My go-to recipe

I have a few go to recipes, according to the situation. 

If it calls for something sweet and snacky in a hurry I'd go for scones or pikelets or just pull out a packet of biccies. If I have a little more time I go for this good old chocolate cake recipe. Actually I whipped one up on Monday for Mr Sparky who then didn't eat any even though it was he who requested cake. It went to work with him today.

If I need a more substantial meal, usually I just slap something together. I usually have salad stuff and you can do a lot with that. A good go-to for a slap together dinner would be spaghetti bolognese, with jar sauce of cause. If we have recently had corned beef or something similar cold meat fitters are a definite maybe. They also happened over the weekend. 

Cold Meat Fritters

from the Commonsense Cookery Book

350g leftover cooked meat (I usually use corned beef)

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1/2 tsp salt (optional in recipe, I don't put it in)

Pepper to taste

1 cup SR flour

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

A little lemon juice

oil

I usually also add corn kernels, onion, chives, any other herbs or seasoning I feel like. I sometimes add tomato, and I think you could prob use frozen or tinned vege in them if you want. The ones pictured have corned beef, onion, herbs, corn and sundried tomatoes in them.

1. Dice meat

2. Place into a bowl with dry ingredients and herbs.

3. Beat egg, combine with milk and lemon juice and blend into dry mixture to form dropping consistency.

4. Heat sufficient oil to cover the surface of the pan.

5. Drop 1 tbsp of meat mixture into the oil and allow to brown. Turn and brown other side.

6. Drain on absorbent paper towel.

Now I am a slap dash cook so I just chuck all the ingredients into a bowl and mix. I also cook several at a time and probably bigger than in the recipe. I also put mine in the oven while cooking more just to avoid the cold fritter or uncooked middle problems. We often eat them with relish or chutney.

To be completely honest, on those afternoons when I end up having about an hour between jobs I just pull a bit of steak out of the freezer and throw it in the fry pan and chop some vege into a pot and boil them. If am am completely sick of that style of meal I might go for one of Mr Sparky's specialties and boil some pasta, stir through tomato soup and top with cheese. Now that is simple cooking.

Ahhh Friday!

Ahhh Friday, yes I know it is Sunday but, well this post is about Friday.

Friday was the end of a huge week but a great week.

We had the mother and child program happening at Nova and had a Mum and her two children visiting. It was challenging but fun. I hope they enjoyed it, we did.

Friday was our last day with them and our farewell BBQ day. It was also a lovely sunny day in Cairns that reached a rather warm 28 degrees C. The sun had a fair bit of bite to it as well.

We had our BBQ in the usual spot, down near the wharf. It seemed to be a popular place with a cafe that had opened up down there serving food, coffee and ice-cream. What a great place to relax.

There were boats, seagulls, fish and crabs along with the people. It was nice to sit, relax, eat our yummy BBQ while chatting and while the children played.

Friday was also our coordinator's Birthday. We organised for the kids to make her a Birthday card and I bought along a surprise birthday cheese cake. She loved the birthday wishes and the fact that we tried to make the day a little special.

Lemon Cheese Cake

Gingernut biscuits

Butter

Cream Cheese (1 tub/ block)

Condensed milk (1 tin)

lemon juice (1 or more lemons)

Evaporated milk (1 tin, cold)

Gelatin

Crush biscuits and melt butter. Combine and use as the base

Mix cream cheese, condensed milk and lemon juice.

Beat cold evaporated milk in a seperate bowl until stiff (like merangue).

Mix cream cheese mixture and evaporated milk together. 

Disolve around 1tbsp of Gelatin in boiling water. Add to mixture.

Pour onto the base and refridgerate.

Decorate as you wish.

(sorry for the slap dash recipe but I don't really use one these days)

4 Ingredients: Vanilla Slice

This is one I had sitting on the back burner for that day when I had not blogged in a while and needed to fill in the space or something like that. Basically it was done the same time as my last cooking post and I didn't want to do overkill on the foody blogging.
 

I had the urge for vanilla slice, or lattice slice or something like that. I wanted to eat some of that yummy, creamy, vanilla-eryness. Then up on Facebook popped a recipe for Easy Everyday Vanilla Slice from one of the 4 Ingredients cookbooks. Well I was naughty and I made it, just for me, just because.

 Now let me warn you that this is NOT and everyday slice as the title suggests, unless you wish to be the size of a house, but it is very tasty and creamy and just what I wanted.

You can find the recipe here. It is super simple and tasty. 

I used a square cake pan for it. It fit nicely, nine lattice biccies on the bottom and top (well okay there was a bit of room to spare but close enough). I also used Cottees pudding which is 100g and put the whole thing in.

 I am having a terrible problem with being a sweet tooth at the moment but am trying to work on not giving in to it. This was giving in to it and I may or may not have eaten the whole lot solo. Back to working on not being such a sweet tooth.

Last Weekend

Last weekend, and well a few weekends before that as well, we just stayed home. We plodded around, spent time in each others company, lazed, cooked, slept, gardened a little and just generally relaxed (and studied in Mr Sparky's case). It has been nice. Usually one of us is home and the other isn't and vise versa. You kind of forget what it is like to actually spend time together, after weeks, months, of this. This weekend we're back to being in different places, Mr Sparky on his family farm doing stuff with timber and then probably working for a farmer mate. Me, here at home because of work.

Last week, on Saturday, there was a some time checking out the garden, that didn't take long. It is pretty small but it is our little piece of grass for now.

Then there was boredom cooking. What exactly do people do in the city that doesn't inolve shopping or any other money using activity? I have missed cooking, baking in particular so have been having a giant urge to do some. Last weekend it was cream buns, well sweet buns. Some became cream buns, some were iced with pink icing and coconut at Mr Sparky's request.

I mixed and kneaded and waited of rising, I kneaded and split and kneaded and waited.

They rose nicely, I was happy. Then it was baking time.

That went well as well, no burnt bottoms (thank you stove). They were starting to look like the picture in the book.

While they were cooling Mr Sparky took over the kitchen. He can cook, when he feels the urge and often his urge involves a bit of an experiment. This time it was battered steak bits or popcorn steak as he called them.

He reckons they could be a seller. What do you think?

They certainly taste good (better than their looks).

Then it was back to cream buns. Home made strawberry jam from last year and some whipped cream. TADAA!

I was pretty proud of my efforts, they looked good, tasted pretty good too. It was a first try for me making these. Actually, I've never made a bread thing before except for donuts one time.

This was another great recipe from the Common Sense Guide to Baking.

 Saturday evening saw a soft sunset, changing the sky into pinks and apricots.

I played with camera settings as I took photos from our place.

Wispy clouds were lit my the last of the light. Mare's tails telling of icy air way up high and changes in the weather.

Those whisps were right, this last week has cooled off and even brought some rain with it. I think we have been getting a very diluted cool wind off the icy mountains down south.

What do you do on weekends? How do you spend down time?

Coconut Jam Slice

I love cooking, well baking in particular. Maybe that is because I am a huge sweet tooth. Just normal old dinner cooking like good old meat and three veg doesn't hold much interest even though it is the most common cooking that happens in our house. Instead I do enjoy cooking different things and having them turn out.

I used to do lots of baking when I was on The Station, especially after I was given to go ahead in the kitchen and told to cook til my heart was content, so I did. Every Sunday out came fresh cakes, slices and even the odd savory thing. During the week the odd cake or something would be produced by me or me and the kids. I miss all that baking and the happiness and togetherness that went with it.

Now I have a cookbook, picked up at somewhere like Jack in the Box called 'Baking a Commonsense Guide' or 'A Commonsense Guide to Baking', whichever way you prefer to read it, that is published by bay books/ Murdoch Books Pty Ltd. I love it. I have three of their books in total. The baking one is filled with the yummy, buttery goodness of baking from sweet to savory. Everything sounds so good and (so far) all the recipes work which is always good. It also has tips for cooking which is great.

One thing I used to cook on occasion was Coconut Jam Slice and rather than send yet another chocolate cake to work with Mr Sparky, (his choice and I think preferred of all the fellas) I made this for him to take. I hope they like it.

 

It is pretty easy to make and tasty as well. I cheat with the base and just put in the whole egg and a bit extra flour.

 I know this is a slice that has graced many a country function, city too I am sure. It is a very old fashioned kind of thing. I do love traditional, comforting, baked foods. There would be heaps of different recipes. I also decided after baking this that I had to share it and thought I would actually put some effort into photographing it. I am not really a food photographer at all I usually just plonk it on the bench, take a pick to show what it looked like and that is that. This time I was down on the floor in the doorway to attempt a nicer lit pic. This was very hygienic I am sure but natural lighting is pretty crappy in our house with it only coming from the front and back. It is also okay if you think I was a little crazy, Mr Sparky thinks so as well, actually he just flat out told me I was. Good thing I love him really.

Do you like baking or maybe just eating a good old fashioned slice or cake?