Guestpost: Ginger Buns Recipe

Today I have a guest post from my blogging friend, Michaela who blogs at Adventures of a Yorkshire Mum. Michaela is a mum to 2 young boys that love helping her bake and is also pregnant with her third little boy.  

Morning sickness in pregnancy can be horrendous but one of the foods that is supposed to help it subside is ginger. So that got me thinking, maybe I can make a yummy ginger buns recipe that would be tasty but also help when the pangs of morning sickness come in to play.

For my recipe, you will need:

200g self-raising flour
200g butter
200g brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
pinch ground cinnamon
15ml water

1. Pre-heat oven to 180c
2. Cream together both the sugar and the butter until it is light and fluffy
3. Adding a bit at a time, mix the rest of the ingredients together into the sugar and butter mix until smooth
4. Put 12 bun cases into a muffin tin and then add the mixture evenly between
5. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown and then take out to cool


And that's it, a basic recipe for ginger buns. I then like to add a little extra flavour with a chocolate sauce for the top. For this you need:

50g good-quality dark chocolate
125ml double cream
25g butter
1 tbsp caster sugar

1. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water until smooth
2. Heat the rest of the ingredients separately until combined together
3. Take both off the heat and mix together
4. Leave to cool a little before topping over the buns

I love this recipe as not only does it have different flavours, but it's simple to make. And the chocolate sauce can be added to the topping of any cakes, buns or even over ice cream for extra flavour. 


For more recipes, pregnancy updates and fun frolics with the boys, visit my blog www.adventuresofayorkshiremum.co.uk



Gnocchi with Spinach and Tomato and Basil Sauce

The next recipe I have up for you is the delicious Gnocchi with Spinach and Tomato and Basil Sauce. 
This was a recipe I was unsure about as I have only tried Gnocchi once before and I wasn't too keen on it.
However it was plain so I think that explains why I wasn't keen before as i loved this recipe. 


Serves 4 (371 kcals each) 

You will need: 
-500g ready made potato gnocchi 
-235g baby spinach leaves 
-200g Lake District Dairy Co Tomato and Basil cooking sauce
- 75g mature cheddar cheese (grated) 
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp pine nuts

Method: 
1. preheat the grill. cooking the gnocchi in a large pan of boiling salted water for 3 mins or according to 
pack instructions
2. Empty the spinach into a colander and stand it in the sink, when the gnocchi is cooked, drain it into the colander and leave to drain for 2 mins (this wilts the spinach leaves.
3. meanwhile empty the cooking sauce into the pan and heat gently til piping hot.
4. tip the gnocchi and spinach into the pan and mix well 
5. Transfer to a heatproof dish and add the ground cumin. pine nuts and cheese over the top
pop under the grill until the surface is golden and bubbling. 


All of the cooking sauces are delicious and make such lovely low calorie meals 
that both me and Stuart have enjoyed. 
The sauces retail at £1.75 for a 200g pot and are/will be sold in most supermarkets.

Chicken Tikka and Quark Rice


The second recipe we tried out this week using the Lake District Co cooking sauces is a wonderful 
Chicken Tikka and Quark Rice using the Tikka cooking sauce which will be available in supermarkets sometime this autumn. 



Serves 4 (382 Kcals each) 

You will need: 
- 1 tsbp vegetable oil 
- 400g of boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cubed) 
- 1 red onion
- 1 red pepper
- 200g of basmati rice 
- 250ml chicken stock
- 50g raisons 
- 200g of Lake District Tikka cooking sauce
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander
- 2 tbsp toasted almonds (flaked) 

Method: 
1. In a large frying pan or wok, heat the oil, then add the chicken and stirfry over a high heat until it starts to brown. 
2. Add the onion and pepper and stirfry over a high heat for 4 mins or until soft
3. stir in the rice and stock, then bring to boil, cover and simmer for 10 mins
4. remove the lid and stir in the Tikka cooking sauce, add the raisins and recover. 
5. Simmer for a further 5 mins stirring occasionally until the rice grains are plump and tender
6. scatter over coriander and almonds to serve.


We really enjoyed how this one turned out we chose not to use the raisins on ours
though as I'm not keen on raisins on this type of meal. 
We also left off the almonds due to hubby having a nut allergy. 

28 Weeks Pregnancy Appointments

So today I had a few 28 week pregnancy appointments first of all this morning I had to have
 a whooping cough jab followed by my 28 week midwife appointment. 
This afternoon I had an appointment with the consultant at the hospital. 

The whooping cough jab is given to women who are 28-32 weeks pregnant as this maximises 
the chances of your baby being protected from birth through transfer of antibodies before he/she is born. 

My midwife appointment went well blood pressure etc was normal.
Baby is measuring precisely 28 weeks and still has got a good strong heartbeat.
This time they were in breech position although they not worried about it at this stage. 

She double checked that I had managed to sort out antenatal classes for November
which I have and also took my 28 week bloods. 

I have also now booked for a flu jab for just over a weeks time.


My consultant appointment was really quick I was told that even though my GTT results have come back 
as normal I am to continue using the glucose monitoring system twice a week and if my results go above 7.8 
to contact them. 

They also listened to baby's heartbeat which was lovely to hear for the second time today. 
I have always wanted a water birth so decided to ask my consultant if it was going to be possible 
since I am "high risk" which I have found out I wont be able to have. 
This is due to having to have a consultant led birth for medical reasons.
From what I have read though it does mean I wont have many birth options.



Have you had a consultant led birth? If so I'd love to know how you got on. 

Spaghetti Quarkonara

Last week I received a rather exciting parcel, a hamper filled with ingredients to make
three yummy meals for me and Stuart using The Lake District Dairy Co quark based cooking sauces. 

The Lake District Dairy Co have released a new Garlic and Herb cooking sauce which came out back in August.
Two more flavors (Tikka and Tomato and Basil) will be  available in UK supermarkets from Autumn. 

The new sauces have already impressed food experts having won the World Dairy Innovation Awards. 
Simply swap your usual cooking sauces for the Lake District Dairy Co cooking sauces to create healthy and flavorsome day to day dishes. 



The health credentials are so impressive that when making a indulgent tasting spaghetti carbonara using the 
cooking sauces instead of cream cheese the fat content is reduced by 28g (a staggering 88%) and the calorie
content is dropped by 227kcal per portion too. 

So to make the yummy Spaghetti Quarkonara (serves 4) you will need: 
- 300g of quick cook spaghetti 
- 250g Lake District Dairy Co Garlic and Herb cooking sauce
- 150g flaked ham hock 
-4 tbsp parsley (chopped) 
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg.


Method: 
1. Bring a large pan of water to boil add the spaghetti and stir well, simmer for 7 mins or according to pack instructions. 
2. Drain the spaghetti in a colander reserving 100ml of the cooking water, empty the lake district garlic and herb sauce into the pan and gently heat until piping hot. 
3. Add the spaghetti, ham, parsley, nutmeg and 60ml of cooking water and toss until the spaghetti is nicely coated in the sauce, add a little more cooking water if required. 
4. Divide between warmed plates and serve garnished with more parsley. 


I can honestly tell you that it tastes just as good as it looks. 

Recipe idea: Add extra color with some frozen peas. Adding them to the pan for the final 2 mins
of cooking time. 

The next two yummy recipes using The Lake District Co cooking sauces will be
a fab Chicken Tikka and Quark Rice and delicious Gnocchi with Spinach and Tomato and Basil Quark Sauce.

28 weeks pregnant

So today means that I am in 3rd and final trimester. 
Tomorrow I have 3 appointments: 
- Whooping cough jab
- 28 week midwife appointment 
and
- consultant appointment. 
This week has been really quiet and we not really done much tbh. 


How far along? 28 weeks today
Total weight gain: 20lb on which means I've maintained this week
Symptoms:  ligament pain, leg cramps, constant loo trips in the night and heartburn 
Sleep: Been sleeping ok having naps a lot this week after lunch
Miss anything? Being able to sit comfortably 
Movement: Baby is moving loads as usual especially at bedtime
Food cravings: I've been eating lots of raisins this week also for the last 3 mornings I have
woken up craving a McDonald's breakfast (I've not had one)
Anything making you queasy or sick: No all is fine on that front
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy but have been a bit clingy this week towards stuart and am being tearful as usual.
Looking forward to: My appointments tomorrow. 

Baby Haul #3

I love showing you our baby hauls we have got more items this week and 
Stuart is planning on ordering some bits from Amazon for our little one at the weekend. 

So this week we have brought: 

Boots Baby Safety Kit, £12.99

We chose this kit so that once we have it all sorted we know 
what extras we will need to buy. 
I know we will need a lock for the washing machine, oven and dishwasher
as well as cord safety locks as all rooms in our home have blinds minus the bathroom and kitchen.



We also got this gorgeous outfit set in Boots which I forgot to mention in my last haul. 
It has a sleep suit, vest and bib for £10. 
We chose to get it in 0-3 months and near enough have all neutral bits we need in that size now. 
The bib says "Just Perfect". 



As mentioned in my last haul I ordered a wet bag 
as I am planning use cloth nappies. 
We went for this lovely bright giraffe, duck, elephant and frog design. 
I love it! It has two pockets so that you can keep clean and soiled nappies
separate. I paid £2.99 with 99p shipping from Amazon. 


We went to Milton Keynes shopping at the weekend just gone as Stuart needed to get some new shirts for work. 
So I asked him if we could go to the MKOne  park and pop into Primark. 

I managed to get a few bits for me ready for my hospital bag but also got this 
lovely fleece blanket for £4.


I also managed to persuade Stuart to let us look in Asda since its not too far away from Primark
and as I know they have their baby and toddler event on still we picked up some lovely bits.

The Tommee Tippee Closer to nature soothers which are suitable 0-6 months was on our list
of things to buy. I have a pack already that came with a set I brought we chose to get another lot
since soothers easily go missing. 

We spotted these 10 pack of bibs for £3 they had them in just plain white or with a bit 
of color and Stuart thought it be nice to have ones with a bit of color. 


We saw this Winnie the Pooh sleeping bag and fell in love. 
We have found that sleeping bags tend to cost quiet a bit of money but at £13 
this one was one we couldn't pass up on. 
I think if we buy any more we will try ebay in the future as most I seem to have found cost brand new £20 +.



Last of all we got this little pack of 3 sleep suits for £7.
We chose to get the newborn size. 
We love how one of the sleep suits says "Little and Cute". 



What do you think of my recent haul?


27 weeks Pregnant

This week was a bit busy we went shopping more baby bits over the weekend ( haul will be up tomorrow). 
I had an appointment with my dentist on the Monday morning where I was told my teeth
are fine but as I am still grinding my teeth in my sleep I still need a mouth guard which 
I will now be able to get free on the NHS.
Next Thursday is going to be rather busy as I have 3 appointments
2 at my GP surgery and then one at the hospital to see the consultant. 

Yesterday I had to collect a hard copy of blood results ready for the consultant next
week, they also printed off results from my GTT test which has come back normal 
with no signs of Gestational diabetes.


How far along? 
27 weeks +1 
Total weight gain
I weighed myself yesterday my total gain 20lbs 
so am still luckily within the recommended area for weight gain which is 28lbs
Symptoms:
Tiredness as usual, back ache, have noticed this week that I seem to be sweating alot more and I still getting heartburn from time to time. 
Sleep:
 Waking in the night for loo trips as usual not had leg cramps at all this week
Miss anything? 
 Not particularly 
Food cravings
Nothing particular this week
Anything making you queasy or sick:
  Nope all good *touch wood*
Happy or moody most of the time: Tearful but happy
Best Moment this week: Shopping for more baby bits in Milton Keynes 

Elias Super Wipes

I am accident prone recently I am putting this down to being pregnant .
 The last few days I have been spilling food down me which is really annoying
However if you have Elias Super Wipes on hand than you will be able
to get rid of the stain quickly and effectively. 

This handy little pack of wipes is going to be a lifesaver once I am a parent. 
They are small enough to be popped into my changing bag. So when little one
is out and about and manages to get covered in god knows what, I will have these on
hand to make sure that the stain can be removed sooner rather than later so that 
clothing doesn't get spoilt. 


Elias Super Wipes clam the following:

- First aid removal for food and drink stains including wine, fruit juice, baby food and tea/coffee
- A quick and powerful cleaning solution that removes most stains immediately
- Stain removal wipes that fit into your handbag or suit pocket
- The perfect product for parents and professionals for life on the go

So I ended up spilling mushy peas down my top yesterday at dinner so 
I found it the perfect opportunity to test out the Super wipes. 



I gave the stain a rub with the wipes which have the appearance of baby wipes
and was very impressed that the stain seemed to be reduced. 
The stain wasn't completely removed, however was much less noticeable before your able to wash the item. 
Overall the wipes seem pretty good. 
I love that they come in a slim packet so that they can fit in your bag and also that they 
worked well immediately. 


The downside for me is the cost at £2.49 for 5 wipes that is pretty steep in my opinion. 
They also would be more useful in a bigger pack for regular use. 


Elias Superwipes are available here and cost. £2.49 for a pack of 5 wipes (£0.99 P & P)





Frame Again

Frame Again is an independent UK company started by two entrepreneurs 
Jake Hayman and Joe Kenyon. 

The entrepreneurs turned down an offer to sell their photo framing business on Dragons Den and
have been going places ever since. 




The frame comes in a combination of two colors of your choosing, the base and the ring. 
I chose to go for a white base with a yellow ring as I wanted to use a photo of our 20 week scan 
and found the yellow to be one of the colors that I found to be the most unisex. 

The frame's are made from ABS recycled plastic, recycled protected glass and neodymium magnets and are 7 x 7 inches squared and 3 inches deep. 

Each frame has four magnets, two of each polarisation. 
The magnets keep the frame together but also mean that they stick side by side. 



I am extremely happy with the high quality of the print and the frame and feel that 
they would make a wonderful gift or as a treat for yourself. 
I have given this frame as a gift for my husband to have on his desk at work. 

Frame Again RRP is £19.99 but currently on offer at £9.99

What do you think of Frame Again?

26 Weeks Pregnant

This week has gone by so fast I have been rather busy though.
Thursday saw me have my 25 week midwife appointment. 
Friday I had to have blood test again to double check my medication dosages are correct. Saturday I was working and then Sunday was Stuart's birthday, Monday was a day of cleaning and keeping busy and yesterday I was feeling rather down in the dumps with a cold. 

How far along? 
26 weeks today 
Total weight gain
I weighed myself yesterday and my total gain atm is 19lb
Symptoms:
Tiredness, leg cramps, I think my feet look more wider and my back has been hurting 
quiet a bit. 
Maternity clothes?
 Nothing new
Sleep:
 Waking in the night for loo trips as usual not had too much leg cramps this week
Miss anything? 
 Not particularly 
Food cravings
Cake and since we had a chocolate cake for stuart's bday its not been any help lol
Anything making you queasy or sick:
  Nope all good *touch wood*
Happy or moody most of the time: Very Emotional
Best Moment this week: Opening parcel's filled with baby bits 
Looking forward to:
- Buying more baby bits, looks like the mother in law is going to 
be bombarded with parcels atm ooops (sorry) 

Baby Haul #2

Hi everyone, so we finally got around to actually starting to buy more baby bits. 
I have been waiting for most things to arrive before I did this post. 

We have a lot still to buy, but now that we have started buying bits I feel relieved. 
We have also borrowed a few items from my brother in law's family. 
The things we have borrowed which aren't pictured are: 
Moses Basket and Stand 
- Safari Rocker Chair 
- Red mock Bumbo baby chair
- Audio baby monitor 
- Baby sling
and
- Door bouncer 

So onto what we have brought so far. 

The other day I managed to buy a set of 26 baby vests and 2 sleep-suits for £4 off a lady on a local selling site. 
There are 13 vests in size newborn, 6 in size 0-3 months and 7 in 3-6 months and
the two sleep-suits are size newborn.  

They are a range of brands including George of Asda, F&F of Tesco, Mothercare etc. 


I am a huge fan of Amazon and I love giraffes so when I spotted this 
patch the giraffe changing mat for £9.95 I had to buy it. 
I love that this will suit baby whether they are a boy or a girl 
due to the neutral soft colors. 


 We are planning on using cloth nappies with the occasional use of 
disposables. 
We are yet to buy the actual cloth nappies but we are thinking of going
for Little Blooms in all in one pocket nappies. If anyone has any other affordable brands 
that they use and/or can recommended the info would be great. 
We have however brought a 14 liter nappy pail for just over £5, 
x2 mesh bags for £8.99 for the bucket and some biodegradable nappy liners (100) for £3.95. 
We are also waiting for a wet bag to arrive in the post so I'll share that on my next haul.


Someone I know from Slimming World was selling her electric steriliser and 
bottle warmer for £6. 
I am planning on breastfeeding but I am hoping to express so that Stuart 
can do some night feeds during the week and a few day feeds during the weekend. 
So getting a steriliser and bottle warmer was something we thought would be a great idea.


We chose to get the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Newborn Starter Kit for £14.99
from Amazon so that we have some bottles ready for expressing. 
The kit contains: 
- 2 x 260 ml Easi-Vent bottles with slow flow teats
- 2 x 150 ml Easi-Vent bottles with slow flow teats
- 2 x Easi-Vent medium flow teats
- 1 x Bottle brush
- 2 x Anytime 0-6 months soothers
-1 x Instruction leaflet

We also have gone for the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Manual Breast Pump, £10.99 from Amazon.
I have chosen to go for a manual breast pump over an electric one as even though I plan on expressing
I am hoping to probably do it once or twice a day and no more than that.
The box contains: 
- 1 x Breast pump
- 1 x Easi-vent 150 ml bottle
- 1 x Milk storage pot
- 6 x Disposable breast pads
 - 1 x Microwave steriliser box

Philips AVENT SCF155/06 Washable Breast Pads have been brought as I am hoping it will save me
a lot of money rather than having to constantly buy disposable ones.
These were £5.99 ( also Amazon) 

I have also brought 3x packs of 8 wash cloths £1.99 a pack again from Amazon.


We still have quiet a bit to buy for little one though here is a list of things we still need to get: 

- Wardrobe and chest of drawers for baby's room 
- Toy Storage 
- Cot (mother in law has offered to buy us one) 
- Bed in a bag ( most likely going to wait til little one is here to buy gender specific set) 
- mattresses for both Moses basket and cot
- Sheets and blankets 
- Healthcare kit 
- cloth nappies
- washable wipes and container
- breast milk storage (we unsure atm if going to to do pots or bags) 
- safety bits but they not really needed til little one is here and on the move
- Clothing we need to get more sleepsuits mainly in sizes newborn and 3-6 months for now. 
- Toys and books
-Bibs 

I think that is all if there is anything else you think I have missed please let me know :)

Aldi Maternity Special Buys

Aldi launches new specialbuys Maternity and Baby ranges. 

On  Thursday 18th of September you will be able to purchase a range of maternity and baby items 
including tops, leggings, dresses, baby sleep suits, baby 3 piece sets and changing bags to name
a few. 

I was sent some of the maternity specialbuys to show you.



Top - £9.99
Leggings - £6.00 

The top is comfortable to everyday wear with a concealed opening panel specially designed for maternity 
adaption. I love the draped front layer detailing which has a hidden inner layer that allows
you to discreetly feed your baby. 
The top will be ideal once little one is here as I plan to breastfeed, but is also great for while I am pregnant.
The top can be both worn dressed down with jeans or the lovely leggings I am wearing or glamed up
with some black leggings, pumps and some fab jewelry. 

The leggings are ideal for everyday wear with a full elasticated waistband, worn over the belly to ensure 
a perfect fit throughout pregnancy. 
I wouldn't normally choose this color for leggings but its growing on me and I can see myself
wearing these to relax when having a lazy day.


Dress - £11.99 

The maternity dress is very comfortable and again is perfect for every day wear. 
The dress is like the top has layered detail that is specially designed for maternity adaption. 



What do you think of Aldi's Maternity Specialbuys range? 

Asda Baby and Toddler Event

I am a huge fan of Asda and I love that this week has been the start of 
another Baby and Toddler event. 


The Baby and Toddler event is both in store and online and there is a huge selection
of products on special offers why not check out some of the fab selection yourself. 

I was sent two awesome products one for me and one for when our little one arrives
in December. 

First of all the set for me is the NSpa Mum To Be set
which contains 5 sample size products suitable to use in pregnancy. 

The kit contains: 
- Cooling leg and foot gel
- Stretch Mark Oil
- Shower and Bath creme 
- Firming bust cream 
and 
- Moisturising Bump Butter

I have found each of products very useful and as a first time mum to be I am very happy with the set
I have used the cooling leg and foot gel on the back of my legs as I have been suffering with 
a lot of leg cramp recently so was very happy to see this in the set. 




I was thrilled to be sent the Johnson's baby essentials kit for when little one arrives. 
Johnson's is a brand that I knew I wanted to use on our little one, as when I was growing up
my mum and dad used Johnson's products with both me and my younger sister.
 Its definitely a brand I would recommend but also a brand that I know a lot of mum's love and have loved
for the last 100 years. 



The Johnson's essentials kit contains: 

- Johnson's Baby Lotion - 300ml
- Johnson's Baby Oil - 300ml
-J ohnson's Baby Gold Shampoo - 300ml
- Johnson's Baby Cotton Buds - 100
- Johnson's Baby Bath - 300ml
- Johnson's Baby Top-to-Toe Wash - 300ml
- Johnson's Baby Bedtime Bath - 300ml
- Johnson's Baby Gentle Cleansing Wipes 56

The Johnson's kit is a must have and the kit is great value for money considering you get so much 
in the kit for just £10. I love how the vanity box can also be used again and again for keeping all
baby's toiletries together. 

Have you brought anything from Asda's Baby and Toddler Event?