at nine and a half ...

the glint ...

ahoy there!

utter joy ...

using Sue's sketch over at Escape2Create!!

swim ...

photo update ...

we have had a wonderful Easter weekend so far and now I think we will have a couple of quiet days!!

Just a few pictures of the kids from yesterday ...

We headed out from the Axel Stenross boat ramp in Port Lincoln with two other groups of friends and cruised around Boston Bay and across to Spalding Cove, where we had lunch ... really relaxing day!

so what has been happenning ... iPhone evidence ;-)

so over the last week or so this has been it ...

the view from the Marina Hotel, Port Lincoln when we had dinner the night before the retreat ... lovely meal

our goodie bags for the 4th E2C retreat ...

number 2 and number 4 ... xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

John & I had a trip to Adelaide for his Ambulance Service Medal presentation at Government House ...

Breakfast at George's ...

and then lunch at Bistro Dom ...

some French white ...

my dessert ... yummy!!

Lachlan trying to enter the Lego comp in the Pt Lincoln Times ... might need to take a few more photos!!

and lots of photos on my phone of this chick ...

the "selfie - queen"!!

yesterday ...

we took a little drive up the road to have lunch ...

It was yummy!!

scrapping shares ...

yes I did actually get a couple of layouts started at the retreat (don't think I finished any!!) and then since the retreat I have done a couple more.

So here we go ...

The first one was created using Lou's technique that she demonstrated in her workshop ...

So pleased to now know how she does it!!

excuse the concrete ... I thought I had cropped most of it out but mustn't have saved the images properly!!

The other layout that I forgot to photograph was the layout I did in Tatum's class ... will do that later!!

my "easy tea when John's away" recipe ...

I have been cooking this dish for quite a few years ... so easy when I have kids meals to do and my usual kitchen companion is away ;-) or it's the weekend and easy meals are the go sometimes!

The best bit is no working out / halving / quartering ingredients as the recipe is for 1!!

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/10310/mushroom+pilaf

Cut and pasted ...

Preparation Time

5 minutes

Cooking Time

25 minutes

Ingredients (serves 1)

• 2 tsp butter or margarine
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 small leek, washed, thinly sliced
• 100g button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 160mls (2/3 cup) chicken stock
• 65g (1/3 cup) Basmati rice
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme or pinch dried thyme
• 2 tbs finely grated Parmesan

Method

1. Heat the butter or margarine and olive oil in a medium heavy-based saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the leek and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add stock, rice, bay leaf and thyme and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to lowest possible setting, cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer, without lifting lid until towards the end of cooking time, for 12 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Serve sprinkled with the Parmesan.

Notes

• Cooked pilaf can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat in an ovenproof dish in a 160°G oven for 10 minutes or in the microwave.
• Microwave tip: Place butter or margarine, olive oil and leek in a microwave-safe rice cooker or a medium heat-resistant microwave- safe bowl. Cook, for 2-3 minutes on High/850watts/100% or until leek is soft. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes on High/ 850watts/100%. Add stock, rice, bay leaf and thyme, stirring well to combine. Cover with a tight-fitting lid or a double layer of plastic wrap and cook for 3 minutes on High/850watts/100%. Cook for a further 8 minutes on Medium/ 500watts/50% or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Allow the pilaf to stand, covered, for 2-3 minutes before removing the lid or wrap.
• Variations: Pilaf with pine nuts: Cook 1 tbs pine nuts in the butter or margarine and olive oil until golden brown cooking the leek.
• Italian-style pilaf: Cook 40g thinly sliced prosciutto cut into thin strips with the leek. Stir 1-2 tsp (or to taste) bottled pesto sauce through the cooked pilaf just before serving.
• Garlic & mushroom pilaf: Add 1 small crushed garlic clove with the leek and 1 tbs of dry white wine with the chicken stock.
• Middle Eastern pilaf: Substitute a pinch of cumin seeds and 1 crushed cardamom pod for the thyme. Serve topped with 1 tbs toasted slivered almonds instead of Parmesan
  
  
  I mix the variations into my version ...
  So when I make it ... I use prosciutto, pesto, white wine, pine nuts & garlic ...  easy and yummy!!
  The other funny thing is I have had the magazine for a number of year and I couldn't find it tonight so onto Taste and search for pilaf and found it!!
  Oh and I have never cooked this when John is home LOL!!
  Maybe one day ...

Right now ...

Pinched from Lauren's blog ...

Outside my window...it's dark

I am thinking ... John is stirring the children up a lot when they have to go to bed soon 

                      ... apparently just like his Pappa Bill ;-) 

I am thankful for ... naughty but beautiful children ... love them so much

I am wearing... new trackie and long sleeved t-shirt

I am going to ... lose weight 

I am currently reading ... The Shelley Beach Writers' Group 

I am hoping ... the kids' bedrooms stay tidy for Easter after a marathon effort this afternoon! 

On my mind ... what food to have for Good Friday lunch  

From the kitchen... Donna Hay's Prawn Fried Rice from the April / May mag, p.50 ... yummy

Around the house... kid chaos

One of my favorite things... the view from outside the front window last night into our new living area

A few plans for the rest of the week ... going to Adelaide for John's Ambulance Service medal presentation and hopefully lunch at Bistro Dom 

One photo to share ... be back later!!

Escape2Create retreat 2011 ...

Well if you read

this post by Lauren

or this one by Sue

or this one by Amanda

or this one by Tatum 

or this one by Fran 

or this one by Amanda over at E2C

you will get a bit of an idea of how much fun we had at the recent retreat!!

Huge Thank yous to

... Amanda & Sue - 2 wonderful, wonderful friends
... Val, Kathryn & Andrew our kitchen wizzes
... our amazing teachers Tatum, Fran, Lou & Michelle
... all our wonderful attendees who made the weekend so much fun!!