Little puddings

Sorry about the rubbish photo- lets call this dessert 'rustic'! These little guys must have been made a thousand times in our house, I'm sure my sister is laughing as she reads this post. This recipe is a bit 80's really, microwave deserts were all the rage then but who cares- they are yummy! A great treat to make with the kids, they love watching them explode out of the cups in the microwave!
Add some vanilla ice cream or custard to make a delicious little dessert.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 Tblsp jam
• 50g butter
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 c flur
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 c milk

METHOD:
Lightly grease 4 straight sided coffee mugs. Put 1 Tblsp of jam in each mug. Put butter in a bowl and microwave until melted (about 30 seconds). Add sugar and egg and whisk well. Sift in flour and baking powder. Add milk. Mix it all well. Put mixture evenly in the mugs on top of the jam. Put mugs in microwave, cook on high for 3-4 minutes. Stand for 1 minute. Run knife around the edge and tip out.

Enjoy xx
A

Chicken, Prawn and tomato paella

This is the best recipe for those that have not tried making paella before. I was a bit scared of making paella the first time because I thought it looked hard to make and that it would take all day but that is not the case, especially with this recipe.
If you can get some devine seafood and have the time to potter and make the sauce etc, then seafood paella is to die for (and is not as hard as you  might think) but on a weeknight when the troops need fed- this is a great option. This paella is full of flavour, makes the kitchen smell AMAZING and all in half an hour (which includes 20 minutes to enjoy your wine while it simmers away).

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ½ Tblsp olive oil
• 1 x 200g chicken breast fillet, trimmed and chopped
• 200g green (raw) prawns (shrimp), tails intact
• 2 Chorizo sliced 
• 1 small brown onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• ½ tsp moked paprika
• ¾ c (150g) medium-grain rice
• 1 x 400g can diced tomatoes
• 1 ¼ c (310ml) chicken stock
• flat-leaf parsley leaves and lemon wedges, to serve

METHOD:

Heat 1 Tblsp of the oil in a medium non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the chicken, chorizo and prawns and cook for 4–5 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Set aside and keep warm. Add the remaining oil to the pan with the onion, garlic, chilli and paprika and cook for 2 minutes or until softened. Add the rice, tomato and stock, stir through and reduce heat to low. Cover. Cook for 20–25 minutes or until the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed. Stir through the chicken, chorizo and prawns and cook for a further 1 minute. Top with parsley and serve with lemon wedges. Serves 2.

Enjoy xx
A

The best day ever!

On Friday the 13th (yes black Friday) of February, the farmer and I got off the farm for the weekend and had ourselves a wedding! It was amazing, to be surrounded by our closest family and friends for a weekend of fun, love and laughter (lots of laughter). A special thanks must go to our amazing wedding party that worked tirelessly to make it all come together and that really are incredible people xxx and to everyone that was a part of our day, the experience was incredibly humbling and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts

All the boys had their own handkerchief for the day

the shoes in teal

the farmer and his main men

Our lovely and talented aunty Karen did our flowers

Our cute and cheeky nephew Angus

Tekapo is stunning

The Mt John woolshed really came together and everyone fitted! 30 more than ever before...

The farmer's mother made the cake and his very clever sister iced it

Each placemat had our guests name, some puzzles and a special message to them, a nice way to thank them all

the weather was very kind

one of the farmers projects was to make these letters- he did an amazing job xx

The hangover only lasts a day, the memories last a lifetime

When a farmer gets married, you need plenty of meat!

Ribeye rolls, so darn good

A special thanks to the chef xxx Kelvin is not only a great friend he is also one very talented chef!

Each table had a ploughman's board to start

"girl food" as described by the farmer

100 dozen beers, 4 cases of white, 4 cases of red, 40L pimms, 40L punch, 4 cases of bubbles and some fizz....

a quick change into cowboy boots ready for the dancing!!

dessert was tasting plates, 160 slices of cake and not one left!

and into the night the party went....

The last of the summer salads..

I must say I am a bit sad to see our summer going this year, I know it has been one of the hardest summers for farming that we have faced in a while with the drought greatly affecting our farming business. But despite the fact that we are feeding out already and knowing that winter for us is going to be a long hard fight, there is a sadness for me that those lovely warm evenings with a cold drink and friends by the BBQ are over for another year.
This salad is on one of the platters that the farmer made for our wedding (blog on that to come) and the succulent tomatoes came from the farmers parents abundant glasshouse.
On a bright sunny day, (even a slightly chilly autumn one) there is something about savouring those last bursts of summer flavour and reflecting on what has been a pretty busy summer.
Now one must get excited about the scrummy comfort food that the colder months will bring....

INGREDIENTS:
Salad:

• A mixture of lettuce types (I used mescaline, iceberg and fancy for a bit of colour)
• 1 carrot, grated 
• 6 tomatoes
• 1 red capsicum, sliced finely
• 1 yellow capsicum, sliced finely
• 2 avocados, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
• Green sprouts

Lemon vinaigrette:

• 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 2 Tblsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 3 to 4 Tblsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

METHOD
Make your vinaigrette first. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, mustard, and sea salt, whisking until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly until the dressing is well blended (this is a bit tricky, if you have a small bottle or jug it makes it easier as you want to do this as SLOWLY as possible. Season with fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. If desired, whisk in the remaining oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Set aside.

Take all of the salad ingredients and toss together in a large mixing bowl to combine. Now drizzle over the dressing and gently toss the dressing through, if your avocado is a bit soft then you may want to add it last.
Arrange your salad on your serving platter or bowl and serve alongside the meat that is on the menu.
TIPS:

• You can make the vinaigrette ahead of time and refrigerate it in an airtight container, it will last up to 3 days.
• Add garlic to the dressing for extra flavour

Enjoy xx
A