Happy Thanksgiving but no turkey here

This is a popular dish in my house also because it is the only way I will make my 2 boys really enjoy their food.




I mix all kinds of vegetables that I have but the most popular ones are Zucchini and carrots then I grill them in the oven with onions cut in big pieces, I add garlic potatoes and chicken



I exalt (magnify) the taste using rosemary sage and salt.
I discussed earlier in this blog how I make my herb salt with rosemary and sage

Cooking for a birthday girl in recession times

Celebrating birthdays in times of recession is not an easy task. I decided to make my birthday as simple and easy and cheap as possible. Made myself this lovely Chocolate cake recipe here



The decoration was I cut half way put apricot jam and covered it with lots of chocolate. Have a Chocolatey weekend woun't you?

pumpkin cheesecake, the today show recipes, cranberry chutney, cranberry relish, cranberry sauce

Holiday Zenni Optical treats

After having talked to my sister in-law this afternoon who's been shopping around for new frames for the coming holidays I went over to Zenni Optical because in the past I had blogged about their cheap prescription lens. And I guess it was the right moment to do it because they have a whole collection of holiday eyeglasses that my sister inlaw will be very happy to check on.
I mean they are stylish, fashionable,tailored all sorts of colors and styles to choose from and for all ages. The best part is the price.
I loved especially the ones in the picture below because sometime I had seen someone in something like and I thought they were really stylish.
Now Im going to let my sister in-law know about these offers and I know with all the selection that there is definitely she will find something interesting.
So, if you are one of the readers of my blogs and you also like to let people know when you find something that can help them especially time like now when everyone is on tight budget then this is an opportunity that you will need to pass to your friends and family who need glasses.
Go see and benefit during these coming holiday period.





Holiday frames

Birthday Me: Smile and 1 year older

Cooking is one of things I enjoy doing, I try to try a recipe from a country that I visit or live. I haven't cooked anything yet though today is my birthday. Sooo many years back in a small rural village on the slopes of Mt. Kenya I was born. I grew up in my family land where we knew nothing but agriculture and going to school.

Remember those days in the village, waking up in the morning lighting the fire while my Mom went to milk the cows, we had plenty of milk yes we did drank milk every morning before going to school.

I walked a Kilometer and half to school every day, walked back for lunch then back again for afternoon classes and back after four when classes finished and usually most of the time we had to run to school not walk.





In this village I learn't to work the garden, I never knew a supermarket I only knew the small kiosks in the market where we also had an open air market. Vegetable market was every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon. Everything sold in this market, fresh from the garden and fruits from the trees.

My family grew and grows all kinds of vegetables we also grew french beans for export. Those were good times. On the other hand we had coffee we all worked whether it came rain or sunshine. My mother sometimes used to roast coffee and grind whenever we wanted to drink coffee all from our gardens.

Today as I celebrate my birthday I remember those moments with a smile and nolstagia.

How I looked forward to school holidays so that I could visit my uncle who lived in another side of Mt.Kenya. The best thing I remember how we made chapati from whole wheat from family harvest. Oh God I miss.

And when a neighbour went to New Zealand and since then I started to dream that one day I would go abroad. I have not yet been to my dream Australia and New Zealand but Im coming.

Now many years after I find myself in the wonderful city called Bangkok, how did I get here? I ask myself and more to that I do not speak my native languange because I have a new language Italian, how did I get here? The world can really be strange and dreams can be realised.

Now at my age today, what is my dream in the next year?
I would write and write, let me stop now as I want to talk to my Mom and tell her how grateful I am for all she did to help me grow up to be what I am today and I can smile because I grew up in the best village ever!

Paris Hilton Coming for Dinner

Was just thinking if I'm going to invite Paris Hilton for dinner in my small apartment and I know she will turn up. What Im I going to cook? I know Paris Hilton will understand that I will prepare the best meal for sure from my heart. Like any food recipes I share with you all in this blog.

Prepared and shared from my heart that everyone can benefit in healthy simple Italian recipes.

So, I imagine Paris Hilton loves Italian food especially Gelato. If you see her tell her that she is invited for dinner at Italian simple recipes.

Paris Hilton this cake here is for you.



Paris Hilton favourite gelato!

Thai Fruits: Durian

I bet many readers of this blog have heard of this fruit. The durian fruit of strong odour. It's home in South East Asia, it is a fruit I have seen everytime I walk around in the streets been offered but I have never had the courage to taste. The nice thing about this fruit is it often prohibited in certain hotels and also airlines in some place in Thailand.
You can find various Thai recipes where they use durian though myself I have not tried might be a delicacy that you cannot do without




From wikipedia I learn that it is also 'Durian fruit is used to flavour a wide variety of sweet edibles such as traditional Malay candy, ice kachang, dodol, rose biscuits, and, with a touch of modern innovation, ice cream, milkshakes, mooncakes, Yule logs and cappuccino.'

Thai Fruits: Salacca

Last week I went to a Loy Kratong event here and there was a collection of Thai fruits. Some of the fruit I love and eat them a lot and also use them to prepare my desserts like the mango but the fruit pictured below I have only seen it in supermarkets, or street vending places never tasted it myself.
Below also you see the description from Wikipedia about this fruit.



From Wikipedia:

Salacca is a genus of 20 species of palms native to tropical southeastern Asia. They are very short-stemmed palms, with leaves up to 6-8 m long. The leaves have a spiny petiole; in most species they are pinnate with numerous leaflets, but some species, notably S. magnifica, have undivided leaves.

The fruit grow in clusters at the base of the plants, and are edible in many species, with a reddish-brown scaly skin covering a white pulp and one to two large inedible seeds. The Salak (S. zalacca) is the species most widely grown for the fruit, which has a slight acidic taste.

The skin of the Salacca fruit has a unique texture not unlike that of a snake's skin, rough to the touch in one direction but smooth in the other.

I haven't yet tried this fruit you can leave us a comment if you have

Thanksgiving Ideas for all in recession

Thanksgiving in times of recession

Thanksgiving traditions that have been carried on for generations like
Turkey Recipes
Sweet Potato Recipe
Thanksgiving Dinner Menu
Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas
Traditional Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Thanksgiving Appetizers
Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes

But in times of recession do not be afraid to try something new, easy simple and healthy for the whole family. And for most thanksgiving wine is a difficult decision, white or red. In this blog you find many simple easy Italian recipes of lasagne, pizza, vegetable cake which by the would make a great entry into this years thanksgiving new classic. And of course wine is chosen for you here:



You are the best and this is why this special set of wine is a special selection for a 2008 thanksgiving,thanksgiving day,thanksgiving date,thanksgiving 2008 date

Have a nice turkey ,thanksgiving turkey,thanksgiving recipes ,thanksgiving dinner ,recipes and of course YOU'RE the BEST

Mango Delight: Lift yourself from recession

Mango delight


2 Mangoes,2 small spoons cane sugar,lemon juice or lime if you can find it, 3 eggs (separate yolk from egg white), Vanilla sugar, 200 ml whipped cream


Need to cut the mango into half and remove the stone (seed), put the fruit (not the skin) into a bowl and grind it together with the sugar and lemon juice.
Beat the yellow with the vanilla and add the ground mango. Whip the egg whites and the cream and mix together with the fruit.

Put in the fridge for about 12 hours.
Decorate with mango pieces and serve.

Thai Fruits: Mangosteen

This is the fruit I love most in Thailand other than eating Kilos of it when in season, I continue to give myself the benefits of this fruit by using its herbal spa bar soap which you can find in various shops here.

If you want to see my other blog on Aromatherapy beauty in times of recession go here
Aromatherapy

Cooking in times of recession

Cooking in times of recession. I have a feeling that this blog will come in handy, as I write this post news of circuit city is spreading like fire, and it is being said that circuit city news of the moment have it that circuit city is bankrupt or circuit city has filed for bankruptcy and you never know who is next. So, I think we just have to cut out that habit of eating out whenever laziness crawls and when you think I don't know how much you spend on average eat out, I have an idea how much we spent in a small town in Italy. Oh God the food is lovely there around the hills of Forli, Bertinoro.

But now you do not have to worry join me as I cook from Bangkok, help you shop, bring you latest aromatherapy products and much more from here:


Now that it is bye bye to eating out lets get to basics: TIRAMISU italian word that mean lift me up, just what we need in times of recession. In this blog you will find very useful recipes that will brighten your days in times of Christmas.




Tomorrow Im going to TOYS R US and see how prices compare here and where you are keep reading my blogs but sure you cannot have time to read all of them as have over 40 in time of recession.



Get the recipe in my older post here











For you to enjoy with the recipes you try here, wine directly in your home, shipping is free!
ingredients:
250g of Mascarpone cheese
3 eggs
finger biscuits
3 teaspoons of sugar
cofee
Cocoa powder

In a container I mix the egg yolks with the sugar. I then beat the egg whites and I add them to the yolk and sugar mixture. Then I add the mascarpone and mix really well.

I then dip the biscuits into coffee and arrange them in the container, alternating a layer of biscuits with that of cream. I continue like this until I have used all cream. Then with the help of a sieve I put a small quantity of cocoa powder on top.
Then into the fridge.
If you have no time can have it done on the previous day.
Enjoy!
If you would like to do it step by step with me, contact me!
Have a nice Tiramisu, will you?

Extreme Christmas Deco

I have been going window shopping lately just thinking of Christmas, looks far but its here after America votes tonight what is the next big event anyway, Christmas.

I found this lovely Christmas deco all the Christmas products are made of fabric and the prices are just like sipping a cup of coffee in Piazza in Italy and I thought I post them here and if anyone is interested can commission me to buy for them.


Let me hear from you!

Cocktails

Impress your friends with this recipe

Ingredients include:

Smirnoff Vodka
Crema de Cassis
Cointreau
Cranberry juice
Lime Juice
Simple syrup

Work out the right recipe and let us know! Share here with other readers