Recipes - Part 5

Fruity Fudge Easter Eggs

125g butter
1/2 cup sultanas
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups finely crushed milk arrowroot biscuits
1/2 cup full cream milk powder
1/2 cup crushed mixed nuts
90g dark melts
30g copha white vegetable shortening
60g white melts

Place butter, sultanas and sugar into saucepan. stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to the boil.
Remove from heat, add egg and vanilla. Add biscuit crumbs, full cream milk powder and nuts, mix well, cool.
Mould tablespoonfuls of mixture into egg shapes, refrigerate until firm.
Melt dark melts and copha, coat eggs and allow to set.
Decorate with melted white melts, allow to set.
Makes 20

Coconut Easter Eggs

Makes 30 eggs

500g icing sugar, sifted
3 cups coconut
400g can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Yellow food colouring
200g chocolate melts
30g copha

Combine first four ingredients until evenly mixed. Colour one quarter of the mix with food colouring, to desired yolk colour. Form into small 1.5cm diameter balls. Shape remaining coconut ice around balls to form an egg shape, refrigerate. Melt chocolate melts and copha, mix well. Dip coconut ice eggs in chocolate, drain on wire rack, refrigerate until set.

Coffee Balls

185g butter
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup full cream milk powder
2 teaspoon instant coffee, dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup coconut
150g cooking chocolate, melted
30g copha white vegetable shortening, melted

Beat butter, icing sugar, vanilla and full cream milk powder until light and creamy.
Add instant coffee, rolled oats and coconut, mix well.
Roll teaspoonfuls of mixture into balls, refrigerate until firm.
Combine cooking chocolate and copha, use to coat coffee balls. If desired decorate with flaked almonds and glace cherries.
Makes approximately 30.

Fruit Balls

3/4 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup water
1 cup sultanas
1/2 cup coconut1 3/4 cup full cream milk powder
Extra coconut

Combine apricots, dates and water in pan, bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer 2 minutes.
Add sultanas, coconut, and full cream powdered milk, combine well.
Roll heaped teaspoonfuls of mixture into balls, roll in extra coconut, refrigerate until firm.
Makes approximately 30.

Recipes - Part 4

Marshmallow Bubbles

4 cups rice bubbles
3 Tablespoon cocoa
250g copha
250g icing sugar
1 packet marshmallows

Sift cocoa and icing sugar, add rice bubbles. Melt copha and pour over dry ingredients, mix well. Add marshmallows and allow to sit in flat dish in the fridge. Cut into squares.

Coconut Ice

Makes: 36 squares

2 egg whites
500g icing sugar, sifted
250g desiccated coconut
125g copha
1 teaspoon vanilla
Red food colouring

In the bowl of an electric mixer, lightly beat the egg whites and mix until they are foamy. Add the sifted icing sugar and coconut and mix until combined.
Melt the copha over low heat in a small saucepan, allow to cool, then pour in the vanilla into the coconut mixtue and mix together thoroughly.
Turn half the mixture into a lamington tin about 17 x 23cm, which as been lined with baking paper. Press down well with the back of a large spoon. Colour the remaining mixture with a few drops of red food colouring and mix thoroughly until you get a pale pink colour. Press onto the white mixture and place in fridge until set and chilled, before cutting into squares. The squares should be stored in the fridge.

Hint
Try making pretty green and white coconut ice by using green food colouring in place of the pink for the second half of the mixture.

Rum Balls - Recipe 2

280g cake crumbs
3 Tablespoons apricot jam
3 Tablespoons cocoa
1 Tablespoons rum
2 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons apricot jam, extra
Chocolate sprinkles

Mix together cake crumbs, cocoa, 3 Tablespoons of wrmed sieved apricot jam, and rum until a stiff paste is formed. Make into approximately 24 balls. Warm 2 Tablespoons of sieved jam with wter; dip the balls in this jam mixture, then coat with chocolate sprinkles. Place in paper patty cases.
Makes approx. 24

Festive Fruit Ring

Oven Temp: 200C

Pastry
1 cup S.R. flour
10g butter
20g softened butter, extra
100ml milk

Decoration
2 glace cherries
2 Tablespoons icing sugar

Filling
1 Tablespoon sultanas
1/4 teaspoon mixed spice
1 Tablespoon currents
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teapoons mixed peel
1/2 teaspoons caster sugar

Set oven at 200C. Place shelf in top 1/3.
Sift flour and salt into a bowl.
Rub butter into flour.
Make a well in centre. Add milk and mix to a soft dough.
Turn onto lightly floured board, knead 10-12 times to form a ball.
Roll into oblong 15 x 20cm. Spread with softened extra butter.
Mix filling ingredients together and sprinkle over buttered dough.
Roll up like swiss roll start with short side.
Lift onto greased oven tray and form into a half moon.
With a sharp knife make a series of cuts 3/4 of the way through the roll and 2cm apart.
Glave evenly with milk.
Mix icing sugar with a few drops of hot wate and drizzle over ring.
Decorate with chopped cherries.

Christmas Nibbles

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Makes: about 48

250g cooking chocolate
125g crystallised ginger
1/2 cup shelled peanuts or hazelnuts
100g marshmallows
Small foil patty cases

Melt chocolate in the top of a double saucepan over gently simmering water. Drop ginger and nuts into chocolate. Stir to coat these completely.
Place each piece of chocolate - coated giner on a foil-lined tray. Place spoonfuls of the nut mixture onto foil-lined trays. Set both in the fridge.
Marshmallows may be coated in the same manner.
Alternatively, place ginger and nuts (or chopped cherries and dried fruit) into the base of small foil patty cases, pour over enough chocolate to fill each case. Set in the fridge. Keeps for up to 2 months.

Steamed Fruit Pudding

1/2 cup full cream milk powder
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups mixed fruit
40g butter
1 cup self-raising flour
1 teaspoon mixed spiced
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

Combine first 5 ingredients in pan, bring to boil stirring, cool 30 minutes.
Add combined sifted flour, spice and bicarbonate soda, mix well.
Spoon into greased 6 cup pudding basin, cover securely.
Steam pudding 1 1/2 hours until cooked, serve wit custard.
Serves 4-6.

Christmas Cake

500g mixed dried fruit
200g glace cherries, chopped
125g pitted prunes, chopped
125g butter
1 cup full cream milk powder
1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1/4 cup sherry
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup plain flour

Place first 8 ingredients in pan, bring to boil stirring, reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in sherry and bicarbonate soda, cool.
Stir in remaining ingredients. Spread cake mixture evenly into greased and lined 20cm deep square cake pan.
Bake in 160C oven for 2 - 2 1/2 hours until cooked.
Serves 15-20.

Recipes - Part 3

Drinks

Citrus Spritzer
Combine in a jug or bowl, 1 cup orange juice with 1/2 cup lime juice and 850ml can pineapple juice. Chill until serving time. Top with 1.25 litre bottle chilled lemonade and ice to serve.

Melon Punch
Peel and roughly chop a small rockmelon and place in a blender with 425ml can apricot nectar and 1 1/4 cups green ginger wine. Blend mixture until smooth, in two batches if needed. Transfer to a bowl or jug and chill until serving time. Add 1.25 litre bottle of chilled dry ginger ale to serve.

Berry Punch
Place 250g strawberries, 200g raspberries and 150g blueberries in a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, stir through 850ml can of peach nectar and 1/2 cup Grand Marnier. Refrigerate until serving time. Add 1.25 litre bottle of chilled lemonade when ready to serve.

Mango Champagne
Combine in a jug or a bowl, 2 x 850ml cans mango nectar with 440g can drained and diced mango and 1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier. Add 750ml bottle chilled champagne and serve immediately.

Chocolate Eggnog
Combine in a food processor, 6 eggs, 1 cup brandy, 3 cups thickened cream, 3/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup chocolate topping, 2 teaspoons vanilla essence and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Serve eggnog garnished with lashings of delicious chocolate curls.

Hint: Make a non-alcoholic version of this drink forthe designated driver - use claytons in place of brandy.

Recipes - Part 2

White Christmas

2 cups rice bubbles
1 cup coconut
1 cup powdered milk
1 cup mixed fruit
1 x 100g packet mixed glace cherries, chopped
3/4 cup icing sugar, sifted
250g copha, melted and cooled

Combine rice bubbles, coconut, powdered milk, fruit, cherries and icing sugar in a large bowl. Mix well.
Pour over copha. Mix until well combined. Press into a foil-lined 18 x 28cm lamington tin.
Freeze until set. Cut into finger to serve. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Spuds

1 tin condensed milk
375g coconut
375g icing sugar

Mix all ingredients, roll in balls in small amount of cocoa. Set in fridge.

Walnut Fudge

60g milk melts
60g choc melts
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup coconut
1/3 cup condensed milk

Melt chocolates together in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Add walnuts, condensed milk and coconut. Line a 15cm square tin with foil and grease. Spread mixture into prepared tin. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares and store in fridge.

Charlesworth Walnut Fudge

300g marshamllows
1 Tablespoon water
185g chocolate pieces
90g butter
Vanilla to taste
185g walnut coarsely chopped

Grease and line a small square 18cm tin with baking paper. Place marshmallows, butter and water into a saucepan and gently heat until melted, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the chocolate, vanilla and walnuts, continue heating until chocolate is melted. Spread mixture into greased and papered pan, cover and alow to set in the fridge.
When set, cut into squares ready for use. Put in a freezer bag and store in the fridge.

Cherry Slice

250g white melts
400g can condensed milk
200g choc melts
1 cup glace cherries, chopped
2 cups coconut
30g copha

Melt white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and stir in cherries, condensed milk and coconut. Mix well. Line a lamington tin with foil and grease. Spread mixture into prepared tin. Melt choc melt and copha together in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Spread evenly over top of mixture. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into slices.

Chocolate Cherry Bites

100g glace cherries, halved
395g condensed milk
50g pecan nuts, coarsely chopped
75g slivered almonds
375g chocolate melts

Line an 18 x 28cm slab tin with foil or baking paper.
Place condensed milk and chocolate in microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high power for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Quickly stir in cherries, almonds and pecans.
Spread evenly into prepared tin. Chill for several hours or overnight. When firm, cut into 24 rectangles. Serve after dinner as a treat.

Rum Balls - Recipe 1

8 weetbix
1/2 cup sultanas
1/2 cup coconut
2 Tablespoon rum
2 Tablespoon cocoa
1 tin condensed milk

Crush weetbix and add other dry ingredients. Mix rum and condensed milk into dry mixture and combine well. Cover and chill for approx. 1 1/2 hours. Roll into balls and roll in extra coconut. Refrigerate.
Makes 30 to 40 rum balls.

Apricot Balls

227g chopped dried apricots
227g crushed plain biscuits
114g chopped marshmallows
1 cup condensed milk
57g chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Mix all ingredients together, roll into balls. Mixture can also be formed into long rolls. Coat rolls or ball with coconut and refrigerate until firm. If the mixture is in rolls, slice to serve.

Chocolate Ginger Sticks

1/2 cup finely chopped dates
90g dark chocolate
60g crystallized ginger

Put ginger and dates through fine mincer or chop very finely. Shape into sticks approximately 5cm in length and 5mm wide. Place chocolate in top of double boiler, melt over hot water.
Place date and ginger sticks on wire rack, spoon chocolate over. Refrigerate until set.
Makes approx. 18

Kids Rocky Road

2 cups mini marshmallows
500g chocolate melts
1/2 cup peanuts (optional)
Sprinkles or hundreds and thousands

Melt the chocolate in the microwave on medium for 2 minutes, stir well.
Line a deep tray with baking paper. Spread marshmallows (and peanuts) over tray, then pour the melted chocolate over the top.
Sprinkle Hundreds and Thousands or sprinkles over the top and pop in the fridge to set for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

When it is ready take out of the fridge and break into pieces.

Gourmet Rocky Road

500g chocolate, melted
200g marshmallows, chopped
1/4 cup dessicated coconut
2 x 55g bars turkish delight, chopped
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
Pour mixture into a lined slice tin and refrigerate until set.
Use a warm knife to cut the slice into small squares.

Note
The turkish delight bars can e substituted for glace cherriesor red jubes.

Aussie Freebies - Part 1

I will be updating this section quite often, because I love receiving freebies

Here is a list of free samples products in Australia


Dermaveen (Skincare & Haircare)
http://www.dermatech.com.au/
(email for samples)

Cetaphil (Skincare)
http://www.cetaphil.com.au/
(email for samples)

Milton (Baby)
http://www.miltonpharma.com/
(click on the free samles on their website)

Sanford Australia (Stationery)
http://www.sanfordaus.com.au/
(you will need to sign up for the vip - they will send samples of pens out)

ARTAV (Haircare, etc)
http://www.artav.com.au/
(send them an email asking nicely for some samples of their products that you would like to try)

Nivea (Skincare)
http://www.nivea.com.au/
(occasionally they have promotions for free samples and you can email for some samples as well. Need to check this site out regularly)

Sanctum (Skincare)
http://www.sanctumaustralia.com/
(email them for some samples)

Justine Tissue Oil (Skincare)
www.justine.com.au
(email for some samples)

Recipes - Part 1

Rocky Road

Makes: about 16 pieces

500g milk chocolate
250g packet pink and white marshmallows
2 x 100g packets red glace cherries, ½
200g packet crushed peanuts

Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water (or melt in a heatproof bowl in the microwave oven). Stir in marshmallows, cherries and nuts.
Pour mixture into a foil-lined 19cm x 29cm lamington tin. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into pieces to serve.

Mars Bars Slice

3 mars bars
3 Tablespoons margarine
3 cups rice bubbles

Melt margarine and mars bars in a large jug on full power, approximately 3 - 4 minutes or until mixture is smooth and liquid. Stir in quickly the rice bubbles. Press into a slice dish firmly and with the back of a spoon, smooth this to an even consistency.

This hould be done fairly quickly because it starts to cool almost immediately. For an extra, perhaps a little sprinkle of coconut looks decorative.

This cools very quickly - may be place in the fridge and cut into slices.

Note: Preparation time is 15 minutes. Allow time for setting.

Christmas Spice Cakes

100g butter
100g castor sugar
2 medium size eggs
100g self raising flour
50g sultanas
½ teaspoon mixed spice
25g icing sugar

Cream the butter and sugar well. Gradually beat in the eggs.

Fold in the sieved flour and mixed spice. Add the sultanas.

Half fill the baking cases. Bake at 190°C for 20 minutes. Cool.

Place a sprig of holly on each bun. Dust the tops with sieved icing sugar.

Rum Snowballs

10 weetbix biscuits
2 Tablespoon coconut (plus some extra for rolling)
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1 cup mixed fruit
1 tin condensed milk
2 Tablespoon rum

Crush the weetbix, then mix all ingredients together.

Take small pieces and roll into balls and then roll in coconut.

Place in fridge to set.

Makes 4 dozen.

Home made Pet Treats - Part 4

Chicken Meatballs

1kg minced chicken or pork
1 cup bread crumbs
4 eggs, lightly beaten
100g parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic
1 handful of parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 200C.

Blend all ingredients in a food procesor. Transfer mixture into a bowl.

Wet your hands to stop mixture from sticking and form into small balls.

Place in the oven on a tray lined with baking paper and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Serve just warm.

Tempting Training Treats

2 1/3 cups flour - plain or whole wheat
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup grated cheese - like parmesan
1 large egg
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup powdered milk - non fat

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; mix well. Roll the dough out to size of a cookie sheet. Pat the dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet, bring it to the edges. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut desired sizes into dough (just score through). If you're using as tainingtreats, cut them into small pieces. Sprinkle a little extra cheese and garlic powder if desired on dough for flavour. Bake in a 180C (350F) oven for about 15 minutes until golden brown. Turn off the oven and let cool for a few hours. They will keep hardening the longer you leave them. Break them apart, store tightly covered or in the freezer.

Cat Chow Cookies

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup soy flour
1/4 cup water
1 egg
2 Tablespoons wheatgerm
2 Tablespoons molasses
2 Tablespoons margarine
1 teaspoon organic catnip

Preheat oven to 180C (350F).

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flurs, liquid, egg, wheatgerm, molasses, margarine and catnip.

Lightly flour a rolling pin. Roll out the batter on a greased cookie sheet. cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

Bake 20-22 minutes.

Allow t cool before serving. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in a cool place.

Finicky Feline Meal

1 cup chicken boiled
1/4 cup steamed fresh broccoli
1/4 cup steamed shredded carrots
Chicken broth

Mix all the ingredients with enough chicken broth to hold it together. This same recipe can be used with fish (boil until it flakes). And you can also vary the recipe by adding rice or other vegetables. Do not use tomatoes or onions.

Heavenly Sardine Treat

2 flat cans sardines in oil
2/3 cup cooked rice
1 Tablespoon liver
1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Combine all ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon to break up sardines into bite-sized pieces. Store unused portion in the fridge, tightly covered.

Kitty Kisses

1 can (or bag) of cat food
Ziplock bag with the corner cut
Catnip (optional)

Put cat food and optional catnip in blender or food processor and mix until it looks to be like frosting.

Put the mixture into the ziplock bag and squeeze little droppings, or "kisses" onto a cookie heet and bake in 150C (300F) oven. Time depends on how big the kisses are. Small are about 15 minutes.

Tasty Tuna Treats

8oz can tuna packed in oil
2 cups white or yellow cornmeal
2 cup flour
3/4 cup water
2/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 180C (350F). In a small mixing bowl, mix the cornmeal and flour. In a separate bowl, mix together the tuna with the oil, the wter, vegetable oil and salt. Add teh flour mixture a small amount at a time, mixing well to make sure the dry ingredients completely incorporate into the wet mixture. Roll the dough on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into small pieces and bake on a greased cookie sheet for 25-30 minutes. Store in he fridge in an airtight container.