Congratulations to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and his beautiful bride, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge. What an amazing day and an iconic wedding gown!
While watching them share their special day - it took me back to our special day!
I hope they have a lifetime of happiness! Xxx
Friday, 29 April 2011
Sunday, 24 April 2011
Happy Easter
Happy Easter to all - I hope you had a day filled with lots of chocolate bunnies and eggs x
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
Pork Loin Steaks
A couple of months ago, I was going to make dinner. The only piece of meat that I had defrosted that day was Pork Loin Steaks but was bored with just the usual way of preparing them.
So I decided to use a recipe my mom-in-law had mentioned some time ago.
1. Pre-heat the oven at 180 degrees centigrade
2. Coat the pork loin steaks in either French or Wholegrain Mustard
3. Coat it again in brown sugar
4. Place in an oven dish or grill pan for 45 minutes
The pork loin steaks will be sweet and succulent. Why not serve it with Wholegrain mash potato!
So I decided to use a recipe my mom-in-law had mentioned some time ago.
1. Pre-heat the oven at 180 degrees centigrade
2. Coat the pork loin steaks in either French or Wholegrain Mustard
3. Coat it again in brown sugar
4. Place in an oven dish or grill pan for 45 minutes
The pork loin steaks will be sweet and succulent. Why not serve it with Wholegrain mash potato!
Monday, 18 April 2011
Ladies night
Well, this Saturday passed, myself and 2 of my friends finally had our First Ladies night since I got married.
My 2 friends have rather hectic lives filled with husbands, 4 children between the 2 of them under the age of 6 years old and some time in the day they still manage to clean their homes and go to work!
We diarised the date about 2 months ago and then about 3 weeks ago we agreed on a restaurant - looking forward to great company, fantastic food and plenty of cheeky drinks....they arrived about 15 minutes early while I was still putting the final touches to my make-up - they were obviously eager to start the Ladies Night early.
As the restaurant we chose was within walking distance, we braved it in our high heels walking up our road and then down the road (about 10 minute walk in total) to where the restaurant is. We chose the local Italian family-run restaurant as it's so popular and it caters for everyone's taste.
It was a fantastic night, we shared a bottle of Merlot Rose and tucked into delicious starters followed by scrumptious mains of swordfish accompanied with vegetables, calzone pizza, chicken and spinach pancake - my mouth is watering just thinking of the gorgeous food! We did behave ourselves by not having a sinful dessert but we did chose to go bar hopping before we called it a night at 11.30 pm - but this time we decided to rest our feet by being sensible and calling for a cab!
As we had our Ladies Night, it is only fair to let the Boys have a night off from their wives - plus the sooner they have theirs, then we can plan our next night out!
My 2 friends have rather hectic lives filled with husbands, 4 children between the 2 of them under the age of 6 years old and some time in the day they still manage to clean their homes and go to work!
We diarised the date about 2 months ago and then about 3 weeks ago we agreed on a restaurant - looking forward to great company, fantastic food and plenty of cheeky drinks....they arrived about 15 minutes early while I was still putting the final touches to my make-up - they were obviously eager to start the Ladies Night early.
As the restaurant we chose was within walking distance, we braved it in our high heels walking up our road and then down the road (about 10 minute walk in total) to where the restaurant is. We chose the local Italian family-run restaurant as it's so popular and it caters for everyone's taste.
It was a fantastic night, we shared a bottle of Merlot Rose and tucked into delicious starters followed by scrumptious mains of swordfish accompanied with vegetables, calzone pizza, chicken and spinach pancake - my mouth is watering just thinking of the gorgeous food! We did behave ourselves by not having a sinful dessert but we did chose to go bar hopping before we called it a night at 11.30 pm - but this time we decided to rest our feet by being sensible and calling for a cab!
As we had our Ladies Night, it is only fair to let the Boys have a night off from their wives - plus the sooner they have theirs, then we can plan our next night out!
Saturday, 16 April 2011
Chicken casserole with dumplings
A couple of weeks ago we celebrated Mother's Day and invited my in-laws over for lunch but as our cooker was on the blink, I decided to use the Crockpot to cook the meal.
I chose to do a chicken casserole with dumplings.
Ingredients
7 chicken thighs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
350g (12oz) unsmoked bacon cut into chunks
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm (1in) slices diagonally
700ml (1 1/4 pints) chicken or vegetable stock
few sprigs of lemon thyme
Optional - 2 tbsp Harvey Bristol cream sherry or any sherry you may have available
For the herb dumplings
350g (12oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
300ml (1/2 pint) buttermilk or soured milk
2 tbsp finely chopped mixed herbs (parsley, lemon thyme rosemary, tarragon or chives)
Optional - 25g (1oz) cheddar cheese, finely grated
5cm (2in) scone cutter or a glass
Method
1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper
2. Fry the bacon in a non-stick frying pan until crispy and then remove the bacon from the pan and place on some kitchen paper
3. Add the chicken to the pan and sear it until golden and place in a separate dish
4. Add the carrots and onion and fry until the onion is soft and the carrots are soft
5. Turn the Crockpot or generic slower cooker on to a low heat and place the bacon, onion, carrots first into the slow cooker
6. Place the chicken in the slower cooker
7. Pour the chicken or vegetable stock into the pot
8. Pour the Harvey Bristol cream sherry into the pot
9. Season with salt, pepper, lemon thyme
10. Cover with lid on the warm setting over night
11. In the morning turn the temperature up to low
If you were to cook this in the oven:-
1. Preheat the over at 180 degrees centigrade (gas mark 4)
2. Return the bacon and chicken to the pan together with the onion and carrots
3. Add the stock, lemon thyme, salt, pepper and Harvey Bristol cream sherry
4. Bring to the boil slowly
5. Transfer it to a casserole dish with a lid and then bake for 20 minutes
I am not going to lie, I did not have the time to make fresh dumplings and cheated by using frozen dumplings. I placed the dumplings into the Crockpot 40 minutes before serving the chicken casserole - it was sufficient time for them expand and become moist.
If I had the time to make them, I would have prepared them as follows:-
1. Sift the flour, bicarbonate soda and salt in a large bowl
2. Add the herbs, mix and then make a well in the centre
3. Pour most of the buttermilk or soured milk (leaving about 50ml (2fl oz in the measuring jug)
4. Using your one hand with your fingers outstretched bringing the flour and liquid together, adding some buttermilk or soured milk if necessary
5. Don't knead the mixture as it needs to be soft, not sticky nor too wet
6. Sprinkle flour on a work surface and place the dough on the flour
7. Mix the dough into the flour until is round
8. Use a rolling pin and roll out the dough until it is about 2cm (1/2in) thick
9. Use a scone cutter or a glass to cut out 10 - 12 dumplings or divide the dough into 10-12 pieces
10. Roll each one into a small ball
11. Remove the casserole from the oven (use oven mittens) and increase the oven temperature to 230 degrees centigrade (gas mark 8)
12. Place the dumplings on top of the casserole leaving a gap for them to spread
13. Scatter the cheese over them
14. Return to the oven for 10 minutes
15. Reduce the temperature to 200 degrees centigrade (gas mark 6) and cook for a further 20 minutes until the dumplings are crispy and the chicken is cooked through
I severed the chicken casserole with dumplings on a bed of lemon thyme mash and some petit pois - enjoy!!
I chose to do a chicken casserole with dumplings.
Ingredients
7 chicken thighs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
350g (12oz) unsmoked bacon cut into chunks
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm (1in) slices diagonally
700ml (1 1/4 pints) chicken or vegetable stock
few sprigs of lemon thyme
Optional - 2 tbsp Harvey Bristol cream sherry or any sherry you may have available
For the herb dumplings
350g (12oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
300ml (1/2 pint) buttermilk or soured milk
2 tbsp finely chopped mixed herbs (parsley, lemon thyme rosemary, tarragon or chives)
Optional - 25g (1oz) cheddar cheese, finely grated
5cm (2in) scone cutter or a glass
Method
1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper
2. Fry the bacon in a non-stick frying pan until crispy and then remove the bacon from the pan and place on some kitchen paper
3. Add the chicken to the pan and sear it until golden and place in a separate dish
4. Add the carrots and onion and fry until the onion is soft and the carrots are soft
5. Turn the Crockpot or generic slower cooker on to a low heat and place the bacon, onion, carrots first into the slow cooker
6. Place the chicken in the slower cooker
7. Pour the chicken or vegetable stock into the pot
8. Pour the Harvey Bristol cream sherry into the pot
9. Season with salt, pepper, lemon thyme
10. Cover with lid on the warm setting over night
11. In the morning turn the temperature up to low
If you were to cook this in the oven:-
1. Preheat the over at 180 degrees centigrade (gas mark 4)
2. Return the bacon and chicken to the pan together with the onion and carrots
3. Add the stock, lemon thyme, salt, pepper and Harvey Bristol cream sherry
4. Bring to the boil slowly
5. Transfer it to a casserole dish with a lid and then bake for 20 minutes
I am not going to lie, I did not have the time to make fresh dumplings and cheated by using frozen dumplings. I placed the dumplings into the Crockpot 40 minutes before serving the chicken casserole - it was sufficient time for them expand and become moist.
If I had the time to make them, I would have prepared them as follows:-
1. Sift the flour, bicarbonate soda and salt in a large bowl
2. Add the herbs, mix and then make a well in the centre
3. Pour most of the buttermilk or soured milk (leaving about 50ml (2fl oz in the measuring jug)
4. Using your one hand with your fingers outstretched bringing the flour and liquid together, adding some buttermilk or soured milk if necessary
5. Don't knead the mixture as it needs to be soft, not sticky nor too wet
6. Sprinkle flour on a work surface and place the dough on the flour
7. Mix the dough into the flour until is round
8. Use a rolling pin and roll out the dough until it is about 2cm (1/2in) thick
9. Use a scone cutter or a glass to cut out 10 - 12 dumplings or divide the dough into 10-12 pieces
10. Roll each one into a small ball
11. Remove the casserole from the oven (use oven mittens) and increase the oven temperature to 230 degrees centigrade (gas mark 8)
12. Place the dumplings on top of the casserole leaving a gap for them to spread
13. Scatter the cheese over them
14. Return to the oven for 10 minutes
15. Reduce the temperature to 200 degrees centigrade (gas mark 6) and cook for a further 20 minutes until the dumplings are crispy and the chicken is cooked through
I severed the chicken casserole with dumplings on a bed of lemon thyme mash and some petit pois - enjoy!!
My first blog
Hi all....I am origianlly from Cape Town, the Mother City of South Africa, living in Chesterfield, a historic market town. I relocated to London in the summer of 2006 after losing my brother tragically in 2005.
In less than 5 years, I have moved from Beckenham Kent (a studio flat) to Battersea (room within a house-share) and from Battersea to a beautiful terraced house in Chesterfield.
I met and fell in love with my wonderful husband, Scott, originally from Nottingham while visiting family friends for a weekend and ended up staying an extra night just so that I could catch another glimpse of him before returning to London.
While living in Battersea, I shared a house with 4 other South Africans and I have to admit that I didn't enjoy my experience in a house-share. They were not complete strangers but it was a huge adjustment for me, sharing facilities, having an allocated shower slot in the morning - heaven forbid you missed your shower slot!
After a year or so of living in and around London, I decided it was time to move away from the buzz of London for a more idyllic lifestyle.
Scott and I will be celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary later in the summer and we both are looking forward to celebrating many more!!
My interest are food and movies - I thoroughly enjoy reading recipe books and love watching movies so don't be surprised if I post recipes that I have tried or review movies that I have seen recently....I hope you enjoy my blog and look forward to your comments! xx
In less than 5 years, I have moved from Beckenham Kent (a studio flat) to Battersea (room within a house-share) and from Battersea to a beautiful terraced house in Chesterfield.
I met and fell in love with my wonderful husband, Scott, originally from Nottingham while visiting family friends for a weekend and ended up staying an extra night just so that I could catch another glimpse of him before returning to London.
While living in Battersea, I shared a house with 4 other South Africans and I have to admit that I didn't enjoy my experience in a house-share. They were not complete strangers but it was a huge adjustment for me, sharing facilities, having an allocated shower slot in the morning - heaven forbid you missed your shower slot!
After a year or so of living in and around London, I decided it was time to move away from the buzz of London for a more idyllic lifestyle.
Scott and I will be celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary later in the summer and we both are looking forward to celebrating many more!!
My interest are food and movies - I thoroughly enjoy reading recipe books and love watching movies so don't be surprised if I post recipes that I have tried or review movies that I have seen recently....I hope you enjoy my blog and look forward to your comments! xx
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