Just Loving..

via Steff's Stuff

DIY party favors..

and place cards

this DIY can be found on Once Wed

Vol-au-vaunt Feta cheese and Mint

simple and great for gatherings!

Chocolate Rice Pudding..

made this for the family .. with lotsa orange zest and dark chocolate.. heavenly!

1 cup of rice
2 cups milk
6 oz dark chocolate
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

In a sauce pan , boil the rice with the milk, sugar and vanilla  , for about 25 minutes , when softened , remove from heat.
stir in chocolate and cocoa powder till well combined
add orange zest

serve while warm!

Wedding Cake Inspiration

 inspiration from Martha Stewart's Wedding Cakes Book

photos taken by Johhny Miller Photography
via weddingchics

Beef Burginoun

to warm your winter!

 Boeuf Bourguignon
adapted from Almost Bourdain

Ingredients
2 lbs (900 g) paleron of beef,
Salt and pepper

1/4 cup (56 ml) olive oil

4 onions, thinly sliced

2 tbsps (28 g) all purpose flour

1 cup (225 ml) red Burgundy ( we dont do alcohol so we used cider vinegar mixed with grape juice)

6 carrots, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces

1 garlic clove

1 bouquet garni (* see note)

A little chopped flat parsley


* Bouquet Garni: 1 sprig of flat parsley, 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, and 1 bay leaf, tied together with string and used for flavouring (usually stews or sauces). Tying the bundle in cheesecloth makes it easier to retrieve from the pot.

Method


Season the meat with salt and pepper.

In the Dutch oven, heat the oil over high heat until it is almost smoking. Add the meat, in batches - NOT ALL AT ONCE! - and sear on all sides until it is well browned (not gray). You dump too much meat in the pot at the same time and you'll overcrowd it; cool the thing down and you won't get good color. Sear the meat a little at a time, removing it and setting it aside as it finishes.

When all the meat is a nice, dark brown color and has been set aside, add the onions to the pot. Lower the heat to medium high until the onions are soft and golden brown (about 10 minutes).

Sprinkle the flour over them. Continue to cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the red wine. Naturally, you want to scrape up all that really good fond from the bottom of the pot with your wooden spoon. Bring the wine to a boil.

Return the meat to the pot and add the carrots, garlic, and bouquet garni. Add just enough water ( and two big spoons of demi-glace, if you have it) so that the liquid covers the meat by one third - meaning you want a ratio of 3 parts liquid to 2 parts meat. This is a stew, so you want plenty of liquid, even after it cooks down and reduces. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, and let cook for about 2 hours, or until the meat is tender (break-apart-with-a-fork tender).

You should pay attention to the dish, meaning to check it every 15 to 20 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to make sure the meat is not sticking . You should also skim off any foam or scum or oil collecting on the surface, using a large spoon or ladle. When done, remove and discard the bouquet garni, add the chopped parsley to the pot, and serve.

Madame Sucre's Creations : Lemon Cranberry Bars

Madame Sucre's Lemon Cranberry bars

Madame Sucre's Creations : Hot n Spicy Cuppaccino Basket

Great For Gatherings and Celebrations!

Madame Sucre's Hot n Spicy Cuppaccino Basket

Comes with Cinnamon Spicy Cuppaccino Mix in Sachets
Peppermint Sticks for Stirring
Marshmallows in Jar

Salmon En Croute ..The Daring Cooks December Challenge

The Daring Cooks' December 2009 Challenge

Salmon en croute:

Ingredients

Mascarpone or creamcheese 5.2 ounces/150 gr

Watercress, rocket (arugula) and spinach - 0.6 cup/4.2 ounces/120 gr

Shortcrust pastry - 17.6 ounces, 500 gr. Use a butterversion such as Jus-rol which is frozen or dorset pastry. or... make your own!

Salmon fillet (skinless)- 17.6 ounce/500 gr

egg - 1 medium sized


Directions:

1.Heat the oven to 200°C/390 F. Put the mascarpone or cream cheese in a food processor with the watercress, spinach and rocket and whizz the lot until you have a creamy green puree. Season well.

2. Roll the pastry out so you can wrap the salmon in it completely (approx. 2-3 mm thick) and lay it on a buttered or oiled baking sheet (it will hang over the edges). Put the salmon in the middle. If it has a thinner tail end, tuck it under. Spoon half of the watercress mixture onto the salmon. Now fold the pastry over into a neat parcel (the join will be at the top, so trim the edge neatly), making sure you don’t have any thick lumps of pastry as these won’t cook through properly. Trim off any excess as you need to. Make 3 neat cuts in the pastry to allow steam to escape and make some decorations with the off-cuts to disguise the join if you like. Brush with the egg glaze.

3. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and browned. To test wether the salmon is cooked, push a sharp knife through one of the cuts into the flesh, wait for 3 seconds then test it against the inside of your wrist; if it is hot, the salmon is cooked. Serve with the rest of the watercress puree as a sauce.

What's your New Year Resolution?

my new year resolution: to find sweetness in everything !

Make sure to keep up all those new year's resolutions!

via coolchic style