Flirting with Thirty

Uh-oh, we're in trouble, thirty's come along and its burst my bubble...Yes, alas, it is true - my tantalizingly tasty days are getting shorter and I have begun the inevitable dance with a new era. I know it is still early days and that there are many a devishly delishious morsel to be gobbled from now until the final slice of cake next May, but, truth be told (I guess this is the curse and the blessing of being all growed up) I have started to take responsibility for myself, my life, my actions, and even my noms (I say this having lost a good 6.6kg's over the last couple of months through healthy eating (aaaargh - never thought I would utter those cursed words), rigorous exercise (at the gym nogal - a place of stereotypical stupidity and my-muscles-are-bigger-than-your-biseps-ipidity), and a food diary complete with pritty pitcha's of all the amazing noms that have passed my lips through numerous meal times. Somewhere in all of this 'getting bigger' (emotionally not waist-bandlly) I have somehow morphed into the very picture of organisation - planning everything weeks in advance, packing meals the night before instead of grabbing a prawn and mango salad from my nearest woolworths, booking play dates with my girls (a new and exciting bonus of this aging thing), and even organising important events and holidays a reasonable time in advance to avoid the disappointment (???). Talk about living by the recipe!!! Oh well - it has been kinda fun regardless and now, with a Thailand and Malaysian holiday all organised, booked, and paid for in November to look forward to, Christmas pretty done and dusted (with icing sugar of course), and my next few weekends choc(mmmmm)-a-block with various girly activities, dinner parties, and hunkalicious boyfriend time all neatly packaged - I move onto the planning of my Thirtieth birthday party...what to do, what to do....

Ultimately I guess this is all akin to the girly flirtations of one's teenage years - the excitement and exhilaration that comes with stolen glances at the guy in the biker jacket across the bar, the innocent flirtations - flips of the hair, high pitched giggles, gentle shoves just to feel the hard muscle beneath all the leather, first dates with wine tinted glasses and giddy happiness, and before you know it you are married to the bastard and there is sweet-fudge-all you can do about it...so yes, on the 15th of May 2012 I will be stuck with my dreaded number 30, but hopefully before then I can flirt with the idea, embrace the changes, put on a pair of adult tinted glasses and try them on for size, carry on giving this organisation thing a bash until I find it fits...and with that in mind...what the hell am I going to be doing for my party???

Party people in da house tonight...

Crustless Quiche Recipe

Broccoli, Carrot, and Spinach crutless quiche.

I have spent years...ok maybe just 3 or 4 attempts...at perfecting this deliciously decadent crustless quiche recipe given to me by my mom and I must say that I think I have created something of a tasterpiece!!!

Feel free to substitute the veggies as you see fit but keep the base ingredients as this is what gives it its decadence and makes it less of a diet meal and more of a treat for both you and your hips.

Serves: 4
Calories: 254 per serving 
 
Ingredients:
2 x Large free range eggs
1 x cup fat free or skim milk
2 x TBSP plain flour
1 x cup grated cheddar cheese (I always use a reduced fat version)
1 x cup chopped broccoli
1 x large onion (finely chopped)
1 x leek (finely chopped)
1 x cup grated carrots
1 x cup baby spinach (chopped)
3 x cloves garlic (finely chopped)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees
2) In a little olive oil, fry the onions, leeks, and garlic until slightly soft
3) Add carrots and spinach and fry for another minute or two
4) Add the broccoli, mix well, and fry for a further minute or two (I leave the broccoli till last so that there is still a slight bit of texture in the finished product)
5) Season with salt and black pepper to taste
6) Mix all ingredients in a large bowl (including milk, eggs, cheese, flour)
7) Season the mixture again to taste
8) Transfer mixture to a baking dish or quiche dish and bake in the oven for 35 - 45 minutes until golden brown on top (a fork should come out clean)