Another busy, baking weekend...

Saturday was baking day! M&M cookies - destined for some hungry boys (my nephews)...
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I also made a big chocolate cake (recipe is here at Destitue Gourmet for Dana's Cupcakes, just scroll down a bit) - it's a great recipe because you whack it all in the food processor and blitz it for about 2 minutes and tah dah! It's mixed perfectly!
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How good does that look?
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My sister-in-law has had an operation on her foot so she is out of action for about 6-8 weeks. She has a big farmer husband and 3 strapping sons so I thought I'd take her some food to tide them over ... um, probably for a day! I made a big batch of sausage rolls. We delivered them on Sunday and they were well received.

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Gus tried his hand at a Prawn Laksa on Saturday night - delicious indeed!
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Have you tried Poachies? They are little paper bags that you can perfectly poach an egg in...
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Get your water gently boiling, crack the egg into the bag, gently lower the egg into the water...
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Set your timer for between 4-6 minutes (depending how you like your eggs)...
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Remove from the water, drain on kitchen paper and serve on toast (which I didn't take
a photo of!)
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When we returned from dropping off the food to my sister-in-law, the sun was shining so I thought I'd seize the moment and tackle the garden. Ohmygosh! I hadn't weeded since about February! I pruned all the rose bushes and the weeds came out of the damp soil quite easily - lots of sour sobs!
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The roses were pretty easy to prune because you could see where the new growth was so I just took it back to where a nice green shoot was.
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This morning, I have plenty of aching muscles but my back is not too bad. I need to get a few new plants to pop into the spaces but other than that, it will spring back nicely, I think.

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I even cleaned my laundry window so this is the view from there. It's bleak and grey again today - our weather is so unpredictable. Sunny one day, grey skies and rain the next...
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I plan on having a Shepherd's Pie for dinner after seeing that Becci is having one too!
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Off to work to finish up end of month stuff,
Cheers - Joolz

A big week ...

This post is basically a dump of all the pictures on my iphone since I posted last week. Brianna came home last Friday and this was her dinner request - Mexican Potato Casserole - from Mennonite Girls Can Cook. It is both the girl's favourite 'come home to' meal.

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For some strange reason, she had a need to try on her Debutante dress from July, 2010! She still as a gorgeous figure but it didn't do up t the back like it used to...

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Well, it is a size 4!

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Saturday afternoon I made bread rolls...
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They were perfect! Gus was in control of dinner so I continued baking...
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Funfetti Cookies ...
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He did a roast chicken wrapped in bacon, stuffed with a sage and butter seasoning... We invited Gus' mother over for dinner to catch up with Bri.

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I do love a man who can cook!
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I made Lemon Delicious puddings for dessert...
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Next morning, I continued baking more biscuits... but first, breakfast!
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Anzac biscuits ...
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Golden and crunchy and just a little bit chewy ...
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Creaming the butter & icing sugar to make Cherry Shortbreads...
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Piped and ready for the oven ...
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Golden and yummy...
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I also made a deep dish beef lasagne...
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I packaged the biscuits up individually in cello bags for freshness...
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Brianna had requested Choc Chip Cookie Bars to take back to Adelaide when she flew back Monday morning so I made these Sunday night also ... epic baking going here, I can tell you!

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Bear in mind, all this week I am working 9 to 5 as my office colleague is away on leave.
With one daughter gone, the other arrived. Kirby flew home Monday night to attend a funeral (a friend's mother). That is what all my baking was for, the family. Kirby had requested chicken mornay in vol au vents for dinner so that's what we had.
On Tuesday night I made a chicken curry with cucumber raita... Kirby drove back home Wednesday. It was great to have the girls home - talk about whirlwind visits!
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I actually had Wednesday morning off, too my Mum grocery shopping then onto Mt. G so she could have an ECG (Ecocardiogram) done. The results were good, no change to the slight heart murmer she has.
Wednesday night is Weight Watchers night for me. I am on the committee and we have started a small library of books for members to borrow. We have quite a few recipe, lifestyle and health books on the shelves....
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We had a tasting night - this is a Quick Strawberry Mousse - make up a low joule strawberry jelly to instructions but only use 1/2 the water required. Allow to partially but not fully set. Now using electric beaters or whisk, beat until it forms a foamy mixture, approximately double in size with lots of bubbles. Add in 150gms natural bio-yoghurt and 200 gms of strawberries, chopped - leaving a few for decorating. Continue to whisk until everything is well blended. Pour into separate glasses or a large serving bowl and refrigerate until set. Decorate with a little whipped cream and strawberries. It's lovely and tangy and refreshing.
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I made Annette Sym's Cookies & Cream Cheesecake (made them Tuesday night inbetween making that curry!) - I used my mini muffin baking sheet and made 24 mini cakes. They were delicious. Recipe is here.

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Mandy made a Lentil and Veggie Curry which was lovely, sweet and spicy. Unfortunately I don't have the recipe just yet.
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Thursday was a full day at work then onto my nail appointment. A lovely hour, being pampered.
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For dinner, I made a tossed salad and a potato salad...
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... and we had it with fresh Coorong Mullet fillets...
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On Friday night, I added a coleslaw to the mix and we had T-bone steak and shasliks with the left over salads. Easy dinner!
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Phew! TGIF is right! It's been a hectic week!
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Spotted this nail art on facebook, cute little dream catchers... I'm going to show my nail tech!

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And Finally, Bonnie. I think she had a case of 'ennui' ... (pronounced 'ahn-wee') which roughly translates as a feeling of utter weariness and discontent resulting from satiety or lack of interest; boredom. In this cold weather, she has laid about on her bed, not moving or going out of the garage, just getting up to eat then lolling back on the mat. I know how she feels!

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Cheers - Joolz

Spring at last ...

The 1st of September heralds spring in Australia (Southern hemisphere) but she is taking a little while to emerge...
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I saw a recipe on a 'new to me' blog for a German Apple Cake so I just had to give it a go! The blog is called Farm Fancies and Robyn is from country New South Wales. I still need to explore her blog a bit but it looks very nice.
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It's funny how you interpret a recipe - I read it and couldn't quite work out how to do the apples. As it turned out, Robyn sort of misread the recipe and did her apples another way but it still worked out - how could it not?
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Here is the cake, straight out of the oven...
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This is after I (first brushed with melted butter (not in the recipe) then sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar...
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I just had to try a piece while it was warm... Robyn suggests serving with hot custard - that would be amazing! It is light and perfect to have with a cup of tea.
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Cheers - Joolz

Remembering Diana ...

Fifteen years ago, Diana, Princess of Wales passed away. She was my idol - I was fascinated by the Royal family but especially Diana. I remember hearing the news that she had been injured in a car accident and was watching the TV when they announced that she had actually died as a result. Such shocking news - I stayed glued to the TV all day - regular programming was scrapped for a constant live feed from Paris and London all that day. I lit a candle for her.
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I have a box of videos, books, stamps, newspaper cuttings and magazines etc of her...
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Not long after she passed away, I worked this fine cross stitch in her memory.
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