When it comes to cooking, I am not really in my comfort zone. I do have the occasional moments of genius or luck, but generally I tend to stick with what I know best when it comes to meal preparation, always a little scared to experiment as many recipes seem to have a long list of ingredients, more often than not missing from my pantry or fridge at any given time.
However, two, or rather three things have wet my culinary appetite recently and inspired me to be more creative in the kitchen!
The first was being presented with a mini birthday cake last weekend made from scratch by my youngest daughter Amber. This was a surprise in itself, given the fact that she not only took time out of her busy University schedule but she also got together with her friend who is studying food nutrition and they concocted a sugar free recipe for a chocolate cake with a soft walnut topping!
I have a health condition called GSD3, which means my liver can't process refined sugar, so I have to really limit how much I can have. I don't like to use artificial sweeteners but do use stevia which a natural sweetener. Amber made this cute 3inch cake using a little natural maple syrup.
The second source inspiration came from the vivacious and talented chef Jess Pike, a Scottish lass who runs cooking demonstration classes at my local superstore. She also has a website called A Pear of Tarts. I have been going to Jess's what's for dinner classes held on a Monday lunchtime for a few weeks now. While watching her expertly cooking she also entertains us with some hilarious stories thrown in. At the end of the class the students or viewers get a little plate of her creation to try out and a copy of the recipe and a gift card to spend in the store too. I really look forward to these classes and am gathering a few recipes to try out at home.
Jess Pike
Last, but not least was coming across a great blog called 'can you stay for dinner' written by Andie Mitchell. Her story intrigued me and I enjoyed reading it. She writes well and has some great food ideas and a healthy outlook on life which I really admire, there are so many recipes on her blog that I am going to have a go at making.
Have I made you all hungry yet??
