{Recipe} Choc Ripple Yule Log

{backdated}

{whoopiee!!! somehow, my pictures are showing! wonder what happened to my 'past' the quota limit? aaahh.. who cares? wheee.. now I can post more pictures, again!!}

Every week without fail, we'll get hoards of brochures and catalogues from hypermarkets and retailers advertising their products and any ongoing specials for the week.

I love to browse the ones from Coles and Woolies (aussie slang for Woolworths) especially as they come with easy-to-follow recipes and the products to purchase.

With Christmas time around the corner coupled with NiNi's birthday, I attempted to make a birthday Christmas Log! Came across this easy peasy recipe from Woolworth's catalogue. 

The steps to making this is just too easy to be true. But I tell you, it is that easy. Not only that, it tastes yummy, too!

Ingredients

 - 1 x 250gm packet Arnott's Choc Ripple biscuits (or any chocolate biscuits with no cream)

- 600ml thickened cream

- 1 tsp caster sugar (yup, that little amount)

- 1 tsp vanilla essence

- 20gm cocoa powder

- Grated chocolate or cocoa powder, to decorate

- Candy Spearmint leaves, to decorate (optional)

- Raspberries, to decorate (optional)

 

#1 Use an electric mixer, whip together cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff

Note : I was not sure what constitutes as stiff and Googled it. Lols. Basically, when it's thicker like cream you see spread over cakes.

 

#2 Once cream is stiff, add in cocoa powder until mixed

 

#3 Spread a little of the cream along a long serving plate to make a base

 

#4 Spread one biscuit with 1 1/2 teaspoons of cream then top with another biscuit.  

  

#5 Top with another 1 1/2 teaspoons of cream then place biscuits on their side on the cream base on the serving plate

 

#6 Repeat until all biscuits have been used to form a log

 

#6 Spread remaining cream over entire log reserving a small amount for the tree branch. Cover loosely with foil than refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours to set

 

#7 Just before serving, on a clean platter, cut cake diagonally about 1/4 the way in and use that piece as a tree branch on the main log. Patch up with some more cream so it looks attached

 

 

#8 Use a fork to make some lines along the branch to give it a tree look and then dust log with cocoa or sprinkle with some grated chocolate, if desired

#9 Finish the log with some candy spearmint leaves and raspberries and serve

Note : I didn't have candy spearmint leaves, hence, I sprinkled some Christmas shaped sprinkles for a little Christmas feel and stucked a 'Happy Birthday' signage.

You can always be creative and come out with your own version of Christmas Log. This first attempt was rather chubby looking.

If you like, you can also try this other recipe from Arnott's and decorate it like the below.

Happy Birthday dear NiNi!!

May you have a truly special day...

India Delights again !

Every time I crave for Indian food like Roti Canai or any curry dish, Mr. C and I will head to Rich Maha in Vermont South. After all, it's fairly nearby to where we lived. Plus, it has 80% likes on Urbanspoon (at the time this was posted).

However, we've been told umpteen times that we should patron India Delights 'cos the food is tastier. It has higher 'likes' on Urbanspoon garnering 88% favourites.

Something about a falling out - which seems to go with the territory of going into business often than naught - seeing the chef leaving Rich Maha and starting his own shop, India Delights.

Not too sure if the chef and those who worked there are originally from India but I highly suspect that they're most likely from Malaysia. Awesome Possum!! :)

We've been there once early on during the middle of the year but besides the iced horlicks, I wasn't that impressed. I thought the food was only alright leaving me to still be partial towards Rich Maha.

But you see, I've adopted this habit of not being quick to judge and to always, always give anything - if the first attempt was horrendous - a second attempt before deciding to call it quits.

And so, one fine Thursday evening saw us once again at India Delights in Forest Hill.

Eateries here do offer Mee Goreng but NEVER Maggie Goreng. Hence, I decided to give this a go here. I don't think it was too much to expect it to taste just like the one in Malaysia. However, it basically tasted just like Mee Goreng. Instead of the thick yellow noodles, they used maggie noodles.

What a bummer! At least, I had my teh tarik (basically, it's milk tea with a bit of froth due to the style of making the tea).

Nevertheless, the food was still enjoyable. Just not what I expect it to be. Mr. C as usual, had his rice with 2 veges and a curry fish.

But you know what, in the name of patrotism (LOLS), we will still patronised this eatery every once in awhile. And perhaps, I just haven't tried the dish they're famous for!

Roti Canai next up!!

 

 

 

 

Oriental Fast Food is where we eat

Last Tuesday, Mr. C and I weren't feeling well. We went nearby for lunch after a visit to the doctor's. It was nice to hot, comfy feeling food. When I am sick, I get even more homesick especially for my mummy's tender loving care nursing me back to health.

We've been frequenting this place since early this year. Although I've been in Melbourne for the past year and a half, Mr. C and I've just walked past the shop to go grocery shopping but never did try the food from this shop.

It all started when my aunt from Brissie was here for Chinese New Year and decided to try the food. I liked it and brought Mr. C's visiting parents in April then later on Mr. C during the weekends and since then, this is our regular haunt.

#1 Convenient as tt's just 5minutes drive from home.

#2 The food tastes yummy. Especially the Yin Yong! Love the salty egg sort of taste in the gravy. Tom Yam noodle was feeling that even I struggled to finished it.

#3 Pricing for food is reasonable! Some dishes under $10 if not give or take a bit more.

I even recommended the shop on Urbanspoon! That's how good I think the food is. If any friends crave for Malaysia good, hawker food, we'll bring them here. Just like my twin who visited  from Sydney a few weeks back.

It's not a regular restaurant or food shop where it is situated in a building on its own. It is located in the small food court in Rowville Stud Park Shopping Centre and opposite the check out counters of Coles.

Yin Yong 

Rice noodles with crispy thin noodles soaked in egg gravy with chicken and seafood

Beside and opposite Oriental Fast Food are other food shops. But if we go to Rowville Stud Park Shopping Centre to eat, we only go there and no other food shops.

Usually, we'll go on the weekends and the people are super nice enough to serve us. Today, despite not being well, we had to collect our food (sad face) from the counter. And the Yin Yong wasn't as awesome as it usually is.

However, we aren't going to stop going back just because of this one sad incident.

Hopefully, it's just a one off thing. We'll be back again Oriental Fast Food unless you give us another reason not to. :)

Birthday dinner at Conservatory in Crown Casino

This is a long overdue post. Mr. C's birthday was in August and I wanted to do something special for him this year. Last year, I threw him a surprise party that ended up not being a surprise. Long story short, we both suck at surprising each other 'cos we just can't keep secrets from one another. LOL.

So, we made our way to Conservatory that is located on Level 1 of Crown Towers for their much acclaimed buffet spread. I heard that it has been recently renovated and it sure does look posh and modern.

The high ceilings and white padded chairs gave the Conservatory it's regal ambiance. Another highlight would be the view of the river and CBD. From my experiences with buffet, I was expecting a bigger spread or rather a bigger area with more food laid out.

Starting off with seafood

I guess they were emphasising on quality rather than quantity. I definitely can taste the quality in the sushi (which I don't usually eat much 'cos if it ain't fresh, it really isn't smart to put in one's mouth) and seafood!

Mr. C really enjoyed himself that's for sure. He went for helpings after helpings of seafood and especially oysters. He's a HUGE fan of oysters, I tell you. :)

Happy man on his happy birthday

Bread sticks of sorts that we didn't touch, saving space for greater things ;p

 

The pancake duck was alright but definitely can't a hold a torch to the one we had at Simon's Peking Duck in Box Hill!! Dim Sum was alright. So, there was the seafood spread on one side together with the sushis and cold platters.

And on the other side is where the Asian spread is together with the dessert station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18.08.2012 The Twin's visit

Few weekends ago, we planned for a day trip to Mornington Peninsula. Due to the rainy weather forecast, sadly for my twin, we changed plans and headed to St. Kilda and the city instead.