She said: let them eat - chocolate - CAKE!

If there's any better reason to host a dinner party, do it just so you can make the most decadent chocolate cake and icing ever. And while I didn't host the dinner party this past Sunday, I sure did make that chocolate cake for it!

I sadly forgot a picture of the whole cake - mostly because I was stressing and praying the cake wouldn't end up splattered all over the inside of our car on the journey - I did get a shot of the leftovers we brought home. Definitely one of the best chocolate cakes ever tasted.

This is not going to exist past the next 24 hrs

I dare you to try and make it - you won't regret it (unless maybe you don't have dinner party guests to help you eat it and then you eat it all by yourself in one night...I make no promises that that won't happen!)

Check out the recipe here:

Dark Chocolate Cake with Hot Chocolate Buttercream Icing

 (yes...you read that right!)

Happy stuffing your face full of goodness. Or eating cake for breakfast.

:)
r.

Posted with Blogsy

Tuesday Tea and cupcakes

Tonight* we had pumpkin chai tea with carrot cupcakes, iced with Nutella.

www.davidstea.com

Yummmm...

My version of icing a cupcake.

Hubbs' version of icing a cupcake.

 

For chai recipe, click here.

For cupcake recipe, click here.



Pretty sweet ending to a Tuesday, eh?

Hope you had a good one too!

r.

 

*this post was supposed to go up yesterday, but due to technical difficulties, you get it tonight instead. Happy Wednesday/almost Thursday!

 

Posted with Blogsy

chai is perfection. that's all.

Tuesday Tea - my chai recipe

chai tea is my comfort tea. it doesn't hurt that it has hot milk, sugar and spice either. it's great on a cold day, when i'm tired after a busy day of work, or like today, when i've helped my brother start to paint his new bedroom - also known as my old bedroom.

i've devised my own recipe for making chai tea, which i think it's about time i share!

the important thing to remember about chai tea is that you should watch it, so the milk doesn't boil and create a skin on the top (unless your crazy like my hubby, who actually asks me to do that).

here's what you need:

- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 1 1/2 tbsp chai tea - loose leaf preferable (or your favourite black tea usually works too)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- pinch of nutmeg or allspice or cloves

Steps:
1. add the boiling water and milk together in a small pot on the stovetop
2. stir together and add the tea
3. stir occasionally on medium heat for 2-3 mins (don't let it boil though)
4. when the colour is starting to turn, add the brown sugar and keep stirring to mix it in
5. when the tea looks a warm tan colour, and it's steaming (but not boiling) you can strain it into your cup; top it off with your pinch of chosen spice and there you go!

happy chai tea drinking!

-r

Coco Chai

I have to be honest, the first time I read Coco Chai I thought it hinted at a relationship of Coco Chanel and Chai tea. I didn't understand how there could be any connection between the two and was therefore confused. Then I smelled it. And it smelled so heavenly and intoxicating, I totally didn't care about the confusing name.

Welcome back to Tuesday Tea!


Coco Chai Rooibus is my current favourite tea. It's a red tea (if you follow David's colouring scheme) and packs quite a punch. Made with rooibus, coconut, pink peppercorns and other fun flavours, it tastes a bit like spiced cider and yet sweet like coconut at the same time. The girl is shop said it's amazing as an iced tea, but since it was -3 and felt like -9 with the windchill today, I haven't ventured into a cold tast test yet. Best of all, it's caffeine free, so I can drink a cuppa anytime I like (like before bed!).

It doesn't hurt that it's pretty to look at either!

What is Rooibus tea you might ask? It's technically not tea, but it is made from a plant - found in South Africa - and can be brewed to quite a strong taste, although it makes a great pairing with a lot of other flavourings and other tea additions. It does make some of the smallest pieces of tea, so whenever I make a rooibus based tea, I try and use the smallest-holed strainer I have to prevent any of the leaves (which resemble tiny little pine needles) from slipping through.


Another rooibus tea that I recently discovered is David's Teas' new springtime Jolly Jellybean tea. It was an instant hit with both my hubby and I, which made it a quick and easy buy...not to mention how can one resist tea with mini jellybeans it it!!!

See - I wasn't kidding about mini jellybeans!

I'd recommend either of these teas to anyone who likes a good flavour in their tea, and doesn't mind a strong scent - both of these teas smell a lot (of yumminess) even before they're brewed. Coco chai is a bit more strong in taste, and if you don't like coconut, it's probably not your cup of tea. Jolly Jellybean is a great starter for anyone venturing into teas or trying rooibus for the first time.


Enough advice. I'll leave you with a picture of the tea that has my hubby reminding me every other day that I have to wait until April to visit the tea store again...I know I know. I have a problem. But it's healthy and my mom got me started on it! :)

chau!
-r 

Pumpkins = Autumn

Welcome to undiaconlosmerinos (or onedaywiththemerinos)! Can't believe I'm actually trying this blogging thing out again... here goes! :) hope you like it.

I love autumn (also affectionately known as 'fall'). The colours of the leaves, the crisp apples, the brisk morning air! 

Autumn will always be my favourite of God's seasons.

This autumn I've been trying to intentionally cook food that's in season. Squash, apple, broccoli, and of course: pumpkin. Friends of ours gave us a seasonal cookbook called Simply in Season as part of their wedding gift to us, and ever since the first time I browsed through it I've been craving to make this Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake. It's pumpkin + chocolate + cheesecake...what's not to like?

Since tomorrow we're celebrating a bunch of birthdays with my family on my mom's side, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to make it this weekend. I'll have to tell you how it tastes after tomorrow, but for now, I'm going to have to make up to my hubby for having him go to the grocery store last minute for extra cottage cheese because we didn't buy enough in the first place - reminds me of how much i love that man!).

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake

(Simply in Season Cookbook, by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert)

1 cup chocolate wafers or graham cracker crumbs
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp oil

Combine ingredients with a little water and press into the bottom of a 9-inch/1-L springform pan. Set aside.

3 cups cottage cheese (1%)
350g cream cheese
1 & 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch

Puree cottage cheese in blender or food processor. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour into bowl.

2 eggs (beaten)
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Mix in. Remove 1 & 1/2 cups batter and set aside.

1 & 1/2 cups pumpkin (cooked and pureed)
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Add to remaining batter.

1/3 cup baking cocca
1 cup chocolate chips (melted)

Add to reserved batter. Stir until throughly blended.

Pour pumpkin mixture into crust-lined pan then spoon chocolate mixture on top in small rounds; swirl together with a knife (be careful not to scrap the crumb crust on the bottom). Bake in preheated oven at 325F until edge of filling is set for 60-65 minutes. Turn off oven and let cheesecake stand in oven with door closed for 30 minutes. Remove and cool on rack to room temperature, about 3 hours. Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

And there you go! a two for one: first post and first recipe! Happy baking (or eating)!

-r