In full swing...

I certainly feel alive these days!! so much going on, so many cake bookings and everything is just crazy!
My big girl is settled in nicely at school and eagerly anticipating her first full week of school. Business is coming along nicely with lots of cake bookings for the coming months, so life is looking quite exciting really!
The rain has been crazy on the gold coast in the last week... dirty clothes are piling high, kids are feeling very restless being stuck indoors and we are quickly running out of wet weather activities to keep them happy! "movie day" just doesnt sound as exciting for the 8th day running!!

Waking up to yet another rainy day I decided that it was a french toast and Nespresso kind of morning, i meandered around the kitchen cooking my breakfast when I was presented with  a rare oportunity to sneak out of the house without a baby or two in tow!! My sister and I headed to the local farmers markets to grab a weeks supply of fresh fruit and veges... half of the stall holders were missing and the lack of crowds meant that we could grab ourselves a bargain without fighting through the crowds! We scored a heap of yummy fruit and veges for less than $20 and finished off our trip at the french bakery stall...$6 and two delicious loaves of super fresh bread later we made our way home.

I didnt have to think long about what I was going to do with these:

Basil, beef and Vegetable soup!!

Wet weather makes me a bit soup crazy... well to be honest, any excuse is a good excuse for soup! there is something very homey and calming about cooking and eating soup... any kind will do! But today with a huge bunch of basil and some fresh silverbeet growing in my garden there was no other option for me.

For the soup you'll need:

1 large carrot
2 medium zuchinnis
2 spring onions
1/4 cauliflower
2 tsbp olive oil
1tbsp minced garlic
200gms diced rump steak
1 tbsp turmeric
1tbsp cummin
can of chickpeas (juice as well)
2L of water or vegetable stock
1 cup of passata.
large handful of fresh basil leaves (plus some to garnish)
3 leaves of silverbeet
parsley and chives (optional)
fresh crusty bread to serve.

Here's how to do it:

1. Slice and dice your zuchinnis, carrots, spring onions, cauliflower and throw into a stock pot with the olive oil and minced garlic, brown well.
2. sprinkle in the turmuric and cummin and add the diced rump steak, brown well.
3. pour in the stock and chickpeas and bring to the boil.
4. add the cup of passata, sliced silverbeet and rip up the basil leaves and add to the pot. boil for 20-40 minutes.
5. just before you serve throw in some more basil and the finely sliced parsley and chives, serve with fresh crusty bread and ENJOY!

HAVE A FABULOUS WEEK!!