OMG

What a week.  First week of school holidays and I have 2 kids sprawled on couches, with buckets, bags full of snotty tissues and a whole heap of moaning.  I'm  armed with panadol and extra boxes of tissues.
I thought I was going to catch anything but I woke up yesterday morning (Saturday) feeling like I'd been hit by a bus.  Everything ached and my throat was on fire.  Luckily a couple of panadol fixed that, so I thought I was good to cook.  Long story short,  I was in bed so early last night because after tea I felt so ill that as soon as everyone left, I had a shower  and hit the hay.  So......

Hello Sunday.

Nice early start for a Sunday morning.  I actually feel worse today but I have the chunky one.  She arrived at 6.20 am after a night of no sleep.  But she's had a bottle and she's out like a light so I'm going to make the most of my time before the next lot arrives.

So first things first, earlier in the week I made an impossible pie with bacon and cheese.  These are a quiche without the pastry, but with a base that makes itself.  Takes about 10 minutes to prepare and about 45 minutes to cook.  Served with a salad or chips, it makes a nice meal for a warm night.  It's also excellent cold.

So back to Saturday, because I wasn't feeling great, I decided I was opening a few packets that would at least make the kids happy.  Hello Betty Crocker.  1 Packet of blondies, 1 packet of brownies and 1 packet of rainbow biscuits. I also only have the mini food critic with me today so a bit easier. As packets are quick and easy, the cooking was all over in an hour and a half.  I'm glad because I need to take it easy for a while.
Such a quiet house, the boys are still sprawled.  I wish I could sleep.

Miss Tash arrives with the chunky one (who has also been sick for the past week), she's obviously feeling better because she wants to destruct everything in sight.  We have a cuppa and a chat until the chunky one starts playing up, so home they go.

I take it easy for a bit longer and I'm just checking through ebay and gumtree (a local selling site) and I find a playpen that I want to attach to the one I already have. God knows, the little mountain climbers need to be imprisoned on the odd occassion. The man goes to get that, they have a pram there and miss Tash wants that, so she meets him there, and then a highchair come home as well. Totally set up now. It's big and takes up half my loungeroom, but they have room to move and play.  Good job. (now where am I going to keep the pram)

Miss Tash and the chunky one are staying now, So because it's still early, we take the little kids out side for a play until it's time to cook tea.
I'm making pasta because it's a bit easier to make.  So I made a quick bolognaise sauce and I'm going to make a chicken pesto sauce.  When I was at Aldi the other day, they had a ready to serve chicken pesto on the deli shelf.  Looked good so I bought it and we had it for tea that night.  It was yum.  But I reckon I could make it, so I bought what I thought was in it and I'll hope for the best.
So lightly cook the chicken, saute some sundried tomatoes, saute some garlic, wilt some spinach,  add some cream and basil pesto, pour over noodles.  Wow,  yummy.  I put 3 tablespoons of pesto in this, but it would be added to your own taste really.  Everyone loved it.  the bolognaise came in a sad second lol.

Now dessert, I had a lot of bananas on the way out, so I decided on a self saucing pudding.  Not a lot of work in this.  My puddings a bit on the large size so would need to be halved for a standard sized family.
I had never made this before, but it's going to become a favourite I think.  Totally yummy.

The kids were happy with their plate of goodies too, they cleared that in record time.  Thanks Betty.

As I said I'm ill, did My blog make any sense?   Hope so. Now the chunky one's awake.  I guess an hours sleep is better than nothing.  Gotta go.

see you later

this is my life lol

BANANA SELF SAUCING PUDDING

CAKE
3 cups self raising flour
2 teaspoons bicarb soda
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 bananas, mashed
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs

SAUCE

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 cup golden syrup
2 teaspoons cornflour
3 cups boiling water


preheat oven to 180 c.  lightly grease large baking dish.  This is a big pudding.


CAKE
in a medium bowl, mix the bananas, oil and eggs.

in another bowl, mix the flour, sugar and bicarb soda.

add the banana mix to the flour mix and stir till well combined

spoon into dish.

SAUCE

mix the brown sugar and the cornflour together

sprinkle evenly over the top of the cake.

mix the boiling water and the golden syrup together and  carefully pour over top of cake.

cook approx 40 mins till nicely brown and a skewer comes out clean.

serve with cream or icecream.

CHICKEN PESTO PASTA
with sundried tomatoes and spinach

1 kg chicken breast fillets,  diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
900 mls thickened cream
3 tablespoons basil pesto
100 grams sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped
100 grams spinach
salt and pepper to taste
500 grams pasta, (your choice)

cook pasta according to directions on packet.

wilt the spinach in a colander over the pasta pot, set aside.

in a large frypan, on a medium heat, lightly cook chicken. dont brown it. set aside.

lightly cook the sundried tomatoes, set aside.

saute the garlic then add chicken back into pan.

add cream, pesto and salt and pepper.

simmer till chicken is cooked through.

add spinach and tomatoes,

toss through pasta. I didn't use all the pasta.  depends how much sauce you like.

IMPOSSIBLE PIE with bacon and cheese

6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup thickened cream
3/4 cup self raising flour
6 rashers short cut bacon, chopped
1 small - medium onion, finely chopped
1 small can or 1/2 cup capsicum, finely chopped
1 cup grated tasty cheese
1 tomato sliced
extra grated tasty cheese
salt and pepper to taste

preheat oven to 180
lightly grease pie dish

in a large bowl, whisk eggs

add milk and cream, whisking till well combined.

whisk flour, salt and pepper into egg mixture

add bacon, onion, capsicum and cheese to mix.

pour into pie dish.

decorate top with sliced tomato.

sprinkle with extra cheese

cook approx 45 minutes.  test by putting a cut in top. if still runny, cook till set.

NOTE: you can add any finely chopped vegies you like in this.

Hellooooo Saturday.

Here we go again.

The kids are here, the mini food critics full of snot (lovely) and totally crappy.  Miss Lily pily's been here 5 minutes and already crying because "I miss my mum".  There's only 9 1/2 hours to go till she comes home again.  It's gonna be a looooong day.

I'm cooking a roast for tea tonight, well two roasts, one chicken and a leg of lamb.  So it's all about the cake this morning.

Before I forget, last Sunday I made an incredible biscuit...snickers biscuit bites.  Something I dreamed up when I had nothing better to do.  The hardest part of making these was melting the caramel.  The base is a pressed chocolate ripple biscuit, filled with caramel and peanuts, covered with peanut butter icing and drizzled with chocolate ganache.  Totally divine.

Everyone was impressed. I could swim in them lol.

Anyway back to today.
I had seen a recipe through the week for a malteser mars bar slice. Not the cheapest thing to make but I'm going to give it a go.  More chocolate ripple biscuits and of course maltesers and mars bars. Also has condensed milk and butter.  The topping was supposed to be cadbury dairy milk chocolate but I substituted cooking chocolate.  Only took about 10 minutes to make. Very yummy.

I haven't used my bread maker for while, so I thought I would make some cinnamon scrolls and of course I decide to experiment and make banana nutella scrolls as well.  I  will just divide the dough in half when it's ready.  I double rise everything when I use the bread maker, so the dough stays in the machine till it rises, then  I punch it down and roll it out.  I cut the dough in half and put  a cinnamon, butter, sugar and sultana mix on one half and spread the other with nutella and some sliced banana.  Roll it up, cut it into pieces and rise it for another hour before cooking.  Three and a bit hours to make  and about 15 minutes to cook. Well worth the time though.  When cooled I iced the cinnamon ones with a pink strawberry flavoured icing and the banana ones with a nutella  flavoured icing.  So good.  Of course, I have to try them so I spread two with butter and devour.  I was even nice and shared with the man of the house.

The man had bought home some oranges so an orange cake is looking good too.  I wanted to try something different so I flip through some recipes and come up with one that uses the whole orange in the cake. I've made cakes like this before but that usually involves no flour.  I'll give this one a go.  This recipe says boil the orange for 5 minutes.  Every time I've boiled oranges it's been for an hour,  I decide to boil for  half an hour.
The rest of the cake is quick and easy, blitz, mix and done. Took about 40 minutes to cook.

Apparently I forgot lunch, well its only 2.00.  I make some sandwiches for the little angels and a coffee for me and have a bit of a break.  Liliy pily's out side. She's happy.  Miss snotty's inside destructing, she's happy too.  The boy's have gone visiting.  I'm very happy.  It's actually quiet.  Apparently you can destruct noiselessly.

Back to cooking.  The snickers biscuit bites were such a hit, I decide to make some more.   I get these done, except for the icing, but I still have to ice the cake so I will do that at the same time

 It's 4.00  and I like to cook my roasts low and slow.  I'm using oven bags so I put the meat into the bags, and into the oven on 150 c..  I won't have to worry about them again till it's time to dish up.

I make the  orange butter icing for the cake and the peanut butter icing for the snickers bites and get them out of the way.  The cake looks good, will be interesting to see what it tastes like.. Will have to wait for that.

I peel some potatoes and put them in the oven just as  Miss Tash arrives with the chunky one who is also sick.  She has a temp and is totally grizzly.  Time for a cuppa.  And a try of the malteser slice.  Miss Tash says its great. She's a chocolate freak like the rest of us, so great is good.

I leave Miss Tash with the grizzly one and go back to the kitchen to finish getting tea ready.  Honey carrots and green beans.   Lizzy lou arrives, I make her a cuppa and give her a bit of malteser slice as well.  Yumm say's she.  Good all round.

Number one son finally arrives and we dish up tea.  The man carves while I make the gravy and throw everything at the plates.  Dinner is served.
We always rush through this bit because it is truly all about the cake.

I cut and try the orange cake, not too bad but  I reckon I should have boiled the orange for an hour.   The flavour is good  but there is a bit of  peel here and there.  Definitely needed the hour. That extra half hour makes all the difference to the softness of the peel and the way it blitzes up.  Oh well, next time.  Still looks good.

So everthing is eaten.  Miss chunky who has cried all through main course is suddenly happy and climbing all over the couch. Miss Tash got to eat cake.   Number one son looks at me and says "I only have one complaint".  I look at him, must have been glaring lol . He smiles and says "there was no mint sauce"
If that is all there is to complain about, I'm one happy mum.

next week.....

ORANGEY ORANGE CAKE

1 large orange

185 grams butter, melted

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups self raising flour


put  2 cuts across the top of orange (+ shape)place whole orange in a pot of water and bring to boil. simmer for 1 hour.


Chop and puree the whole orange in a food processor.

cool.

preheat oven to 180 c.  grease and line bottom of 20 cm cake tin.


Add the butter, eggs, sugar and flour. Mix well.

Pour the mixture into pan.

Bake for approx 35 - 40 minutes till a skewer comes out clean.

cool.

ICING

125 grams butter, softened
grated rind 1 orange
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tablespoon milk.

with an electric mixer, beat butter and rind till creamy.

add 1/2 the icing sugar and beat well.

add rest of icing sugar and the milk.

beat well.

I cut the cake in half and spread 1/2 the icing on the bottom part and sandwiched the cake together, then iced the top with the rest.

SNICKERS BISCUIT BITES

1 pkt chocolate ripple biscuits

FILLING
1 pkt columbine caramels
1 tablespoon thickened cream
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 pkt salted peanuts

ICING

57 grams butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1 cup icing sugar

GANACHE

50 grams dark cooking chocolate
1/8th cup thickened cream
12.5 grams butter


preheat oven to 170c
you will need the 1/2 round patty pan tins for this.

makes 24

lay biscuits across holes of tins and heat in oven till soft.

press biscuits into holes to make tart shapes.

cool.

melt the caramels, cream and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pot of boiling water.

remove pot from heat but keep caramel bowl over pot so the caramel doesn't set.

quickly spoon caramel evenly into the biscuits (about 1 teaspoon each)

press about 6 salted peanuts across top of caramel.

refrigerate while making icing.

with an electric mixer, beat butter and peanut butter together till well combined.

add 1/2 the icing sugar, beating well

add rest of icing sugar and milk, beating well.

pipe or spoon icing on top of filling.

melt the cooking chocolate, cream and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pot of boiling water, stirring till smooth.

cool slightly.

drizzle over top of icing.

BANANA NUTELLA SCROLLS and CINNAMON SCROLLS
(using bread maker, double rise)

1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups plain flour
1 heaped teaspoon bread improver
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons dry yeast

place all ingredients in the above order into bread machine.

set machine to sweet.

let dough mix and rise in machine ( about 2 hours)  Dough should be almost at top of tin.

preheat oven to warm (100 c)

punch dough down  and tip out onto floured board.

cut dough in half.


roll out  each half to about 1/2 cm thick rectangle (you should get about 8 scrolls from each piece)

NUTELLA BANANA

5 tablespoons nutella
3 medium bananas

spread nutella over dough, leaving  edges free.

cover nutella with banana.

starting on long side, roll up dough.

cut into 8 pieces.



CINNAMON

1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
64 grams butter, softened
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 cup sultanas

mix butter, cinnamon and sugar together, till well combined.

spread over dough, leaving edges free.

sprinkle with sultanas.

starting on long side, roll up dough.

cut into 8 pieces.

place pieces on a large baking tray lined with baking paper, and cover with a teatowel.

open oven and place tray on door.  leave for an hour to rise.

remove tray, shut door and turn temperature up to 180 c.

cook for 10 - 15 mins or until nicely brown

ice when cold.

ICING

For Nutella scrolls

2 cups icing sugar
1 heaped tablespoon nutella
enough milk to make spreadable.

mix all together and spread on scrolls.

For cinnamon

2 cups icing sugar
3 drops or so of pink food coloring
1 teaspoon strawberry essence
enough milk to make a spreadable paste.

mix all together and spread on scrolls

MALTESER MARS BAR SLICE

1 packet chocolate ripple biscuits, crushed
1/2 cup condensed milk
100 grams butter
1 cup maltesers, roughly crushed
4 mars bars chopped into small pieces.

250 grams milk cooking chocolate
150 grams dark cooking chocolate
60 grams copha
maltesers to decorate

line a 9 x 13 cm dish with baking paper.

BASE

in a small pot, melt condensed milk and butter.

mix crushed biscuits, maltesers and mars bars together in a bowl.

mix in melted condensed milk and butter, stirring till well combined.

press into dish.

refrigerate for an hour.

TOPPING

in a heatproof bowl over a pot of boiling water, melt chocolate and copha together, stirring till smooth.

pour over base.

decorate with maltesers.

Hey again.  How quickly does the week go.  Hardly a blink and Saturday is here again.

I was so tired last week that I forgot that I had done some cooking through the previous week.  I added the recipes which were :-
thai green chicken curry

banana choc chip muffins

chocolate orange choc chip muffins

So with the week just gone I have been playing around with pumpkin recipes.  I came up with spiced pumpkin apple pie cake.  this was really really good.

You wouldn't know that there was pumpkin in this. Maybe just a slight bit in the colour, but it makes the cake really moist and gives it a fantastic flavour along with the spices. And it's really easy to make.

Now to today.

I'm having a really easy tea tonight.  Chicken wings, some with satay and sweet chilli and some with honey soy,  store bought lasagne because the kids like it, loin lamb chops, potato wedges and a quick salad.  Because none of this needs to go on before about 5.00 pm, I have all day to make cake.

I have the grandkids today, so I like to make things that done require too much thinking lol.
So that said, I decide to make portuguese tarts which I haven't made before, but Lizzy Lou likes these so I'm going to have a shot at them.
So they are basically a sweet custard tart made with puff pastry. The pastry is doubled and rolled into a log shape, then cut and rolled out and pressed into a muffin tin.  Why you do that, I have no idea. I don't know what the difference is.
The custard is made prior to the pastry because it has to cool. Its an egg yolk base with vanilla, sugar and milk.

Because there are 4 yolks in the recipe, I now have 4 whites as well. While the custard is cooling, I decide to make coconut macaroons.  These are really easy. Beaten egg whites, sugar and coconut, 10 minutes in the oven.

 Three trays of macaroons later, I'm ready to finish the tarts. The custards cool, I layer, roll, cut and roll out. Not so bad.  Fill the tin, fill the pastry and cook them for 20 or so minutes.

A little voice next to me pipes up with "nanny I hungy". Miss Lily pily wants lunch.  So does the mini food critic.  A couple of vegemite sandwiches and a cordial makes them happy.  Looks good, so I'll have one too.
And a coffee.  I might even play on the computer for a while.  The boys are getting their own lunch which involves a bit of mess, so I'll stay out of the kitchen till their finished.  I go back in in time to see Brian making a ham and chocolate spread sandwich (that's both on the same sandwich)  Yummy, NOT.

When I made the spiced pumpkin apple cake the other day, it went so quick that I decided to make another one for tonight. I'll serve it as a dessert with custard.  Because I still have pumpkin left, I'm going to make pumpkin whoopie pies as well.

The apple cake is made and needs to cool before I ice it.  The icing is really good, made with butter and brown sugar which is cooked before you add icing sugar.  I'm going to make the whoopie pies while I'm waiting.  These are quite easy to make especially when I have a whoopie pie tin. Pumpkin and spices yet again but number one son will love these.  They are filled with  cream cheese, vanilla, icing sugar  and cinnamon.  Basically they cool while you make the filling.

They're done. So back to the icing.  Melt the butter, add the sugar, add some milk, cool, add some icing sugar and quickly ice the cake.

Miss tash is here.  Whoa, its 5.00 pm.  where did that afternoon go?  Time to organise tea.  I quickly make a cuppa for miss Tash, we try a whoopie pie,  I could eat a lot of these. Really yumm and the smell in my kitchen at the moment is divine.

So anyway, I put the chicken wings, and lasagne in one oven, and I decide to cook the chops,covered, in the oven for an hour as well (then just throw them on the griddle to finish them off) so they go into the other oven.  I'll put the wedges on a bit later.

I set the table, clear the bench, I'm going to let everyone serve themselves which makes life a lot easier, so I just throw plates, tongs and serving spoons on the bench along with some boards to put the hot dishes on.
Put the wedges on, put the chops on the griddle and make the salad.  I cut some avacado.  It's half black inside. Total waste of money.  Then we wait for the rest to arrive,

I so love these easy meals.  We eat, we eat lots of cake, we drink coffee, the kids play and yell and scream and then everyone goes home.

Clean up.  The man does the dishes.  Cool. Thankyou.  Phew.  I'm done.  My ankles are aching, I need to put some type of mat on my tiled floor to make it easier to stand all day.  The man brings coffee. Thanks again.  Its now 11. 14 pm., an early night for me.  I have the kids again tomorrow so I'm going to relax for half an hour and go to bed.

nite all.

PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIES

1 1/2 cups self raising flour
3/4 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
pinch salt
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon mixed spice

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
213 grams cooked, mashed  pumpkin
1 large egg


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. lightly grease a whoopie pie tray.

with an electric mixer, beat together sugars, oil and pumpkin.

Add egg, mixing well.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

beat the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.

place about 1/2 heaped dessertspoon mix into each hole of the tin.

alternatively, place same amount on baking trays lined with baking paper, about 9 to a tray to allow for spreading.

cook for 10 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

cool.

fill.

CREAM CHEESE FILLING


125 grams cream cheese softened
60 grams butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups icing sugar

with an electric mixer, beat cheese and butter until smooth.

add vanilla and cinnamon.

add icing sugar in 3 batches, beating till smooth.

ice flat side of half the pies and sandwich together with other half.

dust with icing sugar.

PORTUGUESE TARTS

4 egg yolks
115 grams caster sugar
2 level tablespoons cornflour
400 mls milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

in a medium sized saucepan, whisk egg yolks, sugar and cornflour until combined.

whisk in milk  in 2 batches till smooth.

cook, stirring over medium heat until thickened and comes to boil.

remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

transfer custard to a bowl, cover with cling wrap and let cool.

preheat oven to 180 c

cut sheet of pastry in half and place one piece on top of other.  repeat with other sheet.

starting at the short end, roll up pastry.

cut each roll into 6 pieces.

place each piece of pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll each piece  into a 10 cm. circle.

lightly grease a 12 hole muffin tin.

press a piece of pastry into each hole and evenly fill with custard.

cook for approx. 20 - 25 mins until golden.

COCONUT MACAROONS


4 egg whites
1 cup caster sugar
4 cups dessicated coconut

preheat oven to 175 c
line baking trays with baking paper.

makes 36

with an electric mixer, beat egg whites till peaks begin to form.

add sugar in 3 batches, beating well after each.

stir in coconut.

place large heaped teaspoon fulls on trays.

cook until just lightly brown.

cool on trays.

SPICY PUMPKIN APPLE PIE CAKE
with brown sugar icing

113 grams butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1/2 cup vanilla yoghurt
3/4 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1 heaped teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
1 large can (770 grams) pie apples, drained

preheat oven to 180c. grease and line bottom of 22 cm springform tin.

with an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and eggs till well combined.

beat in yoghurt and pumpkin.

fold in flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, mixed spice, salt and bicarb soda.

place 2/3 of mix in bottom of tin.

spread pie apples evenly across mix.

cover apple with rest of mix.

cook for approx. 45 - 50 mins until a skewer comes out clean.

cool for 1/2 hour then ice.

eat while warm with cream, if desired.

ICING

70 grams butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups icing sugar.

in a small pot, melt butter.

add brown sugar, stirring till dissolved.

add milk, bring to boil stirring.

remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl.

let cool for 10 minutes.

stir in icing sugar.

quickly ice cake before icing sets.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE CHOC CHIP MUFFINS 
with orange choc flecked icing

113 grams butter softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup thickened cream
2 eggs
grated zest 1 orange
2 cups plain flour
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 cup dark choc bits

preheat oven to 180 c. fill muffin trays with patty pans.

with an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, cream and eggs.

add cocoa and orange zest.

add flour, bicarb and salt.

add orange juice . mix well.

stir in chocolate chips.

3/4 fill each patty pan.

bake 15 -20 mins for small patty pans. 20 - 25 mins for larger patty pans. ready when skewer comes out clean.

cool.

ICING

125 grams butter softened
grated zest 1 orange
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tablespoon milk
3 squares dark cooking chocolate grated

with an electric mixer, beat the butter and zest.

add 1/2 the icing sugar. beat well.

add the rest of the icing sugar, grated chocolate and the milk. beat well.

pipe or spoon icing onto muffins

EASY THAI GREEN CURRY WITH CHICKEN.

1 kilo chicken breast fillets, sliced
6 medium potatoes, quartered
6 carrots sliced
2 x 400 ml cans coconut cream
1 jar valcom green curry paste
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons oil
3 - 4 kaffir lime leaves

in a large pot, boil the potatoes and carrots till almost cooked. drain and set aside.

using same pot, saute chicken until just cooked. drain and set aside.

using same pot, add the oil and jar of green curry paste. stir till fragrant.

add 1 can of coconut cream and stir for a couple of minutes.

add fish sauce, sugar, chicken and vegetables, other can of coconut cream and bring to the boil.

simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the kaffir lime leaves.

simmer for another 5 mins, making sure vegetable are cooked.

serve with boiled rice.

BANANA CHOC CHIP MUFFINS

3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar packed
1 cup thickened cream
113 grams butter softened
2 eggs
4 very ripe bananas mashed
1 cup milk chocoloate bits
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

preheat oven to 180 c

makes approx. 14 extra large muffins Pictured) or about 24 large.

fill muffin trays with patty pans

with an electric mixer, beat the sugars, butter, eggs and cream together.

add the bananas and vanilla.

add the flour, salt and bicarb soda. mix well.

stir in chocolate bits.

3/4 fill each patty pan.

bake 15 - 20 mins until nicely brown and a skewer comes out clean.

ICING

125 grams butter softened
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa sifted
1 tablespoon milk

with an electric mixer, beat butter till pale and fluffy.

add cocoa to icing sugar.

add half icing sugar mix to butter and beat till combined.

add milk and rest of icing mix and beat till combined.

pipe or spoon icing onto muffins.

decorate.

Hello again Saturday.

My Saturday cooking started Friday because it's another birthday.
Happy birthday my chunky chicken.

So, as I said, my cooking started Friday but my fondant making started Thursday.The time for chicken cake has arrived.  After much thought and with fingers crossed, I drew a picture of the chicken for the cake that miss Tash had requested and proceeded to cut out the pieces of fondant.  Was pretty happy with it because I am in no way a cake decorator.  I glued it all together with a sugar and water syrup that I had made previously, and put it aside to dry.  I then made some flowers and butterflies and a couple of small chickens to use as decorations. I had bought some alphabet cutters as well, so I cut out some names too.  Fondant cutters are a great invention.Even though it was easy to do, it took quite a few hours to make them all.  But I got them made and out to dry as well, and that was that part finished.

Then comes Friday. I go shopping with my friend in the morning, have coffee, spend some money, put tattslotto on because I intend to win it one day, so can't forget that,  buy food because you can't cook with out it and cut the day short so I can go home and cook.

I had planned the dessert menu with miss Tash earlier in the week, nothing that I haven't made before so no new recipes to post.

So I started with the easier bits. First off the rank was banana bread brownies.  These are quite quick, made in one bowl and cooked for 20 mins or so.  They need icing when they cool down.
Next I made my ferrero slice. Lots of chocolate, hazelnuts, hazelnut wafers and nutella.  No cooking.
I'm also making caramel meringue tarts, so I press the biscuits for them as well.
By now its getting close to tea time, so I throw some chicken wings with tandoori sauce into the oven to cook and continue on with the dessert menu.  I'm making matches, so I thaw some sheets of puff pastry, cut them into small squares and cook them on a tray with another tray on top to stop them from puffing.  I repeat this process five times and call it done.  I'm now eating chicken wings as I go.  All this time the man has been at miss Tashes house helping her.  He arrives home .  By now its like 7.30 pm. I sit down for an hour and have a coffee with him.  I don't want to get up again but I still have to make whoopie pies with orange cream cheese filling.  I only have one tray for these, so I have to wash it after each use and repeat that four times.
While these are cooking, I make the brown butter icing for the banana bread brownies and ice that.(and forget to take a pic.).
I also melt some white chocolate, cool, spread and roll it and put it in the fridge to set for the birthday cake.
I then make the filling for the whoopie pies, and sandwich them together.  Now for the ganache.  I make that, it looks weird, I'm tired, I put it on a couple of pies, it's all wrong.  I scrape it off.  I'm done tonight, never cook when you're knackered, tomorrows another day.  Bed is calling.

My alarm goes off.  8.00 am. Saturday morning.  Party starts at 12.30. I haven't made the birthday cake yet. Best hurry. First things first.  Coffee of course. I don't think I have enough food, so I make some cupcakes. I cheat. I open a packet of Duncan Hines french vanilla cake mix. Two dozen cupcakes coming up. With them done, I make the meringue for the caramel tarts and get them piped and cooked.  One thing complete.

I then make the icing for the cupcakes and the birthday cake. Strawberry for one lot of cupcakes and the birthday cake and chocolate for the other lot of cupcakes.  Pipe the icing onto the cupcakes, add some flowers and butterflies.  A bit rough but finished.

Next I make the ganache for the whoopie pie, turns out fine this time, thank god, don't have time to make it again.  Ice them. Finished. 

Oops, almost forgot the cream.  Whip it, that's for the birthday cake and the matches.
I have to now pack the car and go  to miss Tashes to put the birthday cake together. Yelling at the kids to shower and dress, the man and I load and depart.
We arrive at Miss Tashes, unload, get all the bits I need together and head for the kitchen. I'm actually using a store bought sponge for the birthday cake, so firstly I slice it in half and fill it with jam and cream.  Sandwich it together, place it on the cake board and cover it with icing.   Next I unroll the chocolate and place it all around the outside of the cake.  Now for the chicken.  It's been drying for 2 days but when I go to remove it form the container, it's still not quite dry enough.  Miss Tash and I both put it on the cake. It fits.
All good.   Now for the letters and small chickens.  I brought the sugar syrup with me and used that to attach everything.  I think it looks good.  Miss Tash thinks it looks good and that's all that matters. 

  It's midday and people will be arriving. I look like the cook lol. I don't want to be seen at the moment . I'm heading home to get showered and dressed.  

Kids are ready. I'm going to swallow down a quick coffee and dive into the shower.  Clean and dressed and everyone into the car and head off again
Mmmm can smell the barbecue cooking.  Yumm.  All the guest are here, We are eating and drinking.       Cakes up. 
We set up the table with the cakes.   Everyone's   standing around the table waiting.  We are all sweet tooths apparently.

We bring out the birthday cake.   Chunky gets a chicken for the bottom and starts gnawing on that.  Not so good. 

But she didn't mind the cupcakes.  Neither did the mini food critic. 

   
Everyone else appears to be happy as well. 

So it's all over bar the shouting.  Everyone leaves, we tidy up a bit and sit down and relax. Isabella's had it, she goes to bed for a while.  I'd like to go with her.

We are staying here for tea.  Lots of food left over. Let's eat it.
The kids are getting cranky, they are tired, the men are getting cranky because of the kids, I'm getting cranky because of the men.  It's time to go home .

It's only 8.30 pm when we walk in the front door.  Feels like midnight.  Kids go to bed. The man and I have coffee and here I am.

So that was my few days.  Everything back to normal next week.  The usual Saturday night.

See you then.