Pink Green

Speedy Meals

When we've had a huge weekend lunch I sometimes struggle for what to make for supper as we don't always want masses but need something to tide us over. I'm not a massive fan of bread and sandwiches, and having cooked a roast I don't always feel like starting all over again.

Recently I was thinking back to my youth and something jogged my memory about Pizza Rolls. We used to get these at lunch time from the school canteen for 20p and there was a mad rush to get them as they were so popular and sold out very quickly. I think I managed to recreate them pretty accurately, and they went down a storm. So much so that Ruth asked if I could do them for her birthday meal. She'll change her mind, but I always like a crowd pleaser!

So, for a quick and easy lunch/tea read on.

Pizza Rolls

Ingredients

Tin of chopped tomatoes

1 onion, chopped

Grated Cheddar

4 White bread rolls

1) Drain tomatoes in a sieve - you don't want the mixture too watery.

2) Mix drained tomatoes with onion and cheddar. (It doesn't look that appetising yet, does it?!)

3) Cut rolls in half and place on a baking tray.

4) Top rolls with mixture, pressing it down with a spoon so it is flat-ish.

5) Place in an oven pre-heated to 200 degrees C for 10 minutes.

6) Eat whilst still warm.

The dinner ladies at my school weren't known for their delicious repasts, but these certainly stayed with me and the taste transported me back 20 years to my purple haired rock chick days in an instant!

Enjoy,

Cathy

 

 

I love holidays!

Don't get me wrong, I really love my job and don't have a problem getting up for work in the mornings or that Sunday night feeling I used to have when I worked in an insurance office, but the regular holidays are a definite perk of a job in a school! We broke up yesterday, and after the usual end of term staff trip to the pub I woke up this morning feeling relaxed and lazy (but not with a sore head, before you ask!). The down side of my job is that I rarely have time to indulge myself in pointless but enjoyable potterings, so today I thought I'd make some cakes.

The giant one came from this book,

And is meant to look like this,

but as you can see it is more of a full on Victoria Sandwich size than a cupcake. I'm not sure what went wrong, but despite being quite pretty it is too big for the place I have in store for it. The second one is better, although more bitesized than a satisfying cupcake size. I found the free pattern on Ravelry and adapted it slightly, and I may make some more to accompany it.

As Andy and the girls got very excited when I said I was going to make cakes today and were crestfallen when they saw they weren't actually edible I thought I could indulge another of my not-quite-so-pointless hobbies and bake some real cakes. These Nutella Cupcakes were from a recipe on one of my favourite feel-good blogs The Quince Tree and smelt amazing as they were cooking.

I relaxed in my favourite chair with my favourite Summer tipple waiting for the timer to beep and was not disappointed with the results (although I now feel slightly nauseous as I ate 2 really quickly while they were still warm!).

So, after my day of self-indulgence (which also involved a trip to the craft shop with Grace, and a pootle around town) I now feel refreshed and ready for the rest of the lazy week ahead which involves seeing old friends, family and Loughborough vintage market. Who could ask for more?! I do love holidays.

Back again!

Despite really meaning to carry on regular posts, somehow life took over again and it is months since I last wrote anything.

So, a quick synopsis of life Chez Pink Green. What can I tell you? We are all plodding on as normal - I'm very busy at school, as are the girls, Andy is still working shifts which has many pluses and a few minuses, and Bodie is still sleeping through most of the day, waking only at meal times and walk times. I've been on 3 school trips in the last few weeks and am doing 2 different jobs at school which is taking quite a bit of organising. The girls are busy with their trips, Brownie and Guide camps, music exams and (scariest of all) Secondary school welcome evenings. I'm finding it hard to believe that we have got to this stage of life already - it only seems like a few months since Grace started Primary School. She's so excited and desperate to go, which is great, but I'm not quite there yet!

One of the projects that has been taking up most of my time recently is the garden. When we had our kitchen extension last year our tiny postage stamp of a garden really suffered under the builders boots and heavy materials. So, this year we decided to get rid of the 'lawn' (such as it was) and replace it with gravel. And here it is...

 

We are going to sell the playhouse and replace it with a shed to house the bikes, and that is still in progress, but the rest is done, and I spent a very happy day at the Malvern Gardening Show picking out plants to fill the gaps with. Now all we need is some sun so I can enjoy it in all its glory whilst sipping Pimms and relaxing.

I've recently started something that I have always wanted to do - art classes. I have always been more 'crafty' than 'arty', but my friend Gail offered to give me some lessons and I have started going once a week, and the prospect of an afternoon of doing nothing but art is too much joy to express! I go with 2 very good friends to Gail's house and we laugh and create (and then laugh some more because we aren't very good yet!). It is such a tonic for the stresses of day to day life, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

This is a piece of work that I am using as a base for a canvas done in acrylics that I am starting after half term. I haven't done any drawing since I was at school doing Graphics GCSE, and I have a VERY long way to go, but I am quite proud of the things I have managed to create so far. Last term we also spent some time doing mosaics, and once I got over the trauma of breaking up perfectly serviceable crockery I had a ball doing this. The photo is rubbish because it is pouring with rain and I wanted to get this done while I had the time and motivation, and it is much brighter in real life. It is hanging on my kitchen wall and there is space for the next project that I am going to start after my canvas. Watch this space...!

Well, that's the last 4-5 months wrapped up in a nutshell. I haven't rambled on too much I hope, and I've left out heaps that I could have bored you with. Hopefully it won't be quite as long until my next post.

Until next time......

Cathy XX