Japanese Chinese Fusion Sticky Braised Pork Belly - by Stacey

Pork belly is a great and cheap cut of meat that is perfect for slow cooking because of the fat content. 

This is an awesome party food as it can be cooked in advanced and just heated up. 

I've sort of adjusted this recipe from eating it in Japan and the many many delicious Chinese versions I've tried on the net. 

So I'm calling it Japanese Chinese fusion Sticky Braised Pork Belly

Ingredients; 

Stock;

1 kilo pork belly cut into cubes

1 tbls oil

2 tbls brown sugar

2 ~ 3 cups of water 

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tbls sake or Asian cooking wine

1 pkt dried dashi or (1 pkt dried bonito flakes) - both now sold in the supermarket or Asian markets

1 tsp minced garlic 

2 tsp minced ginger 

1/2 tsp white pepper

1/2 tsp clove powder

Dried Bonito Flakes

Dried Dashi Powder Japanese Stock powder

Braising Sauce;

1 cup above stock 

2 tbls soy sauce

2 tbls mirin 

2 tbls brown sugar

1 tsp chinese 5 spice

Method;

1. Brown the meat in a little oil - then add the sugar and caramelise lightly.

2. Add the garlic and ginger and toss through for a few seconds you don't want it to burn or colour just cook off the rawness.

3. Add the water, soy, sake, dashi stock powder, pepper and clove powder - bring to the boil then turn down really low and add a piece of baking paper cut into a circle (as shown) this is called a cartouche and what it does is control the escape of moisture its actually a French technique perfect for slow cooking. You can also weigh this down with a plate and you will put the lid on as well. 

Bring to the boil with the stock

Baking paper cartouche to hold in moisture

4. Cook at a light simmer for an hour and half or until the meat is really tender and would melt in your mouth. Let the meat cool and discard all but 1 cup of stock - you could use this left over stock for other things like soup bases or casserole etc. 

5. Add all ingredients to a pan and simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce is reduced and the meat is darker. 

I served with steamed greens with some of the braised pork sauce and sweet potato mash 

Give it a go even if some of the ingredients are unfamiliar to you its quite easy just to throw this all together and its just delicious melt in your mouth sticky yumminess!

Grandma's Vegetable Soup - by Stacey

When I was a little girl weekly we'd go over to my grandma's for lunch which would always be a 3 course meal usually starting with homemade veggie soup. As an adult and living away from home I'd often especially when feeling sick or a bit down find myself craving a good bowl of grandma's veggie soup. 

Ingredients
1 smoked ham hock
2 carrots 
3 celery stalks (including the leaves of one stalk)
1 onion
3 ~ 4 potatoes 
1 parsnip
1 cup soup mix
1~2 litres of water
2 tsp chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

1. Finely chop all the veggies and put into a large saucepan with a bit of oil to sweat off first.

2. Cover with water and put the hock in add stock and soup mix 

3. Slowly simmer for 2 hours (or more can be done in the slow cooker) topping up water if needed. Then remove hock and when you can remove the meat and put it back in the soup.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

I've substituted the ham hock for shredded cooked chicken and added pasta instead of soup mix - just add this later near the end of cooking.

Blackboard Paint wall nook - by Stacey

For years now I've wondered why I don't make commission from blackboard paint companies I just love itI'm always banging on about it. Mostly what I use if for is painting thin boards of wood (recently at bunnings I found pre-made ones out in the wood section - they stole this idea from me) Anyway finally I am no longer renting so I can paint a blackboard nook straight onto the wall yeehaaa! 

Even though I've wanted to do this for years I got really nervous before painting on the wall - mostly because its so black and if it looks terrible its an effort to fix it. Not to mention the heart break and the I told you so's from my hubby who wasn't completely sold on the idea.
So on that note my number one tip - well the only tip is to use good quality painters tape to mark off your area. Take care with this part to make sure its straight I used a laser tool for mine. 

paint tape mark up

I did 3 coats and am very happy with the end result. 

Other great places to use this paint are kitchens, the study, kids rooms, play rooms, pantries, fridges, outdoor areas, the toilet (not the toilet the room its pretty fun to sit there and write on the walls), under benches in the dead area, pantry containers. I love painting on cheap interesting picture frames and use them at my market stall or just around the house. I painted on some old pot plants that I have herbs.

Easter Crafts with Kids…by Amy

My little family loves a good festive season, to us it means we can create special crafts specially for the the time of year, and as Easter is under a week away we have spent the past week getting Easter crafty.

Here's a little look at what we have been up to…

Bunny Noses

All you need is an egg carton, some pipe cleaners, a piece of white paper, some pom poms, some elastic and some PVA glue .  These cute little noses were easy to put together, but like most kiddy craft all the work is in the preparation.  Start off buy cutting the egg carton up into 6 sections, now pierce 4 holes into each side, 3 for pipe cleaner whiskers and 1 for the elastic, cut some little rectangles out of the white paper for teeth. Now you can bring in the kids to get crafty, using the PVA glue, stick down the pom pom for bunnys nose, and the teeth, once that has dried treaded the pipe cleaners though the back holes for bunnys whiskers, add the elastic, put on and hop around the place!

Egg Carton Bunnies and Chick-a-dees

What you need is an egg carton, some paint, small pom poms for chicken wings some goggly eyes and some sticky tape and PVA glue.

Start by cutting the egg carton up into pieces, using the main egg holding part as the heads and bodies, and the other cut offs as beaks, teeth, ears and feet.  Paint all the bits and pieces in the colours you have chosen, we had yellow for the chicks and pink for the bunnies, once all dry get glueing, attaching the eyes, ears, beaks, feet, wings and teeth.  

Painted and Furry Eggs

You just need some poster paint, pipe cleaners, a glue gun and Styrofoam eggs, we picked ours up at our local 2 dollar shop.  Painting the eggs is one of the easiest crafts to do with kids, you just set up the paints and let them go to town, we used different painting techniques like finger painting and dipping the eggs into the paint to created some bright funky eggs.  The furry eggs are a little harder, I did most of the work and just had Miss 3 be my helper and pick out which colour pipe cleaner we used next.  After heating up your glue gun, carefully put some glue onto the egg starting at the tip and stick down the end of the pipe cleaner, start winding the pipe cleaner around the egg, gluing as you go.  

Clay Bunny Plates & Carrots

We loved playing with some air dried clay, it bought back memories of being in school.  These little plates were great to make, you just need some clay, we picked ours up at the local IGA, a rolling pin, cookie cutter, a knife, a little bowl for shaping, and some acrylic paint.  Its as easy as braking off some clay, kneading it a bit and roll it out, use the cookie cutter and cut out a circle,  use your knife to cut out some ears and stick them on to the circle using some extra clay to bind them together, place them into you little bowls and let them dry over night. Once dry use your paints to create little faces, we are going to leave ours out Easter night and see if the Easter Bunny leaves us any treats!

Heavenly Homemade Exfoliation Scrub - by Stacey

Another thing about me is I'm addicted to exfoliation. I think I've tried hundreds of off the shelf exfoliation scrubs. I can honestly say that this sugar scrub the best I have ever tried and it smells so good. 

I just can't justify buying those expensive ones anymore. Every now and then I do still get sucked in by beautiful packaging and the list of ingredients seems legit and the beautiful smell - I find I am always disappointed as it won't ever compare to this simple recipe. 

You need (sorry quantities are a bit approximate so don't be afraid to add them as you like) 
1 cup RAW sugar  you can also use sea salt of fine rock salt instead of sugar
1 tbls honey 
3 tbls oil - I use either baby oil or coconut oil. 
Left over can be stored in a jar in the fridge. 

Thats it!!

Jump in the shower and wash yourself as usual then i pop on a hair treatment or coconut oil in my hair turn off the shower and scrub scrub scrub be a bit gentler on the face. Really go for it on the feet and then rinse off pat dry and you won't be able to stop touching yourself...not in that way! Just feeling how soft you are.

Slow cooked pulled pork with spicy BBQ sauce 3 ways - by Stacey

A recent favourite with my slow cooker is pulled pork this recipe is also great with beef and of course could be cooked in the oven instead. 
I cook it then save 2 other portions which i usually freeze then later used in stir fries. I recently was looking at a gourmet pizza shops menu and saw a pulled pork pizza and I have been super excited ever since to try it out. 

Pulled Pork & Spicy BBQ Sauce Recipe; 
(if you have your own BBQ sauce recipe or marinade that will also work)

1~2 kilo's pork or beef no bones
1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tbls brown sugar 
2 cloves of garlic or 2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger 
1 red chilli or dried chilli powder 
2 tbls worcestershire sauce

Chuck this all in a slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours then shred between 2 forks 
You can use the pan juices to reduce down to a thicker BBQ sauce - I use mine to keep the meat moist and freeze with it.

Meal 1. Pulled Pork Rolls

Now if you think cooking something for 8 hours is wasted on just a roll then you haven't tried these rolls they are so delicious you'll be thinking about them forever and they are big enough for a meal a fantastic Saturday or Sunday night dinner- but by all means instead eat it with veggies. 

Meal 2. Pulled Pork Pizza

Recipe; 
1 quantity of pizza dough (recipe to come)
1 quantity left over pulled pork 
1 tbls pizza sauce 
1 tbls BBQ sauce
1 tbls kewpie mayonaise 
spanish red onion thinly slices 
1/4 cup green capsicum 
1 cup grated pizza cheese 
buffalo mozzarella - 3~4 small chunks 
jalapeño peppers to taste 

Roll out base to size then spread pizza sauce across the bottom - risist the urge to go over board it will leave your pizza soggy. 
Add a small scattering of grated pizza cheese.

Add your pulled pork and then swirl a swirl or BBQ sauce and a swirl  of kewpie mayonnaise. 

Scatter the other toppings evenly, onions, capsicums and chunks of mozzarella and if you like a bit of heat some jalapeños. Top with left of cheese & pop in your pizza oven or regular oven until done.

This pizza was ridiculously yummy - one note though is to make sure you cook it  until the base is crispy and really done as it can tend to be moist and nobody likes soggy pizza! 

Meal 3. Pulled Pork Asian Stir Fry

Recipe; 
1 quantity of left over pulled pork
1 tbls sesame seeds dry roasted
1 tbls cooking oil
1 packet rice noodles or any noodles 
2 spring onions 
1 carrot 
1/2 cabbage
1/2 green capsicum 
Handful snow peas
Handful mung bean sprouts
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp minced ginger 
1 tsp chilli sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
(or any stir fry combination you like)

While toasting the sesame seeds in a dry pan over a low heat cut all you veggies and boil the kettle. 

Take the sesame seeds out of the pan and put the heat to as hot as you can add oil and aromatics such as garlic & ginger. Cover the noodles in boiled water to soak. 

Then you'd usually cook the meat - in this case its already cooked. So veggies go straight in and toss those around a bit.

Add meat and (drained) noodles while continuing to toss about add flavouring sauces and if it needs a little more lubrication either add rice wine, sesame oil or a bit of water lastly toss through your roasted sesame seeds and bam your done. 
If it takes you longer than 15 minutes from start to plate on a stir fry you might be doing it too slow and that will mean instead of quick frying the meat and veggies leaving them crisp you'll be boiling them and making it soggy and the meat tougher. 

So give pulled pork a go its almost no effort for so much gain and so much deliciousness!