Cookies in a jar!

This was such a great idea: Cookies in a Jar!

I bought the 'cookies in a jar' from a fundraiser. All you need to do is ad some liquids, then bake...

Sooooooo yummy...buttery/sweet/chewy...

POPCORN!

There is nothing better than the smell of fresh popcorn..... except for eating it ;)

The most delightful morning tea!

What can possibly be better than a cup of tea in the sun with friends?....
answer: making it count for something!

I hosted an 'Australia's biggest morning tea' in my backyard earlier this year. We ended up raising over $200 for the cancer council which was a great success. Check out some of the deliciousness below:

                          

Thanks to everyone who came and enjoyed a cuppa and a special thanks to all who contributed baked goods. xoxo :)

Honey and lemon sticky fig crumble with creme fraiche

These figs were absolutely amazing! I must say I was pleasantly surprised with myself. I saw a similar recipe made by a contestant on masterchef and wanted to try something similar.
So when I was in Canberra visiting my family and it was a cold and windy winters days, my sister in law and I were at the grocery store. I offered to cook a three course meal that night, and this was the dessert I wanted to make. Seeing as she was paying ;) I loaded up the trolley with figs.
My brother and sister in law have a lemon tree with an abundance of lemons at home so I didn't need any lemons (limes would also work nicely). When you are baking these figs, just keep an eye on them. You want the crumble to be lightly browned and crunchy and the sauce to turn into a sticky-like syrup.

Anyway I will try and remember what I did:

Ingredients

For syrup:
6 figs cup in half
Juice of 2 lemons (or lime)
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cinnamon stick

For crumble:
1/4-1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4-1/2 cup butter Creme fraiche honey

Method
1: Melt butter, honey and cinnamon stick together over the stove. Once melted remove from heat, add lemon juice and vanilla essence.
2: Pour syrup over the figs in a baking tray (including cin stick).
3: Mix crumble ingredients together. Add more butter if needed. Sprinkle the crumble over the figs.
4: Bake at 180 degrees for 20-30 mins (maybe even 40mins, just see what you think).
5: Serve drizzled with creme fraiche (add honey to taste if desired).
6: Sit back with a cozy blanket on the couch and enjoy! Yumm

Mum's lemon meringue

Mum's lemon meringue: Can't beat em if you tried! Yummm

Sweet and sour Pork

So I was down at my local shops the other day and I saw all these women's weekly cook books on sale for $5 each!!! Crazy eh? So what did I do? I bought 4 of them! Anyway in the 'family favourites' one, I found this recipe.
I have never been a huge fan of the sweet and sour pork you get from dodgy chinese takeaway restaurants, it's just always so oily and feels so bad for you, not to mention the lack of vegetables.
Anyway I saw on master chef they had to make sweet and sour pork and it looked delicious done the right way so I wanted to give it a go. So I was extra happy when I saw this recipe in one of my new bargain books.
It was seriously delicious! The pork was crispy but also juicy and the flavours of the sauce are so lovely. I could really taste the sweet and sour for a change. I would really recommend you try making it at home one day. Its so much better than the $6.50 cheap takeaway from Mr Wong or Dragon fountain takeaway when you feel depressed and want to eat dodgy chinese (when else do you want to eat dodgy chinese?)
Seriously, try it!

Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch sauce and almond praline

oozy, buttery, caramely, sticky, YUMMY!!

If you want to impress someone, this is your dish!!

Lots of components? Yes, but worth it! This time I have uploaded the recipe so you have no excuse.

My tips:

Be careful with the sugar once it has melted and you are pouring it over the almonds. It is really hot!! I even have a large blister burn on my finger to prove it.

Don't over cook the almonds. I think I left mine for a minute too long and the praline would of tasted better if I hadn't over cooked them. Once they are slightly golden, take them off the heat.

When you are pouring the mixture into the moulds, don't be worried if it looks as watery as water. I thought the recipe must of been wrong because the mixture was not thick like a cake recipe or something like that. But Mum said puddings are generally like that and they turned out perfectly!

So get cracking people! or baking I should say! Only took an hour max to make this delicious desert. But then I guess there is the washing up. But don't let that turn you off. ENJOY!

VANUATU!

Just wanted to put up some pics from my time in Vanuatu...mostly food related..



ABOVE: just cooking chicken on the fire at our beach picnic..as you do



ABOVE: Local food lap lap: Ground manioc with chicken and coconut milk cooked underground in lap lap leaves..AMAZING!



This coconut crab was massive!! and a bit of a struggle to kill also! But sooo yummy..coconut flavoured crab meat..mmm

Meals in paradise..

So I was in Vanuatu visiting Dad and decided I would cook for them one night. I wanted to make the most of the amazing local produce so I went off to the local markets which are such a food cultural inspiring experience. Absolutely surrounded by amazing tropical fruit and veg, I couldn't go past the avocados as big as coconuts! Seriously they are HUGE, not to mention really cheap. So for entree I made guacamole with crispy garlic batar (french bread from local french patisserie).

Vanuatu has the most AMAZING organic beef in the world! It is so tender and juicy and flavoursome! Even Lily says it's the most amazing beef she has ever had! So I marinated it overnight in Soy sauce, garlic, olive oil and honey (local honey) which is my favourite steak marinade. I then did garlic beans and kumala (sweet potatoe) mash as sides. Simple yet exquisite. The beef is definitely the star of the show!

Then for dessert I did tropical fresh fruit salad, which I am not sure where the photo is.

Anyway try the steak marinade! Please! You will LOVE IT! and go to Vanuatu! It's incredible! and eat steak! and coconut crab!

CHUNKY BEEF PIE!!

oooooo yeah! Seriously what could be better than chunky beef pie!! SO EASY TO MAKE also!

I didn't use a recipe...So all I did was use frozen puff pastry and for the mixture I seared some chunky chuck steak with onions and herbs. Once it is browned pour in some beef stock, chopped mushrooms, salt and pepper, and simmer for an hour at least. Then I add some cornflour to thicken. SO quick and easy..and delicious! I also added chilli flakes for a bit of spice!

Great to cook for men as well...a very manly meal! haha...not to be sexist or anything..it is also great for women!! haha.. any aussie would love this!

Baked Berry Cheesecake delight.

This cheesecake was absolutely delicious! I know you are all dying to know where I got this recipe, well I thought I would keep you in suspense no longer! Wait for it!.........I used the recipe from the coles frozen blueberry box, and added some other berries such as raspberries. The recipe was for a blueberry cheesecake, however you can use whatever berries you like; strawberries on top would be nice also. This cheesecake was simple to make, although I had some problems with baking it in the oven. I cooked it for longer than the recipe specified as the middle was not cooking. In the end I just took the cake out before the edges burnt and the middle of the cake sunk. However you couldn't tell as I heaped up the berries in the hole! haha. Chuck a bit of icing sugar on the top and no body would know (except if they read this which I doubt cause I think I am the only one who ever EVER reads these posts and thats only really when I write them). Anyway monkeys are cute! I like monkeys!

So a lovely christmas dessert. It got demolished! It was way more popular than Mum's christmas pudding from coles. Sorry Mum. Home made always beats shop bought. It's just a given. Maybe if you had made a christmas pudding we would of had a real showdown. Anyway try it next christmas: Baked Berry Cheesecake! Monkeys!

Christmas feast.

I just had to post this photo up. Check this out! What a feast! Christmas 2010 was a busy crazy christmas. The house was filled with people, both our current family and our future family with my brother's fiance's family all here from Kenya. After we all served ourselves, it didn't even look like we had made a dint in the food. Oh well I was happy; leftovers for days! oooo yeah!

Picnic Time!

Well we were all off camping down to seven mile beach on a beautiful summers weekend. On the drive down we stopped at Gerringong for a picnic lunch. These snacks were just perfect accompanied by an ice cream! Bran muffins were yumm and healthy. The mini quiches were an experiment on my behalf. I just folded some pita bread into the ramekins and filled with chives, tuna and egg or with sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms and eggs. A bit of pepper and salt, some herbs and cheese on top and a beautiful simple flavour is the outcome!