FINYS FABULOUS FOODS AND FINDS

Pizza is not normally something you associate with breakfast however, as I love eggs, bacon and pizza, I decided to make one as a brunch. I don't have a cooked breakfast each morning but sometimes when I do, I like to try something different. I have tried bacon and eggs in many different forms, and they are a combination that never fails to please the pallete, and it can be served either as a savoury meal, or by adding maple syrup which goes wonderfully with these two magic ingredients. When you make these you can use Turkish bread rolls as these make a nice breakfast meal, though you could also use a large ordinary roll, or even a pizza base.  However I think for breakfast I would prefer as I have made it - with the Turkish roll. It is a quick recipe, easy and once again any beginner cannot fail with this one.  For those of you who do not like cooking, this is a quick, easy recipe which does not require a lot of work. You could possibly even use tomato sauce if you do

FRENCH TOAST! Another food that I love, and that I make regularly. Usually I make it with berries of some sort, or have it plain.  You can either have it savoury, with salt or you can make a type of sweet brunch. If having it savoury, it is also nice with some bacon, and I have even made it with bacon, AND some maple syrup.  Bacon and maple syrup go very well together and is similar to the nowadays "salted caramel" type of taste. I love my brunches which I have when I eat a bit later, and always a cooked breakfast. One of my favourite foods is eggs, and I could eat them all day if it weren't for high cholesterol.  I was once given a dozen hard boiled eggs when I went to visit my parents in another state - one of their friends knew how much I loved eggs, and boiled me 12 eggs!  I had six in one hit, and then decided I had better not eat the lot at once!  This was in my younger days when health issues rarely came up and we ate exactly what we wanted, when we wante

I am always on the lookout for things that my grandson likes to eat, as he eats little! One of the things he likes is pineapple, and as he loves the bought pineapple rings, I decided to make my own as they would then have less sugar and oil. I baked them instead of deep frying as they do when you buy them, and I always buy these when we get fish and chips. I have read that fish and chips and Coke Cola are the two most unhealthy foods we can eat, so, much as we love my fish and chips, we only have them every few months, and generally only when my grandson stays the weekend. He is such a bad eater, however, that he only eats chips - if we order something like Red Rooster, he still only has chips. So I thought this pineapple idea was a good one. When buying pineapples, you need to be very careful.  I have found that the ones in the supermarket generally have little taste or are even sour. I therefore always buy a pineapple from an expensive fruit store, where I know the frui

I am not a vegan, however I am avoiding making recipes that have processed sugar in them.  This can be quite difficult at times, as all my favourites do have sugar in them. Unfortunately I have a sweet tooth, so after being diagnosed with high sugar levels, I decided I had to stop eating cakes, biscuits and desserts which I had on most days! I then went down the path of making sweet morsels that had fruit in them.  I realise that the fruit still has sugar in it, however it is not processed and therefore possibly healthier than ordinary sugar. I mostly use coconut sugar or similar in these recipes, however am now making ones that do not require any added sugar as the sweetness comes from the dried fruit.  These are not as sweet as commercial cakes and biscuits, however in time I have got used to having bliss balls, or raw sweets to satisfy my sweet tooth. It is with all this in mind, that I made these raw apricot slices.  I often use either dried apricots, dates or simil

If you are having visitors and want to impress anyone, then this is a recipe you could make.  With a "professional" look, it almost looks as if it has been bought. When you make food at home, it often is not "even", and has a rustic look that you do not see in bought meals from the supermarket.  This is particularly so when I make pastry as my pastry is rarely even.  However having jagged edges or being uneven to my mind, makes it look more authentic. This recipe is an authentic one, and one you will be praised for serving up to the most discerning guest at your dinner table. Of course, you can make it just for the family as well, which is what I did but either way, it will taste good and look brilliant.  I would term it a recipe that will impress! Although pistachios are expensive you can find small shops that sell things loose rather than having to buy a whole packet, so if you do not usually use pistachios, find one of these shops and just buy the amoun

Lime curd or lime butter - what can I say!  It is one of the most delicious desserts or spreads for use on toast. It can either be lemons or limes and in this case I had limes on a tree, and as I do not have a lemon tree, I used up the limes. I also made my own pastry as I like to do, as I know exactly what goes into it if I make it myself.  I also find that the bought pastries are too thick, and the pastry takes over the whole tart or pie, or whatever you are making.  Hence I also do not like to buy pies as against making them from "scratch", as if buying a shop made product, in most cases the pastry is way too thick. Pastry is really very easy to make, there is no standing or resting as you do not use a rising agent so pastry really takes no longer than about ten minutes to make.  Once you have made your own, you will only go back to a bought one, when you are really in a hurry. I had also made a batch of the lime curd a few days before, and you can see this recipe

Potato salad is another one of my favourites. Yes, I know, my lovelies, I have a lot of favourites - probably because I eat to live, and not live to eat! I tend to make potato salad in the hotter months as it is a cold meal or accompaniment, and have always wanted to try one that would be good for the colder months, and indeed during winter. This recipe hit all the right buttons, and I was able to have my potato salad in winter! Potato salad is something that is easy to make as you can put whatever you like in it.  I tend to make the same one over the over in summer, as it is so good, and do not often vary it.  However, that recipe is for another day when it warms up here in Australia! This is a simple, yet very tasty main meal or serve it as a side to a main meal.  For vegetarians, the bacon could be omitted and a bit of salt added for flavour.  I do not add salt to meals generally if I am putting bacon in them, as bacon has so much salt on it's own.  I also do this with

I just love salmon or tuna patties.  I do not however like bought ones generally, as they usually have too much potato in them. I often make these little morsels of goodness as they are easy to make, always turn out, and can be teamed with just about any other food. I have read a lot about quinoa over the last few years, and quite honestly, do not really believe in all these new super foods which seem to be popping up almost every month!  There are just so many, and I feel a lot of them are "gimmicky", and while they may well be healthy, they are not the "be all and end all" which the media seem to turn them into. Nor do I believe in all the different diets - the only diet I have gone on is eating less quantity at each meal, cutting out in between snacks, and the 5/2 diet.  This one I did, not to lose weight, but for the other healthy benefits, as I have mentioned before in my recipes. So, back to quinoa - I bought a packet as I wanted to see what it tastes

I don't know about you, my lovelies, but I just love anything sweet made with lemons or limes.  The sourness of either of these citrus fruits teamed with the sweetness of other foods, makes this a match made in heaven for me, and I often make this sort of thing. I am also often trying savoury dishes using lemons however at the moment I have no fresh lemons.  Lemons are now mainly imported into Australia and are as much as $1 for a small lemon, and limes are slightly cheaper, which is most unusual! However, once again I am digressing - I appear to be good at that! This is such an easy recipe as you do not have to dirty any pots, and therefore little washing up afterwards. I always keep a supply of "pretty" bottles for this sort of thing (and for jams), and I have even bought some because the jars were so attractive. This recipe makes an excellent gift for a birthday, Christmas, or any other event, and everyone I have given it to, has been very appreciative.  Th