'F' is for Fudge

And fudged fudge at that...well, my first attempt didn't exactly go to plan and set with the consistency of sorbet.

Still, every cloud has a silver lining and it tasted great and worked even better heated up poured over bananas for pudding. Or, in my dear husband's case, vanilla ice-cream and bananas.

By now some of you may be spotting common theme appearing in my blog...well that is all down to the fact that my dear husband has a taste for all things sweet and chocolatey and who I am to deny this? Instead, I get to be the wonderful wife that can cook and create things to indulge his sweet tooth and mine...because lets be honest here I like sweet stuff too.

So anyway, about two weeks ago I set about the task of making some fudge as a valentines gift for my dear husband. I found a great recipe for vanilla fudge with evaporated milk that was based on timings rather than temperature, which was a good thing as I don't have a sugar thermometer. 

Now I know that traditionally many people would have opted for the condensed milk over the evaporated milk but this wasn't a planned concoction rather I was being sponatneous and using what I had in my cupboard.  Should I ever revisit making fudge I will try it with condensed milk.

At this point a few of you are thinking, hang on, if it was for a valentines gift how can it have been spontaneous? My answer is simply this; I am a stay-at-home-mum on a budget and I didn't have time to knit him anything.

My first attempt was made with granulated sugar which, although part of the recipe, is where I think I went wrong. When I repeated the recipe later on in the week I changed this for caster sugar and got (as you can see) fantabulous results.  I know it tasted good as this box lasted less time than the aforementioned fudged fudge.

*Edit* this fudge does have a more toffee like consistency rather than one that melts in your mouth

'E' is for eggs

Eggs are just wonderful things. So yummy. Often quick to cook. And lets not forget...so good for you!

Robust enough in their own flavour that you can eat them alone in so many ways - it's amazing.  Just stop and think about it...boiled, fried, poached, scrambled. Then there are numerous dishes in which they can be used, I certainly get through boxes of them when baking...especially birthday cakes but that is another post entirely.

Now when it comes to The Two Monkeys (who are currently 2 and a half-ish years and nearly 1 years) then eggs do actually prove a bit problematic. They will devour eggy bread in minutes but give them a fried or boiled egg and its picked over or pushed aside or ignored. Their most favourite form of egg is an omelette or frittata which I fill with shredded veggies and cheese...just typing this is making me hungry!

And sizes, eggs come in all sorts of sizes. Now I have held (and stood on) an ostrich egg and it is really huge, an omelette made from one of those would be the equivalent of 22 chicken eggs.  On the other hand quails eggs are tiny, and while they are not my favourite to eat they are very pretty to look at. In fact we have a carved ostrich egg that we put a light inside of and use as our Christmas tree topper, and lets be honest painted eggs at Easter hanging on twisted hazel can be so beautiful... so yet another use for them, home decor!

I mostly buy chicken eggs but I know duck eggs are particularly good for baking with and I have made a point of using them to make things when cooking for a friend who cannot eat chicken eggs.

I cannot imagine a culinary world without the humble egg and so I would like to raise my glass to the most versatile of all cooking ingredients.

An ode to eggs

Not only are you curves beautiful
       as you lie there in your carton.
The hue of your shell is alluring;
       duck blue, white, brown but not tartan.

You are the epitome of yumminess
         and can be used in all sorts of ways.
When removed from the fridge for lunch,
         my stomach will never be dismayed.

'D' is for "Doh!"

In the immortal words of Homer, who loves doughnuts more than any other (and my dear husband's favorite character)... 'D' is for "doh" as this post was orginally published, quite mistakely, in the wrong order but this has now been corrected.

But 'D' was meant to be about doughnuts...the glazed ring of deliciousness or a jam filled ball of delight.  Not that I have ever had a go at making these myself, I just like to eat them  :)

Now there are the super sticky ones covered in icing and sprinkles that The Two monkeys love to buy from the baker at the Monday Market we have discovered in our new town. Or there are the melt in your mouth smoothly glazed Krispy Kreme ones that are out of this world and are finished far too soon and if you have more than about 3 you'll be sick. And then there are the super fresh ones you find by the seaside.  I have vivid memories as a teenager of going to Brighton Pier and the smell of the hot dough would make your mouth water and it was futile to do anything but buy one...or two...or a bag.  For sharing of course!