Mia Bella Passions

Pina Colada Pavola Log

Let's take Pavlova to new heights!

With a tropical twist and a unique shape.

Classic pavlova is round, but this one is baked in a rectangle tart tin.

The pavlova has a soft marshmallow centre and a crisp top.

The Pina Colada twist comes from the topping flavours of the toasted coconut chips (flakes), charred pineapple pieces and coconut liquor caramel pouring sauce.

You prepare the pavlova mix.

Place in the rectangle tin.

Bake then cool.

Remove from tin.

Place on a serving platter.

While the pavlova is baking, toast the coconut in the oven.

And char grill, or as I did charred over hot heat, in a dry nonstick frying pan.

Top with whipped cream and then the prepared pineapple and toasted coconut.

Finally, dribble over as much bottled caramel sauce as you desire.

The liqueur can be omitted if you want a non-alcoholic dessert.

But if you add it, just place the caramel sauce in a jug, add one or two tablespoons of the liqueur, and stir until blended.

With or without this, the dessert is sweet and just melts in your mouth.

It was a big hit with my taste testers.

And a dessert recipe I will definitely be creating again.

Printable recipe HERE

Pina Colada Pavlova Log

Ingredients:

3 Large eggs

1 cup of fine caster sugar

1 heaped teaspoon of cornflour

425-gram can of pineapple pieces

4 Tablespoons of coconut chips (flakes)

Whipped cream

Bottled caramel sauce

1 or 2 Tablespoons of Malibu Coconut liqueur (optional)

Prepare the pavlova.

In a cake mixer place three large egg whites.

Beat until fluffy and firm.

Add the sugar.

Beat for two minutes on high speed until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is thick and glossy.

Add the cornflour.

Beat until combined with the egg-white mixture.

Place this mixture into a greased rectangle tart tin.

I used one with a push-up bottom.

(easy to remove pavlova once baked)

Size 10 x 36 centimetres.

Bake in a preheated oven at 100 degrees Celsius.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.

The top should be crisp.

Open the oven door and leave it to cool.

Once cool, remove from tin and place on a platter.

While Pavlova is baking prepare:

Coconut:

Place on a tray that is lined with baking paper.

Bake at 150 degrees Celcius for 8 to 10 minutes until golden.

(keep an eye on it as it can overcook easily)

Pineapple:

Grill or dry cook in a nonstick frying pan until charred.

Set aside to cool.

Caramel Sauce:

If you are adding the liqueur to the sauce, place 1 cup of sauce in a jug and mix through 1 or 2 Tablespoons of the Malibu Coconut Liqueur.

Top The Dessert:

Top the plated pavlova log with whipped cream

Place the pineapple on top.

Then the caramel sauce.

Finally, sprinkle with the toasted coconut chips.

Serves 4 large servings

or 6 small servings.

Conversion Information HERE

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#pineapple #pineappledessert #tropicaldessert #pavlova

Hello To The Stunning Calathea

Calatheas are a STUNNING foliage plant!

There are over 60 species now available.

The rarest and most difficult to grow is 'White Fusion' Calathea. This plant has bright green leaves with unpredictable white splashes on them.

The beautiful leaves of all Calatheas look as if an artist has dipped a brush in paint and painted them.

I think that is what I loved most about the variety I bought.

Calathea Alocasia.

It has the most striking leaves of a rich dark green with uniform fine cream-white stripes with a pink tinge to them.

They are grown outside the tropical rainforests as pot plants.

But in the moist and humid rainforest, they grow under the canopy on the forest floor.

Calathea requires certain care to thrive.

They can withstand low light but prefer bright indirect light.

They need relatively consistent warmth and humidity.

The plant will turn its leaves to light, so you need to turn the pot frequently to keep the plant in a balanced shape.

Direct sunlight will burn the leaves.

Tips:

# You can increase humidity by spraying a light might of tepid water over the leaves.

Rainwater or pure water is best as it is free of chemicals.

# You can stand the pot on a gravel or small pebbles tray.

This creates a damp microclimate as the water evaporates and the humidity increases.

# Hot showers and baths create a steamy humidity that the plant will enjoy, therefore a bathroom is a great place for it to reside.

# If the leaves curl inwards, it is a sign of underwatering.

# Yellow or wilting leaves are a sign of overwatering.

# Red Spider Mite is a fan of Calathea. If you see fine webbing, and the upper surface of the leaf becomes mottled, you will see mites and eggs on the leaf underside using a magnifying glass. You can use an oil-based spray for house plants to eradicate the mites.

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#calathea #potplants #plants

How To Make Quick Pickled Cucumber Ribbons With Onions

A simple Pickle...

This pickle keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator, and it is an easy 'whip it up in the morning' to use with the evening seafood meal.

It's a great addition served in a bowl on a cheese board or platter with crusty bread and crackers.

Think wine and cheese.

Think party plate food.

It's an easy pickle to put together:

All you do is peel long ribbons from one cucumber.

Add the vinegar, sugar, ginger and chilli mix, then the onion and the cucumber.

Refrigerate a few hours to pickle before using.

The result is a tasty combination of cucumber with red onion in a sweet chilli marinade with a hint of ginger.

You can serve it as a side with fish.

It's delicious with salmon slices, oven-baked pieces or smoked salmon dips, and crusty bread or baguette slices.

Or as a side with pan-fried white fish crumbed and served with a green salad.

Printable recipe HERE.

Serving Idea:

Quick Pickled Cucumber Ribbons With Onions

You Will Need:

One medium sized cucumber

Pinch of chilli flakes or 1/2 teaspoon of Chilli Sauce.

2 teaspoons of minced ginger paste.

1/2 cup of rice wine (or Sushi) vinegar

1/4 cup of fine white caster sugar

1/2 a thinly sliced red onion

Method:

Peel long ribbons from the flesh of one medium size cucumber.

Place in a bowl with the red onion, ginger, and chilli.

In a small pot, heat the vinegar and the sugar.

Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the ginger and chilli. Mix.

Add the onion and the cucumber.

Place in refrigerator for 2 hours before using, tossing to mix at least once during chilling time.

Makes about 1 cup.

#cucumberrecipes #pickles #quickpickles

DIY Paint Drip Planter Pot

Did you melt colourful crayons over a candle flame and drip it onto pots, candles, jars and bottles as a child?

(To make this project, click HERE)

Well, this 'Paint Drip Planter Pot' is reminiscent of that, except we are using acrylic liquid paints for the project.

The visual outcome is similar without the 3D crayon texture.

It has a flat colourful surface.

You Will Need:

Protective gloves

An apron or old clothes.

A plastic pot that has a matt texture (not shiny) in whatever size you choose

Bottled Golden Liquid acrylic paints in your choice of colours

A tarpaulin

Spray sealer in clear gloss

A plant to place in your completed pot

To Make:

Set up your work area with the tarpaulin to protect the ground or tabletop.

Put on your gloves and apron.

(You'll need them as this is a very messy paint project).

Begin running one colour of the paint in drips and patterns on the pot.

I used the nib on the paint bottle to move the paint around.

I left small areas of the matt black pot showing through the paint.

You can blow onto the paint gently to move it around if you wish.

Keep adding layers of different coloured paint, turning as you go by carefully holding the pot rim.

(HINT: This is the point where I thought 'Darn should have had a drip tray or moveable plastic sheet under the drips so I could have also created a paint drip mini canvas with the leftover paint!')

When you are happy with the effect, set aside to dry overnight.

The next day, spray with two coats, allowing dry time in between as per paint can instructions.

Place your plant inside the pot.

And put it in your garden or on your deck or patio.

(I eventually put mine inside on the office window sill so I would enjoy it while I was working).

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#paintedpots #paintdrippot #diyplanters #diygardenideas

#paintcraft

How To DIY A Birdcage Planter

I know!

This is a 'been there done that - everyone has blogged about it before' kinda thing.

But alas I have always wanted to make one of my own.

So here it is.

My version of a 'Birdcage Planter'.

I have had this ornamental birdcage for years, but it was always used to display a large candle inside.

Then it ended up in the garden with a pretty aqua pot inside that never got planted with anything.

It's currently mid-winter in New Zealand, so it's tricky to find a lot of colour in the form of annuals.

And also something that will withstand colder temperatures.

But the Garden Centre had beautiful miniature cyclamens flowering in all sorts of gorgeous colours.

And I already had some Variegated Trandescandia plants (also known as Inch plants) ready to pot.

So I selected cyclamens that would compliment the burgundy-purple tones.

Tradescantia is a trailing, soft, hairless ground cover.

I remember my mother had a potplant of this variegated form when I was a child.

The green form is considered a noxious weed now in New Zealand, as it grows a root from the smallest of nodes touching the ground, and it is found in a lot of the native bush here.

To Make: