They say that necessity is the mother of invention. Well, I cannot claim that a homemade virgin mojito mix is a “necessity” per se, but wanting to keep things as simple as possible, I came up with this fuss-free recipe in advance of our midsummer supper (which took place on our boat in the archipelago). The aim…
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TWO-POTATO PASTIES WITH HOMEMADE ROUGH PUFF PASTRY (a journey to River Cottage, part 2)
My childhood tuck shop school lunches growing up Down Under often featured the ubiquitous Aussie sausage roll/pie/pasty, all impossible to find in this part of the world unless you are prepared to pay exorbitant prices for factory-made, frozen versions at The English Shop (which, no doubt, many a homesick Aussie is wont to do). These undoubtably healthier veggie…
JAMIE OLIVER'S FOOD REVOLUTION DAY (+ super-easy recipes for pantry staples: lemon curd, ketchup & garlic-infused olive oil)
In preparation for Food Revolution Day, my home became a test kitchen of sorts. After scouring the internet for recipes to make for our little food club’s Food Revolution Day event, I settled upon the following 3; a zesty lemon curd, a delicious ketchup and a versatile garlic-infused olive oil. I chose these recipes (featured at the end…
BEETROOT & WALNUT HUMMUS, BABA GANOUSH & GARLIC FLATBREADS (a journey to River Cottage, part 1)
I am unapologetically, unashamedly, unabashedly obsessed with the River Cottage phenomenon and the “real food” philosophy of back-to-basics tour de force Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall! This one-sided love affair began when we (my husband, L and I) were invited to afternoon tea by a friend sometime during the early summer last year. Upon the bookshelf behind me sat a…
VEGAN BANANA WALNUT BREAD (so easy, so delicious)
What do you do on a sunny Sunday morning when you discover that the bananas you bought last week are fast approaching the overripe stage? Bake banana bread, that’s what! In keeping with my recent attempts to “healthify” my diet and lifestyle, this version of banana bread contains no added oils/butter/fats, no eggs and no…
THE COMPLETE BLESSINGWAY ROUND-UP (with LOTS of FREE printables, great blessingway/baby shower activities + links to all recipes & tutorials)
So, Baby Cupcake is due to make an appearance in the world in less than 4 weeks (yes, less than 28 days!). After having had complications from the very start (plus a diagnosed high risk pregnancy condition) and spending months literally counting down the days to full-term, I finally find myself on its doorstep. And now…
PINK LEMONADE (with fresh lemons & cranberry juice)
So, I finally got around to blogging about this recipe (recently mentioned in my New Year’s Eve menu post)! I was so excited to get the opportunity to try making pink lemonade for the very first time in advance of my blessingway/baby shower and I hope that you’ll love this recipe as much as I now do!…
OUR HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE (+ recipes for Black Bean & Pineapple Guacamole, Veggie Quesadillas, Cornmeal & Pineapple Cake with Whipped Coconut Cream… AND a DIY Sparkle Jar!)
Happy New Year, all! I hope that 2013 is off to a great start for you and that your New Year’s celebrations were fabulous! Being rather heavily pregnant (35 weeks), still on sick leave and having a 21 month-old little guy in tow, I decided it wise to have a small family party at home…
CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES LITTLE HANDS CAN HELP WITH (even those belonging to small toddlers)
As Christmas drew near, I was determined to find activities that my 21 month-old L could join in with (he was already filled with the Christmas spirit and had been singing “Bingle Bells” for weeks prior to Christmas!). This is a post about a small selection of activities that we found highly enjoyable and little hands-friendly…
EDIBLE FESTIVE GIFTS: NUTELLA WALNUT FUDGE, EASY MINCE PIES & PEPPERMINT CHOCOLATE BARK (+ season's greetings to you!)
This is my first Christmas ever as the mother to a nursery school-aged toddler, thus preparing holiday gifts for teachers was a brand new experience. Being right in the thick of Christmas DIY-style, I thought I’d attempt to make all of my gifts for L’s teachers at home (even the gift tags, based on my…










