Queen of Kitchen Disasters

I’ve completed baking the fruitcakes already - 4 of the mini loaves have been douse with brandy, wrapped in heavy duty foil and placed in a ziplock bag. It’s now hopefully ageing away in my fridge.

As the the remaining 6 mini bundts *sob* i forgot to butter the pan and it’s crumbling into bits as I try to dig out the cakes! I feel so defeated, just feel like throwing the whole pan away!

*sobbbbb*

I’ve started the process of the fruitcakes - soaking the dried fruits in brandy. Somehow, it really makes the kitchen smell extra nice!

I went earlier today to buy the remaining ingredients, was supposed to have done it yesterday, but instead, we brought Rascal down to Noo Age Dog (www.nooagedog.com) for him to be assessed by the shop owner - Marcus. Surprise Surprise! I met Caden and Eunice there too. What a coincidence! All the dogs were making a hulaboo - Oscar, Ginger, Zemon, Rascal and Phoebe + 2 very excitable and cute Westies in the corner of the shop.

Anyway, why I brought Rascal down was I suspected he’s inflicting pain upon himself by ripping off his own fur! As with human beings, there are some who are cutters (people who cut themselves to release stress or when they are upset or depressed), Rascal is probably inflicting it upon himself. It was pretty obvious since the bare patches were on his legs (areas he can reach).

Marcus thinks it could be an obsessive compulsive thingy, which could be triggered by either his nutrition or something. So I bought about $170 worth of supplements and change his feed again, this time to Timberwolf Ocean Blue (or something). Hopefully this will help him of some sort - going to get a skin scrape test done as well, to confirm that he doesn’t have mites on his body. To be updated again.

Back to the fruitcake - this year i’m making all mini bundt/ loaf fruitcakes. Why? I’m too tired to make more than 1 batch, and besides, the mini versions can be thoroughly baked within 1 - 2 hours (instead of the usual 3 to 4 hours for 1 bigger cake). Then I’m going to try frosting them this year, smaller area = less chances of failure hehehehe …

Once the cakes are done, I’ll post up some pics and the recipe … I can’t wait for Christmas =)

MSNBC comes out with really wicked articles from time to time. Today I had the pleasure to read one, at the expense of the TomKat couple of course, but who could resist it?

The article is available at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15738076/

I’ve extracted 3 of my favourite paragraphs if you are too busy to read the entire article.

Why, you have everything a blushing young bride needs: Something old (your fiancé); something new (baby Suri); something borrowed (Scientology); and something blue (your family).

Beware of ambitious young starlets born around 1989. As you may have gleaned from the tabloids, Tom chooses his wives at 11-year age-intervals; Mimi Rogers (b. 1956), Nicole Kidman (b. 1967), and of course, you, the new Mrs. Cruise (b. 1978).

Forget about marriage counseling. Psychology is, as Tom told Matt Lauer, a “Nazi science.� Just like with your new best friend Brooke’s post-partum depression, there’s nothing wrong with your marriage that vitamins and exercise can’t fix.

 Wickedly yummy

Yup, time to start planning for fruitcake baking spree. I’m not sure if I am really up to it this year, given my health issues lately, but it’s a traditional I intend to continue, probably a lot less ambitious.

For starters, it’ll be mini cake versions instead of that 2kg block I give away (with at least $50 worth of brandy soaked in it). It’s easier to make, faster (much less baking time required) and probably easier to decorate. Besides, how much of a fruitcake can you gobble at one go (my hubby is an exeption)?

I’ll stick to my usual recipe - easy, just damn heavy. Why? The amount of dried fruits is barely held together by the cake mixture, and the dried fruits is furthered leaden down with alcohol (they need to be soaked at least 24 to 48 hours before baking). So I guess, *hehehe* it’s time to shop for baking pans *woohooo* and ingredients soon. Too bad for my hubby, he’ll be missing the brandy for his nightly fix of alcoholic coffee soon!

My hubby likes alcohol and coffee, and he drinks either one of them to help him to sleep better sometimes …

So recently, I fixed up a drink for him with his 2 favourite drink ingredients, and he simply loves it. He wants it almost everynight (the coffee, not me!)

So now that I’ve shared the secret recipe with him so that the lazy me don’t have to fix it for him every night and I had even bought one of the secret ingredients for him (which was lacking from the previous times I made for him). I’m sharing with you now so if you are like my hubby, kick back and enjoy the aroma …

How to make That Steamy Love in a Mug

Ingredients:
1 dessert spoon instant coffee (less if you are not that into caffiene)
1 dessert spoon of sugar (level)
200 ml of hot water
Combine all ingredients in a mug - don’t add too much water because you need at least 1 inch space from the level of coffee to the rim of the mug.

Then add:
1 dessert spoon of coffee liquer (kahlua, tia maria or espresso)
2 dessert spoon of brandy

Finally, squeeze a huge dollop of cream on top (I used those whipped cream in an aerosol can) before serving (now you know why you need that 1 inch space?)

When I get him to make it himself, it’s always “but it’s not as nice as when you make it”. I take it as a compliment but the actual truth is, I always add a lot more alcohol than what I told him *hehehe*

Remember, drink don’t drive and drive don’t drive.

It’s strictly meant to be a nightcap and if you are interested in any activities after the steam in the mug in gone, remember to brush your teeth and gargle with listerine (repeat 3 times). Nothing kills romantism faster than fresh or stale coffee breathe (or garlicky ones while I’m at this topic).

Let me find a sexy mug and whip up that steamy coffee tonight so that I can show you how steamy a mug of coffee can be …