THINGS THAT MAKE ME SMILE

 

• Getting a package delivered containing delicious goodies like Nomu Hot choc and sweet rub...
• Having an understanding spouse who says go back to bed when you are really not feeling well.
• Buying a nice set of speakers that makes music sound like it should = happiness :)
• Having a very helpful petrol attendant who knows what he's doing and doesn't make you feel like an idiot for not knowing too much about which coolant I need for my car. Thank you kind sir.
• Having an encouraging sister-in-law who helped me get over my moaning and then helped to talk me into a positive mood.
• Just breathing fresh air
• Kindness of strangers - having cute twitter messages from people I don't really know :)
• Feeling important even though I'm a small fry - to somebody you matter :)

how is your week going?

happiness :)

BREAKFAST FRY UP - BIG AND TRADITIONAL

 

Having had this delicious breakfast this weekend just gone by-  I am now drooling over my computer screen just thinking about it. errr sorry. Everyone should make one of these kinds of breakfasts every now and then. And the better the produce eg organic and free range - the better for your body and the better it tastes!

INGREDIENTS
1 large potato per person
3- 4 rashers of bacon per person
half a handful of mushroom per person
1 or 2 eggs per person

EXTRAS 
1 onion
oil (olive or whatever kind you use)
salt
pepper

some freshly crushed garlic

I do this in stages to make sure everything is cooked and warm and ready to be served.

The potatoes will take the longest to cook so you need to start with them. 
Peel and thinly slice the potatoes and place in a baking dish. Peel and finely chop up an onion and sprinkle on top of the potato. Drizzle with olive oil and place a little crushed garlic on top. Season with salt and pepper and place in the oven at 180 degrees celcius. Stir every 5 - 10 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking you can now fry the bacon in a frying pan with a little oil until crispy. Then place to one side.
Next chop your mushrooms into quarters and cook in a small pot or pan with some salt and  a little garlic. When ready place to one side.
When the potatoes in the oven are cooked through (remember to keep stirring them every now 5 - 10 minutes) have a pan ready for the eggs to be fried and put the mushrooms and bacon on a low heat to keep warm until dishing up. Turn on the grill of the oven while the eggs are frying and take the potatoes out so they don't get burned. When eggs are almost ready place them under the grill to cook any egg white (slime) that is still wobbly on top of the eggs.

Dish up everything and eat with seasoning and sauces of your choice.




ps the bacon in the photo I get from Cure Charcuterie at The Earth Fair Market in Tokai. And it is so delicious. It is worth every cent as it is hormone-free and free range and double delicious, = how bacon should taste :) ** I was in no way compensated to tell you this and I buy the bacon every week with no kick back - I just like it!!! Just Saying

THINGS THAT MAKE ME SMILE

 

• I am so glad it's Friday and Monday is a public holiday so YAY for long weekends
• Breakfast with a girlfriend is a great start to any weekend
• A clean house makes me happy - but the housework doesn't!
• I am loving listening to soulful and vibey Frank Sinatra - he always lifts my mood
• It is my wedding anniversary on Tuesday so I'm looking forward to presents!
• Some glorious weather and some relaxation is sure to make for some happy memories
• kids come up with the sweetest things 
• I'm looking forward to a long drive and some good music

 How is your weekend looking?

FASHION CUTENESS > CUTE PAPER DOLLS

 Look at these cute paper dolls myself and my daughter made this weekend.

I would love to say that I thought of this myself *sigh* but I can't. I found the inspiration from these cute pics below:

.

Aren't these paperdolls so cute? I wish I had thought of this!!

You can find the full tutorial here. Found on the b kids blog. I really need to start reading this blog more often :)

Happy Tuesday :) How was your weekend?

WHAT NEXT?

I've been going round and round in my head if I should write posts on this blog even if they are not food related. Now I don't mean about my family eg aww sweet my daughter lost her tooth posts. posts about stuff that interests me etc.... I know I write a post called "things that make me smile" every now and then and that is as far as i have gone to be un-foodie in a post.... You see I've have been trying not to fill my blog up with non food related matter as I feel I would make my blog change from a "foodie"blog to a "personal"blog.  And as much as I like reading other peoples personal blogs - I want my blog to be a niche blog. But turning out recipe posts is hard sometimes. Finding time to write out the recipes without missing anything out (or the recipe may flop!) and taking the pics and editing them ALL takes a lot of time and that means I post not as regularly as I would like. So I am hoping to have a mix of blogging stuff and see how it goes. I will post stuff and see the development... I like Pioneer Woman as she posts food, photography, home schooling, life on her ranch and other stuff but her website/blog is compartmentalized so if you like cooking you can just subscribe to cooking and if you like photography you can just subscribe to that. Not sure how to do that but I'm going to try posting various stuff and see.  So it may or may not contain things like: Food, Style & Decor, Photography, Health, Lists, Jewelry and Pretty things.

Thanks for understanding and I hope not to lose to many strict foodie recipe only blog followers (fingers crossed)


 Any thoughts about how I should do it? or what you would do??

CHOCOLATE CREAM / CHOC MOUSSE OR AWESOME HOT CHOCOLATE - you decide :)

Friday Inspiration

• buy a slab or 2 of chocolate (100g) and a tub of cream (250ml)
• make sure its good quality chocolate :) treat yourself 
• place half the tub of cream (125ml) in a double boiler - or in a bowl over a pot of boiling water and heat if up
• place in the slab/s of chocolate and stir every now and then until melted
• you should have a goopy mess of chocolate and cream - num
• try not to eat it
• now you can decide - to either 1) make chocolate mousse or 2) make an awesome hot chocolate
• for the choc mousse - take the choc cream off the heat and let cool slightly. While its cooling separate 3 eggs (whip the whites on there own until soft peaks form and then add 3 tablespoons of sugar to the egg whites and beat till medium to stiff peaks form). Whisk the yellows a little - stir these into the choc cream mixture. Now stir the beaten egg whites into the choc cream mixture. whip the remaining half a tub of cream until soft to medium stiffness and stir into the choc cream mixture - spoon into cups and place in the fridge for atleast 2 hours to set. you could eat right away but will be a bit runny.
• Awesome hot choc - take your choc cream mixture and add 1 and a quarter cups of milk and keep heating on the stove slowly until almost bubbling. Add some vanilla and a tiny sprinkling of salt (just a tiny pinch) pour into mugs and stir in some sugar to taste (if you wish). Whip the remaining half a tub of cream until medium peaks and spoon on top.

And there you have it - an awesome chocolate desert or drink :)


 I would do both :)





ps. I forgot to say you can make this into truffles to :) just take the choc cream mixture place in the fridge and leave till set then roll into bite sized balls and roll in cocoa. Place back in the fridge and eat as required - num