Citrus Marmalade...

This week I was looking for a creative thank you gift to give to a friend who had cooked me a meal.  I love giving homemade gifts, I think it really sends a message out to the receiver letting them know you took time to make them something special.  I came across a wonderful marmalade recipe that would put use to the huge pocket of oranges I had in my kitchen.  It turned out pretty well and looked and tasted just like store bought marmalade, maybe even better!  I've posted the recipe below for anyone looking for something homemade and creative to make as a gift.  I think it would make a lovely housewarming, thank you or Christmas gift :-)

Ingredients...

6 Oranges

1kg Castor sugar

30ml Lemon juice

Directions... 

• Slice up 5 of the oranges into quarters and place in food processor until all chopped up
• Place processed oranges in large pot
• Peel the left over orange, cut the peel up into thin strips, place peel in pot
• Cut the peeled orange into quarters and place in pot as well
• Add the 1kg sugar and 30ml lemon juice to the pot
• Boil for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes
• Check to see if marmalade has the right viscosity by placing a spoonful onto a side plate in the fridge for a few minutes
• Then start jarring

I made some basic stickers to put on the jars, punched them with my heart punch to add some character, tied a pretty ribbon around them and that was that, all done:-)

Red Velvet Cupcakes

This past weekend my mom made the most delicious Red Velvet Cupcakes, the best I have had so far.  They tasted so good that I asked her for the recipe so I could share it with all the Red Velvet lovers out there.  Yum!

Ingredients

Batter:

1/2 cup butter (at room temp.)

1 and 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 small bottle red food colouring

2 tablespoons coco powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 and 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 table spoon baking powder

Frosting

125 grams plain cream cheese

1/2 cup butter (at room temp.)

3 and 3/4 cups icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

For the batter...

• Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 
• Add the eggs one at a time and blend well after each addition. 
• Make a paste with the cocoa and food colouring, add the paste to the butter mixture and blend well.
• Add the salt and buttermilk. 
• Add flour, vanilla, vinegar, baking soda in that order, mixing after each addition. 
• Pour batter into greased pans, filling at least half way.
• Bake at 180 degrees for 15 - 20 min.    
• Test with a toothpick to see when done.

For the frosting... 

• Cream the cream cheese and the butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. 
• Add the icing sugar in 3 parts, mixing well after each addition. 
• Store covered in fridge until ready for use.

 Now enjoy with a cup of tea!

 

 

Essie "Fill the gap"

A few weeks ago I stocked up on some Essie nail polish in some gorgeous spring shades. When I went to the cashier to pay for my products, I was pleasantly surprised to be given a complimentary mini Essie base coat.  Every now and then I have acrylic or gel on my nails and often find them left uneven and brittle for a few weeks after I have had a soak off. Thanks to the surprise freebie, I have now discovered a cure!  

Essie "fill the gap" is a base coat which protects against staining and allows you to get more wear out of your nail polish. It's a fantastic treatment product as my nails felt stronger and it smoothed out my uneven and ridged nails and left them all prepped for my polish. I found that the base cost dried quickly and when I applied my polish I had no streaks, my polish spread evenly and had a great finish.  I would highly recommend Essie "fill the gap", the only down side being that it's a bit on the expensive side, R169 a bottle, but worth every penny and exactly what you would expect to pay for a professional product. Good news is you can find Essie at selected Foschini and Dischem stores.