Canape Calling

o Cut thinnish slices of baguette, brush them with olive oil and bake them in a hot oven (200C/400F/Gas mark 6) for about 10 minutes until golden. You now have a batch of crostini which will keep well, cooled and sealed in a plastic bag, for about a week, just waiting for you to top them with deliciousness for near instant canapes. Top them with:

o Slices of soft goat's cheese, grilled until bubbling, topped with a sliver of roasted red pepper (from a jar, for speed)
o A dollop of creme fraiche and some smoked salmon or trout
o A sliver of rare roast beef, a dab of horseradish and frilly frond of dill
o Goat's cheese, prosciutto and a tiny bit of fresh fig or, for a veggie option, goat's cheese or Gorgonzola, fig and the merest trickle of chestnut honey
o Some cooked crab meat mixed with finely chopped spring onion, coriander, sour cream, a squeeze of lime and a plash of Tabasco

o Wrap bocconicini (mini balls of mozzarella) in a basil leaf, then a piece of Parma ham, and skewer with a cocktail stick

o Tart up some plain old cashews or almonds by roasting in the oven at 200C/400F/Gas mark 6 until just golden and fragrant, about 8 minutes, then tossing in a tablespoon of melted butter or warm olive oil, a tablespoon of flaky sea salt, a tablespoon of light brown sugar, ½1/2 a teaspoon of smoked paprika and a couple of tablespoons of finely chopped rosemary. Serve warmmmmmmm.

o Got a favourite sausage? Remove the casings from a few and form the mixture into mini patties or meatballs, fry until lightly browned and cooked through and serve on cocktail sticks with a chili dipping sauce or some hot English mustard mixed with a little creme fraiche.

o Split and stone a Medjool date, put a small chunk of Parmesan inside, wrap in a bit of thin, streaky bacon or prosciutto, secure with a cocktail stick and bake for five minutes at 220C/450F/Gas mark 8, turn over and bake for five minutes more until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately.

o Crunchy, slightly bitter endive leaves make great 'spoons' to serve tasty morsels on. Some good additions are crab or shrimp salad, a dollop of ricotta with some toasted walnuts and raisins or a salad of tiny cubes of mango and chicken dressed in a splash of toasted sesame oil and lime juice and seasoned with coriander and a little finely chopped red chili.

Handmade Sarong Buckles

If you want to spice up your usual boring sarong apparel, then go and get a sarong buckle. Make sure to get a really nice buckle. Obviously, the buckle will be the one to draw people's attention, so it is just proper to get something that looks really good. Well, if you do not have any idea on what will look good on you, you can consider handmade sarong buckles. Handmade sarong buckles are actually among the trendiest types of buckles now. Their strong and unique appearance makes them a favorite of many. You can find these items in stores as well as in online shops.

You just need to type in the words "handmade sarong buckles" and a variety of websites will show up. Here, you will be able to find lots of sellers and artisans. Make sure to only purchase from reliable people. You can read their feedback first, before you buy a buckle. The Internet can be a good place for sellers an buyers, but it is also a place that most scammers use. So, choose wisely and do not let scammers fool you.

Handmade sarong buckles are usually made from coconut shells or mother of pearls. Their usual colors range from brown to beige. They are also often shaped into hearts, dolphins, butterflies, the number eight, and flowers. They may look simple at first glance; but if you will take a closer look, you will realize that they are intricately made and designed. These handmade sarong buckles are carefully crafted by independent artists who mostly live in Asia, particularly in the Philippines and Indonesia. The native feel of these buckles adds to their uniqueness. In addition, the quality of these items is good since each piece was meticulously inspected.

So, if you buy handmade sarong buckles, you contribute to the livelihood of these independent artisans. Plus, you get to own a piece of art which is also a part of nature. In this day and age, most products and accessories are made of artificial materials. They are also often made by machines. This means that the factories where they come from contribute in air, land, and water pollution. So, owning and wearing handmade sarong buckles will let your partake in the conservation of nature. It will also make you different from the rest of the crowd. You will get the sense of being one with nature too while showing your uniqueness and personal style. Moreover, you will surely be the center of attention in a beach party if you arrive wearing handmade sarong buckles. Other girls will envy you for wearing such a cool piece of accessory. They will also admire you for your classy taste.

Fit of Despair - Apple Crumble With Whipped Coconut Cream

Let's say it's Thanksgiving, and you've just been diagnosed with gluten and casein intolerance. Suddenly you are faced with a life of no wheat and no dairy. Ever. You and your loving boyfriend are cruising the grocery aisles, planning your holiday feast: ham (read label, check additives...okay), roasting potatoes, baby carrots, green beans. All is well, until your loving boyfriend wanders into the bakery and begins fingering cakes. He pauses at an angel food, ponders a chocolate torte, and finally, after much deliberation, settles on a deep dish honey crunch apple pie. "Let's get ice cream!" he exclaims.

In your mind he is writhing on the floor in a pool of melted French Vanilla, clutching his groin. In reality, you grit your teeth and follow him through the dairy aisle (pretending not to notice the Chunky Monkey you will NEVER TASTE AGAIN), hit the checkout, drive home, open the ice cream, spit in it, put it and the damned pie away and finally collapse in a fit of despair. Then you make this awesome apple crumble, which is only for you because you have become someone with Special Dietary Needs, and people with Special Dietary Needs can call no share-sies.

Fit of Despair Apple Crumble
amounts are approximate - just go by feel

2 apples, peeled halved and sliced
2 tsp sugar (or sweetener of choice)
Cinnamon (as much as you want)
1 tsp ghee (or so)

Crumbly bit:
2 tsp ghee (approx)
¼ cup brown sugar (or sweetener of choice)
¼ cup almond flour (ground almonds)
¼ cup or so crumbled pecans or other nuts

1. Grease a pan with ghee. Chuck apple slices in pan, sprinkle with sugar/sweetener and cinnamon. Dot with 2 tsp ghee.

2. Mix the other 2 tsp of ghee into brown sugar/sweetener. Mix with almond flour and nuts. Plop atop apples. Bake covered at 350 for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake until crumbly bit has browned and apples are tender, about 30 minutes or so depending on your oven, the weather, whether the moon is in Mars, etc.

3. Serve warm or cold. Top with whipped coconut cream. And let everyone else eat their crummy store-bought pie. Wheat-eating losers.

Whipped Coconut Cream

1 can coconut milk
Vanilla extract or vanilla bean
Sugar/sweetener

Okay kids, I'll give it to you straight - this one's a labour of love. It's pissy and touchy and annoying as hell, but sooooooooo worth it.

First, you gotta let a can of coconut milk sit for a day or so, so that the water separates. Sometimes you'll get a can in which this has happened. Unfortunately, it'll never be when you want to make whipped coconut cream. I have found that getting a brand to which water has been added makes this easier.

After a day or so, stick it in the freezer for another day. See, this is annoying and requires advance prep.

Remove from freezer and open both ends of the can. Ta da! The water bit has frozen separately from the creamy bit. Use one lid to push the whole thing out in a big block, then hack off the watery bit. If you have a can opener that cuts around the outside of the can rim, and therefore cannot use the lid to push said block, do what I did and chip away at the watery bit with a huge knife. Profuse swearing will make the process seem faster.

Stick the frozen creamy bit in a food processor and whiz. Add a capful or so of vanilla extract, or snip and squeeze the innards of a vanilla bean. Bung in some sugar/sweetener. Taste and adjust according to how sweet and vanilla-y you want it. (Note - extract is fine, but bean innards will give you lovely brown specks throughout PLUS the smug satisfaction that can only come from using an honest-to-god vanilla bean). Stuff whip into a freezer bag or other storage apparatus and let it sit in the fridge for another day or so.

It won't be as whippy as, say, Cool Whip -but it'll be BETTER.

What is ghee?

Sigh. Ghee, you dairy freaks, is clarified butter. Basically you take butter (organic, unsalted) and heat it in a pan until the milk solids separate (30-60min), strain it, and you're left with butterfat that tastes sort of caramelly and nice. You can buy ghee many places, especially at Indian markets, but I prefer to make my own because I a) am a control freak and b) don't often go out. Use it wherever you'd use butter.

Pina Colada Carrot Cake (With Paula Deen Frosting)

This is a cake (with only a minor twist) that my mama has been making for me for every birthday since I turned one. It is full of carrots and walnuts, with the tropical flavors of pineapple and coconut! When ever my friends try it for the first time they say it's the best carrot cake they've ever had! The Philadelphia Cream Cheese frosting perfects the cake. The best thing? Breakfast cake leftovers--if you have any! Check out my frosting Paula!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Y75JG51kg&hl=en

How to accomplish Pandan Coconut Chiffon Cake

Recipe for the Traditional Asian Style Pandan Coconut Chiffon Cake! Visit our food blog for more recipes! whitesheepandbrowncow.blogspot.com



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvL7EXf7_r0&hl=en

Banana Nut Bread - Tamra Davis Cooking Show

While on vacation in Kauai we visit a friends farm, eat coconuts and then I make yummy banana nut bread



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Byy0boux1dI&hl=en

Simple Soap Making Ingredients and Recipe

Soap making can be considered as a great hobby. Aside from that, it is also a profitable business. Soap making is just a simple process. You can even do this at home; you just have to know the right soap making ingredients and the proper steps in making it. You don't need to be an expert and you don't need to have the equipments that soap making companies have in order to make soaps.

Yes, there are varieties of soaps that are available in the market. They are of different colors, shapes, sizes, prices, and brands. Most of them claim that they can do miracles to your skin. They said that they can make your skin whiter and softer in just a matter of weeks. However, you are not really sure if these are true. A lot of people end up complaining because instead of doing miracles to their skin, the soap that they bought just worsen their skin, making it drier and oilier.

Do you think that there is no solution to that? Well, you thought wrong. As a matter of fact, you can do something about it. The main reason why commercialized soaps are harmful to the skin is because of their ingredients. The soaps that they produced usually have chemicals that are not good for the skin. That is why it is better for you to know the secrets on how to make soap.

Soaps that are homemade don't have the chemicals that commercialized soaps have because the ingredients that are used in homemade soaps are more natural and not damaging to the skin. They are skin-friendly. Aside from that, homemade soaps are more affordable if you compare with the commercialized soaps.

There are plenty of methods on how to make soap. One of these is the 'melt and pour' system wherein you will just melt a ready soap and you will just add some ingredients that you like. You can make your soap more personalize by adding special ingredients like herbs, essential oils, and fragrances.

Did that catch your interest? Are you now interested in making homemade soaps but you don't know the basic recipes in making it? Well, you don't have to worry about it anymore because this article will provide you a basic recipes and the equipment and soap making ingredients that you need in order for you to make homemade soaps.

Here are the basic ingredients in making homemade soaps: 6 oz coconut oil, 6 oz palm oil, 1 tbsp beeswax, 1 tbsp stearic acid, 4 oz castor, 2.38 oz lye, and 6oz distilled water.

Equipments for making homemade soaps are the following:

Soap molds (it can be plastic or metal)
Double boiler or a pot
Rubbing alcohol in a spritz bottle

All of these ingredients and equipment can be found in your home or if not you can find them in the supermarket nearest you. If you want attractive soap molds, just go to a craft store. Surely, they will provide you with several soap molds that are really unique and wonderful.

You can really find happiness in soap making. You will certainly be amazed on how these simple soap making ingredients can really create soap. You can even mix colors and scents to create unique one of a kind soaps. Because of the satisfaction that it has brought to a lot of people, many are convinced to try it. Don't hesitate; try to make your own homemade soap, too!