Friday 5 December 2014

What's in my kitchen, December 2014

As my final IMK for the year, I'd like to take the opportunity to send out season's greetings. 
I look forward to visiting other kitchens redolent with the smells of the festive season and drooling over kitchen creations, something that my kitchen is currently lacking!

In my kitchen is...

A box of ready to eat meals, courtesy of my awesome baker friend and her man. Yes, its a bit of a terrible picture as Mr Fork was grabbing for stuff as I took it... but this box is jam packed full of delicious things, both vegetarian and meaty so that Mr Fork, Ellie and I can just reheat and be eating something scrumptious in seconds. I am in awe of the sheer love, effort and thought that went into this box of gifted goodies... and my stomach thanks them every time I eat a meal that isn't takeaway! This is a fabulous present for anyone with a new baby! Or anyone really...


In my kitchen is...

Chocolates from local markets. Delicious dark chocolate with figs or with nuts and chilli to be exact. They are amazing, and I am spacing out the eating of them as otherwise I will indulge far more often than is healthy...


In my kitchen is...

A ginormous blueberry muffin, courtesy of another friend who stopped by to visit Jimmy, and kindly brought his ever-hungry mother some sustenance as well. I shared this monster muffin with Ellie when she came home from daycare so that I didn't feel such a greedy eating machine.

I should add that Mr Fork has gone back to work now, so it's just me watching Ellie and Jimmy during the days. I didn't really appreciate how much work a newborn would be with a toddler as well, and I'm thankful for the generosity of my friends who make sure that I have plenty to eat, even if I can't always find the time to eat it!


In my kitchen is...

A Merryteaser Reindeer (or several). I didn't think it could get better than the MaltEaster Bunnies, but turns out there is a Christmas version too. Oh happy days! These little fellows are harder to find in stores than I'd expect, but Coles sometimes has them in their seasonal aisle. I have to hide from Mr Fork and Ellie when I eat one, as I swear those two have a special extra sense for seeking out the crinkling of chocolate wrappers...


In my kitchen is...

A pile of spinach. Fresh from the garden, I think it'll be the last of my planted spinach as the heat is starting to make it all look a little sad and past it's prime. I hustled out before the day got hot to harvest this bunch, as well as one ripened eggplant that the possums missed. The spinach was then separated into leaves and stems, blanched, cooled, bagged and labeled ready to freeze as I'm just not enthused enough to cook with it right now but I didn't want it to go to waste.


I'm thinking when I get my cooking mojo back in force, I will use the spinach leaves to create a pie I've been pondering lately, and the stems will find their way into various stews, stocks and soups.


In my kitchen is...

An apple tea cake, baked especially to help use up some of the sad looking apples from my fruit box. This is a simple recipe which freezes beautifully and which Ellie and I enjoyed for both morning and afternoon tea one day.


I am linking this post in with Fig Jam and Lime Cordial's monthly In My Kitchen event. Go have a peek through other kitchens around the globe!

What's in your kitchen this month?

18 comments:

  1. Ha! your ginormous muffin might have to be eaten with a knife and Fork!! Love the look of your apple tea cake. Great way to use up wayward fruit. We too have discovered the Merryteaser Reindeer. Such a fun treat! Have a great Christmas Lisa, Kirsty xx

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    1. Thanks Kirsty. Those reindeers are a bit addictive! Lucky they're only seasonal! x

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  2. what a great looking apple tea cake. ooh i love the look of that merryteaser. so hard to find heaps of things at the shops. it's like they hide them and only those in the know can find them:) merry xmas to you and yours.

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    1. Merry Christmas Sherry! Sometimes I think it's a good thing the delicious snacks are hard to find! :)

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  3. Yum chocolate! I'm glad you've had some helpful friends give you meals and food too - just the thing when you are short on time and have a newborn.

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    1. Thanks Kari. I am very lucky. I imagine it would be a good thing to do for someone who has just moved and hasn't stocked their kitchen properly yet too, right? :)

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  4. G'day I can almost smell your apple tea cake from here and the MaltEaster Bunnies always make me smile!
    Thanks for brightening my day and for this month's kitchen view too!
    Cheers! Joanne

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    1. Thanks Joanne! Nothing like the smell of apples baking is there?

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  5. I loved discovering your blog through IMK :-) Those chocolates look and sound delicious, I'd probably over indulge on them too :-D
    I wish I'd thought to do that with my spinach a few months ago...it's too hot for it to grow now, but a few months ago it was still prolific but there's only so much spinach one can consume in a week! I'll have to try to remember to do this with it next year :-)

    Sarah x

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    1. I do love spinach but I agree, there is a limit! It's funny, I didn't get around to removing the plants yet, and with all the rain in Brisbane lately, I have a second harvest to freeze now :-)

      Thanks for visiting Sarah x

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  6. What a lovely thought to help you out. You must give out very positive vibes to be getting so much back! That apple tea cake looks very inviting indeed.

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    1. Oh! That is such a lovely way to look at things. I will have to be sure to pay it forward too x

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  7. The chocolate with fig sounds great and your apple tea cake looks beautiful. Prepared meals are indeed the best gift for a new parent. I had three kids in under three years so I know how busy you must be and yet still want to eat well. Happy Holidays!

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    1. Gretchen, three in three years! I take my hat off to you. Happy holidays to you and yours as well.

      Thank you for visiting x

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  8. Those possums are buggers aren't they? When they are keen on smething, they just go for it! I've got to say that those chocolates with the figs in them look so inviting! All the best for your growing family over the festive season. cheers! Fiona xx

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    1. Fiona, I never even thought to possum proof eggplants! I know better now. Those chocolates were so amazing... thank you for the festive wishes, I hope you have a fabulous holiday season too! x

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  9. Everything looks delicious as always... How thoughtful of your beautiful friends to give you all that yummy food! Merry Christmas to you too and I look forward to seeing all the yummy things in your kitchen in 2015! Thanks for sharing! Liz x

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  10. I'm so glad everyone's looking after you! Even through plastic boxes in a photo, those frozen meals look good! :) The chocolates look divine - what a clever idea! Hope you're getting some sleep! :)

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