This quick and easy zucchini dish is great as a vegetarian or vegan main course, or as tasty side. Enjoy!
Easy Poached Chicken Breast Recipe – So Moist!
The chicken is a little dry and you’ve ruined my life. ~ Ben Lerner Hey, Lovelies! Having cooked chicken breasts in my fridge or freezer means I have easy protein to add to a salad, pasta, burritos, stirfry, rice, sandwiches or soup. I make this simple recipe almost weekly, and it makes life so much […]
Pina Colada Pie Recipe – So good!!! (Can be Gluten Free too)
Need some tropical goodness in your life in the shape of dessert? This coconut and pineapple pie is a thing of beauty. Can easily be made gluten-free too!
Nan’s Quick Thai Chicken and Potato Soup
The pull of our roots can be such a strong force, no matter how far or wide we may roam. Lauren McDuffie Hey, Lovelies. This simple Thai flavours chicken soup is one of my favourites. The recipe was given to me many years ago by a girl I met at University. Nan was Thai, and […]
Franc’s Tasty Beans And Rice One Pot Meal Recipe
When you’re down on your luck and you’ve lost all your dreams there’s nothing like a campfire and a can of beans. Tom Waits Hey, Lovelies! Early last year I found myself in Arizona – first in Scottsdale, and then in and around Sedona. As an Australian, one of the things that wowed me was […]
Simple Pan-Fried Fish Fillets with Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce
If you are careful,’ Garp wrote, ‘if you use good ingredients, and you don’t take any shortcuts, then you can usually cook something very good. Sometimes it is the only worthwhile product you can salvage from a day; what you make to eat. With writing, I find, you can have all the right ingredients, give […]
Cheesy Vegetable and Walnut Bake (Can be Vegan too!)
Some foods are so comforting, so nourishing of body and soul, that to eat them is to be home again after a long journey. To eat such a meal is to remember that, though the world is full of knives and storms, the body is built for kindness. Eli Brown Hey, Lovelies. I was tired […]
Nana’s Baked Rice Pudding Recipe
Some foods are so comforting, so nourishing of body and soul, that to eat them is to be home again after a long journey. To eat such a meal is to remember that, though the world is full of knives and storms, the body is built for kindness. Eli Brown Hey, Lovelies. My Nana, Joyce […]
Easy Melt and Mix Banana Cake
Like all magnificent things, it’s very simple. Natalie Babbitt Hey, Lovelies. I would have loved to do some glamour shots of this fabulous banana cake. Actually, who am I kidding? I was lucky to even get a photo of it before Ben and his hungry hordes of workers cut into it for Smoko. I’m in […]
Simple Salmon Kedgeree Recipe
I think preparing food and feeding people brings nourishment not only to our bodies but to our spirits. Feeding people is a way of loving them, in the same way that feeding ourselves is a way of honoring our own createdness and fragility. Shauna Niequist Hey, Lovelies! This is one of my easy go-to meals […]
Coconut Cookies with Dark Chocolate, Figs and Walnuts – Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Can Be Sugar Free or Vegan
If we are looking for insurance against want and oppression, we will find it only in our neighbors’ prosperity and goodwill and, beyond that, in the good health of our worldly places, our homelands. If we were sincerely looking for a place of safety, for real security and success, then we would begin to turn […]
Gluten-Free Sourdough from Scratch
“There’s nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread!” Ben Hey Lovelies, here is a simple bread recipe for you to try at home. It was given to me by my friend Angela, and I like it because it doesn’t have any gums or thickening agents in it (which my tummy doesn’t appreciate!) I also […]
Best Ever Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownie Recipe that may actually just be the Best Ever Brownie Recipe
“A brownie a day keeps the frownies away.” Anonymous Hey, Lovelies! I am such a fan of this chocolate brownie recipe. It makes a fudgey gooey delectable treat and it is based on almond meal, so if you avoid gluten it’s a total win. However, it is sooooooooooo good that everyone will love it, and […]
Easy Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter Recipe
“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.” James Beard Hello, Lovelies! I was given this sourdough starter recipe over thirty years ago, when I was at College. I’d been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue and my doctor put me on a strict diet, […]
Yummy And Simple Stewed Plums Recipe
“What is more mortifying than to feel that you have missed the plum for want of courage to shake the tree?” ~ Logan Pearsall Smith There is something deeply comforting about a bowl of warm sweet fruit, and stewed fruit is so simple that it should definitely be a go-to recipe in every household. I love this […]
Stir-Fried Mushroom, Asparagus, Zucchini and Tomato Recipe
“We should all be eating fruits and vegetables as if our lives depend on it – because they do.” ~ Michael Greger Hello, Lovelies!Last week my husband Ben and I sat at out kitchen table with Trish Lyons, my wonderful PA, and our neighbours, Richard Jones and Jo Immig. We spent the night talking about […]
Lamington and Strawberry Parfait – Easy No-Bake Recipe
“One should never, but never, pass by an opportunity to celebrate.” ~ j d malouf I received this email the other day, from the daughters of one of my clients, and I present it just as it was written: dear Nicole my sister and me my name is Molly and her name is Sam need your help […]
Nana’s Easy Pavlova Recipe
“Like all magnificent things, it’s very simple.” ~ Natalie Babbitt We have a friend and her young daughters staying with us right now. The girls love to help me in the kitchen, and for their mum’s birthday I helped them to bake and decorate their first pavolava, which is a favourite dessert of their mum. This recipe […]
Salted Caramel Rice Pudding Recipe
“I like rice. Rice is great if you’re hungry and want 2000 of something. ” ~ Mich Ehrenborg This simple rice-based gluten-free dessert is a modern twist on a family favourite. The pudding is sweet, creamy and has that salty more-ish kick. It can be easily made using your favourite kind of milk, so vegans and […]
Easy Stewed Pears Recipe
“It is, in my view, the duty of an apple to be crisp and crunchable, but a pear should have such a texture as leads to silent consumption.” ~ Edward Bunyard After the excess of Easter it is a relief to be back to simple food again. One of Autumn’s great pleasures for me is pears. This […]
Poached Pears with Honey and Turmeric
“Well,” said Pooh, “what I like best,” and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn’t know what it was called.” ~ A.A. Milne […]
Easy Sweet Potato and Apple Bake – Savoury
“I’m eating’ it quick… but I’ll remember it a long time.” ~ Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings I would love to say that I had a picture of this awesomely delicious little bake intact and looking as amazing as it did when it was still in one piece. But I don’t because we gobbled it up for […]
Fry-Up Bowl – An Easy Meal For Anytime!
“If you can eat with mates or friends or family, I mean, it’s such a brilliant thing isn’t it? If you feel really rubbish and you have a nice bit of food it makes you feel good, you know?” ~ Jamie Oliver Fry-Up Bowls are a favourite easy meal in our house. To be […]
Yummy Sweet Treats for You!
“Love is like a good cake; you never know when it’s coming, but you’d better eat it when it does!” ― C. JoyBell C. Hello Lovelies, Nicole is in bed today feeling sick. So I made her take a break and prepared this blog post for you. I hope you enjoy our top 5 […]
Easy Orange Butter Cake Recipe
“Mma Ramotswe sighed. ‘We are all tempted, Mma. We are all tempted when it comes to cake.’ ‘That is true,’ said Mma Potokwane sadly. ‘There are many temptations in this life, but cake is probably one of the biggest of them.” ~ Alexander McCall Smith When you live on a farm it’s a different […]
Sicilian Lemon, Ricotta and Almond Cake Recipe #glutenfree
“Baking and love go hand in hand, for as one bakes a tasty treat and fills the room with its sweet aroma, the true joy is to take what has been made and share it with another.” ~ Heather Wolf Years ago I was travelling through a remote part of the Australian Outback. I […]
Easy Chocolate Sour Cream Cake Recipe
“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” ~ Charles M. Schulz Who doesn’t love chocolate cake? Actually, my husband! But even Ben loves this cake, declaring it ‘the best chocolate cake he has ever tasted’. If you’re looking for a simple, easy, moist chocolate cake recipe that […]
Black Sticky Rice Pudding Recipe – Gluten Free, Vegan, Yum!
“I like rice. Rice is great if you’re hungry and want 2000 of something. ” ~ Mich Ehrenborg This is truly one of those comfort-in-a-bowl dishes. Black sticky rice pudding is popular in Thailand and parts of Asia. It can be eaten warm or cold, and makes a delicious dessert, but it’s equally good […]
Green Goodness Sauce Recipe
“She pulls on her heavy boots and carries the water bucket past the rose bushes, past the herb garden, and back to the barn behind the house. Her steps kick up the scents of herbs: thyme, mint, and lemon balm. The plants send up new stems each year from the roots that survived the winter […]
Easy Mango Mousse #dairyfree #glutenfree #vegan #yum #paleo
“Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair…” ~ Susan Polis Schutz Mangoes are finally in season here in Australia. This is a super-easy and yummy mango mousse that tastes of summer and is something you can make all year round, even if you can’t access fresh mango. I’ve made […]
Green Goji Bliss Balls
“Humor keeps us alive. Humor and food. Don’t forget food. You can go a week without laughing.” ~ Joss Whedon I often whip up a batch of these healthy, yummy snacks. Green Goji Bliss Balls are packed full of nutrition, and the lemon gives them a lovely fresh tang. They are incredibly easy to […]
Two-Hour Economical Chicken Soup Recipe
“There is no dignity quite so impressive, and no independence quite so important, as living within your means.” ~ Calvin Coolidge I lived on this soup when I was a university student, back in my sharehouse days, and then again when I bought my first house and every spare cent went on the mortgage repayments. […]
Strawberry Coconut Chia Pudding #dairyfree #glutenfree
“Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.” ~ Erma Bombeck I could call this delicious pudding ‘dessert’. But I have also been known to call it ‘breakfast’… This creamy strawberry pudding is a versatile and healthy option as a snack, a meal or as a […]
Bacon, Egg and Broccoli Slice
“If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it yourself.” ~ Albert Einstein I am a big fan of using simple ingredients thrown together to make easy meals. Meals that ANYONE can cook. (Even people with no cooking experience, and people who have rarely ventured into a kitchen or […]
Coconut Rice Pudding with Banana
“And to this end they built themselves a stupendous super-computer which was so amazingly intelligent that even before its data banks had been connected up it had started from I think therefore I am and got as far as deducing the existence of rice pudding and income tax before anyone managed to turn it off.” […]
Ruby Grapefruit and Asparagus Salad
‘Are you casting asparagus on my cooking?’ ~ Curly Howard This is such a simple salad, and it’s easy to throw together, but it tastes like a celebration! It might seem like a little work to segment the grapefruit, but it makes for a pretty result, and no chewy pith or seeds! Serve this […]
Easy Coconut Custard – Low Carb, Paleo, Dairy-Free
“I hope there’s pudding!” ~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix This is a simple, satisfying and yummy dessert. It makes a firm custard, which would be very suitable as a pie crust filling. Coconut Custard is dairy-free, gluten-free and sugar-free, and high in protein and good fats. Plus it tastes […]
Mango Salsa Recipe
“All in all, it was a never-to-be-forgotten summer — one of those summers which come seldom into any life, but leave a rich heritage of beautiful memories in their going — one of those summers which, in a fortunate combination of delightful weather, delightful friends and delightful doing, come as near to perfection as anything […]
Easy Chilli Con Carne Recipe
“I think preparing food and feeding people brings nourishment not only to our bodies but to our spirits. Feeding people is a way of loving them, in the same way that feeding ourselves is a way of honoring our own createdness and fragility.” ~ Shauna Niequist Chilli con carne is one of those great […]
Hasselback Potatoes? Opera House Potatoes? Best Ever Baked Potato Recipe!
“Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes.” ~ Alan Watts When I was little my grandmother used to cook these potatoes when we visited for Sunday Roast, only she didn’t call them Hasselback potatoes. Marga called them Opera House Potatoes, because […]
Easy Goat Cheese and Mushroom Canapes
“A good time occurs precisely when we lose track of what time it is.” ~ Robert Farrar Capon This is a super little recipe – it’s healthy, quick to make, and utterly yummy. You’ll find that it goes perfectly with afternoon tea, as canapes with drinks, or for a plate to share. With the […]
Chilled Coconut Soup with Tapioca and Rockmelon
“Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.” ~ Ruth Reichl Many years ago, when my sister and I were sharing a house, we’d sometimes venture out for dinner to a little Asian Restaurant in Market Square at Sunnybank. Our restaurant of choice was called Gourmet Court – […]
Blueberry Coconut Pots with Chocolate Sauce and Toasted Almonds
“Life is too short for self-hatred and celery sticks.” ~ Marilyn Wann I held an impromptu dinner for friends last night. Roast lamb with baked pumpkin and garden vegetables, and then for dessert these little pots of joy. The pots of joy idea arose from me looking in the pantry and wondering what I could […]
Hot Buttered Apples with Tumeric and Ginger
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” ~ Desmond Tutu This sounds like a tasty and warming dessert, right? Well, it is, and if that’s how you want to enjoy it, go right ahead, It’s yummy and good for you. But […]
Nana’s Delicious Ginger Cake Recipe
“And I had but one penny in the world. Thou should’st have it to buy gingerbread.” ~ William Shakespeare, Love’s Labours Lost This was my Pa’s favourite cake. It is a heavy, moist old-fashioned ginger cake and it has very good keeping qualities. Teamed with an afternoon cup of tea or an early morning […]
Easy Baked Eggs Recipe
“A recipe is a story that ends with a good meal.” ~ Pat Conroy Sometimes I need a warm, easy meal that takes just a minute or two to throw together, but that is more substantial than toast. If I’m writing, and don’t want to leave what I am doing for too long, or at […]
Easy Ginger Poached Pears Recipe
“If you want to know the taste of a pear, you must change the pear by eating it yourself. If you want to know the theory and methods of revolution, you must take part in revolution. All genuine knowledge originates in direct experience.” ~ Mao Tse-Tung Pears are in season right now here in Australia, […]
Easy Stewed Apple Recipe
“If God had intended us to follow recipes, He wouldn’t have given us grandmothers.” ~ Linda Henley Stewed apples always remind me of my grandmothers’ kitchens. Both of them were avid fruit stewers, especially when fruit was beginning to get a little old, or soft, or if there was too much to eat fresh, or […]
Baked Persimmons with Crumble Topping
“Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits.” ~ Samuel Butler Persimmons are one of my favourite autumn treats. I use the non-astringent variety for this recipe. These fuyu persimmons can be eaten crunchy like an apple, or left to soften so that the interior […]
Homemade Easter Treats
“Hedwig didn’t return until the end of the Easter holidays. Percy’s letter was enclosed in a package of Easter eggs that Mrs. Weasley had sent. Both Harry’s and Ron’s were the size of dragon eggs, and full of home-made toffee. Hermione’s, however, was smaller than a chicken’s egg. Her face fell when she saw it. […]
Simple Stewed Plums Recipe
“What is more mortifying than to feel that you have missed the plum for want of courage to shake the tree?” ~ Logan Pearsall Smith There is something deeply comforting about a bowl of warm sweet fruit, and stewed fruit is so simple that it should definitely be a go-to recipe in every household. I love this […]
Easy Chocolate Mousse with Almond Praline
“If you are not feeling well, if you have not slept, chocolate will revive you. But you have no chocolate! I think of that again and again! My dear, how will you ever manage?” ~ Madame de Sévigné I know, I know, it’s such a throwback to the 1970’s but Chocolate Mousse is […]
Tropical Pie Recipe
“Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.” ~ Ruth Reichl And so, the moment of truth… Does the Tropical Pie of my childhood still measure up? *Nicole laughs gleefully and claps her hands* Darn tootin’ right it does! The pie has a crunchy toasted coconut crust, […]
Pomegranate, Kale and Sweet Potato Salad Recipe
“Fun fact #1 about pomegranates: Pomegranates are awesome. Fun fact #2: Pomegranates are like little explosions of awesome in your mouth. Fun fact #3: A lot of people think you’re not supposed to eat the seeds of a pomegranate – but that’s not true, people who tell you that are liars, and they don’t know […]
Quick Christmas Macadamia Shortbread Recipe
“For centuries men have kept an appointment with Christmas. Christmas means fellowship, feasting, giving and receiving, a time of good cheer, home.” ~ W.J. Ronald Tucker This is a super recipe. It’s rich and buttery, and the lovely crispness of the shortbread goes perfectly with a cup of tea. I like their rustic style […]
Warm Lamb Salad with Tahini, Kale and Roasted Tomatoes
“Don’t just eat McDonald’s, get something a bit better. Eat a salad. That’s what fashion is. It’s something that is a bit better.” ~ Vivienne Westwood One of the pleasures of being on the farm is wandering around the garden in the late afternoon, hunting out things to eat for dinner. I have an abundance […]
Green Boost Detox Smoothie
“If you don’t take care of this the most magnificent machine that you will ever be given…where are you going to live?” ~ Karyn Calabrese One of my most favourite things is food. And I want my food to be a delight – even as it is healing and nourishing me. This smoothie is […]
Mandarin, Zucchini and White Chocolate Cupcakes
“Baking is like washing–the results are equally temporary.” ~ Patricia Briggs, Raven’s Shadow I experimented with a new cake recipe earlier in the week. But it was so good that it was devoured before I thought to take any photos. So I made it again! In fact, I tested two versions. A straight-up version […]
Simple Tomato Salad
“Like all magnificent things, it’s very simple.” ~ Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting One of my favourite salads involves ripe tomatoes, a little oil and a handful of herbs picked fresh from the garden. Right now my Spring vegetable garden is still in its infancy, and my tomatoes are not yet ripe. But I found […]
Delicious Strawberry and Kale Green Smoothie Recipe
“Our bodies run on the fresh green fuel of the land.” ~Terri Guillemets Today’s my birthday, so you’d think I’d be blogging about cake, but no. I’ve decided to post something virtuous instead. We’ll get to the cake later. 🙂 I love a good green smoothie. It’s a tasty, easy way to eat whole […]
Tasty Honey Soy Chicken Marinade
“We believed in our grandmother’s cooking more fervently than we believed in God.” ~ Jonathan Safran Foer When we were small children, we referred to excursions to my maternal grandparents’ home for dinner as ‘visiting the Palace’. My grandmother, Marga, would set an elegant table, with a lace tablecloth, a decorative floral arrangement, soft linen […]
Persian Love Cake Recipe #glutenfree
“You’ve got this life and while you’ve got it, you’d better kiss like you only have one moment, try to hold someone’s hand like you will never get another chance to, look into people’s eyes like they’re the last you’ll ever see, watch someone sleeping like there’s no time left, jump if you feel like […]
Baked Apple Maple Custard #dairyfree #sugarfree
“I hope there’s pudding!” ~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix This is a comforting, warm, easy-to-digest pudding that tastes delicious. It only takes a few minutes to throw together, which is also a nice bonus. I’ve long been a fan of baked custard, and I’ve modified my grandmother’s original recipe […]
Tasty Moroccan Lamb Curry
“May my thoughts of kindness stretch over like a warm blanket to envelop your being and caress your soul.” ~ Truth Devour It’s cold, blustery weather here at the farm right now. I made a pot of this simple curry with the meat from some leftover grilled lamb chops. This recipe works equally well with leftover lamb […]
Easy Activated Almonds Recipe
“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” ~ Arthur Schopenhauer Have you ever heard of activated almonds? The first time I did I was in a rather pretentious whole foods store, and I saw a tiny bag of them for […]
Warm Spiced Turmeric Milk Recipe
“Each spice has a special day to it. For turmeric it is Sunday, when light drips fat and butter-colored into the bins to be soaked up glowing, when you pray to the nine planets for love and luck.” ~ Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, The Mistress of Spices Turmeric Milk is a traditional Ayurvedic drink, often called by the wonderful […]
Chocolate Beetroot Cake Recipe – Gluten Free
“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” ~ Charles M. Schulz Although at first this might sound like a strange flavour combination, I can assure you that this cake tastes sublime. The beetroot adds an earthy sweetness to the chocolate cake, giving a moist but surprisingly light cake with good […]
Zucchini Bread Recipe – Gluten free, dairy free, sugar free
“When I pass a flowering zucchini plant in a garden, my heart skips a beat.” ~ Gwyneth Paltrow I should have titled this post The Great Zucchini Loaf Challenge! I have a friend who is always telling me that they positively hate zucchini. This friend last ate zucchini thirty years ago at boarding school. They tell me […]
Easy Mushroom and Walnut Soup Recipe
“Yes,” said Cook. “That is soup that you are smelling. The princess, not that you would know or care, is missing, bless her goodhearted self. And times are terrible. And when times are terrible, soup is the answer. Don’t it smell like the answer?” ~ Kate DiCamillo Soup is such an easy meal to whip up, […]
Apple, Pear and Chia Seed Warm Pudding Recipe
“Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.” ~Ernestine Ulmer I came home to our farm last night, too exhausted to cook dinner. Problem was, I was hungry. The thought of a salad, or anything cold and raw was completely off-putting. I needed warmth and nurture. Solution? A lovely bowl of warm pudding – healthy and […]
Osso Buco Recipe with Beetroot and Rosemary
“The beet is what happens when the cherry finishes with the carrot. The beet is the ancient ancestor of the autumn moon, bearded, buried, all but fossilized; the dark green sails of the grounded moon-boat stitched with veins of primordial plasma; the kite string that once connected the moon to the Earth now a muddy […]
Tasty Chorizo Risotto Recipe
“Some foods are so comforting, so nourishing of body and soul, that to eat them is to be home again after a long journey. To eat such a meal is to remember that, though the world is full of knives and storms, the body is built for kindness.” ― Eli Brown, Cinnamon and Gunpowder Risotto is one […]
Mango and Fig Meringue Nests Recipe
“Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand.” ~ Mother Teresa This is a VERY easy dessert. Just a little chopping and stirring, but the results are pleasing and the flavours elevate it to a whole other level. There is usually a packet of little meringue nests in my […]
Roast Cauliflower and Pomegranate Salad
Fun fact #1 about pomegranates: Pomegranates are awesome. Fun fact #2: Pomegranates are like little explosions of awesome in your mouth. Fun fact #3: A lot of people think you’re not supposed to eat the seeds of a pomegranate – but that’s not true, people who tell you that are liars, and they don’t know […]
Blueberry Pancake Recipe
“I like pancakes. They’re a kind of dessert for breakfast. What can be better than that?” ~ Nicole Cody We have a houseful of friends staying at the farm right now, giving Ben a hand with some clearing and fencing. And man, these fellas can eat!!! A girlfriend from the farm up the road dropped […]
Beef Minestrone Recipe – Gluten Free
“Did you know you can drink food? It’s true! It’s called soup…” ~ Jarod Kintz Minestrone is a simple soup to throw together, and it’s a complete meal in a bowl. It freezes and reheats beautifully, so it’s a terrific soup for when you’re busy or unwell. I’ve been known to eat it for breakfast, […]
Fresh Watermelon Zinger Juice Recipe
“The nature of watermelons is generally rather chilling and contains a great deal of moisture, yet they possess a certain purgative quality, which means that they are also diuretic and pass down through the bowels more easily than large gourds and melons. Their cleansing action you can discover for yourself; just rub them on dirty […]
How to make Bone Broth
“I think preparing food and feeding people brings nourishment not only to our bodies but to our spirits. Feeding people is a way of loving them, in the same way that feeding ourselves is a way of honoring our own createdness and fragility.” ― Shauna Niequist Bone broth is essentially bones and vegetables simmered together over […]
Easy Chicken Curry with Coconut Cream
“Some foods are so comforting, so nourishing of body and soul, that to eat them is to be home again after a long journey. To eat such a meal is to remember that, though the world is full of knives and storms, the body is built for kindness. The angels, who know no hunger, have […]
Baked Passionfruit and Lime Cheesecake Recipe
“With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.” ~ William Shakespeare Birthdays deserve cake. For the past few days I’ve had my dear friend Carly staying with us here at the farm, so that we could see in the New Year together and celebrate her birthday. I’ve not been well on this round of lyme meds, […]
Easy Berry Parfait Recipe
“Some of the sweetest berries grow among the sharpest thorns.” ~ Scottish Proverb Ever since I was a little girl I’ve loved parfaits. They’re so pretty with their layers of deliciousness! What’s even better about this dessert is that it’s healthy enough to eat for breakfast, and fancy enough to be served at Christmas Dinner. […]
Last-Minute Christmas Cake Recipe – Quick and Easy
“Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.” ~ Charles M. Schulz Did Christmas sneak up on you too this year? One minute it was 2012, and now it seems a whole year has flashed by and I missed it! Christmas Cake and Christmas Pudding is usually an elaborate ritual in our household, but […]
Tasty Green Bean Salad Recipe with Miso Dressing
“What garlic is to salad, insanity is to art.” ~ Augustus Saint-Gaudens I love salads any time of year – as a main event, or as a side for anything from soup to roasts. I made this one to go with a roast lamb dinner. The crunchy beans paired with the salt of the cheese, the […]
Easy Peach and Vanilla Jam Recipe
“The rule is, jam tomorrow and jam yesterday – but never jam today.” “It must come sometime to jam today,” Alice objected. “No it can’t,” said the Queen. “It’s jam every other day. Today isn’t any other day, you know.” ~ Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland Have you ever made jam? Most people seem to think it’s some […]
Easy Beef Rissoles with Sundried Tomato and Feta
“Miracles are like meatballs, because nobody can exactly agree on what they are made of, where they come from, or how often they should appear.” ~ Lemony Snicket, The Carnivorous Carnival Growing up, beef rissoles (meatballs) were a staple in my family. They are easy to make, economical, and make a filling meal which usually yields […]
Easy Peach Chutney Recipe
“The single greatest lesson the garden teaches is that our relationship to the planet need not be zero-sum, and that as long as the sun still shines and people still can plan and plant, think and do, we can, if we bother to try, find ways to provide for ourselves without diminishing the world. ” […]
Baked Peaches with Walnut Caramel Crumble Recipe
“One day I would have all the books in the world, shelves and shelves of them. I would live my life in a tower of books. I would read all day long and eat peaches. And if any young knights in armor dared to come calling on their white chargers and plead with me to […]
Tasty Omelette Recipe
“You can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.” ~ Anon “You CAN make an omelette without breaking eggs. It’s just a really bad omelette.” ~ Steven Colbert The humble egg has so many uses in the kitchen, and one of my favourites is a tasty filled omelette. Don’t be put off by ideas that […]
Easy Strawberry and Mulberry Teacake Recipe with Berry Compote
“You’ve got this life and while you’ve got it, you’d better kiss like you only have one moment, try to hold someone’s hand like you will never get another chance to, look into people’s eyes like they’re the last you’ll ever see, watch someone sleeping like there’s no time left, jump if you feel like […]
Easy Lemon Shortbread Recipe
“Remember, ‘No one’s more important than people’! In other words, friendship is the most important thing – not career or housework, or one’s fatigue – and it needs to be tended and nurtured.” ~ Julia Child, My Life in France One of the things I treasure most about where I live is that wonderful sense of community. […]
Easy Spinach and Ricotta Pie – Gluten Free
“I’m strong to the finish when I eats me spinach!” ~ Popeye the Sailor Man Who doesn’t love an easy meal? My misbehaving eye was banished to the naughty corner yesterday so I was cooking with my pirate patch on. Even one-eyed I still managed to whip this up with little effort, proving that ANYONE can […]
Nana’s Curried Sausages Recipe
“The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest.” ~ Thomas More My Nana grew up in the Depression, and then started married life at the beginning of World War Two. There was always plenty of love – good friends and family – […]
Walnut and Dark Chocolate Coconut Bites – Fit for a Prince!
“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” ~ Charles M. Schulz While the world is abuzz with excitement at the birth of the Kate and William’s new baby boy, here we are celebrating by eating macaroons and drinking tea. Welcome, Little Prince. We shall blog about you tomorrow… […]
Easy Gluten-Free Coconut Macaroons Recipe
“A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness.” ~ Elsa Schiaparelli I love these simple little macaroons. So quick to make, so easy and they taste like heaven – all toasty and chewy on the outside and still soft and moist in the middle. These ones are gluten-free, and can easily be made […]
Slow Cooker Italian Lamb Shank Recipe
“There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.”~ Jane Austen I’m totally in love with my slow cooker right now. Just ten minutes of preparation in the morning and the slow cooker does all the work so that by nightfall I have a luscious, melt-in-the-mouth dinner, brimful of goodness and with next to […]
Roasted Pear and Root Vegetable Salad Recipe
“It is, in my view, the duty of an apple to be crisp and crunchable, but a pear should have such a texture as leads to silent consumption.” ~ Edward Bunyard, The Anatomy of Dessert I love my salads, but winter is a time better suited to warm foods and slow foods. The solution? A […]
Lemony Slow-Cooked Lamb Shanks Recipe
“I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.” ~ W.C. Fields Slow cooked food – there’s nothing better to nurture the body and comfort the spirit, and this tasty dish fits the bill perfectly. Now that there’s a chill in the air here at the farm, a nourishing warm dinner is always […]
Easy Baked Cheesecake Recipe – Gluten Free, Sugar Free
“Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not!” ~ Author Unknown One of the not-fun parts of being unwell, or being on a restricted diet, is that treats seem to be harder to come by. So many desserts are crammed full of sugar, grains and fats. Or they have twenty steps, weird ingredients and […]
Nicole’s Fruit Slice Recipe
“If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older.” ~ Tom Stoppard This week’s offering for my ‘Slice Extravaganza’ series – recipes taken from the hallowed Family Recipe Book – is known simply as ‘Nicole’s Fruit Slice’. Why? When I was a little girl it was my absolute favourite, and I never tired of it. […]
French Toast with Banana and Bacon Recipe
“Oh, I just want what we all want: a comfortable couch, a nice beverage, a weekend of no distractions and a book that will stop time, lift me out of my quotidian existence and alter my thinking forever.” ~ Elizabeth Gilbert French Toast is such weekend food! The sort of breakfast where you don’t have to rush, […]