Saturday, December 28, 2013

Slow Cooked Beef Curry




 Whilst I am not able to sew until I finish moving my sewing room, I thought I would share some of my recipes that are yummy...
Enjoy!

Slow Cooked Beef Curry.
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time:  8 hours slow cook
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

1kg cubed casserole beef
2 brown onions, thickly sliced
2 tbsp ground Cumin
2 tbsp ground Coriander
2 tbsp Garam Marsala
2 tsp Sweet Paprika
1/2 tsp ground Turmeric
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
1/2 cauliflower, cut into florets (frozen if fresh unavailable)
6 carrots, peeled, thickly sliced 
1 cup chopped beans (frozen)
1 tin coconut cream 
fresh coriander
Salt to taste.

Instructions:
  • Put cubed beef in slow cooker.
  • Add spices to the beef, rub into beef with bare hands (washed of course).
  • Add onion, Carrot, tinned tomatoes and coconut cream.
  • Mix with a spoon.
  • Cook on 'Low' heat for 6-8 hours in the slow cooker
2 Hours before serving:
  • Add cauliflower and beans.
·       Serve on a bed of steaming Basmati rice and garnish with the fresh coriander, and sour cream if desired.
 Notes:
I have seen similar versions to this but I prefer to add everything to the slow cooker and let it do all the hard work.
Bon Appetit !

Friday, December 27, 2013

Six Long Months




Well Blog friends (if I have any left) it has been a long six months since I posted last, what a bad girl I am…
Life has been very busy and I have battled a few health issues, some remain ongoing. But shock Horror I have managed to get some sewing done in the last couple of weeks. I had a lovely day @Khristina’s having a Christmas party sew-in with a couple of the local CRAFT group girls. We each made a lovely Star Trivet from “The Bronze Wombat” Blog it was fun and I managed finishing off the binding at home. I was so inspired that I made a cute pink one for my friend Kate…

What else has been going on here? Well we added a new fur baby to our family…
His Name is Phoenix and we adopted him from the RSPCA at one of the local adoption sites throughout our area. He is such a delight and I think Charlie is finally getting used to him. They groom each other (mostly Phoenix does the grooming) and spend time running round the house playing chasey.


My sewing room has often felt like a Ghost Town because I just have not had the gumption to get in there and sew…it has not helped that it is one of those rooms that feel the heat and the cold and is not a place you really want to be. That will be changing in the New Year though, we will have our large room at the back of the house back when our DD2’s best friend moves out into another friends house. Long story short, she could not live with her family due to some serious issues with one of the family members, 3 years later she is moving out. Don’t get me wrong we have loved having her here; we have given her a home to live in because we believed she would have ended up in dire straights otherwise. And it seems to have made a difference in her life. No she still cannot move “Home” but is working on those relationships.
So having said all that we are having a big move around, DS14 is moving into that room with his many electrical devices (Xbox, Computer etc) and I will be moving my sewing room up into his old room in the house. It will be cooler in summer (air con) and warmer in winter so I might be inspired to sew something. Keep your eyes peeled for future posts.

We have just celebrated Christmas and are heading into the New Year…what will it bring, I wonder. I pray it brings peace and joy for us and for all the readers out there.
In keeping with the New Year and hope for the future I will be posting a competition in the beginning of January so keep checking back to get a chance to go in the draw.
Well I have said enough for now…
Happy Stitching
Amanda