Just another manic Monday...

Questions is, did you read the title, or sing it??

After doing the front garden and lawn yesterday, I was thinking about dinner, and what I would do... I have had a craving for a roast lately, and a Pork one at that with some good crackeling... But, with friends coming for dinner, one of which doesn't like the flavour of pork, I thought as to what to do. So, I thought of a dish that I have not done in a while...

Its pretty easy, really, and its quite nice!

Pancetta Wrapped Beef on a bed of Mash and mashed peas

• 2 x strips of pancetta
• 1 x Veal Steak (or Beef)
• 2-3 Baby Potatoes
• Frozen Peas
• Garlic (minced)
• Small Onion
• These are per person quantaties...

1. Season meat with a little pepper and simply wrap the Pancetta around your cut of meat. For last nights meal, I used Scotch Fillets as there was no Veal, and its better with a Veal cut as well. Cover with cling wrap and into fridge.
2. Peal and boil potatoes in a saucepan, and in another saucepan, boil peas until very tender.
3. Remove meat from fridge and then put into a frypan and seal one side, 3-4 minutes. Then, turn your cut and put lid on frypan, as this will cause a 'sauce'.
4. Remove potatoes from saucpan, return it to heat; add a nob of butter, teaspoon minced garlic and diced onion and cook until just transulcant (I cheated and used Onion Flakes, works just as well). Then add potatoes and a little cream (or milk) and mash until smooth and creamy.
5. Drain peas, another nob of butter, and return peas to pot and mash, again until smooth and creamy.
6. Plating up is simply a stack, a spoon full of mash potato, then of peas, and then place you cut of meat atop. Pour over some of the pan juices/sauce and serve up - YUMMO!

Baked stuffed apples, with ice-creeam and passionfruit juice

• Granny Smith Apple
• Sultanas or Dried Fruit
• Brown (or Raw) Sugar
• These are per person quantaties...

1. Core center out from apple.
2. Stuff Sultanas/Dried Fruit into the center of the apple and cover with sugar
3. Place into a baking tray, glass/ceramic, and into a pre-heated 180c oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until the sugar caramalises and into a sauce.
4. Serve onto a plate, topped with Ice-cream and cream, and then added a Passionfruit over the top of that - YUMMO!! 

Then, this morning I had to drop my car at the mechanics as it is time for its service and registration. So he could do the 'Pink Slip' to make sure it is road worthy! I, on the otherhand, had to then catch the train into the city, which is never a good experience...

Crowded carriages and a $9.60 return fare, I'd rather drive myself in, sit in a comfy car (both train and car was sitting in traffic) and listen to the radio on the way!

I also had to pay for my CTP Greenslip, and this is a rort!!! The Government deregulated to make it cheaper to register cars in NSW some years back. If thats the case, all up, I will be paying $98 CTP, $30 Pink Slip and then another $325 just to register the car!!! And then there is Insurance (this is seperate to Greenslip)!!!

Not sure what I will do for dinner tonight, I actually really enjoyed the vegemite and cheese toastie, so maybe something nice, quick and simple like that...

Hoo roo for now...

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A day of paint 'n' bake!

My day started today with a little trip, to Baiada Chickens to get some supplies for my birthday lunch. I did, however, stop along the way to have a coffee with a mate! I still like going to Baiada, its good fresh chickens that are very VERY cheap!

After getting my chicken, then went home to mow the lawns before it got to hot and also before it (as forecasted) rained! Alas, the later never really happened, and by he end of it all, I was really hot and sweaty, so I showered and cooled down!

I then got stuck into painting, I had the area in the veranda to do, balustrade, posts lintels and window/door frames! I got ALL of these done, however whilst painting the pressed metal roofing, which seemed to take forever, I did not have the time to do all of the remaining windows... Another day!

This evening saw me heading down to Woolworths, local grocery store, where I got some more bits and pieces for tomorrow party; cheeses, and some fruit for a slice I was to make. I also washed the Murano Glass that was a little dusty after the point work! I even managed to get some dinner (and a beer) at around 8.30-9pm!

Now, the slice is a borrowed recipe, but here it is... I used fresh fruit, Pineapple, Banana & Blueberries, and tomorrow just prior to serving it, I will include the first of the Passionfruits from this years crop!

Make a crust base.

• Butter Pound Cake mix (DON'T MIX)
• 1 cup of coconut
• 125grms butter

Combine the ingredients, and then press into a pan 'forking' over the base. Bake in oven for 20 mins at 160c

Filling

• Thin sliced Pineapple, thin sliced Banana 1/2 tub Blueberries
• Small tub of Sour Cream
• 2 Eggs
• Cinnamon Sugar

Layer fruit, randomly for colour distribution. Beat two eggs until just combined, and then combine into sour cream. Then pour the mixture OVER the fruit, and sprinkle Cinnamon Sugar over top and bake for 20-30 mins at 180c.

Slice Base

Fruit for Slice

Fruit Slice almost ready

Finished Fruit Slice

I'll let you know tomorrow how it turned out!

Hoo roo for now...

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Getting my 'mojo' back...

It's no secret, but lately, I've lost my 'mojo'... But over the last week, I seem to be getting it back little by little...

It's been a busy time also lately, with a quick trip to Melbourne, I started painting the house, but since then, its either been SO hot or raining, so I've not been able to continue! Also, the house will be repointed on the sides and the facade will be tuckpointed, and waiting for this to be finished means I can't really continue anyway...

But today, I baked some cup cakes, as a 'trial run', and they are now cooling waiting to be frosted...

CC Bater

CC Ready to bake

CC Cooling

Hoo roo for now...

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Happy Easter...

Late I know, but...

Here is what 'L' baked (which, by chance, happened to work out...)

These were absolutely delicious to by the way!

Rock-kies?

Well, L, you've done it again, but with nothing but the best intentions...
Today, L's dad was coming over to assist us with putting on the door handles and locks onto our freshly installed screen doors, mind you, we still have to install the fly screen!
Anyway, back on topic, L spent the morning whilst I was watering the garden, making and baking some little 'Baby Cupcakes'. Cupcakes are the next sister's down 'cup of tea' really, but L said, "what can go wrong?

Empty Cups

So the 'cups' were separated and sorted in preparedness for the cake mix...

Cake mix

Ready to bake

So, things were going along swimmingly, and they were looking good. The instructions (destruction's) said that the oven had to go on 180 for 10-15 mins... So after the said time, and after a look, it was now noted that the oven had been turned only to 120... Oops...

Biter's beware

Ok, so whilst they were iced and sort of looked ok, upon closer inspection, and trying to 'peel' off the paper cup, it became obvious that we were not going to be eating cupcake's, but more like Rock Cakes, Iced Cookies... So I will just mix them together, (sorry, no pun intended) and came up with Rock-kies!

Fathers Day Asian Greens

Fathers Day, Asian Greens...