2014 Blog 350: Cake Pop

Another beautiful thing about this season is the crave to make something from scratch and give.. like bake!   Elektra decided that she will try to make cake pops for the first time and give it away. She looked up the procedure online. It did not sound so hard at all.  All it needed most was the inspiration to do.  So we bought the ingredients and materials and played a christmas song along. It was exciting. She baked and made cake balls and turned them into lollipops. I did the taste test of course.

In simple steps: bake a vanilla cake, crumble it (avoiding the bottoms), mix with frosting, form lollipop size balls, slab a lollipop stick, dip it on melted white chocolate, then cool.   Of course, decorate it as desired.

What are you baking?

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2014 Blog 348: Ra Pa Pum Rum

I totally felt I had a hang-over all day. It’s a good feeling though. It means I had a such a long night last night. But it didn’t stop me from going out to get my rum cake specially made by Cathy! Rum cake really brings me good memories about my trip to Jamaica. The best thing is that this one that Cathy made is so close to the one that Miss Adassa made in Jamaica. The sweetness and the rumminess collides in just a delightful way! Thorr is now inspired and promised that he is going to make one from scratch too! .. just for me! Ah it is that season again. When I feel all festive and I think that I can indulge on all my favorite food. Let me not diet now. Let me be not bothered.

Are you ready to have a festive diet?

 

 

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2014 Blog 338: Spooning a Rice Krispie

Elektra just made a tray of lovely rice krispie from scratch. Just with enough lots of marshmallows makes me speechless. The tray of goodiness is almost done. It is just so good. Some people wanted it cold. Some love it warm. I love it warm. Once cold, it can be heated in the microwave for a few seconds. Now here is a little bit more tip:  if you microwave it a few more seconds, you will find that tiny portions of it will get roasted. It will be nicely roasted. It is very good. I just love scooping it with spoon while it is warmth. I wonder if it might be more delightful if glaze it with chocolate or caramel. I think I might want to put more melty-ing tiny marshmallows. I also wonder if nuts would nicely blend or would it create a chaotic but nice fusion of sweet and saltiness. I wonder.

Should I experiment or just eat it?

 

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2014 Blog 327: Whisked With Whiskey

Sure, I have started shopping for the best season of all.  It just feels wonderful.  Honestly, I don’t give expensive stuff.  I do not have the money budget to give pricy items.  But I do have a lot of budget in my heart that inspires me to give.    Just to give.

Part of finding what to give is to roam around on foot (not on online), and to browse for ideas in person (not pictures).    I  just get more blissful experience when I go out.

Anyways… one of the wonderful things that I love too when I go shopping during Christmas Season is finding wonderful stuff I have not tried before.  I do pick-up food items for curiosity sake.  Of course there is always a catch that it may or may not be good.  One of my fave places to find stuff is Homesense.  They normally have an aisle of food stuff from different worlds.   On Christmas season, there is usually more stuff in this aisle.  This week, it is nicely piling up.  This time, I found a marmalade jam with whiskey in it.  It’s not my first time to try marmalade but it is my first time to try it with whiskey.  Thorr didn’t like the idea.  I think he thought it was ridiculous.  Though I know by heart he is also as curious as I am.  So of course, I whisked away with it.

You wonder how it tasted?  It was two thumbs up. I think it was a brilliant pick.  Too bad that it was the only jam with whiskey I found… for now.

Let’s make jams and whisk it?

 

 

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2014 Blog 326: Apple Delight

I have learned this from my Ukrainian friend.

Take an apple, wash, and scoop out the middle part and the seeds. Put some honey. Microwave it in low power until the inside is soft. When cooked, open it up a bit by slicing so that its steam may go out. It can be served in singles or in multiples. If you are going to serve a number of apples, it would be cool to arrange it in some manner. Serve when just nicely warm.

This is just so good you know. I find it more enticing when you add nuts and just a little bit more honey upon serving.

Wanna have some apple delight?

 

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2014 Blog 298: Chinaman Chews

I was at a fund raising bake sale today for the Project J7 Mission Trip.  There, I scouted for the usual delicious chocolate cup cakes and whatever I can eye that is new to me.  Gladly, I discovered Chinese Chews.  Interestingly,  anyhow I look at it,  it does not look  like a chinese goody at all.  It is baked goody squares of flour, sugar, chopped dates, walnuts, beaten eggs. It is all sprinkled with icing sugar.  I grabbed the plate and took it home and experimented it with my bites and taste bud.  And I say, it is pretty good.   It is lovely to try new food wherever you can find.

What new food did you find today?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2014 Blog 270: Sage

This sounded good.  French onion soup (melted aged gruyere), ceasar salad (baby organic romaine leaves) with butter fried toast, grilled tenderloin with peppercorn sauce, mashed potatoes, market vegetables, supreme of chicken, rutabaga with herb oil, and bread pudding with tapioka milk.  This is the Sage’s tasting menu at

River Cree.  It sounded simple but very good.  Indeed it was.  It was exactly what we had last night.  I think the place has the sleek retro look, and could bring you back right to the 80s.  I liked it.  Our server’s name was Jammy… very friendly, served the food in time, attended nicely to our needs, and gave us pleasant smiles.  If you have plans to go to River Cree, you may not want to miss a delightful dinner at Sage.   You can be wise.  You can be sage.

Well, do you feel like gambling anyway?

2014 Blog 267: Rum Pudding

My step dad’s pudding is one of the best home made indulgence I have.  Lucky me, he is in town this week.   All the ingredients he needs is a day old dried cinnamon bread, eggs, milk, sugar, butter, nutmeg, and vanilla.  As the love gets stronger,  he may add raisins or walnuts or dried cranberries.    The kids love to put whip cream on it.  The others like to pour saskatchewan berry sauce.   But for you and me, I will absolutely dash it with some rum, tonight.  We gotta do this again.

Do you have some day old cinnamon bread?

 

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2014 Blog 265: Once Again Rum

Once again.. to the rum cake I went tonight.
Once again.. there I was, down along Ellerslie Road at the Chop Restaurant.  It is not a chinese restaurant.  It is a steak house.  But I did not have a steak.  I went there to just have dessert tonight.  Really.
Once again.. I am full.  Burp.  But, I am happily full tonight.
Once again.. I write about it, as this is all I feel, so full, and fool tonight.
Once again.. I am just,  just swelling in full on the red big couch.  I think I am getting red too.
Once again.. I have indulged myself sinfully with some sweet dessert and a taste of rum.

Have you had yours tonight?

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2014 Blog 263: Okra

This morning I grabbed a bunch of fresh okras from the market. You know you can just steam it in the microwave for a bit more than 60 seconds and it is ready to eat. I love it with almost anything.. with fried something or even on something soup. And people from my home country will know that it is so good with bagoong. Just okra, bagoong, and white rice is all I need in my next meal. It reminds me of home and I am glad it is here. Maybe I should grow them in the garden next year. Wait. I don’t have a vegetable garden. But maybe I can just throw seeds somewhere at the backyard somewhere? or maybe on a big plant pot. I wonder if that will work. For now, I will just go to the market for okra.

Do you recognize okra?