Nostalgic Vanilla Slice

Vanilla Slice was my dad's favourite bakery treat. When I was in primary school, on Wednesday afternoon dad would come to pick me up and we would go to the bakery and get sausages rolls and vanilla slices and then go to the park.

Dad would always bring along my dog, Scampy, who was allowed to eat the pastry crumbs. The park had two big ponds that my dad said were craters made by meteorites….though on reflection I'm sure they were made by the City Council.

We would eat, then walk around the ponds and look at the ducks and water fowl and turtles. There were even eels in the pond. The ponds had a bridge between them and a gazebo nearby. Around the edge were huge bullrushes and in the centre of the pond there was a little island where ducks would lay their eggs. Scampy sometimes became over excited and chased the ducks. One day she even fell into the water. Wednesdays were always the best afternoons.

Lately I've been craving vanilla slice. I didn't realise how nostalgic this sweet bakery-style treat was until I had my first bite for dessert tonight.


Vanilla Slice with Passionfruit Icing
2 sheets puff pastry
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence (* or 1 vanilla bean)
1 cup corn flour
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 cups thickened cream
3 egg yolks
35grams butter, cubed

Slightly thaw the puff pastry sheets, line a baking tray with one piece of baking paper, place one puff pastry sheet on the paper. Place another piece of baking paper on top of the puff pastry sheet. Top the second piece of baking paper with the other slice of puff pastry. Top this puff pastry sheet with another sheet of baking paper (yep, that's 3 sheets of baking paper, 2 sheets of puff pastry!) Then on top of it all place another baking tray to weigh it all down. Put this layered ensemble into a 180 degree oven and allow to cook until the pastry is just puffed and lightly brown.

Combine 1/2 cup of milk and the vanilla essence (*if you have vanilla bean, at this point, in place of the essence, pour the milk into a small saucepan cut the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the milk then add the vanilla pod. Cook on a low heat for about 5 minutes, then discard the pod).

In a large saucepan combine the other 1/2 cup of milk, sugar and flour. Whisk until smooth. Add the milk and vanilla to the flour mixture and cook on medium heat on the stove.

Stir constantly and allow to simmer. The mixture will become very thick (it's kind of like scrambled eggs/béchamel). Remove from the heat when thickened. Mix in the egg yolks and butter.

While the mixture cools, assemble one of the cooked puff pastry sheets on the base of a deep dish (about the same size as the puff pastry sheet but cut to size if necessary). Top the puff pastry sheet with the egg mixture. Place the other puff pastry sheet on top and refrigerate.

Passionfruit Icing
2 tablespoons passionfruit pulp
1 cup icing sugar

Slowly add the passionfruit pulp to the icing sugar, stir after each addition until icing is spreadable and at desired consistency. Pour and spread icing over the top layer of puff pastry and refrigerate. If icing is too thick, add a little water or melted butter. 

Tiramisu

Earlier this year, on our "Italian Adventure" we visited beautiful Venice. It was only an overnight stay because Venice is expensive and after you've visited the main square and the Doge's Palace there are only so many shop filled, tourist crammed, cobbled stoned alleys you can handle before your feet fall off and you find you've eaten 12 different flavours of gelato in one day…..what?

We arrived on some kind of environmental day so none of the ferries were operating. Somehow, we (husband) decided it would be best to embark the 40 minute trek across San Marco to drop off our bags then head out on to the tourist packed streets. We visited a few sights and did some people watching. As the sun began to set we purchased a big bag of strawberries from a market and sat on a pier to watch the gondolas and the sun dance on the water. 

After sunset we walked by the main canal and examined the overpriced menus of several waterfront restaurants overflowing with loud tourists. Uninspired, we walked two streets back from the water down a random alley that, as we so often found in Italy, opened into a beautiful courtyard that housed a lovely little restaurant. It was just us. According to all Australian restaurant logic, minimal occupancy indicates that the restaurant serves poison as a main but this, thankfully, was not the case. We were served large jugs of wine and ate lashings of spinach and ricotta cannelloni. 

And then came dessert. Throughout our trip we tried to make a point of eating dishes that were traditional to the region. There is some debate regarding the origins of Tiramisu. Some say Tuscany, others Veneto but I have read enough convincing accounts that Tiramisu originated in Venice and that was where I ate it and loved it.  

It sure wasn't pretty but I have no regrets about eating at a non-mainstream, non-waterfront, non-tourist hotspot restaurant.  

During our trip we made many promises that when we came home we would recreate the delicious, regional flavours of Italy and this is one promise I came good on.  This is a cheats version as I chose not to make my own sponge but that will be a challenge for next time 

Tiramisu

3 eggs, separated

3/4 cup white sugar

250g mascarpone cheese

250ml espresso coffee, cooled

3 tablespoons sherry (or any sweet fortified wine or even brandy)

pre-made sponge cut into fingers 

thickened cream, whipped to serve

80g dark chocolate, finely grated to serve

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is a light yellow and fluffy then beat in the mascarpone until smooth.

Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form then fold into the mascarpone mixture. 

In a shallow bowl combine the espresso and sherry, then dip the sponge into the liquid until it is just wet but not falling to pieces (try to do this as evenly as possible so you don't end up with some saturated sponge and other dry sponge). After dipping each sponge finger place it into a dish, pack them quite tightly. 

After the base layer of sponge is formed, top with the mascarpone mixture then make another sponge layer and top with mascarpone. This is best left to sit in the fridge and allow the flavours to develop for a few hours (or overnight if you can wait that long). Before serving top with whipped cream and dark chocolate. 

shake it off

What do you do when your professional world and your personal ethics clash?

It's not often I don't want to go to work. I like my job. I love the kids I teach. I tolerate my colleagues. However, tonight I am feeling very Sunday night. The kind of feeling where I don't want to fall asleep, I don't even want to get under the covers because it means tomorrow will be here quicker than I want it to be.

I remember being 10 and sitting on the couch all Sunday night because I knew if I fell asleep it would be Monday all too soon and I didn't want to go back to school. It concerns me because that's how I feel tonight. Fifteen years later. I shouldn't be having this feeling.

It's been a tough few weeks. I seem to have managed to spend a lot of time off the radar this year, but the last few weeks have been tough. These questions just keep nagging my brain.

Did I do the right thing? When has it ever been wrong to do what I did? Why am I relieved that you are not concerned when I am so concerned? Why aren't you concerned? What gives us the power to decide these kinds of things? How can I see this is so wrong and you can't?

I know that I joined this job to help kids. I joined this job to give knowledge and help and opportunity. And that got lost last week. And it wasn't my fault. And I'm powerless to do anything to fix the situation. All I can do is sit back and question other people and the situation and myself. What kind of person am I to let this happen?

Limbo

You know you're an adult when you can no longer fit your whole life into one single room. My life is currently spread between 2 suitcases, the back of a car, a removal truck, 2 boxes and one single room. And I am so so thankful just to have that room in a house where there are condiments.

You also know you're an adult when this is an acceptable dinner. And it becomes an acceptable dinner two nights in a row because it's just that time of year when there is so much to do the best thing to do is eat.

Counting down is tricky, especially when this is supposed to be the shortest count down of all. 

September

My goodness! What happened to September?  I feel as though I got lost somewhere after making Banoffee Pie, which now seems like a lifetime ago.

For me, September was filled with so many amazing moments. The month signified the end of our third term which was the longest one of the year. The month started with my Mister receiving his transfer which means that he will be leaving our town at the start of November to head back to the city. I also received my teacher transfer which allows me to follow him a month later to teach primary school (yay!) . It also means that after three years our time living in the remote Australian outback is coming to an end which is excellent and devastating but the great thing about life is that it is full of moments like these.

So that was just the start of September! The rest of the month was filled up with hens parties, bucks parties, copious amounts of last minute planning, phone calls and rushing around, all in preparation for our amazing wedding!

The week leading up was filled with so many hazards. There were some complications with our cake (but it all worked out perfectly), our poor celebrant became very sick (but she got better and it all worked out perfectly), we had a miscommunication with our decorators and some of our decorations were not available (but after some *calm* negotiations it all worked out perfectly), the day before there was a mini cyclone on the beach (but on the day.....yep - it all worked out perfectly). We could not have asked for a better, more memorable day to unite our love with friends and family surrounding us.

And then there was the Honeymoon! We spent 3 days in Kuala Lumpur loving the city, the people and the shopping. Next we headed to the jungle of Sabah. We stayed at a beautiful resort on Dalit Beach. Relaxation. Sunshine. Orang-utans. Massages. Food. Oh the food! Stay tuned for some Malaysian inspired dinners.

So that was September and after negotiating around 30 hours of travel we are back home.

Now it is October....almost half over! There are 8 weeks of the working year left. I have a prac student to guide over the next 5 weeks. Report cards to write. A house to pack up. And a new life waiting just around the corner.

The Wedding Rant

Yep, it's finally happened - The Wedding Rant. We are in the process of planning to move (of course) and the man of the house sold the bedroom television so now I have been left alone with crazy bride thoughts that have overspilled into a blog post.

Weddings are frightening and exciting things aren't they? Mine seems to have snuck up on me. We got engaged in January 2011. So many people have cute engagement stories. Ours involves moving house.....surprise, surprise - I am only up to my 5th house in 3 years. I was covered in dirt and sweat and had moved about 100 boxes, a fridge and a washing machine, cleaned a house and survived a house inspection. He had spent the entire day flying back to me and our new house. Obviously it was the right time.

We figured we would give ourselves a fair bit of time to plan and save money and set the date for September 29, 2012. On reflection I don't think we did either of those things overly well!

Planning things from far away is tricky. When I organise anything I like to be right there in the middle of it all but so much of this wedding had to be done online, on the phone and in bits and pieces when we managed to get out of the bush and back to reality.

Things got out of hand quickly. I had hardly said yes when we realised we HAD to book a venue and we HAD to organise the ceremony and we HAD to find a decorator and we HAD to start looking for a celebrant and we HAD to invite this person and that person. Weddings are just one massive to-do list of booking things and keeping people happy.

Which is okay, because we are fairly easy going people and like keeping people happy. We are quite organised people and generally book things well in advance and we (he) has pretty good taste and usually book good quality things. And we are actually awesome and suit each other perfectly.

So why am I ranting? Why am I sitting here wondering if it's too late to choose a different wedding dress because, even though I love mine, it might not be right for a beach wedding. Why do I keep dreaming that when my florist arrives with the flowers they are all dead and she tells me over and over, "That's how they come."  Why do I keep thinking about how to explain to my future husband about rolling up the sleeves of his shirt so they don't look bunchy? Why do I only feel good when I am on a treadmill or eating carrot sticks and celery. Do you know what's disgusting? Celery. It's really bad. I keep thinking about my hair - the colour, the length, the style. I don't think I've ever thought about my hair this much.....okay that is a lie but this time it REALLY matters! And the tide. Beach wedding....the tide is something you never think of when you see all the lovely pictures of people in suits and dresses smiling and laughing by the water's edge. The tide is apparently "low" for our wedding day. What does that mean? Is my beach wedding actually going to be a mud wedding?

Okay....I think that's everything that is on my mind at the moment.

Mockingbirds & Cavemen

The recruitment officer rang me during the week to ask about my teaching preferences for 2013 so ....fingerscrossed! I'm holding out for a nice little school on the Northside of Brisbane and a comfortable English & SOSE position in the lower secondary department.....is that so much to ask!?

I have received approval from my principal to teach the "To Kill A Mockingbird" unit instead of "Worldshaker". I am so thankful for this opportunity and amazed at the amount of faith my boss has in me to produce a unit from nothing that will align perfectly with the National Curriculum. 

Finally, in a bid to lose every centimetre of body fat to shift some excess weight, I am tentatively considering the paleo eating plan. I have spent several hours today looking through information and I feel it is something I could realistically do and would open up some new options in the kitchen which is always exciting. 

So that's my plans for the weekend. I'm actually very excited - hope you're doing something nice! 

winding down

you know when you feel like your moving at a thousand miles an hour but everything else is going so slow? It feels like you're listening to Little River Band, "Friday night it was late, I was walking you home..." but at the same time like your listening to every dance song you ever rocked out to in a night club when you were 19? 

this is my reality and it's beautiful and confusing at the same time.

the wedding keeps creeping into my every day dialogue. that's right. I'M GETTING MARRIED! .........and every time i remember that i feel like eating copious amounts of fried chicken. not that i don't want to get married. and (of course) i am terribly organised, right down to the last flower petal. i think it's just the fact that i am so far (2500kms) away from where i am getting married. i feel so far away from the wedding itself (even though it is only a mere 58(??) days away!!) that i still can't quite comprehend it.

it's birth month. My soon-to-be Mr is turning 27! i think this is the first time in 3 years i have actually put in any effort to acknowledge his birthday. packages are arriving, the fur-kids have even contributed to the gift pile.

my practicum student is arriving soon. i love this!  i get the opportunity to teach someone else to be a teacher which is always a valuable reflective tool and gives me a break from some parts of my job but also opens up another (sometimes more complicated) part.

we are off to Borneo soon to spend some time with orangutans.

i am in the process of organising a year 9 English unit on "12 Angry Men" and attempting to gain my Digital Pedagogical Licence.

my transfer application has been approved and I find out where my 2013 teaching location is in 48 days! 

in amongst all of this i am apparently 'winding down'........yet i still feel like i'm going too fast to even stop for a second. 

best feeling ever! 

The countdown

I wish I didn't turn into a 10 year old at the end of every school holidays. Lying awake for hours in bed thinking about everything and nothing in particular.

I miss the feeling of not being home.

We had such a good break. We were busy organizing all the wedding things but it was the first time in 2 years I felt like I'd actually been back home properly.

I felt so much relief just being back there. I keep thinking about the first night back in my old room and the feeling of absolute comfort. The familiar sound of the train line and my mother's unexplainably frustrating out of time ticking clocks.

The silence here is awful now.

We're pretty sure we've decided now. We seem to have talked about it too many times but I think we're sure now.

Really there's not long to go. Probably exactly half way. It's funny how you spend so much time trying to decide something that you have already known the answer to all along.

I feel like somewhere in there I forgot that it could work out and we could go back. Now it's all I can think about and i miss it. And I remember myself probably 2 years ago saying all of this before. The waiting is the hardest part...

Rodeo

So Normanton Rodeo weekend is almost over. It has been a fantastic few days. We kicked off the celebrations with the street parade, our "Year of the Farmer" themed float won second prize for the school. 


Peanut scored first place at the dog show and a photo of Windy Hill at Ravenshoe took out first place at the photo competition. My Hummingbird Cupcakes scored second place in the cupcakes section. Probably out last Rodeo out this way so good to go out with a few prizes :)

Food for thought

So it's been a pretty up and down weekend. I spent Friday night with an end of week headache trying to drown out the sound of my neighbours.

Saturday I awoke to a sad message from my lovely friend pulling out of my bridal party for any number of heartbreaking reasons. This kind of devastated me and filled my brain up for most of the day so stuff just kind of happened around me. At night I got a sad phone call from another friend.

The end of the weekend now and, on reflection of the last term, really I think I've focused so much on the crappy little things and not enough on the good big things. And while I know this will be tricky for me, I'd really like to start doing the opposite.

Something to chew on for a while anyway.

wanting...

I want ricotta. Where I live the shop doesn't stock it. This is annoying.

My closest major chain supermarket is 7 hours drive away. This is also annoying. Mostly because my car will barely start at the moment...which is annoying for a whole bunch of other reasons. We can't even get soft cheese - consider the mechanical services.

So many delicious things I can't make right now that I really want to.

Memory Food

I’ve been quite sick, off from work with a virus. Mr B. is away for work (again) so, excluding the occasional visits from friends with offers of assistance (and frozen meals), I have been left to my own devices.

Most of my days have been spent walking from the bedroom to the medicine cabinet then back to the bedroom. Only occasionally detouring to the back door to let the dogs out because, lets be honest, the main reason to have a dog is to have something to cuddle when you’re alone and sick.

Amazingly I have had the experience of having a good doctor. Being so remote often means sacrificing good medical services but I have been very fortunate. He is not only a doctor but an avid writer and gave me a book, “My Father’s Compass”, to read in my down time. The tone of the book well….it got me thinking about my own father.

There are certain foods that we attach to life experiences. There are foods that we have when we are hot, cold, bored, sad, in love and sick. These are the “memory foods”.

My mother’s vegemite toast, whose buttery goodness mimics the way my heart used to melt whenever she made this for me when I was little.

Jess' Nachos. The food of friendship. A late night snack sitting on tiles, beside the hot oven chatting about nothing and everything.

Potato Gems at South Bank with Mandy. Calling them tater tots and watching people step on them. Juvenile pranks late at night.

"Cookie Moments"

Gelato and Kez. Lying by the river until it’s too dark to even make out the water. All you can hear are the sounds of the night and the city.

And baked goods – the food of my father.

My father worked hard but every Wednesday was his ‘day off’. Every Wednesday afternoon he made a point of driving to my school (with my little dog) to pick me up and take me out for an afternoon together.

Our afternoons always began at the Bakery. The aroma of an old-fashioned bakery is something I would love to bottle. I can’t even describe the combination scent of pastries, breads, cakes, cookies, meringues, pies and sausage rolls. After getting something savoury and, always at my father’s insistence, something sweet, we would head to the park across the road and eat while watching the ducks, turtles and eels in the pond until the sun went down.

These are some of the best memories I have of my father. He was a different kind of man on Wednesday afternoons. This was a tradition of ours for only a few years but remembering this is something special to me.

Old-Fashioned Sausage Rolls

300 grams of mince

A tiny portion of diced onion

Dried parsley

Dried mixed herbs

1 egg

Dash olive oil

Puff pastry

Turn the oven to 180 degrees and thaw the puff pastry sheets.

In a mixing bowl combine the mince, onion, oil, parsley and mixed herbs. Lightly whisk the egg and add to the mince mixture.

Halve a sheet of puff pastry and spread a portion of the mixture onto the sheet. Ensure it is spread evenly (lengthways) and not too thick so it doesn’t ooze out everywhere. Roll up the pastry sheet to enclose to mixture. Cut into portions and place on a baking tray and into the oven for around 25 minutes.