Di-licious

Blogging was the last thing on my mind for a long time. Every year my domain renewal notice would arrive and I'd debate whether to let it all go. I stopped for a number of reasons: I hated the so-called rules of being a better blogger. It stopped being fun. I was busy enough offline. My computer crashed. I didn't feel authentic. I'm no longer interested in sharing lots of recipes or how I'm tackling the latest parenting phase. My Instagram feed pretty much sums up where I'm at these days.  Sewing more. Making sourdough bread. Walking the dog. Making marmalade. Baking a bit. Getting into the garden. I have missed taking photos with my DSLR. I missed writing. So Di-licious 2017 onward is going to look and sound a lot different. It's more about who I am. A personal blog documenting what I'm doing. What's making me happy. I'm also going to close down the Facebook Page. D x

I am on a mission to relearn how to sew clothes. Back in highschool I managed to turn out a fully boned, strapless black taffeta dress, complete with scalloped over skirt trimmed with fouffy taffeta bows. Sadly there are no photos of me in that dress but a small part of me wishes I'd kept it as a reminder of what I could do. I didn't sit at a sewing machine again til I was in my late 20s - making a belly dancing costume. As you do. Last year I got a new sewing machine for my birthday and I tackled my first quilt and a dress for Olive. Pinking all those seams drove me crazy - Olive refusing to wear said dress made me crazier! Last month was my birthday so I picked out a second hand overlocker (only used twice!) and a dressmaking dummy. I ordered the awesome Colette  book and a beginners dress pattern from local indie designer Blue Ginger Doll . I picked out some gorgeous fabric and matching thread. I sensibly made a muslin (test dress out of calico) and was s

From time to time I lose track of what's in the fruit bowl or vegetable crisper. Oranges go soft, beans sweat and grow fuzzy.... I feel guilty when I tos them into the compost. This morning I spied four forlorn apples languishing at the bottom of the bowl. Determined not to relegate them to the worms, I decided to turn them into muffins. There are a thousand or more muffin recipes out there and for me I prefer ones that use oil instead of butter. A dry muffin is a sad affair so you want to add moistness. In this case, yoghurt comes to the rescue. I also like my fruit to be soft in the muffin once its cooked so I actually pre-cook it in the microwave first. Just peel, dice, pop into a microwave safe container and cover with a lid or a folded piece of paper towel. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes until tender. You'll be amazed how much apple-ier they taste than had you used raw apple pieces. You could substitute the apple for chopped up plums or pears. RECIPE: Apple and

I started collecting food magazines about fifteen years ago. I was obsessed with food, cooking and the ins and outs of the Australian food scene. Fast forward to late last year, the top shelf of Olive's wardrobe was groaning with back issues of Delicious, Donna Hay, Good Taste, Vogue Entertaining, Gourmet Traveller & Cuisine. They were organised by title and season so I could pull out a set of Autumnal issues in March and seek inspiration. But truth be told, less and less of the recipes grabbed my interest. I'm not interested in cheffy tricks and complicated processes anymore. Nowadays I'm looking for quick, simple recipes that get me through the week and stand up to being reheated when Mr Di-licious comes home late from work. Faced with the prospect of moving boxes and boxes of magazines that I hardly looked at anymore, I decided to get rid of them...but not before one last flick through in order to clip any recipes that still caught my eye. I ma

My first stitching project. Embroidery is highly addictive - I stayed up to all hours to finish this one.  It's true I haven't posted for a while. Life has been busy - doesn't it always get like that? A couple of months as a working mum and I think I can almost say I've gotten the hang of it. I've had to rethink my approach to the week, how I cook, how I clean and how I carve out time for me. Inspired by my late Nanna, I've made craft my release valve to life. I've completed my first quilt, my first stitching project as well as making items for my CWA branch's upcoming craft stall. I still love cooking but craft has less calories... And I'm still blogging....it's just that sometimes I get a little distracted..... A mug warmer for my niece using some vintage buttons from my Nanna's stash. Making a bundle of tissue holders for my CWA Branch's upcoming craft stall. Great Teacher's Gifts! Last step of my fi

"So what do you put in Olive's lunchbox?" my girlfriend asked me yesterday. It's something I get asked a lot. Generally its a small bread roll with vegemite or jam, a piece of fruit, maybe a cheese stick and something baked. Muffins make a regular appearance.  They're just so easy to whip up using whatever's lying around in the fruit bowl, pantry or freezer. Today's flavour combination came about from having some leftover almond meal from making Kransekake last week, the last of the bag of frozen berries and a container of cooked apple in the fridge. I've been cooking up apple a lot lately since Olive's teeth have gone wobbly. (The tooth fairy will be visiting again tonight.) Cooking it in the microwave is a breeze and means you have apple pieces as opposed to apple mush. Pop it in a container and throw in a spoon and your lunchbox is apple friendly again. Once the muffins are cool, wrap them up  in small freezer bags and toss the