A Recipe That Ticks All The Boxes

This Sunday we had an unexpected blessing. A friend who now lives about seven hours away up the coast popped in for lunch! Normally, a friend coming over would mean a BBQ steak or chicken salad - easy to whip up, pretty, and never fails to please. However, this friend is a vegetarian. And a vegan. That's no meat, no dairy, no eggs, no cheese. I love it when I get to have her for a meal because I'm forced to think outside the square. My husband has been known to order her a pizza - with no meat and no cheese. Most women, including myself, would never even think to put a meatless, cheeseless pizza in front of a guest, no matter how good a friend! So out came the thinking cap...

This recipe is vegetarian. Without the cheese it is also vegan. It's low in fat, takes only about twenty minutes start to finish and is the most delicious, most silky, most creamy soup I've ever made. I love it! The best part? Right now cauliflower is $1.98 a head in regular supermarkets. With the other ingredients included I think I fed three people for less than $1.30 a head. How's that?

Have a look at this nutrients list:

One cup of boiled cauliflower contains

Vitamin C: 91.5% RDI

Vitamin K: 13% RDI

Folate: 13% RDI

10% RDI for each of: Vitamin B6, tryptophan, omega 3, manganese, Vitamin B5.

5% RDI for each of: Vit B1, B2, B3

And only contains 28 calories.

How great is cauliflower!

Here is the recipe. Please try it. It sounds plain, but it's actually delicious. In fact, it's so good that our guest not only had seconds, but also thirds, and finally finished up eating the last of the soup straight out of the serving dish! Now that's what I call a successful recipe :-)

Silky Cauliflower Soup
Recipe from David Lieberman

1 head cauliflower
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 c low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove the leaves and thick core from the cauliflower, coarsely chop, and reserve.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart, about 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and, using a hand held immersion blender, puree the soup, or puree in small batches in a blender and return it to the pot.

Add the Parmesan and stir until smooth. Or use 3 tbsp per bowl. Put the cheese in first, pour soup over, stir to bring out the cheese swirl.

Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve. 

Enjoy!

What a week!

Wow - what a week! If something could happen - it did. Anyway, thank you Lord! We made it through to the other side :-)

A couple of posts ago I mentioned that Manny was being a little fuss pot but I had managed to settle him. This past week it all started up again, the worst part being fussy feeds - and I mean really fussy. And this from my sweet baby who has been a perfect little feeder from day one! It got so bad that our goal for each feed was to sit for at least ten minutes. Not feed for ten minutes. We just had to sit through ten minutes and then I would let him up. He would arch his back and scream, alternated with sucking hungrily for a few seconds. By the end of the ten minutes he would settle enough that he would drink for about 3-4 minutes solid. I had to switch him from side to side constantly just to encourage him to drink. Our feeds had to be scheduled for every two hours (yup, day and night) to make sure he was getting enough food. At one point I was holding my son, trying to feed, and the thought occurred to me, "This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where we find out how serious I am about giving my baby breastmilk. There are mothers out there who have struggles like this right from the start and they push through. You're gonna have to just keep going girl!" If you are one of those mothers I take my hat off to you! You're incredible! Being the good mother that I am (sarcasm - you'll see why) I would make up for this loss of usual milk intake by giving him two-three meals of organic rice cereal each day, made up with my breastmilk as per Manny's dietician's instructions. (Yes, Manny has his own dietician).

At the same time as all this was going on I was battling with an outbreak of hives on his back. A friend said that it looked to her like a chemical reaction so out went our regular clothes wash and in came our new organic wash powder. It's so green friendly that you don't get a scoop with it "because" the box reads, "that would be wasteful of our limited resources and detrimental to the environment". It's made with coconut, sugar, lime, etc. I know, sounds like we're washing our clothes in fruit salad... anyway! For a day the rash seemed to settle down, but it flared up even worse two days later! Now the rash was on his torso, his back, and his legs! I was praying that the Lord would show me what was wrong and I don't even remember when I got the idea, but suddenly I found myself at my laptop punching in "rice cereal allergy". Ooooooohhh yup! Forums of mothers with the exact same hives, exact same fussy feeding, exact same irritability, exactly the same solution. I contacted our dietician and she recommended a course of action to determine the allergy, which we have completed, and sure enough our baby has beautiful clear skin again. He settles in to breastfeed perfectly, and judging by tonights dinner, he is much preferring solids without boring old rice cereal!

Which brings us to the exciting new world of solids! That is, if you can call pureed fruit solids, lol :-) Obviously he started out with rice cereal which is now GONE! He liked bananas, kinda. The one time I forgot to mix them with breastmilk he wouldn't eat a spoonful! Avo's would be great for him but he vomited them up. Today we tried peaches. Well! You can tell he's our son alright! Four tablespoons of Pureed-Peaches-Mixed-With-Mama's-Milk later... Now I just have to make sure I don't Daddy doesn't eat the rest of peaches that are tucked in the fridge.

I have had three special blessings that came with this new milestone:

• Manny's dietician. Caroline is a lovely lady and although busy has offered to keep in touch via email so I can ask her any questions. What a blessing! All I remember about feeding is that when I had to feed my brother (yup, it was my special duty as a teenager) it was extreeeeemely messy and all he ate was the jarred stuff from Heinz. (Why anyone raises their kids on jarred food I don't know. How much cheaper is it to mash a carrot?). It's been great to have her guidance and the reassurance that we're doing this right.
• We have a "Sister" who comes to our local pharmacy and meets with mums to give them advice, take baby measurements, etc. The same pharmacy has a nutiricianist who is also happy to stop for a chat. I've never understood the whole 'people need support' bit. That's why Google was invented, to give answers. But now I realise that nothing will ever beat a friendly woman who has trod your road before and can give good advice.
• You may laugh at this but I have a prayer list for things I need. When I realise that I am missing something I write it in my notebook and just wait for the Lord to provide in a miraculous way. I even do this with the small things because I know how God likes to show himself strong in my everyday life. Yesterday morning I wrote down that I need airtight containers especially for keeping Manny's food and breastmilk fresh. This afternoon the Lord reminded me of a big drawer that I have filled with goodies that I scored for free from a nursery that was closing down. I have had the airtight containers all along! I rummaged in the drawer, opened the packet (most of the stuff that I got from that nursery had never even been opened) and started using them. I love, love, love it when the Lord provides something that I have no idea I'll need. I just kept them because the packet was new and unused and maybe I could give them away sometime. Little did I realise that my Heavenly Father knew I was going to write that on my list and that I would need Him to provide. What a sweet, caring God I have!

Mummy is always right after all

I suppose every mother feels the same way when she gives birth. It's like the old saying "to become a mother is to have your heart forever go wandering outside your body". It's the truth. I look over at the crib now and I see my heart sleeping away, sucking on his fingers, the tiny Tigger toy never far from reach. The amazing part of all of this was that when Manny was born I never once second guessed myself or how I was doing something - for this same reason. I know what he wants, he's an extension of me. From day five he's had a toasty evening bubble bath, a massage with scented oil, been powdered and fed and snuggled and tucked into bed. Why you ask? Because that's how I would want to spend my evenings, that's why! He rarely wears hats, unless they are super cute with fluffy ears. Most of the time he wears hoodies. Why? Because I would want to wear fluffy ears and hoodies! When I am leaving him alone for a few minutes I simply tell him where I am going and when I'll be back and he rarely cries while I am gone. If I forget to tell him then I have a problem and he gets unsettled. I don't think he understands the words (of course!) but I think he understands the reassurring tone. When he cries I hold him close and whisperingly, I ask him what is wrong. And he tells me. He scrunches his little body or he tries to suckle my ears or he lets out his tired sob. I've never second guessed my ability to communicate with my baby, understand his cries and know what is best for him. Until this last fortnight.

This last fortnight I've received so much advice from so many places! I don't know what happened, it was like the flood gates opened and whooooosh - out it all came. And for the first time I began to doubt myself. Maybe that cry didn't mean what I thought, maybe I've been wrong all this time? He's such a strong boy, maybe he really does need to sleep less? Could it be that I'm actually freezing my baby by dressing him in only two layers? Sure I'm wearing only a teeshirt but still...

Needless to say, it hasn't been a rosy two weeks. He hasn't slept right. He hasn't been feeding normally. And he seemed fussy. I didn't realise what had happened until the other night I was washing dishes and it clicked! I felt all tossed and unsettled and confused and I thought to myself, "Where has this come from? Why do I suddenly feel like this?". The verse came to mind, "Be still and know that I am God." I was definitely not still. Well, well, well! I thought to myself. So that's what is wrong.

 I took a few deep breaths, closed my eyes, and asked the Lord to calm me. Manny cried. It was his I'd Like Someone To Talk To Cry (he's very social - doesn't get that trait from me ;-). Yes, I do believe that babies have different cries and if we are in tune to them we can pick up on what is wrong (at least, my baby does ;-). It was the first time in over a week I had recognised his cry, what joy! I was so happy.

I have an older friend who is a great example to me, especially while I am so far away from family and friends with babies. She has had five children of her own and certainly knows what's what with babies. But when she holds Manny and he begins to cry she says, quietly and assuringly, "Oh, you need your mummy. Your mummy will know what is wrong with you." Once he was crying and I truly wasn't sure why. She handed him to me and said, "You'll know. You'll always know. You are his mother." I raised my eyebrows at her confidence in me, but how I appreciated it!

We've been having trouble with Manny sleeping for the last week, as in, waking six times a night trouble. Last night I decided to stop listening to everyone else and go back to what I had been taught by a sweet midwife when Manny was less than a week old. Out went the rice cereal, out went the fancy new bedtime ideas. I just did what I have always done and what do you know - we had a great night.

I'm not always going to be right, and I'll definitely make alot of mistakes raising our children. All parents do. But a loving kind mother is never deliberately going to do something to hurt her baby - we're always looking for good ideas and helpful hints. Every Christian mummy has the leading of the Holy Spirit and her own instinct to guide her as to what is right, at this time, for this baby. So tonight I have a restored confidence in my ability to be a mum. It was scary being out on the tempestuous sea of self-doubt. If you are a mummy and you are doubting yourself - please don't! We can do it! We can raise a generation of happy, healthy, contended, confident Christians that will grow up loving the Lord.

And to close, a photo of the old confident me, two or three days after Manny was born. Baby in one hand, makeup in the other, getting all spruced up for vistors :-D

Mission Accomplished!

It's been an insane last few weeks with everything that's been going on. Even Chris looked at my calendar last Tuesday and said, "whoa, you got a lot happening". For Chris to think there's alot happening, there has to be ALOT happening!

So anyway, Item Number Favourite was decorating for the Ladies Seminar at Liberty Baptist. Funnily enough the theme came to me pretty quickly since I was onto a new craze (the distressed look) and had, unknowingly to me, already made what was to become the first of the "Spiritual Gift" signs for the tables. I love that I was given free reign - who doesn't love an empty canvas?

As you can see - I had alot of fun with this one!

The candles, birdcages and candle holders were purchased on midyear or closing down sales, the green picture frame with the meeting details was a second hand shop find, and all the signs were hand painted and distressed.

I have two favourite features, other than the obvious birdcages. The favours and the nests.

Since my last trimester with Handsome Little Darling I've managed to stay pretty on top of my game by doing things in advance, working out a schedule for things that need to be accomplished and working bit by bit. I know - WEIRD! Since when did I have a schedule?! Little Miss I Work Best Under Pressure has finally had to stop deliberately leaving things until the last minute. I sure miss the adrenaline ;-) I don't mind admitting that being responsible like this with a schedule has made me feel old. The secret to never aging is to never have a schedule. There. I said it. There is no magical water fountain.

So the day before the seminar I'm all happy-chappy (and slightly depressed) with the knowledge that everything is done except three signs need to be sanded and the boxes packed with birdcages. And then I start wondering why I don't have favours. I don't need favours. Never planned on them so no need to bother. But of course the night before I had been browsing wedding blogs (as you do during feeds) for inspiration and came across a couple of cool ideas that just needed to be combined, shook up, and given a little twist to be made perfect. Next thing you know I'm strapping Manny into his car seat and dragging him out to Spotlight. Less than 24 hours before showtime.

I absolutely adore these favours. It took a few hours of work as I used regular brown paper lunch bags and just refolded to suit my vision. The flowers are not paper. And that is the coolest part. The flowers design is on fabric. And not just any fabric. It's a fabric that I saw while in Rockhampton and fell head over heels with but couldn't justify buying (I wanted it for a skirt but decided that until I made a skirt with the fabric I had I couldn't buy more. I know, I know, what has happened to me?!). So I brought half a metre of this beautiful design and only used a quarter. The little cards were printed on some paper that I have been dragging around for over three years in a stationary collection, and was originally from Mrs Steers who brought the papers in America. All this time I have held to the faith that one day, one day the Lord would show me a use for them. And this was the day! The green went perfectly with the fabric and helped to tie in my second-hand picture frame, which as you can see was lined with the same flower fabric.

Inside the favour bags was a lady-sized caramel slice and a Dilmah Exceptional Berry Teabag. Just the thing a hardworking wife or mother needs for a treat!

The gorgeous nests were a gift from the Lord just as I was packing the car to leave. I had seen some nests during my midnight wedding-blogging, made from Spanish Moss, so in the morning I searched the yard for anything that might do. No spanish moss. I was disappointed but not altogether suprised so I just went on with preparations. However, as I was walking in the main house entrance (I normally use the side door) I noticed something long and beautiful hanging from the tree nearest the steps. Sure enough, Spanish Moss! Or at least, something resembling it enough that I was able to pluck it off the tree and whip up a nest in seconds. In goes the egg and suddenly you have something deliciously shabby-chic!

The driving motive behind making everything beautiful came from a lesson taught to me by a sweet, hardworking missionary lady (that would be YOU Miss Shari!). She taught me that when you do anything for a ladies meeting it should be done perfectly, because ladies spend so much of their time serving. They serve their husbands, their children, and their bosses constantly, so it is special to give them some nice time-out. I remembered that lesson over and over as I sat watching my little son and folding favour bag after favour bag. The reward came as I sat in for the luncheon and talked with people. One young mum approached me and started chatting away. Then she said, "I love coming out to ladies meetings like this. It's the only time my husband can watch the boys so I really savour it. The beautiful decorations and the sweet bags make it extra special, it's a real treat."

"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;" Romans 12:10. 

Another milestone!

I had a beautiful photo shoot with Manny one day, and the entire memory card corrupted. I was so upset! And I asked a very silly question, "Why in the world do small, miserable inconveniences happen and why does God allow them?" I reminded myself that if this were a perfect world it would be heaven, and I'd end up being the next Eve by eating the fruit anyway (because I'm just that stupid), so I sucked in my breath and decided to find a way to fix the card and take another photo shoot.


I propped Manny up and held onto his back with my right hand while attempting to use the camera with my left. Right in the middle of a photo I realized something! Manny had shuffled away from my hand and was sitting up by himself! I snapped this photo quickly and rejoiced to have it on record. I could just imagine the Lord smiling knowingly at me and saying, "Child, this is why I allowed you to have a corrupt camera card! I had something much sweeter in store for you!"


Again I am reminded of the Lord's goodness, His lovingkindness and His continuous patience. He truly knows the desires of my heart. Thank you Lord, for knowing what is best for me even when I don't understand.

"Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad."

And the vote is in, what we have here is both a father and a dad!

I'm just going to come out and say what we all wondered (well, you all wondered, I checked before I got married)... What kind of a Daddy was the fast paced, cheeky Christopher Perkins going to be? This is the man that told pregnant ladies that they needed a "wide load" sign on their back, and the one who vowed that when his wife was pregnant he would take a two year mission trip and leave her tucked up in a cosy little home somewhere until the trauma was over.

One day I had him up about this and he screwed up his face and replied, "What in the world was I supposed to say? How weird is a single guy running around saying, I can't wait to have a baby!" ... oh yup, point taken.

So today, I want to pay a little tribute to my best friend, my hubby, and the great Daddy he has turned out to be. And you'll find out why this sudden flow of love by the end of the story :-)

First of all, Chris was with me all through the pregnancy. When I had morning sickness and couldn't even sit up in bed he would lift me ever-so-gently, prop me up with pillows and give me lemon-water and crackers. When I woke up at three o'clock in the morning to eat carrots and wanted to share them he was good humored enough to chomp away and listen to the stories about all my vivid dreams. When I was sleepy he would tenderly take me away from my task and bundle me into bed, tuck me in and kiss me, and give me firm instructions that I was not to get up until he came back to wake me. When I was all big and huge Chris would look at me in adoration and tell me how beautiful I was. When I started vomiting at work it was Chris who got on the phone and told my boss I wouldn't be coming in the next day, and I haven't worked a paid job since. When his brother called and wanted to know if I was working I overheard Chris reply, "Oh, she's working, she's just not paid for it."

Then of course there was the birth. I had one coach. Yes, it was Chris. How many men can say that they've been there with their wife through the whole labour? (And no, not a 'let's go to the hospital and get stuck with a needle' labour). With the first contraction he darkened the room, put on the soft music we had planned, and got me hot cloths. He had a complex mathematical formula for timing contractions that I still can't understand. I even have his five pages of two columned figures! It was a full 48 hour labour, starting Tuesday night and going until Thursday night, with strong contractions five minutes apart from the word go. Chris didn't leave me for a moment. He didn't go out to get a snack, he didn't tell me he was too tired to sit with me. When he finally drove me to the birthing centre/hospital he signaled to the other drivers that I was in labour and we got through red lights and people let us through... in Sydney traffic, thank you very much! No mean feat! In the birthing room he tirelessly massaged my back, handed me ice and freezing cloths, and let me groan into his ear when we started pushing. A lady who saw us told me afterwards, with tears in her eyes, that it was so beautiful to see us laboring together, and that we were a real team...and that we had told each other 'I love you' about 37 times. Hehe.

After the birth I had to stay in the centre for a few days because we had some medical issues. I saw other ladies walking their babies, heard them tending to their little ones in the middle of the night, and I was the only one with my husband. Chris found a lazyboy chair, pushed it as close to my bed as he could, and slept with this hand on my arm. The midwives were surprised when they realized that my husband was staying with me. How loved and privileged I felt!

Now he is the best dad a wife could ever want her husband to be. It has been like watching a blossom open, seeing this intelligent, strong man warm to his new role as a Daddy. Manny was three months old the first time he cried when Chris went to work. And you can laugh at that, say in your age old wisdom that this is impossible, well it's not. Now Chris has to creep out the door while Manny is focused on a toy! Nobody can make Manny smile and giggle like his Daddy can. And when I am holding my son he has no problem looking around until he spots Chris and starts chuckling at him over my shoulder. Chris is in charge of bath-time and I will often sit and read or chat to Chris while he takes care of our son. He makes bath-time so fun! Manny gets to enjoy a man-made spa bath, constant warm water poured on him, antics with his rubber duckie and splashing galore! I have been working in another room and overheard their conversations, "Now, Little Bear, I have taught you the stories of Adam and Eve, and Noah and the Ark, and now we are up to a new story..." I have a beautiful photo of Chris sitting in bed reading his Bible to his little three week old son. How precious it is to watch all this!

And now, the reason for my sudden outpouring of love :-)

Manny had his second lot of vaccinations yesterday. The first time I took him in I used these new little pads that you can buy that numb the skin. Those injections went off without a hitch and he wasn't grizzly or anything. This time I decided to see what would happen without the numbing patch. Big mistake. He has been grizzly as anything and couldn't get comfortable feeding. He was up until 4:30ish last night. I paced with him for a few hours in the spare bedroom and then Chris came in and wanted to know why I wasn't in our room. He took Manny and tried to settle him but I said he had alot of wind, so Chris decided to give him a quick hot bath. It was such a huge blessing. I was about to rip my hair out! I needed silence! So Chris bathed Manny and tucked me back into bed, and when Manny was all powdered and dressed and bundled in a pre-warmed toasty blanket (Chris heats them on the heater first!) I fed Manny in bed and off he went to sleep! I think the heat of the bath probably relaxed the injection areas, and Chris gave his belly a massage to help with the wind.

Some of you may be smiling at my wonder but I don't come from a two parent family. At best, my parents had a dysfunctional marriage. All I remember is that Dad would care for the infants in the middle of the night, alone, and when my parents were separated Mum would care for the infant in the night, also alone. I've never seen team work. I've never seen a mother pacing in the night and the father coming in to relieve her. I've never seen a mother sit to feed and the father rush to get her a glass of water and a pillow. I've never seen a mother wake up to find that the father not only got up for work when it was still dark, but he also took the time to change the baby, tuck him in and make sure the heater is on.

It makes me wonder anew at the goodness of the Lord. How did I get here from there? How is it that I come from such madness and yet I have been blessed with a man so wonderful I could not have imagined how good he is to me and how wonderful he is with our son.

So here's my hat off to the best Daddy in the world! A Daddy who already is raising his son in the ways of the Lord, a Daddy who loves his wife enough to work and get up for the baby in the night, a Daddy who makes this time in my life so precious.

To end, there was a big banquet that we were invited to a fortnight ago. I was so excited! I was going to get all dressed up and go out with my hubby and my baby and listen to speakers and meet new people. Well, Chris ended up having to work that night and I couldn't have the car. I had other ways to get there but I knew I wouldn't be able to leave when I needed to get Manny home, and I didn't want to keep him out late on a cold winters night. I was so disappointed! I heard whisperings playing in my mind, "This is your life now, a miserable lonely woman, stuck at home on a Friday night while the rest of the world is dressing up and flirting with their husbands at dinner." Pathetic I know. In the midst of my sorrow, Chris saw how disappointed I was. We were driving somewhere and he suddenly put his hand on my knee and looked me in the eye and said, "Honey, I am so proud of you for putting aside what you want and sacrificing this part of your life for our baby." Well! Ok, that was worth missing any banquet for :-D My husband is proud of me, hehe. I'm sure I was blushing! ;-P What's not to love about a man like that?

HI NANA AND AUNTY DEBS!

 

 

 

At the park today, just minutes before we were chased away by the geese ;-)

Just had to post this. How cute is he? (I know, I know, typical sad soppy first time mum! But all you laughing ladies out there - you too once had just your first to coo and cuddle so no mockin' me. And for the ladies who haven't had kids yet - your time will come! :-D)

He just loves this swing!

Hello Nana and Aunty Debs! We know you're going to be looking at this sometime soon so we thought we would just pop on and let you know we love ya! Big hugs!

Our latest interesting tid-bits of news on Manny:

• He has a grip like a vice! I struggle to get him to let go of his crib when he has decided he's going to hold onto it.
• We've got him into a bedtime routine of 7:30pm (thanks Char!) and he sleeps through with three feeds until 7am. Of course, I had him down to one feed or sleeping through until we traveled but hey, we can do it again :-)
• He's super cute!!!
• He adores his Daddy! He wouldn't (and I mean wouldn't) settle in Rocky but the first night back here I put him into bed, Daddy tucked him in, and he went straight to sleep!
• His metabolism must be really high like mine because his nails need cut every week. He has a hearty scratch at the moment because I was too late this week!
• He can hold things, and loves to cling to his Daddy's finger
• He loves bath time with Daddy, it's their time to be together
• He has heaps of hair! And it's a good thing too because other than his skin his hair is pretty much the only evidence that he's my son! His latest nickname is "mini-Chris"
• I brought him a Tigger and Pooh mobile and he loves to hold Tiggers tail while he goes off to sleep (must get a photo of that). His favourite toy is an almost-him-sized Tigger that he laughs at and grabs his nose!
• He has a semi-schedule and we know what times he needs to nap and what times to be up. So far, it's working like a charm
• He's growing quickly! He's already out of the smaller winter clothes I got him and into the bigger ones. Thankfully the sleep suits Nana got him are perfect and should last - maybe - until the end of winter ;-) Who knew kids grow so quickly?!
• He flies like an old pro. No crying or fussing on the return flight either. One of the ladies a seat in front of me looked at him and smiled as we were leaving and said she never even knew he was on the flight. That's my boy!
• Have I mentioned that he's super cute ;-)

Anyway, love you both and thanks for the call :-D