A Pasta Dish Straight From the Pantry

I always keep a packet or 2 of pasta in my pantry, be it a fettuccine, a spaghetti or even penne.
Pasta is satisfying, kid friendly and can be really simple to cook. I think every1 who cooks pasta often, has a favourite go-to-pasta recipe that would usually be really versatile.

I have never understood the crowds at Pasta Mania. I tried it once, it was average.
Tried it the second time and let's just say..there won't be a 3rd time.

You will get an endless variations of Pasta, once you master the basics and yes, better and more wholesome pasta, compared to those sold outside. :)

This recipe is called "Pantry Pasta" because you can really throw in any ingredients that you are likely to have on hand. Instead of chicken, you can use beef, prawns, squids or even go all veg! It taste really good yet it is deceptively simple to prepare.

If you need to fix a meal quick, why not give this recipe a try? Calling for pizza would take you 40 minutes, this would only take you 30 minutes and that too at a fraction of the price that you would be paying for pizzas! Leftovers can be kept in the fridge and would be perfect for brunch the next day. #iloveleftovers #myniecelovesthemtoo  :D

Ingredients for Pantry Pasta:

250g chicken breasts, cut into strips and marinade with a pinch of salt, pepper and 1tbsp of lemon juice)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
300g fettuccine/spaghetti - cook as per instructions on packaging
2+1 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic - minced
10 fresh button mushrooms - sliced
1 can of diced tomatoes. ( I used Hunt's Italian-style)
Some vegetables if you prefer. ( I ransacked my fridge and found green peas, green peppers and olives)

Directions
In a large pan, fry chicken slices in 1 tbsp of oil till light brown. Set the chicken aside.
In the same frying pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil and saute onion and garlic.
keep stirring, 3 to 4 minutes, until tender.
Add mushrooms, canned tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and bring to a light boil
Season with salt and black pepper.
Reduce the heat and add chicken, and the vegetables, if using.
Finally add the pasta, toss for a minute to coat with sauce.
Sprinkle some Parmesan and serve hot.

Wordless Wednesday not.

Last weekend I baked cupcakes for a fund raising event at Temasek Polytechnic.  Was told that the cupcakes were all sold out in 2.5hrs. Pretty good feeling, I have to say. 


There are the cupcakes...

More Orders...

:)

Foul medames (Kacang Pool)

Foul (Ful) originates from middle east. Infact, it is the national Egyptian dish. Foul is also popular in both Singapore and Malaysia. It is made from broad beans and served with a s sunny side up egg and topped with sliced green chilies and onions. There is always a lime sitting strategically in a corner.

In Singapore and Malaysia, it is more commonly known as Kacang Pool though. :) Whatever the name is, it is ooooishi! The creaminess of the foul, spiciness of the chillies and the slightly sour lime...totally in sync. This is
commonly served for breakfast in Singapore but hei, I can have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. :D

Ingredients:
2 x 400g foul medames - Blend coarsely with some water
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2tsp fennel powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp salted butter (optional)

Blended Ingredients:
2 large onions
6 cloves garlic

Garnishing:
2 onions - cubed
2 green chillies- sliced
4 small limes
4 sunny side up

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and saute blended ingredients until fragrant.
Add in spices.Cook for a few minutes.
Pour in blended beans and cook for 5 minutes.
Add about 3/4 cup of water and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.
Season with salt and mix in the butter, if using.

To serve:
Place a full ladle of the Foul in a deep plate. Place an egg on top.
Garnish with onion cubes, sliced chillies and lime halves.
Serve with toasted baguette!


Note:
Foul keeps really well so you can keep a batch in the fridge and just reheat it before consuming.

Why waste tomatoes on La Tomatina, when you can make these?

Sometimes, you don't need to do much to certain ingredients as they just blend in harmoniously with other ingredients. In this case, I am referring to the combined flavours of tomatoes, olive oil and garlic; just like how you get gorgeous bruschetta with the 3 mentioned ingredients.

Recently I joined the Pinterest community and I have started pinning and pinning everything that caught my eye. When I saw this picture....

I just knew I had to give these marinated cherry tomatoes a try. I imagined it on a slice of toasted crusty bread. Hmmm......

The ONLY cons of this recipe is that, you have to peel the skin of the cherry tomatoes!
At times, I am just too lazy to do certain things. I CAN do it, but if I have my mommie with me, I would choose NOT to do it. :p My mom is god sent, not just for the awesome mother she is...but she enjoy "working" on vegetables. Whenever I cook, most of the time she would always get the vegetables peeled/clean/cut for me. I rarely have to cut onions and that explains as to why till today, I can never slice my onions, paper thin like hers.

Anyways, when I told her that I wanted to make these, she volunteered to peel the tomatoes for me. That is like 80% of the work done! :D

These tomatoes would take you less than 10 minutes if you have an awesome mom like mine. It not, I figure you would take you an extra 15-20 minutes. It is really worth the hassle because these tomatoes were so YUM! We literally ate it off the jar! If you think,  I am bias coz I love tomatoes, and bcause I didn't have to peel the tomatoes myself then I should tell you that my mom loved it too and she thinks we should buy a lot of tomatoes and make a couple of jars more. :)

Ingredients:
250g cherry tomatoes
50ml olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 bay leaf - torn
1 green chili - sliced
2 garlic - sliced
Big pinch of salt
Big pinch of black pepper
A good pinch of your favorite herbs (I used dried basil and oregano)

Method:
Lightly score the bottom of each tomato with a knife. I just cut a little X at the bottom of each tomato.
Try not to cut through the flesh.
Drop the tomatoes in a pot of boiling water and let it boil for 10 seconds.
Strain the water and place the tomatoes in a bowl of cold water, or a bowl of water with some ice.
The skin would loosen up a bit. Remove the skin and keep aside.
In a bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, bay leaf, chili, garlic, herbs salt and pepper.
Mix in the tomatoes and store in a jar, in the fridge for up to 10 days.



If you love tomatoes, you have got to give this recipe a try! I am definitely gonna make this again, even if I have to peel the tomatoes myself! ;)

On another note, it is 1st of may....so happy labor peeps! If you have been working very hard, slow down for the day and just smell the coffee. Don't forget to throw in a muffin by the side of the coffee! :D

Donut muffins with raspberry jam filling

I am not a huge fan of chocolate and chocolate based bakes. I mean I can still eat it in small portions but I am not crazy about it. I would choose a strawberry Charlotte over a chocolate mud cake anytime.I would choose fruit tarts over chocolate tarts. And yah, I would definitely go with strawberry or vanilla ice cream instead of chocolate ice cream. I guess you got my point. Enough said. 


About 365 days ago, I saw an episode of Sugar and Anna Olson made some gorgeous donut muffins with jam centers. It immediately went into my never ending list of  bakes to try. 
Last week, while browsing around the net, I was reminded of these jam muffins and I just had to try. Like finally. 

These muffins are lovely! I believe the presence of yogurt is what made the muffins so soft n fluffy. I used Marks & Spencer Raspberry Jam. You know the kind with all the seeds and chunky bits? Loved it!!  You can really use any fruit preserves/jam you prefer. Blueberries, strawberries, cherries...any good quality jam would work. ;) This recipe yields only 8 muffins. You might want to double the recipe as these muffins still taste great after a few days! 


For some1 that isn't into cakes much. I had 2 of these easily...or rather, TOO easily. I kept 2 muffins for momsie and packed the rest for my niece. #Damagecontrol.

Ingredients:
75g caster sugar
100g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
50ml  plain yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
75g  butter, melted
1/2  cup raspberry preserves
More castor sugar (for coating)

Method: 
Heat the oven to 180°c and lightly grease a muffin tin.
In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, egg, sugar and vanilla extract. 
Mix in the butter and fold in the flour until mixed well.
Place 1 tbsp of the batter into each muffin hole. Add 1 tsp of the jam into the centre of each and then cover with more batter.
Place the muffins into the oven and allow to bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tin before removing and rolling in the caster sugar.

I am wondering...what if I roll these babies in cinnamon sugar instead? Hmm...got to give that a try sometime soon. Yup so much for damage control. 

Balsamic Tomato And Basil Penne

This pasta is gorgeous and really easy. It is adapted from Jamie's 30 Minute Meals. Made a couple of changes though.

Ingredients:
1 packet Penne
1 carrot - chopped
1 stick of celery - Chopped
1 capsicum - chopped
400g minced beef
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
6 cloves of garlic
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 can of chopped tomatoes (400g)
A few sprigs of basil
A few sprigs of spring onion
freshly cracked black pepper
Parmesan


Method:

Cook penne according to the instructions on packet. Season the water with salt. Keep aside 1 cup of the pasta water.
In a fry pan, saute garlic in a couple tablespoon of oil. Add chopped vegetables and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Add minced beef and paprika. Cook for 5 minutes.
Stir in the balsamic vinegar and canned tomatoes. Season with salt.
Add fennel seeds, oregano and black pepper.
Cook till almost dry.
Add in Pasta. Check for seasoning. Do add more salt if required.
Take off heat. Plate the pasta and top with a generous amount of Parmesan.
Scatter over a few basil leaves and spring onion.

I am in love!

Yes I am in really in love!

He is sleek...

Stylish...

Dark...

Smart......

Gives me a firm grip....

And rotates 360 degrees.

Yup, he is that flexible.



Presenting my new found love! 

Drum rolls please.....

1 more time....

DRUM ROLLS..........




Taaadaaaaaa!!!!

Isn't he gorgeous??!! :D  Yes2, I finally bought a DSLR. Like finally. I have been wanting 1 for donkey years! It's a dream come true. :) 


The 1st picture that I snapped.



Although this pic is better than those from my point and shoot camera, I was still not satisfied with the picture quality. It wasn't "crisp" enough. Went through a lot of tutorials. Google has been my bestfriend ever since. Words like aperture, focal length, shutter speed frequently made their way to google's search box. I am kinda getting the hang of it but there is still so much to learn!  I really didn't expect this...I mean I thought it was gonna be a walk in the park. I presumed I would know how to use it the moment I opened the box. Boy i was so wrong. I had to depend on auto settings. You do need to know at least some of the technical details about your camera and how to use it to shoot manual. No point spending thousands on a  DSLR and not being able to use it properly. At least that is what I believe in.


More pics.... loving the vast difference in my photos now. I had always dreamt of snapping such pictures. Yes, ALWAYS. 

Look at the above photos and tell me, how on earth am I ever going back to my point and shoot Cybershot? DSLRs are awesome. DSLRs make my food look good and it is important that food bloggers have pretty pictures on my blog. People tend to feast with their eyes first. If the food is appetizing, people do tend to gravitate towards the recipe.

I am still learning but I am loving EVERY moment of it. For the past 1 month, I have been dedicating more time in improving my photography skills. I love to blog and I think beside a good recipe, a delicious looking photo is also a way of communicating with your readers.

I guess I will revamp this blog a bit. A new header for a start perhaps? :)

2013. Goals. Pasta.

    I hope it is not too late to wish every 1 a very happy new year! I composed this post roughly 10 days ago
but I never get down to tying the loose ends and actually posting it! Anyways, hopefully your New Year celebrations were fun and memorable.

    When I say fun, I'm referring to quality time spend with your loved ones and not getting drunk at
some foam party and then end up doing god knows what. :D But hei, if that is your idea of party...please go on. Maybe I'm just jealous that mine was a far cry? Hee...

    I spent new year in front of my PC and listening to songs. My brother came in the room and saw me
with my super large headphones and went "wow...listening to music huh?" And I'm like "hello its
new year eve...Im not out at Orchard RD, I'm not out there partying...can't I at least have my own party???" I exaggerated the reply and that sent him away :p

  Anyways, although this is a food blog, readers can look forward to being "entertained" with my ramblings. Nowadays, you don't just cook in the kitchen. There are a lot of things that you can literally do in the kitchen. Just be creative! :D

      So 2012 was a very mixed kinda year. Well what is life without some bittersweet moments right? 2012 is over and I am determined that 2013 gonna be rocking. I am gonna place my family interest above all, followed by mine and then everything else.Not that everything else isn't important but
at times you just need to firmly prioritize things.

Resolutions vs Goals.

     Every other person makes some New Year resolution and somehow you end up thinking what should yours be. Cliche i know. I am not gonna make any resolutions this year. I am gonna set some goals for myself. Well, some of you might be saying "Oh wells, its the same thing." Well it's not. At least not for me. :p I think for most of us, the habit of planning, organizing, changing and molding our lives,  is something that occurs pretty much often. Every other day, you decide that you wanna lose 5 kg, and then you decide to eat healthy or try to spend less on shoes...etc2. It's too much of a daily event.

So I am gonna set some goals for myself.

   Firstly, I wanna be a better Muslim. And being a better Muslim doesn't mean I am gonna start bombing around. Being a better Muslim does not mean that I believe only Islam is good and other religion are bad.  
I strongly believe that ALL religions are good and ALL religion teaches you to be good and to do good. It is we the so called followers that are misinterpreting the teachings. For example, if some Muslims are going around and doing certain things, it isn't Islam fault. Islam has never promote terrorism. The holy book has always emphasize that it is a requirement that we do not cause anyone any hurt through our words or actions. Just as I said,  It is due to these so called followers that are misinterpreting the teachings of Islam and giving it a bad name to the world. 


Secondly, To be a better daughter, a better sister.

Thirdly, to try my best to look forward. If the past was painful, it should not be brought in the future.

Fourthly, Eat more salad and fruits and to drink more water. Walking more would do me good too. 

Fifth on the list, I wanna be an excellent trader. Excellent might be too big a word for now, but I still remember what my teacher aka Mr Rasdeen wrote on my composition book. 
He said, Aim for the moon, even if you miss, you will still land among the stars. I am pretty sure Mr Rasdeen wrote this but Tm said it should be "aim for the stars, even if you miss...you would land on the moon." Reason is, stars are way up there. Higher than the moon! He made sense too. So I realllly dunno *Shrugs* Back to what I was saying, so yes, I want to be an excellent trader. I am giving myself a year and I should see better results. 

Lastly, but definitely not the least, the company that me and TM should prosper to greater heights. It has all the potential to go far. Tm has all the talent and I have all the desire to see this work. His talent need to reach a whole lot of people, so I have to work harder for our baby, named CT.


6 goals for 2013, all imprinted on this blog of mine. Will be blogging  about this again, 1 year from now...and we shall see how it went ;)



It would not be right not to share a recipe on a food blog, wouldn't it? So yes, lets have an deliiiiiicious recipe to kick start the 2013 blog post. So spaghetti carbonara is currently my niece favourite food. Every time she sees me preparing dinner, she would ask "are you cooking pasta?"

So here is a very easy carbonara recipe to share. Usually i would serve carbonara with a side salad but this time, I served it with a simple ratatouille and it was so so good.


Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 clove garlic, chopped
Prawns (feel free to use as little or as much as you prefer)
1/4 cup water (the water that you used to boil the pasta)
1/2 cup cream
2 yolks, beaten
250 g spaghetti
a handful of Parmesan



Method:
Heat oil in a large frying pan, saute garlic until tender.
Add prawns. Once it turns pink, toss in pasta.   Season with salt and black pepper.
Add pasta water. In a bowl, whisk eggs and cream. Add a dash of salt and black pepper.
Pour over pasta. Mix well and immediately turn off the fire.
Top with Parmesan and some chili flakes if you prefer..


--

Simple Ratatouille

Ingredients
3tbsp olive oil, plus more as needed
2 yellow onion - diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 eggplant - diced
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 green green bell pepper - diced
1 red bell pepper - diced
1 zucchini squash - diced
3 tomatoes - seeded and diced
1/2 tsp Italian herbs or any of your favourite herbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Set a large pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add onion and garlic to the pan.
Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are wilted..
Add the eggplant and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is partially cooked.
Add the green and red peppers, zucchini, and squash and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Lastly, mix in tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for a final 5 minutes.
Stir well to blend and top a scoop of this on the pasta.
Enjoy!

Till the next post. Toooodles! :)

When life kinda sucks, just remember that, we were born wet, naked, and hungry!

Hello beautiful readers!

It's the time of the year where Singapore looks a tad prettier. The lights, the glitter and the colours. Not to forget the sales! Don't u just love December? :)

       Personally, things are not as flowery right now. This is life I guess. Sometimes it all comes together and sometimes you just kinda lose it all. Funny, just when you think life can't possibly get any worse it suddenly does! It's so draining at times and you just wanna raise the white flag!

      And then, you wander around the web and end up on facebook, you see pictures of kids in Gaza on your timeline and your mind goes on a standstill and then you realised, your worries are nowhere near theirs.

      Till today, I cringed whenever these pictures pop up out of nowhere. I can’t fathom such hatred and racism. NO one has the right to take a life and that too without a reason. War is not a solution and it will never be. If the leaders think  war is the answer to everything and it portrays their power, they why don't they themselves go on the battlefield?  A powerful leader should at least have some common sense and compassion and not someone who can only let the public make all these sacrifices while these so called leaders are in the comfort of their own homes. Utter disgrace. On that note, may god give comfort to these poor victims and their families.

    Sorry for digressing. I know, I do that ever so often. Back to what I was saying...Christmas! So apparently my dad friends love to come to Singapore during Christmas. :) Both for the beautifully adorned Orchard Road and the year end sales. They always marvelled at the long stretch  road that is adorned with breathtaking Christmas lights and decorations.

Like this one. Gorgeous isn't it?

Moving on....
Some cakes that I did over the past weekends.

My 1st time sugar crafting an Elmo. Not that bad actually. Hes a pretty easy guy I guess.

   I have been making these handbag cakes so often and at times I think that  I can make this with my eyes closed! Erm okay maybe just 1 eye closed. :D 

A first too. 

And finally, time for a recipe. I have been wanting to share this recipe but it kept slipping my mind.
I saw this pic......

 on this blog and I could not get it out of my mind.


So I had to give it a try! Delicious, pretty little things :)

Ingredients:
1 lb large strawberries
8 oz. cream cheese,
1/2 cup whipping cream
4 tbsp icing sugar (Taste accordingly)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Graham cracker crumbs

Directions:
Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top and clean out with a paring knife. Prepare all strawberries and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whip cream till fluffy and set aside. In another bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Fold in cream.
Place mixture in a piping bag or zip lock with the corner snipped off.
Fill strawberries with cheesecake mixture. Once strawberries are filled, dip the top in graham cracker crumbs. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving.


If you love strawberries and cheesecake. Give it a try! 

A simple baked rice recipe and 10 reasons as to why my pictures do not turn out great

    Very often while reading a food blog, I'd noticed how bloggers actually "plan a photoshoot". Besides getting the props ready, pushing the table against a wall,setting the table...they also make sure that shoots are done 12-2pm as the sunlight is usually strongest at that time. I am embarrassed. I don't even do 10% of those. :( As much as I want my pictures to turn out fab, time doesnt permit me to do so.

  10 reasons why my pictures do not turn out great.

1. I don't own a DSLR.
2. Photo editing is an art in itself and i know nuts about Photoshop till recently.
3. Natural light is the best and I don't get to shoot in the daytime. I always snap pictures at 8pm aka dinner time, thus I rely on flash.
4. My cute niece loves the camera and everytime I want to shoot pictues of food, I would also end up shooting her. Yup, blame it on the distraction.
5. And yah, I don't own a DSLR
6. I am always in a hurry while taking pictures coz of my brother's straying eyes. He would usually be waiting to have his dinner, and most of the time, his dinner is the plate I am shooting. :P
7. I have limited "props"  to creates a great ambience but I am on my way to building more.
8. I am such a newbie with food styling.
9. I have never tried to shoot with the help of reflectors and I totally should even if its just a sheet of white cardboard.

10. Finally....have I already mention that, I don't own a DSLR?

So my dear readers, I am sorry if my pictures are nothing to rave about.
But I try my best to make up for it, with my mostly delivious recipes. Really! :D
On that note, here's another delicious recipe to share. Baked rice! Simple and delish! Oh ya, remember to top it with lotsa cheese! Pretend that you are feeding the poor, so be extra generous! :D

Ingredients A:
2 bowls cold long grain rice (Cooked)
Prawns - shelled and deveined
Sliced chicken or shredded chicken ham
4 gloves garlic - minced
Shredded cheddar
Shredded mozzarella
Parmesan.
Your favorite herb - a good fat pinch.
2 tbsp olive oil
Crushed black pepper
1/2 a small capsicum - cubed
A slice of fresh pineapple - cubed

Ingredients B
3/4 cup chicken stock (I used chicken cube)
1 tsp plain flour
3tbsp cream
1 tbsp butter
black pepper


Method:
In a non stick pan, melt butter, add flour and fry for 30 seconds. Add chicken stock and cream till it almost boil. Add black pepper and set aside.
In another frying pan, add olive oil and fry garlic till fragrant.
Add chicken slices and prawns. Cook for 2 minutes.
Throw in capsicum, pineapple and herbs.
Add rice, season with black pepper and salt.
Take off heat.
Place rice in a casserole dish. Pour creamy stock all over.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Top with generous layer or cheddar and mozzarella. Be very generous!
Bake in a pre-heated oven for about 10mins. at 180 degrees Celsius.
Eat hot!

I'm a year older, another year wiser...hopefully!

I am pretty amazed that, I somehow managed to do a blog post every now and then. That is the thing about blogging, if you wanna blog, do it . Procrastinate and whatever you planned would not see the light. I guess once you start doing something regularly, you just get into the momentum.


Yet another year is passing by. It is scary to see how time just flies... on hindsight.
It definitely does not "fly" all the time though. When I am stuck in the daily grind, time tend to pause. When I am trading with red positions,  it feel as if I have to wait for an eternity, just to see the greens aka profits or a break even. Yes, in trading reds = loss and greens =  profits. I was never a fan of red and now, I have more reasons to dislike it. :p

Anyways, It was my birthday last week. I feel so old!! Let's not discuss age right now. Please shift your focus on my birthday cakeS. I had 3 birthday cakes this year and all were SUPERB!!!

From left: Coco Exotic from the family, Strawberry cheesy ice cream cake from my buddy and Passion Fruit Meringue for the 3 happy sisters aka my cousins.

All the cakes were gorgeous and delicious! Thank you guys!

Cousins came over on my birthday with lotsa food and gifts. Macarons, babydonuts, famous amos cookies, garrett popcorn and more.


Managed to snap pictures of some of the gifts...

Paella Pan, cupcake decorating kit, necklace, Victoria's Secret bag and mists, Jamie oliver's Xmas edition and lotsa more. And how can I forget a 1 year subscription for Food Network Magazine!! Some cash from my family and Tm too.

Oh ya, we went for a picnic cum bbq too. It was pretty fun till it rained..and then it was



VERY FUN! :D

It is the time of the year that the sky literally pours and pours, thus my brothers were prepared.
They fixed a tentage the moment they arrived, thus we could still bbq although it was raining. I could sense that people were looking at us with envy, coz we were happily eating away when ppl couldn't even start a fire. :p I was totally drenched in the rain and that made it even more fun! Mom kept telling me that no1 would give me a ride in their cars coz I was so wet. That didn't stop me. I told her, if no1 wanna send me home, I shall hail a cab! Hee... But of coz, my cousins are the sweetest, Dijah sent me home and she even got me a towel so that I could dry myself. :)

So back to the picnic. I threw half a glass of water at my eldest brother after he did the same to me. Seconds later, he was holding a pail of water and was gesturing that he wants to pour it on me! I knew he was just joking but my 3rd brother and his best friend were literally rooting for him and encouraging him to go for it and he did just that! Eventually, I was drenched x 2. I pretended to be upset. haha Truth is, I enjoyed every bit of it. These shall be preserved in an album that is stored in my heart. These are the little things that I know, I would remember by as I grow older. The gifts might no longer be around then, but the memories remain.

I have been blessed with the best of family. Each of us have our own shortcomings, but to err is human and to forgive, divine.  Things might get a bit rough at times, but when we are united as a family....it somehow make things a little easier. Everyone wants to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.  I know that even if I have to walk barefooted 1 day, my family would always be with me. :)

Ps: Dear shaf, dijah, riya and izzy. Thank you for always making me feel extra special on my b'day. :)

We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Eldest bro  shifted migrated to PAsiRIS and so did 2nd bro, 1 month later. Since his house was under renovations, he and family stayed over at eldest bro's place for about 3 weeks. Boy was I busy! Now I totally understand as to how a mother of 4 would feel and to those who dreams of forming their own soccer team aka having a dozen kids, PLEASE ABORT THAT IDEA provided if you already have a few years experience working in a zoo or an asylum. :D

Jokes apart, although the house was a RIOT *even caps wont suffice to describe the situation*.  It was still very fun! The occasional baking, hanging out with the nieces and bullying the nephew; yup the cons of being the only boy among us 4 girls. After they left, I really missed them. I didn't miss mom frequent screams though. :P

2nd bro and family loveeee food thus as a cook, I really enjoy cooking for them. My 12 years old niece enjoy baking and many a time, we would be baking away late in the nights. :)

Anyways, 1 fine night, she wanted to make ice cream and and we did just that. The recipe is adapted from David Lebovitz. From the creamy and decadent vanilla custard, we ended up with delicious vanilla ice cream. Top with almond nibs and butterscotch sauce. It was the BOMB!

This recipe yielded only 1Litre of ice cream and since there were 9 of us, I made some brownies to go along with the ice cream, just so that everyone would be satisfied with 1 scoop of ice cream. Who said a good cook can't have good brain too? *Grins*  My niece got 2 scoops though. After all, she was the brainchild behind this ice cream :D

 
Vanilla Ice cream:

1 cup whole milk
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract (alternatively, use seeds from half a vanilla bean)
2 cups heavy cream
5 egg yolks

Method:
1. Set up an ice bath by placing ice and water into a large bowl.
2. Pour the double cream into a bowl, and place this bowl into the ice bath.
3. Warm the milk, salt, sugar and vanilla bean extract in a pot over medium heat.
4. In a separate bowl, stir the egg yolks together. Gradually pour the milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
5. Pour the egg yolk/cream mixture back into the pot, and cook over low heat, stirring the whole time. Cook until the mixture thickens to a custard consistency - it is ready when you can draw a clean line through it on the back of a spoon, using your finger.
6. Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Stir constantly over the ice bath until cool.
7. Refrigerate the custard/cream mixture until thoroughly chilled. I left it to chill for  a couple of hours, stirring every 30-60 minutes.

Note: If using an ice cream maker, just churn the chilled mixture in your ice cream maker, according to the manufacturers instructions.


Butterscotch Sauce:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup almond nibs (roasted)

3 tbsp butter

1/4 c heavy cream

 

Method:

 

1. Combine all the topping ingredients, except the almonds in a saucepan, over medium-low heat.

2. Stir with a wooden spoon until the butter melts and mixture is smooth.

3. Mix in almonds. Let it cool and pour over ice cream! Oh supernyumssss!!

 

Apple 'n' Blueberry Cake

I have a long lists of books that I wanna buy. I'm obsessed with books. Literally. My good friend, Tm got me some books and obviously I got to choose them. I went for these. 3 books off the list, only about a hundred left :D 

 

I have been wanting Jamie's 30 minute meals and after purchasing this, he released 15 minute meals! Grrrrr! *Adds 15 minute meals to the neverending list* :P

 

 

I managed to catch a few episodes of Donna Hay's Fast, fresh, simple and I really liked the recipes featured!

 

 

So here's the first recipe that I tried at exactly 12am. That explains as to why my assistants were in their pyjamas :P This recipe yielded a really soft cake. It was a no brainer. Totally simple and fast.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups (225g) self-raising flour, sifted

¾ cup (165g) caster (superfine) sugar

125g butter, softened

2 eggs

½ cup (125 ml) milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large apple, cored and thinly sliced

¾ cup fresh  blueberries

2 tablespoons demerara sugar

 

 

Method:

 

Preheat oven to 160C (325F).

Place flour, sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs and milk in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until just combined.

Spoon the mixture into a greased 22cm springform tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Top with the apples and the blueberries and sprinkle with demerara sugar.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the cake is cooked when tested with a skewer.

Serve with vanilla ice-cream.