While I’m in the recipe giving mood, after I blogged the photos of hubs’ birthday cake on Monday d1 asked if I would give my recipe for my buttercream……………

ORANGE VANILLA HOT MILK SPONGE CAKE

4 Tbs Sunflower Oil

1 Cup Milk

                    2 Cups Cake Flour                   

4 Eggs

2 Cups Sugar

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Pinch Salt

• Preheat Oven to 180 ^o C
• Grease, flour and line 3 round cake pans
• Boil Oil and Milk together
• Beat Eggs and sugar together till pale and thick (ribbon stage about 10min)
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt together
• Fold into beaten egg mixture
• Add hot milk and oil mixture
• Fold all together gently
• Divide into cake pans
• Bake for 20-25min
• Allow to cool 10minutes then turn out onto cooling racks to cool completely
• Ice with apricot jam and fresh cream or buttercream frosting

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

1 Cup Butter – at room temperature
2 Cups Icing Sugar – sieved
Zest of 1/2 Orange
1/2 tsp Vanilla Powder (or 1 tsp Essence)
Pinch Salt
Milk if needed

Beat the butter until very pale
Beat in the vanilla, salt and orange zest
Add the icing sugar a bit at a time and blend well until the required consistency is reached. You may not use it all or you may want to add a bit more
Use a bit of milk to thin down if needed.

To decorate, I first spread some apricot jam (homemade of course!!) onto the one layer then a large dollop of the frosting
Cover with the second layer and decorate as desired.
I usually freeze the one layer and use it later - with icing or plain in a trifle

Enjoy…….
browniegirl xxx

I promised Hungry Hubby my recipe for Lemon Curd so without further ado….here it is!!

then you need the ingredients…………lemons – inside and out, eggs, butter, sugar

• Beat eggs & yolk well then strain through a sieve.

• Place eggs, juice, zest and sugar into a heavy based saucepan and bring to boil over a low heat while stirring all the time. It BURNS very easily.

• As soon as it starts to thicken whisk in the butter.

• Continue boiling very gently while stirring until thickened.

• Remove from heat and pour into hot sterilized bottles and seal.

• Keeps up to a month on the shelf unopened or 3 months in the fridge

My NOTES:

This curd can be cooked in the microwave very successfully. Cook on High for about 10 – 20 min (depends whether you have increased the ingredients). Stir often during cooking, especially during first 5 minutes or so, otherwise it turns lumpy and curdled. I only ever use the microwave for this………

If you like your curd smooth then pass it through a sieve before bottling

Always grate the zest just before you are going to use it. It turns bitter if left to stand.

and end up with this……………

Enjoy!!!
browniegirl xxx

 Hello everyone, sorry for not blogging too much. As you all know we are moving next weekend so the packing monster has stirred me up into a bit of a frenzy!!! I am surrounded by boxes and stuff!!!

The low GL lifestyle is going very very well I must tell you. Today is day three (the last day!!) of a detox that I have been doing and I have actually managed it just fine……well, the day isn’t over yet browniegirl so take it easy in the bragging department……as I mentioned previously I had been doing low GL really half-heartedly for awhile. The last time I weighed in was at the beginning of the month. I have set tomorrow as the next official weigh-in so I have an early appointment in the bathroom with my scale……maybe I will lie down and place it on my feet after all heehee  

For breakfast today I had this……………

RUBY GRAPEFRUIT

Love, love, love all citrus fruits so really enjoyed this. Will endeavor to eat one each morning!!

Mid morning I had these…………….

BELLA TOMATOES

I think I inherited my love for tomatoes from my late mom who adored them. I can eat them any way I can get them and any size. I leave them on my windowsill to ripen, don’t like them in the fridge!!

Lunch time I had an apple and a pear………..

I am now enjoying these as a mid afternoon pick me up….

JULIENNED CARROTS & 6 RAW ALMONDS

Delish I tell you……..well I’m telling myself as well….one of Hungry Hubby’s lemon berry tartlets would slide down sooooo well now hehe!! But I keep thinking of that appointment I have in the morning.

I’ve been slacking a bit now in the packing department……..taking a rest and keeping my surrounds calm for the last little bit of my detox

I think for dinner I will make a delicious large salad!!! With something meaty added on the side for hubs!

Cheers for now,
browniegirl xxx
ps I’m also on my 8th glass of water so guess where I’m heading right now????

 I got this email this morning and thought I would share with everyone. What a totally gorgeous child!! I’m busy packing furiously but will blog later…….

www.FunAndFunOnly.net Trusting in God won’t make the mountain smaller, But will make climbing easier. Do not ask God for a lighter load But ask Him for a stronger back… May every second of this day Bring something special…..? A Thought that makes you Smile, A Smile that warms your Heart, Have A Blessed Day………!!!! browniegirl xxx