July Cooking Challenge Week 6

Week 6 (the final challenge):
Challenge: Desserts - Tiramisu (It was a touch task to choose just 1!)
Level: Easy
Food Photography: Difficult - Who knew fluffy cream would be so difficult?
Result: 9/10 Delicious

Tiramisu is one of my favourite desserts and I have never even attempted to make it, thinking it would be too difficult.

I used Amarula as my alcohol of choice. YUM!!

I have used Amarula in a recent Malva Pudding and at the moment, Amarula is my favourite cooking ingredient as it never disappoints me.

Handy Hint: Buy the Boudoir finger biscuits - the fancy looking italian biscuits are just not the same.

Wine Glass to serve

After taking my photos I popped half a biscuit in when I served the dessert and forgot to take another photo - but it looked quite cute

Fluffy Amarula/Coffee taste

Remember to visit Simply Delicious for many more tasty recipes.

This has been such a fun challenge.

It challenged me way out of my comfort zone. 

Claudz, thank you for making me take part, I discovered that I am not as bad a cook as I thought and I also learnt to appreciate the satisfaction of sitting down to a delicious home-made meal which I cooked myself.

These recipes have been cooked more than once since this challenge:

After my dad's operation, I made him Baked Fish to make him feel better.

I made Tiramisu for my friend and her husband - I thought they needed a treat since having a baby.

This challenge will have long term results in my future enetertaining and I do thank you, from the bottom of my heart now flabby tummy.

July Cooking Challenge Week 5 (belated)

Apologies for the belated post!

Week 5:
Challenge: Vegetarian (I love my meat, so I chose an alternate version of the Mac 'n Cheese ) -Beer & Bacon Mac & Cheese
Level: Medium purely because the prep requires a bit of time
Food Photography: Easy - it's impossible to mess up a photo of melted cheese!
Result: 8/10 The Beer taste is a winner - but I found upon re-heating, the taste had diminished a bit and wasn't as tasty as the night it was cooked

A word of advice though - ensure you have all your ingredients for the sauce measured out and sitting next to you by the stove.

As soon as you pour that beer into the flour and butter mixture, the sauce thickens very quickly and you need to quickly add your cream and milk.

The breadcrumbs topping was a tasty addition and so delicious when all cooked.

I halfed the recipe and still have a truck-load of food!

I am going to EAT YOU UP!!

Comfort Food Deluxe

Remember to visit Simply Delicious for many more tasty recipes and to join the challenge, click the button on my homepage or visit Claudz on Purple Lips and Perfect Smiles

Like Father like Son...

... Like mother like daughter.

When I was a little girl, my mom and I used to fight All. The. Time

My mom is cheeky, speaks her mind and is not afraid of what other people think and is more than happy to defend herself or others in a fight.

I was cheeky and spoke my mind. I received so many hidings for talking back or doing something I was explicitly told not to do.

As I got older, we fought over everything and I think it was because we were so alike in so many ways it was purely a personality clash.

i asked my mom how on earth she put up with it. She told me that a mother needs to give her child room to grow and develop a personality.you have to accept them and guide them. Very wise words mom. 

I see so many of my personality traits which stem from my mom. I am sure we all do. 

Does that mean we have to accept the bad ones? 

I see character traits in people around me that are directly a result of their upbringing. It's scary because these people complain about their parent being bossy, or arrogant or unreasonable and yet they are exactly the same way.

Is it inevitable that we will all become our parents? Do we have a chance to salvage the good and discard the bad?

Perhaps if everybody just took a good long look at themselves and we're brutally honest about their shortcomings, the world would indeed be a more considerate place.

Some lessons I have learnt along the way:

It's not important to always be right.

You shouldn't force your opinion onto others- wait to be asked.

Drop that condescending tone. It's annoying and one day I will stop ignoring it and actually say something in anger - which I will never be able to retract.

July Cooking Challenge Week 4

Week 4:
Challenge: Baked Goods - Chocolate Truffle Tart
Level: Medium
Food Photography: Difficult due to the dark glossy appearance causing reflections
Result: 10/10 Delicious - could be worth all the effort!

This is probably one of the most difficult cooking challenges to date. I faced all sorts of obstacles due to not having the correct kitchen utensils and what-not.

After this challenge was completed, I went straight out to buy myself a little electric mixer or risk the development of huge arms from all the manual labour!

Crust: Crush Oreo cookies using food processor

Novice cooking tip # 1: Crush using a drinking glass inside a bowl -  Do you have any idea how hard Oreo cookies are?? 

45 minutes later (?!?) and my crushed Oreos resembled wet sand:

Wet Sand / Oreos

Filling: Chopped dark chocolate to dissolve in cream for 5 minutes

Novice cooking tip # 2: Woolies don't sell chopped dark chocolate and you don't own a sharp kitchen knife -  nuke in microwave - softened? Good enough!

Pour the filling into crust shell through a sieve. - this step is required, because after leaving the chocolate to melt in the heated cream, a skin begins to develop on top and if not poured through the sieve is just yucky for the person getting a small piece of "plastic"

Novice cooking tip # 3: Don't own a sieve? Use your coffee plunger! Does the same thing and you can even drink taste the filling

Chocolatey Yumminess

This tart challenged me and I almost gave up. But... when it was done.... WOW (look how fancy!)

Handy Tip: Serve with a nice red wine... the flavour pairing is incredible!

Remember to visit Simply Delicious for many more tasty recipes and to join the challenge, click the button on my homepage or visit Claudz on Purple Lips and Perfect Smiles

July Cooking Challenge Week 3

Week 3:
Challenge: Pasta - Fried Gnocchi

Level: Ridiculously Easy
Food Photography: Easy (because I didn't try)
Result: 10/10 Delicious - What a nice surprise!

Main:

I don't fry food as I prefer to bake it - not because it is the healthier alternative (that's the bonus) but because I hate splashy oil and I prefer to bake food in the oven and get on with other thins in the meantime.

I have only ever eaten gnocchi once in my life, so I thought this was a fun challenge to try.

I served the gnocchi with chicken schnitzel and mushroom sauce along with minted peas. 

I was so excited about eating these delicious little balls of golden heaven that I forgot to take more than one quick snap. (The trick is to fry them until they are really crispy)

I think this was the easiest cooking challenge so far (but looking at the next challenge... I shouldn't become too complacent!)

Don't forget to visit Simply Delicious for many more tasty recipes and to join the challenge, click the button on my homepage or visit Claudz on Purple Lips and Perfect Smiles