Delectable Orange Cake...

There is nothing like a home baked cake, straight from the oven, redolent of fruits or spices or loveliness of other kinds, to make the heart swell and feel rich.

I used to adore helping my Nanna cream the butter and sugar, adding the eggs, relishing the different textures in the batter, before sifting in the flour to make what I knew was going to be a mouth watering afternoon tea.

This moist and fragrant Orange Cake is my Nannas recipe...enjoy!

250gm butter, softened

1 cup caster sugar

Grated rind of 2 oranges

4 eggs

2 cups Self Raising Flour (gluten free is fine)

1/2 cup dessicated coconut

1/2 cup orange juice

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a ring tin or two loaf tins generously and dust with flour. Line with baking paper if you prefer.

Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the orange rind and mix well. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.Sift in the flour and combine lightly. Add the coconut and the orange juice and stir, then tip into your prepared tin.

Bake for 30-45 minutes depending upon the tin you're using, testing with a skewer for done-ness. When the cake/s spring back when lightly touched, and a skewer inserted into the very middle, comes out clean, they're done.

Stand the cakes for a few minutes before turning out of the tin.

Dust liberally with icing (confectioners) sugar and serve with a steaming cuppa.

Enjoy!

The Teen Queen Celebration....

Yes, it's happened.

The Diva, only girl child in a family of five, has become a teenager.

Unfortunately, a sadness surrounded our celebrations as we farewelled a much loved grandparent just a day or two before.

So how do you 'celebrate' when you don't feel like celebrating?

Well, this sublime cake in The Divas' favourite colour, helped. It was on my to-do list to make one myself, as has always been my habit, but this was beyond me in the midst of preparations for sadder occasions.

A local lady who charges little for her beautiful work was sourced, and with just 48 hours notice, she was able to produce this pretty-as-a-picture gluten free Red Velvet cake, to put a smile on any 13 year old girls face.

Orange themed party favours were assembled....

....with more orange themed food such as BBQ flavoured chips, Sunny Boy frozen Orange pyramids (a classic here in Australia), and Fanta ice cream spiders being enjoyed by all.

A disco ball outside on the deck,

...and Thrift Shop (clean radio edit version) on the iPod, and a fun time was had by all.

Life goes on.

We spent little, preferring to show The Diva, that celebrations can be had, without the hysteria surrounding the competitive birthday party culture abounding these days.

She had a ball, and so did her friends. It's the little things that make memories, not the big money.

Until next time...Mama Guardian x

No cost gifts from the heart 3....

Dig up all of those photos you couldn't frame or use for scrapbooking because they're out of focus or not centred or someone looks a bit goofy. I've used this one where my daughter, who was about 18 months old at the time, was trying to put on my sunglasses.

I'd just been taking photos of the gorgeous gardens where we'd been picnicing, and hadn't thought to manually focus on her before taking the shot. So although the garden bed in the background is crisp and clear, the otherwise cute photo has languished in my collection ever since.

I've now resurrected it, and will frame it side by side in a frame, with a little story about how the photo came about. There are other photos from the same day, framed in our hallway, so it will also be a way to tell her how those came to be.

Just a moment in time, but at 12, a precious reminder of how little she once was.

You could even simply enfold this in a handwritten letter and it would still be treasured.

...Mama Guardian...

No cost gifts from the heart...

"One day, I'll give you the moon in a jar.

The sky on a platter.

And the ocean in a pool of glassy blue.

Until then, know that I love you."

Print the picture out, paste onto some cardstock, hand write the verse inside.

No cost, hug inspiring gift.

...Mama Guardian...

Being Broke at Christmas....

More Images @ MyNiceProfile.com

Some roses for you, because if you're here, maybe you need a smile. Christmas is tough if you're broke.

No, hang on, it's tough all the time if you're broke, but particularly so, at Christmas.

Everyone else is kicking up their heels and all you can do is worry about how to pay the rent or put food on the table.

First of all, take the pressure off yourself. Have you made arrangements with anyone you owe money to?

Have you had an honest conversation with your family about what you can and can't afford? Kids, parents, siblings, partners, can all be counted upon to be more sympathetic, if they know what's really going on. This is NOT the time to put your head in the sand and your credit card and credit rating on the line.

The older I get, the more I believe that the things that matter are people, not things. Make people your priority this Christmas, not shopping, or food, or glittering decorations. Gosh, I shop all the time on-line and never actually buy anything. Indulge in a bit of window shopping on-line this year. Print out pictures of all the things you'd buy your loved ones if money was no object.

And then, do this.

Sit down, pen in hand and paper on the desk or table and write them a letter. And I do mean HAND write. It'll mean more to them.

When was the last time you wrote a heartfelt letter to those that are important to you, telling them how much they mean in your life? Sharing a memory of a particularly happy moment, or a time when they made you so proud you could almost burst?

When was the last time you spent an hour with one of your kids or your Mum or Dad, or brother or sister or your partner, just them and you, listening to them, taking an interest in their world without thinking about what you're going to say when they stop talking or drifting off and thinking about what you have to do next. Long time, huh?

Make this the year of telling those you love, how much you love them. And to hell with shopping. You won't regret it, I promise.

 
And if you still want to do the whole shebang, challenge yourself to do it for as little expense as possible. More on that in my post here.

...until next time...

...Mimi...

Cheap, cheap, cheap Christmas Lunch!



Why do we get all hysterical about Christmas Lunch?

I can turn out an impressive lunch any ol' day, and it doesn't have me hot and bothered for weeks or days in advance. Nor does it mean the kind of assault on my bank account that means no more bling for me for six months!

We've all gotta just calm the farm (as my twelve year old says) on this Christmas lunch thing.

A crisp white or patterned sheet on the table, a simple centrepiece, polished cutlery and glasses and a tasty meal with our family and friends close, and we're fine and dandy here thanks!

Here's my all time favourite for a posh but penny pinching impressive lunch. Good enough for guests, frugal enough for my peace of mind, and just as pretty as a picture!

Mama Guardians's Famous Festive Chicken Roll
Serve hot or cold

One will serve 4-8 people, depending on the size of the serves and how thick or thin you cut the roll. It also slices more readily into thinner slices, once chilled. You can double or triple the ingredients but I recommend making multiple rolls or miniature ones (adjusting the cooking time accordingly) over making one gigantic one. It won't present as prettily and will be too dry on the outside and not cooked through. This is also fabuloso, cooked in Texas muffin pans with the filling in the middle, or in smaller ones as a cocktail bite.

500gms minced meat ... turkey, chicken, pork, veal and beef are all good
2 eggs
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (plus 1 cup extra)
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp chopped dried fruit and/or nuts
2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (chives, parsley, thyme)
Baking paper

Mix the mince, 1 egg, the milk, 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs, and the fresh herbs.

Take a sheet of baking paper and spread the mixture over the paper in a large rectangle about 20cm x 30cm.

Mix the other cup of breadcrumbs, the dried fruit and/or nuts, and the second egg. Spread this down the long side of the mince rectangle, closest to you.

Using the baking paper to start the roll, enclose the stuffing and then roll into a long sausage shape, finishing with the 'seam' underneath (it's a bit like rolling sushi or a swiss roll sponge). Press the ends together.

Place, seam down on a baking sheet, and bake covered for 45 minutes, then remove cover and bake for a further 10 minutes.

Serve sliced with relish or sweet chilli sauce, salad and crunchy bread.

I love Christmas. I don't love what it does to people's anxiety levels. I think this recipe helps reduce some of that anxiety. For under $30, I can feed 30-40 people by making six of these. I vary the fillings so that when they're cut, they look prettily jewelled. Add another $20 for seasonal fruit and salad leaves, and we're well fed with a memorable meal. $10 more and I can have make 2 of my Mums Pumpkin Fruit cakes for dessert, and we're as happy as Larry.

Here's the recipe in a few sentences, the way they used to be passed from family to family, hand to hand. Always a winner.

Save 1 cup mashed pumpkin from dinner for this cake. Cream 1 cup brown sugar and 125gms unsalted butter. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the mashed pumpkin and 2 tablespoons Treacle. Add a cup and a half of mixed dried fruit. Stir well and add 2 cups Self Raising flour. Pour into a lined cake tin and bake at 175C for an hour and a half.

Have a calm Christmas....

Cook Seasonal and save!

Check these out...lush eh?

These are my strawberry iced tea Gluten Free Muffins.

So easy, just use my Basic Muffin Recipe, add those strawberries that have gone smooshy in the fridge, ice with icing sugar mixed with some Berry flavoured iced tea, and squiggle with some strawberry topping decanted into a squeezee bottle.

Too easy!

We waste very little here.

Smooshy fruit is always baked into muffins or slices. In fact I look for smooshy fruit at the greengrocer for that reason. Seasonal smooshy fruit can be got for mere pennies and also means you can eliminate or reduce the amount of sugar, butter and oils in your baked goods. Just replace some or all of the sugar and butter for a great guilt free baked treat.

Some of the best muffins and teabreads I've made have been laced with mashed up fruit, that many I know would have tossed in the bin. Now, don't be silly about it, rotten is rotten. But if it's just a bit soft and past it's best, then go for it.

In season here at the moment, remembering it's Spring in Australia, are berries of all kinds, guava, coconut, pineapple, mango, mangosteen, apples, mandarins and much more. If you can't find somewhere to squeeze some of that lot into your diet, then there's something wrong!

Look for your seasonal fruit guides on your local statutory body's website...everyone has one.

It's a great way to save big dollars on your food bill!



My Dream Home...

http://oneshabbyoldhouse.blogspot.com.au/

My dream home has cosy corners with soft squishy chairs and crocheted rugs over the arms for snuggling, and books, lots of books...real ones.

My dream home glows with the warmth of worn wood, utensils, china and glassware glinting from open cabinets.

My dream home has photos in frames displayed everywhere, reminding us of fun times, cherished memories and loved ones who have left us because their time here in this life was at an end.

My dream home does not adhere to a colour scheme or a style. It is just a collection of things I love in all the colours of the rainbow.

My dream home has furniture that has seen better days, because the 'better days' are the history of our family.

My dream home does not seek to impress those we don't know, but to embrace those we love.

Shabby, never. Well loved, always.

Planning a menu...how to, when to, whether to....

My approach to menu planning has changed considerably in the last several years.

I never used to menu plan at all. I'd just randomly buy stuff and then find it limp and sad or iced over in the fridge or freezer several weeks later. I'd bin it, and start over.

Then I started making a list of meals from the fancy schmancy cookbooks I had, listing all the ingredients I already had (few) and the ones I needed (many) and patted myself on the back for being so organised.

Then I joined Simple Savings and realised I'd had it wrong the whole time. You menu plan on what you've already got, only purchasing extras for the gaps in your menu.

Wowser...talk about major life epiphany. I've never looked back!

These days there are only three of us and the dog at home, AND we're gluten free, so the menu has changed considerably, compared to when the youngest son was still at home and eating us into a second mortgage. Quite often I find I only need to spend a minimal amount on the fresh fruit and veg and dairy items, with everything else well planned and catered for. Meat makes a twice or thrice weekly appearance on the menu, as does chicken and/or fish, with GF pasta and veg making up the balance of the weekly meals, including breakfast and lunch.

We've learned to not let our gluten sensitivity get in the way of a good hearty meal too. Pasta, bread and baking used to be our comfort food, and still is to a small extent. More often those items have been replaced by vegetable bakes, fresh fruit, baked whole pears or apples, some home made gnocchi and lots of lots of salad.

We eat salad all year round and there are few vegetables we don't eat...except for artichokes...what the heck does one do with those anyway. Sorry...don't answer that. I sort of know. But they hold no appeal for these happy campers!

The other thing is, I now sort of menu plan in reverse. I have a few standard go-to meals that make a regular appearance, but mostly I strive to have the bare 'bones' of many of our faves, in the fridge prepped and ready to go so that we can change our minds on a whim without it impacting on our budget.

So steamed baby potatoes can be eaten as is, turned into potato salad, hash browns, rosti, gnocchi, pan fried, tossed with flavoured butter and herbs, turned into a gratin, a frittata, a slice with marscapone and thyme and bacon, patatas bravas, and so on.

In fact, if there wasn't much else but baby potatoes and the contents of my pantry, I reckon we could eat well for the whole week!

That said, most of those recipes could be adapted for pumpkin as well. You've just got to think outside the square.

Our menu is also influenced by what seasonal bargains might be available. A whole pumpkin for $3 or a huge cabbage for $2 can change our whole eating plan for the week. I can use the pumpkin as a substitute in any of those potato dishes, and cabbage leaves make a great replacement for pasta sheets in lasagna, or for tortillas or burritos in mexican meals. You can shred it for salad, stir fry it, turn it into a warm coleslaw by tossing it in a hot pan with pine nuts for a few minutes or roll it around mince and slow cook it.

Get the idea?

I'll be writing more on this as we go along but for now, challenge yourself to think outside the square when you shop this week. I bet you can surprise yourself.

...Mimi...

The Time Plan Guide is now complete...

Thankyou to those who have contacted me to remind me to insert the links in my 'creating a time plan' post.

You will now find all recipes will link to the other appropriate posts here on the blog, and you'll have all the information you need to be a SuperMum.

Ok...maybe not.

But you'll certainly be organised beyond measure...I promise!

Enjoy creating your own time plan, and please let me know how you go!

Love...Mama Guardian ;0)

The Week Long Salad....

This is such as easy thing to do you'll wonder why you haven't always done it.

No more limp slimy lettuce in the crisper and mealtimes made simple. Save time, save money, tasty meals...what's not to like?

Week long Salad No. 1

Half to one red cabbage, shredded (the mandolin slicer is brilliant for this)
1 capsicum, finely diced
3 peeled and grated carrots

Store in an airtight container. Remove enough each night for that meal only, and add additional ingredients. DO NOT add the extra ingredients to the salad base itself in the storage container.

Day 1: Add halved cherry tomatoes and dress with balsamic vinegar.

Day 2: Add one tin rinsed beans such as cannellini or four bean mix. Fry 2 rashers of diced bacon, and chop some herbs. Toss well with a dressing of one third each balsamic, olive oil and wholegrain mustard.

Day 4: Add grated cheese and finely sliced shallots. No dressing.

Day 5: Add zest and flesh of two oranges. No dressing.

Day 6: Add 1 cup cooked macaroni, italian herbs and italian dressing.

Day 7: Toss with cooked 2 minute noodles and dress with sesame oil and Sushi vinegar.

Week Long Salad no. 2...

Purchase 2 different 'trendy' lettuces...by which I mean not iceberg. So Romaine, Butter, Frilled and so on.
This is mainly because of all of them, the Iceberg lettuce, having the most water content, deteriorates the quickest.

Cut off the bottoms to separate the leaves. Wash them well.

Stack the leaves on top of one another and slice into smaller bits. You can also just tear them with your hands, and sometimes this is preferable as metal can taint the lettuce leaves, making them brown along the cut section.

This is important....you need a salad spinner to spin the leaves bone dry. Your salad leaves will revert to limp and slimy if there is any moisture left on them.

Put leaves into the salad spinner and spin thoroughly. You'll be amazed at how much moisture is collected and it's moisture that makes the lettuce yucky after a couple of days.

Tip into a large salad bowl.

Put a clean paper towel over the lettuce and cover with cling wrap.

Change the paper towel every couple of days to keep it dry.

Voila...perfect salad greens for the whole week....add ingredients as listed above or add your own variations!

No more dead salads in your crisper!

...Mimi...

Egg Spread from a Five Star Hotel...shhhhh...

This is scrumptious on bagels, toast, or crackers. My Mums secret recipe nicked from a five star hotel where she worked in the 70's. Shhhh...

• 4 cups water
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons softened butter
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tsp mustard
• ½ tsp your favourite sauce Tomato, Worcestshire, Barbecue are all good
• 90g softened cream cheese
• Seasoning to taste

Cook the eggs at a rapid boil for eight minutes.

Remove from the heat, drain and run the eggs under cold water for a minute to prevent them discolouring.

Allow the eggs to sit in cold water for five minutes, then peel, and quarter.

In a food processor bowl or blender, combine the eggs with the other ingredients.

You can also just mash this together, but you won't get the same creamy consistency.

Taste and season if necessary.

Enjoy!

Nannas Real Beef Spread....

This scrumptious stuff is somewhere between a braised steak and onion dish, a pate`, and a spread. Really tasty, and I had it on home made grainy bread this morning, while DD has taken it for lunch in sushi.

Very versatile and would be great served on baked potatoes, english muffins, turkish bread, in burritos with refried beans, on bread rolls, in wraps, and as a filling for baked tomatoes or capsicums. I reckon I'll also try using it as a filling for home made ravioli or as a crepe filling.

Nanna's Beef Spread

500gms gravy beef, ox cheek, ox tail or any other inexpensive cut
2 onions chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 beef stock cube
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon sherry (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Remove all fat and sinew from meat and dice. Put into a medium saucepan and add all other ingredients.

Cover and simmer for 2-3 hours until the meat is extremely tender. Add a little more water over that time if necessary, but no more than 1/8th of a cup at a time. You don't want it swimming in liquid.

Allow to cool.

Pour into the bowl of a food processor and puree`. Leave some large chunks flaked with a fork, if you prefer more texture.

Place in a covered container, and refrigerate.

Use within 7 days.

,,,Mimi...

A passion for curd...a very special treat in under five minutes...

You may have gathered that food is important to me.

Every milestone in our lives entails the consumption of food of some sort.

For me, it's not just the nutritional value that's important, but also the memory that many foods carry with them.

Passionfruit curd is something my Mum used to make. Back in the day when every home had a backyard passionfruit vine, often groaning with glossy orbs that the crows would peck, it was criminal not to find a use for them. Of course we would eat them au naturel, slurping the flesh straight from the cup of the fruit, but eating Mums Passionfruit Curd was a special sort of treat.

The creamy sweet and tangy butteriness of curd belies it's simple ingredients. For a large family, scones or tarts filled with Passionfruit Curd was an inexpensive treat that tasted lavish and extravagant.

These days, I enjoy my Passionfruit Curd on gluten free toast in the morning served on a Limoges saucer gifted to me with a teacup for a recent significant birthday.

A super luxurious start to my day for mere cents.

Here's how you make it:

Makes about 750gms (1 1/2lbs) or three small jars worth.

Into a large microwave safe jug, place the following ingredients...

Pulp of 10-15 passionfruit

125gms caster sugar

125gms unsalted butter

In a separate jug....

Beat 4 large eggs until well combined

Then just...

Microwave the pulp mixture on HIGH for about 3 minutes, stirring every 60 seconds, just until the butter melts and is incorporated.

Remove from the microwave and whisk the egg in, drizzling it into the passionfruit mixture in a steady, fine stream.

Microwave on HIGH for two 30 second blasts, whisking well between each.

Finally, microwave on HIGH for one minute, and whisk well until thick and smooth.

Pour in to clean sterilised jars and refrigerate.

Done!

This keeps well, refrigerated for at least six months.

Use the curd to fill tarts, meringues, pavlova, Swiss Rolls, or just enjoy as I do on your morning toast.

You'll feel very swish!

Also a fab addition to your foodie gift hampers.

Enjoy!

Don't overdo it...more meals from nothing...

Why do we sometimes make more work for ourselves than is necessary?

Take the humble pumpkin for example.

They're usually inexpensive for the volume of food they can create, but avoided as too difficult to prepare. All that tough skin to remove, all that cutting up...sigh...

And then turning 'into' something...like pumpkin soup or pumpkin scones or mash or whatever...it's just too much work....nah...really?

All I do with my pumpkin is attack it with a sharp knife and roast the darned thing. I don't even peel it. The skin is luscious roasted and adds fibre and nutrition. Why waste a good veg on blinkin' scones or cake or muffins or pasta recipes.

Okay, going gluten free has some bearing on this. DD12 was diagnosed Coeliac a while back, and DH and I have gone gluten free in sympathy. So frankly, in the early stages, we just eliminated cakes and scones and pasta from our diet until I got the hang of the whole baking gluten free thing. Thankfully I've got a handle on it now and merrily bake with all kinds of alternative flours, but we learned an important lesson in the process.

Sometimes food, close to it's natural state is just as pleasurable as the most complex goodies.

This wedge of roasted pumpkin with my batch of Onion Confit I cooked up yesterday in my Slow Cooker is my lunch today...a pleasure I am anticipating with relish...sorry...bad pun!

My pumpkin cost me a princely $3, so my wedge is valued at about 15c, and the Onion Confit no more than one or two cents surely.

Talk about meals for under a dollar!

I guess for the family, you might add some bread, or polenta squares or curled crisp bacon or even..if you must...some meat or chicken.

But for me, as a guilt free, frugal and super delish lunch, this'll do just fine.

Go on...take the easy way out...you won't regret it :)

Lunch from nothing.....



Broccoli is so inexpensive here at the moment and aside from using the florets to steam as a vege, adding it to stir frys, and roasts, I've also been grating the stalks to add to salads. I noted that Broccoli stalks are one of the main seasonal ingredients in the very trendy 'rainbow salad' on offer at the major supermarkets. So, good enough for them, good enough for me!

So I've come home from work this morning and within 15 minutes there's a knock at the door. It's a good friend stopping in to say a quick hi before she continues her drive up the Coast. She's been here visiting her Grandchildren.

I offer her lunch (quickly wracking my brain to see what I can come up with on short notice) and upon opening the fridge, lay eyes on this grated broccoli in a little cube shaped container. I quickly add two tablespoons of potato flour, 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder, an egg, 1/4 cup of milk, and some seasoning to this and shake it all up in the container. There's probably about two tablespoons at the most of the broccoli and just enough with the other ingredients for two fair sized crepes.

I've had a big batch of Onion Confit in the slow cooker to give to MIL for Mothers Day when I see her tonight, and I've already put it in jars, so all that's left is the dregs of juice and a couple of stray strands of onion, but that'll do to drizzle over the crepes.

The crisper yields one last stalk of coriander with a couple of yellowing leaves on that I peel off, and there's some cheese, already grated in another container in the fridge.

On goes the frypan and the grill which I'll use in a tic, a spray of oil on the pan, and in goes half the broccoli mixture. It makes a large broccoli crepe, which I sprinkle with cheese, slide onto a serving plate and pop under the grill just while the second crepe cooks.

While the second crepe is under the grill with the cheese melting, I quickly make up two tall glasses of Iced Tea using my own Iced Tea Concentrate. I garnish the tea with some Mint leaves.

I flip the crepes in half with the cheese in the middle, drizzle with the onion confit juices, and garnish with a stalk of coriander.

Within 7 minutes, I have a lunch for two, equal to anything at our local cafes, and basically conjured up from nothing.

Being the Guardian of the Home and Budget saves the day (and $30 on lunch) again!

I wouldn't have dreamed of doing this not so long ago.

When have you made a meal from nothing?

Super Lush Onion Confit (also known as Onion Jam)...

Here's my Onion Confit recipe.

This is a much loved family favourite and we adore it on baguette with soft cheese, with meats and roasts of all kinds, on a Ploughmans platter, with crackers on a cheese board, or with oven roasted salmon. Cooking it is a special guilty pleasure as it scents the house with the most amazing earthy aromas.

Buy up onions of any kind when they're cheap and do big batches of this to keep on hand.

You need 4 decent sized (about 250gm) washed and sterilized jars for this amount.

Note: you can also prepare this in the slow cooker, by adding 125gms of butter to encourage caramelising, but it does render a slightly softer and not quite as aromatic, result. Given the choice I'd do it on the stovetop. In my older slow cooker, six hours on high and six on low was about right.

1 kg onions (different onions give a different result. Try red, eschallots, pickling onions or brown ones)
2 tablespoons oil
250 gms sugar
300 mls vinegar (different vinegars will also give a slightly different result in colour and flavour, so try balsamic, white, apple cider, sherry or even red or white wine or sparkling wine)
3 tablespoons honey or golden syrup
1/2 teaspoon each nutmeg and cinnamon
2 whole cloves
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Peel and slice the onions thinly. A mandolin slicer will make very quick work of this step.

Heat a large frypan over a medium heat and slow cook the onion until it's limp, about 5 minutes.

Add the other ingredients and mix well.

Reduce the heat to very low and simmer, stirring regulary to prevent sticking for one hour.

Cover the pan and continue to cook over a very low heat for a minimum of 45 minutes but up to several hours depending upon the depth of flavour and the consistency you're after, stirring regularly. I have simmered mine virtually all day on a very very low heat, and after 10-12 hours, they are divine.

The confit is ready when there is not liquid and the onion has been reduced to a chunky paste.

Spoon into sterilised jars and refrigerate.

Keeps for up to six months.

Gifts from your kitchen...

I am a big fan of home made foodie gifts.

A stylishly packaged hamper of goodies from your kitchen is always welcome, and if done thoughtfully, armed with information on the recipients personal likes and dislikes, will be eagerly anticipated by everyone.

My hampers are legendary in my family. But it took me a while to get the concept right. There is no point in giving everyone home made Limoncello or Tomato Relish if they don't consume it.

So each year, around about now, I send out a selection list to my friends and family. The list includes things like the aforementioned Limoncello and Tomato Relish, plus a range of other things like:

Pineapple, Fennel and Chilli Pickle

Onion Confit

Pancake Mix and honeycomb butter

Brandy Pate`

Chocolate Syrup

Vanilla Syrup

Ginger Cordial

Lemon Cordial

Worcestershire Sauce

Prunes in Port

Raw Chocolate Truffles

Peanut brittle

Marshmallows

Chocolate gingers

Aussie Rocky Road

Seasonal Jam

Mint Jelly

I'll be posting recipes for these over the next little while so stay tuned!

I also tend to go overboard with the packaging. I use wide double satin ribbon in soft gelati colours, and christmas baubles in similar hues to dress up the basket. I've found lengths of tulle to be the most beautiful and practical way to wrap the baskets and haunt the remnants basket at my local haberdashery to stock up on those inexpensively. But frankly tulle, when you look at the width is  more cost effective than gift wrap or cellophane anyway and it's reuseable!

Homemade gift hampers decrease the cost of gift giving significantly, and still allows you to give a lush looking gift to those you love.

Go on, start now, and you'll be all stocked up for Christmas!



A difference of opinion and disappointment in the wings..

I have a gorgeous group of girlfriends. We've shared stuff. Wins and Losses, ups and downs, crazy times and calmer ones.

Funnily as we've grown older, I've found that rather than growing together as you might expect from those with whom you've forged long term relationships based upon mutual interests, we've sort of grown in different directions on a range of issues.

The pursuit of Eternal Youth is one area on which we are diametrically opposed.

I was surprised, nay shocked, to hear one friend say recently that she would be happy to not live much past 60, as she couldn't possibly handle the decline in her looks. I was aghast. For me, at 52, I'd like to think I have a few more than 8 short years up my sleeve, irrespective of how I 'look'. She is still in her 30s and has young teenaged children. I wonder how they'd feel if they heard that little gem?

Another friend who I'd always considered a sensible earthy type, having shared crafting sessions and political debate with her on many an occasion, confided that she was thinking of getting Botox...just a bit (she said), on her frown line between her brows. She's a stunning woman, with a happy marriage and two gorgeous kids and a drop dead handsome husband. Why?

I have lost a Mother when she was only 60, and that event continues to impact upon me 10 years later. I can't imagine anyone wishing that upon their children. And as for Botox...well I'm scared of needles.

I don't begrudge them their opinions, nor a bit of cosmetic surgery if it makes them happy. But again, it begs the question 'what defines you?'. For both of my friends, clearly looking their best is important.

I like to look my best too, but won't be having any Botox or wishing myself into an early grave in pursuit of that desire.

It made me wonder then, what the two of them make of me. I've gained a few kgs with menopause, let my hair go grey, then dyed it black in my own moment of vanity (so I'm not perfect either!), do the majority of my clothes shopping in thrift shops and recycled designer boutiques, topping up with a few accessories, and refuse to use shopping as a way to amuse myself. Their conversations are, by contrast, peppered with anecdotes on their latest purchases and how they have to hide them from their husbands. Oh, the stress!

I love my friends...but they do take me by surprise often these days. I found myself disappointed after those two conversations, as if my friends had changed in some way I didn't understand. They may very well say the same about me.

The funny thing is, I could do what they're doing. I can afford to have Botox, shop every day, get my nails done and dress my children in designer clothes. But I choose not to. I don't understand it.

I have a new grandchild. I have a loving husband, I have a beautiful daughter and three sons who I cherish and adore. For me that's enough.

Maybe I'm the dumbo. Maybe I'm missing out.

But I don't think so.

I hope my friends find the peace and fulfilment they desire...botox and death wishes aside.

I'm the Guardian of my Budget and a Home based warrior. That works for me.

Todays Hint...

Try to contain todays tasks in 'today'.

Procrastination is the scourge of the organised.

Write a list, tackle each task with energy, move onto the next. If that's too hard, then, as my Mum used to say 'just do one thing...then do one more...'.

If you've done your laundry, make sure it's folded and put away.

If you've started a scrapbooking page, then finish it.

If you have an unpleasant task to perform, get on with it. Get it over with and then you never have to look at it again. It doesn't matter whether that's making a difficult phone call, having a tough discussion, or driving to the other side of town to make good on a promise. As Nike say "Just Do It".

If you start decluttering a wardrobe or a room, don't get sidetracked until you're done.

If you're having a prep session, do not stop for coffee, the phone or the television.

You won't believe what a difference this makes.

You'll go to bed feeling a sense of accomplishment, and open your eyes in the morning wanting to start another day.