I think my kids are spoilt

That's right, I think I have gone to far in the world of food when it comes to my kids.
Starting out as a parent, you hope your child is going to be a good eater and not be to fussy; When they are toddlers you pray they at least try what is on their plate instead of saying no to everything; When they are school age, you hope they are eating some sort of vegetable(s) and able to eat a family meal with you without world war three breaking out before even trying your latest creation.

The other night I had some extra portions of eye fillet left over from a function I was doing, so I decided to bring them home for dinner as a bit of a treat. I don't know about you, but we very rarely eat eye fillet steak and I think it was the first time I had offered it to the boys.
To make it a super yummy dinner I decided to go all out and make a mushroom and red wine reduction (sauce), creamy mash potatoes and zucchini fritters (I'll blog these later).
My sauce was looking fabulous, the potatoes had a good stick of butter folded in and the steak was cooked to perfection. I was thinking to myself 'This is a winner for sure'.

After pouring a glass of red for Nic and I, I placed the meal in front of my family and waited for the oohs and ahhh's.....and I waited.
Nic of course was pretty excited to be getting such a delicious meal- that was to be expected. What I wasn't ready for however, was the 'Oh mum what is THIS!?' 'I don't want it and what is that disgusting red stuff on top?' (thanks Alex!)

EXCUSE ME?????

"THIS IS EYE FILLET BOYS....EYE FILLET STEAK!! It doesn't get much better than this in the world of succulent, delicious, melt in the mouth steak"

After picking myself back up from the floor and tasting the meal just to make sure it was OK, I asked them what they thought of it after they had tried it?

'It's ok' (mind you Max didn't leave anything behind!)

Yeah well you know what else is OK- the fact that I am not waisting anymore eye fillet on these two boys until they actually understand what a luxury they have before them. To say I was traumatised from this event is an understatement.

It is all well and good to get your kids eating well but seriously, I think I missed a step somewhere that teaches them about appreciating fantastic produce so I am going back to the drawing board and god help any of their girlfriends who want to cook for them one day!

Delicious Corn Fritters

One of the most versatile fritters on earth! Like lamingtons and roast chicken; there is more than one way to whip up a batch.....not to mention in a matter of minutes. I'm not to sure why I threw this combo together, I think I was low on time and energy and the buttermilk was the first thing I saw in the fridge if the truth be told!

One of the best secret high fives I gave myself was serving these to the kids and watching them eat every last bite. They didn't even notice the mushrooms until I told them of my trickery after Alex swallowed his last mouthful. Max shrugged his shoulders and told me he actually likes mushrooms, while Alex sat in disbelief and then tried to tell me he didn't really like them as much as he thought he did- Ha!

Whatever the case, I loved how these fritters puffed up when cooked and tasted light and fluffy- perfect for a canape perhaps? or remove the mushrooms and make a corn and crab fritter with lashings of lemon aioli on the side........or add grated zucchini instead of bacon for a delicious veggie option- the list is endless. Whatever you decide to do with them, you won't be disappointed at the taste and speed when whipping up a batch of your own, even for the fussiest eater.

Yummy Corn Fritters  
1 cup self raising flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped spring onions
1/2 cup chopped Swiss brown mushrooms (or any other variety)
5 rashers of bacon, diced
1 1/2 cups corn kernels (fresh is great and gives the fritters a sweet crunch)
salt and pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl add the above ingredients in order of list. Be generous with your seasoning.
Stir to combine and then fold so you thoroughly coat the kernels in the batter.

Once mixed, heat a frying pan on medium heat.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil and drop in 2 heaped tablespoon size fritter mix (about 4 in a large frying pan).
Cook on both sides until golden brown. Remove from frying pan and place on kitchen paper until needed.
Serve with a delicious seasonal salad, as a base for smoked salmon canapes, smothered in butter or a la natural.

Recipe makes 12 large fritters

Lasagne and Lemons for a ten year old

Can it really be true? March 8th was the last time I posted?
How is it that it is the 21st already? Am I getting slacker or is life moving a little to fast for me these days? It couldn't possible be the fact that I have my fingers in to many pots?.....no, that is not possible!

Well between the 8th and the 21st my eldest managed to turn 10. Yep, I can hardly believe I am now the proud owner of a ten year old. I am thankful that he doesn't yet smell of boy germs, he still knows how to smile and laugh on occasion and will have a conversation with me that doesn't involve grunting or starting the sentence with "Oh come ON mum!" or "What the......?"

No, I am happy to report I catch him grooving away on his headphones to the latest tunes (thank god for headphones) and he manages to hold a conversation at the dinner table that doesn't revolve around Pokemons!

Just like every other year Max chose his birthday meal. I thought I could of been in for a new selection of foods, alas, beef lasagne won hands down and I think it will be on the menu for a few more years to come, especially if he keep on growing the way he is.

 Max's cake was another story!
Thankfully my copy of Saveur arrived the week before his birthday and it was the issue FULL of awesome Southern cakes. Max's favourite cake is lemon cake. I usually make him a regular pound cake and then fill it with lemon curd, and then Nic does a cool design on the top. This year was a little different. When I showed Max the four tiered layered lemon cake in Saveur he was sold on it and so was I.
I'm not sure if this is the year when we stop doing novelty cakes for him but there was no way I was carving up this one and dousing it in hideous food colouring so it can look like a football!

Now I totally admit that my photos do not do this cake any justice and for that I am annoyed but let me just tell you it tastes unbelievably good. I'm not sure you noticed the picture up top, but I only made half a cake. After reading 10 egg yolks and mega mounds of butter I decided the four of us really didn't need to stuff ourselves on cake for the next week. It may not look normal but let me tell you, we would of demolished the whole thing if it was there and my hips can only hold so much!

 If your up for a bit of layering, baking and whipping then go to Saveur on line and give it a go, you won't be disappointed.

Blueberry pikelets- an after school favourite

It doesn't get any easier than this people! It has been raining all day, the kids are starving, cold and a bit whingy.....me too. It wasn't a day to hang around the play ground and make small talk while the boys ran their pants off.
This afternoon was all about feeding, keeping the feet dry and warming the belly.
Pikelets are seriously easy, quick and almost 100% guaranteed satisfaction with the fussiest of eaters.
One batch produces about 30 mini pikelets so what they don't eat today goes in the freezer and pulled out when needed.

Alex came up with the idea to pop in some frozen blueberries, while Max pleaded the case for Nutella on top. Of course I could of said no, but instead I obediently grabbed the jar of Nutella and started spreading.

Yummy, yummo! With bellies filled, the boys did their homework in record time and there seems to be a calmness about the house......hm mm.

Blueberry pikelets with nutella ROCK!.......but only on occasion otherwise they might loose their calming power, so it's back to crackers and Vegemite tomorrow boys!

Circulon cookware

I am about as happy as a pig in mud! Firstly I have been busy with www.camillabaker.com which is awesome seeing as I am giving it a year to see if I can make it my sole business/work- so far so good!

Secondly my work with TVSN just got even better because the wonderful people at Meyer cookware have made me the Circulon chef for the TVSN shows and I have to tell you I am IN LOVE with the stuff!

Not only can I make awesome caramelised onions without having the pot looking like it is 100 years old but yesterday I made a white cheese sauce and it was literally a 10 second clean up! I mean, you just can't get better than that. If your in the need of some new cookware then I whole heartedly recommend Circulon Infinite collection- hands down it rocks my world right about now!