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Category: Real Living

2 ingredient pizza scroll dough recipe

Princess Ella is only going to school three days a week, but already I’m struggling with what to pack in her lunch box. When she comes home and tells me about all the processed, packaged goods the other kids have, it’s hard to know how to get her excited about her own homemade… treats. Although, apparently her friends are envious she gets carrot sticks. Who needs a meat pie and a mini can of Sprite. Does anyone else remember the mini cans? Anyway…

During a playdate with my cousin the other day, she shared this recipes with me and I’ve adapted it slightly to suit us. But I just love the fact it has only two ingredients for the base. Strangely, the more “adult’’ fillings are more popular with the girls than the child-friendly ones.

2 ingredient pizza scroll dough recipe

BASE:
1 cup of Chobani Greek-style yoghurt
1 cup of self raising flour

FILLING OPTIONS:
– Vegemite and cheese
– Italian tomato cooking sauce (passata), bacon, Italian herbs and cheese
– Ham, pineapple and cheese
– Pie apple, cinnamon and chopped pecans
– Baby spinach and cheese

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Combine the Chobani yoghurt and self raising flour and mix until it forms a ball.
Turn it out onto a floured bench and knead for five minutes. I found the dough to be sticky each time, so had to keep adding additional flour.
Roll out into a large rectangle with a rolling pin until even thickness. Sprinkle or paste ingredients over the dough, being careful not to tear it.
(TIP: You may want to melt the Vegemite and stir it in with the cheese before spreading on. Ingredients, like the bacon mentioned above, will also need to be cooked first.)

Roll the dough up, starting at the short side. Cut into 3cm pieces and place them cut side up on the baking tray.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

What other fillings have you tried or heard of?

June 29, 2012
{Foodie} Be Natural Homemade breakfast bar recipe + giveaway

We spent yesterday in the kitchen cooking. Well, I cooked. Ella licked. We were given all this glorious Be Natural cereal, which many of you know I’m already a fan of. Crunchy clusters… ahhhhh!

So, instead of telling you how far the drool is progressing down my chin as I eat another bowl, I thought we’d go all MasterChef on you instead and create something for snack time.

We wanted to create something like this:

So here’s our version of the Be Natural bars – the Homemade Breakfast Bars.

HOMEMADE BREAKFAST BARS

INGREDIENTS:

3 sachets (35g each) of Be Natural Pink Lady, Apple and Raspberry Porridge

4 ½ cups of Be Natural Manuka Honey and Spice Clusters with Flakes cereal

½ cup shredded coconut

125g butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

½ cup honey

METHOD:

Line a 26cm x 21cm baking tin with baking paper.

With a mortar and pestle, crush the cereal into smaller pieces. In a frypan, cook the porridge, cereal and coconut until light brown. It should take about 5-7 minutes on low to medium.

Meanwhile, melt the butter, brown sugar and honey in a pot until the sugar has dissolved. Let it simmer for about 5-7 minutes. When you drop a small bit of mixture into cold water, it should form a small ball. This is when you know it’s ready.

Combined all ingredients in a bowl and then transfer into the baking tin. Be sure to push down the ingredients tightly into the tin. Let it cool.

The girls were impatient to eat it, so we ended up putting it into the fridge for a little while. Then cut into squares.

Plus, there’s more… We’ve teamed up with Be Natural and Kellogg to give one lucky reader the chance to score a year’s supply of Be Natural and Kellogg products. The prize includes:

– 4x Be Natural Pink Lady Apple and Raspberry Porridge,

– 4x Manuka Honey and Spice Clusters with Flakes

– 4x Be Natural Four Pink Lady Apple, Flame Raisin, Almond & Pepita with a hint of spice

– 4 x Be Natural Seasonal Blend Strawberry, Cranberry and Flame Raisin

– Special K Chocolatey Bar Caramel

– Special K Dessert Inspired Bar Berry Cheesecake

– Special K Dessert Inspired Bar Lemon Meringue

– All Bran Fibre Toppers

– LCMs

– Just Right

– Sultana Bran

– Sultana Bran Buds

– Crunchy Nut

– Mini Wheats 5 Grains

– Corn Flakes

– Rice Bubbles

Phew! Now we’ve made our way through that lot, here’s how to enter. Simply tell us why you want to win a year’s supply of cereal.

Terms and conditions: The Be Natural competition will be judged on creativity and originality. The competition opens Friday, June 1, 2012 at 7am AEST and closes on Friday, June 29, 2012 at 7.30pm AEST. One entry per person. Australian entries only. There is one prize winner, who will receive the product in one delivery. The winner will be notified via email and name published here. Entries remain the property of Three Li’l Princesses and may be republished.

If you would like to learn about more of our giveaways, make sure you sign up to our eNewsletters. You’ll also find more giveaways in the Aussie Giveaway Linkup.

DISCLAIMER: I received Be Natural cereal and bars to try. I have not been paid to write this post. All opinions expressed are purely my own.

June 1, 2012
{Finding My Style} Do you shop on eBay? + $50 Paypal giveaway
I am the worst shopper in the world. I want to get better. My husband wants me to get better. (I know. How many of you can boast that?).

I often flick through magazines and just wish I had the budget to clothe myself in the gorgeous classic coats, well cut tops and designer jeans that the celebs wear. Their figures and a few more inches in the height department would probably help too.

So with that in mind, and some play money from the wonderful people at eBay, I went shopping.

I got drawn by this:

I don’t know why. I am a mother. I would never in a gazillion years get away with wearing it, but it did draw my attention. And yes, I know, she is a mother too! It was at this point it was time to *step away from the computer*.

I scrolled through a myriad of trench coats and jackets, trying to find the perfect one.

Then this gorgeous number caught my eye:

I was ready to buy until something else popped up in my eBay feed. My heart started racing. May palms got sweaty. I became short of breath. I was instantly falling in love.

I was torn. Do I go with the one I’m in love with and spend a bit extra? It’s reversible, so it’s like buying two coats in one. Right? Or do I go with the cheaper option and have money leftover?

I couldn’t decide, so I asked Facebook. They’re a smart mob over there. Just to confirm Facebook was right, I asked The Bloke in the Shed. He agreed with the Facebook crew and I came away with this gorgeous reversible Marc Jacob jacket.

I am happy.

See? 🙂

So, if you want to know how to find THE perfect fashion item on eBay:
1. 1. Use the search options to whittle down the myriad of items to an easily searchable list. Add in the size, the brand, the type of garment and even the colour if you’re so inclined.
2. 2. Buy something from a brand you already wear so you can find something that will fit. This was my biggest mistake with the Marc Jacob jacket. I was taking a gamble in buying it. It’s slightly big. Yes, even at size 8. Where as I knew the Portman’s trench would fit.
3. 3. As you find things, add them to your “Watch List’’. You can delete them later. Like taking a handful of garments into the dressing room to compare and decide exactly which one you’re going to buy, your Watch List can work in much the same way.
4. 4. Check out the feedback on the seller’s page. It’s always good to see if people have been satisfied with the service and product they’ve been supplied with.
5. 5. Have some money ready in your Paypal account. There is nothing worse than seeing something you want to buy instantly, only to realise you don’t have any money in your Paypal account and it’s going to take 3-5 days for any fund transfers to clear.
Just so you know, this post wasn’t just a tease. We’re giving away one $50 Paypal credit to help you do a little shopping on eBay for yourself. To enter, all you have to do is tell us in the comments below your “best’’ eBay purchase. It could be anything that was weird, funny, personally meant a lot or was an absolute and utter bargain. The winner will be judged on creativity and skill. The giveaway closes Monday, June 25 at 7.30pm and winner announced on this blog and via Facebook and Twitter. Australian residents only. One entry per person.

Feel free to share the post via Facebook and Twitter and don’t forget to sign up to my eNewsletter so you never miss any of these fabulous giveaways.

**DISCLOSURE: I received a $100 Paypal credit to spend on eBay. All opinions expressed are purely my own.

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW CLOSED
May 25, 2012
Antenatal classes enough to make you pale

On Monday I released a special Mother’s Day price of $5 (usually $12.95) for the Only Hearts Should Be Worn On Sleeves: The Snotty Truth About Motherhood ebook. There’s only three more days to grab a copy before it reverts back to the old price here.

Here’s a sneak peek inside the ebook to give you an idea of what it’s all about:

Antenatal classes enough to make you pale

September 19
DUBBED ‘‘huff and puff’’ sessions by some, antenatal classes have obviously come a long way from their earlier days. Well, for starters, there’s no huffing or puffing any more. For me, the scary part was who you’re going to get in your class. And thankfully, we had a good group.
For my husband, the scary part was having to see anything gory. And if you’re wondering, yes he will be at the birth, even if the entire time is spent trying to get colour back into his face.
The first glimpse of pasty-coloured skin actually came courtesy of that antenatal class. While he avoided having to watch any gory videos or see pictures of the insides of other women, he was presented with a nice, fresh placenta an hour into the first day. Lovely.
Having seen the insides of sheep and cows put in the wheelbarrow and then buried on Pop’s farm, a placenta was a piece of cake for me. Just not as tasty.
For city slicker husbands there was lots of deep breathing (ah, so now I understand why they call them ‘‘huff and puff’’ classes). And the faces turned a lighter shade of pale when one woman started mentioning how some cultures fry up their placentas so the husbands could eat them. Hence the supper provided that night was left largely untouched.
For me, the stomach-turning moment was the crochet hook-looking implement they’ll use to pop my insides if they don’t pop themselves. All of a sudden I swear someone turned the room temperature up and I was desperate for fresh air.
Overall, the antenatal classes provided a great insight of what’s to come and how to cope during labour. The most interesting moment though was hearing the mother of one pregnant woman saying how good she thought women had it nowadays. So good, in fact, she wouldn’t mind going through the labour all over again. Can’t be that bad then, can it? Well, can it?

What do you remember about your antenatal classes?

May 10, 2012
A titillating conversation starter

Two weeks ago I had a client meeting in town. While waiting, the front counter lady did a double take and then asked if I was the lady who had written about her “girls’’ (cups hands around “her girls’’) in the newspaper that day.

Not the kind of question I was expecting while I was in work mode, but what a wonderful conversation starter.

So, to give you a little ice breaker for next time we meet, here’s that column which is also from the Only Hearts Should Be Worn On Sleeves ebook.

Which, by the way, has a special Mother’s Day price until Sunday of $5 (usually $12.95). It’s ideal if you’re looking for a last-minute Mother’s Day gifts or something unique for a friend’s birthday. Just visit the ebook page to learn more.

Dads learn to bottle up fear of detachment

September 5

One morning last week I awoke to find what looked like cartoon drawings of two fried eggs on my good white nightie. After running through a million scenarios, from my husband ‘‘sleep drawing’’ to me eating in my sleep, it eventually dawned on me — the ‘‘girls’’ had leaked.

Having grown up on a dairy farm at Riana — OK, it was a hobby farm and our milking capacity was two cows — I know all about where milk comes from. But nothing prepares you for the shock of seeing liquid coming out of your own mammary glands. It’s insane. Since then, I’ve had to wear nursing pads to bed — I’m now wearing more padding than Glenn McGrath going out to bat.

It got me thinking about the whole feeding process and how soon these once objects of desire may need to be backed up to a machine ready to be pumped dry. Yes kids, milk doesn’t come from a carton.

I also know how to do it by hand if the ‘‘damn machine’’ (dad’s words) breaks down again. Actually, that thought alone has inspired me to buy the best, most expensive equipment.

The breast pump — or milking machine as I’ve named it — is an automatic little doodackie. I start pumping, it picks up my rhythm and then takes over. Genius.

Except that I have visions of it latching on too tightly, sucking out of control and my husband trying to yank it off my chest. Anyway. . .

The hardest part of becoming a dad must surely be having to relinquish control over your wife’s ‘‘girls’’.

Yes, they belong to the baby now. Even more difficult must be the fact they’re larger than they’ll ever be.

Oh, the torture. In fact, my bras (now sized at the opposite end of the alphabet) are big enough for me to camp under. Ah well, at least on our camping adventures we’d never run out of milk.

Read more extracts from the ebook.

Can you relate to any of this?

May 7, 2012
Only Hearts Should Be Worn On Sleeves: The Virtual Book Tour

This week I’m going on a virtual book tour for the new ebook. It means I get to go out, meet people, talk about my ebook, have a laugh – and I don’t even have to leave the loungeroom. Or get out of my PJs. Seriously, why sit in a dusty old bookstore?

If you’re not sure how a virtual book tour works, then I hope you’ll come along for the ride this week. Basically though, mum bloggers are going to host me in their little space of the interwebs. I feel pretty humbled by that thought.

Some might offer you up a wine and cheese. Others a cup of tea and a Scotch Finger. If any of them offer you cocktails though, run, or it could get messy.

The book tour, to promote Only Hearts Should Be Worn On Sleeves: The Snotty Truth About Motherhood, starts TODAY. There’ll be book reviews, Q&As, giveaways, book excerpts, videos and more. Each day I’ll update this post and link directly to the next stop on the virtual book tour.

Strap yourselves in for the 10-day ride.

Monday, April 23: Kylie of Kylie Ofiu will review the ebook and offer a giveaway.

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Tuesday, April 24: Veronica of Sleepless Nights will show a YouTube of me revealing the story behind the ebook and include a giveaway.

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Wednesday, April 25: Jolene from Jolene’s Mumbo Jumbo has a cheeky post about mum bloggers from Ella’s point of view.

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Thursday, April 26: Jodie from Parent Wellbeing has an extract from the ebook: Six weeks down, 18 more years to enjoy.

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Friday, April 27: The Advocate, where the idea for this ebook all began, will run the excerpt: This protuberance is not public property.

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Saturday, April 28: Kyla from Beyond the Bump will host a YouTube video with a giveaway.

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Sunday, April 29: I’ll be running a Q&A, with myself, here on Three Li’l Princesses.

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Monday, April 30: Daisy from Daisy Roo and Two will be hosting a guest post on my top 5 concerns pre baby, many of which were taken direct from the book.

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Tuesday, May 1: Kate from Kate Says Stuff will be running the excerpt Milk On Top Means A Quieter Night For Mum and giveaway.

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Wednesday, May 2: Louisa from Louisa Claire will round out the 10-day tour with a review of the ebook.

Once the tour’s finished, I highly recommend you follow these women. Their stories and messages are inspiring. They’re mums of young children and/or authors themselves. They’ve been through much of what I’ve written about in the book before. And they’re darn fine women.

Have you been on a virtual book tour before? Or have you done an old fashioned book tour in a real, live bookshop? Who was it for?

April 23, 2012