Essential strategies for starting school

Summer holiday activities

Food secrets to building your

child’s immunity

Lunch box recipes & frozen treats

The busy parents’ saviour coming to Bondi

Beach safety tips from

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health & wellbeing.education matters.

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Well, Christmas is over. We made it.

It came and went like a cyclone that swept through my house, leaving a debris of battery packets, toy packaging and enough wrapping paper ‘bits’ for it to appear that a ticker tape parade had marched through my house to pay tribute to my credit card reaching an all-new high limit.

I can no longer make eye contact with the ham that sits in its pillow slip in my fridge. Each time I open the fridge door, it mocks me as I am forced to recognise just how much of this animal I’ve eaten. Another devastating ‘single mother revelation’, as it occurs to me that there is no longer another person in this house that I can trick myself, and others, into believing he would have eaten most of it.

Nope, that luxury has left me. I ate the pig. If you don’t believe me, my swollen ‘Christmas feet’ now actually resemble pressed-ham as I force them into sandals. Eek.

It seems like a crying shame that the weather is so hot this time of year, when it would otherwise be such a perfect time for trackies. ‘Tis the season for elastic-waisted pants. With

so much food and indulgence, it does seem a little unreasonable that it is bikini season.

A special Christmas shout out also needs to go to those special friends and family mem-bers that bought my children musical gifts

for Christmas. What 5-year-old really needs a

‘Tis the season to wear trackies

FA LA

LALA

LALALA

LA

LAJayne Moloney reflects on the season of over-indulgence and the shame that comes with it, while preparing for the marathon stretch known as summer holidays.

harmonica? More to the point, what 39-year-old mother wants her kid to have a harmoni-ca? Yes, yes my funny ‘friends’ - you are now officially on my list. You will never receive another present from me for your children that hasn’t appeared in Google results for ‘most annoying children’s gifts’.

It is worth noting here that it has been just days since the Christmas explosion of 1000 presents being delivered to our home, and I’ve still somehow heard the phrase “I’m bored” (perhaps because I’ve hidden the harmonica), and we now get into the brace position for the school holidays.

Mothers unite, giving each other sympathet-ic looks in public places as each walk along squeezing their child’s hand, well, a little bit

tighter than usual. In a 30 minute trip to the shopping centre the other day, I witnessed at least 3 meltdowns (kids, not mothers – just to be clear, but it really could go either way).

By the end of January, I will actually have a jaw ache from clenching my teeth and speak-ing through a ridiculous, static smile in pub-lic places while giving a scathing warning that must make my son’s think that they are be-ing parented by the chucky doll from Child’s Play. No permanent harm done though, as it would appear that my kids don’t scare easy.

The New Year is here, it’s time to dispose of the pig in the fridge (I think it’s called get-

ting rid of the evidence) and get excited about of the great opportunities and memories that await us in 2015 – the first of which I hope will be my feet (and the rest of my body) returning to their nor-mal size.

Happy New Year everyone! We are lucky to be here, so hold on tight and enjoy the ride!

Follow Jayne on Twitter

Jayne is a mother, daugh-ter, grand daughter, friend

and a writer who laughs shamelessly at her own jokes.

Click here to keep up with her adventures with her two gorgeous boys on her blog,

Champagney Jaynie.

Summer holidays are a wondrous time in childhood - long stretches of unstructured days, outdoor fun, daylight saving and ice cream – what’s not to love? That doesn’t mean that boredom doesn’t creep in though, and for parents, it’s not always easy to keep the little ones entertained. While they may have been stocked up with toys and technology at Christmas time, try these activities to get them back to the natural fun of summer.

Plant a gardenKids are often avid gardeners, and it’s a fantastic natural sensory activity for them. It doesn’t matter if you have a balcony, a huge lawn, or a paved courtyard, there are plenty of options out there for vegetable or herb gardens that are perfect for little fingers. For some extra fun, get them decorating their own pot or making their own garden decorations.

SUMMER DAYSSimple ideas to help you keep the kids entertained while minimising screen time over the holidays.

Outdoor artA box of chalk can keep kids going for hours. Whether they draw hopscotch and other games in the driveway, colour in the patio tiles, or decorate the fence, it’s a great form of creative expression for them with the biggest canvas you can give them. Best of all for parents, it washes straight off at the end of the day.

Nature walkingThe outdoors can be fascinating to kids if we allow them the time to stop and let them play with their surroundings. Choose a cooler time of day and head to your local reserve or even just around the block. Throw some bubble mixture in your bag and take a container that the kids can collect pieces of nature

in to take home and make a collage or another artful creation with.

Have a picnicWe all know the beaches and parks can get crowded during the holidays. Rather than battle for parking and turning a nice family outing into a stressful event before you’ve even spread the blanket out, why not have a picnic at home? Get the kids involved in setting everything up, preparing the food, and inviting their favourite toys, while you enjoy the convenience of having the kitchen and bathroom on hand!

Cook up a stormCooking is such a wonderful life skill to nurture in children. It encourages them to get messy, learn from their mistakes, read recipes, work out measurements, and share with others. Try out some fun summer ideas like homemade ice blocks and ice cream, slices, fruit dishes and summertime dinners for the family. It’s also a great way to support their creativity and encourage them to experiment with their own ideas.

Take your kids outside of their own world with fascinating and interactive content. Download each issue straight to your iPad where

kids can watch a video from space, swipe through wonders of the world, read about kids from Australia and around the globe, and much more!

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INTERACTIVE iPAD MAGAZINE

Getting ready for school is a process that has not just started now that kindergarten

is around the corner, but has been occurring throughout the preschool year. A collaborative endeavour amongst parents, educators, primary schools and, most importantly - the children, preschool programs and routine, discussions and changes at home, orientations at big school, meeting their buddies, buying uniforms have all been a part of the important process of prepa-ration for starting that next new adventure and challenge – big school. It is with excitement, pride, nerves and a touch of sadness that we send our children to school. There are some children who will walk in there confidently and not have any concern, while others will have tears for the whole first term.

It is important that although we are under-standing, reassuring and empathetic of their fears and tears, we are also strong for our chil-dren and after giving them a kiss and a hug and a reassuring “I love you. You will have a fun day and I’ll see you in the afternoon” you walk away, trusting the separation process of the experts – their teachers. Then, after you have left the gates, it is OK to have a tear or two yourself, as long as your child doesn’t know!

There are the practical aspects that have un-doubtedly been discussed and reinforced amongst early childhood settings and families and also the ‘big school’ that your child will be attending, which are important to remember:

• Have a simple routine in the morning, such as no television until breakfast is eaten,

uniform is on, bag packed and teeth brushed.

• No doubt you will be packing their bags (and still doing it way into teenage years), but get them to remember what they need the night before - putting their hat, homework books, and anything that needs to be taken to school for the next day in their bag.

• In the morning, show them their lunch box, what is for little lunch and big lunch and their drink bottle, explaining anything they need that day - canteen money, notes etc.

• Explain rules and limits for safety - not leaving the gates, behaving safely with friends in the playground, out of bound areas etc.

• Talk about classroom etiquette and listen-ing so that they know what needs to be done.

• Explain what to do when they need to go to the toilet, get a drink, they are sad, unwell or worried about something.

• Encourage those simple social skills of be-ing friendly, saying hello, asking someone to play, being inclusive, and listening to others.

• Teach them to think for themselves and not be a follower – reminding them that be-ing someone’s friend is not blindly doing what they want as it may be dangerous, dis-obeying of school rules or nasty to another child. It is never too young to teach your child to think for themselves, know right from wrong and to be brave enough to walk away or say ‘no’.

STARTING SMARTSimple strategies to give your child the best start to their school years

By Georgina BritoEarly Childhood Teacher

Conflict resolution strategies are a big one to tackle as not every situation is the same or can be resolved in the same manner, because let’s be honest, they may never have a social issue or conflict that needs ‘sorting out’, or it may occur on the first day being at school. It is entirely impossible to guess what may or may not hap-pen for our children, so giving them a range of solutions and maybe an example or two to go with that solution is the best option for a parent to prepare their child for the big playground at school. Here are some solutions that I reinforce as an early child-hood teacher:

• Being assertive and using their words to express themselves, such as “do not do that to me, I do not like it!”

• Knowing when to just walk away and ignore rather than react (this can be just as effective and much more beneficial when encountering a bully).

• Telling the teacher when they cannot deal with a situation, when they are getting hurt and when it is especially consistent.

Although the last point is the most natural sug-gestion, often parents don’t want their child la-belled the ‘dobber’. Keep in mind the logistics of primary playgrounds, such as size and numbers of children versus number of teachers on lunch-time duty. We have to help our children become resilient and be a touch brave when encoun-tering the playground and the diverse group of children they will get to know and maybe clash with at times too. Going to the teacher for every thing can cause apathy, so teaching them some simple strategies of dealing with the conflict can

be also helpful while reassuring them that there is the teacher to help them when needed. Only through experience will they learn how to han-dle this complex but common problem in life.

It is also crucial that our children know that they can tell us anything that occurs in their day. Don’t ask “How was your day” because you won’t get any details. Be specific in your ques-tions - “Did you eat your lunch?”, “Who did you play with at lunch time?”, “Tell me your favour-ite thing that you did today?”, “Tell me the least

favourite thing that happened to-day?” and if you sense that there is something upset-ting to your child, ask the question “Did anything hap-pen that made you worried or sad?” You will be doing this ‘pulling teeth’ communication strategy until the

day they leave home as young adults, so get used to it!

Discussing these issues, routines and logistics will assist your child, and in the long run – you, with being ready for this very big change in their young lives. Remember, they are very young and will need constant reminding, reinforcing and reassurance.

It is a part of our job as parents to make sure that they are happy, confident and safe at school, which will help them be successful learners, and become adults who know how to deal with such important changes in their life. Share your knowledge of how to prepare for school but most importantly let them know that school is a place where they will learn lots of exciting new skills and information, make great friends and have an amazing amount of fun.

There’s no doubt that life as a parent is hec-tic. No matter what we do, there is always something else on the list. Where weekends used to be sacred family time, it seems that these days it’s the time we need to somehow get more things ticked off our list – and the list seems endless. Often we have to drag the kids from pillar to post when they (and we) would rath-er be doing anything but. Melissa Lambert has seen this time and again during her years in long day care fa-cilities, and now as a self-employed nanny in the Eastern Suburbs, caring for kids in all age groups from birth to adolescence over the past five years. Recognising the need that many parents have, Melissa says opening a weekend play care seemed like a natural step. “It has always been a dream of mine to open my own unique day care centre. Being a nan-

ny in the Eastern Suburbs I am quite often asked by several families to work the same weekend so parents can have time out or run errands.” Despite the obvious need for many par-ents though, Melissa has had enough experi-ence to also be aware of the challenges they face in signing kids up for programs. “We aim to be flexible by not pressuring parents to sign up for full terms, but rather we ask them to book in advance when they require week-end care for their child,” she explains. This unique service for parents has been

years of ideas and planning, with Melissa explaining that her years of being a nanny as well as being in charge of 0 – 3-year-old nursery rooms in daycare centres have en-abled her to learn what does and does not work in the daily running of a childcare facili-ty. “I now feel ready to put into practice what I have learnt and want to provide children a creative way to learn through play,” she says. Now that she has secured a location, Melissa says the ball hasn’t stopped rolling, fortunately with plenty of practical advice. “I’m lucky as my mother is an assistant director of a day care centre and one of my nanny mums has a background in Early Childhood education”, she explains. “They have been there to assist in questions I have had or have been a sounding board to bounce ideas from.”

Weekend PlayCare is designed to give parents a few hours to themselves on weekend morn-ings, whilst their children are being cared for by experienced staff in a fun, creative and safe environment with other children in the commu-nity. It is opened from 9am-12pm, with 1,2 or 3 hour options. Class spaces are limited to 12 children ranged 3-8 years to help create a calm environ-ment where childrens’ individuality can shine, their voices can be heard and they can have freedom to explore their imagination in creative ways.

Weekend help has arrived in Bondi

At Create Play and Stay, children

will have the opportunity to play in and outdoors, participate in group time and craft experience that is connected to the weekly theme such as

‘cultures of the world’. Children will also share a morning tea together before

going home. All craft, toys, sunscreen and food is

provided.

LAUNCHING IN BONDI31st JANUARY 2015!

WAYS Bondi Beach Bookings essential 63a Wairoa Ave, Bondi Mel - 0431 095 175

createplaystay.com.au

Casual weekend play care for 3 - 8-year-olds

Shane Gale began spoiling Sydney kids over two years ago. 1500 children, 140 parties and 93 suburbs later, Shane has a thriving party business that leaves both kids and parents feeling relaxed after each party. We spoke to Shane to find out more.

What gave you the idea to start Spoilt Parties?

My daughters birthday was coming up and I had run out of ideas to entertain the girls. She was too old for fairies and had done the bowling, laser siege and movies parties. I had taken her with me one day to just get her toe nails painted while I had a pedicure. She absolutely loved the pampering and told all

her friends about her experience. I thought ‘I could paint all their nails and spoil them, they will love that’, then my mind went into overdrive and I added all of the other little treatments together to create all my packages.

What is a Spoilt Parties experience like?

The beauty of a Spoilt Party is that we are mobile and bring everything to you. From the pink robes, headbands, foot spas, soft relax-ing music and all the precious pampering equipment, we bring everything you need to create the perfect spa experience in your own home.

SPOILT KIDS

HAVE THE MOST FUN

We have a total of six packages now to suit different ages and budgets. Our pamper par-ties can include foot spas, massaging pillows, chocolate facials with cool cucumbers, finger nails painted and glittery makeup. We also play fun games and finish the party off with a photo shoot, which all the girls love.

What have the reactions been from the kids?

Most of the girls have never experienced any-thing like it and fall in love when they arrive at their friend’s house. The scene is set with foot spas and a nail bar set up, the robes hanging and waiting, the scented candle fill-ing the air and the relaxing music playing. My parties are for 8 girls with the option to add more. With the smaller group, I have noticed the girls get to share their experience with their friends, they all have a turn at the

treatments together and it creates a beautiful bonding experience. The girls absolutely love the parties and there is nothing more reward-ing than when I am leaving and the girls go out of their way to come up and say “Thank You Shane, it was the best party ever”.

How do your parties help the adults?

We arrive at the party half an hour early to set up. We arrange the room to create a cosy en-vironment for the girls so they are all involved at the same time. From the moment the guests arrive, we put them in their robe and headband and guide them through their pamper sessions. The only thing the parents need to do is provide the food for the girls. I often

have parents saying “I don’t know what to do with myself” because we take care of every-thing.

What about the boys?

I have had a few boys involved in the pam-per parties which has been great. I offer a Lil’ Punk option for the boys that are a little too cool for all the glitter! They can receive a crazy hair do, a temporary tattoo and either some mean black nail colour or even their favourite footy team colours.

How does the pop-up disco work?

One of the most rewarding pieces of feed-back I receive from parents is that we are “so good with the kids”, so I thought I needed to reinvent myself to appeal to repeat custom-ers. The Pop-Up Disco is now becoming ex-tremely popular. I bring my Spoilt marquee to the venue, attach disco lights, fog machine, disco ball, black light, microphones and of course the huge speaker and have all the latest songs to sing and dance to. It has been pop-ular with the hosts that want both boys and girls at their parties and it is also for a larger group of 20 or more. I pro-vide all the glow in the dark bracelets, face paint and hair-spray. We play team games and we give out Grammy style trophies to the best singers and dancers.

What else do you offer as part of your business?

I have just launched a Frozen party! Snow-flake hairspray, Princess Elsa make up, Melt-ed Snowman Lemonade and all the trim-mings to fit in with the recent craze that has taken over the little kids’ lives of late.

We also offer additions to packages like a Photo Booth & Props option, Cool Hairstyles, Hummer Rides and can help you out with

fabulous and unique cakes for the special birthday host.

Spoilt has also been in partnership with The Sydney Sixers T20 Big Bash Cricket Team over the last 3 years. We are set up out the front of the SCG before every home game and offer the fans free hairspray and face paint in the teams colour of magenta catering to crowds of up to 20,000.

To book a Spoilt party for your child, head to the website here or contact Shane on 0413 481 924 or by email at shane@spoltparties.com.au

How can families best avoid sun stroke or heat exhaustion after long days at the beach?

As Australia has the highest rate of sun cancers in the world, it’s very important to apply sun-screen preferably before you get to the beach, make sure that kids wear a hat and rash vest (long sleeved is best) – when they are having some fun at the beach.

Limiting the sun exposure is also important, whether you take a shade tent with you or take some time out of the sun in the shade. Think about going to the beach either earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon when the sun isn’t as strong, it’s not as hot and the crowds are less too.

Kids need to maintain hydration by drink-ing lots of water before, during and after their beach time.

What are the most important things to remember when spending time near the water with young children?

Never let them out of your sight! A wave can knock kids off their feet and as the water rush-es out again they can move quite quickly. To avoid that, parents should either hold their kids (when they are quite young) or at least hold their hand.

Stay shallow so the kids can still stand and make sure that you are between the red and yellow flags. This is the area that has been designated safest for swimming given the conditions on the day.

What ocean conditions should parents avoid or be aware of with young children?

When the beach is closed (no red and yellow flags are up) this is usually because conditions are not safe for swimming and that should be avoided. Instead, choose an ocean pool or rock pool to have some fun.

Often when the tide is low or when the entry to the water is a bit steep, there is a ‘shore break’ – when waves will break right on the shoreline. Definitely to be avoided.

Sometimes you will see lots of bluebottles on the shoreline and perhaps a sign on the beach warning of their presence. They have stinging tentacles and are hard to avoid in the water. Talk to the lifesavers on the day about the con-ditions and safety – they are there to help you and provide advice on having fun in the ocean safely.

How can parents help their children to increase skill and confidence in the ocean?

Probably the best way to build confidence in the ocean is to spend more time in it! This re-duces fear, builds skills and capability and is definitely loads of fun. For kids – ensuring that they learn to swim is essential. Having those skills are vital in the ocean. Other great options include joining your local ‘nippers’ group. All Surf Lifesaving Clubs will have a nippers group and these cover kids aged 5 – 13.

You’ll find information on the Tamarama Nip-pers here. Nippers is a great introduction to the

Summer safety for the whole familyLong days at the beach are one of the best things about summer in the East. Ensure you make the most of it wth the advice of one of our local beach experts.

Interview with Sandra FoxClub CaptainTamarama Surf Lifesaving Club

ocean for kids, it builds skills in a structured way both on the land and in the ocean and is great fun. Kids usually make friends and the parents are often involved as well.

Another option is buying your child a body board or foam surf board to help them start to read conditions and ride waves, whilst having a great time. Early on this should be done under supervision of course.

What are the essential items parents should bring to the beach with them?

Essential items include – drinks, food (espe-cially if the kids are running around, swim-ming, etc), sunscreen, a hat, a rash vest, tow-el and a shade tent. Having a long sleeved top is also good as it will provide sun protection before and after being in the water. As well as any fun equipment like a body board, swim fins, a foam surfboard, etc.

How can parents help make the life-savers' job easier, helping to maximise safety and fun for beach-goers?

There are a few ways that we can best work together to ensure safety and fun. These are:

• Talk to the lifesavers about conditions before going into the water. If you have

any concerns, let them know so they can watch out for you.

• Make sure that you are going into the water between the red and yellow flags, this will always be the safest area for swimming.

• If you feel that you are getting into trouble in the water, don’t hesitate to put up your hand. This is no time to let pride get in the way of safety! If you are drifting away from shore and are not sure how to get back in, the longer you leave it, the further away you will be and your rescue will potentially carry greater risk both to yourself and the lifesaver. • Check regularly where you are in the water. Pick a spot on the shore so you can see if you have drifted.

• If you can’t swim, stay close to the shore where you can easily stand.

• Lifesavers are there to keep you safe so don’t hesitate to have a chat with us when you next visit the beach.

In many ways children’s bodies are quite im-mature. For example, their digestive systems

will not become mature until they are about 7 - 8 years old. Before this time children are prone to many common ailments such as regular coughs and colds, glue ear and tummy upsets. Chinese Medicine attributes the susceptibility to various illnesses as a result of an immature or weakened digestive system. As their digestive systems

become more robust, many of these childhood ailments simply disappear. So, how can we easi-ly and effectively treat and help prevent many of these common childhood ailments in a way that is ultimately strengthening to their immune sys-tem? Chinese Medicine has an answer: strength-en the child’s digestive system – this can be done with a gentle treatment of acupuncture, safe Chi-nese herbal medicine and simple dietary changes. As their digestive system is so immature, chil-dren need “children’s food” until they are around

7 - 8 years old rather than rich adult food. What this basically means is:• Feed them primarily cooked & easily digestible

foods • Boring and bland for as long as possible, chil-

dren don’t need lots of spices. • Organic is better but not necessary.• Children have likes and dislikes so try to hide

some foods in soups or cakes. • A treat is an occasional food, not a daily food. Remember that an 80g chocolate bar for a 15kg child is equivalent to a 370g chocolate bar for an adult• Find rewards other than food to motivate your children• Digestion is nourished by movement of the limbs so make sure your child gets plen-ty of exercise and fresh air. Raw foods have more vitamins and enzymes than cooked foods, however, as the nutrients are held within the cell walls of the food, these

cells must be broken down by chewing well and the digestive process. As young children do not tend to chew efficiently and their digestive pro-cesses are inherently weak (note how undigested carrots look in a nappy), they are not as able to break down these cells as adults are. Cooking is another way we can break down the cells that surround these vital nutrients. Although cooking may destroy some of these nutrients, what is left is more easily absorbed and so children can bet-ter benefit from them.

Feeding your child’s healthBy Tania GrasseschiPractitioner of Chinese Medicine specialising in Women and Children’s health

How you can strengthen your chid’s digestive system to help fight off those dreaded childhood illnesses

Chinese Medicine also recognises a link between digestion and lung problems. It tends to be a weakened digestive system that is the source of phlegm, which then collects in the lungs. Phlegm is seen to be the by-product of poorly digested food and drink. You may already be aware of the benefits of avoiding certain foods when you are particularly sniffly. The reason for this is that certain foods have a tendency to exacerbate phlegm produc-tion. This then aggravates or sometimes triggers the onset of respiratory tract ailments such as stuffy or runny noses, sneezing, coughing and even, at times, asthma. When your child is full of phlegm it is best to avoid some foods, such as peanuts, dairy foods, excess sugar, bananas, oranges, and artificial sweeteners (‘sugar free’ food such as Diet Coke) until they are well and you can slowly reintroduce these foods. Nuts other than peanuts in small amounts don’t usually cause any problems unless there are specific allergies. Try non-dairy milks like rice milk, almond milk or oat milk while your child is phlegmy. One piece of seasonal fruit per day is often enough and home made stewed fruits are great. Avoid cold and raw food, especially in winter, for the rea-sons given above. Children don’t really need any spic-es and flavourings, or too much salt and sugar or any deep fried greasy foods. A little good quality Celtic or Himalayan sea salt, however, when cooking grains will help make grains more digestible and will bring out the natural sweetness of many fruits and vegetables.

To facilitate the process of restoring your children to good health seek the counsel of a Chinese Medicine practitioner who uses a gentle Acupuncture technique, especially modified for children and babies. This therapy can be combined with the use of Chinese Herbal granules that can be mixed with honey or apple sauce for ease of administration. Although children are easily suscep-tible to illnesses, they also bounce back to health quickly and easily so it usually takes only a few treatments when appro-priate dietary modifications are also made within the home.

Tania specialises in children’s health using acupressure and gentle specially modified needling techniques. Her upcoming seminar Food as Medicine, all about nourishing your family, weight loss and detoxing is on Sunday March 15, 10am-4pm. Tania is offering a 20% discount to readers of Kids in the East if both parents or a mother’s group want to attend her workshop (usually $150 each) contact her directly for this special offer. Book your place here!

Find Tania online at Oriental Wisdom & Wholistic Natural Medicine ClinicPh: (02) 9662 4634

Banana Bread

Ingredients:3 bananas (preferably over ripe)½ cup brown sugar½ cup vegetable oil1 ½ cups of self-raising flour

Method:It’s child’s play...simply mash the ripe bananas in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the vegetable oil and brown sugar, stir the mix up until you have a bit of a sloppy mess. Tip in the flour and stir it all together until it is all well mixed. Now, the only trick to a good banana bread is that it isn’t cooked too quickly. Put the loaf on the bottom shelf of your oven at 160°C and bake for 30-40 min-utes. The loaf is cooked when the cen-tre bounces back when tapped.

Pear & Raspberry Bread

Ingredients:3 small pears (must be over ripe)1 cup of frozen raspberries½ cup brown sugar½ cup of vegetable oil1 ½ cups of self-raising flour

Method:Cut your pears up into rough piec-es, removing the core but leaving the skin on. Mash them up a bit, pour the vegetable oil over the mashed pears, and then add the brown sugar. Stir the mix up until you have a bit of a slop-py mess. Tip in the flour and stir it all together until it is all well mixed. Tum-ble in the raspberries and mix them in until they are fairly evenly distributed but try not to over mix the batter at this point, it’s nice to have some whole raspberries in the finished product. Put the loaf on the bottom shelf of your oven at 160°C and bake for 30-40 min-utes. The loaf is cooked when the cen-tre bounces back when tapped.

These loaves are great for kiddies’ lunch boxes because they are nut, dairy and egg free, and surprisingly delicious!

LUNCHBOX LOAVES

Kelly BarlowFood writerand Owner

Waterline Cafe, Little Bay

Waterline Licensed cafe and restaurant

0477 008 771 - 2 Coast Hospital Road, Little Bay(down the stairs next to the chapel)

function catering cooking classes

homemade gifts bespoke cakes

Open every day during January school holidays!

Come down for breakfast or lunch and a swimor join us for casual sunset dinners on the weekends

With summer in full swing, there is nothing better than a frozen treat to cool you down at the end of the day. Below are some child-friendly recipes to put in your favourite ice block moulds for this summer.

FROZENSUMMER

FUN

SWEET LEMONIngredients:

Juice of 6 lemons1 cup of sugar1 cup water

Method:

Juice the lemons into a bowl, making sure you get rid of any pips. Pour the sugar and water into a medium saucepan and cook on a medium heat until all of the sugar dissolves. Pour the hot sugar syrup over the lemon juice. Pour the mixture into your ice block moulds and freeze over-night.

BANANA & VANILLA BEAN

Ingredients:

2 frozen peeled bananas1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste400ml full cream milk

Method:

Cut the frozen bananas into about 4 pieces. Pop the bananas into a blender and pour in the remaining in-gredients. Blend the mixture until its smooth. Pour the mixture into your ice block molds and freeze overnight.

STRAWBERRIES & CREAM

Ingredients:

1 punnet strawberries ½ cup pure icing sugar1 cup glucose syrup1 cup double cream

Method:

Cut the leaves away from the strawberries and roughly chop the

strawberries. Pour the icing sugar over the strawberries and mash the mixture up with a fork. Set the strawberry mix aside while you whip the cream. Pour the glucose syrup and cream into the bowl of your stand mixer. Whip the mixture until thick ribbons form while mixing. Fold the mashed strawberry through the whipped cream mixture. Pour the mixture into ice block moulds and freeze overnight.

Kelly is a qualified nutritionist and cook who can be found cooking up a storm at her very kid-friendly cafe Waterline Cafe Bar at 2 Coast Hospital Road, Little Bay and you can

follow her (and learn a lot!) on her blog What Kelly Cooks.

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