Summer Cooking

I have decided to work on preparing some Summer Menu's for the coming weeks. I have been getting bored with cooking the same old things and decided to go back through some recipes and plan 4 menu's and matching shopping list's that we can rotate in the coming weeks. With the busy life that wee lead I have tried to pick easy but interesting recipe's that will keep the taste buds happy. Over the next couple of weeks I will try and post some of the recipes I have chosen and have cooked. 


To get us started I have some very easy Turkish recipes including, Meat, Salad and Rice.  

Lamb Kofta 

Ingredients

• 500g fine grade mince steak
• 1 medium onion grated
• 1 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoons ground coriander

Difficulty:                                  Low

No of Servings:                        4

Preparation Time:                 15 minutes

Cooking Time:                       15 minutes

Instructions

1. Place mince, onion, garlic, cumin and coriander in a bowl. Using hands mix well until combined
2. Divide into 16 portions. Roll into 6cm-long sausages
3. Heat lightly oiled non stick pan over medium heat and cook Kofta turning occasionally, for 8mins or until browned and cooked through. Drain on absorbent paper.  

Fattoush

Ingredients

• 1 cups flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 cups of mint leaves, chopped
• 1 Lebanese  cucumber, chopped
• 1 red capsicum, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 green onions sliced
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon juiced

Difficulty:                                 Low

No of Servings:                      4

Preparation Time:                 15 minutes

Cooking Time:                       Nil

Instructions

1. Place parsley, mint, cucumber, capsicum, tomato and green onion in a large bowl
2. Drizzle with oil and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
3. Season with salt & pepper and toss gently to combine

Turkish Rice Pilaf

Ingredients

• 1/3    cup vermicelli noodles, broken into I-inch lengths  
• 3/4    tablespoons melted butter
• 3/4    tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4    cups long grain rice
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock       
• 1/2    teaspoons salt, ground pepper, ground cinnamon and cloves to garnish

Difficulty:                                 Low

No of Servings:                      4

Preparation Time:                 10 minutes

Cooking Time:                       30mins

Instructions

1. Sauté vermicelli in a pan with oil an butter until golden brown (stirring constantly)
2. Stir in rice and fry until glazed (about 1min)
3. Add the boiling chicken stock and salt and allow to boil (about 1min)
4. reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed (about 18mins)
5. Place folded paper towel over rice, cover the pot and let rest with the heat turned off for about 10mins before serving
6. Sprinkle with one or more of the spices to taste fluff with a fork and serve  

ENJOY ♥

Ice Cream Cone - With a diffirence

I was given a lovely hamper for Christmas from my friend Lyn from Mimagirl Creations containing lots of yummy treats. A Christmas Cookie, Gingerbread House, Organic Coffee, Lindt Chocolate's, Coffee Mugs and two Ice cream cones (well sort of)...

They are for making hot chocolate, I loved it so much thought I would share the Idea with you. These will make a great treat for birthdays, Christmas or maybe just because.

What you need -

Piping bags
Ribbon
Hot Chocolate of your choice
Chocolate melts
Mini Marshmallows

The putting together is quite simple -

Fill the piping bag with hot Chocolate powder (make sure it is apcked firmly)
Then add a layer of Chocolate melts
Then finaly a layer of the mini marshmallows

Tie the piping baf offusing Ribbon

How easy is that and how good does this little treat look

ENJOY♥

Christmas 2011 at Our House

                                                                 Christmas Table Set

                                                     Remember the Candy Cane Story?

 
                                                                         Plates Set

Christmas Tree

                                                                           Nativity

        My Husband & My Mum - Mum's Christmas Present a signed CATS gurnsey - boy was she happy!

                                            
                                                 Entre - Christmas Coleslaw & Seafood

                                 8hr Slow Cooked Greek Lamb, Pumpkin and Roast Poataoes

        
                                                          My Dad tucking into Dinner

My brother reading the Broons a Christmas tradition form Childhood

Mosaic Monday - Boxing Day

1. Indian papier mache boxes, 2. boxes, 3. Wooden boxes, 4. Boxes

Australian Jingle Bells

 Aussie Jingle Bells

Dashing through the bush

In a rusty Holden Ute

Kicking up the dust

Esky in the boot

Kelpie by my side

Singing Christmas songs

It’s summer time and I am in

My singlet, shorts and thongs

OH, JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS

JINGLE ALL THE WAY

CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRALIA

ON A SCORCHING SUMMER’S DAY

JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS

CHRISTMAS TIME IS BEAUT

OH WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE

IN A RUSTY HOLDEN UTE

 Engine’s getting hot

Dodge the kangaroos

Swaggy climbs aboard

He is welcome too

All the family is there

Sitting by the pool

Christmas day, the Aussie way

By the barbecue!

OH, JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS

JINGLE ALL THE WAY

CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRALIA

ON A SCORCHING SUMMER’S DAY

JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS

CHRISTMAS TIME IS BEAUT

OH WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE

IN A RUSTY HOLDEN UTE

Come the afternoon

Grandpa has a doze

The kids and uncle Bruce

Are swimming in their clothes

The time comes round to go

We take a family snap

Then pack the car and all shoot through

Before the washing up

OH, JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS

JINGLE ALL THE WAY

CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRALIA

ON A SCORCHING SUMMER’S DAY

JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS

CHRISTMAS TIME IS BEAUT

OH WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE

IN A RUSTY HOLDEN UTE



Mini Christmas Puddings - Take 2

This is the same recipe as the other mini plum puddings with some minor changes...

Quick and easy little treats for Christmas - makes 20


400g Dark fruit cake
3 - 4 tablesppons orange liquor
20g dark choclate
1 tsp Orange peel
Mini paper cases

Crumble cake in a bowl, add a little liquor at a time to moisten.
When mixture is moist enough roll into balls big enough to fit paper cases,
place on a plate in freezer to firm up.
Melt chocolate in microwave on high for about 2 minutes.
Allow chocolate to cool a little then use a teaspoon to pour a little over each pudding.
Top with orange peel

Place back in freezer to set chocolate.

ENJOY ♥

Mini Christmas Puddings

Quick and easy little treats for Christmas - makes 20

400g Dark fruit cake
3 - 4 caps of sherry
20g white choclate melts
1 red & 1 green Jelly snake
Mini paper cases

Crumble cake in a bowl, add a little sherry at a time to moisten.
When mixture is moist enough roll into balls big enough to fit paper cases,
place on a plate in freezer to firm up.
Melt chocolate in microwave on high for about 2 minutes.
Allow chocolate to cool a little then use a teaspoon to pour a little over each pudding.
Cut small amounts of snake to use as holly & berries.
Place back in freezer to set chocolate.

ENJOY ♥

Scottish Shortbread

250g (8oz) Butter
1/3 cup castor sugar
1/4 cup ground rice or rice flour
2 1/4 cups plain flour

Allow butter to sit a room temperature for a couple of hours to soften.
Cream butter & sugar until light and creamy.
Stir in sifted flours in two batches.
When too siff to stir use hand to combine.
Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth.

You can choose many ways to cook shortbread.
♥ In a tin
♥ Shaped into fingers
♥ Use a shortbread mould
♥ Cookie Cutters - Reindeers, Angels, Stars and so on

Shortbread makes a lovely home made gift for family, friends & neighbours.

Enjoy - ♥ Caroline

The Custom of Sending Christmas Cards

The custom of sending Christmas cards started in the U.K. in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole. He was a civil servant (Government worker) who was very interested in the new 'Public Post Office' and wondered how it could be used more by ordinary people.

Sir Henry had the idea of Christmas Cards and with his friend John Horsley, who was an artist, they designed the first card and sold them for 1 shilling each. (That is only 5p today(!), but in those days it was worth much much more.) The card had three panels. The outer two showed people caring for the poor and the centre panel was a family having a large Christmas dinner! Some people didn't like the

card because it showed a child being given a glass of wine!

The first post that ordinary people could use was started in 1840 when the first 'Penny Post' public postal deliveries began. Before that, only very rich people could afford to send anything in the post. The new Post Office was able to offer a Penny stamp because new railways were being built. These could carry much more post than the horse and carriage that had been used before. Also, trains could go a lot faster. Cards became even more popular in the UK when they could be posted in an unsealed envelope for one halfpenny - half the price of an ordinary letter.

As printing methods improved, Christmas cards became much more popular and were produced in large numbers from about 1860. In 1870 the cost of sending a post card, and also Christmas cards, dropped to half a penny. This meant even more people were able to send cards.

An engraved card by the artist William Egley, who illustrated some of Charles Dickens's books, is on display in the British Museum. By the early 1900s, the custom had spread over Europe and had become especially popular in Germany.

The first cards usually had pictures of the Nativity scene on them. In late Victorian times, robins (an English bird) and snow-scenes became popular because the postmen in that time were nicknamed 'Robin Postmen' because of the red uniforms they wore. Snow-scenes were popular because they reminded people of the very bad winter that happened in 1836.

Christmas Cards appeared in the United States of America in the late 1840s, but were very expensive and most people couldn't afford them. It 1875, Louis Prang, a printer who was originally from German but who had also worked on early cards in the UK, started mass producing cards so more people could afford to buy them. Mr Prang's first cards featured flowers, plants, and children. In 1915, John C. Hall and two of his brothers created Hallmark Cards, who are still one of the biggest card makers today!

In the 1910s and 1920s, home made cards became popular. They were often unusual shapes and had things such as foil and ribbon on them. These were usually too delicate to send through the post and were given by hand.

This information found at : http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/cards.shtml

Mosaic Monday - Christmas Countdown #3

 1. Carolers Outside, 2. Live Nativity at Hamilton Church United Methodist Church, 3. Yosemite church in winter, 4. christmas windows

Legend of Poinsettia

Dr. Joel Poinsett, who was the first ambassador to Mexico, brought the bright red star-shaped flower to the United States. Hence, it was names as Poinsettia. It is also known as 'Flame Leaf' or 'Flower of the Holy Night'. The legend related to this favorite Christmas flower is Mexican too. However, there are two versions of the story. In one version, the two small children of the story are known as Maria and her little brother Pablo; while in another version, two cousins are mentioned by the names of Pepita and Pedro. Whatever be the names, the story goes like this:


There was once a brother-sister pair who was very poor. They lived in a village and they had barely enough to eat two full meals a day. As the Christmas time approached, festivities, parades and parties in the village attracted the children. The gaiety of the season in itself was quite charismatic. Moreover, a large manger scene was being set up in the village church and all the children were eager to go to Baby Jesus and give him the best present. Mario and Pablo also wanted to give expensive presents to the Holy Child that He will love. While all children were discussing, what they think is best for the baby and what they will buy as the gift for Him, Mario and Pablo knew that they had no money to buy the presents and had nothing that they could gift to the child.

Yet, they could not let go of the temptation to see the baby just once and give something to Him. On Christmas Eve, Maria and Pablo set out for church a little earlier than others to attend the service. Since they had nothing to give to the child, they thought of plucking some weeds that was growing along the roadside to make a soft bed for Baby Jesus and decorate his crib. While they were still decorating the crib of the Baby, other children also arrived. Now, children can be very cruel when it comes to teasing and making fun of others. Mario and Pablo were almost in tears for shame and helplessness when a miracle occurred. Suddenly, the weeds burst into bright red petals that looked like stars and were so beautiful that everyone was awed by their beauty. Everybody realized and said that a gift of love is dearer to Jesus than the most expensive presents that money could buy. Ever since then, Poinsettia flowers have become favorites for Christmas decorations.

Open the door of your heart this Christmas

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.”



― Laura Ingalls Wilder


This is one of my favourite Christmas quotes.

 
Christmas for so many in our community is such a sad and lonely time. On Monday I cooked Christmas lunch in one of our local community centers for 80 people with a wonderful team of volunteers (volunteers are very special people). We had a lovely day sharing the Christmas spirit together, telling stories, watching christmas power point presentations, singing songs and sharing in a lovely lunch. We have been the running the community lunch now for two years and it's a free service to our community. During this time we have got to know one another and shared the ups and downs together. I was moved last monday by one of our regulars who when leaving came over gave me a hug and said "Thank you for my Christmas" as tears ran down her face. It was not thanks for lunch but "Thank you for my Christmas". It made me realise how important the community lunch was for this one person as we shared in what was her Christmas.

How can you be a gift to another this Christmas?

The Candy Cane

A candy maker wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ.

He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the church, and firmness of the promises of God.

The candymaker made the candy in the form of a “J” to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our savior. It also represents the staff of the “Good Shepherd” with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.

Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candymaker stained it with red stripes. He used the tree small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Jesus on the Cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life, if only we put our faith and trust in Him.

Unfortunately, the candy became known as a Candy Cane - a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time. But the meaning is still there for those who “have eyes to see and ears to hear”.

The 12 Days of Christmas

Why was this song written and what is the significance to Christmas. Legend states that during the sixteneth century the Church of England forbid all religeous teaching about Christ other than theirs.

It is said that parents who refused to join the Church taught their children in secret through the song.

The song calls the giver of the gifts "My True Love" - James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from God.

A Partridge In A Pear Tree - A partridge is a small bird willing to give it's life to defend it's babies from harm. The partridge reminds us of Jesus Christ who died on the cross (Tree) to save mankind.

Two Turtle Doves - gentle birds of peace. Mary & Joseph offerd a sacricfie of doves when they presented Jesus to the Lord - Luke 2:22,24 -

Three French Hens - French hens could only be aforded by the wealthy. Jesus was presented with three expensive gifts by the wise men, Gold, Frankincence and Myrrh - Matthew 2: 10 -11 -

Four Calling Birds - each kind of bird has a uniqe call. Matthew, Mark, Luke & John each had a unique story to tell and they were recorded in the four Gospels.

Five Golden Rings - gold rings are treasured. The first five books of the old testament (the Torah) or the Law (God's directions) these are treasures worth more than Gold. They are Genesis, Exodus, Levitcus, Numbers and Deuteronomy - Psalm 19:9-10 -

Six Geese A-Laying - In China people would give an egg to friends when a new baby was born. The Bible talks of six new days of life in the creation Story - Genesis 1:31 -

Seven Swans A Swimming - a newly hatched swan as it grows changes from something of an ugly duckling to a thing of beauty. We know we are God's child beacause he has given to us his spirit. The seven swans remind us of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit - Romans 12: 6-8  -

Eight Maids A Milking - Babies are given milk  to help them grow.  Reading Gods wors is like drinking milk it will help us grow in heart, mind and spirit. Jesus taught his followers special syaing to help them grow strong in their faith, the are know as the Beatitudes - Matthew 5:3-10 -

Nine Ladies Dancing - Do you dance when you feel joyful? There are nine gift's of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindess, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control - Gelations 5:22-23 -

Ten Lords A-Leaping - Lords were important and they were to be obeyed. God has given to us Ten Commandments to obey - Exodus 20:2-17

Eleven Pipers Piping - A piper travled through villages playing happy tunes. As in The Pied Piper the children would follow him all over town. The Twelve disciples followed Jesus everywhere he went. But only eleven faithfully stayed with him. The disciples carried the mesage of God's love to the people
 - Mark 3:16-19-

Tweleve Drummers Drumming - The drummer beats out a steady rythym keeping everyone in time.  Christians belong to many diffirent Churches but one thing gives them unity - their common beliefs. The Apostles Creed lists twelve things Christians beleive about  God.

The Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
and born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Mosaic Monday - Christmas Countdown 2

Feeling a little Christmasy

Wow! how this year has passed and It's Christmas time again.
 For those who know me well they know  I love  Christmas. 
 I love everyhting about Christmas - still a child at heart.

I have collected some beautiful decorations over a number of years and

 enjoy re discovering them each Christmas as I decorate our home.

Have a peek at what's been happening around my house.

Christmas Tree - Presents All Wrapped

12 Days Of Christmas Quilt - Made by my Friend Vicki

A new tree decoration this year from my friend Sam

I love this vinatge Ornament

Quirky little Angel

My Army of Snowmen - Under my tree

Willow Tree Nativity 

The nativity stays up all year round - to stunning to pack away. 

I love this Boy & Girl the Lamp Post is new this year and lights up.

Moaic Monday - Christmas Countdown 1

1. cock robin, 2. christmas tree, 3. Fireplace at Bobbie's, 4. snow