Easy Lunch: Grilled CBE Sandwiches

Long time readers of my blog will probably know that I've had real issues with getting the VIPs to eat egg, all stemming from them not being exposed to it at a young age. Mans kept breaking out in hives. Slowly Mans grew out of it and convincing them that eggs were A-OK became a bit of a mission.

One of the things I decided we would do is have eggs for lunch once a week. I've done everything from scrambled eggs to 'eggs and soldier bread'. "Eggy Bug Bread" became one of their favourites. In the early days. it was still familiar enough for them to nibble on it but tasting enough like egg that they would get used to the taste.

When Baker Bob joins us for lunch on 'Egg Day', I make up Grilled CBE Sandwiches.

6 Free range eggs
1 1/2 tbsp milk
8 slices of grain bread
4 pieces of cooked Low Fat bacon rashers
250g Grated Low Fat cheese
Salt
Fresh cracker pepper
Canola spread

• Whisk the eggs, milk and a little salt and pepper in a flat bottomed bowl. I actually use a deep lunch box.
• Get everything ready next to the oven. Your egg mixture, bread, bacon and cheese.
• Heat a frying pan and melt a little canola spread in the frying pan.
• Lay the bread flat in the egg mixture for 5-10secs, flip and soak the other side.
• Lift it up and let it drip a bit before quickly moving it across to your frying pan.
• Do the same to a second slice of bread.
• Fry until brown and flip.
• On one slice of bread, sprinkle on some shredded cheese and lay your bacon on top.
• When golden brown on the second side, place the bread on top of the bacon and transfer the sandwich to a plate.
• Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and heaps of fresh cracked pepper.

 

If you want you can make up the sandwiches before dipping the whole sandwich in the egg mixture and frying off but the bread doesn't soak up the egg as much. It makes about 4 sandwiches and it's great served with a simple fresh garden salad.

I Hate You Crayola! (And Manufacturers of Bad Child Locks!)

I am sitting at the computer, doing research for my last case study and reviewing information through online quizzes. I can hear the VIPs happily chatting in the room next to me. But something isn't sitting right. They are happy, not fighting, and they are definitely in the room next to me, what could possibly be ringing subconscious alarm bells?

And that's when I hear it, the undeniable background rustle of plastic?
Where in the world have they gotten plastic from?

I walk out to find they have broken the child lock of the arts and craft cupboard off, There is green stamp ink and white paint everywhere. The plastic was the wrapper on the pack of paintbrushes. After losing my goo and yelling at them, they run out of the room laughing and I set about cleaning up. 10 mins and a roll of paper towel later, the ink and white paint is history. So, I go in search of the trouble makers

I open their bedroom door only to be greeted with BLUE paint everywhere. As they ran from the room they managed to swipe the box of finger paints and I didn't notice! There was blue paint walked all into the cream carpet, car mat and spread all over Linc's sheets, his white winter blanket and the quilt Grandma made him when he was a baby. Linc is covered in blue and hiding under his blankets. Mans instantly starts dobbing. Eva is sitting on Mans' bed, red finger paint open and at the ready and that's when I notice the red blobs gleaming amongst the blue.

At first I am speechless and the world seems to stop rotating and then, all of a sudden, it starts up again at twice the pace, and all hell breaks loose.

After rescuing the red paint, cleaning Linc, blotting up the excess and using another roll of paper towel in the process, stripping the bed and scrubbing the carpet with Napisan Oxyaction (because that's all I could think of to use), I went and scrubbed Linc's bedding before putting it on a soak load in the hope the stains come out and scrubbed the car mat in the laundry sink. (Have you ever tried to squeeze something 1m x 3m in to your laundry sink, while preventing paint transfer? It's not fun! I'm just glad I didn't buy them the expensive one for Christmas.)

To spite all this I came back through the house to find they'd broken into the arts and craft cupboard AGAIN and were painting the walls with clean paint brushes! Obviously I'm doing something wrong because I am not getting through to them. What an exhausting hour. All because I wanted to get a little homework down before I'm too exhausted from the course of the days activities (and lack of sleep) to be able to focus.

Once the carpet dries I'll go and vaccum the last of the Napisan out of the carpet - I think I got all the paint out and I'm about to go and investigate the condition of the bedding but really I'm scared of them leaving my sight today. What a disaster.

Have you ever had 'one of THOSE days?

Johnson and Johnson Winner!

I used random number generator and we have a winner!

KC could you please shot me an email with your postal address? -> familynemo@optusnet.com.au
I'll forward it to J&J PR company and they will be send you out your No More Tangles pack!

Thanks everyone for joining. Stayed tuned for more giveaways in the future.

Under a Canopy of Love - Otherwise Known as a Sheet

I managed to find the time to throw together a make shift tent for the VIPs today, with the usual sheet and kitchen chairs. As a kid there was nothing I liked more than making makeshift cubbies. Mine were always quite elaborate and I hated packing them up!

Did you set up makeshift cubby houses? Or were you lucky enough to have a real one?

The Easiest (and Tasty) Burger Patties Ever!

My Dad is one of those cooks that can make anything taste good. I remember many a meal that Dad prepared were he would open the cupboard and just throw anything in.
He'd never be able to recreate any of it. Ask him the ingredients and he wouldn't be able to tell you. His most tastiest creations were often his burger patties / rissoles.

When I moved out I tried countless times to recreate my Dad's "bit of everthing" patties but never ever came close. I was lucky if my patties stayed together. Forget "throwing" them together, I needed a starting point. I trailed and tested every burger recipe I could find.

Last year I came across this Meat and Sweet Potato Concoction by Danimezza and, while tasty, I could not get these to stay together either!

After many a recipe, this is the basic combo I have found that works!!

1kg lean beef mince
1 cup dried packaged multigrain breadcrumbs
3 eggs

Then by adding a combination of flavours you can set your burger world alight:
Option 1
3tsp dried basil leaves - My favourite!

Option 2
2tsp dried mixed herbs & 1 crushed garlic clove

Option 3
1 tbsp chopped oregano leaves & 1 tbsp finely chopped pitted black olives

Option 4
1 tbsp mexican chilli seasoning & 125g can red kidney beans, rinsed and chopped.

Add the 3 ingredients in a bowl with the flavour combo of your choice and mix.
Shape them into balls and then squish them down to patties big enough for your rolls.
Try not to make them too thick or they won't cook through.

Fry in a little olive oil until cooked (about 3 mins each side, depending on thickness) and please try and refrain from squishing the patties in the frying pan. Do all the squishing BEFORE you put them into cook, otherwise you're squeezing all the tender juices out and they will be tough. Especially using lean mince!

Bun, patty and your choose of fillings! The VIPs love 'deconstructed' burgers - all the fillings just laid on their plate so nthey can eat it anyway they want.

Seriously Peps, these will knock your socks off. You'll wonder why you've ever bought a burger from a fast food joint. (OK so they might not be THAT convenient but they are 100x yummier!)

So what do you think? Do you have a flavour combo suggestion?

Where's my Vegemite?

There's an article in the Herald Sun today regarding vegemite. Apparently the Wall Street Journal has claimed that there are fewer young Australian children eating vegemite.

Vegemite is a staple in this house. It's my go to spread of choice. The VIPs have a piece of toast EVERY morning with vegemite on it. So for me this seems totally out of left field. I don't see the harm of a scraping of vegemite  on toast.

But what do you think?
Does your family eat vegemite?
If you don't eat vegemite, why?

Could it be that as Australia becomes more and more multicultural vegemite is becoming an acquired taste? Forever the symbol of "white" Australia in the 50's but lacking a place on the palette today's Australian?

Image from here

Johnsons & Johnson No More Tangles Give Away!!

A few weeks ago Johnson & Johnson sent me out a package to trial a new product.
It was their new No More Tangles range.

I have become smitten!

All 3 VIPs desperately need haircuts at the moment but after the last disaster at the hairdressers, I fear taking them again. The No More Tangles range is saving my sanity. Their hair is soft and silky, despite the ends needing a cut, and it smells divine! A real sweet, little kid smell.

The spray is great for giving their hair a spritz and styling without to much fussing about. That's how I got such a smooth result with Eva's hair in this pic...

After contacting Johnson & Johnson to tell them how impressed I was with the range, they have agreed to give one lucky reader their own No More Tangles range to use!

The giveaway will include a bottle of No More Tangles Shampoo, Conditioner and Detangling spray.
To enter all you have to do is comment below and tell us
"What is the best baby/children's product you've ever bought and why?"

(By entering you are agreeing to allow me to forward your address to Johnson & Johnson's PR company Platinum Media as they will send the giveaway products direct to you!) Entries close the 22nd May 2012 and are limited to Australian residents.

Easter 2012

Since I've been a Blog Ghost I have not put up an update about Easter! (can you believe we're in the 5th month of 2012 already?!)

So here is the Easter bunny cake we made.

I think I saw this idea on Pinterest but I didn't repin it and now I can't find it. I'm starting a tradition that every year they decorate the Easter Bunny cake, so I'll be able to look back and see how it changes. This one did start to looking like a bunny. Linc made sure it had a smartie nose and eyes but my 3 VIPs have not yet learnt that sometimes less is more! (And next year I'll make Easter bunny a lemon cake so a. We're not overcome by too much chocolate and b. It won't be as noticeable when I do the 'I don't give a damn' icing!)

We also had an early morning easter egg hunt. They were so adorable rugged up in their dressing gowns!

Chocolate High!