Lara M

Sydney, New South Wales, AUSTRALIA


Joined June 13th 2007

Number of Posts:
113

Number of Comments:
1400

Karma:
10



~ The past is malleable and flexible, changing as our recollection interprets and re-explains what has happened - Peter Berger ~

About Me
My interests are an eclectic mix...traveling! writing, creating and experimenting with recipes, wining & dining, photography, scuba-diving, films, the human psyche, and animals.
If any of my photos interest you, please drop me a line, as well as, link back to my pet blog, Food Slate -- www.foodslate.com
Thanks for reading and supporting my blogs, Food Slate and Love Speaks :- )

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Recent Posts

pasta osso-busco wine italian recipe shanks

I love my slow-cooker – as much as I love my breadmaker. It’s used regularly no matter what season it is because it’s such a fantastic feeling to have dinner ready by the time I am home.

This is an easy-to-prep recipe that is quick to put together from start to finish, and you’ll have a delicious and nutritious meal waiting for you by the time you get home.

Here’s my quick and easy version of slow-cooked Osso Bucco.

What you need:
3 pieces of Osso Bucco
2 stalks of celery
1 carrot
1 can of (400g) diced tomatoes
2-3 cups of vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
2 cloves of garlic – lightly smashed
1 teaspoon of chilli flakes – optional, or you can use black pepper
diced vegetables carrots celery recipes osso-busco italian
finely diced carrots and celery
What to do:
1…Finely dice the celery and carrot.
2…Do a quick pan sear of the meat and place in the slow-cooker – optional.
3…Add the celery, carrot, bay leaves, garlic and chilli to the meat in the slow-cooker.
4…Cover the ingredients with the can of tomatoes and vegetable stock – add enough stock to completely cover the ingredients.
5…Put on ‘low’ and cook for about 5-6 hours.
osso-busco shanks italian cooking recipes easy
the stock and diced tomatoes completely cover the ingredients

Serving suggestions:
1…Serve as is with a side of salad, or
2…Break up the meat in the sauce – this should be easy, as the meat should be ‘falling off the bone’ by now – and serve it with pasta.
- don't forget the marrow -

Tips…
…to avoid a mad rush in the morning, you can chop up the vegetables the night before. Cover tightly with cling-wrap and refrigerate.
…use a timer to set the total cooking time before you leave/go out.
…you can replace Osso Bucco with shanks if you prefer, or any cut that will take to slow-cooking well.
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…bread-mix.

Sunbeam breadmaker recipe modification breadmix


Bread has been around for hundreds of years and has been the staple diet of many people for centuries. From a plain simple loaf, bread has since been transformed. Bread now comes in a range of varieties and flavours.

Bread made well and with wholesome ingredients free from unnecessary addictives and preservatives are great for a healthy meal.

On days, where I’m short of time to precisely measure the ingredients for a loaf of bread, I use the preservative-free bread-mix, Tip Top Kitchen Collection-Grain Bread Mix. It comes in a box of 4 x 500g packs plus 4 x 7g yeast sachets.

The mix is a healthy blend of wheat flour, soy, linseed, wheat flakes and maize polenta. I’ve found this brand to produce bread that has the right texture and moisture, without being too crumbly.

Tips…if you use the Sunbeam ‘Quantum SmartBake’:
1…measure out the 2 teaspoons of yeast that’s required for a 750g loaf. The 7g sachet that’s provided for use with each pack of mix actually yields 2 1/2 teaspoons of yeast – resulting in a loaf of bread that rises way too much, unless you like it that way.

2…use the darkest crust setting – I found that the couple of extra minutes of baking produced a nicer and browner loaf.

The other brand that I like is the preservative-free Laucke’s Multigrain Bread Mix, which comes in a box of 4 x 600g packs plus a pack of yeast. It’s a blend of wheat flour, soya, linseed, whole rye and maize polenta. It yields a beautiful grainier loaf than the Tip Top but do tend to be crumblier.

Tip…if you use the Sunbeam ‘Quantum SmartBake’:
…although each pack is less than the amount suggested (in the breadmaker booklet for a 1 kg loaf), I use the same amount of water and yeast. If you use less water, the loaf would likely be crumblier – since it already yields a slightly crumbly loaf at the suggested amount of water.

Since owning the Sunbeam ‘Quantum SmartBake’, I’ve been experimenting with recipes from the booklet – modifying them to make healthier and more nutritious recipes, primarily trying to use less plain (white) flour.

Each bread-maker is different and a lot of the recipe modifications require a lot of trial and error. I’ll be sharing the modified recipes as they progressively become better.

Notes…
- These bread-mixes can also be used if you’re making bread by hand.
- You might be able to find other bread-mixes if there’s a specialty baking store near you. Let me know if you have used any other nutritious and effective bread-mix.

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The Communal Laundry Room

June 27th 2009 03:18
new dating tips activities relationships

If you live in an apartment building (like I do), and have to share the laundry room with tens of annoying others (thank goodness it’s a small building and not everyone is annoyingly irresponsible) – you can understand how it can be good and frustrating at the same time…

Five positive perspectives on it:
1…It’s a good safe place to meet a date
2…You know what s/he looks like without being too done-up
3…You know that they’re hygienic
4…At least s/he does his/her own laundry so there’s potential to further domesticate
5…You can potentially have (hot and wild) sex on a coin-operated vibrating machine…?!

Five negative perspectives on it:
1…He could turn up in his boxers, and that could be a turn off (or a turn on?)

2…S/he could be the one you saw (and thought) – through 'beer goggles' – was hot

3…S/he could be a slob and be inconsiderate by not cleaning up after having spilled detergent on the top of the machines or on the floor

4…S/he could be environmentally unfriendly by leaving the lights on – machines generally take an hour to finish a wash/dry cycle, and most don’t return to pick-up till way after (that time) most times

5…Knowledge of any of these idiosyncrasies might be enough of a turn off for you to not ask for a date – so you might have to consider another avenue for meeting someone.


laundry fashion lingerie dating tips

This post was inspired by the many irresponsible folks who find it too energy-sapping to turn off the lights and to clean-up after themselves before leaving the laundry room…



Images courtesy of GregParis and the ever talented Clarita, respectively.
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A Low-fat Zingy Dessert

June 24th 2009 04:48
lowfat dessert pear ginger almonds

I had a couple of pears lying around – and I didn’t feel like having pears (in itself) anymore, so I decided to improvise on a basic cake mix. Here’s what I came up with…

[ Click here to read more ]
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About... Coriander

June 23rd 2009 03:49
Coriander cilantro herb spice cooking

Coriander is a year-round herb that is green, soft and fragrant. All parts of the plant can be used in different ways, making it a versatile herb.

[ Click here to read more ]
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Top 5 Useless Kitchen Gadgets

June 21st 2009 10:39
As you might know, I love gadgets, and kitchen gadgets are on my list of toys that I like. Naturally, I’ve been a *victim* of those at-that-minute-seemed like-a-great-tool moments which have reaped tools that sometimes turned out to be not too useful in the kitchen.

My top 5 useless kitchen gadgets:
[ Click here to read more ]
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recipes breadmaking breadmaker Sunbeam review
Grains - The Agricultural Research Service, the research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture

Bread making has come a long way. Until the 1900s, bread was only made by hand. These days, you have an array of basic and high-tech bread-makers to choose from. The five basic steps of mixing, kneading, rising, shaping and baking which usually takes about half a day and lots of energy, has now transformed into an automated one-button function which takes between three to four hours and less energy


[ Click here to read more ]
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flatbread recipes wraps snacks
'Making Bread' - Norway, 1904.

Not sure what to do with leftover flatbread/Lebanese bread, or just tired of having wraps? How about turning it into a quick and easy snack


[ Click here to read more ]
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kitchenware baking cooking recipes easy

Kuchemaistrey, Nuremberg - 1485.

[ Click here to read more ]
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Baked fish is the most delicious and easiest way to cook fish. What I like about this dish is, you don’t necessarily have to prepare a salad/vege dish as it’s already full of vegetables!
baked fish vegetables fennel recipe

What you need:
[ Click here to read more ]
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Recent Comments

Comment by Lara M
on John Doe’s Infinitely Expanding Film Log Game

July 1st 2009 12:50
Since my last comment...
Le fils de l'épicier (The Grocer's Son) 7/10
Die Fälscher (The Counterfeiters) 7.5-8/10
We Own The Night 7/10
88 Minutes 7/10
Vicki Cristina Barcelona 5/10 -- the narrator is annoying but that isn't the only reason for the mediocre rating...
Narnia -- Prince Caspian 7.5/10

Comment by Lara M
on Top 10 Reasons Women Dig Vampires

July 1st 2009 12:30
Hmmm...true, even with non-Vampires! Especially 1, 2, 4,5, 6

Thanks for the tips
I like that main pix - cute!

Comment by Lara M
on The Communal Laundry Room

July 1st 2009 10:18
Good line, Always Eighteen ;) Corny but cute <lol>...



I walked in on a guy in his shorts once, Janet. He was cute...but I think I was so shocked that I just kinda mumbled a 'errr...hi'...and quickly stuffed my laundry into the dryer <lol>. Wonder if he had stripped off in there...




Hi Tracy...Most communal laundry experiences have been the norm, except for that cute guy in shorts!



How awkward, Aimee! Hopefully s/he was nicely seated when you walked in <giggle>.

Comment by Lara M
on Chicken and eggplant laksa

July 1st 2009 06:37
Great dish for this very chilly Winter!

Comment by Lara M
on Spinach and mushroom quesadillas

July 1st 2009 06:34
Quesadillas are delish...especially with good Margaritas

Comment by Lara M
on 12 and Holding ($16.50)

June 29th 2009 12:16
I like how the understated turns out to be the real deal I'll look out for it.

Comment by Lara M
on For days when you just don’t have time…

June 29th 2009 09:30
Oooh, I've started making pizza dough with it as well, Helen. It's fantastic! Such beautiful dough

Hmmm...maybe it's time for a new toy... Let me know what you get

Comment by Lara M
on For days when you just don’t have time…

June 29th 2009 09:02
I love mine too, Jason I use it every week. I've yet to make jams. You're so right about how much less physical work it is with the machine! Glad to know another Laucke fan



Bakers Delight is quite delightful, katyzzz A good selection...but nothing like home-made




Comment by Lara M
on Spoons--the "Anytime" lure

June 29th 2009 07:23