We like food in our house. Food is right up there with sunshine and holidays, as far as we’re concerned. We also rather like cooking, and the odd bit of baking too.

When Frog was tiny we went down the Baby-led Weaning route. She’s always been fiercely independent and wouldn’t even let me put a spoonful of medicine in her mouth, so the thought of battling with purees terrified me.

This means that Frog has always eaten what we’ve eaten. The idea of cooking a separate tea for her and then cooking again later in the evening did not appeal to my lazy side. 

Like many first-time mums I was convinced that the mere sight of chocolate would turn my healthy baby into a sick, hyper child. My Paranoid Mum condition lasted around 2 months, at which point I buckled and accepted that the odd chocolate button or ice-cream wouldn’t do her any harm and was, in fact, rather handy for bribery.

On the whole, I’d say we’re a pretty healthy family. But I’m going to be honest and say we’ve let things slide over the past couple of months. My intentions to cook a healthy meal from scratch aren’t always matched by my energy levels. Come 5pm and my pregnancy exhaustion is in full swing. It’s all I can do to turn the kettle on some evenings, let alone rustle up a delicious and nutritious meal for the three of us.

So when Organix got in touch to tell me about the No Junk Challenge I was interested, but also a little scared. I don’t have the time or energy at the moment to spend hours in the kitchen. But I’m also eager to get back to our former habits of cooking everything from scratch and cutting down on the junk.

We don’t tend to buy crisps or have chocolate in stock, and we already eat a lot of fruit of vegetables. But where fishfingers would once have been a fortnightly treat, they’ve become a bit of a weekly staple. As have shop-bought pies, quiches and the occasional pizza.

Organix is challenging families to cut out the junk and embrace a whole host of new recipe ideas that are quick and easy to make but, more importantly, full of healthy ingredients. I’m going to be right there with them, taking on a week of healthy family food, eating the way we used to.

The reasons behind the challenge are important ones. Nearly half of top food brands in the UK are high in fat, salt or sugar products. Foods targeted at toddlers and children are typically higher in salt, fat and sugar. And most convenience foods contain artificial flavouring or colouring. All of that has an impact on our health as a nation and, when it comes to changing habits and living healthily, the best place to start is at home.

I’m planning to share some easy-cook, no fuss, tasty healthy recipes here next week, and be completely honest about how I’m managing with the challenge. If I have a bad day I will tell you, promise.

In return I’m looking for healthy recipe inspiration, cheer-leading and the motivation to know I’m not in this alone. So if you’re up for joining in too please let me know in the comments and we can cheer each other on.

This shouldn’t be difficult. And I know it’s worth it. I just need a little moral support to get going.

What do you say? Are you in?

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Thank you to Organix for inviting me to take part in the No Junk Challenge. This post is written in collaboration with the Organix team. For more information please see my disclosure page. 

The post Changing habits – the No Junk Challenge appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

The party starts here

I realised something this weekend: I am officially a grown-up.

Not a pretend one, who goes to work and attempts adult responsibilities like paying bills. But an actual real grown-up.

It was during Frog’s 1st birthday party that this realisation dawned on me. After spending the previous 24 hours baking and cooking and blowing up balloons and making party bags, I was (rather unsurprisingly, I think) gagging for a drink. A grown-up drink.

But as the first guests started pouring into the garden my raging thirst for wine began to disappear. I was busy, you see. For the first time in my life I had not consumed a bottle of wine before the party had even started. For the first time in my life I actually poured other people’s drinks before my own. My, my, how the tables have turned.

An hour into the party, once the huge piles of nibbles were starting to disappear and the children had all had a go in the paddling pool, my thirst returned. It’s funny how 60 minutes of pouring drinks for others can reignite your own interest in the stuff.  But then I did the typically grown-up thing of putting my glass down and forgetting about it.  This has NEVER happened before.

By the time the last party bag had been handed out and the last cake had been eaten, I had only had about four sips of my white wine spritzer during the entire day. This is very unlike me and I’m more than a little disappointed in myself.

So, in my sober, grown-up state I was in a good position to learn a few things about hosting a 1 year old’s birthday party:

1) Expect nakedness

No amount of pre-party pampering and special birthday party dresses will tempt a 12 month old to keep her clothes on. Especially if a paddling pool is involved.

Nakedness is an inevitability

2) Let them eat cake

You may have cut up an entire cucumber and carrot in the hope that your child will consume at least a few vitamins during her party. But if chocolate cake, cupcakes, jelly and rice crispie nests are doing the rounds, you’re fighting a losing battle. Embrace the sugar rush and admit defeat to the mess.

Cake: good for eating and rubbing on face

3) Prepare for Baby Wars

Put two babies next to each other, with a plate of food, a cake and some toys and prepare for battle. Babies are hard. Marvel at their ability to head butt and bite each other in the battle for the cake or the pink sparkly toy. And then marvel at their ability to call peace the next moment and share in the love of said cake.

Cake: the food of love

4) Don’t under-estimate the power of grandparents

Sausage roll baking, potato salad making and BBQ lighting is infinitely easier if you have grandparents on hand to help. They are also pretty handy when it comes to clearing up afterwards.

5) Buy a new fridge for the left-overs

A new fridge (preferably a walk-in one) will be particularly handy when storing the ten tonnes of left-over salad and BBQ meat after the party. Take heart from the fact it is only the 1st birthday party you’ll ever host and by the 18th you may have become better at calculating the amount of food needed for such an event.

The post The day I realised I was a proper grown-up appeared first on Mother's Always Right.