Cook the Books - March

Week One:  Baking was required for the lunchboxes, this was a recipe my sister sent me - Milo Slice.  A very quick easy slice to prepare and cook, and as a bonus it didn't need icing - not that I have anything against icing, it just meant it was quicker and easier to prepare.

Verdict: Not overly sweet, you don't really taste the milo at all, chewy and crunchy - yes this will be made again, hopefully by one of the kids.

Week Two:  A recipe from a a website download,( though now I've lost the link) I thought I'd try for Miss B who is doing her Sugar free month (by this we basically mean no added sugar) - Banana Oat Bliss Balls - very quick and simple to make, all the ingredients were pantry staples.  A little sticky when rolling, but I think all bliss balls are.

Verdict:  They're nice, I didn't feel the need to eat more than one, however Miss B has been enjoying them as a sweet treat, and would make them again.

Week Three: After most of the month having rushed meals, and not always with everyone present, I decided that we were going to have a leisurely sit down at the table as a whole family and have a nice Dinner on Saturday night.  I had a Pork leg roast in the freezer, which was duly hauled out, skinned by the The Scout and plonked into the crockpot to make a slow cooked Tex Mex Pulled Pork.  The recipe is from Annabel Langbein's Winter  Goodness Annual, I had to adapt slightly as I didn't have a jar of chipotle peppers in adobo Sauce, so I used chopped capsicum and chipotle sauce.  The house smelt divine while this was cooking.  Half the cooked pork was frozen away and the remainder used for Pork and Black Bean Enchiladas - the recipe also from the same book.

Verdict:  Definitely a make again, nice to have some of the meat cooked and frozen ready for another meal too.  I just need to find chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for next time I make the recipe.

Week Four:  With half of the family suffering from autumnal colds, I thought a hearty one pot meal was called for.  Baked Risotto with Chorizo and Cherry Tomatoes. Containing onion,  garlic, chicken stock -  all the good things for colds, this is an old recipe from the Australian Woman's Weekly  dated 2009, that had been clipped and stuck into one of my notebooks.

Verdict:  Everyone liked this and as a bonus there was just enough left for me to take to work for lunch the next day.  Unfortunately it didn't prevent me from catching the cold germs!!

April brings Easter, a birthday and school holidays.  Hopefully yummy baking too.

Please feel free to link any Cook the Book endeavours in the linky below, I would love to see what new recipes you have been trying.