I tried out this new pearl couscous during the week and adored it. I knew it existed but had not seen it in the supermarket. It is much bigger and fatter than regular couscous and more nutty, less gritty - if you get my drift. I mixed it with coriander from the garden and then stirred it through a very basic crock pot chicken casserole and it was such a delicious result. So much so that son25 has decided to invest in a crock pot to try his hand at recreating this meal.
I have a dear, dear online friend in the States who I do box swaps with twice a year. She sends me American treats that I cannot find here and I send her and her little daughter Australiana odds and ends, edible and otherwise. This week I received a note from the PO asking me to collect a parcel. I just presumed it was something I had purchased on Ebay and set off on foot with the 2 dogs. The weather was inclement and I even checked the radar to ensure I did encounter a down pour on my walk. Well, there was certainly a parcel to collect - a whopping big box, courtesy of my generous friend. I was not going home without it so under my arm it went - quite a work out with the dogs in tow and you guessed it - it rained all the way home !!! It was full of marvellous treasures including loads of nuts, magazines and yoghurt covered pretzels - I was in heaven, once I finally got home and dried off. The remainder of the day was spent indoors reading and munching.
I have an addiction to oats, oatmeal, porridge, creamoata, semolina, muesli, granola - you possibly get the picture. A harmless vice you will agree. I try a different oatmeal recipe at least once a week. This one is incredibly fast and easy - place in the pot the oats, apple and water, bring to boil, simmer 10 minutes, turn out heat and let it sit and steam with a lid on for a further ten minutes then drizzle with honey, add skim milk and EAT. I could have consumed the entire pot but managed to hold off and so I have breakfasts ready to greet me for the rest of the week.
Look at that lush greenery, that freshly picked rocket, home grown with love [and luck} !!! Not a snail or earwig has taken a nibble. Somehow I have got a brilliant crop of rocket - it's going great guns or should I say it's growing great guns !! I get such pleasure when I get to whip out with my scissors and fill my colander with these spicy little leaves and then put them into a salad or a sandwich.
I work in a busy general practice. There are 7 doctors and the phone rings hot most of the time. This afternoon was no exception and it was crazy at work. All our doctors were fully booked and still the phone did not stop. In the midst of this I checked my mobile which I keep on silent when working. !!
The above message came from the travelling snow bunny, it came within the first hour of her seven hour bus trip to London. Now what is a mother to do especially when the child is on the other side of the world !! My return text suggested a sick bag !!!!!! You gotta laugh !!
The snowbunny/daughter21 is departing Cornwall. She has been there since April, enjoying the Cornish coastline and working hard at a family hotel. Now her adventures really begin as she heads to London, then Bordeaux, Toulouse, Madrid and Paris. She has friends to stay with at all these destinations mainly met via Club Med. It will be so exciting to experience these marvellous places and see old faces. So tonight she will sleep in her Cornish bed for the last time, work her last shift and get on a bus to London.
Travel safe, my darling xxx
Tiddy [nickname of son25] came for lunch today bringing a large organic chicken and a can of beer. He proceeded to cook lunch using these 2 ingredients, a little olive oil and a generous sprinkle of dukkah. The can of beer is opened, half either drunk or discarded then the chicky is eased onto the open can and oil and dukkah applied to skin. Then the entire thing is cooked upright in the oven at 190 C for as long as it takes - size dependent. This results in a silky moist roasted chicken with the smell of yeast wafting through the house. We served the delicious meat on buttered slices of sourdough bread with extra dukkah and black pepper and had the best ever weekend lunch, snug and happy sitting at the table enjoying ourselves while outside it rained and poured like no tomorrow.
Here is a dish that could be breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, supper, a snack, hot or cold , jazzed up or not, served with salad or toast etc, etc. It surely screams versatility. I whizzed up 6 eggs, a cup of skim milk, a cup of tasty grated cheese and a handful of parsley from the garden and then baked ! It is as simple as that. It rose up prettily, all puffy and golden and we ate it just out of the oven, unadorned, no sides and no jazzing up. What a perfect culinary example of less is more !!
A mother's life is often quite drearily filled with household chores, unrewarding at best .Not to mention the endless amounts of cooking that go on year in, year out often without much appreciation so when I got a text saying "best muffin" I was overjoyed. I had made a batch of choc chunk and walnut muffins. They looked good coming out of the oven and I dutifully sent one to school for lunch with babydaughter18. Lunchtime arrived and she was not too excited by the look of the muffin apparently but one bite changed all that so much so that she sent THAT text !! It made my day !!
I had used a loaf recipe and transposed it into muffins, as usual, hoping for the best !!
Recent Comments