Making Great Art Is About Being More Of Who You Are

Sorry my last post was a whiny one. I’m quite good at that, whining. So much so that my primary school teacher, my Payne, told me, as I whinged my way through the wet mud on school camp, that he’d never met someone so complaining and impatient before. Though in my defence (and his) the same teacher gave me the class diligence award at the end of the year. So, I am complaining but I am persistent, too. Yes, a woman of many qualities. Alas, don’t you think I have good reason to complain? Harry seems to think so. You know, Harry from When Harry Met Sally? He takes the words straight out of my mouth when in his epic declaration of love he says: “when you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
So, I keep busy…
I bake. 
I shop.

I work.

And I work some more (watching Japanese movies for my next Savvy article).

And I reassure myself that this too shall pass. For almost one year has passed since mummy and daddy came to visit me in rural Japan where my life was so very different to what it is today.

Trying their first ramen. 
Enjoying sakura (cherry blossom) season. A
And watching their daughter imitate Mimasaka’s best sushi chef.

Carrot cake everything

My sister and brother-in-law arrive tomorrow! Today, with the help of my beautiful friend Mina, I made my carrot cake cupcakes and carrot cake truffles for them! Hope this shows how much I carrot about them <3

My most viewed post

I dedicate this re-post to my one and only sister, Delaram who has repeatedly shared, liked and commented on every single one of my blog-posts both online and in person. Deli, I appreciate every one of your efforts If I ever “make it” you’ll be the one person I won’t forget harharhar

Delaram loves carrot cake which is why I attempted these truffles in the first place and you know what else? She’s coming all the way to Japan to see me in THREE days. We have a FULL (and fun) schedule so watch this space!

The recipe for my “Mind-Blowing Carrot Cake Truffles” is my most viewed post yet: 24,907 and counting. I know, it isn’t that much compared to all the famous food bloggers out there but for me, it’s insane. Especially when the views come from St. Lucia, Zambia, Ecuador,  Qatar, Morocco, Cameroon, Benin, Luxembourg and Poland! WOW.

Blogging, at least for me, takes a lot of perseverance and faith. It’s laborious putting your energy and time into something without knowing what, if any, results will come of your actions. I haven’t started making a living off of my blog/writing yet, but for now, I’m over-the-moon knowing you’re eating these instead of cake.

Christmas Carrot Cake

Firstly, can I get a woop woop on my alliteration? Secondly, let me tell you that this Christmas, you will not be mediocre. You will not be commonplace. You will not serve [insert generic supermarket name here] cake. No. This Christmas you will WOW the masses and wow them you will with the best fookin carrot cake your guests have never had.  You may think me mad, perhaps melodramatic but I assure you I am not over-doing the figurative language. This is not a hyperbole, honest. Like all of my other creations, this cake is entirely made of natural ingredients. In addition, it is dairy, gluten and refined-sugar free. It is not vegan for I used organic free-range eggs. I think they are okay (no hate mail). It is hands down, the BEST cake I have ever made AND EATEN. Yes, it is that good and that is how much I believe in it/myself.

Please try it.

It’s life-changing. In fact, I believe it could break the internet.

#iaccidentlyatethewholecake

2 medium sized carrots (grated)
2 organic free-range eggs
1/4 cup extra virgin organic olive oil
1 ripe banana
3/4 cup muscovado sugar
the creamy top of a coconut milk can (about 1/2 cup)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup almond meal
1 1/2 cups of flour (I used wholemeal but you can use a GF alternative)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup raw walnut pieces

Topping (optional):
1 banana (horizontally cut)
juice of half a lemon

Preheat oven to 180C

Grease cake tin in little oil

Mix wet ingredients

Mix dry ingredients

Combine wet and dry together

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until the fork comes out clean – if cake top is browning too quickly, cover with foil and continue to bake.

*If using banana decor, arrange horizontally sliced banana atop cake then cover with  lemon juice. This is to stop the bananas from going black and this is what I forgot to do. Hence the average pictures. But the taste is great!

Let Them Eat Cake

A sound advice Antoinette, especially when the cake is jam-packed with the good stuff. That was not a drug reference. Seriously, it wasn’t. So my sister turned 27 today (I know, you don’t care) and since she’s getting married in two weeks and so is naturally weight conscious (as all bride-to-be’s most often are), I made her the healthiest possible version of her favourite cake (carrot cake) that I could master.

Cake:
2 cups grated carrots
2 cups almond meal
3 free-range eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup unrefined coconut sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp pure vanilla essence
1 tsp baking soda

1 cup crushed walnuts
1/4 cup organic sultanas

Icing:
1/2 cup mascarpone
2 tsp raw honey
zest of one lemon
1 tsp pure vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 160C

In a food processor, mix the first lot of cake ingredients until well combined.

Using a spoon, fold in the walnuts and sultanas (make sure your food processor is off if wanting fingers to stay in tact)

Pour cake mixture into a greased cake tin.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the fork comes out clean.

In a small bowl, combine all icing ingredients and mix well until smooth and creamy.

Spread icing evenly on top of cooled cake using the back of a spoon.

Face plant into centre of cake or enjoy in a conventional manner with fork.

*gluten-free
*refined-sugar free
*dairy free