Rissoles Tonight!

Well Scott's family have finally made it safely here. What a journey that was, I think Josh said it was like 58 hours. I thought my last set of delays were bad. But, they are here, almost human and excited. To celebrate we are having them over for dinner tonight and I thought I would bust out a recipe I have wanted to try for ages but is way to much of a pain to do for only 2 people. Here it is,

Rissole, Bacon and Tomato Casserole
Prep time 8 hours 15 mins
Serves 6 people
Ingredients
800g beef mince
1 sml brown onion diced
1 egg
3/4 cup of white rice
1/2 cup stale breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
6 bacon rashes
800g of diced tin tomato
3 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Method
1. Combine mince, onion, egg, rice, breadcrumbs and sauce in a large bowl. Shape into 18 small rissoles (or 9 big ones). Place in a 4.5L slow cooker.
2. Sprinkle bacon over rissoles, pour over combined tomatoes, stock and paste. Cook covered on low for 8 hours.
3. Serve with potato and vegetables/salad.

Progressive Dinner

What a surprise this week, a group of lovely ladies from work organised a progressive dinner to celebrate my upcoming wedding. It was so beautiful and we travelled the world of food (and drink). We had some lovely entrees at Rhino Bar where the startlingly pink embarrassing accessories were added, I'm talking bright pink sash, badges, giant tiara and veil and of course the inevitable giant pink penis straw. Kind of regreting wearing the hunter green cardi over my new little black dress from Dotti! Clash or what.

After a great chat and laugh we wandered down to Masala for some yummy Indian cuisine. We of course decided on a banquet with Butter Chicken, Rogan Josh, Beef Masala, Aloo Matter, Mixed Vegetables and of course Garlic Narn. By this stage of the night (2 hours in) we were at the loud, acting out our stories and jokes section and got some wonderful looks from those who passed us by.

We finished up our night at Cactus Jacks for dessert cocktails and chocolate nachos, I mean 'mexcian'. YUMMY! The staff were wonderful offering a free drink for me and a few errors they made also. Above picture was taken at this stage...so I was of course totally sober.... Many wonderful congratulations, squeals, laughter and hugs from strangers and friends. It was a great way to kick of the holiday and wind down from work.

Thank you everyone involved for an awesome night!

Roast Pumpkin Sauce on Pappardelle...mmmm

I have been craving warm creamy sauces this winter. I have been meaning to share this recipe for a good while now but just keep forgetting to post it. I made this up for Scott and I one night. I love the creamy texture but next time would add more garlic and spice to off set the pumpkin flavour. I hope you enjoy and if you make any changes let me know. 

Roast Pumpkin Sauce on Pappardelle

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1.4kg of butternut pumpkin, cut into 2cm cubes

4 garlic cloves

3 tsp fresh thyme

100ml olive oil

500g pappardelle

2 tbsp of cream

185ml of vegetable stock (can also use chicken stock)

30g shave Parmesan Cheese

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Place pumpkin, garlic, thyme and 60ml of olive oil in a large bowl and toss until pumpkin is covered. 

2. Season with salt. Transfer to baking tray and cook for 30 mins.

3. Cook pasta al dente, drain and return to pan, toss through olive oil and keep warm.

4. Place cooked pumpkin and cream in blender and process until smooth. Add warmed stock and process until smooth and combined. Season with salt and black pepper. 

5. Toss through warmed pasta, serve immediately with Parmesan cheese.   

On another note. 8 DAYS UNTIL MY WEDDING!!!! I may be getting excited, here is a hint of something else...

Roasts, Blankets, Cuddles Oh My!

Well, winter is here. The chilly nights with fluffy socks, fluffy bath robes and fluffy beasts curling up for cuddles has arrived. Scott thinks I am wimp. I may be in QLD and it may only hit 10 degrees but I'm a FNQ Girl and its cold! This is a post of some of the wintry things I enjoy.

Blankets, blankets, blankets. I love snuggling into a blanket with a nice cup of tea and a book. So many blankets to choose from, so little time. I have discovered that the little beasts like my tiger blanket the best. Though I love snuggling into my pink and purple afghan made for me by Scott's mum, Ellen. She even made a matching blanket for my beautiful Delenn. Which of course all the kitties fight over. Kitty blanket wars are cute.

Fluffy pink bath robe! Although, I do have a small problem when wearing it. This problem sometimes knocks over my work or wakes me up or makes me miss a stitch or makes me loose my place in a book or loose the entire book. Lucky he is fluffy too.

Soup, pasta, slow cooked anything and roasted meat. If you need a quick pick me up for soup and you don't have time yourself I would recommend the Woolworths brand. I love their Asian Style Sweet Corn and Chicken Soup. Mmmmm...

Here is my favourite quick tasty roast dinner. I do roast differently each time, it depends on how over the day I am, if I want to make everything from scratch, how many cats am I fending off and really how coordinated I am that day. It is a mixture of random recipes and whatever worked for me. I hope you enjoy as much as I do because this is what I did tonight and it was yummy.

Lisa's Random Roast Beef with Mash Potato, Peas Roast Sweet Potato and Corn

Rubbing Oil (I do this the night before)
1 cup of olive oil
2 tblsp of crushed garlic
Pepper to taste.

Place all ingredients in  bowl and leave to infuse over night.

Ingredients
1kg of Blade Roast
Rubbing Oil
Olive oil spray
5 large potatoes (Peeled and cut into eighths)
2 large cobs of corn
1 sweet potato cubed into 2cm pieces
1 cup of peas (I only eat them in this house)
1/2 cup Milk (to taste for mash potatoes)
2 tbsp Butter (to taste for mash potatoes)
Gravy

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 Degrees Celsius
2. Rub over oil, garlic and pepper mixture. Place in oven for 65 mins (I like mine medium so for every 450g I cook for 25 mins)
4. With 25 mins left boil large pot of water and add potatoes for mash potatoes.
3. With 20 mins to go place sweet potato on a tray and spray with oil, play in oven to roast.
4. 15 mins left boil water in a medium sauce pan, add corn and peas and cook for 8 mins.
5. Take out meat leave to sit for 10 mins.
7. Take off potatoes add milk and butter, mash.
 8. Place vegetables out onto plate and slice beef thinly.
9. Serve with gravy, I usually make it from what is left over in the pan (or if not enough time use a packet mix).

Happy winter all!!!

Crunchy Spiced Chicken Nuggets

I love chicken nuggets, always have but I wanted to try and find a healthier alternative because those frozen ones, not so good for you. Enter Women's Weekly Low Fat Cooking. I adjusted their Crunchy Spiced Chicken Recipe to a nugget format. Their is the health way, and not so healthy way. I will put both sets of ingredients in.

Crunchy Spiced Chicken

Healthy                                                                           Not So Healthy                 

700g of chicken breast cut                                        700g of chicken breast cut

into nugget size pieces                                                into nugget size pieces

1/4 cup plain flour                                                      1/4 cup plain flour

1 cup wholemeal breadcrumbs                                1 cup breadcrumbs 

1/3 cup Corn Flakes crumb                                      1/3 cup Special K crumbs

1 tsp grounded coriander                                         1 tsp grounded coriander

2 tsp grounded cumin                                               2 tsp grounded cumin

2 tsp garlic salt                                                           2 tsp garlic salt

3 egg whites beaten lightly                                        2 eggs beaten lightly

Method

1. Cut chicken breast into nugget size pieces. Place chicken in large sauce pan of cold water, bring to boil; drain. Pat dry with absorbent paper.

2. Toss chicken in flour, shake away excess flour. Combine crumbs, spices and slat; mix well. Dip chicken in egg/whites then crumb mixture. Place chicken on oven tray which has been coated with cooling oil spray, cover, refrigerate for 1 hour

3. Coat chicken lightly with cooking oil spray, bake, uncovered, in moderately hot oven about 30 mins or until tender. 

The Avengers

Great movie, with some awesome one liners. See it, with friends. Thank you Joss Whedon. 


Favourite quotes/moments:




Steve Rogers: What's the matter, scared of a little lightning? 
Loki: I'm not overly fond of what follows... [Thor appears]




 Tony Stark: Dr. Banner, your work is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster. 
Bruce Banner: Thanks. 




Bruce Banner: I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats. You can smell crazy on him.
Thor: Have a care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard. And he is my brother.
Natasha Romanoff: He killed eighty people in two days.
Thor: He's adopted




Tony Stark: Better clench up, Legolas. 




Loki: Enough! You are, all of you are beneath me! I am a god, you dull creature, and I shall not be bullied...
[Hulk flattens Loki with repeated smashes into the floor]
The Hulk: Puny god. 


:) Fun movie :) 

A Shout Out to Amazing People

I just wanted to dedicate a blog post to some of the amazing pattern designers. I can take a pattern and modify it but coming up with one cold...USELESS. So this is a shout out to all the wonderful ladies and gents who design amazing patterns for the rest of us to shine.

Pattern People who Have Helped Me Shine

1. FUNKY FRIENDS FACTORY

A shout out to Pauline who runs Funky Friends Factory (she also has an Etsy Store and blog. Thanks to your simple designs and easy to follow instructions you made it possible for me to get into sewing. Without you I would still believe a Home Ec teacher who told me to never touch a sewing machine again. If you want simple but beautiful patterns go here. She is amazing. If you are in Brisbane go to her store.

2. DOLLS AND DAYDREAMS

Thank you Sarah for your simple but uber cute designs. Your skeleton pattern went over a treat with one of my best friends. I have so many of your pieces ear marked for future projects from you foxes, deer, girls to your babushka dolls. Sarah also has a blog that shares upcoming ideas, completed work by friends and techniques. It is a great read.

3. BE BE BOLD

Thank you to Be Be Bold who gave me my first sewing project in 8 years. Thanks to your Lucky Owl Pack with all equipment and fabric required included I had the confidence to have a go. I wanted to have a go because of the beautiful rich coloured red and blues in your fabrics.  Because of your workshop at the Townsville Craft Expo I was able to be shown just how easy crafting and sewing is. Without you, I would not have been able to have so much fun hand sewing all of my toys. THANK YOU!!!

People Who Will Help Me Shine (a pattern wish list) 

DIY FLUFFIES

I love this store, I look at it almost every week to see if anything new comes up. I particular like this bull, owl and dragon. 

PDF Sewing Patterns for Baby, Child and Home & More

Such beautiful patterns for clothes and all the other home wares you need for a baby. I particularly like the dress patterns and the fleece hats. 

ANGEL LEA DESIGNS

I love the applique designs on this site. The pirate ships, owls, alpaca, thongs (flip flops), bird and hedgehog. 

BED BUGS

I love the idea of plushie pillows! Cuteness anywhere comfy in the house. Some of my favourites are sheep, monsters and bats.

Something Sweet To Drink

Well, I wanted to try something new today. Plus, it would be nice to have something sweet to sip on tonight after a lllloooooonnnnngggg week. So after some hunting around I found this random drink. Nothing like a little flavoured vodka to brighten up a drink. You need to have the lime in this otherwise it is much to sweet. I made up a jug to share. This would go over really well for a girls night in or a cocktail at a cocktail party. It is not an overly strong alcoholic drink but just lovely to sip on. It will be my go to drink when the summer hits this year. 

Vanilla Apple Crush

- 6 cups of Apple Juice

- 1 cup vanilla vodka

- Crushed ice to serve

- Lime pieces to serve

Place apple and vanilla vodka in a large jug to serve, combine.

Divide the crushed ice between glasses, tip with lime pieces.

Pour apple juice mix over ice. 

Serves: 8

Cherry Choc Slice Heaven

DELENN APPROVED RECIPE

It was a good friends birthday this week. She is studying to become a teacher so not only did a few colleges and I get together and give her the most awesome prac teacher survival pack ever, I also made her a sweet treat for having to come in and work on her special day. So not only did she get her stationary fix she was also introduce to this amazing Cherry Choc Slice.

I have no idea where I got this recipe from, it could be from a number places. I think most likely the same book I used to make this Choc Lovers Cake  but, I have lent it a friend. This slice was super simple to make and tastes amazing. It is quite rich (esp because I melted 2 blocks over the top of it) but well worth it for a ladies afternoon tea or quick sugar fix.

Choc Cherry Slice

Ingredients

185g plain sweet biscuits, crumbled

1/4 cup baking cocoa

90g, butter

1 1/4 cup red glace cherries, chopped (1 cut into quarters)

395g sweetened condensed milk

2 1/2 cup desiccated coconut

200g dark chocolate, melted

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

1. Line a 20cm square cake pan with baking paper.

2. Combine biscuits, baking cocoa and butter in a medium bowl, mix well. Press evenly into base of pan and pop i the fridge until cool. 

3. Meanwhile, combine cherries, sweetened condensed milk and coconut, spread evenly over biscuit layer. Refrigerate until firm.

4. Combine chocolate and oil in bowl, melt. Pour over slice evenly. Refrigerate until set. 

I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do. We will be eating it all of next week.