A Recipe Blog

Another guest requested recipe – these are decadent and easy as! You can experiment with the fillings too. I have spinach growing at the moment so hence why these have been a regular show on our family menu. The photo isn’t my best work but it’ll do heh.

Ingredients (makes 8)

• 4 pre-made frozen puff pastry sheets
• 1.5 cups Mexican cheese blend (my preference is the Perfect Italiano Mexican blend linked here)
• 1 egg
• 2 handfuls of fresh spinach leaves
• 2 handfuls of cut button mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon rock salt
• 1 tablespoon dried orange leaves, chopped finely
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, chopped finely
• Olive oil spray
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 190C (fan forced).
2. Defrost pastry sheets and cut each sheet into either two triangles (one diagonal cut) or two rectangles depending on your preference.
3. In the centre of each cut sheet, equally distribute the spinach, mushrooms, cheese and oregano.
4. Fold over the edges as desired and use a fork to press the edges together for decoration (see here for an image of a similar pastry decoration).
5. Lay the pastries on baking trays lined with baking paper. Spray with olive oil, then using a pastry brush, brush each pastry with the egg (whisked). Sprinkle a small amount of rock salt, rosemary and lemon zest (use only half). Then, flip over the pasteries and repeat (spray, egg brush, and sprinkle the rest of the rock salt, rosemary and lemon zest).
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve on their own or with a side salad.

Tags: cheese, dairy, mushrooms, not gluten free, oven baked, pastry, quick, spinach

As requested by guests, here’s my beef brisket recipe :-) It goes well with pasta or rice, and a side of vegetables like microwaved green beans.

Ingredients (Makes approx 12-15 servings)

• 2.4kg beef brisket
• 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
• 1 cup (250ml) of apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chicken stock (with just enough boiling water to dissolve)
• 3 cups (750ml) tomato puree (passata)
• 6 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons fried shallots
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons Gravox original gravy (optional)
• 1 onion, finely chopped (optional)
• 1/2 cup of cornflour approx (if needed, see step 6).

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 130C (fan forced).
2. If using onions, put in the microwave to soften for 1 minute.
3. In a large casserole dish (without a lid), place the brisket in the centre and then all other ingredients except the bay leaves on top. Mix the other ingredients around and on the brisket – try to cover the brisket as much as possible so it doesn’t dry out in the next step. Place the six bay leaves on top.
4. Put the casserole dish in the oven for 2 hours.
5. Remove casserole dish from the oven. Mix well and cut up the brisket with kitchen scissors into small pieces (about 5cm x 5cm).
6. Turn the temperature down to 90C (fan forced) and return the casserole dish to the oven for 12-15 hours. Ensure liquid has reduced so the sauce is reasonably thick – if not and you need to serve soon, add a small amount of cornflour (approx 1/2 cup) to thicken and return to oven at 130C for 15 minutes.
7. Remove the bay leaves.
8. Serve with pasta or rice and a side of vegetables like microwaved green beans.

Tags: beef, gluten free, oven baked, pasta, rice, slow cooked

Hello world again! So, I had a bunch of leftovers from a week holidaying with friends (which was awesome fun btw!). Proportions are rough cause recipes? Pah?.. :P

Ingredients (Makes about 16 small muffin sized cakes)

• 2 cups gluten free all-purpose flour blend (I used White Wings brand)
• 2 cups cornflour
• 250ml milk
• 100g clotted cream
• 2.5 cups almond meal
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 very ripe bananas, chopped
• 1.5 cups sultanas
• 5 dates, pitted and chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Mix all ingredients using a whisk.
3. Spoon into muffin tins (only half way, it’ll rise a lot!)
4. Wait about 20 minutes, then eat :)

Optional: Decorate with a touch of gold glitter sprinkles and icing (icing sugar + hot water), and/or cut in half and spread some raspberry jam in the middle :-) You can also make a loaf instead of cakes as below – just cook for longer, say 30 minutes.

Tags: banana, cream, dairy, dates, fruit, gluten free, honey, oven baked, quick, sultanas, vegetarian

At 18 months old now, Alexander is a fantastic trooper when it comes to food. We won the lottery in that way!

I often get told that Alex is awesome on outings in restaurants, etc. I was worried about getting out and about post baby, but my advice is to just give it a go. Alexander is now a seasoned traveller, and adores eating with us in a high chair or pram. He also loves buses and trains. No, I really mean LOVES. That and pretending to be a dogue like our two princess dogues :P

The doooogggues :D

As for independently feeding themselves? It’s going to be messy. But it’s worth persisting because it frees you up to do other things. Alex is great with finger food, and learning to use a spoon. Here’s a messy yogurt adventure outside on our new stenciled concrete out back :)

Oh, hi there!… I’m totally NOT feeding Bonnie. :P

Misty-a-like for funsies :P

Until next time, Mum cadet signing off xo :-)

Something I want to share. Something I’m proud of. I still bf my 13mo son Alexander. He had formula by necessity in special care in his first week of life because my milk hadn’t come in yet; he was born 5 weeks early (and quite healthy luckily all things considered!). But from then on he was exclusively BF.

I know that when I was a baby, breastfeeding in public was unfortunately far more frowned upon :-( And I feel for older generations big time. Some people are morons :P What would you rather random public member, crying baby or sedated boobed baby? Just saying :P

<3 Julieanne

PS: Baby spam below :D

13mo, fed to sleep

29 weeks pregnant

1 day old, kangaroo care time in special care :)