Family Dinner Ideas: Chicken Rice Paper Rolls

I haven't written up any family dinner posts for a while, but, obviously we are still cooking family dinners almost every night of the week! With two toddlers in the house now, dinner time is certainly busy and a little chaotic, but we try pretty hard to have dinner together as a family. And seeing I don't have very much extra time, I still only like making one meal for everyone, it has worked well for us so far!

A couple of weeks ago I thought about trying out Rice Paper rolls for dinner. I had no idea how they would be received by the toddler duo! But, HURRAY, they were a hit! I know how frustrating it can be when you think, 'Oh they will love this for sure.' And, you put so much time and effort into making this great dinner, only to have little noses wrinkle up and declare, 'I don't like this', before they have even tasted it!! From Ez mostly of course, now that he is so aware of what everything is, and very wary of NEW things. Thankfully Willow eats everything and I mean everything, and LOTS of it. But still, trying new recipes can be a little daunting sometimes, and can open you up for a dinner time disaster.

These rice paper rolls are super easy, and great for the whole family! But, I am terrible at wrapping them, so just have a little giggle at how munted my rice paper wrapping is. Especially because this time I tried to cut them in half to make mini ones for the kids, I think leaving them whole and just putting less filling in would probably have been a wiser move on my part.

I've made them twice now.

The first time I used:
-Rice paper
-1 Chicken Breast (cut into small pieces & cooked in shallow water with a little soy-sauce)
- 1-2 cups bean sprouts
- 1-2 cups cabbage (thinly sliced)
- 2 medium carrots (grated)
- handful of coriander (chopped)

This made two large rolls for 2 adults and one each for the kids!! I just added a little bit of everything in each one and wrapped them up, with a little soy dipping sauce. I also added some Brown rice for the kids!

The second time (pictured)
-Rice Paper
- 1 Chicken breast (cut into small pieces & cooked in shallow water with lemongrass & a little soy-sauce)
- 1/2 a large Zucchini thinly sliced and cooked with the chicken
- 1-2 cups cabbage (thinly sliced)
- 2 medium carrots (grated)
- handful of coriander (chopped)

I served them with some Jasmine rice for the kids this time!

A relatively easy dinner, and I think they will start on the regular dinner rotation!

 

 

5/52

{A photo of my children every week for a year.} 

Ez loves taking Pup Pup for a 'walk' these days, he also has a little doll in the pram that he is pushing. I actually love it when their play is an imitation our lives, it is just so cute! 

And my little chunky monkey is getting so big and eating sooo much! I can't get enough of those toothless grins.

And again, I had to add a cute sibling picture. They were both napping upstairs. I heard Ez come out of his room. By the time I got up there, this is what I found! Its hard to get mad, when they were having so much fun together. 

Linking with Jodi @ Practicing Simplicity

Oh Monday, I love you

I know I'm going against the trend, but I actually love Mondays. But, probably because I don't have work to go to, and we aren't in the school-run stage yet.Monday is our down day, our day at home to rest and recover from generally pretty busy weekends. The kids miss naps, or go to bed late on the weekend, so on Monday they are moving pretty slow.

 So we stay at home, we enjoy the quiet and we just catch up.Often we will watch a movie, go for a walk on the beach or head to a nearby playground for a short play and get some fresh air and then head back home for lunch and the kids nap time. I catch up on the housework that I didn't get time for over the weekend. Or, I just laze about, or write a blog post and feel guilty about not doing housework, but not guilty enough to actually get up and do it.

On Mondays we restore a bit of order, I don't push the kids too hard, they are already exhausted, and exhausted kids can easily turn into disaster.I'm so grateful for these quiet days, when we have nowhere we have to be and we can just move at our own pace. 

Today, we walked down the beach, its hard to beat the sweet salty air and the cool breeze, a baby in the Ergo and a toddler running up and down the sand throwing rocks into the water. Everyone was well behaved it was a little slice of perfection, with days like this, I can deal with the chaos that is to come, I feel a little recharged, inspired and energised. My heart feels full and I reflect on how extremely blessed I am to have these amazing little people in my life. Yep, Mondays are good. I feel sorry for Joel, he's so tired from the weekend too, but he has to go to work, he doesn't get the catch up day. He just has to keep powering on, oh bring on the Christmas break!!

So, how do you recharge for the week?

(and because it is actually Tuesday by the time I got this posted, I'm linking with Jess for #IBOT)

There's something so great about a great Nanna

This photo makes me smile everytime I look at it and I couldn't help but want to share it. The silliness, the laughter, and the love, it captures the moment so well. It's so nice to see my Nanna smile like this, the past four months haven't been the easiest for her, she wasn't well and then she followed that with a broken hip, thankfully she is on the mend now. She seems to be her normal chatty self once again, I remember as a kid whenever I would call my Nanna on the phone, I could only manage to get one or two words in, because, she, like me, is a talker!

I love that my kids get the opportunity to spend time with their great-Nanna. It must be an amazing thing, playing with your great grandchildren and seeing your family tree expand and grow, I wonder if I'll ever get the chance? I surely hope so.

It's all about the lifestyle

One of the big deciding factors in our move down south of Mandurah was the lifestyle. We wanted to have wide open spaces and places to explore and adventures to be had without the hustle and bustle of the city, but still being close enough not to feel completely cut off. I love the beach, you can call me picky but I hate the overcrowded ones that you can hardly swim without accidentally touching another swimmer, how awkward is it when you kick someone in the face by mistake when you are showing off your breast stroke skills! Our desire to move down here was driven by a need to get outdoors more, have fun as a family and just relax and enjoy our surroundings. With age (all 30 years of it), I care less about going to cool cafés and fancy restaurants, maybe because the enjoyment factor of going to those places with young kids is severely decreased and makes the thought of overpaying for food that is quickly wolfed down whilst trying to keep kids entertained makes me cringe! One day, I'm sure I'll have the desire to go back and often, maybe when the kids are in school, but maybe I'll just pocket the extra money and buy some new shoes instead!

This weekend re-comfirmed to us that we made the right decision moving down here, it was kind of the epitome of the Mandurah lifestyle weekend that we have been chasing. Saturday consisted of heading out on the estuary on Pop's boat, where Ezra got to see dolphins close up as they raced the boat and jumped out in front of us, he was so excited and kept asking me for more (you can see my video on Instagram @yellowdandy), then a classic fish and chip lunch at Dolphin Quay. Sunday we had a friends birthday breakfast cookup on the beach, a beach that can only be accessed by 4wd, which our Ford Escape only just classifies as. A beach that is fairly empty and secluded. We were sun soaked and exhausted after our weekend, but that good kind of exhausted where you feel satisfied and relaxed and you sleep so well (apart from babies waking you up for milk).

I'm so excited for my kids to grow up here. I'm so excited for this summer! This is the life for me.

Linking with the wonderful Jess for #IBOT 

New Places: Old Coast Road Brewery Myalup

On Saturday, after a week of feeling a little housebound, we headed out to visit the Old Coast Road Brewery in Myalup (about 30 min drive from where we are in Mandurah). We had never been there before, but had heard good things! It was our first major trip out with two kids. We all needed to get out and all clear our heads, let Ezra run off some pent up energy, and just have fun as a family. It turned out to be a great place that had something for everyone. Willow sleeps most of the time right now, apart from waking for a feed, so it really wasn't that much more difficult than with one child, except we just had a lot more stuff! 

Joel, had the idea to head out to the brewery (of course) and it just so happened that they had all these activities set up for kids as well. BONUS! A bouncy castle, a petting zoo, pony rides, a big grassed area with footballs and cricket and playground including cubby houses. It was seriously toddler heaven.  The pony ride was such a big hit that every time he sees a pony on TV or somewhere he says 'more'. No wonder he had a massive meltdown when it was time to leave. It was also parent heaven because it was all FREE! I love when places think to cater for kids, it makes it so much more enjoyable and relaxing for us parents.

 We went with the expectation of their Saturday special Spit Roast, but were disappointed that they had sold out by the time we sat down to eat, note to self: Get there early. They made the disappointment a little easier by giving us two free middy's of their beer. Yep, my first beer in a LONG time, I had the Wheat Beer, and I really liked it. Joel had the Apple cider, and claimed it was the best local cider he has tasted to date, and he has tasted a lot of local cider. 

Our food was really lovely, even though it wasn't the spit roast. In the ordering confusion they had forgotten Ezra's meal. But, once we notified them of the omission, they delivered it within a few minutes, and then offered him a free Simmo's ice-cream, which he happily obliged them by eating. I have had too many bad experiences customer service at restaurants in WA that it was actually really refreshing to go to a place that went out of their way to make us happy after they had made mistakes. 

So if you're looking for somewhere to go with the family, I highly recommend the Old Coast Road Brewery, it is about an hour and a half drive south of Perth on the turn off to Harvey. On their website (HERE) they have heaps of activities listed for the rest of July. We may have to head back to sample some more of their food and beers very soon! 

I hope you had a lovely weekend too!! 

Karen xx 

 

Eating Additive Free: The Trusted Trolley {Review & Giveaway}

A few months ago I was contacted by the lovely ladies at The Trusted Trolley about doing a review of their website, and was given a 6 month subscription to take full advantage of what their site has to offer. I immediately jumped at the chance because they are doing something that I believe in and support. They are a group of WA Mums trying to make it easier for everyone (especially other parents) to know what is in the foods we are buying, and providing helpful information about understanding the harmful effects that many common additives have on our bodies. I mentioned in an earlier post (HERE) about how we have been trying to avoid additives and preservatives in our food and trying to eat 'clean'. It isn't always successful, and I'm fighting a losing battle against my cravings for malteasers in my very pregnant state. But on the most part, I want to know that what I am feeding my child isn't all hopped up on fake, unnecessary crap. So I think what they are doing is such a great resource for other time-poor parents like me!

Like most parents of young children I try to spend as little time at the supermarket as possible. When I do get the courage (or rather desperate need) to enter, I spend most of my time making car motor noises and doing fake burnouts with the trolley trying to keep a toddler appeased, in order to stop him from throwing all the food back out of the trolley again, or climbing out and running away from me down the aisles. This all happens whilst I'm trying to grab all the food on my list in as short as time span as possible. Usually I forget things, and I if I dare pause at a shelf to read a label, then all hell usually breaks loose. Often I'm so disappointed because I just have to give in and grab whatever 'looks' the best without actually being able to read what it contains, only to come home and realise that it is FULL of additives.

I would love to mosey on down the aisles, read every ingredient list, check every additive number and the corresponding meaning, but the reality is, unless by some miracle I get to go to the shops by myself,  this is not going to happen for many years to come.

This is where the ladies at The Trusted Trolley have been very handy!
Not only is their website full of really useful FREE information about additives and the effects they have on you and your children's bodies.

But, the most helpful part of this website I found is that they have also done the leg work for me, and they provide a great list of foods that are free from additives, this list is constantly being updated as well. This is their members only section, where you can subscribe ($4.66 a month) and gain access to this ever growing list of 'safe foods', which can then be added a printable shopping list to take with you while you shop.

It's a great resource when you have your meal lists written up and ready to go and then you can sit down and search through their lists to see if there are available products that you need for your list that are additive free. It helps to avoid that disappointment and frustration in the supermarket, and you can tweak your recipes or lists to makes sure you don't have any additives, bonus, you can do it all whilst your child/ren are not destroying the nicely stacked shelves of the supermarket!

I've found that not having the time to read the labels and research products to know what foods are 'safe' is one of the most challenging parts of trying to steer clear of additives, and it has often been my downfall. So this website has really helped to give me one place to research quickly and find the foods that are good for my family.

So make sure you check them out at www.thetrustedtrolley.com.au & on Facebook www.facebook.com/thetrustedtrolley

The Trusted Trolley are also generously giving away a 6 Month Subscription to the members only section of their website (Valued at $28)

So one lucky Yellow Dandy reader will have an opportunity to access the safe list of foods and other member benefits for six whole months.

To enter it is really easy, answer this question in the comment section below:

What do you find the most challenging about choosing additive free foods at the supermarket?

This is a game of skill, the best answer will win and the winner will be drawn by a panel of judges (myself, Joel and most likely my Mum too). 

To be eligible you must also follow Yellow Dandy on either Facebook, Twitter or Bloglovin, please let me know in your answer which platform you follow on. 

This competition closes on Tuesday 28th May at 8am Australian Western Standard time. 

The winner will be notified by email on that day.

It is only open to Australian residents as the product list is only really relevant in Australia. 

Karen xx

Linking up with Jess for #IBOT

A long week

It has been quiet around my little space online this week. It has been one of those weeks, I know none of us are immune to 'those' weeks. Joel spent a couple of nights away, and although I'm not by myself (my Mum was here), I still feel like things are a lot harder when he isn't here to share the load, or just to talk to. Time seemed to drag and I haven't had any motivation at all, and it's not that I have really been that busy, but just exhausted. Pregnancy is starting to really take its toll on my energy levels. Sleeping properly has become a bit of a problem, standing has become a bit of a problem and walking too much is also a problem.

Frustration kicks in because I just want my body to be able to do what I want it to do. I want to run around and play with my very active toddler, because I know I only have a limited number of weeks to give him all of my attention. I want to have the energy to complete all the tasks on my to do list, I want to get out and about and feel like I'm in control and on-top of things. But none of those things are really happening right now, and it drives me a little crazy. I know that how important it is to 'listen to my body' and not push myself too hard, but it is hard to rest when you have people relying on you.  I try to  force myself to rest, to put my feet up, to not feel stressed and to try to sleep. It doesn't mean though that my head isn't still full of everything that I want to be doing.

I know that it is so worth every ache, pain and frustration.
My main goal is a healthy, thriving little girl at the end of the day.

I just  felt everything got on top of me. I wasn't really coping, and I was easily upset and irritated, I try not to take it out on my little boy, or my husband who is also worn out (and just happened to be sick yesterday) but sometimes it is hard not to.

Thankfully today (being Mothers Day) was so relaxing. My brothers and my Nanna came down to visit, my Dad cooked a big brunch on the BBQ, Ezra was happily occupied with everyone, I got to take a nap and it just was such an easy day. I am in such a better head space now. It is amazing what a decent sleep and a nap can do.

I'm ready for the week ahead. I'm determined to enjoy these quieter weeks, to rest and prepare for the chaos that a newborn baby brings.

The ups and downs of pregnancy, hormones and toddlers.

Karen xx 

Pictures of a Week

One of my goals, one of the things that I have really wanted to improve and work on is my photography. I took photography when I was in high school, I had a decent idea how to use an old manual camera, I knew things about aperture and depth of field, I even knew how to develop the film and the photos in a dark room. Then along came the point and shoot, and I forgot everything I knew. I became accustomed to the easyness of quick snaps, and no finesse.  A few years ago we bought a Digital SLR on a trip back to the states, you know because everything is like half the price over there. But, I have been cheating with it. I have left it stagnant on the auto settings. I haven't really challenged myself to capture the beauty and emotions of real life, just trying to snap pictures of smiling happy people posing for the camera. There was a long time when this camera rarely left its case, and I relied on my sub-par iphone camera way too much.

In the last couple of months, probably after too much browsing of beautiful blogs with amazing photographs, I have really, really wanted to step up my game in this area. A type of self-improvement I guess, a goal. So what better place to work on my goal than right here, on my blog.

Is this one of your goals too? I would love to know, you can work on it with me if you like.

Some mornings it is definitely worthwhile getting up to see the sun rise.

Perfect Saturday morning, BBQ breakfast with friends at the beach

How great is it to see the men hanging with the kids. Makes my heart happy. 

My beautiful boy, and those big blue eyes. 

Angus, you are still my baby, don't worry! 

Somedays I miss being a kid, not caring and swimming in my clothes. 

We spend most of our days by the ocean at the moment. The weather is still so warm. 

I hope you had a lovely weekend. Did you pull out the camera too? 

Karen xx 

(Linking with Emily @ The Beetle Shack)

I got married at 21

One of the first photos of us together! Photo Credit to Tiffany Garcia!

9 years ago today I got married. I was young, bright eyed and idealistic. I had only just turned 21. Many people suggested that we were too young. Joel was also 21, on the cusp of 22. We had only been 'dating' for just over a year, and we'd never lived together. I think for some people this would send out massive alarm bells.

When Joel asked my Dad if he could propose to me (yep, he's old fashioned like that, and blew my parents away). My parents asked lots of 'serious' questions, but then all they really wanted to know was if he loved me. He obviously gave them the right answer because he got the thumbs up, and it was all on from there. They got married young too, and they are still going strong.

It is 9 years later and I have no regrets. Except for maybe Joel's baggy suit pants at our wedding, and the fact that we got married before Pinterest was around. There is so much awesome inspiration and ideas around for eclectic style weddings, the wedding styling today is so gorgeous and creative. Maybe one day we will renew our vows and I can take advantage of Pinterest inspired styling.

 I think about my 21 year old self, and I feel like a very, very different person than I was back then. Joel was different too. Of course in our lives we are always growing and changing, but over the last 9 years we have grown together, not apart. We love each others company, we have fun and laugh, we support each others dreams and are big on communicating. We have hard days, where we fight, get frustrated, hurt each others feelings and just want to be left alone. But, I can't imagine going through life without him. He is my rock, he inspires and challenges me to be a better version of myself. He calls me out when I'm being silly, selfish and childish, and he encourages me when I'm feeling insecure and down on myself. He teaches me how to be bold, to have integrity in all things, to speak up and to not be afraid of confrontation. He is always willing to sacrifice so much for his family and his work ethic astounds me.

I feel so lucky and thankful that somebody that amazing loves me so much.
Excuse me while I get all teary eyed... and start blubbering.

In 9 years we have had so many grand adventures together. We haven't let life get boring by any means. Throughout all the challenges, the changes of location, pregnancy and babies, the dramas and the joys we have always had the constant of our relationship and our commitment to each other.

I know some people are too young at 21 to get married, some people are too immature at 30 to get married. It isn't the age that matters, it is the people. I wouldn't change it for anything.

Karen xx

If you want to keep up with the goings on at Yellow Dandy, I would be so happy if you LIKED my facebook page, or follow me on Bloglovin

The Value of Family Dinners

Everyone sitting in 'their' spots around the table, tv is most definitely off, good, nutritious food served most nights, conversation, some sibling arguments, Mum and Dad asking us about how our day was and what's new.

This was most evenings in my house when I was growing up.

At around 6pm I would hear Dads voice bellowing though the house intercom (which seemed pretty common in 80's houses) calling us all from our corners of the house down for dinner. If I wasn't there within 5 minutes, someone would pick up the other receiver of the phone and tell me to get off the phone and get to the dining table. They knew me too well.

Needless to say Family Meals were a priority in our house. If you were grumpy or moody (which is also pretty common for young teens I believe) you didn't get to skip it, you ate at the table with everyone else. It was the one time of the day that we were all at the same place at the same time. To leave the table we had to ask to be excused, if someone else was still eating, you weren't excused.

What it really was though, was a lot more than just eating. My parents put a high value on family dinners. All 4 of us kids were given an opportunity to share about our day, to be listened to, to have real and undivided interest given to what we were saying or feeling. We got the opportunity to listen to each other share, and to participate in family discussions. It wasn't rushed (at least not when we were old enough to put ourselves to bed), Mum and Dad weren't shooing us away so they could get to the tellie. I believe that these dinners helped our family dynamic, they enabled us to connect on a real level with our parents, and know that we always had this time if we wanted to talk. Mum said often the ones who wanted to talk would stick around, whilst the rest of the kids went off to do their own things. They were more than just eating, they were about creating deeper relationships.

Since I've become a Mum myself I've started looking at these family dinners differently. Realising that they were deliberate, they were based on the family values my parents held. When Ezra started eating 'real' food, I became more aware of our own mealtime habits, which were mostly Joel and I sitting in front of the tv with our dinner on our laps. So, we made a specific decision to change this when Ez started eating dinner, because we both have experienced and understand the real value of family dinners.

Even though Ezra can't really talk yet, he can still participate in dinner. He watches and learns from us, he sees our example in the food we eat, and he eats it too. He listens to our conversations and we all interact together as a family. Its not always a relaxing meal, but, for me it is more about setting the precedent early on and getting him used to us all sitting down together. I don't know if this is why he pretty much eats most foods or not, I would like to think it is, but we could end up with a super picky eater next time round. We just make one meal at night, that we all eat (because I want to eat together, and because I'm lazy and I really hate the thought of having to prepare multiple meals every night). He's learnt to love meals that I never would have expected a toddler to enjoy and he's slowly learning how to behave at the dinner table.

Now that we are in the habit, we are not about to break it. My hope is that we can be as successful in our value of family dinners and the positive impact they have, as my parents were.

How do/did dinners work in your house?

Karen xx

If you want to keep up with the goings on at Yellow Dandy, I would be so happy if you LIKED my facebook page!!

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