Market days are a delight

It's all rainy, the mud squelches under my bare feet as we move toward the jumping castle, mango, plum and watermelon juices staining Gwens hands and top. Eagerly she climbs from the stroller and rushes into the bouncing throng of kids. We've just filled up the pram with fresh, cheep market fruit and vege and indulged in a  cheesy pancake and a curry puff. I adore market days, and so does Gwen.

We got home to unpack try out some fresh macadamia nuts which we opened with the macca cracker. Nuts where sorted, bounced, eaten and generally enjoyed. It's still raining outside and for the first time in a week it's nice and cool, but the washing isn't really drying. We played among the cool damp sheets, driving toy cars down a hastily drawn road, painting trees next to it with chalk paint (cornflour, water, food coloring), drawing bicycles (me) and smoke coming from them (Gwen).

We admired the resilience of our garden Hay-man withstanding such cold rain and then back up stairs to read a few books, play in the cave (a big box with blanket over it) and snuggle into sleep.

Rainy days and market days always seem so much busier.

Delightful Purple King Beans

Purple king beans are easy to grown, you just put them in the ground, water them occasionally and up they pop, producing amazingly prolific purple beans. I love the flowers, the taste and the colour!

Markets

We had a wonderful visit to the West End markets this morning and met up with some friends. It was wonderful to see them after such a long time. We sat under a beautifully huge fig listening to amazing music, feasting on market food. Gwen danced, was social with several other children and dogs, even being allowed to take a small one for a "walk" 2 meters away then back, which she adored.

She happily devoured two whole frankfurter sausages (actual proper long deli ones being sold at a German sausage stall), two large juicy nectarines, a large cup of sugar cane juice half a frakferter bun, a bar of something nutty from a vegan stall and still had room for crackers.

She's hollow legged today, which I guess means we're in for another growth spurt soon. She really does grow like weed in the sun, we're into size 3 pants already and her size 2 tops are almost too short for her now, I only moved up to size 2 a few weeks ago.

Ah well, back to the sewing...

The Dreaded Greens

A post on Post-Industrial Parenthood's blog inspired me to reply with this.

My little one is constantly offered greens, without the dreaded "one more spoonful" tactic.Veges are a constant part of our diet and I can't cook without them. Sometimes they are hidden ingredients such as in "green" beef & mushroom soup, (the trick is to add a can of 4 bean mix, a little cream, lots of green things and some beef, then blend) or sweet potato chips with chickpea (and parsley and garlic) dip instead of plain potato chips.

Spanish Omelet, yum!

Sometimes it's more overt such as a huge plate of nibbly things, cut up uncooked veg, fruit and cold meats, that are eaten on the front lawn. The original post also made me wonder how many people don't have veg regularly in their diet simply because they are swamped with unpleasant memories of overcooked congealing boiled vegetables on their plate that they where forced to eat as a kid? I feel so very lucky that my main memories of veg come from the delicious culinary delights of the Darwin food market culture.

Image Courtesy of the australiantraveller.com

I admit that her being only two means there is  still a lot of aversion therapy yet to be required, but thats in the future. For now, on the occasion that she simply won't try something we choose an animal that she likes and say that the animal loves that sort of food. She is adoring being a pussy cat eating her lettuce or a doggy eating a cucumber. Peer pressure from people other than us, even if she's only taking our word for it, seems to work wonders.

Cake & Ice

It was someones birthday at daycare today and afternoon tea included cake. On the way home Gwen sang her own version of the song:

Happy birth cake you you,
Happy birth cake you you!
Happy cake happy cake!
Happy birth cake you you!

It's possibly the best version ever!

Another Gwen reworking of lyrics is Ice Ice Baby. We went to get a big bag of ice from the local servo a couple of weeks ago and I started to sing "ice ice baby." It's the only song I know with the word ice in it. Gwen immediately took up the song with:

Ice ice Baby
Ice ice Mummy
Ice ice Daddy
Ice ice Nandi
Ice ice Buppa
Ice ice Gwen!

A very appropriate song for what promises to be a long hot and humid summer

Hidden vege sauce with pasta

Anyone which a child under 12 knows how hard it can be to get veges into them. This proved to be a hit today and is also very very yummy for adults too.

1/2 can 4 bean mix
1/4 Dolmino garlic and tomato pasta sauce
1/2 medium carrot, grated
1/2 medium beetroot, grated
handful of chopped beetroot or spinach leaves
a little water
1 tbs oil/butter
lots of spiral pasta

1. Combine the butter, carrot and beetroot on high heat in a small pan till they soften.
2. Add the beetroot leaves and beans, cook until the leaves wilt a little.
3. Remove from heat and add the tomato sauce.
4. Place in a blender, ad a little water if necessary to achieve a smooth thick paste.
5. Add to hot drained pasta and allow to cool a little.

Mulberry Jam Test Jar

279g mulberries, stems removed ( this is what we had left over from our expedition this morning)
279g sugar
2 tbs lemon juice
1 small diced apple

Throw it all in a pot and let it sit for an hour.
put it on the stove, bring it to boil and simmer for 10 mins on low
pour into a sterilised jar

let it cool

eat

yum

Moroccan Stew

1 small onion, finley diced
2 clovs garlic finely diced
Macadamia oil
2 tsp harissa paste
¼ tsp powdered ginger
¼ cup thinly cut veal
2 tsp tomato paste
2 tsp pomegranate syrup
¼ cup mango & apricot puree (it was one of those golden valley kids fruit tubs)
1tbs amaranth seeds
1tbs walnuts meal (crush in mortar and pestle)
1 large mushroom, diced
1 large zucchini diced
1 tbs almond meal

1.Combine oil, oinions, garlic and spices
2.Add meat abd brown.
3.Turn down the heat to a simmer
4.Add tomato paste, pomegranate juice, fruit puree, amaranth seeds, walnut, zucchini & mushroom
5.Add a little water or stock if the brew is looking thick. Let it simmer on low for about 20 mins with the lid on.
6.Add almond meal to thicken.
7.Simmer for 5 more mins with the lid off, stirring occasionally.
8.Serve with pumpkin damper (1/2 flour, ½ pumpkin, 1 tbs baking powder) and peas