Festive Mustard

This recipe comes courtesy of “Chatelaine Recipes: Easy Holiday Cooking”. I decided to make it because it looked easy and I thought I could include it in my christmas gift baskets. As soon as I tasted it I realized that this is probably one of the best mustards I have ever tasted. I will probably make this mustard all the time now. This is a must try! It’s quite tangy and goes great with ham.

p.s. I actually didn’t give anyone a jar of this mustard.. I kept them all to myself!! :)

2 tbsp mustard seeds

1/4 cup cold water

3 tbsp white vinegar

1/4 tsp Worcestershire

3 tbsp dry mustard

1/3 granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs yolks

In a small bowl, stir mustard seed with water, vinegar and Worcestershire. Let stand 30 minutes. Measure out dry mustard, sugar and salt into a small saucepan. Whisk egg yolks until lightly beaten. Pour into pan along with mustard seed mixture. Whisk constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens, approx 5 minutes. Spoon into sterilized jars and seal, keep refrigerated.

Makes only 3/4 cup of mustard, so if you are planning to give away as gifts, you will need to make the mustard in batches.

Marbled Candy-Cane Bark

This is a easy chocolate bark that looks quite beautiful and makes a great gift for the chocolate lovers on your list.

6 squares of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate

6 squares of white chocolate

3 candy canes, crushed

1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Coarsely chop semi-sweet chocolate. At this point you can either melt your chocolate in the microwave or on the stove top. Melt both of the chocolates separately. 
2. Pour the dark chocolate onto the waxed paper making 2 thick strips about 1 1/2 inch apart. Pour the white chocolate in the middle and along one side of the chocolate. 
3. Take a knife and drag the chocolate back and forth to create the marbled look. Tap the pan to level chocolate as required. Sprinkle with candy canes. Refrigerate until it hardens approx 45 to 60 minutes. Break into large pieces.

Shortbread Cookies

Soft, crunchy, melt in your mouth shortbread that is seriously easy to make and always a hit with guests. Avoid over-mixing.

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sifted icing sugar

2 to 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Place butter in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer or wooden spoon, gradually beat in the sugar until smooth and creamy. Mix well. Using a wooden spoon stir in the 2 cups of flour until just mixed, do not overmix. Finish forming dough with your hands. If dough is sticky add more flour.
2. Place a quarter of the dough on a floured board and using a floured rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness for more depending on how thick you want your cookies. Cut shapes out with a floured cookie cutter. 
3. Place on an ungreased baking sheet with at least 1 inch apart. Decorate as desired.
4. Bake in preheated oven until pale golden  colour and set in the middle with lightly touched, 15 to 18 minutes.

Makes approx 65 cookies

Slow Cooked Chili

Chili is the ultimate comfort food and perfect on a cold winters day. I make this chili 3 or 4 times a year. It’s easy to make (love my slow cooker), and can be adjusted to suit anyone’s tastes. Leftovers get placed in individual portion size tupperware and frozen for my lunches. 

Slow Cooked Chili (6 quart slow cooker)

2 pounds ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 chopped green pepper

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 28-oz can whole tomatoes, undrained

2 16-oz cans kidney beans, undrained

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon ground pepper

Optional: Tobasco/cayenne/red pepper flakes to add heat - customize here

My slow cooker pot can be used on the stovetop, so I follow the below steps in my slow cooker pot, if yours cannot be used on the stovetop, use a large pan.

1. Preheat pot over medium heat. Add ground meat and brown. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic and cook for a few minutes to release some of the juices. 
2. Transfer to the slowcooker and add tomatoes, beans and spices. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer at Setting #3 for 7 to 9 hours. 
3. Top with cheddar cheese.
4. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Eclipse, Celebrity Cruises

The Gala Brunch Buffet in the Dining Rm

It has been a busy week getting back to work and getting myself back into a routine. My cooking and blogging has suffered for it. This post is all about the cruise ship food. The ship was beautiful, the food was excellent and the beverages (which I may have partook in a bit too much) were creative and beautiful. Where do I even start trying to explain some of the food? I might have to skip some of the more flowery descriptions and just tell you as much about the food as possible.

The main dining room is called Moonlight Sonata served most breakfasts, lunches and all dinners. The breakfasts and lunches were nothing special and not worth talking about. The dinners however where beautiful and delicious. I literally took only a few pictures. (Sad, I know. I’m a terrible blogger!). Fall off the bone lamb shank, fall off the bone Osso Bucco, Sesame encrusted Ahi Tuna, perfectly cooked Beef Tenderloin, Tilapia in Curry Sauce, etc. I can’t even remember everything I ate. 

Dinners are 4 courses; appetizer, soup or salad, entree and dessert. All the courses are creative and fun. I was in heaven. 

The cruise ship also has 5 specialty restaurants; Blu (the healthy place), Qsine (ordinary food done extraordinarily), Murano (beautiful French food), Tuscan Grill (Italian carnivore delight) and Bistro on 5 (Crepes and paninis). The specialty restaurants cost additional money, but they are worth it as the food is cooked for you only. Mom and I tried out Qsine, Murano and Bistro on 5. They are blog posts unto themselves!

I’m posting a few pictures of the food. It’s impossible to describe everything. I highly recommend Celebrity Cruise ships if you love food. 

Paris, France

I only had a few hours in Paris and I tried to cram in as much as possible. I could have spent a week there exploring, but I didn’t have a week. I did, however, make the most out of my time there. I was dropped off at the Eiffel Tower and I took millions of pictures, then I wandered to the Seine and then walked down to the Louvre. The line was too long to get into the Louvre and I didn’t have enough time to go in, instead I continued wandering. Eventually I was hungry and thirsty, so I picked up a croissant, baguette, and cheese. I then had myself a little picnic overlooking the Seine and absorbing the Parisian culture. 

The day I was there happened to be a Bank holiday for France so the city was teeming with tourists from around France. I found the people to be really nice. I don’t speak much French, but I was able to get around without much difficulty. All in all, Paris is a beautiful city and I can’t wait until I get a chance to go back and explore it properly.

Travel

Well anonymous-blog-friends, this is my last post for 2 whole weeks. I am, once again, off to see the world.  This time, my mom (partner in travelling adventures) and I, are taking a 13 night transatlantic cruise aboard the "Eclipse" on the Celebrity Cruise line. Mom and I love cruises. Why? Because, we get to go to numerous places and only unpack once. It's also safe for 2 single girls and full of food and wine.
I am taking my laptop with me, but I will not be posting during the cruise (blame the very expensive wifi minutes). When I return, I will post a slew of thoughts, ideas and pictures. I have 2 exciting winery tours booked in Spain and the Azores (Portugal). I plan to buy tons of wine, (if it is good) and suffer the duty tax later and I plan to eat, eat and eat. My camera will be busy taking pictures of beautiful food, beverages and scenery.
This trip takes us first to England where my extended family will be picking us up from Gatwick. My family lives 45 south of Gatwick in the city of Crawly. My cousin owns a pub and pictures will be posted! This is my first time in England (except for a stop-over at Heathrow one time), and I am excited to see some of the country. We pick up the ship on Sunday and will be in Le Havre, France on Monday. I have booked a bus trip to Paris and will have 5 1/2 hours to see as much as I can of Paris. I plan to see croissants, cafe ou lait and the Eiffel Tower and as much shopping as I can cram into this deadline as possible.
The next day, we will be in Cherbourg, France. Then a day at sea followed by Vigo, Spain where I have a winery tour booked. We then get a day at sea, followed by a stop at Porto Delgado in the Azores. I also have a winery tour booked here.
And then.... nothing. 7 days to cross the Atlantic ocean. With nothing to do. Read. Eat. Drink. Relax. Whatever. I am packed and ready to go. I fly out Friday night.
I am stressed out to the max with work and completely exhausted. I am so ready for this trip.


I will however, leave you with this:


"I'd hate to be a teetotaler. Imagine getting up in the morning and knowing that's as good as you're going to feel all day." - Dean Martin


Take care!
S