Thursday, September 30, 2010

Garlic Bread



Garlic bread... Heaven on French bread. Actually, it would be heaven if it didn't make your breath smell so much, but you get the point, right? Anyways, I made garlic bread, probably one of the easiest foods ever. It wasn't my first time making them so it was no biggy. Still, they tasted... heavenly. Haha

Check it out...

Crushing the garlic. Isn't this the coolest little crusher ever? It's from back home...
Garlic spread made out of garlic, softened butter, oregano leaves, basil leaves, garlic salt, and a pinch of pepper
Cutting the bread, if you ever want to make garlic bread, try cutting the loaf diagonally rather than straight down. It adds style. :D
All the cheese and loveliness popped in the oven.
Yummy...
Hope you guys enjoyed! Also, sorry for the long hiatus. I'm trying to make up by posting more! Love,

Wardah

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Presents and Cake Pops


Ever heard of Bakerella? She's that amazing woman who perfected cake pops. Cake pops are cake balls on sticks. Well, after I became obsessed with her pretty cake pops and pictures, I begged my family to buy me her cake pops book that was published recently. I was turned down many times because (though I didn't know it) my mother was buying me the book as a surprise gift! The surprise was ruined because my sister blabbed but I was excited and very pleased anyways.

The first thing I did when I got the book was run and buy candy melts and lollipop sticks and make these fun cake pops. They're really easy to make so try them out.

Started with baking and quartering a cake... Can you see my new book in the background? :D
Crumbling the cake, I had to get all down and dirty with this thing :P
Cake balls!
Hardest part in my opinion. I made the balls too big so they were falling off the sticks. The weight of the cake balls plus the thick candy coating was just too much.
Sprinkles!
Finished product. They tasted yummy!
My advice: try making cake pops. They're fun, easy, and they end up looking (and tasting!) amazing! Make sure to tell me about your experiences!

Wardah

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Cheesecake Madness

Cheesecakes!

I went through happiness and tragedy during the last few days.

It was my sister's birthday last weekend. She planned to finish some of her personal goals - not coincidentally - on her birthday. So, my family and I decided to throw her a celebratory party for her birthday and accomplishments. I made cheesecakes and my mom made good food.

A few days later, my mother received devastating news. My beautiful grandmother passed away on Friday. It was a great loss in the family and I pray that she rests in peace.

I love making cheesecakes. They're the one thing I can be sure to make and not mess up on!
My grandmother was a kind woman. I remember when I was younger, I visited Pakistan. My grandmother lived there all alone in a ginormous house. Because my family was visiting from America, all our relatives basically camped out in her house all day. The days could get long and boring so we had to think of all sorts of things to entertain ourselves.

So, one hot evening, everybody decided they were going to call a "jinn." This is a Pakistani superstition in which if you put an upside down glass on a table in the middle of candles and cards, and chant these prayers, a demon will become trapped in the glass and answer all your questions. Only thing is, it really works! So, here I was, in the middle of some sort of ritual, shaking from fear. I couldn't tell anyone that I was scared 'cause then I'd be ridiculed. Halfway through it, I gave up. I left the room running and slid into my grandmother's bed where she was resting.

I don't remember the whole story, but I remember that when my grandmother saw me shaking, she became really angry. She went to the room my family was in and shouted at everyone, ordering them to stop their foolishness. I'm sure everyone was really angry at me - and some half relieved themselves - when she ended the fun, but I will always cherish the memory of how my grandmother cared so much about me.

A personal cheesecake for my sister. She was drowning in cheesecakes that day.
A slice of lemon and mint for decoration
On a happier note, I finally figured out how to make my pictures bigger without ruining the design. What do you think. Bigger the better?

I made cheesetarts too! (Whatever those are)
Even though I made this many crusts...
I had enough leftover batter to make two more cheesecakes!
The cheesecake after everyone attacked it.
Yeah... As you can see, my family can really stomach their cheesecake. Don't worry though, some of these cakes were given to friends and family! Anyways, have a great week.

The recipe I use to make cheesecake is my absolute favorite - The Ultimate Cheesecake Recipe.

Wardah
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