Pear & Ginger Muffins

Hello :) A few days ago I made these delightful muffins! Pear & ginger, what a fabulous combination! After I spent the morning in Newtown with my sister opshopping and having coffee and custard tarts at Luxe Bakery, I had the afternoon to do some baking! These muffins do need quite a few ingredients, including pear puree, which I totally bought as baby food (like she suggested!).

I was going about to copy out the recipe, but it would appear someone already has :)

Recipe: Pear & Ginger Muffins

Look at these super cute measuring cups I got for Christmas! They made baking these muffins that little bit more fun!

You can see the pear puree baby food I bought, oh yeah...

So many ingredients! 

 Ok, so they weren't perfect because silly me only added 1/2 cup of oats instead of 1.5 cups and forgot to add the bicarbonate soda. I also used this sandwich wrapper paper instead of baking paper so the muffins kind of stuck to that. But in the end, they still tasted really good! They're quite dense and full of yummy flavours from the pears, raisins (I used sultanas though) and ginger. I added some grated fresh ginger too, because it's just such a nice, comforting flavour. 

Here are some fun things I bought in Newtown. First of all I finally got around to buying Seeker Lover Keepers album, which is totally lovely and awesome! And my 2012 diary, which is the third I've bought from Pentimento. I just love the simple layout and there's lots of different covers too. 

Well this will be my final post for 2011 !! 

Happy New Year everyone! How will you be celebrating? 

Hannah x

Homemade Strawberry Jam

Hello :) This year for Christmas, I decided to make Adrian some homemade strawberry jam. Like any hip guy, he recently bought himself a crepe pan so it only made sense I made him jam! And I'm all about practical, handmade (& usually edible) gifts. As I'd never made jam before,  I wanted it to be very simple and using only one kind of fruit. I also didn't want there to be to be too much sugar because  sickly sweet jams aren't nice!

Recipe: Strawberry Jam (adapted from Jamie Oliver)
Ingredients-
1kg strawberries
150g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod

Method- 

1. Wash & hull the strawberries 

2. Place in a mixing bowl and sprinkle the sugar on top. Scrap the seeds of a vanilla pod into the mixture or add a teaspoon of vanilla extract 

3. Wash your hands and mash/scrunch the strawberries into a rough pulp. Really get into it and make sure the sugar is dissolved

4. Pour into a sauce pan and bring to the boil

5. Simmer for 30 minutes, skimming off any foam during the cooking process

6. Let cool and put it in a sterilised jar. This recipe makes enough jam for approximately 2 jars. 

I used a jam label, from an issue of Frankie a few months ago & secured fabric on top with some kitchen string. The fabric is actually from the sleeve of a men's shirt! I used the majority of the shirt to make a cushion cover for him a while ago (here). 

We tested the jam out by of course, making some crepes! Luckily the jam tasted super delicious, if I do say so myself :) 

This is what the jam consistency looks like, when I made pikelets on Christmas morning. As you can see, the jam doesn't really gel as there isn't much sugar used or lemon juice (pectin). 

Have you made jam before? Next, I'm finally going to make the strawberry, nectarine & apple jam from Frankie!

Hannah x

Christmas morning brunch...

Hello :) Christmas went so fast! It was lots of fun though. Around lunch time I went to my Grandparents for lunch with family, then on Boxing Day went around to Watsons Bay/Camp Cove with family to see the yacht race, which we usually do. Then it was off for another family dinner...so much good food!

On Christmas morning though, we woke up late, opened presents & relaxed! And we had a delicious brunch too, which I took a few snapshots of...

We kind of had 2 brunches! So first of all we all had some baked oatmeal with chai tea. I like getting out all the pretty plates & teacups.

I put lots of berries and walnuts on top. It was the perfect start to the day...

 Brunch number two! We had a fruit salad with pear, nectarine, strawberries & blueberries and pikelets with homemade strawberry jam. The whole point of making the pikelets was really so I could show off my jam :)

 Look at the T2 teacups I received! They're so gorgeous and are actually a decent size too. And my sister bought me some herbal tea!

 It sounds so yummy and refreshing!

I also got a yoga mat (which I asked for), so now I might start going to yoga or pilates classes. I'm not sure whether to start a 6 week course or something or to attend casual classes? Any yoga or pilates class recommemdations around Inner West Sydney? 

How did you celebrate Christmas?

Hannah x

Red & Green vegetable juice

Hello :) With Christmas tomorrow, I thought I'd whip up something kinda of festive. A big vegetable juice using vegetables and fruits, which are...red & green. How fun! Despite it being the festive season & a time for indulgences, I thought I'd make something fresh and full of nutrients! I know lots of you are probably baking up lots of delicious baked treats, so I suppose I feel a little sad whizzing up a vegetable juice, but yeah...

Here's the recipe! It made about 4 cups

Red & Green vegetables juice, ingredients- 
celery sticks x2
beetroot, peeled and sliced into 4 x2
red/green fuji apples x2
carrots, peeled and sliced x3
organic barley grass powder (optional)
method-
Juice all ingredients, except barley grass. Mix in 1 tablespoon of barley grass at the end, if using.

The organic barley grass is my latest purchase from the health food market stall at Bondi, the stall next to where I work. I like looking at the green section, which has lots of spirulina, chlorella, chlorophyll etc.

 

The carrots were a last minute addition, as they're not technically red or green. But hey! We had so many and they're just so yummy & sweet. I stirred in about 1/2-1 teaspoon of barley grass powder to each of our 4 glasses, and was proud that everyone liked the juice and couldn't taste the barley grass.

Has anyone tried barley grass powder or any other green superfoods such as spirulina, chlorella or liquid chlorophyll? If so, how do you take it? I tried adding a teaspoon of barley grass powder to a glass of water, which was pretty disgusting! I then added a teaspoon of honey which tasted better.

Well I'm off to make crepes with Adrian for lunch, using homemade strawberry jam I made him for Christmas (an early gift). There may be a post about the jam in a few days...

Have an awesome Christmas everyone!! 

Hannah x

Emma's on Liberty

Hello :) Yesterday evening, I went out to dinner with my parents & sister to celebrate my parents 20th wedding anniversary! They decided we'd go a Lebanese restaurant called Emma's on Liberty in Enmore, as they used to live just around the corner & really like the food. We shared all the meals and I took my camera for a few sneaky shots...

We started off the evening with smokey baba ganouge. I always love the smokey eggplant flavour!

Eggplant oven roasted with onion, tomato, garlic and spices. Some of the best eggplant I've ever had, it was super soft & fragrant. 

Fried cauliflower served with a tangy tahini sauce and parsley. Such a nice combination, love the tahini on top! 

My sister enjoying some homemade rose lemonade. 

Aromatic spiced fish rubbed in spices and fried with tahini, walnuts, coriander and sumac. Such flavour! The fish was beautifully cooked and even though it was fried, it wasn't greasy at all. 

Filo pastry rolls filled with lamb, pine nuts and pomegrante molasses. Again, amazing flavours! As you can see, I've been eating meat occasionally when I'm out although I have no intentions of cooking it!  

Sweets to share! Baklava & turkish delight. 

My mum ordered Lebanese coffee. Super strong but it tasted so good...you really did need some sugar in it though! I loved the pot it came in! 

Yummo! We had such a nice time & I'd definitely go back! Even though the restaurant is small, it was so busy and lively. The flavours were spot on... all the herbs, spices and tahini dressings. 

I gave my parents a little gift of T2 tea called "White Monkey Jasmine", a mixture of green and jasmine tea. The trick to buying gifts I find, is to buy something you can use as well ;) 

Hope you're having a lovely week! 

Hannah x

Medjool dates stuffed with goats curd & orange peel

Hello :) I'm not really into making fancy desserts. After dinner I'm usually not hungry and if I am after an our or two, I'll simply sip on herbal tea or graze on nuts, fruit, or vitaweats with almond butter. This evening however, I felt like having some sweet after dinner. Call me weird, but medjool dates were my first thought. And since we had plenty of goats curd, which I bought yesterday I decided to stuff them with that.

Ok, so medjool dates stuffed with goats curd. So rich and creamy! What could I add that would give a little fruity or fresh bite? Grated orange peel, that's what!

So medjool dates stuffed with goats curd & orange peel were enjoyed as an after dinner treat. I can imagine they'd be great to take to parties or picnics and could jazz up any cheese platter! Don't have any goats curd or orange peel? What about stuffing them with pomegrante seeds for a delightful, fruity crunch or nut butters. How versatile!

Have a lovely week everyone. It's Christmas in week, oh my!

Hannah x

Seeded rye sourdough with goats curd & rocket/mint/avocado pesto

Hello :) My Saturday morning involved going to Eveleigh markets with my sister. I always love the atmosphere of the markets & it was especially busy this morning, with everything stocking up of gourmet goodies in time for Christmas!

Isn't my sisters silk shirt stunning!

The goodies we took home from the markets included seeded rye sourdough, fresh goats curd, pumpkin falafels & extra virgin olive oil. It was my first time buying fresh goats curd, and even though it was a little pricey, I just had to buy a small tub after sampling some on bread. Super creamy!

I decided to make a light lunch for myself using some ingredients I'd just purchased. I knew I wanted to have the goats curd on the seeded rye sourdough and thought something green would look nice on top. Pesto was the immediate thought, however we didn't have any basil, so I simply made one up with the ingredients we had. 

Rocket, mint & avocado pesto. 

Ingredients- 

1-2 handfuls of rocket

small handful of mint

1/4 avocado

handful of pinenuts 

a few glugs of extra virgin olive oil 

Method-

Lightly toast the pine nuts then blend all the ingredients, using as much olive oil as necessary. I pour a little at a time until it all comes together.

Even though I bought extra virgin olive oil at the markets, I use a cheaper one in pestos and hummus etc and use the more gourmet & expensive one in salad dressings and on bread with dukka.

Light lunch.

Seeded rye sourdough with goats curd & rocket/mint/avocado pesto. 

Fresh, vibrant & wholesome. 

And after the markets, we headed off to Anglicare where I found this beautiful mug! I love that there is a decent amount of room between the cup and handle, to grip. It sounds silly but these things are necessary! It's the kind of cup I imagine having a robust loose leaf black tea, like an english breakfast or darjeeling! 

I really need to stop reading simply breakfast, because I want to copy her layouts!

And here I am, relaxing with my Saturday reads...

I've had to stop reading The Hobbit for a little while, because I've started Norweigan Wood which I had reserved at the library. Has anyone read any Haruki Murakami? So far I love the book & I'm hoping my library has a copy of 1Q84, I can read afterwards.

Oh and Frankie is out! There's an article about growing your own herbs. Guess who's going to be sipping on fresh rosemary tea a little later on :) 

Hannah x