I completely forgot to check out the lunar eclipse that was taking place this morning (between 5am and 6.30am I think) but I did zip out after 7am and got these pics. I couldn't see the moon at all...
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Such beautiful colours in the sky...
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Tuesday night dinner was Garlic Beef & Red Pepper stir fry which we all enjoyed...
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Followed, rather naughtily, by this Chocolate Pudding... from the Women's Weekly Old fashioned Favourites book.
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60gms butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tspn vanilla essence or extract
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 cup SR flour
1 heaped tablespoon cocoa powder
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3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 heaped tablespoon cocoa powder
2 cups of boiling water and a knob of butter
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1. Combine butter and milk in a large saucepan, stir until butter has melted. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and caster sugar, then sifted flour and cocoa. Just use a wooden spoon to mix.
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2. Spread mixture into a greased overproof dish (6-8 cup capacity). Combine brown sugar and cocoa in a small bowl then sprinkle this over the batter. Drop small bits of the knob of butter over this then carefully pour over the boiling water.
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3. Bake in moderate over (180C) for 40 minutes - sauce with sink under the pudding and thicken. Serve with vanilla icecream or whipped cream.
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We had a dinner guest last night so I did
Kylie Kwong's Radical Roast Chicken and it was great. A one pot dish so there wasn't much clean up. I do feel that the cooking times are a bit short so allow longer to get the bird cooked properly. It has lots of cloves of garlic and shallots roasted in amongst the vegetables and boy, did the house reek this morning!
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... and because the other pudding was such a hit, I made this
Butterscotch Pudding from Taste.com - very easy (stir it up with a wooden spoon, no beaters required) and delicious! I made this before I started on the chicken so then all we had to do was zap each serve in the microwave.
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We have a freezing cold wind whipping through today so Bri rugged up with scarf, gloves and leggings under her tights plus socks! It's nearly 9am and it's only 7.4C! Even I will have to 'layer-up' today - I don't wear much more than one layer during our winter but that wind is coming straight from Antarctica!
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Stay warm... or cool... where ever you are in this world!
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Joolz
It is truly a winter's day here today. It is blowing a gale, straight off the Southern Ocean, everything is getting whipped around and the rain is pelting down. It is currently 13C.
Our mogster, Bonnie hadn't been seen since Friday. I was pondering this, this afternoon and said to Gus - I don't suppose she is out in the big shed? Sure enough, she was. He lifted the roller door and she shot out like greased lightening! Poor thing hadn't had anything to eat since Friday night! She scoffed down a serve of Whisker's casserole and some dry food then took off out of our garage. I don't think she wants to be locked in tonight!
This was dinner on Thursday night - Chicken Enchiladas a la Joolz.
We have had a very lazy weekend. We were going to go 'glamping' in Ruby this weekend, over in Victoria but the weather just couldn't get me enthused to spend 2 nights at a camping spot, where there is nothing but a 'long drop' toilet. Once we pitch the tent off Ruby we cannot go for a drive anywhere so if the weather is bad, we are confined to the small tent. Had the weather been fine, we could go fishing in the reservoir there or just walk for miles and sit by the camp fire. I think we made the right choice to stay home - all our gear would be muddy and wet and that is hard to clean and get dry in this weather. Next free weekend with fine weather, we will be off!
Angus is cooking Manu Feildel's Pot-roasted Pork with Prunes for dinner - this is the plated up dish. 
I completely forgot to check out the lunar eclipse that was taking place this morning (between 5am and 6.30am I think) but I did zip out after 7am and got these pics. I couldn't see the moon at all...
Such beautiful colours in the sky...
Tuesday night dinner was Garlic Beef & Red Pepper stir fry which we all enjoyed...
Followed, rather naughtily, by this Chocolate Pudding... from the Women's Weekly Old fashioned Favourites book.
We had a dinner guest last night so I did Kylie Kwong's Radical Roast Chicken and it was great. A one pot dish so there wasn't much clean up. I do feel that the cooking times are a bit short so allow longer to get the bird cooked properly. It has lots of cloves of garlic and shallots roasted in amongst the vegetables and boy, did the house reek this morning!
... and because the other pudding was such a hit, I made this Butterscotch Pudding from Taste.com - very easy (stir it up with a wooden spoon, no beaters required) and delicious! I made this before I started on the chicken so then all we had to do was zap each serve in the microwave.
It was a very chilly, very foggy morning this morning...
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The spiders had been out doing their work...
Such fine webs...
The winter sun, low in the sky...
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The promise of blue skies once the fog melts away.
Seared scallops; crisp skinned pork belly; cauliflower puree; local apple & pickled samphire salad.
Salt, pepper & smoked paprika SA squid; avocado; local chorizo; quinoa, cherry tomato & rocket salad; chilli oil.
Lamb rogan josh; pila rice; pappadums; natural yoghurt; fried shallots.
Pan roasted Beachport schapper; green pea risotto; broccolini; chardonnay cream sauce.
Linguine pasta; SA blue swimmer crab; roasted cherry tomatoes; dill; rose sauce with a hint of chilli; pecorino; gremolata.
Wilgha quince and almond tart; organic apple puree; quince jam; gingerbread crumbs; milk gelato.
Chocolate mousse; hazelnut meringue; raspberry sorbet; hazelnut tuille.
Late afternoon over the vineyard.
Vines at Bowen Estate.
Brianna bought this cute material recently so last night she turned it into a little bag for her sewing bits and bobs. She did a great job with the zip and it is lined (with no seams showing inside). Such a clever little thing!
These are the hot potato chips I make in my oven. I have a little crinkle cutter to chop them up with then I put them in a plastic bag, drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil in and a shake of my favourite spice mix (I like Nostimini) then I seal the bag, give it a good shake then turn out onto a paper lined baking tray. Bake in a 180C oven for about 30-40 minutes - crispy, crunchy low fat fries!
We had steak, salad and chips Wednesday night....
Last night I made Shepherds Pie with creamy mashed potato topping and some puff pastry to serve on the side. Yummy!
