175 - Oh So Much Baking

If I was to pick out a smell that says 'Christmas' to me, it would be the smell of fruit, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves bubbling away on the stove. I am ever grateful to the lovely workmate who gave me the recipe for this boiled fruit cake - I don't even like fruit cake but this one... oh my... at somewhere between a cake and a pudding it's just so moist and delicious! So I thought, rather than just tease with photos this time, I'll share the recipe!

Letty's Boiled Fruit Cake

Ingredients:

125g Butter

1 Cup White Sugar

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Cup Milk

750g Mixed Fruit

3 Teaspoons Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Nutmeg

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger

1/2 Teaspoon Cloves

2 Eggs

1 Cup Self Raising Flour

1 Cup Dry Sherry

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

Method:

Place butter, sugar, milk, fruit and spices in a saucepan over a high heat. Stir until boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. 

Let fruit cool. Add sherry and baking soda. Beat eggs and add to the fruit mixture. 

Sift flour into mixture and stir until combined. 

Pour mixture into a deep round cake tin and bake in a moderate oven (180 degrees Celsius, 350 degrees Fahrenheit) for 1 hour 10 mins or until a skewer comes out clean. 

As a finishing touch I usually poke some holes in the cake with a skewer while its still warm and drizzle a little more sherry over the top.

Enjoy!!

137 - Hot Apple Pie Pancakes

Nothing like hot apple pie pancakes on a chilly Sunday morning (love that steam!). I used to do pancake Sunday's every week.. I haven't done it in a while - need to get back onto it I think! I got the recipe from one of my favourite healthy recipe sites - Chocolate Covered Katie (with a couple of tweaks) so these ones aren't even that bad for you! Win! Recipe below just in case anyone want to make these sometime...

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup plain flour
• 2 tbsp oat flour
• 2 small apples, finely-chopped
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• 2/3 tsp baking powder
• Pinch tsp salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp brown sugar 
• 1 tbsp vanilla protein powder
• 1 heaped tbsp light creamed cottage cheese
• 1/3 cup  milk of choice, or more for  thinner pancakes
• 1 tbsp oil 

Method
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, then add wet. Mix, but don’t overmix. Cook on an oiled (or sprayed) pan, on low-medium, flipping each pancake once. I topped these with more chopped up apple and a little maple syrup. Deeelicious. Also the recipe made 4 pancakes, so there would be enough to have a really major breakfast for one, or a more restrained meal for two. Im saving my two spares to be reheated for a quick breakfast before work during the week...

136 - Busy Bees

Lately I've been joking about how my back garden is more weeds than proper plants. And it is. Definitely needs a bit of work to get it back to its normal state. But the front garden is fairing much better with my neglect and this week the little hedge of Geraldton Wax I have going by my front windows has burst forth into a glorious mass of colour. And with that comes bees. And with bees comes me following them around with my camera. I can't help myself! I hope you're all having a fabulous weekend!

 

131 - New Pretties

Gotta love arriving home from a long work week to find a box of new exciting goodies on the doorstep. Although the shipping times to get to Australia from Modcloth are a tad long (I did this order about a month ago!) I can't go past their retro styles and super cute and quirky prints. Can't even wait to bust that dinosaur print dress out. Also have a sudden urge to watch Jurassic Park again...

118 - I think I have a problem...

Hi. My name is Aimee and I'm a tea-aholic...

111 - Live Fast and Dye.... Your Hair

This pretty much sums up my Friday night coz you know... I'm a party animal!

Ninety Eight - Planimals

I've spent a bit of time this week stuck in my house feeling sickly and mopey. Good thing I love my little house - its full of quirky things that make me smile. The latest acquisition of this type is my newest plant animal (planimal) Mr Owl here.

As I've mentioned before, I'm not the biggest green thumb around - but even I can keep a little succulent or cactus alive - and I'm just a sucker for a cute owl (I even wear Sir Hootington permanently on my leg!).

Eighty - Feelin' hot hot hot

A while back some friends gave me a little chilli plant. Now somehow, despite my haphazard approach to gardening the plant is coming along quite well and I've got my first batch of chilli's almost ready to be cooked into something tasty! it's exciting! Makes me want to start planting some other vege's...

Seventy Six - Earth Hour 2015

Earth Hour is a worldwide movement for the planet organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature . It's an annual event which encourages individuals, communities, households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for an hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on the last Saturday in March, as a symbol for their commitment to the planet. It originated in Sydney and has grown to engage more than 7000 cities and towns worldwide. I got in on the action by having a lovely quiet Saturday night with the lights, TV and various other screens turned off (aside from the time its taking me to do this post!). Reading by candlelight/torchlight is a rather relaxing way to spend some time. Do you take part in this event in your cities?

Seventy Five - It begins...

I resisted the Easter chocolate for longer than I normally manage this year... but I'm afraid I gave in in a big way today! In my opinion this is a fruit basket used in the best way possible. This weekend may call for some Easter baking...

Eighteen - Yay for Colour!

The frangipani trees in my garden are going gangbusters at the moment. Check out those colours! I'm feeling decidedly Monday-ish (and a little unwell) today but I can't help but be cheered but by those beautiful pinks and yellows!

Linking to:

Monday Mellow Yellows

Sixteen - Healthy Treats

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to cook. I used to do a lot of baking, but as it turns out, big trays of gooey brownies and cakes covered in icing are not that good for you. So as any good baker does, I adjust. I always get excited when I end up with mushy bananas because you know, when you have mushy bananas you have to make banana bread. Or in this case, oat and banana muffins. That taste like banana bread. Low sugar, low fat, still tasty. Good times (although the brownies on occasion are still pretty great).