WCW- One Pot Lamb Biryani

Sometimes you need a quick and easy dinner to feed the troops, and I have the solution! This Lamb Biryani is full of flavour with tender chunks of lamb, pops of sweetness from the raisins and a delicious warming spice. 

The onions smell delicious when you cook them- all the butter and spices make my kitchen smell amazing.



Once everything is simmering, you can leave it for twenty minutes to cook and it only uses one pan for everything so there is minimal washing up.



I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does!

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One Pot Lamb Biryani

by April-27-2016

An easy one-pot meal

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plain yoghurt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• to taste salt and pepper
• 500 grams boneless lamb, diced
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Moroccan seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups white rice
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup frozen spinach
• 1/3 cup raisins

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt with the cayenne, cumin, black pepper, and salt. Stir in the lamb.In a large saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the Moroccan seasoning, cinnamon and rice. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.Add the lamb mixture to the pan. Stir in the stock, water, spinach and raisins. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer until the rice and lamb are almost done, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let stand, covered, until the rice and lamb are just done, about 5 minutes.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 45 mins Yield:

Mother's Day Gift Guide

Mother's Day is coming up, and I am excited to share some ideas with you today for a gift that will show your mum how much you appreciate her- or if you are a mother you may want to treat yourself to one of these!

The Gardener Mum
Why not put her green thumb on display with this beautiful rose necklace from Whitehot Jewellery? Available in silver, gold or even with a teardrop accent added on, this necklace is dainty enough to be worn everyday.

Silver Rose Necklace

The Bookworm Mum
A good book is always appreciated, and this new novel by Bill Clegg is a real page-turner. Even before being published, it appeared on the longlist for this year's Man Booker Prize, and the subject, although grim, explores the bond that is family.

Did You Ever Have a Family

The Fashion-Forward Mum
This gorgeous tote bag is sure to get admiring glances, and will go with everything!

Ooh La La Graphic Floral Top Tote

The Coffee-Drinking Mum (isn't this all of us?)

A perfect coffee in under a minute can be yours with the Nescafe Genio Coffee Machine. I have one of these and enjoy the Americano pods or the Chai Tea Lattes, yum! If you purchase this machine and use the coupon code NDGMUMSGENIO you can also get 20 boxes of capsules for free!

Genio 2 Black Coffee Machine

The Crafty Mum
A card kit is always good for those mums who want to get some craft time in but may not have a couple of hours to come up with ideas. This kit gives you all the embellishments, cards bases and even the envelopes to create 10 cards.

Beautiful Blossoms Card Kit

The New Mum
Winter is coming, and the night wake-us can be rough for a new mum, especially when she is sitting up for an hour or so to feed, change and comfort the newborn. A fabulous dressing gown that can also be worn during the day is a great idea to make new mums feel a bit more glamorous.

Spot Cuddle Gown

The Movie Buff Mum
The Dressmaker is a great Australian based movie that was just released on DVD on Wednesday, so this movie should be something new for your mum to enjoy! With fashion, man-candy and a fabulous storyline, this is a perfect chick flick to watch with your mum over a glass of wine.

The Dressmaker DVD

Which gift do you think your mum would most like to receive- or are any of these on your Mother's Day wishlist?

WCW- Gluten Free Chocolate Peppermint Slice

Hi fellow foodies! This week I am starting to share my recipes with you as a printable format, so I would love your feedback on the new feature.

This gluten free Chocolate Peppermint Slice is a delicious alternative for those who cannot have a traditional biscuit base. however, it tastes so good that no-one will know it is gluten free!

Please make sure your cocoa powder, cooking chocolate and icing sugar are gluten free varieties. The biscuits I use for this base are Leda Arrowroot Biscuits.

You start by melting the butter and sweetened condensed milk together, then adding the other ingredients apart from the cooking chocolate and pressing this into a slice tray. Refrigerate for at east two hours. This base is very dark, rich and fudgy.



When it is set pour the chocolate over top and place in the fridge for a further hour.



Look at how rich and gooey this slice is!



This slice is great for a 3pm pick-me-up with a coffee, or a decedent after dinner treat.

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Gluten Free Chocolate Peppermint Slice

by Lauren Moore April-20-2016

A gluten free fudgy treat!

Ingredients

• 100 grams butter
• 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 205 grams gluten free plain biscuits, crushed
• 1 cup coconut
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 200 grams dark cooking chocolate

Instructions

Melt the butter and sweetened condensed milk together in the microwave for 2 minutes until thickened and bubbly.Add the crushed biscuits, coconut, cocoa icing sugar and essences to the melted butter mixture.Press into a pan and leave in the fridge to set for at least two hours.Melt the cooking chocolate and pour over the slice. Refrigerate for a further hour then cut into 16 pieces.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: Total time: 10 mins Yield: 16 pieces

Six Ways with Statement necklaces

Autumn usually finds me in plain layers, and so the best way for me to add interest to an outfit is with a statement necklace.

Statment necklaces are fabulous for anchoring an outfit, pinning down billowy fabric and allowing the eye to focus on a certain point in your outfit. With a statement necklace, you can draw attention to parts of the body you like, and take attention away from the parts you aren't as fond of!

Lets begin with the Chevron necklace, a great silver piece that goes with most things in my wardrobe! A plain gold or silver statement necklace is a must have in your autumn wardrobe.

Here I have paired the Chevron necklace with a striped sweater, black jeans and grey boots. You can see how it instantly creates a focal point to my outfit and ties the shades of grey together.



The Chevron necklace is also stunning with a monochromatic colour scheme. This statement piece helps my outfit to look finished and also provides an extra layer of interest without being too busy.



A coloured statement necklace also does wonders to bring a smile to my face! The 5 Strand Jewel Tone necklace is certainly a show-stopper, and takes my tonal outfit from drab to fab with the addition of extra colour and interest.



It works well with strong colours like the green above, and this purple top. Paired with neutrals, it really holds its own, but would also look fabolous with a patterned top or dress in complimentary colours.



The same coloured top and statement necklace can also work well together if there is a contrast in texture or some feature piece to stand out within the necklace. Here, the Red and Black Cross necklace can be paired with a red top, as the mix of red and grey beads allows the eye to be drawn down to the cross pendant at the bottom. I must admit, this is one of my favourite necklaces to wear with red or black! It also draws the eye down to a great pair of shoes, an interesting belt or some textured pants if you need a secondary feature piece.



I am still getting days of sunshine this early ion May, which has been a great excuse to get my shorts out! A choker-style chunky necklace is a great addition to a wardrobe where you will be wearing plain long sleeved tops with a shorter hem, as it keeps the look balanced. This Fireball and Pearls necklace looks stunning with bold colours, greys and creams, and would be great for an evening out.



As you can see, plain coloured tops get a new lease of life when paired with an eye-catching necklace. Next week, I will be sharing some ways on how to wear statement necklaces with scarves as the weather gets cooler.

I would love to know which necklace is your favourite!

Disclaimer: I was gifted these pieces, however all opinions are my own and I only share products I love with you!

Getting my Jam on

Jamberry Nails were recently introduced to Australia and New Zealand, and to say I was excited would be an understatement. I have been using these for a couple of years thanks to a friend in America, so I couldn't wait to see them distributed locally.

If you haven't heard of Jamberry nails, they are nail wraps are made with durable materials, so smudges and streaks are never an issue, and can last for up to two weeks on fingernails and four weeks on toes. With over 300 nail wraps in an incredible variety of designs, you can customize, pair, and layer Jamberry nail wraps to create a look that’s all your own—all from the comfort of your home.

This is a great thing for me as a SAHM- with a limited budget and even more limited time to visit a nail salon, getting pretty fingers at home sounds wonderful.

I must admit, it did take me a few tries to get comfortable with applying these nails. I have quite slim nails, and I discovered that I need to order the Junior size or trim the adult ones down the side in order to get a great fit.

I love that I can now theme my nails to events such as my son's cow print themed birthday party,



or even have a nail wrap that matches my scrapbooking hobby,



plus celebrate holidays such as St Patricks Day with my nails!



These nails are very hardworking- I would chip my polish after one load of dishes but as you can see, these stayed put through multiple loads.



Once you have the hang of the nail wraps, you should have them last two weeks on your nails. I have had some last longer, which has been great, and best of all I am not constantly re-applying polish.

There are Style Exclusive wraps each month (I am wearing the March style below) and a variety of finishes such as clear, glitter, matte and shine. As you can see, I have gotten better at application as time has gone on and I have practiced with a technique that works for me.



You can also use them as accent nails in conjunction with polish- here I have a wrap on my thumbnail then matching polish on the others. Jamberry has a range of nail lacquers that pair perfectly with their designs.

Here are some of the nails that are on my wishlist currently- I would love your help in deciding which  one to get next!



If you would like to try Jamberry nails for yourself, you can find a consultant or get in touch with my local consultant.

WCW- Rhubarb Berry Biscuits

I wanted to make some mini biscuits for school lunches, and I had some delicious rhubarb syrup in my pantry. The idea came about to ice the biscuits with a rhubarb syrup icing for extra flavour!

I have used a standard strawberry jam for this recipe, but feel free to use any berry flavour you would like for these biscuits.

Rhubarb Berry Biscuits

125g butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Icing
1 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup Barkers Squeezed Rhubarb with Raspberry and Rosehip Syrup
1 tablespoon hot water

Filling
1/4 cup Raspberry Jam

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Add the flour, baking powder and cinnamon and bring together to form a dough. Roll out on a floured surface and cut small circle rounds.



Arrange circles on a prepared baking tray and bake at 180 degrees C for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

To make the icing, mix together the syrup, icing sugar and hot water until it is a spreadable consistency but not too runny.

When the biscuits are cool, spread raspberry jam on the bottom of one biscuit, then place another biscuit on top of the jam. Spread a thick layer of the icing on the top biscuit.



These are a great size for lunchboxes or to have with a cup of tea.



As you can see, my kids approved!