winosandfoodies

Foodie Ideas For Valentine's Day

 

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2010 was my year of hearts.  

Bryan and I don't make a fuss over  Valentine's day. Throughout 2010 I served up hearts on a few occasions.  If you are planning a special meal to celebrate Valentine's Day with your loved one you might find some ideas from the photos above. With a heart shaped cookie cutter you can easily turn any food into a heart offering.

Sago Gula Melaka Recipe

 

 

I know,sago is one of those love it or hate it foods. My mother made a lemon version which I quite enjoyed as a child.  During our November visit to Sydney when my appetite was lacking I lived on this for dinner most evenings. It was on the hotel restaurant menu and I fell in love with it.

Gula Melaka is known in English as palm sugar. The sap from the flower bud of a coconut tree is collected, boiled until thick and then poured into bamboo tubes 3 - 5 inches long until set. @OMGemma_ from the Brisbane blog Get In My Gulliver gave me several pieces she brought back from a recent trip to Malaysia.   

SAGO GULA MELAKA  (from SBS Food)

INGREDIENTS

• 300g sago
• 1 egg white
• 200g palm sugar, chopped
• ½ cup water
• 4 tbsp white sugar
• 1 can coconut milk

METHOD

• Bring a large pan of water to the boil and when boiling, add sago. Stir frequently as the water returns to the boil, to avoid them sticking. The sago will float to the surface and be transparent when cooked. Strain and rinse with cold water a couple of times to remove the starch. The straining, rinsing and straining was quite messy but lucky me,  I have my Kitchen B*tch to clean up after me.
  
  
• In a clean bowl beat the egg white until soft peaks form. Add sago, stir to combine and pour into moulds. Chill until set, about 1 hour or overnight.
  
  
• Stir palm sugar and water over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Stir in white sugar. Stir until completely dissolved and then strain through a fine sieve into a jug. Refrigerate for approximately 1 hour.
  
  
• Turn sago out onto a serving plate,  serve topped with a little of the coconut milk and syrup.

I didn't have cocnut milk so we enjoyed it with pouring cream.

This is my entry for Sweet New Zealand January, hosted this month by my dear friend Arfi at Homemades.

 

My Seven Year Blogaversary

winos and foodies is celebrating 7 years of blogging  this week. In my head I wrote a long post docementing  my feelings over the past seven years. But when I sat down at the computer the words wouldn't come. So I'll keep it simple.

Thank you to everyone who popped into winos and foodies over the past 7 years.

Thank you to those who read and leave comments, thank you to those that read and don't leave comments.

Thank you to the friends I've made; those still here and those that have moved on from blogging.

Thank you to those friends I've met and those friends in the virtual world.

Thank you for your love and support; especially those   who  showed their support when I really needed it...and those who helped me celebrate when I was ready to celebrate.

winos and foodies began as a diary of my days and  a place to leave my memories of family and recipes for my children. Lately I haven't been able to find the energy to do much baking.

The drugs I take to manage my pain make me sleepy. They have taken away my appetite.  Food doesn't excite me in the way it once did.

Sometimes I will taste something that will excite me. Like the sweetness of my first summer strawberry, or the smell of a new season peach.

As each day passes my energy is a little less as the secondary cancer again begins to take over my body. Which is why I have decided to accept my oncologist's suggestion and undergo another six months of chemo.

I will continue to blog when I feel able. I may even bake and blog. I hope so.

....and one final thank you and my most important thank you. Thank you Bryan. I know we joke about you being my kitchen bitch.........but I do appreciate all you do for me, everyday. <3