Mummy Zen

As someone who’s mentioned in several blog posts the benefits of getting outside for a walk,  I was pleased to read in the Telegraph that researchers have concluded 20 minutes each day in the park can boost your energy levels. As the lead professor in the study put it, “Nature is fuel for the soul”. He explains that people tend to have a cup of coffee when they feel lacking in energy but being around nature is in fact a much better and more effective solution.

I know I always feel more invigorated after a walk outdoors and being in a park or out in the countryside is something I really enjoy. I’ve also noticed the positive effect it has on our son. If he’s at all fractious or bored, taking him outside really perks him up. With the nice summer weather we’ve been having recently, we spend almost every afternoon in our local park. Our son even made a mad dash for it himself yesterday when my husband took him out of our building to calm down after a spate of tantrum-like crying.

Of course it’s easy when the weather’s nice. Most of us spend a lot more time amongst nature when the sun’s shining and it’s warm outside. Getting your daily fix of nature becomes more of a challenge in a cold winter or on rainy days and those are the times you probably need it more. As I’ve suggested in previous posts, get dressed for the weather and go out anyway! It really does make you feel better.

Have you noticed that your energy levels increase after being outside? How about the effect of nature on your children?

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In an email newsletter from the 10:10 campaign I got recently, there was a mention and a link to Ecomodo, an online marketplace for lending and borrowing in local communities. I’d never heard of Ecomodo but when I looked at their site, I really liked the ideas behind it. Their aim is to help the individual by encouraging borrowing over buying, to save money, time and space.  If you lend items or services, you can make a bit of money for yourself, or for a good cause and you get the nice feeling of having helped out a friend or neighbour. In a broader spectrum, Ecomodo can help the environment:

Ecomodo wants everyone to maximise the utility of their assets, to reduce the need for wasteful purchases and to get more out of what we already collectively own. It is a reality that we live in a consumer driven society. Our aim is to create a society of socially responsible consumers whilst preserving your quality of life.

As well as using the site on an individual basis and lending and borrowing with anyone, you can also set up or join a ‘trusted circle’. This might be a group of people in your street, at the company you work for, parents from the same school or any group of people with a common connection of some sort. Borrowers and lenders then operate just within the circle. I’m thinking of setting up one for the mums group I belong to in my local area. I think it could be really helpful for parents to lend and borrow baby equipment, as well as other household items or whatever.

With the launch of the greatly anticipated Ipad last week, someone from Ecomodo went and bought one for lending to its members. Now, anyone in London can borrow the Ipad from Ecomodo for £18 (1 day) and the money goes to help the Prince’s Trust. The Ecomodo blog explains the two points they aimed to illustrate in buying and lending the Ipad:

1. People don’t need to run a marathon to raise money for charity they can simply lend out their assets and help people around them.

2. To inspire people to borrow instead of buying or if they have to buy: Try it first and make sure it’s really what you want to spend your money on.

There’s an issue of trust with lending an item and you hope it comes back to you in the same condition as it left. Ecomodo aims to keep the process smooth and reliable for both lenders and borrowers. I think this kind of marketplace provides a positive way to encourage trust among communities, something that is so often missing nowadays.

Had you heard of Ecomodo? What do you think about the system of lending and borrowing – is it something that appeals to you?

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Summer brings picnics and more outdoor eating. I decided to share a few recipes I like for some great food that’s easy to make and convenient to transport for journeys, picnics or whatever. As I’m a vegetarian, so are these recipes but you can certainly play around with them and include some meat if you’d like. I’ve chosen things that are suitable for young toddlers to eat but that are also grown-up enough for adults to enjoy!

I’ve chosen 3 savoury recipes and 1 sweet, all of which are quick to throw together. You could make them the night before, a week before and freeze them, or in the morning before heading out – whatever fits in best with your schedule. They are fairly healthy – nutritious and delicious as my niece likes to say! At the end of the post, I’ve also listed a few other food ideas.

Courgette Mozzerella Muffins I omited the ham, salt, sugar and chilli flakes in mine and they still tasted really good. You could also do variations on the recipe, substituting the courgette and mozzerella for something like olives and feta cheese or carrot, corriander and cheddar cheese…whatever you fancy! Savoury muffins are a good way to make vegetables a bit more fun and accessible for fussy eaters. You could make mini muffins for a party or picnic.

Chickpea Patties. The recipe for these came from Nigel Slater’s book Tender: Volume I, A cook and his vegetable patch (my current favourite cookery book). Super-easy to make and delicious served with a sauce of yoghurt, grated cucumber and mint. Makes 6-8 small patties.

In a food processor or with a hand whisk, combine the following:

• 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp hot paprika
• 1 egg
• small bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• small bunch mint, roughly chopped

Blitz until smooth but not too smooth, keep it a little lumpy. Leave for 5-10 mins to firm up then fry small, flattened spoonfuls in a non-stick frying pan with a bit of olive oil until golden on each side (3-4 mins). Serve warm or cold with the yoghurt sauce/tzatsiki.

Bean and herb sausages. This recipe comes from Vegetarian Pregnancy and Baby Book. The sausages can be eaten warm or cold. Makes 18-20 sausages about 10cm/4 inches long.

• 420g can haricot/cannellini beans, drained, rinsed & mashed with a fork
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 45g grated cheddar
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1tbsp fresh herbs of your choice (eg, thyme, parsley)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• dried breadcrumbs

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Form into sausage shapes and roll each one in the dried breadcrumbs. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 mins. Fry the sausages in a little vegetable oil, turning frequently to brown them evenly (8-10 mins cooking time). Drain on kitchen paper.

Fruity Flapjacks: these are healthy and quite filling. The recipe is from a Tesco magazine but I can’t find it online….

Simply combine all the following ingredients, press into a lightly oiled 18 x 28 cm baking tin and bake at 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4 for 20-25 mins or until golden. Cut into bars while still warm. Makes 12.

• 350g oats
• 85g plain flour
• 150g dried fruit mixture (eg. raisins, apricots, figs, dates, apple, prunes)
• 3 tbsp runny honey
• 1 egg
• 175ml apple juice (I substituted this for water to make mine less sweet)

Some other ideas:

Dips: humous, guacamole….. make your own quick healthy bean dip by simply whizzing up your choice of canned beans with a couple of spoonfuls of plain natural yoghurt and some seasoning/herbs to taste. Dip in vegetables or breadsticks.

Mini quiches. Lots of great recipes here. If you don’t have Individual Quiche/Tart Pans, use a fairy cake/cupcake tin instead to make bite size ones instead.

Arancini: a bit fiddly to make but these rice balls are so delicious! Try this recipe.

Fruit. There are so many lovely summer fruits that come into season and are delicious to sit and munch on!

I hope this gives you some fresh ideas for picnic fare or even just for making food for your young children that’s easy to transport and a bit more interesting that just a sandwich.

What kind of food do you like to take outside that’s also enjoyed by your children?

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I’m off on holiday tomorrow and unfortunately have not been organised enough to write a post this week before leaving, nor to schedule any in my absence.

Check back at the end of the month….

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After a long cold winter, spring seems to be here and we’ve enjoyed a week or two of sunny days and milder temperatures. The days are longer and brighter, flowers are blooming and more people are out and about. It’s a lovely time of year and one that usually gives us a real boost after months of dark dull days. People tend to feel full of energy and eager to get outside or to tackle jobs they’ve been putting off.

The start of spring used to be the start of the new year, back in Babylonian times (2000 BC) . In terms of the seasons, it certainly seems a more natural beginning than the start of January. I think it’s definitely a good time to take stock and think about what you’ve achieved (or not) so far this year. If your new year’s resolutions never really got off the ground, you might feel more like putting them into action now. If you’ve been delaying on jobs around the house or know your home would benefit from some spring cleaning, now’s the time to do it! If there are relatives you’ve been meaning to visit, now’s a great time of year to make the effort and maybe combine it with a nice day out somewhere.

Here are my own top 3 projects that I plan to get stuck into this spring:

SPRING CLEANING: I’ve made a list of cleaning jobs to be done as part of my spring cleaning. Some I can do in a spare 15 minutes here and there and other bigger jobs will be saved for a weekend and some assistance from my husband! I find breaking it down into a list of individual tasks makes the whole process seem less overwhelming.

CLOTHING CLEAR-OUT: As I start to pack away some of my thick woolly jumpers and bring out some lighter-weight clothing for spring, it’s a good opportunity to sort through my clothes and get rid of anything I haven’t worn in the past year and know deep down I’ll probably never wear again.  Having sorted through my wardrobe I often come across things I forgot I had or haven’t worn in a while which can sometimes be a nice surprise. We’ll take any discarded clothing to a charity shop and benefit from a bit of extra space in our drawers and wardrobes.

OUTINGS: Better weather is the perfect reason to make the effort to go on some nice little outings at the weekend. We took the train to Salisbury a couple of weeks ago and went to  Kenwood House last weekend. Having an American husband helps me be more of a tourist in my own city and country than I probably would ordinarily be but it’s fun to get out and about and see places. It doesn’t need to be a costly outing either, a nice walk somewhere new can be a lovely thing to do on a sunny Sunday morning.

What about you, do you have spring projects or plans?

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This Sunday is Mother’s Day in the UK, a day to let our mums know how special they are to us. As we don’t live in the same country, I won’t get to see my Mum on Sunday but we’ll make do with a video call on Skype. As for myself, I’ve already put my order in for breakfast in bed!

I got to thinking about some of the fond memories I share with my Mum. There are many from the past and many more to come I’m sure. When I was young, we did lots of cooking together which I loved and she always baked impressive cakes for my birthday parties. She also did lots of sewing and made great costumes for my ballet and other dance performances. She’s always encouraged the adventurous side in me and let me travel alone to visit friends in France in my early teens and then to go to Austria to work as Au Pair when I was 17. She was always there on the end of the phone when I was having big dilemmas or stress with my wedding planning four years ago. She burst into tears of joy when I announced I was pregnant two years ago (on video on Skype ). My Mum gives me lots to be thankful for, lots to learn from and lots to live up to!

Last year was my first Mother’s Day. My son was around 3 months old. I remember it was a cold but bright sunny day. We went out for breakfast and my son sat peacefully in his pram so my husband and I got to eat a leisurely breakfast. One year on and whilst he still won’t be aware of Mother’s Day this year, it means the world to me to be his mummy and to have such a treasure in my life. That alone assures I’ll enjoy the day!

Now onto the ticket giveaway……I have four tickets to see Nanny McPhee and The Big Bang this Sunday, 14 March in London. The film stars Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ralph Fiennes, Rhys Ifans and Maggie Smith. It would be a great family outing to celebrate Mother’s Day and a chance to see the film before its official release date of 26 March. There’ll be ‘fun in the foyer’ before the film itself starts at 11am. Perfect timing for going for a nice lunch after seeing the movie!

For a chance to win the four tickets, simply share a muumy-related memory in the comments section. It might be about your mum or about yourself and your children. A winner will be selected on Friday and the tickets will be emailed in time for the event on Sunday. Good luck!

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Today is International Women’s Day. It’s a day to celebrate  women’s economic, political and social achievements and started back in the early 1900s. In some countries it’s an official holiday where men honour the women in their lives by giving flowers and small gifts. Events are held all around the world today, bringing attention to women’s progress and their accomplishments. Although IWD  initially represented women’s fight for better pay, voting rights and an end to discrimination, today it focuses more on inspiring women worldwide and celebrating their achievements.

A fitting example of a great female success story is last night’s Oscar award for best Director going to Kathryn Bigelow for the film, The Hurt Locker. Kathryn has made history as the first woman to win the award – an impressive achievement!

On a less glamourous scale, the United Nations (who now sponsor the annual 8 March IWD), highlighted in their statement for this year’s IWD, the commendable attitude and efforts of the women in Haiti. They have done so much to aid the recovery efforts by helping look after communities and neighbourhoods, caring for children and sharing what little they do have with those around them. The United Nations Development Fund for Women Executive Director also expresses how the female President of Chile has tried to learn from the examples of those women in Haiti:

Two weeks ago the President of Chile, Michele Bachelet, travelled to Haiti to express solidarity with these women struggling to rebuild their lives and communities — and this week she is inspiring her own country to come back stronger from another devastating earthquake. This is the kind of leadership, from the community to the highest level, that women have demonstrated in all places seeking to come back from conflict and crisis. But unlike in Chile, women are rarely part of the decision-making process on relief or resources, or on how to plan for the next time disaster strikes.

I think International Women’s Day is a great reminder of the many inspirational, admirable women in the world and their achivements both big and small that impact others on all kinds of different levels. We can all probably think of a female who’s demonstrated something significant and worthy of celebration today. Let’s take a moment to applaud and learn from these women.

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We are in the midst of Fairtrade Fortnight which is running from 22 February through to 7 March. The Fairtrade Foundation launched a campaign called The Big Swap, suggesting we all swap our usual products for Fairtrade versions during these two weeks- everything from our morning cup of tea to the lip balm we use. It’s a simple way we can all make a small difference and show a stance towards helping developing world producers.

I have to admit I’m not an active shopper of Fairtrade goods, but for no particular reason. I recognise the value of the Fairtrade label which indicates a guarantee that the producer has been paid a minimum price for their produce and that a premium has been paid to support social, environmental and development projects. However, not all crops are covered under Fairtrade and there is no recompense for the quality of the items. Unfortunately it is not available to some farmers in more developed countries who experience the same kind of exploitation as someone in a more developing country.

Having said all that, when you read on the Fairtrade Foundation site  that a third of the world survive on less than $2 a day, it’s clear that there are a lot of people out there who are struggling with unfair trade rules that leave them powerless to improve their own situation. Any help is beneficial and it’s great if we can all do something towards the efforts of the Fairtrade Foundation.

The idea of The Big Swap makes it easy for us all to make a small contribution during Fairtrade Fortnight. Just by choosing the Fairtrade products when you’re next in the supermarket can help towards a consolidated step to offering a better deal for producers in the developing world. With pretty much everything having a Fairtrade option these days, it’s a good way to try something different too. Whilst it might mean you’re not buying your usual brand of a particular food, slowly but surely manufacturers are making changes, with companies like Cadbury who switched to Fairtrade certified cocoa at the end of last year and Ben and Jerry’s who recently announced that their entire global ice cream range will go Fairtrade from 2013.

I might be a little late in participating but I think I’ll make the effort this next week to buy Fairtrade where possible. What are your thoughts? Do you buy Fairtrade produce? Will you be making some swaps for the remainder of Fairtrade Fortnight?

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We watched the film, ‘The Age of Stupid‘ at the weekend. For those of you who haven’t seen it, it’s a film about climate change and the link between our current lifestyles and the probable climate change impacts that will result for future generations.  A narrator (supposedly in the year 2055) shows actual news clips from 2008 and wonders how the people living at that time could have misunderstood climate change when the evidence was on obvious display. We also follow the stories of seven real people, each from a different country and each presenting a different perspective to a particular issue of climate-change. The film poses the hypothetical question of why we ignored the signs, the warnings and the advice of global warming scientists and essentially brought about own ruin (by 2055) through our own inaction.

On the one hand, it didn’t tell my husband and I anything we didn’t already know. Humans are using up the earth’s resources faster than they are being reproduced, ice caps are melting, there is very little political will at the local or global level to implement change, air travel is the most detrimental effect individuals make towards global warming etc…. On the other hand, there was something about the movie that really made an impression on me. One of the scientists interviewed mentioned that because the effects of global warming are not immediate, people find it hard to comprehend the necessity to act now. I think that’s true. We hear a fair amount about climate change on the news and yet many of us are still sceptical / reluctant / lazy about doing something to help avoid the effects of global warming on the earth and on future generations.

As parents, our outlook on world issues certainly changes when there are little people to consider. You feel a sense of responsibility for your children and want to leave them the world as a good place, even better than you found it. Things that might not have interested you previously suddenly take on a significance, from politics to the environment. ‘The Age of Stupid‘ struck a chord with me and highlighted the importance of acting now and doing everything we can, before there’s no time left. We need to look ahead to assure a safe and happy future for our children and grandchildren.

Part of the reason people are not taking enough action right now is I think because it involves making choices that go against what we’re used to and that disrupt our comfort zone. Take flying for example. One of my close friends saw this movie before we did and commented that whilst she recognised the concern of climate change, she couldn’t envisage cutting down on her flights. She’s a voracious traveller and doesn’t yet have children. She’s somewhere in the Carribean as I write…. I also love to travel and between us, my husband and I have close family in three different countries so not flying isn’t an easy option for us. We can however make choices, like taking to the train to visit my parents in France or taking our own holidays closer to home to avoid air travel.

One of the characters in the film is a British windfarmer and you watch with dismay and a bit of disgust as his proposed windfarm in Bedfordshire is denied, mainly because the locals don’t want their view spoilt. At some point, we have to acknowledge that compromises have to be made – we can’t have it all. Or rather, if we try to have it all, there will be nothing left for future generations.

One of my new year’s resolutions this year is to be more green. Specifically, I’m aiming to do small things like switch off the toaster, kettle, coffee maker etc at the plug each night, waste less water when washing up dishes, be more aware of our use of electricity (lighting in particular) and reduce my usage of plastic bags in supermarkets (by taking my own re-usable bags). After watching this film, I went to the Not Stupid website and was pleased to see it full of helpful suggestions of how we can each contribute to reducing the impact of global warming. It suggests you firstly sign up to the 10:10 campaign, whereby we all work together to cut the UK’s carbon emissions by 10%. Each month, you’ll be given a tip on how to reduce your own carbon footprint. Have a look at their checklist for some ideas to get you started. I’ve signed up. You should too! If you’re not in the UK, have a look at their global site.

If you haven’t yet seen The Age of Stupid, you can download it from the official site here. If you’ve seen the film, what did you think about it? What are your thoughts on climate change and cutting carbon emissions?

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I’ve mentioned before that we get an organic vegetable box delivered to our home each week. It means we eat seasonally and consume (relatively) locally sourced food without the conscience of air miles. The boxes come in different sizes for different sized households. The contents are published on their website a week in advance so you can choose to add to your box or even create your own box if some of the vegetables are not too your liking that week, or you just can’t face another week of cooking with cabbage!

For the most part I go with the standard box, as opposed to creating my own. Whilst some customers might lament of receiving spinach for five consecutive weeks when in season, I find it a fun challenge to try new recipes, cooking it in different ways. The downside to having their standard box is that sometimes you inevitably receive vegetables that you don’t like. That happened last week – we got brussel sprouts and beetroot, both of which I really dislike.

The vegetables are all fresh, flavourful and of excellent quality. I’m certainly not going to waste any, even if I don’t like them. Instead, I make an effort to find a recipe that involves being a bit more creative with the particular vegetable. With last week’s examples, I made a soup with the brussel sprouts and a cake with the beetroot. Both are delicious! I get a real sense of satisfaction when I find a way to eat a food I wouldn’t ordinarily ever choose or take delight in eating.

Just as baby food books talk about disguising vegetables for little fussy eaters, the same applies to us as adults. If like me, you groan at the mention of brussel sprouts with the traditional English Christmas dinner, try cooking them differently and see how they go down. Finely slicing them and frying with chilli and ginger renders them a whole different texture and taste to the regular boiled version.

Do you have any inventive ways to cook your least favourite vegetables?