First of all I wish you a pleasant first Sunday of Advent! Have a lovely day and don’t forget to light the first candle on your Advent wreath!

Yesterday, Mum, my godmother, her daughter and I threw a little biscuit baking party. We baked and baked and decorated and decorated for 8 hours. 8 hours! It was sooo much fun! (Although I hadn’t slept a lot the night before – I had an awesome Friday night for the first time in weeks.)

Now lean back and enjoy the cookie show!

These were our first batch of biscuits: Actually, they are called Dipped Pumpernickel in the recipe,

but because in the end, they look like this, we called them Chestnuts.

Chocolatey, chocolatey!

We also made Cinnamon Stars!

These ones are sooo good! They’re the best biscuits we made. I love them.

Who’s next? Oooh, Linzer Augen (Linzer Eyes/Biscuits). Yummy.

Filled with red currant jam and topped with almonds. Mmmmhm. The dough had a fine lemon taste. With the same dough as base, we made Nougat Loops.

The have a biscuit base, a nougat core and a whole milk chocolate topping with almonds. Hefty, I know.

We also used the inner parts of the loops to create something special – out of these little baby biscuits

we made these tasty Nougat Bits.

They are perfect for one bite. Simi and I saved them from being chocolate-covered – that would have been too much.

No, the show’s not over yet. There is still one kind of biscuits left.

We tried out the funny biscuit press I showed you. And… it didn’t work out quite well. Have a look at our ..uhm.. special Piped Biscuits.

Pay attention to the lips/ski-shaped biscuits on the right – hand-shaped by me, haha!

You see, I had a lovely weekend. Today’s the first Sunday of Advent and my Dad’s birthday (Happy Birthday, Dad!) and I’m in a really good mood. How can I not be with boxes full of tasty biscuits?  Particularly when they’re made with so much love.

I am more of a savoury than a sweets person, but you wouldn’t know it from my recent purchases. Well, two out of three of my favourites anyway.

Purchase #1: Rochelle Adonis nougat. Although Rochelle Adonis is well-known to Perth foodie elite (she also featured in the Autumn 2009 edition of Spice), she is new news for me. A connected friend introduced me to Rochelle and her wares during an October pho expedition on Brisbane Street. Being partial to nougat and very full of noodles, I looked past the delicious looking petit fours and purchased three pristinely packaged portions of nougat [these are currently priced at $15.50 per bar].

Pictured below (clockwise from my lemon cheesecake and pashmak canapes):
my recommendation is the rose petal, barberry & pistachio nougat, which is arguably her most famous offering; the wild blueberry, almond & lemon variety is the latest member of the range; the dark choc, orange, macadamia & ginger delight melts like Christmas in your mouth.

…and I just had to show you the last, lonely piece of my rose petal bar, before the fudgy nougat was lovingly ingested by moi:

Purchase #2: Chaource – a soft white-rind cheese. On the strength of my nougat find, I was keen to investigate another fresh Northbridge addition: Coles. I know most of you will have been to a Coles supermarket at some stage (if you live in Australia, that is), but the Northbridge store has more fabulous variety in its butters and cheeses than I have noticed in other stores. It was here that I discovered Lincet Chaource [$19 for the 250g round].

As for a decent camembert or brie, the centre of this white-rind cheese melts completely if you leave it at room temperature for long enough. I cheated: I warmed mine in a 150-degree oven for about 10 minutes, then cut off the top to serve; the liquid innards were then scooped out and enjoyed on generous slices of Lawley’s olive ciabatta, like a grown-up cheese spread. Bliss.

Purchase #3: Amadei – dark Italian chocolate. Amedei chocolate found me in Yellow Bistro and Food Store on my current trip to the east coast:

At $15.50 for 100g, this 66% cocoa dark chocolate delivered exactly what it said it would on the box: “long-lasting taste, without initial aggressiveness.”

Don’t view it as an expensive block of chocolate; rather, follow our lead and share this amongst four consenting adults as the perfect after dinner treat.

Here it comes!  The annual holiday that causes children (and adults!) to gorge on candy!  While we are all guilty of overindulging on candy corn, caramel, and suckers, there’s good news…this one day won’t result is complete tooth decay.  Phew!

When it comes to slurpin’ down corn syrup-y treats, it all depends on how often and not necessarily on how much.  It would be better to polish off a two liter of favorite sugary soda in one sitting than to sip on a soda all day…but we don’t encourage either!  (Did you know there are about 10 teaspoons of sugar in each 12 ounces of soda…now THAT is scary!)  Oh, and that bag of mini Tootsie Rolls that you had stashed away for Halloween night that you decided to polish off last night?  No immediate worries.  Now if it were a nightly ritual, you may have a cause for concern!

In 2008, The National Confectioners Association said 93 percent of children in the United States went trick-or-treating.  That’s a whole lot of mouths with a whole lot of teeth!  And even more amazing is that the average American consumes 25 pounds of candy each year!  Blasphemy!

But before you panic about your undeniable sweet tooth, the truth is, a little brush and swish after the candy is the key to long-lasting, cavity-free teeth.  The worst you can do?  Go to sleep without brushing and flossing!  When you’re sleeping, the sugar begins to bond to the enamel coating your teeth, and well, we all know what happens then.

Kellerman Dental believes oral health as a kid is critical to oral health as an adult.  But we all know that a little motivation helps, too!  That’s why kids and parents love our Cavity Free Club.  Kids get the opportunity to win prizes for attending regular visits and being cavity free, and parents get the satisfaction of promoting great oral care!

So what happens when they are cavity free?  First, kids can have their picture taken and posted on our giant tooth board.  Then, they enter their name for out monthly prize, that can be anything from tickets to Six Flags to a brand new bike!  Remind your gremlins that cutting back their candy intake has perks in the long run too!

So, this Halloween, you should be that awesome house on the street that is offering toothbrushes in every color imaginable.  Kids love the surprise (and parents do too!) and besides, who needs another Snickers or Reeses when they already have thirty packed deep into their bags and buckets.

Trick or Toothbrush..it has a nice ring to it, eh?  Happy Halloween!

Example of what too much candy can do to your teeth!  Ahhh!

I admit, it isn’t in the least bit rational, but all of my life I have avoided eating nougat, or anything that claimed to contain nougat. It’s the word…it just sounds so UGLY to me. Newwwwww-gat. It causes one to shudder. It didn’t matter how many times I heard how delicious it was or how many people insisted I try it, I steadfastly refused out of sheer stubbornness. It was childish and closed-minded and absolutely ridiculous and I knew I was being a poo. I still would not let nougat (shudder) pass my lips.

And so after I did a little research into what George Harrison was singing about when he sang “Montaelimar,” in his totally adorable nasal accent you can imagine how dreadful I felt when I discovered Montelimar is a place in France, famous for it’s nougat (shudder). Interesting to note is that unless a nougat is actually produced in Montelimar, and it contains certain specific percentages of almonds and lavender honey, it can’t actually legally be called Montelimar nougat. Much like only sparkling wines made from the grapes of the Champagne region can be called Champagne. Oh, those proprietary French.

The history of nougat is long…dating back to Ancient Egypt and Greece, where it was common to make sweets from honey and nuts. The almond tree was imported to France from Asia during the 17th century and thus replaced other nuts in the “nux gatom” (nut cake) or “nugo”. This treat was generally brown in colour and rather crunchy. Sometime around 1650 or so they began producing a softer, white nougat (shudder) by incorporating egg whites into the mixture.

Now, as you know, and I know, vegans don’t eat honey and we certainly don’t eat eggs, so the challenge I faced with creating this particular Beatles-themed treat was triple fold. Replace the honey, replace the eggs, and make something that I instinctively find repulsive. Greeeeeat.
However, I gritted my teeth, and got down to work, because you can call me a procrastinator and you can call me close-minded but you cannot, simply cannot, call me a quitter.

And you know what? I’m glad I did it.

From the Duchess of Kircaldy

I admit that it is yummy, okay? I admit that nougat (shudder) is tasty, yummy, sweet, nutty goodness. But I still think it’s poorly named.

Now it’s time for the secret confessions of the recipe. I wasn’t exactly sure how to replace the eggs. Having never actually eaten nougat (shudder) before I didn’t know what the eggs would provide to the recipe in terms of flavour or texture. I knew from the reading I did that Montelimar nougat was supposed to be chewy but firm. I understand enough about candy-making to know that whatever temperature you cook your sugar mixture at determines how firm the resultant candy is, but clearly the eggs had some role to play. Also, since the hot sugar is poured into the whipped egg whites in the original recipe, I understood that the egg whites would likely cook in the bowl, as the hot sugar was incorporated. I tossed around a few ideas but finally decided to try melting down some vegan marshmallows to replace the eggs. Next time, I am going to use a mixture of tapioca starch and water, though. And I’m also going to reduce the cooking temperature and time on the sugar syrup. Because while my nougat (shudder) is tasty and delicious and a wonderful treat….it’s also far crunchier than I believe Montelimar nougat (shudder) is supposed to be. So, go ahead and follow this recipe if you like a nougat (shudder) that’s crunchy when you first bite it but then gets softer as you chew it, or try my suggestions (in brackets) if you want a nougat (shudder) that’s less firm.

Montelimar Nougat, vegan-style
An egg- and honey-free version of the French classic. Delicous and sweet. Toothbrushes at the ready?
Inspiration gleaned, as usual, from The Savoy Truffle, by the Beatles.

3 cups granulated sugar (don’t use raw or brown sugar in this, unless you want brown nougat…ewwwww)
1 cup light agave nectar
3/4 cup white corn syrup
1 1/2 cups water
5 ounces or 140 grams of vegan marshmallows + 2 tbsp warm water (alternate: 1/3 cup tapioca starch whipped with 2/3 cup warm water)
2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp vanilla
3 drops pure essential lavender oil (optional)
2 1/2 cups whole blanched almonds, toasted at 300 F for 10 – 15 minutes
1/3 cup chopped pistachios
1/2 tsp salt

Melt the marshmallows with the 2 tbsp water in a double boiler. Keep warm. If you’re using tapioca starch, do not bother with this step.

Combine the sugar, agave nectar, corn syrup and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once this mixture boils, stop stirring and reduce heat to medium. Insert a candy thermometer and cook to 295 degrees Fahrenheit, exactly (285 F if you want a softer nougat). This can take quite a while, and the progress will seem slow until the thermometer hits about 250F, at which point it will heat very quickly. While it’s going slowly you can prepare the rest of your ingredients and work station. Have a 9 x 13″ baking sheet doused liberally with icing sugar all over the bottom. Get your stand mixer set up with it’s whisk attachment. When the thermometer hits 275F you want to put the warm, melted marshmallows into the bowl of your mixer and begin whisking. If you’re using the tapioca starch you’ll want to get it whisking at this point, too.

Once the sugar mixture reaches 295 F (285 F if you want a chewier candy), immediately pour it into a heat-proof measuring cup to stop the cooking. Then begin adding it to the whipped mixture in the bowl. DO NOT POUR HOT SYRUP OVER THE MOVING WHISK, as it will simply fly all over the sides of the bowl rather than incorporating. Instead, quickly pour it into the whisked mixture by thirds, switching the mixer off with each addition, beating the syrup in completely, then adding the next third.

Once all the syrup has been added, stir in the lemon zest, vanilla, and lavender oil (if desired…be careful – too much of this can ruin the batch!). Switch to the paddle attachment on your mixer and mix this on low speed for about 10 minutes, or until it’s cooled slightly. Add in the toasted almonds, chopped pistachios and salt, and mix. It will be very thick and hard to move it around the bowl as it cools, so you want to transfer it to the prepared pan as soon as you can touch it without it burning your precious little fingers. Press it into the pan to a uniform thickness. Let this cool for several hours or overnight before slicing into bite-sized squares. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry spot for up to six months.

Vollwertige Mahlzeit für unterwegs

Jetzt bietet Ihnen unser FiguActiv-Programm noch mehr Abwechslung und Freiheit. Ein einziger FiguActiv Riegel ist ein Ersatz für eine vollwertige Mahlzeit. Ob auf Reisen oder bei der Arbeit, die neuen FiguActiv Diät Riegel ermöglichen Ihnen ohne Einschränkungen und überall Ihr Diätprogramm durchzuführen: einfach aufreißen und genießen.

Drei mal im Geschmack: FiguActiv Crunchy Caramel, FiguActiv Crunchy-Nougat Geschmack und Aloe Vera-Heidelbeer Geschmack.

Susan Atkins, one of the Manson women convicted of Sharon Tate’s murder and the founder of modern low-carb living, has passed away. The 1969 rampage in which Susan partook was devastating, leaving seven people and one relatively viable fetus dead. It was by far the worst horror levied on director Roman Polanski. Except for that part about where he fucked a 13-year-old and they said it was a “crime.” As it happened, Susan was the downfall of the entire Manson family. She told a cellmate about it, which means that she was the one receiving a forced rimjob. That’s how they do it in the big house.

She’s dead, but that’s not even the funny part. They wouldn’t let her out of jail to die. She had one leg and her brain was full of tumors and holes. She was paralyzed, for fuck’s sake. Even the prosecution said she probably should be released. But she was still way too dangerous. Who knows when a  geriatric with severe neurological damage is gonna drop some acid and stab some bitches and write crazy shit with the blood? Not you. And that’s why you can’t let anyone out to die, even if they’re already legally dead or a brain in a jar or something.

Needless to say, this fucks up my retirement plan. I was gonna just wait until I run out of money, then confess to all the shit I’ve done. Like that one time I tranquilized a stray cat and filled it with nougat and released it so it could wobble down the street, and the neighborhood hooligans caught it and stuck a firecracker up its ass and it looked like a Snickers bar blew its head off. Or when I dug a hole in the backyard and got caught fucking it and I lied and told the little girl that there was a corpse under there and I was dipping my cock into its dry, papery flesh, but actually it was squishy and rotting. Obviously. Who would want to hump an origami twat?

After I confess, I’ll get sent to prison forever. After five or ten wonderful years of dyke rape and warden rape and fruit cocktail, I’ll get some kind of disease. Not one of those bad diseases. One that kills you gently and justifies a steady drip of an awesome painkiller. But I’ll fake it and be like, “I’m dying, you guys!” Then they’ll send me home and I can spend my last days eating cheesecake and watching South Park. And right before I die, I’ll blow my head off. That means I’ll get away with at least one murder.

But thanks to this cunt, that will never work. When it comes time to croak, the victims’ families will protest my release and cite Ms. Atkins as a precedent. “What about all the cattle mutilations?” they’ll whine. Like I’m gonna just jump out of my wheelchair and get some candy and stickers and start another child porn ring. But it won’t matter, will it? They’re gonna let me die on a piss-stained mattress, listening to my cellmate jerking her testosterone-fueled mega-clit in the top bunk. Damn it. Guess I have to 401k after all.

After two attempts, using two different recipes, at trying to make a caramel dipping sauce, my caramel sauce turned into a caramel nougat.

After much frustration, I finally gave up with trying to make a dipping sauce.

With the unintentional nougat, I made a few chocolate covered caramels and took a few sliced apple, wrapped nougat around them then drizzled some chocolate over them.

I still have some nougat leftover.

Although my intentions weren’t to make a nougat, the nougat came out rather good. It had the caramel flavor I was looking for.

I have yet to find a good caramel dipping sauce recipe.

A while back over at Five Lovely Things, I wrote about some glorious French-style nougats I happened upon on Etsy from a little company called Have It Sweet. Well, this evening, a whole great box of them – three kinds – were waiting for me at the post. Pistachio, hazelnut and almond, to be precise, carefully wrapped in parchment, tied with butterscotch-pudding ribbon, tucked in tissue for safe keeping.

To this I say: my best friend is the most wonderful person in the universe and ohmygoodness you need to order this nougat for yourself. Immediately. Toothsome and chewy, not painfully hard, delicately floral, just sweet enough, almost airy, and brimming with fresh nuts, it’s the best nougat I’ve ever had. (And I’ve eaten a lot of nougat in my days – French, Greek, Lebanese, Italian – I’m well-versed in pillowy nut-studded candy.)

Thankfully, a box of nougat this heavy should last a very long time.

Beneath the chocolate of Nestlés popular candy bar
is a chewy, peanut-covered center that resembles
Hershey’s PayDay. To clone this one we’ll only have
to make a couple adjustments to the PayDay clone recipe,
then add the milk chocolate coating. Even though the
wrapper of this candy bar calls the center “nougat,”
it’s more of a white or blonde fudge that you can make
in a saucepan on your stovetop with a candy thermometer.

Centers
1/4 cup whole milk
5 unwrapped caramels
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

20 unwrapped caramels
1 1/2 teaspoons water
2 cups dry roasted peanuts
1 12-ounce bag milk chocolate chips

1. Combine all ingredients for the centers, except the
powdered sugar, in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir
often as the caramel slowly melts. When the mixture is smooth,
add 3/4 cup of powdered sugar. Stir. Save the remaining 1/2
cup of powdered sugar for later.
2. Use a candy thermometer to bring the mixture to exactly 230
degrees, stirring often, then turn off the heat.
3. When the temperature of the candy begins to drop, add the
remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar to the pan, then use a hand
mixer on high speed to combine. Keep mixing until the candy
cools and thickens and can no longer be mixed. That should take
a minute or two.
4. Let the candy cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, or until
it can be touched. Don’t let it sit too long – you want the candy
to still be warm and pliable when you shape it. Take a
tablespoon-size portion and roll it between your palms or on a
countertop until it forms a roll the width of your index finger,
and measuring about 4 1/2-inches long. Repeat with the remaining
center candy mixture and place the rolls on wax paper. You should
have 8 rolls. Let the center rolls sit out for an hour or two to
firm up.
5. Combine the 20 caramels with the 1 1/2 teaspoons of water in a
small saucepan over low heat. Stir often until the caramels melt
completely, then turn off the heat. If you work fast this caramel
will stay warm while you make the candy bars.
6. Pour the peanuts onto a baking sheet or other flat surface.
Using a basting brush and working quickly, “paint” a coating of
caramel onto one side of a center roll. Quickly turn the center
over, caramel side down, onto the peanuts and press gently so that
the peanuts stick to the surface of the candy. Paint more caramel
onto the other side of the roll and press it down onto the peanuts.
The candy should have a solid layer of peanuts covering all sides.
If needed, brush additional caramel onto the roll, then turn it onto
the peanuts to coat the roll completely. Place the candy bar onto
wax paper, and repeat with the remaining ingredients. Place these
bars into your refrigerator for an hour or two so that they firm up.
7. Pour the milk chocolate chips into a glass or ceramic bowl and zap
it in the microwave for 2 minutes on 50 percent power. Gently stir the chips, then heat for an additional 30 seconds at 50 percent power. Repeat if necessary, stirring gently after each 30 seconds. Don’t overcook the chips or the chocolate will burn and seize up on you.
8. Drop a candy bar center into the melted milk chocolate. Cover the
candy bar with chocolate using two forks, one in each hand. When
the candy is covered with chocolate, balance the bar on both of the
forks, one at each end of the candy bar, and tap the forks on the
top edge of the bowl so that much of the chocolate drops off.
Carefully place the candy bar onto wax paper and remove the two
forks. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, and then chill the
candy bars until firm.
Makes 8 candy bars.

Lite sånt här och lite sånt där


Ibland ska man inte ändra på ett vinnande koncept. Framöver kommer det recept på chokladcupcakes som jag skrev om för några dar sen att vara det som gäller när det ska göras fluffiga kakaoskapelser.


Därmed inte sagt att man inte kan variera dem.


I helgen fick jag tag på en påse röd kakao från Argentina som är lite tyngre i smaken än vanlig kakao. Ger en tegelstensröd färg även om det i en cupcake innebär max en nyans i skillnad.


Svängde ihop receptet och böt ut den vanliga kakaon mot den argentinska. Sen följde jag Danielles recpt på nougatfrosting (men gjorde dubbel sats) och spred ut det över chokladbomberna.
Avslutade med att sikta över lite kakao.


Tid start till mål inklusive gräddning: 2 timmar.


Nästa gång ska jag testa med lite Cointreau i frostingen. Tror det kan lyfta den en smula.

Nougat Ice Cream, Dark Chocolate Ice Cream & Honey Dew Melon Granita

To celebrate the fact that I now have a freezer (and very inspired by an ice cream feature in the Telegraph Magazine) I decided to have a go at making icy desserts.

I opted for 3 different types with 3 very different methods. The first one I tried, Nougat ice cream, was pretty straight forwards. I was glad that this method didn’t involve churning the mixture every hour, and the resulting ice cream was lovely & soft and very easy to scoop. The only downside was that it was sickly sweet.

With my remaining egg yolks I made dark chocolate ice cream. Making the mixture was fine, it was the churning which was a bit time consuming (and I had to use an alarm clock to remind myself). My chocolate ice cream was really hard resulted in bent spoons & red palms. it needed 5mins at room temp or a blow torch…once melted a bit this had a silky smooth texture, probably one of the best chocolate ice creams I’ve tasted.

My final ice dessert was the healthy option (egg & cream free) – Melon Granita (well, it was supposed to be a sorbet). I decided to throw in some limoncello that I had brought back from my holidays. This was by far the simplest of the 3 to make and really refreshing. I tried it over fruit salad which was very yummy.

Morfudd Richard’s Nougat Ice-cream ( scaled down quantity + reduced sugar)
40g nuts (hazelnut, almonds, pistachios)
100g caster sugar
2 egg whites at room temp
100ml whipping cream

1. Preheat the oven to 175C/330F/GM4. Line a baking-sheet with non-stick baking-paper. Roast the hazelnuts & almonds in an ovenproof dish for approx 10mins. Allow to cool.
2. Combine all the nuts, including the pistachios, and smash them with a rolling pun or pestle into small pieces, do not let them become powdery. Measure out 30g sugar and put half of it in a pan set over a moderate heat. Stir until the sugar melts; it will become crumbly to begin with, but don’t worry. Make sure it has all melted before you add the remaining half. Scrape the bottom and the sides of the pan as you go along.
3. Cook the caramel until it turns a lovely golden brown. Add the nuts to the caramel, and stir them around for a few minutes until they are well coated. Pour the praline onto a baking-sheet and allow to cool, after which smash into small, rough chunks and set aside.
4. Whisk the egg whites until frothy then add the remaining 70g of the sugar, a little at a time, and continue whisking to form soft peaks.
5. Separately, whisk the cream until thick and fold this into the meringue, followed by the praline chunks.
6. Line a load tin or a terrine with cling film, leaving plenty of overhand. Spoon the nougat in and wrap the top in the overhanging cling film. Freeze for a minimum of 6 hrs.

Morfudd Richard’s Dark Chocolate Ice-cream (scaled down quantity + reduced sugar)
160ml whole milk
160ml whipping cream
15g cocoa powder
80g plain chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
2 egg yolks
25g caster sugar

1. Heat the milk & cream in a pan to just below boiling pint then take off the heat. Make a paste of the cocoa powder by mixing it with a little of the heated milk & cream. Add the paste to the pan and whisk continuously over a very low heat for 4-5minutes.
2. Break up the chocolate into small pieces and put in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring from time to time until the chocolate melts. Add the chocolate to the pan & stir until everything is combined.
3. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar, then add the warm milk & return the mixture to the pan. Heat the custard, stirring continuously, to 80C and maintain for 15secs. Do not allow the mix to boil or it will scramble.
4. Turn off the heat and continue whisking for a few minutes to reduce the heart. Transfer the mixture to a container and place in an ice bath to cool the custard as quickly as possible, and stir it regularly.
5. Once the mixture has cooled, cover the container and place in the fridge fro a minimum of 4hrs(or ideally overnight)
6. Churn in an ice cream machine until the mixture is firm, or alternatively follow the still-freezing method.

Honey Dew Melon Granita (A Teafactory experiment)
50g sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
50ml water
500g honey dew melon (about half a small one)
a good glug of limoncello (optional)

1. First make the syrup. Dissolve the sugar in the water by slowly bringing it to the boil, and then add the lemon juice. Simmer for 5 minutes until slightly viscous then strain & cool.
2. Scoop the melon out & put it in a blender with the cooled syrup. Blend to a puree then strain (I used a potato masher & passed it through a sieve). Add the limoncello if using.
3. Churn in an ice cream machine until firm. Or churn by hand: place the mix in a sealed container and put it into the coldest part of the freezer. After 60-90mins, remove from the freezer & beat the mixture with a fork to make a uniform slush. Return the mixture to the freezer and repeat this process twice, at intervals of 60-90mins. After it has been beaten three times, return it to the freezer for a further hour or so.

It always makes me happy to see how many intricate and cared-for hand-made items are out there, which is what this week’s 5LT is all about.

Spirocreations

Winnipeg-based crafters Spirocreations make completely amazing leather footwear. Their Tinkerbell Ballet Flats put all other shoes to shame, especially in that lemony yellow leather.

Peonies + artichokes

To say I am maddeningly in love with Sabrina and Kevin’s wedding flowers from the amazing La Partie Events (with photos by Erin Hearts Court) is far too gentle. They’re elegant, whimsical and a stunning colour palate. I can’t get enough of those peonies and artichokes together in one bouquet.

Ninu

Ninu makes fantastic everyday handbags of Italian fabrics. I love how her hilarious dog sneaks into the product photos.

Simpli Jessi

How sweet are these little dolls from etsy artist Simpli Jessi? I adore the thought-out details like intricate wool beards, human expressions and hand-stitched eyeglasses. And their names make me laugh (especially Professor Will, pictured at top left).

Have it sweet

Here’s a secret: I love nougat. Especially with pistachios. When I lived in Kingston, a great little shop called Cooke’s Fine Foods stocked the most wonderful nut-studded, lavender-scented kind. I’d pick up a morsel as a Saturday treat post-market. Silky, sticky, floral and sweet, with a little crunch. These French-style nougats with pistachio, almond or hazelnut from Have it Sweet look like the perfect substitute for my Cooke’s habit (they make marshmallow and salted caramels, too!).

As I’m coming to the end of my time at culinary school, I’ve started to spend some more time in different kitchens.  My time in restaurant kitchens has been short lived since I’m not quite sure that the fast pace is for me.  So I decided it might be a good idea to start spending some time working with the different chefs in the culinary school.  This has also been an eye-opening experience.

Part of learning about the restaurant business is spending time as a stage, pronounced st-ah-ge.  As a stage in a culinary school, I work with another person to help set up  a recreation class and get the chef anything he or she may need.  I also help students find anything they may need and bring dishes to the wash area and break things down at the end of class.  My first experience was with a lovely chef who spent considerable time in restaurant kitchens and has since retired to teach her craft to different home cooks.  She was very polite, always saying “please” and “thank you”.  She was a breath of fresh air and was lovely to be in a kitchen with.  The students in this class were also very nice and didn’t take advantage of the fact that I was there to assist.

During my first day,  I learned how to set up a class and how to properly set up a table for the class’s service, the next day I felt like I was starting from scratch.  The chef had completely different criteria.  He did not like using plastic containers.  (Not a bad practice really.)  To this end, I had to find as many hotel pans as possible.  He also made the occasional snarky comment about me standing in the back of the class waiting to be asked to do something.  After hearing that, I mingled among the class trying to see what needed tidying and throwing out garbage.  Well, I also learned my place in a classroom.  I was asked, by a student, how to weigh out some butter.  I grabbed a scale, adjusted it and placed the butter on it.  Granted, I should have known better and placed plastic wrap on the scale’s weighing surface.  However, I was quickly told that such interactions would never occur in his classroom and that I should focus my energies on clearing off dishes or other kitchen tasks.

The next day while I was helping another chef (who also happens to be my current chef instructor in my pastry module), he related to her that I enjoyed doing things that were very important, like playing teacher.  I then apologized for my mistake in his classroom and told him I used to be a high school teacher, so it was just my past life coming back.  He then told me I should embrace my past life.  At the same time, the chef I was working with that day was rolling her eyes at his commentary.  I have to say that despite that chef being an award-winning instructor,  I learned nothing by working with him aside from the fact that I should not talk to students in his class.

After working with two chefs in very different courses, I had the opportunity to also work with my current pastry chef instructor.  Since I’m MUCH more interested in pastry, working with her has been a wonderful, yet super-educational experience!  I did get to work with her a few weeks ago during the recreational class on French Macarons.  These temperamental little cookies are so trendy now that they’re showing up in many bakeries and many people want to learn how to make them.  I did have a very important job in this class:  oven duty.

Yup, I got to hang out by the ovens  and test the doneness of each batch.  I also helped set up the class and did some clean-up.  Overall though, working with this chef really helped me hone my skills.  I learned a lot about a cookie I never realized was so difficult to make.  And I learned how to incorporate flavorings and food colorings.  We also learned how to make different fillings for the cookies, like butter cream, caramel, and ganache.  OK, I knew some of these things already, but it was still good review.  And the best part was that I learned that these little macarons taste GREAT frozen!

I also got to work with the pastry chef during a 2-day candy workshop.  This class was a small class and was definitely for more advanced students. Many of the students in this class were people with their own businesses as well as people trying to slowly increase their pastry knowledge.  (It was nice talking to some of these people and not being yelled at for it!)   I had never learned how to work with sugar in its various stages so I really got to learn about it in this class.  We managed to make nougat (I made pop rocks nougat!) , caramel and fudge as well as molded, chocolate dipped candies.  We also made Pâtes de Fruits, which are basically like gummy bears, made with real fruit and without the bear shape.

While I did do some prep work and some clean-up, this chef allowed me to try my own hand at some recipes and let me practice on my own.  Chef showed us how to make candy canes and lollipops, but after a few minutes of working with heated sugar my hands were not tolerating the heat anymore.  I then moved on to practicing my chocolate tempering and dipping a variety of candies into chocolate.  Overall, I think working with the pastry chef gives me the best of both worlds.  I manage to learn a new technique/recipe and the chef gets another pair of helpful hands around the kitchen.   It was also very, very nice to hear “please” and “thank you” after every request and at the end of class.

It’s the little things like that that keep me motivated to work with a person and help me develop more respect on an individual level.  Tomorrow, I’ll be helping pastry chef with teenagers in a cake decorating class which sounds like a lot of fun!

In the meantime, here’s some shots of the candies that were made in the candy workshop.  We all got to take home a LOT of candy!

Chocolate Drizzled Marshmallows

]]> http://deadlyjelly.wordpress.com/2009/08/11/the-soundtrack/ Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:37:49 +0000 deadlyjelly http://deadlyjelly.wordpress.com/2009/08/11/the-soundtrack/

Me: Ok, I’ve been thinking about music for the trip home. Now, as far as I see it, we have two options. Number one: we can load up a memory stick with both our songs. Strict 50/50 split. Neither of us can fast forward the others songs. Or maybe we can allow one FF per ten songs- actually, no. That gets complicated. You would cheat-

Husband: And the second option?

Me: What? Oh, yes. Ok, option two: we both prepare memory sticks. Although I only have a 1Gb stick, so you’re only allowed to have . . . er, the equivalent number of MP3s. And whoever’s driving gets to play their stick- no, wait. Even play-time. Maybe three-hour stints. Although three hours of your musical choice might fry my brain. Yeah, make that one hour. And no moaning, whining, groaning or other expressions of displeasure while-

Husband: Tell you what, why don’t you prepare a playlist for the journey?

Me (tremulously): Seriously? You’d- you’d trust me to do that?

Husband: Yeah.

Me (all choked up): Oh, sweetie! I- I won’t let you down!

Husband: But no Alison Moyet-

Me: Of course- of course not! And plenty of lamé rock, and the rest of the sort of shite you like. You won’t regret this! I will compile the best road trip soundtrack EVER!

I took the challenge seriously. I soon realised that I had underestimated the weight of responsibility – it nearly crushed me. As the date of departure loomed, once – in the dark, chill hours of early morning – I reared up in bed gasping ‘Led Zepplin!’

After several days agonizing, I put together a selection of hard pop and frothy rock with the occasional surprising little nougat amongst the vanilla fruit and nut. The total numbered 237 songs, which, at an average play time of 4.12 minutes, gave us 15 hours, 57 minutes and 30 seconds of quality music. That fell 2 minutes and 30 seconds short of the total drive time, but I figured we could just drive a little faster.

For those who have far too much time on their hands, or are preparing for a road trip at this very moment (in which case, why aren’t you packing the car? Get on with it!), the complete list follows. Some general comments though:-

Songs/artists I totally don’t regret not including:-
Celine Dion: let’s face it, she’s creepy

Songs/artists I regret including:-
Artists that feature heavily on easy-listening radio stations

Bryan Adams: I don’t know if it’s just me, but his songs make me want to widdle, an unfortunate result when pounding up the SH1. Forget the call of nature; Run To You is like the ROAR of nature. Go on, try it: listen to any one of Bryan Adams’ songs, and see whether it doesn’t vigorously massage your kidneys

Nirvana – The Man Who Sold The World: David Bowie’s version is better

Once Soundtrack: the movie is sweet and uplifting, a paean to the triumph of the human spirit. Unfortunately, the songs made me wish I hadn’t wrists due to the compelling urge to slash them with the broken lid of a polystyrene takeaway coffee cup

Patrick Hernandez – Born To Be Alive: I only included this song to avoid accusations of discrimination. In the end, his song didn’t make the cut with the random selection, and I can honestly say I didn’t miss it

Sentimental value songs:-
Andreas Johnson – Glorious
Billy Myers – Kiss The Rain
Little River Band – Man On Your Mind
Rolling Stones – Angie

Songs for which I have no reasonable excuse:-
Falco – Rock Me Amadeus / Vienna Calling
Human League – Fascination
KC & The Sunshine Band – Baby Give It Up
Michael Jackson – any of them

But no apologies for:-
Survivor – Eye Of The Tiger

Songs/artists I wish I had included more of:-
Metallica: much to my surprise, it appears I am a closet Metallica groupie.
REO Speedwagon: after MarkJ’s endorsement

Artists that made me drive faster:-
Led Zepplin

Dodgiest copy:-
Stranglers – Always The Sun

Hands clashing over fast forward button:-
OMD – Enola Gay

Surprise hit:-
Queen – Radio Ga Ga. Not even in my Top 50, but the random play selected this as we approached Blenheim in the dusk. For some reason, it made the blood surge in my veins

Tragic mistake:-
Bugs Bunny – Kill The Wabbit: first composition up at 05:34 hrs. We were en route to the Picton Ferry, we were late and lost. I can’t begin to tell you how inappropriate it was

Memorable moment:-
Cream – White Room:
Deadlyjelly: Yeaaaaaaaaaaow! Oh, sorry. I guess the electric guitar kicks in later-
Husband: I GUESS IT DOES.

THE LIST:-
Adventures – Broken Land / One Step From Heaven / The Sound Of Summer

Aerosmith – Cryin / Dream On / Janie’s Got A Gun / Livin On The Edge / Rag Doll / Sweet Emotion / Walk This Way

Alanis Morissette – Head Over Feet / You Outta Know

Alice Cooper – Poison

America – A Horse With No Name

Ana Johnsson – We Are

Anastacia – Heavy On My Heart / Sick And Tired / Left Outside Alone

Andreas Johnson – Glorious

Animals – House Of The Rising Sun

Aretha Franklin – Respect

Badly Drawn Boy – You Were Right

Barry White – The First The Last My Everything

Beatles – Twist And Shout

Billy Idol – Hot In The City / Mony Mony

Billy Myers – Kiss The Rain

Blondie – One Way Or Another

Blues Brothers – Rawhide / Sweet Home Chicago

Bon Jovi – Bad Medicine / Blaze Of Glory / Wanted Dead Or Alive / You Give Love A Bad Name

Bonnie Tyler – I Need A Hero / Total Eclipse Of The Heart

Bruce Springsteen – Can’t Start A Fire Without A Spark / Cover Me / Eyes On The Prize / Gypsy Biker / Last To Die / Thunder Road / You’ll Be Comin Down / Your Own Worst Enemy

Bryan Adams – Cuts Like A Knife / Run To You / Straight From The Heart

Bugs Bunny – Kill The Wabbit

Coldplay – Everything’s Not Lost / Shiver / Speed Of Sound

Cream – White Room

Creed – Higher

David Bowie – Heroes / Modern Love / Sound And Vision / The Man Who Sold The World / Ziggy Stardust

David Bowie and Queen – Under Pressure

Deacon Blue – Dignity

Def Leppard – Hysteria / Let’s Get Rocked

Depeche Mode – Policy Of Truth / Walking In My Shoes

Dire Straits – Brothers In Arms / Local Hero / Private Investigations / Romeo And Juliet / So Far Away

Don Henley – In A New York Minute / Boys Of Summer

Doors – Riders On The Storm

Dr Hook – Spirit In The Sky

Eagles – Desperado / Take It To The Limit

ELO – Don’t Bring Me Down / Love Is Like Oxygen

Elton John – Blue Eyes / I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues / Tiny Dancer

EMF – You’re Unbelievable

Eric Carmen – All By Myself / Hungry Eyes

Eric Clapton – Knockin On Heaven’s Door

Eurythmics – Here Comes The Rain Again / It’s Alright / Love Is A Stranger / Sisters Are Doin It For Themselves

Falco – Rock Me Amadeus / Vienna Calling

Fatboy Slim – Praise You / Right Here Right Now

Five For Fighting – Superman

Foreigner – That Was Yesterday / Waiting For A Girl Like You

Garbage – I Think I’m Paranoid

Gary Moore – Still Got The Blues

Gary Newman – Cars

Glenn Frey – The Heat Is On

Human League – Fascination

Idlewild – You Held The World In Your Arms Tonight

Iggy Pop – Real Wild Child / The Passenger

INXS – New Sensation / What You Need

Jimi Hendrix – All Along The Watchtower

Joan Armatrading – Drop The Pilot

John Mellencamp – Check It Out / Hurts So Good / Jack And Diane / Small Town

John Parr – St Elmo’s Fire

Kasabian – Club Foot

KC & The Sunshine Band – Baby Give It Up

Keane – Bedshaped

KLM – Doctor In The Tardis

Led Zepplin – Kashmir / Stairway To Heaven

Little River Band – Man On Your Mind

Lynard Skynyrd – Comin Home

Marc Cohen – Walking In Memphis

Matchbox 20 – Push / Real World

Metallica – No Leaf Clover

Michael Jackson – Shake Your Body / Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough / Rock With You / Can You Feel It / Beat It / Human Nature / Thriller / The Way You Make Me Feel / Dirty Diana / Leave Me Alone / You Rock My World

Mike & The Mechanics – All I Need Is A Miracle / I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight / Silent Running

Moby – Lift Me Up / Look Back In

Mr Mister – Broken Wings / Kyrie

Music – Take The Long Road And Walk It

Nirvana – The Man Who Sold The World

Oasis – Do You Know What I Mean / So Sally Can Wait / Stop Crying Your Heart Out / Supersonic

OMD – Enola Gay

Once Soundtrack – Falling Slowly / If You Want Me / Leave / Lies / Trying To Pull Myself Away / When Your Mind’s Made Up

Otis Redding – Love Man

Pat Benetar – We Are Young

Patrick Hernandez – Born To Be Alive

Pearl Jam – Even Flow

Peter Gabriel – Games Without Frontiers / In Your Eyes / Red Rain / Solsbury Hill

PJ Harvey – This Is Love

Placebo – Every You Every Me / Taste In Men

Pretenders – Spiritual High

Prince – Raspberry Beret

Puddle Of Mudd – Blurry

Queen – Flash Gordon / Radio Ga Ga / Who Wants To Live Forever

REM – What’s The Frequency, Kenneth / All The Way To Reno / Imitation Of Life

Richard Ashcroft – A Song For The Lovers / Check The Meaning

Richard Marx – Endless Summer Nights

Rick Springfield – Jessie’s Girl

Rolling Stones – Angie

Roxy Music – More Than This

Run Lola Run Soundtrack – Believe / Casino / Introduction / Running

Simple Minds – Waterfront

Simply Red – Sunrise

Smiths – Every Day Is Like Sundays / What Difference Does It Make

Stereophonics – Handbags And Gladrags

Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel – Make Me Smile

Stevie Nicks – Desert Angel / Rooms On Fire / Sometimes It’s A Bitch / Talk To Me

Stranglers – Always The Sun / Walk On By

Suede – Animal Nitrate / Beautiful Ones / Trash

Survivor – Eye Of The Tiger

T Rex – Get It On

Tears For Fears – Head Over Heels / Laid So Low / Pale Shelter / Shout

Texas – Inner Smile

The Calling – Wherever You Will Go

The Muppets – Manamana

The Seekers – Morningtown Ride

Thin Lizzy – Don’t Believe A Word

Tina Turner – Better Be Good To Me / River Deep Mountain High

Tom Petty – Life Is A Highway / Refugee / Stop Draggin My Heart Around / Don’t Come Around Here No More / Free Fallin / Learning To Fly / Into The Great Wide Open / Waiting For Tonight

TV Theme – MacGyver / The A-Team

U2 – Beautiful Day / Mysterious Ways / The Unforgettable Fire

Van Halen – Why Can’t This Be Love

ZZ Top – Gimme All Your Loving / Sharp Dressed Man

I’m in France! Yay! Although, the home of cheese and nougat was probably not the wisest choice of holiday destination as I have cut back on fatty foods and sugars… I have to admit that I did have a bit of pistaccio flavoured nougat today but I am proud to say that I only had a titch little piece.

I did my yoga this morning, sadly without a Wii. I bet I didn’t keep the poses long enough, I’ll have to ask T. to time me tomorrow so I maintain each one for about 30-40 seconds, which is what Erica recommends. Yoga is a great way to start the day. My body is usually stiff as an ironing board when I wake up, so bending and stretching it in various ways extends and warms up my muscles, which feels great.

Serre Chevalier is a valley in the French Alps, pretty close to the Italian border. We had to drive 12 kilometres through Italy on the way here and my Mum didn’t enjoy it. Our last holiday to Italy left us with memories of awful pizza, dishonest restaurateurs and unreasonable siesta hours that caused painful hunger and three crying kids in the back seat of our red Seat Cordoba. The resort we are staying at is newly built and the little, charismatic huts that are spread across the hill side all have modern interior including a dish washer. This means that we can now argue about who is going to empty the dish washer as opposed to whose turn it is to wash up…
The only critisism I have of our hut is that the otherwise generously equipped kitchen didn’t include any mugs. That really freaked me out! I love drinking tea out of massive mugs and I couldn’t quite understand how a hut, which has more exotic cooking utensils than IKEA’s kitchen section, could be lacking this essential item, which has become so dear to me ever since I moved to the country of afternoon tea. Luckily, I was not alone in my panic. My Dad immediately announced that we will buy some cups tomorrow while my Mum arranged for us to drink our tea out of glasses. Crisis averted!

Serre Chevalier boasts rivers that are fantastic for river rafting. Cannot wait to go! Also, we are going hiking this week, which will be a great workout, replacing my usual Wii routine (although I doubt that it will be as much fun at catching virtual fish). There’s also the option of renting mountain bikes. This will certainly be interesting. Last time my family spend a summer week in France, my parents insisted we’d try riding out bikes UP the mountain. We fought gravity for about 15 minutes before reaching the conclusion that we should probably make use of the shuttle bus that would take us up to the top from where we could speed downwards instead. Much easier, much faster and much more fun!

With many different ways of pushing my body to its limits this week, I hope it is justifyable that I nibble some cheese for breakfast. Bon appetit!

Receptet på dessa nougatbollar är en variant på den populära chokladbollen/negerbollen/wienerbrödet. Kärt barn har många namn. Detta recept ger ungefär 16 st nougatbollar.

Ingredienser:

• 0,5 dl vatten
• ½ msk frystorkat kaffe
• 2 dl kokos + lite mer till garnityr
• 3 dl havregryn
• 5 rågade matskedar Nutella (annan hasselnötskräm går säkerligen lika bra)
• 100 g margarin
• 2 msk kakao
• 1½ dl socker

Gör så här:

• Mixa havregrynen med en mixer och häll i en bunke.
• Blanda ihop kokos, havregryn, socker och kakao.
• Blanda det frystorkade kaffet med vatten.
• Tärna margarinet och blanda ut det tillsammans med kaffet i blandningen. Arbeta in margarinet så att allt finfördelas och det slutligen blir till en jämn smet.  Låt därefter stå i kylskåpet en stund.
• Ta ut smeten ur frysen och forma till bollar.
• Rulla bollarna i kokos.
• Klart!

Smaskiga nougatbollar

-2oeufs + 2blanc

-70g de sucre en poudre

-50g d’amandes mondées

-100g de pistaches décortiquées et non salées

-75g de fruits confits assortis

-50g de cerises confites

120g de miel d’acacia

-5dl de crème fleurette

-1cs d’eau de fleur d’oranger

Chauffer les pistaches dans la poèle; dès qu’elles dorent saupoudrer avec une cuillère à soupe de sucre, laisser caraméliser et retirer. Idem avec les amandes.

Couper les fruits confis en dès. Casser les oeufs en séparant les jaunes des blancs, et ajouter les 2blancs. Monter les blancs en neige. Chauffez le miel et laisser le cuire une minute. L’ajouter en mince filet sur les blancs en continuant de fouetter. Une fois le miel incorporer continuer de fouetter 2 à 3min.

Mélanger les jaunes et le sucre, fouettez jusqu’a ce que vous obteniez un mélange mousseux. Incorporer aux blancs et ajouter la fleur d’oranger.

Concasssez grossièrement amandes et pistaches. LEs incorporer ainsi que les fruits confits. Fouettez la crème en chantilly, incorporer à la préparation.

Tapisser un moule à cake avec du papier sulfurisé et y verser le mélange.

Congelé.

Pensez à le sortir un peu avant l’heure du congélateur pour qu’il soit plus facile à découper et server le avec un coulis de fruits rouge (framboises, groseilles).

Bon appétit.

En vinter med mycket snö hade min granne och jag snöbollskrig med en mustaschprydd glassbilsförare. Vi rusade båda ut med pengar så fort den välkända tutan hördes och lade oss i bakhåll innan chauffören hade kommit ut ur hytten. Han besvarade dock elden med snöbollar och inte glass så som vi hoppats.

Jag fick en ovanligt rymlig kartong

För någon månad sedan köpte jag Dubbelnougat av glassbilen. Dubbelnougat är en säker favorit bland de flesta. Den tyngre nougatsmaken blandat med frisk vaniljglass brukar gå hem lätt. Så också i det här fallet. Glassen innehåller gott om nougat, nästan så att jag tycker det är för mycket. Dessutom smakar överdraget gott och inte allt för konstgjort. På något sätt ville inte den här kartongen ta slut för mig heller, glassarna verkade räcka en evighet trots att jag bjöd vänner på dem. Så det blir ett bra betyg för glassen, en fyra. En femma hade det blivit om det hade funnits lite mer glass på pinnen för att kompensera det tjocka nougatlagret, att det är gräddglass märks knappt. Just på grund av att det inte finns plats för så mycket glass gör att detta är mer än vinterglass än sommarglass. Kanske kan den till och med kan användas i snöbollskrig? Träpinnen ger nog en bra svingfaktor även om tung nougat kanske borde räknas som isboll?

The countdown continues and as of today, I officially only have 13 days left until little Nougat is supposed to make her grand entrance.  I still can’t fathom it.  In 2 weeks I will have a baby.  I will be a mom.  Life will never be the same.  Holy crap.

This past Saturday marked my last scheduled shift at work.  So now I suppose I’m on maternity leave?  So strange.  My big plans for the next two weeks are to finish organizing the nursery, wash any remaining baby clothes & linens that have yet to make it into the laundry, cook a few more large batch freezer meals (so we don’t have to worry about cooking when she comes), clean & nest a bit more (I’m sure) and go for a bazillion long walks.

I can’t recall if I’ve mentioned it before, but this baby NEEDS to be born on time.  If not early.  Our chef at the restaurant is working his last day on July 28 and then will be sailing away from Seattle for good.  He’s had the trip planned for years and it just so happens that he plans to leave 2 weeks after Nougat is supposed to arrive.  If the husband is to get a full 2 weeks off from work, it has to be while the chef is still here.  Thus my daily plea to the little one… PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE – BE ON TIME, BABY!!

In the last couple days (mostly while walking around Greenlake), I’ve felt slightly stronger contractions and more pressure on my nether-region.  I figure that either Nougat is growing at a ridiculous rate now or she’s starting to descend a bit.  Fingers crossed that it’s the latter.  I’m going for another walk around the lake this afternoon.  And tomorrow.  And the next day.  And the next.  I WILL walk this baby out of me, dammit!

38w/1d

How do we count when the trees are many? We ride above them in a helicopter, and shoot them. Count your bullets, and divide by thirty, ’cause you’re a lousy shot, and that’s the ticket right there. And take off that hat, you look like a goddamn fool.

My great-uncle taught me that there were no stars, only silver buttons in the carpet up above. I killed my great-uncle, with a spoon.

If you thought there was more to this, you were off the mark, my friend. Real bad. Real gone.

The countdown continues.  Only 26 days until July 13 – D-day.  Though, I personally believe the little miss will arrive on the 11th.  You see, on that day several of our best friends will be partaking in some sort of drinking marathon at both the Mariners AND the Sounders games.  So of course that’s when she’ll decide she’s ready.  :)  Not that we hope to have everyone actually at the hospital, but… you know.

Since I’ve been a big blog slacker again (shocker, I know) I’ll try to recap the last couple weeks now.

• On Sunday, June 7th, my mom and her best friend threw me my third (and final) baby shower.  It was a wonderful celebration with great company, tasty food (thanks to the husband, who catered for us), beautiful weather and much love and generosity.  I don’t have any pictures yet, but I will post them as soon as I do.
• I had to stop wearing my wedding rings.  ::sob::  My hands are swollen enough that I could never get them off and I was starting to worry that they’d have to cut them off of me in the hospital.  Now, I’m not entirely sure why that happens to some women – maybe they get so swollen that the rings cut off circulation and they’d lose the finger otherwise?  I dunno.  But I don’t want to take that chance.  I’m currently wearing an incredibly cheap and old ring that I’m fairly certain will turn my finger green at some point.  But I just can’t bear to not have anything there at all.
• Last week I tackled our Target baby registry completion and am anxiously awaiting the arrival of what is apparently 17,000 different shipments from them.  Once that stuff arrives we will be pretty much ready to go whenever Nougat decides to join us.
• On Monday we attended our final childbirth prep class.  This week we covered postpartum issues and recovery and, the all important topic, breastfeeding.  Because it was less of a conceptual, intellectual, we-know-this-will-happen-but-we-can’t-quite-fathom-it-yet discussion and more of a practical lesson, it was the first time that it really hit home for me… we are actually going to have this baby.  Soon.  Oh my god.
• Yesterday we had the first of our weekly OB appointments.  Since it was the 36 week appointment we had a few more things to do than the usual measure the uterus and listen to the baby’s heart.  This time I also got swabbed… ahem… down there… for the Group Beta Strep test (awaiting results) and got clinically felt up by my doc to check and see whether I’m at all dilated and what position Miss Nougat is rocking.  I’m happy to report that she’s head down and ready for take off.  I, however, being not at all dilated, am not.  But that’s okay.  We’re still almost 4 weeks out.

As you may notice, I missed another week in the belly pic series, so we jump from 34 to 36.  I vow to remember to take them each week for the remaining time.  I mean, we’re only talking about 3 (maybe 4) more, right?

36w/2d

A busy week for deliveries. New products are now in from Burt’s Bees, Emily Burningham greetings cards and Zsiska Jewellery.

Our Burt’s Bees range has been expanded and we now offer a few new items from the Baby Bee range including tear free bubble bath and their diaper ointment. We also now stock the new Baby Bee All Better Balm. Full details of our stocked range of Burt’s Bees products can be found here http://www.onebrowncow.co.uk/cosmetics/burts-bees/cat_96.html

As well as restocking some of our favourite designs from Emily Burningham we have also introduced some new designs. New floral cards include Climbing Clematis, Honeysuckle and Apple Blossom. We’ve also choosen some great cards with a Summer Theme including Deckchairs in a Row and Beach Huts and Ball – cool again since Wayne Hemingway helped make-over a few super posh ones in Boscombe! 

See all the new cards and a few old favourites on our Emily Burnigham page http://www.onebrowncow.co.uk/stationery-cards/emily-burningham/cat_58.html

Zsiska resin jewellery continues to be popular with our net and shop customers, a small delivery arrived last week and includes some great new bold and neon colours for Summer, we particularly like the new Jade green mix necklaces or for a warmer bold colour check out the Amber colour mix. Both can be found under the Zsiska necklace section of  our site http://www.onebrowncow.co.uk/jewellery/zsiska/cat_28.html

For lovers of Nougat hand cream, both Tuberose & Jasmine and Fig & Pink Cedar versions are back in stock and we have also added the better value larger 200g jars to our selection, a bit big for your handbag but great to keep at home on a dressing table.

J’adore faire mes parfums… marier les notes à ma guise !  J’avais envie d’un parfum doux et estival.  Acheter un parfum à chaque saison peut devenir difficile pour le porte monnaie, voilà pourquoi faire son propre parfum est si intéressant.  Il coute presque rien et on est fier d’avoir pu créer son propre jus !!  Voici donc ma recette pour un parfum aux notes doucement fruités et légèrement boisés.

10 ml alcool à 90° non modifié (trouvé en pharmacie)
4 ml hydrolat fleur d’oranger
50 gouttes extrait aromatique de pêche
12 gouttes he bois de santal
10 gouttes extrait aromatique de vanille
15 gouttes extrait aromatique de nougat
1 pointe de CO2 d’iris

Difficulté : ––Conservation : 12 mois —–Contenance : 15 ml

Mélanger tout les ingrédients ensemble et laisser reposer pendant 3 semaine dans un pot en verre sur une étagère.  Après les trois semaine, ou plus, filtrer votre parfum dans un filtre à café et verser le contenu dans un jolie flacon spray en verre.   J’ai recycler le mien d’un ancien parfum.

J’adore cette synergie et je pense bien en refaire !!  Si vous le faite n’hésitez pas à me donner vos impressions.

J’ai acheté tout mes extraits et le CO2 d’iris chez Aromazone.

Vous pouvez imprimer l’une de ces étiquettes pour agrémenter un peu votre jolie flacon !  Une version pour un flacon large et une autre pour un flacon rond (exemple de mon flacon).

I’ve been training for the grub championship this week. My regimen is intense, but I’ve got a great new greengrocer I’ve been seeing, and he’s a whiz. He has me on a three-carrots-every-meal plan, to optimize the transference of gluten and sodium to strategic optical nerves and gastroenterological abscesses. People tell me it’s in bad taste to enter grub contests in times such as these, but I say, No, sir. Except I don’t say sir. I don’t even say anything, actually. I just kill.

With my newfound grub abilities, I think I’ll be running for Congress this year. I have found that the most important part of being a good friend is letting people know that you are a grub champion. This is what I aim to accomplish for all of my great friends. I want the world to be a happy land, and let’s be careful where we step, now, because there are worms coming through the cracks in the pavement. Don’t worry, though — there is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.

To thank a friend for her listening to Frank and me when we were most frazzled and concerned about his new symptoms (which turned out to be complications from an old condition), I was compiling a thank-you package themed around the Amelie Nothomb’s Fear and Trembling, since I thought she’d enjoy the book but also because she happened to note how she was cleaning her bathroom while speaking to us, which fits in nicely with the book about the author’s year in Japan, working as an interpreter but steadily demoted for her refusal to play by their corporate strictures to the point where her sole job is to clean the two bathrooms of one floor of the company’s building.

As part of the package, I was including the book of course; a more earth-friendly bathroom cleaner, as my friend was bemoaning the smell of 409; nougat, which plays a role in the story; and a Japanese super-sponge that removes all mildew with a swipe (and can be reused).  We’d gotten a package of these sponges from my aunt in Singapore and I swore by them to clean my shower curtain and walls.

I asked my mom to drop by an unopened set of these sponges and in an email, she wrote back,  “Will do, Yulia.  It costs an arm and a leg in the Bronx.  It’s ‘melamine‘ and should be used only on metal and porcelain or stone-tile surfaces (not on non-stick).”

Melamine?  You mean the additive that sickened and killed children in China?  WTF?  I didn’t expect my friend to lick the sponge or feed it to her cats, but that doesn’t mean I’d give her lead pencils or a mercury-filled stress ball either.

So much for theme-iness.  The sponge was replaced with non-toxic dark chocolate toffee from neither Japan nor China.

P.S. “Once I ran to you, now I run from you.” (Tainted Love)