Pumpkin, Lamb, Feta and Spinach Pasta Bake

Ingredients

• 1 L brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic - crushed or finely chopped
• 500 g lamb mince
• 1 Tbls ground cumin *generous tbs*
• 1 x 400g can diced tomatoes
• 150 g baby spinach leaves
• 250 g pasta shape of choice
• 700 g butternut pumpkin, peeled and chopped into 2cm pieces
• 150 g feta, crumbled
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 3 Tbls pine nuts
• 1 Tbls ground paprika

Method

Preheat your oven to 180C

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook for 1 minute. 



Add the mince and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps, for 4 minutes or until the mince changes colour. Add the cumin and paprika then cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Stir in the tomato.

Place the spinach in a colander in the sink. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 10 minutes. Add the pumpkin in the last 3 minutes of cooking. Pour the pasta mixture over the spinach in the colander to drain. Return the pasta mixture to the pan. 

Add the mince mixture and half the feta to the pasta mixture. Stir until well combined. 



Transfer the mixture to a large greased baking dish. Sprinkle with the parmesan, pine nuts and remaining feta. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.

For a different flavour, swap the ground cumin, feta and fresh mint leaves for dried oregano, fresh ricotta and fresh basil leaves.

DIY Toothpaste

I found this pictorial on how to make your own toothpaste and thought that opening a category where we can DIY our own natural products was a nice idea....

Do you like this idea? I'd love your feedback :)

Matt's Munchies from yasnaimports.com.au

The lovely Amelia from Yasna Imports sent me a wonderfully delicious parcel full of Matt's Munchies to trial and oh WOW !!  All of the flavours have less than 100 Calories per serving pack. They are certified Gluten free, Vegan, Kosher and Organic. They contain no artificial colours, flavourings or preservatives. Free of Soy and sugar also.

These Munchies tick every box !

These snacks are incredible, I adore them so much. They are bite sized squares of dried fruit rolled up into these packages. They are most definitely moreish and leave you wanting more more more.

My absolute favourite of them is the Chilli Chocolate, it has a wonderful chilli hit that is sure to satisfy those who like some bite.

You will be sure to very soon find these in your local health food stores but in the meantime you can buy them online HERE

The tagline on the packets is "An All Natural Trip To Paradise" and that's an understatement

Now... let me tempt you

Chilli Chocolate:

My favourite....  This is a delightful combination of heat and sweet that's sure to get your tastebuds dancing. This wholesome package contains only 70 calories.

Raspberry Delight:

Chocolate and Raspberries dance together very merrily in this unique combination. With only 70 Calories per packet it's a light way to satisfy them sweet cravings. 

Apple Pie:

Get your all American favourite pie in a handy bite sized dried fruit serve. Tastes amazingly like the real thing but with only 70 calories you can enjoy it guilt FREE !

Choco-Nana:

Imagine perfectly ripened Bananas bathing in a milk chocolate bath. Roll that up into bite sized pieces and you are spot on with flavour. With 80 calories, you can find your way to paradise without fear of overindulging. 

Banana:

Beautiful sun ripened bananas right from the plantation.... oh you can imagine them with this flavour. And if you need any more evidence that these Munchies are 100% natural it is with this flavour. Made with 100% Banana... nothing else. 70 calories is all that's in this for you also.

Apple-Licious:

A delightful blend of Mangoes and Tangy apples create this beautiful flavour and there's only 35 Calories !!!  

Ginger Spice:

Perfectly ripened Mangoes blended with spicy Ginger and then subtly finished with the warmth of Cinnamon create these delicious bites. And again only 35 calories per packet AMAZING !

Island Mango:

Have you been dreaming of a tropical island getaway? Let the flavours Coconut and Mango take you away. Close your eyes and dreaaaaaaaaaam a sweet dream. And with only 40 Calories per pack you can dream without guilt. 

Mango:

A refreshing and delicious taste thrill with only 35 calories and 1 ingredient !!

I hope I have sucessfully whet your tastebuds and made you dream of far away Islands and Tropical flavours. There's no need to just dream of the tastes when you can buy them easily online HERE Keep some in your car glovebox, one in your handbag and a few in the baby bag for a fast, easy to serve, guilt-free energy boost. Kids and adults alone will enjoy them. I know I sure have fallen in love.

Thank you Amelia for the opportunity to try these products. I am very impressed and will be seeing you soon to replenish my supply.

Product Review - OTi Organiser

As many of you know, the wonderful people at OTi Organiser have sent me a beautiful Spearmint green organiser to review. I am thoroughly delighted with my new organiser! I simply cannot find fault with it at all. I can't believe I have never owned one before.

Right from the start after you open the organiser it is handy. There is a nifty little pocket built into the cover that is perfect for storing any papers or appt cards that you may need throughout the year. I love this feature, I am forever losing such things in my handbag but now they will be secure and safe stored here. 

Every day of the year has a section not only for your appointments but for writing in exercise and your meal plan for the day. I find this extremely helpful for when you write up weekly meal plans and you want to mix things up and not keep making the same thing. We all know that rut of the same meal every single week yes? now you can flip easily through the year to see what lovely things you have made and get some inspiration for the following week. Down the right hand page of every week there is also a very handy 2 part section with To Do and People to contact. Again very helpful, especially when there is no need to specifically plan a date and a time, you can simply mark it here for reference through the week and get to it when you desire. I know this feature will be well used for me!

Do you love to travel? You'll LOVE the Going Away section at the back of the organiser. It has a section for everything from what to pack, Important phone numbers and right down to your travel Itinerary. Never forget the name of your hotel again !!

Love Entertaining? If you are like me, you will have lots of dinner parties through the year. I adore entertaining and this section is very very useful. Never repeat the same foods again for your friends, Keep notes of food allergies or dislikes. Write down what your friends rave about so you know what they like to make for them again. You can even write down what recipes you cook and what cookbook you got the recipe from. 

And last but not at all least. The removable contacts and notes book !! I absolutely HATE having to write all of my contacts information out every.single.year. Now I don't have to. I can write it all down in this wonderful removable book and simply transfer it to my new organiser next year. YAY. 

As you can see, I am in love with my new organiser. It even has a pen attached to the side for easy access and use. This organiser is a dream come true for me. I know that I am going to stick with this organiser year after year from now on. 

A HUGE thank you to OTi Organisers for sending me this gorgeous product to review. You have made a future customer here and I will brag about you to everyone I meet.

Check them out for yourself HERE and pick one up for next year..... I only wish it was January now so I can use it today.

Interview with Kasey Grover from Saucy Sweethearts

I met the delightful Kasey through my old business AmbeRocks as a customer and right from the start we hit it off and have been friends ever since. Today Kasey popped over for a spontaneous visit while she was passing through the area so over a cup of tea and some biscuits we talk about her business Saucy Sweethearts. 

Hiya Kasey lovely to have you here !!  Let's get down to business, I want to know a few things about you and why you choose to sell what you do and how you juggle family life and business life....

So Kasey, What was it about your products that made you say YES I want to sell that? 

When I first started the cost of international shipping was huge, I ordered some products from Lush online in the UK and I found the cost of it was way too high, it simply didn't justify the purchase. While I love to use so many different products from a variety of different companies, there is nothing "fun and different" in Australia that wasn't at an extortionate price. The products at Lush and The Body Shop whilst fantastic you find you pay through the nose and receive so little in return. What I wanted to be able to do was to bring fun and originality to Australian shores without the crazy international shipping price. I keep my prices as low as I can so that my products are affordable and combined with local shipping you can enjoy gorgeous international products from reputable, fantastic home run businesses right here in Australia. I was looking for products I was familiar with in terms of fragrance and product quality and what I found was so much more than that. I currently work with Cleanse Your Soul which is a home run business based in New Haven Missouri and the lady behind the business is amazing and helps me to feel confident and happy within my business and the products I sell. 

You have such a beautiful range of products, how do you choose which ones you want? 

I look for the types of products that are already familiar to us and then looked for them same items but with a different, fun and fresh edge in terms of fragrance and style but staying with companies that are well known and have a strong following in different places. I also wanted to sell a product that is unique to the Australian market. You will not find these products in another business inside of Australia. 

You have a beautiful little girl, I see how active she is. How do you balance caring for a feisty toddler and home life with your business? Do you have any tips for other work at home mums?

"Do what you can with the time that you have" I have made great personal sacrifices to stay on top of my business. I have a wonderfully supportive partner who accepts that sometimes, I have no choice but to dedicate some of our precious family time to the business. Even now, after a year - finding the right balance is difficult but with perseverance I am finding it possible. Sometimes them difficulties are truly highlighted especially when you have a teething toddler who demands comforting or she is sick and needs your comfort but you have a pile of orders on the website and a ton of emails in your inbox. You just pack in as much work as you can in the time you find available. 

Do you use your own products?

I use everything I sell on myself and my family. From the shower gels to the perfumes I have each one for our own use. The only outside products I buy are for my partner Nathan because I do not stock a large selection of male products. 

Lets talk about a few of your products that I have already used and loved for myself

Foaming Sugar Scrub  

I LOVE These products as you know, I am NOT allowed to run out !! Ps: thank you for the new ones today !! hehe I love how my skin feels so smooth and polished after a shower with these. Tell me something about them. 

They are essentially a foaming and exfoliating body scrub. As the sugar dissolves they turn into a general body wash with a long lasting fragrance. All of our sugar scrubs are Vegan. I use them on my face also to control oil and dry skin. I have never used an exfoliator that works like these do, and with my sensitive skin these are amazing. 

Cleanse Your Soul

I've recently noticed your new Cleanse Your Soul range. I very quickly bought some Black Raspberry Vanilla 3-in-1 Body Bubbles that you can use as a body wash, bubble bath and shampoo which I adore. I love it on the boys hair because it leaves it so shiny and smells delightful all the next day. Kasey... What one is YOUR favourite?

Yuzu Coconut Hair Protein Mist is my absolute favourite. It is so easy, I have it on my bathroom bench and if I don't have time to go through my usual beauty regime I can just wash my hair and spray some mist in my hair I know my hair will smell and feel fresh all day. I only need to use a little bit because it goes such a long way, and the smell is so gorgeous and long lasting. Using this on them days where you don't have the usual time to pamper yourself and put on your normal products makes you feel so good and gives you a great boost of self confidence knowing that you smell fantastic can really go a long way in improving your mood. 

Spectrum Cosmetics

I recently bought some of your Spectrum Cosmetics eye shadows and I adore their vibrancy and staying power. Is there anything you would like to say about them?

Our Australian collection is exclusive to Saucy Sweethearts. The colours Ice Queen, Desire and Witching Hour have been designed by us to remain exclusive to our customers, You cannot buy them anywhere else. Each colour in the Australian collection are named after places that the colours represent. They were named by a competition winner of ours that received the entire selection for her contribution. By buying the set instead of singularly you save a huge $25. 

It was awesome to sit with you Kasey and thank you for telling us a bit about your company.

If you want to check our Saucy Sweethearts, check out her website HERE and her facebook page HERE.

Luk Beautifood by Cindy Luken

There's a new product on the market that's sure to take over! Luk Beautifood is the incredible brain child of the delightful Cindy Luken. It's time to get delicious - inside and out by harnessing the health & beauty of food with these beautiful products.

We are so very very excited that Luk Beautifood is sending us some of her gorgeous products to try and review for you! I cannot wait to see them and taste them for myself. This is sure to be a scrumptious review.

A fresh approach to beauty by food lover ( & Scientist ) Cindy Luken. 

Everyday, we put nutrients ( Vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids ) into our body by eating healthy foods - fruits, veggies, nuts and grains, so why shouldn't we do the same when it comes to our beauty products? 

Turn your lipstick into a buffet of deliciousness with luscious lip nourish made from the gourmet goodness of avocado and sesame seed oils, honeycomb, citrus and spices and everything in between. With so many different flavour combinations there is definitely sure to be one just for you. 

Check out the amazing Lip Nourish Menu:

Vanilla & Cinnamon

Creamy vanilla bean and pure cinnamon oil | nude

Orange & Juniper

Sweet orange rind and crushed juniper berries | dusky pink

Lemon & Mint

Fresh lemon zest and pure mint oils | tea rose brown

Lime & Ginger

Lime and pink grapefruit zest, ginger root oil | rose brown

Mandarin & Cinnamon

Fragrant mandarin rind and cinnamon oil | warm cocoa

Tangerine & Vanilla

Tangerine zest and vanilla bean extract | deep mahogany 

Chai Shimmer     

Fragrant spice mix | golden beige

You can find Luk Beautifood on Facebook HERE and on her website HERE  

About Us

Thank you for taking the time to check out my blog, My name is Lisa Abejja and I am a married mum of 5 little boys. Yes FIVE !! I am a happy, easy to laugh girl who takes pleasure from the simple things in life. My greatest achievement is my beautiful family, this might not be much to many but to me this is gold. 

Having five children has meant I have had the opportunity to try many different products and this has given me a good idea of what a mum of today is truly looking for to use in her family. 

There is a dazzling array of products and brands on the market and this makes the decisions we have to make even more difficult, especially for first time parents and grandparents. This is why I have created this blog, I hope that it will grow into being a useful resource for mums and other caregivers to come to when they want to know if the item they are looking to buy is really as good as it says it is or whether there is a different one on the market that's more suited to their needs. 

Many of my favourite products are Australian made by small businesses, I love to support our local economy and I believe the best way to do this is to shop from little known online companies and help them to grow their name. I especially have a soft spot for natural baby care and home care products. 

My real world, hands on experience has given me the opportunity to:

* Look past the pretty packaging to the product beneath. I have found some wonderful gems amongst very plain packaging. 

* Know what really works for my children and my family. Looking beyond the advertising hype of the bigger brands to find the golden products beneath the radar. 

* Seek out smaller little known companies who are selling amazing products. I love to support these companies whenever I find them with advertising and getting their names out there and known amongst the people.

I truly hope that you find my blog informative and useful and I welcome you to comment upon anything I write about. Feel free to tell me what it is you love in a baby/child product. Is there a product that you think deserves to be written about here or maybe you have a product of your own that you would love to have reviewed and written about. 

Follow us also on Facebook to keep up to date on our latest reviews and competitions.