Amber... BamberBoo

Dinner Party

Daniel was sick last night and now both he and Rosie are coughing up a lung so they are having a day at home with me.  I spent the morning pouring over my cookbooks and planning a menu for dinner tonight, and then we headed to the market for our cheese, bread and tuna steaks.  A box of tic-tac each ensured that Dan and Rosie were both helpful and well behaved in the store.  I have avoided shopping with the kids for so long, I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was with them today. 

My house is about and hour and a half away from being presentable, I have my head around what needs to be done for dinner, and I have 2 Niquilled kids sleeping away upstair.  Now I just need to roll up my sleeves and tuck into my chores. 

Steve and Louise, and Michael and Catherine will be arriving around 8 this evening… I was thinking though, wouldn’t it be fun to invite some of my blogger friends for a dinner party?  So I made up a virtual invitation list just for fun. (um… RSVP)

Alison from Alithinks
Philip from The Blue Sloth
Muzikdude from The Sound of Muzik
Liz from This Full House

Menu:

Bruschetta

Spaghetti aglio, oglio e peproncino

Grilled Tuna steaks with Ginger and Coriander sauce
Mange-Touts and Shiitake mushrooms

Melting Chocolate Puddings

Cheese board:
Epoisse
Gorgonzola
Saint-Marcellin

Baguette l’ancien

Coffee or Tea

Momma, you’re sappozta to share!!

I swear my kids can smell an open bag of Doritos from 3 rooms away!!!  Had I known that, I think I wouldn’t have had children…

This moment was brought to you by Pink Poppy

Last week I receive a package in the mail.  I knew it was coming because she had promised… and I was so excited!  I was expecting a bag, or maybe even two, in the parcel… But NOOOO, there were four, yes 4 bags inside that wonderful box.  The first bag didn’t make it through the night. 

The children found their mother crouched in the corner, back to the world, making a strange combination of noises.  There was the ‘weesh-weesh’ of the wrapping, tearing of ultra thin foil, the deep sniffing of a woman deprived of the combination of the two beautiful aromas mixed within.  Then there were the disgusting smacking, gulping, chomping and the slurping of drool sounds… there were even a few quiet ‘pressssssssious’ ‘presssssssious’, ‘moma looooovesssses her pressssssssious Reesssssssesssses’ being uttered.

Some how, I’d blame it on the sugar buzz, my conscience kicked in and I doled out 2 or 3 each to the kids for a bedtime snack.  The next day saw the whole family wearing a path to the draw in the kitchen where the other 3 bags were stashed.  By New Years Eve we were down to our last two bags. 

On New Years Day, I got productive and made yummy treats with the two remaining bags. I would like to say the lasted a long time, but I can not…

Pink Poppy, I thank you, my husband thanks you, my children thank you… but my hips do NOT!!!

What google didn’t teach me today

Jenn, possibly due to an extended raging fever, is turning in her coffee mug for a tea cup.  She remembers a tea made with Tang and spices.  My grandma called it Friendship Tea.  I dug out the ‘Soper Family Cookbook’ for the recipe:

Friendship Tea:
2c. sugar
1/2c. instant tea
1tsp. cinnamon
2c. Tang
1 (0.34oz) lemonade mix
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Place 2 teaspoons in a cup then fill with boiling water.

Unfortunately, I can not purchase Tang or packages of lemonade over here, but the memory of drinking tea with Grandma out of her ‘almost 200 year old china’ brought a smile to my face.

Since it was out, I thumbed through the book and thought I’d share some interesting titbits with you. Did you know:

*To whiten laces, wash them in sour milk.

*Marigolds will prevent rodents? (yes Philip, you will not be able to see my house for marigolds next year!!)

*If a cracked dish is boiled for 45 minutes in sweet milk, the crack will be so welded together that it will hardly be visible, and will be so strong it will stand the same usage as before.

*A leaf of lettuce dropped into the pot absorbs the grease from the top of the soup.  Remove the lettuce and throw it away as soon as it has served its purpose.

*(This one’s for you Mindy) The odour from baking or boiling salmon may be eliminated by squeezing lemon juice on the cut surface of the salmon and letting it stand in the refrigerator for one hour or longer before cooking.

*Small amounts of leftover corn may be added to pancake batter for variety!!! (um… EW!)

That’s all, now impress me with what you know! 

Grilled Tuna Steaks

The pleasure I found in dinner tonight went beyond a mere meal!! This was just incredible!! Len and I walked to market this morning and bought all the ingredients fresh…Michael and Catherine came around and I think this was an exception to the rule that “Too many cooks spoil the broth”- Man, we did good!! I wish we could have all sat down and experienced it together but I guess the recipe will have to do you for now… Tuna Steaks – fresh Marinade for 20+ minutes in: Grated Ginger – fresh Chopped Coriander – fresh Ground Sea salt Fresh ground black pepper Lime – fresh squeezed Sesame oil Soya sauce Diced Green chilli – mild Grill for a couple minutes on both sides and serve with green veggies stir fried in oyster sauce… Bon appétit!

Grilled Tuna Steaks

The pleasure I found in dinner tonight went beyond a mere meal!! This was just incredible!! Len and I walked to market this morning and bought all the ingredients fresh…Michael and Catherine came around and I think this was an exception to the rule that “Too many cooks spoil the broth”- Man, we did good!!

I wish we could have all sat down and experienced it together but I guess the recipe will have to do you for now…

Tuna Steaks – fresh

Marinade for 20+ minutes in:

Grated Ginger – fresh
Chopped Coriander – fresh
Ground Sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Lime – fresh squeezed
Sesame oil
Soya sauce
Diced Green chilli – mild

Grill for a couple minutes on both sides and serve with green veggies stir fried in oyster sauce…

Bon appétit!