In our kitchen

When my kids aren't around or when Zahara is pretending to sleep, you will often find me, apron on and cookbook open, in my kitchen. This is where I love to be - feeding my family. I have had lots of years practicing my cooking now, and I have really come to enjoy it.

Luckily, my kids are also pretty good eaters. They love to try new foods as well as eat a variety of foods. Cooking is also one of the things I love to do with my kids at home. They are always up for some cooking, and it's great to give them practice and confidence in the kitchen. They'll need it eventually! I've also found (as I'm sure many of you have) that they are more likely to eat what they cook.

And so, inspired by Amanda at Soulemama, here's what we've been eating in our kitchen.



Banana Bread, Donna Hay kids 2008
I made this last week with Zahara and Layla and it was easy, great for kids to make and really tasty. It was great for after dinner desserts, lunchboxes and general snacks. The girls really enjoyed the novelty of using a knife to cut up their bananas. If you are visiting from the States, Donna Hay is our version of Martha Stewart. She has a magazine, cookbooks, homeware products and an annual kids issue that is great.
1. Oven on to 160degrees celsius.
2. Grease long tin and line with baking paper.
3. Beat 130g butter with 1 cup brown sugar and 1teaspoon vanilla till pale brown and creamy.
4. Slowly add 2 eggs and beat till well mixed.
5. Mash approx 3-4 bananas to make 1.5 cups and add to batter.
6. Sift 1.5cups plain flour, 1tsp baking powder and half tsp of bicarb soda over batter.
7. Add 1/4 tsp of cinnamon (we used more) and 1/4 cup of maple syrup.
8. Beat until mixed.
9. Bake for one hour.



Shepherd's Pie
I've made this countless times, it's a great, hearty meal perfect for winter and I pack it full of vegies. The layers of meat, potatoes and peas look gorgeous in a big glass casserole dish. I use this Annabel Karmel recipe as a base, adding in lots of vegies in the meat sauce. For the mash, I replace most of the potato with sweet potato which is more nutritious but still really tasty. Add some dollops of Worcestershire sauce, HP sauce and ketchup to the meat sauce will also make it delicious.

Pikelets for breakfast
I used a Donna Hay kids' recipe for this as well. I made the mixture the night before and in the morning, it was ready to cook.
1. Place 2 cups SR flour and 1/2 cup caster sugar in bowl, make well in centre.
2. Place 3 eggs, 30g melted butter, 1 cup milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in well.
3. Stir with wooden spoon until combined.
4. Allow to stand for 10-15 minutes.
5. Heat lightly greased non stick pan on low. Spoon 1tblespoon of mixture on pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes till you see bubbles appear.
6. Flip and cook 3-4 minutes until golden.
7. Serve with jams, maple syrup or fresh fruit.

These are easy and best of all homemade. Enjoy!