Di-licious

Taking stock: January 2018

2018-01-24T17:46:00.000+11:00

January always catches me by surprise after the blur of end of school, Olive's birthday, Xmas (we hosted) and visiting family.

This month I'm.....

Loving: Donut peaches.

Sewing: Ponte-waisted A-line skirts with perfect contrast pockets!!!! Pattern by Woven by Society.

Crocheting: Nothing.

Cooking: Lots of veggies from the veggie patch including eggplants, zucchini, snowpeas, sweetcorn and cucumbers.

Baking: Not a lot of sourdough bread this month.

Eating: All you can eat Japanese with girlfriends.

Drinking: Soda stream water from my awesome Xmas present.

Reading: Lily Brett - Only in New York,

Next read: Anne Tyler's Vinegar Girl, a modern retelling of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew.

Wanting: To order some woven labels to sew into my me-made clothes from here. I want them to say Di Made.

Looking: Forward to starting my new uni course in March.

Playing: The Game of Life. Olive got a whole heap of games for Xmas and her birthday and this one seems to be the only one we've played so far.

Deciding: What to cook for dinner Every. Single. Day. Why do I find it so hard to meal plan?

Wishing: That my friend will see the light at the end of the very dark tunnel she currently finds herself in.

Enjoying: Writing my first blog post for the year.

Waiting: Spent New Years Day/night in Emergency with my partner. Not the funnest way to start the year.

Liking: My new laptop. A lot.

Seeing: A Midsummer Night's Dream (Australian Shakespeare Company), The Greatest Showman (cinema) and Wonder (Cinema). So unusual for me to have so many arty outings in one month, let alone during the school holidays!!!!! All were brilliant.

Loving: Frozen slices of citrus fruit to pop into our glasses of soda water.

Buying: A new workout t-shirt for my Pilates class next week.

Watching: The Affair on Stan. Realised a week later that the character Cole is Pacey from Dawson's Creek. Still really hot!

Wanting: A Bakers Blade Bread Lame to make slashing loaves easier.

Hoping: it doesn't get too hot for the rest of Jan and Feb.

Cringing: at Hamish MacDonald's terrible interview with Nigella Lawson on The Project.

Needing: More sleep.

Smelling: Roses and basil from the garden.

Wearing: Denim cut-off shorts that I made from an old pair of jeans.

Following: Closet Case Patterns and her mantra of Just Make it Already!

Noticing: My knees have been getting sore a lot. Hoping my new Pilates course will help.

Sorting: through photos as I tidy up my sewing room to create a study space; well started anyway.

Getting: Olive ready for the new school year.

Bookmarking: Weber Q BBQ recipes.

Coveting: Liberty of London fabric.

Feeling: grateful for my lot in life. It's not glamourous or Pinterest worthy, but I have a roof over my head, food on the table and the love of a wonderful, hard working partner and amazing daughter.

Snacking: cucumber spears and tzatziki dip.

Hearing: My daughter singing songs from her latest Broadway show: The Little Mermaid

Taking Stock is the awesome monthly reflective writing prompt started by Pip from Meet me at Mikes. You should totally go check her out. She crochets too which is extra cool.

Di-licious: Now more than cake

2017-10-20T12:49:00.000+11:00

Blogging was the last thing on my mind for a long time.

Every year my domain renewal notice would arrive and I'd debate whether to let it all go.

I stopped for a number of reasons: I hated the so-called rules of being a better blogger. It stopped being fun. I was busy enough offline. My computer crashed. I didn't feel authentic.

I'm no longer interested in sharing lots of recipes or how I'm tackling the latest parenting phase.

My Instagram feed pretty much sums up where I'm at these days. Sewing more. Making sourdough bread. Walking the dog. Making marmalade. Baking a bit. Getting into the garden.

I have missed taking photos with my DSLR. I missed writing.

So Di-licious 2017 onward is going to look and sound a lot different.

It's more about who I am. A personal blog documenting what I'm doing. What's making me happy.

I'm also going to close down the Facebook Page.

D x

Sew much to learn

2015-03-04T14:31:00.002+11:00

I am on a mission to relearn how to sew clothes. Back in highschool I managed to turn out a fully boned, strapless black taffeta dress, complete with scalloped over skirt trimmed with fouffy taffeta bows.

Sadly there are no photos of me in that dress but a small part of me wishes I'd kept it as a reminder of what I could do. I didn't sit at a sewing machine again til I was in my late 20s - making a belly dancing costume. As you do.

Last year I got a new sewing machine for my birthday and I tackled my first quilt and a dress for Olive. Pinking all those seams drove me crazy - Olive refusing to wear said dress made me crazier!

Last month was my birthday so I picked out a second hand overlocker (only used twice!) and a dressmaking dummy. I ordered the awesome Colette book and a beginners dress pattern from local indie designer Blue Ginger Doll. I picked out some gorgeous fabric and matching thread. I sensibly made a muslin (test dress out of calico) and was stumped - my boobs were NEVER going to fit in that dress!

So now I am doing a crash course in Full Bust Adjustments.

I am impatient. I want to make this dress so I can move onto shirtdresses. This is my goal - a wardrobe full of lovely, perfectly fitting shirtdresses.

In the mean time I'm going to convert a beloved cotton sundress that no longer fits my boobs into a swanky full skirt and leave the zipper in (thanks to some tips I picked up from Frocks and Frou Frou).

Apple & Yoghurt muffins {Recipe}

2015-02-18T16:48:00.000+11:00

From time to time I lose track of what's in the fruit bowl or vegetable crisper. Oranges go soft, beans sweat and grow fuzzy.... I feel guilty when I tos them into the compost.

This morning I spied four forlorn apples languishing at the bottom of the bowl. Determined not to relegate them to the worms, I decided to turn them into muffins.

There are a thousand or more muffin recipes out there and for me I prefer ones that use oil instead of butter. A dry muffin is a sad affair so you want to add moistness. In this case, yoghurt comes to the rescue.

I also like my fruit to be soft in the muffin once its cooked so I actually pre-cook it in the microwave first. Just peel, dice, pop into a microwave safe container and cover with a lid or a folded piece of paper towel. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes until tender. You'll be amazed how much apple-ier they taste than had you used raw apple pieces.

You could substitute the apple for chopped up plums or pears.

RECIPE: Apple and Yoghurt Muffins
Adapted from Plum & Yoghurt Muffin recipe by Allan Campion and Michelle Curtis

Ingredients
125ml sunflower oil (you could use vegetable or ricebran oil instead)
1/2 cup plain yoghurt (I use Greek yoghurt)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup caster sugar
2 cups wholemeal self raising flour
2 large or 4 small apples - peeled, cored, diced and cooked as described above in microwave

Preheat oven to 180C and line muffin trays with paper cases - I made 16 muffins
Mix together the sugar and flour in a large bowl and then toss through the apple pieces to coat.
In a seperate bowl or jug, whisk together the eggs, oil and yoghurt/
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix together until just combined.
Divide amongst muffin cases - filling 3/4 full.
Bake approximately 20 mins or until cooked through when tested.
Allow to sit in pan for five minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Once cool, store in an airtight container for 2-3 days or wrap individually in small freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.

Clipping recipes - the great magazine cull

2015-02-07T16:52:00.000+11:00

I started collecting food magazines about fifteen years ago. I was obsessed with food, cooking and the ins and outs of the Australian food scene.

Fast forward to late last year, the top shelf of Olive's wardrobe was groaning with back issues of Delicious, Donna Hay, Good Taste, Vogue Entertaining, Gourmet Traveller & Cuisine.

They were organised by title and season so I could pull out a set of Autumnal issues in March and seek inspiration. But truth be told, less and less of the recipes grabbed my interest. I'm not interested in cheffy tricks and complicated processes anymore. Nowadays I'm looking for quick, simple recipes that get me through the week and stand up to being reheated when Mr Di-licious comes home late from work.

Faced with the prospect of moving boxes and boxes of magazines that I hardly looked at anymore, I decided to get rid of them...but not before one last flick through in order to clip any recipes that still caught my eye.

I made a big dent in the pile but I still ended up moving boxes of them to our new place..three months ago. This afternoon I pulled an armful down off the shelf and started clipping again.

I've found a stack of recipes using plums that'll come in handy next December - roasted plums & spiced plum chutney. An awesome sounding lavender jelly recipe and more cake recipes. The nicest surprise was finding notes scrawled in the margins of meals we loved 10 years ago. Unsurprisingly, they're the type of recipes I want to cook now.

Of course clipping recipes is all well and good. Instead of shelves of magazines I now have multiple boxes of recipes waiting to be filed. A project for another day......

Still here.....

2014-09-24T14:05:00.000+10:00

My first stitching project. Embroidery is highly addictive - I stayed up to all hours to finish this one.

It's true I haven't posted for a while. Life has been busy - doesn't it always get like that?

A couple of months as a working mum and I think I can almost say I've gotten the hang of it.

I've had to rethink my approach to the week, how I cook, how I clean and how I carve out time for me.

Inspired by my late Nanna, I've made craft my release valve to life.

I've completed my first quilt, my first stitching project as well as making items for my CWA branch's upcoming craft stall.

I still love cooking but craft has less calories...

And I'm still blogging....it's just that sometimes I get a little distracted.....

A mug warmer for my niece using some vintage buttons from my Nanna's stash.

Making a bundle of tissue holders for my CWA Branch's upcoming craft stall. Great Teacher's Gifts!

Last step of my first quilt - sewing on the binding. I am now a confident ladder stitcher!

The finished quilt. I learnt so much making this. I've promised to make one for Olive for her birthday now.

Berry, Apple & Almond Muffins {Recipe}

2014-07-25T08:42:00.000+10:00

"So what do you put in Olive's lunchbox?" my girlfriend asked me yesterday.

It's something I get asked a lot. Generally its a small bread roll with vegemite or jam, a piece of fruit, maybe a cheese stick and something baked.

Muffins make a regular appearance. They're just so easy to whip up using whatever's lying around in the fruit bowl, pantry or freezer.

Today's flavour combination came about from having some leftover almond meal from making Kransekake last week, the last of the bag of frozen berries and a container of cooked apple in the fridge.

I've been cooking up apple a lot lately since Olive's teeth have gone wobbly. (The tooth fairy will be visiting again tonight.) Cooking it in the microwave is a breeze and means you have apple pieces as opposed to apple mush. Pop it in a container and throw in a spoon and your lunchbox is apple friendly again.

Once the muffins are cool, wrap them up in small freezer bags and toss them in the freezer. They'll defrost in their lunchbox before morning recess and be as fresh as the day you made them.

Recipe: Berry, Apple & Almond Muffins
Makes 12 regular sized muffins

Ingredients
1 apple - peeled & chopped
1 3/4 cups Self Raising Flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup almond meal
1 cup frozen berries (if using strawberries - cut them up a bit)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sunflower or vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk

Method

Place chopped apple in a microwave safe bowl / container and cover with a folded piece of paper towel.
Microwave on High for 3 - 4 minutes (depending on powerful your microwave is). Allow to cool slightly.
Preheat your oven to 180C.
Line a 12 hole muffin pan with baking cups.
Put the flour, brown sugar and almond meal into a large mixing bowl and mix together using a whisk to get rid of any lumps.
Stir through the apple and berries and make sure they're well coated in flour. This will stop the fruit clumping together and help distribute them more evenly through your batter.
Add the remaining wet ingredients and stir through til just combined.
Spoon the mixture into the paper cups - almost filling the cups full. There will be slightly more mixture than you need. I know that's annoying but feel free to spoon into mini muffin tins if you feel inclined.
Bake the muffins for about 25 minutes or until the muffins are golden and cooked through when tested with a skewer.
Leave in pan for five minutes before turning out to a cake rack to cool completely.

Double Choc Raspberry Brownies {Recipe}

2014-07-23T12:19:00.001+10:00

Every now and then you experiment in the kitchen and create something magical. This is one of those moments.

I first whipped up these brownies for a BBQ to thank mates for helping shift a very heavy steel workbench. After a lot of beer and wine you don’t want a fussy dessert. It’s much better to have something that satisfies the sweet craving and can be eaten with fingers.

I shared the recipe on the blog at the time and they were really popular. Then I accidently killed my blog and the recipe was lost... And then I lost the photos.....

This weekend I'm catching up with friends, one of whom has been begging me to re-share the recipe on the new Di-licious blog.

So Sandy, this one's for you.

This brownie is a bit different from regular brownies in that there’s no melted chocolate in the batter, just some chocolate chips.

And raspberries.

I used white chocolate chips because that’s what I had in the pantry. You could easily substitute milk or dark chips but I kind of like white chocolate and raspberries together.

When you make these (& I know that you will), you have to promise me that you’ll resist the temptation to eat them straight away. They need to cool down completely in the pan before you lift out the whole brownie to slice it.

They’re perfect just as they are. No need for cream. Maybe a serviette to help wipe the crumbs off your face and fingers.

Best also to make the kids sit outside while they eat them...

I can’t advise how long they’ll last in an airtight container in the cupboard because they were all gobbled up. If you have a crowd over I can pretty much guarantee you wont need to solve that dilemma either.

These brownies are not a diet food. Enjoy in moderation. Take them to work and charm your boss – who knows, you might get a pay rise or employee of the year!

Recipe: Double Choc Raspberry Brownies

Author: Di Nolan

Serves: 24

Completely irresistible brownies studded with raspberries that are surprisingly light.

Ingredients

125g butter, melted and cooled

2 cups caster sugar

4 eggs

1tsp vanilla extract

1 cup plain flour

3/4 cup cocoa

¼ tsp salt

1 cup frozen raspberries

1 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 180C.
Grease and line a lamington pan (20cm x 30cm) with baking paper so that the paper overhangs.
Whip together the sugar, eggs and vanilla til thick and creamy. Add the cooled melted butter and mix til thoroughly combined.
Sift over the flour, cocoa and salt and mix through til combined.
Stir through the raspberries and chocolate chips.
Pour mixture into prepared pan and ensure fruit and chocolate chips are evenly distributed. Smooth top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Top should be cooked and a skewer inserted will have some sticky crumbs on it.
Allow to cool completely in pan on top of a wire rack.
Carefully lift out brownie using the overhanging baking paper.
Cut into 24 slices.

Notes

Don’t worry about defrosting the raspberries – just stir them through frozen.

Spicy Lentil & Corn Soup {Recipe}

2014-06-27T12:52:00.001+10:00

Wintery weather has finally lashed itself over Melbourne and I just want to snuggle up in front of the fire with a big bowl of warm, comforting soup.

I try to make a big pot of soup every week. Not only is it economical, a bowl of lentil-laden goodness is filling and healthy too.

Soups are also a great way to use up the half or near empty jars of spice pastes you have languishing around in your fridge. The harissa paste was almost empty and a perfect match for the sad little capsicums rolling around in the crisper drawer. You could mix and match with whatever you have in your fridge (although I must say the harissa gives a nice hint of heat without blowing your socks off!)

The rest of the ingredients are basic pantry staples - tinned tomatoes, tinned corn and lentils.

This makes a very thick, almost stew like consistency soup (which we love). If you prefer a thinner consistency, use an extra 2 cups of stock or water.

Or why not leave it thick and turn it into a Mexican supper with a generous dollop of sour cream, squeeze of lime juice, fresh coriander and eat it with tortilla chips?

This pot will keep us going for most of the week but it would also freeze beautifully.

What's your perfect cold weather comfort food?

Recipe: Spicy Lentil & Corn Soup
An original recipe by Di Nolan
Serves: 6

Ingredients
1 Tblsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 sticks celery, diced
2 red capsicums, cored and diced
1 Tblsp harissa paste
2 x 440g tins diced tomato
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups extra water (I half fill each of the empty tomato tins, give them a swirl to get the last of the tomatoey goodness and tip this in for the extra water).
2 cups red split lentils
1 x 440g tin corn kernels, drained

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over low-medium heat.
Add the onion, celery and capsicum and saute until the onion is softened.
Add the harissa paste and cook for about 2 minutes or until fragrant.
Add the tinned tomato, stock,extra water, lentils and corn kernels and stir well. Bring pot to the boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer soup for 30 minutes, stirring every so often to stop lentils from sticking to the bottom of the pan. (Alternatively you could sit the pot on a simmer mat if you have one.)
Enjoy!

Itty Bitty Brownie Bites {Recipe}

2014-06-21T15:01:00.000+10:00

This is my go to recipe whenever I get asked to bring a dessert but I'm pressed for time.

The basic brownie mix is so easy to whip up and can be as posh or simple as you want them to be. Dress them up with perfect raspberries, a drizzle of chocolate glaze or ganache or a sprinkle of cocoa powder. Or better still, simply dust them with icing sugar.

Serve them up as dessert canapé at a posh soirée. Bring them along to a morning tea or take it to your friend’s house for dessert next time you get invited for dinner.

It's also a great beginner's recipe for young learning cooks.

The first time I cooked them I was disappointed because they looked so flat in the pan. “They’re too small!” I wailed to Mr Di-licious.

That was until I picked up my little round cutter, cut one out and tasted it – absolute perfection!

And then there is the matter of the little cook’s treat you’re left with after cutting out the brownies – brownie corners!

Pop them in a bowl and serve them up with a cuppa or crumble them up and mix with frosting to make brownie cake pops!

Di-licious!

Recipe: Itty Bitty Brownie Bites

An original recipe by Di Nolan

These brownie bites are the perfect sweet treat to bring along to your next party. I prefer to whip them up in my KitchenAid mixer but you can mix them together by hand as well.

Ingredients

185g butter

3 eggs

1½ cups caster sugar

1 cup plain flour

¾ cup cocoa

1 pinch salt

icing sugar to decorate

Instructions

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat and allow to cool. Set aside
Grease a lamington pan (20x30cm) and line with baking paper so that it extends over the edge of the pan.
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Whip eggs and sugar together till well combined.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa and salt. Add this to the egg mixture with the cooled butter and stir until all combined. The mixture will be thick.
Pour mixture into lined pan and spread it evenly with a spatula so it is smooth.
Bake for approximately 15mins. The brownie should be cooked on top and a skewer should come out with only a couple of crumbs clinging to it – not wet.
Allow tray to cool on a rack before turning out onto a cutting board.
Using a small cutter (I like a 2.5cm one), cut out ‘bites’.
Place cut out brownies onto a rack set over a tray or baking paper and sprinkle over icing sugar.
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Brownies are best eaten the day or day after being baked. They will become firmer as they age but are still delicious.

Cleaning bathrooms - my least favourite job

2014-06-20T11:56:00.000+10:00

I really hate cleaning the bathroom. I mean I avoid it for as long as possible - probably much longer than I should.

Normally I get propelled into action when I know my mum is coming over or we are expecting overnight guests.

More often than not the shower languishes for a few weeks and then I think I really should attend to that this week and another week or two goes by until I shudder at the sight of it.

Perhaps it's this bathroom in particular. Dark slate floors that never look clean; a clumsily renovated shower closet that doesn't recieve an inch of natural light; a badly sealed shower base that has mould growing under the silicone no matter how much mould cleaner or bleach I use.

I feel defeated before I even begin.

Rationally I know that if I do it every week or two weeks, it won't get so far out of control. I think it's been almost two months. It was nasty this morning.

Aside from the act of cleaning the shower, I also hate the smell of most cleaning products.

Walking down the 'chemical' aisle in the supermarket makes my nose twitch uncontrollably. Few do what they claim to do and those that do smell the worst or cost more.

I've tried making my own cleaners but they need a regular weekly commitment that I seem incapable of giving - when did I turn into such a commitment phobe? I prefer to use diluted sugar soap and a scrubbing brush.

Not being able to stand it anymore, I turned up the music loud this morning and scrubbed those tiles.

Twenty minutes later, the tiles are sparkling, the mould is as under control as it can be and feeling incredibly smug, I paused to take some pix and make two cups of coffee and write to you.

The basin is still waiting and the mirror still has Olive's toothpaste splattered all over it. That'll be a walk in the park now.

Do you hate cleaning the bathroom too? Do you have a secret cleaning weapon you can share?

Spread the love - Lemon Butter {Recipe}

2014-06-13T14:51:00.002+10:00

You could be forgiven for thinking that there is a strong lemon theme happening on the blog lately. And you'd be right.

When you have unlimited access to a ridiculously abundant lemon tree - you don't cook with oranges.

Luckily we're all lemon fans here.

Can I just say categorically that I love lemon butter. It's tart, it's sweet and it makes the most decadent white bread sandwich.

It's perfect on scones and pikelets; is a divine filling for cakes and sandwiched biscuits; and unbeatable eaten straight from the spoon.

It's also pretty easy to make provided you're not in a hurry. If you rush it..... well, you're going to end up with lemony scrambled eggs.

Trust me. I've been there.

I got asked what the difference was between lemon butter and lemon curd. I couldn't find an answer online but according to my CWA Judging notes, lemon curd/cheese is made with milk and cream whereas lemon butter is not.

A good lemon butter should:

have a fresh, delicate flavour.

have a smooth and creamy consistency without any lumps.

not be curdled nor show any egg streaks.

The colour of lemon butters will differ according to the type of lemon and egg yolk colour used.

You can make lemon butter in a saucepan over direct heat but for best results, I'd recommend a double boiler. If you don't have one of these you can improvise by placing a bowl over a pan of simmering water.

The original recipe was a bit vague in the method directions so I've expanded them based on my own cooking experience so you'll be spreading the lemony love instead of crying over scrambled eggs.

Recipe: Lemon Butter

Adapted from Alice's Lemon Butter recipe contributed by Erin Morrison in CWA Classics Cookbook

makes 2 cups

Ingredients

3 large eggs, well beaten
juice of 2 large lemons (or 2 1/2 if not very juicy)

3/4 cups caster sugar

50g cold butter, cubed

Warm, sterilised jars and lids

Method

Place eggs, sugar and lemon juice into the top pan of a double boiler or bowl, set above simmering pan of water.
Whisk mixture continuously until it starts to thicken and simmer.
Take off the heat and beat in the cold butter.
Pour the hot mixture into warm sterilised jars and seal immediately.
Allow to cool and then store jars in fridge for up to a month.

Notes

If you end up with small streaks of curdled/scrambled egg in you butter, strain the mixture through a sieve into a clean bowl. Rewarm the mixture and then pour into the sterilised jars.

Good news and Special Lemon Coconut Cake {Recipe}

2014-06-07T18:06:00.002+10:00

I'm in a very, VERY good mood this week. Why? Well for starters, I finally landed my dream part time job.

The company is a gourmet food producer and I'll be actively involved with promoting their products through food tastings as well as behind the scenes in the office and (hopefully) helping develop their website. I may even get my hands messy in the kitchen sometimes.....

The other reason I'm very happy this week is discovering my ultimate, perfect cake nirvana - this (very) Special Lemon Coconut Cake.

The recipe comes from the Country Women's Association Classics Cookbook. It was contributed by Mrs Elaine Youd from Devonport Branch, Tasmania who shared that it is her "friend Barb Parson's special cake".

Special is definitely the right way to describe this cake. The coconut keeps the cake lovely and moist, making it a great bake ahead affair. It freezes well and the icing......well tangy lemon juice icing with coconut... it just keeps the lemon coconut flavour going on and on and on.

If you (or someone you know) has a prolific lemon tree then this recipe is a definite keeper.

Once again I'm grateful for the wonderful generosity of CWA women who openly share their fabulous recipes. They are, in a word, special.

Recipe: Special Lemon Cake

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Self Raising Flour, sifted
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
125g butter, melted
grated zest of 3 lemons

Icing
1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
Juice of one lemon

Method

Preheat oven to 160C. Grease a 20cm square cake tin and line base with baking paper.
Place the sifted flour, coconut and sugar into a large mixing bowl and mix through to distribute the ingredients evenly. Make a well in the centre.
In a separate bowl or large jug (I like to use a big 1Litre Pyrex jug), beat the eggs, milk, melted butter and lemon zest together. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix through. It will most likely be a bit sloppy.
Pour the mixture into your prepapred cake tin and bake for about 45-50mins or until a skewer comes out clean. The cake will have pulled away a little at the sides and should be a lovely golden hue.
Allow cake to cool in the tin at least 20 minutes before turning out onto a cake rack lined with a folded tea towel (to avoid unsightly rack marks) and let it cool completely before icing.

To make the icing, mix the sifted icing sugar and coconut together. Gradually add the lemon juice until you get your preferred consistency - you probably won't use all the juice. Spread over the cake and if you like, let it drip down the sides a bit. Allow the icing to set before slicing.

Note - uniced cake will freeze beautifully. Ice when mostly defrosted.

A not so perfect day in the kitchen

2014-06-01T09:19:00.001+10:00

Sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves to be perfect. I'm a constant offender in the kitchen.

Yesterday I tried to do too much: I made another loaf of bread, I made up a chicken curry in the slow cooker, threw together a soup, prepped for dinner and then baked a cake - all before lunch.

The soup wasn't ready so we had sausage sandwiches.

I let the slowcooker cook and cook......too long. It was pasty, dry, too acidic and just plain revolting.

The cake turned out well but there was no one home to eat it because the rest of the household had gone to the park.

Feeling despondent and surveying the dishes already in the sink, I couldn't bear the thought of cooking our planned family dinner of sausage risotto.

By the time Olive & Mr Di-licious came home from the park, I was in a complete funk.

I felt like a complete failure.

"You know what darling?" he said. "Everyone is allowed to have a cooking fail once in a while. Even you."

"How about I pick up some takeaway?"

And that dear readers is why I love him. Because whenever I fail at something or fall into a funk, he's got my back. Our 'simple Saturday family meal' turned into fish and chips by the fire.

I'm still annoyed I didn't get it right (and wasted perfectly good chicken thigh fillets in the process) but that's life.

On the bright side there's lemon coconut cake for afternoon tea today, our dog happily ate the curry, the chooks will get the leftover chips, we'll have the soup for supper tonight and I've already got Monday nights dinner prepped.

It's not quite the menu I'd planned but no one went hungry.

Lemon Poppy Seed Biscuits {Recipe}

2014-05-29T15:16:00.000+10:00

I often crave baking biscuits but its normally when I'm feeling a bit lazy and don't have any softened butter to hand.

At times like these a quick mix bickie recipe is a life saver, especially when all you need is a food processor to do all the hard work for you.

I found this Lemon and Poppy Seed biscuit recipe in the delightful Alice in Bakingland cookbook by Alice Arndell. Alice, a finalist in New Zealand's Hottest Home Baker show, is a champion of real home baking as well as her local community. I found the book at the library and was instantly jealous of the gorgeous vintage styling and delicious sounding recipes. Alice also has a blog Alice in Bakingland where you'll find more of her recipes. It's definitely worth checking out.

Mum and dad had dropped off a big bag of home grown lemons last week and up until now they'd been serving as a charming still life arrangement on the dining table.

It felt good to put them to use. The finished biscuit is delightfully crisp with a light lemon tang and fragrance. Next time I think I'd add an extra lemon's worth of zest for a bit more of a zing. A drop or two of lemon essence when adding the eggs might also do the trick.

When I made these biscuits I popped the rolls into the freezer to firm up faster. The recipe recommended a minimum 2hrs chilling time. It was already quarter to three and I needed a snack ready for after school. They were firm in less than hour and it got me thinking that if I had divided the dough up into five rolls instead of three, I would have had a ready to slice bounty at my beck and call.

As it happens I only baked off half of one of the rolls so there's plenty stashed away in the freezer for whenever I get another case of the baking lazies (or when I remember at the last minute that it's my turn to bring a plate to CWA).

Whatever you do, make sure you brew yourself a special pot of tea to enjoy these little darlings. The poppy seeds make them a little more grown up and they're robust enough to survive a dunk or two.

Recipe: Lemon Poppyseed Biscuits

Original recipe by Alice Arndell, Alice in Bakingland (2013)

Makes about 40+ biscuits.

Ingredients

21/2 cups plain flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup icing sugar

1/2 cup caster sugar

Zest of 2 lemons (although if you prefer a sharper lemon taste, bump it up to 3!)

2 Tblsp poppy seeds

180g cold butter, cubed

1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

Method

Put all of the ingredients, except the butter and eggs, into your food processor. Pulse a couple of times to mix everything together.
Add the cubed butter and process again until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the combined egg and egg yolk and process again until the dough starts to clump together.
Tip the mixture out onto your bench and gently bring the dough together - you will been to squeeze and squash it a bit - and form it into a long log shape. The original recipe suggested a diameter of about 7cm but I prefer a daintier biscuit so I went for 4cm. The choice is completely yours (although the smaller diameter will give you more biscuits!)
Cut your dough log into 4 or 5 sections and wrap each in plastic wrap. At this point you can roll the logs back and forth to give them a nice even round shape.
Pop the logs into the fridge or freezer to chill completely. They'll take around 40minutes in the freezer or at least 2 hours in the fridge. (Of course at this point you can label and freeze your dough for another day if you don't plan to bake all the biscuits during this baking session.).
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180C and line your baking tray(s) with baking parchment.
Remove dough roll for the fridge or freezer and slice into 5mm thick rounds. Place onto the tray and bake for 10-12 mins or until the biscuits have a lovely golden tint on their edges and the underside is just golden.
Allow to cool completely on a rack before brewing a pot of tea to celebrate.

Back in the saddle of blogging

2014-05-26T15:22:00.002+10:00

I'm back....with a new look, a new name and a new blog address.

I've been Di-licious Cupcakes, Life is Di-licious. I moonlighted for a while as Little Teapot. But now it's just simply Di-licious.

My new web home is www.di-licious.com.

On Facebook you can find me at www.facebook.com/DiLishLife (some addresses are still hard to change).

I'll update all my other contact details over the coming weeks.

So why the break in transmission? Well, after accidentally blowing up my blog Life is Di-licious 12 months ago, I felt all at sea. Creatively, personally and emotionally.

I'll share more in the coming weeks but just really needed to get this announcement post out (before racing off to do school pick up).

It feels good to be back.

My first public icing demonstration

2014-03-26T13:58:00.000+11:00

Last Friday I dipped my toe into the world of cooking demonstrations. I was invited to demonstrate icing techniques as part of a CWA Cooking Masterclass.

Although quite nervous at the thought of talking to a room of strangers, once I got going, it was actually a lot of fun.

I was reminded of a public speaking course I'd done back in the day where we were invited to give a five to ten minute talk about any topic we were passionate about. I talked about how to make a true risotto.

It was so easy. I actually enjoyed myself explaining to a room of predominantly men the importance of using the correct rice, how to deglaze the pan and why you absolutely MUST stir the pot the whole time.

When you know your topic, it's easy to show enthusiasm and exude confidence.

So how did the icing demo go? Really well. I received so many lovely comments and learnt so much watching the other presenters over the course of the day.

Talking to girlfriends a couple of days later, one of them said I should run some classes for busy mums on how to decorate their children's birthday cakes.

It's got me thinking she might be onto something. Ideas are bouncing around in my head. Watch this space.....

Making cups cozy

2013-11-04T10:10:00.000+11:00

There's nothing lovelier than being able to hold a big mug in both hands, filled with the most perfectly brewed milky tea, except perhaps if its wrapped up snuggly in a cup cozy.

I've been whipping up cup cozies the past few weeks. My first effort (based on this pattern) was for my CWA meeting mug. It has a built in coaster bottom - yay!

I adjusted the same pattern slightly to make this one for my lovely friend Nic in her favourite colours pink & red.

On a roll, I devised my own pattern for this special birthday present for Olive's teacher. Her favourite colours are pink and black.

I picked up a great tip from here about using rubber grip mat to line the cozy with to stop it slipping down. It worked a treat on the wrap around version.

Back in the swing of sewing

2013-09-18T10:10:00.000+10:00

I have an old sewing machine passed onto me by my sister.

There is no manual so I haven't been able to work out how to change the machine foot or progress beyond simple straight or zigzag stitches.

Today I found my machine's manual online and instantly, the veil of mystique fluttered away.

I have my sewing mojo back.

I whipped up this sweet little softie for a special birthday gift this week.

Suddenly that quilting kit stashed under my craft table doesn't seem so impossible now.

I also aced my first attempt at back stitch embroidery. How cute is that face?????

Life is good.

Pretty little rose brooch

2013-09-10T14:00:00.000+10:00

To celebrate my spring cleaning progress, I picked up the latest issue of Homespun magazine yesterday.

Inside was the cutest pattern for crocheted rose rings.

I thought they'd be equally gorgeous as a small brooch.

I adapted the pattern slightly, using 3ply cotton for the bloom and embroidery cotton for the leaves. I was running out of green so I eliminated a couple of the leaves.

So dainty!

Makes me wonder whether people would buy them.........?

Four hens a laying

2013-09-09T06:00:00.000+10:00

Hooray! All of our hens are finally laying!

That means 4 eggs a day!

Bliss!

Yesterday morning I experienced the joy that is a poached, fresh egg - literally only hours old.

So happy to be a backyard farmer.

Perfect Banana Bread {Recipe}

2013-09-08T06:00:00.000+10:00

I like to think myself as being an organised person.

I keep bags of chopped-up ripe bananas in the freezer, ready to make banana bread and muffins on a whim.

I love this banana bread because it's the real deal - not banana cake masquerading as banana bread.

It holds its shape when sliced, toasts well and I strongly suspect it will be amazing pan fried in a little butter for a decadent Sunday breakfast…..

RECIPE: Perfect Banana Bread
A simple and easy banana bread that should be in everyone’s recipe repertoire. Adapted from Margaret Fulton’s recipe in “Margaret Fulton’s Encyclopedia of Food & Cookery”

Ingredients
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, beaten well

1 cup wholemeal flour
1 cup plain flour
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts (omit if you have allergy concerns)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180C.
Grease and line base of a medium loaf pan (21 x 11cm).
In a large bowl, mix the bananas and eggs together.
Sift over the flours and bicarb soda and add the sugar, salt & walnuts.
Mix together thoroughly.
Pour mixture into prepared loaf pan and bake for approximately one hour or until the loaf has pulled away from the sides of the tin and a skewer comes out clean when pierced into the centre.
Allow the loaf to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto a rack.
Enjoy the loaf warm or cold.
Slice and freeze individual slices, wrapped in cling wrap.

Brightening up a rainy day

2013-09-06T06:00:00.000+10:00

The sunny start to spring was short lived. Today it rained and rained. In fact, it's going to rain all weekend.

To cheer myself up I wore my red shoes. Mission accomplished.

Counting sheep bunting

2013-09-05T09:26:00.000+10:00

I'm so proud of this gorgeous bunting I made for my sister's baby shower.

I had been working on a baby blanket but as the deadline drew nearer, I knew I'd never finish it in time.

I'd spied these cute crocheted sheep over at Pardon my Chaos and had tagged it as a future project.

A test-make proved to me that I could whip them up fast, using wool already in my stash.

I modified the pattern slightly in that I made them single sided instead of stitching two together.

I borrowed a bunting string pattern from a crochet magazine and put the two of them together.

Aren't they darling?

The perfect jelly slice {Recipe}

2013-09-03T09:47:00.000+10:00

Since joining the Country Women's Association, I've noticed a change in my baking style.

I've turned retro.

I'm not interested in elaborate fondant covered cakes anymore.

Give me a slice of old fashioned chocolate cake or a classic iced cupcake anyday.

It's all about flavour and appreciating the cook's efforts.

This weekend I challenged myself to make the perfect jelly slice.

A packet of biscuits, melted butter, condensed milk, some gelatine and a packet of raspberry jelly crystals - the result was amazing.

Mission accomplished.

RECIPE: Perfect Jelly Slice

1 packet Arnotts Niece biscuits

170g butter, melted

1 packet raspberry jelly crystals
1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 tin condensed milk

1 tblsp + 1 tsp powdered gelatine
1/2 cup hot water

Start this recipe the day before you want to serve it. This will guarantee that the jelly has set properly.

Grease and line a slice tin (minimum depth 3cm) or a 20cm square casserole dish with baking paper. The 20cm square will give you a thicker biscuit base to your slice - it's actually pretty good!
Crush the biscuits using either a food processor or putting them in a big ziplock bag and bashing them with a hefty rolling pin till you have small crumbs.
Stir in the melted butter and mix thoroughly. Press the mixture into your prepared pan and press down very firmly. Pop the pan into the fridge for 30-45 min to set.
Have a cuppa and then get on with the next step.
Mix the jelly crystals and boiling water together in a large jug and stir until all the crystals have dissolved. Pop it in the fridge for a minimum of 45 minutes (but no more than an hour - you want the jelly to be cool enough to pour over the condensed milk layer later but not starting to set.)
In a medium sized bowl, dissolve the gelatine in the hot water. Pour over the condensed milk and mix together thoroughly.
Pour the mixture over the biscuit base. Tap the pan on the bench a couple of times to get rid of any air bubbles and pop it back into the fridge for 30-45mins to set - longer if you need to.
Finally, pour over your cooled jelly and pop it back in the fridge for a minimum 4 hours or overnight.
The next day, using the baking paper, lift out the slice from the pan.
Trim the edges with a large flat knife to give neat sides (I used a ham slicer). Keep the scraps in a container for a sneaky cook's treat later on.
Cut the slice into even pieces and store in an airtight container until needed.
Enjoy!

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