Baked Passionfruit Cheesecake

• 
  
• 250g plain sweet biscuits
• 125g butter, melted
• 500g cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 300g sour cream
• 5-6 passionfruit
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• 1/4 cup castor sugar, extra
• 
  

1. Preheat oven to 150°C. Grease a 22cm round springform pan.
2. Place biscuits in food processor. Process until fine crumbs. Add butter. Process until combined. Press mixture over base and sides of pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating to combine. Fold in lemon juice and sour cream.
4. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for50 minutes or until centre is just firm. Allow to cool in oven for 3 hours, with door slightly ajar. Refrigerate overnight
5. Mix cornflour with 1/3 cup water and put into a saucepan with passionfruit pulp and extra sugar.  Stir over heat until thickened.  Spread over chilled cheesecake and chill for several hours.  Serve.

Sunday: Weekly Menu 6

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the Family favourites this week.....


Sunday: Tomato Risotto
Monday: Burritos and Salad
Tuesday: Aloo Matar Curry
Wednesday: Tomato Noodle soup with Fresh Bread
Thursday: Sausage Rolls, baked Vegies and Corn 
Friday:  Spaghetti 
Saturday:  Take Out

Book Love: Liberty Home Sewing

If these two preview images are anything to go by, the new Liberty Home Sewing book is a must have for my shelves.  I love Liberty fabrics and the book looks like it will be gorgeous.  I can't wait for it to be released in September.

Colour Inspiration

Some light rooms with lots of pretty bright colour. 

I love the blue painted side table and the bright throw rug and pillows.

 Bright spring pillows

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Images via and via

Twin Room Inspiration

 I love the idea of kids sharing rooms, this long bed is great for leaving plenty of floor space for play, and I love those drawers under the bed for all the toys.

A pretty colour combination in a small space.

I love the blue/grey with white. 

Sunday: Weekly Menu 5

Better late than never. Its been a crazy, busy day, shopping has had to wait till tomorrow.

Sunday: Vegetable Curry and Rice
Monday:  Haystacks
Tuesday: Tomato Risotto
Wednesday: Broccoli Soup
Thursday: Home made Pizza
Friday:  Dinner out
Saturday:  Pasta

Portable Painting

This is an easy way of taking painting to the park or out and about for a creative art activity.   I got some thick card (or watercolour paper would be perfect for this) and put some spots of Gouache along the sides of the card and left it to dry.  Once dry it makes a portable paint palate, all you need is a paint brush and some water.

Gouache is great because you can keep reworking the dried work, so even after the painting is dry by just using a wet brush the painting can be reworked.  

(Unfortunately I cannot remember where I first came across this idea and am unable to link to the source)

Fruity Jelly Cups

 This was a simple cooking activity  the kids and I did.  

Zack and Mila cut up strawberries themselves with a butter knife.  We then put them in a container and poured some jelly over.

 They were set just in time for dessert.  A simple, easy treat and they loved it because they pretty much did it all themselves.

Laundry Rooms

Do you watch the block?  I watch it when I can and love seeing their rooms come together.  This last week they had to finish the bathroom and laundry. In keeping with the theme I thought I would post some Laundry rooms from my files.

This laundry is really pretty with lots of storage space and room to move.

Another pretty but functional laundry room

This bench looks like a perfect solution for sorting and folding washing

I love the hanging rail above the bench for the ironing, I wonder if I would be more inspired to stand and iron if I had one of those.

Images via

Chocolate Cheesecake Brownie

This is another Weight Watchers recipe that I enjoy making.  It is delicious and a healthier version using pureed apple instead of butter.

Ingredients
1 cup pureed apple
1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted
3/4 cup self raising flour, sifted
1/2 tsp bicarb soda, sifted
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup castor sugar
250g light cream cheese
1 egg yolk

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.  Lightly spray a 20cm sqaure cake tin with oil and line with baking paper.
2. Place puree, cocoa, flour, bicarb soda, chocolate, salt and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a large bowl and stir to combine.  Pour mixture into prepared tin.
3. Using electric beaters, beat cream cheese, egg and remaining sugar in a medium bowl.  Pour cream cheese mix over chocolate mix.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cooked.  Cool in tin, cut into 12 pieces.

I also like to drizzle melted chocolate over the top to serve.

Sunday: Weekly Menu 4

By planning a menu for the week, It takes the stress out of what to make for dinner, I can save money by not purchasing excess items that will not get used and we waste less fresh food as we only buy what we need.

Time to get shopping so we have food for the week, this is what we are eating this week.


Sunday:  Vegetable soup with fresh bread
Monday: Vegetable frittata with salad
Tuesday: Spaghetti Bolognaise
Wednesday: Vegetarian Patties with baked potatoes and vegetables
Thursday: Homemade pizza's with salad
Friday:  Dinner with family
Saturday: Toasted Sandwiches

What are you eating this week?

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I am in the process of planning our spring garden and ordering seeds so that come spring we will be all systems go.  My favourite way to plant our garden is from seed and this means I need to be organised so that the seedlings are all coming along nicely ready for spring planting. 

My favourite source for seeds and plants for my vege garden is Diggers club.  They specialise in heirloom seeds and varieties that are being lost in the mainstream retail environment, whilst maintaining garden traditions.

Spontaneity

Today was a spontaneous day.  Toby wanted a train ride so I decided to just go with it, there wasn't anything I really needed to do today, so we packed some snacks and hopped on the train for town.  Once there we enjoyed some time in the park and then finished off with a little walk before catching the train home again.

The kids loved it, it was fun doing something spontaneous and unplanned.

This is a good article that was in my reader this afternoon that has some other fun ideas to do with the kids.  Some of them are so simple, yet we often forget that they enjoy simple things, but most of all they just love being with us.

A Fabulous Little Nook

Image via 

I have a place in my studio where a nook like this would fit perfectly.  I could really enjoy working in such a cute little space.

Knitting: Boys Sweater

Well I finally finished knitting the sweater for Toby.

 And last night I started on a vest for Zack

Both boys picked their own yarn colours so lets hope that translates getting into a lot of wear out of both items.

A Healthy Lunchbox For Kids

Following on from last weeks post on healthy eating for Kids I thought  we could look at some healthy lunch box ideas for kids to ensure that they have the best chance at getting through the day.

A healthy lunchbox needs to include: 

1. Foods that will give children sustained energy throughout the day so that they will have better concentration and energy for play.

These slow release foods include:

• Multigrain or wholegrain breads
• fruit (unpeeled) apples, grapes, strawberries, pears etc

2.  A calcium rich food such as yoghurt or cheese is also important for healthy bones and teeth as well as helping them to feel full.  

3.  A protein rich food is important for growth and immunity so including some protien foods such as eggs, legumes or meat is a good idea.

Some Ideas for Lunch

• Vegemite and cheese Vita Weets  and a mandarin
• Baked Bean and cheese toastie (many kids would be happy with this cold) and strawberries
• Egg and Lettuce sandwich on wholegrain bread with cherry tomatoes
• A piece of vegetable frittata with cucumber and carrot sticks
• Chicken and Avocado Rolls and sultanas

Morning and Afternoon Tea 

• Celery, carrot, and cucumber sticks with hommus and apple
• Yoghurt and orange wedges
• Homemade pikelets with margarine and jam
• Cheese wedges or cubes
• Hard boiled egg and dried apricots
• Popcorn and apple
• Selection of chopped fresh fruit with yoghurt
• Custard and fruit

You can then mix and match lunches with morning and afternoon tea ideas to combine for a balanced lunchbox for the day ensuring that you have a combination of the following:

• Fruit
• vegetables/salad such as carrot, celery etc
• Dairy foods such as yogurt or cheese
• Protien such as meat, cheese, eggs, hommus etc
• Wholegrain bread or crackers
• Water

Another Quilt Top

Another quilt top was made last week. It was great to use up some of my stash and make a quilt without needing to purchase anymore fabric to complete it. Mila has already claimed it as hers and I guess since it is predominantly pink no one else in this household will be putting their hands up for it.

I didn't use a pattern and essentially cut up my FQ's in random squares and rectangles and pieced them together.

Now on to quilting it....

Sunday: Weekly Menu 3

Here is this weeks menu, more comforting winter foods as the weather is cold and the leftovers are perfect for lunches too.

Sunday:  Pumpkin soup with fresh bread
Monday: Bean Nachoes with salad
Tuesday: Oven Baked Risotto
Wednesday: Homemade pizza's with salad
Thursday: Patties served with baked vegetables
Friday:  Dinner with family
Saturday: Take out

What are you eating this week?

Apricot and Chocolate Chip Slice

This is one of my husbands favorite slices and I have adapted it slightly from the Donna Hay Modern Classics 2 book.  The chocolate chips are a delicious addition to this slice but can be left out if you wish.  I also often do the chocolate chip and apricot mix in these cookies which are also a favourite.

Ingredients

125g (4oz)  butter, melted

1/3 cup sugar1 cup plain (all purpose) flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

Topping

2 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup plain (all purpose) flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

200g (7oz) chopped apricots

1 cup desiccated coconut

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius or (350 F).  Place butter, sugar, flour and rolled oats in a bowl and mix to combine.

Press the mixture into a 20 x 30cm slice tin lined with baking paper.  Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

To make the topping place eggs and sugar in bowl, beat with electric beaters until light and fluffy.

Fold in the flour, baking powder, apricots, chocolate chips and coconut.

Spread the topping over the base and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.  Cool in tin.

Cut into slices and enjoy.

Wednesday Adventures

A perfect windy day

Fabric Love: Children at Play

Sarah Jane Studios has a new fabric range hitting the stores any day now.  It features her gorgeous images of children at play as well as coordinating prints.

I love the floor cushions she has made for her own kids using the tutorial from living with punks.  These fabrics will make gorgeous accessories for children's spaces.

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Egg and Red Lentil Curry

This recipe is from the Weight Watchers Cook Basic cookbook it is a simple and delicious mid week meal.  We use eggs from our own hens making this recipe super economical.

Ingredients
1 Medium onion, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh ginger
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
2 Heaped Tbsp Curry Paste
400g can crushed tomatoes with capsicum
1/2 Cup dried red lentils
1 Bunch broccolini, cut into 4cm lengths
80g Snow Peas, halved
6 Hard boiled eggs, peeled, halved
1 Cup brown basmati rice

1. Lightly spray a large saucepan with oil and heat over medium -  high heat.  Add onion, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring for 5 mins or until onion is soft.  Add curry paste and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
2. Add tomatoes and 2 1/2 cups cold water (or stock).  Bring to boil.  Stir in lentils.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes or until lentils are cooked.  
3. Add broccolini and snow peas.  Simmer for 5 minutes or until heated through.
4. Meanwhile, cook rice using absorbtion method.  
5. Serve with rice and sprinkled coriander.

 I love James and Rose Curry paste, however any curry paste or even curry powder will work.

You can complete up to step two at an earlier time and continue on with step three when you are ready for dinner.  I love curry when it has been cooked a day before as the flavors develop and mature.

June Blocks

Do. Good Stitches is a charity quilting bee over on flickr.  Do Good Stitches is organised by Rachel from Stitched in Color and each month the groups make two blocks which are then put together into a quilt for children in need.  I have been a member of this fantastic group for a couple of months now.  I really enjoy making my two blocks and then seeing how they come together with everyone  else's.  

These are the two blocks that I made for the June quilt.  They are a scrappy style that makes use of the numerous scraps that overflow my scrap bin.  I can't wait to see the finished quilt which is being put together by Becky.

The first quilt I was a part of can be seen here.