Homemade Granola - Does it help prevent morning sickness?

Homemade granola

I spent most of my life skipping breakfast.  

I'm not a very morning person and I find it hard going just dragging myself out of bed, into the shower and out the door in time for work.  

When I eat immediately after waking I feel weighed down like there is a lump of stone in my stomach.  

During the past several years of trying to conceive, as I learned about the importance of maintaining stable blood sugar levels, I have made more of an effort to eat within an hour of waking.  

Mr Duncan, aware of my disinclination to get up eat early, sometimes made me a breakfast parfait to take to work and eat at my desk.  He'd just throw some chopped fresh fruit topped with a dollop of yoghurt and a handful of granola in a travel-friendly container.  

Yum!

Since reading this article by Karen Hurd on the cause of, and solution to preventing, morning sickness (which has since been removed, but here is another one based on her advice) I've been eating even more beans than I usually eat.  Which is saying something.  Because they are a staple in my usual diet.

And I think its working.  

I've been getting bored with beans though, so thought I'd try branching out to other sources of soluble fibre. Now that I'm working again, it seemed to me a daily breakfast parfait is the perfect solution.  Just fill it with fruit and oats full of soluble fibre.  The yoghurt adds to my dairy count for the day.

We used up the last bag of granola a month ago and now we're only a couple of weeks away from moving I wasn't about to buy a new one.  Granola is expensive and I find even the low sugar shop bought options to be very sweet.  

Mr Duncan has mostly replaced his toast-based breakfast habit with porridge as part of his blood pressure lowering efforts so we have lots of organic steel cut oats in the house which need using before we move.  We also have odds and ends of nuts, seeds and dried fruit...

First I thought I would make muesli and serve it with fruit and yoghurt. This brought back vague recollections of my mother making homemade muesli.  

Then I remembered how much I always disliked it.  

The oats became all soggy, tasted like raw flour somehow and I felt like I was eating paste. It was improved a little by cooking like porridge on the stove for a warm winter breakfast but always left me feeling weighed down and stodgy. 

Maybe this is the source of my distaste for breakfast?  

So granola it had to be.  I based it on a granola recipe by Elizabeth Rider, but replaced some of the honey and coconut oil with fruit juice and omitted the salt and vanilla extract altogether.  

It was so much easier, and tastier, than I expected.  

I wish I'd started making it years ago!

Ingredients

• Whole rolled oats
• Nuts and seeds
• Dried fruit
• Fruit juice
• Honey
• Coconut oil

Method

1.  Set oven to 150 degrees celsius.

2.  Mix a spoonful of honey and a teaspoon of coconut oil in quarter of a cup of organic apple juice until dissolved.  I actually only had an empty jar of coconut oil with scrapings left so I poured the juice and honey into the jar, screwed on the lid, ran the jar under some hot water and gave it all a good shake.

3.  In a large bowl, mix a couple of cups of rolled oats with several handfuls of roughly chopped nuts, seeds and dried fruit.  

4.  Pour the liquids over the oats mixture and use your hands to ensure the oats are evenly coated.

5.  Spread the mixture evenly in a single layer over a clean baking tray

6.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until oats are dry and toasted.

The Sword of Damocles

Conception room with a view

I feel like the Sword of Damocles is hanging over my head.  

Yes, I have another chance and I should be happy but I can't help but feel its all about to fall apart again at any second.  

Slip through my fingers...

I feel guilty that I am so... not negative exactly, but certainly not positive.  Not quite ambivalent as I do care, in my head at least, but I'm not ready to let myself feel that I care very much.  I'm too apprehensive. 

Its not safe.

I feel like a total ingrate and it seems unfair somehow to all women everywhere who want to be pregnant and aren't and unfair to the wee one inside me right now.

I feel bad that my emotions are not of sweetness and light, unicorns and rainbows. 

I am supposed to be the mother doing the best for her child.  

I know that relaxation and positive thought correlates with successful pregnancy outcomes and maternal anxiety correlates with adverse outcomes.

I know there are no guarantees and I have no control other than looking after myself in the same way I have been for all the years we have been trying to have a baby.  

But I want so much to be able to do something, cling to something, anything that might indicate that this time will be different.  

Cue symptom spotting mentalness, which I know is futile, but I don't seem to be able to stop checking in with myself for symptoms fifty times a day.

And even though I understand all these things in my head, I really don't have a clue what to do about changing any of it.

I had my last session with the grief counsellor this week and she said it is a normal part of grieving - that as this one grows, I re-experience my loss of the others.  That she'd be more worried about my mental health if I was all gung-ho and super upbeat about everything.  

Nice enough to hear, but it doesn't change things.

I started work at a new contract today - its only mornings for the rest of the month, but I'm hoping a new set of data problems to solve for work will help keep my mind focussed on things other than the feelings of impending doom that threaten to overwhelm me.

**********

In other news

• The movers are booked
• I bought our flights to Australia this evening and we're off in a month
• I still need to figure out how to say goodbye to Poppy and Pipkin before we go.  

I so hope I don't have to say goodbye to this one too.

Third time lucky?

My only belly shot - Pipkin and I at 14 weeks

So.

For once my two week wait symptoms were not actually PMS.  I got a positive result on my home pregnancy test today.

Identical symptoms to the past three cycles. Completely opposite results.

Bizarre.

Part of me feels - whew, I get another chance.

Part of me feels  - oh no, here we go again.

At least the age statistics are on my side for once.  Apparently at my age 50% of pregnancies end in loss.  Given my two losses in a row, statistically I'm due for a live one.

I do know its not that simple though and I won't be counting any chickens until they hatch.

Sweet Potato and Cumin Lentil Soup

I woke up with an upset belly this morning.  I thought I might have been pregnant picked up a bug when my digestive system was acting a bit strange a week or so ago, but then my period started so I blamed it on the prostaglandins... until this morning when the pain and discomfort came back with a vengeance.

I couldn't eat breakfast or lunch, but by dinner I was pretty hungry.   What to make for dinner with only two tomatoes, and a lime left in the fridge before we go away tomorrow...?  Oh and half a sweet potato hiding in the back.

This soup tastes completely different to the last lentil soup recipe I posted.

And I know that they say you can simply use split red lentils without soaking and cooking them first, and sometimes I do, but I was in no mood to make my symptoms any worse so prepared the lentils the way I would any other dried pulse. 

I don't know if its the brand or if its just that they were old (oops, best before last February) but I'm really glad I did.  

LOADs of foul smelling scum came off the top of the pot when I cooked them. Better not to give that to my poor digestive system to deal with.

Fertility Focus

Sweet Potato is full of antioxidants, vitamin C and Vitamin A as well as being a source of potassium, calcium and iron.
Tomatoes are full of the antioxidant lycopene which boosts sperm health and also contain folate, B6, vitamin A and vitamin E.
Lentils are a good source of folic acid, full of iron and provide a non-meat form of protein.

Ingredients

• Cumin seeds
• Onion
• Sweet Potato
• Tomato
• Chicken stock
• Pre-cooked split red lentils
• Lime
• Fresh basil to garnish

Method

1.  Boil some water and plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water.  

2.  Skin (peel?) and roughly chop tomatoes.
3.  Heat soup pot over a medium flame and toast the cumin seeds.  

4.  Add finely chopped onion, sweet potato and tomatoes.  

5.  Allow to sweat for a few minutes.
6.  Add chicken stock and red lentils and simmer until sweet potato is soft.  

7.  Blend with a stick blender.  

8.  Ladle into bowls.  

9.  Squeeze over lime juice and sprinkle with basil.

Enjoy!

Sardine and Feta Potato Pizza

Apologies if its TMI but here we go again...

I'm irritable and my breasts look funny.  

It must be PMS.

Or maybe I'm irritable because I'm so damned warm? 

I must be pregnant.  

I am peeing all the time... but maybe that's because I'm drinking so much water.  

I'm drinking so much water because I'm so uncomfortably warm.  

Gah!  Let the thought carousel stop!  I'm driving myself nuts.

The first two cycles after I lost Pipkin, we were careful to make sure we didn't conceive.  I had lost a lot of blood and felt like crap.  I wanted to give my body some time to recover.  We also didn't want to increase the chances of another loss if we conceived quickly and my body wasn't up to it.

This cycle we were not trying, but we took no measures to prevent either.  We are just trying to take one day at a time, enjoy each other and not worry about trying to conceive for a bit.  

It turns out I hate it.  

I mean, I'm fine with the theory but the practice?  At least when I take my bbt I know what day I ovulated and what day to expect my period.  I can see what my temperatures are doing and the likelihood of being or not being pregnant.  

This not knowing is messing with my mind.  

As annoying as it is to wake up at the same time every day to take your temperature, I'm definitely starting again next cycle!

I am craving sardines though.  

They're useful little critters, full of goodness and conveniently packed in an inexpensive, recyclable can.  I like to have some on hand for the occasional sardine-and-tomato-on-toast weekend lunch.  I was given some excellent quality sardines in olive oil with chilli peppers by a friend when she came back from a trip to France so want to do justice by them.

When I was at university and my food budget was limited I liked to make sardine pizza.  The pizza dough itself was just a basic scone/biscuit recipe*.  Topped with passata, onion, sardines and cheese and thrown in the oven for 25 minutes, it was easy and tasty comfort food.  

(Comfort food? It could be either pregnancy or PMS!)

I don't want to make pizza though as Mr Duncan is still off bread for blood pressure reasons.  And it looks like its making a difference as his jeans were practically falling off him yesterday.  As usual I have a glut of potatoes and googling around for ideas brought me to a uktv recipe.   Now I couldn't follow the recipe as the instructions were not clear enough (do you layer the potato cooked or raw?) and I didn't have fresh sardines for a start.

Fertility Focus

Sardines -  full of essential fatty acids, vitamin D and a food source of coenzyme Q10 which aids mitochondrial function - not to mention all the olive oil they're packed in.

Ingredients

• Par-boiled potatoes, sliced thinishly
• Onion, sliced thinly
• Courgette, sliced
• Tinned sardines
• Olive oil (I used the olive oil from the sardines)
• Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• Feta cheese to sprinkle

Method

1.  Set the oven to 180 degrees C.  

2.  Oil the bottom of a heavy oven-proof pan (I used our cast iron frying pan from the Landy).

3.  Layer the potatoes, overlapping in a spiral starting from the middle.  

4.  Drizzle with some of the olive oil from the tin of sardines.  

5.  Cook in the oven for about 10 minutes, until they start to crisp up.

6.  Remove from oven.  

7.  Layer the onions then the courgettes on top.  

8.  Flake the sardines and scatter over with the sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese. 9.  Drizzle some more olive oil from the sardines over the top.
10.  Return pan to the oven for another 15-20 minutes until veggies are cooked and topping is starting to colour.

We served this with a salad made of grated carrot and beetroot tossed with mint and sunflower seeds, and dressed it with apple cider vinegar and olive oil.

This recipe would be equally good with sardines in tomato sauce, or tinned mackerel or herring.  

Actually, I quite like the idea of using the potato galette instead of pizza base for any topping.  Maybe I've finally found a way to get through all those potatoes that come in our veg box!

*I don't know what to call them in the UK, but they're definitely scones in New Zealand and biscuits in the US.

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Roast Butternut, Feta and Basil Salad

Herby carby goodness

I hate the two week wait. 

I am only 12 DPO and I simultaneously want to pee on a stick RIGHT NOW and wait until 18 DPO so as not to be disappointed if there is any chance of a 'chemical' pregnancy.

Why do I want to test?

I am craving dairy. 

I don't even like dairy very much except when I am pregnant when I could live on custard, raita and breadsticks if I let myself.

My aureole are enlarged, darker and covered in Montgomery's Tubercles. This would have been a sign in March 2012 as I never had any changes in my breasts post ovulation before I became pregnant with Poppy however now my body tricks me every other cycle with these signs.

I feel dizzy when I stand up, but have low blood pressure anyway. 

I might feel a little nauseous and gassy, but could that be the extra legumes I ate yesterday?

Gah!  I'm driving myself mental.

In a cursory nod to dairy, I went ahead and tried to re-create that butternut squash and feta salad I mentioned that time I got the hokkaido squash in my veggie box, throwing in some bonus sweet potato for good measure.

I still want custard though.

Fertility Focus:

Butternut Squash is rich in Vitamin A and also contains zinc and selenium which is important for ovarian and sperm health.
Sweet Potato is full of antioxidants, vitamin C and Vitamin A as well as being a source of potassium, calcium and iron.
Chickpeas are a good plant source of protein.

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Butternut Squash
• Sweet Potato
• Cumin Seeds
• Chickpeas
• Fresh basil
• Feta cheese

Method

1.  Set your oven to 180 degrees C.  

2.  Peel and chop the butternut squash and sweet potato into bite sized pieces.  

3.  Toss veg in a spoonful of olive oil and spread on an oven tray.  

4.  Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes (depending on the size of your bites).

5.  Remove and allow to cool.
6.  Mix cooled roast veg with fresh basil leaves, chopped feta, cooked chickpeas and a sprinkle of cumin seeds.

I don't dress this further, as the olive oil from the roast veg works to lubricate it all but you could add a squeeze of lemon.

I also sometimes make this with boiled butternut squash as a lighter option (needs the olive oil and lemon.

Chorizo and Chili Enchiladas

The tastiest leftovers in the world.

In the past couple of days I've been really craving hot food, as in spicy hot, in a way that reminds me of the pregnancy cravings I was having not long before I lost Poppy.  

I've also been super-tired and had some strong pains in my right nipple yesterday.  

These things all make me think optimistically I might be pregnant again.  

But realistically I'm only 7 DPO so the chances of such symptoms at such an early stage is pretty low.  Even if fertilised, the egg has probably not even implanted. 

I've become better at cooking for two, chopping maybe only half a vegetable instead of the whole thing.  But given I put half a dozen different veggies in one meal, I still often end up with more than I anticipated, like with the Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili the other day.  

Given my agreement with Mr Duncan is that we can have meat-based meals twice a week, I had planned on doing something with the chorizo he brought home from the local farmers market last weekend.

Spicy cravings + chorizo + tortilla bread in the freezer = Mexican Enchiladas.

I found a great recipe for enchilada sauce on gimmesomeoven.com.  Naturally I had to alter it a bit due to ingredient constraints.  I added a little finely chopped fresh chilli to make up for the fact I dont have garlic salt and the normal salt was omitted in deference to Mr Duncan's blood pressure requirements.  It turned out SO much better than I could have imagined.  I think the key was the home made chicken stock.  I will definitely be making it again.

For the enchiladas I simply browned the chorizo and mixed in the leftover chilli to reheat.  I rolled the chorizo and chili mix in halved tortillas with a bit of enchilada sauce and grated cheese, packed into an ovenproof dish and topped the enchiladas with the remaining enchilada sauce and grated cheese.  20 minutes in a 180 degree oven.  Served with a fresh tomato, onion and fennel salsa.

Spicy bliss which more than satisfied my cravings.

L.
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