Cooking

Lately I seem to have been doing a lot of cooking and baking. Some of it's due to the fact that we are on a strict budget right now so any baking is certainly going to help but I have to say that I'm thoroughly enjoying cooking up a storm.

The kidlettes have helped sometimes and I'm also trying out things that I've never made before like meringues and muffins. I can't believe I hadn't made either of them, especially as they're so easy to make but now I have, I'll certainly be making them a lot more.

So for a peek at just a few of my recent cooking and baking projects we'll go from left to right, top to bottom.

Picture 1. Bread - home made bread always makes me feel such a cook. It's not difficult to make and always tastes so delicious, especially when warm!

2. Anzac muffins - My first attempt at muffins which turned out really well, except I've got to get used to cooking them in my tempermental oven. These are a hit with all the family and I'll definately be making these again. You can get the recipe for these here.

3. Minestrone soup - Nothing beats soup on a cool day and as we're in Autumn heading into Winter then soup is on the menu a lot at our house lately.

4. Meringues - I can't believe I'd never made these before but after whipping up my first batch at Easter time, they've been a regular anytime I have a lonely egg white which needs using.

5. Oysters Kilpatrick - Yum, yum, yum. These oysters were so good and such a lovely birthday treat for me.

6. Chocolate slice - this is one of the first things I ever baked and is always a hit. I haven't baked it in years but seem to have been cooking it quite a bit lately, especially for my brother's recent birthday as it's always been his favourite.

7. Butterfly cakes - just for me for my birthday (well.. I did share them!) I haven't had these in years and just wanted sweet butterfly cakes but I also made some traditional cupcakes too. They always go down a treat.

8. Cheese star biscuits - one of the most divine, moorish, cheesy biscuits ever made. They are also incredibly easy and come from Nigella Lawson's How to Eat cookbook. I made a double batch this time and they haven't lasted very long at all. Ah well....I'll just have to make some more.

9. Jam drops - such a classic biscuit and one that I could easily make with the kids.