Tips 'n Tricks(#8): 6 Great TURKEY-cooking TIPS worth knowing!

So you'd think by now one would know how to cook the perfect turkey with all the info out there, well guess what? I don't. I still dry it out and I can never seem to get the skin crispy enough. Once, I even baked a turkey upside down (purely by accident) and it actually turned out pretty moist but it looked atrocious! But that's a whole other story.

Now, I've decided to take the time to put together a few tips to make things easier because it's not just about how to cook a turkey, but how to cook a turkey safely!

Now let's hope I can get it right once and for all! If you have any tips let me know!

Additional turkey tips I found later: fsis.usda.gov

TOAST TOPPER #3 - Nutella with Sliced (or Mashed) Bananas... and Toasted Walnuts

Because it's not just about peanut butter and jam anymore...

Topped my toast today with:

• Nutella
• Sliced bananas (or mashed)
• Toasted walnuts

For this toast topper, I wanted to try the famous Nutella-with-banana combination but unfortunately my bananas were a wee bit too ripe. Then all of a sudden a light bulb went off in my head; 'Hey, why not mush it all together then pipe (or spread) over my Nutella?!' So that's what  I did.

Frosted Pumpkin Spice Cookies

It's Autumn! And you know what that means, it's time for some Fall goodies - sugar and spice and everything nice for the Fall baking season and I'm starting it off with these oh-so-addictive Pumpkin Spice cookies!

Tips 'n Tricks(#7): DON'T Toss Out that Flat Wine or Champagne just yet!

And all this time I kept dumping out my favourite wine when it went flat. No more wasted wine for me!

Favourite Food Quote (#7): "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit..."

Favourite food quote for this week...

Amen to that! 


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Melt-in-your-mouth NUTELLA-filled Choco Chip Cookies

(*melt-in-your-mouth on the day of baking, after that, it's like a regular (albeit delicious) chocolate chip cookie with a hint of Nutella!)

Two of my favourite yummies coming together as one in this recipe - Nutella and chocolate chip cookies. There are a million recipes for this cookie out there so we thought it was time to give it a try.

This was an easy-to-make (yet delicious), chocolate chip cookie recipe with a dollop of Nutella inside... or all over as it was the case for me because it's one thing to put some Nutella on top but it's a whole other drama trying to contain that Nutella inside the cookie as you pinch it together and roll it. What a mess! But it was worth it.

No type of mixing tool (hand-held or otherwise), was needed for this recipe - I just used a spatula! It was really simple to make. 

Favourite Food Quote (#6): "There is no sight on earth more appealing than..."

Favourite food quote for this week...

Amen to that! 


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Famous LAST MEALS(#1): Andrew Chan (and group)

If you were given the choice of a last meal, what would it be?

Various countries have varying traditions in regards to a condemned prisoner's last meal. In many countries, the prisoner is allowed, within reason, to select what their last meal will be...

GOAT CHEESE Salad with BEETS and Maple-candied Walnuts

Apparently, tons of people have made this salad before since there are sooo many recipes (and reviews) for it out there. Now it was my turn to make it and after doing so, I can understand why. I've had it so many times in the past week.

The combined flavours of the earthy beets and the intense goat cheese with the crunch of the candied walnuts complimented each other so well, it was enough to drive your taste buds wild. I even burnt the walnuts by accident and it still turned out great!

Tips 'n Tricks(#6): Keep your celery looking fresh!

We've all had them - some really sad-looking celery we forgot about in the fridge. But don't throw them out just yet! Check out the tip below on how to store them or get them looking good as new...

Refreshing STAWBERRY SHORTCAKE Sandwiches

Look what I made - some strawberry shortcakes using a cupcake recipe (or any cake recipe you want for that matter), and one of those whoopie pie pans. You know it's summer when everyone's trying to make strawberry... something. 

I had this whoopie pie pan sitting around for over a year gathering dust and my hubby would often bitch that I would buy things that I would never use so it was time to put this pan to work.

The (Wilton Nonstick 12-Cavity) Whoopie Pie Pan:

I used a recipe I found online, Vanilla Cupcake Recipe, some old strawberries I had on hand and some basic, home-made whipped cream frosting to slap it all together.

Originally, I started off making some simple but yummy vanilla cupcakes, (hence the recipe name)...

and thought to myself, I could also make some strawberry shortcake sandwiches while I was at it!

7 'Italian' Foods I Thought were... well, Italian

Good Lord! I thought these foods were authentically Italian but I was oh, so wrong.
Read on to see what 7 Italian foods I thought were the real deal until Italian food blogger and culinary tour guide Monica Cesarato put an end to it setting things straight about our so-called favourite 'Italian' foods.


1. Pepporoni Pizza

Want some spicy salami slices on your pizza? Then don’t ask for ‘pepperoni’ in Italy - it’s the plural for peppers, so you’ll end up with a pizza covered in grilled peppers. “If you want to order a ‘pepperoni’ pizza in Italian, then you have to ask for ‘salame piccante’ (spicy salami),” counsels Cesarato.

2. Penne Alfredo

This is a definite no-no in Italy, according to Cesarato. Legend has it that, back in the 1920s, an Italian brought a similar dish over to America that was cooked with butter and sage. However, possibly short of ingredients one day, he substituted cream for the butter and parsley for the sage. Presumably his patrons liked it because the dish is now common in English-speaking countries. Not in Italy, though. As for the chicken element of the Anglo Penne Alfredo – “Just don’t go there,” sighs Cesarato. “In Italy, the only chicken you put in pasta is livers and kidneys when you make a ragù sauce. But that’s about as far as we go.”

3. Spaghetti Carbonara with cream 

“Carbonara is definitely never cooked with cream in Italy,” says Cesarato. “And it should only be cooked with guanciale (pork cheek).” If you can’t get hold of this, then some pancetta will do. Other genuine Italian tips: the cheese should be either Pecorino or Parmesan. Crack the egg (Cesarato suggests using about one egg yolk per person but some Italians also use a whole egg) over the top of the pasta.

Favourite Food Quote (#5): "People who love to eat..."

Favourite food quote for this week...

Amen to that! 


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Tips 'n Tricks(#5): Eat a BANANA to Improve your CONCENTRATION!

There are a lot of fruits and veggies that are considered 'brain foods'. Banana is one of them...

TOAST TOPPER #2: Smoked Salmon on Whipped Chive Cream Cheese...

Because it's not just about peanut butter and jam anymore...

Topped my toast today with:

• whipped chive cream cheese
• smoked salmon
• red onions
• capers 

So what do you like to top your toast with?

Favourite Food Quote (#4): "Maybe a person's time would be as well spent raising food as..."

Favourite... famous... famous... favourite, whatever tickles your taste buds, but this is one of my favourite food quotes:

Amen to that! 


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PHOTOS: Wine and Cheese

Visited some friends the other night. Had some wine and cheese - German Riesling and some old Italian goat cheese.
Took some pictures before consuming both. Unfortunately, the photos didn't turn out as expected. Still need to work on my lighting... and backgrounds.

Feel FREE to use any of the photos in your project or as you wish.**

Tips 'n Tricks(#4): 5 great Tips From America's Chefs!

I love learning tips from the chefs of the world. Here are 5 great tips from the chefs of America.
The last tip is a simple one yet I'm so guilty of not doing it most of the times!

Yummy CAULIFLOWER Pizza Crust

Have you seen, heard about or even made this recipe yet? I've been meaning to try it for some time - ever since it first appeared in my email from Pinterest but then I became too busy and forgot all about it. It popped up again in my email and this time, I thought to myself, 'I'M DOING IT!" And by golly, done it I did! It was yummy!!

Remember, I'm no health freak but I do love to eat EVERYTHING - healthy stuff included! So when I first came across this recipe, I couldn't believe you could make a crust out of cauliflower. It sounded delicious and that made me really want to make it. Healthy and yummy doesn't always collide in heavenly results.

I did a quick scan of the original recipe and thought, "I could make that!" But the first step about putting the cauliflower pieces through the feeding tube of a food processor to shred it was a bit too much work for me. I was thinking, "ain't nobody got time for that!" I didn't. I didn't even have a food processor anyways so that solved that right away!

I skipped all that jazz. Instead, I broke off the cauliflower florets from the main stem, toss them all in a steam pan and steamed them for about 20 mins or so - until they were tender. And guess what? In the end, my cauliflower pizza crust turned out just fine as you can see!

Now let's get on with the recipe shall we? As usual, the original recipe is posted with my changes in "**".

Favourite Food Quote (#3): "I like rice. Rice is great if..."

Favourite... famous... famous... favourite, whatever tickles your taste buds, but this is one of my favourite food quotes:

Amen to that! 


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TOAST TOPPER#1: Avocados with Prosciutto...

Because it's not just about peanut butter and jam anymore...
Topped my toast today with some avocados, prosciutto and olive oil. (See video at the end.)
So what do you like to top your toast with?

Tips 'n Tricks(#3): Remove Fridge Odours with...

Sure there's baking soda, vinegar etc., etc., for removing odours but there's also newspaper!

My Tomato Plants Were Doing Great Until...

So I was trying to grow some tomatoes for the first time, with the help and guidance of my hubby... well he did most of the work, but anyways, it was a first-hand experience for me and it was going great. I chose a small patch in one corner of the yard to grow 2 tomato plants. I figured two was a good number for beginners.

I actually forgot all about them until one day, I noticed some plump green things growing out from the plants...

I was sooooo excited. It was like, "Omg. There are tomatoes on those plants! Look! One... two... three... omg, there are like EIGHT tomatoes growing all together!! I couldn't believe it. (Can you tell I've never grown a darn thing in my life before?)

Video: Drink BANANA TEA for a Good Night's Sleep!

Who knew banana tea could help you get a more restful sleep. We didn't. Did you?

Favourite Food Quote (#2): "There is no love sincerer than..."

Favourite... famous... famous... favourite, whatever tickles your taste buds, but this is one of my favourite food quotes:

Amen to that! 


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Heavenly CHOCOLATE BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP Cake

Who would have thought banana and chocolate made such a great couple - in a cake? Surely not I!

I know chocolate tastes great on bananas (banana split ice cream anyone?) but ice cream is involved so that doesn't count. If I hadn't tried this recipe for myself, I would have never thought in a million years it would be this delicious.