Ricotta Pancakes

 On some long weekends, or a special week day when hubby works from home, I like to go "all out" and makes some waffles or pancakes. This was one of those days.
Growing up, I would have meals with my grandmother as my parents are often home late from work. It's a big treat to be able to sit at the dinning table with my whole family together!

One of the things we like to do is to have meals as a family.  With Asher, we try to do as many meals as we can on the weekends together. Eating out in cafes or dinners at home. Asher is growing up too quick now and is fast approaching the big 1 year milestone. His meals are also changing. I'm cooking more family meals and chopping it up for him.

Pancakes are of course a winner for a little boy (and with the bigger man too). He could hold it, squash it and stuff it in his mouth. Self feeding to the best. ;)

Ricotta Pancakes (Around 8-10 pancakes)
1.5 cups of Almond Meal
3 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp of cinnamon
3/4 cup of ricotta cheese
1/2 cup of almond milk

Whisk everything up together. Heat pan up and pour in a ladle of batter. Flip when bubbles appear.

I had mine with berries compote, some sliced bananas and a dollop of greek yogurt.

The Best Banana Bread

I am always in search for ideas for snacks and breakfasts for my two favourite boys. One of my favourite blogs Whole Food Simply always inspire me to make better baking goods for my family.

I did quite a few adaptations to suit us as usual. I have experimented a few times and I think this version came out the best. It's simple, and more importantly, full of protein, and nourishing. I used two dates- which is plenty of sweetness for us as bananas are full of natural sugars as well. I stayed with tahini as I like the slight bitterness to counteract the sweetness. I used crushed walnuts for that extra hit of antioxidants and texture. If you like, try adding a handful of cacao nibs- we love that chocolate-like crunch.

The other reason why I like this recipe is that it uses coconut flour. Coconut flour, I believe, is under rated. It's basically coconut dried into a flour format. It is very low in sugar but very high in fibre. I think the texture is quite different from normal flour and that's why many people shy away from using it. It is also very absorbent. I would say I would use 3 times the amount of liquid to the amount of flour I use (e.g 1/3 cup of coconut flour to 1 cup of coconut milk or almond milk). I would usual also use more eggs than normal.

This recipe though- the ratio works in harmony with each other. The texture is like what a banana bread should be. I gave it out a few times and the only negative I had was that I cut my slices too thin!

How do you like your banana bread? Thick cafe style slices or thin and crispy toasted?

Asher doesn't care of course. He gobbled it up!

The Best Banana Bread (12-14 slices Or 10)
4 medium size bananas
2 dates soaked in hot water
3 tablespoons of tahini or sunflower butter or nut butter
4 eggs
1/2 cup of coconut flour
1 heaped tsp of vanilla paste
1.5 tsp of bicarb soda
2 tsp of cinnamon
juice of 1 lemon
pinch of salt

optional: handful of crushed walnuts, cacao nibs

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a bread loaf with baking paper. Put all ingredients in a food processor and bliz it. Pour into pan and bake it for around 35-40 minutes. (yup! It's that easy!!!)

Coconut Milk Bread

This was one of my experiments to make a "bread" to hold and dip into soup. We tend to avoid grains these days but still love the sensation and texture of something to dip into soups. As the winter season is well upon us, I thought I might read up and try making it up at home.

This recipe is from Spunky Coconut again. The biggest reason why I made this is because it has coconut and hubby loves coconut. It did not disappoint and it has a creamy texture to this loaf. It's not "bread like". It's more of a mix between a muffin and a denser cake. We had soup with a little coconut in it so it went really well. In fact, hubby enjoyed this so much that he had this for breakfast as well with some peanut butter!

Coconut Milk "Bread" (15 slices)
2 cup of almond meal
1/2 cup of coconut flour
2 tablespoons of phylum husk
1 tsp of baking soda
pinch of salt

1 and 1/4 cup of coconut milk
4 eggs
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 tsp honey
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar

Preheat Oven 180C. Line loaf pan with baking paper. In a mixer, add all dry ingredients and then wet. Spoon into loaf pan and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Crispy Waffles with Berries Compote

People are often curious about what I do in my day. Given that I'm not working, there is an assumption that I'm the boss of my own time. To a certain extent, I like the freedom of being a little flexible. Tradesman needing to come to the house? Yup, I can arrange that. Parcel collection from the post isn't in the too hard basket when I can pop to the shops during the day. Arranging a play date on a week day? That can be done.

There are certainly advantages of being at home.

There is a scene in Sarah Jessica Parker's movie "I don't know how she does it"- where she played a business woman, juggling between motherhood and career. At night, there is a list of things in her head that she would go through like the end credits of a movie.

I could totally identify with that.

If I am lucky:

7am: Asher and I wake
7-7:30am- Wash up, I change into my day clothes and put some make up on (note to self- if I don't do it then, I find that I won't have the chance to do it any time after), change his diaper, prepare breakfasts for both of us
8:15am- Clothes change for him
8:30am-10am- Play time for Asher and me. We read, sing songs, dance, play chasey, hide and seek, stretches, swimming lesson..etc. I might also ring my dad or someone overseas then. More than often, I would squeeze in some housework such as clearing breakfasts, prep work for dinner, tidying around the house, clear the dishwasher, head out to do some groceries with him......
10-11:30am- Milk time and Asher's nap time. Now, this gets tricky. On a good day, he sleeps in his cot by himself. I have better luck on my bed with heaps of cushions and pillows. Lucky for us, our carpets are thick and I'm close by to make sure he doesn't fall. Some days, he wants me to hold him. If that happens, I just enjoy cuddle time. I don't give up putting him down though but he may need resettling. If he sleeps, I get to vacuum and mop the floor,  prep dinner, bake something, pack the bag, clean the toilets,
11:30am- He wakes. Has a drink of water. Plays by himself while I prepare lunch for him and myself.
12ish- Lunch time.
12:30-3pm- That depends. Could be gymbaroo, play dates, outing somewhere. I would squeeze in more housework like bringing clothes in, folding clothes, putting them away. Really try cooking dinner!
3-4ishpm- Milk time Nap time. Same deal above.
4ish- Light snack. If I have no chance to prepare dinner above, prepare dinner now!
5pm- Husband comes home!
Depending on which day- I'm off to the gym and arrives home at 6ish.
5-5:45pm- Asher and daddy goes out for a walk
6+pm- Dinner time for Asher.
7pm- Bath time or shower for Asher and hopefully for me too.
7:30pm- BED TIME for him. Dinner time for us.
8ish- bed time: Clean up the kitchen, have a chat with hubby about his day, read, blog, prepare for the next day. Write a list...

Fun begins then
Anytime between 10am- 7am: Asher might wake 2-3 times. He is getting better now and usually only wakes once a night at 3 or 4 am for a feed. Then he sleeps till 6 or 7am. Not bad hey! Previously, he would wake every 3-4 hours and require settling from us. Asher is also sleeping in his own room.

Notice that I have "prepare for dinner" a few times during the day? Well, I have to be flexible from time to time. There are days where I can't get to dinner prep work till 4pm because Asher is clingy or feeling unwell, or we have been out the whole day. Other days, I might start making chinese slow cooked soup late morning. There are also commitments that I fit in like mothers group, play dates and errands.

On top of that, I'm in charge of Hubby's breakfasts, Asher's meals..etc and you guys know I like knowing what I put in my foods so I tend to make as many snack or meal from scratch. In our family, I'm usually in charge of organising presents, groceries list, food budgeting costs, social interactions and keeping in contact with extended family members.

One of the things I enjoy doing is arranging play dates with other mums. It's so lovely to see the children play together. I noticed that Asher learns from other children. He observes them and later in the day, he would try the skill out. It's also a chance for me to learn from other mums. Lovely since my immediate family is overseas.

I love it all though. I have my days where I go "what did I REALLY do the whole day?" and would come up blank. Other days, I feel productive and have baked like 2 items, cooked dinner AND manage to spend quality time with Asher and hubby. Oh and the house looked decently clean.

Other days, hubby comes home and dinner could be cooking, but the house is messy and I feel like screaming. Remember that I have no extended family help so we are mostly on our own. I can't run out to the shops by himself or head to wherever I want whenever I want. I have to make sure it's not Asher's nap time, or clashes with hubby's schedule or any other commitments we have. Looking at the list, it almost sounds SO simple but it is honestly a juggling act.

All fun and games right?

On a long weekend, or if hubby is working from home though, I try to put in extra effort to make us breakfasts. I made these waffles one morning and they are definitely a keeper.

Crispy Waffles with Berries Compote 
1 cup of almond meal
1/2 cup of arrowroot flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tablespoons of coconut sugar
1/4 cup of coconut oil
1/2 cup of Almond milk
1 tsp of lemon juice.

Preheat waffle iron. Place almond meal, arrowroot, baking powder and coconut sugar in a bowl. Whisk all wet ingredients together and fold it into dry. Spoon into waffle iron and make waffles!

Meanwhile
1 cup of mixed berries
1 tsp of honey

Place everything in a saucepan and warm it up.

EAT a nice healthy breakfast. This has arrowroot which is a starch so this is not an everyday breakfast if you are watching your starch intake. However, we love it and will have it from time to time.

Salmon and Goats Cheese Muffins

I know sweet muffins are popular. Blueberries, or a white chocolate with raspberries always tend to hit the spot. There are times though, that I do prefer savoury muffins.

You may recall that my husband wakes up early for work. He sacrifices sleep so that he can spend time with us. Well, actually more with Asher as I usually pop to the gym for an hour (including travel time). This was one of my freezer/fridge friendly recipes as he could warm it up in the microwave as he prepares to go to work.

I do like the combination of Salmon and goats cheese. That many amount of eggs means I know my husband is getting enough protein. Goats cheese lifts this muffins up for sure. I like adding some goats cheese to freshly roasted vegetables and in salads. They are pretty expensive though and lucky for us, a little goes a long way.

For me, knowing that my husband is nourished and have a good start to the day makes me happy.

Salmon and Goats Cheese Muffins (mades around 10)
1/2 cup of almond flour
1/3 cup of coconut flour
1 carrot shredded
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp of baking powder

6 eggs
1 tablespoon of maple syrup

60 grams of smoked salmon
30 grams of goats cheese crumbed

Prepare muffin cups and tray. Preheat oven to 180C.

In a bowl, whisk dry ingredients together. In a jug, mix wet ingredients. Pour wet to dry and fold through. Fold salmon and goats cheese through. Spoon into muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Zucchini Ham and Olive Loaf

One of the things we love is the portability of bread or bread products. It's not bread that we missed per say (although sometimes we do eat bread when it's from a good bakery), but just the convenience of it. Of course, there are times when it is nice to have something to dip into a hot bowl of soup. It's a textural thing. The soft fluffy nature of bread paired with warm soup just seems to be so comforting on a rainy and wet day.

Sarah Wilson is big on "I quit Sugar".  She found what worked for her. Personally, I found that added sugar is a big culprit to weight gain, and feeling off in my tummy. Since eating clean, we hardly use any sugar at all, although I do use maple syrup and honey in small quantities in bakes. Sweetness is found in so many natural occurring food that I don't find it necessary to add sugar in our everyday meals and desserts. However, we never say no to a good piece of tart or cake occasionally when we are dinning outside.

She posted this recipe and I know I just have to make it. It's like a meal by itself. So full of protein and good fats, it went very well with my chorizo and kale soup. It was also a good breakfast item. I loved it toasted with a hint of butter.

In fact, this recipe is so good. I'm going to be making it and keeping it for years! I reckon this will be good with MORE zucchini and other vegetables like carrots. I'm thinking picnics, gatherings, party food...  Thanks Sarah!

Zucchini Ham and Olive Loaf
1.5 cup of almond meal
3/4 cup arrow root starch
1 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 tsp salt
5 eggs
1.5 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup of zucchini grated
tablespoon of parsley chopped
1/4 cup of chopped olives
1/2 cup of chopped ham
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese
seeds to sprinkle on top



Lined loaf pan with baking paper. Whisk dry ingredients together and wet (excluding veges, olives and ham) in another jug. Pour wet to dry and fold through. Fold through all vegetables, ham and olives last. Pour in pan, sprinkle seeds on top and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Bacon and Banana Muffins- Elvis Muffins

So recently, I found out that Elvis was a fan of peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwiches. In fact, it sounded like what I would like to have when I was pregnant! I was reading Make Ahead Paleo and this recipe really appeals to me. Savoury and sweet together.

It's one of those things that you will either like it or you don't. For us, this is a clear winner. The bacon really isn't that strong- it's just a topping, but the salt does brings the sweetness from the bananas a notch.

One thing I am happy with this recipe is the ratio between almond flour, coconut flour and arrowroot starch. I can almost see this as a base for other muffins and cakes. I increased the baking soda to 1tsp from 3/4 and it gave it a beautiful rise which is what I love. I usually find paleo bakes too dense for my liking but the baking soda helped makes it lighter.

Bacon and Banana Muffins (made 10 for us)
3/4 cup almond flour
1/3 cup coconut flour
2 tablespoon arrowroot starch
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch sea salt

4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla paste
2 tablespoon of maple syrup
2 bananas mashed
1/2 cup of coconut milk
1/4 cup coconut oil

3 strips of bacon- fried and cut in small strips or cubes.

Preheat Oven to 180C. Whisk dry ingredients together and wet ones separately. Then fold wet to dry. Spoon into muffin tins and top it with the chopped bacon. Bake for 20 minutes till brown!

Sausage Egg Frittata

I can have this for breakfast, lunch or dinner any day! It's such a quick and simple recipe that I do not know why I have not done this before!

The other day, hubby said to me that he realised how much his views of food has changed since I have tweaked our family meals to become clean and healthy. His line manager treated himself and team to frozen coke. Hubby took a few sips and couldn't have any more. He said he simply felt ill.

Oh that was a proud moment for me.

As a wife and mum, there is nothing more I want than good health for my family. It's such a lovely feeling when even hubby realised that this is a lifestyle change and he felt better because of it.

So sausages- are they really healthy? I believe they can be. We do not have sausages every day. However, I think it is important to find a butcher who can make gluten free and hopefully sugar free sausages with quality meat. Not the rubbish supermarket sausages that we have no idea what's in it. Usually that's full of preservatives, sugar and flour.

That paired with eggs and spinach- ahhhhh....quick and easy meal DONE!

Sausage Egg Frittata (serves 4)
3 or 4 good quality pork sausages casing removed
1 red onion diced
1 tsp of garlic
2 red chill diced
1 cup of spinach leaves
1/4 cup of chives chopped
4 or 5 eggs
1/4 cup almond milk

Preheat Oven at 180C. Saute onion, garlic and chill. Brown sausage mince meat. Fold through spinach leaves. Meanwhile, Whisk eggs with almond milk and chives. When sausage meat is cooked, spoon into oven safe dish. Pour eggs on to sausages. Bake 20-25 minutes till done! Serve warm or cold.

Pecan Banana Bread

One of my favourite things to do is to bake. I simply love the warm comforting smell and taste coming out of the oven and diffusing to the whole house. There is something about baking that helps me to process the day, and even makes me feel a little better if I'm feeling sad, tired or down.

I wrote about my ambivalence about returning to work or staying at home.  I think at the end of the day, it's about what fits for your family and you. I count my blessings that I have a choice. My mum for instance, did not have a choice and had to return to work when I was 3 months young. Again, I'm one of those blessed kids that was surrounded by many loving family members- including my maternal grandmother whom I'm very very close to.

It's a little strange that I am in this position. I remembered that when I was younger, I thought that I will definitely stay at home. I love my mum and she is a strong independent woman who is a fantastic had working role model. But I also recall times when I wished she is at home. Perhaps that is why, I thought that when I am a mum, that decision will come easily to me.

There is nothing wrong with enjoying paid employment. I work in the area of psychology and am very pleased that I am able to reach out to others. It is what God has directed me to do and I have accepted this gift with both hands. But what happens when God bless you with another gift- a gift of life where you can stay at home and nurture a life at the same time?

I'm a big believer of being attune to your child and respond to his needs. As he grows bigger, I believe I will put him in day care anyway for social interaction with adults and children. Having little immediate family around, I do think it is important to expose him to other activities and children besides the games and classes we attend together. It's finding the balance as we go along I think that could be challenging.

My answer is this- I'm going to pray and wait and see.  If a door opens and it is an opportunity that I know God has directed me to, I will go towards it.  However, if the door closes then, I know where I'm being lead to. I think returning to full time work will not be in the equation.

The hard bit for me, is to stay in the moment. To simply enjoy time with Asher and being a housewife. A role I am so proud to be.

This pecan banana bread is from a recipe that I adapted from a friend. Besides baking being therapeutic, it also makes my hubby happy. I wrote before that he wakes early in the morning to go to work, so that he can be home to be with our son in the evening (and for me to head to the gym). Pecan banana bread is a nutritious quick morning breakfast where he could toast eat and go.

And that makes me happy.

Pecan Banana Bread (12 serves)
4 bananas mashed
1/4 cup nut butter of your choice
2 tablespoons of honey
1/4 cup of coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp of vanilla paste
3 eggs
1/4 cup of pecan nuts crushed

handful of crushed pecan nuts

Preheat Oven 180C. Line baking loaf with baking paper.

Whisk honey,  banana, nut butter, vanilla and eggs together. In a separate bowl, place flour, nuts baking powder and soda. Pour wet to dry and fold. Spoon into baking tin. Sprinkle pecan pieces on top. Bake for 35-40 minutes till brown.

Chai Coconut Vanilla Pancakes

I wasn't a big chai tea fan before. I found the spices too strong for my liking- the cardamon usually gets to me. Then I tried a few other brands and realised it's really the blend of tea that makes the difference. A right blend makes such a big difference in the taste of the tea. These days,  I usually have it with almond milk- although i have tried it with coconut milk before and it was so lovely. Especially on a cold and rainy evening.

Following a few paleo bloggers, this recipe caught my attention. It combines tea and pancakes. Doesn't that sound lovely for breakfast already? Not to mention, it's so quick to whip up.

I have been loving my coconut flour lately. Again, like chai tea, I thought coconut flour was dense and dry. Indeed it is. However, blended with the right ingredients, it shines through in baked goods. It is really really filling as well. I whipped up 10 mini pancakes and hubby and I could not finish it at all. I had 2 and hubby had 3 and we both agreed the size of the pancakes are deceiving.

Chai Coconut Vanilla Pancakes
1/2 cup of coconut flour
2 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of baking powder
pinch of salt

4 eggs
1 cup of almond milk warmed with 2 chai tea bags
2 tsp of vanilla essence
1 tsp of maple syrup

Berries to serve- 1 cup of frozen berries and a few tsp of water

Whisk dry ingredients together. Whisk eggs, vanilla and maple syrup. Pour warm milk over the coconut mixture and work it in. Then add the eggs mixture. Spoon 1 tablespoon on a heated oiled pan. Flip it over after 3 minutes. Repeat.

Berries compote- In a saucepan, heat frozen berries with a few tsp of water. Cooked till soft and spoon over pancakes.

Happy Valentine's Day my friends!! Make this gorgeous breakfast for someone you love! xx 

Avocado Banana Bread

Having some bananas that are turning brown (or black should I say) in my pantry, I decided to make a quick and easy banana bread for breakfast. This is more for hubby than for myself as the poor man has been waking up at 6am sometimes 5:30 to get to work early, just so that he can spend more time with his little man in the evening. As such, we found it works best that he has a "heat and go breakfast".

I'm really fortunate in the sense that hubby has always been very supportive of our healthy clean eating habits. A true man, he fell in love with me when I was overweight and continued to love me for who I am. I recall my aunt told me that he is a keeper. On reflection, I'm sure it must be tricky for him to love me through my insecurities about my body. God is fair. When I was young, I wrote a list of everything I want for in a husband and here is he. I can't ask for a better husband really.

At home, he listens to why I choose to eat the way I would like to. He never complains about what I put on the table. He did say however, that he is glad I like my meat. He took to heart about my research on food and now, he voluntarily reduced the amount of rice and noodles till once if not none in the week.

It's only recently that I started baking again. It certainly feels good knowing that hubby gets a healthy breakfast, but also nutritious as well. We are not "big" demonstrators- and I know that he gets my message that I care for him as he toasts a slice of avocado banana bread for breakfast.

Avocado Banana Bread. Serves 12
1 cup of Almond meal
1 tsp bicarb powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp of cinnamon
2 eggs
1 Avocado
1/2 cup of greek yogurt
1 banana mashed
1 tsp of honey
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of vanilla paste

1 extra banana for topping


Whisk eggs, yogurt, honey, vanilla together. Place almond meal, all powders and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Fold wet to dry, adding in avocado as well. Place sliced banana on top of the bread. Bake in a preheated 180 oven for 40-45 minutes.

Happy Birthday to my darling hubby. I'm so blessed to be able to spend the last 13 years and call you my partner for the past 7.5 years (4.5 of which we are married). And yes, I did make you a dessert for your birthday to have when you are home! 

Avocado Chocolate Loaf

The year 2013 certainly is going fast. I cannot believe we are in November already and heading to December real fast. Are we even ready for Christmas?

On another note, I'm very pleased to say I have lost 19kgs so far since the birth of Asher. 11 kg came off a week after birth (water, baby, placenta..etc) but the rest of it was through clean diet and exercise. I still have some way to go before reaching my pre-pregnancy weight but that's ok. I have given myself permission to be ok with that.

That was difficult for me. To give myself time and love my body for what it has done. Being health conscious and fit prior to pregnancy, it was hard to adjust to the fact that I needed time to recover. It's not just about the weight and size issue, but just how weak I felt post birth. Returning to exercise was hard. Getting my strength back was hard. I could not even carry Asher for more than 10 minutes standing. As I slowly started my walks, light intensity exercises and then finally more intense ones, not only am I slowly regaining my strength, but I'm staying in the moment and taking in the process.

So I rewarded myself with a new pair of trainers and started looking for healthy yummy recipes to bake. This is one of them. Who would have thought avocado could turn almond meal into something so yummy? This is good for breakfast, or as a snack. High in antioxidants, cacao almond and avocado turned this into almond bread. The avocado provided a creamy texture to it.

Avocado Chocolate Loaf (adapted from Living Healthy with Chocolate)
1.5 Avocado mashed
3 tablespoon of coconut oil
1 tsp of vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoon of almond milk
2 eggs
1. 5 tablespoon of raw honey
2 cups of almond meal
1tsp baking soda
1/4 cup of cacao powder
50 grams of dark 85% chocolate chopped


Line loaf tin with baking paper. Preheat oven 180C.
Whisk avocado, coconut oil, vanilla, almond milk, honey and eggs together.  Pour wet to dry ingredients and fold. Pour in loaf tin and bake for 45 minutes

Sleep ... and Breakfast with Corn Fritters

I wonder:  Do we start of being parents by having a "mindset" of what a parent should be like? Or "just go with a flow"? In today's society, most parents are well read- we have "dr google" and countless pregnancy and parenting books around. None though, can replace your values and beliefs about parenting.

For the past week or so, hubby and I decided that we have to let Asher get used to sleeping in his bassinet. At night, he has no problems sleeping in there, but hates it in the day time. My dad and I have been taking turns cradling him and rocking him to sleep every morning and afternoon. Since I will not have the luxury of my family being around soon, I needed to change some things. It's not exactly sleep training as I have no intention of leaving him in the bassinet and crying it out for 20 minutes or more or follow a strict exact time routine.

We read books such as Babywise and Save our sleep by Tizzle Hall. We also like Baby Love by Robyn Baker. While we do not think we follow a particular method exactly, we found it useful to read about settling techniques and learning how to read baby cues. What we did was a combination of methods- having a routine after tracking what Asher does, reading his cues, being persistent and being consistent with our approach.

I will admit that we tried letting Asher cry out in his bassinet for 5-10 minutes at the start, testing out if he would self settle when we put him in the bassinet. This is especially so when we know he does self settle at night. It didn't work as he would cry himself to a frenzy and we concluded that he is still young (7 weeks when we tried) need us to help him soothe himself before he could sleep. In the end, we did a feed, play and sleep routine. We found out from feed to play, Asher would take approximately 1+ hour before he shows signs of dis-engagement and yawns. Once these signs appear, I would wrap him up in a swaddle and rock him gently. Once he is drowsy or close to asleep, I will place him in his bassinet. Sometimes he would require us to rock him or pat him a little more, but after a few days of doing this, he seem to understand this routine.

My only issue though, is that he wakes after approximately one sleep cycle and would require us to soothe him to sleep again. This would happen more often in the afternoon, where he finds it even harder to self soothe- and once his bottom touches the bassinet he would wake. In fact, he would protest if we leave him in the bassinet. I'm not sure why as at night, he is able to sleep for quite a few hours. At the moment, I would try to rock him to sleep after his first sleep cycle for approximately 20 minutes. If that does not work, I would assume it is sufficient for the time being and proceed to feed or a diaper change. I'm hoping it is an age related thing and as he becomes older, he would be able to soothe himself more in between sleep cycles.

Asher does not like the pacifier or using the traditional method of sarong to rock him to sleep.

The advantage is, in the evening, we started to wind him down at 6pm. We would give him a bath, a massage, say a prayer for him and proceed to swaddle and rock him to drowsiness. He would sleep in his bassinet from 7+ to usually 11ish or even 12:30. Then, his cycle will repeat itself every 3 hours following the long sleep.

My conclusion so far? When it comes to sleep, read as many articles and research as you can but adopt the method best for your child. I am sure my journey has just started but I feel strongly about not forcing any particular method. It is just as important to read the child. ;)

All this talk about parenting and sleep makes me feel like... breakfast!! I made corn fritters when a friend came by for breakfast one morning. I really love a good corn fritter or any fritters for that matter. I used cream corn for this instead of egg to bind it. It really seems to make it more crispy on the outside. I also made a simple dip with chives, yogurt and lemon juice which worked really well with the hot crispy fritter.

Corn Fritters (makes around 12) 

1 tin of creamed sweet corn
200 grams frozen sweet corn.
2 rashers of bacon chopped
100 grams plain flour
25 grams of corn flour
chives
seasoning
pinch of paprika

Mix everything together. Heat a pan with oil. Drop tablespoons of mixture to the pan. Serve hot with a dip.