Little Creations

Oh Dahl!!

2012-02-13T17:04:00.000-08:00

So last year there were 2 cookbooks that I read and read but never really did any cooking from.
They were: Eamon Sullivans - Eamon's Kitchen and Janella Purcell's - Eating for the seasons.

Both these books have a lot of information about what the food actually does for our bodies, which I am really into at the moment.

As I have just had baby number 2 I am thinking more and more about what I can/should be eating to stay fuller for longer and what is actually good for my body in a medicinal sense. Unfortunately I'm not getting any younger now and have 2 young kids that will need me for awhile yet. So I am Trying (with a capital T) this year to be a little bit better at putting better things into my body.

So I dusted off Janella's book and found something that I just love when I eat out. DAHL
It's one of those meals that falls into the "fuller for longer" category but is super super tasty.
Now I didn’t have all the ingredients listed so below is what I used and it turned out amazing.

I am super lucky that my beautiful 5 year old will try and anything and she loved this soooo much she has already asked for it again.

Dahl
½ Large Onion – diced
½ Cup Celery – diced
1 x 400g Can of Lentils - rinsed

2 tblspn Olive Oil

2 Cloves of garlic - crushed

1 tblspn of grated ginger

1 tblspn of each – Turmeric, Garam Masala & Ground Cumin

500ml of Stock (I used Chicken, recipe calls for Veggie)

Place oil in warm pan, add in your onion and sweat down. Then add celery, garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes.

Then add all your spices and coat your veg (If spices start to stick to pan add a little of the stock). Then in with the lentils. Once these guys are also coated well add in your stock.

Bring to the boil then reduce to a small simmer for about 20 mins.

Garnish with some coriander and lemon if you like.

I served it with some Organic Brown Rice and heated a few Roti Breads I had in the bottom of the freezer. I was worried it wouldn’t be enough of a “man meal” for my hubby so grilled some prawns. Once we started eating we decided next time no prawns as the meal was very filling!!

Time for change

2012-01-29T18:42:00.000-08:00

Well I think I have been pretty unsuccessful in working on my blog in 2011. So this year is all about change.

I have so many things I want to share with you and so many things I want to get your advice on.

Since my last post I have had a baby boy and am a week away from sending my first child off to school. Both of these are very exciting and scary at the same time.

So stand by for a new look Little Creations blog.

See you soon.

Rain...Rain...Go Away...

2011-07-10T00:39:00.000-07:00

In our house when it’s cold and wet we tend to hibernate. Cuddles on the couch with a blanket and lots of cups of tea.

Today was another rainy day in Melbourne so we were a little house bound…what to do?

When in Kmart the other day I found these great activity boxes. There are a few different themes to them – paints box, crafts box, drawing box etc etc. In line with Kmart’s low prices they were only $10!! Bargain!!!!

So I got us the Craft box and that came out today. It was great to make little things out of pipe cleaners and fluffy balls and even better watching what creations my daughter came up with.

After a couple hours of creating I wanted to have another go at making a Carrot & Walnut Cake. It is one of my favorites but I never seem to get it to the “cake shop” standard.

Today must have been my day, because this one is a winner! The recipe I started with was from the Cake Mistress (great blog go visit - http://thecakemistress.com/blog/), I have changed some of the timings and qty’s to what I had at home – still tasted AMAZING!!

CARROT CAKE

1 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Vegetable Oil
3 Eggs
Pinch Salt
1/2 teaspoon Bicarb Soda
2 cups Self Raising Flour
2 cups finely grated Carrot
1/2 cup Walnuts, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Nutmeg
Cream Cheese Frosting
From Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook
300g Icing sugar
125g Cream Cheese, cold
50g Unsalted Butter, room temp

DIRECTIONS
Cake
Pre heat oven to 180 degrees
Beat sugar and oil, then add 1 egg at a time and keep beating for a few more minutes.
Add salt, bicarb soda, carrots, flour, walnuts and spices.
Mix with wooden spoon until all combined.
Put batter in well greased loaf pan or tin and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until light golden and cake springs back when touched in the middle.
Frosting
Beat the icing sugar and butter together with an electric mixer until well mixed.
Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated.
Turn the mixer up to medium high. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 2 minutes. Do not overbeat

I have lost my MOJO...Help!!!

2011-06-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

I know it has been awhile since my last blog...so for that I am sorry, but I have been very busy for example this is what I did last week:

I baked a baby to weigh a full half-ounce and is now about the size of a large plum. Most of his/her systems are in place, though there's still plenty of maturing to do. For one thing, his/her fetal digestive system is beginning to practice contraction movements necessary for eating, and his bone marrow is busy making white blood cells — weapons against germs once he/she is out of my safe haven. The pituitary gland (at the base of the brain) has started producing the hormones that'll enable him/her to make babies of his/her own in a couple of decades or so.

So it has been a busy 12 or so weeks so now and I am slowly starting to feel like a normal person again. I know the reward far out weights everything else...BUT this morning sickness is just horrid!

The other thing I am really upset with at the moment is the lack of love and motivation I have for cooking. For anyone who knows me I love to cook and love to do it whenever I can. I cant remember being like this with my first, but I have completely lost my cooking mojo!

The family over the past few weeks have lived off Chicken Wraps and Pasta, although very tasty not very adventurist or fun!

So my aim this week is to try and get some of my rhythm back.

If you have felt like this before and know of any quick yummy recipes that can help me get through, PLEASE drop me a line.....

A day home mid week....what to do!

2011-05-24T21:59:00.000-07:00

I think the only positive to come out of your kids being sick with a common cold, is that you get to spend a day at home and catch up on a few things.

Today ALL the washing got done, bathroom cleaned and a general tidy through out the house! There is only one thing left to do and that’s fix the toilet that has been running for a week. Thank god for Google that’s all I can say. But I think that will be last on the list.

We are just about to go on a family holiday to Perth, so we are getting very excited! We are only there a week but I feel in much need of a get away as work is becoming more and more unfulfilling. But before we depart we have my sister in law and her partner staying for the weekend. They live in Sydney so we don’t get to catch up all that much anymore. So a busy week ahead!!!

Today I really wanted to write about a few different foods my daughter has started to eat, or should I say request. I am very lucky that she will give anything a go but for her pallet to want these foods could not make me happier.

So request number 1 has been watermelon with ricotta on top. I gave her this a few weeks ago and it has now become a huge favourite. So very happy with that one. I’m not sure what it is that makes it so good for her, maybe the different textures? I have asked her but she just say’s “it’s yum!”

Next request came from the power of television. She asked for the Mission Baked Tortilla Strips with ALL the different dipping condiments that was on the TV also. So I made up a batch of home made guacamole and a corn salsa and arranged it on a pretty plate for her. It is now the after school snack she is dying for when she gets home.

I don’t have any photos of the above, but seeing it is now on high rotation I’m sure I will be able to post one soon. However below in my version of a quick and easy guacamole and corn salsa.

Guacamole

1 Large ripe Avocado

½ Red Capsicum

½ Juice of a Lemon

½ Tbls Greek Yogurt

Salt & Pepper (optional)

Mash Avocado in a bowl; add in finely diced Caps and lemon juice. Mix in yogurt and add salt & pepper to taste.

Corn Salsa

1 whole Corn (cooked)

½ Pear

1 small Tomato

½ Tbls Greek Yogurt

Squeeze of Lime juice

Cut the corn off the cob, mash about half and keep the rest whole. Finely dice up the pear (I like to use Mango, but not available). With the tomato I cut in half and scoop out all the insides then finely dice same size as the pear. Add the yogurt (this was more so it was a bit more of a dip – I don’t use yogurt if having this on chicken or fish) and lime juice and you done!

Hope your little one’s like this if your going to give it a go! It’s a really nice and healthy snack that the whole family can enjoy also.

Happy Easter Indeed

2011-05-02T02:16:00.000-07:00

Well what a wonderful Easter we just had. Melbourne turned on some great weather and it made the 5 day break seem like 10!

My little family always stays in Melbourne for Easter and travel back home to Adelaide for Christmas. We really enjoy the time off together and not having to worry about driving around for Good Friday, Easter Sat, Sun & Mon.

Good Friday is when I like to put on a bit of a family feast! This year was no different – I went back to South Melbourne Markets and got some lovely bits of Seafood. Prawns, Oyster and Whiting were served along side 2 salads – one being my daughters new favourite, Caprese and the other being a blend of Chinese Cabbage, spring onion, flaked almonds, crispy noodles and dressed with an Asian dressing. The photos don’t really do it justice – we couldn’t get it all on the table.

DELICIOUS - I could eat prawns everyday!!!!

Easter Saturday was a bit different for me I actually left the house and went for a wonderful lunch with a couple girlfriends. We headed to Maze, which is Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant at the Crown Metropol.

I enjoyed the maze’s signature tasting sized dishes which meant I could choose any 3 for $35 (I think). I went for the below:

Marinated beetroot with goats curd
Cabernet Sauvignon vinaigrette and toasted pine nuts

Slow cooked octopus
chorizo, grilled capsicum, purslane

Gisbourne duck leg
Sweet corn, cracked wheat, fig jam

I must say that it was very good and absolute highlight was the duck, oh and the 2 glasses of Shiraz!!

If your ever in town and want to try something a bit fancy I would recommend.

http://www.gordonramsay.com/mazemelbourne/

Sunday was back to reality where the house needed to be cleaned and the washing needed to be done. The reward was going to the movies at the end of the day with the family to see HOP.

The movie itself was nothing special, but it is always great to see and hear your kids laughing and smiling at what they love about these kind of movies.

So finally its Monday and the Easter Bunny had dropped past while we were sleeping. My daughter was super excited and we had the mother of all egg hunts – 30 eggs in total were found…did I mention I work for a chocolate company!?

So now its back to work and the week and a bit has already flown. Ah hurry up next long weekend.

What a lovely Sunday

2011-04-17T03:05:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days where I woke up and knew I had to go into work and tie up some loose ends, but I also knew that once that was done I was going to spend some quality time with my daughter. Also today was going to be the day I posted my first blog! So a little bit of pain for a lot of pleasure.
I had planned to take my daughter down to the South Melbourne Markets as she was due for a market experience and I saw a fairy skirt there the other week I knew she would love.
We headed in and straight away my little one was buzzing with excitement – the sounds of the grocer’s yelling out there specials for the day, the overwhelming amount of cakes and biscuits and then there was all the toy and clothes.
I took her to the “fairy skirt” shop first and she picked out what she wanted, then she asked if she could get our dog Sunny a bone so that was next on the list. We then took in all the sites of the amazing fresh produce and seafood before getting a lovely loaf of Whole Meal Walnut bread, for $2 mind you! We then stopped in for and Adriano Zumbo macaroon before heading home.

My Sunday ritual is to always make up some yummy lunches for my husband and me to take to work, today’s menu was Chicken Salad’s. My daughter however has wanted me to make sausage rolls.

So we ended today with making some old fashioned home made Sausage Rolls.

SAUSAGE ROLLS

§ 500g of sausage mince

§ 1 large onion (grated)

§ 2 carrots (grated)

§ 1 Zucchini (grated)

§ 1 teaspoon of parsley

§ 2 generous tablespoons of Tomato Relish (a nice chunky one)

§ ½ teaspoon of mixed herbs

§ ½ teaspoon salt and cracked pepper

§ Breadcrumbs to bind ( I used a couple slices from a lovely whole meal with Walnuts Loaf)

§ 3-4 sheets of puff pastry

§ Egg for glazing

There are only 3 people living in my house so this much mixture is way too much – death by sausage rolls! So I put half the mix in a snap lock bag and put in the freezer for a rainy Sunday.

Mix all ingredients together in a big bowl – get the kids involved (with clean hands of course).

Cut each sheet of puff pastry in half and then spoon mixture down the middle.

Brush one side with the egg wash and fold around on its self.

Pop the roll onto a tray lined with baking paper and brush with more egg wash.

Once all done pop into a pre heated oven on 180 (fan forced) for 16 – 18 minutes or till golden brown.

I served with the same Tomato Relish that I used in the mix – thanks Janet & Eric at Laurmar Glen farm stay they make a delish Relish! (http://www.laurimarglenfarmstay.com.au/)

Now if you’re looking for a more adult version to serve at a party/function add some chili and use the meat from a premium blend sausage. There are plenty of them around but make sure its Premium Blend like a Pork and Sage, Lamb and Rosemary you know the ones I mean

You can also add any veg you want for you kids - Broccoli, corn, peas the list goes on. I have learnt from Veggie Smugglers (http://vegiesmugglers.com.au/) anything in pastry gets gobbled up!