Celebrating...

MARSHMALLOW TART...!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tin condensed milk
• 1 tin fine pieces of pineapple
• 1/4 litre lemon juice
• 20 glazed cherries
  
• 1 pack full cream
• 35 marshmallows

PREPARATION:

1. Cut the glazed cherries, the marshmallows and the pineapple into pieces. (Resist urge to have a few pieces of marshmallow or cherries!!!)
   
2. Squeeze the pineapple to release all the "liquid"
3. Whip cream until it becomes thick. Careful not to whip it too much and have it transformed into butter. Put in fridge.
4. Whip condensed milk and lemon juice together. Leave to thicken.
5. Mix cherries, marshmallows and pineapple into condensed milk-lemon juice mix.
6. Add whipped cream gently.
   

"BASE" INGREDIENTS:

• Cookies (the pictures shows 2 packs but one is enough)
• Butter

PREPARATION:

1. Crush finely cookies (leave slightly bigger pieces to have a "crunch" feeling)
2. Melt butter
   
3. Add butter to crushed cookies (careful not to add too much butter or your base will be too hard!)

PREPARATION:

1. Put your biscuit base on a tart pan.
2. Level it with the back of a spoon.
   
3. Put the marshmallow, cherries, pineapple, condensed milk-lemon juice-cream mixture over the biscuit base.
4. Leave in fridge to set.
5. Forget how many calories there is in the marshmallow tart!
   

APPLE CAKE...!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 eggs
• Baking powder
• 4 apples
• 14 spoons flour (soup spoons)
• 14 spoons sugar
• 10 spoons milk
• 10 spoons oil (neutral flavour)
• Orange jam (for covering)
  

PREPARATION:

1. Pre-heat oven at 180 °C
2. Peal and cut the apples into quarters
3. Mix the flour with sugar, baking powder, milk, oil and yolks of eggs.
4. Whip the white of the eggs until they become firm (meringue consistency)
5. Mix gently the whipped whites with the other preparation.
6. Pour into a tart pan.
7. Put quarters of apples on top.
8. Bake for about 40-50 minutes. Check with a toothpick if dough is cooked. The toothpick must come out clean.
9. Put 4 spoons of orange jam in a sauce pan and heat it until it becomes liquid.
10. With a baking brush, brush the jam over the warm apple cake.
11. Serve with either whipped cream or vanilla ice on the side!
    

ENJOY!

APPLE TART

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 3 spoons butter
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 1 pinch of salt
• Canned sliced apples
  

I could not find the canned sliced apples in Switzerland. The ones you see in the picture were brought by a friend from South Africa. I suppose you can prepare the apples in advance, cut them into slices, cook them in a sugar syrup and let them cool before using them.

Cream Sauce:

• 1 cup of cream
• 1 cup of sugar

PREPARATION:

1. Pre-heat oven at 180 °C
2. Add the flower with the baking powder, the butter, the pinch of salt, the milk, the sugar and the egg yolks.
3. Mix all these ingredients together.
4. Whisk the white of the eggs until they are firm.
5. Mix the white of the eggs with the other preparation.
6. Pour in a tart pan (I chose a round one, but you can use a square one).
7. Put the apple slices on top of preparation.
8. Bake for about 60 - 90 minutes (check cooking with with a toothpick after 60 minutes to see if cooked. The toothpick must come out clean if the tart is cooked).
9. When the tart is nearly ready, mix cream with sugar in a pan.
10. Cook cream and sugar for 10 minutes.
11. Pour cream sauce over still hot tart that you have just taken out of the oven.
12. Let it cool. (Serve it still warm it is even better!!!)

GEMEOS 2009...

A passagem de Saturno que se inicia em 03 de Setembro e se estende até Outubro de 2009 irá marcar uma nova lição de amadurecimento e aprendizado nestes setores.

Em primeiro lugar questões da família e da casa ganham forte destaque, importantes o suficiente para provocar um maior amadurecimento interior.

É uma fase onde iremos reconsiderar nossa perspectiva das pessoas mais velhas da família. Pais, avôs, tios, independente de sexo, revelam sua vulnerabilidade e precisam de nossa atenção.

Isto mexe com nossos complexos ou ilusões do passado e nos convida para uma nova sintonia.

Frequentemente é o tempo onde os papéis se invertem e você é chamado para cuidar e ser responsável da estrutura familiar. E, com isto, a vida te prepara para poder criar uma continuidade tribal.

Para crianças, com freqüência, é uma fase de aprender a lidar com limites e regras.

Outra manifestação desta passagem nos leva a assumir atitudes e deveres com a casa.

O desgaste do tempo traz rachaduras e você se envolve com obras no lar.

Seu gosto e suas necessidades seguem uma linha mais conservadora. Busca marcar seu território com lembranças do passado e deseja decorar com objetos tradicionais, almeja por privacidade e domínio territorial.

Você quer paz, quem sabe um pouco mais de isolamento, e tudo organizado.

É um tempo onde o trabalho se mescla com a vida doméstica.

Ou ainda, a vida profissional passa a lidar com temas relacionados como comida, construção, empreendimentos familiares, ecologia, etc.

Em algum momento deste processo, fantasmas emocionais do passado retornam à tona para serem resolvidos.

É sua estrutura pessoal pedindo para que conserte suas fragilidades internas, as deixe no devido baú de sua história e assim, fortalecido, esteja pronto para dar continuidade à linhagem genealógica.

Gemeos: O dom do Conhecimento

Comportamento Geral:

Nos distinguimos dos outros sêres vivos porque também somos criadores. Temos a centelha da vida, temos o corpo material e somos dotados de uma mente que busca compreender e associar.
Em vários dos mitos antigos, sugere-se que a humanidade perdeu o direito ao paraíso porque roubou do fruto do conhecimento. O conhecimento que nos aproxima da divindade.

Gêmeos representa a essência do mental: sua maior característica é a curiosidade, a comunicabilidade e a irrequietude. É a agilidade tanto física quanto de pensamento. Mercúrio, o planeta regente do signo, é apresentado na mitologia com asas nos pés.

Gêmeos é o eterno jovial, brincalhão . Sempre buscando por novidades e por diversificar seu leque de relacionamentos. Sua mente ativa parece nunca repousar e por causa disto tende a ser muito dispersivo. Está sempre atento a algum acontecimento que não pode lhe escapar. É difícil prender a atenção de um geminiano.

Tanta agilidade faz com que dentro de cada geminiano existam sempre duas pessoas. É a sua dualidade.

É um diplomata de carteirinha. Tem boa intuição e sabe agir com malícia, astúcia e convicção.
Sabe ser muito humano e acolhedor. Se você for dar uma reunião ou uma festa, não deixe de convidar um típico geminiano: eles têm o dom de animar, alegrar e transformar ambientes sem graça em animadíssimos eventos sociais.

O signo de Gemeos e a Amizade

Quanto maior o número de amigos - melhor. Esta é possívelmente sua frase predileta.

Uma de suas características é falar não somente com as palavras, mas com as mãos, os braços e até através da representação corporal.

Pela sua vivacidade e extroversão Gêmeos atrai as pessoas com facilidade. Gostam de pessoas empreendedoras , dinâmicas e descompromissadas. Aliás, compromissos rígidos não são o seu forte e pontualidade, menos ainda.

Necessitam de variedade e de novas emoções em suas amizades. Um diversificado círculo social é para Gêmeos - como que um alimento da alma.

O signo de Gemeos e o Amor

Aaaah - o doce cantar da sedução. Este é um dos pontos fortes do Geminiano. São os magos das palavras doces, saberão dizer exatamente aquilo que os outros precisam ouvir.

No amor buscam pelo encanto esperando também serem encantados. Gostam do belo e do requintado.

Casamento, para Gêmeos, representa uma união espiritual, onde, deve reinar sobretudo o respeito à independência e à sua liberdade de expressão.

NOI...

RAS-LE-BOL! UN PEU...BEAUCOUP...PASSIONNEMENT

Many complained of my disappearance from the "Blog World"...I have to thank them, even if some were just missing the recipes (you know yourselves!).

The last weeks (did they turn into months?), were not easy....not just work to blame, even if it grew exponentially ever since assuming more responsibilities...but private life that has been feeling like the roller-coaster I was trying to avoid.

Twists and turns...so right. Without any notice came this "ras-le-bol" as we say in french "fed-up" not being a quite good translation, I could only express what I feel with the closest expression I know, came up and really made me not care of anything. I was living and breathing work, until I came to my senses...not good in doing so. Why did I have to bury myself into work to forget I was upset, to forget that hearthache is but reality in life...

Thought of shutting down the blog, of shutting down all the pages I have scattered around the internet world, I shut my self from family and friends...

Was it worth it? No. Somehow, I woke up to what was happening, smile and laughter being back, re-contacting all friends and being more present regarding family. I found out I was OK with myself, that I actually enjoy everyday of my life and that I could actually have that "famous" laughter back...it feels nice.

So the purpose of this post, is to actually thank all those that were patient, that worried when they saw that I wasn't laughing, that were there doing nothing but looking at me in silent support and kept sending little funny messages and surprises to bring me back to my old self...the positive, optimist, laughing person I am...

Be ready for more posts...even for more recipes (don't need to say who you are...!)

I DON'T BELIEVE YOU...

I don't mind it
I don't mind at all
It's like you're the swing set
And I'm the kid that falls
It's like the way we fight
The times I've cried
We come to blows
And every night
The passion's there
So it's got to be right
Right?

No I don't believe you
When you say don't come around here no more
I won't remind you
You said we wouldn't be apart
No I don't believe you
When you say you don't need me anymore
So don't pretend to
Not love me at all

I don't mind it
I still don't mind at all
It's like one of those bad dreams
When you cant wake up
It looks like you've given up
You've had enough
But I want more
No I won't stop
Because I just know
You'll come around
Right?

No I don't believe you
When you say don't come around here no more
I wont remind you
You said we wouldn't be apart
No I don't believe you
When you say you don't need me anymore
So don't pretend to
Not love me at all

Just don't stand there and watch me fall
Because I, because I still don't mind at all

It's like the way we fight
The times I've cried
We come to blows
And every night
The passion's there
So it's got to be right,
Right?

No I don't believe you
When you say don't come around here no more
I won't remind you
You said we wouldn't be apart
No I don't believe you
When you say you don't need me anymore
So don't pretend to
Not love me at all

I don't believe you

ραβανί (ravani)...

Greeks love desserts soaked in light-scented honey or sugar syrup. I can remember how much I enjoyed Ravani and today, I just could not help it and had to try to bake one. Was hesitating between all the great recipes like "Baklava", "Galaktobouriko", "Bougatsa" or a good "Yiaourtopita me Karythia kai Fystikia Aiginis" (Greek yogurt, walnut and pistachio cake with syrup)...but after roaming my fridge I settled for a Ravani.

The smell that invaded my kitchen reminded me of all the time I spent in Greece and how much I miss it. I hope you'll enjoy baking it as much as I did!

καλή όρεξη!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of fine semolina
• 1-1/2 cups of flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of margarine or butter, softened
• 6 eggs, separated
• 1 cup of whole milk
• 1 teaspoon of grated lemon peel
• 2 tablespoons of water

Syrup:

• 3-1/2 cups of sugar
• 3 cups of water
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• Vanilla

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Sift the flour and whisk with semolina, baking powder, and baking soda.
3. In the processor mixing bowl, cream the butter. Add egg yolks, sugar, and grated lemon peel and continue to mix until light and creamy.
4. Add the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with the milk, until completely blended.
5. Remove from processing bowl and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Whip the egg whites with 2 tablespoons of cold water to the stiff peak stage, and with a wooden spoon, stir carefully into the batter until thoroughly distributed.
6. Transfer the cake batter to a lightly greased baking pan (I have used a baking pan that you can throw away after as I couldn’t find the right size. This aluminium baking pans can be found at any supermarkets) and spread evenly with a spatula.
7. Bake at 180°C for approximately 45-50 minutes. Cake will pull away slightly from the sides of the baking pan when done.
8. Remove from the oven and allow cake to cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes before starting the syrup.
9. Cut cake into small squares or diamond-shaped pieces.

Prepare the syrup:

1. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
2. Add vanilla.
3. Boil for 10 minutes.
4. Stir in lemon juice, remove vanilla and pour the hot syrup over the lukewarm cake, evenly and very carefully to avoid collapsing the cake, starting at the outside edges.
5. Allow to cool completely.
   

The Sawmill

To A. with thanks for making me laugh...always when I need it!

Sei-te de Cor

sei de cor
cada traço do teu rosto, do teu olhar
cada sombra da tua voz e cada silencio,
cada gesto que tu faças,
meu amor sei-te de cor

sei cada capricho teu e o que nao dizes
ou preferes calar, deixa-me adivinhar
nao digas que o louco sou eu
se for tanto melhor
amor sei-te de cor

sei porque becos te escondes,
sei ao pormenor o teu melhor e o pior
sei de ti mais do que queria
numa palavra diria
sei-te de cor.

sei cada capricho teu e o que nao dizes
ou preferes calar deixa-me adivinhar
nao digas que o louco sou eu
se for tanto melhor
amor sei-te de cor

sei de cor cada traço do teu rosto, do teu olhar
cada sombra da tua voz e cada silencio,
cada gesto que tu faças
meu amor sei-te de cor

Paulo Gonzo

Quem Me Leva Os Meus Fantasmas

Pedro Abrunhosa simplesmente fantástico...

Save Miguel!

A very good idea...ecology with a twist of humour...maybe the only way to seriously start thinking about what we are doing to our planet...and if on top it speaks of my beloved Portugal...then I am all for it!

Obrigado ao Paulo e Zé de "Felizes Juntos" por me terem feito descobrir esta campanha que merece toda a nossa atenção!

AFRIKAANS...ASSEBLIEF

Afrikaans Language Monument in Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa

Many of my readers and friends have been having the following comment "hey, what's up with this strange language that popped up on your blog?". I smile each time I read or get that kind of comment, because I also used to think like that...what a strange language...like I said...I USED to think that.

Those who know me, know how much I like to travel and discover new cultures, as well as learning new languages. For me it is natural that if you are visiting another country, one should try to find a few things about it first and try to learn a few sentences...it is always appreciated. I could find one is better welcomed when we make an effort, I have verified that in each of my travels around the globe.

Question is, why Afrikaans? Don't know my self. I was in South Africa years ago, but hadn't "click" with it, after all, everyone was speaking in English...

One morning after a conversation on different languages spoken with a friend, I got "challenged" to learn Afrikaans, I took it up. Thought I was making a mistake, because it sounded like a complicated language where "g" turns into "rhh", "v" turns into "f", etc and the grammar seems so "obscure"... I was so far from reality. What I wasn't expecting was to literally fall in love with this beautiful and so "smooth" language. Afrikaans is not harsh at all, although it may seem for the untrained ear.

With learning the language came also learning the culture and everything around it (including the recipes!!!) and letting go of some pre-conceived ideas...

How to explain the fun I am having, how much I enjoy each time I discover I understand what I am being told in Afrikaans and how much I am amazed of how automatic it is becoming for me to reply...although sometimes the order of the words isn't quite right (different grammar rules)...but that has occasioned some very good laughter moments!

So, to answer all those who have asked, there is no particular reason just the fact that I like it and that I would like everyone to discover how beautiful it is.

Afrikaans is one of the 11 official languages of South Africa. If you are interested in knowing a bit more you can visit this site (Wikipedia). Try also to learn a little bit more about the Afrikaans Language Monument here.

YSTERVARKIES

INGREDIENTS:

• 350g Bruismeel (Flour)
• 7ml bakpoeier (baking powder)
• 1ml sout (salt)
• 125g botter of margarien (butter of margerin)
• 250g suiker (sugar)
• 4 eiers (eggs)

1. Sif bruismeel, bakpoeier en sout saam (Sieve flour, baking powder and salt together).
2. Klop botter en suiker tot romerig (mix the butter and the sugar until creamy).
3. Klop eiers een vir een by bottermensel en meng goed na elke byvoeging (add the eggs one by one to the butter mixture and blend well).
4. Voeg gesifde bestanddele bietjiesgewys by en roer tot alles net gemeng is (add the egg, butter and suger mixture to the rest of the ingredients and mix well).
5. Skep in panne, maak gelyk en bak 15 - 20 minute (Pour in baking pan and cook for 15 - 20 minutes).
6. Keer uit op draadrak en laat afkoel (put the dough on a rack and allow to cool).
7. Sny in blokkies van sowat 3cm x 3cm (cut in squares of 3cm x 3cm).

The picture above is here for one sole purpose, a private joke
between me, A. and T. (Bigger sieve!)

STROOP (Syrup):

• 375ml kookwater (water)
• 600g suiker (sugar)
• 1ml sout (salt)
• 15g kakao (cocoa)
• 15g botter (butter)
• 5ml vanieljegeursel (vanilla essence)

DECORATION:

• 400g klapper (coconut)

1. Meng kookwater, suiker, sout, kakao, botter en vanieljegeursel in n' dubeel kastrol. (Mix water, sugar, salt, cocoa, butter and vanilla essence together in a cooking pan - let it get syrupy).
2. Doop koekblokkies vinning in stroop en sorg dat al sy vier sye bedek is (dip cookies in the syrup and make sure that all sides are coated with it).
3. Rol in klapper en plaas op draadrak (roll the cookies in the coconut and place on rack).

Dit is heerlike! GENIET!!!!!

Peanut Butter Cookies...

INGREDIENTS:

• 250g butter
• 500ml sugar
• 2 eggs (whisked)
• 125ml smooth peanut butter
• 10ml bicarbonate of soda
• 25ml milk
• 5ml vanilla essence
• 500ml flour (sifted)
• 500ml Oats
• 500ml coconut
• 500ml cornflakes

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 180 °C.
2. Cream butter and sugar.
3. Add whisked eggs.
4. Add peanut butter and mix well.
5. Dissolve bicarbonate in milk. Add essence. Add to butter mixture and blend well.
6. Mix the rest of the ingredients (flour, coconut, oats, and cornflakes). Add to the peanut butter mixture. Mix.
7. Form walnut-sized balls. Place on greased baking tray (or covered with baking paper) and flatten slightly with a fork.
8. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden and done.
   

Makes approximately 8 dozen cookies!