CHRISTMAS SHOPPING.. Part Two. MOMENT SUPREME by Jean Patou.. Constance's signature perfume..

SHE was out and about with old wicker last week end on Saturday when HER mother decided to enter into this festive game.. there had been a hugely friendly competitiveness between HER parents as to who could find the best treasure at the best and lowest prices.

Therefore, SHE really was not surprised to 'feel' an arm snake through HERS and to smell that strange and extraordinarily wonderful perfume from Jean Patou in HER nostrils.. SHE has never known anyone except HER mama wear Moment Supreme.

But SHE had food and stuff to buy.. so off down the street SHE went to get limes and two bowls of persimmons from Karen. Humous, taramasalata, barberries, freekeh and dried white mulberries came from Ahmed. 

Duck breast and bacon from Dickinson, lastly two small Freeform cake tins from Select & Save, a brilliant emporium that sells everything for the home at very good prices.

With everything safely packed into old wicker, SHE said "Ok mama, I am all yours.. where are WE off to?"

Up the road towards Fulham Broadway.. nudged across to the other side of the street.. SHE always walks on the other side of the street so has never really noticed the Cancer Research Shop.

Nudge.. nudge.. through the door.. to the back and the book section.. now YOU all know SHE is a foodie.. Constance was the one who taught HER to cook and to read.. and what was there.. well, YOU do actually know because SHE gave YOU the names of these two marvellous cookery books in an earlier post.

But what was this? Some more 'nudge nudge' today when SHE was on HER way to work this morning! And two more wonderful cookery books in another Charity shop.

The Best of Masterchef - Since 1990 and The French Kitchen, that's what was there.. a collection of over 200 award winning recipes from one of HER favourite television shows and the other with 200 recipes from the Master of French Cooking.. aka HER culinary hero.. Michel Roux Jr.. who taught HER the secret of wringing water from potatoes!

And so it was really quite strange when SHE realised that SHE was 'alone' this afternoon.. bless them both, it is a good thing that they don't expect HER to spend 'serious money' whilst they lead HER all over London with them on their jaunts.

Shopping with HER parents.. is never dull.

GeeGee Parrot.
December 16th, 2013.

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING 'WITH' HER PARENTS.. Part One.

Now, of course, that is what a lot of children will be doing at this time of year.. except in HER case.. well.. it is a bit different.. for Hugo died in 1981 and Constance died in 2002. But this is what happened last week.

SHE was in that very happy place between being asleep and awake when HER nose started to twitch, for SHE was beginning to smell a smell.. the very familar smell of HER father's cologne.  

The name has long been forgotten but it is as if YOU mixed up a lime and a bay leaf.. WE think it is made by Trumper's of Jermyn Street.

Anyway there is was, wafting about as if Hugo had just sprayed it into the air. SHE got up thinking that perhaps SHE was imagining it but no.. the smell went with HER into the yumYum HQ when SHE went to turn on the kettle for OUR early morning mug of LapySang tea.

Having made the tea, SHE came back into the bedroom, opened MY cage and I shot out. Then SHE got back into bed.. and said in a clear voice.. "hello.. what's up.. what is going on?" And as clearly as a bell.. SHE heard HER father's voice say "time to go treasure hunting ....., get dressed, places to go, things to find, come on, chop chop".

Now I know YOU are all rolling YOUR eyes and thinking the old dear has lost the plot but SHE has been out & about when they have directed HER to a certain place in order to see something or find simply wonderful and it was Hugo, a couple of years ago, who directed HER into a funny little shop where SHE found a Lalaounis Sterling Silver collar for £25.00!

Go on line and do a search if YOU are not familiar with this wonderful firm of Grecian Gold and Silver Smiths.

Anyway, off SHE went, not knowing really where SHE was going but being gently nudged along, down the street, up to Sloane Street, onto a number 19 bus, which trundled through Piccadilly, up Shaftesbury Avenue and up to and along Theobalds Road and into the area called Clerkenwell.

Off the bus and now by foot into an area SHE used to know quite well when SHE worked for Studio owner all those years ago, a right turn brought HER into Leather Lane. Which is full of market stalls selling cheap clothes and shoes, lots of fruit 
and all the christmas decorations, holly, mistletoe, cyclamens, poinsettias.

SHE pottered along.. and then SHE knew why SHE was here.. for there, sitting quietly on a stall surrounded by a lot of very tatty rubbish, were two beautiful porcelain plates and a china casserole dish. 

The plates stand on a central plinth about three inches high and are for cakes or tarts, they are white with a gently scalloped edge and a hand gilded trim. 

In the centre of one of the plates, is a sprig of Honeysuckle, the other has a flower SHE does not know, so imagine a Cowslip but blue. They date from the 19th century and they are quite exquisite.

The casserole brought a smile to HER face, for the pattern SHE knew very well, there was absolutely no need for HER to turn it upside down.

SHE lifted the top to check the condition and then asked the stall holder what he wanted for the three items.

YOU would be foolish not to try and bargain in a junk or antique shop but YOU certainly do not try and beat down an elderly man who is standing in the cold in thin shoes and who, probably, won't sell very many of his stock that day.

So SHE paid his asking price, he wrapped them carefully in paper and a bit of bubble wrap and SHE left him with a smile and him saying to HER "Thank you and happy Christmas to you miss".

'Treasure' is to be found absolutely everywhere Dear Reader, for the beautiful casserole, which is in immaculate condition, bears the very famous stamp mark of Porcelaine de Paris - France and it was sold, the first time, by that very well known 
shop in New Bond Street.. Aspreys.

And the reason why SHE knew what would be stamped underneath the casserole? Well, many years ago SHE brought Constance the very same casserole - size # 3 - from the very same shop.

Coincidence.. ah well.. YOU might well be right Dear Reader.. but a very happy one.

GeeGee Parrot.
December 16th, 2013.

RUFFLE THAT TRUFFLE..

Yes indeedy.. YOU read that right. Truffle.

Now they are not exactly the kind of yumyum that YOU have just a'hanging about the kitchen all year long and SHE has not had a fresh Black Truffle in HER fridge for a very long time.

WE have jurst looked at the bit on the stats which tells us where Dear Readers are reading the Blog and WE saw, to OUR very great excitement, that there is a Dear Reader reading on the Bahamas.. now this is incredibly fortuitous.. because of the following Tale. 

There is a charming family living in OUR house, Tereza, Rebecca and Georgia are their names. I have not yet met them.. perhaps if MY behaviour was less of the BadBat variety I might get out and about more but I am young and sometimes do not realise that in order to get treats.. good behaviour is expected at 'most' times.. sigh.

Anyway, back to OUR upstairs neighbours.. Tereza sounds as if she is a 'cracking' cook. I have heard tales of pigs in blankets and other such delicious goodly things that SHE has eaten up there..

SHE has been invited to Christmas lunch with this family plus another guest who will be staying.. and SHE has volunteered to be the receiving depot for the perishable goods that will be delivered on December 23rd as 'les filles' are away until that day.

On the menu was something that sounds truly very edibubble indeedy.. but as the time approached of the family going away.. Tereza thought about this precious thing and realised that, horror of horrors, it might not quite make it to December 25th..

What to do? Well, generously, she sliced it in half and skipping down through the house late at night, she gave the other half to HER.. 

And so now YOU see why WE are very pleased to see that the Bahamas are reading MY Blog, for it gives HER the opportunity to say a very BIG "Thank you" to Tereza.. because that is where they have gone.. to Nassau and then onto one of HER most favourite places in the Caribbean.. 

The Eel shaped island of Eleuthera.. happy days girls.. happy days.. the Truffle is simply delicious.

Have a wonderful time and see YOU all on the 23rd. With love and a hug.

GeeGee Parrot & HER.
December 15th, 2013.

TO MARKET.. TO MARKET.. YES.. A FARMER'S MARKET ON SUNDAY.

Ugh.. he is so annoying that silly Mister Woe.. he thought that because there was no Goaty Curd in OUR house that he could cause gloom and despondency.. but haha.. SHE showed him that Black Truffle and he was out of the front door and up those stairs quicker than a flash!

Yes, Dear Readers, YOU read that right.. there is a Black Truffle living in the YumYum HQ.. SHE made some very delicious buttered eggs and then shaved slivers of Truffle onto them.. sorry Joanna, I know that YOU will be smacking YOUR lips and cursing HER at the same time.. but that is truly what WE had to break that norty fast this morning.

Afterwards, I settled down on top of the bedroom door and SHE went out in to the driving rain to catch a number 22 bus to Parson's Green. Why was SHE going forth is such foul weather? Well, at the Parson's Green Farmer's Market SHE knew SHE would find HER friend Goaty Mum.. aka Debbie of Ellie's Dairy.

Purveyor of all things Goaty.. but especially the product that WE absolutely adore.. Goaty Curd.

What was this.. NO CURD to be had.. oh dear, that is a sadness.. what are WE going to do? Sigh.. Luckily, Debbie will be at Wimbledon next weekend so all is not totally lost for plans for OUR Christmas fare. 

SHE had hoped to be able to try to use it today in HER White Cheesecake but that experiment will have to wait.

Debbie asked HER what were HER plans for the rest of the day.. HER response was going home to turn the heating on (for it is very damp dismal this weather), to make lunch and then to read HER two new books.

Which were found yesterday at a Cancer Research Charity Shop on the North End Road.. the first is called Beaneaters & Bread Soup - Portaits and Recipes from Tuscany by Lori De Mori and Jason Lowe. 

(YOU know SHE reads cookery books like novels.. if YOU had not realised this.. wake up at the back there, where do YOU think YOU are.. school?)

The second is one that SHE was thrilled to find.. 
Chez Panisse.. Pasta Pizza & Calzone by Alice Waters, Patricia Curtan and Martine Labro.

Both absolutely new.. untouched by human paw! 

But before books could be perused.. lunch was on the menu for YOU see, WE both like to eat with OUR meals.

Out of that chilly white cupboard.. aka fridge.. came several packets, fresh herbs.. a bottle of red wine came from another cupboard. Two large red potatoes and a couple of shallots came from the vegetable rack.

A pyrex dish was filled with salt, the potatoes were put on top and they put into the hot oven to bake for an hour.

She chopped the shallots into a frying pan and poured in some wine along with a bouquet garni of herbs. Hubble bubble this went as it slowly began to reduce.

Then SHE went off to do things that adults do on wet afternoons.. bit of laundry.. wrote some cards. And came back to check on the potatoes.. they were ready, so the flesh came out of their skins into a bowl, they were mashed with a fork, an egg yolk, some double cream, chopped parsley, salt and pepper were added, they were shaped into little cakes, rolled in flour and set aside.

Ah.. one of the packets has turned out to be Duck breasts. They are now at room temperature, SHE scored the fat and placed them fat side down onto a warm pan.. and cooked them in their own fat for about 12 minutes, this includes the couple of minutes when SHE flipped them over onto the other side. Out of the pan they came to relax.

The red wine sauce had veal stock added, the herbs removed and it hubbled-bubbled for a little longer, truly the smell was scrummydumptious.

Both butter and oil went into a frying pan, in went the little potato cakes until they were crisp and golden, they drained on paper.. Duck sliced, potato cakes on the side and that wonderful sauce on top.. 

What do YOU mean YOU cannot be bothered to cook for YOURSELF? How ridiculous.. Don't YOU like good food, don't YOU enjoy making something delicious? 

Now.. ok.. WE don't do something like this every day but SHE now has something cooked and ready  to take to work tomorrow which SHE will share with the others.. a salad and cold duck breast.. what could be nicer?

On a cold wet December's day.. it was jurst the ticket.. and no need for supper after such a late lunch.. well, maybe an apple or two!

GeeGee Parrot.
December 15th, 2013.

NORTY BLOGSPOT..

Has fiddled with MY Blog.. SHE went in to correct something in the previous post and norty Blogspot moved it up the newest spot.. so read the Tale about Gateau de Pommes de Terre Savoyard last.. because it is the latest!

GeeGee Parrot.
December 14th, 2013.

FROM AQUITAINE & SAVOIE.. TO A KENTISH VILLAGE.

Oh.. such a Tale of deliciousness I have to tell YOU Dear Reader.. where to start.. I suppose the beginning is always a good place.. so let's zoom back in time to the very late 1950's.

I know that not all of YOU were alive but SHE was and so was Constance.. the family lived in the County of Kent between two villages.. Biddenden and High Halden.

If YOU turned left out of the drive, YOU could stay on the main road and meander on a very curly-wurly road all the way to Biddenden or YOU could turn left and then hang a very sharp right and whoosh down a small country lane.. past the Archdales.. wonderful friends of HER parents. 

They were Captain 'Humps', Molly his wife, his son Gilbert and Freckles the dog. Humps had served in both WW1 and WW2.. Humps (DSC.. Distinguished Service Cross) had served with the Royal Navy on the Arctic Convoy and Molly had served as a Wren.

Onwards past the farm belonging to the Myles family, then a sharp dog-leg turn brought YOU to the house of more family friends, the Holbrooks. Colonel 'Alec' was the fifth son of a truly very remarkable military family. 

Their children were much older than SHE but they were renown for their winter parties, for in front of their house was the steepest hill and when it snowed, which it always did in those days, that hill became impassable which made it jurst the very best place for tobogganing! 

So let us zoom down that hill, turn left and screech to a halt.. for WE have reached the breathtakingly beautiful Tudor home of John and Paulette Hotchkiss and she and what she made are the stars of this Tale.

Paulette was adorabubble.. with no children of her own (a great sadness to her and her composer husband) she loved her friends children to visit or to be involved in their lives and so if and when Constance and Hugo had to go somewhere, SHE would spend the night with Paulette.

Paulette was French, she was born in the town of Bergerac which is located in the south west area of France called Aquitaine.. her father was from an old Aquitaine family, her mother was a Savoyard, from Savoie, an area of south eastern France.

And she, like her friend Constance, loved animals, 
cooking, family, friends, gardening and history.. not necessarily in the way I have listed them!

And the thing that she loved most was a houseful 
of people to cook for.. with her wonderful garden for her guests to spill out into.. but she was equally happy to cook for one small child.. aka HER.

And she knew that this particular child adored it 
when she made a Gateau de Pommes de Terre Savoyard, which is a potato cake wrapped with very thinly sliced air dried ham. So there was always one for supper when SHE stayed the night.. cold or hot.. it was equally delicious.

Fast forward many years to the 1980's and SHE, whilst staying with Constance who was now living in Tenterden, went to supper with Paulette.

John was now composing music up in Heaven and Paulette had made the decision to move back to 
Bergerac to be near to her family.. so it really was the Last Supper for these two old friends and the grown-up child but what was on the menu?

Yes, YOU guessed right.. it was a heavenly Gateau de Pommes de Terre de Savoyard.. with another to take away!

SHE will give YOU the trick of how to make this very scrummydumptious yumyum in the next Post as norty BlogSpot will not allow long Tales to be told.. so pippip. Slurp-the-durp indeedy..

GeeGee Parrot.
December 14th, 2013.

GATEAU DE POMMES DE TERRE SAVOYARD.. WITH SINCERE THANKS TO CHEF MICHEL ROUX Jr.

SHE did try several times to make these savoury cakes but somehow.. they never worked.. they fell apart and generally behaved in a most delinquent fashion.. so SHE had given up until last month.

Now what happened last month to rectify this culinary situation? Well, what happened was SHE was watching Professional Masterchef one night and HER culinary hero, Michel Roux Jr, announced that, for his skill test, the four contestants would have to cook a Gateau de Savoyard..

SHE practically exploded with excitement as there, on the screen, he told HER the secret.. that YOU have to wring the water out of the potatoes.

Who knew, not HER as SHE had never seen or watched Paulette make them.

Now bear with US because WE make these in bulk.. for SHE sees absolutely no point in heating an oven for one little potato cake.. so SHE makes several at a time.. for chilled and wrapped in tin foil they travel happily at the bottom of a basket.. they go to work with HER and several of HER friends love them too..

Ingredients:

Red potatoes.. about 6 of a large size.
Equal number of large onions.
Lots of strips of air dried ham or streaky bacon.
Chopped Prunes & whole Raisins. 
Salt and Pepper.. some dried Sage.
Butter.
A small bowl, but not too small!
A rack which fits over a roasting pan.
Pre-heat oven to Gas mark 3.

Peel the potatoes and then grate them over a large bowl.
Then taking a small handful at a time, place the potato onto a dry cloth, gather the cloth up and twist the water out of the vegetable. 
This takes some doing as the least water left the better they will be! 
Repeat until all the grated potato has been done.
Then finely chop the onions and fry gently in the butter until they are transparent.. NOT coloured.
Mix the onions with the potatoes, add salt and pepper and not too much dried sage, mix well.
Taking the ham / bacon, line the bowl so that the sides are not visible and the ends hang over the edge.
Then fill the bowl with the potato & onion mix and put in the fruit.
When the bowl is full, press the mix down and fold over the edges of the ham so that it covers the vegetable mix.
Invert the bowl, slide the little cakes out and place them on the rack and roast for about an hour.. the ham / bacon should be cooked.

They are equally delicious hot or cold..

To get the proper weights & measures, YOU can go on line and search for Gateau de Savoyard / Michel Roux Jr and they will be there.

For HER.. it is such a treat to eat these very delicious things.. they make HER think of HER lovely friend Paulette.. whom, upon hearing of the death of her friend Constance, wrote to HER the most charming condolence letter remembering those happy times spent with Constance in the 1950's and 1960's, of picking hops and other fruit for local farmers, driving vans for Meals on Wheels and starting the local branch of Riding for the Disabled with Mary Ireland and Jean Palmer. 

The power of food to unlock emotions.. SHE is a 
'little' wet-eyed with these memories.. all brought back by a simple potato cake.. made with love.

GeeGee Parrot.
December 14th, 2013.

THE BOOZY FRUIT & DRUNKEN NUTS..

They are very special these tall jars that SHE has tucked away in a dark cupboard, for one of them is over forty years old and it is the last jar of the first batch of boozy fruit that Constance made when she and Hugo moved to Andalucia in January 1973.

Constance took Raisins and packed them into large glass jars and topped them up with Pedro Domecq's Fundador brandy. 

Then she left the delicious fruit to sit quietly for several months to become fat and juicy.. and very delicious.

The other jars are full of a very different type of ingredient and the idea for them came to HER many years ago from a very, very old recipe book.. SHE taught HER mother this recipe.

SHE put fresh Hazelnuts and dried thyme, rosemary and oregano into a large jar and topped it up with Scotch Whisky.. they have to marinate for at least twelve months before YOU can use them. 

SHE uses these marvellous culinary ingredients in meat pates, pies and terrines.. they add an truly extraordinary taste and fragrance. Yum indeedy..

Winter food does not have to be glum or serious just because the weather's dreary and gloomy and SHE is, most definitely, HER mother's daughter.

GeeGee Parrot.
December 13th, 2013.

A TEXAN CHRISTMAS & THE LAST CALL FOR SALVATORE FERRAGAMO..

Whoosh.. We are going back in time.. back seventeen years to be precise.. to Christmas 1996.

Dagga Parrot and Peter Pigeon went to stay with a couple of HER friends.. they had lots of their own birds.. another two would not be a problem.

Knowing HER Boys would be happy, safe and very spoilt, SHE flew to spend Christmas and New Year with Edgar, an old friend, in the Texan Hill Country. This is an area of Texas, north east of San Antonio and not that far from the State Capitol Austin.

The Christmas bit of the holiday was VERY jolly indeed as Fredericksburg, the place where SHE was staying, was a' jumping.. with 'children' back from college and lots of folk in town staying with their families for the holidays.

This charming town was founded in 1846 by German immigrants and a huge amount of the original families are still living and working in the area. It is a FUN place to be and especially at Christmas!

The weather was chilly to fair.. but immediately
after Christmas it turned very cold indeedy.. chilly-billy on the hilly is a phrase that comes to mind.

The word went out from Traffic Police.. ONLY travel if absolutely necessary.. all of the roads were covered in black ice and conditions were extremely dangerous.

Luckily the house was one block off main Street so it was a short but very brisk walk to shops if one needed anything.. but no jaunting for four days can make a girl go stir-crazy.. 

And so when the driving ban was lifted and a dear friend said "do you want to come with me to Austin for the day".. well.. SHE replied quicker than a rat coming down a drain pipe!

Off they went.. to do food shopping for their New Years Eve party they were giving at the HUGE branch of a local food supplier, to have lunch with a couple of friends, to look at everything and ending up, after having a very successfully good time in all the year end sales, at a HUGE shop called Last Call..

I am sure that YOU will all agree that this is a 
very strange name for a shop until I tell YOU that this is a branch of Neiman-Marcus. With new merchandise arriving in their shops all the time, stock only has a limited time to sell or be moved on.. and this is where it goes.

Friend wanted to look at linens.. they agreed to 
meet in the coffee bar at 5pm.. SHE followed HER nose to the shoe department.. oh lordy.. SHE knew SHE had died and ended up in Shoe Heaven..

SHE has a small, quite narrow foot and there were literally hundreds of styles that SHE fell in lurve with.. "be sensible" SHE told HERSELF.. thankful that SHE had a pristine credit card with HER.. with a zero balance.

For there.. right in front of HER nose were some beautiful J.Renee pumps.. black suede with festive embroidery all around the shoe.. proper Christmas shoes.. for $60.00.. a steal. 

I regret to say that several equally delicious pairs of shoes joined their friends in HER basket.. happily all at similar very reasonable prices and then.. suddenly.. SHE felt faint and very weird.. for in front of HER.. all by themselves.. was a pair of over the knee black suede low heeled boots.

SHE maybe a Londoner but SHE is also a European and every self-respecting European woman can recognise a pair of Ferragamo boots.

SHE literally prayed.. bent down.. turned one over and squealed with joy.. oh hallelujah.. they were HER size.. slipping off HER shoes, SHE raised HER leg and slid the black silky babies on.. and was doing the twirl of happiness when HER friend walked up.. "Nice.. very nice indeed" was the comment.

In a walk in cupboard at the back of OUR home is HER shoe stash.. they are all in boxes or with boots trees or folded up with tissue.. and there these beautiful shoes and boots live to this very day.. taken care of most carefully..  for there will never be another day that SHE will be able to buy a pair of long suede boots by Salvatore Ferragamo for $100.. plus tax.

GeeGee Parrot.
December 8th, 2013. 

YOU get YOUR Christmas gift ahead of time!

It was not a slice of pure culinary delight that I bribed HER with.. it was a bag of mushrooms and some very scrummy eggs.. foodle-the-doodle.. there is nothing like a delicious mushroom omelette to make HER fingers tap on ole iPad!

I know it is not yet Christmas day but YOU will probably want to do or make a dummy or trial go at this recipe.. 

Yes folks.. this is OUR gift to YOU.. the recipe of the White Chocolate Cheesecake that SHE makes. 

For friends in the city, they get an actual cake but it would be a bit tricky sending it to friends and Dear Readers by mail / post.

SHE makes this every year and mighty good it is too.. there is a little addition to it which I will also give YOU at the end.

Are YOU ready? Then here WE go with list of ingredients.. but before that.. make sure YOU have a tin with a removable base and sides that open.. they are called 'Springform' in England, this recipe fits an 8" / 20cm base.

50g / 2oz unsalted butter.
150g / 5oz plain chocolate (NOT MILK) Digestive biscuits or Oreos without the cream.
300g / 10oz White Chocolate.
400g / 14oz Full fat Cream Cheese.
2 eggs.
150ml / 1/4 pint of Sour Cream.
1 teaspoonful of Vanilla Extrait.
Some fresh Raspberries or Pomegranate Seeds.

Preheat oven to 160c or gas mark 3.

Take the removable base out of the wall, butter 
and line it with non stick baking paper.

Crush the biscuits in a strong plastic ziplock bag with a rolling pun, YOU do not want chunks!

Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the crushed biscuit. Tip into the reassembled baking tim and smooth and press the mixture so that it is even. Put to chill into the fridge.. this can be done the day before.

Using an electric mixer or by hand.. Whisk the cream cheese and the eggs together in a large bowl until they are smooth, add the sour cream and vanilla and whisk again.. NO lumps please! 

Put a saucepan of water on to boil, place a bowl onto the pan and break the chocolate up into chunks.. stir gently, watching that the chocolate does not get too hot.. stir and heat until it is runny and fully melted.

Now add the chocolate to the cream cheese mix and whisk again. Remove the chilled tin from the fridge and pour the mix over the base, smooth until it is level.

Cook in the upper part BUT not the top shelf of the oven for 45 minutes. We put a dish of hot water into a baking tray and this sits on the bottom shelf.

The cake should be firm to the finger touch on the outer edge and just firm or set in the middle.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool, run a very sharp knife around the outside to loosen the cake, allow to cool thoroughly, release the catch on the Springform outer rim and then place in the fridge to chill.

WE usually serve it with a coulis of delicious Golden Raspberries! But SHE grows these.. yum.

If YOU can find them, then buy them and freeze them for they truly are the BEST fruits ever.. 

If not, then a couli of Red Raspberries or some fresh Red Raspberries, Pomegranate seeds or thin slices of Golden Persimmons would look equally wonderful..

The other way SHE does this is to put aside some of the cheese mix and adds to this some melted DARK chocolate, then SHE swirls this into the mix just before SHE puts it onto the biscuit crust.. it looks VERY pretty!

So.. there YOU have it.. wherever YOU may be.. HER Christmas gift to YOU Dear Reader.. 

Note to European Dear Readers.. SHE uses the own brand of White Chocolate from Lidl and Philadelphia Full Fat Cheese and HOMEMADE Vanilla Extrait!

MY next post will about about shoes.. SHE lurves shoes and a Texan store.. so come back soon to read more Tales from  ME.. a Blog writing red Tailed Parrot..

GeeGee Parrot.
December 8th, 2013.