Recipe - Stir-fry

This week we got back to one of our favourites - a good vegetable stir-fry.  

I love how healthy this meal makes me feel with all the veg in there but also it's great at this time of year as we pack in with ginger and garlic and it's a definite winter warmer.

We don't have a set recipe for this but here's what we included today - 

• three peppers
• a handful of mushrooms
• a head of broccoli
• a bunch of spring onions
• a can of cashew nuts
• ginger
• garlic
• soy sauce
• fish sauce
• lime juice
• oyster sauce
• honey
• spices

The wok is amazing but as it's hard to find gas hobs in Germany we had to invest in a camping stove to get the best effect.  It makes cooking so much faster and tastier!

Project Life - Front Page

I was soo ready to get cracking on this new Project Life album for 2014.  I stocked up on kits over Christmas and I love the new coral kit.  The colours are vibrant yet calming.

Each kit provides its own recommended first page and I really love using them as recommended.  This one worked especially well for me and this time I really personalised it with our name and the year - making my first use of stamps in the project.

I'm really looking forward to trying new things in this album - the break has done me good.

Yoga

Since the start of the year I have been back on the yoga mat, this time indulging in some Buddha Bellies pregnancy yoga.  So far I am still on the thirty minute beginners section but I am loving it.  It's soooo relaxing and I have been doing it every Sunday so far so that I don't feel lazy when we stay in because of the weather.

In February, I will no longer be teaching on an evening so I plan to do yoga twice a week - the thrity minute session on a Wednesday afternoon and the forty five minute intermediate part on a Sunday.  I hope it will also help to prepare me for labour but at the moment I am just enjoying the relaxation both in my muscles and my mind.

Thoughts on Winter...

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It's the little things...

Keeping to my goals hasn't always been easy for me but I think I'm pretty good at it.  This year I took a step back and decided to go easier on myself given that there is going to be a lot going on.

January has already been a really productive month and something occured to me that was affirmed by this article.  Sometimes it's the little things that get forgotten when we set these big smart goals.  This month, it occured to me to clear up my shoes from our landing.  It took about a minute to do and made a huge difference to me, to Nico and to the cleaning lady.  

It was something that niggled me every time I went out or came in.  I wear the same shoes every day at this time of year yet I had at least ten thrown there.  It was so easy to deal with but took me months to do.

As a result, I am going to start getting more of these things done.  Next up is my handbag.  It annoys the hell out of me every time I try to find something small in there.  It's also starting to fall to pieces so I am going to get another one out - and have a sort out.

The Notebook

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We were watching an episode of How I Met Your Mother a while ago and I was gobsmacked when Nico had to ask me what a Ryan Gosling storyline was all about.  I guess I should be relieved - it is clearly a woman thing after all.  I mentioned at the time that my all time favourite film is the Notebook which is also, I believe, the reason all women fall in love with Ryan Gosling.

While stocking up for our new blu-ray player, Nico 'accidently' ordered the German version of the film and we watched it this weekend.  It turned out that he had seen it before but I have to say, I watched it with totally different eyes as a married woman and, of course, cried my eyes out more than ever at the end.
     

I think it's the kind of story that has something for everyone - or for every woman at least.  I say story on purpose since I also read the book and as ever, the book is even better, although for once, there's not much in it.
     

If you haven't seen it, welcome back for wherever you have been locked away, go out and get it immediately.  *Warning!*  Women - You will fall in love with Ryan Gosling!  Men - You might do too...

The Saturday Update

It's been another productive week around here.  Although it slowed and cooled down towards the end...

I worked a little every day to get the quilted table runner finished.

I handed over my UK driving license (sniff, sniff,) and am eagerly waiting for my new German one.  I also drove the car more and am now completely fine with driving on the 'wrong side' of the car.

We had the report meetings at work so it is a nice quiet run down to the holidays next week now.  I had to take Friday off because I have had a few headaches and dizzy spells, walking into doors and things but I am already feeling much better.  I think it was a combination of pregnancy hormones, lack of sleep and the cold weather.

Speaking of the weather, the snow arrived here this week and the temperatures have really dropped.  It's still fun watching Pete make friends with the cold, white, wet stuff on the balcony but it has put us off driving anywhere at the moment.

Next week, I will be saying goodbye to three colleagues who are retiring, we get two days off for the semester change over (really looking forward to that long weekend) and it's my final evening class for a good while.