Product Review and Recipe- Coles Herbs and Spices

I was lucky enough to be selected for another Coles Home Activity! This time it is to review the new range of herbs and spices. 

In the pack, I got my very own MasterChef apron, after all, “to cook like a MasterChef cooks, shop where a MasterChef shops”. This was excitement enough for me, but the goodies continued with my choice of three free herbs or spices from the Coles range, and a $10 gift card to help with ingredients.

I stood in the aisle for about 15 minutes trying to decide what I combination of herbs and spices to select. 

I was leaning towards a curry mix, garam masala, cumin, tumeric… or perhaps a Christmasy sweet dish, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

I asked Chris what he would prefer, and he said “Steak” in a grunty reply.

Right-ti-oh smart arse, steak it is.

Smoked Paprika, Garlic Salt and Cracked Black Peppercorns won. The Coles range did have their own steak rub, but I like to customise. 

Blow Your Mind and Your Bum Steak Rub and Pepper Sauce

Steak Rub

Ingredients

1 ½ tsp Coles smoked paprika

1 ½ tsp Coles garlic salt

1 ½ tsp Coles black peppercorns

½ tsp of chilli powder  

2 Tbls whole grain mustard

1 Tbls canola oil

700g rump steak

Method

1)      Combine spices, mustard and oil in a bowl 

 2)      Bash steak with a meat tenderiser

 

 3) Rub steak with Rub 

 4)      Cook steak however you’d like. Apparently the black char bits give you cancer, but the also give you delicious.

5)      Let meat rest and make your sauce. 

Pepper Sauce

Ingredients 

2 Tbls butter

2Tbls plain flour

1 cup beef stock

1 Tbls Coles crushed black peppercorns 

Method

1)      Melt butter in a small pot

2)      Add flour and stir to cook for about a minute

3)      Take off heat and add a small amount of stock. Stir until there are no lumps.

4)      Add the rest of the stock and pepper and return to the heat.

5)      Stir until thick. If it becomes too thick, add more stock.

Sorry about the lack of photos, it was chaos time at our house, and I was flat out making sure it didn't burn.  

 There we go Chris... "Steak"

Now, this meal is spicy. It’s not suitable for kids, but you know what, I don’t care. It’s delicious.

The Coles range of herbs and spices are great. They are in nice jars that are sealed for freshness. They have shaky holes at the top, or you can take the lid off, and dunk your spoon into the jar.

My lovely Ikea spice rack is one of the focal points in my kitchen, but it can only hold 16 jars. The jars from the Coles range of herbs and spices would fit a whopping 28 jars! I will defiantly be buying the range from now on, and keeping the jars to refill.

Like all Coles brand products, they are value for money and good quality.

In the Home Activity Pack, there were discount vouchers for family and friends and here is what some people said after they tried the range.

“I love the quirky jars. The letters on the front help feed my OCD tendencies”

“The flavour was comparative to the more expensive brands. I’ll defiantly be buying Coles from now on.”

“I wish there was a bigger range! I can’t get enough of them!” 

The Best Most Quickest Dessert

Warning: It is not my fault if you gain lots of weight making this every night. Blame Cassie, from Back To Her Roots. She's got lovely photos and this is her recipe, but I thought I needed to share it for the good of womankind. 

Who would have thought you could whip up an awesome dessert in about three minutes? Everyone is going to love this. 

Microwave Chocolate Pudding for Two (or one woman with P.M.S) 

Ingredients

1 egg 

1 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder (home brand Woolworths is the best flavour you'll ever get from cocoa powder) 

1 Tablespoon plain flour 

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 Tablespoon of brown sugar  

1 Tablespoon of nutella 

1/2 Tablespoon of crushed nuts (I added this because I love nuts) lol 

Method. 

1) Stir all ingredients together. 

2) Seperate into two small microwavable ramekins, one large one, or a coffee mug 

3) Microwave on high for 30seconds. Check and microwave in 15second increments until cooked.  

At the end you get a gooey cakey pudding. It's delicious. You don't want to over cook it... leave it saucy. It's delicious. 

The Loss Of A Good Mate

Every Friday we visit Mum and Dad. The kids have rituals that they NEED to complete each time we visit. They always have Granny cheese (block cheese sticks), they always have a spa, and they always feed the pigs with Grumpy and visit Snowy.

Snowy has bowel cancer, and is not going to make it past the weekend. He's in palliative care, and really, I don't know how to tell Andy. He knows what death is because of his bug catcher, but when it comes to human life, how's he going to cope? Andy will vocalise his feelings, but Joey will feel the effects internally.

I'm unsure to tell Andy now, and prepare him for his death or do I wait for Andy to ask about Snowy? I'm leaning toward waiting. I'm sure he'll ask today. Do we tell him Snowy's very sick and in hospital? I don't want to scare Andy about being sick. Do I explain that he's old and has cancer?

Snowy's the boys mate. He taught them how to shake hands, and about cows (and cow poo). He give the boys jelly-beans when they visit, and lets them water his plants even though they make a big mess. I'm thankful for Snowy. He's the only elderly person the boys see regularly and I think kids need that.

I'm grateful for the short time the boys knew Snowy. I wish there was something we could do in the end for him.

*Edit*

Snowy passed away Tuesday 24th, and we waited for a time to tell Andy where it was appropriate. So, Thursday morning while only he and I were up, I told him that Snowy had died.

Andy cried and said that he will miss him. We spoke about how sad we feel. Then we spoke about thinking of all the nice things Snowy and Andy did together, and that he would watch over us always from the moon. (We went with the moon instead of the stars, as the moon is easier to find in the night sky). 

Andy asked if Grumpy was sad. And of course I said yes, and Andy cried some more.

That night we went and said goodnight to Snowy on the moon, and Andy went happily to bed. 

Friday, the day they usually see Snowy, was also difficult but Andy had come to terms with it. 

He also asked tonight, how he died. I told him he died of cancer, but not everyone who has cancer dies.

I think we have gone about this the best way. I hope that Andy feels he can come to us and talk about his feelings and that he isn't scared of death, hospitals or "getting sick". Sometimes the truth is best for kids. Sugar coating this for Andy may have confused him more than helped him.

Snowy's funeral is on Monday. 

Product Review- Derma Intensive + Q10

Recently I've been entering quite a few online competitions and winning. Nothing big, a cook book here, a block of chocolate there, games for the kids, and a few sample products. A few weeks ago I joined Coles Circle which is an online community of everyday men and women who have the choice to take surveys, write product reviews and participate in recipe forums for Coles (one of two major grocery store chains in Australia).

I have been given the opportunity though this forum, to test and review a range of skin care products- and by God, I'm going to do it right.

In full disclosure, I am not being paid by Coles or any other company to blog about these products, but did receive the products for free.

Background

Derma Intensive + is a range exclusively to Coles, made my Mellor and Russell. It's not tested on Animals (+5 points). It's a range of skin care products that contains Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) which is found naturally in every cell in your body, but it diminishes in skin cells with age. As well as medically beneficial (research into heart conditions (post- heart attack), diabetes, hypertension and gum disease), there are also benefits when used on your skin.


My understanding of CoQ10 is that it is the personal trainer of collagen, elastin and moisture in your skin. We all need that motivation to keep in shape, so do they. CoQ10 is the energy behind these important elements in looking younger. It's also an anti-oxidant and a fighter of free radicals (ie: environmental pollutants). This is a super power for your skin.

Other products that contain CoQ10 are Nivea (Body Firming, Energy and Anti-Aging Ranges), Bielenda, and Avalon Organics. These products range from around $8- $19. While not break your bank expensive, if you're using them everyday, they are a luxury item (in my budget anyway).

As I was reading about the effectiveness of CoQ10 for medicinal purposes, I read that to be effective you need to ingest about 40-170mg per day. I looked at the pack and realised that in the ingredients, I couldn't see anything about how much CoQ10 was actually in there... and then, I came across this.... An "oh no" report from Today Tonight, Perth. I'm not convinced after reading the report that there will be enough CoQ10 to make a difference in the skin. But, we'll see.

My Skin Issues 

I thought I would pop in here that I have Dermatographic Urticaria which is basically a fancy way of saying skin that marks easily when touched. This isn't "sensitive skin" and I usually have no issues with perfumed products or anything like that. Note: If you do have these issues, I'm not sure if the product will be suitable for you. Contact your health professional.

My problem areas in Winter (when this review is taking place) are my T zone, being very dry, my legs, looking not unlike crocodile skin, and my rough dry elbows. These are the areas I will be focusing on.

Products 

I'm very glad that these products came with instructions, because I had no idea what to do with half of them. I use Detol bar soap on my face, followed by the cheapest Oil of Olay moisturiser. I would love to bathe myself in expensive products and take the time to give myself facials and look after my skin... but hey.. I've got my hands full.


Prices are subject to change without warning. 


Product One: Derma Cleansing Milk Intensive + 200mL$4.33 



I've never used a cleansing milk before, so when I used this, I was worried about the "oily" feeling after you wash it off. My skin doesn't feel clean after using it. It feels coated. It did wash off make up though, which is great. I won't continue to purchase this.


2/5

Product Two:Derma Toner Intensive + 200mL$4.33

I think the alcohol in this stung my skin. I used it once, and won't be using it again. This doesn't mean it's not for you, but if you have sensitive skin, I wouldn't try it.

Not for me. 0/5








Product Three: Derma Renew Oil Intensive + 75mL$7.58

This is my favourite product. My afore mentioned rough dry elbows are a thing of the past. The oil soaks in surprisingly quickly, and leaves the skin supple and smooth. The smell, like all of the products is divine. You only need a couple of drops for it to be effective. The bottle is going to last and last. I have also trialled this on my feet. I wouldn't recommend this for cracked heals because it doesn't soak into the dead skin well, making your feet slippery. It's hard to get a good shot of your elbows, but I'm going to get Mum to try it. She'll be amazed. 


5/5

Product Four: Derma Q10 Serum 30mL$5.24

Mum has been using this all over her face, and she said it's great. She loves the way it rubs in, and she also thinks it is working!

Mum, like me, usually uses Olay, and has dry spots on her face, between her brows in Winter. Not this Winter.

5/5

Product Five: Derma Q10 Face Cream SPF 15+ Day Cream 50mL$4.99


This product is SPF15. However, as we all know, you have to reapply sun-cream every four hours, so really, unless you're using this a few times a day, I don't think the addition of sun cream is worthwhile. Also, in the harsh Australian sun, wouldn't a 30+ be better?


In saying that, Mum loves this product. She loves how it rubs in, and has said that it compares well to Olay. Her skin is smooth and clear and feels nice. She's very impressed.

4/5

Product Six: Derma Q10 Night Cream 50mL$5.24

This cream rubs in well, and feels thick and rich. I don't think it's as effective as Oil of Olay. It didn't seem to make the dry bit on my skin go away. I had high expectations of a night cream.


3/5








Product Seven: Derma Q10 Eye Cream 30mL$4.99

I've used this for a few weeks now on my left eye. I don't see any difference.

I guess with eye creams, it would be prevention is better than a cure. Daily use might de-crease the risk of wrinkles. 

The cream rubbed in well.

4/5





Product Eight: Derma Intensive Wipes Fragrance Free 25pack$2.14

I really like these. They are a cleanser and toner in one. Great if you aren't having a shower and want to remove make up. They even removed waterproof mascara. Great value. I will be keeping these in my bathroom from now on! 


5/5

Product Nine: Derma Facial Wipes Fragranced 25 pack$2.17

The fragrance is nice and clean. Like the Fragrance Free ones, they remove make up and leave your skin feeling fresh. Great value for money, and you only need one cloth to remove a face full of make-up.


5/5 

Product Ten: Derma Intensive Nourishing Hand and Nail Cream

No Image Available.

This was the first item I reached for when I opened the parcel. I love hand creams. The thick and creamy consistency of this hand cream shows the quality of the moisturiser. It rubs in well, not leaving your hands feel damp, like some creams can. The best part though, is the smell. It's not a heavy scent, but a nice clean and fresh smell that makes me want to sniff my hands all day. The tube is also the perfect size to fit in your handbag. I often forget to moisturise my hands, or notice that they are dry when I'm out. I've used this cream several times, and I have already noticed the difference. My hyponychium (the quick of the nail) is often peeling and dry. This cream has helped so much with this.

This product has CoQ10 as well as Shea Butter, Vitamin E, Vitamin B5. 


5/5

Product Eleven: Roll on Eye Serum

I like the method of application the best out of all the eye wrinkle creams. Not to boast, but I'm fairly sure at age 26 I don't have too many noticeable eye wrinkles, and didn't see any improvement.

4/5

Summary 

Over the past three weeks, I've spent so much time applying skin care products, that I know the rest of the product will sit in my bathroom, gathering dust until I get sick of them and chuck them out.

If you use a lot of skin care products, and enjoy the daily ritual then I'm sure that these products would be good for you.

Personally, I got a break out of pimples on my chin (something that doesn't happen normally, and perhaps it was just hormones) and the dryness didn't go away. After swapping back to the good old Detol bar soap, and Olay moisturiser, my skin is back to normal, clear and moisturised.

The Renew oil, hand cream and the face wipes are the three stand out products in this range and I would recommend them. However, if you're not happy with your skin care products, then give these a go. Just because they didn't work for me, doesn't mean they won't work for you. The price is great compared to the leading brands, and all products (except for the cleanser and toner) felt nice on your skin.

Take Away v. Home Made- Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup

By far my favourite thing about Chinese food, is the chicken and sweet corn soup. All delicious and gelatinous. Where we buy Chinese from, make a great soup, but I make a better one. I can't take all the credit for this recipe. My mother-in-law actually gave me the base recipe, and I've just tweaked it to make it more like the one in the store. I always intend to freeze half of the recipe, but we end up having it for lunch for a few days. It's that good.

One take away sized container of soup costs about $4 from the Chinese shop.

Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup 

Ingredients

2 L of pre-made chicken stock (home brand cost $3.14 x 2) You can make your own, but these days I'm about convenience. To make your own, boil 2L of water with 1kg of chicken pieces, 10 pepper corns, 2 bay leaves, celery, carrot and onion for 1-2 hours. Strain, and refrigerate overnight. Reserve chicken for the soup. When set like jelly, skim off fat and continue on with the recipe.
2 cups cooked chicken- shredded (Use cheap chicken or left overs $4 per kg)
2 chicken stock cubes (you need these with or without making your stock)
2 rashers of bacon- finely diced
8 Tablespoons corn flour- dissolved in 6 tablespoons of warm water
2 tins of creamed corn ($1.46 each)
3 lightly beaten eggs in a measuring jug (or something with a spout)
Salt
Pepper

Method.

1) Add crumbled stock cubes to the stock and bring to the boil.
2) Add chicken, bacon, and corn to the stock and mix well.
3) Once it's boiling, pour in the corn flour mixture and stir until beginning to thicken (about 5 mins).
4) Make sure that the soup is at a rapid boil very slowly pour a steady stream of egg into the soup. You don't want the soup to have big globs of egg in it, so it's important to get this right. The thinner the stream the better. I like to pour with one hand and stir with the other to make sure the egg string is moving while cooking.
5) Season with salt and pepper.

I estimate that this soup would make about 6 Chinese shop serves (perhaps more).

Take Away= $24
Home Made= $15 approx

Looks like another winner in the cost effectiveness. And you can "freeze" some.

Take Away v. Home Made- Fish and Chips

This one is just for the Aussies.

The good old Friday night take away, fish and chips now costs too much for me to be happy to pay.

$6 x 3 (the boys have half a piece each)
$4 for chips
$8 for "bird rings" aka calamari

That's $30 for food that is inconstantly good. Once the twins are eating fish, then the price will only increase.

The Fish 

So, Chris and I have been trialling all sorts of frozen fish fillets to see what's the best.

We've tried everything from Coles crumbed fish portions (who knows what type of fish it it) for about $8 per  kilo, to the Birds Eye Dory fillets, which are about $23 per kilo and a few in between. By far the best frozen fish, goes to Aldi- The Fishmonger frozen (battered) fish fillets for $9.90 per kilo. This fish is delicious. You oven bake it and it goes nice and crispy. The fish tastes like fish, without tasting fishy. I don't know what that means, but you will when you buy it. You can also get it crumbed and you find it in orange big bags in their freezer section.

The Chips 

Of course home made double cooked chips win. Nothing beats them. Grab some normal dirty potatoes (you know the ones?) and peel and chop them into chippy shapes. Next, boil them in some salted water until they are just a bit soft on the outside. Place them on a tray lined with baking paper and shove them in the fridge.

Do that bit whenever you have a spare five minutes (hahahaha). They need to form a rubbery coating anyway. I do this bit in the morning, and then go about my day and do the next bit while the fish is cooking.

Pre-heat your deep fryer to about 170degrees Celsius.

Put the chips into the fryer. Don't overcrowd the basket. If you do, they wont be supreme. Cook them for about 3 minutes.

Take them out of the fryer and then crank it up to MAXIMUM (about 190)! Wait for it to heat to that temperature.

Dunk them back in and cook until they are to your desired crispyness.

If you cant be arsed making them, buy them frozen. More expensive and less awesome, but hey, any deep fried potato is going to be edible.

The Salt 

Right, now here's the thing. I ring my fish and chip store, and ask for extra chicken salt. The woman on the other end of the line frantically scribbles that down. Then I say "did you write down extra?" and she says "just a minute" and writes it down. And then I say, "now I want double extra chicken salt. Write that down. Don't be scared of the chicken salt." She think I'm a loon, and just puts the normal amount and I get all huffy.

Up until now, I have tried all of the chicken salts at Coles and Woolies. Just by chance I was browsing the herbs and spices at IGA and noticed there was a yellow chicken salt. I needed to give it a go...

IT'S THE ONE!

It tastes just like the one they use in the fish and chip shops. The good thing about it is it's MSG free. I was worried that the awesome taste would be salt, pepper and MSG. So really happy I found it. I'm fairly sure this jar will last a long time. I over salted my chips, and for me, that never happens.

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 Chicken Salt <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

The Sauce 

I love a good tartar sauce, and this is my recipe, which is good.

Into the blender, a few blobs of low fat mayo, one blob of lite sour cream, about 20 capers (which last forever in the fridge), 1 dill pickle, salt, pepper, a big squeeze of lemon or lime juice. Wizz it. If you're feeling up yourself, stir in some chopped flat leaf parsley, or my favourite, dill.

Now, you can make a whopping batch of this and store it, or make it fresh when you need it. Once you have the ingredients, it's very quick and easy. Much better than the bought stuff.

The Calamari 

We have yet to find an awesome frozen calamari. Andy likes the Aldi one, but I'm not fussed on the thickness of the coating on the outside.

If you buy awesome calamari rings let me know!


Cost

$1 per piece of fish (approx)
$1.66 per kg for potatoes '
$0.50 for a serve of sauce
$3 for the whole tub of salt
$7 for a box of calamari

As you can see, it's going to be a lot more cost effective and delicious than the bought stuff. We have all of this on hand at any given time.

Take away= $30
Home made = > $9

The Chaos of Bed Time

Masking tape car race track. Let's hope the boys love this so much that tonight will run smoothly!

As my last blog hinted, tonight is my first night with four kids by myself. Chris won tickets to the footy and is taking a well deserved night to himself. So, this leaves me with the baths (probably will be a "just jarmie" night - no bath), dinners, and the dreaded bed time!

Let me just illistrate the chaos that happens at bed time...

Dinner is nice and calm, and then the boys go mental. They run around and carry on for about half an hour. Then, we attempt to calm them down. But, by this time the twins need to be fed again (yay cluster feeding). So, I'm out of action, and Chris brushes their teeth, makes them do a wee, and then reads the boys two or three stories. By this time, they're calm again. Then it's time for Joey to get into his big boy bed and this is more chaos. He wants to "talk to Mummy" so runs out and says "nee-night" and runs back, runs out and kisses me, runs back, runs out and kisses Ryan, runs back, runs out and kisses Sophie, and runs back. We've tried to make him do it all at once, but no.

Then Andy wants a drink, which leads to him going for another wee. Then Joey wants a drink, so then Andy wants another drink, which leads to another wee (about 1/5 tsp full).

Eventually, after sitting in there for 30mins, Chris sneaks out, moves the twins to their cot, we do the dishes, clean up, put on the days washing, shower and go to bed (about 9pm).

As you can see, the only thing I really do is feed the twins. I'm going to miss that man tonight... for his company, but mostly for his usefulness.

Tissue Alert.

If you had to make make wishes for your child's life, what would they be? Have nice friends at school? Not be pains in the butt when they're a teenager, find their soul mate, get married, have kids, be happy?

What if you knew your child was only going to live to two?

Diane Roberts, mother of 21 month old Ryan, made a bucket list for her little man. Being born with a congenital heart defect and Downs Syndrome he's not expected to live passed two. Now Ryan is going to do as many "big boy" things that he can in his few short weeks. He's going to pat a dog, wear a temporary tattoo and meet his football teams mascot.You can read and see Ryan here.

Recently, his parents had to make the hardest decision they will ever had to make. Do Not Resuscitate. The hospital room was flooded with toys, flowers and cards, but what the family wanted was this.

 "Go out and create a memory with your kid. Throw a banana split on the table for dinner," Diane says. "Wouldn't you remember having banana splits for dinner one night when you were a kid?" 

Ryan's Banana Split Party was born. People all around the world are foregoing their balanced and portion controlled meals for dinner and pigging out on banana splits. Have a dinner that the kids are going to remember. 

The boys and I are going to participate in this tonight. Chris is out at the State of Origin football game, so we're going to make a memory. I can't wait for them to get home from kindy. We've got bananas, marshmallows, ice cream, sprinkles, custard, whipped cream and chocolate sauce! Bring it on! 

I will upload some pictures, so be sure to revisit.

Link me to your own banana split party in the comments below, and be sure to join the facebook page.




FOLLOW UP!

After the boys got home from Kindy and they played with their awesome car track I told them all about Banana Splits for dinner.

We made epic "Banana Messes" and gobbled them all up.

Then a strange thing happened.

Andy and Joey both chucked a tantrum because we didn't have dinner. I tried my best to let them know that they just had an epic dinner. Andy wanted veggies and Joey wanted chicken nuggets and chips. So we had micro-waved meat pies for dessert.

"One for you and one for me mummy"

It's the twins time to feed, 

I try to be organised, 

But as soon as I sit down to start, 

I shouldn't be surprised. 

Joey has a poo bum, 

Andy wants a drink, 

The cat has decided to vomit,

In the bathroom sink. 

The phone starts ringing, 

There's someone at the door. 

The neighbour's ball comes over the fence, 

There's paint spilled on the floor.


Today Joey's asleep. 

Andy's playing nicely outside.
I hear no screaming, yelling, "Muuuuum"ing, 

I attempt to look on the upside. 

I'm sure he's not in trouble, 

I'm sure he's not in strife,
I'm sure he's not playing with, 

Some random giant knife.


The time goes by, I have to check,
"ANDY, what are you doing?" 

No response really doesn't help, 

The ill feeling that is brewing. 

So carefully, I put down the twins, 

And I as quick as I can be,
I race outside a bit cranky, 

To see what I can see. 

I see him covered, from head to foot, 

In what can only be described,

As chicken poo and mud and slime. 

This memory forever inscribed. 

Two big brown eyes, his beautiful face, 

His podgy little fingers, 

Holding the most beautiful thing,

My smile still lingers.


A weed to some, a rose to me.
Two dandelions, yellow and bright.
The stems all bent, the petals crunched,
From holding them too tight.


Tears ran down his muddy cheeks,
"Mum I fell in chicken poo"
I rush and pick my baby up,
What else could I do?


Stripped us of and cleaned us up,
Put the flowers in some water,
Twins all settled, Joey wakes up,
Cuddles with my sons and daughter.


While the days feel long, time goes by quickly,
How can they be so grown?
With the adventures of my children,
I'll never feel alone.

Banana and Date Loaf

This is one of those recipes that reminds me of old fashioned cooking. Delicious, and warm. Waste nothing. Comfort. It's a recipe that an old Home Economics teacher gave to me when I was a student teacher.

Ingredients 


250g pitted dates, coarsely chopped 
2 large, over ripe bananas, mashed 
1/2 tsp cinnamon 
1/2 tsp nutmeg 
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar (You can leave this out to make it a bit healthier without any detriment- it just wont be as sweet) 
60 g butter 
boiling water 
1/2 tsp bicarb soda (baking soda) 
1 Tbls golden syrup (or honey or molasses) 
1 egg 
1 1/2 cups self raising flour (or 1 1/2 cups of plain flour sifted with 2 tsp baking powder) 


Method


1. In a medium, heavy based pot, add dates, bananas, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and butter, and enough boiling water to come half way up the ingredients (about 1 cup) 

2. Simmer until mushy and delicious (about 10 mins) 

3. Remove from heat, and let cool for 5 mins. 


Pre-heat oven to 180degrees Celsius (350F) 


4. Add the egg and mix well. Add the bicarb soda and golden syrup.  


5. Add the flour and stir until just combined. 

6. Transfer into a lined and greased loaf tin. I have made this in a round cake tin and it wasn't as good. 

7. Bake for 35-45 minutes. Turn half way to get even cooking. 

 This is a "cakey pudding". You can eat it cold, with a smear of butter, or warm and drizzled with custard. Personally, I prefer to burn my tongue and eat it fresh out of the oven.