Comfort Food

I first discovered what "comfort food" was about 7 years ago. I was still at university and I made one of my regular pit-stops at Basement Books - a hole in the wall, makeshift discount book store. The books weren't preloved or anything, just not in flawless condition. Think of it as a factory seconds store for books! They also had stationery and art supplies so you can see why I always wondered in - you never know what you'd find. On this occasion, as always I checked out the cooking section.

I picked up a book based on its cover - a royal purple felt material, stylishly embossed with shiny silver letters that spelled out "Comfort Food". There was a glossy photograph of a rather sloppy looking dish - bangers and mash with gravy. As I flipped through it I found many similar seemingly easy and achievable dishes - apple and cinnamon pancakes, eggs benedict, croque monsieur and even chocolate mousse. With a price label of about $5 and feeling extremely intrigued, I decided to take the plunge and indulge in purchasing the book. Plus, Paul and I were still in the lovey-dovey dating stage and I was eager to impress him with such dishes. Long story short, the chocolate mousse was an EXTREME success - he ate all that I had made except for what I served myelf (in one sitting too), and we are now coming up to 3 years of marriage :)

This morning was an absolutely beautiful autumn morning. The kitchen thermometer read 22 degrees celcius, the sky was bright blue with the sun filling my home with glorious light (courtesy of our skylights!). This motivated me to cook up a yummy breakfast with what little ingredients I had in the pantry. My absolute favourite comfort dish would have to be crêpes with sugar and lemon juice. The sourness balanced by the sweet granules and heated by the warm, tender crêpes makes me feel warm and happy inside!

Crêpes with Lemon & Sugar

Whisk 2 eggs with 1¾ cups milk

Slowly incorporate milk mix into a bowl containing 1 cup of plain flour

Add 2 tbsp melted butter and mix until smooth

Rest batter covered for 30 minutes

Grease crêpe pan (or non-stick fry-pan) with butter

Place batter into pan and swirl to spread thinly

Cook for 1 minute, flip, cook for 1 minute

To serve:

Fold crêpes into quarters

Sprinkle with granulated sugar

Serve with lemon wedges

Enjoy

Sick, Sick, Sick

I went home after seeing only 2 patients today. This cold seems to be lingering. Paul also wasn't feeling well so he's home from work too.

So with a sore throat, sore joints and sore face, I mustered as much energy as I could to make a chicken soup. Hot and golden, it heals the body and the heart with every slurp.

I put this soup together based on what I pictured in my head would taste good!

ASIAN FLAVOURED CHICKEN SOUP FOR COLDS

Place 1 whole chicken (chopped into pieces) in large stockpot filled with cold water.

Place in varying amounts according to personal taste: 

fish sauce, soy sauce, salt, peppercorns, chopped galangal, celery sticks, 

banana chilli (unopened; chopped if you want more heat)

herbs eg basil, bay leaf, star anise. 

Simmer for 1.5 hours, constantly skimming the surface of impurities.

Strain broth and put chicken pieces aside, discard herbs and things.

I would have liked to have used a cheesecloth to strain the broth

but I just used a fine sieve. Replace broth onto stove.

Remove meat from chicken pieces (bite sized pieces) and place into broth.

Add chopped cabbage and enoki mushrooms into broth.

Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Garnish with chopped coriander and fried shallots.

Slurp and heal :)

Teddy begging for some soup

Teddy liked us being home because
he could chill in the sun :)

Stormy Sunday

This weekend brought the end of daylight savings, the end of ANOTHER cold for me and the start of a cold for my husband. I am now lounging in my bed in the dark - at 6PM! listening to the soothing mixture of the rain outside and Alt-J, with an occasional clap of thunder and sniffles from my hubby next to me.

When Paul gets sick I cannot help but look after him! Is that a maternal instinct perhaps??

So this morning I baked him some scones with orange pekoe tea. Here is the scones recipe:

SCONES

Preheat oven to 200°C (390F). 

Grease and flour a round cake tin.

Sift together 2½ cups of self-raising flour 

with a teaspoon of salt and 

2 tablespoons of powdered sugar.

Rub in 40g of butter with fingers until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Make a well in the centre and add 1 cup (250ml) milk. 

Gently mix until combined.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. 

Flatten dough to 2cm thickness.

Cut rounds from the dough and arrange in prepared cake tin. 

Brush surface with milk.

Bake on top oven rack for 15 minutes.

I love my scones with whipped cream and jam :)

A double rainbow seen from my backyard this afternoon

Happy Easter

Easter was a lazy, content affair for me this year. I stayed home and was the domestic goddess I fancy myself to be and only left to go to church on Sunday. I heard a powerful message about how the apostle Paul compares ours and Christ's death and resurrection to the sowing of a seed (1 Corinthians 15:35-44). The seed already contains predetermined genetic information of what it will grow into. When the seed is sown it ceases to exist - it is no longer a seed. It "resurrects" into a new creation. Before our death (or our "sowing") we contain predetermined spiritual information of what we will resurrect into, in the kingdom of heaven. Isn't that just amazing? Just as birth and life is a miraculous event, so is death and resurrection.

So as I mentioned in a previous post, I got excited about decorating for this Easter! It was my first time so forgive my simplicity - I assure you it will improve in the coming years! Because of our dire financial situation I did Easter on a budget. So I present to you, Easter at the Fry's:

Making Sugar Cookies

I was going to buy Easter Bunny and egg cookie cutters
but it wouldn't have arrived in time from eBay

I learned a lesson - dye icing with a toothpick and not by
pouring from the bottle! These were supposed to be pastel
blue and pastel pink...

These were attractive to look at but believe it or not,
too sickeningly sweet for my liking! The cookies are
nicer plain with no icing

I crocheted some birdies to hang off my Easter tree
Balls of yarn from K-mart $3 :D

My DIY Easter Tree: The branches
were sourced from a parking lot then
spray painted with Dulux off-white
Simply de-leaf, de-bug and spray!

The silver birdies are actually Christmas
ornaments I found online.
I stuck the branches in some old florist's
foam block that came with roses Paul gave
me for our first wedding anniversary.
I knew I kept it for a reason!

Mini Easter Eggs - less than $2 a bag from Aldi

Birdie salt shakers - a gift

Lindt Bunny - a gift

My Macarons from a previous post

Would you call my décor shabby chic?

Royal Albert Napkin Rings
Yves Delorme Linen Napkins

My husband's Peter Rabbit he had as a
baby in fantastic condition - not bad
for 30 years of age eh?

And there you have it.
My simple Easter tablescape.