Lunch with the ducks . . .

How lucky were we - a little break in the rain on Saturday saw the sun pop out and us pop out to lake to watch the beautiful scenery while eating our lunch alfresco style, with our new friends. 

We filled our cups with a veggie and lentil soup, so thick it was almost like eating a casserole and topped with delicious thick Greek yoghurt - no wonder we had new best friends hanging around.

 

Honey !

It's cold, wet and so so beautiful where I am right now.  The gorgeous little town of Hepburn Springs. 

Taking off from work a little early on Friday, we hit the road with our cameras packed and loads of yummy goodies stored safely in the boot of the car. 

Not so long ago, I was put onto Des O'Toole's honey and I've never looked back.  Needless to say, this trip HAD to involve stopping at his little stall which sits quietly on the side of one of the roads leading out of Daylesford, and manning this little stall was a beautiful, elegant green eyed lady.  This little lady was unfazed by our presence and continued to groom herself in amongst the jars.  Such a beauty.

Ahhh....to be a lady of leisure......

How simple is this !

I'm loving this whole new world that I'm currently embracing in the form of "Quick Meals".  I never been one of those people as I've always opted for creating a meal from scratch.  I still LOVE this way of cooking, however the freedom I'm experiencing in getting home from work when it's late, cold and wet and having dinner in front of me within minutes is exciting.  Yes, I get excited about this sort of thing! 

With this new found world I've discovered, I've been pleasantly surprised by some of the recipes listed on the "Weigh it Up" website - a free weight loss website listing tips, meal plans, recipes, etc.  I've recently found myself flicking onto this site for a little inspiration, and can I tell you that there are not many recipes out there that are as quick or easy as this little gem....

Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken

Only 4 ingredients for something so tasty.

I used left over sun-dried tomato pesto that I had made from on the weekend, but you could use any type, depending on your taste buds. 

Served with a big crunchy salad - I was a happy chappy!

Not quite Paris.....yet !

In the not too distant future you'll find me sitting outside of a little Parisian cafe, sipping my coffee and stuffing my face with as many French pastries as I can fit in....in a delicate, feminine manner of course.  I will be in Paris after all.

In the meantime, I'll just have to settle for the good old fashioned, bring back childhood memories type of cake in the form of -

Lemon Slice

I wrote this particular recipe out years ago - have no memory of where I pinched it from.

Hasn't quite satisfied my French pastry craving, but it did hit the spot very nicely.

My discovery of the week . .

While I'll be travelling through France later in the year, my brother and his family are planning to move into my place (as they'll be in the middle of renovations of their own home at the time), so I've been slowly going through cupboards/draws, clearing space and throwing away any crap I've accumulated over time.  I'm definitely NOT a hoarder - if it doesn't have a place to live in my home then it's out.  However, I'm amazed at the junk I've still managed to keep.  Things I'd forgotten I had.

This included a copy of an eCookbook I printed out ages ago for Stone Soup by Jules Clancy - a free eCookbook filled with simple 5 ingredient recipes that take no longer than 10 minutes to prepare.  Finding this recipe book came at the perfect time as I've been looking for inspiration for quick (cheap) mid-week meals.

The first one to grab my attention, as I already had everything in the cupboard/fridge/freezer (except for the laksa paste) was the recipe for:

Veggie Laksa

I have "tweaked" the recipe a little by adding prawns and then adjusting the seasoning at the end with soy sauce and lime juice.  Perhaps it was the brand of laksa paste I bought that was laking in this area or maybe it was just my taste buds!

This dish literally took no time at all  make - just like the cookbook says.  The hardest part was chopping all the veggies - and I used a mandolin for that! 

Melbourne Winter !

We've started a little camera club at work recently for those of us looking for a little inspiration, or perhaps just wanting to learn what all those fancy buttons do on our cameras. 

To get the ball rolling, a few of us headed out one lunchtime to capture "Winter".  Unfortunately, Melbourne is currently experiencing gorgeous weather with bright blue skies.  Not really what we wanted, but beautiful all the same.......

It was very hard to go back inside to work.  Work smirk!

Where has the year gone ?

No sooner do I switch my computer off at the office on a Friday afternoon, then I'm switching it back on again on a Monday morning.  Suddenly it's Friday again.  Where is the time flying off to?  I remember being back at school praying the year would end - dying for Christmas and the Summer holidays to finally arrive.  They seemed to take forever.  Now, I'm begging time to slow down. 

This past Saturday I somehow ended up with a whole day with nothing planned.  I dream of these days!  A whole day to do whatever I want without watching the clock in case I'm running late for anything.  Unfortunately, I also did what I always do to myself - sabotage!  Without thinking I'd just as quickly booked up my day at the very last minute leaving only a couple of hours to myself.  Doh!  Needless to say I enjoyed those rare few hours by cooking.

Crunchy Ginger Slice

(recipe from Donna Hay magazine)

I'd ripped this particular page out of the magazine actually for the recipe on the back - the Rhubarb Crumble Slice I made a little while ago as a birthday present for some friends.  Of course, I had to give the Crunchy Ginger Slice a whirl around the kitchen and it was well worth it.

I love ginger, I love butter and I love anything in the form of a slice.

I took a box of these along to my sister's on the Sunday (see here).  Alas, they were pulled out too late in the day when everyone was full, so most made the trip back home with me.....yay me!

The French Exchange Student .

Lunch this past Sunday was spent at my sister's house. I always laugh when travelling out to her house as I always feel as though I'm heading out into the country side. They don't live all that far away, and they definitely don't live in the country, however the amount of trees that build up on the drive out from where I live in the inner city is tenfold!

So basically, I like to think I spent Sunday out in the country, meeting the French exchange student who is staying with them - Gaspard, enjoying a typical Aussie BBQ (consisting of way too much food as always) and lots of board games. Gaspard certainly seemed to fit into the family very easily, playing practical jokes and hiding my monopoly money from me. I thought I'd gone mad!

 

I had planned to practice my French on him but as he's out here to learn English, it didn't seem very fair.

I did contribute a few dishes to the day, but the only one I photographed was this Crunchy Ginger Slice (more to come on this later). Unfortunately we were so full by the time this came out, I ended up taking most of it back home again with me. Jeez - the things we have to do.

The Humble Fruit Cake !

I'm always a little wary of people who don't like fruit cake.  How could you not like it?  It's dense, sweet and soul-lifting.  Especially one that's chock full of luscious fruit and then of course smothered in butter.

My mum is a HUGE fan, so needless to say, I grew up with fruit cake constantly located in our fridge - a little slice here and there with a cup of tea......perfection!

This particular recipe is actually called a Fruit Loaf (from the Quick Smart Cook Cookbook by Valli Little).  Mind you, I did change the recipe to suit my own taste buds using my favourite dried fruit - dates!  I especially love the way cooked dates add a deep caramel flavour and chewy texture to dishes - it just can't be beaten!

Even though it was slightly overcooked (oops!),  this cake was even more delicious than I thought it would be  - that beautiful caramel flavour was made more intense, and in the words of my mum herself "nostalgia perhaps for my burnt offerings from the past" made this cake what it was.  I haven't been able to stop eating it since!

Nigella - I'm a fan !

It's no secret that I'm a lover of slow cooking during Winter. It's also no secret that I'm a lover of Nigella Lawson all year round. How could anyone not be? She makes cooking food simple and fun and apologises to no-one about cutting corners. I love her for that. Especially when you finally arrive home from work after a long day and it's dark and cold outside - all I want is ease and comfort.

This is the reason I made her Slow Roasted Garlic and Lemon Chicken last weekend.  It meant that I had it on hand for those nights I just couldn't face lifting a knife, and I was so thankful for it.

The chicken caramelised and crisped up ever so slightly on the edges, yet remained juicy and so very, very tender.  The chunks of lemon - even though still tart enough to suck your cheeks in, had a sweetness to it that when mashed into the chicken (or even some of the mashed potato) sent me to heaven.

Thanks Nigella!

J and G . . .

It funny the different stages of life you go through.  Attending all your friend's 21st, then it's 30th birthdays, weddings, babies, a few divorces thrown into the mix, and now.......the 40th birthday scene has arrived.

So this past weekend I celebrated two very special birthdays - Juddie and Mr G, with an amazing dinner (and lots of delicious wine) at the Post Office Hotel on Sydney Road.

What to get people who already have established lives and have access to whatever they need?  So I decided to play to my strength and cook.......

A Rhubarb Crumble Slice. 

Perfect for these cold Wintry days served with a glass of sticky wine, or perhaps just a dollop of cream.

(Presents all packaged up and ready to go)

Thank you Juddie and Mr G for a wonderful night filled with amazing food, wine and lots of laughs.

Happy birthday!

xx