Hi Guys

Apologies for not writing yesterday, it may go like this every now and then if I have other things to see to or my Re-Location work to do, however I will make up for it all the time! The weather is playing havoc with all of us, and as I write to you the rain is pouring down, and the humidity is intense, it's awful! Once again I have a bright pink sarong wrapped around me, and underneath, not my bikini but my underwear! I could not take clothing clinging to my body!

I have just popped a really delicious "Carrot Cake" into the oven, and want to share this recipe with you, as I think it is the most delicious cake in the world, so delicious that one of the top hotels on the island GM asked me for my recipe which I gave to him without hesitating.

4 Jumbo eggs
2 cups castor sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 tin pineapple pieces chopped and drained in a colander
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups freshly grated carrots
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarb
1 teaspoon salt


METHOD

Firstly combine the pineapple, nuts and carrots in a bowl, set aside. Sift the dry ingredients together, and set aside. Then in your Magimix or blender, beat the eggs till light and creamy, and slowly add in your castor sugar. Then add in the oil. When this is mixed, add in the dry ingredients and mix till all combined. Take your spatula and pour the mixture over the carrots, nuts and pineapple, and combine well, so that the carrot is evenly spread within the mixture. Place in a well oiled or spray and cooked tin and bake on 170 for about 45 min to 1 hour. Check with a skewer to see that when you pull it out the metal is clean, place on a cooling rack then turn out when it is cool.

I have a special tin called a "Kugelhoph" which is round, fairly large and has a hole in the middle, this is the correct tin to cook the cake in.

When cool ice with cream cheese icing which consists of the following

1 250gr philadelphia cream cheese
1 250 gr butter
Icing sugar approx 3-4 cups sifted
Vanilla essence or extract

You can decorate with cherries, chocolate, anything you fancy, this is a really delicious cake!

I would like to chat about vanilla extract and to be totally honest, it is not my favourite essence to use, as I find it far to medicinal in taste, and feel that a lot of the time it spoils the taste of the cake or dessert as it is so concentrated. I would either use less, or rather use the vanilla seeds from the pod, and normal vanilla essence, that's just my personal preferance, and you are entirely free to disagree with me, I don't mind.



CABBAGE SALAD

This is an old favourite of ours in our family, and I would love you all to try it, however if you struggle to get celery seeds, I am travelling to SA and don't mind bringing some back for anyone who needs them, as they are an integral ingredient in the recipe, there is no substitute, or come around to me, I have plenty and you need such a small amount for the recipe.

1 medium green cabbage thinly sliced
2 large onions thinly sliced

Combine the above together and boil and pour on the following ingredients

1/2 cup oil
1 T salt
1 teaspoon celery seeds
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard powder

Refrigerate and serve lasts for ages.

I need to go and check on my cake so happy cooking and I will write again tomorrow.
Lets hope this rain goes away, as a nice day on the beach or a game of golf would be good

Cheers
Suexx