Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding

 Today is our Church Midwinter Christmas Dinner.  What is a midwinter Christmas Dinner?  Well in the southern hemisphere our Christmases are in the middle of summer and of course a lot of the books/tv shows/ movies etc produce from the northern hemisphere show beautiful winter Christmases.  So we don't miss out on the winter celebrations it's rather common for people to have a mid winter Christmas celebration.  It's also another reason to get together, socialise and eat yummy food.

As I'm a member of our church life committee I put my hand up to cook part of the meal.  I did have to fight for this right as being heavily pregnant I have the perfect excuse not to help out.  But to be brutally honest I wanted to ensure there was something yummy that myself and my fussy kids would eat so I put my hand up to do one of the desserts and managed to convince them that I could easily make enough Chocolate Fudge Self Saucing Pudding for 50 people.

50 people?!?! That might sound like a lot of hard work, and a lot of puddings.  Typically one of these desserts are gone in one sitting with my family (once you go back for seconds when the kids are in bed) but why would I add that much stress to my day if I knew I couldn't do it.

I had to explain/convince the rest of the committee that I could make it all in one go in one, maybe two slow cookers.  I put it all together in the morning, turn it on and leave it.  Come evening there is a yummy pudding that just needs serving up.  I do think that most of the committee had never heard of cooking anything other than soup or casserole/stews in a slow cooker before but luckily there was one other lady in the committee that backed me up.

So this morning using the cake mixer I quickly made up the batter for each cooker, I quadrupled (times 4) the recipe for each one.  I did question myself on if I needed to quadruple the sauce quantities and since I hadn't made this recipe any larger than doubled I decided not to alter anything and quadrupled the sauce as well.  It took me just over an hour from getting out of bed to turning the dishwasher on after wards.

Turns out the two cookers were slightly different in size and one did boil over a little, apart from a dirty table cloth underneath there were no real dramas from this happening.

What was the verdict??  YUM! I saw a lot of people going back for seconds and even had several requests for the recipe, and in case you want the recipe here it is.

Slow Cooker Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding Ingredients 100 grams butter, melted ½ cup milk 1 egg 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoons cocoa ½ cup white sugar Sauce 2 tablespoons cocoa 1 cup brown sugar 2 cups boiling water Method            In a mixing bowl, combine butter, milk and egg.            In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder and cocoa together then mix in sugar.            Add the dry ingredients and wet ingredients together and mix well.            Grease slow cooker bowl then pour in the batter.            Combine the cocoa and brown sugar for the sauce and sprinkle cover the top of the batter.            Carefully pour boiling water over the mixture.            Cover and cook on high for 3 ½ hours or on low for 5-6 hours.

Xmasorb by aka Jens Rost, on Flickr

Planning a home birth

In case you haven't figured it our yet - I'm pregnant.

Very pregnant.  I don't like to share how far along I am, and had managed to keep it a secret for most of this pregnancy, now that I'm nearing the end, my EDD seems to keep slipping out of my mouth (or fingers when typing)
Lets just say it could happen sooner rather than later.

But it could also be over a month until I meet this bubs.  Rocket Boy and Ladybug were both born 1-2 weeks before my due date so we're expecting another early one but that doesn't mean it will actually happen.

Rocket Boy was born via an 'emergency' c-section.  Heine sight means we know it wasn't really an emergency and the reasons they used to justify him being in distressed and therefore making it an emergency were weak and not backed up with real evidence. While I'm still unhappy about my first birth experience I don't dwell on it as you can not change your pass, but you can use it for your future.

Ladybug was born at home in water.  Her birth was as different to Rocket Boys as it can be. It was also fast, VERY FAST.  From waking up in labour to holding Ladybug in my arms was only 1 hour 10 mins.  It happened so fast my midwife hadn't even arrived yet. While there was a lot of shouting and some panic I wouldn't change Ladybugs birth for anything in the world.

Now that baby number 3 is more than on it's way we need to get organised and ready for another home birth, hopefully in water again.  We're almost ready, I think we only need one more thing - a disposable liner for the birthing pool.  But I know if I went into labour right now we'll be ok.

You can not have a home birth until you are officially 'term' which for most midwifes is 37 weeks. (although some may let you at 36 weeks) If you go into labour prior to this you will have to go to a hospital.  I believe birthing at home is safer than birthing in the hospital.  BUT home birth isn't for everyone, for both medical and personal reasons.  Being at home while I labour and birth my baby is what I need, I do not force my beliefs on anyone else.

The top reasons why I choose to home birth are:

• I am not sick, and hospital is for our sick and injured
• Your risk of intervention are lower - such as an assisted delivery or c-section 
• I don't have to go anywhere while I'm in labour
• I am more comfortable and relaxed in my own home
• My children can be part of the birth experience. I love that Rocket Boy got to witness the birth of his sister and was the one to announce that he had a sister (not a brother)
• You can choose where you birth.  In the lounge, bedroom, bathroom, where ever you want, rather than the one room provided by the hospital or birthing center at the time. (I know most hospitals and birthing centers have more than one room but it's not like you can change room half way through your labour just because you want to)
• You can eat and drink anything you want, and have easy access to anything in your kitchen
• My husband is more involved and with me every step of the way
• When all is done you can curl up in your own bed with your beautiful new baby
• The hospital is only down the road and if I need to transfer I can quickly and safely

Home birthing is safe, your midwife carries everything with her that may be found in a birthing centre. There are always 2 midwifes at each birth so if the worse did happy there is someone for both mother and baby at all times. Again it is not for everyone but it is for me. 

In preparing here is the list of items for my midwife that you should have on hand for the birth. As you can see most of it is stuff you'll already have in your home or would be buying for a hospital or birth center birth anyway. 

• Birth mat (will post on ours later)
• 2 rubbish bags
• Bucket
• Old towels - approx 6
• Rubber gloves
• Nightdress and underpants in an accessiable place
• 2 packets or sanitary pads - regualr/super
• 1 wet, frozen sanitary pad
• Container for placenta eg. ice-crem container
• Hot water bottle
• Some form of heating
• Food to eat in labour (for yourself and support people)
• Water/fruit drink for labour
• Ice/iceblocks
• Panadol tablets

So not much really, the one things I've needed to go out and buy is a tarp for our birth mat, and a couple of buckets as I don't want to use the ones we already have (they'll require a deep clean and I'm too lazy)  We also bough a thermometer for the birthing pool which is normally supplied with the birth pool but we wanted one for the bath once bubs is here anyway. 

So we're ready and just waiting for bubs to decide when it's time to arrive.  Hopefully not this weekend, but also if I had any say in the matter (not that I do) sooner rather than later please.

It's official!

Rocket Boys Certificate of Exemption (from enrollment at a registered school) arrived in our mail box today.

Looking back I was worried and stressed rather heavily on the lead up to writing the application which I never really needed to do.  It turned out to be very simple and easy in the end.  I don't know if I was just one of the lucky ones or if things are improving at the Ministry of Education as the noise within the home school groups both online and in person are very negative.

Now I can cross this off my to do list and get working onto everything else as the deadline of baby arriving is imminent and also unknown.