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A simple recipe today. Guacamole is my favourite dip, and it's so easy to make. No taco night is complete without it. You can do it in a food processor if you like, but if the avocado is ripe enough and you don't mind it a bit chunky, you can literally just mash it with a fork. Ingredients: 2 ripe avocados 1 tomato lemon juice paprika powder chilli powder OR hot chilli sauce (sriracha or the like) 1. Slice the avocados in half and remove the pits. Use a spoon to dig the avocado out of its skin and into a bowl. 2. Chop the tomato as finely as you can be bothered. Add to bowl. 3. Use a fork to make a mush out of the avocado and the tomato. 4. Add the juice of half a lemon, or a tablespoon or two of lemon juice from a bottle. 5. Add a couple of tablespoons of paprika powder and half a teaspoon of chilli powder or a splash of chilli sauce. If you like spicy food, add more to taste. If you don’t, use less. You can also substitute for minced chilli or sambal oelek. Any of these will do. 6. Stir it all together and serve with tacos, burritos or other tex mex, or use as dip.

Today is Pi-day! 3.14, that is. So, since it's Pi-day, Magpie decided that we should have quiche for dinner. This quiche turned out to be a bona fide protein bomb and so, so tasty! You need: 300g chicken 300g smoked bacon about 4 medium sized mushrooms 1/4 of a large leek 4 eggs 1/4 litre of milk a handful of fresh thyme a handful of fresh chives salt and pepper pie crust (we cheated, because we're lazy people, and made it with pre-made buff pastry dough that we bought in the shop, but any pie crust will do) grated cheese 1. Switch the oven to 180*C. Depending on what type of pie crust you're using, you may want to dress your pie form in it and pre-bake it in the oven for about 10 minutes. 2. Chop up your chicken, bacon, mushrooms and leek. 3. Mix the eggs and milk in a bowl, adding salt, pepper, chopped thyme and chives. 4. Set a large frying pan to medium-high. Start with the mushrooms. If you're using a non-stick pan, you don't need any extra grease at all, and the mushrooms get really tasty. If you haven't got a non-stick pan, start with the bacon and you still won't need any extra grease, at least not if you haven't cut the fat away (and why would you?). When the bacon and mushrooms start to look half done, add the chicken. Add the leek last, after the chicken has started to cook, and let it all cook together until the chicken is done. 5. Put your filling in the pie crust, pour the egg and milk mix over and top with grated cheese. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes. Serve with a side salad. We used rocket leaf, cherry tomatoes and cucumber, and made a mustard vinaigrette from olive oil, balsamic vinegar and strong mustard, salt, pepper and some fresh thyme. Happy Pi-day!

This is super easy! All you need is fresh garlic, butter and a little bit of parsley (fresh is better, but dried is just fine). Ingredients: 50 g butter 1 clove of garlic 1 tsp chopped or dried parsley 1. Soften the butter. If you use a spreadable butter that's part cooking oil you can skip this step, but don't use milk free butter replacements if you can help it; they tend not to melt as nicely on the bread. 2. Press the garlic in a garlic press and add it to the butter. 3. Add the parsley. 4. Stir vigorously so it's nice and soft and creamy. Multiply amounts as needed. Serve on warm bread. Freshly baked or toasted both work fine. Or you can make garlic bread by taking a french baguette (I used a half sized whole grain one), slicing it diagonally but not all the way through—you want it to still hold together—and spreading garlic butter in the crevices. Heat in the oven at 200*C for about five minutes, until the bread is warm and the butter melted.

Serves 3-4 people Preparation time: approximately 30 minutes Ingredients: 250 g salmon, diced 2 carrots, sliced 1-2 sticks of celery, sliced 1 leek, sliced 150 g muscles or other seafood of choice (optional) 1 litre fish stock 300 ml cream 2 tbs sour cream (fat content depends on country, I find; you'll want at least 18% fat) butter or cooking oil fresh dill black pepper 1. Chop up all your ingredients and heat some butter or oil to medium heat in a cooking pot. 2. Gently fry the salmon for a couple of minutes, until it's pink on all sides. Add more fat if it's getting stuck to the bottom. If you're using additional raw seafood, add this now as well. 3. Add the vegetables, and let fizz for a couple of minutes, just so they get a bit of a cooked surface. This stops them getting mushy. 4. Add the stock and bring to boil. 5. Add cream and sour cream and bring to boil again. Then turn down the heat and let the soup simmer until the carrots are getting soft. 6. Add muscles towards the end. Usually, if they come out of a tin, these are already cooked and only need heating. 7. Add pepper and fresh dill to taste. For me, this means ALL THE DILL!!! Serve with some tasty bread on the side! If you're feeling brave and aren't planning to kiss anyone, try my Very Garlicky Garlic Butter. You can experiment by adding different vegetables and more types of fish and seafood, for instance halibut, shrimp or scallops. You'll want to use slightly fatty fish, though. Low-fat fish like cod doesn't tend to go well with the creaminess of the soup. If you want a pink soup, you can add a couple of tablespoons of tomato puree along with the cream and the sour cream, which is also very tasty.

Magpie's got a case of the Man Flu, which means that he's mostly lying on the couch whimpering and watching QI. When I asked him what he wanted for dinner today, he said, 'Lots and lots of food,' with roughly the coherence of your average hungry baby bird. I figured I'd better fix him a calorie bomb to give him some energy. So I went to the shop, had a look around and came up with a cunning plan. I'm very fond of Shepherd's Pie and its cousin, Cottage Pie (which is made with beef instead of lamb or mutton). I took my inspiration in part from these, and in part from a Scandinavian dish that my mum used to make when I was a kid. It turned out very tasty, so I thought I'd share with you this recipe for an as of yet unnamed pie. Ingredients: 400g minced pork 300g smoked bacon 1 yellow onion 2 cloves of garlic 1/2 cauliflower 300ml cream black pepper rosemary thyme 500g mashed potato 1. Turn your oven to 200C (390F). 2. Chop your onion and garlic as finely as you can be bothered. Divide the cauliflower into smaller trees. Chop your bacon into bits. 3. Heat a frying pan to high medium. If your bacon is nice and streaky and you have a non-stick pan you don't need any extra fat to fry in. Start with the bacon. When the fat is starting to melt and sizzle, add the onion and garlic. Add the minced pork when the onion starts to look shiny. When all the meat is brown, add the cauliflower and let it all cook together for a couple of minutes. 4. Add the cream. I used double cream because it thickens more easily, but if you want slightly less fat (not that it matters at this point) single cream will do just as well. Let it cook until the gravy is nice and thick. Season with black pepper, rosemary and thyme to taste. 5. Pour everything into a deep oven pan and cover in mash potato (just like you'd do with shepherd's pie or cottage pie). I was lazy and used instant mash today, but I'll post a recipe for mashed potato later. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the mash is starting to look nice and golden. Serve with pickled beets, gherkins, or do what we did and add lingonberry jam (available for purchase at an IKEA near you if you happen to live in a country that's never seen a lingonberry). This is about as healthy as your average carbonara, but it's very tasty! Serves 3 or 4 if you're normal people, or just two if you're me and Magpie.

My own twist on the classic English tea time treat. You need: 400ml whole wheat flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 60g butter A handful of almonds, chopped or crushed 150ml milk 1. Set oven to 225*C. 2. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Divide the butter into little pieces with your fingers and add to the flour mix until you have a loose mass. 3. Add the almonds and the milk, kneading with your hands until everything's mixed together, but take care that you don't make the dough too dense or smooth. It's better if it's a little bit rough. 4. Divide the dough into two flat-ish round patties that you place on a baking tray. With a knife, make a cross in each patty, without cutting all the way through, and prick them a few times with a fork. 5. Place the baking tray in the middle of the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the scones are nice and golden on top. 6. Leave them to rest in room temperature for a few minutes before quartering and serving with butter, preserves or whatever you want, and don't forget a nice pot of tea! For plain scones, just skip the almonds. Other tasty variations on this recipe include adding other types of nuts, dried cranberries or blueberries, raisins or other dried fruits. The sky's the limit, so go wild!

You all know that tim is a dear, dear friend. And you may have gathered that was me he was talking about in the blog. Well, i wanted to update you on some things. First off, about 3 weeks ago, i was told that i had to limit my coffee to just 2 cups (ok they are 20 ounce cups) and that i wasn’t to have a can of soda with lunch anymore. i am to drink at least one 32 ounce bottle of water a day, and look to increasing that. i have noticed some changes from just this little change. i’m not snacking in the afternoon, and not falling asleep on the couch as soon as my butt hits it. i may have noticed a difference in my skin, but too soon to tell on that. At this point i'm at about 1 and ½ bottles a day. What makes this so challenging for me is that i really dislike water. It’s sometimes got a funny taste, or it’s got no taste at all so why bother? There’s also this thing that i can’t drink cold beverages that aren’t like GLACIAL cold. As soon as the water in the bottle, cup or glass has no ice, i’m done. What’s helped greatly, besides tim’s encouragement, is that i’m adding limes, lemons, mint, and cucumber to my water. i’ve found a water bottle that has a little basket thing in it for just this reason. Lime and cucumber are so far the winner! So that’s one change i’ve made. After talking with tim last week, in a conversation that was the precursor to the blog post, i committed to trying “refrigerator oatmeal” every day for breakfast. i’m not a breakfast eater, not hungry in the morning. In fact, the thought of food in the morning turns my stomach. i chose this as it would be the easiest thing for me in the morning, as mornings with 17 year olds can be rather hectic. he and i talked about recipes, his is in the blog, and i looked up several different versions. i bought some nice plastic bowls with tight fitting lids, the old fashioned rolled oats, some good cinnamon, golden and regular raisins. i’m using ½ cup oats, and about a tablespoon of each type of raisin and a healthy sprinkle of cinnamon. i shake it up to mix it, then cover it with milk. i’m using 2% lowfat. i’ve found that putting it together takes no time at all, and i’m doing it right after dinner, while the kitchen is being cleaned up. So, i’m on day 3 as i write this and there are a few things i’ve begun to notice. Most impressive is that i've not forgotten my breakfast at home once. After getting past the whole “But oatmeal should be hot” thing, i'm able to eat it all. i’m also ready to eat lunch at lunchtime. Previously, i wasn’t always ready to eat at noon. Surprising me the most is that yesterday and today, i was actually hungry by the time i got to work. This, y'all this, is big. Just thought i'd let you know what’s happening, and maybe show you that what tim was talking about, eating real food, doesn’t have to be a big production. If you missed the original blog post, you can find it HERE my thanks always to tim, he's always been so encouraging and is so very dear to my heart

I'm back again to talk about diabetes. Some of you know that a friend of mine just died from sepsis, due to an uncontrolled infection which was a complication of having diabetes. She left a 21 year old son and 25 year old daughter. It's very very sad. While it sad, it's partly her fault. It hurts me to write that. I don't want to write it. But she would never try to change her eating habits relying on doses of insulin instead. She refused to stop eating white bread, processed foods or alcohol. She was never much of a person to have sweets however. It sucks having diabetes. My husband does. Frankly I'd love to be on the HoHo's, Wagon Wheel and McDonald's diet if they said it wouldn't kill me. I love junk food, but I no longer eat it. And nowadays I don't miss it. It's funny when you stop eating things like that and start cooking fresh decent meals, that you lose the cravings for crap. I beg people to eat right. Learn to cook. Think about the future. I recently read about an 89 year old man, who has had diabetes since he was 12 years old. People with juvenile diabetes back then rarely lived long. He did. But there was no testing at home then, no real belief that humans could control their sugar levels. He studied and became an engineer and married a doctor. Eventually a portable blood monitor became available to doctors only. He was tired of being at the mercy of this awful disease. So his wife ordered one. He started taking his levels up to 8 times a day carefully recording what he'd eaten. Eventually he understood. But no one would listen. So at age 45 he went back to school and became a doctor in hopes that someone would hear him. His approach is rather radical, but the proof is in the unsweetened pudding. As I read it, I felt afraid, seriously afraid of not being able to eat this or that. I wondered what Michael would think. But then I realized that lately food is just food to us. We don't crave things, we eat because we are hungry, and not because we are tempted. There are a lot of chapters of Dr. Bernstein's books online. I recommend you read them. His story is here: http://www.diabetes-book.com/ Diabetes is not just diabetes. Read the online chapters, learn to cook and eat well. You're worth so much more than your next sugary hi-carb snack. Be well ... tim

First, i am no expert on diabetes, but i am learning. During the summer Michael (my Husband) learned he has type2 Diabetes. I'd rather suspected it, and asked a few times that he go to the doctor. He would say, yes later. The symptoms increased (thirst, frequent urination, painful nerve pain in his feet and hands) and i was worried and afraid. i do not raise my voice to Michael, but on this day i did. i was upset and He wasn't hearing me, so i did. He agreed to go and we went together. Tests showed his blood sugar was 18, where it should be 4 to 7 on waking, and 5 to10, two hours after meals. ***Kitt's comment reminded me these numbers are for Canada. Please check your own country's Diabetes Association or talk to your doctor.*** We walked out of the doctor's office and He said. "We need to make changes." We did immediately. For us they were not huge changes but we stopped adding sugar to drinks, stopped eating desserts other than fruit or some no-sugar added desserts that we found. We cut down on carbs, stopped eating products made with white flour and other highly processed foods. We greatly increased the vegetables we eat - luckily we both like a huge variety of them - added unsalted nuts, and fruit as snacks. Michael measures condiments He chooses to add. We read labels a lot and often find the carb levels are just not worth it. Our need for sweetness quickly disappeared. Though Michael does like dessert, but He is content with no-sugar jello and some fresh or canned fruit packed in water. For Thanksgiving, i made a baked pumpkin custard (pie with no crust basically) and He loved it. One product we have found and indulge in from time to time is something Michael got for Christmas. Russell Stover's no-sugar candy. Hard fruit flavoured boiled candy, pecan caramel chocolates and mint patties. These are made with stevia and are very nice, not super sweet either, but they taste good. You can live with diabetes. You can eat well and have treats. There is still a world of food out there just waiting for you to try it, but you need to change how you think about food, and be open to changing yourself. Stay healthy and thanks for reading.

So I was talking to some friends about food the other day, and the subject of mac and cheese came up somehow. Well I opened my mouth and said, “I have a good recipe for mac and cheese.” So a few people wanted it. And then they said, you should put it on your blog. So, here it is. It’s nothing fancy. And it’s really not good for you. But it is so good! So good that people I work with like the leftovers! I started with my mother’s recipe. Adapted it with flavors we like. Took out a little of the fat. The big secret? My kids think that it’s really hard to make. It’s really not. It’s all about the prep. Once you get started with this, you really can’t stop. We don’t bake it, there’s no time. See, I’m short, so I need a tall person to come help me drain the noodles. When I call for help, it’s like ringing the dinner bell! The kids drain the pasta, then line up like Pavlov’s dogs. This is a basic recipe. You can add to it, take away from it. We add cubed ham and frozen peas. I add the peas to the colander and drain the pasta over them to thaw them. I toss the ham cubes into the cheese sauce. It’d be great with some green chiles, or chopped bacon. Please let me know if you try it. Molly ½ onion finely diced 2 tablespoons margarine, or 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon bacon fat 2 tablespoons AP flour 2 cups milk 1 box low sodium chicken broth ½ pound box Velveeta, cubed, or in chunks about the same size 1 cup shredded cheddar, colby jack, or Mexican blend cheese ¼ to ½ cup parmesan 1-2 pounds macaroni elbows This recipe is all about the prep, as once you get started, you really cannot stop. So have all your stuff ready. Start by filling a pot with water and putting it to boil, have the noodles ready, and once it boils, put the noodles in, adding some salt. Heat a deep sauce pan, and melt your fat, saute your onions until fragrant and soft. Sprinkle the flour over this, and whisk it well for 3 or 4 minutes. This is your roux, you need to cook the flour a little but not make this dark at all. Now add the milk, slowly, whisking the whole time, making sure to break up any lumps of flour you find. Once it starts to bubble it will thicken quickly. Switch to a spoon now. Add some chicken broth, maybe a half cup at a time, you want this thick like a gravy, not like concrete. Let it bubble and thicken for a few minutes. You’ll need to stir almost constantly so it doesn’t stick and burn. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Now add the Velveeta a little at a time stirring to get it melted, once all that is in, add the cheddar the same way. Then dump in the parm and stir until it’s all creamy. Turn the heat way down, stirring regularly if the noodles aren’t done. Drain the noodles and add to the cheese sauce. If it’s too thick, add some chicken broth. At this point it’s ready to eat, or you can bake it in a 350 degree oven with some buttered bread crumbs on top until golden brown.

Something during my trip up to see mom and my Aunt on Friday has triggered a full-blown allergy attack. If it weren't for my stubborn insistence that I will have my bœuf bourguignonne for lunch I'd still be in bed. But... as I so want it for lunch it has to start now. One of the reasons I rarely make it -- too much of a pain in the ass to bother for one person. However, it's what I was going to make my Boy last year before our plans fell apart, and what I was going to make him for Valentines this year before.... before the aneurysm. I have to make it -- it's part of my dealing with his no longer being here. My head is stuffy and I feel miserable and am probably on the verge of a full-blown sinus infection but I'm going to make the d** stew, eat it for lunch, and think of all the good times I had with my Boy in the short time we did have together.

Food We all need it. We all buy it or grow it. This blog is a few of my pet peeves. Michael my poor dessert-deprived husband needed some pie. So, rather than ask me to bake him one, he bought one. It cost him $2.50. It came in a box. The list of ingredients did include pumpkin, but it also included 20 other ingredients, several i can't spell or pronounce. This pie tasted disgusting and very chemically. One bite was enough for me. Mike on the other hand ate his piece and eventually the remaining pie. He paid for that, details not required, but it sure wasn’t worth the money he would have wasted if he didn’t eat it. I have trouble understanding the resources we waste on ‘food’ like this horrible processed pie and other things that are full of chemicals and additives. Do we do it because they are cheap to purchase? As a poor person I didn’t waste the little money I had on crap like that pie. Not that I ate well, because I really couldn’t afford to. The best meals I got then were from the missions. But had I had some place to cook, I’m sure I could have eaten better than I did. Another big problem with our food is looks. How food looks has cost us flavour and nutrition. Think: Big tasteless strawberries. Sure they are pretty, but have no flavour. So why bother eating them??? I asked the produce manager why we only get these and not local strawberries (in season, of course). He said we have to buy the USA’s strawberries in order to get their lettuce in the winter. Huh! Imperfect fruit and veg, is a thing now. You can buy it in many stores for a cheaper price than the perfect option. It’s silly not to sell it or buy it. That curved potato tastes no different than does the smooth round option. Often those go to animal food, or to rot. What a waste. Last fall Mike and I were in a No-Frills grocery. They had farm fresh cauliflower. They were beautiful, huge examples but they would have been rejected by most stores because of their size and colour. They were on the yellowish side, not pure white. But it was delicious, tasted no different that the white version. They also came with a lot of green. There was a staff member there to cut away the leaves, but I said no thank you. The green helps to keep the head fresh. Just like tomatoes on the vine. I shake my head when people pluck them off their vines because they don’t want to pay for whatever that vine may cost when weighed. Leave them on, pay the extra 1cent. The fruit will continue to ripen. Mine last for a week or two on their vines while sitting on the counter. I don’t have the answers for everything. But we can teach about food. How to buy it, store it and cook it. Sadly few schools do that anymore. Maybe it’s time to bring that back. But you don’t have to be a kid to learn. And there is nothing as satisfying as baking your own bread, or serving your family a healthy and tasty meal. It’s not hard, you just have to make an investment of time and some effort. Now… I have a dark sweet cherry coffee cake baking… smells done to me. Eat well!

Some of you may know of my recent passion. Well Michael, writing, poetry- those are given, but this is about food and my latest and possibly most favourite gadget. Not sure if that is a fair name for this machine because it's amazed me from day one. Frankly it's a pressure cooker, a good one, and very safe one, invented or maybe reinvented by a Canadian. I like that, so i put it in here. I am talking about the Instant Pot. No I'm not a food blogger (okay, i am today) and I bought and paid for my Instant Pot with my own credit card. But I love the darned thing. It has helped me in the kitchen more than most other things i've tried. Rice is a miracle in there. Seriously. Unbelievable. Pasta al dente in 3 to 4 minutes. Lemon chicken thighs with potatoes in 15 minutes. I'd swoon if it wasn't so unmanly. Right now i am cooking beans, simple red kidney beans. I love them and I know dry beans are less expensive and healthier than canned. I have prepped them the usual way on other occasions. That means, soaking and then cooking on the stove, but I've never gotten them to be how i like them. My preference is buttery soft beans. Crunchy and under done is not my cup of tea. Other bean issues are the bloating and gas they can cause. But they are so good for you. You can de-gas them. Why not do that when they are cheap, healthy, fill your belly, help with cholesterol and are full of good things? Why am i writing this? Well, i wanted to make chili. The recipe i found said you can just throw the beans in dry. When I related this information to a fellow food loving friend, he said, "Hmmm. Well let me know how that works for you." I could tell he was chuckling. Beans don't really affect me in that way, but my sleeping partner, well that's another story. I said to my friend, "Well, if I'm sleeping on the sofa, you'll know why." He replied, "Yes. Yes I will." He has his own husband, and they enjoy beans, too. This chat led me to do some research. There are lots of opinions out there, such as, yes, it's fine to put them in dry. Others said, soak and then pressure cook first. Other said, when you cook beans from dry don't cook them in acidic things - um, tomatoes are kinda acidic (sarcasm isn't attractive, i know). I thought, I have to rethink this. I don't want Mike taking chili for lunch and killing the rest of the squad an hour later. So I soaked the beans overnight. This morning, I put them in my Instant Pot with a clove of garlic and some bay leaves, covered them with water and cooked them for the recommended time, on high pressure, for 25 minutes. They are done now and I am letting the Pot cool and release pressure naturally. There is a quick release option which vents the steam. It looks like something out of a video game!! But the slower method is still part of the cooking process and in this case slower is good. I'm going to pause writing here. And wait until the beans have cooled, so i can tell you what they are like!! Can't wait. See you soon!! Back .. well the beans are buttery soft and delicious. I think I may reduce the cooking time by 5 minutes next time but I am very happy. Time to go and put the chili together and then let The Pot do its thing. I never really thought about pressure cooking but it is terrific. Now, the Instant Pot isn't a one trick pony. It has multiple settings including Soup, Meat/Stew, Rice, Beans/Chili, Yogurt (on my list to try), Mulitgrain, Porridge, Poultry and it is a Slow Cooker and Steamer, too. So, some bang for your buck. We bought one for our nephew when he moved and he tried it here before he moved .. he likes it but I fell in love. Thanks for reading and happy Potting!! AFTER CHILI UPDATE: Okay, i like this. I've eaten two bowls .. well one must try it right? This is not the chili from the chili mix package. It is not super thick and gloopy. It is fresh tasting, mildly spicy and not full of that chili mix/spice flavour i'm not so fond of. But it is moreish and I really have to NOT go back to the kitchen to get more of it. However some will be coming with me tomorrow when I start work.

We signed up for weekly veggie delivery. Their mandate is to distribute fruit and vegetables that are not 'good' enough to sell to the usual markets and stores and sell them to subscribers weekly. It's $18 for the 'solo' box and $3 for delivery. So far it's been great. We've eaten everything, tried new things and enjoyed it all. We've had the most amazingly fresh food. It's cheaper and so much better than what we can purchase in our local grocery store. We've had the best peaches and cantaloupe we've had in years. We get our box of veg on Thursday and then figure out what to make with all the things we have. Then do groceries on Friday. Our diet is more varied. Best move we've made in years. Who knew there were Baby Gold Peaches? So different from what we usually know as peaches. Luckily we both like just about every vegetable which makes it easier for us to enjoy this. Check around your neck of the woods, maybe they there's a local option.

Well, yesterday tim and I had a rather big yet stupid argument. It wasn't nice, tim was rightly angry and hurt. I don't remember the last time I felt that angry. It was totally preventable and it was organic. What happened isn't important, it was a true accident, tim was hurt physically (not badly), but I told him to get out of the way. he took offense to my reaction and left the kitchen quietly. Which angered me more and from there it escalated. Leaving tim angry and telling me I could do one! Which I deserved. During a discussion later, tim wondered if perhaps my blood sugar may have caused my reaction. It's quite possible as normally I'm not terribly quick to anger. Lesson learned. I need to make sure I eat properly throughout the day so I don't end up with blood sugar issues if dinner isn't right on time. I apologized to my precious husband, who forgave me instantly. Reminding me again, just how lucky I am.

We discussed healthy food lately in a blog entry by Mikiesboy (Food bytes). Suddenly the idea sprung up, to open a thread for recipes which are healthy, with fresh ingredients, not expensive and during as stressful workday just easy and fast or with more sensual with more time . So here tim and I start. Feel free to join us. That is what I cook, if I don`t have time to cook at all. A fast Pesto: While cooking pasta a very easy and fast pesto to make: A bunch of Basil leafs. The more the better. A coffee spoon of pin nuts 1 clove of garlic and 50 g Parmesan cheese. Some olive oil First rose the pin nuts a little in a pan. If they become golden brown stop and take them out immediately. Ground the Parmesan and put everything together into a mixer or a bowl with a food processor. The original way would be to pestle it by hand, but for me a mixer is fine. The pesto is ready, after one minute, you can adjust the thickness with olive oil or cooking water (very little) from the pasta. Just test, if any salt or pepper is needed. The pesto can be covered with olive oil for later use, if some is left over. Buon appetito!

Dear all GA members, as most of you know now, I absolutely love cooking that's is one of the reasons why I became a chef. But I doesn't matter if you have had 4 years experience or 40 years experiences you still make mistakes. the other day I was making a cake for my mates birthday, it was going fine until I began to bake it. I put it in the oven and left it, as I went to do some reading and half way through my book I could smell something burning. So I made my way downstairs and was greeted by a cloud of smoke coming from the kitchen, I made my way in to the kitchen opening the front door and windows as I pass to let the smoke out, as I open the oven my eyes begin to sting as a cloud of smoke hit me directly in the face. I leave the kitchen and head outside to stop my eyes from stinging, I go back to the kitchen and was greeted by an exploded cake covering every inch of my oven. have any of you had major cooking disasters like mine please leave comments in the space below and I look forward to hearing from you. yours, scotty94

I started this because, of all things, I wanted to write something about banana pancakes. I don't even know if this is going to go anywhere, but I just thought I would I put it out there and get some feedback. Thanks. “Uh-oh,” she said walking into the kitchen. “What?” the inflection in Tom’s voice said; don’t bother me. “What’s wrong?” “What makes you thing something is wrong?” He slammed the cupboard door harder than he had intended and winced at the loud bang. Because you are making banana…” she trailed off trying to peek at the ingredients he had gathered on the counter. “-bread,” he finished for her. “Banana bread.” “So why do you think anything is wrong?” “Because, since Mom died, that is the only time you make banana anything.” “Bullshit, I make banana pancakes every Sunday.” “You do?” “We always have banana pancakes on Sunday morning.” “I usually have too much of a hangover to eat breakfast on Sunday. In fact, I don’t usually get up until Monday.” He knew this was all too true about his sister. “You are missing a great day. Sunday morning is the best. It is quiet and everything, just seems so, relaxed,” he explained. “You are such an old man,” she folded her arms and smirked at you younger brother. “Fuck you,” he retorted as he started to mash bananas with a fork in a soup bowl. Mashing bananas was one of the first tasks that he helped his mother with in the kitchen. “What else do you do on Sundays?” “I don’t know,” he thought about it. He loved that they got the New York Times on Sunday. “I read the Times, go for a walk . . . help out around the house,” he paused, “Fuck! I am an old man!” “Yep, pretty much,” his sister said. “I hate you.” He said the words, but it wasn’t true. “What are other seventeen year old boys doing on a Sunday?” she asked. “I don’t know. Going to church?” She snorted in laughter. “No. You are such the definition of dork.” He didn’t say anything. “No, they are hanging out with friends, riding skateboards, smoking weed and running from the cops.” “Um, not everyone is a juvenile delinquent like you. Some of us are, you know, normal.” “I am over twenty-one now, so I will have you know I am now an adult delinquent. And, yeah, you are normal if making banana soufflé, listening to NPR and reading Jane Austen were considered normal for anyone under, I don’t know, let’s say – Fifty!” “I like NPR,” he defended himself, “and you like my cooking . . . and what’s wrong with Jane Austen?” He was flustered. “Nothing if you are a Girl Scout den mother.” “Shut up.” He put down the dish of bananas he had over mashed into the consistency of soup. They were worthless for his banana bread now. He sat down at the kitchen table with his back to his sister. “Is there coffee?” “In the pot, I just made it.” “Ah, I love you.” She poured two cups of coffee. One she set in front of her troubled brother, she put milk and sugar in hers and sat down next to him. “You know, I really do love you,” she said over the rim of her cup. He toyed with his cup, “Yeah, well that makes one and you don’t count.” “So, that is what has you down, love.” “No,” he responded too quickly and forcefully. “Remember that time when Mom put cayenne pepper on the chicken instead of paprika?” she asked out the blue. His mind’s eye immediately turned back the clock and he was sitting at the same table, a drumstick already poised at his lips when his mother let out a shriek. “Oh my god, that is the only time I ever saw her drink straight out a milk carton,” he laughed. “Yeah, you were ready to just chow down on that chicken when she snatched it away from you and Dad had to be mister macho and prove that he could eat it.” “I heard him groaning in the bathroom the next morning,” he completed the memory with another laugh. “So, who is this person that has you making banana bread?” she asked out of nowhere. “Ha! I am not that easy,” he gloat over his coffee, “besides, it doesn’t matter, it has to be unrequited love.” “God, you are reading too many eighteenth century romance novels. Why does it have to be unrequited love?” “It just does. It’s not like we even really know each other.” “Well, yeah it will remain a great unexplored love if you don’t at least introduce yourself to him.” His mouth dropped open and his eyes went wide. “Oh my god!” his sister shrieked in glee, “I wish I had a picture of you right now. That look is so priceless. After that reaction I guess there is no denying it now.” “Wait, yes – no . . . yes I can . . . fuck!”

Every body eats! What do you eat/cook that makes you proud/super happy/feel funny on the inside? I am currently making a giant batch of this cake: Luscious Lemon Drizzle Cake

What would be a perfect pig-out for you? Something that's probably bad for you but makes you feel good? Something other people might sneer at but you couldn't care less as you stuff yourself full of crap? For me a pork pie, pickled onions Twiglets and wobbly blancmange would do the trick. As well as the food itself I love the words too - you just know you're gonna pay for it later :funny: