VEGETERIAN FRITTATA

Just made this yummy frittatta and would like to share it with my readers. This is sufficient for 4 people and could be served with a tossed salad and crusty sour dough bread. 1 lge Sweet Potato sliced and precooked 2 sml Zucchini sliced and precooked 1 Brown Onions finely chopped 2 cloves Garlic chopped Chilli if desired deseeded and chopped 1 large Tomato (straight from your garden if you have one growing) 2 Eggs whisked Herbs from your garden basil, thyme chopped Tofu, Salt & Pepper, Tumeric all blended together In a large frypan add tablespoon virgin olive oil Fry onion and garlic until cooked add potato, zucchini cook for one minute Add Tofu mix, herbs and chilli mix through Place tomato slices around the pan Add Eggs and cook on low heat until set Serve with chopped basil and a little grated parmesan if required

NANNY STATE

In the paper yesterday it was brought to light that child care centres will be required to clean all toys, doors knobs and so on in the care centre everyday. Also that the children would be required to was their hands after playing in the sand pit. Well I say good on them it is about time something was done to eliminate the instance of constant colds of children attending these Child Mind Centres. I have seen it happen first hand and by grand son was withdrawn from day care because of continuous coughs and colds.

I would have thought it was already part of the cleaning of the centres and schools too should come under these same rules to clean down place where it is obvious germs can linger and as has been advised during flu epidemics don't touch door knobs, esculators and so on to help avoid contracting the germs left behind that can linger for several hours.

I know when our children started school they did seem to pick up contagious diseases that first year even though they had attended Kindergarten which was not a problem. But colds and flu where not such a problem because Mum's and Dad's kept their kids at home when they where sick. I know times are now different and working parents find it so difficult to take time off and find alternative care. So I do think these new rules are a start in keeping these young children healthy.

On Line Fashion Shopping

With on line shopping becoming so popular and why not is so much easier than driving for miles, finding a park and then battling the crowds. Here are some great sites below. Check them out.

(Use your mouse to Highlight the links to these sites below)

Cheap fashionable clothing for your girl.

Diesel jeans buy on line at great prices

Chicwish great fashion at affordable prices for the younger generation.

Dino Direct high quality products at great prices. Available in 200 countries including Australia

Ooh La La look at this collection for France on E-Bay

Europe, United Kingdom and America great sports shoes and fashion for all the family

Other places to find fashion on line are Amazon, Etnies, Forzieri, Free People, Girl Meets Dress Ltd - a rental service great for that one off occasion when you need something really special. Hot Topic, InLoveWithFashion and the list goes on. Happy Shopping

VALENTINE'S DAY

It seems that Valentines Day dates back to Roman times and is not something relatively new at all. It would be nice to send a funny Valentine's Card to your loved one to let them know that you appreciate them. But what did they do on Valentine's Day in the Roman Times back in the 1600's. It seems that under the rule of Augustus Ceasar there were festivities in February where young men where allowed to choose their partners. At this time the Emporer Claudius outlawed marriage in fear that the men would not want to go to war and leave their wives. The young couples however, fell in love and would turn to the Catholic Archbishop Valentine who would marry them in secret.

When Claudius found out about the secret marriages Valentine was arrested and sentenced to death.While in jail Valentine fell in love with the jailer's daughter and the day he was to be executed he wrote her and signed it Your Valentine.

Whether this is the true origin or not it is an interesting one. And the cupid that is often depicted on the front? He is the son of Venus, the Roman god of love.

EAT YOUR VEGGIES

A study by the Harvard University has revealed that eating those colourful vegetables helps us to become more optomistic. It is not certain as to why this is so. But colorful vegetables are full of carotonoids and antioxidants and the people tested had higher levels in their body. So how many vegetables a day well looks like 7 is just the starting point the more the better. I have been trying for 10 that is 7 vegetable and 2 fruit. I don't always achieve it and have been a bit lax of late and you know what I don't feel as great as when I was eating more!! For me it is back to the big veg. So how will I do this first off fruit such as blueberries will be on the menu at breakfast again with a desertspoon of yoghurt. It is believed that a little fat is good for getting all the goodness from carrotenoids from both fruit and vegetables. I need to research this further but with a salad I always add a littl oil so that is good. And also for me back to the big salad at lunch time eg lettuce, baby spinach, red cabbage, greated carrot, greated zucchinni, chopped or baby tomatoes all tossed together with a touch of olive or avocado oil.

For Dinner at night with my meat or fish (all portion size) cooked carrots, sweet potato mashed with a touch of butter and half a cup of chopped herbs from the garden eg sage (good for the memory!) marjoram and parsley. Brussell Sprouts lightly cooked in water then halved and cooked in frypan in olive oil together with slivered almonds and one mild chilli chopped. (Don't overcook) Season with Himalayan salt and black pepper.

What are Carotenoid's

"In humans, four carotenoids (beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, gamma-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin) have vitamin A activity (meaning they can be converted to retinal), and these and other carotenoids can also act as antioxidants. In the eye, certain other carotenoids (lutein, astaxanthin[2] and zeaxanthin) apparently act directly to absorb damaging blue and near-ultraviolet light, in order to protect the macula of the retina, the part of the eye with the sharpest vision."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotenoid

But for my way of thinking don't overdo things like eat heaps and heaps of carrots for example because that could be harmfull.

Happy healthy eating.

LANCE ARMSTRONG AND CHEATS

Well Lance Armstrong is all over the news since the release of his confessions to Oprah Winfrey. What a big dissapointment to cycling.
What about Rosie Ruiz Vivas who joined the the 84th Boston Marathon in 1980 a mile from the finish line and supposedly won the race in record time. She was found out because people were suspicious of her build which was not what a marathon runner was expected to look like. And then it was discovered that no one remembered her entering the race.
Then there was the Comrades Marathon in South Africa is a 56-mile (although there is some controversy about the exact distance) ultramarathon from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, and notoriously taxing. Sergio Motsoeneng placed ninth in tace in 1999 but he was caught out after it was discovered he and his brother had swithced places in a toilet along the way where they switched shoes. But they forgot to switch their watches and footage revealed the brother who wore the watches on different wrists. He was banned for years, and Sergio returned in 2010 only to be disqualified again for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs after running 3rd.

Truth is stranger than fiction!!

Sources http://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/south-african-athlete-sergio-motsoeneng-admits-cheating-comrades-marathon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosie_Ruiz
http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/archive/permalink/rosie_ruiz_wins_the_boston_marathon/

Spaghetti Bolognaise

I made one of my best Bolognaise Sauces last night and I would like to share it with you.

400 grams Mince

Tablespoon Peanut Oil

1 Brown onion chopped into small pieces

1 heaped Teaspoon (bottled - all natural) Garlic

1 chilli (mild heat) chopped into small pieces

Equivalent of 440 gramm Tinned tomoatoes

2 small grated Zucchinis

2 cups of beef stock (beef cube and waters)

1 Smal Tin of whole Champignon halved

2 Tablespoons Tomato Sauce

1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

1 heaped Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 heaped Tablespoon Pomegranate Molasses (is spelt Pomegranet on bottle)

6 Rosemary Stalks (Pick of the leaves and chop 2 stalks

6 Marjoram Stalks (mine were flowering so flowers and all) - Pick off the leaves and chop 3 stalks.

6 Stalks Thyme (leave whole)

2 Sachets Bouquet Garni

Method:

In a large Frypan heat half the Oil then brown the Mince all the while chopping through it to separate the mince and eliminate any large lumps. Remove from pan.

Add remaining Oil heat and add onions, garlic and chilli. Saute on medium heat stirring regularly - do not burn.

Return meat to the Frypan and add the Tomatoes. (I used fresh tomatoes from the garden and chopped them all the same size. As some where small I did not peel them first but removed the skins during the cooking as they peeled away. Using a fork and the wooden stirrer). Add the stock, champigons, Tomato Sauce, Soy Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce and Pomegranate Molasses. Stir Well.

Add the stalks of Rosemary, Marjoram and Thyme. Reserve the chopped herbs and 2 stalks of Thyme until later. Push the stalks into the frypan whole. Add the sachets of Bouquet Garni. Cook in frypan on a low heat for about an hour until the sauce is cooked, reduced and thickened. During the cooking process if using fresh tomatoes that have not been peeled remove the skins. It is not difficult. Stir regularly And after half and hour add the remaining herbs.

When cooked removed the stalks and sachets of Bouquet Garni making sure to squeeze out all the juice from the sachet. Serve with Spaghetti cooked as instructed on the packet. Add olives and top with grated Parmesen Cheese.

I find this amount is enough for 4 servings. I often use any the leftover as an accompaniment to poached or fried eggs and mushrooms for breakfast or lunch. I keep any leftover in the refrigerator for 2 days and then freeze.

Enjoy.