Frosted Rosepetals

Our Dreams Are Near...

2011-10-27T11:56:00.000-07:00

Lazy Daze.....

2011-05-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, it's been such a relaxing day today.

The past week has seemed really busy, so i have been grateful for a relaxing day of baking, eating and sitting down with the family to watch a film. Today was Isabella's first time watching Jumanji, lol. She really loved it, and i enjoyed sitting and watching it again. The last time i saw it was when i was 11...so it was a bit weird to be watching a film with my daughter, that i had watched when i was little!

This week I bought a new cookery book, and I love it! It's called

Weekend Baking: Relaxed Recipes for Family Baking

I've made 3 things from it up to now. They are: peanut butter cookies, cherry, marzipan and struesel cake (tastes like a cherry bakewell), and vanilla cupcakes with raspberry frosting. I've never baked so much from a book within a week. The recipes are easy, tasty and different!

This was the amazing cherry streusel cake. I'm going to call it bakewell, because that's what it tastes like and that's my obsession! lol. I made it with a spelt flour crust instead of all purpose, and brown rice flour with almond meal for the filling again, instead of all purpose.

This was Isabella's way of setting the table, it was so cute! She decided to put the flowers like that too.

Our little raspberry cupcakes.

{Because it was a lot of recipes to type up, I'm a bit lazy about it! If anyone wants a particular recipe, just mail me and i'll most likely send the recipe back to you that day!}.

Eyes Like Blueberries

2011-04-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a great easter weekend! :) Ours was low key. We did church and then came home and lazed about (as you should).

I've really been enjoying reading everyones posts on easter/spring. There have been some gorgeous pictures too!
I had a whole meal planned for yesterday, in the end i didn't make the lamb or beef that i thought i would. Didn't end up making a festive cake treat either! In the end i made a salad with these veggie burgers-which in my opinion are the best ever. I cannot stop eating the ingredients as i make them. Again, only 6 came out of this batch! :( We also had some French bread with some tzatziki sauce. Loved the meal and i decided to make some blueberry muffins.

Bella and i LOVE blueberries and we especially love them in cakes! I also call her blueberry eyes (reason for the title,lol). She has big, blue eyes-nuff said!

I got this recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow's book My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness . I love this book and the recipe's inside. But, i was a bit dissapointed with this particular recipe. There seemed something lacking. They were a bit on the bland side. Still tastey, but if i would make muffins with blueberries, i'd stick to my usual little blueberry cakes .

******

French Toast with Challah

2011-04-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

This recipe was really quick and easy to make (unlike the challah, lol). So, i'm really glad i made it.
Sorry for the poor picture quality. It's really annoying me that my camera won't work so well anymore and the fact that it is always either 'out of focus' or the colour quality is off. Oh well.

The recipe for the french toast is from the cookery book My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness

I was curious to find out what she actually ate,lol. Turns out, it's quite similar to the way we eat (or try to eat) in our house. I really love the selection of recipes and there are some great salad dressings and healthy dessert versions. Pretty pictures and a bit of biography to go with it all. A keeper for me!

Recipe

1vanilla pod or tsp vanilla extract.

2 large eggs

1cup milk (any kind of milk you like. If i use almond milk, i will usually add a tsp of olive oil to it.)

8 slices of challah or brioche

2tablespoons salted or unsalted butter

1tsp coarse sugar

banana, peeled

powdered sugar, for serving

maple syrup, serving

Slice the vanilla pod in half lengthwise. Use top of paring knife to scrape out all the beans. Place the beans in a bowl with a tsp of hot water, and mix. Crack the eggs into bowl and whisk to blend.

Whisk in milk. Dip bread into egg mix, coating each slice on both sides.

Meanwhile, melt butter in large skillet over med high heat and add as many pieces of challah as can fit comfortably. Sprinkle top of each piece with tiny bit of coarse sugar. Cook about a min or 2 longer, or until the second side is browned. Remove toast to plate and repeat process until all pieces are cooked.

Thinly slice banana over French toast and dust all with the powdered sugar and serve with lots of maple syrup!

Challah

2011-04-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

{I'm having issues with my camera so i found this first picture off google.}

A few days ago i was blog surfing and i came upon a recipe that, again, i just HAD to try. CHALLAH (pronounced halla).

I had never heard of this before, but apparently it's is a traditional Jewish egg bread eaten on Shabbat and Jewish holidays (except passover, when leavened bread is not allowed).

I had followed a recipe here http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/09/best-challah-egg-bread/ . But think when i make it again, i may follow this, the recipe looks less complicated and i think the amounts of yeast and water in the first link are a bit off? I also may look up how to braid it properly because mine turned out to be a hot mess! lol.

It still turned out tasty and my real reason for making this is because i heard it was good for french toast. Ha!
This recipe also made me realise that i really hate my kitchenaid, and that it is nothing but a huge space waster! I didn't even get to 4cups of flour before it started to be a weakling about everything. In the end i just dumped out the dough and kneaded it the manual way. Pff.

It really did make good French toast. I only had a little taste of this (i still try to eat wheat/gluten free). But my daughter loved the French toast i made of this and ate it all up.

The recipe i followed made two loaves and so i sliced one up and froze it in slices and the first one is just about gone.

Baked Raspberry Custard

2011-04-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

Hello, it's me again, lol.

I was browsing a few blogs yesterday and came across this unusual recipe. I had never heard of baked custard before, and i was intrigued!

Well, today i made it. It's not wheat free, i was unsure about how it would turn out if i used rice flour, and i didn't want to waste the last of the eggs!

It turned out to be a consistency of Creme Brulee, but it also had a cakey texture to it. I only tried a little bit of it and i found it to be delicious. My husband and daughter kept asking for more and it is half gone. So I'm thinking it is a keeper of a recipe!

The best thing about it though-the smell! It smelled amazing! I kept sniffing at it. The berries and the buttery sugar smell was sooo nice and comforting.
I'm thinking that this is probably more of a winter time dessert, but if you put some fresh whipped cream or ice cream with it and top it off with some more berries, it can easily be spring/summer!

I also made a really tasty turkey lasagna, i will have posted the recipe to that before i do this one :P

I've not been able to find my camera for near to a month and so now i have finally found it, it's not working the same! Typical. Hope everyone is doing well and is having a happy spring so far :)

Turkey Lasagna with Goats Cheese and Basil

2011-04-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

This sounded so tasty, i just had to make it. I've since made it twice and it has become a firm favourite in our house!

This particular recipe i got from the recipe book Recipes Worth Sharing. From what i've read and gathered from the book, it is a collection of recipes and stories from America's most-loved community cookbooks.
I really like this book, my only problem is that there are no pictures! I would have loved some pictures and a bit of description before a recipe. But really, there are so many wonderful recipes in here and they're so easy to make. There is a wide selection of meals as well as desserts too.

I've sectioned the recipe in a different way than it was in the book, i found this layout easiest to follow as there are a lot of ingredients.

It might seem complicated , but it's really not! This recipe will serve 8. But i section the left overs off and i freezer bag 'em and keep them in the freezer until we want some more.

Red sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1cup chopped onion
1garlic clove, chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (i used just under a pound package)
1 (28ounce can crushed tomatoes in puree (i found and used a 28ounce can of tomato puree at the supermarket and just used that)
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/4cup fresh parsley
1/2cup basil leaves
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pepper , ground
Heat olive oil in large skillet over med heat. Add onion and cook for 3-4mins or until soft. Add garlic, cook for 1more min. Add turkey, cook over med low heat for 8-10mins or until brown and crumbling, stirring often. Stir in tomatoes and paste, 2 table spoons of parsley, basil salt and pepper and simmer for 15-20mins, oruntil thickened.

Place 8ounces of lasagna noodles(i used brown rice lasagna noodles) in very hot water and let stand for 20mins ( i did this whilst the red sauce was simmering).

White sauce
15ounces ricotta cheese (the one i got was in a big tub in teh supermarket in the yoghurt section , lol)
4ounces goats cheese crumbled
1 1/4cup parmesan cheese
1 egg lightly beaten
1pound fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced ( i didnt use 1pound of this, i just used one ball of it because i had it in the fridge, but i thought it could also do without, so i would say it's optional)

Combine 1cup parmesan and allthe rest in a bowl(aside from mozzerella if using), add some salt and pepper and a tiny bit of parsley if you want. Mix until well combined.

Layer red sauce, pasta, mozzarella (if using),white sauce and then red sauce, pasta, white sauce ect, till it reaches the top. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan over the top and bake at 400F for around 30mins.

There are lots of ingredients but all the cooking flows really well and it will be really nice! Portion out the rest and you can freeze them and just defrost it whenever you like. I usually defrost in micro for about 6mins and then cook it for 2mins, or until really hot!

There was a lot of the red sauce left over when i had finished layering, so i left it to cool down and then freezer bagged that also and put it in the freezer for when we need a pasta sauce.

The first time i made this lasagna, i used normal lasagna sheets, second time i used brown rice ones (wheat free). They both came out tasting the same. So it wouldn't alter taste.

New website coolness

2011-03-25T06:04:00.000-07:00

So i found this cool website the other day and i thought i'd share!

It's called Emails By Address and you can basically leave a message for anyone anywhere on the map of the world and everyone and anyone can see it! I thought it was quite interesting to share. I think it would have been a great idea for anyone in Japan that could manage internet access in anyway to let family and friends know they are ok.

Prayers For Japan...

2011-03-12T07:45:00.000-08:00

There are no words, I cannot imagine what it is like for the people there at the moment. My prayers are with them...

Better yet...

{images off google}

So i thought...

2011-02-21T11:26:00.000-08:00

So i thought i would give a little update seeing as i stopped posting on here.

I got into a little slump and any motivation i had for continuing my blog and cooking/posting on here, dissolved. I'm avoiding writing any of the sad details here because no one wants to hear that! Also, i don't want to write it *positive mood, positive mood*!

I feel that I've probably cooked/baked all the new dishes that i want, for now and i was slowly starting to feel a bit of a need to force myself to cook new things just to make my blog updates interesting. I feel that the cooking aspect of this blog has probably served it's purpose.
I would still like to post food updates now and again-obviously if they're new and exciting and interesting!lol. But as for now, i feel i may take this into a different direction...So, obviously i hope that any followers i do have will stay with me!

I've been doing a few writing/illustrating projects. For some reason, within the past few weeks I've had an influx of 'inspiration', and I've felt the need to just go with it as I've not felt this way for a long time. And, shock horror (!), i'm remaining focused!
I've always had a love hate relationship with my writing and artwork, thus I've held off telling anybody what my plans/dreams are!
I love writing and poetry, but my grammar is not so great and my spelling is poor too (thank goodness for spell checker!). Argh, i should have listened in school!

Anyyyyyyway, there it is! I hope everyone has had a great Christmas and a maarrrrrrrvelous New Year-because i haven't...Ok just kidding. It was a good one this year as i spent it with family, lol .

Last but not least...On a really great note, our application for a greencard got approved! We are now official US Residents!
Yaaay, i see life instead of limbo on the horizon!

Until Next Year......

2010-12-29T18:59:00.001-08:00

Christmas is nearly upon us!

2010-12-21T10:46:00.000-08:00

Little Enjoyments

2010-12-17T13:17:00.000-08:00

Receiving roses

Chocolatey Delight {aka chocolate covered popcorn!}

Finally finishing my manuscript

Hot chocolate with marshmallows

Soooo apparently....

2010-12-07T21:28:00.000-08:00

So apparently, im all of a sudden into french food,lol. I don't know where this came from, as i've never been too bothered before. But the past week or so, i've been wanting to try a few "french dishes". So the other day i bought this great book My French Kitchen: A Book of 120 Treasured Recipes . I love it. I've read through some of it and i want to cook every recipe in there!

The first recipe i tried today was Coq au vin. I accompanied it with sautéed potatoes (also from the book), and some vegetables. I was the only one that had a bit of rice with mine instead of the potatoes. But i did try one and it was so nice.

1 (3 1/2) chicken, cut into 12 pieces (i cheated and used 4chicken thighs and 3 chicken breasts)

2cups red wine (i used a pinot nior)

5ounces slab bacon(i didnt use this)

1tbs olive oil

12 small shallots, pelled

8ounces button mushrooms

1garlic clove, chopped

3tbs all purpose flour(i used buckwheat flour)

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

2thyme sprigs

2bay leaves

sea salt , to taste

pepper

bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped

Heat the oven to 350F.

Put the bacon (if using) and oil in a large flameproof casserole and cook over med heat for 3mins. Add the whole shallots and cook for 6mins until the shallots are browned, then add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for another 2mins, stirring well. Remove the ingredients from the pan and set them aside.

Place the chicken in the casserole and cook until golden and sealed all over-do this in batches to get a good even colour. Remove from the casserole and set aside.

Reduce the heat, add the flour to the pan, and stir so it absorbs teh fat. Don't forget to mix in all the cooking bits in the pan. Slowly stir in the reserved wine and the stock, and bring to a boil. Return the chicken and vegetables and bacon (if using) to the casserole dish, along with the thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cover and bake for 35mins. Just before serving, add the chopped parsley.

Sauteed Potatoes

I was feeding 4 (it made just enough)

I used 7 large potatoes

about an inch of olive oil in pan

sea salt to taste

Peel potatoes and parboil whole in lightly salted, gently boiling water for 12mins. Drain and slice into 1/4inch thick rounds. Heat the oven to 350f.

Put oil in pan/skillet and heat. Place a layer of potatoes over the base of each pan and cook for 5mins on each side until golden.

Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and place in dish and sprikle with salt and pepper.

Things I'm Loving Right Now!

2010-12-01T13:08:00.000-08:00

There are some things i'm absolutely loving right now, and i just have to share! The first might be a bit of an obvious choice but i can't help it!!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1

I looooooved this film! I've already been to see it twice and i think it's my favourite Harry Potter movie (apart from the first film). I really enjoyed that we got to see more info on the pasts of the adults and the ministry. I loved the whole atmosphere of the film and i honestly didn't want it to end...oh, oh, and i loved the bit where Harry gets caught and Draco has to identify him, and he doesn't! I can't WAIT for the next one!

I was also in love with the clothes. Espeically the mens suits! I loved how what they wore matched their characters. My first fave is Severus Snape, i thought his cape in this film was so badass, lol. Next (and always my favourite male wizard outfit,lol) is Lucius Malfoy. He was really dishevelled in this film but i thought he still looked slick.

Another group of favourites were the weasley's and the minister of magic.

2. Emma Watson

I'm obsessed with Emma Watson right now! I love her new found style and haircut and i thought she did great in the new film! I am a big fan of her style.

{Loving the shoes!}

3. Smythson Dairies

I wish Smythson Diaries didn't cost so much! I would snatch one up straight away. I'm always obsessed with writing things down and i have lists upon lists each day of things i need to do ....yes, im big on lists.

4. Mulberry Alexa

Ahhh, it looks so soft! Also, even if i could afford this, i think i would be too scared to wear it for fear of dirtying it! But it's still very nice to look at!

5. Peppermints

I love peppermints or any kinds of sweets (candies). My all time faves are sugary and sour candies. But when christmas time comes around, Peppermints are my friend! lol

6. Whip My hair-Willow Smith

Now i know this song might get on peoples nerves, but not mine! I'm loving this song right now! It always puts me in a good mood and makes me want to "whip my hair". Bel likes it too :P

Recipes For Thanksgiving Leftovers!

2010-11-28T10:45:00.000-08:00

Well, Thanksgiving has been and gone. We had 11people at our house and i was making the food and seeing as it was my first one EVER, i think i did a sortof ok job. Everyone said it went really well, but you never know if they're just saying it to be polite!
I had a really nice day though, and it was even more great because my grandad and my mum got to join us! Everything got cleaned up in a timely fashion, everyone was able to relax quite soon after and we all fell asleep quite early!lol.

There were lots of left overs and that led me to do some internet surfing and found some great ideas. In the end i made the shepherds pie with left over garlic mash and the turkey cheddar tetrazzini. But there are some other ideas here that would be great for Christmas leftovers too!

I didn't get a chance to take any pics because i forgot, but i have pictures of the finished dishes courtesy of kitchen daily! If you click on the picture it should take you to the ingredient list and the recipe instructions! :)

Turkey Cheddar Tetrazzini

2. Turkey Salad

3. Quick Shepherds Pie

4. Turkey Banh Mi

5. Chipotle Turkey Chilli

7. Raviolli With Green Beans

Try some!

***

Simple Cranberry Sauce

2010-11-23T19:43:00.000-08:00

This is a really quick and simple cranberry sauce that i've made in advance for Thanksgiving. It's tart yet sweet at the same time. I kept mine simple, but you could add *optional pecans, orange peel, raisins, currants, blueberries, cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice!

Cranberry Sauce

1cup water

4cups cranberries (mine had been frozen but i followed the recipe the same as if cooking with fresh).

1cup sugar

Wash and pick over cranberries. In a saucepan, bring to boil water and sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add cranberries, return to boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 10mins or until cranberries burst.

At this point you can add all number of optional ingredients. (Some listed above!).

Remove from heat. Cool completely at room temperature and then chill in refrigerator. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

Cranberry sauce base makes 2 1/4cups.

If i don't make a post before thursday, have a great Thanksgiving!

Chocolate Raspberry Heart Birthday Cake!

2010-11-21T15:54:00.000-08:00

It's my husband's Birthday today, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

We've had a low key day today. Pasta (brown rice pasta :P)and cake,lol. But it's been a good day non the less. It's coming up to Thanksgiving and in true "me" fashion, i think i might be getting siiiiiiick. NOOO! Annnyway, i still managed to make a cake last night in secret....and by secret i mean screaming "NO, GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN, DONT LOOK CLOSE YOUR EYES!" every time he was walking towards the kitchen!

I had taken out one of Nigella Lawson's books from the library a few months ago and i had remembered a great chocolate cake recipe out of it. I was going to get the book back again, but i found the recipe online, so it saved time!

I have a slight obsession with raspberry and chocolate combinations, so this seemed like a great cake to make....even if it wasn't really for me, lol. I made the usual variations with the flour and milk (brown rice flour and almond milk). But i actually used normal heavy cream for this cake because in the end, the cake is not for me and D doesn't care about whether it's wheat or dairy free! lol.

FOR THE CAKE

2/3 cup milk (i used almond milk)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

3 eggs

1 cup superfine sugar

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (i used brown rice flour)

3 tablespoons best unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

FOR THE FILLING

1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream

1 cup raspberries

FOR THE GANACHE ICING

2/3 cup heavy cream

5 1/2 oz. dark chocolate, minimum 70 percent cocoa solids

1 tablespoon corn syrup (i didn't use this)

1 cup raspberries

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and line two shallowish 9-inch heart-shaped pans with cut-out hearts of parchment paper. I used a really deep 9" pan and i was able to put all of the batter in the pan and then when cake cooled i cut the cake in half.

Pour the milk into a small pan with the butter and heat until warm and the butter has melted. Or you can just stick a glass measuring cup in the microwave. When hot, add the vanilla.

Whisk the eggs and sugar till thick, light and frothy, really frothy. Meanwhile, combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda. Buy the best cocoa you can find, as this is what determines the rich flavour of the cake.

Still beating the eggs and sugar, or going back to beat the eggs and sugar, pour in the hot buttery, vanilla'd milk and when incorporated, slowly fold in the flour-baking soda-cocoa mixture.

{Someone couldn't wait,lol.}

Divide this mixture between the two pans (or the one deep pan) and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool in their pans for about 10 minutes before turning the cakes out, and then turning them over so that they are sitting on the wire rack, out of their pans, the right way up. (This is because they are such tender cakes that the wire racks will leave indentations.) Now, I know the cakes look very thin and flat at this point, but I promise you the finished cake has the requisite depth once it's filled and iced.

Leave the cakes until cool before icing. You can make them a day in advance, but they are sticky so you must wrap them in parchment paper before wrapping in foil.

To fill the heart, whip the cream until thick but not stiff. Add the raspberries and crush with a fork, though not too finely. The cream should turn wonderfully pink, in a rose-and-white mottled fashion. Sandwich the hearts with this raspberry cream.

To ice, put the cream, the chocolate cut up in small pieces, and syrup in a pan over low to medium heat and when the chocolate seems to have all but melted into the warm cream, take off the heat and start whisking — just with a little hand whisk — until you have a smooth, glossy mixture. Pour, and then spread, preferably with a palette knife, over the top of the cake to the edges of the heart (not worrying too much about drips).

Take out your raspberries and, about 1/2 inch or slightly less from the edges of the heart, stud the chocolate topping with the raspberries (hole side down) or however you like!

The great thing about this cake was that it tasted so fresh. It wasn't cloyingly sweet, which, in a way i was expecting because...come on...it's Nigella! But no, it was so fresh and didn't leave an after taste or didn't leave you feeling guilty after you ate it. I'd definitely make this cake again and recommend it!

Autumn/Christmas Decorations

2010-11-16T08:12:00.000-08:00

As i will be making the Thanksgiving meal this year (for the first time ever), i'm a bit stressed out! It has been cancelled and restarted twice on me now, so i feel like time is ticking away and i'm feeling a bit behind. So i'm decorating now, to get it all out of the way (this may be an excuse to start decorating early, but who cares!).
Last night, whilst watching tv (a Harry Potter film i had recorded from the other day-OMG im excited for the new fillllllm!), i started making a seasonal wreath. I was unsure of how it would turn out because id never made one before and the only reason i had the idea to make one is because i was shocked at how much they cost! The ones i had seen up to now were quite expensive! *(unless you go to home depot like i did today and found out i could have gotten a cheaper one, but no bother, i like mine)!

So on our trip to michaels, i bought

A foam ring. Not the oasis kind, it was quite hard, sturdy foam. I think it was about $3
A meter long garland with glitter and berries.$9.99
Glitter spray $4 85
Big bag of pine cones $2.99. I actually got lucky with this as on the walk way we have, there are a bunch of pine cones that have fallen off the trees,so i was able to collect LOADS,lol.
Green wire $2.59
bobby pins (i had these already)

I think the total cost of this adds up to a cheap shop bought wreath. But, you can actually make more decorations, so if you feel like getting creative, don't worry the cost and items spreads out.

Wrap the garland around the foam ring (size of your choice, mine was medium). Do that by winding it round. Make sure that when it comes to an end, the two ends meet. Tie the two ends together either with ribbon or, like i did with the green wire. Decide which side will be the front, and which will be the back. At the side that will be the back, you can usually pull off some leaves. They're usually removable. Keep doing that till you're satisfied the back is flat enough but not too flat!

With the pins, take them through the centre of a leaf sprig that you pulled off, and pin it to the foam. Keep doing this till there is no green foam showing though the wreath. As you're doing this you can also pin other things you want to the wreath. I added the pine cones by twisting green wire around the base of the cone and then tying that part around the foam. I covered any showing of this by pinning more leaf sprigs around it to hide the wire.

When you're finished attaching what you want to the wreath. Spray it with glitter spray! Making sure you're in a well ventilated area.

I don't know what's going on with me and blogging. But i just have not felt like doing it lately and i suppose im forcing an update post on something (?!) Because i only log on to catch up with reading my faves and i'm so sick of seeing the chicken soup post! lol.

Not sure if anyone else ever feels this way, but there ya go...

***

Feel Better Chicken Noodle Soup

2010-11-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

I've had some sort of weird flu-ish symptoms the past few days. I'm talking, really achy muscles, earache, groggy/fuzzy feeling in my head. But, no fever! (phew). But this feeling has been coming and going for days. So all i've been in the mood for is ....

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

I didn't follow any particular recipe for this. I just went all freestyle (lol).

1tbs butter

1tbs olive oil

2garlic cloves

1medium onion

2celery stalks;trimmed, thinly sliced

2carrots;peeled, thinly sliced

2-3litres of water

chicken or vegetable stock

rice noodles

i used an already roasted chicken from grocery store

salt pepper to taste*optional

I added the butter and oil to a big stock pot and sweated the garlic and onions for around 10mins on a low heat with the lid on. Then add the carrots and celery and let them sauté' for a few mins. Then i added the water (obviously, if there are less people in the house add less. I didn't follow any specific measurements). For the chicken stock i used bouillon cubes and then two pouches of *thinks* this other kind of chicken stock (it was liquid and i can't remember!). Basically, keep seasoning to taste! After about 15mins of the broth bubbling away, i added dry, rice noodle sticks. I think i may have added a bit too much to this (2packs), BUT , no one was making this for me when i was unwell(woe is me!), so i can't be blamed. :P Along with the rice sticks, i added some of the already roasted chicken, along with some of the skin (which i removed afterwards). When the noodles were ready, i served it up in a bowl with some extra chicken on top.

It was so tasty and i will definitely make it again. I also have enough left over to feed a whole block of people...well maybe not that many, but you get the idea.

Bella cut her lip on the window sill last night. We didn't know how she did it at first and then she told us she was trying to look out at the rain and she fell :( So she's been extra precious today). Soon we will be back to our usual selves...

hopefully...

lol

To my friend...

2010-11-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

I hope that during this time, you receive heavenly hugs. They're better than human ones anyway... :)

Ghoulish Smoothie!

2010-10-21T17:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok. So this is not really ghoulish! BUT, it looks it....a bit! Seeing as it's nearly halloween and all, it fits. :)

I make this smoothie for myself nearly every morning and it's completely dairy free and delicious. It's thick and creamy but has a clean taste and its very good for you!

Serves 1
1medium or large banana
handful of berries of your choice, frozen or fresh ( I use frozen mix of blueberry, raspberry and mango).
Unsweetened cranberry juice

I put the banana at the bottom of the mixer and then the berries and then top it off with cranberry juice, so the juice is just coming over the fruit. You can add more fruit if you like. It's completely up to you, this is just my preference.
Blend. I use a Cuisinart CSB-76BC SmartStick 200-Watt Immersion Hand Blender, Brushed Chrome. Make sure it's all blended and if it's too thick, add more juice or i sometimes top it off with water.

AND JUST FOR EFFECT !!!!

We drove past an apartment that had THIS dangling on the balcony! I'm noticing more and more that america take Halloween to a whole other level! For example, we were driving a few days ago and i see a LEG sticking out of a trunk, i thought it was real and was quickly told " oh yeah, its for halloween...". Then, a day after that, we see a guy with a full size coffin covered in lights on the back of his truck! Again, i thought it was real, but was quickly told otherwise! So now im on the lookout to take pics of these things, lol.

Carrot Cake with Maple Frosting

2010-10-21T17:14:00.000-07:00

Last sunday, at church, there was something called a ' Cover Dish Dinner'. I had no idea what one was, but i was told it was lunch with everyone afterwards, and everyone brings a dish (sweet or savoury).

I decided to bring a home made carrot cake with some maple icing. The cake is really simple to make! I adapted a recipe out of Top 100 Finger Foods: 100 Recipes for a Healthy, Happy Child. Th original recipe is for cupcakes, but i just put it all into a greased and wax papered cake tin. The frosting recipe i snatched from the ever ~~pretentious~~ delicious Ottolenghi: The Cookbook ! (The frosting was featured in an apple and olive oil cake recipe).

The only annoying thing with the making of the cake, was that i had finished the cake the night before and i didn't have any unsalted butter- thanks to my great thinking ahead and being prepared attitude! So, i had to finish the frosting the morning of. When it came time to quickly take some pics, my camera ran out of juice. So i'm really sorry, i only have 2 pictures of it- and not great pictures at that.

Carrot Cake

170g brown rice flour

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

1tsp mixed spice (or cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves making 1tsp)

pinch of salt

170g butter, room temp

170g soft light brown sugar

3eggs, beaten

1/2tsp vanilla extract

2tbsp soured cream or plain yoghurt (i used 3 of olive oil and it made no difference)

140g grated carrot

110g raisins (optional)

preheat oven to 190C/375F

Line either two regular size muffin tins with paper cases , OR like i did, grease and line cake tin.

Sift together the flour, bicarb, mixed spices and salt, and set aside. Put the butter adn sugar in a large bowl and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla soured cream or olive oil and sifted dry ingredients, and beat until just combined. Fold in the carrot and raisins if using.

Spoon the cake mix into either the prepared muffin tins or the cake tin. Bake for 18-22 mins (may take longer if baking the cake).

Place on a wire rack to cool completely through before frosting.

I was making a sandwich cake and so i made two cakes, one at a time. I then let them cool and after icing one half, i sandwiched them together and then iced the rest. Obviously, if you're making just one cake or cupcakes, don't double the recipe!

FROSTING

100g unsalted butter, room temp

100g light muscovado sugar ( i used the light brown sugar)

85mls maple syrup

220g cream cheese, room temperature

Beat together the butter, sugar and syrup until light and airy. You can do this by hand or mixer. Add the cream cheese and beat until the icing is totally smooth.

Using a palette knife (i have one but in a rush used a spatula!), spread a 1cm thick layer of frosting between the cake layers. Sandwich the two halves together and then spread the rest of the icing around and on top of the cake. Finish with a dusting of powdered sugar if you like.

(Again, i was prepared to double this recipe if i needed. But it was enough).

{i had planned on taking more pictures, but as i said, my battery ran out!}

I really love this carrot cake recipe above all others, it's not too sickly sweet and doesn't have LOADS of sugar in it like most others i saw.

Now because i wanted to see how it would taste before we took it to church, i greased only two muffin sections of a muffin tin and then dolloped two separate spoonfuls of the mixture and added them and put them in the oven at the same time and it came out great!

Sweet Potato Hash Browns with Scrambled Egg

2010-10-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

I've not written a post in while and so i thought it would be nice to share a slightly alternative breakfast choice!

{That is not wine btw, it's unsweetened cranberry juice!}

I have made the usual type of hashbrowns for D and B a few times before, and i think i've finally found out the perfect way to make them with regular potatoes. My trick is that i grate them on the smallest grater side and then i wrap them in a teatowl and i squeeeeeze out the water. I then gather them together and form little patties. They seem to stay together this way. Even without the egg.

Sweet potatoes are drier. They didn't need to have the excess squeezed out. Instead i grated them on the smaller side of the grater and i added 1 egg. The great thing about the sweet potato, is that i used only 1 regular sized one and i was able to get 3 good sized hash browns out of it!

The butter quantities are really all about taste. I mean, i used bits of butter here and there quite liberally (it's not like we eat this everyday!). So aside from the initial 'knob' of butter to start, id say you can keep adding if you like (tiny bit at a time).

Peel and grate 1 regular sized sweet potato and in a bowl add one beaten egg and combine together. Add a bit of salt.

In a frying pan melt 1 tbs of butter (you can also use the same quantity of olive oil). Form the mix into about 3/4 disks and put them in the frying pan. Flatten them down a bit with a spoon or spatula. Heat them through 2-3 mins each side, or until crisp and golden!

They were so tasty, and didn't taste like your usual sweet potato. They were not sweet but also not as savoury as regular white potatoes.

I served these with scrambled egg for myself and fried egg for the other two. But these would have gone great with some good beef sausages and tomatoes,with a splash of balsamic vinegar, yuuum. I will definitely make these again!

My new Space a.k.a The Nook!

2010-10-04T17:38:00.000-07:00

I've hardly been cooking at all the past week. I don't know why but i've hardly been hungry and i've had no inspiration. Instead i've been putting all my thoughts in to what i'd want in an "office" space!
I don't need or want an office, but i've been really wanting a little space with a desk for my own things. Well, after rearranging some things in the house, i finally had a space which is just off the living room and its the tiny hallway which is on the way to Isabella's room.
After about 50hrs (i exaggerate it was about 2+) assembling the flat pack from IKEA, i finally had a desk too!

This, is what i WISH i could have!

Buuuut this is what i have for now!

{and i love it!}

My new chair.

My files and magazine holder are one of my favourite parts...not that i have many things to file, but you know...i ~~wanted~~ needed them!

The spaaaaarkly mouse and funky mouse pad.

It is very sparkly and it lights up light blue and i loooove it!
:)

Book Club

2010-10-04T16:59:00.000-07:00

This months read is Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe!

It was chosen by my friend Rachel. I've never read this or seen the movie before and neither has she, so we're all really looking forward to this-i deffinately am. It's not something i would have picked up myself.

Anyone that wants to join, can. As always, the more the merrier!

LINK!

Home made Hummus!

2010-10-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

There are so many people that love hummus, but for me, it's always been an aquired taste. It's not something i've hated, but it's not something i've been a great fan of.
I have always had shop bought hummus and one day found out that it doesn't take that much to make it, and so it's always been something that i've thought about making but just never gotten round to.

Last night i was really hungry. There was nothing in the house healthy enough that i would consider eating. I saw 2cans of chickpeas and a jar of Tahini. Quick search online and i found the recipe, right for me!
I will never buy shop bought hummus again! This is so simple to make and it tastes SO different from the ones in shops. I was amazed. It was delicious.

INGREDIENTS

4 garlic cloves, minced and then mashed
2 15-oz cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2/3 cup of tahini paste
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Dash of paprika* optional
pinch of ground cumin*optional

METHOD

1 In a food processor, combine the mashed garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, 1/2 cup water, spices and olive oil. Process until smooth. Add salt, starting at a half a teaspoon, to taste.

Add more water if you prefer it thinner.

I reeeeally recommend this recipe. You can also add some roasted red pepper to it also!

Pretty Little Things

2010-10-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, It's my 100th post today!

We're in October now, and it's a bit freaky how quickly this year is passing, it's nearly Christmas!

These aren't your typical autumnal pictures, but this is my autumn, lol.

I had a great salad yesterday. Although the picture is not so great, it would be a shame not to post the recipe.
It's from Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights: Recipes for Every Season, Mood, and Appetite. It was a really tasty dish that i would definitely make again.

Quinoa Salad with Tahini Dressing
500ml/2cups of vegetable or chicken stock/broth(i used a stock cube)
180g/1cup of quinoa
1/2peeled cucumber, chopped
2spring onions, finely chopped
1plum tomato, finely chopped
1red bell pepper, deseeded and chopped

For the dressing
4tbs olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2tbs of soy sauce
2tbs of tahini(sesame seed paste)
1/2clove garlic, peeled and chopped
SERVES 2
Bring the stock to the boil, add the quinoa, cover and simmer for 10-15mins.

Make the dressing-everything in a blender, and you could maybe add a little honey to taste.

When the quinoa's ready, fluff it, put the veggies in, then douse it with dressing. A few chopped mint leaves could be a great on top.
If the dressing is too much, you can keep it in the fridge for up to a week.

This was really tasty and i added a bit of sliced turkey to it.

****

White Chocolate & Strawberry Cake

2010-09-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

Last sunday after church, we all decided to go get brunch at cheesecake factory. When we were finished we went to have a look round the mall. Shortly after, we decided that we were ready to go home. Now, i was wearing stupidly high heels and i convinced my darrrrling to bring the car to a closer store! So on my way to the car, in true girlie fashion, i get distracted by a new store and something PINK.
It was pink SALT with a pink grater! Ok, maybe i sound a bit over zealous. But it was Spice & Tea Exchange store. I'm a bit obsessed with herbs and spices! They had such amazing combinations and cute little accessories. There was also loads of flavoured sugar- raspberry, coconut, lemon, to name a few. I ended up buying a bag of herbal tea and it is so fruity and i really liked it.
Meanwhile, D, is waiting outside and i'd completely lost track of time and funnily enough, id forgotten about my 'high heel foot pains =i can't walk very far can you move the car closer to me please'!

It was a blend of hibiscus flower, grapes, elderberries, black currants, blueberries. It is naturally sweet and apparently makes a great dessert tea. It's also Caffeine Free.

Anyway, after reading a post in the beautiful, inspirational blog of Ada and Darcy, i saw the perfect recipe to go with the tea! (See, the story did have point in the end!)

I used to make this cake when Bella had started on finger food. But i'd never used rice flour before. The original recipe calls for raspberries, but it would go great with blueberries or cherries!
My issue with this was that i used a pan that was too wide, and i whipped the egg whites before hand, so when i tried to flip it, it collapsed! Never the less, it was gorgeous and we all ate it out of the pan.
I did manage to get one prissy, artsy photo of a slice though! yay lol. X

1/3 cup brown rice flour

2/3 cup almond meal

1 cup icing sugar

90g melted butter

3 egg whites

1t vanilla extract

1 slice strawberries

Preheat oven to 160c. Combine flour, almond meal, icing sugar, butter, egg whites and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Fold through berries and place in a greased 18cm cake tin. Bake for 35 - 40 mins. Serve warm

It is such a tasty, puddingy dessert. It would have tasted even better with warm custard, mmm, my fave!

Daring Baker Challenge : Sugar Cookies!

2010-09-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

The September 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mandy of “What the Fruitcake?!” Mandy challenged everyone to make Decorated Sugar Cookies based on recipes from Peggy Porschen and The Joy of Baking.

So i'm a day late in posting (27th is post day). But lot's of stuff has been going on the past few months.

The cookies i made are wheat/gluten free but not specifically blood type Ofriendly because im using tapioca flour, but i had a few bites of one and they were very tasty!

2/3cup butter softened
3/4 cup sugar
1tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1tbs almond milk
1tsp vanilla
1cup brown rice flour
1cup tapioca flour

In a large bowl, beat butter on medium to high speed for 30seconds. Add sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much flour as possible with mixer . stir in remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill about 30mins or until dough is easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375F. On a lightly floured surface, roll half the dough at a time until it is 1/8 to 1/4inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut dough into desired shapes. Place cut outs about an inch apart on an wax paper and place on baking tray.

Bake in oven for around 7-10mins or until edges are very lightly browned. Transfer to wire rack and cool.

To frost i used a royal icing recipe!

It was a September theme, so my choices were as follows!

I chose autumn leaves, because, of course and i'm not going to get them this year, sigh.

I then chose a pumpkin, because we're near halloween and even though that is in october, they sell costumes in shops!

I also chose a cupcake because there are LOADS of birthdays in September, my own included :)

I may consider making these again, only because Isabella iced the rest of them. They were quite difficult to handle, they warmed up and 'melted' on me really quickly! But as i said, Bel loved seeing the process.

xxxx

Book Club

2010-09-28T07:16:00.000-07:00

This is the first book review for the book club, and the book in question was

The School of Essential Ingredients

I will start off by giving a bit of a summary...

When she was a little girl, Lillian discovered the power of food to bring people back to themselves. After Lillian's father left the family, Lillian's mother retreated into a fictional world, her face always hidden behind the pages of a book. Lillian, desperate to reconnect with her mother, goes on to try to discover the perfect dish that will have the ability to bring her mother back to reality.

The book gets its title from the cooking school that Lillian, now an adult, runs on evenings when her popular,
high-end restaurant is closed on the monday nights.

There's Claire, who's been so smothered by the constant physical and emotional demands of being a young wife and mother that she's forgotten what it means to make time and space for her own interests.
There's Carl and Helen, an older couple whose seemingly perfect marriage hides a history of betrayal and forgiveness. There's Tom, whose passion for food was ignited by the love of his life. And there's Isabelle, whose short-term memory is failing her in her old age, but whose memory of a rich, long life rushes back to the present when she starts to eat and enjoy the food Lillian's restaurant prepares.
(I'm sure there were more characters but i can't remember them...something that i will get to in a minute).

Each chapter is told from the point of view of a different student, alternating between reflections of their past and what is happening in the present, how they found their way to the class and how they get to know the other students.
Lillian seems to know just what her students need to learn, and the lessons transform not only their cooking skills but also their lives.

What i liked about it
PROS
I seem to be a foodie (lol) and i found the way she talks about food is really enchanting.
The author seems to have a great knack for writing about food in a rich and highly detailed way, connecting each dish to the characters' histories. At times i was sure i could literally TASTE the food being described! The descriptions of food are greatly detailed and will put you right into Lillian's kitchen, and possibly your own.

What i didn't like
CONS
To start, one of the things that i couldn't quite decide on was that there was a bit of magical realism to the book, which i usually like. But this time i couldnt tell if it was overdone or just enough. I found myself eye rolling and i couldn't decide if that was because i felt loads of pressure with this being the first choice and i couldn't read the book properly!

The tone throughout doesn't change, all the characters seem to think and speak in the same floaty way, which is a little off putting and unrealistic. In my opinion it would have been much stronger if there were less characters, and more time devoted to each. Which also brings me to the point of saying that i had found the characters samey and unmemorable.
For a quarter of the book i thought two of the male characters were the same person!

I also would have liked to have seen more on Lillian, as the book begins with a look at her
early life, then leaves to stop briefly on each of the students, and never really goes back to Lillian.

To summerize i ended up noticing the pretty writing instead of getting lost in the story. I gave it a 3 out of 5...

If you want to let me know what you think-and i would love to know- there is more space on the facebook group page. !

On the author's website there were also a bunch of questions dedicated to book clubs, so i will put those questions up too on the facebook page!

Quick little update

2010-09-26T16:06:00.000-07:00

I want to say that if i follow your blog and i usually leave a comment, im sorry that, recently, i have not.

The past few weeks i've either been unwell, (thankfully i've not had a headache for nearly a week now, so here's hoping good health continues!) or really busy.

I'm usually a bit OCD about reading each post of a fellow blogger i'm following and leaving a comment, so i know that post upon post is going by and i've been unable to keep on top of it or follow and i ~~obsessively~~ feel like im missing out...on what i don't know, but argh!

I know it's not the be all and end all, but it's something that has been really bugging me!

Also, i will probably be posting only here and there, so basically...not a very good blogger! I really hope that i will be able to keep up with everyone :)

{My hot chocolate is dairy free of course, and still manages to taste very satisfyingly creamy!}

Savoury Goats Cheese & Tomato Muffins

2010-09-24T17:49:00.000-07:00

These are an experiment of mine. Not completely of course, because i've seen LOADS of savoury muffin recipes around. But these are wheat/gluten free. Lots of the wheat free recipes call for so many different flours and extra things that i didnt even want to attempt them at first.

Ive been wanting to make them for ages now, and this was my first try but i really like them and more importantly, Isabella likes them!

If you choose to make these kind. I would say to use a bit more milk to make the batter looser, as when the muffins were ready, they were quite dry. But still very tasty! :P

Ingredients
(Note: these are still needing to be worked on)
1cup brown rice flour
1cup buckwheat flour
1/4cup almond flour/meal
1/2tsp salt
2tsp baking powder
2tsp mustard powder
1/2turkey bacon (optional)
1/2cup (1stick)butter
2large eggs
1/2almond milk
1tbs olive oil
2tbs(heaped) of soft goats cheese or handful of grated cheese of your choice
4spring onions, chopped
8cherry tomatoes, diced

{What it looks like when all ingredients are incorporated}

Preheat oven to 375F. Line 12muffin cups with paper liners.

In a medium frying pan fry the bacon over med heat until crisp. Transfer the bacon onto paper towel to drain.

In a bowl combine all the dry ingredients and mix with elec mixer on low speed. Add the butter and continue to mix for 2 mins or until blended.

Add eggs and mix on med speed until batter is light. Add the milk and mix on high speed until smooth, about 30secs.

Fold in the cheese, bacon, tomatoes, onions.

Fill the muffin cups with batter and bake for 25mins, or until they are golden brown and firm to touch.

Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temp.

These went really well with soup or just on their own as a snack or quick breakfast!

{I want to show this really cute dish that i got from Anthropologie. I usually put fruit in it for Bel, but you can use it for other things too!}

Stew and an award!

2010-09-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

I've had such a bad time in the past two weeks with on and off cluster headaches. I'm unsure of what is causing them, but it's unbearable at times...today started off with one, but it seems to have faded out somewhat. I was able to make this REALLY simple chicken stew. I've wanted to make it for a while. I'ts adapted from the Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights: Recipes for Every Season, Mood, and Appetite . As i've said in previous posts, i was a bit dubious when i first came across this book, as i wondered what she'd know about food, lol!
Well, it turned out to not only be a great recipe book, but she has penned a bit of a biography of her life with food.

The actual recipe is called Chicken Stew with Green Olives. Buuuut, i really don't like olives so i left them out. But i didn't want those of you who love/like them to not have the option of adding them!
ANYWAY....
OH, by the way...this recipe calls for fennel. I'd never cooked with fennel or eaten fennel before so i was nervous when i was about to chop it up! I have to say, I LOVE FENNEL! I looooved the smell when i peeled back the outer layer. It smelt like spring and it was very fresh and smelt like aniseed!
In the stew it was even better, the taste was very delicate and it gave a rich taste to the sauce, mmmm.

Serves 4-apparently. But it served 3greedy people
olive oil
onion, peeled roughly chopped *optional
1chicken cut up by butcher, but i used some left over roasted chicken. Or you could use chicken breast or thighs. I think thighs would make a juicier stew...
2cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped
250ml/cup of white wine
400g can chopped tomatoes
250ml/cup of chicken stock
150g/ 1/2 a cup green pitted olives
basil *optional

In a large pan, heat 3tbs of the oil and add the chicken, cooking for 15mins until it has browned (or if your chicken is already cooked,leave this section out).

Remove from the pan and keep to one side.

In the same pan, sweat the garlic onion if using and fennel in a little more oil for a few mins. Pour the wine over, add the tomatoes and cook for another 10mins on low. Put the chicken back in the pan and cook on low for around 30mins, adding the stock little by little. Put the olives if using and basil in at the end for a few mins and serve.

I served it with the homemade bread i had used in the previous post.

{I sliced the bread and drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and then put it under the grill(broiler)}

It was so tasty and plates were licked clean. Fennel is my new favourite vegetable!
*
I also got given The Sunshine Award. Awarded to me by Liesl at http://fabulousfashions4sensiblestyle.blogspot.com/

Thank you very much Liesl, it made my day!!

xoxox

Home made Bread with Butternut Squash Soup

2010-09-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Holly! My friend Holly told me she'd recently made homemade soup with bread and my first thought was...ohhh yeah!! SOUP! I'd forgotten about good ole soup!

This was a really nice supper i made last night and i had made enough so that we had it for lunch today. Now it may not seem like autumn here, but darnit, im making autumn food!

Around October time i used to make a delicious pumpkin soup, which was really savoury and if i wished-a bit spicy!
There were no pumpkins, so i thought squash would have the same affect, and it did! It was smooth and savoury and went perfectly with the herby, garlicky, salty bread topped with cherry tomatoes.

The soup recipe is so simple and is made so fast, i just followed my usual recipe of....
1 onion, peeled cubed
2 garlic cloves, peeled quarted
1 Butternut squash(3lb), peeled, seeded and cubed
3-4cups chicken or veg stock
3tbs butter
salt&pepper

Method

In a large pot melt the butter and then add onions, cook for about 5mins. Add the garlic, cook until you can smell the garlic (about 30seconds). Add the squash and stock so it just covers the squash. Cover pan bring to boil and then uncover and turn heat down to medium cook for 25mins.

When squash is tender either blend in batches or use one of those hand held cuisine art things like i did(lol). Stir the pureed squash and liquid together till all combined and then season with salt and black pepper.

Herby Bread

I adapted a recipe from a new book i got called Food For Friends: Simply Delicious Menus For Easy Entertaining.

It calls for 3cups of flour, but when i had finished it just was sticky so i kept adding a bit more flour until i had a dough that i could knead.

3cups bread flour
1 (1/4oz.) active dry yeast
1/2cup olive oil plus extra for greasing and brushing
around 12 cherry tomatoes
1 1/4 warm water
sea salt
you can use any herb you want. I used a few sprigs of oregano from my herb garden! (ha, always wanted to say that!)
2garlic cloves

Preheat oven 400F

In pestle and mortar grind together the peeled garlic cloves and tbs of oil with herb of choice. Grind until all pulped.

Put the flour and yeast into a food processor. With the motor on low speed, gradually add the oil and water until the mixture forms a soft dough. Remove to a lightly floured surface and knead for five mins. Transfer to the prepared baking try and using your hands spread it evenly to the edges. Brush all over with oil and put the cherry toms and the garlic paste light onto the surface of the dough. Sprinkle with sea salt over the top. Cover witha damp, clean dish cloth or cling film and put in a warm place for 40mins. Bake for 20mins, until golden

It was sooo tasty. Obviously this isn't wheat free but it was a treat for my husband and daughter and i didnt have any....well i had 1 TINY bite, but thats it! For the rest i had a rice cake ...*deadpan face*.

This was definitely a hit and we i will definitely make this again!

I was a bit irritated by the book i followed the recipe for the bread. It missed out ingredients and didn't give very good instructions. I think next time i will stick to Nigella's version!

Sole with Lemon "Cream" & Herby Potatoes

2010-09-10T10:36:00.000-07:00

I've not been feeling well the past few weeks (ongoing migraines and headaches), and it has put me off food. So today i was wanting something very light and not too strongly flavoured. This meal was really easy to make and it was just what i wanted. It is sort of like a 'posh' fish and chips!

For the Roasted Potatoes
i used around 4-5 medium potatoes; peeled and thinly sliced
olive oil
3large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
sprinkle of rosemary and oregano (dried). You can use whatever herbs you like though
a few slivers of butter
salt and pepper

In a large roasting pan, combine oil, salt, pepper, butter, garlic and herbs. Stir in potatoes until well coated. Roast, uncovered at 375degrees for 1hr or until potatoes are tender and crispy around the edges, turning 2 to 3 times, (don't burn yourself like i did lol!). Remove from oven, and serve.

Sole
2tbs unsalted butter
i used about 4sole fillets
salt and pepper
brown rice flour
about 3/4 heavy cream ( i used a combination of almond milk, butter and 1tbs of olive oil)
grated lemon zest
1tbs lemon juice
fresh parsley, optional

Melt the butter in a skillet over med heat. Sprinkle the sole fillets with salt and pepper. Dredge the fillets in flour and shake to remove any excess. Saute' the fillets in butter for 2mins per side or until the fish flakes easily; do not overcook. Remove to a serving dish and keep warm. Add the cream or almond mixture and lemon zest to skillet. Simmer for 2mins or until the cream begins to thicken (if using the almond milk, it wont thicken but it does the same job...tasty!), stirring constantly. Stir in salt and lemon juice and parsley if using. Spoon over fillets.

I really enjoyed this and would definitely make it again. The sole was lightly floured which gave it a delicate taste. The potatoes were also lightly herbed and oiled and because they were sliced it also had a light feel.

****

Project Plant

2010-09-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

Since i was about 9yrs old, i've wanted my own greenhouse so i could grow my own herbs. My fascination with herbs started when i was stung by a stinging nettle and i was told that dock leaves usually grow next to them and they sooth the sting. A M A Z I N G! I thought!
Fast forward some years, i'm in a bookshop and i see a book on how to make your own beauty products using natural ingredients, and HERBS!
This is all something i thought was too difficult. I've not had very good luck with plants. They have always died. I think i bought a basil plant once and that didn't turn out so well either...
I don't know how i got started on this next endeavour, but all of a sudden i've gotten really into wanting to grow my own vegetables and herbs. RANDOM. So after searching on the internet and reading LOADS and buying two books about container gardening, i finally decided on the herbs i want...
Well anyway, i went out to home depot and i bought what i wanted and transplanted them to pots with a potting mix. Thank goodness for JIM in the plant nursery that helped me out!:

Sage & Oregano

Mint & Lemon Balm

I also bought a

TOMATO PLANT!

I bought these about 5 days ago, and i've been checking them everyday. Today i went to check on the tomato plant and i found 2 tiny little bulbs of the start of a tomato! I thought that i might not get anything as autumn is here and from what i read, they're usually all ripened by now...So i suppose ill have to wait and see! But i think its incredibly cool.

I found another 'bud' this afternoon!

I shall keep you posted

OMG, i'm now 26!

2010-09-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

It was my birthday the other day (4th), and i feel a yr older...sigh.
I had a great day....ish. lol. I have a great new husband, but we seemed to differ (GREATLY!) on gift giving...
i need to know-if anyone cares- what your stance is on giving gift cards at birthdays!
You see, i love the gifts i got, two were giftcards, and i know you might think it depends on where the giftcard is for....but no. That's not how i see it! I've always assumed you give a giftcard when you dont really know what to get the person and you don't really know them that well, and also you can't give a damn! So that was the big 'giftcard fiasco' of my birthday! Other than that (lol) it was a really lovely day ....
and ps...i do love my giftcards.......now :P

We went to CK's. Which is a revolving roof top restaurant in Tampa. It's right next to the airport. The idea was that we would get there in time to see sunset, but, because i seem to find myself nearly always rushing and late, we got there just at the end of the sunset.

I had the pinot grigio (i think it might have been an italian one, not sure). We both had the calamari to start and then we picked filet mignon and buttered shrimp!

So, the day before my birthday, i decided to make something i had thought about making before and i made Sweet potato gnocchi.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

2010-09-06T09:09:00.000-07:00

Completely an experiment.
I had the idea months ago but kept putting it off as i knew it would be a messy hassle to make! I've made gnocchi about 3times in my life and each time its turned out well.
This time i made it with sweet potato and gram flour and then dusted it with brown rice flour.
The result was the texture held, but it was a bit harder than a soft dumpling texture and very 'earthy' tasting.
The first few bites i thought...ohhh no, its not nice! But because i was hungry i ate a few more, and the taste goes away and gives way to a nicer taste lol. My guinea pigs thought the same. (Husband and daughter, lol.)

My verdict is that i don't think i will make this again, UNLESS i have a craving for gnocchi. It was nice tasting but wasn't anything spectacular!

Stuffed Sweet Peppers

2010-08-30T18:45:00.000-07:00

I had never bought Cubanelle peppers before, but i saw them in the supermarket and thought they might be fun to cook with. I found a recipe in one of my cookbooks and i thought it seemed simple enough.
I was going to use them as an accompaniment to another dish, but we got hungry in the evening and had them for supper instead.

I'm really impressed though and i would definitely buy them again for this same 'meal'. I changed just about everything from the recipe and made up the rest.

4Cubanelle peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
*1 Courgette (zucchini) , peeled and diced
goats cheese , add enough to your liking.(mozerella can be used)
2garlic cloves, chopped
olive oil
5 anchovies, chopped( i just about pureed these, every time i eat them i get a bone stuck in my throat! Thankfully this time i didn't lol).
1tbs paprika
salt and pepper
*(you can use mushrooms too, or olives. Or whatever you like....i just used what was in the fridge)

Lightly oil baking tray
Preheat oven 350F
Put the pepper halves skin side down onto the oiled baking tray

Put the cheese, courgette, garlic,oil, chopped anchovies and paprika into a bowl and mix well.
Spoon the mixture into the peppers.
Cook near the top of oven for 30mins.
Serve hot or warm

Sorry for the quality of pics but it was late and the only light was the kitchen light.

These would also make a great appetizer...

PEAR Crumble Cake

2010-08-30T15:13:00.000-07:00

As i sit here writing up this blog post, I'm eating a nice slice of this cake with some Chamomile tea. I sound very proper with the whole tea thing, but it's not something i usually drink....BUT, i've heard it can be soothing and settling so I'm giving it a try, :P .

It's getting to the end of summer and the onset of autumn should be coming soon...for some though, not me. I really love autumn! I love the fashions, i love the colours, i love the fresh bite in the air, i love scarves and mittens(!), i really love Bonfire Night(UK thing)...and i love the homely food combinations! I don't think i'm going to get an autumn this year...unless the palm trees turn shades of red and orange and deep purple...(omg that'd be so cool though).

With 'FALL' in mind, i thought to set out to make something ...well...err...fall-ish?! Everyone seems to always use apples-even me. But i bought pears the other day for a change and i thought it'd be cool to use them.
I never usually buy pears, they seem so...boring! I mean apples come in loads of pretty colours, but with pears you either get green/yellow or brown.
Since making this cake, i've changed my mind about pears. I really love their texture annnnnnd (according to google)...

{google image}

"Pears are an excellent source of dietary fibre and a good source of vitiman C. Pears are less allergenic than many other fruits, and pear juice is therefore sometimes used as the first juice introduced to infants.Pears can also be beneficial in lowering high blood pressure, controlling blood cholesterol levels Also, in Greece they were used to combat nausea."

So, there we go...a few things we might not have known before about pears....(lol).

Now to the recipe!

Note* It's important to slice the pears as thinly as possible. If the slices are too thick the cake will sink in the centre. (Mine sunk a tiny bit but i think that is because of the brown rice flour i used...it wouldn't have been because of my perfect slicing.... ;P

2cups (500ml) water

1cup (220g) caster sugar

2 cinnamon sticks (or 1tsp cinnamon powder, that's what i used)

2small pears, sliced thinly

125g butter

2/3cup (150g) caster sugar, extra

2 eggs

1/12 cups(225g) I used brown rice flour with 2 1/2 tsps baking powder OR if you prefer, self raising flour

CRUMBLE TOPPING

1/2cup(75g) brown rice flour OR plain flour

1/3cup (75g) caster sugar

60g butter

1/2 cup (45g) desiccated coconut

Line base and side of 22cm spring form tin with tin foil( i didn't use a spring-form)

Combine the water,sugar and cinnamon in large frying pan; stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Add pears; simmer uncovered, about 5mins or until just tender, drain on kitchen paper.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Beat butter and extra sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one ant a time, beating until just combined between additions. Add flour; beat on low speed until just combined, spread into prepared tin.

Top cake mixture with half the pears, sprinkle with half the Crumble Topping; repeat with remaining pears and Topping. Bake in oven for 1hr(I still had 20mins to spare, so keep an eye on it, just in case).

CRUMBLE TOPPING Blend in or process ingredients until fine and crumbly.

I got over zealous and took it out of the pan before it had cooled and the whole cake started to buckle!

This is also a good opportunity to tell that i made my own napkins the other day and im VERY proud of them, and this is them!! All i did was find fabric i like, wash it, dry it, iron it, cut to the size you want and then hem the raw edges!

{Autumn photo's off my friend Nicci over at http://waxfinch.blogspot.com/}

This cake is sooo nice warm and could be easily served with ice cream or warm custard or some whipped cream.

{OBVIOUSLY i didn't because that wouldn't be dairy free, lol}

OH, btw...it is wheat/gluten free.

***

http://waxfinch.blogspot.com/

The book I'm about to read...

2010-08-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

Ok. So. I loooooove reading books. Mainly fiction because...well, i live in reality. I also love talking about the books i've read with people that have read the same books as me. So i had the idea a few days ago to try and join an online BookClub. I havent found anything suitable and i was wondering if anyone knows of any good ones?
Until then, what i've decided to do is tell you all the book I'm about to read and maybe someone might decide they fancy reading it along with me.
This book was recommended from one of my favourte Authors 'Sarah Addison Allen'. Because i love her books i'm assuming i'll love this book lol .

The book in question issss...The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister. (UK version is The Monday Night Cooking School).

I'm planning that by the end of september, i will have finished reading it and (providing i don't chicken out) i will give a little review on what i thought and if anyone else has read it too, let me know and we can discuss it. I will also have some book clubby questions ready, lol .

I was also thinking if anyone else is interested in bookclub, i have created one on facebook {LINK}and anyone can put a book forward to be read. We can then take it to Facebook and discuss it there!

Let me know, either with a comment under this post or email me at the contact me tab at the top of the page.

*The link should hopefully work now. If not, let me know again. It seems to be working for some people but not others, grr.*

My wheat free Lasagna

2010-08-27T19:47:00.000-07:00

This is a different kind of lasagna i usually make. This time i used a similar method that i used in the baked fish lasagna post. I just adapted a few ingredients. One thing ive noticed is that if you are cooking wheat free, and any dish calls for plain flour where it's meant to 'thicken' a dish, chickpea flour is the way to go. I used to worry so much about food tasting 'normal', but i used it to make my own gravy for the roast last week and it worked great, and in the lasagna this week took the place of the double cream and plain flour and really worked! Now if i just would have used more tomatoes it would have been perfect!

75g butter

1onion,finely chopped

2sticks of celery, thinly sliced

400ml tin chopped tomato

olive oil

75g plain flour( i used chickpea flour/gram flour)

250ml red wine

400ml chicken stock (i used a knor cube :P)

150ml double cream (i used almond milk)

Mince meat

lasagna sheets (i used wheat free)

Parmesan cheese, grated. to sprinkle on top
Method

Preheat oven to 180C

Heat up some oil in a pan and cook the mince meat till the pan starts to crackle and the meat is cooked through. Melt butter in a large non stick saucepan. Add the onion and celery and cook for about 10Min's. Add flour and Stir to a smooth paste before adding the stock and cream or milk. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring occasionally , and cook for 5Min's. To make the tomato, add the chopped tomatoes and red wine to a saucepan and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon some of the white sauce into the bottom of the dish, spreading it into the corners, followed by a layer of lasagna sheets. Then a thin layer of the tomato. Repeat the process till it s at the top with a final generous topping of tomato. Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese over the top and then sit the dish on a baking tray and place in the oven.

Let it bake for around 45Min's..

Ok, so i found this a bit dry, which is strange because it turned out great with the baked fish. Hmmm. I still preferred the baked fish lasagna. But this fed us all and was quite tasty for being wheat free...so it MIGHT be a keeper!
x

Store Cupboard Noodles....

2010-08-24T10:16:00.000-07:00

Basically this recipe (if you can call it that) is fast food Home Style lol.
This is something i make when i'm really hungry and i want some fast food but cant be bothered to make anything too fussy or i dont want to order take away. I found that it tastes like a take away so....there we go! lol.
It's made with most things you'd probably find in your store cupboard or fridge.
There are no exact quantities because its all catered to taste...

Handful of dried rice noodles
about 1tbs butter
1-2 chopped cloves of garlic
sprinkling of curry powder
sprinkling of cumin powder
a few splashes of soysauce
4cherry tomatoes one sliced , 3 halved
*left over turkey, sliced

Bring a pot of water to the boil and add the noodles and leave for around 7-10mins (or follow package instructions). When they're soft give a quick rinse under cold water and turn the stove on a medium high heat. Add butter, garlic and spices, give a few stirs. Add the soy sauce (again, to your liking). Add the sliced cherry tomato and then squeeze the tomato juice from the other halved tomatoes ( if you like you can add the flesh but i left it out). Then, add the turkey or meat/fish of choice!
* I added left over turkey but you can add anything you like...tuna flakes,chicken, beef..etc... The same goes for any vegetables you might want to add...

Jalapeno and Parmesan "crisps"!

2010-08-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

Now theeeeeese are really spicy but reeeeally morish! With every bite i was like..."oooh these are hot", but i still kept eating them anyway lol.

Takes 10mins
15-20g jalapeno peppers from a jar
80g parmesan cheese, finely grated

Method
Preheat oven to 200C
Dry the peppers on kitchen paper, finely chop and mix with the parmesan.
line a couple of baking trays with non stick parchment paper. Palace tsp of the parmesat and pepper mixture on the baking tray, leaving 3-4cm gap between each to allow for spreading.

Cook in the oven for 5-7mins, until the crisps are evenly golden and bubbling. Remove and leave to cool on baking tray. Peel off the parchment paper and store flat in an airtight container until you're ready to serve them!

Peppered Roast Beef with Roasted Onions Red Wine Gravy...Oh and all the trimmings too!

2010-08-22T18:27:00.000-07:00

{Sorry for quality of photo's! I took them really quickly as people were arriving!}

I'm so happy right now! I've just completed my first dinner! One that doesn't consist of just me or a close relative, lol. I made a sunday roast for my brand new mother and father in law and it went really well!
It was also my first time making Roast Beef so i was sooo nervous of how it would turn out. I got the recipe from Jo Pratt's In the mood for Entertaining and it turned out great.
I decided that these americans needed to know what yorkshire puddings tasted like too...so i made them aswell, lol. I didn't use plain flour for it or milk. I wanted it to be wheat free, so i made them before i did anything else just to see if id need to make a second batch with plain flour! But nope! I didn't. I used half chickpea flour and half brown rice flour and almond milk with a bit of olive oil in the batter. They had an amazing taste, and i mean amazing...probably even better than the usual plain flour lot...
So, the Roast Beef...
(Serves 6)
Olive oil
salt
beef (1.2-1.5kg)
1tbs dijon mustard (i used whole grain)
black pepper, around 2tsp
2tbs demerara sugar ( i used soft brown sugar)
4 onions , peeled and either quartered or cut into 1cm thick round slices (i used 2)
2-3sprigs of thyme (i used a sprinkle of dried thyme)

For the Gravy
1tsp brown rice flour and 1tsp chickpea flour. Or 1tbs plain flour
2tbs tomato puree
350ml full bodied red wne
400ml either chicken or beef stock
1tbs demerara sugar (again, i used soft brown sugar)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 200C
Heat oil in a toasting tray on the hob. Pat the meat with kitchen paper and then rub plenty of salt over the beef. Spread themustard over the surface and then press the pepper and sugar over the top so they cling on the mustard.

Brown the beef on all sides in the hot oil. Remove from pan, add onion thyme and then sit the beef on top. Drizzle oil over and place in the oven to roast.

While the beef is cooking, make the yorkshires and the veg to be put in the oven at the same time.

Once beef is cooked, transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil and keep in a warm place to rest while you make the yorkshires. Do the same for the rest of the veg if ready.

To make the gravy, pour,away any excess fat from the beef roasting tray. Place th tray over a high heat on the hob and stir in flour and tomato puree. Add the red wine. Boil for a few mins until the wine has reduced in quantity by about a third . Pour in stock and sugar and simmer gently for about 5mins. Strain through a sieve and season if needed.

The juicy and slightly caramelized onions can also be transferred to a plate and kept hot, ready to serve as a veg accompaniment. (I did and they were SOOOOO good!).

{I used a combination of sweet potatoes and normal potatoes, with onions and a couple of whole garlic cloves.}

Mustard Buttered Vegatables

Green beans

Carrots

1clove garlic

50g butter

1tbs dijon mustard

salt and pepper

Melt butter in large frying pan and gently cook the garlic for about 30 seconds. Increase the heat, add the veg adn toss around or stiry fry for about 5mins until they are becoming tender.

Add a couple of tbs of water and the mustard and continue to cook for a further min or two. Season with salt and pepper and serve!

Last but not least....YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS! yummm

Recipe Link!!
We finished off the meal with Chocolate Lava Cakes and a dollop of mint ice-cream on the side.

OH AND PS! I only ~~date~~ marry nerds!!

No offence David! KISS!

Wheat free Yorkshire Puddings

2010-08-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

These are the yorkshires that i used for the Roast. As i said in the other post, these were reallly amazing, and turned out to be better than i expected. The recipe i followed said it would make 12 but it only made 6! I'm not sure why it made so little...It was a new recipe that i followed and then just swapped the amount plain flour for chickpea flour and brown rice flour. I've found out that through my experiments with chickpea flour, it can be a thick batter so i thought that adding it to the yorkshire puddings would help it along. I think it did the trick. They didn't even taste as though id used any other flour.

Ingredients

3/4cup half chickpea flour and half brown rice flour (or all-purpose flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup almond milk (or your regular milk)
1/2 cup pan drippings from roast prime rib of beef (i used olive oil)
Drop of olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Sift together the flour and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, beat together the eggs and milk until light and foamy. Stir in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Allow to stand for 30 minutes. Pour the drippings or oil into a muffin tin. Put the pan in oven and get the drippings smoking hot. Carefully take the pan out of the oven and pour in the batter. Put the pan back in oven and cook until puffed and dry, 15 to 20 minutes.

Lubbly Jubbly!

Steamed Chicken with Pea & Chickpea Mash & Lemon and Mint Pesto

2010-08-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

After a hectic few weeks, things are starting to settle in to a routine again...thankfully. I was also finally able to flick through my cookbooks again (yay!). They arrived last week. I came across a cool looking recipe in Jo Pratt's In the Mood for Food.

Lately i've been trying to eat even healthier and cutting out sugar-hence the lack of 'sweet' posts on my blog as of late! lol. So the thing that spurred me on to make this, was the fact it doesn't have the same old mash potato. I was curious to see how it would turn out.
Also, i'm soooo not a fan of pesto. I just really can't stand basil....and i don't know why as i used to like it. Don't even mention the addition of pine nuts *shiver*. Anyway, the pesto in this recipe is made with mint, and almonds...
Here's the recipe!
Pesto
50g almond flakes
20g mint leaves
10 parsley
125ml extra virgin olive oil
15g parmesan
sea salt ground black pepper

Mash
250ml chicken stock
250g frozen peas
2x4oog tins of chickpeas, drained
1tsp paprika
a good squeeze of lemon juice
sea salt & black pepper
(i used a crushed garlic clove too, but that's optional)

Method
Put all the ingredients on the pesto list into a blender or small food processor (i used my brand new Euro-Pro Ninja Master Prep Blender and Food Processor!). Blitz to a rough paste and season.

For the mash, bring the stock to the boil in a saucepan add the peas and boil for two mins. Stir in the chickpeas and cook until they are heated through. Remove from heat add the paprika and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Roughly mash with potato masher or briefly whiz in a food processor (i used a fork to mash it, it worked out fine. Keep warm whilst you cook the meat you're having with it. I used steamed chicken which i steamed with a bit of tarragon, garlic and lemon. In the steamer i used a combination of water and white wine. :P I also served it with some grilled tomatoes on the vine.

I reeeeeeeally loved the mash. But i'm sorry to say, i still don't like pesto! Even if it's made without the basil and pine nuts! Oh well... :)

Envelope Pillow covers

2010-08-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

I bought some scrap fabric from Laura Ashley AGES ago and i've been dying to use it in some way. Well, when i was looking in Michaels last week (for cake stuff) i ended up down the sewing stuff isle (technical term for it). I saw that there were pillow forms and i thought that it would be really cool to make my own covers for them because i had the fabric and stuff already! I had bought a mini sewing machine off ebay a while ago and it was really cheap.
It's my first attempt and i've made two pillow covers for two pillows and im really happy with how they turned out! I wanted two different sides. So the first side is the Laura Ashley fabric and the other side is just plain white fabric.
I had the idea for this but then i decided to have a quick look on youtube and the first vid i found was a reeeeeeally simple tutorial and it spurred me on to make them. This is the link !
(The pillow i used was 16x16 and i applied the same rules shown in the vid).

Fabric

First stitch!

Sewn hem

Overlapping the back to create the envelope

I also made another one too but with a different fabric!

xxx

Wedding Cake

2010-08-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

I've not written a blog post in a really long time. At least about food anyway...
I really enjoy cooking/baking and trying new things and the whole reason i started this blog was sort of a project and to actually give me an extra 'umpf' and reason to cook. As time has gone on, i've gained some followers and started following other blogs too! But with the amount of food blogs there are out there in internet land, honestly, i can't keep up with posts, and i'm no cooking expert! So i think the issue is that i may be loosing interest. But im going to keep going and see what happens...

The past week i've been quite busy, i had to make a wedding cake in a really short amount of time...try the day before the wedding!
I've never, ever made a wedding cake before so i was really excited for the challenge. For this, i actually didn't look up anything online. I had the idea exactly how i wanted in my mind, the issue was ....could i do it for real!
The answer is...YES!
I'm so pleased with the result. It turned out exactly how i had imagined it too, right down to the flower and colour of ribbon!

I ended up finishing it at around 10pm and after the first attempt burnt and 2 extra trips to get more butter and eggs, i went to bed exhausted!

Quick pic in the morning

Picture on the big day. The reception was at Columbia Restaurant. The cake was a basic butter sandwich cake with raspberry and vanilla filling...

Oh, and did i mention it was MY wedding!?

I got married!

The CSI Experience

2010-08-06T17:06:00.000-07:00

I've not really been cooking, blogging or reading blogs for AGES! I just checked on here today and saw so many of my fave sites updated and i'm really looking forward to going through them all and catching up with them!

Yesterday we went to MOSI! Never mind my daughter, i was really excited about this, because anyone that knows me KNOWS how much i love CSI (not so much the newer ones, bring back Grissom!) ...Vegas, of course. There was an attraction there called The CSI experience where we were given 3 (fake but realistic) crime scenes and we had to solve them. Well, i was so excited about this and i took it very seriously but my fiance' wasn't taking it so seriously and i stupidly left the clipboard with him, i say stupidly because at one point i get the clipboard back and see that for COD (cause of death) he'd put UFO's for everything! GR.
Bella had a great time of course and at the 'kids' part there was this really cool Velcro wall where kids were putting on Velcro suits and jumping onto it. SO, i had to have a go! It was a bit embarrassing because i was the only 'adult' doing it and i was being watched by tweens! I just kept saying to myself "don't worry, it's not like you're ever going to see these people again!".
We all had a great day but we did think that there would be more stuff to do than there was, but the CSI was the best bit for me....

FAKE crime scenes to investigate!

Some pics of props from the episode "Miniture Killer"

The Velcro Suit and Wall!

On our way home again.

***

Swiss Swirl Ice Cream Cake!

2010-07-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home

I'm not a big ice-cream fan and im not a big swiss roll fan, so when i got this challenge i felt a bit deflated! But because it is my FIRST Daring bakers challenge, i was really excited to get stuck in, so i basically made this the first week!

It was really difficult to pick ice cream flavours and at first i thought it would be easier to just do it with dairy and do the swiss roll with regular wheat flour, but as i started thinking about it, i decided it would be a shame to not at least try and make it true to my eating habits. In the end i was so pleased with how it turned out and i absolutely LOVED the taste of the swiss roll. It was so fresh and didn't leave an after taste-unlike most cakes that contain gluten.

The ice creams i made were non dairy, the flavours i decided on were Roasted Banana and maple ice cream with coconut and Chocolate Lime with coconut! I'd made a post about them here and here. The Strawberry Swiss Roll i made with it was so nice too.

{The strawberry Swiss Roll Recipe can be found here!}

Assembly

1. Cut the Swiss rolls into 20 equal slices ( approximately 2 cms each ).

2. Cover the bottom and sides of the bowl in which you are going to set the dessert with cling film/plastic wrap.

3. Arrange two slices at the bottom of the pan, with their seam sides facing each other. Arrange the Swiss roll slices up the bowl, with the seam sides facing away from the bottom, to cover the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and freeze till the slices are firm (at least 30 minutes).

4. Soften the ice cream. Take the bowl out of the freezer, remove the cling film cover and add the ice cream on top of the cake slices. Spread it out to cover the bottom and sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and freeze till firm ( at least 1 hour)

{I forgot to take the ice cream up the sides of the bowl and so the fudge sauce leaked out}

5.* Add the fudge sauce over the ice cream, cover and freeze till firm . ( at least an hour).

6. Soften the chocolate ice cream and spread it over the fudge sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4-5 hours till completely set .

7. Remove the plastic cover, and place the serving plate on top of the bowl. Turn it upside down and remove the bowl and the plastic lining. If the bowl does not come away easily, wipe the outsides of the bowl with a kitchen towel dampened with hot water. The bowl will come away easily.

8. Keep the cake out of the freezer for at least 10 minutes before slicing, depending on how hot your region is. Slice with a sharp knife, dipped in hot water.

*The Hot fudge sauce- I made this just after adding the layer of banana ice cream to the cake.

Ingredients-

1 C / 230gms/ 8 oz of caster sugar

3 tblsp / 24gms/1.5 oz of natural unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tblsp /15gms/ 1 oz of cornflour/cornstarch

1 and ½ C /355ml /12 fl oz of water

1 tblsp /14gms/ 1 oz butter

1 tsp/5 ml / .15 fl oz vanilla extract

Method-

In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, cornflour and water.

Place the pan over heat, and stir constantly, till it begins to thicken and is smooth (for about 2 minutes).

Remove from heat and mix in the butter and vanilla. Keep aside to cool .

When all was finished i was really pleased with how it turned out, but really upset with how my pictures looked. It was such a sunny day and really early in the morning that i couldn't find the right lighting in any part of the house and as i was trying to position it just so, the cake was melting!
I didn't end up eating any of it, but it got polished off by everyone else, so that was a good result. :)

Swiss Roll with Strawberry cream filling

2010-07-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

I've never made a swiss roll before so when the opportunity arose i thought it'd be quite simple! That was until i read the recipe and looked into it a bit more and then realised it might not be so easy!lol. I decided that i would go ahead and make it anyway and at first decided that because swiss rolls have to be made in such a specific way so that they won't break, that id make it with regular flour....then i changed my mind, i wouldn't be able to eat it if i did that! I also wanted the extra challenge and see if my staple 'brown rice flour' could do the job.
Well, the results were really pleasing to me and as i rolled up the sponge within the tea towl, i held my breath.
I held my breath whilst i unrolled it and then when i spread on the filling and rolled it back up! All went surprisingly well and i was really happy...not sure if that was for the sponge or if it was from lack of oxygen to the brain from holding my breath all the time! lol
Anywaaaay, here is the process and the end result!

Ingredients:
3 eggs, bring to room temperature
65g sugar
80g brown rice flour
20g unsalted butter, melted
2~3 drops vanilla extractMethod:

Sift rice flour, set aside. Line Swiss roll tray with parchment paper, set aside. Pre-heat oven to 180 degC.
With an electric mixer, whisk eggs and sugar on HIGH speed for about 5 to 7 mins, until the batter double in volume and is ribbon-like (the beater should leave a ribbon-like texture when the batter is lifted up). Turn to LOW speed and whisk for another 1 to 2 mins. Whisking at low speed helps to stabilise the air bubbles in the batter.
Add sifted flour into the batter in 3 separate addition. With each addition, use a spatula, gently fold in the flour until well blended. Take care not to deflate the batter.
Add the melted butter and vanilla extract, fold with spatula until well blended.
Pour the batter into the tray. Spread and smooth out the batter evenly. Bake for 10~15 mins*, until the surface turns golden browned or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Remove tray from oven. Remove sponge layer from tray (with parchment paper still in tack), place it carefully on to a clean tea towel. Gently roll the sponge with a tea towel**.
Once cooled. Unwrap and spread with strawberry cream filling (or any filling as desired) and roll up the sponge layer by lifting it up with the towel. Place the rolled cake seam side down. Wrap tightly but gently in cling film and then place in the fridge until needed. (Seam side down).

NOTE:
*Do not over bake the sponge layer, otherwise it will turn dry and may crack upon rolling.
** I watched this vid to help! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzSs1I9gi9s&feature=related

Strawberry Filling
100ml whipping cream
1/2 cup soft cheese (or use just cream if you like)
200gms strawberries (reserve 1-2 for garnishing)
3-4 tbsps Castor sugar 3-4 (adjust according to tartness of berries)

With an immersion blender, puree 4-5 strawberries into the soft cheese. You should get a nice thick mixture.

Beat the cream with Castor sugar till it holds peaks.

Fold the whipped cream into the strawberry soft cheese, gently, so that it holds shape.

Open out the rolled sponge, & spoon it over the cake, leaving a border around.

Gently roll the sponge back into a roll, taking care not to squeeze the filling out.

Check out the Swiss Swirl Ice Cream Cake that was made with this roll! Here

Onion Jam

2010-07-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make this as soon as i saw the recipe, and i was right in my thinking...it was SUPER TASTY!
It's so straight forward to make and completely no hassle at all. We ate ours with chicken but i think this would have tasted amazing wtih burgers or steak, sandwiches or grilled cheese sandwich and perfect for bbq's. It's tart, sweet and biting at the same time, i'd definitely make it a second time. Again, my fiance loved this and he said that he could just eat it out of the bowl-like soup! I actually think he did...i should probably go and check at some point...

Makes about 2 cups
A batch of this will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for several weeks.
2tbs butter
2tbs olive oil
2 large red onions,finely chopped
1tsp dried thyme
2tsps salt
1tbs balsamic vinegar
1/4cup red wine
3tbs honey
1 bay leaf

Method
Melt butter and oil together in heavy saute' pan over med-high heat. Add onions, thyme and salt; cook, stirring often, until onions are soft. De glaze with balsamic and red wine, allow to reduce briefly, stir in honey and add bay leaf.
Reduce heat to low and cook for around 30mins, until tender. Store chilled and serve at room temp.
YUM!

Chickpea Terrine

2010-07-24T14:53:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago i had bought some chickpea (garbanzo bean/gram) flour, i'd then found out it has so many diverse uses . I've been wanting to make something with it again and i found the perfect thing! Chickpea Terrine. Terrine is a French forcemeat loaf that is served and eaten at room temperature. ( I had never heard of it till today...).
The recipe on here today i found off of Rosa's Yummy Yums . After i had made it i was so unsure if i liked this or not! I decided to dish it up with our dinner anyway. By the time we all sat down and started eating, i decided that i really liked it and that i had thoroughly enjoyed my meal!
Rosa describes it best by saying..."This "Chickpea Terrine" is a wonderful vegetarian dish that is highly nourishing, healthy and above all, delicious. The use of "Besan" confers it an original nutty and soily/earthy taste that is very satisfying and which is pleasantly enhanced by the use of spices and the adition of sweet vegetables like the bell pepper and onion. Really scrumptious!" She's right, it's soily and goes so well with the spices.
*I added about 3tsps of curry powder and a tsp of paprika with a tiny amount of cayenne pepper and probably a tiny bit more mustard powder than the recipe suggested.

Ingredients
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 Medium onion, finely chopped
2 Cloves garlic, crushed
5 Tbs Olive oil
2 Tsp Dried thyme
*1/2 Tsp Paprika
*1/2 Tsp Mustard (powder or paste)*1/2 Tsp Curry powder
150g Chickpea flour
500ml Water
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Method:
1. In a frying pan, stir-fry the chopped onion in olive oil, then add the garlic and the chopped bell pepper.
2. Add all the spices and herbs.
3. Cook over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, until the bell pepper is tender.
4. Meanwhile, put the chickpea flour in a pan and add the water. Mix thoroughly until both ingredients are well blended.
6. Cook over low heat (stirring continuously) until the mixture thickens.
7. Salt and pepper to taste.
8. Turn off the heat and add the vegetables and mix well.
9. Pour into a greased cake mould.
10. Bake in the oven at 180° C (350° F) for about 35-45 minutes.
11. Cool on a rack and unmould the terrine.

I found this less like a pate' and more like bread-which makes me think i overcooked it. Which i prefer because i don't really think i like pate'....
The top looked like really dry cracked sand but it didn't make any difference on the taste.
When i was cooking the spices all i could think was " this smells amazing". It really was delicious, my fiance' ate so much that he's now lying down in the other room complaining he over ate!
We ate ours with some roast chicken, tomato risotto and onion jam (which is my next post). It sounds like an unlikely combination of food but it was so tasty! You should try it! Lol.
(It's also blood type O friendly).

Award in absence

2010-07-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

I feel like i ve been absent from blogging for a really long time, when, really ive only missed a few days... I've been really busy and i feel like i've not been making anything 'blog worthy' to post-either that or it's repeats of what i've already cooked. But as i type this i've already started making something that i've never made before so i'm hopeful that it will turn out great! I'll post it either later or tomorrow and then the failed macaron post will not be the first thing that people see when they see my blog!!
I received my second ever award the other day and im so happy about it! It's the Sunshine Award!

YAY!

It was awarded to me by Debbie from Squirrel Bakes! She's got some great looking food over at her blog too. I'm so humbled that she thought of me for this award.
I'm going to pass this award on to Kitty at Chronicles of Dollie Day Dream because she's also, very cheerful (as is her blog) and her blog makes me smile!

*P.S. Does anyone else get really nervous when they can't check their e-mails every hr or so?!

No? Only me? Ok!

First (failed) Macaron Attempt!

2010-07-20T14:21:00.000-07:00

I'm so sick to the back teeth of macarons! I know, i know, i've probably offended a lot of people right now but you dont understand! I have been wanting to make them for a while now and the past week i'd decided that this week would be the week. Well, i ended up having dreams/nightmares about them going wrong, or not being able to pick out the right flavour.
Cut to 48hr aged egg whites later and this is the result...

Wrinkly, uneven Macarons! I don't understand it! I followed the recipe EXACT. Some of my poor Macs didnt even muster up feet (yay, i finally know what that means). In any case, it didn't turn out how i expected. They still tasted great though. Soft,crunchy AND chewy. I think at some point i might give them another try, but for now...i'm leaving the ~~bloody~~ macarons alone!

{So sad!}

Look! A few even had the famous 'feet'. The tops were just crinkly though, so i didn't even bother to fill them, we just scoffed the lot as they were.

Chickpeas and Spinach with Honeyed Sweet Potato

2010-07-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

Now, im not a big fan of the sweet potato cooked with sweet things. But this recipe didnt sound too bad so i had a go at it. My verdict as i was cooking was that it wasnt quite right. So whilst it was cooking, i added a bit more salt, 1/2 cup of water and a big knob of garlic herb butter. My verdict on the finished result was that it was actually quite tasty. It was a different taste of what im used to, but that makes sense because it was a recipe from a cookbook i received yesterday (from amazon:P). The book in question is Ottolenghi cookbook. The two cooks have come from Isreal/ Palestine, with some Italian mixed in there just for fun.

serves 6-8
200g dried chickpeas
1tsp bicarb soda
olive oil
onion
1tsp cumin seeds
1tsp coriander seeds
1tbs tomato paste
400g italian chopped tomatoes
1tsp caster sugar
1 1/2 ground cumin
100g baby spinach leaves (i didnt use spinach, i didnt have any)
coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)
Honeyed Sweet Potato
500G sweet potato; peeled and cut in slices 2,5 inch thick
700ml water
50g unsalted butter
4tbsp honey
1/2salt

Method

Leave the chickpeas in a large bowl with enough cold water to cover them by twice their height. Add the bicarb of soda and leave to soak at room temp.
The next day, drain and rinse the chickpeas and then place them in a large saucepan and cover with plenty of fresh water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1-1/2hrs (they may take longer). They should be completely tender but retain their shape.
Put the potatoes in a wide saucepan with the water, butter,honey and salt. Bring tho the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 35-40mins. Remove from heat and keep warm.
While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the sauce for the chickpeas. Heat oil in large frying pan and add the onion, cumin seeds and coriander seeds. Fry for 8mins, while stirring, until golden brown. Add the tomato paste/ puree', cook for a min while you stir and then add the tomatoes,sugar and ground cumin. Continue cooking for about five mins over a med heat. Taste and season with pepper.
Stir in the spinach and the cooked chickpeas. Mix together and cook for another 5mins. Taste again and adjust seasoning.
To serve, spoon the warm chickpeas into a serving dish arrange the sweet potato slices on top and garnish with the coriander/cilantro leaves.

{I'm ignoring the fact that SOMEONE told me this looks like something out of a horror film}

Sorry for the poor picture quality but it was all hot off the stove and i was in a rush to go out and i just clicked away!

My first ever blog award!

2010-07-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

As i sit here wondering what to write about this, nothing is coming to mind so im hoping as i type it will just flow into something eloquent! But because it probably wont, i will just type the first things that come to mind. THIS IS SO COOL! When i first started my blog, i started discovering other blogs and i began to notice that people would receive awards and i would never know how to give them and always hoped one day -if i'm lucky enough- i'd receive one too. :)
The award i was given was The blog with substance award. It was awarded to me by Julie from Mommie Cooks. It humbles me that someone would actually think of me to award this to. So thank you. :)

Now i'm not entirely sure what i'm supposed to do now, if anything. But, i've seen on someone elses blog that they said we're supposed to pass the award on to 10 other people and then write 10 random facts about myself and then 10 things that make me feel happy....and if thats not what i was supposed to do....then....you got it anyway! lol.

{In no particular order}

Maria at The Goddess Kitchen. This was the first blog i came across after creating my own. I just loved the homely vibe and the tasty looking food. Also i loved the fact that she had written down she had a *slight* amazon addiction ( i had a seperate amazon window open at the time, reading reviews!).
Nicci at Lovely Ramblings. I've been online friends with nicci now for AGES and i love the way shes always fun and bubbly, shes also brutally honest and is always open about her life and weaknesses without sounding self deprecating, which i dont think many people can do and still be liked!
Catherine at Neo Homesteading. This is one of my faveourite blogs and I've loved, loved the pictures and recipes in this blog ever since i came across it looking for lemon curd recipes!
Kitty at The Chronicles of Dollie Daydream. I only found this blog a few days ago but i really love her blog and pictures and its both chic and cute at the same time!
Chef Dennis at More than a mount full. I like reading Chef Dennis' posts, they're always interesting and i notice he always manages to not over look any blogger he knows and he always leaves the nicest little comments.
Heather at Lavander blue. Again, i always find her posts interesting and her food tasty looking!
Jacobs Kitchen. He always creates food i just want to eat off the screen
Gluten Free Goddess. Speaks for itself why i read her blog!
Queen B at Cozy Kitchen by the Sea. It's such a good read
Julie at Mommie Cooks. Everyone loves her blog, and i came to read it because i didn;t know what types of food to buy in US supermarkets and she cleverly pictured them all!

I've decided i'm going to combine the random facts in with the 10 things that make me happy.

1. It makes me happy that someone is willing to marry me (second time for me!), i feel very grateful that ive been given a second chance of having the "perfect" family...only this time better!

2. After suffering with postnatal depression after my daughter was born, i never thought i d ever say that i was happy to have a child. But i am, and shes amazing and shes my little sidekick!

3. My sister makes me so happy! She makes me laugh all the time! Actually, my mum, step dad and grandad make me laugh all the time. Probably even when they're not supposed to! My grandad will be 90 this year btw, 90! Come on grandad, you need to make it past 100!lol.

{reallllllly old embarrassing picture! i cant find a recent, decent family pic}

4. Lying down under under a cherry blossom tree and when a warm burst of air flows through the branches and the petals fall, makes me feel special. Preferably that would be me lying down on grass and not on the side of the road or street...that would be weird....

5. Having been given the gift of eternal life! Really cliche' and cringeworthy sounding! But it's true. I became Christian 2yrs ago and baptised last year. I feel very special to be Gods child. (No matter how much im cringing typing it, i truely do believe it!).

6. Autumn/fall makes me feel inexplicably happy! When the seasons change and you can feel it, all of a sudden i feel like anything can happen and it feels exciting.

7. After i've been on a shopping spree, or received loads of gifts (not happened since i was about 10, pah!), i love to pile up the goods on my bed and just look at them. Yes that's weird AND materialistic. *cue madonnas 'material girl' song*.

8. Obsessively reading reviews on books/ beauty products i want to buy. I love my books and i love my beauty products!

9. Seeing Isabella (my daughter) trying with all her might to swim towards me with her little armbands on. She has the cutest smile on her face and shes trying so hard to get to me, it makes me smile and light up inside!

10. Swimming makes me happy. Being able to exercise and actually love it, is a special thing in itself lol. But the fact that the past few weeks i can just walk out the door and go to a swimming pool in amazing weather, well, im very grateful. :)....... CHOCOLATE, wait, chocolate makes me happy too....oh and reading novels that are food based....and....

OK, this post has taken ages to write and more things make me happy than i thought! So i'm finishing it here.

{The post seemed so weird with no pics so i added random ones!}

{image off google}

{google image}

xxx