Spicy Red Lentil Soup with Cashew Cream

Spicy Red Lentil Soup with Cashew Cream & Lemon

So, I’m making soups these days… Very strange! What’s happening to me? I’m becoming like my mother (not such a bad thing). She used to make soup ALL.THE.TIME… which is possibly the reason I deferred it for so long! We lived in Tasmania, by far the coldest state in the country. Neither of my parents…

Pear & Rhubarb Almond Crumble {gf}

The sky is low, the clouds are mean, A travelling flake of snow Across a barn or through a rut Debates if it will go. A narrow wind complains all day How someone treated him; Nature, like us, is sometimes caught Without her diadem. The Sky is Low, The Clouds are Mean by Emily Dickinson…

Rhubarb, Orange & Hazelnut Cake {gf}

When a friend offered to pay me back “in kind” I knew just what to ask for. Rhubarb. Fresh, home grown, organic rhubarb. Of all the things that could turn me into an avid gardener, rhubarb would be it. It’s one of my favourite fruits, but also the one that never seems to go down…

Pear, Chocolate & Ginger Muffins with crunchy nut topping {gf, df}

Pear and ginger; it’s hardly an original idea, but it’s certainly a good one, as the classic combination features over and over again in cookbooks, magazines and on baking websites. This is my first foray, though I’ve had the idea on my mind for some time now. It was probably autumn last year when I…

Warm Potato & Tuna Salad with pesto dressing

Hello sunshine! We’ve had so much rain this past week, that as soon as the sun came out this weekend, it felt like spring… which may explain why I felt the need to post this spring-like salad in mid-autumn. I’ll probably regret not having a pot of hot soup at the ready when the drizzle…

Corn Fritters {gluten-free + dairy-free}

Often on a Monday, the toddler and I do the grocery shopping, visiting the library on the way. He charms the socks off all the elderly ladies we see, and holds the list for me while I browse. We have a bunch of local shops, including post office, fruit and vegetable shop, pharmacy, butcher and…

Fruit & Yoghurt Slice {gluten-free and dairy options}

Fruit & Yoghurt Slice {with gluten-free and dairy-free options}

Okay, we’re going super-healthy this time, and it’s ugly but oh, so good! It’s a slice that could be co-opted as breakfast food, or packed into the lunchbox as a healthy snack. Rules surrounding what one can consume at school are getting so rigid these days, but never fear! This baby is nut-free. It is…

Banana, Berry & Chia Seed Muffins {gluten-free + dairy-free options}

The first time ever that I came across chia seeds was while teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) to adult migrants and refugees. A relative newcomer, Tuoy (pronounced ‘Twee’) had lived in Australia for many years, but had next to no knowledge of the English language. The first day she entered the class I…

Ham, Corn and Polenta Muffins {gluten-free + dairy-free}

I enjoy being able to share what I know and love. Like when I was teaching English as a Second Language to adult migrants. As a native English speaker, you’re essentially passing on what you know and love about your own language (whilst trying to explain it!). The students I taught had been through so…

Salted Caramel Truffles

Salted Caramel Truffles {gluten and dairy-free}

Karen and I go way back… um, let’s see now… 26 years. Yup, we met in high school. She was in year 7 and I was in year 8. We had a few things in common back then… for one; we were the children of missionaries… and sent to boarding school. We were also both…