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Posts Tagged ‘love’

A single girl’s guide to surviving Valentine’s Day

Posted in desserts, friends, holiday, tagged , , , , on February 13, 2012 | 12 Comments »

Don’t:

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1. Be grumpy and scowl at all your dating/married friends. (also don’t sarcastically ask them their plans for the day.)
2. Listen to the Glee version of We found love on repeat and get depressed. (Best proposal ever, or what?!)
3. Eat a whole bag of peanuts. Trust me on this one.
4. Watch a rom-com and get teary-eyed. (It’s been done to death! Why not try a horror movie?)
5. Pretend like you hate everything about this day. (seriously- not cool.)

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Do:

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1. Control your gag reflex everytime you see a furry, pink heart.
2. Log onto Pinterest and see something funny like this, something inspirational like this, or something amazing like this. (but try not to spend your WHOLE day there. It’s harder than you might think.)
3. Have a glass of wine with your girlfriends. (Or French fries. French fries are good.)
4. Remind yourself how amazing you are. (and how many people love you!)
5. Bake this cake. This dark chocolate cake. Eat a piece. Maybe two. (Heck, even a third! Who’s watching?)
And know that love will find you, if you want it to.

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Hugs to all my ladies! Happy Valentine’s Day :)

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Dark chocolate flourless cake
Recipe adapted from: Baking Bites

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Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 22 mins
Serves: 12

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Ingredients:

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125 g good-quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces

125 g butter (salted is fine), plus a little extra for greasing

150 g castor sugar

3 eggs

50 g cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla powder

1 tsp coffee powder

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Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190º C. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double-boiler, and mix until glossy and smooth.
2. Add the sugar and mix well. Crack in the eggs one at a time, and incorporate the first before cracking the next. Mix well.
3. Sift in the cocoa, vanilla, and coffee. Mix until everything is incorporated. Line an 8-inch square tin with baking parchment and grease slightly. Pour in the batter and bake in the preheated oven for 22 minutes. Remove and let it cool completely. It will be a bit wobbly when you take it out, but will harden as it cools. Eat plain or with vanilla ice-cream. Tastes even better the next day!

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Starry night

Posted in friends, tagged , , , , on November 22, 2011 | 7 Comments »

A very close friend is getting married in 10 short days.

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We’ve been friends for 2 years, although it feels like I’ve known her for a lifetime.

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The first day we ever spoke we discovered that we both love our dogs with that crazy kind of love only dog lovers understand.

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The same year we both lost our dogs and we shared a pain that only we could understand.

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We’ve had some unforgettable holidays together.

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Taken about a hundred pictures like this one in different places.

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Here’s another.

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She’s my perfect shopping partner.

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She loves Van Gogh’s Starry Night.

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These are the Starry night-inspired birthday cupcakes I made her.

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She has an eye for the most beautiful things. (Check out her Pinterest boards here- you’ll see what I mean)

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If anyone looks good in anything- it’s her.

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We’ve eaten everything together- from a Wasabi chocolate cake to deep fried crabs on a beach.

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She’s attracted to colourful things like a bee to a flower.

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We shamelessly love Shahrukh Khan together.

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One morning when I was miserable, she left a warm blueberry muffin at my desk with a little note.

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It’s as though we’ve had many years of friendship and fun, all packed into 2 amazing years.

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And now she’s leaving, and I want so much for her to stay.

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But what I want even more is for her to begin her fabulous new life, with her wonderful to-be husband, and just be insanely happy in whatever she chooses to do.

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I’ll miss you Shriya, and I feel so lucky to have found a friend like you.

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I know for certain we have many, many more amazing memories waiting to be created by us together. Love you!

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Happy Birthday

Posted in family, tagged , , on October 13, 2011 | 4 Comments »

Today I don’t want to talk about food.
I want to talk about a special person.

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A good food teacher.

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Creator of my most favourite meal ever.

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A try-everything-once encourager.

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Eater of a spoon of sugar when there’s no dessert.

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Historical novel lover.

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Maker of a mean meat loaf.

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Secret pigging out partner.

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Holder of my darkest secrets.

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Provider of any-time hugs.

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Crazy shoe shopping accomplice.

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Eternal supplier of the “it’ll-be-all-right”.

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Giver of endless, unexplainable quantities of immeasurable love.

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Happy Birthday Mumma.

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We’ve come a long way from here.

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You only get more beautiful every year.
And I love you from the deepest reaches of my heart.
Forever.

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Red velvet “love” cupcakes

Posted in desserts, tagged , , , on July 19, 2011 | 11 Comments »

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“Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.”
Harriet van Horne

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When I say love, what food do you think of?

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Strawberries and champagne.

Anything chocolate (y).

Fresh watermelon.

A rich soup, and some crusty bread.

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(Wait, was that last one that weird?)

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Food and love are so deeply connected.

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I cook when I’m in love.
I cook for people I love.
I love what I cook.
I love when I cook.

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Don’t you?

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These cupcakes are special. They’re not everyday. They’re not ordinary.
They’re beautiful. Magical. Lovable.

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They’re rich, yet light.
Their gorgeous deep red colour makes me smile every time I lay my eyes on them.
They resound with love.
They make me believe in love.

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Make some, won’t you? Share some love :)

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Red velvet “love” cupcakes
Adapted from: Joy the baker

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Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Makes: 6

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Ingredients:

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2 tbsp butter
45 g ground sugar
1 egg
1½ tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp red food colouring
½ tsp vanilla extract
60 ml buttermilk
70 g plain flour, sifted
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp white vinegar

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For the cream cheese frosting

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1½ tbsp butter
30 g cream cheese
60 g icing sugar, sifted

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NOTE: This is for a moderate amount. If you like your cupcakes smothered in frosting, by all means up the quantities.

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Method:

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For the red velvet cupcakes

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1. Preheat the oven to 180º C. In bowl mix the butter and sugar together well. Crack the egg in the mixture, and stir vigorously.
2. In a separate bowl mix the cocoa powder, food colour, and vanilla extract together. Put this into the egg mixture and stir well again, removing any lumps.
3. Add half the buttermilk and stir. Add half the flour and mix again. Add the remaining buttermilk and flour, and stir until you have a smooth batter.
4. Add the baking soda and vinegar, and mix well one last time.
5. Pour into a tray lined with cupcake liners and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the tray and cool on a wire rack.

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For the cream cheese frosting

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1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Taste, and add more sugar if you like.
2. Put into a piping bag with a simple rounded tip, and pipe small circles in the centre of the cooled cupcakes.
3. Devour! :)

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