Pumpkin Prawn Pilaf - Pumpkin #3

I tried a pumpkin prawn pilaf recipe from a local women magazine, and unfortunately, I found it lacking in flavour (just my own opinion). Personally (you may think otherwise), I will prefer more spices to go with it. The recipe for 4 servings also called for 3 cups of raw basmathi of which is quite a lot! 3 cups raw basmathi will give you around 9 cups cooked (unfluffed) rice and imagine after fluffing.....woah...I can't imagine 4 persons eating that. When I tried out the recipe to serve 3 big eaters plus kids, I cut the rice to half and the rest remained. It looked fine, proportion of rice and prawns looked good, but tasted not as good as I hoped, since making seasoned rice is usually quite straightforward with not much techniques involved. I wonder how many of you have encountered such problems with recipes from women magazines.

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Honey Mustard Roasted Pumpkin, Beets and Carrots - Pumpkin #2

I made this for more relatives who came back from Australia few weeks later after the pumpkin sabzi.

They have past their 50's and are conscious of the things they eat. 

Having living overseas for quite a long time, they love to eat roasted vegetables.
Something my hubby find it hard to take in.

I took the opportunity to try out this dish.
Very well recieved by them. I was only so so about this.

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Easy Pumpkin Sabzi - Pumpkin #1

The original recipe called for butternut squash, but I used pumpkin. The pumpkins that I buy are always very orangey in colour. Which is why, I find the taste to be similar to butternut squash. I never knew that there was an obvious difference, not until Anne of Pigpigscorner told me during our meet up 2 years ago.

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Blueberry Yogurt Mousse Cake - Mousse Cake #3

If you don’t like yogurt you will HATE this cake. That was the reaction given to me by my brother’s neighbour’s kid. “Yucks, this cake tasted horrible!”. Well, later my mom told me, this boy doesn’t even eat cheese on his pizza. Ok, so that explains it.

Another kid exclaimed to my niece when she saw the cake , “Eh, why your cake has nothing one”. I think they are pretty used to elaborately topped cakes from local bakeries. Some bakeries here will use plastic toppers like toys and such to visually enhance it. Adults instead found this deco to be elegant and beautiful.

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Chocolate Chesnut Mousse Cake - Mousse Cake #2

I made this cake and sent it over to my SIL's in-laws (my hubby's sister's in-laws). We are in good relations with them and they always send us good free range chicken or river caught snakeheads. Well, I could only return them with bakes and Chinese New Year is always the time of gifting. They told me it tasted like cheesecake and they loved it.

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Lime Watermelon Charlotte with Mint Basil Glaze - Mousse Cake #1

I came home from the competition and made another one.... to take proper pics for the blog...and also for my hubby's birthday.

My girls were crazy for this cake. We blew candles that night and had a slice each and then scoot them off to bed. The next day, when I picked them up from kindergarden, the first thing they said to me was, "Mom, let's go home and eat cake". My hubby called them monsters because they ate half the cake in less than 24 hours. Hahahaha, my husband rarely calls them this, but usually it's me calling them names, hahahah. We are a family of humour. I never thought Lyanne will love a fruit flavoured cake this much. But Lydia, yes, I know she will.

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Think out of the Shell Pastry Competition- Part 2- The Competition!

The next day, I popped over to the competition site, of which the 2nd day of Semi finals. I went there to see see how things are, so that I'll give myself a mental prep. The main purpose of dropping by is to collect my pistachios, promised to me by the organizer. I thought I'll get skinless ones, but noooooooo, I got regular pistachios that comes with lots of skin. I left soon after that and went to collect my ingredients at a designated baking supplies shop.

I got back to my relative's place and started working on my pistachios. Blanching, peeling and finally toasting them. Because they were toasted right after blanching, there were lots of moisture in the nut. Took me more than 1 hour to get them nicely toasted. In out of oven, airing and toasting again. Then I had to grind them... when everything's done, it was 11pm. I was dead tired!

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