Recipes

These peanut butter M&M cookies are full of melt-in-your-mouth sweetness and deliciousness. They are colourful and I guess a great way to describe them is ….FUN! You just can’t help feeling happy once you take that first bite right into the gooey centre full of peanut butter. And because they are also packed with M&M’s these cookies have a delicious crunchy element too. You honestly can’t beat the delectable peanut butter and M&M’s combination. It’s an absolute winner every time! One of the best things about this recipe is that it is easy! So these peanut butter M&M cookies are perfect for baking with kids. You’ve probably heard that cooking with children has so many learning benefits. From basic maths skills to literacy and fine motor skills. Cooking is a perfect way to teach children these concepts in a fun and hands-on way. Not to mention the big boost of confidence your kids will get from spending time in the kitchen with you! Peanut Butter M&M Cookies Ingredients 2 cups plain flour 2 teaspoons of baking powder 2 teaspoons of cornflour 1/2 cup of butter 3/4 cup of brown sugar 1/4 cup of granulated sugar 1 egg 2 tablespoons of milk 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract 1/2 cup of peanut butter. Either smooth or crunchy 1 cup of chocolate M&M’s. You can use mini M&M’s or normal-size ones. Instructions Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside. Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl (flour, baking powder, cornflour) then set aside. Using another bowl beat the melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until combined. Add the egg vanilla, peanut butter and milk and mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold the ingredients together gently until combined. Carefully fold the M&M’s into the cookie dough. Using your hands roll even balls of cookie dough and place them on the prepared baking tray. Flatten the cookies out to desired thickness. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Once cookies have cooled for approximately 5 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Notes Cooking time will vary slightly depending on the thickness of the cookie dough. If you prefer a thick cookie then the cooking time will be 12 minutes. If you flatten your cookies out then you will need approximately 10 minutes of cooking time. You can use either smooth peanut butter or crunchy peanut butter for this recipe. I prefer crunchy peanut butter for added texture and crunch. For this recipe, I used mini M&M’s but I think regular-sized ones would be ok too. Make sure to fold the M&M’s in very gently as the colour of the M&M’s tends to run very quickly. Cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature. Make peanut butter M&M cookies for your family or give them to your co-workers and they will love you forever. They also make lovely gifts to give to your friends during the festive season. Just wrap them up in cellophane bags and decorate them with a pretty ribbon. Peanut butter M&M cookies are so crunchy and colourful that they are sure to spread happiness and joy with every bite!

Today I am excited to share with you a super easy eggnog recipe. I enjoy drinking eggnog every year during the festive season. But I had never actually made it myself before. That is until this year when I added ‘making eggnog’ to my bucket list as one of the things that I wanted to do this December. For some reason, eggnog sounded complicated to make. So I was always happy to buy my eggnog from the supermarket. And it tasted fine to me because I had never ever tasted homemade eggnog before. But this easy eggnog recipe is so delicious. Once you try it, you really won’t want to go back to the supermarket variety. This easy eggnog recipe is simply divine! Every time that you take a sip you will smell all the delicious aromas of vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. It’s like Christmas in a glass! Easy Eggnog Recipe Ingredients 1 1/2 cups of milk 1/2 cup cream 3 eggs, separated 2 cinnamon sticks 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 2 tsp vanilla extract 1/3 cup white sugar 1/3 cup Brandy Instructions Combine milk, cream, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once the mixture is boiling then remove it from the heat. Allow to infuse and cool down slightly. In a large bowl beat the egg yolks and sugar until it is a light yellow colour and smooth consistency. Remove the cinnamon sticks from the milk. Slowly whisk in the milk to the egg yolk and sugar mixture and continue to mix until well combined. Add the brandy and stir. Place in the fridge to chill for 3-4 hours Notes For this easy eggnog recipe, you can use either full-cream milk or low-fat milk. I wouldn’t recommend skim milk. You can easily adjust the sugar and alcohol to your own taste Other types of alcohol that you can use instead of brandy are dark rum, cognac or whiskey. This delicious easy eggnog will taste great chilled for 3-4 hours but it tastes even more amazing if you leave it in the fridge overnight. This will allow all the flavours to come together and infuse. Giving the eggnog a richer flavour. The eggnog will keep in the fridge for 3 days. This recipe is for 4 people but you can easily double it to make it for 8. If doubling the recipe then use 5 egg yolks instead of 3. If you are interested in other fun and easy-to-make Christmas drinks recipes. Then you can find them here. 😊 If you are interested in other fun Christmas drinks recipes you can find them here.  

With Christmas just around the corner. I thought that it would be fun to share some Christmas drinks recipes. After all the hard work of shopping, decorating and ticking endless to-do lists. It’s always great to have a few go-to easy Christmas drinks recipes for your holiday events. The following Christmas drinks recipes don’t contain too many ingredients because I always prefer to keep things simple. All of the recipes can be made in large pitchers or punch bowls because I find that serving a punch at parties is such an easy way to ensure that your guests can help themselves to a drink. And you don’t need to stand there playing the bartender all night long. After all, you want to be as free as possible to mingle and enjoy the time with your guests too! Christmas Drinks Recipes Christmosas   Ingredients 1 orange sliced 1 lemon sliced 1 kiwi fruit sliced 1 cup of raspberries 240 ml sparkling grape juice 1 bottle of prosecco Instructions In a pitcher or punch bowl combine slices of orange, lemon, and kiwi fruit with raspberries. Pour over the sparkling grape juice and prosecco. Stir and enjoy!   Jingle Juice Ingredients 2 cups of cranberry juice 2 cups of apple juice 2 bottles of red Moscato 1 bottle of prosecco 1/2 cup of vodka 2 cups of blueberries or raspberries lemon slices A few mint leaves Instructions Simply combine all ingredients in a punch bowl or large pitcher and serve. If you want to make things a little fancier you can serve this delicious drink in individual glasses. Firstly, wet the rim of your glasses with a wedge of lime. Then dip in granulated sugar until the glass rim is coated.   Grinch Punch Ingredients Cottee’s lime Coola cordial or packet of Kool-Aid lemon lime mix 3 cups of lemon-lime soft drink 2 cups of pineapple juice 1 cup of ginger ale 2 cups of vodka 4 cups of ice Instructions Mix equal parts water to cordial to make 4 cups of cordial. Or if you are using Kool-Aid then make it according to the instructions on the packet In a large pitcher or punch bowl combine cordial or Kool-Aid, soft drink, pineapple juice, ginger ale, vodka and ice. Stir and enjoy! White Christmas Margaritas Ingredients 1 can of coconut milk 1 1/2 cups of silver tequila 1 cup of cointreau 1/4 cup of lime juice 4 cups of ice Rosemary sprigs to garnish Instructions In a blender combine coconut milk, tequila, cointreau, lime juice and ice. Blend ingredients until smooth. Serve in a pitcher or punch bowl with rosemary sprigs. Alternatively, you can serve it in individual glasses rimmed with granulated sugar.     It’s always fun to have a signature Christmas drink for the festive season!  

I made some lamb shanks for my son’s birthday a few weeks ago and they turned out delicious so I thought that I would share the recipe with you today. I looked up some recipes on the internet for some inspiration and then I got an idea of what ingredients I needed. Then I just took it from there and added my own twist. Nothing screams comfort food like lamb shanks! You just can’t beat that delicious tender fall-apart meat served in a rich red wine sauce. It is just so luxurious! I had made lamb shanks before in a slow cooker but my slow cooker broke and I haven’t replaced it. (Now I’m not sure if I ever will). But this time I cooked them in the oven. They were super easy to make and everybody loved them. I served the shanks with creamy mashed potato and peas. But you could always serve them with gremolata, rice or just good old crusty bread. Lamb Shanks In Red Wine Sauce Lamb shanks are a tough cut of meat. So they really need slow cooking for the meat to be fall-apart tender. I think that nearly all recipes recommend that the lamb shanks be browned first. I have to admit that for this recipe I skipped this step and the shanks were still very tender, juicy, succulent and delicious. But if you have time then by all means go ahead and brown them first. They will probably taste even better (if that’s possible 😊) I just didn’t have time or energy to brown them first and I didn’t want to deal with cleaning up the spatter of oil that comes with browning any meat. This recipe is for four lamb shanks but I actually doubled the recipe because we had family over for dinner and I needed to cook eight lamb shanks. Ingredients 4 lamb shanks 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 clove of garlic Red Wine Sauce 1 tbsp olive oil 1 can of crushed tomatoes 2 cloves of garlic 1 onion finely chopped 1 carrot finely chopped 2 celery stems finely chopped 1 cup of red wine 1 cup of water 1 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp oregano 2 bay leaves 1 tsp cumin 2 chicken stock cubes Instructions Rub the shanks with garlic, oil, salt and pepper then set aside while you make the red wine sauce. Add a good splash of olive oil to a medium-sized saucepan and cook the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery until slightly tender. Add the crushed tomatoes, wine, water, thyme, oregano, bay leaves, stock cubes and cumin Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes Pour the sauce over the shanks You can use a dutch oven or a heavy cast iron pot with a lid to cook the lamb shanks. I don’t own any of these so I just used my mum’s old Corningware that I inherited and covered them in foil. Cook the shanks in the oven at 180C for 2.5 to 3 hours Notes I am probably going against all good cooking rules by not browning the shanks first. According to the experts, my lamb shanks would taste even better if I brown them first. But I just didn’t have the time. And they tasted so good anyway! Cumin has a funny smell and I have to admit that I am always hesitant to use it. But I am sure that this is what gave my lamb shanks that extra delicious flavour.    

I absolutely love lasagna!! Nothing beats the delicious cheesy goodness, creamy sauce and classic meat sauce in between layers of melt-in-your-mouth pasta. It’s like cozy comfort in a dish. As much as I absolutely love eating lasagna. It can be fiddly and time-consuming to make. Not to mention all the saucepans you are left with to clean up at the end! But this recipe is super easy to make because it skips all the fussiness associated with making a bechamel sauce! The no-cook cheese sauce in this recipe is just too easy. Your family will love tucking into this dish any night of the week. It can also be frozen and it will taste just as good as the day you first made it! Super Easy Lasagna Recipe Ingredients Fresh lasagna sheets Tasty shredded cheese to sprinkle over the top before it goes into the oven Meat Sauce 2tbspn olive oil 1 clove of crushed garlic 1 onion chopped 500 grams of mince 700 g passata 1 chicken stock cube 1tspn dried oregano 1tspn dried basil salt and pepper Cheese Sauce 375g ricotta cheese 125g parmesan cheese 200ml cream Instructions Preheat the oven to 180ºC To make the meat sauce, heat olive oil in a saucepan. Add onion and crushed garlic and cook until the onion is soft. Add the mince and cook until brown. Stir in the passata, chicken stock, dried oregano and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. To make the cheese sauce. Simply combine ricotta, cream and parmesan cheese in a bowl or small jug. Assemble the lasagna by pouring approximately half a cup of meat sauce into a lightly greased baking dish. Top with a fresh lasagna sheet and then add meat sauce followed by cheese sauce Repeat the layers until you have 4 layers. Finish by sprinkling shredded tasty cheese over the top of the final layer of sauce. Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes or until lasagna is cooked through. Allow lasagna to stand for approximately 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with Garden Salad Garlic bread Easy Mediterranean couscous Notes If you don’t eat beef mince then you can always substitute it with chicken or even turkey mince. You can also make it with a combination of veal and pork mince. I prefer to use fresh lasagna sheets but you can also go ahead and use instant sheets. This recipe is so easy because the cheese sauce is just a simple mixture of ricotta cheese, cream and parmesan cheese. You skip all the effort of having to make the bechamel sauce but you still achieve the creaminess. If you want to cut down on calories you can use light cream and light ricotta to make the cheese sauce.    

This Easy Mediterranean Couscous recipe is packed full of nutrients and it is the ideal side dish or it can also be eaten as a complete meal. Best of all it will take very little time and effort to make. It’s perfect for those nights when you want to cook your family a healthy meal but have no energy to fuss around in the kitchen after a busy day. This easy Mediterranean couscous recipe is also perfect for when you entertain guests at your next dinner party. All the colours of the ingredients make it look very appealing and you can easily serve it hot or cold. What Is Couscous And Why Is It So Good For You? I used to think couscous was a grain but I was wrong. Couscous is actually made from a mixture of semolina and water. It is then rolled into tiny balls. So couscous is a type of pasta and it originates from Northwest Africa. The great thing about couscous is that it is so versatile. The other night I felt like a bit of a change from the usual rice or potatoes. So I made my Easy Meditteranean Couscous as a side dish. Then because we had leftovers I took some to work for lunch the next day and my son took some to school too. My family really enjoys this recipe, it’s a big winner in our house and I make it often. Best of all it’s super easy to whip up and full of natural goodness. So I thought that I would share it with you today. But first, let’s talk about all the health benefits couscous has so we can all get really excited about couscous! Health Benefits Of Couscous Whole-grain couscous contains fibre. We all need a good amount of it in our diets because fibre will keep us feeling fuller longer. It can also help to lower cholesterol. Couscous is a fantastic source of plant-based protein which is essential if you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet. Couscous contains selenium an essential antioxidant that helps our bodies to repair damaged cells, reduce inflammation contributes to a healthy thyroid function According to Healthline couscous may even be beneficial in reducing cancer risk. Apart from all the significant health benefits that couscous has. One of the reasons why I really like to include it in our meals. Is because it is just so easy to prepare. You can make couscous with just simple ingredients like water or broth. Or you can go all out and add fancy ingredients such as sun-dried tomatoes, capsicum, olives, feta cheese, and grilled chicken. The choice is yours and the possibilities are endless. Easy Mediterranean Couscous Recipe Ingredients 1 1/2 cups of boiling water 1 1/2 cups of instant couscous small red onion clove of garlic 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp coriander powder (or you can add a handful of chopped fresh coriander to garnish at the end) medium-sized zucchini  small red capsicum one cube of chicken stock. I like to use Massel stock cubes 200 grams tinned tomatoes tin of chickpeas olives olive oil Instructions Make the instant couscous first and set aside-Simply add 1 1/2 cups of boiling water to 1 1/2 cups of couscous. I use the San Remo couscous. Check the water/broth instructions on the packet of your preferred couscous. Chop onion and garlic then drizzle pan with olive oil and cook for 5 minutes Add chopped zucchini, capsicum, tinned tomatoes, cumin, and coriander powder to the pan and cook until vegetables are slightly tender. Be careful not to overcook. Add the stock cube and tinned chickpeas. Cook for a further minute Mix all the cooked ingredients into your premade couscous Add pitted olives. Mix through and drizzle with olive oil. This Mediterranean couscous can be served either hot or cold as a salad. Enjoy! This recipe serves about 4 Other Ingredients You Might Like To Add To This Easy Mediterranean Couscous Recipe Grilled chicken Baked pumpkin cut into cubes Cooked lamb Pine nuts Cooked beef strips Fall apart roasted pork Feta Cheese Tuna      

Following on from my post on How To Make Your Home Smell Amazing. I thought that I would share some super easy stovetop potpourri recipes. I love making my home smell good using stovetop potpourri for many of the following reasons. It’s easy! It takes hardly any effort at all to throw some simple ingredients into a pot to simmer and make your home smell so good! It’s very economical. You will find that you probably already have most of the ingredients that you need in your pantry. I love candles, diffusers, and essential oils. But they don’t come cheap so I think you’ll definitely find that making your home smell great using stovetop potpourri is a much cheaper alternative. Your home will smell lovely all day! Even after you have finished simmering your ingredients on the stove. You will find that the gorgeous aroma will be long-lasting. Having a nicely scented home can lift your mood and make you feel relaxed. Here Are A Few Easy Stovetop Potpourri Recipes That You Might Like To Try Ingredients 3 slices of lemon slice 1/2 an apple 4 cinnamon sticks 1 tsp of vanilla extract 2 tbsp cloves Instructions Put all ingredients in a pot full of water. Simmer on very low heat. Ingredients A handful of fresh or dried cranberries 4 slices of oranges 1 tablespoon of whole cloves 3 bay leaves 4 cinnamon sticks 3-star anise 2 cardamom pods Instructions Put all ingredients in a pot full of water. Simmer on low heat. Ingredients 2 slices of lemon 1 tbsp vanilla extract A small bunch of rosemary Instructions Put all ingredients in a pot of water simmer on low heat Ingredients Juice of 2 lemons 1 tbsp of coconut extract 4 strawberries sliced Instructions Put all ingredients in a pot full of water simmer on low heat A Few Things To Consider It’s important to remember to top up the pot with water every now and again. I usually like to set a timer so that I don’t forget. You could also make simmering potpourri in a slow cooker and have it on low heat for many hours. You can get creative and combine any number of ingredients to come up with your own signature home scent!  

Hi everyone, I am super excited to link up with Shay and Erika for today’s “Let’s Look” Post where the topic for this month is My go-to Summer lunches. It’s Winter here in Sydney at the moment but I still have a whole lot of yummy go-to Summer lunches that I really wanted to share with you even though I am freezing cold as I type this Brrrrr!! Salads Of Course! During the Summer months, whether I’m at work or at home I eat salad for lunch almost every day. Most of the time I jazz up my salads with a can of tuna, boiled egg, or chicken. My favourite type of salad is a good old Greek salad full of crunchy cucumbers, lettuce, tomato, and generous handfuls of olives and feta cheese. Yum!! But of course, any salad with crunch makes me happy. I have recently started buying shredded carrots and washed lettuce. So easy to throw together a quick salad with these. Quiche During Summer I like to make an easy quiche that usually lasts a couple of days for lunches. I can take a slice to work and my son can take a nice big slice to school in his lunchbox. So easy, delicious and healthy!! Spinach Pie This spinach pie is just delicious and is always a favourite in my house. You can eat it hot or cold and it will still taste great either way. Spinach pie is great to pack for a fun Summer picnic or it makes a great lunch when you are spending a day by the pool. Everyone is always hungry after a big swim and this pie hits the spot! Turkey Burgers My family prefers a turkey burger over a beef burger. If you use turkey mince instead of beef, your burgers are just so much juicer. I like to make a batch of turkey patties for burgers and they are definitely on the list of my go-to Summer lunches. Tuna Patties These tuna patties are perfect with any salad but my family especially likes to eat them with potato salad. They are neither too heavy nor too light. If you make a big batch they are just delicious for an easy summer lunch that you can eat over a couple of days or even freeze for another time. We sometimes like to eat them in a sandwich as an alternative to other lunch meats. They are also a fantastic healthy snack as your kids can just grab them out of the fridge whenever they are hungry. These taste great warm or cold. Hummus If you’re looking for a lighter Summer lunch option then I really recommend this delicious and easy hummus recipe. Long hot Summer days sometimes mean that you might not really feel like a heavy lunch. On days like this, I like to cut up some fresh crisp veggies like carrots, cucumber, and capsicum to dip into my hummus. So easy, and sometimes I will also add some multigrain rice crackers too. Good Old Bread Rolls We have a great bakery not too far from where we live and they sell amazing bread rolls. During the Summer holidays, I will sometimes go and grab a few for lunch. When I get home I will fill them with all sorts of different fillings. It will usually depend on what I have in the fridge. On most days I just fill these crispy bread rolls with ham, cheese, pickles,  salad, a nice dollop of mayonnaise, and serve it with a side of corn chips. Yum! Keeping Things Simple Summer days mean that the last thing that I want to do is spend a long time in the kitchen. So I will usually make something that will last for a couple of days. I have a teenage son who is always hungry so I like to make sure that there is something substantial available for lunch in the fridge. Things like spinach pie, tuna patties, and quiche are so easy and best of all they keep everyone fed and happy. Happy Summer friends, all the way from wintry Sydney!  

Easy Pumpkin Risotto Recipe–  This easy and very delicious pumpkin risotto recipe is sure to be a hit as a main meal with your family or dinner guests at your next dinner party. It would also make a delicious side dish too! With Thanksgiving coming up so soon this recipe is sure to add a little extra zing to your Thanksgiving menu! As it’s a little different from other regular sides and also a bit fancy. I must admit that when it comes to cooking risotto I usually feel a little less than confident. But if you follow this easy recipe and remember a few simple tips. You will end up with a great dish that will be sure to become a favourite. This easy pumpkin risotto got a double thumbs up from my family and my mother even loved it. She was an amazing cook in her heyday and she is a really tough critic! Pumpkin Is Good For You Pumpkin also has so many great health benefits too because it’s packed with nutrients. So adding some into your diet in creative ways is a great idea! Pumpkin contains beta carotene which is a powerful antioxidant Fiber, potassium, and vitamin C that is found in pumpkin is great for the health of your heart Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and beta carotene that is found in pumpkin will benefit the health of your eyes. Pumpkin is a great source of fiber These are just a few of the nutrients that are found in pumpkins. With so many health benefits it’s a great idea to find ways to incorporate some into your weekly menu. Easy Pumpkin Risotto Recipe Ingredients 250g – 300g pumpkin 1 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion chopped salt and pepper to taste 2 cloves garlic crushed 1 ½ cups Arborio rice ⅓ cup white wine 4 cups chicken stock 1 cup of cooked pumpkin 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated Fresh parsley Instructions Cut pumpkin into medium-sized cubes and cook in boiling water. Then once it is cooked set aside In a large frypan add olive oil and cook chopped onion and crushed garlic. Cook until the onion is slightly translucent. Add rice and cook stirring often for approximately 1 minute.  Add the wine and ½ to 1 cup chicken stock and stir. Cook until liquid is almost all absorbed, remember to stir constantly. Continue until the stock is fully absorbed. Repeat this process until there’s no stock left and the rice is fully cooked. Stir the cooked pumpkin cubes through the rice add the parmesan cheese, and continue to cook until the pumpkin is heated through. Remove from heat and serve immediately. Garnish with more parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Recipe Notes Make sure to add the stock one cup at a time Stir consistently Serve your risotto straight away. If you prefer you could mash the pumpkin and then stir it into the risotto. I prefer cubes because to me it looks better when it is served. Other Recipes If you are looking for other sides, why not try this recipe for easy and creamy mashed potatoes. References https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/279610#nutrition