My flat, renovations

Most of you will know that I bought my flat back in June. It's at Woolloongabba, it's close to everything and I love it. It seems like a long road of renovations - the tiles and carpet were ripped out, I painted all the walls myself (I now hate painting), the kitchen got a make over, the terrazo floor in the bathroom and mosaic tiles in the shower went bye byes and hello to beautiful porcelain tiles. The electrician was called in - new light switches, double powerpoints, exhaust fan and ceiling fan with remote control. And last but not least, my floors. I have to say - I love the floors - they really bring the living area "together". I thought maybe I had to much black furniture and furnishings, but the floor gives it a modern and warm feel and look and ties it all together. Anyway, I'm really pleased - I only have a few minor things to do now - like get a rangehood for the kitchen, and maybe new vertical style windows for the kitchen and maybe new carpet for the bedroom - but these are just nice to haves / things I can do down the track. Anyway, if you want to see photos of the renovations - all the befores and after, they're here:

View photos of my flat here.

Chocolate mud cupcakes

Chocolate mud cupcakes (makes 12)

Ingredients
300 grams of chocolate or choc chips
300 grams of butter
5 eggs
115 grams of caster sugar
115 grams of SR flour
icing sugar (for dusting)

Method
Preheat oven to 160 degrees.
Place 12 paper baking cases in a muffin tin.
In a medium bowl, set over a pan of gently steaming water, melt the butter and chocolate together, stirring well.
Leave to cool a little.
Beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until pale and thick.
Fold the flour into the egg mixture and then stir in the melted chocolate and butter until well blended.
Spoon the mixture into the cases and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
The cupcakes will be soft and gooey in texture and appearance.
Remove tin from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.
Then remove the cupcakes and serve swiftly, dusting them with icing sugar.
Store in the fridge for up to 3 days in an air tight container.

Looking back

People often ask me - where did you go while you were overseas, so for my own sanity and record - here the are highlights:

Bands I saw:

Tool, Trail of dead, Chemical brothers, Lcd soundsystem, Daft punk, Queens of the stoneage, Spoon, Tortoise, KT Tunstall, Feist, B52s, Groove armada, Presets, Lenny kratvitz, Kings of Leon, Ben Harper, Sigur ros, Radiohead (twice), My morning jacket

Where I went:

Paris twice, Versailles, Berlin, Belgium – Brussells and Leuven, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, the Highlands, Liverpool, Lake District, Oxford, Bath, Cotswolds, Wales - Cardiff, Snowdonia etc, Brighton, Turkey twice (Istanbul, Kusadasi & Ephisus), Switzerland, Vienna, Greece – Athens & Greek Islands, Egypt, Canada – Toronto & Niagra Falls, New York.

And other fun stuff:

We Will Rock You, Avenue Q, Legoland, Disneyland.. just to mention a few (and that's just the tip of the iceberg) Ok done - phew.

Manda's cookies – the BEST cookies in the world

These choc ship biscuits are a real hit. The are absolutely delicious and disappear very quickly at my house. If I'm a bit strapped for cash or don't know what I should get someone for their birthday, I will bake up a round of cookies, put them in a takeaway container or gift box and wrap in cellophane. People like it when you take the time to make something for them.

Manda's tip: if you want to try something different (instead of using normal choc chips), try white choc chips and macadamia nuts on top of the cookies!

Ingredients
125 grams of butter (half a cup)
¾ cup sugar
1 packet of chocolate chips (white, milk or dark - whichever you like - you could even mix them up)
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 egg (beaten)
1 ½ cups of self raising flour

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

In a large microwave proof bowl, place sugar and butter and microwave for 2 minutes (or until butter has melted)

Stir in beaten egg, vanilla and then flour. Mix well.

Have 2 oven trays or biscuit trays ready with baking paper on them.

With a teaspoon, form small ball shapes and place on the first oven tray, evenly distributed.

Remember they will double in size so give them room to expand.

When the tray is "full", press chocolate chips bits (as many as you want) onto each raw biscuit. Don't squish them flat when you do this – keep them in a ball shape (or reshape into a ball if you've squished them).

Put in the top tray of the oven on 180 degrees for 10 minutes (no longer! Or they will turn out hard as a rock).

While your first batch of biscuits are in the oven, prepare the next tray of cookies.

By the time your first batch is ready, you will have prepared the second tray and can swap them over ie: take the first batch out of the oven, and put the second batch in.

With an eggflip, remove the first batch of cookies from the oven tray and place on cool racks or plates (or a bench lined with baking paper works just as well too). Do not sit them on top of each other.

Keep the baking paper from the tray and prepare the next batch.

Repeat until there is no mixture left.

Eat them like the COOKIE MONSTER! Dum da dum dum dum..

Delicious Date loaf

This recipe is ridiculously easy and quick and so yummy. It's also pretty good for you too..

Ingredients
1 cup boiling water
1 heaped tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 beaten egg
2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped dates

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.
Line a large loaf tin with Glad Bake.
In large bowl, pour water, butter and vanilla in.
Stir until butter is melted.
Add sugar, mix. Add egg mix.
Add flour and nutmeg, mix.
Add dates, mix.
Bake for about 40-50 minutes, or until cooked when tested with a wooden skewer.
Remove and rest in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve sliced with butter.