37 weeks...

I honestly can't believe how quickly this pregnancy has flown by, especially considering that it has been nothing like my first. With Alara, I worked, I could eat anything I wanted, I was in Turkey, i spoke a different language at the hospital and they weather was beautiful at towards the end.

With this pregnancy, I've been in Belgium, I have been a homemaker, I have gestational diabetes and am on a pretty strict diet (more on that later), I have a fabulous English doctor and the weather has been terrible.

I just got home from the hospital, where I learned that although things are going well, the baby is not coming anytime soon.

Part of me is happy, I would like to be able to wait until my parents are here, and I have everything ready (I still haven't washed a thing for this baby).

But there is a very big part of me that I ready to get on with our second baby, but more, I am done with the diabetes. It's really hard work!

The doctor suggested that I do some squats, that they might help get things moving along, so that is what I'll start doing now, my daily squats- good times!

I'll keep you all up to date on how things go, but nothing is likely to happen anytime soon...

Have a fabulous weekend....

Being thirty six and a half weeks pregnant, Seyfi has said there will be no more weekend road trips for the family. Apparently he doesn't want this baby to come on the side of the road, or worse in a different country.

Thankfully, the weather here in Belgium has not been the greatest, so all I really want to do is stay home, clean the house, cook, and maybe have some friends over for a football (soccer) match on Sunday night.

There are a few things that we may end up doing, if I decide to leave this cocoon. There are a few local christmas markets that I would like to see. One is a Dickens themed market in the local town of Soignes, which is also where my hospital is. I've heard that at his market, there is a toboggan hill and raclette (melted cheese served over potatoes or bread). yum.

The other market is at one of our most favourite hid always in Belgium, Parc Enghien. A manor house set on a beautiful piece of property that has a forest to rabble through, ponds to walk around and gorgeous gardens to envy, they too will be hosting their Christmas market today.

Or maybe I will suggest we head into Mons, hit up our favourite gluten free/ organic shop, get Seyfi organized for the week, and then head over to our favourite organic cafe, sit at the 'table communal' drink something organic and work on our French with some new friends.

Since it is 8:30 Saturday morning, and the sun is picking its nose out, the weekend is our oyster! So much that could be on the table, so much that we could just leave behind....

What will you be doing this weekend?
I hope you have a good one!

Has it been almost a year?

I can't believe that almost a year has past since I last wrote something, but I'm hoping to start over with a recap of what is up with each of us...

Alara- almost three and a half, working on her third language and getting ready to be a big sister. She is becoming an amazing little girl, so interested in the people in her life, trying so hard to be a big girl, absolutely hilarious at times, and sensitive at others. She is a fabulous little girl, I couldn't be happier to be her mom!

Seyfi- Belgium has been good for my celiac man, we have found some wonderful gluten free products, and it has made it easier for him to take care of his health. Busy with his job, my amazing husband has started working on his second masters, and at my encouraging, has joined a yoga class.

Me- well I am three weeks away from having our second little girl. This pregnancy has been completely different than the first, but still a positive. Belgium has also been treating me well, I've meet some of the most amazing friends here, joined a book club and a yoga class for the firtst time and feel really good with life.

Now that life is about to change again, I figure it is time to dust off the old blog, and get started again...

Bisquick Ultimate Chicken Fingers- Gluten Free

When I first moved to Turkey, the girl I lived with would go on and on about how much she missed biscuits and gravy. She would say that if she could just get her hands on some Bisquick, she would whip some up and show us. Unfortunately, there was no Bisquick, and therefore, cravings for biscuits and gravy went on until she left Turkey.

I actually have had many American friends over the years who have told me all about the many things that they have made from Bisquick, but to be honest, I had heard of Bisquick, but I had never seen it, let alone baked with it, because it isn't (or wasn't) available in Canada.

Here is Beligium, I again have met some Americans who rave about the wonders of Bisquick and what they make from it. In fact, the other day a friend of mine told me that she has a whole cookbook of Bisquick recipes that her mother in law gave her. She says she uses it all the time, and loves the product.

This made me wonder, so I was talking to another friend about this Bisquick world that I had no idea of, and told her that I had never heard of Bisquick, she said I was weird and that she would get me a box, but then I remind her that it didn't matter, we are a gluten free home, and bisquick had gluten in it, so she didn't have to bother. She left, but two days later she came over with something amazing- GLUTEN FREE BISQUICK!

I honestly didn't know what to make with it! I had no idea where to start, the box had some recipes on it, so I thought I would start there. I was making lunch for us, and thought that I would try the Ultimate Chicken Fingers recipe.

I prepared everything the way that Bisquick told me to, the only difference being that I didn't use chicken strips, rather I used, what I would call, chicken chunks.
I baked up the chicken, and let me tell you, it was amazing!! They were so great. We haven't had breaded chicken in over a year now, and this was a taste for sore tongues (sight for sore eyes...does that work? )

Here is the recipe-

3/4 cup Bisquick Gluten free mix
1/2 grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp salt
3 boneless chicken breast cut into strips (I used chunks)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 tbsp butter or margarine melted

Heat the oven to 230 degrees. Line cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.

Stir Bisquik, cheese, paprika and salt in shallow baking dish. Dip chicken in eggs and then in mixture and repeat. Place coated chicken on cookie sheet and drizzle with butter.

Bake 12- 14 minutes, turning after 6 minutes.

This recipe is super easy to do, and really yummy. Alara must have eaten about half the chicken. I am recommending gluten free Bisquick for all your coated chicken needs. I am so greatful to my friends for recommending and giving me this product! I am a lucky lady to have met them!

Now, I would love if you could suggest some other recipes or ideas for gluten free Bisquick!


**** Bisquick gluten free, has no idea who I am, they are not sponsering this blog post, however, if they would like to send me free products, or can tell me how I can get a hold of some more Gluten free bisquick when I am back in Turkey or if they would just like to get a hold of me- they are always more than welcome to!***

Life has been busy...

Boy, working at one job is a lot easier than being a housewife! And I am not a very good housewife at that!

I truly thought that once Alara started into her preschool, I would have so much time to myself, all alone at the house, keeping it clean, making delicious meals, and reading all sorts of wonderful books. I was wrong, apparently when you don't have your child with you, you find all sorts of new ways to fill your time!

I am taking a French class now. Learning on my own was not working for me, I met a great woman, and we are taking the class together. Through the class, my French is improving, and I have met many more great people. I have realized though that I am a may be a good teacher, but I am a terrible student! I am what you would call the class clown! Oh la la!

Alara is doing really well at preschool, picking up French herself, meeting children from all over Europe and North America, learning how to do crafts and sing songs. She is loving it! At home she is constantly talking and singing in both English and Turkish, playing and getting over her fear of 'scary' movies. We watched Tangled this weekend and she loved it! (I did too!)

Seyfi is also doing well, his French is amazing! His celiac seems to be under control, no more gluten at all for him (his choice). I think the turning point came at two moments, after reading Elizabeth Hasselback's G-free diet book and finding gluten free croissants that are actually delicious!

The weather here has been amazing! My vegetable garden is all dug out and the peas are sprouting! My flower garden is in bloom, the tulips and daffodils are finishing up, making room for the summer flowers, the lilac and jasmine trees are a bud and any day now we will be smelling their sweet scents! I'm very excited.

So today's post is just a very long overdue update, I am going to take the time to write more now that life is finally in some sort of routine!

The best chicken soup...

Seyfi is really into soup these days. I'm not sure if it is because he is coming home for lunch everyday, and a bowl of soup seems to hit the spot, or if it is because Belgium has the kind cold that goes right to your bones, and a bowl of soup warms up your soul, but he would like to have soup everyday, and I try to make sure he gets that. (Since I love him so much...)

At least once every week, I make a roast chicken. It is something that we all really love, and I always take the bones, add in a few more things and make a really lovely stock from them. Usually, I am adding in a carrot, an onion, some garlic, herbs and salt and pepper. This base really makes for the best soups.

However, lately we have been getting a bit bored of our roast chicken dinners, so I decided to glaze the chicken with a barbecue sauce (that I had made), mixed in with a bit more brown sugar and then watered down abit with some apple juice. I brushed my glaze on the chicken every ten minutes while it was in the oven, and the end result was a really lovely tasting chicken.

Now, I was not about to go without making my stock for my soups for the week, so I took the barbecue sauce bones and made my stock from that, but this time only adding some salt and pepper. The end result... a delicious, sweet, dark stock.

What I will share with you today is my recipe for the barbecue glaze and the ingredients that I added to the stock...

Barbecue Glaze

1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
8 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey mustard
1 tablespoon soya sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Bring to a bowl. Turn down and simmer for at least half an hour. If it seems too thick for glazing, add some more apple juice.
Brush on chicken every ten minutes while it is roasting.

Best Chicken Soup

1 carrot
1 leek
1 cup of cauliflower
1 celery stalk
1 tablespoon olive oil

Finely chop the vegetables and saute them in a stock pot in the olive oil.

6 cups of chicken stock (I use my barbecue glazed stock, but any stock is fine.)

Add to the sauteed vegetables, and bring to a boil.

1/2 cup green lentils

Add to the boiling stock, and let the soup simmer for at least 45 minutes.

1 cup soup noodles (I used some gluten free ones that I had made)

Add to the soup ten minutes before you want to serve it. Enjoy!



This soup really did turn out surprisingly delicious. I served it to a friend who also said it was wonderful, but the toughest critic of all, Alara ate two bowls of it so it must have been really good!

Holidays at home...

I'm sorry that I haven't been writing for so long, I'd like to say that it is because I have been so busy, but really I haven't been all that busy.

Over Christmas and New Years, Seyfi was off, so we had that opportunity to do some traveling. However, between all the snow, and how ill all of us got, we didn't get too far at all.

One thing that we did to was visit all of our neighbours at Christmas. This was a real highlight for us. It was very nice to be able to go to everyone and visit, and get to know the lovely people who live around us. What was even nicer was when they came to visit us as well. We had decided to live in a little community like this so that we could meet the people around us, to learn about Belgium from Belgians, and it seems that we are on the road to doing this.

We were also invited to our landlord's home to celebrate the Epiphany, or Three Kings on the sixth of January. We sat with them and ate Frangipane (an almond pie) and drank Champagne (with a blackberry syrup for the ladies). One of the fun things about the night was that there was a statue of the king hidden in the pie, and while we were eating, who ever found the statue was the king of the night. Guess who was the king- my lucky husband! He spent the rest of the evening wearing a crown!

I guess that we did have a quiet holiday, but I wouldn't have changed it for the world. We could have gone anywhere, but by staying home, we learned so much more about the country we are living in, and the people who live here.