It's July already, when I'm embracing the beautiful humidity free Winter weather, and enjoying being in the kitchen and the garden during these cooler months. Winter is when I feel at my most productive. I hope you enjoy reading about what my June kitchen and cooking activities entailed. There are also some stories about our experiences in France and Croatia. The photo above is taken at beautiful Palm Cove near Cairns in the last couple of days.
Happy Retiree's Kitchen
Hello, I'm Pauline, a passionate home cook with over 40 years of recipe development experience and over 12 years of food blogging. I live in Tropical North Queensland. What began as a simple way to document family recipes has grown into Happy Retiree's Kitchen, a trustworthy source for achievable, delicious recipes. I'm a self-taught cook and food and travel blogger, and have spent over a decade perfecting how to make home cooking achievable, flavoursome, and very accessible. Let's cook.
Friday, July 3, 2026
Sunday, June 28, 2026
Korma Chicken Tray Bake
Images of Green and Gold as an Ode to the World Cup
It was the morning of the World Cup playoffs between Australia and Paraguay, and this Korma Chicken Traybake was an easy Dinner option, as the oven does all the work in your baking dish. I was also thinking Green and Gold for Australia. Just load up the tray, stick it in the oven, and in 30 minutes everyone will be licking their lips in anticipation of an amazing meal. The chicken and rice are baked together with a few vegetables in a spice infused creamy yoghurt which results in an incredibly tasty dish.
Monday, June 22, 2026
A Small-Batch of Cumquat or Kumquat Marmalade
"Cumquat marmalade is the best of all breakfast preserves, with a scented sharpness and a golden glow all of its own. " Stephanie Alexander, 1996.
This is a lovely fruity Cumquat marmalade, and I don't know why I don't make it more often. Possibly because my Mum made perfect Cumquat (Kumquat) marmalade and I am never sure that I can match hers. Never mind, I've made another batch now and I couldn't be happier with it, albeit a small batch though which often works best.
Sunday, June 21, 2026
Foods of Croatia and Cruising the Adriatic Sea onboard the M/S Lupus Mare
We enjoyed 7 days and nights on board the M/S Lupus Mare, sailing along the beautiful coastline of Croatia on the Adriatic Sea which was the perfect way for us to enjoy our first ever introductory cruise.
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Some of my favourite Lemon Recipes
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Lemon and Ricotta Cake Recipe
The tang of fresh lemon flavours combined with the richness of ricotta cheese, produces an Italian style cake that finishes off a special dinner perfectly, or is just lovely with a cup of coffee or tea. It's light and luscious, what more could you want in a cake? Thanks to Marcellina in Cucina for this perfect cake recipe.


