Scatterday Challenge for September - Food Mosaic

Scatterday Challenge for September - Food #3

We had a big morning tea / lunch with friends one day last week, and I made pizzas - Weight Watchers pizzas. They looked wicked - but weren't!

Tomato and Cottage Cheese Pizza

Serves 6 - Points value per serve 2 1/2

Ingredients:

Cooking oil spray

2 Lebanese bread

2 tablespoons bought basil pesto

3 tomatoes, thickly sliced

12 drained, pitted green olives, halved

30g grated mozzarella cheese

250g Weight Watchers Cottage Cheese

12 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degreec C.

Coat 2 oven trays with cooking oil spray.

Place bread on prepared trays and spread with pesto.

Arrange tomatoes and olives over each base.

Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

(I also sprinkled oregano on top)

Bake in oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden.

Dollop with cottage cheese and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Cut into wedges to serve.

Email friends - are they always who they say they are?

Have you ever had an email conversation with someone you've never met, and formed an idea of what they're like -

- then been let down by the reality....?

Not yet!

I had exchanged emails with writer, Bridget McKern, one of The Writers' Dozen, several times before finally being introduced to her by my son at the "Better Than Chocolate" launch, and I have to tell you she is everything her beautiful blog promised she would be - warm, intelligent, sensitive and gracious.

A September Garden

Not mine this time, but some brilliant spring colour I captured on camera in my parents' garden on the weekend. Oh, I do love this time of the year!

What's better than chocolate?

Reading, of course!

Those of us who tonight attended the launch of an enticing new collection of writings by The Writers' Dozen - "Better Than Chocolate" - were the converted, lovers of words and fully acquainted with the wonderful power of books to sweep us up and take us to worlds crafted by others' imaginations.

We know that reading can be as delicious and seductive a pleasure as chocolates!

But millions of children around the world know neither of these treats.


The 13 writers who make up The Writers' Dozen meet fortnightly at the NSW Writers' Centre in Sydney's Rozelle, and have published this anthology of poetry and short stories (both 'light' and 'dark') to help Room to Read with its mission to provide underprivileged children with an opportunity to gain the lifelong gift of education.

Since it was established by former Microsoft executive John Wood in 1999, throughout the developing world Room to Read has:

- built over 400 schools
- established over 5000 libraries
- published more than 200 local-language children's books
- donated over 2 million English language children's books
- established over 150 computer and language labs
- funded over 4000 long-term girls' scholarships

If the readings given by three of the writers at the launch are any indication, there is something here for all tastes. Humour, suspense, poetry - even the supernatural.

In their own words, a "magical mix of memoir and imagination" and "a collection of deftly crafted tales that mirror the facts and fantasies of the circle of life".

"Better Than Chocolate" is no-calorie, no-GI, and non-fattening, and the good feeling that comes with purchasing one - or several! - will stay with you because you'll not only be indulging your passion, but helping a child discover it too.

Scatterday Challenge for September - Food #2

My darling daughter had a birthday yesterday, and here's the cake we enjoyed at our family birthday dinner - in all its sparkling splendour!

Ever held $100,000,000,000 in the palm of your hand?

- and it's worth HOW MUCH?!?!?!?

One Australian dollar.