Spreading the Love...

My sister had a baby girl the other day. The little one is my third godchild and also has my name as her middle name, which makes it even more special.

My sister asked for simple baby grows as it can get very hot at this time of the year in this part of the world. So, I bought some baby grows and vests, and added a few personal touches.

The first one was a plain pink baby grow.

With a little bit of yarn, some buttons and a piece of ribbon, it was transformed to this:

Some vests received similar crochet treatment...

in a soft pinkish brown...

some red to add some love...

a cow to add a bit of humour...

And an owl so that she will be wise
one day
(that is beyond her teenage years...)

Make an occasion of a baby shower!

**Spread a little bit of love: 

Why not surprise a friend in need with a cooked meal?**

Very easy Fig and bacon recipe

For me, personally food is supposed to be little effort and a lot of impact! The least amount of time spent in the kitchen with the biggest effect (wow-factor) created is what it is about!

This short and easy recipe is sure to look and taste good and is super easy and quick.

What makes this recipe rather lovely is the contrast between the sweetness of the fig and the saltiness of the bacon or prosciutto.

Ingredients:

Fresh figs, stems removed
Smooth cottage cheese/goats cheese
Fresh mint leaves
Prosciutto or fried bacon

Cut the figs in a cross where the stem is removed.

Spoon a small amount of cottage cheese into each fig.

Add a mint leaf or two.

Roll the bacon/prosciutto and place it onto the cottage cheese and VOILA! 

As easy as that!

Enjoy!

This is my first post on "Life is an Occasion".  Seeing that Life is an Occasion, it must be celebrated! My hubby's birthday is on Tuesday and we celebrated his birthday with some friends this afternoon!

Thank heavens for wonderful friends!

For this occasion, I made an Upside-Down Pear Cake. The recipe is courtesy of Joan Campbell & Barry MacDonald  in their "from market to table" recipe book. A fresh, contemporary book with recipes organised according to the main ingredient found at the market.

The Upside-Down Pear Cake is quick and easy. I adapted the recipe to be sugar and wheat free.

Here follows my own version:

Ingredients

For the Base:

4 pears peeled, cored and quartered
125g butter
1/2 cup Xylitol
1/2 cup Fructose

For the Cake:

125g butter, softened
1/2 cup Xylitol
1/2 fructose
2 eggs
1 cup wheat free, crumpet mixture
1/3 cup milk
5ml ground cinnamon
5ml ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 190*C. Grease and line a pie dish with baking paper.

Melt the butter and xylitol and fructose in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until the butter has melted. Add the pears and cook until the pears are tender (around 8-10 minutes). The xylitol and fructose must be melted. 

Pour the syrup into the pie dish and arrange the pears in the syrup.

To make the cake mixture, add together all of the ingredients for the cake and beat with electric beaters.

Spoon the mixture over the pears.

Bake on the centre shelf of the oven for half an hour or until the skewer comes out clean.

Invert the cake onto a platter and serve warm with vanilla ice cream or thick cream.

Serves 8

Enjoy!