Day 31: Food - Day 3

The biscuit jar - a selection of 2 propoint bars   - ww rich toffee and aldi apple and raisin. Missing from this pic is the chocolate and orange version of the apple and raisin ones as I forgot to get them this week. 

Day 30: Food - Day 2

Bobotie -apparently a South African recipe. 9 pp - serves 4

Was really good and totally different to what I normally cook!

400g lean mince beef
2 finely chopped onions
2 chopped garlic cloves
1 peeled and grated parsnip
1 peeled and grated carrott
5cm of grated fresh ginger (I just used a pinch of dried stuff)
1 tbsp of finely grated lemon zest (I just used some lemon juice)
1 tbsp garam masala
60g of sultanas
100ml beef stock

For toppping
250ml buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoons of mild curry powder
15g of flaked almonds

Pre-heat oven to 180C / 160C for fan / Gas Mark 4
Heat a large non-stick frying pan frying pan and add beef, stir frying over a high heat until browned
Add the onions, garlic, parsnip, carrot, ginger, lemon, garam masala and sultanas and cook for 3-4 minutes(until veg soften). Add stock and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Spoon the mixture into four individual dishes and place on a baking tray. Alternatively place in one dish pressing mixture down firmly and smoothing the top
In a jug, beat the eggs, butter milk, and curry powder together and season. Pour over mince mixture (making sure to divide it evenly if spread over indiviual dishes). Scatter almonds over the dishes. Bake for 20-25 minutes until set on top. Serve immediately



Edited to add recipe

Day 29: Food - Day 1

Paella with chizoro - Serves 4
15mins prep, 35 mins to cook

Low fat cooking spray
200g chicken breasts, cut into chunks
25g chizoro, diced
250g mixed seafood
1 green pepper, sliced and de-seeded
1 red pepper, sliced and de-seeded
1 onion - sliced
2 crushed garlic cloves
400g can of chopped tomatoes with herbs
450 ml chicken stock
175g dried paella / Arborio rice

Season / Garnish:
Salt, black pepper
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley

Spray a large non-stick frying pan with the spray and heat until hot. Add chicken and stir fry until browned (5 minutes). Remove chicken and set aside.

Spray pan again and add onions and peppers. Cook for 3 minutes and and then add the garlic, chizoro and a small splash of water. Cook for a further 2 minutes and then stir in rice, tomotoes, stock, and chicken. Turn heat down to simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes (until the rice is tender), stirring occasionally.

Add the seafood and cook until hot (about 5 minutes, or longer if frozen). If becoming dry add a little extra stock or water.

Season and serve with the parsely.

Really yummy and filling!!

Day 28: Colours of the rainbow - Day 7

Violet  - I'm not sure it's violet but it's near enough for me! Really struggling with colours so resorting to another old photo - from my hen - me and some college friends

Day 27: Colours of the rainbow - Day 6

Indigo - Although slightly cheating this is as near to Indigo as I could get - a family shot from Conor's Christening in December

Day 26: Colours of the rainbow - Day 5

Blue (and gold)  - My darling son in his Tipp jersey. It's a good job I bought the 6-12 month size or he'ld have grown out of it before the league even started. He's really grown in the last 4 months - the first one was taken while we were still in hospital and the second one today ! There's 17 weeks in the difference to the day.

Day 25: Colours of the rainbow - Day 4

Green - These were a present to myself on honeymoon - they actually look better in the photo than in real life. But I think they are pretty!

Day 24: Colours of the rainbow - Day 3

Yellow - My new cookbook. Here's hoping I get as much use out of it as I did out of it's older sibling

Day 23: Colours of the rainbow - Day 2

Orange - Pureed sweetpotato! Meet my mini-blender,  my best friend now we are weaning Conor. I spent the morning pureeing 9 different fruits and veg. My steamer decided it had had enough and died half way through so had to back to the old fashioned method on a saucepan. Still the freezer drawer is now full!

Day 22: Colours of the rainbow - Day 1

Red - Conor's changing bag - it comes everywhere! And I thought some of my old handbags were big!

Day 21: Things I like - Day 7

My boys! Off on a big adventure to pick up the drycleaning. Conor is able to face out in his sling now, although as you can see he finds this a little confusing

Day 20: Things I like - Day 6

Yummy! Popcorn - preferably with crisps! I love savoury snacks, although they are on the menu less frequently right now :-)

Day 19: Things I like - Day 5

My laptop - my link to the world - would be lost without it - Although I am considering updating this year as it's getting a bit old and slow.

Day 18: Things I like - Day 4

A peaceful, sleeping, baby. He's just the best - even when he's had a really grumpy day because his teeth are at him!

Day 17: Things I like - Day 3

Perfume!! Especially the good stuff! The one on the right is Dior J'Adore - a fab birthday pressie from my parents and the left is YSL - Parisienne which was a gift bought on the way home from Oz by my wonderful Daddy!

Day 16: Things I like - Day 2

A nice glass of wine especially in my crystal glasses - I don't know why but I think it tastes nicer that way!

Day 15: Things I like - Day 1

Getting flowers!! From my beloved  - just cos!!

Day 14: Memories of childhood - Day 7

I loved him so much as a child that I had to get the DVDs when they came out!! Can't wait to show him to my darling boy!

Day 13: Memories of childhood - Day 6

Splish, splash, I was taking a bath!! Bathtime fun!

Day 12: Memories of childhood - Day 5

Being a big messer and it being ok to have food all over my face!

Day 11: Memories of childhood - Day 4

A little worse for wear after years of childhhod adoration - Lily my favourite doll and childhood toy. I hope someday I am lucky enough to have a daughter to pass her on to.

Day 10: Memories of childhood - Day 3

My old school, and the view from my childhood bedroom window - no escape even in summer time. Good job I was a nerd who actually liked school!

Day 9: Memories of childhood - Day 2

Two of my favourite childhood books - I can't imagine how many times I read each one!

Day 8: Memories of childhood - Day 1

A doll's teaset  - I was such a girly-girl!

Day 7: Resoloution 7: Catch up on my reading

Anyone who know me really well would be shocked to learn this is just some of my pile of current unread books - before I had babs this would have been less than a month's reading. His early arrival means I still haven't finished the stuff I bought for my maternity leave. My resoloution is to get back reading - I'ld like to aim for an average of one book a week. The race is on!

Day 6: Resoloution 6: Get back to work

Having resigned my job as a contractor for my maternity leave I'm on the job hunt again. Fingers crossed I'll find something before my maternity leave is due to end in March.

Day 5: Resolution 5: Add more variety to my cooking

I'm a divil for cooking the same things over and over (legacy of a childhood where mammy would always say - oh you wouldn't like it ). I made a huge effort to change this when I did weight watchers to lose the weight for my wedding so now I'm back in again I'm going to try and make at least one new recipie every week. This was my first meal - an Italian one pot lamb meal from the plan. It wasn't bad but not something I think I'll be cooking regularly.

Day 4: Resolution 4: Get back to goal!

Some what related to yesterday's photo, this is a photo of my weight watchers gold card - I got it the week I found out I was pregnant. Have been back since Conor was six weeks but did a lot of damage over Christmas so it's time to seriously get my arse in gear and get back to my goal weight of ten stone. That leaves 2.5 stone to lose. I'ld love to have it lost before I have start paying for classes again but that's a pipe dream (35 pounds in 10 weeks) so I'm settling for losing it and having my maintainance done in time for my first wedding of the summer season in June.

Day 3: Resoloution 3: Get fit again

This time last year I was as fit as I had been in a long time  - one honeymoon and a pregnancy later I'm no where near that level. So it's time to get my walking shoes (well runners) on again, charge up my iPod and get out there.

Day 2: Resolution 2: Have lots of family time

 The title probably says it all. Looking forward to a year of great adventures documented with lots of photos. A bed time story is a new tradition for Conor, hopefully it will start a love of reading that lasts a lifetime.

Day 1: Resolution 1 : Take more photos

Well if I'm going taking 365 unique shots I guess my first resolution has to be to take more photos. First picture had to be of my darling son. Going to retake this shot a few times during the year just to see if Conor or the hippo is growing faster!