Let's kick this off!

Greetings blogging world! As a newbie to this, all I ask is be kind!

I am a wife, mother of two gorgeous boys and participant in a very hectic life! Don't you just look back sometimes and wonder where the day, week or year has gone? It sometimes really shocks me when I realise how much time has passed and I'm not too sure how I wasted it!

I started to have a look at the things that I was doing and see where I could simplify. What could I change to make things work better for me? So many people are out there doing the same stuff, just differently, sometimes better, sometimes not and sometimes not even thinking about it.

So I just thought I would write a few of this things that I do down. They may work for you, they may not. I don't at all profess to be the oracle of these matters. I do know that they have helped me save time, save stress, save wrinkles or just save my sanity!

I really hope that they help you too!

To kick this away I'm going to give you a couple of time saving recipes!

Microwave Risotto! So here's how I do it!

Microwave Risotto (yes microwave, and not much stirring)

             30g butter
             1 small onion - finely chopped
             1 cup Arborio rice
             3 cups vegie stock (or a 2 cup packet and one cup water)
             1/2 cup grated parmesan

1. Melt butter in large microwave bowl for 30 seconds. Stir in onion and cook on high for 2 minutes.
2. Stir in rice and cook on high for 1 minute.
3. Add stock and cook on high for 10 minutes.
4. Remove from microwave and stir well.
5. Return to microwave and cook on high for a further 8 minutes.
6. Stir in parmesan and season as desired!

This I use as a base then you can add any combination of steamed vegies and/or meats for a really quick and easy meal for the whole family! The vegies and the meat ca be cooked while the risotto base is cooking. Try the following combinations:
              Chicken (mince or chopped thigh) roast pumpkin and baby spinach
              Roast Pumkin
              Beef and Basil
              Mushroom

Love, love, love this recipe! Mum handed it over so not sure the source, but it is a goodie! Fancy a great risotto that you don't need to keep stirring!

The next recipe is not really for eating...strange huh!

Here is one for the easiest and most basic Uncooked Playdough in the World!

Play Dough

2 cups plain flour
4tb 'cream of tartar'
2tb cooking oil
1 cup salt
2 cups boiling water
food colouring, couple of drops

Just pop it all in a bowl, mix it together and you are done!

Then store it in a bag in the fridge between uses for instant attention diversion!!! Add glitter, food essence (cinnamon, vanilla, etc) for some great sensory experiences!

Finally, here is a great tip for those of you in this technical world with a  wet iPhone. If by chance, you happen to try to teach your mobile phone to swin or drop your iPhone in a puddle, 48 hours in a bowl full of dry rice grains should have it back to normal! Rice is thoroughly under rated bu massively absorbant! Now you know why they put it in the salt shakers at restaurants in highly humid areas!

Hope that helps

Enjoy