Latest Read!

Hi - bad me for not blogging in so long - life is just hectic with the little lady!!!!

Finished a book last night - Tana French 'Faithful Place' - well worth a read.

It was great -kept me interested from page 1 to the very last word. It's about an undercover

guard in Dublin, and has family tension, intrigue, humour and keeps the reader entertained and glued to each word!

Book Club

Well Book Club was last night and it was good craic I must say. 'Turbulence' by Giles Foden didn't get a good review in general - one or two people enjoyed it but most found it quite hard work!

Choice for the next meeting is 'The Book Thief' by Marcus Zusak (hope I have spelled it right!) - I have read this book already and thoroughly enjoyed it. My little lady is here reading her book about babies at the minute - so funny sitting up on her high chair and turning the little pages!!!!

Going off to have our bottle now!

Developments!

My little lady had her developmental check this morning - went fine - they are interesting really check hearing, eyesight, movement etc - all went well and she passed with flying colours!!!

She is currently rolling around like crazy with a foam letter Z - with such speed it's mad!!!

Got a delivery of wool this morning so going to start some nice knitting patterns today. Will initially make somethings for the little lady but am hoping to sell some online in time.

Going to do a beef stir-fry for tea, not sure how it will go down with hubby - but feel like being a little adventurous!!!!!

Sweet Treats!

Just made some choccie muffins - they are in the oven now and cooking away - should only take ten minutes. Got the recipe from Easy Food Magazine (Aug/Sep '10 pg.55) which I subscribe to each month. It's great lots of helpful advice, great recipes and interesting food stuff! Features like Weekly Budget Menu - this is great and gives you cost per portion and a handy shopping list. Ah they are just out of the oven and small fantastic!

PS - and very tasty!!!!

Chocolate Muffins - makes 12

150g plain flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

2 tbsp caster sugar

120ml milk

50g butter, melted

100g white chocolate, melted, cooled

Smarties to decorate

1 Preheat the overn to 200 degrees celcius/gas mark 6.

2 Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder into a bowl with a pinch of salt. In a seperate bowl, combine the egg, sugar, milk and melted butter, then stir into the dry ingredients until just combined - don't overmix. Pour the mixture into 12 medium sized muffin cases.

3 Place on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes or until risen, then remove and allow to cool.

4 Spread the muffins with the chocolate and decorate with Smarties!

5 ENJOY!!!!

Film - Eragon

Hi just finished watching this - curious as I had read the book sometime ago. Love dragons, knights etc and all that stuff - found the actor who played Eragon as little stiff - I felt that maybe there should have been more emotion in his face maybe - you couldn't tell most of the time if he was angry, sad, upset or just bored!
Having said that good film - special effects were good and Dursa played by the dude out of trainspotting was great - I seem to remember that the book was longer - maybe there is hope for an Eragon 2 or something!

Books & Playpens

So Book club didn't happen last night but has only been postponed until next Tuesday so that's grand have four interesting books picked out for the group to choose the next book from.
At least I might get 'Turbulence' finished now before next Tuesday.

We ordered a playpen for our little lady yesterday as she is rolling around like crazy and unfortunately our house is all tiles and wooden floors! So hopefully when it gets here she will be happy in it! It's a Lindam soft sided one - doesn't seem to be much else out there for choice. It's coming from Bella Baby who are great - and have a great selection of everything for baby!

Fish Dish

Oh dear first day of the fish dish didn't go down well - can't understand it it's delicious!

Not going to give up on it though - she can try it again tomorrow. She is going mad for her juice and water mix these days it's great at least she is getting the liquids in - solids going great generally loves most things - the textured food is going to take a little longer but not to worry we are in no hurry she is getting the more lumpy food twice daily and hopefully the little teeth we are waiting for will make an appearance soon. Seems like a lifetime ago since the first two arrived!

Anabel Karmel - Genius!

I made a meal for my little lady yesterday - plaice, spinach and cheese sauce. May sound plain but oh my it's very tasty - I'm worried about how much might end up in my mouth instead of hers!

I find some of the baby receipes - we are on to textured food now! - are quite bland.

However Anabel Karmel's receipes are flippin lovely - so tasty -in fact her fish pie is often a hit around the table with adults - worth checking out her recipies that is for sure http://www.annabelkarmel.com/

Rainy Tuesday

Hi there
It's a rainy Tuesday - book club tonight and have managed to get to Chapter 10 of 'Turbulence' it's very readable but have to be honest am waiting for it to get exciting somewhat -not sure if it will but here is hoping.
Thinking about trying to set up a knitting group in Westport but just not sure how interested people would be - will think some more on it and see where it leads me!
Going to do some knitting now, nearly finished a scarf - make a cup of tea, as the little lady is sleeping.

Made that quiche again for lunch, bold me! It was delicious this time too!!! Knitting a scarf here as the little lady is gone for a nap - sitting in the sunshine while knitting it's too nice!!

Mother & Baby group tomorrow hope to get chatting to more of the mammies down there tomorrow. Book Club tomorrow night - wow when did I get all social! The book we are reading is called Turbulence by Giles Foden - it's good, I am only on chapter 4 however and not sure how much of it I will get to read by the time book club rolls around.

Might get to read some when I go to bed as the little lady has moved into her own room! Fingers crossed so far so good and there have been no adverse reactions at all! The black out blinds should be here on Wednesday all going well and then it will be great as we can play in the natural light up there during the day! I can't recommend Albany in Westport enough they are so efficient - called in last Friday, they came up that afternoon to measure and all going well they will be here on Wednesday! Service with a smile also it's nice and still not all that common!!!!

It's a lovely sunny Monday morning here and the little one is asleep.

Started knitting again today and decided that maybe I am going to try and make some

money from it! Also decided to learn how to sew - not sure how that will go but we will give it a try. Looking forward to hopefully being good at something!!!!!

Nice weekend, quiet and relaxing - weather wasn't great though.

Had the most amazing lasagne the other day from Rua in Castlebar - really tasty, am aiming to replicate at home - however husband doesn't like so end up eating all myself and that is not good for the waistline!

Anyway all for now - back soon

Friday 18th June 2010

Hey - hubbie is off today, studying and it's quiet. We called to see a friend with her baby and it was nice - her little girl and mine are fairly close in age and they might be friends who knows! Talking about enrolling them for school in 2014 - that was a bit of a land I can tell you - who knew you needed to be that organised that far in advance!

Hubbie is heading out tonight with friends so not sure what craziness I will get up to (just in case - loaded with sarcasm).

Facebook, Farmville and Cafe World shouldn't be the main activity on a Friday night but I suspect they will make up a good chunk of it!!!

Will be watching Flash Forward tonight - annoyed that there will be no more of it once this season ends - it was the one series I thought might actually be great as it could have gone anywhere - could have outlasted Lost on number of series! Anyway hope to be back tomorrow.

Thursday 17th June 2010

I made a lovely quiche today - modest I know but it has been quite a while since I made anything as tasty! Maybe my taste buds have been on holidays since I had baby girl I don't know. One of my pals came for lunch and she said the quiche was very nice - so not just me!

Still haven't gotten round to reading any of the books I have tasked myself with - but I have great intentions.

By the way the quiche recipe was from Rachel Allen's Bake book which is fantastic - on page 145 - well worth trying out. It won't be the last recommendation from me on that book!

Books

So I was an avid reader before my little angel arrived, I ate up as many books as I could while pregnant. I haven't had much opportunity of late but am hoping to get back into them very soon.
So I would like to expand this blog to include some book reviews.

I finished Under the Dome by Stephen King just before I had my little girl and it's stuck in my memory so that will be the first review.

Books I have just purchased, as I find it difficult to pass a good book in any shop:
The Pacific by Hugh Ambrose
A Dark Matter by Peter Straub

My interest in books is wide and varied - from Stephen King to Tess Gerritsen to cookbooks! So hopefully for anyone who decides to read these entries you will find them interesting!
Happy Reading

Yummy Mummies

So are you allowed to refer to yourself as a Yummy Mummy or do you have to have it bestowed upon you??? What does it mean anyway?
Who feels like one after having a baby - I think myself that it probably refers to those who have adorable toddlers, nannies and lots of relations who are eager to look after the little angel!
Do you have to look immaculate on the school run in order to qualify - always having the make up done, wearing the latest trends, driving the coolest SUV?
Don't think I qualify under any of those thats for sure - but you know what each time I get a little grin from my angel none of the rest matters!

New Beginnings

Hi
So when you have a baby no-one tells you about a lot of the 'fun' stuff, or maybe the try too and you just are so caught up in the loveliness of your future bundle of joy that you don't pay the proper amount of attention!!
Anyway as you have gathered I am a recently made 'mammy' and enjoying it - although wasn't prepared for the losing myself part.
So this blog is a part of the finding myself again plan. Not sure that my life or what I have to write about will be of interest to anyone but hey worth a shot eh!