Great Places To Visit.

This recipe is so simple, and sooooooo delicious. You will need a 14cm x 21cm loaf tin, lined with baking paper, leave extra so you can grip it to lift the cake out of the tin when its cool. Ingredients: 125g Dark Chocolate chopped (you can use cooking chocolate but I prefer to use something I like to eat) 125 Butter chopped 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 3/4 cup (165g) castor sugar 2 large eggs 1 3/4 cup (265g) S.R. Flour 3/4 cup (180ml) Sour Cream (or Greek yoghurt). Place chocolate and butter into a microwave safe bowl and heat on high for about 45sec. Your butter should be melted and your chocolate should be softening. Remove and mix with a spatula until the chocolate finishes melting and the two combine. (see photo). Place all ingredients including melted mix into a large mixing bowl and beat on low speed until combined (unless you want a flour dust storm).  Then when combined beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth and lighter in colour.  Spread mixture into line

Lunch time and the worms were biting! What to eat that's satisfying but not too fattening? Mmmmmmmmmmmm Got it! "Smash". One of my favorites! You'll need:   1  x  large egg, 1 bread roll of your choice, 1/2 Avocado, 1/2 lemon, approx 6 leaves fresh mint, small piece of low fat feta, salt & pepper.  Extra: either 1 chorizo sausage cut in half, or some bacon. If your having the extra: put your bacon or sausage under the grill to cook out as much fat as possible, and if it's bacon I like it crispy. Heat water in a saucepan with salt & vinegar for your egg to poach in. Slice your roll in half and lightly toast it. While your water is heating up for your egg, "smash" your Avocado in a bowl, chop your mint and add, then crumble your feta and mix it in. Put your toasted (not buttered) bun on your plate and sit it in a warm oven to keep it warm. Keep an eye on your meat and keep turning it. When done place on paper towel to absorb as much fat

Yummy! I love carrot cake. Especially when it's covered in cream cheese icing (so wicked!) and sprinkled with shredded coconut.  Here's my recipe if you want to give it a go, it's very easy. Serves 10-12. Ingredients: 100g raisins or currants 1/3 cup orange juice ( I used breakfast juice) 3 large eggs 3/4 cup sunflower oil (I used 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 pumpkin seed oil) 1 firmly packed cup brown sugar 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp mixed spice 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1/2 cup desiccated or shredded coconut 1/2 cup walnuts 3 carrots (grated or if you have a Thermomix use that to grate them) pinch of salt Icing:   250 g cream cheese, 1/3 cup icing sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 tbs lemon juice Method: Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line the base of a 22cm springform cake pan. Place raisins or currants in a small saucepan with juice and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes until mois

There's a lovely little French Cafe called Jahdomes off Childs Rd, Mill Park ( I think the shopping centre is called "The Stables"). if you happen to live within visiting range. Have eaten there a couple of times now with friends and found the food very good. They have a good range of breakfasts, lunches, tapas and desserts.  Good coffee to. They are closed on Tuesdays, but open otherwise as far as I know. I enjoyed the Mediterranean Scrambled Egg with Turkish Bread (feta, chorizo, tomato ) and coffee for lunch today. Very good. My friend had a scrambled egg with smoked salmon and a side salad instead of Turkish Bread, which they were happy to do, and she enjoyed that as well, and washed it down with a Chi Latte with spice. Breakfasts can be ordered up to 3.00pm so if your like us and like your eggs, you can have them for lunch!

Couldn't resist posting this in even though the photographer should be shot for such bad work. Never mind. You try keeping up with 2 little dogs playing "tag" with each other.  The Westie is my friends dog and she is 10 years old (although she forgets to act her age, just knocks up quicker), and the black poodle is my Miss Lily who is approaching 2 years old. Big age gap, but both love to play. Cerys just doesn't run as fast or as far as Lily, and being the "senior citizen", or Grumpy Grandma as we love to call her, she tries to "boss" the youngster around.......if only she could catch her! Keeps us smiling.  

Started  the day with a good walk with Miss Lily and some friends. Progressed into the night life, with a visit to Rod Laver Arena to hear a comedian/ventriloquist Jeff Dunham (whom our son introduced to us via u-tube). Something different for a change and also a very talented man. We enjoyed the evening with lots of giggles. Would recommend him for a interesting night out. Melbourne is certainly lovely by nightlight. We could have easily spent the evening just wandering around the city lights, the weather was unusually pleasant for this time of year. Made us realize we should visit the city at night more often, and just wander around, find somewhere different to eat some dinner and walk some more. There's so much to see. View from walk-over bridge at the MCG towards the city. Inside Rod Laver Arena. Crowd just starting to come in. City Lights Entry to Rod Laver Arena

Rhubarb & Apple Crumble Ingredients: Approx. 6 stalks of Rhubarb washed and cut into about 3cm pieces. 2 x Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly. 1/3 cup water 1/3 cup sugar. Add fruit to saucepan with water cook until softened,stirring occasionally so fruit doesn't stick,  add sugar continue to cook and stir. Cook 2-3 mins to be sure the sugar is dissolved. Taste, if not sweet enough for you add more sugar. Remove from heat. Crumble: 1 heaped cup wholegrain rolled oats 1/2 cup wholemeal (or white) flour 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup shredded coconut 1/2 cup chopped almonds 3 tablespoons melted butter 1 teaspoon mixed spice Mix altogether in a bowl. You can distribute your fruit between individual heat proof serving bowls or just one casserole dish. Only fill dish to about 1/2 way as fruit bubbles up in the oven.  Top with Crumble. Place on an oven tray (this catches any spills if your dishes are too full)  and cook at 18

Melbourne is a very diverse city. Being a country girl at heart I never thought I would be able to live happily in a city. Melbourne has proved to me that I can with its many park lands and reserves.  Having purchased a black miniature poodle to save my sanity, and make me walk more, I have begun to seek out areas where I can take her that are dog friendly. Right on my doorstep is a bike path that winds its way along Darebin Creek and onwards. I enjoy taking Miss Lily along the many pathways within the Darebin Parklands, as they have sections which are dog friendly and clearly marked  "off lead" areas where your dog can run free, chase a ball etc. Of course you are expected to be considerate of other people and their dogs in these areas and it is your responsibility to ensure your dog is obedient even off lead and friendly towards other dogs and people. Miss Lily is very friendly, and mostly obedient. Occasionally she might see another dog her size and run to say "he