Chicken Liver Pate

One of my Christmas cooking recipes is chicken liver pate. It is delicious served with water crackers or toast triangles with quince paste. The recipe comes from the NMAA Cooks red cookbook. I have my own copy now, however the recipe came from my Aunt's copy many years ago. The cookbook was originally printed in 1975 and I have a 2002 copy. The cookbook is available by mail order from http://www.mothersdirect.com.au/

Ingredients:
250g chicken livers

125g butter

2 tbsp cream cheese or cream

1 tbsp brandy

1 tbsp snipped chives

1/4 teaspoon mixed herbs

nutmeg

salt and pepper

more butter for topping

Method:

chop livers and cook slowly in 1/4 of the butter.

until livers are nearly cooked 

add the rest of the butter to the pan along with the chopped herbs, cream or cream cheese, brandy, dash of nutmeg and salt & pepper

cook for about five minutes

decant into a container to blend the pate to your desired consistancy,

then pour into ramekins.

melt some more butter and pour onto top of ramekins. I like to add a sprig of fresh herbs. The butter will set and the pate will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks. I also cover with plastic wrap and freeze.

 Enjoy!

Rosemary & thyme focaccia

In issue one of 'Baked &Delicious International Classics to bake at home' magazine is the recipe for rosemary and thyme focaccia. I bit the bullet and made some of this style of bread and it was delicious. The kids loved it. It is best eaten the day it is made, although I did slice some up the next day and added a garlic butter.

Ingredients:
450g strong white flour
2 tsp fast action yeast
sea salt
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped plus a few extra sprigs
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Sift flour into large bowl with yeast and sea salt. Add chopped herbs, olive oil and water and using dough hooks make into soft dough.

once the dough is kneaded for ten minutes, leave in a warm place for at least an hour

unitl the dough is doubled in size

knock back the dough and divide into four portions and roll out to four oval shapes about 1cm thick, place on oiled trays and leave again for 20 minutes

poke rosemary sprigs into the surface and scatter with sea salt. Drizzle with oil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

there you have it.....my first ever focaccia made from scratch. It was time consuming, but well worth it for the taste.

This recipe was from the first issue of Baked &Delicious magazine.

....Donna Hay deliciousness! Giveaway on posie patchwork

Donna Hay 'Deliciousness'....not sure if that is a word, but it certainly works with Donna Hay foods and products! For one chance, or more, pop over to Posie Patchwork's blog to see the great competition for Donna Hay Brownies and Christmas Issue Magazine.
http://posiepatchworkblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/donna-hay-molten-chocolate-chunk.html
I love the Donna Hay range of boxed mixes....they are certainly no fail and I adore her magazines. My tradition has been to buy the annual kids' edition....now I might have to start another tradition of buying her Christmas edition. However, if I am super lucky with this competition, I won't have to buy it this year!
There will be some more of my Christmas baking posts coming soon,
smiles and hope your Christmas baking is going well.
Alannah

Baked & Delicious prize

Early September 2011, I entered a competition to win a subscription to 'Baked & Delicious International classics to bake at home' magazine, on the blog of Veronica at 'someday we will sleep'. She wrote a funny post on baking with children that  I could completely relate to, having four children of my own:  how-to-bake-cupcakes-with-your-children-giveaway/
 Fast forward to November and some parcels have arrived. Each magazine comes with silicone bakeware. There are ten recipes each issue, all of which are illustrated in glossy colour. Three of the recipes have step-by-step coloured photos and intstructions and there is at least one recipe in each edition to follow in which to use the cookware. To see more details on the magazine, extra gifts and subscription details, see http://www.baked-and-delicious.com.au/
  My goal is to bake something from a Baked and Delicious magazine and share my cooking each week on my blog. Have a fabulous week and stay tuned for some cooking inspiration. Smiles, Alannah

Purple pumpkin giveaway

It's GIVEAWAY time again! Want to top up your stash, or maybe try out Purple Pumpkin embellishments for the first time? Well, here's your chance to get your hands on some goodies before Purple Pumpkin's next sale in September.

 Head over to
http://purplepumpkincrafts.blogspot.com/2011/08/august-giveaway.html


Personally, I would love to win this prize as I am so looking forward to some scrapping as soon as my University term is over.
smiles and hope your day is full of smiles!
Alannah

there will be a sale at a lil somethin

Have you seen the new blog a lil somethin?  Gorgeous boy embelishments created by Wendy and Susan.  Click on the link, and mark in your diaries. smiles
http://alilsomethin.blogspot.com/2011/05/salea-lil-somethin-yellow-and-black.html

a lil somethin giveaway.

Susan and Wendy at a lil somethin have a giveaway on their brand new blog.  Check out the great boy embellishments they have!
http://alilsomethin.blogspot.com/2011/05/random-draw-opportunity.html#comments
smiles, and have a great week