I was really glad to stumble upon this recipe posted on The Bad Girl’s Kitchen for this month’s Taste & Create because I had some of these famous Aussie Bites a couple years ago. I liked them so much that I wrote down the ingredients from the package and that little piece of paper has been in my kitchen drawer ever since.

So, I took out that paper, compared it to the recipe posted, and adapted it a little according to what I had in stock. I think they turned out nicely.

Here is the link to the Aussie Bites recipe from The Bad Girl’s Kitchen.

Here is my ingredient list:

• 1 cup whole oats (I toasted mine for 10-15 minutes on a baking sheet while preheating the oven)
• 1 cup oat bran
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 1 cup grated coconut (unsweetened)
• 1/3 cup sunflower kernels
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup dried apricots (I had some California apricots) coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins, coarsely chopped
• 12 TB ground flax seeds
• 1/2 cup evaporated cane juice
• 1 TB cinnamon
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup honey
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tsp baking soda (I live at high altitude, so I used 3/4 tsp baking soda)

Preheat oven to 350. I baked at 375 since Boulder is a higher altitude city.

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl except the baking soda.

In a large measuring cup, measure 1 cup of cream, add the honey, and slowly mix with a wire whisk until well combined. Then add the eggs and mix until combined. In a separate measuring cup, combine the warm water and baking soda. Let this cool a few minutes before adding it to the cream, honey, and egg mixture. Mix well, add to the dry ingredients, and pour into muffin pans.

I don’t have mini-muffin pans…yet… so I used regular muffin pans and lined them with unbleached baking cups from If You Care. My Aussie Bites took 20 minutes to bake.

They came out delicious, and I will play with this recipe in the future to make a few variations.

I came across this Malbec Tempranillo blend for a good price at our enormous local Liquor Mart, so I thought I’d give it a try.

Turned out to be pretty good.

Garden fresh inspiration can lead to a really good meal.

I altered my Blue Corn Cakes recipe and came up with some delicately delicious yellow corn cakes.

Green Onion Corn Cakes Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup yellow corn meal
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup unbleached white flour
• 1.5 tsp baking powder (a little less at altitude)
• 1 tsp baking soda (a little less at altitude)
• pinch sea salt
• 1 cup chopped green onion

I made these for dinner and drizzled them with a ginger rhubarb sauce.

Ginger Rhubarb Sauce:

• 3 stalks rhubarb, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 tsp cornstarch (optional)

I bought some local beets, so I chopped the stems separately from the leaves. I sauteed the stems in a little white wine until they got soft. Then I added the leaves and let them wilt. Add a little sea salt and pepper, and all of this can be served together.

The Ginger Rhubarb Sauce pairs well with both the Green Onion Corn Cakes and the sauteed Beet Greens. Enjoy.

I bought homemade pickled papaya and pickled mustard greens from the local chinese grocer here in Boulder.

I really like the pickled papaya.