Tag: flowers

Categories
Recipes

Knead Some Creativity? Make Stunning Focaccia Designs

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Why settle for plain bread when you can bake a garden? This focaccia recipe is your ticket to creating a delicious masterpiece that’s as stunning as it is scrumptious. With simple ingredients, a little patience, and a sprinkle of creativity, you’ll craft a loaf that’s golden, crispy, and blooming with veggie “flowers.” Let’s turn your kitchen into an edible art studio!

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 cups “00” flour or bread flour if you don’t have 00 flour
  • 1 tsp salt 
  • 2 cups warm water 
  • 2 tsp dry instant yeast 
  • 1 tsp sugar 
  • ½ cup olive oil 

For decoration:

  • Capsicum, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, mushrooms, or whatever veggies spark your creativity!
  • Parsley, you can add other herbs if you like, for example, rosemary, chives, or basil.

I sourced all my fresh ingredients from Todarello’s Katoomba Village Fruit Market, a true gem for any home chef. Their vibrant displays of produce are a feast for the eyes, with fruits and vegetables so fresh they practically glow with flavour. From crisp capsicums to fragrant herbs, everything I needed for my focaccia garden was right at my fingertips.

Todarello’s Katoomba Village Fruit Market

Parsley

Red onions

Cucumbers
Mushrooms

Green and red capsicums

METHOD

NOTE: Preheat your oven to 200°C/390°F

Mixing the Magic: Creating the Dough

1. Awaken the Yeast

Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Make sure the water is just the right temperature—like a baby’s bath. Let it rest until it gets foamy and bubbly, like a tiny science experiment.

The dough rising in the garden as the kitchen was a bit cold

2. Stir It Up

In a large bowl, mix your flour and salt. Slowly add the foamy yeast mixture and a tablespoon of olive oil. Stir until it turns into a sticky, thick dough. Drizzle on a bit more olive oil, coat your hands, and gently roll the dough around in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap—it’s nap time for your dough.

Watch It Grow: Letting the Dough Rise

Put the covered bowl in a warm, cozy spot and let the dough rise for about an hour or until it doubles in size. Give it a gentle fold, drizzle more olive oil, and if you’ve got the patience, let it rest overnight in the fridge. This slow rise will give your focaccia a flavour boost that’s worth the wait.

3. Build Your Bread Garden

Spray a deep baking dish with nonstick spray and add a generous layer of olive oil. Tip the dough into the pan and gently stretch it to the corners, dimpling it with oiled fingers. Now, channel your inner artist! Use sliced capsicum as petals, cherry tomatoes for bold pops of colour, and fresh herbs for stems. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top for the perfect finish.

Adding the dough to the pan
Decorating the focaccia

Ready to go into the oven – looking so bright and colourful

4. Bake and Admire Your Work

Bake your creation for 30–40 minutes. The bread should be golden brown, crispy on the outside, and sound hollow when tapped. Let it cool for a few minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack.

Cooked and ready to eat, looks so yummy!

5. Slice, Serve, and Savour

Your focaccia garden is ready to shine! Whether you’re impressing friends or just spoiling yourself, this edible beauty is guaranteed to wow. Don’t forget to snap a pic, soak up all those compliments, and revel in the delicious fruits (or flowers) of your labour. Who knew baking could be this much fun—and this gorgeous?

The crust and the cooked tomatoes looking delicious

The focaccia cut up and ready to eat
Focaccia cut up

POST FEAST REVIEW

As a newcomer to focaccia making, I was honestly impressed that my bread looked and tasted just like store-bought focaccia—and it really wasn’t that hard to make! But I think the real art is in making it taste authentic. While I did capture some of those classic focaccia flavours, I added my own modern twist with vegetables on top. They might not be traditional, but they were tasty and added a unique touch.

WOULD I MAKE THIS AGAIN?

Yes, I would make focaccia again. I have never made focaccia before, and I’m absolutely taken with how you can really make it your own! While it’s still focaccia, the toppings and design completely transform it into something unique—truly a work of art. It’s amazing how a simple loaf of bread can turn into a personalised creation. Now, I’m eager to perfect the traditional flavours of focaccia and experiment with different variations. It’s such a fun and rewarding experience, and I can’t wait to bake more delicious batches in the future!

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Categories
News

Thrilled to Be a Finalist for the 2024 Fresh Content Award!

Hey there, wonderful readers!

I have some exciting news to share—I’m a finalist for the 2024 Fresh Content Award! 🎉 This is my third time being nominated, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. The excitement is even sweeter this year because my twin girls will be by my side to celebrate this special night.

Meet the other Finalists

I’m in great company with these amazing creators:

Gorgeous Easy No-Bake Oreo Blackberry Mousse Tart

As mentioned before, I was lucky enough to be a finalist two years in a row (a major highlight for me!). Check out my upcoming posts to see what I entered and read about my never-ending quest for the perfect outfit:

The stunning Easy No-Bake Oreo Blackberry Mousse Tart is a sight to behold, with its rich Oreo base complemented by the vibrant blackberry mousse and delicate flowers.

The Fresh Awards Gala Night is just one week away, and I can’t wait to don my stunning outfit—finally found thanks to Temu (who would have thought!)—and join my fellow finalists for an evening of celebration and recognition. Knowing that my daughters will be there cheering me on makes this moment all the more magical.

I’ve spent what feels like an eternity hunting down the perfect outfit. The mad dash from shop to shop, trying on duds that made me look like a fashion disaster, was beyond exhausting. I’m sure you’ve been there too! It really fried my brain and zapped some of the fun out of the event prep. But hey, I finally found a great outfit (I think so, and that’s what counts), and now I’m getting excited about the occasion again!

My latest online order—it’s a total winner! Everything looks absolutely fantastic.
Image sourced from boredpanda.com.

Celebrating Passion and Creativity

Being a finalist for the third time is incredibly exciting! It showcases the dedication and creativity I pour into each post. Being recognised for my hard work is truly gratifying. I love celebrating fresh produce and flowers and sharing that joy with you all through my blog and social media brings me immense happiness! 🌸🍇

My amazing wedding cakeover was affordable and easy to create, adorned with fresh flowers from Fine Flowers Katoomba.
Adding a different top to a crumble creates interest – this Pretty Pastry Apple and Rhubarb Crumble looks great with the different flower-type pastry shapes.

I love playing with ingredients, finding clever ways to make dinner parties or gatherings a breeze, and whipping up tasty treats for everyone to savour and share!

I had a blast creating these for my 2024 Fresh Awards entries:

The girls and I are gearing up for a fun day in the city, prepping for the big event and soaking in all the excitement. We’ll be dressed to impress in our cocktail finest, ready to savour the night with the other finalists and celebrate our shared love for deliciously fresh content.

It’s going to be a treat sharing this event with my girls, giving them a taste of what it’s like to attend an awards night and showing them that hard work is the secret ingredient to being in such fabulous company with all the other finalists.

Wishing Everyone the Best of Luck

Sending my best wishes to my fellow finalists—Vincent, Lorraine, and Katie. It’s a true honour to be among such talented creators, and I’m excited to see what the night holds for all of us!

Thank you to my readers and community for your unwavering support, and I’m looking forward to an unforgettable night at the Fresh Awards Gala Night! 🌿🍎🌸

Categories
Party ideas

Dinner Party Decorating

Do you love to have dinner parties?

Do you like to decorate the house for special occasions?

If you answered yes to any of these questions I have some easy and quick ideas to make your next dinner party look amazing.

The Grey Stirlingia looks so magical!
The Grey Stirlingia looks so magical!

 

A dinner party is an occasion that needs flowers.

I, of course, love flowers and don’t need an excuse to buy more. Fab flowers cheer up the house and set the mood for a party.

The yellow and red tulips that I got from Fine Flowers in Katoomba.
The yellow and red tulips that I got from Fine Flowers in Katoomba.

Fine Flowers at Katoomba have a great selection of flowers and help their customers ensure they have the right bunch of flowers for their needs.

Fine Flowers at Katoomba.
Fine Flowers at Katoomba.

 

My goal was to create a magical autumn dinner party setting. The nice selection of flowers from Fine Flowers really allowed my vision to come to life.

Magical Autumn Dinner Party - I told you it would look amazing!
Magical Autumn Dinner Party – I told you it would look amazing!

What did I create for my dinner party?

  1. A Flower Bowl Centrepiece
  2. Mason Jar Flower Arrangements
  3. Autumn Leaves for Table Decoration

Items I used to decorate my dinner party


  • 3 Mason jars
  • 1 glass fruit bowl
  • Autumn leaves
  • Vase pebbles or other rocks to decorate the inside of your flower bowl
  • Table runners
  • Material or tablecloth to cover your table. Pick a contrasting colour to showcase the other decorations such as the leaves and flowers.
  • 3 Grey Stirlingia
  • 2 Pink Hyacinth
  • 6 Tulips (I purchased 3 yellow and 3 red)
  • 1 Yellow Solid Aster
A close up of the flower bowl and see how it magnifies the flowers and other items.
A close-up of the flower bowl and see how it magnifies the flowers and other items.

The process

Flower Bowl Centrepiece

  1. Fill the bowl with the decorative glass pebbles.
  2. Add the water to at least 3/4 full. You need to have the water to be able to submerge the flowers and any other greenery that you decide to add.
  3. Now you can add the flowers and other items that you wish to decorate the flower bowl. I added a red and yellow tulip. These were bent and put in a circle shape so that they would fit in the bowl. Each flower was on different sides to allow guests to see a different view of the centrepiece.
  4. Pink Hyacinth petals were also added to give a different colour and to add interest.

Mason Jar Flower Arrangements

  1. Have the right number of mason jars at the ready. It doesn’t matter if they don’t match as long as they all work together.
  2. Cut the flowers to fit the jars. Some might be longer than others to give a different effect, for example, I kept the tulips and some of the greenery taller.
  3. Style the flowers. If it is not right move them in the right position. I had to move the Tulips on some of the jars, and also rearrange the Yellow Solid Aster and the Grey Stirlingia to have the arrangements be as I envisioned.
    Mason Jar Flower Arrangement with a Red Tulip, Pink Hyacinth petals, Grey Stirlingia and Yellow Solid Astor.
    Mason Jar Flower Arrangement with a Red Tulip, Pink Hyacinth petals, Grey Stirlingia and Yellow Solid Astor.

     

  4. You can have a few flowers or a lot in each mason jar, it is all down to the look you are going for. My look was a magical autumn night and therefore I went with yellows, reds and the wispy fluffy Grey Stirlingia created the right mood.  As you can see I didn’t add a lot of flowers to each jar.
  5. The placement on the table was important as well. I had two yellow Tulips left and one red one. I made sure that the red tulip was in-between the yellow ones.
Mason Jar Flower Arrangement with a Yellow Tulip, Pink Hyacinth petals, Grey Stirlingia and Yellow Solid Astor.
Mason Jar Flower Arrangement with a Yellow Tulip, Pink Hyacinth petals, Grey Stirlingia and Yellow Solid Astor.

Autumn Leaves for Table Decoration

  1. To create something a little different I added some lovely bright and big autumn leaves.
  2. The leaves were marking each guest’s place at the table.
    Big Autumn Leaves to mark the dinner party guests place at the table.
    Big Autumn Leaves to mark the dinner party guests place at the table.

     

  3. On the top of the huge autumn leaves were a knife and fork all set and awaiting dinner to start.

Tea Lights Add to the Magic

The tea lights were added to tea light candle holders.
The tea lights were added to tea light candle holders.
The tea light candle holders did not over power the table setting with colour and just added to the light for the table during dinner.
The tea light candle holders did not overpower the table setting with colour and just added to the light for the table during dinner.

The light from the candles also helped give each diner a different view of the flower bowl centrepiece. The flowers were magnified by the water, the light bounced off different colours and textures and showcased the flowers in a different way.

Candlelight is an essential element for dinner parties as well.

 

I hope this has inspired you to create something different for your next dinner party.

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Originally published April 16th 2018

Categories
Family

Flowers make you feel better

I love flowers.

They make me feel good and put a smile on my face.

If I want to cheer myself up I buy a bunch of flowers. It would be nice to be given one but I don’t wait for this to happen.

When I was working in the city I used to bring a nice bunch of flowers from my garden to put on my desk. If I could not get ample flowers to take to the office, I would stop by the florist on the way to work and grab a bunch of whatever is in season.

My lovely bunch of Dahlias and Alstroemeria that I purchased from Pam and Debbie at Fine Flowers. These look so pretty and put a big smile on my face.
My lovely bunch of Dahlias and Alstroemeria that I purchased from Pam and Debbie at Fine Flowers. These look so pretty and put a big smile on my face.

The flowers were lovely smelling and cheered me up. Normally I would pick a bunch of Gerberas or the lovely smelling Jonquils.

I did the same thing when I was at home. I purchased flowers from the local florist and decorated the house with pretty and fragrant flowers.

My favourite local florist is Fine Flowers in Katoomba, I have been visiting them for over ten years now.

Fine Flowers in Katoomba.
Fine Flowers in Katoomba.

Pam and Debbie are the lovely ladies at Fine Flowers. Pam has owned the business for ten and half years and worked in the business for another fifteen years previously. So this is over 25 years of floristry experience.

I love coming in and having a chat and finding out what is in season and maybe what might look great to brighten up my desk and house.

 




 

What is in season currently?

Tulips and dahlias.

The pretty Tulips on sale.
The pretty Tulips on sale.

What has changed?

I asked Pam what have customers been asking for lately?

Normally Pam said that customers would order a bunch of flowers and have a bunch styled and designed by herself or Debbie. However she has noticed that customers are liking the idea of picking their own designs and choosing what flowers go with other flowers.

It is more of free form design.

Posies with roses that were tiny and cute were very popular for weddings. Now the trend is to have larger flowers not so styled and have them look like you have just picked them from the garden.

Customers like the brown paper and natural wrapping for bunches of flowers.

The lovely ladies at Fine Flowers Katoomba. Debbie on left and Pam on the right.
The lovely ladies at Fine Flowers Katoomba. Debbie on left and Pam on the right.

I even did a free form design. I combined two different flowers to make a big pretty bunch.

Popular Celebrations for Flowers

Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas, Birthdays and New Babies are huge.

I asked Debbie and Pam if Easter was a busy time as well. They said it was, and that a lot of people come and purchase daisies for the Easter period. It is up to the individual which bloom takes their fancy but it is interesting that Easter is still a busy time. I suppose daisies make me think of rabbits, the Easter Bunny and nice roaming hills and lush lawn.

Brightly coloured flowers.
Brightly coloured flowers.

With Mother’s Day soon approaching I was keen to know what flowers or items were in demand at Fine Flowers?

I thought that red roses might be the flower of choice. However I was surprised by the answer.

For Mother’s Day all pastel/light coloured flowers were extremely popular and not just roses. Anything that might be pale pink, creams, pale everything. It does not even matter the age of the mother here, it could be for a new mum pale blooms will be purchased more so than brightly coloured ones.

Interesting don’t you think? Mums get the dainty, pretty and pale pastel coloured flowers.

I do love them and they do look pretty but I fall in the other percentage that love some bright blooms. I love colour and some nice bright Gerberas or maybe some vibrant purple Irises with some yellow Tulips or Daffodils.

So pretty and textural, the bright yellow Chrysanthemum Disbud (Spider).
So pretty and textural, the bright yellow Chrysanthemum Disbud (Spider).

The ladies at Fine Flowers said that bright coloured flowers are still purchased but not in the same quantities as the pale or pastel shades.

Do you love bright flowers like I do? Or prefer the pastel shades? Let us know what your favourites are.

 

My nice bunch of Dahlias and Alstroemeria on the hall stand at home. It the first thing you see when you come home and walk anywhere in the house. A perfect place for pretty flowers.
My nice bunch of Dahlias and Alstroemeria on the hall stand at home. It the first thing you see when you come home and walk anywhere in the house. A perfect place for pretty flowers.

I loved my in season bunch of flowers that I purchased from my local florist. I am now keen to go back and get another bunch. This time I think tulips will be in order. They were so pretty and colourful. A good flower to brighten up a space and lift your mood this autumn.

Do you love flowers as much as I do?

I really like the fact that you can get such a great variety of flowers. This variety allows me to change the look of a room easily and helps lifts my spirits as well.

What is your favourite bunch to get from your florist?

Do you have some of your favourites in your garden? Let us know.

 

Disclaimer: This post was written as an entry to The Fresh Awards 2017 Blogger Awards – Florist Story. I go to Fine Flowers regularly and love freshening up my house, my office and anywhere with some fresh and vibrant flowers.

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