Karla's Pumpkin Soup

We bought a pumpkin for $3 from a honesty box on our trip to Boonah last month. It's been sitting at the bottom of our pantry until today, the weather calls for it, just perfect for a wintery Sunday.

I called my friend Mary to see if she wanted to join us for soup but when she answered the phone she sounded terrible with the flu so I am on my way to her house to drop some soup to her.

Enjoy

 

KARLA'S PUMPKIN SOUP

Ingredients

1.5kg pumpkin
2 large carrots
1LT  vegetable stock
1TBSP cumin
1TBSP ground coriander
Sour cream
cracked pepper

Method

1. Dice pumpkin and carrot
2. Place the pumpkin, carrot, vegetable stock, cumin and ground coriander into a pot
3. Simmer for 25 minutes or until the vegies are really soft
4. Pour into handheld mixer or blender and blitz it
5. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and crack pepper

The Cupcake Lady - Gluten Free Chocolate cupcakes

I make these gluten chocolate cupcakes for the school tuckshop, they are a hit with the mums and the munchkins.

They are delicious and easy to make.

Enjoy
The Cupcake Lady

MAKES 12

125g soft margarine

125g caster sugar

150 self raising flour

2 large eggs

2 TBSP cocoa powder

½ TSP baking powder

2 TBSP milk

ICING

85g butter

175g icing sugar (gluten free)

 2 TSBP Cocoa powder

a dash of hot water

METHOD

*Pre heat oven to 180oc fan force. Put 12 paper cupcakes cases in a cupcake tray

*Place ALL ingredients in an Electric mixer/ beater and beat until smooth

*Place the mix into the cupcake cases but ONLY fill ¾ full

*bake for 15 minutes or until springy to touch

*Cool down and decorate.

ICING

Place all ingredients in the electric mixer and beat until smooth

If too thick – add a little more of hot water

If too runny – add more icing sugar

IMPORTANT –

THE ONLY FLOUR I HAVE FOUND TO RISE LIKE A NORMAL FLOUR IS “WHITE WINGS GLUTEN FREE

also this recipe can be modify to a normal cupcake recipe by using wheat self raising flour

The life of a girl and her GO CARD

Well no car yet which means I have been busing it everywhere, well when I say everywhere it is from home to school but I have to do a stop over in the Brisbane CBD.

I have been enjoying this public transport gig, I have eaten sushi every single day for 6 days in a row, I feel fit from pushing the pram and miss munchkin.

The other thing that has been fun is that I have been stopping at the Brisbane City Library so miss munchkin can have a play in the children's area while I read all the home décor magazines, let me tell you the choices are endless I immerse myself when reading them.

Today I had to run errands in town so I went early it was time for baby munchkin's nap so I decided to go back to the library it was quiet, I got a bunch of magazines and placed my toosh on the very comfy seat in the corner, baby munchkin was dead to the world sleeping.

When the librarian came around the corner and she said in a loud voice

Librarian: "HELLO" I am just checking who was sitting here.

ME:  I responded " the baby is sleeping so I thought I would sit in a quiet place.

Librarian: We always check this spot as we get people canoodling in this seat.

ME: I smiled politely and she went on her merry way

What I wanted to said to the librarian was: great I am sitting in the pash-a-thon seat and believe me lady all that canoodling is what got me into trouble three kids and no car, but instead I smiled politely

Who knew!!!! people go to the library to kiss and canoodle

I must be getting old, here I was thinking that the library was for reading, using the internet, children to play in the children area and for me to read squillions of magazine.

The Library is not boring after all it caters for all :)

I might mix it up tomorrow and have a Californian roll instead of the tuna salad.

Cheers,
Karla

From little things big things grow

A year ago we planted some citrus and this year they have giving us some lemons. I was not sure if they were going to produce fruit because they are in pots but no they have done well and we got fruit.

We did not have enough lemons to make a mojito but we had enough to make the next best thing Lemon cake.

What a great way to start the first day of Winter.

LEMON CAKE

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

125g butter

185g sugar

185g self raising flour

4 tablespoons milk

2 large eggs

2 lemons, rind grated

 

 

syrup

 

6 TBSP fresh lemon juice

6 rounded tablespoon icing sugar

 

METHOD

 

1. pre-heat oven to 160 C

 

2. Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper

 

3.cream butter and sugar until smooth then beat eggs

 

4.add flour lemon rind and milk and mix well

 

5. pour into tin and smooth top

 

6. bake for 30-40 minutes

 

7. Syrup - mix lemon juice and sugar

 

8.after removing cake from the oven prick the top with a skewer

 

9. pour over the lemon juice while cake still hot

 

10. leave until cold before removing from tin

 

Enjoy!

The Cupcake Lady