Wordless Wednesday

crostini per tutti!

thanks to all your suggestions last week...the avocados ripened really well with the apples and bananas...
I made my crostini...or bruschetta...(Crostini are usually smaller,thinner pieces of bread toasted with toppings on)...for Saturday's get together...everyone LOVED them...my favourite were the tomato crostini.They were like an explosion of flavour in your mouth...YUM!
I think I could have added a bit more heat to the guacamole...


TOMATO CROSTINI
the tomatoes I roasted in the oven for 40 minutes...drizzled with olive oil,balsamic vinegar,basil and sea salt...
Toasted thin slices of Focaccia in the oven with Olive oil drizzled on top.
I then sliced some mozzarella, laid the cheese on top of one basil leaf and added half a tomato...grilled again for 5 minutes until the mozzarella started to melt.
EASY and delicious.


GUACAMOLE CROSTINI
This is my recipe for my guacamole...every time it changes depending on what I have in the fridge.
Take 4 well ripened avocados.
Chop up and place in a bowl
Add a pinch of salt and pepper
one whole banana chile pepper(hot but not too crazy) chopped up finely.
6 of the grilled tomato halves chopped up
juice from one whole lime
1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Mash it all together...but don't blend.
YUM!


BTW...you may already know this...you can prep the guacamole ahead of time, just keep one of the avocado stones and place it on top of the guacamole and cover with cling film.THIS WAY it won't turn brown.


I hope you're having a lovely Monday.
I'm counting down the days until I see my parents...


HUGS
Char.x

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

hugs
Char.x

can we play the star game?

every so often I make something different for dinner that our girls get a little nervous about eating...they know that if we play the "Star game" that they'll have fun finishing their dinner and mummy will be happy...*smile*

It's called the "star game" because originally when we first started playing it a couple of years ago...I would draw a star every time a mouthful was eaten.

We had pages and pages of stars...eating became fun when times of pickiness were about us.

BUT...as you can see,Miss A is a simple lass and loves her hearts...and little Miss J is becoming a little more demanding in her shapes! Now she asks for objects which she can see around her...and mummy can attempt to draw....haha...

What do you do to entertain your picky eaters???

It's been a rainy day here today...I have been packing packages ready to ship...and our girls are all about ready for bed after having play dates and lots of cleaning with me...so Bon Nuit...a domain!

Char,ON

thanks to NATURE

after being inspired by GOOP's recipe I read yesterday...we're having shrimp tacos tonight.

Courgettes(zucchini),cherry tomatoes,garlic,baby bok choy, green peppers and shrimp- fry it all up with a handful of flat leaf parsley...and YUM...serve it with some soft tacos.

Such an easy and tasty dinner...the whole family enjoys!

aren't the colours nature gives us remarkable? and the flavours are incredible too!

Thank you nature...you are SO wonderful!

What has Nature given YOU today??

HUGS

Char, ON

1 HOUR drawing...

OH...yes...these are well worn...they're my favourite Ballet Flats and were a wonderful gift from my sister in-law 3 years ago at Xmas.
They'll be in my SHOP tonight...after Dinner.
They're Flats by Freed of London who make classic ballet and dance shoes but also full leather sole ballet flats...even if you're not a dancer.
I have 30 minutes before our guests arrive...I'm making a semi vegetarian dinner as one of our guest is a vegetarian...so...I'm making my roast veggie lasagne and a salad with avacado,brie and tomaties with a raspberry dressing...hope they like it...
The non-veggies are having parma ham with their salad and shrimp with the lasagne...everyone is SO full by the time it comes to desert...so we're having  sorbet...mango sorbet.
I'll be back tomorrow...to visit you all and to show you what February will be like....VERY excited...hoping I have the energy to do everything I plan to...check back tomorrow for an update.
I better go...
Have a good evening.
THANK you by the way for visiting me and for leaving such encouraging and sweet comments...you're the BEST!

Hasta manana!!!
Char,ON

Monday's mentions...

Hello my fabulous readers...this weekend sped by as always...but now in particular our weekends will be busier, and it's all brought on because we have kids...
Ballet on Saturday...skiing on Sunday and everything else inbetween...Saturday was spent prepping Dinner for friends...

we had salad with azian infused shrimp...followed by chicken stuffed with roast beetroot,garlic,cilantro,mushroom and cream-cheese wrapped in prosciutto...and mini roast veggie lasagnes...

followed by grilled pineapple,star fruit,blackberries and chocolate muffins made with chili dark chocolate...you can find the recipe HERE. I didn't have any Cinnamon...ran out???crazy,so I thought Chili Lindt Choc would work...and they were YUMMY! Oh, and I warmed them up slightly and added a ball of mango sorbet on the side...AND my camera battery ran out as I was making them...so apologies for not being able to show the finished product!

Sunday we went skiing...little Miss J was SO happy she had an ORANGE helmet(her fave colour)...but NOT so happy actually on the hill...first time out.

Little Miss A started her lessons...and LOVED it. She's such a trooper.

This morning I promised new tuttu dresses for their babies...et voila! I took an old ballet leotard and transformed it into 2 dresses.

Happy girls!

Tam called all the way from England...that really made my day(thanks Tam!)...I have been running around like a chicken with it's head cut off...laundry,school,food,lunch,dinner,cleaning,Mamas and Chicks new poster(will show tomorrow),flights for future holiday(yes,planning for holidays already)school work,reading,calling ads for used skates(Miss J's feet grew 4 sizes in one year!),cleaning some more....oh, and yoga. PHEW...I'm beat!

BUT...

I have a few MONDAY MENTIONS:

-A blog World full of sketches at URBAN SKETCHES...love how you can visit different Cities around the World and see sketches of different architecture...and more.

-AMY and ANN are back...I have missed them over the holidays...

-Maykel Nunes has done some CRAZY things in his Moleskine...check out his Flickr pics.

Have a glorious week....be sure to check back soon...this week is a busy one.

HUGS to y'all.

Char,On

it felt like yesterday...

It was wonderful seeing all the girls last night...they were all pleasantly surprised by their watercolours.
The above duck was for Chloe's little Lola...who is coming up to 7 months.It was Chloe's Birthday yesterday too...HAPPY BIRTHDAY Chloe.

This one was for Leesa, she IS probably THE funniest girl alive...she could be a stand up comedian!

Harriet the cat...who really didn't look like Mel's Harriet...but wasn't really too upset about it...as Harriet is old and leaves lovely treats for Melody around the house.

Melody made a wonderful dinner...stuffed chicken wrapped with bacon and stuffed with Camembert Cheese...with potatoes and a fresh bean salad. YUM!!!

and last but not least, Elly's Elephant...Elly the traveller...

They hadn't changed and 9 years went surprisingly fast, but felt like yesterday!

Hope to see them all before I go back to the COLD Country...apparently my man said that it had snowed 6 inches...

How's the weather where you are?

Char,On

Dinner TIME...

can be really painful sometimes with our girls!
SO...we create a *STAR* chart...and for every mouthful of food...they get a Star.
Ash has never been really interested in food...but LOVES to please,so this way she could see her own progress...and loved filling the page with stars.
Now we use whatever shape they request...tonight A had hearts and J wanted numbers...starting from 2.
They were SO slow, I even had enough to sketch them at the bottom of the page.

It's a fun exercise...and less food goes to waste...I tell them, I wouldn't make them something which tastes bad...

Anyway...this is also a reminder about Tell ALL Tuesdays...we're back tomorrow morning with our fabulous Amy from Pikaland.

Until then...if you haven't entered...ENTER my Giveaway...you have an hour or so left...just scroll down a couple of posts.

Take care and thanks for passing by!
Char,On