September 2013 Whole Food Recipes from SCR

Roasted Almond Chocolates

• 4 tablespoons coconut oil 
• 4 tablespoons cacao or cocoa or carob
• 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons roasted almond butter (for a nut free version use 2 tablespoons of hulled tahini mixed with 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup, delicious!)

Place your silicon mini muffin tray into the freezer.

Gently melt the coconut oil and honey or maple syrup, remove from the heat and stir in the cacao/cocoa or carob. Remove tray from the freezer and spoon in enough of the chocolate mixture to cover the base. Gently spoon in the almond butter and pour over the remaining chocolate to cover. Put your chocolates into the freezer to set and store.

Date and Orange Scones-not-Scones

• 350gms cooled roasted sweet potato flesh (the white flesh/purple skin variety) 
• 6 medjool dates, seeds removed
• Zest of one orange
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda (baking soda)
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius
Grease a 12 hole muffin pan
Blend the potato and the dates roughly in your blender, add in the remaining ingredients and gently mix until well combined. Spoon into pan and bake for 30 mins. Allow to cool slightly before moving to cooling rack. Enjoy

Wholefood Simply Bread

• 300 grams sweet potato flesh* 
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons of coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon bicarb soda / baking soda
• Juice of half a lemon
• pinch of salt

Roast a purple skin / white flesh sweet potato and keep the flesh for this recipe.

Preheat your oven to 180 Degrees Celsius or 350 Degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease and line a mini loaf tin (mine is 6″ x 2.5″ ) with baking paper hanging oven the sides for easy removal.

Put the ingredients into your food processor or blender and pulse until well combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, smooth over the top with a spoon. Bake for 40 minutes. Cover the loaf with foil and bake for a further 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing, Enjoy. 

September 2013 Green Tips from SCR

SECOND-HAND DOESN'T MEAN SECOND-BEST

Consider buying items from a second-hand store. Toys, bicycles, roller blades, and other age and size-specific items are quickly outgrown. 

Second hand stores often sell these items in excellent condition since they are used for such a short period of time, and will generally buy them back when you no longer need them.
 

BAN BATHTIME!

Have a no-bath week, and take showers instead. Baths require almost twice as much water. Not only will you reduce water consumption, but the energy costs associated with heating the water.

 INVEST IN YOUR OWN COFFEE CUP!

If you start every morning with a steamy cup, a quick tabulation can show you that the waste is piling up. Invest in a reusable cup, which not only cuts down on waste, but keeps your beverage hot for a much longer time. 

Most coffee shops will happily fill your own cup, and many even offer you a discount in exchange!

September 2013 Natural Cleaning Tips from SCR

Clean the Dishwasher!

To clean your dishwasher effortlessly, fill a dishwasher safe bowl or jar with 2 cups of vinegar and set on the top rack of the dishwasher. I used a small glass Pyrex container.

Run through on a hot cycle with no other dishes in the dishwasher to clean and remove the musty odor.



Basic Air Freshener Spray Formula

There are so many reasons to give up commercial aerosol room sprays and make your own air freshener spray!

Chlorofluorocarbons are harmful to the planet, and aerosolized chemicals should never be inhaled, yet that is exactly what we do when we spray aerosol air freshener!

As a safe, non-toxic alternative, you can make your own air freshener using baking soda as the base, because it is a natural deodorizer.

You will need:
• Baking Soda
• Warm water
• Lemon juice or your favourite essential oil
• small spray bottle

Dissolve 1/8 cup baking soda and 2 cups of warm water in the spray bottle, and shake well to dissolve. Then add several drops of your favourite essential oil. If you don't have essential oil on hand, use 1/8 cup of lemon juice. Citrus is a great choice for this formula, because it smells clean and fresh! Remember to label this bottle, and shake well before each use to mix the fragrance.

September 2013 NQF & NQS Tips from SCR

National Quality Framework & National Quality Standards

NQF 1.2.2 Educators respond to children's ideas and play and use intentional teaching to scaffold and extend each child's learning.

This is one of the most important aspects of the NQF. How Educators interact with children and encourage their learning is an area that Validators look at closely.

Intentional teaching - what is it you want to achieve? How will you assist in extending children's ideas? What questions can you ask?

• Can we make it? 
• Can we borrow it?
• Where else would we find it?
• Have you ever seen that before?
• Should we look in a book?
• Could we ask some friends to help?
• I wonder what would happen if..........?

When you pose some interesting questions to children the responses you get will usually surprise you! Have Fun!!!


NQS 1.2.3 Critical reflection on children’s learning and development, both as individuals and in groups, is regularly used to implement the program.

We used to call it evaluations but now it is reflecting and the key component is the word ‘critical’. When you watch the children in individual and group situations do you take the time to ask yourself ‘what’s actually happening?’ ‘What do I think?’ and ‘where to from here?’ Use these questions to make sure you are reflecting on the children’s abilities, interests, creative thought processes, imagination and skills and extend upon these accordingly.

 
NQS 2.1: Each child’s health is promoted.

This is pretty broad and can be interpreted in many ways but when looking at this and how it looks within your service break it down into areas and work on these.  

•  Are they comforted when distressed? 
• Is water always accessible? 
• Are their meals nutritious? 
• Are effective supervision techniques implemented at all times? 
• Do they understand hygiene practices and are these consistent within your service? 
• Are Parents aware of all these items and how you do it?

NQF 2.1.1: Each child’s health needs are supported

Allergies and Intolerance's – we know these words well! This element also refers to any health need of a child, a disability, an injury, cultural beliefs or simply something specific a Parent has requested.

Get to know your children and families – what are their needs and can you cater for it? Something that is always helpful is an ‘allergy, health requirements and intolerance list’ form. You can complete one for every room so that all educators are aware of these as well as relief educators as the children’s health, safety and well being is always our priority. Don’t forget to regularly update these! 

September 2013 EYLF Tips from SCR

Early Years Learning Framework

2.4: Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment.

This doesn’t only apply to our environment as a whole but also to their environment at childcare, school, family day care and home. We need to teach children to be responsible for their belongings, their artwork, the equipment they use, their books, toys etc. Be patient with them and teach them how to do this!

With regard to the environment, do you have recycling stations in your rooms? Do you sing songs about the environment? Have you got a vegie patch? Do the children understand why we turn off fans, lights and air conditioners? Do you know what’s happening globally so you can educate your children?

There is so much we can teach our children about saving our planet – get involved!!!

 
3.1: Children become strong in their social and emotional wellbeing.

HUGS, HUGS and more HUGS!! That is a great place to start. Children need to know they are safe when they are with you so by showing them affection and using comforting words they can then become more confident and secure. From this children then have the confidence to explore and understand new relationships both with peers and Educators. 

Remember: When children feel as though they BELONG and have opportunities to BE children, they BECOME confident learners.

 3.2: Children take increasing responsibility for their own health and physical well being.

So often we underestimate what children can do and tend to take over as its quicker – slow down, look at your environment, think about your age group and your pace.

We are talking about self help a little here so make sure children can access water on their own, can go the bathroom on their own, wipe their faces, assist with cleaning where possible, choose what they want to do within the room etc. Give them time to dress themselves, put their own shoes on and celebrate these wins. They are gaining confidence with every small step they take.

August 2013 Whole Food Recipes from SCR

Barbecue Sauce (Dairy Free)

Quick and delicious, this is an easy sauce to make for burgers.

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:
Olive oil, for frying
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ cup tomato paste (concentrated puree)
½ cup apple juice
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch ground cinnamon
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 teaspoons tamari
3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
3 teaspoons honey

Method:
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and garlic, cover with a lid and cook gently for 3 to 5 mins, or until soft (a heat diffuser is useful here). Add all the other ingredients. Cover again with the lid and continue to cook over low heat for 15 to 20mins. Blend in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Source: Wholefood by Jude Blereau

August 2013 Green Tips from SCR

PLANT A TREE

It's good for the air, the land, can shade your house and save on cooling (plant on the west side of your home), and they can also improve the value of your property.

Make it meaningful for the whole family and plant a tree every year for each member.


 


USE YOUR CRUISE CONTROL
 
You paid for those extra buttons in your car, so put them to work! 

When using cruise control your vehicle could get up to 15% better mileage. Considering today's fuel prices, this is a bonus not only for the environment but your budget as well. 

 

August 2013 Natural Cleaning Tips from SCR

Basic Vinegar Clean and Shine
Antibacterial Formula

Use this solution as you would any other store-bought antibacterial cleaner. It’s safe and saves a bundle!

• 1 cup white vinegar 
• 1 cup water
• Five drops of liquid soap

Add mixture to a spray bottle and use for cleaning kitchen and bathroom surfaces such as appliances, mirrors, stainless steel sinks, laminate counter tops and tile. You can add a tablespoon of coarse salt directly on your sponge to act as an abrasive when using this formula on kitchen and bathroom sink fixtures. Vinegar can be irritating to the skin, so please use gloves. 

Important note about special counter surfaces such as granite: please do not use this mixture on stone surfaces, as acids can etch and damage the stone. Follow your particular manufacturer’s cleaning instructions.

How to Remove Permanent Marker... It’s Not Permanent - by Jessica

Recently, my son found his way to the only permanent marker yet to be banished from our home.

Upon finding said marker, he feverishly decorated my kitchen and himself.

After weeks of tweeting, googling and testing products, I have ultimately gotten the marker out of everything. AND due to his efforts, I now have a nice little list of how to get permanent marker out of pretty much anything in your home.

From clothing and pretty much everything else: hand soap

and if that doesn’t work…

From painted walls: toothpaste

From carpet: white vinegar, pour on area and cover with a towel, gently blot with towel, do not rub (courtesy of @stayathomebabe)

All-Natural Home made scouring powder!

Ingredients:
2 parts baking soda
1 part salt
1 part borax powder

To Make:
Pour ingredients into jar or bowl.
Mix or stir until well mixed.
If you want to make a shaker, put in a large jar and poke some holes in the top (carefully) with a sharp serrated knife.

To Use:
Lightly wet surface with water or undiluted white vinegar (for really bad messes)
Sprinkle powder on and let sit 5 minutes
Scrub with sturdy brush until clean
Rinse with water or vinegar (for really bad messes) 

August 2013 NQF Tips from SCR

National Quality Framework

Quality Area 1.2: Educators and co-ordinators are focused, active and reflective in designing and delivering the program for each child.

A key word here is reflective! Do you reflect on your practices, your beliefs, your philosophy, your teaching methods, your environment and your relationships just to name a few!

Working collaboratively with co-Educators is an important part of the NQS and it relay assists you as an Educator and team mate.

Make the time to reflect each week and make sure this is documented. Also make some time for group collaboration as part of staff meetings.

We sometimes get stuck in our way of doing things so by engaging all those around you can ensure you are creating a wonderful space for children to grow and learn.

We all have different strengths – use the people around you to help make your program the best it can be!

 

July 2013 Whole Food Recipes from SCR

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Get rid of the tommy sauce people and make your own!!
 
The best flavoured tomato sauces are generally made from well-ripened, organic tomatoes, preferably roma. They can be peeled and seeded first, although this is not absolutely essential. The keys to developing a deeply flavoured sauce are a good length of time to saute the onion and herbs, using well-ripened toms and a long, slow reduction time. Canned tomatoes can be used to make a good sauce, particularly in Winter but when tomatoes are in season fresh ones make a far superior sauce.
 
Makes 2-3 cups
10 large well-ripened roma tomatoes
Olive oil for frying
1 onion
1-2 garlic gloves, crushed
7-10 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1 sprig fresh oregano (optional)
2-3 teaspoons apple juice concentrate (or to taste)
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

If using fresh tomatoes, cut an X at the bottom of each one, to pierce the skin. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Put 2-3 tomatoes at a time in the water for 15-20 seconds. Remove and allow to cool just a little. Using a sharp knife, peel off the skin. Cut tomatoes into quarters – if you would prefer to remove the seeds, simply remove them with your fingers, into a bowl, and then dice the flesh into another. Put all skins and seeds into one bowl (this is later squeezed, or put through a sieve to extract all remaining liquid. Some tomatoes will have a lot of liquid, others virtually none.) If retaining seeds, simply cut the tomato quarters, dice and add to a bowl.

Heat 1 tbls of olive oil in a frying pan. Add onion and saute for 5 mins over a very low heat, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and continue to cook for a further 5 mins. Add all the other ingredients (with 2 teaspoons of apple juice concentrate to start). If using fresh tomatoes include all the liquid squeezed from the tomato skins and seeds, cover with a lid and simmer slowly for 30 to 40mins. If using canned...

Pesto (Gluten Free)

To make a good pesto you need good ingredients. It is important to buy fresh parmesan cheese and fresh garlic, and the olive oil you use should be the absolutely best quality – unrefined and unfiltered.

Makes approx. 1 cup

2 handfuls fresh basil leaves
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup pine nuts
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/3 cup olive oil

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well incorporated. Try not to blend for too long; it should be chunky, not smooth, homogeneous blend.
Pesto will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks, and can be used in so many wonderful ways – dolloped on top of minestrone soup, spread on toast, or as a topping for a quick pasta meal.

Source: Wholefood by Jude Blereau

Basic Muesli (Wheat free)

Makes 7 cups

You will need:
4 cups rolled (flaked) grain (barley, oats, rice, rye or spelt)
½ cup hulled sunflower seeds
½ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
½ cup sesame seeds
1 cup roughly chopped almonds
1 cup chopped dried fruit
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Fresh fruit, to serve
Plain yoghurt, to serve

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and serve with fruit and yoghurt.

Variations:
• Add roasted seeds and nuts (such as walnuts, hazelnuts and macadamia nuts).
• Store the muesli with a vanilla bean for a subtle vanilla flavour.
• Add flaxseed.
• Add ½ cup flaked coconut, preferably fresh. 

Source: Wholefood by Jude Blereau 

July 2013 Green Tips from SCR

RECYCLE GLASS!!

Recycled glass reduces related air pollution by 20 percent and related water pollution by 50 percent. If it isn't recycled it can take a million years to decompose.


CHANGE YOUR LIGHT... 

If every household in the Country replaced one regular light bulb with one of those new compact fluorescent bulbs, the pollution reduction would be equivalent to removing close to one million cars from the road. There are now so many to choose from so get to your local shop and make the switch!
 
Don't like the colour of light? Use these bulbs for closets, laundry rooms and other places where it won't irk you as much.

July 2013 Natural Cleaning Tips from SCR

The Wonder of Baking Soda!

Baking soda can be used to scrub surfaces in much the same way as commercial non-abrasive cleansers. Baking soda is great as a deodorizer.

Place a box in the refrigerator and freezer to absorb odours. Put it anywhere you need deodorizing action. It can be used in rubbish bins, the laundry, and even a teenage boys super smelly sneakers!!

Baking soda is actually one of the most versatile cleaners on the planet.

Every step we take no matter how small helps to save our planet!

Basic Air Freshener Formula

There are so many reasons to give up commercial aerosol room sprays and make your own air freshener spray!

Chlorofluorocarbons are harmful to the planet, and aerosolized chemicals should never be inhaled, yet that is exactly what we do when we spray aerosol air freshener!

As a safe, non-toxic alternative, you can make your own air freshener using baking soda as the base, because it is a natural deodorizer.

You will need:

Baking Soda
Warm water
Lemon juice or your favourite essential oil
small spray bottle

Dissolve 1/8 cup baking soda and 2 cups of warm water in the spray bottle, and shake well to dissolve. Then add several drops of your favorite essential oil. If you don't have essential oil on hand, use 1/8 cup of lemon juice. Citrus is a great choice for this formula, because it smells clean and fresh! Remember to label this bottle, and shake well before each use to mix the fragrance.

 

July 2013 NQF & NQS Tips from SCR

National Quality Standards & National Quality Framework  

QA 1.1.6 Each child’s agency is promoted, enabling them to make choices and decisions and influence events and their world.
 
We want children to be confident within their environment and be able to choose activities based on interest. Promoting a child's agency means letting them self select, giving them the wonderful skill of independence is a key quality needed to prepare them not only for school but life as well.

Make sure items are at child height (of course you need to make the environment safe but don’t restrict them too much) so they can select what they want to play with.
Be aware of the age group you are working with – they are capable of much more than we think so let them wash their hands and faces, put their sunscreen on, select foods, dress themselves etc.

Slow down and have realistic expectations! What does it matter if the children take half an hour to put their shoes on?? When you take over you rob them of experiencing the wonderful feeling of achievement and pride that comes with completing a task all by themselves.

The children will let you know usually with a rather big tantrum if you are not promoting their sense of agency!!

 

Quality Area 1.1.5 Every child is supported to participate in the program.  

This ties in well with our EYLF Tuesday tip! By providing activities that encourage a child’s sense of agency we support them to participate in the program. Provide an environment in which children can be curious, ask questions, extend their learning and feel as though they BELONG!

Some handy hints:

• Within the older groups – ask the children what they want do for the day. Encourage this by asking ‘is there anything else you need?’ ‘Can some of your friends help you with this?’ ‘Have we got the resources you need?’ etc. Within the younger groups provide a range of activities and resources that the children can naturally select based on their interest. If you have had some family involvement make sure that has been incorporated into the program as well.

•   Belonging displays assist in making the child feel as though they are supported and nurtured.

• When documenting – be sure to include each child – have you spoken to each child today? Have you observed every child interacting within their environment and with their peers? Have you given some of your time to each child?

In the end it is not what we provide for children but the time we have given them that they remember!

 

 

July 2013 EYLF Tips from SCR

Early Years Learning Framework

Learning Outcome 1.2 Children develop their emerging autonomy, inter-dependence, resilience and sense of agency.

So what does this look like in a childcare setting? Our aim is to have engaged, confident learners within our rooms and we do this in many ways, one of which is allowing children to explore, learn boundaries, make friends, be independent and BELONG!

We used to call this ‘self-help’ skills but know we realise how much more is involved in this. Children need to know they can make decisions for themselves, this is how they learn what is right, wrong, safe or dangerous. Of course the children’s safety is our priority but be aware of how many opportunities you are providing for children within their day.

Confident learners need areas to explore, an environment that evokes curiosity and a supportive Educator encouraging them along the way!

 

Learning Outcome 1.3: Children develop knowledgeable and confident self identities.

When children have opportunities to be heard and their opinion is listened to and valued they become confident learners. Our aim is to ensure that when children go off to school they are confident enough to question, reason, listen and learn and if they are aware of who they and they believe in themselves this will happen.

We need to treat children with the respect and love they deserve. Praise them often, listen well and use your intentional teaching techniques to ensure they develop positive self concepts.