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Easy entertaining: featuring fabulous fruity drinks & a scrumptious moussaka

Written by Nazarina on October 8th, 2009

Greetings!

(old blog www.giddygastronome.blogspot.com)

How to make food look spectacular by using simple garnishes and a sense of whimsy!

There is nothing more haunting than the collapse of a souffle, bread not proofing or just any possibility of a culinary masterpiece going terribly wrong at a very inopportune time! Believe me it happens to the best of us and the only thing we can do is to try again. “Try and try again”, a saying only for the patient heart that loves to cook!

The one thing I have going for me is the inexhaustible will to “mess” with things until a satisfactory parallel is somewhat attained. Because of this remarkable “SABR” (patience) that God has bestowed upon me, any endeavor always seem to congruently “fall into place.” I seem to struggle less and advertently get things right the first time. I amaze myself every time!. With that said I only had one shot at the fabulous moussaka, at least that time, before my guests arrived! Don’t get me wrong, I do have lots of vulnerabilities, I just don’t let them get to me!

I love to play with my food and in so doing, armed with an aubergine( eggplant), carrot, lemon, craft knife and a sense of “giddy” carved out this penguin……apparently its fate ended up in my vegetarian moussaka below!

I told my cats, “If you do not behave then”……..I am just kidding guys!!!!

this image one of the most favorite

http://www.tastespotting.com/popular/favorites/last-week/31

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I swear this is the most flavorful spicy brown gravy ( i.s.o. bechamel) seeping down the sides of this spectacular savory vegetarian moussaka made my way! It has four distinct layers…roasted eggplant, umami glazed mushrooms etc……this is a lighter version!

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This is yet another well thought out and executed recipe in my upcoming book. This book will not disappoint! This is a melt in your mouth, no mastication needed, slightly crunchy, garlicky creation that boggled even the most unsuspecting of taste buds!

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My guests had only the most beautiful interjections for this culinary luxury! They polished off the whole thing….in fact they seemed a bit annoyed with me taking the pictures before they could finally enjoy it!

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Easy entertaining!

Simple drinks with not so complicated garnishes make any guest feel special! BTW, the orange powder on the rim of the glass is all natural and its method is conveyed to you step by step in my book.This citrus powder can even be used in cookies .

However, the recipe for the “fizzy clementine & yogurt ice” is found below.

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If you are a lover of refreshing ice tea, then boy! is this drink for you! This is a sweet clementine chamomile organic tea infused with the juice of a clementine, orange flower water, honey etc…. This sparkling citrussy drink will cleanse the palate and quench a rather urgent thirst! Delicious!

If you had a crappy day at the office, then this soothing drink will definitely take care of you! Bottoms up!

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Recipes ( Please use organic ingredients when possible)

Fizzy clementine and yogurt ice drink

Click here for the yogurt ice recipe( I made this last year). However, do use the zest of the clementine i.s.o. the lemon zest.

A bottle of sparkling water chilled
Squeeze the juice of 8 sweet clementines plus the pulp
1 t orange flower water ( concentrates the citrus flavor)(I use Mustapha’s Moroccan orange flower water, a cute bottle!)
1 bottle of Italian orange passion mango sparkling soda chilled from Target

Mix 1/2 of the Italian orange passion, all the juice and pulp of the clementines, the orange flower water. Pour the glasses halfway with this mixture, top off with the sparkling water and garnish with the yogurt ice.

Sweet clementine chamomile organic ice tea

Package “Sweet clementine chamomile organic tea” from Celestial Seasonings
Juice of 2 sweet clemetines
1 t orange flower water
crushed or cubed ice
honey

Brew 4 tea bags, and then add only the juice of the clemetines, orange flower water and honey to taste. Let cool. Serve with ice cubes and slices of oranges or clementines.

Thanks for stopping by for dinner!

Love,

Nazarina

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Organic sesame cookies kissed with chocolate!

Written by Nazarina on September 16th, 2009

Hi everyone!

( old blog www.giddygastronome.blogspot.com)

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my family and friends here and more importantly abroad, a very happy and Blessed Eid Mubarak, be it on Sunday or Monday! It is during this time that I especially miss my Mom and Grandmother who made this momentous occasion so very special! I shall never forget!

To my brother and sister in South Africa, I wish you were here to be able to celebrate with us on Sunday! “Ek mis die ou dae, toe ons klein was en presente gekry het van ons ouers!!!Meestal mis ek vir Moeder!!!!

A tea convivial

There is nothing more healing than a tea convivial with the clinking of the pretty tea cups, pinkie pointing upward, congenial chatter and not forgetting those deliriously good confections. If ever you have shared this “frivolous female fetish” ( as my sweetie puts it) with me, then we are obviously best buds! Nevertheless, whoever, comes to my door, there is always a cuppa waiting for ya! As a matter of fact, I even went as far as introducing this ritual to my friends at the yearly camping get- togethers. Now, even they remind me of the confections and the “Rooibos tee”, please! as if I would ever forget!

After years of soul searching, I have rationalized that these very tea ceremonies are what give me my cheery disposition! LOL!

Buttery sesame cookies embraced by dark chocolate

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Sometimes, I have my ” Rooibos tee” with a spot of milk and other times with a slice of orange or lemon.

They say that one’s character is reflected in one’s food and here I put my own spin on this recipe by taking some seemingly disparate ingredients and made it work to give you a little nutty, orangy, crispy, creamy, buttery cookie.

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Sesame cookie Recipe: (Please use organic ingredients when possible)

4 oz unsalted organic butter
2/3 cup organic brown sugar less 1 tablespoon
1 T organic orange marmalade
1 t ground ginger
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t cardamom
pinches of ground nutmeg, clove
2 organic egg yolks
1 t orange zest
1 t pure vanilla extract
1 t pure orange extract or orange flower water( I used the latter)
1 1/2 c organic all purpose flour
7 pkgs sesame snaps( picture below)
Lindt intense orange dark chocolate

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 225 degrees

Beat the butter, sugar, marmalade and all the spices until creamy ( there has to be no sugar bits). Add the egg yolks and continue beating until incorporated. Add the zest and all the extracts and incorporate and lastly fold in the flour. The dough has to be soft. Refrigerate the dough for half an hour, roll out to about quarter inch and then just use the sesame snap as a guide as I did and cut out cookies with a sharp knife. Bake the cookies on a silpat or parchment for about 12 mins, remove from the oven, top with a sesame snap. Remember to adjust the size of the cookie to the sesame snap at this point, especially since the cookie is still hot and soft. Place back in the oven for three mins, just so that the sesame snap has fused with the cookie. When the cookies are cooled, dip in melted dark chocolate and enjoy! Yields about 25 cookies,

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Thanks for stopping by!

Much love,

Nazarina.

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Go to Las Vegas…..when possible!

Written by Nazarina on September 4th, 2009

Las Vegas travel diary

(…old blog www.giddygastronome.blogspot.com)

I was in dire need of a vacation after the last of my house guests in late August but knew that this would not be possible since Ramadan(Fasting) was fast approaching. It was then that E told me that I had to support him by going with him to the National Pool Team Championships, held in Vegas! What made it even more attractive was the fact that the trip plus the posh hotel was paid for by the American Pool Association( APA). I decided that I would uphold my Fasting in Vegas while walking the strip and watching the pool tournaments. Time would definitely fly by!!!

Their team did extremely well, they played for 4 days out of 5 and even reached a money round!!! How cool was that, considering that this was only his second year playing for the APA league. They also had to beat all the local pool teams in their district to be able to participate in this national championship competition in Vegas!

E delighted the crowd with three break and runs ( two, one after the other in a match on the Monday and another on Tuesday night. This was not all fun and games, it was tough, but in the end, his love for playing the game and his team conquered all!

Polaroids of our 8 days in Vegas, a trip I shall never forget!

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Congratulations to you and the rest of your team for playing so well!!

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We were not allowed to use the flash…hence the fuzzy pool pics.

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I was in my element with all the exquisite cuisines Las Vegas had to offer!

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Mirage

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The Encore! ( I shall never forget!!!!!! Thank you!

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encore

The gondola ride was like being right there in Venice!

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Mirage Hotel where the volcano erupts often!

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Patisserie inside the Mirage

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Treasure Island hotel.

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Do I hear Fergie and the Black Eyed peas in the background!

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My head was spinning just looking up at the buildings. An impatient horn soon brought me back to reality!

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Paris

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Harrah’s : The neon lights are like jewels!

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Inside Caesar’s Palace.

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Bellagio fountains…just as beautiful during the day!

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Bellagio and Caesar’s Palace hotels.

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Casino inside Caesar’s Palace

“I can honestly say that I went to Vegas not to gamble( because I don’t) but gambled with my life trying to cross the streets!!!!”

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The very majestic Luxor hotel.

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Jean Philippe patisserie, Bellagio hotel.

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Who can resist SpongeBob? ( Excalibur hotel)

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We had a stupendous time in Vegas in spite of the 110 degree days!! What a fun town this is!!!!I would recommend buying a three day bus pass if you are going to be there for long. The buses in Vegas are beautiful and would definitely “save your aching soles.” Trust me you have a lot to see and parking your car is not always easy plus it is also costly. Hope you enjoy your trip to Vegas just as much as I did!

Thank you for stopping by!

Nazarina.

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Cooking sweet potato love and sharing fashion for less!

Written by Nazarina on July 25th, 2009

Greetings!

Entertaining guests

I have been busy entertaining house guests on and off for the past three and a half months. I have had visitors from oversees and from other states within the U. S. and I am expecting more during August. I do this job really well because I am a people person but sooner than later one’s up-beat energy level begins to wane and manifests into unwelcome bouts of exhaustion and stress which then brings to mind the saying….Are guests really like fish? … do they really begin to smell after three days? LOL! To my family and friends……..just kidding!

There are many antidotes to stress and anxiety, for me it is jogging and cooking. This physical form of meditation engages the body to “move” with the sights and sounds all around you, encourages clarity and ultimately restores harmony once more. It actually quiets all my worries and gives me a sense of grounding, ready for my next load of house guests. This same philosophy goes for my cooking as well! Many have told me to just open up my B & B already, ( Believe me, here in Colorado are many quaint little spots and I have entertained this idea), now my answer to that is ” Why mess with a good life!”

Alpine adulation!

This is my little neighborhood. We’ve had lots of rain this summer hence the dark green hue of the pines and other vegetation. I love it here! BTW, this is where I picked up my pine cones and needles to decorate my dish below!

These tall majestic trees can withstand extreme weather conditions, including high winds and severe snowstorms, but let me not talk about winter just yet for I am far too busy enjoying the sunshine even though it feels like the temps. are in triple digits!

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These are new and exciting recipes featured below in my upcoming book ( The book is hard work and the progress is steady but very productive!) I test all these new recipes thoroughly making sure that they would work for you as it does for me! This exciting book features recipes with a chic ” no holds barred ingredient list approach” and will truly be my labor of foodie love!!!!

Mash potato recipe ( perfect for those cool Alpine nights)

This is a creamy mash potato crumble with a topping that is to die for! The yellow mustard seeds in the topping gave this dish a delectable crispy twang! and some of the other exciting ingredients imparted a depth of flavor that will tantalize even the most distinguished palate !

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I took it a step further and made a tasty brown mushroom gravy with this dish. The gravy which had a hint of spice was the icing on the cake and the mash potato simply melted as it hit the smooth, warm gravy! Absolutely scrumptious!

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Cooking sweet potato ( figure friendly food)

It is like culinary magic when one roasts these chillies and seeds. A little spicy but extremely flavorful indeed! This was part of my ingredient list for the cooking of the sweet potato crumble below!

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This sauteed veggies form the basis of both dishes.

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Can you believe this was the unbaked version of my sweet potato crumble?

These are lightly baked sweet potato rings with the chili tepin garnishing the dish and covered layers of sweet potato mash etc…….

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This is the baked version of the sweet potato crumble and let me just say that the sweet smell of ginger, garlic and toasted panko were sweet smells of success! Can you hear that crunch?

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Clothes to pose in ( figure friendly fashion for less )

Now that I have shared my figure friendly food, let me introduce you to my figure friendly fashion! My sweetie says that everything I touch, I turn it into “sexy.” ha! ha!

The black bodice is made from spandex and the floral skirt is extremely flowing. This dress makes the silhouette appear slender and tall with a cute black sandal of course. I wore a little black tights to further accentuate the legs.

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The spandex in both these bodices is form-fitting but not constricting. The fabrics used are playful and light weight and give the figure a sense of flattery that attracted many a watchful eye! ( flattery is not the food of a fool when wearing this frock, you will only be showered with second, third, fourth glances etc ..!

Front of frock ( I wore a white shorts with this top)

I used a rinky dink little sewing machine, ( bought from one of those infomercials), to put the hem in this dress and the lace was sewn on by hand! I really need to invest in a better sewing machine!

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Back of frock

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I wore this little white cork sandal with this top. The leather laces are tied “criss cross” up the leg and shows off one’s beautiful tan!

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Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed this post!

Lots of love,

Nazarina.

My old home www.giddygastronome.blogspot.com

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Thoughtful and beautiful Father’s day gifts!

Written by Nazarina on June 21st, 2009

Welcome to my new home! I am still trying to update this site so please bear with me! I need to bring all of you, my followers, as well! In the meanwhile, please enjoy this post.

Happy Father’s day to all the papas out there! May your day be filled with barbecues, stretching out on the sofa watching the game and simply doing nothing at all. But wait…..Is that not what you do anyway?

However, before we can start this barbecue, the grill still needs cleaning since the last time. So does this mean that we have to clean it first or are you going to do it? Don’t worry dad, we definitely do not expect you to do it. This day is all about you and we shall stay true to the premise of Father’s day! I am sure this scenario “only happens in our house”. Ha! ha! I know, I am being facetious!

speed-soap1

I made this “speed boat” soap ( weighs 6oz) from goats milk, cocoa and shea butters and I think my papa is going to smell oceany fresh in a very good way! I added a little “polo” fragrance as well for a manly aroma. I have already featured this soap but the detail on this bar is much better! Believe me, this bar is a bit testy to make. The cigar box too is handcrafted with love, a perfect container to package all the soaps and face towels. In fact that is how I roll, make everything with the recipient in mind!

My dad has enough aloe plants in his garden, enough to save everybody on the planet skin’s dilemmas so I decided to make him several aloe bars as well. I don’t know whether he is going to dig this one because it is a little on the “girlie’ side but I believe that every man has to get in touch with their feminine side occasionally! Here, too, the detail on the soap took me several hours! It contains aloe, goats milk, essential oils and butters, sunflower fragrance and rose oils.

Making a dozen handmade soaps, packaged in a handcrafted cigar box is truly a beautiful endeavor! Go on, spoil the old man just a little!

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