A Very Sick Household... Again!

I have been hit with a nasty flu.
As I am still struggling to get over it my poor husband got it too.
Even worse than me. Poor thing was rugged up in layers and still felt freezing but his skin was burning to touch.
He is much better today and returned to work, the house was quiet without him!
Eve has had a runny nose but hasn't turned any worse......Yet!
But then again she appears to be teething!

So things may be a bit quiet around here..... For a little while.
:)

Saturday Is For Sharing.... Cheese Souffle!

I have had some cravings....
Cheese souffle cravings.
My mother got me addicted.
She makes the best cheese souffle.

So on Thursday night I pulled out my trusty Vegetarian Cookbook and flicked over to the souffle recipe.
Just ignore the unhealthy statistics underneath and you'll be fine.
I love this recipe, it is easy and doesn't take as long as it may seem.
To make things easier though I like to get everything measured out and ready.
If you do try this recipe I have one tip:
Leave your cheese out to get to room temperature as it will melt a lot easier. And try not to pack it down when measuring, I use the scales instead of cup measurements.

So here it is, in a horrible fuzzy photo as soon as it came out of the oven.....



.....Please don't look at my filthy stovetop!

It was perfect. Light and fluffy with a slightly crisp top.



So here's the recipe...

Ingredients:

60g Butter
45g Plain Flour
1 1/4 cups (315mL) milk, warmed.
1 1/2 cups (185g) grated cheddar, firmly packed (Easier to weigh so it doesn't form a brick which won't want to melt for you!)
1 tsp dijon mustard (I omitted this because I have none, still super tasty)
4 Eggs, seperated
1 Tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese (I also did not have any of this but it turned out perfect anyway)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (400F). Grease a 1.5 Litre souffle dish. (I did not have one big enough so I used an oval baking dish I have)
• Melt the butter in a large pan then add the flour. Stir over low heat for 2mins or until the flour is lightly golden and bubbling. Remove from the heat and gradually add the milk, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Return the pan to the heat and stir constantly until the mixture boils and thickens. Simmer for 1min, then remove from heat.
• Add the grated cheese, dijon mustard and egg yolks and stir until the cheese has melted. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.
• Put the egg whites in a clean dry bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form. Using a metal spoon, fold one third of the egg whites into the sauce, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites, being careful not to lose any volume.
• Gently pour into the prepared dish and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until well risen and cooked through.
• Serve Immediately

The Cheesecake

I did it.
I made the cheesecake.
And boy it was good!
No recipe, just some chocolate, cream cheese and a tiny bit of gelatine to help it hold together.
Pop that on a crunchy chocolate biscuit and coconut base and yummo!

When we arrived at our friend's house the children (and adults) stared and commented.
Ooooh.
Aaaaaaah.

We had dinner, chatted and the children finished their food long before us, ready with just enough room in their tummies for dessert.
I sliced it up as everyone crowded around me, salivating.
Then there was silence.
We all ate.
The kids wanted seconds, but it was time for bed.
The youngest, 6 years old came up to me and gave me a sad face.....
"Are you leaving the left over cheesecake here so we can have some tomorrow?"
I told him yes.
"OH THANK YOU!!!!"
He gave me a gigantic hug and ran off to bed.
So sweet.
:)


(Not big enough I say!)

Motivation Levels Low.....Make A Cheesecake!

The dirty dishes are piling up, clean clothes are rarely seen and my hair needs a thorough wash.
Motivation levels are low.......
But!
We have dinner tonight with some lovely friends and I promised a chocolate cheesecake for dessert.
Yum...... Cheeseecake......Mmmm....
I probably won't follow a recipe, I'll just "wing" it. The thought of doing a swirly marble double chocolate design sounds like a good option.
But I did hit the Google search and found this recipe...



Triple Chocolate Cheesecake.

I have made this cheesecake before. It was so good!
But I made a silly mistake. I used very dark and very bitter chocolate (silly me grabbed the first block and didn't read the label!). It didn't totally destroy the cheesecake but it wasn't as nice as it could have been.

Then I found this:



Chocolate Cheesecake Brownie Slice

When my husband used to work in the kitchen of a retirement home they would make up gigantic trays of this slice. Usually too much so some would come home to me.
It was very yummy.
But didn't quite fix my cheesecake cravings....
Yes I am a cheesecake-a-holic!
:)