Catching Up Again!!!

Sorry I haven't been blogging for ages; I've been too busy actually cooking rather than writing about it, so I'm doing another 'Catching Up' post to update you on what I've been cooking for the last four weeks!

Mini Quiches

These are the last things I made before breaking up for Easter, I have made these before just without a cheesy sauce, but it tastes better with one.

For the filling, I cooked some homegrown leeks and red onions together without any water or oil which made the combination look appetisingly fresh and colourful.

When I had blind baked the pastry and divided the vegetables in to the pastry cases, I whisked together some eggs, grated cheese and creme fresh and poured it over the top.

I found they were just as tasty cold as hot and perfect for a packed lunch!

Birthday Cake

On 3rd April it was my little sister's 6th birthday and I (of course!) took charge of the cake: I made two Victoria sponges, one with a tablespoon of coffee and one with 80g of cocoa powder and 80ml of milk.   

I put them together by sandwiching the first chocolate layer and the first coffee layer together with cream on one plate and did the same on another plate with the other two layers to make two two-layer cakes. I then sandwiched the two two-layer cakes with a chocolate icing, iced the top stuck some candles in and my most complicated cake ever was complete!

It was so complicated that at one stage I had to take it apart and rebuild it!

Counting the layers!

I was pretty impressed at how each slice looked - like a zebra- with a glacé cherrie on top!

Cooking Dinner

As soon as I got home from a week's walking holiday in Wales I decided to make dinner for me and my sisters. I made haddock wrapped in bacon with asparagus on toast in a home-made lemon mayonnaise. Oh and I forgot - a mango and orange smoothie as well! "The mayonnaise was really nice and creamy," said Abigail, my 8 year old sister.

I found haddock quite salty wrapped in bacon but with the greenness of the asparagus on the side the dish was altogether delicious!

I have also made two Lebanese dips (one brown lentil and one roasted peppers), 17 chicken rakakats (spring rolls) and a coffee and chocolate volcano birthday cake for my Grandma!