Lamb Chop Lamb Chop Lamb Chop

My sister and I had a foolproof way of weeding out the truth from each other. You had to look into the other's eyes and say "Lamb Chop, Lamb Chop, Lamb Chop".

So it wasn't completely foolproof, but it did create a lot of laughs - if not the truth. So much of life is about creating happy memories, and I am blessed to have many.

Another lesson which I also learnt, a more reliable one, from my parents, "Waste not, Want not". There is nothing wrong with using everything you have to enjoy your life, but wasting is never something to be admired. This was a trait which I found very attractive in my husband.

So in the life of a spend thrift, I would like to share a simple lamb recipe. I have used the chump chop, which is a relatively cheap cut but is bursting with flavour.

Thrifty Lamb Chop

750g Lamb Chops
30ml Chopped Mint
30ml Crushed Garlic
30ml Lemon Juice
15ml Finely chopped Lemon Zest
10ml Runny Honey
90ml Olive Oil
Salt and Black Pepper

Mix all the ingredients together in a Ziplock bag and marinade for 2-4 hours.
Remove from the marinade and either grill or braai  (BBQ) over high heat.
Enjoy with a green salad or roasted vegetables.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

How long does it take to write a blog post? A life time. This is one of those posts that has taken a lifetime of experience to write.

This isn't going to be extremely profound, but these are things I have to write about because if I don't write it down, I might lose it forever.

My New Year resolutions don't matter to me anymore. I have found myself constantly writing down things to be grateful for, least I forget how lucky I really am. I speak freely about my circumstances and have found a strengthening of my Faith. But all this certainly doesn't made me brave. It just means like you, I woke up this morning and went through the usual rituals (albeit slower than before) and life carried on.

The first lesson I learnt this year is, "Not to Sweat the Small Stuff", there really is no time to waste. Life is so short and what you think is so important a this exact moment, might be the last thought or deed you share with a particular person.

How terrible to live with your last conversation being about how much leaving the toilet seat up irritates you. There is a limited amount of time you have to be with the ones you love,  don't spend them pointing out how short they fall of your expectations. I challenge you to re-evaluate your expectations and weigh them up against the chance it might be the last thing you say.

I am not advocating not standing up for what you really believe, but the trivia of life consumes us so much,we miss out on enjoying a person for who they truly are. If that person makes your life unbearable, perhaps you should detox and detach. I have done that, the freedom in a minimalist approach to friends is liberating.

So there you have my first in "Truths I have learnt in Life". I hope someone will think twice before they speak and save themselves the guilt that could have been changed to joy in a blink of an eye.

Real Joy. Here is boy who never saw his dreams come true.                      Picture Huntshots

A Loss at Homemade Heaven

Homemade Heaven lost it's biggest fan and editor my husband Keith. On the 7th of January the man who believed anything was possible, died tragically in in a car crash - together with the newest addition to our family, my son Nordin.

I too was injured in the crash and am now not mobile for a while. But this won't stop me from showing just how much I had learnt about perseverance from Keith. I now do "Cooking with Crutches" or "Meals on Wheechairs".

Apologies for the photo quality and styling and any spelling mistakes. It's not always that easy with one hand or from the seated position or with my terrible grammar, but I will try to keep everyone out there full of lovely meals.

Thank you for those who have followed all the progress over the all the years and I look forward to sharing this new chapter of my life.