Worth £54.95. Wow, expensive pillow!
Friday, 27 April 2012
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Pizza
My first attempt at making own pizza from scratch. Luckily I have Christine's recipe to guide me.
=Ingredients to make pizza base=
2 cups bread flour
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp instant yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbs milk powder, optional
=Ingredients to make pizza filling=
Whatever you like - chicken, beef, prawn
capsicums
pineapple
onion
(stir fry everything above first)
mozarella
Method
1. Add sugar into 3/4 cup warm water and mix until dissolved. Sprinkle yeast over it and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until it foams and bubbles.
2. If you knead the dough by hands, sieve the flour, milk powder and salt onto a clean surface. Make a well in the middle. Pour yeast mixture and oil into the well. Start from the middle to mix the flour into the liquid. Knead with clean hands until you get a smooth and springy dough. ( Christine used a bread maker to mix all ingredients until dough is foam.)
3. Form the dough into a ball. You can get your dough fermented in any one of the following ways:
(Method A) If you want a soft-bread-like pizza base, cover the dough with a damp cloth and put in a warm room for about an hour, until the dough has doubled in size.
(Method B) If you like a crispy pizza crust. Place in a greased bowl and coat with a bit of olive oil on top. Cover the bowl tightly with a cling wrap and store in the fridge at least 24 hours, until the size is double. Then it’s ready for you to make pizza. (Note: Christine placed the dough in the fridge over 1 day. It can keep for a few days.)
4. Preheat oven to 200C (395F). Remove the dough from fridge (if you use method A, in step 3 above). If you use method B, the dough is ready to be used when it’s doubled in size.
5. Punch the dough down with your hands and deflates the air out. Divide the dough into two parts (or as many little balls you like, if you’d like to make mini pizzas). Shape each part into a ball shape. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 15 minutes. (Note: if you don’t prepare to use the dough to make pizza right away, you can wrap it in a cling film and put in the fridge until you need it.)
6. Roll the dough out into a round disc, about 0.5cm in thickness. Place them on a slightly larger pizza pan (sheet pan), drizzled with olive oil. Place Mozzarella cheese sticks around the edge. Along the inner side of cheese sticks, damp the dough with some water, fold the outer edge inside as picture shown. (Note: be sure not to let any oil touch the surface of dough at this stage, the edge can't be sealed easily otherwise.) Prick the surface of dough with a fork.
7. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the dough surface and spread evenly to avoid your dough from being soggy.
8. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of extra BBQ sauce on the dough and spread it evenly. Sprinkle on 1/3 of cheese, then diced chicken, red onion, mushrooms. Sprinkle the rest of cheese on top.
9. Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until the base is golden brown, cheese melts, and toppings are bubbly.
My first homemade pizza
=Ingredients to make pizza base=
2 cups bread flour
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp instant yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbs milk powder, optional
=Ingredients to make pizza filling=
Whatever you like - chicken, beef, prawn
capsicums
pineapple
onion
(stir fry everything above first)
mozarella
Method
1. Add sugar into 3/4 cup warm water and mix until dissolved. Sprinkle yeast over it and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until it foams and bubbles.
2. If you knead the dough by hands, sieve the flour, milk powder and salt onto a clean surface. Make a well in the middle. Pour yeast mixture and oil into the well. Start from the middle to mix the flour into the liquid. Knead with clean hands until you get a smooth and springy dough. ( Christine used a bread maker to mix all ingredients until dough is foam.)
3. Form the dough into a ball. You can get your dough fermented in any one of the following ways:
(Method A) If you want a soft-bread-like pizza base, cover the dough with a damp cloth and put in a warm room for about an hour, until the dough has doubled in size.
(Method B) If you like a crispy pizza crust. Place in a greased bowl and coat with a bit of olive oil on top. Cover the bowl tightly with a cling wrap and store in the fridge at least 24 hours, until the size is double. Then it’s ready for you to make pizza. (Note: Christine placed the dough in the fridge over 1 day. It can keep for a few days.)
4. Preheat oven to 200C (395F). Remove the dough from fridge (if you use method A, in step 3 above). If you use method B, the dough is ready to be used when it’s doubled in size.
5. Punch the dough down with your hands and deflates the air out. Divide the dough into two parts (or as many little balls you like, if you’d like to make mini pizzas). Shape each part into a ball shape. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 15 minutes. (Note: if you don’t prepare to use the dough to make pizza right away, you can wrap it in a cling film and put in the fridge until you need it.)
6. Roll the dough out into a round disc, about 0.5cm in thickness. Place them on a slightly larger pizza pan (sheet pan), drizzled with olive oil. Place Mozzarella cheese sticks around the edge. Along the inner side of cheese sticks, damp the dough with some water, fold the outer edge inside as picture shown. (Note: be sure not to let any oil touch the surface of dough at this stage, the edge can't be sealed easily otherwise.) Prick the surface of dough with a fork.
7. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the dough surface and spread evenly to avoid your dough from being soggy.
8. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of extra BBQ sauce on the dough and spread it evenly. Sprinkle on 1/3 of cheese, then diced chicken, red onion, mushrooms. Sprinkle the rest of cheese on top.
9. Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until the base is golden brown, cheese melts, and toppings are bubbly.
Monday, 23 April 2012
Isle of Cumbrae
Have been planning for a trip to this island for a week. Finally we went on Sunday.
Start to board the train from Glasgow Central to Largs at 9.42am. Takes an hour journey.
Our train
Reach the small town Largs
After coming out from the Largs station, turn to left and walk straight to get to the ferry point.
Stop at Nardini's (the blue roof) for its famous ice-cream. It's just located beside the ferry point.
We go for the Large 99 cone
I choose Cookies&Cream while DH choose vanilla
Indulge myself in the creaminess. DH said mine taste better than his after trying mine.
Buy the ferry ticket here.
Here comes the ferry
Cloudy view of Largs
Emergency boat on the ferry
Many yachts sailing there
10 minutes on the ferry
Reach the island and look out for the bus 320 to Millport
Our bus ticket
We cycle around the coastal area
Go to this shop to rent a bicycle. They have many types of bicycles cater for different needs.
We rent a tandem bike (cos the last time I cycled was when I was 10 or 11 years old)
Single bicycle for an hour is £2.20
Tandem bicycle for an hour is £5.20
Add basket 20p
Helmet -forgot add how much cos I dun need it
Children's playground
We only touch 2 posts so DH said we only get 40% of luck from the islanders
Tomont End Monument
I found the Indian Rock!
Closer view
Wow, so 'cantik'
We found the Lion Rock!
We cycle for 2 hours
The infamous Crocodile Rock
Overlooking Millport
The smallest cathedral in Great Britain
Go to Deep Sea shop to takeaway the yummy fish and chips. It's located opposite the bus stop.
My fish and chips - recommended!
His chicken and chips
Bus sends us back to the ferry point again. Time to go home.
Our cycling certificates
Total damage done: (£8.90 return train ticket x 2 persons) + (£1.90 Nardini's ice-cream x 2 cones) + (£4.60 return ferry ticket x 2 persons) + (£3 return bus ticket x 2 persons) + (tandem bicycle rental £5.20 per hour x 2 + 0.20 bicycle basket) + (£5 fish and chips + £5 chicken and chips) = £57.40
Total gained: Happiness and fun experienced through cycling around the island with your partner is indefinite
*our butts start to hurt already*
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