From the Kitchen; Easy-peasy Pumpkin Hand-pies

Ok just a quickie before the holidays! It's for the busy-bees or the undomestic-divas. A cheat to make a scrumptious holiday dessert.

 What you need;
- Store bought pie crust
- Can of pumpkin puree
- Pumpkin spice
- Cream of coconut
- Cool Whip
- Brown sugar

1. Roll out your pie crust and with a cookie cutter cut circles 
2. Prep your pumpkin puree with the pie spice and brown sugar (taste and add till satisfied).
3. Drop a spoon-full of pumpkin filling (depending on the width of your circle)
4. cover with another circle and close with a fork. Cut an X on the top

Don't forget to pre-heat the oven.

Pop them in for +/- 15 mins or until golden

In the mean time, mix the coconut cream, but just the white solid bit not the oil. To separate this let is stand for a bit. Add pumpkin spice to your liking. When mixed well spoon it through cool whip. Warning! This stuff is deadly delicious!! 

Et Voila! Add a dollop of your coconut spiced, whipped-cream and devour!

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Oatmeal Cookie, Ice-cream Sandwich

I made these sour cherry, white chip oatmeal cookies and to make this party complete I added ice-cream and created sandwiches.

I used this recipe ("here") and added dried sour cherries and white chocolate chips. 

Of course you could add anything you like to the oatmeal cookies like; 

Macadamia and white chips, 

Dried apricots and white chips,

Pistachio and dried cranberries, 

Pecans and dark chocolate chips.

Pick your favorite and create a summer party!

Make the basic recipe and spoon in the add-in ingredients last...

Let them cool down completely (I even popped them in the freezer).

Then scoop one scoop of half soft ice-cream in the middle of he flat side of the cookie and lightly press another on top. 

Wrap them individually in foil and pop them back in the freezer for another hour or two.

Et Voila! Serve them straight out of the freezer. Enjoy!!

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Breakfast at Fayme's in the Kitchen; Pumpkin Muffin

Belle of the ball, home before 12, these whole wheat pumpkin muffins are an healthy version of dessert or even perfect for breakfast since they are high in protein and "lower" carb.

~Happy Sunday~ 

 What you need;
- 1/2cup walnut flour (you may use all purpose flour)
- 1/2cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice (or cinnamon)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1cup pumpkin puree (when using fresh boiled, let is sit in a cheese cloth to strain excess water)
- 1/2cup milk (or almond milk)
- 2 eggs
- 1/4cup honey
- 3/4cup quick cook rolled oats

Ok, lots of ingredients, but easy to make;

Mix all dry ingredients together and all wet ingredients together then add together and mix well. Scoop mixture into lined muffin tin and decorate with a walnut on top (you could also add chopped nuts to the mixture for extra bite).

In pre-heated oven of 180*C, pop the muffins in for +/- 25-30 mins or until toothpick comes out clean.

Et Voila! Enjoy your Pumpkin Muffins

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Weekends Guilty Pleasure

I can't help but to love a good grilled cheese sandwich or "toastie" as the Dutch call it. This one was so yum and so wrong! Don't prep it if your trying to impress someone that just spent a night, The onions and garlic won't have them around much longer. If you already hooked that someone and you share your love for food, then go for it! I could eat this everyday! Happy Work week!

 What you need;

- Rustic bread

- Cheese ( I used Old Amsterdam) and parmesan for the outside

- Salami 

- Onions

- Mustard (I used Stonewall Kitchen roasted garlic mustard)

1. Rub the OUTSIDE of the bread with olive oil ( I used herb infused VOO).
2. Then spread some garlic mustard on the inside.
3. Sauté the onions before hand, then assemble your sandwich.
4. For it not to fall apart I used baking string and wrapped them like a present. 
5. Pan fry them with the lid on until the cheese gets melty, then take the lid off and let them crisp up a bit. 

Note; You can drop some cheese in the pan and let is burn on the outside for extra yumminess! 

Et Voila! A grilled Cheese with onion and salami to comfort you in the weekend, best way served is in bed!

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Le Petit Déjourner

Yay! Blood Orange season has begun!! These oranges have a beautiful color and an amazing *zing* factor when freshly squeezed!

Some coconut yogurt with home-made spiced muesli, find the recipe "here". Some fresh home-made ricotta (find recipe "here"), sweetened with honey served on a toasted nutty bread and another toast with old Amsterdam Dutch cheese topped with home grown alfalfa sprouts (takes about a week to 10 days to sprout). 

Et Voila! Le Petit Déjourner! Bon Appetit! 

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Breakfast at Fayme's in the Kitchen; Home-made Muesli

I love Muesli in the morning, filled with nuts and chocolate. However, if you make your own muesli, you know exactly how much you would like to have in there and you know how much sugar (or honey in this case) is added.

Instead of using regular chocolate chips, I used cocoa nibs, they are raw roasted cocoa beans, they are a bit more bitter, and crunchier and have an intense dark chocolate flavor, with regular chocolate making extra cocoa butter, sugar and milk is added, which honestly isn't too bad to swap in for an easy much more flavorful cocoa nib.

Happy Weekend!

What you need;
- Rolled oats
- Nuts (I used macadamia nuts)
- Dried Fruit (I used chopped sour cherries)
- Honey (I used thyme honey)
- Cocoa nibs (optional)
- Cinnamon & Cardamom 

1. spread the oats on a baking sheet or oven dish together with the oats, the spices and the honey, stir them all together so they are coated evenly with the honey.
2. Pop it in the oven for +/- 10-12 minutes, take out, hustle, so they get toasty evenly, then pop 'em back in for another 10-12 minutes.
3. Take it out when it looks toasty, let them chill for 10 minutes, then break up the clumps, stir in the cocoa nibs and dried fruits, store in a airtight container.

Et Voila!! Your own home-made muesli, Enjoy!

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Breakfast at Fayme's in the Kitchen; Makin' Ricotta

The weather has triggered me to stay inside as much as possible, these days.... I turn to the kitchen for comfort. Cooking, discovering new recipes and learning how to make your own stuff is what keeps me busy these days. I had a brilliant idea to make my own cheese, too bad I don't have my own cows to milk, however my uncle who lives on the east side of the country has a farm next door, where he gets fresh milk and other dairy products, since I had no clue where to get real fresh milk in this city, I asked him for a weird favor; "Please bring me milk from that farm I like going to", I begged him.... And so he did... 

And then I made ricotta cheese :)

What you need;
- Fresh, whole, unpasteurized milk (1.9 liter)
- Citric acid or concentrated lemon juice (1/3 cup)
- Strainer, cheese cloth and a saucepan

1. Bring the milk to an "almost" simmer. Take the pan of the heat source when the milk is about to boil, when it starts to foam.
2. Slowly pour in the lemon juice, stir and let it sit for 10minutes. You will see the milk curdle (doesn't look that sexy, but it will be delish)
3. Line a strainer with cheese cloth and pour in the curdled milk (if you like, save some of the access liquid aka the whey), let it sit for 10 minutes or however dry you like your ricotta, you can always add some whey to make it moist again.

Et Voila! Your very own batch of ricotta cheese!
Perfect for making lasagna on a Friday night!

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Pizza Night {Bloggers Edition}

Last weekend our little cooking club came together and we each made a different pizza. We all share a passion for food and we had each individually cooked with one another before. Fellow food bloggers Tarik from "Dushi Foods", Tiara from "Spice up your life" and my foodie/bestie Francine.

It is fun to get together because you learn from one another, use ingredients that you would not normally use and get inspired by fellow foodies!

Tiara had made a portobello and truffle pizza, with sun dried tomato sauce. Molto Bene! 

 Francine had made a pizza with cherry tomato sauce, tuna and raisins; Purrrrfect meow!

I made a pizza with ricotta, caramelized onions and chorizo, after topped with rocket. 

 Tarik surprised us with a cold topped smoked salmon pizza, first you bake the crust, then after you top it with cream cheese & chives and smoked salmon, que rico!!

 Set the mood...with a little putumayo "italian cafe" playing in the background, ready to devour!

 Oh yeah, while waiting for the pizzas in the oven ... a little crostini with  roasted tomato and basil, drizzled with balsamic reduction.

The chefs

Tarik from Dushi Foods @dushifoods 
Tiara from "Spice up your life" 
Francine 
Et Moi!

Yum Yum!

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