Almond Custard Waffles

I was flipping through a magazine at work this week, and I skipped through to the recipes section. Low and behold, there was a recipe for what was sure to be a super yummy special Sunday breakfast! Almond custard waffles!!

I made them this morning and the whole family loved them, the waffles were light, fluffy and not too sweet. I topped them with a little maple syrup, cream, fresh raspberries, toasted almond flakes, and icing sugar! Went perfectly with a big cup of Irish Breakfast tea.

Almond and Custard Waffles, adapted from recipe in Australian Woman's Day.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup almond meal
3/4 cup milk
90g butter, melted
1/2 cup pouring custard
1/4 cup honey (I didn't have quite enough, so I added maple syrup)
2 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I added a dash of almond extract too)
Raspberries, cream to serve (I added toasted almonds)

Method

• Preheat waffle maker, spray plates with oil.
• Sift flour into a small bowl. Stir in almond meal.
  
• In a large bowl whisk together milk, butter, custard, honey, egg-yolks and vanilla and almond extracts.
• Gradually whisk the flour mixture into the milk mixture, until smooth.
  
• In a clean bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Lightly fold through batter.
• Pour batter using a soup ladle into the waffle maker. Close and cook for 4-5 mins, following the manufacturer's instruction. Serve with maple syrup, raspberries, cream, toasted almonds and sift icing sugar over the top!

If you make them too let me know how you went!

Can you make me a cover for my phone?

Yes Mum and Caitlin, I sure can!

I love a sewing project! I let them pick out the fabrics they liked from my growing stash, then I found this lovely tutorial on Sew, Mama, Sew! I didn't follow it quite to a tee in measurements, and I wanted it to be closed with a button. I am very proud to say that I worked out how to use my buttonhole foot on my new sewing machine, all by myself!!

So, without further ado:

For my Sister - Caitlin

For my Mum

Now I am wondering what it is like having a store on either Etsy or Made it (Aussie version of Etsy), I would love to hear some advice from people who have a shop in either place!

Car Boot Sale Finds - March

I went to the Brighton High School car boot sale today. I always enjoy going, we had beautiful weather for it this morning. I get a kick out of systematically going up and down each isle, so I don't miss anything! I found some beauties today, I was mainly keeping my eye out for a tea cup set for an upcoming swap, and I found a pretty one indeed!

I also found some pretty colourful buttons, I spent ages sifting through a large box full of them, I think the guy thought I was trying to steal them!

I walked past these beautiful birdie paintings...about halfway through my round. I was worried because I still hadn't found my teacup yet, and so I kept on walking...but I couldn't get them out of my mind, and one isle later, I rushed back to get them! And lucky I did! The stall was packing up early, I got the pair for only $8! What a wonderful bargain! I am thinking of painting the outer part of the frame, what do you think?

Garden of Unearthly Delights

I have already spoken about Adelaide's Fringe festival, every year it involves the opening of the Garden of Unearthly Delights in a park in the city (Adelaide is famous for its numerous parks)

It is a wonderful carnival like atmosphere, with pretty lights, rides, performing arts, a huge variety of shows, people dressed up, and food and market stalls. I adore it! My sister and I made a trip to the garden on Friday night, we met my friend Kim there.

We got gelati and then went and saw an old school style circus show called Down & Out. It was a show with a Ring Master and some astounding acrobatics. All the performers kept to their characters the whole time, and there were many ooohs and aaahs, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Here is a copy of the flyer:

It was a lovely night out!

St Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Last week I sent off this swap for the Glytter Kyttens - St Patrick's Day swap on Swap-bot. The shamrock brooch is made out of felt, I got the idea from Craftser then added my own flair to it. Unfortunately mine didn't arrive in time for today, but its ok, because I had my snazzy green shoes to wear any way...

Even my kitty - Týr decided to join in on the green action!

I decided to make an Irish themed dessert, and was inspired to try this Irish Cheesecake Slice shown on morning TV. I used dark Kit-Kat chocolate, and seeing as my sister doesn't like mint, I used Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur and coffee instead.
Now, if you desire to make this recipe, dont follow the part for the topping where it says mix the coffee granuals with the water, then add it to the chocolate! This means, as I am sure most of you would realise, stuffed up melted chocolate!! After doing this once...I should really learn to trust my instincts more... I just melted the dark chocolate topping and added a few coffee granuals to it then. It turned out rather rich, very creamy, only ok though, I doubt I would make it again.

Saturday , wait

Saturday, my sister and I made pizza scones. My mum used to make them for the kids during gardening working bee's, they tasted awesome. To make them, we just used a *gasp* scone packet mix, just add milk! Then we rolled the dough into a rectangle, added our pizza toppings, rolled and sliced it up, topped with cheese and popped them in the oven, and bam! Super yummy pizza scones!

Now also on Saturday, my sisters friend Kyra was having a farewell/bon voyage party. She is off to Canada and France for a year, lucky girl. So, I wanted to make her a little something... A passport cover was perfect! My sister picked out the fabric, and I just simply followed the tutorial from BunnyBum (woo another Aussie!)

I was quite proud of how it turned out, only a little bit wonky! I wish I knew more people going overseas so I could make more!

It's Friday, I'm in Love

On Friday, I made a badge for my sisters close friend Gina. She was having a make up your own superhero themed birthday party. My sister was Safety Caitlin...very amusing. I decided to make Gina a logo felt brooch with her initials on it...

Here is my sister modelling for me:

I think I need to teach her how to use the iron...

Friday night, we went and saw Tim Minchin an extremely funny comedian, and very talented piano player. He made me laugh an awful lot, my cheeks hurt afterwards. Go check out his canvas bags song, I swear you will never leave home without them again!

Thursday, never looking back...

On Thursday, I wore my new cupcake underpants. They were a gift from Kelly from Vitae. I think they are particularly lucky underpants, and if I were a superhero, these are the undies I would be wearing on the outside!

Now if you are a Lolita fan, you would be interested to know that Kelly is selling an amazing Sweet Lolita dress she sewed on ebay, its a damn good price for such a pretty dress, I've seen it in person, its beautiful!

So I was wearing my cupcake underpants, because of this I was feeling particularly arty, so I decided to take advantage of some sunset lighting, and snapped these happy cupcake shots.

Store made cupcakes....I bought them on a whim, and I am glad I did, the icing was actually chocolate, and they were yummy little sweet treats!

Bananarama-PeachyKeen Cupcakes!

Hello! South Australia has just had a long weekend, thanks to Adelaide Cup day... not that I am complaining, but I don't understand the need for a national holiday for horse racing...and I am not even sure I agree with the racing of horses...
Anyway, I enjoyed the weekend immensely, it involved sort of sleep ins, pancake breakfasts, shopping at Ikea, baking cupcakes, crafting, going to see a play, lazing around watching tv shows with the boy and a nice long country drive... ah perfect, and so was the weather!

So I had some bananas that badly needed to be in a cake. Just two little black ones, so I decided to supplement the lack of banana with some tinned peaches. I used the banana cupcake recipe listed on 'How to Eat a Cupcakes' blog, and just added the peaches mashed in with the banana.

The frosting was just again my 'throw it all in the bowl' and mix recipe, (I am sorry, next time I promise I will measure it all and post it!) this time I used cream cheese instead of butter. I will actually admit, the first piping of this icing flopped big time, as in it sort of held its shape for a minute, then oozed everywhere! I think I didn't put quite enough icing sugar in, and the kitchen was a bit hot cause my mum was cooking pizza. So after a lot of swearing, I scraped it all off and started again! grrr.

I made a little syrup out of fruit juice and icing sugar just to drizzle over the top, and then topped the cupcakes with a sour apple heart. My kitty cat Hunnybun decided to pose nicely in the photos for me, she is such a cutie, eye boogers and all <3

Lime and Coconut Loaf Cake

I have been meaning to post this recipe for over a week and a half now. I have just been a little lazy of late, and I think its the final arrival of Autumn and the beautiful rain it brought with it that has been making me so sleepy!

Despite the arrival of cooler weather, it would seem us Adelaidians are only now thinking of baking with summer flavours such as coconut and lime. Fellow South Australian blogger The red deer posted lime and coconut cupcakes recently. I've been seeing limes everywhere, I picked up a bag of them from the central markets for only $2!

My mum cooked me coconut cake frequently as a kid, I would love finding it in my lunch box, as mum never made a bad coconut cake. And recently when I remembered the moist delicious cake, I asked mum for the recipe. It is from the Australian and New Zealand Complete Book of Cookery, by Anne Marshal, printed...1972!

So here is the coconut cake recipe with my lime additions:

Ingredients:
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup milk
7 oz./200gms Butter
1 cup Castor sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 self raising flour
juice and zest of one lime

Method:
Combine coconut and milk, leave to soak for at least 1 hour (this step, my mum reckons, is the secret to the moistness of this cake)
Preheat oven to 180C, or 375F Line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper
Cream butter and sugar until light, white and fluffy. Beat eggs, add in three lots to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract, lime juice and zest. Gradually add coconut-milk mixture. Sift in flour and stir into creamed mixture carefully. Spread into prepared tin, bake in moderate oven for 50-60 minutes. Stand for 5 minutes before turning cake onto wire cooling tray to cool.

Lime butter cream frosting
Icing sugar sifted
Butter
Juice of one lime
Solo (lemon soft drink)

Sugar Topping
Castor sugar
Zest of one lime

I am very sorry, I can't remember the measurements of the butter cream frosting, I kind of just shove it all in a bowl and mix until it looks good!
The cake came out beautifully moist, with a nice tart bite from the lime sugar on top.

Lots of colour for the Fringe!

What an awesome weekend! The Fringe festival parade was good, so crowded though, I was sure half of Adelaide was packed into Rundle St! Lots of colour and wonderful outfits, I saw a Lolita dress made out of cupcake material, I was in LOVE!

For the parade, I altered a plain yellow dress my sister and I found in an op-shop. I hand embroidered on lots of little buttons, bells, flowers and beads onto the top part. The bustle didn't turn out how I imagined it, but it was quite fun nonetheless. I also made the headdress I wore, with flowers and feathers, it was quite easy to put together.

Without much further ado, here are the photos:

Yesterday I was at the Soundwave Festival, I love music festivals, I love the chance of seeing so many great bands on one day, Alice in Chains and Nine Inch Nails were particular highlights of the day for me, its the third time I have seen NIN, and Trent Reznor just astounds me everytime, he has an amazing voice.