One of those days...

yep. its been one of those days.

When I feel like the worst mother on the planet. It started quite well...we had our amazing pear pancakes for breakfast. Recipe below.

Then the children helped to clean up their room, then we made lunch. We had fun making gnocchi with my younger sprawling....and then it all went down hill.

Children are very complicated creatures. Being a parent its so hard. You try to be open minded, compassionate, and focused but its so hard it sometimes impossible to keep them happy.

So two grumpy children and me, full of positivity due to lovely weather. We went out to the park.

Fail no 1. No parking
Fail no 2 had to park at the mall and walk...two grumpy children complaining they have o walk
fail no 3. Park was so busy they had nowhere to play.
fail no 4. They decided they wanted to go to get some sorbets and we walked back to the car
fail no 5. Mummy was distracted and took the wrong turning , we ended up adding extra 10 min of driving. with two grumpy children its not fun
fail no 6. sorbet shop closed down
fail no 7 traffic on the way home.


plus many many many more cries and complaints.

I find it really hard to control my own emotions when we have a day like this.. ..So i ended up crying too.

When you are a parent you try to make your children to understand the world, you teach them respect and you teach them empathy for others, you teach them that to win you sometimes have to loose, and that being different is ok. But today I felt like a failure. After a quick bedtime I realised 3 things:

1. My kids don't need trips, sorbets, they need me.
2. Overstimulation is often as bad as no stimulation
3. Trying too hard is exhausting and upsetting, its ok to give yourself a break.

So from now on, I will listen more, and I will try to agree with them the best solutions to our problems. I will tell them about my feelings and will listen to them telling me how they feel. I will make sure they have all they need to be happy, smiley and just be children.

From now on I will try harder but not too hard

Have a good night all.

Pear Pancakes: 

What you need:  (serves two)

2 ripe pears ( apples work too , best bramley apples)

2 cups of almond milk (or any milk you use)

1cup of self rising gluten free flour ( i find that gluten free is better for pancakes)

1 tbs of coconut oil (or any oil)

1 tbs of egg substitute ( i used chia , 1 teaspoon of chia with 100 ml of water to make 5 servings- blended, i used one)

agave nectar to pour on top

In a bowl mix together flour, milk and chia until smooth. In a frying pan melt the coconut oil ( or any oil , heat up ), then using a heat proof spatula add the hot oil to the flour and milk mixture ( be careful its hot!!)  

mix well.  set aside.

peel the pear and cut into rings, using a small knife cut the seedy nests out. then dunk the pear rings in the batter mixture. 

Then using a soup ladle dollop the pear rings onto the frying pan. You shouldn't need any oil as you already put it in the mixture. Cook until golden brown and then flip gently to make sure its cooked evenly and the pear is soft in the middle. 

Serve warm with agave on top or maple syrup if you prefer. 

Enjoy

Dessert for dinner???

It's been a long day, I was going to spend it relaxing, shopping and totally chilled. Truth is, I wasn't that relaxed, I had to look around for places that I could eat as to be honest the choices were very limited.

After I settled myself in the cafe, ordered a vegan wrap, tea and some treats I realised that I couldn't connect to WIFI as the signal was too weak. Bummer! so no blogging. But I managed to write the conclusive chapters of the new book.

As I sat there , I watched people walking in and out of McDonald's, whole families. Kids, elderly, various skin colour, probably several nationalities. It brought up a memory of last summer and people who we meet on holiday. They were an ordinary middle class family, and we really enjoyed their company. But they also found it very strange to understand our lifestyle, not only them but I come across a lot of people who don't understand, some are curious some are just in denial. I thought it would be a good to share some questions and answers I come across everyday.

1.Why are you doing it to your children?? They cannot be healthy right?

hmmm... yes well, I don't do it to my kids, my children have a free will and they choose to be like me, my soon tried chicken once, but after he realised it was actual wings flapping chicken he vomited it after. My children choose what they eat, they have a choice. Stop judging me on being a horrible demanding parent and realise they are not forced into any of this. If my kids turn up one day to be meat eaters thats fine, they will choose for themselves.

When it comes to health, statistically speaking my kids are super healthy, they eat a lot of plant based protein and carbs, also their diet is high in fibre and vitamins. Their tummies are full and their digestion is top notch. They have no major health conditions, no eczema, etc. They thrive and they are intelligent and happy. How can this be bad for them???

2. So u don't eat meat? No eggs?? No cheese?? So what do you eat ? salad??

( long loud laugh). yes, I eat salad, I also eat food. Being vegan doesn't mean eating grass, it means choosing food which is plant based and not animal based. It always makes me laugh when I see someone stuffing their mouth with ribs or chicken wings and then they claim to be animal lovers. Humph , ok, how is eating a cow or a pig different than eating a dog of your beloved cat???

3. Vegan??? so you don't have any treats???

excuse me??? no treats??? when you are a vegan all you have is treats LOL. but being serious, yes we have treats, we have pancakes, we have cake, we have sweets. Remember sugar is plant based :-D

4. What do you eat when you go out???

Fair question, very hard to eat out when you are a vegan, but manageable. You have to make sacrifices but places are getting more and more vegan friendly. Today I managed to gather a vegan falafel wrap, tea, vegan biscuits and grapes. Not much?? a real feast. All you have to do is check the ingredients.

5. Are you allowed booze??

Many alcoholic drinks, such as beer and wine, will have been clarified/ stabilised (fined) using animal derived products, causing concern for vegetarians and vegans. Fining agents are used as a processing aid (as opposed to an additive) which means in theory none should remain in the final product; however this is impossible to guarantee. But vegan alcohol is available, jus again check the label.

6. Must be very hard and expensive to buy all those fruit and veg.???

Its not cheap, but it can be easily managed on the household budget. You can buy in local farm shops and markets, plus buying in bulk is often better . 


Its just a few questions which popped into my head. I hate it when people tell me I'm crazy and that my children will grow up being disabled because of deficiencies. So I always tell them they are crazy too, as their kids are gonna grow up obese and with high blood pressure. Veganism is not a illness, its a cure!



I had a day away from the children, I missed them, which is lovely. I don't appreciate my children enough, they are little people with unique personalities. My son told me today I was beautiful and he loved me a lot. The best feeling ever, to have you children tell you they love you. 

Heating is on, meaning bye bye summer. So to lift the spirits up, here goes a post of the most amazing treats, pancakes. We often have them for dinner. Dessert for dinner?  Why not???






1. Coconut milk Crepe

they are the winners in our household. Soft and crispy on the edges.

what you need: (makes about 7 )

1 can of coconut milk ( i used canned milk for better taste)
1 banana ( ripe)
100 g of flour ( use speciality flours for gluten free)
3 tbs of oil or trx (melted)

in a blender put milk and banana, blend util smooth. then add oil and flour. Mix until its all combined and makes a smooth batter. I use crepe pan, but if you don't have one, ordinary frying pan will do just fine. Try to get them as thin as possible 9 it takes practise) We eat them with lemon juice and sugar or sliced banana and vegan caramel.  recipe here

2. Apple and chia pancakes.

The best breakfast ever :)  So easy to make ands delish.

What you need: 

2 tbs of apple sauce

200 ml of any plant based milk ( i use almond or hazelnut)

2 tbs of oil 

200 gr of flour ( for gluten free use speciality flours)

1 tsp of vegan baking powder.

3 tbs of chia seeds to sprinkle on top.

pinch of cinnamon

Mix milk with apple sauce until smooth, add flour and oil and mix again. then add cinnamon and baking powder.  in you frying pan make a dollop of batter and roll the pan to spread it slightly, remember we are making pancakes not crepes. fry until golden. Serve with vegan caramel and sprinkle with chia. We also like adding blueberries. 

Hope you all have a lovely day tomorrow. I'm of to bed.