to bake.. Yet again!

However, there were no eggs or milk in the house. So, what's a girl to do?

If you want a basic chocolate cake, but either due to allergies or your due for shop you can't have eggs or milk,then this is for you!

Ingredients:
1.5 cups self raising flour
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon imitation vanilla
1 tablespoon white vinegar
0.5 cup vegetable or olive oil

Directions:
Simply mix all the dry ingredients together first, then add all the wet liquids. Whisk together, and then pour into a cake tin. Bake for 40-45 mins. Leave to cool before icing.

Icing:
1 cup icing sugar
1.5 tablespoon cocoa
Water - add slowly until desired thickness!

An easy simple recipe that will last the week to fill my cravings. Yum!!

The sweets lover,
Chantal

Facebook bullying

Our little baby girl recently turned five months, and whilst it's taken some adjustment, I love being a mum. When I was pregnant I joined a few Facebook groups, as we don't know anyone in our area and most of the friends we had within an hours driving distance have also moved. I thought this would be a great way to meet other mums.

But, oh, how I was wrong!! Years ago, when I'd move to a new town, you could jump online to meet some people and within a couple weeks you'd have friends to chill with that had similar interests. Now however it seems like the internet has become a platform solely for bullying people that don't 100% have your views.

I have since deleted myself from the vast majority of these groups. Even just agreeing with someone else's opinions can bring you a swarm of abuse. Why do people think this is an ok thing to do? Sadly, the more I think about it, the sadder I get about the life my children will have.

When I grew up, I got bullied in school and I got bullied by neighbours.. But, at least I could feel safe from the cat calling in my home. However, this can no longer be said and it stresses me no end that my children won't have that.

What are your thoughts on cyber bullying? Do you think Facebook is leading this horrible trend?

Chalkboard Freezer

This is my solution to two insignificant problems that were annoying me. The first problem was we had an old rusty chest freezer that was given to us, and for space and convenience is situated outside. Calling it an eyesore is definitely an understatement (I really wish I'd taken a before photo!)

The second problem was more of a wish. When I was a little girl, my grandparents painted part of their backyard fence with a massive chalkboard. I absolutely loved it!! However, the only spot in our yard that suited this was also the best and easiest spot for my veggie garden (more on that another time) 

So... What is a girl to do? Paint that ugly freezer with chalkboard paint!!

It was such a simple and easy process. First I thoroughly cleaned the chest freezer down. Then I found an old pot of blue chalkboard I bought from Spotlight ages ago for a different project. The blue would certainly not work with the freezers surrounds, so I got some of my green and gold acrylic paints to mix a more 'organic' colouring.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the finished project. It goes perfectly with the work we're doing outside, we want to actually keep the old freezer now, and even better we have an extremely low cost fun activity for our children to play with when their older.

With hugs,
Chantal