Easy Special Fried Rice - by Stacey

Who doesn't love fried rice its so versatile you can cook it with all your favourite things or throw together what ever you have at the time.  

This is my delicious version of fried rice that you really can add anything to I make mine the day after a roast pork as I use the left over in my recipe. This will serve 4 people and all up takes 15 ~20 minute max.  

Ingredients;
4 ~5 cups cooked rice - I use my rice cooker and start with 3 cups of uncooked rice.
3~4 bacon stips 
3 eggs - made into a sloppy fluffy omelette
1 chorizo sausage or the chinese lap chong sausage 
1 cup chopped left over roast pork or roast chicken
1/2 green capsicum
1/2 carrot
1/2 cup frozen peas 
2 spring onions finely slices - or 1/2 brown onion
1/2 cup oil 
1 tsp chicken stock powder
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp rock salt 
1 tsp soy sauce 
1 tsp sesame oil

Not used today (as I had none) but I do often use bean sprouts and cooked prawns which i add right at the end with the omelette...Don't worry I'll remind you again then.

Now fried rice in my opinion is mostly about the order you throw things in over a high heat. Use a large wok or really large frypan and keep tossing it.

Here is how I do it. 

Step 1 - cook rice & chop up all your stuff in small even cubes 

Step 2 - make an omelette so its still runny then put it aside chopped up roughly. 

Step 3 - Fry bacon and sausage in oil now it might seem like a lot of oil but it will be needed to coat and lubricate the rice. (If you are using a brown onion add this now too)

Step 4 - add carrot and capsicum toss around for a few minutes you don't want them mushy

Step 5 - Add rice and toss it all through I use a spatular as my cooking tool 

Step 6 - add flavourings salt, pepper, stock, soy sauce & sesame oil - you might need more salt and pepper to taste just see how you like it. Toss through at this stage you aren't cooking your just tossing through and its a fast process over a high heat. 

Step 7 - chuck in omelette, roast meat, spring onion and peas (if using cooked prawns and bean sprouts add at this stage) toss through 2~3 minutes and remember to taste - season more if needed. 

Step 8 - Eat it 

Or try serving it a bit different by putting it in a small bowl then flip it on an asian style plate ... so fancy! 

Veggie Garden Signs - By Stacey

This is not really a how to post, I just wanted to share with you a couple little signs i made on the weekend for my up and coming veggie garden.

Painted with Acrylic paint on to smooth rocks then top coat with gloss exterior varnish

Used a stensil to trace the letters then painted with acrylic paint and 4 top coats front and back with gloss exterior varnish , drilled holes and used twine to make a hanger handle thingy

My favourite thing right now gloss exterior varnish will help weather proof 

DIY Wallpaper Makeover Cupboard Doors - By Stacey

Cupboard Doors Makeover 

I decided to spruce up our linen cupboard doors they were very old scratched and stained laminate and the quote to replace the doors alone was over $2000. Which I'd prefer to spend on a holiday at the moment. 

The makeover was really easy and so cheap the hardest part was getting the doors back on I needed help, there was a fair bit of swearing and grunting from the hubby.

I chose a very simple white textured paper as the hall is small and white and my hubby wasn't completely sold with the idea - no creative trust I tell you! If it was in a bedroom or a study I'd use a beautiful bold pattern so its a feature.

First I gave the metal edges a quick coat of spray paint I just used satin white but any accent or contrast colour or gloss would look most excellent.

Before this photo doesn't highlight the ugliness very well but trust me it was awful.

here's what you need 

 You will need;
1 roll of wallpaper should be enough or use this wallpaper calculator here.

1 pkt wallpaper paste - mixed as per pack instructions 
Scissors
Stanley knife
Damp cloth 
Some thing to help smooth it out like a medium hard broom brush or paint scrapper

Step 1 prepare paste as per packet instructions

As my wallpaper wasn't a pattern that needed to be lined up I just cut out 4 sheets which was all i needed before starting I did this while waiting for the paste to set. TIP cut the sheets an inch too big its better to be too big and cut it down than too small and have unnecessary join lines or have to start that sheet again and run out off paper. 

Step 2 paint paste onto doors covering all surface area generously

Step 3 smooth on paper first with clean finger tips then with a tool to remove air bubbles
Wipe off any excess glue with clean damp cloth

Step 4 Trim excess with stanley knife

Make sure you use extra care when smoothing the join. Let dry over night.

Then re-hang doors and kiss hubby for all his hard work

close up of the pattern 

Simple Miso Ramen - by Stacey

This miso ramen recipe is a quick simple one you can do at home its very versatile in the toppings you can use i'll give some more ideas at the end. 

Miso Ramen

Ingredients;
1~2 tbls miso - I use a light one or white miso
1 tbls soy sauce
1 pkt dried dashi powder - if you don't have use chicken or vegetable stock powder.
3 dried shitake mushrooms - can leave this step out
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds 
1 pkt ramen noodles any kind per person
1 &1/2 cups of water per serving
choice of toppings

1. Soak the dried shitake mushrooms in the water for a couple of hours - you don't have to do this step I just feel it gives the stock a beautiful depth of flavour. You should be able to get these at all supermarkets now and they last in the cupboard for ever its a lovely addition to any Asian stock and stir fry.

2. Discard the mushrooms (or use later in the topping) and heat water add stock powder and miso paste- with the miso don't just chuck it in - you'll need to work it to dissolve it. I put my paste in a soup ladle and start mixing it with a spoon and a bit of the pot water at a time until it is all dissolved. 

3 . Add soy sauce and ramen noodles cook as per the packet instructions you can use dried noodles any type really udon noodles are also very good with this soup. 
4. To serve ~ add noodles to the bowl and soup then drizzle with the sesame oil and seeds. Top as desired (usually with what I can scrounge up)  and slurp slurp slurp the noisier the better. 

Miso Ramen topped with soft boiled egg, bamboo shoots, corn, braised pork 

Topping ideas;
Boiled Egg
Corn
Bamboo shoots
Spring onion
Bean Sprouts
Braised Pork - recipe here
Stir Fry - any quick or left over stir fry 
Spinach
Slice of roast or braised pork or beef
Dried seaweed