VALENTINES DAY/ WEEKEND TREATS

Had a special couple staying with us Valentines day and for the weekend. Decided to do something special on their bed seen as it was Valentines day with some yummy treats to follow. Enjoy browsing these delicious photos.

CHOCOLATE
  STRAWBERRIES
   VALENTINES DAY
    ROMANTIC
     DESSERT
      ALMONDS
       CHERRIES
        DELICIOUS
         COLOURFUL
           ROSES

Chocolate coated Strawberries and coated in your favourite choices. As seen in photos, dipped in Cherries, Almond flakes, coconut and Walnuts. Very popular and not to mention, delicious, popular and a differnent effective way to make a romantic twist to your special evenings dessert.

Heart shaped Belgium biscuit tares.Use a basic recipe and cut and layer as desired.

FIRST ATTEMPT AT MAKING BREAD

GARLIC AND BLUE VEIN CHEESE RUBBED ON TOP FOR A DELICIOUS FLAVOUR.

ROSIE'S VEGE PATCH

I managed to pick three decent sized cabbages from my garden this week and lots of potatoes.

I usually use my potatoes for wedges mixed with a few spices and seasonings and a touch of oil to make delicious crispy wedges.

These cabbages I turned into a crispy, creamy coleslaw. Cut the cabbage finely or chuncky if you would prefer a chunky coleslaw. Add a grated carrot or two and slice an onion, I used a red but white would also work well. Add a squirt of oil and a dessertspoon of mayo. If you are after a crunchy twist had a packet of noodles and also add either the beef or chicken seasoning that comes with it.

Totally amazing ! ! ! ! !

And of course these healthy vegetables would be great for any dish.

Tomatoes are often used roasted, sprinkled with a little salt and pepper and a little garlic and some oil. Very juicy and mouth watering.

Ever heard of Zucchini and Chocolate cake? Totally amazing. I usually leave my Zucchini until I get marrows. Then I make this cake which adds a unique twist to an ordinary chocolate cake. The Zucchini complements the cake by making it very moist, and also it also takes away the richness so you cannot over indulge even after two or three pieces :)    
A slice of Zucchini cake served with Greek yoghurt just tops it off perfectly.  

Great Herbs used for Pesto 

(Will add a recipe later)

Lots of Beetroot planted which is very yum roasted.

My new additions to my little vege patch. One of these is a capsicum plant perfect for salads and chutneys and I also have a similar one that is a cross between capsicum and a chili which has the texture of the capsicum and the appearance however it doesn't have the complete hotness as the chili's do but it still is quite hot.

The latter is very good for chutneys, stuffing and curries also.

The colour that they display in the photo to the left and above really is spectacular and more so watching them transform daily into their finished colour. The above photo was taken a few days ago and now it is almost completely red.

This Rhubarb originally a transplant from one root taken from mums place in Christchurch and now it is very big and I have had great fun picking loads of stalks this past year. I cut it up into pieces and freeze it and now just waiting for the right occasion to make a Rhubarb roll or some delicious dessert. I have added it several times to a crumble. Added together, Rhubarb, mixed berries, apples and pears and added  a crumble to the top with lots of healthy nuts and chocolate served with Greek yoghurt.

CUPCAKE CREATIONS

Photos of all the cupcake creations. I'm really wanting one with my coffee right now.

Can
I
Tempt
You
Also
....
???

DELICIOUS  MOUTH-WATERING  PICTURE PERFECT MOIST COLOURFUL TASTY DEVINE

REINDEER CUPCAKE ANYONE.....?

 Such a crowed pleaser that had everyone talking for weeks. Seriously simple. Just follow the photos and you can't go wrong.

 :)      <3        :)     <3        :)      <3      :)      <3      :)    <3    :)    <3    :)    <3  

 Step one. Bake a batch of a basic cupcake recipe and make a whole bowl of butter icing.

Step two. Cup the top of the cupcakes to make a flat service easy for decorating

Step OneStep two

As above collect all your decorations 

that you will need to make the Reindeers.

You will need.

1. Pretzels
2. M & M's (the peanut ones)
3. Any type of buscuit that would make the perfect little nose
4. Black icing pen
5. Yoghurt coated Rasins for the eyes.

Carefully place the Pretzel ears on first as seen in photos.

Place the nose in the correct place followed by the eyes.

Using your icing pen, creating the eyes and a generous amount on the

nose to hold the tip of the nose. As seen in the left picture.

Please note. All Reindeer's have a black note expect one. Why?

 ............ RUDOLF THE RED NOSE REINDEER................

(How can we forget the one and only Rudolf)

MY VERY OWN INTERPRETATION OF WHAT SOME WOULD CALL A CARROT CAKE

The photos say it all. Never do I pick up a recipe book and directly measure out every ingredient and copy it to the letter. I simply re-create every piece into something of my own and use whatever I have in the pantry. Let me explain. I found a moist carrot cake recipe which looked very easy to make then I went exploring in my very own pantry to see what I could find. I had tremendous fun too. Oh and by the way I do plan on creating my very own master chef pantry that I walk in and everything imaginable is at my finger tips. :) Anyway as I was saying in my own pantry I came across all these wonderful ingredients and thought yeah why not. I started adding to my cake mixture, which was originally a very basic one must I add. In went the coconut, a handful of every nut I had, (walnuts, cashew nuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds etc), shredded dried mangoes, apricots and pineapple as well as all the typical ingredients of the flour, baking powder etc. It was overflowing out of the cake tin and the smell was very aromatic and divine as it spent an hour and a half in the oven. Iced and with a few nuts sprinkled as desired  Another winner with this very moist, sensationally chunky carrot cake.

Presentation completely different second time round :)
As per above photo

BERRY AND WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

This berry and white chocolate cheesecake  is made so often that I no longer use a recipe  Each time I alter it slightly with my very own twist depending on the occasion

 All the ingredients are as follows: Packet of (Brand) white chocolate biscuits which are neatly layered as whole biscuits on the bottom of a cake tin, then sprinkle some frozen berries. Then mix the following together: couple of blocks of cream cheese (Philadelphia is best), castor sugar, evaporated milk, white chocolate melted, hot water with dissolved gelatine and further add some frozen berries. 

 Pour this into the cake tin then decorate as you please on top.

 As for quantities that's my secret :) but have a play around with the above ingredients and be sure to never disappoint a crowd with this never fail cheesecake.

                   Absolutely Berry-licious and always demolished every time  Let the photos do the talking :)

ITALIAN - INSPIRED SALAD

A simple Italian-inspired salad just thrown together in seconds. All ingredients except the mozzarella cheese, all grown in my very own vege garden. Basil leaves layer the bottom of a plate, alternate slices of mozzarella cheese and tomatoes stacked on top and a sprinkle of parsley over the top and there you have a delicious  easy-to-make salad. Not to mention the effectiveness of the bright colours and the healthiness of homegrown ingredients. No need for a dressing as the sweet juices from the tomatoes blend with the sharpness of the basil leaves and the soft notes from the mozzarella cheese. Even easier and not to mention delicious :)