Sorry I've been missing in action for the last week, I was very sick and have only just started recovering!

Thus, no mid-week cooking as I was stranded in bed with dvds, pillows and getting lots of rest!

Got all of these magazines on ebay for $16.50! Not bad don't you reckon! I've spent most of my weekend going through some of them and flagging all the things I want to make.

I have made some cupcakes which I will post up soon, but for now I'd thought I'd share my recent purchase!

Alana and I kick ass when playing "Cooking Mama" on wii, yet put us in the kitchen and we are not so great! But at least we have fun!

I bought some of the new Donna Hay jam at David Jones, flavour "Strawberry & Vanilla".
I was so surprised that there was a whole section of home wares by her! I love her stuff. I bought a cake stand, measuring cups and spoons. Could have bought heaps more if only I had room to store it!!


So anyway, we tried to make scones following an old Woman's Weekly cookbook, but it turned out like this:

So we added more flour, then there was too much flour, then we added some lemonade, then there was to much so we added more flour! They didn't rise very high but still tasted good! We made a big mess but managed to try the new jam!

Better luck next time! =)

Saturday night was a family affair, last gathering together before my parents jet off overseas.
I offered to make dessert and decided I'd try yet another cheesecake recipe from the Australian Woman's Weekly Cheesecake book.

Oh what a story to tell!
Usually when doing a cheesecake mum taught me to cover the base of the springform tin with glad wrap then put the biscuit base, etc. So I did all of this and it wasn't until I was about to put it in the oven I thought "Oh frick! The glad wrap is going to melt!!" So operation scoop the cheesecake out of the tin begun, with the assistance of mum, then we wash and greased the tin and then it could finally bake!

However, it was a delicious cheesecake and I had a funny story to tell that night! I think I should have chopped the figs a lot finer but it was still yum!
Ingredients were quite expensive though so won't be making this one too often!


80g brazil nuts
125g plain sweet biscuits
80g butter, melted
1 cup orange juice
250g finely chopped dried figs
1 cinnamon stick
pinch ground clove

Filling
250g cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
165g cup caster sugar
250g marscarpone
2 eggs, separated

1. Grease 22cm springform tin.

2. Process buts and biscuits until fine. Add butter; process mixture over base of tin. Place tin on over tray; refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 160 degrees or 140 degrees fan forced.

4. Combine juice, figs, cinnamon and cloves in small saucepan; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes or until most of the juice has been absorbed. Discard cinnamon stick. Spread fig mixture over crumb base in tin.

5. Make filling by beating cream cheese, rind and sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Add mascarpone and yolks; beat only until combined. Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form; fold into cheese mixture.

6. Pour filling over fig mixture; bake about 1 hour + 15 mins. Cool in oven with door ajar.

7. Refrigerate cheesecake 3 hours or overnight. Serve dusted with sifted icing sugar, if desired.

Serves 12.

Eh Voila! Bon Appétit!