The yummiest breakfast

This one of the nicest ways to start the day. And it is as easy as pie.

All the work, being done the day before. So all you have to do, is grab your spoon and head for the fridge. Then the eating begins. I think of this as a little bowl of healthy sunshine. Something that my Australian bones are missing terribly, after 4mths. of a dreary British winter.
I don't tend to have a recipe for this muesli. The combination changes every time, depending on what is in the cupboard. The base is rolled oats and bran, this combination probably makes up approx 2/3 of the mixture, the rest is dried fruit and nuts. The batch that I am currently eating includes sultana's, currents, linseed's,sunflower seeds, figs, and raisins. I generally tend to make up a bigger batch , that generally lasts me about two weeks. When stored in a closed container.
The preparation, once the muesli is made is as simple as grating some apple and adding some milk. I tend to make my breakfast while preparing the dinner the night before. I grab my cereal bowl, grated one apple into the bowl, pour over about 1/2 cup of the muesli and then pour in milk until it has just covered the muesli. Then it is into the fridge until you are awoken by tummy rumbles in the morning. Give it a quick stir before digging in.
The milk soaks into everything and the apples release a lovely sweetness. And it is so healthy, what more could you ask for.

Artichoke!!!!! What do I do with it????

I was zooming down the supermarket aisle. I have no choice I have two children, a two year old and a nine month old. Their inner demons could erupt at any moment. Shopping is no longer the relaxing experience that it used to be pre -children. But there is always one place that I do try to stop at. The reduced section, I love a bargain. I probably end up being an more adventurist shopper in the reduced section. Who would not try new things if they thought they were getting a bargain.
And there they were Jerusalem artichokes. Now I have never cooked them before and if my memory serves me right I don't think I have ever eaten one, either.
So I grabbed them, how could I resist the challenge. I browsed the Internet, and eventually found Delia's Artichoke and Carrot Soup. It was a whizz to make and a rich and creamy soup. Which was great seeing the recipe did not include any cream. That really appealed to my health conscious mentality.
The soup was a cracking success. My other half is sometimes a little vary of my cooking experiments. So when I told him what we were having for lunch. He immediately asked why he could not have the mushroom soup that I had also just made. I was having none of that, saying my soup was lovely and once he had tasted it he agreed. Even my two year old said it was TASTY. Now that is a real achievement.

Here is the recipe

Artichoke and Carrot Soup

Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 lb (450 g) carrots
1 lb 8 oz (700 g) Jerusalem artichokes (weight before peeling)
3 oz (75 g) butter
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1.5 litres (2½ pints) hot vegetable stock made with Marigold Swiss vegetable bouillon powder
salt and freshly milled black pepper

Start by peeling and de-knobbling the artichokes and, as you peel them, cut them into rough chunks and place them in a bowl of cold salted water to prevent them from discolouring. Then, scrape the carrots and slice them into largish chunks.
Now, in a large saucepan, melt the butter and soften the onion and celery in it for 5 minutes, keeping the heat fairly low. Next, drain the artichokes and add them to the pan, along with the carrots. Add some salt and, keeping the heat very low, put a lid on and let the vegetables sweat for 10 minutes to release their juices.
After that, pour in the hot stock, stir well, put the lid back on and simmer, very gently, for a further 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Now liquidise the soup in two batches, then return it to the pan, taste to check the seasoning and reheat very gently until it just comes to simmering point. Serve in hot soup bowls.

This recipe is taken from Delia Smith’s Complete Cookery Course, How to Cook Book Three, Delia's Vegetarian Collection and The Delia Collection: Soup.

Communicating my passion

This is the first time I have done anything like this. I have just stumbled upon the many bloggers on the net. I am amazed, what a wonderful social source of information. I have spent the last two days surfing the net, exploring the numerous foodie sites.
I have ended up in heaven!!!! I love food, cooking and eating. I love to spend whatever spare time I have, hidden behind a cookbook. My other half is always teasing me about all the cookbooks that I have. Even then I still turn to the internet for recipes.
Food is probably more important now, than at any other time in my life. I am a stay at home mother, with two small children. My food passion is now about nutrition and balance, communicating my love for my children, my partner and friends, social time for all of us, and some precious me time. (time for me to lose myself in the process and to expend some creativity).