Books to Read

I've been meaning to write this post for a while now, long before we were in lockdown.

As a self-confessed bibliophile {I just love that word}, there is of course a ridiculously long list of novels I would like to read - some new releases, some classics, and some books that I class as recent but on closer inspection actually came out around a decade ago...!

Snickers Flapjacks

When I posted pics of these flapjacks on Instagram last week, I asked whether you lot wanted me to share the recipe on here. The answer was a resounding YES! So here it is.

I don't blame you - these little bites of heaven are really delicious. For any fellow peanut-butter-and-chocolate-combo fiends, you will have to physically stop yourself from reaching into the tin to gobble the whole lot {although I promise I won't judge you if this does happen}.

20 Weeks Pregnant

We're halfway towards meeting Baby Maggie May!

In some ways I can't believe that I'm now 20 weeks pregnant, but on the other hand, it feels like I've been expecting this baby for years...!

Things have definitely picked up since the first trimester; I've started putting on weight as opposed to losing it, I've gone from avoiding all food to eating constantly, and my friends and family tell me that I look healthy now as opposed to grey and gaunt {from our FaceTime chats, obviously}. It's not all rosy - hardly surprising considering my unpleasant start to being pregnant - and I still have bad nausea pretty much every day, with the odd episode of sickness even now. It does feel unlucky to still be vomiting at 20 weeks, but this isn't unusual for sufferers of hyperemesis, and I know there are so many women who have it a lot worse than me - I'm just so grateful that it's now occasional as opposed to daily!

There's also the matter of the bump that's forming...

Excuse the blurred photo, with my hair still dripping from the shower and my face bare of make up, but here is Baby Maggie May in all their glory. I have to say, I'm much bigger than I was expecting to be at this point!

The bump is not my favourite part though. The best bit has to be the kicks.

The first proper kick was when I was 18 weeks - and we were so lucky that baby gave us a few good ones so Mr MM could feel them too - and since then, they really haven't stopped! They are there morning, afternoon, evening and night; the rolling and wriggling and fluttering feelings are there pretty constantly, with frequent heavy nudges, shoves, pushes and bashes thrown in for good measure. Some of them have made me jump they're so vigorous, and I scared Mr MM to death the other night when I was jolted just as I was falling asleep and shouted out in surprise! It makes us laugh that we've already got an extremely active baby on our hands who shows no signs of slowing down - when people tell me 'just you wait until the kicks increase in your third trimester', I can't imagine what they'll be like!

We had our anomaly scan at 19 weeks, and although it wasn't how we pictured it as Mr MM wasn't allowed in with me due to coronavirus restrictions, we managed to still make it special; the sonographer was wonderful and told me to look away when she was scanning baby's nether regions in case I saw something by accident. She then wrote down the gender of Baby Maggie May on a slip of paper, so I could wait until I was back with my husband for us to find out together. We opened it excitedly and my eyes filled with tears as soon as I read the answer {happy tears!} We FaceTimed our parents to let them know what sort of grandchild is on the way, followed up by a stream of messages to other family members and friends. The most important thing of all is that the scan was perfect, with no signs of any problems. When the sonographer said it was the best baby she's scanned so far this year in terms of being able to see everything easily and complete the scan effectively, my heart nearly burst - already I am so super proud of our baby!

I'm looking forward to sharing some of our nursery and newborn purchases with you all soon {I'm still trying to work out what we need} and will keep you updated with our progress on Instagram. Thank you so much for your messages of support and advice - they've been very much appreciated, and the further we go on our journey towards becoming first-time parents, the more I panic that we need all the help we can get...!

Mango, Strawberry & Banana Smoothie

This recipe came about when I was deciding how to use up a slightly wrinkly mango I found in the fridge.

I'd not actually used mango in a smoothie before, but as the weather has been heating up, I've been craving refreshing cold drinks to keep me hydrated. The thought of fruity mango in smoothie form was very enticing, and due to it being slightly past its sell-by date, I thought blending would be a good way of using it up.

I basically add banana to all the smoothies I make, as a it is a great base and an easy way to add in extra fruit to recipes - plus we always have a steady supply in the house! But I knew I needed an extra ingredient to really make the smoothie zing, which is when I remembered the bag of frozen strawberries I'd been storing up. Perfect!

^ Bump is definitely a smoothie fan...

The combination of mango and strawberry is an excellent one, and as soon as I took my first sip, I was transported to sunnier climes, imagining myself poolside or on a beach. Isn't it amazing how tastes and smells can produce such a strong sense of nostalgia?

I really hope you enjoy this smoothie as much as I do. I made it for Mr MM as an afternoon pick-me-up whilst he was working from home, and it's a lovely change from the usual juices and water we tend to go for.

Kids will be a fan of this too, as although it's fruity, the flavours are not too strong or powerful. Just delicious!

Ingredients - Makes 1 smoothie

- 1/2 ripe mango, peeled and chopped into chunks
- 1/2 banana
- A handful of frozen strawberries, ~5-6 {Frozen work best as this affects the texture of the smoothie, but if you only have fresh that's fine! Just add a couple of ice cubes to the mixture instead}
- 200ml milk {I use almond milk}
- 200ml water
- A squirt of maple syrup
- 1 sachet VSL#3 probiotic {optional}

Equipment

- Blender {I use this one*, and it's currently on sale!}
- Measuring jug

Method

1. Add all ingredients to blender.

2. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Let me know what you think, and tag me in your pics on social media - it's always so lovely to see your creations!

This post contains affiliate links*. Full disclosure statement available here.

Springtime Pasta Salad

Having eaten a lot of dinners based on store cupboard essentials recently {think beans, stews, lentils etc.}, I had a hankering for something a bit fresher tasting - a dish to suit the bright, clear weather we've been having and remind me that spring is really here.

Getting hold of fresh fruit and vegetables can be a little tricky at the moment, but I've managed to cobble together a recipe that embraces that colourful, springtime feeling whilst only calling on three salad ingredients: tomatoes, garlic and spinach {and if this is proving difficult to get hold of, the frozen stuff would work too}.