Mellys Kickass Thai Soup!

Today i fancied a Thai flavoured soup so i made one up!
I used these ingredients but as with any soup you can adjust the amounts according to your taste
2 chicken stock cubes
2 heaped tea spoons of chopped garlic
2 heaped teaspoons of fresh grated ginger
1 onion chopped finely
lots of fresh chopped mushrooms
a handful of dried mushrooms - soaked for 30 minutes in a jug of boiled water from the kettle i used about a litre to add with the soup later
2 carrots - i used 3 small ones chopped into batons
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
few drops of lemon juice
bunch of fresh coriander chopped
1 dried lemon-grass stick (or a 2 teaspoons of fresh if you prefer)
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1 pack of creamed coconut (or you can use canned coconut milk)
and a tiny bit of Thai green curry paste... the stuff i use is so spicy i divided it up into ice cube trays to freeze, i used about half a portion

this soup is all down to taste and whatever you have available i had a lot of mushrooms and not much else, but this soup was very tasty you can make this soup up using anything really just change the quantities of liquid if you want to make more :)

heat both types of oil in a saucepan then add the onions stir and let cook on a low-medium heat depending on how much of a rush you are! until they are soft ( i like my onions cooked slowly on a low heat but that's just my preference) then add the carrots and the chopped mushrooms and stir i tend to turn the heat up at this point to help the carrots along the way after a minute or so i added in the garlic and ginger just after the carrots to prevent them from burning or over cooking.

I then added the dried mushrooms along with the litre of water they had been soaking in i think this adds depth to the flavour of the soup i then add two crumbled up stock cubes into the saucepan stir this all together and then add the fish sauce and lemon juice and the coconut and stir again i then added the Thai curry paste and let simmer until the veg was soft i then added chopped coriander (a lot of it!) at the final moment of cooking

The result is one huge saucepan of kick ass Thai soup very tasty pretty healthy and uses ingredients that i pretty have in the store cupboard i do cheat i use jars or garlic ginger and lemon-grass when i have it
i probably added a bit more boiled water to the soup as i do like to make lots but you can do that according to taste and how much veg you have used.

Christmas Baking!

The last few weeks have been busy for me amidst learning to drive I've been getting into the Christmas spirit and decorating the tree and baking some Christmas treats

I have baked during  my days off ...
party cheese twists
peppermint creams
sausage rolls
Parmesan and Gruyère Allumettes

I also squeezed in some festive photography cos i know my blog is lacking photographs and I've been slack at updating it so i shall be adding more photographs :)

Driving Miss Melly

On Monday this week my provisional license arrived just after 6 days of sending off my application form! so on Tuesday i booked my first driving lesson with a local chap. I have been practicing in my brothers car with my dad everyday since Tuesday and on Friday i had my first two hour lesson and although i was nervous the night before the actual lesson went really well and i was pleased with how much better i did than i thought i would do! I've booked two more lessons for next week I'm really excited I've gotten to this stage where I'm actually wanting to drive after many years of not bothering and not wanting to to it!

Whats New With Me?

This week i have finally sent off my provisional driving license form so i shall be starting to learn to drive when it arrives! I cant wait I'm really excited!!

Best Six Months Ever!

On this day, 6 months ago i met the love of my life! Who would have known? Happy 6th month anniversary to my gorgeous man :) i love you Dan :)
I also love my beautiful roses that have just been delivered!

Melly Made It A Year!

It's a year ago since i wrote my first blog post and what a year it has been! For those who don't know me, i started up this blog as a way to get me out of a rut i was in, i wanted a way of reconnecting with myself and finding out who i am by discovering new things that appealed to me. I found it a good way of helping myself get out of feeling depressed as i was in an impossible situation this time last year, its amazing how much has happened in the last 12 months and more amazing how much better i feel! Things have been quiet on the craft front this year but I'm hoping I'll be discovering more crafts (and hopefully completing them!) soon :)

A Wonderful Week!

This week was amazing i went to see Limehouse Lizzy on Thursday at the railway in Ipswich and my favourite band Turin Brakes on Friday at the Apex in Bury St Edmunds. Both Bands were amazing and i danced lots :) and i got to stay in a lovely hotel with Dan was so good to spend quality time together :)

Turin Brakes at the Apex Bury St Edmunds ( i took the photo)

Love Bird

My goodness I've been so busy I've neglected my blog a little here are the photo's I promised ages ago!

Stormy Weekend

Its been thundering and lightning a lot over the last two days so i have stayed inside and knuckled down with my cross stitching I'll post some pictures up later in the week :)

Summer time and stitching

This week i started a new cross stitch design should be finished within the month depending on how the back stitching and the French knots go theres about 20 in this one haha still its good for practice.
Also I've been enjoying the summer weather that has at long last reached Suffolk i got to wear 4 new dresses so i think i did well considering how pants the rest of this years weather has been so far!

French Knots and Dedication!

Today i completed my cross stitch design, it took me just under 3 months and i have learned how to do a new stitching technique that i haven't attempted before which is called a French knot its pretty common and easy to do once i got used to it and just as i was adding the last French knot to my cross stitch design dedication was playing by Thin Lizzy i thought it was quiet fitting!

Deer In My Garden

This morning i saw a young male deer in my garden he is such a cutie. To view pics of him Click here

Wet wet wet!

Today was planning to do a photo shoot with my friend, but the weather had other ideas! So we stayed inside and drank coffee and chatted, I took some pics of her daughter while we were in the coffee shop.

Ten Albums

This year i wanted to listen to at least ten albums by artists I've never listened to before...
well since i have been listening to 6 music ive discovered loads of music by various artists here are a few albums i have really enjoyed listening to this year so far...
 
Born to die - Lana Del Rey.... i was going through a break up and her songs made me feel like not giving up on love lol although its melancholic i love her style

An Awesome Wave - Alt J ... such a beautiful voice and his lyrics are amazing

Country Falls and Ship of Light - Husky Rescue  both albums are really good love their voices

My Head Is An Animal - Of Monsters And Men awesome band love there music its really chilled out.

Santigold - Santigold love this album its really upbeat and good for a dance around to

Whiskey In The Jar, and Black Rose: A Rock Legend - Thin Lizzy, Ive recently gotten into listening to Thin Lizzy and have enjoyed listening to his albums, They make me smile as when ever i hear Phil Lynott's voice i'm reminded of Dan singing to me i love it lol especially Dancing in the moonlight!

Although I'm a fan of Paul Weller and have listened to his albums a lot, i love his new one Sonik Kicks i think his voice is stunning and his latest album is really good :)

Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm - Benjamin Francis Leftwich i heard about this artist when listening to Mike Skinner ( former The Streets member) on 6 music he was saying he was working with him and he played the song pictures, its absolutely stunning!

Making Mirrors - Gotye  i listened to somebody i used to know a lot when i first heard this album i think he is absolutely gorgeous :)

Straight From The Heart- Ann Peebles I first heard her song trouble heartache and sadness played on Huey's show on 6 music earlier this year i love her music she is so soulful

Work in progress!

Enjoyed a day of stitching, put in 10 hours today I fucking love it!

Flickr Update

So I've reached my limit on my Shutter Bug Mel account so i have added pictures to my second accout melly made it click the link to view my latest pictures
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16459688@N07

and heres  link to my other photosteam if you would like to have a look
http://www.flickr.com/photos/63183461@N06/

My Home Is Your Home

What else have i been up to?

My Trusty Sewing Box

Half way through my cross stitch its taken me many hours lol I'm hoping to get this finished soon and framed so i can start something new :)

Productive Evening

Last night i edited 665 photographs from my holiday most were Banham Zoo pictures i was surprised how so many turned out really well, either its fluke / luck or I'm getting back into my stride but I'm proud of them non the less. I'm now considering entering some in competitions just to see how they do.

Me and My Man

Dan and I - Our Very First Picture Together 

taken with my new Canon Powershot s100

Back Home

Back home after a lovely week away with Dan i have taken 1334 pictures which i have finally uploaded to my pc (takes an age) i shall edit them throughout the week and stick the good ones (if there are any!) on my flickr account

Banham Zoo

Today we went to Banham Zoo which is about 8 miles away from Dan's home we were really lucky with the weather as it was sunny all day it was lovely! I managed to take some decent pics and  i will put some pics up on flickr when i get the chance to :)

Click here to view my photos

Holkham Hall and Wells

Today Dan and I visited Holkham Hall and the Bygones Museum

Holkham Hall is really impressive, such an amazing building unfortunately we didn't get to look inside as is was closed so we had a look round the walled gardens instead i got a chance to do some macro photography and even Dan had a go! we also went to Wells next to sea we ate fish and chips and candy floss and had a Mr Whippy and 2 chocolate flakes!! was a lovely day :)

We Loveded It

Ooh Shiny!!

Start of my holidays and i brought a new camera i decided to go for a canon powershot s100 and a new lens for my EOS 550D just a simple 50mm but i have wanted to get my hands on one for a while so i shall enjoy practicing with both while I'm out and about this week :) Something nice about using a new lens and the first picture i take with it makes me smile I'm playing with my lens while I'm waiting for my powershot to charge :D

Time for a holiday!

I'm spending a week away in Norfolk with my boyfriend Dan. It will be the first week we have spent together so that's pretty special. I am hoping we will get some nice weather there as the weather in Bury St Edmunds has been awful!

Mobile uploads

Testing out the camera on my phone with my notoriously difficult subjects Oscar and Mr Jingles and the bag of bones Abbie Cat

Testing testing!

I upgraded my phone last week after owning a HTC tattoo for a few years and getting frustrated with it shutting down all the time I decided to get something newer, I have been wanting the HTC one x since I saw it online.

I like the processing power it has going from a phone that struggled doing anything more than a text the HTC one x flies! 

I can even blog from bed!

Busy Busy Busy!

For anyone who has read my blog may have noticed I've not posted anything for a while.. i have been pretty busy since the end of April i moved the last of my things out from the flat in reading and said my last goodbyes since then i enjoyed a wonderful 29th birthday (i celebrated every day for a week it was pretty awesome!) I have also met a special someone hence why i haven't been online so much blogging!

My Birthday

Today i turned 29 i had such a lovely day my dad took me to a fancy seafood restaurant in Bury St Edmunds called Maison Bleue it was amazing!! For starters i had scallops and for the main course i had Pan-fried monkfish tail, Bangladeshi lemon, coriander and coconut milk sauce it was divine!!! absolute food heaven and for dessert i had Crème brulée which was Vanilla flavoured with a lovely  crispy top i also enjoyed a glass of merlot with my main course and tried the dessert wine Chateau Les Miaudoux Bergerac which was described as Sweetness is giving way to a medium richness in this fine dessert wine it was fucking lovely!!! It was such a fantastic experience and definitely the most expensive meal i have ever eaten the monkfish alone cost £20! and the scallops a respective £9.95 So after an amazing meal, i came home and to my surprise i found a bunch of beautiful flowers on the doorstep from a friend i have met on plenty of fish. I am meeting him tomorrow for our first date and i cant wait to enjoy his company

This is home

Slightly blurry photographs I've taken today unfortunately but here is an example of the lovely countryside that surrounds me. I need more practice!

Toad In The Hole

Tonight I'm going to attempt to make toad in the hole for dinner!

Heres the recipe

8 Sausages
1 Large Chopped Onion
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
3/4 Cup of Plain Flour
1 1/2 Cups of Milk
2 Eggs
Salt and Pepper
1 Teaspoon of Chopped Parsley

Gravy - to serve

Preparation Time: About 5 minutes
Cooking Time: About 35 minutes

SERVES 4

Method

1. Whisk together the eggs, flour, milk, and seasoning, beating out any little lumps of flour. The consistency should be about that of ordinary double cream, but no thinner. Rest for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
3. Put the olive oil in a roasting tin and leave it in the oven until it is smoking.
4. Carefully place the sausages into the roasting tin with tongs then add the chopped onion and cook for 10 minutes turning the sausages after 5 minutes.
5. Pour in the batter around the sausages and onions - it will sizzle softly in the hot fat.
6. Transfer the tin back into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until puffed and golden. Serve with mashed potato and onion gravy. 

Turned out very tasty will make this again :)

Chocolate Cake

Serves: 10
2 eggs
200g (7oz) caster sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
250g (9oz) vegetable oil
50g (2oz) cocoa powder
125ml (4 fl oz) buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
275g (10oz) plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
 250ml (8 fl oz) boiling water
 175g (6 oz) plain chocolate chips
 

 Buttercream Chocolate Icing:
125g (4¼oz) butter, softened
125g (4¼oz) icing sugar
50g (2 oz) cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon strong brewed coffee

Preparation method
Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 25 mins
1.
In a large mixing bowl, add the following ingredients one at a time, beating well after each addition: eggs, caster sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, oil, 50g cocoa, buttermilk and vanilla.
2.
Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt; add to the sugar and egg mixture. Blend well and fold in the boiling water.
3.
Place batter in two greased and floured 20cm round cake tins. Divide the chocolate chips in half and sprinkle them over each pan. Bake at 180 degrees C (gas mark 4) for 25 minutes. Cool.
4.
To make the icing: Begin by beating together 125g butter, icing sugar and 50g cocoa; add 1 teaspoon vanilla, milk and coffee. Beat until very smooth. Add more icing sugar until you obtain the consistency you want. Spread on cooled cake.
 

Ice cream for breakfast

                                                        Yummy!

Baking Weekend

What a wet and miserable start to my weekend off only one thing for it - Ice cream for breakfast! After indulging in my chocolate ice cream treat i felt so much better!! Today i will be baking a chocolate cake for my mum and my grandma and if i have time i shall be making Viennese biscuits, also going to see a friend tonight after her trip from Germany so hopefully i will get to try a few more cocktails for the first time :) I shall post pics and recipes and results soon have a good weekend everyone :)

See you next tuesday

Don't know whats going on with these games here is another rude one!

Spot the rude word

Playing a word hunt game at work and all my roomies found the rude word first lol
minds in the gutter all of them hehe

875 days left

I have 875 days left for me to complete my 101 in 1001 days
so far i have completed 17 things not really that impressive i know! Some days i just think fuck it lol there's far more things for me to be getting on with such as learning to drive. I also have the impending daunting task of still getting my stuff from the flat in Reading. I'm dreading it to be honest.

I keep trying to put it at the back of my mind and hoping it will go away. It of course will be better when everything is sorted and all loose ends tied up. I still have sad days when i think back on how i lost my best friend to his addiction and it breaks my heart everyday. I get overwhelming thoughts of this is not my life i never imagined we would ever part. Tomorrow will be the 2 month mark, since i have been single i don't really know why I'm counting it its not like this is going to blow over. Saying that i do have lots of  happy days and I'm always grateful in the fact I'm not going to be lied to or let down by him again i guess I'm just in a reflective mood.

Cheese Sables

I made some Parmesan and pistachio nut sables after i finished work, i got the recipe from my Delia Smiths Christmas recipe book

Here is the recipe

• 40g chilled butter cubed
• 40g  plain flour
• 40g freshly grated Parmesan
• 15g shelled pistachio nuts
  
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• pinch cayenne pepper

Start by chopping the pistachio nuts in a mini chopper quite small.
Then mix them with all the remaining ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Rub the ingredients together until the mixture starts to form fairly large clumps, then press the mixture against the side of the bowl to bring it together.

Now transfer the dough to a board and knead lightly, then roll into a sausage shape about 18cm long and wrap and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. After that slice the chilled log into discs about 5mm wide and spread them out on the baking sheet

Then pop them in the oven on the centre shelf and bake for 13- 15 minutes, until they start to go golden around the edges. When they are cooked, transfer them to a wire rack to cool and store in an airtight tin.

Pancake Day

Pancake day almost crept up on me its one of my favorite days as i like to eat lots of them this morning i managed 5 pancakes covered in chocolate sauce i made enough batter for 6 so i might make one more after work. Feeling a bit full now though!

Valentines Day

So i thought i wouldn't have any plans for valentines day and then a guy asked me out for dinner, I'm really nervous as I've not met him before, but who knows tonight could be fun and i do like tapas!

Oh and happy valentines day to all my wonderful beautiful friends and people who happen to look at my blog hope you have a wonderful day whatever you are doing.

Saturday

Is there anything sadder than a Saturday off and no plans?
I'll make up for it next weekend but that doesn't help me now. I'm feeling lonely and Ive been going through old messages from my ex, worst idea ever. I miss cups of tea in bed, morning cuddles and watching Saturday kitchen with him whilst discussing what to cook for dinner ( i don't even have virgin media anymore so I'm stuck with freeview with intermittent signal) I'm sure this feeling will pass but its just a reminder I'm still grieving

Leek and Bacon Pasta Bake

I made this for lunch for 5 people i had a lot of leeks to use up so i used about 5 but i really like leeks i use a lot of garlic in my cooking but you don't have to if your not keen also the mushrooms had seen better days but i used those up too.

1 Pack of smoked bacon lardons
5 small leeks
3 red onions
3 cloves of garlic
half a box of mushrooms

500g pasta

2 tbsp of wholegrain mustard

400ml of milk

1 pack of cheese sauce mix (yes i cheated!)

lots of grated cheese to sprinkle on top

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper for seasoning 

preheat the oven to 200c

1. Chop and wash the veg. 
2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan add the bacon and fry for a few minutes 
3. add the onions garlic and leeks fry for a further few minutes 
4. add the mushrooms let that cook while boiling the pasta
5. add the pasta to a pan of boiling water i usually cook mine for about 9 minutes or according to the packet
6. when the veg is cooked pour it into a greased dish and then add the cooked pasta give it a bit of a mix
7. make up the cheese sauce i add mustard to mine for extra flavour 
8. pour on the sauce and cover with grated cheese black pepper and herbs 
9. put in the oven for 20 minutes. I took mine out after 10 as i wanted to eat before my late shift.

 

Im on Flickr

Check out My Flickr Photostream
My photostream stopped working at the bottom of my blog so you can still view it by clicking on the above link, I'm going to be purchasing a new lens soon and hopefully adding better pictures if you are interested to view them :)

Spicy Parsnip and Carrot Soup

I brought a bag of cheap parsnips and i had never made parsnip soup before but this turned out really yummy not overly spicy but very sweet i was pleasantly surprised.You can add more veg but don't forget to add more stock as well

Ingredients

1 large onion diced
3 tablespoons of butter
2 carrots peeled and diced
3 or 4 parsnips peeled and diced
5 cups of vegetable stock
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp fresh minced garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp of chili powder
 2 ounces of cream if you fancy it ( i didn't have any so i left it out)

1. Melt the butter in a large pan, and gently fry the onions, parsnips and carrots for about 3 minutes. Stir in the spices ginger and garlic and cook for one minute more.
2. Add the stock, season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes until the vegetables are cooked.
3. Puree in a blender or use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Add the cream and heat gently on a low heat.

I couldn't find my lovely immersion blender as it still hasn't been unpacked and my brother took the blender with him back to London so i just used a potato masher instead as always it was too tasty to wait to try so i didn't take a picture but i will next time and pop it on there 
definitely a soup recipe I'll use often

 Let me know what your thoughts are please leave a comment just to prove to me there is someone out there that does read this lol

Its Snowing!

The snow has arrived I'm going to spend the day making a snow woman and taking photographs woohoo!

What a week!

I've had the best week in a very long time! despite working I've been so busy having fun, going out almost every evening. I even had a blind date with someone and it went really well, but on a contrast earlier today i got an email from the estate agents confirming termination of the contact on the flat my ex and i rented for the last 3 years and 8 months. He hasn't spoken to me since 23rd January its the longest we have ever gone without talking. I don't blame him for wanting to move out i guess its just another part of our life that's now in the past, the contact will end the day before my 29th birthday. I don't know whether its exhaustion or pmt but I'm feeling a bit down i have got Sunday off so I'm hoping i can do something nice and end my week on a high note

Am i slacking?!

I had a conversation with a friend about my list of challenges and he was laughing at how slow i have been to complete them.
I know i have been busy with moving and everything else that has gone on but i think he has a point, and i kind of feel i have neglected my list and lost focus so I'm going to do my upmost to crack on and complete them.

A reminder why i love my job

The other day whilst i was at work i ran a game where a person gets to draw something whilst everybody else in the chat room tries to guess what that person is drawing, this is what one person drew and it made me smile :)

Catching up over a homemade pizza

Ooh aren't i spoiling you, two posts in one day!

Last night i went to my friends and we made homemade pizza from scratch and i have to say it was a real success! :)

I haven't picked up my camera since breaking up with B as it was something we always did together but i thought it was time to get back into photography, needless to say I'm very rusty still and need to brush up on my photography skills and finding my way around my camera again so apologies for this set of photographs as they are not my best..


                         The dough after resting for 30 minutes

                                           waiting to go into the oven!



                                             The finished Results!

 

Pizza

Ingredients:

Pinch of salt
1 tsp of dried yeast
140ml warm water
180g strong plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing

For the toppings:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
100g button mushrooms, sliced
400g passata
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 mozzarella ball (125g), drained and cut into small cubes
20 pitted green olives, halved
6 slices lean cooked ham, cut into strips
8 fresh basil leaves

Method:

1. To prepare the dough, mix the salt and yeast together in a jug with the water. Place the flour in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and add the water mixture, along with the oil. Use a wooden spoon to mix everything well to create a wet dough.

2. Turn out the dough onto a clean well floured surface and work it with your hands for about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl and cover with a tea towel. Leave at room temperature to rise for at least 30 minutes until the dough has nearly doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220C/Gas 7.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the mushrooms for 3 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally.

4. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and divide it into two. Use your hands to push out from the centre, creating two rounds about 25cm in diameter.  Place the pizza bases on two oiled baking trays.

5. Spread the passata on top of the dough using the back of a tablespoon. Sprinkle with the oregano and season with salt and pepper.

6. Divide the mozzarella, mushrooms and olives between the pizzas and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Cook in the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes or until the edges of the pizza are golden brown. Two minutes before the end of the cooking time, scatter over the ham and the basil. Serve hot and enjoy your capricciosa!

Feeling like the old me again!

Since i have been single i have spent some time reconnecting with myself and remembering the person i was, before i was in a long term relationship. I think i lost a bit of me along the way, I have a new sense of freedom that i haven't felt in years and it feels wonderful!! It is lovely just being able to do what i really want to do.
The last few weeks have been so nice I've seen old friends and spoken to people i haven't seen in years and just enjoying being me

An Eventful Start To The Year

Despite having a lovely Christmas, My boyfriend of 9 years and i have parted ways. Which means i have moved back to my hometown of Bury St Edmunds and 130 miles away from Reading, Needless to say i haven't had any time to make any lovely things over Christmas which i was planning to so i am a little behind on my challenges. Also i have had a think of what i would like to do now i am single so i will probably add them to my list of things to do.