Miscellaneous food recipes from Random Saturday



Earl Grey Tea Panna Cotta

Serves: 6

Ingredients

  • 300ml double cream
  • 300ml milk
  • 3 Earl Grey teabags
  • ¼ cup caster sugar
  • 2 tsp gelatine dissolved in 1 tbs boiling water

1.     Place the cream and milk in a saucepan. Add teabags. Slowly bring to the boil over a medium heat. Remove from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes.
2.     Discard teabags from cream mixture. Add sugar and return to a low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until sugar dissolves.
3.     Place 2 tbs of boiling water in a small heatproof bowl. Sprinkle over gelatine. Bring a small saucepan of water to boil. Remove from heat. Sit the bowl of gelatine in the water and stir until dissolved. Cool slightly, then stir into the cream mixture.
4.     Lightly oil 6 x 1/2 cup (125ml) dariole moulds or ramekins. Place on a tray and pour in cream mixture. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
5.     To serve, break the seal by inserting a small knife between the panna cotta and the mould. Turn onto a serving plate and shake to release. Serve dish with fresh berries.


Birthday Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting


Cooking Time: 20 minutes/Makes: 24


Ingredients


Cupcakes


  • 250g unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups (330g) caster sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs
  • 3 cups (450g) self-raising flour, sifted
  • 1 cup milk
  • Assorted sweets, to decorate

Frosting


  • 125g unsalted butter, softened
  • 250g cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 cups (640g) icing sugar, sifted


Method


1.     Preheat oven to 180°C. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, 1/4 tsp salt and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

2.     Add 1/2 the sifted flour and 1/2 milk and stir until combined, then add remaining flour and milk and stir until combined.

3.     Line two 12-hole (1/3-cup capacity) muffin tins with paper cake cases. Spoon 2 tbs mixture into each paper case, then bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a cake comes out clean. Cool cakes in tin.

4.     For frosting, using an electric mixer, beat butter, cream cheese and vanilla for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Gradually add icing sugar, beating until incorporated. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

5.     With a spoon or palette knife, spread frosting over tops of cooled cakes, then decorate as desired with assorted sweets. Un-iced cakes can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container.
 


lol.


Scones

Makes: 20

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
  • 1 tablespoon caster sugar
  • 80g butter, chilled, chopped
  • 1 cup milk
  • strawberry jam and double thick cream, to serve

Method

1.     Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Lightly grease a 7.5cm-deep, 22cm round cake pan. Combine flour and sugar in a bowl. Using fingertips, rub butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2.     Make a well in the centre of flour mixture. Add milk. Stir with a flat-bladed knife until mixture just comes together (don't over-mix). Turn dough on to a lightly floured surface. Knead gently to bring dough together.
3.     Gently press dough into a 2cm-thick round. Dip a 4.5cm round cutter into flour. Cut out scones. Gently press leftover dough pieces together and repeat to make a total of 20 scones. Place scones, touching, in prepared pan. Sprinkle with a little extra flour. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Wrap in a clean tea towel to keep warm. Serve with jam and cream.





donna.

BACKWARDS BLOGGING TAKES HOURS OUT OF MY LIFE
SHOULD REALLY NOT BE LAZY AND JUST BLOG AS I GO
I've scheduled four more blog posts this week, covering events that happened...2 weeks ago (lol)
Don't say September wasn't exciting...

Anyway, this is a lazy entry about the past week
  • Monday: went out with Janice and Michelle after uni. Went to the japanese place next to Azumas on George St. Then we went to Azumas for dessert (chiffon cake and green tea latte) and stayed there until the doors closed like complete rebels.
 
  • Tuesday: I dressed like Janice Liew. Or so Twitter tells me.
 
  • Wednesday: Went to Little Snail in the morning and got drunk before teatime (will have separate entry later this week). Then went to uni to play Creationary before leaving at 6 to go to Mizuya with jin family and church people. Food was okay, but singing was not enough. 
 
  • Thursday: MY LITTLE BRO GRADUATED AND THEN I DROVE HIM TO HIS FRIENDS HOUSE FOR PRE-FORMAL FUN AND I FELT LIKE AN AMERICAN MOM. 
 



Awwwww... look at my little little bro tying a tie for that tall black kid


now consider how tall my brother is compared to the tall black kid (and all surrounding kids) and then compare how tall i am relative to my brother. and i was pretty much hanging around 17 year old giants for the better part of an hour. 
it was fun.

  • Friday: Finished stats assignment early, at...4? That's half an hour early! Then we played Creationary with MT before Michelle, Janice and I went to Macchiato's for food and a girly chat. Went there for peking duck pizza WHICH WAS NOT THERE. Ended up with some weird seafood pizza that had a ton of rocket on it. Also had lamb pasta which was pretty good and the richest fondant on the face of the earth which was not what we ordered. Love hanging with those two, always.

  • Saturday: bum. bum. bummed (i.e. postponed brunch with anita) until 5 when i drove down to burwood to pick up twin. Then Cherry came and picked us up at burwood. We ended up late for Ang's surprise party at Churrascaria. Meaning, when we got there, there were 20 odd people we didn't know, sitting around Ang. So we walked past and were all "OH! DIDN'T EXPECT YOU HERE!" Lol EPIC!FAIL. Then events occurred that once again reinforced the fact that i will be 4EVAH ALONE. Thanks life~
 
  • Sunday: It rained. And then I went shopping with mum for hours and hours. And then I came home and jumped in puddles before i blogged for hours and hours.



 
$10 rainbow boardies from KMART. (*fingers crossed for Saturday)


$8 tiered cami from KMART.


30% off storewide sale at COTTONON. Got a blue plaid shirt in flimsy summery fabric and a pair of beige shorts for under $35 (?)


look at me ticking things off my wardrobe essentials list! got this cropped navy boyfriend blazer from DOTTI. it cost me $40 but i knew if i didn't get it i'd cry in my sleep (no.)









donna.

despite upcoming stress, i feel very fortunate these last couple of days
  • hung out with my favourite jin people
  • had a picnic lunch at uni with miss jenny lam
  • met up with high school friends and ate heart-stopping cupcakes on the wharf
  • chatted until the last bus was about to leave with cherry and vivian
  • chatted and ate a lot with michelle and janice
  • witnessed hui's adorable fail-ness over and over
  • felt lots of love for my cute family <3
definitely looking forward to what this spring will bring :D :D :D







donna.
went to the argyle for an ex-workmate's engagement party last night
(that place is SO. PRETTY.)
met up with little cousin beforehand for korean and we were both running late so i got to cafe cya before her and ordered. sat there by myself eating like i'd been stood up for a good 20 minutes xD
then we taxied it to the rocks because jess and her friend were wearing intense heels. hahahha

got to argyle and we were like where's the engagement party?
and then we looked on our right and there were all these asians and it was like, oh here it is!
started off pretty weird, maybe because i haven't been around...normal people for awhile
and i forget how nerdy/geeky i can be, so i had to spend a good hour or so assimilating back into normal life
the drinks were super pretty, kind of pricey ($18), and pretty sweet.
so so so awesome to catchup with the people from work <3 miss them so much.
went up to the second floor to cough-dance-cough a bit, went to a unisex bathroom...and couldn't figure out how to work the tap (it had a sensor in the ceiling -.-)
ended up being a pretty awesome night
i'd really like to go back there some day. 

got offered a lift home, but then kina had to pick up her boyfriend from the cross and drop him off at liverpool so i didn't end up getting home until like..2am
it was the most hilarious thing cos he looks like a european model, talks like he's from bankstown and is a rta auditor
lovely memories of the four of us in kina's car, singing adele at 1:30am in the morning.


credits: argyle website


they gave out macaroons as favours (super cute)
 got a new purse from portmans for nights out (because i have so many of those...lol)

finally made use of the oroton coin purse twin gave me
and yay! i finished my friendship bracelet

today we went to parklea markets, my mum and i
and we caught up with so many aunties who still work there
and there was so much talk about where everyone's children are these days, so many lawyers and accountants with their first investment properties, etc etc etc
and it made me so uncomfortable inside
because i don't want to buy a house right now, i don't want to be super rich, i don't want those things to be important
eck. 
greed makes people so ugly. 





donna.
yay a package arrived in the mail the other day
something i was quite excited about: the NARS illuminator in copacabana
it's supposed to be great as a highlight colour and all round dewy spring look (re: leighton meester), but we'll see how we go...
it retails for $58AUD at mecca but i got it for less than $30 from the UK (insert horhorhor)




something else i got quite excited about was the huge-ass volume 1 of the kikki k magazine
the images are fdasjf;ksja;lfja;
sigh~ i wish i could shoot like that :(
more practice!



above images credit: kikki k magazine


wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~
stupid stats assignment is stupid. you know what i found out! emily's year got an article given to them.
WTC?! Why the change?!
eck!




donna.
hehehe
what was meant to be an afternoon of boardgames at joyce's
turned out to be a whole day of eating and laughter and so. much. eating.

big fat pizza from costco


great salad courtesy of joyce's mum who went out of her way to get the avocados and of course, the poppycock popcorn and nuts that was gone by the end of the night. it came in this humongous tub. cannot believe we consumed it all!


this one. on the phone so much! talking to like...4 people lol

prawn wrapped in potato strips



costco even makes petit macaroons!

earl grey tea made the joyce way, i.e. the right way!

then we played kick ass and janice had the worse luck of all time 


woke up at 12:03
janice called at 12:04; then wynnie called at 12:30
lol was supposed to have arrived at joyce's at 12 xDDDDD
but anyway, made it in good time to wynnie's place and struggled to park BUG (while she watched)
then we carpooled over to joyce's place and ate until jen(ng) arrived and ate some more
after eating we played kickass which wynnie got bored off so we cut three rounds to two 
then we played taboo alternately teams the whole evening through
amazing how much joyce's "little" 13 year old brother is like her, and also...his french accent for croissant was amazing LOL. (can't really remember any other highlights atm; too tired)
another funny moment(s) was joyce randomly getting sentimental and just randomly thanking us for going over to her house, when no one was listening at all. hahhahahah - why so cute?
had so much fun we didn't leave until 7pm 
and that was to go to wynnie's house and eat all the remaining food there
consumed salmon sashimi, lamb cutlets, corn, sausages, japanese cheesecake, peculated coffee and all that is good in the world. 
left with a food baby in a food coma. 
so. much. food. 


happy father's day!




donna.

first of all, ohmygosh long time no post
so long, in fact, that blogger has changed its interface and now i'm all confused xD
but anyway... 
recent bout of shopping lead to the purchase of a couple of items:


maybelline colour sensational lipstick in coral crush and peachy scene
got these from priceline at buy 1 get 1 free

 

i'm so obsessed with coral lipstick at the moment, no thanks to j.crew



and then i've been going on and on about wanting a water bottle
and some awesome person who shall remain nameless sponsered me one *wink
   

finally, went shopping with mum the other weekend and stocked up on singlets and cardigans from cotton on  in preparation for spring (which i'm super excited for, by the way)






donna.