Muesli Bars with Coconut Oil {Kid Cooking}

These are something I make quite often. I found the original recipe here when I was just starting out Baby Led Weaning and solids with the boys. They are nice little afternoon tea snacks and yes, there is a bit of sugar in them, it's not ALL bad. Besides, I think Jacob and I eat most of them! 

The last batch of these I made, I had some handsome help in the kitchen! 

Here is our latest version of them!

The Always Keen to Help Hendrik. 

Preheat your oven to 180C and line a baking tray, 20x25cm, with parchment paper.

Place all of the dry ingredients into a big bowl and mix to combine. The key is to have 3 cups of a mix of oats, fruit, nuts etc. We use our favourite muesli from Moore Wilson's that has oats, almonds, papaya, raisins, and such. Then we add in anything else we like. 

Melt the coconut oil and golden syrup, it doesn't combine as well as butter, but still does the trick in the long run. 

Pour the syrup mixture into the dry bits bowl and stir to combine. Pour it all into the baking tray and pop in the oven. 

Bake for about 20 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let it cool completely before cutting. This is the hardest part, especially if Jacob's around to sneak a few nibbles off.

We leave it in a airtight container in the pantry, I wouldn't know HOW long it would last, as it's usually gone in a couple of days. 

H & W proud of their efforts.

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Muesli Bars with Coconut Oil

by August-14-2014

Ingredients

• 125 grams coconut oil
• 1/4 cup golden syrup
• 1 1/2 cup rolled oats, or we use our favourite muesli
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup self raising flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 180C and line a baking tray, 20x25cm, with parchment paper. 
2. Place all of the dry ingredients into a big bowl and mix to combine. 
3. Melt the coconut oil and golden syrup in a saucepan. 
4. Pour the syrup mixture into the dry bits bowl and stir to combine. 
5. Pour it all into the baking tray and press it down and into the corners of the tray and pop in the oven. 
6. Bake for 20 minutes. 
7. Take it out of the oven and let it cool completely before cutting.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 35 mins Yield:

Couscous Fritters {Leftover Makeovers}

I'm discovering a passion for using leftovers. Even when I am cooking something, I am thinking about what I'll be able to make that last uneaten portion into. Frugality at it's best I like to think. 

Last week, Jacob made some lamb and couscous for dinner. The lamb was perfect. So was the couscous. But there was a lot of it! He had made it with a mix of onions, garlic, silverbeet and currants. So yummy!

The next day, I had over a cup leftover in the fridge. So, I did what people tend to do with quinoa and such, Fritters!

The boy friendly lunch.
Couscous Fritters, baby cos lettuce with carrot 'slaw' and blackcurrant jam for dipping.

If you know how to make fritters, you can really make them from anything. Potatoes, kumara, mixed veggies, lentils, beans beans and more beans. It's all a bit to easy not to try. 

First, whisk the egg then mix in your couscous. Add in the breadcrumbs slowly, a little at a time and mix. You may need less or more depending on the texture of the couscous and what is in it already if you are using leftovers. 

Add in the feta and let it crumble a bit and keep some pretty chunky. I love the texture of big bits of melted feta. Next, you want to be able to make them into balls with your hands and have them stay together. If this isn't happening and it's still too wet, add more breadcrumbs.

Heat up the pan with a bit of oil. I used regular canola oil for this one, but tend to do grapeseed oil when frying. Pop them into the pan and let them brown a little bit and then turn them and flatten a bit with a fork or a spatula. 

They should be browned a bit on each side, it's just the egg you need to make sure cooks through, so it usually won't take any longer than 4-5 minutes on each side. 

Drain them on a paper towel and serve 'em up! I was secretly hoping the boys wouldn't like them so I could have the whole lot, but no such luck. They were, sadly, a hit. 

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Couscous Fritters

by August-11-2014

Ingredients

• 250 g (about a cup) cooked couscous, inc any yummy bits and pieces
• 1/2 to 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2-3 tbsp crumbly feta
• 1/4 cup canola or grapeseed oil

Instructions

1. First, whisk the egg then mix in your couscous. 
2. Add in the breadcrumbs slowly, a little at a time and mix. You may need less or more depending on the texture of the couscous and what is in it already if you are using leftovers. 
3. Add in the feta and let it crumble a bit and keep some pretty chunky. 
4. You want to be able to make them into balls with your hands and have them stay together. If this isn't happening and it's still too wet, add more breadcrumbs.
5. Heat up the pan with a bit of oil. I used regular canola oil for this one, but tend to do grapeseed oil when frying. Pop them into the pan and let them brown a little bit and then turn them and flatten a bit with a fork or a spatula. 
6. They should be browned a bit on each side, it's just the egg you need to make sure cooks through, so it usually won't take any longer than 4-5 minutes on each side. 
7.  Drain them on a paper towel and serve 'em up!

Details

Prep time: 10 min Cook time: 10 min Total time: 20 min Yield: approx 8 fritters

Boy-Made Wrapping Paper {Kid Crafts}

We are all about exploiting our children for cheap labour. Willem has taken on the role Lead Laundry Assistant. Most mornings after breakfast, he can be found pulling laundry from the hamper and putting it into the washing machine. He has to have some training in wools vs cotton and darks vs lights, but with time, no problem. Hendrik is now the Lower Dishdrawer Project Manager. If it is clean, those dishes come flying into my hands for putting away faster than anything. He even locks it when it's empty. 

So, it's no surprise that when it comes to crafting time, it's easy to get some good work out of them. Heheheee, ok seriously though. I think some of the best gifts are wrapped with love. Homemade wrapping. Scribbles and paint globs that you can't bear to throw away! And all of those doodles get sent to friends and family with pride and love..

We will be starting our Christmas wrapping paper soon and will keep you posted on that, but here is some that the boys made for their cousin..

Super cute. Super sweet.