orange cake anyone?

So, I decided to try some new cakes with the oranges today.  They are the sweetest smelling oranges ever.  DD2 says they're the best oranges she's ever had!  Go Nanny!!

The first one is - 

ORANGE POPPY SEED SYRUP CAKE

1/3 cup poppy seeds

1/4 cup milk

185g butter, softened

1 tblspn finely grated orange rind

1 cup caster sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 cup almond meal

1/2 cup orange juice

Orange Syrup:

1 cup caster sugar

2/3 cup orange juice

1/3 cup water

Preheat oven to moderate (180C/160C fan-forced).  Grease a deep 22cm round cake pan; line base and side with baking paper.

Combine seeds and milk in a small bowl; let stand for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat butter, rind and sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating until just combined after each addition.  Transfer mixture to large bowl; using a wooden spoon, stir in flours, almond meal, juice and poppy-see mixture.

Spread mixture into prepared pan; bake for about 1 hour.  Stand cake in pan for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack over oven tray.

Make orange syrup.

Turn cake top-side up; pour hot syrup over hot cake.  

Orange Syrup - Using wooden spoon, stir combined ingredients in a small saucepan over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, without stirring, for 2 minutes.  Pour syrup into a heatproof jug.

You don't have to do the syrup thing, I tell you, it smelt mighty fine when it came out of the oven, I could have just tucked right into it!!

I was just about to start the next one when my neighbour called and asked me if I'd like to go for a walk.  I said yes, thinking I don't really have time for this.  I'm so glad I did.  It was such a beautiful day and I really enjoyed our walk and talk, she is such a lovely lady.  They have only been next door for about six months and are living in their shed before building a house; just as we did.

Ok, the next one I found comes from a section in my cookbook that is 'One-Bowl Cakes'.  Its great, throw everything in at once, give it a whizz and into the oven, here it is - 

ORANGE DATE CAKE

125gm butter

2 tspns finely grated orange rind

3/4 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1 cup self-raising flour

1/2 cup plain flour

1/3 cup orange juice

1 cup coarsely chopped dates

Preheat oven to moderate (180C/160C fan-forced).  Grease a 20cm ring pan; line base with baking paper.

Beat butter, rind, sugar, eggs, sifted flours and orange juice in small bowl with electric mixer on low speed until combined.  Increase speed to medium; beat 2 minutes or until mixture changes in colour and is smooth.  Stir in dates.

Spread mixture into prepared pan; bake for about 40 minutes.  Stand cake in pan for 2 minutes, before turning on to wire rack to cool.

We didn't get to try this one yet.  The Poppy Seed cake we had a nice piece of after dinner.  Oh, it was sooo good.  If I could've I would fit in two pieces, but I was stuffed!!

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend :)

on my mind ...

Its been a while since I've joined Rhonda for her 'on my mind' Friday photo feature ..... 

I was given this bag of oranges from my mother-in-law and although I've used quite a few, thinking of ways to use the rest up.  

Its a rainy old day outside, just perfect for baking!

Have a lovely weekend :)

lazy day

What a glorious day it was today!

The sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky and it wasn't freezing cold.  We have been having temperatures of 12C during the day.  Now I know this is not COLD for many of you, but let me tell you, IT IS where I live.  VERY COLD!!

We had my SIL, her mother and my neice stay last night.  They live about 5 hours drive north of us.  My 15 yr old neice is going to Adelaide to stay with a friend for a week over the school holidays.  She has led a very sheltered life and was very excited and a little nervous as she has not flown before.  Actually, apart from coming to stay with us over holidays, I don't think she has really been away from home much.  I was up bright and early to get them fed and ready to leave.

We really just had a lazy day from there.  Matthew decided he wanted to paint most of the day.  I didn't get any pics :(  I just forgot!

It was also one of those days for a backyard picnic lunch.

come on mum - I'm hunry

DS1 "go away mum" - at least he's not too cool to have a picnic with me!!!

DS2 (aka Matthew) loves his big brother DS1 (aka Daniel)

When I came inside later on in the day, the sun was shining through the back doors and it just looked too nice!

We made the most of the day, apparently there's thunderstorms coming in tomorrow!

Hope you had a nice day :)

the kettle and the fridge

So what do you think a kettle and the fridge have in common?  Not much?

Well, really only one thing - ELECTRICITY!

I found out last night that boiling a full kettle uses the equivalent electricity as running a fridge for 4 hours.  Can you believe that?  I was astounded.  I like to think that we do 'alright' in the energy stakes but apparently not.  I don't know about you but I know there are many times that I put the kettle on for a cuppa, don't get around to making it - several times - and boil it again.  I suppose I've run that fridge for 12 hrs or more by the time I actually make a cup of tea.

My mission now is to say goodbye to my faithful kettle, you have served us well, and find a nice heavy duty one that can sit on my fire in these colder months.  If I need it boiling I can pop onto my gas top.

While investigating this revelation I came across this site, Home Energy Savings Advice, which is very interesting.

Hope you have a great day :)  (its gonna be beautiful here)!

sausages part 2

Ok, so yesterday was sausage making day.

Ten kilos of pork mince and fat (has to be 25% fat) had been mixed with the herb & spice mix.  I don't know if I'm allowed to 'share' the secret ingredients, but just because we're all friends I will.

To ten kilos they add:

230 gm salt

90gm paprika

80gm peppercorns (I'm guessing this is coarsely ground)

70gm aniseed

70gm chilli

Actually, this is all probably ground, you know what men are like, no instructions on the piece of paper, just whats in it. As long as they know what they're doing!  You know, secret mens business and all that!

Beef & Garlic and Lebanese

Chicken

The sausages were made and divided.  We actually tried some last night.  The chicken ones were divine - yep, I'll go through that boning and skinning again - the others were tasty but dry.  I think next time I will pay more attention to the ratio of meat to fat.

The Italian ones got hung with the batch from last week.  You can see in the pic how much they cure in just one week.

One week old

The fresh ones being hung

In about two to three weeks we'll take them down, wash them in wine (that could be a dangerous exercise), rub them with olive oil and cryovac in lots of three.

And then .... pig out on them .... excuse the pun!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend :)

sausage time

Once a year DH goes off to an old work colleagues house where a group of blokes make Italian sausages.  He brings them home, hangs them for a couple of weeks before he cryovacs them.  Everyone just loves them, but we have learned over the years that they must last for twelve months...so... NO you can't have some.  Everyone wants to take just one packet.  We love to share it with our friends and family, but don't hand it out willy nilly!

This year there were lots of casings left, so hubby and his mate decided to bring them home and make some more.  So, I ordered the pork and picked it up this morning.  Before I went, I looked online for some sausage recipes to make.  I found this fantastic link here that lists an amazing assortment.  I picked these three to try because I had all the ingredients in the pantry except the meat - Italian Beef & Garlic, Chicken & Onion Sausage and Lebanese Kabob Sausage.  

Ingredients sorted, I started to mix.

The beef & garlic and lebanese were easy really.  Skinning & boning two and half kilo's of chicken legs is NOT fun.  Gee, was I glad that was over.  My friend (we are sharing with) came over and we shared a few drinks, medicinal purposes of course - to get us through the rest of the night - and of course to go with the fantastic game of Aussie Rules football that was on - GO THE MIGHTY EAGLES - sorry, had to get that in, just in case there's any Geelong supporters out there!!!

Sausage making on the go tomorrow, will post you all the gritty details!!

Have a fantastic weekend :)

'treasure & clues'

Every morning master four and I venture out for our morning ritual.  This morning as well as saying good morning to my chook children and letting them out, it included hanging the washing.  

While I was pegging clothes on the line, Matthew became very excited to find 'treasure' and lets find some more 'clues'! 

He often finds things around the place and its most always 'treasure'.  How exciting to be four, when everything is so exciting and adventurous.  I love getting caught up in the excitement and magic with him.  I have always loved it, playing along with their games.  

I remember when my girls (now 21 & 19) were small, we had a pond with lots of big plants, faeries & goblins surrounding it.  We often talked of the faeries that lived there and their magical and mysterious life.  My brother (who has three girls around the same age) would ridicule me endlessly that I should talk such nonsense.  I thought it was so sad that three little girls should grow up without the magic and imagination that we would create in our little paradise.  My girls would dress in their homemade fairy costumes, make wands and flit around the backyard.  I loved it just as much as they did.  This post brings back so many memories that seem just like yesterday. I so hope they remember when they are mothers.

So anyway, this morning it was 'treasure & clues'.  

Quick mum, he said, let's see if there's any more clues.  Off we went .... and this is his 'treasure & clues'.

I will miss this all very soon.  Like I said, its seems like only yesterday that the faeries were flitting around and now they are grown.  Time is flying away way too fast.

Have a lovely day :)