Just Add Magic: Mrs. Quinn's Chilli Recipe

      Happy New Year! Well, almost anyway. Over here in Singapore it's New Year's Eve. I'm going to a BBQ New Year's Party tonight. So, why not kick off 2013 with the very-first-ever-posted-on-this-blog Chilli recipe from the book: Just Add Magic!

Mrs. Quinn's Chilli Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef or stew meat, browned and drained

1 medium onion, diced

1 small green pepper, diced

1 small red pepper, diced

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can chillies

1 can black beans

1 small can tomato paste

1 can dark beer

4 tablespoons ground chilli powder

1 tablespoons cumin

1 tablespoon nutmeg

Brown beef, peppers, and onion. Drain off any grease.

Stir in the rest of the ingredients, adding the beans last. Bring to
a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook on low for an hour.

Whenever I meet someone who does not consider chili a favorite dish, 

then I've usually found someone who has never tasted good chili.

 - Jan Butel, author of "Chili Madness"

      That would be good on a hotdog... And while you're at it, check out this link for Fast Dessert Recipes You Can Make in 10 Minutes: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/fast-dessert-recipes_n_2297249.html?utm_hp_ref=own&ir=OWN#slide=1881901    Okay then, see you in 2013!

Christmas Cookies

      Hi! MERRY CHRISTMAS READERS! I got this from my brother's Geronimo Stilton book, The Christmas Toy Factory. When I was young I used to love those sort of books. I still do, but not as much anymore. Anyway here's a recipe for some Christmas cookies you can make:

Christmas Cookies 

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 butter cup,cut into small pieces, at room temperature

3-quart mixing bowl
wooden spoon
1 cup sugar
grated lemon peel from one large lemon
1 pinch salt
4 large eggs
1and1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

How To Bake

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place flour & butter in the 3-quart mixing bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the flour & butter together until the mixture resembles crumbly, coarse cornmeal. Stir in the sugar, grated lemon peel, and salt. Make a hole, in the center of the flour mixture. Place the eggs and vanilla into the hole. Using your fingertips, quickly and evenly mix the dough together. Shape the dough into a ball. Wrap the cookie dough in a plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 min. Divide the dough into 2 balls. Work with 1 ball at a time, keep the remaining ball chilled. Using a rolling pin, roll the ball of dough out on a lightly floured surface. Using a star-cookie cutter, cut out 12 cookies. Transfer it to a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet into a preheated oven and bake for 10-12 min until golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and let cool. Repeat to make more cookies. You may add some sprinkles to add to the effect.

 4 stages of life: 
1)You believe in Santa Claus 
2)You don't believe in Santa Claus 
3)You are Santa Claus 
4)You look like Santa Claus

      I know it isn't related to food (the quote), but it's just funny so I thought I'd share it. Mashed Potato is also another good Christmas food. As I said, I'd totally tell you my family's Mashed Potato recipe if they let me, but for now just refer to my previous post for the RECIPE. Anyway, enjoy your cookies, and don't forget to leave some out for Santa!

Just Add Magic: Mashed Potatoes (ANSCMP)

       Hi! Sorry I was gone so long, but I came back with a few recipes and pictures (which I will show you some other time). I'm working on it, just give me some time. I'm not allowed to reveal the secret recipe to my family's Mashed Potato, so this will have to do. Okay, by right the REAL name of this recipe is called Alfred Nobel School Cafeteria Mashed Potatoes. But that's too long so:

ANSC Mashed Potatoes

100lbs potatoes, peeled boiled, drained, and cut up

10 cups butter, softened

80oz cream cheese, softened

80oz sour cream

Mix all of the above ingredients with an industrial mixer,

adding butter and cream cheese in thirds.

Spoon and spread into 8 and 1/2 x 13-inch glass dishes.

Bake until heated through.

      Simple isn't it? It's also a good Christmas dish. And, here's a tip, you could try adding in a little milk to make it smooth-er. So! Better get to work in more recipes.

Just Add Magic: Black and White Super Swirley & The Mammoth

      Ahhh... Free Wifi pretty busy having fun here but I didn't forget. Drum-roll please, and here we have our very last Swirley recipe! Just as awesome as the last. I'm gonna miss these guys, but don't worry there are still more recipes to come!

 

 
Black and White Super Swirley

Combines dark chocolate with creamy light vanilla.

Vanilla Bean ice cream

Classic chocolate ice cream

Chocolate syrup

Blend until neither can be identified from the other.

Top with hot fudge.

      Ooh wee... Sounds good : D Since this recipe is pretty simple, I've decided to give a bonus recipe. Mind you, it isn't very long either. Again, and for THE FINAL TIME, it is not supposed to look like this. It is not the real picture.

The Mammoth 

This, is a giant cup of coffee.
Well, not that big. 

3 1-oz shots of espresso

16 oz brewed dark roast coffee

6 oz steamed milk

Whisk together. 

      Okay, hoped you liked it! BYE SEE YA! LOTS ❤ OF ♥ LOVE ❤ MUAH ♥ Okay seriously now. Bye.

Just Add Magic: Bowl Me Over Chocolate Brownie Super Swirley

       Okay, lets take a look at this Super Swirley! That, is a LOT of chocolate. Another one from Just Add Magic! I'm really having fun typing these recipes. I think that's too chocolatey even for me to handle. And again, please excuse the picture these recipes are so extraordinary, I can't even find pictures for them!

Bowl Me Over Chocolate Brownie Super Swirley

Only for those able to handle the richest

possible combination of chocolate.

Chocolate fudge ice cream blended with chunks of brownie,

nibblets of  semi-sweet chocolate morsels, hot fudge sauce, and

chunks of homemade Amish fudge. Snickers optional.

Swirl to perfection and top with a brick of rich brownie.

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.”
  ~Charles M. Schulz

      And this will have to be the last recipe until next-next week, I'm sorry! I'm really sad too! I'm going overseas for a while won't be back until 17th December. Everyone needs a break right? Heheh... But if I happen to find internet connection, I'll be sure to post something! Don't worry : ) I'll still be here when I get back.

Food Fair

      Finally! Here's the post on how the Food Fair went (yes, I'll be calling it that from now on). If you wanna read MORE than this and see MORE pictures, then visit THIS LINK. And you should watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUnAcDDJ7PU&feature=player_embedded

Ooh look at the jars, home-made too! I brought a bunch of them home.

      So, basically, the Food Fair was like a big cooking competition (a friendly one, whoa imagine a food fight!) people had to vote for their favourite stall. But I won't tell you who won... Not yet! SUSPENSE! Da-da-dum!

      I voted for the drink stall, which my aunt was tending and my family's "Chee-sy Mash" stall(mashed potatoes). Ooh I hate that name! And of course the Cupcake stall.

      OKAY CUPCAKE LOVERS! This is the moment you've all been waiting for! CUPCAKE TIME!!!

      The cupcakes, as I may have mentioned, were A-DORA-BOWL. Seriously! Never seen anything like it! I'm not exaggerating okay, just look at the pics. Made by Pamela Tan and okay, yes its pretty obvious she won. Cupcakes rule! BTW: The trophy's totally home-made. But it's still pretty good.

      P.S. I am REALLY sorry for the delay, I know I've been saying that a lot, but this is the holidays! And my schedule is packed, and I mean PACKED. I'm headed to Malaysia in a few days and if I manage to find internet connection there you know I'll post something. Otherwise you will have to wait till I get back. So, take a look at the rest of these pics.

More Pics:

Just Add Magic: Golden Buttercup Cakes

      Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry for the delay! I was writing about the "Kook-Off" (I still think the name's horrible) but that's going to have to take sometime so meanwhile another cupcake recipe! Of all recipes cupcake ones are my favourite.

Golden Buttercup Cakes

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1&1/2 cups sugar

2&1/2 teaspoons baking powder

a pinch of salt

3/4 cup butter or margarine (1&1/2 sticks), softened

3/4 cup whole milk

1&1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

How to Bake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2&1/2-inch muffin pan with cupcake holders. Mix dry ingredients until combined. Add wet ingredients and beat just until blended and creamy. Spoon batter into cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Perfect Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

1 package confectioners' sugar (16 oz)

1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick), softened

1&1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons cream

How to Make
With a hand mixer, beat sugar, softened butter, vanilla, and cream until blended. Increase speed until frosting is light and fluffy.

 “Cupcakes is the medicine that drives sadness from the human face."

~ Cupcake Quotes (@CupcakesQuotes)

     Whoa the frosting looks so light and fluffy like a bunch of clouds. You should've seen the cupcakes at the Kook-Off! They were AWESOME, loved the decor. I took lots of pictures, you'll get to see them in the next post.

Just Add Magic: Rocket Launching Rainbow Super Swirley

      Here we are, with the very first Swirley recipe from the book Just Add Magic. Now, you're asking, "What's a Swirley?" Okay, a Swirley is sort of  milkshake made up of blended ice cream. You can tell from the recipe. 

      Oh and please follow me on twitter, there isn't much about baking / cooking mostly humor tweets, but if you guys follow me I'll try to tweet about food: @calanlyn plus, I only have 34 followers heheh...

Rocket Launching Rainbow Super Swirley

When you can't make up your mind,

enjoy this three layered concoction.

Layer 1: Strawberry ice cream blended with colourful Skittles.

Layer 2: Banana ice cream with ribbons of golden caramel.

Layer 3: Bright green Pistachio ice cream peppered with Nerds candies.

Top with whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles.

      I'm sorry! I couldn't find the picture for this recipe. So I had to put this up. Doesn't really look like this though, this recipe isn't "magical", don't worry. Swirleys are just the characters' favourite treat. And if the ingredients in here are too weird for you, experiment on your own. The flavours are endless!

    And, there's this thing, called a... um... a Kampung Kook-off, I know, its a horrible name! Urgh, but anyway its going to take place this Sunday. Maybe my fellow Singaporeans would like to come? My dad's party, SDP is organising it, a Fundraising event. Anyway, it's gonna be awesome, food everywhere! I'll promise to take lots of pictures, but I really encourage people to come see for yourselves! $32 per coupon booklet, you can exchange the coupons for food. Kind of like tokens. Click HERE for more info and to purchase booklets/tickets.