Blog - Munchies and Munchkins

Pump Up The Volume

March 24, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

Today marks the start of another journey in breastfeeding. Expressing or Pumping.

I’m using an electric pump which was kindly gifted to me by Tommee Tippee:

Pumping isn’t easy. Well I’ve never found it easy but if you can get your baby to take a bottle of expressed milk it can make your life a lot easier. If for example you had an important hospital appointment or meeting and you needed to leave your on demand feeding baby it will be a lot less stressful for you knowing that there is a bottle of milk just waiting for them.

So today. Day 1. First pump of the day and I got a measly 2oz. It’s disheartening especially as I pumped for about 5 times longer than I would feed for.

Having read up a lot about pumping whilst also feeding however I have found this is normal. 1.5-2oz per pumping session is the norm for a full time nursing mum. It means you will need to pump several times a day for a full feed but as I’m not planning on replacing pumping with feeding its not a problem.

I want to breastfeed for a year, that’s my goal. To do that I will certainly need to be away from my baby at some point even if only for a few hours. When Chloe is a little older I want to be able to leave her with my OH for a few hours so I can perhaps take Izzy out for some one on one mammy time.

During my research I’ve found some great pumping tips.

1. First up relax. The more stressed you are about getting enough milk the less milk you will produce.

2. Try to pump from one side whilst feeding from the other.

3. Pump immediately after a warm shower or bath.

4. Drink plenty.

5. Pump first thing in the morning and also late at night after the final feed of the day.

6. Use a good pump.

7. Eat. If you are feeding and pumping now is not the time for a strict diet.

8. Visualisation – some people swear by looking at photos of their baby whilst others imagine running water or streams.

9. If you nipples are sore after pumping rub in some cream such as Lansinoh.

10. During growth spurts your baby will want to feed more which may mean pumping will be more difficult. Try to relax about it during this time.

You will need to buy breast milk storage bags if you want to freeze your milk. Make sure you have adequate room in your freezer.
You can store milk for 5 days in the fridge or up to 6 months in the freezer. Clearly label each bag with date and amount pumped.

At the end of day 1 I had pumped a total of 6 oz over 3 pumping sessions. On day 2 I had pumped 8oz over 4 sessions. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Next up we see if Chloe will take a bottle. Following tips from others I am going to ask my OH to do this while I’m in another room. Planning to try this within the next fortnight.

Cheap As Chips – Schwartz Perfect Shake Recipe & Review

March 22, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 2 Comments

I was recently sent some great new products from Schwartz.

I love Schwartz herbs and spices and like most people I have a lot of their products in my pantry at any one time.

Their new range : Perfect Shake caters for a wide range of cuisines and occasions. The delicious herb and spice blends in the Schwartz Perfect Shake range are truly versatile and can be used in sauces, marinades or sprinkled on to chicken, meat, fish or vegetables to easily add great flavour

I was sent:

Perfect Shake Pasta – a delicious blend of tomato, oregano and basil. Ideal in tomato based pasta sauces and Bolognese for adding Italian flair
Perfect Shake Spanish – a tasty seasoning blend of smoked paprika and red and green bell peppers. Perfect used in a tomato sauce over patatas bravas or sprinkle into a Spanish omelette
Perfect Shake Chips – a sweet and spicy blend of paprika, onion and garlic. Great for adding a delicious twist to classic chips or potato wedges

I decided to try out the Chips blend first. I’m on a bit of a frugal kick at the moment and I’m trying to use tinned potatoes in as many recipes as possible to save some pennies so when I call this recipe cheap as chips it really is.

Cheap As Chips

You will need:

1 tin of potatoes (approx 500g)
A few shakes of Schwartz Perfect Shake Chips
A glug of olive oil

Preheat your oven to gas mark 6.

Pour some oil onto a roasting/baking tin and shake on your Perfect Shake – place in oven to warm through for about 5 minutes.

Drain your potatoes and chop into smaller pieces ( like round chips) and tip into your tray. Be careful because the oil will be hot.
Stir them about a little so they are coated in the oil/spice mixture and shake on a little more of your Perfect Shake. Make sure they are in one layer so they cook properly.

Place in oven for about 25 minutes.

You could serve with anything but I chose to serve with my creamy pesto chicken and some rocket. They have a lovely flavour but aren’t too spicy so could easily serve to little uns. This recipe made enough for two hungry adults.

The tin of potatoes costs approx 15p in most supermarkets so with a glug of oil and a shake of the blend it probably cost less than 50p to make. Cheap as chips 🙂

I’m looking forward to trying out more of the new range.. There are 27 different flavours! I will share any further recipes I come up with as I make them.

* I was these products for the purpose of this review.

Banana, Coconut and Dark Chocolate Traybake

March 22, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 4 Comments

Am I the only person who deliberately leaves bananas go bad so that I can bake with them? I’m a lover of banana bread, peanut butter and banana muffins and now this.

Banana, Coconut and Dark Chocolate Traybake

This is a combo of a few different recipes I have used over the years for banana bread and tray bakes with some extra bits like coconut added in.

I love tray bakes as they are so easy. Typically the recipes us an all in one method so you’re not faffing about with creaming butter/sugar etc and they can be cut into squares so easy to serve and store. Great for parties or just to munch on at home.

You will need:

2 very ripe bananas
150g plain flour
150g caster sugar
100g butter
30g of sweet desiccated coconut
3 tbsp milk
100g dark choc bar bashed to pieces
1 tsp bicarb of soda
1tsp baking powder
2 large eggs ( free range)

Grease your baking dish. I use a rectangular pyrex dish. Preheat oven to gas mark 3.

Firstly chop or bash your dark chocolate – I use a heavy rolling pin to break it up whilst still in packaging to avoid mess.

Then put all ingredients into a mixing bowl or electric mixer. I use an Andrew James mixer which is similar to a kitchen aid.
If mixing by hand use a wooden spoon and beat well. If using a mixer turn to the highest speed and blend for 1-2minutes.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Turn onto a cooling rack ( if you don’t want the rack impressions turn it to the correct side – I like them so I don’t) and leave to cool.

Once cooler chop into squares – the size is up to you! If you eat it while still warm you will get some gorgeous chunks of melted choc,

You could top with melted dark choc and coconut – this would be lovely if making for an occasion. I like it just as it is.

The sweetness of the banana works so well with the bittersweet chocolate. One of my favourite bakes already and I’ve only made it three times.

Creamy Pesto Chicken

March 21, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 2 Comments

I definitely have less time to cook these days but I still love creating new meals and enjoying really tasty food.

Today I had a hunt about in the fridge and made a recipe I must have made 10 times before but today it tasted especially good and I wanted to share it with you before I forgot!

Creamy Pesto Chicken

Totally indulgent but light and the addition of the tomatoes/peppers and courgettes makes you feel pretty food about eating it.

You will need:

3 or 4 chicken thighs
2tbsp Pesto
150ml double cream
2 sweet red peppers diced (or half a large red pepper)
Approx.10 cherry tomatoes
2 inch chunk of courgette diced
Crushed black peppercorns

Brown your thighs:

* I was making double for a different recipe.

Once browned add your courgette, tomatoes and peppers:

Cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes and then add your pesto and cream. Cook for a further 5-10 minutes ensuring your chicken is thoroughly cooked and serve immediately.

I served with “round chips” and rocket. It was delicious. It served two adults and we were more than satisfied.

Recipe for chips to follow tomorrow.

It’s a bit of an indulgent recipes with the double cream so you could use single cream or even yoghurt to lighten it up but it’s seriously good.

I Heart Cookbooks – Baking With Fruit. A Parragon Book Review

March 21, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

I recently wrote about a cookbook I loved and have used lots written by Jack Monroe. Some of my cookbooks are like that, I cook from them constantly.

Other cookbooks I may not have tried one single recipe from yet. Does this make it useless? No.

I gaze at the pictures, I absorb the recipes and ideas for meals often come to me from doing this. Maybe I will read a book and then in a years time I will suddenly realise that yes I definitely want to make those strawberry tartlets with vanilla creme tonight.

This book:

Baking With Fruit by Love Food

Is definitely one of those books.

The photos make you drool and I must have flipped through it about a hundred times since I was sent it. Plus it looks pretty on my bookshelf 🙂

On my to make list are:

Strawberry Tartlets

Peach Tarte Tatin – peaches.. caramel and pastry. Need I say more?

Cinnamon, almond and apple cake – cinnamon and apple go together like Iggle Piggle and Upsy Daisy. It’s a combo I love so I look forward to trying this out.

I am really enjoying all the cookbooks I’ve received as part of the Parragon book buddy scheme.

Next up I review a marshmallow book…

* I received this book as part of the Parragon book buddy scheme.

Goodnight Sun – Gro Clock Review

March 20, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

We have been using a Gro Clock from The Gro Company for about 3 weeks now and it’s probably a little early for a comprehensive review but I’ve been so impressed with it that I wanted to share our experience with you.

We are Gro Company fans here in our house, we have used the swaddles and the sleeping bags with great success and I’d been hearing good things about the clock for a while.

The Gro-clock is like an alarm clock for children which uses fun images of the stars and sun to communicate when to go back to sleep and when it’s time to get up. It’s mains powered and comes with a really cute book called The Sleepy Farm which tells the story of Percy Pig who is very tired and grumpy because he doesn’t sleep for long enough. The book and clock have easily become an important part of our bedtime routine.

If Izzy is a little grouchy and doesn’t seem keen to go to bed we ask her shall we go and say Goodnight to the Sun and she will eagerly say YES. We set the clock in front of her every night and she waves excitedly at the sun as it winks and fades away, she then says hello stars and settles down in bed. If she wakes up too early we go into her room and say is the sun up yet? She says no and then goes back to sleep. Most days she wakes up within about 5 minutes of the sun rising (On her clock).

It’s made a big difference to our evenings and morning. Although Izzy has been a good sleeper since about 1yr old she had started to wake earlier in the mornings and with a young baby we were all getting pretty worn out. Plus she was tired and grumpy most of the day.

Since using the clock I have noticed a happier, more rested toddler and I have definitely felt the benefits myself.

Spending the time reading the book together is really nice and she already knows most of the words and finishes off the sentences.

I would definitely recommend this for any child aged 2+ especially if they aren’t the best sleepers. It’s a fab product.

*we received this clock for free for the purpose of this review.

I AM HAPPY. REPEAT AFTER ME.

March 20, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 1 Comment

Last year on International Happiness Day we were waiting for a second scan of Chloe as our first scan following the first of many bleeds had been too early to show a heartbeat. The sonographer and midwife hadn’t seemed particularly hopeful and we had a week of being in limbo. I was most definitely not happy that day.

This year 12 months on I am sat with my 17week old baby suckling at my breast. Every now and again she stops to look at me and smile. My 2.5yr old runs around occasionally bringing a toy to show me or just to say something completely random. Sometimes she just wants to kiss Chloe or hug me. My OH is in the shed making me boxes for my pantry. This is happiness. I’m in love, head over heels in love with my family. Happiness for me is love. Or love is happiness. Whatever way you look at it.

I won’t pretend to be smiling all day long. Because that would most certainly be a lie. I still feel down a lot, I still get scared a lot. I’m starting some therapy for Post Traumatic Stress in April and I can’t say I’m looking forward to it. BUT. And this is a big BUT. I feel happy on many occasions throughout the day.

Like when Izzy tells me she is “Two weeks” to reach a certain toy. Or when I ask her a question and she pauses thoughtfully and says “let me see..”

Or when Chloe finds such joy in her own two feet or the first smile we get when she wakes in the morning.

When Andrew leaves me in bed to have a lie in as he knows I’m exhausted.

When my parents invite us over for food and spoil us in the little ways that only parents can.

When we have a teddy bears picnic in the woods.

When I try a new recipe and its delicious.

When I manage to watch 30 minutes of uninterrupted Greys Anatomy.

When I write a blog post which means a lot to me.

Baking with Izzy.

Cuddles with my family.

When someone tells me they like my blog. Be it a brand, a fellow blogger, a friend or just a new reader.

When Izzy says ooooh in delight at her lunch..

When the postman brings me chocolates.

I may still have nightmares and get anxious and find being a mum of two incredibly hard but at least once a day I feel happy. Not everyone has that.

Maybe today you will see all the tweets and inspirational quotes about International Happiness Day and feel resentful and I do hope this day isn’t hard on any of you. Try and take a minute and think. Maybe you won’t beam with joy all day but if at some point you have to smile because of a particularly good cup of coffee or a comment from a stranger, a silly sentence from your child or just the feeling of being loved then embrace it. Be happy if just for a moment.

Funky Outfit – Funky Giraffe Review

March 19, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

We have quite a few Funky Giraffe products in our home. From bibs to Christmas stockings. They make really cute baby bits and I’m always really happy with the quality.

Whilst at the recent Baby Show at London Excel Chloe was offered a pretty dress and bib set to try out.

She looks adorable in it.. Biased I may be. It’s made of a really soft cotton and very comfy and easy to put on/take off.

I may have just realised that they make these up to age 3yrs.. Incredibly tempted to buy it for Izzy!

Visit Funky Giraffe for more cute outfits!

I quite fancy this next..

*I was given this dress free of charge for the purpose of this review.<

OrganaMama – Review

March 18, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

Subscription boxes are so IN right now. Ha. Everywhere you look there seems to be a subscription box, foodie ones, beauty ones and now mother and baby ones.

I am a huge fan. Receiving a box of new products to your door each month without having to go looking for them is a huge plus for me. Most of the products I receive I hadn’t heard of before so it’s a great way to discover new brands.

This month I was sent a box from OrganaMama to review.

Introducing OrganaMama – an exciting new subscription box in the UK! Every month we hand pick the best quality natural, organic, ethical & sustainable products for expectant & new mums and babies. We lovingly pack them up in beautiful reusable boxes, and deliver them straight to your door. It’s a healthy celebration of motherhood every month of the year!

So new brands..all organic, ethical and therefore entirely guilt free yes?

This was the box I received:

The packaging is beautiful and is ideal for use as a memory box or sensory box for your child once you have emptied all the products out. I’m a sucker for a well packaged gift so they were onto a winner before I even opened it.

I was more than happy with the selection of products inside..

1. Gwdihw Cheeky Cherub Balm – This was quite possibly my favourite product in the box. Gwdihw ( meaning Owl in Welsh and pronounced Goody Hoo )it’s a baby balm made from Coconut & Olive Oils along with Lavender and other natural ingredients. It smells lovely, you only need a teeny amount and it worked wonders on my little uns nappy rash.

2.Jack n Jill Toothpaste – this natural calendula toothpaste comes in a really pretty tube and must taste pretty good as Izzy seems to want to brush her teeth more!

3.Jack n Jill Silicone Finger Toothbrush – haven’t used this yet but it won’t be long as Chloe is starting to teethe.

4. Ulrich Notorlich Liquid Wash Detergent – This lemony ultra concentrated detergent is lovey and fragrant and a little goes a very long way.

5.Amiya UK Natural Cotton Fitted Cot Sheet – this sheet feels so soft and luxurious that I want one for my bed! Chloe is still in her Bednest but this sheet is sure to feel amazing when she moves into her cot.

6. World Playground Drum – this was a huge hit with both Izzy and Chloe, Izzy figured out how to use it in minutes whilst I with my lack of rhythm still struggle. Chloe lights up when we play it in front of her. Love this.

7.Contented Calf Recipe Book – I wish I’d had this before giving birth so I could have prepped some meals but I’m looking forward to trying some of the recipes out.

I will admit to being really impressed by this box, in looks and substance it is superior to most of the similar services I have seen.

Would make a really lovely gift for a mum to be or new mum.

They are £26 per month and there are a range of options available to choose from with different ages and styles.

She’s A Little Foodie – Plum Baby Review

March 17, 2014 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

Izzy loves food. She will try anything and my family always laugh at her favourite foods such as olives and peppers.

She generally eats what we eat and you all know how much I love to cook so she has a pretty varied diet which can sometimes mean that buying ready made food or easy prep meals isn’t easy as she doesn’t like the bland tastes.

Luckily there are brands such as Plum who know that some children really like exciting meals and so we haverecently been happily reviewing some of their product range.

Dishes like this:

Moroccan Tagine

and

Jerk Chicken

Snacks that I can give her without feeling guilty about what she’s eating such as:

Fruit nibbles which Izzy calls her sweeties:

Apple, spinach and kale wafers.. We shared these out with friends at a local playgroup and children from 1-5yrs old thoroughly enjoyed them.

We can breakfast on the go with fruit pouches which have the added bonus of quinoa and yoghurt included.

Her absolute fave was the Purple Carrot and Blueberry version which she devoured even with a mouthful of chicken pox when she was feeling really low.

Everything she has tried she has loved which I kind of expected as we have always been Plum fans..I mean have you tried their Lemon Chicken? … Drool.

As a parents sometime making food choices can be so hard and you can end up feeling guilty for lots of reasons .. You know the ahhh how much salt is in this or WHAT are those E numbers? And even is this tasty enough.. I mean would I want to eat it?

Choosing Plum products cans make these choices a little easier although deciding between the Tagine and Jerk Chicken could cause a problem 😉

*We were sent these products free of charge for the purpose of this review.

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