French onion soup dip- no mix!

I know I have mentioned before how we have some great groups of friends here in Belgium, and today I am going to talk about some more…

There is another couple of Turks here who are about the same age as us, and are expecting their first baby. We have been come very good friends with them, although I will confess that when we are together, I don’t feel as ‘cool’ as them!

That’s another story…

One of the things we like doing with each other is just coming together to watch movies in the evening. Last week we watched Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, very good. Last night we watched the new version of True Grit, not my favorite.

Whoever’s house we are at, they put out a little spread of snacks (the usual suspects of cheese and crackers, chips, olives etc.).

Last night they came over to us, I was craving veggies and dip, (and chips and dip). I absolutely love French onion soup dip. Previously, I made it with soup mixes, but last night I didn’t have any mixes, and really doesn’t everything taste better from scratch anyway?

This dip sure does, my friend and I ate the whole bowl (luckily I made lots, and had kept another bowl in the fridge to be eaten today!)

Well here is the recipe, just in time for new years…

French Onion Soup Dip

3 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped (I used a food processor)
1 cup fresh cheese
1 cup plain yoghurt (I use this amazingly cream Turkish yoghurt)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper

In a frying pan, caramelize the onions in the oil until they are a bit crispy. It takes a bit of time. Remove from heat, and allow to cool.

In a bowl, mix together the cheese and yoghurt, add the cooled onions and the salt, pepper and thyme.

Let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so that the flavours can all come together.

Serve with veggies, chips or a spoon!

38 weeks….

Well, here I am on the other side of Christmas, still pregnant, but feeling great. My belly is huge, and hard (basically it looks like I ate a basketball).

Life is pretty much as usual here in pregnant Belgium. I am still out and about with Alara and Seyfi, walking daily, doing yoga, cooking, cleaning, visiting friends, even the occasional driving.

I’m sure you are wondering why I am still carrying on, and not just relaxing. There are two main reasons:

1~ I’m trying to help the baby along in the ‘dropping’ department. I read that the more I move around, the more the baby is likely to find the ‘right way out’… When I was at the hospital for my monitoring last week the midwife told me that I was having contractions, but the I was closed up tight, and I would like to change this situation.

2~ With the gestational diabetes, the more I move around, the better, the more I can eat. With the holidays, I have been wanting to eat a lot more treats, so I am trying to find a balance between activity and good food!

Part of me has no idea why I am trying to move the process along, my parents don’t get here until next Sunday. I only sort of have things organized for the first days after the baby comes, if it comes early, and more importantly I still haven’t packed my hospital bag.

Today I am doing the laundry so that I can put some clean things I to a bag to take with me, but to be honest, I’m not really sure what I am going to need for the three to four days that I will be at the hospital. Pjs, toothbrush check- but do I need jeans? What about a pillow? Snacks? I need to get this sorted out.

The baby’s things are packed, so I guess I just need to get a bag packed for myself, something together for Alara if we need to drop her off with friends, and Seyfi will need something, especially if I do get to have my water birth, he will need something for a ‘wet’ situation.

Well, 38 weeks, it isn’t quite the end, but coming close… I’m not going to start panicking yet…

Have a fabulous weekend

I can’t believe that it is Christmas eve!

Since I’ve been having weird contraction pains for the past few days, our weekend/christmas will be quite relaxed. I think it’ll involve last minute grocery shopping today and watching Christmas movies this afternoon. I was planning on making a lasagna for dinner tonight… We’ll see how that goes.

On Christmas day, we have been very lucky to have been invited to friends’ for Christmas dinner. They are a great couple, the wife is Turkish (and due the day before me) and the husband is British. He is preparing the feast, and has told us not to bring anything! I’m very excited.

Also, the Downton Abbey Christmas special will be on tomorrow night! That is the best christmas present of all! Well a bit of snow would be nice as well…

Alara is over the moon with thoughts of Santa Claus coming to the house. For a kid who has asked for next to nothing, she sure does want him to come!

I guess I should get out of bed, and get the weekend started.
Hope you all have a fabulous weekend,
And a merry Christmas!