It's All Happening!!

OH went to work at 6am this morning and it is freezing here so I cranked the electric blanket and jumped back into bed for a snooze. It's now 8am and I'm sitting in my warm snuggly bed with a bowl of toasted honey muesli and a hot cup of tea thinking I could quite easily stay here all day! And believe me I would but it's been awhile since OH has worked a full weekend and to be honest I'm quite looking forward to it. I have heaps of stuff planned for this weekend, this morning I'm going out for a coffee with Mum and Dad and my Uncle and Aunty who are visiting from interstate that we haven't seen for at least 5 years and I'm really looking forward to that. And then I'm going to have lunch with OH and we have a Liveat date (Liveat is fantabulous, like Subway but a million times better) and then *drum roll* I'm getting a new tattoo, I can't wait. This one is more of an addition on an old one, but it's going to incorporate my parent's initials and two of my favourite things - cupcakes and shoes!! I'll come back later and post photos and tell you how it all went!'

In other news, due to some boys are morons and you should spend your life living for you moments this week, my best friend Allie and I have decided to finally bite the bullet and go for our motorcycle learner's license. We are all booked in for an intro to riding course on Monday afternoon (and my Mum's even coming with us!) and once we do that we can go to a Pre Learner's Weekend where you do like a ride around and stuff and then you just have to do a written test and ta da! Allie and Emily on the road again!! We are both mega excited (and terrified!) and I think Mum is mega terrified (with a hint of excitement!) but it is something both Allie and I have always wanted to do so fingers crossed it all goes ok and we manage to stay upright!

Anyway, I have to drag my warm butt out of bed and shave my legs so the tattoo lady thinks I have soft, silky smooth legs all the time (why the hell do I care??) - I'll be back this arvo!

Ok so I'm back now! Catching up with my Aunty and Uncle was fantastic, sat in the sun with a nice cup of tea and had a great catch up, it was just like they never left :)

OH was too busy for lunch, but that's fine, he was cranky anyway.

So after a satisfying lunch of chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate I have officially found my new favourite tattoo artist and possibly the woman of my dreams (if I was that way inclined)....Candice spent a good 2.5hours on my tattoo, we used 14 different colours and I was totally enthralled the whole way through, I love watching the whole thing come together and she did an amazing job, I couldn't have asked for anything better! What do you think?




I think I'm in love!!

Em x

Chocolate Cupcakes with a Frangelico and White Chocolate Ganache

I thought I should make something nice to bring into work today, something with a bit of 'oomph'...after much deliberation I decided to make a recipe for top deck cupcakes I have had lying around for ages, and add some 'oomph' to it by turning them into chocolate cupcakes with a frangelico and white chocolate ganache :)


To start with you will need:

125g butter, chopped
1 cup caster sugar
100g dark chocolate, chopped
½ cup hot water
2 tablespoons Frangelico Liqueur
¾ cup plain flour
2 tablespoons self-raising flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 egg, beaten

White chocolate ganache
100g white chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons thickened cream
3 tbspns Frangelico Liqueur

Preheat oven to moderate, 180°C. Line a 12-hole cupcake pan with paper cases (When I made this I got 12 normal cupcakes and 12 mini cupcakes as well)

Combine butter, sugar, water, chocolate and liqueur in a saucepan over low heat and stir until smooth - alternatively you can heat in the microwave, stirring regularly. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Cool 10 minutes.

Sift flours and cocoa together. Fold into chocolate mixture. Stir in egg. Spoon mixture into cupcake cases until 2/3 full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean or the cupcakes bounce back when you touch them. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the ganache, melt chocolate and cream in the microwave, once it has cooled slightly stir through 2-3 tbspns of Frangelico - check for taste and add more if you want!)

Using an electric mixer, beat chocolate mixture for 3-5 minutes until thick and fluffy. Unfortunately I only had extra light cream so it wouldn't thicken but the end result was still yummy. Once your frosting is ready, spread over cooled cupcakes.

Despite eating far too much of the ganache last night and swearing never to go near it again, I have to confess it's only 8am and I have already had one of these for breakfast....

Enjoy!

Em x

Jelly Slice

This is another one of those things I have wanted to make for years but have never been game enough to try, but during a weekend baking frenzy I thought why the hell not!



For the base you will need:

1/2 pkt of crushed biscuits (Marie, Butternut Snap, Teddy Bears, whatever you prefer)
125g melted butter
A good spoonful of frosting (I had some leftover brown sugar frosting in the fridge so I added that - but you could use around 100g melted milk chocolate too)

For the filling you will need:

1 tbspn gelatine
2 tbspn water
250g cream cheese (at room temperature)
395g tin of condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
150g white chocolate (melted)

For the jelly topping you will need:

1 x 85g pkt of jelly crystals
1 cup boiling water

Begin by lining a slice tin with baking paper.

Combine base ingredients in a bowl, if the mix looks too dry add more frosting / chocolate or butter. Press into the base of the tin and chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling and jelly topping.

Combine jelly crystals and boiling water in a small bowl and stir to combine. Place in the fridge to cool.

Combine the gelatine and water in a small bowl or jug and heat in the microwave for 10 seconds. Stir and heat again for a further 10 seconds. Stir well so that the gelatine is dissolved and allow to cool slightly.

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth.

Add the lemon juice and melted white chocolate. Beat until all ingredients are combined. Now might be a good time for a quick taste test to see if you want to add a lil more lemon juice - I like mine to have a real zing.

Add the gelatine mixture and beat for 3-4 mins, scraping down the sides as you go. Spread the filling over the chilled base and allow to chill in the fridge.

After around an hour the cheesecake filling should be set and the jelly should be cool. When this occurs, gently pour the jelly over the filling and place back in the fridge to set for around 2 hours.

Try not to sit down and eat it all in one go with a big spoon....I warn you it is very very tempting...and I must confess when I got it out and cut it up, the kitchen happy dance made a come back!!

Em x

Chicken Macaroni and Cheese with a Twist!

I have had a massive craving for mac and cheese lately, but not your average mac and cheese, I wanted something more, something with zing, something with vegies...but I just wasn't sure how to bring it all together. In the end it just kinda fell together and I was worried it would be a disaster, but it was delicious and a new family favourite!!

So for this Chicken Mac and Cheese with a Twist you will need:

120g macaroni
300g four cheese pasta bake sauce
300g chicken breast (diced)
1 x capsicum (diced)
2 x sticks celery (diced)
120g button mushrooms (sliced)
1/4 cup spicy red sauce
2 tbspns worcestershire
1/2 cup grated pizza cheese

Cook your pasta in the microwave or on the stove.
Meanwhile in a fry pan over medium heat cook your onion for 2-3 mins and then add chicken. Cook until just sealed.
Add capsicum, celery and mushrooms. Cook for 4-5 mins.
Drain pasta and pour into 2 small ramekins or one large baking dish.
Mix in sauces, chicken and vegetables.
Top with grated cheese and season with salt and pepper.
Bake for 20-25 mins or until golden.

So simple and easy and yummy!!

Em x

Happy 100 Posts!!!!

OMG who would have thought we would reach 100 posts!? When I started this I had no specific goals or anything, I just wanted an outlet to share my love of cooking and shoes and if people actually read this blog and enjoyed it, then that was even better! Time sure does fly when you're having fun though, I mean we have only been at this for what 8 months? I just can't believe we are at 100 already! I have decided that when I reach 12 months I'm going to by myself a gift and get my blog printed as a book - I didn't even know you could do that till the other day, but it will be a pretty cool keepsake I think! Anyway to celebrate this special occasion I made you all a cake!


Ok well not technically, technically I made a triple layer chocolate cake with brown sugar maple frosting and chocolate coated strawberries for my Dad's BDay, but I was thinking of you all when I did it!

Did I mention brown sugar frosting (especially with a dash of maple syrup) is freakin awesome!! The frosting is quite sweet but it was the perfect combination with the chocolate cake and the strawberries.


Happy Birthday Dad xx



Here's to another 100!!

Em xx

Shoes, shoes, glorious shoes!!!

So I think I have been quite restrained lately....then I get an email from one of my fave shops saying they are having a show sale!! Bugger...not only do they have gorgeous shoes, but they are shoes I have been lusting after for quite some time but just couldn't justify the funding....but hell if people are going to through the word sale around then I can justify anything!!




Aren't they just the most beautiful things you have ever seen....and they smell divine....(I'm aware that sounds odd...but they do - leathery goodness!)

And to top it off they are god damn comfy too!

I'm off to sit here with one shoe on each foot coz I can't decide which pair I like most!!

Have a great weekend!!

Em x

(Only one more till we reach 100 posts!!!!!)

And I'm spent......

I came home from my grocery shopping today thinking I might make a batch of Anzacs to go with Dad's bday present....this is what we ended up with....

Some gooey choc-caramel brownies...

some chocolate fruit slice......

enough lasagne to feed a small country....

some creamy strawberry mousse....

oh and the Anzacs!!

And I am utterly exhausted and going for a lie down!!

Nighty night!!

Em xx