the good, the bad, the delicious

The good.

 

We'll start with dessert (why not!). And actually, I've been learning that when preparing for dinner company, it's best to make the dessert first. It took me a long time to learn that. It helps guarantee that it gets done and that your company isn't sitting around waiting for you to clean up AND finish up/making the dessert.  Not to mention it IS the star of the night.

So I recently spent an afternoon with a friend and she showed me how to make her chocolate cake.  It was wonderful! Her and her husband are natural health consultants (find their site here) and she does some great recipe creations for their healthy life styles and has recently started a fantastic new blog!  

So first the photos:

Make sure you have all your ingredients.

Mix dry ingredients together.

Mix wet together.

Then combine.

Pour, and bake!

Allow the cake to cool.

Make your yummy icing.

Now, if you become impatient and put the cake in the freezer and the icing in the fridge to cool then this may happen (above).  Makes spreading the icing a bit difficult but nothing that a little of what was missing the first time can't fix (patience). Waiting is so hard when waiting for this cake!

A healthy icing to cake ratio is necessary.

The icing was DELICIOUS! However, the cake itself was so great that I could have had it with a lightly sweetened whipped cream and that says a lot. I think most cakes are dry especially the healthier you get...but this isn't just any cake.

I present to you, Meg's cake.

As well as the final result.

The icing was DELICIOUS! However, the cake itself was so great that I could have had it with a lightly sweetened whipped cream and that says a lot.  I usually eat cakes for the icing, I think most cakes are dry especially the healthier you get...but this isn't just any cake.  Here's the final result. More coffee and ice cream left with no cake to be seen. This is never heard of in my dessert-eating history.  This is a must try and a special treat for gluten free, low carb, sugar free eaters! (And I'm not really one of those and I loved it!)

I am excited to share her low carb, sugar free, gluten free, flax seed and almond flour cake and icing recipe with you!

The bad.

For those wheat eating glutens only:

Over the passed few months I've been really wanting some ravioli, and really wanting to try to make some...so I finally did!  Making your own homemade ravioli is not impossible or overly complicated. Just keep it simple! I do NOT have a pasta maker, nor do I have a ravioli cutter/press/mold, nor am I Italian :). But it's still possible and I must say...worth it. Not to mention that making your own is so much more cost effective verses going out or buying them frozen.

I started with meat filled raviolis. The first time they were good but it was hard. At least 4 hours later and they were...okay. However, a few batches down the road and I'm getting into a groove.  I don't usually like cheese filled pasta but that's what I have really come to like. Easy to work with and CHEAP!

Here's the recipe that I found to be closest to what I like, on epicurious.com.

I never do a full batch. You can read my review in the review section.  

I must add that the step of "waiting 20min" to let the dough rest before you begin to roll is important!

French bread made, pasta sauce warming on the back of the stove (just getting overflow heat) and water coming to a boil.

 My french bread recipe is for two loaves. So I made some hoagies for meatball sandwiches later on that week.

 Dough has been made, rested, filling made, egg wash, and a teaspoon measuring spoon and a round cookie cutter. And a basting brush.

I lightly (not cutting the dough) press the cookie cutter around the dough to help with spacing. Then I drop a scoop of filling in the middle of each circle.  Brush around each filling mound with egg wash.

Roll out the other half of dough and lay gently across the top.  Using your fingers, gently press around each mound of filing trying to seal it and get most air out.

Now it's time to cute the ravioli and then I like to press the edges with a fork to make sure they are nicely sealed.

Served with a yummy organic spinach salad, fresh, homemade french bread...and voila. Yum!

But you'd better have the Flaxseed cake after a meal like this!

The good, the bad, but both DELICIOUS!

(I HAVE to add that while typing out this entry I was flipping channels for my background noise and sure enoguh Clint Eastwood's "The Good, the Bad, the Ugly" was on!

What's your favorite filling for ravioli?

Let me know if you try any of these recipes and tell me how they went!