Birthday number zero

I have just a few weeks until my baby has their zero birthday. The first trimester (or worst trimester) seems far more than a cluster of weeks ago where sickness lay, waiting to be ejected but never actually coming through and cravings arrived in the form of aversions.  Much to my own amusement I couldn't be near coffee, bananas or peanut butter. Luckily this has since passed and as I write, I sit, with an enormous piece of buttered toast lathered in yet more peanut butter. Eating for two remember?
 
Tiredness has arrived like a lead weight and I kid myself that I partied the previous night. Sleeping has become my main occupation - that is, interrupted sleeping. Weeing up to multiple times a night was the norm at week 20, luckily this has now changed to just a once nightly habit but one that I’m completely unable to kick.
 
Stats tell me that I have a 2k bag of flour permanently attached to my stomach and so I suppose its no wonder that life is slowing down. Long baths, poor television and feather pillows are becoming more important to me by the day. Hen parties are becoming a little more challenging. And weddings. And tube journeys.

Alice made my baby their zero birthday cake in the most tender of gestures. I wept, I’m not exactly sure why but I have a feeling it will be the first of many tears over the next little while.   

The Cutest Macaroons

My lovely friend Sarah baked these pearls at the weekend and I think they are adorable; who says macaroons need to be perfect? The pistachio ones sit like little balls of woolly sheep balancing on a hillside.

Sarah’s macs tasted insane and slam-dunked her into the quarter finals of an office bake off, clearly managing to impress the right people and take her one step closer to baking fame. I only wonder what will be presented next week!?

Food Porn

I came across these food images today and think each one is completely beautiful;  so contemporary and clean. Each worthy of a frame, an enormous wall and perhaps even a gallery space. 

Sunday lunch

I've been cooking this morning. May I present you roasted beetroot, dill and lemon mackerel! Just because, occasionally, I tire of a roast chicken. 

POTATOES WITH STUFFED BEETROOT & DILL MACKEREL

Serve 6

Prep Time - 20 minutes

Cook Time - 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Olive oil, for greasing

1.2 kilo potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut into 2 inch chunks

1 bulb of garlic divided into cloves, the outer paper on each clove still kept in tact

3 tbsp oil

6 x mackerel fillets, skin on but pin –boned

20g bunch of fresh dill, roughly chopped

250g cooked beetroot, diced 0.5cm cubes or as small as you can make chop

100g fresh white breadcrumbs

Juice and zest of a large lemon

100g natural yoghurt

YOU WILL ALSO NEED -

6 cocktail sticks

DIRECTIONS

1/ Rub a roasting tin with a little oil to prevent any sticking. Preheat the oven to 200C, fan 180C, gas 6.

2/ Throw the potatoes and whole garlic cloves into the large roasting tin or baking tray, drizzle with 2 tbsp oil and season. Give the whole pan a good shake. Roast in the hot oven for 30 minutes, turning half way through to make sure the bottoms aren’t catching.  

2/ Meanwhile make your stuffing - combine into the tiny beetroot chunks, fresh breadcrumbs, half the chopped dill, lemon zest and yoghurt in a small bowl and season well. Mix until the consistency is pliable and holds its shape – you could squeeze a little lemon juice in if it needs to be a little more moist.

3/ Lie the fillets on a board and top a good spoonful of stuffing. Fold the fillet in half lengthways to encase the stuffing and secure with a cocktail stick. Don’t worry if you have any leftover, it can just be spooned over the potatoes.

3/ Remove your potatoes from the oven and rest the 6 stuffed fillets on top. Spoon any leftover stuffing around the fillet and drizzle with a little more olive oil.  Roast for 12 - 15 minutes, or until the fish feels firm to the touch. Serve with a good spoonful of thick yoghurt.

Behind the scenes on a food shoot

Today I spent a lovely day shooting for Delicious magazine. The Olympics was order of the day, high energy recipes that can transform even the slowest tortoise into a mad March hare. 8 shots, one prop stylist, one photographer and me + bump = a good days work.

Preparing...

Tweaking...

A little bit of tweezer action!