Musings - The Plaza...

In my town centre a new Plaza has been built with new restaurants, a cinema, a gym and a hotel. This weekend two of the restaurants officially opened.

And we sampled one...


Frankie and Benny's is a chain, excellent atmosphere and food repeated the world over...


We really enjoyed ourselves. A little expensive for an every Saturday venue but as a treat it was well worth it. :) xx


- Posted with the i rather than the net...

Photo - Husband cooks...

A lemon, bean and chickpea medley...


Delicious. :) xx


- Posted on the move...

Photo - Two days in a row...

I am on a roll this week with cooking so I thought I best document it as it doesn't happen often. :)

Tonight I made a Colourful Carbonara. Pasta, vegetables, bacon, quark, Parmesan cheese and three egg yolks. And spices of course.

Here are the vegetables...


And the process...


And the grand reveal...


How delicious does that look? (if I do say so myself ha ha).

Ps. If you are wondering why the diet coke is in pot mugs, well it's incognito as Katharine insists on using a glass if she sees one! :) xx


- Posted on the move...

Musings - Cous Cous creation...

Cous Cous is boring, let's face it I'm right. The packet ones with the flavouring are a bit better but then you never really know what you are getting.

This week my slimming group had a recipe for Cous Cous Bites so I brought it home...

And adapted it. I created the Cous Cous Turkey Balls.

I used:
Cous Cous, cooked turkey mince, leeks, onions, peppers, garlic, chillies, jerk flavouring, quark, two eggs and some Parmesan cheese.

I mixed it all up in a bowl, formed some balls, stuck them in the oven and voila...


Don't they look delicious? :) xx

- Posted in chef mode...

Photo - The place I slim...

This is where I get weighed each week... Dark and scary enough to shiver the pounds off. :) xx


- Posted on the move...

Musings - Mama Kat's Workshop (1st March 2012)

This week Mama Kat has opened my eyes to how untidy I am.

You see I chose writing prompt 3) Your chair. We all have ‘our spot’ in the house…show us where you plant yourself and what is it about that spot that makes it your favorite?

And this is my spot...


And I love it because...

1. I have a wine coloured leather sofa.
2. My laptop and notebooks are only an arm stretch away.
3. I have a variety of DVDs and books on my shelves for viewing and reference.
4. My iPod and headphones have their own little place.
5. There is space for a cuppa.
6. I am next to the window for some good people watching.

I could go on and on but I am writing this while the potatoes boil, I do so love to multitask, and my aim was to post while I cooked.

I know that it's messy and unorganised but it's my spot and no matter how much the husband nags... It probably will remain that way forever. :) xx

Photo - Cake mistake...

Today I practiced making a birthday cake for Katharine. I made a Victoria Sponge and added pink food colouring, used my new giant cup cake silicone mould and had strawberry fondant for decoration.




Everything failed!

The cake didn't rise and even though the mix looked like a raspberry it still finished out yellow.

Getting it out of the mould made it fall apart and adding the fondant just made it look like a lopsided pink mess.

It's a good job I have five more weeks to practice!! :) xx

Posted on the move...

Photo - Too delicious to eat...

But I did... scoff it all down, I mean. :) xx

Musings - Can't cook but wants to cook...

I can't cook.

I don't know what happens, I have all the right ingredients and the instructions right in front of me but what ever I whip up just ends up being a bit lacking. And it's not that I don't have the right inspiration:

I have been collecting cookbooks for a number of years in the hope that I will come across something that I can make that I don't turn into gruel. I am still looking for that recipe. Sob. Then recently I was talking to my friend about it and she said that cooking is 60% ingredients, 30% skill and 10% confidence.

"Confidence?" I asked,
"Yes." She replied, "If you start thinking that you are going to make something really tasty... you will."

Part of me thinks she was talking gibberish but then I am a sucker for gibberish. So much so that I am going to set myself a challenge. Once a week I am going to find a recipe and make it. It IS going to taste great.

Then I am going to make the husband eat it. :)
So watch this space. I will be swearing like a Gordon Ramsey sailor on leave type in no time.

:) xx

P.s. If you have a recipes that are tasty and EASY feel free to send them my way.