MONDAY MUNCHIES - Lemon Blueberry Loaf

LEMON BLUEBERRY LOAF

Easy and delicious, this loaf cake is on high rotation around here. Sunday is baking day, and when I have made this loaf, it has not even made it to the lunch boxes on a Monday morning.......

It's that good !

INGREDIENTS

*175 grams of butter
*125 grams of caster sugar
*3 medium sized eggs
*100 grams Greek yogurt
*200 grams Self raising flour
*juice of 1 lemon
*2 tablespoons of lemon curd {you can use homemade or store bought}
*1 punnet of blueberries


Preheat oven to 160C and grease a loaf tin well
Cream butter and sugar, whisk in the eggs one by one then stir in the flour and the lemon juice and the yogurt making sure it is mixed well.

Pour a layer of cake into the cake tin and dollop some the lemon curd and slightly swirl to mix {I used a skewer to do this}
Add some blueberries to the mix and then pour the rest of the cake batter into the tin and top with the remaining blueberries.

Bake for an hour or until the cake is set and golden.

Let the cake cool and enjoy

Or jump in and devour the cake while it is still warm !

beck xx

TODAY JUST KEPT ON GIVING !

My day ended exactly the same way that it started....crap.
From the moment I opened my eyes this morning, I just knew that I was in for a doozy.

They say don't cry over spilled milk.

But when it's wine....

I will scream bloody murder, stamp my feet, and have a tantrum that would rival any two year old.

And that is how my crap day ended.

More crap.

beck xx

TEENS 1 - MUM 0

I had peanut butter on toast this morning, my go to breakfast when I'm feeling crap. There is just something comforting in all that goo.

I failed as a parent. It's not the first time believe me, and it most certainly wont be the last, but this morning the chips were down and there was an overall  feeling of gloom that settled in and made me look at myself as even more of a failure then usual at this parenting teens gig.
This morning I gave in to my teens and let them stay home from school. The fight was just more than I could deal with. I just didn't have the strength for the fight.

I tried, and when I still couldn't get them to budge, I let it all get the better of me.

Teens 1 Mum 0

They know they won, I can tell by the gleam in their eyes, that knowing smirk. They knew that today was the day to pick a fight.  It seems they could sense my strength of character before I had even finished my first coffee of the day.

Teens are cluey little buggers, they know just when you are on the verge of going down in a screaming heap and they strike, like a snake hiding in the bush that you come across unawares.

As I sit here venting, and downing my third cup of coffee so not good  it's like they are mocking me, cheering and gloating "we won" they're not of course, well not out loud anyway.

They will want to tread carefully today, because I will be taking notes, I will regain my strength, and that is when this mother will turn the tables and strike back !

beck xx

2014 PROUD MUMMA MOMENT

Last night was the 29th Annual Awards Night for our boys High School. It is a night that showcases performances, lots of boring speeches, the 2014 highest academic achievements and the announcement of next years School Captains.

This year our family celebrated the achievements of our youngest son, who this year has been awarded an academic award for his high standard of work and commitment to his studies in 2014.

This is our baby youngest teen, and at 14 years of age and currently studying year 9, he looks so grown up. Why does time go so fast ? I am a huge sook when I see my boys all dressed up looking so handsome and smart.

Before the ceremony began at the Entertainment Center, parents of course wanted photos of the three best mates together. Of course this is the only photo that we were allowed to take #crazyteens !

It was another proud mumma moment when he was called onto the stage. But I held back the tears. It was a miracle, but I did actually make it through the night without a tear in my eye lol

And the award my baby teen was given for his high standard of achievements across all of his subjects for 2014.
All our boys have been high achievers at whatever they pursue, and as parents we couldn't be happier or more proud.

Congratulations Benjamin
Love Mum
x


Being a very proud Mumma and sharing my teens achievements for 2014 with the fabulous Jess on this weeks IBOT

beck xx

SUCK IT UP PRINCESS

In between making beds, gulping coffee, packing school lunches and putting a load of washing on this morning. It suddenly occurred to me that I had YET again let the mundane tasks of life take over. I had been neglecting the small things that make my life a joy. A walk on the beach, extra time for my family, crafting and of course my blog. I sat on the floor debating this for a while when it occurred to me that no one was forcing me to neglect these things, nobody was making me put every morsel of my being into doing what I perceive to be "the best stay at home mum" I can be. It's completely and utterly my own stubbornness and drive that have led me to be obsessed with keeping a "perfect" home.

Nobody cares if you have a mess on your kitchen bench, that the floor needs sweeping or that you have a basket of ironing screaming at you from the corner of the room.

Nobody cares if you go out for a coffee without making the bed, or taking a walk on the beach before tending to the washing.

Nobody cares but YOU !
All the pressure of being an "awesome" stay at home Mum comes from our own desire to conform and be what society claims we should be.
Cooking, cleaning, home making machines.

I know what my roll as a stay at home mum is, and I will continue to gulp coffee and make beds, to wash and fold and sweep the floor, to cook and clean and to be the best parent and wife that I can be, but I also need to spend more time doing things that make me, me and give me the space to breathe. Taking more walks on the beach, to craft more and to finally sort out some schedule and rhythm to blogging
I don't want my life to be all out about work and the everyday norm. I want to live a life of experiences that bring joy to myself and to my family.

I am going to be a dare devil in the morning, I am going to go for a long walk on the beach before I make the beds, before I do a load of washing and before I empty the dishwasher. And guess what ! You can bet that it will all still be here waiting for me when I get back.

Its all just a matter of sucking it up and choosing how I want to spend my days, prioritising and forgetting all about what is "expected" and doing things my way :)

beck xx