The cat, a crazy burmese cross, brought home another gift tonight. Mouse. Perhaps a native one. No blood. No holes. Just very proud.

Woke up sleep deprived husband to evict both cat and present.

Mouse jumped into held bucket to escape the crazy cat.

Perhaps mouse knew the person holding the bucket was a Buddhist?

*

Being iron deficient means that you sleep better at night than you otherwise would at 36 weeks pregnant.

Also means that at 3pm you loose the ability to do anything except get horizontal and fall asleep.

Iron jabs make you feel great.

Place the vial in your bra while waiting for doctor. Warm iron jabs don’t hurt.

*
Thinly sliced capsicum, white onion, roma tomato, zucchini, prosciutto and Italian herbs make an excellent pizza.

Precook your pizza dough before putting ingredients on and everything stays fresh and not overcooked.

It was meant to last for lunch tomorrow.

Technorati Tags: cat, mouse, pizza, iron, pregnancy, sleep

It is official. I am waddling. Nothing against ducks but there is something about not being able to walk properly, upright and without feeling like you are carrying several basket balls between your legs when you are 36 weeks pregnant.

It’s bad enough that you only have one sleeping position left, you get heartburn by looking at yourself (no need for food) and I discovered today getting in the car is only half the problem, I only have 1cm left before I CAN’T FIT behind the steering wheel.

Now it sounds like I’m complaining. I’m not. I love being pregnant. I wanted this. BAD. I am looking forward to meeting offspring #3. This is just downloading, or deleting useless cookies (love ya Helene).

All of the above made me feel like it was my duty to sit down in the afternoon and eat a carrot and walnut cupcake with cream cheese icing. I would have taken a photo however that would have involved getting off my arse.

However, I did use the recipe from the amazing gals at the Crabapple Cupcake Bakery. The recipe is in their fantastic cookbook which would have to be one the easiest recipe books to follow. And the cupcakes really do like the pictures!

Technorati Tags: 36, weeks, pregnant, carrot, walnut, cupcake, recipe, book, crabapple

Tonight, I crave a meatloaf. Having never made one before makes me wonder how I know to crave it.

I have created my own recipe with help from smittenkitchen and my mother in law’s over the phone ‘I used to make it with (insert 30 ingredients).’ Including sultanas soaked in some alcohol. No offense to old grapes, but there’s something about mixing meat and parched fruit that doesn’t sit very well within my stomach.

So, I’m making my own rye bread-crumbs in the oven, chopping some capsicum and going blindly forth.

Technorati Tags: meatloaf, recipe, help

An easy and scrummy recipe that is suitable for both vegan and lacto-vegetarian beings.

It is also very low in fat, has no added salt and fantastic for children out there who only eat white food (really).

However, you can add the naughty things like cream, milk and salt if your conscience can handle it.

Check out the recipe here.

Technorati Tags: recipe, potato, leek, soup, winter, veges, easy, vegan, vegetarian, lacto

Easy, quick, guaranteed to work every time, pikelets.

This recipe was lovingly offer-ed and received many years ago.

Apart from this being so easy, my kids will eat all of them and beg for more.

And if you’re not sure how to eat them…

• on their own
• with fresh lemon juice
• with lemon juice and sprinkled sugar
• with butter or margarine
• with jam
• perfect in lunch boxes

or my favorite…

• with a drizzle of maple syrup

Get your recipe here.

Technorati Tags: recipe, pikelet, pikelets, easy, photo

A Brie, cranberry and rocket entree that will rock your world!

I recently served a quite modest portion of this entree, only to bring out what was left in the kitchen so we could all have more! Totally moorish and even the four kids (age 3 to 6) ate it.

Check out the super easy recipe here and let me know if you make it!

Technorati Tags: recipe, brie, entree, easy, cranberry, rocket

I know what you are thinking. Chickpeas are no good unless it’s a humus we’re talking about.

Thats what I thought until recently!

I was one of those *stealth* chickpeas cookers. I would sneak them into a Vegetarian Lasagne, a vege soup or some other dish I imagined I could get away with. Knowing that they are SO good for you was easier than getting them in a recipe to actually TASTE good.

So, the recipe in hand is for chickpea patties. They taste amazing. I teamed them with long cut veges and a mix of potset yoghurt and sourcream.

You can get the recipe HERE. As well as a few things I learnt while making them. Enjoy!

Plate arrangement courtesy of Oliver

Photoshop filter - Poster Edges

Technorati Tags: chickpea, recipe, patty, patties, feta, coriander

I have this need to plan. Sometimes it’s just for a day. Sometimes it’s for the entire year.

Last year I had a plan sorted for this year. Well, my plan fell through the cracks in the floor boards.

So I need a new plan.

I came up with painting the house.  A great plan I hear you say. Keep me occupied, finish all those crappy painting jobs I started 6 years ago.

But one very hard to get *excited* about.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still paint, but I need something more…creative.

And then waltzed the impending 4th birthday party and the corresponding cake.

And…ta dah! I have a creative plan to fill my mind in between the paint fumes.

So first on the agenda is the cake. I’m going to build *off plan* this year. I know, I can hear you freaking, thinking of the tears and icing thrown all over the newly painted walls. But I have gone off plan before (see above Volcano).

All others have been sourced from the trusty Women’s Weekly Kids’ Birthday Cakes.

So…it’s a Mermaid this time round. And I’m lying awake in bed at night drawing the Mermaid pattern on the ceiling, imagining where I can get edible glitter.

Technorati Tags: kids, birthday, cake, cakes, ideas, pirate, volcano, mermaid

There’s nothing quite like an impromptu dinner in the back yard with family, and an amazing *Sticky Date Pudding for dessert.

We only got back from our Xmas holiday to Albany on Thursday to the sound of both Grandmothers pinning to see the kids. And seeing as we’re off to Busselton tomorrow morning to camp with some gorgeous friends, a dinner of homemade pizza (thanks **Miles), salads and the above pictured pudding was well received.

*Yes, it came with icecream and hot sauce. Recipe to follow.

**not coming with us! Work beckons…

Technorati Tags: sticky, date, pudding

An extremely easy, quick and totally stylish Summer Vege Salad recipe.

It’s nice to arrive at picnics or family affairs without the stock standard salad, (which still taste great!)

I’ve made this salad three times to date, each time as perfect as each other!

Check out the salad recipe here and let me know if you make it!

You can also see the Lemon and Mint dressing that I’ve been using.

Technorati Tags: recipe, salad, summer, veges, zucchini, corn, asparagus, peas, quick, dressing