THANK YOU DONNA.....

There's nothing better than to open a new cook book and be absolutely blown away by .......

             *         the number of delicious recipes presented
             *         the absolutely fabulous illustrations

             *         the simplicity of the recipes
             *         the fact I wanted to get up from my chair

.....and cook!                                           

         

and that is just what happened when I opened Donna Hay's Christmas publication

" fast, fresh, simple "

           The groans from my long suffering husband were audible,

           ..." not another cookbook....you know the rules! "

The rules....yes the rules....I hadn't forgotten.

Quite simply.... I have to make at least one dish from the collection before it is added to the ever increasing  pile gathering dust on the shelf , never to see the light of day again. (This doesn't apply of course to my all time favourite cookbooks, and this one was about to join them and become a victim of those oily fingers, sauce stains, notations, pages all stuck together, etc....etc...)

So here is my first effort Donna,

Baked Italian Chicken

not quite as well presented as in your illustration, but absolutely delicious....

and it was fast, fresh and simple

A NEW YEAR...a new beginning

You could say that the year just finished was one I could have done without, but there amongst all the sadness and pain were moments of great happiness and joy.... and those moments will stay with me when the others are just a distant memory.

A new year....the slate is clean..... and with that comes the hope that I will once again be an active participant in my Book Club.

How disappointing it was this last year.... missing so many meetings.... coming ill prepared.... skimming the book to get a sense of the story, the author's intent... and then "winging it" during the discussions. What a fraud I felt....they should have tossed me out. But even though I didn't have much to add to the meetings, it was so great to be among friends... and I'll try to make up for it this year, I've already made a start!

Wish me luck....



(Check out the Book Club List for 2011 !! )