Desserts

To serve a desert or not to serve. To your child it is. My answer is definitely yes. The true secret is in balance and moderation and I wish I was a pro at this. But hey what life would be without trying to improve every day!

I've read an article about children food education that is part of their everyday upbringing in France and it made a lot of sense to me. Also I saw it in practice when and I spent time living with French families as an au pair. One of the things that stands out is the fact that children get cheese for dessert from a very early age. And they treat it as a desert. Such a great idea! There is a huge variety of cheese in France and they are truly delicious.

I've decided to try similar approach and serve cheese after dinner to our little girl- so far she tried soft ones like Camembert and harder types like cheddar. Begining wasn't to promising but now the little piece is dissapearing in no time!

Also natural yoghurt is a part of our dessert routine and a piece of fruit. No need to explain how delicious these are!

Birthdays Season

End of June is a very busy season for us - 5 family members have birthday around that time including myself. 

I love celebrating and entertaining and don't think I'll ever grow out of this. 

Firstly the search for perfect presents begins, secondly - card making. As I am very determined to make my own cards, this takes time. I love crafting but don't have as much time to do it as I wished. The only way, as a full time working mother, is to become more organised and focused. But this is a completely different subject.

My newly discovered passion for cooking was fully indulged while preparing birthday lunch for my husband. We had a small family gathering and were lucky to enjoy rare summer weather and eat alfresco. Here is what we served:

- courgette, mint and feta salad ( delicious)

- green salad with tomatoes and herbs

- vegetable quiche

- prosecco for aperitif 

- mojito cheesecake ( sugar free)

Children ate the same as adults except for the drink and desert. 

The biggest excitement came with the cheesecake - it was frozen and super healthy. Luckily super delicious too!

Summer is here

Finally we got some better weather which is still very relative compared to other countries or even my native Poland. But we can't complain. Strong heat was never my thing so I'm happy with the weather the way it is in Ireland.

We could finally sit outside in our garden and enjoy the sun! Bliss!

Here's a list of other summer pleasures.

Strawberries. The flavour, taste oh my this is my favourite fruit ever. The seasonality and anticipation I'm sure amplifies my love but still nothing can't beat it to me.

Watermelons. So delicious that I could never resist a slice when I see them around. Love them chilled on a hot day. Also must try watermelon pizza recipe I saw somewhere online! Feta, balsamic vinegar and some fresh basil leaves- so simple!

Roses and other flowers. The joy of looking at and smelling flowers is unbeatable. I love going to roses gardens and smelling different colours of roses. I know it's a subtle type of fun and maybe sounds weird but I just can't stop myself doing it!

Prosecco. Or a glass of chilled white wine on a hot summer day with a delicious brunch. Heaven!

Picnics. Love eating outdoor and as close to nature as possible- on a blanket with some gorgeous food at hand and fantastic views.

Cycling. For me it's a summer activity only and very relaxing. Love going on a leisurely trip along the sea side. Bliss!

Super healthy cake

This cake didn't work for me before but I knew I have to try it again. The reason - it's so delicious and good for you! There is no added sugar in it and still it is amazingly sweet. The secret- four bananas! As simple as that! It also contains coconut flour and coconut oil, four eggs, baking powder, cinnamon and raw cocoa. Voila- super easy too!

 What if we could completely stop using sugar?! If I didn't need it here and yet managed to bake this delicious cake that must lead to some other discoveries!

 I'll challenge myself to experiment more in this direction. Because the outcome could be equally tasty!

London (with a) Baby

We had a fantastic long weekend - mostly because of the lovely people we spent it with but also because of the place. We were lucky to travel to England and visit London and our family. It's only an hour away by plane from Dublin, but even such a short flight is a bit of a chalange with a one year old. Once you are well organised and have tons of patience packer nothing can come into your way. More about flying with a baby some other time.

 One of the highlights of our UK trip was a visit at Godstone animal farm in the outskirts of London.

This place has an amazing variety of animals. From pigs, rabbits and chickens you can also see spiders, lams and snakes. There is also a vast play area with picnic tables. This is heaven for any young child but also for a parent. We absolutely loved it and would love to come back at some stage.

 On the other hand London itself is not the most child friendly place on Earth. Busy streets, underground stairs, tiny trains. At the same time it is not impossible to move a round, but definitely hard if you are on your own with a child in a buggy. We stuck to parks and  less popular streets. I'm sure we will come back with an older child to discover different museum and other attractions which are especially designed for kids. 

Why I love flea markets

This Sunday we went to a flea market. I haven't been there in ages and that explains why I was so surprised. It has grown massively since my last visit and I was positively surprised. Even more - I was super excited to see this vibrant gathering of vintage sellers and happy buyers or lookers. It was also a nice sunny day which made it even more delicious to be there. Whole families were there and I was happy to see many 'modern' dads having their babies attached to there bodies in babie carriers. Such a great new movement! I think they now this makes them look cool.

I simply love browsing and poking at flea markets. I love finding original, different and sometimes funny items. I love talking to the sellers, asking them about the history of the items and simply having a nice chat. That's a part of the package I'd say. Flea markets are perfect for home decor - plenty of pictures, sculptures, paintings, plates, furnitures, accessories. That would be my first aim - to pick up something for the house. Then I love looking at vintage clothes too.

So this time I came back with this figurine. It's not small or light. This animal weights a tone but I love this shiny creature! 

Spring views

Finally spring is visible! And that is a truly delicious view. I love looking at beautiful blossoming trees and flowers poping out everywhere. We are lucky to have a gorgeous park near us and lots of blossoming trees around the house. All the bright, rich colours are a delight for eyes. It's a pleasure to go for a walk and admire all those nature gifts. That also means it's time for garden work, but it's completely another story! Weather is getting better too, there are more sunny days now. We could wish for higher temperatures but that's to come anyway and hopefully soon.