Had A Great Birthday Yesterday – Thank You For The Wishes

for 28 years now on April 30th, I celebrate my birthday. I am so happy and glad for all my birthdays and I am ever so grateful to God for giving me this life and I thank my parents for bringing me into this world and to experience everything I have experienced in my life, with traveling to many places, for giving me everything, a roof over my head, a nice warm bed to sleep in, food to eat and so much more. I am so thankful for everything as I look around the world and people do not even have running water to drink and bathe from. I am so fortunate and I have learned not to take anything from granted in my life.

There were times where some of my birthdays did not go as well as I had hoped for. Once in high school when I turned 16 years old, I had invited about 30 people to come over to my house for my sweet 16 birthday party and it was one of the most embarrassing yet humiliating things in my life where only one person showed up out of all the others. I was thinking they were my friends and everything but they really weren’t. I was devastated that I could not have a sweet 16 party, and also I never knew what it felt like to have a surprise birthday party or even had a big party to celebrate me and my day. I never knew what that feeling was like. I didn’t even know the feeling of when I turned 20, 21 years old where I would have a great party, but I did go to Montreal for my birthdays quite a lot in my early 20′s and to get away from things and to enjoy a dance club here and there with my friends in Montreal. The only parties I have ever had was when I was a kid where a lot of my family came over to celebrate and that is about it. To me The gifts weren’t important, but being with my family and couple of friends is what I want.

I know parties should not matter and everything, but in my case it does. In my early adult life and as an adult now, I want to be able to know what it feels like to have a party. I know that I can create my own party and have people over and stuff and go out but I just get those bad memories again when I was 16 years old. I really never had a lot of friends to begin with and I invited all those people and never showed up except for one. I was crushed and cried for days. I just want to know what it feels like to have a party and its all about me and having people around me that has come to celebrate me. I am hoping that will happen soon. I sometimes feel so isolated and they are feelings that I never want to get back. Nowadays everything is great. My beautiful friends took me out for my birthday over the weekend and surprised me with a cake which was so sweet of them. I will never forget that.

What have you experienced in the past about your birthday? Did you have a birthday that was a blast or not such a blast?

Anyways, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my family, friends and fans for all the birthday wishes, the phone calls, text messages, e-mails, facebook messages, the birthday cards, the birthday e-greetings, virtual cakes, flowers and everything. I really appreciate it so much from the bottom of my heart. I love you all!

I Am In Love With My KitchenAid Stand Mixer

Since I got my KitchenAid Stand Mixer life has gotten so much simpler with cooking and baking different types of food, and My hands don’t get tired anymore with mixing with a whisk and a hand held food mixer. Now my kitchenaid stand mixer does all the work and it is so beautiful. I have a flashy white one and its an ultra power plus one. Very good quality. Well, even if its an Artisan, Classic, Professional, all of them do a great job in mixing the batter or mixture well. I make all sorts of things into it. I love the wire whip, kneading dough, and all the accessories. my next purchase is going to be the pasta maker accessory and the other ones. Anything else in the kitchen doesn’t quite add up to the kitchenaid stand mixer. Can’t believe all the colours it comes with now. I have seen it at the stores and there is Pink, Orange, Copper Orange, Black, Red, Purple, Tangerine Orange, White, and you can even customize your own kitchen aid stand mixer if you special order it, but why do that when you can buy it at the store instantly right? LOL.. But it all depends on what your preference is, but I love my baby and it is so beautiful. Each household, should have one of these. It is a great tool in the kitchen. If you have one, I am sure you can relate to me and the passion you have for it. I even kiss mine after I use it for good luck for the next time I use it. I love it so much. These kitchenaid mixers are not cheap either. They happen to be a lot of money if they are not on sale. Some are over 500 bucks, some are over 700 bucks, but if you get it on sale its like 250, 300 bucks, but then again they do run expensive because of the high quality and the way it is made. So I can for sure relate as to why it is expensive. This baby is gorgeous. I will be using it today to make my cake. I have a lot of things to do today. I will be cooking and baking this week so it will be ready for Christmas. I can’t wait to use it today. I use this baby at least 3 times a week. If you need tips and tricks on how to work it and what speed, just let me know. Depends on what you make.

This would be a great purchase or a gift to your loved ones or someone very special who loves cooking in your family. They would love it.

Enjoy and have a great Christmas and Happy New Year almost.

Armenian Pizza — Laghmajoun – MesaShod – Armenian Style

Hello All, this is my last Delicious week recipe.

 

Armenian Pizza

 

Enjoy the recipe

 

Printed from THEGUTSYGOURMET.NET

INGREDIENTS: Makes 10-12

 

Dough:**See Note

• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast

• ½ tsp sugar

• ½ cup lukewarm water

• 3 cups all purpose white flour

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

** NOTE: You can use medium sized fluffy flour tortillas and skip the dough making. Be sure when

you bake the lahmajoon/lahmacun, that you oil the baking sheet when you bake them.

 

Topping:

• olive oil for the brushing the dough before the topping

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 2 cloves crushed garlic

• 1 large onion, grated

• 1 tomato skinned and chopped – put tomato in a deep bowl and cover with boiling water for 2

minutes, remove and peel. Leave seeds and juice with the tomato, do not discard.

• salt to taste

• 1 – 2 teaspoons sugar

• 12-16 oz ground lamb – can use 85% fat ground beef.

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 large lemon, juice of

• 1 green bell pepper, finely diced

• 1 pickled Jalapeno pepper finely chopped

• 1 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

• 1 cup fresh spearmint, finely chopped

• 1 tsp. cumin

• 1 tsp. paprika

 

MAKING THE DOUGH:

** NOTE: You can use medium sized fluffy flour tortillas and skip the doughmaking. Be sure when you bake the lahmajoon/lahmacun,

that you oil the baking sheet when you bake them.

 

In a small bowl mix yeast and the sugar. Add 1/2 cup of warm water, stir well, cover the bowl. Keep the mixture in a warm place

for about 15 minutes to full activate the yeast.

 

Add the yeast mixture to the remaining flour and water. Knead well until the dough is soft and smooth.

 

Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover and let sit in a warm area of your kitchen for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled

in size.

 

Take the dough out and punch down. Divide the dough into 10-12 balls just slightly smaller than a tennis ball. Roll and set aside

on a floured surface and cover with a damp towel. Set the oven at 450º F.

 

MAKING THE TOPPING:

Add the onion, garlic and butter to a skillet and sautè until translucent. Take off the stove and let cool.

 

Take all your prepared vegetables and place them all in a large bowl. If you have a food processor, this would be the time to

give all the vegetables a few pulses to get them all into a fine spreadable size. DO NOT PROCESS TO AN UNIDENTIFIABLE MUSH!

 

Add pepper flakes, salt, sugar, paprika, cumin and lemon juice into a large bowl with the other ingredients and mix well by hand

until you have well mixed, spreadable topping.

 

Take balls of dough and roll into a round, circle or an oval measuring up to 1/16 to 1/8 inches in thickness. Place on a baking

sheet that has been oiled with olive oil, canola oil or cooking spray. Brush each round with olive oil (Extra Virgin is best). Top

with 2-3 tablespoons of the topping and spread the topping very thinly. Make sure you have an even layer.

 

Each baking sheet will hold two lahmajoon/lahmacun. You should have 3 or 4 baking sheets to keep things moving. Keep your

eye on the sheets in the oven to make sure they bake evenly. You may have to move things around the oven.The oven should

remain at 450°F – not too high and not too low. Since you are going to be constantly opening the oven, the temperature ideally

will stay between 400º F and 350ºF. Cooked Lahmajoon/Lahmacuns are crispy at the edges and pliable in the center. You can

stack your finished lahmajoon/lahmacun topping side to topping side and bottom to bottom. Cover them with a damp towel to

keep them from getting too brittle.

 

You are now ready to fill them with fresh parsley, cucumber slices, sweet onion slices or other fresh veggies and a drizzle of

lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, roll them up and enjoy these Anatolian delights.

Armenian Cheese Boreg

Hi Everyone,Tomorrow will be the last of my Middle Eastern Armenian Recipes week, then I will resume to the regular blogging. Enjoy the last 2 recipes of today and tomorrow.

A phyllo dough turnover filled with cheese and parsley and baked to a golden brown. Similar to the Greek Spanakopita, but a bit more cheesy and lighter in texture. They can be served hot or at room temperature Like many Mediterranean and Middle Eastern recipes, the phyllo dough co-stars with the feta cheese to make this a spectacular snack. The packaged phyllo dough available today makes recipes like this a cinch, compared to the exhausting and time consuming drudgery of rolling out sheets and sheets of tissue paper-thin phyllo dough.

RECIPE PRINTED FROM: THEGUTSYGOURMET.NET©

INGREDIENTS: Makes 2 dozen

●   ½ pound, or more,  butter melted,  or better yet Clarified Butter.

●   Purchase 1 box phyllo dough at your supermarket (Athens or Apollo brands are the best).  You will
     need the whole box.

FILLING: 
●  1½ lbs. Jack cheese,  or ricotta,  or Armenian or Greek (Feta) cheese. Mix or take your choice.  Feta is
    the most authentic.  I like to mix feta and jack cheese ½ and ½.
●  1 cup chopped Armenian or Italian parsley,  Flat leafed.
●  2 eggs [beaten well]
●  ½ teaspoon salt
●  ½ teaspoon white pepper
●  Mix the above ingredients for the filling

DIRECTIONS: 

1.  Preheat oven to 400°F

2. Cut your phyllo dough sheets into 4 inch wide strips and the length of the longest dimension of the
    sheet of phyllo.

3. Brush a strip with butter and place another strip on top of that strip.  Butter that strip and add
    another until you have stacked 4 buttered strips.  

4. Place a tablespoon(s) of filling on the end of the strip and fold over the end into a triangle.  Now as
    you would fold a flag,  fold the filling and strip into a successions of triangular folds until you reach
    the end.  Brush butter on both sides and place on a baking sheet.  Do this until all the phyllo or the
    filling is used up.  Should come out pretty close to even and approximately two dozen triangular
    turn-overs..**SEE COOK'S NOTES**

5. Bake the cheese boreg triangles in a 400°F oven for approximately 20-25 minutes until they are
    golden brown.

6. As soon as they are cool enough to handle,  serve as an appetizer or a side dish

**COOK'S NOTES** 
1.  If you only need a dozen, you can now put a tray full in the freezer and freeze.  When frozen,  you
     can store them in your freezer in plastic zip-lock® bags and bake them,  without thawing,  at a later
     date.

Almond Baklava with Rosé Water

Almond Baklava With Rose Water..

Ingredients.

• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2/3 cup honey
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 8 2×1/2-inch strips orange peel
• 2 teaspoons rose water*

 

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 3 cups coarsely chopped almonds
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

 

• 15 fresh phyllo pastry sheets or frozen, thawed

 

• Plain yogurt

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Almond-Baklava-with-Rose-Water-106124#ixzz2EtJPpX00

Stir 1 1/3 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups water, honey, cinnamon sticks, and orange peel in saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; bring to boil. Remove from heat. Mix in rose water. Chill until cold.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Brush 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with some of melted butter. Mix almonds, ground cinnamon, allspice, and 1/3 cup sugar in medium bowl.

Fold 1 sheet of phyllo in half to form 12×9-inch rectangle. Place folded sheet in prepared pan. Brush with melted butter. Repeat with 4 more folded sheets, brushing top of each folded sheet with butter. Sprinkle half of nut mixture over. Top with 1 folded pastry sheet and brush with butter. Repeat with 4 more folded sheets, brushing top of each with butter. Sprinkle remaining nut mixture over. Repeat with 5 more folded sheets, brushing top of each with butter. Using sharp knife, make 5 diagonal cuts across phyllo, cutting through top layers only and spacing cuts evenly. Repeat in opposite direction to form diamond pattern. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Strain rose syrup. Spoon 1 cup syrup over hot baklava; cover and chill remaining syrup. Recut baklava along lines all the way through layers. Let stand 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.) Serve baklava with yogurt and remaining syrup.

* Available at Middle Eastern markets and specialty foods stores.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Almond-Baklava-with-Rose-Water-106124#ixzz2EtJk10Dn

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Almond-Baklava-with-Rose-Water-106124?id=106124

Recipe Credits found from website above.

Armenian Nutmeg Cake

Recipe Credits and Website go to

http://www.dishesfrommykitchen.com/2012/04/armenian-challenge-daring-bakers-april.html

Ingredients For The Armenian Nutmeg Cake:

Milk – 1 cup

Baking soda – 1 tsp

All-purpose – 2 cups

Baking powder – 2 tsp

Brown sugar, firmly packed – 2 cups

Butter – 3/4 cup (preferably unsalted, cubed)

Walnut pieces -1/2 cup you may need a little more

Ground nutmeg – 1 to 1 1/2 tsp (5 to 7 ½ ml) (5 to 8 gm) (try to grate it fresh yourself; the aroma is enchanting)

Egg – 1

 Method:

1. Preheat your oven to moderate 350°F/175°C/gas mark 4.

2. Mix the baking soda (not baking powder; that’s for the next step) into the milk. Set it aside.

3. Sift together the flour and the baking powder into a large bowl. One sift is fine

4. Add the brown sugar. Go ahead and mix the flour and brown sugar together.

5. Toss in the cubed butter.

6. Mash the butter with a fork into the dry ingredients (you can also use your fingers if you want). You’ll want to achieve a more-or-less uniform, tan-colored crumbly mixture.

7. Take HALF of this resulting crumbly mixture into your spring form (9”/23cm) pan. Press a crust out of it using your fingers and knuckles. It will be easy.

8. Crack an egg into a mixer or bowl.

9. Toss the nutmeg in with the egg.

10. Start mixing slowly with a whisk attachment and then increase to medium speed, or mix with a hand whisk if you’re doing it manually. Once it’s mixed well and frothy (about 1 minute using a standing mixer, or about 2-3 minutes of vigorous beating with a whisk), pour in the milk and baking soda mixture. Continue to mix until uniform.

11. Pour in the rest of the crumbly mixture. Mix that well, with either a paddle attachment, or a spatula. Or continue to use the whisk; it won’t make much of a difference, since the resulting batter is very liquidy.

12. Pour the batter over the base in the spring form pan.

13. Gently sprinkle the walnut pieces over the batter.

14. Bake in a preheated moderate oven for about 30-40 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the top is a golden brown, and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

15. Allow to cool in the pan, and then release. Enjoy!

Talin’s Specialty Cinnamon Cake

One of my favourite things is to bake and to cook. I LOVE Making cakes. I am here to tell you about a basic cake you can make and its so simple. It takes less than 15 minutes to prepare everything. Here it is. for something so simple, easy and fast.

Ingredients

2 Table spoons of Cinnamon

1 table spoon of vanilla extract

1 to 2 table spoon of baking powder

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

half cup of canola oil

1 cup of Milk….

6 Eggs.

How to prepare:

First you beat the eggs in the stand mixer, then you put in all the liquid ingredients, and beat them very well, then put in the dry ingredients. beat them very well together…

then you grease the pan with the cooking spray and then preheat the oven to bake mode to 350 c, then you put the cake batter into the pan, then you put it into the oven once its preheated.

Baking time takes about an hour to an hour and 10-15 minutes…

 

 

Talin’s Signature/Famous Cake Recipe

Baking cakes is one of my favourite things to do in the Kitchen… Here is my recipe:

6 Large Eggs ( must be mixed very well before adding things to it) must be like a very creamy colour.
1 1/2 Tsp of Vanilla Extract
1 Cup of Canola or Mazola oil
2-3 Cups of 1% Milk (Depending on the consistency)
1 1/2 to 2 cups Sugar
1 1/2 tsp of Baking Powder
3 cups of Flour (Make sure the batter is not too watery not too thick – in between but more to the watery side, but a creamy effect to it)(Put each cup one by one. let one dissolve then put the other in and repeat)
1 Tbsp of Cinnamon (OPTIONAL- You do not really have to)
Mix all that together in a Cake Mixer Machine (Or Dough Mixer)

Mix all ingredients very well and keep doing that for about 10 minutes with all of that.

Instructions

1. Get a Cake Baking Bowl or a Pyrex – Depending on the Batter Size. (Remember it will rise because of the Baking powder)
2. Spray the Bowl or Pyrex with Cooking Oil Spray – Covering the whole thing. do not miss spots.
3. Put the Cake batter (Let the cake batter Settle in…
4. Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees Celsius
5. Put the Cake in (cook for 45 minutes to an hour) depending on the strength of your oven. It may Vary so do check up on it from the oven window. If it starts to get golden brown on top it doesn’t really mean the inside is ready. (DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR – That will make the cake flat)
6 – You know it will be ready if you stick a Toothpick in the cake and you play around a bit then take it out and if you see it clear with no batter stuck to it, then it is ready.
7. Take it out, let cool for 20-30 minutes maybe an hour then serve.

Then you have the option of decorating it with sprinkles, icing, or anything you want or have it plain too.
Will make a great dessert after dinner, or if you have a dinner party or take it to someones house. Very easy..

Estimated Preparation/Cooking time is an hour and a half

Zakhtari KEKHGEH – Zahtar Thyme Cookies

2 Cups of Flour

1 cup of Zakhtar

1 cup of Mazola or Olive Oil

a little bit of Salt

1-2 cups of Water

1 teaspoon of Baking powder

Mix it up —– and make them into any shape you want

bake it until you see it get light golden brown.

take out, let cool

then serve…..

A Chocolate Lover and A Big Nutella Fan

Since I was a little girl, Chocolate used to be my number one thing. Whether it was at home, or visiting family homes, family friends homes, When they used to put out chocolate, I couldn’t help but snag a few bites of chocolate. Its so good! I love so many types of chocolate, but one isn’t really my cup of tea and they say Dark Chocolate is the best and its good for you, but I beg to differ. Everytime I eat Dark Chocolate, I get this really funny aftertaste in my mouth and I don’t enjoy it at all. If its Milk Chocolate like Hersheys, Cadbury, and with Almonds its all good with me. I love the reese Chocolate peanut butter cups too. Its so delicious.

I love Chocolate cake, Chocolate Fudge, Chocolate Syrup, Chocolate Ice Cream, the Mousse, I sometimes make Chocolate cake and I make a little extra so as I can eat the Chocolate Cake batter. I love eating Cake Batter or Raw Cookie dough. It is so good. I know people say that there are raw eggs in it, but it has never effected me. I just eat it and I know its so many calories and stuff, but I just cannot help it. I love it.

Once in my cooking/baking class back in High School, we made a huge batch of Chocolate Chip cookies and I remember when the other people in my group weren’t looking, I used to eat the Chocolate Chip cookie dough with the Chips in it and it was sooooo good. They never caught me which was the fun part. LOL. We made a whole bunch so they didn’t even notice the Raw dough was even touched or eaten. Even the teacher didn’t see.

Now, Nutella is my ultimate fave. I love that stuff and they say that Nutella spreads a whole lot of energy and the hazelnuts and stuff in it are good for you and it is nutritious. Whenever I eat it, I feel so energetic and better throughout my day. Whenever I go shopping for groceries, Nutella is one of the things I get and when it comes home, It barely lasts a week or two. Now I am not one of those who puts a very thin thin layer of Nutella on my Pita Bread, Toast or Bagel, I love to add a lot more and actually taste the Nutella. Its such an awesome invention. I just love the rich, incredible taste to it and the smoothness. I once made a Nutella Frosting Cake and The whole cake was eaten in a matter of 2 days. I made it the day of and gone the next day by my family.

In a few blogs that I will post in the future will be all about CHOCOLATE this, CHOCOLATE that.

Stay tuned.

Thanks for stopping by

Talin’s Famous Lemon with Lemon Zest Cake

Recently I decided to try something new for myself when I was preparing cake one time to take to a relatives house. So I decided to come up with a whole new different type of cake that involves Lemons. I am a huge fan of Lemons and It is such a good source of Vitamins and it helps the immune system. The Lemon cakes major flavour is definitely the Lemon and it has to have the Sweet/Sour Lemony taste to it. Now here is my famous recipe.

Ingredients Required:

2 Juicy big or Large fresh Lemons – If you like the extra Lemon taste add one more if you life.

Sugar

Flour

Baking Powder

6 Eggs

Milk

1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract or Vanilla

Preparing the Lemon:

Now before squeezing the lemon I suggest you wash the lemons really well because were going to be using the Yellow skin to zest it.

Before squeezing the Lemons, take a zester and put the lemon skin that is ZESTED in a separate bowl. Zest until you see the white core of the Lemons, but make sure its not so so delicate to squeeze.

Now in a Lemon squeezer, make sure all the liquid juices are out of the Lemon. becareful for the seeds that they dont go into the juice.

Now put the Zest with the Lemon juice for about 5-10 minutes until soaked together until you start with the Cake batter preparations..

Preparing the Cake Batter:

Crack open 6 large eggs into the cake making bowl – for best results use the machine.

Start the machine and make sure the eggs are fully beaten and make sure it starts to turn into a light creamy yellowing colour.

Add the LEMONS/LEMON ZEST

Then put the teaspoon of Vanilla

After put 1 to 2 cups of Sugar

1 cup of Milk

1 to 2 Tablespoons of Baking powder

2 cups of Flour — check consistency. If its way too watery put about half a cup more of flour if its a little denser just leave it be.

Dont stop the machine until everything is mixed well together -

——————–

To prepare the Cake Baking Pan…

Make sure the Cake baking pan is deep.

Spray the pan with OLIVE OR CANOLA OIL with the cooking spray and make sure you have it all covered….

Add the Cake batter to the PAN Let the cake batter settle until your OVEN heats up

————————

Pre-heat your oven to 350

When your oven is pre-heated, put the Lemon Zest Cake in.

It should be done in an hour or so Depends on the strength of your oven. — Now to know its been done, just stick a tooth pick inside. If it comes out clear, its done, if it sticks to the toothpick it still needs to be done. Make sure its Gold Brown on top.

————-

Now before taking the cake out of the pan, let it cool off then put it onto a dessert plate. There you have it!

ENJOY!