It's a man thing

When I saw the health visitor today and talked about Arthur's diet she commented on how mobile he will ne over the next few months and therefore all the extra energy he will need. Arthur. Move? Really.? Bless him, its a bit too much like hard work at the moment! He is quite happy to sit and rest.  I laughed and mentioned this to the health visitor, recalling how isobel was well on her way by now. And the health visitor response?"she's a girl". Say no more.

Anyway, Peter decided to do some Christmas cooking tonight, to go with the cake and chocolates. He tried out his new Kenwood mincer which worked a treat and made a lovely looking terrine and pate, thanks to Ellizabeth David. Men and their meat.

We wish you a merry Christmas

I can't believe its almost Christmas. The year seems to have rushed by. Does having children make you more aware of the passing of time? Mmh.

We have had a productive day today. I packed things for going away. Always easier when Arthur us asleep and isobel at nursery! Had some cream which needed finishing off so decided to make some truffles to take with us - fruit and nut and plain ones.....I say plain, I think I added too much al-k-hol! They taste yummy but maybe not good for chicklings.

After weighing Arthur at the health visitor, I collected isobel and when we arrived home we set about icing the crimbo cake. Now then, when I asked isobel what we should put on the top she wanted 'pink' so eventually she turned this into peppa pig. After a no doubt eating a bucket load of icing between us, dying our hands different colours and a few tantrums, we have an iced cake. Complete with peppa on a snowy slide, a tree, snowman and of course some ducks! Very christmassy.....and I now feel sick!

Christmas baking - yummy yummy

Chocolate covered orange peel - yummy yummy

 

I have made a few Christmas presents this year and had a lot of fun doing so!  Isobel has also helped - though the big Isobel moment is coming tomorrow when we attempt to ice the cake!!!

Firstly, I made some chocolate covered orange peel - oh I love this stuff.  It costs a fortune in Brussels chocolate shops so I was beside myself with excitement when I saw a recipe in the Waitrose magazine.  And I got to test out my free citrus peeler which I got at a Jamie at Home party.  It's really quite good despite being a bit of an unnecessary item.  Here it is together with the resulting orange peel pieces:

Now, I've tried to find an online version of the recipe to link to but can't so here it is:

- take 2 large oranges and remove peel.  Cut peel into strips about 0.5 cm wide;
- plunge strips into boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes;
- drain and then repeat;
- put 250 g of caster sugar in a pan with 250 ml of water and heat until the sugar is fully dissolved;
- add 5 cardamon pods (bruised) and a tablespoon of orange blossom water (which you can get in Sainsburys and such places) and the peel;
- simmer for one hour until the peel is soft and translusent;
- leave to cool on wire rack (put some greaseproof under it as it sticks to everything!) for 24 - 48 hours or until it's basically dried out.

- then melt 150g plain chocolate over a pan of water and dip the orange peel in the chocolate.  Sprinkle with cocoa powder and chopped pistachios (we used about 20g cocoa and 30g chopped nuts).
- leave to set.  Then eat...or should I say, wrap as gifts!

My second baking effort was biscotti - I remember talking to Mrs WP about it whilst out looking for coffee mugs in Starbuckles.  How do you make biscotti we wondered? Surely it's low in fat/sugar and high in goodness we thought (??!).  So, I had a go at the BBC recipe for Christmas Biscotti:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8022/fruity-christmas-biscotti


And they were pretty good really - Mrs WP should comment as we gave some to her and Mr WP for a gifty.  And suprisingly easy to make!  Really recommended.

Summer is on the way!

Yes, today is the shortest day of the year.  It always makes me happy - it means the days are getting longer again from tomorrow and summer is on it's way!  A real reason for celebration.

I went to the doctor yesterday having been on the pills for 6 months now.  I wanted to get an idea about what happens next.  Whilst in there I bumped into the counsellor - obviously he didn't recognise me but it reminded me to comment on it to the doctor.  No apologies made.  Just 'well, he is a man, and maybe has a different approach to a woman....'.  Anyway, the doctor wants me to continue with the medication until March - basically for two main reasons:

• the weather (dull, damp, dark, short days etc etc)
• going back to work in early March and the changes that might bring (positive or negative)

I think that's sensible.  Part of me wants to rush to come off them, but the other part of me doesn't want to end up like I was in the summer again.  So, the pills continue.

Then last night I went to see the counsellor.  It was helpful, although Peter feels that he's been saying these things to me anyway - I think it's perhaps an issue of you owning it yourself.  It's ok for other people to say things, make suggestions, all of which might be highly sensible.  But, for me at least, it seems that unless you own it, you don't take it onboard and act on it.  'Ownership'.  A great word. I remember trying to get Peter to 'own' his dinner choices when I wasn't going to be around - I could tell him what was in the fridge that he might like to eat but I could tell he wasn't paying a huge amount of attention.  So to help with health health and to avoid the 'what can I eat' question later on, I used to encourage him to own it (so, basically he would tell me what he could have for dinner) - ha ha, how ridiculous!  I should have just left him to his own devices.  He could have eaten a kebab for dinner (healthy don't you know - they have salad in them!) and it doesn't really matter.  

Anyway, so the counsellor got me thinking.  I realised yesterday quite how often I say 'I have to do this' or 'I should do that'.  It was when I said to Peter that I had to make the soup for dinner that it struck me that perhaps I try to do too much.  I've never been good at sitting still.  I suppose I've always had the view that you have one life and so I tried to pack as much into as possible.  Anyway, I think that it has something to do with the PND - after Isobel and Arthur were born I remember baking cakes and trying to just get on with life - perhaps almost as though nothing has changed.  Instead I should have been sitting and resting and drinking tea perhaps.  Too late now.

So, I have to challenge myself and Peter is going to help - everytime I rattle off a list of all the things I say I have to do, I need to ask 'do I have to do that? does it need to be done? will I enjoy doing it? who am I feeling I have to do it for' and so on.  Let's see what happens!

On reflection, a few things I think have really helped me this year with the PND, apart from the pills:

• turning off the doom and gloom on the radio in the morning and putting on some dance tunes
• running
• having more prepared meals (though we think we need to kickstart this again)
• having more time to myself and more nights out with Peter
• baking new things (it's the achievement I like and the time it can give for some peace and quiet)
• drinking more water
• having a mantra in my head - like on returning from a run in the morning at the weekend 'it doesn't matter if the table is dirty and there is weetabix on the floor, we can clean it up later'

Feeling Christmas baking vibe

Been baking and making and its made me feel good. Now I can't share all of the baking yet as some are gifts for someone who I know might read this!making mince pies with arty was great fun. He was really jivving to some Xmas song on the radio. He can move (well, I say move, more shake his body about!).

Mince pies made the house smell all christmasy. And I tried out my Jamie at home mini bites tray to make small ones - good for diets but more importantly good for kids so adults can keep the large ones!

Then isobel and I made Christmas cards. She was very enthusiastic with the paint but it waned a bit on sticking so I had to finish off. And a right mix of cards we have! Glitter and gold spray everywhere but not a pink card I sight, despite her best efforts!

The fairy tree

Oh my, a week to go until Christmas. On my run this evening I was comparing outdoor lights - from the blue icicles to the rapid flashing to the full on inflatable snowmen blowing in the wind. No need for street lights really, could save the council a few pounds!

On a walk in the woods yesterday we came across a fairy tree which the fairies had chosen for decoration this year. Apparently nicer than others which are decorated with mill bottles and cds. Isobel was very excited about the fairies!

So I have been to see the new counsellor. She seems nice and is much more organised than the other one. Maybe that's part of my issue - I have always been quite am organised person and as everyone tells me, its much harder with children as they don't always do what you want or expect and you can't reason with them. But knowing that and knowing I should go with the flow more is easily said....but harder to do!next session is Tuesday.

Toddlers do the funniest things

Isobel has been making me laugh. I have blogged before about her interest in eating raw eggs and flour when baking. This morning she was clomping round the house in my pink heels which she found rummaging through the cupboard. Practically killed herself falling over the carpet but jumped up non the worse for wear and delcared she was going to work! When I pointed out that they were my shoes, she said 'no mummy, my pink shoes'.

Where does the pink thing come from?we have tried not to have lots of pink but a variety of colours and yet the pink obsession has started! So we asked her what colour we should paint the hall, what colour curtains to have in the front room, what colour wrapping paper to use etc...and the answer - why pink of course. What else?

So I was pleased to hear that hamleys have removed their pink and blue signs for girls and boys toys respectively. Apparently they had one floor for girls toys, which consisted of cleaning stuff, beauty stuff and general 'girls' things like that and the boys floor which was full of dinosaurs, adventure and no doubt war relayed stuff. Poor Arthur. He is missing out clearly, in his hand me down pink sleeping bag!

I found a few links to this issue about Hamleys and gender stereotyped marketing - for those who are interested - clearly Isobel loves the colour pink but she also likes sticks and trains and helping daddy build and climb ladders....(not yet seen a pink toy drill for sale - thank goodness!!!!):

• http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/blogs/ruth-mortimer/hamleys-heralds-a-less-sexist-era-of-retailing/3032689.article
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/dec/13/hamleys-steps-towards-gender-equality?newsfeed=true
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/reality-check-with-polly-curtis/2011/dec/13/women-children?newsfeed=true 
• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8952627/Toy-signs-changed-after-Hamleys-accused-of-sexism.html

Yes more stollen

So I seem to be making another stollen. Peter didn't get any of the last one and was feeling most put out so to distract me from my job application and the ridiculous wind and rain outside I have started my stollen - with pecan nuts in it though to use them up! Bake, bake, bake....diet starts in January I think.

Seem to have started my baking a bit late tonight. Arthur is teething so already been awake twice. Have been trying out hewletts cream on his rash from all that dribble! Anyway. So much for my early night while peter was away.

Off to see new counsellor on Wednesday. Having said something to the doctor about the
NHS counsellor I've now had three texts from him saying to text if I need to see him. Seems to me that if you are seeing a counsellor with PND it shouldn't be up to you to pewter them and make your appointments for them. Not sure its the best use of precious NHS resources.....I am hoping this new, non-NHS counsellor can help me more.

What does Isobel want from Santa?

....cake

That was the answer given when we saw father Christmas on Saturday. Admitedly that was daddy giving him the answer as Isobel was in awe of her hero in red.  Today she told me she loved father Christmas. Made me smile.

Anyway, so needless to say when the gift was opened and it wasn't cake she was mortified!tears and more tears. Arthur on the other hand was oblivious to the whole thing. Poor father Christmas.

Anyway, a quick trip to pizza express soon solved the crisis. And she even at the olives. What a star.

We had a mug of hot chocolate when we got home. Some hotel chocolate stuff with chilli and cinnamon.  Was ok but peter reckoned it needed more chocolate.

Sunday was Xmas dinner day with friends. I was so excited I even made a giblet gravy! And we had a waitrose Xmas pudding which was lovely but not as lovely as Isobel who was dressed up in her pudding outfit and I think was a little tipsy after her taste of the real pudding. Think that might have had something to do with the amount of brandy I poured on to set fire to!

And finally we tried my pecan lord and they were YUMMY!

Health health - stollen with pomegranate

Yum.

Ok, enough of the stollen. Off to see Santa later and his reindeer. Isobel is finally happy as daddy is home and so the screaming has stopped. Then daddy said he is going away agai on Monday. I feel more stollen coming on!

Must eat more healthily

One of the pieces of advice for PND is to make sure you eat properly. Not been very good today. It started well with some fruit and fibre and I even managed an Apple, some blueberries and pomegranate at lunch. But seem to have eaten another large piece of stollen (will there be any left for peter?), a Tim tam, some toast and some ice cream!

Then this evening I made some mini pecan tarts in preparation for the weekend. Not made them before as was intrigued by cream cheese in the pastry. Could not believe they would come out of the tin but they did (Jamie o mini bites tin, very good). And even more excitingly they have bourbon in! Yum. Only eaten one which am pleased about. Must put them away!

Pinterest

So, Mrs Wonky Pocket suggested I join Pinterest and so I have! It's quite fun but I can see myself spending many an hour just looking for pictures to add!!! I've been going through old photo albums looking back at some of the places I worked in/visited all those years ago before the little ones came along.  One day perhaps we can take them to some of these places.  Between us I reckon we've done quite well on the travel front although South America remains to be explored.

Places we'd like to go back to:

Oh Cambodia

China, India, France, Spain, USA, Canada, Oz, Laos, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Namibia, Malaysia, Japan oh the list goes on....

Places we'd like to go to:

Portugal, Mozambique, Brazil,  Croatia, Madagascar (well, that's me really).....

 Places we've been, maybe not so good for small children:

Liberia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan....etc 

Afghanistan

 

The Aral Sea

Coffs Harbour

Obviously Peter isn't actually here so I'm kind of creating my own list here - but I know he doesn't want to take the family to Liberia so I reckon I'm ok on that one!

Kashgar Market

OK, enough of the photos....but it is making me happy looking at some of these.

Arty is asleep and I'm attempting to write a job application (back to work....) but clearly being distracted by Pinterest....oh, and phoning to complain about the counsellor I saw for my PND - I saw him twice.  I was meant to see him 6 times.  He was so disorganised he kept cancelling appointments - which just added to the stress and irritation rather than helping it!

Oh, and for those who are interested, there were some interesting interviews on Radio 4 last week (I know, I'm not meant to be listening to it - happy music all the way):

• Woman's Hour on Thursday had a phone in with Mary Berry answering lots of baking questions
• Woman's Hour also had an interesting article on JobSharing (of interest to me as I jobshare and love it)

You can find them on the BBC Iplayer:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007qlvb/episodes/player

Oops my second piece...

Of stollen this evening. I now feel a little ill! It is very nice. Peter is away in Kenya, Arthur is recovering from being on a nebuliser and isobel is isobel. So I'm relaxing and eating stollen!

Radio 5 live

So I just have to share this. I am wondering if I am alone. Peter loves to listen to radio 5 live on a Sunday. I don't mind, it can be quite entertaining. But I am fascinated by the sheer amount of time and energy people put into thinking about whether some footballer or coach will or won't do something. Will he score a goal. Oh maybe he won't. Oh I think he will. I don't. If he does will he kick it with his right toe. Or left. Or head. Or......and so it goes on!

Smelling lovely stollen

The house smells lovely. Mixed spice. Mmh. It's a happy smell and slowly getting me into the Christmas spirit! Been baking the stollen from Jo's blue aga blog. Not tasted it yet but it smells yummy. I ate the molten marzipan which seemed to burst out of it - isobel will love it.

Went running again today. Needed to escape from the house and my toddler who was in one of her screaming moods!maybe the left over sugar rush from the party yesterday? Anyway, happily ran about 10km. So feeling very pleased. And ever so slightly tired.