Thursday 30 October 2014

Meringue Ghosts For Halloween!!


Who doesn't love a bit of whimsy when it comes to Halloween and these cute and simple meringue ghosts will definitely have your guests smiling!

To make the meringue mixture simply follow this technique then place the mix into a piping bag fitted with a round tipped nozzle (I used Wilton's 1A nozzle).

To make the eyes you can use anything you like... raisins, round licorice or black fondant cut into small rounds using the tip of the piping nozzle. Simply melt some white chocolate and use it as "glue" to attach the eyes to the cooled and baked meringues.



 



Happy Halloween!

Tuesday 28 October 2014

Simple Halloween Cupcakes

I'm baking 150 cupcakes this Halloween for a 21st Birthday and have been brainstorming visually effective but simple designs for the day. You can't go wrong with a simple frosting swirl finished with a central trinket or piece of candy and after hours of searching Kmart, The Reject Shop and Aldi came up with the goods...

These cupcakes are a great idea for time poor entertainers this Halloween. You can even use store bought cakes if baking is not your thing!


To complete simply mix up a batch of butter cream frosting and add orange or green food colouring, then pipe in a circle using a star tipped nozzle and finished with the candy or trinket in the center (just make sure the trinkets are food safe or attach to a toothpick and place on top).





Enjoy!!

Wednesday 22 October 2014

Recipe To Riches Mrs Mills Easy Bake!

After watching Channel 10's season 2 return of Recipe To Riches last night I went straight to Safeway aka Woolworths and bought a packet of Mrs Mills Easy Bake! I loved the show last year and Choc Corn was the only product I tried during the competitive rounds. After last nights show I knew I had to try AJ Mills gorgeous creations because in my book sour cherries and chocolate are a match made in heaven!!!

So let's get down to the review...

This is a frozen cookie dough stored in the freezer aisle. Having read many tips on good biscuit baking I knew resting and freezing dough before baking were two "bakers secrets" worth knowing so the product had a big tick in my book from the get go...  the chocolate cherry cookie combo was another big tick BUT after many years of baking my own cakes I recently baked a store bought cake mix and boy was I shocked by the awful taste - they really are nasty. So I was kind of expecting the same mass produced chemical taste from this bake-at-home product but before I talk about the taste let's look at the packaging, product and how to.




The directions are as simple as pre heat your oven, place on a baking tray and bake for 12 mins! I love the no fuss no mess approach... once these guys cool they are crispy around the edges and soft in the center. The biscuit isn't oozing with chocolate but the ratio is just right and the contrast with the sour cherries is delish. They really don't taste mass produced either, you could definitely pass them off as home made... for my money dried sour cherries for a chewy texture would have been gorgeous but that's being super fussy. Overall Mrs Mills Easy Bake is really delicious and well worth the win!!!




Friday 10 October 2014

Local Business Crush - Cush & Co And Those Must Have Moroccan Leather Poufs

The lovely people you meet and the community you form through Social Media is really something! I I love stumbling across an amazing online business who know their style, take on the big brands and own their corner of the market. Melbourne's Cush & Co is most definitely a prime example of one of those brands.

Courtesy of Cush & Co

Founded in 2012 with the aim of sourcing fabulous furnishings at great prices the Cush & Co team offer a beautiful range and it's no surprise their hand crafted Moroccan Leather Poufs lead me straight to them while perusing Instagram.

I was thrilled and delighted when the team re-posted one of my pics a few months ago and was over the moon when Clare approached me for an interview featured here on their blog - blushing!!

Courtesy of Cush & Co

Cush & Co Facebook
Cush & Co

Pillows and ottomans are one of the simplest ways to update and enhance your interior without overhauling the lot... I recently added a caramel leather pouf to my living room and it is like a little work of art. Hand stitched with silk threads and just the right amount of boho chic - love it!


Enjoy your weekend
xx

Saturday 4 October 2014

Vintage Chanel Poster - Thrifty Saturdays

It's been a while between thrifty Saturday shopping hauls and this extra special purchase was found online a few weeks ago. I love eBay and have bought many second hand and vintage bits and pieces for my home through the site and as soon as I stumbled across this vintage Chanel poster I had to make it mine! It is very similar to the style and size featured on The Block last year and my husband and I tried building our own frame using wooden moulding and custom cut perspex but it was a total fail so we sent it the be professionally framed.

Today marks the posters homecoming from the framers and at 1.2 x 1.6 metres it is without doubt the largest framed work I own to date - can't wait to see how it looks! I chose a lime washed flat edged wooden frame similar to the image top right (below).





I plan to rest the poster against a wall rather then nailing and hanging in place, that way I can move it around our home as I please!

xx