Life: In my kitchen

Welcome to May’s edition of ‘In My Kitchen’. I was in a bit of a funk during April. Sammie from The Annoyed Thyroid said she thought it was Carly from Smaggle who said April was like the real January, it can totally bite you on the butt! I am determined to get up out of that funk this month and add more ‘YAY into MAY’. 

I am going to try to be a little kinder to myself. Making time to get that coffee for myself in the morning, get out and about in the sunshine {because haven’t we been blessed with amazing weather in Sydney of late}, and stress a little less. I can’t be everything to everyone – funny that…when I was 17 an old boyfriend left a CD in my discman saying ‘play this’ … it was this song ‘Everclear – Everything to Everyone‘.

He wanted to make a point that I wasn’t putting him first and I had too much on my plate. The thing is, I’ve always enjoyed a ‘full plate’; school, debating, public speaking, mock trail, hockey, netball, tennis, part time job at the fish’n’chip shop, friends, boyfriend. Fast forward almost 15 years and I have just changed what’s on my plate; husband, three sons, two businesses in two different states, a part time job, property development, family, friends and of course this blog.

I love this blog. I love the friendships that I have developed because of blogging. This is most definitely not a ‘ball that I want to drop’.

I think that being an extravert I need people around me and to be doing things to ‘recharge’. I think that introverts might not understand this concept as they crave the quiet and the calm to ‘recharge’. I must admit I would love a bath without any children coming in to ask me a question, but most of the time, I want to surround myself with people that I love – whether in person or here online.

If you are interested in seeing what other lovely bloggers have in their kitchen this month, then head over to Sherry Mackay, from Sherry’s Pickings,

In my May kitchen…

I was sent this cute box from Yates. A super cute fundraising idea – which replaces the boxes of chocolate that so often come home from school or sporting activities. And I also think a great way of involving children in their food and their food choices.  I believe that a child who actually grows their carrot is more likely to actually give it a go.

In my May kitchen…

I’ve got people sneaking around to find the last of the ‘hidden’ chocolate. I thought that everyone was sleeping the other day and I was busy putting washing away, only to come out and find Mr Moo devouring a chocolate Easter bunny. Don’t ask me how he climbed up and opened the cupboard without me hearing anything and yet if you ask a preschooler to be quiet whilst his brothers are sleeping, it appears to be an impossible task.

In my May kitchen…

I have a couple of these which I have held onto from the Z man’s baptism. I ordered these from Cookies by Julia and not only are the beautiful but they taste AMAZING. If you are planning on ordering cookies for gifts or a dessert bar or to add more ‘YAY into MAY’, then I highly recommend Cookies by Julia!

In my May kitchen…

I will be giving you a few recipes using havarti cheese. Buttery, mild and sweet, this semi-soft cheese is one of the most comforting and versatile around. In my kitchen, we are loving it; melted in thick toasties or ham sandwiches with pickles or melted on pasta bake. Stay tuned for more recipes or simply search this blog for havarti.

In my May kitchen…

I’ll also be show casing recipes that contain figs which are also in season. Do you love figs? Figs remind me of my inlaws and of our honeymoon in Croatia, where we would take an afternoon walk and pick them whilst I pushed a pram and tried to talk to my new Aunt who spoke no English with my very limited Croatian.

In my May kitchen…

And finally I’ll also share with you recipes that contain pumpkin – because I’ve been picking them up for a bargin at the moment. And I think there is nothing better then roast pumpkin in May.

Have you been hitting up your local farmers market this month? Have you got a great business that you would like to have featured in my ‘In My Kitchen’ post? Do you love supporting other great business Mamas? Any tips on dealing with three little boys – they sure do have SO MUCH ENERGY! Do you live in the Eastern Suburbs? Have you tried out Mr Perkins? Have you tried anything new in your kitchen this month?