Labor of Love

Yesterday I had the pleasure of being support person for a girlfriend who had her second baby.  Babe was early so her husband didn't make it home in time from overseas (he's home today).

What an exquisite privilege that was!  The story of the labor and birth is her story to tell, not mine, so I'll leave it out but wow!

I feel a little bit lonely today.  (I know this has nothing to do with me at all but the beauty of this being my blog is I can make it be about me!  Ha!)

Do I wish it was me having a baby yesterday?  Not really.  But I wish I had had the chance to experience a natural birth like she did this time around.  Do I want the months ahead of getting used to the feedings and everything else all over again?  Not really.  Sleepness nights?  Hey, I'm up most nights anyway so why not.

I just already miss that baby!  He's in a Special Care Unit because he was early and I went and sat with him there while my girlfriend got herself sorted out.  Couldn't stop looking at him.

Do I wish I could go there today and sit and sit and sit with him again?

With all my heart.

Maybe they'll let me tomorrow...

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Inspirational Boasting

Interesting title, don't you think?

Well, it's like this.  I'm quite proud of myself and I want to tell you why.  But it's not just because I feel like tootin' my own horn; I also want to inspire you to think about what you're spending your money on and how you can make some changes, do some things yourself, and save.

I'm talking about in the kitchen.  First of all, I wish you could see my kitchen and you'd be proud of me immediately without even knowing what I have to say.  It's not really a kitchen, it's more a kitchen-in-a-hallway...  and I have one working burner on the stove (the rest are on high at all times from the minute you turn them on).  But whatever.  It is what it is and there are plans for me to one day be able to overlook the backyard.

Let's start with breakfast.  I love going out for breakfast more than any other meal but there's just not the money to do that anymore so... must bring a yummy breakfast to the table here.

Frittatas!  Use up what's in the fridge from the week and make a yum frittata on the weekend.  Vegetables, potatoes, couple eggs and some cheese on top.  Divine.
French Toast!  Waffles!  Pancakes!  Egg McMuffins!  And, for extra special, Eggs Benedict.  The hollandaise is not hard to do at all; don't let anyone tell you any different.

Get some oranges and make a marmalade if you're into that kind of thing.  Easy as to make and so much more delicious than what you'll spend  your money on in the store...  I have a recipe if you're interested.

Now, let's face it, if you've made any of the above suggestions for breakfast, you're not going to want lunch.

But.  If you didn't already use up everything in your fridge for a frittata, make a pizza!  You can put virtually anything onto a pizza and it's yum.  And you don't need fancy sauce.  Tomato paste works a treat.  Mix some oregano with it if you want.

Or pull out that homemade marmalade again and have it with some cheese and crackers.

Wraps!  Are you growing lettuce?  Pick some, add feta cheese and some apple chutney you've made from scratch (I have a recipe!).  Delicious and easy.

How about soup?  Soups are so easy and don't cost a lot of money at all.  Especially if you make it all yourself.  I mean right down to the stock.  If you ask me, that's the most important part of a soup anyway and, once you've used stock you've made yourself, you will never want to buy it from the store again.  Want to know how?  Let me know.

I used to hate tomato soup as a child but homemade?  Different story!  Make a huge pot of it and freeze portions so then you have fresh tomato soup whenever you feel like it.  While you've got tomatoes, also make a sauce!  Fresh tomato sauce whenever you want it!  Or tomato relish!  Imagine.

Do you have too many vegetables that you're just not getting through in the fridge?  Make a piccalilli!  That is so yum on sandwiches and wraps.

Have you ever made your own fried rice?  Oh man, I could eat that every day!  Fish and chips are a big thing here.  So we have our own!  Get some beautiful pieces of fish, crumb 'em and cook 'em at home.  Cut wedges out of a few potatoes and roast them, sprinkle with salt and voila!  There's your chips!

Hmmm... maybe I'm going to turn this into a food blog.  Recipes anyone?