Bake Bike Blog

Its been a quinoa kind of week

2012-06-01T13:57:00.001+10:00

I just realised that there has been a run of sweet treats featuring on this blog lately. But, I promise, that we do eat more than muffins, crumble and friands.

Most of the time.

And when I received this book as a birthday gift from my sister in law last week (she knows me too well)…

Well I wasted no time in declaring this week to be a quinoa kind of week.

Our first dish…..

Quinoa lasagne! Although given that it contains no pasta sheets, it is probably better described as a Quinoa bake.

I started by making a bolognaise sauce, using minced beef, tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic and white wine. Simmered most of the afternoon until thick and rich.

Followed by my favourite “cheese” sauce, combining ricotta, eggs, and grated parmesan.

Then with a few cups of cooked quinoa, sliced zucchini and fresh basil…

We were ready to layer. Quinoa…

Zucchini and basil…

Meat sauce and ricotta sauce…

Repeated and finished with a sprinkle of grated mozzarella.

Baked until brown and bubbly on top.

Sliced and served alongside some crunchy greens…

And our quinoa meal was complete!

This had all the flavours of a lasagne – just minus the pasta. Making it a protein-packed gluten free alternative to the original.

It also yielded a lot – enough to feed us both for 3 nights. So the added bonus being that we could just ‘reheat and eat’ when Charlotte went to bed.

A win win all around.

What about you? What is your favourite way to use quinoa?

Time for exercise - family style

2012-05-31T13:49:00.001+10:00

Since Charlotte was born, I have learned (rather quickly) to not take the opportunity to exercise for granted. Gone are the days when I could head out for a long run, or spend the whole afternoon pedalling away on my bike.

While the temptation to ‘forget’ exercise for the time being is ever present, exercise has always kept the ‘happy’ endorphins running through my body. And, given that I am a strong believer that a happy mum = a happy baby, I have had to get creative to keep those exercise endorphins flowing.

Be it a daily walk, a weekly mountain bike ride, or as was the case today, a family exercise session.

Mr BBB had the morning off work, and I knew that I would be busy this afternoon with work myself (from home, nonetheless). Throw in glorious sunny day, and it seemed that the exercise gods had well and truly spoken.

So, we changed into our workout clothes just before Miss C’s morning nap, bundled her in the pram, and walked up to the local oval for a family exercise session in the sun.

The plan?

A tag-team circuit session.

While one of us ran a 500m loop around the oval…

(go Mr BBB go!!)

The other got ‘busy’ with some exercises (lunges, squats, step-ups, pushups, planks and situps) -

Using nothing but our bodies, and with the help of some ‘equipment’ we found nearby (for the step ups).

Then when the runner returned, it was time to swap…..

And so on, and so on, until we had both completed 6 running laps – or 3km overall. Add to that the 500m walk to and from the ovals, and the variety of exercises performed in between each running lap, and we had ourselves quite a decent exercise session overall.

Well for 2 of us at least ….

The third sleeping through the whole thing!

What about you? Been ‘creative’ with any workouts recently?

Blueberry lemon friands

2012-05-30T13:30:00.001+10:00

I think it will come as no surprise when I tell you that friands are one of my favourite treats to bake. The reason is three-fold.

One – they only require only one mixing bowl.

Two – they can be made gluten free.

And three – you can really be creative and make any variety you like.

On this occasion, which happened to be Mother’s Day, I decided to make a blueberry / lemon variety.

For no other reason than I had blueberries in the freezer, and a couple lemons in the fruit bowl.

Mixed under watchful eye of my little baking buddy…of course…

And 18 minutes later…

We had ourselves a plate of freshly baked friands.

Light and fluffy…

And a little sweeter than their blueberry muffin counterparts. But with a nice hint of tartness from the blueberries and lemon nonetheless.

They are best eaten the same day, however, so be sure to gobble them up with haste!

Blueberry lemon friands (GF) – makes 12

6 egg whites
150g butter, melted
1 cup almond meal
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
2/3 cup GF plain flour, sifted
zest and juice of one lemon
Frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 180C and lightly grease a friand pan.
Whisk egg whites in a large bowl until foamy. Add butter, almond meal, icing sugar, flour, lemon juice and lemon zest, and stir until just combined.
Divide among friand pan, and top each with 3 to 4 blueberries.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Allow friands to stand in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool.

What about you? What is your favourite blueberry dish?

From the mountain to the sea…. kind of

2012-05-28T14:51:00.001+10:00

Another Sunday…

And another mountain bike ride completed.

This time in the glorious Canberra sunshine.

We opted to cover a shorter lap this week, to try and avoid the anxiety of last week. The climb was the same, as were the lungs on fire, but we took a different descent along an old favourite trail of mine - cutting out about 3km of trails in the process.

I think the last time I travelled along the descent trail was during this race – almost 2 years ago! Boy a lot has changed since then – including the trail. Which was a lot rockier than I remember – but still a lot of fun!

1 hour and 13km later – we arrived back at the car - and headed home to spend the rest of the day with our little munchkin. And while our morning had been all about the mountain, our dinner was all about the sea. Kind of.

Prawns, marinated in garlic and coriander.

Pan-fried…

And served with a whole range of other tasty sides – peas, pumpkin, potatoes and asparagus.

Yep it was a ‘lets use up what’s left in the fridge’ kinda night –

Resulting in a rather random, but delicious, end to the day.

What about you? How was your Sunday?

Memory loss & muffins

2012-05-25T14:19:00.001+10:00

I have never been someone who has a particularly good memory. So much so that photographs, diaries and blogging have really been my saviours when it comes to keeping track of what I did yesterday, last week, last year…

You get the drift.

Then I fell pregnant. And ‘baby brain’ kicked in.

Then my daughter was born. And sleep deprivation kicked in.

And it seems that my memory is now completely gone as a result, with me forgetting even the most obvious of things.

Take this week’s forgetfulness by way of example:

I forgot to call my Dad on his birthday. He didn’t seem too fussed when I called the next day almost in tears, but I still get sad just thinking about it.
I put a load of washing on, and completely forgot to add laundry detergent. Twice. In a row.
I mailed a letter to my Mum, and forgot to write the postcode on the front. Here’s hoping it still reaches its destination.
I stared at my computer for a good 10 minutes trying to remember my password to log in.
I dressed Charlotte after her bath in a singlet and jumpsuit. Then realised it is probably a good idea to go back and put a nappy on her too…
I have put my sunglasses down somewhere. And I have no idea where.
I forgot to eat up the bananas in our fruit bowl, that were rapidly nearing the end of their life.

So although I couldn’t take back many of the things I forgot this week, I could fix the final one in the list. For overripe bananas mean only one thing….

Baking time!

In this case…

Banana raspberry spelt muffins.

Fluffy on the inside, and with a hint of tartness from the raspberries.

Perfect comfort food when one is starting to lose their mind.

Banana raspberry spelt muffins (makes 12)

2 cups spelt flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 overripe bananas, mashed
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
2 tbs vegetable oil
2 tbs apple sauce
Frozen raspberries- for topping

Preheat oven to 180C, and line a 12 muffin tray with paper cases.
Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl, then make a well in the centre.
In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Pour into the dry ingredients, and stir until just combined.
Divide among the muffin cases (about 3/4 full), and push 4 or 5raspberries into the top of each muffin.
Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out clean.
Allow to cool on a baking rack.

What about you? Do you have a good memory?

Birthday crumble

2012-05-24T12:34:00.001+10:00

Thankyou all for your well wishes and congratulations about my birthday and yesterday’s post. It truly was a wonderful day.

And, although there was no birthday cake for me this year, there was indulgence of another kind.

A sweet, crumbly kind.

Apple crumble!

I have been meaning to make apple crumble for a while now. I think it has something to do with the chilly temperatures outside. Then, when a large amount of apples showed up in our weekly fruit / vegetable box, it seemed the apple crumble gods had spoken….

And I was only to happy to comply.

I simmered the apples in a mixture of brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and vanilla bean until caramelised.

Spooned into ramekins…

And topped with a mixture of oats, GF flour, butter and a little more sugar*.

* This is where I think I went wrong…

Baked in the oven for 20 minutes or so…

Until golden brown and the crumble became ‘crumble’.

Warm, rich and oh so comforting. The apples were delightful, but sadly when combined with the crumble, it ended up being a little too sweet for me (*gasp* is there such a thing?!).

But not to be deterred – we promptly added a scoop of vanilla ice-cream on top – which cut through some of the sweetness.

Thereby correcting sweetness with more sweetness?! but it worked.

So let’s call this one a work in progress. And I am more than happy to continue my quest for a perfect apple crumble!

What about you? Are you a fan of fruit crumbles??

31 today

2012-05-23T14:41:00.001+10:00

Thankyou all for your lovely comments re my last post - it seems that ‘mummy-guilt’ is fairly common place. I just need to relax a little – which the rational part of me knows will not only be good for me, but Charlotte also. If only the irrational part of me would listen!

Today has been a splendid one, thus far. For I went to sleep aged 30, and woke up a year older. And what better way to celebrate another year passing by than with my little family. I did have to go into work for a while this morning, but was greeted on my return home by a big bunch of flowers courtesy of Mr BBB and Miss C…

And the promise of a shopping trip in the near future to select a new piece of artwork for our main living area. Most excited indeed!

Oh and in other exciting (and well timed for my birthday) news…I was thrilled to find out that I made it through to the next round of the Gourmet Garden Cook Off / Blog Off competition. So yours truly will be competing in a “cook off” at the Sydney Good Food and Wine Festival in June. Exited? Yes! Nervous? Most certainly!!!

Perhaps my impending birthday has had something to do with the sense of nostalgia I have experienced recently. For I have found myself reflecting more and more on the changes that have taken place in my life over the last 12 months. Big, wonderful changes.

Last year I celebrated my 30th birthday with a Moroccan dinner party with friends and family at home…

And this year I am celebrating my birthday with the newest addition to our life.

The last 12 months really have been nothing short of amazing. I travelled both nationally and internationally. I ran, I biked, I baked. I stood at the edge of the Grand Canyon. I boated next to the Niagara Falls. I got pregnant, grew a baby and gave birth to our daughter. I went from blonde, to brunette and back to blonde again. We landscaped our yard. I gained 13kg, and lost 11kg. I went from working full time, to working part-time from home.

I feel as if I have grown as a person.

And my birthday wish from this time last year came true…

Time for a photo trip down memory lane…

Who knows what the next year will bring? All I know is…I’m pretty excited to find out!

Mountain biking and mummy guilt

2012-05-21T13:18:00.001+10:00

Yesterday Mr BBB and I indulged in what is fast becoming our Sunday ritual.

A morning mountain bike ride.

We left Miss C at home with her Aunty (who assures me that she loves her weekly 'Charlotte time'), and we hit the nearby trails.

And this time, we left the beginner trails behind and hit the regular trails. Which equals lots of hills, lots of switchbacks, and lots of climbing. And feeling like your lungs are on fire (well if you are me, that is).

The climbing is always worth it, however, when you reach the top and are rewarded with gorgeous views and a long smooth descent back down to the car.

But as the kilometres and minutes ticked by, I found myself not embracing the opportunity to be out on the bike. Rather, while the first half 40 minutes had felt fine, once the clock neared 1 hour, I could feel anxiety slowly starting to build inside me.

I felt restless. I felt tense.

I missed my little girl.

Despite knowing that Charlotte was in more than capable hands, and that I had only been away from her for less than 2 hours, I felt a strong sense of anxiety.

And guilt.

Guilt for leaving her and getting out for a ride - feeling that perhaps I should be at home instead.

Luckily we were on the last section of the trail when my anxiety kicked into overdrive. I let Mr BBB know how I was feeling, and let the emotions drive my legs as we powered back to the car. From there, we loaded up our bikes and headed straight home instead of picking up lunch on the way like we planned. I leaped out of the car as soon as it pulled into the driveway, straining to hear any crying coming from inside.

And you know what I saw as soon as I walked in the door?

Miss C - fast asleep on her Aunt's shoulder. Probably none the wiser that I had even been gone, and certainly not upset in the least.

And yes. I felt a little silly about the whole thing.

This ride brought out so many emotions in me. The “me” of last year would have ridden all day without a moment’s thought. Yet the “me” of today could barely last 2 hours, and not for any physical reason. I have heard about “Mummy-guilt”, but I had no idea it would hit me this hard.

Anyone know whether it eases with time???

Gourmet Garden - Salmon & broccoli pasta bake

2012-05-18T17:13:00.001+10:00

Happy Friday lovely people!

I must admit, I am feeling a little tired today. Miss C was unsettled most of the night, then decided that 5.00am was as good a time as any to start the day. And, although she fit in a few naps throughout the day, this silly Mama didn’t, so it will (hopefully) be an early night for me tonight.

Fingers crossed.

When it came to thinking of what to put together for dinner this evening, I was rather grateful to at least have a little flavour inspiration owing to the Gourmet Garden Blog Off / Cook Off.

And with a box of GF pasta and a tin of salmon in the cupboard..

And some produce slowly dying in the fridge…

I declared it a pasta bake kinda night.

A salmon & broccoli pasta bake kinda night to be precise.

No recipe today – for there really wasn’t that much to it. Just milk, cream and a couple eggs…

Flavoured with the help of these garlic and basil pastes.

Tossed through some broccoli (that I had steamed), mushrooms, baby spinach and the tinned salmon….

Along with the GF pasta and a good handful of grated cheese…

And the base of the pasta bake was done.

Then, instead of the standard breadcrumbs, I sprinkled brown rice crumbs over the top of the bake for a little crunch after it has baked.

A GF dish? YES. A dairy-free dish? Most certainly NOT lol!

And voila. All ready and waiting for a little oven time when Mr BBB gets home from work and Miss C goes to bed.

Although I suspect that I too will be heading to bed not long after dinner.

What about you? Any plans for the weekend? Mine is looking fairly low key, although I do hope to get out on the mountain bike at some point for a short ride.

Gourmet Garden - Chilli Sausage Stew

2012-05-17T12:56:00.001+10:00

Another day, and another Gourmet-Garden inspired meal.

This time, returning to my preference for a ‘make ahead’ meal.

Chilli sausage stew!

Jazzed up with the help of 3 Gourmet Garden herb pastes…

Garlic, chilli and basil.

Along with some free range pork chipolatas I picked up from the market over the weekend.

Vegetables and herbs…

Sausages, tomatoes and beans…

Left to simmer on the stove for 1 hour.

Resulting in a rich stew, ready to be reheated when Miss C went to bed for the evening.

Served atop my favourite 'stew’ soaker…polenta.

Oh and finished with some black olives – stirred through just before serving.

The chilli paste added quite the kick to this stew, again keeping my ‘spice-lovin’ husband very happy.

And while it may not have been the prettiest of dishes to photograph, it hit the spot when it came to flavour – certainly making it a dish that I would make again.

My tip? Make sure you use good quality sausages!

Chilli sausage stew (serves 4)

500g sausages (I used pork chipolatas)
1tbs olive oil
1 tbs garlic paste
1 tbs basil paste
1 tbs chilli paste
1tbs paprika
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 onion, diced
12 mushrooms, sliced
410 tinned diced tomatoes
1 tbs tomato paste
400g beans (I used cannellini)
1 cup water
handful sliced black olives

Cook sausages until browned, then set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Add herbs, carrots and onion, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add the mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato paste, beans and water. Stir well, and bring to a gentle simmer.
Add the sausages, reduce the heat and cover. Cook for 1 hour.
Stir through black olives just before serving.

Gourmet Garden - Thai inspired tofu stir-fry

2012-05-16T13:21:00.001+10:00

I think that it will come as no surprise when I tell you that I am a big fan of healthy, yet easy, meals. And, although my preference has been for “make ahead” meals recently, ie ones that I can put on the stove and ‘forget about"’ throughout the afternoon, stir-fries usually also feature heavily in the BBB household.

So, for my third Gourmet-Garden inspired meal, I decided to return to an old favourite.

On the menu…

A Thai inspired tofu stir-fry. Flavoured with two more of the herb pastes sent to me by Gourmet Garden.

Basil paste and Thai Seasoning.

The first thing that I noticed when I opened the Thai Seasoning, in particular, was its wonderful aroma. You could definitely detect all the included herbs – lemongrass, ginger, coriander and chilli.

Flavours I used to marinate a block of organic tofu (drained and cut into cubes).

Then, after Charlotte went to bed for the evening, we set about bringing the rest of the dish together.

Vegetables, sliced….

Rice vermicelli prepared…

Thrown into a wok, with the marinated tofu and a couple eggs.

Piled into bowls, pretty ones of course

And our super speedy mid-week meal was done.

While I normally tend to rely on fresh herbs when it comes to cooking, I cannot fault how tasty these herb pastes are (not to mention being convenient).

The chilli had quite a kick to it too – which my spice-lovin’ husband was pleased to find out!

While I used tofu, I have no doubt that you could use any protein of your choosing.

Delish!

What about you? Are you a fan of spicy food? I used to be, but while pregnant I found that I had no tolerance to spicy food at all. Slowly but surely I think it is starting to come back though! Bring on the vindaloo……

Gourmet Garden - slow cooked ragu

2012-05-15T17:11:00.000+10:00

My next Gourmet Garden inspired meal would actually have to be one of my favourite meals we have had recently.

For what is better than a big bowl of pasta with a rich sauce when Winter make its appearance? And knowing that it was minus 4 in Canberra this morning, well I would say that old man Frost is well and truly here!

But back to the pasta…

GF spaghetti with a slow cooked ragu to be precise!

Flavoured, amongst other things, by Gourmet Garden’s chunky garlic and basil pastes.

Vegetables and bacon…

Mince and herbs..

Wine, tomatoes and milk…yes milk!

Simmered ever so gently for 3 hours…

Resulting in a rich, aromatic meat sauce.

With the added bonus that our house smelled like an Italian restaurant.

We served the sauce rather simply – just stirred through GF spaghetti..

And topped with the other pasta essential – shaved parmesan!

A rather tasty mid-week meal, with lots of leftovers to freeze for future dinners also!

Slow-cooked ragu (serves 4 to 6)

1 tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
100g bacon, diced
1 tbs Gourmet Garden garlic paste
1 tbs Gourmet Garden basil paste
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves only
pinch ground nutmeg
300g minced beef
300g minced pork
125ml white wine
125ml milk
800g tinned chopped tomatoes
1 cup beef stock

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and bacon, and cook for 5 minutes – stirring.
Add herbs and mince, and cook for 5 minutes, or until the mince has browned.
Add the wine, increase the heat, and cook until the wine has has been absorbed.
Add the milk, tomatoes and stock, and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer slowly over a low heat for 3 hours.
Serve stirred through your favourite pasta.

Gourmet Garden - Sweet potato, carrot and thyme soup

2012-05-14T23:01:00.000+10:00

When I heard that Gourmet Garden were having a “Blog Off / Cook Off” competition, well it took me oh about about 2.4 seconds to sign up.

The challenge? Experiment with Gourmet Garden's range of herbs, spice up some everyday meals and blog about them.

Sounds right up my alley?!

Not long after signing up, a nice courier dropped off a collection of herbs at my doorstep.

And I wasted no time in getting to work, with Mother’s Day providing the perfect opportunity for me to spice up my first meal using two of the Gourmet Garden herbs.

Garlic and thyme. On the menu…

Sweet potato, carrot and thyme soup.

The dish itself could not have been any easier to make. Just sweet potatoes, carrots, lemon and onions, flavoured with the garlic and thyme, and simmered with vegetable stock and water until tender. Then pureed into a luscious thick soup.

And when drizzled with a little cream, and served alongside some chewy spelt sourdough I picked up at the markets over the weekend, we had ourselves quite a tasty Mother’s Day lunch.

I was pleased to discover that the thyme and garlic added just the right amount of flavour to the soup, without overpowering the naturally delicious sweet potato and carrot.

I only wish that I had made a bigger batch, for there was not a drop left after lunch was finished.

(ie. no leftovers for my mid-week lunches!)

Sweet potato, carrot and thyme soup (serves 8)

1tbs olive oil
1.5kg sweet potato, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, peeled and quartered
2 onions, peeled and quartered
1.5 tbs Gourmet Garden chunky garlic paste
1 tbs Gourmet Garden thyme paste
zest and juice of 1 lemon
500ml vegetable stock
1L water
Cream to serve *

Heat oil in a large stock pot. Add sweet potato, carrots, onion garlic and thyme and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add lemon zest, juice, stock and water and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes or until soft.
Process soup until smooth.
Divide among serving bowls and drizzle with cream.

Stay tuned for my other “Gourmet Garden- inspired” meals. I have a few in mind to share with you throughout the week!

Mother’s Day 2012

2012-05-14T12:28:00.001+10:00

What a wonderful first Mother’s Day I had yesterday. But then again, when you wake up to this face…

And are spoilt with flowers, new mountain biking shoes and a gorgeous card…

Well how could it not be a wonderful day!?

Like last year, we were up bright and early, and braced the crisp Canberra air for the Mother’s Day Classic.

But unlike last year, I opted to participate in the 5km walk, rather than the 10km run.

With our rugged up little buddy along for the ride – of course!

I actually felt rather sentimental throughout the morning. For I distinctly remember feeling very sad and frustrated this time last year when our fertility treatment did not seem to be working and I so very much wanted to be a Mum.

Little did I know that only a month or so later – we would be given the pregnancy news that we had been hoping and wishing for for so long!

And while last year’s event brought about a 10km run personal best time, this year’s event brought me so much more.

Namely, the opportunity to walk the 5km loop in honour and in memory of those women (and men!) who have battled, or are battling, breast cancer, this time with my daughter.

Keeping up with the other traditions of last year, we returned home after the walk for a casual soup lunch with Mr BBB’s family.

Homemade sweet potato and carrot soup (recipe to follow) – with spelt sourdough for dipping.

Followed by blueberry lemon friands…

And of course…

Lots of baby cuddles for the family!

Overall, my first Mother’s Day was everything I ever imagined. And more.

I found myself so many times throughout the day just taking a step back and feeling an immense sense of gratitude and appreciation for the gift that is my daughter.

So a big “happy Mother’s Day” to all those Mums and Mums-to–be out there, from our little family to yours!

And, more importantly, for those who are going through treatment, or have felt the pain of losing a baby, sending you a million hugs at what I know can be an emotional time of year.

Body after baby - A reflection after 2 months

2012-05-12T16:21:00.001+10:00

When I sit back and think about it, it really is quite difficult to believe that a whole 2 months has passed since Miss C made her entrance into the world.

And even harder to believe that 2 months ago my body looked liked this….

I didn’t put a lot of thought into what my ‘post partum body’ plans would be – certainly not when I was pregnant anyway. I guess a part of me figured that the weight would just “come off” with breastfeeding etc. And, while a bit of the weight came off initially, the scale settled on a number around a month ago, and it has not really budged since then. I say this only as an observation.

(1 week postpartum v now)

I found it quite funny that when pregnant the focus of others around me(and myself to some extent) was whether I was developing that all-important “baby bump”. And you know what – by the time that bump showed up - I felt wonderful and confident in my pregnant body.

Yet within days of giving birth, the comments then turned to how I was (or appeared to be) “bouncing back”. And it was these comments, for reasons not entirely clear to the rational part of my mind, that instantly made me feel uncomfortable. I think it was because I was not (and probably still am not) confident in my post-pregnancy body at all. Feeling that there is more I ought to be doing, ruing the fact that the scale is not moving and feeling guilty (?) that my diet is a little too junk-heavy. Having people comment on “how I looked” (despite what I am sure were the best of intentions) only made these feelings of discomfort worse.

And reminded me that I am most certainly not immune to negative self talk.

Not a healthy message to pass onto my daughter - right?!

So in the midst of loving my new life as a Mum and our little family of 3, I am trying to take a step back from the negative thoughts in my mind, and just give myself a break.

I am trying to focus on the fact that my new “Mum” body was 9 months in the making, changing as necessary to nurture our daughter as she grew inside me. Looking in the mirror now, I see hips that are wider, legs that are larger and a shape that is just ‘different’ to what it was this time last year. I am still sitting above my pre pregnancy weight (and a good amount above my ‘happy’ weight), I have stretchmarks on my stomach and many of my clothes don’t fit.

And I need to let myself feel ok about that.

So ever so slowly I am starting to ignore the negative thoughts, and give myself a break. And by doing so, I hope to start to accept - with gusto nonetheless - that these changes to the shape of my body, the ones that I am finding to be the most confronting, were all a part of growing my beautiful daughter.

The best inspiration of all!

What about you? How do you deal with negative self talk?

Question time

2012-05-10T17:27:00.001+10:00

I must admit, when I opened up “the floor” for a little BBB question time, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would I get questions that I could answer? Would I get any questions at all?

But as the questions started to come in, I realised there was no need for concern. The questions were appropriate, and had a nice range of topics. Thankyou to all who took the time to come up with a question.

So, without further ado and in no particular order - here is my first Q&A session!

How did you choose Charlotte’s name? Had you had it in mind for ages, or did you think it up once you were pregnant / knew she was a girl?

It took us a long time, actually until Charlotte was born, to decide on (and agree to!) her name. We were agreed very early on as to a boy’s name, but girls names on the other hand….

While I always had a few ‘girls’ names that I liked, it was only after I found out that we were having a girl that I really started to put some thought into it. Charlotte was a relatively “new” name that I decided I liked, and was not one of the few names that I previously had in mind. It quickly became a favourite for me, even more so when I realised there was a family connection as my great grandmother was also named “Charlotte”. Convincing Mr BBB, however, was a different story as he felt the name was a little too ‘old fashioned’. I invited him to put other names forward, but he just joked that he would read the baby name book when I went into labour.

Only it wasn’t a joke, and he did pull out the baby name book at the hospital about 5 hours in!

So, with our minds distracted elsewhere over the next 7 hours(labour, c-section, you know…the usual), at the time Charlotte was born, we still hadn’t decided on her name. But then she arrived, and when the nurse brought her over to me, she said “here is your little Charlotte”.

Yup Mr BBB had officially agreed to my favourite name and I was none the wiser until that time.

I think this photo was taken just after I was introduced to “Charlotte”
- as named!

Any plans to get back into racing?

YES!!! But wanting to and reality are two different things.

I have been lusting over the recent coverage of various triathlon events, and getting all emotional watching the Marathon De Paris. But given that fitting in 3 scheduled ‘workouts’ a week has been challenging, and having a bub that won’t take a bottle, I can’t see myself having the proper time to train for a big endurance event anytime soon.

I had always planned that the Melbourne running festival in October would be my first race post pregnancy. Secretly I hoped to do the full marathon, but I have now accepted that it is not going to happen. The race itself – sure – but the 3+ hour training runs beforehand? doubtful.

Instead, I have signed up for the half marathon – which seems a whole lot more manageable from a training perspective. And I’m already pretty excited. 5 months and counting!

As for triathlon, my heart says YES, but my brain says NOT YET. I am getting in a couple runs and a ride a week at the moment, but no time for swimming (my weakest leg that needs the MOST training). So although I would love to sign up for a bunch of races, I’m adopting a ‘wait and see’ approach. For now at least.

How is your belly button piercing now that pregnancy is over?

haha I must admit, I had quite a giggle when I read this question.

At one of our early scans, the nurse told me to take out my belly button ring and it hasn’t gone back in since. The hole, however, seems to still be open so I plan on putting it back in soon (not that I will be revealing my post-partum midriff any time in the near future!)

Going through fertility treatment, how did you maximise things to try to achieve success – health/food/exercise wise?

I have previously spoken a bit about our ‘journey’ to start a family here.

As to what I did to try and maximise things to try and achieve success….I guess all I can say is “what didn’t I?”. I read fertility books, switched to decaf coffee, took my pre natal vitamins, cut back on alcohol, and also reduced my longer runs and workouts. I gained about 4kg as well.

Do I think any of this helped? To be honest, I’m not sure. But it did make me feel as if I had at least a little control over a situation in which things felt very out of control.

At the end of the day, I am convinced that low progesterone levels were the real issue in my case, and the progesterone supplements prescribed by our specialist worked wonders.

The result being pretty damn cute

How did you find the Save Our Sleep routine?

I had this book / routine recommended to me by a couple friends and a few weeks ago I (rather hopefully) tried to follow the routine in for feeds / sleeps.

And, while I agree with a lot of the things the book had to say, it just didn’t work for us. Well not yet anyway.

I found that Charlotte would wake earlier than the book “said” she should, and we would be at a loss as to whether to feed her etc (the book being rather silent on the issue). Or, she would fall asleep too early and put out the routine that way.

So, after a week of attempting the routine, I decided to stop it and go back to following Charlotte’s cues – which felt a lot better and instinctive to me (not to mention less stressful!). Now, at 8 weeks old, she is ever so slowly falling into her own sleep routine, which I imagine will only get more consistent as the weeks tick by (well that’s the hope anyway!)

Do you hope to have more children?

Falling pregnant and growing a healthy baby is something that I will never take for granted. But, should we be blessed enough, its a big fat YES! We would love to have more kids.

I’d love to know what type of work you do. Were you always interested in that field? What does Mr BBB do?

I would love to be open and honest about my ‘day job’, but it is something that I haven't really gone into on this blog – for their sake and mine. Let’s just say I went to uni, got a degree and work in a ‘professional office’ role. Was it something I was always interested in? Most certainly. Although I did spend almost 2 years in the Army straight out of school before I worked that one out. As for Mr BBB, he manages a family business which operates in the trades industry.

How did you and Mr BBB meet?

At a pub. At around 2am. Yep we were ‘single and ready to mingle’ – and who knew that 7+ year later we would be wed and with child!

How do you manage not to eat all of your wonderful baking in one sitting?

My secret? Family and friends. Share the joy!

I usually save my ‘baking’ for times when I know that we have family or friends coming over, or there is a special occasion coming up for which I can contribute a dish.

(Baked to share with the family at Easter)

There is no way that Mr BBB and I could get through a whole batch of muffins between us (well not healthily anyway), but when his whole family are over a batch disappears rather quickly without too much fuss (or expansion of one’s waistline). I have also been known to send our family and friends home with a few extra slices if I have made something like a cake.

I would like to know more about what you do for work and how you are finding part time work? Also, I would love to see more detail of the book where you record your feeds etc

First – “the book”. Or “the bible” as Mr BBB and I call it.

This is, quite simply, a notebook in which I have been recording start / end times for Charlotte’s naps, her feed times and what side she has fed from etc. I used to also record ‘movements’ – but she is so “regular’ that I don’t anymore.

I know there are a lot of apps etc out there that do a similar thing, but this little notebook has worked just fine for us. I am still using it – and don’t see that I will be stopping any time soon!

As for working part time - this is only my second week into working from home, and already it has been quite an eye-opener. I am lucky that with the wonders of modern technology – I am able to stay into contact with junior staff members and perform a lot of my advice / writing work from home. Let’s just say – I’d be lost without email and phone!

Perhaps I could do a ‘ progress’ post on this issue sometime soon – with what has been working / not working for me. I suspect it is too much to address now.

So my answer…stay tuned!

A very general one – why do you blog?

Good question!

I have a TERRIBLE memory – that only seems to have gotten worse with age, pregnancy and sleep deprivation. So photos, and written ‘diaries’ help me remember not only the big events, but also the smaller fun things that happened along the way. Combine that with my love of fitness and cooking, and a need to keep all my ideas in one place, well a blog seemed like the perfect means to do this. The added bonus being that I get to connect with like-minded people – and bring others along this little journey with me! Corny, but true.

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So there you have it! A little more about me, babies and all things BBB. Feel free to send through any questions you may have via here.

Salmon en papillote

2012-05-09T15:25:00.001+10:00

Mr BBB and I have consciously been trying to include more fish in our diets. You know – because of the protein, omega 3s….and all that jazz.

And not to mention that it just tastes good!

The fact we live in a landlocked state, however, means that I am pretty cautious when it comes to buying seafood. I tend to only really buy it from the fish market (even though I know their seafood is shipped / collected from interstate too) rather than from the big 2 supermarkets.

So when we happened to be in the area of the markets this week, we stopped in and bought two gorgeous fillets of salmon for our eating pleasure.

And why not try a new cooking technique while we were at it. In this instance – Salmon “En papillote” – or “in paper / parchment”. A method of cooking in which the fish is put in a folded piece of baking or parchment paper along with other flavourings, and baked in the oven. The idea being that the all the juices and aromas are preserved, with the food’s steam cooking the contents.

So what to cook with the salmon? A quick web search revealed this recipe, that seemed just perfect.

Salmon + lemon + dill + capers = a great combination.

Putting the dish together could not have been easier. Just layer…

fold…

And tightly roll the edges over to enclose the fish and create a parcel.

Baked in the oven for 15 minutes or so, until the salmon had cooked.

Served alongside some steamed broccoli and asparagus..

And we had ourselves quite a tasty and healthy meal indeed!

I overcooked the salmon (oops), but it was surprisingly still moist and not dry at all.

The flavours of the lemon, dill and capers had also worked their way into the salmon fillets – making it a rather delicious and flavoursome piece of fish indeed.

Definitely a method of cooking that I will try again that’s for sure!

What about you? Ever cooked “en papillote”?

Week 8 - Lovin’ those hands

2012-05-07T13:49:00.001+10:00

And just like that….. our little girl is 8 weeks old!

And boy has she changed in those last 8 weeks!

1 month v 2 months

Charlotte

I find myself, many times a day, feeling so very lucky and blessed to have Charlotte in our lives. And pinching myself to confirm that this is real.

Perhaps it is the imminence of Mother’s Day, but I am feeling rather sentimental at the moment, and amazed by how much things can change in a year. For this time last May, I was in the throes of fertility treatment and feeling very sad and sorry for myself. Wishing, but in no way believing, that one month later I would find out we were pregnant!

This week Charlotte has continued her obsession with her hands.

She loves to suck on them with such vigour and intent, that it cracks me up every time.

Unfortunately we’ve noticed that Charlotte favours one particular side when lying on her back, and has started to develop a little flat spot on her head as a result. So, this means that Mr BBB and I have to spend extra time with her encouraging tummy time, and trying to get her to favour the other side of her head (something that she is resisting so far).

Feeding

Still good. Still quick. And Charlotte now weighs 4.4kg (a 1.4kg increase since birth and right on track).

I am one proud mama as a result!

Sleeping

This week saw Charlotte take shorter daytime naps, but she is still sleeping really well overnight. Actually, she even slept for a 10 hour stretch one night – which was great for our sleep reserves – but not so great for the rock hard bricks I developed on my chest

Although 10 hour stretches are not the norm – I do feel lucky that she normally sleeps for 3 or 4 hours at a time overnight, waking only for a feed then settling well afterwards.

Achievements and milestones

This was a busy week from an ‘appointment’ perspective, with Charlotte having her immunisations and a health check, and me having a post natal check up too.

I am pleased to report that we all passed with flying colours – although Charlotte was extremely unsettled the evening after her immunisations (a fairly common occurrence I am told). I was really grateful that Mr BBB was able to come to the immunisation appointment actually – to not only console a crying Charlotte but to also reassure her teary mum!!

Actually, on that note, since having Charlotte I have become a total sap. I never really experienced the ‘heightened emotions’ that are common throughout pregnancy, but since I became a Mum 8 weeks ago, I am one emotional lady. Not in a sad way. More in a ‘oh that is such a sweet story I am getting teary’ kinda way. Cute baby = tears. Puppy on tv = tears. Inspiring story on the news = tears.

I’ve never really been one to cry before but now….sheesh…pass the kleenex!

Me – the physical and emotional

This week also marked the start of our local mother’s group, and I cannot express just how wonderful it was to sit and chat with new mums from my local area about all things babies. I find it rather amusing (but also reassuring) how ‘unique’ we sometimes think our little ones are, only to find out that most other babies have the same habits and behaviours!

(All bundled up and ready to walk to our first mother’s group session. Kinda like a first day at school!)

Physically this was a good week fitness wise, with 2 x 5km runs, and a 45 minute mountain bike ride. I plan on posting about my 2 month progress (or lack thereof) in a separate post, but for now I think that level of exercise is just about right. Sure, I would love to do more, but for various reasons it is just not viable at the moment. So rather than focus on what I can’t do, I am trying to make a conscious effort to focus on what I can do…. And for now – 3 sessions a week sounds pretty damn good!

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Thanks to those people that have submitted questions for my upcoming Q &A post. I am currently putting together my answers – which I hope to do in the next few days. You can submit more questions here.

Question time

2012-05-04T17:59:00.001+10:00

It was a busy day in the BBB household, with a health check for Charlotte, a 4km family stroll in the sun, a visit to the market and then a post-natal check for moi!

Throw in a half day of work too, and well you will no doubt appreciate that I am looking forward to a lazy night on the couch with my favourite two people this evening.

So while I take the “night off”, with all the changes in the BBB world of late, I thought it would be a nice time to invite a little Q & A session. If there is something that you would like to know about BBB – be it life, baking, baby or fitness related – feel free to ask away!

Just click here and you can submit an anonymous question.

I’ll put together a post with all the answers next week.

Happy Friday lovely people!

A so-so soup

2012-05-03T12:48:00.001+10:00

I had high hopes for this soup. Few ingredients.

Simple to prepare.

And left to simmer throughout the afternoon.

Aka – another make ahead meal!

Sadly, however, it turned out rather ‘meh’.

A little too salty (from the bacon and stock), and even the addition of a little crème fraiche when served could not save the flavour.

So I’m calling this soup a “work in progress”.

For now at least

What about you? Had any kitchen ‘fails’ lately?

Make ahead meal - Beef and Sweet Potato Stew

2012-05-01T21:25:00.001+10:00

Today Charlotte had her 2-month immunisations.

I won’t lie. There were tears from both of us – reconfirming my belief that there is nothing worse than hearing your little one in pain – even if it is only short-lived. But while the “trauma” of the afternoon lingers in my mind, Miss C is quite happily asleep on her dad’s chest as I type this, so I suspect it is long forgotten from her perspective.

(Edited – ok. That was wishful thinking. Barely 10 minutes after I started typing this post, it turned into a full-on scream-feast here – with a very unhappy post-immunisation bub making her appearance. Poor lil’ thing. Not nice AT ALL! Here’s hoping she feels better in the morning….assuming she now stays asleep that is….)

With the day’s adventures I never managed to make it to the supermarket, and between the screams and sobs this evening it fast became a ‘takeaway’ kinda night.

So rather than blog about the rather bland takeaway GF pizza we ate, let me share with you a favourite meal of late. One that I made a few weeks ago – but never got around to blogging about.

Another make-ahead meal…

Beef and Sweet Potato Stew.

Simple to make, simple in ingredients, yet slow-cooked all afternoon to create a rich flavoursome stew.

Served with quinoa…

And topped with almonds and coriander.

A hearty meal, full of flavour and full of comfort.

Just the sort of meal that I wish we had available this evening.

Beef and sweet potato stew (serves 8)

1.5kg chuck steak or gravy beef, trimmed and cubed
2 onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch saffron
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground ginger
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1.5 cups beef stock
1.5 cups water
200g pitted dates, halved
1tsp cornflour
Flaked almonds and coriander to serve

Preheat oven to 160C.
Heat a little olive oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Brown beef in batches, then set aside.
Add onions and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until the onions start to soften.
Add the spices, and stir for 30 seconds.
Add the sweet potato and cooked beef, along with the stock and water.
Bring to the boil, then cover and place in the oven for 1.5 hours.
Remove from the oven. Add the dates and cornflour, and simmer gently (uncovered) on the stovetop for a further 30-40 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened and the dates have started to break down.
Serve with rice or quinoa, and top with almonds and coriander.

What about you? What is your “go to” comfort meal?

Week 7 - Times are a changing

2012-04-30T16:37:00.001+10:00

Today marks my return to work, but also another week older for Charlotte!

7 weeks today! Can you believe it?!

Charlotte

This was a week of ups and downs. Of sleeping lots, then sleeping less. Of fun family days out, but shadowed by the realisation that maternity leave has come to an end.

It was wonderful to have Mr BBB home on ANZAC Day, and we marked the occasion by heading out for some family time in the crisp Canberra air.

Stopping for a little impromptu photo shoot amongst the Autumn leaves.

We also received the photos from the recent session we had with a local photographer, which turned out just beautifully.

Simple, not cheesy, and just what I wanted. I now have so many new favourite family photos to choose from!

haha although I have to giggle at how cranky Charlotte looks in most of the photos – she did not enjoy herself at all that day!

Feeding

What can I say? Breastfeeding continues to be brilliant. Bottle feeding on the other hand……still no luck.

So for now, I am living in 2-hour blocks – remaining nearby in case Miss C needs a feed. Case in point – despite leaving just after a feed, we only just fit in our mountain bike ride over the weekend before Charlotte was awake and looking for another!

Sleeping

This was a rather odd week from a sleep perspective, where on some days Charlotte slept for almost the entire day (only waking for feeds). Yet on other days, she hardly slept at all during the day. I can only assume it is the 6 week growth spurt, and perhaps it is my imagination, but she does seem a little bigger now (official weigh in on Friday!)

One thing I do know for sure is that she has well and truly grown out of her 0000 clothes and is now in 000 sizes. It was actually a little sad to pack away all the smaller sizes – a reminder that she is certainly growing up (so fast).

Achievements and milestones

When Charlotte was born, I decided that I wanted to invest in a piece of jewellery made with her birthstone (aquamarine). Something that I could wear that reminds me of her, and something I could pass down to her one day.

Unfortunately aquamarine is not very common, and I struggled to find a piece of jewellery that I liked. I was almost resigned to the fact that I may have to get something custom made, when I came across a lovely ring at Michael Hill (that certainly fit my budget better than having something custom made).

Simple – yet elegant – and just what I was looking for!

Now all I have to do is get the band engraved with her initials and birthdate.

Me – the physical and emotional

This was a wonderful week from an ‘activity’ perspective where due to the graciousness of family, I was able to get out for 2 runs and 1 mountain bike ride. Combine those with walks on the other days, and I ended the week on quite a high!

Fitness-elation aside, I am feeling rather sad that my maternity leave has come to an end. I am, however, very grateful that I am able to work from home for the moment and don’t have to put Charlotte into day care so that I could return to the office. I’m rather curious to see how the transition to ‘work at home Mum’ goes, although I am lucky to have Mr BBB home for the next two weeks to try and make that transition as smooth as possible.

Times are a changing!

Riding and risotto

2012-04-29T20:00:00.000+10:00

Today started with this…

And ended with this…

Can’t complain really!

Canberra provided a crisp yet clear Autumn day today – perfect weather for a late morning mountain bike ride. So with Charlotte fed and in the capable care of my sister in law, Mr BBB and I ducked across to the local single track trails for an hour of riding fun.

Being only my second time back on the mountain bike in quite some time, we followed the same “beginner” trails as last week, but added in an extra climbing trail for a total of 12km overall.

(leaving the more technical aspects of the course for another day).

I was pleased to find that I felt a lot more confident on the bike, and even managed to get through a river crossing without un-clipping.

Gotta celebrate the small things right????

Here’s hoping that with more and more rides, my confidence and fitness (and skills) will start to return over the next few months.

Until then…..let’s talk risotto.

Lemon and leek risotto to be precise. Courtesy of a recipe found in this book.

It was only when I went to put the risotto together, that I realised it was an oven baked version. A perfect discovery to make – with a grizzly Charlotte making herself known.

Leeks sautéed in oil and butter….

Combined with rice, lemon rind and stock, then into the oven for 25 minutes until the rice had cooked.

Topped with raw prawns, then back into the oven for a further 5 minutes.

And finished with lemon juice and fresh parsley.

Served generously…

As far as oven baked risottos go, this one was rather good. I was pleased that the rice remained quite creamy, and didn’t go gluggy – as some oven baked versions do.

The flavours themselves were light and simple, yet tasty.

Although you can’t really go wrong with prawns + lemon now can you!!?

What about you? Do you have a favourite risotto flavour?

I don’t think that I could narrow it down to one favourite. However – here are a few that have made an appearance in the BBB household:

Yes it seems that we rather like risotto

A day in the life of a 6 week old

2012-04-27T09:31:00.001+10:00

It is becoming more and more difficult to remember “LBC” (ie “life before Charlotte”). Our current days seems to disappear in the blink of an eye. It feels as if one minute she is waking up for her first feed, and the next thing I know we are trying to settle her for the evening.

While we don’t have any firm routine in place at the moment, there are some consistencies in our day. And, given that I am set to return to work next week (part time from home), which will undoubtedly mean that things change even more, I thought it might be nice to capture “a day in the life” while Charlotte is 6 weeks old and I am not yet back at work.

Keeping in mind that not every day looks like this. Some days she sleeps and feeds more, some days she sleeps and feeds less (I think she likes to keep us guessing). Some days we head out for adventures, some days we stay at home, but most days we at least head out for a walk at some point.

Here was our day yesterday.

7:30am - I hear Charlotte stirring in her bassinet beside me, and I know what this means. Charlotte is awake and ready to start the day. It seems she has slept in a little later today than usual though.

I un-swaddle her, and while she is doing her wake up stretches, I make the bed.

Then it is time for a feed, nappy change and then a little tummy time.

And down onto the activity mat for Charlotte, and breakfast for me.

I use this opportunity to put the dishwasher on from the night before, then get down for playtime with Charlotte.

9:00am – I swaddle Charlotte for her morning nap. She resists, but finally falls asleep on my chest after 15 minutes or so of patting and rocking, and I am able to put her in her bassinet.

Not knowing how long Charlotte will nap for, I start dashing around the house – fitting in as much as I can before she wakes up. This morning, I use the time to prepare a blog post, send my daily email & Charlotte photo to my Mum, and put a load of washing on.

9:45am - After only 30 minutes she is awake and crying – so it is a short nap today its seems. I try to get her to re-settle, however she is having none of it. I give her another feed, a nappy change (and an outfit change this time too!) and we have some more cuddle time.

By now I am thinking that I should get dressed, so I put Charlotte in her swing in our bathroom while I shower.

It keeps her entertained for 15 minutes or so. When I am ready, I give her another feed, then start getting everything together so that we can head out.

Charlotte will normally take a nap over lunchtime, and I generally use this time to run chores, go for a walk, or prepare a make ahead meal. Today, I have a couple things that I need to get done at the local shopping centre, so we load up the car and head out together in the sunshine.

11:00am – With Charlotte now asleep in the pram, I get my chores done – including stops at both Medicare and the Bank.

I even have time to stop in and do a little shopping for me, and manage to find something that I have been looking for for quite a while…

All to be revealed.

12:30pm – We arrive home from the shops, and Charlotte is now awake. She is happy to go back down on her activity mat, while I make and eat lunch.

1.00pm – Charlotte herself is now hungry, so it is time for another feed, nappy change, followed by some cuddles.

2.00pm – Just as Charlotte starting to fall asleep on my chest, my mother in law arrives (she comes over each Thursday afternoon) and is more than happy to take over the sleepy cuddles with her granddaughter while I head out for a run.

2.15pm – My second post-baby run – and I manage to cover a very slow 5km (with a couple walking breaks) along my old running route.

Although, in hindsight, perhaps I should have timed Charlotte’s feed and my run a little better as I still feel rather “full” and heavy…

3.00pm – I arrive home, hot and tired, and quickly make myself a snack and a cup of tea before Charlotte wakes up, then unpack the dishwasher.

3.30pm – Right on cue, Charlotte wakes up, and we start the cycle of nappy changing and feeding once again. This time she shows her grandmother just how tricky she can be when having her nappy changed, with it taking 3 attempts and a clothing change before she was all cleaned up

4.30pm – My mother-in-law heads off for the afternoon, so Charlotte and I have some more playtime and a little photo shoot while waiting for Mr BBB to get home from work.

I also hang out some washing, and put another load on.

5.30pm – “Evening” Charlotte starts to make her appearance, and she begins to grizzle despite being fed, changed and warm. Mr BBB arrives home from work, and we bundle her up and head out for a walk in the dark – which generally calms her down.

We wander to the local supermarket (about 1km away), and pick up a few things (milk, soy milk, chai latte powder…you know….the essentials).

6.30pm – We return home, and I immediately heat up some of the cottage pie I made the other night for dinner. We eat at the dining table while Charlotte plays on the activity mat beside us, and she is in relatively good spirits this evening.

7.00pm – Another feed for Charlotte, and then its time to try and get her to settle for the evening. This can take 10 minutes, or this can take hours. Every couple of days we give her a bath at this time too. Tonight she is rather unhappy at first, but by 8.00pm she is fast asleep on my chest, and I even manage to watch a bit of The Block. Compared to some nights we have had recently, this is a very good evening! Now if only she would take this sleep in her bassinet….

9.00pm – I am starting to feel a little tired myself by this stage, so I decide to head to bed. I swaddle Charlotte, and give her a dream feed, before placing her in her bassinet. She stirs a little, but settles again quickly, and I read a few chapters of my book before falling asleep.

3.30am – I hear Charlotte stirring in her bassinet beside me and after looking at the clock, I realise she has slept for over 6 hours! Most nights she will have woken for another feed around midnight or 1am, but sometimes she will sleep right through to 3.00am (like tonight). I feed her while sitting in bed, change her nappy, re-swaddle her, then take her into the dark study for the remainder of her feed. While she finishes, and starts to fall back to sleep, I read some blogs (a habit I started when trying to keep myself awake during the night feeds). By 4.15am I am convinced that she is sound asleep, so I put her back into her bassinet and crawl back into bed myself.

6.00am – Again, I hear Charlotte stirring in the bassinet beside me, and give her another quick feed. This settles her for another hour or so, but by 7.00am she is awake and well and truly ready to start the day again!

So there you have it - a day in the life of Miss Charlotte at 6 weeks old. I think it will be rather interesting to see how things change over the next few months, particularly given that I am back at work as of next week.

Make ahead meal - Cottage Pie

2012-04-26T09:38:00.001+10:00

Aussie / NZ readers – how did you spend your ANZAC Day? I thought about making a batch of ANZAC biscuits or perhaps an ANZAC cheesecake, but with a few slices of the Flourless Jaffa Cake still gracing our countertop, we did not really need any more sweet treats.

Instead, we watched the Dawn Service coverage (from the comforts of home) then headed out in the chilly Canberra air around lunchtime for a little sightseeing amongst the Autumn leaves.

Followed by a take-away lunch and an afternoon cuddle session – it was a rather splendid day.

We didn’t even have to put any effort in when dinner time rolled around – owing to a make ahead meal I had prepared the day before.

Cottage Pie!

Such a simple yet tasty dish, that it doesn’t even need a recipe. Just go with whatever you have on hand.

Rather than my usual tomato / worcestershire flavour combination, I found this jar of Tikka Curry Paste in the cupboard and figured ‘why not?!’.

I diced carrots and celery, and grabbed some corn and peas out of the freezer.

Then combined the vegetables and curry paste with lean mince beef, stock and tomato paste.

Simmered for 40 minutes or so, then thickened with a little cornflour and spread into a casserole dish.

While the mince mixture was cooking, I also had some potatoes and sweet potatoes boiling on the stove.

Mashed simply with a little butter and milk, then spread atop the mince.

Sprinkled with cheese.

It was at this point that I set the dish to one side. Then, when Mr BBB got home from work (and Miss C was fed and bathed – but grizzling nonetheless), we put it in the oven for 40 minutes to reheat.

Then served.

I appreciate the versatility of this dish, which can use up any vegetables that you have on hand. Also, if you were looking for a vegetarian version, you could easily substitute the beef mince for lentils or beans.

And another selling point?? The fact it yields a lot = lots of easy lunches / dinners.

Just slice a portion, reheat and eat!