The weeks since my March IMK post scraped in have flown; the gramma featured still awaits my attention. There’s been little available time to spend in the kitchen. Some of my cooking has been short and some has been sweet…
My much awaited book purchase Whole Larder Love by Rohan Anderson arrived the day after my March IMK post. Rohan also has a blog.
A pack of beef short ribs from Linga Longa Farm, Wingham NSW at Eveleigh Farmers Market was just the ticket for an easy Saturday night dinner & Sunday night leftovers, made to Celia’s recipe and with the lucky last of the jar of Pete’s quince jelly. I love it when I Google search for a recipe and up pops a Fig Jam and Lime Cordial result!
My first effort at making tapioca. I bought a pack of tapioca pearls with the view to making a coconut milk version but had 2 spare cups of milk left over from DIY yoghurt (also Celia’s recipe) I didn’t want to waste. It all went to waste anyway because I cooked the tapioca too long and it turned out like lumpy glue. The G.O. bravely volunteered it would still be good to eat.
But no. Live and learn.
Christmas in March biscuits (made from left over festive season dried tart cherries from Bellingen’s Kombu Wholefoods, macadamia nuts from Nambucca Macnuts and white chocolate chips) which the G.O. has been taking to work for smoko and his work mates have been nabbing to add to their protein shakes.
Chilli chocolate (remnants of a Lindt block) topped lamington cupcakes made from organic SR flour, sugar, butter, vanilla essence, coconut and free range eggs with squirts of Plum & Sweet Chilli Sauce in the centres baked for my workplace’s fundraiser morning tea. My slightly different take on the theme: sharing a food from my cultural background. I had to buy back the leftovers so the G.O. could take them to work.
A diminishing jar of Freckles… reward for my contribution to my workplace’s community service program, regifted to the G.O… who says he is rationing himself to 4 per day… usually consumed at 5.30 am as he’s walking out the door, or 6.30 pm as he’s walking in!
On that chocolatey note, it’s almost Easter which means later in the week we’ll be off again to the country for a short break; a little R&R and drinking of coffee & wine on the verandah is in order, and a chocolate egg for the G.O.
Thanks to Celia of Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for hosting In My Kitchen and the IMK community for foodie inspiration & the virtual company they provide. If you’d like to join in, link back to Celia’s blog.
“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” – Charles M. Schulz
daleleelife101.blog 
How’s the Easter weather forecast for the mid north coast? We have torrential rain on the menu and post-operative poorliness for the Husband, so it’ll be a quiet one. I have a really, really nice Lime & Zucchini cake recipe – do you want to try it? The Dowager had thirds of it and the coffee shop has asked for it too.
LikeLike
The MNC weather of course being Easter is predicted to be wet. We care not, as we’ll be at home not in the city/office/worksite but I do feel for people trying to have a holiday particularly if they are camping as so many like to do over Easter.
I’d love to try the Lime & Zucchini cake recipe, thank you… it may convince the G.O. that zucchini is not as evil as he thinks 🙂
Best wishes to HoC, and you of course.
LikeLike
Filthy weather can make a holiday: the perfect excuse to hole up and indulge with lots of new books, cake, chocolate and excellent coffee. Ooops, bit of a giveaway there… Anyway, I’ll email you the cake recipe. It helps if you have a bundt/ring mould cake tin, but not vital, it just gets a teeny bit swampy in the middle. Don’t tell the GO there’s zucchini in it and he’ll never know… The Husband didn’t twig till I told him and the green tinge and flecks are explained by the lime! HoC now out of hospital and greatly enjoying being waited on hand and foot!
LikeLike
We’re on the same Easter chill-out page… although fingers crossed the concretor for the shed slab said he’ll be there on Monday… of course weather permitting!
It’s a sign… I just bought a bundt tin. I gave the lime-zucchini cake a rap to the G.O. and he’s up for trying it… (he devoured a friend’s pumpkin fruit cake at Christmas, something I and he thought he’d never do!) and he knows the hungry workmate wolves will eat it regardless.
LikeLike
Well, if the HoC’s reaction is anything to go by, you’ll be making it again, and again and again, so the bundt tin was a good investment!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree with Charles Shulz! What an interesting version of lamingtons you created!! My month in the kitchen has been so scrappy, I think I have nothing to write about. That may change. Have a wonderful break on the verandah!
LikeLike
Scrappy is a good description of my kitchen endeavours. At the moment I’m shopping & cooking just enough and using what’s to hand to make a few dinners, leftovers-dinners, lunches for the G.O. and lunches for me if I’m lucky.The reason I have an IMK post this month is the G.O. prompting me… do you want to take a photo of that?!
LikeLike
The Daughter is passionate about food but not necessarily cooking, so I was surprised when she said she wanted to make the chicken quesadilla recipe a friend gave her. To cut a long story short, they’re a fantastic way to use up left over chicken, especially roast chicken.
Other than that, my cooking has been ordinary to say the least. I think I’m over summer type food. Anyway it was lovely to see that you’re still cooking strong. 🙂
LikeLike
Snap! We’ve discovered quesadillas and enchiladas… great for using up leftover anything.
We’re morphing to Autumn fare, more warm salads and slow cooking 🙂
LikeLike
lmao – great minds, or stomachs. 😀 Sadly it was hot yesterday so we just had a huge salad with crisp bits of ham,
croutons, boiled eggs, apple, mayo in the dressing and all the other usual suspects. Yum but I really feel like pumpkin soup now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s bad enough you have to write about food at this time of night but then you have to show pictures too. I shall be sending you a bill for dry cleaning now my knees are covered in saliva. My beard is no better.
xxx Massive Hugs xxx
LikeLike
Thank you. We should check with Meeks to see if there’s any technological advances on the horizon that offers a real virtual experience rather than simply visual… it’s disappointing I know… been there 🙂
LikeLike
I’m usually not a friend of cupcakes but your chillie chocolate cupcakes look fantastic. I have been cooking up a storm in my kitchen. For the first two weeks I had too feed my niece and her partner from Germany. When we went up to our cabin I pretended it was Christmas and roasted a duck. Later that week we had an early Easter dinner with lamb , little potatoes and cranberry ketchup I had canned for Christmas. Who says you can’t celebrate Christmas and Easter in one week.
LikeLike
Thank you. I love roast duck at any time! Ditto lamb but always at Easter. I love summer foods but as our weather cools we will be enjoying more of the slow cooked meats and roasts that are lovely meals but even better leftovers.
LikeLike
I love it when you Google a recipe and one of mine pops up too! What a thrill to hear that! Thanks ED! Your cupcakes look delicious, I love that you had to buy them back to get some to eat! Have a great Easter, lovely! xxx
LikeLike
Well, I got some back for the G.O. and his cronies to eat!
I commented to the G.O. just last night that between the foodie tips I’ve picked up blogging and via MKR we’re eating better than ever 🙂
LikeLike
Love those little lamington cupcakes! So cute 🙂 I love that when I read your posts, there’s often mention of places close to here. As you can imagine, that’s almost unheard of – except in one of Celia’s posts where she was excited to get a Burrawong chicken 🙂
LikeLike
I feel similarly when I encounter producers from the around the mid north coast, I buy Moorland lamb and veges at Eveleigh Markets, and before they moved to Eungai I met the buffalo people while they were still located at western Sydney… they were asking us about the Nambucca area and we were so pleased when they moved there. And it was my mention of Burrawong chickens that set Celia on that track. There’s so much to love!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your Easter getaway sounds wonderful! Enjoy.
I’m smiling at the name of that book. Clever. 🙂
LikeLike
It’s a great book and philosophy 🙂
LikeLike
Tapioca must be tricky – I’ll let some else make it and I’ll just beg some.
Wine on the verandah – ahhhh. Enjoy your country trip!
LikeLike
Tapioca is simple… First time effort… over-thought and overcooked!
Yes, wine on the verandah and likely rain on the tin roof… happy sigh!
LikeLiked by 1 person
TIn roofs are wonderful…well not in summer here, but in rainy weather – no better sleeping
LikeLike
Happy Easter and thanks for your kitchen view this month also!
Wish I could try your lamington cupcakes!
LikeLike
Thank you. We’re even, I haven’t tried one of those lamington cupcakes! Apparently they’re good. the G.O. took the last 4 to work today… I’m not sure though he’s been getting more than a single cupcake a day either 🙂
LikeLike
Freckles are such a treat. Good on the GO for rationing himself. I would be sneaking them out of the jar much more frequently. 😉 I am curious about the tapioca too. I guess you cook it and then add flavours to it when serving — stewed fruit etc.
Have a wonderful Easter on the verandah. Enjoy every well deserved minute.
LikeLike
Thank you. The G.O. lucked out with the freckles and chocolate in general, I have my momemts but can take it or leave it. That said, I managed an Easter egg!
Arlington’s Tapioca from the supermarket – http://www.arlingtons.com/main/page_products_fruit_tapioca.html – started my quest. I quite like the Classic Coconut and the G.O. enjoys the fruit varieties so I wanted to replicate it.
LikeLike
Delicious!! Happy Easter. Hope you have a lovely break….enjoy wine and choc!
LikeLike
Thank you 🙂 Happy Easter to you and yours. Some chocolate was enjoyed, and a little more wine, some rest and a lot of gardening!
LikeLike
How lovely to end your post with a quote from Charles M Schultz, and so appropriate. I love your take on the lamingtons and clever you putting the plum & chilli sauce in the centre. I would have never thought of that. It reminds me of the recipe I saw for Tim Tam soufflés that had Vegemite as the salty accent. Thanks and have a great break!
LikeLike
Thank you, and apologies for the time-lapse response… Spam ate your comment.
I’m usually a conservative cook, until I need to use what I have to hand… then things get interesting, and usually turn out well. The problem is replicating it!
LikeLike
Tapioca was a school dinners pudding staple here along wiht sago and semolina and t was a love/hate thing. As long as there was a spoonful of jam – preferably blackcurrant or black cherry – to stir into it I loved them all, despite sago’s resemblance to frogspawn as we always called it. You can mess too much with simple dishes I find …
Now I’ve finally looked at the pictures I can see what Freckles are, I think.
Have a Happy Easter Elladee, hope you have some good lamb and don’t forget the mint sauce! M
LikeLike
I remember eating tapioca/sago/junket in hospital as a child but it wasn’t one of my family foods. I discovered Arlington’s Tapioca from the supermarket – http://www.arlingtons.com/main/page_products_fruit_tapioca.html. It’s a nice afternoon treat rather than chocolate, then I saw the coconut tapioca recipe which it resembles.
Freckles are chocolate disks topped with 100’s & 1000’s lollies. Not my thing but the G.O. loves them!
Easter Sunday is lamb always, hot cross buns and even I eat a chocolate egg for breakfast 🙂
LikeLike
Your lamington cupcakes sound delicious. Your work mates are a lucky bunch.
LikeLike
Thank you. My work mates had groaning tables of home baked goodies to choose from. But the G.O.’s and his work mates ate every single one of those chilli-choc lamington cakes 🙂
LikeLike
Hi Jennifer, I’ve been trying with little apparent success to comment thus “Apples and honey… what a wonderful combination. I love the flan rings and miso bowls but the Fowler Ware Jug has my heart. EllaDee :)” on your April IMK post… either you have several attempts in the Blogger spam folder or it’s just not working for me…
LikeLike
Ah, I have wondered about the Whole Larder Love book… love their blog and FB page! Sounds like you’ve had a delicious time in your kitchen this month! Thank you for the peek, and happy Easter weekend.
LikeLike
Thank you 🙂 I like that the Whole Larder Love book is very readable as well as the recipes.
LikeLike
I borrowed Whole Larder Love from my local library a few months back. I love how rustic, and back to basics it is, and the photographs are just wonderful. Happy to hear you own your very own copy! cheers, Kirsty
LikeLike
As well as practical advice and recipes, Whole Larder Love good for inspiration. I’m working more and more to eating seasonally, and less mainstream… while not a hunter… but more goat, duck, rabbit, eels, etc some of which my family had on the menu when I was a kid, and eventually to have my own vege garden & chooks for eggs.
LikeLike
Delicious things in your kitchen. I too have some left over Lindt chilli choc in mine. Perhaps I should attempt my first lamington b
LikeLike
I’m sure I would make a mess of proper lamingtons but I managed to drizzle melted chilli choc on top of vanilla cupcakes, sprinkled coconut and syringed plum sweet chilli sauce into the centres… without too much drama!
LikeLike
ooooh I love tapioca but have never been brave enough to cook it.
LikeLike
I think tapioca is one of those foods that has a Nanna mystique… I tried too hard and cooked it too long!
LikeLike
Happy Easter Elladee. We are just back from our camping era! Your biscuits look lovely. The new cookbook will be a great source of inspiration- will be good to see what you make.
LikeLike
Yes, I need to put my growing cookbook collection to work… good reminder.
Happy Easter to you. Camping at Easter is wonderful if the weather is cooperative. I hope you had better weather than NSW.
LikeLike
I love experimenting in the kitchen but usually the first few batches are barely edible. When I lived alone, it was fine, but now that I subject my roommates to my cooking, I hesitate to try a new recipe. 🙂
LikeLike
I’ve had a few disasters, so the tapioca experience wasn’t new to me… cakes like bricks, saltiness like the sea, bread that sticks to the pan the most annoying of all!
LikeLike
Hello from a fellow IMKer! I love tapioca pearls in bubble drinks but my friends scorned them as looking like frogspawn! (I bought big black ones). Oops!
LikeLike
Hi 🙂 I love the tapioca pearl drinks too, although a little sugary for me the balls are a great temptation!
LikeLike
Those cookies and Freckles in big glass jars are too tempting to contemplate. They would last a matter of days in this house, so well done for the self rationing. I’m very impressed with your ability to use up the leftovers in such imaginative ways, the sign of a natural chef I reckon.
LikeLike
Thank you. I like the cookies and have to assign them as G.O. lunch food or I’d be tempted to take them to work for nibbling with cups of tea but the Freckles thankfully hold no appeal.
I think my inclination to use leftovers is the sign of a natural Nanna-type person… I hate waste 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love all your local produce Ella – I grew up (and my parents still live) about 15 min south of Macksville, and I stock up on macadamias and oil every time we go up 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you. We divide our time between Sydney (mostly) and our house at Taylors Arm. I love doing the rounds of the Mid-North Coast buying my local favourites. I always have a list of people who want macadamia 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those short ribs look delicous, I’ll have to investigate Celia’s recipe.
And those cupcakes sound dangerously addictive from just reading the title.
LikeLike
Thank you. The short ribs were great and I’ll be making them again. Slow cooking them a little longer to make them even more tender and flavoursome.
I will also probably make the lamington cakes again. The G.O.’s workmates devoured them, and there is leftover Easter chocolate in the fridge.
LikeLike