Mexicali Quinoa with Smoked Paprika and Jalapeno Baked Sausages

This meal was inspired by the Mexicali Quinoa recipe from "The Sexy Vegan Cookbook" by Brian L. Patton.

The sauce for the sausages I made up on the spot.  I whizzed up half a jar of red jalapenos and 2-4 tsp of smoked paprika with 1 tsp of tomato puree and a glug of water then spread over the sausages in an ovenproof dish and baked for 20 minuets.

In hindsight I may have out too many jalapenos in as it blew our faces off but it worked well with the fresh flavours from the Mexicali Quinoa.

Yesterday...

...was such a lovely day. For once I had a Bank Holiday off work and I actually relaxed.

I watched every episode of Sophie Dahl's new TV show whilst the rain beat down outside.
I had been longing for a day at home wrapped up in a big jumper while it rained and finally I got it.

Once the rain had cleared up a bit, I ventured out to buy food.

Along my way I saw something beautiful...

...and something funny...

I also found an amazing book, just the sort of faith restorer I needed to remind me I am not just a stressed girl in a suit. It's called "The Thrift Book: How to Live Well and Spend Less" by India Knight and (I've not gotten too far through it yet) it's fantastic.

Dominknitrix

This post is mainly dedicated to this book...

...which my Mum bought for me the Christmas before last and sadly I still haven't gotten around to knitting any of the patterns out of it, so I have made a promise to myself that the next knitting project I start will be from this book.

Whilst searching for the picture I came across a few other knitting books I would love to own...

That one could be interesting hehe!

Not much else to share today as I have been frantically knitting, but I did cook a massive Vegetable Pie...

... and Minni spent all evening looking like she was playing dead while she was asleep

Going Home

Over the past few weeks I have really grown to see the truth behind "the longer you spend away from home, the better it feels when you go back."

It was so nice to go home, after having not been there for a while, tonight and have my Mum's lovely cooking again.



Today has been a good day all round, good luck seems to be finding me as apposed to bad luck for a change.



As I have no more work as of yet to share with you yet (still getting back into the swing of things since Christmas) I shall leave you with a book recommendation, any Marien Keys books I keep getting lost in my current one :) and a found picture:

Where I want to be, as it is too cold!