Lemon curd's the word

Back when I called Vancouver my home I did something on a slapstick embarrassing level higher than any other (for me at least). On an all too common trip to the supermarket with a close friend of mine to gather the fixin's for a good meal, I spotted a heard of lemon meringue pies that summoned me to adopt their prettiest leader. I gingerly plucked this well crafted, stiff peaked, tartness filled gods creation from the table with both hands caressing it's sides. I walked  with care to our next isle of need, being sure to look up at the descriptions posted above each row to minimize potential time wastage...and then it happened...almost at the path I needed turn down...I walked straight into a low-lying empty pallet, tipping me swiftly towards the ground, forcefully landing on my knees and elbows, catapulting my newest love high into the air only to land on her top and careen towards oncoming shoppers. Stunned, confused and highly embarrassed - mainly due to the fact that my friend abandoned me only to leave an elderly patron my only/best option in the assistance of the return to my feet, I scampered back to the table to not so lovingly snatch the next best adoptee and angrily pay for her at the next available disgruntled cashier. This treat that only moments earlier sent my blood pressure rising with delight, was now going to pay for my bruised knees and broken ego. I was going to eat it. I was even going to eat it before my meal and blame it for ruining dinner. 


This little snippet of memory from my youth comes rushing back every time I think of whipped meringue or that tangy lemon curd. I've never made a full lemon meringue pie before and since I am going out of town on vacation tomorrow, I wasn't about to make today my first. I opted for the simpler approach of making only the lemon curd goodness that I seem to enjoy the most out of the dessert anyway's. 


Mix up 6 tablespoons softened butter with one cup of sugar. Add in 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks to this mixture. Try and do that 1 egg at a time. Throw in 2/3 of a cup fresh lemon juice. This will look curdled but it will smooth out soon enough.

Pop this mixture into a pot and heat it on low. Whisk constantly until thickened, it should coat the back of a spoon. Try not to let the mixture boil. Once thick, take it off the heat and stir in a tablespoon of lemon zest. 

   Place into a bowl in the fridge with baking paper pressed against the top to avoid a crust forming. Let the lemon curd cool before giving it a home in a container with a well sealing lid. 

Robotic stress reliever

Life can be pretty emotionally overwhelming at times. Those lemons that were so graciously discarded on your doorstep can't always be forced into a positive batch of lemonaide. Yelling (to the universe) will help set some pressure free, a good blubbery sob on a shoulder of trust, and a creative distraction will help shatter the metior of stress that is crashing towards the shaky ground afoot. 


I am rather partial to the cry and craft combo. Turn on a film about love or cute puppies, throw in some wool and scrap fabric and in mere hours you'll have yourself a child-friendly toy filled with the discarded weight off my hunched inward shoulders. Being of the overly sensitive sort, I tend to dabble in the crafty creations more often than not. 


The most recent stress reliever was constructed for a friend of mine at work who is due to birth her first in less than enough preparation time. I like doing these stuffed toys - they have no rules and use up scrap material that I have a habit of squireling away. Plus I think it's fun for kids to have some home-made toys - even if they don't play with them...they still exude the love that assisted in their build.

Double up a piece of material large enough to make a decent sized stuffed toy. Draw out whatever you feel like sewing up. Seriously, you can do anything, as long as you have the patience to hand stitch it all together. After you cut that out grab some smaller pieces to make patches - or in this case since I was making a robot, I cut scraps to make a face, control panel and a bum pocket. Sew on some buttons and since I am partial to wool, I like to use that to make the mouth and other bits that make it more recognizable. 

Once you've sewn on your patches and such, you can start stitching your edges together. You can do this by machine or hand...I'm a hand sew person when doing the toys. I like the slight imperfections that it gives. Get it almost totally sealed - then stuff it and close 'er up. Done. Now you should be relatively stress free and a child will be blessed with a rad hand created toy. 

  

I cheese, you cheese, we all cheese for home made cheese!

Cheese. Friend or foe - it always soars ridiculously high of my must eat list. It's delicious, it's salty, it makes almost everything taste better. Cheese is filled with mounds of fat and calcium - one for your bones and the other for your butt. You chose which one you would like to obsess upon while gorging on it's cultured goodness. I frankly, don't think about anything but how satisfied my tummy is going to feel after I coat it with molten cheesy love. 


This cheese recipe is super easy. It's the only one I've tried so the only thing I have to compare it's difficulty to is not trying it. Not trying it was pretty easy but trying it totally has a tastier outcome. I suggest the latter of the two. 


Bring 3 litre's or so of whole milk up to a nice warm temperature - chuck in roughly two tablespoons of salt - more or less depending if you are adding in a flavour or not. Take it slow to avoid scalding the milk. Get it to a point where small bubbles start forming at the sides. Take it off the heat and throw in 1/3 of a cup vinegar or lemon juice (the cheese will not taste like vinegar if you decide on that acid). Your cheese should rapidly curdle - but could take up to 10 minutes. Your liquid (whey) will be yellow and your cheese (curd) will be white. 

If this doesn't happen the first time around (which it didn't for me) skim off what milk did curdle and give it another shot making your milk temperature a bit hotter or adding in some extra acid. 


Once you've got a good looking cheese curd, drain off the whey using multi layers of cheese cloth placed over a sieve. We grabbed one long piece of cheese cloth which was like a tube, tied a knot in the middle and pulled the bottom piece over the top one to create two layers. 

Let this hang out for 20 minutes or so and then remove the sieve and give the cheese a good squish down into the bottom of the cheese cloth. Wrap it around something that will let it hang in the air. 

Give your cheese a squish every once and a while to help get it's juice out. Ours hung for around 2 hours. It turned out quite good. Had the texture of Ricotta and was fantastic in a fresh salad from the garden. Next time I will add in some chilli, cumin seeds or even some fresh herbs. Have fun with your cheese, and your new chubby physique. 

      

Shortbread the way Mother-in-law used to (still does) make it

This has been one of those weeks that really seems to be testing the patience I have worked so very hard to conjure up. A two day headache that just won't vacate, a child that is way too young for independence but feels that he should battle my every safety precaution, wardrobe choice, dinner creation, and my increasingly relaxed time schedule (and also acquire a cold while a new tooth is thrusting to the surface). My tolerance for unnecessary (to me) questions is at an all time low - which poses a challenge at work when you are plunked in the chair of query answering and problem sleuthing. Sleep is at a minimum and my bed seems so lonely with the husband away for work. But my problems are trivial. I realize this. My problems can be remedied with usually the simplest of things. And generally the most delicious of things. When I am feeling like an exhausted shlump of a lady I feel I deserve a treat. A nice rich dark Hot Chocolate and a home made cookie of choice. I usually prefer these cookies to be whipped up by hands other than my own but when the moment of desperation arises - I thrust myself at the challenge.  


*This is the third time I have made these cookies after two failed measurement conversion attempts (not all attempts were made tonight - that would send me to the mad house)


Edinburgh Shortbread - brought to you by my Mother-in-law Marion Scott. 


Pour 1/2 a cup of caster sugar on your counter top and work in 1 cup of butter with your hands. From a mound of three cups of flour (you have dumped this on your counter as well) knead in handfuls at a time until all the flour is gone and you are left with a smooth log of dough. 

This might take a while and it might seem like you have way too much flour - but you don't. The heat from your hands will continue to melt the butter and soften the mixture. Once in a log shape slice up some cookies. (I did place the log in the fridge for 5 minutes or so to firm up the butter a bit to help in the cutting - not in Marion's recipe - I do apologize for altering your generously tested technique).

Note: this photo is from a faulty batch - way too smooth - could be because it's almost a whole log of butter

Lay those cookies down on a tray and poke with a fork. Cook for 20 minutes at 160c. Give a sprinkle with sugar when removed form the oven and still hot. 

Note: this is the result you are looking for...trust me

This Father loves the Carrot Cake

Sometimes fathers get a bit of a raw deal. Mother's Day is put on the highest pedestal of all the little scattered throughout the year love giving commercial holidays. Mother's are pretty awesome and we totally deserve it but what about the sometimes deodorant wearing, forgot to floss, unkempt facial hair sporting Dad? Those guys need a fancy day of love too. 


My husband is a fantastic Dad. He is a master at breaking all of my frivolous rules yet still manages to not seriously maim his standing as the firm parent. The nightly father son wrestle is a highlight of their day, even though the weight class is greatly disproportionate - there is never a bad time for a jump on the bed or a castle creation of clutter and blankets. There is always love to be dished out and never a "too busy for a hug" to be heard. This father deserves a day of his own, no dishes, no cleaning (probably not even himself), and only minimal cooking (come on! I cook all week!). He can count on a decent Surf and possibly a sleep in - a slice of Carrot Cake and a freshly brewed coffee will be waiting at his leisure. 


*Someday's even a nap can wriggle it's way into the mix...generally I prefer it to be the other way around...  

Throw together 4 eggs, 1/2 a cup apple sauce, 1/4 of a cup oil, 1/2 a cup of brown sugar, 1/2 a cup of white sugar, two teaspoon of vanilla, about two teaspoons or so of lemon zest and about three cups of grated carrots. Give it a mix up.

In another bowl, put together 1 and 3/4 of a cup flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 a teaspoon salt, 1 and a half teaspoons cinnamon and 1/2 a teaspoon nutmeg. Get this in the bowl with the wet stuff - good stir - and into a 175c oven she goes for 40 -45 min. 

Once totally cooled add a lemon cream cheese blanket over the whole cake if you wish...I wished. 

One block of cream cheese (about 1 cup) whisked together with 2 tablespoons of butter. Add in 3/4 of a cup icing sugar, about a tablespoon of lemon juice and one teaspoon lemon zest.