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  Today's recipe is the type of recipe everyone should have tucked up their sleeve.  It comes in very handy when you are not ready yet to go shopping and you find yourself with a few bits in the refrigerator which are still good to use, but not enough that a person could make a meal of them on their own.   I will often find myself with a piece of a head of broccoli, an onion, perhaps a carrot or two, a couple pieces of bell pepper, a tomato, etc.   You know what I mean.   There is nothing wrong with them but for the fact that there are not huge amounts of them. Its happened to us all, but that doesn't mean that any of these tasty vegetables should go to waste, or that you need dash to the store until you really want to.   You can make a delicious, quick and easy stir fry with them by adding a bit of this and a bit of that and a lot of ingenuity!   One thing I love about stir fries is you don't need a lot of anything really, not even the protein part . . . and almost anythin

I do get sent the cutest things.    I was recently sent these cute little cookery books published by hachette Printworks ltd.   They each contain 30 recipes. The first one uses French's Mustard.  This recipe in it for Crabcakes looks really tasty!  There are a total of 30 different recipes for salad dressings, casseroles, sandwiches and dips etc.  All looking very delicious. Next is one for French's BBQ sauce This recipe is for Braised BBQ Pork!  Doesn't that look delish??   I think it does!   I have never thought of using BBQ sauce in a vinaigrette salad dressing before, but they have! And it looks really tasty.  There are also recipes in this little book for stuffed peppers and steaks and chops, casseroles, etc.   A beautiful compendium. In the third book the recipes use Frank's Redhot Sauce.  I always have a bottle of that in the cupboard and like to add a splash to lots of things. These Chicken Satay Skewers look absolutely delicious . . .   Next up I am going t

       I was wanting something very simple for supper one night this week.  Something which didn't require a lot of time, or effort, or ingredients. Something which would use what I had to hand in the house, and yet at the same time, I wanted it to be delicious and filling, and pleasing in every way . . . eye, smell, taste etc. If you have eggs in the house, you always have a simple supper in the making.  They are so very versatile, and most people like them.   Well, that's been my experience at any rate.   We only ever very seldom have eggs for breakfast.   I would say we more often than not have them for supper if we are having them. They are a wonderful and inexpensive source of protein.  I only buy free range organic eggs, because I think this is an area where these types of things truly matter.  I refuse to support an industry that cages hens, and at the end of the day, when it comes to egg, free range and organic do taste better. This is a great way to use up some sta

       We have been trying to eat less meat in this house lately, and much more in the way of vegetables.   Partly for economics and partly for other reasons.  You may have noticed . . .   I had some chestnut mushrooms that needed using up the other day and so I thought to corporate them into a macaroni and cheese casserole.    It ended up being really, really delicious! I did an herbed cheese sauce, using two types of cheese along with some tarragon.  I love the flavour of tarragon.  It goes really well with cheeses and mushrooms actually . . . I also added some chives and thyme.  Both for flavour and colour.  You could use fresh herbs, but I think when they are being incorporated into a sauce like this, it doesn't really matter.  I always use the Bart Freeze Dried Herbs though . . . they hydrate really well, so it's almost like fresh herbs.  Change your herbs often.   I change mine at least twice a year.   The Toddster always says he doesn't like pasta, but then he has

  I am such a lucky girl.  I often get sent the nicest things.  I have always wanted an Emma Bridgewater Mug.  My ex boss had several in her mug drawer in the kitchen and I always loved using them.  I have been known to go to the Emma Bridgewater Page and drool for hours at a time, wishin' and hopin' . . .   I know Susan Branch loves them too and she shared her visit to the plant with us in her latest book.  (Which I devoured from cover to cover!) Imagine my excitement when this box arrived in the post late last week.  I could hardly wait to open it!  What did I find inside????  Well . . . None other than their brand new 2013 Halloween half pint mug !!  I know!!!  So excited!   A Halloween celebration of the ghoulish gourd and hand decorated with beautifully coloured hand-sponged pumpkins!!   It's generous size makes it just perfect for a warming brew or cup of soup on All Hallows’ Eve.    I love the colours!  It's so perfectly pretty, and decorated both inside and

We love chicken in this house and it is a meat which I serve often as it is not only affordable but something which readily adapts itself to many flavours and cooking methods.   Sometimes I stuff it and roast it whole, which is very, very nice.  Not to mention you then have the leftovers to turn into delicious casseroles and lets not forget a tasty soup from the bones. More often than not though, I like to use pieces, either breasts or leg quarters, sometimes boneless, and at others bone in . . .any way you cut it, chicken is our favourite protein of choice. Today I chose to use chicken leg quarters, which I rubbed with a spice mix, drizzled with olive oil and then simply roasted in the oven until the skin was nicely crisped, whilst leaving the flesh tender and juicy.  It's one of the Toddster's favourite meals, served up with potato of some sort and vegetables.  You can't go wrong.  Kiddos love this too!  And best of all it's quick, easy, economical and tasty! *Spi

     This is a lovely cake that I always used to make using just apples.   They almost melt into the cake, making it beautifully moist.   The other day I had some pears that I wanted to use as well, and so I used half pears and half apples with the most delightful results!!     I kicked up the spice a bit.  Normally I use only cinnamon, but pears go so very well with cardamom . . . and nutmeg is a warm spice that goes well with most fruits, and so I added some of each of those.   WHAT A BEAUTIFUL CAKE.  No, not to look at, it's actually kind of ugly to look at, but flavour-wise, this cake cannot be beat.  It's just gorgeous!     I added some toasted walnut pieces for a bit of crunch.  I do like a cake that is interesting and has different bits in it, don't you???  But fear not, if nuts are not your thing, you can easily leave them out, no problem.  Likewise the sultanas.     I had some caramel sauce left from the  other day when I made those pumpkin fritters.  A bit of tha