Kitchen Diary

Surrounded by fog and it is cool….absolute BLISS!!! But the relentless sun is there, the mist will be burned off within the hour I predict and then it will be hot again……..I’m enjoying it while I can……….

Im off to see the wizard…………..well my hair stylist actually ) Can’t wait for the head massage and the relaxation…..Im taking my latest book club find with me……….it should be a delicious read!!!

On the calendar in the background are my scribbled plans for our holiday……YESSSSS!!!  We both need one badly….brownieboy has not had a holiday since December 1999…….loooong overdue!!!

Enjoy Friday,
browniegirl xxx

 Here we are again……..blistering, sweltering, unrelenting heat in Cape Town.  I am blaming the heat for robbing me of my mojo right now!!! I’m battling along in the kitchen without it!!The city is rife with tummy bugs and bacteria, sweet daughter was struck down yesterday so I had to do my stint of nursing, transporting to dr, babysitting kids until late afternoon!! Flies……….oh do lets talk about those freakin nuisance flies  that arrive en mass if you start opening up food. Did you know that a fly can smell meat from up to 7km away???????? Neither did I!!! So you have to take the precautions, close the doors and windows, spray the little  bast  pests and then get on with your food prep…dying of the heat cos you dare not open a window!! My next house will have to have fly proofing on the windows thats for sure……As I type up this post I have all the doors and windows open, trying to catch any little flirty sea breeze, listening out for the rustling leaves of the big old tree that will herald the arrival of a bit of welcome cool air, the neighbour strumming on his guitar, the sound of the music he is making rising on the hot February night air, the rose beetles (June bugs as my friend the Texan calls them) buzzing around mindlessly and periodically dive bombing into my hair…sheesh I hate that – the soft hum of my lovely new pc……..mozzies buzzing…..and the soft pink little geckos darting back and forth on the wall catching any bug that dares to sit still for long enough ) But very little wind…..almost non existent! Must be a record!!! A record which I believe is going to be broken by Sunday evening (after more snortingly hot weekend heat) with the advent of cooler weather….unfortunately accompanied by wind. I know that our Cape Doctor (south easterly wind) is necessary to keep our air clean but goodness I really hate the gale force wind that we get here!! After 25 years you would think I would be used to it but that just never happens!! It puts me in a bad mood LOL!!! Yep, I do get those sometimes ) And also, I always think of you poor lot up country who usually get rain when we have gale force south easters battering the peninsula. Then again……we have not been having an wind to write home about but the rain in the rest of the country seems to be never-ending……..time to break out the spices I would say and get cooking!!!

MOO’S  GREEN THAI  CHICKEN CURRY

Serves 4

6 Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets – cubed

1 – 2 Large Onions – chopped

3 Cloves Garlic – finely chopped

2cm Ginger – finely grated

1 Lemongrass Stalk cut into 3 and bruised

1 Red or Green Chilli – finely sliced & pips removed

1 Large Can Coconut Milk

½ Cup White Wine or Chicken Stock

2tsp Flour

Olive Oil & Knob Butter

1 Tbs Green Curry Paste (use only 1tsp for Mr Moo & others like him!!)

Few Green Beans – sliced in half

Few Baby Corn – sliced thinly lengthwise

5ml Sambal Oelek or John West Chilli Paste (optional)

Small bunch of Kaffir Lime Leaves

Bunch Coriander – roughly chopped

3 small Spring Onions – finely sliced on the diagonal for garnishing

Saute onion, garlic & ginger in the oil

Deglaze with a bit of the liquid (wine or stock)

Add Chicken with butter and sear all over quickly

Add the curry paste & Chilli if using and stir well

Add the flour and stir to coat chicken

Pour in the rest of the liquid & the Coconut Milk

If needed add a bit of fresh milk to thin

Simmer for 10 minutes

Taste and season with salt and cracked black pepper

Stir in the prepared corn, yellow pepper and green beans, snow peas if you are using them & the lime leaves

Allow to simmer for another 10 minutes

Chop up some of the coriander and stir in at the last minute

Serve over a bed of steamed jasmine rice or Lockshen Noodles – garnished with chopped spring onion and a few coriander leaves

Oooooh it was YUMMY!!!! Even brownieboy ventured past his ummm it tastes different to but this I could eat again…not too often but again……. )

Have a delicious Friday everyone, I know I will…..I have an appointment with my favourite hair stylist at her lovely homely salon with the beautiful views across to Hout Bay!! I.m so looking forward to that head massage……
browniegirl xxx

Good evening blogland from the melting pot that is Cape Town……my word!!! It is sweltering…….this afternoon at 4.30pm when I returned from my little jaunt up the road to meet a fellow blogger family (more later) the temperature was 37⁰C… I kid you not…I was about to dissolve into a little fat puddle…………..not a sea breeze in sight, no south easterly relief…nary a leaf moving…….just blistering heat, the buzzing of bees, a plague of flies and a smoky haze all over the peninsula from the dreadful fires raging at Somerset West…our thoughts & prayers are with those who are in the fire areas, victims who’s homes, lands, orchards, vinyards etc are being threatened by the roaring infernos, and the  brave firemen who are battling the raging flames. We need a serious storm and downpour to break the heat….it just feels as if the storm is hovering close by but just not close enough…..know that feeling??? When everything is still….sort of the calm before and all that………..hmmmm, I wonder how any of us are going to sleep tonight??? The mosquitoes are already buzzing around me here as I sit doing my blog post……bring on the fab smelling, asthma inducing mozzie spray I say!!!

Well, I must tell you, that is if you hadn’t guessed it already, that I’m back………and I’m bigger and faster than ever before……..yep, the new pc has been installed and I am thrilled…..lost the internet for a good while there, browniegirl nipped straws and developed sweaty shaking palms, started searching for the Rescue Remedy, but it was no big deal in the end….a very special word of thanx to my gorgeous Techie son….much appreciated my boy!!! Blogging is going to be an absolute pleasure….what with my bigger hard drive, lots more ram/speed and also the lovely new changes being implemented here on 24.com blogs. Well done to the team, I think the changes are great and I for one am looking forward to some me time to play with the new toys….can anyone tell me where I could maybe find some ME time??? I searched all over today but couldn’t find any around here………heehee…….

To all my friends who have commented and sent get well wishes here, on facebook & via email or sms……thankyou so much for your love and care….it is so much appreciated. My back is feeling easier this evening but I am lying low for a couple of days and taking things very slowly. Sweet daughter stuck the needle into my butt again this afternoon with some more anti inflammatory relief…while grandson Ty watched with glee, yet again begging to be the one wielding the injection…..OH MY HAT!!! I’d rather stare down a cobra haha………..well, not quite…..this little guy is so capable, he just might be able to do it….his gran will teach him……. )

So today I finally got to meet   DT and her lovely family………..….I had metHappygas   before as he was the one who came and connected the gas to my lovely cooking range when I bought it 6 months ago….Lovely family, beautiful DT multitasking and getting things done with sweet little angelic Taye lying cozily in her arms. Sasha was happy and skipping around and generally having fun…what a cute little chatterbox!!! It was lovely to meet you guys. Thank you for your hospitality…..see you in the garden DT )

With today being Shrove Tuesday – or just plain Pancake Day to many, I thought I had better tell you lot a little bit about it….this post had been intended for earlier in the day but I just couldn’t get anything done on the slow blogs this morning and then the big installation happened this afternoon & evening……with a bit of baking and visiting in between….so it’s late and I do apologise. There’s still time to go and knock up a couple of pancakes before midnight…..but not too much if you live in the Southern Hemisphere )

 Shrove Tuesday is a term used in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Canada^[1] and Australia^[2] for the day preceding the first day of the Christian season of fasting and prayer called Lent.

The word shrove is the past tense of the English verb shrive, which means to obtain absolution for one’s sins by way of Confession and doing penance. Thus Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the shriving that English Christians were expected to do prior to receiving absolution immediately before Lent begins. Shrove Tuesday is the last day of “shrovetide”, somewhat analogous to the Carnival tradition that developed separately in countries of Latin Europe. The term “Shrove Tuesday” is no longer widely known in the United States outside of Liturgical Traditions, such as the Lutheran, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic Churches. ^[3][4] Because of the increase in many immigrant populations and traditions since the 19th century “Mardi Gras” is much more widely-used.

The festival is widely associated with the eating of foods such as pancakes, and often known simply as Pancake Day, originally because these used up ingredients such as fat and eggs, the consumption of which was traditionally restricted during Lent.

Information gathered per kind favor of Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrove_Tuesday

And finally, very finally…………here is a link to my January pancake posting again…just in case anyone out there feels like flipping a few………..

MOO’S DELICIOUS PANCAKE RECIPE

Have a wonderful flippin’ evening y’all……..and I hope my fellow CapeTonians can sleep with this heat tonight………and the crickets chirruping….. outside the window (hopefully outside the window )…..and the mozzies biting you……inside the window )

browniegirl xxx

This is my effort for 
side view ‘s weekend  challenge

This weekend the challenge is – find something to photograph. Some aspect that you also want to write about. A strange insect in the garden, someone wearing ‘interesting’ clothing. A plate of food to die for. Whatever your weekend brings you. One (or more) picture and the words about it.

Vanilla Orange Cake with caramel buttercream filling & fondant icing

Good morning Blogland from a hot steamy kitchen…..yes, I am busy, have been since early this morning but thought I just had to take a break & pop in to tell you about the pie that I made the other night. I was going to blog about it sooner but then one of our new bloggers
Debsie
wrote in her very first entry that she was making chicken pie that night and blogging about it the next day….so great minds think alike and browniegirl had chicken pie the same night but thought I would let Debsie blog her pie and I would wait. Finally, here is the pie……..as you know I made pastry for my Nutella Love Bites earlier in Feb and I only made a few and froze the rest of the pastry. So it was that pastry that I used for this chicken pie. It was totally delicious. Mr Moo had two meals out of it and declared it a winner and keeper….so, without further ado……………

MOO’S YUMMY CHICKEN PIE

Serves 4
Pastry from Moo’s Nutella Love Bites recipe
recipe previously blogged here

4 Chicken Breast Fillets – cubed1 carrot, finely diced
1  Celery stalk – finely chopped

6 Brown Mushrooms – thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped

1 Garlic Clove – finely grated

Few sprigs of fresh Thyme – leaves removed and stalks discarded

Pinch of Dried Tarragon
½ tsp Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Salt for seasoning
Glug of Olive Oil & Knob of Butter

125ml Verjuice or White Wine

50ml Cream

1 Egg – lightly beaten for glazing

Method:

Saute the onion in the oil until limp & translucent

Add the carrots & celery & continue sautéing for 3 more minutes

Add the butter to the pan, then add the mushrooms, thyme, tarragon, black pepper & garlic  -  you might want to sneak in a bit of chilli here too )

Stir-fry until the mushrooms are limp

Remove from pan with slotted spoon & set aside

Add the chicken cubes and brown them quickly in the left over pan juices

Pour in the wine or verjuice, scrape all the bits loose from bottom of the pan, add the onions mixture & continue simmering for about 15 minutes. You might need to add a bit of water as you want a little gravy for your pie but not too much

Pour in the cream, season to taste with salt & more pepper if needed & heat through

Allow to cool while you roll out your dough and line the bottom of a medium sized oven dish – reserve just under half the dough for the topping

Fill your pastry lined dish with your chicken filling

Roll out the rest of the pasty to fit over the top, scrunch the edges together to seal completely, cut a slit in the middle right through the top pastry for steam to escape as the pie cooks

Brush the top with the beaten egg

Place in the preheated oven at 200⁰C for 20 minutes until the pastry is puffy and golden

Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into slices and serving with mashed potato or chips and lightly steamed vegetables

This pie really turned out well, the pastry was fantastic and is a worthy contender for becoming a regular addition to any table. I will always have some of the pastry in the freezer from now on. 

Enjoy & have a fantastic weekend everyone…..
mine is busy with Jay’s christening & 1st birthday party…..I am off to the kitchen to continue my baking spree…and the icing…..oh dear!!! Grab a pain pill on the way )
browniegirl xxx

And then……for my cat loving friends………….

My sis in law’s huge cats….we visited last weekend & they allowed me to take their photographs…….

Edit

Sheesh some bloggers get agitated when they don’t get their daily Kitchen Diary fix…..apologies to
 half-pint
for messing with her Karma……I hope this post satisfies you Halfy…..

I also wanted to mention my SASSI badge on the right…….firstly thankyou so much to

DT

for assisting with the code….I really do appreciate it, especially with her having so much on her plate at the moment. My prayers are with you all…….Mwah!!

If anyone would like to display the badge please let me know and I will give the code. I changed the original a bit to make it smaller for bandwidth purposes….

OK, for those who had a problem with the cheesecake at the top of this posting….just under the heading of chicken pie……….I’ve moved it to the bottom LOL!!!

I made this delicious cheesecake, with pomegranate topping,  for my sister’s Valentine’s Dinner,
I want that beautiful cake stand please……….. )

browniegirl xxx

 
We have been seeing lots of wonderful sunsets lately…..

Hello blogland….yep, I’m still here & I’m OK….thanx to those who have enquired. Why is life so crazy   busy???? I had hoped that it would calm down a bit but it seems to be going just the opposite way (  but I’m not complaining….no sirree!!! It’s just that….well, you see……other things (including my ancient dinosaur pc system) are messing with my work blogging time and when you have a bit of an addiction like I do have *blush*……then that just is not good enough…..now IS IT??? Thank you so much to everyone for all the lovely comments on past posts. I will eventually find my way round to everyone )……

Had a super duper weekend and Valentine’s Day. Browniegirl was thoroughly spoiled ) I was also quite busy in the kitchen but managed to make brownieboy some yummy blueberry pancakes for breakfast…..the weather was lovely and I had plans for an early evening picnic  but the South Easter came up and messed around too much with those plans so we brought the picnic indoors and had a wonderful time. Gorgeous son and his lovely GF joined us and it was most enjoyable. Served a range of finger foods which included pan seared garlic & chilli marinated prawns, hot camembert, beautiful figs, avocado, asparagus, home grown baby tomatoes, sliced baguettes, savoury biscuits & crisps, dips, chocolate mousse, strawberries, black seedless grapes, Four Cousins  Sparkling Rose ….hmmmmmm all delicious!!

Here are a few pictures of our food……  

 
and also some of my cute grandsons…

Little Jay is growing & developing so fast…..he sings & chats & plays drums on any surface he can find. He already has quite a vocabulary. He is very keen to be walking on his own now, manages to walk while pushing his little trolley or holding onto hands. So precious. This weekend we are having his first birthday celebrations and also his baptism. Moo is going to be busy again )
and then………..just ’cos I can………the jelly baby toes…….not so clean and soft anymore )
 

I got this in an email earlier today, I loved it so much that I just had to post it before the day was over…the meaning of true love!!! A beautiful promise from God to the World………there for the taking!!

I do hope you have all had an enjoyable day blogland, whichever way you chose to spend it….I certainly have, and I am off to retire happy for the night…..

Happy Sunday to you all ,

browniegirl xxx

Aaaaaaah Valentine’s Day…………..some like it, some don’t, some relish the thought of it & can’t wait for the dawning…….some despise it & want to sleep through it to wake up on Sunday!!! Personally, I love it, not the expensive commercial side of it but the spirit of loving & the celebration of it. Acknowledging & honouring real love and loved ones….this should be a daily thing but having one international world day to celebrate it on is a great idea. I like to include my kids, grandkids, siblings, friends and like to acknowledge them all just with a sms or email telling them I love them & what they mean to me………the special stuff I save for Mr Moo….or brownieboy…….or The Don……..shame, he seems to have a mercurial identity these days…..this will be our 34th Valentine’s Day together ) Delicious…….I have a few tricks hidden up my sleeve, it will depend on the weather of course but suffice to say it will include the word picnic, champagne, prawns, avocado, asparagus, brie, fruit, chocolate, strawberries………hmmmm, cant wait!!!
The following is a stunning, inexpensive way of spoiling loved ones……instead of expensive chocolates or those R140 bunch of red roses that die within days spread a little love this Valentine’s Day with Moo’s Red Velvet Cupcakes!!!

MOO’S RED VELVET CUPCAKES

WITH VANILLA CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups sugar
½ tsp Bicarb

½ tsp Baking Powder

½ tsp Cream of Tartar
Pinch fine salt
4 tsp cocoa powder
½ cup Cooking Oil

¼ cup Butter at room temperature
1 cup Buttermilk, at room temperature
3 Jumbo Free Range eggs, at room temperature
30ml Bottle of  red food colouring

(powder/gel if you can get it…use as much as needed to make batter bright red)
1 ½  tsp white distilled vinegar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Finely grated zest from ½ Orange

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180oC

Place 24 paper cases in deep muffin pans (Foil cases look stunning)

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder

In a large glass bowl whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food colouring, vinegar and vanilla

Stir in the orange zest

Using an electric mixer, gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.

Divide the cake batter evenly among the paper cases (only half fill)

Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 20 minutes for the cupcakes

Remove the cakes from the oven and place onto cooling racks to cool completely

VANILLA BEAN CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 pk cream cheese, softened (use Philadelphia brand) at room temp

(I place mine in a paper towel lined sieve over a bowl for a couple of hours to drain off any liquid)
2 cups sifted confectioners (icing) sugar
125g unsalted butter ( ½ cup), softened
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Seeds from ¼  Vanilla Pod or  ,5ml Vanilla Paste (optional)

Finely grated zest from ½ Orange

Pecan Nuts (toasted in a dry pan till lightly browned then chopped finely) for garnish

With a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated.

Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)

Reduce the speed of the mixer to low.

Add the vanilla & zest, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally).

Store in the refrigerator until quite stiff before piping onto the cakes

May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Scoop the chilled frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle

Pipe swirls onto each cupcake starting at the outer ends and ending with a high point in the middle

Sprinkle a little bit of crushed pecans on top of each cupcake

For fancy cupcakes sprinkle over edible glitter and top each one with a coloured ball

You could bake this in heart shaped cake pans as well

YUMMY!!!!!

To all my beautiful loved ones…….hubby, children, grandchildren, family, friends………
I love you with an unconditional love………agape love…….
and I pray for you happiness, joy, love & good health for the next year…..
To all my readers……..have a delicious day, whichever way you choose to spend it )

O my luve is like a red, red rose

That’s newly sprung in June;

O my luve’s like the melodie

That’s sweetly played in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonny lass,

So deep in luve am I;

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;

I will luve thee still, my dear,

While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only love,

And fare thee weel, awhile!

And I will come again, my love

Tho’ it were ten thousand mile.
Robbie Burns

Love always & Enjoy!!!!
browniegirl xxx
Y

Click the link below to listen to My Love is Like  A Red Red Rose by Robbie Burns……….
sung by Eddi Reader

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUs-5dHFksw 

Today is a very special day for a VSBB,

a low flying, big hugging, big hearted VSBB

………that’s Moospeak for Very Special Blog Bat

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ollQoLPzvZQ

Yep, everyone say

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

To 24.com’s very own

BATTY

May you have a seriously special day Batty, and may you be richly blessed throughout the year ahead
Thankyou for the all the love & hugs that you spread around cyberspace every day….it is so much appreciated.
 

Much love & huge hugs

browniegirl xxx
Y  

 A while back my friend over at Tagine & Tea blogged about the sole in lemon caper butter sauce that she made and I have been hankering after this ever since. I didn’t have any sole and really had no desire to go out and look for some….I did have some lovely Dorado fillets in the fridge so decided to pan sear them and serve with T&T’s sauce. It was absolutely delicious….I did the usual bit of browniegirl pimping…..but her recipe really didn’t need it ) Thanks for the inspiration T & T……….

SOS  -  Save  Our  Seas