Contact Julie using the form below, to discuss running this sessions for your community group, a private session for your family and/or friends, or even for a workplace event.
Contact Julie using the form below, to discuss running this sessions for your community group, a private session for your family and/or friends, or even for a workplace event.
It is school holidays and we’ve had a visitor – our gorgeous grandson, Cooper, which meant it was time to cook with Granny, play chess with Papa, and this time, there was also a little piano lesson too!
We only had 48 hours, but we managed to pack a lot in. Cooper had a list of what we needed to cook:
A major search to find the Rocky Road recipe, but more about that later, then he wrote up the shopping list. A trip to the supermarket and home via my favourite book shop – The Book Shoppe, where I was delighted to hear him asking Janene about his favourite authors. Yes, there was also time for reading in between everything else!
Back at home, and decked out in Chef’s Whites, Cooper was ready to get to work! 
When it come to the meringues – last time we made Evil Pig meringues, I thought that they looked rather sinister, so didn’t even mention them. Instead I asked Cooper what colour the meringue shoud be. His answer – purple! With blue and rose pink colouring at hand, I took a portion of the meringue and began mixing in the colour. It was then that Cooper suggested that we should make evil pigs again, so we ditched the idea of making the meringue purple, and the Evil Pigs made a return! After a little more chit chat (and there was plenty of that), this time, we also made crazy critters, aka porcupines. They were put in the oven and the waiting began – how frustrating that even though they were cooked, they still couldn’t come out of the oven until they were totally cooled! Continue reading
Back in March my sisters, Sonnie and Jan visited, you might say we were a little excited.
The day that they were to arrive, the phone started buzzing with text messages advising of their respective departures, Sonnie had a 2.5 hour drive, Jan had a 6 plus hour drive. We received updates letting us know where they were, something that we do to make sure everyone is traveling safely.
Sonnie arrived first, with Jan arriving a few hours later. Bags were taken to their rooms, cups of tea enjoyed, and the talking began. The day they arrived there was to be a street parade, in existence since 1957, the aim of the Maffra Mardi Gras is to give community groups in Maffra, and throughout Wellington Shire, the opportunity to raise funds for their organisation. Culminating in a family-friendly evening with a street parade, marching bands and floats, market and food stalls, entertainment for all ages and a lot of fun! This years’ theme was “the circus” and local trucking companies provided the mobile platforms for local schools and community groups to join in the parade.
it was quite a warm day, so with the parade scheduled for 6pm, it was perfect! We found our place along the street, and we couldn’t wipe the smile from our faces.
When we were clearing our late parents’ home last year we found some cute, old baking tins. My sister, Sonnie, recalled our mum using these tins to make little pineapple tarts – I had no recollection of them, but Sonnie had a story that went with her memory!
Such a simple little recipe that is full of flavour!
Roll out the pastry and cut individual rounds of pastry, large enough to line then individual tart tins.
Line each tine with pastry and then place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 170˚C Fan.
Place a small piece of baking paper in each case and add a single layer of pastry weights/beans, or alternatively you can use rice or dried beans.
Bake tart cases for 10 minutes, and then remove the paper and weights. Return the pastry cases to the oven and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes, until golden.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tins, and then remove the pastry cases from the tins and place on a wire rack.
Just before serving, fill with the pineapple filling, and garnish (see suggestions below)
Stir the cornflour paste into the boiling pineapple, and continue to stir until the mixture thickens. Continue to cook for 1 minute.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter, then quickly stir in the egg yolks. Set aside to cool
