Photos from April 2014

 Snapper

 Snapper

 Gone fishin'

 Dolce Cacau

 Easter chocolate sweets

 From Dolce Cacau

 Park Panorama

 Fish

Red velvet muffins.

Trifle

Raiders of the Lost Egg from Bent Objects

Stop motion clip ftw!

Not for the feint-hearted. Happy Easter!

Valentine's Day Food (the devil made me do it!)

My plans are to comfort eat on Valentine's Day. I will eat too much chocolate then have some fruit.

Homemade chocolate truffles by ayalan, some rights reserved.

Small ganache tart with fresh strawberry by chotda, some rights reserved.

Tiramisu for two made by suziedepingu, some rights reserved. Suzie's blog.

3liz4's blog had a wine infused nectarine in honey panna cotta by 3liz4, some rights reserved.

Nougat: Mum's First Attempt

Ingredient

a. 120 g castor sugar and 60 g water
b. 40 g egg white
c. 1/4 t salt and 75 g milk powder
d. 50 g softened butter
e. 200 – 300 g peanuts

Method

1. Boil ingredient A by gradually to 120-125 °C
2. Mix ingredient B at medium speed to
3. Remove A and pour into B then mix
4. Add milk powder with softened butter and mix
5. Add peanuts and pour into greased trays
6. Serve after mixture sets.

Notes

• Make sure sugar mixture is hot so it is easy to mix with peanuts
• Variations include 60 g milk powder and choices such as 15 g chocolate, sesame, coconut.
• The lower the temperature, the softer the nougat
• If the nougat does not set, increase heating and drying temperature

Sesame

Chocolate

Coconut

Chocolates

I melted chocolates and poured the mixture into moulds! Dad had a one by the time I took the photo. I picked up each piece with the chopsticks on the right. Handy!

Method

1. Melt chocolate over hot water until completely liquid but not bubbling. Take care to keep chocolate from steam.
2. Pour into mould, swirl mixture slightly to let surface tension flatten the top.
3. Leave in room temperature until chocolates firms
4. Turn mould upside-down and shake gently so pieces pop out.
5. Store in air-tight container at room temperature.

Cadbury Creme Egg

Got some Cadbury creme eggs today in time for Easter. These were made as early as 1923 by brothers Richard and George Cadbury in Bournville, Birmingham, England. The chocolate shell covers the white and yellow fondant filling.

• Cadbury World is a museum
• The Wikipedia Entry on Cadbury Creme Eggs.
• Product information on global site provides a history and gallery
• Cadbury Confectionery New Zealand
made the one I bought. I'm looking forward to eat mine.

How do you eat yours?

Womens Lifestyle Expo

Went to Hamilton Womens lifestyle Expo yesterday. The event ended at 5 so I didn't get to see every stand. Next year I am taking mom. Below are some of the treats I tried.

• Revitalised feet, shoulders and eyes from Big Foot Massage (Massagical).


• File and dark purple polish from Clinic Indulge. They do all sorts of beauty clinic work. Based in the Lake area.

• Handmade fudge - 9 flavours available made from professional kitchen. I got the Baileys one!


• Saw retired race greyhounds. They are up for adoption.


• Chiropractor consultations.


• Taste spirulina and smoothies.


• Scilla Chocolates from Ohope. Beautiful tins. Yummy!
  

Dinner at Cullens

Saturday dinner at Cullens Hood Street was delicious! I had Panko crust fish fillet with chips, capes, gherkin and Spanish onion mayonnaise.

For dessert the four of us shared white chocolate & blueberry brulee with gingernut praline (Picture above by chotda has some rights reserved).

... and chocolate brownie with triple chocolate ice cream, chocolate ganach and strawberry mint soup. (Picture above by diongillard has some rights reserved).