Monday Menu 18 April

This week I only have a small menu as we are going away on Thursday.  Naturally I am trying to use up the bits and pieces in the fridge so there is no waste

Monday   Chicken pasta salad

Tuesday  Beef Stew

Wednesday  corned beef made into a sheppards pie (not sure of the recide as I am yet to try it as I am making it up)

Thats all for this week.  I am linking this to I'm an Organising Junkie

Wordless Wednesday 12 April

Our final orienteering session took us out to the Waiuku Forest.  I am linking up to My Little Drummer Boys

There we go totally in the wrong direction.

Calm Reigns in our house now

As many of my readers know Hayden has many things going on in his life.  From the medical to the cognative and of course the behavioural.

Night time has been a big issue.  It is not because he can't sleep but because he has not be settling so he can go to sleep.  Instead he will call out from his room about 500 times (well it feels like that many times) especially for Dad, he takes his incontinence nappy off and does the unthinkable in his room more than once and then anything else that he can destroy will be done.  He was raising the stress levels in our house right over the top.

At Haydens latest Pediatricians appointment it was recommended that we try a little something to help his brain think about going to sleep.  As he has a severe case of ADHD, I am told that it is hard for the brain to slow down to go to sleep.  I have to say it did not take much to consider this option that might or might not work.

Luckily for us our new plan is working, now for the last week he has gone to bed happily, layed quietly in his bed til he drops off to sleep within 30minutes.  My husband and I now don't know what to do with ourselves.  Usually Hayden would require full blown attention for anywhere from 1 hour to 3 hours depending.

Here he is, just taken at 6.30pm.  I am so happy we have now got peace back into our evenings and we can relax just a little.

I am linking this post to Listgirls New52 week 14

Monday Menu 11 April

This weeks menu is one that will take me through the week easily as I am tired.

Monday  Homemade pizza.

Tuesday Frozen meal a crockpot stew (I think)

Wednesday  Zucchini Loaf with salad and baked potato

Thursday  Stir fry  Thai style  (scroll down to see the sauce recipe)

Friday  spinnach quiche with potato and frozen vege

Saturday  Lunchbox chicken curry pasta

Sunday leftovers

I am linking to Im an organising Junkie

New 2 Me 13 Feijoas

It is the season for feijoas to be in plentiful supply here.  It grows on a tree that does not seem to need any tender loving care, just the perfect sort of tree for me as no matter how hard I try I am not kind on plants.

The feijoa tree produces a prolific volume of fruit.  I seems to fall to the ground as it is perfectly ripe.  We go out each day to gather the picking from the ground.  Perfectly soft to touch and delicous to eat.  The ripe fruit look this colour when cut and ripe.

This year I thought that I would try and do something productive with thsi fruit as it seems like such a waste to let so many good fruit rot.  Jam and relish seem to be something I could give a try.  Here are a few recipes I am considering...

Feijoa Chutney (source NZ Womans Weekly)

Feijoa  Jam (source NZ Womans Weekly)

Hmmm I cant wait to give them a try.

Wordless Wednesday 5 April

Wow autumn is really here but I am trying really hard to hang onto the reminants of summer.  I dont think somehow I will have much luck .

Here is my photo for this weeks Wordless Wednesday.  A reminder that Easter is on its way.

I am made a scrapbooking page about these too.

I will not Indulge

(credits are here)

I am linking this post to My Little Drummer boys

New 52 week 12 Shoes

With winter quickly approaching I had the need to go and source footware.  Mine had been well worn out from last year and as I am hard on my shoes there was not a chance of saving them and trying to make them last another season.

Shoes are something I love to buy.  I love them to be comfortable and I love them to help me feel taller.  Yes that was taller I said.

So last week while DH was away in China for work I took the plunge and went shopping.  A rare thing for me to do when it comes to myself.  I have to say while I love shopping online I really loooooove going to the shops and feeling the items I might purchase, dreaming a little about the if onlys and of course the trying of clothes shoes and other items on is just so much fun.

So to the two........yes two pairs of boots I bought....I had fun keeping the shop assistant busy while I tried on about 1/2 of their stock.  I was abruptly reminded that my feet do not fit thin fitted shoes.  In fact my toes don't even get anywhere near in the shoe.  Now I have a spring in my step and am well ready for the colder winter months that are almost here.

Oh I can smell that lovely new aroma of new leather shoes.  I cant wait to find the first moment to wear them.

I am linking this post to the Fabulous Adventures of Listgirl

Monday Menu 4 March

Here ism y menu for the week

Monday   Spaghetti Bolognaise

Tuesday  curried lentil and pumpkin soup

Wednesday  Corned Beef with baked potato and frozen vege

Thursday  Mexican cicken and bean pizza

Friday  zucchini loaf with salad

Saturday  Beef with carrot and potato chips

Sunday Leftover

I am linking to I'm an Organising Junkie

Food

Food is something we all need and cant live without.  This is really emphasised to us in our house as Haydens medical condition discourages him from having an appetite of any significance.  He has significant calorific input through his mickey button and then can have his pick of any snack food in the house.  Haydens lack of calorie intake is event in his height.  His is very short for his age and grows very little.

This brings me to my daughter.  She is just starting to talk about what she should and should not eat.  It concerns me that because of the unique nature of Haydens eating she will being to think about food in an unhealthy way.  Vegetables are already a struggle for her to eat and I try hard to be creative in the way I deliver them.

So we now have a new catch phrase

You need to eat this to grow taller (she is short for her age) and stronger (because she needs to be strong to play the hockey she is so passionate about.)

Luckily McKenzie has been learning all about food at school and the importance of balance including exercise so in an unexpected way I am getting support from other avenues including her own research.

I have scrapbooked this right here.

Creddits can be found here at Weeds and Wildflowers