Mash, sift, stir

I was not keen on going out into the cold windy day today - so suggested to O we bake some muffins. O loves cooking and eating, so my suggestion was well received. We made Annabel Karmel's carrot and pineapple muffins.We've made them lots - but never with the pineapple... I always substitute whatever fruit we have around. Today's muffin flavour: banana and raisins.

There is so much good fun to be had with muffin making: mashing, weighing, sifting, whisking, stirring, patty panning... We made large and mini muffins - the recipe below filled one large tray and one mini tray. I had wanted to pretty the muffins up a bit with some icing and sparkle, but with a six month old babe in arms who is teething and clingy this was not going to be possible. We had the muffins and we were happy with that!

We decided to have a teddy bear (muffin) picnic in O's bedroom. O set the picnic and we scoffed the muffins! To tell the truth, today's batch was not super tasty... I usually use six banana's but only had four...perhaps that was it?

What?

100g/4oz plain flour                        100g/4oz plain wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder                       ¾tsp bicarbonate of soda 
½ tsp ground cinnamon                  ½ tsp salt 
200ml/7fl oz vegetable oil               90g/3½oz caster sugar 
2 eggs                                          120g/4½oz finely grated carrots 

100g/4oz raisins                            225g/8oz tinned crushed pineapple, semi-drained 

How?

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Sift together the flours, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt and mix well. Beat the oil, sugar and eggs until well blended. Add the grated carrots, crushed pineapple and raisins. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating just enough to combine all the ingredients. Pour the batter into muffin trays lined with paper cases and bake for 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Calling all Fireman Sam fans!

We went to Supa Centa Moore Park today - I had a few things to get from Baby Bunting. Well just as were about to sit down for lunch at a cafe, O yells, "Fireman Sam, Mummy, F.I.R.E.M.A.N. S.A.M!!" Yes sure enough there was a poster featuring Fireman Sam.

Turns out Fireman Sam will be at Supa Centre Moore Park tomorrow, Thursday 19th April, from 10am to 1pm doing craft and things - it's free.

I checked out the Supa Centre site when I got home and discovered they have just launched a new kids club: Supa Kids. I joined Supa Kids, it's free to join and lets you know what kids activities are on the go. Perhaps they will try and push some retail biz through the Supa Kids members too - but I signed up so that in future I'll get their e-newsletters and know what kids activities they have on the go and importantly I'll know ahead of time! I'm not sure I can visit Supa Centre two days in a row and could have combined my Baby Bunting visit with Fireman Sam extravaganza tomorrow!

If you go to see Fireman Sam tomorrow - please give him a high five from us!

Note: photo of Fireman Sam DVD we are currently borrowing from Leichhardt Library. This is the series still employing the stop-motion animation techniques... so much more enjoyable when compared to the computer animated series' on TV at the moment.

TV Etch A Sketch

This activity is one based around easing my guilt - in that O has been watching way too much tele since the arrival of his baby bro coinciding with all this rainy weather (stopping me from flinging open the back door and letting him run around the yard, though I did buy him an umbrella and if the rains not too hard - out he goes!)

So we tried this approach - yes, you can watch TV, but you have to draw what you see!

The pic is my attempt to illustrate this activity to him. It's silly at best I guess... but did allow O to have a giggle, do some "TV drawing" and go off on a tangent of drawing and other craft... instead of watching show after show!

Kidspace - The Australian Museum

The Australian Museum on College Street Sydney has a great space for kids, aptly named: Kidspace. Today we visited with a few friends.

I've been quite often over the past two years; first when O was small it was a good rainy day option, then when preggers with J - it was a good option as it was a contained space and I did not have to run too far to keep track of O and now with a three month old - it remains a super space for this same reason (safely trapped!).

Kidspace has little wooden teepee like tents with different things to explore inside - dinosaurs, spiders and the like... a box of tails to put on... reading corners... magnifying glasses with insects set in resin to examine (as pictured)... taxidermy animals... and loads more. The space is for under 5's and I think they have scheduled activities some mornings of the week. Kidspace also has change tables and a soft play area for crawlers too.

Entry - we also bought a family membership. Worked out that I had to take the kids by myself 7 times (a year) to make it worthwhile/cheaper than single entry. Most times I go with Mum and Hubby so then it's even less visits to make the membership option the better choice.

Parking tip - I drive and park at Interpark Domain Car Park it's a flat rate of $10 on the weekend. This site is also a good site to search cheap parking. Check rates before you go though.