Honey Oat Slice

Not too long ago I posted a link to a recipe for Honey Oat Slice, only I accidentally sent you all to the wrong place.  So here it is again, a super yummy slice recipe that keeps a long time and packs great in a lunch box.  Just a few tips, it does seem to make a large mix, but it really does all go into one slice tin.  Just make sure have lined up a little past the sides of the tin if you use shallow tins like me.  And 300g of butter does seem like a ridiculous amount, but I promise it works.

Another Massaman

This time I wanted to try making Beef Massaman without the prepackaged meal sauce.  I didn't go completely back to basics, I did still purchase a small tin of Massaman Curry paste and I made a huge batch ready to freeze for lunches.  Only problem was it was it ended up too spicy (for the member of the household who doesn't like spicy food).  I think I will stick to my previous method.  Still if you like a little bit of heat in your curry, it was still very delicious.

• 1.5kg beef
• 1 onion diced
• 7 small potatoes with the skin on, diced
• 1 small tin Massaman curry
• 1 1/3 tins coconut cream

Combine everything in a large crock pot and place in the oven for up to two hours at about 170-180C.

The war against dishpan hands

I have horrible hands that look about 20 years older than the rest of me.  Largely a result or dermatitis/eczema and too much use of cortisone creams.  Over the last few months it has been completely out of control.  Cooking isn't exactly great for them, given the number of times you wash your hands, or wash fruit and veg, wash up dirty dishes etc.  So after consulting a number of people, this week I waged war.

First: I purchased a pair of premium, latex free, super-sensitive washing up gloves.  I never usually use washing up gloves because they tend to irritate my skin more than the water.  This time I splurged.

Then: a neighbour put me on to this fabulous hand cream from the Body Shop.  I have tried most "miracle" creams under the sun, and usually as soon as I put them on I am in all worlds of pain from the stinging, and they don't do much to improve my hands.  This one is different.  It doesn't smell lovely but within a day of using it I noticed considerable improvements.

Lastly, a week of antihistamines.  The Asthma Foundation's Twitter feed kept informing me of the extreme pollen counts over the last few weeks, and my constant sneezing tipped me off that its that time of year again.  I love spring, if only it didn't make me so terribly uncomfortable.

So I am at the end of the week of the war against dishpan hands, and I think I may have won!

Menu plan - I lost count of the weeks

Last fortnight (it was actually closer to 3 weeks)  I spent $342 on groceries.  I admit there were actually 2 takeaway meals on top of that (worth about another $60) and that's the price of not planning.  Here is the next plan:

Saturday - Pressure cooker pork spare ribs, wedges, corn, peas and carrot

Sunday – Lasagne

Monday – Meatballs and spaghetti

Tuesday – Chicken enchiladas with rice

Wednesday – Massaman beef curry (ravioli for the kids)

Thursday - Fish, chips and salad

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday – Roast dinner

Sunday – Steak, chips and salad

Monday – Leftovers

Tuesday – Spaghetti bolognese
Wednesday – Chicken meatballs

I hope to get through a bit of baking tomorrow and restock the pantry and freezer with snacks.

Date slice

I stumbled across a yummy and easy slice recipe this week.  I had to do some late night baking for the builders yesterday (another request for passionfruit slice) and thought I would make another slice at the same time as the lunch box supplies were getting a bit low.  The cupboard was pretty bare (no more coconut - so many slices need coconut!) and I only had 125g of butter left.

This Best Recipes date slice worked a treat, really quick and easy, yummy, and travels well.

Butter chicken

This week I made butter chicken from almost-scratch, it turned out really well!  I was the only person in the house who enjoyed the meal, but it was super delicious and attracted many comments in the lunch room the next day when I reheated my leftovers.  I used this great mix from The Curry Traders which I picked up at my local butcher (but you can purchase through The Curry Traders website too).  I have to admit it was a bit of a budget splurge, but I have been reducing my "packet mix" cooking as a result of watching out for food additives and colouring and thought this may be a healthier option.

The instructions on the packet were easy to follow. I only wish I had a coffee grinder, because I am not sure I spent enough time grinding up the seeds as directed, and think if these "bits" where finer then my husband may have enjoyed the dish more. I will definitely be trying some more of their mixes.

Bacon and leek quiche

This week I made a yummy bacon, leek and fetta quiche using the basics of my Pizza pie recipe.  I fried up a finely chopped leek with some bacon first, then added it to a bowl with some diced fetta (I used a whole small block).  I only added in a sprinkle of grated tasty cheese then about half a cup of cream.  It was all about using up things in my fridge that were near the end of their usable life.  Quiche is a great dish to have in the fridge, it can be a quick lunch or an easy dinner.  This week I have been packing it for breakfast for my husband while he does the early shift.

If you have never made quiche before, you really need to give it a try.  And make sure you let me know if you have any other yummy filing combinations.  Thanks to Lauren for the Leeks idea!

Birthday party time!

Whoa I am super exhausted! Both boys birthdays this weekend meant a bit of baking for the party.  I admit to cheating and buying overpriced cupcakes at Woolworths to send to school and kindy.  But hey I can't be superwoman. 

I would have to say I was pretty happy with the cake (I'm not up for things that take too much time and effort but they still have to look good).  My biggest birthday cake tip is to buy the Sara Lee Create a Cake and spend your time on decorations rather than baking.  They taste pretty yummy too.  This cake was made from 1 and 3/4 of the Create a Cakes. Don't defrost the cakes before you do your construction and decorating, its much easier to work with them frozen.

But I think the baking I was most happy with this weekend were the Mario Starman cookies - super easy (just a basic biscuit mix) and they looked great.