Recipe: Rosemary Lamb Rose Sauce

This sauce was amazing! I could not get over how good it was. I wanted to write it down so I could make it again and again. I didn't really measure anything so these are approximate measurements. We served it over spinach linguine, which was a really good match. Mmm, my mouth is still watering.

You will need:
250 grams ground lamb
1/4 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups crushed tomatoes (I used frozen tomatoes from the summer so ours were somewhere between crushed and pureed)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped
2 leaves fresh basil, shredded
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 bay leaf
dash of sea salt

Begin heating the ground lamb in a sauce pot over medium heat. Chop the onion and garlic and add to the lamb. Cook until lamb is cooked through. Add the crushed tomatoes, cream and spices. Cook until sauce begins to thicken. Reduce heat to low. Put pasta on to cook. When pasta is almost done, add the parmesan cheese to the sauce and remove the bay leaf. Serve and enjoy.

Show and Share

This is an idea from Mad Times We Live In. So for show and share you need to pick a picture that has you in it and evokes lots of memories for you. It doesn't have to be recent but you have to be in it.

This picture was taken on my first vacation alone with Jon. We went to Disneyland for Christmas (at night they would play Christmas music and blow fake snow around the park). We had just been together for a year and it was amazing to have one-on-one time with him (without cellphones or email or any distractions). We felt young. We laughed so much that weekend and we are still talking about how much fun that trip was. We can't wait to take our children there ;)

LOVE

I'm so lucky to have you in my life. You are the love I've been looking for. You make me feel safe and beautiful and happy. I love you with everything that is in me. I hope you know how truly loved you are. Happy Love Day baby!

Smitten Kitchen

I LOVE this blog! She has so many yummy recipes. I really looking forward to trying the Ricotta Muffins, Parmesan Cream Crackers, Pear Bread (I think this could be a good recipe for using up all those pears I get in the summer), Apple Cider Doughnuts, Pumpkin Bread Pudding, Peach Cupcakes, Watermelon Lemonade, Pesto Potato Salad, and this amazing looking cornbread. So many recipes, not enough time. I think she has just inspired me to devote a weekend to my kitchen (and my taste-buds). Check the site out, you are sure to find something that makes your mouth water.

In the Garden

Something is coming up in the garden. Mostly flowers but we have some veggie action too. And my over-winter veggies just might be productive after all.

This is in the front garden. We have some crocuses, daffodils, tulips and snow drops (though I don't think you can see all of those in this picture).

In the backyard under the cold cover we might get some cabbage and brussel sprouts. In front of the cover is garlic. We also have garlic coming up in other parts of the yard too.

And finally in the greenhouse we have some collard greens coming up. They have been growing a lot lately thanks to some sun. I'm looking forward to some winter greens soup in the near future.

Working on the Spring Wardrobe

This year I made the decision to sew my spring clothes. Why? Well, I'm not really sure. Looking back on the decision, it seems like a stupid one. However, I've already spent a couple hundred on fabric so I can't really go back.
I used to be a good seamstress, making cute theme outfits for myself on my pink sewing machine. My favorite was my cowgirl outfit I made when I was 10. I even went to quilting camp one summer. I loved it. But I guess with age your skills fade because this particular task is not going very well.

 I've made 3 pieces this week and am really disappointed with my 2 dresses. The issue seems to be that I really can't fit clothing on myself very well and I don't have a form in my size.

 The first dress probably would have turned out well if I had sized it properly and if I had read my notes right and cut the fabric properly. This one was mostly done from a photograph and not a pattern. I wear it around the house and really like it but it doesn't fit well enough to be worn in public.

The shirt, I like. I like the fabric, the blue looks really nice on me, it fits and it only took me 2 hours to make. I may make this pattern again with a different fabric.

This dress....is hideous. I loved the fabric so I bought the last little bit on the bolt. The picture on the pattern was super cute so I put a lot of work into this dress. You probably can't tell from the picture but there were 13 cuts and a lot of awkward sewing. I put it together and tried it on to size it and thought "this looks like a night gown" and it does. It could be cute (maybe) but instead it is going to have to be a "stay home" dress. Very, very disappointing.
I have more cute fabric waiting to be sewn. Next to attempt is two skirts, a couple tank tops, a tunic and one more dress. Hopefully things will improve. Send good sewing vibes my way.

Meal Plan

With another hectic week coming up, I'm trying to look ahead and plan some meals. I really want to use up the stuff from my freezer.

Saturday: Potstickers (all I need to get from the store is wonton wrappers and sprouts)
Sunday: Wonton Soup (need bok choy)
Monday: Shepard's pie with sweet potatoes
Tuesday: Mushroom and leek frittata
Wednesday: Thai prawn stir-fry with sticky rice
Thursday: Creamy chicken curry with naan
Friday: Grilled sesame salmon with citrus glazed green beans (need a grapefruit)

Also on the menu for some breakfasts and lunches are: Black Bean Quesadilla,  Buckwheat pancakes with blueberry sauce, zucchini muffins, sweet and savory crepes.
I think only buying 4 things for a week of meals is not bad. Lets hope I can stick with the plan.

Craft: Braided Headband

I love this adorable headband. It was really easy to make and it looks so cute. Now I'm running around the house trying to find fabric scraps I can use to make more of them!
The tutorial on how to make them can be found here.

(Sorry for the bad pictures but I'm not very good at self-portraits.)
I found that my sewing machine wasn't very good at going through so many layers of fabric so I ended up hand sewing the 2 pieces together and adding the elastic by hand. It took longer but the whole thing is still secure.