Confidence, Elation, Calm

Well, here I am. 37 weeks pregnant.

I have just decided officially today that this precious fourth child is destined to be born at home.
In water. Perhaps even outside.  

I have been trusting in the medical system - of which I have a lot of scepticism and question at all times.  We had an easy 36 weeks, but after booking into the hospital the fear flags have been raised and the system that we know in medicine has taken over.  They have no experience or qualification to have a birth in water.  

No way I can give birth in the water there. The end.

For the weeks leading up to where I am now we have been taking the approach of we'll do what we can.  Yes, birthing pool is fine, and I was confident with it. But the fear and "risk factors" have taken over.  Spiritual journey and trust are no where to be seen on that road.

But this is where the journey was meant to go.

Home.  Where we all belong.

Independent midwife booked. 

Pool picking up tomorrow.

Calm.

Quiet.

Comfortable.

Safe in the arms of my family.

In the care of 2 midwives.

In the support of friends.

That is now where I am.

Ripening and anticipating. Bringing this baby into the world with honour.

That makes me very happy, confident and calm.

Fantastic or Freaky!?

Hello there...  Now for you all that were hoping that I'd have some sort of baby news by now - I still have 5 weeks to go, but feeling really well, prepared and excited!  

Instead, today my kitchen is the topic...  

In the past three weeks there has been much happening there...  

Thermomix came, 

Thermomix got a red hot go, 

Thermomix hit the road.

For me and my soon to be family of six, I consistently found that I couldn't make the quantity (usually double) to satisfy my needs.  Now, don't get me wrong, that machine is brilliant, but it just wasn't brilliant for me.  

I think I'm actually the first person on earth that has bought and sold a Thermomix and not been completely in love with it.  I also didn't like the way that it changed MY way of cooking.  You see, I'm not a recipe follower.  I'm a habitual recipe adjuster!  I like control of what I make and to be able to look, see and smell the whole process.  The Thermomix just didn't tick those boxes for me.  For some reason there's just a bit more love in it if you need to chop things that take a bit longer.  There's a bit of love in it to stand over a saucepan and stir for a couple of minutes.  Also - not being a recipe follower and having a nightshade allergy, I found it hard to cook for my family using the new technology.  Just call me old fashioned, I guess!

I did come out unscathed and feel okay that I passed it on.

It's left room to buy these two kitchen appliances that I know for sure will enhance and not change the way that I cook:

One bought locally, one bought online.  Both to land in my kitchen next week. Watch out!

Now, to this photo...  

I posted it on Facebook and didn't get one excited word!  Come on!  Harden up!  

Head over to my other blog Ruby Hills Organics to see what that one is about...

Happy Days to you and yours. xx

Nesting

Hello there…  There has been a bit of creating around our home at the moment.

A bit of nesting for this mama - 8 weeks out from having baby number 4.

And… you guessed it, it's meant to be a she!

I made a little birdie mobile for above the cot lastnight. With some old scrapbook paper and some twigs from the dormant apple tree out in front of the shed.  Five sweet little birdies to gently sway above the little one. 

 

It's been so lovely knowing what we're having so that I can just prepare the once.  This is the change and dressing area in our bedroom.  I love using a fold down wall hung table to change baby on.  We got it from Ikea waaay back when we were expecting my first born, and it's been a great way to change baby for tall me without having to bend right over.  It also allows for optimum nose snuggling and raspberry belly blowing while getting dressed and changed!  A basket of teeny (well for me - they're 000's) jumpsuits to take to the hospital, and some special dressy gear for baby's first outings - hung and at the ready.  

This is the wonderful Merino sleepsuit that Monty used till he was two from Nanny & Grandad - just girlified a wee bit.  

 

The bassinette is in our room with Ruby Red Shoes - gifted from big sister waiting to be chewed and snuggled on.  A knitted blanket from my Grandmother when we had Baxter fits just right. 

And in the kids room - baby's cot all prepared with a mama made qult and pillowcase.

Not long to go now.  Our family is about to be in love all over again!

Indulgent

I'm feeling very extravagant and indulgent at the moment.

Enter: Thermomix

Went to a friend's place for lunch a couple of weeks ago to see what this overpriced food processor was all about. I mean - come on - all the hype! It's like some kind of cult!

I came home a bit ..... let's say unexpectedly completely impressed.

I have had the sexy Kitchenaid on my list to one day invest in since we were married. Almost ten years have gone by and I still have my $30 hand blender that wheezes away and drops bits of old cake mix into the new mix that has been stuck up under the hood rattling away...

And then the food processor - I bought one over a year ago for about a hundred dollars - just to see if I would use it. Well, I do. A lot. And it too now wheezes away with gears crunching and skipping from overuse.

So, as a soon to be mother of 4 - I am swapping the sexy, curvy kitchen-aid and Cusinart for the all-together amazing machine - the Thermomix.

Arrives Tuesday and I find myself waking in the night thinking of it! Look at what it can do!

Ten Weeks

30 weeks and counting till 4th and final baby arrives!
Oh the love…  xx

Corey's Oatmeal Cake

This is an excellent winter cake - but this one is for my ma - in the states!

Corey's Oatmeal Cake:

2c Oats
3c boiling water
combine and set aside

2c sugar (I use 1 1/2 raw)
2c br sugar (I use Coconut Palm Sugar)
1c butter
cream and set aside

4 eggs
1T vanilla
combine and add to sugar mix

3c plain flour
2t bicarb
1T cinnamon
1t salt

mix all ingredients together well and pour into a 12" greased round springform tin.

Bake 180C or 350F for 40-50 minutes - test centre.

Meanwhile - topping:

2c Coconut
2c Nuts (walnuts/pecans etc)
2c br sugar
1c butter
8T cream
bring to boil 2 minutes.  Pour over a cooked cake and brown in oven till bubbly.

I won't bother putting the nutritional information here - except that it will all go directly to your thighs - no exceptions - no amount of running can burn a slice of this one off, so be sure when you make it you are sharing the majority of it!

xx

Sourdough - my new favourite book!

I have a love/hate relationship with sourdough.

Firstly I love it -I love the pants off it for so many reasons...  its easier to digest, it's treating grains the way that they are meant to be treated by fermenting, it tastes absolutely delicious,
oh I could go on...

Secondly I hate it - because it is usually wheat flour (in all the recipes anyway...) and I don't tolerate wheat very well - it makes me grumpy and gives me the farts -- what's worse than an uber grumpy gaseous pregnant lady? not much.  And it's damn hard to perfect in your own kitchen.  I've had a go and we were blessed with many very heavy doorstops.

Well my friends - I am sharing with you a loaf of Spelt Almond Bread from
Yoke Mardewi's super excellent book
Sourdough - From Pastries to Gluten Free Wholegrain Breads

It is a comprehensive book all about sourdough and it uses alternative flours.  Hoo-rah! 

 

:: all things allowing butter should be slathered so that there are teeth marks left on it,
in case you did not know. ::
Butter is not evil. Processed and refined foods are evil.
more on that later...

Inside this container holds beautiful bacterial sourdough starter. If you've ever attempted and failed with sourdough, or if you have always wanted to try it - get yourself a copy of this book. It's truly my new favourite on the kitchen shelf.
Right next to Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions and Nigella's Feast.


What are your favourite cookbooks? Can you choose just one?

Winter is upon us

...not a bad haul for my first attempt at growing sweet potato, eh?
There's heaps of little ones that I left in for next year's crop.  Couldn't believe the big ones that I pulled! 

This is a cake from a little cafe that used to be in Chico (California) named "Corey's" - this is their Oatmeal Cake.  I made it using Spelt porridge and it has the most wicked topping made with walnuts, coconut, brown sugar and butter. I've filled 2 containers full of slices for lunchboxes and we've all enjoyed a warm piece after lunch too. Mmm. This is a cake best stashed away in the freezer me thinks - it is very more-ish.

 

 

and these pictures are from my little overnight getaway with my darling friend Liz - at the Park Hyatt.  The architecture is astounding.  It is modern art deco and mimics parts of the body.  Twas a wonderful outing!

 

 

Oh Melbourne - how I love to be cradled in your charm and character and coffee!

Third Trimester now - Baby in just over 3 months!

Me Today

 

I AM

:: 22 weeks pregnant!

:: anxious about our business and farm

:: spreading our Biodynamic Preps around our home garden and orchard in this pic

:: anticipating a new little soul joining our oh-so-busy family

:: worrying about trivial things

:: worrying about how it will all work out

:: seriously enjoying the ages and stages of my children:

    Baxter - independent, footy mad and social

    Gretta - hungry to learn and sympathetic

    Monty - super cheeky and wise beyond his almost 3 years 

:: creating in the kitchen. usually without a recipe

:: thankful for good friends

:: in a strange funk

Sometimes crazy to go with the ebb and flow of life. How do you bring it all back to a manageable level?

the rag rug

Months ago - after a large closet clean out for the entire family, I decided to embark on creating a rag rug.  Inspired by Amanda Blake Soule, I set out to whip this puppy up.

Well, To be honest, I restarted it 3 times. Yes THREE times.

It got to the point where I left it in the spare room and kept away from it for a while.  After we re-vamped Baxter's new room it has been staring at me. Calling out to me to be finished and fixed.

It was a bit "bubbly" in the middle - ie: too tight and it bubbled up in 2 spots.  I had an epiphany the other day to just cut out the middle.  So I did.  It was either that or pull the whole blasted thing apart again and start over.
Off I went with the shears...

hacked out the middle few rows...

pulled together the middle to get rid of the bumps...

and weaved it back together.

(photo's by Gretta)

Happy once again - I've added 3 rows of bright blue to the outside rings and we're not stopping there!  Unfortunately sitting on the floor - which you have to do when it gets bigger - is the WORST thing for my back.  I've been in pain for 2 days (not to mention that I did eat nightshades on my whirlwind trip to Melbourne for 500 baby chickens and some egg boxes with 2 sick kids...)

So, I might pop it to the side until I can find a way of doing it without becoming a painful monster.  But,  I can't wait to get it finished.  I envision it running to the dark blue to purple to orange to red on the outside.

My pointers for rag rugs:

1. do the braiding LOOSELY - if you don't there won't be give in it to make it sit nicely on the floor.

2. attach the strips by cutting slits in each end of strip and pull through each other to connect.  Do not use knots.  And sewing them??? You've got to be kidding - you'll be there for years.  

3. cut heaps of strips, with the slits in each end for connecting.  then do heaps of braiding, and then do the weaving it together.

4. If I were to start this rug for the 4th time... I would have made the middle strip about 2-3 feet long.  Not 12 inches.  I think it would make for a less bumpy finished product - getting around the tight corners take a bit of finesse.  

 

 

Happily growing the baby bump by the way, and totally happy that we're having a fourth baby (finally!)...  Have now decided to have this baby in Foster in a hired birthing pool with a doula at the Hospital.

I would certainly be having a home birth if it were not going to cost me upwards of $3000 - shame on you Australian Government for making it so difficult for the Independent Midwives.

The hospital has been very accommodating to my hippy ways, and I'm happy with my decisions.  I guess in the end - that is the most important thing!  Besides - staying in the hospital with my meals being brought to me for a couple of days sounds more appealing that getting back home to 3 demanding, lively, lovely children with a baby on me!

Kiddos are all being very cuddly and sweet.  Talking through my belly button to the baby. Nic took these pictures this morning after breakfast.  They were clobbering me and we were talking about where they might choose to go when they have their 10th birthday holiday with their momma.

When they were little babies I decided that I would take each child individually to a country of their choice for a 10 day holiday with just me.

So far the bets are in -
Baxter: Russia to see the Kremlin and to wear wooly hats
Gretta: Camping in South America (I was hoping for Paris, but I love this option too!)
Monty: Mexico & Italy (in hopes to find his mate Fermin!)

Happy Days to you and yours... xx

Autumn-ing's

Beef stock on the fire...  First day with the fire on for a while...

a cubby house somewhere in there.  I heard that the green box is the telly...

Beef and Sweet Potato Stew with Cider in the Crock pot.  I think I was a bit overzealous when I created this concoction.  Perhaps a meal or two in the freezer for when bubby arrives?

a bit of homemade garlic tinture for man and bovine (and ovine and poultry as well, I suppose!)

Easy recipe...  Just take 1 cup of finely minced garlic, add 2 cups vodka. Leave on kitchen bench for 10 days shaking around daily. On day 10 run it thru a fine strainer and decant into brown glass droppers.

Humans can take anywhere from 1 drop to 5 drops per day.  Keeps nasties away! We use it on the cattle and chooks when needed too.

I used it last winter with good success to keep my circulation going better.  I'm one of those women with ice cube feet and bum at night. Shocking circulation, but 1-2 drops/day made it considerably better.

One of the early pumpkins we had to harvest because one of the dogs dug up the vine early.  Not as gorgeous glowing orange as I like it, but homegrown goodness all the same. 

This little boy is SO in love. Penelope is so obliging!

These are going to have pumpkin custards poured into them in about 10 minutes.  It's the lazy version of pumpkin pie - just no crust (which is of course the time consuming part of pumpkin pie'ing!)  Anyone want the recipe?

 

We've had glorious Autumn sunshine, and the next minute it's black outside with wind, rain and hail all at the same time.  It leaves the air so fresh.

 

Had a re-vamp of kid's spaces.  Baxter has graduated to the little blue room into a lovely double bed.  His dinosaurs have followed him so far.  We're making way in the big bedroom for a little baby, so we've freed up some space for a cot in a couple of months.  I love having the kids all together.  They seem to want to be together at night.  They love it.  This way Baxter is still nearly in the same room, but with a bit of space when the blonde assassin is up to no good at bed time...  Which happens frequently!

Next project to tackle pre-baby: laundry room storage and sort out.

xx