Pizza Party Friday Night

What are you all doing this fine Friday night?? Well what I should ask is, what do you all do as a family on a Friday night? We have easy night on Fridays, as we call it 'Pizza Party Friday Night'. I so enjoy not having to plan to much for dinner after such a huge week of school, sports commitments and wrangling our 19mth old! Everyone here loves pizza and a movie with our feet up!

   Let me know what your plans are. I just love hearing how other families spent time together.

Worlds yummiest cookies!

Cookies, cookies, cookies! These cookies are so yummy it is hard to stop eating them. The recipe has a great base and you can add what ever treat you like, choc chips, white choc and macadamia, cranberry coconut and white choc, the list is endless.  I love a large crispy base cookie!

2 cups of chocolate chips

2 1/4 cups of plain flour ( I have replaced with gluten free flour)

1 1/2 cups of castor sugar

good pinch of salt

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 cup of butter 

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1. Pre heat oven to 180 degrees.

2. Beat butter and sugar to a cream.

3. Add eggs one at a time and vanilla to butter and sugar mixture.

4. Sift flour, salt and baking soda, add to butter mixture and mix together with wooden spoon. 

5. Add chocolate chips and mix well.

6. Spoon heaped amounts onto lined trays and bake only until just cooked. 

Note. Times vary depending on oven, you will need to watch so you don't over cook. Cookies will continue to cook slightly after removing from oven.

I dare you to not eat one of these scrumptious cookies hot, they are divine!  Let me know if you try this recipe and what you think!!!

Nana's Oxtail Stew

Since it has become cooler at night, I was yearning my Nana Bella's Oxtail Stew. I have made a few changes to her recipe but I just know she wouldn't mind. This is such a heart warming meal, great for big families and the house is full of such yummy aroma's. I'm hoping we will get two nights out of this stew, it is pretty big.

2kg of Oxtail, trim them if needed
2 large onions or 2 medium leeks
3 medium carrots
1 parsnip, cut into chucks
1 turnip, cut into chucks
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 cup of red wine or port( my nan preferred port)
1litre of beef stock
3 bay leaves
rosemary fresh or dried
thyme fresh or dried
salt
pepper
olive oil

1. Pre heat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Place roasting tray in oven with a good glug of olive oil and heat, once heated add oxtails to tray and season. Cook for 30 mins until browned and caramelized or more cooking time if needed.
3. In a good size casserole dish *that can be used on the stove top, heat olive oil, add onions and cook until golden, add carrots, parsnip, turnips, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes.
4. Add both tins of tomatoes, red wine or port and one litre of beef stock to vegetables and stir through.
5. Remove oxtails from oven, add to casserole dish and mix through any juices from the pan.
6. Turn oven down to 170 degrees, place stew in oven and cook for 4 to 5 hours depending on oven, stir ever hour or more as required.
7. Serve with creamy mash and crusty bread  or any other vegetables you love.
Enjoy!
* You can remove meat from bones and add meat back to stew, stir through and then serve.

Saturday

What does everyone have planned for this fine Saturday?  For this family, we have so far enjoyed a yummy porridge breakfast , gone for a quick walk...enjoying the cooler weather, and now to start many jobs around the house!  Hope your Saturday is beautiful!

And maybe some cookies! 

Bircher Muesli

The kids have been at me to make bircher muesli for breakfast. I usually make it for Christmas morning breakfast along with a fruit platter, cheeses, smoked salmon, my baked ham, croissants and hot rolls. But I thought to myself why just keep it for Christmas it is so yummy! So I thought I would share my recipe ( well not really my recipe, it was given to me by my dear friend Peter. I'm sure he won't mind if I share). I have also made changes to suit my family.....Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 cups of rolled oats
1 1/4 cups of apple juice
1/2 cup of thick natural yogurt
1 granny smith apple grated
1/2 cup of slivered almonds
1-2 mangoes sliced (quantity depends on taste)
1 punnet of blueberries


Method

1. Place rolled oats in a bowl. Add the apple juice and stir. Cover with plastic wrap and leave overnight in refrigerator.
2. Before serving stir through yogurt, apple, almonds and half the blueberries. Spoon into bowls and top with mango, blueberries, a spoon of yogurt and extra almonds.

Note:

Add any fruit you like to suit your taste.


Yummy!

Winter how I love thee!

Cold, I like it!

I so look forward to the cooler months of the year. Winter is my favorite season! The nights are certainly getting cooler here in Toowoomba and the early mornings. Perfect for Easter holidays with my 4 beautiful children, lots of sleep inns  and long snuggles in bed. My favorite things about winter are,  woollen jumpers, quilts, blankets, socks, beanies, hot chocolate, soups, hot crunchy bread, fireplace crackling, wood piles and lots of winter baby snuggles. Oh how I wish it snowed!

What is your favorite season?

Cupcakes

Easy Cupcake Recipe

This is the easiest cupcake recipe and they taste DIVINE! This recipe came from my Nana, she always made these when I was little. They are a small cake recipe, she also used this recipe for butterfly cakes and peach blossoms.

 

Small Cakes
120g butter
2/3 cup caster sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups of self-raising flour
Vanilla
1/2 cup milk

1. beat butter and sugar to a cream. Add vanilla.
2. Add eggs and beat well.
3. Add sifted flour and milk, alternatively.
4. Mix all ingredients together and spoon into paper patty pans.
5. Bake in moderate oven at 190 degrees for 10-12 mins.

Makes 12 cakes

My little baking helper, going to sleep rubbing her wrap on her face, so beautiful!

I hope you are enjoying these easy quick and tasty recipes designed for busy Mums with a tribe to feed.