Lunch box ideas

The kids will love these rolls. Add cherry tomatoes or grapes and their lunch box will burst with colour.

Ingredients

Honey Mustard Ham Rolls

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tsps wholegrain mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• 6 flour tortillas
• 100g packet shaved leg ham

Sweet Chilli Chicken Rolls

• 8 slices wholemeal bread
• 2 tblsps mayonnaise
• 1 tblsp sweet chilli sauce
• 100g packet shaved
• chicken breast
• 20g baby spinach leaves, trimmed

Method

1. Combine mayonnaise, wholegrain mustard and honey in a small bowl. Mix well.
2. Heat tortillas according to packet instructions. Spread half the mayonnaise mixture over tortillas.
3. Divide ham over top. Spread with the remaining mayonnaise mixture. Roll up tortillas tightly to enclose filling. Cut in half.
Sweet chilli chicken rolls
1. Trim and discard crusts from bread. Using a rolling pin, roll out slices of bread until thin.
2. Combine mayonnaise and sauce in a small bowl. Spread evenly over bread. Top with chicken and spinach. Roll up tightly to enclose.

Notes

Rolls can be made a day in advance. Wrap individually in plastic wrap. Store in the fridge.

My first pavlova

I tried my hand at making a pavlova, and yeah, the meringue fell flat. I think  know what I did wrong though so I shall try again! I love the lightness off this dessert and even if it seems to not work out you can smother it with cream and fruit and it's still a winner. Oh, and Happy Australia Day!

Yum!

Mum has this great muffin book so I tried my hand at these babies "Apple muffins" and they turned out great. I wanted to put something yummy in Jay's lunch box to surprise him on his first day of Kindy tomorrow. They're quite simple and healthy, I even replaced the regular self-raising flour for wholemeal self-raising flour and chucked some sultanas in.

Try it!
225g self-raising flour
150g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
3 tblsp sugar
155g butter
3 tblsp honey
2 eggs
170ml milk
3 apples peeled and chopped into small chunks

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C
Basically sift dry ingredients together
melt butter and honey than cool. Combine wet ingredients
Stir till just combined. Spoon into greased muffin tin. Makes six big ones!

Hot Lemon Drink

I can no longer be smug about never succumbing to the annual flu that passes through the area because the truth is I've been as sick as a dog for about a week  and cannot kick it, not to mention we've had  some of the coldest winter days so far. Hopefully the worst is nearly over as I think we're all pretty prepared for the warmth again. I got my hair highlighted today to beckon Summer.

Anyway, this is an excellent drink when you have a cold or flu, or feel one coming on.

180ml boiling water

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

60 ml fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

3 teaspoons of honey

Pinch of chilli powder or cayenne

This carrot cake came out delicious the other day! Including the cream cheese icing

Carrot cake

Serving size: Serves 10 or more
Cooking time: Less than 60 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 cups grated carrot
1½ cups self-raising flour, sifted
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup sultanas
½ cup crushed walnuts, plus extra to decorate
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
strawberries, to serve, if desired

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
125g packet cream cheese, at room temperature
125g butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons icing-sugar mixture
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to moderate, 180C. Lightly grease a 22cm round cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine carrot, flour, sugar, oil, sultanas, walnuts, eggs and cinnamon.

3. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

4. CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
In a small bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add icing-sugar mixture and vanilla, beating until combined.
Spread frosting over cooled cake. Sprinkle with extra walnuts. Serve with strawberries, if desired.