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Delicious, Tummy-warming Apple Crumble

Delicious, Tummy-warming Apple Crumble

After a quick, cheap evening treat for after dinner? i bet you probably have all the ingredients in your household as the recipe is SO SIMPLE and just absolutely a family favorite to warm your bellies in this cold winter chill.

  • ½ cup plain flour
  • ¼ cup rolled oats
  • ¼ cup desiccated coconut
  • ¼ cup Soft Brown Sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 75g butter
  • 5-6 Apples
  • 2 Tbsp Golden Syrup
  • 2 Tbsp Raw Sugar

Preheat oven to 180°C on fan-bake.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, oats, coconut, brown sugar & cinnamon all together and the rub the butter into the mixture with your hands until it becomes crumbly.

Peel and cut the apples into thin slices (not too thin!) and place them in the oven proof dish – drizzle some golden syrup over the apples.

Spread the crumble mix evenly on top of the apples to completely cover the oven dish and sprinkle your raw sugar over the top to give it the caramelised taste.

Cook for 30-40 minutes or until the apples are cooked. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream, freshly whipped cream or warm custard for a delicious winters desert!

TIP* Add in some additional fruit with the apple, plums, peaches, pears or mixed berries would complement this just superbly!  

Children cooking in the kitchen

Keep the Kitchen child safe

When it comes to getting a new kitchen, we often forget about the wider aspects to the design process.

Children can play a major part in the design process – particularly the younger ones. They are very compelled by the kitchen and are heavily enticed from all the colourful things you put in and take out of cupboards, drawers & the fridge.

Kids love to be wherever you are – INSTANTLY if they see you’re about to do something they want to help with and we all know they love baking/cooking (i’m pretty convinced it’s because they get to have multiple taste tests and get the rights to licking the bowl!) this is why it becomes important as they are spending a chunk of time in the kitchen also and it can be a jungle for them in there with so many things to grab and play with.

While you spend quite a bit of time in the kitchen, there’s no way of having it child-free, but the bonus here is that we can make it as safe as possible so they minimize any head bumps on sharp corners, jammed fingers in the cabinetry – YOU NAME IT! they will find a way to do it if they can.

Talking to your designer and making sure this is an important design aspect to incorporate is very much achievable while still having the kitchens of your dreams, it may mean having the rounded edges on the bench tops opposed to the square edge or a rounded handle instead of a sharper edged one would be the way to go but the options are super flexible when going through a skilled designer (like our lovely designers here at Next Edition Kitchens!) you often won’t pick up on what else needs to be discussed but the knowledge the designers have is incredible and will have you walking away feeling like you’re in great hands as are your children.

Keep in mind, there are many little gadgets you can purchase to assist the safety in the kitchen if you aren’t designing or renovating. Click here for ideas.

Composting

How-to: Maintain a compost bin

Do you have a garden and have been thinking of incorporating a good ole’ compost to the mix? this is such a great idea if you are after a little project to keep you busy and an added bonus is that your garden will thank you with delicious fruit, vegetables and flowers that have been absolutely soaking in all the nutrients from the emptied compost.

 

What exactly is compost?

Compost is simply decomposed organic waste from mainly food scraps. It is nature’s way of creating an added boost to crops and general gardens. All you need to keep feeding your compost is your kitchen food scraps and even garden waste – how easy? in just 2 – 3 months your supply will be at the stages of an ongoing steady fertilizer that’s packed with nutrients for your garden.

 

What type of compost bin is best?

A plastic bin in which you can purchase from your local hardware shop is perfect for your smaller compost to scale but if you are wanting a larger to scale bin, go for the wooden ones. You can build a bin yourself from googling a DIY step-by-step guide. You can also just start a heap on the ground but the choice is totally up to you!

 

Where do i place my bin?

It is a good idea to place the bin in place away from the house. it will need to be sheltered by intense heat and wind.

 

Making the compost:

Once you’ve decided where you’re going to place your compost bin, it’s time to get started with the fun stuff.
Add your organic material in layers to create a balance of carbon and nitrogen.
Start by doing a layer of carbon – your brown material: dried leaves, twigs, newspaper etc. Next add a nitrogen layer – your green material: plant trimmings,
grass clippings, anything green and leafy.
Adding a product like lime to each layer as you prepare your heap will accelerate the composting and help neutralize acidity, plus it has the added bonus of helping to keep flies away. Keep adding alternate layers, then add water and cover the heap to enable it to decompose quickly. Compost needs to be turned regularly to aerate and help the decomposition process.
What NOT to put in your compost:
-Tea and Coffee Bags: If you are wanting to place Tea and coffee grounds into your compost, that is absolutely fine but please make sure you do not put the bags in aswell – these bags generally contain synthetic fibers that do not break down in a compost pile and can contain some iffy chemicals you do not want in your soil.
Citrus Peels & Onions: While fruit and vegetable scraps are the main ingredient to making some fantastic fertilizer there are some food scraps you should steer clear from your compost, these include Orange peels & Onions the reason i place these in bold is because it is such an easy food scrap to slip past you and weasel their way into the compost bin, perhaps placing a sign on the compost bin to remind you not to put them in would be beneficial?
Unfortunately, the natural chemicals and acidity in orange peels and onions can kill worms which of course slows the process down as the little worms and other microorganisms actually really con tribute to the outcome of your compost. Plus, unless you take time to cut everything down into smaller pieces – they take longer to decompose which results in a longer wait until you can use your fertilizer.
Meat & Fish: These will of course, decompose fine and have nutrients that would be a good addition to your soil, it will unfortunately attract rodents like Mice, Rats, Cats, Dogs etc who would carelessly ransack your bin to eat them.
The smell of decaying meat may annoy you and possibly your neighbors as well!
Coal ash: The ash left from the fireplace should most certainly not be added to your compost pile, it contains quite a significant amount of sulfur as to make the soil excessively acidic, which we can confirm will harm your plants. Wood ash can be added in small amounts but do not add coal ash!
Sawdust from TREATED wood: While untreated, natural wood sawdust can be a great addition to your compost pile. The reason that treated, polished and vanished wood is not a great addition is because the toxic compounds wont be able to break down in the compost process and can negatively affect the microorganism activity and plant health.
-Large branches: Large branches and twigs will take forever to decompose which in conclusion will slow down the process, it may be a bit of a pain to lengthen the process by cutting them down to be smaller but it will allow you to use the compost for your garden a lot quicker. The smaller the branches, the quicker the breakdown cycle is.

 

Alternatively,  you can start a branch pile at the back of your house where its purely dedicated to branches, twigs etc which will decompose over the course of a couple of years. A branch pile is however, a great habitat for smaller rodents.

 

Added on tips:

  • Always keep your pile damp but not saturated.
  • If you are adding food scraps bury deep in the pile.
  • Do mix your lawn clippings with your food scraps, grass tends to compact which may prevent the air flow through the pile.
  • Ensure you compost gets some sunshine but not too much.

 

Trends 2019

2019 Trends to lookout for

As we all know, the kitchen truly is the heart of the home, the place where you make memories and learn skills daily, there is never one whole day you don’t use the kitchen. Fortunately, a kitchen isn’t such a hard room to style with all the lovely options and ideas out there – the options truly are endless!

When it comes to the kitchen, you want practicality but also a great look that pulls everyone’s attention as soon as they walk in the room. With styles continuously coming and going with the years, we decided it would be a great opportunity to write a guide of trends to look out for in 2019!

Whether you are building a brand-new house, renovating your current or just sprucing up the area a pop of colour is what everyone is leaning towards for 2019 – this is the year to be bright, bold and adventurous! Although having white in your kitchen is still very popular to be creating an open and clean feeling kitchen. But 2019 is going to see bits of colour popping up in white kitchens whether you incorporate this through a beautifully colour splashback or even get creative and buy some coloured cooking utensils/appliances! Paint an island or accent wall – the options go on and on.

Let’s talk about Quartz – we all dream on having a stunning Quartz piece in our homes, but this is the year to take the plunge and go for it, 2019 is all about statements and this just ticks every box. Not only is it easy on the eye but the durability is phenomenal, easy to maintain and a more affordable option opposed to granite.

Ceaserstone Quartz Benchtop

Ceaserstone Quartz Benchtop in White Quartz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being 2019 and all, we want to go the extra, modern mile and this may mean no handles is the way to go! No, seriously – say goodbye to handles because push-touch is your new best friend, if you prefer to have cut-outs, they are still very stylish and all in for this year’s trend. Or opt for indents along the base of the cabinet door to keep the indents tucked away and out of sight.

Push touch - No handles

Push touch – No handles – Next Edition Kitchens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Open shelving has been around for a few years as a way to showcase your attractive dishes. We all love open shelving because of the modern, classic look it gives the room – this is among many different Kitchen designers lists for trends in 2019 and to be fair – we can’t argue otherwise, it’s a great idea to make your kitchen space to appear bigger than it is.

Cupboards

Open shelving

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goodbye Gloss and hello Matte! Matte is such a great aspect to include in the kitchen it just blends ever so smoothly and looks exquisite. There is a bonus here which is that matte is more forgiving with showing fingerprint markings as easily as gloss can. We also predict these will be around in the trends for many more years to come.

Soft Matte Finish on Kitchen

Soft Matte Finish on Kitchen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wait, what? Stoves and rangehoods in….colour?? Yes, that’s right – this goes back to reason #1 as to why we are adding colourful options to the list of trends for 2019 – it is such a fun way to brighten up your style whilst adding a wonderful statement piece.

Pink Oven

Pink Oven

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gold or copper are dashing their way into 2019 with a great deal of attention, these colours work well in most kitchens whether you have dark or light benchtops, do use these in small doses – we recommend handles or sinks/tapware!

Aurora Copper Sink and tap angled - Mercer sinks

Aurora Copper Sink and tap angled – Mercer sinks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funky coloured/texured Splashbacks are all in for 2019, the wonderful patterns these have to choose from is absolutely tempting and would compliment a wonderful kitchen, could this be your statement piece?

Next Edition Kitchens - Splashback

Next Edition Kitchens – Splashback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading, let us know what you’d like to see in the next blogs!

Kitchen

Refresh that rental

Are you currently in a cosy rental but the idea of a new kitchen excites you? We all know with rentals we are quite limited with what we can and can’t do, this can be a bit of an itch we NEED to scratch – especially after going through all the possible ideas for design and what our dream kitchen would be when we win lotto. Good news is; I have the perfect guide to achieving the feel of a new kitchen without overstepping our limitations.

 

This first step is a bit of a questionable one until you read the reasoning as to why I have added this in, start sprucing up the room by adding a plain, medium sized mirror in the kitchen it does in fact achieve all sorts of visual positivity. It’s an unexpected element in the kitchen so it instantly makes a statement. If you have a window, it’ll help spread the light around. If you don’t have a window, it’ll be even more vital for reflecting what light you do have in the room.

Create a temporary splashback in the kitchen, a lot of times rental kitchens don’t have any sort of splashback as they are just done to be as basic as can be whilst focusing on that practicality but whose to say you can’t spice it up a bit? You may need to run this past your landlord, but you can achieve this by using a small cut of a detailed/patterned wallpaper in which you can buy from your local paint shops (& even hardware stores if they stock wallpaper!) super easy yet super fun way of adding a dash of your style, temporally.

Do you have old, raggedy flooring that you just want to take a jack hammer to get rid of the awful eye sight? Use a rug – you can get as creative as you like with all these different sorts of rugs out there and you can use any size to cover how ever much you like (bonus with this is you can take this rug with you if you decide to move or even change it up when desired with another rug! Winning)

Boring cabinets? Colour not quite up your alley or isn’t quite linking in with your other colour scheme going on in the rest of the house? Try getting some contact paper, temp wall paper or even vinyl to give your cabinetry a new beginning – just be sure that you can remove whichever product you use without damaging the underneath and, some may need consent from the landlord.

As we all know and have seen how amazing open shelving looks in the kitchen you may not quite have that in a rental, unfortunately there is no real way to have proper floating shelves without getting consent and spending some money to achieve that BUT I can help you fake this look in a more easier, affordable way and this involves taking the doors off your cabinetry where you desire to have open shelving. Of course, this will look a bit different to open shelving, but it is a pretty close idea in comparison and it keeps the area looking more open and modern (just be sure to store those doors safely away and easy to put back on if needed.)

Add a magnetic knife block or a utensil wall holder, these are easy to install and can be taken off when you no longer need that – this looks edgy and keeps storage under control.

Add some plants to jazz up the positive vibes in your kitchen,  plants can uplift your mind set and feel more relaxed – you can even add some herbs and spices so when your cooking up a storm you have this right at your fingertips! Super cute idea and an amazing way to spruce up your kitchen.

Don’t have a ton of space do your prep work? Consider DIYing or buying a chopping board that covers your kitchen sink or stove when you’re not using them to add extra space to work. this creates more space and you can store this easily – another advanced option is to DIY your own kitchen island with wheels! look ideas up on Pinterest as there are so many we couldn’t just choose one!

 

Hopefully you feel like your in the next best thing to your dream kitchen in your rental kitchen.

Flooring

Install Kitchen Cabinetry Or Flooring First?

A repetitive, yet relevant question you may be asking yourself could be delaying your first step to renovations and that tricky questions is: “Do I reface my cabinetry first or does the flooring need to be done first?” Google has all sorts of answers which can often lead back to square one of being confused again – although there is no wrong way to do this there is safer, more practical ways of sorting the schedule.

When you replace your cabinetry, your existing flooring does run the basic and obvious risk of damage, although our busy working bee’s take all precautions there can be some un-intentional markings/damage made.

Here’s where you may be getting confused; when you are having a whole new kitchen put in, flooring is best to go in BEFOREHAND as the layout of the new kitchen will most likely be different therefor flooring is required to go in first to guide the layout BUT when you are just refacing the existing units the flooring is suggested to wait until after the refacing is done as the layout is set up already so the workers can update the fronts and the flooring is being updated in the existing layout it already is generally.

One of the benefits to having the kitchen renovated first is that you can be more confident in your flooring selection, matching your cabinet finish to smaller flooring samples and hypothetical finishes is about as helpful as painting a home’s interiors via the colours shows on small paint swatches—a process many of us have pulled our hair out over, by waiting to install your flooring after the kitchen is done, you’ll have some time to contemplate which colours or finishes will look best with your brand-new kitchen.

The only exception – install floating hardwood floors AFTER the cabinets, if you are planning on having a hardwood floating floor (or any floating floor such as cork or laminate) you should consider installing the flooring after, why? Because floating floors are clicked together and not glued down to the floor, the reason for this is that the floating floors tend to move, and they expand and contract. If part of the floor is trapped under the cabinetry (which is quite heavy) it cannot properly move resulting in all sorts of issues including bulging, buckling or even breaking. Having this in BEFORE the cabinetry ensures the cleanest look with the cabinets – you don’t need to worry about cutting some to size to fit around the cabinetry and instead can have a nice, flush floor with no issues.

 

There we have it! hoping this helped a few head scratches and has helped you move onto the next step.

Oven

How to clean your oven naturally

Today I am inspired to write this blog as my oven is in dire need of some TLC – I did some research on how important this is and the results where mind blowing, I had no idea how regularly you theoretically should be “maintaining” your oven. It seems to be one of those things that “you’ll get around to that tomorrow” and tomorrow turns into the next day, and the day after that and so on but let me remind you how important this is!

My first question I had when I opened my oven last night was “when did I even last clean this?” my answer was struggling to come to mind, it must have been a good 4 months ago (not so bad, right?!) well – WRONG! Here my next question came, how often are you supposed to clean your oven?

Once. Every. Month. HOW BIZARRE! Of all the years I have been in charge of that sort of thing, I never even realized there was actually a time period on how often you should be doing it.

Why is there a time on this? I get the hygiene side of it but what’s the actual history behind this? Simple, your oven can become less efficient at reaching temperatures and eventually may just stop working all together if burnt food/build-up is left unattended.

Crusty build up can also impact the taste of your food and, while high temperatures can kill some bacteria, it’s not a good place to be cooking food (like I said, hygiene)

So, now that I’ve got you itching to go have a look at your ovens – I also have a natural guide on how to clean your oven without even turning it on, this method is super easy and really cost efficient.

 

What you will need:

  • Baking Soda (1/2 cup)
  • Water (to make a paste)
  • Rubber Gloves (Preferably durable, non-disposable ones)
  • Damp dishcloth
  • Spray Bottle
  • Vinegar (White)

 

Instructions:

  1. Clear out the oven

Take out all dish-racks (clean those as well) make sure everything is removed so you have access to get deep in the back of the oven to clear that build-up.

  1. Mix the paste

In a small bowl, mix a 1/2 cup of baking soda with a few tablespoons of water. Adjust the ratio of both as needed until you have a spreadable paste.

  1. Coat the oven

Spread the paste all over the interior surfaces of your oven, steering clear of the heating elements. Use gloves for this portion, as the oven may be pretty gunky. The baking soda will turn a brownish colour as you rub it in; it also might be chunkier in some places than others, which is fine. Just try to coat the whole oven to the best of your abilities, paying extra attention to any particularly greasy areas.

  1. Let it sit overnight

Allow the baking soda mixture to rest for at least 12 hours, or overnight.

  1. Wipe the oven out

After 12 hours or overnight, take a damp dish cloth and wipe out as much of the dried baking soda paste as you can. Use a plastic spatula to help scrape off the paste as needed.

  1. Spray a little bit of vinegar

Put a little vinegar in a spray bottle and spritz everywhere you still see baking soda residue in your oven. The vinegar will react with the baking soda and gently foam.

  1. Do a final wipe down

Take your damp cloth and wipe out the remaining foamy vinegar-baking soda mixture. Repeat until all the baking soda residue is gone. Add more water or vinegar as needed while wiping to really get the oven clean and shiny.

  1. Replace your clean oven racks

Replace the oven racks and anything else you keep in your oven, and you’re done!

 

 

Go give that oven some TLC – You’ll thank yourself later.

Spring

Make Your Kitchen Spring Ready!

What pops to mind when you hear or see the word spring? For me it’s a feeling of freshness, a window of new beginnings and a great chance for ideas to bloom. This is a great chance to spice up your kitchen and give it that “Spring” feeling, don’t run away in fear this will cost an arm and a leg because it certainly doesn’t have to burn a hole in your pocket.

 

Get that feeling of freshness:

Starting small at a very low cost (or if any cost at all) Firstly, gather some flowers and a pretty vase that draws you in – this will give that feeling of a crisp, fresh feel. No need for a large, over-the-top floral arrangement… just a few stems will do the trick! Change it up with colours to compliment the season, here’s a few:

  • Lavender/Purple
  • Rapture Rose (Intense pink)
  • Sky Blue
  • Peach
  • Yellow

Just to name a few, feel free to incorporate any coloured flowers you like!

A window for new beginnings:

When was the last time you fully renovated your cooking utensils range? Swap out the cutting board that has seen better days and the plain plastic cooking utensils and replace them with ones that have a little more energy, Spring is also a great excuse to biff all your tea towels that have seen better days and replace them with new, fresh ones.

New ideas to bloom? I think yes!

Forget about making a huge investment – a small painting or framed quote is an affordable way to own a piece of original art. Get creative and visit your local opshop or even get one of the kids to paint you a picture!  You can frame it and then rest it on your benchtop, or even hang it up on an empty piece of your kitchen wall.

Bring the texture in

Wood and natural wovens are such a golden addition to any space, they add a bit of texture to the area and interest as well as warmth. Find a large bowl and fill it with fruit and your kitchen will be screaming its spring ready.

This is a few ways to get your kitchen in the spring season and will be easy to change when the next season is on the way! Some of these ideas can be incorporated with other seasons anyway

Casserole/stew

Winter’s Beef Casserole

Don’t just warm your tummy – warm your soul as well! this recipe is a MUST for these winter chills.

  • 600g chuck or gravy beef.
  • 1x onion, sliced.
  • 2x medium carrots, sliced thinly.
  • 2x Tbsp plain flour.
  • 3x cups beef/vegetable stock.
  • 1x tsp Worcestershire sauce.
  • 1x Tbsp soy sauce.
  • 1 Tbsp thyme.
  • 2x bay leaves.
  • 2x tsp garlic.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Cut beef into cubes/strips.

Season with salt and pepper, add about 2 tablespoons of oil and mix well.

Heat a large fry pan over a medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches then place in a casserole dish.

Reduce heat in pan, and sauté the onion and carrot in butter. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle in flour and stir until the vegetables are coated.

Gradually pour in stock, stirring well. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. Pour into a casserole dish, cover then place in oven and cook until the beef is tender. Stir every 40 minutes or so, adding water if needed to keep the ingredients just covered. (Roughly cooking time is 2hrs and 30mins but will depend on different types of ovens and temperatures)

Smart tip: This casserole can be cooked on a stove top or slow cooker.

Stove top method: Place the browned beef and other ingredients in a heavy-based pot. Partially cover, keep the heat low. Simmer until the meat is very tender. Stir occasionally, adding water if needed to keep ingredients just covered.

Slow cooker: Place the browned beef with other ingredients into the slow cooker and place onto low for 6 hours or until the meat is tender. Depending on size and cut this can take up to 8 hours.

 

Dark panels in kitchen - Grey

How to maintain those dark colored panels/benchtops

As gorgeous and elegant as dark colored panels and bench-tops are they can definitely become a challenge when it comes to finger marks, food splatters etc, a lot of people are hesitant to go with these colors as they want to avoid that nightmare as some would call it – but I’m here to tell you that it is not as bad as you think.

Whether it’s a matt, satin, semi-gloss or gloss finish, finger marks and water spills always stand out and can be hard to remove sometimes.

Because of the way the light reflects off a dark surface, the marks are often more obvious than on a lighter colour surface. If the mark is from an oily product, (for example oily fingers from cooking) removing this with a standard household cleaning spray can sometimes be ineffective as it doesn’t break down the oil. The other consideration is the streak marks that can be left behind by the cleaning product itself.

There is so many products out there people will try to upsell to you saying “it works wonders, cleaning will be a breeze” BUT this is not always the case – you’d be amazed to find how easy it is to clean up marks using warm, soapy water (you can even add in a dash of disinfectant to keep it hygienic but don’t use too much!) with a microfibre cloth – most times this will clean the cabinets leaving them nice and shiny with no marks whatsoever but sometimes, it can leave a water marks, the trick to this is actually window cleaner (it’s safe and leaves the clean look you’re going for.) On a laminate door, a mixture of eucalyptus oil and water in a spray works well to break down the grease and won’t leave streak marks.

*Always use a microfiber cloth when wiping your doors as this will avoid fine scratches from appearing (especially important if the door is a gloss finish). The best brand we have come across for this is Norwex as their ultra-fine fibers are incredible gentle yet extremely absorbent. You can find these down at our showroom or even online!

Regardless of the finish you choose, dark cabinets will generally be more work to maintain the cleanliness, however – by sticking to this cleaning guide, I promise you will be at peace with your lovely, clean outcome.