First, thanks to Nigella, then my friend's flatmate Jen for passing on this recipe. After visiting Brisbane recently I was reminded of this very tasty treat and thought it time to get it all typed down properly.
JAM DONUT MUFFINS - LAURA'S WAY
Makes 6 (I would probably double this recipe, to be honest!)
2 cups plain flour (I try to use organic)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
4 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
A few shakes of cinnamon
1tsp Ovvio Vanilla Bean Powder (this stuff is amazing, look it up!)
1 cup milk
1/3 cup oil (I say use coconut oil if you have any, it really adds to the flavour)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs jam (I use IXL Raspberry, mainly because the jelly-like consistency stops the muffins from 'bursting' as they cook)
100g unsalted butter, melted, for brushing
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 190°C and line a six-hole large muffin pan. T
- Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl.
- Stir in the sugar, coconut and vanilla bean powder and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk the milk, oil, egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones. Mix until combined, but don’t overmix.
- Fill each of the cases about 1/3 full.
- Carefully add about a teaspoon
of jam on top of the mixture in each case. Then carefully cover until
the cases are almost full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cakes are golden on top and spring back when you touch them.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Remove muffins from the tin.
- Put some caster sugar and a few shakes of cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
- Brush the tops of the muffins with melted butter and then press them into the caster sugar mix
Enjoy!
Monday, March 25, 2013
Thursday, March 21, 2013
On being pregnant - part 2
So after my first post on pregnancy I didn't think I'd be writing much more, guess this is why there are so many 'mommy bloggers' out there; when you suddenly find what you need you feel like you should be sharing the good news with the world! More in my case I want to remember all of this so I will have meaningful gifts to buy when friends get pregnant, or if someone out there needs some advice without trawling the internet for hours (like I have, but I've sort of enjoyed it :).
I was really much more excited than I expected this morning when I received a package from Hatch Collection. My wardrobe is almost fully stocked with loose fitting or maternity clothes now, but it was recently my birthday and my mother offered to buy me a cardigan. Thankfully - Hatch had just gone on sale (otherwise it was a big NO). When the package arrived this morning the quality of the clothes were GORGEOUS, I can't wait to get home and hang them up!
Now that I am feeling in good health I can deal with a bit of fragrance again, but mostly still of a natural origin. This 'nourishing baby oil' by Burts Bees smells divine (like the ripest, fresh honey) and I love rubbing it on after a hot shower. I'm not sure if it prevents stretch marks or similar, but it would be such a lovely gift, I can't recommend it enough!
So... pregnancy pigmentation. It hasn't been as bad for me (so far) as what I thought I might be in for, and any makeup is a big effort for me - I rarely wear 'real makeup' anyway. Then my good friend Rebecca showed me this wonder product, I'm sold! It's a tinted moisturiser called 'In a Good Light SPF 30+' and you can get it from Mecca Cosmetica, perfect for all skin in my opinion! Thanks Rebecca!
Did you know there is such a thing as a Sleep Bra? I wish I had known months back! One of these clever items has gained me an extra hour or two of serious sleep per night since buying two about 3 weeks ago! Better still, they are not expensive. It sort of feels less like wearing a bra and is not quite as tight as a sports crop top, but it holds everything in place very comfortably. For some reason I was very against wearing a bra to bed, so here is the perfect answer!
I have been exercising throughout my pregnancy, not in the crazy way, just walking a few times a week and going to a pregnancy gym class twice a week - I've really enjoyed it so far. So here we go again, all about bras... but I recently replaced my sports top and this is the one for a pregnant body (or a large large chest)! If you visit the LuluLemon store in Sydney, they actually have a changeroom where you can 'test one out' on a mini-tramp! I have to laugh, the style is called 'ta ta tamer.'
I guess by now you may have realised that being pregnant means shopping a bit like crazy, but now that all of these special things are beginning to fit and come in handy, it's starting to be alot of fun :)
I was really much more excited than I expected this morning when I received a package from Hatch Collection. My wardrobe is almost fully stocked with loose fitting or maternity clothes now, but it was recently my birthday and my mother offered to buy me a cardigan. Thankfully - Hatch had just gone on sale (otherwise it was a big NO). When the package arrived this morning the quality of the clothes were GORGEOUS, I can't wait to get home and hang them up!
Now that I am feeling in good health I can deal with a bit of fragrance again, but mostly still of a natural origin. This 'nourishing baby oil' by Burts Bees smells divine (like the ripest, fresh honey) and I love rubbing it on after a hot shower. I'm not sure if it prevents stretch marks or similar, but it would be such a lovely gift, I can't recommend it enough!
So... pregnancy pigmentation. It hasn't been as bad for me (so far) as what I thought I might be in for, and any makeup is a big effort for me - I rarely wear 'real makeup' anyway. Then my good friend Rebecca showed me this wonder product, I'm sold! It's a tinted moisturiser called 'In a Good Light SPF 30+' and you can get it from Mecca Cosmetica, perfect for all skin in my opinion! Thanks Rebecca!
Did you know there is such a thing as a Sleep Bra? I wish I had known months back! One of these clever items has gained me an extra hour or two of serious sleep per night since buying two about 3 weeks ago! Better still, they are not expensive. It sort of feels less like wearing a bra and is not quite as tight as a sports crop top, but it holds everything in place very comfortably. For some reason I was very against wearing a bra to bed, so here is the perfect answer!
I have been exercising throughout my pregnancy, not in the crazy way, just walking a few times a week and going to a pregnancy gym class twice a week - I've really enjoyed it so far. So here we go again, all about bras... but I recently replaced my sports top and this is the one for a pregnant body (or a large large chest)! If you visit the LuluLemon store in Sydney, they actually have a changeroom where you can 'test one out' on a mini-tramp! I have to laugh, the style is called 'ta ta tamer.'
I guess by now you may have realised that being pregnant means shopping a bit like crazy, but now that all of these special things are beginning to fit and come in handy, it's starting to be alot of fun :)
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
On being pregnant.
So here I am, with child! I thought I should make a collection of items and thoughts that have helped me along so far, so I'll split it into a few categories to move things along.
I need to say outright pregnancy is not just about buying things, but I did find it really hard to get people pointing me in the right direction, so that's why this post has a product focus. I need to emphasise that pregnancy is different for everyone, so these things may not work for you!
Reading.
I haven't been reading much and a lot of that is on purpose. I tend to simply access the internet when a question arises, using some websites that my GP gave me. That said I have really enjoyed reading 'Great With Child' by Beth Ann Fennelly - you can get it delivered to Australia for free if you buy it at the Book Depository.
Blog wise, I also very much enjoy reading the motherhood posts on Cup of Jo, the daily challenges of motherhood and running a freelance business on Sweet Fine Day, and the regular child-related posts on unruly things.
On the more official side of pregnancy blog reading I tend to go for Babble Pregnancy, which surprises me a bit considering it's owned by Disney!
Underwear.
I think this comes first in terms of taking care of yourself. I can hardly blame anyone for 'not telling me' but I was sore up top very, very quickly. Things were (and still are) ahem, growing very fast. So buy yourself a bra, just one or two, as quickly as possible! These are my favourite, they are by a brand called Cake Lingerie.
I was a bit freaked out they are 'nursing bras' but I did like the fact they are designed to grow with you, and grow with me, they have! They also wash very well and still look new after over three months of weekly wear, so I consider it excellent value for money (even though they are around A$50 a pop!)
I also bought one of these bras by Berlei recently and hope to buy a few more - a much more traditional bra that unfortunately wont be growing with me, but they are a little more unobtrusive than the Cake bras above.
I also ended up some of these, aherm, nipple covers. I was in pain there for a few weeks, I wont say much more. If you end up pregnant, you will work it out!
Being Sick and Feeling Off.
I did feel sick, I just wasn't throwing up in public enough for anyone to care too much. I have been lucky in that when I do feel sick it's never for more than 15-20 minutes.
The main thing I needed to do was lie down and get cool (pretty hard at work!) I found ginger helped me the most. At first I was drinking ginger beer (it was convenient and available, but also very sugary) but then I started making my own drink by grating raw ginger into a cup and adding a lemon juice ice cube and some Pellegrino water. Much more healthy.
12 weeks in I also visited the wonderful Anthia Koullouros at Ovvio Organics. I had a 'Healthy Pregnancy' consultation, she really put me at ease and gave me some direction around my eating and lifestyle during pregnancy. It would be a lovely gift if you wanted to buy something meaningful for someone in early pregnancy, I considered it a little indulgent but well worth it.
I also really enjoy drinking Wort Organic soft drinks, when I am able to find them!
I am at 18 weeks now, and at this point it seems two things still make me ill: heat (as in walking around in the Sydney Summer for more than say, 20 minutes), and pure sugar (as in lollies or sweets). I still do the above if I feel that way and it seems to be what works for me. I feel tired (like 3am tired) every day or two still but again that doesn't garner much sympathy as most people feel tired these days, for one reason or another!
Clothes.
I should say straight up that I am not the 'normal body with a bump on the front' kind of pregnant lady, I look more like the Russian Doll that ate too much pudding. It's difficult not to be hard on yourself when you are pregnant but I knew from watching other members of my family with child that this was the way it was always going to be. So anyway, clothes!
I am most fortunate to have a friend living in the US who owns the 'Lil Shoppa international shipping service (you can use it too!). So far, the majority of my maternity wear has come from GAP Maternity, which is still not available in Australia - when I recently spoke to a sales consultant in the Sydney store they said it could be another 5-7 years!
Catch them during a sale and you wont be sorry - I just had 6 items delivered, including GAP maternity jeans and some leather shoes for A$115.
Some other items I really really like:
Bassike items in jersey - the T-Shirt has a longer tail and the pants (well, I never thought I'd be that attracted to the poo-catcher style!) are super for hanging out at home. It's all machine-washable and nothing seems to lose shape or colour. They are a little more expensive but I figure I'll still be wearing these items 5 years down the track regardless of the state of my body.
Ripe Maternity are online as well as stocked in some Myer stores so you can go in and try things on. I particularly like their seamless tank (fancy singlet) which washes beautifully and dries so quickly! It doesn't seem to roll up over the hips either, so don't be put off by the slightly more expensive price.
I also have a few cheaper T-Shirts in fun colours from Seed Heritage and some stretchy black dresses from Blue Illusion, both brands seem to cut quite sympathetically to the pregnant form!
Queen Bee seems to be the place to shop for lovely items and if a special occasion arises I'll be shopping there.
To be truthful, besides buying some new gymwear and a few larger cardigans in the coming weeks, I will be trying to not to buy too much more in terms of maternity wear - I am already half way there, after all!
Beauty.
I'm not a make-up girl and the main reason I'm writing about this here is that strange artificial smells from various toiletries were part of my nausea, particularly earlier on in the game. I mean, I could not even wash with palmolive soap without heaving! I found natural or basic fragrance worked best for me, and I've enjoyed the change. I'm not saying it would be the same situation for anyone else out there, but it needs to be said, I had to switch things around a few times before getting it right for me. Here are some yummy items that have really helped me along:
Aesop. Aesop anything really, particularly this Coriander body cleanser that smells nice and peppery!
L'Occitane Gentle Lotion. After 12 weeks this smell was sort of fresh and like baby powder, and I didn't find it too thick or greasy (I'm not going to discuss pregnancy and sweating, but yes, it happens!)
American Crew Citrus Mint Range. It's more expensive in Australia, but I particularly found their Cooling Conditioner good and minty for the hair! I found it at a local Barber - apparently it's a men's brand but I say it's for everyone.
I'm not going to say much about eating and drinking because that topic's way too touchy for so many people, but I've mainly been approaching this how I like. I have found that the stuff everyone tells you to worry about seems to happen naturally without much effort. For example 'Don't drink any alcohol' became so much easier a few weeks in when it seemed my tastebuds had changed and I just wasn't thinking about it anymore. A local listeria scare scared me off soft cheese. Although I'm a lifetime tummy sleeper as I have been growing I've been sleeping in other ways without much conscious effort at all - so no real need for big panic.
So enough about me although I might add to this from time to time... I'm guessing the next post will be all about baby! x
Reading.
I haven't been reading much and a lot of that is on purpose. I tend to simply access the internet when a question arises, using some websites that my GP gave me. That said I have really enjoyed reading 'Great With Child' by Beth Ann Fennelly - you can get it delivered to Australia for free if you buy it at the Book Depository.
On the more official side of pregnancy blog reading I tend to go for Babble Pregnancy, which surprises me a bit considering it's owned by Disney!
Underwear.
I think this comes first in terms of taking care of yourself. I can hardly blame anyone for 'not telling me' but I was sore up top very, very quickly. Things were (and still are) ahem, growing very fast. So buy yourself a bra, just one or two, as quickly as possible! These are my favourite, they are by a brand called Cake Lingerie.
I was a bit freaked out they are 'nursing bras' but I did like the fact they are designed to grow with you, and grow with me, they have! They also wash very well and still look new after over three months of weekly wear, so I consider it excellent value for money (even though they are around A$50 a pop!)
I also bought one of these bras by Berlei recently and hope to buy a few more - a much more traditional bra that unfortunately wont be growing with me, but they are a little more unobtrusive than the Cake bras above.
I also ended up some of these, aherm, nipple covers. I was in pain there for a few weeks, I wont say much more. If you end up pregnant, you will work it out!
Being Sick and Feeling Off.
I did feel sick, I just wasn't throwing up in public enough for anyone to care too much. I have been lucky in that when I do feel sick it's never for more than 15-20 minutes.
The main thing I needed to do was lie down and get cool (pretty hard at work!) I found ginger helped me the most. At first I was drinking ginger beer (it was convenient and available, but also very sugary) but then I started making my own drink by grating raw ginger into a cup and adding a lemon juice ice cube and some Pellegrino water. Much more healthy.
12 weeks in I also visited the wonderful Anthia Koullouros at Ovvio Organics. I had a 'Healthy Pregnancy' consultation, she really put me at ease and gave me some direction around my eating and lifestyle during pregnancy. It would be a lovely gift if you wanted to buy something meaningful for someone in early pregnancy, I considered it a little indulgent but well worth it.
I also really enjoy drinking Wort Organic soft drinks, when I am able to find them!
I am at 18 weeks now, and at this point it seems two things still make me ill: heat (as in walking around in the Sydney Summer for more than say, 20 minutes), and pure sugar (as in lollies or sweets). I still do the above if I feel that way and it seems to be what works for me. I feel tired (like 3am tired) every day or two still but again that doesn't garner much sympathy as most people feel tired these days, for one reason or another!
Clothes.
I should say straight up that I am not the 'normal body with a bump on the front' kind of pregnant lady, I look more like the Russian Doll that ate too much pudding. It's difficult not to be hard on yourself when you are pregnant but I knew from watching other members of my family with child that this was the way it was always going to be. So anyway, clothes!
I am most fortunate to have a friend living in the US who owns the 'Lil Shoppa international shipping service (you can use it too!). So far, the majority of my maternity wear has come from GAP Maternity, which is still not available in Australia - when I recently spoke to a sales consultant in the Sydney store they said it could be another 5-7 years!
Catch them during a sale and you wont be sorry - I just had 6 items delivered, including GAP maternity jeans and some leather shoes for A$115.
Some other items I really really like:
Bassike items in jersey - the T-Shirt has a longer tail and the pants (well, I never thought I'd be that attracted to the poo-catcher style!) are super for hanging out at home. It's all machine-washable and nothing seems to lose shape or colour. They are a little more expensive but I figure I'll still be wearing these items 5 years down the track regardless of the state of my body.Ripe Maternity are online as well as stocked in some Myer stores so you can go in and try things on. I particularly like their seamless tank (fancy singlet) which washes beautifully and dries so quickly! It doesn't seem to roll up over the hips either, so don't be put off by the slightly more expensive price.
I also have a few cheaper T-Shirts in fun colours from Seed Heritage and some stretchy black dresses from Blue Illusion, both brands seem to cut quite sympathetically to the pregnant form!
Queen Bee seems to be the place to shop for lovely items and if a special occasion arises I'll be shopping there.
To be truthful, besides buying some new gymwear and a few larger cardigans in the coming weeks, I will be trying to not to buy too much more in terms of maternity wear - I am already half way there, after all!
Beauty.
I'm not a make-up girl and the main reason I'm writing about this here is that strange artificial smells from various toiletries were part of my nausea, particularly earlier on in the game. I mean, I could not even wash with palmolive soap without heaving! I found natural or basic fragrance worked best for me, and I've enjoyed the change. I'm not saying it would be the same situation for anyone else out there, but it needs to be said, I had to switch things around a few times before getting it right for me. Here are some yummy items that have really helped me along:
Aesop. Aesop anything really, particularly this Coriander body cleanser that smells nice and peppery!
L'Occitane Gentle Lotion. After 12 weeks this smell was sort of fresh and like baby powder, and I didn't find it too thick or greasy (I'm not going to discuss pregnancy and sweating, but yes, it happens!)
So enough about me although I might add to this from time to time... I'm guessing the next post will be all about baby! x
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Knitting: Whelk Stitch
I use New Stitch a Day to learn new knitting stitches.
Here is the 'Whelk Stitch' which I have been knitting this weekend.
I have added photos of each row to help when I make mistakes!
Row 1 (RS): K3, *sl 1 purlwise, k3; rep from * to end.
Row 2: K3, *yf, sl 1 purlwise, yb, k3; rep from * to end.
Row 3: K1, *sl 1 purlwise, k3; rep from * to last two sts, sl 1 purlwise, k1.
Row 4: P1, sl 1 purlwise, *p3, sl 1 purlwise; rep from * to last st, p1.
Repeat rows 1 – 4 until you have reached your desired length.
Here is the 'Whelk Stitch' which I have been knitting this weekend.
I have added photos of each row to help when I make mistakes!
Row 1 (RS): K3, *sl 1 purlwise, k3; rep from * to end.
Row 2: K3, *yf, sl 1 purlwise, yb, k3; rep from * to end.
Row 3: K1, *sl 1 purlwise, k3; rep from * to last two sts, sl 1 purlwise, k1.
Row 4: P1, sl 1 purlwise, *p3, sl 1 purlwise; rep from * to last st, p1.
Repeat rows 1 – 4 until you have reached your desired length.
Knitting: Little Pyramid Stitch
I use New Stitch a Day to learn new knitting stitches.
Here is the 'Little Pyramid Stitch' which I have been knitting this weekend.
I have added photos of each row to help when I make mistakes!
Row 1: k5, *p1, k5; rep from * to end.
Row 2: k1, *p3, k3; rep from * end with p3, k1.
Row 3: p2, *k1, p5; rep from * end with k1, p2.
Row 4: p2, *k1, p5; rep from * end with k1, p2.
Row 5: k1, *p3, k3; rep from * end with p3, k1.
Row 6: k5, *p1, k5; rep from * to end. Repeat these 6 rows until you have reached your desired length.
Here is the 'Little Pyramid Stitch' which I have been knitting this weekend.
I have added photos of each row to help when I make mistakes!
Row 1: k5, *p1, k5; rep from * to end.
Row 2: k1, *p3, k3; rep from * end with p3, k1.
Row 3: p2, *k1, p5; rep from * end with k1, p2.
Row 4: p2, *k1, p5; rep from * end with k1, p2.
Row 5: k1, *p3, k3; rep from * end with p3, k1.
Row 6: k5, *p1, k5; rep from * to end. Repeat these 6 rows until you have reached your desired length.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Ol' Miss
I love Ol' Miss, she is a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo that has been coming to visit us almost every day for a year now.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
College Pudding
This is a great pudding recipe because you can add whatever spare ingredients you have on hand. I have also added coconut, nuts, almond meal and have substituted golden syrup for jam in the past. It's so easy to pop this on the stove while you eat your dinner. This pudding is so versatile, always enjoyable!
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon jam (I use more, probably 3-4)
1 cup self raising flour
60g butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
Few drops of vanilla
2 x handfuls of chocolate chips (I use dark)
Olive oil spray
METHOD
- Spray a pudding mould with olive oil spray or grease with butter
- Place jam in base, set aside
- Cream butter and sugar, add egg, beat
- Stir in milk, flour, vanilla (I normally just beat slowly)
- Pour mixture into mould - Place mould in boiling water for 1.5 hours
- Turn out of mould, serve with custard or ice cream
Adapted from: The Commonsense Cookery Book, Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1970
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