The English language confounds me. You can't trust it. So many rules that are constantly broken. It's capricious nature really became apparent while I teaching English in Japan.
Why is the 'gh' sound in enough pronounced 'F' ?
That was about lesson one and I still have no effing idea.
It took me until lesson two to realise how much I truly despised the unpredictability of the English language and my inability to explain it. 
I was stumped with another English conundrum this week: why do we write cheesecake as one word, but chocolate cake as two? Luckily I had dip to console me!
I made this cheesecake dip for the Big Sister’s end of year Kindy concert. It’s egg and nut free, so it ticks the allergy boxes and using coconut sugar makes it free of refined sugar. If you’re shopping for coconut sugar (and don’t want to pay through the nose at the big two), I suggest checking your local Asian food shop, I’m buying mine at a fraction of the cost.
Cheesecake Dip
Ingredients:
250g cream cheese, softened
⅔ cup sour cream
⅓ cup coconut sugar
2 tbs milk
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
fresh strawberries to serve
Method:
Beat the cream cheese until smooth.
Add the sour cream, coconut sugar, milk and vanilla bean paste. Mix until smooth, scraping the sides as need be.
Serve with fresh strawberries, apple slices or other bits of fruity goodness.
The dip was a big hit with the mums at kindy and since then I’ve been thinking it would be even better with a bit of crunch. I reckon a strawberry dipped in cheesecake dip and then in crushed ginger nut biscuits would be the bomb. If you try it before I do, let me know please?
Why isn’t phonetically spelled with an F?
Why cheesecake and not cheese cake?
womblywoo says
i before e except when you run a feisty heist on a weird beige foreign neighbour!
Amanda, Cooker and a Looker says
Comment of the day Wombly Woo!
MrsD says
I am making this for our playgroup kids Christmas party on Monday. I tested it out with the girls yesterday and you're right it was THE BOMB!! Thanks for the tip about shopping in the Asian food shop too - never would have thought of that!! Oh and Master J's spelling words this week were great = too, to, two and bear, bare etc etc - very confusing!!
Amanda, Cooker and a Looker says
Already? You're amazing Robyn!
Glad you liked it. x
Sarah @ Slapdash Mama says
Oh god. Ginger nut biscuits are one of my WEAKNESSES! ALONG WITH CHEESECAKE! I love it.
Amanda, Cooker and a Looker says
It's so easy Sarah. Think this is my new party plate.
Alicia - One Mother Hen says
Hats of to all the people that come to this country and have to learn to read and write, let alone speak it! I thought I was a genius dipping my rockmelon in vanilla yogurt this week. Love the thought of crushed ginger nut bickies on top, seriously yum! 🙂
Emily @ Have A Laugh On Me says
English language is SO hard to explain, especially to my preppie! It just doesn't make sense! That dip looks divine, a little out of my league but I can admire from a distance x
Amanda, Cooker and a Looker says
I think you underestimate yourself Em. I reckon you could rock this easy!
Go Camping Australia says
I think that dip sounds divine, and I like the idea of a bit of crunch to give "texture" as they always saying on the cooking shows!
Amanda, Cooker and a Looker says
Texture is totally the right food-wank word for it! x
Sydney, Kids, Food + Travel - Seana says
First of all, before we get to spelling... can I just say - CHEESECAKE DIP!!!!! Scream!!!! What a bloody marvellous idea - you are a dessert genius and I need to make some straight away.
Now then... funny you should ask about spelling... I did Old and Mediaeval English at uni and did a whole paper in orthography - the history of spelling... now where are those uni notes?? But it's basically all down to the fact that printing on presses happened early in England and sounds changed after spelling conventions had been laid down... rough tho they were. Printing presses got to Italy later and the language is much more phonetic. So basically the -gh - in say light and bright used to be pronounced (in Scotland people often still say it as 'licht, bricht) but in proper English that sound changed, and the i was lengthened.
Please do not hesitate to ask any questions about Latin and Greek - ah the benefits of a classical education!
Amanda, Cooker and a Looker says
This is my favourite comment of all time Seana. Not for a moment did I think someone would be able to answer my gh question!
I love Latin - I think that comes from learning lots of species names at uni.
Thank you - I'll be telling this yarn at the dinner table. x