Christmas ....

Hi everyone how are you ... Why Christmas you say ... well because to me Christmas is the season for being with your family, all the decorations and all the food !! Christmas to me is the time of the year when we have so many different types of foods, deserts and drinks to share and taste.  Being that I am Portuguese I thought it might be apropriate to share some of our traditional dishes.

I love Christmas and I always go all out.  I especially make sure that everything is perfect for my children.  Chrildren I think are what make Christmas so magical.  The lights, the tree, the gifts and the food.  Just seeing the childrens eyes sparkle and see how excited they get about everything is what makes me happy.  I beleive that we should not take the magic and imagination of Christmas away from our children, no matter how old they are ...   Christmas is Magical ....

Portuguese tradition is that on Christmas eve all the children are suppose to put their shoes on the stove tops, so that when Santa comes through the Chiminy he wont' burn his feet (this obviously comes from when houses used to have Fire Places).  I how ever do not do this.  Every year we go to my Dads house on the 24th for dinner, so whilst putting the kids in the car, I make like I forget something and I run back in the house and quickly pull out all the presents I hid and and put them by the tree.  I sprinkle magic dust around the place and take a bite out of the cookies and a sip of milk.   That way when we get back home the sparkle that lights up their faces is just the best sight ever.  This year aparently Santa is on a Diet so we are leaving carrots and celery out .. I thought that was cute.

cod with brocolli rabe eggs and potatoes olive oil and loads of garlic

 calde verde ... green soup

 letria ... vermecelli pudding

 pao de lo

On Christmas Eve, we eat Cod Fish (Bacalau) boiled with Cabbage or Broccoli Rab, Potatoes, Carrots, Onions, Eggs.  We then put Olive oil and Vinegar and loads of chopped garlic on this ... I love this dish any time of the year.  There is something very satisfing about this meal.  It's not too heavy or to light and just all the flavours just seem to pop in your mouth.  We have lots of fresh bread, which we eat with grilled Chorizo. For dersert time we have Letria, (Vermicelli Pudding) Pao De Lo, (a Sponge Cake with a difference), Leite Creme, (Custard), Molotof, Port Wine and Coffee ... At midnight we eat Caldo Verde (Green Soup) which is made with Kale Leaves chopped super thin, potatoes, onions and chorizo.

Hi Everyone

Hello,

This blog is an inspiration to me because my BESTEST SHAMWARI, Mandi, gave me the courage to do it.  She has always had confidence in me, and has always given me the strength to do things.  I dedicate this to her and hope that one day we will be able to meet again.  My friend lives in UK with her two kids Darryn and  Savannah.  She is a fantastic cook and it is great to be able to share a love for food with someone so special. Our mission is to do a book together.  The book will share so many stories and amazing recepies.  Our food is soul food, down to earth home cooking that any one will be able to cook, as long as you put your heart and soul into it.   Operation Shamwari, here we go.  I love you Huku, thank you for everything xoxo.


Why Solicious.  The name came from my sister in law Milene.  She thought "So" for Sonia and "licious" for Delicious ... it rang a bell and alot of people liked ... so became the name of my Blog and Cake Company.  Solicious Cakes and Cupcakes.  So Milene, a special Thank you to you ... One day when I am rich and well known you will get your share ... lol ...


So I thought I would start of by writing a bit about my self.  I was born in Zimbabwe (Harare), my parents are Portuguese.  So my Baking and my Cooking is based around those backgrounds.  I also base some Italian in my food as my Godparents are Italian.   Ever since I was little I loved to cook, and I was always in the Kitchen.  I remember I must have been around 9 or 10 when started to cook alone and making dinners for me and my mom.  One of my funniest memories, was that one day I was making a stew for dinner and it smelt really delishes ... however, we had a neighbour this really old lady who decided that she needed to add her 50cents to my dish.  Well she said that the dish would be really good if we added Semolina to it ... and so she did she added Semolina to my stew and turned it into this THING, that's all I can say it was.  I remember crying that day cause she had ruined dinner ... and ever since then I put my heart and soul into my food and made sure it was always perfect ...  I can honestly give thanks to my mom, for teaching me all the yummy techniques to cooking Portuguese food.  Her food was and still is the best.I currently live in USA, NJ and have done so for almost 6 years.  They have been a very challenging 6 years but we have succeeded  in getting through.  I have two wonderful children.  My daughter Liana Maria and my son Michael Cristiano.  They have given me the strength for many things.  

As for my baking, I have always baked but I never decorated cakes ... I always admired people who iced cakes and wished that I could do this, but living in Zimbabwe that wasn't possible.  When I first came to the USA I did a course at a craft store called Michael.  I did the course with my baby sister Joana and at first it was just for fun, but I really really enjoyed it that it is now my passion and what I put my heart into.  Right now I only do cakes mainly on the weekends but I am hoping that I will soon have so many orders that I will have to do it full time


Love

Sonia x