I guess I have babies on my mind. I wonder why. Oh yeah, maybe because I’ve got one sitting right over my bladder, waking me up at night with contractions that disappear just when I’m about to call Labor and Delivery and makes me, in general, look fat.

Today I am celebrating two days post due. I guess the universe, just to keep me on my toes (I believe I still have some of those, it’s just that I can’t seem to find them lately), deals me unexpected cards. Today I got a phone call on my personal cell at 8:30 AM. When my cell rings at 8:30 AM on a Saturday it usually means one of the following three options:

1. My mother
2. A wrong number, usually someone looking for George.
3. My mother

To my surprise, this time it wasn’t mommy or George’s girlfriend. It was, wait for it, the doctor that examined me two days earlier, when my baby decided to play statue. Apparently my little actress made such an impression, that the good doctor could not go on with her weekend without making sure the baby is OK. She urged us to please drive the necessary 84 kilometers to the hospital and repeat the non-stress test and ultrasound we had nearly failed on Thursday.

The husband and I looked at each other and sighed. Not exactly our preferred method of passing a Saturday morning but when a concerned doctor calls my residence on a weekend, I tend to answer. To our calculations, just several days before my scheduled induction, the doctor surely will not send us home empty handed. Fully intending to come back with baby in tow, we said goodbye to our kids, packed the car with snacks and a suitcase and sailed away, just to watch our little twerp dancing vigorously throughout the exam. We were promptly sent back home to wait.

Since the closest thing to a baby I can actually hold at the moment are the carrots in my fridge, here is my favorite recipe for baby carrots. It is easy, light and refreshing and makes a good side to any main dish.

Baby Carrots in Lemon and Garlic

Ingredients:

1 bag fresh baby carrots (about 500 gr or 1 lb)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dry dill weed
1 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Place carrots in a small pot and fill pot with fresh water, just to about cover the carrots. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for about 15 minutes, until carrots are crisp-tender.
2. Meanwhile, prepare sauce: combine lemon juice, oil, garlic and spices in a deep dish that will easily fit the carrots.
3. drain hot carrots and transfer into the sauce while hot. Gently mix or shake (if your container has a lid) until the carrots are well enveloped in the tasty sauce.
4. Refrigerate for a few hours (or let stand at room temperature if you plan to serve them promptly), letting the carrots absorb the sauce. Taste and correct the seasoning if necessary.
5. Reheat in the microwave before serving or serve at room temperature.