maximios

BRIGHTON BEACH, MELBOURNE

Little Big H wearing:

T-Shirt: Indie Kids, Chino Pants: Country Road, Military Hat: Eeni Meeni Mini Moh

The countdown is on and I’m super excited this year.  H and I were chatting about getting a photo with Santa the other day – or more accurately I was trying to convince him it was a good idea…

Me: What are you going to ask Santa for?

H: A drum and a flower

Me: Who are the flowers for?

H: Mummy.

My heart nearly burst – I have the sweetest boy….  

H and I have already been getting into the Christmas spirit.  We have made Christmas garland and decorations for our tree, a rosemary wreath for our door, Christmas cookies and these super cute pandan meringue christmas trees.  

How gorgeous would they look on your Christmas day table!

The flavour of the pandan goes so well with the meringue. It really is very delicious and its naturally green!

Meringue is very easy to make with out a lot of ingredients.  They can be made a couple of days in advance, just keep them in an airtight container until ready to serve.  

Pandan paste is available from asian grocers and some supermarkets. 

Print Pin

• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon pandan paste
• *optional – icing sugar to resemble snow – sprinkled on top

• Pre-heat oven to 100 degrees C (210 degrees F). Add the egg whites to a clean dry bowl. Whisk until soft peaks have formed. Slowly add the caster sugar and continue whisking for about 10 minutes or until the meringue looks super glossy and is no longer gritty from the sugar. Add vinegar and whisk to combine. Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of the pandan paste and fold through. You don’t want it too green!
• Add a large star tip to your pipping bag. To create a swirl in the meringue, like you can in my pictures. Add a drop or two of the pandan paste to the inside of your pipping bag and then add the meringue.
• Line a baking tray with baking paper. I pipped a circle and then a blob of meringue on top. To create a tree like shape I then pipped around the blob in an upward motion to create a tree like shape.
• Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes for the meringue to be crispy on the outside and slightly chewy/marshmallow on the inside. If you like your meringue to be completely set and crispy you will need to bake them for an extra 30min to an hour. Allow to cool completely
• Sprinkle lightly with icing sugar and serve

Makes 10 – 12 depending on how big you make them. I made mine about 6 cm (2 1/2 inches) wide.Make up to two days ahead and store in an airtight container.

The gold flecks you see on my trees are little edible stars. Used for decorating cupcakes.

Serve these gorgeous poached vanilla pears with my lavender custard from my previous post.  It is sugar-free and perfect for babies from 6 months old.   Simply mash the poached pear with a fork and mix it with the custard for a delicious dessert, snack or even breakfast.  Enjoy xx   Sugar Free Lavender Custard – recipe…

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Making custard at home is a really great option.  You can be guaranteed that it is sugar-free and free of all other nasties – something I am very particular about when feeding my son. This is an easy custard recipe and baby will love it.  Stir though a little pureed fruit for a natural sweeter…

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Summer Fruit Puree with mango, banana, passionfruit and peach.  Simply added to a blender and pulsed til smooth.  No cooking required.  Baby will love it and so will you.   The Stone Fruit Puree with Cinnamon and Star Anise is simmered on the stove top until tender so the spices can infuse the mixture.  It is a…

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H trying Vegemite for the first time.  He pulled a few funny faces and kept going!  I try to give Little Big H a bit of variety for breakie but I do find myself making a version of the below recipes quite a bit.  Most often he gets: Scrambled Eggs with Avocado, Bircher Muesli with Berries, Fruit Puree with…

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Big H loves this salad and it is super easy and quick to make.  Shelling the broad beans is a little time-consuming but you could use frozen shelled broad bean instead if  you like.  

The sous vide cooks apricots amazingly well. They have a beautiful delicate velvety texture once cooked. You could also make this dish on the stove top if you don’t have a sous vide. The flavour will be the very similar but you will lose the velvety texture.  Little Big H loves the tartness of this…

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I started making this dish for Little Big H at around 7 months.  It contains eggs but I had given him eggs previously so I didn’t have to worry about any allergies.  It makes around 6 x 120ml mini flans

I started Big H on vegetable puree firstly and then introduced fruit soon after.  I stuck to the recommendation of introducing a single food at a time to be certain of no allergic reactions. Once he had tried most foods I started to make combinations there of. I held off giving meat until after 6 months for no specific reason other than it took a few months for Big H to really start enjoying solid food so we worked up to meat.  I buy organic fresh produce to make baby food. See why here

In Australia it is now recommended to give babies all food types from 4 months.  This includes meat, fish, eggs, nuts and other foods considered highly allergic. Please note that I am not a doctor or nutritionist, I am just sharing what worked for my son.   Please consult your health professional if you have any food concerns or you have a history of allergies in your family.

Vegetable Puree Ideas

I steamed all vegetables and blend with cooking juices or boiled water until smooth.

• Pumpkin & zucchini
• Pumpkin, sweet potato & vanilla bean
• Carrot & zucchini
• Carrot & apple
• Cauliflower & sweet potato
• Green bean & Cauliflower
• Sweet potato & kale
• Zucchini, potato & pea
• Broccoli, potato & corn
• Broccoli, pear & pea
• Spinach, carrot & apple
• Asparagus, pumpkin & apple
• Avocado and cucumber
• Eggplant, corn & rainbow chard
• Beetroot & potato
• The possibilities are endless…

Fruits Puree Ideas  

I stream most fruits (except avocado, banana, mango) and blend with cooking juices or boiled water until smooth. Try adding cinnamon or vanilla bean to the fruit purees for a bit of variety

Chunky sesame prawn toasts are sure to be a hit with young and old.  They are super crispy, quick to make, tasty little triangles that are great served at parties, for lunch or as a starter to your main meal. 

I have used delicious plump fresh prawns for this recipe but frozen would work just as well.  All you have to do is chop the prawns, add the remaining ingredients and coat in sesame seeds.  

I have then cooked these babies in the oven until golden brown.  Go ahead and fry them if you like.  Not as healthy but I’m sure even tastier!

Print Pin

• 6 slices of bread; crusts removed and cut into quarters (I’ve used white rye)
• 300 g raw prawns; chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 egg white; lightly whisked
• pinch of salt
• sesame seeds to coat (black or white)

• Pre-heat the oven to 180 C / 350 F. Combine the prawn meat with the ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, egg white and salt. Stir to combine.
• Add the mixture to the bread triangles. About a tablespoon per triangle. Put as much on them as you can. Coat the triangles in the sesame seeds and place on a oven tray.
• Cook for about 20 – 25 minutes or until the prawns are cooked and nice and golden. Serve warm.

I chopped my prawn quite chunky. If finely chopping reduce the cooking time a little.

 H and I recently visited Canoelands Orchard and picked our own nectarines and plums.  It was a great day out and only a 50 minute drive from Sydney.  H picked most of the fruit – about 4 kgs, and had so much fun doing it.  They are truly the freshest, most delicious tasting nectarines and plums…

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Summer Fruit Puree with mango, banana, passionfruit and peach.  Simply added to a blender and pulsed til smooth.  No cooking required.  Baby will love it and so will you.   The Stone Fruit Puree with Cinnamon and Star Anise is simmered on the stove top until tender so the spices can infuse the mixture.  It is a…

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A simple summer puree that requires no cooking. The mint gives it a nice freshness, and its a great way to start introducing herbs to your baby

Click on pictures for larger images and descriptions – click below for links to some of the recipes Pics via Instagram account

Click on pictures for larger images and descriptions – click below for links to some recipes

I don’t always have time to update the blog as much as I would like, but I do add to Instagram on a daily basis.  Follow us here to see what we are up to.  I post toddler meal ideas – breakfast, lunches, dinners, and snacks    

 This is a simple dish that is packed full of flavour.   If you are keen to try the no knead bread recipe you will have to start it the night before.  It may look like a lot of steps, but once you have does it once, it really is very easy.  It also require a heavy oven…

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 My little man has been off his food due to croup, so I made him a smoothie that I knew he would love.  Its packed full of goodness, but it still tastes great.  H loved it… 

 This is my go to super easy lunch/dinner for Little Big H if I haven’t had time to prepare anything.   He loves it and its ready in 15 minutes. It’s best served cold, so make it ahead of time if you can.  If you don’t have a lots of fresh veggies on hand, it’s just…

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I grew up eating my mums salmon patties and they are a family favourite.  They are so comforting and remind me of home.   They are so simple to make and are a great first finger food for little folks.  I have made these mini sized so they are easy for H to pick up.   The mixture…

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I had no intention of putting these mini lamb koftas on the blog when I made them for Little Big H’s lunch today, but they were so yummy and he loved them so much that I though – I have to!   I made them using lamb loin (because that’s all I had), so I was…

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 You may have seen this recipe a million times on the internet, but I couldn’t resist putting it on the blog for anyone who hasn’t.  It is perfect for babies from 6 months old – and its delicious.   My favourite topping is mango and passionfruit but use whatever fruit is in season. It takes…

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The classic roast chook, it’s always a favourite at our table.  This recipe is really simple and the result is perfectly cooked chicken with juicy flesh and crispy skin, with hints of sage. Up until fairly recently we always used the rotisserie to cook chicken, but with that no longer an option (apartment living!).  I have…

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Galettes are really simple to make and you can put any veggies you like in them.  I’ve used potato, broccoli and sage which are great together.  I also put some sage leaves on top to crisp up in the oven.   The pastry I have made is also super simple and only takes 2 minutes to…

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I’m pretty excited to be part of the I Quit Sugar follow friday this weekend – check out an interview I did with them here.  I’m also taking over their Instagram – its happening right now, so be sure to follow along… This hearty soup is featured on the I Quit Sugar website and is packed full of hearty vegetables, beans,…

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Frittatas are a really great option for lunch or a light dinner.  They are also a great way to use up leftovers or all of those extra veggies in your fridge that need to be used.  Basically all you need are eggs and then add any veggies that you like.  I love the combination of asparagus…

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I have never made skewers for H before but I will say they were a huge hit.  I think like most toddlers/kids he can be a little lazy when it comes to chewing meat.  These skewers however are tiny enough to be toddler friendly and by using eye fillet beef, they were tender and easy for little mouths…

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This is a really easy dish to prepare and it has a wonderful flavour for not a whole lot of effort.  To speed things up you could use a pressure cooker…  

 This is a simple dish that is packed full of flavour.   If you are keen to try the no knead bread recipe you will have to start it the night before.  It may look like a lot of steps, but once you have does it once, it really is very easy.  It also require a heavy oven…

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These carrot and walnut muffins are really delicious, and with 2 cups of carrot they are also good for you.  I always like to have a batch of muffins in the freezer, they are super handy for lunch boxes or healthy snack on the run.   They aren’t overly sweet so if you like things…

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This Mexican black bean salad is super easy and super quick.  I’ve used canned beans for convenience.  They are the perfect fast food and I always have some in the cupboard ready for a quick side dish or lunch.   I started giving H beans and chickpeas early on and would simply mash them with…

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This recipe makes a large batch so you can freeze what’s left.  They defrost really well and are perfect for unexpected visitors or as a starter or light lunch.  The lamb filling has lots of spices along with mint and crumbly feta – really delicious.  I served it with a little golden kiwi fruit salsa (golden kiwi…

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I really like celery but I don’t tend to use a lot of it in my cooking – not sure why!  I always seem to have a huge amount taking up prime real-estate in my tiny fridge – thanks to my mum who always seems to buy it.  Keen to use it up, I was…

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Galettes are really simple to make and you can put any veggies you like in them.  I’ve used potato, broccoli and sage which are great together.  I also put some sage leaves on top to crisp up in the oven.   The pastry I have made is also super simple and only takes 2 minutes to…

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I’m pretty excited to be part of the I Quit Sugar follow friday this weekend – check out an interview I did with them here.  I’m also taking over their Instagram – its happening right now, so be sure to follow along… This hearty soup is featured on the I Quit Sugar website and is packed full of hearty vegetables, beans,…

Read More »

Everyone loves fries right?  My little guy certainly does.  I don’t make them often because H will go straight for them, and its often hard to get him to eat anything else, but when I do, I love to add herbs and spices.   These sweet paprika fries make a tasty alternative and being oven roasted they are…

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This is such as a simple salad and could be made with any tomatoes, but these gorgeous heirloom tomatoes were just too beautiful to walk past.  As you are all probably aware, I make a lot of dishes with tomatoes!  I know H is going to love it and I get so much joy watching him…

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Frittatas are a really great option for lunch or a light dinner.  They are also a great way to use up leftovers or all of those extra veggies in your fridge that need to be used.  Basically all you need are eggs and then add any veggies that you like.  I love the combination of asparagus…

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The inspiration for his salad came from a girls night out last weekend.  A girlfriend and I went to the Sydney Opera House to see Stephen Hawking speak and went to a great little Italian restaurant beforehand.  My little man loves lentils and he is a huge fan of goats cheese so I thought of…

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