jaffa choc chip cookies - a recipe

Jaffa Choc Chip Cookies - S

In a mixing bowl place;
120g softened butter

3 egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla essence

3Tb stevia blend (I use Natvia)

1 Tb flax meal

2 Tb vanilla or unflavoured protein powder

3 Tb coconut flour

5 Tb almond flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

Mixed until well combined.  

Then stir in:
50g sugar free orange flavoured chocolate bar, chopped
1/4 tsp orange essence

Drop teaspoonfuls onto a lined baking tray and bake at 160degreesC for 12 minutes.

Makes about 15 cookies.

These are an S snack for Trim Healthy Mamas.

coffee cake for one - a recipe

Coffee cake is one of my new go-to foods for breakfast.  Eaten with fluffy (unsweetened) whipped cream, it is truly scrumptious.  I really do love being a Trim Healthy Mama!

I certainly can not take credit for this fabulous tasting treat.  Credit goes to the amazing RohndaSue.  She shares recipes for delicious, healthy treats and family meals.  Subscribe to her blog and follow her on Facebook.  Her food photography alone is worth the read!

This image was designed to be a quick reminder of the ingredients, for those who have used the full instructions before.  I like to have the recipe stored in picture form, so I can access it on my phone.  You might like to do the same.

How do you store the recipes you go to again and again?

*note*
The recipe in the image is written to my taste.
I have made some minor modifications.

singing canary - a recipe

The Singing Canary is one of the wonderful drinks developed by the authors of Trim Healthy Mama.  You will find the detailed instructions and health benefits of the drink on the Trim Healthy Mama Facebook page.  This image was designed to be a quick reminder of the ingredients, for those who have used the full instructions before.
Do make it if you have not already.  It is surprisingly delicious!!  I'm a little addicted!


Do you have any THM basic recipe images that you could share?

lemon sorbet slushie - a recipe

Just the most perfectly refreshing summer drink.

Lemon Sorbet Slushie - FP
ice to the 2cup line in the blender
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4c unsweetened almond milk
3 strips lemon rind
splash of lemon essence/oil
stevia to taste
water to cover ice
1/2tsp glucomannan

Blend, blend, blend!
Pour and enjoy.
Makes a generous 500mls.

Notes::
Heaps of sweetener is needed to balance the sour lemon.
Don't miss the lemon peel, it adds a lovely depth of flavour to the drink.
I use my home grown Myer lemons.  Peel the rind and keep it in the freezer.
The lemon essence/oil is optional but it does ramp up the lemonyness.
This is a FP Trim Healthy Mama compatible drink.

Enjoy!

What's your favourite THM drink?

Edit to add recipe image for my THM FB friends.
Save image to your mobile device and you will have the recipe where ever you are!!

super food green smoothie - a recipe

Super Food Green Smoothie (FP)

150g spinach leaves
150g mixed lettuce leaves
2 sticks celery
1 bunch mint leaves
2 cups water

Blend together until very smooth.
Pour this into 6 large silicone muffin holes and freeze overnight.
To make up one serve, blend together

1 frozen green block
1 cup water
1 tsp glucomannan
stevia drops to taste
1 tsp spirulina, chlorella, barley grass and wheat grass powder mix

Drink immediately with a straw.
I don't know what it is, but drinking this with a straw makes it taste so different, to me anyway!!?

This is a variation on the THM Earth Milk.  I love Earth Milk but sometimes I don't feel like anything creamy.

Let me know what you think.

chai spice mix - a recipe

This spice mix is the one I made up for my Chai Masala Tea.

Ingredients
20g cardamom pods
15g whole cloves
12g whole star anise
15g cinnamon quils
2tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp whole black pepper

Combine all spices and crush roughly with a mortar and pestle.
Store in an air tight jar.

Chai Masala (FP)
In a teapot add your teabag of choice, I like Orange Peeko or even regular tea.
Add 1 Tb spice mix.
Cover with freshly boiled water and steep for 10min.
Pour through a tea strainer.
Serve hot with (almond) milk and (stevia) sweetener to taste.

It is also a great spice mix to use in my version of the Trim Healthy Mama drink, the Shrinker.  The Shrinker is a weight-loss promoting spiced drink that is great to drink hot or chilled throughout the day.
Check out my Chai Shrinker (FP) recipe too.

peanut butter energy bites - a recipe

Just sharing a little something I put together.
I wanted an easy snack which had little sugar, loads of good fats and protein and great taste of course!!  So many energy ball recipes were bound together with honey or heaps of dried fruit and I wanted to sweeten with stevia.  The whole aim was to make a low carb, good fat snack and that is what I have.
And it tastes sooo good!!

Peanut Butter Energy Bites (S)

1c shreaded coconut

2/3c whole cashews

2/3c whole almonds
45g sugar free dark chocolate (sweetened with stevia)

2/3c smooth peanut butter (no added sugar or salt)

Pulse coconut, whole nuts and chocolate in blender until finely chopped.
Tip into large bowl.
Stir through peanut butter.
Form into 1 tsp balls.
Chill and enjoy.

Makes 48 bites


Let me know what you think.
Do you have a favorite low carb snack food?

**edited to remove sultanas - becomes an S snack**

lunch box idea #1 - how to wrap a rolled sandwich without cling film

I had been wrapping our sandwiches for the lunch box with cling film but as one of my goals for 2012 was to use less plastic in our lunch boxes, I had to figure out another way of wrapping them.

This is what I came up with.

I hope these instructions are easy enough to follow?!
It is an easy process when you get the hang of it. 
When we have rolled sandwiches for lunch, I make about ten for my family. 
It really doesn't take long.

An up-side of this wrapping method (in addition to reducing plastic use) is that kids can easily unwrap their own sandwich without an adults help.


How do you reduce the plastic in your packed lunches?

honey oat bread - a recipe

Homemade bread is just the best thing to come out of my kitchen.  It smells great, is easy and is always appreciated.  We all love freshly made bread!! 

This recipe is based on one by Stacy from 'Stacy Makes Cents'.  I made modifications the first time I baked it.  I switched out the coconut oil and used stone ground flour and I changed the method for the way I bake bread (one bowl, dry ingredients first, then in with the wet, easy!!). 

It produced the best oat bread I have ever tasted.  It is so good, you must try it.  You don't need a bread maker or even bread tins.  This loaf can be cooked free form on a baking sheet.  It won't be as high as a sandwich loaf, but will still taste great.  What I am trying to say is... don't be scared of baking bread!!  Just give it a go... you'll be pleased you did!

First up, mix all the ingredients with a butter knife in a large bowl.  

Turn out onto the bench and knead the dough until smooth and elastic, for about 10 min or until you get tired!!

This is the dough looking smooth and elastic!!  It's not crumbly anymore and doesn't have bits falling off it.

Throw the dough back into the still doughy bowl.  Cover with a greased piece of cling wrap and leave for a couple of hours (somewhere warm) or overnight (somewhere cool), depending on when you want to bake the bread.

Knead it again for a few minutes and divide the dough in half. 
Put in prepared tins and let rise to loaf type size.
This is mine proving in second hand commercial bread tins.  Mum found them at an op shop for a bargain price.  The bread comes out so good in this tin as it is such a heavy weight construction.  As you can see, my loaves are just a bit too small for the tin size, but the loaves still come out great, they just don't fill up the tin all the way.

Cook in 180degC preheated oven for about 45min or until you have a golden crust on top and on bottom of the loaf.  Turn out of tins and cool on a wire rack.

Or if that process is all to much, just make it in the bread maker.  It produces a very acceptable loaf, if you don't have the time to knead and prove and all that.  I make about half of all my bread in the bread maker.  Sandwich loaves mostly are done in the machine and specialty breads in bread tins.

Despite the honey, this loaf is a savory bread.
It is great as sandwich bread and for serving with soups and stews.
I have had success with freezing this recipe, make one and freeze one for later.
Now, on with the recipe.


Honey Oat Bread
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups stone ground white flour
5 cups plain white flour
4 teaspoons yeast
2 cups water
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup honey
2 eggs
1 tablespoon salt

Mix oats, flours and yeast in a large bowl. 
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients.
Into the well add the water, oil, honey, eggs and salt.
Stir well with a butter knife until dough has come together.
Turn out and knead until smooth and elastic.
Return dough to bowl, spray with oil and cover with cling wrap.
Set aside to prove, until doubled in size, or a couple of hours, or all day or overnight. 
(Bread baking is a very flexible art!)
Punch down, knead and divide in two.
Shape into loaf forms and prove again in greased tins, for an hour or so.
When risen, bake at 180degC for 45min or until golden and sounds hollow when tapped on base.
Cool before cutting.


Do you bake your own bread?  What is your favorite recipe?

crepes using whey - a recipe

This is breakfast.  Some days it just all comes together and I can get a great meal on the table in a hurry.  And other days I have to start the night before!!  This is one of those days!!

I made the ricotta cheese early in the evening and then used the drained whey to make the crepes.  I turned the last crepe out at a little after midnight!  I did do plenty of other things during that time, like putting the same child back to bed about 10 times!!

Ingredients
1.5cups whey or buttermilk or milk
4Tb rice bran oil
6 eggs
1.5cups plain flour

Whisk ingredients in large bowl, in order, until smooth.
Set aside for at least one hour.
Grease a crepe pan over med/low heat.
Pour 1/4 cup of mixture in and tip to spread thin.
Cook until set on top.
Flip and cook until golden.
Stack and repeat.

Serve rolled with fresh ricotta and homemade raspberry jam.

I made the stack of crepes the night before and then warmed and rolled them for breakfast. 
It is a much better way of serving crepes to a crowd. 
Whether your are 2, 4, 5, 7 or 30 something, nobody is happy waiting for their first crepe for breakfast!

What is your favorite cooked breakfast?

Sharing at

Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways  ~  Scratch Cookin' Tuesday

 Gnowfglins- Simple Lives Thursday  ~  Your Green Resource

kumera & red lentil dip - a recipe

This is a knock off of a new Black Swan brand dip.  It was really tasty, so I used the ingredients list to formulate my own version of their kumera and red lentil dip.  This is great too and at a fraction of the price.  The texture is what takes it to the next level for me, so smooth and creamy.

Ingredients
1 large kumera (sweet potato), peeled and cubed
5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
big splash of olive oil
1 cup red lentils
4 bay leaves
stock and/or salt and pepper
parmesan cheese, grated

Roast the kumera and garlic in the oil until soft and browned.
Boil the lentils in water with bay leaves until lentils are soft.
Drain any excess water from lentils and reserve.
Remove bay leaves.
Pass kumera and lentil mixtures together through a food mill.
Stir to blend.  Add some cooking water if needed to thin the mix.
Add seasoning and cheese to taste.  Stir well.

Serve warm or cold with crusty bread or crackers. 
With some added vegetables it makes a tasty light meal.

I use my second hand food mill (shown below)

food mill working magic on mashed potatoes

for processing soft foods into a paste or mash as it leaves no lumps and is easier to wash up than the food processor.  But use what ever you have, and really, a few lumps won't be an issue.

I'm spreading this dip on the kids lunch wraps tomorrow.  Easy and healthy!


What is your favorite easy real food dip?  I'd love it if you would share your recipe!

breakfast stromboli - a recipe

I found this inspiration on Fix me a snack.  Their cheese stromboli was so yummy and easy to make.  Stromboli is a rolled up pinwheel bread product.  They used their pizza dough, but I used my atta flour sourdough I had all ready to go.  After making the oven baked cheese version, I just had to use the idea in other ways.  This is what I come up with...

First, thinly roll out the yeast dough.
Spread with softened butter and then fruit butter, or what ever fruity spread you like.

I used pumpkin & apple butter.  If you need a recipe for a basic apple butter, find one here.  Sprinkle with brown sugar.

Roll the dough up into a log shape.  If it is too fat in parts, just stretch it so it is fairly even.

Cut into 1inch pieces.

Place on preheated grill press, leaving some space around each for spreading.  Lower the lid.

Cook until golden brown.
Cool a little before serving.

These can also be cooked in the oven, but I have the grill press close at hand and it heats up quicker than the oven.

What recipes have you modified to suit you recently?

Linking to Your Green Resource Wk 24 

oat and raisin bars - a recipe

School starts back this week.  Along with everything else, that means lunchboxes, everyday.  The job again, is to find a new yummy snack bar (muesli or granola depending on where you are reading this) recipe for my kids lunch boxes.

I found several recipes on Pinterest for chewy granola bars.  The recipes were all basically the same.  Cooking up a light toffee with butter and honey and then mixing in the oats and other flavourings.  I tried one of these bars and thought it was a great success.  The kids had some and gave an entirely different verdict.  Epic fail!  The granola was too crunchy and the bar was too soft and fell apart too easily.  Back to the drawing board and on to my recipe.

I used the (Australian) anzac biscuit recipe as a starting point and went from there.  Switched honey for the golden syrup and adding puffed rice and raisins.  This is what I ended up with.

A firm but not crunchy bar, packed full of seeds and fruit.  I love them.  And the kids do too.

So here is the recipe for my oat and raisin bars.



Oat and Raisin Bars

250g butter
4Tb honey (to double use 1/3 cup)
1c shreaded coconut
2/3c raw sugar
1c raisins
1c raw pepitas
3c puffed rice
2c rolled oats
1 1/2c SR flour

Melt butter and honey in large bowl. 
Add remaining ingredients in order. 
Stir until well combined. 
Press into a well greased large baking dish with straight sides.
Bake 180degC until golden and firm, about 20min.
Cool in dish 15min.
Turn out and cut into bars or squares.
Store in an airtight container.


By my rough calculations, the batch works out to be around $10 for 18 good sized bars or 36 squares. That is about 55c per bar or 25c per square.  Better than the bought bars for sure!


If you try them, let me know what you think!

Linking to Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways and Thirty Handmade Days. and Fat Tuesday

vegie fritters - a recipe

This is what we had for tea tonight.  I mashed 1kg potato with sour cream, added a steamed cauliflower and 2 cups peas.  Mashed well together with 4 eggs and 2 cups sr flour.  Then fried in a little butter and oil over med heat until well browned. 

These were just the last three, but you can see you don't need much oil for frying.

My kids like them at room temp with tomato sauce.  Any food that can be eaten with the fingers and dipped in sauce is a guaranteed hit in my house!  Some nights I just need a (relatively healthy) food that all the kids will eat with no complaints.  I don't have fussy eaters, just opinionated eaters.  One will object to the spices used, or the foods temperature, or the addition of meat, or that we had it last week... or any number of other things.
So this is a good meal for us.  Not every week, but occasionally it is fine. 
And yummy.

What is the healthy hit food in your house?


Linking to Your Green Resource @ SortaCrunchy. 
Click through to find heaps of green and frugal ideas.

bircher muesli - a recipe

Bircher muesli is just such a quick and easy breakfast meal.  It is also quite inexpensive when made with home made yoghurt.  Everyone loves it, from the toddler to the adults.

How to -

1.  Mix 2 cups rolled oats with enough milk to cover, 2 cups yoghurt, 5 grated apples and a slug of maple syrup. 

2.  Fridge overnight to soak.

It really is that easy!!  To serve add more yoghurt or milk, depending on the consistency you like.

Have you made bircher muesli?  What is your favourite recipe?

the best tatziki ever - a recipe

...is always the one made at home.  Fresh, thick and full of flavour and goodness.

How to-
1.  This recipe starts with 1lt fresh homemade yoghurt.  I use my EasiYo yoghurt maker and a sachet of the EasiYo Skimmers unflavoured mix.  Last time I made this dip, I used the Greek style, full fat mix.  It too, was great.  It had a very creamy texture and full bodied taste.  But, in my efforts to cut calories, but not variety and taste, I have used the lite version, with good results.

2.  When the yoghurt is set (I leave mine in the maker overnight) the next step is to hang and drain the yoghurt.  This makes the tatziki thick and dip like.  I tip the yoghurt into a clean tea towel, bring the edges up and tie with string and return to the base of the yoghurt maker and put back in the fridge for 6 or so hours.  (I will endeavour to get photos of these steps soon!)

3.  From here, grate a cucumber and squeeze as much juice away as you can.  Mix the thick yoghurt into the cucumber with about 1tsp salt.  Mix it well.  This makes about 500ml tatziki.

To serve, dollop tatziki onto a tray and sprinkle with sweet paprika.  Enjoy with your favorite cracker biscuits.  (I have eaten several while writing this post!!)

So tell me, have you made your own tatziki?  How did you do it?