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30 Minute Stovetop Macaroni Cheese

October 19, 2015 By Laura 12 Comments

This easy recipe for stovetop mac and cheese is ready in 30 minutes. Cheesy comfort food at it's finest!

Do you remember the food you survived on in your University/College/flatting days? I missed the 2 minute noodle bandwagon but our go to my first year living in the halls at Uni was Easy Mac. The nasty, single serve packets that involved teeny macaroni and a flavour sachet being stirred into boiling water and microwaved for 2 minutes. They were so bad but so good! Nothing like a bowl of orange Easy Mac at 3am after a big night out! I guess it's not so hard to see why I gained that "first year 5".

I still may not be an amazing cook but I sure like to think I've come a long way since my Easy Mac days. I still eat macaroni cheese but I like to call this the extended version - fully homemade, sans neon orange colouring!

As much as I love a classic baked mac & cheese, complete with breadcrumbs on top and bacon stirred through, there is something so comforting about this plain and simple cheesy version. Not to mention it's on the table in 30 minutes and only uses 2 pots. That's what I'm talking about!...

M&M's Cookie Cups

October 16, 2015 By Laura 15 Comments

I. Am. So. BOOOOORED!!!

"Yea, hanging out at home with Josh all week after we've had our wisdom teeth out will be awesome".

It's not.

Don't get me wrong, it is approximately 1 trillion times better having Josh here too, but we can't do anything! I've watched more TV in the last 3 days than I have probably watched in the last 6 months and I can't handle it anymore!! I was trying to think what I would normally be doing if I was home over the weekend...oh yea, cooking. But no point in cooking delicious food when we can't even eat it!!

I'll spare you the chipmunk face photos but imagine me with 40 acorns in each cheek and that's kind of what I look like right now. It's a beautiful thing.

And the food...as much as I love mashed potato and soup and smoothies and ice-cream I just want a steak. Or a taco. Or some chips. Something with a little texture!! Something I have to CHEW!!

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Slow Cooker Apple Sauce

October 12, 2015 By Laura 11 Comments

The easiest way to make apple sauce - in the slow cooker! Make a big batch and freeze it in portions, ready to pull out whenever you need it!

I've gotta tell you, Josh & I are one of those annoying couples that do everything together. Not on purpose, we just like a lot of the same stuff and have a lot of mutual friends. And we just like hanging out. Probably a good thing seeing as we are getting hitched in 120 sleeps!

We are taking our love of hanging out and doing stuff together to a whole new level today. We are both having our wisdom teeth taken out. Ouch. We just figured, we both had to have it done, why not be miserable and have chipmunk faces and hang out at home together? I think this may be one of those things that seemed like a really good idea at the time...we will see!

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September Round Up

October 9, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

September FLEW by! I felt like we were really busy but when I went back and looked at my photos for the month I'm not sure we were. We did a lot of wedding planning....4 months to go! Band, food, flowers, new bridesmaids dresses after a slight meltdown/change of mind! It's starting to feel real!

Other than that though we got into spring...it's now light when I get home at night YAY!!

We planted fruit trees and some seeds for the garden. Josh wasn't super excited about digging up the paddock he had spent so long re-grassing and making beautiful but the thought of walking out to pick apples, peaches and plums sealed the deal. We hung out with our awesome pigs, put some eggs in the incubator, had our first calf on the farm and just generally started getting excited about summer. It's suddenly so much prettier and more colourful once spring hits - all the trees are pink!!

I'll keep it short and sweet and leave you with some spring pics.

Josh and his little helper...

Oh hey there future orchard. We're on our way to millions of peaches!SO MUCH PINK!!!Come on, look at that face!!I loooove watching these little guys running around - even though he was totally unimpressed with his new ear piercing!And as usual, I spent a bit of time being pretty happy about where we live!...

Homemade Crackers

October 6, 2015 By Laura 13 Comments

How to make your own homemade crackers with only a few pantry staples. They taste great, are simple to make and are the perfect addition to a cheese board!

Homemade crackers are definitely one of those things that fall into the category of "I didn't even know you could make them, and anyone who makes them must be extreeeeemely hardcore."

Well I hope you're ready, because today we become extremely hardcore!

At the start of this year when I decided to start making more things at home I thought I would just be doing the easy stuff - you know, dips and sauces. That sort of thing. But the more I did, the more I realised just how many things it was possible to make myself that I had never considered. It's a weird thing how you see something on the shelf and don't really think about where it has come from - I am definitely guilty of that, but I am a lot more aware of it now. And really, if it's on the shelf, ready for us to eat you should be able to make it at home right?

For something that seems so complicated these crackers really are a breeze to make. They're really more of a flatbread cracker kind of situation but they are the best kind. Strong enough to hold up when you load them up with a pile of dip but still crunchy and tasty. That's my kind of cracker!

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Chocolate Coconut & Almond No Bake Slice

October 2, 2015 By Laura 8 Comments

Chocolate coconut and almond no bake slice - an easy peasy no bake slice that's perfect for making with kids and for a quick but decadent treat!

So before I launch into the deliciousness, I need to tell you - we are in the middle of a chicken hatch-a-thon!!! So far 6 out of 21 chicks have hatched, 3 eggs have cracks in them and the rest are just chilling...hopefully when I get home from work tonight we will have loads of baby chicks...they're so CUTE!! Pics to come, promise! Or if you're impatient, check out my Instagram!

But the real reason you're visiting... ⇓ this here chocolate slice. Let's talk.

Remember when I didn't have an oven for 2 weeks and all I wanted to do was bake? Yep, the grass is always greener right. Well now I have an oven - a shiny brand spanking new oven with more functions than you know what to do with (automatic turning on and cooking is an OVEN THING!) - so I thought it would be fitting to share a no bake slice recipe. Hey green grass, I'm coming!...

My favourite Vanilla Cupcakes

September 25, 2015 By Laura

I have learnt recently that there are a lot of things I take for granted.

For instance, having an oven. That works!

Remember this day? I thought I was just having a bad baking day. Turned out, the bottom element on my oven was broken, which was bad news, but it definitely made me feel a little better about my baking abilities! But no oven?...kind of like someone cut off my hand.

So of course, even though I have a ton of no bake recipes, I had a sudden overwhelming desire to bake vanilla cupcakes over the weekend. Lucky for me Josh's mum lives next door and her oven was working!

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Sparkling Red Sangria

September 18, 2015 By Laura 4 Comments

It's nearly summer!! And that means fruity, summery cocktails! YAY!!!

I'm not going to trick you into thinking I've always been a classy gal who drinks sparkling red sangria from a glass. The first time I ever drank sangria was in Pamplona at the Running of the Bulls Festival in 2012. Still sounds ok, but it was 2 euro cartons of sangria that we transferred into leather pouch type things and drank as we ran through the streets drinking half, squirting the other half around like maniacs. It wasn't just us, it's a thing. End result, white clothing turned pink, sticky hair and a strong desire to NEVER drink sangria again!...

Homemade Sausage Rolls

September 14, 2015 By Laura 18 Comments

Next time you need to take a take a plate, be the fancy one who takes Homemade Sausage Rolls! This party staple is easier than you think to make at home and they are so delicious!

There is just something about sausage rolls that never get old. It doesn't matter if you're 3, 30 or 80, sausage rolls are always a good option and always seem to be the first thing people reach for!

Since I discovered homemade puff pastry a couple of weeks ago I've become a little obsessed with what I can make with it. Sausage rolls seemed like the next obvious step. They've been on my ridiculous mile long "things I want to make" list for ages. And why not? They are surprisingly easy and really tasty. And they always get a good "wow, you maaade those?" response. Always! ...

August Round Up

September 11, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

Winter is OVER!!! Well, officially anyway. Floods, wind blowing a gale and freezy days make me think otherwise but surely spring is on the way!

We pretty much spent August getting ready for spring.

Josh did some diggin'I got my butt into gear and gave my neglected winter garden some love....

Spinach & Walnut Pesto

September 7, 2015 By Laura 6 Comments

Yesterday was one of those kitchen days that just didn't go well. My muffins were weird, the crackers were soft, the slice was too melty and I realised too late that I had no rolled oats. Not to mention it was sunny and windy outside and for some reason I didn't take note of this so left the 6 loads of dirty washing in the washing basket. Probably something to do with the fact that we had a kind of late night the night before...

So when all else fails, throw a bunch of greens into a food processor and make dip right? Yes.

Dip is always the answer.

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Mediterranean Orzo Salad

September 5, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

A quick, easy and delicious Mediterranean Orzo Salad that is full of flavour and takes care of the daily workday lunch dilemma in 20 minutes!

Workday lunches. Gaaaaahhh! You feel me?

Not only is it sososo hard to get out of bed in the first place, there are sososo many decisions to be made!! What am I going to wear, what's for breakfast, coffee now or take it in the car? And then you have to deal with trying to fit all that decision making into an extremely small window of time because of the fact that you spent an extra 15 minutes lying in bed, because if you decide what you're going to wear before you get out of bed it will save you so much time. Ha!

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Planting Raspberries

September 3, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

It's spring!! Not that you'd know it from the torrential rain and flooding we've had this week...we even had temporary lake views!Time for a garden update.

We have always had strawberries in the garden but this year, we've put on our big girl gardening pants (me and Josh's mum, not Josh!) and graduated to raspberries.

Carol (Josh's mum) read that you could plant raspberries in barrels. We didn't have barrels but we do have about 6 million old truck tyres in the yard so figured they would work just fine....

5 Minute Triple Berry Jam (Sugar Free)

August 31, 2015 By Laura 14 Comments

5 Minute Triple Berry Sugar Free Jam - all it takes is fresh or frozen berries, honey, chia seeds and 5 minutes of your time and you have delicious, easy (not scary to make) refined sugar free jam!

I promised myself, PROMISED that I would not buy into the whole "paleo, gluten free, organic, I'll have a bacon & egg bap but hold the bacon and the egg and the bap and replace it with a field mushroom and some quinoa" thing going on. It is sooo Bondi Hipster ⇐ please watch this video.

And I promise I am really not. But just let me make 1 exception. Because this triple berry jam is the king of all the jams. Frozen berries, honey and...chia seeds. Don't run away.

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Blueberry & Lemon Curd Mini Galettes

August 27, 2015 By Laura 16 Comments

These blueberry & lemon curd mini galettes are a super easy but super fancy dessert idea - they can be whipped up in 15 minutes! Perfect for entertaining and for using up summer berries!

So after the AMAZING discovery of the weekend aka making puff pastry my mind was swimming with possibilities. Sweet, savoury, cutting out shapes, mini things, big pies, just eat the pastry, you know. I finally settled on blueberries & lemon curd. Rightly so. The last few days have started to feel like spring is in the air (finally) and the combination of blueberries and lemon curd just screams spring to me!

Apparently these little pies are called galettes. I still think they're just mini flat pies but calling them galettes makes me feel fancy. And how impressive does saying, "I'll just whip up a few blueberry & lemon curd mini galettes" sound? But don't let the name put you off - out of all the things I could have made, this is probably the easiest. You don't even need a pie dish - just a baking tray.

After you've made the pastry and let it chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or longer, roll it out until it is about 3mm thick. This recipe only uses half the pastry that this recipe makes but it also only makes 4 galettes, so feel free to use all the pastry and make more!

Using whatever round object you can find in your kitchen - I used the lid from my coffee grinder - cut out 5" circles and place them on a lined baking tray.

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15 minute Homemade Puff Pastry

August 24, 2015 By Laura 61 Comments

A simple tutorial showing you how to make puff pastry at home! This "rough puff pastry" is ready in 15 minutes and is the most delicious, buttery flaky homemade puff pastry you've ever tried!

Don't run away...pastry is not scary, I promise!! And once you can make puff (or flaky) pastry your dessert options are endless!!

This homemade puff pastry is more of a "rough puff" as inspired by Clotilde. As in, same idea, less fussing around. My kinda pastry!

But don't think that because we're not mucking around with chilling between folding and rolling we are sacrificing any of the magic that is puff pastry. This pastry is just as good, if not better than any other puff pastry I've had. And in 15 minutes! Seriously.

The only important thing you need to know is that the ingredients need to be cold. Butter straight from the fridge, and icy cold water. This help keep the butter in pieces, rather than melting during the pastry making process which is what gives you that flaky pastry when it bakes.

Add flour, salt & cold butter to a bowl and using a pastry blender (or 2 knives) cut it together until the butter is no bigger than peas.

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Mocha Java Granola

August 22, 2015 By Laura 2 Comments

Coffee.

Chocolate.

Breakfast.

I've got your attention now right?

Who are we kidding...if you're anything like me I had you at coffee!

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Vietnam Part V - Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)

August 20, 2015 By Laura 2 Comments

I have totally been putting off writing this post, because it is the last place we visited in Vietnam, which means I have to stop talking about it now! 🙁 I love you Vietnam. Guess we'll just have to plan another trip soon!

I have to admit, Saigon (as the locals call it, so I will too) was probably my least favourite city in Vietnam. In saying that though, our 3 days around Saigon were pretty amazing.

We started with a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels en route from the airport into the city, stopping briefly at a small farm where we saw the world's biggest pigs, a cobra, rubber trees and learnt how to make rice paper. Sweeeet!

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Homemade Peanut Butter

August 17, 2015 By Laura 22 Comments

How to make homemade peanut butter using only 1 ingredient - peanuts! It only takes 10 minutes and makes delicious, healthy peanut butter!

Look look look look look!! I MADE this!!

I have just fulfilled one of my ~~lifelong~~ year long goals.

Make peanut butter...check!

It's so smooth. And creamy. And delicious!

I have a love/hate relationship with peanut butter. As in I love it with chocolate/in baking/with jam and hate it...by itself. Yep, I am a weirdo. But but but I am super excited to announce that this has now changed.

I am officially in LOVE/LOVE with peanut butter! This one anyway.

Aaaaand ready for the kicker?

1 ingredient.

Yes. Just one....

Healthy cranberry & chocolate oat bars

August 12, 2015 By Laura 7 Comments

Snacks. They are the bane of my existence. Seriously. I'm pretty sure you are either a snacker or not and I am a snacker of the highest order. You should see the lunch I take to work each day. SO MUCH FOOD!! But there is nothing worse than being hungry. Even though I try to pack healthy snacks, that mid morning or mid afternoon craving hits hard and the first thing I want to reach for is the sneaky bar of chocolate in my desk draw...you know...

This is a judgement free zone.

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What is buttermilk? + 4 easy buttermilk substitutes

August 10, 2015 By Laura 3 Comments

If you've ever looked at a recipe, seen buttermilk in the ingredients list and panicked, don't worry. Today, we learn!

First up: what is buttermilk?

Traditionally, buttermilk is the liquid left after churning butter - milk, with little specks of butter left over giving it a slightly sour taste. The buttermilk you would buy in the supermarket though will typically be low-fat milk with a lactic acid bacteria added to it to help sour it.

So, why use it?

Buttermilk has the ability to do magical things that milk on it's own can't quite manage. It adds a subtle tartness to some recipes, keep baked goods tender and helps with the leavening process. When mixed with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) the acidity of the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to form carbon dioxide gas and creates those light, fluffy, sky high products, particularly pancakes, that you want. The acidity of the buttermilk also neutralises the slightly metallic taste you can get from using baking soda....

July Round-Up

August 8, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

We are officially over halfway through winter!!! Thank goodness - I am already dreaming of sunny days, summery cocktails and jandals.

July was COLD!! We had some of the heaviest frosts I've seen.

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Pumpkin & Spinach Lasagne

August 6, 2015 By Laura 14 Comments

Hands up if you love lasagne!! I am a huge fan of comfort food and in the middle of winter there is not much that beats a good lasagne.

I would never say no to a classic mince lasagne, but sometimes you just want to be a little different. And by be a little different I mean you have no mince in your freezer but a shed full of pumpkins and a winter garden that is cranking out more spinach than Popeye could handle. So you make pumpkin & spinach lasagne of course!

With feta. Because is there anything better than feta??

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Vietnam Part IV - Hoi An

August 1, 2015 By Laura Leave a Comment

Before I launch into a lengthy description of what may possibly be one of the most beautiful cities I've ever visited, let me just tell you something really important and exciting.

I. Got. My. WEDDING DRESS MADE HERE!!!!

It's officially happening now. I have a dress, so there is no backing out!

I think I will dedicate an entire post to the making of the wedding dress another day (probably in 6 months when I can show you pictures) so we'll skip over it below, but just in case you are curious......