Caramalised Red Onion Chutney

This was the first of my cooking sessions for the "gifts for Christmas".  I love a good chutney.  Once you grow up and move onto the decedence of chutneys the plain old tomato sauce is just never quite the same.


This recipe is relatively easy, so if you're new to jam or preserves making, this is definitely a great beginner to start with. The only consideration is the cooking of many onions can get a little taxing on the senses, so if you have a gas burner on your barbecue, make it outside.  I transferred mine as after ten minutes inside it had us a little teary!

 Here is what you need.

8-10 red onion
1 red chilli
2 bay leaves
25mls olive oil
200g brown sugar
150ml balsamic vinegar
150ml red wine vinegar

What to do....

1. Cut your onions and chilli into short, thin slices and put them into a pan with the bay leaves and oil. If you have a slicing attachment for a food process then use that!  For some reason I assumed red onions would not make me cry...after slicing up half by hand, I quickly got out the trusty food processor!  Cooks over a low heat for about 20 minutes.

2. Once the onions appear dard and sticky, then add the sugar and the vinegars and continue to simmer for 30 minutes or when the chutney is thick and dark.

3. Spoon the chutney into hot, sterilised jars and let it cool.  (no comments on my messy-ness!)

This chutney is the perfect accompianment with goats cheese, on pizza, in a quiche or any barbeque!!
Make it now, as it needs a month to mature in the jar, making it a perfect Christmas gift.

Are making any preserves for christmas gifts?

xx

I'm grateful for {inspiration}

This week I've come across some wonderful inspiration to be grateful for....

Gratefulness can't always come from within...perhaps sometimes it needs to be an external source that makes you take stock and go "gee...that made me think!"

A girlfriend stopped by earlier this week and provided the much needed friendly face, coffee and chat that we both needed.  A gentle reminder that friendship is so importnant. Value it, hold it and don't take it for granted.

I read this wonderful post, and my heart broke into a thousand pieces and made me want to rush and hug my children and whisper secretly in my mind that they would never experience this type of hardship but still be mindful that some are not so fortunant.

I found not one but a few lovely new(ish) blogs that I love exploring and feel the excitement I did when I first started blogging and finding kindred spirits in the blogging community.  This post made me value motherhood at its core and I really appreicated the honesty with which it was written and could relate on many levels.

So this week I'm grateful for inspriation from near and far.

Joining in here.

Happy days to you all

xx

getting our craft on {my creative space}

Crafty-ness seems to comes in waves in this house.  It's full steam ahead...all systems go...five hundred and seventy three projects going on OR there is nothing.  At the moments it's the former.  I've got motivation, assistance, piles of fabric and craft boxes oozing with goodness that are constantly being turned into something!  Not to mention some invitations to some lovely craft markets over the next few months.  It's the most loveliest form of flattery...them ringing you asking if you will exhibit at their market!

I'm attempting a handmade approach to Christmas presents this year, so am hopefully giving myself plenty of time to get things in place.  So this week has seen us already embark on Christmas Craft for the kids....some fabric covered baubles (see copious amounts of modge podge!).   I've started making napkins for teacher gifts and my friend and I have booked in a jam making session in the next few weeks.

I am hoping to make myself a few items as well and even get some tutorials posted here on the blog.  Am I in over my head?  who knows...but like always..crafty-ness has to be close to crazy-ness!

Are you planning to make Christmas gifts?
When it rains creativity at yours, does it pour? 

Well it's pouring with creativity at this lovely spot! 

xx

At our table...

For the past few months I have changed the way we dine.

I used to serve up all our dinner at the kitchen and everyone would receive their plate with their allocted food on it.

I've changed things up and realised that my old way of serving dinner was just not conducive to a happy meal time.

Now....all the parts of the meal are lovingly placed into the centre of the table.  One or both the children share in setting the table, putting out the empty plates, the old jar with our cutlery, handmade napkins and condiments.

I am adjusting the way I cook too.  Smaller quantities but more variety...always some vegetables or a salad or even both. Some fresh bread may be added to a meal, or day old bread turned into bruschetta in the oven.   Leftovers are added to the table to for someone to polish off or are even creatively turned into something else.

Now my family are in charge of what they add on their plate.  Encouraged to try but not forced.  They determine if they want more.  There is an exchange of plates...as we all help ourselves or help each other.

The change has made for real family affair.  Dinner is an event where we are all together, as a family.  We come together to nurture our bodies to discuss our day and relish the time spent together.

How do you do your family meals?

Monday snippets

 Last week Victoria enjoyed a public holiday for a horse race that stops a Nation.  Well, we decided to take a whole week off so we packed the kids up to spend some time in the country.  Time off school, time off work and no routine (as such) was meet with very agreeably.

We lazed about, went for many walks.
Drank water from their favourite fountains and
Enjoyed roof tops and rising early with nowhere to go
Watched from a window with a view
Even the washing was fun
I found myself a nice cozy chair for day time reading
A festival was on...of a Celtic nature so they closed the streets and put on a show
We enjoyed the drum beats and bag-pipes
and giggled at the men in skirts.

Do you like to make a public holiday last a bit longer than it should?

A stylish breakfast affair

Ok so a few weeks ago....My daughter and I were invited along to a Blog Connect event organised by Keep Left and sponsored by Weetbix, Tassals Salmon and Bakers' Delight.   To be quite honest I thought I was going along to bit of cooking demo...something where I didn't have to do much, perhaps try some yummy food and learn a few new techniques.

But no.

I had to cook.  Two dishes.  In about 45 minutes.  And we were judged.

Yeah.  No pressure!

So the key was to come up with a two breaky dishes (one sweet one savoury) using the core ingredients by the sponsors.  Given my little apprentice could not be coaxed into the kids area, she was adamant that pancakes be cooked for our "sweet" option.  Once they were made (with a sneaky crushed up weetbix in the mixture for extra points!) and then devoured by said apprentice I had little time to make my second savoury dish.

With not much time and a daughter whos patience was now running a little thin, I quickly poached an egg, used the Bakers' Delight bread topped with some avocado, Tassals Salmon and got my creative apprentice to sprinkle zest of lemon and chopped up dill all over the egg...we hurriedly presented it to the judges.

What do you know... our dish won for Food Style Award!

I made the dish again (to check it really wasn't a fluke) and so that I could actually get to eat it and enjoy it.

You should try it.  Whats your favourite Stylish Breakfast Dish?

xx

times are changing... {our creative space}

I've noticed my little apprentice has developed a lovely trait called patience.  Not all the time I may add, but when it benefits her, I seem to be able to complete a rather complex task with her watchful eyes enjoying the thrill of something being created right before those deep brown jewels.

Lately, she has run up to me "mum mum, can you make me a....{dress, costume, bag, pillow}" 

"can I watch you cut it, can I help, I will give you the pin.....why are you ironing that section?"

And the delight she shows about my sewing machine has me realising that my technical skills are very lacking, but hoping that the simple...."oh yes, the machine is so clever, it goes up down, up down, wirrrr, up down, wirrrr and makes stitches to stick the fabric together" I say when she asks for all sorts of explanations.

In the space of a few days, I've been able to whip up two delightful dresses, a heart shaped pillow (which is slightly visible on the bottom left of the photo above) and a nurses costume all under the supervisors eager interest.  Sometimes she sits on my lap making sewing a rather challenging versus easy process, and other times I find her at my feet placing each pin I pass her into a little cushion.  Essential girly chatter always necessary.

Her enjoyment when the fabric is converted into something else is palpable and her delight in the handmade a value I hope she retains for the rest of her life!

It's also the start of a month of creative spaces via instagram, so if your on IG follow along #amonthof  #mycreativespace.  I've snapped a picture of my teeny tiny sewing room @miranarnie, but I fear that now I'll be sharing that room with my little apprentice more and more!

Joining in with these creative peeps.

*all photos from my iPhone