...and before you can take a picture it is devoured.

This week I've helped out Superkylz. A fulltime residential course plays havoc with the childcare arrangements. So up we stepped for mid-week sleepovers, school pick up and drop off (1 hour return each time.) Dad Dale had already set the bench mark with Thermomix Butter Chicken on Sunday night and Butter Chicken with Not Dogs the previous night.

Night one: Spaghetti Bolognaise - Easy peasy made during the day from  Everyday Cookbook recipe.  Miss India thought we'd be able to whip up the pasta from scratch  too but afterschool tap dance lessons and a visit to the local library coupled with the travel put paid to that. The good thing is that 1kg of mince makes plenty  of  leftovers for a savoury pie which will dazzle the man of the house at some later stage. I will of course whip up the pastry in the Thermo.

Thermo got a good workout that day with 40 second (choc chip) bikkies made for school lunches and a batch of Homemade Gourmet BBQ sauce made for the School Fete in two weeks. Cheese Scroll buns also supplemented the school lunches and after school snacks. (a variation on the Shrek bread recipe from the earlier blog)

Night Two: The kids made pizza. What's unhealthy about this? This fresh pizza dough whips up in seconds- the addition of a bit of garlic and rosemary make the base delicious. We chose to make two biscuit tray size pizzas. Miss India weighed and measured the dough ingredients.  Little Ariah rolled out the dough and spread the tomato and the two older children decorated the top. Their favourite things are sundried tomatoes, feta, ham and pineapple. A little pepperoni and hungarian salami complete the pizza. If we'd have had some left over capsicum, mushroom or chicken it would have been there too.

pat-a-cake pat-a-cake

adding the tomato paste

I'm a convert to "grating" my own cheese in the Thermo (5 seconds speed 5 ) Oh and it's so much tastier than the extruded grated stuff.  I buy  500g or 1kg size  Bega or Coon cheese on special and a 4-5cm piece easily does 3x round pizzas.   

Since buying my Thermo I've not eaten a single bought pizza.  Previously it was a fortnightly occurrence. I'd say this Thermo is paying for itself in savings - with ingredients costing no more than $10 I think I've saved at least $185 on pizza alone. #Thermomix pays for itself in no time

One thing I've noticed is that the children are more food aware now they are involved with Thermo cooking things from scratch. Superkylz is vegetarian so they enjoyed  a few things she doesn't usually cook for them.

Thanks to Thermo I survived the sleepovers and packing school lunches although don't start me on the "you can't have oranges for Munch and Crunch Nan " and the benefits? of "No Waste Wednesday".

 

With 1 lonely piece left I eyed it off for lunch, took the picture and Little Ariah snaffled it and ate it cold!!