Make The Lame Look Great!

A Short Piece About Presentation

Even the most "meh" meals can look nice ;)

Gonna keep this relatively short as tonight I have lots to do, so here we go. I will be focusing on breakfasts in this piece. 

Color = Love 

Often breakfast foods are on the bland side of things when it comes to color. I'm mostly thinking:Pancakes, eggs, hashbrowns, most cereals, crepes, french toast, etc. They are almost always brown and yellowish, while always delicious doesn't look the best when trying to impress guests or a loved one.

Bottom line is: Get Some Fruit! I've gotten so many compliments on simple little arrangments for how bright they are. Bright fruit are amazing when it comes to brightening up a plate. Strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, apples, etc. Many of these go very well with most breakfast foods, are loaded with vitamins for the day and is sure to make whoever is enjoying it smile!

 Balance is Key

Very simple thing to remember. Try to keep everything balanced as though in a painting. Dividing the foods usually looks great and keeps it clean. Don't just throw everything on the plate wherever it decides to land. Take some care in plating. and don't be afraid to experiment (Added chocolate sauce on the fruit, was good at the end but might make the rest taste odd if you ate it first)

 Stay Creative!

This can sometimes be hard, especially if you're not the creative type (such as myself). But every little thing helps. Wether you added a smiley face, pokemon, building or whatever, it always shows you care about both the food and the people who are eating it. As shown below all I did in this case was make little stars by cutting an apple horizontally and then trimming the middle creating a star shape. It's not great obviously (like I said, slightly creatively lacking) but even with this simple accent, my wife, father in-law and brother in-law were all amazed (somehow lol)

 Most important of all...

PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD!

Thanks for stopping by =)

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Delicious Pineapple Upside-Down Cake!

Super simple, super awesome!

(Just to point out usually there are maraschino cherries in the center of the pineapple but one of the guests were allergic)

Very quick and simple, especially if you're using canned pineapple!

What You'll Need:

Topping:

-1/3 Cup Melted Butter

-1 Cup  Packed Brown Sugar

-About 9 Pineapple Rings

-Bottle of Maraschino Cherries

Cake:

-1/2 Cup Softened Butter

-1 Cup Granulated Sugar

-2 Eggs

-1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

-3 Tbsp Pineapple Juice (or reserve from can)

-3/4 Cup Milk

-1 3/4 Cup Flour

-1 Tbsp Baking Powder

-1/2 Tsp Salt

-Preheat oven to 350F-

Step 1: Pour melted butter into the 9" baking pan of your choice. I used a rectangle one but circle pans work fine of course.

 

Step 2: Sprinkle brown sugar as evenly as possible over the butter, try to cover as much surface as you can.

 

Step 3: Place Pineapple rings evenly on the surface of the topping mix. I cut my own because I find them sweeter, but canned pineapples work just as good. This is where you would also place Maraschino cherries in the center of the rings and in areas with nothing covering the sugar. Since one of my guests were allergic to Maraschinos I just used more pineapple.

Step 4: In a mixer, cream butter with sugar until well blended, then add vanilla, eggs and pineapple juice.

Step 5: Once blended smooth add the dries(flour, baking powder, salt)

Step 6: One completely combined, pour batter over the pineapple topping and spread smooth & even.

Step 7: Bake for 45-50 Minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Step 8: Score the sides with a knife to make sure it doesn't stick and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Then place a pan/tray over the cake and flip over! Keep it flipped for about a minute before removing pan. 

Voila! Like I said it's very easy to make and sure to please almost anyone!

Enjoy!

How To Cut A Pineapple

Cutting A Pineapple

Nothing beats fresh, ripe pineapple when in season. If you can get your hands on some, here's how ya cut 'em!

What You'll Need:

-A Large, Sharp knife

-A Cutting Board

- (and of course) 1 Whole Pineapple

First thing you want to do is remove the top and bottom of the pineapple. You can even plant the top to grow your very own pineapple!

  

Using the sharp knife score downward the sides of the pineapple about a 1/2". I ususally rinse the pineapple at this point.

From there, simply cut the pineapple into slices.

Core the slices using the knife and voila! Fresh amazing pineapple that can be eaten as is or used in a delicious "Pineapple upside-down Cake"!

Thanks for stopping by =)

Apple Crumble Cheesecake!

 The Forever Satisfying Apple Crumble Cheesecake!

Impress your family with this apple filled cheesecake topped with amazing streusel and caramel!

(In pizza pan because my spring form pan isnt the best and leaks butter sometimes)

When I made this cheesecaked everyone couldn't stop with the compliments. It hit a note with everyone in the room (even my grandfather who normally doesn't compliment lol). This delicious and apple-y desert is great for any occasion.

What You'll Need:

-2 Granny Smith Apples, Peeled, Chopped

-1/2 tsp of Ground Cinnamon

-3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar, Divided

-1/2 cup Flour

-1/2 cup Packed Brown Sugar

-1/2 Cup Large Flake Rolled Oats

-1/2 Cup Butter, Melted, Divided

-1 1/4 cups Graham Crumbs

-3 Pkgs (250g each) Brick Cream Cheese, softened

-1tsp Vanilla Extract

-3 Eggs

-2 Tbsp Caramel Sauce (or more ;p)

Step 1: Heat oven to 350F. Cook apples, cinnamon and 2 Tbsp of granulated sugar in a saucepan on medium for about 7-8 minutes or until the apples are nice and tender, stirring often. Remove from heat.

Step 2: Mix flour, brown sugar, oats and half the butter until well blended; spread onto a baking sheet and back for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned.

Step 3: Mix Graham crumbs and remaining butter; press onto bottom of a 9inch springform pan. Top with apple mixture, spreading to within 1/2" of the edge.

Step 4: Beat the cream cheese, remaining granulated sugar and vanilla until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended; pour over apple mixture.

Step 5: Bake for 40-50 minutes or until centre is almost set. Run a knife around rim of the pan to loosen cake. Cool before removing the rim. Refrigerate cheesecake for minimum 4 hours. Top with streusel and caramel sauce!

And also a great touch is using ginger cookies to replace the graham crumbs. 

Enjoy!