Autumn Baking

Well it was a cold old, wet and windy weekend - leaving us with nothing much to do apart from rugging up and staying indoors. The fire roared away all weekend so I thought I would make the most of the wintery weather and do some cooking. One of the kids is in the middle of exams and the other is learning the guitar off his very talented dad. So with the two of them strumming away I set about baking a chocolate cake for afternoon tea and a apple pie for dessert. With the lovely aroma from the oven, the warmth of the fire and good food to look forward to I think everyone was very contented!

 

Tropical Feast

Whilst in Bora Bora I am looking forward to eating plenty of fresh, local seafood. I've been dreaming of buckets of prawns, piles of scallops and freshly caught fish. I also love tropical fruit such as mangoes, pineapples, bananas and paw paw. I love the fantastic colours of a tropical fruit platter and the tangy taste. I'm also a big fan of the humble coconut and love it in everything from coconut prawns to ice-cream and Pina Coladas! It's also great just picked off the tree and split open - it tastes particularly refreshing when the flesh is eaten chilled. This Donna Hay photo shoot set on the Cook Islands has some lovely easy summer tropical inspired recipes.

Most images via Donna Hay magazine

Afternoon Tea - Celebrity Style

Is this not the most perfect afternoon tea setting? Jennifer Lopez in layers of mauve ruffles and the equally gorgeous Georgina Chapman  laughing, being frivolous taking high tea together. What a perfect way to spend an afternoon gossiping with girlfriends over scones, ribbon sandwiches, candy coloured macarons and dainty cupcakes! Take out your finest bone china, crystal champagne flutes, lace tablecloth, spend an afternoon baking and throw a lavish afternoon tea party at home. If that all seems like a lot of hard work then jump in a cab and head off to the Ritz or Claridges for an afternoon of indulgence!

 

Sweet as Honey

Springtime means bees are busy collecting precious pollen from delicate blooms transforming it into thick, luscious golden honey. I love the idea of natural honeycomb dripping with fragrant honey. Could anything be as simple and delicious as crumpets with lots of melted butter and lashings of honey. The fact that my name means 'honey bee' may also have a little to do with my fondness for honey. Here a few honey laced recipes from Donny Hay to inspire us all into some spring baking!

Beehive Cupcakes

Honey Butter Layer Cake

Honeycomb semi freddo

Marshmallow Honey Puffs

Honey Custard Meringue Tarts

Spiced Honey Fingers

Donna Hay Cooks Up A Storm

I am very excited because tonight 'The LifeStyle Channel' is presenting the very first of the brand new Donna Hay 13 part cooking series called 'Donna Hay – Fast, Fresh, Simple'. It is is Donna Hay’s first television series and will reveal what makes her recipes, books and magazine so loved. Focusing on recipes that people can cook at home, the series will showcase recipes from her latest cookbook of the same name. The show will all be about cooking fuss-free weeknight dinners; Donna’s take on traditional recipes; and simple easy shortcuts using fresh and store-bought ingredients.
 

Donna is very excited about bringing the world of her books and magazine to life. "It’s about sharing my secrets and showing how to get all the flavour without the fuss to create dishes that are achievable, look good and taste great” says Donna.

Recipes via Donna Hay website

Greek Style

The mercury hit a perfect 28 degrees today so my husband and I took a drive down to Lorne, a stylish coastal town with a very good Greek restaurant that sits overlooking the pier. It is painted in typical Greek style with lots of white wash and bright blue trim. It is all a bit rusty and run down but that just adds to the character. We had lunch at an outdoor table under a sun umbrella watching the fishing boats bob up and down. 

Greek recipes from Donna Hay magazine

We ordered this amazing seafood platter which was absolutely overflowing with King prawns, oysters, lobster, scampi, mussels and scallops. Everything is freshly caught and it all tasted even better when washed down with a glass of chilled, white wine. After a glass or two, I could have sworn I was on a Greek Island!  

Inspiration from the Greek Islands

Valentine's Day Treats

With Valentine's Day only a couple of days away, what a lovely excuse to get in the kitchen and bake a Valentine's Day treat for someone special. Bake your favourite cookies and cut them out with a heart shaped cookie cutter or make a cake in a heart shaped tin then ice it with chocolate or strawberry frosting and finish it off with sugared roses on top. How special would you feel tucking into some of these delicious home baked treats on Valentine's Day! Here are few inspiring ideas to get you started.

Images 1,2 and 5 via Martha Stewart