Chocolate Beetroot Cake

Vondelicious has moved to BerryNutritious.com.au
You can find this post (and more!) over at my new home: 
http://berrynutritious.com.au/2016/11/chocolate-beetroot-cake/

As I mentioned in my last post, I've only posted one cake recipe the whole year, so seeing as we are heading towards the end of the year, I thought it'd only be fitting that I start posting a couple more!

It's not that I haven't been baking at all, it's just that it hasn't been very often and not often successful. Surely no one wants to the cakes I burnt from when I accidentally turned the oven on to the 'grill' function instead of 'bake'. I'm not even joking- it's happened three times this year!

I tend to experiment quite a bit in the kitchen, and I love trying new recipes, new techniques, new ingredients etc etc. And because of the sheer volume of recipes I've bookmarked to try, I don't tend to go back to recipes unless they're really special and even then, it's not often that I will reuse recipes. As a result, recipes that have been a hit in the family do get forgotten over time, and it's not until I'm re-reading some of my older posts that I remember how good that particular recipe tasted.

Continue reading.....

Spiral Vegetable Quiche

There are days when I really put effort into my food looking good, and then there are days where I really cannot be bothered and as long as food is edible, it gets thrown onto my dinner plate. Most days it's the latter, which is why this blog isn't as full of nice home cooked meals and recipes as it once was, but occasionally I do get moments of inspiration (especially if I've been on Pinterest for a little too long)!

For those who have followed this blog for a longer period of time, you'll have noticed that the frequency at which I post, the types of recipes and posts I put up, style of writing etc has changed drastically from when I first started this blog. Whilst the blog started out being a place to document all my bakes and desserts, it has turned into a lot more of a collection of lunch dishes that I've been making as of late. In fact, as I'm quickly scrolling through the few posts I've written up this year, I have only posted one dessert recipe this whole year.

I'm still incredibly passionate about baking, and really enjoy whipping up a delicious dessert here and there, but of course the further I journey into adulthood, the less time I have for making these treats and saddingly, less calorie allowance for these too- these days, I'm finding that as much time is spent making these as it is trying to convince others to help finish them off!

Continue reading.....

Pumpkin and chickpea salad

I was sure I had posted this salad on my blog, but I searched and searched....and nothing!

Ever since my new found love of pumpkin, I've been adding it to just about everything I can think of- soups, stews, pastas, stir fries, curries- you name it, I'll throw it in there. I can't say it always works (pumpkin soup is still my favourite), but here's one that does!

Continue reading.....

XS Espresso, North Parramatta

I know I'm definitely part of the minority when I say that runny yolks aren't my thing (I prefer my yolks just set so it doesn't spill all over my brekkie) but when breakfast is this good, I'm definitely not complaining!

We've been meaning to visit XS Espresso since it opened up in North Parramatta, and are constantly reminded of it everytime we drive past the large unmissible XS logo.....which is just about every couple of days!

Monster Milkshake ($14)

The milkfreakshakes are really what we're here for, and they have an extensive list of options which make it difficult to choose. Luckily we have about 15 minutes to spare whilst waiting for a seat, but even that wasn't enough to narrow out choices down.

Continue reading.....