Recap of the last week

The housewarming went swimmingly. Everyone loved my potatoes and the random bean salad I made. I haven't tasted it yet but it looks good.
1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tin borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
2 tomatoes, diced
1 carrot diced
chives, diced
olive oil.

Stick everything in a bowl and drizzle olive oil over the top.

My potatoes were the twice baked potatoes from PW. The changes I made were to omit the cheese and milk from the filling and to flavour it with chives and thyme. I've made it before with everything in there and they came out very soupy. I also made my favourite coconut cake recipe, omitting the lemon curd filling and whipped cream. I just made sure that the coconut was very toasted for maximum flavour. It still tasted great 3 days later.
Unfortunately I have no photos.

I do have photos of cake though. Lots of cake.

Housewarming 3.1

Okay so third house in 2.5 years so it's time for the third housewarming. If you're wondering why it's version 3.1 then listen whilst I explain.

3.1 is friends
3.2 is one set of family
3.3 is the other set of family

C's family housewarming will consist of parents, siblings, grandparents and uncles. Mine will be parents and maybe my sister. Hence 2 different parties.

We specified byo grog and meat for the bbq so hopefully this will mean that we only have to provide salads and our own protein. I'm expecting to have to provide basic snags anyway as there are always people who forget. The best part is salads!!!! I love a good salad.

At the moment I'm thinking the veg version of twice baked potatoes from PW. I use thyme instead of bacon. As well as a basic green salad and a chickpea/bean with roasted capsicum and greenery of some kind. I'm hoping to avoid providing bread as C doesn't eat it and I don't want it in the house. I'm trying to avoid it. Sweets will most likely be a fruit platter of some sort or some cupcakes. Depends on what I can whip up after my nap. I'm making a lot of cake that week.

Friday is a going away bbq at work for someone I actually like and seeing as work is funding the bbq I asked him if he would like cake as well. I got an astounding YES! Seeing as I don't really know how many people will be going I think I'm going to supply a coconut and lemon slab cake, cupcakes and possibly choc dipped strawberries or brownies. I am known for my brownies at work. The issues is that I'm taking my car in to be serviced on friday morning so transporting everything to work is going to be difficult unless I drop it all off on thursday or really early friday morning. Really early Friday morning might be best I think. Then I can drop my car off early as well before hopping on the bus back to work/uni. Looks like I will be spending most of thursday morning baking. 6am start here I come!

Sticky Date Cupcakes - finally!!

Last I checked this one hadn't been posted yet so here it is.

These were made for my bands agm. The leftovers ended up being fed to mums coworkers and my friends. Very dense and have I mentioned yummy??


Sticky Date Cupcakes

450g dates, pitted and diced
2 ¼ cups water
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
2 tsp bicarb soda
2 ½ cups gluten free flour
¼ tsp ground cloves
¾ tsp mixed spice
120g softened butter
1 1/3 cups castor sugar
4 eggs

Put the dates and water into a heavy-based saucepan and bring to a boil over a medium to high heat, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and add ginger and bicarb of soda. Sir until well combined. Cover saucepan with plastic film and let mixture cool to room temperature. This is best left over night to allow the dates to absorb more of the water.

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Line three 12-hole muffin trays with 26 cupcake cases.

Sift together self-raising flour, ground cloves and mixed spice.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter for 1-2 minutes. Add half the castor sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Add the remaining sugar and beat for another 2 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy and the sugar had almost dissolved.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition or until mixture is light and fluffy. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the four mixture until well combined. Fold in the cooled date mixture until thoroughly combined.

Spoon the mixture into the cupcake papers, filling each about ¾ s full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from trays immediately and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before frosting.

Caramel Sauce Icing

100g butter
2/3 cup soft brown sugar
¼ cup golden syrup
½ cream
8 cups icing sugar

Makes 4 cups icing – enough for 24 cupcakes

Combine the butter, sugar, golden syrup and cream in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Turn the heat up to high and boil for at least 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Add half the sifted icing sugar and beat on medium speed for 3 min until light and fluffy. Add the remaining icing sugar and beat for a further 3 min until light, fluffy and a spreadable consistency. If too dry then add a little extra cream or extra icing sugar is too wet.

menu ideas

So we've moved into our new house and after the unpacking has finished it will be time to plan the housewarming!

Seeing as neither of us have a weekend off together for a while (possibly until christmas) we're thinking of having two.

Either way, I'm having people over for a meal in our new place.

Brunch is sounding good at the moment. I can have a variety or light breakfast and light lunch options. Depending on the group there will have to be vegetarian, gluten free and fructose free options. Luckily I can do this in my sleep.

So possible ideas are as follows

Brunch
frittata - pumpkin and fetta
roast chicken
scones/waffles/bagels - some kind of bready thing
fruit platter
cheese/tomato/avacado plate
yogurt
tea/coffee
juice
champagne - can't have a brunch without champagne and orange juice

This could also double as a lunch menu, The difference would be bagels as the bready product and a salad.

Afternoon Tea
finger sandwiches - cucumber, chicken, egg, roast beef
savoury pastries - sausage rolls, spinach and fetta,
macaroons
fruit
cupcakes/brownies
biscuits
tea/coffee
juice
champagne
punch - had a really nice one the other day that had strawberries, mint, lychees, pineapple and orange juice, and a bit of ginger beer. The alcohol base was vodka and rum.

Dinner
roast of come kind
frittata
roast potatoes/carrots
salad
dried fruit and cheese plate
tea/coffee
champagne/dessert wine
juice

I tend to enjoy a hot and a cold component in most of my meals and these menus are thigns I also enjoy eating. Its just difficult to cook frittata for one.

As you've probably noticed, I'm not big on fizzy drinks, the preference being juice. Although I do enjoy the waterfords flavoured mineral water.
All dishes can be made gluten free and fructose intolerant friendly. With the fructose issue, it does help to know exactly what they can and can't have. For example, onion is bad but small amounts of tomato or coconut with other things is okay.

The other things that could be added or substituted are garlic prawns, crab cakes, pasta, risotto or curry. I'd probably go for crab cakes or some other type of fish as I do actually like fish, just no in big doses.


More updates when the meal has been cooked.