my-speck

i'm pregnant and it's going to be a rollercoaster

its your dad’s birthday and we ate a lot of icecream cake… despite the fact the endocrinologist says I’ve gone too hard on the weight gain front. March 29, 2009

Filed under: cooking,eating,pregnancy — rakster @ 7:01 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Hello Speck!

Its your dad’s birthday today, so it was a big day with lots of friends and family and a HUGE icecream cake.  Neopolitan flavour – all hand-made by me, you and Lukey, who came over to help with it yesterday (well, really I think he thought that making icecream would involve lots of opportunity for little kids to lick the bowl and he’s be on a winner).  So, it was chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.  Rich chocolate, vanilla bean and fresh strawberry.  I think the whole thing was about eight litres of icecream – so a big one.  I started with vanilla making on Friday night, and made the vanilla custard.  Then yesterday Luke and I made the chocolate custard and I started up the new ice cream maker.  Chocolate first.  Made a big layer with lots of belgian cocoa and lindt chocolate.  Very rich.  The only container I decided would hold enough for the hordes of people coming was the largest salad spinner we have.  The zyliss put to a new use.  After chocolate it was time to freeze the vanilla.  Did that.  Then I made lemon sorbet for the non-dairy people.

Then a break for the AFL football.  Your dad wanted to see a game for his birthday, so we walked down to the Gabba and watched the lions beat the eagles in a game that was quite good to watch, with your two uncles, grandad & R.  then walked home.  Got home and decided that even though it was late the cake really needed to set overnight, so despite my earlier plan to do the final layer in the morning, got to it with a kilo of fresh strawberries.   Ice cream maker on overdrive until one am, when I put the final layer on the cake, and popped it all back in the freezer to set overnight.    So, icecream cake + lemon sorbet ready to go and frozen.  A bit less sleep than normal.

Today I just ate one bit though.  It was a hit with everyone – lots of sounds of spoon sucking.  Some people liked the strawberry, and some the chocolate.  The vanilla was a bit lost in the middle, but I think the cake wouldn’t have been the same without it.   I know you wanted more, but I just ate the one bit.  Along with the rocket and cheese muffins I made (from the rocket your dad grew), we had enough…  Despite the fact that I know I get ice cream cravings because of you (my usual preference is sorbet).   It was rich, but its also because of the endocrinologist who did her best to make me feel like I should give up icecream…  Bad timing as the new icecream maker just arrived (it is my new baby before you arrive).

ice cream cake - the leftovers

ice cream cake – the leftovers

We went to the endocrinologist on Friday, and she says I’ve put on far too much weight.  I’ve gone up 14 kg already.   Apparently that is too much.   But I feel fine, and I still exercise a lot.  So it can’t be all bad.  Anyway, she saw me briefly, asked some questions, wrote a list of more blood tests and other things I have to go and get jabbed for in the coming weeks (fun fun fun) and then charged me a lot of money for the privilege.   Finished by telling me icecream should be cut out of the diet as it will be more comfortable for me if I don’t put on any more weight.

I’ve been thinking about it.  I still don’t get it.  How do they decide how much you should put on?  I think you’re an average size baby, and I’m an average healthy sized woman, so I guess I would fall into the ‘you’d expect to put on x kg’ bracket.  But without asking further questions and testing, how does a doctor know you’ve put on too much weight? For example, apparently most people put on lots of weight at the end of their pregnancies, and not so much at the beginning.  And maybe I will put on a lot from now too.  But I put on a lot at the beginning.  And I was still exercising a lot.  My boobs are large normally, and they have grown exponentially and are a lot heavier than before.  That has happened about three times now.  Most people apparently only need to buy a new set of bras once.  I’m on my third set.  Each time, I bought big ones, but the boobs are just getting bigger and bigger.   I’ve discussed this seriously with your dad, and we both agree that my boobs have got to have at least 5kg extra weight between them alone.  I actually think I put on nearly 10kg mostly in the first trimester, and in the second I’ve just put on a bit of weight more slowly.   So what is to say that is wrong for me? Its not like I eat badly.

Overall the last few days have been a bit up and down.  I hope you haven’t been too disrupted by my abrupt mood swings and general discombobulation.  Yesterday I spent the day alternately making ice cream and then feeling upset.  It is going to continue for a while, so you may have to get used to it.  I think you are enjoying having your dad around – you move a lot when its just he and I having a quiet chat, like you know his voice and find it something you should react to.

Love you,  we might get a bit more ice cream in before sleep time, if you’re good.

mum

 

Angel Food Cake – recipe March 31, 2012

Filed under: cooking — rakster @ 10:19 am
Tags: , ,

angel food cake

it’s essentially a big fluffy sweet sponge cake held up with a LOT of egg white. Apparently Betty Crocker did one in the 70s/80s in Canada that my lovely other half was partial to eating when his mom made it. I’m a bit of a packet cake snob, and when a cake is as easy as this, who wouldn’t be.  I think if you wanted to play around with it and cut this cake up to make a shaped kid’s birthday cake, it would work pretty well too – it is tough enough / not too crumbly at all while still being pretty light.  And because it’s so light (and sweet) it’s one of the only cakes I’ve ever made where my two year old has actually eaten the whole piece of cake and not just the icing!

angel food cake! yum

ingredients

1 cup (240g) cake flour (*see note)
¾ cup + ¾ cup white sugar (177g + 177g)
12 egg whites (room temp for best whipping – but they are easier to separate when cold.  Also as even the smallest speck of yolk will make them not whip up well, suggest you separate them one by one into a second bowl before adding to the rest of the whites in the main bowl – it would be a shame to get to the 12th egg and get some yolk in!)
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (and optionally ½ teaspoon almond extract)
1 ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon salt

equipment

25 cm (10 inch) angel food cake tin OR ring tin OR bundt tin. A tin with a hold in the middle!
stand mixer / hand-held beaters
a bottle or something to invert the cake tin onto so it ‘hangs’ upside down

method

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Make sure that your 25cm (10 inch) ring tin (or special angel food cake tin if you have one!) or bundt tin is clean and dry. Basically you need a tin with a hold in the middle so the cake cooks evenly and isn’t gooey in the middle! Do not grease the tin. The ungreased tin allows full rising as the cake sticks to the sides on baking and the tin then holds the cake ‘out’ to stop it collapsing.
  2. Sift together the cake flour and ¾ cup of the sugar, set aside.
  3. In a very large very clean bowl (any amount of oil, dishwashing liquid or residue could deflate the egg whites), beat the egg whites along with the vanilla, cream of tartar and salt, to medium stiff peaks.  You could try this by hand but there is quite a bit of mixing, so a stand mixer works best, but you could do it with a hand-held if needed.
  4. Gradually add the remaining sugar while continuing to whip to stiff peaks.
  5. When the egg white mixture has reached its maximum volume, fold in the sifted ingredients gradually, one third at a time. Do not over-mix.
  6. Put the batter into the ring pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake springs back when touched.
  7. Balance the tube pan upside down on the top of a bottle, to prevent decompression while cooling. Yes, this sounds strange, but the cake is so light it won’t ‘fall’ out of the pan while cooling even though it is inverted.
  8. When completely cool, run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto a plate.
  9. Serve with fresh or poached fruit in season and whipped cream or a strawberry or passionfruit style syrup-sauce.  Or for kids with whipped cream and sprinkles!  We served with fresh whipped cream (with a small amount of icing (confectioner’s) sugar and vanilla extract added).

notes

  • to make ‘cake flour’ measure 2 tablespoons corn flour then add plain (all-purpose) flour to make up one cup (240g) total. Sift 4 or 5 times until very well combined. The cake flour has a lower protein content than normal flour and should be a lot lighter.
  • there is a lot of mixture – it overfills my 23 cm bundt cake tin
  • apparently (according to someone in my house) you also need to add a small amount of sprinkles to the cake mixture (as you mix in the flour) so that the cake is flecked with little colourful bits.  I’d say about 2 tablespoons would do it.
  • This cake is super-sweet.  Hence the decoration / serving with poached fruit.  No need for icing on this baby.
  • Egg yolks? Got a few left over after making this cake? How convenient that this cake goes so well with ice cream  Make a batch or two. Or some home made custard. Or a creme pattisserie to fill a fresh lovely custard tart. Or a batch of choux pastry nuns filled with custard.  Mmmm.  So many options!

source

Modified from a recipe on www.food.com (12591) 29 March 2012

Made for our daddy’s birthday this week!

 

week 25! 102 days to go. I’m starting to think about things like whether to dispose, nappy system or just good old simple nappies? But mostly I’m still thinking about food. Figs this weekend. March 15, 2009

Filed under: cooking,development stages,pregnancy — rakster @ 5:21 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Heya Speck,

102 days till you’re slated to join us.  Apparently you’re just like a little baby inside my uterus – now you’re just getting bigger and bigger.  I’ve already put on 12-13 kg, so I expect I’m going to go above the averages as everything I’ve read tells me that you just grow a lot from now on.  I can still see my feet.  And I can still see my fanny.  Two things which will apparently disappear soon.   Well, disappear from my normal line of sight.  More ce la vie.  If I get bigger I get bigger. I’m hungry most of the time.  So I eat.  Not bad food, just a lot of it.  I figure you need it.

On the eating front – this weekend its fresh figs.

fresh figs

fresh figs

They are in season, so I bought a box.  Made fig ice cream yesterday, which tastes good but is all the wrong texture.  My ice cream maker (well, actually your grandmother K’s – I stole, I mean borrowed it years ago) has finally given up the ghost.  I’ve been contemplating buying a new one and keep wavering.  But after the fig ice cream taste being so good but texture so bad, I am convinced we need one.  For your sake too – homemade ice cream is sooo much better for you than bought stuff.  Not to mention the taste.  So I’m going to finally invest and buy one with an in-built compressor.  It is just too hot here in Australia to make any more than one batch in the variety that you bowl in the freezer.  And when I make ice cream or sorbet I generally want to make a bit at once.  If I have to do all those dishes, I may as well make it worth the effort.  Yay.   I am looking forward to a new one.  Maybe I can make your dad an ice cream cake for his birthday with at least three different flavours. That sounds like a plan.  You like ice cream too.  I can tell.  That’s why I want to eat it all the time.  More than normal even.  And fresh is better.  So ice cream maker purchase here I come.

fig ice cream

fig ice cream

What else? Well, I have been reading about nappies.  Its all too confusing.  I think I’d like to not use disposables all the time, so I started to look at the difference between plain old old-fashioned nappies, and the new washable nappy systems.   I am now just thoroughly confused.  Think I might buy some of both and see how it goes.  Or how you go. Who knows?  And how do you try to decide between the different brands without trying them?

Hope you’ve enjoyed the figs.  Tonight for dinner is fig, blue cheese, almond and rocket salad.  That is my plan anyhow.

love you

mum

 

my-speck – the blog October 16, 2008

Filed under: Parenting — rakster @ 8:50 pm

Oh my god I’m having a baby!

It shouldn’t be a shock but it still is.

****************************

Dear Poogie (babe #1) <December 2009>,

I wrote this entry and started this blog – letters to you (my first babe) – the day I found out I was pregnant, October 16, 2008. . And I decided, with your Dad, to call you Speck. ‘Cause that is what you were – a little speck. My little speck.

speck is noticed

the first visual evidence

The first evidence – the little pink lines seemed pretty unreal. I was living in Sydney, working as an IT consultant, playing frisbee, cycling to work and generally eating and drinking and socialising my life away with your dad. And though I was really excited to find out that you were coming, I didn’t want to tell anyone but your dad for a while in case things went wrong (I’m a born optimistic pessimist), so I figured that writing to you (my little speck, a little fertilised egg) and sending my anonymous thoughts out into the ether (read: the internet via a blog) would be a good option for me. And it was…

As the weeks progressed, I used this blog to get my feelings about you out. Writing to you was a way to channel or direct my feelings, relate my story and just get on with enjoying it all. And it really did help. I knew it would all change as the pregnancy wore on, and that feelings like this are fleeting and only happen a few times in a lifetime. So I wanted to capture it. I also remembered a book I had seen that another mum had written for her daughter, detailing life before she arrived. And this little girl loved the book and pored over it and the photos in it. And I had somewhere to write about what I was feeling when I was still keeping it secret from the world at large. Therapeutic.

So that’s how it started. A bit of an outlet. And a compendium of evidence that I was really having a baby ( the week 7 picture to prove it , the week 10 pictures to show how big you’re getting ) to convince myself that this slightly unreal feeling was in fact real. And that I needed to prepare for you. BIG lifestyle adjustment.

you: a fertilised egg and yolk sac

the first ultrasound image of you: week 7

Speck you are bigger!

10 weeks old and A-ok!

Ultrasound at 19 weeks. You sucking...

Ultrasound at 19 weeks. You sucking…

So, I wrote a bunch of entries while I was pregnant…. And went through lots of changes: week by week, trimester by trimester.
I grew a lot.

the growing bump - week 19

the growing bump – week 19

week 21 belly shot

week 21 belly shot

pregnant belly at 22 weeks

pregnant belly at 22 weeks

you and me at week 28

you and me at week 28

week 37 huge pregnant belly!

the mound from my perspective

the mound from my perspective 38 weeks

But then I also ate a lot.

tofu laksa

tofu laksa

mango

mango-fruit at 8 weeks

cake at 9 weeks

cheese at 8 weeks

cheese at 8 weeks

pie at week 16

pie at week 16

baclava week 16.

baclava week 16

ryzogalo - yum. week 17

ryzogalo – yum. week 17

muffin and chocolate week 22

muffin and chocolate week 22

fig ice cream - week 25

fig ice cream – week 25

ice cream cake - week 27

ice cream cake – week 27

carrot cake week 28

carrot cake week 28

friands week 29

friands week 29

fig and cheese for lunch week 31

fig and cheese for lunch week 31

canelloni week 32

canelloni week 32

Galaktoboureko week 37

Galaktoboureko week 37

raspberry smoothie - week 36

raspberry smoothie – week 36

monte carlos week 38

monte carlos week 38

And lots more in between. You can read all the highs and lows…

And then you arrived: 20 June 2009…. I started a birth story while in labour, but funnily enough didn’t manage to complete it at the time… Have written a bit more with the end of the story but haven’t published it yet. Cutting to the chase – you came out through my vagina without any drugs or intervention and you were amazing. And your dad and I were the proudest people in the world. Like most new parents.

you at three days old

you at three days old, snuggling with me

And now you’re getting bigger and older by the day and I’m still writing. While your actual name is “Oscar”, I refer to you as Poogie. It reminds me of your maternal great-grandfather. He used the word a lot. So you’re my little Poogie.

And that’s where we’re at. An Australian mum and a Canadian dad with a new baby boy in Brisbane, Australia. I’m still at home looking after you, and your dad has just started up a new business, working from home some of the time. So we’re just newbie parents and business owners, all adrift in the big wide world. Negotiating the days of new parenthood with both excited expectations and trepidation. Making mistakes and doing some things right. But enjoying watching you grow and learning all the time. From you. For you. For us. And this blog is my letter to you about it all.

My Speck.

Love and kisses
mum

*****

 

About Us… October 16, 2008

Filed under: — rakster @ 9:55 am

Oh my god I’m having a baby!

It shouldn’t be a shock but it still is.

****************************

Dear Poogie (babe #1) <December 2009>,

I wrote this entry and started this blog – letters to you (my first babe) – the day I found out I was pregnant, October 16, 2008. . And I decided, with your Dad, to call you Speck. ‘Cause that is what you were – a little speck. My little speck.

speck is noticed
first visual evidence

The first evidence – the little pink lines seemed pretty unreal. I was living in Sydney, working as an IT consultant, playing frisbee, cycling to work and generally eating and drinking and socialising my life away with your dad. And though I was really excited to find out that you were coming, I didn’t want to tell anyone but your dad for a while in case things went wrong (I’m a born optimistic pessimist), so I figured that writing to you (my little speck, a little fertilised egg) and sending my anonymous thoughts out into the ether (read: the internet via a blog) would be a good option for me. And it was…

As the weeks progressed, I used this blog to get my feelings about you out. Writing to you was a way to channel or direct my feelings, relate my story and just get on with enjoying it all. And it really did help. I knew it would all change as the pregnancy wore on, and that feelings like this are fleeting and only happen a few times in a lifetime. So I wanted to capture it. I also remembered a book I had seen that another mum had written for her daughter, detailing life before she arrived. And this little girl loved the book and pored over it and the photos in it. And I had somewhere to write about what I was feeling when I was still keeping it secret from the world at large. Therapeutic.

So that’s how it started. A bit of an outlet. And a compendium of evidence that I was really having a baby ( the week 7 picture to prove it , the week 10 pictures to show how big you’re getting ) to convince myself that this slightly unreal feeling was in fact real. And that I needed to prepare for you. BIG lifestyle adjustment.

you: a fertilised egg and yolk sac
the first ultrasound image of you: week 7		 Speck you are bigger!
10 weeks old and A-ok!		 Ultrasound at 19 weeks. You sucking...
Ultrasound at 19 weeks. You sucking…

So, I wrote a bunch of entries while I was pregnant…. And went through lots of changes: week by week, trimester by trimester.
I grew a lot:

the growing bump - week 19
the growing bump – week 19		 week 21 belly shot
week 21 belly shot		 pregnant belly at 22 weeks
pregnant belly at 22 weeks		 you and me at week 28
you and me at week 28

week 37 huge pregnant belly!

 the mound from my perspective
the mound from my perspective 38 weeks

But then I also ate a lot:

tofu laksa
tofu laksa		 mango
mango-fruit at 8 weeks

cake at 9 weeks

 cheese at 8 weeks
cheese at 8 weeks		 pie at week 16
pie at week 16
baclava week 16.
baclava week 16.		 ryzogalo - yum. week 17
ryzogalo – yum. week 17		 muffin and chocolate week 22
muffin and chocolate week 22		 fig ice cream - week 25
fig ice cream – week 25		 ice cream cake - week 27
ice cream cake – week 27
carrot cake week 28
carrot cake week 28		 friands week 29
friands week 29		 fig and cheese for lunch week 31
fig and cheese for lunch week 31		 canelloni week 32
canelloni week 32		 Galaktoboureko week 37
Galaktoboureko week 37
raspberry smoothie - week 36
raspberry smoothie – week 36		 monte carlos week 38
monte carlos week 38

And lots more in between. You can read all the highs and lows…

And then you arrived: 20 June 2009…. I started a birth story while in labour, but funnily enough didn’t manage to complete it at the time… Have written a bit more with the end of the story but haven’t published it yet. Cutting to the chase – you came out through my vagina without any drugs or intervention and you were amazing. And your dad and I were the proudest people in the world. Like most new parents.

you at three days old
you at three days old, snuggling with me

And now you’re getting bigger and older by the day and I’m still writing. While your actual name is “Oscar”, I refer to you as Poogie. It reminds me of your maternal great-grandfather. He used the word a lot. So you’re my little Poogie.

And that’s where we’re at. An Australian mum and a Canadian dad with a new baby boy in Brisbane, Australia. I’m still at home looking after you, and your dad has just started up a new business, working from home some of the time. So we’re just newbie parents and business owners, all adrift in the big wide world. Negotiating the days of new parenthood with both excited expectations and trepidation. Making mistakes and doing some things right. But enjoying watching you grow and learning all the time. From you. For you. For us. And this blog is my letter to you about it all.

My Speck.

Love and kisses
mum

*****

Dear Little Miss Boona (babe #2) <December 2011>,

Boona, our affectionate nickname for little Miss Luna.

What to say, what to say?? Life has marched on, and in the middle of the marching, I got a bit faint.   Peed on a stick again, and there you were!  Due the same date two years later than your big brother.

Busy running around after a 1 then 2 year old while you were busy growing, I didn’t feel quite as open about my pregnancy the second time round.  I wasn’t sure why.

Welcome Luna Myfanwy

Then you joined us, 26th June 2011.  Again, though the VJJ with no drugs or whatnot, a bit of a quick process with me eating dinner one minute having a few contractions and then an hour later telling the midwife where to go in no uncertain terms because, “No, I’m not ready to push.  I’m not ready to have a f*ing baby right now.  Not yet.” And you of course arriving minutes later.

And since you’ve arrived the quietness in the pregnancy has all made sense.  You’re a calm and serene and happy little person.  Watching, always watching: me or your big brother.  Taking it in.  But quietly.

 

When you were in your first 8 weeks I sometimes wanted to poke you to see if you would make a noise.  Because you were so silent and content.  An occasional squawk or noise (and a yell like a fire engine when your brother tested your boundaries a few times), but generally just using your eyes and smiling mouth to communicate what you want and need….  We’ll have to see what happens when you start to talk.

 

So here we all are.  A family of four, adjusting, growing and learning.  About each other, and other random things.  Eating a lot.  Living in Brisbane, Australia.  Working, playing and cooking.

Love mum

 

Happy Birthday Dear Daddy! April 2, 2011

Filed under: cooking,eating,family — rakster @ 12:56 pm
Tags: , , ,

Hello!

 

this week was a week of your dad’s birthday.  Tuesday, to be precise.  You and I practiced singing “Happy Birthday Daddy” for the week leading up to it.  You can kinda do it.  We do it line-by-line with you repeating after me.  Your dad was chuffed.   Cake however had to wait until the working week was over.  So this morning was cake-time.

 

So here it is:  a chocolate-hazelnut-meringue vanilla-caramel-icecream roulade.

(more…)

 

Cooking again – simple Lemon Sago Pudding… January 22, 2011

Filed under: activities for kids,cooking,Parenting,Raising a Child — rakster @ 3:11 pm

Hello,

so my new kitchen is NEARLY all done (just the splashbacks), so over the past week since we got back I’ve been unpacking kitchen boxes in addition to unpacking from the holidays. How does one accumulate so much stuff for one kitchen. Anyway, I found my favoured appliance yesterday in the second-last box. Yes, the second-last (hallelujah!). Have you guessed what it is?? Some previous posts might alert you: Grumpy and Emotional or the following, It’s your dad’s birthday….

Yes, it is my icecream maker. Yay. And I got what I wanted for Christmas: a copy of David Lebovitz’s the The Perfect Scoop.

So although yesterday I wanted to bust it right out and get cooking on some new icecream, (more…)

 

Birthday Madness! June 23, 2010

Filed under: Parenting — rakster @ 6:21 pm

It was all a bit crazy, but you and I celebrated our respective birthdays in style over the weekend.

My Birthday Highlights

Me – we tried out the Weerider baby bike seat. There is a story there about how I got it onto the bike, following digging it out but I’ll save that for another time… The good news is that I got it on the bike, you got your helmet on, and we were off. The highlight of my birthday was zooming on the bike with you in front of me: down to the university duck pond, over the bridge and the river with the wind in our hair. You and I both screaming out WOOO HOOO as we gathered speed! Didn’t quite have time to (more…)