crostini per tutti!

thanks to all your suggestions last week...the avocados ripened really well with the apples and bananas...
I made my crostini...or bruschetta...(Crostini are usually smaller,thinner pieces of bread toasted with toppings on)...for Saturday's get together...everyone LOVED them...my favourite were the tomato crostini.They were like an explosion of flavour in your mouth...YUM!
I think I could have added a bit more heat to the guacamole...


TOMATO CROSTINI
the tomatoes I roasted in the oven for 40 minutes...drizzled with olive oil,balsamic vinegar,basil and sea salt...
Toasted thin slices of Focaccia in the oven with Olive oil drizzled on top.
I then sliced some mozzarella, laid the cheese on top of one basil leaf and added half a tomato...grilled again for 5 minutes until the mozzarella started to melt.
EASY and delicious.


GUACAMOLE CROSTINI
This is my recipe for my guacamole...every time it changes depending on what I have in the fridge.
Take 4 well ripened avocados.
Chop up and place in a bowl
Add a pinch of salt and pepper
one whole banana chile pepper(hot but not too crazy) chopped up finely.
6 of the grilled tomato halves chopped up
juice from one whole lime
1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Mash it all together...but don't blend.
YUM!


BTW...you may already know this...you can prep the guacamole ahead of time, just keep one of the avocado stones and place it on top of the guacamole and cover with cling film.THIS WAY it won't turn brown.


I hope you're having a lovely Monday.
I'm counting down the days until I see my parents...


HUGS
Char.x

WORDLESS Wednesdays

Tuesdays tastings - Oatcakes a la Char

 Good morning...it's snowing here...how lovely to wake up to a beautiful blanket of snow everywhere...AND to have Oatcakes ready for my morning breakfast.
Over the past 2 years I've noticed how my body bloats if I have wheat...I have cut down my wheat intake...not ruled it out completely...because going to an Italian Restaurant where the Pizza is divine...and NOT being able to taste it...would be a crime. BUT on a day to day bases...bread(regular wheat and multigrain) is now NOT on my menu,and I don't cook pasta at home for my husband and I...the girls love it.
When we were in the UK, Mum and I bought Oatcakes of all different manufactures...they're reasonably priced over there...but whenever we return to Canada...the same Narins Oatcakes are double if not more in price...and this year I promised myself I would make some of my own...
Last night was the test run...I have a couple of comments which I will mention at the end...but here is the recipe if you'd like to try them.They're delicious with ALL toppings...and low calorie,I think mine average 50 calories each as they are a little larger in size than the Narins oatcakes.

 RECIPE:
1 cup dark rye flour
1 cup oat flour
1 cup steel cut oats
2 tablespoons butter(safflower oil or lard)
3/4 tablespoon fine sea salt
1 cup water

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, combine flours, oats and sea salt. Stir in the butter.
Stir in enough water to form a dough. Knead on a floured surface for 10 seconds or so. Flatten into a disk and roll out to a thickness of 1/8 - 1/4 inch.
With a cookie cutter (I prefer round but do as you wish) stamp out your crackers and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until edges are brown.

I am going to try to make them JUST from oats and no rye...I find mine a little on the hard side...could be the rye flour or not enough butter...
As I said, this is a test run.I am HAPPY though that for less than a $1 I have one weeks worth of oatcakes for my breakfasts. I made 18 and on average have between 2 and 3 a day.

I have my list to share with you...but errands have to be run first.
We'll be back to "Tell ALL Tuesdays" Interviews next week...and as an alternative, "Tuesdays Tastings" will fill in if I don't have an interview for you all.

Have a fabulous day.
tasty HUGS
Char.x

what should I do with these?

HELLO...yes, I was sick...hence the photo of the chicken noodle soup :-) Thanks for the well wishes. So staying on a HEALTH kick, we went on a field trip the other day with our girls schools...and were sent home with THESE...cauliflower-cabbage and brussels.

Do I have any idea of making deliciousness with these three veggies? NOPE.

Do you know any recipes? Please send me something I can try in these next couple of days...
THANK YOU...(I love all foods...have no allergies)

Have a HAPPY Halloween weekend...
I'll be back this weekend with updates on a painting I'm working on and NEW PIN ideas...and beginings :-)

HUGS
Char.x

WHAT would you bring?

This was my lunch...I know...it's simple, but I'm a simple girl. I LOVE.LOVE.LOVE to cook and make things pretty...but I also adore when you can taste the raw product.

Avacado and eggs...one of my all time faves.(as many of you know)

I NEED your help though. This Sunday we're visiting with cousins who have flown over from Sweden.

I am supposed to be bringing a desert.

WHAT to bring/or make?

I can cook...and don't bake much at all...I can follow a recipe, BUT I really need to impress...a little this time. My cousin's husband is a sou-chef...

PLEASE HELP ME...

HAPPY WEEKENDING.

Char,ON

Danish apple and prune cake...

it's been a really Scandi day today....just got back from Ikea...having bought some frames(for xmas pressies to go inside!), Swedish chocolate(yum),and a few little gifts for the girls...so cute!
Ikea is SUCH a great place for stocking fillers AND breakfast...hot plate of bacon,beans,hash brown and scrambled egg...1 British pound(no wonder the line-up was ridiculously long)! BRILLIANT!...a definite must...because it's hard to shop on an empty stomach.
So...this is the Danish Cake which I made for Melody's evening out the other day...
VERY simple...and absolutely deeeeeeelish...
Try it and tell me what you think. I think it's the perfect coffee cake for an afternoon with friends.

Here's the recipe...I got it out of one of my Mum's collections of recipes(she loves to collect...so funny,I could sit for hours going through her cupboards and drawers and never get board!).

DANISH APPLE & PRUNE CAKE

For the Batter:
140g butter
200g caster sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
85g self-raising flour
115g ground almonds
125ml milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp boiling water
1/2 tsp baking powder

Other ingredients:
8 stoned prunes,chopped
115g shelled walnuts(I used hazelnuts)
2 tbsp sugar
2 green apples cored and sliced
3 tbsp sugar
ground cinnamon
butter

Cream together all the ingredients for the batter in a food processor, running it for 10 seconds. Run a spatula round the bowl and process for another 5 seconds. pour into a well buttered 10inch/25cm round cake tin.

Place the prunes on the batter. Spoon over the walnut and sugar mixture. Arrange the apple slices on top of the nuts.
Bake in a preheated oven at 190 degrees C/375 degrees F for 45 mins.

Sprinkle the surface with sugar and some cinnamon. Dot with butter and bake for another 20-25 mins until a skewer runs clean(I think I kept mine in for 10 minutes too long...waiting for the skewer to run clean...but I think the cake needs to be slightly gooey, I suppose it's a personal choice though)...cool in the tin, and ENJOY!

Hope you like it...you really don't even notice that there are prunes in it...I loved it.
Until tomorrow.
Char,On

it felt like yesterday...

It was wonderful seeing all the girls last night...they were all pleasantly surprised by their watercolours.
The above duck was for Chloe's little Lola...who is coming up to 7 months.It was Chloe's Birthday yesterday too...HAPPY BIRTHDAY Chloe.

This one was for Leesa, she IS probably THE funniest girl alive...she could be a stand up comedian!

Harriet the cat...who really didn't look like Mel's Harriet...but wasn't really too upset about it...as Harriet is old and leaves lovely treats for Melody around the house.

Melody made a wonderful dinner...stuffed chicken wrapped with bacon and stuffed with Camembert Cheese...with potatoes and a fresh bean salad. YUM!!!

and last but not least, Elly's Elephant...Elly the traveller...

They hadn't changed and 9 years went surprisingly fast, but felt like yesterday!

Hope to see them all before I go back to the COLD Country...apparently my man said that it had snowed 6 inches...

How's the weather where you are?

Char,On

Birthdays in our House...

Today was a special day...we blew up balloons...

and made cards...

prepped ingredients...

measured and mixed...

added a little colour...

and mixed some more...

checked that it all tasted great...
lit the candles...

and celebrated...

the girl's Dolls and Baby's Birthdays today.

You could sense the excitement and energy in the house this morning when I told the girls it was their Baby's Birthdays today and we better make a Birthday cake for them...

It was perfect!

The texture was so moist. The girls loved it.

Definitely a recipe worth trying!

Ricotta Pound Cake
1 1/2 c cake flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

3/4 c unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c fresh whole-milk ricotta
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 vanilla bean
1 tsp pure vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and place rack in center.
Grease and flour 9-inch loaf pan.
In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream together butter, ricotta, and sugar until smooth and light.
Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping sides of bowl after each addition.

Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the blunt side of a small knife, then beat them into the batter along with the vanilla extract. On low speed, beat in dry ingredients to combine them, scrape down sides of the bowl, and beat again on medium.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth top with a spatula. Tap pan on counter a few times to remove air pockets.

Put cake in oven and let bake for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 325°F (160°C) and let bake until cake springs back when lightly touched, the sides of the cake have pulled away from the sides of the pan, and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 25-35 minutes more.

For some reason, mine took another 35 minutes.
Allow cake to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then invert it on wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe brought to you from HERE.

VERY easy...the girls had SO much fun making it.

Little Miss A turned around to me and said " this was SO much fun Mummy...so special, a Birthday Party for our babies....Thanks you!"

That made my day already!

What/Who made your day today?

Char,On