Theo

This is NOT a sponsored post.
Mama Marmalade does not write sponsored posts,
(unless it was for Jimmy Choo).
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I bought a Thermomix.

I had no intention of buying one but I am a sucker for anything sold at a Tupperware style party. One of my best friends had a Thermomix Party so I went along to be a bum on a seat and on the way there I even gave myself a strict talking to in the car.

“Stephanie, you are NOT.TO.BUY.ANYTHING. Nothing. Do not get sucked in”.

It was the sorbet that sold me. I’d only been there five minutes and the consultant made the first of five dishes and I’d decided I was buying one. By the time she made custard I had my credit card out.

I’ve had it for a week now and in true Stephanie fashion I’ve gone totally overboard with it and haven’t stopped cooking since, which for anyone who knows me well is quite amusing given I’m not into cooking and can’t bake to save myself.

I’ve become one of those eating enablers that you see on the fattest person in the world type documentaries. A ‘feeder’ if you will. Stuffing my family with all the things I’ve been making.

It really has to stop.

Theo arrived at 1.30pm last saturday, he entered our world weighing a healthy 10kg and has brought so much joy to our lives. What a little blessing he is.

In Theo’s first twenty four hours he made:

Butter chicken
White chocolate custard
Poached eggs
A chocolate cake
Chunky basil dip
Chicken veloute
Steamed greens
Raspberry sorbet
Vegetable soup
More white chocolate custard, and
Anzac cookies

I am well aware that I totally suck at moderation and I can now add thermomixing to my repertoire of obsessive behaviours. Goody.

After I recovered from last weekend’s eatathon I was too frightened to get on the scales and I started to worry about how Theo was going to impact my waistline if I continued on the path to Nigelladom.

So I wrote a menu plan for the week in an attempt to not make white chocolate custard for dinner which was extremely tempting.

Instead I made chicken cattiatore risotto, salami pasta, steamed fish, Moroccan beef curry, chilli con carne and stir fry chicken for our dinners. In between I also made a flourless chocolate cake, 5 seed bread, protein bars, vegetable dip and a heap of things for the kid’s school lunches.

And more custard, obbbvvviously ..

The strange thing is that I have never taken my cooking seriously. I really like eating but in the past I only cooked things that are quick, non mess and moderately healthy for my family. Which inevitably meant buying processed foods in jars and packets with oodles of nasties in them.

Plus, with so many kids the last thing I want to do is pour over cook books spending hours in the kitchen. Hats off to other Mum’s that do, I just can’t be bothered. I’d rather scroll through Instagram looking at other people’s baking efforts than do it myself.

I have friends who have often asked me how I manage to cook for so many without a Thermomix and that I really should get one because they are awesome. My reply was that I just don’t take my cooking that seriously and I’d rather spend $1950 on shoes and handbags.

Because I am a bit of a wanker like that.

Anyway. What I love about the Thermomix aside from how quick and non mess it is – is that it only uses whole ingredients. No preservatives, no additives and any sugar that goes in is put in by me so I have control over it.

My family are eating better and the content of what they are eating is chemical free. I am not going to sit here and tell you it’s completely healthy because we still eat sugar and white flour and all the things that Nazi foodies tell you we shouldn’t, but it’s balanced and fresh and has a blade that spins at 250km an hour, so I can blend the shit out of veges and my kids have no idea they’re eating them.

Did I mention I took $100 off my shopping bill last week? I really did.

Given I am so serious about my running and keeping my family active, it might be surprising that I’m not a foodie health freak, but I’m not. I exercise and don’t drink alcohol so there is ZERO chance of me giving up nice food.

I will never turn into a food nut and eliminate meat, dairy, wheat, grains and sugar from my diet. I don’t know anyone who does this who isn’t miserable despite their claims they’re not.

This is why Theo is strictly a kale free machine. Life is too short to eat stuff that quite frankly should remain in the ground because it tastes like poison.

Food should be fun and I plan on totally overhauling the way we eat from now on. I’ve even started making my own butter.

So am I a fan of the Thermomix? Hell, yes. Nobody else in my family gets a cuddle first thing in the morning.