Nuffnang Product Talk - myprosperity

This post is brought to you by Nuffnang Product Talk - my prosperity

I've been given another Product Talk, by Nuffnang, this one had me intrigued from the start and who doesn't want to make the hard task of money management easier. my prosperity makes it as easy as 1 2 3 with their FREE, simple and secure way to handle your finances.

Signing up was easy and very Quick as long as you have all your details together to start with. Now there is no more flicking from page to page or screen to screen, myprosperity will allow you to have it all in one place on one screen. SIMPLE.

myprosperity is a secure website, allowing you to view all your bank accounts, credit cards, loans and more all in one place. You can even find our the value of your car and house with free valuations, all at the click of a button through myprosperity.

I liked the convenience of the back and not now buttons, as they allowed me to confer with my hubby and get the details before processing further along.  I know when we are next home together and get some more time, we will be investigating this programme and our finances further.

Whilst I was not paid for this post, it is a Product Talk by Nuffnang. I did receive a small gift in exchange for this review. All thoughts and opinions on this product are my own.

Why not go and make yourself a cuppa and take 5 minutes to peruse the myprosperity site and see if you too can help your finances. I know that I am trying by baking my own sour dough in the Amish way.

Here are my weekends recipe links.

Orange Ricotta Poppyseed Almond Cupcakes

No Knead Bread Rolls

Slow Roasted Lemon Chicken

Amish Rye Sourdough Bread & Scrolls

Been Cooking - Recipes

Must be finely feeling a little better managed some cooking this week, and here they are to share....but if you can manage to get a copy of the JULY Australian Good Food - this is a great issue

Massaman Beef Curry with Cashews

Raspberry and Brown Sugar Scones

Old fashioned Baked Apples, simply core apples place on a lined baking tray, in a small bowl, add a little butter, little brown sugar, spoon of mixed nuts (my cereal mix flaked almonds, pumpkin seeds) and a few sultanas, mix then fill the holes, pop in a 160 degree oven for about 30 mins then serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce!!!!

For the love of Apron History

Well it's no secret that I love cooking, but did you know that I love aprons too!! Yes I wear them, but not all the time, but there is usually always one hanging on the hook ready to be put on just by the kitchen doorway, my favourites are handmade ones, that I recieved as gifts and from an Apron swap that I hosted. But I also have a collection of vintage ones that need finishing off, they have been handed down by MIL, most of which she stitched during her time in Army Training.



They are stunning, from the crinolin ladies to the sexy legged lasses and the even more wonderful stitch work of some amazing flowers. .

The work that was in this one that I gave away was just stunning in it's Australian Native Flora. I hope one day to complete the remaining vintage ones I have in the same way with quilting and binding, so that they can last the test of time, in our family longer.

So it comes as no surprise that when i recieved this email of the History of Aprons, I just knew I had to share it beyond the email that it was, and then in search of some more images I realised that it has been shared many times over on blogs and websites....so perhaps you have read it before, but I am sure it will make you smile some more.

The History of 'APRONS'

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.. And when the weather was cold Grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow,bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

 

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

REMEMBER:

Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.

They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron. I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron - but love...

Cooking up a storm....

WOW, thanks for the lovely comments ladies, I really enjoy hearing from you. So thanks for Commenting.

Recently having been sickly, we all want yummy dinners and being too sick for work, the one thing getting done is cooking delicious meals. So be sure to check out my other Blog FA FAMILY RECIPES to see our versions and images of great recipes.

Veal Osso Bucco with Cannelini Beans - Masterchef recipe

Tomato Soup with Cashew and Coconut Sambal

Chocolate Cake

Baked Ricotta Gnocchi

 Mid-Loin Pork Chops with Orange, Fennel and Rosemary

Tonight it is lamb shanks....promise to share once we have tasted it....the house is smelling YUMMO!!!

Big Week

WOW where to start

Wednesday 1st December - the tree went up well half up, seems to take us longer as we get older and still not being 100% well I just wasn't in the Christmas Zone, even our traditional glass of bubbles didn't do it.

Thursday 2nd December - pottered in the Studio with Anne, created not much but did get a start on some handcrafted paper Christmas gifts will share those when they are completed. Managed to get half the groceries done, including a few Christmas gifts (yes I have started). Finished of putting up the tree, which meant the handmade ornaments too that I had received from the handmade ornaments swap - this picture shows Kye's (white and silver ball) and Amies (clear ball full of bells). And my felt bird cage now hanging in the tree!!! Kirst's Bird isn't gracing the tree, it's an all year ornament according to Bianca!!

Also the train with it's light on going round the track under the tree stirring the Cats big time....such laughter was had.

Snapped and tried to share on Facebook my 2nd December photo but it wouldn't upload so here it is here....the blue and green vintage baubles in a bowl....blue and green is my theme this Christmas, well kind of!!!

Friday 3rd December, up with the birds at 5.30am to get a start on the Christmas baking and sadly I hadn't finished the shopping yesterday, so it was groceries first then home to the kitchen and cooking up a storm and trying to clean house.

Christmas Cakes were baked - from a double batch of this recipe...1 large round, 1 large loaf, 8 mini loaves,

5 small 10cm rounds. Two batches of Rocky Road...Till exhaustion hit, Brian home from work, my parents for dinner so it was cocktails with Mum and Bianca whilst we created the best Caesar Salad ever for dinner.

Saturday 4th December - 12 hour Christmas Crop, and it was wonderful to share with the girls a Christmas Dinner with all the trimmings....

including this recipe - told you all I would send it too you. I completed this sketch, but have yet to photograph the layout....will do and share soon.

Sunday 5th December - spent doing a little stitching, yes I started work on my Life is Beautiful Quilt

Productive Weekend - FA Farewells.

Wow, I have had a few huge days of productivity.

I have stitched, Machine Sewn, Blogged, Baked, typed Newsletters, Emailed packed orders - you name it I have done it. And I feel good about achieving so much in so little time.

So I will share it amongst a few posts.

This one will be about the changes in my life. Yes sometimes you come to a crossroad and wonder in which direction you are going to head. Well for a while now I have been pondering my FA Forum Family, we have become quiet small, and as much as I love you all dearly, I have realised I am doing so much behind the scene work for just a few, and it really has become a chore - sometimes I felt like I was just chatting to myself - and this can be real blow to your self esteem.

So, I have devised a plan to still have you all, but well, we can Facebook, Email and meet face to face for coffee,( like that nescafe advert - it is better to LOL IRL) do we need the Forum? Big answer no....so it's time for me to blog more, and socialise more...LOL So what's going to change really you ask???

Just no more Forum - everything else will stay the same, the only thing that I think most of us will miss is the Cybercrop Bingo - but hey challenges post really well on a Blog too and I am sure I can work out Bingo at retreats. So we will be farwelling the FA Forum with a bang and a fantastic themed "IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS" cybercrop with Belinda on the 22nd April - hope you can come and join us.

As part of these changes you will find our Recipes on our new blog FA FAMILY RECIPES that I have made - that's our favourite eating kind as well as our much enjoyed Creative Recipe Scraps and Techniques too.

Do you remember this creative post and that perfect Cake picture at the end of it, well I have had a quite a few emails from a few of you, requesting which Bills Book it was and if I would share the recipe, which was another reason for that perfect NEW FA FAMILY RECIPE BLOG if you want to cook it the recipe can be found here

Pink Grapefruit, Bean and Cashew Salad with Lime Dressing.

as requested by Ange from Facebook

This is a fav salad of ours from the Bill Grainger Cook Book Every Day

Pink Grapefruit, Bean and Cashew Salad with Lime Dressing.
Serves 4
1 Large ruby grapefruit,
400g Green beans, topped but not tailed
3 tablespoons cashew nuts
large handfull fresh coriander leaves
3 spring onions slides on the diagonal
lime dressing - see below

Peel the grapefuit by slicing off both ends. Stand the end of the fruit on a board and, following the curve of the grapefruit, slice off all the peel and pith with a sharp knife. Slice out segments of the grapefruit by cutting between the membrane.

Blanch the beans in boiling water for 1-2 minutes until just tender. Refresh under cold water.

Heat a frying pan over high heat and cook the cashews, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until lightly roasted. Roughly chop the nuts and set aside. Toss the graperfuit, beans, coriander and spring onions with the dressing. Arrange on a large serving plate and sprinkle with the roasted cashews before serving.

Lime Dressing
30 ml fish sauce
30 ml lime juice
1 tablespoon soft brown sugar
1 small red chilli, finely chopped

Stir together all the ingredients until the sugar has dissolved.

Creativity & Comments.

A bit of creative sharing from the last week. Below are the cards for the Masculine Card Swap over in the Forever Always Forum. But first are the most recent layouts 'a rare MOMENT' was completed for the RAK & New Challenge

and 'things we love about YOU' was for the Recipe Scrap that Amie Taylor gave us last night in the Forum.

I have been stitching as well...but can't share the items yet....might be naughty and give you a sneak tomorrow.

Well, I have had a comment from Anna M whose recently had a birthday and a giveaway on her blog....which I won one of the prizes on.... requesting my chinese omelettes recipe from this post. They are actually from my Chinese Cooking Class Cookbook ("Australian Women's Weekly" Home Library) this was one of my first cookbooks, when i left home. It was something my grandfather gave me,who was a great cook!!

Here is the Recipe - which is actually called

Prawn Omelette

YOU WILL NEED

8 Eggs, salt, pepper, oil, 60g mushrooms, 4 shallots, 1 stick of celery, 250g prawns, 250g can bean sprouts.

• Put eggs in bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk, until eggs are slightly frothy.
• Heat small amount of oil in pan. Gently saute finely chopped mushrooms one minute. Remove from pan, drain, add to beaten eggs. Add finely chopped shallots, finely chopped celery, shelled and chopped prawns. and well-drained bean sprouts. Mix well.
• Add enough oil to medium-sized frypan just to cover base (i use a non stick frypan) just to cover base. When oil is hot, pour omelet mixture into pan making 4 small omelets.
• When mixture is firm on one side, turn and cook other side. Stack on warm plate while cooking remainder of omelets. Keep warm. To serve, stack two omelets one on top of the other. Spoon sauce over. Serves 4.

SAUCE: 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon cornflour, 2 chicken stock cubes, 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, salt.

• Blend water and cornflour until smooth, add crumbled stock cubes, sugar, soy sauce and salt. Stir until sauce boils and thickens.

Have a great weekend bloggers.....