Autumn garden is on its way so we have been harvesting, cutting, digging and generally tidying up for the coming season. Love this kind of work.
Giffords Circus
Aug 30th, 2010 by Kat
My Father in Law is about to celebrate a momentous birthday. We really struggle with gifts, knowing that often what we are able to give falls far short of what we want to give. We thought long and hard about giving him a birthday treat which would be truly exciting before hitting on a trip to the circus. Words really can’t do justice to the supreme magic that is Giffords Circus, even with high expectations I had my breath taken away by the sheer brilliance of the performance. Both children were enraptured, Milla kept trying to sneak down to the front row and has been practicing her tight rope walking ever since. I will be writing a full review for Bambino Goodies so be sure to head on over there tomorrow which you can see here.
Besides the brilliance of the performance and music the costumes were simply stunning.
What do you think, circus costumes for Solstice?
Tags: Circus Costumes, Days Out, Family Traditions, Giffords Circus, Milla, Monty
Spicy Butternut Squash Soup
Aug 26th, 2010 by Kat
By popular demand* here is my most awesome and satisfying soup recipe. I tend to make twice as much as we need and freeze the rest in single portions – so much nicer than other convenience soups.
Spicy Butternut Squash Soup
1 large or two medium butternut squash
25g butter (or ghee or vegetable oil)
1 onion thinly sliced
1 carrot diced
1 garlic clove mashed
1tsp ginger chopped
2 cloves
2 cardamom seeds
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1.5 – 2 litres of hot chicken or vegetable stock
- Peel, chop, rub with oil and roast up the butternut squash until soft – about 45 minutes at 190 – 200C.
- Heat butter over a medium heat in a large pan.
- Add the onion, carrot, garlic, ginger stir into the butter then add the spices (I buy spices from the Indian Supermarket not the regular one as they’re cheaper and nicer).
- Fry gently for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly so the spices don’t stick and clump.
- Add the hot stock and the roasted squash.
- Simmer for a while (about 20 minutes should be enough but not ruined if you leave it longer).
- Remove from heat and blend until smooth.
- Add Yeo Valley Greek Yoghurt to serve.
- Eat with lashings of bread and butter.
- Keep sleeves out of soup.
*and by this I mean Amanda asked me and she is popular. Not only that but it is her birthday. And she is my hero, you need no more reasons but I thought you should know.
Tags: Butternut Squash Recipe, Housewife Recipes, Spicy Butternut Squash Soup
Sunday on the Cusp
Aug 22nd, 2010 by Kat
There’s something exciting in the air. The smell of the Season turning is here with the harvests and how it makes my heart sing. With the temperature dropping and the days racing toward Autumn I am feeling so very contented. This weekend anticipation of the coming season over took me and I have been busy stitching, baking and cooking. Now the stitching will have to remain hidden for a while as the brand new person it is intended for has yet to receive her gift. The food on the other hand…
I love to potter around in the kitchen, not necessarily making elaborate meals but the kind of comforting everyday food which I hope my children remember fondly when they’re grown. One of my all time favourite foods is soup and my absolute favourite soup is Spicy Butternut Squash Soup*. It is sweet, spicy and tastes delicious with creamy sour Greek yoghurt stirred through. As it was one of those days I made a simple loaf of bread although I forgot to halve the salt in the recipe so it was a bit salty for my tastes.
With bobbly cooking apples being left outside homes for the taking and blackberries weighing down the hedgerows it would have been rude not to make them into a crumble. I couldn’t make crumble and not make ice cream to go with it so some simple vanilla was easily whipped up in time.
Ah, more days like these please.
*Do you want recipes? I always wonder what you think of them.
Tags: Blackberry and Apple Crumble, Changing Seasons, Spicy Butternut Squash Soup, Vanilla Ice Cream
Bedtime Wandering
Aug 21st, 2010 by Kat
Each evening before bed we peer around our children’s door to make sure they are ok, as I’m sure you do too. Sometimes they need their covers settling over them or turning around from some contorted sleeping position. Last night when we checked, Milla was gone. Mr Kat came out of their room and said ‘She’s not in her bed.’ I smiled and rolled my eyes at the lump under our duvet but found nothing there when I pulled it back. For a minute or so we raced about the bedrooms looking into hidey holes and under beds until Mr Kat spotted her. Curled up at the end of Monty’s bed, wearing his t-shirt over her pyjamas, sound asleep.
*this picture was taken in near darkness, more power to my camera!
Tags: Canon EOS 500D, Milla, Monty