Meatballs and soft polenta

This was a combination of 2 recipes in Delicious - Tobie's meatballs (and peas) and Jill Dupleix's polenta (not that you really need a recipe for polenta).  However, it is a great variation on spagetti and meatballs.

[G's job]

We accidentally bought non instant polenta, but it was still super quick and easy.

Caulflower and gorgonzola bake

This dish really belongs in the VERY tip of the top of the food pyramid, as it something that, laden with cream and cheese, should be eaten rarely and sparingly.

Rigatoni, cauliflower, blue cheese and cream, cooked together until delicious, but seriously, a once a year recipe at the most.

Pizza Pizza Pizza

I heard about Theo on an episode of 9am with David and Kim and knew I had to buy the book - even though I had never made dough before (pre-Cheesymite scrolls obviously).

It's a beautiful book

with step-by-step photos (my favourite)

with savoury

and sweet pizzas

A variety of birthday cakes

I was lucky enough to celebrate my birthday with a variety of cakes!

[passionfruit and chocolate mousse brownie cake]

[baked cherry cheesecake]

[chocolate and peanut butter whoopie pie - blog post to follow]

Sugadeaux cupcakes

G and I had originally considered getting sugadeaux cupcakes for our wedding cake, but couldn't taste test them because the owners were on holiday when G and I were in Melbourne cake taste testing.

When G came home and told me that he had seen sugadeaux cupcakes at Elevenses, an amazing little sandwich bar in Melbourne, I asked him to pick up one for a post-wedding taste test!

He grabbed a vanilla with strawberry icing, and the icing was amazing - much like The Cupcake Family - but unfortunately the cake itself was a little dry.

Create Great Cake cupcakes

G and I were running late to the markets on the weekend, but managed to get their just in time to spot a new stall "Create Great Cake" who were selling 4 cupcakes for $10... who could resist?

Quite good cupcakes, and a particular mention to the good chocolate cupcake (top left) that was moist and not a mud cake!

Baked sweet potato

There aren't very many meals that are so orange (unless you use a lot of tandoori paste I guess), but we decided to give it ago.

It was quite simple - roast the whole sweet potatoes, scrape out the insides and mash it with onion, garlic, herbs, some egg and taleggio, put the mash back in the skins and bake for 20 minutes or so until "set".

I did serve them with salad because I couldn't face such an orange meal by itself!

As a technique though, I could easily imagine using a potato, or an eggplant, or a small pumpkin if I could find one small enough, and changing the cheese and herbs as appropriate, perhaps with some bacon (if one liked bacon).