Christmas Blessings to you all.

...and make it last the whole year through.

 

 

 

 

Auntie Marlene's Christmas Bundt Cake

This is a recipe my Auntie Marlene gave me when we lived in Canada.  She always makes at least two cakes for herself and Uncle M (i.e. for entertaining) and more to give as gifts.  Ever since, it has been our favourite too - my husband loves it (shhh! and so do I) so I've ended up making more than one batch myself.  For those of you who do not like the traditional rich Christmas fruit cake or if you'd like to try something different this year, this is a sure winner.

CHRISTMAS BUNDT CAKE  

~ AUNTIE MARLENE'S RECIPE ~

Utensils to be used:       10"Bundt pan or tube pan. Two large bowls, one for the batter and one for the dry ingredients.

Time to prepare:               2 hours

Number of servings:       12

                    Measurements:                  1 cup is equal to 8 oz. or 250g

Ingredients

1 cup                   Butter

1 (200g) Pkt.      Cream cheese

1.5 cups              Granulated sugar

1 teaspoons       Vanilla essence

2 teaspoons        Grated lemon rind

4                            Eggs

1.75 cups             Self-raising flour

1.5 teaspoons      Baking powder

0.5 cup                  Seedless raisins

0.5 cup                  Golden raisins

0.5 cup                   Mixed candied fruit or peel

0.5 cup                   Maraschino cherries, drained /chopped candied cherries  

0.5 cup                   Chopped nuts (pref. walnuts)

0.5 cup                    All purpose flour to toss fruit in

1 tub or less            Betty Crocker icing to cover (Optional)

OR  some icing sugar to dust cake.

Method

With electric mixer cream butter and cream cheese.  Add sugar and cream well.  Beat in vanilla and lemon rind. 

Add eggs one at a time beating well after each one.

Sift flour with baking powder and blend in.

In a separate bowl combine fruit and nuts and toss with 1/2 cup flour.  Stir these dry ingredients into batter.

Pour into greased and floured 10" bundt pan or tube pan.

Bake in 300F oven (Gas mark 2) for 70 to 80 minutes or until toothpick in centre comes out clean. 

Cool in pan for about 20 mins.  Turn out on a wire rack to cool completely.

Dust the cake with icing sugar or cover with Betty Crocker icing.

                                        ENJOY!

The picture is one I took of an actual cake we made.

Advent and the Advent wreath

Today we celebrate the beginning of Advent and many have already brought out their Advent Wreath.  Here is a site I have shared with you before that explains Advent and shares some lovely prayers to be said daily throughout this time of preparation for Christ's birth ... http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/adx/adwreath.html 

Visit it for interesting and useful information or better still print out the page to have the short but meaningful prayers ready to be read before your evening meal.

Blessings to all.

Picture from shared files

Lists, lists and more lists...

I am always writing lists, crossing out items and writing out some more.  Are you like me, do you like making lists?  I find it helps me focus on what I have to do. It also helps me be more productive and creative!

I make shopping lists and To Do lists and lately, of course, with Christmas just around the corner, I am adding my Christmas Card List, Baking Ingredients Shopping List, Christmas Dinner shopping List, Special To Do List (you know like, when to put up the tree, write out cards, call friends, etc.) and Christmas gift list.   Never an end it seems, but as I cross each item I do or buy I feel that at least I am getting there...

Thinking about it, I really have to add one more list...that is thinking about those less fortunate than ourselves, maybe making a hamper to add to the church drive for taking hampers to those in need, checking with an orphanage if they need gifts or food.  And why not keep doing this all through the year?  It doesn't take that much, especially that it is not only at this special time of year that there are families with special needs but every day throughout the year.

And if I find there is still that one more thing to do, well I'll start another list!


Pictures from shared files

Chile con carne

We had Chile con Carne for dinner tonight.  It was so delicious!  Here is the recipe...

• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion or 2 medium
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 sweet red and one greenpepper
• 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 tsp mild chilli powder (or 1 level tsp if you like it spicier)
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 400g lean minced beef
• 1 beef stock cube
• 240g can chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp sugar or 1 cube dark chocolate
• 2 tbsp tomato purée (optional)
• 250g can red kidney beans
• wraps and/or crusty bread

Prepare your vegetables.  Peel and chop the garlic.  De-seed and wash peppers, roughly chop into 5mm squares. Scrape and wash carrots and slice thinly.  Cut and chop onion into small squares of about 5mm. 

Put a medium pan on the hob over a medium heat. Add the oil and heat for about 1 minute.  Add garlic and stir for a minute or two, add onion and cook for about 5 minutes stirring frequently. Onions should be soft and slightly translucent. Add carrots and keep stirring for a few more minutes.  Finally add peppers and spices, giving it a good stir, cook for a further 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add the minced beef, turning the heat up a bit, and break the meat up with your spoon or spatula. Keep stirring and prodding for at least 5 minutes, until all the mince is in uniform, mince-sized lumps and there are no more pink bits. Make sure you keep the heat hot enough for the meat to fry and become brown, rather than just stew.

Crumble 1 beef stock cube into 300ml hot water. Pour this into the pan with the mince mixture. At this point add tomatoes and sugar (or cube of dark chocolate).  Here add the tomato puree if desired and give the sauce a good stir.

Simmer it gently for a while, then bring the whole thing to the boil. Give it a good stir, then turn down the heat until it is gently bubbling and leave it for 20 minutes. You should check on the pan occasionally to stir the contents and make sure the sauce doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan or isn’t drying out. If it is, add a couple of tablespoons of water and make sure that the heat really is low enough. After simmering gently, the saucy mince mixture should look thick, moist and juicy. 

Drain and rinse the can of kidney beans in a sieve and then stir them into the pot. Bring to the boil again, and gently bubble without a lid for another 10 minutes, adding a little more water if it looks too dry. Taste a bit of the chilli and season. Now put a lid on the pan, turn off the heat and leave your chilli to stand for 10 minutes before serving. Leaving your chilli to stand is really important as it allows the flavours to mingle with the meat. 


When serving you can serve topped with shredded cheese, so yummy in a wrap.

Serve with crusty bread or in wraps and enjoy.

This recipe is an adaptation taken from http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3228/chilli-con-carne 



 

Coconut Macaroons

Yesterday my daughter and I baked three and a half dozen coconut macaroons which came out so delicious...yes we made a couple extra to taste : )

We baked these to take to our Church Fair which is a fund raising occasion, kind of a Christmas Sale.  If you are in the vicinity the Centre is in Bwieraq Street, B'Kara. The Sale starts the 22nd November until the end of this month.

For those of you who'd like to try these we used Ms Ina Garten's recipe on the Food Network site...
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/coconut-macaroons-recipe3.html

Thanks Ina!

As an added note we used two medium egg whites since we did not have the extra large eggs.  Also to help you out with measuring, 14 ounces is equivalent to 400 grams. We used a tablespoon and teaspoon to shape into smaller shapes than the ones on the site. We baked the macaroons on Rice paper.

Do write in the comments section if you make these.

 Enjoy!

Here is another poem from my Blog, it is one of my favourites.  I had made it into a tag and I'd like to share it with you here. The picture of the birds is one I had taken myself.

If you'd like to read more of my poems visit this page... 
http://doreenscreativespace.blogspot.com/search/label/poetry

Here I am back on my blog after a very long silence. My pc was not working and I did not feel comfortable working on my ipad or my family's PC's. Anyway I have to say I am very happy to have my computer working and very happy to be on my blog again. I was re-reading some of my poems and found this from one of the pages and thought it would be nice to share it again especially now that we are back to fall and back to rainy days.

Raindrops are falling, 

My senses renew, 

The scent of the first rain I loved as I grew. 

Leaves are greener, 

Earth's refreshed, 

Your spirit Lord fills our soul 

And we are blessed! 

Doreen Scerri © 

* * * * *

Picture is from shared files

Grandparents Day!

For those in the United States of America and in Canada here is a tag which can be used to tag onto a gift for grandparents this coming Sunday the 8th of September.  I am also featuring a multiple page for leaders and teachers who would like to give to their class.

Wishing all American and Canadian grandparents a very Happy Grandparents Day!

Central Public Library Anniversary and more Craft Shows

The Central Public Library in Prof. Joseph J. Mangion Street, Floriana will be commemorating its 30^th Anniversary and the Malta Libraries together with the Ministry for Education and Employment will be organizing an Open Weekend on the 14^th, 15^th and 16^th June 2013. 

Craft persons registered with the Malta Crafts Council will be exhibiting as well as selling their crafts during this weekend.

So mark your calendar and make this a date!  Enjoy the Open Day and look around the Craft Tables...you may even find something you like for Father's Day or even start your Christmas Shopping early this year!

Opening Hours:  Friday 14th June             6.00pm -   9.30pm
                           Saturday 15th June       9.00am - 10.00pm
                           Sunday 16th June       10.00am -   9.00pm     

See you there!

Blessings to all Mothers

BLESSINGS TO ALL MOTHERS

AND ALL THOSE WHO HAVE

ACTED AS MOTHERS

All that I am,

Or hope to be,

I owe to my Angel Mother.

~Abraham Lincoln~

A HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Forthcoming Craft Fairs

Along with the change in weather, comes the opportunity to attend outdoor festivities and functions.  Hopefully the weather will change for the better.  For me 'for the better' would mean sunny but not too hot with a nice light breeze.  Am I asking too much?  That would be the ideal weather for setting up our craft table at the forthcoming Craft Fairs this coming weekend.  So if you don't have anywhere to go or attend, and if you live in Malta or Gozo, mark your calendar and make this a date.  

We will be setting up our table on Friday 3rd May in Merchants Street (upper part, in front of Auberge d'Italie).  You can come over anytime between 9am and 2pm.  This is being organized by The Commerce Department in conjunction with  The Malta Tourism Authority.  The theme for this fair is "Mother's Day".

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Another two dates to mark are actually the following two days of this same weekend!  So Saturday 4th May and Sunday 5th May are another two days to mark!  This time the venue will be San Anton Gardens and this will be 

The 110th Annual Great Spring Show! 

For more information on opening times, how to get there, entrance fee, etc. visit... http://www.maltabulb.com/malta-horticultural-society.html

 

Make it a Family Day outing! Hoping to see you all at either of or both shows!

 

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Another Success story with Figolli Recipe

I was so absolutely pleased and happy to hear from one of my followers who used the Figolli recipe I posted some years back and she even sent me pictures of her lovely Figolli.  Here are the pictures.

Thanks so much Stephanie for sharing your 

success story with me.  

I hope you had a lovely Easter!

I am so honoured to post your pictures.  

Well done!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Happy Spring!

Lent 2013

What have I done today to help others 

or make myself a better person?

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

 

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered; it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails.
-I Corinthians 13:4-8, the Bible-

 ~~~Wishing you all much love today and always~~~

Yummy Cranberry and Cream Cheese Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar OR 1 cup Fructose
4 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and fructose (or sugar) until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into creamed mixture just until moistened. Fold in cranberries and walnuts (or pecans) Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Makes 2 dozen muffins +

My daughter Chelle and I used the recipe found on this site and slightly adapted it to our needs... http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Cream-Cheese-Cranberry-Muffins

A Poem on Mum's 2nd Anniversary

 

Your smile was so precious,

Your words wisdom to me,

Your look so loving...

All would agree.

Your memory I treasure

So warm was your embrace,

I close my eyes and cherish

Your gentle, loving face.

Thank you Mum for everything,

You have always held the key

To love and life and all good things

You've ever done for me.

I hear your voice in the whisper

Of a soft wind, gentle and free,

Your words caressing my mind

As you lovingly hug me.

You were unique and blessed

With God's blessings so true,

I thank Him now and forever, as

For my Mum He chose...You!

Doreen Scerri © 2013

HAPPY NEW YEAR!