Pink Lemonade Bars

This week while I've been off work I've been trying to do a little bit of work from home whenever I feel up to it. Initially I thought I would pretty much get five solid days of work in and knock off everything on my list plus more, but the way things have been going I've only been able to do an hour or so in the morning, have a rest and then I get this burst of energy at about 5pm when I manage to squeeze in another few hours.

All in all I have really enjoyed working from home. Even though I have only been managing a few hours a day, it's been so much more productive without the constant interruptions working in an office can bring. Plus it's just nice to be home I think. I wish I could do it all the time, you know, minus the whole surgery thing! This is where I set myself up for work each morning.

And when I needed a rest, I spent my afternoons curled up on the couch with a heat pack, a hot coffee, a brioche roll and caught up on some reading.

Yesterday I decided it was about time I did some baking. All of Mr B's supplies were running rather low and it was either that or I start sending him to work with a lunch box full of egg, flour and milk and hope it miraculously turned into something edible before morning tea time....

I found this recipe over at Smitten Kitchen and have been meaning to make it for ages now. I loved the sound of a pink lemonade bar but for some reason I always just assumed that they were going to be complex to make and just kind of kept putting them in the 'I'll make that next week...' pile.

Wouldn't you know it, they were actually really easy....I mean I am having trouble just doing the basics like having a shower and washing up this week so for me to say this is simple in my current state, it's got to be like super duper do it with your eyes closed kind of easy.

And you're reward for next to no effort (aside from having to clean your microwave out but I'm thinking that will just be me and not effect you in the slightest....) is a gorgeous soft buttery shortbread base topped with a not too tangy, not too sweet layer of raspberry lemony goodness.

To make these Pink Lemonade Bars you will need:

For the base...
1/4 cup caster sugar
115g butter, softened
1/8 tspn table salt (only necessary if you use unsalted butter)
1 cup plain flour

For the lemonade layer....
1 cup of raspberries, fresh or frozen
2 eggs
3/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup plain flour

Pre-heat oven to 180C and line a 20cm x 20cm baking pan.

Now you may as well start with the raspberries because that's the fun part.....said no one ever.
Heat the raspberries in the microwave in 40 second bursts until they are falling apart. Strain to remove the seeds. Place the syrup in the fridge until you need it. Sounds simple you say? Yes well...I left my raspberries to do their own thing in the microwave and they kind of boiled up and went everywhere....pay close attention to your raspberries people!

Ok, back to the base. Combine the sugar, butter, salt (if using) and flour using a food processor. Process until a soft dough forms. Press the dough into the base and slightly up the sides of your baking pan. It doesn't have to be pretty and it doesn't have to go all the way up the sides, just enough to form like a little lip when you pour the lemonade layer in. Place in the oven and bake for 15 mins or until the edges are starting to lightly go brown.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and lemon juice. Add 3 tbspns of the raspberry puree and the flour. Mix until smooth.

Pour the lemonade mixture into the crust and place the pan back in the oven for roughly 25-30 mins or until they are set. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan and cutting.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Homemade Feta Cheese and Feta, Ricotta and Spinach Rolls

A few weeks ago, Mr B and I made our own feta cheese using our Mad Millie Cheese Kit. It never ceases to amaze me how simple cheese making is. Yes it is a little time consuming but absolutely worth it when you taste the finished product.

That there is 1kg of feta cheese.....

We cut most of it up into 200g slices and placed it in some brine in the fridge. But when we tried it a few hours later it was super salty so we soaked it in some milk for an hour and hey-presto it was perfect.

We cut the rest of it up into small cubes and placed it in a jar full of basil infused olive oil. I can't wait to try this one later on!

As you can imagine, this week we have been going feta crazy....feta stuffed omelettes, potted eggs topped with feta and last night's instalment, Feta, Ricotta and Spinach Rolls. I was a little worried these might lack flavour and desperately wanted to add some parmesan....so glad Mr B stopped me because they were amazing!

To make these Feta, Ricotta and Spinach Rolls you will need:

200g feta cheese
100g ricotta cheese
250g frozen spinach
2 sheets puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
2 tbspns milk

Grease a baking tray and pre-hat oven to 180C.

De-frost the spinach in the fridge overnight. Try and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.

Combine the feta, ricotta and spinach in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Cut the puff pastry sheets into quarters.

Place tablespoons of the filling along one edge of each pastry square and roll up to enclose.

Combine the egg and milk and brush over the pastry.

Bake for 20-25 mins or until puffed and golden.

And look at these gorgeous pink carnations Mum and Dad brought me last night- three bunches of flowers in one week has to be a new record!

Mrs B xx

Cheese Crackers

Earlier in the week, I realised Mr B was out of savoury goodies for his lunch box. I wanted to try something different to the usual pizza scrolls and cheese puffs so I set about making this recipe I had seen for Cheese Crackers. The only thing I will suggest is making a double batch....or at least be prepared to make them twice, possibly three times a week, they are that good.

You see I made the first batch on Monday night thinking they would last Mr B for the remainder of the week.

When I took them out of the oven, I gave him one to try. That was my first mistake. I only just managed to salvage enough for the following day's lunch.....the rest were eaten fresh out of the oven within about 10 minutes. In between mouthfuls he told me they were super awesome and tasted just like Cheds....

On Wednesday I made the second batch and stood guard in the kitchen until they had cooled enough to be hidden right up the back of the cupboard. So far so good....

To make these Cheese Crackers you will need:

60g butter, softened
1/2 tspn salt
2 cups grated cheese
1 cup plain flour
3 tbspns water

Combine the butter, salt and cheese in a bowl.

Add the flour and mix well.

Slowly add the water, 1 tbspn at a time. Mix well after each addition. When the dough forms a soft ball, it's done. Place in the fridge for 30 mins.

Pre-heat oven to 180C. Line and grease two baking trays with baking paper.

Divide the dough into 2 portions. Roll each portion out between 2 pieces of baking paper until it is 1/8 of an inch thick (roughly 1/3 of a cm) but you don't have to be exact.

Cut the dough into squares roughly 2.5 cm in diameter. Use a toothpick or skewer to poke a hole in the centre of each square.

If you want to you can sprinkle herbs or seasoning before baking. We did one tray with smokey paprika and they were yummy!

Bake for 13-17mins or until puffed and golden. Allow to cool on trays before removing and store in an air tight container

And here is a few shots from our day out fishing last weekend. We had the Friday off work and when we woke up it was a beautiful sunny day so we decided to make the most of it. We jumped in the car and drove to Cremorne which is only probably 45mins drive from our place and found a beautiful (and desserted) jetty to set ourselves up on.

We spent the majority of the day here, fighting with the crabs and the rays, soaking up the sun and just relaxing.

Plus we caught a salmon which was lovely grilled with some lemon oil and mint from our garden for lunch the following day!

I never thought I would be much of a fishing person, but I do enjoy spending quality time with Mr B and getting outside in the fresh air. It's very peaceful and very relaxing which is what all weekends should be!

Mrs B xx

Little Chocolate Cars

I have said it before and I find myself  in a position to say it again. Baking is good for the soul.

Last weekend I was feeling a bit flat and needed a distraction. Normally when this happens I would either go for a walk or bury myself in the kitchen and given it was a cold and rainy day I decided a walk would probably do more damage then good.

So there I am standing in front of the cupboard scouring its contents for inspiration and tapping my foot impatiently when I spot 2 king size Milky Ways peaking out at me from underneath a pile of marshmallows and chocolate melts. You see for my Dad's birthday earlier in the year I originally wanted to make him a race track cake with little cars on it, but then my Mum came up with the idea of making the Iced Vovo Tart and well the rest is history!

These little cars were so much fun to make and bring a big smile to my face every time I see them - they are just so adorable! Mr B has been taking them to work in his lunch box and everyone that's seen them has asked him for one! It's amazing how even grown men can be swayed by tiny little chocolate cars....

I even made one into a little trike.....Mr B and my Dad ended up battling it out in a card game to see who would be declared ultimate champion and get to take that one!

You will need:

2 large Milky Way Bars or Mars Bars sliced into thirds
Tiny Teddies
Smarties
1/4 cup milk chocolate, melted

Start by taking your milky way and use the melted chocolate to stick your four smartie 'wheels' on.

Use the melted chocolate to stick on your smartie 'steering wheel' and your tiny teddy 'driver.

Super easy and super cute!! The hardest part is not eating all of your 'car parts' and finding 4 matching coloured 'wheels!'

And here are the cupcakes I whipped up later that same day. I love the look of these and they were also really easy.

Take a basic vanilla cupcake and cut the top off of it using a sharp knife.

Use a small cookie cutter to cut a shape out of the cupcake top. Keep both the piece you cut out and the piece you cut it out of.

Frost your cupcakes with buttercream (I divided mine up into portions and dyed each one a different colour.)

Top your cupcakes with either the cut-out shape or the outline piece.

Enjoy!!

And remember, you're never too old to make, eat or race little chocolate cars!

Mrs B xx

Aero Bar Slice

After a long day at work on Friday I came home desperate to bury myself in the kitchen. I had been eyeing off this recipe for a long time and finally had all of the ingredients to throw it together. The only problem was that after I had combined all of the ingredients for the slice I was absolutely convinced that it was not going to set properly and leaning more towards the fact that it was going to end up a big crumbly mess.

So rather than actually putting the slice in the fridge and giving it a chance to redeem itself, I stood in the kitchen picking bits off the end of it and willing it to visually set in front of my eyes......5 mins later, nothing and I was just getting more and more frustrated.....

In case you're wondering, patience was never my strong point.......especially when it comes to waiting for things to set or waiting for things to cool before slicing.....I'm totally the girl who always cuts her brownies straight from the oven and then complains about their shape....

So right when I was considering my options for crumbling the whole thing up and starting again Mr B came along, quietly put the slice in the fridge and steered me out of the room. He gave me a big glass of Jamesons, sat me on the couch and confirmed his place as best husband ever.

Although I did sneak back into the kitchen later on to do the melted chocolate for the topping.....

Several hours later and not only was it perfectly set but it tasted just like a Mint Slice biscuit - hello deliciousness!!!

Aero Bar Slice

1 x 250g pkt chocolate ripple biscuits, crushed
150g block Aero Mint Chocolate, broken up
2 tbspn condensed milk
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 tbspn cocoa
125g butter, melted
150g milk chocolate melts
50g butter (extra)

Combine 125g butter and caster sugar. Heat in the microwave for 60 seconds. Stir to combine.

Stir through the cocoa, condensed milk, biscuits and chocolate.

Pour into a slice tin.

Combine remaining butter and chocolate melts and heat in the microwave for 40 seconds. Stir until combined. It may need another 40 seconds to completely melt the chocolate.

Spread the chocolate mixture over the slice and place in the fridge to set for 3-4 hours before cutting.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Bread Maker Pizza Scrolls

Pizza Scrolls are unfortunately one of the foods Mr B loves in his lunch boxes.

I say unfortunately because I hate making them.

My Dad always said to me that hate is a strong word so let me re-phrase that.... I 'strongly dislike' making them.

Whenever I make them my kitchen somehow ends up covered floor to ceiling in tomato paste and cheese and sticky dough and flour....oh my goodness the flour - it just gets everywhere!

So I tend to just pretend they don't exist for as long as humanly possible, but eventually Mr B will request them and I can't put it off any longer.

After the success of making our Hot Cross Buns in the bread maker this year, I thought I would try making the dough for the scrolls in there and it was a massive win for the home team. The dough resulted in a light, fluffy scroll and only 10% of the kitchen is covered in flour compared to the usual 95%, plus Mr B tells me they are much nicer than the ones I usually make....I chose to just take that as a compliment.

Bread Maker Pizza Scrolls

For the dough you will need:
3 1/3 cups plain flour
2 tspns dried yeast
1 tspn salt
1.5 cups lukewarm water

For the topping you will need:
2 tbspns tomato paste
1 tbspn Gourmet Garden Italian Herbs
1 tbspn crushed garlic
80g shaved ham
1/2-3/4 cup grated cheese
1 sml tin of pineapple pieces drained
*This is just the toppings that I use, you can use whatever you like, 1/2 cup diced capsicum, salami etc.....

To make the dough, place the water, yeast, salt and flour in the bowl of your breadmaker in that order. Select the 'dough' cycle and let it do it's thing. Mine took about 90 mins.

Once the cycle is finished, punch the dough down to knock the air out of it. Place the dough on a lightly floured clean surface and roll it out to a large rectangle - roughly 30cm x 40cm.

Leaving a 1cm gap from the edges on your horizontal sides, spread the tomato paste over the dough. Top with the garlic and herbs. Scatter the ham and pineapple over the base and top with cheese.

Starting from the horizontal edge closest to you, carefully roll the dough up into a scroll shape. Use a sharp knife to cut into roughly 16 pieces. Place each piece, cut-side up, onto a lined baking tray leaving about 1cm inbetween.

Set aside to rise in a warm place for 30 mins. Meanwhile pre-heat your oven to 200C.

Place the scrolls in the oven and bake for 20-25 mins or until golden brown.

These make great lunch box treats, but you should definitely try one fresh from the oven too!

I would like to take a second here to say how gorgeous is the little plate in this picture?? Mum and Dad have been having a massive clean out at their place and a few weeks ago I was lucky enough to have a look through the boxes of goodies destined for the market. Needless to say Mr B and I came home with a car load of treasures including an antique lantern, an old cutlery box for our kitchen bench and a STACK of beautiful antique plates. This one and the one I used in the Leftover Easter Egg Blondies post are my absolute favourite.

It makes me feel kind of nostalgic having these items in my home that I remember being in Mum and Dad's home when I grew up. It also makes me feel very grown up all of a sudden. Antiques were one thing I always swore black and blue would never be in my house. How things change....

Mrs B xx

Cinnamon Roll Rice Krispie Treats

Just stopping by for a quick post today because I'm off out to dinner tonight and then tomorrow Mr B and I are finally heading away on a belated Valentines Day road trip! We were supposed to go on Valentines Day (obviously....) but due to the bushfires around home we had to postpone. Nevermind though because it's finally here and tomorrow we are heading off to the north of the state for a few days to do all sorts of exciting things like sampling some whiskey at Hellyers Road Distillery, camping, visiting a planetarium, museum and science works, staying in a swanky hotel that we fell in love with on our mini-moon and just generally hanging out and relaxing, I can't wait!

But before we disappear off into the sunset (...or sunrise given the time Mr B tells me we have to be on the road tomorrow morning!) let me tell you about these Cinnamon Roll Rice Krispie Treats I made for Mr B a few weeks ago, I was keen to try something different and have been toying with this idea in my head for awhile now. Thankfully Mr B loved them, he said they taste just like a cinnamon roll (obviously in rice krispie form) but without me having to deal with all that annoying yeast and dough and kneading! 

Cinnamon Roll Rice Krispie Treats

You will need

For the bars
60g butter
200g marshmallows
4 cups rice bubbles or rice krispies
1 heaped tspn cinnamon

For the topping
60g softened butter
1 heaped tbspn brown sugar
1 tspn cinnamon

For the glaze
1/4 cup icing sugar
1/2 tspn vanilla essence
1 tspn milk

Add the butter and marshmallows to a large microwave safe bowl. Heat in 40 second bursts, stirring inbetween, until melted and combined.

Mix through the rice bubbles and cinnamon.

Grease and line a small slice tin.

Press mixture into the tin - if you have trouble with the mix sticking to your spoon or whatever your using to press it down, try running the spoon under hot water first. Leave in the fridge for an hour before applying the topping and glaze.

To make the topping, combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon and spread over the top of your rice krispie bars. Try the mixture and change it up to suit your preference, add more cinnamon if you want to.

To make the glaze, combine the icing sugar, vanilla essence and milk until you have a smooth consistency. Use a spoon to drizzle over the top of your rice krispie bars and place in the fridge for 3-4 hours or overnight to set.

Remove from the tin, slice and enjoy!!

Mrs B xx

Raspberry and Cream Cheese Muffins

Yesterday I had a full day of baking planned and it was so very good to get back into my kitchen - don't get me wrong, the break over the Christmas has been lovely, but yesterday while I was getting my bake on, music up, dancing feet on, I was definitely in my happy place. One of the goodies I baked yesterday was these Raspberry and Cream Cheese Muffins. They smell delicious and Mr B tells me they taste awesome as well! 

Raspberry and Cream Cheese Muffins

You will need:
2 cups plain flour
2 tspns baking powder
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
100ml sunflower oil
125ml milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
180g fresh or frozen raspberries
110g cream cheese

Pre-heat oven to 180C and line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases.

Place all ingredients, except the raspberries and cream cheese, into a large bowl and mix to combine.

Add the raspberries and just fold through the mixture gently.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared cases, filling them about 2/3 full. Place a small spoonful of cream cheese into the centre of each muffin. Now the cream cheese I had was straight from the fridge and fairly solid, so I used a melon baller to get equal sized portions.

Bake for 25-30 mins or until the muffins are golden and bounce back when touched. Allow to cool in the tin before removing to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!

And have a look at these little ginger-dead men I made for Mr B's lunches using some cookie cutters Mum and Dad brought me for Christmas. I admit I did squeal and dance around clapping my hands when they came out of the oven - they are just so cute!!

Mrs B xx

Pina Colada Cupcakes

I feel like I should start this post by telling you that at this particular moment in time, I am not being a good wife.

I am sitting on the couch in our garage writing this post, while Mr B paints the ceiling.

Not long after we moved into this house, Mr B converted the garage into a bar and he has done a fantastic job. The walls and ceiling in the garage / bar are like a grey colour and they really needed some livening up so Mr B went out and brought himself some bright blue paint and some bright green paint with visions of green walls with a blue roof and blue trims.

To be honest I thought he was mad and I believe someone may have said it was going to look like Cookie Monster and Kermit threw up.....but despite all this, Mr B stuck with what he wanted and I have to admit, it is looking amazing! I will put some photos up as soon as he is done (which should be just in time for our annual Christmas 8-ball tournament!!)

So how did I get away with sitting on the couch with my feet up whilst Mr B finishes the painting? I made him these Pina Colada Cupcakes of course! And I couldn't help but make them in these two little Christmas pans I got last year, how cute are they!!

You will need:

115g butter, melted
1 cup of caster sugar
3 eggs
1.5 cups of self raising flour
3/4 cup milk
1 tspn rum essence
1 tspn coconut essence
125g tin of crushed pineapple (and juice)

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat until pale and creamy.

Add the eggs and beat until well combined.

Add the flour, essences and milk and beat until mixture is smooth.

Stir through the pineapple and juice, ensuring everything is mixed through.

Grease 2 x 12 hole cupcake tins and line with paper liners. Fill each one 3/4 full and bake for 20 mins. These are a very moist cake so they may not look done, but if you gently press on the top and it bounces back, they are good to go!

This recipe should make around 18 cupcakes.

And here are some Rice Krispie Christmas Trees and Christmas Wreaths I made for Mr B's lunch boxes using this recipe and adding just a couple of drops of green food dye!

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Surprise Centre Chocolate Truffles

Over the weekend I did a whole heap of baking and am really pleased with the way it all come out - sending Mr B to work today with a lunch box full of Christmas goodies just made me happy and really makes me feel like Christmas is here.

Mr B's Mum's chocolate truffles were on my Must-Bake list this year, with just a few small tweaks......

Surprise Centre Chocolate Truffles

You will need:
375g tin of Condensed Milk
2 cups of crushed biscuits (I used 2 pkts of Malt Biscuits and put them through the food processor to get a fine crumb)
1 cup of dessicated coconut (plus extra for rolling)
2 tbspns of cocoa
1 bag of marshmallows

Combine the condensed milk, crushed biscuits, coconut and cocoa in a large bowl. Mix until well combined - you may need to get your hands in there!

Place the mixture in the fridge for 5-10 mins to firm up a little.

Remove from the fridge and set yourself up with a baking tray, the marshmallows, a bowl with the extra coconut in it, and a bowl of warm water - I find that having the bowl of water handy is great because the more mixture you get on your hands, the more the truffles stick to you.

Take a tablespoon of the truffle mixture and flatten it out in the palm of your hand. Place a marshmallow in the centre of the mixture and then work the mixture into a ball so that the marshmallow is sealed inside. Roll in the extra coconut and place on the baking tray.

Repeat with remaining mixture and marshmallows. Place in the fridge for an hour to firm up and then enjoy!!!

I know Mr B really enjoyed these. He loves the traditional chocolate truffle balls but sometimes they can get a bit chocolat-ey and biscuit-ey for him so the addition of the surprise centre was a great idea and you don't have to use marshmallows, you could use jubes or brownies or cookie dough - just about anything you want!!

And have a look at what else we made recently.....Ninja-Bread Men!!! These came out about recently when I told Mr B I was on my way inside to make some Gingerbread Men for his lunch, to which Mr B replied 'I don't want Gingerbread Men.....I want Ninja-Bread Men!!!

Mrs B xx

Cheese Puffs - Take Two!!

Awhile ago I made these Cheese Puffs and Mr B and I thought they were fantastic. Then last weekend I made them again but with a few small tweaks. As it turns out, the first lot I made were more like Cheese Scones...but the second lot....they were what a Cheese Puff is all about!! The second lot were much more airy and cheesy and flavoursome then the first lot and Mr B proceeded to demolish them until I stepped in  and firmly remind him they were for his lunches! 

Cheese Puffs - Take Two! 

1.5 cups grated tasty cheese
1 cup plain flour
2 tspn baking powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
95 ml milk
1/2 stock cube (I used Massel Vegetable Stock Cubes)

Pre-heat oven to 240C and grease 2 baking trays.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir well.

Place tablespoons of the mixture onto the trays with roughly a 3-4cm gap inbetween.

Reduce oven heat to 160C and bake for 10-15 mins or until golden.

Serve warm with butter or they will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.

This recipe made about 12 so if you have hungry little munchkins in your house, like Mr B, then I suggest you double it.....or prepare to make it frequently!!

Mrs B xx

This Week's Highlights....

You may remember a few weeks ago I made a Rainbow Cake for my birthday? Well this week, Mr B requested rainbow cupcakes for his lunches. I made up 1 basic vanilla cake batter and divided it into 5 bowls, tinting each bowl a different colour. Then I dropped alternating teaspoons of the mixture into a greased muffin tray. I love that they came out all psychadelic looking! 

Awesome rainbow cupcakes require awesome rainbow frosting! 

To make the frosting I just made some blue, green, red and purple frosting and layered it up in a piping bag - I love that each one is different and has a different mix of colours. 

Last Sunday night Mr B and I got ourselves all dressed up and went to see a Johhny Cash Tribute Concert to celebrate what would have been the year of his 80th birthday. I will admit I was abit unsure about the concert as I'm not really a country music fan, but it was so much fun! The atmosphere was just fantastic and you really can't beat live music, Mr B and I have been singing along to some of his old Johhny Cash CD's ever since!  

Last Tuesday night Mr B and I went to visit Mum and Dad for dinner and they put up another one of their legendary caravan kitchen meals! This one is kind of like vegetarian eggs florentine.....Veggie Burgers topped with Cheese, Scrambled Eggs, Spinach and Mushrooms with a side of Haloumi and homemade Tzatziki! YUM!!

And this....well this is a bowl of ice cream, but I want to talk about the little heart sitting on top of it. I have been wanting to try this for ages and it was so easy and so awesome! Simply whip some cream up until it's thick, pipe it into a heart shape or spoon it into a heart shaped cookie cutter onto a plate covered with baking paper. Place in the freezer for a few hours and ta-da! The consistency is kind of like ice cream and I think they would be fantastic floating around in a hot chocolate or irish coffee!

Mrs B xx

Strawberry Cheesecake Slice

This weekend Mr B and I discovered 'Click and Collect' groceries which basically is where we can do our groceries online and collect them the next day at no extra cost! Every weekend I get increasingly frustrated at the amount of time it takes to do the shopping list, go to the supermarket, pick everything up, come home and unpack, but I did have some concerns regarding the freshness and quality of the goods we could receive, so on Thursday night, Mr B and I sat down and did our order online and when we rocked up at the supermarket after work on Friday, there were our groceries all ready to go! We were really impressed, the fruit and vegies were all good quality and everything was well packed, plus it has made such a HUGE difference to our weekend! We have had so much extra time which equals lots less stress and lots more quality time. It has been fantastic!

And to celebrate, I made Mr B one of his favourite snacks for his lunches this week.....Strawberry Cheesecake Slice!

You will need

1 packet of Lattice Biscuits
125g of cream cheese
125g butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
4 tbspns strawberry jam
2 tspns gelatine
1 tspn vanilla essence

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, sugar and butter. Beat until smooth, creamy and pale.

Dissolve the gelatine in 1/4 cup of hot water and add to the cream cheese mixture with the strawberry jam and vanilla. Beat until thick and creamy.

Line a baking dish with baking paper and then layer half of your lattice biscuits, shiny side down, in the dish.

Spoon the cheesecake mixture over the top of the biscuits and smooth with the back of a spoon or a spatula.

Top with the remaining biscuits and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight.

Cut into squares and serve!

Anyway, I best be off, I have Apple Pikelets cooking away and I need to get ready because tonight Mr B and I are kicking off a month of celebrations for Mr B's birthday (against Mr B's will, but I love any excuse to celebrate!). We are heading out to dinner and then to a Johnny Cash Tribute Show so it should be a really good night....not to sure how we will go at work tomorrow, but we will worry about that later!

Mrs B xx

Nutella Stuffed Pikelets

I have been promising Mr B I would make him these Nutella Stuffed Pikelets for weeks now and over the weekend I finally got around to making them. I always see things I want to make so I say to Mr B 'Oh how about this weekend I make this for your lunches?' and he gets all excited and in the meantime I've seen a bazillion other things I want to make and well sometimes the things I promised to make this weekend, don't get made for like quite a few weekends! Anyway, I now have one very happy husband which equals peace and quiet which equals one very happy wife!

For these Nutella Stuffed Pikelets you will need:

1 cup self raising flour
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 tspn bicarb soda
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 tspn white vinegar
15g butter, melted
Nutella

Place the flour, sugar and bicarb soda into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the egg, milk and vinegar and butter. Stir, or beat using an electric mixer, until smooth.

Now here is where I use my pancake maker, but I imagine it's not too different to using a fry pan heated to medium heat and lightly greased with butter.

Drop tablespoons of batter into the frypan (or pancake maker!). When bubbles start to appear, place a teaspoon of nutella in the centre of each pikelet and top with a tablespoon of batter, ensuring nutella is totally covered. Carefully flip pikelets over. They should only need another minute or so and they will be done! Repeat with remaining mixture and nutella.

This recipe makes around 15-20 pikelets depending on the size you make them and how much batter you eat in the process!

These are great freshly cooked when the nutella centre is all gooey and warm, but they are also great cold which makes them fantastic lunch boxes treats!

Mrs B xx

Cranberry and Oat Muffins

Mr B is going through a mega cranberry phase at the moment.....I'm not entirely sure he knows they are fruit and I don't want to break the spell just yet so whilst he is blissfully unaware I'll just keep cooking with them!

This week I made these Cranberry and Oat Muffins which Mr B informs me are totally awesome and need to make their way onto permanent rotation....the oats are totally sneaky on my behalf so no need to mention that to Mr B either! Like the whole delicious thing wasn't good enough, they are also super easy to make!

You will need:

2 cups of self raising flour
3/4 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup rolled oats
125g butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
125g dried cranberries

Pre-heat oven to 180C. Line 2 x 12 hole muffin pans with paper cases.

Combine the flour, sugar and oats in a bowl.

Pour over the melted butter, milk, eggs and cranberries. Stir until combined.

Divide the mixture between your muffin pans. Bake for 20 mins or until they bounce back when touched.

Mrs B xx

Triple Chocolate Malt Bars

I sat here for awhile pondering what to call these bars. On one hand I would love to call them triple chocolate malt blondies and on the other hand I would love to call them chunky triple chocolate malt cookie bars. But neither of those really seem to fit because the end result is a perfect combination of both - a soft and chewy yet dense bar that is studded with chocolate chips and bursts of malt. Plus as an added bonus, if you make these for your husband, he will out of the blue decide to spend an entire day with you where you will do all sorts of lovely things.....

He will take you for a walk along the waterfront on a beautiful sunny day and then to a market where you can zig zag amongst the gazillion people there whilst eating your gypsy roll, drinking your alcoholic ginger beer and admiring all the pretty things.

(for those of you who don't know a gypsy roll is a skinless lamb sausage in a mountain bread wrap topped with strawberry chilli sauce....Best. Thing. Ever.)

 

 He will take you home and show you the pergola he has been slaving away building with the help of your Father. Then he will bring out bean bags and books and the two of you will curl up in the sun on your semi-completed pergola and read whilst occasionally posing for impromptu photos.

Then that night, you will go out for a lovely 3 course dinner, you will order a cocktail called 'Sexy Time' and the old couple at the table next to you will glare at you for the rest of the evening, but you won't care because it tastes awesome.

A fantastic time will be had by all.

And if not, at least you have these bars and you can just curl up on the couch and eat them all hot out of the pan....

For these Triple Chocolate Malt Bars you will need:

120g butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tspn vanilla essence
1.5 cups plain flour
1/2 tspn baking powder
1.5 cups malt balls
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup milk chocolate chips
1/3 cup caramel chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 180C and grease and line a 8x8 inch baking dish / slice tin.

Place butter and sugar in a microwave safe dish and heat in 40 second bursts until butter is melted. Stir to combine.

Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.

Stir through the flour and baking powder and stir until well combined.

Add the malt balls and chocolate chips.

Press the dough into the prepared dish / tin and bake for 35-40 mins or until golden in colour. Allow to cool in the tin for 15-20 mins before removing and allow to cool completely before slicing.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Cranberry Rice Krispie Bars

I am experiencing a conundrum and I just don't know that I like it. You see right now, I am sitting on the couch, having been banished from my own kitchen for the majority of the evening....I was allowed in for long enough after work to frost my birthday cake to take to work tomorrow and that was it....banished. I mean it's not all bad, Mr B is in there slaving away on my birthday cake, but for there to be cooking and baking and things involving cake and frosting going on in my kitchen without me? Well. I just don't know how comfortable I am with that! And yes I did say birthday - my birthday is this Saturday so I'm doing the right thing and taking a cake to work tomorrow and it is one spectacular cake! Well I think it is, I hope it is when we cut into it anyway!! All will be revealed tomorrow!!

Anyway, earlier this week I was throwing together Mr B's lunch box and had a minor melt down when I noticed he was running rather low on snacks. After berating myself for being a bad housewife and not doing any baking over the weekend, I decided to search the cupboards for something that would work.

I found rice bubbles, dried cranberries, marshmallows and cranberry jelly crystals....you know where this is heading don't you!

Cranberry Rice Krispie Bars

You will need
60g butter
200g marshmallows
1 pkt cranberry flavoured jelly crystals
4 cups rice bubbles or rice krispies
1 cup dried cranberries

Add the butter and marshmallows to a large microwave safe bowl. Heat in 40 second bursts, stirring inbetween, until melted and combined.

Mix through the jelly crystals, rice bubbles and dried cranberries.

Grease and line a small slice tin.

Press mixture into the tin - if you have trouble with the mix sticking to your spoon or whatever your using to press it down, try running the spoon under hot water first.

Leave in the fridge overnight to set.

Remove from the tin, slice and enjoy!!

And Mr B has officially declared these THE BEST rice krispie treats he has ever tried....at this stage I don't feel it's necessary to point out they contain fruit dried or otherwise!

Mrs B xx

Crazy Bar Slice

Today has been a lovely lovely day - believe me it deserves 2 x lovely's....if not 3!

 

To start with Mr B and I had an RDO today, absolutely everything about having a 3 day weekend kicked off with a sleep in is good! Secondly, we finally got Mr B's taxes done and it was good news so he shouted me out to a beautiful lunch at a local pub called The Ocean Child. Neither of us had been there before, but we will definitely be returning - it had so much character and the meals were incredible!

And last, but certainly not least, we got to meet Bubba Chopper and have a bit of a snuggle, he is a gorgeous little man! Plus it was nice to catch up with the new parents - we are so proud and happy for them!

So yes....final verdict, today has been a 3 x lovely day....and if Mr B makes me a cup of tea and feeds me hot apple and strawberry crumble with cream while I sit in a toasty warm bed reading a book it might even stretch to 4 x lovelys!!!

And do you know what a day of 3 or even 4 x lovely day potential deserves? Some Crazy Bar Slice!!!

 

This slice, oozing with caramel, studded with mini M&M's and topped with a chewy ANZAC like layer will have you lost for words and it will become a 5 x Mmmmmmmmm day!!!

 

For the crust you will need:

300g butter
1.5 cups oats
1.25 cups brown sugar
1.5 cups flour
1.5 teaspoon baking soda

For the topping you will need:

1 1/2 - 2 cups thick caramel topping / caramel sauce
6 tbspns plain flour
1 pkt (roughly 1 1/2 - 2 cups) of mini M&Ms

Preheat oven to 160C

Melt butter in the microwave. Stir through the oats, brown sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well.

Grease and line a slice pan. I use a square cake pan. Press 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 - 15 mins.

In the mean time, combine the caramel sauce / topping and the remaining flour.

When the crust is done, scatter with 1 cup of the mini M&M's. Pour over the caramel mix.

Combine the remaining crust mix with the remaining mini M&M's. Scatter over the top of the caramel.

Bake again for 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan and cutting.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Babies and Cheese Puffs!

I have to start by saying that you may have seen me mention my gorgeous friend who is pregnant?? Well yesterday, smack on her due date, she gave birth to a beautiful, sweet, little boy and I tell you what it just makes my heart swell to bursting point, I am so very very happy and excited for her and her partner and their lil bubba Chopper!! Not only has she been a picture of radiance and calm and health throughout the whole pregnancy, but she goes into labour right on the day she is due...I mean what are the odds?? No seriously...what are they?! To be honest, it seems like she has only been pregnant for a week or two it has gone so fast and Mr B and I literally did a happy jig around the lounge room last night when we heard the news. It really is taking all my might to stay put and not head down to the hospital and scale the walls mission impossible style to see them..... now where is my black beanie!?!?

Ok moving on because now I am humming the mission impossible theme song and I think Mr B is onto me....

Have you ever found yourself in a position where it's late Sunday afternoon and not only do you have 72 cupcakes to make, but you also have to write in your blog, feed your lambs, straighten your hair, make lunches for tomorrow AND cook something for your husband's lunch box too!?!?! And somewhere in there you probably need to do several loads of washing and hang them out as well....

No?

Just me?

Well I'm here to tell you it's totally do-able....if you pick your recipes right and your palm the lunch making and the washing hanging out onto your husband...after all, you are making delicious cheese puffs for his lunches!

Cheese Puffs

For this super duper easy tasty and all round fantastic recipe you will need:

4 cups grated cheese
2 cups self raising flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs
Paprika or some sort of seasoning

Pre-heat oven to 150C and line and grease 3 baking trays with baking paper.

Whisk the eggs and milk together in a large bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.

Drop heaped teaspoons of the mixture onto the trays and bake for 20 mins or until golden.

Wait until they have cooled down before you remove them from the baking paper...when they are hot they stick to it and the bottoms fall out and it's all bad.

These are so easy and tasty and versatile - lunch boxes, morning teas, high teas, friday night drinks nibbles, served on the side of a casserole....anything at all!!

Oh and ah just for the record, I ended up hanging the washing out myself and I think Mr B took a banana for lunch.....

Mrs B xx

Mixed Berry and Oat Slice

It is a rainy Saturday morning here, Mr B and I were up early in between showers to feed the lambs and then we jumped back into bed with a cuppa and some fruit toast and watched the rain roll in across the property. It was all snuggly and peaceful and lovely.....and then I kicked Mr B outside to do some work, while I stayed here to write in the blog....ahhh the joys of being able to work from the comfort of a warm bed! 

Anyway, earlier in the year when Mr B and I were on our mini-moon, we stopped at a local honey farm and I may have got a touch excited with the variety of products they had available. You could get honey in every flavour you could imagine, strawberry, raspberry, caramel, lime, cajun, chocolate, mocha....it was all happening. At the time I showed next to no restraint, made at least 3 trips to the register and we came home with an abundance of honey including vanilla, raspberry, lime and cajun honey....some honeycomb...and a beeswax lipbalm. Fast forward nearly 6 months and we have sampled them all, but we still seem to have alot of honey in our cupboard and as with most things that sit in our cupboard for more then a month, I have been eyeing off the raspberry and the lime versions to use in some baking. I think the lime one would make a beautiful coconut and lemon slice, but for the meantime, I had berries on my mind! 

I wasn't sure how it would work out, like if you would notice the raspberry honey in this slice, but it just lends itself to a beautiful subtle flavour that I think works really well - and of course if you don't have access to raspberry honey, normal honey will work just fine. 

Berry Oat-y Slice

125g butter
2-3 tbsp of raspberry honey
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup dried fruit (I used a mix I found at the supermarket of strawberries, cherries, goji berries and sultanas)
1/4 cup skim milk
1 egg

Preheat oven to 160 (fan forced)

Line a slice tin with baking paper.

Place butter and honey in a small bowl or jug (microwave proof) and heat in 45 second bursts until melted and combined. Sit aside to cool slightly.

Combine flour, coconut, caster sugar, oats and berries in a bowl.

Lightly beat egg and milk and add to dry ingredients, along with the butter mixture. Stir to combine.

Press the mixture into the pan using the back of a spoon.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool and then remove from pan and slice. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or in the cupboard.

Mrs B xx