Single Xmas Menu

This Xmas is the first that I will be passing on my own. I don't really mind because Xmas to me is the time you spend with family, so not having one of my own and not having the possibility to travel to mine, it is okay this way. Also, I wouldn't like to spend Xmas day with people I don't really intimately know. I like a familiar Xmas and familiarity means you can be yourself with people who love you and care for you. The last years have been testing many of my relationships, enduring some of them and hindering others. Xmas is also food time, everywhere. And everywhere there are different food traditions. I'll keep close to those I grew up with- as they remind me of my grandma and my family. We used to spend Xmas eve (the 24th) at my grandma's place. All my mum's family would be there that evening: adults and children reunited to wait midnight together. That dinner was a big event, lots of food had to be cooked so I remember my aunts going earlier to help my grandma cook. The menu was every year the same, for you can't eat meat (or shouldn't according to Catholic traditions) the night before Jesus is born. Finding fresh fish in December was certainly a challenge, lucky one of the aunts lived on the sea-coast and she could get fresh fish the very same morning. Only now, that I am an adult and I go shopping on my own, I can understand the exaggerated Xmas shopping hysteria and think "poor aunt!".  So the menu was quite simple. I like to write in in a old fashion menu way so here it is.


As you can see no meat on the menu.
Lobsters were not served to children who usually don't like them because they are alive when they come in the house.
So simple code fish for the little ones.
This was the main menu, of course next to it there would me many appetizers, little finger food that would change every year and that usually has no space on menus. Finger food is one of my favourite type of food.
As tradition my grandma used to make a sweet cornucopia to represent and wish the family abundance.

This was the dinner presented to the whole family (we used to sit approximately with 10-15 people).

Midnight came and Xmas days brought me and my family to the village where my dad's family resided. We used to pack the car on the 25th and drive 2 hours to my dad's village. The village was in the mountain, so we used to always have a white Christmas. I used to love it there, outside of the city, we children could play with the snow and fires were on in the houses. Fireplaces leave such a peculiar odour in the city, I love it very much. It's a cosy scent.
Xmas day at the village was another food-de-force. The menu was much richer in meat, as from the 25th on meat is allowed on the table.

Here it is, I did not include potatoes and veggies and bread... In Italy bread comes by default on the table and potatoes usually as well. No need to mention them on menus. I love the way some cultures, like the Italian one, truly enjoy food.

Both grandmas made the pasta from scratch and both dinners were for min. 10 to max of 20 people. This means a lot of hand and hard work. But the result was worth the job. I think I rarely had such great Xmas dinner and lunch as those respectively proposed by each grandmother.

It was clear they both were family women whose main job was to take care of the family. Traditions like this are gone, women cook less and less. Maybe Xmas and some other holiday's spirit allow women to explore their kitchen capabilities as usually great food is expected on those occasions. I myself didn't wait to have my own family to start the great cooking. I love eating so much that if I don't experiment and learn to cook for myself the way I want it I'd end up spending all my money eating deliciously prepared food. I can learn. Years ago, when I had a boyfriend, I started making food according to the Italian tradition (24th no meat, 25th meat) - challenging myself to some of the best dishes. Since some years though I am alone and I have usually been flying home for the holidays. This year, due to some house renovation, I can't. I'll spend Xmas alone and because some of my friends are busy with other people and some are too lazy to move or think of cooking I decided I will celebrate Xmas on my own in the way I want it; with lots of good food. It isn't true that cooking for one is not fun. It is actually nice because even if you fail no-one except you will know. Good room for improvement and actually to serve the delicious newly learned dishes when guests are/will be around. So since a couple of days I am around looking and buying food so tomorrow I can start cooking without further research.
I also made menus, both for the 24th and the 25th. I even have some food spared for the 26th - you never know!! Now I am going to make you jealous and some may think: why haven't you invited no-body to eat the deliciousness?! ... moving from this thought, let me introduce you to MY FIRST CHRISTMAS MENUs.
As you can see I do not keep the tradition of NOT eating any meat the 24th. I don't like fish so much, so I opt for "white" meat.... the meat factor is because no blood should be eaten, ok I'll clean the chicken. Fish has blood too. The biggest challenge will be the mini Wellington's and the stuffed chicken - both dishes I have never made before. They don't look terribly difficult thou.
The ravioli are already made and I will prepare fresh pesto to go with them. Here's a simple Genovese Pesto recipe. I'd say use only one garlic and no more. I suggest you making your own- it's way more delicious that any you can buy. I will not say cheaper because pine-nuts are freaking expensive! Slavinken are a typical Dutch meat dish consisting usually of ground meat wrapped in bacon or beef. I prefer them wrapped in beef, they're a little less fatty. 
Just to mention: I make the brownies myself (I have made some and for sure will have them tomorrow eve too) but the chocolate cake is pre-made. I am not a huge fan of sweet-dishes. If I could choose between having a chocolate cake or another piece of lasagne for dessert, I'll go with the lasagne. I love savoury food so so much!!! I made this post so tomorrow morning I have NO excuses but to wake up and COOK!!!

I believe everyone should spend one Christmas alone because it does truly make you think a lot.
Maybe good intentions for Next Year will be a bit more coherent and close to what I truly need.
I wish you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS ♥ lots of love to everyone who come to read this.

Mistakes Can Become Good Things

Yes... I will tell you soon all about it, first I'd like to say sorry for the long pauses between posts.

I have continued economizing my life style, it has actually become fun and source of new ideas. I've discovered many things, which I'll tell you in details later, and I am testing new economizing solutions for the beginners like me.

The first thing I'd like to talk about it's actually a cooking recipe. I really like brownies, I love chocolate and there is a bakery in Amsterdam that makes the most delicious ones. They're quite expensive though, and considering that I can eat two per evening when I have the cravings, I decided that they were too expensive and I had to find a solution to fix this.
I can't make normal brownies at home, because I don't have an oven, I only have a microwave combi, which can hardly cook a pizza. So I decided to look for "raw food" recipes and try to create something similar to hard(core) cold brownies.
I am generally not a sweet tooth so I hardly know any sweet/candy recipe. I had to look online to find what I thought could me the most suitable for me.. when I found two.
The first you can find here and the second here. The second was easy enough but I loved the crumb mixture idea of the first. So I decided to combine the two recipes. BIG mistake. Never combine two recipes when you're making something for the first time: I had no idea about what texture I had to achieve and using two different recipes didn't help. Story made short - the brownies did not come out, instead a super nice chocolate mousse did. It's an hyper-caloric sweet and I think each person should be allowed to eat only a small quantity of it. I will now give you my "altered recipe" and you can try make the super nice mousse at home!

Chocolate Dreams

• Cookies, chopped (any cookie is fine)

• Almonds and walnuts chopped
• 3/4 spoons cacao powder
• 4 spoon sugar
• 1/4 cup cashewpasta
• 1 tbs honey
• Pure chocolate nibs
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 .5 cup milk

Mix in a blender cookies, nuts, 1 spoon sugar, the cashewpasta, 1 spoon milk.
In a pan melt nibs, cacao powder, 1.5 cup milk, butter until a cream is made.
Pour some of the chocolate sauce in the mixer, add it to crumb mix, and mix together. If someone is allergic to nuts, use dry fruit instead.
I was trying to make brownies so I layed the crumb mix in a container and poured the chocolate over it, BUT as it became a mousse, I advice you to place a little bit of crumb mix in a little glass (for desserts) and cover it with the chocolate sauce. Put it in the freezer for a couple of hours then allow to unfreeze before serving. When serving you can then add some whipped cream or a strawberry to each individual glass. I guarantee you a super chocolate dream!!! I will try make the raw food brownies again, I need to get the right texture... I will succeed. But in the mean time this was a nice discovery and is cheap to make, I'll probably do it for my next birthday instead of buying the cake. With the indicated doses you serve about 8 people. Easy, quick, bio, effortless and cheap! Best combination ever!!

I am happy about my mistake, it was a delicious one, I will talk about other discoveries in a new post or this becomes too long.
Take care and stay good everyone ♥

The Economizer

Well .. they better be! I started using lemon juice as face tonic. After all it's full of Vitamin C and I have heard around that it makes a cheap but good skin supplement. You should wash your face good, remove all the make up, then apply some freshly squeezed lemon juice. I put my cream or oil after, but for extreme cures it's best to live uncovered over night. It does itches a LOT when you put it, so don't get scared. I did, but apparently it's normal that it stings, your skin needs to get used to it.

I still need to find out what I can use in place of Vitamine E oil, it's too expencive to buy, and I am sure I can find that vitamine or anything else to prevent wrinkles somewhere out there in nature.. so if any of you know, please tell me!!!

As you may have understood, I am trying to economize as much as possible so this is the first step: home-made creams and stuff. I am thinking of sewing a summer bag, I'll think of a crazy pattern and we'll see. It's a work in progress (in my mind at the moment). Also, I am not sure if you noticed but this year denim shorts are again in fashion! What a better way to transform your old jeans you were probably going to throw away? I remember doing this when I was more or less 14, fashion is funny, the 90s are back!... but we love it, don't we?! (Yes, in our own way)

Well, lemony face is going to sleep.... finger crossed, I hope not to find any surprise tomorrow! :) Ciao ciao

Cute ♥ Aprons

I just love the idea of old fashioned cute little aprons. It looks like we don't cook anymore of we have lost the pleasure of being a girl in the kitchen. So I have decided to make all little custom made aprons. The colors, the lace, everything is chosen by the client. The red one is the first made. The blue apron was custom made for my friend. It includes a little label on its left side.

The label was printed on the same fabric of the apron and looked like this:
I used the transfer iron paper and I must say I am getting pleased with the results.
I like the idea of printing on the same material I have used for the whole thing. That way it is not going to "mess" the look of it.

This is probably the product I like the most... and I include an exclusive recipe in each apron made.

I hope girls will remember how fun it was to cook and be cute in the kitchen ;-)
♥