Kitchen Diary

There has not been much blog action from me since New Years Eve. I have been really busy and just not had time to post recipes or photos.  Thanx to those kind readers who have commented or sent sms’s enquiring as to my whereabouts!! It’s so nice to be missed!! ) I’ve had MIL stay for awhile, then go and come back again for New Year. Stepson has also been home for a month. In between that we have also been quite involved with the bairns and have done a stint or two of babysitting…..as previously blogged…..

Early Sunday morning shenanigans in the brownie house

He aint heavy, he’s my brother 

My kitchen, as opposed to my blog, has seen loads of action in the last week or so. It started with a curry which, by the way, started as an idea in my head when the weather turned chilly and wet last week!! I did, of course, have to make 2 pots of curry, one a mild curry flavoured “stew” for brownieboy and stepson who just don’t do heat very well. I naturally will only eat a fire breathing, blow your sinuses clear Durban Curry, the hotter the better.  It was so delicious and the house smelled so darn good that when sweet daughter popped in late that afternoon she took what was left home for her supper, those same leftovers that were going to be brownies lunch again the following day (  I must say it was a fabulous way to break the pattern of leftovers after the festive season. I had really had enough of gammon & roast chicken by then and needed to get cracking cooking something highly flavourful, aromatic and desirous – namely curry….After that I went on to do a peri peri spatchcocked chicken (previously blogged HERE) that was our contribution to the braai at SD & SIL’s for New Years Eve. My SIL, who is a chef, told me that I could give Nando’s a run for their money hehe!! A compliment indeed!! As were the moans and sighs emanating from all those fortunate enough to get a piece of Moo’s veri-peri chickie action….. 

This Saturday just past, our 3 month old twin goddaughters were christened and my contribution to the tea was 2 lemon cheesecakes. I got the recipe from a friend but pimped it a bit in true browniegirl style. It was also my stepson’s birthday so I made an extra cheesecake and a chilli chocolate cake for him (to be blogged another time) YUM!! YUM!! The brownie house smelled really good and the cakes were delicious. What was left went back to Wellington yesterday with stepson so today is DETOX DAY for browniegirl and from tomorrow its back on the straight and narrow Low GL lifestyle pathway.

Life should, hopefully, start returning to normal for me from Wednesday. I am currently baking and icing a wedding cake for tomorrow evening – dark chocolate and the frosting is white chocolate…….Please hold all available thumbs, fingers and toes that it will be good…thanx ) One of sweet daughter’s best friends is getting married and SD is one of the bridesmaids. So life is a bit hectic with cakes being baked, brownie rushing around buying piping and hacksaws to cut the piping up for stabilizing the cake and bridesmaids dress being taken in at the last minute because SD has been steadily losing some weight since the birth of Jay 10 months ago!! This dress, believe it or not, was made in New Zealand (the bride now lives over there) and mailed to SD about 2 months ago!! Amazingly it is not too bad a fit!! So, come Wednesday, I will be RESTING!!! Feet up on the bed and reading!!! And possibly blogging )
 Until then, my nerves have free reign over my body!!

To cap all the frenzied weekend activity youngest grandson Jay, who has started crawling in the last few weeks and now seems intent on walking unaided, took a nasty little tumble onto the tiles in our lounge yesterday morning and now looks like this………

Happy little chap, even with a large egg developing on his forehead!!

So, anyhoo then, to start off my 2009 blogging, here is the cheesecake recipe from Saturday… My Bang Bang Lamb Curry will follow shortly…..watch this space!!!

MOO’S LEMON CHEESECAKE

(A friend’s recipe pimped by me of course)

Crust:

1 packet of tennis biscuits – crushed

1 T castor sugar

Few drops Coconut Essence

100 gr Butter – melted.

Mix all together and press into a large round pie dish (I use my large quiche pan). Refrigerate while making the filling

Filling:

1 tin condensed milk

1 tub of smooth cottage or cream cheese

1 sachet of Orley Whip – stiffly beaten

150 ml lemon juice – divided into two halves

4 Gelatin Leaves

Method:

Soak the gelatin leaves in a large bowl of cold water until softened then stir into one half of the lemon juice that has been heated enough to melt the gelatin. Allow to cool slightly

Beat together the condensed milk and cottage cheese

Fold in the stiffly beaten Orley Whip (I add a tbs castor sugar and 1 tsp Vanilla Essence to the orley whip before beating)

Add all the lemon juice at once and beat well with electric mixer.

It will turn thick immediately

Pour into prepared crust and flatten

Refrigerate overnight before using
Once it has been in the fridge for a few hours and has set I decorate the top with sliced fruit or berries in season and pour over a thin layer of cooled lemon jelly (Make the jelly with half the amount of water suggested on the package instructions)

If preferred you can leave out the gelatin & topping & freeze this cheesecake. Take out half hour before serving, decorate with fresh fruit or fruit coulis

Enjoy!!!
And have a good week blogland….I’ll be back Wednesday!!

browniegirl xxx