It's been a crazy few months and I've been MIA - a terrible blogger!
I've started uni, we've travelled back to the East coast for a visit and we've had the usual at home with the kids, dog, house etc etc. I know its all very unique to us and not what anybody else goes through. (ha).
In amongst all the usual I have done lots of baking, so I'll get recipes up soon - as usual dairy and egg free for the little lad but very tasty too!
Be back soon...really soon!!!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Vanilla Cupcakes
Who said egg and dairy free cooking has to taste less than great, or look less than great for that matter!
This recipe can be made with eggs/dairy or without using a dairy free marg and rice milk and the Orgran 'no egg replacer'.
Ingredients:
125gms butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups SR flour
1/2 cup milk
1. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric beater until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until just combined.
2. Fold in the flour and milk gently until mixture is smooth, spoon the mixture into paper lined muffin pans.
3. Bake in a moderate oven for 15-20mins until cooked and golden.
Icing
For a dairy free icing I mix icing sugar mixture with dairy free marg and a bit of vanilla or rice milk - mix butter/marg with electric mixer until pale and slowly add the sugar for a 'fluffy' icing, beat for a couple of mins after you mix it all together. You can then add some melted dairy free choc, cocoa powder or peanut butter for a bit of flavour.
This recipe can be made with eggs/dairy or without using a dairy free marg and rice milk and the Orgran 'no egg replacer'.
Ingredients:
125gms butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups SR flour
1/2 cup milk
1. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric beater until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until just combined.
2. Fold in the flour and milk gently until mixture is smooth, spoon the mixture into paper lined muffin pans.
3. Bake in a moderate oven for 15-20mins until cooked and golden.
Icing
For a dairy free icing I mix icing sugar mixture with dairy free marg and a bit of vanilla or rice milk - mix butter/marg with electric mixer until pale and slowly add the sugar for a 'fluffy' icing, beat for a couple of mins after you mix it all together. You can then add some melted dairy free choc, cocoa powder or peanut butter for a bit of flavour.
Good Food and Wine Festival
The weekend just passed Chris and I were both recovering from a weird virus which had left us with headaches and nausea and we were coming off the back of 3 weeks of doing virtually nothing with the boys due to them being sick. With the Good Food and Wine Festival on in Perth I thought it was a nice opportunity to head on the train into the city...it turned out a massive fail but we made something of it.
We took the train after Master 4's swimming lesson - it was a lovely train trip and quite quick. We got there and as soon as we got into the stuffy and food and wine smelling convention centre Master 4 got instantly restless and pale. Master 1 was crabby and not going to sleep. We made the decision to split up, the 2 big boys heading home and the little one hopefully napping in the pram whilst I explored. I quickly changed my decision and leapt after Chris - meeting him outside with a vomitting Master 4! The shows! Courageously Chris took the kids by himself back on the train and home and I headed back into my mother ship, aka the food and wine festival.
Whilst I felt guilty at first I quickly warmed to the surroundings - tasting bits of freshly made fudge, malaysian (meeting Alvin from Masterchef), watching a masterclass hosted by Matt Moran and tasting yummy chocolate, wine and so much more. If its on in your city and you love to know more about the origina of foods and tasting different things then its definitely worth an outting. I even got my Matt Moran cookbook signed by the author himself...
We took the train after Master 4's swimming lesson - it was a lovely train trip and quite quick. We got there and as soon as we got into the stuffy and food and wine smelling convention centre Master 4 got instantly restless and pale. Master 1 was crabby and not going to sleep. We made the decision to split up, the 2 big boys heading home and the little one hopefully napping in the pram whilst I explored. I quickly changed my decision and leapt after Chris - meeting him outside with a vomitting Master 4! The shows! Courageously Chris took the kids by himself back on the train and home and I headed back into my mother ship, aka the food and wine festival.
Whilst I felt guilty at first I quickly warmed to the surroundings - tasting bits of freshly made fudge, malaysian (meeting Alvin from Masterchef), watching a masterclass hosted by Matt Moran and tasting yummy chocolate, wine and so much more. If its on in your city and you love to know more about the origina of foods and tasting different things then its definitely worth an outting. I even got my Matt Moran cookbook signed by the author himself...
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Playdough
I love getting in the kitchen and this morning I was marvelling over just how many things you can create with 1 packet of flour. I think the 3kg of flour was around $3.70 and with that 1 packet I have made 6 bread rolls to have with soup, pastry to use with apple and rhubarb to make a pie and this morning some playdough and the packet is still going.
I've had this playdough recipe since before we got married, a family friend gave it to me at my kitchen tea. This morning was the first time I've used it...pretty bad considering we've been married 5 years.
Anyway, I made 2 batches, 1 yellow and 1 blue and I got a good 25 mins out of Master 1 which isn't bad considering he much prefers to terrorise and pull apart the house. Did you know if you don't have creme of tartar you can substitute it for white vinegar or lemon juice. I substituted it for lemon juice this morning and the result was perfect.
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The recipe is 1 cup of plain flour, 1/2 cup salt, 2 tablespoons creme of tartar, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon cooking oil and food colouring. I mixed the food colouring in with the water and oil and lemon juice (instead of creme of tartar) and then mixed the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients on medium heat on the stove. You just mix the ingredients together until the salt has disolved into the flour and the mixture becomes pileable a bit like playdough should, and then you are done. I then let cool and kneaded it a little before giving to the kids.
I've had this playdough recipe since before we got married, a family friend gave it to me at my kitchen tea. This morning was the first time I've used it...pretty bad considering we've been married 5 years.
Anyway, I made 2 batches, 1 yellow and 1 blue and I got a good 25 mins out of Master 1 which isn't bad considering he much prefers to terrorise and pull apart the house. Did you know if you don't have creme of tartar you can substitute it for white vinegar or lemon juice. I substituted it for lemon juice this morning and the result was perfect.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Mars Bar cheesecake
A Woman's weekly favourite and now a favourite in our house too!
Prep time: 30 mins (plus refridgeration time)
Cooking time: 5 mins
Ingredients:
250gm plain chocolate biscuits
150gm butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
20 gm butter, extra
300ml thickened cream
50gm milk chocolate, chopped finely
3 teaspoons gelatine
1/4 cup (60ml) water
2 x 250gm packes cream cheese
1/2 cup (110gm) caster sugar
3 x 60gm mars bars, chopped finely
1. Blend or process biscuits until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add butter; process until just combined. Using one hand, press biscuit mixture evenly over base and side of a 20cm sprinform tin, cover; refridgerate about 30 mins or until firm.
2. Meanwhile, combine brown sugar, extra butter and 2 tablespoons of the cream in small saucepan; stir over low heat, until sugar dissolves, to make butterscotch sauce.
3. Combine chocolate and another 2 tablespoons of the cream in another small saucepan; stir over low heat until chocolate melts.
4. Sprinkle gelatine over the water in small heatproof jug; stand jug in a small saucepan of simmering water. Stir until gelatine dissolves; cool 5 minutes.
5. Beat cheese and caster sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Beat remaining cream in small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Stir lightly warm gelatine mixture into cheese mixture with mars bars; fold in cream.
6. Pour half of the cheese mixture into prepared tin; drizzle half of the butterscotch and chocolate sauces over cheese mixture. Pull skewer backwards and forwards through mixture several times to create marbled effect. Repeat process with remaining cheese mixture and sauces. Cover cheesecake; refridgerate about 3 hours or until set.
SERVES 8
tips. Because of the long refridgeration time this recipe is a good one to prepare a day ahead.
You can melt the chocolate and cream in a microwave oven - cook on high for 1 min and stir twice while cooking.
Don't use the 'dessert' labelled cream cheese, it is too soft for this recipe and the cake won't set firmly.
Prep time: 30 mins (plus refridgeration time)
Cooking time: 5 mins
Ingredients:
250gm plain chocolate biscuits
150gm butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
20 gm butter, extra
300ml thickened cream
50gm milk chocolate, chopped finely
3 teaspoons gelatine
1/4 cup (60ml) water
2 x 250gm packes cream cheese
1/2 cup (110gm) caster sugar
3 x 60gm mars bars, chopped finely
1. Blend or process biscuits until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add butter; process until just combined. Using one hand, press biscuit mixture evenly over base and side of a 20cm sprinform tin, cover; refridgerate about 30 mins or until firm.
2. Meanwhile, combine brown sugar, extra butter and 2 tablespoons of the cream in small saucepan; stir over low heat, until sugar dissolves, to make butterscotch sauce.
3. Combine chocolate and another 2 tablespoons of the cream in another small saucepan; stir over low heat until chocolate melts.
4. Sprinkle gelatine over the water in small heatproof jug; stand jug in a small saucepan of simmering water. Stir until gelatine dissolves; cool 5 minutes.
5. Beat cheese and caster sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Beat remaining cream in small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Stir lightly warm gelatine mixture into cheese mixture with mars bars; fold in cream.
6. Pour half of the cheese mixture into prepared tin; drizzle half of the butterscotch and chocolate sauces over cheese mixture. Pull skewer backwards and forwards through mixture several times to create marbled effect. Repeat process with remaining cheese mixture and sauces. Cover cheesecake; refridgerate about 3 hours or until set.
SERVES 8
tips. Because of the long refridgeration time this recipe is a good one to prepare a day ahead.
You can melt the chocolate and cream in a microwave oven - cook on high for 1 min and stir twice while cooking.
Don't use the 'dessert' labelled cream cheese, it is too soft for this recipe and the cake won't set firmly.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Sticky walls
Finally the painting is finished. Thank goodness the inlaws booked their trip to visit otherwise I'm doubtful we would have gotten our butts into gear and completed the painting!
Now the walls are finished everything is going back to its much happier state, clean, tidy and organised.
So the wall stickers are going on. Our bedroom finally looks more lived in with the wall sticker and whilst it had some problems sticking (to what appears to be bad wall paint - not a wall we painted) it still looks great.
Now the walls are finished everything is going back to its much happier state, clean, tidy and organised.
So the wall stickers are going on. Our bedroom finally looks more lived in with the wall sticker and whilst it had some problems sticking (to what appears to be bad wall paint - not a wall we painted) it still looks great.
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