We are all jolly well going to smack the rat this month and grow a baby and we'll brook no argument. And probably eat some cake too.

[Imps7]

Ladies....begin.

Bean it should be today but I reckon tomorrow - but only the fanjometer knooooows......

:o

Hello all, still away with work but travelling back tonight and I can't wait to see DD and DH!

Hello new people and congratulations Jazzy!

Solars I have a great feeling for you this month.

We did manage the pre-work SWI, I think I may have ov'd but not sure so will try again when home tonight.

Will catch up properly when back home with decent internet etc!

Oooh I have a weird craving for an egg and cress sandwich on white bread. Given that I'm on day 3 of my pregnancy, I suppose that the cravings will have kicked in by now.

Have good trip back later Generic and enjoy the reunion with DD and DH! Bet they can't wait to see you too.

Oooo egg and cress, not had that in a while Imps :d

I have been shovelling in Nigel Slater's Pumpkin and (puy) Lentil Stew like there's no tomorrow clearly pg . It sounds bland but it's amazing. (The vegetarian dumplings do help, admittedly)

Ohhhh I love Nigel Slater - do you have Tender (the veg one)? It's my most used recipe book - some brilliant stuff in there. I can't stand watching him on TV (I find him incredibly smug and irritating) but there's no denying that he can come up with a good recipe. I will try the pumpkin and lentil stew - sounds fab.

Morning ladies
Imps egg & cress is my all time fav sandwich, all this time I never knew it was a sign of upiffedness!!

Have just put turkey & lentil curry in slow cooker with extra spoonful of chilli jam to blow DH socks off for tea tonight. I will checking on it later as I am working from home today with the gorg smell wafting upstairs tempting me.

Popcorn is the pumpkin & lentil stew the one from the recent series on TV?

Oh really, Imps? I was thinking of getting a veggie cookbook, if you recommend that one I might give it a whirl! He is annoying, but no more so than any of the rest! Can't stand Nigella tbh, she always seems half cut :o

Yes Sweetie, the stew recipe is off his TV show at the weekend - might still be on iplayer?

Are you veggie Popcorn? Tender isn't a veggie cookbook so may not be suitable for you if you are. There are quite a few veggie dishes in it, but many which aren't. Agreed re: Nigella - she seems to have become a parady of herself! That said, I have her Christmas series on DVD - nice to have on in the back ground as I'm wrapping presents and drinking mulled wine! (Not that there will be any mulled wine for me this year of course, what with baby on the way).

You can prob get the recipes from the current series on the BBC website...in fact I'll have a quick look now...

Ta daaa!!

"Parody"? "Parady"? I'm going to settle on "Parody".

Imps I ate egg and cress sandwiches daily for the first three months of my last pregnancy.

Had probably never had one before, or since.

They are very important for making lovely healthy babies, and a Definite Sign of pregnancy.

Imps no I'm not a veggie, but following the weekend's krispy kreme debacle I've decided to make a go of losing some weight, and veggie dishes are largely "free" on weightwatchers :)

Cheers for the link, I'll check out the rest of the series! I'd recommend mashing a few ladels of the stew rather than blending it - pumpkin has a lovely texture when it's mashed, it's like very soft grated carrot :d

Do you know what, I'm going to sound like a total idiot, but I'm going to say it anyway, on the basis that I am, actually, a total idiot...

I am totally having symptoms of upduffedness today. My gums bled badly this morning when I cleaned my teeth, I am exhausted, I have a hunger the size of a horse, I need an egg and cress sandwich, I have AF cramps. The only flaw in this otherwise perfect pregnancy is the fact that I am not pregnant

Seriously, Mother Nature can be a bigger cowbag than AF sometimes.

We had the Kate & Wills wedding pie without the pie bit. We had it as stew served in small yorkshire puddings. It was very nice winter hearty food. Not that keen on Jamie but his food is really nice.

Imps thanks for the link I had watched the TV show and thought it looked good at the time.

Oooh OH and I cut down hugely on meat last year - what a difference it made! We eat veggie a good 2-3 times a week now and it's made me feel a lot healthier, not to mention that we've saved a lot of money by not buying as much meat. OH still isn't convinced that he enjoys meat-free meals, but he does really!

That pie looks nice :d

This is another of my favourite veggie meals - surprisingly filling - though I use 2tsp pesto rather than a bucket of oil and herbs, and I often chop and fry a tomato so it's all salsa-ish: www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/grilled_aubergines_with_73271

What kind of veggie meals do you do, Imps? I need ideas :o
I was vegetarian for about 6 years, but I was a teen so was a) cooked for by my mum and b) lived largely off the unexciting side-vegetables my parents would have alongside their meat :o

Now I just have to cut down on my alcohol intake, sob

PS - you are so pg :o

Morning ladies,

I really hope so, looking forward to hearing from you later, DH & DD will be excited to have you back no doubt!

Bean I think you timed things perfectly, looking forward to your confirmation.

Imps I adore Nigel Slater recipes too and agree with you about watching him on tv. We are having a Jamie Oliver mushroom risotto for lunch today. We too have cut down on meat a lot these days as DH wants to trim down. Popcorn that pumpkin & lentil stew sounds good, will have to try that soon.

Still no sign of af for me, all just seems a little confusing but i'm still holding out until friday to test.

Loving the food frenzy. AND YES - I so agree that Nigel is awful on telly. So wooden and no charisma when he tries to meet the proletariat (copying, badly, Hugh F-W).

Remember ladies - eats lots of oily fish and greens. Your babies will be the bonniest ever.

Solars - this has to be your month. You sound so calm. Well done for holding out.

Have been for my weekly dose of acupuncture (you don't want to mistype that parts of that word, I can tell you). Mrs W is very sweet and tells me 40 is young, in a very loud voice,. So she must be right; I am bound to get pregnant if the egg and wriggler aren't already shaking hands as we write.

I'm making a sausage and barley casserole for you all thisarvo. (Don't worry - there's brownies for pudding...)

x

My boobs hurt :(

That would be because you're updiffed Popcorn

And you Imps

And you Solars

And the rest of you

You too Biscuits

Hi Popcorn - I think you are definitely popping a whopper of an egg and so are undoubtedly on a path to - and no brooking - a BFP.

My jugs hurt a bit too, and there's definitely something going on down below suggesting a right-hander egg, not the left. Apparently this is my strong side according to trad chinese medicine. So there we are then. You and I will be having twins.

Oh and I've been feeling mental this month (don't even ask DP how things have been) which can only mean lots of v useful if disconcerting hormones at work...

I am v confident of Biscuits' wisdom. And would like to set her on my GP practice. I'm sure she'd have a good aim and a bit of welly when it comes to throwing the rulebook at them, bump or no bump.

xxx

Oooh yes, let me at 'em Bean!

Although actually my aim when throwing is awful, but I'll have many goes - one of them is bound to hit! DS and I were throwing a sock to each other this morning (playing football according to him ) and I did have to comment that while he could catch like his Daddy (ie quite well) but threw like his Mummy (ie in the opposite direction to where I was....)

bean, you're 100% right - we're clearly laying mahoosive eggs that will be sperminated quickly and efficiently over the coming 7 days