Oh Dear

I made some chocolate chip cookies yesterday and most of them are gone! They were chewy ones and we all liked them a lot. Unfortunately I can't find the recipe I used - it was a tiny scrap of paper torn from a magazine - which upsets me somewhat because I wanted to use it for tonight's post but mostly because the cookies are great and I want to make them again!

Oh well, here's a photo anyway.

Back In The Red Dirt... Again

I had a really successful trip to Perth and have arrived back feeling much calmer and with some plans and direction. I have a shocking (okay, non-existent) sense of direction and did manage to get lost at least once every single day - which is even funnier when you consider that, apart from a few years in various mining towns around the state, I have lived in Perth my whole life! Yes, the entire WA team laughed themselves silly. Then they kindly gave me detailed directions of exactly how I needed to get to where-ever I needed to go next, usually still laughing!

I managed to catch up with four friends - they were rushed visits but at least I got to see them (Hi A, D, P and N!), went out for dinner with my parents, bought pressies for Hubby and the kids and fitted in a huge amount of work too. Anyway, as a result of more sleep, less stress and a general sense of wellbeing I headed for the kitchen today and baked myself silly - a batch of choc-chip cookies, banana bread and an egg and bacon pie for dinner! I wouldn't like you all to fall over in shock so I'll just share one tonight ;) It's an old favourite that was wonderful when we had chooks and always had eggs that needed using. I have no idea where the recipe is from so can't credit anyone with it, sorry. The recipe says to just use one sheet of pastry on the top of the pie but I usually line the dish with pastry as well as giving it a lid. I still use the corn flake crumbs, on top of the pastry lining the bottom of the dish.

Egg and Bacon Pie

8 bacon rashers (slices)

1 tablespoon corn flake crumbs

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

8 eggs

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 sheet ready-rolled shortcrust pastry

1 egg, beaten lightly, extra (I use milk instead)

1 teaspoon sesame seeds, option

Cut the rind and fat from the bacon. Grill bacon until browned lightly on both sides; drain on absorbent paper. Cut each bacon rasher into 3 pieces.

Sprinkle crumbs over base and side of an oiled 23cm pie dish, Place half the cheese, bacon and chives in the dish.

Break and egg into a small dish; gently pour unbeaten egg into pastry case. Repeat with remaining eggs; season with salt and pepper. Top with remaining bacon, chives and cheese.

Lift pastry sheet carefully onto pie; trim edge of pastry by pressing with and upturned teaspoon. Brush pastry with extra egg (or milk); sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in a moderate oven (180C) for about 35 minutes or until browned lightly.

Serves 4 (if they are huge strapping men who haven't eaten in a week, or 6-8 if you serve it to people with a normal appetite and put a salad on the table too!)

I'm Leaving...

... on a jet plane. In about an hour!

Yep, I'm off to Perth for work for the promised assistance. I'll be back Wednesday night so look out for a new post towards the end of the week.

The Best Hubby!

As I said in the last post this has been a rotten week at work. It has been quite stressful and not terribly pleasant and, quite frankly, I fully intended to resign more than once. But... some sound advice, the promise of some useful assistance this week, and lots of support from Hubby have got me through. I came in from work on Tuesday exhausted, quite upset and not really able to see a way to the surface. My stomach was churning, I felt quite ill and the last thing I wanted to do was have to come in and cook dinner, deal with the kids and do the bedtime routine. To say that Hubby stepped up to the plate would be a massive understatement. Before I even had my shoes off he had a glass of wine poured for me, he dealt with the kids the whole night AND cooked a wonderful dinner! He used the mince I'd grabbed out of the freezer and searched through my recipe books for something that we had the ingredients for. He ended up using a book that was published while we were both still in primary school and it could only be described as "retro" but it proves that some of the less fashionable (and less pretty) cookbooks really hold up over time.

So, here's the fabulous meal that Hubby made. He said it was easy, I say it was delicious!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Wonderful Ways To Prepare Italian Dishes by Marion Mansfield

Serves 4

250g minced (ground) beef

250g salami, minced (he used the sliced salami and chopped it up quite small)

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 egg

dry breadcrumbs (didn't have any int he cupboard so he made fresh ones- after ringing me to find out how LOL)

1/3 cup oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 teaspoons basil

2 cups hot beef stock

375g spaghetti

boiling salted water

Combine meat, salami, grated cheese, parsley and egg to a soft mixture, form into small balls and roll in breadcrumbs. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan, add meat balls and cook, turning until browned on all sides, lift out, drain and keep warm.

Heat remaining oil and the butter in a flameproof casserole (he just used a frypan) . Add onion and saute until transparent. Add tomatoes and basil, over and cook over low heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add meat balls and hot stock to the casserole (frypan), baste well, cover and cook for 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a pan of boiling salted water for 15 minutes or until tender, drain well, add to the casserole, gently stir through and serve.

Blocks, blocks and more blocks.

Can you guess the latest obsession to hit our house?

Ignore the glass of wine in the background. It, obviously, does not belong to the young builder!Rather is it s mine after a particularly horrible week at work where a number of things have come to a head. It's messy, it's stressy and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this by time next week some of it will be resolved.