Sick and a coconut pound cake with passionfruit icing

Sick and a coconut pound cake with passionfruit icing

29 Jun 2008

I don't normally get sick so I'm not very good at it. I've been coughing, sneezing and spluttering all week. The gym hasn't seen me once this week 'cos I've been spending my time either lying on my bed feeling wan or racing between the garage and smash repairers. My car failed it's registration inspection due to a spot of rust in the roof. How the rust affects the car's roadworthiness is a bit beyond me but it's been fixed and the car is back on the road. I quite enjoyed the brisk morning walk to the station in complete darkness and may just leave the car at home a few days each week. I managed to catch up on the domestic chores that piled up during my frantic June - bills are paid, the flat has been cleaned and I even managed to bake.



We have another farewell morning tea at work this coming Friday so I made a coconut pound cake with passionfruit icing. 



In my own kitchen using my own oven and cake tin, the cake tuned out perfectly. The icing that was too runny in Dungog worked like a charm in Sydney.



Who can work these things out? I also made a baked rhubarb and strawberry compote with orange. Yum!




See you all again soon,

Jillian

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Dungog

Dungog

22 Jun 2008

June was always going to be a busy month. Tuesday night I met a friend for yet another birthday dinner, this time at bistrode in Surry Hills. Sandra and I both dined on posh comfort food - wagyu corned beef with suet dumpling and rhubarb and apple crumble. It was all delicious and I was very glad that I'd squeezed in a visit to the gym before the meal. The rest of the week was a combination of work and last minute trip planning.



It was time to take a road trip to visit my brother in the country. After a few weeks of wet weather Saturday was a glorious day - perfect weather for the 3 hour drive to Dungog.



I came with cameras and baking goods as I always take photos and bake something whilst there. I made a coconut pound cake with passionfruit icing but we didn't have time to cut it before it was time for the long drive home. I'll be making another cake this coming weekend so there should be some photos of the cake next weekend.



The garden was blooming and I had a roam around the vegetable garden that's been planted since my last visit. We had roast lamb for dinner with salad ingredients from the garden - lettuce, rocket, snow peas and some herbs. I munched on freshly podded peas whilst Andrew picked the proper stuff.



We went for a stroll around Dungog this morning while waiting for Andrew's bread to bake. I cut a slab, buttered it and smeared on some vegemite to sustain me on the long ride home.



Back home it's been all chores, chores and more chores. Another busy week ahead with the final birthday celebration planned for Saturday. Who else can spread 1 birthday over an entire month???

Jillian

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Sydney Fish Markets

Sydney Fish Markets

15 Jun 2008

Well winter has arrived in Sydney. Saturday arrived cold, damp, windy and very dreary. I'd made arrangements to have lunch with work friends at the Sydney Fish Markets over a month ago. It's an annual event but apparently it's 2 years since our last get together. Normally we eat outdoors but not on this Saturday as we joined the throngs indoors. After an 8 course degustation dinner at Claude's on Thursday night I was in no mood for eating. Whilst the others ate, I went outside to take some photos of the seagulls at the Anzac Bridge.



As I was away last weekend I had loads of washing to do this weekend. I don't have a dryer and today the weather is even worse than yesterday so all my washing is hanging in the living room draped over the heater in an attempt to get it to dry. I escaped the Bellevue Hill Chinese laundry and treated myself to a movie. I went to see "Sex and the City" and I loved it. It was very girlie though and the only middle aged man in the audience walked out halfway through.
More birthday dinners planned for this coming week. It's time to hit the gym,

Jillian

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Birthday festivities and an almond cake

Birthday festivities and an almond cake

8 Jun 2008

Hi from Brisbane. Today is "bday". I was up early to check my emails for birthday messages and to make the birthday cake. The cake was out of the oven by 8.00 a.m. and even though I make the almond cake recipe the same way every time, sometimes the cake is a little too dry and sometimes it's over moist. I've not had a slice yet but my Dad has given the cake his seal of approval so it must be okay.





Just before lunchtime my friend Amanda came visiting with her 2 children. Linden specially made me a beautiful painting featuring sequins and a dog which I'll frame once I get home. Once they left it was time for lunch. Even though we all had a great dinner last night at ecco, I was ravenous.




My brother cooked roast beef with red wine a la Jamie Oliver and Dad made the best plum pudding ever and we've all been in a roast beef coma for the afternoon.

I think tonight we'll be dining on toast. More birthday news to follow as I still have 3 more birthday outings this week.

Jillian

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White Chocolate and Raspberry Brownies

White Chocolate and Raspberry Brownies

2 Jun 2008

June is birthday month for me. I know most other people have a single birth day but I prefer having a birth month. It works for me. So far I've 4 or 5 lunch dates and dinner celebrations planned and I'm up for more.

I'm flying home to Brisbane for the Queens Birthday Long Weekend to see the family and to spend my birthday with them. I already have made plans to bake the birthday cake - a Chocolate Almond Cake from my Mum's tattered recipe book. This has always been our family celebration cake so expect photos to follow. In the meantime I'm leaving you with some pictures of a batch of white chocolate and raspberry brownies I baked on Sunday. 



These brownies are another firm favourite at work and I'm sure will be devoured just as quickly as the chocolate brownies were last week. If people only knew how easy brownies were to make!

Jillian

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