Afternoon treat – Custard tarts
When I was living in Montréal there was a Portuguese chicken place called Romados on rue Rachel that made little Portuguese custard tarts that were oh so yummy. They would bake trays full of them. I’ve always loved custard tarts but have never tasted a custard tart quite as good as those from Romados. With a slight craving for them I tried to concoct something similar. I’m not sure these are true to the genuine Portuguese thing, but they taste pretty good. They are really easy to make as well. Enjoy!
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For recipe, click on the text page image to enlarge
Noon ideas – quinoa salad 3 ways
As mentioned in the previous post I’ve had to watch what I eat a little with the pregnancy. For lunch I’ve been living off salad. Personally I tend to get bored with the simple lettuce type salads and I’ve found adding quinoa to them gives them a bit of bulk and keeps me fuller for longer. Cooking quinoa is easy and if you cook up 3 cups you can refrigerate it and add it to your salads throughout the week. I also use it for dinner meals to go with grilled salmon or as a substitute for saucy meals that usually go with rice. Here are 3 of my favourite salad combinations of late. Have a great weekend everyone!
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For recipes, click on the text page images to enlarge
36 weeks
Well I have officially arrived at the 36 week mark of my pregnancy. It’s hard to believe we aren’t far away from meeting our little one and it almost doesn’t feel real. 9 months is a long time and part of me feels like I’ll have this belly forever.
I haven’t had the smoothest of pregnancies. It has been quite a rocky roller coaster ride to say the least. It took us a while to fall pregnant and then when I did I had morning sickness everyday for 3 months. Luckily the second trimester was a bit smoother and I had the energy to get on with things again. But then soon after I suffered a little with what I thought was a common pregnancy rash. Upon arriving back to Australia doctors discovered it was actually a rare autoimmune disease. 1 in 10,000 women was a figure mentioned. All I can say is thank goodness for the doctors I’ve met here. They were onto it and had me undergoing treatment within a week. The 1am tears in a cold shower to relieve pain soon ended and I could breath again. Since then I’ve been under close watch. Scans and appointments more often than the usual and eating a strict diet so the medication didn’t spike my sugar levels. It currently seems to be under control.
It has amazed me with how much pregnancy can affect your body. Growing up I thought big belly, pop the little one out and everything is peachy. But it isn’t always the case. Regardless of the challenges we have faced through the experience, I can’t wait to meet this little guy. Every time I catch a glimpse of his face on an ultrasound a smile covers my face. To see his heart beating is almost surreal. And to feel his little hiccups 3 times a day amazes me. Every pain or discomfort I’ve had I know will be worth it to hold him in our arms. I look forward to the day when we finally can.
Happy Valentine’s (berries & cream) Day!
We personally don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. In the early days of our relationship we did but not so much anymore. But why not bake something sweet to share I say! Here is a little Valentine’s Day treat that is so easy to do and takes next to no time at all. Berries and cream always make a great combination. It’s perfect for sharing with someone special or to enjoy all on your own. Happy Valentine’s (or excuse for berries and cream) Day everyone! x
Click on the recipe page image to enlarge
Nursery inspiration
With 5 weeks at the most until our little one is born I’m getting a bit excited. Our 2 bedroom apartment isn’t quite large enough for the baby to have his (have I mentioned ‘it’ is a he?) own space so we currently have a wall for him. Another wall of the room is dedicated to my work desk, and another to our fold up clothes lines and ironing board. Not quite the ideal scenario or dream first baby room but being so little I’m sure he won’t notice for a while, even if it bothers me to look at it.
Looking for ideas online there are some beautiful rooms on display for little ones. I’ve been gathering a few images which I particularly like. I love the soft tones combined with natural wood and textured fabrics. Shortly I will share what we have done with our ‘wall’ once it’s finished. Reid and I have come to an agreement that in the first 6 months I can style the room, and then after 6 months Reid can put up the multicoloured Disney pictures and spaceman themed sheets and things. We will see ;)
{ Image one, two and three, four, five and six }
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