mosaic road

3 Ingredients Only

A bag of baby carrots, a generous slurp of olive oil and a big handful of oregano is all it takes !! Then roast till crispy. This makes a great side dish or a very moreish and healthy snack. Try other herbs too, as the song says  - parsley, sage, rosemary or thyme, all work beautifully.

Le Tour de France - a petit version

Today I am riding a mini version of this epic race. It takes place in our gym at this time of year. Forty of us will ride a scaled down version over three hours and it will be virtually non stop hill climbing. Alpe D'Huez here I come !! I have done this bike 'class' once before about 4 years ago - I was younger and fitter  - and it was tough going then ! So this is quite a personal challenge and I will reward myself at the end, not with a yellow jersey but with a bath and a glass of champagne, French of course !!

No Dogs on the Furniture

Inside or out, that is !! Talk about nestled in !! And no guilt whatsoever as I took pic !!

 

 

A Dose of Cuteness

I can't quite see this happening with the new royal baby  and the corgis !!

You Saw it Here First !!!!

The lastest culinary fad has hit our shores -  the CRO-NUT is here and you will not find them at Krispy Kreme outlets !! I had some of one today and cannot imagine eating one in it's entirety though others around me waxed lyrical. Yes, when croissant meets donut, the calorific cro-nut is born. Rings of fried croissant pastry are iced and sandwiched  with a lemony creme. My 89 year old mother sourced them after reading about their emergence. She set off on a search and located them at a high end patisserie. So, now you may ask, where's the cro-nut hole. Well, watch this space. I know it won't be long before they too will be on the market in some form or rather and my mum is sure to find them first !!

Bestever Vegetable Chowder

I am unsure what turns soup into a chowder. Is it the addition of milk maybe ??  I prefer my soup to be dairy free except for maybe  a yummy dollop of cheese on top. This vegie chowder was made with stock and was dense and hearty with beans and broccolini and diced potato plus a smidge of diced bacon. Dinner tonight was this fabulous bowl of goodness.

A Quick Zesty Mayo

I generally feel ambivalent about mayonnaise and prefer to dress my salads as lightly as possible but thought I would give this version a go. Any amount can be made and then seasonings and additives of your choice get mixed in, a little bit like the mix-ins at Cold Rock. The mayo [ I used Praise Fat Free] is combined with plain yoghurt then salt and pepper . I spiced mine up with cayenne but garlic and/or fresh herbs could get thrown in or any combo from your spice rack. It is zesty and a great change from my usual viniagrette.

Sticky Honey Cake

This is the delicious result of my weekend baking !! I made a glistening glazed Honey Cake that cuts beautifully. It is loaded with walnuts and soaked in syrup. Way too hard to resist !!

Talk About Extremes.

A tropical fruit salad is such a pretty way to start a hot day !! Then a duck salad rounds off a hot Balinese evening. I want my holiday back !!

I have gone from salads and light summer eating to hearty"stodge" style winter eating in a matter of days.  I have gone from not being really hungry due to the heat of the days in Bali to seeking comfort foods due to our freezing wintry conditions. I have gone from wearing bathers to wearing themals and mittens - depressing stuff !!

Chunky veg soup topped with a handful of cheddar is  great wat to ward off the chills after taking the dogs out in the misty night for their 3rd walk of the day.

And a rosy rhubarb crumble is the perfect pud to follow after the soup.

 

Breakfasting at Cire

Yesterday's blog was on that striking and incredible view of the Uluwatu  coastline. Well, the food matched the environs and we enjoyed it immensely. The menu was unusual in that there were no prices and at the top it suggested that about 3 items should be ordered per person as the portions were small. This gave the diner a chance to sample many offerings. We are not ones to hold back so we did as advised.

The portions were perfectly sized and perfectly divine. All in all we had 3 coffees, an oat berry smoothie, berry oatmeal, rice banana cakes, a nasi goreng and a bread basket - loads of food ! When we went to pay the waiter said he would charge us only for one person as we did NOT  eat enough for two !! Then as Mastercard was used to pay the bill we were given a 10% discount !! When does this ever happen???  I cannot wait to retun !!