Pregnancy so far... (17 weeks down, 23 to go)

Yes, I am pregnant! What an exciting time. It's amazing that there's a whole baby growing inside me all by itself.

So far, it's been... interesting. The first 13 weeks were awash with sickness, fatigue, aversion to all food, and a myriad other disgusting symptoms that I'm not going to post about, as I'd rather forget them so that I don't get put off having more babies in the future! Since then things have improved a lot. Growing a baby is a tiring business and Nick is really busy at work but Team Wu is muddling through very well actually. 'The List' of things we need to do before he or she gets here has been started and will in all likelihood be pored over by me and ignored by Nick, but it makes me feel better knowing it's all down on paper, especially since 'baby brain' has turned out to be a genuine symptom. Who knew?! No food cravings as yet. If I haven't had any by Week 38 I think I'll have to invent one just so Nick has to go to the shop late at night to get it for me ha ha!

Coming up: more pregnancy updates.

Cranberry walnut loaf cake

Cranberries are winter food. For me, their flavour evokes crisp days, frosty cobwebs, and warm homes. This is a recipe for a lovely moist loaf cake which I have made for others on a couple of occasions now - each time it has been well received. It would freeze well so it can easily be made in advance as a gift. The recipe is adapted from one found on My Blessed Life.

Cranberry walnut loaf cake
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Butter a loaf tin.

225g plain flour
75g golden caster sugar
50g light brown soft sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp baking powder

Mix these ingredients in a large bowl.

120ml whole milk
30g butter
2 medium eggs
Half a tsp vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of an orange

Melt the butter. Beat the eggs and mix with the milk, vanilla, and orange zest. Gradually incorporate the melted butter into this mixture, stirring all the time.

Mix the dry ingredients with the egg mixture and combine but do not overmix.

150g cranberries
100g chopped walnuts

Add the cranberries and walnuts to the mixture and fold in.

Bake for 55-60 minutes.

A brief history of the last few months

Here are a few things I've been up to recently:

My first macarons

Chocolate cake for Nick's birthday

I think he liked it!

Many flavours of jam

My first iced cake with sugar flowers

Christmas pudding making

The finished product

Delicious rhubarb and blueberry
crumble

My Christmas cake fruit

After baking....

and after icing. 

I'm quite pleased with all my efforts!

Preparing for winter part 2 - and plans for 2012

A month or so ago, I posted about preparing for winter. Life has been a bit mad since then, but some of the things on the list have been achieved. Curtains are in progress, the winter duvet has come out, the chimney has been fixed (thanks Nick!) and the loft has been insulated (thanks Nick and Eric!).

I still need to have a clear out of my closet and of the upstairs 'junk' cupboard. In fact, in 2012 I would like to declutter the whole house. So many things get held on to because they are sentimental, or they might be useful, or I am too busy to think about taking them to a charity shop or selling them. In reality, these things just take over and make life more complicated: more to clean, more to maintain, more to think about. Little by little, I would like to rid our home of the things that are mere clutter, things that we do not use, things that are past it, things that might be useful but then again they might not, and if we did need one we could easily get or borrow one.

That's my mission!

Beautiful and easy roast vegetable torte

I dreamt up this easy weeknight, vegetarian supper yesterday. It was lovely!

Roast vegetable torte - serves 4
Peppers - 1 red, 1 yellow
1 large courgette
1 aubergine
1 large onion
Italian mixed seasoning (or use a couple of sprigs of rosemary and oregano, and some chopped basil)
Olive oil
4 eggs
225g ricotta cheese
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Chop the vegetables into pieces all roughly the same size.
3. Place in a large roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, turning once.
4. Beat the eggs in a jugs, then beat in the ricotta, salt and pepper to form a smooth paste.
5. Transfer the vegetables to a 25cm flan dish, or any ovenproof dish that looks about the right size to hold them snugly. Pour the egg mixture over the top. 
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes until puffed up and golden.
7. Serve with potatoes or rice, or a big green salad.