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 BREAKFAST TREAT.....

Fresh figs......delicious.....almost dripping with their own nectar.

On this very hot and humid morning.....what a breakfast treat!

They looked so great, I wanted to share them with you all.....

WHAT'S FOR DINNER?......

Every day, around mid afternoon, my husband sets the table for dinner, no doubt in anticipation that within a few hours, some food will appear as if by magic...... he'll pour the selected wine..... and we'll sit down together for another meal

Yesterday I got to thinking just how many meals I have prepared over the years
The mind boggles....

Nowadays I'm almost on autopilot as I preplan the simple evening meal, taking into consideration many factors.....fat, sugar, cholesterol, protein, fibre, carbs, gluten, etc.
Then I make my decision ......and trot out to the garden......



My herb garden...bursting with health, vitamins and minerals

spring onion, curly parsley, rocket, basil,
Vietnamese mint, brown mignonette lettuce, Italian parsley, mint
coriander, lemongrass and iceberg lettuce.

My little patch has done well this year.....

Gathering what I need it's back into the kitchen to prepare.... a masterpiece !
and in almost no time at all it's done and ready for the table....






"Thai Lime and Lemongrass Chicken"
Delicious......and oh so easy

My husband says....."I'd pay money for that" ......Truly a compliment

"Thank you darling," I say.... and another meal is done and dusted !

FOOD....GLORIOUS FOOD

My Grandchildren love to cook......so do their mothers.....and so do I

There is nothing better than to spend time preparing something delicious to eat
waiting patiently while it cooks, and then....
VOILA
serving it up to the hungry hordes waiting in the wings


Eliza (pictured above) is preparing a delicious chocolate cake as a special treat for
her Grandfather's Birthday.

Note the little apron we always keep on hand for her when she visits.....

Also please note the look of total satisfaction on her face as she gets down to this serious business of baking !


In the picture below, Zoe is busy making scrambled eggs as a surprise for her Mum on Mother's Day........
utter concentration as the eggs are cracked one by one into the bowl

and here is the finished dish, light and fluffy, served up on wholemeal toast
How delicious !

and how did the chocolate cake turn out?

Here it is, with rich chocolate icing and decorated to within an inch of its life

Truly a masterpiece !

Yes, people love to cook, and this was reaffirmed by the popularity of

"Masterchef "

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the trials and tribulations of the amateur chefs as they turned out average....not too bad..... pretty good....wonderful..... absolutely fantastic dishes

I watched their joys, their disappointments, their tears as they left the show, till finally there were only two .....

Only one could win of course, but in my eyes they were all winners.....
and I thank them all,
and the visiting chefs
and the judges
For stirring the pot, and getting thousands of viewers, potential chefs to start this wonderful adventure
of sharing a meal, with family and friends, prepared by their own hand.

How great is that !

MELBOURNE ! HERE WE COME

The bags are packed and we're ready to go.....
We've tried to remember to put it all in....but no doubt there'll be something we've forgotten. It always happens.

Looking forward to GREAT COFFEE at Errols.

Check this great restaurant out NOW
See you all soon........

THE JOB IS DONE !

Well, the job is done, and it took no time at all. I have six of these little bottles which will see us out until the next crop is ready. If you'd like the recipe - here it is !

MOROCCAN LEMONS

250g coarse or sea salt
6-8 lemons scrubbed and cut into quarters
1 bay leaf, 2-3 cloves, 1 stick of cinnamon (for each bottle)
some extra lemon juice
6 small glass jars, with metal lids, (sterilised by boiling in large container for 20 mins)

Place the lemons in a large plastic mixing bowl, cover with salt, and massage the fruit firmly pressing out a lot of the juice as you go.
Put a spoonful of salt into the jars, then pack the lemons, skin side out, inserting the bay leaves, cloves etc. as you fill the jars. Press down hard on the fruit to release the juice, then spoon the residual salt and lemon juce from the bowl to top up the jars. Wipe the neck of the bottles with a damp cloth to remove salt residue, then screw the tops on firmly.
Store in pantry for about 6 weeks, turning them upside down a couple of times to distribute the salt.
Once opened, refrigerate....they seem to keep for ages...if they last that long.

ps. Only use the peel....(toss the flesh into the scrap bin for the compost), and rinse well before chopping finely and adding to your dishes. Enjoy !

GREAT COFFEE and OTHER DELIGHTS

It's almost impossible to get a decent cup of coffee in my home town. What passes for a flat white is usually a poor imitation of the real thing.... no crema ..... no depth... terrifyingly hot (and filled to the brim).... And the price....unbelieveable !
Most coffe shops here would go broke in Melbourne.

Ah... Melbourne. Home of great food, great restaurants, and great COFFEE... and we'll be there in less than a week!

But the real reason we visit Melbourne, apart from all the abovementioned is - OUR FAMILY .

Many years ago my two daughters chose to leave the confines of a provincial city in Queensland to establish their careers, meet the men of their dreams and provide us with three delightful grand daughters. And we'll be there with them all soon....It can't come soon enough.