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Keeping it Pure and Simple as always - this is one of my all time favourite salads which I am sharing with you this week for those pumpkin fanatics looking for Halloween inspiration.

The part that takes a wee bit of preparation is the roasting of the pumpkin - I would personally recommend roasting up a whole pumpkin/butter nut pumpkin so you make a big salad to last a couple of days or an evening...

I am writing this blog post in the hope that it may help a mum who has gone through or going through a miscarriage. On the 18^th of November 2013 I miscarried our second baby. It was still early on 7/8 weeks but it was enough time that we had gotten used to the idea, we had started imagining life and planning for the arrival of our second baby.

Although I knew the risk, I was devastated. When it...

On Saturday my wonderful mother in law had agreed to look after Arjun in the afternoon for a few hours so I could get some extra sleep in and do some work. I was extremely grateful for this. However, when she came to pick him she asked me a question I have been dreading and avoiding “is it ok if I give him MacDonald’s for dinner?”…..NOOOOOOOOO!!! My mind, heart and body screamed. Both in response...

We were out of our supply of snacks so this morning I whipped up these super simple banana muffins. When I say this morning it was more like crack of dawn as Arjun was awake at 5.30am this morning - so what better activity on a cold, dark morning than to do some baking together. Well, I mainly did the mixing while Arjun watched with his lions and books but he was still involved :)

When we came home...

As many of you know I am a busy person. I juggle being a mum (and a wife), running a business, teaching and studying a PhD. I often get asked how do I do it?? To be honest, I don’t really know. What I do know is that I love being a mum AND I love my work. I thrive off being busy, pushing my capabilities and helping other families lead healthy lives – yet sometimes the balance tips. Sometimes I...

Inspiration for this blog came from reflecting on our day (Saturday) while watching Arjun in the bath. Saturday was our second soccer morning – but the first one with Arjun in his ‘Little-Kicker’s’ uniform, and now very much part of the ‘team’. In turn, I felt like an official soccer-mum. Little Kicker’s is a soccer programme designed especially for introducing toddlers into soccer. I found out...

October 22^nd2012 at 9.32am I became a mother. A moment in time I will never ever forget and to be honest, life before that just seems insignificant. With Mother’s Day on Sunday I thought I would share two personal diary entries that for me, with my son at 18 months, portrays the roller coaster ride of being a mum - the incredible joy and the moments where you are pushed beyond all limits you...

As part of the work I do at AUT, I often do a tutorial on the sugar content of canned drinks. It still comes as a surprise to me how many of my students consume these products with very little awareness of what is actually in them. So I thought I would also impart some knowledge your way…

As a mum, we often battle fatigue and exhaustion on a daily basis and sometimes this can be chronic, especially...

Ironically this very (early) morning I was actually thinking about what to write in my next blog – I did not have to go very far. This morning I had lovingly prepared breakfast for my son (nick named Bam Bam) - beautiful scrambled eggs with cheese and spinach but when I sat Bam Bam in his high-chair he flatly refused his eggs! And he always loves his breakie! I tried the double-spoon approach...

Spinach is one of nature’s super foods. Rich in vitamins and minerals, it is also concentrated in health-promoting phytonutrients such as carotenoids (beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin) and flavonoids to provide you with powerful antioxidant protection. While most vegetables have these benefits, spinach has a special claim to fame in terms of its phytonutrient content. Researchers have...