~Cook Up with donna hay and Irina~

I have finally gotten around to posting a recent cook up we have had here YAY!!!

Above are Chillies for the meal

From donna hay magazine Issue 73 Feb/Mar 2014

Menu is

Sweet Pickled Chilli and Lime Ribs......recipe over here

Crispy Coconut Rings

Cabbage, Celery and Cucumber Slaw with Tahini Dressing

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Brownie Ice-Cream Bars

I began the night before by cooking the ribs with coriander, lime leaves, onion, lime, ginger, salt, vinegar and sugar.

I then made the Sweet Pickled Chillies and rubbed it over the ribs and refrigerated it overnight

The Cabbage, Celery and Cucumber Slaw with Tahini Dressing

and all plated up!!!

Those Onion Rings were so delicious and very, very moorish!!!

The Coriander garnish........from our garden just gave it all so much flavour!!!

The Dessert called for store-bought Brownies but being gluten free Mr Armchair had bought this box of Melinda's Heavenly Chocolate Fudge Brownies so I thought give it a go!!!

The Brownies turned out perfectly!!!

However I did make my own ice- cream though using Tilba Jersey Cream

The recipe did say use smooth Peanut Butter and I didn't

The result being little bits of nuts on the top LOL

Lucky I got these shots in as I just about forgot them!!!

A delicious meal and those Ice Cream Bars were something else.....a bit crunchy!!!

Irina has joined me in these cook ups so follow the link here if you want to see what she has been cooking up!!!

Bon Appetit......Dzintra xo

~Girls Days/Nights Out~or It's All About The Food and ~P A R I S~

Friday morning we went up the Clyde Mountain and into Canberra
The weather was wet......cold......bleak

even some melted snow I spotted

but that didn't deter this group of girls from catching up!

This bunch of schoolfriend gals have been friends since we were under 10 years old

And a couple of us since babies......Hi Kerrie!!!!!!

In the pice above is Angela......me......Kerrie......Lynn and Kathryn

And what did we do

We ate......talked......laughed

The next day we did it all over again 

Started off with Breakfast

Went shopping at Canberra DFO (Direct Factory Outlets) and I happened upon Provincial 

Of course I stopped when I saw this sign P A R I S

You see......my Son had offered me a trip to New Zealand next year for my B I G birthday

and then also gave me the choice of  ~P A R I S~

Holey Dooley!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where to start????????

First up the obvious.......yes of course, let's pack!!!!!

Then the reality......what to do with JoJo

There is no centre based respite here

Perhaps she can go to DS and be helped by his Partner's Mum

but they have full time jobs...

So much to think about

It may not even happen at this stage due to the logistics of it all

but then again I can keep dreaming......can't I?

If you look at my side bar the essay by Emily Percy Kingsley (a Mum of a child with a disability) describes it all beautifully!!!

Emily Perl Kingsley is a writer who joined the Sesame Street team in 1970 and has been writing for the show ever since.

Her son Jason Kingsley was born with Down Syndrome in 1974.  Her experiences with Jason inspired her to include people with disabilities into the Sesame Street cast, including an actress who uses a wheelchair, Tarah Schaeffer, and even Jason himself. Jason's story was the topic of an hour-long NBC television special in 1977, titled "This Is My Son," and with co-author Mitchell Levitz, Jason wrote the book "Count Us In: Growing Up With Down Syndrome."

source ~Wikipedia~

Back to Provincial

a white dresser for crockery

the same in black

and then timber

We went back to our room and sipped some bubbly with strawberries

Went out again

and ate some more

Sunday saw us off to the fabulous Kingston Markets where I had a Hot Spiced Apple Cider

Check out the size of the Cinnamon Bark for the Hot Mulled Wine

Yep, that's right......more eating......Breakfast

lots of wool on sale

Got talking to the lady of this gorgeous stall Provencal Chic

Check out these gluten-free Florentines made by Divine & Delicious

Mr Armchair and JoJo came to pick me up  

and of course trust JoJo to find the musician playing at the Markets

Jazz Latin Guitarist Gavin Rene Libotte from Urban Gypsies

Thanks so much Gavin for your time and we love your CD!!!!!

Now back to the real world for me

A one where people our age are contemplating retiring/kicking back/travelling

we are still doing bedtime and bathtime
 Having said that we wouldn't have it any other way as JoJo teaches us so much and continues to do so

And like Emily says in her essay
There are also beautiful things in Our World!

~A Gardener's Journal......Block H...and Dinner to Celebrate~

I'm nearly there...

Presenting Block H of A Gardener's Journal by Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched

I am part of Stitch-a-long hosted by Chookyblue for this quilt

Woo Hoo one to go.........and I'm excited!!!!!

Violet Wreath

Seed Packets

All together in the block

And waiting for Block I to join in to the rest of this beautiful quilt!!!!!

So after photographing the block I thought this was worth a special meal

I used Donna Hay's 50th issue birthday edition

and chose Veal Cutlets with Sherry Mushrooms and Giant Yorkshire Pudding

I had done this meal in a Cook Up before over here

I'm not a big mushroom fan but I have recently discovered Swiss Brown mushrooms and love them!!!

Yorkshire Pudding all cooked

Mr Armchair, JoJo and I think we should have this pudd more often!!!

Together with vegies a great meal on a cold night....

and I like a lot of sauce!!!

I thought I would include the recipe for Yorkshire Pudding...this one is a gluten free one and is adapted from the donna hay magazine

~  3/4C gluten free plain flour
~1/4t sea salt
~ 2 eggs
~ 2/3C milk
~ 2/3C water
~ 2 T oil...I used coconut oil which made for a very interesting flavour

Oven 220c
18cm round cake pan
Cook 25-30m
Serves 4-6

~  Place flour, salt, eggs milk and water in bowl and whisk to combine
~  Set aside for 30m
~  Pour oil into cake tin and heat in oven for 5m
~  Pour batter into tin and cook for 25-30m or until puffed and golden
~  Serve immediately

Some gluten free pastry from Rick's Pantry

Together with some Pampas Pastry

Topped with Strawberries and Cream......pure indulgence!!!

Bon Appetit......and Happy Stitching ~Dzintra~