Things I do for love!

After looking at our fruit bowl this morning, I decided to make a loaf of Banana bread, for my man. The only problem is I HATE Banana's! Don't like the taste or texture of them and I feel ill when I smell them. However, I always ensure that I do buy them for ny main man. Afterall, why should he not have them because I hate them!



BANANA BREAD

100g Self-Raising flour

50g Unsalted Butter-soft

75g Brown Sugar

1 Egg

225g Mashed Ripe Bananas (2 small, or 1 large)

OPTIONAL

50g Sultanas

12g Walnuts



Method

Pre-heat oven to 180 C/356 F Gas Mark 4.



Rub butter into flour until combined. Then stir in sugar, sultanas and walnuts. Followed by the egg and mashed bananas. Mix together well to fully combine ingredients. Place mixture into mould, then into preheated oven for approx. 30 minutes.

It's more like home here on Blogger

I've decided after a little time on wordpress, to return to blogger, It's more user-friendly system to use! I'm planning to blog a little bit more then I have in the past few months!

Slight change!

Hello, I have just moved to wordpress. Come say HELLO at http://sparklesdelights.wordpress.com
Just bear with me for a few days till I settle in, may be a little bumpy for a little while.

Lychee Delight

Spring has arrived. I was feeling like treating my love one with....A fruiting, yet sugar coating treat. A spring-time delight! The unique flavour of lychee is delightful in this colourful and refreshing delight.

Here is the recipe as found in "Chinatown" by Ross Dodson.

Lychee Delight
750ml (26fl oz/3 cups) Lychee syrup, from tinned lychee
200g (7 3/4oz/1 cup) sugar
125g (4 1/2oz/1 cup) cornflour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
pink food colouring
2 tablespoons icing sugar
2 tablespoons cornflour, extra

Line a 20x30x4cm (8x12x1 1/2in) baking win with plastic wrap.
bring the lychee syrup to boil in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Add sugar and stir until dissoved. Remove from the heat.
Combinine the cornflour, cream of tartar, and 250ml (9fl oz/1 cup) cold water in a bowl. Gradually add this to the syrup. Return the saucepan to medium heat and stir until the mixture boils. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 40 minutes, stirring freqently.
The mixture will thicken and become clear. add a couple of drops of food colouring and stir well. Pour the mixture into the tray and leave to set for 4-6 hours.
Combine the icing sugar and extra cornflour in a bowl. Before serving, cut the set mixture into 3-4cm (1 1/4-1 1/2in)squares and dip one side of the square into the icing sugar mixture.

Photo to follow at later stage.....

What better way to start the week-end!

Besides freshly baked bread, what else do you needon a Saturday Morning?

Execpt maybe a copy of the days newspaper and a few hours to spare!

Rosemary Olive Bread

3 cups "000" flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
3/4 cup warm water
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2-1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsley chopped

Combine yeast and warm water until yeast becomes creamy, about 10 minutes.Add olive oil, salt, sugar, rosemary and olives into the yeast mixture and add flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing until dough comes away from the side of the bowl. Move dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turn to coat, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.Preheat oven to 400F.Shape dough gently into a ball. Place on a baking sheet and let rise, covered with a damp towel, for 30 minutes. Dust the bread ligtly with flour, slash the top and put into the oven.Bake for 35-45 minutes, until bottom sounds hollow when tapped.Place on a wire rack to cool.

Come visit the world in my kitchen

Please come visit the world in my kitchen!

My newest project! still work in process
http://comevisittheworldinmykitchen.wordpress.com/

Such a country thing to do.....

Saturday, 30th August 2008.

As I was walking home from the supermarket, I found this just outside the fence of a strangers home!

Free lemons. Now what can I make with them! Lemon ice-cream? Lemon meringue pudding? Lemon Cheesecake? Lemon Cordial? lemonn Finger Biscuits?

Awards and a big bunch of Roses!

August 30, 2008

I have been awarded this LOVELYl award from a wonderful lady, named Sally. She writes the beautiful blog called

http://pinkbytes.blogspot.com/

Please take some time to read her blog, it is well worth the visit, Such wonderful reading materals and beautifuly presented, as well as great cooking and baking ideas!

Thank you so much Sally! I was rather suripice to be given an award.

The rules for this award are quite simple.

1. Choose 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and their contribution to the blogging community.

2. Each award has to have the name of the author and a link to his/her blog.

3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name of and link to the blog that presented her/him with the award.

4. The award winner and the one who has given the prize has to show the link of Arte Y Pico blog so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5. Show these rules.

Now, whom shall I give it to?

1. Anna at .............. http://atannaskitchentable.blogspot.com/

2. Linda at.............. http://wwwthinkingaboutfood.blogspot.com/

3. Kerry at ................http://kerry-meandmythree.blogspot.com/

4. Laura at................http://www.hungryandfrozen.blogspot.com/

5. Sarah at.................http://sarah-cooks.blogspot.com/

HAPPY BLOGGING to you all.

This is how Chocolate is meant to be!

Gooey warm chocolate pudding with a smidgen of vanilla ice-cream ozzing down slowly melting down the sides. What else do you need on cold and wet winter night?

Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding

1 cup (120g) self-raising flour
3 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 cup (125g) caster sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup (125ml) milk
60g butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanillia essence
1 cup (185g) soft brown sugar

Preheat oven to moderate 180 C. Brush a 2 litre heatpoof dish with meltedt the flour and I tablespoon cocoa into a large bowl and add the caster sugar. Make a well in the mixture.

In a jug, beat the egg and add the milk, melted butter and vanilla essence. Pour the liquid into ingredients and, using a wooden spoon, stir until well combined and lump free. Pour into the prepare dish.

Combine the brown sugar and the remaining cocoa and sprinkle evenly over the batter. Pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water gently and evenly over the ingredents in the dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the pudding s cooked, a sauce will have formed undernealth.



**I like to use coconut milk or creeam instead of using milk. I also LOVE to add some chopped nuts or chocolate pieces.

Daydreaming of France!

16 August 2008.

This afternoon I curled up on the sofa to spent the afternoon daydreaming of living in the france country side; through a wonderful Australian auther called Mary Moody. Mary is a fairy well-known Australia she has been a prolific gardening auther and a former presenter on ABC's show "Gardening Australia" She is a wonderful auther, as you read her books it is like she is right next to you telling you personally about the time spent in France, as well as heaps of juicy bits of her personal life, including one or two love affairs, and the issues relating to her loving, caring husband finding out about them!

She was writen some lovely bestsellers including Au Revoir (2001), Last Tango in Toulouse(2003) amd The long Hot Summer (2005). Today, I was looking at her book, "Lunch with Madame Murat" It is part travelogue, part history, part culinary adventure, and a wonderful visual journey through the riches of life and food in rural France.

After spending a few hours looking at the book, I decided to make Creme Brulee. The recipe can be found in this lovely book.

Creme Brulee

Serves 8

1 L Milk
1 Vanilla Pod
1 soup spoon Corn Flour
6 Egg Yolks
100g Sugar
Sprinkling of Brown Sugar

Add vanilla pod to the milk and bring to simmering point but do not boil.

In a bowl mix all the other ingredients, slowly adding the milk and stirring well.

Remove the vanilla pod and pour the mix back into pan.

Cook until it starts to thicken, stirring constanly. Pour into eight individual ramekins and leave to cool. Just before serving, spinkle brown sugar on the custard and heat with a blow-torch or under a grill until carmelised.