Weekend Wine Frothy

This recipe looks amazing. Although I find it funny how I never drink anymore and yet love searching up cocktail recipes.

1. Wine - white, rose or red. Sparkling is okay too, but be careful of the fizz when blending
2. Frozen fruit
3. Frozen Juice Ice Cubes - You can also use ginger ale or coconut water ice cubes
4. Fresh banana - The banana adds a creamy frothiness, similar to how bartenders like to use egg whites. Only the banana is much healthier and tastier in my opinion
5. Optional ingredients can include spices (ginger or cayenne) herbs (mint) sweeteners (maple syrup) and other accents like lemon juice or zest.

Give a frothy a try and have fun creating flavor combos. Try..

Mint Grapefruit Juice Chardonney
Blueberry Pinot
Spicy Ginger Frozen Peach Rose
Apple Lemon White
Raspberry Cabernet

Tropical Ginger Pineapple Frothy

8 ounces white wine
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1/2 banana
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp maple syrup
1 cup ginger ale ice cubes

Have fun experimenting with these choices. I know I will!

The Nutrition of Peaches

I found this beautiful picture and I thought I might reblog but with some facts about the nutrition of peaches.

Back in the day, peach pits were often used for medication by the Chinese. The Chinese also had a saying “longevity peach”, believing that eating peaches would extend your life.

This delicious fruit is a good source of many vitamins and minerals and potassium. Potassium is where the Chinese were right, Potassium does indeed help extend your life. Peaches are a high source for the mineral and it has been discovered that a shortage of potassium will lead to fatigue, anxiety, muscle weakness, skin problems, poor memory, hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, congestive heart failure or heart deterioration and vibration in ears.

Another health benefit is the quality o beta-carotene peaches contain. The body changes beta-carotene into Vitamin A, an essential in bodily functions. Recent study shows that people with higher amounts of Vitamin A in their diet had less risk of developing cataracts.

The succulent fruit also contain lycopene and lutein, both carotenes. These two substances can help prevent macular degeneration, cancer and heart disease.

Peaches, just like oranges are also high in vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps fight cancer by improving the immune system and preventing cellular change.

So if you’re feeling like a snack next time, instead of reaching for crisps, try munch away on a peach. You’ll feel lifted and won’t crave sugar and best of all you get these boosts without adding any extra calories.

(Source: stronghealthyconfidence, via sanctanimity)

Mango and Watermelon Cocktail

I’m a huge fan of fruity cocktails and I don’t know about most people but I prefer it when I can’t taste the alcohol. I have nothing against alcohol but I just don’t fancy the taste of it very much. Back a few years my mother took a course in cocktail making though I was always more of a bucket cocktail maker, I just used whatever I thought would taste nice together instead of making traditional cocktails.

So this cocktail is my own creation (It probably won’t turn out looking like the picture but it’s the closest I could find). The recipe makes plenty for a big jug.
 

• 1 Carton of Mango juice or cordial - I prefer a strong and nice tasting mango juice
• 1 Mango
• 1/4 of a Watermelon - Or a half if you’re feeling greedy
• 1/4 cup of Sugar
• 1 lime
• 1/4 cup of Water
• 1/4 cup of Vodka

1. Start off by dicing the mango and watermelon into small pieces and either juice it up in a blender or if you’re feeling like more of a chunky thick cocktail you can mash it all up with a fork.

2. Mix together the mango and watermelon juice along with the whole carton of mango juice, water and add in 2 tablespoons of sugar. Pour the mix into a pot and add in plenty of lime slices. Bring to a boil and let it simmer on medium heat for around 10 minutes. This will help the lime flavor really set into the drink.

3. Now remove the mix from the stove and pour into a big glass jug. Remember to remove the lime slices. If you want a smooth drink, sift it through a sieve while pouring into the jug. Leave it to cool before placing it into the refrigerator to chill. Before placing it into the fridge however, add in some fresh lime slices.

4. Once the concoction is chilled, pour the amount you want into a cocktail shaker along with the vodka and shake until well mixed.

5. Crush some ice up (make sure it’s crushed very well) and scoop a generous amount into a glass. Finally, pour the shaken cocktail into the glass, over the ice and serve.

You can also rim the glass with sugar if desired. Or if you’re feeling fancy, cut some watermelon slices and place them on the rim of the glasses.

Enjoy!!

Strawberry Macarons

I did some digging and found a recipe for some delicious Strawberry Macarons. I’m actually not a huge fan of Macarons, I more like looking at them… but I am a huge fan of strawberry.

Anyhow you’ll want:

• 1 Cup Almond Flour
• 1 Cup confectioner’s sugar - Normal sugar is fine in my opinion
• 2 egg whites - leave them in an open container overnight in the fridge or 2-3 hours at room temperature before using
• 1/2 Cup granulated sugar
• 1-2 Tbsp of strawberry essence
• 1-2 drops pink food coloring - Natural would be best

1. So you can use a food processor, blender or just your mighty strong arms to mix together the almond flour, confectioner’s sugar. Do note that if you’re using a food processor or blender it will come out finely ground and much smoother than if you’re using your strength. A way you could make it more finely ground if not using any electronic equipment is to crush the ingredients up very well first before mixing.
Now sift the mixture around 4 times.

2. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they foam. Again something electronic would make it considerably easier.

Gradually add the granulated sugar little by little until all the sugar is dissolved. Keep beating the egg whites until it’s thick and glossy. Then stir in the strawberry essence and food coloring. 

3. Add in about half of the almond mixture to the egg white mixture. Start stirring as you add in more of the almond mixture until you get a thick, glossy, grainy mixture.

When you tilt the bowl, the mixture should slowly slide down the sides or when scooped up, the mixture It should fall in a thick ribbon that holds its shape on the surface of the mixture for a second or two, and then slowly “melts” back into the bowl.

4. Grab a pasty bag fitted with a round tip and fill with the mixture, and pipe 1 inch circles, 2 centimeters apart on lined baking trays.

Allow the macarons to set a bit at room temperature for 2-3 hours. This is the most important part in order to achieve a smooth top and ruffled bottom.

5. Set your oven to 250°C and bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Keep checking because you don’t want them to turn brown.

6. When they’re done, let them cool completely on the baking sheets. Gently twist each cookie half to release it from the baking sheet. Fill cookies with strawberry cream or anything else to your preference.

Raspberry Nutrition Facts

Raspberries are a great fruit that’s delicious and healthy to consume on a regular basis. This pretty wee berry is rich in Vitamin C and are a good source of Vitamin B12, Vitamin B3, Folate, Magnesium and dietary fibre. So here’s some facts about raspberries and why we should be eating them:

High in Antioxidants

Raspberries are in the top 10 high-antioxidant fruits and veges and possess almost 50% higher antioxidant activity than strawberries. So what are the pros of this? Well antioxidants can help prevent and repair oxidative stress, which is a process that damages body cells and has been linked to the development of cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

Anti-Inflammatories

The berries provide important anti-inflmmatories including anthocyanins (pigments) that help reduce cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. It also helps improve eyesight and memory functions.

A good source of Ellagic Acid

This acid can slow down the growth of some cancer cells. Raspberries and even the raspberry seeds contain Ellagic Acid not to mention research shows that the acid from raspberries is easily absorbed by the human body, making the berry the leading source of the acid. The seeds also act as a beneficial “roughage” in the digestive tract.

Cosmetics

Raspberry and their seeds are becoming more popular in the cosmeceuticals market as the oil in the seeds is rich in Vitamin E, Omega 3 and has a natural SPF of 25-50. All of these benefits the skin and rejuvenates it to keep it looking fresh and younger.

Beneficial for Women’s Health

Raspberry leaves have been used to many tea for centuries and praised by herbalists and midwives for medical benefits in woman’s reproductive health. The tea helps with pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, irregular menstruation, infertility and other more minor conditions in connection with the health of women.

Hope you guys enjoyed the facts and start or continue eating raspberries =]

(Source: mochacafe.info, via leilockheart)

Watermelon and Kiwi Sparkling Wine Sorbet

Here are two different types of sorbet I found. My Mum’s visiting Auckland soon so I thought I’d gather a few sorbet recipes/dessert recipes seeing as she loves that kind of stuff. No doubt you guys will too!

For the Watermelon Sorbet, you’ll need:

• 1 1/2 cups Sparkling Wine (also known as Proseco)
• A tiny bit more than 1/4 cup of Agave Nectar
• 2 cups of fresh Watermelon juice - you can drain it through a sieve if wanted
• 3 Basil leaves - cut or whole

1. Mix the sparkling wine and agave nectar in a saucepan and heat on medium heat until it comes to a boil and stir for 2-3 minutes. Leave it to cool for a few minutes.

2. Once the mix is cooled, add the watermelon juice and basil leaves and give it a good stir. Now either place it in the freezer for a few hours (2-3) and pour the mix into an ice cream maker or place it in the freezer and stir every 30 minutes. Similar to my Vanilla Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe

For the Kiwifruit Sorbet you’ll need:

• 2 cups sparkling wine
• A bit more than a 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 2 cups of fresh Kiwifruit juice - again it’s optional to run it through a sieve

Combine the sparkling wine and agave nectar in a saucepan once again and heat it over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Again stir for 2-3 minutes and then let cool.

Now add the kiwifruit juice and the remaining steps are the same as the watermelon sorbet instructions.

(via gastrogirl)

Grape and Champagne Sorbet

This is a must make!

You’ll need:

• 550g black seedless grapes (Well I guess you can do with seeds but the seeds do taste pretty bad)
•  1 glass of champagne 
• 1/2 Cup Sugar

1. Place the grapes, champagne and sugar in a saucepan and place it on medium heat. Wait for it to boil then let the mix simmer on low heat for around 10 minutes. During this time the skins of the grapes should be floating off.

2. Now drain the mix with a sieve and then press all the grapes with a spoon or fork to so all the juice inside is squeezed out.

3. At this point, you can either leave the mixture to cool in the fridge and then pour into an ice cream maker if you have one

or

You can place the mix directly into the freezer and take it out for a stir every 30 minutes. Similar to my recipe of making Vanilla Strawberry Ice Cream

Now you can serve! 

Pancakes Served with Strawberries

I made this a while back, aha the shape of some of them are terrible! But fresh strawberries are a lovely to eat pancakes with. These are just normal pancakes, nothing unusual about them.

If you don’t know how to make them then refer to my blueberry pancake post I made a few posts back. Link is here: Blueberry Pancakes

Try it out and enjoy!

I think everyone knows how we begin making our pancake mix and if you really don’t well it’s simple and easy. Basically nearly everything goes into one mixing bowl.

1. So go ahead now and add your flour, eggs, sugar, and strawberry essence all into one mixing bowl and start mixing away until the mix is smooth.

2. Now put half of your blueberries into a bowl and save the other half for serving. You’ll want to either cut up the blueberries in the bowl into even smaller pieces or smoosh them up with something like a fork or be manly and crush them with the might of your hands (beware of mess). Once your done, add all the blueberries and what blueberry juice you might have extracted into your pancake mix and just give the whole thing a good stir so the blueberries are all mixed in.

3. Turn your stove onto a medium heat and wait for about a minute for your pan to heat up then get a butter knife and scrap some butter onto it and drop the butter smack bang in the middle of the pan. Don’t spread the butter around and with a large soup or serving spoon, pour a generous scoop into the middle of the pan, on top of the butter.

4. You’ll notice how the mix will automatically spread nicely with the butter into a relatively good shape.

With a turner, nudge at the sides of the pancake to test how much the underside as cooked and if it’s ready to flip. Flip it when it’s possible and when no mix comes out of the centre of the pancake after you jab it with a fork, then it’s done.

Repeat until you’re done with all your mix and now you’re ready to serve your pancakes.

Serve with fresh blueberries on the side and enjoy! 

Parents sent me a photo at a restaurant called Sweethearts. I’m extremely jealous.

Crème Brûlée French Toasts

So this is what you’re going to need to make around 6-8 pieces

• Bread loaf - preferably reasonably thickly sliced
• 1 1/3 cups whole milk
• 2/3 cup of heavy cream
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons of Strawberry Essence
• 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Essence

1. Start off by whisking the milk, cream, eggs, sugar, salt and essences together until smooth.

2. Now preheat the oven to around 300°C and while you’re waiting for the oven to warm up, get your bread and start soaking it in your custard mix. I usually take a large shallow bowl or even a plate that sinks down in the middle and pour some of the mix into that bowl/plate and place one slice of bread in it at a time. Let it soak for a few seconds then turn the slice of bread over and let the other side soak.

3. Once you’re done with one slice, place it on a lined oven tray. You might want to get a turner or something that you can use to easily transfer the dipped slices to the oven tray with, without breaking the bread.

Repeat this for as many slices as you are planning to make and when you’re done with the bread slices, pour the remaining custard mix over the top of the slices now on the oven tray evenly. 

4. Place the tray back into the oven and let the bread bake for around 30-35 minutes. You’ll know when the breads ready by grabbing a fork and poking it into the centre of a piece of bread and twisting slightly. If no liquid custard rises from the toast then it’s done but 35-40 max should definitely cook the toast, care not to burn it!

Keep the toast in the oven for now to retain the warmth.

5. Now for the caramelized topping.

Pour about 1 1/2 cups of sugar into a saucepan and stir consistently at moderate heat. Don’t pour in any liquids. You’ll start to notice the sugar melting and soon start to turn a light honey colour and this is when you should turn the heat down considerably so you don’t burn it because the stuff is a pain to clean up if that happens.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and grab a big spoon, the biggest you can find in the house and take a spoonful and pour it evenly over one slice of toast, covering the top completely. Continue until all the slices are covered with the sugar.

The caramelized sugar will harden very fast so as soon as you’re done with the last piece you should be able to serve your toast already!

I didn’t use a lot of caramelized sugar in mine but that’s cause I didn’t want to break my boyfriends teeth, though I’m sure it would look much nicer with the whole tops covered.

Serve your toast with some berries and enjoy! 

Ever wondered about the quote, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”?

Well I can already tell you now that it’s very true indeed.

Apples or Malus Domestica contain fantastic healthy beneficial nutrients that are not only essential for growth healthy lifestyle but also prevent diseases! So here are some reasons why we should be eating at least one apple a day.

Apple are extremely low in calories, 100g of the sliced fruit will only consume your daily calorie intake by 50 and most of that will be used up during digestion anyways! None of those 50 calories contain any saturated fats or cholesterol. In fact, it’s all dietary fibre that actually helps the absorption of dietary LDL cholesterol in the gut. So for those of you who have high cholesterol, apples are your best food buddy.
Dietary fibres will also help the mucous membrane of the colon from exposure to toxic substances, which bind to cancer.

The fruit contains large natural amounts of Vitamin C and beta-carotene (Vitamin A). Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps fight infections in the body and heals it. It also chases away pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body.
Apples are also rich in antioxidant phyto-nutrients flavonoids and polyphenols. The total antioxidant strength found in 100g of apples estimated at approximately 5900 TE. That’s a big number!
Tartaric acid gives the apple that yummy flavor but also helps the body protect itself from harmful free radicals that can cause cell destruction. This can lead to disruption and/or death of the cell and apples will help you prevent that from happening!

Another plus is apples are thriving in B-Complex vitamins such as riboflavin, thiamin and pyridoxine (Vitamin B-6). These vitamins help as important co-factors for enzymes during metabolism and other synthetic functions in the body.

Lastly, apples contain potassium, calcium and phosphorus, although in small doses. Potassium is important in cells and body fluids as it helps control heart rate and blood pressure, countering the bad effects of sodium.

Another item on the menu, crepes! I will make you one day

Yuuuummmmmyyy, once I move into a new apartment I have GOT to try making stuff like this!

(via so-divine)

WHAT IS THIS?! I’M SO KEEN

(Source: imgfave)