• Chunky Chocolate Chip And Cashew Nut Cookies 0

    Chunky Chocolate Chip And Cashew Nut Cookies

      While perusing the Australian Women’s Weekly "Cookies" cookbook yesterday, the ‘Slice and Bake cookies’ caught my eye. Actually it was the photography that drew me to this particular recipe. Who can resist a motley of various shaped glass cookie jars stacked randomly with cookies filled in some, a cute little wooden pinnochio figurine resting in one? On examining the recipe further and assuring myself that I had all the ingredients, I decided to make one of the four variations …

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  • Hummingbird Cuppycakes With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting 2

    Hummingbird Cuppycakes With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

    A couple of months ago I made a Hummingbird cake following a recipe for hummingbird cupcakes. It turned out to be quite scrumptious … very moist and delectable. Then yesterday with the "The Cuppycake Song" doing its rounds in my head [thanks to a very musical little boy who keeps humming it all day long], I decided to take a shot at the original recipe. The cupcakes tasted exactly the same as the cake, but there was a big difference …

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    Snapshots of a Sydney Summer Garden 0

    Snapshots of a Sydney Summer Garden

      This summer I was a busy bee in the garden, quite literally. An initial active working period was toned down to make allowance for my lumbering, pregnant self. We made a sandstone bed, smack dab in the center of our frontyard and planted a gorgeous "Magnolia Soulangeana" there. I populated the bed with some "Kew Lavender" bought from Bunnings and 3 packets of pink and purple paper daisies. The paper daisies grew amazingly fast and were almost a meter …

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  • Heirloom Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache 4

    Heirloom Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

      Summer is on a slow decline here in Sydney. Thunderstorms cool the spiking temperatures every few days and tease you with the anticipation of autumn. On days like today when the sun is on vacation and there is a delicious chill in the air, there is nothing more comforting than a slice of homemade chocolate cake and a cup of hot coffee. A good, solid, no-fuss chocolate cake recipe is akin to the classic white shirt in your closet …

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    Casual Indian Entertaining Menu 0

    Casual Indian Entertaining Menu

    Indian meals are very unique, with the hosts going all out to make their guests feel like royalty ..literally! Even in this day and age of casual dining and entertaining amongst friends and family, when you are invited to an Indian home for a traditional Indian meal, the lady of the house will most probably not sit down to eat with everyone. Instead she will spend all her time running around, catering to everyone’s needs, fresh hot ‘puris’ from the …

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  • Little Miss Chocolate Madeleine 1

    Little Miss Chocolate Madeleine

    I don’t remember whether I have mentioned this before but I have Donna Hay’s "Chocolate" cookbook personally signed by her and it is a well put together little cookbook with simple and brilliant recipes and absolutely gorgeous photos. A couple of days ago I bought a very nice madeleine pan from the local David Jones store and was itching to try the chocolate madeleine recipe from Donna’s book. The recipe had minimal ingredients and looked quite simple. I followed it …

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    Green Mango And Prawn Curry 1

    Green Mango And Prawn Curry

      Rummaging through the vegetable compartment of my fridge today, I saw some shiny eggplants and fresh basil. My mind drawing a blank, I opened the freezer door, staring at the contents in there. Two things that instantly jumped out were frozen prawns and some beautiful frozen raw mango cubes. And idea started shaping up in my head and lunch in the form of Green Mango And Prawn Curry with steamed white rice was ready within the hour. This curry …

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