Pretzel Bunnies

We have made soft pretzels for Easter for the last four years.

Usually we do the regular pretzel shape (as it is to be said the shape of arms folded in prayer - and we talk about Prayer and Christ Praying in Gethsemane for us)

This year we made regular pretzels but we also made these Bunny shaped ones. Easy and Cute

I found the original idea  here in the April 2011 friend magazine

Here's how to do it:

I use this recipe to make our soft pretzels

(though be careful with the bicarb - I use less as the taste is quite strong)

4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

5 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

                    

1/2 cup baking soda

4 cups hot water

1/4 cup kosher salt, for topping

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.            
   
In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.               

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water.               

When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.               

Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned.               

(we used currants for the bunnies eyes)

here are our regular shaped pretzels.

Foody Friday - Kids version

The older girls have been cooking dinner twice a week for a few weeks now.
Though I do see the novelty wearing off a little once again
(I gotta keep on top of those girls I tell ya! why is it such hard work?)

I'm still on the lookout for easy to prepare, 3 or 4 steps only, recipes  - know any?

These are recipes I make myself, but they were on the simple enough side that my 8 and 10 year olds could make them with only a little help from me. I thought we could bring back the old 'Foody Friday' but with the things the kids are cooking... Kids Foody Friday.... So we are going to start off with our new favourite recipe. A secret recipe given us by a friend. We've made this atleast four or more times this month. Everyone in the family loves it, and always asks for more and they fight to lick the pan!

made by Miss A

Ritzy Chicken

2 cups Ritz cracker crumbs (I just crushed one sleeve)

2 tsp Garlic powder

8 chicken breasts (I only use 3 breasts and slice them in half to get 6 pieces)

3 TBL Parmesan cheese

1 tsp Seasoned salt

250 ml container natural yogurt

1/4 cup butter, melted

Soak chicken breasts in yogurt for a few hours.  Smash Ritz to make crumbs. Mix crumbs, cheese and seasonings. Coat yogurt covered breasts with crumb mixture. Place on foil-lined 9X13 pan. Drizzle 1/4 cup butter or margarine over breasts. Bake at for 25 mins in moderate oven.

We made this recipe with JUST the Chicken, Ritz and Yoghurt and it tasted sooo good. I can't believe how good these two ingredients taste together. Easy recipe for kids to do. Take chicken, coat in crumbs, place on a foil lined tray, pop into oven. Voila.

On a side note, its funny to find out what kids think they can't manage. K made this Pioneer Woman - Sour Cream Noodle Bake dish almost with no help until her pasta started to bubble and boil over a bit, she got all flustered and came looking for me saying ' ahhhhhh .....what do I do!?!?' So funny because I thought it would be obvious to move it or if you are worried about burns/fires etc to just turn off the stove. reminded me about what really needs teaching!



Miss A had a friend over when it was her turn to cook one of the times and the friend thought it absolutely wonderful that they got to cook the dinner and couldn't believe that I expected them to make our whole dinner. Wish my girls were as excited ;) Note to self. Invite excited friends over and then your kid suddenly gets a whole lot more excited about it...

Easter Week - Hot Cross Buns

So I ate my first Hot Cross Bun of the Season today! 

Which is kinda sad because by Monday they won't be in the stores anymore.

But I'm kinda proud of myself. I usually wait for Easter to eat them. Eggs too (chocolate variety).

People always seem to forget to buy the 'Easter Bunny' some eggs.
Looks like she should start buying her own ;)
But I digress.

For the past few years I've tried to make sure we make Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday.
Most years we succeed.
A good way to remember that Jesus died for us.

Today's were delish and eaten straight out of the oven. They almost tasted like shop ones.

But the one I ate a couple of hours later didn't. Definately heavier and homemade tasting.

Oh well. So if you make some. Best eaten immediately

I used  this recipe from Taste.com

Double Kneaded with love xx

Foody Thursday

I've had pumpkin coming out my ears since we picked them all from our vine. I've made pumpkin soup , pumpkin Scones , Mexican Tortilla Stack , and lots of Pumpkin bread. I'm down to only one pumpkin left!

I have made this recipe several times and a few people have asked for the recipe.

Pumpkin Bread  ~ makes two loaves

3 1/2 cups plain flour
2tsp bicarb soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
3 cups sugar
4 eggs beaten
2 cups fresh cooked pumpkin
water (2/3 cup if using canned pumpkin, 1/2 if using fresh)
1 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. Add eggs, water, oil and pumpkin. Stir till blended.

Pour into two loaf tins. Bake for 1 hour. Cool. Tastes best eaten the next day.


The thing I love about this recipe is you pretty much can't get it wrong. I've made it with only 3 eggs, still turned out fine. I've made it with only 2 cups of sugar, turned out fine. I made it without nutmeg, fine. I used more or less pumpkin, still fine. I've used less oil, still fine. I've even forgotten the water and it still turned out fine. I've just poured the ingredients in without measuring, still fine!

Eat it hot, cold, with or without butter. It's good many ways.
Thanks to a friend who prodded me about posting this recipe. She tasted some and wanted the recipe. Her husband outed her to me that whenever his wife is on the computer she's ALWAYS looking at my blog. He says come to bed, what are you looking at? Ha. My blog. Sweetest comment EVER! You know who you are xx


I'm posting today instead of Foody Friday cause tomorrow I hope to have lots to share about my night out to see Wicked!

No longer a pioneer woman virgin - Foody Friday

 

would you like a pumpkin? These street urchins are selling them.

The last couple of week have been all about food! I'm in love.

Well I have a love hate relationship with cooking.

I like to do it. I don't like the price of food. Hence I can rarely afford to cook/bake what I want.

I love to do it. I don't like to clean up afterwards. Hence I come and go with cooking.

(except for dinners. I cook dinner every single night of the week.)

This morning The Mr picked the first ready pumpkin from our garden. I'm making pumpkin soup as I type this. I hope it tastes good. Well atleast we know it is FRESH and has no pesticides on it.

I am also developing an addiction to photographing food. The kids are frightened to touch any food until after I photograph it :) 'Don't touch that. I havent taken a photo yet' is often heard to come out my mouth.

This week was also my first time finally making a recipe from Pioneer Woman . You know her? I love her blog too. I want to visit her ranch and eat solid country food all day long (made by someone other than me ofcourse!) Her photos and reciepes look devine. I was excited to finally make something of hers. Cinnamon Rolls and oh how I want to make this sandwhich

 cinnamon rolls before icing.....we ate them too quick for an after photo.

My recipes have also been based on our twice a month Wholesale Market run.

Nothing like finding ways to use up 20 lemons. Recipe here

Or plums so sour beyond belief I didn't think we could do anything with them. Recipe Here

Or ways to use up avocado and carrots (stealthy like ;) Recipe Here

Thanks for another great week. Have a wonderful food induced weekend xx

Hearts

SO I'm not very good at blogging about holiday stuff in advance.

I've seen several valentines ideas I've wanted to do especially this one but have not got around to them (ahh birthdays and wedding anniversaries getting in the way)

We did however do this one. Except me telling you know is kinda moot.
These babies take 24 hours to 'dry out' ... however there is always next year right?

So as conversation hearts can be kinda hard to come by here we made our own!
Minus the conversation part. We were going to write words on them with food colouring but just didn't get around to it!

I found the recipe here at Make Monthly.

It's basically water, icing sugar, geletin, corn syrup
(I googled and found that golden syrup or honey can be used as a substitute as corn syrup is hard to find here - I've had my bottle for months.. I never use it :)

It was kinda fun and the little kids kept thinking we were making playdough.



So we made enough for the girls to take to school and share out with all those they love.
(ie the whole class)

The girls have put in an order for lasagne, heart shaped bread and heart meringues for fancy dinner night tonight xx

Treats

Filled with Homemade Mrs Fields White Choc Chip - 10 cookies in large jars, 5 in small jars.

Bout three years ago I booked marked this gorgeous idea . I started collecting our Milo tins for this very purpous.

Then I figured I'd never bake enough things to fill multiple milo tins!

What ever was I thinking?


The last year or so we have loved Bottled Cherries. I just couldn't part with those wide mouthed jars.

So they have been sitting in a cupboard while The Mr thinks what is she doing with them?

I also did a happy dance when I noticed Cream Cheese jars changed to short wide mouthed size too.

I knew they would come in handy for homemade jams, relish, holding lollies for gifts.

I find good jars so handy and so hard to part with, but keeping things like jars take up so much room!

Well now is the time to get rid of a few.


I was thinking a while back that these jars would be perfect for holding biscuits/cookies.

And it just so happens that I've been invited to a cookie exchange party today.

I'm so excited I think I'll do one next year.

I told my friend how one Christmas my family exchanged baked goods instead of presents at Christmas. Everyone goes home with a stash!

She thought it was such a good idea for our group of friends so we can sort of gift eachother something without the extra financial burden and organised a cookie/sweets exchange for us!

Hopefully I will also be making this today.

Hopefully I will be filling the other jars with sweet tomato relish and apricot jam this week.



To help sterilise jars before you fill them wash well and place in hot oven for 10 mins.

Foody Friday

I've been looking around for desserts I might want to have at our Annual Grandparents Christmas Party.

A friend makes this pavlova roll and I really like it, so I've made it twice in the last few weeks.

First attempt was I would say a fail. But second attempt was cha ching... sweet success.


I used This Recipe from Best Recipes. I followed it exactly the first time.

Except my roll was eggy and soft and blergg... I really dont like egg smell so I  wanted to be sick.

Soooo second time I baked it like you would a pavlova. Low Heat Slow Oven. And it was DELISH!

So I cooked it for around 30 mins this time on low heat. It was much crunchier and I thought it wouldn't roll.

BUT IT DID!

I also didnt refridgerate for 24 hours either time. A couple of hours is plenty.


It is so easy to make and fairly cheap as it can feed about 8 people.

Basically Beat 4 egg whites until foamy. Add a cup of sugar slowly and beat until stiff.
Line a big flat cooking tray with baking paper. Spread out mix thin over the tray (rectangle or square shape)
Bake in a low oven (100 degrees celcius) for half hour or so till crunchy.
When cool cover in whipped cream and diced strawberries.
Slowly roll over using the paper if rectangle roll long sides to eachother
Cover in cling wrap to keep shape and refridgerate
Decorate before serving with more cream and berries.

Homecoming and Foody Friday.

While Daddy's away.  We shall play.  Shhh dont tell.

We eat cheerios for dinner

and pancakes

and croissants

and hot chips

and sometimes we even watch movies in bed. On weekdays!


Oh the rule breaking.


Today is our last day of freedom! 

Can't wait to see you tonight Mr xx

***

Now on to Foody Friday.

Over the last week I did make something!

Mango and Watermelon Granita.

It was meant to be sorbet but I couldn't bother with the egg white thing and constant beating, so it turned out a little icy. Granita is like Sorbets poor brother.

I had 5 mangoes that looked a little squishy.  I also had the entire insides of a watermelon that we carved.

Bring a cup of sugar and a cup of water to boil and let simmer. Add some lemon or lime juice. Allow to cool. Place chopped up fruit in freezer to chill.

Mix syrup and fruit together. Blend.

Place in freezer and blend again before it freezes. Freeze again overnight.

Serve.

Mango was voted favourite. Just so you know.

Foody Friday

With my extra tomatoes teasing me daily - do something with us before we all die!!! I remembered the best tomato relish I've ever had. Last christmas my mother in law made some and we ate it with all that leftover christmas ham. It was devine.

So I knew I had to make tomato relish.


I googled sweet tomato relish and found this recipe

All you need is tomatoes, brown sugar, onion, vinegar. (I didnt have chilli or garlic)

Dinner that night was thick bread, ham and tomato relish.

IT was soooo GOOD.

I might have had four or more :D

And now there is none left.

Foody Friday - CaKePoPs

So last week I finally made some Cake Pops


Finally. 


Like 2 years after the fact.

I've been following bakerella for about that long and drooling over cake pops for just as long.

I just knew that they were beyond my capabilities... that and I never had any lollypop sticks.


My first batch of CakePops were utter fail.

Cracked balls that fell off the stick, chocolate all over my fingers, rubbed on my face in exasperation, messy kitchen, lollypop sticks that wouldn't stay in the styrofoam, A BIG FAT MESS!

However attempt number two went very well.  thankyouverymuch.

So my advice if your first lot of Pops don't work? Try Again.

I found this Video Tutorial by bakerella helpful. Lots of good hints there.



Friend and sister left me some advice after my fail.

Cracked balls = not enough cream cheese/icing mixture

Balls falling off sticks = Not in freezer for long enough

Chocolate Mess = Don't be cheap with the chocolate
(I only had one bag of chocolate and was trying to make it go further.)

Now, I know I will NEVER be able to make the themed/decorated balls that bakerella makes. I had enough trouble with plain pops covered in sprinkles!

However One cake makes a lot of balls. I love the novelty of them and they TASTE great!

When you get tired of using lollypop sticks.... make truffles in small paper liners.

These were ALOT easier than cakepops. I actually made more of these than pops. Pops are cute but are kinda hard to transport. I was making my pops for a girls night elsewhere and had to carry them. These are just cake balls dropped into chocolate that I used a spoon to scoop out. Place in paper liners. Drizzle some opposite colour chocolate on them for effect.

Now that I know how to make the elusive CakePOP, and make a lot of them. I may try again!




Just give me some time to recover.



Here is Bakerella's Basic Cake Pop Recipe
Using all the tips on her site and video tutorial this is what I did.

I cooked a packet mix cake. I did chocolate.

Crumb cake and mix in frosting. I used cream cheese and icing sugar mixed together. You can use icing, cream cheese, bought betty crocker icing, whatever you want.

Grab spoonfuls and roll into balls

Place balls in freezer for a while.

Dip lollypop stick in chocolate and insert into ball still on tray (so will be upside down)

Place balls (with sticks sticking out) back into freezer for a little while.

Melt chocolate into a small yet tall container. This will stop chocolate wastage and give you something you can dip the pops into. The pop should be totally inserted into the chocolate, so the chocolate needs to be quite deep.

Tap off excess chocolate, cover in sprinkles or like

 Let pop dry by inserting into  styrofoam or florist foam.

Then you enjoy xx

Foody Friday

Another Slow cooker recipe I have trialled this week. I'm loving this winter fare.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients

chicken thighs (4-8)
onion (quartered)
2 carrots (sliced)
ginger
Can pineapple chunks in natural juice
300 ml Chicken Stock
1tbs cornflour
1 tbs tomato paste
2tbs caster sugar
2tbs soy sauce
2tbs vinegar
can bamboo shoots
bean sprouts
Rice to serve

Heat oil in frying pan. Cook chicken until browned. Mix in onions, carrots, ginger. Cook for two minutes.

Place in slowcooker.

Put pineapple juice, tomato paste, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and cornflour into a jug and mix to make a sauce/paste.  Add to slowcooker with pineapple pieces. Add bamboo shoots.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours

When ready to serve add bean sprouts. Serve on Rice.

Foody Friday

This recipe is a mix of two from my slow cooker recipe book.

Very Easy!

Casserole Beef or whatever cheap cut of meat
1 litre water
beef stock powder
can of lentils
onion

Fry Beef until Brown. Place in slowcooker with water and stock and chopped onions. Cook on low 6 -8 hours. Add a can of lentils in the last hour or so.

Serve on mashed potato.

4 ingredients. Easy. Tasty!

Foody Friday - Blueberry Hand Pies

Todays Kid Craft was food related. 

After I saw it on The Artful Parent (another awesome kid art blog)  who saw it via Angry Chicken  I thought it would be an easy one to incorporate on the holidays.

Basically make a batch of pastry. I used the recipe on Angry Chicken's  Cheat Sheet

3 cups flour
1tsp salt
1tsp sugar
200g of butter
9 tbs chill water

Get children to push out with their hands a rectanglish shape.

Miss K got tired and asked for the rolling pin (it was harder with the pin) She wasnt happy doing this as she just woke up and was questioning our sanity. Anyway at the end she was like this was awesome, these taste so good, I want more (we only made one each) so this teaches me that OFTEN I have to force my children to do craft, but it's good for them!! lol


Place blueberries (or whatever fruit in the middle) I used canned blueberries (drained) and sprinkled caster sugar all over them.

Fold pastry over and pinch edges

Bake 20 mins till golden

Eat!

These were fun. All the girls wanted more. Goes to show you eat what you cook!

Foody Friday

The mince version. But I think the vegetarian version is better.

Chillied Sweetcorn

1 onion (finely diced)
1 capsicum (diced)
1 can corn
garlic (finely chopped)
Pinch of chillies (to desired taste)
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 can kidney beans (or mixed beans)
1 can chopped tomatoes
150 mls vegetable stock
2tsp brown sugar

Heat oil in frypan add onion, cook until soft. Add capsicum, corn, garlic, spices cook 1 min. Add beans, tomato, stock and sugar. Bring to boil.

Pour mixture into slowcooker. Cook on High for 2-3 hours.


*Note. I have also cooked this by just throwing everything into the slowcooker and it still tasted fine. I have also let it cook longer than 3 hours and it was fine (on low) I have also made this with mince. I think it actually tasted better vegetarian. The kids also preferred it without the meat (WHAT??) and this was one of their favourites from the slow cooker (probably cause I served it with corn chips and sour cream.) One of my children sadly doesnt like anything that comes from a slowcooker, but she liked this.

Foody Friday

Maple Glazed Ribs

pork ribs (I used lamb ribs)
1 onion (quarterd)
1 carrot (thickly sliced)
2tbs vinegar
salt & pepper
1litre of boiling water

Glaze
2 teaspoon english mustard
1 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoon tomato puree (I just used 1tbs tomato paste)
2tbs brown sugar
125 mls Maple Syrup

Place the ribs, onion, carrot, vinegar salt and pepper and water into the slowcooker.  Cook on high for 5-7 hours. Remove Ribs from slow cooker (carefully as the meat will fall off the bone!) and transfer to a foil lined baking tray. Mix ingredients for the glaze with 150 mls of stock from the slowcooker. Spoon glaze over ribs and grill for 10-15 mins, turning once until brown and sticky.


These were DIVINE! and a happy change from my usual stews in the slowcooker.



Do you original readers of mine remember Foody Friday?
When I used to post a whole weeks worth of recipes?

Its been ages and I thought I would bring it back.  Recycling the trend.

The reason it fell by the wayside is I kept forgetting to photograph my food. And I got stuck in the boring routine of cooking the same Lasagne each sunday, the same fried rice, the same stirfry, the same stew, etc. Also we were trying to save money as we no longer had international students living with us. There went my $250 a week shopping money!!

Anyway The Mr so kindly bought me a slowcooker recipe book for Mother's Day. How sweet of him! He did it cause he heard me lamenting online to a friend who wrote a post about How much she LOVES her slowcooker. I said I don't know how to make anything in the slow cooker that doesnt taste THE SAME everytime because I was always using the same vegetables and same tomato base!!

Anyway a long intro into what I will be doing with foody friday. I thought I will put in some of the recipes I like the best from my slow cooker ones for Winter!

Perfect time for slowcooker meals.

Anzac Cake

We usually make Anzac Biscuits leading up to Anzac Day.

I saw this recipe  for Anzac Cake  in a magazine and thought it sounded like a good twist on the usual.

I will say that I ate this cake warm and I did not like it. Tasted like a terrible sticky date pudding with oats in it. I was sad. I was really hoping for something good with this recipe. However I ate it the next day cold with a cup of milk and could not get enough! I think I ate five pieces that day and had to go buy more milk cause I drank it all. Cold - it was like a heavy sweet Oaty loaf. Yum.

Also I have never made a cake with so many eggs! That scared me a little :) I loved the use of caster sugar to coat the pan. It made a lovely sweet crunchy edge to the cake. Was delicious. I am going to do this to all my cakes from now on I think.


Anzac Day Cake
melted butter for greasing
caster sugar for dusting
125g unsalted butter
250g golden syrup
6 eggs
120g self raising flour  (I used 1 cup)
120g rolled oats  (i used 1 cup)
150g dessicated coconut (I used 1 cup)
80g icing sugar
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup dark rum  (I used water!)
cream to serve

METHOD

Preheat oven to 170c  line and grease a 23cm round cake tin, dust with caster sugar.

Melt butter and golden syrup in small pan over a low heat. Set aside to cool slightly, then beat in eggs.

Combine flour,oats,coconut and icing sugar in a bowl,stir in butter mixture.Spoon into prepared tin and bake for 20-25 mins or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Set aside for 5 mins.

Meanwhile bring caster sugar water to the boil, cook for 5 mins, then set aside.
Gently turn out cake onto wire rack to cool.

Serve drizzled with syrup and cream (I drizzeled the syrup all over the cake beforehand)




I think I prefer Anzac Biscuits more though, so I will make some this week! But this was a nice alternative.

I scream for Ice cream

This recipe is great! 3 ingredients and the kids can make it!

Condensed Milk Icecream

6oo mls cream

1 can condensed milk

1 tbs vanilla

Whip cream, condensed milk and vanilla until thick.

Pour into a foil/cling wrap lined tray. Freeze.

You can add anything into the icecream - crushed chocoalte bars, top and fill caramel, fruit etc before freezing for added fun!

Was a yummy Sunday Treat when we felt like Icecream but had none in the house!

Kiwi

I have a glut of Kiwi fruit from our market run. Saw a Kiwi Fruit Microwave Jam recipe from The Klutzy Cook that was just the answer.


750g green kiwifruit, peeled, chopped
1 apple peeled, cored, chopped
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup white sugar

Combine kiwifruit, apple and lemon juice in a large, microwave safe bowl or jug. Cover and microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes to warm the fruit.

Remove fruit from microwave and stir through the sugar. Return the mixture to the microwave for 3 minutes, stirring every minute to ensure sugar is completely dissolved. Microwave on HIGH for a further 15 to 18 minutes or until jam reaches setting point.


To sterilize the jars and lids, wash them in hot soapy water then rinse well in hot water and drain. Put the jars into a low oven (100C-120C/210F-250F) for a minimum of 20 minutes. Remove the jars about 10 minutes before use so that they are still warm when bottling the jam.

I am such a geek I actually got a thrill out of the jar sealing! I put the jam upside down (while jar is still warm) and after a while the jar lid had sucked in tight!! My first sterilizing!! YAY

It TASTES so GOOD just dolloped on Yoghurt!

It's Devine..

Caramel Apple Dip
1 Package Cream Cheese
1/2 cup Brown Sugar (more or less according to your taste)

Beat until smooth and glossy. Serve with Apple slices

If you love caramel flavoured things as much as I do you will love this.. TASTES SOOO GOOD WITH APPLES - Thanks to a friend from Canada who bought this along to a Church Activity.. I think I ate 80% of it, so I finally made some for myself.