Daisy Chains and Picnics

I had some leftover roasties and veg from dinner so decided to make patties as a side dish for tonight's tea. As this was using leftovers I have no specific ingredient weights, it was just a case of gauging the mixture. Ingredients leftover roast potatoes leftover veg 1/2 - 1 egg, beaten 1/2 small onion, finely chopped 1 Tsp chives 1/4 cup plain flour (use more if needed) 1/2 - 3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs salt and pepper to season oil for frying Method 1.  Roughly mash together the potatoes and veg. Add the onion and chives, stir through. 2.  Add 1/2 egg, mix through, if it is too dry add the other 1/2. Stir in flour and mix well to combine. 3.  Heat some oil in a frying pan over a med/high heat. Fry patties on bothe sides until golden and heated through. Enjoy.

Rice pudding has to be one of the ultimate comfort foods. A bowl of creamy rice pudding on a cold day brings back so many childhood memories.  My gran used to make the most delicious creamy rice pudding ever, I just wish I had got her recipe while I had the chance, but as a youngster you don't think of these things.  It wasn't until I started doing my blog that I realised how much I would have dearly loved some hand written recipes from days gone by. But in saying that, we weren't really a family of recipe followers, more like just throw things together tasting as we go along for flavour and seasoning and that was it, and I have to admit, when I started this blog I found it quite hard and time consuming remembering to write ingredients down for the meals I was making, but it is worth it because my kids will be able to look back on the foods they grew up with. I love the rich taste of the skin on rice pudding. Ingredients 1/2 cup white rice 900 ml milk ...

There was some cereal in the cupboard that the kids kept bypassing, I was about to throw it out but then decided to give this whole cereal milk Ice cream thing a go. I have seen various posts on cereal milk ice cream and thought what a great idea, who doesn't enjoy slurping the dregs of cereal flavoured milk from the bottom of their breakfast bowl!, it's got the best flavour. You can use any cereal of your choice, great for using unwanted cereals. I think next time I will gather all the last bits of cereal the kids always happen to leave at the bottom of the packets and make a mixed cereal milk ice cream 😋 Ingredients 4 cups cereal 3 cups whole milk 2 1/2 cups thickened cream 1 egg 3 egg yolks 1 cup granulated sugar 1 Tsp vanilla extract 1/4 Tsp salt Method 1.  Put cereal in a bowl and pour in milk, allow to soak in the fridge for about 1 hour. Remove from fridge and strain the milk into another bowl. This should give you about 1 1/2 cups flav...

The kids have come down with this flu bug that is going around so lack of sleep due to stuffiness, sore throats and coughing is making them grumpy. Last night I made the eldest a hot toddy. Coming from Scotland we grew up with hot toddies as a cure for the cold and to stifle the sniffles. We got the basic hot toddies - hot water, lemon, honey and whisky, my gran would make a cheats one if she didn't have lemons and whisky, just heat up some lemonade add some honey and enjoy, I have made this one many times for my kids over the years and they loved it but now that their tastes are getting more adventurous I have been adding various spices for extra goodness to boost their immune systems. As they love anything with green tea I thought I would make one using a green tea teabag and they really enjoyed it. Ingredients 1 1/2-2 cups water 1 cinnamon stick 3 whole cloves 1 green tea teabag 1 slice fresh ginger juice from 1 lemon 1/8 Tsp turmeric powder 3 Tbsp h...

Nectar of the gods! We are going through a bout of sickness here, flu like symptoms, apparently there is a lot of it going about, so what better to fight off flu than homemade chicken soup, all the nourishing goodness that goes into it helps boost the immune system. I thought I would give an extra boost by making the stock myself, it is a bit time consuming but worth it. Ingredients 1 whole chicken 6 chicken wingettes 2 onions, chopped 3 carrots, scrubbed and chopped 3 sticks of celery, chopped 6 cloves garlic, skin on & bashed 6 whole peppercorns 2 bay leaves 2 Tsp dried parsley 1 Tbsp grated ginger 1 Tbsp turmeric powder 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 2 Tbsp fresh coriander 2 Tsp sea salt Method 1.  Place all ingredients in a heavy based stock pot, cover with water, making sure the chicken is submerged. Cover and bring to the boil, once boiling reduce heat to a steady simmer, stirring gently every 20 minutes or so until chicken is fu...

I love anything with meringue and citrus fruit, so as it was my birthday I decided that a lemon and lime meringue pie would be the birthday dessert. Ingredients 160 g digestive biscuits 60 g melted butter 400 g can skim condensed milk 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten 115 ml lemon juice juice from 1 lime 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest 1 Tsp lime zest For Meringue 3 egg whites 1/2 cup caster sugar Method 1.  Preheat oven to 160°C. Crush biscuits until finely crumbed. In a bowl, combine crumbs and melted butter. Press biscuit mix into a greased flan dish. Refrigerate until cooled. 2.  In another bowl, add condensed milk, egg yolks, lemon and lime juice and both zests, mix together until well combined. Pour evenly over cooled biscuit base. Put in oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. 3.  Meanwhile, whisk egg whites until they form soft peaks then gradually whisk in caster sugar until the meringue becomes glossy white with stiff p...

A delicious combination of creamy goats cheese and tangy tomato, makes this a flavoursome lunch or dinner. Ingredients 2 sheets ready made shortcrust pastry, thawed 4 eggs 1 cup milk 2 Tbsp cream 1 onion, chopped 3 tomatoes, thickly sliced 30 g baby spinach 1 clove garlic, crushed 50 g goats cheese 50 g grated cheddar cheese 1/2 Tsp Dijon mustard 1 Tsp dried basil Method 1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a quiche dish with pastry and blind bake pastry  according to packet instructions. Remove from oven. 2. Heat some oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, saute onions and garlic until softened. Remove to a plate. 3.  Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, basil, cheddar cheese and mustard, season with salt and pepper. 4.  Arrange tomatoes, onions and spinach over pastry base. Pour over egg mixture, add chunks of goats cheese, sprinkle with some grated cheddar. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden. ...

 An easy, tasty real strawberry glaze, perfect for drizzling, I used this as a simple decoration on a Bundt cake. Ingredients 2-3 strawberries, husked 1 Tsp lemon juice 100 g Icing sugar Method Puree strawberries and lemon juice until smooth. Strain juice into a bowl. Combine icing sugar with 1 1/2 Tbsp of the strained juice and stir until smooth.

These are a fun sugar cookie ideal for kids parties or snacks. Ingredients 120 g unsalted butter 120 g granulated sugar 250 g plain flour 1 egg, beaten 1 Tbsp milk 1 Tsp vanilla essence 1/2 Tsp baking powder 1/4 Tsp salt packet of Dolly Mix lollies Method 1.  Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. 2.  Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside. 3.  Using an electric stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and creamy, add egg and vanilla essence, mix until combined, gradually add the flour and milk, mix on low until just incorporated, don't over combine. 4.  Gently form mixture into individual ball shape pieces, flatten slightly. Cut dolly mix lollies into 1/4 and 1/2, press in to the cookie dough. 5.   Lay out on lined baking tray. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until just baked. Cool on wire rack. Sprinkle with a little caster sugar.

A delicious combination of creamy brie, tang and sweetness from caramelised onion and salty ham. Ideal for any meal time. Ingredients 3 sheets ready made shortcrust pastry, thawed 100 g ham, chopped 125 g brie, chunks 4 eggs 3/4 cup milk 1 Tsp dried chives 1 Tsp garlic powder 4 Tbsp caramelised onion Method 1.  Line individual tart cases with pastry, prick base with a fork. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Whisk together eggs, milk, chives and garlic powder, season with salt and pepper. 2.  Preheat oven to 200°C. Remove tart cases from fridge and line with baking paper and baking beans. Blind bake for 10-12 minutes. 3.  Remove from oven, turn temperature down to 180°C. Remove baking paper and beans. Return to oven for 5 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. 4.  Spread almost 1 Tbsp each of caramelised onion over base of tarts (reserving a little for top), top with ham, brie chunks and egg mixture, then place a small amou...