Butter Sculpture, Duchess Kate, Penguins.

For a collection of impressive photos of butter sculptures follow this link. The one below is Tiger with a tiger. I presume they have to be kept pretty cold. People are so clever. Another of my favourites was the cow jumping over the moon.


For dinner on Valentine’s day we decided to do chicken breasts stuffed with a mixture of Fontina, sun dried tomatoes in oil and marinated artichoke breasts with basil. Not one we have tried before. Didn’t bother with dessert other than some Activia yogurt.  I regret to say that the recipe was pretty tasteless. We were both very disappointed. We had smoked salmon as a starter, best part of the meal. Certainly not a recipe we will ever repeat.

Another big fuss because pictures are being published of the Duchess of Cambridge, wearing a bikini, strolling along the beach with her husband. I am not sure what the fuss is about. They talk about her being pregnant, it hardly shows at all, she has a very slight bump. I do tend to agree that if she is on a public beach, she is going to get photographed. Last year, yes, it was an invasion of privacy, this doesn’t fall into the same category, in my opinion. Things change, in Victorian times they covered up the legs of pianos to be more seemly!!! I wish the press would stop hounding her, but I guess they never will. They took pix of her pregnant mother-in-law, so I guess Kate is fair game.

I wrote last night about the eyes in the sky, or Earth from Space and what can be seen. It now appears that through satellites seeing a massive trail of poo, a new colony of some 9,000 Emperor Penguins has been discovered in a little explored area of Antarctica close to Princess Elisabeth station. The amazing thing is that these birds have never seen humans before and have no fear but lots of curiosity about the naturalists. I wonder if they dance?

I wish I’d seen these crêpes before I made mine on Tuesday. Cooking.com sent the recipe as a Valentine’s dessert.  I was going to post a different recipe, but it’s chocolate!!!!!You could also make a chocolate ganache by warming cream and adding chocolate to it instead of the sauce.

Chocolate Crêpes with Orange and Chocolate Sauce

Source: © EatingWell Magazine
8 crêpes

If you prefer, fill these chocolate crêpes with vanilla frozen yogurt or fresh fruit instead of yogurt cheese.
Make Ahead Tip: Crêpe batter may be covered and chilled up to 1 day in advance.
 
INGREDIENTS
For Crêpes:
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup skim milk
1 large egg
2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1/4 cup water
For Orange Syrup:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
Zest from 2 oranges, cut into very thin strips
For Filling:
1 cup yogurt cheese (see Tip)
2 1/2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Sauce  click for recipe

Tip: : To make 1 cup of yogurt cheese, line a colander with a large cotton towel or double thickness of cheesecloth, and place the colander in the sink. Pour in 3 cups low-fat yogurt. After 15 minutes, transfer the colander to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours or overnight. Gathering the edges of the towel together, gently squeeze out any remaining liquid. Transfer cheese to a separate container. Refrigerate until ready to use. Keeps 1 week.

Other necessary recipes:Chocolate Sauce

DIRECTIONS
To make crêpes: Combine flour, cocoa, sugar, salt, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon oil and water in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour or for up to 24 hours.
To make orange syrup: Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, add orange zest, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the syrup has thickened and the zest is tender. Several times during the cooking, brush the sides of the saucepan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water to keep sugar crystals from forming on the sides. Remove from heat and let cool.
To make filling: Whisk together yogurt cheese, confectioners' sugar and vanilla in a small bowl until well-blended. Cover and refrigerate.
To cook and assemble crêpes: If necessary, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water to crêpe batter so that it has the consistency of light cream. Heat a small nonstick skillet or crêpe pan over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles when sprinkled on the surface. Reduce heat to medium-low. Brush pan with a little of the remaining 1 teaspoon oil as needed to prevent sticking. Pour about 2 tablespoons of batter on the skillet and swirl to coat the bottom evenly. Cook 30 to 40 seconds until the top of the crepe has a dull surface and the edges begin to curl. Flip and cook for 20 to 30 seconds, or until the crêpe is firm. Remove to a plate and cover with a dry cloth. Repeat with remaining crêpes. (The crêpes may be stacked until served).
Place a crêpe on a dessert plate. Spread 2 tablespoons of filling across the middle. Fold in half and spoon 1 tablespoon Chocolate Sauce over top or beside it. Spoon 2 teaspoons orange syrup and zest over the crêpe. Repeat with remaining crêpes

Have a great day