Pumpkin Fritters

Really something so easy to make ....serve as a pudding or as a side!
Indulgent.....

From the start....step by step.....

Here is the recipe~

2 cups cooked pumpkin, mashed
1 egg, beaten
5 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4tsp salt
butter or oil for frying
To garnish: cinnamon, sugar mix and lemon wedges

drop spoonfuls in hot oil, fry on one side until golden brown
turn fry further until puffed and golden brown on the other side.
drain on paper towel and dredge in sugar mixture

serve either as a side........



or as a delicious pud with vanilla ice cream! 
My very dear friend, Ingrid, serves it this way!

Enjoy!

Steak Sosaties

My husband has taken up a new hobby! He likes to experiment in the kitchen of late....
I  think a good friend has had quite an influence on him and he fears being left behind!

So this morning he decided to try his hand at steak sosaties....
he used "manly sized" pieces on the sosatie sticks and used a marinade that I use for lamb chops I bake in the oven...

Here goes the recipe~
15ml olive oil
1tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp steak spice
1 kg sirloin/rump steak
1 cup of tomato sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 medium onion cubed ( to thread with the steak)
1tbsp dried Italian herbs

Make sure your coals are very hot and spread out.
Mix together the oil, garlic and meat spice and rub into the meat cubes
Mix together the tomato sauce and Italian herb. Pour this mixture over the steak and leave to marinade for about an hour.
Thread the meat and onion cubes on the sosatie sticks that have been soaked in water.
Braai over the coals until done to your liking.

I served them with potato croquettes and greens and tomatoes from my little herb/ veg garden in my back lane.
This made 4 sosaties ( 1/2 a portion was enough for me!)

Hope you have an excellent week....wherever you might find yourself!
Shel x

Bacon and Onion Marmalade Puffs

Something quick and easy peasy to put together just before you light your fire for the braai this evening .....a  lovely aperitif!

1 pkt all butter frozen puff pastry
grated cheese (I used both cheddar and Parmesan)
2/3 dessertspoons of onion marmalade jam
crispy fried bacon

Roll out the pastry
spread with the onion marmalade
grate strong cheddar and  Parmesan and sprinkle on top of jam
sprinkle the crispy bits of bacon
roll up and refrigerate until required.
Cut into 2 cm pieces and put these into greased muffin tins
Bake at 200 degrees C until nicely puffed and golden brown and the marmalade starts to ooze out and there's this glorious sweet  aroma that fills my home!!

Really not good for the hips but delicious with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan and a crisp dry white glass of  Haute Cabriere chardonnay pinot noit!  (My flavour of the month)

See you soon!
Shel

Holidays that made me happy

Just a few happy moments from our December holiday....

loved been at the sea....

no time to cook or bake....

needed time out from my kitchen.....

enjoyed my home....

enjoyed the sand through my toes.....

almost got washed away by a ferocious tide on 2 occasions...

learnt to play golf....at last!

spent time with my beloved camera....

but most important.....

caught up with good friends, family and more importantly....

myself! 

Now that's food for the soul!

2013!

 

 

My Blessings to You...
“May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself!"

Shel

Chocolate Christmas Cookies~

WOOLIES COOKIES (RECIPE MAY BE HALVED AS THIS MAKES HEAPS)

2 (500 ML) CUPS BUTTER
680 G CHOCOLATE CHIPS
4 (1000 ML) CUPS FLOUR
2 (500 ML) CUPS BROWN SUGAR
2 TSP. (10 ML) BICARBONATE OF SODA
1 TSP. (5 ML) SALT
2 (500 ML) CUPS SUGAR
500 G GRATED CADBURY CHOCOLATE
5 (1250 ML) CUPS BLENDED OATMEAL
4 EGGS
2 TSP. (10 ML) BAKING POWDER
2 TSP. (10 ML) VANILLA
3 CUPS (375 ML) CHOPPED NUTS (OPTIONAL)

MEASURE OATMEAL, AND BLEND IN A BLENDER TO A FINE POWDER. CREAM THE BUTTER AND BOTH SUGARS. ADD EGGS AND VANILLA, MIX TOGETHER WITH FLOUR, OATMEAL, SALT, BAKING POWDER, AND BICARBONATE OF SODA. ADD CHOCOLATE CHIPS, GRATED CHOCOLATE AND NUTS. ROLL INTO BALLS, AND PLACE TWO INCHES APART ON A COOKIE SHEET. BAKE FOR 10 MINUTES AT 180 C..

THE ABOVE QUANTITIES MAKE 112 COOKIES. ENJOY!

Little Shortbread cookies....recipe here.

All this tradition makes the holidays so exciting xx

Couldn't resist doing a final post for 2012!

Shel xx

Merry Christmas ♥

It's a silent night here at Solomon ♥

For me it's a different Christmas
perhaps the true meaning is being shown to me in a very real way~
No hustle and bustle~

We have our boys with us ~
There's stillness in the air~
beautiful soft rain is trickling down my study window as I jot my heart's thoughts~
a fire burning outside for the traditional 'braai'

Thank you to all of you for making my year special~
you have all touched me in some way or other~

thank you for beautiful emails, gifts and comments left here~

As the sun sets on today, my wish for you is a peaceful Christmas Day and the year ahead filled with blessings!

 

 

 

"May peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all through the year.! "

 

Love Shel ♥