Carrot Cupcakes

I'm taking that look on his face as pride!

It has been school holidays here in NSW for the past two weeks. Nic has been able to look after the boys while I keep on feeding the masses at work, however, yesterday I gave myself an early mark to come home and knock up a few ideas for my new website. I have decided to embrace kids classes and perhaps even do a kids 6 week cooking course for term four........work in progress!
Anyway Alex was at a mate's house for a good chunk of the day and when they came to drop him home I sat to have a cup of tea with his mate's mum while the kids went a bit manic. The two older siblings were bored, hungry and, well, looking for something to do without really talking to each other (10 year old boy and girl). What better way to keep the noise down and them occupied- bake a cake.

Straight out of the oven

I was going to make a carrot cake at some stage and then thought this would be a great way for them to test out a recipe for me. I wanted to see if it was going to be a good one for me to teach the kids in my up-and-coming classes. They were eager, excited and, before we knew it, talking to each other about how they were going to do this (I told them I wasn't going to help and that they needed to read the recipe and figure it out).

You can understand why the older kids wanted to get into the kitchen

I have to say the kitchen looked like a bomb (actually 3 bombs) had gone off in there, but the carrot cupcakes actually looked and smelt fabulous! They were proud as punch that they made them from scratch, by themselves and even more excited that they worked. Now I just have to get them to test about 10 more recipes and I'll be good to go!

Pumpkin soup with lime pickle

If I eat another chocolate egg I think my teeth will fall out.
With half my chocolate collection scoffed (yep, a big kid at heart!) I am needing, wanting, craving food of the savoury kind. One of the benefits of having this Easter at home is having the complete use of my kitchen.
Although the cool weather hasn't set in, I was still in the mood for soup, and what soup do we make more than any other soup at chez Baker??? Pumpkin soup!

To give it a little bit of a kick start I sautéed the onions and garlic with a bit of Keens curry powder. I then added the pumpkin pieces, sweating them off a bit and finally adding the water (but only to just cover the pumpkin pieces).
It is a delicious soup as is, and the boys were stoked when I served it up with a crusty loaf of olive bread. I was craving a little more and added a dollop of natural yoghurt to mine and then topped it off with some lime pickle- Perfect!
I got a creamy, rich pumpkin flavour that was studded with the hot tartness of the lime pickle.
A savoury kick that was a hit with the whole family, with or without the pickle!

Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns,

Hot cross buns,

One a penny, two a penny,

Hot cross buns...........

They weren't quite ready for breakfast as I decided a sleep in was required, however, morning tea was graced with delicious hot cross buns. 

I used the recipe I adapted in 2009 and am pleased to report it worked it's magic for another year.

Don't you just love the look of raw dough once it has finished proving. It reminds me of a fluffy pillow that smells of yeast and sugar.......so good!

Happy Easter and take care over the break

Easter lamb with yummy greens

In our house, it really doesn't feel like Easter unless we have lamb and go camping. Sadly last years camping trip ended at 1am Easter Sunday with us packing up the boys and our drenched tent, then driving through the night back to Sydney.

Even though it has rained every Easter since we have been back in Australia we still love packing up the tent, esky and loads of food to go and hang out in the bush or by the ocean somewhere and just enjoy our beautiful country. This year is a little different.

We threw our sodden tent in the bin when we arrived home from last years camping trip because it was the second year it let us down and we haven't gotten around to buying another one.
At first I was really devistated we were staying in Sydney but then I remembered the coast is but an hour away and we can still relax and enjoy the weekend and maybe I might be able to whip up a batch of hot cross buns tomorrow?

Anyway enough about that!

I got a bit ahead of myself last week and bought a beautiful leg of lamb at my new favourite butcher down in Glebe- Glenmore Meats. It was the second time I'd visited and picked up a 2.2kg leg of lamb for $20!! It was a bargin and tasted fantastic.

I love lamb on the BBQ, the smokey flavour mixed with my favourite herbs and spices rubbed all over it (dried thyme, cracked pepper, cumin, smoked paprika and salt) then spike the leg with big pieces of garlic- YUM!
Once the BBQ is at medium temp place the leg in a tray that is heavly layered with thickly sliced onion and eggplant, pop the leg on top then lower the lid on the BBQ and cook for about 2 hours depending on the size of leg and your barbie.

To serve the leg I whipped up some very simple beans and asparagus cooked with one roughly diced tomato and a squeeze of lemon (and yes, that is half a lemon in the with the beans, gives it more of a citrus flavour), salt and pepper. A very light and easy side dish that compliments the lamb beautifully and if you have any left over they go really well on an antipasto platter.