Here is my much sought after Salted Caramel Macaron recipe. Enjoy baking!

Be sure to check out my recipes.  There's a couple of new winter warmers that I'm sure you'll enjoy!

Chicken Meatball & Angel Hair Soup

Beautiful Things

As long as I can remember I have loved stationary.  I'm the type of person that can spend hours in a stationary shop admiring cards, paper, note books and note pads, the list goes on...

My first job was in a gift/stationary shop and my third job was working for a card and wrapping paper manufacturer.  How I didn't spend my entire weekly wage in both jobs, I still don't know.

I love sourcing original greeting cards, wrapping paper and ribbon in fancy gift shops in little country towns or tucked away in a quiet part of the bustling CBD.  I found these gems online and I'm sure you'll enjoy them as much as I do.

Little Janet St is an online boutique stationary and textile studio based in Queensland, selling original greeting cards, hand printed cotton twill ribbon and hand made clay magnets and garden labels. 

Ellis Benson prints customised notepads ranging from kids birthday thanks,  recipe notes, teacher's notes etc...  You can choose from a range of gorgeous colours and paper sizes and they are quite reasonably priced for a unique gift or just to spoil yourself.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1!

Having two children under 3 years of age means that there will alas be no wild new year's eve parties for us to send off 2011.  So, I was thinking... how do I make new year's eve a little extra special this year, well at least for me anyway.  Then the idea hit me... I might treat myself and buy a nice bottle of champagne to toast 2011 off in style.

I've been fortunate to try a few French champagnes in my life time.  It is a love that I wish I could indulge in more often.  Below are my top 5 out of the 7-8 that I have sampled in my 30 something years.
Each one invokes wonderful memories - all great periods of my life.

1. Dom Perignon

2. Bollinger - Special Cuvee

3. Verve Cliquot - Yellow Label Brut

4. Moet & Chandon - Brut Imperial

5 Louis Roederer - Brut Premier

And here are the top 5 on my wish list... Yes, they are all very pricey but I hope one day I'll be able to sample all 5 and add some more wonderful memories to my already blessed life.

1. Krug - Grande Cuvee

2. Perrier-Jouet - Bell Epoque Vintage

3. Louis Roederer - Cristal

4. Mumm - Cuvee R. Lalou

5. Dom Perignon - Champagne Rose



I hope whatever you will be doing, that you all have a happy new year and may 2011 be a special one.

Cupcakes Anyone?

I spent a delightful afternoon at a 'Cupcake Masterclass' yesterday at Cupcake Central in Melbourne Central Shopping Centre.  Together with a friend who also shares a passion for baking, we helped bake vanilla and red velvet cupcakes, create our fondant masterpieces and - my favourite part, pipe mounds of decadent butter cream onto our freshly baked creations.  Not only did they look pretty impressive but they tasted amazingly good.

Sheryl, the owner of Cupcake Central is quite inspirational. She left her life in IT and took a risk to follow her dream and it has paid off with two cafe/bakeries, the other being in Hawthorn.  She uses the finest ingredients she can find and you can certainly tell the difference when you taste her cakes.

So, if you'd like to spend an afternoon learning the fine art of baking and decorating cupcakes and of course come away with eight of your works of art and a beautifully presented case full of everything you will need to bake a dozen Devil's Food Cake cupcakes at home, check out Cupcake Central's website for workshop dates or just stop by and have a coffee and a cupcake or two.

Fancy Stationery?

Most women have a weakness for shoes.... For me, its bags!

Mainly because my feet are so small I can never get the shoes that I want in my size.

When this stunning Envelope Clutch caught my eye from Tiffany & Co, I was instantly sold.




Made of grain leather with palladium-plated solid brass hardware and the famous Tiffany Blue lining, I'm hoping Santa will be leaving this little number under my tree come Christmas Day.

Macarons

Who doesn't love a macaron with their coffee?

Nestled between speciality shops and cafes in Melbourne's Hardware Lane is La Belle Miette.  Melbourne's first specialist macaron shop, they are a small patisserie with over 15 gourmet flavours to choose from including: Moet et Chandon and Blackcurrant, Caramel a la Fleur de Sel and Cherry Blossom & Sake.

If you're in town doing a bit of Christmas shopping, stop by and sample 2 or 3 of these delicious treats or take them away in one of their beautiful packaged boxes.