Thai Chicken Curry Soup

In an effort to revitalize my menus...this week I made Thai Chicken Curry Soup. I have to say, it was delicious, warming and hearty - I ate it for 3 different meals and my husband gave it a thumbs up. Yeah - progress!

I got the recipe out of this handy little book I picked up years ago.
Bowl Food 'comfort food for people on the move' Murdoch Books, 2002 Printed by Laurel Glen Publishing.

Here's the recipes for the soup:
6oz. dried, thin egg noodles
2 tablespoons peanut oil (I used olive oil)
2 chicken breasts, about 1/2 lb each ( I used leftover chicken from a roast)
1 onion
1 small fresh red chili, seeded and finely chopped (I didn't have)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons Indian curry powder
3 cups of chicken stock
3 1/2 cups of coconut milk
4 cups of baby bok choy, cut into long strips
1/3 cup fresh basil, torn

Cook the noodles in a large saucepan of boiling water for 3-4 minutes or until cooked. Drain well and set aside. Wipe the saucepan clean and dry.
Heat the oil in the dry saucepan and add the chicken. Cook on each side for 5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the chicken and keep warm.
Place the onion in the saucepan and cook over low heat for 8 minutes or until softened but not browned. Add the chili, ginger, and curry powder and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Thinly slice the chicken diagonally.
Add the coconut milk to the saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the bok choy and cook for 3 minutes then stir in the basil.
To serve, divide the noodles among 4 deep serving bowls. Top with slices of chicken and ladle in the soup. Serve immediately.

My only comment would be that it was not spicy enough -probably because I omitted the chili but I would probably add a bit more curry as well. Otherwise - I loved it. So good for a chilly winter lunch or even dinner.

If you can't get certain ingredients -improvise - for example, you may not be able to get bok choy (although I found it in Tesco)- so why not use spinach instead?

On today's menu, thinking of chicken breasts wrapped in prociutto and stuffed with something....maybe olives or sundried tomatoes......with a little mash and peas.

Thom Filicia for House Beautiful

All Photographs by Thomas Loof for House Beautiful.
I was going through the House Beautiful website recently and came across the beautiful show house that designer Thom Filicia had done for the magazine - so I pulled a few of my favourite images. I loved the dining room above, especially the over sized photograph on the back wall and that great hanging lamp. And just look at those fabulously vibrant colours on the table - they are so me!

When you see a living room like this - it just makes me yearn for a larger space were people can actually look at each other instead of being lined up along one wall. But that is of course a luxury enjoyed in larger houses - tricky to capture in a smaller house. Someday, I'm going to design at house that works.

Loved the simple mix of art work and unusual objects that draw attention to your eye.

This Eagle console in the hall certainly creates a grand entrance.

Loved this bathroom especially with the wallpaper climbing up onto the ceiling - it creates a great sense of height and space for a relatively small room.

The stairway had this simple but beautiful runner and how do you like the hand rail? Very creative and very effective.

I was very inspired by this space - hope you are too!

To see more of the showhouse on the House Beautiful website - along with a full description of the products used click here
http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/thom-filicia-designer-showhouse

What about my windows?

From House Beautiful Windows.
Most of us battle with what to do with our windows but too often than not, that results in nothing getting done about them! There are loads of ready made options on the market today at a good range of prices so for basic curtains it's easy enough to pick something up that goes with the overall colour theme of your room.
However, if you have odd sized windows or want a pelmet or Roman blind - you will have to have that custom made to suit your windows and have them fitted correctly. I actually had three Roman blinds made for my house here in Nenagh and I gave the measurements to this fabulous guy in America who does work for a designer friend of mine. When my parents came over shortly after we moved in, my mother brought the blinds with her - and they fit perfectly and have been the best thing I could have invested in.

From House Beautiful Windows.
The need to dress our windows is often for privacy but more often than not it is to create a cosiness especially in the evening or early morning - blocking out the dark or light. They also finish off windows to compliment the rest of your space and tie everything together.

From House Beautiful Windows.
In the case of this room, the windows have been dressed with a simple fabric softening the frames and adding a bit of drama.

From House Beautiful Windows.
In some cases, you don't need to dress the window at all - the frame makes a statement on it's own.

From Country Living, March 2007 - Photo by Lisa Cohen.

Here the pelmet is trimmed in a simple braid - beautiful linen curtains that have been lined in a delightful floral toile fabric.

From Country Living, March 2007- photo by Lisa Cohen.

In this bedroom embroidered sheer curtains hang from an iron pole but in order to really cut out light and keep the warmth in - a Roman blind has been interlined with blackout fabric. Also this idea is probably the best way to go - especially in many of our Irish homes as so often the radiators are under the windows so if you use long curtains to cover the window, the heat is prevented from entering the room.

From Country Living, March 2007- photo by Lisa Cohen.

I much prefer Roman blinds at a kitchen window as they can be easily rolled up to avoid being splashed and they just feel tidier to me. This blind has been lined in a contrasting fabric so that when it rolls up you get to see both

From Country Living March 2007 - photo by Lisa Cohen.
In a deep window like this, pulling a big panel of fabric to one side dresses the window but it doesn't necessarily have to function, it can be purely decorative.

Cooking Inspiration - ReVamping My Tired Recipes

Above: Nourishing and filling - homemade butternut squash/apple soup with pesto, cheese and tomato melts for a autumn lunch.
Apparently I've gotten into a cooking rut - according to my husband that is! Well, don't we all....cooking a well rounded meal 7 nights a week day in and day out will do it to everyone. We all run into a road block and get stuck cooking the same familiar meals - really because we know how to cook them and they work but one's palette definitely ends up suffering.


To make these open faced sandwiches all I did was slice up a Tiger Loaf from Tesco (only €1) - spread pesto over each slice, add 2 slices of tomato and then cover with cheddar cheese, salt and pepper - stick on a baking sheet in a 200 c degree oven and bake until cheese has melted - serve with a bowl of soup and it's really a great warm and filling lunch for an autumn day.

I roast the butternut squash and apples with onions in the oven for at least 30 mins - feel it just adds flavour. Just sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper - then when roasted, throw in a pot with about 5 cups of chicken stock (which I do not make from scratch) and let that simmer for about an hour. Whizz it up in the blender, put back in pot on the stove and add (if you like) a little milk, cream or evaporated milk just to thin it out a bit.

Another soup is a tomato /courgette soup - roast all ingredients along with red onion and repeat same steps as soup above.

So, I do have some good staples but had a look through some cookbooks again for inspiration. Fay's Family food book has a few that I'm marking to try.

Pork escalopes in a rich mushroom sauce.

Leave in the oven Lamb Shanks.

Creamy Boursin salmon penne.

Chicken and ham pie.

For lunch today I'm making a Thai chicken curry soup using leftover chicken and tonight taking it easy with Swedish meatballs (bought frozen from Ikea) over rice or chips. Now to figure out the rest of the week!

Kitty and Polly - Handmade Happiness

Tea towel, designed and printed in Scotland, sells for 9.50 GBP.

Sorry I didn't post anything yesterday - there was some glitch with blogger (and not just for me). So, back on track today. Since I've joined Twitter - I have found some amazing companies and one of them is this great site (with a blog) Kitty and Polly. The company, based in Belfast, began in late 2007 and was started by Paula. Kitty and Polly is her nickname and her mother's making for a great name for a business.

Brooch, made in Northern Ireland, sells for 20.00 GBP.
The site is all about handmade -and has a fabulous mix of gifts, handbags, jewellery and home wares from designers and craftspeople dotted around the UK.
This year they've done a big focus on selling a wide range of products for 30.00 GBP or under so you'll find a fantastic range of items at very reasonable prices.
I pulled together a some of my favourites but be sure to go to the site to see all the rest!

Both bracelets, made in the UK, sell for 24.00 (GBP).

Made in Northern Ireland, this brooch sells for 20.00 GBP

Vintage bird necklace (22.oo GBP) is made in the UK.

Sampler, 22.00 GBP.

Tea cosy, 20.00 GBP.

Loved these sweet clutches - made in the UK the silver one sells for 45.00 and the gold for 39.00 GBP.


You can buy online at Kitty and Polly so stop by today!!

Halloween Projects and Ideas from the Queen of Domesticity - Martha Stewart

Photo above and below by Sang An.

Even though my daughter is 8 this Halloween, she seems to be more into it this year than ever before. My neighbour and I are planning a Halloween party for all the kids at our end of the estate and I've got to whip myself into gear to make cookies and possible a cake (see the ghost cake below - this is what I'm hoping to make!) Since Halloween is still not the huge phenomenon it is in America, I got my mother to send over Halloween cookie cutters - a ghost, cat, bat and witches hat - now to do black and white icing!! I don't think I am going to have a quiet week next week for the school holidays!

So, for my own inspiration and all you mother's across Ireland who need a few ideas to keep the kids busy next week - I've pulled together a few of my favourites out of Martha Stewart Living magazine. She's got loads more ideas on her website with a Halloween Central section and even a Halloween Party Workshop - just don't let the kids see or you'll be under serious pressure to produce all these by next Saturday!

Loved this simple idea of glittering pumpkins - and great for a any age kid!

For the more adventurous - these cut out pumpkins take a bit more artistic commitment.

Simple easy pumpkins with noses!

Turn pumpkins into cachepots - wouldn't these look great sitting out on your doorstep?

Photo by Sang An.

I love this ghost cake and am going to do my best to re-create it for my daughter - need good white marshmallows though and that black cake plate really makes all the difference.

Photo above and below by Eric Piaskeki.

Don't think we'll be able to dine outside but you never know we could have another dose of Indian summer.

I love these urns filled with a variety of gourds and pumpkins (I know we don't get the same range here in Ireland but you could even build up pots with winter cabbage and a pumpkin or two) On the door is a huge wreath made of bittersweet - I think I'll head off to forage the hedgerows here over the weekend.

*Note: All images were taken from various issues of Martha Stewart Living magazine - I have credited photographers where I could. (Unfortunately when I tear out ideas, I sometimes don't have the page with the photographer credits on them).

Loving This Fun Blog - My Owl Barn

This morning I got a comment from a blogger at My Owl Barn so of course checked out the site and found it frankly quite delightful. And dedicated! I dont' know who this blogger is because there is no information on the site (which is a shame) but I applaud her/him for this quirky site with a wonderful mix of images of owls and all the places they are portrayed.


I pulled a few images off the site to show you the diversity of what My Owl Barn has to offer.

Now I know I'm going to be on the look out for owls here in Ireland.

Check out the site - I think you will find it delightful and witty.

Enjoy!!! I'm off to Limerick....see you tomorrow.