a whimsical affair

Lazy....

2013-05-19T20:03:00.001+10:00

Lazy. That should be my middle name. Earlier this year my vow was to blog weekly. Seemed simple enough right? Cook, take photos, write up a story and post. Well, it's easier said than done.

I must admit, I like to think that I'm great at multitasking. After all, what kind of woman would I be if this wasn't so, and what woman can deny this isn't true? It seems I have a limit. I can juggle two things, three max. And while I can't devote an equal amount of time to each, it's still better than only focusing on one thing.

I am guilty of focusing much of my thoughts on one thing and today, after listening to such a candid and honest speaker, I asked myself, what's occupying my thoughts and time? To be honest I didn't like the answer.

It's time to refocus, renegotiate with myself and reprioritise my time. I'm off to a good start. New blog post soon!

piña colada cupcakes

2013-03-24T23:00:00.000+11:00

Here we go... Round two of cupcake combat! It's the mojito (Rebecca) vs. the pina colada! (me)

Also, I realise that Down Syndrome is over, but there are plenty of other charities going on, so who's to say you can't bake cupcakes for that?!

Now I wanted to do something different for round two. Chocolate's been done, so I thought I'd entertain my other thought: fruit. Now, I have to admit, for this round, I received some help. Actually, not some, but quite a lot. This week has had to be one of the harder weeks of the year so far. A trip away from home for two days, doing interviews with about 20 people within 4 days, plus the work that is slowly piling up at my desk, the Cat Empire gig on Friday night and a cupcake order (yes, someone actually paid for me to bake them cupcakes!). I don't remember a week quite like this since last November, when I travelled to Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney for groups, Harvest Festival and Coldplay, all in the space of 2 weeks...!

So for this round, I admit, I needed a little nudging. And more time to think. Thinking time is far and few. We should be allowed to time to think. Though, in my field of work, I think it's a luxury. So, that makes me a firm believer that many heads are better than one. So much so that for round two, colleagues helped in the brainstorm process and fellow blogger and foodie friend Rebecca helped me make these bad boys, by lending me her kitchen and tools for a night. She always knows the right amount of push I need. I digress.

I'm not a massive fan of coconut. Sure, I like coconut water, coconut juice, coconut in hummingbird cake but when I was thinking about cocktails, all I could think about is Malibu. I've never been a big drinker of Malibu (there's something 80's-esque about drinking Malibu and pineapple. I think it has to do with its staid packaging) but hey, when pina colada came up as a suggestion, who was I to turn it down? I'll give most things a go, at least once.

I must admit, I made the cakes a bit on the fly... I looked around for recipes but each were a bit different so I decided to make my own. I think in the end, they turned out quite well. Not too sweet and most definitely moist. A bit like a hummingbird cake but without the banana. And the cream cheese icing isn't too boozy, but the alcohol does give the cupcake the extra oomph of coconut. Topped with a glace cherry, depends how much of the Malibu you've had but it looks either very 80's and retro or something a bit ruder.

I'll let you decide for yourself.

If you want to make the scrummy yet "refreshing" mojito cupcake, visit Rebecca's blog here, otherwise, read on and make the pina colada cupcake.

pina colada cupcakes

pineapple cupcakes

preparation time | 15 minutes
cooking time | 20 minutes
makes | 18 cupcakes

110g butter, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup of caster sugar
1 1/3 cup of plain flour
1 tsp of baking powder
3 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla extract
3/4 cup of coconut cream
1/2 cup of shredded coconut
450g can of crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup Malibu

1| Preheat your oven to 170 degrees. Line your tray with cupcake liners.
2| In a bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together. Set aside. In another bowl or jug, slowly mix the Malibu with the coconut cream until smooth. If you like, you can use the drained pineapple juice, if not using Malibu.
3| Start beating the butter with a hand held mixer or in a bowl of a stand mixer. After a couple of minutes, add in the sugar and beat until dissolved and light and fluffy.
4| Add in an egg, one at a time, making sure the egg is incorporated before adding in the next one.
5| Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
6| Now add the coconut cream mixture, a third at a time, alternating with the flour until combined. Don't overbeat, or your cake will be tough!
7| Add in the pineapple and shredded coconut and stir gently, perhaps while thinking of a tropical island, far far away.
8| Divide the mixture into the liners and pop into the oven. Admire your handiwork thus far and take a swig of Malibu (why not?!)

9| Bake for about 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean.
10| Let the cakes cool on a wire rack. In the meantime, whip up the coconut cream cheese icing.

malibu cream cheese icing

250g cream cheese at room temperature
125g butter at room temperature
3 tbs of Malibu
icing sugar (about 1 cup, but that depends on how sweet you want it)

1| Get the cream cheese going first. Place it into the bowl of a mixer or using a hand mixer, start the beating.
2| After a couple of minutes, add the butter and whip that up.
3| Add in the Malibu. Careful not to lug a whole heap in...! After a couple of more minutes, add the icing sugar. Use 1 cup first, add more if you want it sweeter. Beat until thick and fluffy.
4| Try not to eat the whole icing out of the bowl. Pipe on to cakes and if desired, top with shredded coconut, or a cherry. Dream of a tropical island in the sun while chowing down on said cupcake.

mudslide cupcakes

2013-03-18T21:43:00.004+11:00

How can something sound so wrong be so right??

Now before you think “ew. Mudslide.” I ask you to stop, and reconsider.

Now, I’ve been known to have a few cocktails in my time. But not a mudslide, or if I have had one, I can’t remember having one. The only thing I’ve had that comes close to a mudslide is a Toblerone cocktail or some CSCs (I’m sure you know what the abbreviation is and I don’t need to spell it out).

I love cocktails, and everything about them. I love that you can concoct pretty much anything by combining liqueurs and fruity or chocolately flavours. You’re only limited by your imagination.

So when Rebecca suggested the theme for our Cupcake Combat could be cocktails, I couldn’t say no! As soon as the theme was settled, I dreamt of two things: sweet, tasty, fruity concoctions or rich, creamy, velvety chocolate creations.

So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that for my first cupcake (out of three) I decided on mudslide cupcakes. Before I decided to take on this cupcake, I did a bit of research. To say I wasn’t daunted would be a lie. A dual swirl of frosting? I’ve never done that before. All the versions I saw online looked so professional, so beautiful and not to mention so tasty!

And then if the frosting dilemma wasn’t enough, there were so many different cake base recipes. So many in fact that I got confused. Ones with Kahlua, ones with Baileys, ones that were plain chocolate… Turns out everyone else in the cupcake sphere enjoy experimenting no?

Nevertheless, I decided to give these bad boys a go. I adapted the chocolate cake recipe from the Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Cookbook and added dashes of Kahlua and Baileys to just a simple vanilla buttercream icing recipe.

The results as above: you judge for yourself. Winner? I think so, but I’m biased.

Mudslide cupcakes

Chocolate Baileys cupcakes

Makes lots and lots of cupcakes – at least 50 mini cupcakes and 16 standard sized cupcakes (that’s what I took in to work and they were all gone!)

3 cups of flour

2 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

1 cup of hot water

1 cup of cocoa

2/3 cup of Baileys Irish Cream (or 1 cup of Baileys if you want even boozier cakes)

1/3 cup of milk (omit if using 1 cup of Baileys)

200g of softened unsalted butter

2 cups castor sugar

4 eggs

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

1| Preheat your oven to 170^oC. Line your trays with cupcake liners.

2| Sift together the flour, bicarb soda, baking powder and salt. In a small separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, combine the milk and Baileys.

3| In the bowl of your mixer or in another bowl, using a hand mixer, cream the butter for 1-2 minutes. Add the castor sugar a third at a time, beating for around 2 minutes after each addition. After the last addition, keep beating until the butter and sugar mixture is light and fluffy. You should see it change colour – the mix won’t be as yellow as when you first started the creaming process.

4| Add the eggs in, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract and beat for another minute or so.

5| Add a quarter of the flour to the creamed mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Add about a third of the cocoa and Baileys mixture and beat until combined. Repeat this process twice more. Add the rest of the flour and until combined. Be careful not to overbeat – it will toughen the mixture. Beat until just combined and you can gently fold the rest with a spatula if you like.

6| Spoon the mixture into the cupcake papers, filling each to about three-quarters full. If you don’t want cracks in the tops of your cakes (come on, no one does right? It’s not that pretty), just sit your cakes for 10-20 minutes before baking.

7| Bake for about 10 minutes (for little cupcakes) or 15-17 minutes for standard sized cupcakes or until a fine skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the trays immediately and completely cool on a wire rack before frosting. Try to refrain from eating.

Baileys buttercream icing

150g softened unsalted butter

1-2 cups of icing sugar mixture, depending on how sweet you want it

A dash of vanilla extract

3 tablespoons of Baileys Irish Cream

1| Cream the butter for 1-2 minutes in a clean, dry bowl.

2| Add in the Baileys and vanilla extract and beat for at least a couple of minutes.

3| Add in the icing sugar, a bit at a time, adjusting to your tastes.

Kahlua buttercream icing

150g softened unsalted butter

3 tablespoons of Dutch cocoa powder (this is the good stuff – it’s dark and has a slightly bitter taste so will balance out the sweetness of the Baileys)

A dash of vanilla extract

6 tablespoons of Kahlua

1| Cream the butter for 1-2 minutes in a clean, dry bowl.

2| Add in the cocoa powder and beat for at least a couple of minutes.

3| Add in the Kahlua and vanilla extract and beat for at least a couple of minutes.

4| Add in the icing sugar, a bit at a time, adjusting to your tastes.

Frosting the cupcakes

Note: this is a little tricky, and messy if not careful but definitely doable. You need a bit of equipment, but nothing that a well-equipped kitchen won’t have. The cakes do look better with a swirl but you can easily find a swirl nozzle from many stores like House, Matchbox, or the General Store.

You’ll need:

A large swirl nozzle

2 smaller piping bags (you can use disposable piping bags

1 large piping bag to house the 2 smaller piping bags

1| Place the Kahlua and Baileys icing into the smaller bags (one bag for Kahluah, one for Baileys). Try to make sure that the amount of icing in each bag is equal.

2| Place the nozzle in the end of the big piping bag. Snip the end off (but only make a small cut). Place these two bags side by side into the big bag. Close off the big bag by twisting off the top.

3| On each cake, make a swirl and sprinkle with chocolate shavings if you like.

4| Eat one or many, until full.

cupcake combat: mudslide VS margarita

2013-03-17T22:16:00.000+11:00

A battle to the death! Okay, it’s not really a battle to the death, obviously. I have been known to be dramatic at times.

I'm challenging Rebecca, from adashofchocolate to a cupcake showdown.

This is combat though, this is serious, and there can only be one winner.

Alright, I'll stop being dramatic... neither Rebecca nor I will technically be

crowned the ‘winner’ because we will both be winners (in the eyes of our loved ones anyway).

So, it goes like this. We have chosen the theme ‘cocktails’, and we will both be creating a set of

three cupcakes based on alcoholic beverages. How good is that?

I've tried to conduct some serious research but haven't quite made it to the local watering hole and tried a bevvy of cocktails. Maybe I will before round two. All for a good cause of course.

Now it really is for a good cause, because we are doing this to encourage you all to be involved with

World Down Syndrome Day on the 21st of March 2013. Host a tea, bring cupcakes to work and sell

them to your colleagues (we’ll give you some recipes), or just donate. You can sign up here.

So for round one... can I get a drumroll please... Rebecca's margarita cupcake vs. my mudslide cupcake.

How good do these margarita cupcakes look??? Super moist orange tequila cupcake with a lime, tequila and orange buttercream, topped off with sweet n' salty candied lime slice. I hope Rebecca saved one for me.

My cupcake is for any chocolate lover... luscious chocolate cupcake with kahlua and baileys frostings, swirled together. BOOM.

If you want to make Rebecca's cupcake, click here.

Otherwise, if you want to give my cupcake a go, click here.

hump day afternoon dee-lights

2013-03-06T15:13:00.000+11:00

ah. Wednesdays. I actually don't mind Wednesdays. The day of the week when I have choir... that's what probably makes Wednesdays so good. A capella goodness every Wednesday for 2 hours, I can't go wrong.

On the weekend, beau and I revisited a classic - Anchorman. I forgot how funny this movie is... and how many classic comedic actors are in it.

So what better song for hump day than Afternoon Delight? And I'm pretty sure in the movie it was done a capella. Even better.

booyah.

throwback thursday

2013-02-21T21:26:00.000+11:00

Continuing on with my 90's theme... this week it's about one week. Chickity china the Chinese chicken. Say what?!

One of my absolute favourite songs that is on extremely high rotation to this day, on the iPod. I think I listen to this song every day. Yes, it's that good.

Now, I'm trying to remember, as with all my throwbacks, what was happening to me at the time the song was 'in vogue'. Ok, a quick look on Wikipedia tells me that this song peaked in 1998-1999. Ah, the start of high school. Probably not the best of times, if I was to be honest. The first few years of high school, in my opinion, are not that fun. Let's face it. You're at the bottom of the ladder, far from the leader of the pack and all that jazz. Nevertheless, life was carefree, responsibilities were limited. You only had to worry about homework (if that, really). Maybe a bit of peer pressure but nothing like what kids are facing today, I'm sure (pretty sure I wouldn't survive if I was in school today).

Anyway, enjoy, pretend you're a pimply, greasy long haired 14 year old, head banging head lolling. Why? Because it's fun.

red wine chocolate cupcakes

2013-02-15T21:53:00.000+11:00

Red, red wine.... go to my head...

Yes, I'm a light-weight. A cadbury, as one would say.

I always have trouble finishing off a bottle of red. Don't get me wrong, I do like a glass of red, but am not one for drinking a whole bottle. Luckily, I found this recipe while browsing through one of my sites of inspiration: Smitten Kitchen. The red wine in this recipe is the perfect amount to finish off that last bit of wine in a bottle.

This cake is really divine. You can smell the wine (yes, it doesn't completely cook off!) and so has that 'adult' feel to it. The flavour can be quite intense but I think that's a good thing. Some type of topping or cream would help with the intensity of the flavour. I used cream cheese icing for my cupcakes - a bit like a red velvet cupcake. I recently made some for a friend's party and her daughter accidentally ate one (apparently she is attracted to anything 'chocolate'). She quickly proceeded to tell her mum that 'they taste funny' so a word of caution: probably not best for the kiddies!

If however, you are looking for a lovely cake for dessert or a cheeky somewhat boozy afternoon tea, this cake will hit the spot. It works in multiple ways - I made them into cupcakes but it would work as a cake too, as seen on the Smitten Kitchen website.

They are really easy to whip up, so go on, treat yourself, use up the last of the red wine in that bottle and kick your feet up when done. You'll thank me for it, I'm sure.

red wine chocolate cupcakes

adapted from smitten kitchen's Red Wine Chocolate Cake

85g unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup caster sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
3/4 cup red wine, any kind you like
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup + 1 tbs plain flour
1/2 cup Dutch cocoa powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1| Preheat the oven to 165 degrees. Line your cupcake tray with cupcake liners.
2| In a large bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter on a medium speed until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy (for about 3 minutes).
3| Add the eggs and beat well. Pour the red wine in and vanilla. The batter will probably look a little uneven but that's ok.
4| Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together, over the wet mixture. Mix until 3/4 combined, then fold the rest together with a rubber spatula. Nice and slow, so it's all even.
5| Divide the mixture into the cupcake liners and bake for about 20 minutes or so, or until the cake tester inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean.
6| Cool the cakes on a rack. Top with any icing you like or with icing sugar. I topped mine with cream cheese icing. mmm. cream cheese icing.

throwback thursday

2013-02-14T18:13:00.000+11:00

I've been listening to a lot of 90's mixes lately. I'm not sure why... possibly because that's when music was good?

I think in almost every mix I listen to (thanks 8 tracks), they feature Third Eye Blind's Semi-Charmed Life. I'm pretty sure this was the song that introduced me to other artists other than Hanson (please forgive me, I was 12 when this song came out).

Looking up the song lyrics, the song is actually about drugs. Now as a back-then 12 year old, I'm pretty sure I didn't know this. That's ok, still an awesome song that despite its sad lyrics, gets me in a good mood. One of those songs that's good when you have a mundane task set in front of you. This'll liven things up.

lemon cupcakes with lemon curd and cream cheese icing

2013-02-07T23:30:00.000+11:00

Right. I dont' think I've ever made anything with such a long name, and with more than two elements. I usually stick to a cake base and icing. Nice and simple. That's kind of my thing.

And then I watched an episode of Cupcake Wars.

Talk about mind blowing. Now that show separates the amateurs from the hard core professionals. The creativity that some of these contestants exudes was amazing. The confidence was something else but believe me when I say, they certainly upped the ante of cupcakes. Who would have thought - goats cheese frosting? Baked apple cupcakes? Maple frosting topped with crisp bacon? Salmon cupcakes topped with cream cheese icing and capers?? Yeah, not sure about that last one, but amazingly, the lady that dreamt that creation won.

If anything, when it comes to baking cupcakes, this show has pointed out at how much I still have to learn. Ok, I know what some of you may be thinking. These guys on the show, they're professionals (or at least bake cupcakes for an actual living). But these people all started from somewhere. Probably from their home kitchens. Sweating it over a hand mixer. Or even whisking by hand (I saw a lot of that on the show which really surprised me).

So, as it was, a Thursday night. Late, on a Thursday night. I live with a quiet housemate, in an apartment block of 8. I didn't think a kitchen mixer whizzing up cakes would be a welcome sound at the time of night I actually got my act together so I went hunting for an easy mix cupcake recipe. Viola - I found this lemon cupcake recipe that was originally seen on Junior Masterchef. I was surprised at how quickly it came together and how lovely they turned out. Easy peasy. I did however got the mixer going for the cream cheese icing but hey, with a KitchenAid, hey presto, done in minutes.

So here it is, my first attempt at a cupcake with an extra element (lemon curd in the cakes) and I think it was pretty successful. Maybe not Cupcake Wars material but still, I was pretty happy with the end result. As a market researcher, naturally, I welcomed feedback from my colleagues. I am happy to report that the most negative comment was that they were too small.

lemon cupcakes

1 cup of thickened cream
3/4 cup of caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups of self raising flour
finely grated rind of 1 lemon + its juice

1| Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (160 if fan forced). With the eggs, pour the cream and sugar into a large mixing bowl and whisk until nice and smooth.
2| grate lemon rind over the top and squeeze the lemon to get the juice out.
3| Sift your self raising flour over the bowl and whisk the batter until thick and smooth. The consistency will be like a thick pancake mix.
4| Divide mixture into cupcake cases.
5| Pop into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Don't over bake them - they won't be spongy and moist!

lemon curd

3 egg yolks
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup of lemon juice
6 tablespoons of caster sugar
4 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter cut up

1| Combine the yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk up to combine. Set this over a medium heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, making sure you stir evenly - don't forget the sides and bottom of the pan. Cook until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon (around 5-7 minutes).
2| Take the saucepan off the heat. Add the butter, one piece at a time, continuously stirring with the wooden spoon until the consistency is smooth.
3| Transfer the mixture into a medium bowl. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on the surface (this will help the curd to not form a skin). Let the curd cool, refrigerate until firm and chilled (at least 1 hour).

cream cheese icing

250g cream cheese at room temperature
125g butter at room temperature
icing sugar (about 1 cup, but that depends on how sweet you want it)

1| Get the cream cheese going first. Place it into the bowl of a mixer or using a hand mixer, start the beating.
2| After a couple of minutes, add the butter and whip that up.
3| After a couple of more minutes, add the icing sugar. Use 1 cup first, add more if you want it sweeter. Beat until thick and fluffy.
4| Try not to eat the whole icing out of the bowl. Top cakes with lemon curd with a swirl.

putting it all together

1| Make sure your cupcakes have cooled completely.
2| If you have one of those thin, long piping nozzles that you use for jam or things like lemon curd, load up your piping bag with lemon curd and stick the pointy end in the middle of the cupcake and inject it with lemon curd. Repeat with all the cakes. OR you could just scoop out a bit of cake on top and place a bit of lemon curd in the hole you made. Easy!
3| Admire your work. Then pipe, or spoon or swirl some cream cheese icing on top.
4| Eat until your heart's content, but probably best eaten shared with your friends / family.

throwback thursday

2013-02-07T18:30:00.000+11:00

It's the remix to ignition, hot and fresh out the kitchen...

Yeps, a classic. In my humble opinion, the Ignition remix is much better than the original. I mean, with the original song you knew it was downright dirty. But with the remix, being all hot and fresh out the kitchen, it was a bit of fun.

Come on admit it. With lyrics like sippin on coke and rum, I'm like so what I'm drunk, it's the freakin weekend baby I'm about to have me some fun... You can't help but bounce, just like when R. Kelly tells us to, oh about 10 times. I'm not sure what he means by bouncin on 24's though...

I'd also just like to point out that this song is 10 YEARS OLD. Jeez. But let me just point out that RnB was so much better in the 90's.

Holler. Can I get a toot toot?

hump day afternoon dee-lights

2013-02-06T18:30:00.000+11:00

Wednesday. It's the day that is smack bang in the middle of the work week. Good in many ways but the main reason why I love Wednesdays is you've already worked two days of the working week (good for you) and only have two days left after it. It's the midpoint. Neutral, neither agree nor disagree. You can tell I work in market research can't you...

Focus. See? Such an issue by Wednesday...

The Super Bowl was on earlier this week and whilst I haven't watched it, I bet Beyonce's performance was world class, and live. No lip-syncing in this one I assume. Another great thing about her performance (so I'm told) is the Destiny's Child Reunion. Yeah! Bring Michelle and Kelly back! I believe they're also releasing an album this year. I can't wait. They prove that even 10 years on, they've still got it. In spades.

Happy hump day!

cheesy vegetable and bacon polenta muffins

2013-02-03T23:33:00.000+11:00

Now, I'm the type of person that loves my meat. I rarely shy away from a juicy slab of steak or a beautifully fragrant roast lamb or a succulent roast pork. Have I turned you off yet? Yet I'm also the type of person that finds extremely fresh looking vegetables enticing. Strange I know, but strictly for cooking and eating purposes only. Who doesn't want to cook with and eat the freshest ingredients they can find? When I visited the friendly grocery store that oddly sells a comprehensive combination of Asian and European products the other weekend, I thought to myself, I need to incorporate more vegetables in to my diet (and I do use the term 'diet' loosely. I'm on by no means, any sort of restrictive diet. Let's just call it 'an attempt at healthy lifestyle choices').

You have to know that while I may appear, at times, hard working and diligent (I can hear my colleagues cough right now), I am actually quite lazy. When I dug through my Women's Weekly recipe book and found a recipe for corn and bacon muffins, I thought, why don't I just add a whole heap of other vegies? I might as well, seeing as really, I don't have the time or energy to peel, chop, dice and slice a whole heap of vegies for one meal.

Here is the outcome: cheesy vegetable and bacon polenta muffins. I think they turned out alright. A bit ugly but tasty. And that's what counts right?

Give it a go - these are super easy to make. They're also like a meal on it's own, on the go. If you're one of those that is time poor, bake some of these and chow one down (or two) for lunch. I like to think of it as a balanced meal. Carbs, vegies and a bit of meat. This muffin (or bruffin, if you eat it between breakfast and lunch) covers pretty much all the food groups. A bonus: if you have kids that don't like vegies, I think this is a good way at "hiding those vegies" I hear so much about in my day job.

Cheesy vegetable and bacon polenta muffins

Adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly: Cheese, corn and bacon muffins

preparation time | maximum 30 minutes (depends how fast you are at peeling, chopping etc)
cooking time | 20 minutes
makes | 24 standard sized muffins or 48 mini muffins (good for lunch boxes!)

1/2 cup of polenta
1/2 cup of milk
3 bacon rashers, rind removed, chopped finely
1 small to medium onion
1 cup of peas
1 cup of chopped capsicum (any colour you like)
1 1/2 cups of self-raising flour
420g can corn kernels, drained
420g can creamed corn
100g butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated cheese of your choice
extra grated parmesan or pecorino cheese (to sprinkle on top)

1| Preheat oven to 180 degrees (fan-forced) or 200 degrees. Oil or spray with oil your muffin pans.
2| Mix polenta and milk in a small bowl and cover. Leave to stand for 20 minutes or so.
3| Get on with chopping your bacon! And then get on to chopping your capsicum. If you're really time poor, you could buy the frozen stuff but fresh is always better. Cook the onion and bacon in a frypan, stirring until fragrant. Add in your peas and capsicum. Watch the beautiful colours combine. Remove pan from heat and cool mixture for about 5 minutes.
4| Sift the flour into a large bowl, stir in the corn kernels, creamed corn and bacon mixture. Add the melted butter, egg, grated cheese of your choice and polenta mixture. Mix muffin batter only until just combined.
5| Spoon the batter into the muffin pan, dividing as equally as you can. Sprinkle the extra parmesan cheese on top.
6| Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until the muffins are well-risen. Turn the muffins onto a wire rack.
7| Enjoy warm and pat yourself on the back for including so many vegetables in one serve.

You can substitute any of the vegetables (other than corn) so this is also a great way to use up bits and bobs of vegies in the fruit and veg chiller of your fridge.

Hello 2013

2013-02-02T16:52:00.001+11:00

Wow. I didn't just go AWOL, I went postal. My last post was August 2012??!! Where did 2012 go?

It's now 2013. February 2013.

I pretty much blinked and there went January.

Though, not without some excitement. Let's recap:

I visited Launceston and Hobart. Ate my way through the Taste Festival. I'll post up photos soon. Promise.
I had a birthday. I am looming closer to the big 3-0 and don't feel any more settled. I'm thinking this is a good thing.
My sister came to visit Melbourne and we went to the Tennis. In all truthfulness, it wasn't that exciting (so sue me). It might be because we went on Australia Day. All the hipsters were probably at Big Day Out.
I have officially passed my probation period. I've been at my current workplace for 7-odd months. Time flies!
I bought my first coffee card. You know, one of those pre-paid ones where you buy 10 coffees in advance. I have well and truly graduated from my mocha to a flat white, no sugar. Huzzah, I'm a Melbournian!

Seeing it's the beginning of the year, it never goes by without some time (albeit minimal) of reflection, goal setting, etc. While I haven't made any firm new year's resolutions, I have vowed to be a bit healthier - cut down on chocolate, chips and soft drink (says she that is eating M&Ms as she types) and pick up exercising. This I've managed to do in January (I know, surprise surprise!) but I think it's because my sister bullied me into buying new exercise gear. I'm motivated by the ridiculous amount of money I spent. I must see results... I'll give it to the end of the year.

I have made a personal commitment though to bake and blog more. So watch this space!

And friends, feel free to hassle me if I haven't posted or baked in a while. I'm supposed to practice my baking weekly. I'm sure my work colleagues will hold me to this.

Went AWOL, am back

2012-08-26T15:49:00.000+10:00

Wow. So the last time I posted something on here was November last year. November?! That's almost a year ago! Ok not quite, but three quarters of a year, at least. I would like to say that a lot has happened since then, but I strive to be honest, so I'll have to say that no, not much has gone on. Well, except life, really.

Here's a rundown of the last 9 months:

Christmas came and went, as did another birthday (edging closer and closer to 30 seems daunting but I try to forget that on a regular basis)
I wrote a song. It's not very good. I've probably forgotten how to play it, it's been that long.
I signed on for another year-long lease which means I'm in Melbourne for at least another year
I got a new housemate
I joined my choir's committee which means meetings, planning events, designs, input into which songs to sing, fundraising activities, etc
I changed jobs which means no more dog walking, running around getting cigarettes, standing with others while they're on their smoko, getting lunch for others, answering printer, Excel or Word label questions and general office management tasks
The two-man band (if you could call us that) has now expanded to five young hip women (me included haha) from choir. We still need a name though
I replaced my sad Windows laptop and upgraded to a iMac. I don't know I waited so long. It has revolutionised my life. I am not kidding.
Most recently (like yesterday!) I bit the bullet and bought myself something I've been lusting over for years - a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer, in green apple. Whee!

Ok, so now you're up to date. Whoever you are. I maintain that I don't have many readers, but I don't blog for the readers, I blog (or try to blog) for myself.

So, as they say, when you fall off the wagon, jump back on it. Or something like that.

I'm back.

where did October go?

2011-11-06T11:10:00.000+11:00

Question: what happened to October? Is it just me or did I miss it?

On another note, there are 7 weeks until Christmas!

melbourne + friends

2011-10-17T19:30:00.000+11:00

It's not often I get visitors from Brisbane so I was most fortunate to be paid a visit from two of my best friends from Brisbane over the weekend, Lauren and Candy.

The weekend started mighty early for my friends that woke up at 3am to get on an early bird flight from Brisbane. They were real troopers though, meeting me in the City in the early afternoon where we continued to browse shops, wonder at people's choice in fashion and grumble at the poor customer service at supposedly high end department stores (ok, that last one was just me).

An early dinner was called for and I didn't object. Off we went to Mamasitas - we probably couldn't time it any better. When we walked out, the line was so long I felt sorry for the poor people. I must say, it is definitely worth the wait but it might be best to put your name down on the list and then come back... I can't imagine not knowing how long to wait for a table... Anyway, the food was delicious - fast, fresh and simple. Perhaps they took a leaf out of Donna Hay's book...?

The best thing about old friends coming to visit? You can take them out to all the places you've discovered in your new town and also discover new places with them. Lauren and I went to one of my fav breakfast haunts - 3 bags full, where I enjoyed the house scramble and Lauren, a sweet breakfast that looked amazing. I think it was the french toast... Dinner Saturday night was at Cumulus - the dinner was just gorgeous. Great service, food cooked to perfection, wine to match and great conversations were had in the ambient atmosphere. Dessert at Max Brenner was not as delightful. It started raining so we moved the tables a bit and the staff grumbled at us and our response was to grumble back. Talk about shit customer service. Sunday breakfast was at friend of mine on Swan St - a quaint, not-so-little place (don't let what you see on the outside fool you!) but the breakfast is fresh, fast and delicious. I've already made a mental note to go there again. It does get busy so if you're an early bird that wants to catch the worm, best bet is to arrive before 10am.

But what I enjoyed most about my friends spending the weekend with me is you can reminisce, take stupid photos, gossip and eat complete junk without being judged. A bit like a massive sleepover. Just with more alcohol than the sleepovers I remember...

winning

2011-09-26T09:30:00.000+10:00

Can I please just take a moment to give myself a pat on the back?

No I haven't done something amazing, or anything really noteworthy, new or innovative or achieved anything of epic proportions.

I just wanted to take this moment to pat myself on the back and congratulate myself - I have blogged somewhat regularly i.e. >4 times this month, which is, when averaged out, more than once a week. In a sense, a real achievement, compared to my dismal attempt during August. Booyah.

Small mercies, yes.

And most importantly, winning.

cupcake decorating class

2011-09-25T22:35:00.000+10:00

I've been wanting to do a cupcake decorating class for...oh I don't know, a really long time now. With so many out there, it's been hard to pick just one, and also find the time to do it. So when I came across a Scoopon email one Saturday for Jennifer Graham's cupcake decorating class I quickly snapped it up.

I have been a fan of Crabapple cupcakes for so long now. I first came across Jennifer and her book when I was in a bookstore in Brisbane, looking through the sweets/cakes section for inspiration. Jenny's book provides inspiration by the bucket load and best of all, it really is a fantastic guide on baking and decorating cupcakes. There used to be a flagship store in Prahran but Jenny now mainly teaches classes at CAE in Melbourne, Flinders Lane, where her classes apparently constantly sell out. Her other classes seem really interesting and I'd love to do it, when I find some more time...

During the class, Jenny showed us 9 different designs/techniques:

free form swirl
signature crabapple swirl
flat spatula
lattice
topiary tree
soft serve swirl
proposal
mounded
buttercream rose

And here is the first cupcake I decorated on the night - the free form swirl. I think simple decorations like these flowers make the cupcakes really pretty.

I unfortunately didn't push enough icing to the edge so didn't quite get enough sprinkles on I think...

Nevertheless, not a bad effort I guess...?!

I love chocolate frosting. I'm just not very good at smoothing it out...

So, whilst this is supposed to be the flat spatula, it's not very flat...

I decided to jazz it up with a rose and some leaves, to hide the not so flat top...

I absolutely LOVE the crabapple swirl. I'm just not very good at it!

It's quite pretty. Looks simple but it's not.

Here's my attempt and again, the flower is great for hiding imperfections or bumps....

There were lots of different coloured icing and types of sprinkles.

I decided to give the blue icing a go with pink and white sprinkles around the edge, using the free form swirl.

A very pretty effect I think which really surprised me, as I would have thought blue icing would look unnatural. Instead, it looks very sweet and much like bubblegum I think!

Ah, the topiary tree. Basically a whole bunch of piped leaves on the top of the cupcake, with roses and pearls and a sprinkling of green glitter.

Unfortunately you can't see the glitter here but trust me, adding glitter to the tops of the cakes makes them that little bit more special. It gives the cupcakes pizazz.

At first I thought this was really hard but actually it's not that bad...

Well as you can see, I can't pipe in straight lines very well... but still, lattice designs can be very effective (once I master piping in straight lines!)

This design is very sweet with a mini topiary tree in the middle squished by two flowers on either side.

A sprinkle of glitter adds a bit of sparkle.

We only had about 45 minutes to decorate our cupcakes so unfortunately I didn't do all of them (I didn't try the last three on the list) but I bought a piping kit so will have to try at home and post up results!

Aside from limited time to decorate the cakes, I found the class to be extremely useful. The tips provided were invaluable and the stories shared were touching. I found it to be a very inspiring night and can't wait to make cupcakes and put my new-found skills to action!

tesselaar tulip festival

2011-09-17T23:00:00.000+10:00

Even though it’s spring, the weather has been fluctuating and has been somewhat erratic over the past few days. We’ve had cool mornings, rain, warm winds and apparently, in some areas hail. Today though, thankfully, was probably the very first ‘proper’ day of spring. The sun was out, temperatures soared past the mid 20’s and there was no need for a cardigan!

The day couldn’t have been better for a trip out to the Tesselaar Tulip Festival where they brought Turkey to Melbourne (the country and its culture, not the food).

We were greeted at the gate by people in costume (that looked alarmingly like traditional Dutch costumes) and were amazed at the vast fields of tulips. Before we roamed the tulips we decided to visit the alpacas – a little family of mum, dad and baby. Very cute!

For those that know me well, I can never go anywhere without eating or drinking. Nothing new to report, as soon as I saw an ice cream stand I knew I had to try it. This time though, I wasn’t on my own – if anything my cousin had a strong influence on me so we decided to eat ice cream then and there. For me, Turkish Delight (delicious by the way) and for Melissa; choc-mint.

Most of the grounds were filled with rows and rows of tulips. There were some other flowers like daffodils but the tulip is the hero of the grounds (hence the name Tulip Festival...) and the different types and colours on display were certainly impressive.

So, no need to travel to Holland folks to sit amongst a field of tulips and experience its beauty and vivid colours... you can easily do it within an hour’s drive from Melbourne!

zucchini, corn and capsicum fritters

2011-09-15T22:00:00.000+10:00

Trends that have become apparent are the return to simplicity and a more conscious effort to understand what we eat and where it comes from. This can be seen with the number of farmer’s markets and personal vegetable gardens popping up all over urban cities. With the change in season, I’ve noticed this more and more. As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, people venture out again, and the number of people that frequent community gardens and the local markets is overwhelming. Seeing as I don’t have a veggie patch and haven’t had the chance to replant my herb garden, I love going to the markets to see what fresh produce is available. I revel in picking out unmarked, plump fruit and vegetables and the inspiration they bring. Cooking with fresh seasonal produce is so much fun in spring because I think what’s in season is so much more colourful compared to other seasons. And with that, came the inspiration for zucchini, corn and capsicum fritters.

One thing I struggle with is making dinner after I’ve come home from work. The very last thing I want to do is spend time slaving away in the kitchen – I’m too hungry and impatient to cook an elaborate meal. I want to make something that is simple to prepare, fast to cook and assemble and deliciously fresh and tasty to eat. Perhaps I should get myself Donna Hay’s book Fast, Fresh, Simple... Yes, friends, Christmas is coming up and so is my birthday... hint, hint, nudge, nudge.

I went shopping over the weekend and while in the local grocer was inspired by all the beautifully bright colours. Off I went, loading my basket with corn, zucchini, capsicum, cucumber and other necessities (yes, chocolate). Once at home, I pored through my cookbooks at home and found a recipe for zucchini fritters – something I’ve always wanted to make. Given how inspired I was I decided to do a little experimenting and throw together a hodge-podge of the ingredients I bought and bam – zucchini, corn and capsicum fritters.

These are so simple to make. Really. I’m not lying. They hardly take any time at all to cook (and eat). Plus, you’re getting 3 veggies in every fritter. Win-win I say.

Zucchini, corn and capsicum fritters

preparation time | 5 minutes + 10 minutes standing time for zucchini
cooking time | 10 minutes
makes | about 8 medium sized fritters (around 5cm in diameter)

1 big zucchini
2 spring onions
½ red capsicum
1 whole corn cob
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup plain flour
½ teaspoon of baking powder
Olive oil or another oil of your choice for frying

Tzatziki
1 cup plain or Greek, full-fat yogurt
1 to 2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
Grated cucumber, as much or as little as you want
Pinches of salt and pepper
1 small minced or crushed clove of garlic

1| Cut the rounded end of the zucchini off and coarsely grate into a colander. Stir the salt through and let it sit in the colander. Make sure to put a bowl under the colander as water will drip out and you don’t really want zucchini water dripping all over your kitchen bench.

2| While you’re waiting for the water to extract from the zucchini (amazingly, this does happen), finely slice the spring onions and chop up the capsicum into cube-like pieces (it’s ok if they’re not perfectly cubed – it will add a rustic charm to the fritters). To remove the corn kernels from the corn, cut all the way down the corn cob with a sharp knife, as close to the cob as you can.

3| With the back of a wooden spoon, try to press out as much water from the zucchini as possible. Amazing isn’t it?! Mix in the corn and capsicum. Add freshly cracked pepper. You probably don’t need to add any more salt at this stage. Salty fritters are not really that tasty. Trust me, been there, done that.

4| Mix the egg, flour and baking powder into the vegetable mixture. You’ll see the mixture come start to come together and form kind of a sloppy dough. That’s ok – it’s what you want! Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a fry pan (non-stick skillets work best – less mess!) until it shimmers. Drop small bunches of the vegetable mixture into the skillet, a few at a time, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Flatten the fritters slightly with your spatula – it will make cooking and turning them easier. Cook over a moderately high heat and until the edges are golden, flip them over and cook until the other side is golden.

5| To make tzatziki, mix all ingredients in a bowl and flavour with salt and pepper to your taste. Dollop on fritters before serving.

penguin parade

2011-09-10T20:26:00.000+10:00

The Penguin Parade on Phillip Island is a magical event. Yes, it happens every day at sunset but it’s still magical. I’ve been twice now and whilst in theory, the experience shouldn’t change, it was different for me, both times.

There is actually quite a lot to explore around Phillip Island. There are plenty of wineries, beaches, wildlife parks, even a chocolate factory! A day trip isn’t really enough time I think to explore the Island in its entirety which is a great excuse to go back, particularly when family and friends come to visit!

September is one of the better months to go – the penguins are plentiful and the weather is not too cold. And I end the post with this last thought – sunset is a beautiful time on the Island.

why hello spring!

2011-09-08T09:01:00.002+10:00

Finally! It's here! What I hear you say?! Spring! That's what!

What better way to welcome spring than take a day trip around Victoria? Now I don't normally take day trips around Victoria, on Fridays no less but I had an RDO and my parents and sister were in town visiting. So with that in mind, I capitalised on the beautiful weather and pleasant company. Off we trekked to Ballarat... after a few wrong turns here and there on the Western Ring Road we finally got there.

Ah Ballarat, aren't you a sleepy little town. To be fair to Ballarat, we probably should have stayed longer in the town and visited Sovereign Hill but after I baulked at the amount of time needed, at a minimum, to explore it, I made the executive decision to quickly say goodbye and start the trek to Daylesford. Unfortunately, we just didn’t have the time to spend 3-4 hours in Sovereign Hill. Instead we dropped into the art gallery for a quick squiz, takeaway coffees and organic sweet potato chips (which were delish by the way and were gobbled up very quickly) and headed to the lake. Good thing Ballarat is only an hour's drive from Melbourne so I'm sure I'll make the trek again (so I keep telling myself).

Onwards and upwards (literally) to Daylesford. We drove through Hepburn Springs before arriving at Lavandula Lavender Farm, a lovely quaint place that is all things lavender. As the name suggests, they harvest lavender (and lots of other beautiful flowers dot the farm) but also harvest olives, and an array of animals call it home too. We were lucky enough to have arrived at just the right time for a tour of the house on the farm, recreated to replicate the home that was lived in so many years ago. A two bedroom home for, if I remember correctly 13 kids?! The guys on the farm have done a fantastic job restoring the home – it really takes you back on a journey of a time that is so foreign to me. No electricity?! Unheard of!

Still no lavender – it gets harvested in January apparently but still, a beautiful day to enjoy the grounds and a lovely lavender lemonade and scones or in my dad’s case, a lavender champagne.

massive FAIL

2011-09-06T21:51:00.000+10:00

Wow. So much for posting, and I quote "more regularly in August". I couldn't even do that!

And with this I vow, in the month of September, I will post at least once.

new lens

2011-08-29T23:15:00.000+10:00

Just before the end of the Financial year (2010-2011) I bought a prime lens. I did what I thought was the pragmatic thing to do - I bought it second hand. I must say, I am extremely chuffed with my purchase. Not only is the lens made in Japan (no offense China or Thailand but I still associate Japan with quality goods) it was worth the investment.

What lens did I buy? I bought a 50mm f1.4. I cannot stop raving about this lens. It is seriously fast, fabulous in low light and the bokeh effect is amazing. The depth of field you can achieve with this lens is out of this world. Seriously.

Here are a couple of shots I took over the weekend to tide you over until I take more adventurous shots with my parents in town this weekend.

on hiatus

2011-08-10T18:54:00.001+10:00

Well. I knew this would happen. A minor setback really. I tend to get really excited about new projects and ventures and then either slowly tumble off the wagon or fall at full speed with a thud to the ground. I’m choosing to treat this as a slow tumble.

I’ve come to realise that the amount of spare time I have directly correlates with how busy I am with my day job. For example, if I have a focus group on a Monday and/or Tuesday night, by the time the end of the week is upon me, the last thing I feel like doing is sitting at a computer, bashing out a post. If, like me, you spend most of your days in front of a computer screen, I’m sure you’ll agree with me here. It is not my lack of discipline or motivation that stops me from sharing stories, it is the fatigue and weariness after a long day at work. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it).

So, July was a month of madness that has completely flown by – focus groups coming out of my ears, holidays, Splendour in the Grass, falling sick... definitely an eventful start to the beginning of FY012. Can you believe that we are in the second half of the year already? Christmas is four months away! Yes, I went there. We’ll probably start seeing Father’s Day paraphernalia in stores now (if not already) and everything Christmas will probably start merchandising in a month’s time. Fun times.

So, with Winter moving behind us, days getting finally getting (albeit only a little) longer and a slow start to FY012 work wise, I am back on the wagon. I have, at the moment, more time to bake, read, and if I stop making excuses, blog. I pledge to you, dear reader (thanks Mum for reading my blog), to blog more regularly in the month of August. Afterall, I’m all about baby steps.