Hello October! If you need me you can find me at the bottom of  the never-ending pots of delicious homemade soup that have taken over my kitchen! I know these pictures are a bit blurry but trust me this soup looks and tastes crazy good. Give it a try. You won’t be sorry. This particular soup has now been added to my list of favourites. Serves 6-8

• Safflower oil, for frying
• 5 pieces of naturally smoked bacon, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 cups green cabbage, chopped
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• pinch or two of chipotle chili powder ( more or less depending on how much heat you want in your soup )
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 1 red skinned potato, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 can diced tomato
• 1 can white kidney beans
• 4 cups veg broth
• 1/3 cup mixture of parmesan and asiago
• salt and pepper to taste
• additional bacon and cheese to top ( optional )

Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for a few minutes, letting it brown. Add a couple more tbsp of oil along with the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened. Add the cabbage and cook for 5 minutes, continuing to stir occasionally. Add the spices, carrots, celery and potato. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the tomato, beans and broth. Feel free to add a little salt and pepper if you like. Bring the soup to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer for 30-40 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan/asiago. Using an immersion blender, pulse until desired consistency. Spoon into bowls and top with a bacon bits and a sprinkle of parmesan. Enjoy!

I made this quiche for my beautiful bestfriends birthday potluck brunch. Sadly we had to leave before the party was over, to put Poppy down for her afternoon nap. Later that day I got a text saying both quiches were devoured! and as if that wasn’t enough of a compliment the birthday girl herself then told me it was the BEST quiche she had ever had!! along with a request to PLEASE post the recipe on my blog. I hope you all enjoy it as much as we did.

Recipe makes 2, 24cm round quiche tins

2 tbsp olive oil

5 medium cooking onions, chopped into half rings

16 oz crimini mushrooms

150ml  Guinness

2 cans of seamless dough sheets ( 1 can per quiche )

1 package of bacon, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces

300 ml double cream

3 cups cheese, shredded ( I used a mixture of swiss, sharp white cheddar and parmesan )

Pre heat oven to 395. In a large pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms, cook until softened but not browned. Add the beer and cook for about 20 minutes stirring frequently ( do not let the mixture dry out ) turn heat down if needed.

Roll out the dough and line two 24 cm round quiche tins. Use your fingers to close up any holes that may have appeared when placing the dough in the quiche tins…Make sure there are no holes in the dough!

Cover the bottom of the quiche with a thick layer of bacon. Cover the bacon with the mushroom and onion mixture.

Mix together the eggs and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese.

Pour over the quiche. Make sure the cheese is evenly spread out.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. If you notice the dough or cheese is browning too fast lightly place a piece of tinfoil over the quiche to prevent burning. Remove from oven. Let sit for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Every year I get a bunch of amazing cook books for my birthday and Christmas. Every year I look through the pages and drool…then put them on my shelves or pile them beside my couch with every intention to go back to them in the near future and whip up some of the amazing recipes that scatter my floor and shelves. In the end this never seems to happen, making me a cookbook hoarder rather than a woman who has cooked a ton of fantastic things. This christmas I got 6 cookbooks!! So I have decided I will do my best this year to dust off the old and open the new cookbooks I have received and cook at least two new recipes a week….I can not promise that I will follow the recipes exactly as I love making things my own but I will absolutely be putting these beautiful books to use!. This recipe is my version of one of Donna Hay’s amazing salads.

• 6 slices of bacon
• 1 cup green beans, trimmed
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
• 1 handful of mixed salad greens
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbl white wine vinegar + a splash for the egg water
• 2 tbl olive oil
• minced red onion to garnish
• salt and pepper to taste

Blanch the green beans and asparagus in a pot of salted boiling water for about 1 minute or until just tender. Drain and place in a bowl of ice cubes and cold water ( to stop the cooking ) once cool drain again and set aside. Cook the bacon in the oven under broil for a few minutes. In a deep frying pan bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer. Add a splash of vinegar then using a wooden spoon create a gentle whirlpool. Crack each egg into small seperate bowls and then one at a time gently dump the eggs into the water. Cook until the eggs, minus the yolk  are solid white not translucent. When the eggs are done ( about 4-5 min ) remove with a slotted spoon. To serve, divide the lettuce, beans, asparagus and bacon on two plates. Drizzle with white wine dressing. Top with egg and a sprinkle of red onion.

White wine dressing

• 2 tbl white wine vinegar
• 2 tbl olive oil
• season with salt and pepper. Whisk together.