Exciting News !

In the month of November my recipe 'Coconut, blueberry & banana Muffins' (recently featuring on my blog) was in the Woolworth Fresh Magazine.

I thought of the idea to enter the competition in a boring class at school. Whilst almost falling asleep listening to the teacher I decided to spend my precious time wisely (good choice) and a competition I remember reading about in the previous Fresh Magazine. then very randomly (again in a boring class) a few months ago I got an email saying that I had won the competition and, therefore my very own original recipe would be in the magazine.
I am so happy and wanted to share the news with you guys and inspire everyone to just throw yourself out there and cook your heart out because it makes you feel fantabulous and puts a smile on peoples faces.
Give it a look, Grab a free copy at any Woolworths this month. Flip to page 8 !
or look at in on the website.

 - Grace

Discover. Cook. Then just show the world

Gilbert Blythe You Legend

WARNING: spoiler alert.... I highly recommend that you immediately close this screen for approx. 12 hours and watch CBC'S films  Anne of green gables, Anne of Green Gables: the squeal and Anne of Green Gables: the Continuing Story. Yes all 1, 2, & 3 of them. You will not regret it! Oh why your at it you could begin reading the eight books in the L.Motgomery "Anne of Green Gable" series

Okay now that you have done that small task you can continue reading this post. Lets begin reminiscing on our extreme love for the movie trilogy and your romantic affair with Gilbert Blythe.


It only came to my knowledge yesterday after enjoying a walk with my friend that this week Johnathan Combine had passed away at the age of forty eight years old( the actor that 'was' Gilbert Blythe in the movies based on the L.Montgomery “Anne of Green Gables” books). I didn't know how to react. I was not obsessed with him, I hadn't yet dedicated the whole design of my room to his face and I had not yet planned our wedding day because I knew that was a bit out of reach for me as a 16 year old and not at all knowing where he lived or if he already had a family and possibly a daughter my age. But I can defiantly say a little bit inside me was crushed.

I cried profusely Every time I watched the scene with him on his death bed....

Gilbert Blythe: Anne, There's not going to be any wedding anymore. 
Anne Shirley: You're gonna get well, Gil. I know you are. 
Gilbert Blythe: I called it off. It wouldn't be fair to Christine. There would never be anyone for me but you. 

Those words break my heart every time (in a good way).

Although Gilbert Blythe (Johnathan Combine) the handsome and dreamy character in the classic "Anne of Green Gables" series is 48 and therefore old enough to be my father, I will still fantasize about him falling head over heels for me, showing his affection by calling me "carrots"(even though I do not have orange hair at all) and then continue asking for my hand in marriage repeatably until I say I will. 

Gilbert Blythe: Maybe you don't think I'm good enough for you now, but I will be someday. Anne Shirley: No, Gil you're a great deal too good for me. But you want someone who'll adore you. Someone who'll be happy just to hang on your arm and build a home for you. I wouldn't. Gilbert Blythe: Anne, that's not what I'm looking for at all. Anne Shirley: We'll end up like two old crows fighting all the time. I know I'd be unhappy and I'd wish we'd never done it.

I love Anne she is my favorite character of all time but ohh how wanted to shake her in the above scene and tell her she deserves him and that she made a huge mistake ignoring him for three years.

I could go on forever quoting the whole movie because it all is worth being in this blog post but for the sake of your family and friends wanting to see you the next few days I will not.

I should now stop writing this post in Food tech class and begin dreaming about going home and eating porridge, whilst watching all the movies over again and again with a box of tissues by my side. Remembering the legend that was Johnathan Crombie.

 - Grace

Discover. Cook. Then just show the world

 

A Jamie Oliver Feast

Roast Chicken breast 4 ways

I found myself past midnight and once again rummaging through Jamie Oliver cookbooks. I have to admit, it was a moment of weakness and lack of sleep. Marking many pages with little animal sticky notes, I finally came to the conclusion that roast chicken breast from Jamie's 'Cook with Jamie' cookbook, would satisfy my families taste buds. 

 Step by step I worked my way through every section of this recipe following Jamie's every command.  

 Roast chicken with cherry tomatoes and asparagus

Trimmed asparagus 

Cherry tomatoes sliced in half

The ingredients needed to complete the chicken recipe

Un - cooked and ready to bake

                                     

I found this one the most simple out of the four, but that didn't undermine the taste of the dish. 

                                   

Roast chicken in pancetta with leeks and thyme

A sharp knife was used to slice the white part of the leek into 1 cm pieces.

White wine, Olive oil, Salt,Pepper, Butter, Pancetta, Leeks, Fresh thyme.

Pancetta wrapped chicken in a foil baking dish.

This was my favorite dish of all as I forgot what leeks taste like; juicy and complex in flavor with a simple touch of thyme and butter. 

Roast chicken with creamy butternut squash and chilli

A little butternut pumpkin chopped in four. 

Only a few ingredients, but it is ready to assemble.

Cosy and stuffed prepared before roasting. 

I love pumpkin immensely so this dish had no fault in my eyes. Mhhh I enjoyed scoffing this one down. My lack of obtaining chills was no distaste to the dish.

Roast chicken with lemony Bombay potatoes

Odd ingredients for roast chicken. Sliced lemon, Lemon zest, Parsley, Lemon juice, Capsicum, White potatoes, Sweet potatoes, Olive oil, Turmeric, Nutmeg.  

Beautifully served and organised to cook to perfection.  

This was a lovely Thai flavored dish and all in all, it was my favorite chicken flavor, This I think is because it was rubbed in turmeric and nutmeg before baking.

 - Grace

Discover. Cook. Then just show the world

Tomato Pasta Sauce Making

Being the Italian I am and seeing as it was the end of the tomato growing season long ago, my family had decided it was surely the time to have the annual sauce making day to have available yummy tomato pasta sauce all year round.

My uncle came down from Ballarat to help with the cooking. With my Dads Zia Lina and my mum, all four of us boiled, cooked, peeled, smashed and simmered the freshly grown and brought roman tomatoes.

Here are some action pictures
**sorry the recipes is confidential as its a family secret**

 To begin

TOMATOES,tomatoes and more TOMATOES

Over a hot roasting FIRE we boiled the juicy tomatoes

Zia Lina pureed the tender Roman tomatoes

 My Nonno made this little device for pureeing tomatoes.
It amazes me the brain that was in his head because this machine makes pureeing tomatoes 100 times easier.

It was nice to spend my morning making the delicious sauce I eat almost three times a week.... Its going to run out quick !

- Grace

Discover. Cook. Then just show the world