kitchen peace

It’s been a scratchy kind of week and I have been feeling decidedly out of sorts for a while now.

The Melbourne heatwave, the vagaries of adjusting to the Batsman being at primary school (I miss him so) and an unexpected emergency ride in an ambulance for the Captain (he is fine now), have left me feeling wrung out physically and emotionally.

On a long weekend with three hot days stretching out in front of me, I couldn’t really work out what to do that would make me feel better. Lunch with a dear friend on Saturday helped and a Sunday evening out with the boys to eat gelati was fun too. But by Monday, the peace felt elusive again.

The Captain picked all the last of our summer produce in the cool of the morning, packed up the kids and headed for the pool. Just me and the humming airconditioner remaining behind.

I began to chop the remainder of our summer tomato crop, a plan of a sauce unfolding. The sauce worked its way into a couple of other dishes and before I knew it I had chopped and simmered and seasoned my way to tomato sauce, some braised chicken, some Bolognese, vanilla egg custard for the boys and a big batch of passionfruit cordial.

And I felt peaceful. Cooking in my kitchen really and truly brings me peace. It’s just that in the flurry of life, I forget sometimes.

Anzac biscuits into autumn crumble



I made Anzac biscuits during last week.

I made loads of them.

Given my propensity to "over-cater", I clearly made more than we could possibly eat.

So when it came to thinking about a Sunday night dessert for the Captain and me, a little re-invention possibility came to mind.  A couple of apples, a pear and two handfuls of frozen blueberries completed the picture.



I crushed up the leftover Anzac biscuits and mixed them with a few oats and seeds.

The pears and apples were peeled and chopped and tossed with the blueberries, some cinnamon and a spoonful of brown sugar.

Fruit on the bottom. Crumble on top.

Half an hour in the oven and voila.

We were so keen to eat it that I forgot to take a picture of it cooked.

For the record, we ate it with a lovely dollop of Greek yoghurt.

Gourmet Girlfriend who is one of my food heroes has written a post about using leftovers today. Go read! And thanks GG for the inspiration to post this.

How to make passionfruit curd in your thermomix

We have had the glut of all passionfruit gluts at our house these past months. We have literally had hundreds of these gorgeous juicy creatures falling off the vine. I have made cakes, muffins, jam, sauce and syrup with them but by far the staple recipe we have used is one for passionfruit curd. 


I have mentioned before about Mr Thermomix coming to visit at our place, on loan only at this stage. This machine is amazing and the amount of things I can cook in reduced time is astounding. Passionfruit (or lemon) curd in the Thermomix is too simple for words. I made a batch on the weekend so I thought I would show you in pictures because the colour is glorious.


Passionfruit Curd
Thermomix recipe (recipe from here)


2 eggs, beaten lightly
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 tblsp lemon juice
¼ cup passionfruit pulp, (about 3 passionfruit )
60g butter, chopped coarsely

Insert butterfly into bowl. Add all ingredients. 

Cook for 8 mins/80C/speed 3. Use steamer basket on top of lid instead of the measuring cup.

Check to see if mixture coats back of a spoon, if not cook for a further 2-3 mins or until desired consistency is achieved. (I didn’t need any longer).

Place in a small sterilised jar and chill until thickened. It lasts 4 or 5 days in the fridge.


Stove-top recipe


Combine ingredients in a small heatproof bowl, place over a small saucepan of simmering water, stir constantly until mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat.
Cover tightly and refrigerate until cold.
Passionfruit curd is yummy served in any number of ways

• with meringues and berries
• spooned into little tart cases
• sandwiching a sponge together
• straight from the bowl (my favourite).

I was hankering after cake when I made this batch of curd so I made this buttercake (recipe halved because it is a huge cake). After it was all mixed up and in the baking tin, I swirled through a liberal amount of the passionfruit curd. 

Then I baked it as per the recipe. The result? A light but super moist cake with the unmistakeable yum-ness of passionfruit. We ate it with a dollop of extra curd on top.

Needless to say....the cake didn't last longer than a day! I heart you Thermomix! The End.

Wordless Wednesday - want

Buttermilk and chocolate chip muffins



I am utterly obsessed with baking at the moment.

The coldness of this winter in Melbourne has inspired me to spend a lot of time by the warmth of my oven.

I have baked and baked and then baked some more. Cupcakes, loaves, biscuits, muffins, tarts.

It was a windy old day here today and we spent most of the day inside while the Batsman recuperated from his winter ills. With the Bowler off enjoying a day at child care, a baking opportunity presented itself.

I often search through cook books and magazines for recipes to try and increasingly, the internet.

Today I found this gem of a recipe and it was so fabulous I thought I would share it.

Buttermilk and Chocolate Chip Muffins (recipe adapted from here)

220g of sifted self raising flour

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

3/4 cup of buttermilk (or regular milk)

1/2 - 3/4 cup of caster sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

150g chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.

Line a 12 cup muffin tin with large paper cases.

Mix dry ingredients together and make a well.

Mix all wet ingredients together and pour into the well.

Add chocolate chips and mix well until just combined. Don't overmix the batter.

Divide mixture between the 12 muffin cases.

Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes.

Devour!

All kinds of flavour combinations are possible with this basis muffin mix. Substitute the chocolate chips for 150g of other flavourings. Next on my list to try are:

Pear and ginger.

White chocolate and raspberry.

Grated apple and cinnamon.

Banana and passionfruit.

Mango and coconut.

Grated orange rind and chocolate chip.

Mmmmmmmmmm.

Sorry. Is my obsession showing?

Cake Creations - August

Butter, sugar, flour, eggs. Love.

Hoot the Owl birthday cake in pictures

The Bowler turned two on Sunday.
He adores Giggle and Hoot on ABC for Kids so the birthday cake was always going to be a great big Hoot the Owl.

I had big plans to do a step by step of how to make a Hoot the Owl cake but time restrictions over here at the Pavillion have meant that the pictures will have to tell the story.

Hoot hoot.

Cake Creation - July

I love baking. Love it.
A couple of years ago I did a "Beginners Buttercream" cake decorating course which cemented the love completely. I haven't shared many of my cakes on here. I'm not sure why. A little shy maybe.
But I think it is time I did show you. A bit of cake and a whole lot of icing in a once a month post.
Would you like to see?

So, here is my cake creation for July, made for a thirteenth birthday.

Vanilla butter cake filled with raspberry curd and decorated with vanilla buttercream and Petite Summerberry Meringues I bought from this wonderful new providore, Provata - Urban Larder and Cafe.

A new member of the family

There is a new member of our kitchen appliance family this month.
And I am falling swiftly, deeply, in love with this machine and what it can do.
The Thermomix has come to live at the Pavillion with us while some dear friends live in the Big Apple for seven months. I am insanely envious of their overseas sojourn but am also becoming altogether grateful that their trip has pushed the Thermomix my way.

This machine is AMAZING.
Multifunctional, sturdy, exact and timesaving, the Thermomix is the food processor that cooks as well as does all of your kitchen processing tasks.
Saute, cook and stir risotto. Tick.
Cook and blend soups and purees. Tick.
Sorbets. Tick.
Bread dough. Tick.
Lemon or passionfruit curd. Tick.
Grind coffee. Tick.
Froth milk. Tick.
Grate hard cheeses. Tick.

You name it, this machine can do it. I am still discovering its capabilities and gathering confidence in using it but in a couple of weeks I can already see that this machine is THE kitchen appliance. One of the things that appeals is the ongoing education that comes when you bring one of these babies home. Your consultant stays in contact and there are opportunities to host demonstrations to learn new skills and attend cooking classes.

Once upon a time, I would have gladly stood by the stove and stirred risotto for half an hour to end up with the coveted creamy texture. Having the Batsman and the Bowler has forced me to become less of a purist and more of a pragmatic cook. Putting the ingredients for saffron and silverbeet risotto in the Thermomix, setting the timer and walking away to go and be with my kids is a pretty appealing proposition. Trust me when I tell you that the risotto tasted as good as any I could have slaved over. At almost two thousand dollars, the Thermomix is not a walk in the park purchase but I reckon in the long run it's worth it.

Let's just say I have started saving.

Necessity as the mother of invention or how about some quiche?

This is not a food blog.
But I adore food. A little too much I think.
So when I discovered the tub of very lovely, very expensive smoked trout dip in the fridge with a next day expiry date I couldn't bear to waste it.
Given that I am doing my best to reduce my blogger butt, I decided that it wasn't the best plan to consume a whole tub of dip in an evening.
So the fridge rummage began in search of a solution.

And 8 eggs
whisked with the trout dip and half a cup of cream,
some chopped herbs,
some shortcrust pastry from the freezer,
a little bit of oven time
and we have this

It was delicious. The Captain and the Bowler mowed it down. The Batsman not so much. But that's ok.
I reckon you could make this with any flavour of cream cheese based dip....yum.

I love a bit of necessity as the mother of invention in the kitchen.
What has been your best (or worst) invention in the kitchen?

The Happiness Project and what I learnt from it

This past month I have participated in the Happiness Project, a lovely blogging for life idea hosted by the very gorgeous Naomi at Seven Cherubs. A simple project, the HP required all who participated to keep a one sentence a day journal about what made us happy on that day.

Today is the day when the posts of all those who participated link up in one very happy little gathering.

Here is mine. You can read others who have linked up here.

April 10
A half hour on a rainy Sunday afternoon curled up on the bed with the Batsman, watching the curl of his eyelashes and the delight in his eye as a new book unfolds...and the moment where the Batsman, watching the Captain planting vegetable seedlings with gardening gloves on, races with intent into the bathroom and comes out wearing a hot pink loofah glove, all ready to help with the gardening.
April 11
A half hour on the computer with no interruptions, the Bowler sleeping for almost two hours mid afternoon and a new book purchase on making preserves....jam and jelly here we come.
April 12
The rain drizzling down on the newly planted winter vegie seedlings, two little boys enjoying home made baby cinos, the arrival of beautiful pink cupcake papers, pear and cinnamon pudding baking slowly and a spontaneous rendition of "When You're Happy and You Know it".
April 13
The buzz following my 6am gym workout
April 14
Meeting an old friend and coffee, sweet coffee
April 15
Beautiful photographs hung on the wall by a professional picture hanger....I could sit and look at these photos all day.
April 16
Good coffee.....I'd like some more please.
April 17
Getting to the bottom of the washing basket - small miracle.
April 18
A trip to the gym at 6am (so proud of myself for getting out of bed) and an aquarium visit where the Batsman managed his sensory issues sooooooo well
April 19
The most divine Lebanese dinner with two lovely friends and children that go to bed peacefully on time.
April 20
A wee bit of weight loss and seeing my boy have a red hot go at learning to ride a scooter.
April 21
A little bit of me time with some music, a cup of tea and a gourmet traveller magazine.
April 22
Good Friday fish and chips with friends with chocolate in abundance and an Easter egg hunt with plenty of action
April 23
Making hot cross buns from scratch
April 24
A 12 hour roasted leg of lamb and duck fat roast potatoes.....oooo la la
April 25
A solo walk through the Fitzroy Gardens in the autumn sunshine
April 26
Watching my boys frolic among the autumn leaves and our beautiful Batsman really master his scooter riding.
April 27
Getting my over indulged Easter butt out of bed and to the gym at 6am and a friend offering to take a turn to record minutes at the kinder meeting
April 28
A sparkiling clean house - thanks Marj! - a coffee with my old boss and realising that I don't really miss work and date night with the Captain to see "I Love You Phillip Morris"
April 29
A brilliant report for the Batsman at our 6 monthly developmental paediatrician appointment and a gorgeous, sunshiney Mummy and Batsman excursion to the Queen Victoria Market which produced THE juiciest sweetest strawberries I have ever tasted, a chicken and Chinese rice wine ready for poaching and a calorie free spicy lamb borek that just oozed with flavour.
April 30
A haircut, a massage from the myotherapist and a date night to see a concert at the Melbourne Recital Centre to see these guys.
May 1
The farmers market for fresh chinese greens, a slow day for everyone, some bewdiful chocolate and a snuggle with the Batsman on the couch.
May 2
Getting motivated to do a circuit class at the gym, making it to the other end of the whole gym hour and the Batsman initiating to do a wee in the loo all by himself. Oh, and losing 2.3kg in 3 weeks makes me pretty happy too.
May 3
Ginger cake rich with golden syrup, a playdate for toddlers and a warm bath to soak away the sore muscles from yesterday's exercise class debacle achievement.
May 4
Gym work out and pilates in the one day and a total of 3.3kg dropped in 3 weeks of healthier living
May 5
Poached eggs on toast, alone, and completing the task of wrapping up home made jam and relish for the kinder Mother's Day stall
May 6
Being told by the childcare staff what a joy my Bowler is to look after and how happy and mischievious and inquisitive he is at child care
May 7
The Batsman helping himself become accustomed and less fearful of the dark by playing a lovely pre-bedtime game of "now it's light" and "now it's dark"....joy and excitement and daring are in his voice.
May 8
A mother's day sleep in, cuddles with my boys and a wintry afternoon inside at the beach house, watching the waves chop around and the dark grey clouds roll over us.
May 9
The Batsman's achievements at his OT appointment were many and varied this month and that always makes my heart sing.
May 10
I heart Pilates, stretching and learning to move my body well makes me happy.

So that was my month of happy moments.
And what did I learn from it?
Well.....
I think I already knew what makes me happy but I think what I fell in love with all over again is being present, being in the moment and being there to notice the happy moments. Not rushing so much that they pass you by in a blur. Showing up for the good stuff, trudging through the hard stuff and realising that there is "nowhere to get".

So......what makes me happy are
my kids and my man,
cooking as therapy,
blogging,
looking after myself,
small moments,
friends,
coffee.

I am fortunate. I have a great life. I'm glad I stopped to notice.

I cook therefore I am

I love food. I love cooking. There, I've said it.
I haven't written about food a lot on here. Probably being obsessed and besotted with my children means I write about them a lot. I'm not sure why.

Cooking, for me, is therapy. It soothes the savage beast within. It coaxes out my creative side. I'm good at it, most of the time.

We had our Easter break at home this year. It was lovely and we needed time out from having the Batsman's therapy program be the major ingredient of the family living cake. In between trips to the park, coffee at cafes and a footy match, I cooked. Like a demon. If cooking is my therapy then clearly I am in deep metaphysical and psychological trouble!

So I thought I would share with you what I have cooked over the last few days. Food, glorious food.

I made 3 dishes in the slow cooker to parcel up and freezer stash for kid friendly meals - a chicken korma, a chicken/mushroom/basil pasta and braised osso buco.

I roasted a leg of lamb for 12 hours until it was buttery and falling off the bone. Scented with cumin, garlic and lemon, the lamb was our Sunday Easter dinner.

I made the cheese sauce the Bowler loves to infinity and back and froze it, ready for thawing and dipping.

I simmered tomato relish and apple/berry jelly to bottle up for the kinder's Mother's Day extravaganza stall.

I baked flourless chocolate and lime cake and ANZAC bsicuits to get us through the sweet cravings this week.

And there was these. I think this is the cooking achievement I am most proud of this weekend, maybe ever.

Apple and cinnamon hot cross buns from scratch. I have always been a bit timid about doughs and bread and yeast. Frightened of "rock like" disasters perhaps. And then I baked the lovely Liss' from Frills in the Hills recipe for scrolls and they were lovely and gave me the "rise" (pardon the pun) of confidence I needed to tackle the hot crossies.
Here they are:

They were delish.

Did you do any cooking over the Easter break? What yummy things did you make?