Pink flowers

Beautiful new flowers from the flower market..loves.
the best things in life really are the simplest =)

Cream of Celery Soup

The clocks have turned back, signifying the beginning of winter and the end of summer! I quite like winter! Because with winter comes soups, roasts, casseroles, anything slow-cooked to keep the chill at bay! I created this hearty soup because...

1. although I like winter, the fact that it gets dark so early depresses me slightly, and a bowl of hearty soup really cheers me up (that and a huge slice of cake!)
2. Celery was on reduce and it was super cheap!

It's perfect to curl up with in front of the TV during those cold dark winter months. I'm not a fan of celery but because it was so cheap I couldn't resist! Nevertheless this soup is really delicious! Boil the celery first to reduce the pungent taste

Cream of Celery Soup
Serves 2

• 150ml of stock (I used homemade pork stock)
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• quarter of an onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 160ml hot milk
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Croutons (optional)
• Parsley (optional)

1. Boil the celery for 3 minutes. Drain.
2. Pour the stock into a large pot, and bring to a boil. Add the celery, carrots, garlic and onion to the pot.
3. Whisk together flour and milk, slowly pour milk mixture into the pot. Add the butter to the soup. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Simmer for 10minutes. Transfer to a blender and blend to a puree, then pour into pot to reheat.
5. Top with croutons and parsley and serve with crusty bread!

Enjoy!

happy happy

Such a cute video. Really inspires you to want to get up and create something! I can't seem to post the video up, but here's the link! =) Even her album name and cover is adorable!

Lisa Hannigan - I Don't Know
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSaPbVjcrp4

Enjoy!

Easy Orange Loaf Cake

I have finally christened my new kitchen! Woo! =)

I was feeling restless and decided to do some midnight baking!
This recipe is for a wonderfully moist and fragrant orange cake with an orange drizzle on top. SO GOOD! And perfect to have for tea the next day.
You can always opt not to add in the drizzle or substitute it with any other frosting of your choice. I baked mine in a loaf tin, but it can be baked in a 9inch round tin as well.

Easy Orange Loaf Cake
Serves 6

• 165g all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

Drizzle

• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 teaspoon orange zest

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Grease loaf pan.2. In a measuring cup, combine milk, orange juice, oil, beaten eggs, lemon juice and orange zest together. Mix well and set aside.
3. Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and cinnamon.
4. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk and orange juice mixture. Stir until smooth.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
6. To make drizzle, combine the sugar, orange juice and orange zest together till it becomes slushy, but not stiff. Pour over the top of the cake and serve.

Enjoy!

Moi Je Joue

Absolutely adore this commercial!



Love the sheer playfulness of it and the beautiful pale colours. It makes me want to ride a bike down the streets of Paris with a handful of balloons. =)

Why Sundays make me smile...

A day at Columbia Road Flower Market...

"too blessed to be stressed"

Hope you had an inspiring weekend =)

Mine all mine =)

Living with flatmates with clashing schedules tends to lead to a 'cook for yourself' system we have established. Truth be told, as much as I enjoy cooking with/ for friends, I honestly love and prefer cooking for and by myself, I find it harder to make dishes for many people than I do for just one. You can afford to be decadent, and as selfish as it sounds, when cooking for one, the only person you have to please is..well...yourself!

Beef Stroganoff for One
Serves 1

• 120g Beef stewing steak, cut into chunks
• 15g butter
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• half an onion sliced
• 1 very large button mushroom
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup beef stock
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 tbsp white wine
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• salt and black pepper to taste

1. In a pan, heat oil and melt the butter. fry beef chunks till brown. Season with salt, pepper and paprika
2. Push the beef to one side and stir in the flour with the beef juices. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, then push to the side with the beef chunks.
3. Pour in the beef stock and vinegar, stirring constantly. Bring to the boil then lower the heat, stir in mustard. Then cover and simmer gently for about 30minutes or until meat is tender. If sauce is too thin, stir in cornflour.
4. Five minutes before serving, stir in the sour cream, and white wine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
   
   
   Serve with rice or noodles.
   ..enjoy =)