Under the Weather

Apologies for the quietness here on the ol' Blogsie Malone, I'm still a little under the weather..and truth be told, still shellshocked by the images and stories emerging from the flood-affected areas in Queensland and northern New South Wales. I have friends and some family in the affected regions, so what little energy I have at the moment is being channeled towards making sure everyone is alright, and doing what little I can to help from so far away.

Be strong, stay safe, hug your loved ones.

xx Kit

P.S. Once again, any donations are gratefully received at the Queensland Premier's Flood Relief Appeal or the RSPCA Queensland Flood Crisis Appeal. Thank you. xx

[Photography by k-lia]

Deluge - Queensland Floods

A brief but heartfelt plea - if you have even a few dollars to spare, please consider donating to the Queensland Premier's Flood Relief Appeal, or the RSPCA Queensland Flood Crisis Appeal.

75% of Queensland has been declared a disaster zone - that's two times the area of Texas, or five United Kingdoms. The devastation is widespread, lives have been lost, entire towns have been washed away, and if current weather predictions are accurate, then the worst is yet to come for the most heavily populated regions of the state.

So if you have anything to spare for those Australians so desperately in need, please donate.

xx Kit

Migraine Misery

Not the ideal way to spend the first Friday of Eleventy, but hopefully it will be my last migraine of this year.

I hope you have a healthy, non-headache-y weekend!

xx Kit

[Please click on the image to check out more of Laura-Vancane's stunning gallery]

The Blues

I have them.

Wednesday Wisdom - Boys of Summer

This week I'm sharing a little wisdom in musical form. I just can't get enough of this beautiful cover of Don Henley's 'Boys of Summer' by the Custom Kings. As much as I adore my '80s power ballads, I love this version even more. Oh yeah, I went there - a cover that's better than the original. Boom!

Now if only the weather would match my summery vibe! Come on Sydney, less drizzle, more dazzle!

xx Kit

[Photography by 123Stella, EliseEnchanted and indiae]

An Engagement

I'm beyond excited! One of my close friends has just announced her engagement and I'm (quite literally) jumping for joy for her and her marvellous man. 

Touché, 2011 Eleventy. Touché.


[All images from Polka Dot Bride - you'll be seeing this a lot in the coming weeks/months!]

Happy...

...New Year

...2011 (or as I shall be referring to it from now on, Eleventy!)

...Monday

...Days

Weekend Bake Fest - Yoghurt Cake

Given that I often refer to my kitchen as being 'For Display Purposes Only,' it goes without saying that I'm not the most domesticated girl on the block. Back in high school I freakishly aced my Home Economics class, including cooking and sewing, but if I happen to mention this fun fact to anyone now, they'll nervously laugh and edge away slowly, no doubt thinking that I've finally lost the plot to a disturbingly impressive degree.

What does that all mean in the context of the recipe I'm about to share with you? It means that it's basically foolproof. No! It's better than foolproof, it's KitProof! Well, almost. So here goes...

Yoghurt Cake with Lemon and Cinnamon Syrup

Serves 8-10

Cake Ingredients

185g unsalted butter, softened

250g (1 cup) caster sugar

5 eggs, separated

250g (1 cup) plain Greek-style yoghurt

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

280g (2 1/4 cups) plain flour, sifted

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Whipped cream to serve

Syrup Ingredients

250g (1 cup) caster sugar

1 cinnamon stick

4cm strip of lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and lightly grease a 20 x 10cm loaf tin.

Place the softened butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until light and creamy. (I misread this bit and melted the butter completely - don't do that!)

Add the egg yolks gradually and continue to beat well. Stir in the yoghurt, lemon zest and vanilla. Fold in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda with a metal spoon.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the mixture. Spoon into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake - this took about 1 hour 10 minutes in my oven, so wield your skewer wisely!

Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.*

To make the syrup, place the sugar and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan with 185ml (3/4 cup) of cold water. Stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil, add the lemon zest and juice, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Strain.

Pour the syrup over the cake and wait for most of it to be absorbed before serving. Cut into slices and serve warm with whipped cream.

And voila, bready/cakey deliciousness! I will however note that I skipped the * part, left my cake to cool in the tin for a little longer, then poured the syrup over the top so that the runoff (of which there was a lot!) largely went down the sides and to the bottom of the tin and soaked into all sides of the cake. 

I can't even imagine the mess that would have resulted if I just did this on a wire rack! That is, of course, if I had a wire rack. Which I do not. Heck, I just bought the cake tin last week!

So there you have it, KitProof Cake! Enjoy!

xx Kit