I'm back!

Hi all,

Just wanted to apologise for my lengthy disappearance from this blog. I didn't even realise that it had been so long. I have cooked many a thing in the last 6 months and I just haven't had time to blog about it. Well the time has come to change that! I will endeavour to post a new recipe once a week for my loyal readers :D

Look out for some great recipes to come!

Tarran

Warm and Tasty Teriyaki Pork Buns

The other day I came across a recipe for Chinese Pork Buns. They looked so good that I wanted to try them straight away. Alas, this was not meant to be as I didn't have the ingredients for them. What I did have was the ingredients for Teriyaki Pork Buns, so I changed the recipe and went with what I had on hand.  I am so glad I did, as they were delicious - filling and hot when it was cold outside. You must try these and they are so easy to make!

Mix 1 1/2 teaspoons dried yeast into a bowl with 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 cup of warm water. Leave in a warmish place till frothy. Sift 2 1/2 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add 1 tablespoon of butter or oil (peanut is best) and yeast mixture. (I used my food processor and wizzed it up to form a dough or you can do it by hand if you don't have a FP)  Kneed dough approx 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover and let sit in a warm place until double the size. 

Mix 500g finely diced pork, 1 onion and 1/2 cup of finely diced broccoli in a fry pan and and cook until meat is cooked and onions are translucent. Add 1 cup of teriyaki sauce (you can buy this at any supermarket) and stir until combined and take off the heat.

Now for the buns, place the dough onto a floured surface and kneed for 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 7-10 even pieces and roll each one into a circle. Place a teaspoon of the filling in each one. Gather the edges around the filling and twist at the top making sure it is secure. Then all that's left is to put your buns on a square of greaseproof paper and chuck them into a steamer for 10-15 minutes.

See, how easy is that! Not only can you make them with the above filling, but I also made some bolognese and cheese ones as well. Create any type of filling your heart desires and give them a go.

Please make these and enjoy.

Written by Tarran J

Book Review - Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I gave this book five stars because it was a very enthralling book. I loved the story of Agnes and I really wanted to find out what what actually happened that fateful night. If you are looking for a fast paced book then look elsewhere. The draw to this book is not the adventure but the gradual unveiling of the truth behind the murders. I loved how the family Agnes was placed with interacted with her. Hannah has written a beautiful book and captures the essence of this time and place. You just about feel the cold snow, smell the dung fires and fell your belly hunger from not eating.

Hannah has drawn from real life sources and while a few characters are fictional, most of these people existed and lived how Hannah described. A very interesting read and I couldn't put it down. I am very keen to read Hannah's next book when it is written and released.

View all my reviews

Collins Booksellers Edwardstown Online Store

My bookshop now has an online store. So many wonderful books and products are on there and will be added in the future.

Go check it out!

http://collins-booksellers-edwardstown.myshopify.com/

Garden Treasures

Garden Treasures 

There are so many things that we usually chuck out that we can recycle or upcycle again, especially in the garden. These are some of the things that I use in my veggie and herb gardens. 

1) Toilet roll inserts – Those seemingly useless rolls that get chucked away when we change the toilet roll are fantastic for protecting seedlings. Just cut a toilet roll in half and bury it half way where you are planting then just pop a few seeds in the roll and fill roll loosely with dirt.

2) Pop Sticks – Great for marking out what vegetables are what. Just write on the sticks (after you’ve washed them) and stick it in the ground.

3) 1lt Milk Cartons – These are great for the greenhouse. Cut a milk carton in half and put a few holes in the bottom. Fill with potting mix (or garden dirt) and plant your seeds. When seeds are ready to transplant to garden you can just cut the carton and voila. The top of the milk carton can be used like the toilet roll inserts.

4) Egg Cartons – These can also be used to help seedlings sprout and they have the added benefit of just tearing away and you can plant them in the garden without damaging the roots.

5) Old cans – Just clean cans and drill a few small holes in the bottom. These can be used for gardens that are small or apartments.

There are more things that can be recycled/upcycled, you just have to use your imagination and the world will be your gardening oyster. 

           

Book Review - Reboot - Amy Tintera

Reboot by Amy Tintera
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A brilliant take on the zombie literature but with a twist.

This series is a duo. The first book ' Reboot' is due for release in Australia, June 2013.

After a virus and then war decimated the world, the surviours are rules by a organisation called HARC ( Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation) Food is scarce and so is medical treatment. When people die, if they have had the virus or even sometimes you hadn't, you may come back to life as a Reboot. The main character Wren is 178 - meaning she was dead for 178 minutes before she rebooted. This makes her one of the strongest Reboots in Austin. When you come back as a Reboot, you are stronger, faster, able to heal from wounds that would normally kill you and they are less emotional. The longer you were dead means the more powerful you become. Wren takes a chance on Callum a 22, and this starts a change inside her. She begins to question events that start to happen when the scientists start playing God with the Reboots.

A fantastic twist on the zombie genre as we get to read a story that isn't mindless killing (yet) and we get to see a different side to the undead. I am NOT a fan of zombies, I can not stand them. Saying that, I really enjoyed this book and am keen to see where the author takes it.

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Book Review - Pretty Girl Thirteen by Liz Coley

Pretty Girl Thirteen by Liz Coley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was both horrifying and fascinating. You really feel for Angie as she struggles to come to terms with alter egos that were made to help her survive her kidnapping. Not only do we see Angie grow, we see her dark depths and just how to human mind will go to cope with ordeals.

A very interesting read and i think this book will stay on with me for a very long time as I struggle myself to process what Angie went through. I have a little girl and this book really hit home about what some humans are like.

I believe that this book is not a young teenage book even though the character was 13 at the start of the book. It feels like a dark novel a 17+ would be able to cope with. Very intense and I really couldn't put it down!

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