This and that...

Friday night last, I made this yummy Chicken & Speck Pasta Bake by Kate Bracks (MasterChef) - the link is here

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Brown 500gms chicken breast then stir fry off the vegetables (I added mushroom because we love it)

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After making the white sauce using stock, white wine and flour and milk, add this to the chicken and veggies.

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I used this Vegeroni pasta (not sure if this is available in all states as its SA made I believe).
(I could not get this picture to turn no matter how hard I deleted and retried - grrr, blogger!

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Top with fine bread cumbs and parmesan cheese, then bake for 15-20 minutes until crust has browned.

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Delicious to the last mouthful!

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Kirby had really good news last Friday night.  Apart from completing an Advertising School course and achieving a High Distinction for it, she also received a promotion to Media Executive.  We are very proud!

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Saturday, I made Creme Caramels from Rachel Khoo's Little Paris Kitchen book - her blog is here

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They were turned out really well, although I need to read the recipe a bit better next time.

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They were a bit rough around the edges but very yummy.  I need to tweak the custard next time.
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I also made this huge loaf of soy and linseed bread - just mixed the dough in my bread maker, let it rise until nearly done then transferred the dough to a loaf pan.  I finished off the last of the loaf this morning, it makes lovely toast.

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A sign I found on the internet...
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Sunday afternoon was spent with friends and my sister and brother in law.  Just sitting around the chiminea having a few wines and beers.  Lots of laughs....

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Pink Lady apples were on sale at our IGA for $1.99/kg.  Woolworths have them for $4.98 at the moment so I have been buying bags full!

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All cut up ready for juicing...

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Pure Pink Lady juice...

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Deeelicious!

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Breakfast, I think my favourite meal of the day.  What do you like for brekky?  I like eggs on toast (that's my homemade bread) -boiled/poached, baked beans on toast, sardines on toast, cheese and vegemite on toast... can you see I like toast?

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Monday afternoon I made Anzac biscuits.  I had a brain wave to put cranberries in them, then I though ... that makes them CRANzacs!  What a discovery!  I googled them and ... lots of other people have had the same idea, obviously.  I'm not a trailblazer afterall!

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They are very gooood!

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Strawberries have also been cheap at $1.68 a large punnet so I bought 6punnets and made strawberry jam.  I got 7 jars and a full jar of strawberry syrup.

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I plan to make vanilla bean icecream this coming weekend and swirl the syrup through the icecream them re-freeze.  Strawberry swirl icecream - my favourite!  What's your favourite flavour?

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Since coming home from our holidays, I've been craving home cooked, home-style meals.  Last night I needed to have roast lamb... I didn't put anything on the leg at all, nothing.

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I love when the veggies get all brown from the pan juices...

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Just like Mum used to make!

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I burned my thumb late last week, getting a bowl of food out of the microwave, my thumb nail pierced the glad wrap and STEAM burn!!! Yeeouch!

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I was very careful not to let the blister pop too soon, keeping it covered with Band-aids and as dry as possible.  The blister let go 2 days later but I still kept it covered.

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This is it today, its still got a way to go (and has come out redder at the day has gone on) but I have stopped it from peeling and going all nasty as burns tend to do.  Rivetting stuff, I tell you!

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What's going on in your corner of the world?  The weather here is so changeable - one day I have summer pants on then like today, I am back in winter woolies because its cold, wet and windy!

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I need to get out in my garden this weekend if possible - I have carpet roses to prune, even though they have shot out green again.   I am way behind!

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Off to Weight Watchers tonight - not sure how I'll go this week having eaten all those nice things.  I did manage to come back from 5 weeks holiday and when I weighed in I was 200 grams less (yes, LESS!!!) than when we went away.  The scales at Weight Watchers do not lie!!

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Cheers - Joolz xx