Sleepy milly and daddy
For the past few weeks big J has had real trouble sleeping.
He has never slept well, when we first met we used to stay up to the early hours talking, he’d joke that he’d sleep when he was dead! But that was ahum…some time ago now and we never really see past eleven on a week night these days. I actually often hobble up exhausted by nine! But still you get the picture, what with work and kids and life his insomnia seemed to be a thing of the past.
Up until a few weeks ago that is, when he just stoped being able to sleep. It started off being 2 before he got off, then 4 and now its often six!
I just don’t get it, I can sleep anywhere anytime, and sometimes do! I remember droping off on a train once, waking up in a cold sweet realising my stop was two stops ago! I can not be trusted not to sleep on moving objects, planes trains and auto mobiles are just so sleep cosy in my opinion. I have never tried but I think I may be able to doze off on a roller coaster if the mood took me!
Anyway it has caused some friction as Big J scowls at me at the mere mention of a hot bath or mug of cocoa, “more than that is needed” he says.
We have tried all the usual, nytol, relaxing music, even some herbal remedy mixed specially for him, it stank so no go from the start there. Big J said he will not put anything in his mouth that smells so much like cat pee without knowing wether it is “actually” cat pee!… it was kind of yellowy brown in his defence, but I think after a week of no sleep I would take the cat pee!
So all modern medicine and herbal alternatives tried and failed, I decided on a different approach. I was going to cook him to sleep…strange?…well no…just think how lovely and sleepy you get after giant Christmas dinner….or a sunday roast. Think lying on the sofa, Only fools and horses Christmas special circa 1989 on low in the background and nothing to do but snuggle up and drift softly to sleep…ahh….I am droping off just thinking about.
I didnt tell him my plans. I just started cooking some carb heavy-stomach expanding- sleep inducing food!
Monday we had home made chicken pie, mash potatoes and a lovely pineapple upside down cake with custard for pud. and he slept!
Tuesday we had beef stew and herby dumplings with apple pie for pud….and again he sleeps!
Wednesday was morocan lamb with piles of lemony couscous…and you guessed it he sleeps!
Since then we have cut out the puds a bit for fear of extreme obesity but mostly he has slept! hopefully the spell has been broken. I do think its a vicious circle sometimes, the less sleep you get, the less you can sleep!
Only problem now is its 2.50 am and I am still awake!!! But its not Big j keeping me up its Milly. She is teething and sleep is out the window, so is insomnia catching?… apparently so!
If you find yourself a little sleep deprived try these Snooze Inducing Recipes:
A little Yawn…
Beef Stew And Herby Dumplings
Yummy Beef Stew and Herby Dumplings
Serves 4
Ingredients
600g chuck steak, cut into 4cm pieces, leave all the fat on
4 tbsp olive oil
2-3 tbsp plain flour
1heaped tbsp tomato puree
2 beef stock cubes, crumbled
3 tbsp Worcester sauce
1 teaspoon of mint sauce (strange but true!)
roughly 1 pint of boiling water
1 teespoon of dried thyme
2 tsp sugar
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and roughly cubed
salt and black pepper
For the dumplings
4oz self raising flour
really good pinch of salt
2oz beef or vegetable suet
1 teaspoon of mixed dried herbs
a little cold water
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C, Gas 3.
2. Using kitchen paper pat the meat dry then heat the 4tbsp of oil in a deep casserole dish or ovenproof pan.
3. Next add the meat and cook until nicely browned all over.
4. Sprinkle on the flour and stir in well, let the flour catch slightly, this helps to give the stew a nice colour and flavour.
5. Then add the tomato puree, stock cubes, Worcester sauce, water, thyme, sugar and mint sauce.
6. Add the onion, carrot and really mix well.
7. Season well with salt and pepper and bring to a gentle simmer, cover with a tight fitting lid and place in the pre heated oven and cook for 1½ hours, nice and gently.
8. After 1½ hours make the dumplings, by placing the flour, salt, suet, mixed herbs and water in a bowl.
9. Mix well and add enough cold water to form a soft dough.
10. Break off around 6 pieces and place them on top of the stew.
11. Return the oven uncovered and cook for a further 35 minutes, or until the dumplings are nicely browned and crunchy.
12. Serve with colcannon for an lovely winter warming treat!
A bigger yawn….
Colcannon
Colcannon or Sleepy Mash!
Serves 4
Ingredients
1lb of potatoes, peeled and chopped
240 ml of full fat milk
salt and peper
60g of butter (or just a really good sized dollop, remember sleep inducing food is not about cutting calories, shame!)
4 spring onions
2-3 cloves of garlic
200g of spring greens, shredded (I buy ready prepared from sainsbo’s)
1)Put the potatoes in a pan of cold water and bring to boil. Cover and cook for around 15 mins or until soft.
2) Drain and mash with butter, milk and salt and pepper.
3) meanwhile in a wok or large frying pan, heat about a tablespoon of butter, add spring onions and garlic and sauté for a couple of mins.
4) Throw in your greens and then stir fry for about another 5 mins, season with a little salt and pepper.
5) Stir the greens mixture into mash and serve.
And Goodnight! ZZZzzzzzz…..
Spiced Hot Chocolate
serves 2
Ingredients
500ml of full fat milk
2 whole star anice
2 cinnamon sticks
3 good teaspoons of caster sugar ( I use unrefined)
3 teaspoons of cocoa powder sifted (green and blacks is a really good one)
1) Put 450ml of the milk, the star anice and the cinnamon stick in a sauce pan and bring to boil gently.
2) Meanwhile devide the sugar, cocoa powder and left over milk between two nice mugs (icklebabe ones of coarse!)
and mix well with teaspoon.
3) Remove star anise and cinnamon sticks from milk pan and pour into large cafeteria. Pull the plunger up and down for about 20 secs to froth up the milk.
4) Pour into the two mugs stirring continuously. Using a spoon, top with any remaining froth and if your feeling fancy sift a little cocoa power over the top.
Mash potaote has been found to be soporific, so may aid sleep!! I too am an insomnia sufferer and have tried everything going, I really have including acupuncture, reflexology, herbal, meditations, lumie body clock.
I am currently on a low dose of anti psychotic tabs (the side effect of them is that they help you sleep). I get into cyles and the clocks changing mucked me up big style. Hope things improve
sounds awful… hope you get rested soon! in the mean time while i cant sleep at least i will have someone to talk to on twitter! ;D xxx
That colcannon looks lush! I blumming love mash…..shame it doesn’t help me sleep sob sob sob.
Glad you found a solution to help your OH. Insomnia is horribly draining.
Really hope you find your solution too! Maybe someday you can change your name to sleeping beauty!
The beef stew with dumplings looks delicious. Thanks for posting the recipe.
this is awesome hehe