Italian Meat Balls

When I make my Italian meat balls I always remember the scene in The Godfather (one of my favourite movies) where Clemenza is teaching Michael how to make the perfect tomato sauce for them, just in case he needs one day to make it for 20 guys, then Sonny interrupts and tells them to 'cut the crap and we've got more important things to do'……Well, sorry, Sonny, I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one…these meatballs are so drop dead perfectly delicious…nothing can be more important….Enjoy!!!!

Ingredients

450g ground beef

450g ground pork

2/3 cup milk
3 oz white bread

¼ cup anari cheese

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs

2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon fresh parsley,

1 teaspoon oregano

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup flour for dusting

1/3 cup olive oil

For the Tomato Sauce:

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 tablespoons olive oil

Basil and parsley

¼ cup red wine

 

 

Method

This is an easy very quick way to make a rich tomato sauce, I just blend all the Tomato Sauce ingredients and then simmer until your sauce is nice and thick…that's it!!!!

Now, for the meat balls…..heat the milk in a small pot. Tear the bread into small pieces and soak in the milk until you have a paste. Leave to cool.

In a large bowl combine the beef, pork, anari cheese, parmesan, eggs, herbs and salt and pepper, the bread mixture. Use your hands to mix mixture well.

Once mixed, I used an ice-cream scoop as a measure for each meatball. Now, roll in your hands and then coat with flour. I placed them on a baking sheet as I was making them and then placed them in the fridge for a while.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and over a medium heat start to brown the meat balls, turning gently until all sides are browned.  What I usually do at this point is turn my heat down and cover the pan with a lid until centers are cooked through.

Once, cooked place meat balls in the heated sauce and serve with spaghetti sprinkled with parmesan.

Bon Appetito!!!

Androulla xxx

 

 

 

 

How to raise your child's emotional intelligence

Coach him to realize when he is stressed 

The first step to reducing stress is recognizing what stress feels like. Share how your body feels when you are under stress and ask your child or teen what goes on for them. You could also share the quote by Sir William Osler: “Our bodies weep the tears our eyes refuse to shed.” Teach your child how being aware of your physical response to stress will help regulate tension when it occurs.

Help your child Identify her stress response 

Everyone reacts differently to stress. If your child tends to become angry or agitated under stress, she will respond best to stress relief activities that quiet her down. If she tends to become depressed or withdrawn, she will respond best to stress relief activities that are stimulating. If she tends to freeze she’ll need stress relief activities such as giving a pet affection and attention that provides both comfort and stimulation.

Encourage your child or teen to discover the stress-busting techniques that work for him 

 The best way to reduce stress quickly is by engaging one or more of your senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Each person responds differently to sensory input, so you need to find things that are soothing and/or energizing to you.  If he responds more to sound, you may find a wind chime, a favorite piece of music, or the sound of a water fountain helps to quickly reduce his stress levels.

How to be a less stressed parent

1. Find a pediatrician you like

 In many ways, your pediatrician is like a partner. In fact, some women say that during the first couple of years, they talked to their pediatrician more than their husbands! Choose a pediatrician who offers practical advice and knows how to listen. Remember, there are no dumb questions when it’s about your child.

2. Incorporate time-saving products and services into your daily routine

Without a doubt, parenting is one of the richest and most satisfying roles we play. It is also filled with repetitive, routine tasks that can zap our best energy. There has been an explosion of modern conveniences designed to save you time and sanity.

For example, tear-free shampoos can help avoid bath-time battles; home-cooked meal delivery services ensure a nutritious dinner on the table. 

3. Plan ahead for tomorrow

To make your morning less hectic, spend a few minutes at night making tomorrow’s bottles and cups, picking out clothes, packing an “on the go” bag, etc. Make a to-do list so you don’t forget important errands. If your children are in pre school or older, let them participate in this routine. In the course of managing your time well, you are teaching them valuable skills. 

4. Establish a predictable night-time routine and create comforting rituals

Reading, singing or a warm bath at the same time each night will help your child understand it is time to go to sleep. Let your child use a safe comfort object to provide security. Keep an “open door” policy to make your child feel connected to you at night.

How to help your children deal with stress

Notice out loud

Tell your child when you notice that something's bothering him or her. If you can, name the feeling you think your child is experiencing. ("It seems like you're still mad about what happened at the playground.") This shouldn't sound like an accusation (as in, "OK, what happened now?

Are you still mad about that?") or put a child on the spot. It's just a casual observation that you're interested in hearing more about your child's concern. Be sympathetic and show you care and want to understand.

Listen to your child

Ask your child to tell you what's wrong. Listen attentively and calmly — with interest, patience, openness, and caring. Avoid any urge to judge, blame, lecture, or say what you think your child should have done instead. The idea is to let your child's concerns (and feelings) be heard.

Try to get the whole story by asking questions like "And then what happened?" Take your time. And let your child take his or her time, too.

Comment briefly on the feelings you think your child was experiencing

For example, you might say "That must have been upsetting," "No wonder you felt mad when they wouldn't let you in the game," or "That must have seemed unfair to you." Doing this shows that you understand what your child felt, why, and that you care. Feeling understood and listened to helps your child feel supported by you, and that is especially important in times of stress.

Put a label on it

Many younger kids do not yet have words for their feelings. If your child seems angry or frustrated, use those words to help him or her learn to identify the emotions by name. Putting feelings into words helps kids communicate and develop emotional awareness — the ability to recognize their own emotional states.

Kids who can do so are less likely to reach the behavioral boiling point where strong emotions come out through behaviors rather than communicated with words.

Children and Anxiety

In most cases, fears in childhood are fairly transient and short-lived. Different anxieties develop at different stages:

• Babies and toddlers might fear loud noises, heights, strangers and separation.
• Preschoolers might start to show fears of being on their own and of the dark.
• School-age children might be afraid of supernatural things (like ghosts), social situations, failure, criticism or tests, and physical harm or threat.

Infants and young children don’t tend to worry about things. For children to be worried, they have to imagine the future and bad things that might happen in it – this is why worries become more common in children over eight years of age.

Children also worry about different things as they get older. In childhood, they might worry about getting sick or hurt. In older childhood and adolescence, the focus becomes less concrete – for example, they may think a lot about war, economic and political fears, family relationships and so on.

What causes anxiety?
Some people are more likely to be anxious because it runs in the family (just like eye colour). People can also learn to think and behave in an anxious way by watching others, or by going through scary experiences. Certain things in a child’s environment might also increase the child’s chances of becoming anxious – for example, if a parent is overprotective of a shy child it might help the child in the short term, but can increase the child’s anxiety overall.

Ways to support your child

• acknowledge your child’s fear – don’t dismiss or ignore it
• gently encourage your child to do things she’s anxious about, but don’t push her to face situations she doesn't want to face
• wait until your child actually gets anxious before you step in to help
• praise your child for doing something he’s anxious about, rather than criticizing him for being afraid
• avoid labeling your child as ‘shy’ or ‘anxious’.