Frozen summer smoothies...

Pretty Popsicles!

Watermelon, mango and apple juice, blended into a smoothie and frozen into the cutest popsicle hearts <3

Sometimes it's the simple things :)

Kalamata Focaccia...

You will need:

2 tablespoons of yeast

1 & 1/2 cups of warm water

1 teaspoon of honey

3 cups of strong bread flour

2 teaspoons of salt

2 tablespoons of dried herbs

1 cup of pitted kalamata olives

olive oil to drizzle

Method:

- Gently combine the yeast, warm water and honey in a medium bowl and set aside for 10 minutes.

- Tip the salt into the flour first, then add the flour to the yeast mixture and gently fold with your hands until the flour is completely combined.

- Throw in the dried herbs and kalamata olives and evenly mix the ingredients through.

- Transfer the mixture to a large oiled bowl and cover it with clingfilm. Leave it to rise for 1 hour, and it should double in size.

- Flour a large baking tray.

- Flip the dough out onto a floured surface and break it up into 2 or 3 equal portions. dust some flour over the top of each piece before picking it up and letting it stretch between your hands, the dough should do the work for you as you pull you hands apart.

- Lay out the stretched pieces of dough evenly on the tray.

- Use your knuckle to punch mini holes all over each portion and drizzle with olive oil.

- Bake for 20-30 minutes in a forced oven at 190oC until the bread is golden and easily slides off the metal oven tray.

Wrap it with some baking paper and cute string for your friends or just dip it in some olive oil and eat it straight up!

Fiesta Ice....

Make ice fun over the holiday season and surprise your guests with some festive ice cubes that not only look beautiful but create an aromatic decadence when added to any drink...

As it is summertime here in Australia, I cut sprigs of flowering rosemary and lavender blooms from my parents organic garden and popped a sweet surprise in each ice compartment. I filled the tray 1/3 of the way with water and let the herbs float to the surface before freezing. The secret to keeping the herbs inside the ice is to turn each one over once the water has frozen and fill with water to the top before freezing again.

You can experiment with lots of beautiful fragrances and flavours, just be sure to make sure the organics are edible and not at all harmful to digest.

Try a rose ice cube with rosè and edible rose petals, or this mint and ginger twist using apple ginger juice and young mint leaves!