Daring Bakers Challenge - Nanaimo Bars

Don't you hate it when you shatter your own childhood memory?

When this month's Daring Bakers Challenge was announced as not only Gluten Free Graham Crackers but Nanaimo Bars - I think I did a little happy dance. As random as it is - as an Australian child - I have actually eaten these before! (Which is more than I can say for our newly immigrated Canadian neighbours...)

I called my Mum to tell her how excited I was and how much I enjoyed them when I was little. This was when mum told me that she had only ever made them once, but didn't remember ever eating them.

And then I remembered.

And then the embarrassment kicked in.

Mum made them (lovingly), portioned them (cleverly) and froze them (hopefully).
And then I ate them.

One by one, day after day, my chubby little fingers snuck into the freezer and demolished Mum's stash. So yes, I had them and loved them - Mum remembers making them but never actually eating them... *arwkward*

Febusave - Wedding Money Saving Ideas 101

  

Just like a marriage, weddings are all about compromise and unfortunately many of us have to weigh up what we want vs what we can afford (or what hubby wants vs what we’ll let him have!).

It’s important to understand from day one that we may need to sacrifice some things to get the wedding of our dreams, without committing ourselves to a lifetime of unnecessary debt.

I know this may seem like a strange addition to my blog, but considering my passion is for food and all things related, Weddings really do have a special place here.

Needless to say, I was very excited to be given the opportunity by Australian Women Online and ANZ Febusave  to share some of my Wedding Money Saving Tips with you.

While I don’t expect you to love all of my ideas, if just one of them helps you save some money, then I consider my job well done.

Blueberry Curd and Vanilla Pikelets - a match made in heaven

While I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing – almost every time I make something using a recipe – I’m always looking at ways that I can cut corners. Make it quicker, easier, cheaper – or even just with less dirty dishes.

As much as I would like to boast that we have the “Cook or Clean Rule” in our house, meaning that whoever doesn’t cook – has to do the washing up, most of our dinners end with hubby cradling his bloated stomach on the couch insisting that he couldn’t possibly move. Thus meaning that either I do the dishes as well, or leave them there until the next day… *sigh*

Over Christmas I made the most divine Lemon Layer Cake from Masterchef. It was without a doubt, the most involved, annoying, over the top recipe I have ever attempted. Considering that it was one of the challenge recipes for the contestants – I really should have known better.

But – getting to the point – as part of it, I made Lemon Curd that was beyond delicious. And after making it, loving it and feeling inspired to find an easier way (without the whipped cream, gelatine and sieving), I decided to use up the blueberries I found in the fridge… and WA-LA!

I made simple Vanilla Pikelets with Blueberry Curd... and now I'm just willing hubby to come home and save me (and my ever expanding thighs) from eating them all...

Comfort at my Table - Happy in my Heart.

I knew something was wrong the moment I walked in the door. There were people smiling.

On a Monday morning.

On a Monday morning, the first Monday back at work after Christmas holidays.

Part of me wanted to hiss and back out the door away from all the crazy people – but then I saw what they were smiling about. It was good coffe, and right here in the heart of Milton.

After my car park chat with Peter and Janie from Bunnyconnellen  – they told me about their friend that had just opened a new café in Milton. I was excited – if these people knew half as much about good coffee as they did about good olives – I was there.

Long awaited Summer Figs... And then there were 5.

My husband always says to me “It’s creepy how well you and my mother get along”. And I guess he’s right. Poor boy -  he does actually worry that if we ever get divorced, his mother might choose to keep me over him…

After keeping my eyes peeled all season for Figs and despite hearing (unconfirmed) rumours of them being in Coles – I was yet to actually lay my hands on any. So when we were sauntering through the Powerhouse Markets I saw a whole Fig Stand - A WHOLE FIG STAND!! - and like a scene out of Wylie Coyote with the spinning legs and cloud of dust – I battled my way through the Yummy Mummy’s and their 3 wheeled Super Prams and I was first in line!

I picked out 6 of the most gorgeous, ripe and absolutely delicious looking figs – all a bargain for a measly $5. I was so delirious with excitement about my purchase, I did a happy dance right in the middle of the crowd.

Bunnyconnellen Olives - Convivial Pleasures Indeed...

I’m sure, that to the untrained eye, it looked like some kind of White Collar drug deal going down. But if you were to look closer, you’d see that I was happily – if not lustfully - clutching a package containing Bunnyconnellen Olives, Tapenade and their Award Winning Olive Oil.

I was dizzy with excitement to be given this package of gourmet goodies to review – especially after checking out their website and noting that these were “my kind of people”. They create an excellent product that wins awards all over the place – yet, in true Aussie style – they take the mickey out of themselves instead of blowing their own horn. (Check out their website for their casual, tongue-in-cheek recipes)

I was torn about what to do with all these goodies. I obviously wanted to tell you about them "au natural "– but what are sexy ingredients if you don’t at least try them out in some classic recipes?

Watt Modern Dining - Watt The???

I've been out of the game for a little while now. It's been about 4 years since I pulled my last beer, cleared my last table and yelled at my last Chef. But I'm fairly sure there's a few things that haven't changed:

1. You should welcome guests into the Restaurant, not look at them and wonder if they are lost. Then look at them again like they are something you found on the bottom of your shoe. (Something brown...)

2. If said guests order a bottle of champagne at 10:05am, and your liquor licence doesn't start until 10:30. The answer is not "No" with a head toss. Can I suggest instead "Our licence doesn't start until 10:30 but I'll order it now for you and bring it over when I can". Just a suggestion...

3. When the menu says I should get pinenuts with my Mushrooms and Polenta, then I think I should get them...

4. When FIL asks for poached eggs, I think it is reasonable that he actually gets poached eggs - not the scrambled eggs you somehow thought he would enjoy more.

The Cupcake Parlour - Generous in more ways than one

I was pretty sure she hadn't already had any because I'd been in the line with her for at least the last 10 minutes - but my heart lurched with excitement when this stranger, hugging her box of cupcakes to her chest, grabbed my arm and said dreamily "These cupcakes are soooo good..."

Then with her big eyes and satisfied grin - she disappeared into the crowd and I was left to battle it out for one of the last remaining cupcakes at The Cupcake Parlour .

I must have changed my mind at least 7 times while I was waiting to order and just as I was sure I had decided - someone would order something gorgeous and I was left faltering again.

The one that took my eye the most was topped with coconut so when it was my turn I asked for a run down of the remaining flavours. He pointed at my favourite and said "Vanilla with Coconut Frosting" - I was disappointed - I had expected something a little more exotic.

So like the true Chocolate-Skank I am - I went with the "Chocolate Marble" - topped with nothing less than a whole Guylian Chocolate. *drool* Talk about generosity.

He was intruiged why I didn't go with my first choice - "I like coconut, but I just expected something... different?" I said. "Trust me, you'll like it" - and with that - he popped it into my cakebox free of charge.

Want to know what makes a foodie happy? Food.

Want to know what makes a food blogger happy? Free food.

The Vanilla-Coconut was simple and wonderful. A nice, light but dense cupcake, topped with a coconut infused frosting and garnished with a generous puff of shaved coconut. Refreshing in it's simplicity. I'm so glad he insisted I try it. Next time I'm just going to ask him to choose for me.

The Chocolate-Marble was a chocolate delight. A dense cupcake that you could actually taste the quality Cocoa in - it was a flavoursome little cake with a nice kick. The chocolate frosting was delicious - but what really sealed the deal for me was the Guylian shell on top. It was 3 different types of chocolate that all complimented each other nicely without being too sickly sweet. A real triumph.

At just $3 a cupcake - it was much better quality than the price suggested. Next time I will be making sure I try the Lemon Sorbet (the excited girl took the last of these) and a Melting Moment (that actually has a whole biscuit on top!!)...

Contact: Cupcake Parlour

(The Cupcake Parlour has a store at West End but I bought mine from their stand at the Powerhouse Markets.)

Doing my bit for Australia

In addition to my other "fun" New Year Resolutions - in light of the economic darkspot we all waded through last year - this year I have decided to make a conscious decision to support local business where I can, and to do my utmost to buy Australian Made / Grown / Produced where possible.

I also hope to showcase some of these products that you may not know about - so if there is anything in particular you think I should try - please let me know!

So dear Reader, what are your New Year Resolutions?

Christopher's Fine Food - Very Fine Indeed

While I don't like to brag (too much) - I have acquired a very well trained husband. (This is not to be confused with the rare breed of Perfect Husband - see: Onion Jam Post for details on where his shortcomings lay...)

I'm yet to have an opinion on whether my Mother-in-Law trained her husband, or whether he is naturally a bit of a Romantic - but I love that between the two of them they have raised a boy who randomly buys his wife flowers because "he loves her", cooks dinner "because it's his turn" and takes me out for dinner because he's decided that "It's Date Night".

I was reminded of this recently when we spontaneously decided to take MIL out for breakfast (She's a hairdresser and my hair was looking particularly "Side Show Bob"...) and found out that it was also her and FIL's 37th Wedding Anniversary. Too cute for words was the massive bunch of flowers he had run home during his coffee break and left in the kitchen with a note that said "Came home for a quick kiss".

So feeling celebratory - we decided to forgo the pedestrian Coffee Club and Toscani's in lieu of Christopher's Fine Foods. 37 years deserve something a little bit special, and for the South Side - Christopher's is the definition of special.

The Chelsea Cafe - A Comedy of Neglect

“Is that sausage cooked?” I asked hubby tentatively, “Probably not” he grumbled. A pink middled sausage was really just the final straw for him, after a comedy of errors – he was all out of patience and was beyond caring if his snags were cooked or not.

As a Diner – I think one of the most frustrating things is to be waiting for a table and watching other people get seated before you… especially when they arrive after you.

To console ourselves that our holiday was almost over – I took hubby out to breakfast to The Chelsea. I had heard good things about The Chelsea, and considering we have eaten at almost every other Restaurant at The Barracks  - I didn’t really think we could go wrong.

To start with – they didn’t have any tables – but for Saturday morning breakfast, I’m happy to wait for one. We sat at their bar area while we waited… and waited… and waited. And proceeded to watch 3 other couples get seated before us. We asked the waiter again if we could get a table and were told that he would seat us as soon as one became available… we watched another couple take that table – and then just resigned ourselves to staying put.

Red Onion Jam… and Sheets in the Wind

So I crawled into bed the other night, hubby was snoring softly and the fat, ginger cat was curled up next to him with his head on my pillow. I slid carefully under the covers to make sure I didn’t wake either of them up and then suddenly, out of nowhere – a long, high pitched whistly fart. And then another one… this one more drawn out than the first… and then a third. What the? And then it hit me. It was the onion jam.


It was completely my fault – after a couple of wonderful meals at various places that included Onion Jam or Onion Marmalade – I was inspired to make my own while I was on holidays.

Little did I know that 1.2kg’s of onions would only make ¾ of a jar. So – when you look at the quantities involved… every teaspoon of that jam must have been a whole onion… which was really making sense to me while I was lying flattened in bed, trying desperately not to move (or breathe) while the doona acted as a buffer zone between hubby’s nether regions and my nose.