A tiny slice of my life

This is a look at my life, and the many things I try to learn and do.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Happy Leap Year



Happy Leap Year.

Traditions dictates that today all the ladies out there that wish to get married can ask their beaus.

If he says no he needs to give you a silk gown and a kiss.

Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos

So to anyone out there if this is your birthday Happy Birthday, and may you enjoy your once evey fourth year Birthday.

Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos

So till tomorrow enjoy your extra day for 2012.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Caramels

Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos

Now this is a recipe my sister and I would make with my Mum.

As with any recipe be very careful while it is boiling, as molten sugar can burn and burn quickly. A lesson my Sister learnt the hard way, my Mum always made this in an electric frypan, so she could keep the temperature even. So what happened my Sister went too close and knocked the wooden spoon which caused caramel to flick onto her arm. We instantly put it under running water, but by the end of the day she had 2 large water filled blisters which the Dr had to lance the next day.

So this is not a recipe to cook with the children, but they could watch at a distance.

Now you can make this, as we did, without a sugar thermometer all you need is a glass of water in the fridge. To test if it has got to the soft ball stage drop about a teaspoonful into the glass then squeeze with your fingers, if it form a soft ball that can be stretched it is ready.

Caramel
1 cup brown sugar, 1 x 400 gm can condensed milk, 1/2 cup unsalted butter ( mind you there was no such thing when I was a child, we just used salted butter and it didn't affect the flavor) 1 cup caster sugar

Grease and line a Lamington tray with baking paper.

Place all ingredients in a heavy based saucepan, slowly bring to the boil while stirring, continue to stir till the butter has melted and you can't feel any grittiness from the sugar.

Bring to the boil the reduce heat to a rolling simmer, simmer 10 - 15 minutes until a soft ball as been reached, by using either the thermometer or glass of water.

Very carefully pour into the prepard tin. Leave to set overnight. Remove from the fridge and cut into squares, roll in squares of greaseproof paper.

Store in the fridge.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Daring Bakers Challenge - February 2012

The Daring Bakers’ February 2012 host was – Lis! Lisa stepped in last minute and challenged us to create a quick bread we could call our own. She supplied us with a base recipe and shared some recipes she loves from various websites and encouraged us to build upon them and create new flavor profiles.


Now as this has challange has  snuck up on me I am using my banana muffin recipe.


Click on the link below.


http://www.cooklikeina.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/very-easy-and-healthy-banana-muffins.html

Friday, February 24, 2012

Chicken Casserole with Herb and Cheese Dumplings

Well this is the end product of yesterdays tidy up in my sewing room.

All my fabrics are sorted into colors and corralled in their new baskets.

Once I started this job yesterday I found stashes of fabric everywhere that I had left because of lack of interest in trying to fit them into this cupboard.

So not only have I cleared my desk for ease of sewing and cutting but I have also cleared another table on which I can now store all my completed quilt tops awaiting completion.

The desk I use is not a spindly flat pack desk, but a very large robust desk that would have been made decades ago. It requires 4 men to lift it, if you are going to carry it any distance. It measures 1 metre deep and 1.7 metres wide. so it is quite a substantial desk for sewing.

Now to the chicken casserole, I gave Mr CLI an option to think what he would like for tea last night, he pondered this and suggested something I could just put in the oven and leave. What about a chicken casserole I counter suggested, yes that would be good was his reply, but can you add dumplings. Yes I could. So this is how this recipe come about.



Chicken Casserole with Herb and Cheese Dumplings
2 large chicken fillets, cut into 3 cm cubes, 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced into rounds, 1 stick of celery cut into slices, 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 cm pieces, 1 cup frozen peas, 2 tbsps tomato paste, 2 tsps dijon mustard, 4 cups chicken stock, 2 tbsps chopped fresh parsley, 2 tbsps Worcestershire sauce. salt and pepper

Thickening if required = 2 tbsps soft butter  & 2 tbsps plain flour. Mixed together with a fork.

Preheat oven to 200.c.

In a large casserole dish mix together chicken, celery, carrots, potatoes and parsley. In a jug or a bowl mix together tomato paste, stock, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and mustard. Pour over ingredients. Cover and bake in the oven for 1 hour.

After on hour check to see if potatoes are nearly cooked, if so add the peas and stir together. Cover and return to the oven while you make the dumplings

Dumplings
2 cups S.R. flour, 1 tbsp butter melted, 1/2 tsp  English Mustard powder, 1/4 tsps each freshly ground salt & pepper 1/2 - 3/4 cup milk. 1 tbsps chopped fresh parsley. 2 tbsps grated tasty cheese

In a large bowl using a butter knife mix together the flour, mustard salt, pepper and parsley. Add the butter and 1/4 cup milk. Mix just enough to see if it is going to come together, if not add a little bit more milk. It should form a slightly sticky dough that can be rolled into balls. Don't overwork the mixture or you will get tough dumplings.
Remove the casserole from the oven. If the liquid is quite runny stir in the thickening. Then roll the dough into golf ball size balls and place on top of the casserole.

Top each one with a little cheese. Cover and return to the oven

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, by this time the dumplings should have plumped up and the cheese should have melted. Remove lid and bake for a further 8 - 10 minutes till the cheese has browned.

Remove eat and enjoy.




Thursday, February 23, 2012

Sewing many little things ...

Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos
Well today's isn't about cooking as I haven't cooked anything exciting in the last few days.

I have been trying to do some sewing, I have succeeded in making aprons using a tea towel as the body of the apron.

Today's project is to get some order in my seeing room I have quite a large stack of quilt tops, fabric and other assorted things on the desk that I sew at, which is causing problems when I try to cut fabric the rotary cutter is nearly cutting into this overflowing pile.

So till tomorrow adious.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Very Easy and Healthy Banana Muffins

What do you do when you are presented with some very, very ripe bananas and some apples that look a bit bruised, well you make these muffins.

These have no fat, no eggs and no sugar, a real bonus for the health concious.

The recipe needs apple sauce, as I didn't have any I made some with the apples. I have included the recipe below.









Banana Muffins


2 cups S.R. wholemeal flour + 1 heaped tsp baking powder OR 2 cups plain wholemeal flour + 1 tbsp baking powder. 1/4 cup apple sauce, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/3 cup honey or rice syrup, 2 large or 3 small very ripe bananas, 1/2 cup milk I used soy to keep the muffins healthy


Optional Topping 1/2 teaspoon of each per muffin butter, sunflower seeds & brown sugar


Preheat oven 180.c  Place paper cases in a 12 cup muffin tray.


In a large bowl mash the bananas, add remaining ingredients mix together with a wooden spoon, mix until just combined.
























Fill the cases and top with topping if you are using. Bake 15 - 18 minutes until tested with a skewer and it comes out clean.


















Apple Sauce
3 large apples, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tbsps honey or rice syrup, 1/2 cup water


Makes 1 cup


In a small saucepan or microwave bowl add all ingredients. Cook until apple has softened. In the microwave on 100% power it took 7 minutes


Once cooked if there is to much liquid drain some off,then puree to make a smooth sauce.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

I am Back and Lagana's Restaurant - Warrnambool - Victoria

Now I don't know why blogger had to alter all their settings because it has caused me untold trouble, this was a blog I typed out on Valentines Day.

I saw that I could preset the publishing of it which I dutifully did, only to find that a/ it didn't publish and b/ when I manually published it the entire content had gone missing.

So after much fiddling we will start again.

Now Mr CLI, Miss Fish and I went to this restaurant on Valentines Day, now we hadn't planned it but Mr CLI had come home late I hadn't organised anything for tea and  Mr CLI fancied eating here, so off we went.

Now the meal didn't start well as we got the trainee waitress who did get the order muddled, but we soldiered on and got the meal we wanted.

Now Miss Fish is the chicken parmigiana queen, so she got hers with chips and salad. Now these parmigianas are huge but she persevered and ended up eating it all.

Mr CLI got his usual large Americana pizza, and I decided to order a pizza also. Normally I am the one that alters her mind every time we go.  I love their pasta with seafood sauce, also there seafood risotto, but on this night I decided to go with a pizza. Mine was an Hawaiian with shrimp and mushrooms. Very nice.

Now Mr CLI made the mistake of mentioning to Miss Fish that they have desserts and one of them is frog in the pond, now she must have been full after her huge meal, but insisted that she could fit in dessert,  by pointing to her ribcage and telling us she has room there for dessert. lol

So we ordered it for her, she received a coffee cup full of green jelly with a freddo frog poking out with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Did she manage to eat it yes she did. So Mr CLI rolled home after managing to fit in an entire large pizza, Miss Fish also waddled home after her meal. As I brought some of my pizza home I was the only one that wasn't full to the brim. Both Mr CLI and Miss Fish went to bed very full and happy.

I will try again tomorrow to post a recipe for healthy yes healthy banana muffins, that I made on the weekend.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Hot Cheese Dip - Salsa de Queso

Here we are after much tethering and toggling, don't you love this hi tech world, finally a photo of the cheese dip.

What to do when you are hungry and feel like something warm and cheesy, make this dip.

You can make this dip in about 5 minutes. There are many ways you can vary this dip, you could add finely chopped spring onions or add bacon. Or even instead of using tasty cheese use blue vein.

Cheeses dip
1 tbsp butter, 1 clove of garlic grated, 2 tbsps plain flour, 3/4 cup milk, 1 cup of grated tasty cheese, 1/2 tsp tabasco

In a small saucepan melt the butter, add the garlic, stir for 30 seconds. Add the flour whisk to cook for 1 minute don't let it brown, add the milk, whisk till a smooth sauce forms. Add the cheese and Tabasco, whisk until cheese has melted. Check consistency, you may need a little more milk if too thick. Serve with corn chips and enjoy.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentines Day

Well I hope everybody was woken up with a red rose and a heartfelt poem written by their loved one today.

Or was it more like my morning after organising Miss Fishes lunch and cooking her breakfast, I finally sit down and realise what today is.

I have long ago stopped giving Mr CLI cards as he always gets a bit distressed because he has forgotten,

Anyway I wished Mr CLI a Happy Valentines Day and made the comment that would I ever get a red rose, upon hearing this Mr CLI looked at me a bit crest fallen and stated that he had "given me a red rose once". Yes I replied that was over 25 years ago, so how long would I have to wait for another one.

He had no answer, so we will see when I will ever receive another red rose.

Now on a cooking note I have found my camera, where was you ask well it was hiding in my handbag, yes the same handbag that I had delved into several times over the weekend.

So I will update yesterdays blog.


So to everyone a Happy Valentines Day.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Jump in the Pan Chicken

Well they say things are sent to try us and today I am being tried to my limit.

I didn't post on Friday because my camera's batteries had died, so I got new ones over the weekend  BUT do you think I can find my camera.

I usually keep it in my bedside table, I went to get it this morning , no not there.

I rang up both Mr CLI and Miss Le Coiffure, no they haven't seen it.

So I am stumped as to were it is I thought I had left it on the kitchen bench ready to replace the batteries.

So unfortunately I don't have photos for you today, when I find the camera I will post the photos.

Now to the recipe, why is it called jump in the pan because you are meant to flip the frypan so that the chicken pieces jump about. Now my frypans are to heavy to try to do that also I want my chicken to stay in the pan not jump out. I just stirred with a wooden spoon.

This is a recipe from one of my recipe folders, I had cut it out of a magazine many years ago. It is a very easy without to many ingredients, but when you taste it you will be wanting more.

Mr CLI ate it all up with the verdict that I could cook that again.

Jump in the Pan Chicken
2 large chicken breasts, 1 lemon, 1 tbsp capers, rinsed, 2 tbsps chopped parsley, 1/2 cup white wine or verjuice, 2 tbsps plain flour, 2 tbsps + extra 1 tbsp butter, 3 tbsps olive oil, cracked black pepper

To serve - Creamy mashed potato and lemon wedges

To prepare the chicken remove the skin and any fat, then slice into thin slices lengthwise. On your chopping board place either a large freezer bag or a piece of cling wrap, lay some of the slices then cover with freezer bag/clingwrap. Using the flat size of a meat mallet belt the heck out of the chicken till it is as thick as a $2 coin, don't worry if the chicken falls apart.


I have found my camera this is how thin the chicken needs to be.

You then need to tear the chicken into bite size pieces.

Once all the chicken is thin and torn toss in the flour either by putting it in a bag and adding the chicken or as I did spreading the chicken over the chopping board and sprinkling the flour over.

Heat the oil and 2 tbsps butter, when it starts to sizzle add the chicken leave until it starts to sizzle and brown then either toss or stir. Once the chicken has all turned white some parts will have started to brown, add the capers and  wine/verjuice. Stir until liquid bubbles then add parsley the juice of half a lemon and the remaining butter. Stir and let bubble for 30 seconds a sauce will form. Season with cracked black pepper.

Serve on a mound of mashed potato with a lemon wedge too squeeze over.


Thursday, February 9, 2012

No Cooking Today ...

Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos
Well I was very lucky last night, Mr CLI took myself, Miss Le Coiffure and her partner out to tea. So there was no cooking going on.

Now the restaurant we went to I have already written about. All four of us waddled out of there very full, so it was off to bed early last night to sleep it off.

After I have posted this blog I am going to peruse my recipe books for something interesting to cook tonight, probably with chicken, after last nights meat fest.

I have even managed this week to pack up the Christmas lights from our front verandah that had been strewn across my sewing room floor. Now I am able to walk in there without tripping over rope lights and santas. Lol

Till tomorrow.


Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Lahmacun

Now you may ask what is Lahmacun, well it is a pizza dough spread with lamb or beef mince that has had herbs and spices added to it.

It originated in the Middle East.

You then eat it like a pizza and traditionally roll it around pickles or a salad similar to a greek salad.

This is the way that we eat it.

Now I have made this before, after reading several recipes the consensus was to cook the mince first then place it onto the raw dough.

DON'T what every you do follow that path what you are left with is hard little nuggets of mince, think gravel.

The only saving grace was that I had served a salad with it so we could try and moisten the meat with the juice from the salad.

I still shudder at the thought of it.UGH !

This recipe is enough for 6 nearly dinner plate size lahmacun's. You could easily double it if you are feeding more people.

Dough
1 tsp (sachet) dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 cup warm water + extra 1/2 cup warm water, 2 1/2 cups plain flour

In a small bowl mix together 1/2 cup warm water and the sugar, sprinkle the yeast on top. Leave 15 minutes for the yeast to foam and bubble. I place a tea towel over the top to create warmth.



This is the yeast after 15 minutes, see how it is puffed up.










In a large bowl place the flour and yeast mixture, using you hands (the best kitchen tool ) start to mix together then add enough of the remaining water to form a sticky dough.

Turn out onto a floured surface and kneaded for 3 - 5 minutes or until the dough comes together into a nice ball.

Oil a bowl added the dough ball spray oil on top then cover with cling wrap.



Se how I drape the cling wrap down the sides of the bowl, making sure it is adhered to the bowl.

This is to create a little greenhouse that will help warm the dough causing it to rise.








Leave the dough for 1 - 2 hours.

This is my dough after an hour and half.

The only reason I left the dough for so long was because Mr CLI was late home from  work.







When risen dump the dough onto a floured surface , kneaded for about 1 minute the cut into 6 equal sized balls. Leave while mixing meat together.

Meat Topping
500 gms minced lamb or beef ( my preference is lamb), 1/2 bunch each parsley and mint, finely chopped, 1 medium tomato finely chopped, 1/4 red capsicum finely chopped, 1 tsp each ground cumin, sweet paprika & sumac, 1 tbsp butter, 1/2 onion and 2 cloves garlic whizzed together in a food processor

Preheat the oven 220.c

Melt the butter add the onion/garlic mix, saute until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is soft. Leave to cool.





In a large bowl mix together all topping ingredients. Once again your hand is the best tool as you can mix and squeeze the mince so it forms almost a paste, this is so it can be easily spread across the dough.





Roll out the balls of dough quite thin approx 2 - 3 mm. Place onto oiled trays, spread the mince mixture over, leaving about 1.5 cm edge. Now I just used my fingers again and flattened the mince, you have to be careful because the dough is so thin.

Oil the edges of the dough so that they will crisp and brown. I use an oil spray.

Bake 12 - 15 minutes. Once the topping is cooked and the edges have browned, if the base is still a little soft I slide it onto the oven rack and leave for 2 - 3 minutes to crisp up the bottom.

Now you don't want the bottom to hard because you won't be able to fold it around the salad.




Once cooked remove from the oven and cut into 4 pieces. Serve with salad if you are using it. Also a squeeze of lemon is nice on the lahmacun.

Salad
approx 3 iceburg lettuce leaves.1 medium tomato, 1/2 red capsicum , 100 grams feta, all cut into 1 cm dice 1 dessertspoon olive oil and 1 tsp champagne vinegar





Place all ingredients into a bowl and toss.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Pasta with Chicken and Basil

Now I was going to cook Spaghetti Genovese, but I needed green beans and Parmesan. When I finally sat down yesterday it was 4.15 and I couldn't be bothered driving to the shops, so I created this recipe instead, as I wanted to use the fresh basil I had in the fridge.


This is quite a simple dish that doesn't take long to cook, once you get the pasta started you then start the sauce by the time the pasta is cooked so is the sauce. 




Then you drain the pasta adding it to the sauce toss it about for a minute add the basil, then serve.


Now you really do need fresh basil for this so that you can get the sweet flavour of the basil.


Pasta with Chicken and Basil
enough spaghetti or pasta to serve 4 people I cooked 300 gms dried spaghetti
3 small or 2 large chicken breasts, cut into 2cm cubes, 1/4 - 1/2 onion finely diced, 2 large or 3 small cloves of garlic finely chopped, 500 gm passata, 1/2 tsp dried marjoram or oregano OR 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 2 tbsps balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves torn


Pasta
Bring enough water to the boil to cover your pasta, add salt and pasta. Cook until al dente.


Drain and add to sauce


Sauce
In a large frypan heat 2 tbsps oil, add chicken, onion and garlic. Stir until the chicken is white, be careful and don't let anything burn.






























Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT balsamic & fresh basil, bring to the boil, cover and reduce heat, simmer 7 - 8 minutes until chicken is cooked through.






























Once chicken and pasta are cooked, add balsamic vinegar stir, then add the pasta. Toss till covered in sauce, then toss in basil. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan on top.












All ready to eat. Yum !!!

Monday, February 6, 2012

Many Little Things ....

Well today I am going to write about little things that I have done or have happened over the last few days.

Now as Miss Fish is in respite the type of cooking I do changes. So there was things like ham and salad rolls, cheese and biscuits and last night home made chicken parmigiana for meals over the weekend.





Excitement !

Now you must be asking what is the picture of the bunch of grapes is about , well I have had a grape vine growing over our back veranda for the last 4 years and last year we got our first bunches of grapes on it, but unfortunately they didn't develop due to the weather.

This year is different as you can see I have beautiful bunches of grapes on the vine and I have had rain plus Mr CLI watering them so that they can develop. I tasted one a week ago they are still a little bit tart but as you can see by the photo they aren't far of.

I am very excited as we lost all our nectarines, mind you this is a tree that has grown it self , it just appeared amongst some ground cover and continued to grow.

Last week, I had checked the nectarines, but they were still hard. Last Thursday I went out and they felt a bit softer so I thought when I get back from the shops I will pick some.

Well the birds had the same idea because when I came home all that was left were stones hanging from the branches. So obviously next year we are going to have to net the tree to stop the birds.

Fun on the sewing machine

Now my next little thing is this runner I designed and made for a buffet that Mr CLI bought one day not so long ago, he went with a friend ours to help a lady our friend knew to shift and come home with a 1930's buffet and a dressing table.

The buffet has been put in the spare room for the moment and as this room has a green and pink theme, created by the previous owners. I made the runner in those colors.



Here is some of the detail of the free motion quilting I did.

I am very proud of it as after all the hours/days of quilting I have done I have finally managed to get the stitch length even.






So till tomorrow - hasta manana .

Friday, February 3, 2012

Alex's Pizza & Wok Restaurant - Koroit - Victoria


Alex's Pizza and Wok

Now last night Mr CLI came home late from work and as he had such an out of the ordinary day the day before, I hadn't cooked anything for tea as I knew that he would be a bit fussy about what he ate.

I was right my 2 suggestions for tea got the thumbs done. So what would you like I asked, after much thinking he suggested we go to Alex's for pizza.


Alex's is in Koroit about 15 minutes drive from Warrnambool.

Now Alex's is like a two faced doll one side is a take away shop also with video hire and the other side is a sit down restaurant. Also the menu is two sided one side is pizzas and the other side is Thai food.

Now I must admit I haven't tried the Thai food yet, whenever we go I am always tempted by the pizzas.

Last year Mr CLI, Miss Fish, Miss Le Coiffure and I went there for my birthday it was the first time I had been, well we thoroughly enjoyed it. So when we can we go back there.

Last night we had intended to get take away, which you can eat there at a table inside the shop or at tables set up outside, but as we live quite a distance away the pizzas would have been cold and soggy by the time we got home, so we ate in.

Now the prices for the sit down menu is only a couple of dollars more than the take away price.

Last nights bill for 2 large pizzas, I bought half of mine home + 2 x 600ml bottles of coke + I had  a dessert which was meant to be exotic Thai fruits with ice cream , but was actually lychee's, which I actually quite like. = $50.50

Not bad.

Now on the restaurant side you have a area in the front that has hardwood floors chairs and tables with white linen table cloths, then you go down a hallway and enter and area which actually is the back of the 2 shops which have been enclosed, here you have white plastic chairs and black tablecloths and in winter a combustion heater, then you go into the next area which is called "the shed" and this is actually what is is a big shed running the width of the 2 buildings, it also has a combustion heater and a bar.

This are seems to be used for large parties and if you go on a Thursday night in winter the local footy team will be there for an after training meal.

It is a very chameleon like place, like I said a place of many faces.

Now the menu isn't expensive the pizzas range from $10.50 - $18.50. There are stuffed potatoes, Thai food incl rice dishes, noodle dishes, stirfrys and curries. Also you can get standard fare like chicken parmigiana and steaks.

One of the pizzas on a thick base you can ask for a thin base if you wish. Which is my preference the thin base is wafer thin and crispy.


A potato with cheese, sour cream and coleslaw.


For desserts the was sticky date pudding, pecan pudding & chocolate fudge brownie all served with ice cream for $7.50 or chocolate self sauce pudding and ice cream for $6.50, then for $5.50 you have 3 Thai desserts the one I had or rambutans and Ice Cream or what I had for my birthday last year which was sliced banana with hot coconut milk poured over and a sauce made from palm sugar.

 I must say I was a bit surprised when I received it because there isn't any mention of it being hot on the menu, so it came as a bit of a shock. After my mouth recovered from the hot liquid I did enjoy it.

Alex's is open Tuesday - Sunday  Address 156 Commercial Rd Koroit VIC. Phone - (03) 55658 550

So if you are ever in the area give Alex's a try, I would be very surprised if the food disappoints you.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Where does time go... & Reflexology

Where does time go.

 I got onto the internet early yesterday to do the banking - which means paying bills - a sad thing while I was waiting for another sad thing the washing to finish so I could hang it out.

Before I got to yesterdays blog I discovered a web site that mad me very excited, now if you are into patchwork it will make you excited to it is filled with 1/2 hour videos of quilting.

Now unfortunately I started watching it and became hooked, before I knew it, it was lunchtime as I was waiting for Mr CLI to return from work as he had been in there since 1 a.m., I had forgotten about the blog.

I had some lunch the proceeded to watch more videos as by this time Mr CLI had returned and gone to bed, I must admit while watching the video I also fell asleep and awoke at tea time.

So you can see it was very easy for the time to disappear.

Reflexology

Now today I was up early but as we had run out of milk for my breakfast chai tea latte, I decided to go and do the shopping, afterwards I looked at the new shop called - Green Bamboo Massage - that has opened which gives massages and reflexology.

Was I tempted - we of course I was -  so I have spent a relaxing hour - well most of the time - having a herbal foot bath, a head massage and a lower leg and foot reflexology massage.

What is reflexology you ask - well it is a therapy were pressure is applied to certain points on the body to help/aid certain areas elsewhere on your body. It is along the same principles as acupuncture except pressure is applied instead of needles.

Well I have come home and put the groceries away and am finally drinking my chai tea while my body feels very relaxed, probably so relaxed that I might fall too sleep. LOL