Where art thou?

Hi there,

Sorry for my silence! (maybe it's a good thing- not sure?) I had grand plans of writing on this blog weekly with all my food ideas, however life has seemed to taken over in the last month and things in our household have been hectic, busy and stressful. I've had little time to get in front of the computer, let alone think about any food ideas. Hopefully, things may settle down a bit now and I can blog a bit more.

I've been thinking about food a lot lately and feeling quite sad as my yearly subscription to Delicious magazine and Donna Hay has had to be cancelled due to finances. Those magazines were my little bout of inspiration that arrived every month and gave me an excuse to sit on the couch with a cup of peppermint tea and flick through pages of inspiration. Sadly, I only have a few issues left to come. But I hope to use my blog as my inspiration and post lots of great recipes in the next month.

On a happier note, I've got my sons 2 year old party coming up. It was actually meant to be today but we had a death in the family so it was cancelled (it's been one of those weeks). Anyway, I've re-scheduled it for August and hopefully this will give me some more time to plan. I'm really excited about deciding the menu and having some beautiful treats to share with some special friends for afternoon tea. I saw this amazing slice recipe that I want to try from Bill Granger. It's a blackberry and almond slice, a bit of a take off on the traditional baked jam slice but with toasted almonds on the top. It looks amazing!

Anyway, check out the recipe and will promise to try and write more!!

Love

Nim

simple pleasures

The last few days I got to experience some of life's most simple pleasures. One being...sleep! My husband travels a lot for business and normally I am the one that gets left at home with the kids (which I don't mind) but sometimes I dream of being able to fly off with him, just to experience that one morning of sleeping in. This simple pleasure happened yesterday for me when I was able to travel to Sydney for a night with my husband. It was so exciting stepping onto a plane with no kids and nothing to worry about but what I was going to read for the hour plane flight. Then we landed and stayed at a quirky/arty hotel which was an experience in itself. Then came the deep sleep of two adults that had spent the last 6 months waking up every night, feeling like there was no end in sight (until our kids are teenagers- which is a long time away)! That next morning was bliss. I woke up in crisp white sheets and wait for it....I had slept in till 8.17 am. Now, this may not seem like a big sleep in, but the mere fact that I had slept from about 12 am till 8.17 am with NO INTERRUPTIONS was simply blissful. I dream of that moment as I am writing this. Following my delightful sleep, I woke up to get ready and spend the morning with my husband. We went off to the the book cafe in Sydney which has become my new favourite inter-state cafe. It's a simple concept but so fulfilling for a foodie who loves grazing through cook books. I spent the morning eating baked spanish eggs with chorizo and tomato and capsicum followed by some pikelets with poached pear and rhubarb and vanilla ricotta. Needless to say, breakfast was enjoyed with a lovely hot skinny latte too. I browsed through numerous old and new cookbooks and felt so inspired and rejuvenated. We then had to get down to the business end of the trip so spent the afternoon listening to auditions and rehearsals for the business which was very relaxing (for me).

That night we headed into the city, had a coffee, looked at a few vintage shops and then had dinner at Longrain which is modern thai food. The food was sensational, and the atmosphere was exactly what I was after. The restaurant has one big long table and all the customers sit together and eat and whilst the table is quite large and you can sit close to your loved one, you also feel like you are in an amongst the people. One other thing that I noticed was as you walk into the restaurant, I saw the two most happiest fish swimming around in a tank by the front door. There was no tank full of lobster and fish looking gloomy and cramped, knowing that their life is going to be short, instead there was this clean, fresh tank with two friends swimming around enjoying life. It inspired me to enjoy life and that moment just watching them.

So that was my 24 hours of being able to experience life's simple pleasures. I've come home to my two delights and whilst I enjoyed every minute of having some alone time with my husband, nothing compares to being together as a family and trying in and amongst the bustle of life to stop and experience those simple pleasures.

A Celebration of all things Mum...

I love mother's day! Now that I'm a Mum, I realise how much work we all must have been as children. Now we are all guilty of waking up numerous times in the night, sometimes for no apparent reason apart from wanting to be awake at 3 am! We were all toddlers once and I am sure many of us had tantrums in public places, would run over clean floors or write on walls and refuse to eat dinner only to wake our parents up hungry. Yes, being a mum requires you (amongst many other things) to give up your desire to have a good night's sleep and for this...we all need to take the time out this Sunday to thank our Mum's, encourage those with babies on board and take time to reflect on the journey that is motherhood.

So here are some pics of inspiration this mother's day! Hope yours is one to remember!

Happy Mothers Day Mum!



What a cute bookmark!



Pretty Bobby pins



A Birdhouse necklace



I just bought these great fridge magnets



A lovely slice of hand made soap...



A little taste of something beautiful...

Return to work...

You might need to put the kettle on...this one is my longest post yet! This Saturday I return back to work after 2 years! I have mixed feelings about going back. My work place was a place of many joys but also a lot of heartache. I'm a paediatric nurse and whilst that job in itself has many challenges, I also had a close colleague pass away suddenly when I worked there which was a really difficult time for me. In the 3 years I worked there before leaving to go on maternity leave, I can remember every child that I nursed that passed away and also a lot of "miracle" stories and families that were (and still are) such an inspiration. I went on maternity leave thinking I wouldn't come back but something still draws me back to that ward and hospital and I feel like I'm ready to continue my career as a nurse.

One of the hardest things I've found whilst being on maternity leave is the fact that my career as a nurse just stopped. I suddenly had a baby to look after and my every day jobs of doing medications, procedures, counselling and working in a team, turned into changing nappies, feeding, bathing and doing loads of washing. Don't get me wrong, I'd never regret having kids and both my children are so precious I would never give them up for work. But, now that I am returning to work, I do think about those 2 years where I wasn't nursing and when I look at my other colleagues who have progressed in their careers and are doing further education, I often wonder if I will ever be able to do the same. When I think about this, I do often feel at peace knowing that I have had my kids young and whilst that has meant I've had to sacrifice a bit of my career, I still have plenty of years ahead and I am determined to use them to continue to do life the way I do and enjoy being a Mum, wife, and a nurse once a fortnight on a weekend. I just have to remind myself of this sometimes.

The hardest thing I'm going to find about going back to work is leaving my two kids at home. For those of you who aren't mums, you might not see this as a big deal but there has never been a time in my toddler's life that I haven't been there for him, let alone away for him for a whole day. I know he will be completely fine, doing fun things with his Dad and our friends, but its me that I'm worried about! I know I will get used to it after a few shifts and that it will just make the "heart grow fonder" when I do get home after work. It's just a transition, a new experience to learn from and let's face it...lots of mothers go back to work at some point.
I had a lovely day with both my kids today, just relaxing at home and spending time playing together. I had my toddler colour my ugg boots in with his chalk, filled in a wiggles sticker book, helped my princess roll over and back again and finished the day with some lovely stories in bed and cuddles. Kids are such a joy! I know going back to work will make me enjoy those moments more and also cherish the time that I do have to myself at work where I can have my own "social" time with other adults and families. I look forward to being able to go back to work with the "experience" and "knowledge" or what it means to be a parent and being able to understand the emotions that take place when your child is sick. I am really excited about it and looking forward to the drive in the car on my own, being able to listen to the radio, think...and not have kids in the back needing attention (or having to sing nursery rhymes!). This is just a simple pleasure that I miss sometimes!

Anyway, that's what is on my mind right now!

A new beginning at a place of many memories and the promise of a bright future!

stop this train...

It seems like ages since I've been able to sit down and write a new post (so sorry to my 3 followers for being so quiet lately- not that I haven't seen you though!).

I cannot believe it's May already. The last few weeks have been so busy in the Newnham household.
Currently, I'm feeling extremely sleep deprived. My toddler (Luke) has tonsillitis and my 5 1/2 month old (Ebony) is still waking up 1-2 a night for feeds. All weekend, I think I've managed to get about 4 hours sleep a night and am starting to really feel it.

Life is good though. Full of exciting prospects and an bright future.

Tonight..I'm going to sit on the couch, watch Master Chef, drink peppermint tea and remind myself that whilst these weeks feel busy and stressful and a good nights sleep feels like it will never come...we only get to do life once and Im going to savour this moment (well try to anyway..I'll probably fall asleep).

So in the words of John Mayer...

Stop this train
I want to get off and go home again
I can't take the speed it's moving in
I know I can't but honestly won't someone stop this train

Tart Trev

I love a good tart. Lemon tart, raspberry tart, chocolate tarts... Tarts are impressive desserts. They look fantastic and whilst making pastry can a bit fiddly and time consuming, making it from scratch always produces the best results. I made up this dessert for my husband who is not a sweet tooth at all so finding a dessert that he likes is quite a challenge. Anyway, he LOVED this tart so i've named it after him. It's simple, fresh, easy and something you can prepare well in advance before you have friends over and then assemble just before serving. It looks great too!



Tart Trev

Ingredients:

Pastry: This pastry is so short and sweet. It holds it shape while melting in the mouth but not being too crumbly. The perfect texture.

1 1/2 cups plain flour
180 grms chilled unsalted butter
4 tablespoons icing sugar, sifted

Filling:
200 grm mascarpone
300 mls thickened cream
3 tablespoon icing sugar
Fresh strawberries diced
1 small tin passionfruit pulp or fresh passionfruit pulp
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essense
Toasted flaked almonds.

Put the flour, half the icing sugar and butter in a food processor and process unti the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of chilled water, then process until the mixture comes together to form a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 mins.

Lightly grease 8 10 cm loose-bottomed tart pans. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface, then use it to line the pans. Cover and refrigerate for a further 15 minutes. Line each tart case with baking paper nad fill with uncooked rice or pastry weights. Blind bake for 10 minutes, remove the paper and beans and weights, then bake for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Dice strawberries and mix with 1 tablespoon icing mixture. Place in fridge until needed.

In a bowl, beat the cream until thick, then add the mascarpone, icing sugar and vanilla and beat until combined.

Before serving, fill the tart shells with cream mixture. Dust the rims with icing sugar and place the strawberries on top of tarts. Drizzle with passionfruit pulp and sprinkle with toasted flaked almonds.

Slow down...slow cook

Day light savings has begun and the weather is starting to cool down and this means one thing...beautiful cool nights of entertaining and enjoying comfort food. This Easter, I've been doing a lot of entertaining- which I love by the way! My one dinner party that I am looking forward to is this Tuesday night and I'd like to share a sneak peak of my menu for the night, including some great styling.
Since Jamie Oliver live, I've been seeing, thinking and dreaming of slow roasted lamb shoulder. I saw him pull out this amazing roast on stage at Hisense Arena that had been slow cooking for 3 hours. The meat was so soft, tender and falling off the bone. Amazing! I decided that I would like to make a slow roasted lamb shoulder as being a busy Mum, it would be an easy way to prepare an amazing meal for friends with not much to prepare. Yesterday i bought a beautiful fresh cut of lamb shoulder on the bone that will be perfect for slow roasting. It is currently sitting in my fridge, wrapped in foil...ready for Tuesday night. I did a bit of research and talked to my local butcher and found that wrapping fresh meat in foil and keeping it in the fridge allows it to "breathe" and stay fresh until you need to use it.
I love setting the table, and having close friends walk into my house with some warm lighting, beautiful smells and leave having experienced something different... new flavours, tastes, sights and great company.

So in honour of the lamb and its life, Im going to slow roast it and enjoy it with a glass of red with some lovely company, followed by an amaretti and strawberry tart.

Life is too busy to rush in the kitchen.... slow down when you can and enjoy fresh produce.

incredible roasted shoulder of lamb with smashed veg and greens (Recipe by Jamie Oliver).




For the lamb

• a large bunch of fresh rosemary
• 1 x 2kg shoulder of lamb
• olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bulb of garlic, unpeeled, broken into cloves

for the smashed veg
• 750g peeled potatoes, cut into large chunks
• 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into small chunks
• ½ a large swede, peeled and cut into small chunks
• 75g butter

for the sauce
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 500ml good-quality hot chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 heaped tablespoons capers, soaked, drained and chopped
• a large bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Preheat your oven to full whack. Slash the fat side of the lamb all over with a sharp knife. Lay half the sprigs of rosemary and half the garlic cloves on the bottom of a high-sided roasting tray, rub the lamb all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place it in the tray on top of the rosemary and garlic, and put the rest of the rosemary and garlic on top of the lamb. Tightly cover the tray with tinfoil and place in the oven. Turn the oven down immediately to 170°C/325°F/gas 3 and cook for 4 hours – it’s done if you can pull the meat apart easily with two forks.

When the lamb is nearly cooked, put your potatoes, carrots and swede into a large pot of boiling salted water and boil hard for 20 minutes or so until you can slide a knife into the swede easily. Drain and allow to steam dry, then smash them up in the pan with most of the butter. If you prefer a smooth texture, add some cooking water. Spoon into a bowl, cover with tinfoil and keep warm over a pan of simmering water.

Remove the lamb from the oven and place it on a chopping board. Cover it with tinfoil, then a tea towel, and leave it to rest. Put a large pan of salted water on to boil for your greens. Pour away most of the fat from the roasting tray, discarding any bits of rosemary stalk. Put the tray on the hob and mix in the flour. Add the stock, stirring and scraping all the sticky goodness off the bottom of the tray. You won’t need gallons of gravy, just a couple of flavoursome spoonfuls each. Add the capers, turn the heat down and simmer for a few minutes.

Finely chop the mint and add it to the sauce with the red wine vinegar at the last minute then pour into a jug. Add your greens and stalks to the pan of fast-boiling salted water and cook for 4 to 5 minutes to just soften them. Drain and toss with a knob of butter and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place everything in the middle of the table, and shred the lamb in front of your guests. Absolutely delish!