This post covers Saturday, Sunday and Monday, and is being posted on Tuesday :)
Summer has arrived! The first of December brought with it a stunning start to the day. I know- I got to see it firsthand. My Christmas miracle came early. I woke before my sweet bubby after nearly 8 hours sleep. Eight hours people! Can you believe it?! Look below for shots of the glorious greeting I got just for being up early...
The sun is just peeking over the field...
...before it burst into full blown glory.
How stunning does this vine look with the sun behind it!
It was a privilege on the weekend to celebrate a significant milestone- my mother and father-in-laws 35th wedding anniversary. Quite an achievement in this day and age! I hope that when I'm in my 80's, hubby and I can have achieved the same. We celebrated as a family at Osteria at Casuarina. Below is a sample of the food I enjoyed...
Smoked salmon with lemon as a side...
...which I added to a greek salad. In all honesty- the salad was very sweet and had a whole 3 pieces of feta. I must admit, I was disappointed with this salad. Nothing at all in the recipe stated sugar, yet it contained so much- even the sticky balsamic glaze. So frustrating. I'm glad I got to sample some other foods too from the share plates.
After all of that, I couldn't resist this- a velvety, flour-less chocolate cake. My sis-in-law is the queen of amazing cakes and the decoration of :)
And what did it feel like to eat sugar again? It woke me up from my sleep deprivation! How sad, but true.
On the weekend, I wanted to attempt an easy, filling dish for the family. I have mentioned before about some large appetites, so I have been trying to come up with healthy, filling meals on a budget. I saw this recipe in my new mag and thought I'd give it a go. The original was meant to be a vegetarian version. Hubby hates peas, but the reason I didn't use them was simple- we have run out.
The recipe is for a Pea & Capsicum Penne Pie. Look below to see my version...
I boiled the 300gms of penne pasta as directed.
But no peas here. Yep, you guessed it, bacon found it's way into this dish. here, it is being sauteed with red onion.
I did use capsicum, just not the roasted stuff. I was way too tired to be bothered, so it just got added to the bacon and onion.
The bacon, capsicum and onion was added to the drained pasta. To that, i added 2 heaped tablespoons of home made tomato pesto, some dried parsley, some pepper, 3/4 cup shredded cheese, 2 large dollops of sour cream and 3/4 cup of cream. It said bechamel sauce, but no way did I have the patience or energy to make that! Lastly, I added 3 lightly beaten eggs before mixing away.
This mix was put into 2 spring form tins, well greased, topped with another 3/4's a cup of cheese and baked in a 180 degree oven for about an hour.
And here you have it- one large for the fam, and one small for hubby's lunch as he manned the gallery where his exhibition is on Monday.
The recipe said to let it sit for an hour after cooking. I did not. Hubby may have fainted from hunger if I had- it was a lengthy process to make as it was. It was a little runny in the middle, but still firm enough to stand. Would I make it again? Unsure. It was filling and cheap, but just takes so long to make.
Monday morning, I felt back on track after my cake indulgence.
This was my breaky: yoghurt mixed with protein powder and pepitas, topped with blueberries.
I even made a special purchase for Monday's family dinner night as I was sure my non teen would approve...
Tempeh, here being marinated in soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice and a little rice malt syrup.
I even made a large batch of fresh mayo...
...before getting stuck into my most hated job, peeling spuds.
The peeled spuds were sliced (thank you yet again Kylie Mozer for your generous, sanity saving gift!), placed in an oiled baking tray and then covered with the small jar of homemade mayo before it was then covered in foil and placed in a moderate, 180 degree oven for an hour. After the hour, I coated the top in cheese and baked for a further 30 mins, turned the oven off, re-covered the bake and let it sit in the oven while I prepared dinner. this ensures that the spuds all steam if some haven't cooked through.
This is the meal I prepared my teens and hubby. The 'twinkie' looking item is cream cheese filled, crumbed chicken.
And this is what my non teen and I had. Though I did end up sharing half of my non teens potato bake. Devine, I must say!
The salad was good- fresh corn, herbs from my garden, a simple dressing. The tempeh- I didn't like. My non teen enjoyed hers however. I wasted mine, sad to say.
You have to try new things. My sweet bubby did- she ate half a fresh avocado today, and her first ever mashed potatoes for dinner. I'm so glad, as her first taste of steamed carrot was hilarious, and not at all successful!
Alas, I must confess, it happened again. I. Ate. Sugar. There, confessed. Honestly, I do regret it. I instantly heated up, which made sleeping unpleasant. I also woke up so thirsty. I don't like how it makes me feel. At all. Lesson learnt. The positive to come out of this was- I no longer crave it, and my non teen and I are going to do a home version of Sarah Wilson's 8 week I Quit Sugar program from December 26th. That gives us time to go through her 2 recipe books- which thankfully has the program included, and find recipes we like and can do together. We may not live together, but having a health buddy makes the journey so much easier, especially at Christmas. I am personally determined to not eat sugar again at all, though i am aware, it may happen, even unintentionally like in the case of a deceptive sugary salad.
Before I conclude, last night, the first of December, we did our family tradition, with it's newest member: putting up the tree and decorations.
A simple star atop our well loved tree.
Not even the stairs are safe from my decorating enthusiasm!
It's a new season. Let new things happen. I for one am personally excited!
Until next post, thanks for reading :)
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