Lately, In My Kitchen

I have been enjoying some time in the kitchen this week. I always like to cook, but our kitchen is so tiny it makes it hard to stay motivated. We have been in this house for 1 and a half years now and I know that when we move on, the kitchen size will be at the top of my priority list!

I love sourdough bread. This particular one is a Lauke Flour Mills mix, which I do in my bread maker. I used to always make my bread by hand, but when I saw a brand new in the box bread maker at the Yandina Markets for $15, I couldn't pass it up. It has been great and I use it to mix my pizza dough as well. It is a real labour savour.

I particularly love fresh, hot sourdough dipped in balsamic vinegar and a good, fruity Australian olive oil!!

We have had so much rain since the start of the year and that is always a good opportunity for some yummy baking. Chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles are always a hit.

Zucchini and Bacon pasta is a family favourite here. So quick to put together with a bit of Australian garlic and Parmesan cheese for extra flavour.

My kitchen bench full of our fruit and veg for the fortnight (what you see here is my entire kitchen bench!). 2 days after this entered our house we were gifted another huge box of fruit and veg.

My friends husband owns a local green grocer and when they have items that have not sold and need to be taken off the shelf, they kindly pass it on to others. This meant a good portion of my Thursday was spent chopping and freezing veg.

I couldn't fit another thing in my freezer if I tried. This is a good thing!

A yummy filling breakfast. Free range eggs, mushrooms and shallots.

Sometimes the good things in our kitchen aren't always made by me! This tasty chicken casserole was brought round by a good friend last week, a big help when I really needed it.

The tomatoes that were in our "gifted" box of fruit and veg needed to be used asap. I roasted them with some garlic and onions, whizzed them up and put in the freezer to add to pasta.

This is Spanish Mackerel. Crumbed and baked for dinner on the weekend. We rarely eat fish as I like to know where it has come from. Our good friends fish regularly and will often pass some on to us. I like that it has been caught locally and that they only ever take what they need. I can eat my fish dinner with a clear conscience.

x Shara