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What’s for dinner tonight? Schwartz/Britmums challenge

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I will start by being completely honest with you and telling you I don’t normally use packet mixes in my cooking. I’m not a food snob at all I just like experimenting with herbs from the garden or my store cupboard and seeing how it turns out. However when I had an email from Britmums explaining about the Schwartz 2 in 1 challenge I definitely wanted to give it a try – it couldn’t have come at a better time really. I’m under strict instructions at the moment to take it easy and also I’m finding it too hot to spend much time in my kitchen so my samples of garlic & thyme roast chicken/crunchy roast potatoes and Mediterranean chicken pasta with cheese crumb topping were ideal!

The 2 in 1 range from Schwartz includes ( apart from the 2 listed above) a chicken tikka with raita option – which I so want to try and two crunchy chicken bite versions.

So what did I think:

Roast chicken and crunchy roast potatoes

Truthfully I was impressed. The blend of herbs for the chicken was spot on and resulted in beautifully tender and fragrant meat. Nice. It was too hot for the roast dinner I had planned so I served ours in tortilla wraps with salad and the potatoes alongside. It was delicious. The potatoes weren’t quite as crispy as I had hoped but possibly I should have left them in a little longer.. Or used better potatoes. Hmm.

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Mediterranean chicken pasta with cheese crumb topping

Although we enjoyed the roast chicken our favourite was the Mediterranean pasta. We enjoy pasta bakes normally but this had a little something extra and I particularly liked the crunmbly topping combined with the melted cheese … Drool.

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Overall it’s not something I would purchase to use every day. However I definitely plan on having these in my pantry. So straightforward to use, simple recipes to follow which means my OH who rarely cooks can use them with ease and I can see me using them on nights when I just don’t want the fuss. They retail for about £1.29 a packet although there are quite often good offers on so keep an eye out.

This post is an entry for BritMums ‘What’s for Dinner Tonight?’ sponsored by Schwartz. Find out more about the new 2in1 mixes here

Too hot to handle

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I love sunshine. I really do. We normally go on holiday somewhere with guaranteed sunshine at least once a year and if its sunny in the UK I always make the most of it. This week – not so much. This heatwave has been a little unbearable in this pregnancy. I coped pretty well when pregnant with Izzy even when at my most pregnant in August/September so I’m not sure if its just a lot hotter now or if I’m just not as tolerant. Either way as much as I like waking up to sunshine I could really do with it dropping a few degrees.

A few things have made life a bit easier (cooler) in the past few weeks:

* paddling pool – we put this up for Izzy to enjoy but I’ve found if I sit outside to watch her play but keep my feet in the cool water I can manage it a lot better.

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* keeping hydrated – drinking cool drinks keeps me cool – sounds obvious but how often do you forget to drink enough. I’m currently reviewing a sodastream and most days I make a carafe of sparkling water with lemon slices to keep in the fridge and top up my glass as much as I can. I’ve also developed a bit of an obsession for their mojito flavour mocktail (so refreshing) and that’s without my current love addiction for Schweppes Summer Punch

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* spending less time over a hot stove – I love cooking so I find this hard but simple, easy meals are on the menu right now.

* keeping my moisturiser in the fridge – nothing like some cool lotion on your legs at night. Ahhh bliss.

* refreshing leg spray – my mum bought me this lemon, chamomile and lavender spray for pregnant legs and its really cooling and seems to given them a little energy boost.

* not drying/straightening my hair – I have naturally curly (wild) hair so I just wash then leave damp and spray in some sea salt stuff. Sorted. Spending an hour with a heated appliance taming my thick hair is not on the cards right now.

* maxi dresses, cotton undies and super comfy bras – I’m all about comfort.

* We have set up a fan in our bedroom which is really helping at night and I sleep with just a cotton sheet and my gigantic Theraline pillow which I’m a little bit in love with. I need my sleep and with a growing bump and restless legs its not as simple as could be but these things definitely help.

Some tips I’ve had from fellow tweeters:

* running wrists under cool water for an instant refresher – @missamanda77

* ice pops were a life saver – @keeley_ne

I may have also been making ice cream a little bit more lately. I love homemade ice cream and I have been experimenting with various egg free recipes including pomegranate and lime and tonight I made Mango and coconut – delicious. Recipes to follow.

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I should point out that although I’m having a moan I am thoroughly enjoying watching my daughter run around in just a swimsuit (sometimes nothing at all) whilst dipping in and out of her paddling pool or running around our local park picking flowers – as much as the heat is getting to me these moments are special and she is so happy.

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What did you find helpful during a hot pregnancy?

Your tips are so very welcome.

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Over halfway

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My pregnancy feels like its been at least a year long .. I remember it going so quickly with Isabelle and everyone told me it would be even faster this time around as I would be so busy with my toddler that it would fly by. Not the case. Every week/month has brought something different to worry about and I would love if the next 18weeks were peaceful so that I could enjoy my pregnancy. During my last pregnancy my mum was battling breast cancer so I feel like I’ve never really enjoyed my pregnant time – I have to admit to feeling slightly cheated.

I am ashamed to admit that as grateful as I am to be pregnant right now and overjoyed that I will have a wonderful baby in just 18weeks time I never EVER want to be pregnant again. EVER. I won’t miss my bump. My bump has caused me nothing but problems – my baby I love already .. My pregnancy not so much.

Thankfully I am now over halfway and my baby is still safely tucked up in my belly – I am so happy that we have made it this far. Every week I get further along is a blessing.

It is only now 8 weeks into my second trimester that I can feel my energy levels returning which I assume is later than most due to the stress/lack of sleep and an infection invading my body.

The heat is a bit much the last few days but I’ve been trying to enjoy garden time with my family and watching Izzy splashing about in the paddling pool has definitely improved my mood. I’ve started to feel more positive.

Last week we had a little bit more news regarding the pregnancy when I found out I was carrying Strep B (you can read more about strep B in my last post) Strep B caused our family a lot of distress 9 years ago when my sisters first child almost died after contracting it during labour so I have some negative emotions related to it but I am lucky in that it was picked up during some routine testing I had done in hospital and as such I’m receiving the appropriate care.

My bump is huge. Like really huge. I’m sure I didn’t look this big on Izzy until I was about 30weeks. I know second pregnancies show faster but woah I feel like an elephant.

Pregnant bump bikini

We had our 20 week scan last week and the baby looked well.

IT’S A GIRL!

She was a little naughty and didn’t stop wriggling all the the way through and made it very hard for the sonographer but so far all looks fine 😀

We have a consultants appointment this afternoon just to chat about some issues and after that I’m hoping for a few weeks break from the hospital and GP surgery so positive thoughts please readers!

Strep B – What is it? I have it

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What is Strep B? You may have heard of it but its pretty likely you will have no idea what it is unless you or a family member had been affected by it.

In 2004 my nephew contracted strep B as a newborn from my sister following a normal delivery – he was seriously ill as a result. For a while things were pretty hairy. I remember at the time I was a carefree 21yr old who had no immediate plans to have children so although I did care – a lot obviously – I didn’t really understand it all.

Here is some info on strep B:

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a normal bacterium which colonises up to 30% of adults in the UK, without symptoms or side-effects. It is most commonly found in the intestines, as part of the normal gut flora (bacteria living in the gastrointestinal tract). It is often found in adult women. It is known as a ‘commensal’ – an organism which lives on another without causing any harm.

GBS can, however, occasionally cause infection, most commonly in newborn babies. GBS can more rarely cause infection in adults (typically women during pregnancy or after birth, the elderly and people with serious underlying medical conditions which impair their immune system).

GBS is not a sexually transmitted disease and treatment of the woman and of her partner does not prevent re-colonisation.

So there you have the basic info on what it is.

I found out today that I have it. Following a few tests and samples taken to check for a water infection ( extremely common in pregnancy) it was picked up and my midwife called this morning to let me know.

I am now on antibiotics and will also be given antibiotics intravenously as soon as I go into labour to try to prevent my baby from getting it too. It’s still a worry for me.. Along with the million ( or so it seems ) other little things that have gone wrong with this pregnancy so far but I know I am LUCKY. It’s been picked up and will hopefully prevent my precious newborn from contracting this nasty and dangerous (to babies) infection.

If I hadn’t had a suspected water infection I wouldn’t have known and like my sister I could have faced days of uncertainty about my childs well being when she could possibly have been born with Strep B.

So why isn’t it routinely offered as a test in pregnancy?

Well the simple answer is that in a lot of countries it is but just not here in the UK.

It can be extremely dangerous to a newborn and in most cases can be prevented from being passed on when it is known the mum has it before birth.

I asked on Twitter if any of my followers had suffered from StrepB in pregnancy these are the stories of the people who replied:

@mumslittlepeeps found out at 15wks and was unable to have intravenous antibiotics as baby was premature but baby was treated immediately after birth as a precaution.

@ninafrost had strep B on both pregnancies, with baby 1 she was treated during labour but on baby 2 there was no time as short labour so baby had 48hrs of treatment in hospital following birth.

@mummyglitzer had antibiotics during labour with her baby boy and he had no problems after birth.

@mumsgonemental found out at 28wks but wasn’t given antibiotics until 3 hours into her labour meaning her daughter had to spend 72hrs in a neonatal unit on antibiotics. Frightening yes?

The common line of thought with everyone I spoke to was that it is not taken seriously enough in the UK and I couldn’t agree more.

Group Strep B Support is a UK charity founded in 1996, their three main aims are:

*Offer information and support to families affected by group B Streptococcus;

*Inform health professionals and individuals how most group B Strep infections in newborn babies can be prevented;

*Generate continued support for research into preventing group B Strep infections in newborn babies.

They believe every woman should be fully informed and offered the chance to have the sensitive test to detect GBS carriage late in pregnancy. These tests are not currently available on the NHS but are currently available privately at around £35.

And, longer term? Vaccination could prevent more cases of GBS infection than any other strategy, including preventing preterm labour and stillbirths caused by GBS infection, post-delivery GBS infection in the mother and late-onset GBS infection in the baby. Vaccination would also avoid allergic reactions to the recommended antibiotics and concern about the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Moreover, there are no indications of hazard in this approach. Investment into developing a vaccine against GBS infection is urgently needed.

If you have any other questions or need support look at the GBSS site: www.gbss.org.uk or follow them on twitter: @GBSSupport

If you have had your own Strep B experience I would appreciate your comments as they may help someone. Also it is Strep B awareness month so if you could share this or write about it yourself that would be great.

The faces of a toddler

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I have a blog post I’m writing at the moment about something important – Strep B. I haven’t the energy to finish it this eve as I want to ensure the information is correct and factual due to the nature of the post and to help people reading it. So I’m going to wait until tomorrow. However I made myself a little promise recently to blog something every day and I thought as its been another one of those days for me ( and some of you probably) with rubbish news and doctors appts I would just show you some funny pics of Izzy.

She is very good at expressing her emotions lately and these are the faces she will pull on cue when you say a certain word:

Frown:

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Funny face:

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Smile:

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And one more just for fun..

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How can you fail to smile at that face? She never ceases to entertain me. Every single day she makes me laugh and I am so thankful for her.

Win a Little Us Doll for your little one – giveaway

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It’s been a while since I did a giveaway or any kind of competition and well as you have all been so smashing of late I thought it would be nice to share the love.

We were recently sent a Little Us doll to review – I have to admit that I’m not a super girly girl but these dolls are pretty cute. We haven’t had it long so I can’t really tell you about the durability or anything like that but they seem well made and as I said they are cute.

Here is a little info about the dolls and some pics:

Little Us is a brand new range of enchanting dolls, each one with her own unique personality. Which one is most like your daughter?– maybe it will be Chloe who likes everything pink, or Amelia who loves animals and reading, or perhaps it will be Ruby who’s just a little bit cheeky, or finally Mille, the tomboy of the group! Read the Little Us stories and follow their adventures on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/LittleUsdolls. Dolls are available to purchase from Amazon RRP £9.99.’

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L-R Chloe, Amelia, Millie, Ruby

The age suitability is 2+ so Izzy is slightly too young but she has had plenty of fun with it. I like the fact that its soft and squidgey and the kind of doll she can snuggle up with on the sofa.

If you would like to win a Little Us doll for your child, niece/nephew, friend or even for yourself just leave me a comment telling me which doll is your favourite and a winner will be picked at random using random.org on Wednesday 10th July at Midday.

It’s a matter of Taste – Taste of London 2013 review

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A little while ago I received a lovely invitation from Electrolux to attend the Taste of London food festival. As it came at a time when I was already going to be in London for Britmums I was extremely happy that I was able to say an excited yes!

For those of you who don’t know anything about Taste:

Regent’s Park transforms into a foodie wonderland for four days of summer eating, drinking and entertainment. Create your perfect taster menu from 40 of the city’s best restaurants as they serve their finest dishes for the ultimate alfresco feast. In addition, over 200 artisan producers and premium brands will provide a bounty of the best food and beverages from Britain and around the world.

Doesn’t that sound awesome? Well it really was.

The weather wasn’t exactly splendid on the day of our visit but it didn’t spoil it at all.

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We started our day at the Taste of Thailand theatre, throughout the 4 days they had a really exciting programme of dance and various shows as well as culinary demos. My daughter was entranced by the dancers and it really started our day off with a bang.

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Next on our list was food! We stopped at Barbecoa as it just smelled so delicious and shared:

*Barbecoa burger – Westcombe cheddar, Heirloom tomatoes, Charred red onion

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*Pulled Pork shoulder – Jalapeño corn bread, BBQ sauce & Coleslaw

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Ahh bliss.

I may have also bought a sneaky bag of salted fudge and eaten a few samplers on our way around too – it would be rude not to hey?

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We moved on to the Electrolux chefs secrets area – this was amazing. It was set up with rows of worktops and top of the range Electrolux technology for visitors to take part in cookery sessions led by chefs such as Simon Hulstone – I was so disappointed to discover I had arrived too late to sign up for any as they were SO popular but we watched for a while and it looked and smelled amazing.

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Electrolux chefs secrets

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We visited the Electrolux taste theatre to watch some demonstrations by chefs such as Magnus Nilsson and Simon Hulstone – as the days went on there were some really fab collaborations in store such as Pierre Koffman and Tom Kitchin as well as three generations of the Roux family which I am sure were fantastic – unfortunately we were only there for the one day.

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We visited the San Pellegrino stand where we tried some new flavours and ate some pizza from The Pizza Pilgrims which was stupendous.

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As the afternoon wore on we started to get hungry again .. of course and so we visited the restaurants again for some inspiration. It was so difficult to choose what we wanted to eat but we finally decided on massaman curry for my other half whilst I indulged in another burger from Barbecoa ( I blame my pregnancy hormones and cravings) it was just so good I needed one to myself.

We also picked up some incredible fresh cheese straws for Izzy, some huge american style cookies and some delicious vanilla ice cream made by the guys at the cuisinart stand. YUM.

Time soon escaped us and we had to leave – next time I definitely aim to book into more than one session.

Next up is a Taste of Christmas in November at Tobacco Dock London which I doubt I will be able to make it to seeing as I am due to give birth the week before but hey Iz was 3 weeks early so there is hope 😉 I highly recommend you visit.

Thanks again to Electrolux for inviting us and for making me drool all over their products. WANT.

Changes

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I am in the middle of moving hosts with the blog and things may seem a little topsy turvy right now but hopefully when it’s all done the site will be easier to navigate and a lot prettier 😉

Please bear with me and thanks for continuing to read and support my blog. You know I love you for it.

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Some things that I love

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I’ve decided to join in on But why mummy why “Some things that I love” linky for the first time mainly because its good to focus on the positive things that happen each week.

Something I read:

Since returning from Britmums I’ve read a lot of blog posts from people that I met and people whose blogs I have followed for some time. I’m trying to take the time to actually read blogs regularly.
I’ve also been re reading Goodbye pert breasts by Ben Wakeling and Shadow of the wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon which is one of my favourite books ever.

Something I watched :

I watched Behind the Candelabra this week and its such a funny,interesting film – I recommend it. It’s all about Liberace and stars Michael Douglas and Matt Damon who are both incredible in it.

Something I wore:

Last weekend I was admitted to hospital and whilst there realised I had no decent PJ’s that fit my swelling belly so my mum took it upon herself to buy me some very cool ones covered in giraffes. They are very comfy and fun. I’ve worn them a lot this week. I’ve also been rocking a DVT stocking but I can’t say I’ve loved it.

Something I listened to:

When I first got pregnant Bon Jovi had just released the song Because we can and I loved listening to it feeling happy and excited about being pregnant. I’ve listened to it again this week and Izzy has been dancing to it and its made me smile.

Something I can’t live without:

This may sound like a cliche but I couldn’t live without my family. From my little family of OH, Izzy and bump to my mum, dad and siblings I have found their help and support to be incredible these past few months and I know that I am incredibly lucky to have them. I get calls or texts from my sisters each day whilst my mum is just always there when I need her.

Making simple food taste special – chicken #1

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I love quick, cheap and easy ways to make plain food such as a chicken breast taste really good.
Don’t get me wrong I thoroughly enjoy spending hours in the kitchen working on complicated dishes but more often that not I don’t have the time and at the moment definitely not the energy for it.

Every time I create an easy way to make my food taste that little bit extra special I’m going to share it on here, it may not be every week or even every month but I will try to do as many as I can.

Last night I had chicken breasts to work with and not an awful lot else as the big monthly shop is tomorrow but I wanted something tasty. I found a simple recipe for a lemon butter sauce in my latest Jamie Oliver mag and decided to make something that would work well with it so..

Chicken, Basil and Garlic parcels

You will need:

Chicken breasts (1 per person)
Approx 2 large basil leaves per breast
1 garlic clove per breast
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Tin foil

Preheat oven to gas mark 5.

Place your chicken breast in the centre of a large square of foil, pour over some olive oil and top with basil leaves,clove of garlic and seasoning. Make a parcel out of the foil, place in a baking tray and bake for approx 20 minutes. I say approx as breast size varies a lot and you obviously need to check its cooked. I use a meat thermometer to do so.

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Tips:

*I use flavoured salts, often smoked but on this occasion I used a pink pepper salt so I didn’t need pepper as well. Flavoured salt will transform your food – I currently have 4 different types and my favourite is Maldon smoked sea salt. They are more expensive than normal salts but seem to last forever as you need such a little bit.

*I also use smoked garlic for this kind of dish, I tend to pick mine up from markets or food festivals but they smell them in most supermarkets now.

*If you don’t have basil try this with any fresh herb that you have at home.

To serve your breast remove from foil and leave to cool slightly then slice and arrange on plate – I topped with lemon butter sauce.

Lemon Butter sauce

Melt 125g butter in a pan and then whisk in the juice of 1 lemon and season. Pour over your chicken or fish. Easy peasy lemon squeezy – couldn’t resist that.

I understand this is far from gourmet cooking and that a lot of you will cook like this all the time but for me a simple addition like garlic and herbs makes a huge difference to my food and I hope it helps some of you in some way.

I think the beauty of this is that the chicken tastes so good that you can serve it with a very basic side salad and a stuffed pepper and still feel like you have eaten a really good meal:

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The roasted garlic tastes amazing by the way.

What do you do to make your food taste special?