Platter of hamburger toppings

Lots of colour.....

Vegetable tray

The huge fruit skewers are to prevent the press and seal wrap from pulling at the vegetable dip.

Waffles -forgot to take a picture of the finished product!

A variety of toppings.......Waffle recipe from Muffins and more - Jane Pare

Dry ingredients in one bowl, well blended liquid measured in glass measuring cup.

Blend until dry ingredients are wet.

Cook waffles until the steam disappears.

Creme Brulee - I cheated and used a package mix.

Took me longer to find these dishes than to make up the mix......good way to use up extra  liquid whipping cream.

Pasta with ham, onions, peas and cheese!

Boil water for the pasta, lid on

Add pasta and return to the boil, lid off.  A bamboo spoon (maybe 2 chopsticks??) will prevent the pasta water from boiling over.

Pasta, drained of water.  Do not rinse if using hot.
Leftover pasta I rinsed and froze; I will use them in soup when the weather cools down!

While cooking the pasta I put chunks of sliced ham and a package of frozen peas in the frypan.

I added the drained pasta.  to make the sauce I put 30 mL of butter into the mixture, about 250 mL of milk (or cream) and 125 mL - 250mL of grated parmesan cheese. 

I added chopped green onion, instead of adding chopped red or white onion.

If you like more sauce add more milk etc.  Serve with fresh ground black pepper.

Broccoli slaw - one of many versions....

Some recipes list mayonnaise, not miracle whip, some say white vinegar.

I have seen cranberries instead of raisins....I like bacon, cheese, toasted sunflower seeds and raisins.

I mix the mayo, raisins and broccoli together and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. The seeds, bacon and cheese are added in before serving.

Ready to serve! Orange cheddar would have given more colour!

Fruit fly trap!

Must be apple cider vinegar, add a few drops of dish detergent.

I put mine in a small container of my kitchen window sill, above my sink.  

This is a flat, plastic dish that I leave by my outside compost container.   These are the fruit flies that escape when I open the lid.........ICK

Chocolate, raspberry jam, whip cream, cake - Duncan Hines fudge cake mix

The chocolate frosting - I used a microwave safe casserole dish. To avoid burning the chocolate heat 30 sec on high, then stir.

I used my hand mixer to beat it.

I kept beating it while it cooled.

Whipping cream in a steel bowl (in the freezer). Once you start beating the whipping cream, add 30 Ml of sifted icing sugar - this stabilizes the cream better than granulated sugar.

Raspberry jam at room temperature. Be careful with the whip cream or it could turn into butter!

I cooled the 4 layers, then flipped them back into the pans.

They baked uneven (I did not spread the batter evenly)!

A layer of jam (raspberry). The cake is uneven. I will flip the cakes, the thick/thin layers alternating.

Whip cream smoothed over the cake edges.

You can build the layer up at the edge with whip cream. This way the chocolate icing won't fall in to the cracks between layers.

All of the cake layers were exactly the same size!!  The heat in the kitchen or the weight of the jam, OR the cakes were too fresh (should  have baked the cake the night before). The cake layers look wider on the bottom. The cake was in and out of the fridge due to the house being TOO hot!

Chocolate frosting was not refrigerated. I poured it around the edge of the cake so it would drip and coat the sides.

A huge battle to get it into the fridge quickly!

A little buttercream icing for a centre design.

Lemon bundt - Duncan Hines cake mix + lemon jello + vanilla pudding

I followed the cake box instructions, mixing in the jello and the pudding then adding water, oil and eggs. I drizzled juice from 2 lemons and 250 mL icing sugar over the top before I flipped it out of the pan. I made holes with a wooden skewer, drizzled on the lemon mixture, waited for it to be absorbed, then flipped the cake out.

unicorn icing - I put the colours in the bag using a knife - I did not know Wilton made chamber bags that separate 2-3 icing colours!

I google searched unicorn cupcakes. One suggested stuffing the inside with icing stars or sprinkles. I pushed a space in the cake using an apple corer, then poured in the stars.

The icing bag can rest in a cup to add the icing.

I used a large star dot nib.

the icing is all butter, cream and clear vanilla flavouring - you could also add butter flavouring. I always sift the icing sugar.

Time to colour! remember to use a new tooth pick each time to avoid adding icing to the colour pot.

I went dark with the colours.

I used a dinner knife to add a row of each colour

If it is easier to add colours while holding the bag do that instead of using the glass.

I smooth down the icing using a bowl/bench scraper. A student showed me this !  It helps avoid air pockets

I had never done this before; I am happy with the results!

I found it easier to put the cupcakes in the pan and decorate.

Colourful display

Left over using on the left over cake!