Tags

I'm not a big fan of tags, usually because as soon as i get to read the post the 10 people i want to tag have already been tagged twice or three times. So in honour of all the people who thought of me when tagging and for those i never acknowledged back, this is for you! You Rock (which i've made myself), you don't need to send it on, this is for you.


(If you want to send on this "you rock" please feel free!)

"You Rock" because you're kind, funny, thoughtful, creative. My life is much more colourful with you in it. Thank you for making a difference!

Annamarie

Audrey

Caroline

Carrie

Evonne

Gertie

Kate

Lainey

Neasa

Noelle

Tigger

Soiree Sisters (and brothers too!)

Well last night was our first SS&B2 and it went down a treat. The food was scrummy, wine delis, conersation hilarious and twister was really difficult after a feed, LOL. The idea behind the SS&B2 is to try something different so i prepared a Moroccan Lamb Stew, and i have to saty it was gorgeous! (this might have to do with the taste buds not been covered in nicotine). I think it was Ray who asked for the recipe (wine goggles) so i thought i'd share it with anyone who want to try it out. I loved it so much i made it again on sunday and have it forzen to have during the week. The main ingredients are Lamb, sweet potatoes, couscous and spices. Enjoy!

Moroccan Lamb Stew – serves 4-6
Ingredients
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds crushed
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds crushed
• 3-4 small dried chillies
• a small bunch of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
• 2 thumb-sized pieces of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds stew lamb
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2.5 cm/
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
• 2 tins of tomatoes
• 1 stick of cinnamon or ½ teaspoon crushed cinnamon
• 1 bay leaves
• a handful of dried apricots
• 285ml (½ pint) boiling water
• 350g/12oz couscous
• 1 large bunch of fresh coriander and a few leaves of mint
• 4 tablespoons creme fresh

In a large bowl mix your cumin, coriander with the dried chillies, rosemary, ginger and a pinch of salt and pepper, stirring in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Add Lamb and toss to coat with mixture

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add lamb to pot and sauté until brown on all sides, about 4 minutes per batch. Remove and leave to one side.

Add the sweet potato, onion and garlic to the pan fry your veg for about 4 minutes until the onions are slightly soft. Add your tomatoes, give the pan a shake and place the meat on top. Add 2 wineglasses of water, the cinnamon, bay leaves and dried apricots, and stew for 1 hour 30 minutes.

Pour the boiling water over the couscous and allow it to be absorbed. Then fork the couscous through, season with salt, pepper, a lug of olive oil, cover with tinfoil and place in the oven for 5 minutes to steam.

Roughly chop the fresh coriander and stir it through the couscous just before serving. Serve with creme fresh with chopped mint leaves.

i love cash

while on MSN with Tigger and Evonne i cranked up the volume and listened to Mr Cash, that mans velvet voice is amazing i could listen all night! You can hear the passion and the pain in 9inch nails song Hurt, wowzer!

Last week of Got Paint :(

I've really enjoyed Emily's class over on Big Picture Scrapbooking. The handouts and audio messages were great, I never got a chance to do the "chat" thing as it was always in the wee hours (being an american site). The last class is up *sniff sniff* i'm going to miss learning new techniques, especially to do with paint. Its really encouraged me to look at being creative from a different light. I love the painting and I'd love to just go mad with the paint but in a bigger scale.... like 6ft x 4ft (mind you i'd need a box to stand on - hee hee)

I really feel i've got paint :)

Day 3/4

Day 3: After Curves Ailis and I went food shopping, we were thinking something fresh and delis for supper. Salmon, baked potatoe and spinach.. yummy, oh and a small glass of vino :) After dinner as we were chatting Ailis pointed out that I was playing with my gloves... pulling at them, rolling them .... without thinking i was trying to keep my hands busy. it was so funny. next thing i knew i was wearing the gloves... i didn't even notice putting them on :) whatever was happening it was working!

Day 4: This week in work has been difficult, i was thinking today that i haven't smoked during a really stressful time. I didn't go to Curves today, my body was exhausted and needed a break! I had a lovely brown bread salmon sandwich at lunch and salmon with pasta for tea.... i think i'm all salmoned out, LOL.

Tonight Shona and i headed out for a walk and to buy the ingredients for saturday's nights dessert, then my little helper and i spent the next hour making the most unusual dessert. Can't wait to have a slice :) I'll post up the recipe after the weekend. As a treat tonight i soaked, scrubbed and lathered in cream the soles of my feet, ahhhhhhh bliss oh i'm so worth it!

Day 3

I think today has been a little easier!? Ok maybe not, I still have this feeling that my limbs are about to fall off, my stomach has constant knots, I feel I need to itch but can't find the scratch.... this has been the hardest thing I've ever done! But do you know what????...... I don't smoke! I'm a non-smoker!!!

Day 1: 24 hours of completley thinking about smoking (or not smoking). Went to Curves, drank loads of water & herbal tea, chewed chewing gum, went for a walk after tea, went to bed early and read a book about de-stressing (i used smoking to de-stress). Awake 5.30am... day 2....

Day 2: The cravings were a little more difficult to deal with today. Went to Curves again at lunch time, just to keep myself busy. Was up really late last night 2am, awake 6am.

Day 3: This morning I felt "wow! I don't even want a smoke, i'm not even thinking about smoking..." then i got out of bed! LOL! Eating rice cakes while I type... yuck its like airy cardboard. Anyways off to Curves after work, getting some ingredients to try for my experimantal food for the smoke free soiree on sasturday night.... I'm thinking tarts for the tarts, hee hee!!!

Scrap West Class

This week Scrap West we've tried something a little different. Each of the SW-ies is going to do a tutorial each week with full instructions!! This week was my little 8x8 LO called resolutions... and no photo! A great way to scrap lists!

The wooden wine box is my paint box and I decided last night that it too needed a little paint, so using techniques from Emily's Got Paint class, I began paint! Didn't know where to stop, hee hee! This was great fun!!! Nothing is safe now - mwhahahahahahaha!

Got Piant? 2

Week 2 of the Got Paint? class got off to a start last night, the techniques this week is using stamps and paints on your LO. I went a little (lmao) over board with the stamps last night but loved getting messy. I finding the class very liberating and was looking for inspiration to get back painting... I think I may have found it!!! The photo was taken on the 1st of Jan while out for a walk in UL. If you are ever over there check out the Living Bridge... it actually moves, so cool :)

Soiree Sisters (and brothers too!) is part of my new year resolution. The "gang" have decided to have a monthly get together. We take turn in hosting one of our drink & craic fueled evenings. We gotta try something new food wise (and drink wise if we're not driving), plenty of food, fun and laughter :)

Right, off for a little lunch and then get ready for the Scrap West class tonight.

Have a lovely weekend :)

We've had a ball!!! Mind you I'm glad to get back to the routine food and exercise wise - did too much of one and not enough of the other! LOL! Here's what we were up to on Christmas Day (thanks to Annamarie showing how to do the mosaic thingie over on Scrap West). We had a fantastic time at Lou's with all the gang :)

For the new year I've enrolled in a 4 week class called "Got Paint?" over on Big Picture Scrapbook. I used the first class for this weeks Scrap West theme called Reflections. It is the beginings of an Art Journal using paint techniques. I'm loving it and painted for 4 hours last night, its great being arty :)

Check out Scrap West next friday when we do something totally different..... what do you think about a class a week????

Have a great weekend darlinks!