Bread Pudding with Chocolate Chips.

Let's face it.

Everything is better with chocolate.

After Christmas and New Years, which I always over cater for, I have unbelievable amounts food left over.  Especially bread. I have loaves in the freezer, loaves in the bread box, bread flour in the cupboard.. 

So what to do with such an excess of bread...?

I decided it was best to bake with it.. And add a bit of chocolate.

This recipe was my favourite by far. I've always wanted to make Bread and Butter Pudding, but this one won outright - because it has chocolate in it too.

I don't get why it has butter in the name, so I'm omitting that, adding some more chocolate - and running with Bread Pudding with Chocolate Chips.

If I was more fancy I'd rename it something like brudding or chocreaddding.

But I'm no Nigella Lawson.

I just love bread. And chocolate.

Bread Pudding with Chocolate Chips.

• 250grams stale(ish) bread cut down to thumb size
• 100grams chocolate chips - or more if you like, which I do, I used about 1 cup. But after tasting would use a little bit more.
• 3 eggs
• 40grams Soft Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons of Water - Nigella uses dark rum.. Water is a perfectly fine substitute.
• 125ml Double Cream
• 500ml Full Cream Milk
• Sprinkling of Raw Sugar
• Butter for greasing the tin

Preheat oven to 170degrees.

After greasing pan, tip in chopped bread and chocolate chips - making sure it's evenly spread.

Whisk together eggs, sugar, rum (or water), cream and milk. 

Pour the whisked mixture over the bread, softly pushing the bread down to soak up more of the mixture, and leave for 20mins to soak the mixture up. 

Then sprinkle with sugar. Pop it straight into the oven for 40-50mins turning to make sure its browning evenly if necessary.

A fluffy, custard, chocolate hinted dessert.. YUM!

Xx

Resolutions.

Seeing as my resolution to write more frequently in the latter half of last year fell by the way side. I've decided to make 'simpler' resolutions for 2012.


Resolution; a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.

Do things that make me happy. 

That's my big resolution for 2012.  To choose happiness.


Happiness can come in any form.  Be it a kind word from a friend. A picture that makes you smile. A scent that brings back a memory. Visiting friends you barely see. Exercising more.


Or actively gritting your teeth when you're frustrated and reminding yourself.


I. Choose. Happiness.


I choose happiness daily.


Generally I am a fairly happy person anyway.  I like to look on the bright side and see things in a positive light.  My motto when presented with challenges has always been ''We'll find a way." 


And I always do.


I do believe every person can improve though.  So from here on out, I am actively seeking happiness. Becoming more aware of the beautiful things, people and life surrounding me.  


Starting ......... Nnnnnnnnnow!

Finding joy in drying herbs and planting flowers.

Seeing that your cat loves your garden too.

Pretty flowers that make me smile.

Xx

Spinach and Feta Pie

Two of my best friends are currently driving across America.


I realise that Spinach and Feta Pie has nothing to do with America. But the custom of making a pie does.


Recently I discovered a recipe from a very quaint West Australian café, Boucla, in a magazine. A recipe for Spanakopita.


Now I certainly cannot correctly pronounce Spanakopita. Not as well as it sounds in my mind anyway! So I'm going with Spinach and Feta Pie. A loose translation..

So what does this Greek, Spanakopita Pie have to do with America? 


Two things. 


The heavily American 'accented' texts I was receiving, from said travelling friends, as I was reading the recipe.. Making me laugh out loud, and acquire strange stares from fellow patrons.
Secondly the action of making a pie, and by default, leaving it to cool on the back table.


And to the latter, my housemate laughed. 


Like, actually out loud at me when it happened.


''So typically American!'' She laughed, as I placed it on the table and then hastily took it back inside for fear of flies, bees and further ridicule.


Well for one the pie is Greek. And two. Well there isn't a two. It's just that any argument sounds better with a backup.


So here I share with you, the salty delicious-ness of the Spanakopita Pie, originally from Boucla, translated and Callie-fied into the Spinach and Feta Pie.

Version One. Spanakopita Pie.





Or if you're more into the individual mini pies..

Spinach and Feta Pie

• 500gms Baby Spinach
• 500gms Danish Feta crumbled
• Half a bunch of Spring Onions chopped thinly
• Generous pinch or two of Pepper
• 4 eggs
• Dash of lemon juice (to de-bitter the Spinach and Onions)
• Sheet of Puff Pastry plus whisked Egg to brush on top.
• Sesame Seeds for sprinkling to look pretty optional

Place Spinach, Feta, Spring Onions, Pepper and 4 eggs in a big bowl. Mix to combine all ingredients. Place in pie dish (dependant on dish you may need to grease the bottom) cover with Puff Pastry, and brush with whisked Egg. Sprinkle Sesame Seeds.

Cover loosely with Alfoil and bake in a Preheated Oven of 180degrees for 15minutes. Then remove Alfoil and continue to bake for 20-25mins, or until top is golden and crunchy.

Y.U.M.

Originally this recipe was for double all ingredients, but I didn't feel the need for such a large pie.. Nor do I have a pie dish big enough! 


*Side note two, whilst re-baking this recipe I decided to try it in mini pie format... And to be honest, I prefer it! Mini pies made by quartering puff pastry, placing the wet ingredients in the middle, then slicing small cuts into the four corners and sides. Then wrapping it up like a parcel.

Xx

Clouds

heavy clouds.
soft floating clouds.
clouds full and bursting.
ever changing.
clear clouds.
picture clouds.
clouds that drift.
clouds that fly.


Clouds take my imagination. They take it away to a place where Care Bears live. Where wishing chairs fly and magic trees grow wild. Where beanstalks climb and harps sing...

Image

Xx

Cranberry Breakfast Bars

Cranberries make me feel a little bit Christmas-y...

Image

Ok, so quite a lot Christmas-y.


It doesn’t take much to tip me over into way to early Christmas excitement. I’m pretty much there already. Christmas songs are getting the sly play every now and again… Christmas tags may or may not have been purchased on etsy… I’m like an elf… But the difference is I'm just slooowwwly getting prepared for the day..

Amongst my searching for decorating ideas, I became distracted by the thought of cooking with cranberries.. Baking with cranberries.. Who bakes.. Nigella bakes! Google Nigella and cranberries.. 

Cranberry Breakfast Bars. High five Nigella! 

I'll admit, I did a little happy dance.

I've been wanting to try muesli bars for a while now, but it’s been quite hard to find a recipe that wasn't too complicated. Because let’s be honest.. I like to bake, but if the recipe calls for too many ingredients, or has too many steps… I'm out.

Cranberry Breakfast Bars

But I do love a melt and mix recipe. It makes baking easy. I found Nigella's original recipe here. Although I played with the amounts, I only really added in a touch a white chocolate chips, just for a little treat! But with the moulding ingredients of warmed condensed milk and rolled oats, you could really do this with any flavours. Hazelnuts and dark chocolate with candied orange.. Dried mango and coconut.. Mmm.. Mango...

Recipe:

• 1 can skim condensed milk *
• Almost 3 cups of rolled oats
• 1 cup cranberries
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup peanuts chopped ( I added a handful of chopped walnuts and pecans too)
• 1 cup of mixed seeds (I used sunflower kernels, pepitas and pine nuts)
• Handful (or two) of white chocolate chips - optional

Preheat to oven to 150degrees. 

Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

Warm the condensed milk on the stovetop slowly, stirring occasionally. 

Mix all ingredients into a bowl, stir warm milk through.

Bake in the oven for an hour, remove when slightly golden on top. 

Cool for 15minutes and then slice into squares. 

It helps to let it set just a little for slicing, as when it cools completely, it's harder to slice.

* I used skim milk as I'm trying to be health concious here! Also, full flavoured condensed milk may add a little too much sweetness to the bars for my liking.

Xx


Ps, all this talk of cranberries... 
Is anyone else singing.. Zombie, Zombie, Zombie-eh-eh-eh-eh........?

Daydreaming..

Have you ever had a dream that you thought was impossible? 

Maybe impossible is the wrong word.

Have you ever had a dream that you perhaps like dreaming about, more than the actual reality of it..?

I have one of those dreams.

It's a cake store... With a library. Or a book store. Or even a book swap. Or all three. Basically it's a cake store, with a load of books.

Fresh flowers would adorn every table, in sweet little jars. 

All the tea cups would be mismatched, the pastries and cakes would be served on small tiered servers. So not to block your view of the other people you're with.

It's a dream I think more and more about. I plan my menus. I imagine my store. The produce I would sell and the window displays I would create. 

It's all there in my imagination.

But for some reason I'm terrified of making it a reality.

Is it because half the fun is dreaming about it? That in my mind my picture perfect store with white washed chairs can never go into financial ruin, or get bad reviews, or have bad employees...? That in my imagination my cakes always taste amazing and are never dry?

Once, not so long ago, I was offered a job in a cupcake store, to do the front counter. I turned it down due to other commitments at the time.  But this afternoon, as I daydreamed about my forks and spoons being tied with twine, I found myself biting my lip with the tiniest amount of regret.  If I had taken the job. Would I be closer to my little dream? Would I have more of the necessary experience to make it all possible? 

Obviously there is no point squandering my time on such thoughts now. 

But it really, honestly, made me think today. That perhaps this little dream of mine isn't impossible. Maybe the only thing holding me back is fear.

Maybe I just need more practice. More experience. Maybe that time is now...?

I made a mini decision today. A mini decision to set me on the road to my little store. 

I would start practising more. Creating more. Changing recipes to suit my needs. Failure or not. I decided not to let that bother me. That the only way I can come closer to this little yellow store with white chairs and sweet treats, would be to practice. Baking. A lot.

It's only a small step. But hey, it's a step right?

So today I baked some lemon and raspberry muffins, adapting (yet again) this recipe. I used plain flour instead of wholemeal. Adjusted the sugar levels. Added an egg. 

And had an eggy failure.

But! 

I am undeterred. Tomorrow I attempt red velvet cupcakes. 

Every new recipe I try, I can add to my menus. To my special high tea menus... To my little dream kitchen.. To my little kitchen - book store... 

Xx

Friendship

When you're a child. You pick your friends based on who's the most fun. 


Or because you both hated chasey, so you would slink off to the monkey bars together and spend hours hanging upside down giggling instead.


You didn't really sit down and think about it. 


"Hmm, I would like my friend to be kind, and loyal. Fair but challenging and interesting."


That never happened.


As I've gotten older, I've met new people and made new friends, and continued to cherish my older friends. But sometimes it's just so funny how these things turn out. It's really hit me how much I value a supportive friend. Not only a fun friend, but someone who is there for you too. A friend who will encourage you and remember tiny details that even you forget yourself at times (ahem.. 16th of May day) A friend who loves you regardless, and all of your silly, pointless, crazy over the top ideas.  They listen to you, hear you out, sit back and say.. 


You know, you could do that. 


It's all of these tiny valuable attributes that make a beautiful friend. 
I feel lucky to have those friends. 
Those gorgeous supportive friends, who listen to my constantly changing and occasionally, seemingly, impossible ideas... 


"Let's build a giant NOSE for the dance item." 
"We'll DO IT!!"


Or who support my ever changing interior design ideas..


"I think we should paint a chalkboard wall and paint the kitchen yellow!" 
"Let's do it!"


Or those friends who listen to my little stories, and tell me they are the best stories they've ever heard. Or read my blog and constantly let me know their thoughts.


I value each and every single one of you so so much. You make my days brighter, and my life just that little bit easier by knowing I have you around..

Xx