mosaic road

Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding

I made this today in my crock pot - it was easy, totally delicious and the epitome of comfort food.

I had been given an unsliced loaf of white bread so I cut off all the crusts and diced it up. I pureed some pumpkin out of the freezer and mixed that up in the food processor with milk, eggs, raw sugar, vanilla and lots of cinnamon and nutmeg. Three hours later, after cooking on high, I opened the lid and found a puffy and golden bread pudding. Dear, sweet son25 said he thought it was one of my best efforts yet - high praise indeed !! We ate generous serves with softly, whipped cream. This recipe actually includes a sauce that you pour over prior to serving but in this house of cream addicts it is a given which path we chose and why  !!!

Areaware Pico Bunny Pillow at Velocity Art And Design

via www.velocityartanddesign.com

I want this little rabbit badly !!!!

Velocity Art And Design

via velocityartanddesign.com

If you like online shopping then you will adore this site and what's more they offer INTERNATIONAL shipping !! I have only just discovered them and adore everything. The pink rabbit pillow is on top of my list !!

Impossible Pie

This pie is a great dessert all year round and truly is easy as pie to make too. I remember having it occasionally as a child so it is a recipe that has been around for eons. It really is a "throw everything in the food processor then bake" recipe with zero opportunity for disaster. I have never failed at making this dessert successfully so this means that everyone in the whole wide world with even a token modicum of culinary ability can make it and enjoy it. I usually pour my batter over fruit but you can have it on its own or add citrus zest or stir through berries or add different essences along with coconut or sultanas, serve it plain or with caramel sauce or ice cream or pound cake - yum every which way. Great name too as the liquid batter really magically transforms .

Bagel Brilliance

If I buy bagels a few are eaten hastily then people get over them and they languish uneaten. Here is some bagelry brilliance. Slice in rounds, thinner rounds are probably better than fat rounds. Lay them all on baking parchment on a baking tray, spray with olive oil spray, sprinkle with oregano and then grate parmesan over them. Into a hot oven till melty and crispy and yum, you have an addictive little appetizer !!

Skype 'n Bake

The wonders of modern technology have kept this family together, last night being no exception. We set up a conference call scenario on skype and my sister, daughter21 and I all baked together but in our our own kitchens, just chatting away on as if we were all in the same room when in reality we are vast distances apart. We all made cupcakes and emailed photos of the finished product as they came out of the oven. It was such fun and we plan to do it again. Other family members appeared to taste test and join the conversation. The proof is in the pudding, the family that bake 'n cake 'n skype together, stay together !!

Red Emperor Yum Cha - Part Two

My lovely sister has put together this yum cha storyboard for me. Interesting desserts followed the copious courses of dumplings including a mango mousse, a green tea mousse, a warm sago pudding and the traditional little egg custard tarts in flaky pastry shells. I did see deep fried ice cream being wheeled passed on a trolley and I am relieved it did not come my way. I love it and if I had succumbed to that temptation I may well not even have been able to waddle home.

The interesting part about socializing with this group of people is that we never see each other "dressed".We have coffee and breakfast after our gym sessions but we always see each other in gym attire, shorts, caps, singlets, runners etc,. Gee, we scrubbed up well !

Apparently for our next social occasion we are going Greek, hopefully with Zorba music and plate throwing. Until then we will all just keep lunging and lifting and sweating and cursing at the kettlebells and continue to live in hope that we will stave off that dreaded middle age spread !!

Food Fit for a King, or an Emperor at least !! Part One !

I was lucky enough to enjoy yum cha at the Red Emperor on Sunday ! I was lucky enough to be invited to enjoy the company of 14 other people, many of them gym buddies.  This event was organized by mover and shaker, Michael , and it was fun and the food fantastic and just kept on coming and coming and coming !!

I am not so keen on these fishies in tanks but they are part of the Chinese restaurant scene the world over !

What I am keen on, mad about in fact, are these little bamboo steamers and their contents. As we all know they are a dream to cook with and to clean. Mine went into overdrive a while back when after a trip to Thailand I made multiple frenzied attempts to recreate the almond paste buns found at breakfast at the Banyan Tree hotel. Needless to say, success eluded me.

 

Magnificent Magnolia

Officially we have about 3 more weeks till spring is upon us. I am well aware there are many more wintry days of chilly blasts and icy rain still to come even well into October but we are certainly looking down the barrel of spring being sprung. Spring confronts me now every time I come down my front steps and pass my most magnificent magnolia tree in full bud.

Some of the buds have unfurled and others are tightly closed still but you can easily see how many blossoms are just covering this wonderful old tree. I don't know much about trees but I have nursed this one a bit over the last three summers of drought giving it many buckets of grey water. It rewards me many times over for that bucketing each springtime, this year being no exception.

This tree certainly brings the essence of spring to manningroad. It is grey and barren over winter then suddenly the blooms burst forth, such incredible floral representations of new life and new hope. How amazing to think it has been doing this every spring for 40 or 50 years and it show no signs of abating.

Spring does bring inspiration to me. That little bit of extra warmth gets me into the garden and feeling inspired about domestic projects, not that spring cleaning is included on that particular list. I really never am inspired to clean in spring or any other season for that matter and do it under sufferance when desperate measures are called for. Spring for me means opening up the house and drying washing on the line and having coffee outside but best of all spring means summer is just waiting around the corner.

 

This wondrous pink tree really and truly is a meaningful reminder for me that Mother Nature is alive and  well at manningroad .

What is a Musk Stick ?

After yesterdays post "create-a cookie", I was asked the question what is a musk stick and no this has nothing to do with incense. I love incense but not in a cookie ! A musk stick is a popular type of candy in Australia that has been around for an age. I remember loving them as a child. Sadly now they just taste sweet and pink with no real floral muskiness to them at all but when I was little I am sure they had that very strong and unique musk flavour.