Kaisen Sushi

Oh yummo. This was Tuesday's dinner at Kaisen Sushi. Top is Mr Tchotchke's Kaisen Bento Box, and below is my Sashimidon. The edamame and fried tofu didn't last long enough for a photo.

Kaisen Sushi is at 223 Calam rd Sunnybank Hills.

Too Corny?

Something is finally happening to our corn!

I think they're kernels! The plants are still tiny, but hey mini mutated corn is better than none.

Sticky Date Puddings with Balsamic Caramel Sauce

My go-to easy peasy dessert is Sticky Date Pudding - so when I was up for making dessert for 17 people at a BBQ on the weekend - I knew what I'd be baking.

I have to give full credit to my auntie for this one - she made these one Christmas and I was hooked - I had to have the recipe. So I give you...

Zia Lia's Sticky Date Puddings with Balsamic Caramel Sauce

Puddings

185g dates, pitted

1 teaspoon bicarb soda

60g unsalted butter at room temperature

185g caster sugar

2 large eggs

185g self raising flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Balsamic Caramel Sauce

75 g soft brown sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 tablespoons cream

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Puddings

Combine dates in a pan with 300ml water, bring to a boil. Remove from hear, stir in bi carb soda and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one by one, beating well each time. Fold in flour with a large metal spoon, stir in date mixture and vanilla, and pour into large muffin tins.

Bake in a 160C oven for 25 mins, or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

Sauce

Combine sugar and butter in a pan and stir over low heat until melted. Add cream and vinegar, bring to boil, remove from heat and serve warm.

This version of the recipe usually makes 12 muffins, but I doubled it to feed the masses.

If you've made extra - they freeze really well and are handy to have around when you need an emergency dessert. And let's face it - who hasn't had an emergency dessert situation?

A Three Egg Day

Today was a special day - a three egg day.

It doesn't happen very often so I always take it as a good omen.

IKEA Family Live

Look what arrived in my letterbox this week. A new IKEA magazine!

IKEA is definitely one of my guilty pleasures. I may, on occasion, have even referred to it as "my happy place." Especially if there's time to stop for meatballs.

So the day that the annual catalogue arrives is always a good one - but this new lifestyle magazine is a bit of a bonus.

To be honest, there really wasn't anything groundbreaking in it - above are a few sneak peeks at some new products. I don't mind the steel pendant light..

They included a feature on some of the designers that work on their catalogues - this guy totally typifies my mental image of IKEA designers.

With all the gradual changes to our bedroom - I've been mentally replacing our tall boy with this one - though I can't decide if I prefer the pictured grey or the blue version they also stock.

The First Line of Defence Against Possums

Yes - it's come to this. Ridiculous plastic garden statues.

When the first batch of herbs that I planted last year in our newly formed veggie patch got massacred in only 24 hours - I knew I was facing the old enemy - the possum.

Having battled possums at two previous apartments - I didn't want to plant another thing without some kind of defence mechanism. After researching dubious ultra sonic deterrent systems I thought I'd go with the old fashioned method - chicken wire, and lots of it. After all, this would keep the chickens off the plants too.

But I also thought I'd give the googly eyed owl statue a shot - and to be honest I think it's helped a little. The chickens do seem wary of him. But as Mr Tchotchke says, its a slippery slope - next thing I'll be installing a plastic tiger in the backyard.

Gratuitous Chicken Shot

Oh Charlotte - you're such a poser.