Food revolution!

I love Mama J's post about sharing simple, quick and healthy recipes. I've been making an effort to try new recipes to expand my repertoire. Mister T is getting tired of my roasted chicken with vegetables.

I purchased the Jamie Oliver app for my iPhone and I really love the recipes. He claims they are 20 minute meals, but they are definitely more like 40 to 60 minute meals (I guess if you weren't cooking in your own kitchen and did everything really fast not caring about how big a mess you made because you weren't going to be the one cleaning up then it would take you 20 minutes). The app comes with a ton of recipes and he does provide app updates you can download for new recipes.

Miss L's favorite Jamie Oliver recipe is the chicken tikka masala. I've also tried his vegetarian curry with paneer, potato and peas. He has a wonderful potato leek soup and the sausage and zucchini carbonara is out of this world. A really simple one is sausages with baked cannellini beans.

I love the range of cuisine and the recipes are really easy to follow. The meals look so nice when they are plated and most of all they taste delicious! Sometimes you need to make little adjustments because he is writing the recipes from a British perspective, like always skip step 1 which is to put your kettle on (electric kettles aren't as popular here to boil water). One recipe called for chipolata sausages which are very hard to find here so I substituted toulouse sausages.

I also have also made the Mexican family dinner from goop a couple of times. It is really easy and a fun family dinner. Essentially you make shrimp tacos with homemade guacamole and pico de gallo with a side of black beans that have been seasoned nicely to add more flavor. I thought Mama J may like this recipe since Mister R makes such a great guacamole.

Sorry I didn't include the actual recipes, but I don't want to get in trouble with Steve Jobs for not using my iPhone correctly, nor do I want to get in trouble with Gwyneth's people.

The best cake pan!

I've been meaning to post on my new favorite thing for cakes- my Wilton 3D train pan. As it is all about the choo-choo in our house, I knew for Master A's 2nd birthday, I wanted a train cake. When I was looking online, I saw a lot of cute cakes that required sawing up several sheet cakes and I felt that could only end in disappointment (for me and Master A). Then, I found this great train pan- which has nine car molds with amazing detail on it. I did balk at paying $32 for a cake pan but I reasoned with myself that with two boys, it will get some use.

The day before Master A's birthday party with some family, I mixed up a snickerdoodle cake (great recipe on the pan) greased the pan well and prayed! After reading some reviews, I bypassed flouring the pan and did not tap the pan when taking the train cars out. Shockingly, all nine cars sprang right out of the pan. Decorating was fun- though I had problems finding the candies I wanted around town. In the end, I used animal crackers to make a circus car, small tootsie rolls for logs, snow caps for coal and smoke and M&M's for the wheels. Next time, I'll get gel icing so I can decorate more neatly.

I see many uses for the pan- whether for a polar express gingerbread train for the holidays, jello train, or having his buddies over to decorate their own car. I think I may make a train for our next book club meeting- though with all of the kids- I'll probably go easy on the icing :)

Wafels & Dinges fun

As you all know I love food and since the boys, my quests for treats are those that are kid friendly. One day a few weeks ago, I read about a waffle truck online and was excited to see that it was parked in Hanover Square on Wednesdays. Since Mister R is home and it was freezing cold, I sent him out for the waffle expedition. No, the title is not spelled wrong, wafel is apparently the Belgium spelling and dinges are toppings.

There are two types of wafels sold- the Brussels and Liege. I prefer the Brussels- light and crispy (apparently first came to NY for the World's fair in 1964). My preferred toppings- Belgian chocolate fudge and strawberries. Mister R preferred the Liege waffle- light and chewy- with speukoloos spread & whipped cream (an awesome spread that tastes kind of like peanut butter with graham crackers). They will give you a taste of it to try.

If you check their blog before you go- and call the wafel hotline- they have a question or thing of the day (i.e. what is a curling stone made of- answer correctly and you get a free dinges). In case you are dying to know- a curling stone is made of a Scottish granite. Look for a big yellow truck- usually not much of a line (but a loyal following). It's all a bit quirky and fun.

The waffles are a bit pricey but they are delicious. I hate to say it, but the second time we got them, we debated whether to wait to eat them when Master A was napping, but we decided it would be too cruel. As you can see, Master A enjoyed quite a nutritious lunch. They travel well in cute little boxes.

I can see many a fun spring/summer outing spent with the boys running around Hanover Square covered in wafels and dinges. Let me know if you want to join us.

http://www.wafelsanddinges.com/

Ding dinners with a difference

Source: Savvymom

Since I've made the decision not to have a fulltime nanny something had to slip. And it's my diet. My diet has been crap lately. I'm lucky if I can grab a slice of toast and protect it that from Master R's greedy fingers.

So I signed up for Pure Package meal delivery service. I get 3 meals a day plus two snacks. The food is all fresh and I'm really enjoying having meals ready to just rip off the cover and scoff. Only the evening meal requires heating. The portions are huge, sometimes too big. But I feel virtuous knowing that I'm getting the required fruit and veg. If I go out for lunch I just give Mr M the meal I've missed.

The only issue is that sometimes I just feel like a slice of buttery raisin and fennel toast and a cup of tea. And that's exactly what I'm having for dinner tonight. Bon appetit!

EASY Summer Suppers

Right now, for myself and I suspect all of us, easy prep suppers are what I am in the mood for. And if I can use fresh ingredients especially from the CSA even better. The first is an orchiette pasta with spinach, garlic and Niman Ranch sweet italian sausage (Mama V got me obsessed with the NR sausages.) I try to keep the ingredients for this meal handy so that all I need to do is pick up spinach if I do not have it and I am ready to go. Boil water for the pasta, then heat sausage cut in to slices in a saute pan with garlic and a bit of olive oil. When pasta is al dente save some water in case you need it to use later. Drain the pasta. Place washed spinach in the saute pan with the garlic and sausage, turn over a few times and add the pasta. Add parmesan cheese and a little pasta water if needed.
Place in bowls and top with more parm. Done. Love. Hope you do too.

The other dish is my Manly Salad. This is the only salad I can pass off as enough food for my Mister. I love it in the summer because you can use fresh lettuce (red or green leaf or romaine), corn, tomatoes, blue cheese, red onion if you please and here is the key Bacon! But not just any bacon. It must be a thick cut. What makes this the easiest is that we buy 3 pieces from Wolfgangs Steak House down the street. I know some of you live near a steak house (Mark Josephs in the seaport) so you can do it too. The Misters love it.

So for you veggies just omit the sausage and the bacon and there you go. Niman Ranch also makes a chicken/turkey italian sausage for the no red meat mamas.

A Lovely Summer Pasta

Photo by Petrina Tinslay

When Mr. E and I first met, he lived on West 180th St. and I lived on the more "gritty" East 18oth St. side. His apartment overlooked the George Washington Bridge and the pristine Jersey coast that Rockefeller bought to preserve the views from the Cloisters. He lived just steps from Fort Tryon Park and the cute, Hudson Heights section of Washington Heights. On the other side of the tracks, literally, my roommate and I lived four walk-up stories above a courtyard full of pitbulls. Music blared at all hours of the day and night, young drug dealers in "Don't Snitch" t-shirts manned every corner, and we had a rat the size of my mom's daschund living in our oven. I spent most of my time teaching, attending grad school and nannying on the weekends, so the dismal conditions didn't really phase me. Looking back, it was pretty bad, but so cheap!

When I finally met Mr. E and got the hang of his side of the neighborhood, I was hooked. The first time I cooked him a meal it was in his kitchen, so I tried to make it as simple and fool-proof as possible to dazzle him with my culinary ease. Nigella Lawson, the sultry British chef, is the epitome of thrown-together deliciousness, so I turned to her for a recipe. Her crab pasta calls for shelled crab, which Nigella said could be found in fish markets. When I stepped into a fish stand in the Bronx and asked the purveyor to shell the crab legs he looked at me like I was crazy. Manhattan fishmongers might be more accomodating, or you can buy fancy-looking bags of crab at Zeytuna market in their fish department. I have also been known to buy the canned stuff in a pinch and it's still tasty, but the chunkier texture of the fresh crab or the bag is better.

Crab Linguini (Source: www.cookstr.com)

Serves 6 as a starter; 4 as a main course.

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 scant tablespoon Maldon or other sea salt
• 1 large red chilli
• 2 pounds 11 ounces undressed crab, to give you 7 ounces white meat and 4 ounces darker meat
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1 pound linguine
• handful fresh parsley, chopped
• handful watercress leaves, roughly torn

Method: How to cook crab linguini

1.Put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta.

2.In a large pestle and mortar pulverise the peeled garlic cloves with the salt, so that it makes a smooth paste. Then add the chopped and seeded chilli and crush again until you have a gloriously red-tinged mixture.

3.Tip in the crab meat, breaking it up gently with a fork, and pour in the oil. Zest the lemon into the mortar and then add the juice. Using a fork, beat well to mix, and then you are ready to cook your pasta.

4.So do so, and then drain the pasta and tip into a warmed serving bowl. Immediately pour over the crab sauce and toss the pasta about in it, then throw in the parsley and watercress and toss again.

Summer risotto

Source: http://www.finecooking.com/

In my latest addition of Fine Cooking I found a wonderful summer risotto recipe that features seasonal ingredients that all of us mamas can find at our local greenmarkets. Mister T thought it was the best dish I've made in a long time (was that a compliment? what about all those other meals?!) and Miss L devoured it while bouncing and clapping in her Tripp Trapp chair (that is the best compliment to the cook).

I love this recipe because it highlights sweet summer corn and reminds me of the amazing farmstands in Sagaponack. I was able to find the sausage and arugula at the farmers market at the Ferry Building so the flavors were clean and fresh.

Risotto is very easy to make and can easily be served as a main course (especially if it includes meat to meet the dietary needs of our husbands). The key is not to stir too often, just when you add the broth and when you want to check to see if the broth has been absorbed and you need to add another ladle.

I know some of the mamas are vegetarian. I'm not sure how it would taste without the sausage. I definitely thought that each bite was perfect if all three ingredients were tasted together. I really like incorporating the corn early in the recipe by grating some of the kernels and adding them when you add the risotto.

6 cups lower-salt chicken broth; more as needed

3 medium ears fresh corn, shucked and halved crosswise

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

3 packed cups trimmed arugula

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 medium leek (white and light-green parts only), finely diced (about 3/4 cup)

1/4 lb. hot Italian pork sausage, casings removed and broken into chunks

2 cups arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine (like Pinot Grigio)

1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano; more for serving

Heat the chicken broth in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the corn and cook until the kernels are just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the corn to a cutting board and reduce the heat to keep the broth hot but not simmering.

Once the corn is cool enough to handle, slice the kernels off four of the pieces. Grate the kernels from the remaining two pieces using the large holes of a box grater. Discard the cobs.

Heat the olive oil and garlic in a large, heavy saucepan or medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the arugula and toss with tongs until wilted, about 1 minute. Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Transfer the arugula to a cutting board, let it cool slightly, and then coarsely chop it. Wipe the pan clean.

Melt the butter in the cleaned pan over medium heat. Add the leek and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the sausage, breaking it apart with a fork or spoon into crumbles, and cook until no longer pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir until the grains are well coated with fat and the edges become translucent, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and stir until it’s absorbed, about 30 seconds. Stir in the grated corn.

Ladle enough of the hot broth into the pan to barely cover the rice, about 1-1/2 cups. Bring to a boil and then adjust the heat to maintain a lively simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the broth is mostly absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue adding broth in 1/2-cup increments, stirring occasionally and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next.

After about 20 minutes, the rice should be just cooked but still fairly firm. At this point, add the whole corn kernels, chopped arugula, and another 1/2 cup broth. Continue to simmer and stir until the corn is warmed through and the rice is just tender to the tooth, an additional 1 to 3 minutes. Stir in another splash of broth if the risotto seems too thick. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the risotto immediately with a sprinkling of cheese.

New York delivery in San Francisco!

Source: www.hhbagels.net

This morning the doorbell rang and I wasn't expecting any visitors so I was quite curious as to who it could be. Maybe someone was lost and rang the wrong house. Mister T answered the door and I could hear him telling Miss L, "Mommy is really going to like this." Then suddenly the absolutely best smell you can imagine wafted down the hall - everything bagels from H&H!

Mister T, Miss L and I all stood around the box. Fresh bagels right at our fingertips. We were giddy and jumping up and down with joy. We couldn't believe we had real New York bagels delivered to our door in San Francisco. I should also mention that this was the first food we've had delivered to our door since we arrived. I ripped open the box. Miss L made the first grab for a cinnamon raisin bagel. I had enough restraint to read the card first.

Mama A and Master X are so thoughtful to send us one of our favorite New York foods that we have missed the most! I have been craving a New York bagel from the moment we landed at SFO.

I was running late for a doctor's appointment so I had to wait to have my everything bagel. It was pure torture. My lovely new doctor asked me how I was feeling. My answer was a quick, "fine." She asked if I had any questions. My answer was a quick, "no." All I could think about was eating an everything bagel as soon as I got home. It was the fastest doctor's appointment I have ever had. I walked home as quickly as possible. I must have looked like one of those power walkers awkwardly strutting down the street. When I finally made it home I ran through the door, barely mumbled a hello to Mister T and made a fast break for the kitchen.

It was everything I remembered and had hoped for. I enjoyed every morsel of that bagel. I think I could have eaten two of them, but I thought I would stretch out the enjoyment so I can look forward to my next bagel tomorrow morning. Mister T told me we could not have bagels for dinner tonight, even though I thought it was a fantastic idea.

Mama A, you are the best!! We are so touched by your kindness.

A house isn't a home until you've baked cookies

I was very excited to bake my first batch of cookies in my new kitchen and to have the house smell like chocolate chip cookies. I also wanted to bring something delicious over to our neighbors to introduce ourselves. Mama N inspired me to bake after hearing about her carrot cake on FB.

I must also confess that I am a huge fan of Gwyneth Paltrow's website (and also of Gwyneth herself, evidenced by my walking into a hair salon last week and asking for the "Gwyneth cut"). On GOOP Gwyneth recently wrote about her favorite cookie recipes. I decided to try the dark chocolate and cherry cookies that Katie Lee, soon-to-be ex-Mrs. Joel, made for her. The key to these cookies is to find the best artisanal dark chocolate. I really like Scharffen Berger chocolate, so I used a bar of 70% cocoa that I found at WF. You also want to use tart cherries, rather than sweet, which is a nice complement to the dark chocolate. Here is the yummy recipe (I decided not to include the pecans):

YIELDS: About 4 dozen cookies

2 1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (be sure to use a high-quality chocolate with more than 60% cacao)
1 cup dried cherries (about 6 ounces), coarsely chopped
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375º F.

Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together into a bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or in a bowl using a handmixer), beat the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. On low speed, add the flour mixture. With a wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate, cherries and pecans (if you’re using them).

Scoop by heaping tablespoonful onto two nonstick or greased cookie sheets. Bake until golden and chewy, about 12 minutes, rotating the sheets after six minutes. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool and repeat the process with the remaining dough.

Two delicious adult main courses

I really hope Mr M doesn't get used to this but the past couple of nights I've really outdone myself in the kitchen.

In NYC I was a big FreshDirect.com shopper and here I swear by Ocado.com - very similar as far as quality. What I love most is the recipes section where you can add all the ingredients directly into your shopping bag. Such a time saver! I tend to add a couple every time I shop. Most are just OK but these two were delicious!

Source: Ocado.com

Sunday night was the Beetroot Rosti with Smoked Trout. Normally we're not big fish eaters but I'm really trying to add more to our diets. These seemed like a quick and easy dish for a Sunday night when I don't really feel like cooking. It was really yummy and even Mr M wanted seconds after initially screwing up his nose at the smoked trout. The true test was the next day when Master R picked out all the fish and threw away the rosti. Mr M and I actually discussed it the night before and were 100% certain that he'd eat the rosti and throw the fish. Such a little carnivore.

Source: Ocado.com

Monday night (and leftovers Tuesday - hurrah!) was the Blanquette du Veau. However here in the UK it's really difficult to get veal as people don't think it's PC so I substituted with sirloin. I was running a little behind so I ended up simmering the meat and veg for 1 1/2 hours but I don't think it made much of a difference.

This meal was one of the top 5 I've ever made. I served it with mashed potato and it was truly devine. I just finished my leftovers now and I wish I'd made more. It was well worth the slaving in the kitchen that's required. It would also be a good crockpot/slow cooker recipe (Mama V, I hope you're using mine!). Just throw it all in and set to low and 6 hours later it's done.

Master R also loved it and ate all the veggies and meat! He also watched me peel, steam and mash the potatos continually saying "tato, tato, tato". So sweet!

Tricking kids to eat veggies

Fruit is no problem. Master R devours half a punnet of strawberries on the way home from the supermarket and stands screaming and pointing at the fridge for blueberries. But veggies are another story. He loves meat (really loves meat!), rice, pasta, bread, oats you name it but I do struggle to get him to eat even a cherry tomato. I worry that he's not getting enough vitamins and minerals and constantly think of ways to add veggies to things without him knowing.

For example his favourite meal is penne bolognaise. He scoffs down the mince like he was starving. So last time I made it as well as the onion, garlic, mushrooms and tomatoes I normally add I also grated a couple carrots and finely chopped a capsicum/pepper. The carrot was incredible. It just disintegrates down to nothing and you can't taste it. The capsicum/pepper made it a bit sour so I won't add that in the future.

I was thinking of other ideas today when I remembered this old favorite my mother used to make for us kids - corn fritters. We loved them and would smother them in tomato sauce/ketchup and gobble them up. The corn is so nice and sweet that your kiddies will think they're eating sweets. They're rather healthy too if you cook them in just a little oil in a non-stick pan.

Corn Fritters
1 cup unbleached flour (you could also use wholewheat)
1tsp baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1tsp vegetable oil
1 cup corn kernels (I just cooked some frozen corn)

Mix all ingredients except corn until smooth, add corn. Heat non stick pan with a little oil or butter. Fry in batches.

Yum, yum. I made up a batch this afternoon (shown above) and ate a couple for an afternoon snack.

Now the issue of hiding veggies in your cooking is hotly contested. I discovered this when I nearly bought Jessica Seinfeld's book Deceptively Delicious. A few dieticians/nutritionists (can't find the links now) were saying how bad it was to hide vegetables in food because kids don't learn to eat them. Instead you should allow them to see what they're eating and learn to love them. I wonder how many of them were just jealous of Jessica's success? Her book was bound to be a success given who she is! Of course Oprah would endorse it. She's Mrs Jerry Seinfeld afterall.

I can see the point though. If they don't like carrots and don't know they're actually eating them in my bolognaise how will they know they're eating them? So I didn't buy Jessica's book but I think I have my own solution. I'll hide veggies in things half the time and give them to him openly the other half. Eventually he'll learn to love them as much as I do - well that's the plan anyway.

From Julia Child's kitchen

A photo of Julia Child's kitchen; source: WBUR.org

After visiting my friend S during our recent trip to San Francisco, I was inspired to make a quiche, which S showed me was a simple and delicious item for a weekend brunch or a weekday lunch with your family. I rummaged around my kitchen for my Julia Child cookbooks. I found a copy of From Julia Child's Kitchen that Auntie Del had given me. I opened up the yellowing pages (I think Auntie Del bought the cookbook when it was first published in 1975) and found simple instructions to assemble a quiche.

The first item I made was the pie pastry for the quiche. Home-made pie pastry makes all the difference when you are baking, as I know Mama V will attest to for her home-made pizza dough. It gives you a flaky, delicious pie crust rather than the dull taste of frozen, store-bought pie dough. I really like Martha Stewart's recipe for Pate Brisee. What I like most about this recipe is that it gives you a nice buttery flavor that works well with sweet and savory baking without using shortening or lard. This recipe gives you two pastry shells so you can use one and store the other in the freezer for up to a month for future baking.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I love King Arthur flour)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Place the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food mixer, and process for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter pieces to the flour mixture and process until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the ice water in a slow, steady stream until the dough holds together.

The great thing about making a quiche is that it is so accessible and simple. The basic quiche filling includes:

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/4 tsp salt

a pinch of pepper

You can add any kind of cheese to a quiche. I like the combination of Swiss and Parmesan cheese. Julia Child advises to use about 3/4 cup cheese. You can also add any cooked leftovers you may have in your refrigerator, such as:

Bacon, ham or pancetta

Cauliflower or broccoli

Mushrooms

Smoked salmon

Asparagus

Spinach

To assemble a quiche roll out your chilled pie pastry and lay it in a buttered pie dish. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of your cheese on the pie pastry. Then add any additional ingredients. Last week I added leftover bacon and cauliflower. Pour in the basic quiche filling and sprinkle the remaining cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Serve warm or at room temperature over mixed greens. For New York mamas, Satur Farms provides lovely, and local, mixed greens, which you can purchase at Whole Foods or at the Greenmarket.

Who said Irish food had to be bland?

In honor of St. Patrick's Day I baked an Irish soda bread from Barefoot Contessa At Home. Ina Garten is my absolute favorite cookbook author. Her recipes are simple, fun and so delicious. I have all six of her cookbooks and have enjoyed every recipe I have tried. Mr. T and Miss L nibbled on slices of this bread all day today. Here is the recipe:

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the currants

4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch dice

1 3/4 cup cold buttermilk, shaken

1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 cup dried currants

Preheat oven to 375. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour. With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack.

Weaning mama

Source: Childbirth Connection

Sunday morning Master R awakes at his usual time of 6:30am and starts calling out "mama!". I stumble into his room semi awake and bring him back to our bed, bring down the strap of my nighty and put my breast to his mouth. Nothing unusual yet. But then instead of suckling ferociously as usual he chomped on me and started screaming! I tried again and nothing. He was refusing the breast.

I took him to the kitchen and poured milk into his sippy cup, returned to bed and he gulped it down in less than a minute, returned to bed and slept for another hour. He might have been content, I was devastated.

While I know that now I'm pregnant weaning was inevitable. I had just imagined switching from one baby to the next. I really enjoyed those morning feeds and cuddles. But Master R has had the final say on this matter, as usual!

Don't Brits eat ice cream???

Source: Haagen-Dazs

I can't believe this. I've looked in three different Tescos and 2 Sainsburys, 2 M&Ss ("we don't even have a freezer") and multiple little newsagents/food stores and I CAN'T FIND ICE CREAM!!!

Two years ago when I lived in London I could buy it, although not in the variety of flavours offered in New York. Now I can't buy it for love or money. And it's all that I really crave as I head into my second semester. What is better than sitting on the sofa watching late night TV and eating a pint, yes a whole pint, of ice cream? Hmm I can't think of much.

I do eat healthy 90% of the time but enjoy my little indulgences in moderation. 1 pint really is in moderation. Just don't look at the calories on the back!

A friend in Notting Hill can buy it at her local supermarket so I'll visit her later in the week and buy a few to keep me going for the next month.