Mini Quiches

Filled with the goodness of fresh eggs, grated or leftover veggies, tasty bacon or ham and a little flavoursome cheese, mini quiches are a great bite-sized lunchbox, picnic or weekend-at-home snack. I make them often!

A batch of mini quiches ... bacon and zucchini OR leftover roasted pumpkin. Yum!

These little quiches are quick, easy and versatile.  To the eggy filling you can add, in any combination you like, some grated zucchini, kernels of corn, diced capsicum, chunks of leftover roasted vegetables, thin slices of tangy tomato, some cubes of bacon or a little ham and/or a scattering of chives or some spring onion. A sharp, tasty cheese like Parmesan, grated and sprinkled on top, gives them an inviting golden topping too.

Just out of the oven ... 

Little Mini Quiches

2 sheets ready-made Puff Pasty 

4 large eggs

2-3 Tablespoons pouring cream

a selection of some fresh or leftover veggies, as suggested above, grated or diced/chopped 

2 rashers bacon or 2 slices ham, chopped to small size

a twist or two of black pepper

grated tasty or Parmesan cheese 

1.  Preheat oven to temperature recommended on puff pastry packaging.

2.  Defrost puff pastry sheets and cut each one into 9 smaller squares.

3.  Line each muffin hole, in non-stick silicone muffin pans, with a square of pastry.  

     (Alternately, you can place each pastry square on a slightly larger square of non-stick

     baking paper, and then line each muffin hole.)

     

4.  Beat eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in the cream until combined.

5.  Mixed in your choice of grated, chopped fillings except for the cheese.

6.  Transfer eggy mixture to a large pouring jug and 3/4 fill each pastry-lined muffin hole.

7.  Sprinkle grated cheese on top of each little unbaked quiche.

8.  Carry carefully to the oven (I place my silicone muffin pans on baking trays before I fill
     them otherwise I find I can't move the pans without the eggy mixture spilling over.)

9.   Bake until the egg is cooked through and the cheese is golden on top.

10. Allow to cool a little before devouring! 

A homemade and scrumptious snack.

These scrumptious little snacks quickly become lunch or dinner with the addition of a simple salad and some fresh bread. Enjoy!

Meg

Here & Now 10

My week days here have been busy of late but now, come the weekend, I've relaxed back into the happy patterns of home. It's so lovely to slip into the comforts and corners of one's own home after spending some days working. Even when that work is fulfilling and joyful, it is still wonderful to come home.

A beautifully stitched project bag that inspired me to make one of my own.

So many good reads from my local library.

Refreshing, invigorating and simple Foot Scrub.

Loving //  Leisurely reading through all the wonderful books I have borrowed from my local library.
Eating //  Small slices of this lovely, simple Lemon Crumble Slice. (Sorry, no photo, we ate it all!)
Drinking //  Fresh, clean, filtered water 
Feeling //  Inspired by the tiny, botanical stitchings of Melissa Wastney. 
Making //  Minty and invigorating Magnesium Foot Scrubs for friends.
Thinking //  Of all I'm going to learn when I do an Introduction to Permaculture course in a couple 
                         of weeks time. (Hooray!)
Dreaming //  Of all the abundance I hope to grow in my Autumn veggie patch.
                          (That's if Autumn ever arrives as it's 32C again here today!)

I love the simple and happy rhythms of our home that create a here & now that is like a soothing balm, a warm hug and a refreshing reminder of what matters most. You can share your own simple pleasures and projects, with Sarah and all of us, over at Say, Little Hen.

Meg

Late Afternoon in Noosa

Late afternoon by the sea is such a lovely time to be outside. That time of day when the light begins to fade, when the sea breezes refresh your skin, when the fine sand is cooler underfoot and when shadows and silhouettes are shaped by the setting sun. Our little family enjoyed just such an afternoon last Sunday, up in Noosa, a popular beachside town not far from here.

A golden sunset over the waters of the Noosa River.

We made the trip up to Noosa,  a couple of hours to the North, to watch the Surfing Dog Spectacular, as our boy loves anything and everything related to our canine friends. Together with their surfing buddies, quite a few cool, well-trained dogs caught some waves off Noosa's Main Beach and rode them in. (Our Sir Steve dog was not among them...we all agreed that he would sink a surfboard should we ever manage to get him up on one!)

 Heading out past the breakers...

...and riding a wave back in again!

After such a funny event, we wandered back down the beautiful beach and over to Noosa's river, a spot so close to where it meets the sea. We wallowed contentedly there until the sun began to set. As the last rays of sunlight signalled the end of the "day", we reluctantly dried off before we set off in the twilight to a favourite picnic place.

Twilight over the Noosa River.

We spread out our simple picnic dinner, upon our little red rug, at the entrance to Noosa's National Park. There, as "night" settled around us, we listened to the commencement of a chorus of cicadas and watched the last-of-the-day's surfers ride their last waves in to shore. 

 My picnickers looking out over the ocean.

Night descends over the ocean.

The drive home was a happy one. Salty and sandy and content from an afternoon spent together, in Noosa. Bliss!

I hope you will spend your coming Sunday afternoon contentedly too.

Meg