Watermelon Sorbet

You really must make this super sorbet. I made it on a whim (because watermelons were going really cheaply), not expecting it to be so good. The flavour is amazing! This is a perfect summer sorbet. Enjoy!

Watermelon Sorbet  

Ingredients:

• I cup of sugar
• 3 cups of water
• 4 cups of seeded, chopped, watermelon
• 1/4 cup of lime juice

Method:

1. Bring the water and the sugar just to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. 
2. Take off the heat and cool.
3. In a blender, process the sugar syrup, lime juice and the watermelon in batches until smooth.
4. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
5. Pour mixture in to a ice-cream maker and freeze.

Scentsy: my new love.

My good friend, Jo, has become a (very successful) Scentsy consultant. And this suits me well, as I love the burners and the melts. My house smells wonderful and I am happy, because the burners are low heat, with no naked flame, just plug them in to a power point so they are safe for kids and animals. So, do yourself a favour, and contact Jo via her website and buy some products for yourself. You can thank me later xx

Onion Chutney

This is such a delicious chutney, although it's a killer to make with all the onion fumes! Wear swimming goggles, and keep them on whilst you are cooking, it's the only way to survive.

 

Onion Chutney

Ingredients:

• 14 medium red onions, sliced
• 7 medium white onions, sliced
• Olive oil, as needed
• 4 fresh bay leaves
• 3 tsps cinnamon
• 2 large sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked and diced
• 2 red chillies, deseeded and diced
• 2 capsicums, seeded and sliced
• 540ml balsamic vinegar
• 100ml red wine vinegar
• 440gm brown sugar

Method:

1. In a pan add the onions, olive oil, bay leaves, cinnamon and rosemary.
2. Cook for about 20 minutes on a low heat until the onions are golden and sticky
3. Add the chillies and capsicum and cook for a few more minutes.
4. Add the vinegars and sugar, simmer on a low heat until it becomes thick and chutney like.
5. Spoon into sterilised jars and seal.
6. For me, this made about 9 large jars.

Lemon Chutney

I made this awesome lemon chutney ages ago, and have been meaning to post the recipe up but have totally forgotten about it (sorry). Do not make this chutney if you do not like the bitey tang of lemons as it is quite strong. However, it is just gorgeous, especially with roasted meats. It is incredibly easy to make (although needs to be made over two days) and the smell of lemon in the kitchen is beautiful. I hope you guys like it as much as I do.

Lemon Chutney

Ingredients:

• 4 large lemons
• 3 medium onions
• 1.5 tbsp salt
• 2.5 cups white vinegar
• 3 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 3 tsps mustard seeds (although I just use the mustard in the jar, the seeded stuff not the smooth stuff, so no need for a muslin bag).

Method:

1. Wash and thinly slice up the lemons (remove all pips).
2. Peel and slice the onions.
3. In a bowl layer the lemons and onions, sprinkling each layer with salt.
4. Cover and leave to stand for 24 hours.
5. Next day, pour the lemons and onions into a colander and rinse well under cold running water. 
6. Drain well, then put in a pan with the vinegar, sugar, raisins, cayenne pepper and ground ginger. 
7. Wrap the mustard seeds in a small square of muslin and tie securely. Add the muslin bag to the preserving pan, making sure it is thoroughly immersed in the mixture.
8. Heat the mixture gently, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved completely. 
9. Bring slowly to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1½ hours, or until the lemons are tender and the chutney has been reduced in volume by a quarter and is thick and shiny. 
10. Remove the pan from the heat, remove and discard the muslin bag and spoon the chutney into clean, warm, dry jars. 
11. Cover immediately with vinegar proof lids. When the chutney is cold, label and date the jars and store in a cool, dry, airy cupboard for two months.

Old Friends.

Sometimes life gets so busy and we forget to make time to keep in touch with those we love as our true friends. I know I am guilty of this, although I don't always mean to be this way, and I know that others don't either. Sometimes life is just busy right?

Last Sunday I got to catch up with one of my best friends, Tara, and we haven't really spent time together for about 7 years from memory, which is just so stupid. We have "caught up", but not really spent time enjoying each other's company. I have no real idea why this happened other than we just got busy on our own stuff and just did not make the time to stay in touch: we are both just as guilty as the other in this.

We first met when our kids were in kinder together, around 13 years ago, and we just clicked straight away. She is a person that I can tell ANYTHING to, and she does not care to judge me or to think any differently about me. We have shared so many good and bad times together, and I know that if one of us needs the other, we are there for each other. 

We met up again at the Ballarat Legacy changeover lunch, to bring in the new President for the next year. And it was so lovely to see her and to spend that time with her, just falling back into that friendship again, and we just laughed again, catching up on family news and gossip, quaffing wine, making jokes, and also making the promise not to lose touch again like just did. And I hope we stick with that promise, as I have missed her in my life.

Strawberry Jam.

Isn't it marvelous when you go to the supermarket & they have just want you want on special? I had a hankering for some homemade strawberry jam, & there they were, tubs & tubs of gorgeous strawberries, all on sale, just for me. The house smells divine at the moment, there is no smell like fresh strawberry jam. The problem will be keeping it away from the other people who live in this house, so I don't think that it will last for long.

Strawberry Jam

Ingredients:

• 1.5kg hulled strawberries (I do chop them up into big pieces)
• 0.5 cup lemon juice (I only use the fresh stuff)
• 5 cups sugar

Method:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan.
2. Stir over heat, without boiling, until all the sugar has dissolved.
3. Bring to the boil, & then simmer, uncovered,  without stirring, for 20 minutes or until the jam jells when tested.
4. Pour the jam into hot & sterilised jars & seal.
5. This recipe makes about 5 cups of jam.

Lemon Marmalade

A friend of mine has the most magnificent lemon tree, which is heavily weighed down with an abundance of delicious juicy lemons & I love lemon marmalade. So today I made some. This is a very easy recipe & you will love the lemony smell wafting through your house, I promise.

 

Lemon Marmalade

Ingredients:

• 1 kg lemons
• 1 kg sugar
• 7 cups water

Method

1. Halve/quarter the lemons length way.
2. Cut into thin slices (I use a food processor, much quicker).
3. Soak the cut lemons overnight with the water, keep them covered.
4. Transfer the mixture into a large pan.
5. Bring to the boil & then simmer, covered, for about 40 minutes, or until the rind is soft.
6. Add the sugar: stir over heat until the sugar is dissolved.
7. Bring to the boil & then boil, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, or until the marmalade jells when tested.
8. Pour into hot sterilised jars & seal.
9. Makes about 6 cups.