Chelle in Hamburg: We can do it ourselves...not!!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

We can do it ourselves...not!!

We need a carpet in our bedroom its too cold for the wood floors especially in winter and the rug we have now isn't serving its purpose, especially with the bloody dog jumping in and out the bed every night, I should just kick him out but he whines outside our bedroom door, our fault really we spoilt him...

Anywho on out trip to the old lady who passed on was an old carpet hubby thought we could use, I hated it as it reeked of smoke and was all dirty, it was cream one day when it was new, who buys a cream carpet anyways..Oh well it was dumped on the balcony for a month and it got wet in the Autumn rain...no surprise so I told hubby to throw it out, we are never going to put it in the house...he said lets get it washed maybe we could use it...I should have just said no...but I thought I would humor him...why I don't know....

We called up some cleaning companies 10 euros a square meter they said, we thought oh well lets wash it ourselves....so off we went to Max Bahr and rented a carpet cleaning hoover...the man in the store showed us how much water and cleaning product to put in and we thought piece of cake...we bring the contraption home and put it to use. Hubby thought the liquid would work miracles, we ended up with a grey and even worse looking carpet...oh man I thought, we should have just given it to the cleaning company. Hubby said lets leave it overnight to dry out and see how it looks.

I woke up this morning the carpet had dried some but was still dirty. I thought let me try something so I spent an hour with hot water, washing powder and a brush and scrubbed the bloody carpet, hubby used the hoover to suck up the excess water and the carpet now looks less dirty but nowhere near what it looked new. Oh well its drying out now and I have sore shoulders.for the effort..Tonight I better keep some pain killers close by...I think I may need them.

The carpet still looks disgusting and is still grey and dirty looking, even after all the bloody scrubbing...lets see how it looks after its dried out completely it smells like wet dog in here. I need to put some carpet deo, and hoover it again after its completely dried...That old women smoked like a chimney..I should really buy a new carpet, only thing is, do I need to spend 200 euros for something under the bed?

Well we found out one thing though, we can wash our own carpets for 10 Euros that's how much the hoover costs to rent for 24 hours, 80 euros deposit from Max Bahr and 14 euros for the cleaning liquid..who knew...I will give you all one piece of advise...if the carpet is really dirty get a cleaning company to do it...even if it not dirty get a cleaning company to do it.... seriously not worth the time and effort. the little carpet in the entrance was better to clean as it was not so dirty but still not worth the effort....

On that note, till next time
Tchuss!!

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Recipes

I will be updating the recipes section everyday for tips or stuff I cook...enjoy

http://eating.health.com/2009/09/16/healthy-cooking-on-the-cheap-spinach-turkey-burgers/

http://slideshows.health.com/slide_shows/10618/slides/12941

Shepard’s Pie (with a touch of Anglo Indian)

500 gms ground beef (mince)

1 packet frozen green peas or carrots

4 large potatoes boiled

½ teaspoon garam masala

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon cumin powder

¼ teaspoon red chillie powder

4 garlic cloves minced

1 small piece of ginger minced

1 large onion minced

2 large tomatoes

1 teaspoon tomato paste

Salt to taste

Bristo gravy mix or use Maggie beef bullion

Oil

Method

Fry the onion, garlic and ginger till onions are slightly brown

Fry Beef mince

Add all the spices and brown well (don’t let the beef look boiled)

Add tomatoes and paste and cook for another few minutes till tomatoes have dissolved into the mince, ie no pieces left;

Add frozen peas and cook for another 5 mins

Add water and bristo gravy granuales as per packet to form thick gravy.

Potatoes after being boiled, mash with a little butter and milk and salt and sit aside

When the mince has been cooked and the gravy thick let it cool before adding the mashed potatoes. Put pie in the oven till the potatoes are slightly golden and serve.

Chicken tikka Masala

4 chicken breast cut into cubes

4 large tomatoes

1 large onion

4 cloves garlic

1 piece of ginger

2 tablespoons of ground almonds

2 tablespoons of fresh thick cream

1 tablespoon of butter chicken masala. (Indian stores have them pre packed)

2 tablespoons of butter or as needed.

Yogurt

Salt to taste

Method.

Marinate the chicken cubes in yogurt, 1 table spoon butter chicken masala and salt overnight in the fridge

Fry the chicken in butter or ghee with a little oil (my tip if you add oil to butter it will not burn) set aside

In a blender, add onion, garlic and ginger and form a paste

Fry the paste with the butter mixed with oil. For 5 minutes or till cooked.

Add the butter chicken masala and fry till cooked

Add tomatoes that you have also blended in the mixer

(My tip for the red colour I use tomato paste)

And cook till it forms a thick gravy

Add almond powder

Salt

Add the cooked Chicken and let simmer

Just before you remove from the fire add the cream and stir

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves

Serve with white rice or naan.

Madras Chicken Curry

4 chicken breast cut into cubes

2 large tomatoes

1 large onion

4 cloves garlic

1 piece of ginger

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1 tin coconut milk

1 tablespoon Madras curry powder or to taste I use a little more (Its called Madras Curry powder found in Indian spice shops)

½ teaspoon chilli powder

¼ teaspoon cumin ground

Oil

Salt to taste

Method.

In a blender, add onion, garlic and ginger and form a paste

Fry the paste in oil. For 5 minutes or till cooked.

Add chicken and cook till chicken is white

Add Madras curry powder, cumin, chillie powder cook for 5 more minutes.

Add tomatoes that you have also blended in the mixer

Tomato paste

Add coconut milk

Water as needed.

Salt

And cook till it forms a thick gravy

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves

Serve with white rice.

Chicken in butter milk

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces or you can use thigh and leg cuts

½ litre butter milk

2 cloves garlic minced/grated

½ teaspoon chillie powder

Salt to taste

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Combine all the above and marinate in the fridge over night

In a plastic food/freezer bag add

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon chillie powder

Put marinated chicken one piece at a time and shake the bag till chicken is coated.

Cook in oven till chicken is crisp and golden.

Pumpkin soup

500 gms Pumpkin orange/squash type cut into cubes

¼ teaspoon of rosemary dried

2 bay leaves

Coriander leaves fresh

1 Chicken stock cube or you could use veggie stock cubes

Water 2 cups

Black pepper

A pinch of nutmeg ground (nutmeg if over used gives the soup a bitter taste, so use only a pinch)

¼ cup Coconut milk or to taste.

Method: Place pumpkin, bay leaf, rosemary and stock into a saucepan and boil, when pumpkin is cooked add coriander leaves and let cool. Remove and discard bayleaf

Puree the Pumpkin in a blender and return to pan and let simmer, add black pepper, dash of nutmeg and coconut milk and serve.

Leg of Lamb in White wine and orange juice

1/2 cup orange juice (fresh)

1 cup white wine

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

ground black pepper to taste

1 (6 pound) bone-in leg of lamb, trimmed

salt and black pepper

Place orange juice, white wine, olive oil, garlic, fresh thyme and rosemary, and pepper into a blender; mix. Pour into a large, resealable oven bag, and add the lamb. Coat meat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Remove the lamb from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before roasting.

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Arrange meat still in the oven bag. Roast for 30 minutes, and then reduce heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Roast until meat is cooked about 10 to 12 minutes per pound. Remove from oven, Take meat out the oven bag and let cook till golden on the surface.

Use marinade and drippings as sauce adding flour when needed.

Easy Turkey and Mushroom recipe

500 gms Turkey white meat cut in cubes

1 tin sliced mushroom or 200 gms fresh mushrooms sliced

1 packet Maggie Waldpilz (Forest mushroom) cream soup mix

*(Cream of mushroom in a tin also works, use the condensed type)

1 cup milk or 2 teaspoons thick cream.

Water

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 small onion chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

Olive oil or butter

Method:

Fry onions and garlic till translucent, add turkey and brown,

Mix soup in water and milk/cream as per package instructions in a separate saucepan and cook.

Add pepper, mushroom soup and sliced mushrooms to the turkey and bring to a simmer serve with either white rice or pasta.

(I use 1 chicken stock cube as well for added flavour)

* Skip the milk and add one cup water instead to the condensed soup.

Shrimp in Angel hair pasta (I used spaghetti)

Ingredients

12 ounces angel hair pasta or spaghetti (3/4 of a box)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp

3/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons butter

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute (do not let it brown).

Add the shrimp, wine, red pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt. Simmer until the shrimp are opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the butter. Toss the pasta with the shrimp mixture.

Chelle in Hamburg

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

We can do it ourselves...not!!

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