Tortilla boat quiches...

Now, you must excuse me, but I cannot remember where I saw this idea to use these tortillas...

Let me know if it was you and I will gladly give you credit - because they turned out really great!

Eight in a pack means there are leftovers and some to freeze! Quiches are great for using up tired vegetables that may be lurking in your fridge crisper...

This is what I put in my quiches....

Grated zucchini ...

Spring onions or plain onion...

Fresh corn taken off the cob...

Grated carrot...

I was given some kale at our WW meeting so that went in. Baby spinach is good too!

Bacon or ham...and I also like mushrooms but I totally forgot to get some.

I put all those things in a bowl them zap them in the microwave for a few minutes to just start them cooking...

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I mix up 6 eggs, 1/4 cup cream, a slosh of milk and a big tablespoon of plain flour, 1 teaspoon of chicken stock powder and salt and pepps.

Add this to the veg/bacon and mix well. Now add a good handful of grated cheddar cheese. Mix well. (Use more or less cheese to suit yourself)

Divide the mixture between the 8 shells and top with slices of cherry tomato and a bit more cheese.

Bake for approx. 30 minutes in oven at 180C, keeping an eye on the shells so they don't burn.

Serve with a simple salad and a vinaigrette dressing. These can be made during the day then re-heated for dinner - easy and delicious!

I can imagine Christmas leftovers going into these little boats - turkey, cranberry quiches, ham and roast veggie quiches, chuck it all in!

Cheers - Joolz xx

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Cranberry orange glazed scones...

This recipe was recently shared on Facebook by Robynn Reilly of Robynn's Ravings (blog not currently active). Robynn has a family recipe very similar to this one which she has tweaked and perfected however, her life would not be worth living if she divulged that family recipe. Hence, she shared this one...

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cranberry-orange-scones

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I made two batches this morning. First with plain flour as per the recipe, the second with self raising flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder and no baking soda. The latter recipe seemed lighter to me, so I have printed that one out for future reference.

I've never cut scones like this before, We Aussies usually use a round cutter. Remember to space them well so they cook on all sides...

I had my oven at 200C but they took more than 15 minutes....

The glaze is easy, just icing sugar and fresh orange juice. I used a large pastry brush to slather on the glaze...

I tried one not long after I glazed them - absolutely delicious! I then decided that I must give them all away so I wouldn't eat any more! The little plastic container has 'marmalade butter' in it to spread on the scones. So naughty!

All parcelled up to give away to my friends, Helen, Karen and Margie. The full plate went to work for all of our staff to enjoy. It was fun dropping them off to see their smiles.

I could imagine blueberry and white choc ones too!

Cheers - Joolz xx

 

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Cranberry Hootycreek Biscuits...

 

I love this recipe, simple and straight forward ...

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I think these are my new favourite Christmas biscuit. Fruity, chocolately, crunchy! I got this little plate from a little second hand shop, on my way back from Adelaide last time.

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Still procrastinating about the tree - i'd better go get it out of the shed! Or watch another episode of Downton!

 

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Slow, busy weekend...

So, yesterday on Facebook, I posed the question....

I can't decide...

Should I a) bake this fruit cake...

b) bake these cookies ...

 

c) Get out the tree and put it up...

d) Make naan bread....

...and then slow cooked lamb curry...

Or e) put my comfy pants on and watch Downton Abbey S4 all afternoon?

Well, I decided to make the fruit cake - I was given the recipe this week and liked it immediately because of all the fruit in it and it looked easy...

I followed the recipe to the letter except I didn't top it with the pecans and macadamias...

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I love using my big, old bowl...

Into the oven for 3 hours...

And here is big Bertha, she's a pearler! I can't wait to cut into her. Two quarters will be given as part of hamper gifts and the rest is for me!

Then it was onto some naan bread - This recipe works so well!

http://simplyjoolz.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/homemade-naan-bread.html

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The curry bubbled away for a few hours - I am glad I prepped it all beforehand (puree-ing onions and tomatoes and garlic and ginger, grinding spices, measuring out other stuff all takes time).... then its just a case of adding the ingredients as you go.

Funny, it doesn't look a lot like the picture in Rick Stein's book but it was delicious and had great flavour...

The cucumber mint yoghurt raita just compliments every curry I make - and helps put out the fire!

And, all the while I made the cake, the naan bread and the curry, I watched Downton in between. Love it!

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Thats what I'm going to do now - its just gone 8am - so time for a few more episodes! Then I will make those yummy cookies and get the tree up!

What does your Sunday have in store for you?

Cheers - Joolz xx

 

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Rocketing along...

 

Last weekend we headed to Adelaide to be with Kirby for her birthday. This was the leftover cake she had at her work - oh, my it was good!

We went out for dinner at Andre's Cucina - delicious Italian fare - we shall return!

I sent her flowers which were gorgeous - peonies, roses, lisianthus and lillies in whites and greens.

This week has been a blur of work, hot weather and thunder storms...I'll be glad for the weekend!

I need to start thinking about my Christmas baking that I do for gifts. I've seen a few nifty ideas I want to try.

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Outback Tania http://outbacktania.blogspot.com.au shared this recipe with me, which is from Wendy at http://myabundantlife07.blogspot.com.au. I can' t wait to bake these!

I also came across this recipe for Flo's pumpkin scones - not really Christmas fare but I'll print it off to keep for a cold, wet weekend. Yum!

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Found these on Facebook - I will definitely make these...

And I love these! http://grannyloz.blogspot.com.au made these for her daughter to give out to her class at school - so cute! Definitely on my to do list!

Not much else happening here. It's been hot, cold, wet, humid, no two days the same! I think the next 4-5 days we can expect 24-25C which is just nice. Fingers crossed!

I also had a lovely gift left for me - Alicia (a fellow blogger in my town) at

http://onemotherhen.blogspot.com.au

popped out and left me a potato plant and some HOT green chillies! Thank you so much!

Cheers - Joolz xx

 

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Successful fundraiser for the RFDS...

Last weekend (22/11) we held a fundraiser in conjunction with Ford Australia and their Go Further 4UR Community.  The Ford dealer chooses a community charity and Ford give $40 for each test drive taken in our new vehicles - up to the value of $2000

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We chose to support our local branch of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.  We are 4 hours (or 400kms) from Adelaide and without this vital service, critically ill people would not survive that long drive in a ambulance.  The RFDS also ferry surgical patients to and from the city on back runs.

 

The RFDS bought their aircraft simulator down to display on our car yard.  It was a real draw card...
 

Inside the aircraft, there was a full working display, patient on stretcher, humidicrib for babies...

The lady was happy to explain procedures for transporting a critically ill patient.  There was also a recording of a pilot relaying info through to base, organising retrieval at the other end.

 

The local RFDS branch is manned by a spritely bunch of elderly folk.  They sat and sold raffle tickets from 10 til 4pm (about $300 worth). I manned the sausage sizzle with some of our staff and we sold $80 worth.

 

We got to the $2000 mark at about 1pm but our Ford rep said to keep going!

By 4pm we had a tally of 

$3650- woohoo!

We handed over a cheque for that amount on the Monday morning to a beaming RFDS committee- what a successful day it was!

Cheers - Joolz xx