Woo hoo ...

Well tomorrow is the day we set up for the 4th Escape2Create retreat at the Lions Hostel at North Shields ...

It is so exciting to think of all those lovely ladies walking in to our venue and having an amazing time scrapbooking for 51 hours!! Well some will sleep for some of those hours!!

It is also nerve racking thinking of all the setting up to do tomorrow ... but hey we have done it before and we have some helpful men to help us so we'll be right!!

Can't wait to actually do some scrapping as it feels like ages since I have put trimmer to paper and stuck anything down!!

Hopefully we might have some updates over the weekend over at www.escape2create.blogspot.com as we are connected this year!!

Catch you soon!!

a variation on lasagne ...

Now I'm not sure about "ground turkey" but surely you could use beef mince in this clever adaptation ...

recipe at Can You Stay for Dinner

great kids' ideas site ...

Just found this via Stephanie's blog ...

Go here ... Teach Your Tot !!

yummy chocolate mud cake ...

I had this cake ... well I'm pretty sure this is the recipe ;-) at a birthday party on the weekend and it was delicious!!

Hope to try making it myself soon!!
http://www.exclusivelyfood.com.au/2006/07/chocolate-mud-cake-recipe.html

The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies ...

Recipe

Cute take on Keep Calm and Carry On ...

Blatantly stolen from Amanda Hall!!

Woo hoo ... can't wait!!

oh yeah ...

Source

yummy potato dish ...

From Martha Stewart

so cute ...

I have this song on the iPod but not this version!!

right now ...

Taken from Nat's blog ...

outside my window... our clean French doors and windows ;-) ... it's now dark

i am thinking... I love where we live ... so safe!

i am thankful for... my family and friends

I am wearing... denim skirt and black t-shirt

I am going to... watch Jack & Lachlan play in their first cricket grand final tomorrow

i am currently reading... Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella ... pure chic lit!!

i am hoping... we get to go out in the boat soon but not for a couple of weeks I'm thinking

on my mind...Ingrid xxx

from the kitchen... a yummy dinner, I am loving trying new recipes in our new kitchen!

around the house... Rohan & Hannah playing together and John, Jack & Lachlan watching South Africa and India playing cricket

one of my favorite things... my beautiful family

a few plans for the rest of the week ... haircut Tuesday, work Wednesday and Thursday, Adelaide with the girl Friday, E2C retreat planning in between

one picture to share... okay I have two

last weekend I had a blast with these dear friends ... I hope they don't mind ;-) I think these photos are very acceptable!!

I feel so lucky to have great friends ... those above and others ;-)

- so many laughs and good times!!

tonight's meal ...

Moroccan lamb backstraps with flat breads, herby couscous, stuffed capsicums and harissa yoghurt and houmous

 ...adapted  from Jamie Oliver's "Jamie's 30 Minute Meals", p. 266 where he used racks of lamb chops

The verdict ...

1. I still can't master couscous even though I have in the past!!
2. I roasted my capsicums and then just added cheese rather than using store bought capsicums in a jar
3. the lamb (farm grown ;-) was delicious when John bought it in for me to taste but it wasn't as moist when we ate it ... apparently my fault but I have decided resting it isn't beneficial ;-)

So definitely try it again!!

Going to Adelaide means ...

1. visiting shops we don't have here ...

and Typo is amazing too for the next level!!

2. seeing things that are a little different ...

3. shopping up a storm and finding Moet on special at the end of the day ...

4. buying new suitcases 'cause the shopping won't fit ...

5. eating yummy food ... Espana on Melbourne Street

6. visiting the Garden of Unearthly Delights not once but 3 times ...

7. getting garden inspiration at Shottesbrooke Winery at McLaren Vale ...

8. seeing the man himself ... Mr Neil Diamond ...

9. enjoying delicious pizza and wine at Enzos after the show ...

10. squeezing in all our luggage and a few items from 2 friends ... LOL!!!

Going to Adelaide with friends is ...

- fun

- full of laughs

- encouraging, to know I can shop with friends and value their opinion

- expensive

- what memories are made of ;-)

- an experience worth repeating many times over!!!

more Atlantic Salmon recipe testing!!

so last night it was ...

Cinnamon rubbed salmon with couscous!

from Australian Good Food April 2011, p. 32 - 33!

and the verdict ...

yummy

Changes:
1. leave out sultanas in couscous - John wasn't sure about them!!
2. try and make couscous that isn't gluggy next time!

Loved:
1. the harissa & yoghurt sauce - yum!
2. salmon flavor yummy too

so I think I'll make it again!

And the comparison to this recipe and this one ... this one is better!!

tonight ...

shopping at Westfield Marion ...

caught a bus back into the city ...

a Cosmopolitan at the Stamford Plaza ...

then on to Tapas on Hindley to watch the dancers and enjoy a drink or two ...

a great night!!

more cooking ...

 a recent recipe we tried / made up ...

Fettuccine with Coffin Bay cockles (pippis) ...

Mix cockles, parsley, chilli (to taste), a good glug of white wine

 cook capsicum strips, spring onions & garlic

 when soft add cockles until they open ...

Cook fettucinni and mix with cockle mix ...

Shave Parmesan over the top - I like to use a potato peeler and "peel" over the top  ...

Serve with a lovely white wine ;-)

Tip: make sure you rinse the cockles as they may have sand in them!!

dinner tonight ...

So tonight we tried

... Salmon & Lentils with avocado & chermoula salad!

Recipe from MasterChef Issue 10, p. 78

Verdict ...

1. we used our home grown red lentils ;-) but we both decided that they were okay but not fantastic!

2. The flavour was yummy

3. next time we would ... par boil potato, slice it and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper, top with salmon and chermoula and baked in the oven or grill it (as the recipe said to do - we BBQ tonight)

4. we served it with a simple salad of cos lettuce, cherry tomatoes and Lebanese cucumber which was lovely

So we might try it again with a few changes!

I love the MasterChef magazine ... there were about 4 different salmon recipes that we could have tried!!

My plan now that we have our new kitchen ... use recipes from all the cooking magazines I buy and try lots of new things, find some favourites and add them to my recipe file!!