Food lately

… or rather, food from the past year or so.

I snacked on these 'Happy Crackers' a lot while I was pregnant. Recipe from My New Roots.

Then after Ray was born I couldn't wait to get back into eating soft cheeses and deli meats! I made this platter when my mum came over to meet Ray, and also piled on some seasonal figs.

Muffins were a handy snack when Ray was still in the hospital, and the days were so busy I didn't get time to sit down for lunch. Then once Ray came home the days were even busier! I'm in awe of anyone who manages to still cook, let alone bake with a new baby at home. If you know someone who has just had a baby, then I think muffins would be a great gift to drop off for them, as most food needs to be consumed with one hand!

Delicious brunch with Mr Meet-Cute at St Ali, on one of our first outings with baby in tow.

Cauliflower soup, a Winter staple.

Donut and a cuppa on a gloomy Winter day.

Little cheesy potato bakes, with more cheese than potato.

Egg baked in an avo! I love the idea of this more than I actually enjoyed eating it, as the avocado ended up a bit weird and dry.

Takeout salad from Munsterhaus. This was after a week of eating rubbish, and I was craving some fresh healthy goodness!

Amazing french toast at Dench when Mr Meet-Cute's Mum was in town.

Soups Season

When I realised that Winter was coming to an end I started to panic about not having made the most of the cooler weather, which is perfect for making and eating one of my favourite foods - soup! During the height of summer Melbourne gets so hot that I can hardly bear to be near a hot oven, so I was determined to get my fill of soup appreciation before the end of the season. Here are a couple of my favourites from the ensuing soup binge.

Ripe Recipes Curried Parsnip & Apple soup.

Birthday Borscht from Trotsky and Ash (my favourite).

And this roast cauliflower and chickpea soup was a delicious, cosy delight.

And speaking of foodie deliciousness, this week on Where the Lovely Things Are it is Food Week! There have been lovely yummy food posts every day, and I was rather chuffed to be asked to participate by answering some foodie questions. Thanks Mallory! I've really been loving all the food content this week. Yum!

Weekend Yummingtons

I spent a large part of my weekend cooking and eating. Maybe due to the cold weather that's set in, or perhaps a little bit inspired by the new season of Masterchef, which is HUGE here in Aussie. In past years I've resisted getting too addicted to Masterchef, last year I felt like the only person in Australia who wasn't watching it, until eventually getting sucked in during the last month. And the year before that I'd only just moved here and didn't have a telly. This year, one week in and I'm hooked already! The 'Green Eggs and Ham' dish from the other night, complete with homemade crumpets looked so amaaazing… so obsessed with homemade crumpets. Yum!

My own cooking style is a bit more basic, such as this rustic beans n' mushrooms dish - yeah pretty far from Masterchef, but satisfying nevertheless! Eaten with olive bread rolls from the vege market, and with lots of fresh neighbourhood rosemary. I'm also tempted to try this rosemary with icecream idea, if only it weren't so cold here at the moment. It's just not icecream sandwich weather.

I also tried this Roast Chicken recipe, which was very easy to follow and soooo delicious. Pictured below is 'Step 9) After 30 mins, tear up basil leaves, add to roasting pan.' I don't have any pics of the finished roast as once it was done I was too greedy and had to tuck in right away, but you get the idea, no? Twas delish!