tulips

     Over my holidays I found myself getting a little bit bored but was still too lazy to actually leave the the house. I came across a website with origami instructions and decided to make some flowers. I had some old books that a friend of mine had dropped off at my place and I pulled one of these apart to use as paper. The result was gorgeous. I twisted up some wire from old coat hangers and stuck it in a cute bottle I found and attached my tulips. I was quite pleased with the finished product. The instructions for the tulip are here http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-traditional-tulip.html I also did some made out of some maps that James didn't want any more and they turned out rather cute.

Op-shop goodies

I enjoy spending my time in dusty old shops rummaging through trinkets and knick knacks. One of my greatest pleasures in life is finding a gorgeous little something for next to nothing. From vintage furniture and crockery to home made clothing and linens I have picked up some great treasures for next to nothing. Here is just a sample of some of the things I love

I love the pineapple motif and wooden handles on this bag.

My brother’s Fiance bought these from an op-shop in the Gold Coast and wrapped them up for me for Christmas. Best present ever.

This is ashtray fish. Ashtray fish lives on a pattered tile in my bathroom with beads in his his mouth.

The Great Mulberry Adventure

I love trees in full fruit. So many different possibilities and enough fruit to do it all!!!! James has a mulberry tree which fruited last spring and off I went with a ladder and a torch (yes I chose to do this particular fruit picking at night because I'm practical) and ended up with a large cardboard box full of succulent berries. Not to mention purple fingertips and lips.

So. I did the only thing I could do.........

I made a pie!

To make the filling I first covered about a kilo of mulberries with 2 cups of sugar and left them sit for a few hours. This draws liquid out of the berries. The whole lot was thrown in a pot and boiled for about 10 minutes.

I used my regular pastry recipe

Pumpkin Scones

A few months back we had an excess of pumpkin, 2 whole pumpkins for 2 people is just crazy talk. Amongst having roast pumpkin, caramelised pumpkin or mashed pumpkin with every meal, a triple batch of pumpkin soup and an assortment of various pumpkin dips, I decided that pumpkin scones were on the menu.

I just used a really simple recipe for these. You will need:

1 cup of mashed pumpkin

2 1/2 cups SR flour

55g butter

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

Set oven to 200 c

Beat butter and sugar together until pale yellow and creamy, add pumpkin, egg and milk and mix well. Add flour slowly, mixing as you go.

Flour a bench and knead the dough before rolling it out. Use a small glass to cut circles out of dough and place on lined baking tray.

Bake for 15 mins

Jam!

My parents have a mandarin tree which always bears the sweetest mandarins I have ever tasted. Usually providing way more fruit then even our family of 6 plus all of our respective friends and loved ones can handle so a few days ago I made some mandarin jam and in the first day my family managed to eat a whole jar of it, it was so easy to make and so delicious that I decided to make another batch today.

You will need:

8 medium to large mandarins

3 1/2 cups water

the juice of one lemon

1k sugar

peel the mandarins and leave to soak for a few hours in the water and lemon juice. after soaking, bring the mandarins to the boil and then allow to simmer until they are tender. While simmering, soak your jars in very hot water, this aids in sealing the jars after jam is poured in. Add the sugar and stir through until it is dissolved. bring to a rapid boil in order for the sugar to reduce and thicken, you will have to keep a strict eye on it once the sugar is in as it can burn very quickly (I had to throw away my first batch even after my auntie told me 4 times to be very careful) stir often and turn the heat down if bubbling too much. Test the mixture in a shallow dish of cool water, when it is jellylike and stays together in the dish, remove it from heat. pour into the jars and put the lid on immediately.

Key Lime Pie

James gave me some limes a few weeks ago and all they have been doing is sitting in the fridge. As I had such great success with my lemon meringue pie over easter (still waiting for my brother to give me the pics so I haven't been able to post the recipe yet) I decided to make another citrus pie... and of course what pie should I make with limes but the famous American Key Lime Pie....

You will need:

1 packet shredded wheat biscuits

100g butter

1 tin condensed milk

2/3 cup of cream

4 good size limes (the juice and the zest are both used)

4 medium eggs

oven preheated to 170 degrees celsius

a greased pie dish

I started by crushing the biscuits up finely and adding the butter (melted) to the mix and pressed it all into the base and sides of the pie dish. It's ideal to push the mixture in quite firmly so it sticks. Put this in the fridge to chill

Lightly beat the eggs and then whisk the cream into them, add the condensed milk and lime juice and zest and mix through

traditionally green food colouring is a no no. but hey... it just looks so pretty (I only added 3 drops, any more and you have a pie that looks like it's made from playdough)

Pour the mixture into the pie dish and bake for about 15 mins.

Allow to cool and then pop in the fridge for a couple of hours.

soup and seafood

So the other day James and I went to Sunnybank for lunch.. we went to our favourite Japanese restaurant there and our food was amazing as always. I had Tempura prawn and veggie udon and James had a Miso based egg noodle soup. We had sweet potato's which had been crystalised in honey and a pot of Japanese green tea... heaven