FLUFFY SMILEY FACE PANCAKES

It's Skyler's birthday; Yay! and I'm making smiley face pancakes! She was so excited; nothing more precious than a smile :). Keep smiling!

Ingredient's:

• 2 cups of flour

• 4 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cup of milk
• 1 teaspoon of butter for frying
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of vanilla essence
• 4 teaspoons of baking powder

Directions:

• Sieve all the dry ingredients together, beat eggs lightly. Mix milk, olive oil, vanilla essence, do not over mix if not you'll get a rubbery texture; I'm learning if there are a few lumps it's fine :).

 

 

 

• So for the strawberry topping: found some tin strawberries, blended them and set aside
  

 

 

 

• once your frying pan is hot put some butter in it, just enough to fry the pancake. I usually use the ladle to measure the right amount of pancake to give me a round shape. Pour into the pan, once there are bubbles all over the surface of the pancake means it should be cooked, stack up your pancakes, spoon some strawberry over the pancake and create a smiley face :). Yum!

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

SPICY JOLLOF COUSCOUS

Hello! How are you guys? :). Today I'm putting a spin on my couscous, jollof style, I like couscous in every variation, it's quick and easy, so I can get back to my day which never really has enough hours in them.

The little princess's birthday was fabulous and the cake came out great, I'll be uploading soon! This morning I was asked by her little highness to make a case for her kindle, I feel some ribbons coming on :). Smooches and I hope you have a blessed day.

For couscous:

• 4 green chillies
• 4 or 3 red little peppers(atarodo)
• half an onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• a tin of plum tomatoes

• 2 cups of couscous

 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• salt

For beef:

• 3 large pieces cut into bits

• a little bit of sweet corn
• 1/4 of medium sized onions
• some ginger(size of two cloves of ginger), 2 cloves of garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of water

Directions:

• cook beef(stewing beef) for 25 to 30mins

 

 

to begin stew:

• fry onions in olive oil, add beef, then add chillies and tin of plum tomatoes

 

 

• allow to reduce, stir time after time in about 15mins sauce should be ready for couscous

 

 

• add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder, add chopped garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Sometimes I add a little sweet corn for a sweet and sour taste.

 

 

KHEBABS

 Happy new month! :) It's the month of Skyler's birth which makes it a public holiday on my calendar. I've been having too many treats ***guilty smile***, time to cut back and eat healthy, so I can treat myself on Skyler's birthday coming up this week.

She's going through a pink phase, so everything, I mean everything has to have a touch of pink. I'm super excited, i'm trying Amanda Retke's "I am baker" rose cake tutorial, Finger's crossed, everything turns out great. Ok, here are my chicken Khebabs, string beans and corn on the cob.

You'll need:

• 4 skewers soaked

• 11/2 chicken breast

• Mushrooms, green peppers, carrots and onions

• Corn

• String beans

 

• Cabbage

• Ginger

 

• Salt

 

For marinade:

 

• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• a little bit of fresh ginger grated(1 teaspoon)

 

Directions:

• Clean and chop up the chicken breasts.
• Mix the soy sauce, vinegar and grated ginger together in a bowl, put the chicken in the marinade. I like to mix mine up in a ziplock bag; leave it in the fridge for about an hour or longer, sometimes I leave it overnight

 

• Chop up the vegetables and coat them with some marinade. Put the oven on high, arrange your vegetables and chicken on the skewers
• Put the Khebabs in the oven for about 20mins, let it cook, when the edges of the veggies are a bit brown you'll know it's ready, careful not to let the breasts dry out, you should know your oven, so work it accordingly

 

For Corn:

 

• While the Khebabs are in the oven put the corn on the fire, boil for about 20mins, sprinkle salt and a little bit of butter.

• Blanche the string beans after cleaning them, put the olive oil in the pan, put the string beans in the oil, toss it around, add the cabbage when the beans are almost done; cooking time about 5-10mins. You want it to have a bit of crunch not too soggy; so watch it. Sprinkle salt and black pepper, plate your meal and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CARROT CUPCAKE

Hello! I've been craving carrot cake for a little while now ***two days!*** :), lol, ok, but you can understand if you've enjoyed moist carrot cake; how everything caramelizes with the brown sugar and... ***foodie alert, earth to Elizabeth*** :). I made this cheese frosting a little light so it could go smoothly with every bite...of course Skyler got the frosting slathered all over her face....and i'm happy to say we both got our veggies for the day ***wink wink*** have a lovely day!

Carrot cake recipe:

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 3/4 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup yoghurt
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla essence, 1/4 teaspoon mixed spice, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Cream cheese frosting:

 

• 1 teaspoon of milk
• 1/2 cup cream cheese

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

 

Directions:

• Put oven on
• Mix the brown sugar, olive oil and yoghurt for a minute on quick speed with your mixer

 

 

• Add eggs one by one, beating after each egg added

• Add the vanilla extract

• Mix all your dry ingredients, flour baking soda, cinnamon, mixed spice and salt together

 

 

• Fold the dry ingredients into the mix of sugar, oil and yoghurt

• Fold in carrots, do not over mix, you want a nice non chewy moist texture. Bake for 15-17mins, insert skewer to be sure.

 

 

For the frosting:

 

• Beat the cream cheese and butter until properly blended together

 

• Sift your 2 cups of Icing sugar into the cream cheese and butter mix

• Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

• and a pinch of salt, chill in freezer for about 15mins
• When cupcakes are cool, slather the cakes with the cheese frosting, sprinkle some carrots and dig in! Mwah!