Mango Strawberry Roulade

Treating ourselves to an easy-peasy Mango Strawberry Roulade right in the middle of the week. That’s just how we roll… get it? 😛

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Strawberry Galette

For a bright, flavourful summer treat, indulge in this fabulous Strawberry Galette! ❤

Baked Strawberry Oatmeal

A breakfast/brunch like no other, this Baked Strawberry Oatmeal will make you want to jump up and dance to Ed Sheeran’s new track Bibia Be Ye Ye like there’s no tomorrow! (Yes, his new album’s out – FINALLY – and yes, this baked oatmeal deliciousness is THAT good!) 😀

Strawberry Mint Lemonade

What are some of my favourite things? Nope; not raindrops or roses (and certainly not kittens!). I revel in being lost in thought; long conversations with my mom while we’re seated on the kitchen floor enjoying our tea break; the warmth of hugs; talking about everything with the boyfriend while doing nothing; delighting in some ‘me-time’ while I cook and bake; writing both for myself and for you guys; and food. Lots of food.

Last afternoon, quite a few of my favourite things came to be. I spent a while talking to the boyfriend about everything under the sun. And when he lay down for a siesta, I found myself lost in thought. I reflected on the past week. It’s been quite rough. With four dental appointments, one impacted molar extraction, one root canal and three pending sittings between us, we’ve been neck deep in hospitals, needles, drills and suction tools. It has not been fun.

That led me – inevitably – to the kitchen. I looked  through the contents of my refrigerator and I decided to make Strawberry Mint Lemonade. This was my first attempt at making this refreshing summer quencher. And since I’ve never sipped on a Strawberry Lemonade before, I can’t say how close to the real thing it tastes. But what I can say is this – it tastes pretty darn fantastic! 😀

Here’s what you need:

• Fresh Strawberries – 10 or 12, roughly chopped
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• Sugar – 3 tbsp
• Water – 2 cups, chilled
• A couple cubes of Ice
• Mint leaves – a few for garnishing

And here’s how you make Strawberry Mint Lemonade 🙂

• In a large bowl, mush the strawberries with a potato/meat masher until they are reduced to a paste. Squeeze in the juice of one lemon and add in the sugar. Pour in the water and give the drink mixture a good mix.
• At this point, taste the blend. If you would like it sweeter or you prefer a stronger hit of strawberry or lemon, make some additions.
• Drop a couple of ice cubes in each tumbler. Pour the Strawberry Lemonade into the tumbler through a strainer.
• Top with a few muddled mint leaves, and sip away!

So when the boyfriend was up, I had a little surprise waiting for him in the balcony. Instead of our evening coffee ritual, we had a lovely impromptu Strawberry Mint Lemonade date! His first reaction to the drinks sitting in tall fluted glasses was, “Did you just make that?” (I LOVE surprising him!) He then took his first sip and let out a very refreshed ‘Ooohh’! 😛 (Phew!) And while he sat there, still a bit groggy eyed, enjoying his drink, I stole myself away for a few seconds to click these pictures for you guys to see!

Needless to say, this Strawberry Lemonade is invigorating. It is sweet and tangy and zesty and punchy, all at once. It will leave you feeling light, exhilarated and positively revitalized. It’s true, you can never go wrong with the perfect combination of strawberries, lemon and mint. C’est impossible! 😀

 

Chocolate and Berry Canapes

I am a huge fan of dessert. I love anything sweet, though I cannot have too much of it. More than eating desserts, I love making them. For the eating bit, I’m surrounded with foodies who have massive sweet cravings! I have a lot of patience when it comes to making precise sweet dishes that are sure to make everyone crazy. However, every once in a while, I like to cheat too. I mean, who doesn’t love a dessert that can be put together in minutes and still make everyone crazy?

Thus, I present to you – Chocolate and Berry Canapes

I had this pack of ready-to-eat canape shells and I had no idea what to do with them. I first thought I’d fill them with a tangy tuna salad but then that would fit into the category of ‘usual’. I wanted to do something different, something innovative. Suddenly it hit me – I had a whole lot of berries lying in my fridge and an untouched jar of Nutella too! In that moment, I knew exactly what would be for dessert that night.

So this is what you’ll need.

Some canape shells, a nice big jar of nutella, some strawberries (washed and cut in halves) and raspberries (washed).

So all you’ve got to do is hold the canape shell daintily in your hand, spoon nutella into the shell, about halfway, and then place your favorite fruit on it. And the best bit, pop it right into your mouth! Gosh, thats delicious!

You can also fill the canape shells with a thick custard and top it with fruits or you can fill it with chocolate and top it with nuts or butterscotch chips, any way you like them. A little tip: don’t make these ahead of time because the canape shells will get soggy. Instead, serve them as soon as you’ve made them.

So if you’ve got last minute plans of having friends over, you know you’ve got dessert covered!

Your Chocolate and Berry canapes are ready to eat!