March Nibbles

• You know I'm a sucker for a good cake decorating tutorial (not that I ever *ahem* use them, but a girl can dream right?), so it should come as no surprise that this rose cake tutorial caught my eye. Isn't it lovely? I'm thinking it'd make a lovely centrepiece for a Mother's Day luncheon. And check out these pretty pineapple "flowers" - perfect as extravagant cupcake toppings.
• Hop on over here for the lowdown on legumes - from the Yellow Indian Woman (I kid you not) to the speckled Christmas lima bean, I'm sure you'll find at least one you haven't heard of before. Think out of the box and give them all a try!
• It seems only fitting that a cheeseslut would veer towards making her own cheese. This homemade ricotta looks super doable.
• Love truffles? What could be better than homemade Ferrero Rocher-esque ones? 
• My favourite part about soft serve? The chocolate or caramel shell. And now you can make your own version at home. This is going to change how I "do" summer, that's for sure.
• Nutella addict? Join the club. While it's all good to eat it straight from the jar (what?), sometimes you want to do a bit more. And that's where this list of Nutella recipes comes in very handy. 
• Now I'm not condoning 2 minute noodles (instant ramen for you US folks) in any way at all, but sometimes life happens and you need a quick meal. The Serious Eats team jumps to the rescue with these 30+ hacks for upgrading instant noodles. I'm quite fond of the simmered meat addition.  
• Tomorrow is April Fool's! The perfect time to surprise your family or friends with these silly cupcakes. The peas and carrots look so real!

Roasted Tomato, Zucchini & Fennel Tagliatelle

They looked like little old ladies. Shrivelled up and smaller than before, when they were all plump, pretty and glowing. Now the glow is softer, more subtle, coupled with a flavour pared down to it's intense best. I'm talking roasted tomatoes. Roasted anything for that matter. 

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Sundried Tomato, Bean & Lentil Salad

Maybe it's because summer is on its way out (so long, sayonara and all that) or perhaps I'm just entering a renewed phase of healthy eating (*snort*), but lately I've been craving veggie laden dishes. Beans, corn, beetroot, butternut, tomatoes, zucchini and more tomatoes are the order of the day and I'm just looking for excuses to use them. Or eat them as is. Raw, cooked, roasted, mashed or boiled. Actually scrap the last one, boiled is almost never a winner, is it? 

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Mushroom & Apricot White Pizza

I can't tell you how many times I've whipped up a simple thin crust pizza (or flat bread if you will) over the last few months. The crust is perfectly crisp on the outside with a hint of tender crumb on the inside and the topping possibilities are endless - from simple stirfried leeks to caramelised onions, a splash of balsamic vinegar, sundried tomatoes, thin slices of zucchini, blue cheese, smoked salt, a drizzle of macadamia nut oil or a handful of nuts.

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Feta Stuffed Octopus

Consider this my revenge. Paul caused me a lot of heartache and grief back in June last year. It was all going so well, until he decided to turn his back on my favourite team (after South Africa of course) and predict a win for Spain. The cheek! Many a blue-eyed German boy was in tears after the match and for me the World Cup was over. I mean come on, I pour my heart and my soul into the competition only to have it bludgeoned like this? Pfffft.

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Coffee Peanut Butter Granola

 

Ever wish you could just press a button and instantly come down with a case of the heebie-jeebies (or whatever other ailment sounds plausible)? Perhaps you know you have to face someone the next day that you just can't bear to do, you might have an all-important test coming up or even a tough deadline at work. And sometimes you find yourself in such a surreal situation that you honestly don't know if you should run away or just laugh.

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Tropical Fruit Parfait

There are few smells more intoxicating than frangipani. Yes vanilla is lovely, and freshly baked bread is certainly comforting, but nothing beats the sensual lazy day smell of frangipani. Back home - and by 'home', I mean my parent's place (does that ever go away?) - the scent of frangipani is what first hits you, followed swiftly afterwards by the wall of humidity. My parents live on the East Coast - smack-bang in the middle of South Africa's tropical zone. It is known for its sandy beaches, lukewarm water and packs of monkeys whose favourite activity is stealing the pawpaws off the trees of unsuspecting suburbanites.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

I am going to say something controversial which will probably cause you to lose all respect for me. Ready? Here goes:

Cheesecake is really not my bag.

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