Sharing the Coveted Recipe--Italian Salad

Someone get me a crane! For heaven's sake, I need it! I sound like a dying moose every time I have to do anything slightly strenuous...and that means everything from getting out of bed to lifting my son. Yes...I made the mistake of getting on the scales the other day and looking at how much weight I'd gained since becoming pregnant 6 months ago, and almost broke the scales.
Is it going to stop me from baking? Not in your life. The baby calculator tells me I can safely put on another 10kg and I'm guessing I will. But it does feel rather unattractive. Thankfully I'm not an emotional eater. I'm just an emotional baker. And I tell you what, those pregnancy hormones have a way of making an emotional wreck out of this ship sometimes.
Anyway, my hormones are making me feel giving, so I'm going to pass on a coveted recipe of my mother's. Shh. Don't tell her! Its for salad, just so you know, I do eat other things besides sweets, in case you were wondering.
It's a divine Italian salad sporting all their favourites, from tomatoes to olives and cheese quite typically and without all the greens. I'm not usually into eating salads as a main, but I tell you, you'll want to with this one! You wont be able to stop!

ITALIAN SALAD

800g firm, ripe tomatoes, sliced into bite sized chunks
1/4 tsp sugar
125g garlic sausage, rinds removed and thickly sliced
60g black olives, halved and pitted
125g mozerella cheese, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp. french mustard
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley or basil

Put the chopped tomatoes in a large serving bowl and sprinkle with sugar. Cut each garlic sausage into small peices, ass to the bowl with the olives and cheese and stir gently to mix. In a seperate bowl whisk together the oil and lemon juice until thick, then whisk the mustard and salt and pepper into the dressing to taste. Pour this dressing over the tomato salad, add the onion and parsley and mix gently until the salad is thoroughly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired, then cover and chill until serving time.

Serves 6

NOTES: If preparing the salad ahead of time, do not add the dressing, onion and herbs until just before serving.

Porky at 24 weeks

The Way To A Man's Heart

They say food is the way to a man's heart. I think it definitely is, and the way to a woman's heart too. Any man that can cook a nice feed at the end of the day gets brownie points in my books, and lots of them.
But can food really make someone fall in love? I don't know if it can, to be honest, but it can make a man get down on one knee and propose.
Never! you say.
Well, I'm about to share a recipe that did. Every six months or so, I give away one of my secret recipes that I have always sworn is signature and not to be parted with. Anyway, I'm feeling generous today, and feel like sharing some humour as well. Be warned...this might be a love potion of sorts!
So, I used to work/supervise at a small cafe, the Marmalade Deli. Yes, it was just as quaint and pretty as its name, with pots and colanders hanging from the ceiling, polished wooden surfaces, adorable cakes for sale and floral tea towels. I felt this place was mine in many ways, and any one who entered it was entering my house. I put my heart and soul into creating gourmet food for my guests and took pride in whipping things out at top speed.
Anyway, every morning for several months, a troop of tradesmen would come in and order breakfast, sitting down together at the large wooden table that had become a centrepeice of the cafe. There was one guy, a big fellow, and I cant for the life of me remember his name--so he shall be Russel, because he looked like one.
He would grin, eyes sparkling, lean in close in and order, then say something cheeky to me just before he walked away. He became a bit of an embarrassment to me, and the other guys would always laugh at how red he made me turn. He ordered the same every day...Scrambled Eggs, extra bacon. Every day the same, every day a cheeky comment, and almost every time when he dropped the plate back at the counter he would tell me I made the "best eggs in the world".
One day I got up the nerve to be cheeky right back, and after a very cheeky comment from him, I had enough and told him I was engaged. I proudly flashed my ring in his face, and I still remember what he said. "Aw darling! Don't do this to me! I was getting up the courage to ask you--would you marry me? Marry me, and cook me those scrambled eggs for the rest of my life!"
Is there a deeper shade of red than scarlet? Crimson? Maroon!
Of course it was all in silliness, but forever more when he came in, he would give puppy dog eyes at me, order, and ask "Are you still going to marry him?"
He later disappeared and never came back, to my relief.
So, do you want to get a proposal out of you man? I'd say its worth a try!!

BEST EVER "SCRAMBLED" EGGS--THE SECRET RECIPE

2 eggs
a dash of cream (about 1/4 of a cup)
a dash of water (about 2 tbsp.)
a pinch of salt
a dash of pepper

Breaks eggs into a plastic measuring container. Add the dash of cream, water, and salt and pepper. Whisk vigorously until well combined and fluffy. Place the container in the microwave and set on high. Check every 30 seconds, gently turning the cooked egg and coating with the uncooked egg. Repeat until you have creamy, folded eggs. The success is in the folding, and not letting any part of the egg become dry and over cooked. Sounds too easy? It is. Best eggs ever.