I love you to Eris and back...

I was snuggled up reading a book with my little branch last night, when she said that her teacher read her this book at kindy. Oh lovely, I say. Because it was one of those beautiful, almost sickly sweet mummy-loves you-forever-to-that-planet-past- Pluto, that’s not really a planet…. You get the idea.

Yes, little branch says, “I told my teacher that you don’t love me.” Pardon?! Me, who is reading you the third book for the night, who plays fairies with you, even acknowledges you at the shops when you have a massive tantrum? Me, who gets up to you in the night, tucks you back in, kisses you on the forehead and says I love you every time?

Yes, me. She smiles cutely and snuggles in to me. So I explain to her that I love her and we talk about all the ways people show they love each other. About forgiveness. She has well lost interest by now, keen to get back to the great book.

I think that is why I do love reading to my kids at the end of the day, no matter how old they are. You discover the most interesting things. Like how I have now learned that I have to go and do OTT displays of affection at kindy so the teacher doesn’t think I am awful!

I also think that there aren’t many problems in kids' lives that can’t be solved by reading just the right book. They are such visual learners and stories help us connect to children. 

My favourite non-sickly sweet books are anything by Peter Carnavas. 

and "I love you forever" by Robert Munsch which is also a subtle story about the life cycle.

A not too sickly sweet recipe to pair with your reading:

Key Lime Pie

Pastry
• combine 1 cup SR flour, ½ cup plain flour, ¼ cup cornflour, ¼ cup custard powder, ¼ cup sugar 
• rub through 125 grams chopped butter til you get the breadcrumb thing happening 
• knife through an egg or two depending on the size 
• when it's combined, knead into a ball 
• cut the ball in half 
• press one half into a large pie pate (and freeze the other half for next time!) 
• bake the pie shell for 10 mins at 1800C then remove from the oven

Filling
• combine tin of condensed milk, 3 eggs, juice of 3 limes (don’t throw the skins away) 
• pour into the half baked pie shell and return to oven for approx 20 mins 
• remove from oven (should be a bit wobbly in the middle) and allow to cool 
• refrigerate

Topping
• whip 300 ml cream with 1 tablespoon icing sugar 
• fold through zest of 3 lime skins (told you not to throw them away) 
• spread cream over the filled pie, and back into the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving

I would love to hear other people's suggestions on their favourite books to read.

Holly Treechange

Images

http://cbishowcase.blogspot.com.au/2009/01/peter-carnavas.html

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