Life thus far...

I am so overwhelmed by the wonderful response I received from my last post. Thank you so much for all your kind words, they mean more than you can imagine. After all that party planning craziness, this week I took a much needed break away from blogging (and pretty much everything else) to just unwind and relax. Sometimes all you need is a little break from your usual routine to appreciate how wonderful life is.

Having been in Melbourne, Australia for a month now, it's about time I got around to posting photos of my trip. The truth is, having grown up here I sometimes forget that I am on vacation. Before I left I had all sorts of plans for places to visit and things to eat. But in reality, once I had settled the girls into their new home away from home, a routine began to emerge and pretty soon life became mundane and I forgot I was on vacation. It's been almost five weeks since I first got here and I have yet to skim the surface of my vacation to-do list. Luckily for me there's still plenty of time. For now, here's some snippets from life here thus far.

Friday's Fancies

Happy friday everyone! I don't know about you, but I sure am glad this week is almost over. It's been a crummy one in this household with both kids sick. My husband has been gone for the past month now for work. He's due back home next week but the entire time he's been gone I've been crossing all my fingers and toes hoping that neither the kids nor I will get sick. We had a good run, we almost made it. 

For anyone following me on Facebook, watch your news feed because I've recently discovered what a great outlet it is for sharing collages of new trends and current obsessions. Just let me know if I start to get a little overboard.

So as it turns out, this week's friday's fancies is all centered around food. What can I say, I do like to eat. Hope you have a great start to the weekend and enjoy the sunshine while it lasts. xx

I have only just discovered these little doughnut peaches and am kicking myself for not trying them earlier (obviously never quite mastered how to 'not judge a book by it's cover'). These little peaches are quite genius. It's flattened shape means you can walk around snacking on them without making a mess. I know I know, hastag firstworldproblem. 

Starting the day off bright and cheery with a rainbow breakfast treat of fruit loops, organic yoghurt and organic strawberries. I am constantly on the lookout for ways to reinvent the most mundane meals to satisfy my picky eaters.   

Could not resist taking these adorable chopsticks home with me. Tried justifying it by telling myself I will start my kids off young. It has not worked yet. My two year old still eats with her hands.

My sister is quite the master baker. How cute are these cupcakes she recently made for a baby shower!?

She also made the adorable three tiered birthday cake for my older daughter's first birthday last year.  

Savouring as much fresh fruit as I can before the end of summer. It's been a nonstop rotation of strawberries-cherries-peaches in this household.

Friday's Fancies

Isn't this glitter polish just so fun and girly? I love it used on alternating fingers as an accent colour. By Essie- Off the Shoulder (pink) and Set In Stone (glitter).

My go-to meal for the summer season. Delicious cold noodles garnished with seaweed, sesame seeds and a dipping sauce on the side with a little wasabi for that extra kick. 

I do not know what I did before these three little gems came into my life. Girl Meets Pearl gives the skin a nice warm glow, High Beam illuminates facial features and Posie Tint for a lovely natural blush. Thank you Benefit. 

My wonderful husband spoils me. Thank you for making me a mother. 

Is there nothing more precious than watching children be children? Forever young xx

Fresh Strawberries with Balsamic Reduction

It's strawberry season again!  I took the girls strawberry picking yesterday, they had so much fun playing out in the sunshine and eating fresh berries. We never actually got around to picking any berries ourselves.  I did make sure we didn't leave empty handed so we came home with a bucket of pre-picked strawberries instead. 

For me, the best way to enjoy strawberries is to just wash and eat. However, this recipe for a balsamic reduction dressing really brings out the strawberry's natural flavours. In fact it's so good that I don't think I can go back to having fresh berries without a little balsamic sauce on the side. Try it out, you won't be disappointed! 

xx Jenee C.

Fresh picked local strawberries.

Prep strawberries while sauce is reducing.

Reduce balsamic vinegar and brown sugar till sauce thickens.

Drizzle on sauce and enjoy! 

Ingredients

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 pint fresh strawberries

Method

1. Wash strawberries.

2. Combine balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in saucepan. Bring to boil, let sauce reduce and thicken on medium heat about 7 minutes. Be careful not to caramelise the sauce, add more balsamic vinegar if that happens. 

3. Prep strawberries however way you prefer, garnish with icing sugar and mint or basil leaf. 

4. Drizzle on balsamic sauce and serve.

5. Store extra sauce to use on salads, fruit etc. 

* More strawberry recipes to come...

Passionfruit Yoyos

Ahhh yoyos, you never cease to fail me. These are my go-to treats for when I need a little sugar hit. They are small enough so you don't feel guilty, and big enough to leave you feeling satisfied. Did I mention how delicious they were? The only thing better than having a yoyo with a nice cuppa, is having a passionfruit flavoured one. 

This recipe creates the perfect crumbly, melts-in-your-mouth biscuit texture while the addition of passionfruit gives the otherwise ordinary yoyo an unexpected twist.

xx Jenee C. 

Passionfruit yoyos perfect for morning tea. 

Ingredients

Make sure you sifting the sugar and flour to create an airy melt-in-mouth texture.

Biscuit dough ready to be rolled into balls

Roll dough into teaspoon size ball.

Flatten with a fork dipped in flour to 1cm thickness

Finished yoyos with passionfruit icing. Serve with icing sugar sprinkled over.

Enjoy! 

Ingredients

250g unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup sifted icing sugar

2 cup sifted plain flour

1/3 cup sifted corn starch

Passionfruit filling

6og butter, softened

1tbsp passionfruit pulp

1 cup sifted icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celcius and line cookie trays with parchment paper.

2. With a mixer on medium-high, cream butter, vanilla and sugar till light and fluffy.

3. Sift flour into mixture, beat on low speed till dough is formed. 

4. Roll a teaspoon of mixture into small ball. Place on tray. Using a clean fork dipped in flour, flatten each ball to 1cm thickness. 

5. Bake for 15 minutes or until firm. Cool completely before use. 

6. Prepare passionfruit icing: with a mixer, cream butter, sugar and passionfruit pulp till mixture is light and fluffy.

7. Spread one side of one biscuit with 1 teaspoon of filling. Top with another biscuit and repeat. Dust with icing sugar to serve. 

Recipe adapted from taste.com.au

Salted caramel banana jar cake

These delicious little treats were baked for our monthly bunco night. No kids, no husbands, just good old fashion girl time. This banana cake recipe is dense and moist and the salted caramel frosting perfectly balances out the sweetness.  I like to garnish with caramel drizzle to give the cake some crunch. Plus being baked into a jar makes it all the more fun to eat. Everything is better in a cute little mason jar right?

xx Jenee C.

Salted caramel frosted banana jar cake.

Ingredients for banana cake.

Cream butter, sugar and eggs together and add buttermilk. 

Add flour to cake mixture. 

Add mashed banana and lemon juice to mixture.

Beat until mixture is smooth. 

Fill jars 2/3 with mixture. Wipe off excess batter before baking.

Now your banana cakes are ready for icing and decorating.

Banana cake recipe 

Ingredients
12 pint sized canning jars. 

• 1 1/2 cups bananas , mashed, ripe
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter , softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees and sanitise mason jars by boiling for 10 minutes.

2. Mash bananas with lemon juice, set aside.

3. In a different bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt.

4. In another bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 cup sugar until light and fluffy.

5. Beat in eggs one at a time, stir in vanilla.

6. Beat in buttermilk, followed by flour and banana mixture.

7. Beat mixture on medium high till smooth.

8. Pour batter into jars, leaving 1/3 of jar space for cake to rise.

9. Bake in oven for one hour, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

10. Remove from oven and place directly into freezer for 45 minutes.  This step will make the cake very moist. 

11. Remove from freezer, scoop out additional cake mixture to create a flat level surface to add frosting (see below). 

Recipe adapted from food.com

Heat sugar and water in saucepan till mixture thickens and develops a dark amber colour.

Frosting ready for use. Add additional salt to taste.

Drizzle caramel onto icing to create a crunchy contrast

Decorate and enjoy!

Salted caramel frosting recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp water

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

12 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1/2 tsp fine salt

1 cup powdered sugar

Method

1. Add 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tbsp water to small saucepan and bring to a boil. Continue cooking on medium-high heat without stirring till mixture turns dark amber in colour, about 6 to 7 minutes. 

2. Remove from heat and slowly add cream and vanilla, stirring until completely smooth. Set aside until cool to the touch, about 25 minutes.

3. Beat butter and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low, add powdered sugar and mix until completely incorporated.

4. Add caramel to frosting mixture, beat on medium-high until caramel is thoroughly mixed. 

5. Add frosting to pre-prepared banana jar cakes. Refrigerate overnight. 

Recipe adapted from chow.com

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Caramelised custard tarts

These are my version of the Portuguese egg tart, only less eggy more custardy.

Ingredients.

Do not overbeat the eggs.

Pour cooled cream into egg mixture.

Roll pastry sheet into a log.

Place each segment flat faced into tray.

Here I used jumbo sized muffin tray, regular sized tray would be ideal.

Custard will start to caramelise and rise in the oven.

Portion controlled and delicious.

Flaky, creamy and sticky.

Ingredients

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup caster sugar

450gram heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 pack of frozen puff pastry

muffin tray for baking

Method

1. Defrost puff pastry and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Beat eggs and vanilla till combined.  Do not over beat the eggs.

3. Heat cream and sugar in saucepan till below boiling point. Allow to cool slightly.

4. Pour cream mixture into egg mixture, while stirring to combine.

5. Roll puff pastry sheet into a log and cut into 2 inch segments. There should be six equal part to each pastry log.

6. While laying the pastry segment flat, press each piece to line muffin tray. 

7. Pour custard mixture into pastry lined muffin tray.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until custard is set.
* You can check to see if custard is set but gently shaking the tin.  If the mixture seems wobbly then it may need a few more minutes.

serves 12