Recipe :: Date & Walnut Truffles

This is a great recipe for a healthier treat option. My good friend Jen from 'Mumbles & Rumbles' used to make these when we briefly lived together in Clifton Hill in 2012-13. They are really impressive and super simple to make.

Date & Choc Truffles

INSPIRED BY: "Frank the Tank" from Mumbles & Rumbles
PREP: 15 min
SERVINGS: 20 (small) 

INGREDIENTS 

1 1/3 cups dried, pitted dates
1 cup walnuts
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
3-4 tbsp cocoa

DIRECTIONS

1/ Pop everything in a food processor and blend for 2-3 minutes or until it forms crumbs.

2/ Using your hands, roll into balls, then in the coconut and pop on a tray.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

xx S & T

Recipe :: Choc Crackles

I think just about everyone I know has a fond memory of eating chocolate crackles as kids. Such a simple recipe bought so much pleasure at friends birthday parties and family events. They're pretty good to eat as an adult too!

Choc Crackles

INSPIRED BY: Kellogs
PREP: 15 min
SERVINGS: 20 (large), 30 (small) 

INGREDIENTS 

4 cups rice bubbles
1 cup icing sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut
5 tbsp cocoa
250 g, Copha, melted

DIRECTIONS

1/ Mix all ingredients together, spoon mixture into cup-cake papers and refrigerate until set.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

xx S & T

Recipe :: Salty Choc Chip Cookies

These salty choc chip cookies are simply amazing. That's saying something coming form a savoury-tooth. I don't eat cookies, cakes or sweets, however I love baking and especially for others. The idea of combining the sweet with some salty was appealing, and I have to say, this was incredible. The salt really sets off the chocolate. I used 55% cocoa for this recipe - it was perfect.

Salty Choc Chip Cookies

INSPIRED BY: Jules Clancy @ Stonesoup
PREP: 15 min
SERVINGS: 10 (large), 20 (small) 

INGREDIENTS 

150 g butter, softened
250 g light brown sugar
1 egg
225 g plain/all-purpose flour
225 g dark chocolate
maldon sea flakes

DIRECTIONS

1/ Blend butter and sugar in a food processor or stand mixer until light and creamy.

2/ Add egg and mix until well combined.

3/ Add 3/4 teaspoon baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon bicarb soda to the flour and mix to combine.

4/ Fold butter mixture into the flour until only just combined.

5/ Chop chocolate into chunks and add to the dough. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes but no longer than 72 hours.

6/ When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 180C. Line 2 baking sheets or trays with baking paper. 

7/ Scoop soup-spoon sized balls of dough and place on the prepared trays; allow room to spread. Sprinkle with salt flakes.

8/ Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden; cool on a cooling rack.

xx S & T

Recipe :: Puff Pastry Tartlets

These are such delightful canapé treats for all occasions; picnics, Christmas, weddings, Sunday afternoons - anytime! This recipe reveals one topping suggestion, but really you can top these with any of your favourite toppings. Goats cheese would be a good choice, with some roasted pumpkin or a similar sweet roasted vegetable.

Puff Pastry Tartlets

INSPIRED BY: Homemade canapés
PREP: 15 min
SERVINGS: 12 

INGREDIENTS 

1 pkt puff pastry
1 jar gourmet pasta sauce
12 slices proscuitto
4 fresh asparagus stalks, cut into pieces
parmesan, or any other hard cheese
chives and/or parsley, chopped finely
thyme or lemon thyme
salt & pepper
olive oil

DIRECTIONS 

1/ Pre-heat oven to 220°C with baking tray in middle shelf of oven.

2/ Cut round bases from puff pastry about 6cm diameter and spread with gourmet sauce. Arrange proscuitto, asparagus and top with parmesan cheese and some of the thyme.

3/ Place tartlets on baking paper on pre-heated baking tray and cook for 10 min. Cool Serve at room temperature, drizzled lightly with olive oil and garnish.

xx S & T

Recipe :: Roast Eye Fillet

This is such an amazing beef dish. I've often served it at dinner parties on a wooden chopping board half-carved to impress guests. I think the perfect cooking time is 25 minutes. It's best accompanied by a fresh green salad, and if your after further comfort food, a smooth potato mash that incorporates butter and cream cheese.

Roast Eye Fillet

INSPIRED BY: Home recipe 

PREP: 10 min 

COOKING TIME: 25 min 

SERVINGS: 8 

INGREDIENTS 

1 kg beef eye fillet 

jar wholegrain mustard 

salt & pepper to taste 

olive oil 

DIRECTIONS 

1/ Combine wholegrain mustard, salt & pepper and rub over eye fillet and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. 

2/ Preheat oven and oven tray to 180°C (160°C fan forced oven). 

3/ Heat oil in pan and brown eye fillet on all sides to seal the meat; place in oven and cook for 25 minutes until medium-rare. 

VARIATIONS 

Rare – cook 20 minutes 

Medium – cook 30 minutes 

Well-done – cook 45 minutes 

4/ Rest meat for at least 15 minutes loosely covered with foil; carve then serve. 

Best served with jus, horseradish or hot mustard.

S & T

Recipe :: Spinach & Chickpea Frittata

This was a fabulous, quick recipe - especially with the spinach, herbs and seasoning folded into the egg mixture. I used lemon thyme, which was DELICIOUS! The chickpeas would have been better soaked in boiling water and vegetable stock for a short while, as I thought they were a little bland. I will try that step next time when I test this recipe a second time with small variations (like adding slices of tomato to the top before the frittata is placed in the oven).

Spinach & Chickpea Frittata

INSPIRED BY: Jules Clancy @ Stonesoup
PREP: 20 min
COOKING TIME: 15 min
SERVINGS: 4 

INGREDIENTS

6 barn laid or free range eggs
1 handful good quality freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 large can chickpeas, soaked in vegetable stock then drained
1 small handful of baby spinach
1 roma tomato, sliced
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked
3 sprigs thyme or lemon thyme
salt & pepper to taste
olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1/ Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) and place baking tray on middle oven shelf.

2/ Line a 20cm spring-form pan with baking paper and grease with olive oil.

3/ Gently whisk eggs, parmesan and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix in chickpeas, spinach, half the thyme and rosemary, salt and pepper then pour into prepared tin and scatter sliced tomato remaining rosemary and thyme; season again.

4/ Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden and spongy to the touch.

Serve immediately or at room temperature.

xx S & T

Recipe :: Chilli Chicken Stir Fry for a Midsummer Wedding

I'm trying to think of things to make that taste just as good cold as they do hot. I also want recipes that are low-fuss; we have a lot to make leading up to our wedding! So while hunting online and in my cookbooks for the right recipes I was also visiting OP shops, home-ware shops and cooking supply shops for serving platters and serving containers for canapé portions. I found a bunch of Asian serving spoons in an Asian Grocer in Richmond, which look great presenting the mouthful sized portions for this colourful, tasty recipe.

Chilli Chicken Stir Fry

INSPIRED BY: Jules Clancy @ Stonesoup
PREP: 15 min
PARTY SERVINGS: 20

INGREDIENTS

500 g minced chicken
3 large red chillies, thinly sliced
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 limes, cut in half
1 bunch basil leaves, washed
vegetable or peanut oil
chives
salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS

1/ Heat a wok or large frying pan over a high heat for a few minutes. When the pan is hot, add a little peanut or vegetable oil and stir fry the chicken and chillies for a few minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Season to taste.

2/ Add fish sauce, lime juice from one lime and remove from the heat. Taste and add more sauces if you think it needs it. Toss in basil leaves after the stir fry has cooled a little.

Serve hot or cold, garnished with chives and finely chopped basil leaves.

xx S & T

Recipe :: Antipasto

I just love an antipasto platter.

Sometimes I think there is nothing better in the world than sharing food with friends and family. It's the ritual of heading out to a good deli or grocer and selecting quality cheeses, pastes (especially quince or fig), dry proscuitto, roasted capsicum and Spanish olives. Opening up your home and sitting around a table with good wine or specialty beer; what more could you want?

Antipasto 

INSPIRED BY: Homemade platter
PREP: 15 min
SERVINGS: 10 

INGREDIENTS 

pecorino cheese
pepper hard cheese
blue cheese
prosciutto, sliced thinly
quince paste
fig & walnut log
roasted capsicum
Spanish olives
crackers
ciabatta, sliced thinly

DIRECTIONS

1/ Place cheeses together on a wooden cheese board, alongside prosciutto, olives, roasted capsicum, quince and fig & walnut log.

Serve at room temperature.

xx S & T

Recipe :: Sausage Rolls

Sausage rolls aren't just for kids. They're a great wholesome treat, especially when made small so you can have a few at a time, then save the rest for later. These are great eaten right away, or refrigerated and eaten the next day - hot or cold.

Homemade Sausage Rolls

INSPIRED BY: Martha Stewart
PREP: 20 min
SERVINGS: 20

INGREDIENTS

½ kg lean ground pork 

½ kg lean ground beef
½ medium onion, chopped
½ carrot, finely grated
½ cup potatoes, chopped & cooked
½ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 tbsp fresh or dried sage leaves
2 tbsp sambal oelek
1 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 pkt frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 eggs, beaten
poppy seeds

DIRECTIONS

1/ Preheat oven to 180°C. Set a wire rack on a baking sheet and set aside.

2/ Place mince, onion, potato, carrot, parsley, sage, salt, pepper, one egg, and sambal oelek in a large bowl; using a fork, mix to combine.

3/ Unfold each sheet of puff pastry and take a handful of meat mixture and spread out in a long log down one edge of the pastry. Roll until one edge is about to double in pastry, brush with egg and create the double layer – this forms the base of the sausage roll. Slice the rolls at 3cm intervals and place on the baking sheet. Repeat until all the pastry sheets and mixture is used.

4/ Brush rolls with remaining egg mixture, sprinkle with poppy seeds and transfer to oven; bake until golden about 20 minutes.

Serve with various condiments, for dipping.

xx S & T

Inspiration :: Bunting

There is nothing better than getting together with friends and completing a task together. It's great for your friendships, for the conversation and for working toward your event!

I decided to make loads of circle bunting for my wedding in colours I might find on the mountain - golds, greens, blues, creams, blacks etc. The landscape at Mt Hotham in the summer is spectacular. The wildflowers are out and there are snow gums (Eucalyptus pauciflora) lining the horizon. Wild bushfires devastated the landscape earlier this year, so that's why black is included in the collection too. Hopefully by December there will be enough regrowth in the are and the fires won't strike again.

Tip :: Photos

I have been scouring websites and blogs for the wedding and came across the idea of using Instagram to document the wedding.

They can then be played through a slideshow with Statigram, and then finally have great photos printed through Printstagram. So, I'm not going to waste any time, and have created the hashtag #sim&tysonNY13 for our wedding. Fabulous idea and hopefully guests embrace the concept.

Also, I have newly discovered 'A Beautiful Mess' - a wonderful blog with all sorts of DYI tips on photography, craft, hair, recipes and decor amongst many other things. Love the ideas and tips and the photography is quite beautiful.

Idea :: Collecting Things

I started collecting second-hand and vintage plates, glasses and table settings. It was great fun heading out each weekend to find things that would work well with my "Vintage Midsummer Wedding" theme.  I should have gone to more garage sales in retrospect, however I did get around to loads of OP shops on the North-side of Melbourne. Many treasures were uncovered and purchased - most for $2 or under, and all glasses were under $1.

Jars used from home, or on sale at the supermarket or at markets.

Random plates from OP shops and miss-matched champaign glasses for the wedding. I thought this would add a casual, fun flavour to the event, reminding me not to take things too seriously.

These are gems - on the left spoons from an Asian grocer in Richmond - cheap in bulk. The small jugs centre I found in an American Vintage store in New York. They're serving jugs from an old diner supply company that's going out of business - "Made in America"! The cheese knives and serving spoons were from a similar supplier.

I hope this serving platter and gin stays in-tact for s while at the serve-yourself drinks table. It was a good idea at the time...

Inspiration :: Colour for a Midsummer Wedding

It's hard to know where to start when you get to the stage of selecting your wedding colour scheme on your own, and that's exactly what I had to do. However, I soon discovered a lot of online sites where you can upload a photo and the program creates a colour scheme based on the main colours in the photo. You can also select colour sections in the photo to add to your palette.

I first played with an image that I took in 2012/13 up at Mt Hotham. This view is from the balcony of my dad's ski lodge that he helped build in the 1970's.

I then played with an image I found online that I loved.

Inspiration :: Flowers for a Midsummer Wedding

I collect what I love and I love collecting images. Like many folk, I take loads of images on my iPhone and with my digi camera (when I can be bothered taking it out of it's case!). I archive these like a crazy person, amassing a ridiculous number of images that it's likely only I'm interested in looking at. You never know when you'll need them though - the benefits of collecting might be realised sometime way in the future.

So, this is a collection of images I sourced from the internet (mainly from the Fowlers Flowers website - LOVE!) and took myself that I archived to help inspire and delight:

Images from the internet

Images from Fowlers Flowers, Clifton Hill, Melbourne

Image from the internet

Images from Mt Hotham

Tips :: Make your list for a Midsummer Wedding

This is my "folder list" of things to group and prepare. I did this as soon as I started planning and it made me get organised from the outset. I created these folders on my computer and started filling them by gathering things I liked from the internet - photos, websites, recipes etc and popping them in the relevant folder.

Accommodation & Guest List

Detailed lists of guests and where they were going to stay: We had to book lodges for out guests to stay in and I booked these in March. Given it was a New Year's Eve wedding, we invited guests to the wedding in March.

Beauty

Products and plans: I started testing makeup early on to see what else I might need for the day. I also googled blogs and videos for tips. Given my fiancé and I were getting married at Mt Hotham, I knew I wouldn't have someone on hand to do hair and makeup, so I started researching online tutorials, and came across a fabulous website Pixiwoo.com, which gave me great tips on "do it yourself" makeup combinations.

Budget  

Income and expenditure: I created this as an Excel spreadsheet and made a new page for every major item i.e. Food, beverages, decorations, bride, groom etc   

Celebrant

Allow time to select your celebrant. There are many search engines online and, of course, there are recommendations to consider from friends. Prices can range from $600 to $2,000 or beyond, so make sure to discuss the costs upfront and make a time to meet prospective celebrants early on. We had chosen our celebrant by May.

Decorations

What type of decorations and colour palette: Not being a wedding planner or interior designer (or a designer of any kind) I was a little nervous creating the decorations and a colour scheme on my own. However, I did and I decided early on that I wanted to be as environmentally conscious as possible and didn't want what I decided on to clash with the landscape. So I looked for recycled materials where possible and tried to make the colour scheme link to what was already there: white, cream, yellow, grey/blue and gumtree green. I then googled various DYI wedding sites for handy tips and there is so much to discover online.

Dress

Search online and in person: Set your budget - mine was $600 - and start your search. I read so many vintage DYI wedding blogs where the bride found her beautiful dress online on sites like Etsy. I trawled for months trying to find genuine vintage or vintage inspired dress that fitted my measurements and suited my body type and came up with nothing in my budget. So I ventured in to a bridal store and found the most beautiful dress. Not white (or black as many friends had feared), but hand-painted silk that had the colours of Mt Hotham in the fabric.

Flowers

From a florist or bundled yourself: This can be a very costly exercise and with that in mind I decided to do my own. I did some online research and decided that I wanted a few bundles of flowers and herbs incorporated and that I would just pick the rest myself...from gardens and parks. What I would include, if it was seasonal, was rosemary, chamomile and ranunculus. If you live in Melbourne, I highly recommend Fowlers Flowers in Northcote. I used their bouquets as inspiration for my wedding.

Food & Drinks

Create detailed lists and start preparing early: We decided to cater our own wedding, and in a perfect world, I would have had the budget to go out and buy all the ingredients in one go and get a discount on buying bulk. However, I didn't have this luxury, so added items from my wedding list to my weekly grocery list and bought things as I went. On reflection, I think I preferred it this way - it made the boring weekly shopping chore in to a weekly adventure! We also bought one major alcohol purchase each fortnight - a couple of slabs here, and a bottle of gin there. Fun.

Forms

Download the wedding form: This is required for all legal Australian marriages. While your celebrant should be across what's needed, it's handy to go through the material yourself too.

Gifts

For the wedding slaves...I mean party: My fiancé and I decided not to have a formal wedding party. I particularly didn't want anyone to feel left out. Having said that I wanted to make sure that those who helped felt appreciated. So I kept a folder of ideas for gifts of appreciation.

Invite

Mail or email? I decided to send eInvites and designed them myself. This was a budgetary consideration as well as an environmental one. I am sure some folks wondered about being invited to a wedding via email, but to be honest, the idea that I was going to print all these cards and they just get thrown away, could't justify the need.

Kids Tent

Kids or no kids? We decided that given so many of our friends and family now have kids, to embrace this fact rather than fight against it. Also, we're going to be in the mountains - kids love the outdoors! So we decided to create a kids tent with drawing, painting, puzzles and games to entertain them.

Location & Map

When it's a destinations wedding: You need to get people to a destination wedding safely and easily, so I created a map that guests could follow and attached it to the invite.

Marquee

To buy or hire? I had wanted to do EVERYTHING myself - put up the marquee, build the dance floor, cook etc. I let that go early on too. I would have been crazy to take that all on, and listened to my parents for once and got an event hiring company to install the marquee, flooring and supply tables and chairs. Phew.

Supplies

All those extra things: Start a list and guaranteed, you will still be adding to it two months out. But at least its down on paper. Mine included things like extension cords, batter operated candles (we were going to be a fire-ban territory), tablecloths etc.

To do list

This is the overall order of things: Leading up to the wedding it's good to have an overall plan of what needs to get done when. I think I wrote it in March and barely looked at it after August - I was in the flow by then and most things were on track.

Wedding day

Running sheet: That you prepare and someone you nominate time-keeps on the day.