Friday, March 30, 2012

Stunning Sunrise

I just love the sky in this photo! I was sitting in my living room one morning and all of a sudden the room was bathed in a pink glow. I went outside and there was this beautiful mackeral sky. I just had to take some photos, hope you like them.

I'm sharing with
Wow Us Wednesdays
Pink Saturday
Freestyle Fridays


Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Easy Delicious Steak Sandwich

A good steak sandwich is one of my favourite things to eat and this is a very good steak sandwich! there's really no recipe.  you just grill or fry steak of your choice to cooked as you like, in same pan (or grill) cook onions untill softened & slightly browned. split and butter a crusty roll, top with rocket or lettuce leaves, onions, tomato and steak in any order you wish. add sauce of choice and its time to eat! yum!

I'm sharing with
Cozy Home Party
Mix It Up Mondays
Full Plate Thursday
Rock 'N Share Party

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Coconut Ice Sponge

This cake is quick & easy to make and never lasts long in our house as its a favourite. for such little work the results are oh so delicious! I call it coconut ice sponge as the pink iced topping sprinkled with coconut reminds me of the sweet (candy) coconut ice.


1/3 cup (50g) cornflour
1/3 cup (50g) plain flour
1/3 cup (50g) self-raising flour
4 x 60g eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar

Grease 2 x deep, 20cm round cake tins (or different tins, as directed in individual recipes) and line bases with baking paper. Sift flours and 1/4 tsp salt together three times to aerate.

Preheat oven to 180C. Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed for 6 minutes, or until mixture is thick, pale and tripled in volume.

Gradually sift flour mixture over egg mixture while simultaneously folding in with a large metal spoon until just combined. Divide mixture between prepared tins. To level batter, gently spin tins on kitchen counter. Bake for 20 minutes (or as directed in individual recipes), or until cakes have shrunk away from the sides slightly and spring back when gently touched.

Turn out on to baking paper-lined wire racks. Carefully peel away baking paper, then leave to cool.
fill with jam & cream & ice as desired!

I'm sharing with
Tea Time Tuesday
Cozy Home Party
Mix It Up Mondays
Crazy Sweet Tuesdays
Friday Favourites
Wow Us Wednesdays
Full Plate Thursday
Rock 'N Share Party

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Roses For Pink Saturday!

I'm not much of a gardener but I do love flowers and enjoy spending time in the garden. earlier today I picked these beautiful pink roses which had  seemingly sprang up over night (I'm sure they were there but I just hadn't noticed them)  They're such a beautiful shade of pink that I thought would be perfect for Pink Saturday a fun blog event hosted by Beverly at How Sweet The Sound

I'm sharing with
Pink Saturday

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Pavlova!

I absolutely love pavlova, along with lemon meringue its my favourite dessert. I just loove the chewy meringue part, the fresh fruit toppings too, though you can leave banana out for me....whats your favourite pavlova topping? go on have some, its delicious







4-6 egg whites
pinch salt
8oz castor sugar/sugar (equal parts)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 level teaspoons cornflour

(Please note the following equivalents:
castor sugar or fine/super fine sugar
corn flour or cornstarch)

Preheat oven to 400F(200C).
Lightly grease oven tray, line with baking paper or use non-stick cooking spray.

Beat the whites of eggs with a pinch of salt until stiff (until peaks form).
Continue beating, gradually adding sugar, vinegar and vanilla, until of thick consistency.
Lightly fold in cornflour.

Pile mixture into circular shape, making hollow in centre for filling.
(Mixture will swell during cooking)
Electric oven: turn oven to 250F (130C) and bake undisturbed for 1 1/2 hours.
Gas oven: bake at 400F (200C) for ten minutes, then turn oven to 250F (130C) and bake a further hour.
(Fan forced oven: temperature and time needs to be adjusted accordingly.)
Turn oven off, leave pavlova in oven until cool.

Top with whipped cream and decorate with fruit as desired.



I'm sharing with
Cozy Home Scenes 
Mix It Up Monday
Full Plate Thursday
Crazy Sweet Tuesday
Rock 'N Share Party
Freestyle Fridays
Tastetastic Thursdays




Saturday, March 17, 2012

You Won't Lose Em In The Dark Cupcakes!

For St Patricks Day
Well I'm laughing so hard at these cupcakes....think I over did the green just a tad! still like the title says, you won't lose em in the dark ;)  in fact they just might be visible from here in Melbourne to the Emerald Isle...they taste good which is the main thing.


100g dark chocolate

1 cup (250ml) water

125g butter, softened

1 1/4 cups (255g) brown sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups (225g) self-raising flour

1/2 cup (75) plain flour

1/4 cup (30g) cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 160°C. Line 18 x 1/3-cup (80ml) capacity muffin pans with paper cases. Combine the chocolate and water in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition, until just combined. Add the flours and cocoa powder and stir until just combined. Add the melted chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Spoon evenly among the lined muffin pans. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool

....Happy St Patricks Day

I'm sharing with
Cuisine Kathleen's 4th Annual St Patricks Day Blog Crawl

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Jam & Cream Topped Scones

Here in Australia we make a more sweetened type of scone, often adding dried fruits such as sultanas or topping a plain scone with jam and cream. my favourite is strawberry or raspberry jam & whipped cream....yum! especially served warm from the oven. a nice cup of tea nicely rounds of a delicious afternoon tea!

  Scone recipe

3 cups (450g) self-raising flour
1 tsp caster sugar
Pinch salt
50g butter, chopped
1 1/4 cups (310ml) milk
Milk, extra, to glaze
strawberry or raspberry jam, to serve
Double cream, to serve

I'm sharing with
Tea Time Tuesday
Mix It Up Monday
Your Cozy Home Party
Crazy Sweet Tuesday
Rock 'N Share Party
Full Plate Thursday
Whatever Goes Wednesday
Foodie Friday

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Strawberry & Choc Chip Muffins!

I was a bit nervous about this combination, not sure how it would turn out.....but! let me tell you these muffins are SO yummy, no really trust me, you won't regret making and of course eating these beauties :)

2 1/2 cups self raising flour
90gr chopped butter
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup cream
1 beaten egg
1 cup choc chips
small punnet strawberries chopped

pre-heat oven to moderate. prepare 12 hole muffin pan.
place flour in a bowl, rub in butter,  stir in sugar, buttermilk,  cream, egg and choc chips. mix untill just combined, mix in strawberries,  don't over mix. divide mix between the prepared muffin holes & cook 20-25 minutes (approx) cool slightly in pan before putting on a wire rack.

I'm sharing with

Foodie Friday
Full Plate Thursday
March Muffin Madness
Mix It Up Monday
Our Delightful Home



Our Delightful Home









Friday, March 9, 2012

Cheats Sausage Rolls!

These sausage rolls are so easy they really are like cheating but in a good way ;)
really there's no recipe you just cook up some little chipolata sausages (I boil mine first as I dislike under done sausage meat) I then brown the sausages. when cooled I wrap them in puff pastry and cook them in a pre heated oven untill the pastry is  golden brown & the sausage inside is warmed through....so easy & so good :)

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Colour In The Garden!

It has turned rather cool quite quickly here and even though autumn has just started the garden is already starting to lose its summer colour.  I was surprised but happy to find these lovely roses recently :)



Sunday, March 4, 2012

So Pretty!

Don't you just love strawberries or any kind of berries really, I know I do. I thought these looked so pretty in the black bowl that I just had to take a photo to show them.....now what to do with these delicious little fruits?? muffins or a tart...hhmm I think maybe a tart. but that will be for later, perhaps even tomorrow!

xxoo

Friday, March 2, 2012

Hello!

Hello!
its just the second day of autumn here in Melbourne and as much as its my favourite season I sure will miss summer. I'm not one for extreme heat but there is something about summer that just seems....well different,  more free,  relaxed.  what do you think,  whats your  favourite season?

xxoo