Bloody Mary for New Years Day

Currently I am enjoying some time off work, getting organised for the New Year and catching up with friends. Life has slowed down and I am relishing the fact that I don't have to wake up to an alarm every day. I am actually waking up earlier than I normally would because of this and it means that I can get a head start on the day. 

I am not sure if the same thing will be said for New Year's Day. I know that even in my "wizened" thirties, I will still be celebrating New Year's Eve with friends and there will still be champagne flowing. It is going to be a civilised BBQ rather than traipsing through the streets of Sydney (as I did in my twenties) looking for a pub that wasn't packed to the gills, or trying to find "the best spot ever" to watch the fireworks. Not to mention deluding myself into thinking that I was the special person who would be able to get a taxi home at 3 a.m. Oh, the lessons I have learnt...

I know I will probably not have the hangover that I used to endure in my twenties the next day, but I think that a Bloody Mary is a pretty great pick-me-up to have during a late breakfast or brunch after celebrating the night before. 

My Week That Was...

Hi everyone! Here is my week that was:

I decided that it was time for the garlic to come out the other day. I planted six but there are only five pictured here - I'm not really sure why, but I suspect it was either still in the dirt, or I dropped it. They are currently hanging up to dry and I cannot wait to try them. As you can see, two of the bulbs are tiny! I can't explain this, maybe they were too crowded - I don't think they would have grown any bigger...

Triple Stuffed Mushroom Canapés

Sometimes I wish I lived in the Northern Hemisphere at this time of the year; I have never had a white Christmas, never worn a daggy Christmas themed jumper while sipping on egg nog... Um, I think I might have been watching too many Christmas movies.

Time to focus on reality. What is my reality at this time of the year in Australia?

My reality is that it’s summer and I have just over a week of work left until Christmas! It's warm and the sky is blue (mostly), and it's time for swimming and daylight savings. 

There are also mozzies (mosquitoes) and cricket blaring on the T.V. (summer has its down side). But it’s also a time to catch up with friends and family and go to Christmas parties! It's the time to have a cold beer or glass of bubbles in one hand and a tasty bite in the other.

Orange and Sage Duck Liver Parfait

Ugh! 

I have to be honest here with you all: dealing with raw duck liver really churned my stomach.

Firstly, the texture reminded me of Ghostbusters slime. The liver kept slipping out of my hands, and when combined in a bowl, formed one great quivering mass of super-liver.

Secondly, the aroma was incredibly strong, and to me, nasty. I can only describe it as metallic and fleshy.

To quote D:Ream: Things can only get better.

My Week That Was....

The Christmas tree in Martin Place, Sydney.
I walk past this every morning and evening, it makes me so happy to know that there are only a couple of weeks left until Christmas and holidays.

Pink Grapefruit and Aperol Fizz

Hands up those who like sorbet.

OK, those with your hands up are welcome to stick around. Those with your hands down may click away – I do not understand you but I am sure we can work it out next time, no hard feelings.

Now, hands up those who quite like the idea of taking a bottle of sparkling wine and drowning your sorbet in it. Now put your other hand up and raise the roof because that, my friends, is exactly what I did.

Allow me to explain. 

My Week That Was...

I thought I might start a new series here at The Littlest Anchovy to show you some bits and pieces that happen in my week. I'm just changing it up a little and I hope you enjoy!

Last weekend we went away with some friends to Norah Head. I had a ball spending time with such interesting, charming and funny people. There were visits to this beach, loads of gorgeous food that people whipped up and sensational cocktails. These people know how to live it up on a beach weekend away...

Char-grilled Peaches with Mascarpone, Honey and Hazelnuts

Peaches are here! Now summer can begin, yes?

I really should have waited until it was actually summer before buying them though, because the ones in the shop the other day were less than summer-ready. As you can see below they were a little on the under-ripe side. They are also clingstones (I prefer the freestone kind with the red hearts) which means that I had a bit of a job getting the stone out without further bruising the fruit - I was unsuccessful in this exercise. 

Nevertheless, it did not really matter because what I had in store for them was going to save their rosy behinds. 

Eat Drink Blog 2012: Adelaide Central Markets

A couple of weeks ago, 80 lucky food bloggers from all over Australia descended upon Adelaide to attend Eat Drink Blog 2012 ,a conference designed to bring us together for a weekend of networking and learning cool things - like taking a better photo, food styling, important legal information, SEO and something else I am forgetting...oh yeah, trying some of the best produce that this country has to offer.  There was wine too (oh, you betcha), but that is for another time and another blog post. 

Clockwise from Left: Toasted banana bread with marmalade and Marscapone from Zuma Cafe' Imagine the taste of those organic, free range eggs, lovely peonies that I wanted to bury my face in, funky chairs at Zuma Cafe.

And the "My Greek Family Table Cookbook" giveaway winner is....

Lindell!

Mango, Blueberry and Granola Breakfast Parfait

When it comes to eating breakfast regularly I will stand before you, hand on heart, and tell you that I am pretty lousy at it.

It's true that breakfast is the most important meal of the day: everybody knows this. It kick-starts your metabolism and gives you the energy to get through to lunch. It also prevents snacking on bad things... again, guilty as charged.

Greek Cooking Class at Greekalicious Cooking Classes Sydney and a Giveaway!

There I was; a giant plate of fragrant, falling off the bone, slow-cooked traditional Greek-style lamb sitting before me. The sound of happy people, clinking glasses all around me momentarily pausing as the lamb (amongst many other dishes) is passed around... I am feeling the love from this lamb. Actually, I am feeling the love from everyone in the room. I only met these people 3 hours before and we are chatting as though we were old friends. It's certainly the lamb, but I suspect that the good vibes in the room have rubbed off on all of us from one woman.

The Potluck Club

As I write this post on a laptop that I can call my own, lying stretched out on my bed sipping a cup of tea I realise how much I take for granted. The fact that I am able to maintain a food blog is something that I just do these days – I cook pretty much whatever I want and have the means to be creative with different ingredients. I can then photograph it and share it with the world.

It’s a luxury and I am lucky to be able to do this, I am lucky to just be able to prepare a basic meal to feed myself and my loved ones.

2.2 million Australians are not so lucky and are currently living in poverty. And by poverty I mean that these people do not have an acceptable standard of living. Many live without employment, basic health care, a decent education or proper food. Imagine having to make the difficult choice of not paying rent to be able to feed your family that week?

I'm back with Pea Pesto Linguine With Chorizo and Squid

I'm back!

I have so much to tell you and three memory cards full of pics from my time away - but far out guys, getting back into real life after a big holiday is hard!

Let's not even discuss jet lag, or unpacking or checking a month's worth of emails at work - it's enough to make me want to go on a 14 hour flight again (no, not really).

Let's discuss the fact that I came back with a renewed appreciation for my home city of Sydney. I loved visiting North and South Carolina, it was a beautiful part of the world and the people there were beyond friendly. Boston blew me away with history and lobster rolls and New York was...both insane and amazing and I am not nearly done with that place.

Guest Post from onebitemore: Ruby Red Beet & 'Barb Chutney

So, I am most likely flying home to Sydney now. I am probably asleep - I hope I haven't developed a snoring habit and I really hope my mouth isn't hanging open. My bag is hopefully full of awesome shoes, bags, and tasty USA treats, and I hope my camera is full of photos for me to share with you once I have sorted myself out when I get back. So while I (ever so genteely slumber on the plane) Shez is here to make my blog explode with colour and energy. I have been a big fan of this lady for some time now: her recipes, her pics, the way she writes - ah! I just love it all, head on over to onebitemore to see what I mean.

Can I also just say that someone should give this girl her own cooking show? 

**************

Well hey there! My name’s Shez from onebitemore and I’m just gonna go ahead and stick my head (and my photos and usual ramblings) right here in this lovely blog whilst your usual lovely host Anna is away living the high life in the US of A.
(Don’t worry, I came invited. My hacking skills aren’t that good.)
Also, I hope you like chutney.

Guest Post from Mi Casa-Su Casa: Milan Chicken

Hopefully at the moment I am drinking a Manhattan in Manhattan and while I am off doing that, I would like to introduce you to the lovely SarahKate from Mi Casa-Su Casa. I discovered SarahKate's blog when she and her husband Andy were travelling around South-East Asia - their stories and photos made me want to leap out of my desk chair and go travelling then and there. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia in the USA, SarahKate and Andy now call Sydney home. They will soon be opening up Mi Casa-Su Casa : one of Sydney's only home restaurants (how utterly cool is that?!). 
I, for one, cannot wait to try it out. 

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Well, hello there, readers of Anna's gorgeous blog!  This is my first ever guest post and I'm really excited about it.  A huge thanks to Anna for asking me to contribute in a small way to her lovely space.  
As I began to think about what I might want to post here, I kept focusing on the fact that this is my first guest post.  Firsts are big.  And I thought that maybe, my first guest post should be about the first dish I ever learned to cook.  Take us all back to the beginning.

Guest Post from He Needs Food: Smokve i mak prste {fig + poppy seed fingers}

My next guest post is from John at He Needs Food. Those in the know head over to John's slice of the web for stunning photography, transporting travel posts and beautiful original recipes. I love John's Croatian recipes which hark back to his childhood and Croatian heritage and I am very pleased to have him share this recipe with you all. I would imagine that John would recommend these with a good Macchiato -the prefered caffeine hit at He Needs Food.

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Whilst Anna takes a well-earned break how about I jump in and give The Littlest Anchovy a bit of a Croatian flavour. Sorry Anna, I guess it’s best I share one of my recipes rather than make your readers endure one of my epic travel posts.

Guest Post from Cocoa and Lavender: Red, White and, well... Red!

Right now I would say that I am trying my very best to combat jet-lag because I will be taking in the sights of Charlotte, NC where my friend (and the bride to be) is from. She has promised me pulled pork, and if the BBQ is anything like the stuff that she makes, I know I won't be disappointed. 

So, first cab of the rank in my line-up of stellar bloggers is David from Cocoa and Lavender. David is from Arizona in the U.S.A and coming from one of the Southern states, it seems fitting to have him start first. 

I fell in love with David's blog a few months ago and if you head on over and take a look you will see why. He takes lovely, light photos and has the most wonderful respect for fresh, seasonal produce. My favourite post so far? When he re-created Remy's Ratatouille. 

Enjoy!

As one of her biggest fans I am delighted to be guest posting on Anna's blog, The Littlest Anchovy. I am honored to be visiting you here south of the equator with a traditional recipe from the southern U.S. that works well in every season!

Mexican Style Baked Eggs

Sorry, I went away for a bit there.
I didn't really go anywhere in particular, life just seemed to get in the way and I was thrown from one activity to the next.

Things like preparing for my upcoming trip, catching up with friends, seeing my family and going to a Hen's day for my friend who is getting married in two weeks (the reason for the upcoming trip)... all wonderful things that I needed and wanted to do.

Blood Orange Cordial and Blood Orange and Rosemary Gin Fizz

I have just taken the above "now" photo to explain my current situation. 

I am in Orange visiting my parents and they are experiencing freakishly cold weather considering we are headed for Spring. It was about 5 degrees Celsius with a little snow, lots of sleet and fog as far as the eye can see - that photo is in colour by the way, it is nature that is in black and white. It is great to be getting some mileage out of my new Ugg boots and hanging by the fire. It's also the perfect time to be writing this post because what I am blogging about this week is anything but black and white. 

Date and Walnut Loaf

Years ago in a past life I used to sell things. 
Sometimes it was fun and sometimes I was quite good at it. I didn't want to do it forever, so I stopped, but I still get the itch from time to time. For instance, I love to gently coax a friend into buying a dress that I know they will feel amazing in when they wear it out next. Or convincing another friend that they do look amazing in a hat (when they do) because not everyone can get away with wearing a hat. Some might say that I am spending (and wearing hats) vicariously - maybe so, but I do gain an immense amount of pleasure from someone I care about having something that makes them feel good.

So how do I sell you, person reading my blog that I care about, how do I sell you this seemingly dull looking date and walnut loaf? 

Southeast Asian style coconut pumpkin soup

The other day my friend Sarah and I went to a class at Too’s Cooking School in Annandale run by two hilarious and charismatic gentlemen (always a winner with me) named Brendan and Kevin Too.  We were there for the Spectacular Seafood class among sixteen other people. After going through the basics including the ingredients, the recipes and some knife skills, we broke into 4 teams of four to prepare a dish. At the end, we all sat down to devour our creations and discuss what we had learnt. My group were assigned the task of making a Southeast Asian style paste to spread on top of juicy white fish fillets and grill them en papillote (I believe banana leaves are traditionally used) on the barbeque.

Golden Pavlova with Rum Poached Pineapple and Lime and Szechuan Pepper Salt

Can you tell by now that I am aching for some of that sunny spring warmth?
I'm not going to whine about it though, I am just going to bring the sun to me. I brought it to me in the form of an out of season pineapple. I didn't realise it was out of season until just now when I thought to look - it sort of goes against my fruit buying morals.
What's done is done and I hang my head in shame (briefly, because I have to type this post). 
I made you all another pavlova because it is World on a Plate time and the theme for this month is fruit based desserts, and I can't go past a pav when I am the only Australian out of the bunch, now can I ?! I personally can't think of anything that I would rather throw fruit on than a pav right now. 
Let's not get into whether it originated here or in New Zealand (though Wikipedia might have the answer. I said might). The last time I posted a pav, I was sore about the rugby world cup. Now, I am feeling the neighbourly love and am happy to share. 

Salmon Rillettes

This was going to be a soup post.

Sometimes things don't happen the way you plan them to. I saw this recipe and it got me craving salmon (not soup) even though soup would be the more appropriate thing to make at this time of the year.

But who cares about appropriate, really? Not when it comes to making something that tastes so lovely and makes you dream of longer days, chilled wine and lighter clothing. 

Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Scrolls

Thank you Queensland for sending us strawberries during winter. On behalf of New South Wales, I thank you. I know we have had some bitter rivalry lately - I don't care much for State of Origin but a win for the Blues might have been nice....for once, I guess (*shrug*). Still, I am sure we can get over it as long as you keep us well stocked in strawberries this winter. 

Lamb, Mint, Feta and Baby Spinach Gozleme

Whenever I go to a fete (fair) they are there. Whenever I go to the markets, they are there. Yes, those ladies in white, deftly rolling out the dough and topping it with spicy meat and other fillings before slapping it beside fifteen others on a searing hot plate. They are always there for you when you need it most, usually after spending way too much money on handmade jewellery and fisherman pants. It can be a juggling act to eat them; you are usually standing up because there are no tables or chairs to be seen and you have to hold the plate, hold your bag and your market haul and (here's the best bit) squeeze lemon over it. The lemon is a must. 

Those nimble fingered ladies are skilled in the art of gozleme; I want to be skilled in the art of gozleme! 

Let's see how I went with it...

Baked Beans with Speck

Sure, I could just open a can. 

I do open a can, I do all the time! But not this time. This time I decided to take it a little slower. 

I wanted to have home-made baked beans for Saturday morning breakfast. I've always wanted to make baked beans from scratch and finding a recipe in Matthew Evans' The Real Food Companion reminded me that I wanted, nay, needed to make them quick smart. 

This required some planning on my part, especially as I didn't have the beans ready on Friday for soaking while I was at work. 

World On A Plate: Raw Kale and Risoni Salad

The cumquats have absolutely nothing to do with this recipe. There was a tree nearby, they looked pretty - they ended up in the photo.

I'm looking for the kale? Where is the kale? Kale? KALE!

I'm not kidding you; on two separate occasions at two separate farmers markets on opposite sides of the Bridge this is what people were talking about. My friend pointed this out to me before I actually heard it for myself. This is because I was probably one of "those people".

Kale is not a new thing; (according to Wikipedia) it was the most common green vegetable in Europe until the end middle ages, and early varieties existed in Greece in

the 4^th century. Your grandmother probably mixed it through your mashed potato when you were young.

Hot Apple Toddy

Ok, here's the situation where I live. 

It's cold, and until yesterday (or the day before that depending on when I post this) it was raining as though it was going out of fashion. 

I have a couple of questions about that expression; "going out of fashion"- why would you want to have a lot of something if it was going out of fashion? If you loved it enough, why would you care if it was going out of fashion and just keep having more of it regardless? And if you didn't like whatever was going out of fashion, wouldn't you be anticipating something new and not want a lot of whatever it was that was going out of fashion?

Coconut Oil Roasted Sweet Potato and A Nomination

The reason why I started this food blog was because I was stuck in a rut, feeling uninspired and in dire need of some creativity in my life - I also wanted to learn to cook properly and develop a healthy relationship with food and cooking. Mostly, I wanted to tell stories. 


Fast forward one year and I can honestly say that I have surprised myself with how much happiness this blog has brought me. I feel creative and I love putting something out there into the world. I can also say with hand on my heart that I am proud of what I have made. That is a big thing for me to admit - especially for a person who has suffered from the odd bout of low self esteem throughout their life.

You can imagine how happy I was when my friend David from the divine blog Cocoa and Lavender told me that he had nominated me for a Food Stories Award for Excellence in Storytelling! David had been nominated for the award and in turn, nominated me along with four other amazing blogs whose stories inspired him and made him happy.


I have found that with my own blog, telling a story to go with my food and photos is one of the most important elements to each post I make. I simply couldn't send a recipe out there without a story to go with it - I just love it.
Part of my nomination involves me, in turn, nominating five blogs who I feel show excellence in storytelling. 

The posts and stories that these people write never fail to entertain and inspire me in so many different ways: 


Miss T from The Pink Leopard: http://www.thepinkleopard.net/   
Leaf from The Indolent Cook: http://theindolentcook.blogspot.com.au/
John from He Needs Food: http://heneedsfood.com/
Thanh from Eat,Little Bird: http://eatlittlebird.com/ 
Rachel from The Food Sage: http://thefoodsage.com.au/


Head over to their blogs to see why I feel they deserve the Food Stories Award for Excellence in Storytelling.

In other news; the other day I discovered coconut oil.... 

Miascia

Miascia.

Miaaaaa-sci-a (whisper it - it’s fun). Or do you pronounce it Mias-chi-a? My tenth grade Italian is a little rusty. However you pronounce it, this rustic Italian cake tastes as good as it sounds. Actually,“good” is a terrible word to describe the amazing-ness that is this cake-like dessert. Three adjectives that came to mind as I ate this are – thrifty, curious and crispy.

Steak Sandwich with Beetroot Relish - World on a Plate

I was recently invited to be a part of World on a Plate by PolaM from An Italian Cooking in the Midwest. World on a Plate (created by PolaM) is a cultural exchange where bloggers from around the world get together on the last Sunday of the month (Monday here in Australia) to showcase the cuisine of their home country. There is a different theme each month and this month's theme is "Grilling". 


I look forward to exploring Australian cuisine; it's something that has evolved considerably since the days of "meat and three veg" that my Grandparents would have enjoyed.  
Australia has a unique place in the culinary world, its remoteness in being an island has meant that multicultural influences have only started to be explored over the past few decades, though our temperate climate and growing conditions have allowed passionate regional producers to locally develop the produce used for exploring these new dishes. Even before the multicultural food Renaissance our culinary culture was a strange creature; part British aristocracy (tea and scones are still very much a staple in rural areas) but also part pastural dish, with the First Settlers and Indigenous Australian meals being largely based on the food Australia had naturally available at the time (such as kangaroo, which is still eaten to this day). I'm looking forward to drawing upon all of these influences over future blog posts for World on a Plate.

Yep.

That, staring you right in the face, is a steak sandwich - my steak sandwich. 
Building a steak sandwich is filled with personal choices; you might like yours with mushrooms or you might like yours with onions, then there is the type of bread to consider (not to mention the condiments). Whatever you like, just do yourself a favour and put some good steak on there.  

Please don't use minute steak, it will always come out grey and what is the point of grey steak?

Get the best steak that you can afford and cook it well. 

This isn't the footy or a Bunnings sausage sizzle...

Two Desserts With Honey Delight Award Winning Honey

Honey, how I love you. For a girl with a sweet-tooth, you always come through for me. I love you on buttery toast best and when I am sick, I love you in my tea. I have used you in medicated form on a number of cuts and you just heal me right up. You even hide in my skincare products and keep me hydrated. 


I think I might love you as much as I love lemons.

Honey, you can imagine how happy I was when I started talking to a person on Facebook who, along with her family, actually produces you. That person is Carmen Pearce-Brown from Honey Delight in Nicolls in the ACT. Carmen and her family have been producing honey for four generations now and recently won a blue ribbon for their Apple Box Honey and The Champion ribbon for their Yellow Box Honey in the 2012 Royal Easter Show!

Source: Honey Delight

One Year Old!

The Littlest Anchovy turned one today! I would like to thank everyone who has read, commented, offered advice and supported me during the year - you know who you are. I have had an absolute ball and have met (online and offline) some amazing people through blogging.

A BIG Thank - you to The Bearded Gamer - Your support and mad editing skills have been invaluable, I appreciate you more than you know. 
So here's to another year of more of all this! I know it is only going to get better and better.

Warm Jerusalem Artichoke Salad

We’re friends now, right?

After almost a year of blogging I think I can change The Bearded Gamer’s name to his actual one (which is Nick, incidentally). The alias that I adopted for my partner (and 2nd pair of eyes for this blog) is just way too long. Some of my friends in my day to day life really love this alias and to them I say: Sorry guys, I’ll still use it occasionally in context but I cannot be bothered to type it out each and every time I want to refer to Nick. The Littlest Anchovy and The Bearded Gamer are too much of a mouthful together.  So henceforth, whenever I mention Nick, you know that I am referring to The Bearded Gamer.

So, Nick’s parents neighbour gave Nick’s dad (see why I got rid of the alias?) a big bag of Jerusalem Artichokes*.  Nick’s dad, in turn, gave them to me: Anna, The Littlest Anchovy. He gave them to me because he knows how much I get a kick out of bags of things that grow in dirt. He also knows how much I get a kick out of working out what to make with them.

Lemon Cream Cheese Butter Cake

So, I have just found out that when you have a new, young citrus tree it is a good idea to pick the flowers off it for the first year or so. This is to ensure that the tree can concentrate its energy and nutrients on becoming well established to better hold large quantities of fruit. 
Apparently, if you let the tree bear fruit before it has become established, the tree will concentrate all of this energy into the fruit and therefore its growth will become stunted.  


I wish I had thought to read up on this when I first got my citrus trees.


To be fair, the torrential rain that Sydney had pretty much took care of any flower development on my Buddha's Hand and Lemonade trees (as well as general leaf and stem growth too..) but at least they haven't gone the way of my Meyer Lemon Tree (the newest addition to my failing citrus collection). 
You see, there was one flower on it that I didn't notice was there until it had begun to grow into a fruit. It was protected by branches and leaves and it seemed to survive all that mother nature threw at it over the Summer. 

Pear, Celeriac and Blue Cheese Soup

As I type this, I am lying on my bed, trackies on, thick, woolen jumper on and covered in my bed spread. All that is exposed are my arms and head (which are needed to type this post).

I feel that the time has come to make soup. I hope you are all on board with me on this.

I have had this particular soup bookmarked for some time and have been a little excited about getting the chance to make it. You see, this is the first soup that I have made this year and it is also the first time I have cooked with celeriac.

I think that celeriac would have to be one of the most (...how do I put it delicately?) aesthetically displeasing vegetables going around town. When I had them before me on the chopping board, the natural urge was to throw them out the window and use potatoes instead. They look like beasts!

Mussels in Leeks and Beer

Mussels, what can I say? To me they fall millimetres behind oysters as my favourite mollusc. Unlike oysters, mussels are far easier to open and if you are one of those people who believe that they cannot cook then trust me - you can cook these. 

One of the best things (and if you love mussels I am sure you will agree) is that there are just so many flavours you can add to them; feeling a little South-East Asian? Try coconut milk, chili, lemongrass and a little tamarind. Or is Provençal more your speed? White wine, garlic, tomatoes are all welcome as far as the shiny mussel is concerned.

The world is your Mussel when it comes to adding flavour.

Sweet Adventures Blog Hop - Lemons

If you were to ask me what my favourite ingredient was, you might have to stare at my blank face while I racked my brain. You see, I have many favourite ingredients - it would be a lie to say that I had just one. 

But if you were to ask me what my top five favourite ingredients were...I still wouldn't be able to give you a definitive list, but I would be confident enough to tell you that lemons would be in the mix. 

After we had had that vague, somewhat confusing conversation about my favourite ingredients (so you know one of them is lemons, right?) you might want to next ask me: "Anna, why lemons?" I would then let out a hearty chuckle and reply: "Why not lemons?!"

They smell wonderful, you can pickle them, can them, roast them, zest them, eat them savoury, eat them sweet - you can even clean your fancy copper pots with them! If you were lucky enough to grow up with (or know someone with) a back-yard, you will probably have a vivid memory of a tree, in the middle of winter, heaving with sunny fruit. They also make brilliant cricket balls - or so I have been told. 

So when I saw that this month's theme for the Sweet Adventures Blog Hop was lemons - I had to change my schedule (I had planned for something savoury here this week), drop everything and get some lemons. I am attempting to grow Meyer Lemons at the moment, and if all goes well in a couple of months I will have my first fruit. In the meantime I am more than happy to pile my fruit bowl high with lemons from the shops (another use: they brighten up a room) while I worked out how to make lemon jubes.

I have attempted jubes before, back in the early days of this blog. These lollies are known by a number of names: pâtes de fruits, gum drops, fruit pastilles - last time I called them jellies (because that is what the recipe that I had adapted them from called them). This time they are going to be called jubes for the same reason (I also prefer the name "jube"; it is familiar to me and I like the sound of it).

A guest post at One Bite More

As I mentioned at the end of my last post, I will be taking a short journey across the interwebs, all the way over to Shez's amazing blog - One Bite More. This week you will find that I baked some deeply dark and mysterious cookies. OK, yes, they are chocolate and yes, you are probably well over all things chocolate, but these are different; trust me - I'm a food blogger.

After you have read about the cookies and if you have never been to Shez's neck of the woods, I urge you to check out some of her wonderful creations. Android Ice-cream Sandwiches, Dragon's Eggs... you can easily spend a lot of time on this blog. Enjoy your stay there, be sure to say G'Day, and I'll see you back here next time!

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Soft Pretzels With Sweet Mustard Dipping Sauce

We (The Bearded Gamer and I) recently bought our plane tickets for our trip to the States in September. We are going over to go to the wedding of some very good friends of ours in South Carolina. After that, we are going to explore the east coast for a bit and finish off in New York City. 

I am so excited.

I cannot even begin to explain my excitement and I have started making a list of all the places I want to visit when I am there. I am not sure how I am going to be able to wait until September.