Marshmellow Grandma's Recipe of Awesomeness

This recipe is super fantastic, it has never failed me.  The secret is in the beating until nearly set and tastes absolutely delicious.  it can be put on top of a biscuit base or just left as it and rolled in coconut so it is easy to pick up.

RECIPE

1C Icing Sugar, 1/2t Vanilla Essence, 1C Boiling Water, Food colouring, 2 dessertspoons Gelatine

Mix all together and beat until firm and starting to set, pour into buttered containers and chill, can spread onto back of wine biscuits or roll into balls and cover with coconut

Cup of Tea Loaf

This loaf is really delicious.  It is moist because of the tea and it has never failed me.  Such a great recipe.  Nice with butter on when cold but doesn't need it.

RECIPE

1 1/2C Sultanas, 1C Cold Tea, 1 1/2C Flour (wholemeal & plain), 1/2t Salt, 3/4C Sugar, 2t Baking Powder, 1 Egg

Place sultanas in basin and pour tea over, leave 4-5 hours or overnight, sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together and add sultanas, beat egg lightly, add to mixture, mix well, turn into greased and lined loaf tin

Bake in a moderate oven 300-350f 60 minutes, leave in tin 5 minutes before turning out

Ricebubble Crunch

This is a really fantastic recipe.  If you don't cook long enough it will be chewy but exactly right it is crunchy, too long and it is burnt.  If you don't cut while warm it will break up if you cut when set.  If you cut when warm you then have to cut over the lines again when set.  Another favourite of mine.

RECIPE

2T honey, 110g butter, 80g sugar, 5C ricebubbles

Boil together 3-4 minutes on stove, add ricebubbles, put in buttered tray, cut while warm, chill in fridge

Ginger Beer without waiting for fermentation

This is a great recipe for a large group of people when you don't want to wait a long time for fermentation.  Just a couple of hours is all and it is ready to go, a great favourite of mine.

RECIPE

3C sugar, 12 raisins, 1 level dessertspoon ginger, juice of 3 lemons, 1T dried yeast, 1/2t cream of tartar

Place in a large container the sugar and lemon juice, tie in a cloth the ginger and raisins, pour on four pints of boiling water, stir well, add eight pints of cold water, add 1 tablespoon of dried yeast and half a teaspoon of cream of tarter, stir all together and stand one or two hours, bottle and keep in fridge, does not need airtight tops, makes 3-4 flagons

1 pint = 600 mls

Herbed Potato Bake

This is incredibly delicious.  I have made this many times and it is a favourite of mine.

RECIPE

1kg potato, 1 chopped onion, garlic, 1 egg lightly beaten, 1t celery seeds, paprika, 1/2C fresh parsley, 2C breadcrumbs, 45g butter, 3/4C grated cheese, 130g can corn kernels drained

Cook and mash potatoes, melt butter, add onion and garlic, cook until onion is soft and brown, combine in a large bowl the potato and onion mixture, breadcrumbs, parsley, celery seeds, cheese, corn and egg, mix well, spread mixture into a 20cm pie dish, sprinkle with paprika and extra celery seeds

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until golden brown

Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding in the Microwave

This is amazing, depending how much sauce you want you add more or less water.  This recipe has never failed me and the saltanas are my added extra option which I love

RECIPE

2T Butter, 1/2t Salt, 1C Self Raising Flour, 3/4C Sugar, 1t Vanilla Essence, 1T Cocoa, 1/2C Milk, Saltanas

Melt butter and add vanilla, combine flour, salt and sugar, stir in milk, add cocoa, spoon batter into a large casserole dish 2-3 litres

Sauce
1/2C Brown sugar, 1T Cocoa, 1-2C Boiling Water depends how runny you want the sauce

Sprinkle sugar and cocoa over the pudding, pour boiling water over the top over the back of a spoon

COOK ON HIGH 6-7 MINUTES IN MICROWAVE

Bread & Butter Pudding in the Microwave

This is actually amazing and so quick in the microwave.  I didn't think it could be nice using the microwave but this is really great when you don't have the time for the oven or just want a smaller quantity.  Thick toast size white bread is my favourite for this one.


 RECIPE

4-5 slices bread, 1/2C brown sugar, 1/4t salt, 1/2C raisins, 2C milk, 1/4C butter melted, 2 eggs, vanilla essence, cinnamon

Cube bread and place in 8 inch round dish, sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and raisins, put 2C milk in a jug and add melted butter, stir in 2 eggs and vanilla essence with a fork and mix well then pour over bread cubes.

Microwave on Medium High 9-12 minutes, when cooked center may be slightly soft but will set when cool

The Best Spaghetti Meat Sauce Ever

This is an amazing recipe, I have had compliments from the best cooks I know who were impressed with the flavours.

 RECIPE

500g Mince, 1 small onion chopped, 1 garlic clove crushed, 3/4C celery finely sliced, 1 x 425g can tomatoes chopped, 1C tomato paste, 2 beef stock cubes, 2T parsley finely chopped, 1t brown sugar, 1t salt, 1 bayleaf, 1/2 t pepper

In a 3 litre casserole dish combine mince, onion, garlic and celery - cook covered on MEDIUM for 8 minutes, drain off fat

Add remaining ingredients, cook covered on MEDIUM for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking, serve with spaghetti

The Best Banana Cake Ever

This is my favourite recipe for an amazing banana cake which I add saltanas throughout.  Also I have made this mix into cupcakes.  They have a delicious butter tasting, slightly crunchy exterior and a warm fluffy interior when fresh out of the oven and left to sit a bit before turning out onto baking racks.  It has never failed me and the riper the bananas the better it tastes.  I don't do the icing and have also added chocolate chips with the saltanas.


RECIPE

125g Butter, 1C Sugar, 1 Egg, 1t Baking Soda, 3T Milk, 2 Mashed Bananas ripe, 1 1/2C Flour, 1 1/2t Baking Powder, Vanilla Essence

Cream butter and sugar, add egg, beat well, dissolve soda in warm milk and mix in, add vanilla essence then add mashed bananas, lastly fold in flour and baking powder

Bake 45 minutes in a moderate oven, ice when cold with lemon icing

Gorgeous Sydney

Trip to Sydney- lots of trains - this was the easiest way to get around when I visited, it was very well run and found it easy to use. 

 

Darling Harbour is beautiful

This was taken at The Rocks

The Beautiful Gold Coast

I had an amazing holiday in the Gold Coast with my family :)

It All starts at the Auckland Airport

 Then a trip to Dreamworld





















Dreamworld Rides

Movieworld Shows

Seaworld Penguins

 

Up the Q One there are gorgeous views of Surfers Paradise, there is a very high ride in the elevator to get there and if you are really brave you can do the Skypoint Climb 

 

This is the Q One from the bottom up

This is the elevator approaching the 77th floor to get those gorgeous views

Twilight

Movieworld

 

Around town in Surfers Paradise

RSL

Snails

Have to go to Max Brenners