Lilly-Pilly Jam

 

8 cups Lilly Pilly berries, washed and pitted
4 cups jam setting sugar
160ml lime juice
1 Tbs vanilla extract

Place ingredients in pot and boil uncovered for 15mins. Meanwhile, sterilise 6 small jars in oven and lids in boiling water. Fill jars while hot.

1/2 cup pesto 
2 cup cream 
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth 
4 cloves garlic, minced 
1kg uncooked potato gnocchi 
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 
Salt & pepper to taste

 Add the pesto, cream, wine, and garlic to a deep skillet over medium heat. Once the sauce starts to gently bubble, stir in the gnocchi. Cover the pan and cook for 5ims. Uncover the pan and give it a good stir. Continue to cook it for a couple more minutes, stirring often (the sauce will thicken quickly as the gnocchi releases more starch). Once the sauce is thickened to your liking, stir in the parmesan cheese. If the sauce gets too thick at any point, add in another splash of wine or cream. Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately. 

Add froz peas.

via 

Cabbage Mince Stirfry

3 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs oyster sauce
Tbs hoisin sauce
2 tsp Mirin
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar 

1 Tbs oil
1 small onion sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger
500g lean beef mince 
1/2-1 cabbage, shredded
1 large carrot peeled and shredded 
salt and pepper

Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl. Set sauce aside. Heat cooking oil a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Cook the garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beef, breaking it up with the end of a wooden spoon as it cooks, until browned, about 5 minutes. Once beef is browned, add half of the sauce to the beef, stir frying to evenly coat. Add the cabbage and carrots; continue cooking while stirring until the cabbage is wilted. Taste test and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Stir through the remaining sauce. Serve warm.

via 

Creamy German Cucumber Salad

2 large cucumbers (700 g), sliced or small diced 
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sliced yellow onion
1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 cup sour cream 
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbs white wine vinegar
2 Tbs chopped fresh dill
2-3 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Place the sliced cucumbers in a bowl and toss with the teaspoon of salt. Let sit for about 30mins then drain thoroughly. Add the sliced onions to the cucumbers.

Place all remaining ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and stir to combine. Cover and chill for at least 2hrs before serving.

Bec's Best-ever Carrot cake

 

250g walnuts 
400g carrots, washed and roughly chopped
2 eggs 
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp vanilla essence 
1/2 tsp mixed spice 
1/4 tsp salt 
1 1/3 cups plain flour 
1 tsp bicarb soda
1/4 cup pepitas
1/4 cup sunflower seeds 

1 3/4 cups icing sugar 
90g cream cheese 
45g butter, room temp 
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 185C. Grease 25cm round cake tin/ line with baking paper, and set aside. Place walnuts into blender and mill. Set aside. Place carrots into blender and chop. Set aside. Place eggs, sugar and oil in stand mixer and mix. Add vanilla, spice, salt, flour and bicarb to bowl and mix. Add walnuts and carrots and mix. Pour into cake tin and bake for 75 mins. Combine all icing ingredients in stand mixer and beat. Ice cake when it has cooled.

Chicken Marinade

700g chicken breast, tenderloins or thighs 

2 Tbs honey OR brown sugar 

1 Tbs olive oil (or any oil) 

5 Tbs soy sauce 

2 Tbs lemon juice 

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 

4 garlic cloves , minced 

1 tsp dried oregano (or rosemary, thyme, minced herbs) 

1/2 tsp black pepper

Cut large chicken pieces in half horizontally to form 2 cutlets. Mix marinade ingredients. Add chicken. Marinate 3 hrs to overnight, though even 30 minutes is effective. Grill or pan sear 2-4mins each side.

Christmas puff pastry tree

 

I've been wanting to try this for a Christmas get-together and finally did. So easy. Mix butter, garlic and parsley together and spread over puff pastry, cover in grated mozzarella, then cover with more pastry. Cut a triangle shape and slits, twist each one. Cut out stars and wash all with an egg wash before baking. I served mine with red and green dips, but it didn't need anymore flavour. It was delicious on it's own.

Firetruck cake

 Quite an easy cake. It was hard to get a real red colour. I had used a lot of dye already and it still wasn't firetruck red. I didn't know how I was going to do the ladder but this worked well, melting the malt biscuits to stick onto the Corinthian wafers. Marella jubes were perfect for the lights and of course the big licorice fire hose!

500g short pasta
3 broccoli heads (BIG!)
1.5 cup shredded cheese (or more!) 
3 tsp lemon zest 
3 Tbsp lemon juice (or more!)
7.5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan, finely grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 tsp mixed dried herbs (or fresh!)
1.5 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
BBQ chicken, shredded

Boil a large pot of water with 2 tsp salt, add pasta. Chop broccoli into small florets. Add broccoli into water 1 – 2 mins before pasta is cooked. Place Sauce ingredients in a jar with lid. SCOOP OUT 1 cup pasta cooking water just before draining. Then drain and return pasta back into same pot on turned off stove. Add 1/2 cup pasta water to Pasta Sauce jar, shake well. Pour Sauce and add cheese and BBQ chicken into pot with pasta. Stir vigorously, adding more pasta water if required. Add more salt and pepper if required. Serve immediately, garnished with parmesan.

Via Recipe Tin Eats 

Mario Cake

Myles has recently been playing the old Super Mario games on the computer, so loves Mario at the moment. So I got to do a classic buttercream character face with licorice outline for his birthday. It took me a while colouring all the areas but came out great! Myles got to eat the M! I also couldn't pass on a Super Mario jumper I found at the op shop in his size! (even if he has heaps of jumpers!) He LOVES it!

Rollerskate cake

 

While looking through cake books for Myles' birthday I came across this rainbow rollarskate and, since we were getting together the same weekend to see Michael for his 40th birthday rally car experience, we  couldn't pass up the chance! So I had 2 cakes to make for the weekend!

I originally wanted rainbow twizzlers for the rainbow from my reference pic but I couldn't get any on short notice so had a few options with different stripey rainbow lollies including these sour strips! Plus skittles and licorice strap laces and giant marshmallows for the wheels!

Berry Jelly Flan

 

 

 

10 x butternut OR oat biscuits OR other plain biscuit
100 g packet hazelnuts (or Almonds)
100 g butter, melted
85 g Raspberry Flavour Jelly
1 cup (250 mL) boiling water
500 g packet frozen mixed berries

 

In a food processor, crush the biscuits together with the nuts. Mix crushed biscuits with the melted butter, then press into the base of a 10cm x 30cm rectangular loose-bottomed flan pan. (If you have one with a removable base it is much easier to serve). Refrigerate while preparing filling. Whisk the Jelly Crystals with 1 cup (250 mL) boiling water until dissolved, then allow to cool. Pour the mixed berries over the chilled flan base, and then pour over the cooled jelly. Allow to set in the fridge before serving.

Serve with optional dollup cream. 

Apple Crumble

 

4 large apples
1 cup sultanas
2 Tbs water
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 Tbs coconut
1/4 cup flour
1/2c tsp cinnamon
60g butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

Peel. quarter and slice apples. Combine in medium saucepan with sultanas, water and juice. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, simmer for about 5mins or until apples are soft. Pour mixture into shallow ovenproof dish. 
Combine oats, coconut, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl, rub in butter with fingertips until mixture is coarse and crumbly. Stir in sugar. Sprinkle mixture evenly over apple mixture. Bake in 180C for 30mins or until topping is golden.

Stew apples in microwave option:
Place sliced apples, sultanas, water and juice in large, shallow microwave-proof dsih, cover, cook on high for about 3mins or until apples are soft.
 

Via "Women's Weekly Basic Cookbook" 

Appel's Flower Garden Cake

A last minute cake that turned out great! Bought a Woolies mudcake and stuck smarties, choc melts and clinkers to create flowers/garden. Clinkers probably weren't necessary. Looked impressive. 

 

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

1¼ cups flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup grated zucchini, squeezed very dry and packed tightly (measure after grating and squeezing)
1 cup milk
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
¼ cup butter (melted, or use canola oil)
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup chocolate chips (or 1 cup blueberries)

Preheat oven to 180C. Coat a standard size muffin pan with nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Grate the zucchini with a box grater and squeeze as much liquid out as you can. Measure out 1 cup after this process. To a medium bowl, add the squeezed zucchini, milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Gently stir in the flour mixture. Gently stir in the chocolate chips (or blueberries). Divide batter among the prepared muffin pan, using a heaping ¼ cup in each. Bake for 16-18 mins, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of each muffin comes out clean. Let cool for a minute or so in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Serve muffins slightly warmed or at room temperature.

Via Yummy Toddler Food 

Jelly Slice

250g plain sweet biscuits (Marie biscuits)
175g butter, melted
Pinch of Cinnamon
395g can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup (125ml) strained lemon juice
3/4 cup (180ml) boiling water
2 tsp gelatine powder
85g Raspberry jelly crystals 

Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm x 30cm slice pan, extending paper 2cm above the sides of the pan.  Process biscuits in a food processor to fine crumbs. Add butter and cinnamon and process again. Press biscuit mixture into the base of prepared pan. Chill for 30mins or until firm. 

Combine condensed milk with lemon juice in medium bowl. Combine boiling water and gelatine in a small jug. Stir until completely dissolved, then stir into condensed milk mixture. Pour over biscuit base and return to the refrigerator for 1hr or until set. 

Meanwhile, prepare jelly according to packet instructions, using 100ml less cold water than directed. Allow to come to room temperature. Pour jelly mixture over set milk filling. Chill for a further 1hr or until jelly is set.

Via Taste.com

Marshmallow Slice

 

3 weetbix, crushed (or 50 grams of another similar wheat-based cereal)
½ cup brown sugar
190 grams butter
1 cup SR flour, sifted (130 grams)
¾ cup desiccated coconut (60 grams)
1 cup sugar (caster or white)
1 cup water
1 Tbs gelatine
2-3 drops pink food colouring (optional)
2-3 tablespoons sprinkles or flaked coconut (optional)

BasePre-heat oven to 180. Grease a slice tin and line with baking paper, leaving excess on the sides to lift out slice once cooked. Crush weetbix into a bowl. Add remaining dry ingredients to bowl and stir to combine. Melt butter and add to dry ingredients. Mix well. Press mixture into slice tin. Cook for 15mins. Allow to cool before adding marshmallow topping.   Marshmallow toppingPlace water, sugar and gelatine into a saucepan. Place on low heat and stir to dissolve sugar and gelatine. Bring to the boil and boil for 5mins. (You should only need very low heat to boil) Let cool for half an hour before beating (starting on low speed and moving to high speed) for about 5 minutes or until mixture is light and fluffy. Add food colouring if you are opting to colour the marshmallow layer and mix again until colour is even throughout mixture. Pour onto top of cooled base and use a plastic spatula to spread out evenly. Add sprinkles or flaked coconut to top of marshmallow. Allow to set in the fridge for about 2hrs. Lift slice from tray using the overhanging paper. Cut slice into squares using a sharp knife. Store slice in an airtight container in the fridge.

 Via

Garbage Truck Cake

 

I made this super simple garbage truck cake for Elliott's 3rd birthday. I actually bought the garbage truck a year ago for his birthday cake last year but changed my mind and did the Very Hungry Caterpillar instead. So I've been looking forward to doing this one. I wanted to keep it simple and colourful so used chocolate icing (instead of coconut grass etc) and wafers, smarties, licorice allsorts and freckles with some 100s and 1000s sprinkled around. And that was it! The buttons on the truck could be pressed to make it's noises, which was a bit of added fun..

Fruit-mince Pie Ice-cream

2L vanilla ice-cream
95g pure butter shortbread, roughly chopped
12 waffle cones, to serve
1 cup mixed dried fruit (Fruit medley)
75grams dried cranberries
1/4 cup dried diced figs
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 tsp mixed spice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbs apricot jam
1/4 cup brandy 

Place mixed fruit, cranberries, figs, almonds, spices, sugar, jam and brandy in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Stir until well combined. Cover and stand overnight, stirring occasionally. Place ice-cream in a large bowl. Stand for 10 minutes or until softened but not melted. Add fruit mince mixture and shortbread. Gently fold until just combined. Spoon into a 11 x 21cm (7cm deep) loaf pan and gently press to compact. Cover and freeze overnight or until firm. Remove from the freezer and stand for 3 minutes. Using an ice-cream scoop, scoop ice-cream and place in cones. Serve immediately.

 

Via Woolworths

Rainbow Cake

 

We had a left over round chocolate cake and M&Ms from Myles' Rocket cake so I planned with Myles to make this rainbow cake for Steve for his birthday. Myles loves rainbows and the rainbow colours and the rainbow order at the moment so he loved doing it and it was super easy. I just cut a round cake in half and iced it together standing up and decorated with the added marshmallow clouds and rainbow candles.