Chicken & Chilli Stir Fry

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
500 grams Chicken Breast diced or sliced 
2cm piece of ginger peeled and grated
1 onion sliced 
1 long red chilli finely sliced
1 red or green Capsicum sliced 
1 cup of sugar snap peas or snow peas
2 cups of broccoli
1 Carrot peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons of Oyster sauce
1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
2 cloves of Garlic
2 tablespoons of water

Heat your wok until its hot, add the chicken pieces and cook until brown. Once browned transfer to a bowl. Set aside.

Add your ginger, garlic, onions and chilli to the wok and cook for about 30 secs or until combined. 

Return the chicken to the wok and add the Oyster sauce, Soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of water. Cook for a further 2 mins or until everything is well combined.
Serve with steamed rice. 

Banana & Coconut Bread

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/3 vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 desiccated coconut

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a loaf tin.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar into a large bowl. 

In a separate bowl, combine the egg, oil and vanilla.

Add to the dry ingredients with banana and coconut and fold until just combined.

Place into the loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Allow to cool for 5-10 min's then remove, and slice thickly and spread with butter...Yum

If there are any left overs the next day, try toasting some and spreading it with butter and honey......very decadent :))

Just a few things i've been busy with this weekend..

How gorgeous is this fabric? Think i might make one for myself.

Chocolate Cupcake with Vanilla Butter Cream icing

Cute Apple lined zippered purse 

How beautiful is this picture?

I can just picture myself sitting on one those chairs 

sipping French Champagne and eating a croissant. 

I'm still here!!!!

Sheesh, its been a while since the last time i blogged.

I will get back into the swing of things, very soon.

Thank you for being patient with me x

Cinnamon Donuts

These donuts have become somewhat of a ritual for my family. Every weekend I'm woken up with "Mummy are you going to make donuts?"

About a year ago my girls and I were watching "Good Chef, Bad Chef" on Lifestyle Food. Gary Mehigan (Bad Chef & now Masterchef Australia) was cooking up some of these yummy morsels. It didn't take much convincing to make my own. 

They do take a while to make, but I can assure you the end result is very very satisfying. Especially with a nice cuppa tea or coffee :))


Here is my version :))

600g Plain flour
Pinch of salt
20g fresh yeast - or two sachets dried yeast
4 whole Eggs
100g Butter
440ml milk
Raspberry jam - without chunky fruity bits

Teaspoon Cinnamon
75g castor sugar

Vegetable or Canola oil for frying

Warm up the milk and butter to blood temperature. 

Add the sugar & yeast and dissolve. 
Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature and whisk in the eggs.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix till a sticky texture. 
Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for an hour or so to prove.

Once the mixture has doubled in size spoon a teaspoon of the dough mixture in the hot oil, cook until golden and cooked through. 

You can either just roll the donuts in some sugar and cinnamon or you can fill each donut with a little raspberry jam and then roll into the sugar.

It isn't Gary exact recipe, but they sure do taste good. My kids loves these and I'm sure you will too. 

xx

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's day to all the wonderful Mother's out there....

Unfortunately my mother's day has been anything but pleasant. Miss 4 has had me up all for the past couple of nights with a fever and vomiting. So I've spent my cold nights attending to a very sick child. I've temporally moved out Miss 7 out and I've moved in to make sure I'm there for Miss 4.  I did take her to the doctors yesterday morning who told me that she has a virus and to keep her fluids up. But its heartbreaking when your child asks you to help them and is screaming in pain because her tummy hurts from throwing up so much.

This morning she looks like she's on the mend. Apart from a spewing session she is happily playing dress up and make-up with her sister and she has her colour back. She has eaten a couple of pieces of French Toast and a glass of lemonade. The best part is her fever is back to normal (I hope it stays that way). Fingers crossed she is on the mend.

Maybe I will take the chance and take them down to the park. Hopefully a little fresh air will do her some good.

Just had to share with you all a beautiful note Miss 7 gave me this morning...

Happy Mothers Day...

xxx

Chocolate Cake

Today I thought I might share my favourite chocolate cake recipe. I don't quite remember where or who gave the this recipe. But where ever its from it is truly a good cake.

I was a bit sceptical the first time I read it. It claimed to be the "Best ever chocolate cake" But after I made it, I was pleasantly surprised. It so was delicious. Very very moist and rich. Just the way I like my cakes :))

It is so easy to make. It's a one bowl wonder LOL

2 cups sugar (yes it's 2 cups of sugar - its not a typo)
1 ¾ cups all purpose flour (plain flour)
¾ cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk (to sour milk add 1 tablespoon vinegar to 1 cup of milk)
1 cup strong coffee
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in a bowl. 

 Mix for 2-3 minutes or until all the ingredients are combined. 

You'll find that the batter is thin. Don't stress.  It's meant to be this way. Pour the mixture into a lightly oiled & lined cake tin. (I usually use two small tins). Bake for around 40-50 minutes in a moderate oven. It may take a little longer, depending on your oven. Just a word of caution, because the batter is thin don't try a tin with a removable bottom!


To make the chocolate ganache, you'll need...
250grams dark cooking chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup of cream


Combine the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir unti smooth. Remove from the heat.

Set it aside to cool at room temperture stiring it occasionally until the chocolate thickens and is spreadable

Once it's gets to this stage your ready to ice the cooled cake with this yummy mixture. 

I managed to get some sewing done. I finished off a custom order for a dear friend of mine and a zippered purse.