I can't believe it's NOT Minestrone!!

This is just a recipe of my own. You can basically put whatever veggies you want into it, although, I wouldn't put spinach because that would clash with the beef stock. OR just use vegetable or chicken stock instead of beef if you want to add spinach. I just used whatever veggies I had. So feel free to put in celery, eggplant, parsnip, turnip, sweet potato, zuchinni, etc. You don't need to chop everything perfectly - it's all about the taste.

BTW, so sorry for the lame title :P

Equipment:
- Large pot (cast iron, if you have one)
- Wooden spoon,
- Sharp knife
- Pestle and mortar
- Bowls to put ingredients into (about 4)

Ingredients:

Steps 1, 2, and 3

-2 small or medium sized onions, diced
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- 3 red chilies, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed (you may adjust to taste)
- Ginger crush (half the amount of garlic)
- 1-2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
- 5-6 rashers of bacon, cut into chunks
- 2 carrots, cut into cubes
- 4 small-medium sized potatoes, quatred or eigthed
- 1 can of purred tomatoes
- 4-5 large mushrooms, cut however you like
- However many green beans, quatred or thirds
- 1 beef stock cube, or small pot
- Salt and cracked pepper to taste (but keep in mind that this is supposed to be a healthy soup, go easy on the salt, go crazy on the pepper!!)

Step 4

Method:
1. After slicing and dicing, place the onions, spring onions, and chilies into the post over medium heat (don't forget the oil!).
2. After crushing the ginger and garlic together in the mortar, put it in the pot.
3. After slicing the bacon, and after the onions are browned, put them in the pot.
4. After browning, add the carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, and beans.
5. Add the can of pureed tomatoes and then, using the same can, add a can of water.

Step 5

6. Now, prepare the stock in a separate bowl. Using one cube or one small pot of stock, add two cups of boiling water and stir to mix. Now add to the pot.
7. If needed, add more water.
8. Add salt and pepper.
9. Bring to the boil by placing it on high heat. After bringing to the boil, take it back to medium heat and simmer for about an hour or until your liking.
10. ENJOY with small bread rolls and mozerella cheese on top.

Step 6

Step 7, 8, and 9

Charred Tomato & Chicken Tacos

I tried out this recipe last night. Everybody loved it! It was really tasty. 

See the original recipe here:

WebMD Charred Tomato & Chicken Tacos

Here is my version of the recipe to serve 4:

INGREDIENTS:

1. Tomato MEDLEY MIX 400g (you can find it in Woolworths)

2. Olive oil

3. 1kg boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks

4. Salt and freshly ground pepper

5. 2 small brown onions, finely chopped (about 1.5 cups)

6. 2 teaspoons garlic paste

7. 2 jalapeno peppers seeded and chopped

8. Fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)

9. Half a bunch of coriander chopped

10. 2 white globe onions

11. 8 reduced-fat torillas

12. Pura SourLite cream 

METHOD:

1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until very hot. Place tomatoes in the skillet and turn occasionally with tongs until charred on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly. Cut in half crosswise.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of oil to the pan and heat over high heat until the oil is very hot. Add  1/2kg of chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned on all sides and no longer pink in the center.Transfer to a plate and set aside. Repeat with the other 1/2kg of chicken.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeños and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Add lime juice and the reserved chicken and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and stir in coriander and white globe onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.
4. Heat up tortilla in the microwave (just follow the instruction on the packet)
5. Spoon filling into warm tortillas, roll up and serve with sour cream.

The awesome thing is, is that per serving there are only 310 calories; 7g of fat; 68mg cholesterol; 35g carbs; over 50g of protein; and 6g of fibre.

You also get your Vitamin C, Selenium, Magnesium, Potassium, and Vitamin A.

Hope you guys like my version. The link is at the top of this post, if you want to look at WebMD's other healthy recipes :)

NEW BLOG - for my Rhinoceros project!

So I have created ANOTHER blog for my project because I am going in a new (and hopefully) better direction. A NEW VISION! So here is the link:
Rhinoceros

Everyone Needs Support

Everyone needs support no matter what the issue.

It is in my nature to judge people - a trait I got from my father. But I've learnt, over the years, that people have problems just like I do. We all have our own personal struggles, and a lot of the time, we fail to see that. It is good to be aware that there are others out there in trouble. But remember, that doesn't mean your troubles are not worthy of being voiced or supported. Your personal battles are just as real as everyone else's battles.

The thing is, we are all in the same war. We all have wounds. And we all are fighting for the same thing - peace within ourselves and with each other.

So you don't need to be 'qualified' to give support, because as far as I know, you don't need to have a qualification to love.

With much love and blessings,
Ness

Please visit:

SupportGroups.com

If you need support, don't be afraid to get it. This is a free and anonymous community that anyone can go to. You can tells us what you are struggling with and what kind of battle you are facing. By sharing, you also have the opportunity to support someone else - a gracious and honorable thing to give to someone. 

CULT WEBSITE!!

Hey guys,

I was on Youtube listening to a bunch of Toby Mac's songs. His words, to me, seem good - harmless. I like his music so I typed in Toby Mac in google and this came up:

Toby Mac exposed! He sings Devil's music in Jesus' name!

I went to the site, had a read of what it had to say and it made sense. Yes, it's true, in the Bible it says not to conform to this world and so forth. But then I thought, 'But who wrote this article?' So I scrolled to bottom and found the link to the home page and found Jesus Is Saviour.com

I used to assume that anything that said 'I love Jesus' in it must be full of good and truth. But now I'm not so sure. To be honest, I think I've found a cult... or at least a group of religion extremists.

I found nothing but negative remarks made on that site. Oh, hang on, if you scroll all the way down to bottom it says, "God loves people" But the site has shown me nothing but hate. Let me briefly describe the site for you. (BTW it is targeted at an American audience)
It:
- It has war propaganda, trying to build the fear in men so that they join the army. It has a picture of an american soldier pointing a gun at a father and his son crying with terror. Underneath it says, "Is your family next?" It also builds on the fear of the 9/11 disaster.

- It has multiple articles on the evil of abortion (I personally believe abortion is wrong, but this site tells people you're going to hell for it!)

- "Satanism is the Vatican"/ "The Pope is the vicar of Hell" (who are we to judge? - we are certainly not God)

- Advertising for "The Antichrist Slideshow/ starring: The Popes of Rome/ and the Great Whore of Revelation chapter 17" (Just because there are catholic priests who rape and molest children, that doesn't mean the whole church does! - BTW I am not catholic)

- "Protest Gay Day" (God gave us free will. And even though being a homosexual is sin, God sent his only son JESUS to die for all of our sins. Which means, our debt has been payed and praise the Lord! - not condemn those whose time has already been done). They also have a link for "Homosexuals target children"

- "153,000 souls die everyday. Most go to hell." (wow... what happened to just acknowledging that a beautiful creation of God has passed, regardless of his beliefs??)

- "JUST SHUT UP AND GET ON THE ARK!" (I don't think I need to explain this one for you...)

- "ALL modern Bible conversions are corrupt!", "If you don't have a King James Bible then you don't have a Bible!", and the above (not to mention the various other statements made on the site, they are forcing their opinion onto you and if you don't agree then you are going to hell.)


I really can't continue with the list, ONE because I would never finish, and TWO because quite frankly I just find it disturbing that cults can now reach people and brainwash people through the internet. I am also deeply sad that there are so many people in the world who just want to judge and not love.

Anyway, have a look if you want, and make up your own mind. Cult or the truth?

I vote: CULT

Found an amazing site for people who NEED SUPORT!!

Hi,

I found a support network for people with all sorts of issues. There's support for:
- Addiction (of all sorts)
- Abuse (of all sorts)
- Disorders ( of all sorts)
- Diseases (of all sorts)
- Teen issues
- Rape
- Stress
- Back aches
 and much more!!

The site gives you the opportunity to tell your story without being judged, criticized, or invalidated - because there is at least one other person on the site who has gone through a similar situation to yours. You can talk to others fro help, advice, or just for someone to listen to you. It is annonymous. No cops. No social workers. Nothing but support from people who love you without even knowing you - because  love is a choice people make to not judge, be patient, and kind to others.

I hope that someone out there in the big wide world will come across this support site, weather it's through this post or by random. No matter how well we have grown up, there will always be something, and there will always be support.

Support Groups ONLINE!!


With much love and blessing,
Ness

Aloo Tiki and Chickpeas

Okay, so I tried this recipe a while ago and it was so YUM! So I'm sharing it with you. I can't find the website I got it from. But there are heaps of different versions of it anyway, so you guys can look it up.

Underneath, I have also posted photos of the process.

The first time I made this, it was much redder and sweeter. I think that's because I used fresh tomatoes rather than canned tomatoes. So the quality of your ingredients is really important if you want a much stronger and sweeter taste.

Aloo Tikki – Ingredients:

1/4 kg potatoes boiled and grated
1/4 cup of boiled and mashed green peas
2 slices white bread toasted a bit and made into a coarse powder (bread crumbs)
2-3 green chillies finely chopped
1″ ginger grated
3 tbsps of chopped fresh coriander leaves finely chopped
salt to taste
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp chaat masala (optional)
1 tsp roasted cumin pwd
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
ghee/oil for shallow frying


METHOD:
Boil potatoes and cool them before grating them.Add the rest of the ingredients except the ghee and mix well.Roll into lemon sized balls and flatten them and shape into cutlets or round burger shaped patties and flatten them a bit.
Heat 1 tbsp ghee on a griddle and add 3 to 4 tikkis at a time and let them cook on slow fire till a crisp golden color crust is formed on both the sides.Remove on absorbent paper and serve with chole & a squeeze of lemon.

CHHOLE (Punjabi chickpeas) – Ingredients:
2 cans Garbanzo beans also called Chick Peas
2 large Onions, chopped finely
4 large Tomatoes, chopped finely OR 1 cup of canned tomatoes can be used instead
2 teaspoons Ginger paste
2 teaspoons Garlic paste
2 Bay leaves
1 Star anise
2″ long Cinnamon stick
2 to 3 teaspoons Cumin powder
1 teaspoon Garam masala
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon Sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons Oil
3 table spoons fresh mint leaves, chopped finely
1/4th cup cilantro or coriander leaves, chopped finely

METHOD:

Heat the oil; add the bay leaves, star anise, cinnamon stick and the ginger and garlic paste. Sauté for a few minutes till light brown.

Add the onions and fry till brown. Add the tomatoes and sauté till the oil starts to separate.

Add the cumin powder, garam masala salt, sugar and mint leaves. Mix well.

Add the garbanzo beans. Add 1/2 cup of hot water and cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Serve over Aloo tikkis with some finely chopped red onion, cilantro leaves & a squeeze of lemon.

Chocolate Souffle - Results!

So I made the souffle this morning and I think it came out really well - considering it was my first try. My boyfriend helped me make it - which was really fun and nice of him to do. We had difficulty separating the whites from the yolks, but he got the the hang of it - I however did not... several accidents :P

On the whole, it was pretty simple and easy. I used 70% cocoa instead of 60% so it came out darker and a tad bitter - but tasty! And it came out a little bit more like a cake rather than light and fluffy - a really nice cake though. I even got it a little moist - YUM!

So yeh, next time I am going to try making a cheese souffle (maybe add some bacon bits).

Chocolate Souffle

Tomorrow I am going to attempt baking a chocolate souffle. I spent a while looking for recipes, but I think I found one that will turn out light and fluffy - not heavy like pudding.

Here is the recipe I will be following and I will tell you how it goes.

Easy Chocolate Soufflé Recipe – Ingredients

Serves 4

• 100g (3.5 oz) good quality dark chocolate (I used Lindt Excellence 50% Cocoa solids)
• 50g (1.75 oz) Golden Caster Sugar
• 4 Egg Whites
• 2 Egg Yolks
• Butter
• Single Cream, optional

Easy Chocolate Soufflé Recipe – Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to 150 degrees c (300 degrees f), and rub the inside of 4 ramekins with butter.  Set to one side.
2. Place your chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pot of heating water.  This will allow your chocolate to melt without burning; stir it to help the process along.
3. Whisk the egg whites in a bowl.  If you’re using an electric whisk (as I did) then start off slowly, speeding up once the eggs start to thicken.  Stop once the eggs form a glossy, thick mix which forms fairly stiff peaks (they do not wilt when you stop whisking).
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks together with the sugar until combined.
5. By this time your chocolate should be melted; take it off the heat and drizzle slowly into your egg yolk mix, then stir in one spoon of your egg white.
6. Add your egg whites spoon by spoon into your chocolate mix.  Fold until combined but do not stir fast or over-stir – this will beat the air out of the mix.
7. Spoon into your ramekins and smooth the edges with your thumb (this helps them rise evenly).
8. Put the ramekins straight onto your shelf for 25 minutes.  Don’t open while they’re cooking or they’ll collapse.

That’s it.  I copied a Gordon Ramsey tip and cut a hole in the top with my spoon and poured in single cream to serve; I recommend you do the same.

Delicious!

BTW I got this recipe from here:

School results!

I had to do a 'viva voce' for my individual project for drama. I am doing a Director's Folio on Eugene Ionesco's Rhinoceros. I got 4.5/5 (90%) - which is awesome! Just a shame that it is only worth 5% of my total HSC - but I am still happy. It is certainly better than getting zero!

I got 16/20 for my English listening task on Belonging - OMG hate English class...

I am doing Mathematics 2 unit. We just recently had a test on Geometrical Applications of Calculus. I got 97% (lost one mark) - which is awesome! HUGE shame that it doesn't go towards my HSC (directly). But it's good to know that I am doing well. Just hope that I'll get marks like that in my exams :s

I'll think of something witty eventually - Do You Know God's Will?

I'm a follower on his blog, so I had a read and found this interesting. Have a look yourself:

http://cyborgcommando0.blogspot.com/2011/02/do-you-know-gods-will.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+IllThinkOfSomethingWittyEventually+(I'll+think+of+something+witty+eventually)

Another blog - Rhinoceros

Hi,

For my Individual Project, for Drama, I have chosen to do a Director's Folio on Eugen Ionesco's Rhinoceros.
During this journey I need to write down the process in my IP logbook. But, just for fun, I thought that I would also create a blog for it. So here's the link:

RHINOCEROS

Please have a look and whatever else.

Thanks,
Ness

A New World To See - a poem by Vanessa Kidson

A New World To See

Vanessa Kidson

Clouds so white, soft like cotton candy

The beach so warm, bright, and sandy

The meadow beyond, so lush with green

Such beauty as this; here only seen.

In the distance lay mountains, covered in blankets of mist

Beds of roses, so red – blush like they have been kissed

This day so lazy, but not quite mellow

The sky – sombre with grey, but the daisies; still vibrant yellow.

People of the city, come, there is a new world to see

Surely the life you’re living is not quite what you thought it would be

For if it were, your home would last more than a mere fifty years

And the end of a day’s work wouldn’t leave you in tears.

Surely your lust for lights will dim in time

As well as the thriving of your city’s sleepless crime

When will this world of endless days come to its end?

The angel will come, and your world’s arrogance will forever descend.

So people of the city, come, there is a new world to see

But it will only live up to your high standards if you so let it be.

This world of grace, a mystery to your mind

Leave it alone for this is the only of its kind.

This world – sleepless like yours –only makes a peep

The only pools to swim in are the rivers and lakes deep.

The only towers you will see are the great trees, mighty tall

And they will stand longer years after your skyscrapers fall.

Come people of the city! Come step into this life!

Leave behind the evils of your world, your ego and your strife.

Bring your love and care – tools for your new home

And use them well, to tend to your greening garden’s growth. 

Rob Pat - Another Fan Site

I made another blog on blogspot called I Love Rob Pat X Edward Cullen.
Now I'm not an obsessive crazy teen in love with him - although, I admit, when I first read the books I was - so I don't post stuff about every little thing he does or say. But I do like to look at his face - he is my type of eye-candy. So I post pictures, some articles about him, I'll put up links to really good fan sites, and so on.
So have a look. It's not much yet, it's only new. But I'll keep adding stuff.

 Here's the link:
http://www.iloverobpatxedwardcullen.blogspot.com/.


Thanks,
Ness