Have you ever experienced how good it feels to turn a song up in the car and sing it as loud ( and in my case out of tune) as possible?
On my way back from the airport, I found myself alone, no precious ears of Princess A to worry about, and the radio just wasn't quite fulfilling the souls need for a boost.
Shift to IPhone - song pick - "Hold On" by Michael Buble. I played it loud and proud and let it lift my soul. It reminded me that it has been a long time since I let loud music and singing soothe my soul.
There is an immense release- I found myself grinning ear to ear as I walked in at home to see Princess A and A.
If you haven't sung your heart out recently, I suggest that this week is the week. Whether at home, in the shower, in the car or where ever you can belt out a tune - enjoy the life it breathes into the areas we haven't let the sunlight reach for some time
x
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Time for Tea
I have just finished posting as many of the recipes from the last few dinners and started to notice that my blog seems to be becoming a list of recipes. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I somehow promised more.
The Macaroon post from last week was inspired by The colour of tea by Hannah Tunnicliffe was a beautifully written book that really spoke to me, I am still trying to work out why it spoke such volumes, I will keep you posted.
On another note, trying to sift through the maze in which I find myself, being a working mum, means that at the moment I am suffering from "mummy guilt", which H often reminds me is totally optional, however I feel sometimes that I just don't get enough hours in the day to work, live, love and play.
Work is totally all consuming at the moment, but I find this blog and creating food for my loved ones as a great release from those pressures.
I have been asked to make 2 orders for friends - so you could say my first cake orders. A Webber BBQ cake (I promise to post its progress) and 40 cupcakes for a 5 year old birthday.
Its Saturday afternoon, a beautiful sunny day, definately time to close the laptop and make some "time for tea".
Nx
PS. I am looking for some beautiful bone china tea cups (preferably pink with a delicate gold rim) if anyone knows where to find some of these, please leave a message or send an email.
The Macaroon post from last week was inspired by The colour of tea by Hannah Tunnicliffe was a beautifully written book that really spoke to me, I am still trying to work out why it spoke such volumes, I will keep you posted.
On another note, trying to sift through the maze in which I find myself, being a working mum, means that at the moment I am suffering from "mummy guilt", which H often reminds me is totally optional, however I feel sometimes that I just don't get enough hours in the day to work, live, love and play.
Work is totally all consuming at the moment, but I find this blog and creating food for my loved ones as a great release from those pressures.
I have been asked to make 2 orders for friends - so you could say my first cake orders. A Webber BBQ cake (I promise to post its progress) and 40 cupcakes for a 5 year old birthday.
Its Saturday afternoon, a beautiful sunny day, definately time to close the laptop and make some "time for tea".
Nx
PS. I am looking for some beautiful bone china tea cups (preferably pink with a delicate gold rim) if anyone knows where to find some of these, please leave a message or send an email.
Strawberry Ice-Cream
I have used the Thermomix for a delicious sorbet before, but as I finally got my Ice cream machine, it was time to take a culinary ice-cream test drive. It tasted just like the strawberry ice-cream I remember as a child, somehow more real than the ice-cream we buy in the stores.
Ingredients
Punnet of strawberries, washed and cleaned
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of milk (full cream)
2 cups of cream
1 teaspoon vanilla essence ( I use a good quality one which is made of real vanilla)
Directions
Put the strawberries and lemon juice, 1/3 sugar in the thermomix, and blitz so that it is pureed. leave for the juices to kind of come out and flavours enhance.
Mix together milk, and the remainder of the sugar whisk till the granules dissolve, then add the cream, whisk. Add the strawberry mixture, whisk till combined, add to ice-cream machine turn on and in 60 minutes the most delicious strawberry ice-cream is born.
Notes
I am not 100% sure how this recipe would work without an ice-cream machine but without the thermy, you could also just chop the strawberries very finely, or puree them with a hand mixer, bullet or other type of food processor. It would also be possible to mush them in a mortar and pestle to get the flavours out.
Ingredients
Punnet of strawberries, washed and cleaned
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of milk (full cream)
2 cups of cream
1 teaspoon vanilla essence ( I use a good quality one which is made of real vanilla)
Directions
Put the strawberries and lemon juice, 1/3 sugar in the thermomix, and blitz so that it is pureed. leave for the juices to kind of come out and flavours enhance.
Mix together milk, and the remainder of the sugar whisk till the granules dissolve, then add the cream, whisk. Add the strawberry mixture, whisk till combined, add to ice-cream machine turn on and in 60 minutes the most delicious strawberry ice-cream is born.
Notes
I am not 100% sure how this recipe would work without an ice-cream machine but without the thermy, you could also just chop the strawberries very finely, or puree them with a hand mixer, bullet or other type of food processor. It would also be possible to mush them in a mortar and pestle to get the flavours out.
Macaron Madness
There is something strangely magical about Macarons. I was totally inspired by a beautiful book The colour of tea . The Author of this book also has a blog, and last weeks blog post was about beautiful Macrons. I still haven’t worked out if they are meant to be called Macarons or Macaroons – it’s one of those things where both can be right. Looking at the picture in Hannah’s post, mine were definitely not nearly as beautiful or perfect - but a good start.
Recipe
Ingredients Macarons
300 grams ground almonds or almond meal
300 grams of icing sugar
5 egg whites
cream of tartar
red, yellow brown food colouring
Ingredients Filling
250 grams unsalted softened butter
150grams of icing sugar
Orange macarons - orange zest, Small amount of juice
Pink strawberry macrons - fresh strawberries pureed
Coffee macarons - shot of espresso / or if you don't have access to a coffee machine, instant coffee and water to dissolve.
Piping in Filling
Directions for macarons
Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until they are foamy. Add a pinch (or tip of knife) of cream of tartar and whisk till soft peaks form. Add the icing sugar in batches, continue to whisk. stir the meringue into the Almonds. split into 3 sections and tint one with brown food colouring, one with orange and one with red. Depending on the fillings you can also make them green, or yellow or whatever.
Spoon each of the mixtures into piping bags with about a 5mm nozzle. pipe into 1.5cm rounds (I think mine were a little smaller), onto baking paper lined trays. Repeat with all the colours.
Preheat the oven at about 150 degrees and bake them till they are firm to touch (mine took about 15-20 minutes).
Remove from oven and cool.
Directions for fillings
Using the thermomix beat the butter until its pale and fluffy. If you don't have a thermomix just beat them with an electric mixer. once pale and fluffy beat in the icing sugar until combined.
Transfer the mixture into 3 bowls and add the flavourings.
Strawberry - thermomix 5 strawberries till pureed and beat into the mixture
Orange - add the zest and juice (i found that beating this in with the electric mixer meant that it did not separate, it can also be done in the thermomix, but as i had the strawberry going in the thermy, i used the electric mixer)
coffee - add some of the espresso or dissolved instant coffee, whisk in to combine.
Place the mixtures into piping bags and pipe onto the appropriate coloured macaron and sandwich together.
Recipe
Ingredients Macarons
300 grams ground almonds or almond meal
300 grams of icing sugar
5 egg whites
cream of tartar
red, yellow brown food colouring
Ingredients Filling
250 grams unsalted softened butter
150grams of icing sugar
Orange macarons - orange zest, Small amount of juice
Pink strawberry macrons - fresh strawberries pureed
Coffee macarons - shot of espresso / or if you don't have access to a coffee machine, instant coffee and water to dissolve.
Piping in Filling
Directions for macarons
Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until they are foamy. Add a pinch (or tip of knife) of cream of tartar and whisk till soft peaks form. Add the icing sugar in batches, continue to whisk. stir the meringue into the Almonds. split into 3 sections and tint one with brown food colouring, one with orange and one with red. Depending on the fillings you can also make them green, or yellow or whatever.
Spoon each of the mixtures into piping bags with about a 5mm nozzle. pipe into 1.5cm rounds (I think mine were a little smaller), onto baking paper lined trays. Repeat with all the colours.
Preheat the oven at about 150 degrees and bake them till they are firm to touch (mine took about 15-20 minutes).
Remove from oven and cool.
Directions for fillings
Using the thermomix beat the butter until its pale and fluffy. If you don't have a thermomix just beat them with an electric mixer. once pale and fluffy beat in the icing sugar until combined.
Transfer the mixture into 3 bowls and add the flavourings.
Strawberry - thermomix 5 strawberries till pureed and beat into the mixture
Orange - add the zest and juice (i found that beating this in with the electric mixer meant that it did not separate, it can also be done in the thermomix, but as i had the strawberry going in the thermy, i used the electric mixer)
coffee - add some of the espresso or dissolved instant coffee, whisk in to combine.
Place the mixtures into piping bags and pipe onto the appropriate coloured macaron and sandwich together.
Date and Pine Nut Cous Cous
Wow this was a work in progress... even though I have made Cous Cous before, for some reason the first attempt ended up looking more like sandy cement which A would use to brick up a house, than something which would complement our Moroccan chicken.
Ingredients
2 cups of Cous cous
2 cups of stock
1 cup dates
1/2 cup pine nuts (roasted in a pan)
Coriander to serve
Oil
Butter
Method
Place 2 cups of stock and a good dollop of olive oil into a saucepan, bring to boil. Once boiled get the 2 cups of cous cous, add whilst stirring. Put the lid on and let it sit for about 5 -10 minutes
Take a fork and separate the grains, add butter and stir
then chop the dates, combine with the roasted pine-nuts add to the cooked cous cous, stir through roughly chopped coriander and serve warm.
Note - if you are not sure about the cous cous, as there are different types, brands etc., read the packet instructions and just adapt with stock rather than salted water.
Ingredients
2 cups of Cous cous
2 cups of stock
1 cup dates
1/2 cup pine nuts (roasted in a pan)
Coriander to serve
Oil
Butter
Method
Place 2 cups of stock and a good dollop of olive oil into a saucepan, bring to boil. Once boiled get the 2 cups of cous cous, add whilst stirring. Put the lid on and let it sit for about 5 -10 minutes
Take a fork and separate the grains, add butter and stir
then chop the dates, combine with the roasted pine-nuts add to the cooked cous cous, stir through roughly chopped coriander and serve warm.
Note - if you are not sure about the cous cous, as there are different types, brands etc., read the packet instructions and just adapt with stock rather than salted water.
Thermomix Guacamole
The Thermomix books and posts on the forum contain plenty of recipes for all sorts of dips, but when it came to the crunch, 1/2 hour before the imminent arrival of the family for the Sunday Smorgasbord, I just whipped something up and it was actually delicious.
Ingredients
6 small ripe avocados
1 250ml tub of Sour cream
Salt
Pepper
Lemon juice (about a small lemon)
Method
Place all ingredients in the terrific Thermy, blitz at 7 or 8 for about 30 seconds (if that) scoop out and serve.
I served it with bread sticks
Enjoy!!
Ingredients
6 small ripe avocados
1 250ml tub of Sour cream
Salt
Pepper
Lemon juice (about a small lemon)
Method
Place all ingredients in the terrific Thermy, blitz at 7 or 8 for about 30 seconds (if that) scoop out and serve.
I served it with bread sticks
Enjoy!!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Sunday smorgasbord aftermath
this is quite an old post I realise I never published
Sitting with A, watching another episode of masterchef, we debriefed on today's Sunday lunch
Guests - 8 adults, 3 children
Menu
Nibbles / starters
Thermomix guacamole
Cheese platter with quince paste flowers, dried nuts and seeds
Main
Rotisserie morrocan chicken
Date and pine nut cous cous
Garden salad
Green beans
Roast parsnip, beetroot, onion, turnip and carrot
Dessert
Fondant covered carrot cake With cinnamon butter cream
Homemade strawberry ice cream
Homemade vanilla ice cream
Fresh cherries
Fresh strawberries
Looking at the menu and menu from earlier this week I gave a lot of recipes to post xx
Guests - 8 adults, 3 children
Menu
Nibbles / starters
Thermomix guacamole
 |
| Cheese platter & Thermomix Guacamole |
Cheese platter with quince paste flowers, dried nuts and seeds
Main
 |
| Moroccan Chicken |
Rotisserie morrocan chicken
Date and pine nut cous cous
Garden salad
Green beans
Roast parsnip, beetroot, onion, turnip and carrot
Dessert
 |
| Ski Birthday Cake |
Fondant covered carrot cake With cinnamon butter cream
Homemade strawberry ice cream
Homemade vanilla ice cream
Fresh cherries
Fresh strawberries
Looking at the menu and menu from earlier this week I gave a lot of recipes to post xx
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