Themed Parties.

My good friend, Daniel, turned twenty one this past weekend and  what a party it was. His theme originally was Nintendo Characters but expanded to games from any platform. Daniel dressed as a Superhero version of Pacman, I went as Misty from Pokémon. Princess Daisy, Lara Croft, Ninja, Tetris and a few others were in attendance.

The whole to-do got me thinking about what I’d like to do for my 21st (in May). Should I have a theme or not?

Here are a few ideas:

• Twilight themed party. Bring on the Edward Cullens of the world. 😀
• Toga/Greek God theme.
• Casino theme.
• Mardi Gras Masquerade theme

I’m sure themes make parties more interesting, but I always fear that people won’t adhere to the theme, and I am an organisation freak.

Have you ever had a themed party? How did it go?

Saturday Night and I like the way you move!

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Recipe: Sweet and Sour Balti Chicken.

Words actually can’t describe how beautiful this dish is to the eye and to the taste buds. This is pretty much the simplest “from scratch” curry recipe you will find, and it is easily adjusted, if you’d like it a little more heated. A spicy, sweet, creamy dish to satisfy the most discerning palates.

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breasts, skinned and fat removed

3tbsp Greek Yogurt

2tbsp Tomato Puree

2tbsp Sweet Mango Chutney

1tsp Garlic Pulp (or pressed garlic)

2tsp Garam Masala

1tsp Chilli Powder

1tsp Sugar

1/2tsp Salt

100ml Water

2 Green Chilies, thin-ishly sliced

2tbsp Single Cream

2tbsp Fresh Coriander, finely chopped

1. Dice the chicken.

2. In a bowl, mix the yoghurt, tomato puree, mango chutney, garlic, garam masala, chilli powder, sugar and salt together in a bowl.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a wok/deep frying pan.

4. Pour the yoghurt, puree etc mix into the wok and stir into the oil.

5. Bring the sauce to the boil, add the chicken cubes and continue to stir.

6. Pour the water around the bowl that contained the sauce and swish it around in order to soak up any of the remaining ingredients. Add this to the pan and bring it to the boil.

7. Slice the chilies. If you don’t like too much heat in your food, remove the seeds before you slice them. When the sauce is boiling, add the chilies and the cream and coriander.

8. Stir and bring to the boil again and let it bubble for around 5 minutes.

9. Serve with basmati rice and naan bread.

Edit: I accidently deleted the picture from my camera, but it should be a reddish brown colour and just looks divine!

Picture Challenge!

Picture Challenge

* 14.aug.2009 kl.16:50 i Blogg
* Ingen kommentarer

1. Go to your picture folder.
2. Choose the 6th folder.
3. Find the 6th picture.
4. Add that picture to youre blog, and write about it.
5. Pass the challenge on to 6 persons.

Meeeee

This is a picture of me when I was about 16. It was during winter and I was hanging outside a primary school with some friends. The “good old days”, as they were…

I challenge the next six people to read this post!

Human Age: Browser Based game

Virtual human development game

www.human-age.com

I’ve just started playing this, recommended by my good friend Ina. I’m highly interested thus far.

http://www.human-age.com

Discovery!

Toasted Bagel + Cream Cheese + Sliced Fresh Strawberries = Deliciousness beyond imagination.

I don’t know why it had never crossed my mind before to put fruit on bagels. I’m sure I’m not the first to do this. The thoughts of kiwis, sliced grapes and cheese. Oh man, if I wasn’t so full, I’d make some more.

Any suggestions on “out of the ordinary” bagel fillings?

Om nom nom!!

New Romantic

I am a difficult woman to please, so if you ever succeed in doing so, congratulations. If you are successful on the first try, hell, you deserve a medal.

Recently, I’ve been trying to find some new music to listen to (mainly to get Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” out of my head). A friend of mine suggested to me a lady by the name of Laura Marling. I tabbed over to youtube.com and searched for her. My ears have been blessed by what they have heard.

Her gentle picking of the acoustic guitar, her delicate yet somehow rough vocals sent shivers down my spine. I am a fan.

Pasta alla carbonara!

I love Italian food. “Love” being the understatement of the century. I present to you possibly the most delicious pasta dish ever created, carbonara. The idea of this creamy, garlic-y dish has me salivating already.

Ingredients (2 people):

• 2 portions of Spaghetti/Fettuccine .
• 2 medium size hen’s eggs.
• 5 Tablespoons of cream
• 50g  red cheddar cheese.
• 2 cloves of garlic.
• 10 thin slices of cooked ham.
• Butter.
• Black Pepper.
• Parmasean

Method:

1. Cook the pasta as per instructions until “al dente”.
2. Crack the eggs into a bowl. Add the cream and cheese and a knob of butter and mix thoroughly.
3. Crush the garlic and add to the bowl.
4. Cut the slices of ham into thin strips.
5. Transfer the contents of the bowl into a saucepan and heat on a low-medium heat. Be sure to constantly stir the sauce until it is cooked, or instead of a sauce, you’ll end up with a scrambled egg mixture and a burnt saucepan. You can tell the sauce is almost cooked when the cheddar cheese has melted.
6. At this stage, add the sliced ham, and continue to cook and stir until the sauce is slightly thicker and the ham has heated.
7. One can either add the pasta to the sauce and mix it or serve the pasta and pour the sauce over it. Either way, you’re guaranteed an unforgettable meal.

Serving Suggestion:

I adore garlic, and when I make this, I use around 4 cloves. It gives a much stronger flavour, particularly to the meat itself and is not for the faint hearted.

I also suggest a nice garlic bread, after all, this is Italian cuisine.

[Pictures will be posted as soon as I make my next batch]

Caesar Stephanie

I have a major weakness for junk food, chocolate, cakes, ice-cream etc. To counter-act all the crap I eat, I try my best to eat healthy(ish) main meals. Can you think of something more replenishing that a crisp, fresh salad? No, I thought not. There are many, many different salads out there, my favourite being Caesar. There are copius amounts of modified recipes, some use eggs, some use different cheeses etc. This is my own personal favorite: Full of flavor, crunchy and the cheese isn’t overpowering.

So here it is, Caesar Salad á la Steph! By the time I had it made, I had no time to get my camera, I was far too hungry, so pictures will follow another day.

Ingredients

• Iceberg Lettuce
  
• 1 Small Red Onion
  
• 1 Small White Onion
  
• 2 Slices of white bread
  
• 2 chicken fillets
  
• 3 rashers of bacon
  
• Olive Oil
  
• Caesar Dressing. (Recipe for Caesar dressing: http://moourl.com/azvr9, I use shop bought dressing because I don’t like anchovies, and its a real time saver.)
• Parmesan Cheese

Method:

1. Slice and dice the onions.
   
2. Cut the leaves of lettuce into wide strips.
   
3. Cut the white bread into small squares.
   
4. Heat a fair amount of olive oil in a frying pan, place the bread squares in the pan. Turn after a couple of minutes. Keep turning until golden brown and crispy. (Be careful when removing them from the pan, they are billionth
   
5. Cut the chicken and into small strips and fry in a little oil.
   
6. Remove the fat from the bacon, and cut into strips, fry in oil.
   
7. Add all contents to a large salad bowl.
   
8. Cover with parmesan cheese and caesar dressing.
   
9. Toss the salad (with spoons, not in the air).
   
10. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this completely delicious, filling, healthy salad!

Garlic Potatoes

Okay, recipe number two, Garlic spuds. This recipe feeds about 3 people. Simple side dish and completely delicious.

Garlic Spuds

Ingredients:

• 3 Medium size spuds
• 100 mls. Single Cream
• Block of White Cheddar Cheese
• 40g Butter
• 5-6 Garlic cloves (mashed)
• Salt
• Pepper

Method:

1. Slice the potatoes. Layer half of them into a small casserole dish.
2. Cover the potatoes with half of the grated cheese.
3. Layer the rest of potatoes on top.
4. Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the mashed garlic.
5. When it begins to brown, pour it over the potatoes.
6. Add the cream, salt and pepper.
7. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the potatoes.
8. Cook for 60-75 minutes, until golden brown and piping hot inside.
9. Serve and enjoy!

The Ginger Nut Log!

Okay, so I’ve chosen to start using this blog for a purpose, a new beginning for the New Year. I’ve decided its about time I learn to cook and bake! So here it is, my first recipe (This is as simple as “baking” gets), The Ginger Nut Log. I recall when I was a kid, my dad making this, and every member of my family lapping up the spicy ginger, bitter orange and sweet cream. It really is a dish for all taste buds. Here goes:The Ginger Nut Log

Ingredients:

• 1 packet of Ginger Nut biscuits
• 1 pint of orange juice
• 300mls of single cream
• Granulated Sugar

Ingredients

Method:

1. Put the cream in a mixingbowl and add one and a half table spoons of sugar, if you have a sweet tooth.
2. Whisk the cream until until it goes really thick, i.e. it pretty much won’t go any thicker.
3. Put the orange juice in a bowl.
4. Take a biscuit and dip it the juice on both sides and spoon and small bit of cream onto it.
5. Dip another biscuit in the juice on both sides and then place it on top of the the first biscuit as if it were a mini sandwich.
6. Place another small dollap of cream on that biscuit an then place another juiced-up biscuit on top of that. When you have a three biscuit stack, place the biscuits on it so they are on their side
7. Repeat all this again and again until you have used up about half of the cream in the small bowl. At this point, you should have a log of biscuit-cream-biscuit-cream-biscuit-cream-biscuit-cream, etc.
8. Take the remaining cream and completley cover the log. Sprinkle a crushed ginger nut over the top of the log.
9. Leave in the fridge for a few hours.
10. Slice diagonally and enjoy!

Sandwich!

The Finished Nom.