strawberry ice cream cake.

does this cake not look delicious?! i'm thinking it's a must on my list of things to make this holiday weekend. the strawberries makes it the most beautiful pink. and it looks so so simple. i'm going to have to make a special trip to costco to load up on fresh berries! recipe found here.

recipe and image via real simple.

summer dress.

i am totally loving this dress from f21. i just need it to be a tad bit longer. it seems like all the dresses this season are so short and it's killing me! i don't want to wear leggings with everything! but nonetheless, i love it and would pair it with a cute tee, leggings and some summer sandals. it would be perfect for the upcoming 4th of july weekend!

Pav Bhaji Masala Powder

Ingredients :

Coriander seeds : 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds : 1 tbsp
Dry Mango Powder : 1 tbsp
Dry red chillies : 2
Fennel seeds : 1/2 tsp
Black Pepper : 5
Cloves : 2 or 3
Cardamom pod : 1
Turmeric Powder : 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon stick : 1" piece
A pinch of hing

Method :

Heat a wide pan and dry roast the coriander, cumin, fennel, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, cloves and red chillies to brown color. When color changes and nice aroma appears, remove from the heat and allow it to cool. Grind the roasted spices into a fine powder along with turmeric, dry mango powder and hing. Remove from the blender and store in a jar.

i love jacob.

in honor of the release of eclipse tomorrow i thought i would share this picture of ike and i when we were at la push beach back in march. how dare he write that huh! so offensive. he pretends he thinks it's silly but deep down he's a twi-hard just like me. i am so excited to see the movie. i'm not die hard enough to go to the midnight showing {i'm a grandma who really needs my sleep, just ask isaac}, but i'm hoping to get tickets soon. i usually would have bought them already but our weekend plans aren't set in stone and you know i don't want to buy them and not be able to use them! do you have tickets yet?! i can't wait!!!

Mango And Macaroni Kheer

Ingredients :

Mango Pulp : 1 cup
Macaroni : 1/2 cup
Milk : 3 cups
Sugar : 1/2 cup


Method :

Cook the macaroni in 3 cups of boiling water until tender. Drain and keep aside.In a heavy bottomed vessel boil the milk and add the sugar and cooked macaroni in it. Cook for 5 minutes on a medium flame. Turn off the heat. Add the mango pulp and stir well. Garnish the kheer with chopped almonds and serve hot or chilled.

giveaway.

just cook already reached 700+ followers and is giving away a one year subscription to real simple! head on over and enter for a chance to win! i really really hope i'm the winner though, sorry. we all know i love real simple the most. just kidding just kidding, good luck!

let the countdown begin.

the hubs and i at aj's wedding.

it's monday people, and i only have 5 more mondays until i'm done with nursing school. doesn't that seem close?! aaaaaahh it just feels like forever. i worked 53 hours at the hospital this week and i am dead tired. and today i start another clinical rotation - psychiatric nursing! i'm nervous. but i'm really excited about the site i'll be at and will hopefully learn a lot about children with mental health issues.

guess what! mr. isaac westwood came home on saturday night and i spent approximately 1.5 hours with him before we crashed in bed, i got up at 4:30 am to go to the hospital, and he jetted back to st. george for more business until thursday. can you believe it?! i miss him so much when he's gone. luckily i have school to keep me busy and i'm having a girls night tonight with my best girlies! i'm so excited, i haven't had a night with them in so long. isaac will be back for the 4th of july weekend and i can't wait. we have some fun plans in the works. i can't wait to go to our cabin, do sparklers and fireworks, and eat yummy food. i gotta get planning the treats i'll be making!!

what are your plans for the 4th?!

Bread and Butter Pudding - With Mangoes!!

 

Mango- the insanely delicious fruit.!!  I have been eying  luscious mangoes on roadside carts, the aisles in the supermarket and been wanting to make a dessert or cake with it. The season is zooming past and I haven't been able to make any desserts from my mango-based dessert wish list. Real life, with kids, work, maid troubles taking up a lot of my time and mind space. Yeah, I know I have been cribbing about this way too much, but hey, guys, have a heart!! Having food on the mind all the time and not being able to dish them up is hardly the perfect formula towards being a happy foodie..

I started taking pics of my desserts only after I started to blog. I was previously taking pics of only my cakes, to be put up on my Picasa album.  I have made the Bread and Butter pudding a few times earlier, but this time I tried it with mango and baked it in a Bain-Marie( a water- bath).Could not resist the addition of mangoes to this classic, making it  a Bread and Butter pudding- with Mangoes.

The result was a delicious, crispy - moist pudding with pieces of chopped mango in between the layers, topped with pistachio flakes. Though he did not hugely relish the mango pieces in the pudding, my son(not much of a fruit person) said 'It is good, no, better than good, its exceptional'. Lol! Hubby, a man of few words, gave a few murmurs of praise, took a second serving...


I have adapted this recipe from the magazine Good Housekeeping, a recipe from pastry Chef Kishi Arora. I have made a few modifications here. My oven being a small one, the challenge here for me was to make this dessert in a tin which would fit inside another tin, allowing space for the hot water around the inner tin. Oh, well, I manged it, as this was for just hubby and kids. Gotta buy a bigger oven soon, to feed my elephantine sweet tooth, once I get off my diet:-))


Here is what I did, after halving the original quantities.

Ingredients: 
4 slices of bread(I have used whole wheat)
2 Eggs(slightly less than this should work just fine, work out the Math!!)
1/14 cup milk(I have used low fat milk)
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 tbspn vanilla essence
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
!/4 cup chopped mangoes
2 generous tablespoons pistachio flakes

Method: Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C. Grease an oven proof baking dish.( I have used a small square approximately 3 cup capacity tin).

2. Spread both sides of the bread with butter. Arrange them in the dish with pieces of mango in between the slices. The slices must overlap.

3. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla, until well combined and a little frothy. Pour this over the bread in the baking dish and allow it to steep for about 10 minutes.

4. Place the dish in a larger baking tray. Pour hot water into the tray so it comes about halfway up the sides of the baking dish and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.  

5. The pudding is done when the top is golden brown and crispy, but a bit wobbly when you give the dish a shake.

6.Let it stand for about 5 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla custard if you like.

I made the mistake of adding the pistachio flakes before baking as they browned a lil too much. It would be a better idea to garnish the pudding once out of the oven.

This recipe goes to Suma's Baking from a Book event and to Champa's weekly Bake Off.

The Giant Robot, Clerkenwell

I almost didn't come here, as I couldn't get through to anyone to book a table. In the end, I called another Rushmore group restaurant and booked a table through them - so that's a good tip if they forget to turn their answering machine off again. Once we got there, the staff were incredibly friendly and relaxed, so all was forgiven

It was a hot day, so we drank Mimosa cocktails, which were lovely and refreshing, and actually felt quite healthy. But perhaps that's just by my standards! We ate asparagus with salsa, a breakfast salad, with delicious black pudding bits in it, and eggs benedict. I can't fault any of it. The vibe was very New York, laid-back and cool. It made me feel cool too, so I will be back for sure!

Cupcake sale

Just a quickie. John Lewis' sale has started and there are a few cupcake goodies in their - just go to their website and search for cupcake. The tins are sold out online but you might be able to pick them up in store. Everything else above is available online now!

"Pets du nonne" without pastry

How can you not want to make cakes with a name like "nun's farts"? Well, actually I imagine some people might not find the name that appealing, but for me, along with the simplest recipe in the world, it was a "fait accompli", or something like that. Now, "pets du nonne" often come in pastry, but this recipe I found in the Green'n'Blacks cookbook, is a much lighter version. I adapted it slightly - firstly I didn't use angelica, as I couldn't find any anywhere. Then, I substituted walnut bits for almond flakes, which worked fabulously well, even if I do say so myself

Ingredients:

50g dark chocolate (chilled)

2 egg whites

pinch of salt

75g caster sugar

75g flaked almonds

(1 teaspoon dark rum optional)

You simply beat the egg whites and salt until they form stiff peaks, as when making meringue. Then start whisking in the sugar a bit at a time. Finally, fold in the almonds, chocolate which has been broken up into little bits, and the rum if you are using it (I used Morgan's Spiced). Line a baking tray with foil or baking paper and grease slightly - this is something I didn't do and I ended up with a few broken cakes, they are so incredibly delicate that you don't want to be prising them off at the end. Put little blobs of the mixture onto the tray, making sure that they don't touch. Then bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for about 8 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave them in there for at least an hour, I left them for two

That's a broken nun's fart up there. This photo shows much more about these cakes then the ones that look whole and pretty, as they are no different to meringues on the outside. Yet on the inside the melted chocolate, delicate almonds and creamy meringue have a right old party. I am no baking queen but these will definitely become part of my repertoire - I love simple recipes and that taste amazing, and these fit the bill perfectly

Sago fritters (Sabudana vada)

It was a cold, rainy weekend afternoon, and tea time. I was already fighting hard to resist the temptation for a warm, crispy snack, and there came my husband, asking if I could make some vada (fritters). I hadn't soaked anything or prepared to make vada, but I had potatoes at home and instant sago that soaks quickly. So, there goes my answer. But my husband hates any dish made with sago - or so he claims. Well, after 4 years of marriage, I'm now well aware of his pre-conceived notions and baseless dislike of every other ingredient. The good thing is that he doesn't always recognize them! In the case of this vada, he only noticed the potatoes in them and he found the snack absolutely heavenly. When I mentioned the sago in it, it was already too late for him to retract!

Ingredients

sago (sabudana) - 1 cup
potato - 1
roasted peanut - 1/2 cup (coarsely ground)
green chillies - 3 (chopped fine)
ginger paste - 1/2 tsp (or ginger - 1 inch piece - peeled and chopped fine)
red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
salt - 1 1/4 tsp
curry leaves - a few (chopped fine)
lemon juice - 1 tbsp
pakoda masala - 1 tsp (optional)

Method

Soak sago until soft. Drain and wash. Dry on kitchen tissue for. Cut the potato into 8 pieces of approximately 2 inches each and microwave for 4 minutes. Cool, peel and mash potatoes. Add sago and all the other remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly and make a soft but firm dough. Roll out into lemon-sized balls, flatten out into disks and deep fry in hot oil. Serve with chutney or sauce.

Notes:
1. Soaking time will vary depending on the sago - if it is instant sago, just wash and drain. If it is the hard sago, it needs to be soaked for a few hours, preferably in warm water so that it soaks faster.
2. Roll out the vadas into thin disks if you like it to be very crispy.

Vankaya Kobbari Karam ~ Eggplants And Coconut Stir Fry

Vankaya Kobbari Karam/Vepudu ~ Eggplants And Coconut Stir Fry

Ingredients :

Eggplants : 1/4 kg
Grated Dry coconut : 2 tbsp
Red chilli powder : 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil : 4 tsp

Method :

Wash and cut the eggplants into pieces. Soak the eggplant pieces in salt water for 5 minutes and drain. Heat oil in a pan and add the eggplant pieces and turmeric powder. On a low flame, fry uncovered for 10 minutes and stir occasionally. When it's done, add salt, coconut and red chilli powder. Cook for another 2 minutes and remove from the flame. Serve hot with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.

the bright side.

this week has been seriously rough so i decided i need to borrow my bloggie friend krysten's idea of looking at the bright side and post 10 things that made me happy this week.

1. frozen yogurt in primary children's cafeteria
2. husband having such a successful business trip to st. george
3. getting an 88% on my leadership test {they are so hard!}
4. mini pork salads from costa vida
5. my comfy bed and being able to sleep in today {i'm still lounging in bed, love it}
6. being able to see without contacts/glasses! every night when i can still see i think to myself, "i need to take these contacts out...oh wait!"
7. a darling new pink and white swim suit from old navy {all their stuff is 30% off right now!}
8. my 14 year old brother collin putting my name on our home caller id as "annoying" because he gets annoyed i call to talk to my mom so much. so rude collin, but it made me laugh!
9. reading the help
10. and finally, finding a forgotten gift card from forever 21 so i could purchase this beauty of a tee. doesn't it look like it could be from j crew? love those forever finds. can't wait to get it in the mail!

i guess this week wasn't so bad after all. just can't wait for the hubs to get home tomorrow.
hope you have a fun summery saturday!

my father's day creations.

if you have a peanut butter chocolate lover in your life, make these brownie cupcakes with fluffy peanut butter frosting for them. they will be so pleased with you, i guarantee it. i have a confession...these cupcakes were the first i've made from scratch ever. can you believe that?! i just think the boxed cake mixes are delicious and convenient! and when you always make your own frosting you can't go wrong. so these were a first for me and they were fabulous. i'm going to start making all sorts of cupcakes from scratch from here on out, just you wait. if you're into foodie blogs like me, you must add the novice chef to your list - she always posts the yummiest recipes.

today is friday and it doesn't even feel like it. having to put in school hours on friday/saturday/sunday really ruins the joy of the weekend. plus the hubs will still be in st. george. boo. have a fun weekend for me!

Tulasi Tea ~ Indian Holy Basil Tea

Tulsi Tea ~ Indian Holy Basil Chai
Ingredients :

Holy Basil Leaves (Tulasi) : 5 leaves
Tea Powder : 1tsp
Water : 1cup
Milk : 1/4 cup
Sugar to taste


Method :

Wash the holy basil leaves and keep aside. Bring one cup of water to boil, then add the tea powder, milk, sugar and leaves. Let it boil for 5 minutes and remove from the heat. Strain into cups and serve.

Steamed Date Rolls

Ingredients :

Rice Flour : 250 gms
Dates : 250 gms
Sugar : 100 gms (optional)
Cashew nuts : 50 gms
Grated dry coconut : 50 gms
A pinch of salt

Method :

Mix rice flour, salt and make a stiff dough by adding water as necessary. Cover with a lid and keep aside. Remove seeds from the dates and crush the pulp. Add and mix the sugar and heat the mixture. When the pulp thickens add cashew powder and coconut and mix well. Remove from the flame and allow it to cool. Now divide both the doughs into two equals parts. Take one part of the rice flour dough. Place it on a plastic sheet and roll it with a rolling pin. Spread the dates mixture all over. Roll the rice flour roti into a roll form. Pressure cook the roll for 3 whistles. Remove from the cooker and let it cool completely. It can be served as a small roll or cut into slices and serve.

pancakes.

this is what i had for dinner last night. i struggle making pancakes and i don't know why. isaac always makes such good pancakes and mine taste so boring. good thing i had lots of butter and strawberry syrup to smother them with. my hubs is currently in st. george on his very first business trip away. i'll be honest, i'm not loving it. but i am so proud of him for all his hard work, he just started his own business! crazy huh! we're business owners. jk, i definitely have no right calling myself a business owner seeing as i do nothing to contribute to the said business. i just offer my love and support and whimper when he leaves his ill wife for st. george for a few days. i know i know, i'm a big baby.

i hope you all have a lovely thursday, i myself am putting in another 12 hours at the good old children's hospital. here's to hoping i feel better! adios.

a sweet surprise.

look what just came in the mail! my sweet aunt allison sent me these cookbooks as a surprise and i couldn't be more excited! today i'm home sick with a head cold and i'm not very happy about it. there is always so much to do but i guess i should be grateful for the rest. i've been reading through these books and i can't wait to get decorating some cupcakes. thank goodness i'll have some sweet free time in just 6 weeks! can't believe it. find the cookbooks here.

the face.

i make this face so much. and since my dad shot this beauty of a pic of my mom last weekend it has all become clear to me...i get it from my mama. i pull this face and i don't even know it, gaaaaah. hate that. at least we're having fun?!

Pasta salad

This pasta salad is one of my frequent week-day dinner recipes. Simple, healthy and easy to prepare, it perfectly fits the bill!

Ingredients:

whole grain spiral pasta - 1 cup

zucchini - 1

yellow squash - 1

grated carrot - 1/2 cup

spinach leaves - 1/2 cup

chick peas (soaked overnight in salt water) - 5 tbsp

juice of half a lemon
olive oil - 1 tbsp
ground pepper - 1/2 tsp (adjust according to taste)
salt to taste
yogurt or any salad dressing (optional)

Method:

Boil pasta in plenty of water with a little salt. When cooked, drain and keep aside. Fry zucchini, squash and carrot with a little salt. When half-cooked, add chick peas and fry for a minute. Add cooked pasta. Add spinach, pepper and lemon juice. Mix well and toss in the olive oil. Serve with yogurt or any dressing of your choice.

pink and petite.

i am loving this jacket from j crew. perfect for brisk summer nights. and we all know i'm a sucker for anything pink. can you tell i'm getting excited to make an actual salary as a nurse?!! oh the beauties i shall buy! let's just hope i get a job...the market is so bad right now. i get so stressed when i think about it so i just have to push it out of my mind and do everything i can to make myself valuable at primary children's. i can do it, i can do it.

weekend-o.

my wind blown self, so happy to be wearing sunglasses again.

what a weekend! not only did my surgery take place, but it was also my mother-in-law virlie's birthday! it was so much fun celebrating with her. we went to see toy story 3, and absolutely loved it!! the barbie/ken addition was perfect. i can't wait to see it again. we also had dinner at the dodo in sugarhouse and it was lovely. the desserts there are divine.

on sunday we had two delicious meals with both of our families. we are so lucky to have mothers who are fabulous cooks. virlie made the most tasty meal, we look forward to her food each week. these steak tacos were delish. oh how i love food, life just isn't good without it. am i right or am i right?

my eyes can see!

hello! my lasik surgery was a big success and i'm happier than ever. the surgery went great, quick and pain-free. and they even gave me a warm cookie from the oven while i waited between my 2 procedures. they really know how to please. and i could see 20/20 the next morning! best money ever spent. the only downside...i can't wear eye makeup for 5 days. yikies. i went to church today without it and i got some weird looks...but whateves.

it's been a lovely weekend free of work and school, complete bliss. and i've eaten a whole box of trix cereal in like 3 days. isaac asks me if i want food and i say i want trix - like 3 times a day. now they're gone and i'm bummed. so if anyone has an extra box of trix, send them my way.

today we're spending the day with both our families to celebrate our fathers and i'm loving it. i made the most delicious cupcakes that i can't wait to share with you, you'll love. happy father's day to my sweet dad and father-in-law!!

Brick Lane Farmers market and broad beans with bacon

I have decided to start following the Fife Diet. Luckily for me, this doesn't actually mean any form of dieting, but simply eating as much local produce as possible. I haven't ordered a veggie box just yet, but started off by going to a local farmers' market. Brick Lane farmers market opened just this month, so I decided to go check it out, and stock up. It's very small, though no doubt it will expand in time, but I managed to get a good supply of fruit and vegetables for the week, as well as a lovely organic burger for lunch, some jersey milk (Ok, so that's not very local, but it is incredibly delicious), and an earful from the Polish man who could not believe that I did not want to buy some pierogi and bigos for later, since I am Polish and everything...

When I got home, I made the rustic broad bean dish that you can see up there. It was dead simple, I just cooked the broad beans, and fried the bacon and onion separately. Then, I added some oregano to the crispy bacon and onion bits, and combined with the cooked broad beans. If you would like more precise instructions, you can see me making it here. Tomorrow, I will take the leftovers to work, and eat them cold on top of a bed of mixed salad leaves - can't wait!

The Chelsea Teapot

Manny and I spend quite a few weekends in the Sloane Square/Kings Road area - mainly because its a way for me to get him out of the house on a Saturday by bribing him with curry from The Indian Kitchen Co at Partridges Market and a chili for dinner with the fabulous beef I can get from the lovely Woodwards Farm stall. And lets not forget Yummy Boutique, Sobo Chocolate and Crumbs and Doilies. Oh, and Love Bakery and Hummingbird Bakery are not that far away either! It's a little bit of food heaven in SW London! And it's such a nice area of London to spend a Saturday in!

Yesterday we had a new place to check out - The Chelsea Teapot. It's been right down the other end of the King's Road for a while (a year or so if my googling is to be believed) and is well worth the walk (or you can jump on a bus to World's End if you prefer).

It's a really cute pastel painted cafe with a couple of seats outside and a window full of cakes to tempt you. Once inside there are lots of lovely cupcake and other items for sale as well as teas, coffees, soft drinks (including the Fentimans), ice cream and of course - cake!

We opted for a vanilla cupcake and cappuccino for me, and a chocolate cupcake and peppermint tea for Manny and got a seat. There's room for about10-15ish people inside and more room out in the secret garden at the back!

Lots of the crockery is cupcake themed, including Manny's teapot of peppermint tea, and the walls are covered in lovely pastel framed prints or vintage plates and there's a gorgeous chandelier. It's a very pretty and quaint cafe. You probably can't tell from my pic below however as I didn't want to use the flash in the cafe as it was peaceful and relaxing and I'd have disturbed others.

The cupcakes were really tasty and fresh. My vanilla one had a hint of almond but it didn't detract from the fact it tasted lovely and was very flavoursome. Manny tells me his cake was incredibly chocolaty and there was lots of hmm'ing so I think he enjoyed it! The coffee was good and Manny's huge pot of tea for under £2 was a bargain!

The staff were as welcoming as the cafe and we shall definitely be making a return visit - we usually end up in Starbucks or Peter Jones for a drink after shopping but this is a much nicer alternative!

Oh and finally - the loos were so pretty I could've stayed there for some time. Again lots of cupcake/cake prints and a teapot rug at the bottom of the stairs. I believe they hold children's cake decorating skills downstairs in the large mirrored area, and there were adverts for tarot evenings. Hopefully their website will be up and running soon to keep up to date with what is going on.

I couldn't resist photographing the whimsical sign on the kitchen entrance