Easy shortcrust pastry

Today is the last day of the school holidays, even though I love the holidays Im welcoming the change this week.
Lunches to be organized, for a very long time my father allways said why dont you make your own pastry, I allways bought the sheet pastry {how lazy of me} today I made my own shortcrust pastry to make little egg and bacon pies for the school lunches and I was surprised how easy it was, so Im now converted I will never buy shortcrust pastry again.

With just a little help from this lovely mixer.

And this trusty old rolling pin which was my fathers and since he doesnt bake much now he gave it to me, it was his Mothers, so its had a good work out in the family.

They dont look great but they tasted scrumptious, kids loved them.

Recipe for very easy shortcrust pastry is
2 cups plain flour
1/2 teasp salt
125 g butter chopped
1/4 cup water
and mix
roll out
Very nice pastry

All in a days work

A quick trip for my opp shop fix I found this cute monopoly game from 1936 complete with money and wooden houses. I didnt plan to buy this it was just the tin I wanted but I got the lot for $8.00 so I was happy, the tin that contained the money and houses was a Macrobertsons tin which I collect so this was a bonus.

I love school holidays but I just cant get to opp shops as much as I would like to. I have a room full of treasures to list on ebay but havnt had time for that either.
Today was a busy day mowed for 3 hours, weeded {only a little} cleaned spouts, kids cleaned car, potted plants, kids moved pavers, moved guinea pigs around a little and cleaned them, cleaned chook pen. spring cleaned 2 rooms {the rest of house to go}.
Often people say to me did you see such and such a show on the tv......... I NEVER  watch tv, it bores me, I like to be busy and do constructive things, after Im to tired to do anything around the house I usually read blogs, ebay, or read books.
Although occasionaly I may watch a dvd  maybe once a week .

We have had some beautiful little guinea pigs born in the last 2 weeks , this little girl is a day old and I will be keeping her, her Mum is white sheltie and father is a himalayan sheba yak.

Guinea pigs are gorgeous little creatures they love company so its allways best to keep more than one of the same sex.

My loganberries are coming along nicely, oh how I cant wait for these to fruit.

 

Simple home cooking

                                                  Spicy Pumpkin soup
1 large butternut pumpkin { or what ever pumpkin you have}
1 large carrot
1 sweet potatoe
1 onion
chicken stock to cover
red curry paste
1 tsp cummin
1 teasp coriander
 1 tblsp sugar
1 can coconut milk
 
fry up the onion and spices in saucepan add the pumpkin, carrot and sweet potatoe, then add chicken stock ,coconut milk and sugar.
Once all cooked puree

                                                              Apricot slice
1 pkt malt biscuits crushed
1/2 can condensed milk
4 tblsp butter
Melt and mix together and press into a slice dish.
topping
1 cup sultanas
1 pkt chopped apricots 200g
1 1/2 cups coconut
1/2 tin condensed milk
Mix together and put on top of base

Zucchini Slice

This is a great recipe for a take anywhere snack the kids love it in their school lunches, you can add alsorts of things to it.

5 Eggs
1 cup of SR flour
375g zucchini grated
1 large onion chopped
200g bacon chopped
1 cup of cheese grated
1/4 cup of oil
 method
Preheat oven to 180 Grease and line a lamington tin.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl add the flour then add zucchini, onion, bacon and cheese. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes.
Its a great quick snack , great eaten cold.

It really is worth keeping some chooks in the backyard, such entertaining creatures.

A touch of Spring

Here in Beautiful Ballarat we have had a small touch of spring, just a few days so far really.
But it was enough to mow the lawns ,weed, and just enjoy the nature outside.

The fruit trees are all blossoming in my yard.
Baby animals are being born.

This photo is of 3 baby alpaca cross mini sheba yaks. We have 7 babies at the moment and a few more due in the next few weeks. The poor Mum who is a alpaca has no fur it looks like Ive shaved her as these bubs just sit near her chewing her fur, baby guinea pigs love to chew fur and I notice its the males who do this.

Also my long awaited tri colour mini lops have been born all 7 of them. They are extremeley adorable and so friendly I dont want to part with any, they will make lovely pets I wish I could keep them all.

Eggs are in abundance all the girls are laying, the girl in the picture is my naughty girl who escapes almost every day visits the neighbours , walks across the road to the building site, I swear she just wants me to look like the crazy lady walking up the street with a chook under arm. I wont part with her though as she has so much personality ,she is just naughty.

The Ballarat Vintage clothing fair has been and gone, it was a fantastic day with so many lovely stalls and beautiful items it is held at the Brown Hill Hall. I bought this lovely coat and its a keeper, I wont be reselling this. The racks behind it are full of vintage clothing that I just havnt had time to list on ebay, I tend to get a bit of a collection hold on to it for a while then sell it off, I think I like to hoard vintage clothes. I just love them, so much nicer than the mass produced rubbish today.

Macaroons

Winter school holidays are here again , I love school holidays there is usually a bit of baking going on and we decided to tackle macaroons, I have never made them before or eaten them, I had watched a show on making them a few days ago, I think it was French food safari.
There were so many recipes on the internet , and I finally have a chance to use my new fancy red beaters, I have had the same beaters for 20 years I think they cost $20.00 so two weeks ago I decided to treat myself to Catch of the days special red beaters and Im quite loving them.

   

Macaroons with chocolate ganache

100 grams of egg whites

110 grams of almond meal

165 grams pure icing sugar

60 grams of castor sugar

Process almond meal with icing sugar sift

Beat egg white till foamy gradually add castor sugar.

Beat until stiff

Fold in the egg white mix with the almond meal and icing sugar mix in well.

Place in piping bag.

Pre heat oven 180c

the turn down to 160c

line baking trays with baking paper pipe mixture onto trays

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes

Ganache

100 grams of chocolate

100 grams of cream

20 grams of butter

Melt altogether in saucepan

refridgerate until cool

cream together macaroons.

These were a beautiful texture

Cant wait to experiment with different flavours next time

A funeral

This last 12 months I have attended 3 funerals , one was a friend then a week later my beloved Mother then just this week my Aunty June ( my fathers sister).
My Auntys funeral even though very sad it was beautiful for a family that hadnt seen each other for many years. I sat and watched my father chat with brothers he hadnt seen for 35 years, it was like my Aunty had got the whole family together, I often hear Dad talk about his childhood but when they all got together and spoke about it, it was just beautiful , old memories of Ballarat in the 50s and 60s, of bakerys and houses and people.
Very funny memories when he was a child, Aunty June was 20 when Dad was born so she looked after Dad most of the time and he spent every school holidays with her, she bought him gifts home from work all the time, she was a very caring sister to Dad as a child.
My deepest sympathy goes to her family as she was a loved Mother and grandmother .
Our family both on my Mothers and fathers side go back 6 generations just in Ballarat so there is a lot of history in this town in our familys.
I have my father recording in a book his childhood memories as its one of my favourite things to listen to.
I have read this book to the kids and they just love it, I was going to just read one part but they didnt want me to stop and were yelling more more pleeeeease.
I think everybody should keep a journal with some of there fond memories in it, as otherwise they are lost even though people tell them they may forget bits and pieces thats why we have to write things down.
How things have changed in Ballarat, my father lived in central Ballarat in Lyons st and if he takes us for a walk up sturt st , how things have changed in his stories.
The grocer, the butcher, the pigman, bakeries,trams, the night time serial around the radio, toast on the fire, supper, the whole community.
We have become to busy, a throw away society{ there once were bootmakers to fix our shoes now throw them away buy a new pair} In another 50 years I wonder what Ballarat will be like .

For me I really like the sound of the way things were back then, people seemed so much nicer.