For well over a year I have had one can of pumpkin purée in my pantry; one sad, lonely can, grabbed on a whim from the “American shelf” at the supermarket. I really don’t know what I intended to do with it when I bought it, but I am assuming pie factored into the equation. In…
Autumn
HONEY BUTTER WITH CINNAMON
After seeing much mention of honey butter around WordPress recently in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, I became intrigued. It sounded amazing and though I’d never tried it, let alone made it, I thought it might be worth giving a bash. Search for “honey butter” pins on Pinterest and you’re bound to come across this…
PROJECT PINTEREST, WEEK 6 (The Thanksgiving for Dummies Edition)
I blame popular culture/American films, the Facebook status updates of friends in the US, pregnancy hormones (yes, that old chestnut) and Pinterest for giving me the insane notion of hosting a Thanksgiving-themed afternoon at my place… next weekend! I have never celebrated Thanksgiving in my life! As someone who grew up in Australia and now…
ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH PIZZA
This was one of those we-don’t-have-much-time-but-we-have-lots-of-leftovers kind of meals! We had butternut squash remaining after making North African Squash & Chickpea Stew the other day, some veggie bacon bits in the freezer that needed to be used (yep, fake bacon!), a handful of mushrooms and a few other bits and pieces. We picked up one of those…
PERFECT CHEWY OAT, RAISIN & ALMOND COOKIES (utterly delicious… and "kind of" healthy)
After my one week baking hiatus, a sudden oat cookie craving came over me (can I keep blaming pregnancy hormones for these cravings?) and I found this extremely highly rated recipe online. I have made different kinds of oat cookies before and it’s hard to go wrong with them. I knew we’d have all the…
BELL PEPPERS STUFFED WITH BEANS (AKA guilt-free, gluten-free, Mex-inspired yumminess)
I must admit that this was hardly a collaborative effort between my husband and myself, although that was the original intention. I prepared the beans (by generously opening the tins) and he prepared the rest of this River Cottage-inspired recipe for a super-tasty veggie dinner (and left-over lunch). These were not only yummy, but really cute…
NORTH AFRICAN SQUASH & CHICKPEA STEW (AKA … and now for the healthy stuff!)
If you’ve read my last couple of posts, you need not wonder why I wanted to get stuck into some wholesome, healthy vegan food today! Not only did my husband and I prepare this River Cottage-inspired recipe for dinner, but for lunch we revisited an old family favourite- Red Lentil and Vegetable Soup. Operation Compensation…
VANILLA CUPCAKES WITH CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING (AKA spooktacular Halloween treats)
On any given day I am partial to baking, but I simply can’t resist the opportunity when the occasion actually calls for it. An open, English-speaking babies play group here hosts a casual Halloween party each year and parents are asked to bring snacks for sharing. Last year I made chocolate spiderweb cookies, this year…
DIY AUTUMN DECORATIONS (AKA a fun, free and eco-friendly activity to share with the kids)
It was a not-so-picturesque autumn day, but Project Pinterest (the Halloween Edition) was in full-effect! Braving the elements, we headed outside to collect autumn leaves and acorns to create some seasonal decorations for the home; specifically a leaf garland and an autumnal table centerpiece (see DIY instructions at end of post). My 19-month-old, L, loves being…
HOT CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE (AKA the easiest, fastest cake in the universe!)
If you’ve ever come across a recipe for a “mug cake” and wondered if they really are too good to be true, wonder no more! Mug cakes are fabulous, fast, so easy you’ll be able to commit the recipe to memory and, most importantly for dessert lovers, utterly delicious! I promise you that a quicker,…