Orangie

Or you can call it healthy brownies!
It was suppose to be blondie but it is clearly orange to me.
After the devilish cake in a skillet, I still crave for dessert all the time so I can't help but to make some. I avoided the unhealthy choices of chocolate brownies though and instead make it with amazing ingredient to make healthy Orangies!

These are brownies make with pumpkin puree and oat flour!

 It's not really orange, it's actually pumpkin puree. This is the end of the baking and I decide to make some pumpkin frosting to go on top of it. Made with pumpkin puree, some cream cheese, and little tiny bit of powdered sugar. It was really smart of me, sure.

I spread it as evenly as I can and let it sit and rest for about 1 hour. I only need 20 minutes, I just got lazy, like usual. Atlas the frosting harden, or dry out, however you like to call it, and creates a soft layer on top of it.

I also sprinkle raw sugar on it after spreading the frosting. They say it gives a nice crunch but I don't know. I just want to give it a try and it was okay since my orangie wasn't too sweet. The crunch is so little but that's because I try to put less to decrease my sugar intake. After all this is suppose to be a healthier dessert.

I just couldn't get the frosting absolutely smooth so maybe someone can tell me.

I wish you can see how dense it is and that makes it not crumbly at all and so pumpkin-y.

If you love pumpkin, you WILL like this and because it has the "healthy" label, you WILL end up eating the whole thing and it will become unhealthy again. sigh.
Guess who did that?

xoxo

Cake In a Skillet

Did I mention how excited I am to get my cast iron skillet?
They are awesome like everybody said they are.
AND you can make desserts in them, that just makes it even better, like SO MUCH better.
I heard you can make cookies in them, but for now I'm just making a cake in them and i don't know why but they really do taste so little better. (It's my obsession with the skillet, isn't it? sigh.)

I always start with dry ingredient, cause then I can use the same whisk to whisk the wet ingredient and don't have to dirty the new one. Less dishes is always a plus, uh huh.

Then we have wet ingredient. I mix it in the big measuring up like this, just to make pouring easier.

mix together, and looks like it's not coming around, but....

coming together!!!

finally, but don't overmix. you pour it into the skillet and...

Viola!

I went on piping spree with cream cheese frosting.

and share them with everyone.

Just because this was the unhealthy cake and I didn't want myself to eat it all. Let everyone have their cheat day today for me?

xoxo

New Food Favourite!

Feel free to feel like this is slowly turning into a food blog, cause even I feel so. Sigh. I wasn't even trying. It just happened.

If you haven't notice, I'm obsessively in love with nuts. Like the edible, healthy, delicious nuts please. Other kind of nuts may perhaps be edible for some people, but I doubt it to be healthy or delicious. I mean I don't know and I don't want to know. (Where is this leading to?)

ANYWAY!

Nuts. yes. Like hazelnut, peanut, pecan, marshmallow(What? Marshmallow is not a nut and it's unhealthy? I can't eat it everyday? Nooo....) and etc.

I mean it when I say obsessive. I'm addicted, uncontrollably addicted. It's like drug to me. I get headache if I don't have at least one every day(okay..maybe not like THAT but still.)

THEN!

Lately it got intense when I found one of the most amazing thing in the world!

I mean it has been all over the place for a while but because it is not the cheapest thing in the world I didn't want to try it. I thought it won't be that much difference anyway.

In fact, NOW, I regret the choice of ever wanted and did try it. I'm hooked. I can finish a jar in a week all by myself! And that is only because I have self-control, or else I would have finish 31 jar in a month even when there is only 28 days.

So, here it is!


May I call you amazingness in a jar!!!
This is from Nuts To You(Proudly Canadian oooooh) and it's so far my favourite brand!
Well, I've only tried out 2 because that is all I can find here in Winnipeg and ordering other overpriced brand online is not an option.
This taste so much better than the one in the Bulk Barn, not saying that they are not good neither because they are still good! This one is less oily and more cashewy, like toasted cashew-y, like damn toasted cashew-y. So yea, I'm hooked.

I even bought carrot sticks so that I can dip into this thing and feel less guilty.
I spread an avocado layer over my toast so that I can spread extra thick layer of this on the other side because "to avoid the avocado overpowering my cashew butter taste." At least that's what I tell myself (wink wink)

This is seriously so good! If you can EVER can your hands on it, don't. You've been warned.

xoxo

weekend breakfast

It's weekend.

It is the day to finally have a nice breakfast/brunch after a long week.

I love breakfast and I always think it's probably the best meal of the day, so how can you not take your time and make something amazing when you finally have the time? You can't and shouldn't miss this out, it's a crime if you do. Police of the City of Sherrawks will FIND you, and they will FEED you. (if you think it sounds familiar, it's probably because I copied this from Taken, oh Taken~)

So, to obey the law, I woke up and make Mr. Pecan and myself some amazing breakfast that usually takes too long! If you haven't notice already, it is something made with potato. Please don't misunderstand Mr. Potato, they are actually very healthy, I promise. Unless you fried it and put them into bags and call them Lays, then I can't guarantee anything other than the fact that it is devilish.

Random advice of the day: Do not buy that bag of Lays, once you open it, you won't stop till you finish it!

Anyway, you can Google their health benefits(cause I obviously won't remember) and you'll know how much you've misunderstood them. It is a breakfast signature, and since they don't have a distinct, overpowering strong flavour, you can do whatever you want to them, dress them up however you like.

If you are guessing I'm obsess with potatoes lately, you're probably right.

One of these morning, I made hashbrown/latke, top with those leftover whipped sweet potato cream. I know, so potato-ey.

It's grated potato, pan-fried in non-stick pan till crispy. I tried to use less oil so I couldn't crisp it up as much. I was just going for the crispy edges so I pan-fried it in only so slightly little oil, then before taking it out, I pour about 1 tsp of oil into the pan and swirl it around. Amazingly, it works, I got my crispy edges with a softer middle.
I was again, lazy, and really don't want all those tears, so I didn't grate the onions, but added in onion powder, some garlic powder, cayenne and chili flakes. Extra flavours never hurt anyone. Obviously the still works pretty well. I like everything spicy so the so slightly little kick was just nice for me. It's breakfast after all, probably not the best idea to have tooo spicy food(this does not apply to when I'm back in Malaysia, Roti Canai dipped in Chicken Curry for breakfast please!).
The whipped sweet potato has some cream cheese in it, so it's kind of like a sweet sour cream but less. It has the ever so slightly(overusing alert!!) tang from the cream cheese, and the sweet from the sweet potato. I can't tell you how good these two goes together. Even Pecan had no problem with it. As picky as he is, if he finished it, I probably did a PRETTY good job. (proud)

Other weekend breakfast ideas like,

If you think this is just a normal pancake, WRONG!!
This is inspired by Doraemon's favourite food, the lazy version. I am the laziest person in the universe after all. I'm pretty sure I didn't invented this but I would like to share with you anyway.
Instead of having the same old boring butter and maple syrup over the top, I made basic pancakes and fill it with PBJ. yup! I thought these will be a little different so (I did NOT just ran out of bread), and obviously it was good. At least not disappointing like my first attempt when I got baking soda and baking powder mixed up, yucks, but hey, it was a Saturday Morning. This one though, is a fluffy pancake with the right ingredient and a filling that can't go wrong.

These are melonpan and they are a little more work than the others, it's a bread after all. You basically have to prep the cookie dough and bread dough the night before, let the bread dough rise and double in size, shape everything but don't assembly them yet. For the cookie dough, after you shape them into thin sheets, pop them in the fridge. For the bread dough, shape them and set them aside for second rising, I think they will rise in the fridge too, overnight though. In the morning, assembly them, give them a nice crisscross shape, THEN you pre-heat your oven. While waiting for your oven to preheat,  set the prepared dough aside to let the bread rise back a little bit more, while you can do your dishes or whatever. Then when oven is ready, you throw them in the garbage can oven, can bake them off!

Sounds uber complicated but it is easier than you think, plus a satisfying breakfast will top it all. These are just so good that I ate 3 when I was going to give Pecan 3, I swear I tried but I just can't.

They are kind of like a Japanese version of Pineapple Bun(菠萝包), but smaller. Fluffy and soft bread underneath the almost crispy topping. Makes my house smell like the most amazing bakery when I was baking it in the kitchen. My tummy is growling at the moment just thinking about it.
Don't you just love YouTube? At first, it was the dog who caught my attention and I'm glad it did! I'm absolutely in love with their recipes, now that I've tried so many times and had never failed.

So there is some of the best brekafast I've ever had, I hope you enjoy looking at it as much as I do!

xoxo

First piping success!

My landlord gave me 2 humongous sweet potato before she left to China...in JANUARY. I love sweet potato, I really do, but I just thought eating it as it is, is kind of a waste. Since there is so many sweet potato recipe out there, I shouldn't just waste my potatoes like that. I don't know why but this is just how my brain function. sigh. Always something about food. sigh.

Anyway, I thought I know what to do with them and time passes, they are still sitting in my pantry chilling with ma' pots and pans. Finally today when I realized I ran out of breakfast for the lazy Pecanhead, I looked through my pantry and knew I need to do something with my sweet potatoes.

I found my recipe, baked my sweet potatoes, and whipped up some amazing sweet potato cupcakes. These are awemazingalicious. Yea, it's my word, awemazingalicious. It's so good that I could make my own word for it. Maybe it made me smarter, hmm. You do know that sweet potatoes are one of the superfood right? I believe the reputation comes from how it actually makes you smarter...no?

Whatever the reason is, I present you sweet potato cupcake with sweet potato frosting!

 Before, it's kind of weird because it's not really muffin-looking, and I kind of messed up a bit so the shape was off. I knew this time I can't be lazy, have to pipe something onto it and cover its weird shape.

After. Tadah! I did it!! Some shape are not really shape looking cause I tried too hard, never a good thing. Others I just stick with a normal swirl, trying to go easy on myself there. You know what they say, take care of your basics and everything else will be easy as a penny.

This is my first time ever piping and designing cupcakes so I tried to keep it as simple and easy as I could. I think I did a pretty good job don't you think?

Yup, I pipe sweet potato onto that cupcake.

xoxo

Hi School days

It's the annoying school season.
I hate school season, for obvious reason. Cause I'm a student?!

I don't know if I should call myself a morning person because I love mornings. Like LOVE mornings.
I love waking up early feeling like I have time. I love the bright sun, clean air, breakfast, everything about mornings.
Then what's the problem?
Well, the problem is, I slept in. All day everyday, during the holiday season.
I want to wake up and I had sheets to do. But I never could wake up, yes, because I wouldn't go sleep early. Sigh.
Don't call me an not-morning person because I really really like mornings.>.<

Anyway, did I mention breakfast and how much I love them?
It's the most important meal of the day and it's the only meal of the day where you can EAT AS MUCH AS YOU CAN!!! oh-emm-gee. yes.
We are talking about a healthy lifestyle here. Not pig-out. Even though I do so most of the time.
Don't worry, It's all gonna digest throughout the day and it's gonna make your day full of energy.
And if you wake up early, you can have numerous breakfast!! oh yeah.
In fact, it is good that you eat more meals but less every meal.
Just imagine yourself working in a store, do you prefer a smaller amount of customer that you can handle coming in frequently or a hugeeee amount of customer coming in all of a sudden once every couple of hours? For me, former. Same for your tummy too.
With that your tummy stay flat all day! Unless you already have like a huge tummy like me. Oops.
Apparently normally people tend to eat less during lunch and dinner when they have a good amount of breakfast, which they should.

Enough health talk.

We were talking about breakfast.
One of my favourite breakfast item, GRANOLA!

These are in the oven right now baking their nuts off. and by nuts I mean walnuts and almond nuts okay?

Homemade are always, ALWAYS better. Taste better, look better, smell even better!
It smells like coconut heaven in here since mine have some shredded coconut and healthy coconut oil in there.

I like raisins, even my daddy knows that.

Now mix everything and tummy in they go!

Why I love granola?
You make them in batches and once you're done, for dayss you don't have to wake up 30 mins earlier to make breakfast with eyes closed. 30 minutes more sleep? Oh yea.