Sweet Chilli Sauce

I'm not sure if I shared with you, or not, but I started a little veggie patch in our backyard. . . Well, I got my first harvest!! Some mild chili's. I'm actually not a chili fan, I don't really like spice :(  so, I had to find something to use with them all... I decided on trying a sweet chilli sauce.

Ingredients :

- 1 red capsicum
- 1 apple
- 6 mild chili's (or 4 medium)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup raw sugar
- 2 cups boiling water

Directions :

1. Finely cut capsicum, chili and apple, making sure you throw away seeds

2. Put boiling water and cut capsicum, chili and apple in a pan and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes

3. Remove pan from heat and drain water away

4. Puree this with a hand mixer

5. Clean pan out, put puree in cleaned pan and return to low heat

6. Add sugar, salt, pepper, and vinegar to pan

7. Leave to simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally

8. Remove from heat. Prepare 250ml container. Place sauce on container.

9. Store sauce in a cool dry place.

Should be consumed within 12 months.

With love,
Chantal

Mango Conserve

It's almost summer, and that means it's juicy mango time! Each week, after swimming, there is a little road shack we visit that sells massive watermelons, spiky pineapples, and bags of mangoes. Little baby girl has been loving to have a suck on these too (what a good little Queenslander!), however we had a couple left over at the end of the week and I didn't want them to go to waste... So, I made a mango conserve from them.

This made approximately 500ml

Ingredients
- 3 ripe mangoes
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 2 cup caster sugar

Directions
1. Cut up the mango and then mash it up
2. Pop the mashed mango in a saucepan on medium heat
3. Add the lemon and orange juices
4. Slowly add in the caster sugar, mixing as you go
5. Cook on medium for 30 mins, stirring occasionally. You will know it is ready to jar when the mix starts to form a film across the top when you stop stirring
6. Remove saucepan from heat and sterilize your jars with boiled water
7. Whilst still hot, spoon mixture into jars. Seal. Leave to cool for 10-15 mins before placing in fridge

Banana Cake

Not long after I started dating dear hubby, I made a batch of banana bread and he absolutely loved it (he also really loves my brownies!) Every now and then I try something else banana based, but it never seems to live up to my banana bread...

So, I've tweaked my banana cake recipe to be a little bit more like my bread.

Ingredients:
- 4 mashed bananas
- 50g butter melted
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 eggs

Through them all in a bowl together and mix until smooth. Place evenly in a bowl and pop in oven at 200 for 30 mins.

The cake will look heavier than normal, which is why it's more similar to bread.. But it isn't as heavy to eat! (I still recommend slim slices though)

Enjoy!!
Chantal

Banana Cake

Not long after I started dating dear hubby, I made a batch of banana bread and he absolutely loved it (he also really loves my brownies!) Every now and then I try something else banana based, but it never seems to live up to my banana bread...

So, I've tweaked my banana cake recipe to be a little bit more like my bread.

Ingredients:
- 4 mashed bananas
- 50g butter melted
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 eggs

Through them all in a bowl together and mix until smooth. Place evenly in a bowl and pop in oven at 200 for 30 mins.

The cake will look heavier than normal, which is why it's more similar to bread.. But it isn't as heavy to eat! (I still recommend slim slices though)

Enjoy!!
Chantal

Gooey Choc Bubbles

This weeks sweet treat is a result from a pantry clean out. At some point in the past, we'd purchased rice bubbles for whatever reason, and upon the clean out realised they were extremely close to expiry. Time for some inventing!! I'm calling these my Gooey Choc Bubbles!!

Ingredients:
100g butter melted
3 cups rice bubbles
100g marshmallows chopped
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup condensed milk
1 cup cocoa
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp golden syrup

Topping:
1/3 cup condensed milk
1 heaped tablespoon cocoa

Extremely simple directions:
1. Preheat oven to 200 Degrees Celsius
2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl together
3. Pour out mix evenly into a 20x30cm tray
4. Bake for approximately 25 mins
5. Leave to cool for 5-10 mins
6. Mix topping ingredients together in a small bowl
7. Heat small mixed bowl in microwave on high for 1 min (watch, as may spill over)
8. Pour over cooled slice
9. Leave for another ten mins to cool
10. Slice and serve!

I'd hate to think how many calories are in these, but I hate even more throwing out an opened box of anything!!

Hope you are enjoying my little posts.
Chantal

Emergency Chocolate Cake

In case you haven't cottoned on yet, I have quite a bit of a sweet tooth. I was having my normal afternoon chocolate and sugar craving, with nothing to fulfill it .. So off to the kitchen I went. However, I quickly learnt we had nothing to fill this craving so I was going to have to bake.. Yet again!

However, there were no eggs or milk in the house. So, what's a girl to do?

If you want a basic chocolate cake, but either due to allergies or your due for shop you can't have eggs or milk,then this is for you!

Ingredients:
1.5 cups self raising flour
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon imitation vanilla
1 tablespoon white vinegar
0.5 cup vegetable or olive oil

Directions:
Simply mix all the dry ingredients together first, then add all the wet liquids. Whisk together, and then pour into a cake tin. Bake for 40-45 mins. Leave to cool before icing.

Icing:
1 cup icing sugar
1.5 tablespoon cocoa
Water - add slowly until desired thickness!

An easy simple recipe that will last the week to fill my cravings. Yum!!

The sweets lover,
Chantal

In The Kitchen... Ginger Beer

I recently decided to start saving money, and my health, by making as many things at home as I possible can instead of purchasing them. This is no easy task, as I have always been completely useless in the kitchen. In fact, DH has always had to do any of the cooking in our household... and I appreciate it immensely! But now that we have little miss in the house, I thought it was time I step up to the plate and contribute in the kitchen. From now on, any meals, baking, beverages, or just anything in general, that I find easy to do - I shall share with you!!

I have started with a simple to make, refreshing and one of my all-time favourite beverages, Ginger Beer. It is simply superb on a hot summer day. This recipe will make a 1L – 1.25L bottle of Ginger Beer (depends on the bottle you use). Also, I encourage you to play around with it as we all different taste buds!!

Ingredients / You Will Need:

-  1 cup finely grated or chopped ginger

-  2 lemons juiced

-  1 cup hot water

-  1 teaspoon brewer’s yeast

-  ½ cup raw sugar

-  1 plastic bottle

-  Jug room temp water

-  Glass bottle / jug

-  Cheesecloth

Process:

1.       Pour the sugar in bottle, along with the hot water to dissolve.

2.       Add grated ginger, and lemon juice to bottle.

3.       Shake vigorously, and then leave to sit for approximately 1 hour.

4.       Add brewer’s yeast, and then fill the bottle with room temp water – ensuring to leave enough space at the top (I generally stop when the top starts to get small again)

5.       Shake bottle to mix up ingredients.

6.       Leave to sit for 24 – 48 hours. The longer you leave it the more intense the flavouring will be.

7.       Pour contents into your desired bottle/jug, using your cheesecloth to sift as you pour.

8.       Pop this bottle/jug in the fridge to cool.

9.       Serve with ice.

10.   Enjoy your refreshing hard work!!

Kind regards,

Chantal xx