Bookish - The Baker's Companion

Hey Foodies,

I love getting recipe books - I quite like browsing them like you would a magazine.

Allyson Gofton's latest offering The Baker's Companion does not disappoint.

It's a beautiful hard covered book and the images make you feel either like baking immediately and certainly like brewing the kettle and sitting down to some serious eating.

Just after I received it my hubby was scheduled for a work shout so I made a couple of the recipes. Both went down a a treat so I consider that a good advert for the book.

The book has a great general know-how section at the start which is perfect if you have someone wanting to become a proficient baker.

The chapters are Pastry, Tray Bakes/Slices/Brownies, Tea Time Quick Bakes, Biscuits and Baked Puddings (hooray for wintery nights and warm puds), Pavlovas/Meringues, Breads and Yeast Baking.

It's a fabulous hard covered book and would make a great gift, or a gift for yourself if you're a baking type.

Details - Penguin Random House, April 2019 RRP $55.00 HB

love you more than a lemon brownie xxx

Bookish - Family Favourites

Hiya Peeps,

So it's already Autumn here in Chch (apparently - it's not actually that cold yet) and there are some pretty stunning things happening here and there in nature.

I was really thrilled to be sent a copy of Nadia Lim's book Family Favourites. We get her bargain box fortnightly and so I am familiar with her recipes and know they work, on the whole, with my family.

My eldest 11 was very pleased with the book mark that came with it that you can use to mark your own favs, bless him. He also decided to make The Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding immediately - that was most well received. I'll definitely be swapping this one to the go-to position from now on.

We've made quite a few things already from it, Sausage Rolls and Butter Chicken were very well received.

The recipes are clear, photographed and easy to follow.

If you can't bear the thought of having to come up with new ideas for dinner this is full of tried and true, family recommended meals from the bargain box programme.

Details - Penguin Random House, Feb 2018, RRP $35.00

love you more than a dinner someone else made for me xxxx

Bookish - Slow Cooked

Hey foodie lovers,

I always dream that my winter cooking will be filled with slow-cooked meals prepared the night before and delivered with a sweet relaxed atmosphere. We can all dream right?! I do love the concept though of the night before prep or the first thing in the morning activity. Dinner times are so much more enjoyable when all the work has been done prior.

So, I was quick to request a copy of Allyson Gofton's latest book Slow Cooked featuring slow cooker recipes that can also be created with slow cooking in a regular oven.

The book includes a very comprehensive basics section which looks at meat types, cuts, thickening and rescuing disasters (another feature to appreciate). Recipes are divided into meat types or vegetarian, there is a section on stocks and soups and a very large collection of recipes for slow oven cooking as well.

The recipes I've tried so far have been a success, and although I've needed to source some new-to-me ingredients, I have loved the fact that there isn't a long process to go through before the ingredients are doing their own thing in the slow cooker. For me the charm and magic of the slow cooker is that you can throw it together in 20 minutes in the morning and eat it when you all roll in cold on a winter's evening.

What are you eating over autumn and winter?

Details - Slow Cooked by Alison Gofton, Penguin Random House, April 2017 $50.00

love you more than a stress free dinner xxx

Foodied Fun

Hey food lovers,

I was recently offered an opportunity to attend the Christchurch Food Show. Who was I to decline?? So, today a dear friend and I took a day off from Mummy-ing and wandered around the heart of the Horncastle Arena taste testing our way around every stall.

The show was well attended but not so that you couldn't actually make it to the stalls to try all the goodies. Every now and again there would be a rush when a new batch of raspberry panna cotta (oh yes please!) or the like, came out and you had to hold back on using your elbows.

The celebs were out in the demonstration area, which was a really a highlight judging by the way that every seat was filled before they started. I loved the fact that the wonderful Scorpio Books had a stand brimming with recipe books. (Also you got a $10 voucher for their in town book shop when you made a purchase... of course I did!)

I bought The Atlas some wild venison salami and the boys some fudge. I also purchased some limoncello and we got a super cute idea from the adorable Jax who was at the Countdown stand. Lemon curd and cream cheese filled hollow eggs. We'll be making these with our littles this weekend.

We were also provided with Uber rides to and from the show. I downloaded the app and found it super easy to use. We were transported by different people both ways - it was really nice to hear their stories and I was really impressed with how simple and quick it was to use.

The Food Show is on again tomorrow if you need a reason for a day out with a friend - I can recommend it - came home full tummy, some bags of goodies and a generally relaxed and great day out.

If I was going to recommend anything it would have been more coffee options - as a non coffee drinker it didn't really effect me but the one coffee cart was so busy and the nespresso stand was people deep every time we went past.

Despite the look of my photos there was lots of lovely savoury food too including hangi pies!

Thanks to the prshop for this super fun opportunity :-)

love you more than a cream cheese egg with a lemon curd filling xxx

Bunny Buns

Loaf of bread or bunny buns?

I used my favourite simple Sophie Grey bread recipe to produce a batch of bunnies.

Shape buns, use a skewer and some scissors and you have yourself a set of awkward and slightly scary looking 'bunny buns'. (The ones on pinterest looked much more inviting but hey these will be a good benchmark for you - no need to try to fly too high now!)

The boys (all) loved them.

Sometimes it really is the simple things!

love you more than a fresh bunny bun with melted butter xxx

Yeah I Made It ... 4/52 Peanut butter and strawberry kiss

This is the other stretch wrap over top I decided to make from the Simplicity 9626 pattern. I like the ruches on the side and the little detail on the shoulders.

It's all grey which makes it kind of a boring make but one that will probably get a lot of use because there aren't that many non-colourful, non-printed things in my wardrobe (surprise!). Because I couldn't go totally without a little bit of Miriam I've 'tattooed' the back....

with a strawberry made from sequins. I bought it from a shop that sells buttons in Adelaide - walls of buttons (and sequinned strawberries!). It's a dangerous place to go for a girl that has a thing about buttons.

I also whipped up some peanut butter this morning. It probably works out the same cost as a cheap jar of peanut butter but it only contains dry roasted (by me) peanuts both skin on and off and it's a lot cheaper than the fancy ones that are just peanuts.

Modelled next to a sweet little tray/basket I picked up at the Vinnies the other day for $2 and the perfect size to fit cookies in for afternoon tea - I know because I used it the very next day.

What are you making?

I actually find school holidays less conducive to making because I'm hanging out with these 2 gorgeous boys I know. How about you?

love you more than warm peanut butter on the end of my finger xxxx

In My Neighbourhood - the central market

A series of posts about my adventures in Adelaide, just because I know you'd love to be here with me 

The first week we arrived here I had a tour of the central markets. The Atlas had bought a voucher for me and made the booking for my birthday gift just after he got the job.

I was treated to a personalised tour because I was the only one who had booked and they couldn't get hold of me to reschedule, clearly I didn't mind!

The Central Markets are basically a huge produce market that run 5ish days a week - everything is definitely open Tuesday to Saturday and some are open other days too. Friday is the big day 7am to 9pm.Wednesday is an optional day for the stall holders, but many are open then too.

The market itself has been running 140 years and still has some of the original stalls operated by family members of original sellers.

If it's food you want, this is the place to come. Meats, cured meats, cheeses, bakery items, oils, honeys, nuts, yoghurts, gelato, dried fruits, ... and of course fresh fruit and veges.

The markets are gorgeous - just what I like in produce markets. Lots of colour, variety (I'm going to get some crocodile mince and make crocodile burgers for the boys one night), locals and random shopping 'trolleys'.

The locals shop here and there is a lot of life and variety going on. On Friday nights there is often live music playing too and during Fridays a number of stalls have tastings. During school holidays they also seem to have some children's activities and I may try to book the boys in to do a 'little chefs' class next time around.

Alongside the market there is also a busy, predominantly Asian, food hall that offers good, fast, reasonable and authentic street and takeaway style food.

If you like food and you are visiting Adelaide this is a good place to while away some hours, money and calories.

Love you more than a tub of gelato on a hot day xxx