Parity purchases

While economists are spreading mixed doom and gloom/boon messages about the Aussie dollar reaching parity with the USD, I decided to have a bit of a USD spend spree online. You know, to commemorate this historical occasion.

I bought some more goodies for my pursuit of the ideal bento box. Today, the shopping list was:  vegie shape cutters (floral, mostly); bento sticks (think short, blunt skewers in the shape of flower stalks, umbrella handles and the likes) which you stick into your cut vegies - awwwww steamed carrot flowers! - two kinds of bento separators (to wedge between your chosen bits of meal, very handy to keep flavours from mixing which is all important for the kiddies who don't like to merge anything with ANYTHING) in the shape of grassy hedges and a family of bears; a triangle shape sandwich cutter (this thing doesn't waste anything of your sanga but chops off the crusts AND seals your bread sandwich on all three sides as if you'd stitched it.... amazing!); another sandwich cutter that, again, doesn't waste anything of your sandwich and cuts off the crusts but has four very cleverly configured shapes - I think it's a bus, teddy, car and something else - into four dainty-bite sandwiches. There were a couple of other things as well and I got it all including shipping for $40.

Special mention to nellbe - who came across to my blog following a link I put in my comment on Lucy's recent competition post to view my first effort at the sandwich sushi - for reigniting my passion! And with the Aust. dollar in its current state, what better time? Eh? What? Oh, don't pay any attention to Steve, he always looks at me like that....

Since I first began, I have received a care package from my Japanese sister in-law, who is most excited to be able to share this new love of mine with me. She sent us over some Hello Kitty merchandise, including a gorgeous little double storey snack box that clips tightly in place, some silicone moulds in really pretty pastel colours, food stamps (not the kind from the Great War, but more your scrapbooking-with-food types... literally, hole punches of various shapes to make noses, whiskers, eyes, mouths of little characters out of cheese and nori sheets and stick them on rice balls). And the ultimate:  a Hello Kitty sandwich cutter.

Now, you'll have to forgive me the lack of pictures. But once I receive my latest shipment - damn and blast the infernal lack of bento accessorising outlets here in Melbourne (if not Australia), for I am yet to find one, even though I scour every thrift shop I walk past in the hopes of finding something really cool to use - I will show you some creations.

Lolly is really enjoying them, not that I do it every day, and I have to say... I too get a really big kick out of creating something she so loves. And it's special, different, something the other kids don't have - even if at the end of the day all I'm doing is making a healthy sandwich and vegie packed lunch look like a carnival.

Sometimes it's good to be bad

Whenever I make a cake (it's rare.... condolences to my husband can be made via the comments section....), everyone always comments on the icing.

If we hand pieces out, or send them along for kindy teachers and the likes, invariably nobody wants to mention the cake. It's all about the icing. After all, it is

All. About. The icing.

In fact, that shall be my new motto. "Why can't I get ahead in life?" "Where has my happiness gone?" "What makes a good cake?" See? Each can be replied with one simple sentence: it's all about the icing.

So, I am going to let you in on my little icing secret. I have formulated a few good variations from this very simple base. You wanna know the secret to my icing?

Butter.

I feel a little like Homer when he goes mad and blurts out that the secret ingredient to his and Flaming Moe's magical drink is...... "cough syrup! Ordinary, everyday, over-the-counter cough syrup! Tee hee!" For that is how simple it is in this case too.

Be warned, this makes a CRAP-TONNE of icing so either be prepared to use it or freeze it, or reduce quantities - I can halve this and it fits perfectly over your average-sized cake.

Try this out on your next batch of muffins or cake! You will soooooooooo thank me.

Butter Cream Icing

225g/8oz unsalted butter, softened
500g/1lb 2oz icing sugar, twice sifted
2-3 Tbsp milk
1 Tsp vanilla

Beat butter with electric mixer til light and fluffy. Add icing sugar with milk and vanilla, fold it all in carefully. Beat til pale and creamy (mmmmmm, creamy). Add more milk if necessary but do it in tiny amounts carefully, it wants to be fairly firm in consistency.

If you want to make a choc icing, reduce qty of icing sugar to 325g/11 1/2 oz, and add 55-85g/2-3 oz cocoa powder plus an extra 1-2 Tbsp milk.

Party Time, Excellent!

Somehow, four years have zoomed by me and our little Lolly is turning a year older next week.

The obligatory girl's birthday toadstool cake has been requested (since about December last year), so I am heading out to the shops today to stock up on lollies for the decorations.

Anyone made this cake and have any tips? Any do's or don'ts not listed in the recipe book? I must say, I find it hard to believe I will end up with something that looks as good as their photo, from following the instructions. I dunno..... I'm sceptical. And I'm no fan of those heart shaped candies, aren't those the ones that chip your teeth if you try and bite them? (I'm a biter, not a sucker, same as Lol, so I can imagine her hacking away at one and I can't do it to her - I plan to use chocolate coins for the path instead)

Obligatory four-year retrospective to come, on the other blog *taps nose*

And for good effect, let's all just take a reminder look at what the LGBB will be doing to assist the process: Here

Pimp My Lunchbox

Having recently been inspired by this delectable blog, sent to me by a dear friend, and also having a Japanese sister in-law (handy!), we are set for a Japanese style "take away lunch" frenzy here this winter. Have you heard of bento? I had, but did not realise the extent to which you can go crazy on it! It is, basically, in my layman's explanation and understanding, 'cutesy-prepared lunches gone crazy.' A pimping of the lunchbox, indeed.

There are all sorts of lunchbox shapes. Police cars, Hello Kitty heads, bears, bunnies, firetrucks. And that's just the containers. Then there are all sorts of stamps and food colour pens and shape cutters and lunchbox dividers. And if you think "Ahhh, I could do that with stuff I bought from Woolies", which is what I thought, you'd be mostly correct. But not like this. Not purpose made. The Japanese, they do this as a culture. The place is oozing with accessories for your bento box! And I'm wantin' me some merchandise.

Lucky for me, I have a supplier, ready and very willing to post me the whole kit and kaboodle. AND teach me the tricks of the trade, along with some simple kiddy-friendly Japanese recipes that aren't readily found here. Awesomeness. I'm so pumped about it!

I have spent hours scouring J-List, in tandem with my SIL, and we have decided this is almost as good as shopping together (which we can also do for hours, but only every 2 years when they holiday out here and stay with us). At least we don't have to worry about the kids this way.

So I decided to try out a little bits 'n pieces cut lunch for the LGBB yesterday, without all the gorgeous little shape cutters or cute Hello Kitty lunchboxes (which I am going to be receiving in a large package from my SIL sometime in the next month) - Lolly is ALL about Hello Kitty lately!? Don't ask me why. Just is flavour of the month right now.


Anyway, here we have little flowers cut out of a cheese slice, cucumber sticks, "sushi sandwiches" - rolling pin 2 slices of bread with crusts cut off, spread with ricotta/cottage cheese/cream cheese and fill with slices of salmon, then roll and cut like sushi (L loooooves these and is a sucker for this different take on her usual triangle-cut sanger) - some walnuts, a couple of dates and a googy-egg. Quite heavy on the protein, this lunch, now that I look at it. But she had had a significant amount of fruit in the morning, plus a hearty breakfast. We are in an all-day-graze "I'm still hunnnnnngreeeee" phase at the moment. I daresay there is a growth spurt coming on. So this is a good way for her to feel like she is getting a lot to eat because there is a lot for her to feast her eyes on.

And I just love making her lunchbox interesting every now and then. I am one of "those" mums who puts faces on boiled eggs, draws pictures of love hearts and butterflies on her drink bottle and lunchbox, tapes a little drawn picture inside the lid, yada yada..... So go ahead and hate me. I love 'er. I love making her feel special. And loved. She loves surprises, I love surprising her. We often love each other more when we're not actually within the same vicinity. We're a match!

I am all for bento. Bento on! I'll keep you up to date with my fledgling attempts as I foray into this new world of lunch box preparations. Takes a bit more time and effort but, hey, it is SO much fun. And everything gets eaten. Double bonus!

Sneaking in one last one

Because I can't help myself and had to show off my creations for today. I give you...

Christmas pud's to rot your teeth on
Milk & Dark choc royals (the biscuits with the marshmallow sitting on a smudge of jam and then a biscuit bottom), topped with melted white chocolate, then a little raspberry and a coupla chopped mint leaves.

YU-HU-HU-UM.

As promised... Gingerbread cookie dough recipe

Now this is awesome. May be a bit on the gingery side for some (but after all, they are gingerbread cookies!) so experiment and perhaps use just 1 tsp instead of 2. They were very strong, but the icing set that off very nicely.


Gingerbread Cookies
These gingerbread cookies are as delicious to eat as they are fun to make. I think my kids enjoyed making these gingerbread cookies even more than sugar cookies this year. Perhaps it's because the gingerbread people seem to have a bit of personality. Use whatever decorations you have on hand. We found red and green striped white chocolate chips and thought they made terrific buttons for these gingerbread men.
Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. cloves
• gel icing for decorating
• M&Ms or striped white chocolate chips for decorating

Preparation:
1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the molasses, egg and vanilla. Beat well.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
3. Stir into the wet ingredients until well-incorporated (you can do this with your hands).
4. Separate the dough into three pieces. Form into logs and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
5. When ready to bake, remove dough from oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Roll dough out to a thickness of 1/4-inch. Use cookie cutters to make gingerbread people.
7. Bake 8-10 minutes. Let cool and decorate.


For the icing, I used this recipe and coloured it with a touch of food dye:

Confectioners Frosting
2 cups (230 grams) confectioners sugar (icing or powdered sugar), sifted
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons milk or light cream
Assorted food colors (if desired)
Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/GingerbreadMen.html#ixzz0ZMtkR6KH

In an electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter until smooth and well blended. Add the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beater. Add the milk and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Add a little more milk if too dry. Place the frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip and decorate the gingerbread men as desired.

Tint portions of frosting with desired food colour.
Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/GingerbreadMen.html#ixzz0ZMtyNJMU

Instant pancake mix! Nigella-style

I nabbed this really nifty idea from Nigella Lawson. It's fantastic having this in the cupboard, ready to just add some quick wet ingredients to and whip up some pancakes for a quick snack or breaky.

Homemade Instant Pancake Mix

Mix together:

• 4 cups flour (we used gluten free - nobody can tell these days, gf has come a loooong way!)
• 3 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 Tspn salt
• 2 Tbsp, plus 2 Tspn, sugar

As per the great tip in the recipe, I now keep this in a large jar. On the jar, I have written the wet ingredients I need to add to every 1 cup of dry mix. Too easy! Don't need to grab any recipe books out!


To make the batter, add the following to each 1 cup of pancake mix:

• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1 Tbsp butter, melted

Spoon 1/2 - 2 Tbsp batter onto hot pan and flip once bubbles appear on the surface.

Sunny Side Up: Poaching a good idea

I never thought I would get the hang of poaching eggs by dropping them into simmering water. It sounded disgusting and I bet that it looked worse.

However, here I find myself having perfected the art after some months of practice. About twice a week, I make the LGBB and I good, hearty breakfast of poached eggs on toast. I am always reminded by her not to forget the butter (she is not allowed butter on anything at any other time, with avocado being the usual substitue).

If you have ever thought about trying it but have not yet given it a go (or have done it but weren't altogether impressed with the results), here are a few tips of my own that I always try to remember because it seems to make for a better outcome.

More to the point, if you love poached eggs but have never known (or been game to try) how they get them looking so fluffy and natural in the cafés, you've got to give this a go! Be game, even though it looks rather disgusting and messy...











1. To begin with, start with room temperature eggs. This is the key secret to success, I believe! Crack your eggs into separate containers (I use little ramekin dishes because they're easy to hold and - shhhh - I can cheat if I have forgotten or haven't had time to get the eggs to room temperature, by sitting the little dishes right against the side of the stove while I'm heating their waterbed)
2. Bring a large, deep frypan of water to a simmer. Wait until the bubbles are just forming and rising to the surface.
3. Put your toast in before you put in the eggs. The timing of this will depend on how you like your yolks - really runny, through to hard boiled inside - and will also depend on your toaster and how many slices you put in. As a general rule, I know that if I want to do 3 slices of toast, I need to put them in just as the water begins to bubble so that the toast has popped just as I'm putting in the last egg, which leaves time for buttering.










4. Add a dash (about 1Tbs) of white vinegar to the water.
5. Now for the fun part.... Make a whirlpool in the water so that it is spinning.
6. Then, lower the egg container to the water (I like to submerse the bottom of it briefly before tipping the egg in, I think it helps bind the egg white that little bit more once it's in the water).
7. Gently slide the egg into the stirred water. Sometimes you might need to give an extra little whoosh of the water to keep it going.

The sign of a good outcome is usually that you can visibly see the outer edges of the egg as it blobs there on the bottom of the pan - if it breaks apart instantly and goes to trails of whispy whites, then I know something in the process hasn't been quite ideal (and usually, it's been because I have not let the egg get to room temperature - we keep our eggs in the fridge).










7. Repeat the above process until all eggs are in. I wouldn't do more than 4 at a time, depending on the size of your pan.
8. Let the eggs simmer in the water. How long will depend on taste. As a general rule, I've found that 1.5-2 minutes gives quite a runny egg - I don't like them too runny, I prefer to see the yolk cooked around the outside and runny on the inside. For me, I know this takes about 2.5-3 minutes. Experiment with this.










9. Turn the eggs out onto your bread with a slotted spoon, to remove the excess water.

And there you have it! Scrummy!! The biggest letdown of the meal in the case of this photo was the sad, sorry sandwich sliced bread. It's all I had. But the eggs were perfect :)


So go forth, give it a try. If you like poached eggs, you owe it to yourself to give it a go! Tell me how you get on, if you do - I'd love to hear from you!

The most sneaky, elusive pancake I know

The Good News:

These, I am chuffed to say, not only tasted great but they were dairy free, gluten free, packed full of vegies AND went down, with yummy-sounds, a treat with both the LGBB and the Steve.


The Not So Good News:

I forget how I made them..... and the salsa-cream cheese spread I served them with.



Late-breaking edit: I remember! (I think... partially) Check the comments for a kind-of recipe! Huzzah!

Oh, Mickey, you're so pretty, can't you understand

This is the 5th or 6th run-through for Lolly Basil and her cheerleading dancers. I filmed it on the sidelines and she was so involved with the choreography that she didn't even notice me (we've been going through a rather long "don't film me, don't take photos of me" stage lately, so I was surprised I got away with it).

Best viewed in full screen mode. So you can see every two-second delayed dance move the LGBB does, moments after "the girls" (Yes, that's what she's named this - she loves them, they're part of her team now)...

Hey Lolly! from Lolly Lovers on Vimeo.

Who said gluten free was tedious?

I feel like dinner tonight: A gluten free base, topped with sugarless - I opt for zero added sugar on every label I read now, no more excuses or short-cuts - tomato paste, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and red onion. Topped with dots of ricotta and sprinkled with basil. And for extra decadence, some guacamole on the side to dip it into.

Uh.... that'd be me. Because six years ago, when I first went on the Candida Diet to (you guessed it) clear up the candida that was triggered by a combination of anti-biotics and multiple pregnancies in a short space of time, it was so hard.

Why was it so hard?! And why have I waited this long to get back to the gluten and dairy free diet I know my body needs and works best on? I am indulging in a bit of chocolate here, a bagel there... and it feels so good. It feels good to not be giving myself these "reward" foods on a constant, daily basis and makes them all the more enjoyable when I do splurge.

I have even cut coffee down. Now, I was a 3-5 cups a day gal once upon a time. When I reduced it two years ago to one a day (and I snuck in an extra one or two every few days), I thought that was very good of me. Phenomenal, in fact.

Since the detox I did about a month ago, I'm lucky if I have three coffees in a WEEK! Unheard of!

I'm loving this. And my previously aching, weary, stiffened joints are too.

I may very well have to eat this forever

I LOVE TEMPURA.

I love preparing it.
I love getting the oil to the right temperature.
I love making it.
I love watching over it tenderly while the vegies are in the oil.
I love that they love eating it.
I love how the LGBB went all Japanese-style table prep on us.

That is all. Please, carry on with what you were doing.

Kickstart a sluggish metabolism AND help your TTC??

Here is an easy way to get a few extra healthy minerals and goodies into your system. The smattering of chilli power, to taste, gives the added health benefit of triggering a slow metabolism. Boo-yah!

This recipe is from one of my dearest of the dear. Basically, a good egg, if ever I was blessed enough for a brother to marry one....


Yummy Seeds!

1 pkt sunflower kernels
1 pkt pepitas
Dash Tamari (wheat-free soy sauce, and the more healthy, certainly the more superior in quality and taste, for mine)
Dash sesame oil

1. Heat a frypan on low heat. Add the seeds and gently cook until browning, stirring continuously.
(do NOT leave them alone, not only do they pop - so be warned! - but they all of a sudden start to brown instantly. Takes a while to get to this stage if your pan is not very big, and sometimes it's easier to brown them in batches, but you need to stand with them, stirring frequently).
They'll be done when you notice your pepitas are puffed out and not flat (mmmm and then they melt in your mouth when you're done cooking this recipe!).
2. Keeping the heat on low, add a dash of sesame oil (don't overdo this part) and stir through thoroughly so that a light, even coating on all seeds.
3. Switch off the heat.
4. Add your dash of Tamari sauce. It'll sizzle and smoke impressively, basically it will mostly be burned off by the heat - splash the sauce in sparingly and stir through, add more drops to desired taste.
5. Dust with chilli flakes/powder (but flakes work best) - start sparingly with this too. Taste test. Add some more until desired hotness is reached.
6. Allow to cool and store in glass jars.
7. Eat often and enjoy!

These are sooooo more-ish. I cook up a big batch every few weeks and they make great nibblies if you don't feel like fruit or some other healthy substitute. They taste like they're an indulgence (to me, anyway) and nobody else in this house likes seeds - ewwwww, seeds and nuts, pah pah, says Steve - so I feel like these are even more of a treat, just for moi.


Here are some of the benefits of the pepitas:

Lower Cholesterol
A Rich Source of Healthful Minerals, Protein and Monounsaturated Fat
Anti-Inflammatory Benefits in Arthritis
Protection for Men's Bones (from the zinc found in these super-seeds, which also has links to aiding in prostate health and sperm function/motility)
High in protein, along with some valuable minerals such as magnesium, manganese, copper and iron

And the sunflower seeds are just as fantastic:

High source of folate
Rich in the antioxidant (and natural blood thinner, all you ACA girls!) Vitamin E
Contain mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, which bind to bad cholesterol (I think? I flunked Chemistry pretty badly) - or at least, assist to keep it away/down
High in selenium and copper, a natural way to prevent cell damage

I reckon these may just be the ideal baby-making/preparatory snack, I've just realised!!

Marinated Vegetable Salad

Thanks to the little recipe section at the back of my rice cooker instruction manual, comes this delish delight. You'll need 2-3 hours to let it sit, just warning you if you decide to try it and don't read that bit in the instructions beforehand!

Marinated Vegetable Salad
Serves 8


2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1-1/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup avocado chunks
1 cup sliced olives
1/2 cup chopped red onion
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
6 cups cooked jasmine rice, cooled
Red onion rings, for garnish

Combine mushrooms, tomatoes, avocado, olives and onion in a shallow dish. Combine vinegar, parsley, oil, salt and basil in a separate bowl and pour over vegetables. Cover and chill 2 to 3 hours. Add rice, toss lightly. Garnish with red onion rings.

He didn't stand a chance

It was Steve's 37th birthday yesterday. I asked the LGBB to choose a cake on Saturday from a book I'd borrowed from the library (it was one of those last-minute grab moments, you know, like when you're walking out of the library and are looking around to see if there's anything you might like to read, given that you've been there for the past hour choosing story books for them but the only stuff near the counter is browsing, flicking worthy? It was one of those books).

This is the one she chose. Of course! 'Tis the season to see bunnies. And he was DE.LICIOUS (if not a little ridiculous, I mean look at the teeth I put on 'im... they weren't on the original but he was entirely too formal and boring without them - in fact, he could have been a big-eared dog for all anyone knew):

Surely I have to try!

The LGBB has recently discovered her love of Hello, Kitty (thanks to her Japanese cousins who drew her likeness every day they were here and now Lolly recognises little Kitty wherever we go).

I have to try and make these for her 3rd birthday! Hey, I've got a little under four months to practice...... wanna dare me to attempt them?! They're so cuuuuuute!

The recipe is here at Bakerella.

Low-carb, low-guilt muffins

These turned out really well! Lucky we made a big batch. The LGBB and I made the blueberry jam versions yesterday in our little star moulds and the vote is unanimous (from aunt and uncle right down to the sometimes hard-to-please-in-the-baked-goods-dept. Steve): Make These Anytime!

I found the recipe here whilst looking for recipes to use up some almond meal and, well to be frank, I reckon ours turned out looking far more appetising... Amazing what a shape will do to make something look enticing. They actually taste like something you'd buy to go with your coffee - very friand-like and not like a muffin much at all. The egg gives them a tacky outer and the almond meal, sans any flour, creates a firm but crumbly inside. Mmmmm... need to go sneak another....

"These versatile sugar-free and low-carb muffins can be the basis for many variations, including low carb blueberry or apricot muffins" - from here. To tell the truth, I was so unsure when I was spooning the mixture in. It had the elastic too-much-egg-white texture about it and I was worried we'd have the LGBB forcing herself to eat something inedible simply because it had a star shape. She helped me spoon out the portions of jam and then had a great time pushing each daub in to the batter slightly.

Ingredients:

* 2 cups almond flour (almond meal)
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup butter, melted
* 4 eggs
* 1/3 cup water
* Sweetener to taste -- about 1/3 cup usually works well -- liquid preferred
(I used just 1/3 cup hot water to dissolve 1/3 cup castor sugar and it's turned out just fine)

Preparation:
1) Preheat oven to 350 F.

2) Butter a muffin tin. You can really do it with any size, but I'm basing the recipe on a 12-muffin tin.

3) Mix dry ingredients together well.

4) Add wet ingredients and mix thoroughly (You don't want strings of egg white in there and you don't have to worry about "tunnels" when you are using almond meal).

5) Put in muffin tins (about 1/2 to 2/3 full) and bake for about 15 minutes.

Variations: Add 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries for blueberry muffins. For apricot muffins, take a teaspoon of sugar-free apricot jam on each muffin and push it in slightly (it will sink more during baking).

Nutritional Information: Each of 12 muffins has 1.5 grams effective carbohydrate plus 2 grams fiber, 6 grams protein, and 185 calories. Suitable to freeze.

And for more flavour, try:
1 1/2 cups almond flour and 1/2 cup ground flaxseed; add 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. dried lemon peel. I think adding the cinnamon alone would be a great idea (am thinking I should have done this... next time!)

For a great no-sugar jam, I cannot go past St. Dalfour's range. Oh my... you will thank me! They are in Woolies and Maxi Foods, so hopefully in a supermarket handy to you.
Pricey, yes, but worth it.... double yes. The ingredients are simply 55% of whatever the fruit (so if strawberry jam, you'll get 55% strawberries), lemon juice, grapefruit concentrate and fruit pectin. That's about it. No preservatives, all natural. I KNOW!!!!


Now, go forth and BAKE!

Sometimes, I do things right

Our breakfast of caramelised bananas on pancakes the other week. The LGBB couldn't even sit still in her chair for a happy photo, she was so keen to keep savouring it.

I'm still reminiscing.

'allo, narna's! Walnuts... Miss you already. Love yooooooo.

*waves hanky forlornly at photo of the best breakfast she's ever made*

Wedded bliss

(First let me please begin this post with a big shout-out THANK YOU to all you very kind and generous women who've messaged and emailed me through my 'grey day' last week. It is very much appreciated, as I am sure you'll all already appreciate, to hear from people who sound like they know exactly what you're talking about - cos they've been there too and also aren't afraid to say they're imperfect - and I am certain it makes all the difference. So again, thank you to each of you, even those who read and nodded in solidarity but didn't actually contact me - you're equally as appreciated! Back to our usual programming.....)


I smell dinner cooking.

There is something so nurturing to me (as if I've rounded out everything I've done today) when I can smell something cooking in my home during the day while I go around doing other things*. I've chopped and sliced all morning - piles of gorgeous vegies - and started my dear Russell Hobbs dual-pot going with two different meals that will last us several nights this week. A Japanese curry based one and the other a good old-fashioned soup-can-sauce trick (cream of celery tonight).

Is it wrong to have romantical thoughts about one's reliable kitchen appliance? It's just so easy to turn on. Use. And not feel guilty about doing either of those things for my own gain. Not to mention simply leaving it to do the one job I've asked it to do and trust it'll be done, to complete perfection without me having to ask it again.

Y'know? *coy*


Hey, by the way, stay tuned for a book update. I hope to update on latest thoughts and progress tomorrow!

* I'm all about finding the balance -- the yang to the yin... or something like that -- so I will proudly state here in this disclaimer that I can thank my mother for that. The same one I was cursing two days ago. She was a crockpot/pressurecooker fan in the 70's and 80's. Hey, feeding a family of six, you'd be crazy not to have enlisted its services. We had everything in that thing, including porridge that would be set to slow cook overnight.

Must. Stop. Reading. Bloggggs!!!!

But before I do (did), I am so glad I found this entry for Rainbow Cookies.

So excited now, I can hardly sit still. Isn't it ridiculous what a bit of colour and a chance to bake something easy will do to me? Which reminds me ... to soon share with you the ludicrously easy recipe for lemon curd that my sister in-law bestowed on me while they were visiting recently. Now I finally have something to do with our billion and one lemons! Perhaps I could donate jars of the stuff out front. Become known as the Lemon Curd Lady.

Ok, maybe not.

But anyway, I swear, if I make these cookies - and then if they turn out looking good and not, like, either something colourful from Jazz's rear end or something the LGBB mashed together - I will take a photo of how ours turned out and post it here.

But only, y'know, if.