IT'S NATIONAL CHOCOLATE WEEK!

Good Morning to you,

 Did you know this week is National Chocolate Week? 

 No. 

Well, it gives me great pleasure to tell you, it is and yes, it really is for the whole week!

So for this one week in the year, let all chocolate lovers unite and indulge  their love of chocolate.

Do you feel my excitement?

Does this week mean I can eat  chocolate without feeling guilty?

Does this week give me permission to enjoy the  exquisite  taste of chocolate and not worry about the calories?

Does this week allow me to indulge in  a guilt free, Thornton's Chocolate, without hearing that little voice in my head saying "Don't do it, you'll be s-o-r-r-y".

I can hear you telling me "NO, DON'T DO IT!" A moment on the lips, will be a lifetime on the hips!

Ok, I'll listen to you, well just a little. I will only enjoy the odd chocolate or two, ok maybe three. You have to agree it  would be rude not to enter into the spirit of the  National Chocolate Week. On second thoughts, I feel I  really must participate and throw myself wholeheartedly into the week!

 

  

...and what better way to start than with my favourite chocolate cake, Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Cloud Cake. It's the best chocolate cake I have ever baked and certainly the most impressive looking.  Do you remember when Phyllis and I made this cake in August. Read here She had never heard of it before, but once she enjoyed a slice, she was smitten and has asked me to make another one when she visits next year!

  

 .....and of course there is Ivy's Chocolate Cream Roll which she made for us as children. See Here Childhood memories come flooding back when I eat this cream roll. It's amazing how taste sensations  can immediately transport you back to a time and place. Do you know, when I close my eyes I can even hear the floorboards creaking as I walk through Ivy's hall into her front room. I can hear the ticking of the clock and the chime which rang every hour. I can even see Gramps checking his pocket watch to make sure the clock was running on time. Tastes and smells are a powerful force for the memory.

  Now, for a woman who loves chocolate, it is reasonable for me to own a book entitled The Ultimate  Encyclopedia of  Chocolate. Which was written by Christine McFadden and Christine France.  This fabulous chocolate book has over 200  recipes and this is one of the books I turn to when I want to try a new chocolate recipe.

The following photos have been taken from

The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Chocolate 

 These Chocolate Mint-Filled Cup Cakes are delicious. They are filled with double cream with peppermint essence and topped with a Chocolate Mint Glaze, just enough mint and just enough chocolate.

Sachertorte

What can I say about this beautiful glistening cake that the picture doesn't say. Ok, I'll say what your thinking ...... Eat Me!  This Sachertorte has a glaze made with apricot jam and the icing well, it's rich, dark and sumptuous.  The best way to describe this cake is to say it's a gastronomic delight. (for me!)

 Chocolate Brioche Bake

This is a twist on English Bread and Butter Pudding. Instead of using plain bread, four brioches are cut up and used. Brioche is gorgeous on it's own, but when smothered with chocolate, marmalade and egg custard, what more could you want...... well maybe a little more, sorry now that is being greedy!

  

Rich Chocolate and Coffee Pudding

What better marriage is there, than chocolate and coffee.  When I eat a piece of chocolate I always enjoy a cup of coffee as well.  The sponge base includes plain chocolate and the topping is a mix of coffee, brown sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder. There just aren't enough words to describe this little bit of heaven.

 

  

Baked Chocolate Cheesecake

Now you already know about my love of Cheesecakes, whether bought from the Cheesecake Factory or made by myself from Nigella's recipe, but there is always space for one more.  The base of this cheesecake is made with chocolate biscuits with a hint of cinnamon and the topping is made with cream cheese and soured cream and of course the obligatory chocolate.  What do you think, would you enjoy this cheesecake?

Black and White Ginger Florentines

Oh dear, my chocolate list just keeps growing and growing! I'm thinking these Florentines are not too bad for my health as they do have honey, almonds, ginger and orange peel.  Alright I own up, they also include double cream, sugar and plain chocolate and, oh yes, not forgetting white chocolate. I almost had you fooled!

Chunky Chocolate Drops

....and I kept the largest photo for last.  Now anything which includes Chunky Chocolate in the name has to be good.  They are so easy to make and what can I say they are moreish.  Do you see a theme developing here, everything which is made of chocolate is moreish and yes you have guessed correctly, I AM A LOVER OF CHOCOLATE.

Enjoy National Chocolate Week, go on indulge in a little piece of chocolate.

That's it, I have no further words, I am in chocolate heaven, so take care, and I will see you later in the week.

This week I shall be joining,

Lindsay at Southern Lovely

Best Wishes

Daphne xxx

POTATO AND FISH PIE

Good Morning to you,

We want to say a big thank you, to all the lovely people, who were kind enough to send George and I their best wishes for  our Wedding Anniversary on Wednesday 3rd October. It was so thoughtful of you and we both really appreciated your kindness.

George and I had a lovely day together, which as you will probably have guessed, involved food!

.....and that leads me on to what I am cooking today, a fish pie.

But first a verse,

Dance To Thy Daddy

(A folk song originating in Northumberland)

1st verse

Dance to your Daddy, my little laddie,

Dance to your Daddy, my little man,

Thou shalt have a fishy,

and thou shalt have a fin,

Thou shalt have a codlin when the boat comes in,

Thou shalt have a haddock baked in a pan,

Dance to your daddy, my little man.



Please,  don't let the name  fish pie, put you off. The pie doesn't have a pastry topping, it's mash potato.  It's a dish which works well during the winter.  You also don't have to use the same fish as I did. You can make changes to include fish which your family enjoy. It can also be made with one,  two, or three different types of fish, it's really up to you. Whatever you are able to source and if you are lucky enough to have a husband who goes fishing, even better.

Now doesn't this look delicious. 

YOU WILL NEED

A 10" round dish which can be used in the oven,

 Oven temperature of 160C

Cooking time 1 hour

INGREDIENTS FOR POTATO TOPPING

1.5 kg potatoes

1 oz butter (or olive oil if preferred)

dash of milk

salt and pepper

Peel potatoes and cut into quarters. Rinse under cold running water.  Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with salted water.   Bring to the boil, then simmer until the potatoes are tender. This will take approximately 30 minutes, but again as I always say, "keep an eye" on the potatoes. 

VEGETABLES

2 large carrots

1 stick of celery

1 onion

4 oz frozen peas

Peel and chop the carrot into small cubes. Peel and chop the onion and celery. The peas are frozen garden peas so they do not require any preparation.

 Put a little olive oil in a large pan and cook the onions and celery until translucent.  Add the carrots and peas and  half a cup of water, place the lid on the pan and cook the carrots until tender for about 5 minutes, if you prefer a crisper carrot then reduce the cooking time. 

INGREDIENTS FOR WHITE SAUCE

50g butter

50g flour

1 pint of milk

grated zest of a lemon

salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour, allow to cook for a minute, then add the milk and whisk until thick and glossy.  Add salt and pepper and grated lemon zest. The sauce will be thick, don't worry as this is how it should be.

When the sauce is cooked add to the pan with the onion, celery, carrots and peas.  Stir well to incorporate all the ingredients.

  

 FISH

200g prawns

280g salmon

250g white fish

 Cut the salmon fillets and white fish into bite sized pieces,  add to the white sauce, do not stir, place on the top. Finally  add the prawns. 

Spoon the mixture into a dish. As you spoon the mixture into the dish you will find the fish will be incorporated into the white sauce.

By now, the potatoes will be cooked and ready to be turned into fluffy mashed potato.

Drain the water and mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Add the butter. The potatoes are hot so the butter will melt quickly. Add a dash of milk  (two tablespoons) and mix. I use a wooden spoon and give the potatoes a good beating (a bit like kneading bread, gets rid of any frustrations). Check for seasoning, if more is needed, add now.

Placed the fluffy mashed potato on top of the fish and white sauce. Place on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 1 hour.

or  until the potato topping is golden brown.

  

Allow to cool a little.

......and there you have it a delicious fish pie.

You can also add cheese to the white sauce, or chopped parsley. If you prefer sweetcorn, omit the peas and add sweetcorn.

Enjoy,

This week I be joining,

Karen at Sew Many Ways
On the Menu Monday at StoneGable
Foodie Friends Friday at This and That

See you later in the week.

Best Wishes

Daphne xxx 

42 YEARS TODAY!

Good morning to you,

Today, George and I have been married for 42 years. It is hard to believe we have been married for so long, as  we both agree the time has flown by.

We are enjoying a wonderful life together. As with all  marriages we have had our share of  "ups and downs", but when there have been "bumps in the road", we have managed to overcome them together.

We have two wonderful daughters which we are so grateful for and love dearly.

  

   

 ...and look what arrived for me today, George sent me these beautiful roses, to celebrate our anniversary,  they  are absolutely gorgeous.

  

  I thought you would like to take a  closer look at the roses.

  

....and this is the vase the roses were in.  

The vase is a beautiful shade of blue and do you see the metal work around the top, this has been handmade.  It is so beautiful, the metal work reminds me of a design from the medieval times.

 

And this is where it all began 

with George and Daphne 

 

 Our Wedding Day 3rd October 1970

outside the church

  

  Our honeymoon in Majorca, look how young  we were.  I'll share a secret with you. As you can see George was very fit.  When I was tired of pedalling I would put my feet up on the cross-bar and let George do all the work.  I don't think he ever noticed, well if he did, he was kind enough not to say anything.

Three years later, along came our gorgeous daughter Natasha.  In this photograph she was two weeks old.   There was great excitement when she was born, because she was the first grandchild on both sides of the family.

  Then four years later in 1977 along came our youngest daughter, Danielle.  Wasn't she a cutie pie.  She grew up with a twinkle in her eye.

  

This is Natasha when she was five years of age.  She was the most sweetest natured little girl. 

This is Danielle aged 5 years.  She was a mischievous little girl and full of fun, but I think you can see that in her eyes.

  

  

 ......and here are our gorgeous girls and Phyllis' grand daughters, as they are today, all grown up and beautiful. 

.....and all because George and I met one day at a summer fete in 1967.

I hope you have enjoyed these pictures of our family.

We are now going out to celebrate our anniversary.

Take care and I will see you later in the week.

Best Wishes

Daphne xxx

GREEK MOUSSAKA

Good Morning to you,

The skies are very dark and the clouds look thunderous. The wind is howling outside and the rain is bouncing off the pavements.  The weatherman says the wind and rain is set to remain for the rest of the day and could actually continue for the next couple of days.  I am lucky because today, I am in my warm and cosy  kitchen, so I have decided to ignore the horrible weather and make the Moussaka I promised you I would make.

First things first, a  cappuccino is in order, then I will organise  the ingredients  and finally I will find some good music to listen to whilst cooking.  Once this is done, I am well and truly ready to start making Moussaka.

  

 THE INGREDIENTS

PLUS

Cinnamon 

PLUS 

1 additional aubergine (total 3 aubergines used)

2-3 large aubergines (I needed to use 3)

 2 medium sized onions

2 to 3 cloves of garlic (depends on your taste)

olive oil

1kg minced lamb

1 1/2 glasses of red wine (optional)

1 1/2 tablespoons of tomato puree

1 400g tin of tomatoes (chopped)

or if you prefer use fresh tomatoes

1 teaspoon of sugar

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 1/2 tablespoons of dried oregano

salt and pepper

1/2 pint of water

1 x 12" by 9"  dish that can be used in the oven

Top and tail the aubergines then  slice the aubergines length ways.

Brush both sides of the aubergines with olive oil and place in a dry pan. Cook until brown on both sides.

 Remove from the pan and set aside until needed

 Cook the lamb mince until the pinkness has gone, then remove from the pan into a dish and set aside until needed.

 Place two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan. Add the onions and cook until translucent.

Add the grated garlic, oregano and cook for a further couple of minutes

Add the cooked lamb mince back into the pan, a little at a time, to allow  all the ingredients to be incorporated.

Add the cinnamon, salt and pepper and stir well.

 Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree,  red wine, sugar and water to the meat mixture and stir again. Bring to a simmer,  place a lid on the pan and leave to simmer for about 50 - 60 minutes. Check for seasoning, if more is needed add now and stir. You want the consistency to be quite thick, with very little liquid, so if you still have a lot of liquid left after 50 minutes, remove the lid and  increase the heat to allow the liquid to evaporate.  Stir occasionally, when you reach the required thick consistency, remove from the heat  and set aside.

THE INGREDIENTS FOR 

THE 

CHEESE SAUCE 

 75 g  butter

75 g  flour

750 ml of milk

75 g grated Kephalotiri Cheese

 (if you are unable to buy this Greek cheese, Parmesan  mixed with a little cheddar cheese is a good substitute)

1 egg plus 1 egg yolk

sea salt and  black pepper 

 Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour. Keep stirring and allow the mixture to cook for about a minute. This is to make sure the flour is thoroughly cooked.  Add the milk and whisk vigorously with a balloon whisk.  I find the white sauce does not turn lumpy as long as you keep whisking.  Takes a little while, but persevere and you will have a luscious thick white sauce.

Remove from the heat and add the cheese, salt and pepper, keep mixing until the cheese has melted. Check the seasoning, again if more is needed add now and stir for a minute or so. 

Allow the sauce to cool a little, I would say about 3 minutes. Whisk the eggs and slowly pour them into the mixture,  beating to  fully incorporate the eggs.   Make sure your sauce is not too hot, otherwise your eggs will scramble. 

  

You will now have a rich, creamy sauce. 

 Using Olive oil, brush the baking dish. Place a layer of aubergines at the bottom of the dish, then add the meat sauce on top of the aubergines.

Continue layering in this manner. I found I had a couple of sliced aubergines over, I did not want to waste them so I added them to the final layer of meat sauce.

   

Pour the white sauce over the meat mixture, making sure the meat is entirely covered. 

Bake at 140 C  for 50-60 minutes until golden brown.

Ovens do vary and I found  this took 45 minutes in my oven.

  

There is the option to add another layer to this dish, by using sliced potatoes. 

Par-boil your potatoes and allow to cool as this makes the potatoes easier to slice. Slice the potatoes the same thickness as the aubergines. Then alternate the layers, aubergines, meat mixture, then  potatoes.

If you decide to add potatoes, then don't allow the meat mixture to be too thick in consistency, leave some liquid, as the extra liquid will allow the par-boiled potatoes to fully cook when baking the Moussaka in the oven.

I hope you try this recipe.  It does take a little time, but believe me it is worth it.  Just a thought, if you are short of time, you could cook the meat mixture one day, then the aubergines and potatoes and cheese sauce the following day.

So, Dimi, what do you think, I would love to know.

This week I shall be joining,

Karen from Sew Many Ways

Natasha in Oz Say G'Day Saturday Linky Party

Yvonne from StoneGable for On the Menu Monday 
Alli for Throwback Thursday 

  

Have a lovely week and I will see you later.  Take care until then.

Best Wishes

Daphne xx

IT'S PESTO TIME

Good Morning to you,

A few weeks ago, I shared with you  how easy it was to increase your supply of basil plants, by rooting stems in water. See here.

Well now is the time to do something with those  plants before the mornings become any colder and we lose our basil plants to the morning frosts.

 Pesto which you make yourself has a far superior taste to anything you can buy in the shops, and of course the added bonus is that you know exactly what has gone into yours....no additives, which can only be good.

This is such a simple recipe. The hardest thing  for you to do, is use your arm muscles to finely grate the cheese and use the gas hob to  toast the pine nuts, then the food processor does the rest.

  

INGREDIENTS

2  large handfuls of fresh basil leaves

  (stems included)

1 or 2 cloves of garlic

(depends on your taste)

50g pine nuts, lightly toasted

100g parmesan cheese, finely grated

1/4 pint of olive oil

Sea salt and pepper

Lightly toast the pine nuts in a dry pan.

(Do not add oil)

Keep a sharp eye on them, because the pine nuts will brown very quickly and are easily burnt.

Toss a few times until lightly golden

  

 Place the basil, garlic and pine nuts into a blender.

  

Pulse a few times until the ingredients are finely chopped.

  

  

 Add the olive oil and pulse again.

If you prefer a looser consistency,  add more olive oil at this point.

 Add the sea salt and black pepper

 Add the grated Parmesan Cheese

Pulse again, until fully incorporated 

Just as an added extra, you know my love of lemons, well I must confess I do add a squeeze or two of lemon at this point, but this is optional.

Taste to check the seasoning, add more if required. 

Now , your pesto is ready to use. It really is that quick.

I put my pesto in a jar, which has been sterilised and I also add a layer of olive oil on the top. 

Keep the pesto in the fridge until needed.

Just as an added note, remember pesto has a very strong flavour, so use sparingly as you can spoil your dish by using too much. As I am always saying with cooking, it's easy to add a little at a time, but you can't take away.

Take care and I'll see you later in the week.

I shall be joining,

 Green Day at Raindrops and Daisies

 Natasha In Oz Say G'Day Saturday Linky Party

  

Wow us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Foodie Friends Friday at Robyns View

Connie at Family Home and Life 

Best Wishes

Daphne xxx