Sunday Samples, Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Chocolate Chip Cookies are not your traditional cookies. The chocolate is a galaxy bar chopped up and I used brown sugar instead of white but this was completely for my own taste buds. You can of course use traditional chocolate chips and white sugar if you prefer.
The weather has been getting colder in Ireland over the past few weeks so these cookies were the perfect remedy for those moments when you can't seem to get the warmth back in your body and they taste soo yummy too.

You Will Need:
225g Butter
440g Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
335g Plain Flour
5g Baking Powder
5g Baking Soda
335g Chocolate Chips

Preheat your oven to 190 Celsius.

Prepare your chocolate chips ready to be added to the mixture

Line your baking tray with parchment paper.

Mix your brown sugar and butter until smooth. Then add your eggs one at a time.

Add your flour, baking powder  and baking soda and gradually stir into your sugar mixture

Fold in your chocolate chips

Drop small rounded spoon fulls onto your cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes

Place on a baking tray for 5 minutes. Pour yourself a large glass of milk and devour.

A Quick Catch Up ~ August

Because I missed so much by not blogging I have so much to catch up on. Like I said on my To Smile post back in July I bought a new camera and I have been trying very hard to upgrade my calibre of photos and to also simply take more. In August I had quite an eventful month, between my birthday,a trip back home to my holiday of this year. A long weekend with my gorgeous sisters in the Amazing Barcelona. I will do a separate Barcelona Holiday post as there was so much packed in to the four days. So in photo form this is my catch up for the month of August. These are the photos which would have gone into my To Smile posts over the time I was on a blogging break.

A Manicure with the new 2 Week Manicure Colours I had added to my kit. The colours were perfect for an old dress I had. I then bought some fabulous jewellery from "Bellerina" at The Ivory Closet to wear with the dress too. See here to see more Sparklies from The Ivory Closet (As Amina calls them) New Jewels for an old dress.

I have talked before about my Aunt's Allotment, here are some pictures I took while I was looking after my cousins. The allotment was awash with colour during the summer with all the various beautiful flowers on show. My cousins spent so much of their summer hanging out in the allotments, playing games, making potions and their own perfumes. It's lovely to see the kids playing outside instead of being stuck in on computers or watching t.v.

While minding my cousins we went to look at a display of Quilts made by the Quilting Association of Ireland. I love this craft and I can't wait to get my sewing machine to get stuck into it myself. I have so many ideas, mostly for Amina's bedroom. The quilts that were on display were amazing. The technical ability required to finish such intricate pieces is only something I can aspire to have.

We hung out alot at the Botanic Gardens in Dublin getting the most out of the warmer and drier days which were so far and few between. These gardens in the heart of dublin are such a serene escape from the everyday hustle and bustle that city life brings.

I celebrated my birthday in style. A picnic on the floor of my sitting room with my mum, my aunt, 3 out of the 4 sisters and Amina. You don't get much better than that.

My friend and I decided to take out girls for a trip to the woods in the Dublin Mountains in search of fairies. We didn't find any fairies but we have a lovely day out in the fresh air and magical surroundings.

And lastly for August I perfected my home made hummus recipe and even started combining different flavours to switch it up a little. I have turned into a hummus addict, literally. Made with the juice of lemons and some creamy Greek yogurt along with the necessary chick peas and tahini paste, it has now become my staple food. I will put up the recipe soon on a Sunday Sample once I get back to my regular postings.

I will continue with my catch up posts next week in the place of my To Smile posts. Next week I will concentrate on my fabulous weekend away to Barcelona with my sisters.
So what have you all been up to? Did ya'll have a lovely summer?

Sunday Samples, Breakfast of Champions

For this Weeks Sunday Samples I am showing you something a little different, Breakfast. This is a great breakfast to have when visitors are over or as a Sunday Brunch as it's a little more filling than a bowl of cereal.
Banana Crumpets with fresh fruit and yogurt. This crumpet method is definitely a family favourite and has been ever since my sisters and I were little. It has since been passed down to the next generation and Amina absolutely loves them.

You Will Need:
8 oz Plain White Flour
2ox Caster Sugar
Pinch of Salt
1/2 Tsp of Bread Soda
8 fl oz Milk
2 Eggs
1 oz Butter
1 Banana
Fruit of your choice

Sift all your dry ingredients into a large bowl

Rub in your butter

Make a well in the centre of your dry mixture and add the eggs

Mix in Well and add your milk

Mix the ingredients all together until smooth then add your mashed banana

Heat your pan on a high heat. Once the pan is hot put your mixture in and reduce to a medium heat

When the mixture bubbles flip them over to cook on the other side. They are ready once both sides are lightly browned.

Add whatever you want to these crumpets. They can be eaten with sweet or savoury toppings, it's up to you. Look at my sister's version over at Bluebells and Bunting where she makes the crumpets with blueberries instead of banana and oats instead of flour. Any version is possible. Enjoy

Sunday Samples My Spicy Gambas Prawns with Lemon Yoghurt Sauce and Rice

We grew up spending all our summers in West Cork where we were a stones throw away from the sea. Being this close to free sea food and fish we always availed of all the we could get. Going out on my Granddad's boat to catch fresh Mackerel, trawling through the low tides to catch ourselves some flatfish and going on searches for Mussels, clams and periwinkles started my love for all sea food and through the years my love has grown. This method is literally a throw everything in a pot and hope for something delicious. The first time I tried it I was trying to recreate a dish that I love from an Istanbul restaurant in a local food court, which is divine but is made with kebab meat, which isn't the best for you. The sauce however is gorgeous so I wanted to make something like it myself. I couldn't believe it when I tasted the final product, not really like the Istanbul place but oh so yummy.

You will need
2 Gambas Prawns Per Person
An Onion
2 Large Cloves of Garlic
Fresh chilli's, amount depending on personal taste ( We like it HOTTT so we use a full Scotch Bonnet Chili)
5 Heaped Tablespoons of Greek Yogurt (You can use low fat yogurt if you want, I just prefer the taste of Greek Yogurt)
A lemon/lime
A tin of chopped Tomatoes
A Tablespoon of Tomato Puree
Spices

Chop your onion, garlic and chili

Amazing Gambas Prawns which need to have the shells removed

Tin of Chopped Tomatoes

Your Spices needed

Place your onions, garlic and chili
in blender with Tomatoes

Add the spoon of tomato puree

Once blended place in hot pan and allow to simmer

Take your prawns, slice down the center by the black vein and wash out

Place washed prawns in tomato sauce and allow to cook
for a couple of minutes on a low heat

Prawns are ready to be turned over when they start to lose
the translucent look and curl inwards

This is what they look like once they are cooked

 Prawns are delicious when cooked properly. They should only need about 3/4 minutes either side. When they are over cooked they can taste quite rubbery.

Take your Greek yogurt

Add the juice of a lemon

 Place the yogurt, lemon and some fresh parsley or coriander leaf all in the blender and mix together

Place a cup of rice on your plate add your prawn sauce and serve with some sliced lettuce. Pour your yogurt sauce over the top and Enjoy!

Sunday Samples Raspberry Cupcakes

During the week I showed you the cupcakes that I made for my little sister for her 20th birthday. I said that I'd give you the method to recreate them. These are seriously the best thing to bake for starter at home bakers. They don't take alot of effort but have a great pay off.
You will need:
150g Plain Flour
125g Softened Butter
125g Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
1tsp of Vanilla Essence
1/4 Tsp of Baking Powder
These amounts make 12 Cupcakes
Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius

Cream your butter in a large bowl with a Mixer

Add your sugar and your vanilla essence

Beat until light and fluffy

Add the eggs while continuously beating

Sieve in the flour and baking powder

Mix it all together until soft, fluffy and lump free

Put your cupcake cases into a cupcake tin

Fill the cases with your mixture and put in the oven for 18-20 minutes

For these cupcakes I used raspberries that came from my Uncle and his Wife's Allotment. You can literally use whatever you like. Raspberries, Strawberries, Blueberries, a little lemon juice or plain icing with a flavouring which you can get at any baking store and in some supermarkets. Again you can colour the icing to match any theme that you might have.
For this method you will need:
75g Softened Butter
175g Sieved Icing Sugar

Weigh out and sieve your icing sugar

Make sure the butter is softened for easier mixing

Mix together and add a handful of raspberries
until the consistency is right.

You don't want to add to many raspberries initially because when the icing is too runny it won't frost the cupcakes as easily. Add a little at a time. And always make sure the cupcakes are fully cooled before attempting to ice them or the butter will heat and melt, making a big mess.

Frost the cupcakes in whatever design you desire

Hope you like these. They are always a go to for me when having people to the house. They are so quick and easy to make that you can literally whip them together and have them cooling for the icing while getting the dinner together. Amina loves these cupcakes and sits there salivating over them while they're cooling. If you try them out let me know how they go.