Pants off at Woolworths... Oh and a great kindy quiche recipe!

 

I have been feeling a little out of my depth of late, no need to bore you with the details of my endless washing basket, my barking dog that is convinced he's a cat/ monkey, meal plans, lunches, groceries, unpacking ( yes still unpacking!) life is sprinting ahead of me and I'm just running out of breath trying to catch up... Dont you just wish you could pause life and go to a day spa and chill out for a while with no guilt and and no organising the coming week in your head? Or is it just me?!

Grocery shopping is a chore and the challenge is to come home with both my sanity and my list completed (and preferably a child that isn't bouncing off the walls from all the sugar bribery) Unfortunately, 6 weeks counting I've been failing miserably. Last week I came so close to my goal. As I walked out of Woolworth's I realized Dog biscuits!!! I Raced back so excited i hadn't forgotten anything and isaac was being an Angel, no bribery required today... As I scoped the specials ( this was my mistake) my child was happily playing with the doggy toys squeeking away I looked up at him - he looked back at me, the cutest little happy face.... His pants were off... Oh my god!

Apparently it's better to shop pant-less! After one tantrum, one pair of pants back in place, one kinder surprise and one packet of Advil we vacated the shopping centre at full speed, chocolatey child siting atop of groceries happily munching away and... Damn, I forgot the dog biscuits

I have a great recipe for you today, it's a real favourite in our house, I cut this quiche up into small cubes with some cherry tomatoes and send it off to kindy for Isaac's lunch he really enjoys it. (I wish I could say the same about kindy - more on that later I'm sure).

Zucchini and chorizo slice

1 chorizo diced

1 onion diced

2 Garlic crushed

3 large zucchini grated

1/2 cup Parmesan

200g mild feta crumbled finely

2 tbs fresh garlic chives finely chopped

6 eggs

1 cup Self raising flour

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180
2. Heat a dash of olive oil in small frypan over moderate heat
3. Add onion, chorizo and garlic to pan and cook stirring unil nicely golden. Set aside to cool.
4. Mix together self raising flour and eggs
5. Combine remaining ingredients, add chorizo mixture followed by egg mixture. Stir to combine.
6. Pour into greased tin and cook for 40 - 50 minutes.
7. Cut into slices and serve with cherry tomatoes as a great kindy lunch.

 

 

 

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Bailey the cat cake - Chocolate mud cake

 

I made this cake for a birthday recently the customer asked for a black and white cat with pink accent, he requested it be chocolate mud cake, though I jazzed it up a bit and added 3 layers of Choc mud cake, each separated with a thick layer of chocolate ganache and covered in the most amazing chocolate Franjellico buttercream.

To be honest, I had never attempted a traditional mud cake before, I find I always tweak recipes to suit my mood and I find it hard to follow orders for specific cakes, it's a creative thing that seems to be inbuilt and just takes over when trying to follow a recipe, a little voice just buts in and says "wouldnt a touch of this be better?" or " that needs more of this or its going to suck" to this day i have never regretted following my instincts so i just go with it however i did check before baking that the addition of alchohol would be ok. They were very happy with the end result and it truly made it a desert rather than just a cake. Overall it was a complete success, though I do strongly recommend the use of 70% dark chocolate to get that beautiful rich chocolate result.

Rich chocolate mud cake recipe adapted from best recipes.com.au

Ingredients:

300 g good quality 70% dark chocolate

220g unsalted butter

600 mL water

3 eggs

400 g caster sugar

400 g self-raising flour

1/2 cup Dutch cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Method:

1. Line base and sides of a pan with baking paper. Preheat oven to 170°C.
   
2. Add chocolate, butter and water to a saucepan over low heat. Stir until chocolate is melted and mix is smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
   
3. Lightly beat eggs in a large bowl and gradually add cooled chocolate mix.
   
4. Add sifted flour, cocoa then sugar and vanilla bean paste, continue to beat until smooth.
5. Pour mix into prepared tin and bake for 60 minutes or until cooked when tested with a clean skewer.

I turned the off cuts and left over ganache and buttercream into cake pops - because i wasnt exhausted enough after a full day of baking! I had planned on taking them to a play date that week, but unfortunately they didn't last long enough i figgured i deserved a treat or 2... or according to the photographic evidence 6?! Feeling a tad piggy after this one! Might take the doggies for a walk this afternoon after all.

 

Using cake off cuts I blended these together with a little water and refrigerated the shaped balls for 1 hr before dipping in chocolate

 

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Unforgettable Butterfly cupcakes

Coconut and vanilla bean cupcakes

 

I write to you sitting in our new outdoor area in our new backyard of our new house! That's right, we have finally moved into our newly built home, what a relief to be settled and enjoying life again... Well I'm sick so when my body decides to stop punishing me for moving twice in the space of 6 months i'll be right to enjoy life again...

So what do I do when I'm sick? Well aside from feeling incredibly sorry for myself, i eat! Have you ever heard the term "feed the cold" well I follow this term and stand by it whenever I get caught by my husband in a cloud of flour and sugar in my kitchen ( yes, our house but MY kitchen) when I'm supposed to be resting. Today I made Butterfly cupcakes and a new spin on an old butter cake recipe: coconut and vanilla bean cupcakes.

I do rest and look after myself when I'm Ill, after all I do have a very active toddler to run around after full time ( no sick days allowed with this job I'm afraid). Zacky does sense when Mummy doesn't feel well however and he usually tries to help me out. But seriously what makes you feel better more than the smell of baked goods fresh out of the oven?! I think its the best cure for everything, it never fails to put a smile on my face.

 

 

My latest obsession is Butterfly cupcakes. I recently made a cupcake tower of these little gems for a baby shower ( photos to come) At first I thought it was an odd request, I always dismissed these cakes as being childish and more about cutesy looks than taste, but not these guys, the light buttercake I teamed with whipped cream and jam are such a delight to bite into, they couldn't be further away from the over-sweet, over-processed cakes I remember from my childhood. Not to mention the fun and easy assembly that my son had so much fun helping me with. you'll be glad you tried them!

 

Ingredients:

185 g butter, softened

1 cup caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

3 large eggs

2 cups self-raising flour

¼ cup milk

3/4 cup of whipped cream - slightly sweetened

Icing sugar to dust

Good quality strawberry jam

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and grease a 20 cm cake tin well.
   
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together with an electric mixer until light and creamy.
   
3. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
   
4. Sift the flour over the mixture alternately with the milk, adding a third at a time. Stir in lightly.
   
5. Spoon batter into prepared cupcake tin and bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until cupcakes spring back to the touch.

To assemble:

1. Cut a small round hole in the centre of each cupcake and cut the piece in half to form the butterfly wings and set aside.
   
2. Spoon a teaspoonful of good strawberry jam into the hole and top with a good dollop of whipped cream.
   
3. Place wings on Top of cream.
   
4. Sprinkle sifted icing sugar over cupcake and place a dot of jam in between wings
   
5. Try not to eat them all in one sitting!
6. If you do have a few left ( well done!) store in airtight container in fridge for up to 3 days, bring to room temperature before serving

 

 

 

 

 

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I'm a mummy and i'm better for it - taking time to appreciate life

 

Clearly I have established that I'm incredibly passionate About food! But more than food, more than anything, I'm most passionate about my job, about being a Mum.

I'm a full time Mum, my son is 18 months old today. And I'm taking a moment to reflect, why? Because I think time goes too quickly I don't know about you, but I definitely don't appreciate my life enough and sometimes I find myself just existing. Just getting through the day. Not all the time, but I do get stuck in ruts.

No one and nothing can prepare you for the ups and downs of motherhood, and every single day is unlike the one before.

People will tell you it's hard ( and that is true!) i had some very dark days and struggled with depression, nothing came easily, my pregnancy was complicated, the natural birth i wanted resulted in an emergency cesarian, everything felt like it was against me, I felt as though i was never going to be enough and i was never going to be a good Mum.

One thing I didn't know or get told was, motherhood makes you a better person, a stronger person, less selfish and more determined. I didn't give up and I took each day as it came, some good, some bad, some absolutely terrible... Until the good days started to outweigh the bad, and then the bad days started to disappear and the haze cleared, I am a good mum, hell I'm a freakin great Mum!

My 18 month old boy who can say but a handful of words and thinks no means yes, no and maybe. This little boy that thinks everything can turn into a phone and expects nana to be talking back to him... He has truly made me a better person, and he has no clue!

I think back to my happiest days, you know the big life events like marrying my best friend, the love of my life Aidan, and the day that we got our first fury member of the family ( I had always dreamed of owning my very own dog).

They were amazing days that are locked in my memories forever, but the contentment of sitting with my son outside watching him run and laugh and play with his Daddy, my best friend... There are no words... Well maybe a few...I love my boys and I am so grateful for them.

 

 

 

 

 

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Super quick biscuits

 

Yesterday was a great day... So far today is the opposite... You know that song from Alanis Morrisett"isn't it ironic" ( if you don't know this song you need to, it's a bit of awesomeness) thats my background music in my head, every time I start feeling sorry for myself this music pops into my head and I imagine myself standing in the rain singing it. I know, dramatic right?! That's just me.

Today im the definition of ironic in a mummy/ housewife kinda way. From walking out the door forgetting to even look in the mirror, waiting in line at the post office to get to the end and realize I didn't Bring my I.D. After waiting in the line for the 2nd time my 17mth old pulls out my bra from the nappy bag ( note to self this toddler is capable of unzipping and zipping bags now). I must find a way to stop him from trying to wear my underwear as a hat... Perhaps I need to find a way to not be so amused by it, I suspect he does it to make me laugh, well I wasn't laughing this time!

It's funny how quickly/ dramatically my days can change being a Mum. No doubt my 17mth old can change even more dramatically ( yesterday he was all smiles & giggles, and today I only have to look at him sideways and he screams!)

Needless to say I haven't been feeling very "super mummyish" today, I was in desperate need of a cooking Sesh to lighten my spirits, minus the cleanup... Something to go with a nice strong coffee. These bickies are delicious, as I write this the smell of cinnamon is caught in the breeze and I'm instantly relaxed and ready to take on my afternoon chaos of dog walking, house cleaning, dinner cooking & bath time tantrums!

But for now, I might just have another bickie...

 

 

Quick mix biscuits recipe from Super food ideas via taste.com.au

80g butter, melted, cooled

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup sultanas

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 cup self-raising flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
   
2. Combine butter and sugars in a bowl. Mix in egg and sultanas. Sift flours, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda over mixture. Stir until just combined. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes or until firm.
   
3. Place small spoonfuls of mixture onto trays, allowing room for spreading. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Cool on trays for 10 minutes, then place onto a cooling rack.

Note: You can virtually add whatever you like to this recipe, I often add dried cranberries, walnuts, golden syrup, depending on what I feel like! The recipe on the site also includes chocolate drizzled, I feel it defeats the purpose of being quick so I didn't include it.

 

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Tangelo and vanilla cupcakes with tangelo buttercream

 

It's oh so quiet shhh shhh! That's what it's like in our house when my 17 month old is sleeping. I know, i know, all the books say "make noise". Well I invite all of those " experts" to come into my home and experience what happens when my boy doesn't get enough sleep, he is the "child from hell" ( I love my son, I promise) this boy, as gorgeous and funny, and sweet as he is has had a serious problem with sleep since he was born, and after many many sleep deprived nights our family enjoys 12 blissful hours most nights and 21/2hr naps through the day and I have worked my butt off to get it that way, not to mention we have a much happier family for it. As far as I'm concerned, go with what works, and being quiet works.

So yes that means when Isaac's sleeping between 11 and 2 during the day it's quiet time for mummy in more ways than one, even the poor dogs get roused on when they play too loud, it's quite funny how they can "mute" themselves mid play, the "shenanigans" continue minus the growling. I have good dogs. Oh and God forbid anyone flush a toilet!! or sneeze for that matter, (My poor dad!) I have become quite the bossy Mummy, of which I make no apologies for!

During Isaac's sleep today I dreamed up these cupcakes to make good use of the tangelos I bought at the fruit market when we were at Bribie Island yesterday i was trying to replicate the orange rock candy flavor and I think they turned out fab!

 

 

 

Tangelo and vanilla cupcakes with tangelo buttercream

Cupcakes

125g plain flour

125g caster sugar

125g soft unsalted butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Approximately 2 tablespoons milk

Zest of 1 tangelo

1. Preheat oven to 180°c ( 170°c fan forced)
   
2. Cream butter and sugar until light in color
   
3. Add dry ingredients, eggs, vanilla and tangelo zest; beat until combined
   
4. Add milk and beat for 2 minutes
   
5. Divide the mixture amongst a 12 pattycake lined tin.
   
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until tops spring back to touch.

 

Tangelo buttercream




100 grams Softened Butter

Zest of 1 Tangelo

225 grams Icing Sugar sifted

1 tablespoon tangelo juice

1. Beat butter, zest and sifted icing sugar with the balloon whisk of an electric stand mixer until light and fluffy.
2. Gradually add the tangelo juice until desired piping consistency is achieved ( I find I use all the juice but I prefer a softer icing).

 

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Chocolate cupcakes with Lindt chocolate buttercream

Hello my names Tiffany and I'm a chocoholic... My ultimate weakness is Lindt...anything Lindt. It's my answer to anything, bad day? Lindt. Toddler tantrum in the supermarket? Lindt. ( for him and me - works like a charm). period pain? Lindt. When it's on sale I buy in bulk ( oh god! I'm getting a real reality check as I write this - think I have a problem here! ) You get the idea. I love chocolate.

To continue my chocolatey indulgence this week I whipped up some of these gorgeous little numbers

 

They are amazing, the balance of flavor is perfect, between the delicate fluffy cake and the silky Lindt chocolate buttercream. It's an indulgence you desserve, go on, give it a go!

Chocolate cupcakes with lindt chocolate buttercream

Cupcakes

125g caster sugar

125g plain flour

125g butter softened

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs
2tablespoons coa coa
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 tablespoons milk

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°c ( 170°c fan forced)
   
2. Cream butter and sugar until light in color
3. Add dry ingredients, eggs and vanilla; beat until combined
4. Add milk and beat for 2 minutes
5. Divide the mixture amongst a 12 pattycake lined tin.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until tops spring back to touch.

 

 

Lindt chocolate buttercream

1 cup unsalted butter softened

2 1/2 cups pure icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

100g lindt dark chocolate - melted and slightly cooled

 

Method:

1. Using the wire whisk attachment on your stand mixer, whip the butter for 5 minutes on medium high setting, stopping to scrape the bowl occasionally.
2. Reduce speed to low, gradually add the icing mixture, once all the icing sugar has been incorporated increase speed to medium high and add the vanilla. Gradually add the melted chocolate and whip at high speed until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed to incorporate all the chocolate.

 

Note: You can store cupcakes in airtight container for up to 3 days. Store buttercream in refrigerator and bring to room temperature and re-whip before icing. 

 




 

 

 




 

 

 

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