Daisy Chains and Picnics

Super easy to make and by braising them in the cola it makes the wings super tender and tasty too. I fried the chicken wings in a little oil first to brown the skin so it gave the wings a golden colour instead of pale and pasty, it also crisps the skin up a little. If you can't get hold of Tamari sauce use soy sauce. Once the dish is ready, if you don't want to cover the wings in sauce, pour it into a jug or dipping bowl so everyone can decide who to enjoy the wings. Any left over sauce can be frozen for another meal such as stir fry. Ingredients 20 chicken wing pieces 1 tsp olive oil 1 tsp sweet paprika 1/2 tsp ginger powder 1 tbsp peanut oil 2 spring onion, sliced 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 2 tbsp tamari sauce 1 tbsp mirin seasoning 330 ml cola 1 tsp chicken stock powder 1-2 tbsp corn flour Method 1.  Coat chicken wings in 1 tsp olive oil, sweet paprika & ginger powder.  Heat 1 tbsp peanut oil in a large frying pan ov...

Darren's girlfriend Hannah is vegan, they have recently moved in together so he is having to get experimental with vegan dishes. He bought a slow cooker so that he could start dinner before going to work and it would be ready for when they got home. The other day he texted me saying he was making a slow cooker stew so naturally I had to get him to give me the recipe along with some photos so I could put it on the blog. Ingredients 3 carrots, peeled, sliced 3 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks 1 turnip, peeled, cut into chunks 250 g mushrooms, halved 1/4 butternut squash, peeled, cut into chunks 3rd cup peas 500 ml vegan stock 3 tbsp gravy granules 2 tsp dried mixed herbs 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce  (or 1 tbsp soy sauce & 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar) 2 tbsp tomato puree Method 1.  Place all vegetables into the slow cooker. Mix stock, herbs, gravy granules, Worcestershire sauce and tomato puree together, whisk until well blended. Pour over vegetables, Stir to combine. 2....

We love Brie and Camembert in any shape or form but particularly baked, the soft gooey texture is simply heaven. I have made baked Brie and Camembert with a few different additions such as honey and walnuts, garlic and rosemary, the variations of ingredients you can add while baking are endless and it is so simple and quick to prepare and bake. I picked up some French wine the other day and as I had a packet of French brie in the fridge I thought I would try this combo, I usually bake them in the oven but it was a really hot day yesterday so we did it on the barbecue and it turned out just as well as oven baked. The addition of the wine was delicious, making it extra gooey, I will try this with French Camembert, I also think I will add some roasted garlic cloves because lets face it, garlic tastes great in anything. Once you have removed the paper, make 3 small holes in the top of the brie and pour the wine into the holes, then wrap in foil. Ingredie...

  Tasty mouthfuls of crunchy nutty delights, ideal for parties, snacks or teatime treats. Quick and easy to make using pantry staples, these can be rustled up in about 20 minutes. You can also add 1/4 cup of glacè cherries or currants to the mix. Ingredients 125 g butter, chopped 1/2 cup caster sugar 1 egg 1 cup S/R flour, sifted 2 cups lightly crushed cornflakes 1 cup chopped mixed nuts Method 1.  Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. 2.  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. 3.  Gradually fold in flour, cornflakes and nuts until well combined. 4.  Drop small spoonfuls of mixture onto prepared tray. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool on tray for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy.

Jodie turned 22 on 22nd September. Seriously, it only seems like yesterday she turned 21!!. She had the day off work and went to lunch with Charlette. They went to Honey Badger where she had a chocolate chip panookie (yep that's a thing 😂) She came home bearing some beautiful gifts from Charlette, including another stunning hand painted picture of Ariel, The Little Mermaid. As Cerys was working until 6pm, I decided to give Jodie her presents from us when Cerys came home, she had already got her Tim Burton phone cover in the morning. Jodie is a HUGE fan of anything by Tim Burton and she simply adores all things 'Nightmare before Christmas' so when I spotted these Halloween decorations in Big W, I just knew she would LOVE them. She will just have to find a spot in her room for them now!! While she was out with Charlette I made a matcha green tea cheesecake for her instead of a cake. And finally, her birthday cards. Happy birthday Jodie 💖

I made this cheesecake for Jodie's birthday, she loves anything green tea. And any flavour of cheesecake. I hadn't planned to make a cake for her this year now that was turning 22, but she went out for lunch with Charlette so I thought I would make her a dessert for her tea. Ingredients 300 g Oreo cookies 40 g unsalted butter, melted 500 g cream cheese, room temperature 120 g icing sugar 300 ml thickened cream 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice 12 g gelatine powder 2 tbsp cold water 2 tsp matcha powder Method 1.  Line an 8 inch spring form cake tin with greaseproof paper. 2.  Place Oreo's in a food processor and blitz until crushed. Put into a bowl, add melted butter. Stir to combine well. 3.  Pour crumb mix into prepared cake tin, press down firmly. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate. 4.  Place cold water in a bowl, sprinkle over gelatine while whisking with a fork. Sift matcha powder into gelatine mix. Stand bowl in a heatproof bowl of hot water, stir until gelatine dissolves...

I have seen various recipes for these floating about Facebook and thought I would try them. I had some leftover ham and pasta sauce, I bought a zucchini and set about making them. They were really tasty, I will definitely make them again. Perfect as a snack or a side dish. You can use various toppings, such as salami, pepperoni, olives, pineapple, chicken, anything you would put on a pizza really. Ingredients 1 medium zucchini 1/4 cup pizza or pasta sauce 1/2 cup ham pieces 1/2 cup grated mozzarella pinch dried oregano Method 1.  Preheat oven to 190°C. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. 2.  Slice zucchini into 1/4" thick slices, arrange on baking sheet in a single layer. season with a little salt and pepper. 3.  Top each slice with a small spoonful of sauce, a few pieces of ham and top off with some mozzarella, sprinkle with a little dried oregano. 4.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling. A healthy alternative to the usual pizza.