I've had loads of requests for this recipe after my last post, so here it is. Hope everyone enjoys making, baking and tasting it. Zucchini, Raisin and Date Cake with Coconut Caramel Glaze 1 cup raisins ½ cup chopped dates 1 cup water 1 cup sugar 1 cup coarsely grated zucchini 2 tablespoons butter or … Continue reading Recipe – Zucchini Raisin and Date Cake with Coconut Caramel Glaze

Couldn't make it to the morning tea today. However I did manage to bake a cake to send along - of course it had to be a new recipe, a little challenge I've set myself for each week.Today I suggested the morning tea-ers guess the mystery ingredient. It was ...... zucchini!! A cupful of it, … Continue reading New Cake Day (for Wednesday morning tea platter)

Wednesday morning tea platter offering earlier this week. I’ve set myself the task (aka fun) of creating a new recipe each time. This was a baking dish chocolate cake, hollowed out and filled with chocolate rum custard with a hint of almond, this latter a tip of the hat to the flavour of the almond … Continue reading Apricots and Blackberries

Finally here is the recipe for that Apricot Tray Bake Cake that uses bottled (preserved) apricots, though you could use fresh of course. Apricot Tray Bake Cake • 2 eggs • 1¼ cups sugar • Rind 2 lemons • ½ cup lemon juice • 1 cup preserving liquid from jar of preserved apricots, made up … Continue reading Apricot Tray Bake Recipe

Apart from the bottling of some very large and luscious cherries, there's been a change of gear from bottling fruit today - two batches of sparkling rhubarb have been prepared and now left to stand the requisite 48 hours before straining and bottling. In about two weeks, maybe less, there will be several litres of … Continue reading Fermenting time – sparkling rhubarb!

In the spirit of "Here's some we prepared earlier", these jars of preserved fruit were standing at the ready for take home bags for participants in the Bottling Fruits of the Season class yesterday. (More of all of these were prepared during the class.) The best of the best fresh local produce preserved by the … Continue reading Bottling the Fruits of the Season class

There's been a bit of preserving of apricots here over the last week or so.It's led to such an abundance of jars of apricot products that it was impossible to take a photo that took it all in at once, so I took two to show the extent of products on the bench. There's bottled … Continue reading Apricots reign in jars and tray bake cake

Thank you much to everyone for all the lovely emails and messages congratulating me on being awarded a medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). (When I was first notified about this I wasn't at all sure it was true, suspecting it might be a scam. Before long however, it became evident that it was … Continue reading Medal Of the Order of Australia (OAM)

On the way back home from Hobart last Saturday we took a different route out through Campania. We came across an extensive orchard selling Moor Park Apricots. The price for a box of seconds was very reasonable and the quality was excellent, only a tiny blemish from a branch mark here and there. So what … Continue reading Apricots (Moor Park!)

When a member or two or three in a family, or friends for that matter, adopt a vegan lifestyle, it's not a challenge, certainly not a nuisance, but rather it's inspirational! Such a good reason to experiment and develop new recipes. A case in point - a huge favourite this past week has turned out … Continue reading Blackcurrant Recipes