Archive for October, 2008

Point Form Thursday

Thursday, October 30th, 2008 at 8:49 pm 
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point form thursday button

Tina over at Mummified Times Five has started Point Form Thursday and I thought I’d join in considering I haven’t had internet access for the last couple of days.

So here we go:

  • I was disconnected from the internet for 5 days, 20 hours, 37 minutes and 4 seconds…. but who’s counting!
  • I can NOT function properly without the internet!
  • We moved house – didn’t move far though, we moved just up the street!
  • The new house has a bigger kitchen
  • The new house has an ensuite :)
  • The new house has a bigger lounge room
  • I like the new house :)
  • I am sick of unpacking boxes
  • I am sick of cleaning the walls in the old house
  • I have 1000+ items in my Google Reader so guess what I am going to be doing for the next couple of hours?

An Update!

Thursday, October 30th, 2008 at 8:52 am 
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The move went well and we are all settling in. Our broadband is still not connected, so Rob went and got a prepaid dial up plan so that we can check our emails, do banking and I can keep up with my eBay auctions. But we can’t do much more than that. So this is just a quick update to thank you all for your comments and to let you know that I am still around and will be back to my regular blogging soon.

It’s Official – We Are Moving!

Wednesday, October 15th, 2008 at 7:17 pm 
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moving boxes

In a week and a half we are leaving the home that we have lived in for the last 10 years and we will be moving into a different house. I mentioned a few weeks back that our landlord was selling the house that we are renting. Luckily we will be moving to a house just up the street. The new house is also bigger, it still only has 3 bedrooms but it has bigger living areas and a bigger kitchen which I am excited about. Oh and it also has an ensuite, so finally we will have 2 toilets.

We have been slowly packing away things that don’t get used often and I have to say I have been surprised at the amount of stuff that we have. I’m not a keeper, I throw stuff out all the time, but still we have a house full of stuff.  I have decided that I am not taking anything I don’t want to the new house. So that means going through everything and tossing or giving away anything we don’t use, love or want.

I plan on spending the majority of tomorrow packing up more stuff. Most likely some of the kids toys and books and things.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday, October 13th, 2008 at 10:44 am 
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menu plan monday

Monday
Dinner – Meatballs, Oriental Rice and steamed vegetables

Tuesday
Dinner – Feta and Bacon Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Wednesday
Dinner – Crumbed Fish, Mashed Potato and Vegetables

Thursday
Dinner – Grilled Roasted Garlic Teriyaki Chicken

Friday
Dinner – Taco Casserole

Saturday
Dinner – It’s easy night – probably cheese on toast!

Sunday
Dinner – Dinner at Mum and Dads

Extras
Ham and Tomato Cheese Scrolls – to put in the feezer for the kids school lunches
Mini Banana Muffins with Cream-Cheese Icing

Thanks to Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for hosting Menu Plan Monday. Go and check out more great menus!.

Basic Pound Cake

Sunday, October 12th, 2008 at 8:19 am 
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pound cake

Ingredients (serves 10)

  • Melted butter (optional), for greasing
  • 250g unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
  • 220g (1 cup) caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 4 large (59g each) eggs, at room temperature
  • 250g (1 2/3 cups) plain flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • Icing sugar (optional), to serve

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Measure all your ingredients. I like to use cultured unsalted butter, which is simply unsalted butter with a culture added. The culture imparts a subtle, tangy flavour that lifts the flavour of the cake without the addition of salt. It is important to have both the butter and eggs at room temperature before you begin making the cake. The room temperature butter will transform to a light, creamy texture more readily when beaten with the sugar, and the eggs will incorporate more air and give a lighter texture. If these ingredients are chilled, the mixture will curdle when the eggs are added and can give the cake a heavy, coarse and uneven texture. Have all the required utensils close at hand. You will need a large (13.5 x 23.5cm, top measurement) loaf pan. If not using a non-stick pan, brush the pan with the melted butter to grease and then line the base with non-stick baking paper.
  2. Beat the butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer or hand beaters on high until smooth. Add the caster sugar and vanilla essence and beat until very pale (almost white) and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally to make sure the ingredients are evenly combined. The final texture of the cake will be affected by the type of beater/s you use. It is best to use a regular beater/s as opposed to a whisk attachment. The idea of beating the butter and sugar is not only to combine the two but also to incorporate air. A whisk attachment can be used but you will find that it won’t beat the butter as vigorously and the resulting texture of the cake will be more coarse and less even. Beating butter and sugar until almost white in colour also softens the butter enough to incorporate the eggs without the mixture curdling.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well, on high, after each addition, and scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently. If the eggs are added too quickly or, as mentioned in step 1, if they are too cold, the mixture will curdle and in turn will affect the texture of the cake. Make sure you beat the mixture very well after each egg is added. If the mixture starts to curdle, stand the bowl in a sink of warm water, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon so the butter doesn’t melt, for 15-30 seconds to warm the mixture and then continue beating.
  4. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Gently fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture with a spatula or large metal spoon until combined. Be careful not to over-mix or the cake will develop a tough texture.
  5. Spoon the cake mixture into the loaf pan and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Smoothing the surface will help the cake rise more evenly.
  6. Bake in preheated oven for 50-55 minutes or until cooked through. When ready, the cake will start pulling away from the sides of the pan and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake will come out clean. Stand the cake in the pan for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack. Turn the cake the right way up and cool to room temperature. Cooling the cake on a wire rack will prevent it from steaming in its own heat trapped by the pan and will encourage a crisp crust to form. Sprinkle with icing sugar, if desired, and cut into slices to serve. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Notes & tips

  • Variations:
  • Almond pound cake: Reduce butter to 200g and add 100g almond meal with the flour and baking powder. Continue as in the basic recipe.
  • Chocolate pound cake: Omit the vanilla. Gradually mix 125mls (1/2 cup) hot water into 50g (1/2 cup) sifted cocoa powder until smooth. Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the butter mixture after adding the eggs and continue as in the basic recipe.
  • Strawberry pound cake: Roughly chop 250g (1 punnet) of washed, hulled strawberries and toss in a little of the flour before folding into the butter and egg mixture. Continue as in the basic recipe.
  • Madeira cake: Omit the vanilla. Add the finely grated rind of 3 oranges to the butter and sugar mixture before beating in the eggs. Continue as in the basic recipe.
  • Lemon poppyseed pound cake: Omit the vanilla. Add the finely grated rind of 3 lemons to the butter and sugar mixture before beating in the eggs. Fold in 1/2 the flour mixture. Then fold in 80mls (1/3 cup) fresh lemon juice and 2 tbs poppyseeds followed by the remaining flour mixture. Continue as in the basic recipe.
  • Tip: Toast slices of stale pound cake, drizzle with golden syrup or honey, and serve with poached fruit and whipped cream, thick cream or ice-cream.

Recipe Source: Taste.com.au

Photo Source: stu_spivack

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Sunday, October 12th, 2008 at 8:11 am 
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I was just browsing through the Essential Baby Forums and found Xiola’s recipe for Chocolate Fudge Cake, it has gotten a lot of good comments so I’m going to give it a go :) Here’s the recipe:

1 2/3 cups plain flour
1 1/2 tsp soda bi-carb
1 tsp salt (I don’t add salt as I use salted butter)
2/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
2 eggs
60g butter, softened (nearly melted)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I’ve used olive oil and it’s fine)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tblsp vinegar (I always use brown, I reckon it makes the cake richer and more moist…my mum swears by white) and enough milk to make 1 1/2 cups

Mix everything together and beat with electric mixer for three minutes or until thoroughly combined. Cook at 180 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday, October 6th, 2008 at 6:20 am 
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menu plan monday

It is the Thanksgiving Edition of MPM, this week, but we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here in Australia, so my menu consists of fast and easy meals because it is still school holidays here!

Monday
Dinner - Feta Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Breasts and steamed vegetables

Tuesday
Dinner – Crunchy Nut Chicken and salad

Wednesday
Dinner – Rissoles, Mashed Potato and steamed vegetables

Thursday
Dinner – Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Friday
Dinner - Crockpot Vegetable Curry

Saturday
Dinner – It’s easy night – probably cheese on toast!

Sunday
Dinner – Dinner at Mum and Dads

Extras
Taco Roll Ups – to put in the feezer for the kids school lunches
Mini Banana Muffins with Cream-Cheese Icing


Thanks to Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for hosting Menu Plan Monday. Go and check out more great menus!.

1 Week Down, 1 Week To Go!

Saturday, October 4th, 2008 at 7:48 pm 
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24th september 2008 048.jpg

Riley at the Pools!

I’ve been a bit quite this week. I decided to take a little break from blogging while the kids were on school holidays!

We haven’t done a great deal these holidays but the kids did have a sleep over at my Aunt’s house. She is one very brave lady. She went from 2 kids to 6 kids, and they are all under 10 years. It was Riley’s (4yrs) first time having a sleepover somewhere other than Nan and Pop’s, so he was very excited.

On Thursday we took all the kids to the local pools. We spent a few hours there which was lots of fun. The girls got to brush up on their swimming skills and have a play in the water. Even Riley was much keener to get into the water than he normally is. Sophie how ever clung to Rob like a little koala and wouldn’t let go in fear that I was going to take her in the water with me. She hates water, screams when I put her in the bath and screams when I put her in the pool.

Next week we are planning on going to the movies, taking a walk to the creek, going to the local library, visiting a friend and her 6 girls, meeting with my Mums Group at the park and having my 2 cousins come and have a sleep over. So it should be a fun week!