There's something about the impending long weekend that accompanies Easter -- and the inescapable invasion of hot cross buns marching like fluffy little soldiers across the shelves of every bakery and grocery store in Sydney -- that makes me want to bake. My history with hot cross buns is well documented and this year, thanks to the universe sending inspiring flavours my way, my head was full of orange & almond brioche and orange & coconut pull apart bread and that challah I made a … [Read more...]
Green Smoothie, Sweet Potato & Granola Bowl
Green Smoothie bowls are a regular visitor to my breakfast table (who am I kidding, there is no table in this equation, I eat breakfast standing up in the kitchen as I prep for shoots, or sitting at my desk while editing photos... but that's another story altogether). Not only do I quite enjoy them but they're a great way to get a huge quantity of veg into the start of the day -- and eating a green smoothie with a spoon instead of drinking it from a glass serves a dual purpose. If the … [Read more...]
Maple Orange Spice Macadamia Nuts
There is only one word to describe these spice-coated macadamia nuts -- addictive. Addictive as in keep tasting them just to make sure they're ok, and make twice what you need, and you better stop now lest you have none to give away addictive. They are crunchy and fragrant and stunningly easy to make -- as a matter of fact the hardest part of the whole recipe is waiting for them to cool before eating. These orange spiced macadamias are the second gift I included in my foodie … [Read more...]
Strawberry & Blood Orange Frozen Margarita
There I go again, making summery, freezing cold treats in the dead of winter. Ironically this delectable beverage is, well other than the frozen bit, entirely seasonal. You see while strawberries are ripe for the picking (pun entirely intended) in NSW during late spring and early summer, they roll out of tropical Queensland by the tonne all winter long. They are sweeter and juicer and less expensive now, even being shipped a state down, than they are coming from only an hour or two away … [Read more...]
Rainbow Whole-Fruit Popsicles (Ice Pops)
Sitting on the concrete floor of my mother's friend's flowershop I sorted and searched through the little plastic pieces for the right colour. Pop, pop, pop the little pegs broke through black paper, twinkling as they released the light. I followed the Lite Brite patterns until I used them all up and started making up my own designs -- swirls and zig-zags and 5-year-old interpretations of trees -- from the little points of colour. And then a question, asked casually and without … [Read more...]