Greek Pork Meatballs in a Tomato Sauce with a spicy twist!

Ingredients

We are flying back to Crete in 2 days but I had the urge to cook some Greek dishes myself - crazy really, I'll be eating them for a week, but hey!   I have adapted a couple of recipes to suit, and added chilli flakes to give it a spicy kick, otherwise Greek food can be fairly bland and over-oregano'd!

Ingredients - meatballs
500g pork mince

3 slice white bread into breadcrumbs

1 medium egg

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic gloves, chopped

Flour - enough for covering the meatballs, plain or SR!

Half a level tsp died oregano

Half a level tsp ground cumin

Half a level tsp chilli flakes

2 tbs of olive oil Prep Method Ready for chilling Apart from the flour and olive oil, combine all the ingredients with your hands, then form into meatballs to your choice of size, I did them around a thumb width across.  Then roll in flour, put on a plate (or 2) and chill in the fridge for half an hour! Ingredients - Tomato Sauce 1 medium onion 400g of chopped tomatoes - can or carton 150ml pork or vegetable stock 2 tbs of tomato puree 1 bay leaf Method, combination Pre-heat slow cooker to high. Heat the oil in a frying pan on a medium heat and fry the meatballs turning them frequently to seal - you may need to do in 2 batches! Remove the meatballs with a slotted spoon and place to one side. For the sauce, add the onions into the pan and gently fry until soft. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and stock then turn the heat up slightly and cook for a minute or so until the sauce boils. Add the tomato sauce to the slow cooker, then gently add the meatballs so they don't fall apart.   Turn the slow cooker down to low and cook for 7 hours or so. Serve with a green salad and crusty bread! Annie x

Direct Debit's - The Big Break Campaign

Giving a special someone a break by nominating them to win £1,000 is part of The Big Break campaign from Direct Debit . As well as putting someone forward for that £1,000 prize, if you sign up to pay your bills by
Direct Debit with a participating biller, you will also be in with a chance of winning your very own Big Break, to the tune of £10,000.  Personally I pay most of my bills by direct debit, so this is hardly a chore :)

At the same time, you’ll also trigger a donation to charity – either to the biller’s own nominated charity or to Marie Curie Cancer Care. This is what I believe is called a win/win!

For my nomination I am putting forward The Brave Bailey Campaign.  This is to help raise money to pay for urgent treatment for 12 year old cancer sufferer Bailey, who needs medical help from Germany or the USA!


There will be one winner a month between now and October. The judges will be looking for nominations to reflect some of the following attributes:

    * Willingness to help others / always putting the needs of others first
    * Striving to overcome unusual adversity
    * Needing support in order to pursue a career or other significant
      personal endeavour
    * Consistently working for the greater good of the community
    * Working tirelessly for a charitable, not-for-profit or other worthy
      cause.

Give it a go, who will you be nominating...............................

Punjabi Kidney Bean Curry

Some time ago Chris decided to instigate Meat Free Monday, its a great idea and means I get to play around with all sorts of veggies and pulses.   I'm over my lentil stage and am entering  my kidney bean peak!  Last night - yes it was a Tuesday, so I slipped a day, I tampered with a Kidney Bean curry!   The picture doesn't do it justice but it was fantastic.   Of course you could just cook it as a side dish?  WARNING: Kidney beans need a 24hour soaking!

Ingredients (serves 4-6)
250g dried kidney beans, soaked for 24 hours!
2 tbs vegetable oil
2 onions chopped
3 garlic bulbs chopped
1 tbs fresh ginger, or cheater which I used!
250g fresh tomatoes chopped
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
1 green chilli, chopped
1 tbs amchoor or Amchur, otherwise known as Mango Powder, I found it in a local shop for 89p
Plain yoghurt and coriander to garnish

Drain the kidney beans and boil in a saucepan with 1.5litres of water.  Boil for around 2 hours until tender, then remove from the heat.

Fry the onions in the oil until soft, then add the garlic and ginger and stir.  Then add the tomatoes, coriander, cayenne, cumin and chilli.  Stir and cook on medium for 5 minutes.  Add the cooked beans and as much liquid as you would like.  I prefer mine less stewy to be honest, but to your liking!  Add the amchoor, stir, and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Serve hot, with crusty bread or naan, topped with a dollop of plain yoghurt and coriander. 

Delicious :)
Annie x

Smart shopping for ethnic ingredients!

Standard spice section

This is an unsponsored post by a frugal shopper!

Clearly better value from the ethnic section

As you are probably aware I shop at Sainsburys a lot, and I also cook Indian food a lot.  I usually carry most spices but when out of Garam Masala recently, I just happened to find the following, just an aisle apart.

In the normal spice aisle, the uniform 42g jar was £1.19, however in the next aisle you could buy 100g for 96p!   Slightly better value than the 42g charge which would cost £2.80 per 100g!  The colours are different so I would also like to hazard a guess that the Rajah brand is more authentic?  I have since found the same for cumin seeds and cinnamon sticks.  I understand some have spice racks that the jars fit into, but personally I'm all for the frugal- or maybe you could use them as refills?

Have just checked on their online shopping by the way, and they only suggest the jars and not the Rajah brand as an alternative!

Just checked what else they have to offer - all 100g :)

Annie x

Fatherhood Meme

As it's Mothers Day we've been sharing our thoughts on Motherhood, thought I'd ask Chris to answer the same questions on Fatherhood!  In the meantime, any other fathers want to join in?

Describe fatherhood in three words
Blessed, responsibility, challenging


Does your experience differ from your father’s? How?
The gender roles are blurred compared to my parents generation. Today men are expected to do everything that a woman does, barring breast feeding.

What’s the hardest thing about being a dad?
Trying to make sure I do the right thing by them and tough love. Being a dad isn't tough, it's a privilege a number of men don't experience.



What’s the best thing?
My kids



How has it changed you?
Made me think of my kids needs before me.



What do you hope for your children?
Health, happiness & confidence


What do you fear for them?
Over population, lack of one to one direct contact because of social media and anything that can harm them.

What makes it all worthwhile?
Seeing how these little people develop and the joy of sharing my life with them.

Motherhood Meme

I was tagged by @zooarchaeologis on her fab blog Being A Mummy and have been asked to answer a few questions about motherhood!  So here goes.........

Describe motherhood in three words
Challenging, emotional, rewarding


Does your experience differ from your mother’s? How?
Cue Hovis music!   Growing up we were acutely aware that we didn't have very much money, and I particularly remember how expensive clothes and shoes were!  I used to make my school skirts with my Grandmother, and there was much knitting and sewing going on.  Today of course clothes are relatively cheap, and picking up bits here and there isn't a big deal!   We used to live near an industrial estate too, and the Heinz factory used to sell unlabelled tins for pennies.  Used to be a laugh guessing what was for dinner, when soup would turn out to be peaches haha!   Food today can be expensive, and is going up in line with the fuel costs needed to move it around, but I am extremely frugal and will shop around for a bargain.  My freezer is full of said bargains, and we really ought to get through them!  We didn't go without really to be honest, but I know my mother was very good at saving every penny she could so that we didn't miss out on school trips etc.   Mum also had 3 jobs to do, she worked very hard and never complained!  A burst ulcer was a bit of a wake up though!  As a working mum now, we are doing OK, and I try hard to let my kids have as much fun as they can.  Particularly for Jasper who is in school!  Being made to sit down for hours at a time is unnatural for a boy, so as much outdoors play is good for him.  On that note however I remember an outing to the zoo would have been a huuuuuuuuge deal, and we really would sing "we're all going to the zoo tomorrow" - nowadays my kids get to go so often it isn't the thrill it was for us.   We'll go to Willows Farm and they would instantly ask for a treat - in my day the going itself would have been the treat!

What’s the hardest thing about being a mum?
Getting some me time.  As I write this I am alone in the house, no radio, no TV, just the clicky-clacky of false nails on the keyboard - BLISS!  My husband has taken the kids to his mums to deliver his Mothers Day cards and flowers!  He really couldn't understand why I didn't want to come, and drove off baffled.  For me this is heavenly and I am positively loving Mothers Day - alone!


What’s the best thing?
The hugs, the I love yous, sometimes just the thank yous, and of course their reaction to the tiniest of surprises.  I also enjoy the rare moment when the two of them are getting along and playing nicely together.  As Scarlett is getting older these moments are becoming more of a regular occurrence, thank the Lord!  Also, watching them swimming, or in their school plays, their little proud faces.  And running round a playground, wrapped up warm on a bitterly cold day, oblivious to the weather, justing squealing with delight. I heard this week that kids laugh ten times more than adults do, quite right too!


How has it changed you?
My focus has shifted I guess?   Being a true Capricorn, my goat climbing to reach impossible mountain tops has relaxed a little.  I am still aware they are there waiting to be climbed, but I've given myself some time off - I may be on my own with that, but hey you asked!


What do you hope for your children?
I know its a cliche but just that they are happy.  I of course want them to have ambition and I know there will be trials and tribulations along the way, but I hope that they are strong and know when to appreciate life!  I also hope they make a pile of money and spoil their mother endlessly *jokes* ish ;)

What do you fear for them?
I am afraid of them being hurt, and yes like above I know it will happen!  My mother used to say "when you hurt I bleed" and I now know what she meant.    When either of my children are hurt or are suffering, I too feel their pain.  We are going through issues at the school at them moment, and I am fighting hard not to breakdown in front of them!  Still, as they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger - sorry another of my mother's messages in my head!  (That was a ho hum moment)!

What makes it all worthwhile?
The "huggy and a kissy" request from Scarlett at nursery drop off time, and the fact that Jasper still wants a kiss before school - though not in front of his friends - obviously!  I will take these all day long, for as long as they are requested!  Lifting them out of the bath wrapped in a towel is also a nice cuddle moment - OK am starting to miss them now, that wasn't supposed to happen!

Right, now to hear some other views from @mediocre_mum @southportlush - get your blog out girl! @ChelseaMamma and @MummyBarrow - if you want to ladies!

And thanks for reading!
Annie x

Some Poems, pronounced poyems

My Irish Granny used to teach me poetry, I have tried to google them to find who wrote them but cannot find them to date!  Pretty sure Granny didn't write them, but will do my best to credit!  From the words "minds" the brush, translates as remembers by the way!

So here's to Lilly Magee :)

I Fear He Minds The Brush
I'm mother's only daugher, that's what I am
She says that I can't marry any man
I'm courting one at present, but mother doesn't know,
His Christian name I'll tell you, his Christian name is Joe

One day as we were walking, mother passed us by
The way she looked at poor Joe, with vengeance in her eye
She asked him what he wanted and Joe began to blush
Before he'd time to answer, she nailed him with her brush!

Since that day we parted
Joe never visits me
Although he's fraid of mother, he was very fond of me
And when he passes by our door he does it in a rush
And never looks behind him, I fear he minds the brush!

Pride Comes Before a Fall
There was a very small cat with a very large bow
He thought himself pretty, so stuck up you know
He danced round the room like a big furry ball
his nose in the air, no manners at all

One day whilst dancing, he gave no more cares
He tripped on his bow and fell down the stairs
His mother was sorry, but what could she do
Pride comes before a fall, we all know that's true