Friday, December 14, 2012

♥ my top 20 coctails for summer ♥

it's that time of the year again - almost time to start winding down, dust off our flops and bikinis and get out the vodka!

i've therefore decided that it's completely in order to put together a list of my top cocktails for this upcoming summer season, to help us make the best of the amazingly warm summer days that's still to come!

ENJOY DOLLS! :)



Cherry Mojitos

Watermelon Punch

Watermelon and Basil Magarita

Vodka Thyme Lemonade

Tequila Sunrise

Sparkling Shiraz

Rum Punch

Rose Wine Punch

Rasberry and Herb Cocktail

Punch with a Punch

Plum Cocktail

Pink Salty Dog

Pineapple and Mango Rum Cocktail

Peach Margarita

Lemony Spiked Sweet Tea

Lemon Drops on the Rock

Honeydew Fizz

Cucumber and Ginger Fizzer

Champagne Punch

Basil Coctail

Sunday, December 2, 2012

♥ cute christmas snacks for the kiddies ♥

because most shopping centres, magazine, tv, radio and most of the general public have started accepting the fact that the festive season is pretty much upon us, i ofcourse ran to my lappy to start researching how i can make this amazing time even more exciting for our little morgy lorgy!

christmas time last year she was only 3 months old and although we dressed her up and even though she received loads of prezzies, this time round shes become a real little girl that squeeeeeels and run around the house filled with excitement everytime we have a celebration of any sort...

sooooo, i just had to share the following with you guys! herewith my fav christmas snacks and treats for our little ones. i'm defs making all of them!









♥ LOVE ♥

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

♥ low gi hake in a thai, wasabi and lime sauce ♥


a low fat fish dish with terrific flavour! try fillets of salmon to increase your omega 3's.
takes less than 1 hour to make and serves 3



what you'll need: 
♥1 tbsp thai green curry paste450 grams hake fillets, or 6 medallions, fresh or frozen
♥1 tsp wasabi paste, or 2tsp pickled horseradish
♥ 3 tbsp low fat mayonnaise
♥2.5 ml ground cumin
♥2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley, or 5 ml dried parsley
♥1 tbsp basil leaf, fresh, finely chopped or 2.5 ml dried basil
♥1 tsp sugar
♥2/3 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
♥1 pinch salt
♥1 pinch ground black pepper
♥1 bunch basil leaf, and parsley for garnish

what you'll do:
1. preheat the oven to 180°c.
2. spray a small baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and place the fish in it.
3. mix the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl or mug and then spread evenly over the fish.
4. roast the fish, uncovered, for 30 - 40 minutes until it is firm and white in the middle.
5. serve with cooked low gi rice (½ cup for women and 1 cup for men) and a large tossed salad with an oil reduced dressing, or stir-fried vegetables (1 cup per person), to make a balanced meal. alternately 2 cooked vegetables will also balance the meal.

should you wish to make this dish for four people, simply add another two hake medallions. the marinade makes enough sauce for the extra fish.

nutritional info:
energy: 1320kj; carbs: 33g; protein: 29g; fat: 7g

Friday, September 21, 2012

♥ my top meals for babies and toddlers ♥

our little girl just turned 1 in september and pretty much from the moment she had her first little toothie, i jumped up to start browsing for recipes and breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack ideas for the little monkey!

it wasn't very long until i realised that unless you have hoooooouuuurs available every day or are as creative as martha or nigella, you're going to need some help finding meal ideas for your little one.

it took me months to figure out how to make sure that she gets a large enough variety of foods. so if you have a little person, i know that you will appreciate not just this blog post, but also the ones to follow.

i won't keep you any longer - herewith, are my fav toddler recipes!

enjoy! nom nom!

1. bacon, onion and cheddar biscuits
recipe link:
http://crave-capetown.blogspot.com/2012/09/top-toddler-recipe-1-bacon-onion-and.html


2. toddler french toast
recipe link:
http://crave-capetown.blogspot.com/2012/09/top-toddler-recipe-2-toddler-french.html


3. easy chicken nuggets
recipe link:
http://crave-capetown.blogspot.com/2012/09/top-toddler-recipe-3-easy-chicken.html

4. no work chicken
recipe link:
http://crave-capetown.blogspot.com/2012/09/top-toddler-recipe-4-no-work-chicken.html

5. pizza balls
recipe link:
http://crave-capetown.blogspot.com/2012/09/top-toddler-recipe-6-pizza-balls.html

6. mini hot dog muffins
recipe link:
http://crave-capetown.blogspot.com/2012/09/top-toddler-recipe-6-mini-hot-dog.html

7. fish fingers
recipe link:
http://crave-capetown.blogspot.com/2012/09/top-toddler-recipe-7-fish-fingers.html

8. broccoli and carrot biscuits
recipe link:
http://crave-capetown.blogspot.com/2012/09/top-toddler-recipe-8-broccoli-and.html

9. scrumptious sweet potato croissant rolls
recipe link:
http://crave-capetown.blogspot.com/2012/09/sweet-potato-crescent-rolls-full-recipe.html

10. bambino bread salad
recipe link:
http://crave-capetown.blogspot.com/2012/09/top-toddler-recipe-10-bambino-bread.html

11. spaghetti and sausage sticks
recipe link:
http://crave-capetown.blogspot.com/2012/09/spaghetti-and-sausage-sticks.html

12. bread sticks
recipe link:
http://crave-capetown.blogspot.com/2012/09/bread-sticks.html

♥ top toddler recipe #1: bacon, onion and cheddar biscuits ♥




2 cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
3/4 teaspoons Salt
1/4 cup Vegetable Shortening (crisco, Etc)
10 Tablespoons Milk (whole Milk Is Best)
4 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 whole Egg
10 slices Thick Cut Bacon, Fried And Crumbled
1 cup Finely Diced Onion
1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Preparation Instructions
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut in shortening until all combined.
Combine milk, oil, and egg in a separate bowl. Whisk together.
Combine flour mixture, milk mixture, bacon, onions, and cheddar cheese in a large bowl. Stir gently until all combined.
Spoon batter into greased muffin tins. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes on 375 degrees until golden Remove from pan and serve warm.
PREP TIME 30 MINS, COOK TIME 20 MINS, SERVES 12

♥ top toddler recipe #2: toddler french toast ♥




1/2 cup egg whites
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup wholegrain bread

whisk your egg whites, milk, cinnamon and vanilla together in a bowl. whisk until well blended.
soak your bread in the mixture until it’s partially saturated
“fry” on a non-stick pan without any oil (keep the heat low to medium low so it doesn't burn)
cook a bit longer than you would regular french toast to be sure the egg gets cooked at the lower temperature.
plate your food and top with your favorite french toast toppings!
frozen berries, maple syrup = YUMMY for toddlers and families!

♥ top toddler recipe #3: easy chicken nuggets ♥




1 pound chicken breasts, boneless & skinless cut into chunks
1/4 cup old fashioned oats (also known as 5 minute oats)
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, grated
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Place the first 6 ingredients in a food processor until chicken is finely chopped and ingredients are combined.
3. Place the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl or on a plate and stir to combine.
4. With moistened hands, roll 1 tablespoon of chicken mixture between your palms and flatten it into a “nugget” shape.
5. Gently press nuggets into bread crumbs to evenly coat them.*
6. Place nuggets on a cooling rack. Place cooling rack over a foil-lined baking sheet.
7. Lightly spray nuggets with cooking spray.
8. Bake for 15 minutes and serve.**
* To freeze, place nuggets on a sheet tray after this step and freeze for one hour. Place nuggets in labeled freezer bags for up to 3 months. When ready to cook, follow the directions starting with step #6.
** If you want your nuggets to be golden brown, place under the broiler for 2 minutes after cooking.

♥ top toddler recipe #4: no work chicken ♥



1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons dijon mustard (mild)
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 cup chopped scallions
4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2.. In a 9 x 13 baking dish, whisk the honey, soy sauce, dijon mustard, curry powder and scallions.
3. Place chicken on top of sauce and turn to coat.
4. Cover and marinate 30 minutes to overnight, flipping halfway through to coat with sauce.
5. Cover with foil and bake chicken 30-40 minutes, depending on size of chicken breasts. Baste chicken with the sauce half way through cooking.
6. Serve over rice or pasta.

♥ top toddler recipe #5: pizza balls ♥



1 16 oz pkg white or whole wheat pizza dough
3/4 cup broccoli florets, cooked & chopped*
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup pizza sauce
olive oil
parmesan cheese, grated
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Bring pizza dough to room temperature and divide into 16 even pieces.
3. In a separate bowl combine the broccoli (or whatever addition you choose), mozzarella and pizza sauce.
4. Roll out each piece of dough into a round, about 3 inches wide, and place 1 tbsp of the cheese mixture in the center.
5. Take the edges of the dough and bring them to the center, pinching along the edges to make sure they stick together, then roll into a ball.
6. Place the ball, sealed side down, in a greased pie plate and repeat these steps making the rest of the balls.
7. Brush each ball with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
8. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
9. Serve.
* You can substitute the broccoli for any additions you desire.

♥ top toddler recipe #6: mini hot dog miffins ♥







Makes 48 mini muffins

Corn bread recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:

1/2 cup melted butter (or 1/4 cup butter + 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce)

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

8-10 all-beef hot dogs, cut into 1″ bites

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine butter and sugar in a bowl, and whisk to combine. Add eggs and whisk to incorporate. Add buttermilk and whisk to incorporate.

2. In a separate bowl, combine baking soda, cornmeal, flour, and salt, and stir to combine. Whisk into wet ingredients in two batches.

3. Spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray, and spoon 1 Tablespoon of batter into each mini muffin cup. Place one hot dog bite into the middle of each cup.

4. Bake for 8-12 minutes (oven temperatures vary), or until cornbread is golden brown. Cool in mini muffin tin for 5 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator, and re-heat for 20-30 seconds before serving.