Oh
my! What a delightful Valentine’s Day we
had, and I do hope my dear readers also had a beautiful day filled with the
love and joy of the Lord!
As
it was also my precious mother’s birthday, we had a combined celebration, and
my sisters and I spent the day cooking and baking a delicious feast which we
sat down and enjoyed in the evening whilst listening to lovely music and
enjoying the silent beauty of flickering candlelight…
My
dad decided to take my mom to town for a morning spent doing a few of the
things she loves best… Browsing
second-hand shops and bookstores, having coffee in a cosy little shop…visiting
a plant nursery… Yes, they had a very
pleasant time while we ladies enjoyed setting up our lovely meal table and
baking an elegant red velvet cake for afternoon tea! There was much excitement, as well as a bit
of chaos, in our home that morning…
…What
birthday would be complete without cake…?
Beth and I baked this yummy Red
Velvet Cake and iced it with a delicious cream cheese icing… How I love cream cheese! And it certainly makes for a rich and creamy
tasting icing – perfect for completing the flavour of this moist cake…
Nancy
made sweet mini bunting from pretty scrapbook paper to decorate the cake, and I
adorned the top with a single lovely bloom to give it a touch of simplicity… Recipe coming very soon!
We
relish any occasion to add a few extra special touches to the table as usually
we are too busy with school and the daily activities of home and farm life to
spend more than a little time on the creative setting of the dinner table…
Nancy
created truly beautiful table settings and she and Beth laid the table in such
an elegant fashion! I strung up my sweet
heart garlands and we even hung our white twig tree from the ceiling and hung
some mini fabric hearts on its branches to create a beautiful Valentine’s
dinner table.
And
while the younger ladies were creating, I added the final touches to our dinner
which I had been preparing since early that morning. I do love cooking such wonderful spreads and
it is always very exciting to try new recipes!
How I love the bright colour of pumpkin…
Happy table setter…
Such
beautiful place settings…
I
fell in love with these lovely serviettes…
Cinnamon
Baked Pumpkin…my favourite!
Our
delicious celebratory menu included…
Creamy Cauliflower Cheese, Cinnamon Baked Pumpkin, Crispy Roast Potatoes
and Lamb with Prunes and Rosemary and Sage Salt… Mmmm…such a glorious meal! I just have to share a few of the recipes
with you…
Lamb
with Prunes and Rosemary and Sage Salt
Recipe
from Country Living Magazine, March 2013
6
tbsp olive oil
1
leg of lamb (about 1.6kg), deboned
2
tbsp rosemary and sage salt
12
pitted prunes
2
medium carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
1
small celery stick
1
onion, peeled and halved
185ml
white wine
About
125ml water
Heat
the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and drizzle four tablespoons of the olive oil
into a baking tin about 22cm x 30cm.
Lay
two large sheets of foil on a worktop, shiny side down and overlapping to give
a larger surface. Rub with butter.
Rinse
the lamb and pat dry with paper towels.
Trim off any excess fat, but leave enough of it on for flavour and
moistness. Put the lamb on a cutting
board, skin side down and opened up like a book.
Mix
together the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil and the herbed salt, and
massage half of it over the inside of the lamb.
Line
up the prunes in pairs like soldiers, running lengthways down the centre of the
lamb.
Wrap
the sides of the lamb over to enclose the prunes. Tie up with kitchen string in a few places to
hold the shape while cooking.
Rub
the rest of the herby oil mix all over the outside of the lamb, then place it
in the centre of the foil. Wrap up rightly,
tucking in the sides.
Put
in the oiled tin and scatter the vegetables around (add the lamb bone, too, if
you have it). Roast for 40 minutes.
Remove
the foil from the lamb, scrape in any accumulated bits from the side if the tin
and splash in the wine.
Return
to the oven for another 40 minutes or so, turning the lamb once or twice to
brown all the sides and spooning the juices over. Add extra water if needed.
To
test if the lamb is done, prick it with a fork.
The juices should run out, but not be pink.
Remove
the lamb to a suitable dish. Cut away
the string and leave it to rest for a bit while you make the gravy.
Add
the water to the baking tin and put it on the hob to bubble up and thicken a
little. Scrape down any interesting bits
from the sides of the tin into the juices.
Cut
meat into slices of about 1.5cm and serve hot with the juices spooned over.
Rosemary
and Sage Salt
Recipe
from Country Living Magazine, March 2013
5
tbsp chopped rosemary
5
tbsp chopped sage
2
garlic cloves, chopped
1
small red chilli, chopped
160g
pink Himalayan salt or other coarse salt
A
few black peppercorns
Scatter
the rosemary, sage garlic and chopped chilli on a tray lined with baking paper.
Cover
with a net and put in front of a window that gets direct sunlight.
Crush
the salt in small batches in a mortar with a pestle.
It’s
nice to have a varying texture in the salt, but each crystal should be at least
cracked.
Crush
the peppercorn with the last batch.
Toss
onto the tray with the herbs and leave to dry, then store in a closed jar.
And
thus ended our lovely Valentine’s Day dinner…
I think we will all remember this special day for as long as we live!
I
treasure every occasion spent with my family and feel so blessed that we have
the joy of celebrating together…
I
do hope your day was just as delightful!
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