Lunchbox legends: Master muffin recipe - plus one with that donut taste!

I'm trying to mix it up a bit for my girls - I don't mind giving them a treat in their lunchboxes but try and avoid products with MSG or cooking or buying lunchbox items with artificial flavours or colourings.  I want them to be able to focus on school but still have a little 'something special'.

Yesterday was the first day I'd actually had a day to cook since school resumed and started.  I got busy with some mini quiches and these - whilst also making baguettes for the slow cooker ham soup.  It was so nice to cook again after all the heat we've had - call it therapy!

These are really a basic muffin recipe - you can use it for a base for anything - I'll be showing you over the coming weeks some more ways to use it!


Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk


Topping
15g butter, melted
2 tb caster sugar + 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder


Method:
Preheat oven to 190 degrees c Grease a tin with 12 muffin cups - make sure you grease the rims and inbetween-y bits t ensure if you do have overflow it will be easy to get out.

Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder and mixed spice in one bowl.

In another bowl/jug mix milk, egg, oil and sugar, mix well with fork or whisk.

Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined - try not to overmix.

Pour into greased muffin tray - up to 3/4 to the top - I love using the tupperware mini-ladle -if you are going to a party or have a dealer, buy one - I love it and use it alot!

Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon mix.

Suitable to freeze for up to 2 months.

Party Palooza or school fete: The toffee/candy apple!

These are so cute!  I haven't made these for a good twenty five years so when a friend asked me if I could make her some for her gorgeous rosey-cheeked-baby-girl for her first birthday how could I say no?  Well I just couldn't and of course I didn't!

I have grand memories of eating toffee apples at school fetes and I figure we could all use a good recipe because with P&C/P&F and PTA's all ready to reconvene here at schools around the country (ours convenes tonight) there's bound to be a fundraising stall - be it cake stall or full blown carnival... so here's an idea for you!

Some extra tips:  don't make these if it's humid - toffee is temperamental in humidity.  Secondly as soon as you've covered your toffee apples, have a patty-pan or two on standby, fill those and then put your saucepan straight in hot soapy water to avoid sticky-toffee-saucepan :)


Ingredients:
12 small to medium red apples (I used gala)
3 cups white sugar
3 tb glucose syrup
1 cup water
1 tsp red food colouring


Method:
Mix your sugar, glucose syrup, water and food colouring in a saucepan - with a sugar thermometer (only about $5-6 at homeware stores) stir it to combine.

Whilst that simmers away - grease a baking tray and also put some chilled water (I used a mini-freezer block to keep it cold) on an assembly line somewhere you can put your hot saucepan (so if you can't put it on your surface find a trivet or wooden chopping board etc)

Put your sticks in your apples and set up in your assembly line.    Also fill your sink with hot soapy water.

When it starts to boil, don't stir anymore, just watch it boil - and when it gets to 295 degrees c - remove from the heat and put on your assembly line.

Then dip your apples - if you need to tilt your apple to make sure it gets covered well,  twist to distribute the toffee evenly.

Then dip it in your cold water saucepan/bowl - and then rest on your greased tray.

Wait until completely set before wrapping in cellophane and ribbon!

A guide to staples: My pantry Masterlist - Sauces, oils, vinegars and condiments

Hello everyone - hope you had an excellent weekend - I'm so glad this hot spell is over in Sydney because I've missed cooking/baking and can't wait to get back to it!!

Today I'm sharing with you part 2 of the staples and pantry masterlist.  Part 1 is here - which is dry goods - today I'm covering sauces and condiments - of which I have plenty!

Obviously you may have more or less - but readers quite often ask me to share my pantry and shopping lists so if you were starting from scratch this is what I would buy.  This time I've put some examples of what I might use the sauce/condiment for if it's not a 'usual type' of pantry staple.

Some of these do need to go in the fridge after opening, but for completeness' sake I've included them!

OK here goes:


Oils:
Canola/vegetable
Olive oil (regular and extra virgin)
Sesame oil
Macadamia oil (love this in salad dressings)

Vinegars:
Cider vinegar (marinades, pickling)
Balsamic (dressing, glazes)
Malt (for your chips of course!)
White (great for making cheaty buttermilk or substitute for egg too!)
White wine (dressings)
Red wine (dressings)
Mirin - japanese rice vinegar (sushi)


Condiments and sauces
Vegemite
Cheesybite
Honey
Peanut butter (smooth and crunchy)
Jams and marmalade (loads, because I make them!)
Tahini (hoummus)
Golden syrup
Treacle
Maple syrup
Glucose syrup (toffees, candy, marshmallows)
Tomato

BBQ sauce

soy sauce 

Chilli sauce

Sweet chilli sauce

Liquid smoke (marinades)

Tabasco sauce

Chinese rice wine (drunken chicken!)

Worcestershire sauce

Mayonnaise

Mustards:

Wholegrain

Dijon

Hot English

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Anything you would add?

Sunday Baking Project: Egg-free chocolate brownies

Hi everyone!  Hope you're safe and well where-ever you are - here in Sydney it's been a freakishly hot week, which is enough to stress even the best of us - add to that my babies started school, my parents and sister and her family who live up in Cairns had a visitor - Cyclone Yasi.  It's been a very emotionally draining one.  

Last weekend, we had visitors too - nothing of the cyclone kind - it was a phone call from hubby's cousin who announced he would be coming through town within four hours and would love to catch up.  OK, first thing - panic.  This cousin is the only member of the family I haven't met and he was bringing his one-year-old daughter and her mother with him.

What will I cook?  What have we got?  I thought a BBQ would do the trick so sent hubby down to the supermarket whilst I got busy making curried potato salad and some rib marinade.   I also made a lemon poppyseed cake with syrup - which promptly hit the oven just has hubby returned from the shops.  'Oh did I mention my cousin has an egg allergy' hubby casually blurts out.

'Um NO. You didn't.'  4 eggs in the salad, and no less than 8 egg yolks plus one whole egg in the cake.  Arrrgh.    The salad would be fine, I was going to offer two... but the dessert - hmmm a quick substitute was in order.  I went internet recipe hunting and found these on the www.allrecipes.com site.. and chocolated it up a bit..!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup plain flour

1 cup water

125g butter

1/4 cup canola oil

2/3 cup cocoa

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tb honey

2 1/4 cups plain flour

2 1/2 cups baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup dark choc chips/buttons

1/4 cup milk choc chips/buttons

Method:

Preheat oven to 160 degrees c and line lamington/slice tray with aluminium foil

Over a medium heat combine the flour and water and whisk until thickens.  Set aside. 

In another saucepan, mix the cocoa oil and butter and mix until melted, combined. Set aside.

To the milk mixture, add the sugars, vanilla and honey and whisk until well combined - transfer to your mixer.

Then to that mixture add the cocoa/oil mixture and mix until smooth.

Add the flour and baking powder

Lastly stir through your choc-chips/buttons.  Try not to eat them all beforehands!

The mix will be a bit like sticky playdough - press into the corners of your lined tray and flatten down.

Bake for the 40-45 minutes.  Leave to cool for 20 minutes in the tin, then remove and cool for another 20 minutes before slicing up!

Look at this gooey chocolatey goodness!  (great with icecream by the way)

Oh, and it turned out that hubby's cousin grew out of his egg allergy.  It's Murphy's Law right?

Low Fat Friday with Lucy: Crunchy Vietnamese Style Salad

Thanks to Lucy for this wonderful (and flavoursome) recipe today - great for these hot nights!  Hope you enjoy and see you on Sunday for the Baking Project! xxx


Lucy writes:

This salad is a wonderful favourite of mine, and my husbands. Especially during spells of really hot weather - the flavours are gorgeous and it is so easy. And so healthy. But so tasty.  Plus, of course, it's low in fat. High in protein. Very low in processed carbs. And low GI. A perfect diminishing recipe!

This salad can also be made with beef, cooked prawns or sliced cooked chicken breast or simply without meat at all. To enjoy the fresh flavours combine the ingredients just before serving.


Crunchy Vietnamese Style Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients:
250g bean sprouts
400g beef steak, grilled to medium rare OR grilled chicken breast OR cooked prawns
Handful of fresh mint
Handful of fresh coriander
Handful of small basil leaves
1 carrot, chopped into sticks
200g snow peas, sliced into strips
1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 fresh red chilies, finely sliced
½ cup roasted peanuts or fava beans*, roughly chopped
Juice of two limes (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons Fish Sauce
1 tablespoon Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
1 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce

Method:

Pull the leaves from the mint and coriander stalks. Place in a large bowl with the bean sprouts, cucumber, garlic, chili and nuts.

Mix remaining ingredients, whisk well to combine. Pour over salad mixture and toss gently to combine.

Divide the salad mixture amongst four deep plates, top with sliced beef/chicken or prawn.

* I use roasted fava beans as they are much lower in fat than peanuts, and much higher in protein. And they are low GI.

If you do try this, let me know how you enjoy it? And whether you used chicken, beef or prawns?

My bebes go to school!

When I first fell pregnant with my twins almost six years ago I named my 'baby' - 'bebe' until of course we discovered there were two 'bebes'.  This feels like seriously a few years ago at most and today, I took them off to school - my smallest, littlest bundles of gorgeousness.

To parent twins and in particular 3 children with an 18 month age gap has been a challenge to say the least but I have loved it.  When they were indeed 'bebes' I used to fantasize about them all being in school, having time to myself and not having to wrangle 24x7 but I must say the reality so far has not hit me.

I want to go back!

I'm sure this is temporary and in the few days it will be an adjustment.  Ok, on with the photos!

It was a restless night - both with Cyclone Yasi and my parents, sister and her family all in Cairns, the heat and my bebes being very anxious, it was after ten they fmally settled into a slumber and for me in the early morn. My Mum called at 6:15am waking us reporting the cyclone had passed and they were all safe.  I have never been so relieved to hear her voice in my lifetime!  I cried with relief and then passed on the news to other family members.  Then our day began.  Up, dressed, breakfasted and ready to go!

Here's the production line of lunchboxes and drinks!

On with the hair elastics I made and the badges their school buddies made and we were ready for photos!

Olivia in all her finery...

Laura my little wall-flower (I hope her teacher has invested in some good ear plugs!)

Nanny (my grandmother arrived) and shared the big day with us.  Particularly with my bebes she's been with us through everything (read this when you have time).  My bebes adore Nanny.

And here's Nanny with her 'big girl' Eloise - it's hard to believe this time last year it was SHE who was starting school!

And here's the gorgeous pack!

Then it was time to head off!  First walk to school all three in uniforms *sniff*

And obligatory pose in front of the school sign (think I'm going to do this every year!)

And then it was time to report for first day!  Daddy takes Olivia to her classroom to sign in and find her bag locker....

And I do the same  with Laura (excuse the haggard look - stress and no sleep people!)

The girls then meet up with their Year 6 Buddies - Laura's got changed as her buddy hasn't returned to our school but lucky us because our new buddy the lovely Chloe - her little buddy didn't start this year - some things are meant to be!

And here's our Olivia's lovely buddy Amy - honestly I hope my girls turn out as lovely as she is!

Then it was time to say goodbye - and yes, I cried.  Mostly on the inside but a bit on the outside.

Here they are in their classrooms (sneaky us!)

Olivia:

Laura:

 Looks like Laura's been put straight to work!  She's a messenger this week!

So really - they went off without a hitch!  No real looking back or anything - just like their big sister.  Today I felt like the hen whose chicks had left the nest and hubby was a smart man and kept me occupied by taking me to spotlight. But as we sat down for lunch a mum with her two girls sat beside us and my heart sunk.  He gave me a wink:  'You'll be alright, they were ready'.  He's right - they ARE ready and I will be alright.

Tell me I'll feel better about it tomorrow!!

Spanish Pasta Salad

I don't know about you but I've been feeling like a melting ice-block - complete with stickiness this week.   I cannot be bothered cooking so we've gone out for dinner one night and had BBQ meals the rest of this week.  I like to make a few salads in the early morning (the ones that can be kept) so I don't have to do it when my energy is flagging at the end of the day.  Curried potato salad has done the rounds, risoni salad, tabbouleh and this, my spanish pasta salad.  All can be prepped ahead.  Another good one would be the warm thai beef salad if you don't have time in the morning because you can cook your beef on the BBQ and assemble very quickly.


Salad Contents:  Combine -
4 stalks of rocket, cut up with scissors
250g grape tomatoes, cut in half
4 cups cooked penne (or spiralli)
1/4 red onion, finely diced

1 chorizo sausage, sliced thinly, fried and drained on kitchen paper

Dressing
In a food processor combine say 10 olives with 80g pinenuts and 2 tb olive oil

Mix well and serve - or chill and eat!  Store in airtight container for up to 3 days.

My heart's in a cyclone

My little ones are off to school tomorrow and it just doesn't seem like I've had long enough with them - I'm sure this happens with most parents - I had my first baby only 6.5 years ago and already I'm saying goodbye to number 2 and 3.  It's gone so fast.

I had a moment of self-doubt yesterday with our decision to separate the girls in different classes (that's right for them but circumstances at school changed) so I found myself even more emotional than expected (off the Richter scale) also throw into that mix having to have Eloise's class changed - which I 100% believe is the right decision for her - it's not easy putting your hand up to advocate for your child.  Especially when you know you're in an emotional state already.

All this heat and my family in Cairns with cyclones approaching hasn't made for a relaxing 24 hours but I've only got just about another 24 hours left until my babies are getting ready for school and the cyclone is due to hit.   In more ways than one.   Please be thinking of me tomorrow on both counts - my babies starting school and the safety of my Mum, Dad, Sister, Brother-in-law and nieces as well as good friends in Cairns.  My sister and her family have been officially evacuated and their house is shut up and everything tied down.  They are at slightly higher ground and slightly inland at my parent's house.  I pray they are all OK.

It's not often I 'pour my heart' out as it were.  I am so thankful to my family and friends at times like these and you - my lovely readers who when I pop onto facebook and twitter and see your lovely messages here really lift my spirits.  Thank you so much.
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Lunchbox Legends: Lemon poppyseed muffins

Well nothing like a last minute effort is there?  Given I have been in denial about my girls starting and going back to school, when Eloise started back yesterday I was the first up at 6.15 and ready to bake.  I made a lemon poppyseed cake I took from Smitten Kitchen on the weekend but it was too dense and it lacked a certain something so I was determined to improve upon this and decided to just adapt the orange sour cream bribe cake recipe a bit.  

So it was wonderful to be up before my little ones getting ready for the day and taking it in my stride.  Eloise woke as I was putting them in the oven and then she was almost completely ready to go before 8am when I woke her little sisters up who had had a very restless sleep ahead of their 'best start' assessment at school in the morning.

And whoohoo.  Delicious, 22 little muffins made and 18 tucked away for lunches.  All before we headed off to school too!

Here's Eloise a Year 1 girl!

And here's our notes and nametags for the little frills, given at their assessment today - 3 sleeps til school starts for them and believe me, they are COUNTING!

Ok back to the recipe!

Ingredients: (Makes 22 muffins or 1 bundt cake)

250g butter at room temperature

1 cup caster sugar

4 eggs, separated

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

zest of 2 lemons

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarb soda

2 cups plain flour

1 cup sour cream

4 tb poppyseeds

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees c

Mix your butter with a mixer for about a minute until nicely aerated.  Add sugar and continue to beat until light pale and fluffy.

Add egg yolks - one at a time and when they are combined add the zest then the vanilla, bicarb and baking soda.

 

In another bowl, beat your egg whites until combined. Fold this into your mixture.

Then add the flour and when all combined add the sour cream and the poppyseeds.  Mix until light and fluffy. 

Spoon into your well-greased pan or your cupcake papers or pan.

Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through.  Yummy warm but freeze well too.  They are light and flavoursome and all kinds of wonderful.
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