Back at it again!!

I love the fall! I love all things pumpkin, sugar and spice! The cold weather begs me to turn on my oven and fill my house and general area surrounding my house with luscious smells of cinnamon, brown sugar, lemon and butter..not all together of course...well maybe. I get so excited about the different things I can create this time of year, both sweet and savory! I baked these up this morning for the kids to have. Creole Bun..a slightly sweet spice fill yeast bread from Belize. No I am not from Belize, I am American, but my mom's friend was from Belize and I was lucky enough to grow up eating thick slices of bun, slathered with butter and a warm cup of Ovaltine right along side her children on Saturday mornings. The smell of the bun baking makes me smile and feel all warm inside. The first bite(after they have cooled of course...mostly...ok coolish..don't judge me) take me back to being a kid, feet swinging while I dipped chunks of bun into my drink, mmmmmm. I hope you enjoy it as much as me and my kids do! 

Happy Baking and remember to always, 
Make Life Delicious
Michelle

I got the recipe from Creole Bun

2 tsp sugar
1 egg beaten
4 ozs shortening (1/2 cup) or 1-1/2 sticks margarine
1 tsp Malher Cinnamon Powder
1/2-3/4 lb brown sugar (1 cup)
3/4 cup warm water
2 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 cups Grace Evaporated Milk
6 tsps yeast or 2 tblsps instant yeast
1 cup raisins (optional)
1 tsp nutmeg
2 lbs all purpose of bread flour (8 cups)


Preparation / Preparación

Set yeast (put to rise). Water temperature should be 100 to 115 F.
In deep bowl. Put flour, sugar, seasoning. Make a hole in the centre.
Melt shortening or margarine, add Grace Evaporated Milk and essence (warm slightly). Do not boil.
Add yeast to warm milk. Add milk mixture to flour. Mix with a wooden spoon until it holds together, knead and put to rise.
Knead again on a floured board.
Cut into 6-8 pieces. Form into round balls. Flatten slightly. (Put in greased baking pan). Let rise until double in size.
Preheat oven 350 to 375 F/180 C.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until brown all over or has hollow sound when tapped on the bottom. Cool on wire rack.

Valentine's Day promo

Whooooo lives in a pineapple...

...under the sea?? If you have children you know exactly who I'm talking about. Yellow? Porous? Goofy and loved by children and adults all over the world..Yes, that's right. SPONGEBOB! One of my favorite people in the whole wide world, who I've known since she was in her mommie's tummy,  loves him and I had the opportunity to gift her with a wonderful cake for her baby shower! A Spongebob themed bassinet cake to be exact. I have been waiting to try out a bassinet cake for a while but I wasn't going to make for just anyone! So when I got the baby shower invite I was so very excited, because I could finally make this awesome cake for an awesome young lady!

I started out with my own white cake recipe, from scratch of course. After I cooled them I piped a butter cream border to hold in the fillling.

"What was the filling?", you ask..strawberries and whipped cream! (I sweetened and whipped the cream myself)

I filled the butter cream border with the whipped cream

Topped the cream with sliced strawberries that I allowed to macerate in sugar over night

Then I placed the top layer and cover the whole them in butter cream(from scratch)

Then I took a cake round, cut it in half and did the same thing, This would be the hood.

While the assembled cake was resting in the fridge I got to work on the figures. BABY SPONGE BOB AND PATRICK!!!!

Now it was time to start the detailing of the cake. I made about 4 batch of butter cream(2 at a time)

I started with the ruffles. Yellow and white alternating as you can see.

Just a different angle. I added ruffles around the sides and up the back.

I put the finishing details on my little figures. I used white fondant and just colored it accordingly and shaped away!

After the ruffles were done I rolled out a little fondant blanket and added  more details. i was having sooo much fun!

Side angle. Almost done

Back view

All done!!

Sponge Bob and Patrick ready for their close up!

Tron

We all know Tron...lightcycle bikes and battles to the deresolution. grids and glowing lights...even if we didn't like the plot the effects were killer. And we all know dodgeball..those red schoolyard balls whizzing by our heads and we ducked, and yes, dodges for our little lives. Combine them and what do you get? You get a seriously awesome birthday celebration that I had the honor of making the cake for and attending. What started out as a joke ended up being an actual cake order and it was fun from start to finish! 

I started out with a quick sketch and then away I went.

 I used my own chocolate cake recipe that I've been tweaking for years but you can use whatever flavor you want. 


To my chocolate cake I added a whipped chocolate ganache filling with crushed chocolate filled chocolate sandwich cookies( you know the ones).

Did I mention it was a half sheet cake? I had a little trouble getting the top bake on after I filled, but that's what frosting is for right?

Then I frosted it with my chocolate butter cream, also from scratch. Since I was going to cover it with fondant(spoiler) I wasn't worried about making absolutely perfect.

I baked off 4 more cakes using the same chocolate cake recipe to make the towers and covered it all in black fondant.

Time to add the details!

This was A LOT of tedious work but i had my music going and I was in the zone!

I free handed these letters after downloading the tron font the day before!

Almost done!

Finally done! From start to finish it took me about 6hrs...in between feeding the kids and other life stuff!

Glowing in the black light! The entire venue was pretty much blacked out and we all walked around with glow in the dark clothes and glow sticks everywhere!

And Heeerrreee we go! Part 1

I thought I'd do a quick kinda catch you up to speed blog thingie here. I've  a lot going on and my blogging has fallen by the way side...Sooooo...I will, in one blog, show/tell you what's culinary adventures I've been on. Are you ready? Fasten your seat belts and grab that helmet. Kiss your loved ones and prepare for a rush of pictures, recipes and anecdotes...lol...Ready? Herrrreee we go!


Hm where to start...Thanksgiving? Okie dokie!  I didn't really cook for Thanksgiving 2011, it was the first year that I didn't have my kids with me so I was all pouty and went on a food strike...buuut..I had the pleasure of being invited to a dear friend's house(to combat the poutiness) and had a wonderful time! we had all the traditional foods and some that  I have never eaten for Thanksgiving, namely rutabaga, I liked it. It went great with the greens I taught my friend how to cook. Yes that's right I taught my kitchen challenged friend how to cook a mean pot of collard greens for Thanksgiving and she rocked them out if I may say so myself...lol...musta been her great teacher ;P. 

It was a very simple recipe and I totally believe that she's only kitchen challenged because she's let a few "mishaps' discourage her.

3lbs Clean and Cut collard greens,rinsed

1/2 lb smoked turkey meat(or pork if you do that), large diced

1 medium onion, diced small

4 cloves or garlic, diced very small

1/2 small serrano chile, diced(optional)

2 tbsp olive oil

16-24 oz chicken stock(either homemade or bought)

Salt and pepper to taste

You'll need a large pot...6qts??

Rinse Collards

Heat Oil on high heat and saute onion until transparent

Add garlic and saute until soft

Add smoked turkey meat and continue to stir until it is heated through

POur in 8 oz of chicken stock and stir with a wooden spoon to remove any brown bits in the bottom of the pot.

Reduce heat to medium

Add greens in batches. This means add the greens to the pot until it is full then cover and allow to simmer(cook down). when the greens have cooked down add more until all the greens are in the pot.

periodically add chicken stock while the greens are cooking down to avoid scorching.

Once all the greens are in the pot reduce heat to a simmer and let them go for about 30 minutes. Remember to check them and make sure that the stock hasn't evaporated. after the first 30 minutes add the serrano chile if you want a kick and let them go for another 30 minutes. 

After an hour taste them, add seasoning to taste and go for it!

I hope this wasn't too confusing..I  usually cook greens from memory and I've never ever actually tried to write out the recipe.

Ok back to the Thanksgiving food ...in addition to those rockin greens we had a beautiful turkey cooked by my friend's luvbug..he has major cooking skills and I would love to clone his beautiful kitchen and then marry it..yes I said I would marry a cloned kitchen..don't judge me.

There was caprese to munch on while we waited for the food to finish cooking.

And my friend prettied up the table with her decorating prowess!

I even made a sweet potato pie for dessert!

All in all it was a wonderful meal as evidenced but the empty plates...lol.

Whoo that was quite a ride...I'm realizing as I come to the end of this one that my 'quick catch-up" will have to be  done in parts...well you live and learn right? Stay tuned lovelies! I'll be back in a few(days not months I promise) Until then remember,

Make Life Delicious!

Michelle

It's been a while..

Yes, yes it has been a long time since I've come to update or post pictures or an episode. Not a peep. Bad, bad, bad me! Please accept my deepest and most sincere apology! 

Now that we've gotten that out of the way I have sooo much to share about school and life and most of all FOOD!! Although my semester is almost over I've been taking pictures galore and I have tons to tell you about. Then there's Thanksgiving cakes and pies and Christmas is right around the corner. I've started making cheesecakes of various sizes and flavors and I can't wait to share the recipes with you. I have new product collaborations coming up in the near future, because I am surrounded by intelligent, wildly creative people and it's about time we all start working together to bring the world beauty in all it's forms.

So I'm ending this year with a bang and starting 2012 with a great big KA-BOOM!! More recipes. products and sharing. Simply Sinful is taking over so get ready.

Until next time my luvlies, remember,

Make Life Delicious!

Michelle

Simply Sinful in Australia!!