Tuesday, February 21, 2012

WINTER READING

WINTER READING
.IF YOU NEED A GREAT BOOK TO READ..Pick up 'THE HARE WITH THE AMBER EYES' by EDMUND DE WAAL. This is a story of a hidden treasure of netsuke figures. The story is captivating and the writing will hold you spellbound. Edmund de Waal is a well known ceramic artist, and here he gives us a gift of writing . It is on the shelves for eighteen months and already in eight languages and being translated into many more. The story also deals with the heart breaking subject of what happens when an enemy invades a city and destroys communities and families A few years ago we read
"SUITE FRANCAISE" written by IRENE NEMIROVSKY It was about about the invasion of the Germans into Paris in 1940.............. in fact read both..............
 
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ginger the great spice.
GINGER…GINGER

Ginger is a great spice originally of Asian origin. It is used fresh, preserved in sugar or in a powder form. As a Tea it is great for nausea, sore throats, early morning sickness in pregnant women, and for cases of dizziness If you put half a teaspoon of fresh ginger, chopped up, into a glass of boiling water and let it stand for a few hours, it is an excellent aid to digestion, You can drink it before and after meals.
When you have over indulged or eaten heavy food, drink ginger water and after a few glasses you will feel better.
For a sore throat or post nasal drip, I grate about half a teaspoon of ginger and place it in a jug of two cups of boiling water. Cover and leave overnight. Drink this early in the morning and it will help to cleanse the troubled area.

Ginger has been used in cakes, cookies, Indian and Thai cooking, in sweets, jams, for ginger beer and ginger drinks. Crystallised ginger is a favourite sweet meat with everyone In China and Japan, it is used in marinades, boullions and soups. In India and Pakistan, people use ginger in meats, fish, rice and vegetable purees.

GINGER CAKE.

1 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, one teaspoon of ginger, one teaspoon of cocoa, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1/2 to 3/4 cup of milk. 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, 1/4 lb butter. 1 cup of fruit, 2 tablespoons of honey,1 cup hot water.

Cream the butter and sugar add the honey and eggs. Sift the dry ingredients into the mixture and gradually add the milk and slowly the bicarbonate of soda. Dissolve the bicarb in 1/4 cup of boiling water before you add it.
Bake in an oven of 400 for half an hour. You can bake it in a loaf pan or two small ones. I sprinkle a little olive oil in the loaf tin and cover it with sesame seeds. Then when you turn it out, the cake has a lovely top.

GINGER STIR FRY AND VEGETABLES FOR QUINOA and RICE

I use a selection of fresh vegetables. Cut up onions, garlic, carrots, celery, strips of red and yellow peppers, cauliflowers and broccoli. Use a cup per person. Then stir fry these in olive oil with a tablespoon of soya sauce, two full teaspoons of freshly grated ginger. Salt and pepper and chopped parsley. You then add two cups of cut up mushrooms and two teaspoons of sesame seeds, chopped walnuts and a few slices of extra crystalissed ginger. Serve this over a bowl of 1uinoa or rice. It is also great with a pasta dish.
We love it with added chutney and coconut on the side.



CARAMEL GINGER PUDDING.

1 tin of condensed milk..
Sliced preserved ginger in syrup…more or less two tablepoons.
1 cup whipped cream
Packet of cinnamon or good butter biscuits.

Caramelize the condensed milk by placing the unopened tin in a pot of water and boil three hours. Line a shallow dish with whipped cream'
Spread biscuits with the condensed milk and place side by side with cream. Sprinkle with ginger. Repeat the layers. Refrigerate three hours. Decorate with ginger and cherries.

LOVE AND LIGHT……RONA

Monday, February 13, 2012

 
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Tuesday, February 7, 2012

 
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THE GARDEN

MY GARDEN

THOMAS EDWARD BROWN.1839-1897

A garden is a lovesome thing. GD wot!
Rose plot,
Fringed pool,
Famed grot-
The veriest school
Of peace, and yet the fool
Contends that Gd is not-
Not GD ! in gardens, when the eve is cool?
Nay, but I have a sign
'This very sure Gd walks in mine.