Date night and a cup of sadness

Yesterday I finally had my hair done after quite an extended break from my hairdresser. Diana had a break over Christmas and then Hamish was sick and because she's newly pregnant I had to cancel the appointment. I didn't want her getting sick in her first trimester.  I managed to make another appointment for this week. But it's felt like the longest break ever!!I also discovered that I'm incredibly grey. And that is an understatement! I was running out of 'hair' options to hide my crown of white. Now my hair has not decided to behave itself and go grey gracefully. No. It looks like someone tipped grey paint on the top of my head in a splotch and that it is slowly oozing down my head. Sort of like a growing fungii. Gross.

After Diana left I felt myself again. Yay for small pleasures.

I packed Isabella up for an overnight stay at Granny's house, packed the car (who hates doing this?) and raced over to catch up with my mum and sister for a cup of tea before leaving Isabella for the night. My mum tries to take the grand-kiddies one at a time for a sleepover over the holidays. They absolutely love this. Isabella's turn was last night. That meant that there was just Dave, Hamish and myself left and my 'just done' hair. What more are you going to do with 'just done' hair than go out. So we went out for a grown-up meal in a proper restaurant at 'Hurricane' in Top Ryde.

Overflowing 'cup of sadness' yummy goodness!

And the finished product. : )

We both had divine steaks and a glass of wine. Hamish behaved beautifully and smiled at all the wait staff as they walked by our table. Most of them stopped and cooed at him, which of course made him smile even more. My little baby tried steak for the first time and LOVED it. He had red juice running down both elbows, and a vice like grip on his piece of steak with both hands. Very cute. We ummed and ahhed about having dessert there, but there wasn't anything worth having. They hadn't changed their dessert menu since we were last there and because I can't have any gluten there was only ice-cream and chocolate sauce for me. I said to Dave that we could go home and have ice-cream and a cuppa rather than fork out extra money at the restaurant AND we could watch a movie. So we went home.

I put Hamish to bed.

The chocolate munchies started and after eating about 3 handfuls of chocolate chips while searching the cupboard for inspiration I decided to google 'chocolate cake in a mug'. Well I came across a recipe for something called 'A cup of sadness' and after reading the post I had to make the recipe. I substituted the flour for 'gluten free' flour, but left everything else as is. I cooked it for 1 and 1/2 minutes and tested it with a fork and then cooked it for another 30 seconds. I then piled it high with ice-cream plus more ice-cream on the side and put a little bit of frozen berries on mine. I don't know how this recipe could only be for one, because it made two small bowls of sadness and then I couldn't even finish mine. So rich! Dave and I decided that this was the best chocolate cake in a bowl ever. You've got to try it. Yummo!

Thank you ladies over at 'Some Kitchen Stories', you are amazing. Here is the recipe.

Macarons by Magaret Fulton

Piped and ready to go in the oven. Mixture too firm.

After actually making the mixture I re-read the heading only to find out that I was making 'macaroons' or Italian Ameretti which is NOT what I wanted at all. No wonder they don't look quite right. Oh well. We'll eat them anyway! : ) Here's the recipe:
Ingredients:

2 egg whites; 1 1/3 cups freshly ground almonnds, 1 cup caster sugar, 2 tbsp icing sugar, sifted, extra icing sugar for dusting. 

Method:

Beat egg whites to a firm snow and fold in almonds and sugars. Pipe mixture on to squares of greaseproof paper in small round or oval shapes. Dust with icing sugar and leave about 4 hours. Bake macaroonss in a preheated moderately slow oven (160 C/ 325 F) for 15 minutes or until delicately browned. Cool before removing from paper squares. Store in airtight container. Makes 14 - 16.

Not like macarons at all. : (

Well I thought that this was a different way of making macarons and I really just thought that Magaret Fulton had mispelt 'macarons' as 'macaroons' in the recipe. It was only later that I read the part under the title in small type which said 'Amaretti'. Bummer!! I'll taste them tomorrow and let you know how they taste.
So my first new year's resolution to be attempted is an utter failure. Luckily I thrive on getting things right. lol

Baking

Decorating with sprinkles.

She did her hair herself.

With chocolate!

With glace cherries.

Poor Isabella is still not quite herself, so to the oven we go for some baking and a cheer up. Nothing like warm biscuits straight from the oven with a nice cup of cold milk.
The easiest and cheapest recipe I know.
120 Biscuits (It makes close to this many!)
1 cup sugar
500g butter
1 tin sweetened condensed milk
5 cups self-raising flour
1. Cream butter and sugar and then add in tin of sweetened condensed milk.
2. Mix in flour.
3. Break up into four bowls and add your choice of stuff to them.
4. Roll into teaspoon sized balls and lay on baking sheet.
5. Bake in a moderate oven for 15 minutes or until just golden.
This recipe is not very sweet so I usually add sweet things to them. Some ideas are: choc chips, cut up dates and rolled oats, roll plain balls of dough into Milo or chocolate powder, cornflakes and sultanas, half a packed of jelly crystals. It's really up to your imagination. I sometimes roll out the biscuits and put them on a baking sheet like I'm going to bake them and then I stick the whole tray in the freezer and till they are hard. I then take the biscuits and put them into freezer bags. Next time I want some freshly baked biscuits I just take out as many biscuits from the freezer as I need, put them back onto a baking sheet and let defrost for a few minutes and then bake as normal. It makes me look much more organised than I am. I always have biscuits ready to bake for company!!

Two-Tone Choc-chip Cookies

 Preparation time: 15 minutes
Total cooking time: 12-15 minutes
Makes about 40

125g butter
1 1/2 C soft brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/2 C plain flour
1 tsp bicarb of soda
150 g dark choc bits
150 g white choc bits
1. Preheat oven to moderate. Line two trays with baking paper.
2. Using electric beaters, beat butter, sugar and essence in small bowl until light and creamy. Add eggs gradually, beating well after each addition. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Using a metal spoon, fold sifted flour, soda and choc bits into creamed mixture; mix until smooth.
4. Drop level tablespoons of mixture onto prepared trays, allowing for spreading; flatten mixture slightly.
5. Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Mix well.


Put spoonfuls on a cookie sheet.


Bake.


Cool.

Repeat one handed until all baked. Try not to put the baby down or he will scream.