C is for Cookie

So I've been missing in action from the blog scene recently!  I've had a lot going on, and there's been a number of unexpected family things which have been a little overwhelming, to say the least! 

All that aside, we've settled well into our new home.  There are a few cosmetic things to take care of, and minor renovations that we want to happen, but that will all come in good time!  All of the important stuff is pretty well sorted however, and we are loving life!

One of the best things about being in our new home is the massive kitchen all to myself, and a fully functioning oven with which to work with!  I've been spending many a weekend baking up a frenzy.

A few weeks ago, my trusty red mixer and I decided to action some yummy choc chip cookies!

The recipe was so simple, and with my fan-forced machine of an oven they took no time at all, and the result was just divine!  I used this recipe from Exclusively Food, which produces beautifully chewy cookies with satisfyingly crunchy edges!

This will definitely be a regular in my kitchen! J

What a Weekend!

We had a rather eventful weekend, which resulted in two ambulances careening up our driveway at 5:30 in the morning to wheel away a rather sorry feeling patient. 

We had a few friends over on Saturday who decided to bunk in for the night, after dinner and perhaps a few too many drinks.  A few hours after we had all tucked ourselves into bed, my friend's fiance required a bathroom stop, but unfortunately in his half-asleep and possibly slightly still intoxicated state, forgot where he was and turned left instead of right at the bedroom door and proceeded to try and walk straight down the stair case.  Unfortunately, attempting to walk down steps instead of actually stepping down them meant he ended up tumbling down the entire flight, hitting the bannister with such force that he somehow dislodged and dented it, and continued tumbling down until he landed face first into the tiled floor at the bottom.

I was woken up by the sound of my friend screaming in panic whilst her fiance was bleeding heavily from a massive gash in his neck.  The sheer force of the fall meant that he split right through all layers, to the point where the jaw bone and other innards were visible. 

Almost luckily, I had crawled into bed that night (or morning) minus any clothing, as I'd stored my pyjamas in the spare room upstairs were my friends were sleeping.  This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as if I had been fully clothed I would most likely to have been the first one out the door to see what the commotion was about.  Instead, I roused Liam from his slumber (no mean feat!) and let him investigate. 

Whilst he did this, I ran to the wardrobe to find some clothing while Liam was on the phone to emergency services.  I could hear him describing the amount of blood all over the floors, and as I frantically fumbled around to find some pants, it dawned on me that the worst possible thing I could do for everyone would be to go out and try to "help".  Let me put it this way - not long ago my mother ended up passing out and hitting her head on the side of the wall, face planting into the tiles giving herself a nice big black eye, all as a result of the sight of a little blood oozing from a small cut on her hand.  We are NOTORIOUSLY bad at handling the sight of blood in my family, and the carnage at the bottom of my steps would almost certainly mean that there would be two people lying on the ground to take care of rather than one!

Thank God for Liam and his calm demeanour!  He has seen enough blood in his lifetime that the sight that greeted him left him completely unphased.  He was so great with it, as he calmly assessed the situation and tried to calm down my friends while they waited for the ambulance.  Unfortunately all I could do was listen to it from the bedroom, but he handled it all with such ease and managed to stay level-headed.  I was so proud of the way he looked after everyone, and kept everyone calm until the paramedics arrived!

Thankfully there was no permanent damage done.  Numerous tests were done, and although surgery was required to mend the gigantic gash it should all heal up nicely save for some scarring.  But as Liam says, chicks dig scars! :)

Anyway... now for the more mundane parts of my weekend! Friday night.

This -

Plus this -

Equals this!

Liam cooked up this yummy paella for dinner.  I have leftovers for lunch today, and I am so looking forward to it! I usually take care of all the cooking in our house because I love it, but I think from now on I'm going to make him cook for me once a week!

I didn't completely reounce my duties in the kitchen, however!

I baked a big batch of these scrummy choc-chip cookies to fill my cookie jar with!  It was such an easy and tasty recipe that I decided to do a few batches and handed them out to my new neighbours and family.  More to come on the cookies later!

Liam was absolutely ecstatic with a Hawthorn win this weekend, which means a Sydney vs Hawthorn Grand Final next week!  We're holding a BBQ, and Liam has already started decorating the house in preparation...

I'm really looking forward to having some of our closest friends come over to watch what should be a riveting game next week! I only hope to rain will hold off... PLEASE Melbourne!

What are your plans for the big day next weekend? xx

Wordless Wednesday : Rainbow Returns

We love a good rainbow on this blog!

I was actioning some more baking last night, and noticed these little guys chilling out in my flour.

I'd say it's a sign of good things to come.

My baking efforts were a success, if you were wondering - they had the blessing of the rainbow!

Cheese, bacon and chive muffins. YUM.

Wordless Wednesday happens here, here, here, here and here!

Baked Jam Donut Muffin Recipe

I had a couple of requests on my last post for a recipe, so I thought I would share the original link and also my tweaked version of the recipe.

One thing that I liked about this recipe is how unforgiving it seems to be.  Although the urge to bake was strong, it was not strong enough that I was motivated to make a trip to the supermarket so I had to make do with the ingredients I had on hand.  I read through the comments on the recipe, and decided that I could easily make a few substitutes with what was in the pantry.

Also, not having a proper oven I was limited on space so I decided to halve the recipe.  By halving, I mean I roughly estimated and threw odd amounts of each ingredient into a bowl!  Despite all this, 20 minutes later I was very happy with the result that came out of the oven. 

JAM DONUT MUFFINS

[this makes about 6 little muffins]

• 1 cup of self-raising flour
• 1/3 cup of brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil + extra for glazing
• 150 ml of milk
• 2 tablespoons of unsweetened apple puree
• pinch of baking powder (this + apple puree was in place of the egg)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• strawberry jam (for filling - the quantity is totally up to you!)

• caster sugar
• ground cinnamon

The beauty of this recipe is how very simple it is!

I pre-heated the oven to 180°C as the recipe suggested, and got to work.  As I was using non-stick silicone muffin patties, I lined these up on the tray before getting started on the batter.  I sifted the flour into a large bowl, added the brown sugar and a pinch of baking powder. 

I measured out 150 ml of milk (after reading through the reviews and comments on the recipe, I decided to increase the quantity asked for) and combined the apple puree and vanilla extract with this.  At this stage, I would have also added my coconut oil, but as mentioned I accidentally forgot this step!

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry, and stir gently until combined.  Pop one tablespoon of batter into your muffin tray, add as much strawberry jam as you like, and cover with another lot of batter!  I recommend gently folding the batter around the jam with a spoon, to ensure that it is properly encased and won't ooze out too much when baking.  Then into the oven with the lot!

These took only about 10 minutes to bake to golden brown perfection! Once done, you can brush lightly with the remaining coconut oil and then sprinkle with your caster sugar/cinnamon mix.  I liked the little extra sweetness and crunch that this added to the muffin, but Liam decided that they were good enough without needing it!  And there you have it! Lovely golden jammy donuts.

Will you try this recipe? Please let me know if you do! xx

Pat-a-Cake, Pat-a-Cake, Baker's Man!

This week I experienced the overwhelming urge to action some baked goods. But with our oven out-of-action, I wasn't sure how I was going to remedy this.  As I pondered my baking basket full of ingredients, I decided it could not wait any longer and I was going to have to made do!

As you know, we're soon to be moving into our new house and have been busy stocking up on furniture and updating our household goods.  As luck would have it, last weekend we stumbled across a great deal on a mini toaster oven and I decided what better way to put it to the test than blueberry muffins!

What a way to christen the new toaster!

We're still pretending to be on this healthy eating bandwagon, so I tried to make them as healthy as possible using a very basic recipe.  A bit of flour, small amount of brown sugar, milk, egg, vanilla extract, a little oil (I substituted coconut oil in place of canola oil) and a handful of blueberries. 

With such a simple recipe and not so perfect cooking conditions, I wasn't expecting too much - but these ended up coming out of the (toaster) oven light, moist and very moreish!

So you'd think with that out of the way, my baking urge would be satisfied right?  Not so.  Now I knew I could bake perfectly acceptable muffins in the toaster oven I just wanted to bake more semi-healthy treats! I had an urge for jammy sugary cinnamony donuts, so I turned to Google (ah, my ever faithful friend) and came across a dead-easy recipe that I could bake. 

I tweaked the recipe a bit, and with the simplest of ingredients I had a bowl full of batter ready to go!

Some flour, a bit of sugar, milk, vanilla extract, unsweetened apple puree in place of an egg, strawberry jam and a little sugar + cinnamon for dusting was all it took! The recipe called for oil again, but it wasn't until I was filling the muffin cases did I realise that my melted coconut oil was still sitting on the edge of the sink...

Despite this oversight, I was thrilled at the little golden bundles that I pulled out of the oven just a short time later! Still moist, with a cakey-donutty casing flavoured by sweet strawberry jam in the middle.

Considering that both these muffin variations took about 20 minutes including prep-time and baking to whip up, I was very happy! Guilt-free jam donuts and blueberry muffins!

Liam was also very happy, as it meant he got little bags full of assorted muffins to munch on all week!  These were the perfect snacks to take to work, as they satisfied the sweet cravings without completely ruining the diet.  I didn't feel quite so guilty as I ate them since I knew all the ingredients that had gone into making them!

I can't wait to get into the new house so I can get my bake on with a proper oven!

Any recipes you can recommend I try next? xx

First Weekend Post-Househunting

Now that the house-hunting is over, it feels good to have gained our weekends back!

On my way home from work on Friday, I caught a glimpse of this double rainbow...

It looked far more impressive in real life, but of course being the responsible citizen that I am, I could not afford to take a better photo.  This was snapped from my iPhone sitting in its little handsfree mount!

I have noticed more and more rainbows around Melbourne recently (which has increased my driving time greatly, since often when I see them I feel compelled to keep driving to follow them, even after I have reached my destination!) and I love them!  Unfortunately, they also seem to be accompanied by (or are as a result of) this constant we weather we've been having.

Saturday night we headed out for dinner for my cousin's birthday.  I bought this cute little puppy cake, and also the little longevity man figurine as a cake-topper at Liam's insistence.

Poor little cake was a little tense, so we administered some acupuncture treatment...

No wonder he'd been nervous though... Look what happened next!

I can at least confirm that he was very very tasty!

After dinner and cake, Liam and I settled down in front of the TV for one of my favourite events of the week - Saturday Night Football!

We are avid football fans, and are known amongst our friends as the crazy couple who will be at the stadium every week!  Often twice a weekend, if not twice a day, if that's when our teams happen to be playing.  Unfortunately due to the impending mortgage repayments which are in our immediate future, we've had to cut down on this.  Sadface. 

After the game, Liam attempted to put himself to bed although only got half way off the couch until he gave up it seems!

It must have worked wonders for him though, because when he woke up the next morning (and yes, after I stopped laughing at him I did wake him up and send him off to bed!) he was full of energy and decided to whip up a yummy breakfast for us.

Mmm... look at all those lovely fresh vegetables!

Let's just say he's more organised than I am!  When I cook, the kitchen is a horrible mess and I'm always fumbling for the ingredients at the last minute when everything needs to be in the pan.

It's got to be said - there is something very appealing about a man in the kitchen...

Especially when he produces tasty food like this!

I've said it once, and I've said it a thousand times... weekends just disappear far too quickly! 

Tell me what you got up to! xx

Back to Blogging!

You may (or you may not!) have noticed my slight absence from the blogging scene.  In addition to being hectic busy lately, I have also experienced what can only be described as blogger's block.  Each time I thought about wanting to write a post, my brain would draw a complete blank!

Thank you for your lovely comments on my last post! My mind over the past couple of weeks has been consumed mostly with house business, which I did not want to talk about since there was nothing really to tell, but also did not want to speak negatively of in case I jinxed myself!

Either way, whatever my superstitions were, it appears they did not pay off.  Unfortunately the vendors have been rather stubborn in what they are asking for the property, and given the current market conditions and property prices in general, I am unwilling to budge and give those extra dollars they are holding out for.  The real estate agent is hopeful given a bit more time that we can all come to an agreement, but I think I am all negotiated out when it comes to this!

No matter.  We've seen another lovely place over the weekend, and whilst it doesn't have the wow or pizazz that the other property pulled me in with, it does come with more space and much more of a homely feel to it.  We're going to try to arrange a second inspection this week, and then the deliberations will begin on whether to put in an offer.

Anyway, in my brief absence...

I've cooked some tasty food.

I've ordered some unhealthy food.

I've procured some lovely new boots.

And I've spent hours poring over copious amounts of paperwork!

I hope you've all been keeping safe.  Time to catch up with all of your blogs now!

Country Getaway

As part of Liam's birthday present, I decided to arrange a weekend escape to the country to spend a little bit of quality time together.  Just the two of us, and Rocket dog!

We finished up work early on Friday, and headed off to the country town of Trawool.

Upon arriving, we were shown to our cute little cottage.  The property is just off the main highway and is home to two gorgeous little guest cottages, as well as the owner's residence and a restaurant/cafe.

The two guest cottages are situated side by side, surrounded by lovely gardens and an sprawling open yard that is perfect for the dog! And not far away is the cafe where the owner's spend most of their time and are always available should you need anything. 

We let them know roughly what time we expected to arrive, so by the time we got there the fire was roaring and the cottage was so lovely, warm and cosy!

Rocket found his spot by the warmth of the fire!  Liam, the self-professed "Master of the Fire" made sure that the fire kept roaring all weekend long, keeping the cottage the perfect warm place to stay in the cold weather. 

By the time we ran into town for supplies and take away for dinner it was getting cold and dark so it was a perfect place to settle for the night.  We ordered some Indian takeaway in town, and spent the evening cuddled up on the couch watching a fantastic Hawthorn victory.

I managed to get a fantastic deal and as a result breakfast was included both mornings of our stay. 

Nothing like a nice pot of tea and a delicious hot cooked breakfast to start your day off right!  Liam ordered a full breakfast, whilst I opted for an omelette with mushrooms, bacon and cheese.  YUM

After breakfast, we decided to go for a quick wander into one of the near by towns. 

We had a little jacket for Rocket to wear so he didn't feel too cold in the back of the ute.  I feel that it emasculated him somewhat, but have to admit that he did look kind of cute! The above photo makes it look like he is wearing a cape, and for some reason reminds me of Sherlock Holmes.  All he needs is a hat and a pipe! Anybody else agree, or am I just insane?

Speaking of insane, Liam looks slightly loopy in this photo! Aww, my boys <3

Wandering through town, it was bitterly cold and windy so we decided to head back to our cottage.  Rocket must have had enough, and promptly crashed out!

We left him there and made our back back to the cafe, where we sat out on the balcony and  feasted on a lovely cheese platter, which was also included in our package! It was divine, and I would have happily paid oodles for it.  Totally worth it!  We enjoyed a lovely bottle of moscato to accompany the cheese and basked in the sunshine which would intermittently break through the clouds. 

What a perfect way to spend the afternoon!

Not content with just a perfect afternoon though, I was determined to make it a double, and follow it up with the perfect evening too!

The big West Coast vs Essendon game was on and we planned to stay in by the fire again to watch another fantastic victory.  This time I was feeling a little more adventurous than just take away and wanted to prepare some warming winter comfort food to enjoy whilst we watched the football. 



I set to work in the "kitchen" whilst Liam prepared some baked potatoes using the coals.

Et voila, here is our cottage feast!

Potatoes baked on the coals topped with garlic butter, tasty cheese, coleslaw and copious amounts of sour cream! Accompanied by pork pepper and mustard sausages with caramelized onions. YUM

I'm not sure you can get any more perfect!

A tasty meal,  the company of my wonderful man and our cheeky pup, cuddled by the fire in front of the TV watching a victorious game of football! I was a very happy camper.

Day two started out with another pot of tea with breakfast! This time I chose bacon and eggs for my meal and an English Breakfast tea, whilst also stealing sips of Liam's pot of chai. 

After breakfast, we went for a wander around the property :

I love that garden and chair set! It's looks like it's been thereforever, and the area around it has become mossy and overgrown, but that only seems to add to the charm.  We met this curious Alpaca who came bounding over to say hello, but was very wary of the dog.  So cute!  I marvelled in the gorgeous colours of the area.  The grass was just so lush and green, whilst the leaves on the trees had turned the most stunning array of earthy Autumn shades. 

Rocket was very patient with me as I set him to work as my little model...

Unfortunately all good things come to an end, and after a fabulous weekend away it was time to head home! :( As you can see, Rocket did not want to leave.

Here he is, staring sadly at the ute while we packed everything up ready to go.  I can't blame him though... I did not want to leave either! It was such a nice relaxing weekend away. 

Liam is now looking up land an property in the country, as he has always wanted to move out that way and away from the big smoke!  He is now determined that after purchasing a little house in the suburbs, the next step is to buy a piece of land in the country as a holiday destination/investment piece.  Ever since we got back, he's been trying his best to convince me and show me properties for sale to win me over!

Well... I think I can safely say that he enjoyed his birthday trip...

Perhaps a little too much!