Monday 24 September 2012

Fatmumslim's Photoaday for October

I try to make a solid effort to do the photoaday each month. I haven't been successful every month, but I'm on my way to completing a second full month.

These photoaday challenges are a lot of fun. For those using Instagram definitely look up fatmumslim and give it a go!

Friday 21 September 2012

Flower Headband *Update*

I finished the headband today. Yay! Pretty happy with it actually. My gorgeous little munchkin modeled it for me and it's definitely going to look gorgeous on her at an upcoming wedding that we are going to!!



Something crafty - Flower headband

So, today I decided to get crafty. I loaded my little munchkin into the car and headed off to Spotlight for supplies.

The mission was to get materials to make a headband to match a Lion King dress that my brother and his lovely girlfriend had bought for Scarlett.

I would need either a synthetic silk style fabric or organza in a bright peachy orange and lemon yellow, some stretchy white lace, gems, gem glue, white card stock and some white felt. Armed with my supplies I headed home, put the bubba down for a sleep and got to work.



I started by cutting various sized circles out of the card stock to use as stencils. Then I used these to draw around in pencil, circles, on the back of the material, which I then cut out.

I cut six lines on the edge of the fabric, only about one third of the way in to create the petals. You can round them off if you prefer(I did).

Next I lit a tea light candle, holding the petals individually and curving them slightly, held them about 4-5cm above the flame, so that they started to melt and curl inwards. I didn't do this part very well, I definitely burnt mine a little.

Once I was done with the candle, I got a needle and some white thread and did a little criss cross stitch to secure all the layers.

Lastly I used a tiny dot of glue to secure my gem to the centre of the flower.

As I said it is just a trial run but I'm overall happy with how I picture my final product looking. The colours are a perfect match for the dress, and my little munchkin is going to look absolutely gorgeous wearing these, once I attach them to a headband.

Saturday 15 September 2012

Mini Cheeseburgers

Mini Cheeseburgers = YUMMY!!! Is your inner child all excited at the thought of mini cheeseburgers? If not, it should be! :)

These are great for kids and the young at heart. Perfect with shoestring fries!

They would be a good addition to a children's party. Easy to make and tasty too! If you want to add some "hidden veg" you can easily do so by chopping it finely and mixing it into the mince.



Mini Cheeseburgers

Ingredients

Burger Patties

  • 500g Beef mince
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup of breadcrumbs (I use multigrain crumbs, with added parmesan and sesame seeds)
  • 1 tsp crushed garlic
  • Salt/Pepper to taste
Additionally you need,
  • Dinner rolls
  • Cheese slices
  • Sauce
  • Oil Spray
  • Metal Egg Ring

Method
  1. In a mixing bowl combine all the burger ingredients.
  2. Line a cookie sheet with baking paper.
  3. Spray your egg with lightly with the oil.
  4. Press your mince mixture into the egg ring. Gently lift the ring off of the patty and continue with the rest  of the mince mixture. (I got 10 mini patties out of this amount)
  5. Refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes before cooking.
  6. Lightly spray your frying pan (or BBQ) and cook the patties until browned on either side.
  7. Cut your dinner rolls in half, butter lightly if required. Lay small cheese slices on the bottom piece. 
  8. Place your cooked patty on the cheese while hot. Add your sauce and replace the top of the bun.
  9. ENJOY!!

I bought my dinner rolls from Foodland. You can get them from Bakers Delight but its best to get there early as they sell out. Also as Bakers Delight keep them in the open air, I've found they can go crusty during the day.

Favourite Pub Style Creamy Garlic Sauce

Below is a recipe for a creamy garlic sauce similar to the one you get at restaurants and pubs with schnitzels and steak. It took a bit of practice to get the right consistency and amount of garlic but I'm very happy with how this works. Best of all, it's actually pretty easy!

This goes really well with steak and schnitzel. If you prefer surf and turf just add your shrimp or prawns at the end of the cooking process.

Creamy Garlic Sauce

Ingredients

  • 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1/2 cup of chicken stock
  • 115g butter
  • 1 1/2 tbsp plain flour, sifted
  • 1/2 cup of thickened cream (you can use reduced fat if you prefer)
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley

Method

  1. Heat the butter and garlic in a small saucepan over med to high heat depending on your stove top.
  2. Add the flour gradually and stir until combined.
  3. Remove from heat.
  4. Gradually add the stock and cream and stir until combined.
  5. Return to the heat and stir until thickened.
  6. Stir in chopped parsley and serve immediately.
  7. ENJOY!!
HINT: If you don't use it all in one meal, don't worry as you can freeze it. When you go to thaw it and reheat next time, you may find that the butter has separated a little from the rest of the sauce. This isn't a problem as all you need to do is stir it back together.