♥ Beautiful Morgan's First Birthday Party ♥

So last weekend we finally got to celebrate our little girls First Birthday party. Loads of family and friends came to celebrate this big milestone in our little girls life. I browsed the internet and read up on millions of ideas to make it as special as I possibly could.

the night before we were still wondering how to make some of the ideas i had in mind happen. as it goes, i had to give up on some of them but i could happily replace them with other ideas. a massive thanks to my amazing sister in law for helping me get everything done in time.

so here we go, just a few of my fav pics from the day :) hope you'll enjoy looking at them as much as i still do!

♥

the invitations

the food tags

breakfast for the birthday girl

i love these - the birthday cookies

frame on the gift table, asking everyone to write a birthday wish in her story book

some of the kind birthday wishes

we had 2 pieces of ribbon with photos of the birthday girl, taken every month 

some of the snackies

juice for the little people

yummy juice for the grown ups :)

crowns for the girls

stick on moustaches for the boys

opening some of my gifts

she was loving every second 

can i please open this one next mommy

sharing my birthday cake with my beautiful cousin, nina

nom nom!

special birthday hugs from mommy

passed out in dada's arms after a very long celebration weekend!

thank you fridge magnet mailed to all my family and friends the following week!

♥ Sneak Preview of Morgys 1st Birthday! ♥

the day FINALLY arrived! after spending many hours planning how to celebrate her arrival at my baby shower over a year ago - i got to spend the last few weeks planning my baby girls very first birthday. something that almost drove an amateur party planner like myself, over the brink of excited'ness! 

i've soooo badly wanted to post some of the pics i took while preparing for the festivities, but had to force myself to not do so and to reveal all in what is sure to be my most impressive blog post so far!

i have tonight and tomorrow left to get the last million things i still have to do done - so pleeeeaaase wish me luck! 

i obviously would never dream about leaving you without a little taster, so until we meet again next week, here's 3 of my fav pics so far! 

enjoy! ♥

the invitations

the food tags

birthday cookies

♥ Coq au Vin ♥

what you'll need:

♥ 24 to 30 pearl onions

• ♥ 4 chicken thighs and legs, or one 2.5kg stewing chicken, cut into serving pieces
• ♥ salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ♥ 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour
• ♥ 2 tablespoons water
• ♥ 170g bacon, shopped
• ♥ 230g button mushrooms, quartered
• ♥ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ♥ 750 ml pinot noir
• ♥ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ♥ 1 medium onion, quartered
• ♥ 2 stalks celery, quartered
• ♥ 2 medium carrots, quartered
• ♥ 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• ♥ 6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme
• ♥ 1 bay leaf
• ♥ 2 cups chicken stock or broth

what you'll do:

1. cut off the root end of each pearl onion and make an "x" with your knife in its place. bring 2 to 3 cups of water to a boil and drop in the onions for 1 minute. remove the onions from the pot, allow them to cool, and then peel. you should be able to slide the onions right out of their skin. set aside.

2. sprinkle the chicken on all sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. place the chicken pieces, a few at a time, into a large sealable plastic bag along with the flour. shake to coat all of the pieces of the chicken. remove the chicken from the bag to a metal rack.

3. add the 2 tablespoons of water to a large saute pan over medium heat along with the salt pork. cover and cook until the water is gone, and then continue to cook until the salt pork cubes are golden brown and crispy, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. remove the salt pork from the pan and set aside.

4. in the same pan, using the remaining fat, add the pearl onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and saute until lightly brown, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. remove the onions from the pan and set aside. next, brown the chicken pieces on each side until golden brown, working in batches if necessary to not overcrowd the pan. transfer the chicken into a stew pot.

5. add the mushrooms to the same saute pan, adding the 1 tablespoon of butter if needed, and saute until they give up their liquid, approximately 5 minutes. store the onions, mushrooms and pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

6. pour off any remaining fat and deglaze the pan with approximately 1 cup of the wine. Pour this into the pot along with the chicken stock, tomato paste, quartered onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. add all of the remaining wine. cover and refrigerate overnight.

7. the next day, preheat the oven to 160 degrees C.

8. place the chicken in the oven and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is tender. maintain a very gentle simmer and stir occasionally.

9. once the chicken is done, remove it to a heatproof container, cover, and place it in the oven to keep warm. strain the sauce in a colander and remove the carrots, onion, celery, thyme, garlic, and bay leaf. Return the sauce to the pot, place over medium heat, and reduce by 1/3. Depending on how much liquid you actually began with, this should take 20 to 45 minutes.

10. once the sauce has thickened, add the pearl onions, mushrooms, and pork and cook for another 15 minutes or until the heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, remove from the heat, add the chicken and serve. Serve over egg noodles, if desired.

Cook’s Note: If the sauce is not thick enough at the end of reducing, you may add a mixture of equal parts butter and flour kneaded together. Start with 1 tablespoon of each. whisk this into the sauce for 4 to 5 minutes and repeat, if necessary.

♥ chicken, courgette & lemon pasta ♥

what you'll need:
♥ 4 large portabella mushrooms
♥ 350g dried linguine
♥ 300g courgette, grated
♥ 300ml low fat crème fraiche
♥ 200ml low fat greek yoghurt
♥ 1 large free-range egg yolk
♥ 35g parmesan cheese
♥ zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
♥ sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
♥ 250g cold roast chicken, shredded
♥ small bunch of fresh chives, snipped

what you'll do:

1. heat a pan and spritz in a little olive oil. fry the mushrooms then remove from the pan and set aside. fry the grated courgette for a couple of minutes. bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet, but cook it for a minute or two less so it's a little underdone.

2. meanwhile mix together the crème fraiche, yoghurt, egg yolk, parmesan, lemon zest, salt and pepper.

3. drain the cooked pasta, leaving a few tablespoons of water in the bottom of the pan. return the pan to a low heat and pour in the sauce.

4. toss the pasta in the sauce, then add the roast chicken and chives, giving it all a good mix round until it's evenly incorporated.

♥ worlds easiest and best tasting chicken pie ever - fact ♥

there's absolutely NO DOUBT in my mind that this must be the world best tasting, easiest baking chicken pie in the world. fact!

if you're like me and not really a fan of chicken pies that's loaded with all kinds of other foods to make it bulkier and to help suppliers use the minimum amount of chicken to achieve the maximum amount of pies, then do yourself a fav and try this, pure chicken without the frills that so often spoil the end result!

  
what you'll need:
♥ 1 whole chicken
♥ 1 packet cream of mushroom soup powder
♥ pastry
♥ 1 egg
♥ salt
♥ pepper

what you'll do:
1. boil the chicken until cooked through - about 45mins to 1 hour.

2. when done, remove the chicken from the water. put the water aside as you'll use it again in the next step. remove all skin and bones and chop into pieces. i like to use scissors - much easier and way quicker.

3. add the packet of soup powder to the chicken and dissolve using the water you cooked the chicken in. add salt and pepper and stir until all the powder mixed in.

4. transfer the mixture to an oven proof dish - place the pastry on top and brush the egg on top.

5. bake until the pastry turns a gorgeous golden yellow

amazeballs :)

♥ stuffed pork tenderloin ♥

what you'll need:
♥ porcini mushrooms, cut into thick slices
♥ 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
♥ 2 tablespoons extra0virgin olive oil, divided
♥ 2 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground pepper, divided
♥ 2 teaspoons fresh sage, chopped, divided
♥ 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped, divided
♥ 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
♥ 2 pork tenderloins, trimmed

what you'll do:
1. preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius


2. toss mushrooms, garlic, 1 tbls oil, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon sage, 1 teaspoon thyme and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. transfer to a roasting pan and roast in the oven for 5 minutes. stir and continue roasting until the mushrooms are soft and fragrant - 5 to 10 minutes more. set aside and cool.


3. butterfly the tenderloins, lay one tenderloin on a large cutting board. holding the knife blade flat, parallel to the board, make a lengthwise cut through the centre of the meat, stopping short of the opposite edge so that the flaps remain attached. open up the flaps as you would open a book. cover with plastic wrap. with a meat pounder, rolling pin or heavy pan, pound the meat to even thickness. butterfly and pound the remaining tenderloin.


4. divide the mushroom mixture between the tenderloins, spreading evenly and leaving about 1.5cm border all round. starting with the long side, roll up each tenderloin to enclose the filling, then tie the roasts at 1.5cm intervals with kitchen string. combine the remaining 2 teaspoons pepper, 1 teaspoon sage, 1 teaspoon thyme and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. rub the mixture all over the tenderloins.


5. heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large, heavy, ovenproof skillet over medium heat. add the roasts, bending to fit if necessary, and cook, turning often, until the outsides are browned - 3 to 5 minutes total.


6. transfer the pan to the oven and roast, checking often, until the internal temperature reaches about 220 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes. transfer the roasts to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. remove the string, cut the pork into 2 cm thick slices. serve with tomato salsa. nom nom! 

♥ delicious lamb shank ♥

with winter creeping up on us a little more and more with every passing day, it's just about time that we start browsing our old recipe books for delicious, warm, filling dinner ideas.


let me help make the task a little easier by suggesting that you use this delicious recipe as your first winter treat!


what you'll need:
♥ 2 table spoons olive oil
♥ 8 lamb shanks
♥ 1 onion
♥ 2 carrots
♥ fresh rosemary
♥ 3 bay leaves
♥ 4 garlic cloves
♥ 2 table spoons plain flour

♥ 1 table spoon tomato puree
♥ 350ml white wine
♥ 500ml lamb or chicken stock
♥ peas
♥ mushrooms
♥ potatoes for mash to serve


what you'll do:
1. preheat oven to 200C
2. brown lamb, all round, in the olive oil for about 10 minutes
3. remove lamb, add onion, peas and carrots, cook for about 10 minutes
4. stir in herbs and garlic
5. stir in flour and tomato puree
6. season well
7. pour in wine and stock
8. return shanks
9. bring to simmer
10. cover and cook undisturbed for about 1.5 - 2 hrs or until lamb is tender


remove lamb from sauce and set aside. put pan back on heat and simmer down for about 15minutes until rich and glossy
pass through sieve and into a jug


nutritional values:
295 calories, 25g protein, 5g carbs and 18g fat 

♥ the best bobotie ever ♥

"hot coffee and cold winter mornings are two of the best soul mates who ever did find each other"

terri guillemets

winter has most certainly arrived in our beautiful cape town and other than a good red wine, you defs need a few amazingly scrumptious dinner recipes to make the cold nights just a little more bare able.

i found this recipe a few weeks ago while visiting my amazing mother in law - the page was covered with powders and notes she made while trying it out. she told me that it was amazing and although i haven't made it myself, i just had to share it - it looks amazeballs so i'm sure it'll taste even better! besides, i'm terrible at keeping track with where i write these recipes down, so what better way than to store it on my fav blog! :)

what you'll need:

♥ 30ml oil

♥ 3 onions, chopped

♥ 2 garlic cloves, crushed

♥ 15ml curry powder

♥ 5ml turmeric

♥ 5ml coriander seeds

♥ 5ml ginger

♥ 5ml ground cinnamon

♥ 1kg lean mince

♥ salt

♥ pepper

♥ 30ml lemon juice

♥ 30ml fine apricot jam

♥ 60ml chutney

♥ 30ml soft brown sugar

♥ 30ml worcestershire sauce

♥ 30ml tomato paste

♥ 2 slices white bread, soaked in water and mashed

♥ 250ml pip'less raisins 

♥ 250ml apple, grated

♥ 6 lemon or bay leaves

topping:

♥ 500ml milk

♥ 4 eggs, whisked

♥ salt

♥ pepper

what you'll do:

1. preheat the oven to 180C. Prepare a oven proof dish with either butter, margarine or cook-and-spray.

2. fry onion in a little oil, adding the garlic and ginger after a few minutes. 

3. add all the spices and fry for another minute.

4. add the mince - little by little and fry until just before it turns brown

5. add salt, pepper and the rest of the ingredients including the bread, raisins and apple.

6. reduce the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes

7. transfer to the prepared oven dish adding the lemon or bay leaves as you please

topping:

whisk the milk and eggs together and season with a little salt and pepper. Pour over the mince mixture and bake for about 40 minutes until the topping is cooked through. let stand for about 5 minutes before dishing.

serve immediately with rice, home made tomato salsa and sambals (recipe to follow) obviously adding a glass or two also can't hurt! :)

BON APPETIT!

♥ halibut with grapefruit, parsley, red onion & shiitake mushrooms ♥

this healthy and tasty recipe is courtesy of chef jimmy bradley and can be found in "the red cat cookbook."

what you'll need...
♥1 1/2 large pink grapefruits

♥3/4 cup torn flat-leaf parsley

♥1/4 medium red onion, very thinly sliced

♥1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

♥coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

♥1 tablespoon heavy cream

♥1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, plus 1 tablespoon for fish

♥dash of hot sauce

♥1/2 cup grapeseed oil

♥10 ounces shiitake mushrooms, caps only, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

♥4 skinless halibut fillets (6 ounces each)

what you'll do...

1. slice the top and bottom of grapefruits with a paring knife. set one of the flat sides on your work surface. from top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit, cut away peel and white pith. trim off any remaining pith. holding the grapefruit over a medium bowl, cut along both sides of 12 segments, staying close to the membrane, to release; discard any seeds.

2. squeeze juice from remaining sections into a small bowl, discarding any seeds. you should have about 1/2 cup juice.

3. add parsley, onion, and olive oil to bowl with grapefruit sections; season with salt and pepper and gently toss to combine. cover and set aside.

4. pour grapefruit juice into a small nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. continue boiling juice until reduced to a thick glaze, about 5 minutes. whisk in cream and let reduce for 1 minute. remove saucepan from heat and whisk in 1/2 cup butter, one piece at a time. whisk in hot sauce and season with salt and pepper; cover and set aside.

5. heat 1/4 cup of grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium heat. add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until beginning to crisp, about 4 minutes. season with salt and pepper; set aside, covered, to keep warm.

6. heat remaining 1/4 cup grapeseed oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. season halibut fillets with salt and pepper and place them in skillet. add remaining tablespoon butter and let melt to prevent fish from sticking to pan. cook fish, turning once, until opaque, about 3 minutes per side.

7. divide mushrooms evenly between 4 serving plates. top each with grapefruit salad and a halibut fillet. spoon over sauce and serve immediately.

♥ eggs benedict ♥

what you'll do...

♥1 tablespoon white vinegar

♥8 large eggs
♥Hollandaise Sauce

♥16 slices bacon

♥4 english muffins, split in half, toasted

what you'll do...

1. Fill a large saucepan with about 4 inches of water, add vinegar, and bring to a boil. Fill a shallow dish or pie plate with warm water. Reduce heat under saucepan to medium, so water is just barely simmering. Break 1 egg at a time into a small heat-proof bowl. Gently tip bowl into water; carefully slide egg into water. Repeat with remaining eggs.

2. When eggs begin to become opaque, remove them from the saucepan with a slotted spoon in the order in which they were added. Transfer the eggs to the dish of warm water. This process should take about 3 minutes.

3. Prepare the hollandaise sauce, and set aside, keeping it warm.

4. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add Canadian bacon, and cook until well browned on both sides. Divide bacon among the English-muffin halves. For each serving, use a slotted spoon to remove one egg from warm water; set spoon and egg briefly on a clean cloth or paper towel to drain. Gently place the egg on a bacon-topped muffin, and spoon the reserved warm hollandaise sauce over the top

♥ spinach and gruyere souffle ♥



souffles are much simpler to make than you think. just stir egg yolks and spinach into cheese sauce to create your base. all thats left is to fold in egg whites and bake.

what you'll need...
♥2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for baking dish
♥1/3 cup plain dried breadcrumbs

♥5 cups (5 ounces) packed spinach, trimmed and washed

♥2 tablespoons flour

♥3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk

♥1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese

♥coarse salt and ground pepper

♥2 large eggs, separated, plus 2 large egg whites

what you'll do...

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees. butter a round 1-quart tall-sided baking dish and dust with breadcrumbs; set aside. in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons water over medium-high. add spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, about 4 minutes. transfer to a strainer to cool; press to release liquid.

2. in a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium until bubbling. add flour and whisk until a paste forms. continue to cook until pale blond in color, 2 to 3 minutes. whisking, gradually add milk. cook, whisking, until lumps are gone and mixture is thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. remove from heat. stir in cheese until melted; season with salt and pepper. transfer souffle base to a large bowl.

3. in a food processor, pulse spinach and egg yolks until coarsely pureed. add 1/4 cup souffle base; pulse until blended. stir spinach mixture into remaining souffle base. (to store, press plastic wrap against surface and keep at room temperature, up to 4 hours.)

4. in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 4 egg whites and pinch of salt on medium-high until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat), about 3 minutes. in 2 additions, gently fold egg whites into souffle base. pour batter into prepared dish and bake until souffle is tall, browned, and firm to the touch, about 35 minutes. (avoid opening oven during first 25 minutes of baking.) serve immediately.

♥ bacon, egg and toast cups ♥

try cooked, crumbled sausage in place of bacon or make a vegetarian version with sauteed spinach and dress things up with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese

what you'll need...
♥3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

♥8 slices white or whole-wheat sandwich bread

♥6 slices bacon

♥6 large eggs

♥coarse salt and ground pepper

what you'll do...

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees. lightly butter 6 standard muffin cups. with a rolling pin, flatten bread slices slightly and, with a 4 1/4-inch cookie cutter, cut into 8 rounds. cut each round in half, then press 2 halves into each muffin cup, overlapping slightly and making sure bread comes up to edge of cup. use extra bread to patch any gaps. brush bread with remaining butter.

2. in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium, until almost crisp, 4 minutes, flipping once. (it will continue to cook in the oven.) lay 1 bacon slice in each bread cup and crack an egg over each. season with salt and pepper. bake until egg whites are just set, 20 to 25 minutes. run a small knife around cups to loosen toasts. serve immediately.

note:
standard muffin pans come in 6- or 12-cup size; if baking 6 items in a 12-cup pan, leave empty space in between. nonstick pans are nice but not essential. beware of very thin pans, which often lead to burning. place pans on a baking sheet to make them easier to get in and out of the oven.

♥ herbed mushroom custards ♥

for smooth and creamy custards, bake them in a bain marie. this method ensures even, gentle cooking.

what you'll need...
♥4 tablespoons butter
♥2 and 1/2 pound mixed mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
♥3 garlic cloves, minced
♥1 cup heavy cream
♥1 large egg
♥1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
♥coarse salt and ground pepper

what you'll do...

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. add mushrooms and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms begin to brown, 18 to 20 minutes. let cool slightly.

2. in a large bowl, whisk together cream, egg, parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. stir in mushrooms, and divide among eight 6-ounce ramekins.

3. line a roasting pan (just large enough to hold ramekins) with a dish towel; place ramekins on towel. transfer to oven, and pour enough boiling water in pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins. bake until custards are just set, about 30 minutes. carefully remove ramekins from water.

♥ potatoes anna ♥

this classic french dish can be baked up to eight hours ahead. let it cool completely, then cover loosely with foil, and refrigerate. to serve, reheat in a 350-degree oven...

what you'll need...
♥6 medium russet potatoes
♥6 tablespoons butter
♥coarse salt and ground pepper

what you'll do...

1. preheat oven to 450 degrees. using a food processor with a slicing blade or a sharp knife, slice potatoes as thinly as possible, 1/4 inch thick or thinner. (do not place sliced potatoes in water; the starch is needed to bind the layers.).

2. brush bottom of a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with 1 1/2 tablespoons butter. starting in center of pan, arrange potato slices, slightly overlapping, in circular pattern, covering surface. brush with another 1 1/2 tablespoons butter; season well with salt and pepper. repeat for two more layers.

♥ goats-cheese stuffed mushrooms ♥

what you'll need...
♥olive oil for baking sheet
♥3 slices white sandwich bread
♥1 small garlic clove, coarsley chopped
♥5 ounces goats cheese, crumbled
♥1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
♥1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
♥coarse salt
♥2 packages white button mushrooms, stems removed

what you'll do...

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet.

2. In a food processor, pulse bread and garlic until fine crumbs form; set 1/2 cup aside. To food processor, add goat cheese, parsley, and red-pepper flakes. Season with salt, and pulse filling until combined.

3. Spoon filling into each mushroom, and roll filled side in reserved breadcrumbs. Place on prepared baking sheet; bake until mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

♥ fried mozzarella ♥

what you'll need...
♥1 cup flour
♥2 large eggs
♥1 cup dried breadcrumbs
♥1 teaspoon dried thyme
♥coarse sea and ground pepper
♥1 pound bite size mozzarella balls
♥2 cups vegetable oil
♥tomato sause for serving

what you'll do...
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place flour in a bowl. In another bowl, beat eggs. In a third bowl, combine panko with thyme. Season each with salt and pepper. Working with 2 bocconcini at a time, dredge in flour, shaking off excess, coat in egg, and roll in breadcrumbs, pressing gently to adhere.

2.In a small saucepan, heat vegetable oil over medium-high until pinch of breadcrumbs sizzles and floats to the top when added. Fry bocconcini, 4 at a time, until golden brown, turning occasionally, 2 minutes per batch. With a slotted spoon, transfer balls to paper towels to drain and season with salt. Keep warm in oven and repeat with remaining bocconcini. Serve with tomato sauce for dipping.

♥ peanut butter toffee cookies ♥

what you'll need...

♥3/4 cup flour plus more for fingertips

♥1/4 teaspoon baking soda

♥1/8 teaspoon salt

♥4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

♥1/2 cup sugar

♥1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

♥1 large egg

♥2 chocolate-covered toffee candy bars (1.4 ounces each), chopped

what you'll do...

1. preheat oven to 350F. in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking sode and salt

2. in a large bowl, with a electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. add peanut butter and egg and beat until smooth. with mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture. stir in toffee

3. using 1 level tablespoon batter per cookie, drop onto baking sheet, about 1 inch apart, flatten slightly with floured fingertips. bake until edges are golden brown, 16 - 18 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. transfer cookies immediately to a wire rack to cool completely.

♥ yummy 6 herb linguine ♥

nothing could be simpler (or more satisfying) than a dish of pasta flecked with a mix of fresh green herbs and dusted with parmesan cheese.

what you'll need...
♥salt
♥pepper
♥2 teaspoons olive oil
♥2 medium onions, finely chopped
♥2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
♥8 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
♥1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
♥1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
♥1/2 cup lower-sodium chicken broth
♥1/2 cup dry white whine
♥12 ounces linguine
♥1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
♥1/4 cup flat leave parsley leaves, plus springs for garnish
♥1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
♥2 ounces parmesan cheese, freshly grated - about 1/2 cup

what you'll do...
1. heat covered 6-quart pot of boiling water on high and add 1 teaspoon salt

2. meanwhile, in a 10-inch skillet, heat oil on medium. add shallots and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. add garlic, sage, oregano, rosemary and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper. cook for 1 minute, stirring. add broth and wine. heat to boiling on high. reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 mintes or until reduced by half, stirring then remove from heat

3. while sauce cooks, add pasta to boiling water and cook as label directs. finely chop basil and parsley and set aside.reserve 1/4 cup pasta cooking water. drain pasta and return to saucepot. stir in wine mixture along with chives, basil, parsley and reserved pasta water. toss until well combined

4. divide pasta among 4 serving plates and top with parmesan

nutritional information (per serving)
calories - 415
total fat - 8g
saturates fat - 3g
cholesterol - 13mg
sodium - 500mg
total carbs - 68g
dietary fiber - 3g
sugars --
protein - 18g
calsium --

♥ fat free and low cholesterol chicken cordon bleu ♥

this must be one of the yummiest recipes i've found so far in my search for the best fat free or low fat dinner YET! my man's still riding the healthy dinner wave and i'm splashing along - not that i mind at all...

i couldn't find the fat free swiss cheese so i spend about an hour scratching through all the cheeses at our local shop and just took the one that had the least amount of fat content.

fat free and low cholesterol chiken cordon bleu

what you'll need...
♥4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
♥4 slices nonfat swiss cheese
♥4 slices smoked turkey ham
♥1/2 cup nonfat bread crumbs
♥1 egg white
♥1/4 skim milk
♥salt
♥pepper
♥onion powder
♥garlic powder
♥chicken broth in a spray bottle

what you'll do...
1. preheat your oven to 180 degrees

2. pound the chicken breasts untill they are tender and flatened. place a slice of a cheese and one slice of a ham on one side of each pounded breast.

3. fold the other side over, press the edges together to seal and coat the chiken in bread crumbs.

4. in a small bowl, mix the milk, egg white and seasonings to taste.

5. dip the breaded chicken in the egg white mixture and dip again in the bread crumbs.

6. place the chicken on foil-covered cookie sheet and spray with broth.

7. bake for about 20 minutes.

when ready, take it out of the oven and get ready to serve. i like it with boiled sweet potato and steamed veggies like brocoli, cauliflower or carrots. you can have it with potatoes, mashed potatoes or rice.

bon appetit!

♥ beautiful morgans, beautiful baby shower snackies ♥

so we had our first lil babbas baby shower last weekend - 23 july 2011 - being the nut i am, i obviously went a little overboard when it came to the planning - what i did and didn't want... i pondered and schemed and then pondered some more and eventually came up with what i thought was the perfect baby shower menu.

but, when i first started planning - little did i know what it was also a rugby day and if it being a rugby day wasn't bad enough, the game had to be at noon! hubby and i decided to have a joint baby shower, so while he was busy planning lunch for everyone (a yummy lamb spit) my mom, my beautiful sis in law - tali - and gorgeous friend - cara - took on the task of preparing snacks for everyone!

♥ healthy vegetarian skewers ♥

♥ fruity skewers ♥

♥ teddy bear shaped sandwiches ♥

(apologies for the quality - photo taken with my phone)

♥ chocolate eclairs ♥

♥ carrot and cranberry cakes ♥

♥ apple tart ♥

♥ my moms famous tuna tarts ♥

♥ mini sausage rolls ♥

♥ neets fav - chocolate brownies ♥

♥ lemon meringue ♥

♥ a little candy buffet ♥

♥ tali's yummy scones ♥

♥ savoury muffins ♥

and then... no party is a real party without a stunning cake:

♥ morgans amazing baby shower cake ♥

please feel free to contact me should you need any baby shower assistance, i have loads of other options and would love to help you to make your day as perfect as ours!

kisses

♥