Ipswich | The Lattimore Acre

Week 5 with Jamie – Beef

$Picnik collage Week 5 Jamie\'s Ministry of Food Ipswich$

This week on the menu was – Good Old Chilli Con Carne, Guacamole and Fluffy Rice. Let me start by saying – SO SO GOOD!! This was so out of my comfort zone and I am a little proud for diving in head first and not whinging!! I always thought I didn’t like chilli, beans or coriander. Well…… now they are my new best friends!!!! We made the quickest, tastiest guacamole all on the chopping board (no bowls for washing up) and again SO GOOD!

After cooking we headed over to Mum and Dad’s with dinner for everyone. My wonderful parents look after Ben while we cook. We had a feast to share this week. Bowls full with Chilli Con Carne, Rice, Guacamole, and natural corn chips (the corn chips added for Ben to make it more appealing for little ones). It was such a hit! Seriously the tastiest meal I have had in some time – the flavor……yum!! I can’t wait to cook it up for friends (or Andrew can cook it and I can relax). So who’s up for dinner?

You can get the recipe from here.

Next Week – Pasta

Oh I forgot….. we also enjoyed some pumpkin muffins to celebrate Jamie’s Birthday…Happy Birthday xo

Linking up with What we ate Wednesday

Week 4 with Jamie – Chicken….

I have driven my husband mad this week! You see our group chose Chicken Parmigiana and carrots in a bag to cook this week. I was keen to cook the carrots in a bag but Chicken Parmigiana…… you had to be kidding….ewww!!! I struggled all week with it. I came to the conclusion I’m not such a great ‘team’ player…… I like things to go my way!! My concern was ‘why on earth would we be cooking a fatty pub meal?’. Andrew kept telling me that I was just being silly and everything would be fine. So I went to class this week not really excited about the whole idea of cooking the dreaded Chicken Parmigiana!

Well…… I have to apologize for all my complaining (my poor dear lovely husband….sorry xoxo). Jamie’s Chicken Parmigiana was indeed fabulous! A healthy extra tasty version of the fatty pub classic! And the carrots in a bag…..oh I wish you could have smelt it – carrots, bacon, rosemary, orange zest = mmmmm YUM! My parents joined us for dinner to share in our genius cooking. There was not a scrap of anything left on the plates…..licked clean (well not literally)!

I have learnt a few valuable lessons this week (that I already knew anyway). Jamie always puts an extraordinary twist on recipes and ‘oh Belinda…stop all the carrying on and just enjoy yourself!!’.

Next week – Chilli Con Carne, guacamole and fluffy rice….no complaining here!!

Linking up with Paisley Jade – Things I am loving xo and Heather – Life Made Lovely Monday xo

Week 3 with Jamie – Breakfast…

Porridge, Frozen Fruit Smoothies and Banana & Blueberry French Toast were on the menu this week – I have never really made successful porridge before (not counting microwave porridge, real porridge in a pot!). We love a good smoothy in our house ( but normally get them from Boost Juice). But I do make a mean french toast with thick sliced tomato! But of coarse in true Jamie style his recipes are a little different and always include a twist on what is the ‘norm’.

Andrew and I didn’t really have success with our porridge in class. We didn’t cook it enough and it was a little chewy – Not so pleasant to eat! Jamie’s smoothies have oats and nuts in them. It gives a very different texture. Andrew liked it…. I’m not so sure. But OH MY GOODNESS the french toast is to die for. It is definitely a sometimes food but a french toast sandwich with blueberries and banana….. so good!!!

I was determine not to let the porridge beat me so this morning it was porridge for breakfast. Ben was keen to help – he chopped the banana with his special knife. He did keep asking me to clean his knife but I just kept telling him it was ok…. it was just banana. At one point he wandered off and was found in the bathroom cleaning his knife on his bath towel….ewwww!!! Not sure what he was thinking but we had a little chat about that!! Once the porridge was cooked Ben was not so keen on it anymore and the drama began. We have a rule in our house…… you have to try all new foods!! If you really don’t like them (after five mouthfuls) you don’t have to eat them. We all sat up at the table eating our porridge. Well Andrew and I were eating and Ben was examining his with his magnifying glass! I am sure he was hoping it would miraculously disappear. He did eat all the banana and brown sugar off the top and a little porridge……. will give it another go next week. Andrew and I both loved it!!

Next week Chicken Parmigiana and carrots in a bag ….

Week 2 with Jamie – Soup and Salad…

$Picnik collage Jamie\'s Ministry of Food week 2$

WEEK TWO – Jamie’s Ministry of Food Ipswich – Soup & Salad

Some highlights from this week were – a tricky way to chop an onion, how to chop pretty carrots, the claw chopping technique and how to make the tastiest Evolution Tomato Salad {seriously so delicious!!!} . The salad is referred as ‘evolution’ as you can eat it as a simple salad or step it up and make it into a meal. Andrew and I will definitely make this again. I am surprised I loved it so much considering it has olives and beans in it….. neither of which we eat regularly {But we will now!!}

The very talented Denalla also guided us through making a Leek & Potato soup. It is a vegetable patch in a pot ….. and a little bit tasty. We all took home a lovely pot of soup. My four year old {who is slowly becoming a fabulous eater} ate it without much drama and gave Dad a thumbs up for his cooking ability…. Thanks Ben!!

Next week we are cooking breakfast – Smoothies, Porridge and French Toast…. super yum!!

Jamie Oliver, Andrew and Little Old ME!!

‘Ministry of Food is about getting people cooking again by teaching them the basics: how to cook, how to shop, and how to enjoy food in a way that benefits not only individuals, but also their families. We want to give as many people as possible the tools and information they need to be able to make better food choices.’

I am getting very excited! This weekend Andrew and I start our ten weeks of cooking classes at the Jamie’s Ministry of Food in Ipswich. I jumped at the opportunity to take part. Anything that helps a Mum provide quick, easy and most importantly healthy meals for her family is very exciting. I was in the hairdressers yesterday and some Mum’s were discussing how they become stuck for healthy meal ideas and would love some inspiration. Well fingers crossed I have found mine….. I can’t wait. I also would love to lose some weight. So this is a great kick start. And yes you did read it correctly Andrew is also attending. It is a wonderful opportunity for him to learn to cook but I have to say I am looking forward to us doing this together. My Mum and Dad are taking care of Ben (love them to bits!!!) while Andrew and I cook together.

Our first class is this Saturday. We will receive a “Participant Start-Up Kit”, with a folder of recipes and information, a Jamie’s Ministry of Food bag and an apron. Each week we need to take a tupperware container because each participant cooks a family meal for four to take home.

I can’t wait to let you know how it goes!!

Brisbane floods: before and after

I thought these two news items on the ABC web site were a great use of tech for visualisation of the flooding around Brisbane and Ipswich.

Part 1: Milton (Lang Park), Rosalie, Rocklea (Markets), Fairfield, South Bank, Brisbane (overview), Bundamba (Ipswich), Riverside (CBD), Rocklea (wide view), Basin Pocket (Ipswich), Chelmer, Milton (Coronation Drive), Bellbowrie and Riverhills, Jindalee, St Lucia (University of Queensland), Toowong, West End, Graceville, New Farm, Yeronga.

Part 2: Floating pallets in Rocklea industrial estate, Rocklea industrial area, Ipswich farmhouse, Houses in Elmes Road, Ipswich, Riverfront homes in West End, Cow takes refuge on Ipswich roof, HMAS Diamantina in ‘dry dock’ at South Bank, Trucks and cows stranded by floodwaters on Ipswich Road at Rocklea, Riverhills Rowing Club, Jindalee Swimming Pool, Toowong CityCat terminal, River Walk floating walkway New Farm, Eagle Street Pier, Milton business precinct, Riverfront restaurant in Milton, Rosalie Village, Albion Park Raceway, University of Queensland running track and tennis courts St Lucia, Debris in Brisbane River near Pinkenba, Homes in Fig Tree Pocket, Homes and streets in Fairfield, Moggill Ferry, Industry on Donaldson Road Rocklea, Riverfront homes in Tennyson, West End parkland, Two men in a floating ‘spa’ in Chelmer.

These images or PhotoMaps are provided by NearMap. Here you can see the entire region with a time scale across the top. Move the slider to the left for the “before” images.

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