Rant and Cross Stitch Progress

Thanks to the current run of disgustingly hot days, I've done some work on my Old School Is Cool cross stitch from CloudsFactory. As I mentioned in my previous post, I didn't have all the floss colours required for this project, so I purchased the ones required online. Now, this isn't a whinge about paying for postage because I have no issue whatsoever with that, it's a bit of a whinge about the size of the parcel!

So I purchased nine skeins of floss from Spotlight. Now unless you're ordering a huge amount of floss, it pretty much weighs nothing, however, it arrived in a 3kg bag!!!! Not only did the postage cost almost as much as the contents, but nine skeins could have been posted in a much, much smaller bag. Apart from the ridiculous price of postage, imagine how many people aside from myself are purchasing floss online from Spotlight and are being posted this size bag, which is then thrown into general rubbish and goes into landfill! In the future, I'll no longer be ordering floss from Spotlight unless I'm purchasing other items which require a box that can be recycled.

Rant over, onto my progress. I've finished one out of five cassette tapes and started a second. I still haven't decided what titles I'll put on them as yet, but as those are backstitch and I leave that until the very end, I've still got plenty of time to think about it.

This is my first-time stitching on opalescent aida and I'm not sure I'll stitch on it again. You can't see the sparkles in the photo, but they're there. Some of the sparkles are also over the holes and create some resistance on the needle and to the floss. The aida itself also has a sticky feeling, liked it's coated with hairspray... Who knows? Maybe by the time I finish, the feeling will no longer be an issue for me.

Our new Annette Sym - Symply Too Good To Be True recipe books arrived as well, we also ordered the Healthy Snack Bible and for some reason, it was missing from the order, so I've emailed them about this. Apart from this book being missing, the newly revised editions are great! Both the photos and instructions are clearer, and the nutritional information tables have extra information as well. So if you're wanting to change your diet as well as controlling your portion sizes, I can't recommend these books enough! 

2018

My poor, poor blog! Only one post last year and none in 2016! What can I say? 2017 kept me busy and quite preoccupied. I plan on making a more concerted effort this year to blog. Trust me, there were many times last year when I wanted to blog, however, I chose not to as I didn't want to commit to re-starting when I wasn't sure I could follow through lol

So committing to this blog for 2018 isn't a new years resolution, I don't do those lol I do however set goals! 

So what are some goals for this year? Well, my first two are:-
1) Making an effort to write posts for this blog even if they're about absolutely nothing (just so the blogosphere knows I'm still alive and kicking because I know you all fret when I'm not about lol) :) 
2) Lose weight. Yeah I know this starting to sound like a resolution lol It isn't! I've never been one to be overweight in the past, but I am now and changes have to be made. I'm not talking about going on a diet because diets are temporary and "fadish", I'm talking about making a sustainable lifestyle change (to quote a friend). I'll add more goals as I go along, that's the difference between goals and resolutions, they're not set in concrete, they can be added, changed or removed completely.

How am I planning on my lifestyle change? Well, prior to owning the shop my wife and I used to cook from Annette Sym cookbooks. Somewhere along the line we cooked less of her food and ate more junk or became a little blase with our diet. The long hours of owning the shop - I believe had quite a bit to do with this.

We own books 1-7 of the original versions and they were all revised at the end of last year, so yesterday we purchased the full set of the revised editions. You're probably wondering what's so special about her books? They're no fuss recipes, the ingredients used aren't obscure - use them once and push them to the back of the pantry type ingredients, each recipe has a Nutritional Information Table, there's a wide range of cuisines, they contain recipes for snacks, breakfast, lunch, dinner, sweets, cakes, drinks, etc. Last but not least, her books are endorsed by Diabetes Australia.

I think one of the problems today surrounding food and diets is that there's so much information at our fingertips online. The issue is that it isn't all correct! Everyone wants a quick fix and that's what so many of the fad diets promise. To be healthy, it just takes a bit of common sense. For our body to function correctly, it needs to be nourished properly. Forget the low fat, high fat, no sugar, high protein, no protein diets. They're simply not sustainable! Look at portion control and eating a wide variety of veg, fruit, protein etc. As well as getting up off your butt and moving a bit more. Food is the fuel that powers your body, a cliche I know, but it's true. For the record this isn't a sponsored post, just my experience in using Annette Sym's "Too Good To Be True" recipe books. If you're interested in what she has to offer, there are some sample recipes on her website.

Okay, I'm outta here! I'll catch you next time!

Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation

My wife started the Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation challenge about a month ago, and she has lost weight, however in saying that, she also goes to the gym six out of seven days. I have been eating the same diet and have not seen any change.... Not that I was expecting too! lol You can't just eat without exercise and expect to lose weight.

So where am I going with this post I hear you ask? lol Okay, Could I eat MB's food for the rest of my life? No. Does it taste any good? Most of it... Yes you're correct if you're hearing a 'but'.... lol The easiest way I can put this is that, say for example, you only eat 'light ice cream', you wouldn't want the regular stuff. However if you're one of those people who eats regular ice cream occasionally, then has a mouth full of the light stuff, you will immediately notice a change in both the taste and the texture. This is the best way I can describe MB's food.

Now I consider that what we have always eaten, to be considered as healthy food. The reason my wife started this challenge, was because she had plateaued with her weight loss, and thought that a change of diet/food might get things moving again, which it has. 

One of my curries.

So why do I have a 'but' when it comes to how does it taste? lol Okay here's another example. We don't eat curries all the time, remember... Eat in moderation... Curries are often high in calories as they usually contain coconut milk or cream, plus they are served with rice. MB's curries exchange the coconut milk/cream for stock. So again, in that first mouthful you immediately notice a difference in taste and texture. Yes, it kind of tastes like a curry, but it doesn't taste like a 'true' curry. 

Another example is, that instead of serving a dish such as a stir fry or a curry, that would normally be served with rice, it's served with pureed cauliflower. Now there's nothing wrong with pureed cauliflower, it tastes fine with some cracked pepper thrown in, but it isn't an adequate substitute for a carbohydrate, and I find that about an hour after dinner..... I'm starving!! Instead serve the pureed cauliflower as a side dish, but not part of the main meal, otherwise - like me, you'll be raiding the pantry, an hour after dinner and probably eat something you shouldn't.

Most dishes are also served with a side of steamed beans, asparagus etc. Again, I don't have a problem with steamed veg. I have a bamboo steamer and use it often, however the steamed veg I make usually accompanies a dish that has either rice or coconut milk/cream or a moderate dressing or sauce. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you can cook, good healthy meals without compromising the flavour. Use your commonsense, don't eat seven curries in seven days or pasta or rice seven out of seven days. Look at the size of your portions? How big are they? It is possible to cook and eat healthily without sacrificing the flavour of your meals.

I guess this MB challenge, due to cooking a whole bunch of new foods can be hit and miss when it comes to what you like the taste of. I'm sure that once this challenge is over, there will be some recipes that we will keep and some we may modify. I will be the first to admit that I love food, and I will also be the first to say, that I can taste 'diet' food straight away. It's like the old TV commercial, where they would blindfold people ask them if they could taste the difference between Coke and Pepsi..     

Cinnamon French Toast With Maple Syrup Berries

This is kind of a follow up to the Fun With Friends post. As our friends live quite a distance from us, they stayed the night. So for breakfast I made Cinnamon French Toast With Maple Syrup Berries. After eating this, I don't think I can ever eat regular french toast again, if I do say so myself! LOL!

So here is the recipe, which I did originally find online:- 

Cinnamon-berry French toast

Ingredients:- 

4 eggs
2/3 cups of milk
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Butter
8 slices of white bread cut in half
Greek style yoghurt

Berry Salsa

125g of blue berries
125g of strawberries
2 tablespoons of maple syrup

Method:-

1. Preheat oven to 150°C/130°C fan-forced. Line a tray with baking paper or kitchen paper.

2. Make salsa: Combine blueberries, strawberries and maple syrup in a bowl.

3. Whisk eggs, milk and cinnamon together in a bowl.

4. Melt some butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Dip slices of bread in egg mixture until soaked. Drain excess egg mixture. Cook bread for 2 to 3 minutes each side or until golden. Transfer to prepared tray. Place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining slices of bread, egg mixture and butter.

5. Divide toasts between plates. Top each with yoghurt and berry salsa and serve.

The Pantry Nightmare - Solved!

Just the other day when I wrote about Frugal Queen's July challenge, I stated that I had no idea how I was going to deal with the pantry inventory side of the challenge, due to the fact that our pantry is bursting at the seams. Well I found a solution! I've mentioned before that I'm always looking for new apps for my mobile phone and tablet. . . . So I did a quick search for a pantry inventory app, and I found "Out of Milk". This free app will allow me to scan the bar codes with my mobile phone to create an inventory of what we have. It will also synchronize across devices, so I can also view the inventory on my tablet or send the inventory to my wife's mobile phone or tablet. So I'm very happy that I've found a solution! It will still take some time to scan it all, but no where near the amount of time it would've taken to type or write it all down. It will also allow me to move items that have been used up, into a shopping list.

I've also had a quick look through the pantry and freezer to see what we have, just so I can start to get some meal ideas going in my mind. In the pantry we have loads of different pulses which can be made into soups, stews, patties, etc. We have tons of dried herbs and spices, so nothing will ever be tasteless! We have rice, pasta, noodles and couscous that can accompany just about anything. We have tinned crushed tomatoes, pulses, soup etc, plus various bottles and jars of sauces and packets of dried fruit.

After raiding the freezer I made a quick note of what was stored inside, we have a whole chicken, cuts of chicken, frozen vegies, bread, tofu puffs, various faux meat products such as quorn and bounty burgers. No seafood, as my wife doesn't eat it, so I don't cook it at home for just myself. Also we're not big red meat eaters, occasionally we'll have something mince based, but not all that often so there isn't any red meat in there. So already, I'm thinking chicken pie, stir fries, curry, soup. . . Something in the slow cooker, the list is endless! As it's currently winter in Australia, you won't see me serving up any salads for a while yet, at the moment it's all about hot food!

After having a peek in the fridge, I find jars of minced garlic, ginger, chilli, and jars of Indian and Asian curry pastes. There is also a number of bottles of sauces and various condiments, which will all come in handy. All the usual fresh vegies are also there, which will be topped up as required. I'm really looking forward to this challenge and so is my wife! The next two weeks can't pass quickly enough for me lol

The Frugal Queen Challenge

I have been an avid reader of Frugal Queen's blog for quite some time now, not just because of her lifestyle choices, but because she also has some great recipes too! Towards the end of June, Frugal Queen decided that July would be:- "Just do with what I have July". The idea behind this was basically to eat what was in the pantry, fridge and freezer and to only top up with fresh veg and fruit. I often tell my wife about various blog posts that I've read, and when I mentioned this one, she thought - like I did, that it might be a good challenge to try.

However, we won't be starting this challenge for two weeks as my wife has already done the grocery shopping, and fortnightly menu plan, so it would be cheating to start now lol I noticed that those who were participating in this challenge, made an inventory of what they had on hand. . . . I don't know if I'll be doing this for two reasons:- firstly, because to be perfectly honest, I would be embarrassed by the amount of dry and packaged ingredients in the pantry, and secondly it would take me all day to compile! So I will have to have a think about how I will tackle this issue. This challenge, I believe is just what we need, as we have far too much food stored in this house.

When it comes to buying groceries, my wife does the main fortnightly shop, with top ups every couple of days for fresh vegies. I will do a shop at Aldi once a month to six weeks, depending on what we are running low on. One thing I have gathered from reading blogs such as Frugal Queens, is that many people will make small purchases from various supermarkets that they pass by, and that both the UK and USA have more options when it comes to choices of where to shop. The problem we have in Australia is that we are limited for choice where supermarkets are concerned. Coles and Woolworths own most of the market, with Aldi following behind. 

The big two not only own our supermarkets, but they also own most of our petrol stations, and liquor outlets. It's not an easy feat to be able to find an independent grocer, butcher or petrol station in this country. So when it comes to my wife and I doing our grocery shopping, Coles is the closest to home and we don't have a independent green grocer as they wouldn't be able to compete with Coles. So we buy both groceries and veg from Coles, and occasionally meat. The reason a shop is done at Aldi once a month to six weeks, is because Aldi is out of our way so when I do go, I make sure it's worth the trip.

But anyway, back to the challenge! I've got two weeks to rummage through the pantry to see what I can come up with, using what we have and only topping up with fruit and veg. As it will be August by the time we start this challenge, I'll have to think up a new slogan lol unless Frugal Queen comes up with a new one for August in the meantime!

Couscous With Moroccan Chicken

Geez, I've been posting a few recipes lately.... lol I wasn't meaning for this to be a food blog. But as a couple of things have turned out, and haven't looked too bad when I've taken photos, I thought I might as well post the recipes. This is a recipe that I originally found online, and it has been altered to suit us.

Couscous With Moroccan Chicken

Ingredients:-

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons Moroccan seasoning
2-3 chicken breast fillets sliced (depending on how much meat you want in the dish)
1 1/2 cups couscous
1 1/2 cups of boiling water
1/3 cup currants
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (don't get heavy handed with the vinegar)
2 tablespoons of water
200g grape tomatoes, halved
100g baby spinach
Greek yogurt to serve

Method:-

1. Slice tomatoes and set aside.

2. Slice chicken and add to the pan with oil, lemon juice and Moroccan seasoning, until cooked.

3. Add 1 1/2 cups of boiling water to the 1 1/2 cups of couscous in a lidded contained, and leave covered for five minutes or until the water is absorbed.

4. In a container, microwave the currants, vinegar and 2 tablespoons of water for one minute.

5. Fluff the couscous with a fork, then thoroughly combine the currants and the chicken mixture making sure that the sauces from both ingredients mix with the couscous.  

6. Place the baby spinach in a colander and poor boiling water over the leaves to blanch them. Then mix into the couscous.

7. Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Pork and White Bean Chilli

Okay, this is a spicy dish and you probably don't want to attempt it, if you have issues with chilli lol I found the original recipe in an old Family Circle mini cookbook, and I have changed it a bit to suit us. If you do cook this recipe, whatever you do, don't forget the sour cream! 

Pork and White Bean Chilli

Ingredients:-

1.3 kg of lean pork sliced into strips
2-3 tablespoons of oil
1 large onion diced
1 zucchini sliced
3 teaspoons of crushed garlic
1 tablespoon of sweet paprika
1 tablespoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of chilli powder
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup of coarsely chopped coriander
1.5 - 2 tablespoons of chopped jalapeños
Water
Sour cream to serve
Steamed rice to serve

Method:-

1. Heat the oil in a pan and saute the onion and zucchini,  then set aside on kitchen paper to drain.

2. Add sliced pork to the pan and cook for five minutes or until brown, then set aside on kitchen paper to drain. 

3. Add the paprika, garlic, cumin, jalapeños and chilli powder to the pan to toast for about a minute or until fragrant.

4. Add the tomatoes to the spice mix and stir through. Fill the tomato can with water and add to the pan and stir through.

5. Add pork, onion, zucchini, beans and coriander to the pan and stir through. Bring the pan to the boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for approx 40 minutes or until the sauce thickens.

6. Serve on a bed of steamed rice with a dollop of sour cream.

Mexican Pasta Bake

Here's a new recipe that I've just tried, yeah I know it's an odd and not very traditional combination of Mexican and Italian lol, but it goes :o) Sorry about the photo, it doesn't photograph well. It does however, taste better than it looks. I also don't know who created this recipe, as I found it on one of my recipe apps :o)

This dish could be served with fresh salsa, guacamole, sour cream, sweet chilli sauce or a side salad.

Mexican Pasta Bake

Ingredients:-

2 TB olive oil
500g ground beef or turkey
1 sachet taco seasoning
1 jar mild chunky salsa
1 small chopped and seeded red or green chilli (depending on how much heat you want)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 a red capsicum - diced
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried oregano
340g uncooked pasta of choice
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/2 cup light sour cream
chopped coriander for garnish

Method:-

1. Cook pasta in well-salted water to al dente only. Drain (don’t rinse) and set aside.

2. In a pan, brown ground meat over medium heat. Drain if needed. Stir in taco seasoning, salsa, chilli, capsicum, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano. Bring to boil, stirring. Immediately remove from heat.

3. Meanwhile, combine cooked pasta with 1 cup of the cheese and sour cream and mix well. Spoon into a greased baking dish. Top with the meat mixture and remaining cheese.

4. Bake uncovered 180C for 20 minutes. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander.

10 Day You Challenge - Day Six - Five Foods

Day Six - Five Foods

Okay, I've picked three cuisines and two of my general favourite foods :o)

1. Mexican - I love Mexican food because I love beans, I love chips, and I love chilli. Mexican food ticks all of these boxes. It can be eaten formal or informal - by this I mean, that if you're going to eat nachos.... You're going to use your hands! It can be as simple as you want or as elaborate as you want. I have a Chilli Chocolate Con Carne recipe that takes quite a bit of time, but the end result is worth it! It is also sooo different to the meat and three veg that I grew up on! :o)

2. Thai - Chinese was the typical Asian food that, Aussie kids grew up on in my generation (geez I sound old!!) As a kid I had never heard of Thai food.. It was Chinese. When I discovered Thai food as a teenager....OMG! What I love about Thai food is that, the flavours are created with herbs and spices, not heavy sauces. The dishes are often quite simple which is what I love. There is also none of that "OMG I am soooo thirsty!!!" that is often experienced after eating other Asian dishes... Provided that the Thai restaurant that you go to, doesn't use MSG or huge amounts of salt. 

3. Japanese - What can I say? Look at it! It's so pretty and precise. I love both cold Japanese dishes like sushi and hot dishes, like teriyaki. I make sushi when we have people over for dinner, it is time consuming, but it tastes great! :o) The trick is getting your hands on the right seafood, using the wrong cut of fish, or the wrong fish is where you will come undone.     

4. Beans - I love beans for their versatility. You can throw them in a soup, stew, pasta, dip or just have them on toast! They come in all shapes, sizes, textures and tastes. So many people look right past them, as they can often be considered bland or boring, but not me. I will cook with them at any opportunity.  

5. Hot chips - What's not to love about hot chips? I don't think I've met a person yet who doesn't love them. Okay, so they're not that healthy.... But I'm not writing a health blog lol I love my hot chips with chicken salt and sauce :o)

10 Day You Challenge - Day Four - Seven Wants

Day Four - Seven Wants

1. Marriage equality - I support marriage equality, and for the life of me I cannot understand why so many people are against it. There's so much hate in the world, so why stand in the way of two people who love each other, and want to marry? If you're against marriage equality, have you asked yourself how it affects you? It doesn't.  

2. A new kitchen - Our current kitchen is the same age as our house, which is about fifteen years old. The actual kitchen cabinets are in good shape for their age, it's the design that's all wrong. We have no bench space due to where the previous owner had the appliances placed. The kitchen is also an odd shape, as it's located in the middle of the house. So my wife and I have decided, that since we are planning on staying where we are, that we'll have a designer come out and show us what can be done. It's a big job, so we are looking at having it done sometime next year. I enjoy cooking, but since living here and using the kitchen that we have, it's taken all the fun out of it, as the lack of usable bench space is incredibly frustrating.

3. An end to war and terrorism - I want to live in a world where war and terrorism isn't constantly in the news. There is no such thing as winning a war. When a country decides to go to war against another country, it's the common - everyday person that suffers. I don't care if the war is based on greed or religion, we're all human, and we all have the right to live a peaceful life. So the next time you vote for your future leader, vote for the one who supports peace.

4. A successful business - I have plans of turning my hobby of painting ceramics, into a business. When I say I want a successful business, I'm not saying that I want to create a greedy - make as much money as you can business. I would just like to sell enough of my pieces, to generate an income that will allow me to solely focus on ceramics. I don't want to work a day-job, where my ceramics is something that I squeeze into my days off, or just when I have time.

5. No life sucking - negative people in my life - I think that at some point or another we've all had that 'one friend' who either sucks the life out of us, or after you have seen them you just feel cloaked in negativity. I have done my best to keep these kind of people away from me, but I have struggled in recent months with someone who always manages to bring me down. So here's to keeping their negativity at bay and not draped across me.

6. To travel - One day I would like to travel overseas. I would to go to Ireland, Scotland, England, maybe Canada, Alaska, New Orleans, and the old world - country parts of China, Thailand, Vietnam.

7. To be happy - Like everyone else I want to be happy. I want to be able to look back at my life when I'm old, and know that I've lived the best and happiest life that I could.

10 Day You Challenge - Day Two - Nine Loves

Day Two - Nine Loves

1. My wife - I have listed my wife as my first love as she is not only my wife, but she is my best friend. We met thirteen years ago (I had to use a calculator to work that one out sshhhh lol) when we were working together. I had already made a pact with myself years before, that I would never get involved with anyone I worked with, because if it didn't work out.... It could just get messy. To be honest, I had no idea that she liked me. I'm not particularly good at picking up on signals or hints. If you want me to know something.... I'm afraid you're going to have to spell it out or even better, draw me a picture lol Which she did lol Oh, and never say never lol

My wife and I on our first segway ride

We are the kind of couple that goes out, and does things together. For example, I don't have a separate group of friends, that I go out with on the side - we have the same group of friends that we socialise with. However, we also have our own interests, we're not a Stepford couple lol For example, I like to paint ceramics and while I do that, my wife may play her piano or she may cross stitch while I play on the computer or read. Even though we have things in our lives that we do as individuals, we still spend time together, even it's just watching a movie or going out for a simple meal together.

2. Food - I love food! For a number of years I was a vegetarian and ate vegan where possible. However when I started taking the medication that I'm taking today, I started craving meat. The only way I can describe it, is when you hear about women who are pregnant, and start craving things that they would not normally eat. So meat is now in my diet again, along side vegetarian dishes. I'm not a picky eater and I will try anything at least once. I also love to cook and try new recipes, even if the ending result is a disaster..... You live and learn! :)

3. Music - I cannot read music or play an instrument. God only knows I have tried lol. I love music. To me music can be an emotion, it can be a memory and it can make you think. The right music, played at the right time is perfection. I admire anyone with any kind of musical talent, because it takes dedication and passion, and I feel that these two traits are often missing from people today.

4. Halloween - What can I say? I live in Australia. Yes Halloween is growing in popularity, but we still live in a country that is divided by two camps. The first camp being: Halloween is commercial American garbage and we are Australian! The second camp is: Halloween is not American, chill out, stop whinging and have some fun! I'm in the second camp lol When I was a child I used to watch the American TV shows, and wish we had Halloween. Of course we didn't. However, as an adult I now decorate our house and throw a Halloween party every year! :)

5. Cold weather - I love the cold, I love snow, I love those rainy days where you just close the front door, and curl up on the lounge in front of a good movie. This is a funny comment coming from someone, who now lives on the coast, surrounded by beaches where it gets very, very hot (yuck)! We do get a lot of rain, but with that comes humidity (also yuck). We used to live in the mountains, and winter was just brilliant! There's just nothing that compares to snow gently falling to the ground, while you're inside by an open fire.

6. Being a hermit - I'm not afraid to say that I enjoy my own company. I can keep myself amused for hours on end! I don't have the need to frequent shopping centres, clubs, pubs, parties, events etc. . . Of course I do go out, my wife and I will go out for lunch occasionally. However, we often go to places that are not over run with people, as all the noise generated by them grates on my nerves. If we do go to a shopping centre etc, we often go early and leave early to avoid the crowds.

7. Retro - Call me old, but I just can't move forward with the times lol My taste in clothes hasn't changed in years lol I wear almost a 'uniform' of jeans and shirts or shorts and t-shirts. I haven't heard a new song that I've fallen in love with for years, and when I mean new, I mean newly written, not a new cover... I love retro art, music, cars, movies, etc. Yes, I'm old. lol

8. Candles - I don't buy candles as much as I would like to, mostly because I can't see my money in them, the way I used too. Years ago, I used to buy candles a lot! The problem is, that all those years ago when I used to buy candles, they weren't 'popular' then. I bought them because I liked the mood they created, the scent that they emitted and the overall look of them in a room. But now, candles are very vogue and with vogue comes the price tag. 

These days, when I can, I tend to buy my candles from art and craft markets. Yes, they still carry the price tag, but I would rather support the 'little guy', who I know has put the effort in. Don't get me wrong, I have and still do purchase candles from the shopping centre stores, and their candles are just as nice, I just prefer to put my money in a smaller pocket.

9. Learning - We should never stop learning! If you believe that you know all you need to know, one day you are going to have a rude awakening! There are so many things in the world, that we need to open our eyes and minds too. Just the other day I started an E Course, which I mentioned in my Lisa Williams post. I'm not saying that you need to fork out money, that you don't have and enroll in a course, no not at all. Look around you, listen to other people, pick a topic out of thin air and look it up on you tube! Seriously lol I have learnt so many things from watching you tube clips :)

You can borrow a book from a friend or library, watch a documentary, talk to an elderly person, talk to a child.... Yep, even children can teach you things, they don't see the world the way we do. You could ask a family member or friend what is involved in their job. In this day and age we have so many opportunities right in front of us, don't ignore the chances you have to broaden your mind. You'll never hear anyone say that they regretted learning something! :) 

Roasted Pumpkin & Spinach Quiche

I'm going to post a recipe for quiche today. I am not someone who normally eats quiche, as I often find them either too eggy, too watery or tasteless. The recipe I am posting below is out of a cook book titled:- Homestyle Vegetarian. I have however, adjusted the recipe as it needed some tweaking. I was originally going to type up my version, and email it to my sister, but then I thought, I may as well share it everyone :o)

I have made this quiche when we have had people over for dinner, and the comments have always been positive :o) I usually serve it either with salad or steamed vegies, and always with a dollop of my own homemade tomato and chilli relish.

Roast Pumpkin & Spinach Quiche

Ingredients:-

500g butternut pumpkin
1 red onion, cut into small wedges
2 tablespoons of olive oil **
4 eggs
125 ml thickened cream
125 ml milk
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped coriander
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
6 sheets filo pastry **
50g English spinach, blanched
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
Optional - salt, pepper, chilli, cayenne
** For Australian readers:- the filo pastry from the refrigerated section of the supermarket is much easier to work with, compared to the frozen version.

Method:-

1. Preheat the oven to 190C. Slice the pumpkin into 1 cm pieces. Place the pumpkin, onion and olive oil in a roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour, or until lightly golden and cooked. ** I have also used light olive oil spray instead of actual olive oil, on both the pan and veg, and they have cooked with the same results. I have also sprinkled the veg with cayenne pepper or at other times, cracked black pepper or chilli - go with what suits! It's fine without these extras :o)

2. Whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, herbs and mustard. Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper - to suit your taste preferences.

3. Grease a ovenproof flan or tart dish measuring 22 cm across the base. Brush each sheet of filo pastry with olive oil and then line the dish with the six sheets. Fold the pastry sides down, tucking them into the dish to form a crust.

4. Arrange the roasted vegetables and the blanched spinach over the base. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and sprinkle the top with parmesan.

5. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the filling is golden brown and set.

The photo is taken from the cookbook:- Homestyle Vegetarian, Murdoch Books 2008.