A 21st Tablescape.

Simply just can't stay away from my blog...
So much to get through other than being in blogland!
But I'm so inspired by the delightful tablescapes hosted by Susan  that I'm posting my Son's 21st tables that I created many moons ago!

It was a perfect evening, we hired the hall up the road from our home and in true South African style there was a huge "spitbraai" and groot makietjie was had by all!
Won't you join me in linking with Susan and all the other gorgeous tablescapes at http://www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/ or click on her button on the right hand side of my blog.

See you all soon!
Shel

Weekly Menu Plan: 19 - 23 July 2010

Weekly Menu for 19th July - 23 July. Blog for my use (no need to read this post if you like!)

Monday:

Poule au Pot
Ingredients
One fine, fresh free-range chicken

Turnips, onions and celery

One leek

Thyme, bay and parsley for a bouquet garni

Salt and pepper

250ml Cream

50g Butter

Plain white flour



Method

Poule au Pot is a really rich and decadent dish, but it's really simple to make and needs only really simple ingredients.
This classic dish is just root vegetables, onions and a bouquet garni and they all go into the pot with the chicken and cold water.
Simmered for a few hours, the chicken is beautifully poached and has a lovely flavour.
The poaching liquid is reduced and then turned into a sauce simply with cream or possibly a béchamel sauce which gets poured back over the meat.
So first of all the water goes in the pot and the chicken is placed in there while you slice the vegetables, turnips, onions, celery and a leek.
Make a little bouquet garni of thyme, bay leaf and flat leaf parsley and pop that in there.
Pack the vegetables in around the chicken and add a little salt and pepper, but not too much. You season it at the end when you are making the sauce.
Put the lid on and let it simmer for about two hours.
After that lift out the chicken, which is meltingly poached, and take out the vegetables as well.
Now you can reduce the liquid in the same pot.
Strain this now, because there are lots of bits of leek that are still floating in it.
The stock goes back on the heat and it's going to bubble away and reduce by about half before we put the cream in and finish off the dish.
While the fresh chicken stock is reducing, make a simple roux to finish the thickening process.
Start by melting some butter in a small, heavy cast iron pan, into which you sprinkle some plain white flour, and stir it around until the flour has been completely absorbed by the butter.
It's important that the flour is completely cooked before adding the stock.
Gently and slowly pour the stock onto the roux and then do the same with the cream.
Give it a good stir and there you have it: a lovely silky sauce to pour over the chicken.
It is a hit in my home and my pic doesn't do justice to the taste and aroma!

Tuesday!


Plain old spaghetti bolognaise and a delicious Baguette filled with garlic and herb butter.

Wednesday!

Cheddar and Bacon Quiche with a green salad.. quick and easy ... I've got a school meeting and a hungry family waiting for their dinner...always a hit in my home.



Thursday!
Family dinner at dad for his 72nd! Happy Birthday dear dad x




Friday! For Eddie...

Grilled Salmon Burgers with guacamole.
1 side raw salmon
burger rolls
Guacamole.
1 red onoin,finely chopped.
1 red pepper deseeded and finely chopped.
2 avocados,mashed
coriander to garnish
Method
Cut salmon into sizes to fit rolls and sear 1 minute either side,
Combine onion, red pepper and avo in a bowl and chill.
To serve, place guacamole and coriander on the bun and top with the salmon.
Serve immediately.
Delicious. A busy week ahead!
I'll see you soon!
Shel

A South African Steak Sandwich.

A simple Tulip in a fish bowl.... an awesome fire with local thornwood!...
And a scrumptious Steak Sandwich made with my favourite local Artisan's bread and a good piece of fillet!
All makes for a unforgetable Saturday evening!

I'm linking to http://www.designsbygollum.blogspot.com/ at Foodie Fridays with this post. It's the first time and I trust it will work. Please join me in browsing through this gorgeous site and all the other beautiful blogs that are linked.

Enjoy!

Shel

Sunday!

But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord's victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out there tomorrow, for the Lord is with you! 2 Chronicles 20:17 (NLT)

Tablescape Thursday! Honouring our Madiba!

On Sunday 18 July Nelson Mandela will celebrate his 92nd Birthday!

Happy Birthday to an inspirational man!

My tablescape is in honour of him...

When quoted on his favourite food, he replied:
"Koeksisters are my favourite: in 1941 I was paid 2 pounds and I reserved 10/- each weekend for koeksisters!"

I set a small table outside with my "out of Africa" odd crockery.

detail of my tablecloth....

And my Vuvuzelo on my chair!

I am linking to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch (I hope I can do this!) for the first time.
I so enjoy her beautiful blog..http://www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/  You can  click on her link in my side bar and see all the other gorgeous tablescapes that link for Tablescape Thursday...       Won't you enjoy them with me!  ......      and thank you Susan!
I am also linking to http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com/ today.


See you soon!
Shel

The Most Delicious Banana Bread!

Here goes my recipe that is really foolproof...trust me, if I can have success time after time,so can you!

2 cups of cake flour
1 cup of sugar
120g of butter or marg
2 eggs
3 peeled and mashed ripe bananas
65ml of water
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1tsp bicarb of soda
pinch of salt

Cream butter and sugar until light and creamy.
Str in mashed bananas.
Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Sift salt and flour into the mixture and blend well.
Dissolve bicarb in the water and stir in the mixture then stir in the baking powder.
Pour into a greased loaf tin and bake at 180degree C until the skewer comes out clean (+-45mins)
Let it cool in the tin for a while then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Delicious and you can store this successfully in the freezer!

Happy baking!
Shel

Weekly Menu. 12th July - 16th July.

MONDAY: Out to dinner with the boys.. it's our anniversary!

TUESDAY: Slow Food Shepard's Pie.

Stewing lamb, 11/2 kg stewing lamb.
Little oil, flour for dusting, salt and pepper.
1 large sliced onion
2 cloves garlic
3 carrots peeled and chopped into big chunks.
2 sticks celery , 2 bay leaves, 2 Tbsp each rosemary,thyme and 3 Tbsp tomato paste.
2 cups beef stock
1 cup peas.
Topping: 6 bolied potatoes made into mash with butter and boiled milk.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C
Brown meat in casserole. Remove, fry all veg for 5 mins. Return meat and add all remaining ingredients except peas. Bake in oven until tender and sauce has reduced.
Toss through peas. Add topping and bake for 20 - 30 mins until golden.

WEDNESDAY: Creamy Leek, Butternut and Chicken Pasta.
Have put down this recipe earlier this month. Check index.http://www.justmeshel.blogspot.com/.

THURSDAY.  Baked Fish, Green Salad and Dauphinoise Potatoes.
8 Potatoes
2 - 3 cloves of garlic.
1 Tbsp thyme
Salt and pepper.
500ml cream.
Slice potatoes very thinly. Layer in casserole, Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme and garlic. Pour over cream and bake at 180 degrees til golden brown.
For the Fish: Juice of 1/2 a lemon.
Breadcrumbs
Parmesan Cheese.
Olive oil.
Season fish, drizzle oil over.
Preheat oven to 240 degree C
Place fish on baking tray. Mix breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and a glug of oil. Spoon over fish.
Press down to form crust.
Bake fish for 10m.
Serve with a fresh green salad of leaves, avocado and feta and a good drizzle of olive oil and squeeze of lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.

 FRIDAY.
Braaied Steaks on the fire.
Grilled vegetables on a bed of couscous.
Garlic Rolls
Chocolate Mint pudding with cream.
Recipe.
1 pkt of mint flavoured Romany Creams
1 peppermint crisp chocolate
1 cup cream
1 tin chocolate treat. (like caramel)
Whip tog1 cup of cream and chocolate treat tin. Spread the base of a serving dish with half the cream mix. Crush the pkt of romany creams and sprinkle on the top. Sprinkle the peppermint crisp. Spread the rest of the cream mixture on top of this. Then decorate with some more romany creams. Serve with whipped cream. Place in refridgerator an hour before serving. Looks very attractive in individual glasses.
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY is POT LUCK!!

Makes life uncomplicated if you prepare your weekly menu in advance for the week. Shopping is then completed in a once off and it gives one extra time for catching up on other chores and the family and business!
This is written to make MY life a little easier.

Sunday.

Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised. Job 1:20-21 (NIV)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Praise be given for more beautiful rain!
Blessings
Shel
 
 
 

Breakfast at Solomon.

A glorious sunrise! The perfect place for my breakfast....

Before anything else existed, there was Christ with God.

He created everything....His Life is the light that shines through the darkness...and the darkness can never extinguish it.        John 1 : 1-5

My tablescape is snapped in my garden. My crockery is from my dear mother:

'Melody'. Standard Royal Fine Bone China.

Shel

Solomon Street's Sugar Scrub.

1 cup of sugar
500ml of your favourite shower gel
2 drops pink food colouring
3 drops of rose essential oil

Using a bowl and spoon, mix sugar and shower gel. Add colouring and essential oil.
Store in a pretty container (I used my late mom's old glass vase.) Using a beautiful silver spoon, dip out and apply to your skin. I enjoy this in a quiet corner of my garden where no-one can find me!
This is an excellent exfoliant that a sweet little beautician shared with me.
Gently rub over your wet hands (or any other area of your body) Avoid face and sensitive areas.
Rinse well and apply moisturizer. Slip your hands into gloves while you sleep. In the morning you will have silky smooth hands.

Go on! Treat YOURSELF for a change!
See you soon.
Shel

Sunday!

                     










Love is very patient and kind,
never jealous or envious,
never boastful or proud!
'The good we do today becomes the happiness of tomorrow!' William James
Enjoy your Sunday with loved ones.
Shel

Pasta, creamy leek, and chicken.

Recipe~

2 tsp crushed garlic, 2 leek, sliced,oil for frying, about 500g cubed butternut, 3/4 pkt macaroni, 3 TBL flour and butter each. 11/2 cups milk, 1/2 cup each mozzeralla and cheddar cheese. Salt and ground pepper. 2x500g pkts of skinless chicken breasts sliced . 3 - 4 slices bread blitzed to make breadcrumbs.

Method~

Preheat oven to 220 C

Fry garlic,chicken strips and leeks in oil. Cook butternut and macaroni in boiling salted water. Melt butter and add flour. Cook gently for 1 min and add milk incorporating 'til a smooth sauce. Add cheddar cheese and season. Toss leeks, butternut, pasta and chicken together and season well. Place in an oven proof dish.

Top with breadcrumbs and mozzeralla. Bake for 20 - 25 min or until golden.

Enjoy!

See you soon

Shel