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I discovered today that I did something really stupid a couple of days ago. I have made a few websites and offered to make one for a friend. In my not-thinking, pregnancy brain sort of way, I gave the software installation the same username and password as I have on my websites, so that I wouldn’t forget it while I was getting things up and running. I intended to change the details as soon as I passed the site over to her for control. Last night I happened to check the site that I have been working on for the last couple of weeks, only to discover that it no longer existed. Poof! All gone. So after a torturous time trying to get support from the webhost, I realised that the newest site, for my friend was using the same database as my new, but still older, site. Effectively, by setting the same username etc, I had authorised a rewrite of all my hard work. Ha ha ha. I’m still laughing at that one, but in a funny sort of way I’m glad it was my stupid mistake and not one that was caused by anyone else who I’d then have to shout at. Too tired to shout. Hopefully I can piece my design back together without too much trouble, what an idiot.

Speaking of idiotic, tonight we made Creamed Mushroom Sauté with Artichoke Hearts, Spinach, and Penne. Only as I typed that title did I realise that I forgot to add the cream. In my defense, it is quite hard to follow the variations on the Master Recipe, without extensive cross-referencing. The recipe said to “Prepare the mushrooms and sauce just as for the master recipe #271, using dry white wine and chicken stock.” So, yes, the liquid content in this dish came from the wine and the stock- I completely forgot that two days ago we also used cream. Oops. Still, we had spinach and artichoke hearts and penne and Parmigiano and nutmeg- they all found their way in to the pan. The meal was nice, if a little bland. The artichokes added a little pep to an otherwise somewhat monotonous meal. We can only imagine that the cream would have made the dish into a creamy wonder. Even without the cream this was pretty tasty, if not wildly exciting. Tomorrow will most definitely be creamy with Creamed Mushroom Sauté with Hearts of Palm, Arugula, and Pappardelle.

Today was spent quite pleasantly with A at the zoo and at the train set at the bookshop in the mall. We bumped into friends at the train set who were also procrastinating the day away with a toddler. They, however, left to take their kid on the train ride at the amusement park inside the mall. A doesn’t yet realise that she could conceivably actually go on one of the rides there, and we’d like to keep it that way for as long as possible. So we feigned ignorance while they talked about the big train. At the zoo A ran around saying “bye bye monkeys, bye bye zebra, bye bye tiger” as soon as we got to each animal. At least we didn’t have to hang around much. She was, however, completely intrigued by a water bottle lid that had been discarded under a bush. It’s nice that she now has words to voice what we have always suspected that she feels; that the animals at the zoo are completely over-rated.

The tiler came today to grout the replaced bathroom tiles and the kitchen splashback. The end of the job is so nearly within our grasp, that it seems churlish to complain that the tiles which were knocked out to break up the patches of colour, are identical to those put in to replace the originals. Really, you have to laugh. The heating guy didn’t turn up to reinstall the radiator as promised, but the roof no longer leaks so all is good.

This evening we made Mushroom Sauté on Charred Polenta and Seared Spicy Ham, a variation on the “Master Recipe” of yesterday. The mushrooms were cooked with red wine, rather than sherry, and fire-roasted tomatoes rather than cream. The mixture was grilled with Italian cheese on the top, sitting on a bed of fried polenta disks and seared Italian ham. The dish was easy to make and actually relatively pleasant. Neither of us like polenta, but we both ate everything on our plates. The mushroom sauté is very different with tomatoes rather than cream, obviously. Tonight it was more like a pasta sauce. The seared ham was pretty tasty, and the polenta served to soak up some of the juices. The next couple of days sound like we are having mushroom-based pasta sauces, beginning with Creamed Mushroom Sauté with Artichoke Hearts, Spinach, and Penne.

Today I inadvertently really upset A by forgetting to take her lunch bag to daycare. I remembered in time for lunch, so I thought, and raced down there intending to slip it into the cloakroom and disappear unseen. Unfortunately they seem to have started getting ready to eat lunch at the crack of dawn so I had to take the bag into her classroom. She was sitting there quite happily with a lunch that they had put together with leftovers from last night’s parents night. My arrival prompted a total melt-down as she said over and over “I all done. I go home.” I felt so terrible, parents should not be around during the day at daycare, it’s just too confusing for the wee ones. After I left I felt a bit like I did when we would first leave her there, so very very sad to leave behind our little girl. Of course my hormones are raging and A suddenly seems so very grown up. I can only imagine how huge she’ll seem next to her newborn sibling.

The end may well finally be in sight for the remodel. The tiler cut and replaced the corner of the ruined tiles on the kitchen floor today, and finished tiling a skirt for the bath. Now it looks like we have a fancy inlaid built-in bath. Tomorrow he will grout everything, and maybe then he’ll go on his merry way. There are only a few other odds and ends that need doing, and we are done. I assembled the bouncy seat for the baby this evening, and we bought some newborn nappies the other day, so we aren’t in complete denial. The bouncy seat always makes me snicker a little as the baby gets strapped in to a pair of giant underpants. It would be nice if money were no object and we had beautiful baby furniture, but alas even the best looking cheap stuff that we could find last pregnancy is alarmingly ugly to bring out again. Och well, it’s only for a few months.

This evening we made Mixed Wild Mushroom Sauté on Toast Points with Gruyere, which is a very tasty little number, but could well have been a starter rather than a main course. Essentially garlic, shallots and a variety of mushrooms were sautéed in olive oil and butter and seasoned with salt, pepper and thyme. Flour was sprinkled on the mixture, sherry whisked in, stock and half-and-half added, and the whole lot simmered for a while. The mixture was served on toast and topped with grated Gruyere cheese, with a baby spinach salad alongside.

The mixture is creamy and rich and tasty, and would make a good party food with toast or crackers. We used to make something very similar as a dip, by chopping up the mushrooms rather than slicing them. The mushrooms could equally have gone beautifully with a steak and some green salad. Tomorrow we will be remaking the mushrooms with Mushroom Sauté on Charred Polenta and Seared Spicy Ham. The ham sounds good, the polenta not so much.

This evening we made variation number three of the pasta with meatballs recipe; Sausage Meatballs with Peppers, Onions, and a Side of Penne. If you really wanted to be picky, you could take issue with the title- the pasta is no more a side dish than it was yesterday or the day before. This is meatballs and pasta, that’s what’s for dinner. Anyway, essentially, the meatballs were made with ground pork and cheese with fennel, red pepper flakes and allspice. The recipe called for extra olive oil in the mixture which would have been ridiculous. Without the egg and breadcrumbs, these meatballs were like little burgers or sausages, neither of which need any extra fat as a rule. When we took these out of the oven there was literally a river of fat running off each one. Nice. We may have to clean out the new oven already, which is not the most enticing of prospects. The pasta sauce included cubanelle and bell peppers tonight. Unfortunately, the sauce was about as dull as pasta can be. It was pleasant enough, in as much as there was nothing wildly wrong or right with it,  but really it was pretty bland.

I’m finding it increasingly strange that people are wishing me luck with the baby birthing thing and giving me big hugs and insisting on buying my coffee and cake. Strange, but I’m not complaining, I hasten to add. All pampering is good pampering, as a rule. As I’m still in an advanced state of denial, it seems odd that other people are excited for the birth. We tend to keep our baby names a secret, but of course A knows what her little sister will be called. One of the staff at daycare asked A what the baby would be called, and she told them. It was funny to hear someone else say the name out loud. Still it’s a better name than “Grandpa” which is what one of the other kids suggested. Maybe that could be our backup name if all the ultrasounds are proved wrong.

Tomorrow we begin a four day run of mushroom recipes with Mixed Wild Mushroom Sauté on Toast Points with Gruyere. That post-delivery pizza is sounding more and more enticing by the day. It’s like getting time off for good behaviour.

This evening we made Big Beef Balls with Bucatini [recipe] which was quick and easy to make, and remarkably good to eat. The large meatballs had sage and capers in them, which was an unusual but successful addition. The tomato sauce had pancetta, mushrooms, red wine and beef stock, which made it substantially different from the sauce we made yesterday. The tomato sauce itself was very, very tasty, and it would have been a good meal by itself even without the meatballs. All in all, this was a good one.

Life feels a bit like it has settled down into some sort of holding pattern; all being well there is light at the end of the house remodeling tunnel. The tiler knocked out some of the bathroom tiles today to break up  the bad patches of mismatched colour. Unfortunately it looks like the replacement tiles may be the same shade as those he removed… we’ll wait and see how it looks when it is grouted tomorrow. Either way we have no fight left in us, so we’ll live with whatever we end up with. And maybe then we will finally paint and put up the shower curtain and the mirror and such, and actually move in to the bathroom, yay. I’m taking it easy on the baby front- too much activity, like bending down, brings on waves of (unproductive) contractions. Let’s hope baby stays in for a while longer so we can finish unpacking and set her room up.

Tomorrow we will be making variation number three of the meatball meals with Sausage Meatballs with Peppers, Onions, and a Side of Penne. Please notice the lack of double entendre jokes, even though this run of meals is absolutely crying out for them.

This week marks the return of good programming on TV, after watching nothing all summer. There may be a sudden decrease in the length of posts here, perhaps, although this would be entirely unrelated to the TV schedule, of course. Tonight we made Veal Polpette with Thin Spaghetti and Light Tomato and Basil Sauce, which actually was a 30 minute meal. It was easy to make and very good to eat, a success story indeed. The meatballs were made with egg, garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper, breadcrumbs, and Parmigiano cheese mixed with the ground meat. Inside each mini meatball (polpette) was placed a raisin and a pine nut. Supposedly the raisin keeps the meat moist, and the pine nut provides a buttery, crunchy surprise. It felt a little like making Christmas treats, but the meatballs were admittedly very moist. We omitted the olive oil which was supposed to be added to the mixture, and they each came out of the oven sitting in a little pool of their own fat.

Meanwhile, we cooked the pasta and made the tomato sauce. The sauce consisted of onions and garlic sautéed in olive oil, some white wine which evaporated a little, then the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes added to the pan. Basil was added just before serving. I did add a little drop of honey to sweeten an otherwise incredibly acidic sauce. The cooked pasta was tossed in half the tomato sauce, and served in bowls with the meatballs on the top. The remainder of the sauce topped the meatballs and more cheese was sprinkled on top.

The meatballs were tasty and succulent, although the raisin and pine nut seemed a little superfluous. More pine nuts would have been good, but one per meatball was pretty much lost somewhere along the way. It was nice to eat pasta again and we both enjoyed dinner. Of all the meatball recipes that we have made, this is definitely one of the ones I’d be most likely to make again. Tomorrow we have more balls; Big Beef Balls with Bucatini.

The day got off to an auspicious start when A woke at the crack of dawn singing “Rain, Rain, Go Away”. When I carried her downstairs for breakfast, I managed to slip down the last few steps, throwing us both to the ground. She was fine, but shocked, I have some bruises in the making on hip, back and elbow, but everyone is ok. A was superbly sweet when she kept saying “Mummy fell over, I got a little shock”. My doctor’s visit revealed that the ongoing cramps must be some sort of labour-preparing boot camp, but they haven’t had any effect on the cervix. So we are all still at home. However, the meal we made tonight, Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Breasts with a Cheddar-Mustard Sauce, was about as good as the hospital food we had last time- this tastes like institutional food at its best.

In fairness, the chicken was reasonably moist and succulent, which is always a good thing. It was pounded flat, dredged in pretzels which had been pulverised in the food processor mixed with thyme and pepper, dipped in egg then more pretzels, then fried. We didn’t use the 1/4″ of oil which was called for, just a wee coating on the bottom of the pan. Meanwhile, I made a cheese and mustard sauce which included a mountain of cheese. It is suggested that the chicken and sauce be served with oil and vinegar coleslaw, but we opted out and made a spinach and strawberry salad.

The chicken was moist and crunchy which are both good traits, but the cheese sauce seemed a little floury and overpowering. I don’t think that I would ever make this again, it was a waste of good cheese. Tomorrow we kick off three days of pasta with Veal Polpette with Thin Spaghetti and Light Tomato and Basil Sauce. How good does a “light” sauce sound after tonight’s dinner?

Today was a good day, with the exception of the utterly bogging meal we cooked for dinner. We finally had our Sunday-morning friends round to a habitable house. The luxury! We could sit in the lounge or the kitchen, what a choice. Obviously we ended up outside where the kids played in the sprinkler, and we got locked out. Fortunately we have a lock-box on the front door, so that the tradesman can come and go. I overheard the contractor tell someone the code once, which was really lucky because not only were our keys locked inside, but also our mobile phones. Still, all is well that ends well. After leaving some slightly testy messages when the roofing company failed to turn up once more (”I don’t think I mentioned before that I am 9 months pregnant and that the rain is leaking into the baby room…”) they apparently came and mended the roof while we were out this afternoon. So presumably they found a ladder somewhere after all, it’s a minor miracle.

We went to the Mall of America this afternoon and got L some jeans because all his clothes are too big since we moved and his tiny bit of excess flesh disappeared. As I grow he shrinks. We got me some fat pants for after the baby comes, drawstring waists all the way, baby. Soon after we got to the mall, I started to get some low-grade period-pain-like cramps. I still have them 4 hours later, maybe we’ll end up having a baby one of these days after all. Which is a little scary, things have been so hectic that I haven’t really given any mental time or energy to the thought that we have a new baby on the way. I did have a bit of an emotional turn putting A to bed- one of these days will be the last day of only having our little girl. It’s impossible to anticipate how things will turn out, hopefully A won’t feel too displaced, and Baby #2 won’t end up too neglected.

Anyway, we do now have a couple of sets of people lined up to look after A while we are otherwise engaged, which is good. We haven’t asked anyone to stand in to cook for us, so we’ll have to wing it. There is internet access from the hospital, and L will be at home with A in the evenings once the baby comes, so we may get a day behind at most, but we’ll do our best to keep up. I’m sure it’ll be the only thing on our minds.

So this evening we made Grilled Halibut with Fennel, Orange, Red Onions and Oregano [recipe] which is essentially grilled halibut over a salad of onion-flavoured orange. L bought the only piece of halibut in the shop and it was huge and expensive. This cooking method, unfortunately, was not a good way to cook the fish. Grilled with salt and pepper and olive oil, this tasted like the boring part of a fish supper from the fish and chip shop. Take away the batter, the salt and vinegar and the ketchup, and you’re left with a really plain piece of uninspiring white fish. The salad part was worse than boring, it was quite unpleasant. The red onion and fennel are fried, red wine vinegar is added to the pan, then the heat is turned off and the sliced orange, orange zest, parsley and oregano are added to the mixture. This salad tastes like a peeled orange that’s been kept in a box with some raw onions. Neither of us were partial to this balance of flavours in any way shape or form. At least there was bread to eat, also grilled in olive oil with salt and pepper. It helped a little, but really this meal was 100% disappointing; most definitely not a keeper in this house.

Tomorrow we will be eating Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Breasts with a Cheddar-Mustard Sauce which conceivably could be ok, perhaps. Or maybe not, who knows?

This morning I took A to a birthday party while L had a few minutes to himself in the house for the first time since we moved. A and I dined mightily well on cake and fruit salad, while L then spent some quality time with a paintbrush, a pot of paint, some woodwork, and the tiler. The man who was coming to repair the roof never turned up as he had some problem with his “equipment”. We’re thinking ladder, (or at least the non-dirty minded version= ladder) the very same ladder that the guy didn’t bring round on Friday. Because why would you need a ladder to look at a roof? It’s not like they’re generally up high or anything.

This entry has to be very short, as I am going to the cinema with a friend. I shouldn’t even write that, because it might imply that every single other night I am sitting in the house writing this blog or something. I would hate to destroy any illusions you may have that we have a wild and crazy social life that we just forget to mention on a regular basis. Obviously we are all about the clubbing and the partying.

This evening we whipped up Columbus’s Pork Chops in no time at all, and we were very happy with the results. This recipe is a variation on a recipe as old as Columbus, hailing from a promotion at Macy’s Marketplace in NYC over Columbus Day weekend, when Rachael Ray used to work there. It’s very easy, the strawberries are chopped , as is the basil, and they are put in a bowl for 20 minutes with some balsamic vinegar. We added a little sugar to taste because they were mightily winky food. The chops are seasoned with salt and pepper, brought to room temperature, seared over a hot skillet, then finished in the oven. The strawberries were served over the pork chops, with salad and crusty bread on the side.

We just had some baby spinach for the salad component- the strawberry vinegar served as a salad dressing. The fruit and the pork were very complimentary and the flavours worked beautifully together. We would heartily recommend this dish, it’s tasty and good. But for now, I must dash, my date is here. Tomorrow we will be having Grilled Halibut with Fennel, Orange, Red Onions and Oregano.

OK, two sentences on the state of the house address, and no more. The offending radiator has been removed and so we are heat-free again. The roof probably has storm damage, it will be repaired tomorrow at our expense. That’s it, enough of the drama, moving on.

…Rainbows, unicorns, little fluffy clouds. Winning the lottery, chocolate, ice cream, sleeping babies…

This evening we made Warm and Cold Bordeaux Salad, Lamb Loins with Red Wine, and Sweet Carrots and White Beans. I’m not sure which parts of the meal were supposed to be warm and which, other than the lettuce, cold, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the title is a disclaimer of sorts. There is so much going on with this dish in the 30 minute time frame (more like an hour) that it was impossible to get everything to be ready at the same time. I’m concerned that writing about the process may take me as long as the actual cooking, so I will try and be very brief.

Lamb-

Seared in olive oil, roasted in oven with some garlic in skins.

Removed from oven, left to rest for ten minutes, garlic placed in bowl

Red wine added to pan, deglazed, butter added

Lamb seasoned with salt, pepper and thyme, served with red wine reduction

Side Dish #1-

Carrots and shallots sautéed in olive oil for ten minutes

White beans added to pan, everything seasoned

Chicken stock added, everything simmered

Serve alongside the lamb

Side Dish #2-

Bacon and whole clove of garlic (skin removed) fried (not in olive oil, despite directions)

Excess fat drained

Cooked cauliflower and sliced radishes added to pan, everything seasoned

Contents of pan served on top of chopped frisée lettuce

White wine vinegar added to pan, deglazed

Heat turned off, olive oil mixed in, pour over side dish as salad dressing

Well that only took forever, I am pretty slow at typing. The meal is good, we sat down at the dining table tonight for the first time since we moved it in from the garage. The table is full of assorted tools, toys, bills, manuals and such but that didn’t stop us, it was all very grown up. The lamb was beautiful, as it almost always is, but it is such a special occasion meat. It’s expensive and fiddly, but that grassy taste is a good one, and the red wine reduction was a good addition, even using appalling cooking wine. The cauliflower, bacon and radish dish was surprisingly successful. I never would have thought of putting those ingredients together, but they actually worked well. I think I may finally be becoming a cauliflower fan in my old age, although it has to be said that bacon makes pretty much everything taste better. And radishes that are slightly cooked become a pleasing bite of crunchy, rather than their weirdy raw counterpart. The beans, carrots and shallots dish was fine, it was a bit like blandish comfort food. It could have done with something to spice it up, maybe some bacon. We both thought that you could merge the two side dishes and you wouldn’t lose anything, except some additional washing up.

Tomorrow we will be having Columbus’s Pork Chops, which I believe may feature mushed up strawberries. Sounds good. I am taking A to her first real birthday party tomorrow, other than the small gathering we had for her first birthday. She is extremely excited about birthdays in general, often talking about her own birthday. Provided I am not in labour, I have a recipe to make something like this for her birthday. She is obsessed by piggies and by cake, that’s my girl. We may have an impromptu party if the baby is not yet here. A will be two on October 8th, and Baby #2 is due on the 11th. Might be a busy week. I really should check out what we are supposed to be cooking around that time.