Homemade Orange essential oil

When I saw in Pinterest that you could do your own essential oil I had to try it.
I decided to make orange essential oil.

Ok this is easy, just rhe way I like it!
1. Eat oranges
2. Save the peels and tear them into smaler pieces
3. Lay pieces on a cookie sheet or paper towel and let them dry until hard, more or less 2 days
4. Cut the pieces into samler bits in your food processor or Bimby
5. Put the bits in a glass jar with a lid and cover with warm vodka, not hot
6. Shake the jar several times a day for several days, at least 3 days
7. Use a coffee filter to strain the liquid from the peels and squeeze any excess liquid out of the filter
8. Allow the alcool to evaporate, for at least one week
9. What you have left in the jar is your essential oil
10. Use a dark colored jar to keep sunlight from degrading the essential oil

Congrats!
You just made your first batch of essential oil.

Croutons

Muitas vezes temos em casa pão que nos sobrou da véspera e que já não comemos. E o que fazer com ele? Croutons!

É super fácil de fazer e são muito mais saudáveis e saborosos do que os que se vendem nos supermercados.

Só temos que cortar o pão em pedaços pequenos, colocá-los numa frigideira e ir mexendo para torrarem ligeiramente por igual. Depois junta-se sal, alho em pó e oregãos (tudo a gosto). Rega-se com um pouco de azeite e mexe-se de maneira a que todos os pedaços de pão recebam um pouco do azeite.


E já está!

Podem acompanhar saladas ou sopas.

Ana & Vera

Granola

Desde que fiz Granola pela primeira vez, que o frasco não pode ficar vazio...
É um óptimo alimento, saudável, excelente fonte de fibras e muito versátil. Pode comer-se ao pequeno almoço ou ao lanche, com leite, iogurte solido ou líquido e fruta.

Para a Granola precisamos de:
200 g de flocos de aveia integrais
200 g de flocos de centeio integrais
200 g de flocos de trigo integrais
125 g de sementes de linhaça
125g de sésamo
100 g de amêndoas partidas em pedaços
1 pitada de sal
Canela a gosto

6 colheres de sopa de mel
5 colheres de sopa de água
2 colheres de sopa de azeite

Numa tigela misturam-se bem os cereais com a pitada de sal e a canela.

Á parte misturam-se os líquidos. Depois verte-se sobre os cereais mexendo muito bem.

Forrar o tabuleiro do forno com papel vegetal e espalhar uniformemente os cereais.
Levar ao forno, a 180°, cerca de 50 min. mexendo de 15 em 15 min. de modo a que fiquem dourados por igual e não queimem.

Deixar arrefecer e guardar num frasco bem fechado.

Depois de fria podem-se adicionar frutas secas como passas, bagas de goji...





Ana & Vera

Lemon sugar

I was reading this recipe about berry frozen yogurt with lavanda cream and lemon sugar and I just couldn't wait to try it.
I started with the lemon sugar. It's quite easy. Just add to a jar 3 cups of sugar and the peel of one lemon. And that's it!

You should let the jar open for a couple of hours to let the sugar dry from the oil from the lemon peels.

Use and abuse...

Ana & Vera

Valentine Cookies

 

Every year my son gives to all his friends (boys and girls) some kind of sweet treat in S. Valentine's day.
The teacher talks about friendship and the importance of sharing. So my son and I, always do something together to give everyone: teachers, helpers, security guys and of course all the little friends.

Last year I made pink cupcakes with the cuttest cupcake toppers. They loved it! Sorry I don't I have any pictures.

This year, we decided for heart shaped cookies.

For my husband, I decided to go with some hearts with thes tiny adorable wings. I couldn't find a cookie cutter so I decided to make it my way and it turn out OK! He loved it!

And Vera did some hearts for the boys too! Sweet!

 

 

Ana & Vera

Miguel's Mad Scientist Birthday Party

E sem nos apercebermos foi assim que tudo começou...

O aniversário do meu filho mais velho estava quase a chegar e havia que pensar rapidamente no que fazer para a festinha!
Foi aí que entrou a minha amiga Ana! Encontrávamo-nos todos os dias na escola e dia após dia as ideias foram assentando...

Convites

Queques

O tema da festa foi o "Cientista Maluco" e a partir daí fizemos tudo: as pizzas em forma de tubo de ensaio, os cupcakes com toppers, as pipocas, os salgados, e em vez do tradicional saco de gomas para oferecer aos amigos, optámos por fazer bolachas com a cara do cientista maluco e outras em forma de tubo de ensaio, e pusemo-las dentro de um saquinho com um banner personalizado a agradecer a presença.

Pizza é daquelas coisas que não pode faltar nas festas de aniversário, e a receita favorita dos meus filhos é a seguinte:

Massa:
200 g água
30 g azeite
1 c. chá de sal
400 g farinha
1/2 saqueta de fermento seco

Recheio:
Molho de tomate
Fiambre
Queijo mozzarela ralado
Oregãos


Se utilizar a Bimby:
No copo colocar a água, o azeite e o sal. Programar 1 min., 37°C, vel. 2.
Juntar a farinha e o fermento e programar 2 min. vel. Espiga.

Modo tradicional:
Amornar a água, juntar primeiro o azeite e o sal e por fim a farinha e o fermento. Amassar.

Retirar do copo, fazer uma bola, polvilhar com farinha e guardar num local morno (costumo guardar dentro do forno) e esperar que levede até que dobre de volume.
Depois com o rolo é só estender a massa sobre uma superfície polvilhada com farinha, e cortar com a forma desejada.
Picar o fiambre 5 seg., vel.5.
Cobrir com o molho de tomate, o fiambre e o queijo. Polvilhar com oregãos.

Vai ao forno cerca de 20 min. a 200°C.

(Adaptada do livro Base da Bimby)

Kid-friendly Gingerbread cookies

The original recipe was to spicy for my son, so I adapted and he loves this one.

Ingredients

590 g flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
95 g unsalted butter
170 g brown sugar
4 teaspoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
5 ground cloves
1/2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
85 g unsulfured honey

Royal Icing


Directions

Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder into a large bowl. Set aside.

Put butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer or Bimby, mix on medium speed until fluffy. Mix in all the remaining ingredients until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 180°. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface. Cut into little men with a cookie cutter.

Bake cookies for 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets.

Put icing in a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip (such as PME 2) and pipe designs on cookies. Let icing set completely at room temperature, about 1 hour.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

"Carnaval" Pirate School Party

Every year, my son's school throws this huge Carnaval party.
All the children must choose a costume based on that year's theme and this year the theme is the SEA.

Well, I found some fantastic ideas for my son to choose from, like Columbus or an aquarium, but nothing is more amazing than ... Yes, you know... a PIRATE!
Vera had the same luck and her boys are going as pirates as well.

You must have, probably noticed by now, that we're always finding excuses to make cookies!
So the theme for all our Carnaval cookies was decided: Pirates.

After a great deal of research in Pinterest (where else), we came up with this bunch.

I think they turn out OK.

 

Ana & Vera

Handmade sweet sugar hearts

We took this idea from Pinterest, where else!

And guess what? It works!

They turn out lovely.
They are just super easy and you can do them with the leftovers from your red icing.

Let them dry for a couple of hour and they are ready to be stored.

Have fun!

Ana & Vera

Make your own colored sugars

This is another of those things that I refuse to spend money on: colored sugar or sanding sugar for your cookies and other sweets.
It's super easy!
I just made this batch for my friend Vera.

Ingredients
white sugar
gel or paste food coloring like Wilton
heavy duty zip lock bag

Put some sugar in the ziplock bag and add a drop or a couple of drops of food coloring, if you want a darker color and mix until the color is evenly distributed throughout the sugar.

I store mine in an air-tight container.

Ana & Vera

Applesauce and chestnut bread

Everybody was talking about giving away some breads!
Uau! I had never baked a bread to gift to someone.
So two Christmases ago a decided to change this situation and baked a couple of breads to give away at my son's school.
I add a big jar of homemade applesauce and of course the bread recipe. Cute.
I took the labels from ... An amazing site. By the way thank you.
Here is the recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup of diced, peeled apples
1 cup homemade applesauce
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2cup white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup greek yogurt
2 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cupchopped chestnuts

Directions:

In a bowl combine all ingredients.
Preheat oven to 180°.
Spray a inch loaf pan with baking spray.
Pour batter into loaf pan and bake in the center rack about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

There is a satisfaction in a hard day's work!
Yes, there is, but today I'm tired. I've spent my all day inside my favorite metalic tube in the skyes of Europe.
Then, shower time, homework (with my son Tomas) and then dinner...
And now, he's slepping and I need "me time". Today it means something sweet and adorable, like ... Vanilla extract!
It's super easy. You are going to love this.
Just take a bottle (any kind will do), fill it with vodka and add a vanilla bean.
Close the bottle and put it away in a dark spot in your pantdy. You should shake it a couple days a week.
Now you just have to wait, more or less 3/4 months for your vanilla extract to be ready to be used in your recipes or as a gift to family or friends.

Since you're at it, just put another vanilla bean in a jar full of sugar. Close the jar and put it away.
In a month or so you'll have a fantastic vanilla scented sugar to also give away or use in your special recipes.
I feel better already!
Good night! Sweet dreams!
Ana & Vera

Homemade Butter and Butermilk

Today I decided it was about time I made butter and, of course buttermilk.
Here in PortugL it's difficult to find buttermilk and as you know, by now, I'm not a patiente woman and I hate to go from store to store trying to find stuff that no one knows about and just look at me like I'm an allien.
So, let's do this.

All you need is a Bimby (Thermomix in some countries) or just an electric mixer and 2 packages of heavy cream (with at least 30% fat).

It will cost you more this way, but who do you know that does her own butter. You're the woman!
And it's also a great gift.

Put the 2 packages of heavy cream in the mixer and beat it up for... Well, it depends, some recipes say only 5 minutes, but mine took 20 minutes. So, from experience, beat until you see the butter come apart from the buttermilk. Then, using a cheese cloth, take away the excess liquid. That is the buttermilk - don't throw it away!
Wash the butter. It will last longer if you do.
At this stage you can add garlic, salt, some herbs or nothing.
I usually put mine in wax paper, but you can put it in a jar, I guess.
Keep the buttermilk in a small bottle in the frige and use it to make biscuits or pancakes.
Humm, delicious!

Good luck.

Ana & Vera

My mother's 65th birthday party

I had to do something special for my mother's 65th birthday.
My first big decision was going with the aqua and orange colors, then, and this was my second and more difficult decision: find 65 presents!
Yes I'm crazy about her! My mother is simply special.
But God that was difficult because I decided that they had to not just mean something to my mother but they ought to have aqua or orange color.
Yes, you're right, I'm a troubled person with too much free time on my hands.
So there was chocolates, jams, cookies, creams, fruits and vegetables ( I was desperate) and lots of other really weird items.
I have onde suggestion to you. If you decide to this for a loved one, don't wait until the 65th birthday.
Have fun!
Ana&Vera

Martim's Smile Birthday Party

E finalmente chegou o aniversário do Martim!

Como a festa tinha muitas bolas e cores, escolhemos bolachas redondas. Umas decorámos com o número 7 (os anos do Martim), e das outras fizemos Smiles. Assim, aproveitámos para experimentar as bolinhas vermelhas (que se transformaram em narizes) e os olhos que tínhamos feito com o icing sugar que sobrou da festa do Miguel.
Boa ideia, não foi?

Ana & Vera

The quickest dinner rolls ever!

Do you know that music called Madness from MUSE.
It's my life these past few days - a complete madness.
Everything is happening. Good, bad...
I just want to scream, laugh or cry maybe!
So, today for dinner I just made the most amazing little dinner rolls. They're called Miss Betty's Super Quick Dinner Rolls.

Why are they amazing?
Only THREE ingredients and 15 minutes in the oven. Just what I need tonight.

So, are you ready?
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp mayo
Salt
Yes, that's it!

Now, you can add whatever you like to them: one tsp of minced garlic and some oregano or fresh herbs, like parsley, coriander or chives ...
Preheat the oven at 180° and bake for 15 minutes. Serve right way, when they are still hot. Simply delicious.
Enjoy!

Cornbread Brocolli cheese muffins

What can I say about culinary experiences... Humm Let's see... Don't take this the wrong way. We have a blog about culinary stuff and we do experiment a lot!
I like culinary experiences but, specially the ones that are usefull and help save money and time!
Ok and also the ones that make pretty things...

I made these muffins in one of those rare days that I am in the mood to try a new thing.

I had just returned from a trip to NY where my family and I ate at Virgil's restaurant. They have these amazing simple cornbread muffins, that go with the meal and I decided I had to try something because I couldn't wait to eat those little ones again.

But, when a started my research for a possible recipe, I found these and let me tell you, they are winners!
I never stop making them. Give it a try!

Ingredients

1 cup corn flour
1 big chopped broccoli head
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 small onion, chopped
2 large eggs
1/2 cup margarine, melted

Combine all ingredients.
Spoon into a muffin pan with liners.

Bake at 180° for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.
Serve warm.

Adapted from Southern Living

My father's Tintin Party

My father's birthday was last April. 66 years and I decided it was about time I throw him a surprise party.
The problem was with what theme?!
I started my research through the www and decided for Tintim, just perfect.
My father has all the comic books since the beginning of times and I was only allowed to touch them during summer vacations. I loved those comic books, I think I still do.
So, a DIY Tintim party was in motion.
I did a fish soufle and carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and some sugar cookies with a bad icing.
Everything was delicious, topped by a beautiful cake that I ordered at my favorite pastry shop. I found the picture in internet and fell in love with it.
I drew the little characters in napkins and glue the Tintim letters in paper cups.
I also made cupcake toppers with the comic books covers.
It turn out OK, I guess. He loved it!

Homemade Chocolate Chips

So, who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies? Nobody, of course.
There is this, let's call it, trend of homemade, DIY and "do it from scratch" movement, that we can read all over the internet.
Yes, we love Pinterest!
I like learning how to do things from scratch. I wonder a lot how things evolved from my grandmother to now. We traded knowlodge for quick and easy in boxes and microwaves...
And there's also the money! Why the hell are chocolate chips so expensive?
I decided to make my own. How hard could it be! Small dots of chocolate...
First, let me assure you, it's quite easy and anyone can do it, IF you have the TIME, (and let me emphazise TIME here!).
If you enjoy these kind of tasks go for it.It's not just money that you save, you can also make them nut free, sugar free, you name it, or use white chocolate and colour it with some food colouring.
The downside is that it takes FOREVER to dab those little bits onto parchment paper to make them just like chocolate chips.

Recipe

Ingredients
Chocolate bar
Ziplock bag, pastry bag or a squeeze bottle like in the picture
parchement paper

Just melt the chocolate in a pot over a saucepan with hot water over medium heat.
Pour it in a ziplock bag (pastry bag or squeeze bottle)
Cut off a tiny piece of one of the bags corners and start pipping.
They will harden pretty quick and then I usually transfer mine to an air-tight container a store in the frige.

Have fun!
Ana & Vera

Hello again!

Uau! We managed!
We're back!
Everyone says that to have an "OK" blog you have to do a lot of interesting things, you have to write "good" stuff twice a week and put videos and photos... Uau!
I don't think this is going to happen.
It's like having another kid to take care of!
And, we spent a lot of time inside planes (no internet there).
So, this is how it's going to be: Vera and me, we are going to write about stuff in general, food stuff  and complaint a lot (that will be me) and try very hard not to curse (depending on our moods and of course flight schedules...). You just have to skip those parts, OK?
OH, and we'll try to put videos, not the boring ones, just because we don't know how to do those and tutorials, mainly about stupid crazy stuff, that only people like us do, like homemade chocolate chips or buttermilk...
As you can see, we are into the "do it ourselves" kind of way.
Come and ride with us.
We hope you enjoy!
Ana & Vera

Hello!

I'm not sure where to begin...
My name is Ana.
I'm not an artist nor a blogger, as a matter of fact, this is my first experience in blogging.
I belive I'm just crazy!
OK. Let's start this again.
This is all my friend Vera's fault. Yes, now she's smiling. She chalenged me to create a blog with her.
I said no way!
But I do not run away from a chalenge, so here we are today doing something about this blog thing.
After all, we make things happen every day. You know why?
We are both flight attendants, senior pursers in fact.
Of course, like any other women, we have husbands and kids and those come with a lot of kitchen work...
I think this blog is going to be about our adventures (that's a fancy name, don't you think?) in life (Uau, I'm inspired!) or just the way we cope with the funny hours and total caos our lives are.
You are going to notice that this is going to be a simply sweet beautiful mess.
Welcome!
Ana & Vera