Feelgood Food

Isadora & Lady P: Eating the cardigan

Tuesday, April 30th, 2013

Guest blog: Isadora Watts is a London -based writer and consultant. Her first baby, Lady P, was born in February. See her blog about her transatlantic adventures here. Isadora is guest blogging for our Feelgood Motherhood blog as she navigates new motherhood. Let us know what you think about Isadora’s posts on our Twitter feed or follow her on Twitter here.

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‘Why is the baby eating your cardigan?’ 5 year old niece asked.

I could see why she was confused. To the untrained observer it did look a bit like Lady P was eating my cardigan. In fact she was breastfeeding, through a gap between my vest and my cardy.

It strikes me that the ideal breastfeeding top might just be one that it looks as if the baby is eating. Yes, we do have the right to breastfeed wherever we like, unembarrassed. But there are political ideals, and personal preferences. And my personal preference is not to expose my enormous boobs to all and sundry. I’d also prefer to keep my softer-than-it-used-to-be belly to myself for a while longer. So I’ll all about cunning layers and discreet access.

This does not necessarily mean special breastfeeding tops, although a ‘nursing bra’ is an absolute must. I have a couple of breastfeeding vests I wear under regular, civilian tops and jumpers: the vest allows me to lift up my top to feed without exposing my tummy. Otherwise I wear a nursing bra underneath a shirt I can unbutton, or a top of which I can pull the neckline down (again, keeping my belly safely under wraps). Oversized boyfriend shirts and sloppy joe off-the-shoulder t-shirts are working overtime.

Best of all though are tops and dresses designed just for breastfeeding. They have the most cunning and discreet access of all, with no need for elaborate layers. I have worn my Babes with Babies Stella dress an awful lot.

The bubble hem disguises my tummy and the breastfeeding access is ingeniously discreet.

We love the bubble hem style

The Victoria top is similarly clever, and is long enough to wear over leggings and provide a nice smooth line over parts of me that are less than firm.

Fabulous tummy hiding top!

What’s your approach to breastfeeding in front of others? Do you don a scarf to hide the whole operation, or are you comfortable getting your Bristols out wherever you are?

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Posted in After giving birth, Breastfeeding, Feelgood Food, Looking good, Looking good, New Mum Style, Style Thoughts, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Rice pudding rocks

Saturday, November 27th, 2010

Today it is snowy outside. It looks beautiful but it is absolutely perishingly cold. We’ve had a fantastic day though, dressing ourselves up in MichelinMan-style layers and going out sledging as a family. The result is that we have rosy cheeks and a healthy appetite. So I feel the need for a proper pudding today.

Rice pudding is a dish which I had never cooked myself until recently when my mother reminded me that it had been one of my favourite puds when little. Here’s her simple recipe which is classic feelgood fare for a winter weekend. It’s ridiculously easy to make. This recipe is technically low-fat (although with plenty of sugar) but you could pop in some evaporated milk for a bit more creaminess and a retro feel.

I’m popping it in the oven while I bathe my girls and put them to bed and then it’ll be ready for supper for my other half and me. I’ve made enough for my daughters tomorrow as well (the sugar in it makes it not suitable for tiny ones).

It’s not the world’s most aesthetically beautiful pud but teamed with some gorgeous stewed fruit or a good jam it’s awesomely ‘feelgood’ food.

Great for a pregnant or new mum needing sustenance. And ideal for a busy (or like me, slightly lazy) mum who wants nice food with minimal effort.

The Recipe. Time 10 mins prep, 2 hours to cook . Difficulty level: Easy as pie.

Ingredients (serves 4):

100g pudding rice

50g sugar – make it 75g if you have a sweet tooth.

700ml semi-skimmed milk (substitute some for evaporated milk if you feel indulgent).

Choose one or all of these for taste: A little nutmeg, something vanilla’y (a pod or 3 drops of essence), a smidgeon of lemon zest. If it’s for grown-ups only you could add a bit more lemon zest for a lovely lemony pudding taste.

To make:

Heat your oven to 150 degrees. Pop some butter onto a good Le Crueset or equivalent baking dish (about 850ml). I like to cook it covered for the first hour and then uncover as the browned bit on top is delish. Wash and drain the rice and put into the dish with the sugar and milk. Give it a bit of a stir and in a maybe a vanilla pod or drop of essence. It’s great with a small amount of lemon zest too. Sprinkle with a little nutmeg on top.

Cook for 2 hours. Eat with jam or compote – ideal in front of a roaring fire.

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PS And we’ve just seen this rather lovely Nicaraguan version with cinnamon and condensed milk posted on the brilliant Bitchbuzz. That looks seriously gorgeous.

Tags: easy rice pudding recipe, feelgood food., food for pregnancy
Posted in Feelgood Food, Feelgood Food Ideas, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »