LABOUR STARTING COOKIES (well we'll see, but i'm ready and willing)

preheat oven to 180c

combine in a medium bowl: 2 & 1/2 cups flour, 1 & 1/2 tspn baking soda (bi-carb soda), 3/4 tspn cinnamon, 1 tspn ground ginger, 1/2 tspn ground cloves, 1/2 tspn cayenne pepper (but i didn't have any of this so i used a bit of paprika, piri piri and chilli).

cream together in a large bowl: 8 tspns (or '37 grams') butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar and 1/3 cup mollasses (treacle). add lastly 1/4 cup egg whites (from 1 large egg).

add the dry ingredients to the wet a little bit at a time. roll dough into 1 inch balls, place on baking paper on baking tray and cook for 10 mins.

"once cool, eat as many as you possibly can, lie down for a nap and wait for labour to begin!" (we'll see..... but i hope so!)



i read about this recipe from http://www.shoppingfortwo.com/Articles/Pregnancy/breakyourwatercookies.htm

mmmm risotto!

CREAMY PUMPKIN RISOTTO
recipe from: women's weekly.

my score: 10/10 (but i had been reaaaaally wanting risotto for a while now), i will definitely be making it again :D

dane's recommendation: "needs meat".

ingredients
1kg butternut pumpkin, peeled & cut into 2cm pieces
extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tspn dried chilli flakes
1 1/5 litres chicken stock
50g butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 cups (400g) arborio rice
1/2 cup (125ml) dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves (i couldn't get a hold of any fresh or dried sage, only powdered so i just sprinkled a little of that on at the end)
1/4 cup (60g) sour cream
1/2 cup (40g) grated fanciest parmesan
2 tblspn toasted pine nuts

method
preheat oven 200c

bake pumpkin on baking tray w baking paper & oil. season w salt

meanwhile, bring stock to a gentle simmer in a medium saucepan.

melt butter in large pan. add onion and cook till soft not browned. add garlic and rice, stirring well to coat. add wine and simmer until liquid has evaporated.

add 1/2 cup of hot stock to rice mixture stirring over medium heat until liquid is absorbed. continue adding and stirring, 1/2 cup at a time until half the stock is added, then remove the pumpkin from the oven, sprinkle with chilli flakes and add almost all of it to the risotto (saving some for the top). continue adding and stirring as before until it's all gone. (i added frozen peas too because i <3 peas).

**i didn't do this step because i couldn't get the fresh sage, but i hope to next time.....
"heat oil in small frying pan over high heat, add sage leaves and fry for about 20 seconds or until crisp. remove with slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper."

remove risotto from heat, stir in the sour cream and parmesan. season. serve topped with the extra pumpkin, roasted pine nuts and crisp sage.

SO GOOD

tomorrow's recipe......

LABOUR INDUCING SPICY COOKIES (yes really)

trusty pizza success, cheating roast success!!

i haven't been cooking much lately, ingredients for recipes are $$$$$, the things i have been cooking have hardly been worth mentioning let alone photographing. tonight's delicious roast chicken with peas, roast potato, pumpkin and carrot was PERFECT although i did buy one of those ready to roast chickens that already have the stuffing and are already marinating in herbs etc. CHEATING i know. but everything came out, all at the same time, all perfect yumyumyum.

another night i made a rocket and lettuce (from our very own garden!!) salad with oven roasted cherry tomatoes with balsamic vinegarette and oil, pumpkin, fetta and lamb cutlets.

and i also whipped up dane's recipe of DELICIOUS pepperoni margherita with basil (deliciously fresh home grown!) tomato, mozarella, parmesan and cheddar. mmmmm mmmmmmmm.

tomorrow is pay day so i will buy ingredients tomoro to cook from a recipe. mmm perhaps risotto?