3 foodie things and my grey/ purple coffee table

K & C had their party today.

In a nutshell - success!

But of course, once I download all the photos, I'll have to do a post or 3.

The sunroom, entrance way, dining room and kitchen were chaos, and then those rooms were tidied up and now my study is chaos because there is wrapping paper and presents everywhere.

Thankfully, the pile looked a lot smaller once all the packaging was removed!



But for now, a quick post on food :)

I've obviously been cooking a lot more now that I'm working from home. I love spending time in the kitchen nourishing my family with food that's been lovingly prepared.

(this may be a bit out there but I believe food tastes better when it's made with love :))

And of course, winter is the BEST time to bake. I like eating so it's win-win.

3 things:

1. My favourite winter lunch

Soup and a toasted cheese and tomato on wholewheat bread, or soup and toast with chunky savoury cottage cheese.

I tried a new combination the other day - baguette with some Mrs Balls extra hot chutney mixed into some plain chunky cottage cheese. OH MY WORD - it was heaven. YUM - I'm salivating just thinking about it. The sweetness and chili of the chutney with the cold, slightly tangy cottage cheese - DIVINE.

These photos were taken the day of the power failure so it was cup-a-soup plus cheese on crackerbread.

taken on my grey/ purple crib-turned-coffee table which I still love love LOVE

What the cot/ crib looked like before.... and after (I thought it would be more purple but I can live with it and it's PERFECT for photo backdrops, not that I recommend painting furniture just for a good backdrop).

2. Fudge brownies

If you know me at all, you'll know I love fudge with a passion. Especially when those blocks just melt in your mouth. In fact, I have homemade fudge on my birthday wish list. I should post that wish list.

Except... I have tried MANY times over the years and my recipes always fail. They just never set.

I'm fully aware it's ME, not the recipe. You can't be good at everything, right? This is what I tell myself when I have spectacular kitchen fails.

I also can't make peppermint bark but I still try every year. I figured out that it only works with Nestle Milky Bar chocolate, by the way.

(speaking of which, keep reading)

So my fudge failed. I had two dishes - one small round, and a rectangular one. The round one was the consistency of toffee so I'd have a spoon full every time I needed a little something. But the rectangular one was just a big mess. I tried to recook it and it got worse but I didn't want to toss it out (waste!).

Eventually I googled and found something to do with it. I scooped it all back into a pot, added one egg, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup milk, mixed all up and into a dish. Baked about 15 mins - you have to watch these things - and the most delicious brownies emerged.

now you know why Pioneer Woman uses green plates. They're so photogenic!

I know none of you ever have fudge fails but if you do, then make these.

3. Apple bars



I have this recipe pinned here. I've raved about it many times because it's so easy and it always works.

In the photos mine doesn't look very appetising because I didn't do the sugar on the top bit. Normally I would if I make it to take somewhere or if we're having people over.

The recipe calls for 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar - I only use 1/2 cup total, and ours is still sweet enough.

Also, normally I peel my apples but I'd just made Se7en's apple crisp with peels... so I thought why the heck not?! and it works just as well.

The kitchen fail

Okay, and then in case you think this is only a successful kitchen, let me tell you about my spectacular food fail just last week.

I pinned some avocado pasta, and I did it all at about 4, tasted it and it was fine. I then left it and then warmed it when we were ready to eat at 6:30 - 7ish ..... and it was DISGUSTING once heated.

We all took one forkful and some of us actually spat it out.

I can't even remember what we eventually had - toast with something probably.

There's nothing wrong with the recipe - I do think she should have said with a bit more explanation other than just "serve immediately"... make sure your pasta is hot and ready to eat, quickly do this sauce and eat immediately - will not be good even an hour later.

Anyway, normally I can rescue a meal but this one went straight in the bin. Do you know how that kills me?!

So what have you cooked over the last few weeks?