Crsipy Chicken Drums

As most people are, I'm on a fairly healthy kick after all the rubbish food I've eaten over the holidays. So I thought I'd share this simple but slightly more healthy version of a breaded chicken recipe.

Crispy Chicken Drums
Chicken Drumsticks (skin removed)
Low fat yoghurt (ensure it's been chilled)
Breadcrumbs
Parsley

As you will see the basic change is that you don't do the egg and flour thing before bread-crumbing but use the yoghurt. It turned out great.

I also put a little more in my breadcrumbs than just parsley, I also added paprika, garlic salt and a teeny tiny bit of parmesan cheese.

You bake at 220 degrees celcius for 40 - 50 mins.

Yum!

Yummy Ice pops

I have a very fond memory of hot summer days playing on the slip and slide in our backyard as a kid and mum bringing out a tray of home made ice pops for everyone to enjoy. Made from nothing else but cordial or fruit juice and we all loved them.

So today I bought a set of funky little ice pop moulds from Plastic Box. Only 6 bucks! That's just $1 an iceblock, wicked. It's the cutest set too.

And seeing as it's early January and everyone has a eating conscience this early in the year I got out the juicer and made our pops with 2 oranges, 2 peaches and 2 granny smith apples - YUM! Leah loved slurping up the leftover juice.

Here they are ready to go into the freezer. Like I said...how freakin' cool are these moulds? I love them. Lets hope they do the job well.

And here they are out of the freezer and ready to eat. I thought they were delicious! So did Mr. Man. Leah although didn't like how cold they were so just wanted to eat the plastic end. Haha.

Too cold Mum!

Can anyone recommend any flavours to try out?

Pukenui 2013

As promised here are some pics of our time up North.

I'm hoping to write more frequently this year, moreso that I have been in the last month anyway, but I'm scared to promise anything. Might start off with a hiss and a roar in the holidays and die off when I go back to work. Fingers crossed that's not the case!

xox

Leah loved running in and out of the water

*Insert Baywatch Theme here*

Jake loves the water too

Cape Maria Van Diemen. Right at the top of the North Island

Top of NZ

Cape Reinga

The beautiful Silica Sands of Paua <3

Leah saying 'Ta ta New Zealand' at Cape Reinga

Cool playing in the water with Dad and Jake!

Before Jake made the ball a 'Wilson'

Exploring the beach with cousin Nikki

Dinner time at Camp is FUN

Jake enjoyed the outings. Even if he was a bit home sick.

Happy New Year

I will return on the 5th of January with some beautiful pictures from Pukenui.

Have a wonderful New Year.

xox

Summer Trifle

Now, I'm always honest with my readers, so I feel it's my duty to tell you that I hate trifle. I'm one of these people that always eats what's on my plate one thing at a time rather than putting it altogether in one spoonful and trifles always made this difficult for me. Where there's something I don't like I want to pull it out or not eat and definitely not be able to taste it. The nature of a trifle made this not so. Also, trifles made things I generally liked, like pineapple, not so likeable. Euck.

So I've crafted a trifle that has everything I like in it so that I don't need to pick, and after multiple attempts I've found that the fruits (only two of them) that I use don't seem to lose their appeal when put together with the other ingredients.

So, without further ado, here is my Summer Trifle for people that don't really like trifle.

PS:  Americans, down here in the wonderful southern hemisphere, we have Christmas in Summer... and it's awesome!

Summer Trifle
Strawberries (I like to cute and sugar these prior so that you get some yummy strawberry juice for the sponge to soak up).
Peaches
Custard 
Sponge 
Boysenberry (or whatever flavour floats your boat) jam
Cream

NB: I have not put quantities here. It depends how big and for how many people you want to make the trifle as to how much you use, as well as how big your bowl is!

1. Spread the sponge with Jam and cut into cubes.

2. Make a layer of sponge at the bottom of the bowl. Top with about 1/2 - 1 cup of strawberries/peaches and their juices, cover with custard and repeat as many times as you need to finishing with a layer of sponge.

3. Whip cream and cover the top layer.

Boom. Trifle goodness right there.

Enjoy.
Merry Christmas xox
 

Gingerbread House

I wanted to do this one all year, but how would it look, me making a gingerbread house in July?

I was a very clever little chicken though; and let me tell you, if you'd like a cheap, quick and easy way to make a Gingerbread house you've come to the right place.

If you've got $19 you can get yourself on of these little pretties.....

...which in it has....

That's right! No baking, no mixing up icing. It's all rearing to go. Woo hoo.

Here is my creation and a little Christmas elf stealing lollies.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Have a safe holiday.

xox

The Quiz to end all Quizzes and some other fun times.

In anticipation of these two things I've organised a quiz night for our holiday up north this year. Every day up north at Pukenui and surrounding areas on our holidays is packed with fun fun fun in the sun and every night is packed with big competition cards - last card battles, poker, ku and kan... it's a clash of big time card sharks, not. Oh and we often throw in a game or two of scatergories to mix things up. Scattergories often ends in arguments... as I'm sure this quiz will also. But all in good fun, I assure you.

I thought a nice New Years Eve quiz with a dress up element and some yummy nibbles will do the trick. Here are the round draws and answer cards. It's all very official!

Here are the element of 'dress up'. I was planning on getting 10 sets of novelty glasses to help select teams, but it was waaaay too pricey. Instead of opted for matching coloured pens to select random teams, glasses for the teams to wear for a round when they score the highest in the previous round, and also some other items to be worn for those doing the most moaning about questions, toilet breaks... anything (not pictured).

I'm excited - it's going to be fun. The first time since I was a wee whipper snapper that all of us will be up there together. Fun times.

In anticipation I'm about to go and cross #s 7 and 21 off my list with a wee 'to be completed' note. It's not exactly the fancy dress party I dreamed of, I'll have to keep this idea up my sleeve for something else.... hmmmm.