recipe monday

As soon as it gets cold I feel the need for sauce...proper sauce, no packet stuff mind.
I use roux as a thickening agent and I find it really useful to make a batch once a week ensuring I always have enough on hand.
Equal amounts of butter and flour melted together, mixed until paste and stored in a teacup in the fridge.
For the perfect white sauce I use a base of half cream, half stock, bring it up to the simmer and add a tbsp of the roux. Whisk! If it doesn't thicken up after a minute or so add another spoonful of the roux. Whisk! Season once it's the consistency you prefer then add your cheese, parsley etc etc etc.


The chicken pie below was an easy peasy dinner last night.

Halve a big carrot, onion and celery stick into a stockpot, add some herbs, a medium/large chicken and a litre of stock and bake in a 190 oven for about an hour and a half, or until the chicken is done.

Drain the chicken and leave to cool. Remove all the veggies from the stock and skim the fat before reducing it by about a quarter, test the seasoning. Add about 200ml of cream and a tbsp of the roux, whisk! Add enough roux until the sauce thickens up and put to one side.

Pull apart the chicken discarding the skin and bones and chop the meat into a pie dish. I love to throw in a heap of gently fried mushrooms and bacon bits with a couple of handfuls of frozen peas too. Then pour over the sauce, sprinkle with chopped parsley and thyme, top with a square of ready rolled flaky pastry (poke a hole in the middle of the lid first though) and bake at 200 for 30 minutes.

I serve this with hot chunky chips and tomato sauce.

Ta Daa!!

tagalicious, baby!

Sorry about the title, Ricky Gervais in 'The Office Christmas Special' got me thoroughly over excited!

So the delightful Serenata over at The Balancing Kiwi just tagged me with '6 unimportant things that I love'...so here goes,

1) Pretending I'm a wine buff.



I do a bit of work for an Australian winemaker from time to time and although I've always loved the stuff I've never been a connoisseur. I'm still not really, but I do get to attend some wine tasting events and I absolutely love doing the loud, slurpy, sucking noise that comes just before the spit.

2) Collecting shells.



When I go to the beach I bring home a shell. I have a huge jar by the door which is filled with my seaside treasures and it is regularly plundered for projects. Right now, it's a shell curtain.

3) The last clap.



This is a little embarrassing but there is something that I truly love doing. Being the last person to clap at a public event where there is an audience and applause. Strange but true.

4) Finding a bargain.



I get so much joy from op shops, garage sales, etc. However, what really floats my boat is when I nab something wonderful for a fraction of its retail value.

5) Accents.



I love pretending to be Welsh. Actually, I am Welsh by blood but I was brought up in the South of England and have a very nondescript, monotonous sort of a voice so nothing makes me happier than a day of lilting loveliness. It drives my family mad but it is so much fun!

6) Snogging.



Need I say more?

All images courtesy of Google.

i'm loving this book!

The blue and white check blanket on the bed has been replaced by an extra duvet...it is SO COLD!
I've found an even better use for it though, 'Homemade' cushions.
Such a gorgeous book, I've been inspired all over again. My next project is the hot water bottle covers made with remnants of the blanket and some fluffy white fleece.


I'll post a better photo tomorrow...I think they need their close up in the sunshine.

curry and the all blacks

Friends have just moved into a gorgeous house...with a media room. That's real estate speak for a home cinema, however you describe it though, it is AWESOME! When I win the lottery I'm getting one too, until then I'm squatting.
So Saturday night was all about the Rugby and Thai Red Chicken Curry (easy version).


This recipe serves 4.
400g sliced skinless chicken breast
2 cups of veggies cut into strip, I used carrot, courgette and red pepper in this one.
1 tin of Carnation light and creamy evaporated milk. If you use a full fat one you'll probably have to add some water.
1 tbsp Thai Red Curry paste (that's kiddie hot)
1 tbsp cornflour
2 tsp oil
chopped fresh coriander

Heat up the oil in a frying pan or wok.
Cook the chicken for 3 minutes and then stir in the curry paste.
Stir the cornflour into the tin of milk and then pour it into the pan and add the veggies.
Bring to the boil, stir, stir, stir.
Simmer for a minute or two.
Scatter over the coriander before you serve it up with steamed rice and roti.

The picture was taken when I had leftovers for lunch the next day so it's gone a bit gloopy. Alf reckons it looks a lot like cat sick but don't be put off, it is delicious!

don't drink at lunchtime...

...otherwise you may make a complete fool of yourself!
My story starts a couple of weeks ago when I was driving past a bus stop and I saw someone I recognized. All good so far, however the person in question was a checkout lady at my local supermarket and I don't actually know her I just know her face. I hope this makes sense so far...after today's events I am seriously questioning my sanity.
So, I see a face I recognize, I'm about to toot and wave when I realise I don't actually know this woman at all...still with me?
Today I'm queuing in the supermarket when I realise I'm in THE checkout lady's line and she's smiling at me. Now, usually I would just quietly acknowledge the smile and go back to speed reading the rubbish magazines, today though I'd had a lunchtime tipple and my garrulous side was just itching to make itself known.
"Hi", I grinned, "I nearly tooted and waved at you the other day"
"What?"
"I nearly tooted and waved because I saw you walking and thought I knew you"
"What?"
"You were walking past the bus stop and I saw you and nearly tooted and waved because I thought I knew you, obviously I don't, it's just that I see you at the supermarket checkout, which made me want to toot" I petered out.


She stared at me in silence.
"When was this then?"
Hurrah, I thought, I'm not speaking in tongues, she does understand,
"I'm not sure of the exact day", I reply, "It was one morning last week."


Now in a perfect world she would have calmly beeped my produce through, keeping all thoughts of 'Looney!" to herself, however I don't seem to have access to that perfect world, so she stood and glowered for a while before saying,
"What day?"
"Like I said, I'm not sure"
"Was it Tuesday?"
"Maybe"
"Not me then, I work on Tuesdays"
I'll stop here...it got worse, I'm positive the woman behind me sniggered, but I'm starting to glow radioactive red all over again.

Looks like I'll be shopping elsewhere, for a little while anyway!

monday recipe #3

Not the sort of recipe I'd normally be jotting down but this is one I'll remember as being rather spectacular;

A Korean Birthday Feast.
Take one Eric the exchange student, add a smattering of friends, a beach and a new bat and baseball.
Whip into a heated frenzy before blanching in an ice cold sea.
Add a large ice cream cake right at the end for added sugar rush, then collapse like a souffle.

Delicious!

check out this link....please!

This is hysterical, enjoy!

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Home-living/Laundry/Washing-machines/Top-loader-6kg-under/auction-223309871.htm

i feel the need for a bit of a tidy up...

Watching: Bagdad Cafe. This is one of my all time great films. I can't fault the music, the cinematography, the actors...all wonderful! It's quite hard to get hold of, in NZ anyway. Lil had my copy shipped in from Miami (got to love Mothers Day), if you can find it, give it a whizz. You won't be disappointed.

Reading: Eat, Pray, Love. It really wasn't what I expected but once the initial disappointment waned (about halfway through 'eat') I enjoyed it. A lot of contemplating the naval which isn't always a bad thing, it certainly left me in the mood for reflection. Not sure it lives up to the hype, but then what does?

Eating: Cake. I'm happy to report the love of home baking seems to be hereditary. Lily made a delicious coffee and hazelnut sponge for her Grandma's birthday. Luckily, my personal trainer had the night off so a guiltless second slice was enjoyably gobbled.

matchstick surfers, me and a lion...

"Didn't we have a lovely time,

The day we went to Piha"

If Lowry had painted surfers, wouldn't they have looked just like this?

monday recipe 2

"Be careful what you wish for", is the moral of this story. I mention the need for a party invitation and three turned up quick split! This of course is reason to celebrate...the problem arose because I had to find the iron. I loath ironing, I put it on a par with bikini waxes and participation in the mothers' race at Sports Day.
We lived on the Isle of Wight for a time and I remember a mother whose place, in the small village hierarchy, was marked by her seemingly untouchable ability to take 'the gold' every year. Known as Quick Nic (all year round), she would start warming up during the 4x4 relays before stripping down to lycra shorts and a muscle vest. Perhaps this was tactical, it certainly intimidated the hell out of me; I'd be almost hyper-ventilating before the starter called 'GO!'
Anyway, I digress...party clothes ironed, dancing shoes polished, champagne sipped, a couple of very enjoyable evenings complete with delicious meals and a cinematic girls night out.
I'm back now though, crumpled and wrinkly and I've hidden the iron.

Nearly forgot the recipe!

Unfortunately, I didn't take the camera so you'll just have to imagine the end result, sorry.

Broadbean and Lemon slurry.
I enjoyed this with Tarragon basted chicken and herb gnocchi at a lovely restaurant last week. Luckily, we were accompanied by a chef who was able to tell me how to make this superb side dish at home.
So easy, cook the beans as you usually would, remembering to shuck them from their little grey jackets.
Then gently crush them adding a slug of virgin olive oil, freshly sqeezed lemon juice and a little of the zest and season generously.
Gorgeous!

I thought I'd photograph my favourite breakfast instead...you can't beat a poached egg, toasted muffin, Daddie's sauce combo.

a happy widow twankee

Check out my super stylish washing line...I KNOW!
A Ben Sherman duster coat with a sea shell pink lining and a beautiful silk skirt detailed with handmade lace, all picked up for a veritable song (or $65 if you'd prefer me not to sing).


Happiness is... a newly discovered pre-loved clothes store (that's Kiwi for secondhand...far nicer don't you think?), especially when it's called Princess Nicola's and the staff are wonderfully friendly. That's what I call retail therapy.

Now all I need is a decent iron, a party invitation and I'm hot to trot...

i quite fancy making monday a recipe day..

I know I'm sort of locking myself in here, surely though, even an avid procrastinator can commit to one recipe a week?

Hmmm, we'll see...

Brown Rice Fruit Porridge, a recipe found (and then fiddled with) in one of my mothers trashy supermarket magazines. Please note, I refuse to buy one of the aforementioned magazines myself; I just find the trainee checkout child with the longest queue and speed read.

According to the recipe you can make the rice from scratch by combining 1 cup of brown rice and another cup of water in a sauce pan, boiling, reducing heat and then simmering uncovered for 8-10 minutes until the water is absorbed. I, however, am the Queen of the Leftovers, so this is a morning meal cobbled from the extra couple of portions I'm always left with.

Stir in 3 cups of milk, a tablespoon of brown sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla,a sprinkle of cinnamon and another of nutmeg and a whole heap of chopped nuts and dried fruit. I've used hazelnuts, sultanas, mango and apricots for this serving.

Back to the oven and simmer on a low heat for at least 30 if not 45 minutes, until the rice is tender.

Serve with yogurt and a drizzle of honey. YOWSER!