Asian chickensoup

At first I want to apologize for the crappy picture. But the soup tasted very good and spicy. I've added some noodles in it to make it more like a dinner meal. 

The smell of this soup is really Asian. So for this warm wheater I like to make and try this one out. 

Here you go:

2 red peppers 

handful of coriander 

250 grams diced chicken breast 

1 onion 

1 clove of garlic 

400ml coconut milk 

1 lime 

500 ml chicken broth 

1 tablespoon coconut oil

At first I'll bake the chickenbreast in the coconut oil. So they will be all done before I put them in the soup (I'm pregnant so I can not take any risks).

Half the peppers and remove the seeds. Put the peppers, coriander, garlic and onion in to a bowl and mix everything with a handmixer. Squeez the lime juice in the mixture. Make this warm in a pan and put the coconut milk in the pan also. 

Put in a saucepan the chicken broth and chicken pieces in it. At last put the coconut milk mix in the saucepan and mix this. Add some noodles if you like and make it in to a boil.

Here you have a nice spicy asian chickensoup!

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

Currently there is a lot of attention to healthy and sensible diet.
Especially for pregnant women and women trying to become pregnant, it is important to have good health, which of course is largely achieved through proper and healthy diet.
Which often do not take into consideration and where previously a little attention has been paid, is the influence of endocrine disrupting substances on pregnancy.

Hormone disrupting chemicals (Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, EDCs) are found in plastics, food cans, certain care products, and pesticides in fruits and vegetables. There appeared a report about these substances in 2012 made by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The conclusion of the report was "endocrine disruptors pose a global threat to public health."

The impact of endocrine disrupters
Some researchers suggest that these EDC's could be linked with fertility problems,certain types of cancer and metabolic problems.
During pregnancy, these substances would increase the sensitivity of the unborn child for the above diseases.
These risks are recognized by the WHO.


How do you get endocrine disrupters in?
You can get endocrine disrupting chemicals in through inhalation, skin contact, through the mouth.
Various studies have shown that hormone disrupting chemicals and other synthetic chemicals can cross the placenta.

What about Denmark?
In 1992, Denmark has allready ring the alarm! 15% of young Danish men has as poor sperm quality, we saw an increase in the number of men with testicular cancer, we also saw that in young women's breast development began earlier than 15 years before. This can also be seen in animals who are exposed to endocrine disruptors. The Danish Parliament has therefore developing legislation and certain prohibited substances (like all plasticizers). The starting point is the precautionary principle.
This was seen in a Zembla broadcast in December 2013.

The precautionary principle in Denmark
The precautionary principle, for example, you take a substance from the market or inform the pregnant women about the potential risks of these substances until you are sure that they really are no risk for the unborn child or young children.
Denmark considers it important to provide this information so mommy's and mommy's to be have a choice. They find that it involves risks that you should be aware of.
Therefore, every pregnant woman receives a brochure explaining how you can reduce exposure to these substances. This brochure has been developed by the Danish Ministry of Environment and ensures that every pregnant woman in Denmark have the choice for everyday things which your pregnancy (and the later health of your child) can affect.

Here in the Netherlands they find that there is insufficient evidence to these chemicals.
Despite the alarming report of the WHO, Netherlands does nothing at all to point out the risks of these substances of concern.


Source: mens-en-gezondheid.infonu.nl and Zembla.

home made cheese

Home made cheese, I never thought that this was possible.
But I've run into a blog (don't know witch one anymore, sorry for that) and now I really must try this out.
It's pretty easy if you've got everything at home.

What you need:
1 ltr full milk
1 ltr buttermilk
a few drops of lemonjuice
1 tsp salt

1 can of 400 grams with a white interior
Another full can that just fits (serves as little weight)
1 cheesecloth
a long piece of rubber band
1 plate

Make the big can at the top and bottom open and keep the lids.
Heat milk and buttermilk in a large pan. Add a few lemonjuice drops to it.
When milk comes to the boil, you will see that the egg whites clump together in the milk (curd).
Stir for 1 minute. Pour this mixture through a strainer.

Stir the curd well to get all of the liquids out.
Add 1 teaspoon of salt and mix it well trough each other.
I've also addes some Italian spices, but you can also add some nuts or mustard seeds.
Put the empty can on a plate.
Then lay the cheesecloth in and on the can.
Spoon the curd into it. Pull the fabric up so that the cheese can sag properly.
Put the lid on and put the other can on top of the lid.
Stretch the rubber band tightly around it.

Put this for 12 hours in the refrigerator.
And this is the basic recipe for your own cheese!

Cheatmeal: Nutella Cookies !!!

 Sometimes you may cheat. And I think if you are pregnant you may cheat a little bit more to spoil your little one ;).
So here is a very yummie cheatmeal.
Everybody loves Nutella. So I've made cookies out of them. It's pretty easy you only need 3 ingredients.

1 cup of Nutella
1 cup of Spelt flour
1 egg

Preheat the oven on 200 degrees.
Mix everything together and put this for about 10 minutes in the oven.
Let it cool down and you've got a yummie cookie for a cheatmeal ;).

The flu and pregnancy

Yesterday I feel like a cold was coming up: runny nose, sore throat, headache. Nothing to worry about just take some rest and it will go away soon. For the runny nose I inhale a saline solution in the hope it helps. But when I wake up this morning I feel pretty bad.
I was not hungry, not in the mood for coffee (yes you've read that right), everything hurts, I was sweaty but I was feeling so cold.
I just measured my temperature, and yes I have a fever.
Normally I take a lot of paracetamol and everything for sore throats and colds.
But this time it is a different story.
When you are pregnant the only medicine you can take is paracetamol and most preferably just nothing. But my temperature was a little bit to high so I've talked to my gynecologist so I must take 6 of them this day (2 at ones) and meassure my temperature everytime so it would not be higher.
Further I must take a lot of rest and vitamins.
Well the rest will be ok with my snuggles!

 

I can't believe how much I love my four legged kids!

Can flu or cold hurt during pregnancy?

A heavy cold or flu will not hurt your unborn child. In fact, he will benefit from the antibodies that your body produces when you are sick. They will came trough the placenta to you baby. After birth, he added protection against these germs.

Is fever dangerous if you are pregnant?

A little fever is okay if you are pregnant. But does your body temperature above 39.5 degrees Celsius? Then you have a high fever.

High fever in early pregnancy can cause problems for your placenta, because the protein supply for your baby can be disrupted.

Too high fever can sometimes encourage labor.

You can choose to get your fever down with paracetamol like what I did. But always do it in consultation with your gynecologist or doctor.

What can you do more if you've got a fever?

Make sure you drink plenty of fluids: water, tea or bouillon. Because you can lose a lot of fluids when you have a fever. Wear light clothing and do not lie under thick blankets. Your body must be able to dissipate the heat properly. 

And take it easy and slow.

Caution with medication if you are pregnant

If you are pregnant you must be carefull with wich medicine you take!!!!!

So now it's time to eat my blackberries and cuddle with my fourlegged kids!

bubur kacang hijau

Bubur Kacang Hijau also known as a sweet porridge of small green peas.

This porridge is made out of mung beans. 

For thousands of years, mung beans have been used for a variety of purposes. Mung beans originated in India and were cultivated Throughout Asia. The ancient Chinese used mung beans for culinary and medicinal Purposes zoals dispelling heat and detoxifying the body. Today mung beans are still being used for culinary and health Purposes due to the beans' high nutritional content and value.

They are a natural source of protien, high in fibre and used extensively in Asian cooling, espacially by vegetarians. 

So with the mung beans by my side I will bring you back again to my roots: Indonesia.

My mother made this when I was sick as a litlle kid. And now I've got the flu again I wanted to try and make these porridge.

This is not the original recipe like my: Bubur ketan hitam . 

What you will need is:

150 gr. kacang hijau (aka mung beans)

7.5 dl. thin santen (coconut milk)

2 ltr. water

2 tbsp maple syrup

Soak the kacang hijau overnight in plenty of water. Pour the kacang into a pan of water and cook it in about 1.5 hours until tender. Pour off the excess water and add the santen with the maple syrup.

Make sure the santen is warm. 

I pour the remaining coconut milk off, but you can maintain it.

And your porridge is ready to serve!

selamat makan

Strawberry jelly

I've posted on facebook that I would post a new recipe.
But I've got a visit of a friend and I had to do my nails.
Sometimes you must spoil yourself. And lately I spoil myself a lot with a lot of clothes.
It was time to do my nails they were way too long.
So now it is evening and I must send an e-mail to my diabetes specialist for my glucose values. I hope they will be good now.
A diet did not work for me, I was eating already very healthy according to dietitian. So it's because of my hormones.



But now let's talk about my new recipe.
It's the time of the strawberry. And I wanted to do something with this. And it must be healthy, fun and yummie.
So I came up with this. A strawberry jelly.

What you need:
gelatin Leaves
Strawberries
water
vanille extract
maple syrup
shredded coconut


Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water.
Put some water, maple syrup and vanille extract in to a pan and let it boil for a minute.
Squeeze the gelatine leaves out and put them in to the pan and let it melt.
Put in a glass some strawberries and add the jelly water in the glass.
Let it cool down before you put it in to the fridge.
Let it stiffen in to the fridge for about 2 hours.
Top it off with some shredded coconut.

Here's a treat for yourself for these hot days.
And with a nice magazine this looks quite chic.

Why was the strawberry late for work?

He was in a jam

Feeling comphy in my new outfit

I'm not a fashion blogger but I just must share this outfit.

This is so comphy! I just love it.

It's a baggy jeans from silvercreek.

I love baggy jeans because I just don't have a nice but and if you wear this kind of jeans it just does not matter. This jeans is also very stretchy. Price is a little bit out of my budget but the nice sales lady convinced me that they where nice, stretchy and enough room to grow and can wear them after pregnancy. Normally I don't buy this talk but I had fun with her and I wanted a new baggy jeans so badly so I bought them anyway :D.

Shirt is from the coolcat.

Long time that I bought something from there. Must stuff are to nude or to crowded. But I liked this one. 

Nice summer colour, sportive, loosefit. 

100% me! 

I was sold right away.

Now only I must buy now are a new pair of sneakers. 

Have a nice day peepz!

Make your marternity clothing: trendy, sporty, good looking and 100% YOU! And you will feel good...

Cucumber Rose & home made dip.

I saw an amazing film on youtube how you can make roses out of cucumbers. I really must try this.
It's a bit of practice, but then you have something.
No I don't say that they are perfect but I'm pretty proud of it!

But I also wanne try a home made dip. And I think this garlic dipping sauce could not be easier to make.

What you need is: Greek yoghurt, mashed garlic and dried parsley. Mix everything together and you've got your garlic dip.

Make sure when you eat it that your partner will also eat it ;).

And here is the youtube film I saw how you can make your cucumber rose!

And they say I must enjoy....

Ok, so let me make one thing clear right now: It's not that I don't want to be pregnant, it's not that I don't want this baby. I know what I'm doing it for. Nobody said it was easy. And I think I must say to you guys honest: I feel like sh*t lately. I can pretend that everything is ok and that I enjoy pregnancy but I really don't.
I've told some thing in my other blog: for once and for all let me make this clear!
Pregnancy isn't always about roses. And I really do believe that there are people who are much wors condition then I am.
But for me is just all things summed together. What I've been trough in the past, how I am as a person. You see the pictures of the flowers up here? I've made them today, I love flowers and gardening. Now that I've got some new flowers and the sun is shining and it was a pretty hot day I wanted to enjoy of all this.
But I just really can't.
First the day started at the hospital for a heartscan of the baby. And because I did not feel the baby from yesterdays scan the want me to come back tomorrow for another scan.
The heartbeat was really great so I'm happy about that. But that I must come back because it isn't ok that I just feel nothing while I'm 30weeks tomorrow and at first I feel the baby kick constantly.
Well it's just a matter of time. And I will see what they will say tomorrow.
Wednesday I must go to the dietitian because my glucose is to high. And in June I've got my first echo where they are going to keep up how the baby grows.
And further I have 24/7 abdominal pain. And sometimes it's more worse then the other time. Sometimes it hurts so much that I just can't walk and I get dizzy and must throw up.
But with the baby everything is fine (what they can see now).
But I must keep my rest, while I'm a very busy person that can not sit still for one second.
That's the reason I may not go to work or can do things with my friends.
7days a week I sit at home where 5 of them I'm all alone. And really I feel very lonely.
Ofcourse sometimes a friend or my mom comes by to check how I'm doing or drink a cup of coffee.
But that's not everyday. And I can not ask of them to come by every day. In the evening my hubby is at home but he got things to do like cleaning, walk with the dogs. Sometimes I help him out with cleaning or a litlle walk with the dogs but most of the time after that I'm in lot of pain.
And that sucks.
So I feel very lonely, and when I feel that way I think, when I think, I remember, when I remember, I feel pain, when I feel pain, I cry.
But my hubby got a life also, and how hard he tries to be there for me, I can't ask him not to do the things he like.
I still remember that I've got 10 more weeks to go and then everything will be over and that i can enjoy my life again and feel fine.
But for now.... I don't. I hope I'm in a better mood soon.
Sorry guys for my complain blog. That's what this is right now. But I just wanted to let you know that pregnancy is not about roses or sunshine. Everybody feels different. One can enjoy and the other don't.
And this lonelyness is really killing me right now!

A sunshine blog after drama with recipe!

Yes, I'm laying with my lazy ass in the sun! Hello SPRING!!! But I think I deserve it. I just came back from the gynecologist because my glucose level is to high. They did an echo also and because I feel the baby less they were worried. The heartbeat was not that great so I must stay a while for a heartscan for the baby. 

It was ok today but I must come back tomorrow. They think that the condition of the baby is not good. But I really hope everything will be fine tomorrow. 

So now I'm enjoying the sunlight. I'm pretty tired and a little bit stressed.

So I try to enjoy the wheater and the beautifull flowers. 

And here the promissed recipe!

Put the couscous with the peas in a pan of boiling water. Cover it. Fry the chicken pieces with herbs. fry the onions in a pan. add that in your couscous mixture with the diced fetta cheese and fresh parsley and tomatoes.

You can eat this cold or warm and use it for lunch or dinner...

This one is easy and fast! 

We're pregnant!

 OMG....it's burning my eyes! Oh, wait that's sunshine! I didn't know what it was for a minute.

Goodmorning, rise and shine! And yes while I'm writing this it's only 7am in the morning. And I've got allready coffee with my hubby and when he left for work I had my oatmeal and kiwi for breaky and now I'm waiting till I can do my second glucose test. So I thought let's write a blog about: We're pregnant!

The sun is shining and I feel good. Oh well while it lasts.

We're pregnant!! Yeah, I know, you know that allready.

But where does this phrase come from?

Well I gain a little bit of weight during pregnancy. Not that much I've lost a lot's of kilos and I gained a little. I'm still at my weight before pregnancy. But my hubby was also gaining a little bit of weight.

You just do not see it and it's nothing bad. But he sees it and feels it.

But I did not worry about it because I just can't see where he must gained weight :s.

But then I read an article about man gaining weight during pregnancy because of an hormone.

I told that to my hubby and he respond wisely: "I know how that hormone is called!, white chocolate and cookies!"

I really must laugh because a little bit of that is true. Man eat more because of the pregnant woman who eats more during pregnancy. A man gain like 6 till 10 kilo's during the pregnancy of a woman.

But there is really an hormone and it's called: prolactin. This hormone will cause that fats and sugars are stored instead of burnt. 

This is what studies shows.

The study followed 34 couples during their pregnancy gymnastics in a hospital in St. John's to take off their blood.

In the men's prolactin level increased by a third between the middle and the end of pregnancy.While the prolactin level remains much lower by woman, Storey says that the increase in prolactin and two other types of hormones cortisol and estradiol responsible for ensuring that men respond better to their babies. But, she emphasizes, these hormonal synchronization occurs only in couples who live together.

According to the study men who live with a pregnant partner see a reduction in the production of the aggression stimulating hormone testosterone and an increase in another hormone prolactin which is linked to the production of milk.

Since high testosterone levels to ensure that men are macho and territorial, Storey says that the decrease of the hormone during pregnancy causes men to spend more time with their partner and their baby.

Storey's research also found out that increasing the level of the "female" hormones in men when the birth is approaching.

So for the man: there is nothing to worry about, it's all part of it.

And that's why it called: We're pregnant!

Enjoy your pregnancy!!!

apple bread

We've all known the amazing famous banana bread!
I've also tried bananabread and ofcourse it taste great.
I will make one again asap and I will post the recipe also. But now I want to try to make a apple bread.
I'll have to wait until my bread machine will arrive, but this you can make in your own oven.
And I've taste it and it is just that great as banana bread.

What you'll need is:

2 apples peeled and chopped
500g spelled flour
1 egg
250 grams of warm water
1 tablespoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons of flaxseed
pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven on 200 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together and knead well until you've got a ball.
Grease a cake tin and put the dough in it.
Bake the bread in 25-30 minutes.

And here you've got your apple bread.

Enjoy!

Find the egg

Find the egg, but Easter is allready gone?...
Yes that's true but I think you can eat this whenever you want.
Everybody knows the traditional meatloaf. Well this is my own version of it.

What you'll need:


6eggs
lean ground beef
celery (chopped)
pepper
salt
1 tablespoon mustard
bowl of milk
3 whole wheat bread
chopped onion


First boil 4 eggs till their done. Preheat the oven on 180 degrees.
Put the three slices of bread in the milk and let it soak.
Mix the meat with salt, pepper, celery, onion, mustard and 2 beaten eggs.
Squeeze the bread out and mix it also with your meatmix.
Knead it into a flat "dough". Place the 4 eggs behind each other and fold it closed until you have a kind of bread mold.
Put this in the oven for about an hour.

And here you have your meatloaf with hiddin egg in it!.

This monkey gets funky

I think you all may know that I'm a big coffee addict.

Now I'm pregnant I can't drink more than 2 cups of coffee. Normally I drink a lot more.

So I thought that it would be hard to kick off from coffee and normally when I don't drink coffee I get sweaty, grumpy and get a headache. So yeah you can say that I'm an addict.

Luckly for me the first 15 weeks or so I can hold any food in and I hated the smell of coffee. I just could not resist the smell. It's makes me feel nauseous. And because I allready feel like crap because of all that vomitting I could not recognize withdrawal symptoms. 

So now I don't drink more than 2 cups a day.

But because I'm a coffee addict I came up with an amazing idea. Why don't make a breakfast smoothie of it? You've got coffees in different flavours so I must give this a shot. And it taste great!!! 

It's also pretty handy if you must go somewhere and you want your coffee and must eat your breakfast. This is all in one. Let's get this monkey to be funky!

What you need:

1cup off coffee (cool down)

half cup soy milk mixed wit chiaseeds (make this a day before and let it overnight in the fridge)

2 tbsp greek yoghurt

2 bananas

Mix everything into a mixer. And you've got your coffee/breakfast smoothie on the go or for at home ;).

Coffee is just another word for a cup of rainbows and sunshine!!!

An ode to gymfood

An ode to gymfood!
And no, I do not mean the gymfood like in eggs, or beef jerky or something like that.
I mean the page gymfood .
I love to work out. A shame I must keep rest for my body and the little baby.
But when the baby arrived I will keep on track again and get my old body back (I'll hope, at least I will try).
But last year I work out like 4,5 times or more a week. I spent a lot of hours in the gym to work on my fysiek. I love to lift weights and get lean.
No, you won't get bulky by lifting weights, you will get lean and toned.
But through all that training I needed more nutrients. And I'll get them by supplements.
I found an amazing page on the internet called: gymfood.
I've asked for information and they respond almost imidiatly. So I've orderd some stuff and the next day I've got everything right at home. With an extra magazine and samples.
You can ask them anything at: twitter , facebook and they've also got instagram .
But they are a lot more than only a page were you can order your Whey eggwhites or your supplements for pre-workout. They will post motivation and fitspiration and great recipe or food tips.
That's what I like about them. And I know for sure if I go work out again I will order my stash by gymfood!!!

I recommend this page to you guys so you can give it a try an order your stuff over there.
Great service, great advice and a lot of motivation!