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Yum : Salmon Fillet wrapped in Prosciutto

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Good old Jamie Oliver has done it again!  I made this delicious meal last week for our old friend Keith who was visiting us from Launceston.  It was super simple and yet incredibly tasty:

Salmon fillet wrapped in prosciutto with herby lentils, spinach and yoghurt

  • 255g lentils
  • 4 x 225g salmon fillets, skinned and pin-boned
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 slices of prosciutto
  • olive oil
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 good handfuls of mixed herbs (flat-leaf parsley, basil, mint), chopped
  • 3 large handfuls of spinach, chopped
  • 200ml natural yoghurt

Method

  • Preheat oven to 220ºC
  • Put the lentils into a pan, cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer until tender
  • Season the salmon fillets with a little pepper before wrapping them in the prosciutto slices.  Leave some of the flesh exposed
  • Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for 10 minutes until the prosciutto is golden.  Feel free to cook the salmon for less time if pinker is to your liking
  • Drain away most of the water from the lentils and season carefully with salt, pepper, the lemon juice and 4 good lugs of olive oil
  • Just before serving, stir the herbs and spinach into the lentils on a high heat, until wilted
  • Place on to plates with the salmon and finish with a drizzle of lightly seasoned yoghurt.

return-of-the-naked-chef

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Instagram Me

InstagramI have finally succumbed to the world of Instagram!

Instagram is a fun and quirky way to share your life with friends through a series of pictures. Snap a photo with your mobile phone, then choose a filter to transform the image into a memory to keep around forever. We’re building Instagram to allow you to experience moments in your friends’ lives through pictures as they happen. We imagine a world more connected through photos.

I held off for a while as I felt I had too much going on in my tech world … including Facebook, Pinterest and this blog (on WordPress).  But after having a tutorial with my tech-savvy friend Melissa (whilst we were both breastfeeding our bubbas and our toddlers were throwing sand off the balcony from the sandpit) I am all set to go.  Now I just need to snap away and work out the world of #hashtags and hope I get them #right?!

Instagram

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Will you be my Valentine?

Valentine

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Sunny Days : Stormy Seas

Poppy's CrownWe have just had the Royal Hobart Regatta Long Weekend and you guessed – we went away again on the boat to Bruny Island.

We had a lovely swim at Little Fancy Bay on Saturday afternoon; Nick caught nineteen flathead at Missionary Bay; we had a nice catch up with friends on their yacht and then weathered the biggest storm I have seen in the Channel!  We were fine but had to make a quick dash from an exposed bay into 65 Knot winds.  Unfortunately some other boats weren’t so lucky as they dragged their moorings from Kettering and ended up on the rocks on Bruny Island.

On our way home yesterday we checked out the Royal Hobart Regatta and Poppy welcomed the cruise ship to town!

Poppy's Crown

The crew hanging out

The crew hanging out

The crew hanging out

Drinks at Little Fancy

Drinks at Little Fancy

James in the Jolly Jumper

Poppy & her friends watching Happy Feet in the shade!

Sunday Storm

Mistraal in the Sunday storm

Sunday Storm

Poppy's Dolly Hospital

James

Pancake ingredients

James & his Dad

Hobart Regatta

Hobart Regatta

Hobart Regatta

Hobart Regatta

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Paddling Pools : Peppa Pig : Role Plays

Poppy in her paddling pool

We enjoyed a lovely morning in our garden yesterday.  Poppy played in her paddling pool and James laid on his couch under the shade of the pear tree whilst I did some pruning.

Maisy & Poppy

James

On Wednesday I surprised Poppy by taking her to the Peppa Pig Live Concert.  She was a delight to watch during the show – pure uninhibited excitement for the music and her favourite characters.  However poor old James wasn’t as delighted as his sister and insisted on crying for most of the show.

I even succumbed to the merchandising and bought her a Peppa Star Light – which she insists on sleeping with each night!

Peppa Pig

Peppa Pig

Peppa Pig

Poppy at Peppa

Poppy’s imaginative play is quite entertaining at the moment and yesterday she played ‘Doctor Poppy and Nurse Mummy’.  Here she is working on her (unhappy) patient James, with her stethoscope … a pair of tights on her head:

Dr Poppy

Dr Poppy

Another role play includes ‘Old Maid’ (nappy on her head) serving me up my morning cuppa:

Old Maid

Old Maid

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Sleep ♥

James & Max Russell

Today I am loving SLEEP … all night long!  Master James slept from 7:00pm until 6:30am last night and I feel like a new woman.  It may have taken him 6 months, but hopefully he likes the idea and continues with his slumber!  Xx

James & Max Russell

It is also my dear old Dad’s Birthday today … Happy Birthday Dad!  Here he is holding Poppy when she was two days old.  His big farmers hands are almost the same size as she was!

Dad & Poppy

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Sneaky Peek : Illustration

Poppy Large

Today I wish to share with you a beautiful illustration of Poppy by the very talented Gabrielle Mitchell.  You will see I have embedded the image into my header and so The Poppy Files will have a new look and feel for 2014!

In closing, here are a couple of quotes from our Poppy this morning:

Mummy, when I grow up can I have hearing aids like you?  (Bless)

Mummy, when I grow up I am going to have a baby and I am going to call it:  Mummy Baby

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Tree Fairies

Tree Fairies

I visited my Mum & Dad late last week and on the way home we popped into see my dear friend, Prue and her family.  Poppy played dress ups and we hung out in the cool shade of their beautiful trees.

James & Prue

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This Boating Life

Poppy on Australia DayWe have had another amazing long weekend away on the boat and at the risk of providing similar content to previous posts, I just can’t help but share more photos with you!

Our time was spent with our friends at South Bruny Island and incorporated lots of water play, flying kites, beach BBQ’s, swimming, sleeping and eating. Nick and Brett went for a dive on Saturday and returned with abalone and crayfish!  Australia Day was spent on Butlers Beach in glorious conditions.

Poppy flying her kite

Needless to say, my time on the boat is not always ‘smooth sailing’.  These are some of the quirks I persevere with:

  • It is a nightmare getting Poppy into bed on the boat, let alone for her to go to sleep before 9 pm!  (This topic is a blog post for another day)
  • James hates wearing his PFD (Personal Flotation Device) and every time we go ashore he bursts into tears and cries most of the time he is on the beach
  • If we move at night the anchor winch is so noisy it has been known to wake both Poppy and James, after hours of getting (her) to sleep
  • When pulling the dinghy back in the water on Saturday afternoon, I got oil on the sleeve my cashmere jumper.  Mental note – wear old clothes!
  • Bless our little Tagus for sometimes she leaks and my bed gets wet
  • Two children, a dog, Nick and I crammed into one small space can push the most even-tempered to become ‘snappy Tom‘.

Despite these woes, there is nothing better to wake up with my family on a blue sky day, crank up the tunes, cook up some pancakes and see Poppy jump off the back of the boat into her Dad’s arms!  Bring on the many more trips, wet bed and all!  Xx

Poppy flying her kite

Beach Babes

Brett's Crayfish

Butlers Beach

Poppy's Hand

Mistraal & Iverus

Bushwalk

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Australia Day

Happy Australia Day for the 26th.  We are off again on our little floating caravan … bring on the good times!  Xx

Tagus