Never underestimate the power of a cup cake.

No matter your gender or your age never under estimate the power of a cup cake at a gathering.

It seems no matter what food is put on the table for whatever time of day eating, adults, children and everyone in between will always demolish cup cakes, along with everything else.

I find mostly the mini cup cakes which are so easy to make and decorate with just a touch of icing on top with or without various sprinkles, coconut, m&m’s etc, they always get eaten. They’re bit size.

Then there are the flavours of cakes and the tiny various papers they can go in … or not.

The best thing is that you can make 1 cake mix up, divide into bowls and add your colouring or flavour variations and get variety in the one baking.

Whether you make them from scratch or a bought packet mix they are always a treat.

 

Yoghurt dough revisited

Yoghurt dough, I have mixed feelings about this dough and I’ve done a few experiments since I last posted the yoghurt dough pizza base.

I’ve made ham and cheese/vegemite and cheese savoury scrolls, cooked in the oven.

I’ve made  apple and cinnamon/caramel sweet scrolls, cooked in the oven.

They’ve been with mixed success, I think they come out chewy and a bit tough. I don’t use my dough like this.

BUT I do like this dough for making gyros,  a cooked dough sort of like a Greek pita bread. Or in place of a Naan bread for curries.

I don’t really use a recipe but for 2 people I do start off with 1/3 cup self raising flour (SR flour = 1 cup flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder) and 2 or 3 tablespoons of greek yoghurt into a bowl, mix with a spoon or hands for a bit then add more yoghurt as necessary to form a dough, a dough you can  work with  and that you can push together on a floured board, like bread.

As it’s for 2 divide in half and roll each half into a flat disc. You may find you need more flour as if the dough is to wet it won’t roll without splitting. If it splits fold it in quarters and start rolling again. Set both discs aside.

In a frying pan smear on just enough oil to ever so lightly cover the base and put your heat on 3/4 making sure the pan is nice and heated. Dust off as much flour as possible from your dough disc and place in pan.

Bubbles will stretch through to the top, that’s ok. Shake the pan every now and then to make sure your disc is moving and cooking and browning, not sticking. Using tongs and turn it over to cook the other side. Probably 2-3 mins each side.

Keep first one warm and do the same with the second one. (I keep mine warm by putting on a dinner plate putting a barely damp piece of paper towel on top then another dinner plate on top. When the second one is ready put it on top of the other one and get your salad and meat out to serve. We eat them like a large soft taco or gyro.

As a Naan bread cook as above, cut in half and scoop up all that curry sauce, meat and vegetables.

Best served warm. Best cooked and served as soon as possible. For me I think they go chewy once cold.

I do this for a pizza still if I’m hanging out for one but I cook it in the fry pan first before placing my toppings on top then place in the oven or under the griller.

I do not freeze any form of this dough.

It sounds like a lot of fiddling around but once you get the hang of it you can whip it up in no time especially small amounts.

My stove top and frying pans aren’t huge so I can only do one at a time.

Easy to make up for the grand kids as a snack or decorate their own pizzas.

Enjoy!

 

Oil diffuser.

I’m not a huge user of oils and smelly things in my house, I much prefer an open window to let in the fresh air.

I was given an oil diffuser for a Christmas gift a few years back and just popped it in our main bathroom, used mainly for visitors to our house. Unless we have had visitors it’s mainly a forgotten bathroom.

Eventually the smell dissipated, the sticks were a bit icky and the bottle not looking so good.

I do like my tea tree and eucalyptus oil but they are are mainly used for medicinal purposes like a bite or a cold.

When I washed my bottle out the coloured paint started coming off and it needed scrubbing. Replacing the sticks with bamboo kebab skewers made  great replacements for the scent reeds. I had the above oils, easy.

Easy to make your own as gifts with scents you know the recipient will like. Easy to top up and replace your  skewers in your own house. 

Online grocery shopping

November last last year I took the plunge and did my first online grocery shop. I did a click and collect with a pick up straight to the boot of my car. No bags thanks.

So on the way home from work I had my first ‘shop to boot’ pick up experience. I’m happy.

I don’t do this all the time, once or twice per month there are some things I like to pick out myself. I get basic vegetables included but not things I’m very picky about and I usually do 2 fruit and vegetable buys during the week. I also state no substitutes, I’ve heard of some weird stuff being substituted.

I enter my payment method each time as I have a thing about my bank details.

I’m very happy and wondered why I’d not tried it sooner I guess it’s that fear of something new.

Today between us my Mum now has been set up with online grocery shopping click and collect at her local  store.  A big step for my mum and it will be so much easier for her to be able to go out and pop into the other stores then  just drive her car to the back to get her groceries, have it loaded before going home and have her.  All done in half the time. Yes it could be delivered but if you have to go out anyway why not get some one else to do the boring stuff.

I’m not one for new years resolutions but maybe it’s just time to do something new and keep it going into the year.

Who does their grocery shopping online? Delivery or pick up?

Easy Vegetable Bake

 

Easy vegetable bake

Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Salads & Vegetables
Servings 2 People

Ingredients
  

  • Broccoli. florets
  • Cauliflower. florets
  • Carrot. chunks
  • Potato. cut 1/8's
  • 1 Amount Basic white sauce. see notes link
  • 1/2 Cup Grated tasty cheese.
  • 3 Tablespoons Bread crumbs. dried
  • Optional Parsley. chopped

Instructions
 

  • Pre heat oven 180*C
  • Steam or boil the vegetables until al dente, only just on the cusp of cooked.
  • While vegetables are cooking make basic white sauce.
  • Gently fold white sauce into the vegetables then pour all into an oven proof dish. Push vegetables around so that you get a varied mix in each spot and it appears nice and colourful with the vegetables.
  • Mix the bread crumbs and cheese together with optional parsley (or herbs of your choice) and sprinkle on top.
  • Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until cheese is all melted and browned on top. Serve.

Notes

This is my basic white sauce link.
Of course you use whatever vegetables your family likes, these are my basic veges with other vegetables being added as the seasons come and go.
This can be prepared the day before, covered and stored in the fridge. You will need to bake it longer until it's all heated through.
Bigger family, just double the amount of white sauce and vegetables it's a very forgiving recipe.
The dish as a whole can be frozen but I prefer to make and eat straight away or to prepare the day before and bake on the day.
Note: white sauce can be frozen so if you make a double batch and only use 2/3 of it pop it in an air tight container or ziploc bag (no air) and pop it in the freezer for those moments when you just need a little  white sauce to add cheese to so you can pour it on your corned beef, vegetables or ??
When defrosting white sauce it can be left in the fridge overnight or in the microwave, you will need to microwave for short bursts and mix with a fork as you go along, it make look curdled but mixing and heating will fix that.

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