In My Kitchen: October 2012

Joining Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for her monthly In My Kitchen posts - pop on over to Celia's and see what's happening in the kitchens of other bloggers....why not even join the fun yourself! 

Well it's been a whole three months since I last took everyone for a sticky-beak in my kitchen and a lot has been happening, I must say.  I can't believe how quickly two months have gone - so I'd better get a wriggle on and get this one posted before October is over and I'm skipping another IMK post!!!

This month (and the previous two), In My Kitchen....

...is this beautiful coffee set and the Brazillian coffee we were given by the LOML cousins in Sydney during our visit last month.  They have been getting a regular workout since we've been back.  I was taught how to make Lebanese coffee when we were in Lebanon 2 years ago but, not having access to the correct coffee itself, I haven't been able to recreate the right taste.  Now, with these 100% pure Arabica beans, it's like I open a time-space rift with every pot and we're back in Lebanon looking out over the hills!

We were also gifted with a box of Lebanese sweets to bring home - they looked too pretty to eat but they didn't last long!...

....and we were loaded up with the best Lebanese bread I have tasted in two years!  The LOML had to carry these 10 packs (!!) on the plane with him because I didn't have the strength to make the combined weight of our carry-on luggage and these goodies look less than 7kg!!  They are now happily ensconced in my freezer and taste just as good defrosted as they do fresh.

In My Kitchen.....

...I've been mastering my sweet and savoury scroll making.  Custard and almond for me, fruit and custard for the LOML, and cheese and Vegemite for the both of us!

In My Kitchen....

....the LOML bought me some cinnamon sticks and some 'hot' powder.  He's not sure what it is (!?!) but it tastes like hot paprika - it doesn't have the chilli kick to mark it as that.  I ran out of hot paprika the other day so this was great timing on his part.

And finally, In My Kitchen....

...the mulberry tree out the front has me up to my eyeballs in mulberries (those that make it inside of course - it's the picker's prerogative to sample the wares!).  I'm planning to make mulberry jelly for Christmas presents - I'm starting to think ahead about gift ideas....but that's a job for next month's IMK!

Thanks for visiting - what's happening in your kitchen?

In My Kitchen: July 2012

Joining Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for her monthly In My Kitchen posts - pop on over to Celia's and see what's happening in the kitchens of other bloggers....why not even join the fun yourself!

In My Kitchen this month.....

...time has been a'ticking away so very quickly. So quickly in fact that all of a sudden the middle of the month has been and gone and before I know it we'll be onto August already and then it's Spring and then Christmas and then, OMG, 2013!!! (yes, you do detect an edge of hysteria there - I feel like time is escaping me! so much I want to do, so little time to do it!).

[Deep breath in, deep breath out. Calmness restored.] 

As you may recall, last month my kitchen saw the preparation work for a big-number-that-shan't-be-revealed birthday cake for a friend...(missed it? here it is again). This month has seen the finalisation of said cake....

Tools were assembled...

Flowerpaste was cut to size, marked with a toothpick and then placed in formers to shape...

I left the flowers in the formers, placed in sealed plastic containers for the week in a vain attempt to get them to dry.  Considering it rained every day, I was living in hope but they held their shape enough for me not to panic too much come assembly time!

Before any assembling could take place though, colours were measured ready for some serious dusting...

...and then, once the cake was covered and stuck to the board, I added the ribbon and did some decoration around the board edges....

Then came the fun part - putting on the flowers!   I must admit that when I started I had a design plan....but too soon the excitement took over and I started to make it up as I went along!  Lucky for me it still looked alright at the end!!!

Finally, time for the finishing touches and of course the writing of the message...

....taaaadaaaahhhhhh!!!!!

Unfortunately, circumstances out of our control meant that the LOML and I couldn't make the surprise party but I'm told the birthday gal was over the moon with my edible gift to her and may have cried a few tears of happiness as well.  I'm so glad she liked it - plenty of love in that one right there!

Next month, I think my kitchen will be icing-free and not anywhere near as pretty....but you never know!

Thanks for stopping by :)

In My Kitchen: June 2012

Joining Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for her monthly In My Kitchen posts - pop on over to Celia's and see what's happening in the kitchens of other bloggers....why not even join the fun yourself!

In My Kitchen this month....

.....I had BIG plans to show you my chickens living in my kitchen.  Not real chickens.  Pretend chickens.  Chicken 'ornaments' that have slowly gathered in a flock to almost take over my shelves and cupboards.  I do seem to have a lot of them.  But as with most plans in this neck of the woods, they were destined to be changed and altered from the outset.  Forgone but hopefully not forgotten, they will make their appearance in another IMK post without a doubt.  

In the meantime....

....In My Kitchen....the mixmaster sits awaiting action....

...fruit has been soaking....

....the tin has been lined....

....wine has been poured....

....and ingredients assembled.

Recipe notes have been decoded (the wine helps with this one!)....

....and the action begins!!!

Time is a'tickin....

In 3 1/2 hours the deed will be done and the cake will be cooked.  There's a milestone birthday coming up for which a cake of significance will be required (although in no way is the finished product to mention the age of said milestone birthday!  That's between the birthday girl and herself thank you very much!).  It's not for another 4 weeks but time is of the essence and there is no time like the present (especially when it comes to fruit cakes).

Watch this space next month for the finishing of it.  

I hope it turns out like I hope :)

In My Kitchen: May 2012

Joining Celia and her 'In My Kitchen' posts - head on over to Fig Jam & Lime Cordial and join the fun...

Yay! I'm on the ball and early this month!!!  Well, okay, early for me that is!  I have of course been talking up my need for time management to post on time and lo and behold I actually delivered!  So without further adieu....

In My Kitchen this month.....

...some freshly made bottles of Worcestershire sauce.  I had a minor dilemma the other week when I realised there were no more bottles in the cupboard - I blame my brother who has developed a taste for it.  I'm sure I caught him plundering my loot a couple of months back - "just looking" he said.  Yeah right!!  I use the CWA recipe.  Those CWA ladies know how to cook.

In My Kitchen...

...some Quince Cheese chilling in the fridge before being sliced and sealed in vacuum bags for future consumption.  My Quince Cheese is quite 'fruity' still cos I like it that way (as opposed to the jelly like versions out there).  Again, CWA recipe.  

In My Kitchen...

...is was a banana and pecan cake/slice thing.  Another CWA recipe (have book open, will bake things!).  I would have taken a photo of the finished product (made with homegrown bananas and pecans) but I devoured it too quickly.  So quickly in fact I didn't get to put the frosting on top.  Not that it needed it but it certainly would have looked prettier!  Thanks CWA yet again!!

In My Kitchen....

....are what remains of the pecans (and some ring-in macadamias) after the banana cake/ slice bake-off.  And the necessary de-shelling implement.  Doesn't everyone have a hammer on their kitchen bench?!?!

In My Kitchen...

....it's celebrating time...

....via one's tipple of choice!  Some great news was received this afternoon via a phone call at 5pm.  Life is on the up people!!  Up, up, up!!!  

And finally, In My Kitchen....

...are a beautiful bunch of flowers from a friend.  A gift for my assistance with her resume and job application letter a couple of weeks ago.  This is them after a week - the blooms are just, well, blooming!  Stunning!

And that's it for my kitchen this month.  Next month I'm hoping to introduce you to my collection of chickens that reside around my kitchen, now that the spider's webs are gone and the walls are clean enough to withstand photographic examination!!!

What's the go in your kitchen this month?

In My Kitchen: April 2012

Joining Celia and her 'In My Kitchen' posts - head on over to Fig Jam & Lime Cordial and join the fun...

So technically, I've had this post ready for a couple of weeks now but it was the taking of the photos that let me down and has meant that yet again, April is almost over before I publish it.  Hmmmm need to work on that....!

To the point at hand....In My Kitchen this month...

.....some two dollar pumpkins picked up courtesy of a road-side honesty stall on the way back from Stanthorpe last weekend.  Three to be had in all - one for our neighbour-friends, one to our friend-friend and one for us.  Last night it made its miraculous transformation into an amazing pumpkin soup that will feed us for the rest of the week and then some!  I have saved some seeds because I plan to be eating this one again!

In My Kitchen....

....is some of my friend Mrs H's delish home-made, home-grown grape jelly.  We stopped in for wine, cheese and nibbles on our visit out her way last weekend and this was on offer.  I must say I was most unladylike in my hasty consumption!  Divine with my favourite camembert and water cracker, washed down with a glass of my favourite red.  She snuck me a jar to take home when we left and it has since been stored safely and securely in the pantry, somewhere towards the back, perhaps obscured from plain view by something unappetising like oats or pasta!

In My Kitchen...

...a bottle of Vincenzo's finest!  It has been a long time since I've had a bottle of heaven on my shelf.  A trip to Stanthorpe is not complete unless there is a bottle of this in the car on the way out!  How long I can last with rationing it remains to be seen but truly, good things in life are meant to be enjoyed aren't they?!  MMMMmmmmm chocolate!!!

In My Kitchen...

...are the spoils of a weekend away to the amazing fruit orchards of Stanthorpe.  A big box of seconds apples and mandarines, which taste so much more amazing than anything I could possibly buy at any shop here in town....

....some big, fat, juicy cloves of local garlic.  Some of these have been put into the veggie crisper in the fridge in anticipation of planting out and trying to grow my own crop.  Just need to look into when to actually plant them...!

And finally....In My Kitchen....

...is a raspberry cutting from my mum's partner's neighbour (you with me?), patiently biding its time and soaking up the beautiful autumn morning sunshine coming through the kitchen window until such time as I find the time and motivation to plant it into its chosen spot in the backyard.  My motivation is of course entirely dependent on the rusty, purely cosmetic tank currently in the chosen spot in the middle of the yard away from anything resembling a downpipe, being removed to another location!  I have high hopes for some form of action this weekend...!

So that's it for what's happening In My Kitchen this month.  Hopefully next month I will be better organised and get a post out earlier, though I'm sure I said the same thing last month!

Pop on over to Fig Jam and Lime Cordial and see what's happening in the kitchens of other bloggers....you won't be disappointed and you'll meet some lovely people!

In My Kitchen: March 2012

Better late than never, I'm joining Celia and her In My Kitchen Posts a little later in the month than I would have liked! But you can't win them all and with so much new stuff going on around these parts I haven't yet settled into anything that could resemble enough of a routine to become a habit, and that is impacting on my ability to meet my own deadlines!   Oh well!

Soooo....with not a whole lot happening In My Kitchen this month, I give you none-the-less....

...some yummy, just-picked strawberries.  Nothing tastes better than a little sun-warmed piece of heaven!  My strawberry plants are currently going crazy with the flowering and fruiting, another reason to get out into the outside while the sun is shining and there is still a little warmth left in the air!

In My Kitchen....

...the chillies are strung for drying and looking pretty.  The string on the left was my second go at it - my technique improved as I went on!  These chillies were a surprise find at the end of the veggie patch, the bush having come up on it's own behind the biggest weed known to man!  I don't mind finds like this at all!

In My Kitchen...

...is a gift from a special friend that reminds me of good times and lots of laughter.  It doesn't remind me of the date though. 

In My Kitchen...

... is the best sign in the world and one very appropriate to my kitchen!

What's happening in your kitchen this month?

In My Kitchen: February 2012

Joining Celia and her 'In My Kitchen' posts - head on over to Fig Jam & Lime Cordial and join the fun...

This month my kitchen has only one thing on it's mind....cakes.  More specifically, fruit cakes and their elaborate sugar coverings.  In less than 1 week (!!!!) I will have all finished and completed a two-tier wedding cake for the marriage of my 75-year-old bride on Saturday coming (I'm also her Matron of Honour - we're keeping it in the bridal party!).  At this point, I'm not panicking.  The rain has just started up again which will make things harder if it doesn't go away by tomorrow (the humidity in the air makes the fondant chuck a hissy and not dry or set properly).  Here's hoping the week is fine and sunny so the panic doesn't set in early. 

In My Kitchen....

....are a whole heap of sugar flowers and leaves waiting to be turned into little bouquets to be arranged artistically on the cake tiers.  Given that I still don't know how that will be the results could be....interesting...to say the least!  Everything - the design, the colours, the shape - has been left entirely up to me.  Sounds good in theory.  Not so good for a perpetually indecisive person.  I keep changing my mind.  At some point (hopefully very soon) I will have to make a decision and stick to it.  

In My Kitchen....

....I have the cake tins and boards mocked up to give me an idea of the finished product.  I'm planning on making the whole thing sit on a double board.  That is, the bottom cake will sit on a board a bit smaller than the one in the photo, which will then all sit on this board.  Makes the cake ensemble (fancy made up description right there!) seem larger and more grand than it really is.  Ahhh, tricks of the trade!!  I'm thinking the top tier will sit on a spacer (a piece of square polystyrene between the top cake and the pillars that you can't see) to give the impression that it is just hanging there.  Both cakes will have a frill around the bottom of them - the top tier's will sit just lower than the bottom of the cake hiding the spacer.  That's the plan anyway.  Could change as the days pass.

In My Kitchen....

Humph!  For some reason Blogger is rotating my pic...it looks so much more impressive right way up!

....are the results of a two-day intensive cake decorating course I have just finished this afternoon. (sucker for punishment?).  I'm actually glad the course was on this weekend - I've now had heaps of very recent practice covering cakes and boards again - I am feeling confident and ready for the real thing.  Which should take place tomorrow.  Weather permitting.  (please rain, go away).  

Oh, and In My Kitchen....are plans and entry forms for the local show coming up in March into which I will be entering a decorated cake (novice contemporary section) and maybe some jams....!  Busy, busy!

Happy February In-My-Kitcheners!

In My Kitchen: January 2012

Joining Celia and her 'In My Kitchen' posts - head on over to Fig Jam & Lime Cordial and join the fun....

In My Kitchen this month...

......is some of Santa's loot.  I have wanted this book for years - ever since I first flicked through the pages of my friend Mrs H's 1976 copy.  I have been scouring second-hand bookshops and markets for years in the hope of coming across one.  When I saw it in the bookshop before Christmas I pointed it out to the LOML as a 'very good choice' for Christmas!  I love it when a plan comes together!!

In My Kitchen...

...is more Santa loot.  A beautiful teapot and giftbox of teas from the Tea Centre.  

The mug I snaffled from our shop - the only one of it's kind and destined for my kitchen from the start!!  As you can see, I have a penchant for chicken things.

I'm still a newbie tea drinker and this set was selected because of its appeal to novices.  I'm itching to try the chai.

In My Kitchen....

...are some 'just because' flowers.  I love 'just because' flowers - I love all flowers - and these are so bright and happy they made my day. 

In My Kitchen...

...are the beginnings of a tomato glut.  All of a sudden the weather has turned warm (yay!!) and the tomatoes are ripening by the hour!  All the rain we've had these last few weeks have swelled them to bigger-than-normal size - these are supposed to be cherry tomatoes but they're more like beefsteaks (I exaggerate a little!)!

This means the dehydrator has begun it's work in earnest.  I can't wait to use these in a meal of some sort....I'm thinking a beautiful fresh green salad tossed with some fetta cheese!  Yum!

Happy New Year In-My-Kitcheners!  May 2012 bring you good health, wealth and happiness!