cupcakes

I decided to make some fluffy delicious cakes to share on my daughter's birthday to her friends. This is what I used and came up with. Bear in mind I'm no confectionary guru/expert or cake boss. Still 1 in the making though. Lol. But I do applaud my effort though.

Ingredients 

1)2 cups of flour

2)2teaspoon of vanilla flavor

3)4 eggs

5) a stick of butter

6)11/2 cups of sugar

7)3 teaspoons of baking powder

8)1 cup of milk

9)queens rainbow sprinkles

10)icing sugar

Process

Using my inherited mixer

(ps- this mixer existed before I was born. I was lucky to get it from my mom) I think the brand name is moulinex, I creamed my sugar and butter together for 15 minutes. 

 Then I added the eggs. And mixed some more.

 I added the vanilla flavor and mixed for 3 minutes. 

I served together the flour and baking powder. I gradually added it with the milk intermittently. I removed,placed my cupcake paper into the cupcake tin and baked for 20min. I removed and allowed to cool.

BUTTER ICING

For the icing I beat together my icing sugar and soft butter(half a stick) till smooth. Then I added 2 tablespoons of milk and a tablespoon of food coloring and mixed.

 That's what I used to ice with the help of my pipe and nozzle. 

 After icing I sprinkled my rainbow sprinkles to beautify and also to partially hide my flawed icing. 

maids and babies!!!

Being a mom is one of the most challenging roles one will ever take on and it poses more of challenge for working mom's. Leaving these innocent 

 kids in the trust and care of another is mandatory as taking them to work is not an option. 

 As a mom your patience is stretched to the limits by your babies constant demands, tantrums, mood swings etc.

 Not everyone has the patience to endure. Especially for maids and baby sitters  who have never being parents. 

 I was inspired to write this as this is a really touchy subject and when I came across this video my heart bled for that pour child that had to endure this cruelty from her care taker. 

 While we take care of kids, it is ultimately God that protects them and we should pray our kids never fall into hands like this. https://m.ak.fbcdn.net/video.ak/hvideo-ak-xaf1/v/t42.1790-2/10801112_10152933088817845_1746402784_n.mp4?rl=300&vabr=134&oh=6ead718246702a28b18f4fa50a887527&oe=54725225&__gda__=1416702700_baca9329009f865729abc7ac0a5442cd

 This happened in Uganda and obviously using a hidden camera. 

chocolate chip cookie with a surprise peanut butter center

1. 11/2cup of all purpose flour

2. 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

3. 1/2 cup of white sugar

4. 1/2 cup of soft margarine 

5. 1 pack of unsweetened chocolate bar broken into pieces.

6. 1 teaspoon of vanilla flavor 

7. 1egg
8. 1/4 cup of peanut butter
9. 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar

For the peanut butter surprise;
Combine 3/4 cup of confectioners sugar with 3/4 cup of peanut butter till well blended and mold into small balls.

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl mix together flour and baking powder. Mix until well blended.

In a large bowl blend beat white and brown sugar, butter or margarine and peanut butter until well blended. Stir in flour mixture until well blended. Use a spatula to gently stir in the broken chocolate chips.
With floured hands shape about 1 table spoon of dough around 1peanut butter ball. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Flatten with glass dipped in white sugar.

banga soup

INGREDIENTS

Banga soup

Palm kernels

Stock fish

Dried fish

Rosemary leaves

Beef

Kpomo

Pepper soup spice mix( it consists of different spices mixed together and has a strong scent)

Corn starch (this thickener is only necessary if your soup is too watery)

Salt

Knor chicken seasoning cubes

Crayfish pounded

Fresh pepper

Onions

PROCESS

Spice and Cook your meat, kpomo and stockfish together till tender.

 Cook the palm kernel fruit for 30minutes.

Remove and pound till the flesh comes off of the fruit.

Place the pounded palm kernel into a colander with tiny perforation and add water bit by bit to rinse off the juice from the body of the fruit and the flesh into a bowl placed underneath the colander.

Pour the liquid gotten from the rinse into the meat and place on the fire. Cook for 10min and add your dried fish,onions,pepper,crayfish,salt,knor cubes,peppersoup spice,rosemary leave and cover to cook till u begin to see oil atop the soup.

If the consistency is too watery at this time, dissolve a bit of corn starch(2tablespoons) and pour into it to thicken it.

Serve with semovita,pounded yam eba or even rice.

Bon apetit!

fried cat fish with fried rice

I begin this post by expressing my in depth gratitude to God for giving my brothers jobs. I'm so happy.
Tonight I'm in the mood for fish. Lots of it.
 I've told my friend Joy  that I will never fry cat fish because it's the easiest fish to scatter during frying and I didn't want to get into that. But today I decided to go against that. To prevent the frying some flour was needed. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

Cat fish
Ginger
Garlic
Salt
Seasoning cubes
Onions(sliced)
Fresh pepper (blended)
Thyme
Soy sauce
1/4 cup of Canola oil
Flour

Direction

Mix all ingredients except the oil and flour into the fish and rub in very well. Allow to marinate for 3hours.
 Make sure all the parts of the fish gets the ingredients.
 And also Make sure the fish is not cut into thick slices so it can cook through .
Dip into the flour the fish.
Fry in preheated oil.
I served it with rice.

FRENCH TOAST.

6 thick slices bread

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla extract

salt to taste

I

DIRECTIONS 

Beat eggs together with milk, salt, spices and vanilla. Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium heat. Dunk each slice of bread in egg mixture, soaking both sides. Place in pan and cook on both sides till golden brown.‎

APPLE PIE

INGREDIENTS
1 large egg yolk 
3 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
4pounds of assorted cooking apples.peeled and cut into thick slices.
1/2 cup of granulated sugar.
1 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
1/4 teaspoon of salt.
 1/4 cold unsalted butter cut into pieces.

PROCESS

1. STEP 1

   Turn out 1 piece of dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a 13-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Fit into 9-inch pie plate. Trim edges. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

2. STEP 2

   Roll out remaining dough to a 13-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet; refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

3. STEP 3

   Whisk egg yolk in a small bowl; set egg wash aside. Put apples, lemon juice, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl; toss to combine. Fill pie shell with apple mixture, and dot with butter. Place dough round on top of pie. Trim edges flush with rim; press to seal. Crimp edges as desired. Make four 1/2-inch slits in center of pie. Brush top with egg wash; sprinkle with sanding sugar. Freeze 30 minutes.

4. STEP 4

   Place pie on a baking sheet. Bake until crust begins to turn golden brown, about 20 minutes. Bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 35 minutes. Cover with foil if browning too quickly.
   Let cool completely on a rack.‎

pancakes

I think I'd like to gravitate more towards pastry. I've always wanted to enroll to learn about it anywhere but I've not made time for that. But whatever I learn and try I will post on that.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
              2tablespoons of butter (melted).     
  Process
• 1. Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".
  2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.
  3. Heat a large pan over medium heat, and coat with melted butter  Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side

white rice with carrots and vegetable sauce

INGREDIENTS
1)pumpkin leave(ugwu)
2)pepper and onions pounded together
3)fish
4)kpomo
5)carrot
6)red oil
7)soy sauce
8)crayfish

PROCESS

SAUCE
Cook the kpomo soft.
Season the fish with pepper, soysauce and salt and fry.
Heat the oil in a pot and pour in pepper and onion together.
Fry for a few minutes and add in blended crayfish, season with salt, knor chicken seasoning cube, a teaspoon of soy sauce,nutmeg and stir.
Add in half cup of water after 3minutes.
Pour in the vegetable and mix. Allow to cook for 2 minutes on medium hear and remove. We don't want the vegetables to be too soggy.
For the rice,when it's almost cooked pour in the carrot and mix.
Serve with the vegetable sauce.
It can also be served with boiled unripe plantain.

RAISING KIDS

Raising #kids comes with different challenges. We learn to cope with their constant prescence,attention,needs and so on. As a #parent one of the most necessary qualities is 'patience '. You just gotta have it. In fact if u don't, learn it.
 While they can be as adorable as possible,it can be the most exhausting job ever.
 They can be complete opposites; example jo-paul loves bread and hates eggs and tea. Lily loves tea and eggs but hates bread.
Lily hardly eats,infact I have to bribe or threaten her before she eats most meals but jo-paul eats well.

 Sometimes we create this perfect picture of their future in our heads and we try to mould then to become what we've created and it becomes exasperating if things aren't happening like we hope. This can make us frustrated with them but I've learnt to put all my trust in God concerning their future cos it's not by my might or power but by the Spirit of God.
  I will play my part as a parent and trust in the fact that God will do the rest.

veggee sauce without shredded meat.

So I've been trying to lose weight of late and I'm trying to eat healthy ad well as doing aerobic exercises. In that effort, I decided to make this. Hope you like
Ingredients
1) cabbage
2) lettuce
3)carrot
4) green beans
5) green peas
6) green pepper
8) crayfish ( blended)
9) red pepper
10) onions
11)vegetable oil

PROCESS

Chop all vegees roughly and mix together in exception of the lettuce cos it softens easily.
Add the blended crayfish,salt,royco seasoning cubes,.curry,chicken season,mixed spices and thyme. Its important to season well since I'm not using meat or meat stock. Mix well.

Drizzle with oil and put over medium heat. We don't want the vegees to be overly soft. Cook for 6-10 minutes. Use tour hands to shred the lettuce and mix in as well. Leave for 2minutes and serve with cooked white rice or over jellof rice as u prefer. 

I added meat from my stew and served with it. Bon apetit!

kunu

INGREDIENTS 

1) Guinea corn

2)sweet potatoes peeled 

3)germinated maize,guinea corn,unshelled rice (to germinate the grains, wet them and place in a basket. Cover the top with a polythene bag and leave for 2days to germinate )

4)‎ginger 

5) pepper (optional‎)

PROCEEDURE

Soak the guinea corn in water for 4hours or more.

‎

Pound roughly together the germinated grains and the peeled potatoes( the more the potatoes, the more the sweetness. Though some people add sugar in theirs for extra sweetness) , ginger and 4-5 dried pepper.

‎

Take it to a grinding engine and grind the guinea corn and the pounded mixture  ‎separately. 

Put enough water to boil. Just like when you're making pap/akamu/ogi mix the guinea corn in water to form a slightly thick paste. Pour in the boiling water till its thick and stir well‎.

Mix the germinated mixture in water as well. Not necessarily thick. And pour into the thick guinea corn mixture. Stir together. You will notice some cracks in the mixture as it starts to cool. My mom says it's a sign it will be sweet.

Leave to cool. I usually ‎make mine in the evening and leave overnight to cool. 

Filter with a sieve. You will see the chaff in the sieve.

And refrigerate. I prefer the taste if it's a day old though.‎‎

chin chin

Ingredients
1)flour
2)sugar
3)baking powder
4)eggs
5)powdered milk
6)flavor(vanilla,banana etc whatever you like)
7)water
8)oil for frying
9) butter
10) salt

PROCESS

Mix all the dry ingredients together- flour,sugar,baking powder,pinch of salt, and milk.
When thoroughly mixed through,add the butter and mix in till it had blended in well.
Add the whisked eggs in and mix as well .
Add water in bits and mix. Be careful not to over add it. once it's moist enough to stick together,stop adding the water and cover to rise for an Hour.
Flatten the dough on a flat surface with a rolling pin and first slice horizontally with a pizza cutter and then vertically.
Fry the sliced chin chin in hot oil till brown. Drain and leave to cool.

PS-sorry I didn't take pictures For this post. Had made the chin chin before I decided to post.

i'm baaaaaack!!!!!

Hey all. It's been a while I've blogged anything. But I'm back so new posts will be coming up soon.

Have a lovely day everyone.