17 May 2009

Task 16 - Try 101 new recipes.

Recipe 1.

Crunchy Garlic and Herb Chicken Parcels.

Serves 6.

125g butter, softened.
5 cloves garlic, crushed.
6 plump, skinless chicken breasts.
4tbsp plain flour.
200g breadcrumbs, from sliced loaf.
1tsbsp dried parsley.
1/2tsp paprika.
1tbsp dried thyme.
2 eggs, beaten.
200ml vegetable oil,for shallow frying.

1. Heat oven to Mark 6/200C.
2. Mix together butter with garlic and parsley, season with salt, wrap in clingfilm and roll tightly to make a long thin sausage. Chill in the fridge.
3. With a sharp knife, make an incision in the plump side of each chicken breast to make a pocket. Slice the butter into 6 pieces and stuff into the pockets. Toss the chicken in the flour.
4. Mix the breadcrumbs and paprika with the thyme and seson well. Dip each chicken breast first into the egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs until well coated. Secure each with a cocktail stick to keep the butter in as much as possible.
5. Heat the oil until hot. Fry the chicken for 1-2 minus on each side until golden, transfer to a shallow roasting tin. Bake for 15-20 mins until cooked through. remove cocktail sticks and drizzle with any escaped butter to serve.

Taken from ESSENTIALS Magazine, June 09 issue.

12 May 2009

14,34 & 35 Completed.

Task 14 was to find the instruction book for my breadmaker, this task was completed with out even trying.On Sunday I working on de-cluttering the loft and the book was in one of the boxes I sorted. It's wonderful that you can find something that you were not looking for in the first place.

Tasl 34 & 35 were to tidy up front /back garden boarders and add new plants, both these task were started over the weekend and completed yesterday evening. Boarders look lovely now they have been weeded to an inch of their lives.

£15.00 is now on it's way to my ISA.

7 May 2009

Carrot Cake

May 09

5 ozs butter
7 ozs castor sugar
6 ozs carrots
1/2 level teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
7 ozs plain flour
1 level teaspoon baking powder
4 ozs sultanas

Icing

2 ozs softened butter
31/2 ozs soft cream cheese
4 ozs icing sugar
1/2 level teaspoon vanilla essence

1. Gently melt butter and pour into a mixing bowl.
2. Beat in sugar, grated carrots, salt, cinnamon and eggs.
3. Sieve the flour and baking powder together and fold into the carrot mixture add sultanas.
4. Pour into buttered tin.
5. Bake at 160 c or Gas Mark 3. for 40 minutes. Test by pressing lightly with fingertips, the cake should be firm.
6. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning out of the tin onto cooling rack.
7. Beat butter and cream cheese together until smooth, gradually beat in the sieved icing sugar and vanilla essence.
8. Spread on top of cake, decorate with walnuts.

2 May 2009

20 & 47 Completed.

Task 20 and 47 are completed.
Task 20 was to organize my kitchen food cupboards, this is now done. I have thrown a lot of out of date items away and I can now see what we have in the cupboards, this will make menu planning easier.
Task 47 was to join the local library, been meaning to join the library since before Christmas when I moved in with my DP. Another two easy tasks completed and £10.00 is on its way to my ISA. Enjoying seeing the blue completed tasks appearing on my list.

29 Apr 2009

Coconut Cake

April 09

Coconut Cake

110g Caster Sugar.
110g Soft Margarine.
225g S.R Flour.
2 Eggs.
60g Coconut soaked in 1/4pt milk of 15minutes.

1. Mix together caster sugar, soft margarine, S.R.flour and eggs.
2.Fold in coconut and milk mixture.
3.pour mixture into a 2lb lined loaf tin.
4.Cook for 1 hour 15 minutes at 160 c.

Can't remember where this recipe came from I have been using it for many years.

27 Apr 2009

Tomatoes

Day 17 of 1001.

My tomato plants are doing very well, I potted two types of seeds Garden Pearl and Maskotka, both ideal for baskets and containers. Planning on having 4 baskets and 4 containers of each type. Hoping the weather gets a bit warmer this weekend so I can plant them out.

26 Apr 2009

To do this week.

Day 15 of 1001.
I have listed things I want to do each day and an not currently achieving. So each week I am looking to :

Drink 1 pint of water a day.
Eat five a day.
Write in gratitude journal daily.
Have 3 NSD's a week.
Keep all receipts.

Sunday will be my start of the week so today I have move £2.45 to learning account and I have got on the scales and my weight is 9st 12lb.

Starting from today I am goint to give up chocolat/sweet things for a week, so hopefully next Sunday I will have lost a few lb's.