She Has Arrived...

I have been expectant and for far too long. It has taken nine months and now she is finally here. Oh! How I have longed for thee! Nine months ago, I toyed with the idea of getting her but I had to be sure I could afford her. After a lot of thinking and consultation I figured at the time I really couldn’t. Three months later this idea kept growing bigger in my head but I pushed it aside as our huge electricity and gas bill had just arrived. That same month Aberdeen City Council was threatening to take us to court because we hadn’t paid a bill they “NEVER” sent a statement for. In short we received the red notice before we had even received our invoice! The time just wasn’t right to get her.

She was always on my mind. I also felt like God was playing tricks on me. Every website I clicked on, every TV channel I tuned to showed her smiling at me, calling my name. I couldn’t escape her in the shops either. It was now a topic of discussion amongst the ladies at work. They all spoke about how much they loved their babies. I started to feel left out. I started to feel like I was wasting my love on other undeserving things.

Five months ago, I was whisking eggs for a “Mississippi Mud Pie” with a hand held whisker; my arms hurt so much I had to take a few breaks in between. I also noticed that there was still a lot of liquid at the bottom of the bowl that didn’t get whisked. I felt frustrated and at that moment she crept into my head again. Right! It was time to put a plan in place. I may not be able to afford her now but with time I could. I could cut back on some unnecessary expenses and put money aside monthly. I could make this work. I can make it work!

Bit by bit, I saved. I cut down on the number of Body Shop’s Body Butter tubs I bought monthly. Funny thing is I never ever run out of body butters because I am always stocking up. I figured if I didn’t buy any for the rest of the year I would still have enough to last till next March! I also reduced the number of times I visited Marks and Spencer. I convinced myself that Sainsbury’s was good enough. Bit by bit I gathered money so I could afford my long awaited baby.

While I was saving up I kept looking at scans of her, anticipating her arrival. I looked at her everyday. I couldn’t wait to show her off to friends and family. I couldn’t wait to discuss her with work colleagues. I couldn’t wait to be part of this cool exciting club.

After nine months, I was ready for my baby to be delivered. I called the consultants to let them know I was ready and fully prepared. The very next day she arrived. Brand new and glimmering. I was in love!

Courtesy of John Lewis

I have christened her Kofo. She is absolutely beautiful. And I cannot wait to show you all the scrumptious food I am going to prepare lovingly with her. Oh my!

'Food' in Love

I think Rihanna is the queen of re-invention. She re-invents her image and her music every time she brings out a new album, you get a feel that she is someone new. And I personally feel she gets better and better every time. The first time she graced our screens she had the "girl next door" look. Now she is anything but that girl! Just take a look at what I mean:

I think she is absolutely gorgeous (no homo!). I believe it keeps life interesting changing and improving an aspect of ones self. The first time I created and tested this recipe I knew wasn’t quite there yet and there was room for improvement. I have given this recipe a fair bit of thought – I know what you are thinking, this girl is obsessed! I confess I am a FOOD ADDICT! For me the plantain mixture was a bit too "wet", I felt it needed to be drier, it needed a bit of crunch. The friends I served it to thought it was perfectly alright though. So maybe this isn't really a re-invention, more of a new plantain recipe. I have been thinking seriously about dying my hair blond though. On second thoughts...

What I have done with this new recipe is to replace the flour with bread crumbs, this holds all the ingredients together. Instead of blending the ingredients together, I mashed the plantain. This gives the whole recipe a rustic feel. I also introduced sausage meat to the mixture and left out any liquids, the plantain and peppers already contain enough moisture. I absolutely love this new recipe I must say. The sweet scent of the plantain mixed with meaty aroma is divine. Even though I could taste all the ingredients individually, I was still able to taste how they came together to make a really superb dish.

M tested this new recipe for me and fell in love with it. I may get her to try the first one and give me her thoughts. If you have the chance to try both recipes please let me know which one is the winner!

Oven Baked Sausage Plantain
Ingredients:
2 Ripe plantains
4 Sausages
2cm ginger
4 garlic cloves
4 tbs Bread Crumbs
1 Scotch Bonnet (Hot Fesh Chili)
1/4 Red or Green Bell Pepper
1/4 Onion
1 tsp coriander
1 Knorr Cube

Preheat the oven to 185 degrees Celsius.

To make it easier for you to mash the plantains, chop them first into very small cubes. In a large bowl, mash the plantain with a potato masher or a wooden spoon. Don't over work it as you don't want it to be too smooth. Finely chop all the vegetables and add to the bowl containing the mashed plantain. Remove the skins from the sausages and add to the plantain mixture. Add the breads crumbs, coriander and knorr cubes. Mix thoroughly. Roll the whole mixture as large sausage in baking paper or foil paper and bake for 30 minutes. I served this with egg sauce.

Chicken Soup for the Soul

I need a hug! One that comes  with a hot soup and huge fluffy arms to keep me  warm inside and out. I imagine the soup  would warm my joints and the fluffy arms would keep the wind away. Bachelor's (or perhaps it should be Spinster's!) "Cup a Soup" ad comes to mind, where they promise a hug with every cup of soup. That's exactly what I need!

It is really cold and wet outside and I have finally been struck down by the flu. All year round we have been playing cat  and mouse with each other. I have taken all sorts of precautions to prevent this happening to me. Even when  Miss Ola, my flatmate had it, I was still able to escape  it. Not today, not this very moment. My throat feels like sand paper and I am afraid if I sneeze one more time my eyeballs will shoot out of their sockets. My head is pounding and spinning at the same time. For a split second I look round my room for a gun to blow my brains out.  That would definitely stop the headache. 

What I really need right now is something to knock me out. And a hug, one that comes with hot spicy soup and huge fluffy arms. For some reason everyone I have called to get me some medicine seems to be unavailable. Maybe they  have all been struck down by this unforgiving virus. I wonder if they have guns lying under their beds. If only I could get my hands on one. I am going to try and sleep it off.

I am awake now and I realize I need three things; some medication,  a hug (that comes with soup and huge fluffy arms - I wonder how many times I can get away  with writing this) and a gun! I know where I can get medicine from and thinking about what I have in my pantry, I am sure I can come up with some soup. The gun and hug is another matter. First, I must drag myself out of bed.

 I am glad  I came out as I feel a bit better with every breath I take of the clean, cold air. I must remember not to overdo it.  I am standing by the drugs counter searching for something drowsy, something heavy to knock me out. I don't see any. What are they afraid of? Argh!!!! I guess Lempsip Max will have to do for now.

An hour later  I feel much better but I am still in need of that  soup. Even though I am dressed warm I still feel quite cold inside. Some hot spicy chicken soup will do just fine, to warm my soul. I have all the ingredients to make this soup, which is quite easy. The problem now is if I have energy to get up and make it.

What I will need for this soup:

Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup

 Courtesy of Oriental Cookbook

2 chicken thighs, remove the flesh and dice to small pieces
1 tablespoon of Sunflower Oil
600ml of Chicken Soup
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons of Cornflour
1 Teaspoon of Chili Powder
1 sprig of Spring Onions, shredded
1/2 Cup of Sweetcorn
Toasted Sesame Seed Oil

If I had energy this is how I would make it. In a medium size sauce pan I would heat the oil for a minute or so and fry the diced chicken until golden brown. I would then remove the chicken and set aside. Next step is to add the chicken stock and bring to boil and then simmer while stirring. As I need the soup to be very spicy I will add  the chili powder, lots of it, sweetcorn and  season to taste with salt. After turning the cornflour into a thick paste by adding cold water to it, I will then add this paste to the chicken stock to thicken it. You might need to add more cornflour paste to get the right soup thickness. I must remember to add the fried chicken I set aside earlier to the sauce pan. Simmer for another 5 minutes. I will whisk the egg is a bowl then add it to soup gradually while stirring with a fork. Before serving I will add the shredded spring onions and drizzle of toasted sesame seed oil.

Now to find a recipe for that hug...