3 course meal

One of the "extra" items for the girls current St John's badge is to prepare and serve a 3 course meal. It's a bit more tricky for our girls as there are a few of us that are gluten free and then Asher and I are off even more foods.
The first thing she got working on was the gluten and dairy free lasagne.
I learned afterwards that a better way of describing this meal would be by calling it a Greek Moussaka. Either way -it's a big job meal.
The white sauce is made out of cashew nuts and a leek. Rachel had fun seasoning the mince as she always does. And then she fried up some zucchini for the "fake" lasagne sheets.
Creating the layers.
For the full recipe you can have a look here. It was such a success that she has made it again for us less than 2 weeks later. It's Brendon's new favourite meal.
Then it was time to get the desert made and into the fridge to cool.
She made dairy free chocolate mousse. The key ingredient was avocado. I had often heard about avocado chocolate mousse - so today was a good day to give it a try (avocados were on a great special this week).
Then last thing to get done was the starter - getting this done just before we were due to eat. So many good lessons learnt this afternoon. I was amazed at how quickly Rachel worked. Well done Rachel.
Starters was a delicious fresh tuna and avocado salad.

She set the table and served us too.
I just felt bad that there were no flowers in the garden for her to use.
She actually ended up making 5 courses as the main meal had 3 options. The above mentioned lasagne as well as a gluten mac and cheese and a gluten free mac and cheese. The lasagne was a bit rich for the children (other than Asher who loved it) so it was nice that they had something they enjoyed. It also meant more for Brendon, Asher and I. She made two big trays of it - so a few lunches were frozen and the 2nd big tray.
The desert was delicately pipped into the glass bowls and topped with berries.
Well done Rachel. A very successful meal.

The War Nurse

The War Nurse
By Rachel Buckland

Boom!!!!! The ground shook from the impact of the explosion. The air was filled with the deafening noise of guns, and blood chilling cries of the wounded and dying. I felt sick. I wanted to run and hide. To hide from the stench of death. To hide from the reality of war. But there was nowhere to hide. No matter where I went, I would be surrounded by death. I was trapped.

Why am I here? You might be wondering. Why am I in the middle of a war? The answer is simple, I am a nurse. When the war started I decided to train to become a nurse, then I would be able to help the wounded. Little did I know of the horror of war. I thought I was brave and strong. Now I know that I am not.

My days are spent scouring the battle field for wounded men who could be saved. I take them back to our makeshift hospital and do my best to help them. It is like nothing I could ever have imagined. I see men lying mutilated in there own blood. I sit with men who have been crushed, who have no hope left. I have heard men breath their last. Husbands, fathers, brothers, sons.

As I look upon young men lying dead, I think of the life they could have had. The life that has been stolen away from them. I think of their families back home. Did they have family waiting anxiously for them? Mothers, wives, children, sisters, sweethearts? I cry. I cry for those who have been lost. I cry for those who are still to die. And I cry for those left behind.