Food Revolution Day and Instagram

Because of my challenge to cook as various as possible by trying all kinds of recipes from different cookbooks I own I thought it would be fun to start an Instagram account to post the things I make and like. For the first three days I had 2 followers: some spam account and my sister-in-law. I didn’t really know what way I would like to go with this account so wasn’t too busy with it yet.

On the second day of my new account I found out that the next day would be Jamie Olivers Food Revolution Day and I thought it would be much fun to join and involve my girls some extra in my cooking on this day. So I looked up some extra recipes and we went for fruit & veg shopping. Back at home I showed them all the veg, let them taste it, play with it and of course made some pictures to put on my new account under the hashtag #FRD2014. In the beginning there were of course some likes from people also joining the Food Revolution Day, but then suddenly my account kind of exploded. Instagram picked up on one of my pictures and credited me! I was really overwhelmed and of course proud as any mum would be if somebody likes a pic of their little ones. It also gives a bit of pressure because I do not want anyone, who started following me, down. Took me a couple of days to shake the feeling of and now I’m back to liking what I’m doing on this blog and hoping that other people like it as well.

We anyhow had a great day with all the fruits and veg and cooking. It really helped me realize that I really need to involve the girls more in the cooking process. I’m all about feeding them healthy and varied, but forgetting the part before the food is on the table. First of all I was a bit shocked by me that my oldest didn’t know the name of the eggplant, we eat it all the time but I apparently never showed her a non-processed one. Second of all, they really enjoy helping me to cook. Of course I have been baking pies and cookies with them but they also likes helping peel the rhubarb or just put the pieces of eggplant in the pan.

So also on our behalf, thank you Jamie for starting Food Revolution Day, even for us it opened our eyes and made us have a really fun day

Taste

Having my twins really changed my view on how big (or little) you’re influence is on certain behavior of your child. With my first one for instance I really thought that her sleeping behavior was a result on how we were handling things. She didn’t need much daytime sleep and always refused to go to bed early in the evening, but then slept the whole night through. There has been a period that we felt kind of guilty for not making her go to bed on a regular bedtime (like we saw most of our friends do with their babies). Then again, we’re not the kind of parents that make their kids cry for hours just so they will sleep at an ‘appropriate’ time.

Then enter the twins. I had no idea two little people who were born in the same family on the same day could be as different as they are. Both inside and out. I know now that sleeping habits are largely dependent on the child itself. Neither we nor the lovely ladies at daycare have in the first year been able to get the twins to sleep at the same times.

Same thing with taste, you can only influence the things they like and dislike so much. Of course letting them eat different things, having them see you enjoying eating and approaching eating as something fun will, in my opinion, influence them without a doubt, but the basis also is something in the child itself.

Today that was again illustrated when I was making them falafel. When I’m cooking they always get little snacks form the food I’m making and today I gave them small pieces pickles and chickpeas. My oldest ate and like both, but with the twins it was different. One of them really likes sour flavors and only wanted the pickles, she actually spit out the chickpeas. The other one put the pickles aside and ate lots of the chickpeas. There’s no doubt in my mind they both will eat (almost) everything like my oldest does, but I definitely need them to come a bit closer together.

The one that liked the pickles also liked the tomatoes, the other one mainly liked the cauliflower. In the end they both liked the falafel very much.

Strawberry shortcakes

Asparagus and Strawberries, that’s what it’s all about these days in Berlin. First one at least once a week, second one absolutely every day!

So of course it was about time to make these Shortcakes from Yvettes Home Made Summer book. And they are delicious. Today we ate them with strawberries and whipped cream, next day they still were perfect with some mascarpone and cherry jam.

And I found the recipe online! Right here

Mother’s day

Mother’s day for me is not about getting presents and all, but I very much likes the breakfast in bed the girls and their dad made me today. Normally on this day we would have two big bouquets of flowers and go and bring both our mothers a visit, but today it’s about what I like to do the most: strolling around the city and have coffee. So that’s what we did. Coffee on the terrace of No Fire No Glory when the sun was still out, later on lunch at Das Blumencafe, hidden behind their forest of plants and finish the walk with some gries-himbeere ice cream at Susse Sunde before heading home because the rain just wouldn’t stop. Wonderful day

 

 

 

Hundeauslaufgebiet

Today we discovered a new part of the woods in the South West side of Berlin. In Grunewald there is a part where dogs can run freely. Great on one hand, on the other there really are a whole lot of very big dogs. For Jacques it’s fantastic, especially because there are all kinds of little beaches around the Grunewald See where he can swim. Luckily we later find some quieter paths so the girls have a chance to run around as well.

Olive Blinis

Today for lunch, and as part of my challenge, I made Olive Blini’s with Beets and Salmon. This seriously is one of the most delicious little bites I have ever tasted. The combination of the sour beet with the salty salmon and the sweet mascarpone is amazing. It was hard to stop eating them, luckily the girls loved them as well and most of the blini’s were served directly to the plate because it was hard to bake faster than they were eating.

Of course my picture does not look as nice as they look in the cookbook, but that was mainly because I don’t own a flapjack pan. One more reason to get one. I did manage to find the recipe on a website right here

Dirt

After grocery shopping we stop by at the water playground. For the first time in our Berlin history I was actually prepared for this. Old jeans, extra vests and trousers. It’s a pretty busy day today with children of all ages from 0 to 6. Sitting there watching all the playing happening I am wondering. Why is it that my kids somehow, by far, are the most dirty kids at this playground? They really, really are and I am wondering if this has to do with me – should I teach to not get dirty? – or with them – are they dirt loving kids? – . They just go and sit down in the middle of a muddy puddle to play and after taken them out three times, I just let them be the fourth time. They can’t get any dirtier anyhow. That’s the little ones. The oldest just goes around jumping in the puddles and since she’s is just as clumsy as her mum, there also is a lot of falling down.

They seem to have a lot of fun so I don’t really mind, but nonetheless I somehow feel a slight bit embarrassed when I’m leaving with three sand and water soaked girls. 

Spargel

I didn’t know this upfront but Germany is even more than the Netherlands a country of Asparagus. I’m so happy about this for back home I can’t wait till the season starts again and we can eat as much of the white ones as we can. Here in Berlin there are stalls everywhere in the city selling fresh asparagus and strawberries. One of them around the corner in the Kollwitsstrasse, they really have the best, both white and green. They also sell the loveliest little tulips that make me a tiny bit homesick for our favorite flower shop in Amsterdam

Cloth

For her third birthday she got a table cloth form two of my best friends. It's a color your own and she is so extremely happy with it that not a day goes by she doesn't color a bit while talking about everything she sees on their non-stop. Sometimes I’m allowed to help, but only the stuff she points out for me to color. Today we colored while her sisters were asleep and I took the liberty of coloring a pair of cherries. This was not appreciated. At all. She has been pointing out for about a hundred times. “You colored the cherries didn’t you mum” “yes I did”. “There’s just one pair of cherries isn’t there” “yes there is baby”. “I like coloring cherries very much too” “…”

Sun

After a really cold Sunday which almost made us freeze on the terrace of Babel the warmth of this Monday is really surprising us. Because a lot of rain is expected in the coming days we do need to enjoy this day to the most and that means ice cream. On wasserturmplatz there’s one of Prenzlbergs dozens of ice creams places, bit this one’s got something special: a children’s packet. This means two small scoops of ice, crumble mixture and a Gummy Barchen on top. We do need to take some serious time on one of Knaackstrasses lovely benches to enjoy these. And to keep them sand free, because our next stop of course is the playground on Kollwitzplatz.

Frittata

Yet another cooking book was added to my challenge. For my 34^th birthday two of my lovely girls gave me a beautiful new cookbook from Sweden with vegetarian recipes: The Green Kitchen. It's written by couple who have a little girl the same age as my oldest and they wrote this book with recipes also suitable for toddlers. Because we only eat meat once or twice a week, this book is a welcome addition. Their recipes are very simple and just a little different. I’m already making frittatas every week, but what I called a frittata is just a lot of baked vegetables with egg poured over it. Mostly results in some kind of scrambled eggs with veg stirred through. Fine for the taste but doesn’t do much for the looks of the food.

 

Thanks to the green kitchen I now know this easy way to make a beautiful frittata and also found out that my girls are ok with eating cabbage, while I thought it would be too hard for them with the little teeth they have.

The trick for a good frittata is to take the veg out of the pan, then pour in the eggs, bake them for a minute and put the veg back in before shoving it all in the oven with a layer of grated cheese on top. This one is with cabbage, potatoes and homemade pesto inside and really thinly sliced green asparagus on top.

Volkspark

The weather is so lovely today that we’re not ready to go inside yet after visiting Boxhagener. So of course we go to one of our favorite spots: the Volkspark. Just running around, picking flowers, walking the dog and eat some ice creams at the kiosk

Boxhagener

Today we went back to Boxhagener platz. Loved it all over again. Girls had so much fun at the big playground in the middle while we got some good cappuccinos before strolling the market for groceries. The best smoked salmon and mackerel definitely is to be found on this very market. Besides the fish a thing that really stands out here is that every person behind the stands is so very nice and helpful. For our dog this must also be one of his favorite spots for he gets treats at several stands.

The big surprise today is the lovely little lady in the corner of the market that sells little bouquets of lilacs and lily-of-the-valley that make our house smell so nice for the next couple of days

Marchenbrunnen

The fountains are on again. Somebody is very happy. It makes this 1st of May extra special.