Mosaic Monday - Swirls

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                                            1. swirl, 2. Swirl, 3. Fruit Swirls, 4. tea.and.swirl

Mosaic Monday - Scotland The Brave

1. Edinburgh Pipers, Scottish Pipers Bagpipes Bagpipers, 2. Scottish Flag, 3. Kilchurn Castle, 4. Scottish_Highland_Cattle01, 5. Highland Dance -2, 6. Scottish Thistle

The Challenge Update - Happy Feet

                                                                 1. Birthday Shoes

I am pleased to say that the happy feet challenge is well underway and I am finding it a lot easier than I thought to give up the diet coke. The biggest challenge is when someone you are visiting offers you one, but so far so good. I am keen to get off the artificial sweeteners and all the other bad stuff in these diet drinks. At best I have the odd lemonade but usually choose a fruit juice or home made cordial.

Well since this challenge for our young Friends Rukurukulevu village in Fiji (please visit http://hopeforavillage.blogspot.com/ ) we have had a similar challenge at our Church. As a church we are in partnership with the village of Kawangware in Africa, this is a very poor community and we as a Church are working alongside the local Church in Kawangware to bring hope. So on Tuesday evening the Sisters of Barrabool Hills Baptist Church came together to share some fun and laughs and some serious moments as well as we raised money for shoes for the Children of Kawangware - the Sisters (about 70 attended) were asked to consider donating $2 for every pair of shoes in her wardrobe. I was blessed to receive an email saying that together we raised $1,100 - now that's a lot of Happy Feet.

Mosaic Monday - Up Up And Away

. 1st International Putrajaya Hot Air Ballons Fiesta, 2. Cloud whisps, 3. The patchwork quilt fields of Sussex, 4. 1st Putrajaya International Hot Air Ballon Fiesta 2009

Spaghetti Bolognaise a la Linee

Spaghetti Bolognaise a la Linee

Ingredients

x1kg Beef mince
x 2 Onions diced
x1 Liter of water
x I Jar Tomato Paste or Pasta sauce
x1 Cup Tomato Pure
x2 400g Cans of four bean mix
x1 Cup red wine
x4 Garlic cloves, chopped / crushed
x4 Bay leaves
Fresh or dried herbs of choice
Salt & Pepper

Method

1.Place meat in saucepan with water and cook until meat just starts to change colour (no I do not brown the meat as many do, I learnt this method years ago from a friend and I liked it so stuck with it).

2. Drain water from saucepan return to heat, add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add in all other ingredients and allow the sauce to simmer on the stove for a good half hour.

4. Before serving remove bay leaves.

This makes a large quantity of sauce that can be frozen in portions or used in other recipes such as lasagna.

ENJOY♥

Not Quite Right - Take Two

I picked my mum up today and made another trip to NQR. Well again I was extremely happy with what I purchased and the great savings.

My bill totaled $57.46 with an estimated savings of $48.19. All Items purchased were well known branded Items at a fraction of the cost.

x6 Packets of Birds Eye Steam fresh vegetables at $1.99 each

x4 Weight watchers / McCain Healthy choice meals $3.99 each

x4 Birds eye rustic cut herbed potatoes $0.89 each

x1 Heinz Imperial Stir Fry vegetables $3.69 each

x1 McCains 2kg Hash Browns $3.99 each

x2 Just juice $1.50 each

x1 Frozen Part Pastries (pk20) $2.49 each

x1 Leggos Fresh Lasagna sheets $2.99 each

x2 Primo Salami $1.29 each

x1 KR Castlemaine Roast Chicken Sliced $2.89 each

x2 Perfecto Italian ricotta $0.69 each

x1 Licorice Allsorts $2.99each

With the lasagna sheets and ricotta I bought this time and the spinach I bought last time I plan to make a spinach & ricotta cannelloni. I will just have to add some bacon, pasta sauce and cheese making enough cannelloni to feed around 6 people for under $10.

Mosaic Monday - Winter I can feel it in the air

I posted last Monday a hint of spring and this was wishful thinking as winter has not yet arrived. It was only that my bulbs are growing reminding me that Spring will arrive sooner or later. Before I can enjoy spring I must first experience the joy of winter. I do enjoy snugly feeling of all things winter so will embrace this season for all that it holds. As I am writing this I am enjoying a steamy bowl of home made spicy pumpkin soup.

A Mothers Day Feast

My mum's name is Rose and when I found this little cup, saucer and spoon in a friends shop I just had to buy it for her.

Today is Mothers day in Australia and we have just spent a lovely afternoon celebrating with my Mum & Rob's Mum. We enjoyed a lovely lunch together that included.

Entree: Spicy pumpkin soup
Main: Creamy chicken pot pies, Italian herbed potatoes, carrots & Goren beans
Dessert: Tiramisu

Growing up in Scotland Mothers Day was always earlier in the year. Mothering Sunday as it is known has been celebrated since the 16th Century during the period of lent on the fourth Sunday of lent. This means it never falls on the same weekend each year as it depends on Easter and Lent.

Here are some of the recipes I made today. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

CREAMY CHICKEN POT PIES

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
500g chicken breast fillets, trimmed, cut into 3cm pieces
175g shortcut bacon, trimmed, chopped
250g small cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cups light sour cream
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry, thawed
1 egg beaten

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Heat oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over high heat.
2. Cook chicken, in batches, for 3 to 4 minutes or until cooked through. Remove to a plate.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add bacon and mushrooms. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.
4. Return chicken to pan. Add sour cream, mustard and thyme. Stir to combine. Divide mixture between four 1 cup capacity ovenproof ramekins.
5. Cut 4 rounds from pastry sheet, slightly bigger than ramekins. Brush ramekin edges with water. Place pastry rounds over filling. Trim excess pastry. Press down edges to seal. Cut a cross in the centre of pie tops.
6. Brush tops with egg.
7. Place pies on a baking tray.
8.Bake for 15 minutes or until pastry is golden and puffed.



BERRY TIRAMISU

Ingredients

2 eggs separated
1/4 cup caster sugar
250g mascarpone cheese
300ml thickened cream
300g plain sponge cake
1 cup Strong coffee
1 cup coffee liqueur
250g strawberries
125g blueberries
125g raspberries

Instructions

1. Beat egg yolk & sugar together in a large bowl until pale & creamy
2. Fold in mascarpone
3. Whip cream and fold into mascarpone mix
4. Beat egg whites until they for stiff peaks then fold into mascarpone mix
5. Refrigerate for 30mins
6. Cut cake into 1cm cubes
7. Combine coffee & liqueur
8. Combine berries
9. Put dessert together in individual glasses using layers as follows -
Cake, Liqueur, Berries, Mascarpone mix then repeat

Refrigerate for up to 3hrs before serving.


ENJOY♥

Moasic Monday - A hint of Spring

I was so excited yesterday to see that the bulbs that I have planted have already popped through the soil in the big terracotta pot. A hint of Spring, wishful when we stall have another month of Autumn, then Winter before us. So today's Mosaic is inspired by Spring.

1. daffodils, 2. Hyacinth, Keukenhof, april 2008, 3. Crocus, 4. Tulips

The Challenge - Happy Feet

This is a post on a friends Blog
"Starting from 1st May 2011 I plan to have a year without buying any clothes for myself. The money saved will go towards needy children in Rukurukulevu village, Fiji."

Why? Because she recognises that she has more than enough and so many around her have so little. She plans to use the money she would spend on clothes to buy shoes for children in a needy village in Fiji.

Got me thinking - What can I do?
I worked out that if someone gives up a coffee a week at $3.50 they would be able to save a $182.00 per year that is equal to 9 pairs of shoes.

So what can I do?
I love diet coke and I have wanted to stop drinking it as I know that it is not good for me, so I have decided to give it up for 12 month (hopefully lifetime) and I know that it will not only benefit the children of Fiji but also my health. So for every coke I would buy I will donate the money towards shoes for the children in Fiji.

For more information on this blog visit http://hopeforavillage.blogspot.com/
Maybe you could join the challenge and give up something for a year or sponsor my friend in what she is doing.

Caroline ♥