A recipe and a Day Out

I have just loaded all of my photos on to the computer and realise I have so much to blog about so this is a two-in-one.  First a recipe.  On my honeymoon in New Zealand I, and my husband, fell in love with creme fraiche.  Food in NZ is very good and feels cheaper than Australia (it prabobaly is) so we ate way too much creme friache in 10 days.

Imagine my delight when watching Annabel Langbein's show and she made it!  And it was easy - well it looked easy.  I have two of Annabel's cookbooks but the recipe was not in there so I found it on a NZ TV website.  Here is the link.

I have tried to make yoghurt before without my yoghurt maker and failed so I was a little apprehensive that it could be so easy - but like the rest of Annabel's recipes it was as easy as she says.  You only need two ingredients: cream and buttermilk.

Here are my pics from my attempt:

 

The Vodka bottle I have saved from awhile ago - don't stress I haven't been drinking.

 

This is what it looked like straight away and only a tiny bit thicker when I put it into the fridge but after 24 hours chilling it was much thicker - like the stuff you can buy in the shop (but with no gelatine - yea cows).  I have used it instead of cream on pikelets, in a risotto and in a delicious potato torte recipe from Laura Calder.  I think that the total cost of the creme fraiche (about 2 cups) was around $4 - and I had cream and so much buttermilk left over.  Considering last time I priced it was near $7 I am ecstatic with the result.  Thank you Annabel!

 

And I can't help but to add this photo from our honeymoon of the area where Annabel has her "cabin"

When I am not called into work I don't tend to leave the house.  Is that shocking?  I don't know - we have a big house and a garden so I am usually cleaning or gardening or reading etc.  So when my husband has a day off and I am not called in to work I plead with him to take us for a drive.  It is my job to see to the provisions (usually a thermos of tea and some sandwiches and tim-tams).  This time we went to Soldiers Beach with is quite a famous surfing beach in our area.  In the background is Norah Head Lighthouse - I think you can actually stay there. Here are some photos:

 

 This is a close a we are getting to an outfit post as I had no make-up on and didn't feel great.  I am wearing my everyday clothes apart from the jumper - which rather than being maternity is just a lrage size - and it is so lovely and warm.