Keshi's Birthday Weekend!

Hello!

It's my birthday!! And I'm sick in bed :( But it's been an interesting weekend filled with food and fun and I wanted to share it with you.

First of all, all credit goes to my lovely husband who took great pains to make it all happen and I love him for it :)

So we started off on Friday night with a movie and wait for it...Home-made Caramel Popcorn!

Gah. For those of you who have been in Malaysia in uni with me, the one most awesome thing about watching movies at the cinema was the amazing Caramel Popcorn we had. I mean sometimes we would just buy the pop corn even if we weren't going to watch a movie! That's how much we loved it! So I would drone and drone to my husband about how much I miss Malaysia and the awesome food and the awesome popcorn and he surprised me by making me some caramal popcorn. Ahhh it was so good and we watched Titanic and of course I fell asleep just before the blasted ship sank. WEE.

Saturday Afternoon was full of anticipation as Juho said there was another surprise on the way. Now I LOVE surprises so I was all oogled up for it. Andddd....we went mini-golfing! YEEEE. All during summer we would pass this particular outdoor mini-golfing course and I would keep whining about how I would like to go but then summer passed and we couldn't go and I thought that was that. BUT Juho suprised me and we DID go mini-golfing except we went to a different place and this place was so much cooler cos everything was neon and so colourful AND it was awesomeeee. Ok there was nothing to do with food but it was worth sharing :D

Saturday night was however full of food. Juho made a yummy dinner - Chicken Teriyaki, Stir-fried Veggies and Rice.

And then we gobbled down a big bowl of Candy. Yumyumyum!

While watching the Machine Gun Preacher. Two words...Frickin' Awesome!! You need to watch that movie! But it was the food and company that made it all the better :)

Anddd top off the perfect night Juho gave me my birthday present (even though I told him not to get me one -_-) I saw this gorgeous silver candlestand at my mother-in-law's house and I was not-so-secretly envying it and my sweetheart husband got me one too. YIPEE. It's absolutely gorgeous!

And on this beautiful Sunday Morning, Juho made the yummiest Banana Pancakes with Whipped Cream, Chocolate Sauce, Golden Syrup and Blueberries. Oh yes, we are going super healthy this weekend ;)

AND he made the lovliest Peach Chocolate Cream Cake with Custard. Ah Heaven :)

And now here I am in bed typing this while he lays beside me playing Deer Hunter on his phone and I have to say, I have an amazing husband and I've had a great birthday weekend :)

Love,
Keshi

ALSO! Recipes for all these amazing dishes will be up soon andddd await Juho's Birthday Weekend Post ;)

Cinnamon Mint Hot Chocolate

Heaven in a Mug!

Hiya!

So now it's Autumn and Winter will soon be here. I have to say though that Autumn is my favourite season. For some reason, everyone in Finland can't understand why because it gets so dark so soon and it's raining and gloomy. But honestly, I love it for the colour. I'm a very colour and smell driven person and I love the red and yellow and orange shades that appear this time of year AND it's the right amount of cold. And I know on one of those dark, windy and cold nights there would be nothing better than to cuddle up to my hubby and our little puppy and sip on a Cinnamon Mint Hot Chocolate topped with Whipped Cream and Marshmellows. Mmmmmm.

I'm going to start off by saying yes, this is not the healthiest drink in the world. But you're reading my blog so best you accept right now that most of my recipes are not healthy :D but they are YUMMY. and EASY. Because I'm a lazy blob who likes to make uncomplicated things ;)

So to get started you will need...

A GIGANTIC mug.
Milk
1 tsp Cocoa powder
A pinch Cinnamon powder
1 tsp Vanilla sugar
A teeny tiny drop of Mint extract
Chocolate, melted
Whipped Cream
Marshmellows

ATTENTION: I'm going to emphasize here that I don't remember the exact measurements so this is a taste and adjust recipe ;)

 
Instructions:

1. Fill your mug with milk and pop it in the microwave until it's hot

2. Stir in the cocoa powder

3. Then add the cinnamon powder, vanilla sugar and a small drop of mint extract

4. Melt a small amoount of chocolate and drizzle over the top

5. Cover the top with whipped cream

6. Add a few marshmellows and you are done!

Oh I can't begin to explain to you how absolutely amazing it was. I couldnt lower the mug from my lips and I was in absolute ecstacy the whole time. You just HAVE to try it to understand. It was sooo good. Sigh.

So I hope you enjoy a nice cinnamon minty hot chocolate tonight ;)

Love,
Keshi

Domino Ice Cream Cake

'Nuff Said.

Yo yo yo!

So this one has been a long time coming! When I was a child and I lived in Australia, the one thing that I can never forget was the amazing Ice Cream Cake that you would get if you celebrated your birthday at McDonalds! And my parents were so loving they gave me that opportunity a few times and I remember savouring every bite of that yummy ice cream cake every time.

Now it was my mother-in-law's birthday last March and I thought I would try to make something I have never tried before and hoped to God that it would not be an utter failure! And I remembered this ice cream cake and I thought I need to make this!! It was a bit different from the one I remember having but it was just as yummy!

It was the Domino Ice Cream Cake! Now the Finns have their own version of Oreos, called Dominos so you may as well call it an Oreo Ice Cream Cake as it's basically the same thing.

Anyhoo, here is the recipe below!

Ingredients:

1 litre Vanilla Ice Cream
½ cup Caramel Sauce
½ cup of Chocolate Sauce
1 large bag Dominos/Oreos Cookies
½ cup Walnuts

Instructions:

1. Take the ice cream out of the freezer and leave it at room temperature for about 30 min so that it is soft to work with

2. Take a 9" spring form pan and line it with plastic wrap and set aside.

3. Line the bottom and the inner edge of your pan with the cookie halves.

4. Put the rest of the cookies in a zip lock bag and using a heavy object crush the cookies until they are small pieces (I used my strong and incredibly handsome husband! :) )

5. In a large bowl, mix well the ice cream, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, ½ of the walnuts and ½ of the cookie crumbs.

6.  Pour the mixture into the pan (be careful with cookie halves lining the sides of the pan!) and level out the top of the cake

7. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cookie crumbs and walnuts and drizzle some caramel sauce as decor.

8. Put it in the freezer for at least 6 hours (I kept mine overnight)

I tell you anyone will love this cake and it's super easy to make AND it looks AMAZING! So go treat yourself to a little Ice Cream Cake ;)

Love,
Keshi

Cauliflower Cheese Pie

The Cauliflower Dream.

Gloomy morning everyone!

At least it is here where I am sitting. Just gloom, gloom and more gloom. Wah.

BUT on a brighter note, I have a warm puppy and a warm cup of tea to keep me company this gloomy Wednesday :) AND I have a yummy recipe too! Cauliflower Cheese Pie.

A few weeks ago I got this sudden hankering for cauliflower! I'm just the kind of person who dreams of food and when I wake up I just HAVE to have whatever I was dreaming of and I do believe I dreamt of cauliflower. Weird, I know. Anyhoo I felt like it was time to do something about it! So I googled up some recipes and I found a delicous cauliflower cheese pie which was super easy to make and yum yum yummy! So here I am sharing it with YOU!

Ingredients:

For the Potato Crust:

3 fairly large potatos, shredded
1 medium sized onion, grated
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp salt
1 tbs all-purpose flour
A bit of vegetable oil

For the Filling:

Oil, for frying
1 medium sized onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp paprika
salt & pepper to taste
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into small pieces
1 1/2 cups of cheese, grated
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk

Instructions:


1. Preheat your oven to 200C / 400 F.
2. Grease a 9 inch pie pan and set aside.

For the Potato Crust:

1. Using a cloth or your hands, squeeze the liquid out of the shredded potatos. (I used my hands as I am lazy and impatient person!!)
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the potato, onion, egg, salt and flour.
3. Mix well and transfer to the pie pan. Pat it down so that it is flat, using a spatula or your good ol' fingers.

4. Bake for about 20-30 min
5. Take out the pan and brush the top of the crust with alittle oil and return to the oven for another 10 min.
6. Take out the crust and reduce the temperature of the oven to 175C / 350F.

For the Filling:

1. In a large frying pan, heat the oil until very hot.
2. Reduce the heat to medium and saute the onion, garlic, thyme, paprika, salt & pepper for about 8-10 min.
3. Stir the cauliflower into the mix and let it cook for about 15 min.

The Assembly:

1. Spread 1/2 the grated cheese onto the crust.

2. Spoon the cauliflower mix next and sprinkle the remaining cheese over that.
3. Beat the milk and eggs together in a seperate bowl and pour over the cauliflower and cheese.
4. Sprinkle a bit of paprika over the mixture

5. Bake for 35-40 min or until the pie is set and the top is slightly browned.

This is a perfect recipe for those of you who don't eat meat and it's extremely filling! I hope you try it and enjoy it :)

Love,
Keshi

P.S: Did you know that 100g of cauliflower contains only 26 calories?? AND it is super packed with minerals and vitamins! Eat more cauliflower everyone!

Apple Strudel Muffins

 Greetings Earthlings!

It's Autumn!! And here in Finland, Autumn is just another synonym for Winter. And here we are shivering out little butts off :)

But on a happier note! We have a lot of apples at home. I mean A LOT of apples and frankly I'm at a loss as to what to do with all of them. I'm sure more experienced bakers would have a million and a one ideas but as for little Keshi, I'm still taking my baby steps. WEE. So for Girls Connect Group, I decided to make Apple Strudel Muffins. I gotta say they were quite yummy and when eaten warm, it makes you forget all about how Winter deceived us by calling itself Autumn ;) So hey give it a go...

Ingredients:
 
For the Muffins:

1 Cup Granulated Sugar
113g Butter, softened
2 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 tsp Baking Powder
A pinch of Salt
A pinch of Cinnamon
1 1/3 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup Whole Milk
2 cups of chopped up Apples 


For the Topping

1/3 cup Brown Sugar
1 tbs All Purpose Flour
1 tbs Butter
A pinch of Cinnamon

Instructions:

For the Muffins:

1. Preheat your oven to 175C / 350F
2. Line your muffin tin and set aside
3. Cream together the butter and sugar. 
4. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat well.
5. Add the dry ingredients while mixing slowly (DO NOT OVERMIX!)
6. Add the milk and incorporate well
7. Finally stir in the chopped apples
8. Fill the liners and then prepare the topping

For the Topping:

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon
2. Cut in the butter and mix until you get a crumbly texture.

Combine:

1. Sprinkle the topping over the muffin batter in the liners
2. Pop into the oven and let it bake for about 20 min or until it passes the toothpick test
3. DEVOUR!

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did and HAPPY AUTUMN!! :)

Love,
Keshi


 

Pebble Cupcakes

Glee.

While we were on a little holiday in Sri Lanka, Juho and I had a small dinner for our family and friends and I was thinking what would be a good dessert! I decided upon chocolate cake and Pebble Cupcakes, which are basically Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting and Pebbles!

Now for those of you who don't know what Pebbles are, they are a Sri Lankan version of M&Ms :D And these little cupcakes were a big hit! They looked cute and they were so soft and moist and yummy!

 Ingredients:

For Cupcakes:

1 Cup Granulated Sugar
113g Butter, softened
2 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/8 tsp Salt
1 1/3 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup Butter Milk (1 cup milk + 1 tsp vinegar = 1 cup buttermilk)

For Frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar (or as needed)
4 tsp cocoa powder
60g butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla


Instructions:

For Cupcake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F / 175 C. Line your cupcake tin with liners and set aside.

2. Cream together the sugar and butter with an electric mixture.

3. Add the eggs and vanilla and cream together until you get a smooth mixture.

4. With the speed on slow, add the dry ingredients (baking powder, salt, flour) and slowly add the milk and mix everything to combine. Do not overmix!

5. Scoop the batter into your lined cupcake tin, make sure its only filled ¾ of the way up because they will rise.

6. Bake for 20 minutes and let cool for about 45 minutes before frosting.

For Frosting:

1. Cream together the butter and vanilla

2. Add the cocoa powder and mix well

3. Add powdered sugar until desired consistency

4. Frosting using piping bag or knife

....and voila! Great for kids parties even! Although I was suprised at how much the older folk liked them ;)

Enjoy the child in you!

Love,
Keshi

White Chocolate Rice Krispy Squares

Rice Krispies go popopop!

Greetings greetings!

I was browsing through some random instagram pictures and I saw rice krispies. And this sight aroused a strange desire to make White Chocolate Rice Krispy Squares! :D So I googled some recipes and I decided to make my little version of rice krispies.

Also it was my parents-in-law's wedding anniversary AND we have girl's movie night coming up so how could I NOT make a gazillion of these little cuties?!

Ingredients:

For Rice Krispy Squares:

60g butter
4 cups of mini marshmellows
6 cups of Rice Krispies

For Topping:

300g White Chocolate
Dark Chocolate

Instructions:

For Rice Krispy Squares:

1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter.
2. Add the marshmellows and stir well until they are melted and incorporated in the butter. (Make sure to stir continuously so that the marshemellows do not stick to the pan!)
3. Add the Rice Krispies and stir well until all the rice krispies and coated with marshmellows
4. Pour into a 9x13 pan (which is lined with baking paper so that you can easily remove the Rice Krispies) and allow to cool for a few hours.
5. Once cooled, cut into little squares.

For Topping:

1. Using a double boiler, melt the white chocolate and dark chocolate seperately.
2. Dip the top of each square in the white chocolate and use a spoon to drizzle with dark chocolate for decor.

 

Finally step: STUFF YOUR FACE! They are super light and crunchy and a great little snack or side dessert! And not to mention, it's like the easiest recipe in the world!

Love,
Keshi