Foody Pinterest Plans

Everyone is aware of my Pinterest obsession by now I imagine..?

I love pinning recipe ideas (not that I ever get round to them!) And this week I seem to have been pinning quite alot of different ice lollies and frozen treat ideas.

Banana split... on a stick. How tasty does this look? 

I love iced coffee. And I love ice lollies. This is just my idea of heaven after a meal... I miss coffee while being pregnant!

Oh my days. I don't even think I need to say ANYTHING at all about this.

Don't these look refreshing? Coconut water and fruit - yum!

Mmmmm smoothie pops. These look refreshing and healthy. Perfect for a hot summers day (if we ever see one of those in the UK!)

I hope that has given you some icy treat inspiration - it certainly has given me some! Now go make your treats.... just stop salivating first!

What has been making me happy lately?

I haven't posted something like this in a few weeks and there has been so much recently in amongst the pregnancy pains that has been making me smile so I should really give it all some recognition.

Source

• Toasties - we bought our argos value toastie machine when I was in my first year at uni. I think it cost us about £4 and lately it has been my obsession! Personal favourites are tuna mayo with sweetcorn and cheese, ham with cheese and bbq sauce and sliced chicken with pesto and cheese (are you seeing a common cheese trend here..?). I think the nicest one I had was my tuna melt the other day on seeded bread... mmmmmmm.... 
• Being in slightly less pain - so I am now on maternity leave - woohoo! - and that means I can sit down whenever I need to, and I have all day long to do the housework that I would have forced myself to do (or not do) after a long, hard shift. 
• Squishy - Squishy has been kicking sooooo much recently. It makes me feel so lucky to be able to feel my little baby's kicks and wriggles all the time. I think that is going to be what I miss most after this pregnancy is over.
• Baths - is there anything better than going for a nice soak with a face mask? And candles lit? And nice piping hot cuppa? I did that today and it felt amazing!
• Naps - I have been taking an hour out most afternoons to just have a little dose on the sofa as I've been getting so tired. Its amazing how doing something small for yourself makes such a difference.
• Cooking - well having the time to cook mainly. Before I'd rush something rubbish out of the freezer at 6pm after I'd been to work all day and then taught in the evening... now I have all day to prepare us a lovely meal. The other half is being spoilt!

• My cat - this little fluff ball has been around all the time lately when usually he only comes back to the house to angrily demand food. It is so nice to have him around.
• Sandals - My body temperature is through the roof 90% of the time and so it has been nice to just pop sandals on when we go somewhere rather than having to wear my heavy work shoes and thick socks. 
• Painting my nails - I was never allowed to paint my nails while working and so I'm making the most of it now! I'm slowly working through all the different colours in my rather large collection of nail polishes - most of which haven't been used in a couple of years! I must find time to go through and purge the really gross ones!

Crafty Pinterest Plans #2

This week I have been thinking of trying to make some cutesy things for the home out of salt dough. I remember (like every other child in the country) making Christmas decorations out of this in primary school and so I know it is easy to do. Looking on Pinterest gave me so much inspiration for slightly more grown-up things I could try my hand at making though.

So first are these suncatchers that I saw. It looks like you fill the middle with plastic beads before they go in the oven (sort of like what you do if you make stained glass cookies at Christmas).

I love this idea of using stamps to put words onto these little discs. I saw some that had been used as labels for baking ingredients saying things like "Plain flour" and they would look so cute on a piece of twine around a glass jar.

How cute is this? This would be such a gorgeous addition to a child's birthday party or without the writing and just as a decoration for the home.

I know we've missed Easter but I just can't get over how gorgeous this little bunny is with his bow on! 

And finally, how beautiful is this? And such a simple idea too. I love the idea of using a doily to create the lace effect. So pretty.

Learning to look after me

I have been suffering with various things so far throughout this pregnancy - sciatica, acid reflux, morning sickness.... and I was just doing the bare minimum to help myself so I could keep plodding on with what I'm used to doing. I would still push myself to get things done and still expect myself to try and keep up with everyone else. For example, if we went into town altogether I'd still march around at the same pace as everybody else until we'd finished doing whatever needed to be done and then I'd collapse in agony for the rest of the day unable to move. Now I'm writing it down I can see how daft it was.

Source

This week I've decided to slow down a bit - people can wait for me! I set myself one housework task to do a day (be it mop the kitchen floor or take the clean washing upstairs) and if it doesn't get done I'll not beat myself up about it. I walk at my own pace and I don't ever try to keep up with anybody else.

I've also tried to do something for myself a few times a week - like putting a face mask on or having a really luxurious bath (with candles and a cup of tea and all the goodies) or just taking 20 minutes to paint my finger nails!

The last thing I've been doing is lying on my sofa after lunch for an hour or so. If I dose off to sleep in this time then fine, if I just lie there and collect my thoughts and feel my little baby wriggling around inside my belly then that is also fine. 

And you know what? I haven't had to take any painkillers since Sunday evening. I've had aches and pains - but they've not been bad enough to make me mope about or get upset. I've felt much more in tune with my body and I've slept a lot better at night as I've not been struggling to get comfortable in bed. 

I am so glad I've decided to learn to look after myself finally. 

Squishy report: 31 weeks pregnant

How far gone? 31 weeks - My bump is getting bigger and bigger!

Total weight gain: 13lbs - I lost a pound this week. I'm not worried as I think that I'm just eating better since going on Maternity leave - baby is still growing and growing (and growing..)

Maternity clothes: New clothes - finally! I've been washing the same 2 pairs of maternity trousers over and over since I got them and they are now the only things that fit me (well not including pyjamas...) and so I popped into town on Monday and bought myself a pair of plain black leggings that have a band to go over the bump (these are incredibly comfortable - £7.99 from H+M) and a pair of thick navy blue trousers that are a slimfit and have the over the bump band (again from H+M and these were the only pair they had and were reduced to £7!). I also popped into Primark (on a bit of a budget at the moment with all the house decorating that needs doing...) and picked up a stretchy black vest for £2, a stretchy black t-shirt for £2.50 and a bright pink longer stretchy vest for £3.50. I love these stretchy tops from Primark at the moment as they are comfortable, cheap and they are easy to throw on and look put together with a simple cardigan, maternity trousers and ballet flats.

Sleep: Sleep is much much better this week - I'm getting an average of 10 hours a night and then come 1pm I'm lying on the sofa for an hour and relaxing/dosing.

Movement: The baby is still as active as last week but I'm starting to see more of a pattern - so whenever I'm full or relaxed the baby starts doing somersaults. Clearly Squishy likes it when I'm feeling comfortable.

Food cravings: I'm not really having any cravings this week. This morning all I could think about was having a tuna and cheese toastie for lunch though and I really wanted some smokey bacon crisps with it (we only had cheese and onion Pombears... grrr). Today I want savoury more than sweet stuff and it has been the same for the past couple of days too... I don't know if that's just me missing the junk I used to eat at work or what...? I did have a bit of an unreasonable strop at the man on Saturday because he said we can't afford a takeaway and I really wanted one... but even if I woke up at 2am demanding something insane I don't think I could be mean enough to make him go get it for me when he is doing horrible 11 hour shifts at the moment.

Gender: No idea

Labour signs: Nothing - I went to a relaxation class yesterday about the first stage of labour so feel like I'll be a bit more clued up now when things get in motion.

Symptoms: The first half of this week was horrendous - heartburn was completely out of control and the pains were horrible. This was making me feel really low and sorry for myself and on Saturday I felt so miserable that I made myself some hot dogs and took them to eat in bed and then moped around on my laptop in bed for over 4 hours. But the second half has been a lot better. I'm starting to just accept that I need to relax more and look after myself better because when I don't that is when I get in pain and then start feeling unhappy.

What I'm looking forward to: So the nursery has had it's first coat of white paint (it needs that to let it soak into the plaster apparently...don't ask me) and we have been getting quotes off decorators to get it done. We chose and ordered the border and curtains last night! And we are getting the carpet fitted as soon as it is all painted. Which means all we now need is a curtain pole - unless we can salvage the one that used to be in there. It is is finally coming together! Woohoo!

I have been reading about Squishy's progress each week here so go and have a look. 

Using up eggs

I had a lot of eggs to use up in my fridge - 17 to be precise - so I had to be a bit creative with what I decided to do with them.

Firstly I made these egg and pepper breakfast muffins - just eggs and frozen mixed peppers mixed together and cooked in a muffin pan. So easy. 5 down, 12 to go!

Next I made up some freezable Yorkshire puddings that we can just pop into the oven from frozen to go with our Sunday lunches or with something like sausage and mash. I just used half a packet of batter mix (I cheated...) and 2 eggs and then used a shallow muffin tin to do them. This is the first half in the picture - I made 24 in total!

There was a little bit of batter mix left and I was starting to get peckish so I did myself two little pancakes in the frying pan using a metal biscuit cutter to make them circular. I topped them with mini marshmallows and chocolate syrup - yum!

10 to go!

I haven't made devilled eggs in so long! But I do love them. I hard-boiled 9 eggs (because that is how many I can get in the pan in one go) and then let them cool completely. Next I just peeled the shells, sliced them in half, scooped out the yolk and lay the whites out on the plate. I mashed up the yolks with a good dollop of mayonnaise and then scooped them back into the holes in the eggs and topped with a sprinkling of paprika. I love having these made ready in the fridge as they are great to just grab one or two when I'm feeling peckish in between meals, or to add to a simple salad to make a quick lunch.

1 to go!

Finally, that night for our tea I cooked us a simple egg fried rice to go with a Chinese chicken curry I'd had in the slow cooker all day. I couldn't believe how easy it was to do and how tasty it was! (Plus the man is usually quite fussy and even he took leftovers to work for lunch the next day!)

And that is it! 17 eggs used up and not one wasted. 



Egg fried rice

We love a takeaway as much as the usual family. But between the two of us a chinese usually comes in a fairly horrendous £13! I've been seeing so many people making "fakeaways" recently and so I thought I'd jump on board and give it a go.

Here is my super easy egg fried rice recipe.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. oil (we use extra virgin olive oil)
Cooled boiled rice (enough for two people - it doesn't matter what sort so long as it is plain)
1 cup of frozen peas
1 egg
2 tbsp. soy sauce

Method:
Heat up the oil in your frying pan or wok
Add in your cooled rice and stir fry it (keep stirring or it'll burn to your pan) for about 4-5 minutes or until it is fully heated
Throw in your frozen peas and give another good stir
In a little bowl beat the egg and add in the soy sauce (don't forget to keep stirring the rice though)
Now turn the heat down and  drizzle this eggy-saucy mixture over the rice and peas and give this a really good mix now - you don't a big block of egg in your rice, more evenly distributed throughout the rice.
And that is it. We didn't need ours straight away (I was making tea early so it could just be heated up when I'd finished teaching) so I popped it into a bowl and let it cool. This is fine to keep and reheat the next day too if you have leftovers.

Enjoy!