Our wedding poem

We asked Matthew's sister Cath if she would write and read a poem for our wedding ceremony. The poem she wrote was lovely and brought tears to everyone's eyes. She even included some personal jokes that had us laughing. I thought I would share it here.


Matthew and Janelle,
Can you feel the pulse of perfection flowing through your veins?
Can you feel the vibration of Love that echoes in your soul?
Can you feel the energy of Life that breathed you into existence?

Can you feel your deep and eternal connection with the Master Mind of Creation?

Who...
Inspires you to Be.
Dances within your soul's chamber.
Stirs you spirit to soar.
Provides you with unlimited vision
and knowledge of your purest potential.

Who...
Is the Stormtrooper of the physical boundaries you have created.
Entices your True Self to conquer the ego that wishes to hold you prisoner.
Provides you with freedom from illusion.
Quietly and patiently causes you to remember who you are.

And... who you are... is LOVE.

Rejoice in the union of Love that has brought you here today as you celebrate your marriage.

May your lives' together be filled with joy and happiness.

May you forever hold in your hearts the passion and enthusiasm you fel for each other today.

May the Light of Universal Love that binds you,
never be extinguished...
And may you always know peace.

I offer you this gift on your special day.

From my heart to yours...
May the blessings of Life shine in you and upon you.

From your loving sister, Catherine

8 September 2008

Name Change

So it is official. I am now Mrs. Janelle Andre Morgan. Matthew and I had a lovely wedding ceremony and party. It was just amazing and everyone that came to support us, Thank you!!!

Happy Birthday to me!

I know it still says the 19th on the date.. but here in Australia it is officially the 20th and my birthday!!

Matthew was ever so sweet this morning. Whilst I did my morning sit-ups he ran to the shops to get ingredients because he wanted to make me breakfast.

When he got back he had a really pretty bouquet of flowers for me.





My birthday breakfast was delightful.. he made me a veggie omelet to go with my cuppa... it was MASSIVE!! I don't think I will need to eat for the next few days!!





After breakfast we went out, Matthew got me pampered at the spa. We had a really nice dinner at a Thai restaurant nearby. Then we came home and Matthew gave me a cake.









He put this neat star sparklers on it.. they were shooting sparks at me so I couldn't get to close!!



My card and some funny assorted condoms that had a sticker on it that said 'go for the gold'.. in olympic spirit we just had to get them.. they really do have gold condoms!!!

Matthew meets a misshape!!

Wedding Invite

8 September 2008

Mark it in your date book that is the date of Matthew and my wedding.

Another Recipe Thai Veggie Stir-fry and Basmati Rice

Dinner tonite was really simple but yummy. (I didn't take any photos I was too hungry

You can really use whatever veggies you please, but here is what I did (using all fresh veg from the organic market):

-snow peas
-green beans
-red pepper
-green pepper
-red onions
-mushrooms
-small cubes of tofu
-basmati rice
-1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
-thai hot chili stir-fry sauce
-sweet chili sauce

Get the olive oil hot in the pan. Sautee the veggies and tofu over medium heat until they are just cooked, you want the veg to be crunchy. (the beans, and peas should be a bright green color, the onion translucent, and the pepper just softening)
Remove from the heat and turn the burner to low. Add both sauces (to your taste and how spicy you want the dish) whilst the pan is off the heat. Put back on the low heat and stir frequently so the veggies don't get over cooked.
Cook the rice in a rice cooker. Prep and cook time is under 30 minutes.

Happy Birthday Mum!!

Today is my Mum's birthday! She is 62 today. Happy Birthday Mummy. xx

Recipes!!

Here are a bunch I love (some my creation, some taken from other chefs):

Spinach and Zucchini Soup

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
big pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups potatoes (2 medium) cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 1/2 cups zucchini (2 medium), loosely chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
4 cups fresh spinach leaves, loosely packed
1 cup cilantro, loosely chopped
one lemon

In a large, thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot add the garlic and onions and saute for a few minutes along with pinch of salt - just until they soften up a bit. Stir in the potatoes and zucchini. Add the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are soft throughout, roughly 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the spinach, and wait for it to wilt, just ten seconds or so. Now stir in the cilantro. Puree with a hand blender until smooth. Whisk in a big squeeze of lemon juice. Finish with some shaved parmesan cheese.

Cheddar-Dill Scones (a bit fattening but so good)

4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, beaten lightly
1 cup cold heavy cream
1/2 pound extra-sharp yellow Cheddar, small-diced
1 cup minced fresh dill
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water or milk, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine 4 cups of flour, the baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Mix the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add them to the flour-and-butter mixture. Combine until just blended. Toss together the Cheddar, dill, and 1 tablespoon of flour and add them to the dough. Mix until they are almost incorporated.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it for 1 minute, until the Cheddar and dill are well distributed. Roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. Cut into 4-inch squares and then in half diagonally to make triangles. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outside is crusty and the inside is fully baked.

Asparagus Risotto Recipe
Ingredients

• 1 pound asparagus
• 3 Tbsp plus 1 teaspoon butter
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (or 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 1/4 cup water)
• About 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock, can substitute some of the asparagus cooking water for stock
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

Method

1 Prepare the asparagus by breaking off discarding the tough ends (about the last inch of the spear). Cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces (tips longer, base shorter). If your asparagus are especially large, cut into even smaller (bite-size) pieces. Bring a saucepan with a quart of water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus pieces for 2 minutes. At the end of two minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the asparagus pieces to an ice water bath to shock the asparagus into a vibrant green color and to stop the cooking. Drain from the ice water bath and set aside.

2 In a 3 or 4 quart saucepan, heat 3 Tbsp butter on medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for a few minutes until translucent. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring until nicely coated.

3 While the shallots are cooking, bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan.

4 Add the wine. Slowly stir, allowing the rice to absorb the wine. Once the wine is almost completely absorbed, add 1/2 cup of stock to the rice. Continue to stir until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, adding more stock in 1/2 cup increments. Stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a little bit of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed, until the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

Note the stock amount given is approximate. You may need a little more or less. If you end up needing more stock and you find yourself without, just use water or the cooking water from the asparagus.

5 Gently stir in the Parmesan cheese, the remaining 1 teaspoon butter, and the asparagus. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Creamy Fennel Soup with Herb Salad

5 bulbs fennel with stalks and feathery green tops (2 1/2 to 3 pounds)
2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
8 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon finely ground fennel seeds
6 diagonal-cut slices baguette
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Remove the greens from the fennel stalks, chop them, and reserve. Cut the fennel bulbs and stalks into coarse pieces.
Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, 7 minutes. Add the 1 clove garlic and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Increase the heat to high. Add the chopped fennel and the vegetable stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the fennel is very tender, 15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
Puree the soup, in batches, in a blender until very smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean soup pot. Add the cream, and season with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and lemon juice. Add the reserved fennel greens and parsley, toss to coat, and season with salt and pepper. Set the herb salad aside
Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the ground fennel seeds and stir for 30 seconds. Add the baguette slices in a single layer, and cook, turning once, until golden on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes total. Season with salt, to taste. Remove the baguette slices from the pan and rub each piece lightly on 1 side with the clove of garlic.
Warm the soup over medium heat. Ladle it into bowls, place a baguette slice on top of each, and top each slice with some of the herb salad. Serve.

Penne with Ricotta and Asparagus Recipe
Ingredients

Salt
1 1/4 pound thick asparagus, woody ends trimmed
1 lb gluten-free brown rice penne pasta
1 clove garlic, peeled and mashed
15 oz ricotta cheese
2 Tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Nutmeg

Method

1 Bring a large pot of water to a boil. (You will cook both the asparagus and the pasta in the same pot of water.) Add a couple teaspoons of salt. Have an ice bath ready. Add the asparagus and cook until tender but firm, about 4 minutes. Remove the asparagus with tongs and place in the ice bath to stop the cooking. Cut the asparagus into 1/8-inch diagonal slices, leaving the tips intact.

2 Bring the water back to a boil and add the penne pasta.

3 While the penne is cooking, rub the inside of a large serving bowl with the mashed garlic. Discard the garlic. Add the ricotta, olive oil, and 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Mix together in the bowl. When the pasta is done, drain it, reserving some of the cooking water. Add the penne to the ricotta mixture. Fold in the asparagus and half of the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and several dashes of nutmeg. Add some of the reserved pasta water if needed.

Arugula Salad with Beets and Goat Cheese Recipe
Ingredients

Salad Ingredients:
Beets - (boiled until a fork easily goes in it, about an hour), peeled, sliced into strips
Fresh arugula - rinsed, patted dry with a paper towel
Goat cheese - chevre
Walnuts - chopped

Dressing ingredients:
Olive oil
Lemon
Dry powdered mustard
Sugar
Salt and pepper

Method

The amount of ingredients depends on how many people you are serving and how much salad you intend to serve them. The important thing is that this is a good blend of flavors. I didn't try tossing this salad; each plate was composed individually.

The dressing for three individual salads was 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1/2 lemon, 1/4 teaspoon of powdered mustard, 3/4 teaspoon of sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Actually, it is all to taste. These are only approximate measurements.

Assemble the salad according to how much you want. A handful of arugula leaves, a few beet juliennes, some crumbled goat cheese, garnish with chopped walnuts.

A big photo and video update

I've been promising it for some time. I have finally decided to stop being lazy and actually post some photos of our adventures around Australia.




In the centre of Canberra there is the Illumicube that has movement sensors that make it change colors. Matthew, his sister Cath, and I spent the night hanging out and taking photos in front of the cube. It was freezing!!



We went up to visit Matthew's dad in Nelson's Bay. We went to the beach to watch the sunset, and to look at the sand dunes. The next day we visited Oakvale farm. The animals there were so cute. Matthew and I fell in love with some baby lambs and a little white goat that sounded like it was saying 'Matt'. There were mini ponies that made me think of Geordon and Dana. My dream of snuggling a Koala and kangaroo finally came true.















I am going out for a bit.. I'll edit this with more photos and videos soon. It is taking forever to upload everything.