A Wedding, Bali and New Year!

Well I haven't written on my blog for a really long time. Months and months and months in fact. I must say that I have missed it but during the end of last year I wasn't feeling very inspired as my Mum passed away and life just got jumbled up. 

2014 has been a great yer so far and it has very much brightened my spirit again and made me more inspired to be better at everything. To embrace life and live in adventure. 

On February 1st I married the man of my dreams and it was the best day of my life! Despite the 43 degree heat we had here in Adelaide. I probably picked the wrong dress with all my 16 layers of tulle and more but it was all worth it. The day ran perfectly and I was and still am the happiest woman in the world. 

After our wedding I was able to go on a honeymoon with my Husband and being my first real holiday it was like a dream and I learnt a lot about the world outside my little house in Adelaide. We went to Bali and my oh my what a culture change. I loved every second and it was so refreshing to see such community spirit and family love over there. I think I bought a little bit of that back with me. I want to be more involved with people and spend more of my time in the company of family and friends. 

The food over there was so similar but SO completely different. So wholesome and organic. it made me realise just how much crap we put into our food. So I have started being more wary of what I eat. I have pulled out my juicer which has been in my cupboard for a couple of eyes now and I now use it everyday! 

I will be using my blog to share my dreams, my love of food and my new found love of gardening and probably all the other things I plan on trying out this year. 

Stay tuned and keep smiling!

Love from me xxxxxxx

School Lunch Week 4

As you can see I was super super busy last week as I myself started a new course at a College. I am now studying Certificate 2 in Business which is rather boring but I do think I will benefit from it in the end and in the mean time I am making some great new friends!

So yes last week was a bit hectic as I got used to my new schedule and so I missed doing Week 3's school lunches!! But now I am back up and running properly so today I will share with you my menu for the week :)


This week we had:

Monday: Apple - Cinnamon/Choc Brownie - Yoghurt - Capsicum and Corn Tartlets

Tuesday: Nectarine - Brownie - Chips - Capsicum and Corn Tartlets

Wednesday: Apple - Jelly and Pudding - Veg Sticks - Pizza Scrolls

Thursday: Watermelon - Chips - Yoghurt - Ham and salad rolls

Friday: Watermelon - Jelly - Chips - Ham and Salad Roll

We did have a problem this week as I was super excited to try out these Cinnamon and Chocolate Brownies but they had nuts in them! As my youngest doesn't have anyone in his class that is allergic to nuts he was ok but my daughter who is in High School has a best friend who is allergic so she asked not to have them. If you do make these it is probably best as an after school snack and not as a lunch box treat. They are super delicious so you must try them :)

And this week I will share with you the recipe for the Brownies as well as the recipe for the Capsicum and Corn Tartlets:

Cinnamon and Chocolate Brownies

115g plain chocolate, broken into pieces

200g butter, plus extra for greasing

85g pecan nut halves

250g caster sugar

4 eggs, beaten

225g plain flour

2tsp ground cinnamon

55g white chocolate, broken into pieces

2tbsp milk

115g icing sugar

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease a 23cm/9in shallow square cake tin.

2. Melt plain chocolate and 175g of the butter in a heatproof bowl, set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

3.Set 16 pecan halves to one side for decoration and chop the rest. Beat together the caster sugar and eggs with a whsk until thick and creamy. Then fold in the choc mixture, flour, cinnamon and chopped pecans.

4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for 35 - 40 minutes, or until firm to touch. Leave to cool in the tin.

5. Melt remaining butter and white chocolate in a heatproof bowl, set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Remove from the heat and beat in the milk and icing sugar. Spread this mixture over the cool brownies. Allow to set for 30minutes then cut into 16 squares and top each with a pecan half. 

 

Capsicum and Corn Tartlets

3 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

310g frozen corn kernels

150g cheddar cheese grated

1 small red capsicum finely chopped

2 eggs lightly beaten

60ml buttermilk

170ml thick cream

1 tsp dijon mustard

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Lightly grease three 12 hole round based patty pans or mini muffin tins. 

2. Using a 6cm round cutter, cut circles from pastry sheets. Press circles into prepared tins and prick with a fork. 

3. Combine corn, cheese and capsicum in a large bowl and season. Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, cream and mustard in a measuring cup with a pouring lip.

4. Spoon the veg mixture into pastry cases and then top with egg mixture until cases are almost full.

5. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until well risen and set. Serve cold.

School Lunch Week 2!

Tuesday's Lunch all packed!

Well it is week 2 of back to school!! Which means a new Menu and with the success of the first week of school I am happy to say that my kids are loving all these great foods :D 

Now before we get started I just wanted to share with you this great After School snack I made for my kids today SO simple but so extremely delicious. We found the idea for Fruit Skewers in one of my old Super Food Ideas magazines and had to give it a go......I received lots of "Ooohs and Aaaahs" from the kids and even the Fiance when they saw what we had for snack time. We have Afternoon Snack every day after school and we try and have something different everyday. It could be yoghurt and fruit, an iceblock (on cold days), platter of deli meats and veg, pizza scrolls, sushi (the kids fave) or if they are extra lucky it could even be a chocolate donut......well we have to be naughty sometimes :P

Today's Fruit Skewers were super yummy just grab your favourite fruit and thread them on skewers and then to top it off we also had some sugar and spice yoghurt dip which was just 1/2 cup vanilla yoghurt mixed with a tablespoon of brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon!! Yum Yum Yum!! These were all gone in just a few minutes!!

Ok enough about that.....Let's get back to this weeks menu: 

Monday: Peach - Berry Muffins - Jelly - Chicken Schnitzel Wraps (left over schnitzels from Sunday's dinner) 

Tuesday: Fruit Salad - Berry Muffins - Dried Fruit Pack - Ham & Salad Roll

Wednesday: Apple - Yoghurt - Grain Wave Chips - Ham & Salad Roll

Thursday: Fruit Salad - Veg & dip - Yoghurt - Fried Rice

Friday: Peach - Dried Fruit Pack - Grain Waves - Fried Rice

This week's recipe I am sharing will be the Fried Rice! I absolutely love this Fried Rice as it is but sometimes fro a change I add some prawns (my kids love love love prawns).

Fried Rice

2 eggs

1 large carrot, grated

100g snow peas, sliced

300g frozen corn kernels

4 green shallots, thinly sliced

3 cups cooked rice (1 cup of raw rice makes 3 cups cooked)
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp tomato sauce

1. Beat the egg with a fork. Heat a wok or large frypan and grease with a little oil. Pour beaten egg into the heated wok to form an omelette. Cook until almost set then turn the egg over and cook the other side for 30 seconds. Remove omelette from wok, cool slightly then cut into small pieces.

2. Add the carrot and snow peas to the wok, stir fry for about 2 minutes. Add corn kernels, shallots, chopped omelette and cooked rice, continue stir-frying until ingredients are combined then mix the soy sauce and tomato sauce, stir in and heat through.

Lunchbox Madness Begins!

This week it was Back to School for my little munchkins after an awesome 6 weeks holidays!!

It was an extra special event for my kids as my eldest Miss R. started her very first day of High School and my youngest Master M. started year 4 (which means he is now in the 'big kid zone' of his school).

Well we all know that I love to cook and the whole healthy thing we have happening in our palace this year means that I have even more reason to start cooking up a storm for the school lunches.

Ok so along with Back to School lunches comes Organisation which you all know I love immensely!! Lists, Diaries, Planners, Coloour Co-ordinating - you name it!! So I sat down on Saturday and wrote up a school lunch menu (as well as a Mummy and Daddy menu) and I went shopping! I wanted to start fairly easy for the first week so most of this week is basic stuff! Then on Sunday I started baking.

This is the Menu for this week (due to public holiday Monday we started on Tuesday):

Tuesday:  Fruit Salad - Pikelets - Grain Wave Chips - Chicken Pasta

Wednesday: Apple - M&M Bars (recipe here) - Veg sticks and homemade french onion dip - Chicken Pasta

Thursday: Fruit Salad - Pikelets - Veg sticks and french onion dip - homemade sausage rolls

Friday: Apple - M&M Bars - Grain Wave chips - Chicken Caesar Wrap

Wednesday's packed lunch!

Basically my plan is to know exactly what is in my kids lunches! So I try and make everything like dips and snacks etc from scratch and it is amazing how much more delicious food is when you know it is not full of rubbish. I have also started making bread which my kids have been having as toast for breakfast this week. After seeing how long a loaf of bread can last from the shop without going off it creeped me out!! I don't know what they out in bread but when a loaf accidentally got left in the car and a week and a half later we found it still in the same state as when we bought it, I decided maybe homemade bread may be the way to go. Especially seeing as we don't eat much bread in our house so I only have to make it every now and then! 

And the best part?........It is all so damn easy!! I highly encourage everyone to just try filling their kids lunchboxes with homemade yummies! If you don't have much time most of the recipes I use can be frozen and put away for the week or they last for a few days just in the fridge. So grab one afternoon and bake/cook some goodies and then pack them up for the week! 

Every Monday I will be sharing my School meal plan and a recipe or two so that you can give them a try!! so make sure you keep checking back! If you have any school lunch recipes please feel free to share them with me so I can give them a go :) Ok now I will leave you with the french onion dip recipe AND the White bread recipe!! Good Luck........

French Onion Dip!

250g packet Cream Cheese (room temperature) 

40g packet french onion soup mix

2 Tbsp chopped chives

1. Just mix together all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy! You can add less or more french onion depending on how strong you like it) 

White Bread!

1 egg

1 egg yolk

150 - 200ml lukewarm water

500g strong white flour

1 and 1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp easy blend dried yeast

25g butter, diced

sunflower oil, for greasing

1. Place egg and egg yolk in a jug and beat lightly. Add enough lukewarm water to make up to 300ml. Stir well. 

2. Place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub it in with fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre, add the egg mixture and work to a smooth dough.

3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead well for about 10 minutes, or until smooth. Brush a bowl with oil. Shape the dough into a ball, place it in the bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Oil a 900g loaf tin. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute. Roll out the dough the length of the tin and three times the width. Fold the dough into three, lengthways and place it into the tin with the join underneath. Cover and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes or until it has risen above the tin. 

4. Place in preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until firm and golden brown. To test that loaf is cooked just tap the base with your knuckles and it should sound hollow. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

A New Start!

Well as far as years go I must admit that 2012 didn't really impress me! I think I had a lot of high hopes for 2012 and it just didn't live up to it.....

I am making a promise to myself now that I will make 2013 a much better year! That I will work harder to be incredibly happy and enjoy myself and the world.....

I have already booked myself into some art classes for 2013 which I start in February. I have always wanted to do some art classes and I really do need to do something out of the house that is just for me to enjoy. I am hoping that it will help me find new people to become friends with, which means more adult conversations and company which I am REALLY looking forward to. I am also hoping that I can learn a lot about different art techniques. I would love to learn how to apint and draw as I have always enjoyed it but never really taken much notice of techniques.

I am also hoping to get some swimming lessons for myself and Mr Mikey. I am absolutely petrified of swimming so my goal is to overcome that in 2013. Mikey has had some swimming lessons through school but I would love for him to learn how to be a strong swimmer. So we will be doing that together this year.

Another goal I am setting myself for 2013 is to work better at my 2 businesses. My handmade gifts business, Polkadot Bitz and Piecs and my Boutique Market, Once Upon A Market. I need to work on new ideas, new plans and learn more about business so that I can make them successful.

Then there is my family.

I would really like to spend more quality time with my family and I would like to be a better wife and mummy. (let's just say that I am not the best housewife material, I run from dishes and washing) I would like to get better at running a house and home and I would REALLY  like to put more effort in with taking part in the kids schooling and activities. It is very easy to just become lazy and let the teachers deal with it but I truly believe that parents should really get involved in their learning. Keeping up to date with what they are learning and pushing them to be as successful as possible through positive energy and listening. 

I know these things don't seem life changing but I really think they will save my life. I think that changes a few things in my life and doing some simple things will make me a much happier person and will make me love myself more.

So here is to 2013.......May it be more aspiring and more eventful than 2012!

Liane xx

Strawberry Cake!

  

Well I am a BIG fan of strawberries so when I went to the store and saw some super yummy looking strawberries I just had to buy some.....

But then after tasting one and realising that they were just as scrummy as they looked I decided that these babies couldn't just be eaten regularly........I was going to have to do even more with them! So I pulled down all of my recipe books, magazine pullouts and more and I found a recipe for:

STRAWBERRY CAKE! 

 

 And the best thing was that I had ALL the other ingredients already in my cupboard :D

Well the result was a seriously scrummy cake....so of course I am going to share the recipe with you so that when you find that great tasting punnet of strawberries you can make them even yummier too.........








125g butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 cups self raising flour, sifted
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh strawberries, mashed

Icing:
1 and a 1/2 cups pure icing sugar
4 medium strawberries, mashed

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees (160 fan forced). Lightly grease and line a 20cm round cake pan.

2. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. 

3. Fold in the flour and milk, mixing well. Add strawberries to the mix and fold together. 

4. Spoon mixture into the cake pan and bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool.

5. To make Strawberry icing: Mash 4 medium strawberries and add icing sugar, mix until well combined.

ENJOY xxxxx

Well I have started once again to try baking. I always fail at something and then I lose my joy of baking. It has been a while but I was out shopping and found a groovy little book in Target called "The Easy Way Baking" and I just couldn't resist buying it. I'm pretty sure there is nothing in there that I don't want to bake so I am on a mission to bake everything in the bloody book. (Let's see how long the mission lasts) 

I went out and purchased some awesome little kitchen gadgets like cake pans, flour sifter, icing spreader etc etc and a whole load of ingredients. 

Today I started on a Classic Chocolate Cake. If it turns out well I may do a post it on it so stay tuned :P and cross your fingers haha. My daughter begged me to bake some Blueberry Muffins so I will be trying some of them out over the weekend too. 

Any way apart from baking there have been a few other changes in my fairytale. I decided a couple of weeks ago that all this technology surrounding our children these days is absolutely destroying their social behaviour and so I am making a much bigger effort to spend more quality time with my kids and get them more active and social. Last week we had a 3 day ban of computers and it was AMAZING!! We played board games together as a family, we went for a family walk down to the local water catchment, we played outside and we started a puzzle. It was lovely to see my kids in a non zombie state and it was a huge reality check that computers and technology really are distracting us from what really matters. 

Sure things like Facebook, Blogs, Pinterest etc etc etc are all wonderful, entertaining and great connections to people everywhere. But what about the people around us? There was a time when the streets were filled with laughing children and we all gathered together for morning teas, sewing classes, coffee, book clubs and so much more. Now everything is done online and gathering together is slowly being eliminated. Maybe that is just me but I refuse to let it continue and so I am on another mission to get out and enjoy the world. Going out and enjoying the places I keep gazing at on Pinterest. Baking for friends so we can have morning tea instead of 'chatting' on Facebook chat, Hanging out with my kids more instead of letting them turn into zombies........The list is endless really. 

Today I picked my kids up from school and instead of heading straight home and getting stuck into the tv or xbox we headed down to the beach to enjoy some icecreams and take a stroll in the sand and the sea. It was a simple act that was beautiful and enjoyable. Really thats what living is all about. Those simple things. 

Tomorrow we are planning a trip to the zoo. Which we haven't done in years! and boy! am I excited!! 

Keep Smiling and Spreading the Love

Liane xxxx