Twice cooked Tortellini in Garlic Butter Sauce

Wow! Such a long name for this dish, but really at the end of the day the pasta could really be anything of your choosing. I think it would work best with a filled pasta over a linguini or a spaghetti, but it could work well with almost any variety.

Basically, all I did was use stored purchased tortellini (large bag that serves 4) cooked in salted boiling water and drained. For the garlic butter I used 100g or so of butter and melted it down on medium high until it is sizzling and added 1/2 a spanish/red onion finely chopped and cooked it through and then added the minced garlic. As this is sizzling away and smelling divine I add the cooked pasta, at the same temp and allowed the pasta to brown on the edges a little. Just before serving I toss through some parsley - fresh is best but I only had dried on hand this time round. Season with some cracked black pepper. You could also squeeze in some lemon, add some chilli, or I added a dash of balsamic vinegar. So good!!

Episode 4 The Bachelor Australia Recap and #BachieTreat Gourmet Porridge

I had such a craving for porridge last night that I just had to make some. I decided to make it for my BachieTreat and tart it up a bit like the Bachiettes do on cocktail night.  For the tartness I made a berry coulis. I heated up about a 1 1/2 cups  frozen berry mix in a dry heated saucepan and added some coconut sugar (because I am healthy) and allowed it to thicken a little. I then whizzed it up in the blender with some water (just a smidge) and smushed it through a sieve onto the cooked porridge, but that's nor how you make porridge? Um, yes it is! Then you sprinkle some shredded coconut, and some chopped dark chocolate almonds and consume with delight. But that's nor how you make porridge! In my house this is how you make 'gourmet' porridge. Eat it for brekkie, a snack, or dessert. Its delicious and you will want to make it again!

Recap
Quotes of the night
"I am so ready to get out of this house" - #TeamJacinda
"He has missed a good catch" - #boringJoni
"She [Heather] thinks the white rose gives her some kind of immunity" - #TeamEmily

I have put off writing this recap because basically it was a rather boring episode, a bit like #boring Joni's personality - the one she blessed us with this episode. I am sure she is a great lass, but she over did it this week and unfortunately it didn't pay off.  This episode has also shone a not so nice bright light on QLDGirl or QueenB(iotch). I now know her name to be Jasmine. I thought there would have been some law about allowing a 16 year old on the show! Hahaha! Of course she's not actually 16 but she acts like she is back in high school and while it provides a bit of entertainment for a slow paced boring episode, the impressions I have been getting from her in previous episodes are now crystal clear. She does not like to play nice and she is out to verbally take down her competition. The  hot hit list has been written and almost everyone in the house is on it except Analglands and BoringJoni. I think Oshie could even be on it! While she plays friends with Emily for now, I would not put it past her to have #teamEmily on her hit list too. But her number one target to take out first is Hippie Heather. I'm gunning for a Mean Girls or Tessa and Dalia (Suburgatory - see video) style show down. Where cool girl and not so cool girl get all their frustrations out in one go. Well we can only hope it goes like this.

Hippie Heather was a good girl and obeyed Bachie's request to use her white rose. I love Emily's retort, "I am so glad she used the white rose, she thinks it is giving her some sort of immunity". Wrong show Emily, this is The Bachelor, not Survivor, though one can't blame you for getting them mixed up!
So Hippie Heather decides to use her super powers and create a date that Bachie will never forget. The date was perhaps fun in some ways but edging on lame in others. Homemade costumes, jelly wrestling and a photo shoot to end things off. Hippie Heather got her date with I am sure a few compromises - the white rose doesn't give you "ABSOLUTE" control (when Channel 10 pays the bills),  just a few suggestions so that producers can squeeze in little brand sponsorships wherever possible. I didn't see the NISSAN car, did you? What did make the night and push the laming indicator back to not so lame was when we got to see some FOOD. Hippie Heather made him dinner and although we saw her prepping the food, I can't remember if we saw her eating it? He was eating, but I think it is becoming clear. The bachiettes contracts say, "consume as many alcoholic bevvies as you wish, but under no circumstances can you consume food, even on camera"! On this last point, in this episode we do see the bachiettes back at the house spoon up fruit salad. Did we see them eating more than a spoonful?? The conspiracy continues!

The conversation all of a sudden becomes very serious when they discuss their parents. It was probably the best couple of minutes since the show began and we are all enthralled and if you didn't like BachieWood at the beginning, you must have shined a liking toward him during this touching moment. Then the all important hot topic comes up. Are they stuck in #TheFriendsZone? A quick pash on the couch and BachieWood offering a red rose cleared all of that up, for now. Hippie Heather returns to the mansion beaming with her red rose but still kept some cards close to her chest. She isn't telling the girls if he is a good kisser, which I think is a good game play, though I don't think she will be able to keep that up for much longer. This girl wears her heart on her sleeve. She claims to have a good poker face, but it's clear to the rest of Australia, that she is either an awesome actress who loves to play with the minds of her opponents or she is just really crap at hiding her emotions.

There is a group date, shock horror, at the beach because which Bachie wouldn't want his girlfriends to be in their bikinis frolicking in the water and pining after him? I wonder if there is a question on the application for the show asking if girls feel comfortable wearing their cozzies and jumping around at the same time. If you say no, you can't be on the show. I'd like to take this time to point out that there are no "plus size" girls on this show. Why is that? Poor Heybro (the turkish delight girl) lost her top in the waves, how embarrassment. At least Australia knows who she is now! Not much else exciting or interesting happens on this group date, oh hang on. We do hear Analglands say anal glands again and Bachie no happy. It was painfully clear from their short conversation that she was going home. Bachie also afforded some time to Joni and we all had to suffer for it! Joni seems like a nice lady, but unfortunately she bored the pants off all of us including Bachie, I can't quite remember what she said to be completely honest but all I remember thinking was Joni or Analglands will be going home tonight. Oh and I just wished they cracked open some s'mores by the fire they had set up, what a waste!

Back at the cocktail party and the girls are back to fulfilling their contracts of consuming more alcoholic beverages and not eating anything at all, ever, ever, ever! Good girls.  Maybe this is Survivor? QLDGirl is in full QueenB form tonight. Bachie gives Parmie a peck on the lips in front of some girls including QLDGirl. She so doesn't want to tell the others, because that would be so totes slack and bitchy, but how amazeballs would it be if she did tell everyone! So she does. Hippie Heather cracks her poker face. She loses it, but she still has cards left to play. She plays one with her Super Hero poster of Super Bachie and H-Bomb (lets leave that alone for now shall we). He loves it and will keep it forever! Really Bachie, when you propose to another woman, will that poster be kept forever? I am not too sure why Hippie Heather freaks over the Parmie peck, she is holding a rose, she is safe to fight another day and use more of her H-Bomb powers. QueenB aka Jassmine gets a red rose so that Tessa and Dalia showdown may just happen (we can pray). As I predicted (I think it was painfully obvious this week though) Analglands and BoringJoni were sent home, oh Bachie, you missed a good catch in Joni hope you don't live to regret it!

Fingers crossed next weeks episode is less boring. What Bachie Treat did you have this week?

Episode 3 Recap and Bachie Treat
Episodes 1&2 Recap and Bachie Treat

The Bachelor Season 3 Treats - Rocky Road

I'm not sure if you are watching The Bachelor or not, who am I kidding? Most of you probably are! Well I didn't watch last years season and I felt rather lonely in social gatherings and staff rooms when everyone else was discussing the ladies and all the shenanigans. I wouldn't consider this succumbing to peer pressure, as nobody really has put any pressure on me to watch this season, but I decided to start watching it from the beginning mainly just for some laughs and to try and see why these women are on this show. My hypothesis is that pretty much every single one of the bachelorettes  have an ulterior motive. They all want to boost their public image for their online business, film aspirations, modelling careers, or other more note worthy causes but still require a mass boost in publicity to get the project going. Why else would you go on TV and expose yourself to the relentless media and public? For love...whatever!! Oh, dear me, do I sound like a bit of a negative Nancy?? Oh well, I could be proven wrong.

I friend of mine who loves The Bachelor would share here Bachelor treat each week on Facebook. I looked forward to seeing her desserts both healthy and unhealthy. I figured this was one of the bonuses to The Bachelor being on air. With this in mind, I thought it would be fun to make or buy and share my Bachelor Treats each week. You'll have to find me on Instagram if I don't have time to post here.

On Tuesday, Episode 1 we munched on Maoam chews which can be purchased at Aldi. I love the strawberry and cola ones the best. Wednesday night was a little more organised and I made my infamous rocky road (kind of fitting). This is no ordinary rocky road in my opinion. I have a precise ratio of dark and milk chocolate which nobody I know can replicate. I also must have quality nuts like macadamias, which is what I used this time round. I also like Allens Raspberries, and yes, they have to be Allens it's as important to me as having Pascall marshmallows. Don't ask me why, just do it and thank me later!!

As for my recap on the last two episodes ( I in no way wish to compete with Rosie Waterland but would still like to share my views).  It seems a lot of the buzz is that Heather, the aspiring film maker is on the cards to be in the final 2 or 3. My view on this is Hippie Heather may crack by the end. She has fallen rather too quickly for this "dude". She is a little too cocky in how she talks about him with the other girls. The irony of this show is that most girls fall too quickly. What is it about women who say they have a game plan, then that disappears as soon as the guy turns up? Though if she doesn't crack from seeing him enjoy himself with other girls she might just end up in the final 3. The best part about this show so far is good old Sandra, or I like to refer to her as Sandragon. She is a rather attractive girl, with great hair and and nice teeth, but once she opens her mouth, the fire is released and all crazy hell breaks loose!!  It is cringeworthy to watch but so entertaining at the same time. I have been a primary school teacher for 13 years and I have never come across a breed of PE Teacher quite like Sandragon!!

From the first episode I had decided that Emily was a favourite. She seemed sweet and quiet, but since the second episode her sweetness is turning ever so quickly into bitterness. She is a cute girl but really has a jealous sting. I hope she stays focused on being the nice girl, I would hate to see her lose her temper with Hippie Heather and lose it altogether.

Amongst the mix are some quiet achievers. Until Episode 2, I had no idea who Madeline was. I was left to question if she was from planet earth as she had never seen nor heard of a Bond Girl nor watched or heard of any of the Bond movies. She has made it though to the next episode though, but I am putting money on her going next rose ceremony.

Like a lot of people, I gun for the underdog and for this season, I do believe that label can be awarded to Jacinda. She is a very funny girl and while she is a little bit loud, she has nothing on Sandragon! I hope she gets to spend more time with Bachie Wood in the next episode and for entertainment value of the good kind, she stays for a couple more episodes. Some of the other girls while they sport pretty faces and athletic figures, Jacinda trumps them in the personality department.

Who Went home?

Poor Tessa, after pouring out her heart about being single for 4 years was not given a rose. Poor girl, I hope she finds love real soon. The Sophie Monk look-a-like was also sent home. I forgot she was there until I saw she was left standing there with the other girls. I have to say though, a random discovery left me with information that Krystal (Sophie Monk look-alike) is also a mum, not just Parmigiana. Sadly we didn't get to her big reveal. Then we have Reshael. The one who wouldn't fight the good fight with Sandragon. Poor girl, if only she snapped a little at Sandragon she may have lived for another episode, but boring people don't stay. Reshael has pretty eyes but she was not suited in anyway to Bachie Wood.

So that is my recap for last weeks episodes. I am getting into this show, perhaps a little too much! Would love to hear what your Bachie treats have been and who you might think Bachie Wood will propose to.

Pina Colada Moist Vegan Cake Dairy Free and Egg Free

Ok, let's get one thing straight. I am not a Vegan, though I do embrace certain aspects of veganism. My body no longer deals well with Dairy. It has taken me a while to come to this conclusion, but I have finally accepted that Dairy is now my frenemy. I say frenemy, because I really wish it could be my bestie. I love ice cream, cheese, chocolate, and all that dairy goodness. I wish I could enjoy it without the consequences! So I have decided to lower my dairy intake. I suppose I should cut it out altogether, but realistically, I can't. I drink almond or coconut milk and only drink dairy if its unavoidable. I cut out cheese whenever possible. I don't consume camembert or brie or any other specialty lovely or artisan cheese that I once enjoyed. I limit my chocolate intake and I am proud to say I am good at this. I avoid butter where ever possible. I am not allergic thank goodness, though I haven't had this tested by a medical professional. I just know from my own experience and experiments that dairy no longer has a good influence on me and I have to limit my contact to benefit both of us. It was a hard break up, but I am surviving!

There are some great benefits to the Vegan diet, but I still enjoy my eggs, and I can't exist without meat, though I do limit my intake, much more than I used to. I also try to include more fish into my diet, which again is a no no for Vegans.  So while I can't be a fully fledged Vegan, I still enjoy the vegan recipes I come across. This cake I made the other night came about because a Vegan friend of mine, shared her discovery of whipping chickpea brine, with some sugar to replace eggs. The guy behind this all is Goose Wohlt, who now has a blog. This was insane! How could chickpea brine with sugar be whipped to look just like whipped egg white? But I do not lie. Check the links for yourself and see the Facebook group for more experiences. This concept is so revolutionary because cans of chickpeas or any beans apparently, replacing eggs or egg whites for baking is simply genius! Its so easy to store cans of beans in your cupboard and have them on hand. There are countless ways to use chickpeas and beans for your cooking and now, you can reserve your brine for cooking too! I know some of you are saying, "Grosse me out" and my kids would too, had I told them I used cannellini (white beans) brine to make the cake, but I didn't, and they liked it!!! I found the cake had good texture and was pleasantly moist. While I used pineapple, I think canned apricots, pears, peaches, mangoes etc could be used. Just as long as the syrup/juice is pleasant.  This is a great food storage recipe to keep on hand.

Piña Colada Cake 

 2 cups SRF 

1/4 cup caster sugar 

1 1/4 cup full fat coconut cream (no need to refrigerate)

1 can canallenni bean brine (or chickpea)

 1 Tbsp icing mixture 

400g pineapple pieces or crushed with juice

 2 Tsp vanilla extract 

1.Oven to 180C, line cake tin with baking paper. 

2. Whip brine and icing mixture and 1 tsp of vanilla until soft peaks form 

3. Mix SRF into whipped brine. Stir in coconut cream, caster sugar, tin of pineapple pieces and juice, and 1tsp vanilla until smooth.  

4. Pour into tin and place in oven for 30-35mins. Test with skewer if centre is cooked through. Allow to cool a little before serving. 

ANZAC Cookie Sundae Sandwich

My son is a budding chef! He has really got into trying new and interesting foods and creating new ideas. Last night was dessert night and we have ANZAC cookies as its ANZAC Day tomorrow. These cookies are purchased from Woolworths, personally they are my favourites but I am not sure that the CWA (Country Women's Assoc) would approve of them. I have discovered the original ANZAC biscuits were not chewy but crisp and had to crumble in a particular way so that they would last in the battlefields. Americans had their Hershey Bars, but the Aussies won out with handmade biscuits! However, I still like the chewy versions!!  For my non-Aussie readers, these cookies are pretty much the same as oatmeal cookies.

All you need for this dessert is two ANZAC cookies that have been microwaved for 15 secs. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to one cookie and a swirl of chocolate topping then sandwich the other cookie on top and Bob's your sweet uncle!! Very simple and irresistibly delicious!

Ultimate Moist Healthy Choc Chip Banana Cake

This is one of the best recipes I have come by for banana cake. I think what makes a great banana cake, bread, or slice is super ripe bananas. I hid some healthiness into this cake with chia seeds and linseed meal, but balanced it out with some semi-sweet choc chips.  Some of you might argue its not so healthy, but its better than packaged snacks from the supermarket and you can tweak it to suit your level of sweetness or what you consider to be healthy. Thanks must got to Balancing Beauty and Bedlam where I discovered her recipe and tweaked it to suit my tastes. Personally I don't think the cake needs frosting, but the link is provided if you wish to add it.  I hope you get the same amazing results as I did.


Banana Cake

125g butter
3 medium very ripe bananas mashed as smooth as its possible
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1tsp vanilla
3 eggs
3/4 cup coconut flour
1 1/4 cup plain flour
1 tsp bicarb (baking) soda
pinch of salt
1 cup semi sweet choc chips (optional)
2 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp linseed meal

 Turn on oven to 180C or 375F and line a lamington or jelly roll tin with baking paper.  I used a stand mixer on medium speed. When you add the flours start on low and increase to medium.

1. Cream butter and two sugars until creamy.
2. Add eggs one at a time - i.e. add an egg mix it through and repeat with each egg.
3. Add Vanilla and mashed bananas and  mix through until combined.
4. Add flours, bicarb soda, and salt and mix on low then increase speed gently until combined.
5. Add chia seeds, linseed meal, and choc chips and stir gently on low or even using a spoon until mixed through.

Pour out onto the tin and spread evenly across the tin until its even and smooth. Its good to use a spatula for this.

Bake in oven for 20 mins or until golden brown on top and cooked in the centre. Allow to cool on a wire tray.  ENJOY:)

Ritz Carlton 5 star cookies, The Best Cookies!

These are by far the best cookies I have made. Once upon a time I would have argued until I fainted that the Neiman Marcus cookies I use to make all the time were THE best. These NEW best cookies are much easier and less fiddley to make and you can yield 50+ cookies (depending on your size) very easily. I made about 40 large cookies and the rest were smaller ones. Enjoy:)


Ritz Carlton Cookies
50+

565g (5 sticks) butter softened to room temp
5 eggs (room temp)
2 cups brown sugar packed
2 cups caster sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
6 cups plain flour
1tsp salt
4 cups choc chips/bits




1. Cream butter and two sugars until smooth and creamy on medium speed

2. Add eggs one at a time

3. Add vanilla and beat in on high speed until all combined and smooth

4. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking soda, and salt.

5. Add flour mixture to wet mixture 2 cups at a time.

6. Fold choc chips through.


Place cookie dough in fridge for about an hour.

Pre heat oven to 180C. Place large dessert spoonfuls of mixture on cookie sheet / baking tray spaced evenly apart. Place in fridge or freezer for a further couple of minutes before baking. While one sheet is baking set up the next sheet and leave in fridge or freezer until ready to be baked. Bake 10-12mins or until browning on top.

Take out and allow to stand a minute or two then cool on a wire rack. Repeat until all cookies are deliciously baked and you feel like you want to camp out in your kitchen until the smell subsides!

NB. I didn't actually remember to count all the cookies but there were at least 50, very likely to be close to 60 or more cookies. At least a dozen of them were small sized about the size of your hand when you make a circle with the first finger and your thumb, but count from the edge of your finger and thumb, not the inside circle.  I do recommend you refrigerate your cookie dough, unless its a cold winters day and your heater isn't working.

** I also froze a portion of the cookies and hid them at the back of my freezer so my kids  wouldn't find them....they did though!! ***

Celebrating Halloween 2014 on a budget Part 1

Halloween this year was a lot of fun. Since we moved to a larger home and a home that faces out to a common road, I felt the need to decorate the outside of the house. My previous post was a taste of the the things I used as my inspiration this year. So here are the pictures of what I ended up making and displaying. The best fun I think was the packing tape ghosts. Lots of fun, and great effect, though in the end I didn't end up displaying them quite the way I had hope I would. I bring that down to my husband being absent on an overseas business trip for most of October!

The way it worked out for me this year, was a Halloween Party the week before Halloween for family and friends. Then we celebrate on the 31st and welcome trick or treaters. Then this year, we had a trunk o treat the day after halloween. So it was really stretched out for our family and we have more lollies than we know what to do with!!

For the family and friends party this is what I did.

This was my arty farty wall!! The Monster Melodies is a vinyl record cover I scored at a Vinnies for $1. The book pages come from Stephen King's Pet Cemetery and I stuck and painted them down with PVA glue onto canvases. Then the wicked picture is a free printable I printed up and put in a $2.50 frame from BigW.  All these items can be packed away for next year.

I already have the cake stand, which is always handy. I recommend if you don't have a cake stand but like to do parties or entertain, get one. They are invaluable. The styrofoam skulls were $4 each. They are great and the cheapest ones I could find. The table cloth was some black lace material I picked up a couple years back on the discount table from Spotlight. Can't remember how much but I am sure it was less than $10. We have an 8 seater table. All these items can be reused for next year.

This decoration is one of my favourites. A packet of black garbage bags from BigW cost me $1.90. I cut the sides apart, taped it to the window frame and cut vertical strips, the worse the better!! Has a great affect.

A friend of mine had a halloween party last year and had the syringes filled with Grenadine. I had a super hard time finding Grenadine this time, so settled with some sour cherry syrup (Italian) from my local fruit market. The colour matched the amazing taste! Kids squirted the syrup into their lemonade. I found syringes on Ebay and purchased 50 for around $30 including postage. I have washed them up and will reuse them next year or for other fun events! This idea went down really well, everyone loved the novelty and it was amazing to see them displayed on the table.

Finally, you maybe wondering what did I wear that day? Well, if you aren't on my personal FB page, here it is. I decided to invest in some body/face paint. Having 4 kids, it will come in handy no doubt!The only thing I purchased for the outfit was the hat and some stockings - which were not one size fits most for adults! I think the label got mixed up and should have been for kids, because they didn't get past my knees! I am 5ft 9, so I know I am a little but taller than the average, but still! Unfortunately i don't have a picture of the stockings, I should have for comedy purposes, but I didn't think of it at the time! I just cut the stockings off so they looks like individual socks! Waste not want not right!  I had my own black top and skirt for the outfit and now I have a hat to use again. What do you think?

Well, that is it for Part 1. Stay tuned for the outside decorations and what I decided to do for my Halloween night costume.

Saucy Pork Spare Ribs - my secret is out!

Pork ribs are one of those things that have to be done right. I can't emphasis enough how the meat has to be tender and melt in the mouth. There is nothing worse than chewy meat that gets stuck in teeth, well there is, but work with me for a little bit.

About 8 years ago, I was sitting in a hotel in Edmonton Canada watching the Food Network because it was -25C outside. I had an 8 month old baby having his morning nap and I was armed with Jalapeño Cheese Tostios, root beer - the real stuff, and double stuffed fudge dipped Oreos. I could watch as much TV as I wanted to watch and anything I wanted to watch. Flashback to one week earlier I was at home in balmy Sydney, Australia switching between Dora the Annoying Explora and the Koala Brothers to appease my other two kids. So I was in a little bit of heaven, even though I had never experienced any kind of weather that began with minus! This day was significant in my life because it was this exact day that I learned the art of making the best spare ribs known to mankind. I enjoyed ribs before, but really once the FoodNetwork opened my eyes to the truth, I realised I was just tolerating ribs!!

The secret to the best ribs, I am willing to share with you now. There is no need to overload on junk food while you read, nor is it necessary to watch snow fall nor is it necessary for it to be -25C outside, though hahaha, if it is!!  The secret is simple. Slow cook (on low) those babies in a bath of flavoured water for 4-6hours!  That is it. Then you carefully drown them in delicious sweet sauce (my own secret recipe) and bake them until the sauce caramelises and burns a little. Its the best way to enjoy pork ribs. As you eat them, you know it was meant to be and you have just been tolerating spare ribs in the past.

Ingredients
 4 racks of pork spare ribs
6-10 black pepper corns
4 bay leaves
4 cups warm water
2 tablespoons powdered chicken stock
2 onions quartered
4-6 cloves of garlic - whole
generous sprinkle of sea salt flakes.

My Secret Sauce
400ml Heinz Ketchup
200ml BBQ sauce (Aussie style)
3/4 - 1  cup brown sugar
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cayene pepper (optional)
2 tbs white wine vinegar -

**please note when I make the sauce, I don't usually measure my ingredients so use this as a guide and taste before you use it. Ketchup needs to be the main character. You could use tomato puree if you wish, but then you would have to increase the amounts of the spices and other ingredients. You want to achieve a sweet, mildly savoury and spicy sauce. You have to have the brown sugar so the sauce caramelises and burns a little, but you can use honey if that floats your boat. **

What do I do?
Place the ribs in your slow cooker. My slow cooker is quite large, so if yours is smaller you might want to cut up your ribs to fit. Place all ingredients in then mix the chicken stock powder with the warm water and pour over ribs. Ribs need to be submerged so add more if needs be. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. I have cooked on high before, but low really is better.

Turn oven on to 200C, make the sauce by add all ingredients and whisking it until combined and smooth. You could also whizz it up in your HMP or food processor.  Line a baking tray with foil. The ribs will be tender and break easily, so using tongs carefully place ribs on the lined baking tray. Spoon sauce to cover the ribs. Spray with some oil and place in oven for about 20mins.

I made these last night, but I didn't put enough brown sugar in because they didn't burn like I prefer them to. None the less, they were super tender and devourable - if that is a word, which computer is saying no! I married them with my Heart Attack potato bake. Everyone said yum as they licked there lips and fingers!

"Heart Attack" Potato Bake

If you are trying to be healthy look away now! I don't want to be responsible for tempting you into breaking your healthy eating streak! I dare say Michelle Bridges would have a heart attack just reading the ingredients for this potato bake and would no doubt suggest this be sin binned for eternity. Which actually might be convincing some of you even more that you should try this!! Ok, if you have been properly converted to the dark but delicious side of not so healthy eating, then please read on. This is not for the faint hearted and I have to tell you, I actually softened this up from the recipe I was using as inspiration. The other recipe overloads on cheese. I do love cheese, but when you are adding both pure cream and sour cream already to a sauce, the healthy voice in me talked me out of adding the mountains of grated cheese that the other recipe called for.  But if you so wish to add cheese, refer to the link for directions. This potato bake is super tasty and creamy, basically because I used cream! I had family over so for me, I had to make a large amount. Cut it down to suit your needs, but I can testify that it tastes good the next day!

Ingredients
2 kg of potatoes, peeled and cut into discs - thick not thin (personal preference)

500g bacon diced into squares - I used short cut, but if I had middle cut bacon I would trim so fat.

Green onions/ shallots three stalks - diced

200ml pure pouring cream

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cloves garlic minced

table spoon of wholegrain mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1-2 cups of grated cheese.


What to do

Rinse potatoes in cold running water and then boil them on the stove top until tender. Drain and place in a large deep baking dish and spread to fit entire dish. Pre heat oven to 190C

Add some olive oil to hot frying pan and add bacon. Cook until brown and crisp. Add garlic and stir through until fragrant. Add shallots and cook though. Lower heat a little and pour in cream and sour cream. Stir around and add wholegrain mustard. **When I make this again, I will actually add some chicken stock for a little extra flavour. This is optional, but I think it would give a little boost to the mixture.*** Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour mixture over potatoes in baking dish. Sprinkle cheese over potatoes and spread evenly but thickly and put in oven for 20mins or until cheese is browned.  Enjoy as your calorie counter explodes as you devour this!

I paired this scrumptious side with my enviable Secret Saucy pork spare ribs.

Easy 'n' Healthy Baked Vegetarian Meal - So versatile

I know I rave on about my HMP and how it and any thermal cooking machine for that matter can make life easier for you in the kitchen, I still cook using my oven and stove top. Old habits are hard to break. This meal I am going to share with you is so easy, healthy, and versatile. You can use whatever ingredients take your fancy or what is in season. I make this meal sometimes the night before work and have it cold as a salad. Its always good to break up the week with vegetarian based meals, I don't think we are supposed to eat meat every day of the week. So I add in non-meat and vegetarian meals at least 3 times a week. It helps with variety and also with the budget.

Ingredients - as a guide

2 carrots chopped
1 medium sweet potato
1/2 onion
1 zucchini
4 mini capsicums - or 1-2 regular sized (peppers for the Yanks)
4 tomatoes  - this is a staple add for me. I don't particularly like fresh tomatoes, but splash some oil, sprinkle some seasonings and bake 'em in the oven and I can down them by the kilo!!


What to do
Preheat oven to 190C

Chop all ingredients into small but chunky pieces

Spread evenly on baking tray

Spray with oil

Season with sea salt flakes, pepper, and oregano and toss to coat.

Bake for 15 mins, take out and toss veges around with some red wine vinegar (optional). Spray more oil if you need to. Bake further until cooked through and browning. Another approx 15-20mins.

Allow to cool and then serve with cooked quinoa, rice,  or toss some baby spinach leaves through. Make sure you get all the juices in and you can sprinkle in some more red wine vinegar - or whatever vinegar takes or fancy. Voila, an easy to prepare meal that is extremely versatile, and just as delicious the next day.

I also wanted you show with you one of my latest purchases. This oil sprayer from Decor. I purchased this at Big W for about $12. It's one of those purchases that make me glad that I got it each time I use it. It's nothing like the aerosol cans you purchase.You can refill it and it sprays a generous amount. I found with the spray oil I was purchasing from the supermarket that I was foaming my fry pan at times just so I could get a reasonable amount to get something cooking. Anyway, I highly recommend it.

Almond Butter in the HotMix Pro

My mother is Canadian and I swear I have more Canadian in me than Australian sometimes, well at least in my taste buds!  I love peanut butter and maple syrup in and on almost anything!! I love bacon, but not any kind of bacon. I prefer Aussie to American and interestingly enough Canadian bacon is better than American - in my humble opinion, but I'm still happy to crunch on American bacon when its on offer. I could go on about how much the North American cuisine attracts me more than my homeland sometimes, but I need to stay on track. My fav website, Pinterest has tempted me once again to make the overly popular almond butter and since I love peanut butter so much, I had to give it a go. Since I have my HotMix Pro handy, I knew this would be a breeze to make. This was my first attempt and I am happy with my results.

Almond Butter
400g roasted almonds - I took raw almonds and dry roasted them in my oven

In HMP on speed 9 for 1-1.5mins. Scraping down the sides helps at intervals with blades off. I found that the consistency was not coming together so the only oil I had on hand was sunflower oil. I splashed a small amount in and the butter came together quite nicely. I also added a small amount of brown sugar - about a table spoon.

 Maybe next time, I'll use raw almonds and see what kind of flavour I prefer and maybe add some other nuts too.

How to cut oranges for Fruit Break / Crunch and Sip

Oh yes, don't be fooled. There is an art to cutting oranges so that your child can enjoy them at fruit break! It is my understanding that most primary schools in NSW,  run the crunch and sip program. I see this in practice both as a parent and a primary school teacher. I thoroughly believe in this program as a good way to encourage children to enjoy fruit, vegetables, and water on a daily basis. However, there are some fruits that are a bit hard to work out how best to prepare for your child to enjoy. I feel I have mastered the sometimes problematic and beloved orange. If you cut the orange in quarters, many children will suck the juice out and leave the pulp but also can be messy and leave sticky drips on clothing. If you cut the skin off, and have the orange in pieces, it can leave sticky juice in the container or bag it's contained in which can cause a bit of a mess.
I truly believe the technique I am prepared to share is the best I have come up with - if I do say so myself - well I do and I did! This incredible technique keeps juice intact and I am confident the child will eat the majority of the pulp. I do recommend a plastic container, however, if you have a child/ren like mine and the container takes forever to return home. Then a zip lock bag is just as good.

Firstly, cut the orange into discs.

Discard the ends, as most fussy kids won't touch these. Then cut the discs in half.

Finally bag those juicy babies in a zip loc or more environmentally friendly container and allow your kids to enjoy! I love eating oranges myself in this fashion. It's the best!!

If you are as amazingly talented as I and would like to share how you prepare your crunch and sip treats for your kiddies, kindly share in the comments. I welcome all links to appropriate blog posts.