Author: carly macaulay
a little autism here and there..
We have found ourselves on a new adventure, our two and half year old is leading the way. we are newly diagnosed with having mild autism and are quickly becoming the proud, positive advocates for this different kind of normal. This little Boo is teaching us patients, reminding us of what matters, to always notice the little things, most of all is keeping us smiling at all the special little quirks that make Boo, Boo.
garage sales
sun’s shining, listening to french acoustic, meeting the neighbours, selling bits and pieces…
apple and rhubarb crumble
i call this part sticking and pasting very quickly.. there is no room for perfection here, unless of course you are toddler and baby free, without the wandering of little fingers reaching up high, standing on tippy toes, to bench tops because they instinctively know that there is something yummy that they simply must have and possibly if they wait too long they may just miss out, a quick stern toddler demand makes sure that today is not going to be that day.
She spends most of her waking hours crawling around the kitchen floor, climbing through the sides of our island bench, pulling herself up on wooden kitchen chairs, clinging to my feet and taste testing anything that falls to the floor. at 8 1/2 months she already knows the sound of the kitchen mixer.. repeatedly says ta when she’s hungry and recognises the blue spatulas as very tasty when covered in cake mix.. little does she know this is the beginning of her kitchen stories.
APPLE AND RHUBARB CRUMBLE
PIE FILLING
ingredients
1 bunch rhubarb, 4 apples of choice unpeeled, juice of an orange, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons butter
method
prepare the pastry. Chop rhubarb into 2cm pieces disregard all leaves and peel if preferred,however i never do as it often looses the rich red colour of the rhubarb. place rhubarb in a baking tray with the juice of the orange and half of the brown sugar and the butter, bake in the oven at 200 for approximately 20 minutes or until softened and caramelised. cut the apples and remove the core leave the skin on, poach them in just enough water to cover with the remaining sugar until just soft, then drain the liquid, set aside. Remove pastry from the fridge and on a lightly floured surface roll out to approximately 1cm thick, put the rolling-pin onto the pastry and gently pick up one side and drape over. this allows you to gently pick up the entire pastry sheet using the pin and lay then over your greased pie tin. at this stage you will find that pieces have broken away. Gently press the pastry into the bottom and sides of the tin this is where its alright to stick and paste and fill the gaps. finish off the edges with a knife then return to the fridge for 10 minutes. when the rhubarb and apple have cooled, spoon both mixtures into your pastry case. top with the crumble and bake at 180 for 20 minutes. serve warm with cream.
FOR THE CRUMBLE
ingredients
1 cup plain flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar,3/4 cup oats, 3/4 cup coconut, 50 grams melted butter
method
combine all of the dry ingredients together and then add the melted butter, mix into a crumble.
SWEET PASTRY
ingredients
125grams softened butter,90 grams icing sugar, 30grams almond meal, 250 grams plain flour, 1 egg
method
Using a paddle attachment or dough hook, mix the butter, sugar and egg until combined then add the flour and almond meal once it has come together as a soft dough stop mixing. shape into a ball and wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.
green eggs and ham
This dish is a super easy one that in my cafe days we would run as a special on our busy weekends. It’s what my husband put his hand up for on Fathers Day… and 5 children followed. We enjoyed this cafe style breakfast in our pyjamas with fresh OJ and stove top coffee.
Green Eggs and Ham Recipe
ingredients
2 free range eggs per serve, dollop of cream,fresh spinach,ciabatta bread, free range bacon,pesto, salt, cracked pepper
Method
Slice ciabatta ready for toasting, in a hot pan cook bacon to a nice crisp, once it’s cooked set aside and keep warm. lightly whisk eggs with cream, roughly chop spinach then heat a pan. Toast the ciabatta. Add a little butter to the hot pan and add chopped spinach let it cook for only a minute then pour in the egg mix. With a spatula and working quite quickly push the egg mixture from the sides of the pan into the middle, the eggs will cook very quickly, for perfect creamy cafe style eggs be careful not to over cook them here, take the pan of the heat before the eggs are completely cooked, as they will continue cooking in the pan. butter the ciabatta and arrange on the plate, using the spatula slide the eggs onto the toast, top with the bacon and spoon the pesto around the plate.
Pesto
ingredients
bunch of basil, 200 grams of toasted pine nuts,clove of garlic,salt,olive oil, 50 grams of parmesan cheese
Pesto Method
in a food processor, add the bunch of basil leaves, garlic, few good pinches of salt and the pine nuts and process until smooth, then with the processor running add the olive oil until you have a nice sauce consistency then add the parmesan, season again if necessary. Pesto is now ready to spoon onto the plate. Left over pesto can be stored in the fridge and used for quick a quick meal when stirred through cooked pasta.
building cubby houses
this was my absolute favorite thing to do as a child, i remember draping sheets all over my childhood lounge room and spending hours upon hours entertaining all of my stuffed guests with tea and sweets. I often wonder if in this technological world we now find ourselves living in, if children are still being guided towards the simplicity of this sort of play.
sweet yellow pickle scrolls
getting creative.. using what we have.
sweet yellow pickle scrolls
ingredients
3 cups bread flour, 7grams yeast,2 cups warm water, 1 teaspoon sugar,1 tablespoon olive oil,1 teaspoon salt,cheese for filling,sweet yellow pickles
method
mix the yeast and the sugar in the warm water, let it stand for 10 minutes. put the bread flour, salt and oil into a bowl large enough for the dough to rise in. when the yeast mixture looks like its begining to activate add it to the flour mix. The dough will be very sticky, continue to mix for a couple of minutes, then with some flour on your hands shape the dough while keeping it in the bowl. Cover with cling film and a tea towel and place in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size. During winter i place the bowl over a ducted heating vent, or on top of the oven. Heat the oven to 200 °C fan forced. once the dough has risen pull it out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface, then gently stretch the dough out length ways until approxamitly 2cm thick. spread generously the sweet pickles over entire surface of the dough and then the grated cheese. i used a nice vintage cheese, any cheese will work. roll the dough like a sausage then with a sharp knife slice into 3cm pieces. turn each piece on its side revealing the filling on greased oven trays, allowing room for rising. lightly salt and place in the oven for 20 minutes. allow to cool on wire racks to avoid the bottoms going soggy.
down on the farm
It was the most beautiful day in Melbourne yesterday, for the middle of winter. We decided to pack up the children and head off to the Collingwood Children’s Farm for the morning. Once a month they hold a farmers market and sell everything from organically grown fruit and vegetables to wild flowers, home-made chai tea, giant hash browns, eggs, free range meat, sourdough bread even beer. This is a fabulous market to go to especially with the kids and the dog if you have one, there’s so much room for them to run. The farm itself grows all its own produce and the animals are hands on with the kids. They can watch a cow being milked at 10 am, pat sheep which are incredibly friendly, walk amongst the ducks, talk to the chickens, feed the goats and I’m sure much more. We had a really, good, stress free time here, which is a rare thing when travelling with toddlers and babies with an added bonus of a great coffee. If you live in Melbourne and have kids, pack up the gum boots, a change of clothes just in case and head there one weekend.. it really is a fun day out.
mini beef pies
this was the fastest photo shoot i have possibly ever taken… these pies literally had only moments out of the oven before my two-year old and 8 month old came scrambling into the kitchen one after the other.. the two-year old racing to the cutlery rack at a record speed so he could dive into one of the pies with no comprehension that they needed time to cool and i needed to take photos. My eight month old only tummy crawling, sensed the two-year olds urgency on the matter, she too could not move fast enough.. there was simply no time to waste.
Mini Beef Pies
Ingredients
500g premium mince,1 brown onion,3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce,2 tablespoons tomato sauce,1 tablespoon tomato paste,1 teaspoon of dried thyme,1 tablespoon plain flour,salt and pepper to taste, poppy seeds, 4 sheets of puff pastry, olive oil
method
Pre heat the oven to 200°C fan forced. brush three muffin trays with olive oil this should make 18 pies. Have pastry sheets out of the freezer and allow to defrost for 20 minutes. Meanwhile heat a non stick fry pan with a little olive oil and brown the mince, add the finely chopped onion, cook for a few minutes then add the sauces, thyme and flour. If the mix is dry then add a little water. Simmer for 10 minutes, season to taste. While the mixture is cooling down, cut the pastry circles using an egg ring, you should get 9 circles to each sheet of pastry. Line the muffin trays with the pastry, then spoon the cooled mix into the pastry cases, there is no need to blind bake the pastry first. Place the tops on, pressing down around the sides with a fork. brush with olive oil, lightly prick each one a few times with a knife and top with poppy seeds. bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
dill hollandaise eggs
Dill Hollandaise
Ingredients
3 free range egg yolks, juice of half a lemon, 2 teaspoons water, 125grams butter melted (clarified), salt to taste, 1/4 bunch of dill
method
In a heat proof bowl place the egg yolks, water and lemon juice and lightly whisk. place bowl over a low simmering pot of water and continue whisking until mixture begins to thicken and has doubled in volume, then begin to slowly add the clarified butter a little at a time while continuing to whisk until you have a smooth sauce the consistency of a gravy. add the finely chopped dill. If sauce over thickens you can add another teaspoon of water and whisk through. season to taste.
these hands
these hands… I imagine they hold so many stories, have had a life time of use, held tools, held food, held hope. I imagine they are the heart and soul of this man’s adventures, the man with the divine hands.
my handsome boys
play dough
there is quite a gap between our two-year old and his older siblings. i must admit it’s taken a little adjusting to get myself back into toddler mode. we are beginning to introduce some forms of structured play to our boo. i had forgotten how much fun play dough actually is… my older children would never admit it but they too enjoy a good round of play dough
play dough recipe
ingredients
2cups plain flour,2tbls cream of tarte,2 tbls canola oil,3/4 cup table salt,food colouring,2 cups water,
method
combine all of the ingredients together in a saucepan and stir over a medium heat for approximately 5 minutes or until mixture comes together. be carful not to over cook as this will make the play dough dry. need on a lightly floured surface.
home spaces
i have a habit of changing things around a lot, you could say on almost a weekly basis. my family knows this well about me and have gracefully accepted this trait of mine. there is the occasional frustration of not being able to find something, or the missing of bench space after i moved our island bench out of the kitchen, however, most of the time, the changes are pleasantly welcomed by our large household and happily embraced. it may sound funny but i find a new space or a fresh coat of paint on the humble wooden chair can often inspire creative new ideas to arise in all of us, even my two year old got excited about his toys again when one day they appeared on a new red shelf.
raspberry and coconut tea cake
raspberry and coconut tea cake
ingredients
100 grams softened butter, 100 grams caster sugar,300 grams self-raising flour,3/4 cup milk,3/4 cup designated coconut,2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 eggs,200 grams raspberries
method
combine the softened butter with the caster sugar in a mixer and beat until light and fluffy. add eggs, flour, vanilla and milk, beat to a smooth batter consistency, then add the coconut. poor into a greased tin and top with raspberries. bake on the middle oven shelf at 175°C for 40 to 45 min.
St GEORGIA & Boo 