Monday 25 November 2013

WEEKLY PLANNING - WHEN PASTA IS NOT ENOUGH

Do you remember all the times you said "Oh, I could so live on pasta alone! All my life!"
You were wrong. So wrong.
And I can say it because I've tried it. And I did it for just a week. So enough.
Appearently something went wrong with my grocery shopping last week, which led to an alimentation based entirely on pasta and carrots. Taking a walk on the bright side, this has been really stimulating for our improvising skills, but there's a limit even to the joys of creativity.
That's why I've decided to write down a "weekly menu", which is actually just a collection of eight inspiring dishes, based on which I wrote down my shopping list.
Surprising to see it includes so much more than carrots.

And yes, just in case you're also in need of some inspiration, I'm so nice to share my plan with you.

Half of the recipes are coming from Love&Lemons, which is overflowing with tempting dishes.
Here is what I've chosen:


cauliflower puree with chickpeas

okonomiyaki

veggie curry with cardamom yogurt

These chickpea quenelles with yogurt sauce come from FeelCook.











While I've found this endive salad on Skinny Taste
  Finally, this cauliflower veloutée, from Giallo Zafferano.

And this, is a tiny reward for all this planning.

Apple spice cocktails. Well, now it's time for some grocery shopping, I guess.(All the recipes are redirecting to their original, inspiring blogs. There you will find these and even more beautiful pictures, all taken by the writers of these blogs.)

Friday 22 November 2013

A HANDMADE CHRISTMAS

Well well, it feels like yesterday that I was complaining about my missed "welcome autumn" post, 
and it's already almost Christmas!
Well, yes, I'm aware that an "almost" can be pretty relative and, in this specific case, almost inappropriate, since Christmas is actually more than a month away. But if you're a follower of the self-sufficiency religion, and have decided that "all your Christmas presents shall be handmade", than you know that it's really almost Christmas.
So, if you're still trying to make up your mind and looking for some inspiration, I've made a little collection of things I've spotted that entered the list of "presents I want to make".

[ALERT: if I personally know you, you might want to stop reading now.]


Here is a "hot chocolate kit", inclusive not only of chocolate powder, but also of marshmallows, biscuits, peppermints, and everything you might fancy. I especially like this, because it feels like you're not giving just some chocolate powder, but a whole cozy afternoon. I found the idea at Kirtsy, originally from Megan at Not Martha.


I find this a brilliant idea, you can make the same gift for several people, and still make it personal, choosing among favorite poetry, funny jokes, or special quotes from your own personal anecdotes. This is from Aliona of Diy4everyday.


I already have one of these, mine is made out of a sock. It's a really beautiful sock, but still, owls win. Oh, wondering what they are? They're rice filled pillows. You can leave them to warm up on the heater, or directly in the microwave, and then cuddle them while chilling on the sofa. They're gonna be superwarmy for a while. You can find this project at 30 handmade days.


Some sweets are always good, especially when they're wrapped this nice. Other ideas from Laurie of Tip Junkie.


How awesome is this?! I have an obsession for glitter swirling in water, I bet now you do to. This is a kind of a fancy version, I don't have a printer or a laminator, but pictures can be replaced by... a cute dinosaur, for example. You can find this project at Our Best Bites.

Any other idea for a handmade Christmas?

Wednesday 20 November 2013

STROLLING DOWN MEMORY LANE 20/11/2012

I've always wanted to write something that started like that.
So, since today happens to be the first time I have a "a year ago" post, I couldn't miss the chance.

So, one year ago it was...

CHICKPEAS, ONION AND MINT SALAD, CHINESE CABBAGE AND OLIVES –YES, IT’S ANOTHER SALAD, WE JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH- AND SMOKED CHEESE SANDWICH.



And the one of today was, oh boy, another salad.
Uhm, maybe not a master of creativity.
But, you see, I'm doing it for you: I could experiment and brag about supercomplicated and fancy looking recipes, but then, what about you? Would you really feel inspired to cook? Or would you just look at some nice pictures and then crawl back on the sofa wondering what you could possibly cook today?
So, if I keep a low profile, without flaunting my mastery of cooking, I'm doing it for you.

SURVIVAL TIMES AND WINTER SALAD

I don't know how it's going there, but here in Belgium it really feels like, after some two, whole weeks of autumn, winter has come. It's time for creamy soups, gratens, casseroles, pies, pures... All these warm, thik, consistent meals that make winter almost a joy, a good reason to cuddle up in your blanket with your mug of thick hot choccolate.

So, my recipe of today, is a salad.

Because, let's be honest, when you're spending your time reading buried in your blanket sipping hot tea, pies and casseroles are nice just if someone else is making them.
And you start to feel hungry, and you have the painful certainty that no one else is going to cook for you, and your estimate time of survival out of the pre-mentioned blanket is of about 5 minutes.

Which, luckily, is exactly the time you need to prepare this winter salad.
And a toast with melting cheese, of course.


So, what you need for this tasty version is:

- raisins + red wine vinegar
- endive
- apples
- walnuts
- gorgonzola dolce

The only real direction concerning this salad, is that the very first thing you might want to do is to put the raisins in a small cup and cover them with red wine vinegar. Just to give them the time to soak it up.

Then you just get lost in a crazy chop and mix dance, at last you add the raisins (i pour all the vinegar that might be left as well) and, done.

You might even roast the walnuts in a pan with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, but this really depends on how active you feel.

If you're indeed wondering "What about salt and pepper? Do we have to add olive oil?", here is where the wonder of this salad comes in: flavors are so well balanced that you don't even need to season it.

Now, try and say you don't love winter salads.


Monday 4 November 2013

THE PERFECT STORM AND HOME-MADE POPCORN

We didn't settle for a Sunday afternoon; we didn't settle for a rainy day.
It had to be a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Then it came, and it was perfect.


We had pizza and a beer with it, which kind of makes it THE perfect movie night. 
Well, Sunday afternoon; rainy, Sunday afternoon.
Of course, if there's anything that might keep the competition up, that's popcorn.
And when I say popcorn, I mean home-made popcorn. Nothing compares to warm popcorn dowsed with melted butter and freshly chopped rosemary. 

YOU NEED:
- corn oil
- popcorn corn seed
          Optional (well, not really, but still): 
                                                               - butter
                                                               - rosemary; or any other herb or whatever thing you feel like adding




1- Pour some corn oil on the bottom of a big pot, just enough to cover it
2- For two people and a full pot of popcorn, I normally use half a cup of seeds. Although it has to be said that, normally, when we have popcorn we have it for dinner. Like a real, satisfying dinner. Just so you can take your measures.
3- Set the pot on a medium fire and cover it with its lid. Then... wait for the popping!!! Seriously, that's too exciting. Like fireworks. Just with less lights.
4- Well, when all the popping is over, yours popcorn are really likely to be done. Prepare to wonder and remove the lid.

5- For all the butter lovers out there, in the meanwhile you might want to melt some butter in a pan, add your chopped rosemary at last and pour it all over your popcorn. Sprinkle of salt, a good shake and you're ready to go.
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