First holiday goal compete - Gingerbread men

Although its not Christmas, I completed my first holiday goal of creating some Gingerbread men.

At Christmas time I love to be extravagant, and create an entire creation of a Gingerbread house. However because it's not Christmas, I thought I could settle with making something a little toned down.

Making Gingerbread men is fun and easy. You can make a number of different sizes and shapes, and it doesn't even take that long to make.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Time to cook: 10 minutes

All you need is: (to make 25 average sized men)

1/2 golden syrup

2 1/2 cup Plain Flour

1 tsp bicarb Soda

125g butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup Brown sugar

1 egg separated

tbs ground ginger

tsp nutmeg

tsp cinnamon

Royal icing:

egg whites (from the separated egg)

1 cup icing sugar (can vary)

Food dye, any colour (amount varies, for me usually 3 drops)

Icing- for when you drop the egg whites, or accidentally throw them out:

2 tsp butter

tbs milk

1 cup icing sugar

method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius

2. Beat the butter and brown sugar with wooden spoon or electric beater, until creamy

3. Beat in egg and golden syrup until combined

4. Add flour, and use a wooden spoon and your hand to fold into the mixture along with the cinnamon, 5.ginger, and nutmeg

6. Then pack in tight ball, wrap in glad wrap, and place in fridge for 30min

7. Meanwhile, make the icing, by putting the icing sugar in a bowl and gradually adding the egg whites (or milk and softened butter) and food dye, until thick but not dry.

8. After 30 minutes in the fridge, Dust some flour over a flat surface/bench top, take out the gingerbread and roll out into a 4-5mm thick disc, to cut shapes out with your cookie cutters

9. Place in oven for 10 minutes (keep an eye on them through out)

10. After 10 minutes take them out and wait till they're cool. Then decorate with the icing. You can use a piping bag, or Zip lock bag with a small whole in the corner.

Enjoy!

Ingredients needed to make the gingerbread


Butter and brown sugar combined


Separated egg


Egg yolk and golden syrup added



Flour and Spices added



Flouring surface for rolling

Put in a ball in glad rap to be placed in the fridge

 Cookie cutting time

Some of the cookies on the greased trays to be put in the oven

Fresh baked Cookies

Iced Gingerbread men

Some close up faces

Icing out in a zip lock bag. If you want to save plastic you could put two in one like i've done here

Pipin' away

Hanoi Hannah - Vietnamese restaurant

For fathers day, my Dad and I went to an awesome Vietnamese restaurant called Hanoi Hannah.

This was my first time ever trying Vietnamese food. I always say I hate things without ever trying them.  I'd say most of the time I am right and I hate the food. How ever I was clearly wrong about Vietnamese food.

The atmosphere was great. The staff were great. The inside and the outside of the restaurant were great.

Everything was very affordable and very good quality. As I had never been there, and never had Vietnamese food before. I just asked my Dad to get a few things on the menu which he knew were good. So we ended up ordering, the some Prawn rice paper roll type things, the fried Spring rolls (I can't exactly remember the names of them), the Salt and pepper dusted prawns, The soft shell crab, and the Duck Noodle glass salad. Every single thing we ate was absolutely delicious. The person next to me was sippin' on a nice looking coconut. And the staff replaced the water bottle as soon as it was empty (my fave).

Definitely worth checking out. In Prarahn on the corner of High St and Chapel St.
Check out their Website http://www.hanoihannah.com.au/HH/

Food: 9/10
Price: 9/10
Service: 9/10
Return: Definitely

Fried spring rolls

Soft shell Crab

Salt and Pepper dusted Squid

Noodle glass salad with duck

Asakusa - Japanese restaurant

Outings with Katherine and Katie...

A few weeks ago my friend Katie and I were discussing food in maths. I asked her if she had been to a restaurant on Waverley rd called 'Shallot'. She said 'no but I drive past it all the time', and then continued with asking me if I have been to restaurant called 'Asakusa' also on Waverley rd. I also said 'no but I drive past there all the time'. So right then and there, we made a deal that if I try her restaurant, she has to try mine too. And so we did.. Us along with our lively friend Katherine tried our first restaurant stop at 'Asakusa' Japanese restaurant. 

Especially after Maru Shih I was excited for some more exciting Japanese food to eat. So instead of ordering one main dish... We ordered three entrees each. There was the Ebi Gyoza, Nasu no Dengaku (miso paste Eggplant), Agedashi Tofu, Pork Gyoza, Tori no tatsuta age (Fried chicken and mayonnaise), and some Spicy Tuna Roll. I must say the food was quite delicious.

The atmosphere wasn't bad and we were able to observe all the other amazing looking dishes coming out of the kitchen. However I think we may have caught them on a busy night as we had rather slow service. But other than that my experience here was great. I do recommend this restaurant, (especially if your patient enough to wait quite a while for your food). 

They were standard prices, not cheap nor expensive. Worth checking out...

Service: 6

Food: 8

Price: 7

Return: Possibly 

Spicy Tuna roll

Nasu no dengaku (egg plant with miso paste)

Pork Gyoza

Agedashi Tofu

Tori no tatsuta age (Fried chicken and mayonnaise)

Maru Shih - Japanese Restaurant

Outings with Leana..

Last week, my friend Leana and I thought it would be a great idea to hit up a Japanese restaurant and attempt to practise some japanese... So with the help of my mum, we looked on Urbanspoon.com. And found a great sounding restaurant called 'Maru Shih' which is just in South Yarra on Toorak rd.
Along with the cute ornaments, lovely staff, and great tableware, the 'FOOD' was fabulous and cheap! we both got two entrées, a main, and a drink for under $20.
Another good thing, was that it wasn't crazy busy, and the tables weren't slammed right next to each other. We were also able to sit next to the window where we could study the people passing by.
The service was fast and efficient. Restaurants with staff that top up your water as soon as your glass becomes empty, definitely have my vote. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone and everyone (definitely recommend trying their Green Tea Latte's, as crazy as it may sound, it is quite endearing.

Service: 9 
Food: 8
Price: 9 (very affordable) 
Return: absolutely

Green Tea Lattes and Chicken Gyoza (Great dishes)

Chicken Gyoza, Miso soup, Green Tea Latte, Sukiyaki, and Yakiniku

Ri (Leana) and Me having a swell time