Nutella Day!

Apparently it's World Nutella Day today!

Nutella is a worldwide favourite choc-hazelnut spread, created in the 1940s by a guy called Ferrero. It's popularity has caused it availability to spread over 75 countries, including Australia in 1978, and it is currently the third largest selling branded spread in Australian supermarkets.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who remembers collecting Nutella jars as a child! You know, the glass ones with all the cartoons on them!? Are they still around? Actually, don't answer that. It might just encourage my kids (and myself) to sit around each afternoon and devour jar after jar of Nutella just for the glasses...

Ooh, but I'm so curious now. I'm certain my mother still has the glasses my sisters and I collected as we were growing up... Marketing at it's finest, right!?

Well, becoming aware of World Nutella Day just this morning, I decided that it would be completely unAustralian not to celebrate World Nutella Day. So along with my kids taking Nutella sandwiches for lunch today (which was completely unintentional that it was on World Nutella Day, and it actually happens everyday), I've finally made some of these that, for ages, I kept seeing pop up on Facebook:

The Kidspot recipe (which has a total of 2 ingredients) can be found here. Mine made 5 Tupperware sized popsicles, which happens to be perfect, because there's 5 people in my family!

The verdict:

They were super simple to make (I honestly don't know why I haven't tried these before today), and I especially loved that for starters - it worked! They also turned out as a two-toned ice-cream, which most importantly tasted just like Nutella!

My kids all exclaimed that they were "AMAZING!!" and have asked me to make them again. Which I will, because they were one of the easiest things I have ever made. I just need to remember to slowly pull them out of the holders, or the handles come out without any ice-cream attached.

And just like anything that includes Nutella as an ingredient, within minutes it was spread almost all over Jonathan's face :)

Did you know?

- If all the number of Nutella jars sold in a year were lined up, they would wrap around the moon four times.

- Napolean and Hitler are responsible for the world's Nutella addiction.

(True story!)

- A jar of Nutella is sold every 2.5 seconds!

And they lived happily ever after!

"Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are forever."

- Walt Disney

It's hard not to love a Disney movie. And if you're a girl, it's hard not to go through the faze of wanting to be a Disney princess. I'm almost 30 and still want to be one! Or maybe I just want to sing songs all day, have animals to do my housework, fit perfectly into every dress I own, and enjoy flawless hair and skin forever and ever and ever.

Lately, there's been many little girls asking to have princess cupcakes for their birthday. As I think about princesses and royalty, there's one thing that goes beyond the pretty dress, perfect hair, talking animals, and spotless house (or palace/mansion/castle):

A tiara.

Every princess needs a tiara, especially if you're pretending to be one,
which can be so much FUN!

And so, here are some princess tiara cupcakes I've made for a couple of special little girls, in the prime of their imaginative (and princess obsessed) childhoods.

I was once lucky enough to find and buy a packet of white chocolate melts in ALDI that were perfect for melting/piping designs because it set almost straight away. In my experience, Cadbury's white chocolate melts don't set, even when left overnight. It therefore saddens me deeply that I haven't since seen them being sold at ALDI.

For one style of cupcakes, I designed a tiara and placed it under baking paper as a guide (like I've done before whenever I use chocolate for cupcakes). I then melted and piped white chocolate onto it, and wrapped them around a roll of wrapping paper - a simple way to make them set round. A small bit of sticky tape helps the paper stay put. Once the chocolate tiaras were set (which was by the time I'd finished piping the last one), I carefully placed them on top of the cupcakes, which had pink buttercream icing swirled onto them.

These next ones also had pink buttercream icing on them, but, without having the awesome ALDI white chocolate melts, I instead rolled out some white fondant, cut them with my mini tiara cutter, and placed them inside my cake pop tray to set slightly rounded.

Once they were set (I left them overnight), I sprayed them with silver mist, and gently placed them on top of the cupcakes, which had also been sprinkled with pink sugar (a.k.a. "princess dust"). If I was to make these ones again, I'd also write something on the tiara. Perhaps the birthday girl's name or age, or a mixture of both.

Finally, if you're really not someone who's interested in happily ever afters, and hates the idea of Disney princess movies continuing to create false hopes and dreams in the young girls of today... Then you will love this video:

"If you've ever wondered why Disney's tales all end in lies,

here's what happened after all their dreams came true."

I wonder if Nala from The Lion King is also classified as a Disney princess...

Hakuna Matata!

It's over!

"Unless life also hands you sugar and water,

your lemonade is going to suck."

As you may have been aware, one of my "New Year Resolutions" was to survive one month without sugar. For those obviously worried about my sanity, and how I coped with this reckless and out-of-character decision, I tracked how it went.

DAY 1
There was no urge to eat sugar, chocolate, or ice cream. I felt great and think that my decision to quit sugar came at the right time. Husband reminded me that this will be hard, and that I've never been able to survive more than 3 days without sugar before. I was determined to prove him wrong.

DAY 2 - 3 

The days started with headaches, causing me to believe that I may not have prepared for this "detox" in the wisest way, indulging on everything sugar-related for 2 weeks before having to give them up cold turkey.

DAY 4 - 7
I felt sad. All I could see was everything that I couldn't have, and I really missed my dear friend, sugar. I explained to the kids that I was giving up sugar for a month, and they laughed at me.

DAY 8
After spending 10 minutes yelling incoherently to a telemarketer, I concluded that I will not answer the phone anymore. Out of a bazillion recipes I'd found the previous day of things that I could eat, I found and baked two different kinds of Paleo muffins. One was delicious! The other one would have been delicious if it had sugar in it.

DAY 9 - 14
I distracted myself with irrational housework, including scrubbing the floors with baby wipes. I wallowed in sadness because my knees were sore and I still wasn't allowed chocolate yet. I was becoming incredibly bored with eating healthily. There's only so many ways you can cut up a carrot to make it appetising. I hated the taste of almonds, and would be happy not seeing another salad for the rest of the month.

DAY 15
Accidentally ate home-made pancakes for breakfast, and then lied about it being an accident.

DAY 16
As I baked cupcakes and biscuits for friends, a cloud of icing sugar wafted into my face. I don't remember what happened after that, but ended up on the trampoline in a tutu... I don't own a tutu.

DAY 17 - 24
I really wanted ice-cream. Instead, I consumed plenty of pizza, chips, KFC, coffee & bacon, leading me to wonder if I was also addicted to fat and salt, and though that perhaps I will also go a month without fat and salt.

DAY 25
Husband allowed me a cheat day and took me out for ice-cream. What a guy. I rewarded him.

DAY 26 - 30
The end was in sight, and I would soon be able to eat lollies again. I bought some in preparation, and sat guarding them making sure no-one else ate them first.

DAY 31
I'd decided that 30 days without sugar was good enough, and ate everything in sight. Fell asleep on the couch in the foetal position holding three Barbie dolls and an empty packet of Starburst babies.

School's back!

In what varied from going too slow, to too fast, the school holidays have finally, yet all too quickly, come to an end. School started again today, which means that routine is back to being a necessity, and organisation comes in at a close second.

In regards to school supplies, I've always been slack. The kids would write these amazing shopping lists that include a new bag, water bottles, books, textas - you know, the things they "need" for school, and I would push these lists aside, refusing to buy new stationary all the time, and wait until at least Term 3 to begin actually considering that I might need to let go of my stronghold on mismatching socks and blunt pencils.

Lets face it, everyone likes shiny new things.

And coloured highlighters.

This year feels like the first time I've gotten things organised before school went back. Apart from school hats which we got this morning, as part of me was no longer happy with "a hat for school" and preferred "a school hat".

But. If there's one thing I have really struggled with (in regards to my children's academia), it would be homework... And reading... But mostly homework. Which isn't something that can be checked off a list at the start of a new year.

This year, my eldest son is in Year 5. It's a big year, and only a couple shy of high school. I declared that I would really like to be more consistent with getting my kids to do their homework. Whenever the kids would come home with the message of "no homework", I'd secretly cheer inside. But this year, it is my aim to pursue 30 minutes of after-school academic work each day. Even if it's on the computer.

When I came across The Organised Housewife's Homework Nook, I was determined to make one, believing that it would be the solution to my inconsistency! At least for a couple of weeks, anyway, before the novelty wears off. It will at least, though, provide us with a place to store homework sheets/folders, exercise books, and workbooks for various subjects.

What will this look like in Term 2? In Week 4? By Friday!? Who knows, but it's certainly a start that I'm happy with.

By the way: Though the heat was determined to melt any hopes of me living out this desire of mine, we managed a whole hour of a mixture of workbooks, FunBrain, and the opening chapter of a novel by my daughter.

I can now announce Day #1 as a success!

The TV is now on, and there's only 197 days to go ;)

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!

Ah, Australia.

A country that is the biggest island, and smallest continent in the world.

A country characterised by mate-ship, sport, and multiculturalism.

A country that is home to almost everything that can kill you.

Today is Australia Day. To celebrate (apart from eating Weet-Bix, Vegemite on toast, a snag on the barbie, a meat pie, lamingtons and pavlova) I thought I'd brush up on some facts about this wonderful sunburnt country that we live in.

• Assuming new births, deaths, and immigrant acceptances, the population of Australia increases by one person every 1 minute and 18 seconds, and is currently estimated to be 23, 364, 312 at the time of this post.

• Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth. The only continent drier than Australia is Antarctica.

• Pubs, bars, and hotels in Australia cover more land mass than mines. There are currently 6033 established pubs, taverns, hotels, bars, and licensed restaurants in Australia. 69% of those are located on corner blocks.

• The Snowy Mountains receive more snow than Switzerland.

• The only type of boomerang that will come back when thrown is the "Hunter". Other types are called the "Hook", the "Club", and the "V".

• The Australian Coat of Arms has a kangaroo and emu on it, because they are animals incapable of travelling backwards.

• Kangaroo meat is 98% fat free.

• Ayers Rock, also known as the Red Centre, or heart of Australia, is the largest solitary rock in the world. It rises 348m above ground, and sinks 2.5km underground.

• 91% of Australia is vegetation.

• Australia was the second country to give women the right to vote in 1902. New Zealand was the first, in 1893.

• The dingo fence in Australia is the longest fence in the world (5,530km), and twice as long as the Great Wall of China.

• Approximately 30% of Australia's population were born overseas, from over 200 different countries.

• "Koala bears" are marsupials, not bears, and sleep for 18 hours a day.

• Australia's first police force, formed in 1789, was made up of 12 of the best-behaved convicts.

• Former Prime Minister of Australia, Bob Hawke, held a guinness record for chugging beer.

• Australia is the only continent without an active volcano.

• Australians eat 260 million meat pies each year.

Happy Australia Day!

I hope you had a great day celebrating this wonderful country we live in,
in whichever way you chose to do it :)

Fun Facts Friday!

This is a new blog segment I've created called Fun Facts Friday, because I consider myself not only a creator, but an educator, perhaps in the same way that someone strapped to an electric chair may be considered a conductor.

Fifteen Fun Facts about STRAWBERRIES!

1. Strawberries are actually the stem of a flowering plant, not a berry. Flan looks like a flowering plant. Therefore, flan is also not a berry.

2. The average strawberry has 200 seeds. These "seeds" on the strawberries are actually single-seeded dry fruit called achene, and actually have their own seeds. Eating these seeds, however, increases the risk of growing strawberry plants in your stomach.

3. In Belgium, there's a museum just for strawberries. In my stomach, there may also be one.

4. In France, strawberries are believed to be an aphrodisiac, and are given to newlyweds for breakfast... And lunch. And dinner. And dessert.

5. Strawberries are low in fat and calories; and high in vitamin C, fibre, folic acid and potassium. Mix them with a bit of pastry and whipped cream and you've easily added calcium and extra deliciousness.

6. Strawberries (as well as raspberries) are members of the rose family. Strawberries can come shaped like roses on top of what looks like a jar of Nutella. It would be a shame not to eat all that Nutella, too.

7. Strawberries can help reduce the risk of cancer and heart attacks. Making a snake out of strawberries can help reduce the risk of being lame.

8. Strawberries are rich in nitrate, which can help burn up to 100 more calories when eaten before exercising. Sounds like these strawberry kebabs are in order for my next pre-workout boost!

9. Eating strawberries increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the muscles, preventing muscle fatigue, making exercise easier. Ice cream certainly does make surfing (the internet) easier.

10. Vitamin C improves the skin's elasticity and resilience, resulting in healthier, younger-looking skin. A serve of approx. 8 strawberries provides more Vitamin C than a medium sized orange. To remain youthful, it is important to remember things we enjoyed as children, like jelly! But mixed with alcohol, because we are no longer youthful.

11. The antioxidants and Vitamin C in strawberries also protect the eyes from UV rays, which may prevent cataracts. If you tilt these mousse desserts on the side and go cross-eyed, it may not be helpful for your eyes, so better just eat them upright.

12. California produces one billion pounds of strawberries each year. That equals to approximately 450 billion kilos, which would make one big chocolate cake decoration!

13. If all the strawberries produced each year in California were to be laid in a line, they would circle the world 15 times! Then if you lay crepes next to them and roll them North.....

14. Unlike other fruit, strawberries will not continue to ripen after being picked. All the more reason to eat them quickly!

15. Strawberries come in liquid form, also, and increases the risk of having an awesome Friday night!

Source: The internet.
N.B. What you read may or may not be factual.

Looks like my Friday nights may now include taste-testing various strawberry recipes so I can live longer and not lose my sight!

Have you eaten your strawberries today??

Om nom nom nom!

Wonderings...

I wonder if procrastination really stems from an inability to multi-task.

Wonder, v.
1. To feel curious about.
2. To ponder, think about, or meditate on.

Procrastination, n.

1.    . . .                          

I often find myself wondering about big things in life. Life-altering issues, like how I raise and discipline my children, if the earth is flat, and whether you'd need a silencer to shoot a mime.

I've decided that it's time to share some of the things that fill me with deep concern and puzzlement.

Episode 1.

Where do ants come from!?

Sure, there's 10,000,000,000,000,000 ants alive at any given time, but what is so appealing about my house!? Why do they like my bathroom so much? Is their sense of smell greater than that of my dog, giving them the ability to smell the tiniest drop of ice-cream that I missed while wiping down the table?

Myrmecophobia is the fear of ants. Do ants also have a fear of humans? Next time the little bastards bite me in my sleep they will.

What do ants do on rainy days? Do bull ants bully the littler ants in the playground? And seriously, what could they possibly hope to find inside my laptop! Naked photos of the Queen!?