Best marinated olive recipe ever

We have an olive tree in our back yard and over the years I have been trying different curing recipes to see which ones delivers the tastiest olives. This one is sensational, so good in fact, that when I am bottling them it is one in the jar and two in the mouth! Ingredients: 5kg green (raw) olives, althought I have also done this with ripe (black) olives. 4 lemons, sliced, rock salt, white vinegar, olive oil, 8 cloves garlic, oregano to taste, dried fennel seeds to taste, bay leaves (chopped or whole to taste), dried chilli flakes to taste. I admit I haven't tried it with the fennel seeds as I haven't got any and at times have substituted the oregano for thyme. The instructions say to crush the olives with the bottom of a jar or bottle (stubbie bottle works well apparently). I did this for the first lot but have also used an olive pipper instead. Don't crush too hard, just enough to split the olive to remove the pip but not enough to lose the shape of the olive. As you crush the olives (or pip them) put them into cold water with 2 of the sliced lemons. Rinse the olives in the water and change water juice. Leave the olives to soak for 24hrs in fresh water to which the remaining lemons have been added. Drain the olives adn put into a shallow bowl, sprinkle with rock salt, allow to stand for 24hrs. By now the olives will be sitting in some liquid. Stir, then drain. Sprinkle with enough vinegar to cover, leave 24hrs. Drain olives, put into a bowl, add a little olive oil and the herbs. Mix well, put into jars. Top with olive oil and seal. Taste test when ready to eat. This recipe is quite forgiving, so don't stress if the olives are left for more than 24hrs at any stage. In the photo there is 4kg of both black and green olives. I went back outside and picked another 3kg, and there is still plenty on the tree.

Children's lunches

My little boy is too young for school yet, but I am already asking myself what do other parents to do stop kids lunches spoiling. During my schooling years I attended 3 different primary schools and 1 high school. Some had indoor or undercover storage for school bags, others only had hooks by the classroom door where bags were exposed to the weather. The weather here is cooling down, but what happens to food in the hot weather when it isn't being refrigerated? I ate vegemite sandwiches all through my school years, so they were probably reasonably safe, but I would hate to think of what ham and cheese sandwiches would look like after a few hours unrefrigerated, exposed to the weather! Here is my tip for avoiding your kids lunches spoiling in their school bags...insulated lunch packs. Placing their sandwich keeper inside an insulated lunch bag or pack, along with a reusable freezer block, will keep their lunches cool for quite a few hours. My mum used to freeze my drink bottle overnight and use this to keep my lunch cool. Wrapping your kids lunch in plastic cling wrap only results in a soggy sandwich, especially if there is some condensation from the freezer pack. It is better to place their lunch is a plastic sandwich keeper (it's reusable after all and the sandwiches won't end up squashed in the bottom of the bag!).

Plastic Food Wrap - wrapping your kids lunch at $250 per year

CHOICE magazine always makes for good reading. My husband and I have consulted their website before buying fridges, children's car seats and digital cameras. However I was quite surprised to see that they have also reviewed plastic food wrap. My particular interest in researching this topic was the cling wrap many of us use to wrap our kids sandwiches in or cover bowls of food to be placed in the fridge. On their website they state that they want to phase out risky plastics and mention that cling wrap is made from PVC. PVC is usually hard, so plasticisers are added to make it soft and flexible. "Plasticisers can make up as much as 40% of the plastic material. Phthalates and DEHA (di-(2-ethyhexyl)adipate) are often added as plasticisers to the PVC that’s used for food packaging; again, recent research raises doubts about the safety of these compounds." "BPA and phthalates are endocrine disruptors, meaning they can mimic the body’s natural hormones and thereby cause a raft of health problems. Infants and the very young are most vulnerable to exposure because of their lower body weight and because their growth and development are strongly influenced by hormones; the effects on health can be lifelong. These effects have been seen clearly and consistently in experiments with animals and when people or wildlife have been accidentally exposed to high levels of endocrine disruptors. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a statement calling for more research into the possible harmful effects of BPA, reinforcing growing concerns about its safety. While these compounds are undoubtedly hazardous at high levels of exposure, scientific opinion is divided over the risk from the much lower levels that we’re exposed to every day in our food. There is, however, growing scientific evidence that even at these lower levels of exposure, phthalates and BPA may be causing problems such as infertility, obesity, breast cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease and diabetes." This was taken directly from their website under the heading 'Plastics and Food' by David Oakenfull. This prompted me to investigate further on the internet. There are so many websites talking about the dangers of plastic food wrap, it was hard to know where to start, without spending hours and hours reading. I had a brief read of them, and scrolled down the the Cancer Council website. They mention the following: Some studies have found low levels of di-ethylhexyl adipate (DEHA) when certain types of fatty foods wrapped in plastics, such as meat and cheese, have been ingested. T he amount of chemical absorbed by the food is dependent on the temperature of the plastic wrap and food, the duration of any heating, the type of plastic wrap used, storage time and initial plasticiser content, as well as the type of food. The results of most studies show that the levels of plasticiser that might be consumed as a result of the use of plastic wrap are well below the levels showing toxic effect in animal studies. The International Agency for Research on Cancer states DEHA is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans. Meaning there is currently inadequate evidence to suggest that this compound causes cancer. They go on to mention that to avoid unnecessary exposure avoid using cling wrap in the microwave unless it is labelled as microwave safe. I must admit I have never looked for this warning on my cling wrap. I have noticed that when I use cling wrap in the microwave it often goes soft and 'melts', creating holes. They also mention using inert containers for cooking or re-heating food instead of cling wrap. So if you are concerned about using cling wrap to store food, or wrap your kids sandwiches for school in, here are my tips: Many schools and day care centres are moving to "Nude Food" policies to eliminate cling wrap. Use air tight or virtually air tight containers to store sandwiches and snacks in. My favourites are the Sandwich Keepers from Tupperware. A student who takes one sandwich and two snacks wrapped in cling wrap equals 100 metres of cling wrap to landfill in one year. This adds up to about $250 per year for the average family. The Sandwich Keepers are $29 for two or $58 for 5, have a life time guarantee, are reusable and think of the money you'll save on cling wrap? There are other lunchboxes available as well. Visit www.tupperware.com.au then email your order through to paulinestips@gmail.com. Interstate and international orders accepted, postage charges may apply.

My Favourite Things

You don't have to be as famous as Oprah to publish your list of Favourite Things. So here's mine. Feel free to add your own in the comments section. 1.Nutri-rich Oil by Nutrimetics. There is 101 uses for this stuff, but my favourite is that I find it is the best leave-in hair conditioner/anti-frizz serum/curl cream there is for my type of hair. I have dry, frizzy, curly hair and the Nutri-rich oil leaves it feeling soft without feeling like there is product in it. Unlike other products that claim to tame the frizz, I find this one really does. I have recently had people comment that my hair seems to be getting curlier as I get older. It is still the same amount of curl, it is just that now I have found a way to tame the frizz, allowing the curls to stand out on their own. Price varies depending on size of container (20ml, 40ml or 60ml) 2.'Taking Charge of Your Fertility' by Toni Weschler. Have you ever wondered why your period is never the 28 days like it is in the text books? This book explains all the tell-tale signs that your body puts out on a daily basis as to where it is in the menstrual cycle. My husband read this book and said it was like reading a manual on women's bodies. At least I now understand mine! Go to tcoyf.com to get your hands on this book. 3.Kugelhopf silicon form by Tupperware. OMG! How did I ever live without this one? I can now make cakes in the microwave that turn out perfect everytime, in a fraction of the time it takes in the oven. And I don't have to worry about my toddler going near a hot oven! $74.95 from Tupperware, and worth every cent! 4.Lego. I loved it as a child and now I love it as a parent. It may be expensive, but it lasts a lifetime. My husband still has his Lego from when he was a child. The educational benefits of Lego are only limited by your imagination. My son loves his Duplo and builds the most magnificent structures from it. My husband and I can't wait until he moves onto the normal Lego so we can play with it too! 5.Play School on ABC TV. There is no better quality television program than this. Educational and entertaining, occasionally contraversial. I love the fact that they still use cardboard boxes and masking tape to make props and toys. There are plenty of great ideas for parents watching this program. 6. Turbo Chef by Tupperware. I always wanted one, now I have one. No more tears while cutting up onions! Unlike other food processors, this one won't leave big chunks of onion in amongst finely chopped bits. Everything gets chopped finely. I love the pull cord action, so easy to use. Also easy to clean. $57.20. 7. 'Sweet Poison' by David Gillespie. Now I also understand my sweet tooth, and can stand up and say "I am a sugarholic." How to lose weight without going on a diet. I lost 4kgs in 4 weeks without dieting. Click on the link on this website for more information. 8. Breville Slow Cooker. I got one for my birthday and LOVE it. Great for making soups, casseroles, roasts, desserts, the list just goes on. Apparently you can even make jam in them, but I haven't tried that yet. RRP around the $60 dollar mark for the large one. 9. Janome Overlocker. Having one of these has helped to give my sewing a more professional touch, and I don't have to worry about material fraying. I can't remember the price, but check it out with your local Janome stockist. 10. Bambooty Easy Night nappies. I have written about these before in my blog. We have had a few nights when these have leaked, but it has always been when Brendon has had a huge drink before bedtime. Otherwise these have saved us money on not having to use disposables at nighttime. We got some at the Pregnancy, Babies and Children's expo and they were about $70 for a pack of three. A box of 72 disposable nappies costs $33, so within about 4 or 5 months the Bambooty's would have paid for themselves. I got these in March, so am half way there. They will do Brendon up until he is toilet trained at night, so I should get quite a while out of these yet. I sell both Tupperware and Nutrimetics, so if you would like more information or to make an order, you can email me on paulinestips.blogspot.com. Yes, I do take international and interstate orders (postage charges do apply).