Lentils - yum, yum.

Don't believe me? Try these.

Here you go Mrs Smith.

Lentils in Red Wine

2 tbsp olive oil
1 stick celery finely diced
1 lrg carrot finely diced
1 lrg onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 cups lentils de puy or any small green/brown lentils
1 cup red wine
1 cup stock (veggie or beef is you prefer)
1 fresh bay leaf crushed
5 sprigs fresh thyme
3 tbsp chopped parsley

Fry the celery, onion and carrot in the olive oil in a large saucepan until onion is cooked.

Add the garlic and fry for a couple of minutes.

Add the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes.

Stir in lentils and wine and reduce for a few minutes.

Add the stock, 1 1/2 cups of water and the herbs.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 to 50 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the lentils are nicely cooked.


These are good with some creamy mashed potatoes and a glass of red.

Advice to self

If you're trying to get your figure back to something closer to normal DON'T eat all the cooking chocolate. Honestly, if you're going to eat chocolate why not at least make it good quality chocolate that you like!

I'm blaming sleep deprivation!

Don't get sand in your eggs

Happy belated Easter everyone. Hope yours was as lovely as ours.

The weather was stunning. It was warm, still and sunny. Too warm for a fire at night and I had to forego my ritual marshmallow charring.

We had 4 days at Binalong Bay, 2 of them with Gemma, Duncan and Edie. We had a great time and it seems they did too! So glad! I had the best sleeps I've had in months, the best of which I'm putting down to Dunc's amazing roast beef with a huge range of veggies and even cauliflower cheese, yum, yum. I felt they were trying to build up my iron and vitamin stores - so lovely.

Chloe and Edie enjoyed each others company and froliced in the water together. Sam swam every day but one and Chloe had her first dip in the ocean. She's always been worried about waves before. We went to Beer Barrel Beach and she even ran in and out of the water by herself. My was she proud!

Lots of sandcastles were built, chocolate eggs consumed and Gemma and I even got to scour the local collectables shops. Will show a couple of pictures of my finds soon.



This is Chloe's current fashion statement. Any attempt to discuss removing the band aid required a very, very brave mother. Those Wiggles have a lot to answer for.

By the way, Gemma has a competition on now and much as I'd like to limit the entries so I have more chance of winning, you should go enter.

My laptop may have to go to hospital tomorrow. Eeek. All my photos and documents have gone off somewhere - hopefully retrievable not into the ether or, basically, I'm going to be in disaster mode.

Birthday Girl

Chloe turned 2 on Thursday and had an afternoon tea party yesterday. She loved it and has really got the concept of presents now ("more present, more present?").

Sam and I did a team effort on the birthday cake and made a copy of Chloe's favourite sleep toy. We call him Seagie (short for Seagull). Everyone else thinks he's a duck or a goose - too bad! He's Seagull.

Not quite sure what Chloe's opinion of seeing her favourite rendered in butter cream. She looks a bit bemused. She did enjoy eating the cake.

I indulged myself and the kids and made chocolate crackles and fairy bread, sausage rolls (I did mean to do homemade ones, honest I did) and 2 shaped biscuits (someone should have told me in my tired and addled brain state that saying "Do you want a Number 2?" could be quite amusing). My Dad made a huge and wonderful trifle that was completely demolished by all the adults and the only concession to healthy eating was a fruit platter and I'd be prepared to bet Miss Chloe didn't go near it. I know I didn't!

Thanks for all your help Mum.

Gemma, the dress was a hit again!

Macaroons

Bayadère box, originally uploaded by biscuitbear.

I've been to Paris twice - once when there was ice and inch thick on the fountains and once when I had to buy a new outfit because it was so warm. The first time we visited we were on a very strict budget and we cooked chick pea stew in the hostel. I was fairly ignorant anyway and didn't realise what we were missing foodwise. We did buy mulled wine and piping hot dishes of creamy scalloped potatoes (not sure what the proper name is) and baguettes with warm ham and mustard at the Christmas markets and wandered around happily scoffing them.

The second time we had a bit more cash and I was happy to spend it on fruit tarts, baguettes, short blacks and nougat. One thing I regret was not sampling any macaroons. This time I'm planning a visit to Laduree or Pierre Herme. It's a given that I'll be choosing chocolate but maybe I'll be allowed a second and that will be when it gets difficult. Framboise, orange, cafe, pistache, licorice, mandarin???. Not foie gras though - definitely not! I've just been cruising flikr for macaroon shots and saw several with foie gras. I think you'd have to be French to want those ones.

On that visit I remember thinking I wouldn't really get into French food (apart from the cakes of course). I was completely and utterly wrong. We were taken out for a meal in Paris by a friend of Sam's father and it was amazing. After that I wanted to try everything I could. Luckily we were cycling and some of the eating was offset by riding. This time I may well have to go on a serious diet when we get back.

Can you tell I'm getting excited?

I have a bunch of ideas for some clothes I want to make for Chloe for her first overseas trip. It's less than two weeks until we leave now - I think I may be being overly optimistic. I did make a sweet top for her that I'm thrilled with. I'll post a photo tomorrow.

Cheesey Stars

Firstly, a quick reminder to enter the giveaway in the post below.


Chloe and I have been baking again. Or at least I've been baking and Chloe has been rubbing flour into the cracks between the floorboards. We made some cheese biscuits in little star shapes and they were a huge hit with Chloe. She normally refuses anything involving cheese (I do remember Sam and I having the somewhat deluded idea that we'd have a child who would even like olives - oh, how wrong we were she lives on peas, corn, beans, pasta, fish patties and chicken).

Cheesey Stars

100g plain flour
50g butter
50g cheddar grated
1 egg beaten

Preheat oven to 200 degreed C. Rub the butter into the flour then mix in the grated cheese. Mix in the beaten egg - you may have to use your hands for this. Roll out, using plenty of extra flour (all the better to make a mess with) and cut into shapes.

Our stars were very small and about 4mm thick and took just under 10 minutes to cook. So keep an eye on yours.


This is an incredibly simple recipe and whilst, not particularily healthy, I think we'll make them fairly often. Chloe enjoyed cutting out the stars and the finished product made me want to rush out and buy more cookie cutters. I may try using parmesan and cracked pepper for a grown up snack.

Snow?

Last weekend we thought we'd take Chloe up Ben Lomond to see some snow. We were late leaving and missed the last shuttle bus to the top. We had no snow chains so weren't allowed to drive up ourselves. This is a picture of the measly amount of snow Chloe got to see.

It was absolutely freezing but she loved it. We made some tiny snowmen and threw a few snowballs and then jumped back in the car and went home to hot chocolates.

Sam cooked Turkish lamb pies called sfiha of Baalbeck in the picture below. They were great and just perfect for serving at a cocktail party (if only!). The recipe was from the book Saha by Greg and Lucy Malouf.

Mmmm, yum.

Chloe and I got our aprons on this morning and did some baking. We made these.

Banana, Date and Rolled Oat Cookies

125g butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg yolk

1/3 cup mashed banana

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarb

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped dates

extra rolled oats for coating

Heat oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Beat butter, sugar and egg yolk until smooth.

Add banana, flour, bicarb, rolled oats and dates. Stir until combined.

Roll small tablespoon sized balls of this mixture in the extra oats and place on lined baking trays. Bake for about 15 minutes.

Give them a go there perfect for a winters day with a nice cup of tea. I know I've had my share already!

And don't forget to lick the spoon.

And please quietly ignore the mess in the background of this photo and the lack of camera skills in the next photo!

Mmmmmm!

We've just returned from a splendid late lunch at friends. Osso bucco followed by creme brulee. Nice wine and coffee. I'm, to use a great Australianism, full as a goog.

The three little girls had a lovely time playing and had their bath together. So cute.

Yesterday Sam surprised me with lunch at a local winery. Grilled flathead on chat potatoes followed by rhubarb and apple crumble with custard and apple sorbet. Sparkling wine and coffee. Needless to say I ate a bit too much then as well.

I'm feeling a bit spoilt - and I haven't done much work for a few days!

Morning tea

Today was Australia's Biggest Morning Tea a Cancer Council fundraising event. Chloe and I went to a morning tea at a good friends house and had a lovely time, eating, drinking and playing. In this spirit I thought I'd put up a recipe. Chloe and I have been going through a bit of a gingerbread man phase. The recipe is from a cookbook I had as a child hence the great aprons and wallpaper.

Gingerbread Men

100g plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

25g brown sugar

50g butter

75g golden syrup

1 tsp ground ginger

More flour for rolling

Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees C.

Cream butter and sugar. Mix in the golden syrup and ginger followed by the flour and bicarb.

Roll out on a board to about 4mm thick using lots of flour or it will stick.

Cut lots of cute men and women and babies and decorate - we use little m&M type chocolates.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.

Put the kettle on and make a cup of tea. Sit down and enjoy.